Xi stresses powering high-quality development with Party discipline education

Xinhua) 08:58, August 31, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed powering China's high-quality development with the achievements of a Party-wide campaign on discipline education.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction, which was read out at Friday's meeting of the Central Leading Group for Party Building.

Noting that the Party discipline education campaign has achieved positive results, Xi urged greater efforts to eradicate breeding grounds for corruption and more effectively curb and eliminate corruption.

Party members and officials should be guided to work diligently and actively while adhering to regulations and discipline, Xi said.

Friday's meeting reviewed a set of guidelines for advancing regular and long-term Party discipline education.

The meeting was presided over by Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, who also heads the Central Leading Group for Party Building.

Li Xi, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy head of the Central Leading Group for Party Building, attended the meeting.

This round of Party discipline education campaign, which started in April, has come to an end, according to the meeting. It stressed further efforts to integrate Party discipline education into daily education, management and supervision of Party members and officials.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
Chinese VP meets attendees at legislators forum in Beijing

Xinhua) 10:33, August 31, 2024

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with representatives attending the 2024 Legislators Forum for Friendly Exchanges in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with representatives attending the 2024 Legislators Forum for Friendly Exchanges in Beijing on Friday.

Han said that China is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the legislative bodies of other countries, jointly exploring modernization paths suited to their national conditions.

The third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee has sent a clear signal that China will further comprehensively deepen reform and open up at a higher level, and China will provide more cooperation and development opportunities for countries around the world, Han said.

He further noted that China will, as always, support exchanges and cooperation between the National People's Congress and parliaments of other countries and international and regional parliamentary organizations to create a sound legal environment for deepening bilateral and multilateral friendly cooperation in various fields and consolidate popular support.

Representatives of the participating countries expressed great appreciation for the ideas and initiatives put forward by the Chinese side, saying that they are optimistic about the prospect of Chinese modernization and are willing to work with China to safeguard world peace and promote common development.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday skewered former President Donald Trump for filming at the Arlington National Cemetery, accusing him of exploiting his visit for political purposes, which is prohibited.

"Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt," Harris wrote in a lengthy X post. "This is a man who is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself."

A half-hour later, Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, fired back at Harris in his own social media post: "President trump was there at the invitation of families whose loved ones died because of your incompetence."

"Why don't you get off social media and go launch an investigation into their unnecessary deaths?" Vance added.

The Trump campaign echoed that line of defense in its own social media post, responding to Harris: "You've never ONCE taken responsibility for the 13 heroes killed on your watch  while you bragged about being the last person in the room."

Over the past week, Trump has faced heat for his Monday visit to Arlington Cemetery, during which his campaign staffers "abruptly pushed aside" a cemetery worker trying to enforce federal laws that prohibit conducting "political activities" on military cemetery grounds, according to a U.S. Army spokesperson.

Trump made the trip to the cemetery to commemorate the three-year anniversary of the killing of 13 U.S. service members in a bombing at Kabul Airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he has repeatedly blamed on President Joe Biden and Harris.

While Trump met with families of the victims, his campaign staff took various photos and videos, several of which were posted to his social media platforms.

The Arlington Cemetery issued a statement confirming the incident between the campaign and the cemetery staff member, which NPR was first to report.

"Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate's campaign," the cemetery said.

The Trump campaign has repeatedly denied any physical altercation and said it had approval to have a photographer and videographer on the premises. A Trump campaign spokesperson said the incident was the result of a cemetery staffer having a "mental health episode."

Trump on Friday said he only took pictures at the site because the victims' families wanted to.

"I stood with different people over different graves and took pictures. I didn't want to take pictures, but I wanted to take them if they wanted to take them," he said in a moderated conversation with Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice.

The Harris campaign has pounced on the controversy, scorning Trump for disrespecting U.S. troops and pointing to several other incidents where the former president has faced backlash for reportedly making disparaging comments about veterans, which he has denied.

"This is nothing new from Donald Trump," Harris wrote in her Saturday post. "It is my belief that someone who cannot meet this simple, sacred duty should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America."
Margaret Nyamumbo didn't have her first cup of coffee until she left for college. On the coffee farm she grew up on in Kenya, she says, the traditional morning drink is chai. The reasons are both cultural and economic. Kenya's tea culture has its roots in colonization, with the British bringing leaves to the country from India. What's more, coffee is more expensive than tea, making the decision easy for money-conscious farmers. "Growing up, we'd send off the coffee for export, and then we would drink the tea," Nyamumbo, 36, tells CNBC Make It. When flying to the U.S. to begin her undergraduate studies at Smith College, Nyamumbo says she asked her sister what to order when the flight attendant offered coffee or tea. "She said, 'Don't order coffee  it's too bitter,'" Nyamumbo says. "But I still ordered it. I was going to America. I felt like I had to fit in." Her sister was right: It was bitter. But as Nyamumbo grew into life in the U.S., she acquired more than just a taste for, but a fascination with coffee and the culture surrounding it. "It was an acquired taste that I started to love," she says. "And as I went deeper into the culture of coffee, I became really interested in it. Tracing the supply chain was one of the reasons I got very fascinated by [the idea of starting] a coffee company." That company is Kahawa 1893, which Nyamumbo launched in 2018. The brand name combines the Swahili word for coffee and the year coffee was first commercially grown in Kenya.

Margaret Nyamumbo, 36, is the founder of Kahawa 1893, a coffee company that imports its beans from Africa. CNBC Make It

"With Kahawa 1893, we celebrate the rich origins of coffee in Africa," Nyamumbo says. "Even though coffee's originally from East Africa, it traveled around the world to Europe, Latin America and eventually came back to Africa in 1893." It's a trajectory that shouldn't feel unfamiliar to Nyamumbo herself. Despite being a child of coffee farmers, it took a trip to America, an MBA at Harvard and a short stint in investment banking to realize she could build a coffee business while giving back to the sort of farms that raised her. Kahawa sources its beans from growers in Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Each bag contains a QR code that allows customers to tip women farmers, who Nyamumbo estimates perform 90% of the labor in the coffee industry, but own none of the land. Kahawa matches customer tips, which so far have totaled $45,000. All told, the company has delivered $90,000 to some 500 African farmers. It's a mission that has resonated with customers. In 2023, Kahawa sold more than $3 million worth of coffee. "It is a dream job," Nyamumbo says. "I wouldn't have predicted it, but it's something that I love doing. I don't know what else I would be doing if I wasn't doing this."

Changing careers: 'I wanted to build something from the ground up'

After graduating with her MBA in 2016, Nyamumbo took a job in investment banking  a gig that was not only lucrative, but intellectually stimulating. "I really enjoyed the work. I really enjoyed being able to perform at that level. It was very, very exciting, very competitive and cutthroat. It was a great skill set to be able to build on," she says. Nyamumbo had every intention of staying in banking and climbing the corporate ladder, but the work she was doing  analyzing consumer goods companies  seemed to be pulling her in another direction. "I learned how different brands had been started, and I realized that brands, even Fortune 500 companies that are household names, at one point, had very small, humble beginnings," she says. "As I learned more about the industry, I [realized I] wanted to build something from the ground up." Given her upbringing, coffee was a natural fit. She started to explore what it would take to start her own coffee brand  slowly, at first.

Kahawa customers can 'tip' African farmers online. Since 2018, customer contributions, which Kahawa matches, have totaled $45,000. Courtesy of Kahawa 1893

"It started off as a side hustle. But it was really hard to balance out because my job was very demanding," Nyamumbo says. "I really couldn't do anything on the side except weekends. Even weekends was kind of pushing it." In 2018, Nyamumbo requested a sabbatical to give the fledgling Kahawa 1893 her full attention. She figured she would leave for about a year. If things didn't work out, she reasoned, she could go back to investment banking, albeit a little poorer. For the then-31-year-old Nyamumbo, it was a risk well worth taking. "It was something I wanted to do. I didn't want to be 60 years old and regret not ever having tried it."

Building the business: 'It was around the clock'

Nyamumbo says the startup was financially sustainable from the beginning, and she invested anything she earned back into the growth of the business. That isn't to say, however, that Kahawa didn't hit its share of roadblocks. Nyamumbo says she worked long hours thinking about everything from the big-picture problems, like how to market her brand and manage the supply chain from farmers in Africa, all the way down to the nitty gritty.

Nyamumbo and her brand went viral after a 2023 appearance on ABC's 'Shark Tank.' CNBC Make It

"I wake up, I'm thinking about it. I'm physically dropping off packages at the post office. I was roasting. I was doing tastings at night. I'm sending emails. I'm posting on social. It was around the clock." By 2019, she had moved her business from New York to San Francisco and was earning the majority of her revenue by selling her coffee to Bay Area tech companies, such as Facebook, Airbnb and Twitter, for consumption in their offices. "Then the pandemic hit, and that business went away overnight," Nyamumbo said. Until then, Kahawa hadn't received any outside investment or taken on any debt  but Nyamumbo had. She'd funded startup costs from her ample savings and hadn't paid herself a salary while the business got off the ground. By 2021, she'd racked up $50,000 in credit card debt and was considering picking up a part-time gig to supplement the business.

A stroke of good fortune: 'We have something here'

But that year, the company received a stroke of good fortune. Trader Joe's expressed interest in bringing Kahawa into its stores  a rare departure for a store that had traditionally stocked its own house brands. "That was a big break. But the scale of it was so big," says Nyamumbo. "That was the first time I felt, like, 'Oh my god. We have something here.'" Nyamumbo tapped her personal networks to find investors, who bought in for $285,000. It was enough to get the coffee paid for, roasted, packaged and shipped off to Trader Joe's shelves. Kahawa became the first Black- and woman-owned coffee brand on the grocer's shelves, launching Kahawa into the public eye. Soon, other major stores began picking up the brand, which these days derives the bulk of its revenue from wholesaling.

Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards

In 2022, Nyamumbo sought further investment, this time from the team of famous investors on ABC's "Shark Tank." In the episode, which aired in 2023, Nyamumbo accepted an offer from guest shark and Good American CEO Emma Grede, for $350,000 in exchange for 8% equity in the company. "It's been an amazing relationship, and it's been life-changing for the business," Nyamumbo says. "I think the amount of exposure that we were able to get from the show  it went actually went viral in Kenya  so that was that was kind of a surreal moment to have." Nyamumbo began paying herself a salary in 2021 and soon paid off her debt. She currently lives in New York City, and says her work has cooled  some. She's still putting in roughly 50 hours a week. Nyamumbo says Kahawa has been profitable since it launched, but declined to share documentation for its profits or margins.

Looking ahead: 'We want to bring more of that value' to women farmers

Nyamumbo has big plans for getting Kahawa into more mugs around the globe. The brand recently struck a deal with Keurig, making Kahawa available to the more than 40 million households who use K-cups. "Being able to bring the brand in a more convenient way to more households is really cool for us to grow the distribution," Nyamumbo says. "Because when I started the brand, one of the things I realized was that specialty coffee was not approachable to a lot of people. And so I feel like our brand has been bridging that gap between specialty coffee and approachability."

Nyamumbo grew up on a coffee farm in Kenya. As her business expands, she hopes to continue to share the profits of the coffee trade with African farmers. Courtesy of Kahawa 1893
The search beganand the realizations piled up

Puerto Rico has many different cities, each with their own perks. I set my sights on the eastern, coastal city of Luquillo. It is a half hour drive to the capital, popular with surfers and beachgoers and it is close to El Yunque, the only rainforest in the U.S. Forest System. I knew I would be stressed by the prospect of a single-story home being affected by hurricanes and flooding, so I focused on condos and apartments instead, and stayed at several AirBnBs to get to know the area better. Since I was conducting the search from my home in Florida, my agent arranged viewings on my behalf, and I would call her on Facetime to tour the properties. I realized how difficult it would be to navigate the island's unique banking, legal and regulatory environment, especially not being able to use common U.S.-based lenders. Being a cash buyer would be a better option than trying to get a loan. So I put my search on hold in January 2022, and started looking again in November of that year, to give myself more time to save up enough cash to buy a property outright.

'It was the fastest I've ever spent almost $200,000'

When I was ready, I called my realtor. As luck would have it, she had been contacted by a seller who was ready to say goodbye to an oceanfront condo they had inherited from their parents. I saw it virtually before it went on the market, and I scheduled a trip to Puerto Rico. The moment I stepped inside, I fell in love. After that, everything moved quickly. I put in a verbal offer for $180,000 and the owners accepted.

The moment I stepped inside, I fell in love.

I filled out a formal offer letter, wired my deposit to the realty company, and worked with my agent to find a good inspector. After a successful inspection, and getting the deed and sworn documents notarized (a legal must in Puerto Rico) I worked with my bank to send the remaining funds to the realty office. I closed on the property within nine days. It was the fastest I've ever spent almost $200,000.

Take a look inside my ocean-front condo in Puerto Rico

My 760-square-feet, one bedroom, one bath condo was built in the 1970s. My balcony faces the ocean, the building has 24/7 security, a private pool, laundry area and assigned parking.

The condo actually came furnished, which was one of the things I liked about it originally. Photo: Jannese Torres

The balcony takes my breath away. I get a full unobstructed view of the ocean, and because zoning laws have changed, no properties can be built that close to the water anymore.

I wrote most of my book on the balcony. It's the most serene place on Earth for me. Photo: Jannese Torres

I pay $157 per month in HOA fees that cover maintenance, pool and beach access, garbage collection and security. For utilities, I pay $130 a month for cable, internet, electricity and water. I also pay about $1,800 a year for a property insurance policy that covers general liability, flood, theft and more.

Turning my place into an income stream

Since this isn't my primary residence, I've used the property as a short term rental on AirBnB and VRBO since May 2023. I never intended to use my condo as an AirBnB, but I decided to do a trial run and see how it went, and it has gone well.

The bathroom was original and in desperate need of a renovation, so I did that in the fall of 2023 with the help of local contractors. My parents designed the revamped space, and picked out all the tiles. Photo: Jannese Torres

I have a local cleaning crew that I provide my reservation schedule with. They let themselves in using the lockbox. Then they provide time-stamped photos after each cleaning and I pay them via PayPal. A local contractor I work with can do repairs and maintenance as needed, and sends me photos of the finished product.

The condo has become a gathering place for my family. My mom and dad even painted and decorated the place as a gift to me. Photo: Jannese Torres

My goal was to cover my annual expenses for the condo. If I made a profit, even better. I made over $7,500 in 2023, more than enough to cover my HOA fees, cleaning fees, maintenance, property taxes and utilities for the year. I'm on track to match or exceed those earnings in 2024.

Why this home means so much to me

Buying a property in Puerto Rico has been an incredible investment, not just financially, but emotionally. Now I have a little slice of paradise that I can call my own and share with my loved ones. My parents regularly schedule visits to the condo. It's become their favorite place to vacation. I've also welcomed friends and family as guests.

I never get tired of seeing the view from my place. Photo: Jannese Torres
Indian paramilitary troopers patrol along a road in Srinagar on December 11, 2023, ahead of Supreme Court's verdict on Article 370. Tauseef Mustafa | AFP | Getty Images

Residents of Indian-controlled Kashmir are gearing up for their first regional election in a decade that will allow them to have their own truncated government, also known as a local assembly, instead of remaining under New Delhi's direct rule. Muslim-majority Kashmir is divided between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan and claimed in its entirety by both. The Indian-administered part has been on edge since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government ended its special status in 2019 and also scrapped its statehood. The three-phased polls will take place amid a sharp rise in rebel attacks on government forces in parts of Hindu-dominated Jammu areas that have remained relatively peaceful in the three decades of armed rebellion against Indian rule. With campaigning picking up in the runup to the election, India's main opposition Congress party has formed an alliance to jointly seek the vote with the National Conference, the region's largest pro-India Kashmiri political party. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party has a weak political base in the Kashmir Valley, the heartland of decades of anti-India rebellion, while it's strong in Jammu. Here is what you need to know about the coming election:

The history of disputed Kashmir

Kashmir's future was left unresolved at the end of British colonial rule in 1947 when the Indian subcontinent was divided into predominantly Hindu India and mainly Muslim Pakistan. Pakistan has long pushed for the right to self-determination under a U.N. resolution passed in 1948, which called for a referendum on whether Kashmiris wanted to merge with either country.

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Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989, while India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, a charge Islamabad denies. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict which most Kashmiri Muslims consider a legitimate struggle for freedom.

What is the current status of the region?

Indian-administered Kashmir has been without a local government since 2018 when India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ended its support to the local Kashmiri People's Democratic Party, bringing down the coalition government and causing the assembly to dissolve. A year later, Modi's government revoked the region's semi-autonomy and downgraded it to a federally controlled territory. As a result, Indian-held Kashmir lost its flag, criminal code, constitution and inherited protections on land and jobs. It was also divided into two federal territories, Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir, ruled directly by New Delhi, allowing it to appoint an administrator to run it along unelected government officials.

Since then, a slew of legal and administrative changes have been installed without public input, much to the anger of the region's people whose civil liberties have also been curbed and media intimidated. Indian officials have repeatedly said that the move  to shape what it calls "Naya Kashmir," or a "new Kashmir"  was necessary to tackle separatism, foster greater economic development and fully integrate the region into the country.

Even after the election, India's federal government will still make the decisions

The election will take place between Sept. 18 and Oct. 1, and votes are set to be counted on Oct. 4. In theory, the polls will see a transition of power from New Delhi to a newly elected local assembly with a chief minister serving as the region's top elected official with a council of ministers, a similar setup to before 2018.

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But the new polls will hardly give the new government any legislative powers as Indian-controlled Kashmir will continue to be a "Union Territory"  a region directly controlled by the federal government  with India's parliament remaining as the region's legislator. The elected assembly will only have nominal control over education and culture. Kashmir's statehood status has to be restored for the new government to have power. Even Kashmiri pro-India parties, like the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party, have vowed to politically and legally fight for the return of Kashmir's semi-autonomy.

How do Kashmir residents view the upcoming election?
Norway's Princess Martha Louise and her American fiance Durek Verrett on their way to the gala dinner for Princess Ingrid Alexandra at the castle in Oslo on June 17, 2022.

A Norwegian princess marrying her Hollywood fiance  it sounds like exactly the sort of fairy tale to charm a world beset by war and political strife.

But the wedding on Saturday of Princess Martha Louise to Durek Verrett, an American spiritual healer and self-professed shaman, is mired in controversy and criticism.

Martha Louise, 52, is the eldest daughter of Norway's long-reigning and widely popular King Harald, 87. She began dating California native Verrett in 2019 after the princess divorced her first husband two years earlier. The pair got engaged in 2022.

The nuptials will play out in Geiranger, a scenic town at the head of the Geirangerfjord, a majestic fjord flanked by snowcapped mountains that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The king, Queen Sonja, heir to the throne Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit will all attend, the royal family says. They will be joined by reality stars, media influencers and TV personalities, with image rights exclusively sold to Netflix and Hello! magazine.

But away from this secluded spot, the picture is not so harmonious.

The wedding has intensified scrutiny and criticism of the views  and associated businesses  pedaled by the princess and the shaman. And it has added to a growing tone of dissatisfaction with the historically popular Norwegian royals.

Verrett describes himself as a "sixth-generation shaman" who has "studied extensively" to extract "the best from all the world philosophies, religions, spiritual teachings and theories."

In his 2019 book, "Spirit Hacking: Shamanic Keys to Reclaim Your Personal Power, Transform Yourself, and Light Up the World," he says that children get cancer because they "want" it and that doctors only administer chemotherapy to make a profit.

In another chapter, he writes that casual sex "attracts underworld entities" that are "the origin point for all sexually transmitted diseases." He also says that overpopulation is one of humanity's greatest threats and that women struggling to conceive is a sign that the "Earth is attempting to self-correct."
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Sarah Squirm, aka Saturday Night Lives Sarah Sherman, is making amends. Specifically, shes using her Instagram account to reach out to all the worms she may have kidnapped, harmed or even murdered in the name of comedy.

What drove Sherman to commit such crimes in the first place? To reveal her motive, she takes us back to her high school days when everyone called me Sarah Squirm  whatever  because I was disgusting.

Because of the Squirm in her new moniker, she soon learned about the 1976 horror movie of the same name. If you havent seen it, Squirm graphically depicts what happens when a storm causes some power lines to break and touch the ground, drawing millions of man-eating worms out of the earth.

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Horrifying! But what really drew in Sherman was Squirms poster, a monstrosity featuring a guys face infested with worms.

Squirm Company/Amazon

Squirms influence on Shermans marketing alone should be obvious, as echoes of the films movie poster reverberate in her own comedy promotion.

The production used hundreds of thousands of worms and like completely depleted the fishing industry of New England for the movie, she wrote. Fact or exaggeration? Her point remains: When you see the movie, youre like, Yeah, thats a lot of worms.

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All of this backstory was laying the groundwork for the comedians confession. I also have used live worms for comedy, she admitted. And I would like to come clean and say, in Chicago, I used to run a show called Hell Trap Nightmare, and we had a bucket of hundreds of worms. I blindfolded a guy and put his hands in the bucket, and I made him guess what it was. He thought it was cream cheese. It was hundreds of live worms.

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Looking back, Sarah Sherman regrets what Sarah Squirm did for gross-out laughs. Listen, I care about animals, she insisted. I care about living beings, and I want to love them, support all God's creatures.

Now she wants to atone for her sins. She does believe that those worms perished, despite the fact that Sherman did return them to the soil. That doesnt change the grim reality: Me and this movie have committed sins against living beings and I wanna repent for that.

While she cant reanimate the worms  and dear god, lets hope she never tries  Sherman at least extended a heartfelt mea culpa on her Instagram: to every worm i have ever hurt i am sorry and i love you and i am learning and growing every day.
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N'Djamena, Chad (PANA) - Spotlighting crises roiling parts of eastern Africa, the UN deputy chief concluded a regional visit in Adre, Chad, on Friday, calling for global solidarity to tackle famine in Sudan, flooding and mass displacement while ensuring free-flowing aid for millions trapped in war zones and those fleeing for their lives
Ahead of the release of her movie Maria at the Venice International Film Festival, playing the magnificent yet troubled opera queen Maria Callas, Angelina Jolie says her despair and pain over her split from husband Brad Pitt helped her channel the tormented diva.

Was that really what made her so unhappy  or had she just read the dismal reviews of her film?

Callas is one of the most amazing women of the last century: a legendary soprano betrayed by her lover Aristotle Onassis, who married Jackie Kennedy without telling her, leaving her in Paris with a broken heart.

Angelina Jolie says her despair and pain over her split from husband Brad Pitt helped her channel the tormented diva

It hardly compares to the life of Jolie, the nepo-baby daughter of Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, who has never been betrayed by the more talented Brad.

Jolie said: When you have felt a certain level of despair, of pain  there are only certain sounds that can match that feeling. And to me the immensity of the feeling is encapsulated in opera  theres nothing like it.

So says the woman who was a self-avowed punk fan and devotee of The Clash. No wonder film critics sitting through this turkey are asking themselves  should I stay or should I go?

Lets look at the facts and what pain Ange really shares with Maria. Jolies box-office appeal never recovered after she stole Brad from his first wife, Hollywood sweetheart Jennifer Aniston.

They lived together for years, raising six children before marrying in 2014, separating two years later  and warring ever since.

Seeing her in Venice, I was reminded me of those leaked emails in 2014, in which a Hollywood producer described Jolie as a minimally talented spoilt brat.

She should have learnt her lesson then. In the final aria of Puccinis masterpiece  sung by Callas  Madam Butterfly kills herself with her fathers knife, singing Con onor muore, which means to die with honour.

I hope, one day, we will see Anges career going the same way.

Is Prince plotting?

Despite Prince Harry insisting that hes no longer safe in the UK, he secretly flies in for the funeral of his uncle Robert Fellowes.

It has separately been confirmed that he will not add any more bile to the paperback edition of his memoir Spare  nor give any more hurtful interviews.

So, was Harry really paying tribute to a beloved uncle  or just trying to worm his way back into the Royal family

My moggie and Yuna? Not purrfect

My moggie Ted is overjoyed that lioness Yuna, three, who was trapped in a tiny concrete bunker in war-torn Ukraine, has been rescued by The Big Cat Sanctuary and now can feel the grass beneath her feet at her forever home in Kent. Ted would like to meet Yuna to chat about how he, too, recovered following his rescue after being badly treated as a kitten. But given his last romance was with a gay tomcat called Rocky, Im doubting it would be love at first sight.

Ahead of the launch of the remake of his hit 1988 cult horror Beetlejuice, imaginatively entitled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, film-maker Tim Burton says he loved making it. Alas, some critics did not love watching it. One witheringly declaring: The long-awaited resurrection should have stayed dead.

Drivers deadly selfishness

The lawyer for 96-yearold June Mills who killed pedestrian Brenda Joyce, 76, after losing control of her car and mounting the pavement, said Mills was of previous good character. The sad truth is that anyone who gets behind the wheel of a car at 96 is not of good character  theyre just thinking of themselves.

Having failed to turn up for a previous insolvency hearing, Katie Price  who has a tax bill of 760,000  finally appears in the High Court only for the judge to decree that subjecting her to extreme public scrutiny would harm her mental health, giving her a delay for proceedings to be held in private.

I must try that the next time I cant pay my tax bill: Sorry, HMRC, after six facelifts and 17 boob jobs, Im just not mentally well enough to pay you.

BBC DirectorGeneral Tim Davie says he feels let down by the Huw Edwards scandal, reassuring staff we hold ourselves to the highest standards. Davie became DG in 2020  and in 2022 there were more than 40,000 convictions for TV licence evasion, with 74 per cent women, often older women. Some standards, Auntie.

Meanwhile Alex Williams, 25, who sent Edwards indecent images of children, was given just a 12-month suspended jail term. Some justice that his name and face are on social media, ensuring a lifetime sentence.

Influencer Molly-Mae Hague has broken her social media silence after kicking out fiance Tommy Fury over claims he cheated. She says shes lonely. Does she think her 8million Instagram followers have an appetite for Molly and Tommy: The Reunion

Strictly, Gio wins

Amanda Abbingtons claim that former Strictly pro dancer Giovanni Pernice sent her a sex related video clip has delayed the BBCs internal inquiry into her claims that he gave her PTSD. Theres some justice as the woman whose complaint will harm the Strictly brand is now appearing in a small play in a minor North London theatre. Meanwhile, tickets for Pernice

Some fans whine that Oasis are charging too much for their reunion gigs. Stop crying your heart out! They provided a magical soundtrack for many of us in the Nineties. Id rather pay a few hundred pounds to see Noel and Liam in their 50s than twice that to see the geriatric Rolling Stones giving very little Satisfaction.

Before crashing out in the first round of the US Open, Emma Raducanu deflected questions about Andy Murrays triple Grand Slam legacy, saying hes now old news. Not nice, Emma  and not surprising that, given that you show such poor form on and off the court, your 10million sponsors are asking themselves if

++Westminster wars++
During his doom-laden speech to the country last week Keir Starmer declared 'things will get worse before they get better.'

But not, it seems for the second most-powerful person in the land. For her, things quickly got a whole lot better.

Angela Rayner has been filmed raving away wearing a scarlet dress in an Ibiza 'DJ booth' at 4am, smoke cannon and techno lights blaring around her, performing for the cheering crowds just days after her boss sombrely warned the country that there were 'painful' days to come in his tax-hiking Budget this autumn.

As Brits prepare to tighten their belts, the 44-year-old granny is living it up on one of Europe's most expensive party islands with actress Denise Van Outen, formerly the presenter of The Big Breakfast on Channel 4.

Angela Rayner seen raving in Ibiza nightclub at 4am

She was seen partying just days after her boss sombrely warned the country that there were 'painful' days to come

Rayner was seen embracing an Ibiza DJ in the booth at the rave

I'm not sure how many of Rayner's constituents in Ashton-under-Lyne could afford to spend their summer break 'going large' like her in a club where the water costs 11 a bottle  and, more to the point, I'm not at all sure that's how they want their elected representative spending her time just weeks into the job.

Don't get me wrong: politicians are human beings  and deserve a holiday as much as anyone else.

The role, especially the more senior you become  and it hardly gets more senior than Ange's  is demanding, the hours punishingly long.

No one would begrudge her a week or two away recharging her batteries after the election campaign so that she can better serve the country on her return.

Keir Starmer had also planned a summer holiday 'in Europe' this year  but that was nixed by the riots. Instead he has spent several weekends at Chequers with his family.

I wouldn't have objected if he'd gone to Cornwall or the Outer Hebrides. (Some of us might have been happy if he'd chosen to stay there, in fact.)

But how ill-judged of Angela, how utterly adolescent of her  to have thought it was a good idea to party like it's 1999 when she's the deputy prime minister and when, after Labour's announcements recently, many fear for the future.

The prisons are overflowing, crime is out of control, small boats are pouring across the Channel and further social unrest is only a terror attack away. Shouldn't she tone it down a bit?

Rayner can be seen with a smoke cannon and techno lights blaring around her, performing for the cheering crowds

She was filmed in a booth at the rave and was performing to cheering crowds

It's one thing to be a social media 'personality' when you're in Opposition, and quite another thing when you're purporting to be a stateswoman. Her behaviour demeans her office.

Remember  if anything were to happen to Keir Starmer, Rayner is the woman who would take his place. It's clear to me that the UK doesn't have a serious deputy prime minister, ready to step in should a crisis occur.

Instead, we are stuck with a party animal who prefers house music to the House of Commons.

Grow up, Angela  we expect better of you.
Inside Downing Street and the Home Office theyre hardly daring to whisper it. We saw it with the Tories, one senior Home Office adviser told me. They ran around saying, Weve finally got this under control! And then the numbers surged.

But two months after taking office, there are tentative signs Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper may just be starting to get with grips with the Governments most significant  and seemingly intractable  problem. Stopping the small boats.

Recent headlines have been telling a very different story. Migrant crossings top 20,000 so far this year, announced the BBC on Thursday. Record number of people have crossed Channel in small boats since January, declared The Guardian. Neither headline was from a media outlet exactly famed for highlighting the perils of illegal migration.

But inside No 10 theyve been crunching the numbers, and they paint a different picture. The line Labours political opponents have been trying to peddle is of a new liberal administration losing control of the nations borders by axing the deterrent provided by the much-maligned Rwanda scheme.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper

Yet in reality the actual figures show Starmer performing slightly better than his predecessors. Our new Prime Minister hit the dubious milestone of 6,000 new arrivals on August 27, the 54th day of his premiership. Liz Truss reached it after just 29 days, Rishi Sunak after 38.

Similarly, the period between the start of the year and election day saw the highest number of small boat arrivals on record, with more than 13,000 people landing on Britains shores. But since then the rate of new arrivals has actually fallen  it is currently 25 per cent lower than the 25,000 who had arrived by this stage in 2022. And thats despite the warm weather and calm seas of the past month.

Ministers believe there are several reasons for this positive turnaround. The first is a decision to redeploy the huge resources the Home Office was funnelling into trying  and failing  to get the Rwanda flights off the ground. One of Yvettes first acts was to move 300 officials off Rwanda, and on to ordinary deportations, a Home Office official explained.

With immediate results. Although it was done with little fanfare, on August 23 a flight left the UK with 220 illegal migrants on board. Though ministers wont reveal the destination for reasons of diplomatic protocol, it represented the biggest single-day deportation in British history, and was processed without the last-minute lawyerly wrangling and recrimination associated with previous removal efforts.

According to Home Office insiders, one of the reasons for this improved efficiency is the burgeoning working relationship between the Home Secretary and the Director General of Immigration Enforcement, Bas Javid.

Javid, a former police officer, impressed Cooper during the access talks that took place before Labour entered office  although she was slightly taken aback after her first meeting with him. She came out and said, Is it me, or is he the spitting image of Sajid Javid? a minister revealed, referring to the Tory former Home Secretary. And an official said, Yes, hes his brother.

Javid made two important recommendations that Cooper has decided to implement. The first was to focus on the removal of illegal migrants from those countries with low grant rates. In other words, those nations where there is virtually no chance of an asylum request being approved and options for a successful legal challenge are much more limited.

The second was to align those removals with enhanced operational intelligence on where these particular illegal migrants are operating within the black economy. For example, we discovered a large number of those with low grant rates are working in car-washes, nail bars and some specific areas of the hospitality sector, a government official explained. So Yvette and Bas agreed to start prioritising raids on those sectors. And its working.

A third key component of the Governments strategy is what one No 10 adviser described to me as Keir Starmers own personal obsession with smashing the people-smuggling gangs.

Its one of those issues that takes him back to his time as Director of Public Prosecutions, an aide revealed. Hes obsessed with stopping the boats. Hes convinced we can take these gangs down, smash them and smash their business model.

As part of that, Labours Eliot Ness (the US lawman whose team of Untouchables brought down Al Capone) believes the key is not just preventing the smugglers from launching their boats from the beaches of France, but tackling their operation upstream.

In particular, he has demanded a new emphasis on targeting the corridor that operates between Germany and France and is used to transport the large dinghies that carry the migrants to the South Coast. When Starmer met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz last week, most of the focus was on a supposed post-Brexit reset. But according to No 10 sources, a significant part of the meeting centred on action to continue the crackdown on human-traffickers.

Analysis by the National Crime Agency indicates the clampdown is already having an impact. The larger dinghies operated by the smugglers carry an average of 50 people. Since 2018 there have been 32 instances of boats with higher occupancy rates, and a third of those have been intercepted since the election.

In addition UK and French border officers have noticed an increasing number of engine failures and dinghies failing to make it out of French waters.

All this shows the smugglers are finding it harder to secure the boats and equipment they need to facilitate the crossings, a Home Office official revealed, and thats because were having some success in shutting the German corridor. The fight with the profiteers in human misery is set to be a protracted one. And Starmer, Cooper and their Cabinet colleagues are a long, long way from declaring victory.

They are well aware that the traffickers will adapt their own tactics. And theres a recognition they are in part at the mercy of the elements, with a mild autumn and winter potentially reversing the successes of the summer.

Theres also a private acceptance within Downing Street that to really break the people-smugglers stranglehold some new major new deterrent policy may have to be unveiled.

Were not going back to the Rwanda scheme, one No 10 source told me. It was a costly shambles. But we might have to look at some sort of offshore processing model to send a firm signal.

Rishi Sunak famously pledged we will finally stop the boats. His failure to do so cost him his premiership.

Which is why you will not hear Keir Starmer make the same rash promise.

But inside Downing Street they believe they are in a war with the small-boat traffickers. And Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper think they have drawn first blood.
While Angela Rayner was raving on the party island of Ibiza last week, back in London her powerbase was being stealthily dismantled by Sue Gray.

Ms Rayner glories in the title of Deputy Prime Minister  but insiders suggest that the day-to-day reality is very different.

That scissoring sound you can hear is Sue clipping Angelas wings while she isnt looking, says one.

The most visible sign of this is the fact that two months after winning power, there is still no sign of Ms Rayner being granted the use of Dorneywood, the grace-and-favour 18th-century house in Buckinghamshire used by John Prescott and other deputy prime ministers in the past.

Ms Rayner likes to style herself as Prescott in a skirt, in emulation of her plain-speaking predecessor as Labour No 2. But when Lord Prescott was grappling with his mistress Tracey Temple in his palatial office in Admiralty House, he occupied a formal Office of the Deputy Prime Minister with its own dedicated staff.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was raving on the party island of Ibiza last week

The Mail on Sunday understands that the Civil Services preparations for a Starmer government included a plan for Ms Rayner, who is also the Housing Secretary, to control a similar operation: the allocation of two private secretaries who had been security cleared to operate at the highest level of government.

That would reflect the complexity and sensitivity of the material which the ODPM would be expected to handle.

But sources say that Ms Gray, 66, has sent them to work instead for Starmers enforcer Pat McFadden, the increasingly powerful Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

While Ms Rayner has the use of a room in the Cabinet Office next to McFadden, her main base is the Housing Department, a 20-minute walk away, where her officials are cleared only to operate at a level consistent with planning reforms and workers rights.

In addition, a source says: It seems a purposeful act to strip away Angelas power and influence. She is a DPM without an ODPM. Pat is effectively going to do that job.

Ms Rayner angrily denied that she occupies her title in name only after Chancellor Rachel Reeves persuaded the Prime Minister that Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds should take a prominent role in Ms Rayners red revolution on new employment laws, which has horrified firms by promising French-style rights such as working from home, to avoid alienating the City.

Sue Gray has been accused of cronyism in recent weeks, as she found herself at the centre of a row over political appointments to the Civil Service

Ms Rayner insists that far from being frozen out she has been attending powerful quad meetings of Starmers top team and doing unsexy work on big policy areas.

Ms Gray has been engulfed by claims of power-hunger and cronyism since the MoS revealed earlier this summer that senior Whitehall sources had claimed that the Prime Minister was being denied vital security briefings because Ms Gray was restricting his intelligence briefings, with even Cabinet Secretary Simon Case forced to ask her permission to speak to the Prime Minister.

Since then, Ms Gray has also been at the centre of rows over political appointments to the Civil Service and of over-centralisation by blocking the appointments of MPs special advisers.

She was also embroiled in the furore over the issue of a Downing Street security pass for Lord Alli, who gave the Prime Minister almost 20,000 for new clothes and spectacles among 500,000 of donations to the party over several years.

There has been controversy too over her plans to replace Elizabeth Perelman, the PMs principal private secretary, with one of her former close colleagues, Daniel Gieve.

It has prompted Baroness Stuart, the head of the Civil Service Commission, to write to all departments ordering them to declare any exceptional hires made in the weeks after the election so that they can be reviewed by the watchdog.

And there seems to be little sign of any end to her power struggle with Morgan McSweeney, No 10s head of political strategy, who heads the third leg of No 10s tripartite power structure, the political strategy unit  the other two being the Prime Minister's Office and Ms Grays office.

Sources claim that Ms Gray engineers the No 10 diary to ensure that the most important face-to-face meetings are held on Fridays, when Mr McSweeney is often away at his Scottish country house in Lanarkshire. Downing Street has already been forced to deny claims that McSweeney twice found his No 10 desk moved by Ms Gray  each time further away from the Prime Ministers office. She is also said to be machinating against Matthew Doyle, the Blair-era Director of Communications.

The sources said that Ms Gray had angrily dismissed reports that it was Sue versus everyone in the Government, and was blaming Mr Case and Mr McSweeney for being behind the briefings against her.

They also talk of a sclerosis in the operation, with senior Rishi Sunak advisers such as security adviser Sir Tim Barrow and Foreign Policy adviser John Bew still sitting there, doing nothing and not being looped into anything, while their successors cant start because they havent been vetted.

The source said: This should all have been sorted out ages ago. The decision making remains very slow on appointments such as new ambassadors and is being savage on their salaries. She is not changing her ways.

A Downing Street spokesman denied that Ms Gray had moved officials from Ms Rayners team to Mr McFaddens operation.

No 10 has also denied the claims of feuding, power-hunger and cronyism.
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - A UN independent human rights expert on Friday condemned recent terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso, which resulted in approximately 200 deaths, and in Pakistan, where 28 civilians lost their lives
Dan Muir put his life savings and well-paying job on the line to chase his dream of owning his own business.

But just 18 months later, his wife, a new mum, was so strapped for cash she found herself counting groceries at the checkout.

Sometimes she would have to ask awkwardly to put things back and most bare necessities became instantly unaffordable despite Dan working 80-hour weeks.

The 40-year-old shop fitter's mental heath began to slip. Then he watched as his first business went into administration as he realised the big companies who had been promising to pay long overdue invoices were never going to cough up a cent.

Speaking to FEMAIL, he admitted losing his first business was 'crippling' and 'sent him down a dark path'.

'I had never suffered mental health issues before that. We had got through the first two years of business. Then we hit a hard six-month period and about three months after that we realised we weren't going to get paid. We were left with debt to the tune of $120,000 and had to go into voluntary administration,' he said.

And he's not the only tradie to go out on their own and suffer - not because of their quality of work or staff, but because people don't pay invoices on time - or at all. And chasing them up with lawyers is too costly an endeavour.

In fact, so many tradies struggle to get money out of clients that Shaun Jones, who has a business hiring out sub-contractors, started an invoicing business backed by a legal team to help.

Grunt Invoice Protection has only been going a few weeks but already signed on dozens of small business and helped them by providing a legal guardianship over their invoices in the form of an invoicing and accounts receivable platform.

San Muir, 40, headed down a dark road when his first business failed

His wife Larissa, pictured here with their daughter Matilda and son Hamish, remembers the hard times acutely - because she had to count the groceries at the checkout. This was when her daughter was a newborn

Shaun, 42, who lives on the Gold Coast was sick of dealing with bad debt. He would organise the tradies for jobs, get promised payment, get strung along and then realise the people he had been dealing with had sold up and left town without paying anyone.

'You would chase them, legally, spend thousands on lawyers then find out they have no money,' he said.

'They usually star by paying on time or catch up the first time they are overdue but once they have the relationship with you they stop.'

He now has his business set up on Grunt Invoice Protection which he says has easy to use invoicing functions and will act as accounts receivable, Grunt Invoice protection provides full legal protection against late and non-payment of invoices for just $4 per invoice.

Most businesses he's dealt with have started paying on time since he started using Grunt Invoice Protection for his invoicing

'At the end of the day I have a wife and three boys to support and we would be in a lot better position if we got paid on time, or at all,' he said.

'Lots of these guys never have any intention of paying up on time, or sometimes at all. Which leaves me having to juggle school fees and personal bills, because I pay everything else first.'

Shaun has known Dan for over a decade, and knew his story. So when he launched Grunt he was one of the first people who signed on.

Dan was earning $150k per year when he decided to roll the dice on his own business, and lost everything

When Dan decided to leave his job and go out on his own he was taking home $150,000 a year and had money in the bank. He was also about to become a dad.

After the collapse of his first business he was $120,000 behind, depressed and his relationship felt stretched.

He poured $250,000 into his business in the first two years, buying machinery, and was excited to be heading towards a lower-stress, ultra-flexible future.

Instead he was left with life-long what-ifs.

'It still affects me today. I think what if people don't pay and it all comes crashing down again.'

He's now running a successful business in Tasmania. The couple relocated to the southern state so that his wife could have the support of her family, the next time they went into business.

Shaun Jones, 42, started Grunt Invoice Protection because he was sick of making up for bad debt by cutting his own income

The 'bad debt' cycle is ongoing.

He revealed that he has spent $10,000 recently chasing a $40,000 account.

'Everything runs down hill, when you are at the bottom you don't get paid,' he said.

He's taken a safer approach on businesses who don't pay up on time and is using Grunt Invoice Protection for new or higher risk clients.

Full legal protection is just $4 regardless of the value of the invoice  boasting that companies never have to chase an invoice again or pay legal fees if things go south.

Dan's finally able to provide a good life for his family, which has grown by one since his first disastrous attempt.

'I wont say I'm living the fairytale, business is just as hard as always been but I am in a much more stable position than ever,' he said.

'The majority of my clients are repeat - I think the fairy tale is exactly that a pipe dream sold to young entrepreneurs.

'But having this business succeed is definitely a bit of redemption.'

Shaun hopes businesses like his and Dan's will stop suffering with the help of his second venture.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looked radiant during an official outing today.

The Dutch queen, 53, ditched her usual colourful attired in Zundert, where the world's largest flower parade will get underway over the weekend.

The mother-of-three smiled and posed for the cameras, before inspecting arrangements for the Corso Zundert flower show that is traditionally held on the first Sunday in September.

The royal was the picture of understated elegance in a striped, white-and-navy top under a white blazer, with matching flared trousers.

She left her blonde, shoulder-length hair open and accessorised her outfit with a pair of pearl earrings shaped like flowers, in a nod to the upcoming annual Dutch event that attracts 50,000 visitors every year.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looked radiant during an official outing today. The Dutch queen, 53, ditched her usual colourful attired in Zundert, where the world's largest flower parade will get underway over the weekend

The mother-of-three smiled and posed for the cameras, before inspecting arrangements for the Corso Zundert flower show that is traditionally held on the first Sunday in September

The royal was the picture of understated elegance in a striped, white-and-navy top under a white blazer, with matching flared trousers

Queen Maxima during her visit to the preparations for flower parade Zundert

The mother-of-three kept her base makeup fresh and natural, while accentuating her eyes with a smoky eyeshadow look.

Maxima was photographed holding a bouquet of brightly-coloured flowers, before she joined a group of volunteers putting their final touches on the floats that will be on display at the parade.

The floats are constructed by the residents of 20 hamlets that comprise the southern Dutch town, best known as being the birthplace of legendary post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh.

During her visit, the Queen reportedly toured the neighbourhoods of Helpt Elkander, De Berk and Klein Zundert and got a sneak-peek at the floats for what will be the 82nd edition of the Corso Zundert parade.

Over the years, some of the most unique floats on display have included larger-than-life milk cartons, pink helicopters, giant roosters, and bright orange Chinese dragons  all made entirely out of dahlias.

The mother-of-three kept her base makeup fresh and natural, while accentuating her eyes with a smoky eyeshadow look

Maxima was photographed holding a bouquet of brightly-coloured flowers, before she joined a group of volunteers putting their final touches on the floats that will be on display at the parade

It is estimated that a staggering eight million flowers are used to fashion these creations  some of which span over 20 metres (65 feet)  for the Corso Zundert festival annually.

Queen Maxima's visit highlights the cultural significance of the parade that was ratified by the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012.

Her presence is expected to boost the morale of the volunteers, who painstakingly built the extravagant floats, with preparations for the parade typically beginning a year in advance.

The Corso Zundert, which was founded in 1936 to mark the birthday of then-Queen Wilhelmina, also includes a competition for the best float that is usually picked by an independent jury.

The Corso Zundert, which was founded in 1936 to mark the birthday of then-Queen Wilhelmina, also includes a competition for the best float that is usually picked by an independent jury

Mad Maxima! The Queen got involved building in the day

The Queen's visit to Zundert comes days after she joined her family to watch the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday, August 25.

Photos from the event showed Queen Maxima posing with her husband King WIllem-Alexander, their daughter Princess Alexia and Alexia's cousin Count Claus at the racing event at Circuit Park in Zandvoort in North Holland.

In another picture, the king of Netherlands can be seen enjoying a glass of bubbly while watching the nail-biting race that saw British F1 star Lando Norris zoom to first place.

Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander's daughter Princess Alexia, 19, was also in attendance at the annual sporting event.

She looked effortlessly stylish in a knitted black asymmetrical shoulder top and a pair of smart navy trousers.

The young princess finished her look off with a pair of white trainers.

While her sisters, Catharina-Amalina, Princess of Orange, and Princess Ariane are believed to have skipped the event, Princess Alexia was photographed alongside her cousin Count Claus.

The 20-year-old is the son of Princess Laurentien and Prince Constantijn,King Willem-Alexander's younger brother.

The young royal was dressed to impress in a light blue shirt, navy blazer, grey jeans and brown suede loafers.
Guests have been pictured at the wedding of Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Shaman Durek Verrett - but the bride avoided cameras, hiding behind sheets as she made her way to the aisle.

It comes after the couple allegedly banned phones from their wedding in Geiranger - and invited a top director who has worked with Netflix to cover their nuptials. It is thought that this alleged ban is linked to the exclusivity agreements the couple has with Hello Magazine and Netflix.

The publication claims that on Tuesday, a message was sent out to their invitees asking them not to share anything on their social media profiles.

'Please remember that mobile phones or cameras are not allowed at any of the events throughout the weekend. In addition, we ask that you do not post anything on social media,' it states, according to an email that the website obtained.

The couple's big day follows months of anticipation - and several days of pre-wedding festivities, which kicked off on Thursday. Members of the Norwegian family attended the event, including King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus.

Guests were concealed behind walls of sheets as they left their hotel and got into cars taking them to the wedding tent

A makeshift white tent is set up outside the marquee before the wedding, so the bride could hide from cameras

Sweden's Prince Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria, along with Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, arrive at the wedding

Princess Astrid of Belgium was also among the regal guests at the royal wedding today, and was snapped making her way to the service

Leah Isadora Behn and Emma Tallulah Behn, daughters of Norway's Princess Martha Louise, wait outside the marquee

Also at the event were Sweden's Prince Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria, along with Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia.

Meanwhile, Princess Martha Louise's daughters Leah Isadora Behn and Emma Tallulah Behn were photographed outside the wedding marquee, ahead of their mother's arrival.

A number of wedding guests posed for photographers on a specially placed red carpet, many wearing vibrant gowns in statement colours.

Those not in attendance included Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark, who confirmed ahead of the event that they would not be coming. Also absent was Marius Borg Hiby, stepson of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, who has been at the centre of a major controversy after issuing a grovelling apology earlier this month, for attacking his 'girlfriend' Rebecca Helberg Arntsen.

As she made her way up the aisle, the bride appeared to be wearing a full-length pale gown, with a long veil. The sleeveless frock had a v-neck, and shoulder straps.

According to local media, Princess Martha Louise wore the diamond and pearl tiara that her grandfather, King Olav V of Norway, presented to her as an eighteenth-birthday present.

Members of the media and local residents wait for the wedding guests to arrive on the red carpet outside the Hotel Union

ROYAL GUESTS: Norway's King Harald, Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Ingrid Alexandre and Prince Sverre Magnus pose for a photo the day before the wedding

Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Durek Verrett were photographed smiling the day before the wedding

King Harald V is snapped waving and smiling as he is driven to the wedding ceremony in Geiranger

Queen Sonja is photographed being driven to the wedding of Durek Verrett and Princess Martha Louis

Well-wishers, carrying Norwegian flags, packed the narrow lane from the fjords waterside up to the traditional Vinje Farm where a tent had been specially erected for nuptials.

They had a longer wait than they perhaps expected: the couple were running an hour late and the ceremony did not begin until 2.15pm local time.

After the ceremony, wedding guests left the marriage ceremony tent at around 3pm local time, walking along a red carpet to the nearby hotel reception.

Many were dressed in traditional Norwegian costume - black suits and white shirts for men and long black dresses, with embroidered blouses snd shawls for women.

Others wore dinner jackets with bow ties with women wearing cocktail dresses.

The newly weds are now expected to pose for their wedding pictures, while their guests enjoy refreshments.

Well-wishers came from across Norway to give their blessing to the controversial marriage of Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett.

Among them was Birger Kirkhus, his wife Hege and their friends.

Mr Kirkhus, 62, accountant from Kristiansund, explained: When we learned that the wedding was going to take place in Geiranger we booked a cabin nearby to make sure we were all here.

Like Princess Merte Marte, Crown Prince Hakons wife, we are from Kristiansund.

And so today we are all weather traditional sweaters in the design of southern Norway to celebrate this.

When the future queen went into the ceremony she recognised us and waved at us.

A red carpet was rolled out for guests (seen making their way to the reception at the Hotel Union in Geiranger following the wedding ceremony)

Wedding guests were treated to some stunning views as they made their way to the reception following the ceremony

On the red carpet was Senegalese-American singer-songwriter Marieme in a sparkling orange gown and a striking blue wig

Well-wishers came to support the couple on Saturday, posing for pictures outside Hotel Union in Geiranger

A van with the newlyweds face on in Geiranger as Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Durek Verrett tied the knot

Its a wonderful day. Were all so happy that we made the effort to come.

The wedding breakfast - and afternoon tea and coffee, as well as a party expected to run late into the night - will take place at the prestigious Union Hotel, which is renowned throughout Norway.

Wedding guests were bused up to the wedding venue from a water-front hotel.

King Harald and Queen Sonja are staying onboard their royal yacht which is anchored off shore of the village of Geiranger. A Norwegian naval vessel is also nearby to protect the monarch.

Dozens of uniformed and plain-clothed police officers have swarmed into this tiny Fjord-side village in western Norway that has a population of just 250.

Princess Martha Louise, 52, and her fiance Durek Verrett, 49, who announced their engagement in 2022, revealed they would tie the knot in a ceremony in Geiranger - a town at the head of the Geirangerfjord, that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, via a post on the royal's Instagram page.

A number of guests at today's royal wedding in Norway posed on the red carpet for photographers (pictured: singer-songwriter Marieme)

Many of the attendees donned bright gowns in statement colours - the dress code for the three-day event was reportedly 'cool and sexy'

The guests had a long day, with breakfast at 8am, and the bar said to be open until 3am on Sunday morning

The wedding was held in a town called Geiranger - Princess Martha Louise described the area as 'the perfect place to embrace our love'

Blogger and model Margie Ashcroft poses in a purple gown as she attends the wedding with musical artist Harald Austad

Durek Verrett's nephew Lucas is pictured as he makes his way out of the hotel and towards the wedding marquee

Taking to the platform last year she wrote: 'We are incredibly happy to be able to celebrate our love in Geirangers beautiful surroundings. It means a lot to us to gather our loved ones in a place so rich in history and intense nature experiences. Geiranger is the perfect place to embrace our love.'

The ceremony was organised at Hotel Union in Geiranger village, a four-star hotel that has a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, its own nightclub and even a vintage car museum.

Well-wishers lined the streets ahead of the couple's arrival.

However, while many wished the couple well, some Norwegians are not fans of the union.

Halibut fisherman Roger Mr, 60 told MailOnline: Im not happy about the marriage of Princess Martha Louise to his American man, Durek. I think he is exploiting her and the royal family.

Carpenter Torkil Wullf, 34, said: Princess Martha Louise also a fantasist. It is well-known that she claims to be able to talk to angels. I think is just as crazy as her shaman Durek.

Most Norwegian people think this is whole marriage is a disgrace. The rest of the royal family are much more thoughtful about their actions.

Meanwhile, handyman Jon Juliebr, 46, wished the couple well.

Shortly after buying fresh fish at the Alesund quayside, he told MailOnline: I think its good from them.

Princess Martha Louise has always been eccentric.

'She is the oldest child of King Harald but she was never going to become the monarch because she was a girl.

Her brother, Prince Haakon, will become king, even though he is younger than her, so I think that has affected her.

Cafe waitress yvar Melsaeter, 18, saw the positives in the couple's marriage.

She claimed the wedding party  which had taken sight-seeing tour along the Geirangerfjord from Alesund  had put this remote coastal town on the map.

She said: I think its great that the princess came to Alesund and is getting married in Geirganer village.

'The wedding has really put us on the map.

I dont know too much about her shaman Durek, but I hope they will be happy together.

Its all very exciting for people who live around here.

The three-day celebrations started on Thursday, when the couple hosted a drinks reception at Hotel 1904 in Alesund.

On Friday, guests were taken aboard a boat to travel to enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Geiranger Fjord.

Shaman Durek announced in June that Parish Priest Margit Lovise Holte would be officiating their marriage.

Reverend Michael Beckwith, who has appeared on Oprah Winfrey's Super Soul podcast, was also reportedly involved in the nuptials.

Norwegian fisherman Roger Mor (pictured) said he is 'not happy' about the marriage between Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett

Handyman Jon Juliebor (pictured) said the princess has 'always been eccentric' and he wishes the couple well

Cafe waitress yvar Melsaeter (pictured) said the wedding had put the area on the map - which she said was exciting for locals

Martha, who describes herself as 'spiritual' and claims to be a clairvoyant, got into a relationship with Durek after overcoming the loss of her first husband, Ari Behn, who died by suicide in 2019. The couple claim to have already known each other from a 'past life', specifically from the days of ancient Egypt.

But things have not been easy for Martha, as she was forced to leave her role as a working member of the royal family because of her fiance's controversial views.

Durek stated that he believed that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness in a book he wrote.

He published 'Spirit Hacking' in 2019 in the US, but publishers banned it in Norway over the unsubstantial claims.

After reading a translation of the book from its original English, the publishing house said at the time they were shocked by a number of unproven statements made by Durek in the book.
Well-wishers lined the streets of Geiranger today, ahead of the wedding of Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Shaman Durek Verrett.

A guest at the event, called Rus Olsen, shared a snap of people who'd come out to see the couple on their big day on his Instagram account.

He accompanied the image with a caption which read: 'All the people of Geiranger came out to meet @iam_marthalouise & @shamandurek Geiranger Fjord is as breathtaking as one could not imagine! ing Norway.'

Geiranger - a town at the head of the Geirangerfjord - has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Princess Martha Louise, 52, took to Instagram last year to reveal it would be the wedding location, describing it as 'rich in history'.

A snap shared by one of the wedding guests ahead of the big day showed well-wishers lining the streets

She wrote: 'We are incredibly happy to be able to celebrate our love in Geirangers beautiful surroundings. It means a lot to us to gather our loved ones in a place so rich in history and intense nature experiences. Geiranger is the perfect place to embrace our love.'

While the many locals lining the streets appeared to be excited about the nuptial do, some were critical of the couple, and so the arrival of the royal party was met with mixed feelings by members of this historic fishing community.

Halibut fisherman Roger Mr, 60 told MailOnline: Im not happy about the marriage of Princess Martha Louise to his American man, Durek.

I think he is exploiting her and the royal family.

Carpenter Torkil Wullf, 34, said: Princess Martha Louise also a fantasist.

It is well-known that she claims to be able to talk to angels.

I think is just as crazy as her shaman Durek.

Most Norwegian people think this is whole marriage is a disgrace.

Norwegians have shared mix views regarding the couple (pictured here on the day before their wedding)

The rest of the royal family are much more thoughtful about their actions.

However this morning handyman Jon Juliebr, 46, wished the unlikely couple well.

Shortly after buying fresh fish at the Alesund quayside, he told MailOnline: I think its good from them.

Princess Martha Louise has always been eccentric.

She is the oldest child of King Harald but she was never going to become the monarch because she was a girl.

Her brother, Prince Haakon, will become king, even though he is younger than her, so I think that has affected her.

Meanwhile, cafe waitress yvar Melsaeter, 18, claimed the wedding party  which had taken sight-seeing tour along the Geirangerfjord from Alesund  had put this remote coastal town on the map.

She said: I think its great that the princess came to Alesund and is getting married in Geirganer village. The wedding has really put us on the map.

I dont know too much about her shaman Durek, but I hope they will be happy together.

Its all very exciting for people who live around here.

The couple (seen the day before their wedding) have been described as 'controversial', due to some of their spiritual views

Martha, who describes herself as 'spiritual' and claims to be a clairvoyant, got into a relationship with Durek after overcoming the loss of her first husband, Ari Behn, who died by suicide in 2019.

But things have not been easy for Martha, as she was forced to leave her role as a working member of the royal family because of her fiance's controversial views.

Durek stated that he believed that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness in a book he wrote.

He published 'Spirit Hacking' in 2019 in the US, but publishers banned it in Norway over the unsubstantial claims.

After reading a translation of the book from its original English, the publishing house said at the time they were shocked by a number of unproven statements made by Durek in the book.
Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Shaman Durek Verrett were met with a mixed reception from locals as the two arrived in a costal town ahead of their wedding today.

Princess Martha Louise and husband-to-be arrived to sceptical locals today in the picturesque town of Geirganger, as the couple kicked off on day three of their nuptial celebrations.

A halibut fisherman accused the 49-year-old American of exploiting the Norwegian royal family and a carpenter condemned the 52-year-old princess for being as crazy as her shaman.

However, not everyone was as negative, as one handyman welcomed todays ceremony while a cafe waitress claimed that the royal wedding had put the local area on the map.

King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway were the guests of honour at the pre-wedding drinks reception at Hotel 1904 in Alesund on the countrys west coast on Thursday, ahead of the marriage ceremony in the spectacular Fjord-side village of Geirganger later today.

Norwegian fisherman Roger Mor (pictured) said he is 'not happy' about the marriage between Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett

Cafe waitress yvar Melsaeter (pictured) said the wedding had put the area on the map - which she said was exciting for locals

Princess Martha Louise and husband-to-be Shaman Durek Verrett were met with a mixed reception from locals as the two arrived in a costal town ahead of their wedding today (the pair pictured yesterday)

Princess Martha Louise (pictured with Shaman Durek Verrett yesterday) is controversial with some Norwegians due to some of her spiritual views

But the arrival of the royal party was met with mixed feelings by members of this historic fishing community.

Halibut fisherman Roger Mr, 60 told MailOnline: Im not happy about the marriage of Princess Martha Louise to his American man, Durek.

I think he is exploiting her and the royal family.

Carpenter Torkil Wullf, 34, said: Princess Martha Louise also a fantasist.

It is well-known that she claims to be able to talk to angels. I think is just as crazy as her shaman Durek.

Most Norwegian people think this is whole marriage is a disgrace.

The rest of the royal family are much more thoughtful about their actions.

Meanwhile, handyman Jon Juliebr, 46, wished the unlikely couple well.

Handyman Jon Juliebor (pictured) said the princess has 'always been eccentric' and he wishes the couple well

Shortly after buying fresh fish at the Alesund quayside, he told MailOnline: I think its good from them.

Princess Martha Louise has always been eccentric.

'She is the oldest child of King Harald but she was never going to become the monarch because she was a girl.

Her brother, Prince Haakon, will become king, even though he is younger than her, so I think that has affected her.

Cafe waitress yvar Melsaeter, 18, saw the positives in the couple's marriage.

The couple (pictured the day before their wedding) sparked mixed views, with some criticising their union, and others wishing them well

She claimed the wedding party  which had taken sight-seeing tour along the Geirangerfjord from Alesund  had put this remote coastal town on the map.

She said: I think its great that the princess came to Alesund and is getting married in Geirganer village.

'The wedding has really put us on the map.

I dont know too much about her shaman Durek, but I hope they will be happy together.

Its all very exciting for people who live around here.
Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Durek Verrett tied the knot in a ceremony boasting traditional Norwegian elements as well as an 'American-style' service.

Guests left the marriage ceremony tent shortly after 3pm local time, walking along a red carpet to the nearby hotel reception in Geiranger.

Some spoke to Norwegian TV channel VGTV about the service, describing some elements of the ceremony - including the vows.

One of the American guests revealed that the wedding was 'absolutely beautiful', adding that he 'loved it'. According to the attendee, the event featured gospel music, as well as some hymns.

Durek announced in June that Parish Priest Margit Lovise Holte would be officiating their marriage. Reverend Michael Beckwith, who has appeared on Oprah Winfrey's Super Soul podcast was also involved, with the guest noting that the Los Angeles-based reverend had come to Norway to give an 'American style sermon'.

Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett (seen the day before their wedding) incorporated Norwegian and American elements into their ceremony, according to guests

The service, which was described as having some traditional Norwegian elements as well as an 'American-style' ceremony, was held in a marquee

Meanwhile another guest, called April, spoke to the network about the couple's vows, saying they were 'very sincere'.

'Sometimes you go to a wedding and [the vows are] sort of cliche or pre written. Their vows were so from the heart, and they were honest and truthful and realistic with how relationships can be. And that was really moving to hear. They were so genuine,' she added.

April noted that 'everyone was in tears', including the groom, who 'choked up when he said his vows, and needed a moment'.

She said what really stuck out to her during the vows was 'how Derek said he understands how important Martha's children are to her - her daughters - and how he would never stand in the way of that, and he's there to support her and to love them just as much as she does'.

'That was really moving, because I know they've been through so much, and now Derek is a part of the royal family in Norway,' April added.

As the guests filtered out of the ceremony, many were dressed in traditional Norwegian costume - black suits and white shirts for men and long black dresses, with embroidered blouses snd shawls for women.

Others wore dinner jackets with bow ties with women wearing cocktail dresses.

Well-wishers came from across Norway to give their blessing to the controversial marriage of Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett.

After the ceremony, it is believed that guests went to the Hotel Union (seen today during the nuptial do) where they attended the reception

The bride's wedding look was being kept strictly under wraps as security held up sheets to curb any potential peeps of her dress as she entered the venue

Among them was Birger Kirkhus, his wife Hege and their friends.

Mr Kirkhus, 62, accountant from Kristiansund, explained: When we learned that the wedding was going to take place in Geiranger we booked a cabin nearby to make sure we were all here.

Like Princess Merte Marte, Crown Prince Hakons wife, we are from Kristiansund.

And so today we are all weather traditional sweaters in the design of southern Norway to celebrate this.

When the future queen went into the ceremony she recognised us and waved at us.

Its a wonderful day. Were all so happy that we made the effort to come.

Princess Martha Louise took to Instagram last year to reveal the wedding location.

She wrote: 'We are incredibly happy to be able to celebrate our love in Geirangers beautiful surroundings. It means a lot to us to gather our loved ones in a place so rich in history and intense nature experiences. Geiranger is the perfect place to embrace our love.'

The wedding was held at Hotel Union in Geiranger village, a four-star hotel that has a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, its own nightclub and even a vintage car museum.

Tomorrow is the final day of Martha Louise and Durek's wedding as they wrap up the festivities starting with breakfast from 8am-10am.

After breakfast, guests will be taken on another shuttle from Grande Fjordhotel back to the Hotel Union for a brunch with warm and cold dishes until 1pm before checkout.

From there, the bride and groom have provided buses from guests respective hotels at Alesund airport.

Guests were concealed behind walls of sheets as they left their hotel and got into cars taking them to the wedding tent

A makeshift white tent is set up outside the marquee before the wedding, so the bride could hide from cameras

Martha, who describes herself as 'spiritual' and claims to be a clairvoyant, got into a relationship with Durek after overcoming the loss of her first husband, Ari Behn, who died by suicide in 2019.

But things have not been easy for the princess, as she was forced to leave her role as a working member of the royal family because of her fiance's controversial views.

Durek stated that he believed that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness in a book he wrote.

He published 'Spirit Hacking' in 2019 in the US, but publishers banned it in Norway over the unsubstantial claims.

After reading a translation of the book from its original English, the publishing house said at the time they were shocked by a number of unproven statements made by Durek in the book.
Bridget Oyen is the ultimate foodie who had dreamed of culinary school since she was a teen.

But after more than a decade of suffering from a rare disease, she was forced to make the life-changing decision to have her esophagus removed.

Eating had become a traumatic event since she was little. The California native had developed excruciating pain when she swallowed and would throw up multiple times a day.

Ms Oyen, 31, said: It felt like swallowing glass. I love food. Ive been cooking and baking since I was little. But food does not like me.

For years doctors failed to diagnose her problem: I was told "just lose some weight and youll be better."' [Doctors] were never interested in looking deeper into anything.

But after nearly 10 years of searching, Ms Oyen was finally diagnosed with the rare disease achalasia, which prevents the esophagus from passing food properly.

Bridget Oyen had her esophagus removed during a nine-hour surgery after being diagnosed with the rare disease achalasia

During her nine-hour surgery, doctors cut out her esophagus and reconstructed it using part of her stomach

Because of the delay in treatment, though, her organ had already deteriorated beyond repair and at 30 years old, Ms Oyen decided to have her esophagus removed.

Ms Oyen was 15 when she first began experiencing symptoms that included extreme thirst, chest pain and excessive burping. These later developed into throwing up multiple times a day and intense pain when eating.

She began to experience anxiety and her fear of eating became so intense she developed Avoidant Food Intake Disorder, which causes a person to severely limit their food intake, and she found maintaining her weight difficult.

Ms Oyen, now a banker, told Dailymail.com: I was calling my mom in the middle of the night, crying. Saying to her... "What am I supposed to do? I can't live like this. How am I supposed to eat?"'

Achalasia is a rare disease that affects just one in 100,000 people. It causes the muscles in the esophagus - the tube connecting the mouth and stomach - to not contract properly, failing to send food down to the stomach.

The cause is unknown but may be due to a loss of nerve cells in the esophagus stemming from a viral infection or autoimmune response.

Symptoms include difficulty swallowing, a feeling of something in the throat, heartburn, burping, weight loss and chest pain.

Some may mistake achalasia as a reflux disease, but in patients with achalasia, food is being regurgitated from the esophagus, whereas reflux comes from the stomach.

There is no cure for the disease and once the esophageal muscles have been damaged, they cannot work properly again.

Typically, symptoms can be managed with minor surgeries that cut or widen the esophagus to allow food to more easily enter the stomach.

Multiple surgeries left her with several scars across her abdomen

Ms Oyens initial symptoms were mild and she experienced extreme thirst, chest pain and excessive burping, and she was dismissed or misdiagnosed several times and her long road to get an answer was frustrating.

She told DailyMail.com: Unfortunately that's so common with rare diseases, and it just takes that one doctor whos continuing their research and making sure they're up to date on all the diseases in their field, and not just the common diseases.

'You know, when you hear hoofbeats [you] look for horses. You don't look for a zebra, and unfortunately, I had a zebra.

At 25 she was referred to a neurogastroenterologist, someone who specializes in nerve diseases in the GI tract. It was this physician who finally diagnosed her achalasia.

My Oyen said: This was the first person to ask me what my pain actually felt like.

Ms Oyen was left with a large scar in her abdomen from surgery to remove her esophagus

'I didn't realize that when people called it heartburn it's because it felt like fire. I just thought it was a cute nickname because mine didn't feel like fire. It felt like I was being stabbed, and its because I never had heartburn.

In 2018, Ms Oyen went to a surgeon in San Francisco, where she had a Heller myotomy, a minimally invasive procedure in which doctors cut open the valve where her stomach and esophagus meet.

The surgery helped her keep eating for almost a year - but her symptoms returned and she was referred to a new team of doctors.

However, pandemic lockdowns led to canceled appointments and delays in care. For months she couldnt have the surgery that would let her eat and live pain free.

My Oyen told DailyMail.com: I forgot how to be in that much pain. I had almost a year of being in more mild pain, and the pain came back so bad. I was an insomniac for most of that time.'

Because of the prolonged damage done to her esophagus, she was no longer a candidate for the minimally invasive procedures and decided to have her esophagus removed in a surgery called an esophagectomy.

During the nine-hour surgery, doctors cut out the esophagus and reconstruct it using part of another organ, typically the stomach. The top of the stomach is then stretched upward and attached to the remaining bit of esophagus at the base of a person's throat.

Ms Oyen began experiencing symptoms at 15 years old and would have chest pain and pain in her throat when she ate

The 31-year-old said she found comfort in her dog, Canada, during her trying ordeal

Essentially my stomach now acted like a big slide,' My Oyen explained.

But the procedure left her with further complications and she developed inappropriate sinus tachycardia, causing a constant elevated heartrate, and her lungs filled with fluid, leading to permanent damage.

Ms Oyens recovery period was incredibly painful because her surgeons had to cut through a lot of muscle.

She told this website: The pain was the worst pain I've ever felt. Just everywhere. My whole torso felt like I had been hit by a truck... I felt battered and bruised. Even sitting up felt like I was using every bit of my strength, especially at the beginning.

She has been in physical therapy to rebuild her stamina and while eating is better, she sometimes struggles but is accepting that her life will always look this way.

Ms Oyen said: I know that when I eat, it's going to be uncomfortable. It might be painful, and it's going to cause a ripple effect of symptoms throughout my body. But you can't not eat.

Due to her stomachs new dual role, she has to monitor her food intake and can only have a quarter cup of food every 20 to 30 minutes, often finding a meal can take up to two hours to eat completely.

Ms Oyen added: It is hard to eat as many calories as my body needs when I'm eating in such small amounts. But I'm not rapidly losing weight anymore, which I was for a while, and that's scary.

From her ordeal, Ms Oyen developed post-traumatic stress disorder and said her psychiatrist and therapist are one of the main reasons she was able to get through the past year.

She has also found support amongst her friends and family and in online communities.

Ms Oyen added: I'm lucky enough to have a great group of friends. My friend group shifted from a couple close people to a little community of chronically ill people.

'We might not all have the same diagnoses, but we all kind of get it. The chronic illness and disabled community is thriving on TikTok. It's beautiful.
Im a 74-year-old woman and whenever I cough violently I feel like I need to go to the toilet.

It has got so bad that I rush to the bathroom every time I cough just in case.

Could this be a pelvic floor problem?

Dr Kaye says the pelvic floor can get weaker as you get older, particularly after the menopause

Dr Kaye replies: Leaking, be it stool or urine, is treated by many as a normal part of ageing but this is absolutely not the case. For women, the problem often stems from weakness in the pelvic floor  the hammock of muscles which sit in the pelvis and support organs such as the bowel, womb and bladder.

The pelvic floor can get weaker as you get older, particularly after the menopause.

It can also be affected by a chronic cough or constipation, which put pressure on these muscles.

Thankfully, there are ways to combat the problem.

A womens health physiotherapist can provide exercises to strengthen the muscles, which helps reduce the leaks. If this doesnt work, there are medicines which can reduce the urges. In some cases patients may be offered surgery, for example to treat a organ prolapse if that is contributing to the problem. These are all options patients can speak to their GP about.

I have recently been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and prescribed a drug called thyroxin. But now Im constantly too hot in bed which means I sweat and lose sleep. Is this a side effect of medication?

Dr Kaye replies: FEELING too hot or sweating is a common symptom of an underactive thyroid. Also known as hypothyroidism, it occurs when the body stops producing enough of the hormone thyroxine, which has functions including regulating body temperature.

Thyroxine is created in the thyroid gland  found in the neck  and the disorder is much more common in women. Alongside feeling too hot or too cold, people with an underactive thyroid may also experience fatigue and weight gain. The condition is normally treated with levothyroxine  also known as thyroxin  which replaces the lost hormone with an artifical version.

However, this medicine may cause patients to feel too hot in general, including at night.

The levothyroxine dose patients receive will fluctuate depending on how much their doctor believes they need. This can also change over time.

Someone who initially has only a mild form of hypothyroidism may see their condition get worse over a number of years, meaning they need a larger dose of levothyroxine.

For this reason, patients usually get a blood test every year to check their levels. If someone taking levothyroxine is still experiencing symptoms, they might need a larger dose, or they might need their dose reducing. This is something you can speak to your GP about.

Im 74 and have a severe pain the right side of my head which Ive had for more than two months. I was sent for an X-ray of my neck and spine and was told the results were not bad considering my age. Ive been offered no treatment and the pain is keeping me up all night. What should I do?

Dr Kaye replies: There are many causes of headaches but, among older people, changes in the neck are a surprisingly common trigger. Most severe headaches are linked to migraines or cluster headaches.

It is unknown what triggers these conditions, but they are thought to be brought on by stress and fatigue. Both can lead to one-sided head and neck pain. Patients often report other symptoms such as dizziness, sight problems and difficulty speaking.

In recent years there have been a number of new drugs rolled out on the NHS which can reduce the risk of migraines occurring or reduce the symptoms once one begins.

However, migraines usually come and go, meaning that anyone who has constant head pain is likely to have a different problem.

This is due to arthritis in the neck, which leads to pain and stiffness, and could also radiate up into the head.

For older people, this typically occurs due to wear and tear of the joints over time  also known as osteoarthritis.

The condition can be both painful and restrict movement. Moreover, many patients say standard painkillers do little to help. However, there are other drugs to treat the pain of osteoarthritis.

These include the drug amitriptyline, which helps combat chronic pain and also makes it easier to sleep. Its important that patients with head pain get a diagnosis  for example whether it is osteoarthritis  so they can know what the next step should be.

Patients with long-lasting pain can also see an NHS pain specialist, who can provide techniques on managing the uncomfortable sensation.

Dr Ellie will be back next week. If you have a question for Dr Ellie Cannon, write to DrEllie@mailonsunday.co.uk

Dr Kaye cannot enter into personal correspondence and her replies should be taken in a general context.

Image that shows vaping epidemic must be tackled

Britain's biggest doctors union has demanded a total ban on all flavoured vapes in a bid to tackle the e-cigarette epidemic. I agree that action is needed urgently.

Figures show vaping among children rose almost six-fold in a decade  with often devastating consequences.

An 18-year-old in the US was recently put on life support with lung damage and pneumonia. Juliet Roberts, above, became addicted to vaping having started aged just 14.

Vapes often come in flavours which appeal to children, but many adults who quit smoking and turn to vapes cite the enjoyable flavours as a reason they made the switch.

Banning flavoured vapes could ultimately lead to some returning to cigarettes  which is vastly more dangerous.

Have vapes helped you quit smoking? Would you miss the flavours if theyre banned? Let me know your thoughts.
Weight-loss jabs could provide a fountain of youth after trials found they tackle the underlying cause behind a number of chronic diseases.

Landmark studies presented at the worlds largest cardiology conference showed the likes of Wegovy and Ozempic have far-reaching benefits beyond what we initially imagined.

Doctors say there is growing evidence the drugs  which are popular with celebrities  could slow biological ageing, helping people to live longer and better.

A raft of studies yesterday presented to 30,000 delegates show the weekly jabs can prevent heart failure, cut Covid deaths, reverse kidney disease and reduce once-untreatable high blood pressure.

Experts added that the incredibly exciting findings mean they stop being weight-loss drugs and become drugs that will target diseases.

Scientists also claim they are now confident the drug works by reducing inflammation, which is linked to cancer, diabetes, dementia and heart disease.

There is growing evidence to suggest that weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Oxempic could slow biological ageing, helping people to live longer and better, doctors say

Wegovy and Ozempic work by triggering the body to produce a hormone called GLP-1 that is released naturally from the intestines after meals

Dr Harlan Krumholz, Professor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, said they must now be seen as a multi-purpose drug and health promoter, rather than just a weight-loss aid.

He added results suggest that the key ingredient in these drugs, semaglutide, may slow the biological clock of cells, effectively reducing a persons physical age.

Speaking at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in London, he said: Is it a fountain of youth... I would say if youre improving someones cardiometabolic health substantially, then you are putting them in a position to live longer and better.

It wouldnt surprise me that improving peoples health this way actually slows down the ageing process.

In the biggest presentation of global research on the impact of weight-loss jabs on heart health, results of 11 studies found it worked like a thermostat in cutting baseline inflammation.

Professor Subodh Verma, of Toronto University  lead author of one of the studies  said this was significant as there are no existing anti-inflammatory drugs for heart failure.

Semaglutide acts independently of changes in body weight to reduce inflammation, he added. Even people who lost 5, 10, 15 per cent of body weight, the degree of inflammation reduction was the same.

John Deanfield, professor of cardiology at University College London, added it was time to stop treating these medications as lifestyle drugs.

Studies presented to 30,000 delegates show the weekly jabs can prevent heart failure, cut Covid deaths, reverse kidney disease and reduce once-untreatable high blood pressure

Your browser does not support iframes.

He said: Not only can you prevent or delay an individual disease by early intervention, but you might be able to alter the outcome for a whole set of diseases of aging wed all like to avoid. Its incredibly exciting.

Another study showed semaglutide led to a fall in treatment-resistant blood pressure, helping a third of patients for whom medication had previously failed.

There are even suggestions it could help in future pandemics after a 17,000-strong trial  which started before the outbreak of coronavirus  found those taking semaglutide were 34 per cent less likely to die when infected by Covid-19 compared to those who werent on the drug.

Study leader Dr Jeremy Samuel Faust, of Harvard Medical School, said the effect was akin to a vaccine and could apply to many other infections.

The jabs, which mimic the action of a hormone called GLP-1 to reduce appetite, has been popularised by a host of celebrities  from X boss Elon Musk to ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson  for its weight-loss potential.

Wegovy which is currently prescribed for obesity and type 2 diabetes on the NHS has proven to reduce heart attacks and strokes by a fifth

Currently prescribed on the NHS for obesity and type 2 diabetes, semaglutide has already been proven to cut deaths from heart attacks and strokes by a fifth.

Dr Krumholz said: This throws into question whether or not these drugs should be reserved for people with the most severe forms of obesity.

And Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation and consultant cardiologist, said the research was cause for celebration, adding: Studies show semaglutide not only leads to substantial weight loss, but is also effective in saving and improving lives for people living with heart disease.

This could be a game-changer for patients with a range of different heart conditions.
Imagine a more relaxed Princess Anne and King Charles dressed for a Balmoral weekend. English country chic is in this autumn/winter, so beg, borrow or steal those family parkas and waxed jackets. Making a monument out of the everyday is how the new season trends have been described. And this is a thoroughly fine way to approach what you wear.

So let me introduce you to some of the looks I think are worth entertaining and those that are definitely not.

I'M SAYING YES TO...

Tweed, herringbone and big chunky jumpers

Im eyeing up an oversized parka in House of Dagmars new collection and a tweed blazer is on my wish list.

Animal print

The Dior catwalk took a retro Mad Men approach to leopard print. So youll find me rummaging through preloved sites for the perfect coat to wear with an all-black ensemble.

Rich shades like berry, burgundy and olive green

These create a cosy yet luxurious feel when paired with winter staples.

Black and transparent

Styled the right way, a black dress or blouse with a little transparency is just damn sexy. Go forth and reveal.

Knee-high boots

Especially ones inspired by the horse-riding aesthetic. Chic, chic, chic!

Box bags with top handles and mini bags

With younger customers snapping up preloved, expect to see lots of personality when it comes to accessories.

IT'S A NO-NO TO...

Capes

The problem with these is they add unnecessary bulk, I freeze in them and never know what to do with my hands. I like my outerwear sleek and simple. A cape complicates everything.

Skinny jeans

Shriek! Jeans that you have to squeeze into and give your knees faces. Not going back there.

Camouflage

I did this is my 20s and it looked awful then. Not repeating.

Bag charms

I couldnt be bothered sticking lots of key rings on to my expensive bags. It worked for Jane Birkin, but that doesnt mean we all have to jump on this messy aesthetic.

Neckties with tailored trouser suits

I cant see the point of these.

Fuzzy shoes

Do I want hairy feet like Bigfoot? I do not. With everyone from Erdem to Carven turning high heels into havapoos, I say pass.

@thestylistandthewardrobe

@youmagazine

Shirt, 85, cos.com

THE COLLAR CODE

Funnel-neck shirts are a new development. Im on board, especially after seeing this crisp white one from Cos.

Bag, 219, radley.co.uk

AHEAD OF THE CURVE

British heritage bag brand Radley has been working hard on a makeover. Gone is the dog adornment and in its place are contemporary designs like the Lily (right).

SPOTTED

Lily Collins (right) is searching for a home to rent in London for the coming months. Bidding adieu to Paris, shes joining Money Heists Alvaro Morte in London for the pairs West End stage debuts in Barcelona, at the Duke of Yorks Theatre from 21 October to 11 January.
Sorry, the where?

As in Nottingham. Its the new Cotswolds.

And how do we know this?

Because, says The Daily Telegraph, fashionable West Londoners are swarming up the M1 to buy homes there.

Stamford in Lincolnshire is a key notspot.

Are you suggesting that, tired of sucking fumes outside Gails bakery, Notting Hill denizens are decamping to Nottingham?

Precisely.

Ah, but will a Notswolds home have the mellow stone charm of its Cotswolds cousin?

Yes! When people talk about how pretty the buildings are in the Cotswolds, they dont realise were on the same [geological] seam  it starts in Portland in Dorset and runs up to Lincolnshire, says Flora Scott, 38, an asset manager who is building a home there.

Although thats not Nottingham. Its Lincolnshire.

If youre going to be picky

Flora has, in fact, moved Near-the-Notswolds.

For the pedants among us, then, we are talking about the area encompassing the county of Rutland and bordering parts of Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.

Robbie Williams has a Staffordshire knot tattoo on his hand

So everywhere in the Midlands that isnt Nottingham  wouldnt the paper have done better to christen it Not-the-Notswolds?

You call it what you like but you wont dampen The Telegraphs enthusiasm for this story.

What else is drawing the masses other than the stone?

The prices. Even in Rutland (the most expensive of the Notswolds counties), the average property sells for 446,892 against 640,422 in the Cotswolds.

Can you be any more specific about where this hotspot is?

According to local estate agent Tom Wilson, Theres essentially a golden triangle between Stamford, Oakham and Uppingham  if only I had a pound for everyone who wanted to buy a house in it.

Doesnt he get several thousand pounds for everyone who wants to buy a house in it?

Lets move on from home sales to retail, where The Telegraph urges us not to overlook Rutland Nursery  the Notswolds equivalent of Cotswolds/London lifestyle store signifier Daylesford Organic.

West Londoners will certainly never venture north of Watford Gap unless someone can sell them broth in a pouch.

Meanwhile Woolfox (a private members club near Stamford) offers the areas first padel court in addition to yoga, salsa cardio and crystal sound journeys.

What are?

I dont know. Maybe just tick yoga if they ask on the membership form.

Are all these well-heeled incomers building their own houses from Notswold stone, then?

Nope. Take former London finance workers Giles Godfrey and Barbara van Teeffelen, who are painstakingly restoring Keythorpe Hall, close to the Rutland border, which will be available for exclusive hire and supper clubs.

And what do the readers make of all this?

What relatable people, wrote David Smyth, while a commentator going by the name Old Wirralian thought Snotswolds might be a better moniker.

Wasnt anyone happy about the trend?

David Warner said: The Cotswolds are simply ghastly, darlings. Please move away as fast as you can.

The birth of the Notswolds is clearly an emotive subject. What else has been said online?

Another reader wondered why all the attention was in the east.

Good point. What about the West Midlands?

Stoke is a well-kept secret  as is most of Staffordshire, he opined, before adding, slightly tangentially, Uttoxeters public lavatories have won awards.

Although Im struggling to think what the county is known for other than its famous knot. Did you know Robbie Williams has one tattooed on his hand?

Youve got it! Forget Rutland  sell up in London and move to Staffordshire.

And how are the estate agents supposed to market that one?

A new life in the Knotswolds.
Whats a great-value dinner party wine?

For dependable red, Rioja is ideal: consistently good quality, food-friendly and kind on the wallet, too. Youthful Crianza styles tend to be soft and fruity with oaky nuances, perfect for a kitchen supper. The more aged Reserva and Gran Reserva wines offer savoury complexity, good with gourmet dishes. For white, consider the trendy Greek Assyrtiko, often compared to Chablis for its sophisticated, crisp and citrussy profile. You can find it at Aldi for under a tenner.

Why does Chardonnay taste different every time?

Chameleonic Chardonnay can range from fresh and mineral to rich, buttery oak-bombs depending on the vineyard site and the winemakers touch. Its the main white grape in Champagne, too. This versatile variety does it all  from easy-going, budget-friendly bottles to world-renowned, complex wonders.

Im bored of Pinot Grigio, what now?

Poor Pinot Grigio often gets a bad rap as a fresh supermarket staple with a neutral (some might say boring) palate. However, there are more interesting examples from specific Italian regions like Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia. If you fancy discovering other unoaked, zesty whites, give a Spanish Albarino or a French Picpoul a go.

What is old world versus new world?

Old World refers to historic winemaking regions, namely Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, where vines originated. New World includes regions like the USA and Australia, where winemaking was introduced later. Traditionally, Old World wines were considered more refined and subtle, while New World wines were known for being bold and expressive. However, with climate change and advancements in vineyards and techniques, these distinctions are fading.

Can I pair red wine with fish?

In short, yes. But consider a wines flavours and tannins. Pick fruity reds with low, silky tannins  these wont overpower the delicate nuances and textures of fish dishes. You can serve these reds lightly chilled to keep things fresh and vibrant  pop in the fridge for 45 minutes and open 15 minutes before serving.

And can white be paired with meat?

Richer, bolder and oakier styles of white are better matches with meat dishes due to their similar intensity of flavour. Some of my favourite pairings include belly pork with a rich style of Chenin Blanc and a fruity and spiced slow-cooked lamb with an oaked white Rioja.

What should I drink with spicy food?

Spicy dishes increase our perception of alcohol, which may make a typically pleasant wine feel like its burning. Its best to choose wines with lower alcohol content. Sweetness in wine can also balance out the heat, much like the combo of sweet chilli. For instance, a sweeter style of Riesling will go well with a medium-spiced curry.

Which wines are lower in alcohol?

These long-time favourites all offer lower alcohol content:

Vinho Verde Fresh, zesty and sometimes spritzy Portuguese whites, perfect for daytime or summer drinking.

Muscadet Light-bodied whites from the coastal Loire region, known for their subtle sea-like flavours and excellent pairing with seafood.

Beaujolais Many styles made from the Gamay grape offer a fruity, light and easy-drinking experience. But recent warm vintages have seen alcohol levels creeping up, so check the label.

Is a screw-cap bottle inferior to cork?

There are a few common misconceptions about screw caps, including that theyre only put on entry-level wines and that they cant be used for wines meant to be aged. Both are untrue. Australia and New Zealand have led the way in using screw caps for quality wines, and they are now commonly used at various price points worldwide. I love the ceremony of opening a cork-sealed bottle sometimes, but at others, I ditch the snobbery and get that bottle open with speed!

Is older wine always better?

Wine is a living entity  its aromas, flavours and texture transform and develop over time. But its a myth that all wines improve with age. Most wines arent designed for long-term ageing and are best enjoyed within a few years of being released. To age well, wines need a depth of aromas and flavours, along with high acidity and tannins (for red wines) that act as preservatives. Some examples include Barolo and Bordeaux (red), Premier Cru and Grand Cru Chablis (white) and vintage Champagne.

What does it mean if a wine is organic?

Organic varieties avoid chemicals, protecting the environment and promoting healthier soils and ecosystems. If you support sustainability and eco-friendly practices, organic wines offer a thoughtful choice.

What are tannins, and do I like them?

We generally discuss tannins in red wines because they are found in grape skins, which are used in red winemaking but rarely in white. Tannins give wine a drying, mouth-puckering feel, like you might experience from a strong cup of black tea. Some red grapes naturally have higher tannins, like Cabernet Sauvignon compared to Pinot Noir, but factors such as location, vintage, method of winemaking and ageing also influence tannin levels and texture. Everyone has different preferences  some enjoy a grippy, tannic wine, while others prefer light, silky tannins. Bold tannins and meaty dishes work particularly well together.

How do I know if a wine has gone bad?

In most cases, you dont need to taste a wine to detect an issue; your nose can do the job. Some key aromas that signal a problem include wet cardboard or mustiness, vinegar, stale fruit, nuttiness and cooked fruit, or any other strong, unattractive smells  eg, wet dog. If you encounter any of these smells, its likely the wine has gone bad.

Why do some bottles give me a headache?

Lets clear up this common myth. For most people, headaches are usually caused by wines with a higher percentage of alcohol, overconsumption and dehydration, rather than sulphites. Few are allergic to sulphites, which occur naturally during winemaking and may be added as a preservative. Sulphites are also found in many foods, such as dried fruit and biscuits  often in much higher quantities  and we dont blame that third chocolate biscuit for our hangover.

Should I go for the house wine?

In wine bars and wine-oriented restaurants, there is usually a lot of thought put into selecting something accessible and delicious. Some restaurants may partner with a wine producer to create a custom label specifically for them, while others might offer a well-established option.

Charlottes book Wine: Taste Pair Pour will be published by Mitchell Beazley on 12 September, 20. To order a copy for 17 until 15 September go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over 25.
I shop fairly regularly at my local Tesco and signed up for a Clubcard to take advantage of the member prices on certain items.

I didn't really think much about collecting a significant amount of points, because I tend to do my bigger shops at Aldi or Lidl.

But I've managed to build up enough Clubcard points to be eligible for about 50 worth of vouchers, which I haven't touched.

This week I was told by a friend that the vouchers will run out and I need to spend them before the end of the week. Is this true?

Is there anything else I can use the points for other than a food shop? I tend to buy from cheaper supermarkets and I don't want to spend more on food just because of these vouchers.

Every little helps: Clubcard points can be converted into vouchers to be spent on food or with Tesco's partners, but these have an expiry date

Angharad Carrick of This Is Money says: I sympathise with having an unmanageable wallet thanks to the ever-growing number of loyalty cards we all seem to need to do our food shop.

Supermarkets and other retailers have now introduced loyalty prices - essentially two-tier pricing for members and non-members.

Customers without a loyalty card, or who are uncomfortable with sharing their data, will likely have to spend more at the checkout.

Privacy and logistical concerns aside, it can be quite difficult to keep up with just how many retailers we have loyalty cards for, as well as how many points each card holds.

I'm therefore not surprised that you've managed to accumulate so many Clubcard points without realising.

If you're used to spending in another supermarket, then you probably aren't that familiar with how Clubcard points work.

Each supermarket has different rules about how much customers need to spend to receive a point, and how many points qualify for a voucher.

Clubcard members will receive a point for every 1 spent at Tesco, and 100 Clubcard points are worth 1.

So if you have 1,000 Clubcard points then that's worth 10, while 5,000 points are equal to 50, and so on.

You will also receive a point for every 2 litres of Tesco fuel you buy and for every 1 spent with Tesco mobile. If you have a Tesco credit card, you will need to spend 4 to earn one point.

The retailer has also introduced other partners, like Vauxhall, meaning that you could receive 50,000 points - worth 500 - if you buy a new Vauxhall car.

You cannot spend your points until they have been converted into vouchers, and to do this you need a minimum of 150 points, equivalent to 1.50.

Points can also only be swapped in multiples of 50.

You will receive these vouchers with your Clubcard statement every three months in February, May, August and November.

Clubcard vouchers are valid for two years, which is why Tesco often issues warnings to its customers ahead of the quarterly statements.

Currently, around 14million worth of vouchers are due to run out by 31 August, which is why your friend warned you about yours potentially expiring.

However, unless you have been sitting on your points for two years, you should have some time left to spend them.

If you're unsure, you can check the date on the voucher itself. Otherwise, you can check on the Clubcard website or app.

What can you spend Clubcard vouchers on?

You say that you are not a very regular Tesco shopper, and I understand why you might not want to use your vouchers for your groceries if you usually prefer to buy them elsewhere.

Thankfully, there are other ways you can spend your saved points.

Your points could be worth more if you swap them for reward vouchers with other retailers. Points are now doubled when swapped with Tesco's reward partners, so the 1,000 points usually worth 10 to spend at Tesco are worth 20 elsewhere.

Tesco has more than 100 partners, including:

Bella Italia

Best Western Hotels

Cineworld

Disney+

English Heritage

Hotels.com

Hoseasons

Hungry Horse

Legoland Windsor

Pizza Express

P&O Ferries

RAC

Railcard

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

As an example, you can swap 12 worth of points for a three-month standard Disney+ subscription or 7.50 worth for a subscription with ads. Both new and existing customers are eligible.

There are also plenty of options for days out, cinema and theatre tickets, as well as travel.

If you regularly travel by train and have been eyeing a railcard, which can cut costs by up to a third, you can use your vouchers to contribute towards the cost.

You can use 1.50 worth of your Clubcard vouchers to get 3 credit towards your railcard, which costs around 30, but it excludes the 26-30 card.

You could also use them towards flights and accommodation for your travels. Clubcard vouchers worth 5 are doubled to 10 to use with Hotels.com and Butlins.

Finally, you could choose to donate them to charities like Cancer Research and the British Heart Foundation.
The Merchants Trust is a stalwart investment fund with a history going back 135 years.

Yet there is nothing stale or fuddy-duddy about the 889million trust which continues to provide investors with a compelling mix of income and capital return from the UK stock market. Among its peers, it shines.

The trust is managed by Allianz Global Investors and benefits from a steady hand at the tiller in Simon Gergel, who has been in charge of investment for more than 18 years. He is supported in managing the portfolio by Richard Knight and Andrew Koch.

The trust's performance numbers are impressive. Over the past one, three, five and 10 years, it has outgunned the average of its UK equity income peer group.

For example, over the past year it has produced a total return of 20 per cent compared to a peer group average of 18. Over five years, the outperformance is magnified  70 per cent versus 38.

There is no magical formula behind its success  just a lot of hard work and a commitment to an investment style that focuses on identifying undervalued companies that the team believes will come good in the long term.

These companies tend to offer above market average dividend yields. The trust's current annual yield is 4.8 per cent, which compares to a yield on the mainstream FTSE100 Index of 3.5 per cent.

Indeed, income is central to Merchants' investment proposition. Along with a small cohort of other investment trusts, it has a record of annual dividend growth going back decades.

Although other trusts have longer records  the likes of Alliance, Bankers and City of London  42 years of consecutive annual dividend increases is impressive.

Gergel and the Trust's board are keen to keep the record going, reassured by the fact that the fund has more than half a year's income tucked away in reserves, to be used if dividends from existing holdings tail off.

Dividends are paid quarterly and the first payment for the current financial year was 7.2p a share, an increase of 0.1p on the equivalent payment 12 months earlier. The trust's shares are priced just below 6.

The portfolio currently comprises just over 50 stocks with familiar dividend-friendly companies among its top holdings: the likes of oil companies BP and Shell and British American Tobacco.

Gergel and his team are brave investors, taking positions in businesses that have gone out of favour. Among the latest additions to the trust's portfolio is luxury goods manufacturer Burberry  a business which has suffered from poor sales, culminating in the appointment of a new chief executive in Joshua Schulman.

Although the trust bought into the company before the boardroom turmoil and the suspension of its dividends,

Gergel says he is prepared to 'hold strong business franchises through a restructuring period where we can see significant value'. Burberry's shares are nearly 70 per cent lower than this time last year.

Gergel adds: 'There is lots of value in the UK stock market, especially in companies like Burberry where their share price has been beaten up.'

Other recent additions to the portfolio include high tech engineering company Dowlais and student accommodation specialist Unite.

Gergel says: 'Dowlais is an attractive business with a decent yield [6.5 per cent] while Unite continues to benefit from strong demand for student accommodation and its share price could go a long way.'

The trust's total annual charges are competitive at 0.55 per cent. Its identification code is 0580007 and ticker MRCH.
Businesses missed out on up to 4.3billion in spending this summer due to the tourist tax, according to figures published this month.

Bosses of firms including Kurt Geiger and Burberry have said reinstating VAT-free shopping by overseas visitors could turbo-charge the economy.

Rishi Sunak abolished the perk as Chancellor in 2021.

Research suggests British businesses lost out on 3.8billion by European Union visitors between April and July, plus another 500million by those from the US, China and the Middle East, due to the tax.

The research from specialist tax refund company Global Blue suggests this equates to more than 1billion in lost VAT and other revenues for the public purse, at a time when Labour is looking to raise taxes.

Missing out: Travellers who would have come to the UK are going elsewhere to shop

Travellers who would have come to the UK are going elsewhere to shop due to the tax, critics say. Retailers who campaigned for the Tories to scrap the levy are lobbying the Labour government.

If the tax had been abolished, the UK would have been the only major country in Europe where 450 million EU residents could shop tax-free.

Global Blue estimates they would have splashed out 1.9billion over the summer, plus the same again on hotels, restaurants and other activities, adding up to 3.8billion. The researchers say that over the whole of 2024, British businesses would have made a total of 10billion if EU residents were allowed to shop tax-free.

The Tories refused to ditch the tax on the basis that it would mean lost revenues for the Treasury as shoppers from overseas would be able to reclaim VAT at 20 per cent on their purchases.

But retailers argue this loss of income would be heavily outweighed due to extra spending by tourists on hotels, transport and leisure attractions as more of them would visit the UK.

Paul Barnes, chief executive of the Association of International Retail, which represents hundreds of firms including Heathrow Airport and Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, said: 'These are huge amounts of foreign money that could have been spent in British businesses across the whole of the UK.

'The Chancellor is looking for ways to promote growth and increase tax revenues. If she looked again at tax-free shopping she would get a very pleasant surprise.'

Neil Clifford, boss of shoe and bag chain Kurt Geiger, said the policy had 'put a big hole in the British economy'.

Clifford added: 'Brexit was to open us up to the world and then we shut the door on ourselves.'

Campaign: Kurt Geiger is a vocal critic

The Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday have been campaigning for the policy to be reversed, with the support of more than 500 firms.

Muniya Barua, deputy chief executive at BusinessLDN, which represents firms in the capital, said: 'This data is a wake-up call which shows how the tourist tax is diverting spending into Paris, Madrid and Lisbon where VAT-free shopping for tourists still exists.'

At the moment, British companies are 'competing with one hand tied behind their backs'.

James Lambert, deputy chairman of Value Retail, the owner of designer outlet Bicester Village, said his business had seen 'evidence of a deflection of tourism expenditure towards capital cities in Europe'.

Opponents of the tax argue it is a brake on growth.

Rachel Reeves has said she wants to become the most 'pro-growth Chancellor' in UK history. And prominent retail source said they are hopeful Labour will decide scrapping the levy is a 'silver bullet' for growth after they see more data.

A spokesman for the Treasury said: 'Following the spending audit, the Chancellor has been clear that difficult decisions lie ahead on spending, welfare and tax to fix the foundations of our economy and address the 22billion hole in the public finances left by the last government.

'Decisions on how to do that will be taken at the Budget in the round.'
Oh My Cod!: Chippie owner Andrew Crook said he is concerned for the industry

The days of the great British chippie may be numbered under Labour plans to boost workers' rights, owners fear.

Fish and chip shops are already under pressure due to high energy costs and poor potato harvests driving up prices for customers.

Now an industry group is warning that one of Britain's favourite institutions could be consigned to history.

Andrew Crook, who has run Skippers in Euxton, Lancashire, for 17 years and is president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, has written to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds warning the 'odds are stacked against' fish and chip shops.

Crook is expanding with another outlet called Oh My Cod in nearby Coppull, but says many of his fellow chippie-owners are in despair.

'I am fielding several calls a week from former successful business owners who are despondent as they go from one issue to another. And they do feel that the Government is not interested in fully supporting small business,' the letter said. 'There are many businesses up for sale and we are seeing more close as the owners find it is just not worth it any more and are unable to find a buyer.' Crook said: 'My fear is we're about to see an exodus of good operators who provide good jobs.'

The letter comes as the Office for National Statistics revealed the average price of a portion of fish and chips leapt from 6.48 in July 2019 to 9.88 today.

Chippies are facing a perfect storm of import tariffs on seafood and a jump in global demand for fish, particularly from the US, where buyers have fallen in love with cod caught in waters around Norway.

Extreme weather has also hit potato harvests across Europe, pushing up the price of spuds.

Some chip shop owners are also alarmed by Labour's overhaul of workers' rights, steered by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. This could give staff protection from unfair dismissal from day one, put an end to zero-hours contracts and raise the minimum wage.

Stuart Devine, owner of Scottish fish and chip shop chain Ashvale, said: 'If you put wages up, prices need to go up. It's a worry in a cost-of-living crisis.

'Minimum wages have moved far enough. Chip shops aren't like fancy restaurants. We can't start charging 30 for a meal.'

Crook called for 'common sense' from Labour on workers' rights, adding: 'You've got to protect employees from bad employers. But you also have to protect employers from bad employees.'
John Nichol joined the RAF after his O-levels

John Nichol is a former Royal Air Force navigator who, with pilot John Peters, was shot down in a Tornado jet fighter during the first Gulf War in 1991.

They were paraded on television by their Iraqi captors before being held as prisoners of war for seven weeks.

Since leaving the RAF, 60-year-old Nichol has written best-sellers about the Spitfire, Lancaster bomber and Tornado aircraft, among other subjects, and has sold two million books.

He lives in Hertfordshire with his businesswoman wife Suzannah, their daughter Sophie, 19, and golden retriever, Ralph.

What did your parents teach you about money?

I was one of four and grew up in a three-bedroom council house on Tyneside. My late mum Cath and dad John, who was a clerk at an engineering works, were part of the wartime generation that grew up when everything was in short supply.

As a consequence, they were very frugal people. And that frugality has rubbed off on me. So despite being quite well-off now, I still watch the pennies.

I was livid when a London restaurant recently charged a friend and I 16 for two small bottles of lager  talk about daylight robbery!

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

When I first joined the RAF as an electronics technician after my O-levels, I was on about 15-20 a week. I was living in a barrack room at an RAF base, but had to pay towards my accommodation.

After buying the odd beer and playing the fruit machine, I'd often run out of money after a few weeks. I was commissioned as an officer after five years so was paid more.

However, the worst time of my life was undoubtedly being held hostage by the Iraqis  I was half-starved and lost nearly three stone over seven weeks in captivity. That said, if I hadn't been a prisoner of war and paraded on TV, I wouldn't have the career I have today.

Have you ever been paid silly money?

Speaking engagements, in particular corporate speaking events, can pay very well (around 5,000) and I've done quite a few over the years. I'm not sure I'd describe it as 'silly money' but it's certainly a lot more than my dad ever got paid.

But Covid knocked all that on the head, and things have never quite gone back to how they were beforehand.

Brothers in arms: John Nichol (right) with his fellow PoW from the Gulf War, John Peters

What was the best year of your financial life?

Being self-employed, my yearly earnings can vary hugely, for instance depending on how my latest book is selling.

But the early Noughties  2002-2004  were probably my best years financially because I was in demand on TV as a military commentator, made some TV documentaries with WWII veterans and also did lots of speaking engagements.

What's the most expensive thing you bought for fun?

A 5,000 Rolex watch I got myself in the 1990s. I thought it was the ultimate watch  until I hosted the British Watch Awards one year and found myself sitting next to a chap with one on each wrist.

Rare: The bespoke Bremont MB1 watch

Their combined worth? Half a million pounds!

Nowadays I wear a bespoke Bremont MB1 watch  it can only be worn by men and women who have used a Martin-Baker ejection seat in an emergency. I also splash out on holidays, and will book my family into a nice villa or five-star hotel.

What is your biggest money mistake?

It was buying a used Honda Accord for 1,500 in 1983. The car looked nice enough but after a few weeks I noticed the sills had been filled in with newspaper and sprayed with paint to hide the rust.

In short, I'd bought a rustbucket.

After a year or so, the suspension collapsed while I was driving on the M4 and I had to be towed home by the AA. I had to scrap the car.

Best money decision you have made?

Although leaving the RAF and starting a new career in my 30s was a bit scary, I knew that it was time to move on. Making that leap opened up a world of opportunities and enabled me to become a best-selling author.

Yes, being a writer has its ups and downs, but it has paid better than being in the RAF. When I left the forces in the mid-1990s, I was earning about 35,000. Incidentally, one of the jobs I was offered after leaving the RAF was as a combine harvester salesman  I was briefly tempted.

Do you have a pension?

I get a military pension which I've just started drawing down. While it's not a huge amount, it pays the weekly Tesco shop. I also pay into a private pension, though I've no plans to retire in the foreseeable future because I enjoy what I do too much.

Do you own any property?

Yes, a six-bedroom 1970s house in a quiet Hertfordshire village, next to a church, which my wife and I bought for 300,000 back in the late-1990s. I don't know exactly what it's worth today but I imagine we could never afford to buy it now.

Man's best friend: John Nichol pictured with his old golden labrador retriever, Ted

If you were Chancellor, what would you do?

Reform the way the social care system works. I understand the concept that if you have more, you should pay more, but it seems wrong that those who've saved for retirement should have to sell everything to fund their care in old age, whereas those with nothing have their old-age care paid for by the Government.

What is your number one financial priority?

To have enough money to see me through comfortably to my final days.
A Texas community is being terrorized by armed teens who are throwing wild drug-fueled parties in vacant newly-built homes.

Cops sounded the alarm over the growing trend earlier this month after a teenage partygoer was killed in the new community BrookMill in Bexar County - where many homes are still under construction.

Landon Reyes, 17, was found dead with gunshot wounds in the backyard of an empty property just weeks before his 18th birthday.

He was one of more than 100 teens who had descended on 3900 block of Rock Mill Dam for a late-night party that Bexar Sheriff County Josie Salazaar described as a 'recipe for disaster.'

The sheriff said the teens typically learn about these parties via social media and then show up to 'stage a takeover'. He added that deputies had broken up a party at the same property just two weeks earlier.

Landon Reyes was killed just weeks before his 18th birthday. His family has created a GoFundMe to help pay for his funeral

The teen was shot dead at a home in the 3900 block of Rock Mill Dam on the far west side in Brexar County, Texas

On the night of the party, deputies from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office were alerted to reports of up to 20 gunshots heard at the property.

When officers arrived at around 1 am on August 4 hordes of partygoers were seen frantically fleeing the scene before police made the grim discovery of Reyes' body.

Numerous shell casings were found on the ground and investigators are trying to determine if Reyes was shot accidentally or killed in a targeted hit.

The shooter(s) have not yet been identified and police are asking the public for help.

'We want as much information as possible,' Salazaar said. 'The more the better. We are interested in putting someone behind bars who murdered this man - cut down at the prime of his life.'

Salazaar also alerted the community to the growing trend of teen takeovers of vacant properties and urged residents to be vigilant.

He said that if anyone spots activity in a home they know has not yet been occupied - such as cars lining the street or loud music - they should call the police.

He also advised homebuilders to be on the alert - particularly with homes that are move-in ready with all the utilities hooked up.

'Air-conditioning, water, everything ready to go, that's a prime target for these folks,' he warned.

The sheriff added: 'All they have to do is figure out how to get in through an open window and they are home free to have a party in the comfort of a brand new home.'

The house the teens occupied had blue tape on the floor which indicated that the new homeowners were ready to move in, investigators said

Cops showed a video of teens partying and dancing with guns in a vacant home

During the presser, the chief showed a video of a different party but pointed out that it was the same 'style' of what took place at the home at Rock Milll Dam.

'As you can see people are dancing on the breakfast islands - people waving guns around,' he said, in part. 'People drinking probably using narcotics and you can see in this grainy video waving handguns and rifles around.'

Catherine Morales was one of the first people to move into the BrookMill community.

On the night of the party, she told News 4 San Antonio how frightened she was after waking up to the sound at least 10 gunshots coming from the corner house.

'I have never seen anything like that before,' she recalled. 'Hundreds of kids coming out of that house and a bunch of cars on the streets'.

She added that she also saw kids hiding on her porch and behind her cars.

According to a report, deputies had broken up a gathering at the same house the weekend before, as per the news outlet.

Morales said she wasn't sure if they were the same teenagers on both occasions but suspected they may be.

'This is pretty common for them to go from vacant house to vacant house. They target specifically the BrookMill communities,' she said.

Concerned for her own safety, she said she hopes the builders are also taking steps to keep new homeowners safe.

The family has created a GoFundMe to help raise money for the young man's funeral

The Bexar County Sheriffs Office said Crime Stoppers is offering a potential reward of up $5,000 for any information that leads to the arrests of the suspects responsible for Reyes' death.

Meanwhile, Reyes' relatives have set up a fundraiser to help support the the family.

'Our dearest Landyn, you brought endless joy and love into our lives, and your spirit will always be cherished,' they wrote.

'We will forever hold you close to our hearts and your genuine smiles will always be remembered.'

As of Wednesday, more than $9,400 has been raised towards their goal of $12,000.
Spooky, behind-the-scenes tales from cult classic horror movie The Craft have resurfaced online, sending fans into a frenzy.

The 1996 movie about a coven of teen witches was entirely fictional but showrunners hired a real-life Wicca consultant to ensure all spells and incantations were as accurate as possible.

But behind the scenes reports of strange happenings on set soon began to emerge, and were later made public in a host of interviews with the cast and crew.

In one instance, during the film's most famous scene 'Calling of the Corners' where the girls assemble on the beach to call upon a fictional deity, the tides kept sweeping in whenever the cameras rolled.

Producers had reportedly chosen a fictional deity to avoid angering the pagan gods, but it has since emerged they allegedly ignored a warning from a local witch that the beach was a 'bad place for rituals'.

Scroll down for video:

During filming 'Calling of the Corners' scene - where the girls assemble on a beach to call upon a fictional deity - the tides kept coming in whenever the cameras rolled

Actress Robin Tunney, who played Sarah Bailey, said of LA-based Dianic Elder Priestess Pat Devin: 'She'd heard that beach didn't like pagan ceremonies, cause she heard from some witch associates that it was a bad place for pagan rituals'.

'And, uh, she got ill, so we had to wrap up, go back there the next week,' she further recalled in the resurfaced interview conducted shortly after the film's premiere.

'All the lights went out and the tide came in and washed up our altar, and it was one thing after the next,' she continued.

She added that the waves would come so close whenever the cameras rolled, they would put out the fire on set. Then when they cut the cameras, the tides would pull back, The Mentalist star, now 52, said.

Tunney continued: 'When the water came up and washed away the set, it should have [been] fun, spooky.

'Had we just been four girls out on the beach doing it ourselves, without a whole camera crew,' she went on, 'it would have been petrifying.'

'But the fact that you have these lights in the camera crew, you know, sort of demystifies it.

Actress Robin Tunney, who played Sarah Bailey in the film, is seen describing some of the strange on-set occurrences in an interview shortly after the film's premiere

Showrunners hired a real Wicca consultant, Pat Devin, seen here surrounded by the main cast, to ensure all spells and incantations were as accurate as possible

She added: 'You know creepy thing had happened that day, but it's like, "ooh, the tide came in - guess what? It's the ocean. The tide comes in.

'"Oh! The power failure!"' she added, pointing to how a portable generating powering the scene also cut out at one point during the chaos.

'You know the genny [generator], it wasn't big enough for what we had to do.

'It's like, "We're doing this witchcraft movie - it had to be witchcraft"', she joked.

The interview clip was recently posted on TikTok, with the caption: 'You won't believe what happened when the cast of The Craft invoked the spirit on the beach! The tides actually changed, and everything went wrong. It was like reality and magic collided!'

Other fans were quick to comment, with one saying: 'Makes me want to watch this tonight!'

Speaking about the same scene, a crew member further added in a separate interview: 'While we were doing the invocation on the beach, it was strange.

'[W]e would get into the invocation [and] the surf came up higher and then it would go down when we stopped.'

For the film's twentieth anniversary, director Andrew Fleming also brought up the seemingly supernatural circumstances during this scene.

'It was just this odd thing where, when the girls started the incantations, the waves kind of came up,' he said of the scene, which was filmed at Leo Carrillo Beach along Malibu's Pacific Coast Highway.

'At one point, a wave came and wiped the whole set out,' he added.

Tunney, Fairuza Balk, and Neve Campbell are seen acting out a scene on the beach in Malibu

Devin, meanwhile, also weighed in, speaking to fellow Wiccan John Britshadow Yohalelm about the scene in 1998.

'The beach scene was originally set at Winter Solstice, in a circle of black candles in which the girls intended to sacrifice the small animals they had with them - although all the animals escaped unharmed,' the woman recalled at the time.

'I realize that sacrifice is a traditional part of religious practice - Pagan and non-Pagan - but I assure you that, had any of the animals been hurt in the scene, I would have thrown a fit.

'In fact, I objected to Sarah [Tunney] picking up a goldfish plopping on the sand and releasing it in the sea, as goldfish are freshwater fish!' she proclaimed.

'[Fleming], somewhat bewildered, asked if I really thought anyone would notice.'

She went on to reveal how she christened the deity Manon - a made-up name designed not to offend any spirits.

'As I understand it, in very early versions of the script, each of the girls had her own name for the Ultimate Deity,' she said.

'Light as a feather, stiff as a board' has likely been uttered at countless sleepovers since the movie's 1996 release, thanks to this memorable scene

From left: Campbell, Balk, Tunney, and Rachel True in artwork for the film

'In the first version of the script that I read, Rochelle was still calling the Ultimate Deity "Noah".

'I told Andy to drop "Noah" and, after consulting lists and lists of God/Goddess/Demon/Angel/Spirit names, to stick with Manon, as I didn't find it listed anywhere,' she continued.

'I didn't want hordes of teenagers running down to the beach or out to the woods invoking anybody real.

'I've since been told that Manon may be a minor Water spirit - well, I looked and other people looked and we didn't find it listed anywhere, which is why we used it.'

Several other bizarre happenings were also recorded on-set, with actress Fairuza Balk, who played Nancy, rumored to be practicing Wicca, according to Richard Abanes' book Religions of the Stars: What Hollywood Believes and How It Affects You.

Among them was the presence of a mysterious white owl that appeared to be following members of the cast while filming.

In an interview, Half Baked star Rachel True - who played Rochelle Zimmerman in the film - told Talent Develop: 'There was definitely weird energy around, and we were followed around by a white owl to several different locations.'
People with albinism in sub-Saharan Africa already face the deadly threat of the sun, described by many as their 'biggest enemy'.

Their skin lacks the melanin which is crucial to protect them from its ultraviolet rays, making them highly vulnerable to cancer.

More than 90 per cent of people with albinism on the continent - where roughly one out of every 5,000 people is born with the condition - die before they reach the age of 40, and the sun plays a large part in this.

But there are other 'enemies' which threaten their very survival - namely people's prejudices, superstitions and the witchdoctors and depraved merchants who hunt them for their body parts.

In Cameroon, the belief that people with albinism bring luck or have magical powers has persisted for decades, and has devastating consequences.

Women and girls with albinism experience ritual rape, due to the disturbingly widespread belief that sexual intercourse with a person with albinism brings luck and cures diseases, including HIV.

Men, women and children have their limbs hacked off and are murdered, while dead people are exhumed by greedy traffickers who sell their body parts, charging between $2,000 for a limb to $75,000 for a 'complete set' - a whole body.

The violent atrocities Cameroonians with albinism are exposed to are overlooked by their government, campaigners say, forcing them to advocate on their own behalf and try to educate the population themselves.

People with albinism in Cameroon say they are largely 'forgotten' by their government and have to advocate on their own behalf

Men, women and children with albinism face persecution for the colour of their skin and hair in Cameroon and elsewhere in Africa

The association held a pageant as part of their celebrations of International Albinism Awareness Day in June

Children with albinism struggle to get an education in Cameroon as they are ostracised by their communities

Madame Ngom Maceline is the founder and executive director of the Association for the Welfare of Albinos, a charity based in the northwestern city of Bamenda.

Started in 2016, the association works tirelessly to educate and empower people with albinism, as well as protect them from vile attacks by fellow villagers.

It also seeks to promote understanding in communities, as it takes on the mammoth task of changing people's attitudes and safeguard people with albinism in doing so.

'Persons with albinism are not considered 'normal',' said Maceline, who has the condition herself.

'In that way, they are always left behind. They don't have any belongings, they don't receive direct support from the government.'

Backwards attitudes in communities mean that they are often considered to be 'cursed,' or become objects for witchcraft.

'You have people that use their hairs for wealth,' Maceline said. 'They say that when you have the hairs of a person with albinism, especially women's, it empowers you to get riches.'

A group protest against the discrimination faced by people with albinism in Cameroon

Ngom Maceline is pictured speaking to Cameroon's environment minister about the threat posed by climate change to people with albinism, who face increased dangers from the sun's rays due to the lack of melanin in her skin

People supported by the AWA pose with bottles of suncream, which is crucial for people with albinism in Africa

Children attend a march to raise awareness of the challenges faced by people with albinism

She added that there is an 'ongoing crisis' in her region and that she is currently dealing with several cases of albino women who have been raped.

'Some people consider that when you "make love" with a person with albinism they will cure HIV and AIDs.

'There are many cases in our community where you see women with albinism not getting married, but with numerous children.'

When women give birth to children with albinism, Maceline said, they are 'cleaned' by their communities, either by being washed in a river or forced to walk around a tree over and over again, she said.

Newborns with albinism are often even killed immediately after they are delivered, then falsely reported as stillborn, according to a UN report.

Those who do survive are treated as outcasts by the community, and can be driven out and shunned.

People with albinism face threats to their lives from the day they are born. Pictured: Maceline with people supported by her charity

Children with albinism - often blocked from attending school in Cameroon - receive help from AWA in getting an education and skills

Children are refused an education, meaning many grow up illiterate with limited skills.

Adults are denied jobs, and when they do get employment, rarely receive equal pay to people with pigmented skin.

Maceline, who is a trained nurse, said she faced discrimination as she tried to get into work, with people wrongly saying she was incapable due to albinos often having poor eyesight.

She is now on the frontline of dealing with the scourge of skin cancer in her region, which often goes untreated due to lack of funds and government support.

People helped by the charity celebrate International Albinism Awareness Day with singing and dancing

AWA held a public speaking workshop as part of their drive to provide the youngsters they help with life skills

Maceline says that among the 300 people with albinism in her area, more than 100 are suffering with cancer, with one person dying just a few days ago.

She added that they also have to contest with ongoing conflicts between militia groups and the state in her region, which she said 'affects persons with albinism the most', because they are so conspicuous among people with dark skin.

It also means a lack of aid and support being able to reach them in rural areas.

But, thanks to the tireless work of Maceline and others, hope has been instilled in her small community.

Youngsters are educated from a young age to apply sun cream, wear clothes and hats that cover their skin, and avoid the sunlight when they can.

They receive an education, and take part in workshops for public speaking, hairdressing and craftwork.

Maceline's campaigning has seen her speak to government ministers and work with the UN

A girl who has received support from AWA takes a selfie at an event held by the charity

Maceline and her team help to give them the skills to get into work, and create wares to sell and earn money for their families.

Her campaigning has seen her speak to government ministers, work with the UN, and go on local radio in the hope of changing attitudes towards albino people across Cameroon.

Men, women and children with albinism, ostracised in their communities, are at last made to feel welcome.

They are given the chance to have fun, singing and dancing, taking part in beauty pageants and talent shows, and their joy and resilience shine through in pictures shared by the AWA.

They are given a brighter future thanks to the work the charity does. If you would like to donate to support them, the link is here.
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An airline pilot claims he spotted two UFOs hovering near each other, 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean.

The A320 Frontier pilot captured the flying objects while in the cockpit of the plane and shared a video of them to Reddit on Monday.

He claimed the UFOs were moving at 'incredible speeds' and hovering in the sky 'instantaneously' on August 19.

In a separate post, the pilot, who goes by the username thtflyingguy, revealed he was flying right over the Grand Bahamas International Airport in Freeport when he witnessed the suspicious objects.

'We see satellites all the time and the way these moved were not satellites,' he said.

An airline pilot claims he spotted two UFOs hovering near each other (pictured), 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean on August 19

Flight tracking data revealed that flight FFT3572 took off from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was over the ocean at the same altitude the pilot reported.

In his first post, the pilot said: 'Im an Airline pilot and was flying over the Atlantic Ocean when me and captain spotted these orb of lights that kept moving around each other and one point we saw them move at incredible speeds and stop and hover instantaneously.'

'It was at that moment I took out my phone to record them. Throughout the night we kept seeing them.

'One would show up then another out of nowhere. I have another video showing two of them and I turn the camera showing another group to the South,' he added.

In a consecutive post showing the metadata of his video, the pilot wrote: 'For all those asking here is the location and time my iPhone says we were at the time I recorded the video.

'We were traveling at about 512 knots at flight level 350 going Northwest over the Atlantic. The location the GPS in my phone shows us just over Grand Bahamas International Airport.'

The pilot, who goes by the username thtflyingguy, revealed he was flying right over the Grand Bahamas International Airport in Freeport when he witnessed the suspicious objects

Flight tracking data (pictured) revealed that flight FFT3572 took off from San Juan, Puerto Rico and was over the ocean at the same altitude the pilot reported

Users quickly flocked under his posts as some of them revealed they've witnessed something similar before.

Poll Do you think the pilot saw UFOs? Yes No Unsure Do you think the pilot saw UFOs? Yes 924 votes

No 177 votes

Unsure 116 votes Now share your opinion





'I saw something like that here in Kissimmee FL two weeks ago and by the time I pulled out my phone it was gone,' one wrote.

'I've seen this before. What's the consensus on it? Seen in mountain west,' another said.

Others weren't as impressed and doubted the pilot's findings, with one claiming it was a 'balloon' in the sky.

'Its not moving abnormally so probably drones,' wrote another user.

Although the pilot reported that the floating objects were UFO's, there is something called twinkling stars that look similar.

Twinkling stars are known to reflect rainbow-like colors caused by the passing of light through layers of a turbulent atmosphere. It is unclear if this is what the pilot saw.

'We generally take pilots at their word when they say they see something unusual, as they are highly trained and used to identifying all kinds of things in the sky,' Christian Stepien with the National UFO Reporting Center told DailyMail.com.

Above, a clip from one of two videos purporting to be from the August 16, 2024 UFO sightings reported in California's Palmdale-Lancaster area, in the high desert north of LA. They were later determined to be a hoax

'The ability of an object to move at incredible speeds, then stop and hover instantly, is one of the signs of a true UFO.

'Unfortunately, the video does not show this, so it is difficult to come to any conclusions from the video alone,' he added.

Recently, local Californians panicked after watching a UFO 'zig zagged' and hovered over two cities north of Los Angeles.

Their reports of a 'bright light' that looked like 'a shooting star' but acted more like a 'hovercraft' sparked shockwaves across social media  alongside the emergence of eerie cell phone videos that purported to capture some of these six alleged craft.

But a wide community of experts, including UFO researchers with Harvard's Galileo Project, told DailyMail.com that the videos were most likely 'an intentional hoax.'

The videos appeared to show drone swarms used in an LED light show thousands of miles away from California, based on landmarks and other visual cues, they said.

And some of these UFO videos were paired with old and unrelated audio tracks passed off as the videos' own.

Electrical engineer John Tedesco, who runs a lab affiliated with Harvard's Galileo Project, told DailyMail.com: 'The first two videos seem a bit suspicious to me.

The wide open spaces of Montana have been named the top state where you are most likely to have a close encounter, as half of locals claim to have seen a UFO, according to a new study

'The patterns of longitudinal lights are well-organized. This could be drone swarms.'

However, he admitted: 'The quality of the video doesnt give us much to work with.'

For those looking to get a glimpse at a UFO, the wide open spaces of Montana are the best place to do so.

People are most likely to get a close encounter with a UFO in the state nicknamed 'Big Sky Country,' a new study claimed.

The findings are sure to be a surprise to residents of Nevada, home to the legendary classified US Air Force base and Ufology mainstay Area 51: their state did not even crack the Top 10 in the study, which integrated sightings with other regional data.

Other chart-toppers included the state of Massachusetts, as data collected from Google searches shows that the New England state is the most UFO-obsessed in America, with 13,750 monthly Google queries related to the topic (or 19.64 searches per 10,000 people). But New York and New Jersey were not far behind.
Restaurants in a scenic North Carolina beach town are embroiled in a comical sign war that is spreading through the community.

The hilarious battle began in Morehead City when Sam Turnage, the owner of Ioanni's Grill & Bar, left 'Happy Birthday Jeff' on their sign for nearly 26 days.

Neighboring restaurant Dank Burrito owner Clarke Merrell became fed up with looking at the sign this summer and decided to send a message using his own.

'Ioanni's quit being lazy change your sign,' Merrell changed his sign to say, beginning the battle of the boards.

'It's just good fun. I just had a wild hare, wanted to just pick a fight,' Merrell told WCTI12.

Dank Burrito owner Clarke Merrell became fed up with looking at Ioanni's Grill & Bar's sign, so he changed his to call out the business for being lazy

Sam Turnage, the owner of Ioanni's Grill & Bar, fired back saying his restaurant is not lazy, they are just busier than Dank's

Dank Burrito clapped back 'Y'all just look busy because it takes 2 hours for a dollar taco'

Turnage updated his sign replying to Merrell's call to action: 'Dank, we're not lazy, we're just busier than you.'

Dank Burrito fired back: 'Y'all just look busy because it takes 2 hours for a dollar taco.'

Then businesses all over Carteret County decided to join in, with some calling for a truce between the restaurants.

Merrell estimated over 70 businesses ranging from auto shops, furniture stores, fitness studios, the local VFW and even churches have changed their signs to comment on the feud.

Merrell estimated over 70 businesses all over Carteret County joined in on the sign war

Other businesses including Kittrell Auto Parts weighed in on the fued

Newport VFW post 8986 sign said: 'War? Hold my beer'

Local churches got involved changing their signs to call for peace between the two restaurants

'I feel like it's bringing the community together, especially with the upcoming election there's tension, and it's a mess, it's just good to have a good laugh,' Turnage said.

Fishing store EJW Outdoors sign said, 'Guys, do we need to taco bout it?'

Dank Burrito's sign replied: 'Gauc off EJW, this is nacho beef.'

Ioanni's Grill & Bar doubled down on their defense changing their sign to 'Dank, can we use your lot cuz you are not' and 'Dank, Bojangles was a better neighbor.'

Other business called for peace between the two establishments.

'Heaven's breaks! Y'all are fired up and radiator to go,' said Kittrell Auto Parts.

'Boys, do we need to have a meat-ing,' Prime Bistro wine bar said.

Morehead City's community of nearly 10,000 people has become so enthralled with the sign wars, they even created a Facebook group where people can document creative sightings

The restaurant owners said the sign war is all in good fun and are glad it is bringing people together

'War? Hold my beer,' said Newport VFW post 8986.

'You should get down on Ioa-nnis and Dank god for forgiveness,' said Parkview Baptist Church.

'We can't barre it anymore, just work (it) out,' said Beaufort Barre + Fitness.

The community of nearly 10,000 people has become so enthralled with the sign wars, they even created a Facebook group where people can document creative sightings.

'It is just the greatest thing because the community we live in, we're all tight everybody's tight, and it's just the greatest thing to see, and watch,' Carteret County resident Ashton Blackmon told the local news station.
A family-friendly New York enclave has announced plans to shutter 25 percent of its schools for a startling reason.

Rochester City School District is set to shutter a staggering 11 of their 45 schools, after enrollment has plummeted by 11,000 in two decades.

Superintendent Carmine Peluso dropped the bombshell during what was supposed to be a routine subcommittee meeting, surprising students, parents and educators.

Research has shown that students whose schools have been closed often experience declines in attendance and achievement, and are less likely to graduate from college or find employment.

The impact is particularly severe for black students, with closures disproportionately affecting majority-black schools.

Rochester City School District is set to shutter a staggering 11 of their 45 schools, after enrollment has plummeted by 11,000 in two decades (Pictured: Rochester, NY)

Superintendent Carmine Peluso (pictured) dropped the bombshell during what was supposed to be a routine subcommittee meeting, surprising students, parents and educators

This comes after attendance drop from 34,000 in 2003 to just 23,000 last year.

With enrollment numbers in freefall - dropping by about 1,000 each year - district officials claim they had no choice.

Now the future of thousands of students hanging in the balance as they wait in limbo.

A decade ago, 2,600 kindergarten students enrolled in Rochesters schools, representing about three-quarters of the children born in the city five years earlier, ProPublica reported.

Now, that proportion has dropped to around half, according to Peluso.

Despite being the fourth-largest city in New York, Rochester - with a population of around 210,000 - could face the prospect of its school system enrolling only about a third of the city's current school-age children.

The list of doomed schools include: Clara Barton School No. 2, Dr. Walter Cooper Academy School No. 10, Adlai E. Stevenson School No. 29, Andrew J. Townson School No. 39, RISE Community School No. 106, and Wilson Foundation Academy are all on the elementary school chopping block. (Pictured: RISE Community School No. 106)

Middle schools facing extinction include Dr. Alice Holloway-Young School of Excellence, Franklin Lower School and Monroe Lower School. (Pictured: Clara Barton School No. 2)

Peluso warned that if this trend continues without intervention, the district could shrink to fewer than 14,000 students within 10 years.

The list of doomed schools include: Clara Barton School No. 2, Dr. Walter Cooper Academy School No. 10, Adlai E. Stevenson School No. 29, Andrew J. Townson School No. 39, RISE Community School No. 106 and Wilson Foundation Academy are all on the elementary school chopping block.

Middle schools facing extinction include Dr. Alice Holloway-Young School of Excellence, Franklin Lower School and Monroe Lower School.

High schools aren't spared either, with Franklin Upper School and Northeast College Preparatory High School set to turn off the lights for good.

Janice Kpor, a devoted mother and president of the parent-teacher organization at School 10, the Dr. Walter Cooper Academy, said she was shocked to hear the news.

'I was in disbelief,' Kpor said to ProPublica. 'It was a stab in the back.'

School 10, a two-story structure built in 1916 and recently treated to a multimillion-dollar renovsation, is one of the schools set to close its doors.

The building won't even be abandoned - it's set to be handed over to a Montessori program, leaving Kpor and other parents feeling like they've been unceremoniously evicted.

'It was more of an insult,' Kpor said to ProPublica, 'because now you have this place and all these kids and a whole bunch of new kids in the same building, so what is the logic of, quote-unquote, closing the school.'

Janice Kpor (pictured), a devoted mother and president of the parent-teacher organization at School 10, the Dr. Walter Cooper Academy, said she was shocked to hear the news

High schools aren't spared either, with Franklin Upper School and Northeast College Preparatory High School set to turn out the lights for good. (Pictured: Dr. Walter Cooper Academy School No. 10)

The closure plan has laid bare the deep-seated tensions in this economically divided city.

School 10, serving a student body that's more than 90 percent black or Latino, is being replaced by a program with a slightly higher proportion of white families.

It's a move that is noticed by parents on both sides of the divide.

Robert Rodgers, a parent at the Montessori school set to take over School 10's building, acknowledged the awkwardness of the situation.

'The perception is that you've got the kids at this protected, special school - you can see the difference between what they get and what we get,' he admitted.

'If I was a parent at School 10, I would be livid.'

On top of this, Superintendent Peluso dropped another bombshell in March, announcing his departure for a cushy new job in the suburbs.

Pictured: Andrew J. Townson School N 39

The position, overseeing a district of just 3,800 students - more than 70 percent of them white - pays nearly as much as his Rochester post.

'This hurts,' Rodgers said. 'It's another situation where the suburbs are taking something from the city.'

As the final bell tolled on the 2023-2024 school year, the reality of the closures began to sink in.

At School 10's last days, even the school's 95-year-old namesake, Dr. Walter Cooper, expressed his dismay.

'It's tragic,' the research scientist told the outlet. 'It points to the fundamental instability in the future of the schools.'

The situation is even worse at School 29, where many special-needs students face an uncertain future.

'We're not doing well at all,' Latoya Crockton-Brown, a teacher of 19 years, told the outlet.

Pictured: Adlai E. Stevenson School N 29

'This was a family school. It's very disheartening. Even the children cried today.'

As Rochester grapples with this drastic change, many fear the future of public education in the city is at stake.

'It's like you're watching institutions decline in real time,' warned Rachel Barnhart, a former TV news reporter who now serves in the county legislature. 'Anchors of the community are disappearing.'

But the situation in Rochester is not isolated - in fact, it's an acute example of a nationwide trend.

Since the start of the Covid pandemic, public school enrollment has declined by about a million students across the country.

However, the situation in Rochester, pictured here, is not isolated. In fact, it's an acute example of a nationwide trend

Despite being the fourth-largest city in New York, Rochester - with a population of around 210,000 - could face the prospect of its school system enrolling only about a third of the city's current school-age children

Researchers attribute the drop to families switching to private schools - aided by an expansion of voucher programs in many red and purple states - and to homeschooling, which has seen especially strong growth.

An estimated 50,000 students are unaccounted for - many of them are simply not in school.

The Urban-Suburban program, which allows city students to transfer to surrounding suburban districts also contributes.

While supporters see it as a step towards integration, critics argue it's draining engaged families from city schools.

With about 1,000 children enrolled in the program, it's contributing to the city's enrollment woes.

As Rochester grapples with this drastic change, many fear the future of public education in the city is at stake

View of downtown Rochester, NY

Thomas Dee, a professor of education at Stanford, warned that the consequences of these closures could be far-reaching.

'School closures are difficult events that rend the community, the fabric of the community,' he said. 'The concern I have is that it's going to be yet another layer of the educational harm of the pandemic.'

With federal pandemic aid set to dry up and no end in sight to the enrollment exodus, many are wondering if this is just the beginning.

On top of this, teachers are quitting in droves as a new generation of appallingly behaved students push their patience to the limit.

Born between roughly 2010 and the end of 2024, Generation Alpha will make up the largest cohort of children ever to live on planet earth.

Sunset over High Falls. Rochester, NY

Thomas Dee, a professor of education at Stanford, warned that the consequences of these closures could be far-reaching

However, the two billion-plus toddlers and pre-teens are already being cited for their illiteracy, unruly behavior and an uncontrollable addiction to screens.

Many blame lockdowns and school closures during the pandemic for the rise in bad behavior, while some are pointing the finger at Millennial parents who are opting to distract children with technology rather than properly discipline them.

Now a new bombshell study has revealed the devastating impact this has had on school life, with 26 percent of public schools reporting that a lack of focus among 'iPad' students has had a 'severe negative impact' on teacher morale.

On top of low morale, a separate April study revealed that 92 percent of leadership at public schools were concerned that students were not meeting academic standards, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Two years earlier, NCES reported that 44 percent of all public schools were operating without a full teaching staff.

Born between roughly 2010 and the end of 2024, Generation Alpha will make up the larges cohort of children ever to live on planet earth

Teachers are quitting in droves as ' iPad ' students push educators to their limits - with a bombshell study revealing 26 percent of public schools reported that lack of focus among pupils was having a 'severe negative impact' on teacher morale

That year also featured the lowest job satisfaction levels among teachers of all time - only 12 percent - according to 2022 research published by Brown University.

In May of this year alone, 59,000 teachers and other educational staff quit their jobs in the United States according to a poll by Statista, leaving their thankless job in favor of a more 'fulfilling' career.

'It's chaos right now,' a special education teacher who works in San Diego County told DailyMail.com, adding that she teaches 'kids with severe ADHD who are also iPad babies and [their course load] is so difficult for their attention span.'

Meanwhile, Mitchell Rutherford, a 35-year-old teacher who has taught for more than a decade, was one of those educators pushed to leave.

He quit his job as a biology teacher at Sahuaro High School in Tuscon, Arizona, in May after becoming frustrated by his student's cell phone addiction - even after he went to great lengths to encourage less screen time.
Far-right political commentator Candace Owens has revealed her shock at a stark difference between Australia and America after learning she may be denied entry here.

Owens is planning to shows in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide in November.

Having found fame during the Trump presidency, Owens has drawn outrage for her controversial comments on Israel, the Holocaust and LGBTQI issues.

Her Australian tour is in jeopardy after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said he would 'personally' oversee her visa application.

Mr Burke noted that he has 'clear legal powers to knock back a visa to anyone who would incite discord'.

Owens told Daily Mail Australia that she was 'completely shocked' by Mr Burke's stance and said it highlighted a massive gap between Australia and the US.

'It just could not happen in America, that any politician would be proud to come out and to speak about using their powers to shut down a visa for a person that isn't a criminal,' she said.

If Mr Burke was to follow through with denying Owens a visa, she said it would be a 'stain on Australia - and not one that you're easily going to wipe away'.

Controversial far-right US political commentator Candace Owens (pictured) has revealed she was 'completely shocked' by Tony Burke's comments

Department of Home Affairs minister Tony Burke (pictured) said he would 'personally' review Ms Owens' visa application because of her history of controversial opinions

Owens has previously taken aim at minority groups and claimed there was a link between trans people, 'clinical insanity' and a rise in mass shootings.

She has also claimed Israel was founded by a 'cult' and labelled some of the Holocaust atrocities as 'completely absurd'.

Those atrocities included well-documented, horrific experiments conducted by the Nazi 'Angel of Death', Josef Mengele, on twins imprisoned at Auschwitz.

In an episode of Candace Owens Live, aired in July, the commentator said the experiments sounded like bizarre propaganda because they would be a 'tremendous waste of time and supplies'.

Mengele's oldest living survivor, 100-year-old Annetta Able, joined Independent Teal MP Zali Steggall in calling for Owens to be banned from entering the country.

'As a survivor of Dr Mengele's inhumane experiments in Auschwitz, I feel compelled to speak out against Candace Owens' planned visit to Australia,' Ms Able said.

'Her recent statement dismissing the horrific experiments I endured as "bizarre propaganda" is not just deeply offensive, it is a dangerous distortion of historical truth that I witnessed with my own eyes.

'I urge the Australian government to deny Candace Owens a visa.'

Owens said her opinions should not dilute her chances to secure a visa to enter the country and if her visa is accepted, invited Ms Able to speak to her.

'Stopping a Catholic mother-of-three from coming into this country, that's quite startling,' she said.

'I should be able to travel to a country because I'm not a criminal.

'I've never hurt anyone. I've never assigned anyone to violence. I've never been even mildly accused of an incitement to violence.'

While organisations have tried to have her events cancelled in the past, Owens said she hasn't seen 'the government embracing that'.

'I'm okay to be invited to college and high school campuses to speak in front of children, but I'm too much of a threat in terms of Australian politics?' she said.

If Mr Burke did allow Owens into the country, the commentator wouldn't 'even think it would be a win'.

'I just think this should be a normal circumstance. I'm not a criminal, I'm a mum bringing her family,' she said.

Having grown to fame during the Trump presidency, Owens has drawn outrage for her controversial comments on Israel, the Holocaust and LGBTQI issues.

While disagreeing with Mr Burke's 'extremely hurtful' comments, Owens said she would be keen to meet him and discuss their differences.

'I would love to meet any person that wanted to speak to me and thought that I had said something wrong,' she said.

'When people actually meet me and hear the truth, they're going to register it as such.'

The issue isn't the first stoush with Australia after she critiqued government lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic.

During an 2021 episode of her late night show, Owens blasted 5km travel limits, household gathering bans and nighttime curfews, as 'imprisoning citizens against their will'.

Throughout her political career, she said it was the 'first time when Australian politics became the most relevant'.

'And I think that Americans and myself included were quite shocked at how harsh the Australian Government was treating its people,' she said.

The visa issue has similarly surprised her because of the starkly different approach to freedom of speech and debate between Australia and the US.

'In America, we care deeply about free speech - we care deeply about freedom in general... and so this completely shocked me,' she said.

The commentator also touched on hot-button issues in Australia, including immigration and the transition to renewable energy.

Owens supported Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton's calls to block immigration from Gaza out of fears of welcoming Hamas supporters into the country.

'Why should we have to accept refugees?' she asked, adding that countries shouldn't be made to 'feel bad' about denying immigrants.

'For some reason the West, it has become a dumping ground,' she said.

'We have an identity, and it's good to have an identity, and it's so wrong to routinely try to make people feel bad about wanting to recognise their own countries.'

She also described green energy as a 'push to further enslave humanity', claiming those pushing for the transition aren't committing to the same goals.

'They can see how our lives are increasingly just becoming more difficult, as they're telling us that we need to aspire to the sorts of things that they're not aspiring to,' Ms Owens said.

'I believe in people knowing how to live off of the land, how to grow their own food. I believe that's your only guard against a totalitarian state is being able to take care of yourself and being resourceful with your own neighbours.'
Owning a pub overlooking a stunning Cornish harbour is a far-fetched dream for many Brits.

But now there is the chance to do just that - if you have the savings in your account.

The Quayside Inn, a Grade II-listed four-storey pub in Falmouth, features views across Custom Quay Harbour and is available for a whopping 1million.

The boozer, which features an external seating area for around 150 people, could be used for traders in the nearby Falmouth Market.

Inside, the property's ground floor features an open-plan area with harbour views, a central bar, and toilets.

A basement contains more space, with a separate trading area, bar, kitchen, beer store and storage.

The Quayside Inn, a Grade II-listed four-storey pub in Falmouth, features views across Custom Quay Harbour and is available for a whopping 1million from WTS Property Consultants

The building, which features an external seating area for around 150 people, could be used for traders in the nearby Falmouth Market

Inside, the property's ground floor features an open-plan area with harbour views, a central bar, and toilets

Upstairs, the first and second floors have a lounge area, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and offices - all of which can be renovated as required.

External seating areas are held under two separate leases alongside the main property's freehold, providing space for drinks and dining.

The larger lease contains a term of around 17 years, however, you will be required to fork out a hefty chunk of money for annual rent, which comes in at 18,846.68.

Prior to its sale, the pub was being run as the only Greene King Pub in Cornwall.

There are two further leases on outdoor areas, one of which is for 115 covers, and the other for 34 covers.

A spokesperson for WTS estate agents said: '.The property is located in a prime position in the town centre and benefits from stunning views across the Custom Quay harbour.'

While the pub may be highly sought after due to its picturesque views, the town of Falmouth was voted as the most depressing place to live in Britain.

Back in February, Falmouth came out top in an annual poll ahead of the likes of Alloa in Scotland, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, as well as Crawley in West Sussex.

While the pub may be highly sought after due to its picturesque views, the town of Falmouth was voted as the most depressing place to live in Britain

Savage reviews on satirical website iLiveHere, where people leave honest and brutal assessments, branded the area as 'bland and boring' and said it had an air of 'soul-destroying mediocrity with a gaping cultural void'.

But shocked locals have hit back and have blamed second home owners for sucking the life out of their 'gorgeous' seaside town.

Homes in the town - which has the third largest natural harbour in the world - sell on average for around 400,000, with celebrities such as Flog It!'s Paul Martin and novelist Joseph Conrad once calling the area home.

Falmouth pipped serial winners Peterborough to the top spot by 27 votes with it being suggested by iLiveHere 'the power of social media and word of mouth is what propelled Falmouth' to number one.
Ronald Reagans family was the 'most dysfunctional I've ever known,' a famed economist friend of the former first couple reveals in a major biography of the former President.

Arthur Laffer said that he was appalled at how Reagan and his second wife Nancy treated their own children and her two stepchildren in an upcoming book by Washington Post columnist Max Boot.

In the book, Reagan: His Life and His Legend, Boot writes about how Reagan was more devoted to Nancy than his own kids and said he would have preferred it if their son Ron hadn't been born.

Nancy caused a great rift in the family with the children, who said the 40th president never stood up for them or wanted to hear their side of the story.

The First Lady was a 'schemer and a snob obsessed with social standing' who used to hit her daughter Patti Davis, Boot writes in the book, which is out on September 10th.

Nancy 'froze out' Reagan's two children from his first marriage to actress Jane Wyman and forbade mention of Wyman's name in her home, Boot revealed.

Ronald Reagans family was the 'most dysfunctional' as Nancy's sour relationship with their children and his outward devotion toward his wife wreaked havoc in their household

Economist Arthur Laffer said that he was appalled at how Reagan and his second wife Nancy treated their children in Max Boot's upcoming book

She ruled their home with an 'iron hand' and was called 'Dragon Lady' by Maureen Reagan, her stepdaughter.

Nancy even told Reagan's adopted son Michael to change his name and move out of their home  where he slept on the sofa  because his teenage bad behavior was 'not living up to the Reagan name'.

Boots book, which took a decade to write, takes a sweeping view of the Reagans life, including his troubled relationship with his family.

According to Boot, Reagan's aversion to conflict came from growing up with an alcoholic father.

But Nancy was happy to step in and give orders to her husband, who was used to taking direction from his career as an actor.

Reagan was so devoted to Nancy that it seemed to 'exceed his devotion to his children', Boot, a former staunch conservative, who lost his faith in the Republican party after Donald Trump was elected president, wrote.

Ronald and Nancy's daughter Patti was born in 1952 via C-section after a difficult pregnancy. In his diary, Reagan wrote: 'In that moment her arrival didn't impress me much.'

Regarding their son Ron's birth six years later, also by C-section, Reagan wrote: 'Personally, I would have settled for the three of us.

'I grew frightened every time I remembered that long night Patti was born, and I didn't want to take chances with a happiness already so great I couldn't believe it.'

Boot writes that there was little doubt that Reagan's 'primary source of happiness was his wife, not his children'.

That extended to matters of discipline, where Reagan always sided with Nancy.

Nancy ruled their home with an 'iron hand' and was called 'Dragon Lady' by Maureen Reagan, her stepdaughter. They are pictured at the 1952 premiere of A Streetcar Named Desire

Nancy's stepchildren Michael, now 79, and Maureen, who died in 2001 aged 60, were frozen out by the First Lady, Boot claims

Ron Reagan, 66, is now a liberal commentator who calls himself 'an unabashed atheist' in advertisements for the group Freedom From Religion. His sister Patti Davis, 71, received regular beatings at the hand of her mother

According to the book, Nancy was 'strong-willed' and 'found it easy to manipulate her easygoing, uxorious husband who, having grown up with a domineering mother, was used to women telling him what to do'.

When Reagan came back from one of his work trips, Nancy  an actress in her youth  would give a 'very one-sided, heavily fictionalized account' of whatever dispute had arisen in his absence, Boot writes.

Nancy would describe in 'lurid detail how she had been pained by [the children's] misconduct.'

Reagan would 'immediately and completely accept his wife's account without trying to double-check it.'

Boot writes: 'He would gently scold the kids, telling them: 'Well, you've hurt your mother very much. You know she's in there crying her eyes out.'

Michael, whom Reagan adopted while married to Wyman, recalled trying to tell his side of the story, only for his father to cut him off and say: 'I don't need to hear your side. I've heard the story. You're wrong. Nancy is right.'

Patti, who later dropped the surname Reagan to try to escape the shadow of her family, recounted in her memoir how Nancy began beating her when she was just eight years old.

The beatings would sometimes be weekly and sometimes they were daily and in her memoir, Patti said she became 'intimately familiar with what would set my mother off, what would push those buttons, even though I knew it would end up with a hand in my face.'

Nancy's ire extended to the hired help too and her children recalled her screaming at a maid for washing the wrong dishes  Patti sang to herself to block out the sound.

Even taking the sedative Seconal and the tranquilizer Miltown did nothing to dispel Nancy's unpredictable moods.

Jane Wyman was never to be mentioned in the Reagan household, Boot writes. Her two children, Michael and Maureen, were frozen out by their stepmother who Maureen called 'Dragon Lady'

Ron told Boot that his mother was 'not physically abusive in a Joan Crawford kind of way' but she was 'very difficult'.

He said: 'She could be emotionally and psychologically abusive.'

According to Ron  who is now known for his liberal views and atheism  Nancy was particularly prone to 'fits of anger and anxiety' when her husband was away.

Ron concluded that Nancy was 'worried Ronnie would either suffer some sort of accident or cheat on her'.

While Ron and Patti bore the brunt of their mother's anxieties, Maureen and Regan's adopted son Michael did not escape her anger.

Nancy did 'nothing' to win them over while she was courting their father and then 'froze them out' after she was married, Boot writes.

'Nancy Reagan and Jane Wyman could not stand each other and Nancy forbade any mention of her husband's first wife in their home,' Boot writes.

Patti had to wait until she was seven before finding out that she had a half-brother and half-sister, and that was when Michael, who was 14 at the time, moved in to escape Wyman, with whom he was arguing with constantly.

Michael was 'desperate' to be accepted into his father and Nancy's home and initially Nancy took care of him.

She was horrified to see he had a dozen cavities because Wyman hadn't taken him to the dentist and his only clothes were school uniforms.

Yet Michael was still sent to a Catholic boarding school in the week which he hated.

When he was at home he slept on the couch, a sign of how unstable his life was.

Boot's book is out September 10

Nancy decided to add an extra bedroom onto the house and Michael was initially thrilled as he assumed it would be for him.

Instead it went to his brother Ron's nurse, a decision which 'nearly killed me,' Michael later said.

'I was devastated. I felt that if dad and Nancy didn't want me, I didn't want them either,' he admitted.

When Michael became a teenager and began engaging in self-destructive behavior, Nancy chastised him, telling him he 'wasn't living up to the Reagan name'.

Unless he got his act together he should 'change his name and leave the house,' Nancy said.

Michael would respond by telling Nancy: 'You are not my mom.' Writing in her own memoir, Nancy would later say that she and Michael had 'such rough times there were days I could have killed him.'

Such was the tension that Nancy didn't even invite Michael to his father's deathbed in 2004.

Maureen, Reagan's biological daughter with Wyman who died aged 60 in 2001, called Nancy the 'Dragon Lady' and the pair took decades to heal their relationship.

According to Patti, the message Nancy sent to Michael and Maureen was: 'You're not part of this family.'

Even the attempted assassination of Reagan 1981 did not bring the different parts of his family together.

While all of his children rushed to his bedside in Washington, they remained 'isolated' from each other.

The Reagan family all got together for the 1980 Republican National Convention in Detroit. Left to right, Ron, Patti, Nancy, the future president, Michael holding his son Cameron, Michael's wife Colleen, Maureen

In her memoir, Patti wrote: 'What kind of family is this? Even a bullet can't bring us together.'

Boot is also frank about Reagan's failings as a man during his marriage to Wyman, who divorced him because of his 'obsession' with politics.

Reagan was jealous of Wymans career success and was so long winded she once publicly called him 'diarrhea-of-the-mouth.'

Author Max Boot was a right wing commentator but has drifted away from the Republican party in the Trump era

Reagan was a 'typical career man who paid more attention to his work than his family' and showed a crippling lack of empathy' towards Wyman, Boot writes.

Despite being known as the 'Great Communicator' for his ability to read a room, Reagan 'often failed with interpersonal relations.'

His son Ron tells Boot: 'There were a lot of gaps in his emotional intelligence.'

Reagan also faced unflattering claims from the late actress Piper Laurie who said he bedded her when she was an 18-year-old virgin.

Laurie called Reagan a 'show-off' who criticized her performance and complained about how much he'd spent on the condoms.

Boot notes that in her biography of Reagan, author Kitty Kelley even claimed that he was a date rapist, an allegation Boot says would be 'unflattering if true'.

He writes: 'This was the sort of conduct one might associate with notoriously priapic presidents such as John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton and Donald J. Trump  not with Reagan, the happily married paragon of 'family values.'

The First Lady was a 'schemer and a snob obsessed with social standing' who used to hit her daughter Patti Davis (far left), Boot writes in the book

Perhaps the only thing more tumultuous than the Reagan family life are the recent allegations against Boot's wife.

In July, Sue Mi Terry was accused of illegally working as a foreign agent for South Korea.

During the Trump administration, Boot accused the former President of being a foreign asset, allegations his wife now faces.

According to prosecutors, his wife was allegedly given designer Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta handbags and money for her think tank programs in exchange for writing articles and organizing networking events to help Korean agents access Washington insiders.

Terry's lawyer has called the allegations 'unfounded.'

The book's release comes as a new biopic about Reagan starring Dennis Quaid in the lead role hit theaters this weekend.

The movie focuses on Reagan's dealings with the Soviet regime towards the end of the Cold War.
The owner of an illegally built 'monster mansion' is being prosecuted by the council for failing to clear rubbish and rubble from the site of his planned dream home.

Gurwinder Singh, faces his first court appearance within weeks for failing to comply with an enforcement order.

He admitted: 'I still don't know what I have done wrong and why neighbours are so cross with me! I am trying to do my best but it's not good enough.'

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the father-of two and DPP delivery driver, told of his ordeal of being hauled before magistrates for an alleged planning breach.

'The house was demolished nearly nine months ago in December last year so I don't know why I am still be in trouble. It is very unfair,' he said.

'I feel very let down by the system and it is so stressful. It is a planning nightmare.'

A devastated Mr Singh, 43, added: 'I have spent my life savings on this new house for my family and we have never even lived there. Now it is costing me more money.'

Gurwinder Singh and his wife had big plans to re-build their dream home in Walsall in 2000- but they had no permission (Pictured: The demolished site)

Neighbours were left fuming by the unauthorised build (Pictured: in tatters) dubbing it an 'eyesore' and a 'monster house'

Mr Singh was ordered to tear down the half-built 300,000 home (pictured) by Walsall Council following almost 100 complaints from fuming neighbours on Sandringham Avenue

He and his wife Rajwinder Kaur sparked fury in 2000 when they re-built their original semi in a quiet street in Willenhall, near Walsall, West Midlands, with on a large 'dream home' in mind and no planning permission.

Neighbours fumed that the unauthorised construction had made their 'lives hell' with some describing it as an 'eyesore' and likening it to a 'Travelodge in the middle of a housing estate' while others some even dubbing it 'monster mansion.'

Mr Singh had continued to breach local authority orders to totally clean up the site and fully repair a damaged adjoining house following the reluctant bulldozing of his property.

This week, he said: 'I have done everything to comply but I am still being taken to court in October. It is very worrying.'

'The house has been taken down, and yes the rubble is still there but it is slowly being cleared.

'I have had to get more builders in and there are diggers out there as we speak. It's wasting what little money I have left.

'I own the land but I can't live there.'

He continued: 'I still don't know what I have done wrong and why neighbours are so cross with me!'

The home was half-built when Mr Singh was made to tear it down, however he does not understand why his neighbours are upset

The original 1960's property before the construction work on the monster mansion began

The site in Sandringham Avenue still looks an 'eyesore', according to exasperated residents.

It's packed with building materials, rocks, rubble, piles of wood on the dusty site.

Now it also has deep holes full of water where the foundations for the unauthorised extension are in the process of being removed.

The process of removing the foundations - which is a requirement by Walsall Council - is set to be a lengthy procedure as the knocked down property adjoins a neighbouring semi belonging to Pat Harding.

Structural engineers for both parties met at the site mid week to thrash out how best to proceed with no more damage to widowed Mrs Harding's home.

Punjabi-speaking Mr Singh, who is living in a rented property in nearby Walsall whilst his planning battle continues, believes he is being victimised and 'taken advantage of' because of his nationality and poor lack of the English language.

He said: 'I am trying to do my best but it's not good enough. It is causing so much stress to my and my wife and our young daughters.

'We don't want to cause any trouble to our neighbours and we thought the matter had been sorted out. We took our new house down, we fixed the neighbour's house but now the council said the foundations need to come out.'

Mr Singh is being ordered before Dudley Magistrates' Court on October 16 - a prospect he said is 'very worrying.'

Next-door neighbour Pat Harding, 77, a grandmother-of-one, claimed her house has been left damaged and unsellable - with one wall now exposed to the elements

Walsall ward councillor Stacey Elson (Pictured), who has been representing the local residents' fight against the illegal build since she as first elected four years ago

Conservative-run Walsall Council has taken action against the home owner for for failing to comply with extended enforcement orders to completely clear the site.

Mr Singh was originally ordered to tear down the family's half built new four-bed home which they had built without planning permission after knocking down their original semi.

The council had received more than 95 complaints.

Mr Singh insists he has complied with the enforcement order, saying: 'The house was demolished in December. Some materials and rubble were left on site.

'At a later date I want to apply for planning permission to build another house there.

'I've done nothing wrong. It is my land and the house has gone and eventually I want to build a new home for my family but I have no money at this time so have not put in any planning application.'

He said he and his wife - parents to girls aged 13 and 14 - had been left 'distraught, desperate and broken' after losing their life savings during a bitter planning dispute.

He claims demolition me has cost them a huge 37,000 with another 40,000 being paid to a next door neighbour for damaging her adjoining home.

The row first kicked off in 2020 after Mr Singh demolished a 1960s semi and built a larger 300,000 four-bed house on site.

Initially he never applied for planning permission and had only been given the go-ahead for a side extension to the existing property.

For many months he had refused to tear it down and had begged the council to help 'find a solution' but finally admitted defeat to 'people power,' quipping: 'I've lost, they've won.'

Other locals living in the area say the mess left behind by Mr Singh has left the residential estate looking like 'a construction site in the middle of Birmingham'

'I have done everything to comply but I am still being taken to court in October. It is very worrying,' said Mr Singh

Next door neighbour Mrs Harding told MailOnline: 'Finally he is being taken to court for the non compliance of an enforcement notice.

'It is quite amusing that the moment he received his summons, workers have been out in the the past few days trying to finally clear the site.

'A big digger turned up at six on Saturday morning and various people have been out clearing rubbish.'

The pensioner, 77, who is still in dispute over joint foundations which are having to be dug up, said: 'The nightmare goes on and I'm in the middle of it!

'There's been a site visit and two hour meeting between Mr Singh's structural engineer and mine. but he didn't bother turning up t it.

'If his foundations have to come out my house could fall down!

'We are a pair of semis built on one slab on former mining land.

'Mr Singh had extended his house without permission and in the process wrecked mine and I have been overlooking la permanent building site.'

The retired hospital nursery nurse, who has lived in her home for 50 years, said: 'I don't want to bad mouth Mr Singh and his wife but I think they have been incredibly foolish and greedy.

'The site has been an eye sore and has upset and angered a lot of residents. At least the council has made the right decision to take him to court.

'For ages he had ignored everything they had told him to do, breaching all the deadlines and failing to fulfil all the criteria of the enforcement notice.

'It was a disgrace that nothing was done before.

'Now diggers and heavy machinery are back on site and by the time exploratory works have been undertaken it will be next year before it's done.

'It will then have been going on for five years. I fear I will be dead before it is all sorted!'

Describing her nightmare ordeal, she previously said: 'One time I was sat reading a book on my bed when an RSJ (rolled steel joist) suddenly came through the wall.

'Builders put holes in my living room wall too I could see out of, and my chimney was left unsafe.

'I was left with plastic sheeting down the side of my outer wall and no proper drainage, causing rising damp.

'I couldn't sell this home if I wanted to and all the stress is the last thing I need at my age.'

Mrs Harding branded the father-of-two and his wife as 'incredibly foolish and greedy' (Pictured: the home from a birds eye view)

Workers pictured in December demolishing the structure, much to relief of surrounding residents in Sandringham Avenue

Another neighbour Dave Barker, speaking to MailOnline about Mr Singh's prosecution, said: 'It is a fair thing for the matter to be taken to court. It had been on the cards.

'Mr Singh carried on building even after he was told not to and was served with an enforcement notice and should have complied with it.'

The retired driving examiner, whose son is a builder, said: 'I feel sorry for Pat as taking the foundations up will disturb her house. It's got to be done correctly and with care.

'Poor Pat, she doesn't need all this. She just wants a quiet life and it has been destroyed.

'She's been put through hell, someone of her age shouldn't still be suffering because someone wants to go roughshod through the planning land.

'Because he still owned the land and he thought he could do whatever he wanted. He didn't want to comply with building regs like everyone else has to.'

Mr Barker, 70, admitted he felt some sympathy for the owner, saying: 'He has had four of five different architects and builders who weren't advising him and doing the work properly.

'At least should have advised him correctly about what to do or not. They are professional people.'

Walsall ward councillor Stacey Elson, who has been representing the local residents' fight against the illegal build since she as first elected four years ago, said: 'This has been my first experience as a councillor, and it is still ongoing.'

She previously said: 'The site should have been cleared up by the householder. He should have fully abided by the enforcement notice but has clearly failed to do so.

'An enforcement officer visited the site to check on the progress and has taken photos and will write a report to submit to legal services for assessment and with a view for prosecution.

'The council will take legal advise on how best to resolves this. If Mr Singh has actively breached the enforcement notice he could be prosecuted.

The councillor said the planning dispute had been dragging on for years and had been 'very difficult' for neighbours, particularly the elderly woman in the adjoining semi, who had been left with holes in her walls,.

Workmen tearing down the building after the order by Walsall Council

She told how an elderly, disabled woman who used to live opposite the property in Sandringham Avenue until her death in January, had been traumatised by the building work.

She said: 'The poor lady living in her downstairs room used to fear the scaffolding would fall down and come through her house and impale her.'

The councillor added:' I am really proud the way our local community has come together to fight this.

'They have nothing against the gentleman who owns it, but have been against the house only.'

A Walsall Council spokesperson said: 'The council is monitoring the situation to ensure all actions in the enforcement notice are complied with.'
A Royal Navy sailor who was accused of punching a female colleague and dragging her across a road was today cleared of Grievous Bodily Harm charges.

Petty Officer James Brown was accused of throwing a 'hard punch' at Leading Hand Gemma Brice before dragging her along the road during a 'melee' outside a Subway sandwich shop.

A court martial heard LH Brice, who had been at a colleague's leaving do, was left with 'concussion symptoms', a swollen eye and PTSD.

PO Brown, of HMS Clyde, was out celebrating a friend's 30th birthday and did not know LH Brice before the brawl involving several sailors.

The panel at Bulford Military Court, Wilts, deliberated for just under two hours before acquitting PO Brown of GBH today.

Petty Officer James Brown was accused of throwing a 'hard punch' at Leading Hand Gemma Brice before dragging her along the road during a 'melee', but was today cleared of Grievous Bodily Harm charges

During the two-day trial, the court was shown CCTV footage of the brawl in which PO Brown allegedly dragged LH Brice 'along the road' as a fracas broke out between a large group of sailors.

PO Brown said he was acting in self-defence during the fight.

Lieutenant Commander Andrew Ramage, prosecuting, told Bulford Military Court the incident happened outside a Subway shop in Portsmouth, Hants, in the early hours of July 23 2022.

He said: 'LH Brice was caused numerous physical injuries and suffered PTSD.

'The melee begins because LH Brice knocks someone else's glasses on the floor, there is clearly tension in the group.'

Lt Cdr Ramage added: '[CCTV] shows PO Brown getting involved initially as a peacemaker.

'At 3.18 he pursues [another sailor], LH Brice then approaches PO Brown with her arms out and he throws one hard punch.

The court was shown CCTV footage of a brawl between PO Brown and LH Brice (pictured). PO Brown insisted he was acting in self defence

'This causes her to fall on the floor, the action also pulls PO Brown to the floor.'

Lt Cdr Ramage said that LH Brice was taken to a nearby nightclub for medical treatment before being put in a taxi to attend A&E at nearby Queen Alexandra Hospital.

LH Brice suffered a head injury, a swollen left eye which she was initially told was fractured, a wound to the back of her head which required five stitches and her middle right finger was broken in half.

Recounting the night she said: 'My last memory was being inside Subway and joking.

'I have got a memory of it being tense, everything was very tense and then I remember sitting up and there was blood on the back of my head and I could not see out of my eye.'
A nine-month-old baby who had hot coffee poured over him in what police say was a deliberate and unprovoked attack has emerged from his second surgery, though the path to full recovery remains unclear.

Baby Luka and his mother were at Brisbane's Hanlon Park in Stones Corner about midday Tuesday when a man allegedly approached the pair before pouring hot coffee over the child and then running away.

The infant suffered serious burns from the harrowing alleged attack and underwent the first of what is expected to be multiple surgeries on Friday, including to determine whether he would need a skin graft.

The boy's mother wrote on Instagram on Saturday it looked 'like the burns under Luka's neck and chest will scar and potentially need skin grafts', with a further surgery scheduled for Tuesday, September 3.

She added that it 'wasn't the news' she was hoping for, but was glad that 'most of his face, arms, and legs should heal very well', attached to images of the boy bandaged almost completely while in hospital.

'I've really struggled to cope with what's happening to Luka; the cries, pain, any slight issue I am instantly triggered and brought back to the traumatic moment,' the woman wrote in a separate Instagram story.

Thanking her partner for his support, the woman added: 'Constant flash backs ... I feel like a helpless mother right now who cannot support her son how she wants too ... I love my boys more than anything in the world'.

It comes as police continue to try and locate the man they wish to speak to, described as between aged 30-40 years old, of a proportionate build, with tanned skin, dressed in a black hat, glasses, a shirt and shorts.

The boy's mother wrote on Instagram on Saturday it looked 'like the burns under Luka's neck and chest will scar and potentially need skin grafts,' with a further surgery scheduled for Tuesday, September 3

'I've really struggled to cope with what's happening to Luka; the cries, pain, any slight issue I am instantly triggered and brought back to the traumatic moment,' the woman wrote in a separate Instagram story

Queensland Police Detective Inspector Paul Dalton described the attack during the week as being 'almost like an ambush', while Premier Steven Miles said he had been briefed about the alleged attack.

'The baby is doing well in hospital and I'm sure our clinicians have done a great job taking care of him ... I know our police are working hard to apprehend that alleged offender,' Mr Miles said the matter.

Baby burnt by stranger's hot coffee in Brisbane park.

A GoFundMe account set up to help cover the infant's medical costs has so far raised $97,000 as of Saturday morning, well above the target of just $5000, with individual donations as large as $5000.

Supporters included businesses and individuals, people known to the pair and not, who described the alleged attack as 'horrifying and unbearable', and said Luka was a 'beautiful, innocent soul'.
Donald Trump claimed 'every place Kamala Harris touched has turned to shit' during a rally, despite his wife's pleas for him not to swear.

The former president was trashing his opponent at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Friday night as he campaigns in the must-win state.

He was complaining about asylum-seekers entering the US and claimed 'this country is going to fail', before he dropped the inflammatory statement.

'These people are stupid people, that are running our country. They don't have any common sense, they believe in an ideology,' he began.

'If you look at Kamala, and you look at what she's done to... every place she's touched has turned to shit. Every single place she's touched.'

Donald Trump claimed 'every place Kamala Harris touched has turned to shit' during a rally, despite his wife's pleas for him not to swear

Trump turned to his left, away from the microphone, to address someone off-camera, and was heard saying 'have to say it'.

He turned back to the crowd and explained that the Reverend Franklin Graham, a staunch Trump ally, wrote him a letter asking him not to swear in his speeches.

'Your speeches would be even better if you didn't use foul language,' Trump said Graham wrote in his letter.

The Republican candidate added that Melania Trump also told him he shouldn't swear in his speeches, but he found it difficult.

'My wife also, she says please don't use foul language but it's hard - you know there's some words that can't be duplicated, they can't,' he said.

'But there's an example - well it's not really that bad a word but, how can you top that word for what I'm talking about?

Trump was trashing his opponent at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Friday night as he campaigns in the must-win state

'Every place she touches wouldn't be nice? That would be a thud, it would land with a thud.

'And Franklin's probably right, I'm not sure I agree with him, but he's a great guy actually... so I try and avoid it.'

Trump is down 1.4 per cent in an average of recent polls in Pennsylvania, a state that could decide the election result by itself.

Prone to attacks on opponents, Trump has at other rallies used swear words, even getting the crowd to chant 'bullshit' when complaining about his 'hush money' trial.

Trump is not the only candidate to swear during public appearances during the campaign, as Harris used f**k in a speech in May.

Trump is not the only candidate to swear during public appearances during the campaign, as Harris used f**k in a speech in May

The vice president was speaking at a summit for Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, discussing her mixed black and Indian ancestry.

Harris told the audience that young people shouldn't let other define them by their ethnicity.

'We have to know that sometimes, people will open the door for you and leave it open, sometimes they won't,' she said.

'And then you need to kick that f**king door down,' she said, to huge cheers, before laughing and apologizing, 'Excuse my language'.

Harris also used the word in a TikTok video of herself teasing her niece Meena Harris about her cooking four years ago that resurfaced online this week.

Harris also used the word in a TikTok video of herself teasing her niece Meena Harris about her cooking four years ago that resurfaced online this week

Meena asked her questions about the chicken they were cooking, until eventually Harris got exasperated with her.

'Tell me more, tell me more,' her niece begged after her aunt explained she was caramelizing onions, at which point Harris seemed to snap.

'You need to f**king learn how to cook instead of video taping me. I'm trying to teach you, but you're more interested in being a video person,' she said.

President Joe Biden, when he was Barack Obama's vide president, was overheard telling Obama that passing his signature health legislation was a 'big f**king deal'.

The Democrats sold T-shirts with 'health reform is a BFD' printed on them, along with the March 23, 2010, date Obamacare was signed into law.
As part of looming industrial action police plan to warn lucky motorists in one state about the locations of speed cameras.

Victorian Police are demanding a $840million pay deal for its roughly 17,500 officers, including protective services officers (PSO) on public transport, in a protracted bitter dispute with Jacinta Allan's state government.

As part of fresh industrial action for next week officers also plan to plaster slogans on vehicles, protest at government premises and put up posters at police stations.

Last month police union members voted to reject an offer of nine-hour shifts and nine-day fortnights as part of a $500million deal agreed to by the state government and the top ranks.

The deal would have delivered a 16 per cent pay rise and 22 extra days off per year on an ordinary roster.

Police are seeking six per cent annual pay rises over the next four years and 8.5-hour shifts giving them 14 days off a year.

The deal would add at least $210million to the force's annual $3.2billion wages bill.

Previously police staged industrial action between December and May after their workplace agreement expired in November.

Victorian Police are set to launch fresh industrial action next week as part of a protracted pay dispute

Union members voted to accept the introduction of nine-hour shifts by 2028 but 57 per cent of police later rejected the deal forcing parties back into negotiations.

Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said his union's members felt undervalued.

'Our members have seen other workers receiving higher pay rises and they feel that the nature and importance of their work to the community, should be held in the same regard and attract the same rewards,' Mr Gatt told the Herald Sun.

He accused the state government and force command of playing hardball and 'tearing up everything previously agreed to in the proposed EBA and sending negotiations back to square one'.

As part of their planned industrial action Victorian Police will warn lucky motorists about the location of speed cameras

The massively indebted state Labor government of Premier Jacinta Allan is facing increased pay demands from a number of public sector workers

'The Government has not increased its financial offer to police and PSOs,' he said.

'As a result, our Delegates have voted to resume phase 1 industrial action measures from next week and conduct a ballot of members regarding the escalation to phase 2 measures in coming weeks.'

The massively indebted state Labor government of Premier Jacinta Allan is also in protracted pay disputes with firefighters and paramedics.

At least one section of the public sector workforce is happy though, with nurses accepting a 28 per cent pay rise in June, which adds a massive $1billion to their wages.

However, this has become a benchmark for other emergency service workers to aim for.
Hickory Hollow Jerky is recalling approximately 6,229 pounds of ready-to-eat jerky because they were produced without the required federal inspection.

The beef and bacon jerky products were manufactured between January 19th and August 21st, 2024.

This issue stems from a change in ownership at the company on June 11th, 2024. Two different owners operated the establishment during this time, and neither had the products inspected.

The company name and product names remained unchanged throughout this period.

The recalled jerky products bear the establishment number 'EST. NO. 34550' and were distributed to retailers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and online

Hickory Hollow Jerky is recalling approximately 6,229 pounds of ready-to-eat jerky because they were produced without the required federal inspection

The issue was identified during routine FSIS inspections. Despite requesting to stop federal inspections, the company continued to produce jerky and label it with the USDA mark.

There are no confirmed reports of adverse reactions from consuming these products.

If you have any concerns, the company urges consumers to consult a healthcare professional, per their website.

FSIS also urges consumers to check their pantries for the recalled jerky. Do not eat these products. Throw them away or return them to the store where you purchased them.

FSIS is actively monitoring the recall to ensure the company notifies customers and removes the product from stores. A list of affected retailers will be posted on the FSIS website.
Culling badgers to prevent tuberculosis spreading among cattle will end within five years, ministers said yesterday.

Instead of being shot in their thousands, badgers will now be vaccinated instead  a move likely to enrage farmers.

The badger cull formed a central pillar of the previous Government's efforts to reduce TB in cattle.

But the Labour administration said it would stop the cull by 2029, carry out a census of badgers and develop vaccines for badgers and cattle.

TB is often passed by close contact between infected and non-infected animals, including cattle themselves.

Former Queen guitarist and campaigner Brian May at an event planned to urge the government to abandon a badger cull planned for the autumn

Animal rights protesters outside the National Farmers Union Conference protesting about the badger cull

Instead of being shot in their thousands, badgers will now be vaccinated instead  a move likely to enrage farmers (stock photo)

More than 278,000 cattle have been compulsorily slaughtered and 230,000 badgers have been killed in efforts to control the disease since culling began in 2013. The process is thought to cost taxpayers more than 100million every year.

Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers' Union said last night: 'This terrible disease continues to plague farmers and their livestock.

While significant elements of the Government's proposed TB strategy are still being researched and not yet deployable, they must not overlook the contribution of the successful disease control model. Scientific papers show that targeted badger culling provides success.'

In February, a major study found that after four years of culling 'the herd incidence rate of TB reduced by 56 per cent', prompting Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner to say: 'Put simply, culling has worked.'

However, campaigners including Queen guitarist Brian May and broadcaster Chris Packham have called for an end to the cull, which has devastated badger populations in the Midlands, the West and the South West.

Animal rights activists and environmental campaigners protests outside the Home Office against badger culls in 2019

Badger populations in the Midlands, the West and the South West have been devastated by culls

Ministers claim vaccination will create progressively healthier badger populations.

Rural affairs minister Daniel Zeichner said: 'Bovine tuberculosis has devastated farmers and wildlife for too long.

'It has placed dreadful hardship on farmers and has taken a terrible toll on our badger populations. No more.'

But Peter Hambly, of the Badger Trust, said the announcement focused 'too much on badgers rather than cattle, when cattle are the main spreaders of this cattle disease'.

He added: 'It admits the Government doesn't know how many badgers are left. They haven't counted them and haven't tested them but continue to slaughter them.'
Eton College will add the full 20 per cent VAT cost on to school fees when Labours policy is introduced, it has announced.

The 52,000-a-year school said it regretted that the Government has chosen to tax education in a letter informing parents of its decision yesterday.

Eton said that only boys on bursaries will be exempt from the fee rise, meaning that for most pupils the cost of attending the 584-year-old school will rise to 63,000 per year.

In the letter to parents, Lord Waldegrave of North Hill, the outgoing Eton provost, wrote: While this news was not unexpected, the provost and fellows regret that the Government has chosen to tax education in this way.

Furthermore, we are disappointed that the introduction of VAT will take place part way through an academic year and at short notice. We recognise the concern that will be felt by many parents following this announcement.

Eton College will charge the full 20 per cent VAT on its school fees from January after Labour's policy is introduced

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced last month that VAT will be charged on private school fees from January 1, with the relief private schools receive on business rates also scrapped from April.

Labour says schools can choose whether or not to pass on the cost to parents and the move will raise 1.6 billion to recruit 6,500 state school teachers.

But critics say the extra cost of educating displaced pupils could be higher. The 2022 accounts for Eton  which has more than 1,300 male pupils aged 13 to 18  show that it has consolidated reserves of more than 560million.

But Lord Waldegrave said that the school does not currently run an operating surplus, with bursaries funded both from donations and from income from its endowment.

Therefore, parents only pay for their own sons education, he added.

The letter, co-signed by Sir Nicholas Coleridge, the incoming provost who takes over in September, said: The provost and fellows appreciate that the imposition of VAT is unwelcome news and are also keenly aware of the impact of this decision on all our parents.

Please be assured that we will continue to focus on the costs of the school moving forward, although we will not compromise on the quality of the education provided to your sons.

Eton's outgoing provost, Lord Waldegrave, has said that the school is not currently running on an operating surplus

Eton said that boys who receive 100 per cent bursaries will not be affected by the change and those on partial bursaries will see this increased to cover the cost of VAT.

The move follows an announcement that Britains biggest private girls school trust will raise its fees by 12 per cent from January.

The Girls Day School Trust, which represents 23 private schools, said it would absorb the remaining 8 per cent and has given parents extra time to withdraw children ahead of the price rise.

It comes as figures from the Independent Schools Council showed that its private schools outperformed state ones  with almost eight in ten pupils achieving top A-levels.

Figures from the ISC group of private schools showed 79.8 per cent of pupils received A*-B grades, compared with the national average of 53.9 per cent.
Sir Keir Starmers controversial decision to take down Margaret Thatchers portrait in Downing Street confirms he is a visceral Leftie, Boris Johnson says today.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Johnson says the Prime Ministers petty removal of the famous painting from Lady Thatchers former study shows he misled the public when he praised her during his election campaign.

The 100,000 artwork was commissioned to mark her achievements as Britains first female prime minister. No10 has offered no explanation, but his biographer Tom Baldwin said the Prime Minister found it unsettling.

Mr Johnson highlights Sir Keir's attempt to court former Tory voters by praising Lady Thatchers success in releasing Britains natural entrepreneurialism.

He writes: Britains first female Prime Minister has been banished from her own former office, and all because she gives Starmer the collywobbles.

Sir Keir Starmer's decision to remove a portrait of Margaret Thatcher shows he is a 'visceral Leftie', Boris Johnson has said

No10 has offered no explanation as to why the picture was moved, but his biographer Tom Baldwin said the Prime Minister found it unsettling

We are entitled to ask: which is the real Starmer? Is he a Thatcher fan, or a visceral Leftie? The answer, my friends, is now clear: not just from his petty decision to remove her picture, but in everything he is doing in Government.

The artist behind the work Richard Stone, yesterday said Sir Keirs jittery reaction to it showed it had captured her presence.

But Mr Stone told the Daily Gazette newspaper he was not disturbed or perturbed by it being moved. He even told BBC Radio 4 he takes it as something of a compliment.

But artist Richard Stone said that Sir Keir's jitters showed the picture had captured Thatcher's 'presence' and took its removal as 'something of a compliment'

Mr Stone said if Sir Keir found it unsettling, then Id like to think that my portrait of Margaret Thatcher had a presence in that room.

Tory former Cabinet minister Esther McVey said the painting removal showed what a pathetic, petty minded little man Keir Starmer is.

Skills minister Jacqui Smith defended her party leader. She told Sky News: I dont think whether or not you shift a portrait from one room to somewhere else is the most pressing issue of the day.'
The family of the 26-year-old Portuguese woman who vanished at Notting Hill Carnival have rushed to her bedside after she was admitted to hospital 25 miles away from where she was last seen.

Patricia Araujo travelled from Ashford, Kent to London last weekend to attend the event but had not been seen or heard from since.

She last contacted her family just before midday on Sunday, telling her cousin that she was at the carnival 'having fun' and would return home that night.

Now her aunt Claudia Sousa, whom Patricia lived with before moving into a shared house, said she was found and has been admitted to Surrey County Hospital in Guildford. It is understood she was first spotted by a member of the public.

Claudia, who said she had been in constant contact with Patricia's mother before she was found, told MailOnline: 'I'm all the time trying to be strong for my family, because I have her mum and my mum (her grandmother) in Portugal and they are crying all the time. They were very concerned. Very worried.'

The family of 26-year-old Patricia Araujo (pictured) have rushed to her bedside after she was admitted to hospital in Surrey, 25 miles away from where she was last seen at Notting Hill Carnival in London

Video footage, captured by a stranger, shows Patricia at Notting Hill Carnival on Sunday wearing a brown dress with a black jacket tied around her waist and black shoes

Claudia Sousa, whom Patricia lived with before moving into a shared house, said her niece was found and has been admitted to Surrey County Hospital in Guildford (file photo)

Claudia, 41, revealed on Friday evening that the family had been informed that Patricia had been located and was in the hospital.

She said: 'We're going to the hospital now. We just know that she went to A&E and went to the hospital. We think that she is ok but we'll know when we see her.

'When the police called me I started crying. I don't know how I didn't fall over.

'Her mother and grandmother cried a lot. They put their hands to the sky like thank God she's found, and now let's see what we can do for her.'

Claudia said the family wanted to 'thank everyone for their concern' and for 'helping us by responding to the appeals we've made'.

One of her colleagues at the Travelodge Hotel in Ashford, Ryan Cassar, also posted on Facebook saying: 'Trisha has been found.'

Video footage, captured by a stranger, showed Patricia at Notting Hill Carnival on Sunday wearing a brown dress with a black jacket tied around her waist and black shoes.

This was the last reported sighting of the 26-year-old, who moved to the UK from Aveiro in northern Portugal six years ago, before she disappeared for five days.

Patricia Araujo (pictured), 26, travelled from Ashford, Kent - where she moved to six years ago from Aveiro in northern Portugal - to London last weekend to attend the carnival

Claudia previously raised concerns that Patricia, whose missing phone was found by a stranger, had been kidnapped.

She told KentOnline: 'So many days have passed by that were thinking about if she has been kidnapped.

'So many bad things happen at the carnival.'

The family also described her disappearance as 'very out of character' and travelled to London to look for her.

Relaying her niece's movements before she went missing, Claudia said Patricia went to Cameo nightclub in Ashford on Friday but left with a rucksack of clothes.

She told CNN Portugal: 'She got off the train at Stratford Railway Station and called her cousin and asked her if she could go to her house.

'She then headed there and left the rucksack with a change of clothes inside.

'Yara asked her why she had come alone and it was then Patricia said she was thinking of going to the Notting Hill Carnival.

Claudia (pictured) has told media in Portugal her niece went out in Ashford before heading to London with a rucksack to meet up with her cousin Yara who lives in the capital

Patricia last contacted her family just before midday on Sunday, telling her cousin that she was at the carnival 'having fun' and would return home that night

'Her cousin tried to talk her out of it and get her to go out in London with her instead, but in the middle of the night Patricia left and only told her cousin afterwards.'

Claudia said Patricia, or Trish as she is known in England, later told her cousin she was at the carnival and would return Sunday night.

But she never showed up and also has not gone to her job at Travelodge in Eureka Leisure Park, Ashford, since.

Her missing phone was reportedly found by a DJ on Sunday but Patricia's family only became aware of what was happening on Tuesday when he put the phone on charge and contacted them.
The Government will be 'flirting with real danger' if it slashes defence spending or turns its back on Israel, a former US National Security Advisor is warning.

Robert C O'Brien urged Labour to increase investment in its Armed Forces to 2.5 per cent as soon as possible  a goal backed by the Mail.

In an interview with the Policy Exchange think-tank he said: 'I think (2.5 per cent) is a terrific goal. It has to be done quickly.

'Talk is cheap. The US is looking for action. A strong UK is tremendous for the West and for America.

Sir Keir Starmer's government will be 'flirting with danger' if it slashes defence spending or turns its back on Israel, a former US National Security Advisor has warned

Robert C O'Brien urged the Government to raise investment on the Armed Forces to 2.5 per cent as soon as possible

Mr O'Brien also warned against the UK imposing an arms embargo against Israel (file photo)

'The sooner the UK can get to 2.5 per cent the more secure the free world will be.'

He also warned the UK Government over an arms embargo against Israel.

He said: 'There is the potential there for a serious rift, whether it is a Harris or a Trump administration ... and I would tread very carefully.'

It comes as Israel agreed to halt some of its military operations in Gaza to allow health workers to launch a polio vaccine drive for some 640,000 Palestinian children.

The first pause began yesterday in central Gaza, where health workers will administer vaccines before moving to southern Gaza and then the North in nine days.
British prisoners could soon be housed in Estonian jails after the number of criminals imprisoned in England and Wales hit a record high of 88,350.

Estonia's minister of justice Liisa Pakosta yesterday said they have cells available to rent out to its Nato allies.

It comes as some judges have been warned not to send people to jail over low-level crimes and some prisoners have are set to be released early to ease the overcrowding issue in Britain's prisons.

Ms Pakosta said the scheme could be worth 25 million to Estonia and suggested that Britain and Sweden are already in talk to ship prisoners to the Baltic nation.

She said: 'Half of the spaces are empty. And it is true that I've submitted a memo to the government cabinet for discussion, to choose the direction of the solution with which to proceed.'

Estonia's minister of justice Liisa Pakosta yesterday said they have cells available to rent out to its Nato allies

It comes as some judges have been warned not to send people to jail over low-level crimes and some prisoners have are set to be released early to ease the overcrowding issue in Britain's prisons

The total number of prisoners in England and Wales as of August 30 is 88,350 which is the highest it has been since 2011.

It is an increase of 116 from the week before when it was 88,234 and nearly 1,000 more than four weeks ago when there were 87,362 imprisoned.

It comes after the recent far-right across the UK riots saw hundreds of arrests, on-going convictions and sentencing of violent protesters.

It forced ministers to activate 'Operation Early Dawn' last week, triggering emergency measures to avoid prison overcrowding as more rioters are sentenced.

The long-standing plan, described as a 'one in, one out' policy, has been implemented in the North of England in the wake of the recent widespread disorder across towns and cities.

It allows defendants to be held in police cells and not summoned to magistrates' court until a space in prison is available.

Since taking office, Labour has cut the proportion of a sentence inmates must serve behind bars from 50 per cent to 40 per cent.

Far-right protesters gather outside Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, which is being used as an asylum hotel, on August 4, 2024

Since taking office, Keir Starmer's Labour government has cut the proportion of a sentence inmates must serve behind bars from 50 per cent to 40 per cent

The temporary move - due to start on 10 September - is expected to result in 5,500 offenders being released in September and October.

It does not apply to those convicted of sex offences, terrorism, domestic abuse or some violent offences.

And those released early will serve the rest of their sentence under 'strict' licensing conditions in the community.

However, a convicted child rapist escaped a jail sentence last week because of the overcrowding crisis in Britain's prisons - with a judge admitting that time behind bars would have been 'virtually inevitable' otherwise.
A newborn baby is fighting for its life after being found allegedly abandoned under a carport in Melbourne's south-east overnight hours after it was born.

Police said the boy was discovered outside the home on Gladstone Rd in Dandenong North about 2.40am on Friday.

The infant's mother, a 25-year-old woman, was taken to hospital where officers said she remained under police guard.

Housemates of the 25-year-old woman told Nine News on Friday morning they didn't know she was pregnant.

'We just woke up and there was an incident and we had to call triple-0, and they came and helped us,' they said

'We are happy that the baby is okay, and we are still praying for her and the baby.

'We are ready to support her when she gets out of hospital.'

The housemate told Nine the new mother was a lovely woman who worked in aged care.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under still investigation.
A wealthy California man claims his sex life has been ruined following a painful encounter at the luxury Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.

Michael Farchi, 62, says he was sleeping in the Palazzo Tower during the 2023 Christmas holiday when he woke up with a searing pain and realized a scorpion had bitten his testicles.

'He felt multiple additional stinging sensations on his hand and groin area,' according to a lawsuit filed on behalf of Michael Farchi and his wife, Batia.

Farchi reports experiencing PTSD, erectile dysfunction, and other lasting effects. His wife is also suing for loss of consortium, claiming that his and his wife's sex life has suffered due to the incident. The couple share a gorgeous $1.2 million home in Agoura Hills, California.

One of Farchi's California attorneys, Brian Virag of My Bed Bug Lawyer, explained to 8 News Now why they were also filing a claim on behalf of Mr. Farchi's wife.

A California man's claims his sex life with his wife has been ruined following a painful encounter in the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas

Michael Farchi, 62, who was visiting over the 2023 Christmas holiday, says he was bitten in the groin area while sleeping in the Palazzo Tower, and woke up with searing pain. He took a photo of the scorpion that bit him while still in his underwear

'She is alleging that their sexual relationship has suffered significantly since the sting,' he told .

'I didn't know what it was,' Farchi said. 'It felt like a sharp knife or glass stabbing me.'

Farchi explained that he immediately reached under the covers to find the scorpion and then alerted the hotel staff.

In court documents filed on August 27, the plaintiffs allege that the hotel breached its duty of care by failing to provide a clean and safe room free of pests, including bed bugs and scorpions.

The lawyer provided the 8 News Now with photos of the scorpion gripping on to his underwear.

'It really doesn't matter, so much, how it got there,' Virag said. 'The fact that it was there and they were on notice that there were prior issues of scorpions at the subject property that's obviously the main point here.'

One of Farchi's California attorneys, Brian Virag of My Bed Bug Lawyer, explained to 8 News Now why they were also filing a claim on behalf of Mr. Farchi's wife. 'She is alleging that their sexual relationship has suffered significantly since the sting,' he said.

Farchi's lawsuit alleges that the Venetian Resort was aware of a previous infestation of poisonous scorpions.

'From our understanding, there was some ongoing construction at the time that this incident happened,' Virag said.

Farchi provided 8 News Now with a medical incident report he filed at the Palazzo on December 26. The report details the incident, including his suite number and the note he wrote to hotel staff: 'bitten by scorpion on my groin/testicles.'

He also added that the hotel didn't take him seriously and even mocked him.

'(They were) just holding their groin area and laughing about it,' he said. 'It was really embarrassing.'

He was diagnosed with 'Poisoning: Scorpion Sting' by Summerlin Hospital, per the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Farchi was treated at UCLA Medical Center, where doctors diagnosed physical injuries, including erectile dysfunction, caused by the scorpion sting.

'Many effects on my family, my work  everything,' Farchi said in an interview with 8 News Now.

Farchi is requesting a jury trial to determine damages for his past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of companionship, and loss of enjoyment of life, as stated in the lawsuit.

The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort in sunny Las Vegas, Nevada. Sleep tight!

Farchi reports experiencing PTSD, erectile dysfunction, and other lasting effects. His wife is also suing for loss of consortium, claiming that his and his wife's sex life has suffered due to the incident

A statement from the Venetian said: 'To preserve the privacy of our guests, we're unable to comment on this incident. The resort has protocols for all incidents and we can confirm they were followed in this incident.'

The scorpion appears to be the Arizona bark scorpion, the only scorpion in North America considered to be dangerous to humans.

The bark scorpion has venom strong enough to cause serious symptoms similar to anaphylaxis and are often found in the Southwest.
Famed Aussie author Tim Winton has led the chorus of outrage after a fossilised tooth from a giant ancient shark was chiselled loose and stolen from a national park.

The megalodon tooth was removed from Cape Range National Park, about 1,300 kilometres north of Perth on the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast of Western Australia, earlier this month.

Winton, 64, said the news, which was confirmed by state government officials who said the offender likely used a 'chipping tool', was disappointing but sadly not surprising.

'People [are] chiselling out fossil teeth, you know, going into caves that they know they're not supposed to, camping wherever they want, driving their troopies wherever they want,' he told the ABC.

I've picked up enough human excrement at Ningaloo in the past couple of years to know that this is not an imagined problem.

'I don't know if it's just Insta-bogans but  they bring everything up to Ningaloo except their good sense and their manners.'

Winton, who is local to the area and featured it in various of his written works, recently hosted the ABC documentary series Ningaloo Nyinggulu, which featured a cave that has now been gated to the public because of damage caused by illegal trespassers.

It is not the first time a similar fossil has been taken from the park, with a specimen removed from a secret site in 2018 and never recovered.

Famed Australian author Tim Winton has led a chorus of outrage over a fossilised tooth of a giant prehistoric predator being removed from a national park

The megalodon was a prehistoric shark that grew to 18metres in length and could weigh up to 50tonnes.

Speleologist Darren Brooks told the ABC megalodon teeth could sometimes fetch thousands of dollars but were normally worth much less and could be easily purchased online.

He said removing them from their context devalued them scientifically because most of what researchers learnt was from where the teeth were deposited.

Mr Brooks also decried the vandalism he was seeing in the park, including people carving graffiti into trees.

Winton said 'Instagram' tourists were a major threat to the park because they think 'they are better than everybody else, and the rules don't apply to them'.

Western Australia's state Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions told the ABC it has increased efforts to protect the Cape Range National Park, and was conducting more regular patrols and communication with the public.

WA state government officials said the giant tooth was removed from the Cape Range National Park earlier this month

Winton said the World Heritage listed Ningaloo Coast was being trashed by 'Insta-tourists' and he had been forced to pick up their 'human excrement'

Winton is an acclaimed author of novels, children's books and non-fiction works as well as being prominent in his conservation advocacy.

In 1997, he was named a Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia, and has won the Miles Franklin Award four times.

Among some of his best known works are Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music, The Turning and Breath, while a number of his works have been adapted for TV and cinema.
A construction company has been fined after a 12-year-boy managed to access a building site before falling to his death.

Joshua Field, 12, climbed into the roof area of a building and was killed after he fell and was struck by a falling beam in May 2022.

He had accessed a construction site in Maddington in Perth's south-east through an open gate with his brother and cousins who then witnessed his fall.

His family had to make the heartbreaking decision to switch off his life support after he was rushed to the Perth Children's Hospital, 7News reported at the time.

PTG Construction was responsible for the site and had been building five single-storey residential units near high-density housing where families with young children lived.

The firm pleaded guilty to two charges of failing to ensure a workplace they were in control of was secured from unauthorised access.

The company was fined $18,000 and ordered to pay $1,500 in costs this week in the Armadale Magistrates Court.

At the time Joshuas sister, Charnte Turner, said her family had lost a beautiful soul.

Joshua Field, 12, was playing at an unsecured site and was killed after he fell from a roof

Joshua's sister, Charnte Turner, remembered 'Joshy' as a 'hero' after his life support was cut

'My 12 year old brother, Joshy, was injured after playing on a construction site,' she wrote on a GoFundMe page appealing for support.

'Shortly after getting rushed to hospital and fighting for his life, he sadly didnt make it.'

Charnte described her brother as a 'hero' for donating his heart, lungs and his kidneys to save others.

In a separate incident, Merym Pty Ltd trading as EMCO Building, was found guilty of failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace after a subcontractor became trapped under a concrete staircase that collapsed on him.

In April 2019, bricklayers employed by Swinging Bricklayers had removed steel props that were supporting the staircase to construct a load bearing wall under the recently formed concrete stairs.

Merym was fined $450,000 for causing serious harm and $35,000 in court costs in the Perth Magistrates Court.

Merym Pty Ltd was fined $450,000 for a worker injured by a collapsing concrete staircase

Swinging Bricklayers were also fined $600,000 and ordered to pay $5,000 in costs in February 2023.

WorkSafe commissioner Sally North said a wide range of safety risks could be present on construction sites and the two cases illustrated the point.

'In the case against Merym Pty Ltd, the company was the principal contractor and it changed the stairs from a pre-cast staircase that was assembled off-site then installed on pre-built load bearing brick walls to a staircase that was moulded and poured on-site with the brick walls built underneath when the formwork was removed,' she said.

'The bricklayers had little or no experience of working with this type of staircase and were not warned to avoid removing the props because they were holding up the stairs.

'The job was lacking in risk assessment, communication and instruction, and both companies involved in the incident have now been held to account.'

Ms North said the case against PTG Construction and Development illustrated the importance of site security in protecting the public from the hazards of a construction site.

'In this case security gates were present, but they were frequently left open after hours when the site was left unattended because PTG did not have a system in place to ensure the gate was closed and locked when the site was unattended,' she said.

'WA's workplace health and safety laws require that the person in control of a construction site must ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that the workplace is secured from unauthorised access.'
A man has been charged after nearly 90 expensive, luxury cars were defaced with spray paint.

The cars, parked on public streets across Sydney's inner west and eastern suburbs, had their iconic badges sprayed with red or blue paint this month.

Alex Mucibabic, 49, was arrested in relation to the alleged spree after police executed a search warrant on Friday about 3pm at a unit on Pyrmont Bridge Road in Camperdown.

Police officers from Kings Cross, Surry Hills, Eastern Suburbs and Leichhardt received 87 reports of luxury cars that were sprayed with paint.

Officers from Central Metropolitan Region established Strike Force Opelika to investigate the incidents.

Police made a public appeal for assistance to catch the man responsible and released CCTV footage of a suspect.

Images of the luxury vehicles, including Porsches, BMWs, and Mercedes Benzes were shared amongst Sydneysiders as the number of sprayed vehicles grew between August 19 and 28.

Both new and older models of luxury cars were targeted on public streets.

More than 80 luxury cars were reported sprayed between August 19 and 28 in Sydney's inner east

Police released CCTV footage of a man they suspected to be responsible for the graffiti spree

Mucibabic was arrested and taken to Newtown Police Station where he was charged with 23 counts of destroy or damage property.

Parramatta Bail Court heard Mucibabic is expected to face further charges in relation to other cars allegedly involved, according to the Daily Telegraph.

It was also heard that Mucibabic had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, has very little memory of the alleged incidents, and often hears voices telling him to go walking at night.

He was granted strict bail with conditions that include he is not 'in possession of any paint cans, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Luxury cars including Mercedes Benzes and BMWs were sprayed with blue and red paints

His bail requires he reports to Glebe police twice a week, attend a local mental health facility and avoid the areas of the city where cars had been sprayed.

He must also obey a curfew preventing him from wandering outside between 9pm and 7am.

Mucibabic will next front the Sydney Downing Centre on Saturday, September 6.
A teenage girl has died riding a buggy in rural Queensland.

The girl suffered critical injuries after crashing the four-wheeler on a private property about 1.57am in Canoona, about 50km north of Rockhampton.

Paramedics assessed the girl on the property but she couldnt be saved, the Queensland Ambulance Service told 7News.

Just three weeks ago a 25-year-old man was killed in a buggy accident on a beach in Townsville.

Earlier in August, a man in his 50s died following an all-terrain vehicle crash while herding sheep on a rural Tasmanian property.

In March, 16-year-old Gage Fowler was killed in a horror late-night quad bike rollover in Darling Heights, Queensland.

Emergency services were called to a property in Darling Heights, south of Toowoomba in Queensland's south-east about 1.30am on March 17, following reports an ATV had rolled over.

Gage's death sparked an outpouring of grief from heartbroken friends at the time.

'Til we meet again bro, a gift to us all,' one wrote.

Another friend wrote: 'Always gonna be thinking of you my bro. Rest easy,'

Paramedics attended the Queensland property but couldn't save the teenager after the crash

More than 180 lives were lost in quad bike-related incidents in Australia in an eight-year period between January 2011 and March 2023.

Quad bike safety has been an area of focus for the ACCC which lobbied for tougher standards in 2018 as record levels of all-terrain vehicle-related deaths in Australia peaked.

New safety regulations were introduced in 2019 in a bid to reduce injuries and fatalities from riding the vehicles.
Mothers of soldiers killed in a string of tragic accidents which happened because lethal defects on army vehicles were left unfixed for years have spoken of their devastation and search for answers.

Vivienne George, whose son Second Lieutenant Max George, 26, died in 2022, and Moira Watson-Pickering, who lost her son Private Jethro Watson-Pickering, 23, the previous year, want to know how such tragic mistakes can happen again and again.

Five soldiers died in four incidents between 2017 and 2022, involving some of the most well-used vehicles, the Warrior and Jackal troop carriers, Scimitar light tank and Challenger II tank.

Analysis of the incidents by the Daily Mail  published last week - found that, in each case, defects which contributed to what happened had been found years earlier but were not rectified.

Vivienne George, whose son Second Lieutenant Max George, 26, died in 2022. He was one of five soldiers killed in four accidents involving vehicles with lethal faults left unfixed for years

Service inquiry reports - internal MoD inquiries into deaths or serious incidents - into the tragedies identified almost 300 failings and made 227 recommendations.

This newspaper has conducted a forensic audit of the cases, revealing how commanders repeatedly missed opportunities to prevent the deaths.

Now, as defence chiefs must cut expenditure by hundreds of millions to fund a 6% pay rise, there are fears other fatal accidents will follow.

The failings can be revealed as the Daily Mail's Don't Leave Britain Defenceless campaign calls on ministers to increase funding for the Armed Forces to at least 2.5 per cent of GDP.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'Our thoughts and sympathies are always with the families, friends, and colleagues of those who have died. We owe a clear duty of care to personnel which we take extremely seriously.

'We're wholly committed to organisational learning which can better enable us to deliver that duty. The majority of recommendations made in these cases have been accepted and actioned.'

A brilliant future snatched away

A mother whose promising Army officer son was run over by a defective armoured vehicle told of her familys broken hearts  saying he had his brilliant future snatched away and hasnt had the opportunity to live his life.

Vivienne George spoke out after her son, Second Lieutenant Max George, 26, a rising military star, was one of five soldiers killed in four accidents involving vehicles with lethal faults left unfixed for years.

Mrs George said she cannot understand how the faulty Warrior troop carrier was in use - and she and husband Martin, a headteacher, remain angry and heartbroken. She said they are looking for answers to understand how such tragic mistakes can happen again and again.

2Lt George, who died in June 2022 had only passed out from Sandhurst in December 2021  being awarded the Queens Medal by Princess Anne as best overall cadet - having achieved the highest results in military, academic and practical skills of his cohort.

Second Lieutenant Max George, 26, was killed after a Warrior Armoured Vehicle reversed over him while on a training exercise. An investigation found that an alarm which should have sounded if the rear hatch was open was inoperative due to a severed cable. The fault had been known about for several years but was never repaired

He qualified as an infantry platoon commander three months later and was rated by colleagues as the best theyd ever worked with.

Mrs George added: Some of his army friends were so inspired by Max that they have inscribed, What would Max do, inside their helmets.

His mother, who teaches English, said: Our brilliant son was in the absolute prime of his life and died because of a fault which could have been fixed.

I am so angry. The thing that upsets me most is that Maxs future was stolen because someone didnt do their job properly and call out the fault, which had been noted to be fixed since 2018

The vehicle should not have been in use. Im devastated not just because we miss Max so much but also, more than anything, because he has had his brilliant future snatched away and hasnt had the opportunity to live his life.

2Lt George  of Fifth Battalion The Rifles  was reversed over while exiting through the Warriors rear door.

An alarm to alert the driver if the door was not closed  which an internal Ministry of Defence Service Inquiry found would have prevented the tragedy  had not worked for four years due to a severed cable.

The inquiry found the vehicle had dozens of other faults and should not have been in use during the fateful exercise on Salisbury Plain.

Mrs George said: It wasnt an unfortunate accident, it was waiting to happen. It could have been anybody (who died) but happened to be my son.

Rear door alarms were fitted to Warriors after eight earlier reversing accidents and three deaths.

An inquiry into his death found the Warrior armoured vehicle - similar to the one pictured here, had dozens of other faults and should not have been in use during the fateful exercise on Salisbury Plain

Mrs George said the service inquiry report, while giving details of how her son died, has left her with more questions than answers about why the tragedy happened, providing no explanation for why the vehicle was in use.

She and her husband, a former Army Major in the Kings Regiment before he joined the teaching profession, are now waiting for an inquest.

Mrs George said the couple were attending Maxs younger sister Claudias graduation ceremony at the University of Exeter when the accident happened.

Officials had been sent to the couples home in County Durham but just a house-sitter was in, so she was contacted by telephone.

She recalled: It was a lovely day. We were taking pictures on the lawns at Exeter University and I had my phone in my hand when an unknown number rang.

I thought it was a scam but fell to the ground as it sank in.

The family drove to Ward Barracks in Bulford, Wiltshire, where 2Lt George was based, to see his commanding officer and meet his soldiers.

Mrs George said: I wanted to see his room. Hed just had his birthday and there were loads of presents, some still unopened. His towel was damp from him having had a shower.

On a visit to the hospital mortuary, Mrs George said: I wasnt even allowed to be alone with my son. He was covered up and I was only allowed to hold his hand. I was just talking to him and crying my eyes out.

The Georges also visited the accident site, where a memorial had been placed on a tree.

Mr and Mrs George arranged for his funeral to be held at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst  suggested by their daughter, now 26, because Max had excelled there the previous year and had made many strong friendships.

While the chapel was packed with mourners, the service was live-streamed to over 600 people in 21 countries.

Mrs George said she has been overwhelmed by messages from friends and her sons friends and colleagues.

She said: They said he was the best theyd ever worked with. Who knows where he could have ended up?

Max George achieved a first in Politics with Spanish at Newcastle University then, having passed the Army Selection Board, he managed to slip in a Masters degree in Russian with Eastern European and Eurasian Studies at University of Glasgow, passing with distinction. Mrs George said her son had been in his absolute element in the Army.

He joined the regular commissioning course at Sandhurst in January 2021 having previously been a reservist officer with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in Northumberland.

Max worked his socks off at everything but was the epitome of modesty. He was really competitive but not to anyone elses detriment, always available to help others whatever time of day or night his mother added.

Since the tragedy, the family have raised over 21,000 for military causes and some other charities that Max had supported, including the Rifles Benevolent Trust by holding charity walks.

In one, in June this year, Maxs father walked hundreds of miles between the Rifles Battalions during which many people joined him for short parts of it, such was Maxs impact, Mrs George said.

Mrs George stressed that she and her husband do not want to be seen as knocking the Army and that the Chief of the General Staff at the time, General Sir Patrick Sanders, showed great compassion.

Mrs George said that while she welcomes safety improvements to the Warriors  including installation of mirrors and faulty alarms being fixed, the family remain deeply affected by their loss, adding: Whilst were trying to rebuild our lives, I am a different person to who I was. I feel as if Im currently just existing for my husband and daughter.

The George family told how they have received hundreds and hundreds of letters and emails from their sons friends and colleagues paying tribute to him.

The letters describe how he was leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else at Sandhurst, with one saying that, while leading the final exercise,  his command was so impressive that I still believe it to have been the best example of Company Command I have seen to date.

Friends recalled how he was always the first to do that which others did not want to  but was also just as good company in the bar or at a social, usually with a pint in hand!

One said: Max was one of those rare people that made an impact on everyone he met. His professionalism, diligence and passion for what he did set him apart from the rest whilst still rubbing off some of his brilliance (on) those around him.

And another friend added: Not only was Max an incredibly good friend but I always have and always will look up to him as a role model. I hope it is some comfort that your son was exceptional in every way. He improved the lives of everyone he met. I miss him every day and remember him as humble, loyal and dedicated.

Mrs George revealed how one 10-page letter finished off: Max was my friend. It truly was a privilege to call him that. Surpassing that though is the fact that he counted me as his friend. I cannot overstate how great a man I believe him to be.

Further tributes described his astonishing humility, kindness and warmth  and one said: Max was the outstanding young officer of our generation. I will always look to his example as the one to follow, and I know that my peers feel the same. Your son was one of the special people the Army - and our society - so desperately needs.

He was the best of the best.

All we want is for them to be safe while learning the job. Is it too much to ask?

Clutching her late son Jethros regimental scarf and beret, Moira Watson-Pickering is still riven by pain and grief.

But nearly three years on, the bereaved Army mother is determined to ensure no more soldiers suffer her sons fate.

In a plea to defence officials, the mother-of-four said today: We give them our most precious possession, our sons and daughters, who want to serve the country they love.

All we want is for them to be safe while learning the job. Is it too much to ask?

Moira also hit out at the lack of support for bereaved families, saying she was not offered the chance to be near her son and was also told misleading information.

Moira Watson-Pickering, pictured here holding her son, Jethro's regimental scarf and beret, has blasted the MoD for their lack of assistance following his tragic death on an army training exercise

And she was offered no assistance with the complicated paperwork which followed the tragedy.

She asked: Why is there no support with this process when you are alone and in pieces?

But while critical of those who sit behind a desk making decisions with no risk to themselves, Moira wants to stress that she has the utmost respect and admiration for all our men and women of the armed forces.

She said she has received a huge amount of support and many acts of kindness from Jethros battalion, who she describes as my boys.

Moira, who wears Jethros Yorkshire Regiment badge on her lapel, told how she misses him every day but added: Hes here all the time. In my opinion, family are forever.

Jethro Watson-Pickering was killed in a vehicle accident on Salisbury Plain in October 2021

The familys terraced home near Saltburn, Cleveland, is filled with reminders of her son, who became entranced with the armed forces as a five-year-old, saluting the television while watching the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

On a living room chair sit his cap, beret, belt, a wreath and framed platoon insignia, while his passing out photograph is on the mantelpiece.

Moira, a nursing assistant, remains very proud of her sons decision to enlist as an 18-year-old, despite her own reservations.

She said: As a mother, you are frightened to death but Im also very old-fashioned and I believe in duty and defending this country.

Jethro  being put forward for promotion to Lance Corporal and also in line for a Special Forces selection test  was told to drive a Scimitar during an exercise on Salisbury Plain in October 2021 despite not being trained.

After finding out about the Scimitars defect, Moira said: The MoD should be made to sort out the issues with the different vehicles. They have a duty of care.

Jethro  being put forward for promotion to Lance Corporal and also in line for a Special Forces selection test  was told to drive a Scimitar during an exercise on Salisbury Plain in October 2021 despite not being trained

Moira recalled her last conversation with her son - who served in the Baltic States, Canada and Germany, and helped in Britain with the Covid response  the night before his death.

She said: He did mention he was going to be offered the chance to drive a tank.

I had a feeling  I dont know what it was  that this might not be a good thing (but) I wanted to be a supportive mother.

I miss all the possibilities Jethro wont have. Hes not going to get married, Im not going to see his children.

To add to the heartbreak, Moira said she was told misleading information by a MoD official who turned up on her doorstep hours after the tragedy.

She recalled being wrongly informed the accident, at 11.40am, had involved more than one tank and that Jethros Scimitar had tipped over  when it was on its own and hit a tree.

The collision resulted in the turret spinning violently and hitting 23-year-old Jethro.

Moira said: The MoD woman told that Jethro was put into the air ambulance.

She said, if this gives you any comfort, there were a nurse in the helicopter with Jethro. She told me to tell you she felt very impelled to say a prayer.

A report revealed Jethros body remained trapped in the wreckage even as the official was at Moiras house at about 5pm - and was not moved until late at night.

Moira said: I hate the idea that at that very time, my son was actually still in the wreckage.

One of two soldiers with Jethro in the Scimitar, who suffered serious injuries, said there was nothing I could have done that I didnt do in trying to help his dying friend.

The former soldier, who been discharged, said: He (Jethro) was unbelievably devoted to his family, friends and job the best soldier Ive worked with. I wish I could have taken his place.

Its despicable and absolutely appalling that this accident happened.

He added: I joined up under the slogan Be The Best. I feel totally let down.

The MoD provided no further comment about its contact with the Watson-Pickering family.
Lucky Oasis fans have shared their joy at being among the first to nab tickets for the long-awaited comeback tour despite the overwhelming odds and ticket site crashes.

Some 14 million devotees from around the world are believed to have joined the queue for general sale - competing for a chance at one of around 1.4 million tickets.

The fight to the front has been marred by the collapse of popular ticket sites, overwhelmed by interest from desperate fans logging on this morning.

Those who beat the odds to claim a ticket took to social media to celebrate their success - or gloat over those still waiting.

Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher appear together in Italy in 2009 before their split

Morning Glory! Lucky fans have taken to social media to share their Saturday morning wins

Social media users jumped online after securing tickets - while others remain in long queues

As many a 14 million fans are expected to try for tickets on Saturday morning

One user took to Twitter/X to - apparently - joke 'I got four tickets and I only know Wonderwall' - as thousands of fans report outages across the major ticket sites.

Another shared how they had overlapped with their brother, who had already bought tickets, and said they were trying to sell three before the 9am general sale.

'Cannot tell you how good it feels knowing I've already got Oasis tickets,' one user added to the growing chorus.

'I have no idea how I got in so fast then I was like 676 from the start and got tickets within 10 minutes,' another said.

One fan told MailOnline they had signed on to multiple devices to boost their chances.

'Joined the queue on two different accounts, one from PC and one from the phone,' Herman said this morning, minutes after the general sale began.

'On the first I got placed at 6304 and the second at 301000, so I guess I got lucky.

'Still took 25 minutes to get them with 6000 ahead of me (and they first tried to offer limited view tickets which I then released to get better ones).'

Adrian told MailOnline this morning: 'Hey from Toronto, Canada! I'll be there next year! Site crashed out, but somehow I got them! Cheers.'

Alan told MailOnline he was fortunate enough to get his tickets via pre-sale - but still had to wake up especially early to join the queue.

'As somewhat of a superfan (having seen Oasis previously in Auckland, London, Manchester, New York and Sydney), I got lucky with the pre-sale ballot access.

'Set the alarm for 3:55am AEST and after a nervous wait, will be flying from Sydney Australia, for a Wembley show.

'Wishing good fortune to all other fans!'

Camilla Polson, was delighted to secure tickets to the opening night of the tour in Cardiff.

She said: 'Securing Oasis tickets is one of the greatest moments of my life. The iconic songs with the crowd singing along, it's easy to imagine how powerful that experience is going to be.

'There's something truly unique about being in a sea of fans who all share the same passion for the music.

'Having everyone eagerly anticipating the first chords of those iconic songs, will be absolutely thrilling. I'm sure it will be an experience I'll remember for a lifetime. I can't wait to be at the opening night of the tour in Cardiff!'

Superfan Peter Davies, 30, celebrated his win after securing four tickets for the opening night at Wembley for 600 - after joining the queue at number 1,051.

A previous attendee at both Liam and Noel's gigs alongside the last Oasis tour, he battled against website glitches to get the prized passes.

Speaking about his reaction, he told MailOnline: 'It was relief, at first, if I am honest. Then it dawned on me that I am actually going to go see Oasis at Wembley.

'All week we prepared for this. I spoke with family and friends to tactically plan for how we were going to try for different dates, then seeing if one of us got a code, how many tickets we would get and where in the stadium.

'I was the only one who got a presale code so it made it a lot easier to go for one date.

'I am looking forward to seeing an iconic and historical moment with my family  we've all grown up loving Oasis and it's going to be something we're going to talk about for years.

'It's also going to be the first time my sister and girlfriend see Oasis live, so I look forward to seeing their reactions.'

Chase Lewellen of Tampa, Florida said that he had won tickets to see the band at Wembley, writing on Twitter/X: 'I can't believe it! My year has been made!'

Not all have had the same luck. One fan waiting anxiously online to buy tickets as a surprise birthday gift told MailOnline they had been waiting for tickets since 7:40am - but their ticket site crashed as they got to the front.

'Couldn't anticipate my excitement when it hit number one in the queue.

'Stomach churning with happiness once again and whole body shaking and then everything crashes.

'Cannot even secure a place in the queue for Dublin, let alone enter the website.

'I am utterly devastated and in a panic trying to get back into the queue... it's not happening.'

Several popular tickets sites have reported outages from 8am this morning, when the first tickets for Croke Park went on sale.

And 'Error 503', 'Shambles' and 'Crashed' all began trending on Twitter/X in the United Kingdom this morning.

Ticketmaster outages reported in the last 24 hours spiked as the first fans logged on.

Reports shot past 4,000 just after the hour, having sat at around zero through Friday into Saturday.

A spokesperson for Ticketmaster told MailOnline: 'The queue is moving along as fans buy tickets.

'As anticipated, millions of fans are accessing our site so have been placed in a queue.

'Fans are advised to hold their place in line, make sure they're only using one tab, clear cookies, and ensure they aren't using any VPN software on their device.'

Responding to complaints on Twitter/X, Ticketmaster advised fans on how to limit the likelihood of a crash.

'Please make sure you are only using one tab, clear your cookies, and ensure you aren't using any VPN software on your device,' Ticketmaster wrote in one post.

'Please clear your cache/cookies and ensure you aren't using any VPN software on your device/WiFi,' read another.

'If this doesn't help, please try using a different browser/device or using mobile data instead of WiFi.'

Gigs and Tours, another ticket-selling website, also flagged error messages for fans.

'The service is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later,' a notice on the site read.

Fans expressed their frustration online as sites crashed and queues became unwieldy.

One person wrote: 'What the hell TicketmasterUK! I signed up and registered to buy Oasis tickets and they have blocked me! I am not a bot!.'

Another wrote: 'So how and I supposed to try for tickets on Ticketmaster if I get this. Something stinks.'

Gigs and Tours, another ticket-selling website, also flagged error messages for fans.

'The service is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later,' a notice on the site read.

SeeTickets also ran the warning: 'Our Website is very busy! We have lots of people trying for tickets and you are being held on this page till a space becomes available.'

Amid the complaints, Rory from London joked on Twitter/X: 'This Oasis situation is dumb. It should be a queue at Wembley Stadium. Overnight. True test of dedication. Like what we had to do for the FA Cup final in 1997.

'All this internet wizardry is unjust, it favours the drips. Got people sending me pics of computer screens like they work at NASA, what chance have I got?'

Another user hit back: 'Just say you didnt get tickets, it's easier.'

IT experts also warn there is a 'huge possibility' that high numbers of Oasis tickets are being purchased by computer bots at once.

Ticket re-sellers often use automated software to buy more tickets for events than they are allowed, only to sell them on at higher prices.

Ticketmaster advised users on how to handle reported crashes on the site

Jake Moore, global cybersecurity adviser at software security firm Eset said some groups have the right software and knowledge to manipulate ticket websites, and even use bots to 'swoop in and purchase high numbers of tickets at once'.

He told the PA news agency: 'Being the next series of concerts since the demand for Taylor Swift tickets, I would suggest there would be a huge possibility of bots being used to swoop in.'

Many people used social media to say that they had been suspended from the Ticketmaster website as they were assumed to be a bot.

Mr Moore said: 'Bots mimic the activity of real users and even manipulate their location using off-the-shelf software such as a VPN.

'This is usually counteracted using bot detection software but this can often produce false positives when real users are assumed to be bots themselves.'
The Muslim community leader behind a political advocacy group gearing up to be a disrupting force in the next federal election has warned Labor not to take them for granted.

Ahead of the national campaign launch of Muslim Votes Matter (MVM) on Sunday in Melbourne, its national representative Ghaith Krayem said communities were feeling 'disillusioned' and 'disenfranchised' with the major parties over the handling of the conflict in Gaza.

'You've always assumed our community will vote Labor, and we will show this election that that will change,' Mr Krayem said.

'The message is the same to both sides. You need to stop assuming that the community will vote one particular way,' he said.

'That's why the Coalition doesn't engage with our community because it feels after we will always vote Labor, and Labor has taken us for granted because it's assumed we always vote Labor.'

He said he believed that 'was going to change' in the yet-to-announced election.

Sunday's event will share leanings from the UK election in July where five independent pro-Palestine candidates won seats held by UK Labour Party members, and a segment on the potential of a hung parliament.

While Mr Krayem stresses MVM is not running candidates but a body for political advocacy and education, he expects the group could mobilise up to 3,000 volunteers to campaign and man polling booths on election day.

The Muslim community leader behind a political advocacy group gearing up to be a disrupting force in the next federal election has warned Labor not to take them for granted

Currently that tally has nearly reached 1000, with interest increasing exponentially after every community event.

'We believe that this is the best time for us to increase the political mobilisation of our community,' said Mr Krayem.

'There is a lot of feelings of disenfranchisement and disillusionment with all sides of politics, and we wouldn't exist as a movement if that feeling wasn't there.'

While the exact seats where MVM believe it could flip the incumbent are being kept top secret until Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calls the election, calculations are being done in the background.

'As we get closer to the election, we will focus our campaigning to a much more targeted set of seats where we believe the number of Muslims, plus the candidate mix and the issues will give us the best opportunity to impact change come election day,' said Mr Krayem.

Sky News Investigations Reporter Jonathan Lea will examine the rise of the 'Muslim Votes Matter' group in a documentary called 'Clash of Faiths: The Fight for Muslim Votes'.

'It is very, very hard to describe the absolute outrage this community is feeling and experiencing,' Mr Lea told Sky News host Andrew Bolt.

'I have certainly never experienced anything like it in sitting down and trying to understand people's arguments and frustrations here.'

The full documentary will air next Tuesday at 7:30pm.

MVM has already identified 32 seats with high populations of Muslim-identifying voters.

They include electorates help by high-profile ministers like Education Minister Jason Clare's southwestern Sydney seat of Blaxland and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke's neighbouring seat of Watson.

Ahead of the national campaign launch of Muslim Votes Matter (MVM) on Sunday in Melbourne, its national representative Ghaith Krayem (pictured) said communities were feeling 'disillusioned' and 'disenfranchised'

Mr Burke's seat is already facing a challenge by local doctor Ziad Basyouny, who is running on a platform championing his high-migrant community, and greater Palestinian recognition.

He has not been endorsed by MVM, who say they will assess his credentials alongside other candidates once nominations close.

Until the election is called, MVM's two priorities are awareness and education, and addressing voter apathy in the community.

'We know that there is a significant portion of our community that doesn't vote, and the second issue is informal votes,' he said.

'(We want our community) to understand the importance of their participation, so they're ready for when the election is called, to make sure that they do participate and that their vote counts.'
Oasis fans who battled through a series of tech issues this morning to grab tickets for the band's reunion tour in 2025 will be inundated with further costs.

Bookmakers put the odds of landing one of the 1.4million tickets at just 14/1, however revellers for the UK dates will be forced to splash out on further costs including hotels, travel and of course, the all-important bucket hat.

This morning millions of loyal fans of the Britpop band joined the queue on an army of laptops, iPads and phones to increase their chances of getting one of the highly sort after summer gigs.

As the ticketing saga continues, thousands of distraught fans have labelled Ticketmaster's operation a 'shambles' and a 'disgusting monopoly' with some reporting crashes even when they got to first place in the queue.

Ticketmaster told MailOnline that the site did not crash and that the queue has been 'moving along as fans buy tickets'.

A new photograph of Liam and Noel Gallagher as they confirmed that Oasis have reformed

Fans have reported seeing messages of 'website not found' on Ticketmaster, with others say they have seen an 'Error 503'

The platform is the main provider selling the hotly-anticipated tickets but users are reporting constant crashes as thousands of fans have been unable to access the queue

Heartbroken fans have been messaging MailOnline following the repeated tech failures.

Lindsey Cook said she was 'gutted' as she was first place in the queue before TicketMmster crashed and went down.

Abby Hardman said her and her Manchester born and bred sister are on holiday and Ticketmaster kept blocking them and calling them bots, adding: 'There should be a way this is avoided as its not a fair game otherwise!'

Chloe Spence said she was been left 'extremely angered' after she was kicked off Ticketmaster while number 200,000 in the queue.

Susan Miles said: 'Been trying to log in to my Ticketmaster account since 8.10am. Not happening.'

Marlie Duff said: 'I woke up early to be ready and when a waiting room dropped I pressed join and it crashed and I got kicked out and then I joined a queue to get into the website and when it finally loaded it crashed and I got kicked out of that too.'

Veronica said: 'I logged on at 5.30am as my son really wants to go and see them. Count down was on and at 8.52 error came up and now I cant even log into the site.'

A graph showing the reported outages on the website show a massive spike this morning as people across the country failed in their quest to get tickets.

Due to the problems, Ticketmaster has implemented a queue system to enter the site.

A spokesperson for Ticketmaster said: 'The queue is moving along as fans buy tickets. As anticipated, millions of fans are accessing our site so have been placed in a queue.

'Fans are advised to hold their place in line, make sure they're only using one tab, clear cookies, and ensure they aren't using any VPN software on their device.'

A graph showing the reported outages on TicketMaster show a massive spike this morning

Fans across the country have been reporting issues with the website

Those who beat the odds to claim a ticket took to social media to celebrate their success - or gloat over those still waiting.

One fan wrote: 'What was all the fuss about? Logged on, tickets bought for 2 dates and back to my bed.'

But the lucky few with tickets to the reunion tour may not be smiling for much longer.

Oasis fans with tickets to see the band's first reunion gig back in Manchester could face a bill approaching 1,000 once travel, hotels and other expenses are factored in.

Ticket prices for the concert at Heaton Park on Friday, July 11 next year are a flat rate of 148.50 for standing, with pricier hospitality and luxury packages also available.

These are a 'hospitality area package' for 268.50; a 'merchandise and exhibition fan package' for 353.50; and a 'pre-show party and exhibition fan package' for 453.50.

Fans travelling to the gig from London by train will have to pay 109 for an Avanti West Coast off-peak return from Euston to Manchester Piccadilly as it stands - with that figure likely rise further after the next rail fares increase in March 2025.

As for accommodation in Manchester, there are currently 22 hotels listed on Booking.com for the night of the gig with 98 per cent in the city now unavailable.

The average rate across all available hotels is 528  with the cheapest being The Crown and Anchor at 221 and the most expensive the Ville Hotel at 1,144.

Oasis Live 25 tour dates JULY 2025 4th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium

5th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium

11th - Manchester, Heaton Park

12th - Manchester, Heaton Park

16th - Manchester, Heaton Park

19th - Manchester, Heaton Park

20th - Manchester, Heaton Park

25th - London, Wembley Stadium

26th - London, Wembley Stadium

30th - London, Wembley Stadium AUGUST 2025 2nd - London, Wembley Stadium

3rd - London, Wembley Stadium

8th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

9th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

12th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

16th - Dublin, Croke Park

17th - Dublin, Croke Park Advertisement

The website has two Holiday Inn Express hotels in the middle of the price range  the Manchester Trafford City for 422, and the Salford Quays for 439.

Visitors to the city will likely need to use the Metrolink tram to get between Piccadilly station, their hotel and the concert venue.

These cost 4.30 per day for an off-peak one-day travelcard within zones one and three, which can be used after 9.30am on weekdays or all day at weekends.

Fans will also want to get some food and drink before the show, with the Visit Manchester website recommending the Printworks area by Victoria station which has a range of popular chain restaurants such as Nando's, Chiquito and Wagamama.

An average meal in the city costs 15 and a typical draught beer is 5, based on the Numbeo crowdsourced cost of living database.

Once actually at the gig, revellers will also likely want to buy a drink  and face paying 6.50 for a can of San Miguel beer, based on prices at this year's Parklife festival which was also held at Heaton Park.

Other prices for alcohol at that event included 6.80 for a can of Somersby Apple Cider, and 7.50 for an 187ml serving of rose or white wine.

Also at the concert, fans will likely be keen for a memento  with the merchandise stands set to do big business.

Among the items they might want to buy are one of the new Oasis T-shirts released by Levi's this week in a tie-up with the band, costing 30.

The Definitely Maybe 30th Anniversary vinyl, released today, will also likely be on sale. The 'Strawberries & Cream' 2LP version currently cost 37.99 from HMV.

Oasis have added extra dates to their tour and will now play five shows at Wembley next year

Oais launched a collaboration with Levi's for a range of nostalgic T-shirts priced at 30 each

And finally, no trip to an Oasis gig would be complete without a bucket hat  with the a dark grey 'Wonderwall' version from Liam Gallagher's 'Pretty Green' clothing label currently on sale for 45.

It comes after Oasis ticket prices were announced yesterday and three more dates were added in Manchester, London and Edinburgh for the Britpop band's reunion tour.

A seat to watch the band at London's Wembley Stadium begins at 74.25, with the most expensive ticket a 506.25 pre-show party, exhibition and seated package.

The cheapest seats are Cardiff's Principality Stadium shows, which will set you back 73, and Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium at 74, according to Manchester-based promoter SJM Concerts, which runs the website Gigs And Tours.

Before the announcement for UK shows, Irish promoters MCD said on its website that the price of both of the two Croke Park gigs in Dublin will start at 86.50 euros (72.75) without booking fees.

Liam Gallagher teased an official reunion during his set at Reading Festival on Sunday night

Noel and Liam Gallagher on the 'Che Tempo Che FA' TV Programme in Italy in November 2008

Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher are pictured performing live onstage in 2001

Standing tickets at Wembley will cost fans 151.25, with the same tickets in Cardiff and Edinburgh slightly cheaper at 150 and 151 respectively.

Tickets have not yet gone on sale, but the Manchester rockers invited fans to apply for a pre-sale ballot, which has now closed, before tomorrow's general release.

The UK and Ireland shows, which are the only European dates, were announced as follows: Principality Stadium July 4 and 5; Heaton Park July 11, 12, 19 and 20; Wembley Stadium July 25 and 26 and August 2 and 3; Murrayfield Stadium August 8 and 9; and Croke Park August 16 and 17.

It has not been announced who will be performing with Liam and Noel as part of Oasis.

Fans have been urging the brothers to regroup since they disbanded, a split prompted by a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris on August 28, 2009.
Autopsies on the seven people who died on the superyacht Bayesian will begin today as it emerged the operation to lift the vessel will cost at least 15 million.

British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18, who was due to start at Oxford University in September, were among those who lost their lives when the yacht sank.

Raising the 56m yacht  which went down after being hit by freak weather on August 19 off the coast of Porticello near Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily  will be vital to the judicial investigation.

Prosecutors have so far placed three people under official investigation for causing a disaster and multiple manslaughter and they include the Bayesians captain New Zealander James Cutfield.

Two other British crew members  chief engineer Tim Roper Eaton and watchman Matthew Griffiths are also being probed and all have been questioned by the prosecutor at Termini Immerse but have now left the island.

Autopsies on the seven people who died on the superyacht Bayesian - including tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah (Pictured) - have begun today

Hannah, 18 (Pictured) was due to start at Oxford before tragedy struck the Bayesian superyacht

Among theories being investigated are whether proper procedures were carried out by the drew to secure the yacht ahead of the storm which had been forecast and which had stopped trawlers heading out to sea.

Giovanni Costantino, of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini Navi, who built the Bayesian has already claimed the yacht was unsinkable and that human error led to the sinking, with possibly hatches and portholes left open.

There will also be focus on the keel of Bayesian which should have been deployed to its maximum length to help stability in and weather.

Raising the vessel will be a joint operation between the insurers and the owners of the yacht Revtom  an Isle of Man based company which has Mr Lynchs wife Angela, who survived the sinking, as sole director.

A salvage company has yet to be appointed for the operation which experts say could take at least six weeks.

Aldo Mordiglia, lawyer for Mr Cutfield, 51, told MailOnline he expected the complicated procedure to start in October possibly and that it would be vital for the investigation the yacht was raised.

According to maritime code it is up to the owner of the yacht to sort out salvaging the Bayesian, but the judicial authorities will also play a key part.

Five others were also found in a separate compartment on the 'Bayesian' superyacht, which sunk on August 19

The 18-year-old's body was found alone in her own cabin on board the super-yacht after it sank 50 metres below the surface of the Mediterranean, rescue workers said

Raising the vessel for the judicial investigation, will be a joint operation between the insurers and the owners of the yacht Revtom (Pictured: Hannah with her father Mike Lynch)

Experts also want to raise her as quickly as possible because there are fears over the 18,000 litres of fuel onboard and an environmental ship is circling the area ready to deploy protective booms to control any potential spillage.

Diver Giuseppe Petrone  who was among those who entered the vessel  told MailOnline: There are personal effects in the Bayesian which will be recovered at some stage, my task was juts to recover the bodies but there are phones and other items there.

La Repubblica newspaper said the vessel contained telephones, money and laptop computers as well as jewellery which would all have to be returned to its owners and as well as the contents of onboard safes.

A 200 metre exclusion one has been placed around the Bayesian and the area is constantly patrolled by coastguard vessels and police launches.

Experts Mike Sloane and Giovanni Ceccarelli, who worked on the recovery of the Costa Concordia, when it sank in 2012, said:The sailing ship must be recovered in one piece, only the mast can be sacrificed.

Raffaele Macauda, commander of the Port Authority and the Coast Guard of Palermo, said:We are monitoring the environmental impact and we can assure you that there have been no fuel spills.

Rescue workers standing by after recovering the body of Hannah Lynch off the coast of Porticello on August 23

Search teams at the site of the Bayesian sinking as they prepared to continue looking for Hannah Lynch on August 23

After that, we await the first plan from the shipping company to empty the tanks, the first step in the recovery.

The first four autopsies are scheduled for this morning on the bodies of the Bayesian victims: the English banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judith, the American lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Nada.

The tests on the other three victims, the English tycoon Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah and the ship's cook Recaldo Thomas have been scheduled for the first few days of next week.

The autopsies, considered unrepeatable tests, will be attended by the consultants of the injured parties and the three suspects.
A 77-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was found dead at a house in Cheltenham in the early hours of this morning.

Emergency services were called to reports that a woman had been 'seriously injured' at a property on Fairfield Road around 3.30am on Saturday.

The 66-year-old was declared dead at the scene, and Gloucestershire Police soon reported that they had arrested a 77-year-old man, who remains in custody.

A scene guard remained in place around the home on a quaint road in the holiday spa town late this morning, with police still stationed at the address as of 10am.

Police have launched an investigation and are appealing for anybody with information to come forward.

Gloucestershire Police said they found a woman at a property on Fairfield Road (pictured)

No further information was provided about the identity of the man or the woman, or whether they were known to each other.

The man was only identified as a 77-year-old from Cheltenham.

Officers from the Major Crime Investigation Team have already started their probe into what happened, and are looking to compile evidence.

Police have asked anybody with information that might help to get in touch via their website, quoting incident 42 of 31 August.

Information can also be reported anonymously via the independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or via their website.
A man has been charged with grievous bodily harm after allegedly stabbing another man who was found with chest wounds in a Gold Coast shopping centre bathroom.

Raymond Wilkinson, 42, was allegedly stabbed in the chest during an altercation with another man at Welch Street, Southport at around 12.20pm on Friday.

Mr Wilkinson then stumbled to the nearby Australia Fair shopping centre before collapsing on a public bathroom floor.

He was discovered by a member of the public who called emergency services.

While Mr Wilkinson underwent emergency surgery on his chest wounds, police launched a wide-scale search for his alleged attacker, eventually arresting a 43-year-old man at the Gold Coast suburb of Miami late on Friday night.

He was charged with grievous bodily harm, possessing a relevant substance and possessing drug utensils and was remanded in custody to face Southport Magistrates Court on September 10.

A man has been charged with grievous bodily harm after allegedly stabbing another man (pictured on stretcher) who was found in a the bathroom of a popular Gold Coast mall

The victim was discovered clinging to life before he had surgery in hospital and is subsequently in a stable condition

Emergency services were called to Australia Fair shopping centre on Marine Parade in Southport at around 12.20pm on Friday

The location is across the road from the Gold Coast Show, which has drawn thousands of people to the Broadwater Parklands amid 31C temperatures.

In March this year a young woman was stabbed at the Pacific Fair shopping centre on the corner of Hooker Boulevard and Gold Coast Highway in Broadbeach.

The woman aged in her 20s, was discovered with two stab wounds.

There have also been serious incidents involving knives at shopping centres in Melbourne and Sydney, including the horrific death of six people at Westfield Bondi Junction in April.
Police have issued a major warning about the circulation of potentially lethal illicit drugs in Canberra after four deaths from overdoses in the past two months.

ACT Police suspect high purity drug levels, or the addition of dangerous synthetic opioids such as fentanyl or nitazenes, are responsible for the deaths in the nation's capital.

The most recent cases in the cluster include a man and woman who died in separate incidents on Thursday - in addition to two others over the last two months.

Police are yet to determine the exact causes of the overdoses.

ACT Policing Detective Acting Superintendent Dave Craft said synthetic opioids have been identified in the ACT as recently as May this year.

'While police are focused on disrupting drug suppliers who deliberately cause harm and misery to our community, we want to raise awareness on this issue,' he said.

'(We) encourage illicit drug users to engage in harm minimisation practices and protect themselves from these harmful substances currently in circulation.

'There is no safe drug use, however we understand drug addiction is a health issue.

The most recent deaths include a man and woman who died in separate incidents on Thursday - in addition to two others over the last two months

'In light of recent overdoses that police have attended we are urging those who are using drugs to do this as safely as possible.'

Superintendent Craft said officers had responded to incidents where people had died overnight, losing consciousness in the middle of the night and not being discovered until the next morning.

He said he didn't want to see more preventable deaths in the community.

ACT Police said drugs can be tested at CanTEST - a free and confidential chemical analysis of pills and drugs intended for personal use.

Earlier this year, a 60 Minutes program exposed the danger behind nitazenes and how they were ending up in the hands of vulnerable people.

Nitazenes are a highly potent synthetic opioid developed in the 1950s - but their strength meant they never made it onto pharmacy shelves.

On the program, experts revealed any type of substance from MDMA to cocaine, counterfeit painkillers and even vapes, could be laced with the lethal substance.

Twenty nitazene-linked deaths have already been reported in Australia, on top of dozens of overdoses.

Police have issued a major warning about the circulation of potentially lethal illicit drugs in Canberra after four deaths from overdoses in the past two months

Health authorities have issued multiple alerts for the dangerous drug, with one from NSW Health in November linking a death to nitazenes found in black market vape juice, which are used to refill vape pens.

In May, NSW Health issued a warning after four people in Sydney overdosed and were hospitalised from nitazenes.

One month earlier, 20 people overdosed in the Nepean Blue Mountains area, where nitazenes were found in people who thought they were using heroin.
Podcaster Joe Rogan tore into Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama's DNC speeches as he branded them hypocrites.

The comedian, 57, particularly raged against the Democrats for their speeches focusing on poverty and income inequality, despite their huge personal net worths.

'(Oprah) is up there talking about income inequality like, 'Hey lady, you're rich as f***'... how is that equal?' he said on his show, The Joe Rogan Experience, on Thursday.

Rogan's criticism of the DNC comes days after he slammed liberal network MSNBC for allegedly editing sections of his podcast together to make it falsely appear that he was endorsing Kamala Harris.

Podcaster Joe Rogan tore into Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama's DNC speeches during the Thursday edition of his show The Joe Rogan Experience

Oprah was criticized for her DNC speech on poverty and income inequality despite her $3 billion net worth, similarly with Michelle Obama who said her family were 'suspicious of folks who took more than they needed'

At the DNC in Chicago this month, both Oprah and Michelle Obama spoke of their humble roots as they took aim at Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

Oprah said protecting democracy 'requires standing up to life's bullies' and said she had personally suffered from 'racism and sexism and income inequality and division.'

In response, the Trump campaign shared a letter Oprah once sent to the Republican in 2000 - when he was a pop culture figure and not a politician - telling him to run for president, where she said: 'Too bad we're not running for office... what a team!'

Michelle Obama took a similar line to Oprah in her speech about 'the meaning of hard work and humility and decency.'

'She and my father didnt aspire to be wealthy. In fact, they were suspicious of folks who took more than they needed,' Obama said in her speech.

'They understood that it wasnt enough for their kids to thrive if everyone else around us was drowning.'

But both speeches were panned by Rogan, pointing out that the leaders failed to mention their own personal fortunes while lecturing on inequality.

Rogan said: '(Oprah) is up there talking about income inequality like, 'Hey lady, you're rich as f***'... how is that equal?'

'How about Oprah?' Rogan said. 'Oprah was talking about her and Trump running together, and now shes speaking to the DNC that hes a threat to democracy.

'Shes up there talking about income inequality, like, Hey lady, youre rich as f***'... How is that equal?'

He continued: 'And also when Michelle Obama was saying, you know, I think she was saying her mother or grandmother was always suspicious of people who took more than they needed.

'Like, you are worth so much money. Thats so crazy. You did it on a civil servants salary which is insane.'

Rogan's criticism of the duo's DNC speeches was echoed by many on the right, with conservative radio host Dana Loesch also pointing to Oprah's $3 billion net worth following her DNC speech.

'Kinda weird for Oprah, with her Hawaiian estate and multiple homes, expensive wardrobes, frequent luxury vacations, etc., to talk about income inequality,' Loesch wrote.
More than 21,000 migrants have arrived on small boats across the English Channel since January, the Home Office has confirmed.

Yesterday, 408 people arrived on nine boats, bringing the 2024 total to 21,063 - some 1,758 people over the past seven days.

Since Sir Keir Starmer entered Downing Street, 7,477 people have made the crossing - an average of 131 people per day.

Under Rishi Sunak, 50,645 people arrived on small boats, averaging almost 82 people per day.

Liz Truss, whose premiership covered the autumn of 2022, saw an average of 210 people arriving each day.

In total 135,385 people - the equivalent of a town the size of Watford - have crossed the Channel since 2018.

Your browser does not support iframes.

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Some 408 migrants crossed the English Channel on severely overcrowded boats such as this one yesterday, the Home Office has revealed

They were taken to Dover where they will be processed by UK Border Force

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A Home Office spokesman said: 'We all want to see an end to dangerous small boat crossings, which are undermining border security and putting lives at risk.

'The new Government is taking steps to boost our border security, setting up a new Border Security Command which will bring together our intelligence and enforcement agencies, equipped with new counter-terror-style powers and hundreds of personnel stationed in the UK and overseas, to smash the criminal smuggling gangs making millions in profit.'

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A man at GOP candidate Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania had to be tasered to the ground after he attempted to jump into the press section.

The man, who was wearing sunglasses and a gray jacket, tried to storm into the area moments after Trump criticized media outlets for supposedly favoring his Democratic rival Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, in their coverage on Friday.

Footage taken at the Johnstown rally shows cops and rally-attenders trying to peel the disrupter off the metal fence as he continued to cling on with both his arms.

But after a few seconds of struggle, officials managed to pull him down while crowds of people chanted.

A man (center) at GOP candidate Donald Trump 's rally in Pennsylvania had to be tasered to the ground after he attempted to jump into the press section

In the end, the man could be seen being pushed to the ground as officers tasered him.

The crowd continued to cheer as a pack of police led the man away, prompting Trump to declare: 'Is there anywhere thats more fun to be than a Trump rally?'

Officials also handcuffed another man in the crowd and led him out of the arena, though they did not clarify if that detention was related to the initial altercation.

It remains unclear what motivated the man to try to storm the area or whether he was a Trump supporter or critic.

The sunglasses-wearing daredevil tried to storm into the area moments after Trump criticized media outlets for supposedly favoring his Democratic rival Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, in their coverage

Officials managed to pull him down from the metal fence while crowds of people continued to chant

In the end, the man could be seen being pushed to the ground as officers tasered him

Fierce criticism of the media has become a standard part of Trump's rally speeches, prompting his supporters to turn toward the press section and boo, often while using a middle finger to demonstrate their distaste for journalists.

The failed attempt comes days after it was revealed that the Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old man who shot at Trump and grazed his ear, may not have been working alone.

Republican Rep. Mike Waltz said the gunman's motivation is still unknown and he is worried a foreign entity or other third-party could have been involved in the attack.

Waltz queried how federal law enforcement can confidently say Crooks was a lone wolf if they can't answer other questions like why he had multiple foreign encrypted messaging accounts.

The crowd continued to cheer as a pack of police led the man away, prompting Trump to declare: 'Is there anywhere thats more fun to be than a Trump rally?'

Fierce criticism of the media has become a standard part of Trump's rally speeches, prompting his supporters to turn toward the press section and boo, often while using a middle finger to demonstrate their distaste for journalists

Supporters cheer for Republican presidential nominee during a campaign rally in the 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial on August 30

A man holds a flag as another man is apprehended by security and police after jumping onto the media platform at a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee

His comments came after it was revealed that Iran was also plotting an attempt on the former president's life around the same time that Crooks carried out his plan.

'The more we get into it, the more questions I have,' Waltz said.

'It's really what's coming out around it that is so disturbing.

'And for me, the thing that's most disturbing is that we have ongoing plots from Iran to take out a former president, leading candidate, and that a Pakistani national was just arrested after making a down payment for hitmen, and it's barely even being covered in the news.'

Crooks was able to create multiple explosives with remote detonators, another thing that raised Waltz's eyebrows and makes him wonder whether he had help.

As the FBI, U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and Department of Homeland Security conduct their investigations into the massive security failure, Waltz and 12 other lawmakers on a House task force are also looking into the attempted assassination.
Two people have died from injuries sustained in separate Notting Hill carnival attacks.

Cher Maximen, 32, was transported to hospital in a critical condition from Golborne Road last Sunday after she was caught in the middle of a fight between two groups of men.

The mother was brutally stabbed in front of her three-year-old daughter before being rushed away by paramedics, but tragically despite best efforts from medical staff, Cher died this morning.

In a double tragedy from the event Mussie Imnetu - a Michelin star chef who hails from Eritrea but grew up in Sweden - was knocked unconscious on the busy shopping street in Queensway on Monday night, also in the vicinity of the carnival celebrations.

The 41-year-old, who had worked under Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing, suffered a severe head injury in the assault and sadly passed away yesterday.

Arrests at this year's carnival hit their highest level since 2019 with 334 detained in two days as police said they were 'tired' of violence blighting the event.

Cher Maximen, 32, was transported to hospital in a critical condition from Golborne Road after she got caught in a fight between two groups of men

The mother was tragically stabbed in front of her three-year-old daughter before being rushed away

Mussie Imnetu - a Michelin star chef who hails from Eritrea but grew up in Sweden - was knocked unconscious on the busy shopping street in Queensway on Monday night

The 41-year-old suffered a head injury in the assault and sadly passed away yesterday

A court heard how Cher was stabbed with a 'Rambo-style knife' and suffered a cardiac arrest, after losing 20 units of blood and a collapsed lung.

Shakiel Thibou, 20, was charged with attempted murder, possessing a knife and violent disorder.

He attended court alongside his older brothers Sheldon, 24, and Shaeim, 21, who were also charged with violent disorder and assault by beating of an emergency worker.

All three brothers wore grey tracksuits and spoke to confirm their name, date of birth and address as they sat in the dock together at the hearing.

Shakiel was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 25 September.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan commented: 'It is heartbreaking that Cher Maximen and Mussie Imnetu have died after being attacked in separate incidents over the bank holiday weekend.

'My thoughts are with their families and friends at this truly terrible time.

'This violence is shocking, completely unacceptable and a betrayal of the values that (Notting Hill) Carnival was founded to celebrate.'

In the case of Mussie, Omar Wilson a 31-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody at a south London police station.

Mr Imnetu was visiting the UK from Dubai where he lives and works as a top chef at The Arts Club. He designed a seasonal menu for the luxury restaurant 'inspired by flavours from the Mediterranean and beyond.'

The club said in a statement: 'After joining The Arts Club London in 2011, Mussie was part of the opening of the club's Dubai location in 2020.

'Known for his passion, calm demeanour and kindness, Mussie truly embodied the club's essence.'

A court heard how Cher was stabbed with a 'Rambo-style knife' and suffered a cardiac arrest, after losing 20 units of blood and one of her lungs collapsed

Following her death, Shakiel was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 25 September

Mr Imnetu was visiting the UK from Dubai where he lives and works as a top chef at The Arts Club

As part of a business trip to the UK, Mr Imnetu went to The Arts Club branch on Dover Street in West London on Monday afternoon.

He was wearing a blue t-shirt and black jeans. He later bought a white baseball cap.

Mr Imnetu left The Arts Club at around 1pm.

At around 10.30pm on Monday evening, Mr Imnetu went to the Dr Power restaurant on Queensway where food was being served from stalls outside and loud music was playing.

The venue and surrounding area was teeming with carnival-goers - some of whom helped to stop the attack at around 11.20pm, according to the force.

The organisers of Notting Hill Carnival said in a statement: 'Notting Hill Carnival is shocked by these tragic deaths and our thoughts are with the victims' families and the local community as a whole, which like so many others, has suffered all too often from the blight of violent crime.

'We stand together against all violence and condemn these acts, which are against all carnival values and the millions of people who come in celebration of them.'

German chef and restaurateur Rainer Becker (right) shares culinary tips with Mr Imnetu (left)

Dancers prepare to take part in the parade at the Notting Hill Carnival in London on Monday

Mr Imentu (left) with French chef Alain Passard (right)

Detective Chief Inspector Alex Gammampila of the Met's Homicide Command, who leads the investigation, said: 'My thoughts are with Cher's loved ones as they come to terms with this terrible loss.

'They are being supported by specialist officers and we will make sure that support continues.

'Cher was at Carnival with her young child. We have been in close contact with our local authority partners and Cher's family since soon after this incident to make sure the child is safe and looked after.'

Commander Charmain Brenyah, the Met's spokesperson for Carnival, said: 'The news of Cher's tragic death is devastating for her family, the wider community and all those involved in delivering the Notting Hill Carnival.

'Carnival is about bringing people together in a positive celebration. That it has ended with the tragic loss of life, among other incidents of serious violence, will sadden everyone involved.'

Anyone with information should call the police on 101 or message @MetCC on X or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 giving the reference 8020/26AUG.
Disturbing text messages, some of which discuss incest role-playing, allegedly show years of abuse and grooming by a Massachusetts cop who was charged with the murder of his pregnant girlfriend.

Matthew Farwell, 38, is accused of killing 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore in February 2021, within weeks of her telling him she was pregnant with his child.

Court documents viewed by DailyMail.com show alleged text messages revealing the two began their relationship when Birchmore was underage at just 15 years old and that Farwell continued to fantasize about having sex with her as if she was still a minor.

In a February 21, 2020 text exchange, Farwell allegedly described pinning Birchmore down during sex as part of his sick role-play fantasy and asked her: 'Will you say "Matt stop Im 13 Im not ready for this omfg please stop."'

Investigators also noted that Farwell asked her to pretend that he was her brother during their next sexual encounter, and that after he asked Birchmore how old she'd pretend to be, Farwell said, '14' along with a winking face emoji.

Sandra Birchmore, 23, was three months pregnant when she was killed in February 2021

Matthew Farwell, 38, is accused of killing her to prevent her from speaking out about their relationship and his alleged criminal conduct

On that same day, the two allegedly discussed when they first started their sexual relationship and Farwell admitted he was interesting in having sex with Birchmore in 2012, when she was 14 years old.

'What was the first day you said omg I want this guy to be my first I want to feel him inside me,' Farwell said.

'Yeah so 2012 I finally decided that I was gonna try and find a way to f**k you and just wasn't sure how,' Birchmore replied.

'I absolutely wouldve fucked you in [2012],' said Farwell, according to the court documents.

Police claim Farwell, who is married with children, was motivated to kill her in order to prevent her from speaking out about the relationship, exposing not only a years-long extramarital affair, but alleged criminal conduct too.

Birchmore joined Stoughton Police Explorer's Program in 2010, which was dedicated to teaching young people about careers within law enforcement, when she was 12. Farwell was an instructor with the program.

On June 19, 2020, Birchmore and Farwell allegedly texted about his past sexual abuse of her and admitted he could have made her do anything he wanted.

'Lol if I pushed I absolutely couldve f****d you without condoms from day one,' Farwell said, according to authorities.

'Probably if you really pushed it,' said Birchmore. 'I was kinda scared to say no in the beginning not knowing how youd take it so yeah you would've got no comdoms [sic] lol.'

When Birchmore learned she was pregnant in late 2020, she drew the father-to-be a card to celebrate.

'Congrats, we are going to be parents! 2021,' the text read. It was adorned with rainbow coloring in and stickers of animals.

Text messages revealed the former cop had a penchant for choking the young woman and acted out incestuous role-play fantasies with her

Birchmore joined Stoughton Police Explorer's Program in 2010, when she was 12, and Farwell was an instructor with the program

The 23-year-old sent a picture of the card to Farwell, which prompted an argument over if he would sign the birth certificate.

'You are truly the worst person on the face of the earth,' Farwell told Birchmore.

Birchmore was three-months pregnant when she was found dead inside her home in 2021.

Her death was initially believed to be a suicide, but a pathologist who was hired by her family disagreed with that assessment and argued that she had been murdered.

Police now allege Farwell 'staged her body and apartment to make it appear as if Birchmore committed suicide.'
Kentucky officials are on the lookout for a man who has allegedly defecated on his neighbor's porch multiple times over the past week.

The homeowner has reportedly lodged multiple complaints about the alleged 'porch pooper' with the Louisville Metro Police after catching him committing the heinous act on his doorbell video.

The victim, who did not want to be identified, being targeted by the so-called porch pooper said he first noticed something was up on August 27.

'Tuesday morning, I went out to my front porch and noticed what I thought was cat poop,' he told WAVE3.

Kentucky officials are on the lookout for a man who has allegedly defected on his neighbor's porch multiple times over the past week

LMPD is searching for this man, who is accused of defecating on the front porch of a Louisville man's home multiple times.



Full story: https://t.co/uATgQtL2Yu pic.twitter.com/CIOhBmZnky  WAVE (@wave3news) August 30, 2024

As he cleaned it up and checked his Nest doorbell camera, he noticed that it was a man wearing socks, shorts and a UofL T-shirt rather than what he originally thought was a feline.

'Not only did he defecate, but he also urinated on our welcome mat,' he added.

On August 26 night, the accused had also supposedly peered into the victim's house and run off without leaving any unwanted surprises.

The homeowner claims that he has 'no idea' why he is being target by his neighbor.

'I have no idea, no idea. We're good neighbors. We keep to ourselves, we behave ourselves. I can't imagine anyone would want to do this kind of retribution,' he said.

The victim, who did not want to be identified, being targeted by the so-called porch pooper said he first noticed something was up on August 27

The homeowner claims that he has 'no idea' why he is being target by his neighbor

The accused also visited the victim's house on the night of August 27, striking again for the third time.

As the homeowner received a notification from his camera, he rushed to confront the man but by the time he made it to the front door, the accused had run away.

The man reportedly last came by on August 29 but in a turn of events, simply slapped on his neighbor's door and ran away.

'I'm relieved that he's not violent or he's not trying to force entry. He's just doing his deed, but it's very disconcerting and disturbing,' the very distressed owner said.

Louisville Metro Police urged anyone with further information to contact them
Oasis' two concerts in Dublin have sold out, as 160,000 tickets are snapped up within hours.

The legendary 90s band is set to play for the lucky fans at Croke Park on Aug 16 and 17 2025 as part of their highly-anticipated Live '25 Tour.

Although Ticketmaster's Irish site made the announcement, it also added that more tickets may still be released later.

The website posted a message saying: 'UPDATE: There are currently no tickets available. Please check back later as more may be released.'

Fans continue to battle for the 'very limited' UK tickets left. Some 14 million devotees from around the world are believed to have joined the queue for general sale - competing for a chance at one of around 1.4 million tickets.

Oasis' two concerts in Dublin have sold out, as 160,000 tickets are snapped up within hours

The legendary 90s band is set to play for the lucky fans at Croke Park on Aug 16 and 17 2025 as part of their highly-anticipated Live '25 Tour

Although Ticketmaster's Irish site made the announcement, it also added that more tickets may still be released later. Pictured: the Dublin stadium

Long-time fan, Scott McLean, 28, tried for tickets to see Oasis in Dublin next year but said he felt frustration and anger after he was kicked out of the Ticketmaster queue.

The data analyst from Belfast, Northern Ireland, logged into his account on the ticket-selling website at 7.30am on Saturday ahead of Irish sales opening at 8am.

He was in a queue of 20,000 for about 30 minutes before selecting four tickets to see the band's show at Croke Park.

However, his browser began buffering for half an hour as he tried to make the purchase, prompting him to contact the Ticketmaster customer service account on X, formerly Twitter, for advice.

'I followed their advice, cleared my cookies and cache on my browser and then it kicked me out completely. It just came up to that error screen after I followed their guidance,' he told the PA news agency.

'I had to rejoin the queue and I ended up about 700,000 places worse off after following their guidance.'

Fans watch as Ed Sheeran performs in concert at Croke Park, Dublin

Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher appear together in Italy in 2009 before their split

He said he feels 'frustration and anger, not much more than that', adding: 'It's just tickets for a concert after all, but I really wanted to go.'

The ticket 'bloodbath' has sparked furious reaction from the band's legions of fans who have missed out.

Users on X, formerly Twitter, also reported the price for tickets nearly doubling from around 148 to around 355 on Ticketmaster after they waited for hours to secure their place at the Oasis Live 25 shows.

An explanation by the website about the 'on-demand standing ticket' price says: 'The event organiser has priced these tickets according to their market value.

'Tickets do not include VIP packages. Availability and pricing are subject to change.'

Ticketmaster said it does not set prices, and shared a link to its website where it says costs can be 'fixed or market-based'.

It is believed that ticket prices are set by the promoters, not the artists.

Oasis told fans on Saturday to only buy tickets from the official websites amid reselling websites listing inflated prices for the Manchester rockers' gigs.

The band said on X: 'Please note, Oasis Live '25 tickets can only be resold at face value via @Ticketmaster and @Twickets!

'Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters.'

Twickets attempted to reassure fans, who had missed out so far, by telling them not to 'panic' or visit 'unofficial sites' for resold passes.

It also wrote on X: 'Twickets will have tickets available soon. Register to receive our newsletter and we'll let you know.'

Tickets are officially being sold via Ticketmaster, GigsAndTours, and See Tickets, however, the band's reunion concert tickets have also been relisted on ticket exchange and reselling websites, Viagogo and Stubhub, for thousands of pounds.

Chief executive of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, Jonathan Brown, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It's a dreadful combination, I suppose, you've got that high level of emotion, a high level of excitement about Oasis reforming, and a limited supply of tickets - and that's going to lead to problems, it's going to lead to people trying to scam people.'

UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl also called inflated ticket prices of 'great concern' on the show.

Mr Kiehl added: 'Obviously, it's a natural tendency, if you can't get tickets, to find alternative sources but I very much urge music music fans today, if they don't get tickets, not to take that route.'
Oasis are set to add two more dates to their highly anticipated reunion tour at Dublin's Croke Park venue, insiders revealed.

The bands first two gigs in Ireland were the first of their 17 shows to sell out after the in-demand tickets went on sale this morning.

Tickets for the two dates - August 16 and 17 - sold out within minutes, with fans desperately pleading with Oasis to add extra performances to the roster.

Now, showbiz insiders have revealed it is highly likely that the kings of Brit-pop will add an extra two dates at Croke Park the following weekend on August 23 and 24.

A showbiz told the Irish Sun: 'The demand in Ireland to see Oasis is absolutely massive.

Showbiz insiders have revealed that is highly likely the kings of Brit-pop will add two extra dates tot heir highly anticipated tour

Dublin's Croke Park is believed to get two extra dates on August 23 and 24, according to insiders

Oasis' two concerts in Dublin have sold out, as 160,000 tickets are snapped up within hours

'The tickets this morning will be snapped up in minutes and there will be thousands upon thousands left disappointed if it stayed at just the two.

They added: 'The Gallaghers love Ireland, the demand is there so it's very likely to happen.

'And what is being examined is two extra concerts the following weekend to the two already announced.'

It comes as fans flocked to X (formerly Twitter) to beg Noel and Liam Gallagher for extra tour dates in the Irish capital.

'Give Ireland two more dates, horrific today still in the 300 thousands and up since 7am in a lobby,' one bemoaned.

'Drop two more dates if you love us that much,' a second quipped.

'You know you have to release one or two more dates at Croke Park,' another added:

'Hello @oasis I kindly ask that you add more dates for Croke Park in Dublin!!!! There's 269000 people ahead of me right now!!! Thanks guys,' a fan pleaded.

Another questioned: 'Will there be more tickets released later on? Another date or two? does anyone know because I doubt Ticketmaster even know themselves.'

Although Ticketmaster's Irish site made the announcement, it also added that more tickets may still be released later (Pictured: the Dublin stadium)

Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher appear together in Italy in 2009 before their split

Fans watch as Ed Sheeran performs in concert at Croke Park, Dublin

Fans pleaded with the band online to add extra dates for Ireland after the tickets sold out within hours

Fans also took to Twitter to complain about Ticketmasters queuing chaos as swarms of fans descended on the sites for tickets today

This comes shortly after it was confirmed the two Dublin concerts sold out as 160,000 tickets were snapped up within hours.

Although Ticketmaster's Irish site made the announcement, it also added that more tickets may still be released later.

The website posted a message saying: 'UPDATE: There are currently no tickets available. Please check back later as more may be released.'

Fans continue to battle for the 'very limited' UK tickets left. Some 14 million devotees from around the world are believed to have joined the queue for general sale - competing for a chance at one of around 1.4 million tickets.

Long-time fan, Scott McLean, 28, tried for tickets to see Oasis in Dublin next year but said he felt frustration and anger after he was kicked out of the Ticketmaster queue.

The data analyst from Belfast, Northern Ireland, logged into his account on the ticket-selling website at 7.30am on Saturday ahead of Irish sales opening at 8am.

He was in a queue of 20,000 for about 30 minutes before selecting four tickets to see the band's show at Croke Park.

However, his browser began buffering for half an hour as he tried to make the purchase, prompting him to contact the Ticketmaster customer service account on X, formerly Twitter, for advice.

Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher are pictured performing live onstage in 2001

Noel and Liam Gallagher on the 'Che Tempo Che FA' TV Programme in Italy in November 2008

'I followed their advice, cleared my cookies and cache on my browser and then it kicked me out completely. It just came up to that error screen after I followed their guidance,' he told the PA news agency.

'I had to rejoin the queue and I ended up about 700,000 places worse off after following their guidance.'

He said he feels 'frustration and anger, not much more than that', adding: 'It's just tickets for a concert after all, but I really wanted to go.'

The ticket 'bloodbath' has sparked furious reaction from the band's legions of fans who have missed out.

Users on X, formerly Twitter, also reported the price for tickets nearly doubling from around 148 to around 355 on Ticketmaster after they waited for hours to secure their place at the Oasis Live 25 shows.

An explanation by the website about the 'on-demand standing ticket' price says: 'The event organiser has priced these tickets according to their market value.

'Tickets do not include VIP packages. Availability and pricing are subject to change.'

Ticketmaster said it does not set prices, and shared a link to its website where it says costs can be 'fixed or market-based'.

A graph showing the reported outages on TicketMaster show a massive spike this morning

The platform is the main provider selling the hotly-anticipated tickets but users are reported constant crashes as thousands of fans were unable to access the queue

Fans across the country have been reporting issues with the website

It is believed that ticket prices are set by the promoters, not the artists.

Oasis fans blasted Ticketmaster for its 'disgusting' inflated 'In Demand' pricing as fans scrambled for tickets to the latest tour.

Some of the ticket were priced at 350 each, plus fees, amid the wait for sought-after reunion tour tickets this morning.

Oasis Live 25 tour dates JULY 2025 4th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium

5th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium

11th - Manchester, Heaton Park

12th - Manchester, Heaton Park

16th - Manchester, Heaton Park

19th - Manchester, Heaton Park

20th - Manchester, Heaton Park

25th - London, Wembley Stadium

26th - London, Wembley Stadium

30th - London, Wembley Stadium AUGUST 2025 2nd - London, Wembley Stadium

3rd - London, Wembley Stadium

8th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

9th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

12th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

16th - Dublin, Croke Park

17th - Dublin, Croke Park Advertisement

Some 14 million fans are expected to have joined queues on select websites to be in with a chance of securing one of around 1.4 million tickets for one of the 17 UK and Ireland shows.

Ticketmaster assures lines are still moving forward and has shared tips on avoiding issues with the website, though Oasis devotees are still reporting outages.

But others fortunate enough to be in the position of buying tickets are now sharing their horror to discover various sites offering dynamic prices for 'in demand' tickets, at multiples of the original price, with tickets only reserved for a limited time.

Many thousands of fans have been waiting in online queues since the early hours of this morning in the hope of securing a ticket for one of next year's shows. Standing tickets were originally listed from 151.25, and seated from 74.25 in London

Journalist Gavan Reilly shared in the frustration at inflated ticket prices in a post now seen more than 400,000 times.

He wrote on Twitter/X: 'After 105 minutes in the queue: only tickets left for Oasis on Sunday are "official platinum tickets" (490.50) and "in demand standing tickets" (415.50).

'Neither has any VIP element: it's literally just Ticketmaster incorporating tout pricing into the 'face value' proposition.'

Darragh Moriarty, City Councillor for South West and Inner City, and Labour Leader on Dublin City Council, chimed in: '"In demand standing ticket" is just a standard standing ticket except double the price. No difference between Ticketmaster and touts.'

Mr Moriarty shared apparent screenshots from the Ticketmaster website offering In Demand standing tickets for 415.50 euros each, plus fees - equivalent to around 350.

Once through the queue, fans have a limited time in which their tickets are reserved to decide whether or not to pay the offered price.

Ticketmaster explains: 'In Demand Tickets are dynamically-priced tickets.

'Based on demand the prices of these tickets may change.

Viagogo defended the decision to sell tickets at inflated prices during high demand

Oasis fans reacted to the discovery of prices much higher than they expected

'These tickets are not part of VIP packages - they are tickets only.'

MailOnline contacted Ticketmaster for further comment.

Ticketmaster notes that they do not have any say on the face value price of a ticket.

'That is decided by the event organiser. What we do have a say over is the price that is displayed to you and we always ensure that you see the total price you will need to pay right from the beginning  we never hide our fees.'

The first batch of tickets went on sale yesterday at 7pm for those lucky enough to get a pre-sale code.

But within minutes of the sale going live, tickets were being resold for up to 10,000 by greedy touts.

Oasis soon assured on social media that tickets 'can only be resold at face value via Ticketmaster and Twickets'.

'Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters.'

Users have since responded to the post sharing some of the In Demand prices offered, calling on the band to 'tell Ticketmaster as they are not selling at face value'.

Emma Munnelly, queuing for tickets since 8:30 this morning, told MailOnline she spent three hours waiting in a queue and a waiting room queue to buy tickets for herself, her husband and her daughter.

She said her daughter 'has been desperate to see Oasis and couldn't believe her luck when they announced they were touring'.

'Expected to pay 148:50 for standing at Manchester, absolutely disgusted that when we had the chance of purchasing the tickets, Ticket Master had increased them to 355 each.

'This was unaffordable and devastating for my daughter.'

'It is such an unaffordable cost for many families and it should not be allowed to happen,' she said.

Tickets on Stubhub are being sold for more than 6,300 - while others on Viagogo appear to be up for grabs thousands of pounds

Catherine Kremer said she had finally reached the front after four hours of queuing and now 'can't even buy a ticket 'whatever option is chosen', with in-demand tickets priced at 358.10 to stand.

Heidi Tringe told MailOnline she got up at 3:45am local time in Montpelier, USA - and was horrified to discover the 'In Demand' prices when she finally got to the front of the queue, three and a half hours later.

'The Ticket Options that were showing on the screen were the ridiculously Ticketmaster-inflated dynamic pricing tickets...

'I attempted clicking on various buttons and Find Tickets to no avail for the last 30 minutes. I finally hit refresh  nothing changed. I hit refresh a few more times and then it said I had lost my place in line and could rejoin the queue.

'This is so maddening, heartbreaking. If companies are going to have a monopoly on tickets, inflate the prices well above the prices the band has set, they damn well better have systems in place that can handle fan demand. Something needs to be done, both in Europe and in the US.'
Commentary: Philippines is the true troublemaker in South China Sea

Xinhua) 10:48, August 31, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Illegally intruding into China's territories in the South China Sea while portraying itself as the victim, the Philippines is perfectly employing the age-old tactic of the thief crying "stop thief!"

In April this year, the Philippines illegally anchored a coast guard ship, MRRV-9701, at Xianbin Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao. Since August 19, Philippine coast guard ships have repeatedly intruded into adjacent waters of Xianbin Jiao in attempts to re-supply materials to MRRV-9701, and have deliberately taken dangerous maneuvers to ram China Coast Guard vessels.

Thereafter, Philippine authorities initiated a propaganda blitz, accusing China of blocking a "humanitarian mission" to re-supply the MRRV-9701. In reality, the advanced Philippine ship is fully operational and can leave Xianbin Jiao for re-supply at any time.

The truth is that the Philippines has repeatedly infringed on China's sovereignty. Twenty-five years ago, it illegally grounded the military vessel BRP Sierra Madre at Ren'ai Jiao, part of China's Nansha Qundao. Since then, the Philippines has consistently provoked China by sending vessels to engage in dangerous maneuvers against Chinese law enforcement. It is the Philippines, not China, that has deliberately breached the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea.

Besides, the Philippines has also attempted to involve third-party forces in the South China Sea, escalating tensions in the region.

These brazen actions unequivocally reveal the Philippines as the true troublemaker and lawbreaker in the South China Sea. Clearly, Manila's intent to re-supply its anchored ship at Xianbin Jiao is part of a long-term strategy to assert control over the reef, in an apparent attempt to repeat its old trick at Ren'ai Jiao.

The Philippines' actions not only violate international law but also jeopardize regional stability. The Philippines has no legitimate basis for anchoring a ship in Chinese territory. Xianbin Jiao is neither within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone nor its continental shelf. The so-called South China Sea arbitration ruling, on which the Philippines bases its maritime claim, is illegal, null and void.

The Philippines has also been a major saboteur of the marine environment in the South China Sea. The intentional grounding of the military vessel BRP Sierra Madre at Ren'ai Jiao has caused significant damage to the coral reef ecosystem in the area.

China holds legitimate sovereignty and jurisdiction over these reefs, and its actions in the region are in line with international law.

China has consistently prioritized resolving such disputes through negotiation and consultation to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. However, the Philippines has exploited this goodwill, repeatedly stirring up trouble in the region.

Although China has shown restraint, its tolerance is not infinite. The Philippines should not underestimate China's resolve to protect its territory and sovereignty. International law and agreements between both sides and regional countries do not condone the Philippines' arbitrary actions that disrupt peace and order in the region. Ignoring China's determination to safeguard its sovereignty will only bring disgrace to the provocateur itself.

China-Philippine relations are certainly at a critical crossroads. The Philippine government should reconsider its actions in the South China Sea, as they could endanger cooperation across various fields and lead to unpredictable consequences.

The only viable course of action for the Philippines is to remove relevant vessels from Chinese territory. It is imperative for policymakers in Manila to make a sensible decision.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
Jess Lander joined the food and wine team at the San Francisco Chronicle as wine reporter in 2022. Her writing encompasses the California wine industry  from Santa Barbara to Mendocino  with a focus on Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Jess reports on winery and vineyard acquisitions; controversial Napa land use debates; wildfires; a growing farmworker rights movement; and Wine Countrys most exciting restaurant and tasting room openings. Occasionally, Jess also writes about her favorite food: cheese.

Originally from Boston, Jess moved to Napa Valley in 2010 and has extensively covered California wine country for numerous national and international publications. In 2021, Jess published The Essential Napa Valley Cookbook, a project that raised more than $100,000 for Napa Valley restaurant workers impacted by the pandemic.
Divers have stopped searching for a missing woman who disappeared down a 26ft sinkhole more than a week ago after deeming it 'too risky' to keep sending help.

The tragedy has shaken Malaysia, with more than 100 rescuers called in to save the 48-year-old who vanished, leaving only her slippers, when a pavement collapsed.

Vijaya Lakshmi Gali fell into the hole in Kuala Lumpur on August 23 and is believed to have been swept away by a violent underground current of water, through sewage.

Two divers struggled against the currents running through the sewer network when they entered around 4am local time on Friday, the Fire and Rescue Dept said.

'It was found to be impossible, extremely difficult, to break the solidified [debris] which are like concrete blocks,' director-general Nor Hisham Mohammad told reporters.

Footage shows Vijaya Lakshmi walking along the pavement as normal before the collapse

Suddenly, the ground then opens up causing her to fall in as others narrowly avoid a similar fate

Malaysia Fire and Rescue Department officers inspect the site where a woman fell into an eight-meter deep sinkhole

Rescue operations started immediately (pictured: August 23) but have made no progress

Rescuers tried to break the hardened debris underground apart using high-pressure water jets, iron hooks and ropes - to no avail.

'Even [when we tried] pulling at them with ropes using up to eight people, [it] was unsuccessful,' Mr Mohammad said on Friday, before the search was called off.

'There are various factors for halting the operation, which include the safety and health of the rescue personnel,' said Dr Zaliha Mustafa, a minister in the prime minister's department.

Ms Lakshmi, a tourist visiting from Andhra Pradesh, is understood to have been heading towards a nearby temple with family when the ground suddenly collapsed under her.

Ms Lakshmi and her family are said to have been in Malaysia for roughly two months. They were due to fly home in Sunday.

Chilling footage shows the moment the 48-year-old walks long the pavement before she suddenly disappears.

CCTV video shows how others sitting on a nearby bench only narrowly avoided falling in with the woman.

An initial search from Malaysian rescue teams found Ms Lakshmi's shoes, but there are no other signs of her, the Telegraph reported.

Excavators were later pictured on the scene, while rescuers brought in sniffer dogs and robotic cameras to scout out the underground network.

Authorities have since provided a counsellor for relatives of the woman, including her husband and son.

The shopping area, known for its goldsmiths and jewellers, is approximately a 10-minute drive away from the city's Petronas Towers.

Just a day later, another sinkhole appeared 50 metres away.

A geologist told local outlet Malaysiakini it was likely linked to the search efforts.

Authorities have said a similar soil slip was reported in the same location last year.

Crowds gather as the wait goes on to find the missing woman in Malaysia

Rescue efforts continue into the night as fire rescue teams inspect the sinkhole

Excavators were later pictured on the scene, while rescuers brought in sniffer dogs and robotic cameras to scout out the underground network

An initial search from Malaysian rescue teams found Ms Lakshmi's shoes, but there are no other signs of her

Ms Lakshmi, a tourist visiting from Andhra Pradesh, is understood to have been heading towards a nearby temple with family when the ground suddenly collapsed under her

Just a day later, another sinkhole appeared 50 metres away. A geologist told local outlet Malaysiakini it was likely linked to the search efforts. (Pictured: new hole on August 28)

The mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, has assured that the city is safe - and formed a taskforce to inspect sewer pipes in the area.

Experts have warned Ms Lakshmi could have been swept away by harsh currents if she did fall into sewage water.

Datuk G Parameswaran, the president of the Malaysian Water and Wastewater Quality Safety Association, told the Straits Times: 'Sewage water is also very harsh, and the current has a minimum flow speed of one metre per second.

'Theoretically, she could have travelled up to 86.4km within 24 hours.'
Campaigners will protest in London against Pret A Manger as they accuse the sandwich chain of scrapping plans to open branches in Israel after pressure from pro-Palestinian groups.

Pro-Israel group Stop The Hate UK has organised a peaceful protest outside a Pret branch at the Strand from 12pm tomorrow after Pret announced that it was abandoning plans to open 40 stores in Israel as part of an agreement with Fox Group, an Israeli retail group, and Yarzin Sella Group, a food service business.

In an post on social media platform X, the group shared a link for donations and details of the protest and said: 'Tomorrow we are gathering for a crucial demonstration in front of Pret A Manger in London.

'Recently, Pret has caved under BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] pressure and withdrawn from opening branches in Israel. We cannot stay silent as they choose the wrong side of history.

'Let's unite and show Pret that bowing down to terrorist supporters is unacceptable. Your presence will send a powerful message that we stand with Israel and will not back down. Be there. Together, we can make a difference.'

A protester stands outside Pret A Manger with a Palestinian flag and a placard reading 'This Company Supports Israeli Genocide' during a demonstration

Pro-Palestine protesters outside a Pret branch in Manchester City Centre on November 18, 2023

Stop The Hate UK uploaded this poster advertising the protest on their social media accounts

Itai Galmundy, the co-founder of Stop The Hate UK, said: 'We cannot allow companies like Pret A Manger to give in to a movement that seeks to isolate and demonise Israel. This protest is not just about Israel, but about standing against the normalisation of anti-Semitism.

'We are here to show Pret and the world that the Jewish community, and those who stand with us, will not be silenced or marginalized. This is a call for justice, unity, and peace.'

Pret has denied the claims made by Stop The Hate UK and said travel restrictions in the region have made it difficult to launch the planned branches as the team would not be able to carry out the appropriate checks and training to set up in a new market.

A Pret A Manger spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We have taken the difficult decision to end our current agreement with Fox Group and Yarzin Sella Group.

'We had tried to delay this decision for as long as possible, but the significant ongoing travel restrictions have meant that our teams have not been able to conduct the checks and training needed to set up Pret in a new market. Under the terms of Pret's travel insurance, any colleagues travelling to Israel would not be insured.

'We want to express our sincerest thanks to the teams at Fox Group and Yarzin Sella Group, who have been supportive and extremely collaborative partners.'

Pret has denied the claims made by Stop The Hate UK and said travel restrictions in the region have made it difficult to launch the planned branches as the team would not be able to carry out the appropriate checks and training to set up in a new market (stock image)

Pro-Palestine activists called for the boycott as they argued that Pret's investment in Israel as it conducts 'a genocide in Gaza' was unjustifiable and reprehensible (stock image)

But the decision was still hailed by pro-Palestine activists who see it as a result of the public's opinion shifting against Israel's military assault on Gaza since the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

Pro-Palestine activists called for the boycott as they argued that Pret's investment in Israel as it conducts 'a genocide in Gaza' was unjustifiable and reprehensible.

The director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Ben Jamal, said: 'This decision sends a message to all companies  if you provide support for Israel's apartheid and genocide against Palestinians, you will face the strength of our movement, who will boycott your products and protest at your stores.

'Israel has got away with crimes against humanity for too long. The people of the world are holding Israel to account by refusing to let their spending or saving finance war crimes. It's high time our political leaders followed suit by ending arms sales, and financial and diplomatic support to Israel.'
Republican candidate Donald Trump has taken to his own social media page to slam marijuana laws that allow smokers to light up in public, similar to what is permitted in some spaces in New York City.

The staunch conservative told his followers on Trump Social that if elected, he plans to make 'America safe again' by creating laws that prohibit the use cannabis and marijuana in public.

In New York, adults over the age of 21 and older are allowed to smoke or vape cannabis in most places where tobacco smoking is permitted.

Trump also revealed that while he does support the legalization of weed in Florida under Amendment 3, he remains concerned about how it will be used across the state.

The former president noted that someone carrying 'personal amounts' of marijuana should not be a criminal in one state when its use is legal in others.

Republican candidate Donald Trump told his followers on Trump Social that if elected, he plans to make 'America safe again' by creating laws that prohibit the use cannabis and marijuana in public

'As everyone knows, I was, and will be again, the most respected LAW & ORDER President in US History. We will take our streets back by being tough & smart on violent, & all other types, of Crime.

'In Florida, like so many other States that have already given their approval, personal amounts of marijuana will be legalized for adults with Amendment 3. Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the Voters, so it should be done correctly.

'We need the State Legislature to responsibly create laws that prohibit the use of it in public spaces, so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities.'

'At the same time, someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States.

'We do not need to ruin lives & waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, and no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl laced marijuana. We will make America SAFE again!,' he wrote.

The former President noted that someone carrying 'personal amounts' of marijuana should not be a criminal in one state when its use is legal in others

Trump, who votes near his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, had previously avoided clarifying his stance on the issue.

With his latest declaration, he has seemingly pitted himself against Governor Ron DeSantis and most of the states Republican leaders, who are working to defeat the proposal.

But his belief that cannabis should be legalized responsibly in Florida is not the only policy that is is in stark contrast with other leaders.

Earlier this week, he signaled that he could vote to end Florida's six-week abortion ban when it comes up in a referendum later this year, as he continues his delicate dance around a key election issue.

In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com he previewed an upcoming announcement on his voting stance by saying that he did not think six weeks was enough time.

Trump spoke to DailyMail.com on a range of issues, from Kamala Harris and the 2024 campaign, to his family and life after almost being shot by an assassin

Trump stoked concerns among his anti-abortion allies with this post last week when he used the language of opponents by referring to women and their 'reproductive rights'

But he avoided committing to using the presidential veto if a nationwide federal ban arrived on his desk as president even though his running mate said he would.

In office, Trump reveled in being the most pro-life president in history, taking credit for ending federal protections for abortion by installing the conservative justices on the Supreme Court who overturned Roe v Wade.

This time, he is trying to keep both sides happy on one of the most divisive issues in the election by saying it is up to states to decide their own laws.

'Well, I do know, but I do want more than six weeks,' he said in his ornate Mar-a-Lago living room. 'I want more than six weeks.

'I think six weeks is a mistake. And I'll be expressing that soon, but I want more than six weeks.

'And in Florida, we have a six-week program, and that's what I believe that you're voting on, and I think it should be more than six weeks.'

Trump has expressed reservations about such an early ban in the past but has so far dodged questions about how he will vote in Florida's referendum.
Face obscured by a balaclava and dressed top-to-toe in black, the rider mounts the pavement and begins, at speeds of over 20mph, to weave in and out the throng of city centre workers on their lunchbreak and families strolling in the sunshine.

With just the gentle whirr of the e-bikes battery-powered motor to serve as a warning, the startled pedestrians are forced to stop in their tracks or jump out of the way as the rider whooshes by.

No, its not a scene from a Hollywood action move. This is real life.

For these illegal riders are a common sight on Scotlands roads (and more often pavements) - and they are turning our city streets into pedestrian no-go areas.

The vehicles - pedal bikes propelled by a battery-powered motor - soared during the pandemic as more and more people began using couriers to have food delivered to their homes.

Many riders in Scotland's city centres seem oblivious to shoppers and families

However, when Lockdown ended and people returned to Scotlands city centres, they found the streets crowded with e-bikes.

Many of the bikes have been illegally modified to travel at speeds exceeding the 15.5mph legal limit they should be stopped from going over.

Its now estimated there are a massive 10,000 cyclists operating as fast food couriers in Scotland.

The hi-tech vehicles have been involved in a raft of incidents of anti-social behaviour, accidents and breaches of the law, with concerns it is only a matter of time before they claim their first life.

Just weeks ago, a 16 year old girl was rushed to hospital in Edinburgh after she was stuck by an e-bike while walking in the city.

Luckily, she escaped serious injury, although her mother later made clear it was a scary experience that had left her shaken.

However, despite howls of protest from politicians, pressure groups and disgruntled members of the public, efforts to crack down on their illicit modification and illegal use are slow paced.

The situation has infuriated campaign group Living Streets Scotland which aims to encourage more people to walk rather than get in their cars

Social media is awash with complaints from angry members of the public  many of whom have captured images and footage of riders risking their own lives and those of others around them.

Their illicit adaptation aside, the riders of the e-bikes are frequently seen flouting the rules of the road, riding through red lights, veering on and off pavements as and when they choose and travelling in the wrong direction.

Despite these infrignements being a commonplace sight, new figures show less than 70 e-bikes and 30 e-scooters have been seized in the course of the last two years by police in Scotland.

The low number seems at odds with the frequency of complaints about the issue and the seriousness of the safety risk they pose.

The situation has infuriated campaign group Living Streets Scotland which aims to encourage more people to walk rather than get in their cars.

The groups concern is that if people cant use the countrys pavements and pedestrian areas safely, they wont choose to.

Anne Doherty, the organisations Acting Co-Director, said: Pavements are for people, but more and more people are using e-scooters and e-motorbikes on them.

The speed and acceleration of these vehicles can cause alarm, especially when they are used on pavements. They also pose a particular danger to some pedestrians, such as children, disabled people and those living with sight loss.

Riding e-scooters on the pavement and public roads is already illegal, but the law needs to be better enforced and community policing should be properly resourced.

And it doesnt take long to see exactly how bad the situation has become.

During the course of a day our reporter witnessed numerous riders on high-powered bikes and scooters dangerously weaving in and out of crowds and speeding along pavements in Glasgow city centre.

Dozens were observed as they flew down the citys busy Buchanan Street at speed. Meanwhile, those driving in the other direction, up the streets moderate incline, showed none of the mild exertion needed by those on foot, their bike engines taking the strain, and the drivers sitting upright enjoying the ride.

Most had brightly coloured bags on the back of their bikes, carrying takeaway food from city centre outlets to customers.

But while pedestrians waited patiently for a green man to indicate it was safe to cross a road, or buses and taxis likewise waited at a red light until they could proceed, no such obligations were on the mind of some of the e bike riders.

Only a few minutes observation were required last week in order to see bikes flying through a red light, a clear danger to themselves and other road users.

Meanwhile, two riders stopped and parked up in the middle of the pedestrianised stretch for a chat, showing a complete lack of self awareness, and blocking off the centre of the road to others.

Elsewhere in the centre of Scotlands biggest city, its a similar picture. While pedestrians proceeded with caution, and car and bus drivers poked out from junctions, aware of the need to maintain vigilance at every junction in the dense gridiron roads layout, it was a different picture for the e bike riders. Seemingly oblivious to danger, the bikes scooted round corners, shoppers having to make way or else.

In a short pedestrianised stretch of Gordon Street, another busy stretch just a few yards from the entrance to Central Station, it was a similar story, with e bike riders motoring in and out of shoppers and pub and restaurant goers, in a new and unwanted addition to the cityscape.

Such is the furore in Glasgow, that residents have called for it to be compulsory for e-bikers to wear identifiable numbers so they can be traced in the event of an accident.

Merchant City and Trongate Community Council (MCTCC) argues the move is necessary because of the number of collisions and near misses reported over the past few years.

The organisation said the e-bikers are predominantly food delivery drivers working on behalf of companies using bikes that are often not fitted with a speed limiter, restricting them to the UKs legal maximum level of 15.5 miles per hour.

The situation plays out in towns and cities across Scotland, with the number of e-bikes set to increase further amid a lack of proper enforcement or regulation.

Electric bikes  legally termed Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles (EAPCs)  can be ridden by anyone over the age of 14.

They do not require a licence and do not need to be registered, taxed or insured.

But the power of the motor must not exceed 250W and the engine can only be used to assist a rider who is actually pedalling.

If it meets this criteria, an EAPC is classed the same as a normal pedal bike and can, therefore, be ridden on cycle paths and public roads.

However, e-bikes can be customised so the engine is controlled by a throttle, meaning the rider doesnt need to pedal.

Such a modification effectively turns the machine into an electric motorbike, which legally requires a rider to have a driving licence and crash helmet.

In the case of e-scooters, which are recognised as powered transporters and, therefore, like motor vehicles, require MOT, tax, licensing and specific construction.

However, because e-scooters dont always have visible rear red lights, number plates or signalling ability, they can only be used on private land and not on public roads, cycle lanes or pavements.

Earlier this year Police Scotland stated that the issue of illegal e-vehicles and dangerous riding in Glasgow city centre was identified as a top road safety concern, with police receiving complaints directly from the public and other sources.

During just two days of enforcement action, between October 27 and 29 last year, in the city police seized 12 illegal e-bikes and five e-scooters and charged all the riders with road traffic offences. This included eight instances of failing to stop at red lights.

The sheer number of complaints and footage being shared on social media suggests the seizures made in Scotland are just the tip of the iceberg.

IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards Nicholas Lyes said: Modified e-scooters and e-bikes can cause serious injury or death and their rise in use can be largely attributed to poor levels of enforcement. While we need to see a step-change in how we police these devices, we also need an urgent review of regulations.

Shockingly, more than half of all casualties involving e-scooter users are outside of trial areas, which demonstrates the wild west nature of misuse that is happening on our roads and pavements.

So common is the use of these electric-powered vehicles that police in Glasgow even had to seize one from a rider doing the school run on an e-scooter.

In that instance, neither the rider nor their passenger  presumably a child  were wearing helmets.

Responding to the issues raised, Police Scotland said anyone with concerns about e-vehicle misuse in their community should contact officers.

A spokesman said: Antisocial behaviour while using e-vehicles will not be tolerated. Both community and road policing officers will tackle issues in local areas.

He added: E-vehicles are subject to the same legal requirements as any other motor vehicle. They must be insured and drivers must have a valid driving licence.
Extinction Rebellion activists descended on Windsor Castle today to deliver letters to King Charles, urging him to help save the planet.

Over 500 eco-zealots turned up at the royal residence, with a pink box full of letters asking the monarch to 'intervene in the worsening climate crisis'.

But the King is unlikely to receive them, as he currently residing 300 miles north for his usual summer visit to Scotland.

Traffic near the castle was halted as activists carried apocalyptic post boxes with 'last collection times' as well as times for other disasters, such as 'running out of food at 9am'.

Other boxes some of King's own quotes on the environment, including his words in 2010: 'This is a call for revolution. The earth is under threat. Revolution is a strong word and I use it deliberately.'

Extinction rebellion protesters descended on Windsor Castle today to call on the King to 'intervene' in the climate crisis

Activists carried a pink postbox bearing apocalyptic messages as well as previous quotes from Charles on the environment

Protesters on the Long Walk in Windsor with banners reading 'Massembly' and 'Upgrade democracy'

Police removing the pink postbox topped by a yellow bird, placed by XR protesters outside the royal residence

Activist Catherine Edminson, 61, a NHS business support worker, insisted that the protesters weren't 'freaks' but 'from all walks of life'.

She told the Telegraph: 'All my colleagues in the NHS support XR. Were facing a health crisis as a result of the ecological crisis and this is happening here and now in Britain.'

Climate activists have also erected tents and marquees in Windsor Home Park without permission, as XR entered its second day of action in the Berkshire town.

Police were seen forming a line as Morris Dancers performed beneath Queen Victoria's statue.

Among placards on display was a message to the King reading: 'Speak up for nature Charles! We can't hear you!'

Protesters also planned a 'massembly' - a large gathering - on the Long Walk of Windsor's Great Park.

XR does not have permission to be in the park, but has been 'liaising' with local authorities, said spokesman Etienne Stott, 45, who won a gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics in the canoe slalom.

The group hopes that storming the castle will help boost their profile through publicity of the stunt and enhance their demands for a Citizens Assembly to be established to tackle the climate crisis.

A placard raised by activists with a drawing of the King and the words 'Speak up for nature Charles! We can't hear you!'

XR activists unveil a pink postbox with the words 'upgrade democracy'

XR protesters wave green flags and bang on drums outside Windsor Castle

On Friday XR activists wore business suits and dressed as oil barons

Activists dressed in all black participate in a funereal demonstration at Windsor Great Park

A protester brings his four-legged friend to the climate demonstration, wearing a pink and green coat with XR badges

Officers watch over a protest by XR demonstrators outside Windsor Castle on Friday

On Friday, the group marched through the town dressed as oil barons to spread their message.

Catherine Bartlett, of Extinction Rebellion UK, said: 'Windsor Castle has been chosen as an embodiment of a broken and unjust system where our message will resonate powerfully.

'The general election has neither fixed our broken system nor addressed the urgent action needed to tackle the climate and nature emergency.

'Aristocrats, oligarchs and corporate interests have infected and distorted our politics and media for their own benefit and at our expense.

'Our politics is failing us from top to bottom. It's time for a democratic upgrade.'
Bill Maher ripped the 2024 presidential candidates for their performances this week, mocking Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for their 'boring' CNN interview and called Walz Harris' 'emotional support VP'.

The comedian dug into the presidential hopefuls in his opening monologue for his Max show, Real Time, on Friday.

On Thursday, Harris sat down with CNN's Dana Bash in her first interview as the Democratic presidential nominee.

'We finally had an interview last night with Kamala Harris,' Maher said. 'Not just her, with Tim Walz, her emotional support VP.'

'It was a little odd, he was just sitting there for a very long time without saying anything. He was just nodding while she did all the talking. The women's focus group said he must be a wonderful husband. But really, it just kept going, and he was saying nothing. It was like watching Jeopardy when one of the players can't work the buzzer.'

Bill Maher ripped the 2024 presidential candidates for their performances this week in his opening monologue for his Max show, Real Time, on Friday

Maher called Tim Walz Kamala Harris' 'emotional support VP' and said him being in the interview was 'odd'

Republican strategists criticized her choice to bring Walz along calling it 'weak' and saying it implies she 'cannot be left unattended.'

Maher said, 'It's so funny, the media has been furious that she would not give an interview, and now she finally does and not a single question about abortion, Ukraine, the homeless, the Opioid crisis, the national debt, and then they wonder why the kids get their news from TikTok.

'Donald Trump, of course, had to s**t tweet while he was watching [the interview.] Boring [Trump called it]. Good. I'd love some boring.

'That's what I want in this ticket. It's Harris-Walz, not Deadpool-Wolverine.'

Maher needled Nancy Pelosi on Friday's show for her successful plot to oust Joe Biden from the 2024 election race.

Maher needled Nancy Pelosi on Thursday for her successful plot to oust Joe Biden from the 2024 election race

The late night host then went on to dig at Trump for a trip to Arlington National Cemetery that included an altercation with a member of the staff there.

'When the park people told him to stop, he just shoved them aside. His goons just shoved her,' Maher said.

'Ever wondered what Donald Trump is like in real life? Tony Soprano without the introspection.'

Arlington National Cemetery is considered hallowed ground in the U.S. military and is managed by the Army.

Trump, who is running for a second term in the White House, was invited to visit on Monday with family members of the some of the soldiers killed three years ago when U.S. troops exited Afghanistan.

Maher ripped Trump for his Arlington Cemetery debacle where a member of Trump's team and staffer at the cemetery clashed

A member of Trump's team and staffer at the cemetery clashed over the presence of a photographer in Section 60, the area of the cemetery where American troops who were killed in recent wars are buried, according to reports.

'There's a law, as there should be, at Arlington National Cemetery, where our bravest and greatest are buried, that you can't take pictures, you can't use it as a campaign prop,' Maher said.

'So of course, when Trump heard this, he was like, the laws, right? And they told him to stop. And he was furious. He said, "You are ruining a perfectly good exploitation of a tragedy."'

'Then he grabbed some flowers off someone's grave and said, "Send these to Melania."'
This is the shocking moment Chinese and Filipino coast guard ships collide in the latest clash over disputed waters - as both countries blame each other for the ocean smash.

The Chinese coast guard blasted the Philippine ship as they claimed that they manoeuvred and 'deliberately collided' with their boat 'in an unprofessional and dangerous manner'.

But Philippine officials in Manila said it was their coast guard ship, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, that was rammed three times by the Chinese coast guard without any provocation, causing damage to the Philippine vessel.

The incident is the second confrontation in days near Sabina Shoal, about 85 miles west of the Philippine province of Palawan, in the internationally recognised exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

The Philippine ship, the Magbanua, has been anchored in Sabina since mid-April after Manila suspected that China may construct a structure to seize the uninhabited island.

The Chinese coast guard slammed the Philippine ship as they claimed that they manoeuvred and 'deliberately collided' with their boat 'in an unprofessional and dangerous manner'

Philippine officials in Manila said it was their coast guard ship, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, that was rammed three times by the Chinese coast guard

The Philippine ship, the Magbanua, has been anchored in Sabina since mid-April after Manila suspected that China may construct a structure to seize the uninhabited atoll

The incident is the second confrontation in days near Sabina Shoal, about 85 miles west of the Philippine province of Palawan, in the internationally recognised exclusive economic zone of the Philippines

China claims nearly all the oil and resource-rich waters of the South China Sea and has ignored counter-claims from the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia

China harboured the same suspicions and recently filed a diplomatic protest against the Philippines due to the ship's prolonged presence at the shoal.

Beijing is rapidly expanding its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which is crucial to international trade.

The tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, and could drag in with the United States, which is bound by a treaty to defend the Philippines.

The long-time territorial disputes also involve other claimants including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

China has rejected a ruling by a UN-backed arbitration panel that negated almost all of its historically based claims in the South China Sea.

Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine coast guard said in Manila that the Magbanua had dropped its anchor again and would not withdraw from Sabina Shoal 'despite the harassment, bullying activities and escalatory action of the Chinese coast guard'.

Video released by the Philippine coast guard appeared to show the Magbanua being rammed by a Chinese coast guard ship.

The US condemned 'the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC (People's Republic of China), including today's intentional ramming of the BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was conducting lawful operations within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone'.

'We stand with the Philippines in upholding international law,' US ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said on X.

Beijing is rapidly expanding its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which is crucial to international trade

The tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, and could drag in with the United States

Long-time territorial disputes also involve other claimants including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei

The US has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces come under an armed attack in the South China Sea.

On Tuesday, Adm Samuel Paparo, the head of US Indo-Pacific Command, said the US military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the disputed waters.

China's coast guard, navy and accompanying ships regularly clash with Philippine vessels during attempts to resupply Filipino sailors stationed in parts of the South China Sea claimed by both countries.

As the confrontations become increasingly hostile, resulting in injuries to Filipino sailors and damage to their ships, the Philippine government has faced questions about invoking the treaty alliance with Washington.

Sabina Shoal is near Second Thomas Shoal, another flashpoint where China has hampered the resupply of Philippine forces.

Both countries reached an agreement last month to prevent further confrontations at the shoal.

Video released by the Philippine coast guard appeared to show the Magbanua being rammed by a Chinese coast guard ship

The US condemned 'the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC (People's Republic of China)

Also on Saturday, Japan lodged a formal protest via China's embassy against what it called an incursion by a Chinese survey ship into its territorial waters.

The latest such incident fuelled unease among Japanese defence officials, already concerned about the growing military cooperation between the Chinese and Russian air forces.

On Monday, Tokyo also protested after a Chinese military aircraft briefly entering Japan's south-western airspace.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday his country had 'no intention' to violate any country's airspace.
The Labour Government could roll out an extraordinary plan to tackle the scourge of drug deaths in Scotland, The MoS can reveal.

In an unprecedented intervention which could save hundreds of lives but infuriate the Scottish Government, Westminster stands ready to circumvent Holyrood and plough funds directly into rehabilitation, an MP said last night.

Central Ayrshire MP Alan Gemmell said action needed to be taken as drug deaths soared to 1,172 in 2023  up by 121 on 2022.

Despite those spiralling figures, Scotland has just 600 residential rehabilitation beds dedicated to helping addicts recover.

It is likely UK Labour could use the same laws being planned by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray to directly fund anti-poverty schemes  thereby bypassing Holyrood  to set aside UK Government money for extra treatment beds. Mr Murrays proposals have already been described by Nationalists as an attack on devolution.

Fatalities rose by nearly 12 per cent last year as Scotland's drugs crisis show no sign ofeasing

Ayrshire MP Alan Gemmill says UK Government could provide funding

But Mr Gemmell said: The SNP have failed communities across Scotland. They declared a public health emergency five years ago and things are getting worse.

If the SNP wont act to bring down drug deaths, then Labour in Government can. Money is clearly tight but we already have models where Westminster, Holyrood and local councils are working together to improve communities.

It comes as the SNPs national mission to cut drug death rates was last month proved to be a failure as figures showed the toll rose by nearly 12 per cent in 2023.

The strategy was in part informed by recommendations from the Scottish Governments Drug Deaths Taskforce, set up in 2019 under Nicola Sturgeon, which believed that destigmatising drug use would help tackle the issue.

A user heats up drugs before injecting them

Under a suite of controversial proposals, the team of academics said abstinence should no longer be considered the end goal of treatment.

Drug workers on the ground slammed their middle-class naivety, saying the focus should be on the lack of rehabilitation beds for sufferers in Scotland.

One former drug user, Stephanie Ritchie, told how she was unable to secure a recovery bed even though doctors wanted to amputate her leg because of her drug use.

It was only because a charity helped her that she was able to get better in a rehab facility, she said.

New legislation planned by Labour would let Chancellor Rachel Reeves allocate a 150 million war chest to Mr Murray that could be handed to local authorities and anti-poverty projects.

It would work in a similar way to the former Tory governments levelling up funding.

Health Secretary Neil Gray defended the SNPs record on tackling the drugs crisis and said: The upward trend in placements suggests were on track to hit the target of 1,000 people publicly funded to go to rehab by 2026.

Through our 250 million National Mission on drugs we are taking a wide range of measures to reduce harm and save lives.
Scotland's biggest council has spent an eye-watering 1million hiring cars and vans to comply with its new green Low Emission Zone - as it prepares to lay off teachers amid a cash-crisis.

We can reveal that SNP-run Glasgow city council has blown 1,068,731 since the LEZ came into force last year on hiring vehicles to fill in for its own ones which are non-compliant with the new zone.

It comes despite the council dismissing concerns of businesses and commuters, many of whom have been forced out of the city, or have had to buy new cars, by telling them they had years to get ready.

To add insult to injury, the money was spent as the local authority axed more than 170 teachers amid claims it couldnt afford them.

The council now faces the threat of industrial action by teachers disgusted at hundreds more jobs being threatened.

Glasgow 's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) was introduced a year ago

Figures obtained by the Mail on Sunday show the council was forced to hire 103 vehicles from June to July this year to replace fleet vehicles non-compliant with the LEZ.

Critics have also pointed out the farcical nature of the costly zones, given that the key pollutant, nitrogen dioxide, was within legal limits before the LEZ began in June last year, and has only just reduced marginally in the year since.

Air quality experts told us this was because the main pollutants are buses, not cars, calling into question to entire rationale for the LEZs.

Meanwhile, the cost of the hire vehicles continues to accrue at an astonishing rate each month, and amounted to just over 76,000 from June 15 to July 19 including for cars, vans, minibuses and mobile elevated work platform vehicles.

Scott Dixon, a motoring and consumer rights author and expert, said: This is an outrageous waste of money spent on a fantasy scheme, against the wishes of most taxpayers, and which has hollowed out the city centre and hammered trade with little or no benefit to anyone.

Small businesses in particular are paying the price for this prolific squandering of public funds, with fewer people going into the city centre.

Over 1m a year could clearly be far better spent on funding teachers and investing in childrens education. Axing hundreds of teachers when the Council has frittered over 1m on hire vehicles to comply with a scheme they cannot adhere to will stick in the throats of everyone.

Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister Graham Simpson MSP said: This sum highlights just how unprepared the SNP-run council was for the introduction of their own chaotic LEZ.

More than a year after imposing these restrictions on struggling motorists, they have still failed to put get their own house in order.

People will be rightly outraged that the council is shelling out a fortune on hiring compliant vehicles at the same time as they are laying off hundreds of teachers in the city.

The LEZ prevents a large number of non-compliant vehicles from entering the city centre

Meanwhile, Scottish Lib Dems transport spokesman Daniel OMalley said: Earlier this year, our research revealed that almost one-in-five local authority vehicles across Scotland would not meet LEZ rules.

When a government or council vehicle reaches the end of its lifespan, there should be a robust presumption in favour of replacing it with an electric or low emissions alternative so that they are not dependent on expensive hires.

The LEZ was introduced in Glasgow last year, with further similar zones in place in Aberdeen, Dundee, and Edinburgh as of this year, to reduce pollution in cities where the levels are already within safe legal limits.

They ban older cars from city centres, with fines issued, via Automatic Number Plate Recognition spy cameras, to anyone who breaches the rules.

The zones have been blamed for reductions in business and footfall in cities, especially Glasgow, as businesses try to recover from Lockdown, as well as endangering the safety of pub and restaurant goers, and nighttime workers, hit by transport reductions.

A Glasgow city council spokeswoman said: Whilst it was necessary to hire some vehicles in the short term to ensure emission standards are met, more than 50% of these outlays are offset as a result of the councils ongoing programme of fleet vehicle replacement, which is taking an equivalent number of older, non-compliant vehicles out of service and delivering savings on lease and maintenance costs.

Work is also underway to procure permanent, replacement vehicles.

'New, cleaner vehicles have previously been delivered into the councils fleet and we are continuing to deliver our planned programme of vehicle retrofit where appropriate, to meet our wider carbon reduction and service delivery objectives.
One of the Bayesian yacht survivors said the crew 'saved who we could' as the boat sank in a disaster that killed seven including billionaire Mike Lynch.

The British tech mogul, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18, who was due to start at Oxford University in September, were among those who lost their lives when the yacht sank.

Matthew Griffiths was one of 22 people on board the Bayesian when it was devastated by a freak waterspout just a few hundred metres away from Porticello port in the early hours of August 19.

The 22-year-old, who was on watch duty on the night of the tragedy, told investigators that the crew members did everything they could to save those on board the Bayesian, according to comments reported by Italian news agency Ansa.

Griffiths, the boat's captain James Cutfield, and ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton have been placed under investigation by the Italian authorities for potential manslaughter and shipwreck. Being investigated does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will follow.

'I woke up the captain when the wind was at 20 knots (23 mph). He gave orders to wake everyone else,' Ansa quoted Griffiths as saying.

Matthew Griffiths was one of 22 people on board the Bayesian when it was devastated by a freak waterspout just a few hundred metres away from Porticello port in the early hours of August 19

Mike Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18, who was due to start at Oxford University in September, were among those who lost their lives when the yacht sank

The 22-year-old, who was on watch duty on the night of the tragedy, told investigators that the crew members did everything they could to save those on board the Bayesian

'The ship tilted and we were thrown into the water. Then we managed to get back up and tried to rescue those we could,' he added, describing the events of the fateful night, when the Bayesian had been anchored off the Sicilian port.

'We were walking on the walls (of the boat). We saved who we could, Cutfield also saved the little girl and her mother,' he said, referring to passenger Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old daughter. In all there were 15 survivors of the wreck.

Cutfield exercised his right to remain silent when questioned by prosecutors on Tuesday, his lawyers said.

They explained that he was 'worn out' and that they needed more time to build a defense case. Parker Eaton has not commented on the investigation.

Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said last week that the vessel was most likely hit by a 'downburst,' a very strong downward wind.

However, the sinking has puzzled naval marine experts, who said a vessel like the Bayesian, built by Italian high-end yacht manufacturer Perini, should have withstood the storm and, in any case, should not have sunk as quickly as it did.

Prosecutors in the town of Termini Imerese, near Palermo, have said their investigation will take time, with the wreck yet to be salvaged from the sea.

The news comes on the day that autopsies on the seven people who died on the superyacht Bayesian will begin, as it emerged the operation to lift the vessel will cost at least 15million.

Hannah (pictured), 18, was due to start at Oxford before tragedy struck the Bayesian superyacht

Rescue workers standing by after recovering the body of Hannah Lynch off the coast of Porticello on August 23

Search teams at the site of the Bayesian sinking as they prepared to continue looking for Hannah Lynch on August 23

Raising the 56m yacht  which went down after being hit by freak weather on August 19 off the coast of Porticello near Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily  will be vital to the judicial investigation.

Among theories being investigated are whether proper procedures were carried out by the drew to secure the yacht ahead of the storm which had been forecast and which had stopped trawlers heading out to sea.

Giovanni Costantino, of the Italian Sea Group, which owns Perini Navi, who built the Bayesian has already claimed the yacht was unsinkable and that human error led to the sinking, with possibly hatches and portholes left open.

There will also be focus on the keel of Bayesian which should have been deployed to its maximum length to help stability in and weather.

Raising the vessel will be a joint operation between the insurers and the owners of the yacht Revtom  an Isle of Man based company which has Mr Lynchs wife Angela, who survived the sinking, as sole director.

A salvage company has yet to be appointed for the operation which experts say could take at least six weeks.

Aldo Mordiglia, lawyer for Mr Cutfield, 51, told MailOnline he expected the complicated procedure to start in October possibly and that it would be vital for the investigation the yacht was raised.

According to maritime code it is up to the owner of the yacht to sort out salvaging the Bayesian, but the judicial authorities will also play a key part.

Experts also want to raise her as quickly as possible because there are fears over the 18,000 litres of fuel onboard and an environmental ship is circling the area ready to deploy protective booms to control any potential spillage.
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary wants to interview Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on her proposal to offer first-time homebuyers $25,000 to help with the down payment.

O'Leary, 70, told Fox News' The Ingraham Angle that he wants Harris to sit down for a 'live' interview to talk real estate, state policy, and regulation.

'Im in the real estate business. Thats a really bad idea, an immensely bad idea, an incredibly bad idea. And I think somebody should talk about that with her. Id like to interview her on that idea. Ill do the interview. I want it live!' he said on the show.

As Americans struggle with rising housing costs and being unable to afford their first homes, Harris is calling for up to $25,000 in down payment assistance to some first-time homebuyers.

It comes after the Biden administration first called for $25,000 in down payment assistance for 400,000 first-generation home buyers and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time buyers.

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary wants to interview Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on her proposal to offer first-time homebuyers $25,000 to help with the down payment as he thinks it's a bad idea

'REALLY BAD IDEA': Shark Tank star @kevinolearytv ripped Vice President Harris proposal to give first-time home buyers $25,000 as an incredibly bad idea, and says he wants to ask her about that policy in a live interview. pic.twitter.com/h63bbPacEM  Fox News (@FoxNews) August 31, 2024

Harris' plan would expand the assistance to all eligible first-time homebuyers. Such buyers include families who have paid their rent on time for two years with more support for first-generation homeowners. According to her campaign, it would allow more than four million first-time buyers in four years to get an average of $25,000 in assistance for their first home.

O'Leary thinks it's a stupid idea and it will just make buying a home worse.

'If everybody in the street has $25,000 extra and theres one home for sale, the sellers going to get the $25,000 by raising the price $25,000. Ive been very vocal about this policy,' he said on the show.

His comments come after Harris' first interview since becoming the Democratic nominee, which O'Leary wasn't impressed with.

'It was more happy talk about the convention slipping over, pictures of the kids  you know what Im beginning to think? And, look, dont shoot the messenger. Maybe she cant do a real interview live with a reporter who asks follow-up questions,' he bashed the current VP.

Harris' plan would expand the assistance to all eligible first-time homebuyers. 'Im in the real estate business. Thats a really bad idea, an immensely bad idea, an incredibly bad idea. And I think somebody should talk about that with her,' O'Leary said

He wasn't the only one who didn't like Harris' CNN interview. Viewers said Harris looked 'weak' and 'bad' for waiting weeks and then sitting alongside her running mate.

After avoiding interviews for more than a month, the vice president sat down with CNN's Dana Bash as well as her running mate Tim Walz to answer questions in a Georgia restaurant on Thursday.

'I think it kind of makes her look bad because I really think she should sit down and have this interview so everyone in the world can see her point of view and where she's coming from, said 52-year-old female restaurant manager from Texas, who plans to vote for Harris in November.

Another Harris voter from Massachusetts said she worried that it makes her look 'as though she's not fit to be president.'

However, others also said delaying the interview made her look 'busy' and Walz made them look part of a 'team.'
The last time Jim Murphy saw her, she was lying on the ground, unconscious and bleeding.

He had been handed the woman who was pulled from the rubble of the Clutha bar in Glasgow after a police helicopter had plummeted onto its roof, causing the building to collapse on the revellers inside.

As he continued to aid survivors of the 2013 tragedy, he turned back and noticed she was gone.

For more than a decade Mr Murphy worried that the woman  whose identity he never knew  may have died and even feared his failure to place her in the recovery position may have proved fatal.

However, the former Labour MP has now been reunited with the woman  Nancy Primrose  for the first time since that awful night in a moment that has taken a huge weight off his shoulders.

Nancy Primrose laying flowers at the bar in 2013 following the disaster

An emotional Jim Murphy was interviewed at the scene after stopping as he drove past the pub

Emergency workers at the crash scene in Glasgow after a helicopter crashed into the pub

The emotional meeting came after the pair took part in a new BBC Radio 4 show, The Reunion, revisiting the events and aftermath of the crash.

Reliving that fateful night, Mr Murphy, 57, said: I was handed a woman, and she was unconscious and injured and I put her on the ground.

And I remember a huge sense of guilt because I hadnt put her in the recovery position and the next time I turned around, she was gone.

And for days and days afterwards I looked in the newspapers for details of who had died hoping that a woman broadly matching that description hadnt been one of the people who had died from my stupidity.

The tragedy on November 29, 2013, resulted in the death of 10 people while 32 were injured. Then-Scottish Labour leader Mr Murphy had been driving past the packed bar and stopped to help form a human chain of rescuers.

The politician appeared visibly shaken when he told his account of events to TV crews. Those interviewing him noticed he had blood on his shirt.

When asked about this, he confirmed it was not his.

During their reunion Ms Primrose said she believes the blood on his shirt was probably hers. She also reassured him that he did what he could do for her.

Speaking to her for the show hosted by Kirst Wark, which airs today, Mr Murphy said: Its so beautiful to meet you because I have wondered for a decade who that woman was.

I am so, so, so, so, so happy to meet you today. Ive been so wary of doing interviews over the last ten years and I am so delighted and relieved Ive come today to this interview, Nancy, because the last time we met each other was on the night of the Clutha just for a few fleeting seconds.

Jim Murphy with Kirsty Wark and Nancy Primrose during recoding of the radio show

I left you on that cold concrete and here you are alive and well and full of spirit.

So today has been, selfishly a fantastic moment for me.

Reliving the moment he arrived at the scene, Mr Murphy said: From memory, I think I saw a bit of what looked like a rotor blade from a helicopter sticking out of the roof.

I know this is a terrible thing to say folks, but I thought at least its not in the river.

Obviously, I didnt know the carnage it had caused. But I was thinking just a sense of selfish relief that I wasnt going to have to jump into the river Clyde to try and save people.

In 2019, a fatal accident inquiry criticised the pilot, Captain David Traill, 51, for taking a chance and ignoring repeated fuel warnings.
A four-year-old girl was tied up, beaten and shocked with a dog collar in a horrific ordeal of abuse that has landed her father and another woman in prison.

The girl's father Javon Markquez Ingram, 31, and Larissa Duncan, 47, were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years in prison, respectively, this week for the torture of the young girl - who is not named - in their Portland, Oregon home.

The sadistic abuse was discovered in late 2022 when Ingram brought his daughter to the hospital after she suffered seizures, at which point doctors found over 30 injuries across her body and called the police.

Ingram initially told police her wounds were self-inflicted, before shocking evidence was found on his phone and in his home, including footage of torture and a wooden plank with zip ties on it.

After the two were sentenced this week, an attorney for the girl filed a $15 million lawsuit against Oregon's Department of Human Services, alleging the agency failed to investigate several reports of the treatment while it was going on for years.

Inside this home in Portland, Oregon, prosecutors say a young girl was subjected to a years-long ordeal of torture and abuse that saw her father and another woman imprisoned this week

Ingram received custody of the girl in January 2019, when she was two years old, due to her mother's methamphetamine addiction, according to a police affidavit.

Duncan lived with Ingram, and Oregon Live reports that he considered her his mother although they are not related.

When Ingram took his daughter to the Randall Children's Hospital in late 2022 for treatment for seizures, medical staff instantly called police to the hospital.

'Detectives went into the hospital room and were immediately horrified upon seeing her,' a Multnomah County deputy district attorney wrote in a memo.

The memo said the young girl told officials that she would often be restrained with zip ties, chains, blindfolds, gags and duct tape and described being beaten with a belt.

According to reported court documents, the girl said she would be tied up with 'dollar store zip ties and duct tape' and an electric dog collar that would shock her, before being left in a bathroom or shed restrained in a highchair.

It was also found that she had never attended any form of education, was only ever fed food from a blender, and was not bathroom trained.

Police said the young girl was tied up with duct tape and zip ties, fitted with an electric dog collar, and only fed food from a blender. Pictured is a burned-out car on the property

A search warrant was obtained and executed on Ingram's home in the days after the hospital visit, which found further evidence of the abuse.

When questioned by police, Ingram initially tried to claim her injuries were self-inflicted, however medical assessments reportedly found this was 'not plausible.'

Child abuse pediatrician Heather McKeag officially diagnosed the girl's injuries as 'torture', and Ingram was arrested in November 2022.

Detectives found footage of the torture on his phone, leading Ingram to ultimately confess to the horrific ordeal.

According to his arrest affidavit, Ingram told detectives: 'I've done some horrible things in these pictures... I know what I did was (expletive) up.'

He then asked police: 'So what am I being charged with, torture?'

Ingram was indicted on 24 counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment, three counts of first-degree assault, nine counts of third-degree assault. He later pleaded guilty to the charges.

Duncan was also arrested after the discovery of the abuse, with her attorney William Walsh arguing during her sentencing that she had a 'more passive' role.

Walsh claimed that alcohol and prescription drug abuse were factors in her role.

Ingram admitted to police that 'I know what I did was (expletive) up', after he was confronted with evidence of the shocking abuse from his phone

The sadistic abuse was discovered in late 2022 when Ingram brought his daughter to the hospital after she suffered seizures, at which point doctors found over 30 injuries across her body and called the police

The memo said the young girl told officials that she would often be restrained with zip ties, chains, blindfolds, gags and duct tape and described being beaten with a belt

The girl was moved into the care of her grandmother, with an attorney representing her since launching a $15 million lawsuit claiming officials missed opportunities to end the horror ordeal.

Attorney Paul Galm claimed that Human Services caseworkers had received reports that the young girl was exhibiting developmental delays, was spotted with ligature marks on her wrists, was exposed to drug abuse, denied food, and was often confined to a bathroom.

'These reports were ignored by DHS who never investigated' Galm's suit alleged.

In response to The Oregonian, a DHS spokesperson said the state operates a 24-hour hotline for reports of child abuse, but only those that meet the legal criteria for investigation are assigned to a caseworker.

It is unclear if any caseworkers were assigned the case of the young girl, and it is unexplained why such reports of her ordeal would not meet the 'legal criteria.'
Catfish And The Bottlemen have cancelled a gig at the last minute because of illness just days after fans expressed fear that their 'ambitious' concert at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be overshadowed by Oasis' gig on the same day.

MCD Productions posted a statement from the Welsh band just after 6.45pm on Saturday, about 15 minutes before doors were due to open at the RDS Simmonscourt venue in Dublin.

The band said: 'We regret to inform you that tonight's show is cancelled due to artist illness.

'Refunds are available from point of purchase. Apologies to all the fans who have travelled to the show today and for any inconvenience caused.'

The post did not specify the illness or who was unwell.

Catfish And The Bottlemen have cancelled a gig at the last minute because of illness

It comes just days after fans expressed fear that their 'ambitious' concert at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would be overshadowed by Oasis' gig on the same day

Van McCann of Catfish and the Bottlemen performs live on stage during day three of Reading Festival 2024

Fans worry that Oasis' comeback could spell bad news for the Catfish who also announced an arena tour this month which some fans now believe will sell 'negative tickets.'

The band, whose most famous song Cocoon was released 10 years ago, recently played Reading and Leeds festival as part of their comeback trail, which will culminate with a new album and a string of dates at arenas next year.

Catfish are set to play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on August 3 next summer, but the show now coincides with one of Oasis' comeback gigs, just 12 miles away at Wembley.

Even before the Gallaghers' announcement, tickets were not exactly flying off the shelves for the Catfish show.

They have previously won BBC Music Introducing's artist of the year, and in 2016 took the Brit Award for best British breakthrough act.

Catfish And The Bottlemen are due to travel to Australia and New Zealand in September for several tour dates, before playing shows in the US throughout October and November.
Prince Harry has sought advice from trusted former aides in Britain on how to mastermind a return from exile in the United States, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Sources said the Duke of Sussex is consulting people 'from his old life' as a working royal after allegedly growing dissatisfied with advice from American-based image experts.

The overtures signify the first stage in a strategy to 'rehabilitate' Harry that would involve him spending more time in the UK to repair his relationship with his father and potentially initiate a partial return to the royal fold.

Sources stressed that Harry and Meghan, who have spent the past four years living in self-imposed exile in California with their two children, are not seeking a permanent return.

This newspaper can also reveal that the couple have parted company with yet another American PR adviser. Christine Weil Schirmer joined the Sussexes in 2020 as head of communications but left quietly late last year.

Prince William and Prince Harry walk beside each other after viewing the floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Windsor Castle

Prince Harry and Meghan during their trip to Columbia earlier this month

Prince Harry and Meghan pictured with their children in December 2021

Sussexes lose yet another key PR adviser Another top adviser to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has quit, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Christine Weil Schirmer, considered to be one of Silicon Valley's top publicity gurus, joined the Sussexes in 2020 as head of communications for their charitable foundation Archewell, charged with boosting the global image of the Sussexes. She was made a senior adviser in 2021. But the Mail on Sunday can reveal that she joined PR agency Brunswick at the start of August to advise clients on reputation management. Described as 'the real deal' and 'widely respected', she is the tenth staff member to have left the Sussexes since they moved to the US. She previously worked for Apple and Pinterest and studied at Northwestern University in Illinois at the same time as Meghan, but it is not known if their paths crossed. She quietly quit her job with the Sussexes at the end of last year. Advertisement

She is the tenth staff member to have left the couple in three years and last month took up a job with PR giant Brunswick advising clients on reputation management.

Last month, it emerged that the Sussexes' chief of staff Josh Kettler had suddenly quit his job after scarcely three months.

'Harry is turning away from all sorts of Hollywood publicists and is seeking counsel from his old friends and associates,' said a source.

'He is clearly reaching out thinking, "I need to do something different because what I'm doing is clearly not working". In short, he is rethinking the way he operates.'

Prince Harry's representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

Ending his rancorous feud with his brother William is not seen as a realistic goal, but last week this newspaper revealed that the King may be open to healing the rift with his youngest son, and had consulted with faith leaders as he explores the nature of forgiveness.

At least one of the advisers approached by Harry is a trusted figure 'from the old school' known for loyalty and discretion.

One friend has already devised a strategy for how Harry might begin moving in UK circles again  even carrying out 'very low-key royal duties'  although the Duke is said to be open to ideas from many sources.

A source said the friend 'believes if Harry comes back to the UK with zero fuss, and does zero publicity and attends very mundane events, he could prove himself and win over the British public again.

Sources said the Duke of Sussex is consulting people 'from his old life' as a working royal after allegedly growing dissatisfied with advice from American-based image experts

Prince William and Prince Harry arrive for the unveiling of a statue of their mother, Princess Diana in July 2021

Prince Harry and Meghan during their trip to Columbia this month

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend the 'Afro Women and Power' forum in Cali, Colombia, on August 18

Prince Harry at the Unidad Recreativa El Vallado in Columbia on August 18

Meghan and Prince Harry at the Unidad Recreativa El Vallado on August 18 in Cali, Colombia

He would have to accept, though, that he might be reduced to ribbon cutting for a long period. But it would give him purpose to work again.'

But the source said it would only happen 'if certain members of the family could find it in themselves to allow it'.

Separately, the Duke, who turns 40 this month, has sent conciliatory messages to a number of old friends in the UK on WhatsApp. They are ready and willing to help him smooth a path back to Britain, with some referring to their task as Operation Bring Harry In From The Cold.

Friends are hoping the Duke's former private secretary Edward Lane Fox might spearhead a comeback. One said: 'If anyone can do it, Edward can. Last time I saw him I wanted to take him by the shoulders and say, "Ed, please bring our boy home". It's the right time now.'

Asked about helping Harry, Mr Lane Fox told this newspaper: 'It's not something I've got a view on I'm afraid.'

Although Harry's relationship with his brother is feared irreparably damaged, the Duke has seemed less embittered of late.

To his family's relief, he has decided against updating his acrimonious memoirs, Spare, for its paperback edition, due out on October 24, and will not be giving interviews to publicise it.
With breakfast pastries and coffee fresh on everyone's minds this morning, MailOnline asked our readers which high street bakery chain they preferred - Greggs or Gail's?

The results are in - and in a landslide victory Greggs came out on top as the nation's sausage roll sweetheart, with 72 per cent of readers voting for it as their favourite while Gail's received a mere 28 per cent of votes.

The findings come amid a recent revolt against Gail's - with critics suggesting the bakery opening a new outlet is a sure-fire indicator the area is being gentrified amid fears it could put independent eateries out of business.

Residents of Walthamstow in north-east London and Worthing in West Sussex recently pushed back on plans for Gail's branches to open in their area and slammed the chain for 'ruining high streets'.

Owners of family-run cafes have warned that existing local firms were 'struggling as it is' and could lose custom or even be forced to close if a Gail's opened near them.

In a landslide victory, Greggs came out on top as the nations sausage roll sweetheart with a 72 per cent of MailOnline readers you voting for it as their favourite over Gail's

Gail's received just 28 per cent of votes in the MailOnline poll

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Gail's chief executive Tom Molnar has instead insisted that he only ever wanted to give the customers choice.

He said: 'We build small sites so they are a part of a diverse high street, so whenever I build a Gail's I think what it would be like if I was a resident here.

'I'd encourage people to look at what we're trying to do, rather than taglines. There's good independents and bad, and good chains and bad chains.'

Greggs has more than 2,400 stores across the UK - and Britons appear to love the bakery so much that Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Edinburgh had its very own Greggs van dishing out sausage rolls to fans.

A Greggs vehicle also appeared in Ibiza today to celebrate Cafe Mambo's 30th anniversary and has become a popular feature of celebrity parties, including Vicky Pattison's wedding and Olly Murs' baby shower.

Gail's was founded in 2005 with the first opening on north London's upmarket Hampstead High Street and has been dubbed the 'middle-class Greggs.

Greggs, which had 2,473 outlets by the end of last year, has announced further expansion plans to open up to 160 stores in 2024. Pictured: A Greggs sausage roll

A picture of the sweet treats on offer in a Gail's bakery. Gail's only opened its first bakery in London in 2005, but now proudly owns over 140 locations

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It offers expensive artisan versions of classic pastries and is frequented by 'yummy mummies' cramming their prams between the tables and chairs.

Its rival Greggs has grown into a 3billion empire with bold promises to build a Greggs in 'every town in Britain', but it started out in 1939 as a humble bread delivery service for mining families in Newcastle.

The first official Greggs store opened in Gosforth, Newcastle in 1951.

It has since sprawled out across the country with one guaranteed to be just a stone's throw away from you in any town and city.

These eight locations will see a new Greggs bakery opening as part of the company's expansion plans in 2024

The first Greggs in Gosforth, Newcastle, which opened in 1951

Pensioners and working class women queue outside Greggs Seconds Shop in Westgate Road in Newcastle in July 1974

A new 21-piece Greggs x Primark collection has been designed to get the nation festival-ready

Lewis Capaldi models the Greggs clothing wear. Greggs clothing was seen everywhere at music festivals last summer thanks to a collaboration with high street fashion store Primark

Kate Beckinsale wore a Greggs swimsuit at her Californian home after the firm launched its own clothing range

A famous Greggs fan! Ed Sheeran posing with his lifetime supply Greggs black card

Even former Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has spotted with a box of Greggs pastries on his desk.

The brand's popularity has even led to a partnership with clothing store Primark twice to release ranges of merchandise including shoes, socks and hoodies - modelled by Lewis Capaldi and Kate Beckinsale.

Gail's currently has 140 stores across the UK and is expanding rapidly to compete, but this MailOnline readers survey today suggests the firm still has some catching up to do with Greggs.
Colin Firth has demanded re-assurances about a controversial new TV drama on the Lockerbie bombing in the face of a growing row over its plot, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Bereaved relatives have complained to producers of the forthcoming five-part series, Lockerbie: A Search For Truth, because of its central assertion that Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Libyan convicted of the attack, was innocent.

Oscar-winner Firth plays Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103. The drama is based on his book, and his belief that Iran, rather than Libya, was behind the atrocity, which killed 270.

Firth was worried about the claim that the Libyan was the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

The star, 63, whose big-screen credits include Love Actually, The Kings Speech and Mamma Mia!, believed the series could emulate the success of the hit ITV series Mr Bates Vs The Post Office and have a profound impact on public opinion.

Colin Firth on set in Bathgate, Lothian, in March 2024, during filming for an upcoming Sky series about the Lockerbie bombing

Set dressers move props for a scene on the Lockerbie TV drama

An insider close to the production said: Colin was worried because he felt the drama had the potential to impact heavily on the sympathies of viewers in the same way that the Alan Bates drama had on the postmasters controversy. He wanted to be sure it was the right thing to be involved with, because this is real life. Its not just a story.

The American-based campaign group Victims Of Pan Am Flight 103 fears the series will peddle a false narrative that the 2001 conviction of the Libyan was wrong. It will be shown on Sky TV next year.

Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, a spokesman for the group, whose father Frank Ciulla was killed in the outrage, told The Mail on Sunday: We have raised our concerns with the producers of the project. We feel they are amplifying and highlighting a false narrative about the bombing, a narrative that the great majority of us who lost loved ones do not align with and have fought very hard against.

'By focusing on the story of one family, they are denying the story of so many of us.

After expressing his worries, Firth met on set with Dr Swire, members of al-Megrahis defence team and journalist John Ashton, whose 2012 book, Megrahi: You Are My Jury also challenged the official version of events.

Ashton, who worked for al-Megrahis legal team, presented evidence that the most valuable piece of forensic evidence in the case, a fragment of circuit board said to have detonated the bomb, could not have been authentic.

The upcoming Sky series delves into the events of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people. Pictured: Props are moved on set near South Queensferry, during filming for the show

Oscar-winner Firth (pictured on set) plays Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103

Sources say Firth was reassured by the visit, said to have taken place in April.

The drama is based on the 2021 book The Lockerbie Bombing  A Fathers Search For Justice, written by Dr Swire and Peter Biddulph. It is co-produced by Carnival Films, best known for Downton Abbey, and will co-star Catherine McCormack as Dr Swires wife, and Ardalan Esmaili as al-Megrahi.

Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie on December 21, 1988. The bomb killed all 243 passengers as well as the 16 crew.

Eleven Lockerbie residents lost their lives when chunks of the plane fell on a residential street. In 2001, al-Megrahi was sentenced to life imprisonment. He was released in 2009 after he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, and died three years later in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
Sir Keir Starmer today bowed to public pressure by re-hanging a portrait of Margaret Thatcher which he removed from her former study in Downing Street.

No 10 announced that the 100,000 painting  dispatched from the Thatcher Room because the Labour Prime Minister found it unsettling  has been placed on display in a first floor meeting room.

But Sir Keir still faced a chorus of demands to return it to the room which bears her name, with former Conservative Cabinet Minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg leading the chivalric charge.

Sir Jacob, whose father William attended the portraits unveiling by Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009, said: The portrait should be returned to its rightful place in the study where she worked. It was a spiteful, petty decision by Sir Keir which he should have the grace to reverse as quickly as possible.

The work by Richard Stone, one of Britains leading portrait artists, depicts the Iron Lady in the immediate aftermath of the Falklands War in 1982.

Sir Keir Starmer bowed to pressure by re-hanging a portrait of Margaret Thatcher which he had removed from her former study in Downing Street

The 100,000 painting has now been placed on display in a first floor meeting room, No 10 announced

It was prominently displayed in a study which is no longer the Prime Ministers official office, but has been used by Sir Keir for meetings in his first weeks in charge.

Sir Jacob added: It was a previous Labour prime minister who bestowed this honour in recognition of her extraordinary achievements and service to this country.

But whereas Mr Browns gesture was statesman-like and honourable, Sir Keirs actions make him appear mean-spirited and small-minded.

No10 has not revealed which painting will be hung in its place, although Sir Jacob warned: I hate to think what he will replace Lady Thatchers likeness with. A portrait of his EU heroine Ursula von der Leyen or perhaps one of his favourite trade union barons smiling down as Labour hands out yet another vast, unjustified pay increase to his members?

Former Tory MP Sir Conor Burns, who was a close confidant of Lady Thatcher, said: Margaret was hugely honoured that it was a Labour prime minister, Gordon Brown, who commissioned this portrait in recognition of her historic impact on this country.

Former Conservative Cabinet Minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg called for the picture to be returned to its 'rightful place' in the former prime minister's study

By this generous gesture, she became one of a handful of consequential prime ministers to have an official portrait in Downing Street. But she was also deeply touched that it was decided that her likeness would hang in the very study where she worked so diligently over 11 and a half years to transform Britain.

In other words, it is not just the portrait but its location that matters so much here.

Sir Conor added: Therefore, I hope the current Labour Prime Minister will take a moment to reflect and then to instruct that the portrait be returned to where it properly should be  the Thatcher Study.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson said that Sir Keirs petty removal of the painting shows he misled the public when he praised Mrs Thatcher during his election campaign.

Writing in is Daily Mail column yesterday, Mr Johnson said: We are entitled to ask: which is the real Starmer? Is he a Thatcher fan, or a visceral Leftie? The answer, my friends, is now clear: not just from his petty decision to remove her picture, but in everything he is doing in Government.
China has the ability to shut down British hospitals 'at the flick of a switch'  and could even access the medical records of the Royal Family, security sources say.

Beijing's army of hackers have compromised the computer systems of leading hospitals in the UK, giving them the ability to paralyse computer systems and cut power supplies.

Whitehall sources describe the NHS as the country's 'softest underbelly' because of the antiquated nature of its IT systems, which frequently vary between hospital trusts.

It comes after Sir Keir Starmer told Chinese President Xi Jinping last month that he wants London and Beijing to pursue closer economic ties.

In a 45-minute conversation initiated by Sir Keir, the Prime Minister said that he wanted to forge a 'grown-up' relationship between the countries. Xi said that he hoped the UK would 'look at China objectively and rationally'.

Princess Kate revealed in March that she had been diagnosed with cancer following major abdominal surgery

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping addresses the opening of a study session on boosting the high-quality development of the financial sector in Beijing

Earlier this year, it was revealed that a hacking attack on the British military by China, in which agents stole identities, bank details, addresses and national insurance numbers, had affected 270,000 serving personnel from all three services.

There are particular concerns about the vulnerability of the NHS, and the apparent ease with which patient data can be accessed.

A source said: 'Agents are testing our hospital systems all the time. We know that they have the ability to just 'turn off' hospitals if they want at the flick of a switch.

'The first sign it was happening would be consultants' computers freezing, then the power would be cut and the pass system would freeze.

'It would take about 20 minutes for back-up power systems to kick in, and we should be able to restore normality within the hour. But a lot of damage could be done in that time.

'They are able to access patient data. In theory they could hack the Royal Family's medical records and place them on the internet.'

Government security advisers say that China enjoys demonstrating its power as an implicit 'encouragement' for the UK to pursue friendly diplomatic and economic relations, and remove export controls on its technology.

Last week 'unusually aggressive and sophisticated' Chinese hackers gained access to American government and military accounts.

A group known as Volt Typhoon, which is linked to the Chinese government, exploited a so-called zero-day flaw  meaning the software maker was unaware of it before having time to deal with it  to target internet service providers.

The London Clinic where the The Princess of Wales was admitted for abdominal surgery

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to The Hub - Solihull Mosque on August 8

Sir Keir's Tory predecessors spoke out against China's curbing of civil freedoms in Hong Kong and its treatment of the Uyghur people and other Muslims in its western Xinjiang region, and criticised China's decision to take a neutral stance over the Ukraine conflict and to maintain close links with Moscow.

After the phone call between Sir Keir and Xi, No 10 said the Prime Minister 'hoped the leaders would be able to have open, frank and honest discussions to address and understand areas of disagreement where necessary, such as Hong Kong, Russia's war in Ukraine and human rights'.

Last night, Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'The NHS is an easy target because the IT is so poor. My Tory government was pathetically weak on China and it looks as if Labour are going to be even worse  a wishy-washy failure to stand up to a totalitarian state, no doubt encouraged by people like Peter Mandelson who have made money out of Beijing.'

A spokesman for NHS England said: 'More than 338 million has been invested over the past seven years to help keep health and care organisations as safe as possible.

'Our ambitious Cyber Improvement Programme will support the NHS to respond to the changing cyber threats, expand protection and reduce the risk of a successful attack.'

A Cabinet Office source said: 'Robust systems are in place to detect and defend against potential cyber incidents.'
A mother who tearfully denied stabbing her three young sons to death has been locked up in a mental asylum after changing her plea.

Octavia Rogers, 37, faced execution on three counts of first-degree murder for killing Jaikare Rahaman, 8, Jeremiah Adams, 5, and two-month-old Avery Robinson.

But she's now indicated a plea of guilty by reason of insanity, meaning she cannot be put to death.

Her son's bodies were found stuffed in a closet and baby Avery inside a suitcase when police arrived at her home in Phoenix in 2016.

'It appears that the children at this point were likely stabbed to death and that parts of their bodies were dismembered,' police said at the time.

'There's nobody that wanted to walk in and find a scene as gruesome as this one.'

Octavia Rogers, 37, faced execution on three counts of first-degree murder for killing Jaikare Rahaman, 8, Jeremiah Adams, 5, and two-month-old Avery Robinson

A horrifying mugshot of Rogers with a massive scar from where she attempted to slit her own throat after allegedly stabbing her three sons to death

Rogers broke down in court saying 'help me, help me' as she gasped between sobs when she faced court and pleaded not guilty.

The case dragged on for almost eight years and she was supposed to go on trial next week, until she quietly changed her plea to 'guilty except insane'.

Her plea meant she was locked up in a mental asylum indefinitely and would not go on trial, as she was not aware her actions were wrong.

The defense and prosecution agreed after hearing from psychological experts that Rogers killed the children, but was insane at the time.

She will be reassessed at a hearing every two years to determine if she should be kept at the hospital, moved to prison, or released.

A horrifying mugshot of Rogers with a massive scar from where she attempted to slit her own throat after allegedly stabbing her three sons to death.

The boys' bodies were discovered after Rogers' brother came home from work to find her talking about God and saying she found the answer to life.

Rogers (pictured) pleaded not guilty in Maricopa County Superior Court to commissioner Erin O'Brien Otis

Rogers appeared in court hyperventilating and could be be seen shaking as she rocked back and forth saying over and over 'help me', as attorney Gary Bevilacqua steady her with his arm

Then she went inside their home and locked the door behind her. The brother forced his way in and found Rogers had barricaded herself in another room.

She eventually emerged with multiple stab wounds across her abdomen and neck.

Police said Rogers told her brother she hurt herself because she was pregnant, which she wasn't.

Arizona child welfare officials revealed at the time they had previous contact with the family.

The State Child Safety Department said investigators could not locate the family back in 2010 to check reports of a boy with a small abrasion on his forehead.

Rogers (pictured left and right), who was identified by her mother, killed the children before stuffing them inside a closet and a suitcase, police said

They said they investigated cases in 2011 and 2016 involving marijuana allegations in which they found no legal grounds to take the children into emergency care.

One allegation was substantiated, and the other was not, the state's child welfare agency said.

The allegation that was substantiated accused the mother of giving birth to a baby exposed to marijuana, but investigators found the children to be safe.

The department takes seriously its responsibility to protect children - but its powers are limited, agency Director Greg McKay said in 2016.

'We cannot predict the future, and people can at times do awful things,' he said in a statement.

In 2006, Rogers had an order of protection filed against her for allegedly pushing her mother after Rogers was told to move out, court documents said.

Rogers will be reassessed at a hearing every two years to determine if she should be kept at the hospital, moved to prison, or released

Court records from that protection order said her mother wanted her to take part in domestic violence counseling.

Rogers twice went to court to make the fathers of her two oldest sons pay child support.

In 2010, the father of one of her children was convicted of disorderly conduct after police said he pulled out a gun while the married couple was having an argument.

During that disorderly conduct case, Rogers told investigators at the scene that her husband had a gun, though his lawyer would later add he did not point it at anyone.

She later wrote a letter to the judge in the case seeking leniency for her husband.

Rogers, who married her husband in 2009 in Mobile, Alabama, sought a divorce in 2011, but her case was dismissed after she quit pushing the case in court.

Law enforcement officials stand outside a home in Phoenix where the three boys were killed

Her sister, Voniticia Nickerson, said Rogers occasionally smoked marijuana but was not a big drinker, did not do hard drugs and stayed out of trouble with the law.

Nickerson said Rogers was happy to have recently moved back to Phoenix, her hometown, to live with her brother after spending about a year and a half in Virginia.

She noted she saw no signs her sister was trouble, and described Rogers as a devoted mother whose life revolved around her boys.

Nickerson said she is at a loss for a reason her sister might have taken the boys' lives.
Jeremiah Lockett, 13, was last seen Aug. 4, according to the Oakland Police Department. Oakland Police Department Marsir Robinson, 15, was last seen Aug. 13, according to the Oakland Police Department. Oakland Police Department

Oakland police are seeking the publics help locating two teens, ages 13 and 15, who have been missing for weeks.

Jeremiah Lockett, 13, was last seen Aug. 4 on the 9800 block of Birch Street. He is Black and Latino, 6 feet tall, with black hair and brown eyes. At the time of his disappearance, he weighed 200 pounds, had his hair in braids, and was wearing a black T-shirt, black pants and black shoes.

Marsir Robinson, 15, was last seen Aug. 13 around 42nd Street and Telegraph Avenue. He is Black, 5 feet, 2 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes. At the time of his disappearance, he weighed 130 pounds and was wearing a yellow hoodie, gray sweatpants and gold Jordan shoes.

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When Sir Keir Starmer sat next to King Charles's right-hand man at a state banquet in June, it sparked speculation in royal circles that the courtier, Sir Clive Alderton, was being groomed to become our next ambassador to Washington.

But now Westminster sources claim that Sir Clive, a career diplomat who has served as private secretary to Charles and Camilla since 2022, has blotted his copybook with all-powerful No10 chief of staff Sue Gray after an alleged bust-up over access to a meeting between the King, Sir Keir and the actor Idris Elba.

The sources claim that Sir Clive caused tensions with Downing Street by banning political aides from descending on St James's Palace for the The King's Trust round-table event with Mr Elba in the week after Labour's election victory.

The star of Luther, who was once tipped to become the first black James Bond, has long campaigned to highlight the human cost of knife crime.

A source said: 'The Palace made it clear that Sue's advisers were not welcome and it p***** them off. It is fascinating to see how much power BP [Buckingham Palace] still has, but it won't have helped Alderton's chances of going to Washington.'

King Charles III and Idris Elba attending an event for The King's Trust to discuss youth opportunity on July 12

Pictured: Sir Clive Alderton, who is the Principal Private Secretary to Prince Charles, at Royal Ascot in 2022

A royal insider said: 'It has been the case since time immemorial that political advisers are not allowed to attend royal events. It is a long-held position established by the late Queen in order to preserve and protect the political neutrality of the sovereign.'

The insider added: 'In this instance, it was especially appreciated that the Prime Minister was able to attend the event, ahead of his first formal audience with the King, given that he had returned from Washington only that morning.'

The current British ambassador to Washington, Dame Karen Pierce, is expected to leave her post at the end of the year.

Peter Mandelson is the most high-profile name associated with the role, although he says that he has not held talks about the job.

Rishi Sunak's national security adviser Sir Tim Barrow had been lined up by Mr Sunak for the role, but within hours after Sir Keir's victory in the election he was told by Ms Gray that he was not getting it.

Former foreign secretary David Miliband has also been tipped as a candidate.

Sir Clive joined the Foreign Office in 1986, serving in Poland, the EU, Singapore and France, before becoming deputy private secretary to Prince Charles and his wife in 2006.

He became ambassador to Morocco in 2012, then returned to work for Charles in 2015, becoming private secretary to the sovereign on Charles's accession to the throne in 2022.

Sue Gray in her office in the Houses of Parliament, London in September last year

Sir Clive was seated next to Sir Keir during the state banquet held in honour of the visiting Emperor and Empress of Japan at Buckingham Palace, during the election campaign, where they feasted on poached langoustines, basil mousse, Cornish turbot, quail eggs and sorbet.

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'It is not true that there was any issue with the meeting.

'Sue was not personally involved in, or aware of, any of the conversations about the event.

'On the ambassadorship, we've consistently said that we won't be making a decision until we know the result of the presidential election because that will influence the choice.

'So there isn't yet a list for anyone to be either on or off.'
The public inquiry into the deaths blamed on Lucy Letby should take into account doubts over the safety of her conviction, a former Cabinet minister has said.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis has written to Lady Justice Thirlwall, the chair of the upcoming inquiry into events at the Countess of Chester Hospital, raising concerns that the terms of the probe depend on the presumption that Ms Letby's conviction was safe.

Increasing numbers of experts have expressed concerns about the case, and there is mounting disquiet within the NHS and the legal profession about the possibility that Letby could have been scapegoated for NHS failings.

In his letter, Sir David argues the terms of reference for the inquiry should be broad enough to consider alternative explanations for the deaths and admit evidence to address the concerns now being raised about the safety of Ms Letby's conviction.

Pictured: Lucy Letby who was given a whole life order for killing babies in a neonatal unit

David Davis MP speaking to the media outside the Royal Courts Of Justice in London in March

Explaining that he has had 'a multitude of experts contact me to express their concerns', Sir David writes: 'These experts range from Nobel laureates to heads of royal societies and royal colleges, and other prominent experts in medicine, statistics, forensic science and healthcare.

'At the very least I believe the terms of reference for your inquiry should be broadened so as to not depend on the presumption that Ms Letby's conviction was safe.'

He adds: 'The deaths may not have been caused by murder, but rather the result of a systemic failure in a unit that was overstretched and underfunded.

'Secondly, the deaths may have been caused by bad management of vulnerable neo-natal babies in the unit... thirdly, the deaths may have been caused by external factors, including infections such as a pseudomonas outbreak that the hospital was reported to be struggling to contain at the time of the deaths.'

Increasing numbers of experts have expressed concerns about the case, and there is mounting disquiet about the possibility that Letby could have been scapegoated for NHS failings

Supporters of ex-nurse Lucy Letby demonstrate outside the High Court in London during her appeal hearing

Sir David is planning to spearhead a Commons campaign raising questions about the conviction.

Mail columnists Peter Hitchens and Nadine Dorries have highlighted that Letby was convicted of the murders of seven newborns and the attempted murders of six other infants at the Countess of Chester Hospital despite the fact that no one saw her kill, or attempt to kill, a baby and there is no forensic evidence to prove her guilt.

Two prosecution witnesses basing their views on a 30-year-old research paper suggested that Letby murdered babies by injecting them with air through their feeding tubes. But the academic who wrote the paper was not called as a prosecution witness and has since cast doubt on his work being used in the trial.
Three bright young Aussie students have proven their business acumen by not only getting selected for an exclusive university course, but for then turning that opportunity into a successful start-up business thanks to a genius idea.

Budding entrepreneurs Gabriel Tucker, Max Moolman and Bridget Lansell were among the 30 people chosen from 500 applicants for the Fastrack Accelerator program at Monash University in Melbourne.

They had never met before day one of the course, but hit it off and decided to work together on an assignment with the broad task of finding a solution to an economic problem of their choice.

Though it took them quite a while to come up with the right problem to tackle, they settled on food waste, which costs the Australian economy around $36.6billion per year.

Mr Moolman was astonished at how much food goes to waste, despite Australia's 'amazing produce'.

On further investigation, the trio found that about a quarter of all produce doesn't leave the farms it's grown on, even though it's perfectly edible, simply because it looks a little 'wonky'.

They thought it was the most ridiculous thing they had ever heard and resolved to do something about it.

When Mr Tucker saw how a lawn bowling club was using beer profits to save other bowlos from closing, the idea to make alcoholic drinks that used farm produce that would have otherwise have been thrown out came to them - and Wonki was born.

Budding entrepreneurs Gabriel Tucker, Bridget Lansell and Max Moolman (pictured) were among the 30 people chosen from 500 applicants for the Fastrack Accelerator program at Monash University in Melbourne

'We started diving into the market in Australia, and we just could not find a single alcoholic product that was using imperfect or misshapen fruit,' Mr Moolman told Yahoo.

They thought that was crazy, given that juice, jam and various other every day products were made from fruit that would be considered second or third grade.

The students came up with the brand name Wonki, but it was going to take a lot more than just some clever wordplay to make their enterprise a success, especially with some many long-established businesses to compete with.

So they went around Melbourne people for their views on pre-mixed drinks - questions such as are they existing products too sugary and what flavours they would like to see.

Having found what they wanted to launch with, they got a company called Farmers Pick to find the produce, Market Juice for juicing and Gypsy Hub to make the drinks.

They raised $30,000 through crowdfunding initiative and used that to make their first batch of Wonki vodka soda drinks.

Then they wore down their shoe leather by going into bars and bottle shops to ask them to stock their brand.

It worked, and within a few months, even the liquor giant Dan Murphy's was stocking Wonki.

This was all the more impressive considering Dan Murphy's gets around 400 applications a year from companies looking to get a foot in the door for their pre-mix drinks.

Wonki is now stocked in 33 Dan Murphy's stores across Victoria, 35 BWS locations and 30 independent stores.

Bridget Lansell, one of the creators of Wonki, is pictured advertising the brand

The trio's genius idea was to use fruit that would otherwise be wasted because it was misshapen to make alcohol

With warmer weather and citrus fruits on the way, they're about to rerelease their Blood Orange and Mandarin flavour (pictured)

The trajectory of the trio's success has been impressive. They met at the end of 2021, spent 2022 working on their idea, launched it in mid-2023 and had a Dan Murphy's contract Christmas that year.

Their company's sales were $205,000 in the 2023-2024 financial year and they are confident that will keep rising and they will save more and more of the 7.6million tonnes of food that gets thrown out each year in Australia - 70 per cent of which is fine, but doesn't get to supermarket shelves as it's considered misshapen.

'Every case saves about two and a half to three kilos of produce, but we've just clocked over 10 tonnes of produce saved from farms since the middle of last year,' Mr Moolman said.

'We reckon we can save a hell of a lot more. The ultimate goal is to be able to eliminate an entire farm's second or third-grade waste every season.'

Another near term goal for the trio, who are aged from 23 to 25, is to expand out of Victoria across the country and to also find farmers in other states whose produce they can make drinks with.

As fruit is a seasonal produce, the two Wonki flavours currently on sale are Watermelon and Lemon, and Cucumber and Lime.

With warmer weather and citrus fruits on the way, they're about to rerelease their Blood Orange and Mandarin flavour.
As she turns 54 today, Queen Rania of Jordan has a lot to be celebrating.

The glamorous mother-of-four became a grandmother for the first time this month.

Her son, Crown Prince Hussein, welcomed daughter Princess Iman with his wife, Crown Princess Rajwa.

Princess Iman, who shares her name with Rania's daughter, 27, is the first grandchild the Queen and her husband, King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein II.

Prince Hussein, 30, announced the birth of his first child on Instagram earlier this month and thanked the 'dedicated' medical staff who assisted.

Queen Rania of Jordan, pictured here with her new granddaughter Princess Imam at the start of this month, turns 54 today

The Queen with her family - eldest son Crown Prince Hussein, Princess Salma, Prince Hashem, Princess Iman and King Abdullah II

Rania with her daughter in law, Crown Princess Rajwa (right), who gave birth to Princess Imam recently

Though now known as a stylish queen living a luxurious lifestyle with more than 10million followers on Instagram, Rania had humble beginnings in Kuwait.

She was born on August 31, 1970, to Palestinian parents - her doctor father Faisal Sedki Al-Yassin and mother Ilham Yassin.

The same year, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where her parents had moved after fleeing Kuwait along with thousands of other Palestinians following the Gulf War.

Her family eventually settled in a comfortable home in Tulkarm in the West Bank, close to the border with Israel.

Queen Rania was educated first at the New English School in Kuwait City and then at the American University in Cairo, where she graduated with a business degree in 1991.

In her early professional career, Rania worked with Citibank, before later taking on a marketing position with Apple.

She met her husband at a dinner party in 1993 and the couple were engaged just two months later. Just five months after they first met, they married.

Rania on her wedding day with her husband Abdullah in 1993

Queen Rania holding three-month-old Princess Salma, with Princess Iman and Prince Hussein by her side

Their lavish ceremony took place at the Zahran Palace in Amman, capital of Jordan. The day was declared a national holiday.

Tradition dictated a royal bride must wear jewels from her own family at her wedding.

But Rania did not come from a noble family with an impressive range of jewels at her disposal and so did not follow tradition.

Rather than the expected tiara, she wore an embellished headband attached to her wedding veil, which was styled around her intricate up-do.

In tying the knot with Abdullah, Rania did not know she would become the Queen of Jordan.

Because her husband's uncle, Prince Hassan, had actually been next in line for the throne for decades.

But when on his deathbed in 1999, King Hussein removed Hassan from the line of succession and replaced him with his son.

Rania and Abdullah have four children. Along with Crown Prince Hussein, they have Princess Iman, 27, Princess Salma, 23, and Hashem, 19.

Queen Rania calls herself 'a mum and a wife with a really cool day job' on her Instagram account.

She recently posted a photo of her eldest son and his pregnant wife on Instagram wishing him happy birthday.

She recently posted a photo of her eldest son and his pregnant wife on Instagram wishing him happy birthday

Rania with Queen Camilla during the British Royal Family's visit to Jordan in 2021

The expecting couple appeared in high spirits as they posed in nature, glancing away from the camera.

Rajwa was glowing in an off-white dress with the fitted silhouette revealing her blossoming baby bump - and Rania commented how she 'couldn't wait' to see them as parents, sharing her excitement for the new baby.

Aside from preparing for the baby, Rania enjoyed another grand celebration this year too - King Abdullah's silver jubilee in June.

She attended the ceremony in a chic white dress and grey corset with her husband, son Hussein and expectant Rajwa.
Thousands of Princess Diana fans gather at Kensington Palace to pay tribute to the beloved 'people's princess' 27 years on from her tragic death in Paris.

Well-wishers have placed flowers, flags and photographs of the late Diana Spencer on the golden gates to the south of the West London royal home.

The scene is expected to mirror the sea of flowers which emerged after Diana's death on August 31, 1997.

The touching tribute marks the 27th anniversary of Diana's death in Paris - where she was killed in a car crash alongside Dodi Al Fayed and chaffeur Henri Paul.

Despite efforts to save her, Diana was pronounced dead at 4:00 a.m French time on August 30, 1997, after suffering from a stroke in La Pitie Salpetriere Hospital, Paris.

The poignant anniversary comes in the week that Diana's sons William and Harry again showed the world how far apart they are - by not exchanging a single word at their uncle's funeral.

Royal fans decorate the gates of Kensington Palace with Princess Diana memorabilia

A poster of Diana reads: 'No one spread more love in one lifetime than Princess Diana'

1997: Thousands of tributes form a 'sea of flowers' outside Kensington Palace's Golden Gates following Diana's death

Today pictures of Diana adorn the gates of Kensington Palace, with one poster reading: 'No one spread more love in one lifetime than Princess Diana.'

Another reads: 'Her work continues through her loving sons Prince William and Prince Harry.'

Just two days ago, the brothers attended a memorial service for their uncle Lord Fellowes.

But a source told the Sun they did not exchange a single word despite being 'only five yards from each other'.

William and Harry were said to have been sat 'two or three rows back from the front' and were positioned on 'opposite sides of he aisle' with family members in the 'rest of the seats between them', the newspaper reported.

Former councillor David Hocking, 93, who was at the service, said 'it was very sad' to see the Princes apart and told The Times, 'I hope they got talking at the reception' - which Mr Hocking says he did not attend.

He also claimed that Harry and William were both very discreet at the service and that 'if you didn't know they were there you might not recognise them'.

A picture of Diana Spencer adorns the gate of Kensington Palace today - 27 years on from her tragic death

People walk their dogs past Kensington Palace where touching tributes have been laid out for the late Princess Diana

The last ever photo taken of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed in the Mercedes car in which they were killed a short time later, on August 31, 1997

The wreckage of the car that killed Diana was taken out of the Alma underpass

The ambulance that took Princess Diana to the hospital on the night of the crash

Princess Diana's coffin arrives at RAF Northolt after being flown from Paris

A young Prince William and Harry attend their mother's funeral in September 1997

Prince William and Harry at the unveiling of a statue of their mother Diana at Kensington Palace in July 2021. The event was attended by Lady Jane Fellowes, wife of Lord Fellowes

Prince William and Prince Harry stood 'virtually back to back' while they chatted with mourners at their uncle's funeral on Thursday, a witness has claimed. The brothers are pictured at the unveiling of a statue of their mother Diana at Kensington Palace in July 2021

The interior of St Mary's Church in Snettisham is pictured Friday, the day after the funeral

British Red Cross has led the tributes for Princess Diana.

In a post on X, the charity said: 'Today on the anniversary of her death, we pay tribute to Princess Diana's work as a dedicated humanitarian.

'As an active supporter of the Red Cross, she championed our work both in the UK and overseas. Thank you.'

The National AIDS Trust wrote: 'The legacy of Princess Diana, our late patron, continues to shine brightly 27 years after her death.

'She was an icon of compassion, kindness and dedication to humanitarian causes. She saw the people behind the stigma and discrimination, and helped change public perceptions.'

On 9 April 1987, at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Princess Diana agreed to open Britains first specialist unit for patients with the disease at the London Middlesex Hospital.

At a time of great fear and uncertainty about HIV, which was then being demonised as the gay plague, the Princess was secretly determined that her visit would have far more impact than the usual Royal ribbon-cutting exercise.

With her dazzling smile and unforgettable star quality, the Princess of Wales strolled through the unit in private, talking to staff and patients alike. Crucially, she shook hands with them all.

Ivan Cohen, agreed to be photographed, but only on condition that the picture was taken from behind him - with only his back in shot. So in April 1987, with the press and TV cameras trained on her, Princess Diana sat down at the bedside of a gay man who had been diagnosed with AIDS - and publicly shook his hand

Former Editor-in-Chief of the best-selling gay magazine Attitude also took to social media to share a picture of her shaking the hands of AIDS patients as a tribute to Diana, who he described as a 'diamond of a woman'.

He penned: 'Its the anniversary of Dianas death today. Ill never forget this absolute diamond of a woman.

'Another of the greatest things the UK has ever had destroyed by the media. Rest in peace.
Isn't it time for the royal feud to end? When Prince Harry arrived at a Norfolk parish church last week, for the memorial service for his uncle by marriage, Robert Fellowes, many of those present probably prayed that there would be a reconciliation between him and Prince William.

In fact, William left the Snettisham church without exchanging so much as a syllable with his estranged younger brother.

He appears adamant that Harry is the black sheep of the family, for whom there can be no forgiveness. This is both deeply sad and worrying.

The longer the feud continues, the deeper and wider the chasm will get.

There are rumours that William has said he will not even invite his brother to his Coronation, when that day dawns.

As The Mail on Sunday reveals today, Harry has begun making overtures to investigate ways of ending his exile

This would be calamitous for countless reasons. Indeed, there are very wide ramifications.

Many have spent years vilifying Meghan for refusing to speak to her poor, clumsy old dad, who made a donkey of himself before her wedding by posing for paparazzi pictures.

Williams refusal to speak to his brother risks appearing just as petty. If William allows the feud to fester it will dominate every public occasion in which he takes part. At family funerals. At ceremonies of national importance.

Instead of public attention being focused on the ceremony, people will understandably be thinking of The Feud  second-guessing body language between the pair, poring over what few  if any  words and glances are exchanged.

Do we really want this? Is it not the Prince of Waless duty to come to forgive? Or at least behave as if he has forgiven.

It was a wise man who wrote I kiss my son not because I love him, but in order to love him. For son read brother.

There is something deeply unseemly about any family having a row in public. When it is the Royal Family, it poisons the air and undermines the very institution of the monarchy.

The indications are that King Charles, especially in the light of his cancer, has been receiving spiritual advice from friends such as Richard Chartres, the former Bishop of London, urging him to build bridges with his younger son.

Obviously, Charles would like to meet and befriend his American grandchildren.

In his memoir 2023 Spare, Prince Harry claimed that his brother William had been violent

He should not have to feel anxious that he might leave this world before making peace with his darling boy Harry.

For his part, as The Mail on Sunday reveals today, Harry has begun making overtures to investigate ways of ending his exile. Prince William appears to be the one standing in the way of this. Surely, he has a duty to his father  if not his brother  to aid, not obstruct, such a rapprochement?

The reasons for the rift are obvious.

Harry wrote  or rather, dictated to a clever ghost-writer  his deeply hurtful memoir Spare in which he claimed that his brother William had been violent.

Intolerable things were said about Williams wife, Catherine, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment.

Harry and Meghan even told the world, via the Oprah Winfrey show, that the Royal Family was racist, a slur which is deeply unfair  for the King, with such ventures as The Princes Trust, has done more to bring the people of this country together, regardless of colour or creed, than any public figure.

It is no wonder that William remains aggrieved and angry.

But as our future king, he needs to appear magnanimous, not mean-spirited. He should recall the example of the late Queen, his grandmother, who put duty before personal feelings.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex last month went on a quasi-royal tour of Colombia

As an olive branch to his family, Harry has made it clear that there will not be a sequel to Spare

In 2012, she famously shook the hand of former IRA commander Martin McGuinness, despite the murder of Prince Philips beloved uncle, Lord Mountbatten, by the IRA, in the interests of peace and reconciliation.

Surely William could shake his brothers hand if it is proffered? And there are hopeful signs that Harry is beginning to extend his hand.

As an olive branch to his furious family, he has made it clear that  to his publishers disappointment  there will not be a sequel to Spare, nor will he be updating the paperback edition with any more venomous barbs.

There are even indications that Harry is prepared to drop his case against the Home Office about his inadequate security arrangements. And he and Meghan are both hinting, via friends and sources, that they are prepared to give up giving embarrassing interviews with TV and newspapers. The squabbles concerning Meghan and the Royal Household already increasingly look trivial  whether she did or did not throw tantrums, whether they were reducing her to a nervous wreck. She, and they, have surely moved on.

Another hopeful sign: Harry and Meghan went to Colombia recently and many critics prepared to denounce whatever ill-thought-out statement they believed the couple would inevitably venture. In fact, they behaved with positively royal decorum and discretion.

Then, it was said that Meghan might embarrass the Foreign Office and the Royal Family by attending the Democratic Convention in Chicago. But she didnt go.

Instead, she has hinted that she will, in future, limit her public appearances to promoting the work of her clothes designer friends.

Is there a strategy behind Meghans new-found reticence? Why would a woman previously so keen on political posturing suddenly be keeping schtum?

Perhaps Harry and Meghan have realised, belatedly, which side their bread is buttered on.

After their efforts to build a media empire fizzled out, boiling down to little more than a few pots of Meghans home-made jam, have they now grasped that, without the House of Windsor, they have little social and political currency?

Is that why Harry has recently renewed contact with some of his UK-based friends over WhatsApp?

His 40th birthday celebrations in two weeks would be the ideal opportunity to rebuild bridges with lost allies.

Heres hoping that happens.

Both Harry and his brother are stubborn, but the longer the estrangement continues, the more it seems like William is the one holding his grudge tighter.

Someone must step in to help him change his mind.

Maybe a younger member of the Royal Family  one of Princess Annes children; maybe one of his friends; maybe his wife  or maybe all of them should implore him to have a change of heart.

Whoever dares to confront William about this, should surely be brave enough to ask: What do you think your mother would want?

Both princes will recall a childhood beset by book deals and TV interviews in which their parents aired their grievances with each other. Surely they dont want their ugly feud in front of the world to consume their families any longer?

It is in everyones interests for William to bring Harry back into the fold.
Getting paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to eat as many hotdogs as you like may sound as close to a dream job as you could possibly get.

But in reality, competitive eating is closer to a nightmare.

This Monday, Netflix will host the long-awaited rematch between hotdog chomping legends Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi.

As these two prepare to chow down on over 70 hotdogs in just 10 minutes, MailOnline spoke to scientists to understand exactly what it takes to become a champion competitive eater.

From excruciating stomach stretching training to the very risk of choking to death, this fast growing 'sport' is far from what it seems.

As long-time rivals Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi prepare for their hotdog-eating rematch, MailOnline takes a look at what it really takes to be a champion speed eater

What it takes to be a competitive eater A strong stomach Speed eaters have 'extreme' stomach elasticity levels. Eaters chug vast quantities of water or eat successively bigger meals to train their stomachs to expand. Iron jaws Top competitors train their necks and mouths to enhance their bite strength and ability to swallow. No gag reflex To avoid being disqualified for throwing up, some speed eaters de-train their gag reflexes. An understanding of the risks Speed eating carries a high risk of gastrointestinal distress, stomach or oesophagus tears, and choking to death on food or vomit. The long-term health implications are unknown. Advertisement

What is competitive eating?

Competitive speed eating is pretty much as simple as it sounds.

While the specific rules vary depending on the food, challengers usually go head to head to see how many food items they can scarf down in a set time limit.

Competitions like The Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island got started in the 1970s, but sprung to popularity in the early 2000s.

Since 2014, the annual hotdog eating contest has been broadcast by ESPN to huge audiences across the US.

The sudden interest in the 'sport' is partially due to a series of young competitors like Takeru Kobayashi, who pushed the limits of what was thought to be possible.

In his first appearance in the US in 2001, Kobayashi doubled the previous world record by eating 50 hotdogs in 12 minutes.

The event organisers were so surprised by Kobayashi's performance that they ran out of signs to record the number of hotdogs eaten.

Driven by intense rivalries and ever-larger financial incentives, Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut have now pushed the record to seemingly superhuman levels.

Currently, the record set by Chestnut in 2016 stands at a truly unbelievable 76 hotdogs in 10 minutes.

Joey Chestnut (left) and Takeru Kobayashi (right) have traded the world record for hotdog eating back and forth for almost two decades of competitions

The stomach of a champion

If you want to be a champion in the world of competitive eating, there are two key factors: how fast can you get food to your stomach, and how much your stomach can hold.

Normally, the human stomach is about the size of two fists put together and has a capacity of around a litre and a half.

During competitions, a speed eater's stomach can balloon more than four times its normal size.

Professor Kathleen Melanson, an expert in appetite physiology from the University of Rhode Island, told MailOnline this is possible thanks to their abnormally stretchy stomachs.

Professor Melanson says: 'Competitive eaters are not the norm, they tend to have a stomach elasticity that is at the extreme end of the spectrum.'

To eat up more than 70 hot dogs in a single sitting, competitive eaters like Joey Chestnut need to have stomachs with extreme levels of natural elasticity

Like any sporting competition, you're not going to break any records without putting in some serious work - and competitive eating is no exception.

Their genetic dispositions might give them an edge but speed eaters also work hard to stretch their stomachs beyond the normal human limits.

As the stomach expands, stretch receptors in the surrounding muscles send signals to the satiating centres of the brain telling it it's time to stop eating.

By enhancing their natural stomach elasticity through training, competitive eaters may be able to 'turn down the dimmer switch' on the satiety response.

In a study of a speed eater's stomach published in 2007, Dr David Metz of the University of Pennsylvania described the changes this caused to the body.

During a competition, a competitor's stomach can stretch to more than four times its normal size to accommodate the food. In this photo, you can clearly see how distended Kobayashi's stomach is after eating over 15lbs of pizza

Dr Metz wrote: 'The speed eater had markedly altered gastric physiology that enabled his stomach to rapidly accommodate an enormous quantity of ingested food by progressively expanding until it became a giant, flaccid sac occupying most of his upper abdomen.

'In other words, his stomach acted as a compliant, expansile receptacle, dilating to a degree that it could accept an almost unlimited volume of food.'

This is what allows competitive eaters to achieve incredible feats like consuming 9.22 litres of chilli, as Carmen Cincotti did to set the world record in 2018.

However, Dr Metz told MailOnline he is not sure whether an eater's stomach is something that can be developed or if you need to be born with it.

This model demonstrates what the stomach might look like after eating 69 hotdogs and buns

Many speed eaters 'train' by drinking vast quantities of liquids to force their stomachs to rapidly expand when needed.

For example, doughnut-eating champion Yasir Salem says he would drink 4.5 litres of juice in a minute every morning for a month prior to competing.

However, Professor Melanson points out that, while these techniques can be effective, training with water or other liquids can be extremely dangerous.

Drinking excessive quantities of water can lead to a condition called hyponatremia as the blood becomes so dilute that it overwhelms the kidneys.

Water then begins crossing into the cells including those in the brain, leading to kidney failure, heart failure, and potentially lethal brain swelling.

Dr Metz also points out that it is 'unclear' whether this training really helps, since it has never been scientifically studied.

This x-ray shows a competitive eater's stomach after consuming 36 hotdogs and buns. The study found that the stomach had become a 'dilated, flaccid sac' after years of training

Taking a bite out of the competition

When it comes to the sheer speed of consumption, speed eaters push the boundaries of how much food can physically be forced into the human body.

A research paper published in 2020 used 39 years of data from the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest to estimate the theoretical limit for eating speed.

The researchers estimate that the 'maximal active consumption rate' is approximately 832 grams of fresh matter, or 8.32 hotdogs, per minute.

To put that in perspective, the researchers note that a grizzly bear's maximal active consumption rate is only 798 grams, or 7.98 hotdogs, per minute.

With Joey Chestnut clocking in at 7.6 hot dogs per minute, elite human eaters are not only pushing the limits of human endurance but also giving bears a serious run for their money.

Researchers have used the last 39 years of hot dog eating competitions to calculate that the maximum possible rate of consumption is approximately 832 grams of fresh matter, or 8.32 hotdogs, per minute

Hitting rates of 7.6 hotdogs per minute, Joey Chestnut has a consumption rate similar to that of a grizzly bear

But like any sporting competition, you're not going to break any records without putting in some serious work.

The best competitive eaters use specialised techniques and rigorous training to give themselves the winning edge.

Kobayashi famously invented a manoeuvre he called the 'Solomon method' to achieve his record-breaking performances.

This technique involves tearing the hotdogs in half and dunking both halves in water to wet the bread before cramming both sides into your mouth.

In addition Kobayashi is known for his jumping and twisting techniques which use gravity to help force food through the oesophagus.

Competitive eaters will also train their ability to chew and swallow food by exercising their jaws and throat muscles.

Joey Chestnut's workout routine involves chewing on a rubber ball and lifting weights with his teeth.

Takeru Kobayashi uses the 'Solomon method' which involves tearing hotdogs in half before dunking them in water

When ESPN tested his bite strength, it was found to be in excess of 127kg (280 lbs) - greater than that of a German Shepherd.

Speed eaters will practice swallowing full mouthfuls of water to train their throat muscles in order to take even bigger bites.

Naturally, trying to cram whole hotdogs down your throat just isn't going to work for competitors with a strong gag reflex.

Since throwing up results in disqualification, vomiting, also known as the 'reversal of fortune', is a serious problem for top competitors.

For some speed eaters like Kobayashi, overcoming the urge to spew is as simple as staying focused and keeping his mind off the taste of the food.

Others have turned to biofeedback specialists for advice and actively work to de-train their reflexes.

Competitive eater Yasir Salem told Mental Floss: 'A lot of the suppression training has to do with brushing my tongue really far back, every morning and night.

'It's part of my daily routine. I don't even think about it anymore.'

Joey Chestnut's bite strength has been found to be in excess of 127kg (280 lbs), greater than that of a German Shepherd.

The fat belt theory

After regularly slamming 50-70 hotdogs in training you might expect competitive eaters to have piled on the pounds.

However, a look at the lineup of competitors reveals that this is far from the case.

Kobayashi has previously said that his ideal competition weight is just 60kg (132 lbs) and most professionals spend three to five days in the gym working to stay trim.

But this isn't just a matter of personal aesthetics or even staying healthy.

Like everything else in the life of a champion competitive eater, getting trim is all about getting the winning edge.

Contrary to what you might think, most serious competitive eaters tend to be thin and in good physical health. Many work out three to five days a week to stay in shape

Speed eaters believe that excess weight around the belly acts as a 'fat belt' which prevents their stomach from expanding as quickly as it might otherwise.

Just like a tight pair of trousers can be uncomfortable after Christmas dinner, the idea is that anything pressing on your stomach can lower its capacity and trigger the brain's satiety response.

Professor Melanson says that there isn't any scientific evidence for the theory but speed eaters have probably found this in their own experience.

Given that the majority of successful eaters are indeed very skinny, this hints that hitting the gym is likely an important part of the recipe for victory.

Kobayashi says his ideal competing weight is just 60kg (132 lbs) due to a belief that excess body weight acts as a 'fat belt' which restricts the stomach's expansion

What are the risks?

Perhaps a little unsurprisingly, forcing 7 kg of meat and bread into your stomach in a 10-minute feeding frenzy can have some pretty dire consequences.

During competitions, eaters can actually consume so much that chunks of undigested food are forced out of the stomach and into the intestines.

As the sugar-rich food drops rapidly into the stomach, this can trigger something called dumping syndrome.

'This is associated with heavy sweating and some gastrointestinal distress like diarrhoea,' Professor Melanson explains.

Those chunks of food can also harbour colonies of bacteria leading to a condition called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth which, once again, leads to diarrhoea.

Of course, after all that food goes in it's only natural to wonder how bad things must be when it has to come out.

Eating over 7 kg of meat and bread in ten minutes can lead to health complications which range from the development of bacterial colonies in the small intestine to tears in the stomach lining

Although not many speed eaters have been forthcoming about these details, Peter Czerwinski, a professional eater known as Furious Pete has been very forthcoming.

Furious Pete told the Canadian Medical Journal Association: 'There are only so many calories you can consume in 10 minutes, a lot of stuff goes through undigested.'

In a video posted to YouTube, Furious Pete further illustrated the issue, saying: 'The toilet bowl gets full, and it gets to the point where it starts to overflow, and it just starts spewing out, and that becomes a little bit of a problem sometimes.'

However, compared to some of the possible medical consequences, an overflowing toilet bowl is getting off pretty lightly.

In 2019, a group of Singaporean medics described the case of a patient who had been hospitalised for five days after taking part in a competitive eating contest.

The patient had eaten a 3.2 kg burger in 30 minutes and had become gripped by intense pain when the burger refused to budge.

These X-rays show the stomach of a patient who was hospitalised for five days after eating a 3.2 kg burger in 30 minutes

The doctors were preparing for surgery to manually remove the undigested food before the patient 'started to pass flatus' and their condition improved.

Forcing so much matter into the body so quickly also creates a serious risk of tearing the stomach or oesophagus.

'Some people have required surgery because it is just stretched so much,' Professor Melanson says.

These injuries can even be fatal, as in the case of the Chinese streamer Pan Xiaoting who collapsed and died at 24 due to a suspected stomach tear incurred while eating.

However, the biggest issue of all is the extremely real danger of choking to death on the food or on your own vomit.

Since the year 2000, there have been at least six recorded deaths due to choking at speed eating contests.

The biggest risk is that of choking which has led to a number of fatalities including the death of Madie Nicpon, a 20-year-old Tufts student who died in 2021. Pictured: Ms Nicpon's shirt laid out at a vigil

This includes Madie Nicpon, a 20-year-old Tufts student, who died in 2021 after choking and falling unconscious during a hotdog eating contest.

Despite emergency services performing 'extensive life-saving procedures', the response was too slow to avoid a fatal injury.

Amateur events appear to be significantly more dangerous than those operated by the Major League Eating organisation since emergency services are less likely to be on standby.

This is especially problematic where speed eaters have deliberately de-trained the gag response which might put a check on dangerous consumption.

But even if eaters avoid the immediate dangers of the sport, the long-term effects could be severe and irreversible.

In Netflix's documentary 'Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut' Kobayashi underwent an MRI (pictured) to determine what effect competitive eating has had on his brain and body. Experts warn that there is not enough evidence to determine the long-term risks

Kobayashi previously announced he would be retiring from the sport over concerns he was doing irreversible damage to his body.

In Netflix's documentary 'Hack Your Health - The Secrets of Your Gut', Kobayashi described how he no longer feels any sensation of appetite or fullness.

'I hear people say they're hungry, and they look very happy after they've eaten. I'm jealous of those people because I no longer feel hunger,' said Kobayashi.

What makes this so troubling, is that scientists simply do not know what the effects of years of competitive eating will be.

Professor Melanson adds: 'One of the problems with speed eating is that there's so few people on the planet who compete that there's not much research funding.

'Unless the research is done we don't know [the consequences], but I would dare say that people who know they have a family history of cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes should not risk it.'
NASA has changed its flight plans ahead of a SpaceX mission to bring home the stranded astronauts stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) and has removed two crew members from the trip's roster.

SpaceX Crew-9 will now only fly a two-man mission to the ISS in order to bring back the stranded Boeing Crew, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck in space for eight months.

Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson will no longer be flying on the mission, but will be 'eligible for reassignment on a future mission,' NASA announced Friday.

Despite the fact that the two NASA astronauts will return back to Earth, ditching Cardman and Wilson puts a dent in Crew-9's mission as they 'trained as a crew of four,' NASA chief astronaut Joe Acaba said in a statement.

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will continue on with the mission as a commander and mission specialist, respectively.

The two Americans were kicked off in favor of the Russian crew member in order to continue to fulfill the arrangement with Roscosmos to fly one Russian astronaut, 'who can operate their critical systems for continued, safe station operations,' on each SpaceX flight, NASA said. In return, the US receives seats on Soyuz spacecraft.

SpaceX Crew-9 will now only fly a two-man mission to the ISS in order to bring back the stranded Boeing Crew, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck in space for eight months

The flight is expected to take off in February 2025 - pushing it back five months from it's original September 24 takeoff.

Despite acknowledging that it will be an adjustment for the crew, Acaba has the 'utmost confidence in all our crew, who have been excellent throughout training for the mission.'

'Zena and Stephanie will continue to assist their crewmates ahead of launch, and they exemplify what it means to be a professional astronaut,' he said.

The two female astronauts hold no hard feelings, both saying they believed the two men would do just fine.

'I am confident Nick and Alex will step into their roles with excellence,' Cardman, a scientist, said.

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will continue on with the mission as a commander and mission specialist, respectively. The flight is expected to take off in February 2025 - pushing it back five months from it's original September 24 takeoff

Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson will no longer be flying on the mission, but will be 'eligible for reassignment on a future mission,' NASA announced Friday (pictured L-R: Gorbunov, Hague, Cardman and Wilson)

Hague has clocked in 203 days in space already and this will be his third launch and second mission to the ISS, NASA said.

He also did a developmental rotation at the DOD Space Force, where he worked as its director of test and evaluation from 2020 to 2022, before returning to NASA, where he worked on the Boeing Starliner Program.

For Gorbunov, on the other hand, this will be his first trip to space.

Once the pair reach the ISS, they will become crew members of Expedition 72, where they will join Wilmore and Williams, among others, to conduct scientific research and maintenance activities, NASA said.

Wilmore and Williams were trapped on the ISS have their Boeing ship was faulty and several attempts to bring them home equally failed, including considering sending them home on the very ship that left them stranded.

Wilmore and Williams were trapped on the ISS have their Boeing ship was faulty and several attempts to bring them home equally failed, including considering sending them home on the very ship that left them stranded. (Pictured: a SpaceX spacecraft)

A full timeline of Boeing's Starliner program, from the singing of their massive contact to the incident that left two astronauts stranded aboard the ISS

Ultimately, NASA decided that the risk of a fatal accident is too high to bring the astronauts home on Starliner.

Boeing officials cooperated with the decision, but they didn't necessarily agree with it.

'For their part, the Boeing engineers think the capsule is totally safe, would easily bring the crew back home in safety as needed.'

'NASA looked at all the same test data, but they decided, 'we just don't have enough certainty.''

The impact of this decision on NASA's relationship with Boeing remains to be seen.
Australians headed to Bali will be required to complete a new health declaration form amid public health concern about the spread of Mpox in Indonesia.

Travellers must complete an electronic self-declaration form, the SatuSehat Health Pass, in order to enter the country.

The Indonesian government has introduced the measure to keep a check on spread of the contagious virus just weeks after it was declared a public health emergency.

'All passengers and aircraft personnel traveling from abroad are required to fill in this health pass. By declaring your health condition and travel history, you contribute to safer travel in Indonesia, reads the health pass site.

Indonesia's Director-General of Air Transportation, Maria Kristi Endah Murni, said the rule applies to all foreign travellers including flight crew.

'Every foreign traveler flying to Indonesia must fill out an electronic self-declaration form called the SatuSehat Health Pass, as a guide for international airport operators to prevent and handle Mpox transmission at airports,' she stated, according to Indonesias Antara news agency.

The declaration form must be completed online before passengers check onto their flight.

It's understood travellers will then receive a barcode with their health and travel history, which Indonesian authorities will scan upon arrival.

Aussies headed to Bali must remember to fill in the health declaration form online before they enter Indonesia

The Indonesian government has introduced the measure to keep a check on spread of the contagious virus just weeks after it was declared a public health emergency

If travellers show symptoms of Mpox, they may be directed to a hospital for treatment.

Balinese airport biosecurity teams have also reportedly introduced thermal imaging cameras in the arrivals terminal to detect passengers with high temperatures.

Travellers planning to visit Indonesia can fill in the form on the app or online.

Indonesia is combatting a recent spike in Mpox cases.

Additional tracing measures come as Indonesia has reported 80 cases of Mpox in the past year

WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (above), said recent Mpox developments were 'very worrying'

There have been over 80 confirmed cases of Mpox in the south-east Asian nation in the past year.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on August 14.

The new strain of Mpox is believed to have emerged from the Democratic Republic of Congo and has reportedly evolved faster than scientists expected.

WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the emergence of a new sub-type of Mpox and its rapid spread around the DRC were very worrying.

Its clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives, he said.

More than 15,000 cases and 537 deaths have been detected in the past year, according to the ABC, with the virus mostly affecting children.

Mpox, previously called monkeypox, has been a public health issue in parts of Africa since 1970.

However, the virus gained global attention when cases surged internationally in 2022, leading the World Health Organisation to declare a global health emergency that lasted 10 months.

Mpox can be transmitted through close contact with an infected animal or person, and through contact with contaminated materials including clothes.

The virus can cause rashes and lesions on the skin, with flu-like symptoms including fevers, sore throats, and headaches.

Most individuals who contract Mpox recover within a month. However, for the immunocompromised, pregnant and young, it can cause severe illness.
Jimmy Fallon begged his children to not go back to school this Fall.

The Tonight Show host , 49  who recently met Pope Francis during his family vacation in Italy  has daughters, Winnie, 11, and Frances, nine, with his wife Nancy Juvonen and revealed that he will 'miss' his little girls once the summer is over.

He told People on Friday: 'I don't [want] them to go back to school. I don't want them to meet other people. I don't want them to do anything. I just want them to hang out with us for the rest of their life.'

However, the comedian noted that his daughters are more than happy to go back to school and are even looking forward to it  following on from their first time away at camp.

'They love their school, they love their friends. And it's another little chapter in their lives and another fun adventure. They went to camp for the first time too this year,' he added.

Jimmy Fallon has daughters, Winnie, 11, and Frances, nine, with his wife Nancy Juvonen and revealed that he will 'miss' his little girls once the summer is over

He said: 'I don't [want] them to go back to school. I don't want them to meet other people. I just want them to hang out with us for the rest of their life'; Winnie, Jimmy and Frances seen in 2020

And he was heartbroken when they left at the time, pleading them to stay.

He recalled the moment: 'I was so sad when they left. You cant talk to them. You have like a set timeyou can talk to them for five minutesI miss them so much. Im like, "Please dont leave us." But they had fun.'

Away from his eponymous talk show, Jimmy has written 5 More Sleeps 'til Halloween and joked that the book will work well for decorative purposes if nothing else but will also serve adults well if they want to read it.

His book is slated to follow a boy and his dog as they count down the days until the beloved spooky holiday.

He said of the publication: 'It makes a good decoration, even if you don't want to read. It makes a good gift if you don't have kids, but you know kids that trick-or-treat and want to get them excited about the holiday.'

5 More Sleeps 'til Halloween is slated to his shelves on September 3.

He promoted his upcoming novel while on his talk show last Friday saying, 'Even if you don't have kids [the book] is just so fun to have... it shows that you're fun...give it to trick or treaters.

'"Hey look I'm fun. I don't even have kids, but I have this kids book,"' he quipped of potential buyers.

And this isn't the first time the comedian has published a book.

The three-time #1 New York Times-bestselling author previously released 5 More Sleeps til Christmas in 2020.

'They love their school, they love their friends. And it's another little chapter in their lives and another fun adventure,' he added; Jimmy, Winnie, Frances and Nancy seen in 2024

The girl dad pleaded, 'Please dont leave us'; Jimmy, Winnie, Frances and Nancy seen in a throwback snap

Jimmy married his film producer wife married in 2007 after two years of dating; Jimmy, Winnie, Frances and Nancy seen in 2024

His new book is slated to follow a boy and his dog as they count down the days until the beloved spooky holiday; Winnie, Jimmy and Frances seen in 2021

5 More Sleeps 'til Halloween is slated to his shelves on September 3

Jimmy and Nancy met on the set of Saturday Night Live in 2004; seen in 2017

Jimmy married his film producer wife Nancy Juvonen, 57, on December 22, 2007 after two years of dating.

The pair met on the set of Saturday Night Live in 2004 but didn't spark romance rumors until the filming of he and Drew Barrymore's film Fever Pitch (2005).

Juvonen co-own's the production company Flower Films with Barrymore.
Attendees walk through a muddy desert plain on Sept. 2, 2023, after heavy rains turned the annual Burning Man festival site in Nevadas Black Rock desert into a mud pit. This year, the National Weather Service warns that weather could impact departing private jets. Julie Jammot/AFP via Getty Images

As the 2024 Burning Man festival in Nevadas Black Rock Desert comes to a close on Monday, the National Weather Service in Reno has issued a forecast that could affect private jet travel due to weather conditions.

The temporary airport in Black Rock City, known as 88NV, accommodates hundreds of private charter planes each year, bringing thousands of festivalgoers to the event.

However, weather conditions are expected to significantly impact these flights. The weather service reports that conditions will shift on Sunday, with increasing breezes and widespread gusty winds expected on Monday. This could affect not only festival activities but also aviation.

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Weekend temperatures are forecast to be seasonably warm, ranging from the mid-80s in the Sierra to the mid-90s in Western Nevada. Breezes will intensify on Sunday, with Monday seeing substantial gusts reaching 40-50 mph across the region.

These gusty winds on Monday are anticipated to create moderate turbulence and potential low visibility due to blowing dust, particularly impacting private jets departing from Black Rock City.

The advisory urges pilots to plan accordingly.

It advises to have a plan B. Blowing playa dust could impact aviation and produce low visibility for those driving out of Black Rock City from Sunday into Monday evening.

Despite the unpredictable conditions, an estimated 800-3,000 people opt for chartered flights each year. A one-way ticket on Burner Express Air from Reno costs $776.31, with round-trip tickets priced at $1,500. Charter companies quote $10,000-$20,000 for larger groups, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.

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Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher are reportedly set to 'secretly reunite in the South of France ahead of their reunion tour, as fans scramble to get tickets.

Liam, 51, jetted off to the French Riviera with his mother Peggy, 81, fiancee Debbie Gwyther, and his rescue dog buttons on Friday, while Noel was seen at his recording studios in north London.

However, sources claimed Noel, 57, will soon be joining them all and their mother is thrilled.

'Peggy is over the moon that her boys have finally made up after over a decade of not talking,' A source told The Sun.

'She has remained close to both and never took sides in their row. The prospect of them all being together on holiday is a dream come true.'

Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher are reportedly set to 'secretly reunite in the South of France ahead of their reunion tour, as fans scramble to get tickets

Liam, 51, jetted off to the French Riviera with his mother Peggy, 81, fiancee Debbie Gwyther, and his rescue dog buttons on Friday, while Noel (pictured) was seen at his recording studios

MailOnline has contacted Oasis' representatives for comment.

The guitarist and brother Liam announced on Tuesday they are set to come together on stage for the first time in 15 years to perform across the UK and Ireland.

The pair are expected to earn a huge 50 million payday from the shows, with the first show set to take place in Cardiff on July 4.

MailOnline has contacted Oasis' representative for comment.

On the Matt Morgan podcast, he said: 'Ill be all over the place on holiday. Im going to the South of France for a week and then Im going to Ibiza for a week.

'Then Im back in London for a week and then Im going to Greece for a couple of weeks and then maybe off to LA to see some friends.'

It comes after Noel reportedly 'caved in and agreed' to the Oasis reunion during a string of late-night phone calls with brother Liam, during which they ended their 15-year feud.

The sibling's fractious relationship came to a head in 2009, after a backstage fight in Paris led to Noel leaving the iconic Britpop band.

In recent years, Liam has been keen to make amends with his brother and reform Oasis, but his older brother poured cold water on the idea.

The pair will reportedly reunite at Liam's new holiday home, which was once owned by Noel Edmonds, ahead of their first show (Liam pictured in Lake Como, Italy in 2009)

Sources have claimed Noel, 57, will soon be joining them all and their mother is thrilled

The pair are expected to earn a huge 50 million payday from the shows, with the first show set to take place in Cardiff on July 4 (both pictured in 2003)

Oasis Live 25 tour dates JULY 2025 4th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium

5th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium

11th - Manchester, Heaton Park

12th - Manchester, Heaton Park

16th - Manchester, Heaton Park

19th - Manchester, Heaton Park

20th - Manchester, Heaton Park

25th - London, Wembley Stadium

26th - London, Wembley Stadium

30th - London, Wembley Stadium AUGUST 2025 2nd - London, Wembley Stadium

3rd - London, Wembley Stadium

8th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

9th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

12th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

16th - Dublin, Croke Park

17th - Dublin, Croke Park Advertisement

But as Liam closed his set at Reading Festival he teased that an announcement could be made on Tuesday at 8:00am. A short clip of a sign in the style of the Oasis logo was projected on a large screen above the stage and subsequently shared to Oasis and Liam's official Instagram and X accounts.

It comes as fans were left furious on Friday after resale tickets were being flogged for thousands of pounds just minutes after the first people in the country managed to secure passes for next summer's UK tour.

The first tickets went on sale at 7pm Friday for the lucky few who managed to get a successful pre-sale code. Millions are expected to fight it out to see the iconic group in a general sale on Saturday.

But others were left outraged as greedy ticket touts immediately set to work reselling tickets at sky-high prices. FanFair Alliance - a group opposing 'industrial scale' secondary ticketing - said that they found 80 tickets hoping to make a staggering 200,000 within 20 minutes of the presale.

Some are now being flogged for well over 6,000 each for the gig at London's Wembley Stadium. Others, for hospitality clubs, can be found at a stunning 10,578 for two people.

The band have now added their condemnation as they blasted the brazen money-grabbers - saying that the tickets will be canceled by promoters.

Posting on X, they said: 'We have noticed people attempting to sell tickets on the secondary market since the start of the pre-sale.'

'Please note, tickets can ONLY be resold, at face value, via Ticketmaster and Twickets.'

'Tickets sold in breach of the terms and conditions will be canceled by the promoters.'

Speaking to MailOnline, Adam Webb of FanFair Alliance said: 'Within 20m of tonight's Oasis pre-sale, we found individual touts listing up to 80 tickets each on viagogo - hoping to make eye-watering profits of almost 200,000.'

Oasis have added extra dates to their tour and will now play five shows at Wembley next year

Stockport indie band Blossoms have reportedly officially signed on to support Oasis at their Heaton Park gigs in Manchester

It comes before fans were left fuming on Friday after resale tickets were being flogged for thousands of pounds just minutes after the first people in the country managed to secure passes for next summer's UK tour

The band have now added their condemnation as they blasted the brazen money-grabbers - saying that the tickets will be canceled by promoters

The first tickets went on sale at 7pm Friday for the lucky few who managed to get a successful pre-sale code. Millions are expected to fight it out to see the iconic group in a general sale on Saturday

'This is money being gouged from fans, syphoned away from the UK economy, and washed through the coffers of overseas websites.'

'This kind of consumer exploitation can only be reigned in by the Government. The only solution is to outlaw resale of tickets for profit.'

Sham accounts also appear to be flogging fake passes, flogging them for as much as 800.

Tickets on Stubhub are being sold for more than 6,300 - while others on Viagogo appear to be up for grabs thousands of pounds.

Oasis will play five nights at the national stadium, along with five dates at Manchester's Heaton Park, three at Edinburgh's Murrayfield, two at Dublin's Croke Park, and two at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

According to The Sun, Stockport indie band Blossoms have also officially signed on to support Oasis at their Heaton Park gigs in Manchester.

A source said: 'Noel and Liam and Blossoms have been friends for years and with the band also coming from Manchester, asking them to support Oasis was a no-brainer.'
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Courtney Stodden turned heads in a busty swimsuit as she celebrated her 30th birthday alongside fiance Jared Safier on Thursday.

The media personality - who recently went naked in a post to ring in turning 'Dirty 30' - could be seen soaking up the California sunshine while spending time on a lavish yacht in Marina del Rey.

The star put on a busty display wearing a strapless, black bikini top as well as a pair of matching bottoms.

Stodden long locks were parted to the side, and effortlessly flowed down past her shoulders in light, natural waves.

Courtney accessorized her look by adding a few gold-chained necklaces, as well as a dainty anklet on her right leg.

Courtney Stodden turned heads in a busty swimsuit as she celebrated her 30th birthday alongside fiance Jared Safier on Thursday

The media personality - who recently went naked in a post to ring in the big day - could be seen soaking up the California sunshine while spending time on a lavish yacht in Marina del Rey

The star put on a busty display wearing a strapless, black bikini top as well as a pair of matching bottoms

The model additionally opted for a chunky bracelet on her right wrist and flashed a diamond ring on her left.

A few months earlier in June, Stodden became engaged for the third time to Emmy-winning producer Jared Safier.

The pair started dating last year in August after they first crossed paths while on set of a project.

Safier kept it casual for the day out on the water, and sported a plain, black shirt as well as a pair of blue, floral-patterned swim trunks.

He sported a pair of shades to protect his eyes from the bright sun, and also wore a flashy watch on his left wrist.

Courtney and her husband-to-be were seen arriving to the yacht, and she covered up her stylish swimsuit with a pair of light blue, denim shorts as well as a cropped tank top.

After settling onto the boat, the couple popped open a bottle of champagne and sipped on glasses of the bubbly drink.

The former teen bride and Jared were also spotted sharing affectionate moments together, and at one point, shared a kiss while relaxing under a shady area on the spacious yacht.

Stodden long locks were parted to the side, and effortlessly flowed down past her shoulders in light, natural waves

The model additionally opted for a chunky bracelet on her right wrist and flashed a diamond ring on her left

The pair started dating last year in August after they first crossed paths while on set of a project

Safier kept it casual for the day out on the water, and sported a plain, black shirt as well as a pair of blue, floral-patterned swim trunks

Courtney and her husband-to-be were seen arriving to the yacht, and she covered up her stylish swimsuit with a pair of light blue, denim shorts as well as a cropped tank top

After settling onto the boat, the couple popped open a bottle of champagne and sipped on glasses of the bubbly drink

She later moved over to the front of the yacht and flaunted her bikini look while celebrating her 30th birthday.

A few months earlier on June 11 - the same day the couple had their first kiss - Jared popped the big question to Courtney after one year of dating, per People.

He proposed at the iconic Beverly Wilshire Hotel located in Beverly Hills while they were at the Blvd Restaurant and Lounge.

Stodden said 'Yes' and can now be seen wearing an eye-catching, 5-carat diamond sparkler on her ring finger.

Following the proposal, the media personality informed People, 'I've been engaged for just a few days and I'm still taking it all in.'

'My friend asked me "Is there anything in particular that attracted you him?" I said "Have you seen him?"'

The former teen bride added, 'I am about to begin a movie that he is directing me in and I can tell he wants to bring out the best in me. That's what I love. He believes in me.'

She continued to gush that Jared, 'is a four-time Emmy-winning producer and director. I adore his creative mind.'

She later moved over to the front of the yacht and flaunted her bikini look while celebrating her 30th birthday

He proposed at the iconic Beverly Wilshire Hotel located in Beverly Hills while they were at the Blvd Restaurant and Lounge

Stodden said 'Yes' and can now be seen wearing an eye-catching, 5-carat diamond sparkler on her ring finger

Following the proposal, the media personality informed People, 'I've been engaged for just a few days and I'm still taking it all in'

The former teen bride added, 'I am about to begin a movie that he is directing me in and I can tell he wants to bring out the best in me. That's what I love. He believes in me'

She continued to gush that Jared, 'is a four-time Emmy-winning producer and director. I adore his creative mind'

She also added that the, 'wedding is being planned soon'

'I want to be a good wife. We plan on honeymooning in Italy where he will be directing the movie, and I am very hopeful for my happy ending,' she said

Safier currently has a total of 131 producing credits under his belt, per his IMDB page, and is attached to 44 upcoming projects.

She also added that the, 'wedding is being planned soon.'

'I want to be a good wife. We plan on honeymooning in Italy where he will be directing the movie, and I am very hopeful for my happy ending.'

Courtney was previously engaged to entrepreneur Chris Sheng - but in July 2023, the two split.

Shortly before Jared's proposal, the star filmed herself flushing the $500k engagement ring from Chris down the toilet.

'Just doing a little last-minute spring cleaning before summer,' she stated in the clip. 'I guess diamonds aren't always a girl's best friend after all.'

She then took the ring out of the box, and proceeded to flush it down the toilet. 'Onto the next chapter,' Stodden added.

Courtney jumped into the spotlight when she married actor, Doug Hutchison, when she was 16-years-old, and he was 51.

Shortly before Jared's proposal, the star filmed herself flushing the $500k engagement ring from Chris down the toilet

'Just doing a little last-minute spring cleaning before summer,' she stated in the clip. 'I guess diamonds aren't always a girl's best friend after all'

Courtney jumped into the spotlight when she married actor, Doug Hutchison, when she was 16-years-old, and he was 51

After tying the knot in 2011, the pair separated in 2017 and Courtney filed for divorce the following year

The divorce was officially finalized two years later in 2020

While also celebrating her 30th birthday, Stodden jumped to her main Instagram page on Thursday

Courtney and Jared were seen relaxing near the front of the boat under the warm sun

The couple - who began dating last year - could be seen resting a on a comfy, black cushion while sipping on their drinks

The pair shared sweet moments as they spent quality time together on her birthday

After tying the knot in 2011, the pair separated in 2017 and Courtney filed for divorce the following year.

The divorce was officially finalized two years later in 2020.

While also celebrating her 30th birthday, Stodden jumped to her main Instagram page on Thursday.

In the caption of the post, the model typed out to her fans and followers, 'Dirty 30 #birthdaygirl,' followed by red balloon emojis.

Stodden and Safier cuddled close together as they spent the day on the yacht

Courtney said 'yes' when Jared proposed in June - which will be her third engagement

In the caption of the post, the model typed out to her fans and followers, 'Dirty 30 #birthdaygirl,' followed by red balloon emojis

In the series of images, the star opted to pose naked while lounging on a bed inside a bedroom

She placed two balloons in front of her while a few pink roses were also scattered on top of the patterned sheets

Courtney's locks cascaded down in light waves past her shoulders as she indulged in a sugary cupcake

In the series of images, the star opted to pose naked while lounging on a bed inside a bedroom.

She placed two balloons in front of her while a few pink roses were also scattered on top of the patterned sheets.

Courtney's locks cascaded down in light waves past her shoulders as she indulged in a sugary cupcake.

She flashed a cheerful smile towards the camera as she paused for an assortment of snaps.
Bruno Tonioli's seat on Britain's Got Talent's judging panel has reportedly been 'saved' by show boss Simon Cowell after he recently slammed speculation that he would be replaced.

Filming for the ITV series was set to clash with Dancing With The Stars - which Bruno, 68, has been a judge on since 2005.

However, Simon, 64, will reportedly fork out thousands to have the Italian TV personality flown back and forth.

'When Bruno joined BGT last year, he breathed new life into the show. Simon loved how unpredictable he was and thought he made great TV. From the ratings, its clear the viewers agreed too,' a source told The Sun.

'When plans were drawn up to revamp BGT for 2025, it was quickly flagged to Simon and the producers that Bruno is already committed to Dancing With The Stars.

Bruno Tonioli's seat on Britain's Got Talent's judging panel has reportedly been 'saved' by show boss Simon Cowell after he recently slammed speculation that he would be replaced (pictured in January 2023)

Filming for the ITV series was set to clash with Dancing With The Stars - which Bruno, 68, has been a judge on since 2005 (L-R Bruno, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden, and Simon)

However, Simon, 64, will reportedly fork out thousands to have the Italian TV personality flown back and forth (pictured on America's Got Talent)

'Simon managed to find a way to make it work. It means while a stand-in judge may be needed once or twice, Bruno remains on the show.'

The source also revealed that flying back and forth isn't ideal for Bruno, however, he loves both shows and feels committed to them.

The former Strictly judge will start filming in the United States on September 17 and Britain's Got Talent the following month.

MailOnline has contacted Britain's Got Talent's representative for comment.

According to The Sun, comedian Alan Carr, 48, was initially tipped to replace him if he had to leave the show but is now thought to be top of the list to stand in.

This week, ITV unveiled a format change for the show, which also features Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden as judges.

It starts a four-month run in February, with live semi-finals on Saturday evenings replacing nightly episodes across one week.

It comes after Bruno hit back at speculation that he wouldn't be appearing in the next series in June.

Bruno has filming commitments with Dancing With The Stars (pictured on the show)

According to reports, comedian Alan Carr, 48, was initially tipped to replace him if he had to leave the show but is now thought to be top of the list to stand in

After the show came to an end in May, reports were rife that the judging line-up for the 18th series could undergo a shake-up as filming for auditions later this year would clash with Dancing With The Stars.

However, a source told MailOnline that Bruno defiantly declared: 'I'm not going anywhere. I will be back with bells on', when asked about whether his job was at risk.

Simon also shut down the rumours as he confirmed the Italian choreographer will be returning next year despite scheduling clashes but admitted there will be some sort of stand-in.

Appearing on Heart Radio, the music mogul explained: 'I would not replace him. I love Bruno on the show.'

Clearing up the rumours, host Jamie Theakston asked the star: 'I'm going to read you a headline from one of the papers today Simon... "Britain's Got Talent set to drop judge, Bruno".'

As Simon said the headline was false, Jamie pressed: 'Okay, well, what of that isn't truth?'

Simon explained: 'Seriously. I spoke to... I don't know where all this stuff comes from. I spoke to the producers literally two weeks ago about there is a scheduling issue with Bruno.

'Because we're doing the auditions... some of the auditions this year and he's going to be in America.'

'So maybe there'll be a stand-in for him. I don't know. But I love Bruno on the show. I think he's brilliant.'

Fellow judge Amanda agreed as she added: 'He brings such an amazing energy and he knows so much.'

'And he knows so much about what he's talking about. And actually, he's a brilliant, brilliant judge and the nicest person. So no, I would not replace him,' Simon added.

'So... Bruno's coming back?' asked Jamie as Simon confirmed once and for all: 'He's coming back.'

Jamie then asked: 'Have you approached Alan Carr?' as Simon replied: 'No, Amanda wants Alan.'

'How much of a say does she have?' asked Jamie, to which Simon quickly replied: 'No' and Amanda cried: 'I have no say'.

Alan revealed last year he confronted Simon after he was snubbed as the new Britain's Got Talent judge.

The comedian, who was approached for the role before it was given to Bruno  without him being told  bumped into Simon at Amanda Holden's house just a week later.

Funnyman Alan told the Mail: 'Amanda Holden, the next week, said, ''Alan, I'm having a party," I went, "great. Love it."

'I go through the door and oh great, Simon's in there. Oh s***. So, as I always do, with my best humour I went over there and said, "My wrist has been hurting all weekend practicing that bloody buzzer and you went for Bruno".'

The former Chatty Man host then mimicked: 'Alan, that's showbusiness.'
Leah Remini and her husband Angelo Pagan are divorcing after 21 years of marriage - so what will happen to their fortune?

Pagan, an actor and restaurateur who owns a popular Los Angeles brunch spot with Remini's stepfather, has an estimated net worth of $25 million.

Meanwhile Remini starred on the hit sitcom The King Of Queens from 1998 to 2007, reportedly earning close to $400,000 an episode for its last two seasons.

It is currently unknown whether Remini and Pagan signed a prenuptial agreement, leaving the question hanging in the air of how their assets will be split.

Remini and Pagan jointly announced their amicable separation on Thursday - just one week after her friend Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck.

Leah Remini and her husband Angelo Pagan are divorcing after 21 years of marriage - so what will happen to their fortune?; pictured in 2010

The couple first met in 1996, two years before she began her star-making role on the long-running sitcom The King Of Queens alongside Kevin James.

They had a Scientologist wedding in Las Vegas in 2003, a decade before they both left the Church Of Scientology along with Remini's mother.

The year they were married, Remini purchased a mansion in the Studio City area of Los Angeles, paying a reported $3,750,000, via In Touch.

Remini first tried to sell the property in 2023 - shortly after her and Pagan's daughter Sofia, 20, went off to college - with an asking price of $12,499,000.

After failing to find a buyer, she reduced the price twice over the course of 2023, but still found herself having trouble offloading the house.

She finally sold the 1.5-acre estate for $9,300,000 on July 1 this year, just weeks before she and Pagan announced their divorce, according to The Blast.

Meanwhile Pagan owns the buzzy Studio City brunch establishment Vivian's Millennium Cafe with Remini's stepfather George Marshall.

Vivian's Cafe was opened by a couple called Vivian and Walter in 1963, and then Pagan and Marshall acquired it in 1999, adding 'Millennium' to the name.

She finally sold her Studio City estate for $9,300,000 on July 1 this year, just weeks before she and Pagan announced their divorce, according to The Blast

Meanwhile Pagan owns the buzzy Studio City brunch establishment Vivian's Millennium Cafe with Remini's stepfather George Marshall

Meanwhile Remini starred with Kevin James on the hit sitcom The King Of Queens from 1998 to 2007, reportedly earning close to $400,000 an episode for its last two seasons

It is currently unknown whether Remini and Pagan signed a prenuptial agreement, leaving the question hanging in the air of how their assets will be split; pictured 2018

Studio City is known as an enclave of Hollywood professionals, and the restaurant has been a haunt for them under Pagan and Marshall's stewardship.

As for acting, it is currently unknown how much Remini collects in residual payments from the reruns of her popular show The King Of Queens, which ran nine seasons.

Ahead of season eight, Remini successfully negotiated to have her salary tripled sot hat she would approach pay parity with James, who was making north of $400,000 per episode, according to Variety.

Since the show ended in 2007, Remini has appeared in a number of movies including the comedy Second Act starring her alongside her close friend Jennifer Lopez.

She has also released a bestselling memoir called Troublemaker and a number of documentaries fiercely criticizing the Church Of Scientology.

Remini and James reunited on the small screen for the sitcom Kevin Can Wait, which was canceled by CBS in 2018 after just two seasons.

Pagan is also an actor and has featured in such movies as the 2001 thriller Swordfish, as well as being a recurring guest star on The King Of Queens.

The couple both starred on the TLC reality show Leah Remini: It's All Relative for two seasons, along with Remini's mother Vicki, sister Shannon and stepfather Geroge.

Remini and Pagan went public with their separation in a joint statement this Thursday, adopting a conciliatory tone while explaining why the marriage fell apart; pictured 2015

Remini and Pagan are pictured at the premiere of the 2004 movie Man On Fire while she was pregnant with their daughter Sofia, who is now 20

Remini and Pagan announced their separation on Thursday - just one week after her friend Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck; Lopez and Affleck pictured in February

Remini and Pagan went public with their separation in a joint statement this Thursday, adopting a conciliatory tone while explaining why the marriage fell apart.

'So, the big questionwhy? To put it simply, we both changed, as people do, and we got used to playing roles that didn't fit us anymore,' they wrote.

'After a lot of effort and consideration, we've decided to take this step, which reflects who we are today. Our bond is still strongit's just evolved into something different.'

They admitted they were 'sad' about the divorce, but noted that they still regard the marriage as a 'success' and each other as 'best friends.'
Khloe Kardashian took to Instagram on Friday to share outtakes from a special day she shared with a fan.

The 40-year-old reality television personality  who recently stopped by SEV Laser treated a lucky young woman to a shopping spree at her Good American store at LA's Century City mall.

She shared a slew of photos with her 307 million followers, which showed her smiling alongside a girl named Hannah, who is a 'Make-A-Wish kid.'

For the occasion, the mother-of-two showed off her long legs and toned tummy in a brown and white plaid mini skirt and cropped white Miu Miu T-shirt with black trim.

Kardashian wrote in her social media caption, 'I had the greatest honor of meeting Hannah this week. The sweetest soul and oh so beautiful inside and out!'

Khloe Kardashian took to Instagram on Friday to share outtakes from a special day she shared with a fan

The 40-year-old reality television personality treated a lucky young woman to a shopping spree at her Good American store at LA's Century City mall. She shared a slew of photos with her 307 million followers, which showed her smiling alongside a girl named Hannah

Hannah held a sign that read: 'I'm a 'Make-A-Wish kid'

The Hulu star continued in her Instagram note, '@_hannahlasley_ said she was a fan of @goodamerican so what's a girl to do when they may be able to pull some strings and close down the store- DUH! WE WENT SHOPPING!!'

She added, 'We had the best time! Hannah, I'll never forget our special day and I am so blessed that I was able to meet you.'

Her longtime best friend Malika Haqq joined the day of shopping.

Khloe concluded her caption, 'Malika and I couldn't stop talking about how incredible you are . Thank you @makeawishamerica for such a special day.'

Hannah also expressed gratitude on her Instagram account.

She reposted Kardashian's post and added a thank you note that read, '@khloekardashian I love you so much. Thank you for everything. I have no words.'

The Good American founder rounded out her outfit with brown leather to-the-knee Givenchy boots.

Hannah was fashion-forward in a clinging, short-sleeved, pale pink shirt with stone-covered, wide-leg, light wash jeans.

Kardashian's longtime best friend Malika Haqq joined the day of shopping (pictured far left)

While getting an exclusive trip to the brick and mortar, Hannah posed up with Good American employees

She looked stunning in a full face of makeup that enhanced her natural beauty.

And the star, who recently dyed her hair a chocolate brown color, wore her lengthy locks in a center part and ironed straight.

While getting an exclusive trip to the brick and mortar, Hannah posed up with Good American employees, who Khloe gave a shoutout on Instagram.

Sharing a snapshot of the group, the former Keeping Up with the Kardashians star gushed, 'This team is top tier.'

It comes after earlier this week, Khloe posted outtakes from her six-year-old daughter True's first day of school.

For the occasion, the mother-of-two showed off her long legs and toned tummy in a brown and white plaid mini skirt and cropped white Miu Miu T-shirt with black trim

Hannah was fashion-forward in a clinging, short-sleeved, pale pink shirt with stone-covered, wide-leg, light wash jeans

True, who Kardashian shares with ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson, wrote in the caption: 'First Grade!!! True I am so proud of you!! I know you're going to have the most incredible year ahead of you!

'I couldn't be happier for you my angel. I'm not ok but I'll pull it together by pick up time.'

The youngster looked adorable in her uniform which included a short-sleeved, white, collared shirt and plaid blue skirt.

Joining her in some images was her baby brother Tatum Thompson, who is two-years-old.
Kylie Jenner slipped into a stunning, skintight ensemble for the H.Lorenzo and Ioannes private event in Los Angeles on Friday.

The reality TV personality, 27, showed off her hourglass figure in a black, halter minidress, which featured a hot pink floral design across the torso, and yoga pants.

She channeled Y2K fashion as she paired the ensemble with sandal heels and a small shoulder purse with a thick, leather strap.

She kept her makeup simple as she sported a peachy and rosy blush as well as an overlined, classic nude pout.

Her outing comes shortly after she recently claimed that she dissolved 'half' of her lip filler.

Kylie Jenner slipped into a stunning, skintight ensemble for the H.Lorenzo and Ioannes event in Los Angeles on Friday

The youngest KarJenner sister slicked back her dark brunette tresses into a tight bun and opted for a dewy makeup look with a generous amount of pink blush.

This event comes just hours after the makeup mogul  who shared a glimpse into her everyday life with her two kids but not her boyfriend, actor Timothee Chalamet  announced her brand Khy will be releasing a collaboration with German fashion house Ioannes.

At the event held at a hotel, The West Hollywood EDITION, she was seen posing for snaps alongside the founder and creative director Johannes Boehl Cronau.

For the special occasion, Cronau looked effortlessly stylish in a monochromatic white ensemble.

The Berlin-based designer wore a semi-sheer tank top paired with a linen button-down and cream-colored trousers.

On the same day, she also took to her Instagram Story with a video montage of the event and of herself modeling her chic look.

The Kardashians star was partying in style alongside her friend, Lauren Perez, who wore a matching jumpsuit with the same design.

'We're basically wearing the same thing,' Jenner said in the clip.

The reality TV personality, 27, showed off her hourglass figure in a black, halter minidress, which featured a hot pink floral design across the torso, and yoga pants. She channeled Y2K fashion as she paired the ensemble with sandal heels and a small shoulder purse with a thick, leather strap

This event comes just hours after the makeup mogul announced her brand Khy will be releasing a collaboration with German fashion house Ioannes. At the event held at a hotel, The West Hollywood EDITION, she was seen posing for snaps alongside the designer and founder Johannes Boehl Cronau. For the special occasion, Cronau looked effortlessly stylish in a monochromatic white ensemble

The Berlin-based designer wore a semi-sheer tank top paired with a linen button-down and cream-colored trousers

Later, they were seen sipping champagne and taking selfies.

The video comprised of moments of the two gal pals arriving at the event, taking snapshots there and then leaving for dinner.

Alongside a video of a blossoming flower with silk petals, she announced that their upcoming collaboration would be coming out on September 5.

Her outing comes shortly after reports that she is becoming 'incredibly detached' from her inner circle and prefers to spend all of her time with her boyfriend.

Jenner and Chalamet, 28, have kept their relationship under the radar after first being linked together back in April 2023.

During that time, insiders revealed that Jenner has slowly started to pull back from her wider social circle and has turned into a 'homebody'  much like her famously reclusive older brother Rob Kardashian.

'Kylie is turning into her brother Rob,' a source exclusively revealed to DailyMail.com. 'She is choosing to be a homebody for the most part.'

The insider added: 'For Kylie, it is her family, her kids and then obviously she is all in on hanging out with Timothee.'

On the same day, she also took to her Instagram Story with a video montage of the event and of herself modeling her chic look

At the beginning of her montage clip, Jenner and her friend were seen posing in front of an elevator's reflective doors

The Kardashians star was partying in style alongside her friend, Lauren Perez, who wore a matching jumpsuit with the same design. 'We're basically wearing the same thing,' Jenner said in the clip

Later, they were seen sipping champagne and taking selfies

The youngest KarJenner sister slicked back her dark brunette tresses into a tight bun and opted for a dewy makeup look with a generous amount of pink blush

The video comprised of moments of the two gal pals arriving at the event, taking snapshots there and then leaving for dinner. They snapped more selfies inside of the elevator

At the end of the reel, Jenner posed for the cameras as they left the venue through a service elevator

The mother-of-two is said to have lost all interest in trying to keep up appearances with industry pals.

'Time for going out and doing the Hollywood friendship thing is long past her. She is 27 going on 70,' the source said. 'What suits her now is being out there when she needs to be, not because she wants to be. She is so busy with her relationship and being a mom and a businesswoman.'

The source added: 'She doesn't miss her times in the Hollywood shuffle and her desire to have friends outside her bubble isn't anything she is interested in right now.'

Another source explained that only her longtime best friend Anastasia 'Stassie' Karanikolaou has remained in constant communication with the Kylie Cosmetics founder.

'Kylie has become incredibly detached and pretty much only has one close girlfriend right now  Stassie,' the source claimed. 'She is her ride or die and the two of them confide in each other for everything. They've been friends since they were in middle school and grew up learning how to adapt to fame together. She is the only person that Kylie turns to and the only person that has had her back no matter what and not burned her.

'Kylie has shut out all her other friends,' the insider added. 'She is with Timothee as much as possible but spends more time with Stassie than him even.'
Blossoms have 'signed on to support Oasis' on their huge comeback tour next year.

The Indie band will reportedly join the Gallagher brothers as they take to the stage at their Heaton Park gigs in Manchester.

The Stockport group, have three UK No1 albums under their belts and earlier in the year supported Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds when they played a special show at London's Royal Albert Hall.

'Noel and Liam and Blossoms have been friends for years and with the band also coming from Manchester, asking them to support Oasis was a no-brainer,' a source told The Sun.

'It will be announced in due course but Blossoms have agreed to support Oasis at their Heaton park shows - naturally they jumped at the chance.

Liam and Noel Gallagher have reportedly signed their first support act ahead of their long-awaited worldwide tour in 2025

The group, have three UK No1 albums under their belts and earlier in the year supported Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds when they played a special show at the Royal Albert Hall

'It's a full circle moment for them as members Tom Ogden and Joe Donovan's first ever gig was at Oasis at Heaton Park.'

MailOnline has contacted Blossoms and Oasis representatives for comment.

The reports comes after Noel and Liam are set to 'secretly reunite in the South of France ahead of their reunion tour', as fans scramble to get tickets.

Liam, 51, jetted off to the French Riviera with his mother Peggy, 81, fiancee Debbie Gwyther, and his rescue dog buttons on Friday, while Noel was seen at his recording studios in north London.

However, sources claimed Noel, 57, will soon be joining them all and their mother is thrilled.

'Peggy is over the moon that her boys have finally made up after over a decade of not talking,' a source told The Sun.

'She has remained close to both and never took sides in their row. The prospect of them all being together on holiday is a dream come true.'

MailOnline has contacted Oasis' representatives for comment.

The guitarist and brother Liam announced on Tuesday they are set to come together on stage for the first time in 15 years to perform across the UK and Ireland.

The guitarist and brother Liam announced on Tuesday they are set to come together on stage for the first time in 15 years to perform across the UK and Ireland (pictured in 2003)

The pair are expected to earn a huge 50 million payday from the shows, with the first show set to take place in Cardiff on July 4.

MailOnline has contacted Oasis' representative for comment.

On the Matt Morgan podcast, he said: 'Ill be all over the place on holiday. Im going to the South of France for a week and then Im going to Ibiza for a week.

'Then Im back in London for a week and then Im going to Greece for a couple of weeks and then maybe off to LA to see some friends.'

It comes after Noel reportedly 'caved in and agreed' to the Oasis reunion during a string of late-night phone calls with brother Liam, during which they ended their 15-year feud.

The sibling's fractious relationship came to a head in 2009, after a backstage fight in Paris led to Noel leaving the iconic Britpop band.

In recent years, Liam has been keen to make amends with his brother and reform Oasis, but his older brother poured cold water on the idea.

The pair will reportedly reunite at Liam's new holiday home, which was once owned by Noel Edmonds, ahead of their first show (Liam pictured in Lake Como, Italy in 2009)

Sources have claimed Noel, 57, will soon be joining them all and their mother is thrilled

Oasis Live 25 tour dates JULY 2025 4th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium

5th - Cardiff, Principality Stadium

11th - Manchester, Heaton Park

12th - Manchester, Heaton Park

16th - Manchester, Heaton Park

19th - Manchester, Heaton Park

20th - Manchester, Heaton Park

25th - London, Wembley Stadium

26th - London, Wembley Stadium

30th - London, Wembley Stadium AUGUST 2025 2nd - London, Wembley Stadium

3rd - London, Wembley Stadium

8th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

9th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

12th - Edinburgh, Murrayfield

16th - Dublin, Croke Park

17th - Dublin, Croke Park Advertisement

But as Liam closed his set at Reading Festival he teased that an announcement could be made on Tuesday at 8:00am. A short clip of a sign in the style of the Oasis logo was projected on a large screen above the stage and subsequently shared to Oasis and Liam's official Instagram and X accounts.

It comes as fans were left furious on Friday after resale tickets were being flogged for thousands of pounds just minutes after the first people in the country managed to secure passes for next summer's UK tour.

The first tickets went on sale at 7pm Friday for the lucky few who managed to get a successful pre-sale code. Millions are expected to fight it out to see the iconic group in a general sale on Saturday.

But others were left outraged as greedy ticket touts immediately set to work reselling tickets at sky-high prices. FanFair Alliance - a group opposing 'industrial scale' secondary ticketing - said that they found 80 tickets hoping to make a staggering 200,000 within 20 minutes of the presale.

Some are now being flogged for well over 6,000 each for the gig at London's Wembley Stadium. Others, for hospitality clubs, can be found at a stunning 10,578 for two people.

The band have now added their condemnation as they blasted the brazen money-grabbers - saying that the tickets will be canceled by promoters.

Posting on X, they said: 'We have noticed people attempting to sell tickets on the secondary market since the start of the pre-sale.'

'Please note, tickets can ONLY be resold, at face value, via Ticketmaster and Twickets.'

'Tickets sold in breach of the terms and conditions will be canceled by the promoters.'

Oasis have added extra dates to their tour and will now play five shows at Wembley next year

The band have now added their condemnation as they blasted the brazen money-grabbers - saying that the tickets will be canceled by promoters

The first tickets went on sale at 7pm Friday for the lucky few who managed to get a successful pre-sale code. Millions are expected to fight it out to see the iconic group in a general sale on Saturday

'This is money being gouged from fans, syphoned away from the UK economy, and washed through the coffers of overseas websites.'

'This kind of consumer exploitation can only be reigned in by the Government. The only solution is to outlaw resale of tickets for profit.'

Sham accounts also appear to be flogging fake passes, flogging them for as much as 800.

Tickets on Stubhub are being sold for more than 6,300 - while others on Viagogo appear to be up for grabs thousands of pounds.

Oasis will play five nights at the national stadium, along with five dates at Manchester's Heaton Park, three at Edinburgh's Murrayfield, two at Dublin's Croke Park, and two at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
Deacon Phillippe  the son of actors Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe  is headed to the big screen.

The actor, 20  who is studying music at prestigious New York University  has landed his first major role in a film adaptation of 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank.

Deadline reported Friday that Liam Neeson will lead the heist comedy's cast that's mostly made up of rising stars like Deacon.

The news comes two years after Deacon made his acting debut as a guest star on season three of Netflix's Never Have I Ever (2022).

In the last year, Deacon has upped his social media presence and he's attended a slew of major Hollywood events with his mom, who is worth a reported $400 million.

Reese Witherspoon's son Deacon Phillippe is headed to the big screen; the pair seen in August

The actor, 20  who is studying music at prestigious New York University  has landed his first major role in a film adaptation of 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank; seen with Reese in January

Along with Deacon, the 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank cast features the talents of up-and-comers Talia Ryder, Noah Jupe, Whitney Peak and Jack Dylan Grazer.

Frankie Shaw  best known for her acting performances in SMILF and Mr. Robot  will helm the upcoming project.

The script  based on the graphic novel by Matthew Rosenberg with illustrations from Tyler Boss  was adapted by screenwriter Matt Robinson.

The film centers on a heist that goes horribly wrong, all while the characters aren't prepared for what happens when things turn violent.

Neeson plays ex-bank robber Danny, whose teenage granddaughter Paige (Ryder) means the world to him.

'So when she overhears that his former gang is pulling him back in for one more score to pay a debt, she comes up with the only logical solution: She enlists her three ride-or-die best friends to rob the bank the day before so he doesn't have to,' the official synopsis reads.

The book version of 4 Kid Walks Into A Bank has been described as 'a darkly comedic story of four burgeoning child criminals and their elaborate plans,' according to Goodreads.

Deadline reported Friday that Liam Neeson will lead the heist comedy's cast that's mostly made up of rising stars like Deacon; Neeson seen in 2023

The news comes two years after Deacon made his acting debut as a guest star on season three of Netflix 's Never Have I Ever (2022)

Reese shares Deacon, as well as daughter Ava Phillippe, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe (left)

Lead star Neeson has had a long and distinguished Hollywood career that includes a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his work in Schindler's List (1993).

The Irish actor made his film debut in Pilgrim's Progress (1978).

He became a full-fledged action film star after starring in the popular Taken franchise (2008, 2012, 2014), leading to his roles in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), The Grey (2012) and Non-Stop (2014), among others.

His other popular films include: Star Wars: Episode I  The Phantom Menace (1999), Michael Collins (1998), Kinsey (2004), Batman Begins, (2005), Clash of the Titans (2010) and The Chronicles Of Narnia (2005, 2008, 2010).

Currently, he has no less that four projects in post-production, including The Naked Gun, Thug, Cold Storage and The Ice Road 2: Road To The Sky.
Catriona Rowntree has heaped criticism on 'secretive' plans to build a renewable battery farm next to her rural farmhouse in Victoria.

The Getaway star, 53, has called on Geelong Council to back her call to block the large-scale project from being erected next door to her home, which she claims poses a safety risk.

Proposals from AC Energy to build a 350MW/700MWh lithium battery farm in Little River, 44km southwest of Melbourne, are currently in front of the State Government.

If the project goes ahead, it would become one of the state's largest battery energy storage systems (BESS), designed to manage electrical energy using lithium-ion batteries.

But Catriona has now slammed the plans and claimed she was 'blindsided' by the proposals, only finding out about them in a report in her local newspaper.

She took to Instagram to share an impassioned video opposing the development, which she claimed poses a safety risk because the area of land is on a fire corridor.

The TV presenter also noted that the remote location is protected by a significant landscape overlay, which aim to preserve and enhance significant areas.

'Hello, I just wanted to let you know that just after 5pm, if you tune into ABC Stateside in Victoria, you are about to learn what many of us across the state of Victoria are being blindsided with,' she shared.

Catriona Rowntree has heaped criticism on 'secretive' plans to build a renewable battery farm next to her rural farmhouse in Victoria

'That is in an attempt to go green, we are losing our green!'

Later featuring on ABC, Catriona went on to accuse the State Government of trying to 'sneak through' the proposals, claiming Geelong Council was unaware of them.

'We're in a high fire zone and the government has actually placed a significant landscape overlay on this very farm,' she shared.

'This is the exact same farm where the historic 1969 fires broke out, we get fires in this area all of the time. Yesterday we had 100 kilometres winds sweeping through this area.

'The State Government is trying to sneak this through and the council did not know,' she added.

A fatal bushfire ripped through Little River and many other areas on the outskirts of the You Yangs Regional Park in 1969, destroying properties and killing many locals.

Catriona has suggested another area would be more appropriate to house the battery farm because of the risk of high winds in the agricultural area.

She has asked for the consultation period to be extended as the deadline is approaching in a matter of days on September 7, with a decision expected by the end of the year.

A Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson confirmed to Daily Mail Australia on Monday the deadline for consultation on the proposed renewable project has been extended.

'We're extending consultation on the proposed renewable project in Little River for another three weeks so more community members can have their say,' they said.

The Getaway star, 53, has called on the council to back her call to block the large-scale project from being erected next door to her home (pictured), which she said she was 'blindsided' by

Catriona claimed the development poses a safety risk because the land is on a fire corridor while it is also protected by a significant landscape overlay to preserve significant areas

Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan agreed that the local community had been caught completely 'unaware' by the proposals as he vowed to take it up with the State.

'The community has been caught unaware,' Mr Sullivan said in a recent meeting, according to the Geelong Advertiser.

'Whether it's a battery (or a) a waste-to-energy incinerator, things that have been tried to, I dare say, be snuck through by the state government, the community must be made aware of it. We will follow up on that one.'

Catriona relocated from Sydney to Victoria to be with her farmer husband James and has since restored his former family home, a six-bedroom Victorian farmhouse, to its former glory.

The sheep and grain property where Catriona, James and their children are based has been used over the years for movies including Ned Kelly and The Dressmaker.

If the plans next door to her sprawling property go ahead and become operational, the BESS would connect directly with the existing 220kV network infrastructure.

According to ACEnergy, it would enable Victoria to become more sustainable 'balancing supply and demand, integrating more renewable energy into the grid and reducing reliance on fossil fuels'.

Unlike many other forms of energy storage, a BESS provides much more flexibility as it releases energy on demand.

The unit could also help to manage the impacts of power fluctuations and outages, while existing transmission lines would be used to minimise construction impacts.

The land for the Little River BESS was secured in 2023, with the application currently under assessment by the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning.

If approved, ACEnergy expects construction to begin in the second quarter of 2025, with the BESS scheduled to be energised by late 2026.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted ACEnergy for comment.

Catriona relocated from Sydney to Victoria to be with her farmer husband James and has since restored his former family home, a six-bedroom Victorian sheep farmhouse, to its former glory

The new proposal comes as the State Government approved the first renewable energy project under the Allan Labor Government's new streamlined process.

Earlier this year, renewable energy projects became eligible to go through the development facilitation program to ensure significant proposals can get off the ground faster.

And on Thursday, Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny approved the first project under the new system, with it expected to be fully processed in just nine weeks.

Amid a big push in renewable energy, a $250million BESS has been approved for Joel Joel in the Northern Grampians, which lies 23km east of Stawell in the Wimmera region of Victoria.

According to a press release, 'projects like this are playing a key role in achieving Victorias energy storage targets of at least 2.6 gigawatts of energy storage capacity by 2030 and at least 6.3 gigawatts by 2035'.
Anna Delvey, known for swindling people out of money while she posed as a German heiress, has reportedly been cast in the next season of Dancing with the Stars.

On Friday, Page Six claimed that the 33-year-old con artist has been granted permission to travel to Los Angeles for the competition series after her house arrest terms were modified.

The scammer, who was portrayed by actress Julia Garner in the Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna, was jailed in 2019 for her crimes.

In 2022 she began house arrest as she waited to find out if she'd be allowed to remain in the United States following her complete prison stint.

She was recently allowed to start working again and to travel within 70 miles of where she lives on the east coast.

Anna Delvey, known for swindling people out of money while she posed as a German heiress, has reportedly been cast in the next season of Dancing with the Stars

On Friday, Page Six reported that the 33-year-old con artist has been granted permission to travel to Los Angeles for the competition series after her house arrest terms were modified

Additionally, Anna was given a Social Security number and permitted to use social media again.

She will not be the first-time Dancing With The Stars competitor to have served time behind bars.

Rapper Lil Kim, comedian Tommy Chong, and entertainer Steve O have previously joined the series after their sentences.

Delvey, however, is the first star who is known solely for her conviction.

She returned to Instagram last week after her two-year ban from online platforms came to an end.

The media personality quickly amassed more than one million followers as she promoted an forthcoming television show.

Based around what she's famous for, the program will see contestants take their best stab at 'deception, lying and not letting people see the real you.'

She's also helmed a public relations business, cheekily named OutLaw Agency.

The scammer was jailed in 2019 for her crimes

Anna pictured in New York City in November 2022 while on house arrest

Delvey was portrayed by actress Julia Garner in the Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna

As part of her return to the public eye, next month during New York Fashion Week Anna will produce shows for up-and-coming designers.

She continues to work on her memoir, and is pitching a talk show to production companies.

Delvey told Daily Mail: 'I'm grateful to be able to control my own narrative again.

'When my lawyers called me with the decision, it was overwhelming, a big relief  the same kind of feeling I had when I got out of jail.'

She acknowledged, 'I made mistakes but I've grown up and I'm in a different mindset now. I want to get on with the rest of my life. I hope people will see that I've changed and that I'm not the same person, and they'll give me the opportunity to move on.'
Great Wall Hardware, shown in 2020, was burglarized Friday morning, days after a fire shuttered the store, the owner said. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2020 A fire charred merchandise at Great Wall Hardware in San Francisco last Sunday. San Francisco Fire Department

A San Francisco hardware store was burglarized on back-to-back days less than a week after a fire  which the owner believes was arson  shuttered the shop.

Albert Chow, the owner of Great Wall Hardware in the citys Parkside neighborhood, said his store was ransacked around 3 a.m. Friday, resulting in a significant loss of high-end inventory. When he returned to the shop Saturday afternoon, he realized hed been hit again. The incidents occurred mere days after a fire last Sunday ravaged his Taraval Street store and displaced three upstairs residents, including Chows mother, who opened the shop in 1983.

Chow said the fire upended my world, but while his security cameras were burned to toast, he managed to rescue the DVR tape. Now, he said he has proof that the fire was an act of arson.

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A spokesperson for the San Francisco Fire Department confirmed that the fire was under investigation, but said it can take weeks or months to collect and analyze evidence to determine the cause of a fire. The San Francisco Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the burglaries or accusations of arson.

San Francisco firefighters battle a blaze in a building housing Great Wall Hardware in the citys Parkside neighborhood early last Sunday. San Francisco Fire Department

While Chow said he could not yet release the tape due to the ongoing investigation, he described the video footage to the Chronicle. He recounted that a man who looked to be in his 50s walked up to the hardware store carrying a lighter and held it up to the window for about 15 seconds. Then my window caught fire, and once it started flaming, he just walked away, Chow said, adding that his window was made of plexiglass, which is flammable.

Chow said he does not have video evidence of the burglaries but noted that the perpetrators pried the plywood off his front door to break in on Friday. He said he believes they were experienced burglars and it appeared they were in there for a while. They tore apart his office and stole his computer, some change and a significant amount of expensive inventory, including flashlights, power tools and Leatherman multi-tools.

They used my own tools against me, Chow said. They grabbed my pro bars, a hatchet and a sledgehammer, and used them to break all my drawers.

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The upstairs residences were also broken into, said Chow, noting that handbags, a passport and old credit cards were missing from his mothers unit. He reported the incident to police, who he said arrived on the scene roughly an hour later.

After Saturdays break in, Chow said his mothers apartment was tossed upside down, but not much else was taken. He again reported the incident to police.

The store is down, the power is out, and the building is empty, Chow said. The (perpetrators) probably thought, This is a great time to revictimize this guy.

Great Wall Hardware owner Albert Chow, shown in 2019, says he believes last weekends fire at the store was an act of arson. Terry Chea/Associated Press 2019

As for the fire, Chow called the timing dubious. The day earlier, he spoke at a rally in San Franciscos Panhandle expressing his opposition to Proposition K, which would close a 2-mile stretch of the Great Highway to cars. Closing (the highway) is not feasible, is not a good idea, and it wasnt brought as a community-led compromise, he said at the rally.

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Its such a divisive issue, Chow said, adding that the fire appeared premeditated. He said the video footage shows the man carrying a backpack, the lighter and two sticks  one that looked like the back of a hammer, and another that looked metal. In that sense, I felt it was very deliberate, Chow said. He had the tools of the trade in his hand. That makes me a little suspicious.
She instantly became a pop culture icon after bursting into the public eye as loudmouthed Page 3 girl, Jordan.

Having tried her hand at modelling, singing, presenting, campaigning and reality TV, the glamour model quickly became a household name in Britain.

Yet while Katie Price's moniker will ring a bell for both young and old, you would be forgiven for not recognising the star on sight alone, with Katie famously undergoing numerous cosmetic procedures over the years.

After two decades in the spotlight, Katie is almost unrecognisable from the naturally pretty teenager who burst on to the modelling scene at the age of 16, with her natural curls and fresh-faced beauty winning her an army of fans.

Katie, now 46, has undergone an array of procedures over the years, including rhinoplasty, a silhouette facelift, 3D, veneers, lip fillers and Botox, culminating in her first facelift in 2017.

Now, after two decades under the surgeon's scalpel, MailOnline takes a look at the many faces of Katie Price.

The many faces of Katie Price: MailOnline takes a look at the star's changing look after two decades of boob jobs, Botox and face lifts

1995 - Barefaced beauty

At the age of 17, Katie Price was a fresh-faced natural beauty looking to make it into the world of glamour modelling.

At a friend's suggestion, the teenager had professional photographs taken and was quickly snapped up by a modelling agency who landed her a Page 3 slot in The Sun newspaper the following year, sparking the creation of her glamour model alter ego, Jordan.

Speaking last year, Katie revealed she was glad that she wasn't exposed to social media at the time as she had 'no idea what Botox was or fillers', otherwise she may have started her tweaks and enhancements at an even earlier age.

1995: At the age of 17, Katie Price was a fresh-faced natural beauty looking to make it into the world of glamour modelling

1998 - First boob job

Having just turned 20, the rising glamour model experienced her first taste of cosmetic surgery, boosting her 32B cup breasts to a 32C.

The procedure cost 4,500 and it's thought her mum Amy and stepdad Paul helped pay for her to have the procedure.

Katie has since spoken out about her decision to go under the knife, admitting she was 'too young' and that she feels sorry for young girls growing up these days in a world of social media and filters.

1998: Having just turned 20, Katie experienced her first taste of cosmetic surgery, boosting her 32B cup breasts to a 32C

1999 - Second and third boob job

Despite having only just increased her breast size, Katie opted to have two more procedures the following year at the age of 21.

Katie boosted her bust from a C cup to a D cup and just a few months later went up again to a F cup.

Katie has previously claimed that she has only paid for two of her boob jobs over the course of her career - it is not known if these were the ones.

1999: Despite having only just increased her breast size, Katie opted to have two more procedures at the age of 21

2001 - Lip fillers

At the age of 21, Katie had her first cosmetic procedure on her face, opting for lip fillers.

While the glamour model did not confirm the rumours at the time, she was seen sporting a noticeably fuller pout while out enjoying the party scene.

Her overall look had also started drastically transforming, with the model sporting dramatic false lashes, bright lipstick and pale hair extensions.

2001: At the age of 21, Katie had her first cosmetic procedure on her face, opting for lip fillers

2004 - Botox

Aged 26, Katie began to experiment with Botox injections that relax the muscles in your face to smooth out lines and wrinkles.

She made no secret of her love of the procedure, announcing at the time: 'I get my forehead and around my eyes Botoxed every six months and I love it. You can't beat it. It just freezes all the wrinkles and that's what you want.'

At the time, Katie insisted she would never take things further and have a facelift, explaining: 'I'd never have a full facelift. I've seen what they can do to people and I don't want to go through that.'

2004: Aged 26, Katie began to experiment with Botox injections that relax the muscles in your face to smooth out lines

2006 - Fourth boob job

Katie went under the knife yet again to take her F cup breasts up to a G cup.

The glamour model also played around with her overall look and embraced her dark side with a new brunette hairstyle.

She also continued to dabble with fillers and Botox.

2006: Katie went under the knife yet again to take her F cup breasts up to a G cup

2007 - First nose job and veneers

At the age of 29, Katie took her love of surgery to the next level, undergoing rhinoplasty, a chemical peel and treating herself to a 25,000 set of new veneers.

'Oh my God, it burned like hell!' she said at the time. 'The next day I had this hideous red rash on my chin but two days later there wasn't a single spot left.'

Speaking about her nose job at the time, she admitted to liking her original nose, explaining: 'I liked my nose before and now. If I had a cupboard with both noses, I would alternate between them!'

2007:Katie took her love of surgery to the next level, undergoing rhinoplasty, a chemical peel and a 25,000 set of veneers

2008 - Fifth boob job

Despite gradually increasingly her bust size over the year, Katie fancied a change on her 30th and brought her bra size back down from an F cup to a C cup.

The procedure meant that Katie had returned to the size of her first boob job 10 years prior.

Katie's changing shape also coincided with the launch of her first clothing line - an equestrian range.

2008: Despite gradually increasingly her bust size, Katie fancied a change and brought her bra size back down to a C cup

2011 - Sixth boob job

Katie's smaller chest didn't last long, and at age 33 she went back under the knife again to boost her bust to an F cup.

Katie also underwent body-contouring treatment and cheek and lip fillers.

The Loose Women panelist admitted that she loved having her cheeks filled to give her a 'plumper, more youthful look'.

2011: Katie's smaller chest didn't last long, and at age 33 she went back under the knife again to boost her bust to an F cup

2015 - Seventh and eighth boob job

Just before appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, the reality star had a botched boob reduction that left her with a hole in her breast and an implant protruding from her flesh.

Katie told her shocked housemates: 'Ive got no tits anymore. Theyve gone. Theres not even anything there. If you saw what Im like underneath. The scars gone septic. My whole implant was hanging out on New Years Day.'

Shortly after leaving the Big Brother house she underwent corrective surgery and had her implants swapped for a D-cup.

2015: Just before Celebrity Big Brother, the star had a botched boob reduction that left her with a hole in her breast

2016 - Ninth boob job and tattooed makeup

Despite her surgery horror the year before, Katie was undeterred and flew to a Brussels clinic to go under the knife yet again, this time settling on a 32GG bust.

The reality star also had her eyebrows and lips tattooed, also known as 'permanent make-up', explaining that she prefers to go make-up free on a day-to-day basis.

Additionally the star has regular facial treatments, last year sharing a bloodied selfie after having a dermal roller micro-needling treatment, which sees a dermaroller with many tiny needles rolled across into the skin - designed to stimulate cells into regeneration.

2016: Despite her surgery horror the year before, Katie flew to a Brussels clinic to get another boob job, this time a 32GG cup

2017 - First face lift, new veneers and 10th boob job

Despite insisting she would never have a face lift and could rely on Botox, Katie went back on her word undergoing a 'Silhouette' face lift.

The procedure is designed to lift a sagging cheeks and blurred jawline, using 'sutures' implanted under the skin to sculpt features.

However, Katie was soon spotted with puffy features, revealing that she suffered an allergic reaction to anesthetic penicillin after having further work on her veneers. She also had her breast implants reduced from 1000ml implants to 795ml.

2017: Despite insisting she would never have a face lift and could rely on Botox, Katie went back on her word

2018 - Second face lift

Katie claimed her first face lift had been a botched job and went back under the knife the following year aged 40 to correct it.

She said at the time 'I need to get my face re-corrected after surgeon has totally f**ked my face up', admitting it had

He agent added: 'She had the thread and it really quite distorted her look. She got a lot of backlash, a lot of negative press, a lot of trolling, everyone saying shed taken it too far, when actually it was a job that had not gone to plan.'

2018: Katie claimed her first face lift had been a botched job and went back under the knife the following year aged 40

2019 - Third face lift, boob job first Brazilian bum lift and 11th boob job

Katie jetted to Turkey to overhaul her entire look with a full body transformation.

The reality star opted for a face, eye and eyelid lift, Brazilian bum lift along with a tummy tuck.

Just three months later she returned to the clinic and opted for another boob job, going back down to a D cup.

2019: Katie jetted to Turkey to overhaul her look with a face, eye and eyelid lift, Brazilian bum lift along with a tummy tuck

2020 - 12th boob job and another set of veneers

Katie returned to Turkey to have another set of veneers and revealed her real teeth had been reduced to stubs as she flashed a smile on her YouTube channel.

The mother-of-five then jetted to Belgium to correct botched surgery on her breasts, saying her surgeon was utterly shocked by the 'awful' previous procedure.

Katie said: 'They looked deformed, they were absolutely awful. That's the first time I've gone to a different surgeon. I had to go back to Frank with my head down, ashamed that I'd been to another clinic.'

2020: Katie returned to Turkey to have another set of veneers then jetted to Belgium to correct a botched boob job

2021 - Liposuction, eye and lid lifts and 13th boob job

Amid the Covid pandemic, Katie jetted off to then red-list Turkey for a complete cosmetic surgery overhaul, undergoing full body liposuction, eye and lip lifts, liposuction under her chin, and fat injected into her bum.

The reality star also visited Belgium to have her 13th boob job as well as full body liposuction with bum fat removal.

The plastic surgery - performed by Dr Frank Plovier - came just five days ahead of the glamour model's sentencing for her shocking drink-drive crash.

2021: Katie jetted to Turkey for a complete cosmetic surgery overhaul, undergoing full body liposuction, eye and lip lifts

2022 - Another brow and eye lift

Katie secretly jetted back to Belgium at the beginning of 2022 for an eye and brow lift and had been concealing her new look with her head in a bandage.

Dr Judy Todd, an aesthetic doctor at Clinica Medica in Glasgow, said: 'It appears like she's had a face lift, temporal brow lift, and possibly an upper blepharoplasty.'

It was reported last month that Katie plans to travel to Turkey imminently for yet more plastic surgery, amid claims she wanted to get some tweaks in after being unhappy with her latest work.

Sian Dellar, Brow Specialist and Founder of Sian Dellar Permanent Makeup Clinic, added: 'Katie's eyebrows, like the rest of her, have changed lots over the years!

'Back in the 90s she had a very thin over plucked brow which was the fashion at the time, and today she has an extremely thick and unnatural looking brow.

'Currently it seems the face or eye lift that shes had have pulled her brows outward which looks unnatural and makes the brows appear almost stretched.

'Of course, as with any enhancement, its personal preference but we recommend not going too many shades darker, and keeping the shape as natural looking as possible and work to create or enhance brows to frame the face.

'Katies choice to have them so thick and dark and in that unusual positioning means they dominate her face and are the first thing the eye is drawn to. I would love to see Katie take her brows back to 2015/2016 when the fuller brow became a big trend. She got it right then and they framed her face well.'

2022: Katie secretly jetted back to Belgium for an eye and brow lift and is planning to to travel to Turkey for more surgery

2023 - 16th and 'biggest ever' boob job

It's not clear if Katie lost track of the number of breast augmentations or opted to keep some of her surgery private but by 2023 it emerged she'd undergone her 16th boob job, two years after claiming to be on her 13th.

The star went under the knife in a bid to have the 'biggest in Britain' and was subsequently pictured being wheeled into surgery at the Be Clinic in Belgium.

She is said to have wanted even bigger breasts, opting for 2120 CC implants in a bid to boost her already large bust size.

Katie told OK! magazine of her boobs: 'I love them. They healed really quickly and they didn't hurt at all. That probably doesn't help. Because I heal quickly, it doesn't put me off and I have more.

'I would go bigger as well  and I will eventually. I just love having big boobs and a small body. I've always loved that look. In my eyes, if I'm having a boob job, I want them to look fake, I don't want them to look natural. I don't like the natural look.

'I just like that old-school American Playboy pin-up look. When I have surgery, that is what I'm striving for. If I could look like my airbrushed pictures, that would be amazing. But that's impossible to achieve.'

2023: It's not clear if Katie lost track of the number of breast augmentations or opted to keep some of her surgery private but by 2023 it emerged she'd undergone her 16th boob job, two years after claiming to be on her 13th

2024 - MORE facial surgery

In July 2024 Katie confirmed she is travelling to Turkey for facial surgery, to be filmed for a new documentary, after failing to attend a bankruptcy hearing.

The former glamour model was absent at a scheduled 760,000 bankruptcy court hearing having flown overseas for her latest cosmetic procedure.

A warrant was subsequently issued, with Katie admitting she's 'doing the best she can' to rectify her financial issues after receiving 'very clear warnings' that she needed to attend court.
Zara McDermott has given her verdict on close pal Pete Wicks' new look ahead of his debut on Strictly Come Dancing.

The former Love Island star, 27, appeared in the BBC series last year before reports emerged that she was 'hit and kicked' during rehearsals by now axed professional Graziano Di Prima.

In a fun clip shared to the show's offical Instagram page Pete, 36, slipped into a plunging floral suit and sparkly trousers.

The caption read: 'Your Strictly countdown is on! There are only 15 days till Pete puts the tan in Tango!

Zara, who's in a relationship with Pete's pal Sam Thompson, commented: 'The sequins really suit you.'

Zara McDermott has given her verdict on close pal Pete Wicks' new look ahead of his debut on Strictly Come Dancing

The Love Island star, who's in a relationship with Pete's pal Sam Thompson , commented: 'The sequins really suit you.'

Earlier this month Zara broke her silence after it was confirmed Pete has signed up for the show's latest series.

His appearance surprise to some viewers, given his friendship with Zara, and her boyfriend Sam, following her negative experience.

However, sharing the news to Instagram, the documentary maker threw her support behind Pete saying it 'made her so happy.'

Re-posting the official announcement, Zara wrote: 'I've never been so excited. Love you.'

In a comment, she added: 'This makes me so happy. Youre going to have the best time. I am so proud of you. I cannot wait to see you in some sparkles and maybe even some hot pants.'

Sam also shared: 'No words. So proud of you... the content we are going to make that you don't even know about yet.'

Despite their close-knit friendship, he has landed a spot on the Strictly line-up amid shocking reports Zara performed on the show with a 'fractured' leg following an injury in training and needed painkillers to get through ten-hour rehearsals.

The latest revelation comes after professional dancer Graziano, 30, admitted to kicking Zara during their sessions, causing him to be sacked from the BBC series.

The former Love Island star, 27, appeared in the BBC series last year before reports emerged that she was 'hit and kicked' during rehearsals by now axed professional Graziano Di Prima (L-R) Graziano, Zara's boyfriend Sam Thompson, Zara and Pete pictured during last year's series

In a fun clip shared to the show's offical Instagram page Pete, 36, slipped into a plunging floral suit and sparkly trousers

As if by magic the TOWIE star casual clothes transformed into a sequinned ensemble ready for the dance floor

It follows claims his abusive behaviour was caught on video, in clips Zara stated were 'incredibly distressing to watch.'

A source told MailOnline: 'Zara is so happy for Pete landing the Strictly gig.

'Her experience on the show was so individual  she hopes no one will go through the same again.'

They added: 'She knows that Pete will have an amazing time and could even impress the judges, he's incredibly hardworking and a good person, and will thrive in the environment, which can be intense, but he performs best when he's challenged and under pressure.

'Zara doesn't want anything that happened to her to taint his Strictly journey and backs Pete even if it is a bit close to home.'

Pete joined Sam in the Strictly studio audience last year and together they wore patterned shirts embellished with Zara's face to show their support.

They posed for photographs alongside Zara and Graziano, who has since fled to his native Sicily in the wake of his Strictly axing.

Reality stars Sam and Pete became friends following their appearance on E4 show Celebs Go Dating in 2019 and have since hosted podcast Staying Relevant together.

As well as their podcast, the pair's working relationship sees them prank each other in viral social media videos based around Sam's enthusiasm and eagerness to please juxtaposed with Pete's moodiness.

Pete's signing came as a surprise to some viewers, given his friendship with Zara, and her boyfriend Sam Thompson

However, sharing the news to Instagram on Wednesday, she threw her support behind Pete saying it 'made her so happy'

In a comment, she said: 'This makes me so happy. Youre going to have the best time. I am so proud of you. I cannot wait to see you in some sparkles and maybe even some hot pants'

Zara often features in the clips, which has seen the trio perform fun dance routines for their huge combine following.

The Sun revealed Zara needed painkillers to get through ten-hour training sessions after breaking a leg bone on Strictly.

A source told the publication the TV star danced during the show's Halloween week with a fractured leg, and it was 'literal horror in every sense of the word.'

An X-ray revealed severe ligament damage plus a stress fracture on her left tibia.

Show bosses learned the full extent of the injury only two weeks ago when Zara spoke to private investigators amid the inquiry into Graziano's behaviour.

It comes after professional dancer Graziano , 30, admitted to kicking Zara during their sessions, causing him to be sacked from the BBC series.

The BBC star has spoken out about her experience in the Strictly training room and being 'scared' about her future and 'victim shaming' in the wake of the revelations

Professional dancer Giovanni Pernice has also been sacked from the show following an ongoing investigation into his conduct after actress Amanda Abbington told the broadcaster she had been mistreated.

On Wednesday, Amanda revealed to Channel 4 the BBC had failed to offer any 'aftercare' following her departure from Strictly and the onslaught of trolling she experienced once Giovanni was booted off the series.

She revealed there are '50 hours of footage which have been blocked' to back up her claims Giovanni created a 'toxic' environment in the training room.

Speaking to former Strictly co-star Krishnan Guru-Murthy, she said: 'It's bullying and it's aggressive behaviour and there were other things that happened that were very upsetting that you manage at the time in the room because you're a woman and you have to manage those things because otherwise what do you do?'
Married At First Sight star Jade Pywell alarmed her fans on Friday by revealing she had been hospitalised as she underwent surgery.

The influencer, 26, and her MAFS husband Ridge Barredo, 27, shared a gallery of shock photos to Instagram which captured Jade in a gown at a local hospital.

One photo showed a tired looking Jade lying in a hospital bed shortly after the surgery and another captured her giving the peace sign to the camera, as she prepared for the procedure.

Ridge captioned the snap with some reassuring words: 'She's alive'.

Meanwhile, Jade shared a clip which showed Ridge being a doting boyfriend by delivering food to her shortly after the surgery was completed.

Although it is unknown was procedure Jade was getting, Ridge cheekily asked his followers to 'guess the surgery', suggesting it is nothing life-threatening.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out for comment.

Earlier this month, Jade and her on-screen husband Ridge Barredo opened up about their future together, and it seems that baby plans are on the horizon.

Married At First Sight star Jade Pywell (pictured) alarmed her fans on Friday by revealing she had been hospitalised as she underwent surgery

The influencer, 26, and her MAFS husband Ridge Barredo, 27, shared a gallery of shock photos to Instagram which captured Jade in a gown at a local hospital

In an exclusive chat with Daily Mail Australia the couple, who recently celebrated their first anniversary, revealed plans to start a family.

When asked about their sex life, Ridge was quick to deflect.

'She's not pregnant yet, though, which is a bit annoying,' he quipped.

When asked if the idea of having children together was something they'd discussed, Ridge explained Jade wanted to get married before having a child.

'She said yes to the next person who I will get married to or engaged to,' he revealed.

Daily Mail Australia revealed back in May that Ridge had quit his job as a psychiatric nurse in NSW and relocated to move in with his TV bride.

Days later, the MAFS intruder groom took to Instagram to officially share the news with his 111,000 followers as he posted a sweet video of himself and Jade.
Television's highest-paid daytime host has been revealed and they reportedly bagged over half a million pounds in 2023 - despite only appearing in 99 of their programme's 173 episodes.

Lorraine Kelly, who hosts eponymous daytime show Lorraine on ITV, is estimated to have earnt 568,000 in 2023.

The Scotswoman, 64, paid 108,000 tax for the year to December 2023, which can be extrapolated to her earnings 568,000.

As well as this, Lorraine's personal services company Albatel boasts assets including 3.1million in the bank, all according to The Sun.

News of Lorraine's wealth will come as an annoyance to many who complain of her continual absence.

Television's highest-paid daytime host has been revealed and they reportedly bagged over half a million pounds in 2023 - despite only appearing in 99 of their programme's 173 episodes

Lorraine Kelly, 64, who hosts eponymous daytime show Lorraine on ITV , is estimated to have earnt 568,000 in 2023

The Scotswoman paid 108,000 tax for the year to December 2023, which can be extrapolated to her earnings 568,000

Addressing more ITV stars, The Sun revealed that experiencing a drop in wealth is Loose Women head panellist Ruth Langsford who saw her worth drop from 3.3million to 1.9million.

This Morning mainstay Cat Deeley is thought to be worth around 13million, with an annual salary of 550.000.

However, not doing so well is her fragrance brand, e11even, whose accounts showing 76.000 debts.

Her rotating co-workers Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary are worth 139,000 and 2.7million respectively.

In February, Lorraine spoke out for the first time after she discovered a Twitter account criticising her work ethic.

Called Where Is Lorraine?, with the handle @LorraineKWatch, the account updates followers on whether or not the Scottish star has hosted the show that day.

Viewers were left baffled when the TV host was missing from her show, but later appeared on This Morning.

While Ranvir Singh covered Lorraine's role, Lorraine set the record straight as she addressed the Twitter account committed to tracking her days off.

As well as this, Lorraine's personal services company Albatel boasts assets including 3.1million in the bank

News of Lorraine's wealth will come as an annoyance to many who complain of her continual absence (pictured: Loose Women's Christine Lampard who is frequently in for Lorraine)

Experiencing a drop in wealth is Loose Women head panellist Ruth Langsford who saw her worth drop from 3.3million to 1.9million

This Morning mainstay Cat Deeley is thought to be worth around 13million, with an annual salary of 550.000

Her rotating co-workers Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary are worth 139,000 and 2.7million respectively

Speaking on Woman's Hour with host Anita Rani, Lorraine defiantly said of the account, which now has almost 19,000 followers: 'I know, the amount of space that I occupy in people's heads is quite bizarre.'

Insisting the account doesn't bother her, she explained: 'Its fine. I don't mind, I don't care. I probably would have cared before but I really don't now it's absolutely fine.'

The star went on to explain the real reason she had been missing from a number of shows lately as she is taking some time off to care for her mother who is unwell.

Lorraine continued: 'But you should never comment on things like that if you don't know what is going on in people's lives but I am having to take quite a few Fridays off because my mum is really not well.

'So I can go home now and spend some more time with her and help her a bit more than I have been able to. So that is happening just now but that will change.

'I have been doing five days a week for 40 years so I am just taking a wee bit of time off and obviously this week is half term which is why I am able to talk to you!'

Heartbroken Lorraine had rushed to to be by her elderly mother's bedside in July 2023 after Anne was admitted into University Hospital Monklands, in Lanarkshire.

She last gave an update on her health in May, writing on Instagram: 'Mum continues to defy everything and everyone!!

In February, Lorraine revealed that she was frequently absent from her show to care for her sick mother Anne, 81 (both pictured in May)

'Took her for lunch in Glasgow and we had a lovely time. Even managed a wee walk. She is the very definition of indomitable!! So proud of her.'

Lorraine also shared a health update on her 'brave' mother Anne, 81, in March.

Taking to Instagram for Mother's Day, Lorraine wrote: 'Happy Mothers Day to my brave lovely mum - coping with a tough illness and still able to (occasionally) say cheers! and always living each day to the full!'.

Lorraine has not disclosed Anne's illness.
Edwina Bartholomew was enjoying a weekend outing with her two young children this weekend.

The 40-year-old stepped out in Sydney's inner west with her daughter Molly, four, and son Tom, two, who she shared with her husband Neil Varcoe,

The TV presenter dressed casually in denim maxi dress that clung close to her figure and included splits down the sides.

She strapped on a black leather designer crossbody bag and had on a pair of strappy sandals.

Edwina appeared to be wearing minimal makeup for her relaxing jaunt and pulled her caramel locks off her face.

The Sunrise star held hands with her little ones, who got their hands on some balloons during the outing.

It comes after Edwina confessed that she and her husband Neil, who she married in 2018, have undergone what she calls an 'extreme sleep divorce'.

The pair have been living in separate homes since last year - but the star insists it works for them, and before they split up their homes, the pair had not shared a bedroom in a decade.

Edwina Bartholomew was enjoying a weekend outing with her two young children this weekend. Pictured

The 40-year-old stepped out in Sydney 's inner west with her daughter Molly, four, and son Tom, two, who she shared with her husband Neil Varcoe

The TV presenter dressed casually in denim maxi dress that clung close to her figure and included splits down the sides

'We have been sleeping in separate rooms for about 10 years, long before we were married and long before we had kids,' she told a previous issue of Stellar.

Edwina added that at first she 'hated the idea' of separate bedrooms but soon realised it worked best for the pair of them.

Last year, she entered into a long-distance relationship with her husband as he moved out of the family home to become a farmer.

'My husband lives in the country with the dog and I live in the city with the kids. Each weekend, we traipse back and forth between the two or meet somewhere in the middle' the television star explained.

Edwina appeared to be wearing minimal makeup for her relaxing jaunt and pulled her caramel locks off her face

She strapped on a black leather designer crossbody bag and had on a pair of strappy sandals

At one stage she carried her son in her arms

The Sunrise star held hands with her little ones, who got their hands on some balloons during the outing

It comes after Edwina confessed that she and her husband Neil have undergone what she calls an 'extreme sleep divorce'

The pair have been living in separate homes since last year - but the star insists it works for them, and before they split up their homes, the pair had not shared a bedroom in a decade

'It feels like a Love Actually airport reunion every time we come together with a slow-motion embrace and those newlywed feels'.

The couple recently sold their Dulwich Hill home for an estimated $2million in Marc.

Edwina recently revealed how motherhood has profoundly reshaped her relationship with her body, providing a fresh perspective on self-acceptance.

Speaking to Prevention magazine, Edwina opened up about letting go of societal expectations after experiencing two pregnancies.

'It sounds cliched, but I'm completely in awe of what my body has achieved in the past few years in terms of having two babies,' Bartholomew told the magazine.

'We have been sleeping in separate rooms for about 10 years, long before we were married and long before we had kids,' she told a previous issue of Stellar

Edwina added that at first she 'hated the idea' of separate bedrooms but soon realised it worked best for the pair of them

Last year, she entered into a long-distance relationship with her husband as he moved out of the family home to become a farmer

'My husband lives in the country with the dog and I live in the city with the kids. Each weekend, we traipse back and forth between the two or meet somewhere in the middle' the television star explained

The TV star also highlighted the importance of being mindful of the messages she sends to her daughter about body positivity and self-identity.

'I'm so conscious of the message I send to my daughter about being proud of her body and having her own identity,' she explained.

'Like, she leaves the house in the craziest outfits. She's at that age where you just have no comprehension of anyone else's opinion of you, which is so wonderful. I've learnt so much from that, and I want to give so much of that back to her.'

Edwina stressed the importance of being aware of her own language and behaviour regarding body image, as it directly impacts her children.
Robert Irwin took to social media on Saturday to share an exciting Australia Zoo update alongside his sister Bindi and mother Terri.

The celebrity conservationist, 20, appeared in a video posted to Instagram in which he announced his Sunshine Coast wildlife reserve would be hosting a very special crocodile show.

'We are going to be feeding our beautiful crocodiles live in the Crocoseum these September school holidays,' Robert began.

Robert's sister Bindi, 26, added that her husband Chandler Powell, 27, and daughter Grace Warrior, three, would also be there helping out.

'Chandler's going to be feeding crocs too and Grace will probably be there. She pretty much runs the zoo!' she said.

Terri then said Australia Zoo would be the place to be in September and urged everyone to pay it a visit.

It comes after Robert revealed his surprising new career move just weeks after nabbing a milestone nomination for the prestigious Gold Logie.

The reality TV star has made waves on screen since his TV hosting debut on I'm A Celebrity Australia and made history as the youngest star to nab a Gold Logie nomination.

Robert Irwin took to social media on Saturday to share an exciting Australia Zoo update along with his sister Bindi and mother Terri. All pictured

However, he has now unveiled his unlikely new career move away from TV as he has expanded his career as a product influencer, fronting a new campaign.

The presenter took to Instagram on Monday to share footage of himself starring in a new campaign for meal prep delivery service HelloFresh.

In the paid promotion, Robert is shown chatting with some of the animals at Australia Zoo in Queensland as he promotes the service.

Robert, who recently copped backlash for not being vegan despite being a conservationist, detailed how you can 'add fish to a veggie dish' in one change with the meal plans.

The celebrity conservationist, 20, appeared in a video posted to Instagram in which he announced his Sunshine Coast wildlife reserve would be hosting a very special crocodile show

Robert's sister Bindi, 26, added that her husband Chandler Powell, 27, and daughter Grace Warrior, three (pictured), would also be there helping out. 'Chandler's going to be feeding crocs too and Grace will probably be there. She pretty much runs the zoo!' she said

He is then seen spruiking the service as he jokingly tells his zoo animals about the various benefits of subscribing to it.

His move into advertising comes after it was reported that he is raking in the big bucks after signing several lucrative presenting gigs, each paying hundreds of thousands of dollars.

He is one of Australia's most in-demand talents and currently hosts Channel Ten's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia and fronts a QLD tourism campaign.
Lisa Wilkinson made a rare red carpet appearance at the opening night of Sunset Boulevard in Sydney on Saturday.

The embattled television star appeared in excellent spirits as she made a glamorous entrance at the Sydney Opera House.

The 64-year-old opted for a draped black satin blouse underneath a slightly oversized blazer.

She added a pair of chic silk trousers in a wide cut in an alluring blush shade of rose gold.

Lisa finished the look with a pair of pointed patent leather heels in a biege colour and carried a fabric covered designer purse.

For makeup, the former star of The Project chose a muted palette with a soft nude lip gloss and a wash of warm toned eye shadow.

She wore her brunette bob down in soft waves and added a pair of gold hoop earrings to the ensemble.

Lisa finished her look with a stack of gold chain link bracelets, and was all smiles on the red carpet.

Lisa Wilkinson (pictured) made a rare red carpet appearance at the opening night of Sunset Boulevard in Sydney on Saturday

The embattled television star appeared in excellent spirits as she made a glamorous entrance at the Sydney Opera House

It comes after news that Lisa wants to make a return to TV screens following months of inaction and five tedious weeks spent in a courtroom, sources say.

The Channel 10 star and former darling of breakfast TV is keen to get back to delivering more 'blockbuster interviews' in the New Year, friends told the Weekend Australian.

Wilkinson quit The Project last November and despite remaining on the Ten payroll until the end of 2024, she hasn't appeared on the channel for over a year.

Despite her lengthy hiatus from the network, Wilkinson has remained in the public eye through her role in a highly-publicised defamation trial.

The 64-year-old opted for a draped black satin blouse underneath a slightly oversized blazer

It comes after news that Lisa wants to make a return to TV screens following months of inaction and five tedious weeks spent in a courtroom

She was embroiled in a case with Bruce Lehrmann who was suing Network 10 and Wilkinson over an interview with Brittany Higgins that was broadcast on The Project and online.

In the final five weeks of the court's sitting year the defamation case has played out before the court. Justice Lee has reserved his decision in the matter.

Friends of Wilkinson say her court appearances have played in her favour by giving the TV star 'a constant stream of publicity'.

'Yes, she's been off air for a while but I don't think anyone will have forgotten her,' former Seven and Nine executive Peter Meakin told the Weekend Australian.

'I'm sure her loyal followers will remain loyal.'

Network Ten maintains they are in talks to develop 'other projects' with Wilkinson.
Amal Clooney exuded elegance in a peacock-coloured gown as she arrived at the Cartier Private Party in Venice on Saturday.

The human rights lawyer, 46, whose husband is Hollywood legend George Clooney, looked sensational as she stepped out wearing a fringe floor-length dress.

Her garment, which was ombre-coloured from light blue to purple, showcased her enviable figure as it clung to her hourglass shape.

Adding inches to her statuesque frame, she slipped into a pair of shiny purple heels and accessorised with a silver clutch.

To finish her look, she paired her gown with a simple silver bangle around her wrist and some delicate dangly earrings.

Amal Clooney, 46, exuded elegance in a peacock-coloured gown as she arrived at the Cartier Private Party in Venice on Saturday

The human rights lawyer, whose husband is Hollywood legend George Clooney, looked sensational as she stepped out wearing a fringe floor-length dress

George was nowhere to be seen during the event, but the duo were spotted arriving at Marco Polo Airport in Venice for the 81st Venice International Film Festival on Friday.

For their arrival, Amal wore a bright yellow sundress, which she paired with cream wedges and an oversized sun hat.

Meanwhile, George cut a more sophisticated look with a black shirt, white trousers and cream shoes.

Earlier this year, George and Amal reportedly moved to the South of France after their Oxfordshire, UK mansion was impacted by flooding.

The couple, who tied the knot in 2014, shares 7-year-old twins, son Alexander and Ella.

Italy has sentimental value to the Hollywood heartthrob as he met the human rights lawyer in Lake Como in 2013 when she came over for a dinner party with mutual friends.

The actor is said to have purchased his Italian home - named Villa Oleandra - from the Heinz family in 2002. The mansion, which boasts 25 rooms, was estimated at over $100 million in 2022.

The home has seen its share of A-listers. In 2004, the cast of Oceans Twelve was treated to a visit at the villa, People noted.

Her garment, which was ombre-coloured from light blue to purple, showcased her enviable figure as it clung to her hourglass shape

George was nowhere to be seen during the event, but the duo were spotted arriving at Marco Polo Airport in Venice for the 81st Venice International Film Festival on Friday

George and Amal Clooney's (pictured in 2022) charitable foundation has been banned in Russia after accusations it used 'Hollywood-scale activities' to 'discredit' the country

Amal's breathtaking appearance comes after it was revealed that George and Amal's charitable foundation was banned in Russia after accusations it used 'Hollywood-scale activities' to 'discredit' the country.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice, which was established by the actor and human rights lawyer, was classed as 'undesirable' by authorities in Moscow.

In a statement, Kremlin prosecutors said: 'Under the guise of humanitarian ideas, these "warriors for justice"... have promoted criminal probes against the highest Russian authorities.'
Controversial Married At First Sight bride Ellie Dix shocked her fans when she revealed she is selling her ring from her TV wedding to Ben Walters.

The cosmetic nurse, 32, who broke up with her MAFS groom during her stint on the show and later hooked up with co-star Jono McCullough, shared a post to Instagram on Saturday.

Alongside a photo of Jono's finger wearing the diamond ring that Ben gave her at their MAFS wedding earlier this year, Ellie wrote some cheeky words.

'Hey look, I found a wedding ring from that time I married a stranger,' she began.

Ellie then added she was prepared to sell the ring to whoever made an offer.

'Jono McCullough modeling the goods. DM to make an offer,' Ellie wrote and added a laughing emoji.

Ellie was paired with tour guide Ben Walters on this year's MAFS but soon discovered she was better suited to co-star Jono McCullough, who was paired with Lauren Dunn.

Jono and Ellie were later called 'villains' after they ended things with their partners in order to begin a relationship with each other.

MAFS bride Ellie Dix (right) shocked fans when she revealed she is selling her ring from her TV wedding to Ben Walters (left)

The pair recently revealed they are taking the next step in their relationship.

The controversial lovers admitted on Wednesday they had started a company together, with the cosmetic nurse revealing she is going back to her roots.

Taking to her Instagram Stories with a video about the exciting news, Ellie told followers she and her beau, 40, were starting a business together.

'We have some really exciting news. We have started a cosmetic company together,' she told fans.

Alongside a photo of Jono's finger wearing the diamond ring that Ben gave her at their MAFS wedding, Ellie wrote some cheeky words

Jono and Ellie caused controversy on this year's season of MAFS when their cheating drama was exposed while Jono was married to Lauren Dunn.

The pair have been going strong since the series ended and have recently revealed that babies may be on the cards for them in the future.

During an Instagram Q&A in July, Gold Coast-based Jono told followers where he saw himself in five years - and the answer included a family.
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan reportedly shelled out $4.95 million for a sprawling, 179-acre ranch in Wyoming.

The prolific writer is rumored to have recently purchased a property, known as Papa's Creek Ranch.

His latest purchase has two trout streams and offers a place for waterfowl hunting, according to TMZ.

Despite the hefty price tag, the land has minimal structures built on it, so the actor has 'a bit of a blank canvas to work.'

The ranch is 65 miles away from Jackson Hole and was also said to be toured by Michael Keaton over the summer.

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan has reportedly shelled out $4.95 million for a sprawling, 179-acre ranch in Wyoming; seen in 2022

Latham Jenkins and Matt MacMillan were the brokers for the listing.

It is unclear if Sheridan, who has an estimated net worth of $70 million, plans on moving there or using the space for a new filming project.

The showrunner also boasts two ranch properties in Texas - the $350 million, 266,255-plus acre Four Sixes Ranch, which he purchased in January 2022 along with a group of investors, and the Bosque Ranch, a 600-acre property where much of Yellowstone and its spinoffs are filmed.

Last year, a report from the Wall Street Journal revealed that the star charges Paramount as high as $50,000 a week to film Yellowstone on his own ranch in Texas.

Additionally, he asks the network for $210K to train actors at a 'Cowboy Camp' held on his own property and rents herds of cattle out for $25 a head.

Sheridan declined a request by WSJ to be interviewed for the story.

At the 'Cowboy Camps', actors are taught how to work with horses and realistically depict ranch life. WSJ reported Paramount was charged $214,979.61 for the camp leading into season five, which lasted around a week.

About $33,000 of that was just for catering. Use of his horses was also costly - Paramount was charged $2,000 a head.

The prolific writer is rumored to have recently purchased a property, known as Papa's Creek Ranch

Despite the hefty price tag, the land has minimal structures built on it, so the actor 'a bit of a blank canvas to work'

In another example cited by WSJ, a wrangler thousands of miles away from set also charged production $3,000. The wrangler explained to the skeptical production office that she was working on one of Sheridan's ranches and getting his horses ready for filming.

Sheridan also uses his preferred farrier to work with the horses.

According to WSJ, it costs over $500 million a year for Paramount to create Sheridan's programs. That figure also includes the first season of the Yellowstone spin-off 1923, which cost nearly $200 million.

Sheridan has a number of Yellowstone prequel and spinoff series at work, including 1883, 1923, 1944 and The Madison, starring Michelle Pfeiffer.

News of his latest purchase comes after Deadline confirmed that 'negotiations are underway for a sixth season' of Yellowstone

News of his latest purchase comes after Deadline confirmed that 'negotiations are underway for a sixth season' of Yellowstone, despite previous stating that the series would after season five.

Although sources emphasized that the deal is still up in the air, the upcoming episodes would focus on Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, who play Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, following Kevin Costners dramatic exit from the neo-Western drama.
Kyle Richards is bringing the drama in a new teaser for season 14 of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

In her series' latest sneak peek, the reality star, 55, whose fans think she is 'aging backwards,' broke down in tears and stormed away from the cameras.

'I'm done!' Im not doing this anymore!' she declared as tears streamed down her face.

'Classic runway from Kyle,' wrote a fan, who saw the clip on Bravo's Instagram page.

Another sarcastically quipped: 'Kyle crying again. Shocker.'

Kyle Richards is bringing the drama in a new teaser for season 14 of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The reality star, 55, declares 'I'm done! Im not doing this anymore!' and storms out of the room in the sneak peek

The tension doesn't stop there.

In another snippet, her costars, Dorit Kemsley and Sutton Stracke, face off.

'This is not real,' Kemsley, 48, tells Stracke, 52.

The boutique owner hits back at her saying, This is as real as it gets.'

'Forget pumpkin spicethis fall is all about Housewives' the folks at Bravo wrote next to the clip.

They then tagged not only #RHOBH but also the Housewives shows set in Salt Lake City, the Potomac and New York.

The cast for RHOBH will include not only veterans Richards, Stracke and Kemsley, but Garcelle Beauvais, Erika Jayne, and newcomer Bozoma Saint John.

Actress Jennifer Tilly, 65, has joined the show as a 'friend' of the cast.

Richards' split with husband Mauricio Umansky, 54, recently became more complicated.

The realtor and former Selling Beverly Hills star is being sued for alleged fraud in obtaining $3.5 million in PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) and CaresAct loans during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In another snippet Dorit Kemsley and Sutton Stracke face off. 'This is not real,' Kemsley, 48, tells Stracke, 52. The influencer hits back at her saying, This is as real as it gets.'

Richards' split with husband Mauricio Umansky has become more complicated. His company is being sued for alleged fraud in obtaining $3.5 million in PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) and CaresAct loans during the Covid-19 pandemic. He has denied the accusations

The suit was filed in July of 2023 according to InTouch, but the court recently unsealed the documents.

The complainant, Relator LLC, claims those programs were to keep small business afloat and allow them to pay their employees while The Agency's 'profits would have been minimally impacted if at all, because their revenue was based on a percentage of real estate transactions, typically between millionaires and billionaires, not consumers who were unable to buy goods or dine out because of the COVID-19 restrictions. In fact, The Agencys business grew massively during the COVID-19 pandemic.'

The suit alleges The Agency had $6 billion in sales volume in 2019, but that rose to $6.5 billion in 2020 and 'ballooned to $11.2 billion in 2021.'

Umansky and his partner William 'Billy' Rose have denied the accusations.
Jacqueline Jossa has broken her silence on the terrifying raid at her Marbella holiday villa earlier this month, revealing her fears that her children had been kidnapped.

Two masked robbers broke into the holiday rental where the EastEnders actress, 31, and her former TOWIE star husband Dan Osborne, 33, were staying with their children.

They stole 20,000 of jewellery and belongings, including her engagement ring, as they slept.

And speaking out after the robbery, Jacqueline has recalled the heart-stopping moment she thought her children had been kidnapped as she stumbled across the thieves in the middle of the night.

Detailing her horrific ordeal with The Sun, Jacqueline said: 'I was trembling and couldnt really speak as I was the most scared Ive ever been in my life and instantly thought, "Oh my God! The kids! Did he have a child in his hand? Did I see a little girls leg?" I couldnt think straight and was panicking.'

Jacqueline Jossa has broken her silence on the terrifying raid at her Marbella holiday villa earlier this month, revealing her fears that her children had been kidnapped

Two masked robbers broke into the holiday rental where the EastEnders actress, 31, and her TOWIE star husband Dan Osborne, 33, were staying with their children

The star went onto say that after realising they were being robbed, she immediately woke her husband Dan, who legged it downstairs and grabbed snooker cue to protect his family.

However, the thieves had already ran off after spotting Jacqueline and escaped through the back door before being driven off in a waiting getaway car.

The actress then 'frantically ran' to check on her children to make sure they were safe and despite seeing them tucked up in their beds, she had to touch them to 'reassure' herself they were there.

Reliving the moment, she continued: 'Each time I close my eyes and think about it, Im imagining them running away with a kid. This could be a missing persons case and that would have been a totally different story.'

The star added that she was 'grateful' that she was the one to stumble across the robbers, because if one of the children had seen the masked men, they may have been 'scarred for life', with Jacqueline adding that she's probably scarred herself.

She also breathed a sigh of relief that the situation didn't take a more serious turn as she later spotted one of the assailants carrying something 'long and sharp' in the CCTV, with Jacqueline unsure if it was a knife or a 'massive screwdriver'.

The EastEnders favourite shared with the publication that things could have 'gone horribly wrong' should the men have confronted herself or Dan with a weapon, remarking that this could've been 'a different story altogether'.

Meanwhile, Jacqueline slammed the heartless thieves as she also revealed they made off with her five-year-old daughter's tooth fairy money.

Speaking out after the robbery, Jacqueline recalled the heart-stopping moment she thought her children had been kidnapped as she stumbled across the thieves in the middle of the night

'I was trembling and couldnt really speak as I was the most scared Ive ever been in my life and instantly thought, "Oh my God! The kids! Did he have a child in his hand?'

The actress then 'frantically ran' to check on her children to make sure they were safe and despite seeing them tucked up in their beds, she had to touch them to 'reassure' herself they were there

Meanwhile, Jacqueline slammed the heartless thieves as she also revealed they made off with her five-year-old daughter's tooth fairy money [pictured with Mia, 5]

Sharing her anger, she ranted: 'I get fuming about what they took from the kids - Mias little purse. It makes me so sad honestly, more sad than anything else. She lost a tooth, so she had some money in her purse from the tooth fairy. Her bag was all open, and the money had even been taken out of her purse. Bless her.'

The soap star and Dan have chosen not to reveal the truth to their young family and instead replaced the money stolen from Mia, with the youngster oblivious about what happened with her tooth fairy cash.

The couple are reported to have woken up to the thieves rummaging through the Marbella property. While nobody was harmed, sources say Jacqueline and Dan have been left 'shaken up' by the encounter.

Jacqueline, who plays Lauren Branning in the BBC soap, had been documenting her holiday for her Instagram followers, with the trip seeing them travel with their extended families along with daughters Ella, nine and Mia - along with Dan's son Teddy, 10.

While she was also seen enjoying a beach day in Marbella with her girls amid their two-week getaway in the sun.

Spanish police are reported to be investigating the raid, while a vehicle belonging to a security firm has been seen outside the villa.

Along with the engagement ring, the thugs are reported to have snatched handbags and wads of cash plucked from their kids' backpacks. They are said to have kept the robbery from the children to avoid scaring them.

Jacqueline had been documenting her holiday for her Instagram followers, with the trip seeing them travel with their extended families along with daughters Ella, nine and Mia, five - along with Dan's son Teddy, 10

While she was also seen enjoying a beach day in Marbella with her girls amid their two-week getaway in the sun

On Tuesday, Jaqueline and Dan looked visibly distressed as they left a Marbella police station after filing a report

Representatives for Jossa have been contacted for comment.

A friend told The Sun of the burglary: 'The villa has good security and Jacqueline and Dan have got CCTV. They think it took about ten minutes for the burglars to break in. Its possible the men were in the property for 15 minutes. Jacqueline said it was totally silent. It was only when a flash of a torch woke her up did they realise something had happened.'

On Tuesday, Jaqueline and Dan looked visibly distressed as they left a Marbella police station after filing a report.

The couple leaned on each other for support, with Dan wrapping a protective arm around his wife.

The couple got married in 2017 - shortly before her exit from the soap was confirmed by EastEnders bosses.

She then briefly returned to the show at the end of 2022 for the funeral of Dot Cotton following the death of actress June Brown earlier that year, before making a permanent return in October last year.

The robbery is the latest in a string of high-profile burglaries and muggings with Nick Grimshaw and his mother reportedly gassed at their rented Ibiza villa last week (Pictured in London in February 2017)

The high-profile robbery comes after another BBC star, former Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw, was targeted by robbers who allegedly gassed him and his 81-year-old mother Eileen in their rented Ibiza villa in order to steal from the pair.

The DJ was celebrating his 40th birthday with his family when the property was targeted by the gang who have hit a number of villas occupied by wealthy tourists over the last year.

Nick and his mum Eileen were sedated after the gang pumped a sedative gas into the property where the star was sleeping - and waited for it to take effect before they broke in wearing hazmat suits and turned the villa over.

No one is said to have been hurt in the incident, although it is believed some items were stolen in the raid.
Even eagle-eyed readers might struggle to recognise Theo James with his clothes on.

Our exclusive photos show the White Lotus star  who earlier this year set fans' hearts racing when he was filmed in a pair of snug-fitting white trunks for a Dolce & Gabbana advert  well covered up as he shares a joke with fellow actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Admirers of James may also be less than impressed with his new hairstyle  namely an Eighties-style mullet.

Eagle-eyed readers may struggle to recognise Theo James (left) with his clothes on

James with fellow actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson

James set fans' hearts racing earlier this year when he was filmed in a pair of snug-fitting white trunks for a Dolce & Gabbana advert

But the White Lotus Star was well covered up as he shared a joke with fellow actor Taylor-Johnson

Admirers of James may also be less than impressed with his new hairstyle  namely an Eighties-style mullet

Taylor-Johnson with his back turned to the camera on the set of the upcoming heist thriller

Taylor-Johnson between takes on the set of thriller Fuze

The Kick-Ass star took the opportunity to show his bare torso to the cameras

Topless Taylor-Johnson shooting on location at Wrotham, Kent

For his part, Kick-Ass star Taylor-Johnson  who has been tipped as the next James Bond  takes the opportunity to show off his bare torso for the cameras.

The pair were on location in Wrotham, Kent, where they have been shooting scenes for the forthcoming heist thriller Fuze.

According to the synopsis, the film 'opens on the discovery of an unexploded Second World War bomb in a London construction site, sparking a mass evacuation  the perfect cover for a heist'.

Taylor-Johnson has been tipped to replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond

The actor strutting his stuff between piles of sand on location at Wrotham in Kent

Taylor-Johnson being washed down by make-up crew while filming on set

Taylor-Johnson on the set of Fuze with no top and beige trousers

The actor is seen taking a swig of San Pellegrino sparkling water while shooting the thriller

The actors were seen joking as they shot on location for the forthcoming heist thriller Fuze

Director David Mackenzie, whose previous credits include Hell Or High Water, starring Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges, said of Fuze that 'tension is one of the purest emotions that cinema can create'.

He added: 'I had the idea of combining all the high stakes of an unexploded bomb with that of a bank robbery  clashing these two genres to create as much pressure as possible  in a context that feels as real as possible.'

The film also stars Sam Worthington, a regular in James Cameron's Avatar franchise.
The wife of Dancing With The Stars Artem Chigvintsev has left the sleepy California town they call home in the wake of his arrest on domestic violence charges.

Chigvintsev, 42, was nowhere to be seen when former WWE pro Nikki Garcia, 40, made a dash for Las Vegas on Saturday morning.

The glamorous mom-of-one was seen boarding a JSX flight to Sin City at Oakland airport without her wedding ring and had four-year-old son Matteo and an assistant in tow.

Brunette Garcia, who was wearing a brown low-cut top and baggy jeans for the trip, is due to host a hotdog eating contest between Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi at the Luxor casino on Sunday, which will be screened on Netflix.

The trip comes less than 48 hours after cops were called to the couples $1.5 million marital home in Yountville, California, following reports of a bust-up.

Chigvintsev, 42, was nowhere to be seen when former WWE pro Nikki Garcia, 40, made a dash for Las Vegas on Saturday morning

The glamorous mom-of-one was seen boarding a JSX flight to Sin City at Oakland airport without her wedding ring and had four-year-old son Matteo and an assistant in tow

Sources said the couple dialed 911 twice  first to request assistance for an injury before calling back and asking paramedics not to come.

But due to the sounds of a domestic disturbance in the background, cops from the Napa Sheriffs Department descended on the couples leafy neighborhood anyway, taking Russian-born Chigvintsev with them.

He was booked into the Napa County Jail on felony domestic violence charges at 10:59 am before being released on a $25,000 bond at approximately 2.18am.

A mugshot released by the Napa County Sheriffs office showed the ballroom star looking glum-faced in a check shirt while sporting a grizzled beard.

DailyMail.com has been told he was driven away in a black Ford F-150 pick-up truck and has not returned to the family home.

Garcia, who was wearing a brown low-cut top and baggy jeans for the trip, is due to host a hotdog eating contest between Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi at the Luxor casino on Sunday

The 911 dispatch, first obtained by TMZ, notes that Matteo was in the house at the time of the alleged domestic and revealed the pair were having an argument at the time.

'Initially came in as requesting medical, but now he is stating he got into an argument with his wife and his wife threw shoes at RP [reporting party],' the dispatcher said in the call.

The dispatcher added: 'There is a child on scene. Medical en route. There's an active 415 [disturbing the peace] in the background responsible.'

The arrest, which reportedly came after Garcia threw shoes at her husband, took place less than four days after the pair celebrated the anniversary of their August 2022 wedding  with both marking the moment on social media.

Garcia posted photos and videos of the nuptials, writing: This song is our love story. Ill never forget where I was when I asked Jesus about Artem.

The arrest, which reportedly came after Garcia threw shoes at her husband, took place less than four days after the pair celebrated the anniversary of their August 2022 wedding  with both marking the moment on social media

Having a conversation with He & God. How my feelings felt too soon. It all felt too fast. And then this song came on.

And thats when I knew that I was falling in love with him and that it was all meant to be. Happy Anniversary @theartemc I love you!

On his own social media, husband Chigvintsev added: 'Happy anniversary my love, cant see my life with out [sic] you. You are my everything.

Neither have commented on the incident, with Garcia releasing a statement asking for privacy on Friday.

Sources said Chigvintsev is currently scheduled to face court in Napa on Tuesday over the incident and cannot leave Napa County until the case is resolved.

Sources said Chigvintsev is currently scheduled to face court in Napa on Tuesday over the incident and cannot leave Napa County until the case is resolved

Despite appearing loved-up on social media, the couples relationship hasnt always been plain-sailing since they met when she was a guest on Dancing With The Stars in 2017.

After welcoming Matteo in 2020, Garcia admitted on The Tamron Hall Show that both she and the dancer were doing counseling, 'mainly just to be amazing parents and knowing how to balance parent life out and also our own relationship.'

During an appearance on the Off The Vine podcast the same year, the mother-of-one further explained that they went to couples counseling due to how Artem spoke to her.

On The Bellas podcast in November 2021, the former WWE wrestler said that both she and Chigvintsev had hit a 'rocky' stretch in their relationship, but were 'stronger than ever.'

And last year, Garcia revealed that before walking down the aisle in 2022, both she and Artem had gotten into a 'pretty bad' fight.
Giovanni Pernice reportedly tried to call Amanda Abbington during the BBC's probe into claims of off-camera misconduct towards her on Strictly Come Dancing.

The actress, 50, was paired with Italian ballroom specialist Giovanni, 33, for the long-running BBC show's 21st series in 2023, but abruptly withdrew just five weeks into the competition.

Giovanni has since been suspended while a BBC probe is conducted over claims of off-camera misconduct made by Abbington, 50, and two other former celebrity dance partners.

According to The Sun, Giovanni phoned Amanda just weeks after it emerged the investigation team were trying to find the footage of their rehearsals.

A source said: 'Giovanni tried to call Amanda a few weeks ago. Nobody knows why.

Giovanni Pernice reportedly tried to call Amanda Abbington during the BBC's probe into claims of off-camera misconduct towards her on Strictly Come Dancing

The actress, 50, was paired with Italian ballroom specialist Giovanni, 33, for the long-running BBC show's 21st series in 2023, but abruptly withdrew just five weeks into the competition

'They've not spoken since she quit the show, so for him to call out of the blue, especially with an inquiry taking place, is very odd.

'Amanda didn't want to speak to him and blocked his number. She wants nothing to do with Giovanni.'

The insider added that Amanda told her team Giovanni tried to contact her and they passed it on to the BBC executives in charge of the inquiry.

Noting Giovanni hasn't tried to contact her since, the source said Strictly producers just want to move on from the scandal.

A BBC spokesperson said: 'As we have said before, we will not be commenting on individuals or engaging in speculation.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington for comment.

Amanda previously said she would 'cry and vomit' after returning home from rehearsals with Giovanni.

Speaking to The Times, Abbington claims she has since received death threats from fans of the Italian dancer, whose long-term future on Strictly remains uncertain.

She said: 'I've had the worst experience. The show was tough and horrible, but the aftermath of it I was not expecting. It's been really brutal and it just hasn't stopped.

A source said Giovanni phoned Amanda just weeks after it emerged the investigation team were trying to find the footage of their rehearsals

The insider said: 'They've not spoken since she quit the show, so for him to call out of the blue, especially with an inquiry taking place, is very odd'

'It's been awful, just relentless. Death threats and rape threats for just standing up for something that I thought was wrong.'

The actress also admitted she would become nauseous after completing rehearsals with Pernice, a fan favourite who had appeared on Strictly for eight years prior to his suspension.

Amanda's husband Jonathan Goodwin, a former escapologist who was left paralysed in 2021 after a TV stunt went horribly wrong, also corroborated her claim of physical sickness.

She added: 'He'd go, 'Yes, you would come home and you'd vomit, you'd cry, and you'd think you were not good enough. You were a shadow, a shell.''

The investigation that began with accusations against Giovanni has since widened after more complaints surrounding the hit show.

It has heaped further turmoil on Strictly, which is deemed to be the jewel in the Corporation's crown and is still watched by more than ten million people.

Sources have told the Mail that the accusations have prompted bosses to extend the inquiry to look at other matters, and individuals, involved with the dance series as they prepare for its 20th anniversary.

It means that Giovanni, who has already let his frustrations at the investigation be known, faces an even longer wait for an outcome after three former dance partners, including Amanada, instructed lawyers to make 'serious complaints' about his conduct.

It also threatens to damage Strictly, the BBC's biggest Saturday night success story since The Generation Game.

A television source told the Mail: 'This investigation is no longer just solely about Giovanni but other, more wider issues. The show has been going for 20 years and the whole veneer of Strictly is so sparkly and lovely, of course there will always be people who feel hard done by.

The insider added that Amanda told her team Giovanni tried to contact her and they passed it on to the BBC executives in charge of the inquiry

'Amanda's complaints have started something massive, it has opened the door for others to come forward about things they haven't been happy with.

'It is all a big headache for the BBC, it is about to celebrate a massive milestone with its 20th anniversary.

'Having the Giovanni complaint has been a big enough issue, but now it looks like there is more to be scrutinised and looked into.'

Sources close to Giovanni say that he fully expects to be exonerated.

Insiders say also that the widened inquiry will now present the Sicilian star as possibly being a 'small fish' in Strictly's potential downfall.

He quit the show following claims by Amanada, star of Sherlock and Mr Selfridge, that he bullied her in training, claims which he denies.

In May it was revealed that she had instructed London law firm Carter Ruck to represent her against the BBC.

The BBC refused to comment on the matter but it did confirm in a statement that more than one complaint has been made.

Fellow dancer Graziano Di Prima has since been sacked by the show following similar claims of inappropriate behaviour towards TV personality Zara McDermott, with whom he was paired in 2023.

Confirming his departure on Instagram, Graziano wrote: 'I deeply regret the events that led to my departure from Strictly. My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime.

'While respecting the BBC HR process, I acknowledge it's only right for the sake of the show that I step away. I am saddened that I wasn't allowed to offer a quote to the online news stories, and I take on board the sensitivity of the situation.

'There's more to this story that I am unable to discuss at this time, but I am committed to being strong for my family and friends. I wish the Strictly family nothing but success in the future.'
Cate Blanchett exuded glamour as she joined fellow screen beauties Sydney Sweeney and Nathalie Emmanuel in leading the glamour at the Armani Beauty dinner during Venice Film Festival on Friday.

Australian actress Cate, 55, who was in the Italian city to promote her latest project Disclaimer, caught the eye as she walked the red carpet in a silver cleavage-baring top and black trousers.

Meanwhile, Euphoria actress Sydney, 26, and Game Of Thrones star Nathalie, 35, followed Cate's lead as they too turned heads in flesh-flashing ensembles at the Arsenale di Venezia.

Cate oozed confidence as she posed for cameras which rocking a risque silver beaded number which featured cold shoulders and a daring open front.

The Carol star teamed her look with black velvet trousers, pointed black heels and simple stud earrings.

Cate Blanchett exuded glamour as she joined fellow screen beauties Sydney Sweeney and Nathalie Emmanuel in leading the glamour at the Armani Beauty dinner during Venice Film Festival on Friday

Meanwhile, Euphoria actress Sydney, 26 [left], and Game Of Thrones star Nathalie, 35 [right], followed Cate's lead as they too turned heads in flesh-flashing ensembles at the Arsenale di Venezia

Australian actress Cate, 55, who was in the Italian city to promote her latest project Disclaimer, was sure to catch the eye as she walked the red carpet in a silver cleavage-baring top

Allowing her top to do the talking, Cate forwent other accessories and kept her make-up simple but elegant.

Meanwhile, Sydney stunned in a black lace illusion dress, which featured a pleated skirt and dramatic draping around her hips.

The stunner topped off her look with glittering jewellery by De Beers and her golden locks styled in soft waves.

Nathalie also put in a showstopping appearance, wowing in a black sequin gown with an extremely plunging neckline.

The former Hollyoaks star added towering black heels to her outfit, while her cropped blonde locks were elegantly coiffed.

Meanwhile, actress Eva Green added a pop of colour to the carpet as she slipped into a chic purple dress.

The number featured tasseled draping and structured shoulders, with the Casino Royale star, 44, finishing the look with pointed black heels.

Elsewhere Toni Garnn was the picture of elegance in a strapless black dress.

Cate oozed confidence as she posed for cameras which rocking a risque silver beaded number which featured cold shoulders and a daring open front

Allowing her top to do the talking, Cate forwent other accessories and kept her make-up simple but elegant

Meanwhile, Sydney stunned in a black lace illusion dress, which featured a pleated skirt and dramatic draping around her hips

Nathalie also put in a showstopping appearance, wowing in a black sequin gown with an extremely plunging neckline

Meanwhile, actress Eva Green added a pop of colour to the carpet as she slipped into a chic purple dress

Elsewhere Toni Garn was the picture of elegance in a strapless black dress

While Camila Mendes garnered attention in a shimmering red and black strapless top and coordinating trousers

Her former Riverdale co-star Lili Reinhart meanwhile looked gorgeous in a glittering silver and black low-cut gown

While Camila Mendes garnered attention in a shimmering red and black strapless top and coordinating trousers.

Her former Riverdale co-star Lili Reinhart meanwhile looked gorgeous in a glittering silver and black low-cut gown.

Other stars stepping out at the glitzy event included Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink, who stunned in a black velvet gown with a deep V neckline.

Ella Purnell put on a leggy display in black shorts teamed with a cut out black top, Messika jewellery and a smart blazer slung over her shoulders.

Not to be outdone, then men dressed to impress too with Aaron Taylor Johnson looking suave in a black tux.

While Harry Goodwins and Ncuti Gatwa made fashionable appearances on the red carpet.

Other stars stepping out at the glitzy event included Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink, who stunned in a black velvet gown with a deep V neckline

Ella Purnell put on a leggy display in black shorts teamed with a cut out black top, Messika jewellery and a smart blazer slung over her shoulders

Not to be outdone, then men dressed to impress too with Aaron Taylor Johnson looking suave in a black tux

Harry Goodwins looked sharp in a pale grey pinstriped suit

Ncuti Gatwa made another fashionable appearance on the red carpet, donning a stylish black ensemble

Cate's newest appearance comes shortly after she attended the Disclaimer premiere on Thursday.

The actress covered her cleavage with her hands as she walked the red carpet in an extreme plunging jumpsuit with a low back after joking she would be arriving 'naked' to the premiere of her new project.

When asked what she planned to wear before the event, Cate had said: 'Nothing. I'm going naked.'
Rapper Fatman Scoop has passed away aged 56 after suffering a medical emergency on stage.

The artist, real name Isaac Freeman III, collapsed on stage in Hamden Town Center Park, Connecticut, on Friday, and was rushed to hospital.

Screams rang out at his final show as the legendary hype man was seen struggling after he climbed onto a platform before disappearing from view, as medics raced to revive him.

His tour manager announced his passing on Saturday, saying he was 'lost for words.'

Rapper Fatman Scoop has passed away aged 56 after suffering a medical emergency on stage

The artist, real name Isaac Freeman III, collapsed on stage in Hamden Town Center Park, Connecticut, on Friday, after suffering a medical emergency caught on camera

Freeman's manager, DJ and producer Birch Michael, announced the rapper's death 'with the heaviest of hearts' in posts to social media on Saturday morning.

Shortly after, the artist's family said in a statement that he was 'not just a world class performer - he was a father, brother, uncle and a friend.'

'Last night, the world lost a radiant soul, a beacon of light on the stage and in life,' the family said. 'He was the laughter in our lives, a constant source of support, unwavering strength, and courage.'

Born in New York City in 1971, Freeman made his name through collaborations with mega-stars including Missy Elliot and Mariah Carey in the early 2000s, and was known for his deep, roaring vocal presence.

His family described him as 'the undisputed voice of the club', and said his 'music made us dance and embrace life with positivity.'

A three-time Grammy Award winner, in recent years Fatman Scoop ventured into podcasting and reality TV, including appearing on Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother: UK vs USA in 2015.

The artist's exact cause of death is not clear, however it came after he suffered a medical emergency on stage on Friday.

Footage from the audience captured the moment the adored rapper collapsed, which came seconds after he roused the crowd, shouting 'Let's make some noise!'

Footage from the audience captured the moment the adored rapper collapsed behind a DJ booth, which came seconds after he roused the crowd, shouting 'Let's make some noise!'

Tributes quickly poured in for the artist as news of his death was shared

The artist's family paid a touching tribute as they announced his death, saying he was 'the laughter in our lives' as they branded him as 'the undisputed voice of the club'

In the video, the rapper strutted toward the back of the stage and approached a DJ booth - shouting again: 'I said Hamden, make some noise!'

Then the hip-hop artist climbed the stairs to the DJ booth, however his breathing appeared to become labored as he panted into the microphone.

'If you came to party,' the rapper said, before taking a long pause. He then appeared to bend forward. 'Make some noise,' he added, his words slurred.

As soon as he finished speaking, he collapsed onto the ground, dropping the microphone.

Across the audience, screams of horror and gasps of fear were heard, while the rapper's fellow artists tried to calm the crowd.

'We're having a good time,' one of them said, as another again asked for the crowd to 'make some noise' - which was met with a far more muted response than moments earlier.

After Fatman Scoop was taken off stage by medics, fellow artists spoke to the crowd as they stood in stunned silence

The rapper's manager said he was 'lost for words' over the 53-year-old's death

A three-time Grammy Award winner, in recent years Fatman Scoop ventured into podcasting and reality TV - pictured during Channel 5 's Celebrity Big Brother: UK vs USA in 2015

In another clip, a member of the rapper's entourage walked over to the DJ station and switched the music off and an eerie hush fell over the venue.

With the DJ booth partly obscuring the view, a medical official performed chest compressions vigorously on the rapper.

Around 8:33pm, authorities were dispatched to the scene. They wheeled the rapper out from venue on a stretcher and rushed him to the hospital.

Hamden Mayor Lauren Garett said following the incident that Scoop was undergoing emergency care and asked fans to 'keep him in your thoughts and prayers.'

Tributes quickly poured in for the artist as news of his death was shared, with UK's Reminisce Festival - where he was set for perform on September 7 - sharing that his 'absence will be profoundly felt by everyone.'

'He was not just one of our most popular performers, he was a cherished member of the Reminisce family,' the festival said.

A multi-award-winning artist and producer, Fatman Scoop was known for his many collaborations, including with Missy Elliott, Mariah Carey, and David Guetta.

Missy Elliot shared a touching tribute Saturday to X, sending her prayers to his 'family for STRENGTH during this difficult time.'

'Fatman Scoop VOICE & energy have contributed to MANY songs that made the people feel HAPPY & want to dance for over 2 decades. Your IMPACT will NEVER be forgotten,' she wrote.

In 2014 he revealed he was first given the nickname Fatman Scoop by his uncle, due to his love of ice cream, despite rumors Lauryn Hill had bestowed it on him when he appeared as an extra in the Fugee's 1996 video for Killing Me Softly.

On the morning of his collapse, Scoop released the official music video for his final collaboration with Dyce Paso, for their new song 'Let It Go.'

Fatman Scoop pictured with his ex-wife Shanda Freeman in 2008

Artists Lil' John and Timbaland also waded in with tributes, recalling their time together as rising hip-hop artists.

Taking to the comments section of Freeman's family post, Lil Jon wrote: 'REST WELL BROTHER.'

Scoops' frequent collaborators Timbaland and Fat Joe both appeared lost for words and posted a string of emojis - with the rapper's ex-wife Shanda Freeman also sharing two heartbreak emojis for a tribute post to her Instagram

Dj Questlove wrote: 'Thank you Scoop!'.

Freeman's touring agency MN2S added in a statement, 'Scoop was a beloved figure in the music world, whose work was loved by countless fans across the globe. His iconic voice, infectious energy, and great personality made an indelible mark on the industry, and his legacy will live on through his timeless music.'
Condo owners are fleeing Florida's real estate crisis for other southern states and even leaving the country in search of an affordable lifestyle.

The Sunshine State has been hit with the 'worst real estate crisis in decades' because of skyrocketing insurance costs and Home Owners Association (HOA) fees.

Condo listings have soared as desperate owners attempt to dodge a costly new law requiring increased safety checks.

Miami Real Estate Agent Steven Kupchan told DailyMail.com people are flocking to Georgia, Texas, the Carolinas and even moving out of the country to places like Mexico or Central America.

'With the rise of remote work, some individuals who had moved to Florida for work reasons are now considering relocating to states with lower living costs or more stable real estate markets,' Kupchan said.

People are fleeing Florida because of skyrocketing insurance costs and Home Owners Association fees

 Slide me  People are fleeing Florida for places like Georgia, Texas, the Carolinas and even moving out of the country to places like Mexico for a more affordable cost of living

Florida had a population boom during the pandemic, with more than 700,000 people moving there in 2022.

However, experts say the increasing cost of insurance due to natural disasters and a law requiring increased costly safety checks homeowners are ditching The Sunshine State.

The legislation was brought in following the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Tower South in Surfside, which killed 98 people.

It later emerged that the condo association had postponed crucial repairs to avoid increasing costs, prompting lawmakers to introduced new regulations which take effect at the end of the year.

Tampa, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale have all seen HOA rises of more than 15 percent in the last year, according to Redfin data.

As a result, the number of condos on the market has soared, especially in southern Florida, prompting warnings of a 'mass exodus.'

'Many retirees and older residents are moving out, concerned about the increasing costs of condo association fees, insurance premiums, and potential assessments for repairs and maintenance,' said Kupchan.

'Some middle-class families who were already on the fence about condo living are opting to move out due to the perceived instability and financial uncertainty.'

State legislation brought in following the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Tower South in Surfside, (pictured) which killed 98 people, led to increased HOA fees

The increased safety checks are pushing up Homeowners' Association fees, prompting many to sell

Here is where they are going instead:

Georgia

The average cost of living per year in Georgia is $43,482 with housing and utilities costing only $7,495, according to 2021 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Georgia reached a new population threshold in 2023, surpassing 11 million people according to census data.

A report from financial analytics company CoreLogic indicates the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell region has a 70 percent likelihood to see a drop in house prices by next year.

The average cost of living per year in Georgia is $43,482 with housing and utilities costing only $7,495. (Pictured: Savannah, Georgia)

Former West Palm Beach resident David told Business Insider he moved to Savannah because wealthy new residents changed the fabric of the neighborhood.

'The number of people who were moving down and spending crazy amounts of money was insane,' David said.

'Their attitudes were so different from what everybody was used to; they were demanding people not familiar with the kind of calm lifestyle we were living.

'Savannah felt right. The islands of Savannah reminded us of the old Florida."

Texas

People are flocking to Texas for its lower cost of living at just $45,114 per year and buyer friendly housing market.

'Texas continues to be a strong market for property buyers due to its robust economic growth, business-friendly environment and relatively affordable cost of living,' housing market expert Dennis Shirshikov explained.

People are flocking to Texas for its lower cost of living at just $45,114 per year and buyer friendly housing market. (Pictured: Houston, Texas)

'Cities like Austin and Dallas offer a blend of high-tech job opportunities and attractive living conditions' he added.

With more than 11 million housing units, according to U.S. census data, the average annual per-capita cost of housing and utilities in Texas is $7,540.

North Carolina

North Carolina home to some of the best cities to raise a family, according to U.S. News.

The state is rated as a hotspot for prospective buyers due to its relative affordability, average house prices in the state are $335,000.

'North Carolina, especially areas like Raleigh and Charlotte, offers a balanced mix of affordability, economic growth and quality of life,' Shirshikov said.

North Carolina is a hotspot for prospective buyers due to its relative affordability with the average cost of living at $43,959 per year. (Pictured: Charlotte, North Carolina)

The average cost of living is $43,959 per year and the annual cost of housing and utilities is $7,359.

Irene Ferris had lived in Florida since 1986, but moved to the North Carolina mountains because of the increasing cost of living and increasing natural disasters.

'It's the economics, it's the politics, it's the environment. But at the end of the day, I have to do what's best for the family,' she told ABC Action News.

South Carolina

South Carolina is the nation's fastest growing state and is predicted to see its population soar to 6.4 million by 2042.

The state boasts a strong jobs market which recovered quickly from the pandemic and relatively low cost of living which has already been attracting droves of new residents.

Many new residents have been drawn in by the low cost of living, which is six percent less than the national average and as well as the state's thriving economy.

South Carolina is the nation's fastest growing state due to its low cost of living. (Pictured: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)

The Economic Policy Institute determined that the monthly cost of living in the state for a married couple with two children is $4,748 or $56,976 annually.

Ryan and Jami Wilson told Business Insider they moved from Florida to Greenville, South Carolina to escape the crowds.

'We stopped going to the beach because you couldn't get there anymore because the traffic would be miles long,' Jami said. 'You could never find a place to park.'

Mexico

An estimated 1.6 million Americans currently live in Mexico, which allows citizens from dozens of countries to stay for up to 180 days without a visa, according to GoBankingRates.

The cost of living in Mexico is 45.7 percent lower than in the U.S. costing an average of $600 to $2,000 a month, RemoteYear.com found.

An estimated 1.6 million Americans currently live in Mexico where the cost of living is 45.7 percent lower than in the U.S. (Pictured: Mexico City, Mexico)

Mexico City, the nation's capital, saw its population grow by three percent between 2019 and 2023, according to The World Population Review.

Immigration data shows the number of Americans who applied for residency visas jumped by seven percent from 2019 to 2022.

Central America

Expats who moved to Central America said they were motivated by financial reasons, to retire and for a better quality of life according to the latest Expat Insider report.

Panama was ranked the best country overall for expats in 2024 with more than four in five people saying they are happy with their life there.

Newcomers reported they are satisfied with the low cost of living, there are lots of affordable housing and outdoor recreation.
A small Midwest town is charming homebuyers with its affordable houses and beautiful surroundings - and the fact it has not charged property tax in almost four decades.

Ballwin, Missouri, which is located around half an hour outside of St Louis, is home to around 31,000 people.

But the area is among the hottest ZIP codes in the US due to its unique tax perk, according to Realtor.com.

Ballwin has not charged a municipal property tax since 1987, which significantly benefits both current residents and potential buyers by reducing the overall cost of homeownership.

Instead, city services are funded through sales taxes, utility gross receipts taxes and recreational revenues.

Ballwin, Missouri, is one of the hottest housing markets in the US due to its unique tax perk

Property taxes are paid by the owner of real estate to county or local tax authorities, and go toward infrastructure improvements, public services and local schooling.

The taxes vary by state and county, and the amount is based on the assessed value of a property.

New Jersey, for example, has the highest property taxes of any state, with an effective tax rate of 2.23 percent, according to the Tax Foundation.

The lack of property tax in Ballwin might particularly appeal to retirees on a fixed income, Realtor.com found.

For other buyers, the lack of additional taxes may mean they can consider purchasing a larger property within their budget.

Homes in Ballwin are slightly more expensive than in surrounding areas, but still tend to be lower than the national average.

The median list price in the suburb is $409,000, Realtor.com found, which is around $35,000 less than $439,500 - the national average for July.

As a result, homes in the town are selling like hotcakes.

On average, listings only stayed on the market for 16 days before being snapped up by a buyer in the first half of this year.

This is more than a month - some 42 days - less than the average for the US as a whole.

Most buyers trying to break into the Ballwin market are from the surrounding area, but 41 percent are from further afield - including a significant portion from Chicago.

Alongside its small-town charm, beautiful surroundings, low crime rate and affordability, Ballwin is also within commutable distance from St Louis.

Realtor.com senior economist Hannah Jones noted that unemployment rates in the St Louis metropolitan area are lower than the national average, 'offering prospective buyers a strong economy nearby.'

Ballwin appeals to 'buyers that are willing to pay for the right combination of size and amenities within commuting distance of the office,' she added.

'The shift toward more in-office work has continued, meaning that many buyers are looking to find some desirable combination of convenience and lifestyle perks.'

Alongside its small-town charm, beautiful surroundings, low crime rate and affordability, Ballwin is also within commutable distance from St Louis

The lack of property tax in Ballwin might particularly appeal to retirees on a fixed income, Realtor.com found

The median list price in Ballwin is $409,000, which is around $35,000 less than $439,500 - the national average for July

Ballwin is located around half an hour outside of St Louis and is home to around 31,000 people

Ballwin ranked second in Realtor.com's ranking of the hottest ZIP codes in the US for 2024, behind another Midwest town.

Gahanna, a leafy suburb of Columbus, Ohio, took the top spot for the second year in a row.

A small town of just 35,000, Gahanna is attracting homebuyers who are making offers at furious speed.

The area boasts affordable homes, with a median list price of $345,000, with good access to the big-city amenities of Columbus where several billion-dollar companies, such as Intel and Google, are expanding.

'The Midwest has enjoyed sustained popularity as elevated homebuying costs concentrated demand in more affordable locales,' Jones said.
Radhika Sarathkumar, a highly respected movie artist in South India, dropped a bombshell on Saturday by accusing some of the leading stars of the Malayalam film industry of making nude visuals of female artists with hidden cameras and blackmailing them later.

Speaking to the media, Radhika, who is married to Tamil superstar Sarath Kumar and is daughter of the iconic Tamil actor M R Radha, said that she has seen the these film stars videographing nude visuals with hidden cameras in the caravans hired for exclusive use by the female artists.

It is done while the artists change their costumes or use the washrooms. I saw this with my own eyes and ever since stopped using the caravans. Though I alerted the director and other crew members, nothing happened. Malayalam film industry is not safe for female artists, said Radhika.

The revelations by the actress come in the wake of the #Me Too movement getting intensified after the release of the Justice K Hema Committee report about the murky happenings in Malayalam film industry. The committee was appointed by the CPI (M)-led Government in 2017 following reports of sexual harassment suffered by female film artists.

It may be recalled that a leading actress of Malayalam films was kidnapped by gangsters led by Pulsor Suni and raped as per the directive of reigning superstar Dileep.

Since Dileep was busy raping other artists, he had outsourced the sexual abuse job to Sunil. Dileep was arrested by the Kerala Police and remained behind bars for three months before managing to get bail and come out of jail.

The disclosures by some of the female artists in the wake of the release of Hema Committee report has seen the police registering nearly 20 cases against actors including Siddique, Mukesh, a CPM legislator, Jayasoorya, Edavela Babu and Babu Raj. Interestingly, Siddique and Babu Raj were elected as general secretary and vice president of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Actors) last month. Both have quit following the allegations.

Meanwhile, Mohan Lal, who was the president of AMMA till last week broke his silence when he met the Press on Saturday and asked the journalists not to bay for the blood of some of the artists on the basis of isolated allegations. Since I was busy fulfilling certain commitments, I could not meet you people earlier. I myself have appeared before the Hema Committee, which had asked me for some details. What I feel is that all should sit together, discuss the findings of the Hema Committee and present our version of the story to the Chief Minister and the civil society, said Lal while answering queries by a hostile media.
The foundation that supports firefighters and the S.F. firefighters union say the billboards they paid for are only meant to raise awareness about cancer rates. Emily Hoeven/The Chronicle

Back in May, an eye-catching advertisement started popping up across San Francisco.

Plastered on billboards and bus shelters, the ad depicted a firefighter spraying a hose at an imposing wall of red capital letters: FIREFIGHTERS GET CANCER AT 2-3X THE RATE OF THE REST OF US.

Firefighter health had been in the news a lot lately. Citing research showing that cancer is the leading cause of occupational death for firefighters, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in March proposed banning PFAS  dangerous forever chemicals known to cause cancer, organ damage and other illnesses  in the citys firefighting uniforms and gear. In May, Assembly Member Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, introduced a similar ban at the state level.

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But around the time the ads began appearing, even heavier political activity kicked up a notch.

In late May, Supervisor Catherine Stefani introduced a ballot measure sponsored by the powerful San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798 union to increase firefighter pension benefits and lower their retirement age from 58 to 55. A city controller analysis found the plan would cost the city more than $10 million in its first year and balloon to more than $21 million down the road.

Whats the rationale for this generous benefit expansion when San Francisco faces a nearly $800 million deficit over the next two years?

Cancer prevention.

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Yet aspects of the ballot measure had only a tenuous connection to reducing cancer risk. One expensive provision, for example, would allow firefighters final compensation, which determines the size of their retirement benefits, to be based on their single highest year of earnings instead of the current average of two or three years.

This got me wondering: Were the ads intended to drum up support for the ballot measure? If so, did that mean they were political advertising masquerading as public service announcements  and was that legal?

The ads didnt mention the potential ballot measure or the union. Instead, they featured the logo and website of the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation, a nonprofit.

But when I called foundation President Tony Stefani  a retired firefighter and cancer survivor who is not related to Catherine Stefani  he told me the union had conceived of and paid for the ad blitz.

When I noted that the ads started going up right around the time Supervisor Stefani introduced the ballot measure to increase firefighter benefits  a proposal brought to her by the firefighters union  Tony Stefani replied: That was not brought to our attention at all as far as there being any type of connection between the ads and the ballot measure.

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Regardless, the ads may have helped the measure clear its first hurdle: the Board of Supervisors.

On July 30, the board sent a pared-down version of the measure to the November ballot. Proposition H would lower the firefighter retirement age from 58 to 55 an estimated cost of $3.7 million in the first year and more in the following years.

Floyd Rollins, president of the firefighters union, confirmed to me that the union paid for the ads  contracts I reviewed showed the cost was more than $80,000  but said there was no correlation with the initiative.

Rollins said he was inspired to launch the campaign after attending a foundation gala in March and hoped the ads would drive donations to the foundation and bring awareness to whats going on.

He noted that more than 300 active and retired San Francisco firefighters have died of cancer since 2006, 200 others have been diagnosed in the past six years and female firefighters have contracted breast cancer at a rate six times higher than the national average.

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Firefighter cancer rates are indeed a crisis, and they need to be treated like one.

But it strains credulity for the union to maintain that its only goal in funding the billboards was to raise awareness about cancer rates.

Its clear that the ballot measure was top of mind, too.

We knew (cancer) was going to be an important aspect of why were arguing for pension reform, Adam Wood, a retired firefighter who serves as a union officer and on the foundations board of directors, told me.

The ads did serve a purpose of letting us not have to do the work of explaining it like its brand-new information when we go before the public or  political boards, Wood said.

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Indeed, the billboards seem designed to sway public opinion without crossing the line into political advertising, which comes with stringent financial reporting and disclosure requirements.

The idea behind these rules is that voters deserve to know when money is being spent to influence their vote and whos spending it.

The ads apparently arent subject to these requirements because they dont mention the ballot measure or advocate for a specific political outcome.

But, by emphasizing high cancer rates in firefighters  the unions central argument for pension reform  they are priming the pump, Sean McMorris, a campaign finance law expert and Common Causes transparency, ethics and accountability program manager, told me.

The ads also give the impression that they were paid for by a nonpartisan, nonprofit foundation  when in reality they were financed by a union with a vested interest in a related political outcome.

Although the foundation and the union have long had a close relationship, Tony Stefani said this campaign was the first time the union proposed using its money to run ads with the foundations name.

This arrangement makes it more difficult for the public to fairly evaluate the ads, Ann Ravel, former chairperson of the Federal Elections Commission and the California Fair Political Practices Commission, told me.

Yet fair, transparent evaluation is exactly whats needed. Prop H is a complex measure the controller estimates will have a significant impact on the cost of government. And it isnt even the only pension expansion measure on the ballot.

About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies

If the firefighters union wants taxpayers to open their pocketbooks, the least it can do is be transparent about how its spending its money to influence our votes.
Keeping in mind a centuries-old festival of the Bishnoi community, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday deferred the polling date for Haryana Assembly elections to October 5. Earlier, voting was scheduled to be held on October 1. There has been no change in the polling date for the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections slated for October 1. The election results for both Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana will be now declared on October 8 instead of October 4.

The change in the schedule was prompted by the ECI's decision to honour the centuries-old tradition of the Bishnois. The Bishnois, a prominent community in the region, observes the Asoj Amavasya festival, which holds religious importance as it commemorates Guru Jambheshwar. The ECI recognised the need to ensure that the community could fully participate in this important cultural and religious event without forgoing their voting rights. The poll body cited representations from national and State political parties, as well as the All India Bishnoi Mahasabha in this regard.

BJP leaders hailed the poll bodys decision while the Opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have slammed the move.

BJP MP Biplab Kumar Deb who is also the in-charge of Haryana BJP said, ...It is the duty of the Election Commission. At that time the main festival of the Bishnoi community takes place, so the Election Commission wants maximum voting in the elections and we welcome it... We have worked honestly in the State and the people will decide who will win...

In a notification, the EC said, Subsequently, representations have been received from national political parties, State political party and All India Bishnoi Mahasabha regarding mass movement of people of Bishnoi community of Haryana to Rajasthan to participate in centuries old Asoj Amavasya festival celebration.

It may deny voting rights to large number of people and may lead to reduce voters' participation in general election to legislative Assembly of Haryana, the EC notification read. This year, the festival falls on October 2 and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar will be travelling to Rajasthan on the day, denying them their voting rights.

The Haryana unit of the BJP had earlier written to the EC requesting to postpone the polling for Assembly elections. In a letter dated August 22, BJP Haryana chief Mohanlal Badoli outlined concerns that the polling date would coincide with an extended holiday period, including the weekend of September 28-29 and Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. Badoli argued that this extended break could lead to a decrease in voter turnout as many residents might be away or on vacation.

The BJP also pointed out that the Bishnoi community, which forms a significant voter base in Haryana, would likely be absent on October 1 due to their annual pilgrimage to Mukam village in Rajasthan.

He had urged the Election Commission to consider rescheduling the polls to a later date to ensure maximum voter turnout, citing past instances where election dates had been changed for similar reasons.

The EC had also received a representation from the national president of All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner, Rajasthan for rescheduling the date for the Haryana Assembly elections. He said generations of families from Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana visit their native village Mukam in Rajasthan on amavas in the month of Asoj for the annual festival in Bikaner in the memory of Guru Jambheshwar.

Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda had hit out at the BJP, saying that the partys stand showed it already accepted defeat.

The BJP is eyeing a third consecutive term while the Congress is looking to wrest power from the ruling outfit.
In the backdrop of the rape and murder of a Kolkata doctor and sexual assault on two kindergarten girls in Maharashtras Thane region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reiterated the need and urgency to ensure safety of women, particularly at the workplace and called for quick disposal of cases of crimes against women. He said, The faster justice is done in such cases, the greater will be the assurance of safety for half the population.

Speaking at the National Conference of District Judiciary in Delhi, the Prime Minister emphasised that atrocities against women and the safety of children were a serious concern in society today. On this occasion, the Prime Minister also unveiled the stamp and coin commemorating 75 years of the establishment of the Supreme Court of India. The two-day conference was organised by the Supreme Court of India to discuss the issues related to the district judiciary such as infrastructure and human resources, inclusive courtrooms for all, judicial security and judicial wellness, case management and judicial training.

Modi pointed out that many strict laws were enacted to ensure the safety of women in the country. He added that in 2019, the Government had planned to establish fast-track special courts. Explaining further, he said that there was a provision for a deposition center for important witnesses under the fast-track special courts. He further emphasised the important role of district monitoring committees under fast-track special courts, consisting of the district judge, district magistrate and superintendent of police.

Judiciary is considered as the Guardian of our Democracy, said the Prime Minister. Referring to the role of judiciary in protecting the Constitution and the spirit of law, the Prime Minister said the judiciary is considered the guardian of the Constitution, and that the Supreme Court and the judiciary have measured up to this responsibility. He added that the committees role was important in promoting coordination between various aspects of the criminal justice system. Modi stressed on the need to make these committees more active. He added that the quicker the decisions in cases related to atrocities against women, the greater will be the assurance of safety for half the population.

The Kolkata incident has also become a flashpoint between the TMC Government in West Bengal and the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre. On Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Modi, reiterating her request for stringent Central legislation and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes like rape and murder.

In response, Union minister Annapurna Devi asserted that existing laws were stringent enough to tackle violence and crimes against women and urged the West Bengal Government to implement the same in letter and spirit.

The Government launched the Fast Track Special Court (FTSC) scheme in 2019 to tackle pending cases of crimes against women and those filed under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. Since its inception, these courts have disposed of more than 2.53 lakh cases.

Prime Minister Modi highlighted the crucial role of policies and laws along with infrastructural and technological advancements in the transformational journey of the nation. Therefore, Modi said, the nation has made such big and important changes in the legal framework for the first time in 70 years of Independence. Referring to the new Indian judicial system in the form of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Prime Minister said that the spirit of these laws is Citizen First, Dignity First and Justice First.

He pointed out that Indias criminal laws have been freed from the colonial mindset of rulers and slaves. He gave the example of repealing a colonial-era law like sedition. Throwing light on the idea behind the Nyaya Sanhita being to not punish citizens but protect them, PM Modi mentioned the implementation of stricter laws for crimes against women and children, and provisions of community service as punishment for minor crimes for the first time. Modi also spoke about Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam and said that electronic and digital records have been recognised as evidence under the new laws. He also mentioned the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita and said that a system is in place to send summons electronically to reduce the burden of pending cases on the judiciary.

The Prime Minister also urged to take necessary steps to train the district judiciary in this new system under the guidance of the Supreme Court. He also suggested judges and lawyer colleagues become a part of this campaign. Our lawyers and bar associations have an important role in making the public familiar with this new system, he added.

Throwing light on the efforts in the past 10 years to facilitate delivery of justice, the Prime Minister referred to the work being done for the modernisation of courts at the mission level and highlighted the contributions of the Supreme Court and the judiciary.

Pointing out the pendency of about 4.5 crore cases in the district courts, PM Modi said that work has been carried out at multiple levels in the last decade to eliminate this delay in justice. He said that the country has spent about Rs 8,000 crore for the development of judicial infrastructure. He further added that 75 percent of the funds spent on judicial infrastructure in the last 25 years took place only in the last 10 years. In these 10 years, more than 7.5 thousand court halls and 11 thousand residential units have been built for the district judiciary, he added.

Describing the imposition of the Emergency as a dark period, he said the judiciary played a key role in upholding fundamental rights. On matters of national security, Modi said, the judiciary has protected national integrity by keeping national interests paramount. Terming the judiciary as a strong pillar of the vision of a developed India, he said the district judiciary is the foundation of the Indian judicial system.

The common citizen of the country first knocks on your (the lower courts) door for justice. Therefore, this is the first point of justice, this is the first step, Modi said.
On the instructions of Chief Secretary, a meeting was held in the hall of New Collectorate under the chairmanship of Collector Sandeep Makin regarding security arrangements in hospitals in the district.

In the meeting, Makin discussed issues like women safety in hospitals, medical arrangements, transportation, parking, cleanliness etc. He said that a Whatsapp group should be created at the district level in which administrative officers, police officers and medical officers and their team should be added, so that if any problem or trouble arised in the hospitals, it will be brought to notice immediately through this group. This way, it can be resolved immediately.

A QRT team will be formed which will reach within 10 minutes on receiving information about any incident. Makin said that a mock drill of this team will be done in the coming 2-3 days. Taking seriously the increasing security related incidents related to women, Shri Makin instructed the Dean of Medical College, CMHO that a CCTV control room will be established in the district hospital, in which duty will be assigned for five to six hours, if needed, the number of cameras in the hospital should be increased, so that the movement of anti-social elements and unknown persons can be stopped and any incident arising or happening can be monitored.

After the camera installation and the creation of CCTV control room, it will also be audited by the administrative staff within 7 days. Regarding security related arrangements, the government hospitals will be inspected by the Collector, CEO, ADM and private hospitals will be inspected by SDM and Deputy Collectors.
Sarala Birla Public School, Ranchi hosted the Culmination of the Creativity conclave of Ranchi Sahodaya School Complex (RSSC) in its premises with great fervour. The event was a culmination of the month-long series of competitions like Sandarbh- a journey through songs and words, Hasty Tasty- a fireless cooking competition, Torque- Inter school dance dialogues, Inter-school patriotic song and folk dance competitions, etc. organized by the schools of Ranchi under the aegis of RSSC and in which more than 2000 students participated. The entire month was dedicated to mark the incorporation of NEP 2020 with emphasis on art-integration in all walks of academics.

The day commenced with the welcoming of the guests with a graceful Odissi performance. This was followed by the lighting of the ceremonial lamp to mark the inception of the event. The culmination ceremony included two competitions- Inter School TORQUE- Integrated Dance Dialogues and Khelen Khilkhilayein - a toy making competition to experience the concept of learning by doing and joyful learning. Participants from several schools participated with enthusiastic spirit. They were judged by a jury comprising experts from the fields of art and education.

The jury included Vipul Nayak, Guest Faculty, Ranchi University, Deepak Kumar from Pazeb, Ranchi, Dr. Mukesh Kumar Singh, Assistant Professor, Commerce and Business Management, Sarala Birla University Ranchi, and Dr. Atul Kumar Karn, Assistant Professor, Sarala Birla University Ranchi.

The day ended with the vote of thanks and prize distribution ceremony. For the event Torque, DAV Public School, Hehal secured the first position followed by Surendranath Centenary School securing the first runner up position and Firayalal Public School, the second runner up position. For the event Khelen Khilkhilayein, Vivekananda Vidyamandir was declared as the winning team. Firayalal Public School secured the first runner up position and DAV Public School, Bariatu secured the second runner up position.

Principal, Paramjit Kaur, who is also the President of RSSC, expressed her gratitude to all the schools for their active participation without which this series of events would not have been possible. She also added that in this month of August, we celebrate many festivals like Janmashtami, Raksha Bandhan, Friendship and Independence Day. Taking forward this immersive zeal of the august moments, the competitions organised by Ranchi Sahodaya School Complex have reached the successful culmination today. She reinforced that with the implementation of NEP 2020, art-integration will be pivotal and inclusion will be integral. It is also based on Gandhijis Nayi Taleem which emphasises on skill education and learning by doing which are the need of the hour.
DAV Public School Sector-4 has etched its name in history as Jharkhand's first and only school to participate in the prestigious East India Inter-School Space Day Quiz, held in Kolkata. This remarkable achievement reflects the school's commitment to excellence in education and its dedication to fostering a deep interest in space science among its students.

As part of the Space Week celebrations, the school organized a quiz competition today for students of classes 7th to 9th. The event coincided with India's first Space Day, celebrated on August 23, marking the one-year anniversary of the successful landing of the Vikram Lander on the Moon's surface during the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

In line with the Indian government's declaration of Space Day, various competitions are being held across schools nationwide. Representing DAV Public School Sector-4, three studentsAman Sinha, Yuvraj Kumar, and Gyan Kumarserved as brand ambassadors at the quiz competition in Kolkata, showcasing their knowledge and passion for space under the guidance of their mentor, Subhash Kumar.

Principal Sarbendu Shekhar Kar lauded the students' commendable efforts, presenting them with certificates and posters. He emphasized that the purpose of education is not merely to learn facts but to train the mind. "Strive for progress, not perfection. The goal of education is to create progressive individuals, not just those who chase perfection aimlessly. Education is the only essential factor that can transform human society into a civilized one," he said, encouraging the students to continue their pursuit of knowledge and excellence.
A private hospital was vandalised and hospital staff was attacked and injured after a youth died during treatment. he was injured in an accident at Shanti Niketan in Govindpura area on Friday.

There was a massive protest after the death of a youth identified as Rakesh (20). the accident had taken place on Friday night. After this, people immediately took the youth to the City hospital where the doctors declared him dead. The family and the people gathered with the family at hospital, turned violent. They alleged that there was delay in treatment,

There was vandalism in the hospital and the staff was beaten up. The angry crowd also pelted stones. During this, the son of the hospital director opened fired in the air. The police have registered a case against the minor driving the car. However, there is no case of hit and run in this. An FIR has also been lodged regarding vandalism in the hospital.

Later on Saturday, the family protested by placing the body outside the City hospital. After this, a memorandum was submitted. The family ended the protest after the assurance of the police and left for Narsinghgarh with the body. They were demanding to seal the hospital.

During the protest, people raised slogans and demanded action.

There was an argument between the senior police officers who reached the spot and the protesters.

According to eyewitnesses, the speed of the car was so high that it dragged the youth for about 10 meters. The injured was immediately taken to the nearby City Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The police said that after receiving the news of Rakesh's death in a road accident, his family and the crowd present with them became agitated. The family accused the director of the hospital of collecting money before starting treatment. When the staff opposed this, the uncontrollable crowd started vandalizing the hospital.

When the security guard took the crowd out of the gate, people started pelting stones at the hospital from outside.

To protect themselves amid the vandalism and stone pelting in the hospital, the hospital director and staff left their work station and reached their house near the hospital. As soon as they got the information that the doctor was not in the hospital, the crowd started pelting stones at the first floor house of the hospital director.

The angry crowd entered the house of director Dr. Sabyasachi Gupta and started breaking and throwing the things kept in the balcony. When the hospital director's son and family members tried to stop the crowd from doing so, the furious crowd beat them up as well.

To protect himself and his family from the attack of the uncontrolled crowd that entered the house, the hospital director's son Dr. Ujjwal Gupta started firing with a pistol.

According to eyewitnesses, Dr. Ujjwal fired about 6 rounds. Due to this, the crowd ran away from the hospital director's house and in front of the hospital. On receiving the information, Govindpura police reached the spot and chased away the miscreants standing on the other side of the road.

Hospital director Dr. Ujjwal Gupta said that firing was done with a Tikli gun (toy gun) to drive away the mob that had entered the house. The bullet was not fired from a pistol. All this was done when the mob had entered the house and was attacking me and my family members.

People said that the hospital does not provide treatment in any emergency situation. The same has been done before. People said that the youth injured in the road accident died due to not getting timely treatment.

Hospital owner Dr. Ojwal Gupta said that in the evening, the councillor of the area Rakesh and the owner of Meena Medical Store, whose name he does not know, brought a person in an accident case. We told them that the young man died.
Delhis Minto Bridge which has been witnessing frequent flooding this monsoon and a key link between New Delhi, Old Delhi and Connaught Place has been closed for repair works till September 2, the Delhi traffic police said in an advisory in a social media post on X.

According to an advisory, both the carriageways at Minto Bridge will remain closed till Monday morning due to repair work of deep potholes. It has been closed from August 30 (10 PM) to September 2 (7 am). To minimise any possible inconveniences to travel, travellers have been encouraged to seek other routes. The Ranjeet Singh flyover on Barakhamba Road is the suggested detour. To minimize inconvenience, commuters are highly recommended to schedule their trips appropriately.

The advisory asked the general public and motorists to keep patience, observe traffic rules and road discipline and follow direction of traffic personnel deployed at all intersections and remain updated through their social media channels.

The Minto Bridge has frequently been in the news, especially during this monsoon, due to persistent issues of massive waterlogging.There are still substantial issues for commuters as a result of the unresolved issue, despite several initiatives and attempts by civic agencies. The roads condition has deteriorated due to the frequent waterlogging. There are large potholes on Minto Bridge that need to be fixed right now to make travel safer.

Minto Bridge connects New Delhi Railway Station with Connaught Place, named after Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, who was the viceroy and governor-general of India from 1905 to 1910. It was built in 1933, between the flood plains of the Yamuna river and the Delhi Ridge. The Delhi Ridge is the northern extension of the ancient Aravalli hill range, which is surrounded by urban areas.

The Minto Bridge underpass has a catchment area of one kilometre, contributing to the recurring waterlogging issues during heavy rainfall. Water from two roads flows down to the slope, and the DJB sewage line overflows, exacerbating the flooding. Even minimal rain can result in waterlogging, causing buses and other vehicles to get submerged.

The Minto Bridge is of historical and strategic importance in the heart of Delhi. Minto Bridge was built in 1933 after the seat of power of the British Raj moved from Calcutta to Delhi.

The underpass below the bridge is a low-lying patch, surrounded on all sides by areas at a higher elevation. This bowl-like depression is a natural receptacle for rainwater.

Minto Bridge witnessed violence during the riots at the time of Partition. There are several accounts of how those fleeing the walled city  on foot and in tongas  to refugee camps in Purana Qila and Humanyuns Tomb were ambushed and killed near Minto Bridge.

The Bridge hit the headlines first time in the early 1950s for water-logging. In the late 1960s, Minto Bridge area became Delhis cabaret destination with the opening of Blue Star, a restro-bar. Tucked by the side of the bridge, it soon found thousands of patrons.

In 2008, a report emerged of Northern Railways getting verbal approval from the Ministry of Urban Development to demolish the old bridge and make way for a new one for its elaborate redevelopment plans for the New Delhi railway station, but the plan never took off.
On the second day of the 39th IATO, various sessions were held to deliberate on future prospects, efforts and opportunities in tourism. Delegates shared their views on topics such as increasing the number of tourists in the country and the state, economic growth and promotion of tourist destinations.

Addressing the business session on 'Resurgent India Inbound - Strategy to re-establish India amidst challenging business environment' in the first session of the second day, Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture Sheo Shekhar Shukla said that 50 new offbeat destinations are being developed in the state to manage the crowded tourist destinations and for tourists seeking peace.

More than 40 thousand women are being trained in the tourism sector while making efforts to generate employment in the tourism sector and to connect women of the community with tourism. Special Secretary Tourism Uttar Pradesh Isha Priya, MD of Abercrombie & Kent Vikram Madhok addressed the session. The session was conducted by Secretary (Retired) Government of India Arvind Singh.

Principal Secretary Shukla said that there is a need to set a benchmark for international standards and there should be no compromise from day one. Work is being done to create the right ecosystem for inbound tourism. Resources should be collected through coordination with other departments and they should be used to create infrastructure for tourism development.

Speaking on the topic of Discovering the Undiscovered in the third session of the convention, Managing Director State Tourism Development Corporation Ilaiyaraaja T said that more than 90 properties are being operated by Madhya Pradesh Corporation for hospitality of tourists in the state. Madhya Pradesh is the cleanest, greenest and safest tourist destination in the country.

Madhya Pradesh has a wonderful amalgamation of culture, history, archaeology and geology. To promote sustainable tourism, tie-ups have been done with the Eco Tourism Board, so that infrastructure ie resorts and hotels can be built in a sustainable manner.

Along with Mahakal Lok and Ujjain gaining fame in spiritual tourism, the state is also leading in responsible tourism. Taking community participation in tourism a step forward, Hotel Amaltas in Pachmarhi is being run only by women. Chairman ATOAI Padmashree Ajit Bajaj, MD and CEO CGH Earth Mr. Michael Dominic and Chairman Antara Luxury River Cruise Raj Singh also shared their views in the session.

Special session on Madhya PradeshA special session on Madhya Pradesh was organized during the conference. In this, Additional Managing Director of Tourism Board Bidisha Mukherjee invited various stakeholders including travel agents, tour operators who had come to Bhopal for the convention to visit Madhya Pradesh.

She said that the natural beauty, ancient history, protected heritage, wildlife diversity and forest areas of Madhya Pradesh are attracting tourists from all over the world. With the aim of making the state more safe for women tourists, especially single women tourists, participation of women in the tourism sector is being increased. Women are being trained in 48 job roles in 8 sectors of the tourism sector. She also highlighted various places of cultural and spiritual importance in the state.In another session on Chasing Hotels for Inbound Tourism, representatives of the country's reputed chain hotels ITC, The Leela, Fern, Sarovar and Pride shared their views on the development of the hospitality industry in the country and Madhya Pradesh. Also, in the session based on the topic of Last Mile Connectivity, brainstorming was done on streamlining the air connectivity in the country and the state as per the demand of tourists. Representatives of the country's reputed institutions Air India, STIC, Lotus Aero and ITTA addressed. In the last session of the day, all IATO members were guided on increasing the publicity of tourism and the use of new means of media on the topic of Marketing and Promotion of Inbound Tourism.

Presentations were made on tourism and investment opportunities in Madhya Pradesh and other states.A glimpse of states and reputed brands was seen in the Travel MartTo introduce IATO members and travel and tour operators to tourism products, other states including Madhya Pradesh and reputed brands have set up attractive stalls in the Travel Mart. Delegates are being invited to bring more and more tourists to the state by distributing brochures, booklets, souvenirs and local food of tourist destinations. Reputed brands like Hotel Pride, Palace on Wheels, including Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh have set up stalls.IATO Run for Responsible Tourism at 6 amOn the last day of the IATO conference, on Sunday at 6 am, a 5 km run (IATO Run for Responsible Tourism) is being organized to introduce IATO members to the natural beauty and heritage of Bhopal city. This run will start from VIP Road and will end at Gauhar Mahal via Imperial Segway.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday, flagged off three new Vande Bharat Express trains in Uttar Pradesh. He flagged off three new Vande Bharat Express trains, one of which will run between Meerut and Lucknow.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his pleasure at the prime ministers gift to Uttar Pradesh. Following the virtual launch event, the chief minister took to social media to extend his gratitude to the prime minister for this new addition for the people of the state.

On his social media account, Chief Minister Yogi wrote, Under the able guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the visionary behind Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, the nations economic, social and cultural development continues to thrive. Today, the prime minister has further advanced this journey by introducing three new Vande Bharat Express trains. The Prime Minister has virtually launched the state-of-the-art, world-class Vande Bharat Express trains between Meerut-Lucknow, Madurai-Bengaluru and Chennai-Nagercoil. Heartfelt thanks to the prime minister for this gift, which will enhance tourism, boost business and improve connectivity.

The introduction of the Vande Bharat Express train between Meerut and Lucknow brings high-speed connectivity to western Uttar Pradesh, significantly enhancing travel options for residents. This new addition will provide a pleasant, smooth and comfortable journey for passengers. Prior to this, Uttar Pradesh already had six Vande Bharat Express trains operating between Delhi-Varanasi, Ranchi-Varanasi, Lucknow-Dehradun, Patna-Lucknow, Anand Vihar-Ayodhya and Gorakhpur-Prayagraj. With the addition of the Meerut-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express, the states high-speed rail network has expanded even further.

Before flagging off the trains, Prime Minister Modi remarked that a new chapter is being added to the countrys development journey from north to south.

Today, we are launching the Vande Bharat train service between Meerut and Lucknow. This expansion marks a significant step towards achieving our goal of a developed India. The three new Vande Bharat trains will connect three key cities, with the Meerut-Lucknow route being particularly notable for the people of western UP, he said.

The prime minister continued, Meerut and western UP have long been centres of revolution and today they are experiencing a new surge in development. While Meerut is being connected to Delhi through the RRTS, the introduction of the Vande Bharat Express train will also reduce the distance to state capital Lucknow. The NCR region exemplifies how modern trains, expressways, expanded air services, and the PM Gati Shakti vision are transforming the countrys infrastructure.
Former President Donald Trump has made a series of conflicting statements about his support for abortion rights over the past week. Scott Olson/TNS

Watching Kamala Harris center her fledgling campaign on reproductive rights  and catch him in the polls  has triggered Donald Trump to attempt a bizarre act of gaslighting over the past few days. Hes claiming that my administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights.

His previous stint in the White House was just the opposite.

Trump won the presidency in 2016 in part by promising conservative evangelical Christians that he would appoint socially conservative judges who would overturn Roe v. Wade.

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He ran on a platform of selecting Supreme Court justices that would overturn Roe v. Wade, second gentleman Doug Emhoff said Friday at a fundraiser in San Francisco. Donald Trump did this, and now hes trying to backtrack on abortion and IVF. Its outrageous. Its in bad faith. Dont believe him.

Anti-abortion groups ignored their religious values and backed the thrice-married, twice-divorced Trump despite his history of philandering, bragging about sexually assaulting women and changing positions on abortion rights over the years in exchange for getting what Trump promised would be the most pro-life president ever. And he was: He appointed three anti-abortion justices to the Supreme Court, which swiftly overturned Roe v. Wade.

But while this unapologetically transactional deal shows a few signs of cracking in recent days as Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, have made several recent statements hinting that they are straying from their anti-abortion orthodoxy, their bond is unlikely to break as both sides need each other to thrive.

The most recent Trump flip-flop came Thursday when the Florida resident was asked how he will vote on an abortion rights amendment on the states November ballot. It would bar restrictions on abortion before fetal viability, around the 24th week of pregnancy.

I think the six-week is too short, there has to be more time, Trump told NBC, referring to Floridas current six-week abortion ban. Florida is one of 11 states that will have abortion rights measures on the November ballot. After Trump made that comment, his campaign insisted that he didnt specifically say he would vote against the measure  and he explicitly said hed vote against it.

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But on Friday, Trump caved to the conservative backlash and promised to support the six-week ban.

Some conservatives blasted Trump for spinelessness.

If Donald Trump loses in November, it will be his improvisational approach to abortion that alienated the pro-life community that costs him victory, Erick Erickson, an influential Georgia-based conservative talk radio host, posted on X.

But in a sign that Trump and anti-abortion groups arent actually splitting up, Kristi Hamrick, vice president of media and policy at Students for Life Action, told the Chronicle on Friday that sometimes in an election, you vote against  as in against the most pro-abortion, anti-free speech ticket in American history, Harris-Walz  and not necessarily for, though there is plenty of time to hope for that possibility.

Hamrick said abortion opponents want to see Trump urge voters to defeat all of the ballot measures that would enshrine abortion rights.

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Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser, whose support in 2020 was key to evangelicals backing Tump, said Friday that she spoke to Trump hours after he made his initial statement, and she assured supporters that Trump has consistently opposed abortions after five months of pregnancy. Amendment 4 would allow abortion past this point. Voting for Amendment 4 completely undermines his position.

Vance, meanwhile, has been far more consistent in his opposition to abortion. He supports Ohios six-week abortion ban, which doesnt allow for exceptions for rape or incest.

But even Vance said in the last week that Trump would veto a national abortion ban.

Those werent the only statements from the Trump-Vance ticket that have given the anti-abortion movement pause recently. Last week, while Harris was making reproductive rights a centerpiece of her message at the Democratic National Convention, Trump posted on Truth Social that My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights.

That was surprising coming from the same person who bragged on that same platform in May that I was able to kill Roe v. Wade, much to the shock of everyone.

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Trump took his gaslighting even further this week when he told NBC that if elected, he would mandate that either the federal government or insurance companies pay for costly in-vitro fertilization treatment. The procedure has had a brighter spotlight on it after Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz spoke publicly about his familys reliance on fertility treatments.

The Republican Party platform, which Trump links to on his campaign website, could effectively ban IVF by establishing fetal personhood. The fringe legal theory got nationwide attention this year when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos have the same rights as children.

Dannenfelser urged Trump to be cautious: We believe human embryos should not be destroyed. All too often, proposals on this issue go too far by giving blanket immunity to IVF clinics  even for rogue practitioners who switch human embryos, fail to follow basic safety standards, or negligently destroy human embryos desired by infertile couples. These are real scenarios for which families in America will have no recourse.

Mini Timmaraju, president of Reproductive Freedom for All, an abortion rights organization formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice America, said that Trumps flip-flops are part of an effort to whitewash his record.

The majority of Americans support abortion access. They support IVF. They support contraception. He has finally figured it out. And hell do anything to distract from his abysmal, horrifying record on this issue.

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The Supreme Court praised the Central Government's fruitful initiatives for tiger conservation, expressing satisfaction that 75% of the world's tigers are in India.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjeev Khanna and P V Sanjay Kumar acknowledged the Central Government's efforts as "good work" last Friday. Notably, the number of tigers in the country has increased from 2,226 in 2014 to 3,682 now, with good numbers in Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Maharashtra. For Madhya Pradesh, the most encouraging is that the tiger population is increasing even outside tiger reserves. The tiger population in Madhya Pradesh has grown from 526 to 785, the highest in the country. In the past four to five years, the number of tigers has increased by 259.

The task of tiger reintroduction was extremely challenging, but Madhya Pradesh accomplished it with painstaking effort. Tiger counts are conducted every four years. From 2006 to 2010, the tiger population was recorded at 257, necessitating high-level conservation and sensitive measures to boost their numbers.In order to manage human-wildlife conflict, 16 regional rescue squads and district-level rescue squads have been established. For investigating wildlife crimes, 16 specialized canine units have been formed.

The state-level strike force has arrested 550 wildlife criminals from 14 states in the past eight years.Funding has been allocated for wildlife management outside protected areas, and revenue from wildlife tourism has been shared with local communities. These efforts have supported tiger conservation initiatives.

How MP regained Tiger State?

Experts underline four main reasons for Madhya Pradesh achieving the Tiger State title.

1. Scientific Relocation of Villages-Between 2010 and 2022, 200 small villages within tiger reserves were relocated, with the highest number of 75 villages being moved from the Satpura Tiger Reserve.

2.Translocation: The relocation of Barasingha, bison, and wild boar from Kanha to other tiger reserves has expanded the food base for tigers.

3. Habitat Developme nt: Vacant villages and fields within forests have been developed into grasslands and ponds, increasing the population of herbivores and providing more food for tigers.

4. Improved Security Measures: Unprecedented changes in security, including drone surveys and monitoring at Panna Tiger Reserve, have significantly curtailed illegal poaching. Enhanced technology in crime investigation and patrolling has been effectively implemented, exemplified by Panna Tiger Reserves own drone squad with a monthly operational plan.

These measures have also helped Madhya Pradesh lead in leopard population, with 4,100 leopards in the state out of a total of 12,852.

The leopard population has increased by 80% in Madhya Pradesh compared to the national average of 60%, with the state accounting for 25% of the country's leopards.Improved Management of National ParksMadhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 526, followed by Karnataka with 524, and Uttarakhand with 442. The effective management of national parks has played a crucial role in increasing tiger numbers. Over 50 villages have been relocated with state government support, significantly reducing ecological pressure on large tracts of land.

Villages in Kanha, Pench, and Kuno Palpur core areas have been relocated, and more than 90% of the core area of Satpura Tiger Reserve has been relieved of ecological pressure. Madhya Pradesh has achieved top rankings in effective management of national parks and protected areas. Satpura Tiger Reserve has been included in UNESCO's tentative list of World Heritage Sites.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that the people of Denotified, Nomadic, and Semi-nomadic communities in the state will reap all the benefits of welfare schemes. He acknowledged the long history of courage and bravery demonstrated by these communities.

Yadav emphasized that the state government is committed to fully supporting the youth and other talents from nomadic and semi-nomadic castes in their pursuit of education, career-building, and a brighter future.

Yadav was addressing the state-level program of Denotified Tribes Day at Rabindra Bhawan, Bhopal on Saturday. Chief Minister Yadav also saw the exhibition of the Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Welfare Department and dedicated the department's portal 'Samarth'.

The Chief Minister announced that efforts will be made to officially recognize the original residence of nomadic and semi-nomadic castes by documenting one place as their permanent address. This will facilitate the preparation of necessary records, ensuring that those currently excluded from welfare schemes will also receive their benefits. Specific castes such as Bhaat, Charan, Beldar, Pardhi, and Kuchbandiya will be included in these schemes, while a special plan will be created for groups like Kabutari, Kalbelia, Sikligar, and Banchhra.

Housing provisions, including basic amenities like electricity and water under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, will be arranged for castes like Gadariya, Lohar, and others. The youth from these communities will receive necessary training, including opportunities in the Agniveer and other government schemes, as well as in sports.

Additionally, efforts will be made to promote the folk culture of these castes at the divisional level, and they will be integrated with the Geeta Bhawans being established in cities. Manglik buildings will also be constructed, and ongoing dialogues will be held to support their development.

Yadav emphasized the importance of modernizing essential social customs. He stated that the actions of a few individuals involved in crime should not label the entire community as criminals. He noted that, with changing times, the focus has shifted towards punishing the individual offender rather than holding the entire community responsible.

Banjara folk artist Sushri Reena Pawar presented an impressive traditional dance in the programme. Chief Minister Yadav announced an incentive of Rs 21 thousand to her for her effective presentation. Chief Minister Yadav congratulated the department and the organizations for observing Denotifed Tribes Day in the entire state.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Welfare, Backward Classes, and Minority Welfare, Krishna Gaur, highlighted that on Denotified Tribes Day, a special exhibition was organized to inform about welfare schemes for nomadic and semi-nomadic castes. These communities, once labeled as criminals by the British, were freed from that stigma after independence and are now benefiting from development initiatives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Minister are committed towards the welfare of these castes. The state has made provisions for hostels, scholarships, and house rent assistance for students from these communities, with increased scholarship amounts and special encouragement for girls' education. The state government remains dedicated to the development of these castes, their villages, and settlements.
The Uttar Pradesh government is intensifying its crackdown on misuse of power, negligence and corruption in the Consolidation department. Following Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths firm stance, a series of actions have been taken against officers for their failure to address consolidation matters efficiently and ethically.

In recent developments, as many as 28 consolidation officers across eight divisions have faced punitive measures. This includes suspension, issuing of show-cause notices and initiation of disciplinary actions against 13 settlement officers. Furthermore, a deputy director consolidation has been removed from position, while another has been instructed to give an explanation for his negligence.

Additional measures include disciplinary action against a consolidation officer, and withholding the salary of an assistant consolidation officer pending an explanation. Three more assistant consolidation officers have also faced disciplinary actions. In a notable case, a proposal for a 20 per cent reduction in pension was sent to the government concerning a retired assistant consolidation officer due to service irregularities.

Commissioner of Consolidation department GS Naveen mentioned that under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths zero tolerance policy, regular review meetings are held to address and curb corruption in the department. In a recent review, significant negligence, irregularities and corrupt practices were identified among many officers. The findings were reported to Chief Minister Yogi, who directed stringent actions against those responsible.

As a result, measures have been taken against consolidation officers in eight divisions  Prayagraj, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Gorakhpur, Basti, Ayodhya and Devipatan. Notably, settlement officers from Bareilly, Hardoi, Lalitpur, Unnao, Chitrakoot and Jaunpur  Pawan Kumar Singh, Shriprakash Chandra Uttam, Rakesh Kumar, Suresh Kumar Sagar, Manohar Lal and Swatantra Veer Singh Yadav  have been summoned to explain their lack of progress in consolidation tasks.

Deputy Director Consolidation/Chief Revenue Officer Rakesh Kumar Gupta of Pratapgarh has been asked to clarify his failure to fulfill supervisory duties, while a letter has been sent to the Appointment department recommending the removal of Gorakhpurs Deputy Director Consolidation Officer Raj Narayan Tripathi for not providing necessary work progress updates.

Additionally, a proposal has been submitted to the government to reduce the pension of retired assistant consolidation officer Ramesh Pal Singh Rana by 20 per cent due to service irregularities.

Naveen further highlighted significant disciplinary actions against several consolidation officers for their negligence and irregularities. Settlement Officer (Consolidation) Santosh Kumar of Kushinagar has been suspended for negligence of work and a letter has been sent to the government recommending further departmental action.

Disciplinary action has also been initiated against Settlement Officer (Consolidation) Pawan Kumar Sidhu of Varanasi for failing to complete the consolidation work in village Ajgara, as mandated under the relevant law and for not releasing the transferred consolidation lekhpals. His salary has been withheld as part of the action.

Further, Settlement Officers Mohan Lal, Narendra Singh, Shashikant Shukla and Pawan Pandey, stationed in Shahjahanpur, Mirzapur, Gorakhpur and Deoria respectively, have faced disciplinary action for their laxity in performing their duties.

In addition, Settlement Officer (Consolidation) Dharmendra Singh of Kannauj, Consolidation Officer Shiv Narayan Gupta of Barabanki and junior assistant Umashankar of Barabanki face disciplinary action for irregularities in their investigations. Assistant Consolidation Officer Mahendra Singhs salary has been withheld for failing to meet the target for village Lalauti in Fatehpur and an explanation has been sought from him.

Disciplinary action has also been taken against Assistant Consolidation Officer Sandeep Yadav of Balrampur for not completing the work in village Mosque.

In response to delays and incomplete work in various villages, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken decisive disciplinary actions against several consolidation officers. In Prayagraj, disciplinary measures have been taken for failure to complete work in village Rajepur Sarai Arjani. Similarly, in Pratapgarh, action has been taken following incomplete work in village Dhami. The assistant consolidation officers in both cases have faced disciplinary action.

In Jaunpur, Assistant Consolidation Officer Sanjay Maurya, along with the consolidator and consolidation lekhpal, has been suspended due to the incomplete work in village Tiira. Additionally, instructions have been issued for further departmental action. In Azamgarh, the assistant consolidation officer responsible for village Mahua has been asked to provide an explanation for the failure to complete the assigned work. Disciplinary action has also been taken against the consolidator and consolidation lekhpal involved.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said the 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' was organised by the Congress party to protest against the alleged misuse of the office of the Governor.

Shivakumar, who is the Congress Karnataka unit president, said the march is mainly to ensure that Raj Bhavan should not become the office of a political party. "I want to clarify that we organised 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' not on behalf of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The matter is in the court of law..." the Deputy CM said.

"This 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' is to make sure that the Governor's office should not become an office of a party. We are going there (Raj Bhavan) with a demand to protect the sanctity of this constitutional post," he said.

Shivakumar lamented that there were many pending petitions, seeking permission to prosecute some individuals, with the Governor. Holding placards, banners, posters and raising slogans condemning Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, the Congress leaders led by Shivakumar took out a march, which saw the participation of several ministers, Congress MLAs and MPs.

Later, they handed over a memorandum to Gehlot. Earlier, Siddaramaiah, his cabinet colleagues, Congress MLAs and MPs staged a sit-in demonstration near the Gandhi statue on the Vidhana Soudha premises here. The Congress government is at loggerheads with Gehlot after he granted permission to investigate and prosecute the CM in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam.

Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi is accused of getting compensatory sites in the Mysuru upmarket against the 'illegal acquisition' of 3 Acres and 16 guntas of her agricultural land in Kesare village in Mysuru by the MUDA. The Chief Minister has been alleging that the Governor's office was misused to 'destabilise' the Congress government in the state.

Siddaramaiah has also accused Gehlot of discriminating against him while granting permission for prosecution. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on August 16 accorded sanction for prosecution of the CM under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions of three social activists.
The Election Commission on Saturday deferred the Haryana assembly poll date to October 5 from October 1, saying the decision was taken keeping in mind a centuries-old festival of the Bishnoi community.

The counting of votes for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly polls will now be held on October 8 instead of October 4, the poll body said.

It has been a practice of the EC to hold the counting of votes on the same day for assemblies which go to polls together as the results of one state could affect trends in others.

Before the revision of the date, the Haryana polls were to be held along with the third and last phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections.

The decision to postpone the Haryana elections has been taken to honour both the voting rights and traditions of the Bishnoi community which has upheld a 300-400-year-old practice in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar, the EC said.

It said it had received a representation from the national president of the All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner, Rajasthan for rescheduling the Haryana assembly elections.

He said generations of families from Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana visit their native village Mukam in Rajasthan on 'amavas' in the month of 'Asoj' for the annual festival in Bikaner in the memory of Guru Jambheshwar, according to the EC.

This year, the festival falls on October 2 and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar will be travelling to Rajasthan on the day, denying them their voting rights.

Separately, the ruling BJP and the opposition INLD in Haryana had urged the EC to revise the polling date keeping in mind the long weekend which might result in poor voter turnout as people tend to go out on extended weekends.

The revised polling day would also resolve any concerns about a six-day holiday by taking a day's leave on September 30, sources pointed out.

They said the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Haryana sent a report on Saturday wherein he confirmed after holding consultations with the deputy commissioners of Hisar, Sirsa and Fatehabad that the Bishnoi community's annual festival falls on 'amavas' during the month of "Asoj" on October 2 this year.

The CEO noted that thousands of Bishnoi families reside in these three districts, and they have been visiting their native place in Mukam, Rajasthan during this time for the last three centuries.

Families from these districts are expected to start their journey on October 1, he said.

In the past too, the EC has adjusted election dates keeping in mind the sentiments of various communities.

The EC had postponed the 2022 Punjab assembly elections by a week to accommodate devotees travelling to Varanasi for Guru Ravidas Jayanti.

Similarly, the commission changed the dates for the 2022 Manipur polls to respect the Christian community's Sunday prayers. In the 2023 Rajasthan assembly elections, it rescheduled polling as it was originally scheduled to be held on Devuthani Ekadashi, a day significant for mass weddings in Rajasthan.

In the 2012 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the poll date was changed due to Barawafat.
Actor Mohanlal on Saturday said he was not part of any power group in the Malayalam film industry and he has no knowledge of the existence of any such group in the sector.

He said Malayalam cinema is a huge industry where thousands of people work and the actors's association AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) could not address issues that cropped up there. He said the executive panel of the Association headed by him resigned recently in the wake of allegations being raised against it after the release of the report by Justice Hema Committee.

It was for the first time that Mohanlal, former president of AMMA, was addressing the media following the release of the expert panel report which shed light on the alleged harassment and exploitation of women professionals in the Malayalam film industry.

"Wrongdoers should be punished if there is evidence against them," the "Kireedam" actor said while referring to the allegations of sexual misconduct and assaults that surfaced against some of the members of the Association.

"I am not part of any power group in Malayalam cinema and not aware of the existence of any such group," the actor said. He also said the release of Hema Committee report was a good decision of the government.
The NIA on Saturday conducted searches at multiple locations in the Gariyaband district of Chhattisgarh in the 2023 state assembly polls IED blast case, it said in a statement.

The blast was carried out by CPI (Maoist) cadres while a convoy of polling and security personnel was returning from Badegobra village after voting on November 17.

A head constable of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police's (ITBP) ADHOC 615 Battalion was killed in the attack, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) statement said.

NIA teams on Saturday conducted searches at premises linked with nine suspects in the Maoist-infested sensitive areas of the remote Chhotegobra village under Mainpur police station, it said.

Several mobile phones and digital devices were seized during the operation, the agency said.

The NIA, which took over the case in March, has identified certain supporters/overground workers of the banned CPI (Maoist) as suspects involved in supporting the outfit in executing the attack, it added.
Teachers of various schools held a protest march in Kolkata on Saturday, demanding exemplary punishment for those behind the rape and murder of the doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

They walked under the banner 'Teachers for RG Kar' from Sealdah station to Shyambazar, near which the state-run hospital is situated, shouting slogans such as "we want justice" and "justice for RG Kar".

Demanding that the accused be punished as soon as possible, the teachers said they want women's security at workplaces to be ensured.

They said that anyone found guilty of shielding the culprits should also be given exemplary punishment.

This was the second rally organised by teachers in protest against the rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee doctor, whose body was found in the hospital on August 9.
The Centre on Saturday appointed senior IAS officer Dharmendra as the new Delhi government chief secretary.

Dharmendra, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the AGMUT cadre, was Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary before being transferred to Delhi.

He is among the senior-most Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre officers and is taking charge as the Delhi chief secretary ahead of the assembly polls due in February.

"With the approval of the competent authority, Dharmendra, IAS (AGMUT 1989), is hereby transferred from Arunachal Pradesh to Delhi and posted as chief secretary, GNCTD, wef 01.09.2024 or with effect from the date of joining, whichever is later," according to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs order issued on Saturday.

Incumbent Naresh Kumar, a 1987-batch officer, who was given two extensions in the past, completes his tenure on August 31.

Dharmendra's appointment came on the day his predecessor's three-month extended tenure came to an end. There was speculation over a further extension in view of the polls.

Kumar, who achieved the age of superannuation last November, was given his first six-month extension after a legal battle with the ruling AAP.

As chief secretary, Kumar was at loggerheads with the AAP dispensation over a host of issues, with the ruling party fiercely attacking him and levelling allegations of corruption against him.

Dharmendra, bureaucrats in the Delhi government asserted, would require fine balancing skills, being the crucial link between the "warring" AAP dispensation and the Lt Governor's Office.

During his previous stint in the Delhi government, Dharmendra -- a civil engineer by training -- held various posts, including secretary in the revenue; irrigation and flood control; and industries departments.

He was chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council before being transferred to Arunachal Pradesh in April 2022.

He has also served in the housing and urban affairs and the consumer affairs ministries, as development commissioner for Dadra and Nagar Haveli/Daman and Diu, and resident commissioner of Aizawl.
Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC  Get Free Report) and Suzuki Motor (OTCMKTS:SZKMF  Get Free Report) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

5.3% of Honda Motor shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 16.5% of Suzuki Motor shares are held by institutional investors. 0.0% of Honda Motor shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

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Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Honda Motor and Suzuki Motor, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Honda Motor 0 0 1 0 3.00 Suzuki Motor 0 0 0 0 N/A

Dividends

Honda Motor pays an annual dividend of $1.15 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.5%. Suzuki Motor pays an annual dividend of $19.11 per share and has a dividend yield of 169.1%. Honda Motor pays out 24.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Suzuki Motor pays out 9.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Suzuki Motor is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Profitability

This table compares Honda Motor and Suzuki Motors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Honda Motor 5.46% 8.79% 3.97% Suzuki Motor N/A N/A N/A

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Honda Motor and Suzuki Motors gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Honda Motor $21,208.66 billion 0.00 $7.64 billion $4.72 6.98 Suzuki Motor N/A N/A N/A $195.69 0.06

Honda Motor has higher revenue and earnings than Suzuki Motor. Suzuki Motor is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Honda Motor, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Honda Motor beats Suzuki Motor on 7 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Honda Motor

(Get Free Report)

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. develops, manufactures, and distributes motorcycles, automobiles, power, and other products in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Motorcycle Business, Automobile Business, Financial Services Business, and Power Product and Other Businesses. The Motorcycle Business segment produces motorcycles, including sports, business, and commuter models; and various off-road vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides. The Automobile Business segment offers passenger cars, light trucks, and mini vehicles. The Financial Services Business segment provides various financial services, including retail lending and leasing services to customers, as well as wholesale financing services to dealers. The Power Product and Other Businesses manufactures and sells power products, such as general purpose engines, lawn mowers, generators, water pumps, brush cutters, tillers, outboard marine engines, and snow throwers. This segment also offers HondaJet aircraft. The company also sells spare parts; and provides after-sale services through retail dealers directly, as well as through independent distributors and licensees. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

About Suzuki Motor

(Get Free Report)

Suzuki Motor Corporation engages in the manufacturing and marketing of automobiles, motorcycles, and marine products in Japan, rest of Asia, Europe, North America, and internationally. It offers mini-vehicles, sub-compact vehicles, standard-sized vehicles, outboard motors, motorized wheelchairs, and electro senior vehicles. The company is also involved in solar power generation and logistics business, as well as provides other services. Suzuki Motor Corporation was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan.

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Parts of the Youth 1st building in San Francisco were painted over after the discovery of racist graffiti Friday. San Francisco District Attorneys Office

A Black-led nonprofit in San Franciscos Lakeview neighborhood was found vandalized with graffiti containing racial epithets Friday morning, prompting city officials to condemn the incident.

Racial epithets were found spray-painted across the blue walls of Youth 1st, a nonprofit that provides academic enrichment for at-risk youth, according to District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safai. A rope noose was also found tied to the nonprofits yellow door, he said.

The graffiti was removed immediately, and city officials condemned the vandalism as unacceptable.

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There is no place for hate in our public spaces, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg said in a statement. Our parks and rec centers belong to everyone and welcome everyone equally.

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins called the graffiti a hate crime and said it is evidence of persistent racist beliefs.

San Francisco has to recognize how much work it still needs to do, Jenkins said at a news conference Friday. We must come together and march through the streets against something like that. That didnt just happen against an organization and a man  that happened against our children.

The racist vandalism came two days after a woman spewed racial epithets at the nonprofits director, Renard Monroe, during a confrontation in a nearby playground, according to Safai.

Monroe, who is Black, had asked the woman to walk her dog in the dog run area of the park, prompting her to lash out. She said that he was a dirty N-word, said we never should have given your people books, and she said, Im gonna dedicate myself to shutting you guys down, Safai said.

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On Wednesday, state licensing officials went to Youth 1st based on an anonymous tip that the nonprofit was operating as an unlicensed child care facility, Safai said. On Thursday, the Rec and Park department was called to the site on a noise complaint.

Both complaints are baseless, Safai said, noting that Youth 1st is categorized as an after-school program, not a child care facility. Though the incident is still under investigation, Safai said he thinks the actions against the nonprofit are absolutely related.

The San Francisco Police Department is investigating the vandalism. After the incident, city officials ordered additional security cameras to be installed on-site, Safai said.

Jenkins also said her office will work with law enforcement to investigate the incident.

On the day that it is submitted to my office, we will do everything to make sure that the person or persons responsible for this are held accountable, she said.

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Safai said the graffiti is evidence that racism is alive and well in San Francisco and called for the city to unite around opposing it.
Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV raised its holdings in shares of Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:CTVA  Free Report) by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 48,200 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADVs holdings in Corteva were worth $2,600,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in CTVA. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Corteva during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Corteva during the first quarter valued at $25,000. Rise Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Corteva by 2,522.2% in the first quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 472 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 454 shares during the period. Albion Financial Group UT lifted its holdings in shares of Corteva by 77.2% in the 1st quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 505 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ironwood Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Corteva by 106.1% during the 1st quarter. Ironwood Wealth Management Inc. now owns 544 shares of the companys stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the period. 81.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on CTVA shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Corteva from $64.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Corteva from $67.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. OTR Global reaffirmed a negative rating on shares of Corteva in a research report on Friday, June 7th. Argus downgraded Corteva from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating and issued a $65.00 price target on shares of Corteva in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $61.67.

Corteva Stock Up 0.5 %

NYSE CTVA traded up $0.30 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $57.30. 4,229,108 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,343,962. Corteva, Inc. has a 52 week low of $43.22 and a 52 week high of $58.76. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $53.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $54.54. The company has a market cap of $39.94 billion, a PE ratio of 71.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 1.72 and a quick ratio of 0.97.

Corteva (NYSE:CTVA  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $1.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.74 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $6.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.15 billion. Corteva had a return on equity of 7.30% and a net margin of 5.31%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.60 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Corteva, Inc. will post 2.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Corteva Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. This is a positive change from Cortevas previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. Cortevas payout ratio is 86.08%.

Corteva Profile

(Free Report)

Corteva, Inc operates in the agriculture business. It operates through two segments, Seed and Crop Protection. The Seed segment develops and supplies advanced germplasm and traits that produce optimum yield for farms. It offers trait technologies that enhance resistance to weather, disease, insects, and herbicides used to control weeds, as well as food and nutritional characteristics.

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Canaccord Genuity Group set a C$90.00 target price on BRP (TSE:DOO  Free Report) in a research note released on Wednesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has a hold rating on the stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus cut BRP from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price target for the company from C$106.00 to C$97.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. National Bankshares cut BRP from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and cut their price target for the company from C$109.00 to C$100.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. TD Securities cut their target price on BRP from C$100.00 to C$98.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. National Bank Financial cut BRP from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on BRP from C$100.00 to C$110.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 16th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BRP has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$101.92.

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BRP Price Performance

BRP has a 12-month low of C$77.42 and a 12-month high of C$109.96. The firm has a market capitalization of C$3.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.87, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 2.33. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is C$92.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$91.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 461.35.

BRP (TSE:DOO  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 31st. The company reported C$0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$0.88 by C$0.07. BRP had a return on equity of 94.59% and a net margin of 5.83%. The company had revenue of C$2.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$2.02 billion. As a group, research analysts anticipate that BRP will post 9.1208251 EPS for the current fiscal year.

BRP Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 12th. Investors of record on Friday, July 12th were issued a $0.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of . BRPs payout ratio is 11.28%.

About BRP

(Get Free Report)

BRP Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, distributes, and markets powersports vehicles and marine products in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Mexico, Austria, and internationally. The Powersports segment offers year-round products, such as Can-Am all-terrain vehicles, side-by-side vehicles, and three-wheeled vehicles; and seasonal products, including Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo personal watercrafts and pontoons, Rotax engines for karts and recreational aircraft, and Pinion gearboxes with smart shift systems.

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Comstock Resources, Inc. (NYSE:CRK  Get Free Report) traded down 7.6% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $10.07 and last traded at $10.19. 2,110,032 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 46% from the average session volume of 3,922,510 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.03.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on CRK. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Comstock Resources from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 28th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Comstock Resources from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Capital One Financial downgraded Comstock Resources from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 15th. Piper Sandler cut Comstock Resources from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and lowered their price target for the company from $8.00 to $5.00 in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Comstock Resources in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. They set a sector weight rating for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $9.75.

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Comstock Resources Stock Down 1.2 %

The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.30 and a beta of 0.51. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $10.33 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $9.90.

Comstock Resources (NYSE:CRK  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The oil and gas producer reported ($0.20) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.16) by ($0.04). Comstock Resources had a negative net margin of 1.48% and a negative return on equity of 1.38%. The business had revenue of $246.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $296.02 million. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Comstock Resources, Inc. will post -0.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Comstock Resources

In related news, major shareholder Drilling L.P. Arkoma acquired 592,246 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $11.54 per share, with a total value of $6,834,518.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 208,219,992 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,402,858,707.68. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, major shareholder Drilling L.P. Arkoma purchased 592,246 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $11.54 per share, for a total transaction of $6,834,518.84. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 208,219,992 shares in the company, valued at $2,402,858,707.68. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Star Exploration Corp Blue acquired 825,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $8.16 per share, with a total value of $6,732,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 195,646,429 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,596,474,860.64. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 6,712,733 shares of company stock worth $67,816,851. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Comstock Resources

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Comstock Resources by 26.3% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 11,696,540 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $121,414,000 after purchasing an additional 2,438,252 shares during the last quarter. KGH Ltd raised its position in shares of Comstock Resources by 8.7% in the 2nd quarter. KGH Ltd now owns 12,125,000 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $125,858,000 after purchasing an additional 975,000 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Comstock Resources by 775.4% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 875,371 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $9,086,000 after purchasing an additional 775,371 shares in the last quarter. HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Comstock Resources during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $6,544,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Comstock Resources during the first quarter worth approximately $5,643,000. 36.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Comstock Resources

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Comstock Resources, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of natural gas and oil properties in the United States. Its assets are located in the Haynesville and Bossier shales located in North Louisiana and East Texas. The company was incorporated in 1919 and is headquartered in Frisco, Texas.

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First Personal Financial Services boosted its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Free Report) by 41.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,191 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 350 shares during the period. First Personal Financial Services holdings in Altria Group were worth $54,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Catalyst Financial Partners LLC now owns 11,269 shares of the companys stock worth $513,000 after buying an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. Conning Inc. boosted its position in Altria Group by 2.3% in the second quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 9,794 shares of the companys stock worth $446,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Patten & Patten Inc. TN grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Patten & Patten Inc. TN now owns 14,293 shares of the companys stock valued at $623,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares during the period. Hilltop National Bank grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 14,667 shares of the companys stock valued at $668,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the period. Finally, Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 12.1% during the 1st quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 2,150 shares of the companys stock valued at $95,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the companys stock.

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Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of Altria Group stock traded up $0.41 on Friday, hitting $53.77. 7,950,990 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,355,649. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $49.19 and a 200 day simple moving average of $45.40. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $39.06 and a 52 week high of $53.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $92.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.66.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.35 by ($0.04). Altria Group had a net margin of 42.25% and a negative return on equity of 232.55%. The company had revenue of $6.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.39 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.31 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 10th. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th will be paid a dividend of $1.02 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. This is a positive change from Altria Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.98. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.59%. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 85.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on MO. Argus raised shares of Altria Group to a hold rating in a report on Friday, May 31st. StockNews.com raised shares of Altria Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, June 28th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $37.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $47.08.

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Altria Group Company Profile

(Free Report)

Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; oral nicotine pouches under the on! brand; and e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand.

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Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lifted its holdings in shares of ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW  Free Report) by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,904 shares of the information technology services providers stock after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OHs holdings in ServiceNow were worth $3,071,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. OMC Financial Services LTD acquired a new position in ServiceNow in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,209,000. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. raised its stake in ServiceNow by 10.4% in the second quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 220,986 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $173,843,000 after purchasing an additional 20,843 shares in the last quarter. Hudson Value Partners LLC bought a new stake in ServiceNow during the second quarter worth about $1,145,000. Peregrine Capital Management LLC grew its stake in ServiceNow by 2.2% during the second quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC now owns 105,973 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $83,366,000 after buying an additional 2,256 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Callahan Advisors LLC increased its holdings in ServiceNow by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Callahan Advisors LLC now owns 4,189 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $3,295,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. 87.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Christopher Bedi sold 215 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $700.00, for a total transaction of $150,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,892 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,124,400. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, insider Christopher Bedi sold 215 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $700.00, for a total value of $150,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,892 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,124,400. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Nicholas Tzitzon sold 1,857 shares of ServiceNow stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $829.68, for a total value of $1,540,715.76. Following the sale, the insider now owns 3,649 shares in the company, valued at $3,027,502.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 7,129 shares of company stock valued at $5,759,436 in the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

ServiceNow Stock Up 2.9 %

Shares of NYSE NOW traded up $23.73 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $855.00. 1,916,043 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,294,300. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. ServiceNow, Inc. has a one year low of $527.24 and a one year high of $857.25. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $789.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $760.16. The company has a market cap of $175.28 billion, a PE ratio of 91.44, a P/E/G ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 0.99.

ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The information technology services provider reported $3.13 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.85 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $2.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.61 billion. ServiceNow had a net margin of 11.51% and a return on equity of 14.52%. ServiceNows quarterly revenue was up 22.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.77 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that ServiceNow, Inc. will post 6.84 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NOW has been the topic of several analyst reports. William Blair reiterated an outperform rating on shares of ServiceNow in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on ServiceNow from $870.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on ServiceNow from $830.00 to $860.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on ServiceNow from $750.00 to $780.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a buy rating and issued a $900.00 price target on shares of ServiceNow in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twenty-five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $849.62.

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About ServiceNow

(Free Report)

ServiceNow, Inc provides end to-end intelligent workflow automation platform solutions for digital businesses in the North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates the Now platform for end-to-end digital transformation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotic process automation, process mining, performance analytics, and collaboration and development tools.

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Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH raised its holdings in Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI  Free Report) by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 603 shares of the communications equipment providers stock after buying an additional 32 shares during the period. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OHs holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $233,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Motorola Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at $646,341,000. Swedbank AB grew its position in Motorola Solutions by 215.7% during the second quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 1,023,956 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $395,298,000 after buying an additional 699,615 shares in the last quarter. Groupama Asset Managment acquired a new position in Motorola Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at $178,361,000. Alphinity Investment Management Pty Ltd lifted its position in shares of Motorola Solutions by 36.5% during the 1st quarter. Alphinity Investment Management Pty Ltd now owns 1,478,757 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $524,929,000 after acquiring an additional 395,096 shares during the period. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in shares of Motorola Solutions by 1,477.3% during the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 358,206 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $127,149,000 after purchasing an additional 335,496 shares in the last quarter. 84.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on MSI shares. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Motorola Solutions from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Motorola Solutions from $372.00 to $467.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Motorola Solutions from $436.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Motorola Solutions from $385.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on Motorola Solutions from $370.00 to $440.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $457.40.

Motorola Solutions Price Performance

Shares of MSI traded up $4.89 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $442.04. The company had a trading volume of 909,093 shares, compared to its average volume of 662,132. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $402.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $368.29. The company has a market capitalization of $73.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.64, a P/E/G ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 0.94. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 1-year low of $269.64 and a 1-year high of $443.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.16, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.19.

Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The communications equipment provider reported $3.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $2.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.59 billion. Motorola Solutions had a net margin of 14.04% and a return on equity of 378.15%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.41 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 12.09 EPS for the current year.

Motorola Solutions Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.89%. Motorola Solutionss dividend payout ratio is currently 48.45%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 690 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $373.11, for a total value of $257,445.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,141 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,037,488.51. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 690 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $373.11, for a total transaction of $257,445.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,141 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,037,488.51. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO John P. Molloy sold 23,985 shares of Motorola Solutions stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $407.50, for a total transaction of $9,773,887.50. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 46,821 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,079,557.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 29,949 shares of company stock valued at $12,002,807 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the companys stock.

About Motorola Solutions

(Free Report)

Motorola Solutions, Inc provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce.

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Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH raised its stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS  Free Report) by 13.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 784,061 shares of the casino operators stock after buying an additional 92,398 shares during the quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH owned about 0.11% of Las Vegas Sands worth $34,695,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of LVS. Bank & Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Las Vegas Sands during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Accent Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Las Vegas Sands in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Las Vegas Sands in the first quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Vestor Capital LLC purchased a new position in Las Vegas Sands during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Institutional investors own 39.16% of the companys stock.

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Las Vegas Sands Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of LVS stock traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $38.99. 11,354,873 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,540,399. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.29, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.29. Las Vegas Sands Corp. has a 12-month low of $36.62 and a 12-month high of $55.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 1.12. The businesss fifty day moving average is $40.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.16.

Las Vegas Sands Dividend Announcement

Las Vegas Sands ( NYSE:LVS Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The casino operator reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.56 by ($0.01). Las Vegas Sands had a net margin of 14.08% and a return on equity of 44.41%. The company had revenue of $2.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.82 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.46 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Las Vegas Sands Corp. will post 2.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 6th were paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 6th. Las Vegas Sandss dividend payout ratio is currently 38.65%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Las Vegas Sands from $53.00 to $47.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Susquehanna reduced their price objective on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $59.00 to $51.00 and set a positive rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Las Vegas Sands from $58.00 to $53.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Las Vegas Sands from $59.00 to $55.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Finally, Argus lowered shares of Las Vegas Sands from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Las Vegas Sands has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $55.67.

Read Our Latest Analysis on LVS

Las Vegas Sands Profile

(Free Report)

Las Vegas Sands Corp., together with its subsidiaries, develops, owns, and operates integrated resorts in Macao and Singapore. It owns and operates The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, the Londoner Macao, The Parisian Macao, The Plaza Macao and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip, and the Sands Macao in Macao, the People's Republic of China; and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

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Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lessened its holdings in shares of Chubb Limited (NYSE:CB  Free Report) by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,918 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 164 shares during the period. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OHs holdings in Chubb were worth $2,020,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Beacon Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Chubb by 76.4% during the second quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 97 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC bought a new position in Chubb in the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wellington Shields Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Chubb during the 1st quarter worth $29,000. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Chubb during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Chubb by 82.2% in the 1st quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 133 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.81% of the companys stock.

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Insider Transactions at Chubb

In other Chubb news, EVP Juan Luis Ortega sold 2,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.98, for a total transaction of $626,352.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 44,632 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,648,059.36. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Peter C. Enns sold 8,200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $266.06, for a total transaction of $2,181,692.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 45,853 shares in the company, valued at $12,199,649.18. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Juan Luis Ortega sold 2,400 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.98, for a total value of $626,352.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 44,632 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,648,059.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 14,521 shares of company stock valued at $3,878,712 in the last three months. 0.86% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Chubb Stock Performance

Shares of CB stock traded up $2.08 on Friday, hitting $284.06. The company had a trading volume of 2,343,472 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,606,921. The firm has a market cap of $115.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 0.66. Chubb Limited has a twelve month low of $198.67 and a twelve month high of $284.49. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $265.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $259.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20.

Chubb (NYSE:CB  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $5.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.04 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $13.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.04 billion. Chubb had a net margin of 18.14% and a return on equity of 15.77%. The businesss revenue was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.92 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Chubb Limited will post 21.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chubb Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a $0.91 dividend. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. Chubbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.16%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Roth Mkm boosted their price target on shares of Chubb from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Chubb from $304.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, July 29th. JMP Securities increased their target price on Chubb from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a market outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Chubb from $257.00 to $264.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Chubb from $266.00 to $286.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Chubb currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $270.79.

Check Out Our Latest Report on CB

Chubb Profile

(Free Report)

Chubb Limited provides insurance and reinsurance products worldwide. The company's North America Commercial P&C Insurance segment offers commercial property, casualty, workers' compensation, package policies, risk management, financial lines, marine, construction, environmental, medical risk, cyber risk, surety, and casualty; and group accident and health insurance to large, middle market, and small commercial businesses.

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UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of General Motors (NYSE:GM  Free Report) (TSE:GMM.U) by 14.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,010 shares of the auto manufacturers stock after purchasing an additional 887 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in General Motors were worth $326,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. LifeSteps Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in General Motors during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in General Motors by 56.1% during the 2nd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 626 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. boosted its stake in General Motors by 75.9% during the 4th quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 832 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 359 shares during the last quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of General Motors during the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Finally, YHB Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of General Motors during the 1st quarter worth $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.67% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other General Motors news, CEO Mary T. Barra sold 326,305 shares of General Motors stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.33, for a total value of $15,770,320.65. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 898,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,431,657.84. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other General Motors news, CEO Mary T. Barra sold 326,305 shares of General Motors stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.33, for a total value of $15,770,320.65. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 898,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,431,657.84. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Rory Harvey sold 12,795 shares of General Motors stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.02, for a total value of $627,210.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 8,513 shares in the company, valued at $417,307.26. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 391,402 shares of company stock worth $18,818,536. 0.72% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

General Motors Price Performance

General Motors stock traded up $0.28 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $49.75. The companys stock had a trading volume of 15,734,303 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,498,768. General Motors has a fifty-two week low of $26.30 and a fifty-two week high of $50.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.18. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $46.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.76 billion, a PE ratio of 6.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.43.

General Motors (NYSE:GM  Get Free Report) (TSE:GMM.U) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The auto manufacturer reported $3.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.67 by $0.39. General Motors had a return on equity of 15.77% and a net margin of 6.22%. The business had revenue of $47.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $45.13 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.91 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that General Motors will post 9.94 earnings per share for the current year.

General Motors declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, June 11th that allows the company to repurchase $6.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the auto manufacturer to repurchase up to 10.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

General Motors Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 19th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th will be given a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 6th. General Motorss dividend payout ratio is presently 5.87%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of General Motors from $58.00 to $54.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Bank of America restated a buy rating and issued a $75.00 price objective on shares of General Motors in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of General Motors from $60.00 to $61.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. StockNews.com lowered shares of General Motors from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of General Motors from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, General Motors presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $55.17.

View Our Latest Research Report on General Motors

General Motors Company Profile

(Free Report)

General Motors Company designs, builds, and sells trucks, crossovers, cars, and automobile parts; and provide software-enabled services and subscriptions worldwide. The company operates through GM North America, GM International, Cruise, and GM Financial segments. It markets its vehicles primarily under the Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Baojun, and Wuling brand names.

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Golden State Equity Partners bought a new stake in International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 11,729 shares of the technology companys stock, valued at approximately $2,028,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in IBM. Modera Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of International Business Machines by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLC now owns 19,499 shares of the technology companys stock worth $3,372,000 after buying an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV boosted its position in International Business Machines by 1.0% in the second quarter. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV now owns 8,482 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,467,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Smith Salley Wealth Management increased its position in shares of International Business Machines by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Smith Salley Wealth Management now owns 8,982 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,554,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Armbruster Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in International Business Machines by 2.3% during the second quarter. Armbruster Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,500 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $432,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 9.5% in the second quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 17,834 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $3,085,000 after buying an additional 1,540 shares during the period. 58.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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International Business Machines Price Performance

Shares of NYSE IBM traded up $3.17 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $202.07. 4,750,676 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,243,869. International Business Machines Co. has a 52 week low of $135.87 and a 52 week high of $202.17. The companys 50 day moving average price is $185.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $181.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $185.62 billion, a PE ratio of 22.89, a PEG ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.20.

International Business Machines Dividend Announcement

International Business Machines ( NYSE:IBM Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The technology company reported $2.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $15.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.62 billion. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.59% and a net margin of 13.52%. The companys revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.18 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that International Business Machines Co. will post 10.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be paid a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 9th. International Business Machiness dividend payout ratio is currently 75.65%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IBM has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Monday, June 24th. They issued a buy rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on International Business Machines from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. StockNews.com raised International Business Machines from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 19th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on International Business Machines from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on International Business Machines from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $184.93.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on IBM

About International Business Machines

(Free Report)

International Business Machines Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated solutions and services worldwide. The company operates through Software, Consulting, Infrastructure, and Financing segments. The Software segment offers a hybrid cloud and AI platforms that allows clients to realize their digital and AI transformations across the applications, data, and environments in which they operate.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IBM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM  Free Report).

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San Franciscos next poet laureate, Genny Lim, at her daughters Orinda home on Aug. 29. Lim, an author of five poetry collections and SFJAZZs former poet laureate, will be the citys first Chinese American poet laureate. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Following an acclaimed career, Genny Lim, 77, will become San Franciscos first Chinese American poet laureate during a ceremony Friday at the Asian Art Museum.

Its taken a truly long time for them to recognize a Chinese American poet, said Lim, who was previously the poet laureate at SFJAZZ, a jazz appreciation nonprofit in Hayes Valley. So Im really proud to be the first and Im positive I will not be the last.

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Appointed by the mayor at the recommendation of an eight-person committee organized by the Mayors Office and the San Francisco Public Library, Lim will organize poetry programs and events in collaboration with the library, Arts Commission and other community partners.

Selection committee member and former poet laureate devorah major, who writes her name without capitalization, said Lim was chosen because of the strength of her work, her international track record and her ability to engage people through poetry.

Each poet laureate somewhat sets their own agenda, major said. You get various poets to create a vision of how they think poetry can or should serve the city.

When major served as poet laureate from 2002 to 2004, her theme was, War and Peace on our Streets, and she collected poems from the public about social justice.

As the citys ninth poet laureate since 1998, Lim said she wants to make San Francisco the mecca of world poetry, with plans for a festival that incorporates a diversity of voices and geography. The grandmother of three said she hopes to push people out of their comfort zones by introducing them to writers from across cultures, including from emerging artists of Southeast Asian heritage, and in neighborhoods they might not otherwise visit, such as the Tenderloin.

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Art, said Lim, means inclusivity instead of exclusivity.

Poet laureates are paid $35,000 a year by the city and serve three-year terms, with the exception of pandemic-era poet laureate Kim Shuck, who served from 2017 to 2021.

Lim was born in San Francisco to parents from the city of Toishan in Chinas southern Guangdong Province. She grew up speaking the Toishan dialect with her late mother, who never learned English, and traces her lineage back to the Chinese immigrant detainees on Angel Island who were the focus of her 1980 book.

I see myself as a direct descendant of the first Chinese poets in America, Lim said, referring to the Angel Island detainees. Her mother, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1935, was detained at Angel Island with Lims eldest sister, who was 5 at the time.

The poems, written in classical Chinese style, were discovered by a park ranger in 1970 in the former barracks. Lim worked with her co-editor, Him Mark Lai, to translate the poems into English.

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America has power, but not justice. / In prison, we were victimized as if we were guilty, the English translation of one poem read.

This place is called an island of immortals, / When, in fact, this mountain wilderness is a prison, another translation of a poem read.

The youngest of seven children growing up in a working-class family, Lim was a shy child with a stutter, she said. Her dad worked as a janitor at the Fairmont Hotel and her mom was a seamstress. Her parents saved up and opened a small sewing factory at Powell and Vallejo streets, where Lim worked after school, ironing and folding blouses.

It was around that time that Lim started experimenting with writing, testing the limits of her vocabulary through meter and verse. Her older sister would bring home jazz records from the radio station where she worked. Lim listened to Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, and later fell into the work of jazz poets like Langston Hughes.

City Lights Bookstore, a stones throw from her family home in North Beach, became her library. She became enamored with beat poets like Diane di Prima and the confessional poetry of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton.

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I loved the rhythms, the tonality, the rebelliousness in the tone and the defiance, Lim said. It was really exciting and thrilling for me to pretend that I could one day express myself in this bold, defiant manner.

She said her poetry today borrows from many traditions, including the Japanese haiku, the 8th-century Tang dynasty Chinese poet Du Fu and the 13th-century Sufi mystic Rumi.

Citing the wars in Ukraine and Palestine that have killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, and what she called the erosion of civil liberties by the U.S. Supreme Court, Lim said she thinks we are living in a dangerous time where the importance of poetry is that much greater.

As a poet, it is our duty, our moral responsibility to provide the moral conscience of humanity, she said. You have to speak your truth no matter the cost and consequences.
Industria de Diseno Textil (OTCMKTS:IDEXY  Get Free Report) and FBC (OTCMKTS:FBCD  Get Free Report) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Industria de Diseno Textil and FBCs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Industria de Diseno Textil 15.09% 31.68% 16.27% FBC N/A N/A N/A

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Industria de Diseno Textil and FBC, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Industria de Diseno Textil 0 1 1 0 2.50 FBC 0 0 0 0 N/A

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Industria de Diseno Textil and FBCs gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Industria de Diseno Textil $38.90 billion 4.34 $5.82 billion $0.96 28.24 FBC N/A N/A N/A -0.20 N/A

Industria de Diseno Textil has higher revenue and earnings than FBC. FBC is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Industria de Diseno Textil, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

8.6% of FBC shares are held by institutional investors. 68.4% of FBC shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Industria de Diseno Textil beats FBC on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Industria de Diseno Textil

(Get Free Report)

Industria de Diseno Textil, S.A. engages in the retail and online distribution of clothing, footwear, accessories, and household products. The company sells its products under the Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, and Zara Home brands. It is also involved in the textile manufacturing, logistics, design, insurance, construction, and real estate businesses, as well as provides financial services. The company operates in Spain, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, and internationally. Industria de Diseno Textil, S.A. was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in A Coruna, Spain.

About FBC

(Get Free Report)

FBC Holding, Inc. markets and sells streetwear clothing, headwear, and accessories for high school students in the United States. It offers shirts, jackets, hoodies, crewnecks, sweatpants, hats, and beanies under the FormRunner Apparel brand name. The company sells its product through 2 retail locations located in Scottsdale, Arizona, as well as through the online store FormRunnerApparel.com. FBC Holding, Inc. is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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iA Global Asset Management Inc. decreased its holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Free Report) by 5.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 242,865 shares of the companys stock after selling 13,722 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $24,610,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Philip Morris International by 684.4% during the second quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 251 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH grew its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 250.0% in the 1st quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH now owns 322 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 230 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 57.4% during the 2nd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 318 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Northwest Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 78.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Philip Morris International news, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.01, for a total value of $2,260,200.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 158,447 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,906,095.47. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, insider Massimo Andolina sold 9,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.35, for a total transaction of $1,038,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 85,629 shares in the company, valued at $9,877,305.15. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Wilde Frederic De sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.01, for a total transaction of $2,260,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 158,447 shares in the company, valued at $17,906,095.47. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:PM traded up $0.74 during trading on Friday, hitting $123.29. The companys stock had a trading volume of 5,547,532 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,291,041. Philip Morris International Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $87.23 and a fifty-two week high of $123.45. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $111.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $100.75. The company has a market capitalization of $191.66 billion, a PE ratio of 24.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.58.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.57 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $9.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.19 billion. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 113.32% and a net margin of 9.41%. Philip Morris Internationals revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.60 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 8th. Investors of record on Friday, June 21st were issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 21st. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.22%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 101.56%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on PM. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Philip Morris International from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $109.80.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on PM

Philip Morris International Profile

(Free Report)

Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products primarily under the IQOS and ZYN brands; and consumer accessories, such as lighters and matches.

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Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. cut its holdings in Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM  Free Report) by 86.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 920 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,025 shares during the quarter. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc.s holdings in Howmet Aerospace were worth $71,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cultivar Capital Inc. acquired a new position in Howmet Aerospace in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Howmet Aerospace by 1,209.1% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 432 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 399 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. raised its stake in shares of Howmet Aerospace by 81.4% during the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 508 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the last quarter. AlphaCentric Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Howmet Aerospace during the second quarter worth $36,000. Finally, West Oak Capital LLC purchased a new position in Howmet Aerospace in the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. 90.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Howmet Aerospace Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HWM traded down $0.30 on Friday, hitting $96.66. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,153,456 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,138,775. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $86.31 and a 200-day moving average of $77.00. The company has a market capitalization of $39.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.45. Howmet Aerospace Inc. has a 12-month low of $42.94 and a 12-month high of $98.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 0.92.

Howmet Aerospace Increases Dividend

Howmet Aerospace ( NYSE:HWM Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.07. Howmet Aerospace had a return on equity of 23.02% and a net margin of 13.15%. The firm had revenue of $1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.83 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.44 EPS. Howmet Aerospaces revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Howmet Aerospace Inc. will post 2.6 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th were issued a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. This is an increase from Howmet Aerospaces previous quarterly dividend of $0.05. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.33%. Howmet Aerospaces payout ratio is 15.46%.

Insider Activity at Howmet Aerospace

In related news, CFO Ken Giacobbe sold 154,909 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.58, for a total transaction of $14,961,111.22. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 155,135 shares in the company, valued at $14,982,938.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, EVP Neil Edward Marchuk sold 70,637 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.94, for a total value of $6,847,550.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 92,687 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,985,077.78. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Ken Giacobbe sold 154,909 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.58, for a total value of $14,961,111.22. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 155,135 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,982,938.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 258,160 shares of company stock valued at $24,556,718. Company insiders own 1.12% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HWM has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Howmet Aerospace from $83.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. BTIG Research increased their price target on shares of Howmet Aerospace from $95.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Howmet Aerospace from $84.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Argus increased their target price on Howmet Aerospace from $75.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Finally, Northcoast Research reissued a sell rating and issued a $70.00 price target on shares of Howmet Aerospace in a report on Friday, June 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $90.67.

Read Our Latest Report on HWM

Howmet Aerospace Company Profile

(Free Report)

Howmet Aerospace Inc provides advanced engineered solutions for the aerospace and transportation industries in the United States, Japan, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, Canada, Poland, China, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Engine Products, Fastening Systems, Engineered Structures, and Forged Wheels.

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Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Occidental Petroleum Co. (NYSE:OXY  Free Report) by 69.0% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 660 shares of the oil and gas producers stock after selling 1,470 shares during the period. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc.s holdings in Occidental Petroleum were worth $42,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of OXY. Swedbank AB acquired a new stake in Occidental Petroleum in the first quarter worth $12,547,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in shares of Occidental Petroleum by 139.4% in the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 78,529 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $5,104,000 after buying an additional 45,722 shares during the period. Bridgefront Capital LLC bought a new stake in Occidental Petroleum in the 4th quarter valued at about $763,000. Alberta Investment Management Corp raised its stake in Occidental Petroleum by 143.2% during the 4th quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp now owns 36,475 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $2,178,000 after buying an additional 21,475 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in Occidental Petroleum by 1.0% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 904,081 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $58,757,000 after acquiring an additional 8,863 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.70% of the companys stock.

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Occidental Petroleum Stock Performance

Shares of Occidental Petroleum stock traded down $0.23 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $56.98. 9,613,670 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,303,792. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $59.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $62.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.57 and a beta of 1.61. Occidental Petroleum Co. has a 12-month low of $55.04 and a 12-month high of $71.18.

Occidental Petroleum Dividend Announcement

Occidental Petroleum ( NYSE:OXY Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.26. Occidental Petroleum had a net margin of 16.62% and a return on equity of 17.91%. The business had revenue of $6.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.68 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Occidental Petroleum Co. will post 3.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 10th. Occidental Petroleums dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on OXY shares. Stephens reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $76.00 target price on shares of Occidental Petroleum in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Occidental Petroleum in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They set an outperform rating and a $81.00 price objective on the stock. Scotiabank decreased their target price on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $90.00 to $80.00 and set a sector outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $67.00 to $65.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Occidental Petroleum from $68.00 to $65.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $71.69.

View Our Latest Analysis on OXY

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, major shareholder Petroleum Corp /De/ Occidental sold 19,500,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.75, for a total transaction of $697,125,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 165,681,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,923,116,413.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc bought 334,461 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, June 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $59.75 per share, for a total transaction of $19,984,044.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 255,281,524 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,253,071,059. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, major shareholder Petroleum Corp /De/ Occidental sold 19,500,000 shares of Occidental Petroleum stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.75, for a total value of $697,125,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 165,681,578 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,923,116,413.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders bought 4,656,747 shares of company stock valued at $278,664,028 over the last ninety days. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Occidental Petroleum Profile

(Free Report)

Occidental Petroleum Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and gas properties in the United States, the Middle East, and North Africa. It operates through three segments: Oil and Gas, Chemical, and Midstream and Marketing. The company's Oil and Gas segment explores for, develops, and produces oil and condensate, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and natural gas.

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UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM  Free Report) by 4,109.2% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 40,913 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 39,941 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Iron Mountain were worth $3,667,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in IRM. Cohen & Steers Inc. raised its stake in shares of Iron Mountain by 202.1% in the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 22,475,614 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,572,936,000 after purchasing an additional 15,035,937 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Iron Mountain by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 4,562,165 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $365,931,000 after purchasing an additional 475,849 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Iron Mountain in the 4th quarter valued at about $228,391,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Iron Mountain by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,157,681 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $220,975,000 after purchasing an additional 81,741 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in shares of Iron Mountain by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,126,237 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $190,553,000 after purchasing an additional 6,562 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.13% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Greg W. Mcintosh sold 13,923 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.41, for a total value of $1,217,009.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 18,107 shares in the company, valued at $1,582,732.87. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Greg W. Mcintosh sold 13,923 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.41, for a total value of $1,217,009.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 18,107 shares in the company, valued at $1,582,732.87. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Daniel Borges sold 3,095 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.83, for a total transaction of $268,738.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 99,634 shares of company stock worth $8,874,690 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

IRM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Iron Mountain from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Iron Mountain from $106.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Iron Mountain from $86.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Iron Mountain from $82.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $99.83.

Get Our Latest Report on Iron Mountain

Iron Mountain Stock Performance

NYSE IRM traded up $1.28 on Friday, hitting $113.27. The stock had a trading volume of 2,390,425 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,646,848. Iron Mountain Incorporated has a one year low of $56.51 and a one year high of $114.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 674.63. The stock has a market cap of $33.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 168.41, a P/E/G ratio of 6.49 and a beta of 0.98. The companys 50-day moving average is $101.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $86.52.

Iron Mountain (NYSE:IRM  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The financial services provider reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.01 by ($0.59). Iron Mountain had a return on equity of 595.44% and a net margin of 3.94%. The firm had revenue of $1.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.50 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.94 EPS. Iron Mountains revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Iron Mountain Incorporated will post 4.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Iron Mountain Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be issued a $0.715 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. This is a boost from Iron Mountains previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.86 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.52%. Iron Mountains dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 433.33%.

Iron Mountain Profile

(Free Report)

Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM) is a global leader in information management services. Founded in 1951 and trusted by more than 240,000 customers worldwide, Iron Mountain serves to protect and elevate the power of our customers' work. Through a range of offerings including digital transformation, data centers, secure records storage, information management, asset lifecycle management, secure destruction and art storage and logistics, Iron Mountain helps businesses bring light to their dark data, enabling customers to unlock value and intelligence from their stored digital and physical assets at speed and with security, while helping them meet their environmental goals.

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iShares S&P/TSX Canadian Dividend Aristocrats Index ETF Common Class (TSE:CDZ  Get Free Report) were up 0.4% on Friday . The stock traded as high as C$33.88 and last traded at C$33.87. Approximately 8,410 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 45% from the average daily volume of 15,281 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$33.72.

iShares S&P/TSX Canadian Dividend Aristocrats Index ETF Common Class Stock Up 0.4 %

The business has a 50-day moving average of C$32.57 and a 200-day moving average of C$31.79.

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Principal Financial Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of Crane (NYSE:CR  Free Report) by 6.4% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 459,438 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 31,182 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.s holdings in Crane were worth $66,609,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Crane by 150.6% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 218 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Crane during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Crane by 29.9% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 487 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Crane during the 4th quarter worth $90,000. Finally, Hobbs Group Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Crane during the 2nd quarter worth $123,000. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Crane Stock Up 1.6 %

Crane stock traded up $2.42 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $158.35. The companys stock had a trading volume of 144,072 shares, compared to its average volume of 232,208. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $149.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $140.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.88. Crane has a 52-week low of $82.57 and a 52-week high of $162.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.45, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.78.

Crane Dividend Announcement

Crane ( NYSE:CR Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 29th. The conglomerate reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.06. Crane had a return on equity of 24.45% and a net margin of 13.10%. The firm had revenue of $581.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $568.33 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.10 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 14.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a $0.205 dividend. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.52%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Cranes dividend payout ratio is presently 21.98%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on CR. Bank of America upped their price objective on Crane from $140.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Crane from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Crane from $157.00 to $168.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Crane from $120.00 to $152.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $155.00.

View Our Latest Research Report on Crane

About Crane

(Free Report)

Crane Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Process Flow Technologies, and Engineered Materials.

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VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY  Free Report)  Equities research analysts at Roth Capital raised their Q3 2024 earnings estimates for shares of VAALCO Energy in a report issued on Tuesday, August 27th. Roth Capital analyst J. White now anticipates that the energy company will post earnings per share of $0.18 for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $0.12. The consensus estimate for VAALCO Energys current full-year earnings is $0.41 per share. Roth Capital also issued estimates for VAALCO Energys Q4 2024 earnings at $0.13 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $0.65 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $0.12 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $0.53 EPS.

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Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of VAALCO Energy from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 6th. Roth Mkm increased their target price on shares of VAALCO Energy from $7.25 to $8.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, June 11th.

VAALCO Energy Price Performance

EGY opened at $6.51 on Thursday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $6.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $6.15. VAALCO Energy has a 12-month low of $3.80 and a 12-month high of $7.51. The firm has a market cap of $673.50 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.85 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

VAALCO Energy (NYSE:EGY  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The energy company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.09. VAALCO Energy had a return on equity of 16.00% and a net margin of 17.82%. The business had revenue of $116.78 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $119.30 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.11 earnings per share.

Institutional Trading of VAALCO Energy

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mackenzie Financial Corp purchased a new position in VAALCO Energy in the second quarter valued at $110,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of VAALCO Energy by 60.0% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 235,330 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $1,476,000 after acquiring an additional 88,276 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LP purchased a new stake in VAALCO Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $653,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its stake in VAALCO Energy by 40.8% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 94,619 shares of the energy companys stock worth $593,000 after purchasing an additional 27,408 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV purchased a new position in VAALCO Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $220,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.32% of the companys stock.

VAALCO Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 23rd will be given a $0.063 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.87%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 23rd. VAALCO Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 41.67%.

VAALCO Energy Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

VAALCO Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in Gabon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, and Canada. The company holds 58.8% interest in the Etame production sharing contract related to the Etame Marin block covering an area of approximately 46,200 gross acres located offshore in the Republic of Gabon in West Africa.

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TD Securities cut shares of Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Free Report) (TSE:BMO) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports.

BMO has been the topic of a number of other research reports. UBS Group assumed coverage on Bank of Montreal in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded Bank of Montreal from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $137.00 to $124.00 in a research report on Monday, June 3rd. Desjardins downgraded Bank of Montreal from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Bank of Montreal from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Bank of Montreal from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $119.75.

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View Our Latest Stock Analysis on BMO

Bank of Montreal Price Performance

NYSE:BMO opened at $83.62 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $84.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $89.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.12. Bank of Montreal has a 12-month low of $73.98 and a 12-month high of $100.12.

Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Get Free Report) (TSE:BMO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 27th. The bank reported $2.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.76 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $8.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.25 billion. Bank of Montreal had a return on equity of 11.60% and a net margin of 8.25%. Bank of Montreals revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.08 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Bank of Montreal will post 7.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Bank of Montreal Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.123 per share. This represents a $4.49 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.37%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 30th. Bank of Montreals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 75.25%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bank of Montreal

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC raised its position in Bank of Montreal by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 5,739 shares of the banks stock worth $568,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in Bank of Montreal by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 8,581 shares of the banks stock worth $720,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Bank of Montreal by 39.0% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 463 shares of the banks stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. IAG Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Bank of Montreal by 28.0% during the 1st quarter. IAG Wealth Partners LLC now owns 635 shares of the banks stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in Bank of Montreal by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,580 shares of the banks stock worth $300,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.82% of the companys stock.

Bank of Montreal Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. It operates through Canadian P&C, U.S P&C, BMO Wealth Management, and BMO Capital Markets segments. The companys personal banking products and services include deposits, mortgages, home lending, consumer credit, small business lending, credit cards, cash management, financial and investment advice, and other banking services; and commercial banking products and services comprise various of financing options and treasury and payment solutions, as well as risk management products.

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Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH increased its stake in shares of The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE:IPG  Free Report) by 0.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 937,651 shares of the business services providers stock after buying an additional 346 shares during the quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH owned about 0.25% of Interpublic Group of Companies worth $27,276,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of IPG. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Interpublic Group of Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Interpublic Group of Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $42,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its stake in Interpublic Group of Companies by 2,024.6% during the 1st quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 1,296 shares of the business services providers stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 1,235 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies by 27.5% in the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,706 shares of the business services providers stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 368 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its holdings in Interpublic Group of Companies by 26.0% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,052 shares of the business services providers stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 423 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.43% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Macquarie lowered their price objective on Interpublic Group of Companies from $33.00 to $31.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Interpublic Group of Companies from $37.00 to $36.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Morgan Stanley lowered Interpublic Group of Companies from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and lowered their target price for the company from $34.00 to $28.00 in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Interpublic Group of Companies from $38.00 to $37.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Interpublic Group of Companies from $35.00 to $34.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Interpublic Group of Companies has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $34.13.

Interpublic Group of Companies Price Performance

NYSE:IPG traded up $0.22 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $32.60. 3,583,878 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,885,696. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $30.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $31.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The company has a market capitalization of $12.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.60, a P/E/G ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.12. The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $27.20 and a one year high of $35.17.

Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.71 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.33 billion. Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 27.98% and a net margin of 9.46%. The companys revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.74 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. will post 2.8 EPS for the current year.

Interpublic Group of Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. Interpublic Group of Companiess dividend payout ratio is presently 46.98%.

Interpublic Group of Companies Profile

(Free Report)

The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc provides advertising and marketing services worldwide. It operates in three segments: Media, Data & Engagement Solutions, Integrated Advertising & Creativity Led Solutions, and Specialized Communications & Experiential Solutions. The Media, Data & Engagement Solutions segment provides media and communications services, digital services and products, advertising and marketing technology, e-commerce services, data management and analytics, strategic consulting, and digital brand experience under the IPG Mediabrands, UM, Initiative, Kinesso, Acxiom, Huge, MRM, and R/GA brand names.

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Maldives president celebrates 6th anniversary of China-Maldives Friendship Bridge

Xinhua) 10:49, August 31, 2024

COLOMBO, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu extended his congratulations on Friday in honor of the sixth anniversary of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge.

The bridge, which was inaugurated on August 30, 2018, has become a symbol of the close relationship between the two nations, he said in a post shared on the social media platform X.

Muizzu highlighted that this impressive engineering achievement not only connects the Maldivian islands but also represents the enduring partnership and mutual trust between China and the Maldives. He added that the bridge stands as a testament to the shared vision of progress, unity, and prosperity between the two countries.

Muizzu also expressed hope that the bridge would continue to serve as a beacon of cooperation for generations to come.

Wang Lixin, Chinese ambassador to the Maldives, also on Friday said in a post on social media that over the past six years, the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge has greatly promoted the social and economic development of the Maldives and brought transformative changes to its people's life, which has vividly shown how Belt and Road Initiative and friendly cooperation with China benefit the local people.

The ambassador added that she looks forward to a more fruitful collaboration in the future.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
A San Francisco State University student reads a statement from the schools president on May 15 following an agreement over student demands. San Francisco State has now sold investments in three companies under pressure from pro-Palestinian activists. Benjamin Fanjoy/Special to the Chronicle

San Francisco State University has pulled investments from three companies it says dont meet its human rights standards after pressure from pro-Palestinian student activists.

The moves resulted in changes to the universitys $163 million investment portfolio.

The San Francisco State University Foundation confirmed that it has sold its Lockheed Martin corporate bond position and stock positions in Leonardo, an Italian multinational defense company, and Palantir Technologies, a U.S.-based data analysis firm that has worked with the Israeli Defense Ministry.

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The foundation also screened out a fourth company, the construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, based on a pre-existing policy that steers the foundation away from investments in fossil fuels. The company has become a target of groups advocating divestment from Israel. They claim Caterpillars heavy equipment has been turned into weapons by Israel in the Palestinian territory.

College students around the country have pushed universities to remove companies aligned with Israel from investment portfolios. Student activists have met resistance from California State University system officials, who have said they wont tinker with investment policies in reaction to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Instead, students on some campuses have focused their energy on school-level foundation endowments, but say their goal remains to influence the entire systems investment policies.

San Francisco State students made headway by training their attention on the university foundations investment screens, standards used to make sure investments are consistent with school values such as racial justice, social justice and climate change. The SF State Foundation shed investments in the four companies as the result of implementing those screens and not because it agreed to sell specific companies.

The changes come following a summer of Zoom meetings held by a work group composed of representatives from Students for Gaza, the SF State Foundation investment committee, faculty and administrators.

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The work group proposed a revised investment policy that says the foundation will not invest in arms makers and will strive not to invest in companies that consistently, knowingly and directly facilitate or enable severe violations of international law and human rights. The draft does not name any specific country or conflict.

The proposed policy is slated for a final vote in December. The foundations investment committee decided to act on the suggested revisions in the meantime, identifying the investments in Lockheed Martin, Leonardo and Palantir under the human rights screens.

The foundation also will unveil a new website disclosing more information about its endowment by the end of September.

Through the work of the many students involved in GUPS (General Union of Palestine Students) at SFSU and SFG (Students for Gaza), we have been able to successfully ensure our money is not funding GENOCIDE  an announcement on Instagram by the group Students for Gaza at San Francisco State said.

Sheldon Gen, a faculty representative to the SF State Foundation, said the work group landed on draft policy language that aligns the universitys investment policies with its values, without singling out a specific conflict, country or geographic area.

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What we did at San Francisco State isnt going to end the conflict in Gaza, but we did find some space where students can have agency and be heard  and not only that, but really, honestly improve our university, he said.

Jeff Jackanicz, the president of the SF State Foundation, thanked students who participated in the work group in an Aug. 22 email to the campus outlining proposed changes to the foundations environmental, social and governance, or ESG, strategies.

We have been lauded for being a leader in ESG investment before, and with credit to Students for Gaza, our revised policy affirms our leading role in values-driven advising, Jackanicz wrote.

A tangible bid for divestment

The decision to tighten investment screens at San Francisco State follows a wave of campus protests calling on Israel to end an assault on Gaza that has killed more than 40,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The fighting started on Oct. 7 when Hamas and other militants attacked Israel, killing more than 1,000 people and abducting hundreds more.

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Rama Ali Kased, an associate professor of race and resistance studies and an adviser to students in the work group, said some on her campus were surprised to learn the university had any investments in arms makers. Asking the university to cut ties with those firms was tangible and understandable, she said  which made the case to drop those investments easier.

The SF State Foundation is the auxiliary organization responsible for raising private funding for the university and managing the universitys endowment, money the university funnels into facilities, scholarships and other university programs.

The foundations endowment spent $8.9 million of its income across the university in the 2022-23 fiscal year, according to Cal State records, and ranked as the seventh-largest in the Cal State system by market value.

This is not the first time that San Francisco State has revised its foundation investment criteria following feedback from student activists. In 2013, the foundation limited direct investments in coal and tar sands, a step Cal State says was a first among U.S. public universities.

Each of the 23 campuses in the California State University system, as well as the Chancellors Office, has a separate endowment managed by an auxiliary organization. Together, the CSU endowments had a market value of $2.5 billion in the 2022-23 fiscal year, growing roughly 8.7% year-over-year.

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The Chancellors Office on April 30 released a statement saying that Cal State does not intend to alter existing investment policies related to Israel or the Israel-Hamas conflict because such divestment impinges on the academic freedom of our students and faculty and the unfettered exchange of ideas on our campuses.

Campus leaders nonetheless have some flexibility to manage their own endowments.

Sacramento State on May 8 announced new investment policy language as a concession to pro-Palestinian student groups. That language does not mention Israel specifically but instead directs the schools foundation to investigate socially responsible investment strategies which include not having direct investments in corporations and funds that profit from genocide, ethnic cleansing, and activities that violate fundamental human rights.

Less than a week after the Sacramento State announcement, San Francisco State agreed to revise its investment policies in consultation with student encampment representatives, setting in motion this summers work group.

But an incident at another Cal State campus suggests there are limits to how much leeway campus leaders have to negotiate with student protesters.

Mike Lee, then-president of Sonoma State University, announced on May 14 that he had reached an accord with protesters to review the school foundations investments and form an advisory council that would include a local chapter of the group Students for Justice in Palestine.

Lee was forced to backpedal soon afterward. The CSU placed him on administrative leave the following day, saying he announced the agreement without proper approvals. Lee decided to go back into retirement soon afterward.

The path to a deal

To Lynn Mahoney, the president of San Francisco State, the student encampment pitched on her campus for roughly two weeks this spring had roots in a range of student concerns, from Bay Area housing costs to the climate change crisis.

If these young people arent angry, theyre not paying attention, Mahoney said.

That perspective shaped the way Mahoney responded when students organized protests in April. Mahoney agreed to participate in an open bargaining session held in the schools Malcolm X Plaza, fielding questions from students and sharing information about the universitys investment practices.

I just strongly urge presidents: Approach the students with respect, even if theyre out there hollering horrible things about you, she said. Approach them with respect. Theyre your students.

Kased said that by meeting with students at the encampment this spring, Mahoney and student protest leaders set a tone that allowed for the work group to continue over the summer.

That move provided a space for students to feel empowered, but to say, Look, we may not agree with President Mahoney on everything, but were going to sit down, Kased said.

The summers work group also benefited from a governance structure students developed during the spring encampment, Kased said, when students elected leaders to represent them and similarly identified faculty to act as spokespeople and liaisons in negotiations with the administration.

People who attended the meetings said they tended to be collegial rather than confrontational, and that rare moments of tension between students and campus officials were quickly quelled.

These were tough discussions, Gen said. Its the kind of discussion that professors aspire to have with their students in classes, quite honestly  challenging ones, where they raise tough questions, explore implications of perspectives and, most importantly, find some route for agency.

Gen said the discussions with students this summer echoed previous debates within the foundations investment committee regarding whether to divest from specific countries due to their records on human rights. The committee has avoided naming specific countries in its policies, he said, instead articulating values its investments should reflect.

We have a diversity of students who are on all sides of this specific issue here, too, and we werent going to alienate one student group for another, he said. Theyre all our students.

Not about money

Some foundation investments are easier to screen than others.

Noam Perry, who works with activists leading divestment campaigns as part of his role at the American Friends Service Committee, acted as a de facto translator between San Francisco State students and university officials this summer.

He said one place where the work group made progress was by identifying specific investments held in separately managed accounts, an investment vehicle tailored to the university.

A foundation document dated Aug. 14 says the foundation will screen out any company deriving more (than) 5% of revenue from weapons manufacturing, involved in the private prison industry, or engaging in detention at borders from separately managed accounts.

But it can be harder to get a clear picture of other investment vehicles. Perry said that the foundation works with some asset managers that apply quantitative investment strategies. That means the manager buys and sells stocks dynamically  and the stock holdings change every day.

Thats where conversations became really tense, said Perry. Because from the students perspective  this is unacceptable, because theres no way that this vendor could ever be aligned with the responsible investment policy that the university is seeking. And from the universitys perspective, thats where theres revenue to be lost. They never said they had zero tolerance for having these companies. Its always about minimizing exposure and reducing the risk that theyre invested in these companies.

Perry said how the foundation should handle such investments in the future remains an open question.
Principal Financial Group Inc. reduced its position in shares of The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB  Free Report) by 1.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,540,184 shares of the pipeline companys stock after selling 30,356 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.13% of Williams Companies worth $65,458,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP bought a new position in Williams Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new position in Williams Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Fairman Group LLC bought a new position in Williams Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp bought a new position in Williams Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new position in Williams Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $50,000. 86.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Williams Companies Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of WMB traded up $0.28 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $45.77. The companys stock had a trading volume of 7,165,846 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,437,417. The business has a fifty day moving average of $43.25 and a 200 day moving average of $40.17. The company has a market cap of $55.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.25 and a beta of 1.05. The Williams Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $32.49 and a 1 year high of $45.81. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64.

Williams Companies Announces Dividend

Williams Companies ( NYSE:WMB Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The pipeline company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.05. Williams Companies had a net margin of 27.11% and a return on equity of 16.17%. The business had revenue of $2.34 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.46 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.42 earnings per share. Williams Companiess revenue for the quarter was down 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that The Williams Companies, Inc. will post 1.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be paid a $0.475 dividend. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. Williams Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 79.83%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on WMB shares. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Williams Companies from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Williams Companies from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Williams Companies from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and increased their price objective for the company from $38.00 to $46.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 4th. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Williams Companies from $43.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, CIBC increased their price objective on Williams Companies from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $42.83.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on WMB

Williams Companies Profile

(Free Report)

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 natural gas pipelines; Transco, Northwest pipeline, MountainWest, and related natural gas storage facilities; and natural gas gathering and processing, and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region.

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UMB Bank n.a. cut its holdings in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Free Report) by 6.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 42,212 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,030 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $6,025,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. First PREMIER Bank bought a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S in the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S in the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 200.0% in the second quarter. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the period. 11.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NVO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an overweight rating and issued a $160.00 target price on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Monday, August 19th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Novo Nordisk A/S from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a buy rating and a $156.00 price objective on the stock. Argus raised their price objective on Novo Nordisk A/S from $125.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 10th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Novo Nordisk A/S from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $145.17.

Novo Nordisk A/S Price Performance

NVO traded up $1.63 on Friday, hitting $139.15. 2,714,705 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,368,564. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $135.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $131.93. The firm has a market cap of $624.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.41. Novo Nordisk A/S has a one year low of $86.96 and a one year high of $148.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.71 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $9.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.91 billion. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 36.56% and a return on equity of 91.70%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.38 EPS for the current year.

Novo Nordisk A/S Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 26th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th were paid a dividend of $0.5126 per share. This represents a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 24.83%.

Novo Nordisk A/S Company Profile

(Free Report)

Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease.

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UMB Bank n.a. decreased its holdings in EMCOR Group, Inc. (NYSE:EME  Free Report) by 93.1% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 979 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 13,125 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in EMCOR Group were worth $357,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Matrix Trust Co purchased a new position in EMCOR Group during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. purchased a new position in EMCOR Group during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in EMCOR Group during the second quarter valued at $29,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in EMCOR Group during the first quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, ORG Partners LLC purchased a new position in EMCOR Group during the second quarter valued at $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.59% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, DA Davidson raised their price objective on EMCOR Group from $410.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th.

EMCOR Group Stock Performance

Shares of EME traded up $7.61 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $392.78. The company had a trading volume of 552,031 shares, compared to its average volume of 453,774. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $367.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $353.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.73 and a beta of 1.06. EMCOR Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $191.50 and a 52-week high of $401.98.

EMCOR Group (NYSE:EME  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $5.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.76 by $1.49. The firm had revenue of $3.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.52 billion. EMCOR Group had a return on equity of 32.73% and a net margin of 6.01%. EMCOR Groups quarterly revenue was up 20.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.95 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that EMCOR Group, Inc. will post 19.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

EMCOR Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 30th. Investors of record on Monday, July 15th were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 15th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.25%. EMCOR Groups payout ratio is 6.60%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other EMCOR Group news, Director Robin A. Walker-Lee sold 1,300 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $370.79, for a total transaction of $482,027.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 8,637 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,202,513.23. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Director Robin A. Walker-Lee sold 1,300 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $370.79, for a total transaction of $482,027.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,637 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,202,513.23. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Carol P. Lowe sold 1,245 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $374.23, for a total value of $465,916.35. Following the transaction, the director now owns 16,807 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,289,683.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.26% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About EMCOR Group

(Free Report)

EMCOR Group, Inc provides construction and facilities, building, and industrial services in the United States and the United Kingdom. It offers design, integration, installation, start-up, operation, and maintenance services related to power transmission, distribution, and generation systems; energy solutions; premises electrical and lighting systems; process instrumentation; low-voltage systems; voice and data communications systems; roadway and transit lighting, signaling, and fiber optic lines; computerized traffic control systems, and signal and communication equipment; heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and geothermal solutions; clean-room process ventilation systems; fire protection and suppression systems; plumbing, process, and high-purity piping systems; controls and filtration systems; water and wastewater treatment systems; central plant heating and cooling systems; crane and rigging services; millwright services; and steel fabrication, erection, and welding services.

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UMB Bank n.a. cut its position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 120,828 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,363 shares during the quarter. Eli Lilly and Company makes up about 1.8% of UMB Bank n.a.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $109,395,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 72,745,011 shares of the companys stock worth $56,592,709,000 after acquiring an additional 1,133,810 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 26,949,773 shares of the companys stock worth $15,709,466,000 after acquiring an additional 89,720 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,992,890,000. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 6.0% during the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 8,031,531 shares of the companys stock worth $6,248,210,000 after acquiring an additional 453,939 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors grew its position in Eli Lilly and Company by 5.1% during the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 6,972,393 shares of the companys stock worth $5,424,243,000 after acquiring an additional 335,560 shares during the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on LLY shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $884.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $725.00 to $1,025.00 in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $875.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Berenberg Bank lifted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $961.76.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company

In other Eli Lilly and Company news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 750 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $819.47, for a total transaction of $614,602.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 7,130 shares in the company, valued at $5,842,821.10. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Eli Lilly and Company news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 750 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $819.47, for a total transaction of $614,602.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 7,130 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,842,821.10. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 210,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $939.82, for a total value of $197,362,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 96,943,810 shares in the company, valued at $91,109,731,514.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,097,883 shares of company stock worth $972,022,568. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 2.1 %

Shares of LLY traded up $19.82 on Friday, reaching $960.02. The stock had a trading volume of 2,456,992 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,070,253. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $891.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $819.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $912.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 141.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.41. Eli Lilly and Company has a 12-month low of $516.57 and a 12-month high of $972.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.35.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.54%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is 76.58%.

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

(Free Report)

Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; Jardiance, Mounjaro, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes; and Zepbound for obesity.

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Atlas Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (NYSEARCA:VGK  Free Report) by 27.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 285,162 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after buying an additional 60,862 shares during the period. Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF makes up 2.5% of Atlas Capital Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Atlas Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF were worth $19,040,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VGK. White Lighthouse Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. White Lighthouse Investment Management Inc. now owns 12,420 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $836,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC increased its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 69.5% during the 2nd quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 378 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 6,405 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $431,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 1.5% in the second quarter. Family Firm Inc. now owns 11,738 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $784,000 after buying an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blair William & Co. IL increased its holdings in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 0.7% during the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 27,951 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,882,000 after buying an additional 187 shares during the last quarter.

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Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF Price Performance

VGK stock traded up $0.16 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $70.93. The stock had a trading volume of 1,452,754 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,205,156. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $68.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $67.50. Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF has a fifty-two week low of $55.06 and a fifty-two week high of $71.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.60 billion, a PE ratio of 14.09 and a beta of 0.85.

About Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF

Vanguard European Stock Index Fund is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks issued by Companies located in the markets of Europe. The Fund on focuses indexing investment approach by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the common stocks included in the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index.

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International Business Machines Co. (NYSE:IBM  Free Report)  Analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q2 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of International Business Machines in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, August 27th. Zacks Research analyst S. Bose now anticipates that the technology company will post earnings of $2.50 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $2.51. The consensus estimate for International Business Machines current full-year earnings is $10.06 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for International Business Machines Q2 2026 earnings at $2.92 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $11.00 EPS.

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International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The technology company reported $2.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.27. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 40.59% and a net margin of 13.52%. The company had revenue of $15.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.18 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis.

IBM has been the subject of several other research reports. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on International Business Machines from $200.00 to $211.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded International Business Machines to a moderate sell rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on International Business Machines from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. StockNews.com raised International Business Machines from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 19th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on International Business Machines from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $184.93.

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International Business Machines Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of IBM stock opened at $202.07 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.20, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.12. International Business Machines has a 1 year low of $135.87 and a 1 year high of $202.17. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $185.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $181.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $185.62 billion, a PE ratio of 22.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.71.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On International Business Machines

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in IBM. Arden Trust Co increased its holdings in shares of International Business Machines by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Arden Trust Co now owns 1,973 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $377,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares during the last quarter. Armbruster Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in International Business Machines by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Armbruster Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,500 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $432,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC grew its holdings in International Business Machines by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 1,796 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $311,000 after buying an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in International Business Machines by 5.1% in the 2nd quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,165 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $201,000 after buying an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC grew its holdings in International Business Machines by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 7,528 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,309,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

International Business Machines Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be paid a dividend of $1.67 per share. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 9th. International Business Machiness dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 75.65%.

About International Business Machines

(Get Free Report)

International Business Machines Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated solutions and services worldwide. The company operates through Software, Consulting, Infrastructure, and Financing segments. The Software segment offers a hybrid cloud and AI platforms that allows clients to realize their digital and AI transformations across the applications, data, and environments in which they operate.

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Maryland State Retirement & Pension System cut its stake in shares of American Tower Co. (NYSE:AMT  Free Report) by 0.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 432,710 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 2,130 shares during the period. American Tower comprises approximately 1.6% of Maryland State Retirement & Pension Systems holdings, making the stock its 7th largest position. Maryland State Retirement & Pension Systems holdings in American Tower were worth $84,110,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AMT. Navalign LLC boosted its holdings in shares of American Tower by 6.2% in the second quarter. Navalign LLC now owns 4,498 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $874,000 after buying an additional 263 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of American Tower during the 2nd quarter worth $5,829,000. Kings Path Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Tower during the 2nd quarter valued at $50,000. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its position in American Tower by 3.3% during the second quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 54,398 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $10,574,000 after purchasing an additional 1,749 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in American Tower by 116.7% during the second quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,300 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $253,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the period. 92.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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American Tower Price Performance

NYSE AMT traded up $0.54 during trading on Friday, hitting $224.06. 1,796,764 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,323,528. The company has a market capitalization of $104.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.81. American Tower Co. has a 12-month low of $154.58 and a 12-month high of $236.13. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $212.27 and a 200-day simple moving average of $197.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42.

Insider Activity

American Tower ( NYSE:AMT Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.92 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.44 by ($0.52). The business had revenue of $2.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.82 billion. American Tower had a net margin of 21.95% and a return on equity of 23.06%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.46 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that American Tower Co. will post 10.04 EPS for the current year.

In other news, EVP Sanjay Goel sold 3,504 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.36, for a total value of $702,061.44. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 28,413 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,692,828.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, EVP Olivier Puech sold 10,005 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $233.27, for a total transaction of $2,333,866.35. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 51,746 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,070,789.42. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sanjay Goel sold 3,504 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.36, for a total transaction of $702,061.44. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 28,413 shares in the company, valued at $5,692,828.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 37,227 shares of company stock worth $8,497,458. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on American Tower from $225.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of American Tower from $234.00 to $223.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of American Tower from $226.00 to $239.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of American Tower from $212.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of American Tower in a report on Monday, July 1st. They issued a buy rating and a $230.00 target price for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $231.14.

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American Tower Profile

(Free Report)

American Tower, one of the largest global REITs, is a leading independent owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate with a portfolio of over 224,000 communications sites and a highly interconnected footprint of U.S. data center facilities.

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Ascent Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in MSCI Inc. (NYSE:MSCI  Free Report) by 1,068.8% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 10,367 shares of the technology companys stock after buying an additional 9,480 shares during the period. Ascent Wealth Partners LLCs holdings in MSCI were worth $4,994,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MSCI. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of MSCI during the 4th quarter worth approximately $496,541,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of MSCI by 74.9% during the 2nd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,456,194 shares of the technology companys stock worth $701,522,000 after buying an additional 623,712 shares during the last quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of MSCI by 129.4% in the 2nd quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. now owns 730,986 shares of the technology companys stock worth $352,153,000 after buying an additional 412,389 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado grew its stake in MSCI by 3,600.0% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 253,636 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $143,469,000 after acquiring an additional 246,781 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Findlay Park Partners LLP acquired a new stake in MSCI in the 1st quarter valued at about $114,836,000. 89.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on MSCI. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $638.00 price target on shares of MSCI in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Barclays upped their target price on MSCI from $600.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded MSCI from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $485.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised MSCI to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on MSCI from $615.00 to $640.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $584.79.

MSCI Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of MSCI traded down $1.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $580.59. The company had a trading volume of 325,424 shares, compared to its average volume of 570,385. MSCI Inc. has a 1-year low of $439.95 and a 1-year high of $617.39. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $527.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $522.18. The stock has a market cap of $46.00 billion, a PE ratio of 39.63, a P/E/G ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 1.10.

MSCI (NYSE:MSCI  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The technology company reported $3.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.55 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $707.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $696.41 million. MSCI had a net margin of 43.86% and a negative return on equity of 143.09%. MSCIs revenue for the quarter was up 14.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.26 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that MSCI Inc. will post 14.78 earnings per share for the current year.

MSCI Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 16th were given a dividend of $1.60 per share. This represents a $6.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 16th. MSCIs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.69%.

About MSCI

(Free Report)

MSCI Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides critical decision support tools and solutions for the investment community to manage investment processes worldwide. The Index segment provides indexes for use in various areas of the investment process, including indexed financial product, such as ETFs, mutual funds, annuities, futures, options, structured products, and over-the-counter derivatives; performance benchmarking; portfolio construction and rebalancing; and asset allocation, as well as licenses GICS and GICS Direct.

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Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI  Get Free Report) had its target price reduced by Raymond James from $51.00 to $42.00 in a report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Raymond James target price would suggest a potential upside of 36.54% from the companys previous close.

BBWI has been the subject of several other reports. Evercore ISI lowered their price target on shares of Bath & Body Works from $45.00 to $35.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Barclays lowered their target price on Bath & Body Works from $45.00 to $32.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Bath & Body Works from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and lifted their price target for the company from $40.00 to $53.00 in a research note on Friday, May 17th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Bath & Body Works from $52.00 to $38.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Bath & Body Works from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $42.50.

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Read Our Latest Stock Report on Bath & Body Works

Bath & Body Works Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of BBWI stock opened at $30.76 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $35.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $42.59. The company has a market cap of $6.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.85. Bath & Body Works has a twelve month low of $27.30 and a twelve month high of $52.99.

Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, June 4th. The company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.37 billion. Bath & Body Works had a net margin of 11.92% and a negative return on equity of 40.00%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.33 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Bath & Body Works will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bath & Body Works

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Bath & Body Works by 4.2% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 27,398,192 shares of the companys stock worth $1,370,458,000 after purchasing an additional 1,102,124 shares in the last quarter. Lone Pine Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Bath & Body Works by 15.8% during the 2nd quarter. Lone Pine Capital LLC now owns 11,315,515 shares of the companys stock worth $441,871,000 after buying an additional 1,547,399 shares during the period. Anomaly Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Bath & Body Works in the 2nd quarter valued at $113,995,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Bath & Body Works during the 4th quarter valued at $101,669,000. Finally, Sound Shore Management Inc. CT boosted its stake in Bath & Body Works by 10.0% during the second quarter. Sound Shore Management Inc. CT now owns 2,088,703 shares of the companys stock worth $81,564,000 after acquiring an additional 189,889 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.14% of the companys stock.

About Bath & Body Works

(Get Free Report)

Bath & Body Works, Inc operates a specialty retailer of home fragrance, body care, and soaps and sanitizer products. It sells its products under the Bath & Body Works, White Barn, and other brand names through retail stores and e-commerce sites located in the United States and Canada, as well as through international stores operated by partners under franchise, license, and wholesale arrangements.

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Biechele Royce Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Robert Half Inc. (NYSE:RHI  Free Report) by 9.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 220,019 shares of the business services providers stock after acquiring an additional 19,640 shares during the period. Robert Half comprises approximately 4.8% of Biechele Royce Advisors holdings, making the stock its 9th largest position. Biechele Royce Advisors owned about 0.21% of Robert Half worth $14,077,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in Robert Half by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 14,574,944 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,281,429,000 after buying an additional 917,311 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Robert Half by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,795,282 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,014,410,000 after buying an additional 366,978 shares during the period. Boston Partners boosted its holdings in Robert Half by 14.7% in the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,749,749 shares of the business services providers stock worth $296,963,000 after buying an additional 479,384 shares during the period. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. boosted its holdings in Robert Half by 105.4% in the 1st quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 3,655,626 shares of the business services providers stock worth $289,818,000 after buying an additional 1,875,476 shares during the period. Finally, Fiduciary Management Inc. WI boosted its holdings in Robert Half by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 1,944,057 shares of the business services providers stock worth $170,921,000 after buying an additional 64,114 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.41% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Robert Half from $74.00 to $70.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of Robert Half from $72.00 to $64.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Robert Half from an underperform rating to an outperform rating and set a $80.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 11th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Robert Half from $70.00 to $60.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Robert Half from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, July 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Robert Half has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $67.86.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Dirk A. Kempthorne sold 1,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.09, for a total transaction of $82,017.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 13,342 shares in the company, valued at $841,746.78. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 3.00% of the companys stock.

Robert Half Stock Down 0.3 %

Robert Half stock traded down $0.16 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $62.67. The stock had a trading volume of 1,130,205 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,444,458. The firm has a market cap of $6.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.91 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a fifty day moving average of $63.05 and a 200 day moving average of $69.45. Robert Half Inc. has a 52-week low of $57.05 and a 52-week high of $88.39.

Robert Half (NYSE:RHI  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $1.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.49 billion. Robert Half had a return on equity of 20.41% and a net margin of 5.26%. Robert Halfs revenue was down 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.00 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Robert Half Inc. will post 2.58 EPS for the current year.

Robert Half Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 23rd. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.38%. Robert Halfs dividend payout ratio is presently 63.47%.

About Robert Half

(Free Report)

Robert Half Inc provides talent solutions and business consulting services in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company operates through Contract Talent Solutions, Permanent Placement Talent Solutions, and Protiviti segments. The Contract Talent Solutions segment provides contract engagement professionals in the fields of finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal and administrative, and customer support.

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August 30, 2024: The Russian war in Ukraine is currently not popular with most Russians. The government cannot hide the large number of Russian men who have died in Ukraine or returned disabled. After two years of futile fighting in Ukraine the Russians found that they could not get enough Russian men to join or stay in the military. Russian mothers are in an uproar over the government using conscripts to fight in Ukraine. The law specifies that conscripts cannot be used in a foreign war, only for the defense of Russia. Putin declared Ukraine to be a wayward part of Russia where conscripted soldiers must fight to make it part of Russia once more.

Few Russian soldiers were willing to fight in Ukraine and the government solution was to pay the reluctant soldiers to do so. Military men were also offered large sums of cash to join the army. In major cities, men of military age often have the financial means to leave the country, legally or illegally, if the recruiters come after them. Many of these men have technical or professional skills that the government needs, so the military recruiters have to concentrate on rural areas where there are more men who need jobs and money. In the countryside the Russian practice of buying soldiers was more effective. The amount of money offered, which was often $20,000 or more, was a life changing sum for most Russians. Even if the soldiers died or were disabled, that amount of cash took care of his family. If the soldier returned from Ukraine, which some did early in the war, they had enough money to start a business.

After the first year of the Ukraine War, the money offered increased, but so did the chances of getting killed in Ukraine. By 2024, there were few men in the provinces willing to fight in Ukraine for any amount of money. At that point the government began looking at men from other former parts of the Soviet Union. The five Central Asian states had plenty of poor, Russian speaking locals looking for work. They were willing to take the money to fight in Ukraine because Russia offered them residency permits to live and work in Russia after their military service. This attracted some recruits, even though these men knew their chances of surviving Ukrainian service were not high.

Russia ultimately recruited soldiers from African or Asian countries, often without telling the local governments. These countries often exported, via local brokers, men for jobs in foreign countries. There were more applicants than jobs so when the Russian military recruiters showed up there were some men willing to take the money and fight in Ukraine. When a lot of these men got killed in Ukraine, it became a political embarrassment back home and the local governments began to ban the Russian recruiters. With large enough bribes, the local authorities could be persuaded to ignore Russian recruiting. This only lasted until a lot of local men were getting killed in Ukraine. At that point too many locals actively opposed the Russian recruiting and that was that. With all these problems, Russian personnel experts believe Russia will be out of soldiers by 2026.
Boston Financial Mangement LLC lifted its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK  Free Report) by 17.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,308 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 637 shares during the period. Boston Financial Mangement LLCs holdings in Duke Energy were worth $432,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd acquired a new position in Duke Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 69.6% in the 2nd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 290 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.31% of the companys stock.

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Duke Energy Stock Up 0.8 %

DUK stock opened at $113.94 on Friday. Duke Energy Co. has a one year low of $83.06 and a one year high of $116.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $87.94 billion, a PE ratio of 28.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.78. The company has a fifty day moving average of $107.68 and a 200-day moving average of $101.11.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

Duke Energy ( NYSE:DUK Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.16. Duke Energy had a net margin of 10.78% and a return on equity of 9.25%. The firm had revenue of $7.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.91 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be paid a $1.045 dividend. This is a boost from Duke Energys previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.67%. Duke Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 105.03%.

Insider Activity at Duke Energy

In related news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 540 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.64, for a total value of $61,365.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 19,884 shares in the company, valued at $2,259,617.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on DUK. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $104.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $99.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of Duke Energy in a report on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Duke Energy has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $113.92.

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Duke Energy Company Profile

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Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I), and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest.

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British American Tobacco p.l.c. (OTCMKTS:BTAFF  Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 131,300 shares, a drop of 41.1% from the July 31st total of 223,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 8,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 16.0 days.

British American Tobacco Price Performance

OTCMKTS:BTAFF opened at $36.56 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $34.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $31.55. British American Tobacco has a 1-year low of $28.00 and a 1-year high of $37.95.

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About British American Tobacco

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British American Tobacco p.l.c. engages in the provision of tobacco and nicotine products to consumers worldwide. It also offers vapour, heated, and modern oral nicotine products; combustible cigarettes; and traditional oral products, such as snus and moist snuff. The company offers its products under the Vuse, glo, Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Camel, Natural American Spirit, Newport, Vogue, Viceroy, Kool, Peter Stuyvesant, Craven A, State Express 555 and Shuang Xi brands.

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Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE:BBU  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 24,200 shares, an increase of 60.3% from the July 31st total of 15,100 shares. Currently, 0.0% of the companys stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 14,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.7 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brookfield Business Partners

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BBU. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its holdings in Brookfield Business Partners by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 40,726 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $770,000 after purchasing an additional 608 shares during the period. AYAL Capital Advisors Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Brookfield Business Partners by 97.4% in the second quarter. AYAL Capital Advisors Ltd now owns 45,000 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $848,000 after buying an additional 22,200 shares during the period. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp grew its position in Brookfield Business Partners by 12.7% during the second quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 681,562 shares of the business services providers stock worth $12,910,000 after buying an additional 77,017 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in Brookfield Business Partners by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 767,726 shares of the business services providers stock worth $15,036,000 after acquiring an additional 22,886 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Brookfield Business Partners by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 90,242 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,701,000 after acquiring an additional 1,808 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.04% of the companys stock.

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Brookfield Business Partners Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BBU traded down $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $20.40. 19,030 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,198. Brookfield Business Partners has a twelve month low of $12.22 and a twelve month high of $23.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 1.47. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $19.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $20.04. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.23.

Brookfield Business Partners Dividend Announcement

Brookfield Business Partners ( NYSE:BBU Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 2nd. The business services provider reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.86 by ($0.95). The firm had revenue of $11.95 billion for the quarter. Brookfield Business Partners had a return on equity of 21.64% and a net margin of 7.08%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.85 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Brookfield Business Partners will post 4.16 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. Brookfield Business Partnerss payout ratio is 3.92%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Cibc World Mkts upgraded Brookfield Business Partners to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, May 7th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $32.00 target price on shares of Brookfield Business Partners in a report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Brookfield Business Partners from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $31.40.

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About Brookfield Business Partners

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Brookfield Business Partners L.P. is a private equity firm specializing in acquisition. The firm typically invests in business services, infrastructure services, construction, energy, and industrials sector. It prefers to take majority stake in companies. The firm seeks returns of at least 15% on its investments.

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Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW  Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Thursday. The specialty retailer reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.07, RTT News reports. The company had revenue of $111.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $107.90 million. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a return on equity of 38.87% and a net margin of 10.33%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.57 earnings per share.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Stock Performance

NYSE:BBW opened at $33.38 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $460.81 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.56 and a beta of 1.63. Build-A-Bear Workshop has a 1 year low of $21.24 and a 1 year high of $34.80. The business has a fifty day moving average of $26.34 and a 200-day moving average of $27.01.

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Build-A-Bear Workshop Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 27th were paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.40%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 27th. Build-A-Bear Workshops payout ratio is currently 22.92%.

Insider Activity at Build-A-Bear Workshop

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

In related news, Director George Carrara sold 2,600 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.34, for a total value of $68,484.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 17,473 shares in the company, valued at approximately $460,238.82. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . In other news, CEO Sharon Price John sold 41,034 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.99, for a total value of $1,066,473.66. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 515,004 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,384,953.96. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, Director George Carrara sold 2,600 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.34, for a total value of $68,484.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,473 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $460,238.82. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Company insiders own 7.90% of the companys stock.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Northland Securities boosted their price objective on Build-A-Bear Workshop from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, June 14th.

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About Build-A-Bear Workshop

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Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc operates as a multi-channel retailer of plush animals and related products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Direct-to-Consumer, Commercial, and International Franchising. Its merchandise comprises various styles of plush products to be stuffed, pre-stuffed plush products, and sounds and scents that can be added to the stuffed animals, as well as range of clothing, shoes and accessories, and other toy and novelty items, including family sleepwear.

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Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (TSE:CP  Get Free Report) (NYSE:CP) Senior Officer John Kenneth Brooks sold 21,700 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$112.01, for a total value of C$2,430,629.59.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Trading Up 0.8 %

TSE:CP opened at C$111.87 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of C$110.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$112.74. The stock has a market capitalization of C$104.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.99, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 50.47, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.51. Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited has a 1 year low of C$94.45 and a 1 year high of C$123.37.

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Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSE:CP  Get Free Report) (NYSE:CP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported C$1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$1.01 by C$0.04. Canadian Pacific Kansas City had a return on equity of 8.10% and a net margin of 24.46%. The business had revenue of C$3.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$3.55 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited will post 4.2741935 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Announces Dividend

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 28th will be given a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 27th. Canadian Pacific Kansas Citys dividend payout ratio is currently 20.38%.

CP has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$122.00 to C$126.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Desjardins increased their price objective on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$131.00 to C$132.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Scotiabank raised Canadian Pacific Kansas City from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and increased their price objective for the company from C$124.00 to C$130.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$123.00 to C$136.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, ATB Capital upped their price target on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$130.00 to C$133.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$123.87.

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Canadian Pacific Kansas City Company Profile

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Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a transcontinental freight railway in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The company transports bulk commodities, including grain, coal, potash, fertilizers, and sulphur; merchandise freight, such as forest products, energy, chemicals and plastics, metals, minerals, consumer products, and automotive; and intermodal traffic comprising retail goods in overseas containers.

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Catalytic Wealth RIA LLC lessened its stake in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. (NYSE:MYI  Free Report) by 31.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 25,242 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 11,556 shares during the period. Catalytic Wealth RIA LLCs holdings in BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III were worth $282,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Strategies Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III by 5.3% in the second quarter. Strategies Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 25,755 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $288,000 after purchasing an additional 1,300 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III during the 2nd quarter valued at about $42,000. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 200,177 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $2,294,000 after acquiring an additional 4,151 shares during the last quarter. American National Bank bought a new position in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III in the 1st quarter valued at about $53,000. Finally, Cambridge Trust Co. grew its position in BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III by 24.0% in the first quarter. Cambridge Trust Co. now owns 57,010 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $653,000 after acquiring an additional 11,050 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 34.01% of the companys stock.

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BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III Stock Performance

NYSE:MYI traded up $0.05 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $11.58. 126,879 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 219,982. The firms fifty day moving average is $11.37 and its 200-day moving average is $11.26. BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc. has a 12-month low of $9.32 and a 12-month high of $11.70.

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III Announces Dividend

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III Profile

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be paid a $0.0555 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $0.67 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.75%.

(Free Report)

BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund III, Inc is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets. It invests primarily in a portfolio of long-term investment-grade municipal obligations exempt from federal income taxes.

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WESPAC Advisors LLC reduced its position in EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Free Report) by 25.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 5,170 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after selling 1,761 shares during the period. WESPAC Advisors LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $651,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wright Investors Service Inc. raised its stake in EOG Resources by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Wright Investors Service Inc. now owns 10,163 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,299,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. CVA Family Office LLC raised its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 11.0% during the 2nd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 820 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $103,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Bailard Inc. grew its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 19,899 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $2,505,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the period. Field & Main Bank grew its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 6,163 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $788,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. Finally, PDS Planning Inc grew its holdings in shares of EOG Resources by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 2,152 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $275,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. 89.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on EOG shares. Benchmark restated a hold rating on shares of EOG Resources in a report on Tuesday, May 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their target price on EOG Resources from $139.00 to $125.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on EOG Resources in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They set a peer perform rating on the stock. KeyCorp assumed coverage on EOG Resources in a report on Thursday, June 27th. They set an overweight rating and a $157.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on EOG Resources from $124.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, May 24th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, EOG Resources presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $144.00.

EOG Resources Stock Down 0.9 %

NYSE:EOG traded down $1.16 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $128.82. The company had a trading volume of 2,820,225 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,136,932. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $126.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $125.51. The company has a current ratio of 2.32, a quick ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 1 year low of $108.94 and a 1 year high of $139.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $74.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.17, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.30.

EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The energy exploration company reported $3.16 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.98 by $0.18. EOG Resources had a return on equity of 25.65% and a net margin of 30.33%. The company had revenue of $6.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.07 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.49 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 12.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

EOG Resources Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, October 17th will be paid a $0.91 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 17th. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.83%. EOG Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.75%.

Insider Buying and Selling at EOG Resources

In other EOG Resources news, Director Charles R. Crisp sold 6,500 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.60, for a total value of $816,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 60,892 shares in the company, valued at $7,648,035.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Michael P. Donaldson sold 11,037 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.50, for a total transaction of $1,429,291.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 74,250 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,615,375. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Charles R. Crisp sold 6,500 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.60, for a total value of $816,400.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 60,892 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,648,035.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 21,537 shares of company stock worth $2,751,612 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.30% of the companys stock.

About EOG Resources

(Free Report)

EOG Resources, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas primarily in producing basins in the United States, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and internationally. The company was formerly known as Enron Oil & Gas Company.

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Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS  Free Report) had its price objective raised by Evercore ISI from $268.00 to $283.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an in-line rating on the real estate investment trusts stock.

ESS has been the topic of a number of other reports. Mizuho upped their price objective on Essex Property Trust from $250.00 to $266.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Essex Property Trust from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of Essex Property Trust from $315.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, August 26th. Wedbush raised their target price on shares of Essex Property Trust from $264.00 to $301.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Essex Property Trust from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Essex Property Trust currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $276.70.

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View Our Latest Analysis on Essex Property Trust

Essex Property Trust Price Performance

ESS stock opened at $301.79 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 3.19 and a current ratio of 1.62. The companys fifty day moving average price is $281.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $260.04. Essex Property Trust has a one year low of $203.85 and a one year high of $302.05. The company has a market capitalization of $19.38 billion, a PE ratio of 36.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.86.

Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.85 by ($2.40). Essex Property Trust had a net margin of 30.31% and a return on equity of 9.14%. The firm had revenue of $442.36 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $433.26 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.77 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Essex Property Trust will post 15.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Angela L. Kleiman sold 3,780 shares of Essex Property Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $278.27, for a total value of $1,051,860.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 9,494 shares in the company, valued at $2,641,895.38. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Keith R. Guericke sold 10,000 shares of Essex Property Trust stock in a transaction on Friday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.57, for a total transaction of $2,745,700.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 16,118 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,425,519.26. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Angela L. Kleiman sold 3,780 shares of Essex Property Trust stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $278.27, for a total value of $1,051,860.60. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 9,494 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,641,895.38. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System grew its stake in shares of Essex Property Trust by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 81,456 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $19,941,000 after purchasing an additional 2,083 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Essex Property Trust by 11.1% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 49,277 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $12,218,000 after buying an additional 4,943 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its stake in Essex Property Trust by 8.7% in the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 225,045 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $55,093,000 after buying an additional 18,000 shares during the period. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC raised its position in Essex Property Trust by 107.9% during the 1st quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC now owns 43,802 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $10,723,000 after buying an additional 22,736 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Essex Property Trust by 10.5% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 62,067 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $15,389,000 after acquiring an additional 5,887 shares during the period. 96.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Essex Property Trust

(Get Free Report)

Essex Property Trust, Inc, an S&P 500 company, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, develops, redevelops, and manages multifamily residential properties in selected West Coast markets. Essex currently has ownership interests in 252 apartment communities comprising approximately 62,000 apartment homes with an additional property in active development.

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Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH trimmed its position in shares of RTX Co. (NYSE:RTX  Free Report) by 7.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,808,427 shares of the companys stock after selling 154,596 shares during the period. RTX accounts for 1.2% of Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OHs investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OHs holdings in RTX were worth $181,548,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Briaud Financial Planning Inc grew its position in RTX by 64.1% during the 2nd quarter. Briaud Financial Planning Inc now owns 256 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Lynx Investment Advisory purchased a new position in RTX during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp purchased a new position in RTX during the 1st quarter worth approximately $42,000. Stephens Consulting LLC grew its position in RTX by 34.1% during the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 448 shares of the companys stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fairman Group LLC purchased a new position in RTX during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. 86.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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RTX Stock Performance

RTX stock traded up $1.07 on Friday, reaching $123.36. 6,370,957 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,146,997. The stock has a market cap of $164.01 billion, a PE ratio of 48.38, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. RTX Co. has a twelve month low of $68.56 and a twelve month high of $123.70. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $110.19 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $103.20.

RTX Announces Dividend

RTX ( NYSE:RTX Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $1.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $19.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.29 billion. RTX had a net margin of 3.12% and a return on equity of 11.37%. The businesss revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.29 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that RTX Co. will post 5.45 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 16th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. RTXs dividend payout ratio is currently 98.82%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on RTX shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of RTX from $94.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of RTX from $119.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of RTX from $102.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. StockNews.com lowered shares of RTX from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of RTX from $115.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, RTX has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $153.47.

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Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Christopher T. Calio sold 4,235 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.00, for a total transaction of $482,790.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 88,509 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,090,026. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CEO Christopher T. Calio sold 4,235 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.00, for a total value of $482,790.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 88,509 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,090,026. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Gregory Hayes sold 134,887 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.74, for a total transaction of $15,881,595.38. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 566,723 shares in the company, valued at approximately $66,725,966.02. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 178,333 shares of company stock valued at $20,861,880. Insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

RTX Company Profile

(Free Report)

RTX Corporation, an aerospace and defense company, provides systems and services for the commercial, military, and government customers in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. The Collins Aerospace Systems segment offers aerospace and defense products, and aftermarket service solutions for civil and military aircraft manufacturers and commercial airlines, as well as regional, business, and general aviation, defense, and commercial space operations.

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Frederick County Bancorp (MD) (OTCMKTS:FCBI  Get Free Report) crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $36.00 and traded as low as $36.00. Frederick County Bancorp (MD) shares last traded at $36.00, with a volume of 600 shares changing hands.

Frederick County Bancorp (MD) Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $36.00 and a 200-day moving average of $36.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.35 and a beta of 0.34.

About Frederick County Bancorp (MD)

(Get Free Report)

Frederick County Bancorp, Inc operates as the holding company for Frederick County Bank that provides various banking services to individuals and commercial enterprises in the Frederick County, Maryland. It offers deposit products, including personal checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, and health savings accounts; and business checking accounts, savings and money market accounts, and certificates of deposits.

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August 30, 2024: After the Russians invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the invaders suffered unexpectedly heavy casualties. Then the war continued and is now in its third year. In Russian occupied areas of Ukraine, military-age men were eventually forced to accept Russian citizenship documents and then conscripted into the Russian army. These men were warned that if they refused to join, they would be shot and things would go badly for their families. This caused resistance among the civilians in these areas who were told that the Special Military Operation in Ukraine would be over quickly and the lives of civilians, especially military age men, would not be disturbed. That was all a lie. The war is now in its third year and the civilians in Russia as well as those in Russian occupied territories are angry at Vladimir Putin for the war and the way it was mishandled. Putin promised a short war, but 30 months of combat is definitely not short. Worse, the fighting has been stalemated for over a year. Then, in early August 2024, Ukrainian forces invaded the Kurk region of Russia. The Ukrainians encountered no resistance at first and over a hundred thousand Russian civilians fled. This fighting took place in northern Ukraine while most of the fighting since early 2022 has been in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Ukraine forces suffered few casualties because there were few Russian soldiers, or even police, to oppose them. This Ukrainian incursion was completely unexpected and when Russian forces did arrive, they didnt counterattack but instead got to work building defensive structures like trenches for defending troops and ditches deep enough to prevent tanks or other vehicles from crossing. Apparently the Russians in the Kursk region have no defenses against Ukrainian drones, which closely monitor Russian operations and make attacks on targets that could pose a danger to Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainian drones also began attacks against military targets in the Kursk region ten days before the August 6 Ukrainian advance into Russia.

This Ukrainian attack not only surprised Russians in general but made it clear that most of Russias border with Ukraine was similarly undefended.

While the Ukrainians were invading Russia, fighting along the thousand kilometer-long front line intensified in eastern Ukraine where Russian attacks since May have left over 50,000 Russian soldiers dead or disabled in attacks that gained little or no ground. Russia currently has about 170,000 troops inside Ukraine, most of them in the east where Russian and Ukrainian forces have been confronting each other since 2014. Ukraines military numbers at least 500,000, though that includes many support and supply troops whose Russian equivalents are outside Ukraine. 2014 was when Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula and sought to attack out of the portions of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces in eastern Ukraine. Russia always insisted that the fighting in the east was between separatist citizens of Luhansk and Donetsk who wanted their provinces to become part of Russia. That was always a lie but the Russians continue to support it with propaganda and increasing military aid and Russian soldiers who, initially, pretended to be Ukrainian separatists. The Russian soldiers in eastern Ukraine are no longer pretending to be Ukrainian separatists but the fighting in this area has quieted down in the last year.

The war had been mostly a stalemate for a year prior to the August 6 Ukrainian invasion of Russia. Inside Russia, civilian and military leaders are criticizing Vladimir Putin and his failed effort to conquer Ukraine. The Ukrainian invasion of Russia made Putins failure seem even worse. Putin called the Ukrainian advance into Russia a terrorist act while his invasion of Ukraine was an effort to reincorporate the Ukrainian region into Russia. Putin insists Ukraine is not an independent country but a troublesome part of Russia. Putin blames NATO nations for supporting this illegal Ukrainian separatism.

Ukrainians point out that Ukraine was one of the fourteen new countries to appear when the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991. Back then, the Russian government went along with the dissolution. The areas that separated from Russia never wanted to be part of Russia and by the late 1980s the Russian government was bankrupt and on the brink of a ruinous civil war. The alternative to that was allowing the regions that did not want to be part of a Russian empire, and put together two hundred years ago and maintained by coercion and force, to become independent. Vladimir Putin, a KGB lieutenant colonel when the Soviet Union broke up, considered this development a disaster that should be rectified. Putin became the leader of Russia in 1999 and has ruled ever since. His tenure as Russian leader is exceeded only by that of Josef Stalin, who ruled Russia from 1924 until his death in 1953. Between the 1950s and the 1980s, Russia was ruled by a series of inept communist leaders whose failures led to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Putin finally revived the Russian government in 1999 but his attempts to reassemble the Soviet Union have come to nothing. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 brought with it economic sanctions by NATO nations that have crippled the Russian economy. NATO aid to the Ukrainian military led to the defeat of the Russian 2022 invasion. Putin blames all his problems on NATO and believes that NATO is trying to weaken and isolate Russia. Putin ignores the fact that it was his aggressive actions that got Russia into so much trouble. With the recent Ukrainian invasion of Russia, many Russians are calling for Putin to resign or be removed and replaced by a ruler who will work for the benefit of Russia. Putins actions have brought only death and misery to Russia. Nearly half a million Russian soldiers have been killed, wounded or missing inside Ukraine since 2022 and now the Ukrainians are invading Russia and the Russian military is having a hard time stopping the invaders.

Putin has lost power and prestige since 2022 and now Russians and Ukrainians both agree that everyone would be better off if Putin were gone.
StockNews.com upgraded shares of Frontline (NYSE:FRO  Free Report) to a sell rating in a research report report published on Tuesday.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on FRO. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a buy rating and set a $30.00 price target on shares of Frontline in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on Frontline from $33.00 to $32.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Frontline has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $27.58.

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View Our Latest Analysis on FRO

Frontline Price Performance

Shares of NYSE FRO opened at $24.15 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $5.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.44 and a beta of 0.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59. Frontline has a 1-year low of $15.94 and a 1-year high of $29.39. The businesss 50 day moving average is $24.19 and its 200-day moving average is $24.49.

Frontline (NYSE:FRO  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 30th. The shipping company reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.86 by ($0.24). The firm had revenue of $578.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $380.73 million. Frontline had a return on equity of 23.14% and a net margin of 32.94%. Frontlines revenue for the quarter was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.87 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Frontline will post 3.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Frontline

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. ICA Group Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Frontline in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Frontline during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Summit Securities Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Frontline by 75.0% during the 2nd quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 1,400 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Frontline by 17,866.7% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,156 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 2,144 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Frontline by 169.2% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 3,928 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 2,469 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 22.70% of the companys stock.

About Frontline

(Get Free Report)

Frontline plc, a shipping company, engages in the seaborne transportation of crude oil and oil products worldwide. It owns and operates oil and product tankers. As of December 31, 2022, the company operated a fleet of 70 vessels. It is also involved in the charter, purchase, and sale of vessels. The company was founded in 1985 and is based in Limassol, Cyprus.

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Global Financial Private Client LLC grew its stake in The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA  Free Report) by 59.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,902 shares of the aircraft producers stock after acquiring an additional 1,460 shares during the period. Global Financial Private Client LLCs holdings in Boeing were worth $710,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Argent Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Boeing by 3.9% in the second quarter. Argent Advisors Inc. now owns 4,538 shares of the aircraft producers stock valued at $826,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Emprise Bank increased its stake in shares of Boeing by 12.6% in the 2nd quarter. Emprise Bank now owns 1,793 shares of the aircraft producers stock valued at $326,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of Boeing by 1.3% during the second quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 14,536 shares of the aircraft producers stock worth $2,646,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Washington Trust Bank lifted its stake in shares of Boeing by 8.9% during the second quarter. Washington Trust Bank now owns 63,521 shares of the aircraft producers stock valued at $11,561,000 after acquiring an additional 5,189 shares during the period. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Boeing by 2.5% in the second quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 3,978 shares of the aircraft producers stock valued at $724,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. 64.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Boeing Stock Performance

Boeing stock traded up $1.59 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $173.85. The stock had a trading volume of 4,144,066 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,852,250. The stock has a market capitalization of $106.72 billion, a P/E ratio of -48.97 and a beta of 1.56. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $178.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $182.46. The Boeing Company has a 1-year low of $159.70 and a 1-year high of $267.54.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Boeing ( NYSE:BA Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The aircraft producer reported ($2.90) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($1.00) by ($1.90). The firm had revenue of $16.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.82) EPS. The firms revenue was down 14.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Boeing Company will post -2.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several analysts have weighed in on BA shares. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Boeing from $250.00 to $240.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating and issued a $225.00 price objective on shares of Boeing in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Boeing from $190.00 to $185.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Susquehanna reissued a positive rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Boeing in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price objective on Boeing from $222.00 to $207.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $215.18.

View Our Latest Research Report on Boeing

Boeing Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Boeing Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, sells, services, and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight and launch systems, and services worldwide. The company operates through Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; and Global Services segments.

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Schrum Private Wealth Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:GSLC  Free Report) by 1.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,559 shares of the companys stock after selling 120 shares during the quarter. Schrum Private Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF were worth $702,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Kings Path Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $12,939,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $143,000. Morris Financial Concepts Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Morris Financial Concepts Inc. now owns 5,138 shares of the companys stock worth $550,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF by 44.6% in the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,170 shares of the companys stock worth $660,000 after purchasing an additional 1,902 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF by 354.1% in the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 495 shares of the companys stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares in the last quarter.

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Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF stock traded up $1.00 during trading on Friday, hitting $110.96. The stock had a trading volume of 114,235 shares, compared to its average volume of 271,948. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $107.82 and a 200 day simple moving average of $104.25. The company has a market capitalization of $12.83 billion, a PE ratio of 22.89 and a beta of 0.98. Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF has a 1 year low of $80.74 and a 1 year high of $111.03.

About Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF

The Goldman Sachs ActiveBeta U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (GSLC) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in large cap equity. The fund tracks an index of US large-cap stocks comprising 4 sub-indexes: value, momentum, quality, and low volatility. The index uses multiple factors to pick stocks, and each sub-index receives equal weight.

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Bank of America upgraded shares of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (NYSE:PAC  Free Report) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico Price Performance

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico stock opened at $177.68 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $8.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.46. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $160.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $164.11. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico has a 12-month low of $107.25 and a 12-month high of $197.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56.

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Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (NYSE:PAC  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 22nd. The transportation company reported $2.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.01 by ($0.46). The firm had revenue of $421.54 million for the quarter. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico had a return on equity of 47.50% and a net margin of 29.26%. Equities analysts expect that Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico will post 9.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico Increases Dividend

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 22nd were given a dividend of $3.8657 per share. This is a boost from Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacificos previous semi-annual dividend of $2.09. This represents a dividend yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 22nd. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacificos payout ratio is 33.75%.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Creative Planning acquired a new stake in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico during the 2nd quarter worth $348,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its stake in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 70,614 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $11,000,000 after acquiring an additional 3,754 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP raised its stake in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico by 9.7% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 15,787 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $2,459,000 after acquiring an additional 1,391 shares in the last quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico during the 2nd quarter worth $13,976,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 13,373 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $2,083,000 after acquiring an additional 927 shares in the last quarter. 11.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, SAB. de C.V., together with its subsidiaries, holds concessions to develop, operate, and manage airports in Mexico and Jamaica. The company operates twelve international airports in Guadalajara and Tijuana areas, Mexico; and two international airports in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

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Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 4,749 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $4,284,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bfsg LLC bought a new position in shares of W.W. Grainger during the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 170.0% during the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 27 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the period. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of W.W. Grainger in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 225.0% during the first quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in W.W. Grainger during the first quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 80.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.7 %

W.W. Grainger stock opened at $984.92 on Friday. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $674.41 and a fifty-two week high of $1,034.18. The company has a market cap of $48.33 billion, a PE ratio of 27.19, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 2.30. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $947.00 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $953.16.

W.W. Grainger Dividend Announcement

W.W. Grainger ( NYSE:GWW Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.58 by $0.18. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.86% and a return on equity of 53.25%. The company had revenue of $4.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $9.28 EPS. W.W. Graingers quarterly revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 39.1 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be given a dividend of $2.05 per share. This represents a $8.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 12th. W.W. Graingers dividend payout ratio is currently 22.64%.

Insider Transactions at W.W. Grainger

In related news, SVP Matt Fortin sold 511 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.20, for a total transaction of $467,667.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,848 shares in the company, valued at $1,691,289.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 9.50% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on GWW. Robert W. Baird lowered W.W. Grainger from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $1,000.00 to $975.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a research report on Friday, June 14th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of W.W. Grainger from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Baird R W cut shares of W.W. Grainger from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, W.W. Grainger presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $1,017.13.

Read Our Latest Analysis on W.W. Grainger

About W.W. Grainger

(Free Report)

W.W. Grainger, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety, security, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools.

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iA Global Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Free Report) by 89.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 251,415 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 119,054 shares during the quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $36,747,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the second quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new position in Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Grayhawk Investment Strategies Inc. lifted its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 528.6% during the 4th quarter. Grayhawk Investment Strategies Inc. now owns 308 shares of the companys stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 69.55% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on JNJ. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Johnson & Johnson from $161.00 to $171.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. StockNews.com raised Johnson & Johnson from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $167.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $175.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $173.21.

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 1.0 %

JNJ stock traded up $1.63 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $165.86. 7,441,042 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,271,470. Johnson & Johnson has a one year low of $143.13 and a one year high of $165.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.07. The company has a market cap of $399.17 billion, a PE ratio of 10.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.52. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $155.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $153.45.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 17th. The company reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $22.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $22.33 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 36.60% and a net margin of 46.34%. Johnson & Johnsons revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.80 EPS. Research analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be given a $1.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 27th. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.99%. Johnson & Johnsons dividend payout ratio is currently 30.92%.

About Johnson & Johnson

(Free Report)

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.

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Intact Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY  Free Report) by 2.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 284,650 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 6,450 shares during the period. Intact Investment Management Inc.s holdings in KeyCorp were worth $4,045,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new position in KeyCorp in the first quarter worth $25,000. First United Bank & Trust purchased a new position in KeyCorp during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new position in KeyCorp during the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in KeyCorp during the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Fidelis Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in KeyCorp in the first quarter valued at about $39,000. Institutional investors own 79.69% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on KEY. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of KeyCorp from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, August 19th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of KeyCorp from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $17.00 price objective on shares of KeyCorp in a research note on Tuesday, August 13th. Wedbush boosted their price objective on shares of KeyCorp from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Finally, UBS Group lowered KeyCorp from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $16.00 to $15.00 in a research note on Monday, July 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $16.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at KeyCorp

In other news, Director Carlton L. Highsmith sold 10,000 shares of KeyCorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.21, for a total value of $162,100.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 46,864 shares of the companys stock, valued at $759,665.44. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.61% of the companys stock.

KeyCorp Stock Performance

NYSE KEY traded up $0.18 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $17.06. 12,129,062 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,029,072. The company has a market capitalization of $16.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.59, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 0.85. The businesss 50 day moving average is $15.39 and its 200-day moving average is $14.86. KeyCorp has a 1 year low of $9.50 and a 1 year high of $17.20.

KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01. KeyCorp had a net margin of 7.35% and a return on equity of 8.64%. The business had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.27 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that KeyCorp will post 1.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

KeyCorp Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.205 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 27th. This represents a $0.82 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.81%. KeyCorps dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 103.80%.

KeyCorp Profile

(Free Report)

KeyCorp operates as the holding company for KeyBank National Association that provides various retail and commercial banking products and services in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer Bank and Commercial Bank. The company offers various deposits, investment products and services; commercial leasing, investment management, consumer finance; and personal finance and financial wellness, student loan refinancing, mortgage and home equity, lending, credit card, treasury, business advisory, wealth management, asset management, cash management, portfolio management, and trust and related services to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses.

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Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Shopify Inc. (NYSE:SHOP  Free Report) (TSE:SHOP) by 1.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 63,285 shares of the software makers stock after selling 984 shares during the quarter. Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLCs holdings in Shopify were worth $4,180,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Shopify by 85.5% during the second quarter. Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 8,316 shares of the software makers stock worth $549,000 after buying an additional 3,833 shares in the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System grew its holdings in shares of Shopify by 105.6% during the second quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 125,135 shares of the software makers stock worth $8,271,000 after buying an additional 64,269 shares in the last quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Shopify during the second quarter worth about $654,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Shopify during the second quarter worth about $17,248,000. Finally, Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Shopify by 2.5% during the second quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC now owns 42,670 shares of the software makers stock worth $2,818,000 after buying an additional 1,025 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.27% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

SHOP has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wedbush reiterated a neutral rating and set a $72.00 price objective (up from $68.00) on shares of Shopify in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Barclays increased their price objective on Shopify from $63.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Atb Cap Markets upgraded Shopify from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Needham & Company LLC restated a hold rating on shares of Shopify in a research note on Thursday, May 9th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Shopify in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $77.30.

Shopify Price Performance

Shares of SHOP traded up $0.80 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $74.07. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,019,334 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,078,813. Shopify Inc. has a one year low of $45.50 and a one year high of $91.57. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $66.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $68.99. The company has a quick ratio of 7.32, a current ratio of 7.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $95.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -435.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 2.30.

Shopify (NYSE:SHOP  Get Free Report) (TSE:SHOP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The software maker reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.20 by $0.06. Shopify had a return on equity of 10.88% and a net margin of 16.40%. The company had revenue of $2.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.01 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.08) EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 20.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Shopify Inc. will post 0.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Shopify Company Profile

(Free Report)

Shopify Inc, a commerce company, provides a commerce platform and services in Canada, the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, China, and Latin America. The company's platform enables merchants to displays, manages, markets, and sells its products through various sales channels, including web and mobile storefronts, physical retail locations, pop-up shops, social media storefronts, native mobile apps, buy buttons, and marketplaces; and enables to manage products and inventory, process orders and payments, fulfill and ship orders, new buyers and build customer relationships, source products, leverage analytics and reporting, manage cash, payments and transactions, and access financing.

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Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLC lessened its stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM  Free Report) by 45.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,309 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,743 shares during the period. Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLCs holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland were worth $200,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 4,646.1% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 198,816 shares of the companys stock worth $143,580,000 after purchasing an additional 194,627 shares during the period. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC grew its holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 17,850 shares of the companys stock worth $1,289,000 after acquiring an additional 464 shares during the period. Certuity LLC bought a new position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 4th quarter worth about $208,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 50.3% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 414,643 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,946,000 after purchasing an additional 138,806 shares during the period. Finally, Essex Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 27.3% during the 4th quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc. now owns 13,645 shares of the companys stock valued at $985,000 after purchasing an additional 2,928 shares in the last quarter. 78.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ADM has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $64.00 to $63.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and fifteen have given a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $64.62.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Stock Up 0.2 %

ADM stock traded up $0.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $60.99. 3,369,054 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,677,056. The stock has a market cap of $30.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.70 and a beta of 0.74. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company has a fifty-two week low of $50.72 and a fifty-two week high of $81.70. The firms 50 day moving average price is $61.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $60.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.22 by ($0.19). The company had revenue of $22.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $23.12 billion. Archer-Daniels-Midland had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 12.06%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.89 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Archer-Daniels-Midland Company will post 5.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 11th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.28%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st. Archer-Daniels-Midlands dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.09%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Juan R. Luciano sold 3,683 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.00, for a total transaction of $224,663.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 265,210 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,177,810. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Profile

(Free Report)

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company engages in the procurement, transportation, storage, processing, and merchandising of agricultural commodities, ingredients, flavors, and solutions in the United States, Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, and Nutrition.

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JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income plc (JPS.L) (LON:JPS  Get Free Report) shares crossed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 561 ($7.40) and traded as low as GBX 557.60 ($7.35). JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income plc (JPS.L) shares last traded at GBX 561 ($7.40), with a volume of 104,535 shares.

JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income plc (JPS.L) Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 11.53, a quick ratio of 11.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 13.65. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is GBX 561 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 561. The firm has a market cap of 305.80 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -48.36.

JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income plc (JPS.L) Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

JPMorgan Japan Smaller Companies Trust plc is an open-ended equity mutual fund launched by JPMorgan Funds Limited. The fund is co-managed by JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited and JPMorgan Asset Management (Japan) Limited. It invests in the public equity markets of Japan. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

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August 31, 2024: Back in mid-2023, NATO members agreed to work with Ukraine to achieve defensive capabilities that can deter future Russian aggression once the current war with Russia is over. In early August 2024, Ukraine sent several thousand troops and hundreds of vehicles into Russia. This incursion into the Kursk region, which borders northern Ukraine, was meant to demonstrate, especially to the Russian people, how weak the Russian military had become.

The Russian military was very slow in reacting and after eleven days, the Ukrainians managed to seize 1,150 square kilometers of Russian territory with 82 towns and villages. This included the town of Sudzha. Russian leaders promise to halt the Ukrainian offensive and push them out, but that has not happened yet and may never happen. Russia is losing the war that it started in early 2022 by invading Ukraine. Captured documents revealed that the Russian government believed that victory would be quick because the Ukrainians lacked the will to resist. That turned out to be a major mistake. The Ukrainians not only fought back but largely destroyed the Russian force that was heading for Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. Russia withdrew the remnants of that force and sent them to eastern Ukraine where Russian and Ukrainian forces had been facing and skirmishing with each other since 2014.

Currently Russia has another major offensive underway in eastern Ukraine and it is not making much progress. The Ukrainians have become very good at defeating these offensives and doing so in a way that gets a lot of Russian attackers killed or disabled. Typically the Russian attackers suffer three to four times as many casualties as the Ukrainian defenders. Since early 2022, Russian forces have suffered nearly half a million soldiers killed, wounded or missing. A growing number of Russian troops are surrendering to the Ukrainian forces. Morale among Russian troops is low and getting worse while the Ukrainians have lost far fewer troops since 2022, and many Ukrainian soldiers have been in action for over two years and are far more experienced and better trained than their Russian counterparts. Captured Russian soldiers are surprised at how well off the Ukrainian troops are and how well they treat the Russian prisoners. The Ukrainians observe the Geneva Convention rules for the treatment of prisoners, including allowing prisoners to let their families know they are safe and well. Russia tries to prevent Ukraine from notifying families of prisoners, but in the age of widespread internet use, its impossible to block all of those messages.

Over two years of this have demoralized Russian military age men to the point where Russia cannot recruit many Russians to serve in Ukraine. Increasingly, Russia is trying to hire foreign mercenaries, or pay very high cash bonuses to reluctant Russians to fight in Ukraine. Neither is working. The sustained support Ukraine has provided for its forces is in sharp contrast to the dearth of support for Russian troops.

International economic sanctions imposed on Russia after the invasion have gradually reduced the support the Russian economy could provide for the war effort. That support is now reduced to a trickle while NATO support for Ukraine never faltered. The current Ukrainian incursion into Russia convinced doubters that Russia was no longer able to fight effectively. Inside Russia, business and political leaders are openly and privately calling on their President Vladimir Putin to get out of Ukraine and get the Russian economy free of the crippling sanctions. The pressure on Putin is now very visible but he still refuses to quit. That has led to more rumors from inside Russia that Putins political, economic and military advisers are urging their president to back down before the situation inside Russia gets out of control.
Key Financial Inc raised its position in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP  Free Report) by 21.6% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 564 shares of the energy producers stock after buying an additional 100 shares during the quarter. Key Financial Incs holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $65,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of COP. Sachetta LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Cooksen Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. increased its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 96.0% in the 4th quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 247 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC increased its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 69.3% in the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 254 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Richardson Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ConocoPhillips in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 82.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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ConocoPhillips Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE COP opened at $113.79 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $133.08 billion, a PE ratio of 12.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.24. ConocoPhillips has a 12 month low of $102.27 and a 12 month high of $135.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $111.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $116.97.

ConocoPhillips Cuts Dividend

ConocoPhillips ( NYSE:COP Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The energy producer reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $14.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.96 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 18.18% and a return on equity of 20.81%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 9.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.84 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will post 8.64 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.58 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $2.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.04%. ConocoPhillipss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 26.27%.

Insider Transactions at ConocoPhillips

In related news, Director Timothy A. Leach sold 55,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.11, for a total value of $6,000,105.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 455,909 shares of the companys stock, valued at $49,288,321.99. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 15th. Argus upgraded shares of ConocoPhillips to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, June 7th. Raymond James restated a strong-buy rating and issued a $159.00 target price (up previously from $155.00) on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Bank of America restated a buy rating and issued a $147.00 target price on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Friday, June 14th. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an outperform rating and a $145.00 target price for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $143.65.

View Our Latest Research Report on COP

ConocoPhillips Company Profile

(Free Report)

ConocoPhillips explores for, produces, transports, and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas liquids in the United States, Canada, China, Libya, Malaysia, Norway, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company's portfolio includes unconventional plays in North America; conventional assets in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia; global LNG developments; oil sands assets in Canada; and an inventory of global exploration prospects.

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Kingfisher plc (LON:KGF  Get Free Report)s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 252.43 ($3.33) and traded as high as GBX 286 ($3.77). Kingfisher shares last traded at GBX 283 ($3.73), with a volume of 3,257,289 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Kingfisher to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from GBX 245 ($3.23) to GBX 310 ($4.09) in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a hold rating and set a GBX 250 ($3.30) price objective on shares of Kingfisher in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an underweight rating on shares of Kingfisher in a research report on Friday, July 12th.

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Kingfisher Price Performance

About Kingfisher

The companys 50 day moving average is GBX 269.14 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 252.89. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.49. The stock has a market capitalization of 5.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,578.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.98.

(Get Free Report)

Kingfisher plc, together with its subsidiaries, supplies home improvement products and services primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and internationally. It also operates retail stores under the B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot, Screwfix, TradePoint, and Koctas brands. The company sells its products through stores and e-commerce channels.

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Maryland State Retirement & Pension System cut its holdings in B2Gold Corp. (NYSE:BTG  Free Report) by 26.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 642,968 shares of the companys stock after selling 230,779 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension Systems holdings in B2Gold were worth $1,725,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of BTG. Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its stake in shares of B2Gold by 69.3% in the second quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 22,615 shares of the companys stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 9,258 shares during the period. Continuum Advisory LLC bought a new position in B2Gold during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft bought a new position in shares of B2Gold during the second quarter valued at approximately $42,000. KG&L Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in B2Gold by 9.6% in the second quarter. KG&L Capital Management LLC now owns 207,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $560,000 after acquiring an additional 18,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its position in B2Gold by 7.7% during the 2nd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 308,605 shares of the companys stock valued at $828,000 after purchasing an additional 22,028 shares during the period. 61.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. CIBC boosted their price target on shares of B2Gold from $3.40 to $3.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Cibc World Mkts upgraded B2Gold from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Scotiabank cut B2Gold from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. StockNews.com upgraded B2Gold from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, August 17th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of B2Gold from $3.50 to $4.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $3.75.

B2Gold Trading Down 1.1 %

B2Gold stock traded down $0.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $2.80. The company had a trading volume of 8,401,878 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,450,552. B2Gold Corp. has a 12 month low of $2.34 and a 12 month high of $3.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 2.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $2.82. The company has a market capitalization of $3.66 billion, a P/E ratio of -93.50, a PEG ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.12.

B2Gold Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 23rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be issued a $0.04 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 10th. This represents a $0.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.71%. B2Golds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -533.33%.

B2Gold Profile

(Free Report)

B2Gold Corp. operates as a gold producer company. It operates the Fekola Mine in Mali, the Masbate Mine in the Philippines, and the Otjikoto Mine in Namibia. The company also has an 100% interest in the Gramalote gold project in Colombia; 24% interest in the Calibre Mining Corp.; and approximately 19% interest in BeMetals Corp.

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Mezzasalma Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 46.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 966 shares of the payment services companys stock after selling 849 shares during the period. Mezzasalma Advisors LLCs holdings in American Express were worth $224,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sawgrass Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of American Express by 0.4% in the second quarter. Sawgrass Asset Management LLC now owns 10,384 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $2,404,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of American Express by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 4,315 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $983,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Ignite Planners LLC grew its holdings in shares of American Express by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 4,682 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $1,103,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Willner & Heller LLC increased its stake in shares of American Express by 4.1% in the second quarter. Willner & Heller LLC now owns 1,087 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $252,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Beacon Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of American Express by 18.9% during the second quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 271 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $63,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. 84.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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American Express Stock Performance

NYSE AXP traded down $1.19 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $258.65. The company had a trading volume of 3,442,125 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,963,967. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $241.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $232.27. The stock has a market cap of $186.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74. American Express has a fifty-two week low of $140.91 and a fifty-two week high of $261.75.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

American Express ( NYSE:AXP Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 19th. The payment services company reported $3.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $16.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.60 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 32.94% and a net margin of 15.53%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.89 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that American Express will post 13.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

A number of brokerages have commented on AXP. William Blair restated an outperform rating on shares of American Express in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. Bank of America downgraded American Express from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $263.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of American Express from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, July 8th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of American Express from $225.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of American Express from $275.00 to $285.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Express currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $230.70.

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American Express Company Profile

(Free Report)

American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as integrated payments company in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and Internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, Commercial Services, International Card Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services.

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Shares of OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE:OGE  Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of Hold from the six brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $35.33.

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Argus downgraded OGE Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, May 23rd. Evercore ISI increased their target price on OGE Energy from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of OGE Energy from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On OGE Energy

OGE Energy Trading Up 0.5 %

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Donoghue Forlines LLC bought a new position in shares of OGE Energy during the 1st quarter worth $656,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in OGE Energy during the 2nd quarter worth about $619,000. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in OGE Energy by 2,815.6% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 121,115 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $4,154,000 after purchasing an additional 116,961 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of OGE Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,965,000. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC raised its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 6.2% in the 2nd quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 391,027 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $13,960,000 after purchasing an additional 22,899 shares in the last quarter. 71.84% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Shares of OGE opened at $39.57 on Friday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $37.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.64. The company has a market cap of $7.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.09, a P/E/G ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. OGE Energy has a twelve month low of $31.25 and a twelve month high of $40.36.

OGE Energy (NYSE:OGE  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The utilities provider reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $662.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $837.51 million. OGE Energy had a net margin of 14.83% and a return on equity of 9.15%. The firms revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.44 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that OGE Energy will post 2.13 EPS for the current year.

OGE Energy Company Profile

(Get Free Report

OGE Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy services provider in the United States. The company generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric energy. In addition, it provides retail electric service to approximately 896,000 customers, which covers a service area of approximately 30,000 square miles in Oklahoma and western Arkansas; and owns and operates coal-fired, natural gas-fired, wind-powered, and solar-powered generating assets.

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Outfitter Financial LLC increased its position in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD  Free Report) by 2.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 20,470 shares of the consumer goods makers stock after acquiring an additional 470 shares during the quarter. Outfitter Financial LLCs holdings in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV were worth $1,190,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in BUD. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 15.1% during the second quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,381 shares of the consumer goods makers stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC grew its position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 50.7% during the second quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 550 shares of the consumer goods makers stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC grew its position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 1.8% during the first quarter. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC now owns 10,268 shares of the consumer goods makers stock valued at $624,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA grew its position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 1.9% in the first quarter. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA now owns 10,579 shares of the consumer goods makers stock worth $643,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 20.6% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,151 shares of the consumer goods makers stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.53% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on BUD shares. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from $70.00 to $68.50 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. UBS Group raised shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $72.13.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Stock Performance

Shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV stock traded down $0.08 on Friday, reaching $61.44. The stock had a trading volume of 702,439 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,719,976. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $60.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $61.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.63. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV has a fifty-two week low of $51.66 and a fifty-two week high of $67.49. The stock has a market cap of $110.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.10.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The consumer goods maker reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $15.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.21 billion. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV had a net margin of 9.89% and a return on equity of 21.74%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.72 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV will post 3.35 EPS for the current year.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Company Profile

(Free Report)

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV produces, distributes, exports, markets, and sells beer and beverages. It offers a portfolio of approximately 500 beer brands, which primarily include Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois; Beck's, Hoegaarden, Leffe, and Michelob Ultra; and Aguila, Antarctica, Bud Light, Brahma, Cass, Castle, Castle Lite, Cristal, Harbin, Jupiler, Modelo Especial, Quilmes, Victoria, Sedrin, and Skol brands.

Further Reading

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Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co lowered its stake in shares of L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:LHX  Free Report) by 7.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,762 shares of the companys stock after selling 139 shares during the period. Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Cos holdings in L3Harris Technologies were worth $396,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bfsg LLC purchased a new position in shares of L3Harris Technologies in the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of L3Harris Technologies in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of L3Harris Technologies by 70.4% during the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 167 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of L3Harris Technologies by 77.7% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 183 shares of the companys stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Finally, Family Firm Inc. purchased a new position in L3Harris Technologies in the second quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.76% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity at L3Harris Technologies

In other L3Harris Technologies news, VP Sean J. Stackley sold 3,354 shares of L3Harris Technologies stock in a transaction on Friday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $218.00, for a total value of $731,172.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 17,540 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,823,720. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Christopher E. Kubasik sold 26,190 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.70, for a total transaction of $5,911,083.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 120,326 shares of the companys stock, valued at $27,157,578.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Sean J. Stackley sold 3,354 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $218.00, for a total value of $731,172.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 17,540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,823,720. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 59,312 shares of company stock valued at $13,523,822. Corporate insiders own 0.82% of the companys stock.

L3Harris Technologies Stock Up 1.3 %

LHX traded up $2.99 during trading on Friday, hitting $236.67. The company had a trading volume of 698,437 shares, compared to its average volume of 963,611. The company has a market cap of $44.89 billion, a PE ratio of 38.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.74. L3Harris Technologies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $160.25 and a 1-year high of $245.60. The business has a 50-day moving average of $229.66 and a 200-day moving average of $219.79.

L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $3.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $5.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.30 billion. L3Harris Technologies had a net margin of 5.73% and a return on equity of 13.02%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.97 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that L3Harris Technologies, Inc. will post 13.04 earnings per share for the current year.

L3Harris Technologies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be issued a $1.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.96%. L3Harris Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 75.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of L3Harris Technologies from $262.00 to $260.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Susquehanna raised their price objective on L3Harris Technologies from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded L3Harris Technologies from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $250.00 to $240.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered L3Harris Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating and increased their target price for the company from $245.00 to $257.00 in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut L3Harris Technologies from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $275.00 to $257.00 in a report on Friday, August 9th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $247.08.

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L3Harris Technologies Profile

(Free Report)

L3Harris Technologies, Inc provides mission-critical solutions for government and commercial customers worldwide. The company's Integrated Mission Systems segment provides intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, passive sensing and targeting, electronic attack, autonomy, power and communications, and networks and sensors, as well as advanced combat systems for air, land, and sea sectors.

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Pinnacle Associates Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Free Report) (TSE:BMO) by 11.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 33,600 shares of the banks stock after acquiring an additional 3,400 shares during the period. Pinnacle Associates Ltd.s holdings in Bank of Montreal were worth $2,817,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System grew its position in Bank of Montreal by 12.9% during the 2nd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 42,328 shares of the banks stock worth $3,553,000 after acquiring an additional 4,825 shares during the last quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC grew its position in Bank of Montreal by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter. GoalVest Advisory LLC now owns 6,983 shares of the banks stock worth $586,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Bank of Montreal during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $80,915,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in Bank of Montreal by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 8,581 shares of the banks stock valued at $720,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its position in Bank of Montreal by 14.3% in the 2nd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 264,432 shares of the banks stock valued at $22,191,000 after buying an additional 33,078 shares during the last quarter. 45.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on BMO. Royal Bank of Canada lowered Bank of Montreal from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. StockNews.com lowered Bank of Montreal from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Bank of Montreal from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays cut their price target on Bank of Montreal from $132.00 to $126.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, TD Securities downgraded Bank of Montreal from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Bank of Montreal currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $119.75.

Bank of Montreal Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE BMO traded up $0.66 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $83.62. The company had a trading volume of 537,032 shares, compared to its average volume of 879,631. The company has a market capitalization of $60.98 billion, a PE ratio of 13.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.12. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $84.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $89.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. Bank of Montreal has a one year low of $73.98 and a one year high of $100.12.

Bank of Montreal (NYSE:BMO  Get Free Report) (TSE:BMO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 27th. The bank reported $2.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.76 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $8.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.25 billion. Bank of Montreal had a net margin of 8.25% and a return on equity of 11.60%. Bank of Montreals revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.08 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Bank of Montreal will post 7.91 EPS for the current year.

Bank of Montreal Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 30th will be issued a $1.123 dividend. This represents a $4.49 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 30th. Bank of Montreals payout ratio is 74.58%.

Bank of Montreal Company Profile

(Free Report)

Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. It operates through Canadian P&C, U.S P&C, BMO Wealth Management, and BMO Capital Markets segments. The companys personal banking products and services include deposits, mortgages, home lending, consumer credit, small business lending, credit cards, cash management, financial and investment advice, and other banking services; and commercial banking products and services comprise various of financing options and treasury and payment solutions, as well as risk management products.

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Pinnacle Associates Ltd. lowered its stake in Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB  Free Report) (TSE:ENB) by 7.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 85,239 shares of the pipeline companys stock after selling 6,452 shares during the quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd.s holdings in Enbridge were worth $3,034,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System raised its holdings in shares of Enbridge by 1.5% during the second quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 2,707,761 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $96,342,000 after acquiring an additional 39,662 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Enbridge during the second quarter valued at approximately $8,559,000. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd bought a new position in shares of Enbridge during the second quarter valued at approximately $727,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Enbridge by 1.9% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 39,439 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $1,404,000 after acquiring an additional 728 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KCM Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Enbridge by 5.9% during the second quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,094 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $324,000 after acquiring an additional 509 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 54.60% of the companys stock.

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Enbridge Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of Enbridge stock traded up $0.62 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $40.18. 4,767,545 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,393,787. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $37.30 and a 200-day moving average of $36.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.68. The company has a market cap of $85.74 billion, a PE ratio of 20.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 0.92. Enbridge Inc. has a 12 month low of $31.03 and a 12 month high of $40.32.

Enbridge Cuts Dividend

Enbridge ( NYSE:ENB Get Free Report ) (TSE:ENB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 2nd. The pipeline company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $8.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.28 billion. Enbridge had a return on equity of 10.53% and a net margin of 13.59%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.51 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Enbridge Inc. will post 2.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be issued a $0.669 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.66%. Enbridges dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 134.01%.

About Enbridge

(Free Report)

Enbridge Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy infrastructure company. The company operates through five segments: Liquids Pipelines, Gas Transmission and Midstream, Gas Distribution and Storage, Renewable Power Generation, and Energy Services. The Liquids Pipelines segment operates pipelines and related terminals to transport various grades of crude oil and other liquid hydrocarbons in Canada and the United States.

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Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT  Get Free Report) had its target price raised by investment analysts at Robert W. Baird from $205.00 to $210.00 in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the industrial products companys stock. Robert W. Bairds target price would suggest a potential upside of 2.38% from the companys previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on AIT. Loop Capital raised their target price on Applied Industrial Technologies from $215.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. StockNews.com downgraded Applied Industrial Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, August 24th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on Applied Industrial Technologies from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Finally, Northcoast Research started coverage on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research note on Monday, July 1st. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $222.50.

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Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on AIT

Applied Industrial Technologies Price Performance

AIT opened at $205.12 on Thursday. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $199.95 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $193.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 2.70 and a current ratio of 3.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.06. Applied Industrial Technologies has a 52-week low of $149.59 and a 52-week high of $223.15.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 15th. The industrial products company reported $2.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.12. Applied Industrial Technologies had a net margin of 8.36% and a return on equity of 23.69%. The business had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.35 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Applied Industrial Technologies will post 9.62 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Applied Industrial Technologies

In related news, VP Kurt W. Loring sold 3,366 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $209.02, for a total transaction of $703,561.32. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 19,315 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,037,221.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, CEO Neil A. Schrimsher sold 3,703 shares of Applied Industrial Technologies stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $202.24, for a total transaction of $748,894.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 205,708 shares in the company, valued at $41,602,385.92. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Kurt W. Loring sold 3,366 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $209.02, for a total transaction of $703,561.32. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 19,315 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,037,221.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.20% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AIT. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at about $593,000. American International Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 232.6% during the first quarter. American International Group Inc. now owns 69,901 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $13,809,000 after buying an additional 48,883 shares during the period. Hennessy Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Applied Industrial Technologies by 18.3% during the 1st quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 185,300 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $36,606,000 after acquiring an additional 28,700 shares in the last quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC increased its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 116.3% in the 4th quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC now owns 7,623 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,316,000 after acquiring an additional 4,098 shares during the period. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 24.4% in the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 34,551 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $5,967,000 after acquiring an additional 6,775 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.52% of the companys stock.

Applied Industrial Technologies Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc distributes industrial motion, power, control, and automation technology solutions in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. It operates in two segments, Service Center Based Distribution, and Engineered Solutions. The company distributes bearings, power transmission products, engineered fluid power components and systems, specialty flow control solutions, advanced automation products, industrial rubber products, linear motion components, automation solutions, tools, safety products, oilfield supplies, and other industrial and maintenance supplies; and motors, belting, drives, couplings, pumps, hydraulic and pneumatic components, filtration supplies, valves, fittings, process instrumentation, actuators, and hoses, filtration supplies, as well as other related supplies for general operational needs of customers' machinery and equipment.

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Searle & CO. lifted its stake in shares of Dover Co. (NYSE:DOV  Free Report) by 10.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,652 shares of the industrial products companys stock after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the quarter. Searle & CO.s holdings in Dover were worth $298,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. LRI Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Dover in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Dover by 4,400.0% during the 2nd quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 180 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Northwest Financial Advisors bought a new position in Dover in the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC increased its stake in Dover by 208.0% in the 1st quarter. Transcendent Capital Group LLC now owns 231 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. raised its holdings in Dover by 93.0% during the first quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 249 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the period. 84.46% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Dover

In other news, SVP Ivonne M. Cabrera sold 1,220 shares of Dover stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.00, for a total value of $225,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 47,060 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,706,100. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Dover news, CEO Richard J. Tobin sold 25,004 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $181.96, for a total value of $4,549,727.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 182,928 shares of the companys stock, valued at $33,285,578.88. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Ivonne M. Cabrera sold 1,220 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.00, for a total value of $225,700.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 47,060 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,706,100. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 30,565 shares of company stock worth $5,576,733 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock.

Dover Price Performance

Shares of DOV traded up $3.53 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $186.03. 1,631,907 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 975,561. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $180.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $177.33. Dover Co. has a 52-week low of $127.25 and a 52-week high of $192.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.53. The company has a market cap of $25.57 billion, a PE ratio of 17.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.22.

Dover (NYSE:DOV  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The industrial products company reported $2.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.15. Dover had a net margin of 17.58% and a return on equity of 24.94%. The company had revenue of $2.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.05 earnings per share. Dovers revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Dover Co. will post 9.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Dover Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.515 per share. This is a boost from Dovers previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. This represents a $2.06 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. Dovers payout ratio is presently 19.79%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho upped their price objective on Dover from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Dover from $192.00 to $193.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reissued an outperform rating and issued a $208.00 target price on shares of Dover in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $192.63.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on DOV

Dover Company Profile

(Free Report)

Dover Corporation provides equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services worldwide. The company's Engineered Products segment provides various equipment, component, software, solution, and services that are used in vehicle aftermarket, waste handling, industrial automation, aerospace and defense, industrial winch and hoist, and fluid dispensing end-market.

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Standard Bank Group Limited (OTCMKTS:SGBLY  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 22,400 shares, a decrease of 29.6% from the July 31st total of 31,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 106,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.2 days.

Standard Bank Group Price Performance

Shares of Standard Bank Group stock traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $13.57. 22,561 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 29,154. Standard Bank Group has a 1 year low of $8.69 and a 1 year high of $13.81. The business has a 50-day moving average of $12.18 and a 200-day moving average of $10.84.

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About Standard Bank Group

(Get Free Report)

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Standard Bank Group Limited provides banking and financial products and services in South Africa and internationally. It offers transactional accounts and digital banking platforms; personal and business lending solutions to enhance cash flow; finance for buying, building, and maintaining home; foreign exchange services; trusts and third-party administration accounts; workplace solutions, such as payroll and HR, financial planning, and employer value banking; merchant solutions, including point-of-sale, ecommerce, digital payments, payment processing, and small business support; and cash management services.

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Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its position in UDR, Inc. (NYSE:UDR  Free Report) by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 86,275 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after buying an additional 2,986 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltds holdings in UDR were worth $3,550,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hummer Financial Advisory Services Inc grew its position in shares of UDR by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Hummer Financial Advisory Services Inc now owns 12,057 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $451,000 after acquiring an additional 335 shares during the period. Integrity Wealth Solutions LLC raised its stake in UDR by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. Integrity Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 6,409 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $240,000 after acquiring an additional 484 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in UDR by 18.3% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 3,336 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $125,000 after acquiring an additional 515 shares during the period. Telos Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in UDR by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Telos Capital Management Inc. now owns 34,759 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,300,000 after purchasing an additional 547 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its position in UDR by 0.3% during the first quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 189,355 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $7,083,000 after purchasing an additional 551 shares during the period. 97.84% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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UDR Stock Performance

NYSE UDR opened at $44.51 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $41.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $39.04. UDR, Inc. has a twelve month low of $30.95 and a twelve month high of $44.53. The company has a market capitalization of $14.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.25, a PEG ratio of 9.49 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a quick ratio of 5.82, a current ratio of 5.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57.

UDR Dividend Announcement

UDR ( NYSE:UDR Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.08 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.61 by ($0.53). The company had revenue of $415.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $413.75 million. UDR had a net margin of 8.34% and a return on equity of 3.70%. The businesss revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.61 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that UDR, Inc. will post 2.46 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 10th were issued a $0.425 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 10th. This represents a $1.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.82%. UDRs payout ratio is 123.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at UDR

In other news, CEO Thomas W. Toomey sold 90,000 shares of UDR stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.52, for a total value of $3,556,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 849,716 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $33,580,776.32. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.73% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of UDR from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, June 17th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of UDR from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on UDR from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a report on Wednesday. Scotiabank increased their target price on UDR from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price target on UDR from $40.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, UDR presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $42.65.

Read Our Latest Report on UDR

UDR Profile

(Free Report)

UDR, Inc (NYSE: UDR), an S&P 500 company, is a leading multifamily real estate investment trust with a demonstrated performance history of delivering superior and dependable returns by successfully managing, buying, selling, developing and redeveloping attractive real estate communities in targeted U.S.

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Sage Rhino Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Terreno Realty Co. (NYSE:TRNO  Free Report) by 10.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,648 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after buying an additional 2,633 shares during the quarter. Sage Rhino Capital LLCs holdings in Terreno Realty were worth $1,695,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new position in Terreno Realty during the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Terreno Realty by 337.2% during the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 529 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. lifted its stake in Terreno Realty by 123.4% in the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 610 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 337 shares in the last quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC grew its holdings in Terreno Realty by 80.3% during the 1st quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 941 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 419 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC grew its holdings in Terreno Realty by 58.2% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,191 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $70,000 after buying an additional 438 shares during the last quarter.

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Terreno Realty Trading Up 1.5 %

Shares of Terreno Realty stock traded up $0.99 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $69.04. The stock had a trading volume of 537,197 shares, compared to its average volume of 699,351. The company has a current ratio of 2.34, a quick ratio of 2.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Terreno Realty Co. has a 1 year low of $50.42 and a 1 year high of $71.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.96, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.89. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $65.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $61.78.

Terreno Realty Increases Dividend

Insider Transactions at Terreno Realty

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.49 per share. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.84%. This is a boost from Terreno Realtys previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. Terreno Realtys payout ratio is 102.08%.

In related news, President Michael A. Coke sold 7,500 shares of Terreno Realty stock in a transaction on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.53, for a total transaction of $513,975.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 402,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,560,298.92. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, President Michael A. Coke sold 7,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.53, for a total transaction of $513,975.00. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 402,164 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $27,560,298.92. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Jaime Jackson Cannon sold 4,998 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.39, for a total transaction of $341,813.22. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 101,927 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,970,787.53. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 18,643 shares of company stock valued at $1,277,581 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 2.40% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on TRNO shares. StockNews.com downgraded Terreno Realty from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Terreno Realty from $60.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Terreno Realty in a report on Tuesday, June 4th. They set an outperform rating and a $68.00 price target for the company. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Terreno Realty from $59.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut shares of Terreno Realty from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $71.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $69.56.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on TRNO

Terreno Realty Company Profile

(Free Report)

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, DC All square feet, acres, occupancy and number of properties disclosed in these notes to the consolidated financial statements are unaudited.

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Skyline Advisors Inc. cut its stake in shares of World Kinect Co. (NYSE:WKC  Free Report) by 4.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,961 shares of the companys stock after selling 445 shares during the period. Skyline Advisors Inc.s holdings in World Kinect were worth $231,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of World Kinect during the second quarter valued at about $65,000. Legato Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of World Kinect by 19.5% during the second quarter. Legato Capital Management LLC now owns 47,454 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,224,000 after acquiring an additional 7,755 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of World Kinect by 2.0% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 754,761 shares of the companys stock valued at $19,473,000 after acquiring an additional 14,754 shares during the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of World Kinect by 1.3% in the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 30,200 shares of the companys stock valued at $779,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of World Kinect by 1,182.1% in the second quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 49,273 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,271,000 after purchasing an additional 45,430 shares in the last quarter. 97.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of World Kinect from $35.00 to $33.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $28.00.

Insider Activity at World Kinect

In other World Kinect news, Director John L. Manley sold 16,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.28, for a total value of $452,480.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 49,614 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,403,083.92. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other World Kinect news, CEO Michael J. Kasbar sold 58,948 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.92, for a total value of $1,645,828.16. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,019,063 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,452,238.96. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director John L. Manley sold 16,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.28, for a total transaction of $452,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 49,614 shares in the company, valued at $1,403,083.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

World Kinect Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of WKC stock traded up $0.21 during trading on Friday, reaching $28.79. The companys stock had a trading volume of 809,410 shares, compared to its average volume of 556,289. The company has a market capitalization of $1.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.24. World Kinect Co. has a 1-year low of $17.69 and a 1-year high of $28.88. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $26.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $25.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

World Kinect (NYSE:WKC  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $10.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.98 billion. World Kinect had a net margin of 0.29% and a return on equity of 6.26%. World Kinects revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.48 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that World Kinect Co. will post 2.16 EPS for the current year.

World Kinect Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 16th. Investors of record on Monday, June 17th were paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 17th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.36%. World Kinects payout ratio is 73.12%.

World Kinect Profile

(Free Report)

World Kinect Corporation operates as an energy management company in the United States, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. This segment also offers fuel management, price risk management, ground handling, dispatch services, and trip planning services, such as flight planning and scheduling, weather reports and overflight permits; payment and processing services; and operates a web-based marketplace platform.

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The government is failing miserably to get to grips with the GP crisis as new figures from doctors organisation, the Irish College of GPs (ICGP) shows there has been a reduction in the numbers operating in Louth, according to Sinn Fein TD Ruairi O Murchu.

In a new study published last week, ICGP showed how there are 106 GPs available in Louth in 2023, a reduction of 2.8% from the previous years figure of 109. That equates to one GP per 76 GPs per 100,000 people and shows that doctor numbers are not growing fast enough to meet demand.

The worst place in the State for GP numbers is Meath, with 54 per 100,000 population, while the best places were Galway and Waterford, with 102 GPs in each county per 100,000 people. The World Health Organisation says an adequate number of GPs per 100,000 population is 100.

The Louth TD said the report showed a worrying trend in Louth, with a reduction in the number of doctors. He said he had raised the issue of the lack of availability of GPs a number of times in Leinster House.

Deputy O Murchu said: The government is failing miserably on this issue. I have seen in it my constituency office where people come to us looking for help in getting a GP in the Dundalk area. They have tried eight, ten places and are told they are not taking any new patients on.

Its particularly difficult for private patients, or those without a medical card, because those who qualify for a medical card will be allocated a GP by the HSE when they are approved for the GMS scheme.

The government needs to get its act together and ensure there is proper workforce planning so that there is an increase in GP numbers. They also need to focus on the fact that the private practice model of doctors surgeries is not working in modern Ireland and the solution will involve greater State intervention.
A Cork couple who first met in Australia enjoyed their wedding ceremony recently in the Algarve, overlooking the ocean.

Karen Cronin, from Glanmire, is a beauty therapist and works in The Pamper Pot in Ballincollig. Kieran Lehane is from Urhan in West Cork and works in construction.

Bride Karen recalled how they first met.

We met in Australia in 2011 as friends. I moved home in 2013. Kieran was visiting home in 2018 and we went on a few dates, he then decided to up and leave Australia for us to give our relationship a go, and the rest is history.

The couple at their wedding reception at The Grande Real Santa Eulalia in the Algarve.

We moved into our new house in Knockraha just over a year ago. We got engaged on May 14, 2023 (the day we moved into the house).

A lot has happened in a year, with moving in, the engagement, and getting married in Portugal.

They were wed on May 23, in the Algarve, just ten minutes outside Albufeira in The Grande Real Santa Eulalia.

Our ceremony was on the hotel grounds overlooking the ocean. We had 93 guests attend, said Karen.

The wedding party, Ali Cronin (Maid of Honour and sister) Jen Cronin (sister) Sarah Reid (best friend), Stephen McCarthy ( best man), Ian Harrington ( groomsman), and John Lehane (groomsman).

They used wedding planners Carolina and Catarina of @bloom__eventplanner

The brides dress was from White and Gold Bridal boutique in Kinsale, while Kierans suit and the groomsmens suits were from Simply Suits (Kinsale Road, Cork).

The couple were joined by almost 100 family and friends, who travelled from home to celebrate their wedding day abroad.

Key family members in attendance were Karens parents, Denis and Joan, her sisters and bridesmaids, Ali, Jen, Sarah, and her brother Kevin and all of their partners. Her aunts, uncles, cousins, and very close friends also joined in the special day.

Bride Karen Cronin with her bridal party, Ali Cronin (Maid of Honour and sister) Jen Cronin (bridesmaid and sister), and Sarah Reid.

Kierans mother, Eileen, his siblings Patrick, John, Martin, Vince, Caroline, Carmel, Claire, and Mary, and all their partners were also present, as well as nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and close friends. Kierans groomsmen were Stephen, Ian and John.

Karen said: The ceremony was absolutely beautiful, it was on a balcony below the hotel overlooking the ocean. We also had our drinks reception here.

The dinner/speeches were on the waterfront/beach, we were covered over by stunning fairy lights. It was like a fairytale and the full moon came out for us that night.

We partied into the early hours of the morning. We had the most talented band called Six Irish Men (they are six Portuguese men that play/sing a lot of Irish music), they are super-talented! They had the dance floor rocking all night long.

The couple at their wedding reception.

Their first dance was to Dolly Parton/Kenny Rodgers Islands In The Stream.

The most memorable thing about our wedding day is being surrounded by our closest friends and family and the effort they all made to be with us abroad for our special day. We had the best wedding thanks to all of them, said Karen.
Actress Saoirse Ronan is seeking permission to demolish and rebuild her waterfront home in West Cork.

An application was originally submitted to Cork County Council earlier this month by Ms Ronans production company, but was marked as incomplete due to a request for further information made by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Slaney Production ULC, which has an address in Dublin, where Ms Ronan acts as a director, re-submitted the application to the council earlier this week.

The newlywed celebrity is seeking to demolish the existing 125 sq metres house in Foilnamuck, Ballydehob, and to further construct a replacement single-storey three-bedroomed house to the size of 332 sq metres.

The Irish-American actress, star of Brooklyn, Little Women, and Lady Bird, married actor Jack Lowden in a ceremony in Scotland last month.

The plans will also see the relocation of the existing access and private laneway from the north of the site to the north-west for improved sightlines.

Further included in the plans is hard and soft landscaping, boundary treatment, and all associated site development works above and below ground.

The development will also be connected to a new wastewater treatment system that has been granted permission in accordance with Cork County Council regulations, but has not yet been implemented.

The charming stone cottage is situated near the waters edge of Roaringwater Bay, and is accompanied by an external guesthouse, which is not included in the demolition plans submitted to the local authority.

Ms Ronan purchased the home in West Cork in 2020, following the sale of her Greystones estate in Wicklow for 1.6m in 2019.

Cork County Council is due to make a decision on the application by November 21.
Fourteen people from throughout Cork and Kerry travelled with relatives yesterday on a bus bound for Northern Ireland to get life transforming treatment to save their eyesight.

The trip comes before the September 1 deadline when a reduced reimbursement under the Cross Border Health scheme comes into effect.

On Sunday, a reimbursement of 1,173, rather than the 1,950 up to now, will be available to those availing of the scheme because of a determination by Health Pricing Office that the price for this operation has reduced generally.

Mary O'Callaghan, Youghal making the trip with her son John, at Bishopstown, Cork. Pic Larry Cummins

However, Michael Collins, the Cork South West TD and Independent Ireland leader who has organised 165 trips for the treatment since 2017 has received no indication that the private hospital in Belfast to which he has been bringing patients will be reducing its prices.

Speaking after the bus had left  it was actually heading for Derry as the Belfast hospital it normally goes to, the Kingsbridge, has a sister hospital in that city, Mr Collins said that this was the tenth trip he had organised in the past two weeks in advance of the deadline.

Why should people here in Cork have to wait for up to four or five years to get it [the operation] carried out?

In the absence of the service locally, they have to travel to Belfast and get the treatment there and get reimbursed but now the reimbursement is being reduced  it will cost them 1,700 extra to get the cataracts done on both eyes as a result, he claimed.

Mary O'Regan with her father Patrick O'Regan making the trip to Derry.Pic Larry Cummins

Vera Murphy from Clonakilty was travelling on the bus to get a second eye done, having had the first eye operated on last year. I did have a seriously ill husband and we buried him two weeks ago, that was hard but all this was made easier for me, she said, expressing her thanks to the Cork South West TD.

Wed be lost without our sight, when youre getting older, you need someone to help with organising this, she said.

May Cummins from The Lough was also on the bus and she told The Echo that she had had one eye done and was looking to get the other eye done before the current reimbursement ran out. Im very angry, there are many people who havent got the money, why should they suffer?

A lot of people are going to lose their sight because of this.

Denis Hegarty accompanying his father Denis Hegary (snr), from Glanmire, Co Cork. Pic Larry Cummins

Denis Hegarty from Glanmire was travelling with his son. He was hopeful that hed be going back soon to get the second eye done while Patrick ORegan from Youghal was anxious to get the operation so he could enjoy going to hurling matches again. Sean O'Regan from Goleen said that all he could see at present was a blur and that he would be going to Belfast in a few weeks to get the second cataract operation.
A Cork woman is marking the loss of two family members in infancy by taking on a charity swim.

Orlagh Patterson, who is raising funds for the LauraLynn foundation, plans to undertake a 1.8km swim around Sandycove Island on the western entrance to Kinsale Harbour on September 6.

The LauraLynn foundation is Irelands only childrens hospice that provides palliative care to children and their families living with life-altering conditions.

Ms Patterson is undertaking the fundraising event to mark the anniversary of the death of her twin brother, who died just one day after they were born, and the death of her nieces son, who died five days after his birth in December, 2022.

The Grattan Street native said: I wanted to mark the death of my twin brother Michael Vincent Cassidy on the 50th anniversary of his death, a day after what should have been our 50th birthday celebrations.

We were due to be born in November, 1974, but were delivered prematurely at just 26 weeks. Both the hospital and my mother thought it was a single pregnancy and no-one knew she was actually pregnant with twins.

In those days, there were very few support services and my mother in particular had to cope with a traumatic birth, a premature baby who remained in hospital for another 14 weeks, and the loss of her son as best she could, she added.

Ms Patterson said her family was once again starkly reminded of the devastation this kind of loss can cause when her nieces son, Liam, died at just five days old in December, 2022.

I knew I wanted to do something to mark both deaths and I asked my niece what organisation gave her and her family the most support after their loss, and she said the LauraLynn.

They are still helping her and her family now. My mom didnt have that support when she lost her son, she added.

I really hope people can get behind me and support this worthy cause while remembering my brother Micheal and my nieces son Liam.

To support Ms Pattersons charity swim, make a donation via the iDonate page: https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/OrlaghPatterson
A man in his 20s is due to appear in court at noon today, charged in connection with an incident on the northside of Cork city last Friday.

Gardai were investigating an incident of criminal damage at a property in Shanakiel and a subsequent road traffic collision on the Churchfield Road last Friday - August 23.

A pedestrian aged in his 60s was taken to hospital in serious condition following this incident.

During the week, gardai arrested a man in his 20s, who was detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939.

He has now been charged in connection with this incident, and is expected to appear before a special sitting of Cork City District Court at 12pm today.

Gardai say investigations are ongoing.

Gardai can be contacted at Gurranabraher Garda Station on 021 494 6200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
A 23-year-old man has appeared before Cork District Court charged in connection with a number of serious incidents which occurred on the northside of the city on the same day earlier this month.

Jamie Russell formerly of Harbour View Road in Knocknaheeny, Cork city, is charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, dangerous driving causing injury and driving without insurance or a drivers licence.

He also faces charges of theft and unauthorised taking of a vehicle, hit and run and criminal damage. All of the alleged offences occurred on August 23 last.

Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was given by Det Garda Mick Dolan. He told Judge John King that at 10.41pm last night (Friday) at Gurranabraher Garda Station he charged Mr Russell with ten offences. He said that the defendant made no reply when the charges were put to him under caution.

DPP directions are awaited in the case. Inspector Dave Noonan said that there was no objection to bail in the case. However, no application was made for bail at this juncture.

Barrister Mahon Corkery made an application for legal aid for his client. It was granted as Mr Russell is on social welfare. Judge King remanded Mr Russell in custody to appear before Cork District Court again on September 6 next by video link.

No outline of the facts of the case were given at this juncture.
Gordon Deegan

The numbers suspected to have cheated in this years Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied has almost doubled to 114 students.

This follows the State Examinations Commission (SEC) revealing that 71 Leaving Cert students found to be cheating in this year's State exams have had their results permanently withheld by the SEC.

The new figures provided by the SEC show that along with the 71 exam results from the Leaving Cert/Leaving Cert Applied permanently withheld, the SEC has confirmed that it has provisionally withheld an additional 43 Leaving Cert results, on a without prejudice basis, pending further communication with the schools and candidates concerned.

The combined 114 figure is a 90 per cent increase on the 60 suspected to have cheated at this time last year in the Leaving Cert where 39 students had their exam results permanently withheld with an additional 21 Leaving Cert results withheld, on a without prejudice basis, pending further communication with the schools and candidates.

A spokeswoman for the SEC said on Friday: The SEC would strongly caution any student that might be tempted to cheat that serious consequences can result.

She said: They could lose marks or the full result in a subject; they could lose the results of the entire examination; or they could be debarred from entering for any of the State examinations for a specified period.

On the 71 exam results permanently withheld, the SEC spokeswoman said: This includes full results withheld, or marks withheld, from candidates found to be in breach of the SEC's examinations regulations. A decision to withhold a result or marks is open to appeal.

The spokeswoman said: Due to the small number of candidates involved, for privacy reasons, we do not provide any regional or gender breakdown.

The combined 114 students found to be, or suspected to be, in breach of SEC exam regulations this year is a tiny fraction of the 60,839 candidates who received their Leaving Certificate results last week.

The SEC spokeswoman explained: "The most common penalty applied is the withholding of the result in the subject in question. Where a more serious breach of the regulations occurs such as copying in more than one subject, withholding of all results and/or debarring from repeating the examination may be applied."

Evidence

She stated: Any incidence of suspected copying, improper assistance from another party, plagiarism or procurement of pieces prepared by another party are thoroughly investigated by the SEC and the candidate is liable to have penalties imposed as provided for in the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools."

Cases of suspected cheating can come to light in a number of ways, according to the SEC.

These include where an examiner may detect similar work from more than one candidate when correcting work from the same centre or while marking an examination script, an examiner may discover a memorandum, notes or paper brought in by a candidate in an attempt to gain an advantage in the examination.

The SEC spokeswoman said: The principles of natural justice are applied when following up such cases. Details of the evidence available, such as superintendents reports, confiscated material or items, notes or work prepared that exhibits evidence of collusion, is given to the candidate through his/her school.

The candidate is invited to offer a response to the evidence presented and the school authorities are also free to offer comment if they consider it appropriate. The final decision is communicated in writing to the candidate again via his/her school. A decision to withhold a result is open to appeal.

She added: While every effort is made to conclude an investigation prior to the issue of the examination results, it is not always possible to do so. In these circumstances results are withheld on a without prejudice basis pending further communication with the schools and candidates concerned.

"In the interest of being fair to all candidates, the SEC must be satisfied that marks awarded have been gained fairly and will investigate any suggestion, suspicion or allegation of cheating or other impropriety in relation to the examinations.

This is essential in order to uphold the integrity of the Irish State examinations system and to underpin equity and fairness within the system in order to enable all candidates to display their achievements on an equal footing.
By David Young, Cillian Sherlock and Grainne Ni Aodha, PA

Thousands of protesters have heard calls for Ireland to introduce immediate sanctions on Israel as a major demonstration took place in Dublin.

Crowds of activists made their way across the city and assembled outside the Dail on Saturday afternoon for the rally organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

The event, billed as a National Demonstration for Palestine, took place a day after Taoiseach Simon Harris revealed that he had sought legal advice around continued trade with Israel.

 Look at the view from the stage at our huge National Demonstration for Palestine today. The streets are with Palestine! #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/4Yx3Ny17KE  IPSC (@ipsc48) August 31, 2024

Mr Harris acknowledged that international trade policy is an EU competency, but he said he wanted fresh legal advice from Attorney General Rossa Fanning in light of a recent ruling by the International Court of Justice.

In July, the UNs top court declared Israels presence in the occupied Palestinian territories unlawful and called for settlement construction to stop immediately.

Mr Harris said every lever must be pulled to maximise pressure on the Israeli government to stop the violence in Gaza.

The leaders of Irelands three coalition parties decided on Thursday that the state would not procure any further defence or military equipment and contracts from Israel.

Under EU treaties and common commercial policy, the European Commission represents Ireland and all other member states in international trade negotiations.

Attorney General Rossa Fanning (Damien Storan/PA)

However, Mr Harris said the decision around suspending imports of defence equipment is legally possible under the context of the ICJ ruling.

He added that he was seeking advice from Mr Fanning on whether the rulings had any implications for other areas of trade with Israel.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transport continues to engage with an airline at the centre of reports that multiple flights carrying ammunition and explosives to Israel had passed through Irish airspace.

It is prohibited to transport munitions of war on civil aircraft across Irish airspace without an exemption from the Minister for Transport.

Saturdays rally in Dublin heard demands for more government action against Israel.

IPSC chairwoman Zoe Lawlor spoke of the toll suffered by children in Gaza.

The horrific figure of 40,000 dead includes almost 17,000 children, 33% of all fatalities, meaning that 1.5% of all children in Gaza are now dead, she said.

Over 20,000 children are estimated to be lost, disappeared, detained, buried under rubble or in mass graves, 34,000 children have been wounded, 17,000 have been orphaned.

Eight hundred thousand traumatised and damaged children are in desperate need of psychological help, 620,000 children have been denied their right to education, while creches, schools, universities and hospitals have been obliterated.

Children are one of the most at-risk demographics when it comes to the dangers posed by disease, famine and thirst, all of which are rampant in Gaza.

With 7% of Gazas children now murdered, lost or wounded, its clear that children are deliberate targets of apartheid Israels genocidal onslaught.

Saturdays event was organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC/PA)

The Israeli embassy in Ireland has criticised Mr Harriss comments about the EU trade agreement.

In a statement, the embassy said: We keep following statements and actions taken by the Irish Government which will achieve nothing but souring further the two countries bilateral relations.

We follow with dismay the continued rise in anti-Israeli rhetoric and actions bordering vilification of Israel.

This tragic war was launched by Hamas and is being perpetuated by Hamas, which still holds in captivity over a hundred Israelis while at the same time abusing its own population.

Israel is facing an enemy committed to its annihilation. Its unfortunate that the Irish Government prefers to ignore basic realities.

In its fight against terror orchestrated by Iran, Israel is committed to international law and the rules of war, while fighting a genocidal enemy.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Construction of the Gemini solar project on federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management in Clark County, Nevada on Jan. 24, 2023. Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The Biden-Harris administration announced on Thursday the finalization of a plan for solar energy expansion on federal lands in the Western states of Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

As part of President Joe Bidens Investing in America agenda and a wider plan to decarbonize the power sector and fight climate change, the administration is accelerating project approvals for wind and solar farms and power transmission.

Weve been really pushing ourselves to use our executive authority wherever possible to improve the federal permitting process, said Natalie Quillian, White House deputy chief of staff, in an interview, as Reuters reported.

The administration announced two new actions to help build more projects faster, a press release from The White House said.

The first is a roadmap, announced by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), to support the expansion of solar energy by improving siting and permitting processes on public lands, making them more efficient. It will steer projects toward areas with low land and wildlife conflicts and high solar potential, lessening burdens on solar developers.

BLM will make more than 31 million public lands acres available in the 11 western states for solar development to deliver green energy to millions of residences.

The second action involves the conditional approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of a new rule to allow offsets creating clean air credits in Arizonas Maricopa County.

Companies with vehicle fleets can now generate credits by replacing or retrofitting diesel-burning vehicles with electric vehicles. Manufacturers or other new emitters can then purchase those credits to balance out their future emissions. This will allow the county, which is now a center of semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S., to continue to build semiconductor fabs essential to our nations future and ensure that residents continue to have clean air, the press release said.

The EPA must approve state pollution reduction plans in Maricopa County  home to Arizonas capital Phoenix  and other areas due to their elevated ozone emissions, reported Reuters.

The White House said Maricopa County has attracted investments associated with federal incentives from chip manufacturers. The credits will help companies like Taiwans TSMC and Intel get started.

The time it takes to complete an environmental review has already been shortened, and the Biden-Harris administration said the new plan will further streamline the process.

The Biden-Harris Administration has cut 6 months off the median time it takes for agencies to complete environmental impact statements, the most comprehensive form of environmental review, representing 16% in time savings compared to the previous Administration and we are continuing to make more improvements, the White House said.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

The striking and social lemur is native to Madagascar. Primarily herbivores, these wooly primates spend most of their time high up in tree branches eating fruit, leaves, bark, insects and other foods; resting; and raising their young.

A new study has found that lemurs use social cues, smell and long-term memory to find hidden fruit  strategies that may have long-established evolutionary roots.

Our study provides evidence that lemurs can integrate sensory information with ecological and social knowledge, which demonstrates their ability to consider multiple aspects of a problem, said Elena Cunningham, the studys lead author who is an anthropologist and New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry professor of molecular pathobiology, in a press release from NYU.

Animals rely on a combination of their senses and social and environmental knowledge in locating food and water.

Historically, there have been two schools of thought on why primates developed bigger brains: ecological pressures, such as needing to find scarce fruit in the forest, and the social pressures of living in a group where everyone is trying to outsmart one another, Cunningham said in the press release. I have long been interested in the interplay between social and ecological factors when it comes to cognition  it seems like a given that these would have evolved in relation to each other.

Cunningham visited the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Florida  a reserve dedicated to protecting and researching the primates  to get a better understanding of how they integrate these factors to locate food.

Several lemur species live at the foundation, including brown lemurs, who eat mostly fruit and have a much keener sense of smell than humans.

All of the lemurs come from the same genus  Eulemur  which are sometimes referred to as brown lemurs. Individuals came from four Eulemur species: mongoose lemurs, collared brown lemurs, common brown lemurs, and Sanfords brown lemurs. In nature the species associate with each other and can hybridize  these lemurs are known for behavioral flexibility, Cunnngham told EcoWatch in an email. In some species females are consistently dominant to males and in other species dominance between males and females is not consistent: males are dominant in some groups and in other groups females are dominant. We also had some mixed-species groups.

The researchers conducted experiments with pairs of brown lemurs and groups of three in which they hid pieces of cantaloupe inside cardboard takeout containers, then placed both empty and fruit-filled containers in the primates environments. They observed how the lemurs investigated then opened the containers, making note of their interactions.

A mongoose lemur looks for food in a takeout container at the Lemur Conservation Foundation. Elena Cunningham / New York University

In a competitive situation, smell is not the fastest way if you know where the food is. Even going quickly from one container to the other would be faster, Cunningham told EcoWatch.

Even though the empty containers outnumbered those containing cantaloupe, the lemurs did not have much trouble finding the fruit, with several factors seeming to be working together to achieve this.

The lemurs are constantly watching each other. When they see another lemur approach a baited container, or open a container or eat cantaloupe, they go there, Cunningham said.

The lemurs were quick to learn which of the containers had food inside, and were able to remember the location of those that held fruit days, weeks and months later. They approached fruit-filled containers with an accuracy of roughly 50 percent higher than chance, and opened the containers with cantaloupe in them 98 percent of the time, suggesting they used their keen sense of smell to find the fruit at close range.

The first five trials were conducted after delays of two hours or one day. Their performance improved as they learned the locations of the baited containers. Then we increased the time between each trial: 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days, 14 days. We also waited one, two, and four months between trials. The lemurs performance never got worse, no matter how long the delay, Cunningham explained.

Elena Cunningham / New York University

The researchers observed that social factors influenced the individual strategies the lemurs used to find the fruit. Some more egalitarian groups willingly shared their information and melon. In others that were more hierarchical, dominant members of the group took advantage of subordinates who discovered cantaloupe by helping themselves to the found fruit. The subordinates, who were more likely to discover the fruit, sometimes put their finders advantage to use by eating more of the melon.

In egalitarian groups both lemurs may get a piece of cantaloupe (there were two pieces in each container). In hierarchical groups the dominant lemurs displace the subordinates at the containers, Cunningham told EcoWatch. There was a lot of variation in the behavior of individual dominant and subordinate individuals. Some dominants mostly followed subordinates and displaced them. Some dominants wanted to eat all the cantaloupe and found their own containers and displaced subordinates at baited containers. Subordinates had interesting strategies. Some always entered the enclosure first so they could eat as much cantaloupe as possible before the dominant lemur entered. On one occasion a subordinate threw cantaloupe on the ground when he saw the dominant approaching and got the cantaloupe later. Other subordinates rarely approached baited containers and ate very little cantaloupe.

The study, Brown Lemur (Eulemur spp.) Use of Olfaction, Memory, and Social Strategies to Obtain Cantaloupe, was published in the International Journal of Primatology.

What our study shows is that these three factors are all operating at the same time  the lemurs have memories of where the food is and they are considering olfactory information and social factors, Cunningham said in the press release. We still have much to learn about how this interplay and the evolution of cognition, but its important to look at these factors not in isolation, but in conversation.

Could the results of the study be used to improve the conservation of lemurs and their habitat?

Most important for the conservation of lemurs is protecting their habitats and not hunting them or capturing them to sell as pets or for use in biomedical research. But, the results of the study could inform reintroduction projects and provide ideas for enriching the lives of lemurs in captivity. I hope that understanding the complexity of lemur thinking may give lemurs more intrinsic value in the minds of humans and lead to greater consideration of their welfare, Cunningham told EcoWatch.

How are lemur populations faring in the face of habitat destruction, hunting and climate change?

All lemur species are in decline  so the time to protect them is now. In terms of the specific species in the study, the IUCN Red List categorizes common brown lemurs as vulnerable, Sanfords and collared lemurs as endangered, and mongoose lemurs as critically endangered (the next category is extinct in the wild), Cunningham said.

What can people do to help protect lemurs and ensure their populations survive and hopefully thrive in the future?

There is so much people can do! People should lower their carbon footprints. One powerful way is by reducing the amount of meat and dairy we eat. People should shop sustainably. They should buy wood products that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Cunningham told EcoWatch. They should never click on cute photos of primates who seem to be pets  primates are being hunted for internet content. Primates should never be pets and legislation has been introduced to outlaw private pet ownership: write to your representatives to support the Primate Captive Safety Act. Donate to the Lemur Conservation Foundation and other conservation organizations in the future.
(Photo: INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION/NASA)Astronaut Tracy Dyson

Two NASA astronauts on the International Space Station are members of the same Texan church and have joined services and prayer meetings online from their delayed stay deep in outer space.

Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Tracy Dyson, both attend the Providence Baptist Church in Pasadena, have even given the congregation a virtual tour of the space station while in space, the Church Times reported on Aug. 30.

Wilmore is an elder in the church, and had his original eight-day space mission unexpectedly extended by up to eight months due to technical glitches with the first flight of the Boeing Starliner capsule.

The church's pastor, Tommy Dahn, told the Church Times this week that Wilmore's faith supports him during the "unplanned" sojourn, and that "he ministers to us" by making support calls from the space station to the congregation.

About 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Johnson Space Center, their Houston-area church takes a moment during midweek Bible studies and Sunday evening services to pray for the two absent members, The Associated Press reported on Aug. 4.

There's no way on Earth for astronauts Wilmore and Dyson to appear at Providence Baptist Church as they orbit the planet.

Before the inaugural flight of the Starliner in June, Wilmore told reporters: "Our families have been a part of this from the beginning. . . As far as preparing them, they're prepared. We trust in sovereign God. Whatever the plan is, we're ready for it, whatever that might be."

The space capsule had helium leaks and thrusters that stopped working on the initial leg of its first crewed test flight to the ISS.

The fate of the two astronauts, Wilmore and Suni Williams, had remained uncertain for weeks until NASA announced at the weekend that a Space X capsule had offered them a lift back to Earth next February.

Dyson, who had always been scheduled for a six-month stay on the ISS, is expected to return to Earth in September.

Wilmore is a Navy test pilot who has previously been on long missions in space.

Dyson had always been prepared to spend six months on the ISS, and remains there until September.

The families of both astronauts are also part of the congregation.
China's development insights inspire young people from Africa

Xinhua) 13:19, August 31, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Amr Wahba, 31, loves the weather in southern China, calling it "warm and pleasant" compared to the climate in his hometown in Egypt.

Since arriving in Beijing to pursue doctoral study in pharmaceutical science at Tsinghua University last year, Wahba has traveled to various places in China, including Hangzhou city in the Yangtze Delta, where he celebrated the Spring Festival. His most recent trip to Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in August marked his first journey to a northern region outside the Chinese capital.

Wahba's travel opportunity came through the Tsinghua Global Youth Dialogue (TGYD), an intercultural initiative established by Tsinghua in 2023. TGYD invites young people from around the world to participate in tours and forums in China, fostering mutual understanding, promoting cooperation and encouraging engagement in addressing global challenges.

The main forum of the second TGYD took place on Aug. 29 and 30 at the Tsinghua campus, featuring two days of keynote speeches and discussions after the participants completed their tours to different parts of China earlier in the month.

Beginning their journey with a four-day visit to Shanghai on Aug. 19, 100 young participants, which include students, researchers and entrepreneurs from 35 countries, were later divided into three groups to explore southwestern province of Guizhou, eastern province of Zhejiang, and Inner Mongolia in the north.

In Inner Mongolia, Wahba was inspired by the solutions to desertification in Ordos, a city with approximately one-sixth of China's proven coal reserves, which, however, is shifting towards green economic development. He said it reminded him of similar efforts in Egypt, where over 90 percent of the land is desert.

"When they are changing the desert to become more green, they are thinking about adding more traditional medicine," he said, referring to the various herbs planted to combat sand encroachment, including some placed beneath solar panels in the desert.

Wahba, whose brother works in Egypt's new energy sector and is eager to explore potential collaboration with China, finally saw the widely used photovoltaic equipment he had heard about before.

According to statistics from the Ordos government, the value added in the city's wind and photovoltaic equipment manufacturing sectors experienced a 5.6-fold increase year on year in the first half of this year.

"Transferring the technology (related to new energy) will be very helpful for us," Wahba said, adding that the trip to Inner Mongolia served as a very useful experience for him.

According to Zhang Runzhou, deputy director of the Center for Global Competence Development at Tsinghua University, the TGYD tours have allowed young people to witness firsthand China's efforts in poverty alleviation, building a harmonious society and advancing green development.

Jenipher Asiimwe, a master's student majoring in film and television production at the Communication University of China, echoed Zhang's views. She said she was deeply impressed by her tour to Zhejiang, a province that was once part of ancient China's fertile Jiangnan region and is now a major innovation powerhouse.

Asiimwe, who hails from Uganda and has worked as a journalist in Africa for many years, highlighted the inclusiveness of innovation and the abundant opportunities for young people that she observed during her visits to science parks, technology companies, ancient towns, and a prosperous village known for its economic development success.

"Instead of looking for white-collar jobs, which is one of the norms of most African youth, what I've learned from here is that after graduating from university, you don't need to be employed by someone, you can create your own company and employ fellow youths in those companies," she said.

Asiimwe noted that she expects to see more cooperation between China and Africa, not just in infrastructure -- where Ugandans have already benefited from several projects -- but also in the digital economy, media and communication, and people-to-people exchanges.

"Let more young people come and experience what the real China is. I've already experienced it and now know the real China, not what we read on the internet," she said.

"Civilization flourishes through exchange and mutual learning," said Shi Zongkai, deputy chairperson of the University Council of Tsinghua University, at the opening ceremony of the TGYD main forum.

"We aim to create a global network for youth cooperation and communication, a community encouraging more profound interactions and collaborations and leading to a safer, more prosperous, and peaceful coexistence for humanity," he added.

For Hashim Amir Bashir, a 25-year-old Nigerian graduate of Beijing-based Beihang University, the significance of such an exchange opportunity is "huge" because it gives an opportunity to sit together, talk, and realize that people from across the world can work collaboratively.

This year, Bashir launched his business in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) with Chinese partners. During his visits to Shanghai and Zhejiang, the young entrepreneur felt "excited" and "motivated" by visiting technology companies, which deepened his understanding of entrepreneurship in China.

"It also proved to me that China is willing to help international people to come and start up their businesses, and also help them at the same time to connect with the rest of the world," he said.

Bashir plans to encourage more African youth to work and engage in entrepreneurship in China. He said he hopes that the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, scheduled for Sept. 4 to 6, will foster greater consensus on cooperation, including increased people-to-people exchanges.

He noted that Africa is one of China's key partners and vice versa, expressing optimism about achieving significant milestones and enhancing their relationship in the future.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
In its last edition, the News of the World, rocked by shameful scandals, had this headline: Thank you & Goodbye.

I will explain as you go through the piece why the directors and owners of one of the leading newspapers in the world, dubbed King of Sunday tabloids decided to close it. Those who have been around, seen that and done that; have a mammoth task to share wisdom and insights with souls needed for the future.We have to impart knowledge to the young ones so that they do not go astray during perilous times.

I mentioned last week that we needed to understand the attitudes of some of the great and democratic States towards journalists. Oftentimes, States, of course, I agree, do harass journalists, and the Committee to Protect Journalists compile annual reports on injured and killed scribes. The United Nations, rightfully so, condemn the harassment of journalists in the strongest possible terms. Developed and democratic States like the USA, UK and France, at some point, had to deal with their journalists.

Before I delve into this subject, I have a brief story to tell.In 2017, I, and then editor of the Times SUNDAY were taken to the High Court of Eswatini where we were interdicted from publishing what was referred to as top secrets for the exclusive attention for the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). I recalled a prior boardroom meeting with the police executives, with Deputy Commissioner Sula Dlamini, in attendance as well, trying to explain why it would jeopardise national security to publish such a sensitive story.

I told them I am going to write the story. In fact, I had written the story. Police did not hesitate as they took me to court where I was cited as Respondent No.2. The High Court ruled in favour of the police. It meant we had been barred from publishing the story. I cannot disclose the moral of the story because the interdict is still valid. Basically, I did not understand why the international community was silent on the issue. In his Facebook post of January 13, 2017, Wander Mkhonza, a senior union executive, praised us for standing for what we believed in, and I was humbled by that post.

My encounter with the police reminds me of Julian Paul Assange, an Australian editor, publisher and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006. Assanges case may be different from mine as he was dealt with by the Department of Justice in the United States. He was arrested at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in 2019 after he had taken refuge there in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault case that was later dropped. He felt the case in Sweden was a carefully calculated ploy to get him extradited to the United States to face an espionage case  a conspiracy case related to one of the largest ever leaks of government secrets.

The USs Department of Justice alleged that he conspired with former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to download classified databases.He faced up to five years in US prison if convicted on the charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion. On June 24, 2024, Assange was released from the London prison on bail and boarded a flight to a US territory in the Pacific to formalise a plea deal. On June 25, 2024, the editor formally pleaded guilty to one count of breaching the Espionage Act and in return is allowed to walk free and return to his native Australia.

The journalists stay at the Embassy was equated to a prison term and the only hurdle for him now is his detention record which will obstruct his travel around the world. Established in 1843, the News of the World, which was published every Sunday in the United Kingdom, decided to shut down in 2011 after it had to endure a mountain of journalistic embarrassments. It was the world's highest-selling English-language newspaper. It still had one of the highest English-language circulations in the world at closure. Established as a broadsheet by John Browne Bell who identified crime, sensation and vice as the themes that would sell most copies, the News of the World was dogged by scandals that ruined its 160 years of history.

I was one of its ardent readers. Its closure came amid a major scandal over phone-hacking, juicy fabrications and alleged payments to police officers.Due to public, market and Parliament pressure, former Prime Minister David Cameron called for inquiries into the News of the World's behaviour. I must point to the fact that jurisdictions deal with their journalists differently. To me, I thought the phone-hacking case was illegal and pardonable, but the directors of the newspaper felt they had to close the paper since advertisers were refusing to do business with them. The tabloid was under intense pressure after reports had emerged that it had hacked into the cell phone of missing 13-year-old Milly Dowler in 2002.

It deleted messages and gave her parents and police false hope that the girl was still alive. Sadly, Milly had been abducted and murdered. The search for the little one had transfixed Britain at that time. On November 3, 2011, Metropolitan Police reported that they had identified 5 795 victims of the phone hacking who included politicians, celebrities and members of the British royal family. The News of the World would get a story from a two-man conversation. This created mistrust among people as they began to accuse one another of leaking sensitive information. The hacking almost divided the British royal family.

Police had to take action against the journalists who were responsible for the phone hacking. They were arrested.Clive Goodman is an English journalist, former royal editor and reporter for the News of the World who was arrested in August 2006. Goodman was jailed in January 2007 for intercepting mobile phone messages involving members of the Royal household. Other journalists from the defunct newspapers who were arrested by the UK police included Andy Coulson, Bob Bird, Neville Thurlbeck, Ian Edmondson, Nick Parker, James Weatherup and Lucy Panton.

In Africa, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant of arrest for Kenyan journalist Walter Barasa. The United Nations (UN) calls for the protection of journalists, but the ICC says it has evidence that Barasa attempted to bribe witnesses. According to the charge sheet, the journalist faces three counts of offences against the administration of justice consisting in corruptly influencing or attempting to corruptly influence three ICC witnesses regarding cases from the situation in Kenya.

10 DISGRACED JOURNALISTS

Let us now look at unacceptable professional conduct by some journalists around the world. I sourced this information from statements, Washington Post, New York Times, Thought.com, Politico and other media outlets.



Jayson Blair

Jayson Blair was a young rising star at The New York Times until, in 2003, the paper discovered he had systematically plagiarised or fabricated information for dozens of articles. In an article detailing Blair's misdeeds, the Times called the scandal "a profound betrayal of trust and a low point in the 152-year history of the newspaper." Blair got the boot.



Jack Kelley



In 2004, star USA Today reporter Jack Kelley quit after editors discovered he had been fabricating information in stories for more than a decade. Acting on an anonymous tip, the paper had launched an investigation that uncovered Kelley's actions.



Stephen Glass



Stephen Randall Glass (born September 15, 1972) is an American former journalist. He worked for The New Republic from 1995 to 1998 until it was revealed many of his published articles were fabrications. An internal investigation by The New Republic determined the majority of stories he wrote either contained false information or were fictitious.



Juan Thompson



The Intercept, an investigative publication, fired Juan Thompson for alleged faking of quotes around various news events, all of them race-related and highly inflammatory. It was reported that he went as far as creating fake email accounts to impersonate sources.



Gabriela Miranda



USA Today deleted 23 articles from its website after an investigation found that the reporter who wrote them used fabricated sources. Miranda, a breaking news reporter, had to resign from the newspaper.



Patricia Smith



Patricia Smith was a columnist for the Boston Globe who was infamously fired in 1998 for making up sources and completely fabricating stories.



Louis Seibold



In 1921, New York World reporter Louis Seibold won a Pulitzer Prize for an interview he conducted with former USA President Woodrow Wilson. It turned out Wilson was incapacitated because of a stroke. The interview was faked with the help of the presidents wife and chief of staff.

Christopher Newton



Christopher Newton, a reporter for The Associated Press, was fired in 2002 after the wire service discovered he made up stories for at least 40 of his stories.Most of the fictional sources were supposed subject-matter experts, and worked at real-sounding organisations like the Education Alliance, Voice for the Disabled and the Western Alliance For Immigration Rights.



Janet Cooke



Janet Cooke won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1981 for her Washington Post profile of an eight-year-old heroin addict, Jimmys World.Jimmy turned out not to exist (although then-D.C. Mayor Marion Barry claimed to have located the child). Cooke admitted making up the story after editors at the Toledo Blade  where Cooke had previously worked  noticed she had inflated her resume.



Mzilikazi wa Afrika and Stephan Hofstatter



In 2018, Sunday Times of South Africa parted ways with its celebrated investigative journalists, Mzilikazi wa Afrika and Stephen Hofstatter and return awards it had won for the articles wrote by the two journalists. Sunday Times announced in a piece published in the newspaper that it apologised for the articles. The newspaper said it would return all awards and prize money received for the reports. It accepted that "there was clearly a parallel political project aimed at undermining democratic values and destroying state institutions and removing individuals who were seen as obstacles to this project. Sunday Times admitted that its stories might have been used for this purpose. Young journalists in the country must learn, and I am learning.
(Reuters/NASA TV/Handout)The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer 02 is moved to the International Space Station aboard the station's robot arm for installation on the orbiting laboratory with the shuttle Endeavour and the Earth's horizon as a backdrop is this still image from NASA TV May 19, 2011.

GENEVA (Reuters) - Scientists say they may be close to tracking down the mysterious "dark matter" which makes up more than a quarter of the universe but has never been seen.

A final identification of what makes up the enigmatic material would solve one of the biggest mysteries in physics and open up new investigations into the possibility of multiple universes and other areas, said researchers on Wednesday.

Members of an international team had picked up what might be the first physical trace left by dark matter while studying cosmic rays recorded on the International Space Station, said the head of the Europe- and U.S.-based research project Samuel Ting.

He told a packed seminar at the CERN research center, near Geneva, the team had found a surge of positron particles that might have come from dark matter.

In the coming months, he said, the CERN-built AMS particle detector on the space station "will be able to tell us conclusively whether these positrons are a signal for dark matter or if they have some other origin".

Dark matter, once the stuff of science fiction, "is one of the most important mysteries of physics today," Ting, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 1976 Nobel physics prize winner, has written.

Sometimes called the sculptor of the universe's millions of galaxies because of the way its gravity shapes their formation, its existence has long been recognized because of the way it pushes visible stars and planets around.

But efforts in laboratories on earth and in deep underground caverns to find concrete evidence that it is there, and to establish what it is, have so far proven fruitless.

Ting said it was also possible the surges came from pulsars - rotating neutron stars that emit a pulsing radiation.

But CERN physicist Pauline Gagnon told Reuters after hearing Ting that the precision of the AMS could make it possible "to get a first hold on dark matter really soon".

"That would be terrific, like discovering a completely new continent. It would really open the door to a whole new world," said Gagnon, a Canadian physicist on ATLAS, one of the two CERN teams that believe they found evidence of the elusive Higgs particle in the centre's Large Hadron Collider.

NEW PHYSICS

John Conway, a physics professor from the University of California, Davis, working at CERN, said a confirmed discovery would push scientists into uncharted realms of research.

He said fresh insights could be gained into super-symmetry, a theory that says the current known 17 elementary particles have heavier but invisible counterparts, and dimensions beyond the currently known length, breadth and height, and time.

Other scientists, especially cosmologists now trying to peer back beyond the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, suggest identification of dark matter could give new clues to whether the universe itself is alone or one of many.

New research could start at CERN's Large Hadron Collider when the vast machine resumes operations in early 2015.

The huge subterranean complex running under the Franco-Swiss border at the foot of the Jura mountains was shut down in February to double its power and multiply the millions of "mini-Big Bang" particle collisions it can stage daily.

Until last week, dark matter was thought to make up around 24 percent of the universe, with normal matter - galaxies, stars and planets - accounting for about 4.5 percent.

But then the European Space Agency's Planck satellite team reported that mapping of echoes of the early cosmos showed dark matter made up 26.8 percent and ordinary matter 4.9 percent - together the total of the material of the universe.

The dominant constituent is the non-material "dark energy", as mysterious as dark matter and believed to be the driver of cosmic expansion.

(Editing by Andrew Heavens)
MAFUTSENI - Members of the Imbali regiment, who cut the reed at Mpisi Farm, had to be transported in buses and cars from the farm due to the weather.

These maidens are those who were led by Inkhosatana yeMbali Princess Sakhizwe to cut the Reed at Mpisi Farm and they included Nomcebo, who is a daughter to former South African President Jacob Zuma. Usually, when leaving Mpisi Farm, they would engage on a pilgrimage for about eight kilometres to Mafutseni Police Station, where they are served with water, before boarding buses to Ngabezweni Royal Residence.

Arrived

As the Imbali was preparing to leave their camp at Mpisi Farm, where they had arrived on Wednesday night, the buses, which usually wait for them at Mafutseni Police Station, were seen parking next to the road. When this publication enquired from some of those who were senior and part of those who administer the proceedings of the ceremony, it was gathered that a concern was raised regarding the harsh weather conditions; as it was raining and temperatures were between eight and 13 degrees Celsius yesterday. They said since Imbali had already spent two nights under such harsh temperatures, and if they embark on a pilgrimage from Mpisi Farm to Mafutseni Police Station, they might risk getting flu. This, they said, might affect attendance of the Reed Dance main day, where the maidens dance before Their Majesties and their guests, including tourists, as the Umhlanga is regarded as one of the cultural activities which attracts tourists into the country.

Embark

Therefore, they said it was suggested that they should not embark on the pilgrimage; instead, the buses should pick them up at Mpisi Farm. Meanwhile, Umfana weNkhosi Hlangabeza Mdluli, who was reluctant to comment about the matter, hinted that there was a concern that if they engage on a pilgrimage as usual, Imbali might fall sick, yet they are supposed to dance before Their Majesties and their guests during the main day. Some of the maidens, who talked briefly to this publication before they boarded the buses, expressed their excitement and said the new developments show that Labadzala care about them. They said they appreciated the effort they made to put their health first.

Dancing

However, they highlighted that they would miss the fun of marching and dancing the long distance (from Mpisi Farm to Mafutseni Police Station). This, they said, was because embarking on a pilgrimage was part of the fun of attending the Reed Dance. They said the good thing was that the main day was still coming and hopefully the temperatures would have improved by then. Today the maidens are expected to rest and then on Sunday, deliver the Reed at Ludzidzini Royal Residence and rest before being joined by Their Majesties and the nation for the colourful event on Monday, which is the Reed Dance main day.
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Welcome back to another Engadget Review Recap (or as I prefer to call it, ERR). This is the second edition of a mostly bi-weekly series rounding up the reviews that our team has published, as well as some insight on what's coming, what we skipped and how we do our testing. Plus, fun team trivia! If you missed a review in the last two weeks or simply didn't have the time to read every single thing we publish (how dare you), let this roundup be your quick catch-up.

This week, we're looking back at the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro reviews, as well as the Dell XPS 13 Copilot+ PC, which is a mouthful of a name if I ever saw one. Other Pixel devices are also being tested as we speak, and the reviews team is pretty busy behind the scenes. On Monday, Apple announced an "It's Glowtime" event for September 9, which means we're also expecting new iPhones and Apple Watches to play with soon.

For now, though, here's what's been happening on the Engadget reviews team.

Pixel 9 review: A solid, not-too-pricey Android flagship

by Sam Rutherford

Engadget 91 100 The default Android flagship phone Google Pixel 9 Thanks to a slick new design, improved software, upgraded cameras and a vibrant display, while Samsungs Galaxy S line might be more popular, the Pixel 9 is the true Android phone to beat. Pros New ultrasonic fingerprint sensor

Upgraded cameras

Super bright OLED display

Solid performance

Slick design

Excellent software and AI tools Cons No Qi2 magnetic wireless charging

Zoom Enhance is only available on Pixel 9 Pro

AI can still hallucinate or be manipulated to produce unsavory results $799 at Google

First of all, huge news from the Engadget team: Our senior writer Sam Rutherford just had a baby! Sam will be off on parental leave for a bit, and has managed to keep himself extremely busy right down to the wire, filing hands-ons and helping with reviews up until he went off to the hospital. We will be lost without Sam, but are extremely happy for him and his family as they welcome the lovely addition to their lives.

The Pixel 9 review is the last full review you'll see from Sam for a while, and in it he clearly explains how impressed he is by Google's premium-ish handset. To him, it's the go-to Android phone, overshadowing Samsung's S24 and any other Android flagship worth considering. It's got a grown-up vibe to it like the Pixel 9 Pros, and has great camera and battery performance. At $799, it delivers plenty for the money.

It's a little tricky to consider the Pixel 9 in the shadow of its Pro counterparts, since there's also the Pixel 8a or the future Pixel 9a possibly nipping at its toes with a great set of features for a lower price. If you have the $200 or so to spare, you might be considering the Pros, which we also reviewed last week.

Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL review: Holy 94 points for a Pixel?

by Mat Smith

Google 94 100 A smaller pro-level Pixel phone Pixel 9 Pro With a refined design, much-improved telephoto camera and great battery-life, the Pixel 9 Pro cements its status as the smartphone with the best camera. Pros Great camera features and improved telephoto camera

A year of Gemini Advanced for free

Incredible battery life

A beautiful, bright screen thats easy to use outdoors

Tensor G4 runs cooler than its predecessor Cons Slower charging speeds than the XL

Not the best phone for gaming $999 at Google Explore More Buying Options $999 at Amazon$999 at Best Buy

I kid you not: My jaw dropped when I saw the score that Mat Smith, UK bureau chief, proposed for the Pixel 9 Pro. It's possibly the highest we've ever given any Google-made phone, not to mention also arguably the first time a Pixel has been scored in iPhone territory. In fact, both Mat and myself found ourselves mistaking the Pixel 9 Pro for our own iPhones by touch and when their screens were facing up. Sam also thought the Pixel 9 looked and felt remarkably similar to Apple's flagships, which is, in a weird way, a compliment to Google.

These phones feel grown up, refined and classy. Gone is the glossy finish that the Pixel 6 and newer came in, and with it also went the tendency for these devices to slide off any non-stable surface. The camera bar also looks more elegant, and the straight edges give the Pixel 9 Pros that iPhone vibe that older models lacked.

I love how Google was able to give its latest flagships the iPhone treatment while retaining its character with the camera bar. I adore the new colors, too, especially the pair of pink Pros I received.

A huge part of why we scored the Pixel 9 Pro as high as we did is the fact that the new smaller Pro doesn't have many compromises due to its size. The Pixel 9 Pro XL and the smaller version both have the same camera setup and are really only different in display and battery size. The larger flagship charges slightly faster, but the baby Pro lasts so. danged. long. It beat pretty much every recent phone we've on our video rundown battery test.

As usual, Google's cameras beat the competition (especially at night), and while we don't know if we'd pay to use its Gemini AI services ourselves, the fact that they're available for free for now means it's not a downside. Some of the new software, like the Pixel Screenshots app or the Add Me tool in the camera, are nifty and generally effective. Others, like Pixel Studio and Reimagine in the photo editing tools, are somewhat problematic, as detailed by Allison Johnson at The Verge.

If you can avoid using those features, which I think is remarkably easy to do, then you'll find the rest of the Pixel 9 Pro satisfying. Its upgraded display is bright and beautiful, though Mat, who only slightly bragged in his review that he had larger-than-average hands, didn't like that the Pro XL had a bigger screen than last year's model. He's not wrong, that thing is hard to maneuver, especially for those of us cursed with smaller extremities. For that reason, we took a point off the Pro XL's score compared to last year's Pixel 8 Pro. We also wish Google had kept its flagships more competitively priced for one more year, since the Pixel 9 lineup costs pretty much the same as the corresponding devices from Samsung and Apple, instead of a hundred or so dollars cheaper in prior years.

Go on over to Mat's review for the details and camera samples. For now, suffice to say that the Engadget team is very impressed with the Pixel 9 lineup, and we eagerly await our own verdicts on the other products in the family, like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2.

Dell XPS 13 Copilot+ PC: Good, but Intel variants might be better

by Devindra Hardawar

Dell 84 100 Dell XPS 13 Copilot+ AI PC The XPS 13 is a capable and stylish Copilot+ PC, but its still slower than the Intel model at times and doesnt run some games and apps. Battery life is also surprisingly average. Pros Faster than the Intel XPS 13 in some benchmarks

45TOPS NPU is better equipped for future AI features

Gorgeous design

Excellent thin-bezel screen

Excellent battery life Cons Windows on Arm still runs some apps slowly and fails to launch some games

Current AI features are fairly middling

Contentious trackpad and capacitive function buttons $1,299 at Dell

Feels like we might be getting several iterations of the Dell XPS 13 soon. The XPS 13 Copilot+ PC that Devindra reviewed this week feels like one such variant, as if we're in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's the XPS 13 we reviewed earlier this year but instead of an Intel Core Ultra processor, it uses an Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite chip. That means it lasts a lot longer than your typical PC using x86 system architecture, but also is more likely to encounter potential compatibility issues.

If you don't plan on gaming on your laptop or need it to run obscure apps, a Snapdragon notebook might work for you, especially if you want long battery life. Gamers who plan on playing Fortnite or League of Legends will need to opt for an x86 system. because the anti-cheat features on those titles will prevent them from working on Arm-based machines.

Considering we'll likely be getting an XPS 13 with Intel's Lunar Lake CPU later this year, those who want greater software compatibility in an AI PC with Dell's premium design won't have long to wait. The Lunar Lake processors also have neural processing units (NPUs) that are faster than the Snapdragon X Elite's, too. If you don't mind waiting, you'll likely find a variant that satisfies your needs (or your prime timeline) soon enough.

Elsewhere on Engadget: Interviews, gaming news and hands-ons

Speaking of AI PCs powered by Intel, let's not forget AMD. Devindra had a chat with AMD's product leads for Ryzen AI and published an article last week around the company's AI PC strategy. This type of interview informs our coverage and reviews of devices with these components, and they're a great opportunity for us to unleash our inner nerds (innerds? never mind).

We also got the chance to nerd out with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on the Engadget Podcast this week, getting an inside look at what Apple might be unveiling at its event on September 9.

Gamescom took place last week, and the Engadget team covered the event live, with news around titles from franchises like Dune, Indiana Jones, Marvel, Call of Duty and Civilization. Sam published a hands-on with "King of Meat," which he called a "monstrous mash-up of a co-op platformer."

Not enough gaming coverage? We've got you. Mat published a piece on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which looks like a beautiful RPG from French studio Sandfall Interactive. Our team also produced a series of lists and roundups of various types of games, from the best Apple Arcade options and Netflix games to titles for specific consoles like the Playdate and puzzle and word games you can play daily.

Senior reporter Jess Conditt checked out Razer's new Wolverine V3 Pro controller for Xbox and PC this week, which is the company's first fully wireless controller for Xbox consoles and also its first with Hall effects joysticks. Jess spent a few days with the V3 Pro, mostly playing Overwatch 2, and she found it "snappy and surprisingly compact." She said "the joysticks are precise  they require a little more force than the wireless Forza Horizon 5 Xbox controller I generally use, but theyre nice and accurate."

On the horizon: Upcoming reviews and how we decide what to cover

We continue to test Pixel devices that are becoming available to the public later in September, while working on testing more AI PCs, leftover Samsung Galaxy products and more. I'm personally extremely excited to check out the new Barbie flip phone from HMD, because I can type so much more quickly on a T9 keypad than on a touchscreen. I think I can, anyway.

Many products are announced every week, not to mention every year, and just this week we saw new gadgets like that Barbie phone, as well as a new AI wearable called the NotePin. Whether we review these devices depends largely on how important they are to our audience (which is usually determined by our understanding of reader interest and how likely they are to want to buy something). Whether a product is ever going to make it to a larger market also matters, so vaporware or mini personal projects on Kickstarter aren't things we typically review.

Finally, our individual staff members' workload and desire to test these things also contribute to the decision-making process  if someone on the team liked something so much they bought it with their own money, they are always welcome to write up their experience for the site, as part of our ongoing series around things we bought.

As always, it is shaping up to be a busy few weeks ahead for our team, so please send good thoughts and vibes. Thank you as always for giving us your time, and have a fantastic weekend!
Note: This review was originally published during Sundance 2024. We're reposting it because Seeking Mavis Beacon is now out in theaters.

With a healthy dose of heart and whimsy, the Sundance documentary Seeking Mavis Beacon follows two young Black women who are devoted to finding the original model for Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. If you touched a computer during the '80s or '90s, there's a good chance that Mavis helped you get comfortable with a keyboard. Or at the very least, you might remember her from the program's original 1987 cover: a smiling, elegant Black woman dressed in a cream-colored outfit. She embodied style and professional poise  it was as if you could be just as capable as her if you bought that program.

It's no spoiler to say that "Mavis Beacon" didn't really exist  she was a marketing idea crafted by a group of white dudes from Silicon Valley. But the program's cover star was real: Her name was Renee L'Esperance, a Haitian model who was discovered while working at Saks Fifth Avenue in Los Angeles. After her image helped make Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing a success, she retreated from the spotlight, reportedly heading back to retire in the Caribbean.

Seeking Mavis Beacon

The documentary's director and writer, Jazmin Jones, as well as her collaborator, Olivia McKayla Ross, start with those basic details and set out to find L'Esperance like a pair of digital detectives. From a home base in a rundown Bay Area office  surrounded by tech ephemera, a variety of art pieces and images of influential black women  they lay out L'Esperance's reported timeline, follow leads and even host a spiritual ceremony to try and connect with the model.

I won't say if the pair actually end up finding L'Esperance because it's the journey that makes Seeking Mavis Beacon such a joy to watch. Jones and Ross both grew up with the typing program and felt a kinship toward the character of Mavis Beacon. It was the first program to prominently feature a Black woman on the cover (a move that reportedly caused some suppliers to cut their orders), so it made the technology world seem like somewhere young Black women could actually fit in. Beacon's digital hands also appear on-screen, as if she's gently guiding your fingers to the correct letters and positioning.

To help uncover more details about the whereabouts of Mavis Beacon, Jones and Ross set up a hotline and website for anyone to submit clues. Some of those calls are featured in the film, and they make it clear that her digital presence inspired many people. The film opens with references to Beacon throughout culture, including one of my favorite bits from Abbott Elementary, where Quinta Brunson's over-achieving teacher is far too excited to spot the typing icon in a school crowd. I was reminded of my own childhood experience with Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, spending free periods at school and idle time at home trying to get my typing speed up. By middle school, typing felt as natural as breathing. And yes, I would also have freaked out if I saw the real Beacon in person.

While the documentary doesn't seem out of place at Sundance, which is known for innovative projects, it also sometimes feels like a piece of experimental media meant for YouTube or an art show filled with impossibly cool twenty-somethings. (At one point, Ross attends a farewell ceremony for one of her friends' dead laptops, which was hosted in an art space filled with people dressed in white. That's the sort of hip weirdness that will either turn you off of this film, or endear you to it more.)

Yeleen Cohen

Jones shows us screen recordings of her own desktop, where she may be watching a TikTok alongside her notes. Instead of a full-screen video chat with another person, sometimes we just see a FaceTime window (and occasionally that reflects Jones' own image looking at the screen). Finding Mavis Beacon tells its story in a way that digital natives will find natural, without locking itself exclusively into screens like the film Searching.

As is true for many first features, the film could use some narrative tightening. Jones and Ross's investigation stalls at several points, and we're often just left adrift as they ponder their next steps. The pair also occasionally appear too close to the story, or at least, that's how it seems when we see Jones tearing up while pleading to meet with L'Esperance.

But I'd argue that's also part of the charm of Seeking Mavis Beacon. Jones and Ross aren't some true crime podcast hosts looking to create content out of controversy. They're young women who found comfort in one of the few faces in tech that looked like them. With this film, Jones and Ross could be similarly inspirational for a new generation of underrepresented techies.
The Starliner is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station and to make its way back to Earth at 6:04PM Eastern time today, September 6. If the weather cooperates and the spacecraft leaves the ISS as planned, it will be landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico with the help of parachutes to slow its descent and inflated airbags at around 12:03AM ET on September 7. While the ground teams at Starliner Mission Control in Houston and at Boeing Mission Control Center in Florida can control the spacecraft remotely if needed, it will be an uncrewed, fully autonomous flight for the Starliner.

NASA recently announced that Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the astronauts that headed to the ISS aboard the Starliner for its first crewed flight, will be coming home on a SpaceX Crew Dragon instead. Wilmore and Williams flew to the ISS in June and were only supposed to spend a little more than a week on the orbiting laboratory. On the way there, however, five of the spacecraft's maneuvering thrusters had failed, and its helium leak problem that previously caused its launch to be pushed back had worsened. Engineers on the ground conducted tests with help from the astronauts on the ISS to determine whether the Starliner was safe for the crew to ride back to Earth. In the end, NASA decided that it's safer for Wilmore and Williams to come home on a SpaceX vehicle, because "there was too much uncertainty" around the Starliner's thrusters.

The space agency will cover Starliner's return live on NASA+, the NASA app, its website, and you can also watch it below. Coverage of the undocking procedure will start at 5:45PM ET, while coverage for the spacecraft's deorbit burn, entry and landing will start at 10:50PM. NASA will also livestream Starliner's landing on September 7, starting at 12AM ET.

As for the SpaceX Crew-9 mission that's replacing the Boeing's vehicle on the ISS, it's scheduled to launch no earlier than September 24. Instead of flying with four astronauts as planned, it will fly with two  NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov  to leave two seats empty for its return flight with Wilmore and Williams in February 2025.
Ukrainian rockets hit the Russian city of Belgorod and its surroundings on late Friday, killing five people and injuring 37, said regional govenor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The region borders northern Ukraine ans comes under drone or artillery attacks almost daily.
Women are joining the ranks of Ukrainian mobile air-defense units to shoot down drones as more men are drawn to the battles on the eastern front line. In Kyiv's suburb of Bucha, 70 new female recruits have joined in recent months, working in shifts and rushing to duty when air raid sirens blare.
MBABANE  The catch phrase, unamatsela kuze kuse is what is being used to sell a dangerous sex-booster called Congo Dust.

The phrase, loosely translated could mean, you will last longer, often targeting men with sexual health problems. Congo Dust, which is allegedly said to be originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is said to be sold on the streets, as well as in some pharmacies in that country, in powder form. It is said that in DRC, the substance is said to be available on the streets. The sexbooster is sold in powder form and users claim that only a pinch of it is required for the day. The powder is not consumable, but one applies it externally.

Now, the product is said to be illegally available in the kingdom, and local men are already trying it. Some pharmacies in Manzini are illegally selling the powder. It is said that majority of the buyers are older men, who desire more energy in their love relationships.

One of the distributors of the product claimed that because of the demand for it, they sometimes deliver it to their clients. One pharmacy owner, who wished to remain anonymous, as he is aware that the drug is illegal, described the surge in demand: We have had more customers coming in, asking specifically for Congo Dust. The news seems to be spreading about the product, this could be a sign that there are many people with sexual health problems out there and that they are looking for solutions, he said. When he was asked why many people were asking for the powder, instead of other available sex-boosters, he said he was of the view that the word Congo appears to be attracting the buyers. He said the word Congo sounded mystic and also, it was new in the Eswatini market.

Expensive

Some users of the product, however, expressed concern that that it was expensive, as it was being sold for at least E140 in a small sachet. A man in his late 50s narrated his experience, adding that he bought it when he saw a poster about it on the internet. I have been using Congo Dust for a few months now, and it has definitely made a difference, he stated. He said he did it to save his marriage, as he recently married a young wife. According to a pharmacy consultant *Sydney, from one of the pharmacies where the product is being sold, he stated that many people are already buying the product. He said it is being distributed in sachets. You only use a pinch, added Sydney.

Sydney said the pinch is enough to last for two to three days, but that one had to constantly keep hydrating by drinking at least two litres of water daily. Asked about the possible side effects, he said so far, he was not aware of any. However, research on med.nealth.com on Congo Dust shows a dark side to it , due to some side effects which could eventually lead to death, such as cancer. While the packaging and advertisements promise enhanced sexual stamina and satisfaction, the reality, according to experts, may be far more perilous. Some of the long-term side effects are reportedly permanent erectile dysfunction and worse, cancer. Meanwhile, Congo Dust has found a substantial market in countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia and DRC. In these countries, the product is widely available on the streets and in some pharmacies.

Safety

According to reports in Nigeria, for instance, Congo Dust has become a common sight in urban markets, with vendors promoting its supposed benefits. The Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has issued public advisories, urging consumers to avoid such products due to the lack of safety and efficacy data. Similarly, in South Africa, the product is often sold in informal settings, appealing to those who may not have access to or prefer not to seek out medical advice for sexual health issues. Just like in Nigeria, there has been warnings from South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) about substances like Congo Dust. The agency highlighted the dangers of using unregistered sexual enhancers, stressing the importance of consulting healthcare professionals before using any medication.

A comment was also sought from the local Ministry of Health, to find out how such a substance is being regulated and if they are aware that it has infiltrated even the pharmacies.

The questionnaire was sent on Thursday morning, but they had not responded by the time of compiling this article on Friday 1pm. However, in the past, the Ministry of Health had warned members of the public about using over-the-counter medication, which otherwise could have side effects.

*Not real name to protect source from harm.
Saturday, August 31, 2024

Attend the 2024 Deathcare Superconference!

The vibrant city of Seattle will play host to the much-anticipated 2024 Deathcare Superconference, September 27-29, 2024. This gathering is designed to bring together professionals across the deathcare industry, from funeral directors and cemetery managers to grief counselors and cremation specialists. This event promises to be a cornerstone for advancing practices, sharing knowledge, and building lasting relationships within this essential sector.

Sponsors

A Good Goodbye is a co-sponsor of this event, which is being put on by the National Home Funeral Alliance, the National End of Life Doula Alliance, the Funeral Consumers Alliance, and Peoples Memorial Association. Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death, founder of A Good Goodbye and the Before I Die New Mexico Festival, will be attending the event in person.

You can attend either in-person or online. CLICK HERE to learn more and register. Watch parties are being organized in multiple cities, so people can gather to experience the event by zoom. Learn about watch parties here.

Other sponsors include Compassion & Choices, Keeper Memorials / Talk Death, Cremation Association of North America, End of Life Washington, Final Exit Network, Fitting Tribute Funeral Services, LLC, A Good Goodbye, Green Burial Council, Passages International, and Titan Casket.

A Vision for Unity and Growth

This years theme, Building Bridges in the Deathcare Landscape, speaks to the conferences mission to foster collaboration across the diverse fields within the deathcare industry. In an era where the industry is rapidly evolving due to technological advancements, changing societal norms, and increasing demand for personalized services, the conference aims to bridge gaps between traditional practices and modern innovations. Attendees will explore ways to enhance their services, support grieving families, and navigate the complexities of todays deathcare environment.

The goal of this event is for alternative deathcare and funeral care providers to share resources and have high-level conversations about what we want the future of deathcare to look like, from death doulas to hospice to home funerals to green burials and alternative disposition options to protecting consumer funerary rights.

Keynote Speakers and Sessions

The 2024 Deathcare Superconference will feature an impressive lineup of keynote speakers, each bringing unique insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. Highlights include:

 Dr. Jessica Caldwell, a renowned thanatologist, who will discuss the psychology of grief in the digital age, offering strategies for supporting families through virtual and in-person channels.

 Michael Hansen, CEO of GreenPath Memorial Services, will present on sustainable deathcare practices, emphasizing the importance of eco-friendly options in todays environmentally-conscious market.

 Samantha Lee, a cultural anthropologist, will lead a session on the diverse cultural perspectives on death and how these can inform more inclusive and respectful deathcare practices.

In addition to keynote presentations, the conference will offer a wide array of workshops, panels, and roundtable discussions. Topics will range from the latest in cremation technology and digital memorialization to legal updates affecting the industry and innovative approaches to end-of-life planning.

Networking and Collaboration Opportunities

One of the key features of the Deathcare Superconference is the opportunity for attendees to network and collaborate. The conference will include several networking events, including a welcome reception, industry-specific roundtables, and a closing gala. These events are designed to facilitate meaningful connections, allowing professionals to share experiences, discuss common challenges, and explore pottial partnerships.

Additionally, the conference will host an exhibition hall showcasing the latest products, services, and technologies in the deathcare industry. From casket manufacturers to software developers, exhibitors will present their offerings, giving attendees the chance to explore new tools and solutions that can enhance their services.

Location and Accessibility

Seattle, known for its stunning natural scenery and rich cultural landscape, is the ideal location for this years conference. The event will take place at the Central Library located in the heart of downtown Seattle. The venue is easily accessible, with a variety of accommodations, dining options, and attractions nearby, making it convenient for both local and international attendees.

Registration and Further Information

Registration for the 2024 Deathcare Superconference is now open. For more information, including the full conference agenda, speaker bios, and registration details, visit the official conference website.

As the deathcare industry continues to evolve, the 2024 Deathcare Superconference in Seattle offers an invaluable opportunity for professionals to come together, share knowledge, and build the bridges needed to navigate the future successfully. Whether youre a seasoned industry veteran or new to the field, this conference promises to provide the insights, connections, and inspiration you need to thrive in this vital sector.

Related
Claire Danes is proud of the enduring appeal of 'My So-Called Life'.

Claire Danes is thrilled by the continued appeal of My So-Called Life

The 45-year-old actress played the central character Angela Chase - a 15-year-old high school student who lives in the fictional Pittsburgh suburb of Three Rivers with her family - in the 1994 teen drama series and is "grateful" that its appeal has stretched across the generations.

Speaking to PEOPLE magazine: "I'm so grateful for its resilience, and that it can be shared from one generation to another."

The 'Romeo and Juliet' actress is now able to look at the series in a different light as her eldest son, 11-year-old Cyrus - who she has with husband Hugh Dancy  approaches adolescence.

She said: "It's a really rich and harrowing phase of life that we all go through. My eldest son is 11 and a half, and I'm just bracing myself. We're on the edge of it, and I'm a little anxious."

Claire was 14 when she landed the lead role in the series - with Angela also acting as the narrator for each episode - and was struck by how much Winnie Holzman's initial script resonated with her at the time as it addressed teen angst and the tribulations of school, dating and coping with your parents.

She said: "I don't think I had ever read a more accurate account of the experience that I was having in that moment.

"I was just so thrilled to have my internal life articulated for me."

Despite its popularity, 'My So-Called Life'  which also launched the career of 'House of Gucci' actor Jared Leto - was axed after just a single season and Danes felt the show was too pioneering for many viewers to "register".

She said: "I think 'My So-Called Life' was a first, and I think that's why it had such a limited lifespan. It was so new I think people didn't immediately know how to register it."
Gemma Arterton was worried her young son didn't recognise her when she was filming the second series of Funny Woman.

Gemma Arterton was worried her young son wouldnt recognise her when filming second series of Funny Woman

The 38-year-old English actress - who is married to 'Peaky Blinders' star Rory Keenan - took her 20-month-old son with her when filming the second series of the TV comedy-drama TV and was worried he wouldn't recognise her as she dyed her hair blonde for the role.

Speaking to OK! magazine, she said: "So he was with me. I dyed my hair blonde this season and it sounds ridiculous, but I was convinced he didn't recognise me!

"He'd see me for an hour or something a day, I'd be dressed as Sophie and I just don't look like myself when I'm playing her - with the costumes and the hair and make up - so I was convinced he didn't know I was his mum. I found that quite hard.

"The good thing about this job is that it's intense when you're filming for three or four months, but then you might have months off where you can just be with your child. It was hard not to be with him but its ok. He's forgiven me. He recognises me."

Discussing the trajectory of her acting career, Gemma previously revealed she was told to drop her hometown accent or she would spend the rest of her career playing "maids".

The former Bond girl - who grew up in a working class family in Gravesend, Kent, South East England - studied acting at London's prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and her teachers warned her to improve her elocution and lose her Kent brogue because it could have a negative impact on her prospects.

Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, she explained: "[My accent] was associated with people from less affluent backgrounds. Its different now at drama school but in my day, we were told to lose the accent or youd only play maids or whatever. Its a shame because I did have a strong working-class estuary accent. I feel a bit sad that its gone."

However, Gemma admits her Kent accent does return after she's enjoyed some alcoholic refreshments or when she's spending time with her family.

She shared: "Yes [it comes out after a few drinks]! Or around my family. If Im on the phone to my dad, my husband says my accent really changes."
Jude Law has admitted his new film about a white supremacist group is sadly relevant.

Jude Law has admitted his new film about a white supremacist group is sadly relevant

The 51-year-old actor is promoting his latest movie The Order at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, with the project competing for the prestigious Golden Lion.

Jude said during a press conference in Venice about the film, which centres around a white supremacist mob: Sadly, the relevance speaks for itself. It felt like a piece of work that needed to be made now.

Its always interesting finding a piece from the past that has some relevant relationship to the present day.

Judes fellow cast member Nicholas Hoult, 34, added about the importance of the movie: Hopefully the film, perhaps, if people see it, can shed more light on how these sorts of events occur and on the people that are instigating them, (and can) help prevent it happening anymore in the future.

The Order is an adaptation of the 1989 non-fiction book The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, which tells the story of a string of increasingly violent bank robberies as well as counterfeiting operations and armoured car heists that terrify frightens communities throughout the Pacific Northwest in 1983.

A synopsis of the book says: As baffled law enforcement agents scrambled for answers, a lone FBI agent, stationed in the sleepy, picturesque town of Coeur dAlene, Idaho, comes to believe the crimes are not the work of traditional, financially motivated criminals, but of a group of dangerous domestic terrorists, inspired by a radical, charismatic leader, plotting a devastating war against the federal government of the United States.

Jude also told Deadline the film was political and delicate as well as controversial, but said it was vital for art to got to those dark places and approach dark subject matter with a very level head and a non-judgemental perspective.
Kate Winslet knew her husband was her soulmate when he rescued her and her daughter from a fire on his uncle Sir Richard Bransons island.

Kate Winslet knew her husband was her soulmate when he rescued her and her daughter from a fire on his uncle Sir Richard Bransons island

The mother-of-three Titanic actress, 47, married Ned Rocknroll  born Edward Abel Smith  12 years ago and they has now opened up about how she grew to love him a few days after they met on Sir Richards Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.

Kate was there with her actress daughter Mia, 23, when a storm struck, leading to the house they were staying in catching fire when it was hit by lightning  with Ned helping them escape.

Kate told The Daily Telegraph about the dramatic incident: It was very clear to me that this was the person I was supposed to follow through life. And I still feel exactly that way now.

(Ned) looks after everybody. Hes wonderful. We literally do life together, we really do.

Hes always jumped from project to project, and when I met him he was setting up a music festival.

The actress also told how she thought Neds self-adopted Rocknroll surname  which he has now ditched for his original one of Abel Smith  was brilliant.

She added: When someone told me I thought, thats brilliant, because the funny thing is, hes not remotely rock and roll.

Hes Mr Vegan Yoga. Hes just the life and soul. Ned and I, we are real-life optimists.

When you live with someone who wakes up, opens the curtains, and says, Hello, the world! you just think, Yes, I am going to sign up for life.

The actress has son Bear, 10, with Ned  and gave him the middle name Blaze in a reference to the fire drama.

Kate had Mia with her first husband Jim Threapleton, 50, and also has son Joe, 20, with her second husband, 59-year-old filmmaker Sam Mendes.
Noel Gallagher has joked he fell out with his brother Liam as he stole his teddy bear decades ago.

Noel Gallagher has joked he fell out with his brother Liam as he stole his teddy bear decades ago

The Wonderwall songwriter, 57, made the claim on Saturday (31.08.24) after he and Liam announced Oasis would be reforming for a series of comeback gigs in 2025  and as fans waited in online queues for hours to buy up tickets for the shows.

He was in London store Stone Island when he was approached by a father and his children who then started to grill Noel on why he and Liam fought so much before their infamous 2009 bust-up in Paris led to the band breaking up.

A clip of the interaction posted to X by Steve Sheward shows him explaining who Noel was to his kids.

He is heard saying: This is Noel, that this is dads legendary band.

His daughter then asks: Wait, is he getting back with his brother?  before one of the fans sons asks Noel: Why did you fall out with your brother?

Noel laughed as he replied: Why did I fall out with him?

When he noticed one of the kids was clutching a soft Winnie-the-Pooh toy, the rocker added: Cause he stole my teddy bear. Im not lying. He stole it. 1978.

The boy holding the stuffed bear then tells Noel: Youre fake, see you  leaving the musician and the fan laughing.

Liam, 51, has previously said he believes Noel harboured hatred for him for years after he drunkenly peed on his stereo equipment when they were growing up in Manchester.

Oasis announced on Tuesday (27.08.24) they were reforming for a string of stadium concerts  15 years after the Gallagher brothers famously broke up after a backstage argument at Paris Rock en Seine festival.

The brothers said in a statement about their comeback: The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.

They added in an Instagram post about their reunion: This is it, this is happening.
Noel and Liam Gallagher can be seen smiling together in new images released by Oasis.

Noel and Liam Gallagher picture smiling together in new Oasis photoshoot [c Simon Emmett]

The pictures - from the siblings' recent photoshoot to announce Oasis' highly-anticipated reunion tour - show Noel, 57, laughing as he stands next to his smiling younger brother Liam, 51.

Liam and Noel had been estranged since the band split in 2009, following a bust-up between the brothers at a gig in Paris, but the smiling black-and-white pictures - taken by photographer Simon Emmett - will go some way to reassuring fans that they have put the acrimony behind them.

Simon wrote on X: "Such a privilege to have captured this moment. #Oasis #LiamGallagher #NoelGallagher."

Oasis will play 17 shows across London, Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin as part of their 2025 comeback tour of the UK and Ireland.

Tickets went on sale at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK on Saturday (31.08.24) but many fans were left frustrated as ticket sites crashed due to the huge demand.

Many tickets were quickly advertised on resale sites at hugely inflated prices, leading Oasis to issue a warning to fans.

A message on Oasis' X account read: "Please note. Oasis Live '25 tickets can only be resold at face value via TicketmasterUK and Twickets! Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters."
MBABANE  It is common cause that civil servants do not earn much.

Noncedo Ndlangamandla of Mabila Attorneys made this submission before Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi when moving an application for bail on behalf of Njabulo Thwala of Mpolonjeni. Thwala is one of the seven employees of the Ministry of Home Affairs, who were arrested on Thursday and charged with a combined 89 charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act No.3 of 2006. Thwala is implicated in 46 of the 89 charges. The accused persons are alleged to have, among other things, unlawfully given foreign nationals refugee identity (ID) numbers.

The other accused persons are Mbhekwa Ncongwane, Dumsile Lukhele, Phumzile Mdluli, Jean Khangezile Sitsebe, Faith Matse and Nqobile Helen Dlamini. They made their first court appearance before the principal magistrate yesterday. They were all represented by an attorney. One of the legal representatives was former High Court Judge Sipho Nkosi, who represented Matse. The prosecutor, Ngcebo Lukhele, applied that the accused persons be remanded in custody, pending their committal to the High Court. The accused persons applied for bail. Ndlangamandla, on behalf of Thwala, told the court that the accused is a breadwinner and is married with five children. The lawyer said Thwalas wife was unemployed and his family depended on him for their livelihood.

Ndlangamandla prayed that the court should grant Thwala bail in the sum of E5 000. Its common cause that civil servants dont earn much, she said. She further submitted that her client undertook to abide by all the bail conditions if he were to be released on bail. Ndlangamandla mentioned that Thwala appeared on the 44th count to the 88th count. She implored the court not to treat him differently because of that.

Risk

Ben Simelane of Ben J. Simelane and Associates represented Mdluli and Lukhele. He also applied for bail on their behalf. Simelane said Mdluli (52) was approaching retirement and had been a loyal civil servant for the past 25 years. He submitted that she was not a flight risk. The state owes her a lot in terms of pension. She wont fly away and lose her pension. She will appear in court for this matter. All her assets and family are firmly in Eswatini; she wont leave the country just because of this case, Simelane submitted. On behalf of Lukhele (35), Simelane told the court she had been a reliable and hard working civil servant. He submitted that the court has discretion to grant them bail.

He argued that the court should not grant an excessive amount, because that would amount to a denial of bail. According to Simelane, his clients cooperated with the investigators. Nkosi submitted that Matse (44) has three children and is only facing two counts. Nkosi told the court that Matse was unlikely to evade trial, as she was not a flight risk. He implored the court to fix her bail amount at E5 000. Nqobile also asked that her bail amount be fixed at E5 000. Nqobile was represented by Linda Dlamini of Linda Dlamini and Associates. Linda submitted that Nqobile appreciated the seriousness of the offence she has been charged with. She is facing one charge. Ncongwane told the court that he would plead not guilty. He was represented by Sivesonkhe Ngwenya of Sivesonkhe Ngwenya and Associates. Ngwenya submitted on Ncongwanes behalf that the main consideration was whether his client would attend the trial or not.

Married

He tendered an amount of E5 000 as bail. He said that would be an appropriate amount. He also told the court that Ncongwane was not a flight risk. He said Ncongwane is married and in his family, he was the only one employed. Vuyo Mbingo of Robinson Bertram submitted on behalf of Sitsebe that she will plead not guilty to all the charges. She faces five of the 89 counts. He submitted that she had never been arrested or charged for any act of misconduct. He said she would abide by all bail conditions. The Crown said a cash amount of E10 000 would suffice as bail.

The principal magistrate granted the accused persons bail applications. Nqobile was ordered to pay E5 000 bail and others E6 000. According to the court, those who were charged with more than one offence were to pay E6 000 and E5 000 was to be paid by those who face one offence. Nqobile was charged with only one offence. The immigration officers charges stem from their alleged contravention of the Prevention of Corruption Act No.3 of 2006. The basis of their charges is that they allegedly, directly or indirectly, gave and/or offered to give several foreign nationals the advantage of registration and/or issuance of refugee identity numbers.

Benefitted

This, they are alleged to have done, for the benefit of the foreign nationals to be recognised as refugees in Eswatini. The foreign nationals who allegedly benefitted from the purported acts of corruption by the accused persons are from African and overseas countries. According to the charge sheet, the accused persons allegedly abused their position of authority, which amounted to a breach of trust, amounting to a violation of their legal duty and/or set of rules. The accused were rounded up on Thursday by a joint operation by members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The offences were committed between November 2017 and March 2023 in Mbabane. A bulk of the offences were committed in March 2023. As reflected in the charge sheet, on some days in March 2023, various offences were committed in one day. The accused persons are accused of contravening Section 42(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act read with Section 42(2)(b)(i). Alternatively read with Section 42(2)(b)(ii).
Princess Diana has been remembered by her brother Charles Spencer on the 27th anniversary of her death.

Princess Diana has been remembered by her brother Charles Spencer on the 27th anniversary of her death

The royal was killed in a Paris car crash on 31 August aged 36, and her 60-year-old sibling, the 9th Earl Spencer, paid an emotional tribute to her on social media on Saturday. (31.08.24)

He shared an image that showed various photographs and newspaper clippings focusing on Diana  including an article about her christening and a snap of the late royal playing outside as a young girl.

But Charles refrained from including a caption on the moving post.

He is the youngest of five children born to John Spencer and Frances Shand Kydd.

Charles grew up with his three older sisters  Sarah, the eldest, born in 1955, followed by Jane in 1957 and Diana in 1961.

He also had an older brother named John, who was born in 1960 but died just hours later.

Charles admitted after Dianas death he was haunted by the feeling he could have done more to save her from her tragic end.

He told People: You always think, God, I wish I couldve protected her. It was just... it was devastating.

I always felt intensely protective towards her.

Charles famously gave the eulogy at Dianas funeral on 6 September, 1997, at which Sir Elton John, 77, sang his now iconic version of Candle in the Wind.

He said he was acting as the representative of a family in grief, in a country in mourning, before a world in shock, before hailing Diana as the very essence of compassion, duty, style and beauty  and saying she was the most hunted person of the modern age.

Along with Charles online tribute, thousands of tourists and royal fans laid flowers and photos of Diana on Saturday at the gates of her former residence Kensington palace.

Diana was killed in the Paris tunnel crash alongside her partner Dodi Fayed, while her sons Prince William, then 15, and Harry, who was 12 at the time, were on holiday with their father, then Prince Charles at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Princess Dianas former royal bodyguard has said she would have eventually accepted Charles relationship with Camilla if she was still alive.

Princess Dianas former royal bodyguard has said she would have eventually accepted Charles relationship with Camilla if she was still alive

The mother-of-two was guarded for years by former Scotland Yard officer Ken Wharfe, and he has now spoken out about how he thinks she would have come to terms with her ex-husband marrying now-Queen Camilla as thousands of royal fans flocked to her former residence of Kensington Palace in London to lay flowers outside on the 27th anniversary of her death.

Ken told The Sun: Part of Dianas problem was that she naively believed that the relationship with Camilla would fade away.

But lets be honest, Camilla was there from day one. Camilla from my time, I went there in the mid-1980s, was very much the discussion at the time.

And (with) Dianas openness  she felt it necessary to give me the complete low down of the relationship.

I questioned that at the time, but actually having listened to her, it made me understand Diana a lot better.

And she naively believed that it would end. There is no doubt in my mind that Diana did love Charles. I mean, she said that to me repeatedly.

Diana, who was killed aged 36 in a Paris car crash on 31 August, 1997  five years after she and then-Prince Charles split, before they finalised their divorce in 1996.

Two years after Diana was killed in a horror car crash Camilla and Charles publicly revealed their relationship.

Diana famously told of their affair in her TV interview with journalist Martin Bashir, saying: There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.

Ken added if Diana not been killed, she and Charles wouldnt have restarted their relationship at any point.

But he says about how he is convinced she would have accepted it: From my own experience in life, you move on and you change, you mellow slightly, and you deal with situations in a much calmer way.

And I'm sure Diana would have done that. She was very good at that.

Time, as everyone says, is a great healer. Diana was angry with the Prince of Wales, angry with her circumstances, angry with Camilla, angry with everybody.

But you know you know, things heal. And as time progressed, she would have been in her 60s now, she would have accepted.
Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth are now engaged, and fans cant wait to witness their wedding which they anticipate will be as dreamy as the two look together.

Talking about Siddharth, the actress said, Ive not been in too many relationships because when I see someone, I instantly know if this is my person. When I met Siddhu, thats what I felt and had no doubt about it. Of course, there is a process of growing together in a relationship but I had none of that going on in my mind when I met him, it was all about that moment.

Speaking about her wedding, Aditi said, the wedding will be centred around a 400-year-old temple in Wanaparthy that is of significance to my family.
Chiyaan Vikram's outstanding performance in Thangalaan is simply too good to miss. With a well-studded gripping story, captivating plot, mesmerizing canvas and mind-blowing performances, the film started to create waves ever since its release in other languages and it also released in Hindi yesterday. Vikram has given his heart and soul to perfect his character on the screen as he played three different roles.





The actor underwent significant transformation as he is seen portraying three different characters in the film. He portrayed Thangalaan Muni, Kaadaiyan, Thangalaan's great-grandfather, and Arasan "Aaran" (The Protector of Gold). For one of the roles, he lost weight and only wore a langot as the character's costume, which is a very rare thing for any actor to attempt. He also went half-bald for another role. For yet another role, he had to sit for 4 to 5 hours of makeup before reaching the set and starting the shoot. Moreover, to maintain the film's raw and authentic feel, the actors had to drench themselves in mud, making it very difficult to shoot in the real outdoor locations. This indeed speaks volumes about Chiyaan Vikram's dedication and perseverance, which is clearly evident in his fabulous performance in the film. Speaking about his character in the film, Vikram says, One is a great-great-grandfather, his portion is a little lengthy. You have to show travel through time and the different generations of Thangalaan. He had to look like me but how different can we make him look? Ranjit was always there to inspire me and give me guidelines of what the person could look like.

Directed by Pa. Ranjith, the film stars Chiyaan Vikram and Malavika Mohanan in prominent roles following the real story of the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) when they were discovered by the British, who exploited and looted them for their own purposes. The film continues the South Indian film industry's trend of bringing unique concepts to audiences. Its yet another film from the South with an unusual concept. The film hit the theatres worldwide on August 15, 2024 releasing in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 30, 2024) - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: DTC) (OTCQB: DTCFF) (FSE: DTC) ("Defence" or the "Company"), announces that Kwin Grauer has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer replacing Sebastien Plouffe as President and Chief Executive Officer. This change comes as the Company moves from the preclinical stage toward a clinical stage.

Mr. Grauer joined the Board of Directors of the Company in December, 2022. He is a CPA, CA, and has more than 20 years' experience operating, buying and selling small and medium-size businesses. Mr. Grauer is a seasoned professional in financing, financial modeling and corporate restructuring. He has over 10 years of active board work to go along with his business experience and Chartered Professional Accountant Designation. He has served as a Board Member of Langara College, where he was Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee for 5 years and Board Chair for 2 years.

Mr. Plouffe will continue to act as a director of the Company. The Company acknowledges Mr. Plouffe's hard work and dedication over the past few years and thanks him for his exceptional contribution to Defence's growth and development.

About Defence:

Defence Therapeutics is a publicly-traded clinical-stage biotechnology company working on engineering the next generation vaccines and ADC products using its proprietary platform. The core of Defence Therapeutics platform is the ACCUM technology, which enables precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs inside target cells and favoring their processing and activities. As a result, increased efficacy and potency can be reached against catastrophic illness such as cancer and infectious diseases.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither the CSE nor its market regulator, as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/221734

SOURCE: Defence Therapeutics Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 31, 2024) - Bell Copper Corporation (TSXV: BCU) (OTCQB: BCUFF) ("Bell Copper" or the "Company") reports that it has temporarily suspended diamond drilling operations on hole BS-4 at the Company's 100% owned Big Sandy porphyry copper project. Continuation of the hole is planned once additional funding is secured. The Company is currently discussing opportunities for strategic investments with a number of major copper producers in order to fund further drilling. The project involves the exploration of a large, truncated porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit located in northwestern Arizona, approximately 30 kilometers from the Company's Perseverance project.

The maximum depth achieved in hole BS-4 of 1372 meters did not fully penetrate post-mineral gravels due to setbacks occurring with stuck drill tooling. No bedrock has yet been encountered in BS-4, but encouraging mineralized gravel clasts including chalcocite, native copper, and native silver have been observed.

The Company's drilling of BS-4 follows up on the previous drill hole, BS-3 which had an intersection of 200 meters of chalcocite-bearing porphyry (see June 7, 2022 news release). Drillhole BS-3 cut 200 meters from 1302 meters to 1502 meters grading 0.42 percent copper (8.4 lbsCu/st) and 2.4 grams of silver per tonne as supergene chalcocite hosted in strongly pyritic, sericitized porphyry. The hole was terminated in strongly pyritic, sericitized porphyry at an inclined depth of 2026.33 meters when the mechanical limits of the drill were reached. Metallurgical testing of the 200-meter BS-3 intersection showed that the copper was amenable to recovery via either froth flotation or acid leaching (see July 21, 2022 news release). Molybdenum and rhenium were also concentrated from the interval via froth flotation.

Bell Copper had been drilling BS-4 since March 2023 from a new drill pad approximately 900 meters from the previous BS-3 drill site. A combination of mud motor drilling followed by core drilling was used to try to advance hole BS-4 through thick gravel and into expected porphyry bedrock, however the obstacles encountered and lack of adequate funding has led the Company to suspend the work until sufficient additional funding is secured. In the meantime, the Company is working to extend drill permits for eight additional holes through October 2025.

Drillhole BS-4 encountered the most encouraging gravel sequence yet seen at Big Sandy. Mineralized porphyry clasts carrying supergene chalcocite, native copper, and trace native silver were found scattered through the gravel column over more than 600 meters. Exotic neotocite (copper-manganese oxide), native copper, and native silver were observed in faults and in selectively mineralized sand strata. Cobble-sized clasts near the bottom of the hole included common pervasively sericitized leached capping stained with fertile, earthy red hematite and cut by quartz veinlets.

Big Sandy Science

The Arizona Geological Survey ("AGS") and the University of Arizona ("UA") are now studying Big Sandy drill cores to assess their role in addressing the US's supply of critical elements, notably copper, molybdenum, and rhenium. On September 22, 2024 at the Anaheim, California annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, the AGS in collaboration with UA and Bell Copper will present "Geochronologic and Mineralogic Constraints Connecting the Diamond Joe Porphyry Root to the Big Sandy Porphyry Copper Prospect, Northwestern Arizona, USA" in Technical Session T-5 "Linking Mineral Resources and Their Geologic Framework I: The USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) and Related Critical Minerals Research". Results of independent age dating of zircon from porphyry in Bell's BS-3 porphyry intersection and zircon from the Diamond Joe porphyry root will be discussed. The results have broader implications for copper exploration at the Company's Perseverance project 30 kilometers to the north.

"Bell Copper believes that we are delivering at Big Sandy and Perseverance the big, new copper discoveries in friendly jurisdictions required for the global transition to cleaner electrical energy. With conventional capital markets distracted away from critical minerals supply, Bell is turning to the most closely aligned investors to keep our Big Sandy drill turning - the major copper miners. When our financing flows at a scale commensurate with the copper opportunity at Big Sandy, we will once again deploy downhole mud motors to rapidly put challenging gravel deposits behind casing and deliver the bedrock cores required for resource estimation. In the meantime, we expect our partner at Perseverance to initiate a Typhoon IP survey late in Q3 to flesh out the eastern MT target identified in 2020."

- Dr. Tim Marsh, Bell Copper President & CEO.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Marsh, PhD, PEng., the Company's CEO and President. No mineral resource has yet been identified on the Big Sandy Project. There is no certainty that the present exploration effort will result in the identification of a mineral resource or that any mineral resource that might be discovered will prove to be economically recoverable.

About Bell Copper

Bell Copper is a mineral exploration company focused on the identification, exploration and discovery of large copper deposits located in Arizona. Bell Copper is exploring its 100% owned Big Sandy Porphyry Copper Project and the Perseverance Porphyry Copper Project which is under a Joint Venture - Earn In.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

Bell Copper Corporation

"Timothy Marsh"

Timothy Marsh, President, CEO & Director

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including, but not limited to, the ability of Bell to identify a mineral resource at the Perseverance or Big Sandy Projects. There is no certainty that the present exploration effort will result in the identification of a mineral resource or that any mineral resource that might be discovered will prove to be economically recoverable. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "potential", "target", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management based on the business and markets in which Bell Copper operates, are inherently subject to significant operational, economic, and competitive uncertainties, risks and contingencies. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results, and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include actual exploration results, interpretation of metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required approvals, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators, including those described in the Company's most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/221771

SOURCE: Bell Copper Corporation
MBABANE  As the kingdom prepares for what promises to be a hectic weekend of events, there are health concerns related to sex workers and the monkeypox threat.

The country will be hosting a triple-header of high-profile events, including the Reed Dance Ceremony, Eswatini International Trade Fair and the bike event to be hosted at the Riders Ranch at Sidvokodvo. It is anticipated that a number of visitors from different countries will attend some of these events. There was an indaba for sex workers in the country yesterday, at SibaneSami Hotel, in Ezulwini, where they raised a number of concerns. They complained of being excluded from important health discussions, alleging that they are not educated about how they can protect themselves from diseases like HIV/AIDS and Mpox formerly known as monkeypox. Important to note is that the Ministry of Health was represented during this indaba, along with the Human Rights Commission and Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

Vulnerability

It has also been gathered that police were invited to be part of the meeting, but allegedly did not show up, according to Lungile Khumalo, who handles sex workers issues in the country.

Khumalo admitted to Eswatini News that sex workers are vulnerable to diseases because they are not educated or capacitated on how to protect themselves. She said due to financial vulnerability, some sex workers are allegedly raped and abused by clients, exposing them to infections like HIV/AIDS. Socially, sex workers are treated badly, which explains why they are not included in educational health programmes. We have noted a sharp rise in HIV/AIDS infections among them, because they are not educated on health preventative measures, she said. Khumalo said it was time for government to change the mindset towards sex workers and embrace them as part of society. She stated that during the indaba, the sex workers admitted that they feel left out, not just on health education, but job opportunities as well.

Deaths

The International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) of South Africa, notified the World Health Organisation (WHO) of 20 confirmed Mpox cases between May 8 and July 2, 2024, including three deaths (case fatality ratio of 15 per cent). The cases were reported in three of nine provinces, being Gauteng (10 cases, one death), Western Cape (1 case) and KwaZulu- Natal (9 cases, two deaths). These were the first cases of Mpox reported in South Africa since 2022, when the country had reported five cases, none of which were severe and no deaths reported from them.

It is being suggested that there is potential for increased health impact should wider dissemination among these and other vulnerable groups in South Africa and neighbouring countries, continue. Mpox is largely spread through person-to-person contact, having physical contact with infected bodily fluids, rashes, sores, scabs or blisters. It could also spread through touching, kissing or sexual contact, touching contaminated objects used by an infected person such as bedding, towels or clothing. According to research, people who closely interact with an infectious person, such as healthcare workers, household members (including children), sexual partners and sex workers are vulnerable.

Newborn babies, children, people who are pregnant and people with underlying immune deficiencies, such as from advanced HIV disease, may be at higher risk of contracting Mpox.

Sex workers trade business is making money through sleeping with different kinds of people on a daily basis. Some of them are said to be sleeping with 10 clients in 24 hours. Eswatini is one of the countries known to have this kind of business, even though it is not legal in terms of the countrys laws.This kind of business is mostly prevalent in areas like Mbabane, Ezulwini, Matsapha and Manzini. There are reports of such happening even in the remote towns like Nhlangano, Piggs Peak and Siteki, among others.

The Eswatini News has also previously reported such business happening even in rural areas of the country, where syndicates operating in sex-for-money exchange jobs are known to be in existence by community members. The National Library of Medicines reported in a recent article that within six months (May 6 to October 3, 2022); the global outbreak of human Mpox virus had spread to 99 non-endemic countries and disproportionately affected marginalised communities.

Vaccination

Although Mpox virus poses considerable risk to sex workers, there has been little to no attention to sex workers in the public health response. To date, sex workers have not been prioritised in vaccination campaigns in most settings, with uneven access and prioritisation for men who have sex with men, being reported. The HIV and COVID-19 pandemics have highlighted the disproportionate burden of infection to sex workers across diverse settings and the urgent need to address the unmet occupational needs of sex workers that must be considered in the Mpox virus response, reads the article in part. Noteworthy is that there have been no known campaigns in the country by health authorities to capacitate local sex workers on their vulnerability to the Mpox threat, especially when dealing with visitors from other countries.

Ministry of Healths Communications Officer Nsindiso Tsabedze was asked through a questionnaire, about the concerns that sex workers in the country are being left out on the Mpox discussions, yet they make a living through sex with different clients, on a daily basis. He was also asked if the ministry had considered ways of educating sex workers about how they can protect themselves from this virus, especially because some of their clients are known to be from outside the country.

This was his response: The Ministry of Health, through the health promotion unit, has been actively and robustly educating the nation about Mpox. This is being done through various media platforms such as radio, television and social media, as well as during community engagements. Such efforts are made so that everyone, including the sex workers, gets the information relating to this disease, in order to make informed decisions. Adding, Tsabedze said as a ministry, they are advising all emaSwati to seek information on the disease online, so that they remain in the know and can be able to protect themselves. Quizzed further if the sex workers were part of the workshop held over a week ago to sensitise emaSwati about the dangers of Mpox, the communications officers response was to the negative.

The recently-held workshops were to capacitate health workers only. These health workers from various regions and departments, now qualified trainers, will then transfer the knowledge to other workers at facilities countrywide. The ministry, through the aid of the World Health Organisation, has seen the need to upscale preparations for potential Mpox outbreak, by ensuring that health workers are intellectually prepared to deal with Mpox, he further said.

Dangers

Tsabedze also assured that there are programmes in place to educate people about the dangers of this virus at the border gates. He said the ministry, through workers at strategically picked ports of entry, has been educating travellers about the Mpox disease. He said their environmental health unit further uses that port health desks to collect information from travellers through the health screening programme, he said, the ministry has been sensitising the public through local media and social media, due to its importance. Tsabedze then implored all travellers to allocate time in going through the health screening, so that they assist the country in its effort to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.

We will soon be launching a campaign meant to sensitise travellers about Mpox and other communicable diseases, he said. On the other hand, Chief Police Information and Communication Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati was asked why they did not honour the invitation to be part of the indaba, as the sex workers raised concerns about how police treat them. This included allegations of physical assault ,derogatory language and even rape. Vilakati said she would have to check if indeed there was such an invitation. However, she advised the workers to bring their grievances to the national commissioner of police (NATCOM).

It will not help them to generalise such issues, but they must come to see the national commissioner of police and state their concerns, not in platforms where we are not present. We do not want to assume that they are part of the people who hate police. If they were raped or abused by police, they should come forward with proof, Vilakati said.
Three-Day Mega Event Concludes, Attracting 300 exhibitors from across the world, 100000 Footfalls, 1000 Speakers

MUMBAI, India, Aug. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- India's Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Mr. Piyush Goyal said on Friday that the Indian fintech ecosystem had turned into a hotbed for innovation. Addressing the Global Fintech Fest 2024 in Mumbai, he said, "As our country is poised to become the third largest economy, the success story of a developed India rests on the wonderful work being done by fintech sector."

The Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024 was presented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Financial Services (DFS), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA). The conference was jointly organised by the Payments Council of India (PCI), the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), and the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC).

GFF 2024 featured over 1000 speakers from 70 countries, more than 350 sessions, over 60 product launches, more than 300 exhibitors, and attracted 100,000 footfalls over the three days.

The Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024, one of the world's largest fintech gatherings, concluded here on Friday, August 30, showcasing emerging opportunities and issues in the sector. The three-day event, in its fifth edition, brought together global policymakers, regulators, central bankers, industry leaders, and academicians to explore the future of financial technology, aligned with this year's theme- 'Blueprint for the Next Decade of Finance: Responsible AI | Inclusive | Resilient'.

In his keynote at the conference, Mr. Shaktikanta Das, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, said, "India is now a fast-growing economy, economic powerhouse with an increasingly tech savvy population. India's financial sector has witnessed a remarkable transformation, driven, among other factors, by the FinTech sector."

Mr. Das further emphasized India's engagement in international fora and bilateral agreements to foster economic cooperation with many countries and said, "Going forward, strengthening financial infrastructure, including cross-border payment systems, will be our key focus areas. India, with its tech talent and evolved financial fintech ecosystem, holds potential to serve as a global hub for digital innovation and fintech startups."

Mr. Christopher Waller, Member, Federal Reserve Board of Governors of the United States in his address, highlighted the potential role of public and private sectors in advancing cross-border payments. Commenting on the practical aspects of interlinking fast payment systems, Mr Waller said, "Domestic networks need to be developed first. If this condition is not in place, interlinked networks could end up being a road to nowhere."

Highlighting Federal Reserve's efforts, Mr Waller added, "We will continue our engagement with international fora to improve the speed and efficiency of cross-border payments and to investigate the issues critical to interlinking payment systems. Our chief focus in the near-to mid-term, however, is continuing to build the FedNow network domestically and increasing participation in the service."

In a special address on emerging trends in sustainable finance, Mr. Allen Forlemu, Regional Industry Director, Financial Institutions Group, Asia and Pacific, International Finance Corporation (IFC) discussed the critical role of fintech in driving sustainable finance, emphasizing its importance for a greener and more equitable future. "Looking ahead, it is clear that collaboration will be essential and fintech companies, traditional financial institutions, governments and regulators must work together to scale sustainable finance solutions and amplify positive impact on sustainability", remarked Mr Forlemu.

He further said, "At IFC, we are optimistic, and we believe that by investing in innovation and fostering collaboration across sectors, we can build a financial system that is inclusive, resilient and sustainable for everyone."

Discussing 'Recent Developments in Digital Finance - Experiences from German and EU Regulation,' Dr. Florian Toncar, Parliamentary State Secretary, German Federal Ministry of Finance, commented, "India has shown immense capacity to innovate and spread new technologies at an impressive speed, with UPI being popular far beyond Indian borders."

Highlighting the importance of cooperation between security agencies and anti-money laundering agencies, Dr Toncar added, "Appropriate resourcing of prosecutors or police, specialized financial investigators, and information exchange across borders and countries is key."

In his special address, Mr. Harjinder Kang, His Majesty's Trade Commissioner for South Asia and the British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India, UK Department for Business and Trade, said, "UK finds India as a very important partner, and it's not just in fintech, but across different sides of the business."

During a panel on 'Innovation in Fintech Regulation: Balancing Innovation and Regulation in Global Financial Services,' Mr. Ryosuke Ushida, Chief Fintech Officer, Financial Services Agency of Japan provided insights into the country's regulatory landscape and said, "In Japan, our regulatory scope covers a wide range of financial institutions, including banks, insurance companies, investments, and currency exchange. A key focus has been on blockchain technology, in response to past challenges, particularly incidents involving exchanges in Tokyo. Japan has established a comprehensive regulatory framework for the crypto industry."

Mr. Ushida further emphasized that these regulations are designed not only to protect the industry but also to create a stable environment that encourages innovation. "The goal is to support the growth of international tech companies and ensure that Japan continues to lead in this field, in line with global counterparts", he added.

Addressing the session on 'The Role of Technology in Shaping the Future of Global Finance,' Mr. Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief Fintech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore, said, "The challenges of integrating DPIs across borders-from pricing to technical standards-are significant. Initiatives like Project Nexus are underway to tackle these issues, but achieving seamless connectivity across different markets will take time."

Mr. Mohanty added, "Fintech must expand beyond payments and lending to include other asset classes such as wealth advisory and capital market infrastructure."

GFF 2024 also featured a significant global presence, with numerous international leaders contributing to the dialogue on the future of fintech. Among the notable speakers were Mr. Camilo Tellez-Merchan, Deputy Managing Director, UN based Better Than Cash Alliance, United Nations; Mr. Alan Lim, Director, FinTech Infrastructure Office, Monetary Authority of Singapore; Mr. Paul van Sint Fiet, Head of APAC cross-currency solutions, J.P. Morgan Payments; Mr. Edward Bass, Inward Investment Manager, UK Department for Business and Trade; Mr. David Finch, Global Managing Director Fintech, TransUnion CIBIL, and Mr. Jan Pilbauer, Chief Executive Officer, Al Etihad Payments.

The event also saw eminent leaders from the Indian fintech ecosystem. For more information about the conference, visit: Global Fintech Fest 2024.

For further information, please reach out to:

Vipin Chanddra, APCO: +91-9582 731432

Kuldeep Singh, APCO: +91- 97113 06379

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/global-fintech-fest-2024-showcases-wide-spectrum-of-innovations-302235217.html
Campo de Batalla: An Exhibition Highlighting Murillo's Exploration of the Human Form

SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA / ACCESSWIRE / August 31, 2024 / San Jose's Museo Calderon Guardia will host an exhibition of 35 works by Costa Rican figurative artist Roberto Murillo from September 5th to September 28th. Titled Campo de Batalla (translated as "Battlefield"), this show celebrates Murillo's bold exploration of the human form through monochromatic charcoal and mixed media. Marking a significant breakthrough in his career, the exhibition will open with a reception at 7 p.m. on September 5th - everyone is welcome to attend.

Roberto Murillo, Inauguracion

Campo De Batalla

Promoting Costa Rica's cultural heritage, MIRAME Fine Art connects artists with art lovers worldwide and is proud to support Roberto Murillo.

A Major Moment for Murillo

The exhibition represents Murillo's largest and most ambitious show to date, consolidating pieces that represent the evolution of his style. The exhibition features mostly large-scale works that amplify his vision. Murillo describes: "The show brings together works that I've reserved for four years, a compilation of the last years that have been incredibly prolific."

Exploring the Symbolic Nude

The exhibition centers on Murillo's exploration of the symbolic nude body, rich in metaphor and narrative. It also emphasizes his approach to the body, delving into psychological, philosophical, and social dimensions. This thematic focus reflects his broader artistic philosophy. He says: "My art represents a way to fill the void of existence and to find happiness in the process; it is intellectual and spiritual development."

Charcoal as a Medium of Expression

Murillo's figures are dynamic, captured as intertwined in a perpetual fluid dance. Influenced by artists like Lucian Freud, as well as literature, dance, and cinema, he uses charcoal to express the raw authenticity of the human figure, revealing deeper emotional themes of human existence. By embracing imperfections, Murillo challenges conventional beauty standards and invites viewers to engage with the emotional and intellectual layers of his work.

Dynamic Technique and Artistic Impact

The exhibition showcases Murillo's use of chiaroscuro-contrasts between light and dark-to create a visually captivating experience. The interplay between illuminated and shadowed parts of the nude body adds depth and intrigue while enhancing the works' monumental presence.

The Museo Calderon Guardia: A Cultural Icon

The Museo Calderon Guardia is a cornerstone of Costa Rican culture and history, renowned for its dedication to the nation's artistic heritage. By hosting Murillo's exhibition, the museum underscores its role in preserving traditional cultural values while encouraging bold contemporary expression.

Supporting Murillo's Vision with MIRAME Fine Art

MIRAME Fine Art offers innovative ways to experience Murillo's work for those unable to attend the exhibition in person. Their augmented reality feature allows global audiences to explore his vigorous figures virtually, appreciating his art from anywhere in the world.

Exhibition Details

Dates: 5 th - 28 th September 2024

Opening Reception: 5 th September, 7 p.m.

Location: Museo Calderon Guardia, Barrio Escalante, Calle 27, San Jose

Contact Information

Belinda Seppings

Co-Founder

belinda@miramefineart.com

+447821591397

SOURCE: MIRAME Fine Art

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Last week's meeting marked a prelude to GVN's international meeting in Durban, South Africa, September 16-18, 2024

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To mitigate the mpox outbreak, the Global Virus Networkis leading a panel of experts to develop guidelines and streamline testing standards, including strengthening infrastructure to sequencing and early detection. On August 22, 2024, the GVN, headquartered at the University of South Florida, USA, convened a critical mpox discussion online with leaders from the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), major industry partners, renowned virologists, and public health experts at the forefront of the mpox outbreak response.



Lorenzo Subissi, PhD, WHO's Mpox Task Force lead, advised the group that the current mpox epidemic was escalated to a grade 3 emergency, requiring a major to maximal WHO response. He reported that 38% of children infected are under age 10 and noted sustained human-to-human transmission of clade 1b in Africa.

Mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close contact, including sexual relations, and causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, muscle aches, and pus-filled lesions. Mpox is usually mild but sometimes fatal, mostly in children. The new clade 1b variant is responsible for the rising infections, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and identified in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Thailand, as well as reported in the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, and Sweden.

The discussion highlighted the urgent need to enhance diagnostic capabilities, vaccine development, and global collaboration to mitigate the impact of the mpox outbreak, particularly in regions most at risk.



To facilitate recommendations catalyzed by the discussion, the GVN assembled a subcommittee on point-of-care diagnostics chaired by Rachel Roper, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at East Carolina University, USA and Co-chair of GVN's Mpox Action Committee, Marion Koopmans, DVM, PhD, Erasmus Medical Center, Netherlands, a GVN Center of Excellence, and Deborah Williamson, PhD, Professor of Public Health Microbiology, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom, a GVN Center of Excellence, and Director of the UK Health Security Agency. The subcommittee is meeting weekly to develop global testing and diagnostic standards and generate suggestions through a collaborative whitepaper addressing issues such as sample collection, assays, and clinical triage procedures for frontline workers.

"It's not just how a sample is transported," Dr. Roper said, "but what type of sample is collected. For mpox, each lesion can have unique viral populations, and we need to have a universal sample type defined and well documented to aid surveillance."

During the meeting, Emmanuel Agogo, PhD, Director of Pandemic Threats at FIND, Switzerland, emphasized the need for local capacity building: "To effectively combat mpox, we must empower local health systems and researchers. This will not only help contain the current outbreaks but also build long-term resilience against future threats. In particular, the need for decentralized diagnostic options is critical for surveillance, access to therapeutics and effective vaccine roll out."

Maggie L. Bartlett, PhD, Program Director at the GVN and faculty member at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, a GVN Center of Excellence, emphasized the importance of inclusive and equitable strategies: "Our efforts must reach those in the most affected regions, and we must prioritize health equity in our response to ensure that no one is left behind."

Laurens Liesenborghs, MD, PhD, Assistant professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Belgium, member of ITM's multidisciplinary Outbreak Research Team, and member of the GVN Mpox Action Committee, echoed the call for an innovative approach: "We cannot be content with the status quo. Our goal is to develop tools and strategies that are not only effective but also scalable and sustainable. This is a global challenge that demands a global response."

Michael Mina, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of eMed, USA, said "Rapid tests and PCR tests are not mutually exclusive. In fact, we learned during COVID how useful a dual strategy can be and how these can be incredibly powerful additive tools in our public health toolbox. We need the big companies to step it up and develop rapid diagnostics and research funding incentives from governments to ensure we don't face the same fallout with the crash of small companies after the surge."

Yenew Kebede Tebeje, MD, Head of Division of Laboratory Systems at Africa CDC advised, "Mpox poses a significant threat to public health, particularly in regions where health systems are already stretched thin. To effectively combat this virus, we must strengthen our surveillance, diagnostic, and response capabilities across Africa. Our collective efforts must ensure that we are not only containing the current outbreaks but also building the resilience needed to face future health challenges."

In addition to addressing the immediate response, the meeting also focused on long-term strategies for pandemic preparedness and response. The participants discussed the critical role of partnerships between global organizations like WHO, GVN, Africa CDC, CEPI and FIND in driving innovation and ensuring that resources are directed where they are most needed.

Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, GVN President and Professor of Yale University, USA, said, "The initiatives originating from the meeting represent part of the GVN effort to assist in the global effort to combat mpox and other emerging viral threats. Collaboration is imperative and we are keen that the GVN help leverage and focus resources and expertise helping to mitigate the mpox outbreak and plan for future threats."

GVN's coalition of the world's leading virology researchers, who work together to prevent illness and death from viral disease, will continue these discussions about the mpox outbreak amid high-level scientific sessions examining pandemic preparedness and current threats, including at GVN's International Annual Scientific Meeting, "Navigating Virology's Frontiers in Africa,"co-hosted by the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), a GVN Center of Excellence, September 16-18, 2024.

Salim Abdool Karim, MB, ChB, director of CAPRISA and CAPRISA Professor of Global Health at Columbia University, USA, is chair of the Africa CDC Emergency Consultative Group and warned that mpox spread is eminent, but with a global response it can be controlled and stopped. Dr. Karim also said the outbreak is particularly concerning as it disproportionately affects young people. He continued, "I look forward to continuing these discussions at the GVN international meeting in Durban as we tackle this rising threat, among other pressing global issues, including COVID-19, scientific misinformation, and pandemic preparedness."

During GVN's international meeting, experts will exchange ideas on themes including: evading viral evasion; translational virology and complex co-infections; training the next generation; post-viral diseases; bats, rats, and other vectors; genetic sequences and epidemiological insights; cutting-edge diagnostics and therapeutics; regional responses to disease; perspectives from agencies; pandemic preparedness; and combating scientific misinformation.
The Womens Forum for Screen Workers in the Bangla film industry issued a charter demand for the dignity of women in the workplace, which was signed by 50 actors and technicians including Rituparna, Aparna Sen, Swastika Mukherjee and Paoli Dam, among others read more

Popular Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta, who also worked in Bollywood films, recently took to the streets and protested along with Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Dev Adhikari against the RG Kar rape-murder case that happened earlier this month as a part of the West Bengal Motion Picture Artists Forum on the need for womens safety at the workplace.

After that, the Womens Forum for Screen Workers in the Bangla film industry issued a charter demand for the dignity of women in the workplace, which was signed by 50 actors and technicians including Rituparna, Aparna Sen, Swastika Mukherjee and Paoli Dam, among others.

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Talking about the situation, Rituparna told News 18, The Kolkata rape-murder case is an eye-opener to institutional and organised crime. Were all very sad, depressed and infuriated at the same time. I feel so confused right now. Everything is so topsy-turvy. For how long will we live with this terror? Educated men are using their power and position as a weapon and are professing sexual misconduct.

We spend most of our time at our workplace. If we dont feel safe there, how will we continue to work? Many women dont speak up because theyre scared of losing work. Thats why Im saying that all this needs to stop. There are so many avenues available to men where they can engage in consensual encounters, she added.

The actress revealed that she also faced sexual harassment in the initial days of her career. I did face it but I braved it all. I didnt know much about the movies. I didnt come from a film family. So, I took everything that I faced as a challenge. My perspective on things were different. But yes, I definitely faced a lot, recalled Sengupta adding, The environment that I came from had put me in a different footing. Ive always done things my way. I never gave into doing things I didnt want to. That might have damaged my career in a way and didnt give me the kind of visibility and attention that I shouldve received. But Im not bothered.

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I stuck to my right to dignity and thats all that mattered. I didnt compromise just for the sake of fame and positioning. I had to manage my career and my home and set an example for my children. I couldve surrendered to a big name but that would mean that Im belittling myself. I was never ready to tarnish my image in my own eyes, added the actress.
South Korea, grappling with the worlds lowest fertility rate, is introducing a pilot programme to allow Filipino nannies into the country to address a severe childcare shortage. Despite the potential benefits, the initiative faces significant challenges, including high costs for families and criticism over wage standards read more

Three siblings get ready to go to sleep at their home on Nokdo island in Boryeong, South Korea, March 1, 2021. File Image/Reuters

South Koreas fertility rate, which reached a historic low of 0.78 in 2022, is the lowest in the world. Despite the governments efforts over the past 17 years, including an expenditure of 380 trillion won (approximately US$284 billion) on various fertility-boosting incentives, the birth rate has continued to plummet.

The National Assembly Budget Office in Seoul has warned that the country could be the first in the world to disappear due to this demographic decline. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeols administration has recognised that drastic measures are needed to reverse this trend.

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One such measure is the introduction of foreign nannies, which aims to ease the childcare burden on working parents, particularly in dual-income households, and ultimately increase the birth rate.

What is the new policy?

As part of the governments strategy, 100 Filipino nannies will be allowed to work in South Korea starting Tuesday. This is only the beginning, with plans to bring in approximately 1,200 foreign nannies by the first half of 2025.

These nannies, aged between 24 to 38, hold the Caregiving National Certification Level II Certificate from the Philippine government and have undergone extensive training, reported Seoul-based The Korea Herald. Their skills include child care, housekeeping, and basic Korean language proficiency.

Also Read: South Korea says new ministry to tackle low birth rates. But will it really help?

The nannies will work under an E-9 visa, which permits employment in non-professional sectors, and will be part of a pilot programme restricted to Seoul residents. This six-month programme is intended to provide affordable childcare services to households with children under 12, single-parent families, and those with multiple children.

Priority will be given to families with younger children, and the programme is designed to assist families regardless of their income levels.

Who is paying for this?

While the introduction of foreign nannies is seen as a potential solution to South Koreas childcare challenges, the cost remains a significant hurdle. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, hiring a foreign nanny for eight hours a day could cost households around 2.38 million won per month, nearly half the average monthly income of Korean households.

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This has led to concerns about the affordability of the programme for average Korean families. We are seeing complaints about the cost burden of Filipino foreign domestic helpers, said You Hye-mi, senior secretary to the president, in a recent radio interview. So, we are trying to explore ways to mitigate an individual households cost burden of hiring them.

The programme has also faced criticism from labour activists and migrant rights groups. During a National Assembly audit last year, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon proposed hiring foreign nannies at a monthly cost of approximately 1 million won, which is significantly lower than the minimum wage in South Korea.

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This proposal was heavily criticised for not meeting international labour standards, with the Ministry of Employment and Labour eventually setting the hiring cost at 9,860 won per hour, in line with the national minimum wage.

Furthermore, Rep. Cho Jung-hun of the Transition Korea party proposed a bill that would exclude migrant domestic helpers from the minimum wage law requirement, arguing that wages for such workers should be aligned with those in their home countries, reported Seoul-based Korea JoongAng Daily.

However, this proposal has been met with severe criticism from human rights organisations, who argue that it infringes on the rights of foreign workers and violates International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards.

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Will this scheme work?

The introduction of foreign nannies is part of a broader government effort to boost female workforce participation, which is seen as essential for improving the countrys birth rate. The number of dual-income households in South Korea has steadily increased, reaching 5.82 million in 2021.

However, many women still leave the workforce due to childcare responsibilities, with 597,000 women quitting their jobs in 2022 alone, citing childcare as the primary reason.

By providing more affordable childcare options, the government hopes to create a more conducive environment for young couples to have children, thereby addressing the declining birth rate.

Also Watch:

However, experts have expressed caution, warning that it may be too soon to implement the pilot programme without first addressing issues related to illegal immigration and the potential exploitation of foreign workers.

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Korea JoongAng Daily quoted Professor Jeong Jae-youn of Myongji Universitys Graduate School of International Exchange & Management who criticised the government for not having adequate regulations in place to manage the influx of foreign workers. The number of immigrants staying in Korea illegally has been on the rise, with over 410,000 out of 2.14 million foreigners currently in the country illegally, he noted. This is a significant increase from a decade ago, when the number was 183,000.

The South Korean Labour Ministry has indicated that the programme could be expanded if successful, but it will first evaluate the outcomes of the initial six-month period.

With inputs from agencies
Over the next three days, 6,40,000 children in Gaza will receive polio vaccinations in an urgent bid to curb the spread of the virus after the war-torn region reported the first polio case in 25 years in a 10-month-old baby. Implementing a large-scale vaccination drive in a territory overwhelmed by rubble and with 90 per cent of its population displaced will be exceptionally challenging. How are health authorities planning to carry out the program? read more

The World Health Organization has warned that the presence of polio paralysis case suggests there could be hundreds more who have been infected but are not yet showing symptoms. File Image/ Reuters

In a decisive move to combat the resurgence of polio in Gaza, the UN health agency and partners are set to launch a major vaccination drive on Sunday, in an ambitious effort amid a devastating war that has destroyed the territorys healthcare system.

Over the next three days, 6,40,000 children in Gaza will receive polio vaccinations in an urgent bid to curb the spread of the virus after the war-torn region reported the first polio case in 25 years  a 10-month-old boy who is now paralysed in the leg after suffering from an infection.

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The World Health Organization has warned that the presence of this paralysis case suggests there could be hundreds more who have been infected but are not yet showing symptoms.

The vaccination effort faces substantial challenges: Gazas roads are largely destroyed, hospitals are in ruins, and the population is dispersed across isolated areas. Despite these obstacles, the WHO has secured an agreement with Israel and Hamas for brief pauses in the fighting to facilitate the campaign.

Nonetheless, implementing such a large-scale vaccination drive in a territory overwhelmed by rubble and with 90 per cent of its population displaced will be exceptionally challenging.

How are authorities planning to go about it? lets take a closer look

How long will it take?

Israels military and Hamas have agreed to three separate, zoned three-day pauses in fighting to facilitate the first round of vaccinations.

The first round of the three-day campaign in central Gaza is set to begin on Sunday during a humanitarian pause that will last from 6 am to 3 pm (local time), said Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHOs representative in the Palestinian territories and mentioned that an additional day could be added if necessary.

The WHO has secured an agreement with Israel and Hamas for brief pauses in the fighting to facilitate the polio vaccination campaign. Reuters

In coordination with Israeli authorities, the effort will then move to southern Gaza and northern Gaza during similar pauses, he said during a news conference by video from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

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Im not going to say this is the ideal way forward. But this is a workable way forward, Peeperkorn said.

The World Health Organization stresses that at least 95 per cent coverage is needed for a successful roll-out.

A second round of vaccinations is planned for late September.

Who will receive the polio jab?

The vaccination campaign aims to reach 6,40,000 children under the age of ten, according to the WHO. Each child will receive two drops of oral polio vaccine, with the second dose scheduled to be administered four weeks after the first.

The vaccines, released from global emergency stockpiles, have already arrived in Gaza and will be administered to 6,40,000 children under the age of 10. File Image/Reuters

The UN health body says children typically need about three to four doses of oral polio vaccine  two drops per dose  to be protected against polio. If they dont receive all of the doses, they are vulnerable to infection.



Doctors have previously found that children who are malnourished or who have other illnesses might need more than 10 doses of the oral polio vaccine to be fully protected.

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Are there side effects of the vaccine?

Yes, but they are very rare.

Billions of doses of the oral vaccine have been given to children worldwide and it is safe and effective. But in about 1 in 2.7 million doses, the live virus in the vaccine can paralyse the child who receives the drops.

Where are the vaccination sites?

The vaccination campaign will take place across Gaza, covering both areas within and outside Israeli evacuation zones, from Rafah in the south to the northern parts of the territory.

According to the Health Ministry in Ramallah, there will be over 400 fixed vaccination sites, the majority located in Khan Younis, where the population density is highest and there are 239,300 children under ten. These fixed sites will include healthcare centres, hospitals, clinics, and field hospitals.

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Additionally, there will be approximately 230 outreach sites throughout Gaza. These are community gathering points, not traditional medical centres, where vaccines will also be distributed.

Where are the vaccines currently?

Approximately 1.3 million doses of the polio vaccine have already passed through the Kerem Shalom checkpoint and are currently stored in cold-chain storage at a warehouse in Deir al-Balah. This storage ensures that the vaccines are kept at the proper temperature to maintain their potency.

An additional shipment of 400,000 doses is expected to arrive in Gaza soon.

The vaccines will be transported to distribution sites by a team of over 2,000 medical volunteers, according to Ammar Ammar, a spokesperson for UNICEF.

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What are the challenges ahead?

Launching a vaccination campaign across the Gaza Strip, especially under the current conditions, presents significant challenges.

The UN estimates that about 65 per cent of Gazas road network has been damaged, making transportation difficult. Additionally, 19 of the strips 36 hospitals are out of service, further complicating the effort.

The northern part of Gaza is largely cut off from the south, and travel between these areas has been challenging due to ongoing Israeli military operations. Security concerns have forced aid groups to suspend trips after convoys were targeted by the Israeli military.

Palestinians evacuate from a site hit by an Israeli bombardment on Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. AP

Dr. Rik Peeperkorn of WHO noted that house-to-house vaccinations, common in other polio campaigns, are not possible in Gaza under these circumstances. When asked about the feasibility of the effort, Peeperkorn said WHO believes it is feasible if all the pieces of the puzzle are in place.

How did this outbreak in Gaza start?

The polio virus that triggered this latest outbreak is a mutated virus from an oral polio vaccine. The oral polio vaccine contains weakened live virus and in very rare cases, that virus is shed by those who are vaccinated and can evolve into a new form capable of starting new epidemics.

With input from AP
Pakistan has invited PM Narendra Modi to the SCO Heads of Government Meeting in October. It is yet to be seen if he will accept and in case he does, it would be his second trip to the nation. All this and more in our weekly roundup from India read more

Its the last day of August. India saw big developments this week, with floods causing devastation in Gujarat. Dozens of people died and several train and flight services were disrupted.

Apart from this, Pakistan has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad in October. It is yet to be seen if he will visit the neighbouring country.

The ripples from the Justice Hema Committee report continued to be felt in the Malayalam film industry, with several new accusations against bigwigs coming to light. The ruling CPI (M) led- LDF government has come under scanner since the report was made public last week.

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Heres all this and more in our weekly wrap from India.

1. Pakistan is hosting the SCO Heads of Government Meeting on October 15 and 16 in Islamabad, for which it has invited PM Modi. India is yet to confirm whether the PM will mark his presence at the event. However, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has told NDTV the era of uninterrupted dialogue is over.

If Modi accepts the invite, it will be his second visit to Pakistan. He had shocked everyone with his surprise visit to Lahore on December 25, 2015, to meet his then-Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif. Other PMs to have visited Pakistan were Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Heres our story on what happened when Indian premiers made trips to Pakistan.

2. Torrential rains wreaked havoc across Gujarat, with flood-like situations hitting several districts. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 237 of the states 251 talukas received heavy showers, with 43 reporting over 100 mm of rain.

A flooded area at Kothara village in Kutch district, Friday, August 30, 2024. PTI

Waterlogging occurred in the districts of Vadodara, Anand, Kheda, and Panchmahals. Two bridges collapsed, power went out in some districts, and trains and flights were affected in Gujarat. Besides floodwaters, Vadodara faced another challenge: a crocodile invasion. The rising water levels in the Vishwamitri River drove hundreds of these reptiles into residential areas. Read our explainer on how heavy rains brought death and destruction in Gujarat.

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3. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a new venture  Unified Lending Interface (ULI)  to provide frictionless credit nationwide. With this, Indias central bank wants to transform the countrys lending landscape. Just like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) changed the payments ecosystem, similarly we expect ULI to transform the lending landscape, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said.

ULI, a digital platform by the RBI, is expected to make the lending process easy. File image/PTI

ULI, a digital platform, will be similar to UPI. It would ensure a seamless flow of information and reduce the time taken for credit appraisal. Read our story to know more about ULI.

4. The Justice Hema Committee report on the rampant sexual harassment in Mollywood has put the Kerala government in a fix. Media reports say the findings of the panel include names of some with links to the ruling CPI (M). Actor Minu Maneer has accused several actors, including a two-time CPI(M) MLA, of sexual misconduct.

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The Kerala government came under fire after Maneer alleged CPI(M) MLA M Mukesh and three other actors subjected her to physical and verbal abuse. The opposition has accused the government of a cover-up. Amid pressure, the government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that will probe the sexual abuse allegations. Heres our story on how the Hema panel report has put Pinarayi Vijayan-led government in a tough spot.

5. A worrying report has shed light on the suicide crisis in the country. According to the Student Suicides: An epidemic sweeping India report, student suicides are rising at an alarming rate annually, exceeding the population growth rate and overall suicide trends.

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The report says that while suicide numbers rose by 2 per cent annually, the cases of student suicide increased by 4 per cent, despite a likely under-reporting of such cases. The incidence of student suicides continues to surpass both population growth rates and overall suicide trends. Over the last decade, while the population of 0-24-year-olds reduced from 582 million to 581 million, the number of student suicides increased from 6,654 to 13,044, it pointed out. But why is this happening? We explain in this story.

6. The Kolkata rape and murder of a young trainee doctor has put the spotlight on womens safety. Since then, several rape cases have been reported across the country. Now, a disturbing report has emerged of a hidden camera being discovered at a womens hostel toilet in an Andhra Pradesh engineering college.

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A group of female students found the hidden camera in their toilet, leading to a huge panic and uproar. Students organised protests as the incident surfaced. The police have arrested a BTech final-year student, identified as Vijay Kumar, concerning the case. Heres our explainer on the scandal.

7. Netflixs series on one of the worst crises in Indias aviation history was released this week.

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack delves into the hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in December 1999.

Five masked terrorists hijacked the IC 814 plane, taking over 180 hostages whose ordeal lasted for seven days. Read our story to find out what happened and how the passengers were freed.

This is all we have for you this week. If you enjoy reading our explainers and want to stay updated, heres the page to bookmark.
After a months-long legal battle, Brazils Supreme Court has ordered an immediate and complete suspension of Elon Musk-owned X over a misinformation row. With 40 million Brazilian users affected, the platform is set to go dark within 24 hours. But Brazil is not the first country to ban the social media giant. There are more countries that have followed a similar course. Who are they? read more

The ban came after the company failed to meet a deadline set by Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes to name a new legal representative in the Brazil. Reuters

Brazils Supreme Court has ordered the suspension of X, formerly known as Twitter, after a months-long legal battle between the social media giants owner Elon Musk, and the Brazilian authorities.

The company failed to meet a deadline set by Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes to name a new legal representative in the country following which the top court on Friday ordered an immediate and complete suspension of the social media platform.

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Further, the judge has also threatened a fine of 50,000 reais (Rs. 7.47 lakh) to anyone who used technological subterfuges to get around the block, such as a VPN or the virtual private network.

With 40 million Brazilian users affected, the platform is set to go dark within 24 hours and will remain suspended until it complies with all court orders and settles existing fines.

The row began in April, with the judge ordering the suspension of dozens of X accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation, which X did not comply with.

In response to the suspension, Elon Musk said: Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes."

Brazil now joins the growing list of countries that have banned or suspended X. Heres a closer look

China

In 2009, China banned X, then known as Twitter, along with Facebook, Flickr, and Hotmail. This move followed the Uyghur protests in the northwest city of Urumqi, where demonstrations against racial discrimination escalated into riots.

The Chinese government suspected X was being used to organise the unrest and spread misinformation. In a move to curb further conflict, they decided to entirely ban the platform.

Twitter is a tool which can put all the sensitive things and sensitive guys together, very quickly. Thats the very thing that the Chinese government doesnt want to see in China, blogger Michael Anti was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

The Chinese government suspected X was being used to organise the unrest and spread misinformation. In a move to curb further conflict, they decided to entirely ban the platform. Reuters

Over the years, the censorship of Western internet platforms, known as The Great Firewall of China, became increasingly stringent.

Russia

The social media platform has been facing troubles ever since 2022, when Russian authorities intensified their crackdown on dissent and free media following President Vladimir Putins decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022.

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The Russian government had restricted access to X, Metas Facebook, and Instagram as well as blocked several independent Russian-language media outlets critical of the Kremlin.

In 2021, Moscow slowed down Xs speed as a punitive measure, citing the sites failure to remove what it said was illegal content.

The Russian government had restricted access to X, Metas Facebook, and Instagram as well as blocked several independent Russian-language media outlets critical of the Kremlin.

Russia has been tightening its control over the internet and big tech companies for years. Critics argue that these measures threaten individual and corporate freedoms and are part of a broader crackdown on Kremlin opponents.

Iran

In 2009, Iran banned X, then Twitter, following protests against the disputed presidential election results that declared hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner.

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Tech-savvy Iranians used X to organise protests and share vivid accounts of the events, earning the term Twitter Revolution from many journalists.

Tech-savvy Iranians used X to organise protests and share vivid accounts of the events, earning the term Twitter Revolution from many journalists. Image Courtest: Wikimedia

Author and columnist Reza Aslan told PBS that Iranians are in the midst of two revolutions. Theres the one on the streets said Aslan. But theres also a revolution taking place in cyberspace."

The Iranian government blocked X and other social media platforms to prevent the organisation of further protests. Ironically, while the platform remains blocked for the general public, Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, continues to maintain an account on X.



Myanmar

After a military coup took power in Myanmar in 2021, the rulers ordered mobile networks and internet service providers to block X and Instagram, owned by Facebook.

Social media users had been using these platforms to protest the coup, sharing photos of themselves giving the three-finger salute, a symbol of resistance in the region. They also used pro-democracy hashtags to criticise the militarys takeover and the detention of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other officials.

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The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology claimed that the Facebook block was for the sake of stability.

North Korea

In 2016, North Korea officially announced it was blocking X, along with Facebook, YouTube, and several South Korean websites, to tighten control over outside information.

In 2016, North Korea officially announced it was blocking X, along with Facebook, YouTube, and several South Korean websites, to tighten control over outside information.

The announcement added that anyone who tries to hack onto such sites, access them in an improper way, or distribute anti-republic data from them will be subject to punishment under North Korean law, The Guardian reported.

Despite an estimated 2 million North Koreans using mobile phones, internet access is largely restricted to officials, technicians, or those with special permission, usually under close supervision.

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Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

In 2018, Turkmenistan blocked social media apps like X, WhatsApp, and Facebook, as well as foreign news and opposition websites.

As one of the worlds most isolated regimes, Turkmenistan ranks low in global rights and press freedom indices, with many platforms often inaccessible.

However, that same year, the country introduced its first privately developed messaging app, BizBarde. The state Yaslyk television station said it allows the exchange of messengers, files, photos, and videos.

X is also banned in Uzbekistan, consistent with the regions strict censorship rules.

With input from agencies
Ozempic, a drug originally developed to manage Type 2 diabetes, has garnered widespread attention for its impressive weight-loss benefits. However, multiple researchers suggest that the so-called miracle drug could slow down ageing and offer far-reaching benefits beyond what was imagined read more

A series of groundbreaking trials led by researchers from Yale and Harvard have revealed that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, may have profound health benefits beyond its original use. Reuters

Ozempic, a drug originally developed to manage Type 2 diabetes, has garnered widespread attention for its impressive weight loss benefits. However recent research suggests that this so-called miracle drug may offer benefits far beyond what was previously imagined.

Several studies have revealed that Semaglutide, marketed under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, not only treats illnesses linked to heart failure, arthritis, Alzheimers, and even cancer but also holds the potential to slow the ageing process.

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It wouldnt surprise me that improving peoples health this way actually slows down the ageing process, said Prof Harlan Krumholz from the Yale School of Medicine, as quoted by the BBC. He shared this insight at the European Society of Cardiology Conference 2024 in London, where the studies were presented.

So, how might Ozempic help slow down ageing? Lets delve deeper into this intriguing finding.

What does the study say?

A series of groundbreaking trials led by researchers from Yale and Harvard have revealed that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, may have profound health benefits beyond its original use.

The studies suggest that semaglutide could reverse kidney disease, prevent heart failure, lower previously untreatable high blood pressure, and even reduce the risk of dying from COVID-19 by a third.

Published in multiple medical journals, including the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), these studies involved a select trial of 17,604 participants aged 45 or older.

All were either overweight or obese and had established cardiovascular disease but no diabetes. The participants received either 2.4 mg of semaglutide or a placebo and were monitored over a period of more than three years.

Interestingly, the study found that while women experienced fewer major adverse cardiovascular events, semaglutide consistently reduced the risk of such outcomes across both sexes



During the study, 833 participants died, with 5 per cent of these deaths related to cardiovascular causes and 42 per cent from other causes. Infection was the most common cause of non-cardiovascular death, but it occurred less frequently in the semaglutide (2.6 per cent) group compared to the placebo group (3.1 per cent).

Interestingly, the study found that while women experienced fewer major adverse cardiovascular events, semaglutide consistently reduced the risk of such outcomes across both sexes.

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Dr Benjamin Scirica, lead author of one of the studies and a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Harvard Medical School told the PA news agency, The robust reduction in non-cardiovascular death, and particularly infections deaths, was surprising and perhaps only detectable because of the Covid-19-related surge in non-cardiovascular deaths.

These findings reinforce that overweight and obesity increases the risk of death due to many etiologies, which can be modified with potent incretin-based therapies like semaglutide.

Also read: The India link in blockbuster weight loss drug Ozempics success

How does it slow down ageing?

Professor Krumholz, who has been widely quoted, raised an intriguing question: Is it a fountain of youth? He elaborated, I would say if youre improving someones cardiometabolic health substantially, then you are putting them in a position to live longer and better."

Semaglutide has been found to improve heart failure symptoms and significantly reduce inflammation in the body, irrespective of weight loss. This adds to the growing evidence that the drug could be far more than just a weight-loss treatment.

Professor John Deanfield, a cardiologist at University College London, told The Times, The idea is that if you target inflammatory biology, you can alter the evolution and the consequences of multiple diseasesyou might be able to alter the outcome for a whole set of diseases of ageing wed all like to avoid."

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He added, They stop being weight-loss drugs, with all of the controversy about lifestyle drugs, and they become drugs that will target diseases. Its incredibly exciting."

Semaglutide has been found to improve heart failure symptoms and significantly reduce inflammation in the body, irrespective of weight loss. This adds to the growing evidence that the drug could be far more than just a weight-loss treatment.

Originally developed for managing diabetes, semaglutide gained massive popularity as a weight-loss treatment, becoming a viral sensation on social media. The drug mimics the hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide one), which helps manage hunger and slows digestion.

Experts, including those who presented at the congress in London, argue that semaglutide should be more widely considered as a multi-purpose drug that protects against a broad spectrum of health threats."

However, its important to note that the drug, which costs about Rs 78,000, doesnt work for everyone and has its risks. It can cause severe side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and a significant increase in the risk of pancreatitis, a potentially deadly condition. Theres also a four-fold increase in the risk of stomach paralysis. Therefore, medical consultation is crucial before starting any treatment.

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With input from agencies
The matter is being probed. We have arrested them after receiving a complaint from the hospital authorities, an officer of Cossipore Police Station said. read more

Two security guards were on Saturday arrested for allegedly assaulting doctors and other staff at a hospital in Cossipore area of the metropolis, police said.

The guards were likely in an inebriated condition, officials said.

The matter is being probed. We have arrested them after receiving a complaint from the hospital authorities, an officer of Cossipore Police Station said.

A senior official of the hospital claimed that the guards had also threatened him with dire consequences.

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The two guards were intoxicated and assaulted the doctors and hospital staff. They have done this earlier, too, and we had complained to the health department in this regard, he said.

The hospital currently has 11 such security guards, he said.
The Uttar Pradesh State Transport Corporation is providing free bus services to candidates, including complimentary travel on electric buses in several districts. read more

Around 32 lakh candidates took the test for more than 60,000 vacant posts in Uttar Pradesh Police over five days concluding on Saturday amid tight security, with the state government describing it as the largest police recruitment exam in its history.

The exam, conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB), was held at 1,174 centres in 67 districts of the state on the fifth and last day of the exercise, which began last week. The exams were held in two shifts for five days  August 23, 24, 25, 30 and 31.

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Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated the candidates, the UPPRPB, district administrations and the state police for ensuring smooth and fair conduct of the exam.

The fresh recruitment exercise to fill over 60,000 posts was necessitated after the exams scheduled for February 17 and 18 were cancelled following allegations of a paper leak.

Previously mired with allegations of paper leaks, the exam centres of UPPRPB and its nearby areas witnessed high-levels of security this time and Aadhaar verification was done for all candidates, according to an official statement issued Saturday evening.

Also, 16,440 exam rooms across 1,174 centres in the state were equipped with CCTV and monitored by artificial intelligence, while over 2,300 magistrates and more than one lakh police personnel were deployed for duty, it added.

Hearty congratulations to all the candidates for the fair, transparent and peaceful completion of the written examination-2023 conducted for the selection of more than 60,200 posts of constable civil police, Adityanath posted on X in Hindi.

May all the energetic and disciplined youth taking part in the exam get the desired results and may everyone have a bright future; infinite good wishes for this! he said.

Heartfelt thanks to all the people who helped in conducting the worlds largest civil police recruitment examination successfully and safely, to the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board and the district administration of all the districts, he added.

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The chief minister said more than 15,000 women will be recruited in the selection process of over 60,000 police constables.

The examination was conducted in a fair and smooth manner; this will further enrich the model of security and good governance in Uttar Pradesh, he added.

According to the official statement, over 32 lakh candidates participated in this exam, which was conducted over five days in two phases.

The Uttar Pradesh government upheld transparency and integrity through unprecedented measures, including holding the exam exclusively in government schools to further ensure fairness, the statement said.

Every necessary measure was taken to prevent any inconvenience to the candidates. To achieve this, 2,300 magistrates and 1,97,859 police personnel were deployed, while CCTVs equipped with artificial intelligence were installed to monitor the proceedings, it said.

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The security arrangements, both inside and outside the exam centres, kept cheaters and solver gangs at bay, it added.

Additionally, Uttar Pradesh Police maintained vigilant monitoring across various platforms, including WhatsApp and social media, with intelligence agencies on 24-hour alert to pre-empt any potential issues.

In addition to stringent surveillance, the board conducted Aadhaar verification for the candidates before the exam. While 85 per cent of the candidates Aadhaar details were confirmed, the remaining 15 per cent were required to undergo eKYC verification at the exam centres, deterring those with fraudulent intentions, it stated.

Data analysis was also a key part of the exams integrity measures. Candidate data was matched within half an hour of the papers start in each shift. Any discrepancies led to immediate action, with lists of suspects provided to nodal officers for follow-up, the release stated.

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This thorough approach not only minimized cheating, but also resulted in the arrest of individuals attempting to game the system, reinforcing the examinations integrity, it added.

The extensive security apparatus put in place to ensure the safety and integrity of the police recruitment examination involved the deployment of 1,97,859 policemen, including 25 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and 8 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), the statement said.

Additionally, 137 additional superintendents of police, 522 deputy superintendents of police, 47,587 head constables, 86,844 constables, and 26,582 women constables, were also deployed, it said.

Apart from this, 3,876 inspectors, comprising 3,740 male and 136 female inspectors, and 32,311 sub-Inspectors, including 30,220 male and 2,091 female sub-inspectors, were assigned to oversee the examination, it added.

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To further bolster the examinations security, 74 observer police officers were stationed at the examination centres, it added.

At the examination centres, rigorous procedures for candidate verification were implemented, including physical frisking, security checks with Hand-Held Metal Detectors (HHMD), and biometric verification through fingerprint and facial recognition, the statement said.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasised that India faces a unique China problem beyond the general global concerns, urging increased scrutiny of Chinese investments due to the complex border and geopolitical issues. He noted that while managing investments from China is common globally, Indias specific circumstances demand a heightened level of vigilance read more

Asserting that India has a special China problem which is over and above the worlds general China problem, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Saturday the border and the state of relations with the country call for investments from there be scrutinised.

Jaishankar said that if people are complaining of trade deficit with China and we are too, it is because decades ago, we consciously overlooked the nature of Chinese production and the advantages which they enjoyed in a system where they got a level playing field with all the advantages they brought to bed.

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China in many ways is a unique problem because it is a unique polity, it is a unique economy. Unless one tries to grasp that uniqueness and understand it, the judgements, the conclusions and the policy prescriptions flowing out of it can be problematic, he said at the ET World Leaders Forum here during a session titled New Indias Risks, Reforms and Responsibilities.

There is a general China problem. We are not the only country in the world which is having a debate about China. Go to Europe, and ask them what is among their major economic or national security debates today. It is about China. Look at the United States (of America). It is obsessed with China, and rightly so in many ways, Jaishankar said.

So, the fact is that it is not only India which has a China problem, he said.

India has a China problem a special China problem that is over and above the worlds general China problem, Jaishankar said.

When we look at trade with China, investments with China, exchanges of various kinds with China. If you neglect to take into account that this is a very different country with a very different way of working, I think your basics start to go off track, he said.

Once you understand that because there is a general problem with China as well as our own situation, all of you know we have a very difficult situation at the border for the last four years. I think the sensible response to it is to take the precautions that a country like India is taking, the minister said.

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It has never been the governments position that it should not be having investments with China or doing business with China, he stressed.

On the investments issue, it is common sense that investments from China would be scrutinised, I think the border and state of relations between India and China call for it, Jaishankar said.

But countries that do not have a border with China are also scrutinising investments from the country, he added.

Europe does not have a border, America doesnt have a border with China and yet they are doing that. The issue is not do you have investments with China or not, it is not a yes or no answer, it is what should be the appropriate level of scrutiny and how should you handle it, the minister said.

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Sometimes when I read stuff where people write that we should clearly identify that this as national security, it doesnt work that way anymore because what is national security has expanded. If your telecom is based on Chinese technology, can you be impervious to it, he asked.

In my view, at a certain level, with certain countries in certain situations, the line between economics and security is a very thin line, Jaishankar said.

During the session, he also noted that there is a major war in Europe, a huge conflict in the Middle East, there are tensions in Asia and the revival of territorial claims and border frictions with each one of them mounts risks, he said.

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The focus of the world is on de-risking, Jaishankar asserted.

The external affairs minister highlighted that every government is now closely evaluating geopolitical risks, with the majority of efforts focused on de-risking.

He emphasized that in the current global landscape, managing and mitigating risks has become a central concern in shaping international relations and policies.
American diplomats in India are a busy lot these days. Apart from their usual work of enlightening Indian populace on disinformation and correct political discourse, for which they are platforming social media influencers and content creators of a certain political and ideological bend, they are also finding a lot of time to engage with the Opposition.

In the last few weeks, US consul general in Hyderabad Jennifer Larson has met Telanganas Congress chief minister Revanth Reddy, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP leader and NDA partner whose support remains crucial for the Narendra Modi governments survival, and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi with whom Larson shared informed and important views on a range of shared issues and concerns.

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It would have been interesting to know what those shared issues and concerns are that the American diplomat discussed with a bitter critic of the government at the Centre, but no such details have been forthcoming. Incidentally, Owaisi is possibly the only Indian politician to question New Delhis decision to give shelter to the deposed Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina (a rare issue of bipartisan consensus in India) who fell out spectacularly with the United States. There has been a persistent buzz over Washington playing a covert role in her ouster. The US denies involvement.

On Monday, a delegation of high-level American diplomats that included Graham Mayer, minister-counsellor for political affairs at the US Embassy in New Delhi, first secretary Gary Applegarth and political counsellor Abhiram Ghadyalpatil called on National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah at his residence in Srinagar.

The visit apparently came at the behest of the American side, and discussions covered a wide range of issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir and the region, according to NC. Digital news outlet The Print wanted to know the subject of the conversation but was reportedly told by a spokesperson of the US embassy in Delhi that they could not divulge private diplomatic conversations.

Incidentally, the day the diplomats came calling, the NC sealed a seat-sharing deal with the Congress Party for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls. It is worth noting that this was the American sides first meeting with political leaders in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370 and splitting of J&K into two Union Territories. It comes just ahead of the crucial elections where the NC is campaigning to restore Kashmirs special status and resumption of India-Pakistan dialogue on Kashmir.

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To be clear, meeting Opposition leaders and fostering subnational diplomacy by reaching out to the leadership in different Indian states forms a core diplomatic function of consulates. States frequently create channels of communication with Opposition leaders, and Indian diplomats serving abroad are expected to do the same. Besides, the trip to J&K would have required special permission from Indias Ministry of External Affairs and clearance from intelligence agencies which also translates into the fact that these meetings are undertaken amid full governmental glare.

That said, the United States is not just another country, and J&K is a sensitive border region on the cusp of returning to normalcy after decades of terrorism and violent separatist movement aided and abetted by Pakistan to wrest Kashmir away from India. American interest in meeting the key players at a critical time is bound to raise questions and curiosity, especially when such meetings have been rare in the past.

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It is undeniable that a shift in power equation has taken place post 2024 general elections. The Opposition has become more energised. These visits are an acknowledgement and consequence of that changed reality. However, the meddlesome nature of Americas hegemonic liberalism, its activist impulse and the unique circumstances of an unstable Indian subcontinent  for which a large portion of the blame can legitimately be laid at Washingtons door  arises suspicions that there are more to these meetings than meets the eye.

There is clarity in New Delhi that the US is a vital strategic partner, and the clear and present danger presented by China is a big part of that equation. On Friday, delivering a lecture at Vivekananda International Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank, Indias external affairs minister S Jaishankar called the US-India relationship invaluable for strategic and economic purposes and Washington indispensable for Indias multipolarity.

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While that is evident, that isnt the only reality. The US isnt a monolithic actor, and the relationship is not an alliance. As Jaishankar himself said at Fridays event, the relationship is not about congruence or an alliance but about overlapping interests and it is about the ability to work together on issues, areas and theatres which suit us.

What he left unsaid was that there are areas where interests do not overlap, and Bangladesh is a textbook case in point where the two partners do not see eye to eye. In a recent phone call, for instance, that US president Joe Biden initiated to discuss Modis recent trip to Ukraine, both sides released separate readouts where the difference in perception over the instability in post-Hasina Bangladesh is stark.

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While the Indian statement revealed that the two leaders expressed their shared concern over the situation in Bangladesh. They emphasised restoration of law and order and ensuring safety and security of the minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh, any reference to the troubled nation, leave alone the atrocities against Hindu minorities, was absent in the White House readout.

This isnt an anomaly. It is a pointer to the fact that there are many factions and competing power centres in Washington that are unafraid to stress test the bilateral relationship. While defence ties are on an upswing, the liberal internationalist faction within the Biden administration, for instance, prefers an India riven with internal tension and structural weakness over politico-ideological domination by a single force, and works round the clock to increase anti-government and pro-Opposition space in political discourse, as I had argued in a recent column.

This hegemonic liberalism arrogates to itself the right to interfere and intervene in the affairs of other sovereign nations where it deems that human rights or democratic values are endangered. Often this activism proves counterproductive and even detrimental to the stability of the states and the region.'

This American overextension also gets its partners in trouble in other geographies. It may not be an oversimplification to posit that the Indian backyard, including states such as Bangladesh, Myanmar, or Afghanistan has been rendered unstable in part due to Americas clumsy attempts at intervention, leaving India with a national security headache.

A recent Washington Post piece, headlined India pressed US to go easy on Bangladeshi leader before her ouster, in an attempt to criticise Indias handling of the Bangladesh crisis, inadvertently points to the extent to which the US interfered with Bangladeshs domestic political developments and tried to install itself as an actor in a bid to secure what it reckoned to be a desired outcome. One US official is quoted by the newspaper, as saying, There is always a balancing act in Bangladesh, as there is in many places where the situation on the ground is complicated

Complications surely are a problem for liberal internationalists ready to bulldoze their agenda in regions around the world in a moral crusade for democracy. Since allegations have flown thick and fast about Americas machinations behind the overthrowing of Hasina under the garb of an organic student-led revolution, Washington has issued multiple, vehement denials. But facts speak otherwise.

An article in South Asia Journal last year reported that on October 16, US deputy assistant secretary (South Asia and Central Asia) Afreen Akhter in a meeting with then Bangladesh foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen, had issued an ultimatum to the ruling Awami League government that either Hasina relinquishes power by November 3, or faces the music.

The article, quoting unnamed sources, claimed that the US, which accused the Hasina government of undermining democracy and committing human rights abuses, essentially gave two choices to Hasina. She either hands over the charge to President Mohammad Shahabuddin, or better still, resigns and puts the Speaker in charge of a caretaker government to oversee truly free, fair, participatory and inclusive elections.

Incidentally, American suggestions curiously mirrored the exact demands placed by the main Opposition party, BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party), that wanted a caretaker government to preside over the voting. When asked about the veracity of the report, US claimed that it doesnt take sides or prefer one political outfit over another but neither confirmed nor denied the report that Washington had issued an ultimatum.

What followed in the next few months leading to Hasinas removal is an extraordinary collapse of bilateral ties. The US imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on key Awami League figures, claimed that its embassy is not secure, while then US ambassador to Bangladesh, Peter Haas, went to meet the families of victims of alleged enforced disappearances in Dhaka to the further detriment of ties.

Hasina, on her part, refused to relinquish authority till the bitter end, claimed that a plot is afoot to carve out a Christian state like East Timor taking parts from Bangladesh and Myanmar, and also alleged in May, during a post-election at Gono Bhaban, that a white man had offered her a hassle free re-election in January if she allowed a foreign country to build an airbase in Bangladesh territory.

In her valedictory speech in the 22nd Parliamentary session in April last year, Hasina accused the US of interference, stating that Washington is so powerful that it can overthrow any government in any country if it wants.

This recurrent theme made its final appearance after her ouster when Indian newspaper Economic Times, reporting on a purported undelivered speech by the ousted prime minister, quoted Hasina, as saying that I could have remained in power if I had surrendered the sovereignty of Saint Martin Island and allowed America to hold sway over the Bay of Bengal. This was later retracted by her son.

It doesnt take a genius to gather whats going on. Americas pursuit of liberal hegemony is also creating more trouble for India in Myanmar where a military coup and resultant civil war is threatening Indias national security and fuelling insurgency in the northeastern states.

Washington is offering nonlethal aid to the rebels, who have made significant gains in their armed resistance against the military junta, but that aid risks creating more instability and widening divisions in a chaotic country, further exacerbating insurgency and security issues for its neighbours.

While Americas nonlethal aid is boosting the forces of resistance, it is also creating further complications in a country where the rebel groups, as Michael Haack writes in Nikkei Asia, are driven more by ethnonationalism than democracy.

Their recent battlefield gains are exciting America, who unlike Myanmars neighbours remain untouched by the crisis spillover. As Haack writes, Americas intervention will irritate Myanmars neighbours, serve little to propagate democracy and the most likely outcome in Myanmar would be more violence and death, creating the conditions for perpetual war.

India surely must have made these points to its invaluable partner, but it doesnt seem as if Washington particularly cares for New Delhis opinion.

Cut to Afghanistan, and there we have yet another America-created mess that has repercussions for Indias national security. Small arms left behind by the American and NATO troops during their hasty exit from Afghanistan, are being used by Pakistan-based terrorists against India in Kashmir. NBC News reported last year, quoting law enforcement authorities in India, how terrorists from Pakistan are carrying M4s, M16s and other U.S.-made arms and ammunition that have rarely been seen in the 30-year conflict.

While New Delhi grapples with these challenges, the Biden administration has been hard at work for a G2 lite with China through a series of  secret backchannel meetings.

The latest to visit Beijing is US NSA Jake Sullivan who met Chinese president Xi Jinping, foreign minister Wang Yi, and Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission who has operational control over the PLA, and returned with a plateful of advice on how Washington should not cross Beijings red lines on Taiwan and view China and its development in a positive and rational light.

The secret meetings, undertaken at Washingtons behest, and the frequent visits to Beijing by key figures within Biden administration indicates that the US is desperate to keep tension with China under manageable levels.

Beijing can smell weakness from a mile away and understands that the urgency for a compact lies more with the other side. This reinforces the fundamental unreliability of the US as a strategic partner. With Biden being reduced to the status of a lame-duck president, repeated overtures from the Biden administration would doubtless be interpreted by hyper-realist XI regime as a sign of fragility that may be exploited to create long-term leverage over Washington.

This development goes against Indias core interests and is yet another American intervention that serves to complicate Indias strategic imperatives. For a strategic partner with whom it claims to share the most important bilateral relationship in the 21st century Washington has never been too mindful of Indias red lines or core interests.

In his autobiography, diplomat and former Indian foreign minister Natwar Singh, who passed way on August 11 this year at the age of 95, accused the US of trying to derail his appointment. Singh, who served in the UPA 1 from 2004 to 2005, in an interview to Economic Times newspaper during the autobiographys release in 2014, had said, Americans have 130 officials here, whereas we have 25 officials in Washington. What are these officials doing in India? 25 per cent of these are CIA agents, I challenge them to deny it, they have access to all ministries, they dine with our joint secretaries.

In an eerie reflection of Hasinas comments, Singh told the newspaper that Manmohan (former Indian PM) mentioned to me how powerful the Americans were and that perhaps they could go to any extent to destabilise certain countries, including India.

For Manmohan Singh, who staked his premiership to seal the US-India civil nuclear deal, to have made such an admission speaks of the depth and scale of American meddling in India. Curious way to treat an invaluable partner.
The move followed the expiry of a court-imposed deadline for the popular social media platform to name a legal representative in Brazil read more

Brazils telecommunications regulator said on Friday it was proceeding to suspend access to Elon Musks X social network in the country in compliance with an order from a judge who has been locked in a months-long feud with the billionaire investor.

The move followed the expiry of a court-imposed deadline for the popular social media platform to name a legal representative in Brazil.

Musk has argued that Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes is trying to enforce unjustified censorship, while the judge has insisted that social media needs hate speech regulations.

Theyre shutting down the #1 source of truth in Brazil, Musk said in a post on X on Friday.

X remained accessible in Brazil on Friday evening.

The feud has also led to the freezing earlier this week of satellite internet provider Starlinks bank accounts in Brazil. Starlink is a unit of Musk-led rocket company SpaceX.

In his ruling, Moraes ordered that X, formerly Twitter, be suspended in Brazil until all related court orders were complied with, including the payment of more than $3 million in fines, as well as the designation of a local representative, as required by Brazilian law.

Moraes also ordered telecommunications regulator Anatel to implement the suspension order.

The agency told Reuters it is proceeding with compliance, but without specifying a timetable.

To effectively close X in Brazil, telecommunication companies will need to stop carrying the networks traffic, while also preventing users of the site from dodging it by concealing their locations with virtual private networks, or VPNs.

Moraes further ordered that those who continued to access X via VPNs be fined up to 50,000 reais, or about $9,000, per day.

Tech giants Apple and Alphabets Google (GOOGL.O), were also initially instructed in the order to remove the X app from their app stores. Both companies were also ordered to implement so-called anti-VPN obstacles that would make it more difficult for users of Apples iOS operating system and Googles Android to open the X app on phones or tablets.

But Moraes later reversed that part of his order, saying it would not be needed.

Press offices for both Apple and Google declined to comment.

Lapdogs and dictators?

Unlike in many other countries, Brazils Supreme Court judges are able to exercise sweeping powers to make unilateral decisions. But in the dispute over X, Moraes has been backed by a majority of the 11-member court, including Chief Justice Roberto Barroso.

The dispute has its roots in a Moraes order from earlier this year that required X to block accounts implicated in probes of the alleged spreading of distorted news and hate.

Musk denounced the order as censorship. He responded by closing the companys offices in Brazil but ensured the platform was still available in the country.

He has said that Starlink will continue to serve Brazilians, including the military, for free until this matter is resolved.

Earlier on Friday, Starlink asked the Supreme Court to suspend its decision to freeze its local bank accounts, arguing it has complied with all judicial orders. That request was dismissed on Friday evening.

Asked to comment, Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva insisted that all businesses operating in the country must comply with their legal obligations.

Just because a guy has a lot of money doesnt mean he can disrespect (the law), the leftist leader told local radio on Friday.

Musk derided the president as Moraes lapdog in a Thursday post in which he also called the judge a dictator.

At an event on Friday, Moraes showed no signs of backing down.

Those who violate democracy, who violate fundamental human rights, whether in person or through social media, must be held accountable, he said.
The US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the injury toll read more

US troops walk as an army helicopter flies over the village of Oreij in Iraq, 22 February 2017. Photograph. File Image: AFP

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Friday its forces conducted a partnered raid with the Iraqi Security Forces in western Iraq in the early hours of Aug. 29, resulting in the deaths of 15 Islamic State (ISIS) operatives.

The ISIS element was armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive suicide belts, CENTCOM said. It also added that there were no indications of civilian casualties in the raid.

Seven American troops were injured in the joint raid, the Associated Press reported later citing the US military.

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Five were wounded in the operation while two others were hurt in falls, a US military official told the AP. All personnel are in stable condition, the official said.

The US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the injury toll.

At least five US personnel were injured in an attack earlier this month against a military base in Iraq.

Later, Iraqs foreign ministry said that an announcement on an end date for the US-led coalitions mission had been postponed due to the latest developments, without identifying the developments.

Reuters reported in March that talks between the US and Iraq on ending the US-led military coalition in the country may not be concluded until after the US presidential elections in November.

A rare ally of both the US and Iran, Iraq hosts 2,500 U.S. troops and has Iran-backed militias linked to its security forces.
China has vigorously denied any abuses in Xinjiang and issued a 131-page response to the report defending its record read more

Human-rights groups and the United Nations are using Saturdays two-year anniversary of a landmark U.N. report to call for action on the document which said that China may have committed crimes against humanity in the Xinjiang region.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet released the report on Aug. 31, 2022, just minutes before her four-year term ended.

At the time, Yalkun Uluyol was filled with hope for his father who had disappeared in 2018.

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But instead, he later received news that his father had been sentenced to 16 years in a Xinjiang prison in a move Uluyol believes was linked to his identity as a Uyghur - a group of mostly Muslims whom rights groups and the U.S. government say are subject to widespread repression by Beijing.

I was very happy when the report was out. But now I feel like, yes, you released a report, but so what?, My life has not gotten any better. On the contrary, its been worse, the 30-year-old researcher, who lives in Istanbul, told Reuters on Friday.

China has vigorously denied any abuses in Xinjiang and issued a 131-page response to the report defending its record. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said this week that China fully protects the rights of all ethnic groups.

Uluyol is part of a growing chorus of human-rights advocates frustrated by what they say is a failure by China to implement the U.N. report recommendations, including a call for prompt steps to release those arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang camps and prisons.

He and others are asking United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk to step up pressure on China after months of detailed exchanges with Beijing over its record.

Saying we are engaging with China has not been enough, said Uluyol, who also posted his concerns on X and said he raised them with Turk.

Prominent rights advocate Kenneth Roth was more searing, calling Turks China approach timid.

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The 2022 report said the extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other Muslims in the western Xinjiang region may be an international crime.

Turk, a former lawyer who became High Commissioner after the reports release, said at the time he stood by the document. Since then, he has repeatedly called for action by China.

This week his office said many problematic laws and policies remain in place in Xinjiang and urged authorities to undertake a full review.

Theres a lot to be desired, which is why we need to continue to work with them, to engage, to see where we can have some progress, U.N. Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters.

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Turks supporters say he is striking a balance between public criticism and private engagement which could yet yield reforms. But others want more.

The office needs to issue an update on the current situation in Xinjiang and present a concrete action plan for holding those responsible to account, said Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch, who also called for action by states at the U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva in September.
Bangladesh, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay were admitted as new members of the bank in 2021 as part of an expansion drive. read more

Algeria has been authorised to become a member of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), the banks president, Dilma Rousseff, said on Saturday.

A multilateral development bank, the NDB was established by the BRICS group of developing countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - in 2015.

Bangladesh, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay were admitted as new members of the bank in 2021 as part of an expansion drive.

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We have a process to authorize new members to the bank  Algeria was authorised to become a member of the bank, Rousseff told journalists on the sidelines of the ninth annual meeting of the bank in Cape Town.

The purpose of the bank is to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS countries and other emerging economies and developing nations, complementing the existing efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global growth and development.
Addressing the Pakistani senate on Friday, the interior minister claimed that the recent attacks have clear links to a plot to subvert the upcoming SCO summit read more

A view shows a charred vehicle, after separatist militants conducted deadly attacks, according to officials, in Balochistan province, Pakistan, August 26, 2024, in this screengrab obtained from a video. File Image: Reuters

As Pakistan struggles to deal with the ongoing crisis in Balochistan, the countrys Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi alleged that the recent spate of terror attacks in the region was planned to ruin the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The International event will be hosted by Pakistan from October 15-16 under its rotating chairmanship.

Addressing the Pakistani senate on Friday, the interior minister claimed that the recent attacks have clear links to a plot to subvert the upcoming SCO summit. We have identified clear links showing that they [terrorists] planned to ruin the SCO conference," Naqvi said during his address at the senate, Dawn reported

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A lot of people are in anguish [about SCO meeting] so that it should not be organised, he furthered, describing the attacks as a conspiracy against the summit.

Naqvi called it a plot to ruin SCO

Naqvi emphasised that the attacks in Balochistan were devised by not just one body but terrorist organisations had carried them out together.

The incident on the night of August 26 was not a normal one. There was complete planning behind it, the independent senator explained. There is no [military] operation being carried out, the interior minister clarified, responding to another senators remarks over the matter.

Those who acknowledge Pakistan, we will highly welcome them. They are very respectable for us, though there can be differences [with us], which we are trying our best to address and will do so.

Those who do not accept the state and take up arms are terrorists and we will deal with them, Naqvi vowed.

The attacks in Balochistan

The Pakistani-administered region faced a series of horrific attacks that resulted in the death of over 50 civilians and 14 security personnel. The militants affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. In another incident, at least 23 passengers were killed after being offloaded from passenger buses and trucks in the Rarasham area of Balochistans Musakhel.

Not only this, at least 10 people, including police and Levies personnel, were martyred in a gun attack in Kalat. Furthermore, at least 14 people, 10 security forces soldiers and four personnel of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) were killed during a clearance operation wherein at least 21 militants were neutralised.

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During the Friday parliamentary session, Naqvi told the senate that PKR 8 billion had been allocated for Balochistan while another PKR 5 billion had been provided to the provinces Counterterrorism Department (CTD). The money will solve minor issues with the support of the local MNAs and MPAs, the senator explained.

With inputs from agencies.
This year, in the first six months (January-June 2024) the number of tourists coming from India to Cambodia was around 32,000-33,000, around 17 per cent more compared to the figure of the same time a year ago, he said. read more

Cambodia is eyeing to increase Indian tourists footfalls by 3-4 times in the current year as a robust growth in Indias tourism sector presents huge potential for the Southeast Asian nation, a Cambodian tourism ministry official said.

We have launched Cambodia-India Tourism year for the first time this year to tap the Indian market which has potential, as the countrys tourism is booming. We are witnessing a positive momentum and expect that there will be a lot more tourists from India. We expect to increase, maybe, 3-4 times in terms of the number at the moment that we have, Cambodias Minister of Tourism Hul Seila told PTI over phone on the sidelines of Business, Leisure, Travel and MICE Tourism Exhibition 2024 (BLTM).

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In 2023, Cambodia hosted 68,836 India travellers. The figure was over 91 per cent of the pre-Covid (2019) levels, he said. In 2019 Cambodia received 75,286 visitors from India.

This year, in the first six months (January-June 2024) the number of tourists coming from India to Cambodia was around 32,000-33,000, around 17 per cent more compared to the figure of the same time a year ago, he said.

The participation in the event will enhance Cambodias tourism potential, promote the 1st Cambodia and India Tourism Year 2024 campaign, and strengthen tourism cooperation between Cambodia and India in line with the ministrys BUILD + 3Ds strategic initiative, while also promoting the Visit Siem Reap 2024 campaign to attract more Indian tourists and investors to Cambodia, he noted.

Seila said Cambodia has also launched digital campaigns and collaborated with travel partners to increase awareness of its various destinations.

We are also collaborating with influencers to promote tourism in India to showcase what Cambodia has to offer as a preferred tourist destination, he added.

About connectivity, Seila said, currently there are four direct flights connecting India and Cambodia. Besides, IndiGo is likely to introduce one flight in November connecting Siem Reap with India.

This will take the total number of direct flights between India and Cambodia to five per week and will help in attracting Indian travellers to our country, he added.

For Indians Cambodia has visa on arrival facilities, however, the country also provides visa at its embassy based in New Delhi or issue e-visa, he said.

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Cambodia mainly gets leisure, religious visitors and those who visit for medical treatment purposes, he said.

However, we also want to showcase that we are very much capable of organising, arranging, big business events or MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and weddings, Seila added.
The massacre took place on Saturday morning, the woman said in the interview. The army had forced every man in the town out to dig trenches to protect it from attackers, while women and younger children were sent to cut long grass and trees to improve visibility for the soldiers stationed there read more

A satellite image shows a newly-built trench near Barsalogho, where hundreds of people were killed by suspected jihadists on August 24, in Burkina Faso. File image/ Reuters

A woman who survived the massacre of hundreds of villagers in central Burkina Faso described the horror of searching through bodies to find her brothers, in an interview following the attack claimed by an Al Qaeda-linked group earlier this week.

We went out with carts to collect the bodies of my older brothers, said the woman, 38, who escaped with her toddler. We spent a long time going through bodies piled up under trees.

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The woman gave the interview to an aid worker in Kaya, a nearby town where many survivors have since fled. The aid worker provided the womans testimony in an audio recording to Reuters. The woman agreed for her story to be released to the media on condition that her name and voice be withheld for her safety.

The attack outside the town of Barsalogho was one of the deadliest in nearly a decade of Islamist violence in the West African country. A group of victims relatives said at least 400 people were killed when jihadists opened fire on civilians digging defensive trenches on the orders of the military.

The massacre took place on Saturday morning, the woman said in the interview. The army had forced every man in the town out to dig trenches to protect it from attackers, while women and younger children were sent to cut long grass and trees to improve visibility for the soldiers stationed there.

The militants, or bushmen as she described them, arrived at about 10 a.m. and began killing, firing on soldiers and civilians alike. They didnt stop until later in the day when drones arrived overheard. She said it took three days for the survivors, mostly women and children, to collect the bodies.

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Al Qaeda affiliate Jamaa Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin said it attacked soldiers and militia members excavating trenches and killed nearly 300, describing all the victims as fighters, not civilians.

Several videos apparently filmed by the militants and released on social media showed more than 100 bodies piled in a trench, most of them in civilian clothing. Reuters confirmed the location of the videos from the position of the trench and other features in the landscape that matched satellite imagery.

The woman interviewed said civilians, soldiers and volunteer army auxiliaries known as VDPs were among those attacked. One family she knew lost 30 members. Another family of 13 members was completely wiped out, she said.

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Burkina Fasos ruling junta has not said how many people were killed, but said civilians were among the victims.

Blood everywhere

The eyewitness said survivors took the bodies to the mayors office and helped each other transport the dead to the site where men were digging graves. Local custom prohibits women from burying the dead, but she still asked to help because there were so many graves to dig.

When the men refused, she gave her cart to neighbours still collecting bodies and waited for her turn to bury her three brothers.

I stayed at the town hall watching people carrying bodies everywhere. It was horrible, she said.

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Her oldest brother was buried first, after she insisted he be given his own grave. Neighbours dug graves for the other two the following day.

I am no longer sure that I am normal. You know why? Because I saw horrible things, dead bodies and blood everywhere. I have not been sleeping well since I was displaced here, the woman said.

A civil society source in Kaya said that the military had surrounded the town where many survivors had fled and were preventing them from leaving or talking about what happened.

The bloodshed highlights the danger of the authorities growing reliance on civilians as they struggle to combat the jihadist groups that have destabilised swathes of West Africas Sahel region since an insurgency took root in Mali in 2012.

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A civilian group called Collectif Justice pour Barsalogho has criticised the government for its silence on the attack, which had been condemned worldwide including by the United Nations and European Union.

It said a government delegation that reached the area was more preoccupied with the army than the civilian survivors. It blamed the army for sending citizens to their deaths by forcing them to dig trenches that became mass graves.

We regret that ministers can come all the way to Barsalogho and turn back without seeing the tears or hearing the cries of grief of this community, the group said in a statement on Wednesday, every single family is in mourning. The youth has been decimated.

Frustrations over worsening violence led to two coups in Burkina Faso in 2022, but the new authorities have failed to stem the bloodshed.

Over 6,500 civilians have been killed since the start of 2020, the non-governmental organisation Armed Conflict Location and Event Data said in July.
Rio De Janeiro, Aug 31 (UNI) Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Friday ordered the social media platform X to be blocked nationwide after the company refused to appoint a legal representative in the country.



On Wednesday, de Moraes gave X, owned by Elon Musk, a 24-hour deadline to designate a representative. X shut down its Brazil office on Aug. 17, claiming that there were threats to detain its former legal representative.



X had been in conflict with de Moraes for months over the platform's refusal to comply with court orders to remove profiles that promote coup-related content or undermine democracy.



The Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) also ordered X to pay fines amounting to 18 million reais (about 3.2 million U.S. dollars) for non-compliance.



The judge justified the block decision, citing the company's repeated, willful defiance of court orders and refusal to pay daily fines, accusing X of attempting to bypass Brazil's legal system and create a "lawless zone" on social media, especially in the lead-up to the 2024 municipal elections.



De Moraes added that X has facilitated "the actions of extremist groups and digital militias, enabling the spread of Nazi, racist, fascist, hateful, and anti-democratic speech," particularly ahead of the upcoming elections.



The Brazilian judge also instructed Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to block access to X in Brazil within 24 hours. Apple and Google have been given five days to remove the X app from their online stores.



Additionally, a daily fine of 50,000 reais (about 10,000 U.S. dollars) was imposed on any individual or company that uses methods such as VPNs to access X after the ban.

UNI/XINHUA AKS
This week the Philippine maritime council said Chinese aircraft made unsafe manoeuvres against a civilian aircraft conducting patrols over two other disputed areas, the Scarborough Shoal and Subi reef read more

China Coast Guard ships are seen from the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Cabra during a supply mission to Sabina Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Aug 26, 2024. File Image / AFP

The Philippines and China exchanged accusations of intentionally ramming coast guard vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday, the latest in an escalating series of clashes in the vital waterway.

The collision near the Sabina Shoal was their fifth maritime confrontation in a month in a longstanding rivalry.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Portions of the waterway, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually, are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits, as well as fish stocks.

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The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 found Chinas sweeping claims had no legal basis, a ruling Beijing rejects.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela showed videos of Saturdays confrontation at a press conference, saying China Coast Guard vessel 5205 directly and intentionally rammed the Philippine vessel without provocation.

The ramming damaged the 97-metre (320-foot) Teresa Magbanua, one of the Philippines largest coast guard cutters, but no personnel were injured, Tarriela said.

Liu Dejun, a spokesperson for Chinas coast guard, said in a statement a Philippine ship, illegally stranded at the shoal, had lifted anchor and deliberately rammed a Chinese vessel. He called on the Philippines to withdraw immediately or bear the consequences.

The Chinese coast guard will take the measures required to resolutely thwart all acts of provocation, nuisance and infringement and resolutely safeguard the countrys territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, Liu said.

Tarriela said Manila would not withdraw its ship despite the harassment, the bullying activities and escalatory action of the Chinese coast guard.

US condemns Chinese violations

The U.S. ambassador to the Philippines expressed Washingtons support for the Philippines, a treaty ally.

U.S. condemns the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC (Peoples Republic of China), including todays intentional ramming, Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said on social media platform X.

The Philippines deployed a ship in April to the Sabina Shoal, 75 nautical miles from the coast of the Philippine province of Palawan. Manila accused Beijing of building an artificial island, saying it had documented piles of dead and crushed coral on the sandbars, which Beijing denies.

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This week the Philippine maritime council said Chinese aircraft made unsafe manoeuvres against a civilian aircraft conducting patrols over two other disputed areas, the Scarborough Shoal and Subi reef.

The Philippines accused China of blocking a routine resupply mission on Sunday, saying Chinese vessels rammed and used water cannons on a fisheries bureau ship transporting food, fuel and medical supplies for Filipino fishermen.r
Harris also called on Trump to never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America. The vice president said in a post on X that, the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt. read more

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Saturday that her Republican rival Donald Trump disrespected sacred ground at a US military cemetery after reports that his campaign team pushed a staff member during a politicised visit.

Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt, Harris said of Mondays incident at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, where Trump was accompanying relatives of US service members killed in Afghanistan.

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Harris strongly condemned Trumps actions, calling on him to never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America. Her statement follows an incident at a cemetery, where a member of Trumps campaign staff allegedly abruptly pushed aside a staff member to facilitate Trump and his campaign taking photos and videos with families of service members who lost their lives during the US militarys withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

As Vice President, I have had the privilege of visiting Arlington National Cemetery several times. It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation.



It is not a place for politics.



And  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 31, 2024

A controversy surrounding a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday has garnered significant attention in recent days, with Donald Trump addressing the issue at multiple campaign events on Thursday and Friday.

Trump vehemently defended his actions, denying allegations that he exploited the graves of fallen service members for political gain. Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania on Friday, Trump said, They tell me I used their graves for public relations services and I didnt. His comments aimed to counter criticism stemming from the incident, which has sparked widespread debate and scrutiny.

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Meanwhile, a new poll in Minnesota shows the race tightening in the state with Harriss lead halving over August, despite Governor Tim Walz joining the ticket, according to the independent. However, another poll shows Harris building her lead.

Harris has significantly narrowed the gap with Donald Trump among likely voters in Michigan. The state-wide EPIC MRA poll, conducted from August 23-26, shows Trump leading with 46% support, closely followed by Harris at 45%.

Notably, the poll also indicates that Harris has a slight edge over Trump in terms of favourability ratings, with 46% of respondents viewing her favourably compared to Trumps 45%. This latest polling data suggests that the Democratic nominee is gaining momentum and closing the gap in the presidential race.

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With inputs from agencies.
Macron has been in a face-off with France Unbowed (LFI) and its Green, Socialist and Communist allies over his refusal to name their candidate Lucie Castets prime minister after Julys inconclusive parliamentary election read more

Hard-left party France Unbowed on Saturday asked other political groupings to back its long-shot bid to impeach President Emmanuel Macron for serious failings in his constitutional duties.

Macron has been in a face-off with France Unbowed (LFI) and its Green, Socialist and Communist allies over his refusal to name their candidate Lucie Castets prime minister after Julys inconclusive parliamentary election.

While their NFP alliance won the most seats, no single bloc has a majority in a chamber split largely between the left, Macrons centrists and the far-right National Rally (RN).

The National Assembly (lower house) and Senate can and must defend democracy against the presidents authoritarian leanings LFI lawmakers wrote in a draft impeachment resolution.

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Their parliamentary leader Mathilde Panot said they had sent the document to other MPs to gather signatures.

Any attempt to oust Macron via the impeachment process outlined in Article 68 of Frances constitution faces high hurdles to success, ultimately requiring two-thirds of members of the Assembly and Senate combined to approve it.

LFI argues that it is not up to the president to do political horsetrading, taking aim at Macrons efforts since July to find a prime minister who would not be immediately ousted in a confidence vote.

Many constitutional experts, however, argue that the Fifth Republics 1958 founding document, written on the assumption the electoral system would produce a clear majority, is vague on the correct course of action in a hung parliament.

Macron has justified his refusal to name Castets as head of government by saying it is his duty to ensure institutional stability.
Imran Khan has warned that Pakistans fragile economy, exacerbated by political instability and terrorism, risks falling into parochialism, hampering investment and national unity. Khan, currently imprisoned and facing numerous cases, criticized the governments focus on targeting his party amid the countrys broader crises. read more

Former prime minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan is at risk of parochialism as political instability and terrorism have brought the economy to the verge of collapse.

The 71-year-old Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf: founder on Friday said the fragile economy of the cash-strapped country was the biggest challenge facing Pakistan but intelligence agencies were busy targeting one political party.

Khan said the party had been accused over the recent wave of terrorism, but the government then claimed that terrorists came from across the border.

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Khan said the country was facing the risk of parochialism and no one would invest in Pakistan while the country suffered from terrorism, Dawn News reported.

Being a federal party, the PTI could tackle this grave situation as all other political parties were limited to their regions, Khan asserted after attending court proceedings in the National Accountability Bureau reference related to Bvlgari Jewellery set that Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi allegedly retained from Toshakhana gifts at a throwaway price.

Khan said political parties could unite the nation, but it was ironic that the PTI which was the only party with a countrywide presence was being weakened.

Khan has been incarcerated at Adiala Jail Rawalpindi since August last year in multiple cases. He is currently facing over 200 cases.

The government has accused him of being a mastermind of the May 9, 2023 riots following his arrest in a corruption case in which dozens of military installations were vandalized and torched. The government intends to hold Khans military trial on May 9 events.
Two new murder cases have been filed against Bangladeshs deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her former cabinet ministers on Friday for the killing of three people, including two BNP activists, during the quota reform protests in the country. With this, the tally of cases filed against Hasina has risen to 84, including 70 on murder charges. read more

Bangladesh is facing a fluid political situation with Sheikh Hasina, resigning from her post on August 5 in the wake of mounting protests. Hasina, who fled Bangladesh for India in a military aircraft on August 5, is currently staying in India. Image- FP

The Bangladesh interim governments foreign affairs advisor Mohammed Touhid Hossain, has said that as cases mount against Sheikh Hasina, his country could consider seeking the extradition of the former premier but that would create an embarrassing situation for the Indian government.

According to multiple media reports, Hossain while talking to a private TV channel said If the home ministry or law ministry requests Sheikh Hasinas extradition in the future, India will be obligated to comply with their demand.

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In an exclusive interview to Reuters TV in Dhaka, Hossain said that since there are so many cases against Hasina in Bangladesh, the countrys home and law ministries could make the request to extradite her.

Her staying in Delhi, in India, the question comes thatthere are so many cases (against Hasina) that could be again some speculating, I am not a person right to answer this, if there is a request from there (Ministry of Home and Ministry of Law) we have to ask for her, you know, return to Bangladesh. If there is a demand from there, that creates an embarrassing situation for the Indian government. So I think the Indian government knows this and I am sure they will take care of it, Hossain told Reuters TV.

Meanwhile, two new murder cases have been filed against Bangladeshs deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her former cabinet ministers on Friday for the killing of three people, including two BNP activists, during the quota reform protests in the country, according to media reports.

The cases, filed in Dhaka courts on Friday, were the latest in the slew of cases filed against the 76-year-old leader after her resignation and fleeing to India on August 5 following a massive protest by students against a quota system in government jobs.

With this, the tally of cases filed against Hasina has risen to 84, including 70 on murder charges, eight on allegations of crimes against humanity and genocide, three for alleged abduction, and three on other charges, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

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Sheikh Hasina had arrived in India on August 5, following an uprising led by students against her that turned violent. As per the Dhaka Tribune, a complaint has been lodged against Hasina and 24 others in the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands for allegedly violating human rights.

The Bangladeshi media outlet said that there are multiple cases filed against Hasina. Further, Hossein, the foreign affairs advisor in Bangladeshs interim government led by Mohammad Yunus stated that the Nobel Laureate is very unhappy about the way the statements are coming from India, from the former Prime Minister and he had conveyed this to the Indian envoy in a meeting.

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The protests, led majorly by students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs, took the shape of anti-government protests. On August 8, Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the head of Bangladeshs interim government. 17 members of Bangladeshs interim government took their oaths at a ceremony in Dhaka.

With inputs from agencies.
An army statement said 20-year-old Elkana Navon fell during operational activity on Saturday and that another soldier was severely injured in the same incident, without providing details read more

Members of Israeli forces patrol a street during a military operation in the West Bank refugee camp of Nur Shams, Tulkarem. AP

Israels army on Saturday announced the first death of a soldier during its ongoing raid in the occupied West Bank that began four days ago.

An army statement said 20-year-old Elkana Navon fell during operational activity on Saturday and that another soldier was severely injured in the same incident, without providing details.

Since Wednesday at least 22 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army, most of them militants, in simultaneous raids in several cities in the northern West Bank.

Since Friday, soldiers have concentrated their operations on the city of Jenin and its refugee camp, long a bastion of Palestinian armed groups fighting against Israel.

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Violence has surged in the West Bank since Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.

The United Nations said on Wednesday that at least 637 Palestinians had been killed in the territory by Israeli troops or settlers since the Gaza war began.

Twenty Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during army operations over the same period, according to Israeli official figures.

During a visit to Jenin on Saturday, Israeli army chief of staff Herzi Halevi said Israeli forces have no intention of letting terrorism (in the West Bank) raise its head to threaten Israel.

Therefore the initiative is to go from city to city, refugee camp to refugee camp, with excellent intelligence, with very good operational capabilities, with a very strong air intelligence envelope We will protect the citizens of Israel just like that.

Of the 22 Palestinians reported dead since Wednesday, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have said at least 14 were members of their armed wings.

Earlier on Saturday, Hamas issued a statement saying one of its fighters carried out an ambush using a highly explosive device in the Jenin refugee camp which led to the deaths and injuries of members of the advancing (Israeli) force.
At least 40,691 people have been killed in the war between Israel and Palestinian militants, now in its 11th month, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Saturday, adding that the toll includes 89 deaths in the previous 48 hours. read more

The Israeli military said in a statement it continued to operate in the central and southern Gaza Strip. It said troops killed terrorists and dismantled military infrastructure in Gaza City, while they located weapons and killed gunmen in Tel Al-Sultan in western Rafah. File Photo (Reuters)

At least 48 people were killed in the Gaza Strip following Israeli strikes on Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said, as clashes took place in central and southern areas of the enclave.

Israel pressed on with a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank against Palestinian terrorists for a fourth day Saturday, cutting it completely from across the world on the fourth day of its assault. Dozens of Israeli soldiers were stationed on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp, with Israeli military jeeps and armoured personnel carriers moving into the area.

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Concrete slabs and sheet metal were piled high alongside streets in Jenin, as residents assessed the damage from Israels latest West Bank raid even as explosions persisted nearby.

The scars of ongoing clashes in the occupied Palestinian territory, which began on Wednesday as part of what Israel has described as a counter-terrorism operation, were everywhere: collapsed walls, uprooted trees, tiled roofs covering mounds of rubble.

Bulldozers rumbled through the streets on the first day of the raid, clearing the way for Israeli soldiers while tearing up the asphalt and piercing underground pipes, residents of one neighbourhood in east Jenin told AFP.

Three days later, with fighting elsewhere in the city continuing, we are cut off from the world, Taher al-Saadi said.

The water is cut off. The electricity is cut off, the sewage system is no longer working. All the infrastructure is destroyed, we no longer have any services that work.

He added: The bakeries are at a standstill. We cant find milk for the children.

Israel raids are not unusual in Jenin, whose refugee camp is a bastion for armed groups fighting Israel.

But the operation launched on Wednesday was unusually large and long, hitting multiple West Bank cities at once and, in Jenin, showing no sign of letting up.

I think its the worst day since the start of the raid, Wisam Bakr, director of Jenin Government Hospital, said on Saturday.

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We hear from time to time clashes and sometimes there is big bombing.

Residents and terrorist sources said fighters from Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and other groups fought against Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Zeitoun neighborhood, where tanks have been operating for days, and in Rafah, near the border with Egypt.

The Israeli military said in a statement it continued to operate in the central and southern Gaza Strip. It said troops killed terrorists and dismantled military infrastructure in Gaza City, while they located weapons and killed gunmen in Tel Al-Sultan in western Rafah.

In Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, families returned to their areas after the army ended a 22-day offensive it said was aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping. Footage showed large areas were flattened, and buildings and infrastructure were destroyed.

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The latest episode in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Dark days

Not far from where Faiza Abu Jaafar lives, an 82-year-old man was shot dead on Friday by an Israeli sniper, residents say, bringing to 20 the number of Palestinians killed in the operation so far.

Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have said at least 13 of the dead were members of their armed wings.

While Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers left the area near her home on Saturday morning, apparently heading for Jenins refugee camp, Abu Jaafar said she and her relatives were still shaken.

Its very hard, for the children and for everyone. We are afraid, we are terrified, look at all the damage, she said, standing amid piles of rubble.

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We are living in dark days.

Just how dark is still unclear, as Jenin governor Kamal Abu al-Rub told AFP that even he does not know exactly what is happening inside the camp, where the latest fighting appeared to be concentrated.

The Israelis are besieging the hospitals and cutting off the city from the refugee camp, which has become a military zone with no access, he said.

Neither the civil defence, nor the ambulances, nor the journalists can go and see what is happening there.

The Israeli army has denied cutting off access to hospitals, saying it has positioned its forces to prevent militants from gathering in them while allowing ambulances to come and go.

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Violence has surged in the West Bank since Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.

The United Nations said on Wednesday that at least 637 Palestinians had been killed in the territory by Israeli troops or settlers since the Gaza war began.

Nineteen Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during army operations over the same period, according to Israeli official figures.

Israeli military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said the forces involved in the current raid, which began on Wednesday, were fewer than the number who carried out a large-scale raid in July 2023 that left 13 dead.

Yet Abu al-Rub, the Jenin governor, said the latest operation made him think of a notorious 2002 battle in Jenin that left dozens of Palestinians and Israelis dead.

Earlier this week, Shoshani explicitly rejected the comparison, saying the ongoing operation in the West Bank was not extremely different from regular activity.

With inputs from agencies.
A 21-year-old Nepalese student, Muna Pandey, was fatally shot in her Houston apartment during an alleged robbery. The suspect, 52-year-old Bobby Sinh Shah, has been arrested and charged with murder read more

A 21-year-old student from Nepal was fatally shot in her apartment in US during an alleged robbery, according to police reports on Saturday. The suspect, identified as 52-year-old Bobby Sinh Shah, has been taken into custody.

Muna Pandey, a student at Houston Community College, was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds in her apartment at approximately 5:30 pm on Monday. Police were alerted to the scene after receiving an anonymous tip about a body found in the residence. Upon arrival, authorities pronounced her dead.

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Two days following the incident, police released a photograph of Shah, captured on CCTV leaving the apartment. Shah was apprehended later that day during a traffic stop and has been charged with murder.

Pandey, who relocated from Nepal to study at Houston Community College in 2021, had been out of contact with her family for several days before her death. A member of the Nepalese Association of Houston informed the New York Post that Pandeys mother was attempting to reach her before discovering the tragic news.

The association is coordinating with the Nepalese Consulate to facilitate travel arrangements for Pandeys mother to Houston. A GoFundMe page, which has raised nearly $30,000, is seeking to cover funeral expenses and support travel costs for her mother, allowing her to be present for her daughters final farewell.

The GoFundMe page states: We are reaching out to our community to help bring Anita to the United States so she can say goodbye to her only child and give Muna the farewell she deserves. The funds will be used to cover Munas funeral expenses and to bring her mother to Houston for the final rituals.
The summit brought together delegations from Australia, New Zealand and 16 Pacific island countries or territories. Out of these nations, only three of them still have diplomatic ties with Taiwan read more

The Pacific Islands Forum (Pif) summit ended in major drama after China demanded scrapping the reference to Taiwan from the forums joint communique. After the joint declaration was released Chinas regional envoy said that the language about Taiwan was unacceptable. Amid the criticism, the body took the communique down and later republished it without the offending paragraph.

The summit brought together delegations from Australia, New Zealand and 16 Pacific island countries or territories. Out of these nations, only three of them still have diplomatic ties with Taiwan. It is pertinent to note that while China is not a member of the regional body, it still attended the meet as a dialogue partner, just like the United States.

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Meanwhile, for over 30 years, Taiwan has been accorded the lesser status of development partner, something which irked Beijing, which claims sovereignty over the self-governing island.

What was the issue?

China and the Solomon Islands, which have fostered increasingly warm ties with Beijing since switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan in 2019, condemned the island regions status in the body by its own name. However, the final communique published on the Pif website on Friday rebuffed any push for change in the status quo.

Leaders reaffirmed the 1992 Leaders decision on relations with Taiwan/Republic of China, it said. Following this, Chinas special envoy for the Pacific, Qian Bo, called for changes to the communique. According to Nikkei Asia, visibly angry Qian confronted the Pif secretary general, Baron Waqa after closing a news conference and called the statement unacceptable.

The Chinese envoy eventually told local reporters that the reference to Taiwan was a surprising mistake made by someone and it must be corrected. Qian made it clear that China should be seen as the representative on behalf of the whole of China, including Taiwan and the mainland, Nikkei Asia reported.

By Friday evening, the joint declaration was taken down from the Pifs website. It was later published on Saturday morning with paragraph 66 about Taiwan no longer included. Instead of this, the paragraph of Solomon Island being the host of the next years Pif was moved up to become the new paragraph 66.

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While the US and Australia also took part in the summit, the overall change in the joint declaration reflected the amount of influence China has over the Pacific region.

Meanwhile, Taiwans deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang also travelled to Tonga, where the summit was held. However, he only held talks with Taiwans three remaining Pacific allies, Palau, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands.

After Tien arrived in Tonga, Chinas foreign ministry released a statement in which they maintained that his visit would be watched closely. Any attempt by the Taiwan authorities to brush up their sense of presence by rubbing shoulders with the forum can only be self-deceptive, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

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With inputs from agencies.
The helicopter in question is the Mi-8T which took off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano read more

A Russian helicopter with 3 crew and 19 passengers on board went missing on Saturday in the far eastern peninsula of Kamchatka. The helicopter in question is the Mi-8T which took off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano, RIA Novosti reported.

According to the report by the Russian news outlet, the helicopter was from the company Vityaz-Aero. Message on the non-arrival at the destination of the Mi-8 helicopter of the airline Vityaz-Aero. Preliminary, there are three crew members on board. Route - Vachkazhets volcano - Nikolaevka village (Yelizovsky district). The distance is 25 kilometers. Currently, the board of the same airline flew out to search for the aircraft, the Russian emergency services said in a statement.

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Search operation underway

Following the update, rescuers reached the near the Vachkazhets volcano at 6:37 am (local time). According to RIA Novosti, the team comprises five people and is carrying four pieces of equipment. They are expected to walk around the region to check whether the helicopter crashed nearby.

The helicopter took off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano and the crew failed to report at the scheduled time of 07:00 am (Moscow time).

The Russian Mi-8 is a two-engine helicopter which was designed back in the 1960s and is extensively used in Russia. However, there has been an increase in reports of the helicopter getting into fatal accidents.

Earlier this month, a Mi-8 helicopter carrying 16 people on board crashed in Russias Far East region.

About the Vachkazhets volcano

The Vachkazhets mountain range is located on the west of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city, and it is a part of the Uzhno-Bystrinsky mountain range. In the past, the powerful eruption in the Vachkazhets volcano divided the mountain range into three parts: Poperechnaya mountain, Vachkazhtsy mountain and Vachkazhets mountain.

Interestingly, the summits were created by the broken craters which bind with the narrow mountain isthmuses. Nowadays, the volcano belongs to the extinct category but during the ancient era, powerful eruptions caused the creation of huge circuses.

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It is pertinent to note that the Kamchatka Peninsula contains around 160 volcanoes and 29 of them are still active.

This is a developing story.
Norway raises terror threat level to second highest 08 Oct 2024 | 10:12 PM Oslo, Oct 8 (UNI) The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) raised the national terror threat level from moderate to high on Tuesday, the second-highest level in the country. In response to the heightened threat, police across Norway will be armed. see more..

iPhone 16 not yet allowed to enter Indonesian market 08 Oct 2024 | 8:02 PM Jakarta, Oct 8 (UNI) Indonesian Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said Tuesday that the Southeast Asian country had yet to allow Apple's newly-released mobile phone product, iPhone 16, to enter the market as the U.S.-based company had not met the import requirement. see more..

Two scientists win Nobel Prize in Physics 08 Oct 2024 | 6:00 PM Stockholm, Oct 8 (UNI) The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics went to two scientists, John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton, for their foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Tuesday. see more..

France to conduct 1st test of new generation Aster missile on Tuesday 08 Oct 2024 | 5:39 PM Paris, Oct 8 (UNI) France will test a new generation of Aster missiles developed for the SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile systems for the first time on Tuesday, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said. see more..
President and army commander-in-chief Paul Kagame approved the retirement of General Jean Bosco Kazura as well as 1,162 military of various ranks, according to an army statement published Friday read more

The Rwandan army said several military generals, including a former chief of staff, have retired in a major reshuffle that saw more than 1,000 personnel sacked or pushed into retirement.

President and army commander-in-chief Paul Kagame approved the retirement of General Jean Bosco Kazura as well as 1,162 military of various ranks, according to an army statement published Friday.

Kazura, 62, served as Rwandas Chief of Defence Staff from 2019 to 2023, and was previously a military advisor to Kagame. He also led the United Nations mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, in 2013 and 2014.

Other senior servicemen approved for retirement include brigadier generals John Bagabo, John Bosco Rutikanga, Johnson Hodari and Firmin Bayingana.

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The changes, which are not infrequent in Rwanda, come after Kagame met with high-ranking military leaders to discuss the peace and security priorities of Rwanda, a military source told AFP.

The president accused multiple generals in attendance of lack of discipline, the source added.

The Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) on Friday laid off 21 senior officers, including division general Martin Nzaramba.

Nzaramba, 57, was dismissed for corruption and misappropriation of funds intended for the welfare of soldiers during his time as Director of the Basic Military Training Center, RDF spokesman brigadier general Ronald Rwivanga told online media Igihe.

Rwivanga did not immediately respond to a request for further details.

The Rwandan president in June 2023 dismissed several high-ranking officers over lack of discipline, after replacing the defence minister, army chief of staff and land forces chief of staff.

That move also saw more than 200 soldiers dismissed.

Rwandas all-powerful president, who was re-elected in early August for a fourth term, previously described last years reshuffle as a normal thing.

Kagame is credited with rebuilding a traumatised nation after the 1994 genocide, but is also accused of ruling in a climate of fear.
Search efforts for Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, an Indian woman who fell into a sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur, have faced significant challenges as the operation reaches its eighth day. Authorities have reported difficulties due to hazardous conditions and debris, leading to a reassessment of rescue strategies read more

Malaysian officials reported significant challanges in the search and rescue for Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, an Indian woman who fell into a pavement sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur as the operation marked its eighth day. Authorities have now deemed it too risky to continue deploying divers.

The search, involving around 110 rescuers working tirelessly over the past week, has so far yielded limited results. The only item recovered was a pair of slippers found during an initial 17-hour search.

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Two divers who entered the sewer network early Friday morning faced formidable obstacles, including strong water currents and dense debris. According to the Fire and Rescue Department, the divers, a firefighter and a sewer worker, had to navigate through a narrow space while lying flat.

Department Director-General Nor Hisham Mohammad reported that efforts to break apart the solidified debris, which resembled concrete blocks, were unsuccessful even with the help of eight people using ropes.

Divers who earlier descended into the sewer in full scuba gear said they had to fight zero visibility and heavy rain.

When going down into the hole it was really scary, but this is indeed the duty of a firefighter; we have to overcome the fear and surrender to God, firefighter Alimaddia Bukri told local newspaper Simar Harian earlier this week.

It is pitch black in that pipe, another diver told The Straits Times on Wednesday.

You dont want to know whats in there. Its full of human waste and other garbage. We decontaminate immediately after each dive.

Gali, 48, from Andhra Pradesh, was reportedly on her way to a nearby temple with her family when she was engulfed by the 8-meter deep sinkhole on Jalan Masjid India road. Since the incident, excavators have been used to dig around the sinkhole, and rescuers have employed sniffer dogs, crawler cameras, and high-pressure water jets to investigate the situation underground. Ground-penetrating radar was also used to detect changes in material density.

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On Wednesday, a second sinkhole appeared 50 meters from the first, which a Malaysian geologist attributed to the ongoing rescue efforts. The focus has shifted to clearing a 15-meter blockage in the sewer lines beneath Wisma Yakin, an office building located 44 meters from the initial sinkhole. This blockage, composed of human waste, tires, hair, and solidified cooking oil, has complicated the search.

Parts of Jalan Masjid India have been cordoned off, and the area, usually bustling with tourists, has seen a significant decrease in activity. Traders report a 50% to 70% drop in sales, with some considering closing their businesses.

The Malaysian government has extended the visas of Ms. Galis family for a month while they await updates. They were initially scheduled to return to India last Saturday. Kuala Lumpurs City Hall has also canceled National Day celebrations in respect for the family.

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The incident has raised concerns among Malaysians, prompting an integrity audit to determine the cause of the sinkhole. Preliminary observations by the Minerals and Geosciences Department suggest it may be linked to a combination of human activities and climate change.
Matthew Griffiths, who was on watch duty on the night of the tragedy, told investigators that the crew members did everything they could to save those on board the Bayesian read more

Divers operate in the sea to search for the missing, including British entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after a luxury yacht sank off Sicily, Italy August 19, 2024. File-Reuters

A crew member on Mike Lynchs yacht has spoken of being thrown into the water and efforts to rescue passengers as a storm sank the vessel off Sicily this month, in a disaster that killed the British tech tycoon and six other people.

According to comments reported by Italian news agency Ansa, Matthew Griffiths, who was on watch duty on the night of the tragedy, told investigators that the crew members did everything they could to save those on board the Bayesian.

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Griffiths, the boats captain James Cutfield, and ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton have been placed under investigation by the Italian authorities for potential manslaughter and shipwreck. Being investigated does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will follow.

I woke up the captain when the wind was at 20 knots (23 mph/37 kph). He gave orders to wake everyone else, Ansa quoted Griffiths as saying.

The ship tilted and we were thrown into the water. Then we managed to get back up and tried to rescue those we could, he added, describing the events of the early hours of Aug. 19, when the Bayesian had been anchored off the Sicilian port of Porticello.

We were walking on the walls (of the boat). We saved who we could, Cutfield also saved the little girl and her mother, he said, referring to passenger Charlotte Golunski and her one-year-old daughter. In all there were 15 survivors of the wreck.

Cutfield exercised his right to remain silent when questioned by prosecutors on Tuesday, his lawyers said, saying he was worn out and that they needed more time to build a defence case. Parker Eaton has not commented on the investigation.

Prosecutor Raffaele Cammarano said last week that the vessel was most likely hit by a downburst, a very strong downward wind.

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However, the sinking has puzzled naval marine experts, who said a vessel like the Bayesian, built by Italian high-end yacht manufacturer Perini, should have withstood the storm and, in any case, should not have sunk as quickly as it did.

Prosecutors in the town of Termini Imerese, near Palermo, have said their investigation will take time, with the wreck yet to be salvaged from the sea.
Trump said that the government does not need to ruin lives and waste taxpayer dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, and no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl-laced marijuana. read more

Former US President Donald Trump on Saturday suggested his support for the decriminalisation of marijuana, saying taxpayer dollars should not be wasted arresting people carrying personal amounts.

In Florida, like so many other states that have already given their approval, personal amounts of marijuana will be legalised for adults with Amendment 3, Trump said about an effort in his home state to legalise the possession and purchase of up to 3 ounces for adults over the age of 21.

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Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the voters, so it should be done correctly.

Trump, who is the Republican nominee for president, said state lawmakers should create laws that ban use of marijuana in public spaces.

He added that someone should not be a criminal in one state when marijuana use is legal in others.

Marijuana is legal in some form in nearly 40 states.

Former President Donald Trumps recent willingness to consider the decriminalisation of marijuana marks a significant shift in his stance on drug policy. Throughout his political career, Trump has consistently advocated for a tough approach to drug enforcement. When he launched his reelection campaign in November 2022, he emphasised securing the southern border and targeting Mexican cartels as key priorities, even advocating for the execution of drug dealers.
While defending his visit to the soldiers grave, former US President Donald Trump told a rally in Pennsylvania that he doesnt need publicity read more

Amid backlash over former US President Donald Trumps highly publicised visit to the Arlington National Cemetery, the Republican presidential nominee has denied exploiting the controversial visit for political gain. While defending his visit to the soldiers grave, Trump told a rally in Pennsylvania that he doesnt need publicity.

The proclamation from the business-mogul-turned politician came after the US army publicly rebuked Trumps campaign official for turning the Monday ceremony to mark the death of American soldiers in Afghanistan into a photo opportunity. Not only this, the army accused two campaign workers of pushing aside an official at the cemetery after being told that they were not permitted to take photographs at the graves of the recently deceased soldiers.

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On Friday, Trump told the Pennsylvania, that he only posed at the invitation of the families. I dont need publicity. I get a lot of publicity. I would like to get a lot less publicity  I would hire a public relations agent to get less publicity, he said. However, even the families of the soldiers do not have the authority to approve what proved to be a campaign photoshoot.

Trump slams Joe Biden

During his visit to the ceremony, the former president was pictured giving a thumbs up with family members of the 13 US soldiers and women who lost their lives in a suicide bombing as the US hurriedly withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. In his rally speech, Trump accused US President Joe Biden of the devastating incident.

Joe Biden killed those young people because he was incompetent. And then they tell me that I used their graves for public relations services, and I didnt," he exclaimed. Hours before the rally, Trump sent supporters a fundraising email in which he promised to give an EARTH-SHATTERING announcement" that will blow the race wide open, The Guardian reported.

Itll strike FEAR into the hearts of our DEEP STATE ENEMIES. Itll force the Fake News Media to kick their propaganda machine into OVERDRIVE. Itll send Comrade Kamala begging for massive checks from the liberal billionaire class, he promised in the email. However, during the rally, there were no such announcements and he continued with the regular bashing of his Democratic rival and US Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Democrats call the whole ordeal a disgrace

Meanwhile, Democrats used the whole saga to highlight Trumps history of disrespecting military veterans. The party accused him of exploiting a revered site for narrow campaign purposes, in breach of the cemeterys regulations.

Arlington National Cemetery isnt a place for campaign photo-ops. Its a sacred resting place for American patriots, Mikie Sherrill, a Democratic House member from New Jersey and former Navy helicopter pilot, posted on X. But for Donald Trump, disrespecting military veterans is just par for the course. Its an absolute disgrace," she added.

Arlington National Cemetery isn't a place for campaign photo-ops. It's a sacred resting place for American patriots.



But for Donald Trump, disrespecting military veterans is just par for the course.



It's an absolute disgrace.



We're not going back.https://t.co/MRgU95xx0u  Mikie Sherrill (@MikieSherrill) August 28, 2024

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It is pertinent to note that the Arlington cemetery prohibits pictures or film being shot in section 60, the burial area for personnel killed serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Meanwhile, Jared Golden, a Democratic Congressman and an ex-marine, called Arlington sacred ground and all visitors should take the time to learn the rules of decorum that ensure the proper respect is given to the fallen and their families.

There are plenty of places appropriate for politics  Arlington is not one of them. Any aspiring elected official, especially one who hopes to be Commander in Chief, should not be confused about that fact," said Allison Jaslow, chief executive of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Overall, many believe that Trumps campaign took a major hit with the cemetery visit.

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With inputs from agencies.
Signed by 26 groups including Legal Agenda, Lawyers Without Borders and the Tunisian Human Rights League, it welcomed an administrative court decision this week to reinstate three candidates who had been disqualified read more

Supporters of Tunisian President Kais Saied carry flags and signs during a demonstration to show their support for him and to reject what they say is "foreign interference", in Tunis, Tunisia. File image/ Reuters

A petition signed by prominent Tunisians and civil society groups was published on Saturday urging that rejected candidates be allowed to stand in the October 6 presidential election.

Signed by 26 groups including Legal Agenda, Lawyers Without Borders and the Tunisian Human Rights League, it welcomed an administrative court decision this week to reinstate three candidates who had been disqualified.

They are Imed Daimi, who was an adviser to former president Moncef Marzouki, former minister Mondher Zenaidi and opposition party leader Abdellatif Mekki.

The three were among 14 candidates barred by the Tunisian election authority, ISIE, from standing in the election.

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If they do take part, they will join former parliamentarian Zouhair Maghzaoui and businessman Ayachi Zammel in challenging incumbent President Kais Saied, whom critics accuse of authoritarianism.

Saied was democratically elected in 2019 but orchestrated a sweeping power grab in 2021.

A number of his political opponents and critics are currently in jail or being prosecuted.

Saturdays petition was also signed by more than 180 civil society figures including Wahid Ferchichi, dean of the public law faculty at Carthage University.

It called the administrative court the only competent authority to adjudicate disputes related to presidential election candidacies.

The petition referred to statements by ISIE head Farouk Bouasker, who on Thursday indicated that the authority will soon meet to finalise the list of candidates, taking into consideration judicial judgements already pronounced.

This has been interpreted as suggesting the ISIE may reject new candidacies if they are the subject of legal proceedings or have convictions.

The administrative courts rulings on appeals are enforceable and cannot be contested by any means whatsoever, the petition said.

It called on the electoral authority to respect the law and avoid any practice that could undermine the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.

Last week, Human Rights Watch said Tunisian authorities have prosecuted, convicted or imprisoned at least eight prospective candidates for Octobers vote.

HRW said that the North African country was gearing up for a presidential election amid increased repression of dissent and free speech, without crucial checks and balances on President Saieds power.
A Ukrainian attack on the Russian city of Belgorod late Friday resulted in five deaths and 46 injuries, with 37 people hospitalized. The incident, part of a series of recent strikes, has drawn condemnation from Russia and led to a criminal investigation read more

Firefighters work to extinguish burning cars following what Russian authorities say was a Ukrainian military strike in Belgorod, Russia December 30, 2023. REUTERS

Five people were killed and 46 injured in a Ukrainian attack on the southwestern Russian city of Belgorod late on Friday, the local governor said, the latest in a series of strikes by Ukraine on the city in recent months.

Vyacheslav Gladkov said 37 of the injured, including seven children, were taken to hospitals in the city, which lies 40 km (25 miles) north of the border with Ukraine.

Video filmed from inside a vehicle, posted on social media and purporting to show the attack, showed a car being blown up while moving along a road. Seconds later another explosion is seen metres away. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the video.

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Russias Foreign Ministry condemned the attack.

Once again we call on all responsible governments and relevant international structures to strongly condemn this brutal terrorist attack and publicly distance themselves from the Kyiv regime and its Western curators who commit such crimes, it said on Saturday.

The ministry added that Russias special military operation will continue until it reaches all the goals including Ukraines demilitarisation and de-nazification.

Russias Investigation Committee said on its Telegram channel that it had initiated a criminal case into the attack.

Authorities also reported that a woman was injured on Saturday during Ukrainian shelling of the border town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region.

Ukraine has staged frequent attacks on Belgorod and other Russian border regions in recent months, with the city the focal point of the attacks.

Ukraine and Russia say they do not deliberately target civilians in the war that began when Russia sent thousands of troops into its smaller neighbour in February 2022.
During recent negotiations in Geneva, the warring parties made little progress to end the fighting but did pledge to allow humanitarian aid to pass through two key border points read more

The UNs deputy secretary-general welcomed food aid reaching Sudan but said it is insufficient as she visited a border post in Chad to witness the passage of a humanitarian convoy.

Amina Mohammed, during her visit Friday to the Adre border crossing, also called for a resolution to the fighting in Sudan.

During recent negotiations in Geneva, the warring parties made little progress to end the fighting but did pledge to allow humanitarian aid to pass through two key border points.

An AFP reporter was able to see a humanitarian convoy cross the border into Sudans Darfur region during Mohammeds visit.

The World Food Programme said in a communique Thursday that its trucks have transported more than 630 metric tonnes  enough for nearly 55,000 people  from Chad into the Darfur region.

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Mohammed said during her visit to Adre that this was only a small amount of what was needed to fend off the suffering in Sudan.

She said the UN was able to finance about 25 to 30 percent of the needs, and that commitments made by governments need to be fulfilled so that we can help the people of the world that are in need.

Fighting erupted in Sudan in April 2023, pitting the national army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Aid groups say the fighting has prevented humanitarian supplies reaching the 25 million Sudanese facing severe hunger.
The international body also assured that they will be delivering 400,000 vaccines more as a part of the emergency campaign read more

The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that it has delivered 1.2 million doses of polio vaccine in Gaza in an effort to eradicate the fatal disease that made a comeback in the coastal enclave after 25 years. The international body also assured that they will be delivering 400,000 more vaccines as a part of the emergency campaign.

The vaccination, which is due to be circulated this weekend, will be accompanied by a three-day humanitarian pause in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The move will allow the inoculation of more than 640,000 children residing in the war-stricken region.

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The WHO director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed the delivery and said that the vaccination drive is due to start on Sunday, with daily pauses scheduled to take place between 6 am and 3 pm (local time). The UN officials stationed in Gaza said that the vaccination campaign will be carried out in three-day phases in different zones of the coastal enclave.

Health workers urge warring parties to respect the humanitarian pause

The UN officials who will carry out the operation warned that both the Israeli military and Hamas militants must respect the humanitarian pauses negotiated to allow the vaccinations. While emphasising the scale of challenges involved in the operation, WHO officials told The Guardian that the plan was not ideal but added that it would be feasible if all the pieces of the puzzle were in place.

The whole vaccination drive will involve more than 2,000 health and community workers, who will provide vaccination at several hundred locations. From Sunday, were giving out two oral doses of the polio vaccination, and then four weeks after this initial round of campaigns we will need to repeat the vaccination again. This is for 640,000 children across the Gaza Strip, Louise Wateridge, a UN official, told BBC.

Its so important that we get this vaccination campaign out as soon as possible, and that we have the safety to do this because the repercussions will be disastrous for not just children in the Gaza Strip but children in the region. And they have already been put through so much, he added.

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While speaking on the concerns regarding the safety of the aid workers during the campaign, Catherine Russell, the executive director of Unicef, urged the warring sides to not cause any instability.

UNICEF is ready to start the first round of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza on Sunday to reach nearly 640,000 children. All parties MUST respect the area-specific humanitarian pauses to stop polio from spreading in Gaza and the region, she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Its very simple. If fighting doesn't stop, polio vaccinators are unable to reach children. Gaza has been polio free for 25yrs until now.

Failing to respect these pauses would be an unforgivable failure for the children in Gaza and the region who have already suffered so much.  Catherine Russell (@unicefchief) August 29, 2024

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If fighting doesnt stop, polio vaccinators are unable to reach children. Gaza has been polio-free for 25 years until now. Failing to respect these pauses would be an unforgivable failure for the children in Gaza and the region, who have already suffered so much, she furthered. The officials started to express concerns after an Israeli missile hit a convoy carrying medical supplies and fuel to an Emirati hospital in the Gaza Strip. The attack led to the death of five Palestinians from a local transportation company.
Houthi terrorists have sunk two vessels during a nine-month drone and missile campaign against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. read more

Yemens Houthi militants said on Saturday that they attacked a Liberia-flagged container vessel for a second time in the latest action against commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden.

Yemeni military spokesperson Yahya Sarees televised statement did not specify when the latest attack on the MV Groton took place.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in an advisory note that two missiles exploded on Friday close to the vessel, 130 nautical miles east of Yemens Aden. It said the crew was safe. There was no mention of damage to the vessel.

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The operation was carried out by the naval, UAV, and the missile forces  This is the second targeting of the ship since it was previously targeted on Aug. 3, Saree said.

Houthi terrorists say that their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and likely will continue if a ceasefire is not reached.

In one of their most recent attacks, the Houthis carried out multiple assaults against Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, which is carrying about 1 million barrels of oil.

Since November, the Iran-backed Houthis have launched missile and drone attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea they say are linked to Israel, saying this is in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amid the war between Israel and Hamas, raging since October 7.
Quote: FordTruckNoob Originally Posted by He services ships. Do you know many gallons of oil there are in one oil change? And then theres the stuff in the bilge. Its why he needs a centrifuge.

Quote: udsuth78 Originally Posted by So how long for the payout on this setup? If you don't mind me asking that is. Sounds like a pretty big investment just to burn used motor oil. Unless you've got a fleet or a connection to someone with a fleet I wouldn't imagine there would be enough waste oil to bother with.

one of many streams of free oil, and guess what? they pay me to dispose of it as a hasmat....so this is a little long, but I think you will understand when you have read it all.This sounds kind of whiny and small minded, but I grew up as a middle class until mom and dad got the big D. at that point we had nothing, and college was deffinitely off the table. so I always look to the future with a bunch of what if's I am assuming that somehow I screw up everything, and have just this house to live in, surviving off of Social security (if it exists then). so I am trying to make this house as free to live in as possible while I have income.Waste oil see above, this works until i retire. Every mom and pop garage pays (very little but they do pay) to have used motor oil picked up and recycled. I already have oil from three friends shops close to my primary house (started collecting last month) and in one months time I have 4 drums just from them. this is all very clean to begin with as they do not mix engine oil with any other fluids or they have to pay more for the disposal. so your average garage has five to six 50 gallon drum cans and one will be engine oil + gear oil and diff oil, one will be ATF & power steering, and one will be coolant. the forth will be bad/dirty gasoline, the fifth will be dirty diesel and the last will be mixed fluids which they pay a lot to dispose of. so basically free oil all i want, just need a truck and a pump... Hmm wonder what kenny is going to use that diesel powered F350 for?plan is to retire to the cabin in 10 years. I have already owned it for 10 years, in the first year, I spent 1200 USD on kerosene to heat that was for roughly 6 months: late October to early May, from Friday night (2200 arrival) to Sunday afternoon (1800 departure) every weekend. so roughly 1215 hours for that first year or almost $1.00/hour for heating. If I had been there daily instead of just the weekends I would been there for 4680 hours, and would have probably spent around 4600 USD to heat per cold season.So I then built a wood stove and built a hydraulic wood splitter and started heating with wood. heating oil use dropped to 100/year when it was too warm for the wood stove yet a little chilly. Fine no issues, currently I am 57. when i retire I will be 67; will I still be able to do this? maybe maybe not and even then its not free as there are chainsaws/fuel/chains, fuel for trucks, fuel for splitter, etc.to reduce the amount of wood needed I paid to have the exterior ripped off and new insulation, outer cladding, tyvek, siding and double pain glass installed. this would of course reduce the amount of wood or fuel oil needed to heat with in the future, but once again, is it enough to survive without dipping hard into savings? I don't know. My plan started as a dump load for my solar and I expanded it to include an oil burner to heat the water when solar would not be sufficient in the coldest three or four months. Look at it like an outdoor wood boiler like in the states, but instead of wood, it uses excess solar electricity + waste oil burner to heat the water.so its hard to calculate as after new insulation + a percentage provided form the solar how much fuel oil would I need? with the original non insulated house it would pay for itself by the second season. with the new insulation and what not who knows? maybe three or four years? this is assuming I only burn wood for ambiance.aswould say but wait! there's more! My shop diesel generator set is older and has no emissions and uses mechanical injection.... my wood splitter is diesel and the engine is the same. So I could burn this filtered cleaned oil in both of them and now I no longer have a diesel bill as well (my truck would probably run on it in an emergency, but otherwise thanks but no thanks for the truck.).so I am thinking a 4 to 5 year payback if I lived there full time, being that for the next ten i will be only there on the weekends through the cold season, probably 8-10 years would be more accurate.this thing can also clean out stale gasoline and dirty diesel fuel including removing water, so theoretically I could grab the dirty diesel and bad gas, clean them and burn them in the truck.I know I am bat**** crazy... I mean look at the types I gravitate towards and hang out with on line with..Edit: the above heating bill is living like an American with the entire house reasonably warm, not Japanese style with only the room you are occupying heated. obviously I could do it Japanese style and wear the Japanese Ogi San long johns and multiple coats but why?
Paralympics | Sitting volleyball guides earthquake survivor Tang onto a different path

Xinhua) 15:13, August 31, 2024

Tang Xuemei of China celebrates scoring during the sitting volleyball women's preliminaries Pool A match between China and the United States at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, Aug. 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

Chinese Paralympian Tang Xuemei, who lost her lower left leg in an earthquake 16 years ago, showcases resilience and triumph in her third Paralympic Games, leading China to a victory in sitting volleyball.

PARIS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Despite losing her lower left leg in an earthquake 16 years ago, Chinese Paralympian Tang Xuemei has transformed adversity into triumph. Now competing in her third Paralympic Games in Paris, the 30-year-old sitting volleyball star has become a symbol of resilience and strength, helping lead China to victory in their first group match.

"Sitting volleyball guides me onto a different path in life," said the 30-year-old. "I really enjoy the exciting moments during matches."

Tang was fortunate to survive the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan in 2008, which claimed the lives of nearly 70,000 people. Yet, she was also dealt a heavy blow, losing her lower left leg at just 14 years old after being trapped in a collapsed school building for 28 hours.

"I'm an optimistic person, so I didn't dwell on my suffering for too long," said Tang after the Chinese women's team defeated the U.S. 3-1 in their first group match on Friday.

Tang Xuemei (No.1) of China defends against Heather Nicole Erickson of the United States during the sitting volleyball women's preliminaries Pool A match between China and the United States at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, Aug. 30, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

"What helped me move on was starting my sitting volleyball training soon after. It allowed me to leave those painful memories behind."

Tang's dedication to the sport is undeniable. She trained three times a day, even refusing to rest on weekends.

"I just wanted to excel at the sport. When you reach a certain level of skill, you feel powerful and confident," she once said.

Her hard work paid off. After only one year of training, Tang was recruited by the national team in 2010. Since then, she had won gold at the London 2012 Games and silver at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

"Sitting volleyball set a stage for me to show my strength," said Tang, who contributed 12 points for the team on Friday. "I believe it's crucial to demonstrate the fighting spirit of people with disabilities, and I truly enjoy the thrill of competing."

Tang often imagines what her life might have been without sitting volleyball. "I guess I would have stayed in the mountains of Sichuan, living a life far less exciting," she said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
Deep fried mushrooms and a side salad at The Feisty Pint on their patio. (Photo by Christine Gallagher)
NATHAN DEAL/The Daily Sentinel

Grand Junction Learning Center Director and Founder George Avgares stands next to college banners at the center, located at 336 Main St. Unit 215, upstairs from the Goat and Clover Tavern. The banners represent some of the colleges in which Avgares has helped students enroll through his Colorado Student Care services as well as his years as a liaison in Las Vegas.
Donald Trump lays a wreath alongside retired Marine corporal Kelsee Lainhart, who was injured in a bombing during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, in an August 26 ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington
The couple will tie the knot in a picturesque village on the shores of a fjord
101st Airborne Division conducts historic air assault mission

By Staff Sgt. Kaden Pitt August 29, 2024

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- On Aug. 28, 2024, more than 3000 Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team "STRIKE", 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) finished their second rotation to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) in eight months. However, the beginning of the exercise was transformative and historic. The 2MBCT conducted a "large-scale, long-range" air assault (L2A2) operation consisting of 80 aircrafts, across three states, flying from Fort Campbell, Ky. to Fort Johnson, La. Aug. 13-17.

After traveling for over 500 miles, including stops at six forward arming and refueling points (FARPs), scattered over multiple southern states, the 2MBCT arrived at JRTC..

The movement method was not a typical way a brigade travels to "The Box", but a way that was reminiscent to the founding of the 101st. Traditionally, units move by ground to Fort Johnson, spend several days preparing before entering the combat scenario. The Strike Brigade moved by air-to-ground into simulated-contested landing zones. Thus began a two-week bout with the well-known opposing forces "Geronimo," 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment.

"The legacy that we have, dating all the way back to World War II when we were an Airborne Division fighting in Europe," said U.S. Army Col. Travis McIntosh, the deputy commanding officer for support for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) "Your 101st Airborne Division now is Air Mobile--it's Air Assault, we have a number of helicopters. That's how we fight in this division and we're demonstrating that from Kentucky and Tennessee all the way down to Louisiana."

This was much more than an aviation mission. On Aug. 13, troops and equipment from across the Division began their movement from Fort Campbell to FARP s across Mississippi and Louisiana. The sites, far from a simple pit stop along the operational path, provided vital sustainment for the troops and helicopters along the way.

"Our birds [aircraft] are able to come in get fueled, get armed and continue the fight," said 1st Lt. James Tate, a quartermaster officer with Echo Troop, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. "We can puddle hop across and get the birds further over a shorter period of time."

The ability to send an entire brigade into an enemy area of operations further and faster is not the only aspect that allows this type of exercise to succeed - it also needs to be done at night.

"We conduct all our operations under a period of darkness," said Tate. "We like the birds to get in, receive their fuel, get armed and off of our pads within 12 to 15 minutes."

The quick turnaround represents a massive amount of coordination from within the division but training like this is only made possible by the support of the local communities, airports, and National Guard locations who hosted the FARPs.

"We are overwhelmed by the support from the community," said McIntosh. "From law enforcement to the elected and appointed officials, airport management, emergency services, Louisiana National Guard, support has really poured on to the 101st Airborne Division here and we couldn't be more grateful."

The Soldiers of the Strike Brigade descended into JRTC for their training in an auxiliary manner as the Army continues to modernize, innovate and transform its warfighting capabilities. The L2A2 displays the combat power of today with 101st, just as airborne paratroopers did in World War II. The 101st doesn't just keep older ways of combat entry relevant but to make those unique abilities the future of combat operations.

"We're experimenting on some of the most modern equipment that the Army has fielded and we're looking forward to providing that feedback to the Army," said McIntosh. "We're demonstrating the capability that's only seen in the 101st Airborne Division and that's long-range air assault."

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Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group Rescues Distressed Iranian Mariners at Sea

U.S. Central Command

Press Release | Aug. 29, 2024

USCENTCOM

Aug. 29, 2024

Release Number 20240829 - 01

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. -- Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group rescued two civilian Iranian mariners in international waters, Aug 23.

At about 7:00 a.m. local (UTC+3) Aug. 23, the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group rescued two mariners in distress in the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of operations (AOR).

A rigid inflatable boat (RIB) from the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) and a search and rescue (SAR) helicopter from USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) successfully recovered two mariners from the water. Both were transported by MH-60S helicopter from Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) Squadron 8 to Theodore Roosevelt for follow on medical care and provided food and water.

"Our Navy Sailors and aircrew responded swiftly and professionally, showcasing their world-class training," said Rear Adm. Christopher Alexander, commander, Carrier Strike Group 9. "Aiding distressed mariners is a mission that our strike group will always stand ready to support. It is the right thing to do, and further demonstrates that the U.S. Navy is a force ready when called upon."

Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group is currently conducting routine operations in the USCENTCOM AOR.

-30-

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Israeli regime arrests over 10,300 Palestinians in West Bank

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 29, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) announced that the Israeli regime has arrested more than 10,300 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, 2023.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society announced in a statement on Thursday that the Israeli occupying regime has detained 25 more Palestinians in various areas of the West Bank from Wednesday night through Thursday morning. Among the detainees are a number of former prisoners.

The society added that the total number of detainees in the West Bank increased to 45 since Wednesday morning when the military attacked on the region began.

Husam Badran, the former leader of Hamas's military wing in the northern West Bank, told Al-Jazeera that the massive military attack of the Zionist occupying army on the West Bank proves that this regime does not need an excuse for aggression and crimes against the Palestinian people; therefore, the Zionist enemy understands nothing but the language of force and power, and the resistance against it will continue in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and throughout this land.

The Hamas official underlined that the enemy's military operations in the West Bank are doomed to fail and the emerging generation of Palestinian youth will lead the resistance.

4208**9417

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Deputy Prime Minister W. Kosiniak - Kamysz visited the Pentagon

Poland - Ministry of National Defence

29.08.2024

- I have discussed today at the Pentagon with the Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin the strategic partnership of Poland and the US. It is critically important in that moment of the modernization of the Polish Armed Forces when it is being supplied with the most modern US-made equipment, like the F-35 fighter planes, ABRAMS tanks and the APACHE helicopters - the Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of National Defence Wadysaw Kosiniak - Kamysz said after the conclusion of the meeting at the Pentagon.

The talks between the Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak - Kamysz and the Secretary of Defence L. Austin took place on the 29th of August, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

During the talks concerning the modernization of the Polish Armed Forces and enhancing allied capabilities the US had confirmed that 8 helicopters will be delivered from their own Armed Forces until the first new aircraft is available to Poland. The Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz underscored the need for the timely fulfillment of defence contracts and their importance to building the potential of the Polish Armed Forces.

The security of the eastern flank of NATO was also one of the topics of discussion.

The Deputy Prime Minister W. Kosiniak - Kamysz thanked Secretary Austin for the continued presence of US troops in Poland, stressing its importance to our deterrence and defence capabilities.

Referencing the Russian aggression, the Minister and the Secretary of Defence have pledged to cotinue the necessary support for Ukraine.

- Today, I spoke with Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence to confer how we can work together to deliver the security assistance Ukraine urgently needs to defend itself from Russia.

- wrote the Secretary of Defence after the meeting

- By developing its defence capabilities and supporting Ukraine, Poland serves as an example for Europe and the rest of the world (...). Poland always understood that Putin's war in Ukraine endangers our shared security. (...) The United States and Poland, together with our allies and partners, stand shoulder to shoulder to defend free and sovereign Ukraine.

- Secretary of Defence L. Austin said.

During his visit in Washington, D.C. the Deputy Prime Minister W. Kosiniak - Kamysz laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Arlington National Cemetery.

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Speakers in Security Council Urge Israel to Refrain from Military Action, Evacuation Orders in Gaza as UN, Aid Partners Prepare for Vaccine Campaign amid Polio Outbreak

Meetings Coverage

Security Council

9715th Meeting (PM)

SC/15805

29 August 2024

As the United Nations and its humanitarian partners prepare for a vaccination campaign in Gaza to deal with the polio outbreak, speakers in the Security Council urged Israel to refrain from military operations and evacuation orders to ensure that those delivering and receiving services can do so safely.

The 10-month-old infant who died of polio in Gaza  after 25 years of a polio-free Palestine  was born during wartime and never vaccinated, reported Mike Ryan, Deputy Director-General and Executive Director of the Health Emergency Programme at the World Health Organization (WHO). "The current outbreak in Gaza is a stark reminder of how quickly infectious diseases can re-emerge in regions where health systems are compromised," he said, noting that many other maladies are spreading while the collective capacity to prevent, detect and respond to them continues to be hindered.

He therefore welcomed the commitment to "area-specific humanitarian pauses and suspension of evacuation orders" for the implementation of a two-round polio vaccination campaign, set to begin in Gaza on 1 September. During each round, the Palestinian Ministry of Health  in collaboration with WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)  will provide two drops of a WHO-prequalified "nOPV2" vaccine to more than 640,000 children under 10 years of age.

The campaign will begin in central Gaza and then move south and finally north, with each area covered over three days. Noting that at least 90 per cent vaccination coverage during each round is needed to stop the outbreak and "prevent international spread of polio", he stressed that  due to factors such as insecurity, damaged infrastructure and constant displacement  "we know an additional day or two is very often needed to achieve sufficient coverage". "The safety of every single one of the over 2,180 vaccinators must be guaranteed," he underscored.

He also detailed the "much larger public health catastrophe" in which the polio outbreak is occurring. As of 25 August, only 44 per cent of primary health-care facilities are functional and attacks on health care continue to be reported. Evacuation orders are further disrupting health-care provision, endangering critical health infrastructure and hampering the delivery of essential supplies. Calling on the international community to act now to secure humanitarian pauses, ensure the delivery of critical health supplies and support the rapid implementation of the polio vaccination campaign, he stressed: "The world cannot stand by as Gaza's health system crumbles under the weight of this conflict."

Also briefing the Council today was Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, who described the humanitarian community in Gaza as working relentlessly to stop the spread of polio, "a disease that the world thought it had under control". She added: "I don't need to tell you how disastrous it would be if we were unable to contain this preventable disease  a disease that knows no borders." Noting that Israel has facilitated the entry of all requested polio vaccines and equipment, she said: "What is now most important is to ensure both the security and access needed to implement the campaign effectively."

Highlighting the difficulties faced by the Organization's humanitarian workers, she said: "In the past week alone, our teams have been displaced and shot at. We have lost offices and warehouses and limited supplies have continued to dwindle." Her World Food Programme (WFP) colleagues were fired upon two days ago in their marked vehicle "and survived by sheer luck", she said, adding that it is difficult to plan more than 24 hours in advance because "we struggle to know what supplies we will have, when we will have them or where we will be able to deliver." The lives of 2.1 million people cannot depend on luck and hope alone, she stressed.

She also pointed to a spike in evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military, noting that the 25 August order led to the largest relocation of UN staff since October 2023. "Communities live in a state of limbo, never knowing when the next order to flee will come," she said, adding that civilians are now being forced into the equivalent of 11 per cent of the territory of Gaza. "Any and every square foot of available land is being used for shelter," she said, adding that temporary encampments have even been built on the beach right up to the water's edge. After calls from Member States, the Israeli military has, for the first time, issued a reversal of orders for three blocks in Deir al-Balah  the UN teams are working to confirm if they can now return to the premises they had to leave on 25 August, she said.

"What we have witnessed over the past 11 months  and continue to witness  calls into question the world's commitment to the international legal order that was designed to prevent these tragedies," she added. Hungry, thirsty, sick and homeless, civilians have been pushed beyond the limits of human endurance. The UN remains on the ground, "planning as best we can" she said, adding that despite insufficient stocks, aid partners continue to provide food, health care, shelter materials when possible, "and amid the destruction, spaces for children to learn".

"We have repeatedly informed you of the harrowing levels of death, injury and destruction that raise very serious concerns about compliance with international humanitarian law," she said. The Council must ensure strict adherence to international humanitarian law and international human rights law. All hostages must be released without conditions, and all civilians must be protected, and their essential needs must be met, including by ensuring the unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza, she said.

When the floor opened for discussion, delegates reiterated the briefers' call for a safe vaccination campaign, and citing the recent attack on a WFP vehicle, urged Israel to ensure humanitarian protection for aid workers.

Polio had nearly been eradicated through the dedicated efforts of international health partners, the representative of the United States observed. The return of confirmed polio cases in Gaza threatens the health of the most vulnerable Palestinian civilians, including children, he said, adding: "It is especially important for Israel to facilitate access for agencies carrying out the vaccination campaign and for it to ensure periods of calm and refrain from military operations during the vaccination campaign."

Urging that country to avoid further evacuation orders, he also expressed alarm about reports that the Israel Defense Forces fired repeatedly on a WFP vehicle on Wednesday. Though Israel has said after an initial review that this was the result of a communication error between its military units, "the simple fact is almost 11 months into this conflict incidents such as yesterday's remain all too common", he pointed out. Also noting another incident in which Israel's army fired towards a UNICEF vehicle, he said: "Israel must not only take ownership for its mistakes but also take concrete actions to ensure the IDF does not fire on UN personnel again. Adding that "we must not ignore how Hamas's actions continue to put" civilians and humanitarian personnel at risk, he said his country along with Qatar and Egypt continue to engage the parties on a final deal.

The representative of the United Kingdom also expressed concern about the Israel Defense Forces opening fire on the WFP truck, noting that the vehicle had been fully coordinated with Israel and had UN workers inside. Calling on Tel Aviv to take immediate steps to protect aid workers, he said that despite repeated calls for deconfliction and protection of aid operations, such appalling attacks on UN and aid convoys continue to take place. This conflict already represents the deadliest by far for humanitarian personnel, he observed.

The major polio outbreak which has already claimed a child, he said, is "a tragedy could have been prevented". Welcoming Israel's agreement for pauses on military operations so that WHO and health agencies can deliver a safe and effective campaign, he said "we now need to see this in action." The pauses need to be long enough to deliver the required vaccinations. "When the campaign starts and thousands of vulnerable and unaccompanied children gather at vaccination sites, they must all be protected," he underscored.

Likewise, the speaker for the Republic of Korea, noting that polio is highly contagious and significantly threatening Palestinian children in Gaza, called on all parties to let health workers fulfil their vital mission. However, this becomes an almost impossible task, he said, as nowhere and no one in Gaza is safe, not civilians, not even children, not medical workers, and not UN staff

Japan's speaker deplored the attack on the WFP vehicle carrying humanitarian cargo to central Gaza. "Clearly, deconfliction mechanisms are still woefully insufficient," he said. The so-called "safe zones" are nothing of the sort. It is unacceptable that UN aid vehicles in Gaza continue to be fired upon. His counterpart from Ecuador called on parties to uphold norms of international humanitarian law  always and in all circumstances. An immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of the hostages, improvement of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, is vitally important so that this agreement can come to fruition without any further delays. Malta's delegate noted that since last October, around 280 UN and humanitarian workers have been killed. Such chilling statistics underline a failure to abide by international law and international humanitarian law, he said, adding that UN humanitarian operations currently hang by a thread.

"Long time ago, we exhausted our vocabulary of words to describe the tragedy of Gaza," Slovenia's speaker told Council members. There must be reinforcement among troops of rules of engagement and obligations. This includes respect for the UN, its mission, its work and its staff. While he welcomed progress related to polio vaccination campaigns, he reiterated that more needs to be done. The war must end, he said, reminding delegates that the Advisory Opinion by the International Court of Justice is clear: Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and must end as rapidly as possible.

Several delegates drew attention to the burden posed by Israel's evacuation orders, with Guyana's representative noting that such orders  sometimes issued "with very little notice"  affect humanitarian operations by shrinking the spaces where humanitarian actors operate and civilians dwell. Before 7 October 2023, there were 1,200 persons per square kilometre in Gaza  that number has risen to 40,000. Noting that the constant evacuations and shrinking space for civilians has given rise to disease, including the re-emergence of polio, she said: "History will judge us harshly if this Council does not act to save the Palestinian people from the scourge of this unending onslaught, in flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and international law".

"This is unacceptable," Switzerland's delegate stressed, noting that the Israeli army's orders have caused the displacement of almost 90 per cent of the inhabitants, who live on less than 11 per cent of the Gaza Strip. In addition to uprooting already exhausted families, the orders pose enormous obstacles to aid activities. And with each displacement, humanitarian actors lose access to the premises and logistical infrastructure they need to operate  as was the case on Sunday night in Deir al-Balah. All parties have an obligation to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to all civilians in need. This also applies to armed groups such as Hamas. And Israel  as the occupying Power, and as recalled by the International Court of Justice  is obliged to fulfil the humanitarian needs of the population.

Speaker after speaker pointed to the deteriorating conditions in the West Bank, in addition to the situation in Gaza. The representative of Sierra Leone, Council President for August, spoke in his national capacity, voicing alarm over Israel's "massive" 28 August military operation in the West Bank. Recent reports from the Occupied Palestinian Territory convey "a high sense of fear and desperation" among both Palestinians and humanitarian personnel, he observed. "Let me close by reminding parties to the conflict to unreservedly adhere to their obligations under international law," he said.

China's delegate noted that Israel's expansion of settlements and ramping up of searches, arrests and raids against the Palestinians are all violations of international law. Citing the Israeli military's launch Wednesday of a large-scale military operation targeting Jenin and other cities in the West Bank, he said senior Israeli officials recently spoke of using the same approach in the West Bank as they have employed in Gaza operations. "Shocked by such extreme remarks," he stated: "We must never allow the same humanitarian catastrophe to happen in the West Bank, which would turn it into another hell on Earth."

"France is opposed to any occupation by Israel of the West Bank," that country's representative said, condemning all acts of provocation and any unilateral measures both there and in Jerusalem. Israel's settlement policy is in breach of international law, she said, demanding that the country take all measures to stop the unacceptable settler attacks on the civilian Palestinian population in West Bank. The vaccination campaign that is about to begin is not negotiable, she added, while reiterating commitment to Israel's security and condemning the terrorist barbaric attacks and sexual violence committed on 7 October by Hamas and other terrorist groups.

Several delegates pointed to the Council's "collective responsibility" to urge de-escalation in the Gaza Strip, with Mozambique's representative underlining the need to advocate for the safety of civilians caught in the crossfire. He therefore called on all Council members to work towards both establishing "peace and stability in this troubled region" while adhere to their obligations under international law," he said.

"Humanitarian workers have single-handedly been trying to help the people in Gaza survive unprecedented decisions undertaken by Israel," said the Russian Federation's representative. The words used today to describe the catastrophic situation in the enclave have transformed into "futile cliches", he observed, adding that the majority of those who are suffering are entirely innocent women and children. Humanitarian workers  who fulfil their heroic duty and constantly risk their lives  cannot confront military personnel or defend themselves and, therefore, are unable to work under circumstances of active hostilities. Accordingly, he asserted, "the Council does not have the moral right to demand that they sacrifice their lives while doing nothing to compel the parties to cease fire".

Algeria's delegate, in that vein, underlined that "humanitarian workers are not obligated to risk their lives; rather, it is our obligation to provide them with protection." Calling for an immediate ceasefire, he emphasized that "the scale of brutality that the Palestinians are subjected to" and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory cannot be addressed otherwise. The policy adopted by Israel aims to kill hope in the hearts of the Palestinians, humiliate them and undermine the public order in Gaza, he said.

The representatives of the United States and the Russian Federation exchanged words further after all the speakers in the Council had taken the floor. The former said that Moscow neither contributes to resolving the conflict in Gaza nor understands its complications; instead it demeans the work of the United States, Qatar and Egypt. The Russian Federation's representative recalled that his delegation had presented a ceasefire resolution in the Council in October which was vetoed by the delegate of the United States. "I don't need to sit here and explain to you why the US did what it did with regard to these resolutions," the representative of the United States said in response, adding that implementation is the issue. Hamas, at many times, has changed its views on some of the steps that were previously agreed on, he added. To which, the Russian Federation's delegate said the United States bears the brunt of responsibility for what is currently taking place in Gaza. "If my colleagues lack the courage to say this to your face, I have no problem doing so," he added.

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Keel Laid for Future USS William Charette

US Navy

29 August 2024

From Team Ships Strategic Operations

Bath, Maine -- The keel for the future USS William Charette (DDG 130), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was laid during a ceremony on Aug. 29 at General Dynamic Bath Iron Works (BIW).The ship is named in honor of Master Chief Hospital Corpsman William R. Charette, a veteran who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic acts

Bath, Maine - The keel for the future USS William Charette (DDG 130), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was laid during a ceremony on Aug. 29 at General Dynamic Bath Iron Works (BIW).

The ship is named in honor of Master Chief Hospital Corpsman William R. Charette, a veteran who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic acts during the Korean War, while assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines,1st Marine Division in Panmunjom Corridor (DMZ), Korea.

Rear Adm. Darin K. Via, Surgeon General of the Navy and Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED), presided over the ceremony on behalf of the Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.

"All of us in Navy Medicine are immensely proud to have a warship named after one of our own. We understand that it is one of the greatest honors you can receive in the Navy. The future USS William Charette will not only be a symbol of American strength but also a testament to the courage and dedication of Navy corpsmen," said Rear Adm. Darin Via. "To have a ship named after a Navy corpsman is to hold to the maxim of 'Corpsman Up!' and embodies the ethos of courage, fidelity, and service before self."

A keel laying ceremony represents the joining together of the ship's modular components at the land level. During the ceremony, the keel is authenticated when the welder etches the initials of the keel honorees into the keel plate. The authentication was confirmed by Via, on behalf of the namesake's children, Margaret Ann Charette Henderson, Kati Charette Donovan, Laura Charette Bennett, Michael R. Charette, and the late William A. Charette. The namesake's daughters are the ship's co-sponsors. BUMED Force Master Chief PatrickPaul (PaP) Mangaran, director of the Hospital Corps and leader of the Navy Medicine's enlisted force, also read a statement on behalf of the Charette family.

"The future USS William Charette will be a welcomed addition to the fleet and another player on the field to provide the Navy with the most advanced warfighting capability" said Capt. Seth Miller, DDG 51 Class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. "This ship honors the legacy of the late William Charette and his heroism during the Korean War. We are honored to have his daughters as sponsors and for the entire family to celebrate this significant milestone."

A DDG 51 Flight III destroyer features the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar and incorporates upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity plus additional associated changes to provide greatly enhanced warfighting capability to the fleet. The future destroyers Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124), Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126), Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127), Quentin Walsh (DDG 132), John E. Kilmer (DDG 134), and Richard G. Lugar (DDG 136) are also under construction at BIW.

PEO Ships, one of the Department of Defense's largest acquisition organizations, is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships and craft, auxiliary ships, special mission ships, sealift ships and support ships.

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Joint Statement on Venezuela Election

Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

30 August 2024

Category: International relations

The undersigned countries, meeting in Santo Domingo de Guzman make a strong appeal for wisdom and restraint in Venezuela. At this decisive juncture for Venezuela and the region, all social and political actors must exercise the utmost restraint in their public actions.

Acceptance and respect for the dignity and integrity of all individuals are the essential principles upon which the peaceful coexistence in our societies is built. We urge for the respect of democratic principles, as well as the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Venezuelans, particularly the freedom of peaceful assembly and the freedom of expression. We are concerned that this reality currently does not exist in Venezuela. Reports of arbitrary detentions of Venezuelans without due process are alarming, and therefore we urgently call for their immediate release.

We express our deep condemnation of the repression of protesters and the violence that has claimed the lives of many Venezuelans in the post-election context. We urgently call on Venezuelan authorities to end the violence and release all those who have been detained, including opposition representatives.

Furthermore, we request the immediate return of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to Venezuela, and call on Venezuela to ensure the necessary conditions for it to fully carry out its mandate.

In addition, we call on Venezuela, as a state party to the Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum of 1954, to comply with its provision by issuing the safe passage that will allow the six asylum seekers currently residing in the official residence of the Republic of Argentina to safely leave Venezuelan territory.

We take note of the preliminary report by the United Nations Expert Panel on the presidential election in Venezuela which indicates that the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela has yet to present the electoral records that substantiate the validity of the results announced on August 2. It should also be noted that a digital version of more than 80% of the electoral records has been published, which shows a different outcome than that reported by the CNE.

Consequently, we request the immediate publication of all original records and the impartial and independent verification of those results, preferably by an international entity, to ensure respect for the will of the Venezuelan people as expressed at the polls. Any delay in this process calls into question the August 2, 2024, official proclamation.

Our nations have previously appealed for peaceful dialogue and negotiations to resolve serious conflicts. Now more than ever, Venezuela must honor that legacy to restore peaceful coexistence, public safety and political stability, which according to accounts by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela of the UN Human Rights Council, are being threatened by the Venezuelan security authorities.

The current situation calls for a broad, inclusive, and good-faith dialogue to facilitate a political agreement that fosters national reconciliation, peace, public security and democracy in Venezuela.

We are committed to supporting all efforts in this direction, and always advocating for a genuinely Venezuelan solution in which democracy and justice, and peace and security will prevail.

Signatories:

Argentine Republic, Commonwealth of Australia, Bosnia - Herzegovina, Canada, Republic of Chile, Republic of Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Republic of Ecuador, Republic of El Salvador, Georgia, Republic of Guatemala, Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Italian Republic, Republic of Kosovo, Kingdom of Morocco, Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Panama, Republic of Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Portuguese Republic, Kingdom of Spain, Republic of Suriname, Oriental Republic of Uruguay, United Kingdom, United States of America, Ukraine, European Union

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Germany - Federal Government

Federal Government Spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit:

Press release 208_en

Friday, 30 August 2024

Press and Information Office of the Federal Government (BPA)

Today, for the first time since August 2021, Afghan nationals were returned from Germany to their country of origin.

All of the repatriating Afghan nationals have been convicted for criminal offences, carry no legal residency and were subject to return orders.

Throughout recent months, the Federal Government has undertaken substantial efforts to resume such returns and has supported the German States (Lander) in this respect.

Given the complicated framework, Germany sought the support of key regional partners to help facilitate the return. The Federal Government is very grateful for this support.

The Federal Government will continue with such returns. The security interests of Germany clearly outweigh the claim for protection of criminals and individuals endangering national security.


Informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers: Press remarks by High Representative at the press conference

European External Action Service (EEAS)

30.08.2024

30/08/2024, Brussels

EEAS Press Team

Check against delivery!

Today has been shorter than yesterday - not less important but shorter. I am happy to meet you at 16:00 in the afternoon and not at 20:00 in the evening.

Today, the most important issue was the military support to Ukraine, as you could imagine.

Then, we moved to the situation in the Middle East and the Red Sea, before discussing our overall efforts to strengthen our defence and readiness.

Finally, during the lunch, we discussed about the future of our EU Satellite Centre that, as you know, is located in Torrejon, near Madrid.

First, on Ukraine. We had a videoconference with Ukrainian Defence Minister [Rustem] Umerov, who briefed us online on the latest developments on the frontline, on Russia, and the latest news about attacks against cities and energy infrastructure across Ukraine.

I just received another message saying that new and more flying bombs have been falling in several Ukrainian cities.

The military platform of Russia's attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure should not stay off-limits for elimination. It should not be a sanctuary for the Russians attacking Ukraine.

I think - I continue thinking - that it is about Ukraine's legitimate right of self-defence, in accordance with the United Nations Charter.

You know where I stand on the questions regarding restrictions on the use of the delivered equipment against Russia and our military involvement, supporting Ukraine to facilitate Ukraine to respond to Russia's aggression inside the Russian territory.

It is in accordance with international law, and I do not see why someone says "It is going to war against Moscow." No, we are not going to war against Moscow, we are delivering arms to Ukraine, that's all. And Ukraine can use these arms in accordance with international law. These warnings are a little bit out of the question.

But Member States decided that this is something that belongs to bilateral decisions of each Member State providing the equipment to Ukraine. The long-range [equipment], in particular, belongs to decisions of the providers to Ukraine. So, there has been a strategic discussion about [this], but it remains a national policy and Member States want it to be a national decision through bilateral [arrangements] with Ukraine.

In fact, I am convinced that a discussion about this topic and other topics should be taking place at the European Union level. And that is why we have this format of informal ministerials.

The discussion has taken place, everybody explained their position. I explained my position. Member States decided [that] it is a bilateral issue but the fact that the arms provided to Ukraine can be used in order to target inside Russian territory [does] not at all means that we are going to go at war with Russia. This is an exaggeration.

We discussed with Member States the progress made on our military support to Ukraine.

Figures are important. Today, our military support exceeds 43 billion (43.5 [billion]).

Altogether, civilian and military [support], [it] goes much more than that: it is about 100 billion. But the military alone is 43 [billion], 44 [billion], it changes every day.

The second big news is that the first fighter jets F-16 are already flying on the Ukrainian skies to protect Ukrainian cities and people; and we continue delivering ammunition. Now we are at 65% of our original goal to deliver 1 million of ammunition shells.

There has been an acceleration during the summer. The industry is working at full pace. We are at 65%. Still not there, but it is increasing.

As you know, Belgium announced some days ago that they are going to give more F-16 [fighter jets] to Ukraine. It has been also discussed at the meeting.

From the point of view of financing, we have mobilised the first tranche of windfall profits from Russian frozen assets. It is 1.4 billion. These 1.4 billion have gone through the European Peace Facility (EPF) to support more military assistance for Ukraine. The big news is that now part of it is going directly to Ukraine in order to boost the Ukrainian defence industry.

I think it is good news, it is a good initiative. Working closely with Ukraine is good, boosting the Ukrainian defence industry is more effective and faster. The Ukrainians asked for it - Minister Umerov has been asking for it today again. Many agree, so it is going to be a growing part of our future support.

The next tranche will also be devoted to support the Ukrainian defence industry.

Part of this will be managed by some Member States to purchase from the European defence industry and the global market ammunitions and air defence. They are the two most important priorities: ammunitions and air defence.

Many Member [States] stressed the importance to speed up military deliveries. I fully agree with them. We have to do more and quicker.

By March, we will have the second tranche of the windfall profits and we will continue managing it this way: to the Ukrainian defence industry as much as we can, and as much as they can absorb.

On our Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM Ukraine). Allow me to say that it has been a success, a great success. It is the most successful training mission that the European Union has ever performed. It has trained [some] 60,000 soldiers. And today, the Ministers agreed on raising the target to 75,000 [soldiers] - adding 15,000 more by the end of the year. This is also good news.

We will do more, Ukraine is requesting [it]. This war requires a constant adaptation to the modalities of the war. The training has to be [strengthened] and adapted to the Ukrainian needs.

We want to make this training mission as pragmatic and easy as possible for the Ukrainians to participate in training, making use of Ukrainian trainers and ensuring a stronger coordination with Ukraine and NATO.

In order to do that, I proposed - and Member States agreed on establishing a small Liaison and Coordination Cell in Kyiv. This would allow us to directly coordinate with other relevant actors. It is not an executive mission inside Ukrainian territory, it is a coordinating cell in Kyiv in order to make our work more effective.

Ministers were all very positive and supportive of these training efforts.

It is also urgent to unblock the 6.6 billion of the Ukraine Assistance Fund, the famous amount of money - that has been blocked for months - of the EPF.

Many ministers repeated today that it is not Ukrainian money, it is their money because they have not been reimbursed for the expenditure that has already happened. Ukraine has already gotten the material, but they have not gotten the reimbursement.

Many ministers repeated today that an urgent solution is needed. I look for it; one way or another, I will find a solution. One way or another.

For our second session, we had discussions with representatives of the United Nations, NATO and the European Parliament, with the new Chair of the SEDE subcommittee [Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann].

Then, we went to the Middle East, the regional escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. We discussed about it with foreign ministers yesterday.

Ministers expressed their support for ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

Another issue that is very much of concern is - I can say that - a war in the West Bank. The Secretary-General of the United Nations [Antonio Guterres] yesterday asked for a ceasefire and a stop of military operations of Israel in the West Bank, which has produced a high number of casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

We are strongly concerned because the war scenario seems now to be going from Gaza to the West Bank. This is also a way of threatening regional stability. Escalation has to be avoided. Let's hope that the call from the Secretary-General of the United Nations will be heard.

We will support the Lebanese Armed Forces, we are already doing that with the European Peace Facility. We need more support, and this requires additional funding next year.

The United Nations Under-Secretary-General [Jean-Pierre] Lacroix updated us on the United Nations's efforts in the region. You know how difficult it is for the United Nations agencies - and not only for UNRWA, for several United Nations agencies - to work in Israel and in the occupied territories, including Gaza. We are expressing our strong support to the United Nations and our rejection to the qualification of a terrorist organisation to a United Nations agency.

Then, we went to the Red Sea and the Gulf area.

We notice that the Houthis are launching more sophisticated attacks. The last attack against the Greek-flagged Sounion [ship] last week is the latest grave escalation on the threats for navigation in the Red Sea. We have the [EUNAVFOR] ASPIDES working full steam.

The number of ships going through the Suez Canal is decreasing. And we need more ships. We need more forces.

I asked Member States to increase the capacity of ASPIDES.

In the meantime, the balance is good. ASPIDES has successfully protected more than 217 merchant vessels and destroyed 22 missiles and drones launched by the Houthis.

Now, the big issue is to avoid an environmental catastrophe with the oil that the ship Sounion was transporting. A solution will be found, and we will cooperate on that.

[Operation] ASPIDES certainly is contributing to restore the confidence of maritime shipping and encouraging them to revert to their original routes through the Red Sea.

But for that, ASPIDES has to have the assets it requires. I called the Member States to step up their contribution.

And we also need to tackle the continuous flow of illicit weapons to the Houthis. We are looking into what we can do, and we will further discuss this in the context of the Strategic Review of Operation ASPIDES in November.

We discussed our efforts to strengthen our defence readiness. How the European Union needs to have more capabilities, more investments and how the European Union's defence industry has to deliver in sufficient quantities what the defence requires.

I have asked Member States to speed up the negotiations of the Defence Industry Programme, where the European Parliament will play an important role.

Several ministers stressed that this also requires mobilising additional funding for defence, and where is this funding supposed to come [from]. I am working closely with the [European] Commission, following the tasking of the European Council, to develop options that I hope will be soon presented to the EU leaders.

This has an important Ukrainian component, but not only. Ukraine is at the core of our defence development, but not only. We have to integrate the Ukrainian defence [industry] into our industrial base. There is a lot to learn from the capacity of Ukrainians to increase their innovation in the field of defence.

That is why, we are opening an EU Defence Innovation Office in Kyiv, together with the Commission. It will be opened shortly, maybe in September. In any case, I am planning to visit Ukraine during September and October, before the end of my term as High Representative, to do the last push for cooperation with Ukraine on the military support of its defence. It has been an important part of my task during the last years.

Cooperation with NATO is also crucial. In September, we will launch an EU-NATO structured dialogue on defence industry.

Finally, we had a lunch with the EU Satellite Centre Director [Rear Admiral Louis Tillier], the new Director. We discussed the strategic role of the Satellite Centre, which are the eyes of Europe in sky - more than in the sky, in space.

The demand for the Satellite Centre's services is continuously growing. It provides an important insight about what is happening on Earth. You can see what is happening on any corner on earth, and it plays an important role in supporting our partners, Ukraine in particular its fight against Russia's war of aggression.

The Ministers agreed that we need a strong and well-resourced Satellite Centre to support our ambitious security and defence agenda.

Q&A

Q. On ammunition, you mentioned 65% - so, 650,000 ammunition if I am right. Does this figure include also the Czech initiative? If I remember well, the target for the end of the year was moved a little - 1.2 million because of the delay and so on. So, will the EU be able to deliver this time on ammunition?

On restrictions of use of weapons, would you say that countries that keep restrictions are basically protecting Russia?

On the second question, certainly not. There is no European country that is protecting Russia. We protect Ukraine. We decided that it is a national policy. We can have a strategic discussion among us in order to look for common ground. Defence is a national policy, it is not a secret - nothing new. Foreign policy is a national policy also. Look, the Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs [Peter Szijjarto] is in Moscow today. Yesterday, he was here, today he is in Moscow. Why? Because foreign policy - like it or not - is a national policy. So, they can go to Moscow, to Beijing, wherever they want. They have a duty. They have the duty of cooperating loyally in building a Common Foreign [and Security] Policy. Common. "Common" does not mean unique. "Common" means common. They may have their own policy, but they have to cooperate [with] loyalty in order to build a Common Foreign Policy. In the field of defence, it is the same thing. Defence is a national policy. The Commission has no competences in defence, but the Member States want to build a Common Defence Policy, I am in charge of doing that and pushing for it. That is why I present to the members of the Defence Ministers Council proposals to hold a strategic debate. And we discussed this in an informal meeting. I have my opinion; others have other opinions. Finally, they decided: this is a national competence, each one will do whatever they think is appropriate. Good - it is their decision. But this does not mean that they want to protect Russia. Equally, to think and to believe that it is legitimate in accordance with international law to target inside the territory of the aggressor - because there is one aggressor - it's because there is an aggression that it is a war - it does not mean to go to war. We are not at war with Moscow. So, no one is protecting anyone, [and] we should avoid such exaggerations if we want to discuss seriously about these matters.

And [about] the target. Look, we are accelerating more and more. We are producing quicker. The industry is increasing capacity, they are working at full capacity, and they are increasing it. I hope that by the end of the year we will reach the target, both us and the Czech initiative - that, by the way, is also pushing for the target; it was announced in February in Munich.

Q. High Representative, you talked about the EU training mission for Ukrainian soldiers and the entries and the target of number of soldiers to be trained. Could you tell us about the discussion around where that training should happen? The Ukrainians have requested that some of them should be done inside Ukraine. Did you hear that request again today from the Ukrainian Minister? Was there any discussion about it and what is your view on that question?

You know, to wear a uniform does not make you a soldier. You can wear a uniform, have a helmet, it does not make you a soldier. In order to be a soldier, you need to be trained. And this is more and more important because the warfare today is quite sophisticated, and to send a soldier with a helmet and a uniform to the frontline without adequate training is to send them to die, quickly. So, training is lifesaving. Training is so important when people have to go to fight. That is why we are so proud of the fact that we have been training 60,000 soldiers. To be trained in Ukraine, why not? They are closer to the environment where they will have to fight, it could be more appropriate maybe. Some Member States were ready, others were reluctant. Finally, we decided that the training will be as close as possible to Ukraine but not in Ukrainian territory, not on Ukrainian land. But a cell in Kyiv will be opened in order to ensure the best coordination with Ukraine and our partners. By the way, to be closer to the border - you know, there are countries that are very far away from Ukraine, and they are doing an excellent work and training a lot of soldiers, providing them with a high-quality training, so maybe it is not so decisive.

Q. On the restrictions of the use of weapons for Ukraine, are there legal arguments from Member States that are against to lift the restrictions, or is it just a political position? You have heard the different Ministers, the different Member States, the different positions, but the differences are related to political considerations or are there also legal doubts about the possibility of targeting Russian soil?

According to international law, the aggresse is legitimate to attack targets inside the territory of the aggressor. There is nothing in international law that prevents Ukraine from responding to the Russian aggression inside the Russian territory, and logically it should not be a sanctuary for the places where the attacks are being launched. I think the reluctance is due to political reasons - very much respectful and serious [reasons]. Member States decided to do it the way they have decided, but I think it is mainly for political reasons.

Q. On this coordination cell in Kyiv, are there already more details? How big or how small will it be? How many people? What type of personnel will it have, is it military, civilian? How can we figure out this coordination cell?

I would not pay a lot of importance. It is not something very noticeable. A coordination cell is a coordination cell. It is not very big. I do not know, three, four, five people, maybe six. I do not see that great issue. And military or civilian? Well, I suppose it will be mostly military. If they have to coordinate training of the military, it will be mainly people who knows what they are talking about. I do not see the bureaucrats of Berlaymont going to Kyiv to tell anyone how the military has to be trained. And this is something that requires professional skills. But nothing important. Well, important, yes sure. But I do not see something that could create any kind of controversy.

Q. Le queria preguntar por la cuestion de los fundos bloqueados por Hungria. Ayer, le prometio al ministro [de Asuntos Exteriores de Ucrania, Dmytro] Kuleba que buscaria cualquier forma de sortear esta situacion y hoy has dicho que va a encontrar una solucion de una forma u otra. Nos podria dar alguna pista de que tiene en mente y si cree que se puede resolver al asunto antes de que acabe su mandato?

Hoy se que no han hablado de Venezuela, pero tenemos une cuestion de ayer que nos queda pendiente. A partir de que la Union Europea decidio que no iba a reconocer al presidente Maduro, ya se llevo el tema de reconocer el triunfo de Edmundo Gonzalez como ganador de las elecciones. Me gustaria saber si usted es partidario de esta opcion si cree que esta una buena opcion, si cree que es una buena opcion dada la situacion que hay ahora en Venezuela.

Todo parece indicar por la informacion que la oposicion ha suministrado, que ciertamente el resultado electoral es favorable a Edmundo [Gonzalez]. Y asi lo consideraron los ministros, pero no fueron mas alla. Fueron claramente lo que me parece politicamente relevante que es decirle al senor Maduro: "Mire, usted no ha ganado las elecciones. No consideramos que haya usted ganado las elecciones." Por lo menos no nos lo ha probado. No lo ha probado. Lo ha declarado, pero no lo ha probado. Y el competente para hacerlo, que es la Comision Nacional Electoral, no ha suministrado la informacion para que podamos verificarlo. Por lo tanto, no le podemos considerar democratica y legitimamente elegido. Supongo que esta declaracion que hago hoy me valdra otra serie de calificativos por parte de las autoridades venezolanas. Puede que sean las mismas que ayer o puede que sean algunos nuevos, pero en todo caso es lo que los ministros decidieron y sobre el no dijeron nada mas. Pero la historia no se termina ayer vamos a seguir estudiando y decidiendo al respecto. Piensen que, en cualquier caso, Maduro sera presidente interino hasta que se produzca el momento en el que se deberia proceder al relevo de presidencias. Esto sera en enero. De aqui a enero hay tiempo.

[Sobre los fondos,] pues no, no se lo puedo contar porque todavia no tengo la solucion, pero la tendre.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-260138

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Informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers: Press remarks by High Representative upon arrival

European External Action Service (EEAS)

30.08.2024

EEAS Press Team

30/08/2024, Brussels

Check against delivery!

Yesterday, we had a long [Informal] Foreign Affairs Council meeting, and today I hope we will have a shorter [Informal meeting of] Defence Ministers with very important issues on the table.

The most important one is the European Union's military support to Ukraine.

Inside this support, the training of the soldiers plays [an important role]. So, we will discuss how to increase our training mission (EUMAM Ukraine). The target is about 60,000 soldiers trained, we will increase this target - I will tell you by how many at the end of the day. But this is the most successful training mission ever done by the European Union. To train 60,000 - and maybe more - soldiers is remarkable. Many countries have contributed to that.

We will discuss about the possibility of opening a cell in Kyiv in order to increase our coordination with the Ukrainian Armed Forces there.

Yesterday, Minister [for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro] Kuleba was asking about the delays in supplying ammunition, supplying the material that has been promised. We will have a look at all that, where we are in our commitments.

It is clear that if the Ukrainians have our support they can fight successfully. The operation in Kursk is a good example of that. It is an audacious strategic action, successful, that shows that it depends on us, but they are ready to continue fighting as far as they have our material support.

The F-16 [fighter jets] are now being used to try to stop the attacks of Russia against Ukrainian cities. Last Monday, 300 [missiles and] drones were launched against Kyiv, and again the electricity system of Ukraine. It is clear that Putin wants to put Ukraine into the dark and the cold in the next winter, by destroying all electric capacity in Ukraine.

We will have a meeting in order to assess where we are in our commitments and how we can increase it.

Many pledges have been done since June, especially on air defence, and in face of massive attacks to Ukraine and Ukrainian cities, these days have been the worst of the war against civilians. It is clear that we will have to react. [Minister] Kuleba gave us precise data and today the Minister of Defence [of Ukraine] will be with us. Mr [Rustem] Umerov will be in close contact with the defence ministers.

Yesterday, we discussed about lifting restrictions on the use of weapons against Russian military targets. I have my personal opinion about that, certainly. I have to have personal opinions if I want to push consensus among Member States. But it is clear that this is something that belongs to each one of them. It is not an EU policy. Those countries sending long-range missiles and other weaponry to Ukraine will decide each one on their side how they can be used.

But I think it is ridiculous to say that allowing targeting inside Russian territory means to be in a war against Moscow. We are not in a war against Moscow - I think it is ridiculous to say that. We are supporting Ukraine. Ukraine is being attacked from the Russian territory, and according to international law, it can react attacking the places from where it is attacked. So, there is nothing strange in that. You can agree or not, but it is not to be in a war against Moscow if some Member States do that.

We are supporting Ukraine; we are not in a war with Russia. We are supporting Ukraine but there are different means of supporting Ukraine, and one of the most important means is by training their soldiers and providing fighter jets - that is what we are doing. EUMAM [Ukraine] is the most successful training mission that we have done in our history.

Then we will have a look at what is happening in the Red Sea, our efforts to strengthen the security of navigation in the Red Sea, and several efforts to increase our defence capacity, in particular on the industrial side.

We will welcome the new Chairs from the European Parliament for subcommittees SEDE [Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann] and representatives from the United Nations [UN Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix] and NATO [NATO Assistant Secretary General Angus Lapsley].

During the lunch, we will discuss about the future of our [EU] Satellite Centre [SatCen] - the eyes of Europe, something that allows us to see directly what is going on in the land every day, anyplace in the world]. It is a unique European Union capability; I have enjoyed it [and] I have taken good advantage of it. We have a geospatial intelligence; it contributes to our security. I did my best to make this centre high on the agenda of the European Union and in the public perception. We will have a look at the budget for this centre in the next years.

Q&A

Q: [Will the] European Union [train] Ukrainians soldiers also on Ukrainian soil?

It is not on the agenda.

We are thinking about having a Coordination Cellin Ukraine, but there is no agreement to train Ukrainian soldiers on Ukrainian soil with European instructors.

Q: What is your personal view on it?

I want to listen to the colleagues before.

Q: Germany yesterday toughened up on migration. Would you say it is a fair position to set up migration centres outside the European Union? Is this feasible?

Migration is not in our portfolio.

Q: I understand that you are still following the discussions. What is your position on this?

This is something that you have to ask to Commissioner [for Home Affairs, Ylva] Johansson.

Q: Yesterday, you met the Foreign Minister of Turkiye [Hakan Fidan] and you said that the European Union started again [inaudible] Turkiye a member of the European Union. Did you remember that right now there are so many Turkish opposition leaders in jail? Have you spoken about human rights, about freedom?

We discussed about everything that matters for our bilateral relations and for the geopolitical environment. We discussed mainly about how we can face the challenges that affect both of us, and in particular the stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the most important issue that affects our relationship which is the Cyprus issue. But we did not go into internal questions in Turkiye.

Q: Back to the Middle East and Gaza, will it be today also on the agenda?

I do not think so. The Defence Ministers have other issues to [discuss]. Yesterday, we had a long discussion about that, an interesting discussion. I do not think we are going to repeat the same thing with the Defence Ministers.

The Defence Ministers will focus on Ukraine - that is where we are using all our resources, our political will, our financial capacities, our military capacity both industrial and military itself. You cannot imagine the effort that the European armies are doing in order to support Ukraine. You cannot imagine the amount of military warfare that we are giving to Ukraine. We are exhausting our stocks, and we have to replenish it. And my colleague and friend [Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry] Breton is doing a remarkable job on increasing the capacity of the European industry. We are now already [at] around 700,000 ammunition of 155-mm calibre (precisely 650,000). So, things are going on. We are still not in the target. Our industry is increasing its capacity. But once again, I want to insist on the idea that, while we support Ukraine, even when we consider the possibility of targeting inside Russian territory, we are not in war with Russia. Nobody wants to be in war with Russia. We are just supporting Ukraine. But put [yourself] in the shoes of the Ukrainians who are being bombed by Russians from a place which is out of range of your capacity. You would like to be able to fight on equal terms. This is a war that costs a lot of lives for the Ukrainians. So, we have to support them more.

Q: Does the same also apply to the Palestinians who are now targeted by Israel now, especially that they are [inaudible] invade the West Bank?

Yes, you are perfectly right. Yes, you see that yesterday we had a long discussion about it - you know very well how the was discussion yesterday. But we cannot repeat the same discussion with other Ministers which are not competent on this matter.

Thank you.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-260237

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China releases investigative report on coral ecological system in Xianbin Jiao

Global Times

Refutes Philippines' groundless accusation of 'China building artificial reef' with on-site evidence

By Hu Yuwei and Fan Wei Published: Aug 30, 2024 10:35 AM

China released an on-site investigative report on Friday regarding the ecological system of the coral reefs in the South China Sea's Xianbin Jiao, revealing the coral reef ecosystem in Xianbin Jiao is generally in good health. There was no evidence of widespread coral bleaching, the report found, in response to allegations made by the Philippines this year, which groundlessly accused China of reclaiming an artificial reef around Xianbin Jiao that led to widespread coral bleaching.

Chinese scientists also conducted analyses of sediment samples to determine their source elements around the reef, finding no evidence of terrestrial materials entering the ocean. This again refuted the Philippines' baseless accusations against China's land reclamation and reef construction activities.

More importantly, scientists identified six sandbars in Xianbin Jiao, all of which are exposed at low tide. Experts noted that this discovery supports China's longstanding assertion that Xianbin Jiao falls under the "feature above high water springs in China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands)," affirming China's rights to territorial waters, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelves around the Xianbin Jiao.

Furthermore, the report emphasized the significant impact of frequent human activities in and around Xianbin Jiao on the coral reef ecosystem's health. It highlighted the presence of Philippine vessels and ships illegally mooring in the lagoon, whose anchoring and fishing activities could disrupt the normal coral growth in the area.

China's claims scientifically sound

"China's recent on-site investigation of Xianbin Jiao clearly confirms its status as a 'feature above high water springs in the Nansha Qundao,' supporting China's claim and refuting the Philippines' assertions and the 2016 so-called award on the South China Sea arbitration which defined it a 'low-tide feature' and included it in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone," Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times.



According to the expert, the concept of "feature above high water springs in the Nansha Qundao" aligns with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea's definition of "islands," entitling them to territorial seas, exclusive economic zones, and continental shelves. China's sovereignty over the Nansha Qundao, including Xianbin Jiao, is supported by historical and legal evidence, Chen stressed.

Chen noted that during the so-called South China Sea arbitration of 2016, the tribunal claimed that certain islands and reefs in the region were "low-tide feature" based mainly on outdated and unreliable navigational guides. It is absurd that they used such flimsy evidence to classify Xianbin Jiao as a "low-tide feature," Chen said, calling this recent scientific research "ample and precise evidence to prove China's reasonable claim."

The long-term presence of the Philippines Coast Guard vessel in the Xianbin Jiao's lagoon is a serious encroachment on China's territory, experts stressed.

During this scientific expedition from May to July, Chinese research team composed of multiple research institutes under the Ministry of Natural Resources assessed the coral reef ecosystem of Xianbin Jiao using a combination of on-site investigations, historical data, and satellite images. This survey set up 23 survey stations along the reef edge, conducting surveys on four major categories including coral communities, reef-dwelling organisms, reef habitats, and human activities, totaling 75 elements.

Some coral debris and damaged reef-building corals are found to be distributed within a certain range around the sandbar, which, experts believed, is related to Philippines vessels' illegal gathering, fishing and long-term anchoring.

The Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701), the PCG's largest vessel, has caused wide concerns among experts as its large and long anchor chain has been scraping the lagoon floor since mid-April and may cause significant damage to the coral reefs. This prolonged anchoring may have led to serious coral death over the last four months, experts warned.

Philippines' accusations proven false

It is important to note that a radioactive tracing study was conducted on the sediments of Xianbin Jiao sandbars and its surrounding waters during the investigation. This study focused on the areas where the Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela accused China in May of "building an artificial island."

Chinese scientists tested for uranium-238 and other isotopes in sediment samples from 33 locations around Xianbin Jiao and its surrounding waters. The results revealed that all sediment samples had similar source elements, and did not contain any terrestrial materials from land sources.

Chen emphasized that this scientific evidence disproves the baseless accusations made by the Philippines that China is transporting materials from land to reclaim land and build artificial reefs.

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Experts warn Philippine vessel moored at Xianbin Jiao discharging excessive sewage, causing damage to corals

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Aug 30, 2024 10:07 PM

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel, which was sent to "prevent China from reclaiming land," has been anchored in China's Xinbin Jiao's lagoon for over 120 days, trying to recreate the drama of the ship illegally grounded at China's Ren'ai Jiao.

As the PCG's largest vessel, its large and long anchor chain has been scraping the lagoon floor since mid-April, causing concerns of significant damage to the coral reefs. This prolonged anchoring may have led to serious coral death over the last four months, experts warned.

The vessel has surpassed its maximum anchoring time and is discharging more waste than it can handle, posing a major threat in terms of water pollution, they noted.

Experts question what would happen to the beautiful Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system, if a ship were to anchor there for a longer time.

They urge the international community to pay attention to the potential irreversible harm caused by the Philippines' attempt to illegally occupy China's islands and reefs.

Damage to coral reefs

A large number of international academic studies have shown that anchoring can cause biologically significant damage to coral reefs. For example, when scientists performed a survey of 24 sites in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in 2019 to assess the impact of varying levels of anchoring activity, they found that hard coral colonies were 40 percent smaller in surface area and about 60 percent less dense at sites experiencing high anchoring frequency, an academic paper published on the journal PeerJ in 2019 shows.

Another research activity carried out in the Florida Reef Tract found that anchors and chains from commercial shipping, fishing, and recreational vessels can break or dislodge corals, sponges, and sea fans, resulting in immediate and long-term damage to large areas of the coral reef.

Since some species of coral grow only one centimeter per year, it can take many years to recover from an anchoring incident. Anchoring also causes immediate and extensive damage to reef-associated habitats such as seagrass beds, which are important nursery and juvenile habitats for many species.

Sun Jianxiang, a maritime studies scholar at the Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times that the PCG vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) can damage coral reefs when its anchor and anchor chain sweep the corals during long periods of "grounding" at the lagoon at China's Xianbin Jiao.

In December 2015, the MV Zenith, a luxury cruise ship encroaching on a protected coral reef in George Town, Grand Cayman, alarmed the public and raised widespread concerns when an underwater video camera recorded its anchor chain "draped across the entire reef, constantly moving back and forth across the reef and causing a lot of damage as it did that," Quartz, an American English language news website, reported.

"It's not hard to imagine the extensive damage caused by a PCG ship mooring around on a coral reef for over four months. Studies have shown that coral reefs damaged by anchors may never fully recover, and if they can be recovered, it could take up to 50 years," said Sun.

Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, explained that the shallow waters of Xianbin Jiao's lagoon, combined with the forces of waves and sea winds, intensify the impact of the ship's anchor on the coral, posing a threat to the underwater ecosystem.

"Normally, ships don't anchor in the lagoon unless faced with dangerous sea conditions. The destruction of coral reefs can lead to the loss of marine life habitats, ultimately disrupting the entire ecosystem," Yang told the Global Times.

PCG ships pollute seawater with man-made garbage

The BRP Teresa Magbanua's waste disposal capabilities do not seem to support its long-term anchoring at sea, experts pointed out. BRP Teresa Magbanua participated in the Regional Maritime Pollution Exercise (MARPOLEX) 2022 in Makassar, Indonesia in May 2022 with another ship BRP Melchora Aquino. Both vessels, according to Eduardo Fabricante, PCG Deputy Commandant for Operations, would be deployed to the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Rise. "This is to increase the endurance and patrol capabilities of the PCG as the said capital ships can remain at sea for up to 14 days," the PCG said.

Now this ship has far exceeded its endurance, which means its capacity for discharging garbage and sewage has far exceeded what it can carry, Sun suggested.

Based on the project profile released at the PCG's website, it is estimated that the maximum capacity of the sewage tank of BRP Teresa Magbanua is 69m. Roughly estimated, even if the ship carries half of its passenger capacity (designed for full capacity of 67 crew members), it would produce approximately 163.3m of black water and 327.5m of grey water in two months, far exceeding its designed sewage treatment capacity.

The onboard ship sewage system is divided into two parts - black water and grey water. Black water is wastewater that originates from toilets and contains human waste (excrement and urine). This water typically goes to the sewage treatment plant and is stored in dedicated holding tanks on the ship until it can be properly treated and discharged in accordance with international regulations. Grey water is wastewater generated from sources other than toilets. It includes water from sinks, showers, baths, laundry facilities, and galley sinks.

Dubbed as "the largest and most advanced ship in the PCG's fleet," the BRP Teresa Magbanua has not been in service for very long and has shown no signs of upgrades between 2022 and 2024. The Philippines lacks the capability and technology for such upgrades, which is why they purchased the vessel from Japan. The ship relies on other vessels for resupply and is unlikely to make additional efforts to protect the environment by properly disposing of its waste. It is highly possible that crew members at the ship simply dump their garbage and sewage directly into the lagoon, similar to the illegally grounded vessel BRP Sierra Madre at China's Ren'ai Jiao, Sun explained.

The Philippines has long been notorious for marine water pollution. An international study, conducted by Utility Bidder, an independent UK-based organization and published on its website in October 2023, has shown that the Philippines is the world's leading contributor to plastic pollution in the oceans.

"It can be said that whether in the domestic or international environment, the Philippines has a relatively low environmental awareness when it comes to protecting water sources," Sun noted.

The Philippines' accusations against China for damaging coral reefs' ecosystem are just a cover for its illegal occupation of islands and reefs under the guise of so-called environmental protection issues. The international community should see through the true nature behind its 'environmental blame game,'" said Sun.

In the situation where its supply and evacuation capabilities are severely inadequate, the Philippine Coast Guard ship is still anchored at Xianbin Jiao, waiting for other coast guard ships or airdropped supplies. This clearly indicates their attempt to occupy Xianbin Jiao through illegal grounding, similar to its attempt to occupy Ren'ai Jiao, said Sun.

"Despite this, the Philippines continues to boast about achieving a so-called 'victory' and launch smear campaigns against China, which is truly a shameless and self-directed farce," Sun noted.

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Joint Press Statement on Colombo Security Conclave

India - Ministry of External Affairs

August 30, 2024

The Member States of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) signed the Charter and the MoU for the Establishment of the CSC Secretariat on 30 August 2024. The Signing Ceremony was hosted in Colombo by the Government of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Ajit Doval K.C., National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of India; Mr. Ibrahim Latheef, DC (Retd.), Lt. Col (Retd.), National Security Advisor of Maldives; Mr. Haymandoyal Dillum, High Commissioner of the Republic of Mauritius to Sri Lanka and Mr. Sagala Ratnayake, National Security Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka signed the documents on behalf of the respective Member States.

The CSC's core objective is to promote regional security by addressing transnational threats and challenges of common concern to the Member States. There are five pillars of cooperation under the CSC namely Maritime Safety and Security; Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation; Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organised Crime; Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology; and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.

The event concluded with a discussion among heads of delegation on the next steps and the future activities of the Conclave.

New Delhi

August 30, 2024

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Missile attack launched on US military base in eastern Syria

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 30, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- News sources reported a missile attack on the American military base in eastern Syria on Thursday night.

According to al-Mayadeen, the US military base in the Koniko oil field, located in the north of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, was targeted by a missile attack.

According to this report, the anti-aircraft system based in the American military base has been activated to deal with the missile attack.

No further details have been reported.

On the other hand, some sources reported a drone attack on the US military base in Deir Ezzor, Syria.

During the past weeks, the positions of US forces in Iraq and Syria have been targeted by rocket and drone attacks, which have resulted in the injury of a number of American forces.

2050

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Meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

A meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir was held on the sidelines of the 50th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Yaounde , Cameroon. Chaired by OIC Secretary General, Hissein Brahim Taha, the meeting was attended by representatives from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Niger, Azerbaijan, OIC's Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) and True Representatives of the Kashmiri People. The Pakistan delegation to the meeting was led by Foreign Secretary Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi.

The Foreign Secretary briefed the Contact Group on the evolving situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). He outlined India's attempt to consolidate its occupation of IIOJK in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions including by creating an environment of intimidation and fear. He urged India to release all political prisoners in IIOJK; lift the curbs on the outlawed political parties; revoke the illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019; and implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The Contact Group reaffirmed support for the Kashmiri people's struggle for the realization of their right to self-determination. It called for an early and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and as per aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The Contact Group also adopted a joint communique unanimously underlining that durable peace and stability in South Asia remain contingent upon the final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.



Islamabad

30 August 2024

156/2024

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Iran: Israeli regime biggest obstacle to peace, root cause of regional tensions

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 6:43 PM

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has blasted the Israeli regime and its incessant atrocities as the main factor behind expansion of tensions and conflict across the West Asia region.

The top diplomat made the remarks during a telephone conversation with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi on Friday.

The remarks concerned the regime's October-present genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, escalated deadly attacks in the occupied West Bank, intensified deadly aggression against Lebanon, and assassination of senior resistance figures throughout the region.

As a case in point, Araghchi cited the regime's constituting the biggest obstacle to conclusion of truce agreement that could bring an end to the war on Gaza that has so far claimed the lives of upwards of 40,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

In July, the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas agreed to a deal featuring withdrawal of the Israeli forces, return of the displaced people, an end to the siege that has been imposed by Tel Aviv on Gaza, and initiation of the territory's reconstruction process.

The regime, however, rejected the proposal before coming up with "new conditions," including its keeping its forces inside Gaza along the coastal sliver's border with Egypt.

Araghchi said, "The Islamic Republic would support a [truce] agreement that meets the approval of the Palestinian people and resistance."

He underlined the need for effective action on the part of the international community towards cessation of the genocide and transfer of humanitarian aid to the coastal sliver.

For his part, the Jordanian official said, "It is necessary for the tensions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to come to an end as soon as possible."

The officials, meanwhile, underlined continuation of consultations between Tehran and Amman, considering such negotiations to be line with the interests of both the countries and the entire region.

Safadi also congratulated Araghchi over his recent appointment as the Islamic Republic's new foreign minister, for which the Iranian top diplomat expressed his gratitude.

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'Playing with fire': Turkey slams Israel for expanding Gaza war to West Bank

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 6:28 PM

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has slammed Israel for expanding the war on the besieged Gaza Strip to the occupied West Bank and beyond.

"Israel is not only committing genocide in Gaza, but it is now extending this war to the West Bank, Lebanon, and potentially other nations it deems as enemies which we cannot know or predict," Fidan said at a joint news conference with his Slovenian counterpart in Ljubljana on Friday.

Noting that the Israeli regime has been carrying out occupation and massacres in the region, Fidan urged the international community to stop Israeli crimes against the oppressed Palestinian people.

The minister reiterated that Israel is committing "genocide" in Gaza, systematically starving people in the besieged strip.

He added that the regime has trampled on all human values by bombing hospitals, mosques, schools, and churches.

"The [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government continues to play with fire. It is endangering the future of the entire region to maintain its position," Fidan said.

Critics say Netanyahu, who faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three cases filed in 2019, wants to prolong the war in order to achieve his personal interests.

The Turkish minister also decried Israel's allies over their "unconditional" support for the regime, despite the committed atrocities in Gaza.

His remarks comes as media reports said earlier this week that the United States has sent 50,000 tons of arms and ammunition to Israel since October 7 when the regime launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.

"Israel's barbarity must finally come to an end," Fidan said, urging the international community to stop the war in Gaza and the occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East al-Quds, areas Palestinians want for a future independent state, in a 1967 war.

Last month, the United Nations' top court ruled that Israel's presence in the 1967-occupied Palestinian territories is "unlawful" and must end.

Praising Slovenia's June decision to recognize Palestine as a state, Fidan said "I believe that we can increase our joint efforts with countries that embrace international law to implement a just and permanent solution in Palestine."

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

The regime has so far killed over 40,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

Since the start of Israel's aggression on Gaza, the West Bank has also seen a rise in violence from Israeli forces and settlers that claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinians.

In the early hours of Wednesday, the Israeli army conducted its biggest operation - dubbed "Camps of Summer" - in the West Bank in over 20 years, deploying hundreds of troops and airstrikes on Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas, which are major centers of Palestinian resistance against the usurping entity.

At least 20 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli raids and strikes in several towns, with many more sustained injuries. Eleven of them were killed in Jenin, five in Tulkarm and four in Tubas, Wafa reported, citing medical sources.

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Hamas asserts resistance will intensify anti-Israel operations in West Bank

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 4:24 PM

A high-ranking official with the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says the resistance fighters in the occupied West Bank will intensify operations against the Israeli regime, amid its ongoing deadly raids.

"There is a Palestinian decision to expand the operations in the West Bank in terms of geographical scope and quality," Husam Badran, a member of Hamas's political bureau, told al-Mayadeen television network on Thursday.

Amid escalated Israeli raids in the West Bank, the Hamas official said resistance factions in the occupied territories have become a source of concern for the Israeli regime since their strength has gone up and their anti-Israel operations have been developed.

He said the resistance in the West Bank "enjoys a unique national consensus."

Badran also downplayed Israel's plots to destroy the resistance in the West Bank, saying they will fail as the previous ones did, especially as most of the fighters are young people.

'Al-Aqsa in greater danger than Gaza genocide'

Badran also said the October 7 al-Aqsa Storm operation showed the world that Israel aims at destroying the Palestinian cause, and that al-Aqsa Mosque, al-Quds and the West Bank face "the greatest danger", even bigger than that the Gaza Strip faces.

He said the resistance factions have "a clear plan" which is to proceed with their operations whether in Gaza, the West Bank or the 1948-occupied territories.

"The resistance factions are working based on clear visions and plans to increase the pace of the acts of resistance, including in the West Bank."

Commenting on the ongoing talks aimed to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza, Badran said the stance taken by Hamas is "clear" and comes in coordination with all other Palestinian resistance factions.

He noted that the talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US "haven't brought anything new until now", noting that the US claims of progress made in the negotiations aim to "serve its own interests".

"The continuation of talks doesn't hinder the acts of resistance because our goal is clear and we seek to achieve it by all means."

He noted that the Israeli regime is committing more massacres against the Palestinian civilians as it has failed to achieve any of its declared goals in Gaza.

Israel launched the campaign of genocide in Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

The regime has killed more than 40,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in Gaza ever since. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

The West Bank has also seen a rise in violence from Israeli forces and settlers that claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinians.

In the early hours of Wednesday, the Israeli military conducted its biggest operation - dubbed "Camps of Summer" - in the West Bank in over 20 years, deploying hundreds of troops and airstrikes on Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas, which are major centers of Palestinian resistance against the usurping entity.

At least 20 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli raids and strikes in several towns, with many more sustained injuries. Eleven of them were killed in Jenin, five in Tulkarm and four in Tubas, Wafa reported, citing medical sources.

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Islamic Jihad: Resistance to last until Israel's expulsion

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 4:05 PM

The Islamic Jihad says the Israeli regime's fresh round of intensified deadly aggression against the occupied West Bank will only further embolden the resistance in its ongoing endeavor to liberate the Palestinian territories from Israeli occupation.

The Gaza Strip-based Palestinian resistance movement made the remarks in a statement on Friday after a drone strike by the regime claimed the lives of three Palestinians in the town of al-Zababdeh near the city of Jenin in northern West Bank.

The group condemned "the widespread aggression being carried out by the enemy on the cities and camps of the northern West Bank."

It, however, asserted that such crimes "will not achieve its (the regime's) goals, but will only increase our determination and resolve to resist until the occupation is expelled from our land."

Friday marked the third day of the escalation by the regime, which has seen its forces bringing various areas across the West Bank, especially those lying in its northern parts, under intensified airstrikes and ground attacks.

The regime's forces have also engaged in a widespread campaign of arrests and systematic destruction of infrastructure across the targeted areas.

On Wednesday, the Israeli military staged a drone strike against Jenin and a nearby village, besides targeting the al-Fara refugee camp located south of the city of Tubas. A total of 12 Palestinians were killed in the raids.

And on Thursday, it killed another Palestinian in Jenin and five others inside a mosque in the Nour Shams refugee camp in the city of Tulkarem.

Reacting to the massacres, Hamas, the Islamic Jihad's fellow Gaza-headquartered resistance movement, has warned that the regime was seeking to expand its October-present genocidal war on Gaza, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 40,600 Palestinians, to the West Bank.

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The woman had just visited her grandmother in hospital when she was caught in the wrong by a mobile phone detection camera.

The woman's seatbelt mistake has set her back $400 and three demerit points. Source: Facebook

A driver's momentary lapse of judgement on a long road trip has cost her dearly after she was caught out by a mobile phone detection camera. The Aussie woman was driving home to Sydney after visiting her sick grandmother in hospital four hours away in Bathurst, NSW when the camera captured an image of her wearing her seatbelt incorrectly earlier this month.

The woman told Yahoo News Australia that at some point during the long journey, her seatbelt became "loose" and had fallen to the side of her arm instead of firmly across her shoulder.

"Its over my arm, but it's loose," she told Yahoo after copping the eye-watering $410 fine and three demerit points. Posting images of the offence of improperly wearing her seatbelt, the woman said "surely not".

"I think I [was] a bit tired at this stage and might have leaned my head near the window to get some fresh air," she told Yahoo. While the woman admitted that she was the driver, it wasn't her car so the owner of the vehicle had to transfer the offence to her driver's licence.

"I'm the driver in the wrong but the fine was issued to the owner of the car so he's had to transfer it to me," she said.

Authorities crack down on seatbelt offences across Australia

The woman's fine comes just months after NSW authorities began using mobile phone detection cameras to capture seatbelt offences. Shockingly, just 21 days after the cameras were switched on to target the new road rule on July 1, 11,400 fines were issued.

The offence attracts a $410 fine and the loss of three demerit points on a driver's licence if they or their passengers are caught.

Previously speaking to Yahoo, Avinash Singh, Principal Lawyer at Astor Legal, revealed many people dont realise the seatbelt cameras dont just check people are wearing a seatbelt, but also that they are wearing the seatbelts correctly. And it could be the reason why so many people are being fined during the rollout of new cameras.

"[People] often believe that as long as the seatbelt is clicked in, this is sufficient, however, it is not and you can be fined $410 and three demerit points for wearing your seatbelt like this".

According to NSW Transport, there a seatbelt must be on firm and flat with no slack. Source: NSW Transport

Roadside camera use controversial across Australia

Across the country, authorities are cracking down on a multitude of road offences using the AI-powered speed, mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras.

Queensland has introduced the harshest financial penalties for misbehaving drivers, with one dad copping a $1,209 fine after he was caught with two young children in the back seat without their seatbelts fixed correctly. The hefty fine also comes with 4 demerit points.

In Tasmania, the rollout of portable road cameras has even been forced under "review" after several suspected arson attacks on the devices.

Since being switched on in South Australia last month, authorities have already snapped almost 31,000 drivers using their phones with 30,754 warning letters being sent out to motorists.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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NGO: Israel has abducted 10,300 Palestinians in West Bank since October 7

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 3:49 PM

A Palestinian prisoners' rights group says Israeli forces have abducted 10,300 Palestinians in violent raids across the occupied West Bank since the regime's onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip started last October.

The Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) said in a statement on Thursday that 355 women and at least 720 children have been detained during the mentioned period as well.

It confirmed that "the number of journalists arrested stands at 96, with 50 remaining in detention, including 17 journalists from Gaza."

"Among those detained, 17 journalists are being held under administrative detention," the PPS pointed out.

It also noted that "the number of administrative detention orders has gone beyond 8,322."

Administrative detention is an Israeli military order allowing detention without charge, extending up to six months and renewable.

Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes in an attempt to express outrage at their illegal detention.

Israel keeps Palestinian inmates under deplorable conditions without proper hygienic standards. Palestinian inmates have also been subject to systematic torture, harassment, and repression.

Human rights organizations say Israel continues to violate all rights and freedoms granted to prisoners by the Fourth Geneva Convention and international laws.

According to the Palestine Detainees Studies Center, around 60 percent of the Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails suffer from chronic diseases, a number of whom died in detention or after being released due to the severity of their cases.

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Israel's aerial, artillery strikes kill nine Palestinians across Gaza: Report

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 1:18 PM

At least six Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli regime's aerial and artillery attacks on various parts of the besieged Gaza Strip, raising the number of civilian deaths since early Friday to 23.

According to medical sources, a number of civilians also sustained injuries during the Friday strikes, the Palestinian outlet Wafa reported.

Local sources reported that at least 4 civilians were killed and several others injured when the Israeli forces shelled a group of citizens in Ajarma Street in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.

A child was also killed and a number of others were injured in the Israeli bombing of a house in the Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip.

A mother and her three children lost their lives and the father was wounded in an airstrike by an Israeli drone on the town of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Gaza's southern city of Khan Yunis.

Israel continues its campaign of death, destruction and genocide in Gaza.

The regime has killed over 40,600 Palestinians, mostly children and women, in Gaza since October 2023, when it was caught off-guard by Operation Al-Aqsa Storm conducted by Palestinian resistance fighters.

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Day 3 of West Bank assault: Israeli forces kill 3 Palestinians

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 11:05 AM

The Israeli military has conducted a drone strike near the West Bank city of Jenin, killing three Palestinians on the third day of its aggression in the occupied territory.

WAFA news agency reported on Friday that Maysara Suleiman Masharqa, Arafat Jaser Amer, and Wissam Ayman Khazem were the victims of the Israeli strike in the town of Zababdeh.

During the attack, the report added, an Israeli drone fired missiles at the three men after they exited their vehicle, which had already been struck by heavy gunfire and later caught fire.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said that the occupation forces prevented ambulances from reaching the scene.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army claimed that it had targeted "a cell of Palestinian gunmen" in the Zababdeh drone strike.

It further issued a joint statement with the Israeli police and Shin Bet spy agency, alleging that Khazem was the commander of Hamas's military wing in Jenin.

In the early hours of Wednesday, the Israeli army conducted its biggest operation - dubbed "Camps of Summer" - in the West Bank in over 20 years, deploying hundreds of troops and airstrikes on Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas, which are major centers of Palestinian resistance against the usurping entity.

At least 20 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli raids and strikes in several towns, with many more sustained injuries. Eleven of them were killed in Jenin, five in Tulkarm and four in Tubas, WAFA reported, citing medical sources.

Bloody raids by Israeli forces and violence by settlers have surged in the West Bank since Israel launched a genocidal onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip in early October 2023.

Since then, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 40,602 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 93,855 others in Gaza.

It has also killed more than 660 Palestinians and injured about 5,400 in the West Bank during that same period.

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Aug 29: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 8:03 AM

By Press TV Website Staff

Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed at least 40,602 Palestinians so far-- the majority of them women and children-- resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers.

Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on August 29:

- Targeted an Israeli military vehicle with a high-explosive device in the eastern neighborhood of Jenin, occupied West Bank.

- Fired 107mm rockets at Israeli forces stationed at the "Mars" military site.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on August 29:

- In a joint operation with the Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades, targeted Israeli soldiers and military vehicles east of Deir al-Balah with mortar shells.

- Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces across multiple areas of Tulkarem, occupied West Bank, using machine guns and explosive devices.

- Targeted an Israeli military vehicle with a high-explosive device in the eastern neighborhood of Jenin, occupied West Bank.

- Engaged in intense armed clashes with Israeli forces during their incursion into the city of Qalqilya, occupied West Bank, using machine guns and explosive devices.

- Ambushed Israeli forces in the Al-Manshiya neighborhood of Tulkarem, occupied West Bank, detonating highly explosive devices.

- Ambushed an Israeli infantry unit in the Shuhada neighborhood of Nur Shams camp, Tulkarem, targeting them with machine guns and explosive devices.

- In a joint operation with the Al-Quds Brigades and Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces, targeted the Israeli military supply line on the "Netzarim" axis near the "Turkish Hospital" with 107mm rockets.

- Launched a rocket barrage at Israeli forces stationed at the "Kissufim" military site.

- Targeted Israeli military concentrations east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip with mortar shells.

Al-Quds Brigades' operations on August 29:

- The engineering unit detonated multiple pre-positioned explosive devices on Israeli military vehicles and infantry forces across various combat axes in Jenin, occupied West Bank.

- Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces on Haifa Street in Jenin, occupied West Bank, using firearms and explosive devices.

- Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles near Al-Salam Hospital in Al-Satar Al-Sharqi, Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.

- Targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers around the Nablus Street axis, occupied West Bank, with explosive devices.

Mujahideen Brigades' operations on August 29:

- Targeted Israeli forces stationed along the so-called "Netzarim axis" with a series of Haseb-111 rockets.

Martyr Omar Al-Qasim Forces' operations on August 29:

- Targeted Israeli military positions near the Al-Asi building in Yabna camp, Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, with heavy-caliber mortar shells.

Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades' operations on August 29:

- In a joint operation with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, targeted Israeli military gatherings east of Deir al-Balah with mortar shells.

- In a joint operation with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Martyr Nidal Al-Amoudi Brigade, targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in the invasion axis east of Deir al-Balah with mortar shells.

Hezbollah's operations on August 29:

- Targeted the headquarters of the 210th Golan Division in the Nafah barracks with drones.

- Targeted Israeli soldiers near the Zarit barracks with rockets.

- Targeted Israeli soldiers near the Kfar Yuval settlement with rockets.

- Targeted Israeli soldiers near the Doviv barracks with rockets.

- Targeted Israeli soldiers near Talat al-Taihat with rockets.

- Targeted the Samaqa site in Kfar Shouba, Lebanon, with rockets.

- Targeted the Ruwaysat al-Alam site in Kfar Shouba, Lebanon, with rockets.

- Targeted military buildings in the Metula settlement with appropriate weapons.

- Targeted military buildings in the Manara settlement with appropriate weapons.

- Targeted the Bayad Blida with appropriate weapons.

Islamic Resistance in Iraq's operations on August 29:

- Targeted the "Avon Tavor" industrial power station in Haifa, occupied Palestinian territories, with a barrage of drones.

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WHO announces three-day pause in Gaza war for polio vaccination

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 6:50 AM

The Israeli military and Hamas have agreed to three-day pauses in fighting in the Gaza Strip to allow for the vaccination of some 640,000 children against polio, a senior UN World Health Organization official says.

Rik Peeperkorn, WHO's representative in the Palestinian territories, said the so-called "humanitarian pauses" will start Sunday in central Gaza and last just eight or nine hours each day for three days.

That will be followed by another similar pause in southern Gaza and then another in northern Gaza.

Noting that the campaign aims to vaccinate 640,000 children under 10, Peeperkorn told reporters via video conference that health workers -more than 2,000 from UN agencies and Gaza's Health Ministry- might need additional days to complete the vaccinations.

"We need this humanitarian pause," he said, adding "And that has been very clear. We have an agreement on that, so we expect that all parties will stick to that."

The WHO stressed that at least 90% of children in Gaza should be vaccinated to stop the transmission of polio.

"I'm not going to say this is the ideal way forward. But this is a workable way forward," Peeperkorn said of the humanitarian pauses.

"It will happen and should happen because we have an agreement," he later added.

The agreement came after a 10-month-old baby was partially paralyzed by a mutated strain of the virus that vaccinated people shed in their waste.

Abdel-Rahman Abu El-Jedian, who was born just before Israel's war on Gaza erupted on October 7, was one of hundreds of thousands of children who missed vaccinations because of the war.

These humanitarian pauses are not a ceasefire deal in Gaza that mediators, including Qatar and Egypt, have been trying to secure in the past few weeks.

Meanwhile, Hamas emphasized that it's "ready to cooperate with international organizations to secure this campaign," according to a statement from Basem Naim, a member of the resistance movement's political bureau.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

The regime's bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 40,602 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 93,855 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

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Report: US military base in east Syria hit by rocket barrage

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 5:40 AM

An illegal military facility housing US occupation forces in Syria's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr has reportedly come under a rocket attack from nearby areas.

Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network, citing local sources, reported that several explosions were heard in the area close to the US-controlled Conoco gas field late on Thursday after a number of projectiles struck the site.

The US forces activated missile defense systems at the base to confront the incoming rockets.

There were no immediate reports about possible casualties or the extent of damage at the installation.

Iraqi resistance forces have conducted dozens of strikes on the US-run military installations in both Iraq and Syria amid growing anti-US sentiments in the region over Washington's support for Israel's genocidal war against Gaza, which has so far killed at least 40,602 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

There are nearly 2,500 American troops in Iraq and some 900 in Syria as part of, what Washington claims to be, a fighting force against Daesh.

The US has maintained its presence, although, the Arab countries and their allies defeated the Takfiri terrorist group in late 2017.

In 2020, the Iraqi parliament voted for the expulsion of US forces.

The vote came after Iran's top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and deputy commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis had been assassinated in a cowardly drone strike ordered by then US president Donald Trump outside of the Baghdad airport.

On January 8, 2020, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) targeted the US-run Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq after launching a wave of attacks to retaliate the assassination of the two top anti-terror commanders.

According to the Pentagon, more than 100 American forces suffered "traumatic brain injuries" during the counterstrike on the base.

The IRGC, however, said Washington used the term to mask the number of Americans who perished during the reprisal.

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Vietnam, Philippines to sign defense cooperation agreement

The neighbors seek to bolster security ties amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.

By RFA Staff 2024.08.30 -- Vietnam and the Philippines are set to sign a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation that would see the two South China Sea claimants strengthening their joint activities at sea, where both face an assertive China.

The strengthened ties come at a time of heightened tensions, especially between the Philippines and China, which are at loggerheads over some of the reefs and atolls in the waterway.

Vietnamese defense minister Phan Van Giang is in Manila on a visit "to materialize the common understandings" achieved during the state visit by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Hanoi in January, according to the Vietnamese ministry's Quan Doi Nhan Dan newspaper.

Giang and his counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, signed letters of intent to facilitate closer cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief at sea, and on military medical arrangements, Japan's Nikkei reported.

Meanwhile, coast guard forces from both countries are to set up a hotline to manage "non-traditional security challenges," and share information, the Vietnamese minister told President Marcos during a courtesy call to the Malacanang Palace, according to the Vietnamese newspaper.

On Aug. 9, coast guard vessels from Vietnam and the Philippines conducted their first-ever joint drills.

Marcos described Giang's first visit to the Philippines as a "very significant point in the history between our two countries."

"The Philippines and Vietnam have enjoyed good relations ... We now talk about defense cooperation, security cooperation, maritime cooperation, and certainly, on the area of trade as well," Marcos was quoted by the official Philippine News Agency as telling Giang.

Giang said the two countries had "very good" interactions and dialogues, especially when it comes to "navy-to-navy discussions."

While visiting the Philippine navy headquarters, the Vietnamese minister stressed that, as neighbors at sea, Vietnam and the Philippines shared interests in security and safety of navigation amid unpredictable challenges.

However, the four-star general, who fought in a Sino-Vietnam border war in 1979, did not refer to China or its activities in disputed waters.

Instead, he reiterated that Vietnam was pursuing a so-called Four Nos defense policy: no military alliances, no siding with one country against another, no foreign military bases in the Vietnamese territory or using Vietnam as leverage to counteract other countries, and no force or threat of force in international relations.

While a military alliance between Vietnam and the Philippines is unlikely, they can still bolster exchanges and joint activities. The Philippine navy has agreed to send a team to Vietnam's 2nd Defense Expo in December.

This report has been corrected to show Vietnam and the Philippines are set to sign a memorandum of understanding but have not yet signed it.

Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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China releases report to fortify claim over disputed shoal in South China Sea

Chinese researchers accuse Philippine ships of damaging coral growth at Sabina Shoal.

By RFA Staff 2024.08.30 -- China on Friday released the first ecological report to back its claim on Sabina Shoal, a hotly disputed reef that in recent days has become a new flashpoint between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea.

There was no evidence of widespread coral bleaching on the reef, as alleged by the Philippines this year, said the Chinese Natural Resources Ministry in a survey, adding that the corals are "generally in good health with some localized damages."

Manila suspected Beijing of reclaiming an artificial reef around Sabina Shoal, known as Escoda Shoal in Philippines and as Xianbin Jiao in China, after discovering that crushed corals had been dumped there, which it said damaged the ecosystem.

But the authors of the report said that "frequent human activities" by Philippine personnel had caused a significant impact in and around Sabina Shoal.

China also accused the Philippines of "illegally mooring" ships, including a large coast guard vessel - the BRP Teresa Magbanua - in the shoal's lagoon, disrupting the normal coral growth in the area.

The Chinese coast guard said on Wednesday a Philippine H145 helicopter dropped supplies to the BRP Teresa Magbanua after attempts by the Philippine coast guard to resupply the vessel were repeatedly blocked by China.

The ship has been in the area since April, the longest deployment of a Philippine coast guard vessel, to monitor China's suspected "illegal activities" at the shoal.

China accused the Philippines of "forcibly occupying" Sabina Shoal while the Philippine coast guard has insisted that the vessel is on a regular deployment to "maintain our presence and ensure the protection of this area."

The standoff resulted in several collisions, for which the two sides blamed each other.

Radio Free Asia contacted the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs for reaction to the Chinese report but had not received a reply by time of publication.

Sabina Shoal a Chinese island?

Sabina Shoal is generally known as a low-tide elevation in the Spratly Islands, well inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, and only 75 nautical miles (140 km) from the Philippine island of Palawan.

An EEZ gives the coastal state exclusive access to natural resources in the waters and in the seabed.

However, the Chinese survey - done between May and July this year - found that parts of the naturally formed shoal are above water at high tide.

This means the shoal can qualify as an island in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, said Chen Xiangmiao from the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, as cited by China's state-run tabloid The Global Times.

UNCLOS says that "an island is a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide" and it is entitled to its own territorial sea, as well as an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf if it can sustain human habitation.

If Sabina Shoal is recognized as a Chinese island, China can claim sovereignty to the waters around it, making the presence of Philippine vessels there illegal.

But in order to gain recognition, Beijing will have to bring the case to the U.N. in a long legal process.

China claims most of the South China Sea despite protests from neighboring countries and an arbitration tribunal ruling in 2016 that China's claims were unlawful.

Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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The Azadi Briefing: Afghan Clerics Are Opposing Taliban Bans On Female Education

By Abubakar Siddique August 30, 2024

The Key Issue

The Taliban's hard-line higher education minister has defended the extremist group's severe restrictions on female education.



The Islamist group has barred girls from attending school past the sixth grade and banned women from going to university.



In a press conference on August 24, Nida Mohammad Nadim said the Taliban's widely condemned restrictions were "not in conflict with Islam."



He added that questioning the Taliban's policies on education were also banned.



But that has not stopped senior Afghan clerics from criticizing Nadim and the Taliban's controversial education policies.



Mawlana Sibghatullah Mawlawizada, one of the most senior clerics in the western city of Herat, on August 25 challenged Nadim to a public debate.



"I urge him to discuss the [religious] legality of [of the ban on] female education in the presence of national and international media," Mawlawizada said in a video message.



Nadim has not publicly responded to Mawlawizada.



Another leading Afghan cleric, Mawlawi Abdul Sami Ghaznavi, also challenged the Taliban. He said it was the group's "responsibility to create favorable conditions for women's education."

Why It's Important: A growing number of Afghan religious scholars are openly challenging the Taliban's restrictions on female education.



Even some Afghan clerics working for the Taliban-led government have publicly opposed the bans. They have said there is no justification for banning female education under Islam.



Islamic scholars across the world have condemned the Taliban's restrictions. Afghanistan is the only country in the Muslim world where teenage girls and women are banned from receiving an education.

What's Next: Despite domestic and international criticism and pressure, the Taliban is unlikely to reverse its education bans.



Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban's extremist policies have made its unrecognized government an international pariah.

What To Keep An Eye On

Protesters in northwestern Pakistan have blocked Torkham, a key border crossing with Afghanistan. The move has concerned Afghan traders who fear a big financial hit.



Khan Jan Alakozai, a senior official of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, said thousands of trucks transporting fresh Afghan fruits and vegetables have been stranded at the crossing.



"If the border is not opened, some traders will lose their businesses altogether while others will incur mourning custom duties," he told RFE/RL's Radio Azadion August 29.



Since August 22, members of a Pashtun tribe displaced by a Pakistani military operation have blocked the crossing in protest.

Why It's Important: The frequent closures of Torkham and Chaman, another key crossing, have disrupted trade between the two neighbors.



In recent years, Islamabad has closed the border crossings after clashes between Pakistani and Taliban border guards.



Pakistan has also shuttered the border to pressure the Afghan Taliban to expel the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan extremist group, which is believed to be based in Afghanistan.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-women- education-ban-ulema-rights/33099649.html

Copyright (c) 2024. 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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Germany Deports 'Criminal' Afghans To Kabul In First Since Taliban Takeover

By RFE/RL's Radio Azadi August 30, 2024

Germany has followed through on its announcement that it would deport "criminal" Afghan refugees and asylum seekers back to Afghanistan despite not having formal relations with the Taliban's de-facto government.

A plane carrying 28 Afghan men convicted of crimes in Germany took off from Leipzig/Halle Airport for Kabul early on August 30, according to German officials. The men had been transported from across the country to Leipzig for the flight, which was arranged by the Interior Ministry.

A senior official from the Taliban's Transportation and Civil Aviation Ministry, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed to Radio Azadi that they had given approval for a plane flying from Leipzig to land at Kabul International Airport. The official declined to provide any details regarding the passengers onboard the aircraft, which was expected to arrive in Kabul in the evening.

All of the deportees aboard the chartered Qatar Airways flight were "convicted offenders who had no right to stay in Germany and against whom deportation orders had been issued," government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.

Hebestreit said Berlin had "asked key regional partners for support in order to facilitate the deportations," without providing further details.

A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry said on August 30 that Germany had no intention of normalizing its relations with the Taliban.

"As long as the general conditions are as they are and the Taliban behave the way they do, there will be no effort to normalize relations with the Taliban," the spokesperson said. "There are contacts on a technical level, especially through our representative office in Doha."

Germany's Der Spiegel magazine said the operation followed two months of "secret negotiations" in which Qatar, which has sustainable contacts with the Taliban authorities, served as an intermediary between Germany and the Taliban-led government.

The controversial development comes after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in June that Germany would restart deportations of dangerous criminals and terror suspects to Afghanistan and Syria.

Scholz's announcement came after an Afghan refugee was charged in a deadly knife attack in the city of Mannheim in May. This week, after a Syrian refugee suspected of killing three people in Solingen was taken into custody, Scholz vowed to speed up deportations.

The issue has also become a major topic of debate ahead of regional elections on September 1 in the Saxony and Thuringia regions, where anti-immigration parties are expected to do well.

Germany emerged as a major destination for Afghans fleeing insecurity and poverty at home and, after the Taliban retook power after nearly 20 years of war against a U.S.-led coalition, the prospect of persecution by the hard-line Islamist group.

Following the Taliban takeover in 2021, Germany halted deportations to Afghanistan and, like all countries, has refused to recognize the Taliban-led government and has no formal relations with it.

Germany is also a major destination for Syrians seeking to escape that country's civil war and rule under leader Bashar al-Assad. Syrians are the largest refugee group in Germany, with hundreds of thousands allowed into the country since 2015.

In 2020, Germany allowed a ban on deportations to Syria that had been in place since 2012 to expire.

The backlash against refugees and asylum-seekers rose significantly among conservative and hard-right politicians after a 25-year-old Afghan was accused of stabbing a German police officer to death and injuring five others in May.

In June, Scholz met with leaders of Germany's 16 states in Berlin to discuss restarting deportations of Afghan and Syrian immigrants convicted of serious crimes.

Michael Stuebgen, the interior minister of the eastern state of Brandenburg, argued that Germany could engage in talks with the Taliban and that parts of Syria are secure enough to allow the returns of refugees.

In lieu of relations with the Taliban, Interior Ministry officials reportedly considered the possibility of routing Afghan deportees through third countries such as Uzbekistan and also discussed ways of conducting asylum proceedings in third countries.

Opponents argue that deportations of Afghans and Syrian refugees would go against the German Constitution and commitments under international law and that the outsourcing of asylum procedures would violate asylum-seekers' human rights.

Amnesty International Germany on August 30 harshly criticized the resumption of deportations.

"The rule of law also means adhering to international law," the rights watchdog said on X. "Extrajudicial executions, disappearances, and torture are the order of the day in Afghanistan. No one is safe there. If the German government deports people anyway it risks becoming an accomplice of the Taliban."

As the issue heated up in recent months, the Interior Ministry stressed that the deportations would affect only a small number of people.

The German government did not provide details on the crimes for which the 28 Afghans deported on August 30 had been convicted. However, AFP quoted the Justice Ministry of the Baden-Wuerttemberg state reportedly said one was convicted of participating in a gang rape of a 14-year old girl and another had more than 160 criminal convictions.

Following news that the deportation of Afghans had resumed, Green party co-leader Omid Nouripour was quoted as saying he welcomed the effort to expel serious criminals but said it did not signal the start of large-scale deportations.

"Law-abiding people, especially families and children who have fled from radical Islamists," are protected in Germany, he said.

With reporting by AP and AFP
Updated: Those who got to know the friendly whale say they are 'beyond heartbroken' and 'very upset'.

Hvaldimir, the Russian spy whale has been found dead. The charismatic beluga drew worldwide attention in 2019 when he was discovered in Norwegian waters wearing a harness reading equipment of St Petersburg".

Authorities had been considering moving him back to waters closer to Russia, although this proved controversial and more than 70 experts from 17 countries had signed an open letter urging against the plan. Local media reported Hvaldimir was discovered on Saturday (local time) by a father and son who were fishing in waters off Risavika in the country's south. It's still too early to determine his cause of death.

Hvaldimir had appeared in good health

Hvaldimir's movements had been monitored daily by non-profit Marine Mind and news of his death is understood to have been a shock to those close to him.

Hvaldimir was friendly towards humans and would often approach boats. Source: Marine Mind

The group's founder Sebastian Strand said in August that Hvaldimir appeared to be doing well. The whale has a good body condition and does not display signs of mental anguish, he said.

In a brief statement on Saturday night, Strand told Yahoo News it had been "chaos" after Hvaldimir's death and he was working to try and "do him justice" and ensure his body was treated with respect.

He later confirmed the whale's body had been placed in a cooled truck, ahead of a necropsy on Monday.

"I'm beyond heartbroken, but going to keep it mostly together until he has been examined and we've secured that at least his cause of death will not be a mystery," he added.

Earlier Dolphin and whale activist Ric O'Barry told Yahoo News he was feeling "very upset" after hearing about Hvaldimir's death. And he stressed it was important an independent necropsy be carried out to find out what killed him.

"There were a lot of people I know who fell in love with this whale," he added.

More to come.

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EU's Balkan Envoy Says Serbia-Kosovo Stalemate Risks 'Outbursts Of Instability'

By Krenare Cubolli, Andy Heil and RFE/RL's Kosovo Service August 30, 2024

PRAGUE -- The European Union's special envoy for efforts to normalize relations between Serbia and its former province Kosovo has warned of the danger of "outbursts of instability" for years to come if those Balkan neighbors can't overcome their current impasse and unilateral actions continue.

In an extended interview with RFE/RL's Kosovo Service at the Globsec security conference in Prague on August 30, Miroslav Lajcak said the clear task for both sides is to implement their commitments from last year's so-called Ohrid Agreement within the decade-old "dialogue" to avoid "hostile or even violent" actions and responses.

He lamented a lack of momentum on EU enlargement in the past but also repeated Brussels' stance that a lack of progress on normalization directly hinders Serbia's and Kosovo's respective EU membership bids.

"[W]e either have normalization, which will bring stabilization, open the way for regional cooperation, which is struggling right now," Lajcak said, "or we will continue with the actions which are not coordinated, with prompt reaction which is again not coordinated, and could become hostile or even violent, and we might be kept busy for years with this repetition of, I would say, outburst[s] of instability. And this obviously prevents the region from progressing on the European path."

He suggested Serbian and Kosovar societies "are not ready for normalization" but said the unresolved problem of Serbian-Kosovar relations goes well beyond those two countries and is "very much a regional and European issue."

Serbia does not acknowledge the independence of its predominantly ethnic Albanian former province since Pristina declared sovereignty in 2008, a move officially recognized by more than 100 countries but not by Russia, China, or a handful of EU member states. A bitter ethnic war punctuated by NATO intervention in 1999 preceded UN interim administration ahead of Kosovo's independence.

During two leadership stints since 2020, Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti's government has conducted a mounting campaign of "reciprocal" measures to pressure Belgrade to recognize Kosovo's statehood and official institutions.

The Serbian and Kosovar sides reached agreement in the resort town of Ohrid on normalization steps in early 2023, but key elements of the deal remain unfulfilled, including Pristina's pledge dating back to 2013 to establish a legal foundation for an association to represent majority-Serb municipalities in Kosovo.

But two subsequent flareups of violence in northern Kosovo - unrest that injured dozens of NATO KFOR peacekeepers in May 2023 and the killing of a Kosovar police officer by a group of commando-like Serbs at an Orthodox monastery in September 2023 -- alarmed the international community and lent urgency to the dialogue.

More recently, Pristina has clamped down on the use of Serbian currency at banks and postal outlets, as well as other aspects of daily life for thousands of Serbs who resist Kosovar central authority, prompting the United States and the European Union to urge against "unilateral" and "uncoordinated" steps by either side.

Kurti says Kosovar authorities are establishing rule of law and public order.

Serbian President Aleksandr Vucic has accused Kosovo's government of trying to terrorize and intimidate the local Serb population.

"If you ask me, the problem is that the two societies are not ready for normalization," Lajcak told RFE/RL. He said his four-year term "has been probably more dedicated to crisis management than to promoting of normalization."

In July, the EU Council extended Lajcak's mandate by five months, to January 2025, at the request of outgoing EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell.

Lajcak downplayed suggestions that Borrell's successor, former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, would do without such an envoy to the delicate Serbia-Kosovo dialogue.

"The job is not done and, therefore, the job must continue," Lajcak said. "And I believe that there should be an [EU special representative] assisting the high representative until the Ohrid Agreement is implemented.

"But one important element that I will, of course, stress also to my successor and to the new high representative is that this process must be visibly and directly linked to the European integration."

Serbia was awarded EU candidate status along with other hopefuls in 2012, while Kosovo remains a "potential candidate" with its participation in other multinational organizations, including the UN, blocked by its partial recognition.

Lajcak said the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine had sparked an "awakening" within the European Union of the risks of stalled enlargement since Croatia's accession in 2013, and he insisted the "dynamic has changed already."

"Paradoxically, this awakening came as a consequence of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's aggression against Ukraine when the European Union also decided to invite Ukraine and Moldova to join," Lajcak said. "So this is a huge new opportunity for the Balkans. The door that has been closed for 10 years is now open."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/lajcak-serbia-kosovo- dialogue-eu-interview/33100067.html

Copyright (c) 2024. 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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Spain condemns Israel's military operations in the West Bank

Spain - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

PRESS STATEMENT 046

30 Aug 24

Israel's military operations spreading violence in the West Bank are very serious, and must be stopped.

Statements questioning the legal status of the Holy Places in Jerusalem are unacceptable.

In this critical moment, we reiterate the call for respect for international legality and humanitarian law, for restraint and de-escalation.

-NON OFFICIAL TRANSLATION-

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Swiss Parliament Rejects Proposal to Ban Country's Army From Participating in NATO Drills

Sputnik News

20240830

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Members of the Security Policy Committee (CPS-E) of the small chamber of the Swiss parliament unanimously rejected on Friday a proposal to ban the country's army from participating in NATO exercises on collective defense.

"Unanimously and with one abstention, the Committee of the Council of Cantons [Senate] on security Policy (CPS-E) recommends to its council to reject the proposal of the National Council, which wants to instruct the Federal Council to adapt the relevant legal framework so that joint defensive exercises with NATO simulating collective defense in accordance with Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty were prohibited," the document read.

The senators believe that such a proposal is contrary to the interests of Swiss security policy, since participation in defensive exercises with NATO "is not aimed at Switzerland's participation in the case of collective defense, but at strengthening the defense capability of the army."

Such cooperation does not contradict the neutrality of the country and should even be expanded, the lawmakers said.

 Sputnik

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Deputy Secretary Kurt Campbell's Visit to New Zealand

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

August 30, 2024

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matt Miller:

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell travelled to New Zealand August 30 to co-chair the U.S.-New Zealand Strategic Dialogue, meet with senior government officials, and launch the inaugural Critical and Emerging Technology Dialogue.

On August 30, Deputy Secretary Campbell and New Zealand Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Bede Corry co-hosted the 2024 U.S.-New Zealand Strategic Dialogue in Auckland, New Zealand. The two sides discussed the Indo-Pacific strategic environment, shared efforts to promote Pacific development, and economic, environmental, and scientific cooperation. Deputy Secretary Campbell also co-hosted the launch of the inaugural U.S.-New Zealand Critical and Emerging Technology Dialogue along with Secretary Corry. The two sides exchanged views and explored cooperation on critical technologies like AI and biotechnology and on the digital economy, including information and communication technologies (ICT).

During his visit to Auckland, Deputy Secretary Campbell also met with New Zealand 's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Winston Peters and Associate Minister of Defense Chris Penk, respectively, to discuss opportunities for deepening U.S.-New Zealand cooperation and exchange views on regional developments. Both sides reaffirmed their belief that strengthening the U.S.-New Zealand partnership is critical for peace, security, human rights, democracy, and regional stability.

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U.S. Department of State Concludes $200 Million Settlement Resolving Export Violations by RTX Corporation

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

August 30, 2024

The U.S. Department of State has concluded an administrative settlement with RTX Corporation (RTX) to resolve 750 violations of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), 22 U.S.C.  2751 et seq., and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. parts 120-130. The Department of State and RTX reached this settlement following an extensive compliance review by the Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance in the Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

The administrative settlement between the Department of State and RTX, concluded pursuant to ITAR  128.11, addresses RTX's unauthorized exports of defense articles resulting from the failure to establish proper jurisdiction and classification; unauthorized exports of defense articles, including classified defense articles; unauthorized exports of defense articles by employees via hand-carry to proscribed destinations listed in 22 C.F.R. 126.1; and violations of terms, conditions, and provisos of DDTC authorizations.

RTX disclosed all of the alleged violations voluntarily. RTX also cooperated with the Department's review of this matter and has implemented numerous improvements to its compliance program since the conduct at issue.

Under the terms of the 36-month Consent Agreement, RTX will pay a civil penalty of $200 million. The Department has agreed to suspend $100 million of this amount on the condition that the funds will be used for the Department-approved Consent Agreement remedial compliance measures to strengthen RTX's compliance program. In addition, for an initial period of at least 24 months, RTX will engage an external Special Compliance Officer to oversee the Consent Agreement, which will also require at least one external audit of its ITAR compliance program and implementation of additional compliance measures.

This settlement demonstrates the Department's role in furthering the national security and foreign policy of the United States by controlling the export of defense articles. The settlement also highlights the importance of exporting defense articles only pursuant to appropriate authorization from the Department.

The Consent Agreement and related documents will be available for public inspection in the Public Reading Room of the Department of State and on the Penalties and Oversights Agreements section of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls' website.

For additional information, please contact the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at pm-cpa@state.gov.

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New Zealand-United States Strategic Dialogue

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

August 30, 2024

The following is the Joint Statement released by the Governments of the United States and New Zealand on the occasion of the New Zealand - United States Strategic Dialogue in Auckland, New Zealand.

Begin text:

New Zealand Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Bede Corry and United States Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell met in Auckland, New Zealand for the New Zealand-United States Strategic Dialogue. The annual Strategic Dialogue is an opportunity to celebrate and deepen the long-standing and historic partnership between New Zealand and the United States. This meeting underscored the deep commitment of both countries to shared values and to working ever more closely together to support them, in an increasingly complex Indo-Pacific environment.

Referring to the Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, in April 2024, the Strategic Dialogue highlighted the importance to both countries of investing in the bilateral relationship and proud tradition of partnership. As part of that investment, the two committed to maintaining the close and trusted security partnership, enhancing defence collaboration, and growing the trade and economic relationship. This commitment was further emphasized during President Biden's recent meeting with Prime Minister Luxon in Washington on the margins of the NATO Summit, where both leaders reiterated the importance of a strong and resilient partnership in the face of global challenges.

Secretary Corry and Deputy Secretary Campbell noted that they were meeting at a time when global challenges are compelling New Zealand and the United States to strengthen cooperation in support of shared values and interests, including championing the rule of law, democracy, human rights, trade and investment, and strong people-to-people connections.

Secretary Corry and Deputy Secretary Campbell launched the New Zealand-United States Dialogue on Critical and Emerging Technologies. This will facilitate links between New Zealand and United States technology sectors, explore new avenues for research cooperation, and focus on opportunities to address regulatory and legal issues pertaining to the technology partnership between the two countries. The launch of this new strand of the relationship will enhance economic connections and build prosperity, including through technology and innovation, and is a fitting means to celebrate the 150th anniversary of when American scientists visited New Zealand for the first time to observe the transit of Venus.

The United States and New Zealand committed to pursue focused collaboration on the need to advance safe, secure, trustworthy, and responsible AI innovation; safe and secure biotechnologies; and quantum computing. They reaffirmed that the digital economy and information and communication technologies act as an essential enabler of these critical and emerging technologies.

Secretary Corry and Deputy Secretary Campbell also welcomed the April 2024 convening of the first-ever United States-New Zealand Space Dialogue, which demonstrated the robust and growing cooperation between the United States and New Zealand in outer space, and look forward to exploring further opportunities to strengthen bilateral collaboration.

The Strategic Dialogue focused on developments in the Pacific, the Indo-Pacific strategic environment, the Middle East, Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine, and regional economic issues. Secretary Corry and Deputy Secretary Campbell expressed grave concern about dangerous, destabilising, and provocative actions in the South China Sea, including by Chinese vessels towards Philippines vessels. They emphasized the need for upholding principles of international law, including freedom of navigation and peaceful resolution of disputes. They also underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.

Both nations highlighted the necessity for increased interoperability with like-minded countries to address common challenges. In this context, the United States also expressed its strong support for the close and cooperative relationship between Australia and New Zealand, recognizing its importance for regional stability and prosperity.

The two countries' deep ties with the Pacific Islands were underscored, as well as their commitment to continuing to do more together in and with the Pacific to support Pacific priorities, the centrality of the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Pacific Islands Forum's 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. The United States and New Zealand resolved to cooperate in the Pacific on issues ranging from maritime cooperation to economic prosperity and infrastructure. This commitment reflects our shared vision for a resilient and thriving Pacific community.

As two countries with a deep and enduring stake in an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, New Zealand and the United States are committed to upholding the conditions that have enabled the region to thrive and to working with other like-minded regional partners and frameworks, such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). Recognizing the increasing connectivity between Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security and stability, Secretary Corry and Deputy Secretary Campbell welcomed the deepening coordination among NATO and Indo-Pacific Partners. Secretary Corry welcomed the United States' proposal announced at NATO for the Foreign Ministers of New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Republic of Korea to meet with United States Secretary of State Blinken later in 2024. They also discussed the AUKUS trilateral partnership and affirmed it was an initiative which would enhance regional security and stability. They acknowledged New Zealand's interest in exploring potential collaboration on advanced capability projects under AUKUS Pillar II.

Secretary Corry and Deputy Secretary of State Campbell looked forward to the next United States-New Zealand Foreign Ministers' meeting, as committed to by Secretary of State Blinken and Deputy Prime Minister Peters in Washington DC in April 2024. They expressed their enthusiasm for continuing to build on the strong foundation of friendship and collaboration that defines the New Zealand-United States relationship.

End text.

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Statement from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military operation in the Occupied West Bank.

30 August 2024

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said:

The UK is deeply concerned by the ongoing IDF military operation in the occupied West Bank.

We recognise Israel's need to defend itself against security threats, but we are deeply worried by the methods Israel has employed and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.

The risk of instability is serious and the need for de-escalation urgent. We continue to call on Israeli authorities to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, and clamp down on the actions of those who seek to inflame tensions. The UK strongly condemns settler violence and inciteful remarks such as those made by Israel's National Security Minister Ben-Gvir, which threaten the status-quo of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.

It is in no one's interest for further conflict and instability to spread in the West Bank.
Yemen: Needs grow for millions displaced amid catastrophic flooding and prolonged humanitarian emergency

UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Mysa Khalaf - to whom quoted text may be attributed - at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

30 August 2024

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning that millions of displaced Yemenis face worsening conditions as Yemen's prolonged crisis deepens. This is according to the findings of a latest UNHCR assessment.

UNHCR's Internally Displaced Persons Protection Monitoring Update, issued this week, reveals a grim picture of the conditions affecting Yemen's displaced and host communities. The data, collected from over 47,000 households in the first half of 2024, offers insights into the struggles of internally displaced people (IDPs), returnees and host community members. Among these households, a significant number reside in formal and informal IDP sites, reflecting the ongoing displacement crisis.

Away from the world's headlines, we fear the situation is deteriorating. The report shows that 85 per cent of these families are unable to meet their daily food needs. Many have resorted to extreme coping mechanisms, like reducing meal sizes or skipping meals altogether. These statistics represent the harsh reality where entire families are facing hunger every day.

Another critical but overlooked issue is the widespread lack of civil documentation among displaced families. Over 51 per cent of families surveyed have at least one child without a birth certificate, and 70 per cent have family members without national identity cards. Without these crucial documents, families are cut off from accessing essential services, education, and their fundamental rights, exacerbating their vulnerability and hindering their ability to rebuild their lives.

Despite efforts to improve living conditions, the majority of displaced families do not feel safe returning home due to persistent instability, a lack of livelihood opportunities and dangers like landmines, trapping them in a cycle of protracted displacement.

Yemen - which remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises - faces extreme challenges even as attention has shifted to other global emergencies. Currently, 18.2 million people in the country, including 4.5 million displaced, are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. This includes more than 60,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from Somalia and Ethiopia.

More systematic and sustained global support is needed for countries like Yemen - one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries. It is also among the least prepared to mitigate or adapt to the impacts of extreme weather conditions and disasters fueled by climate change, as these become more frequent.

The recent catastrophic flooding in the Malhan district of Al Mahweet governorate, triggered by heavy rains and the bursting of three dams, has devastated entire communities. Over the past month, floods have claimed 97 lives and injured many more, affected over 56,000 family homes across 20 governorates and displaced over 1,000 families. The hardest-hit areas include Al Hudaydah, Hajjah, Al-Taweela and Marib. Impassable roads are isolating affected areas and hampering rescue efforts.

This disaster, layered on top of Yemen's ongoing crisis, has compounded the suffering of millions. Vital infrastructure has been obliterated, shelters washed away, and farmlands submerged. Unexploded ordnance unearthed by the floods poses additional threats to civilians and humanitarian workers.

As the lead agency for protection, shelter, non-food items and camp coordination, UNHCR is working with local partners to provide urgent assistance. We are ramping up cash assistance - a critical lifeline for the most vulnerable. This includes multipurpose cash to cover essential needs, respond to immediate crises, obtain documentation and repair damaged shelters. UNHCR is also advancing longer-term solutions, including home rehabilitation for IDP returnees, upgrading host community facilities, and initiatives to foster social cohesion.

However, available resources are insufficient to meet critical humanitarian needs. As of 31 July, UNHCR's country appeal for $354 million was just 21 per cent funded, leaving critical areas like protection and shelter severely underfunded.

UNHCR appeals to the international community to strengthen its support and solidarity with the people of Yemen. The world cannot afford to overlook Yemen's crisis any longer. Sustained and coordinated support is crucial at this moment, as millions of lives are at stake.

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Humanitarian pauses in Gaza pave way for polio vaccinations

By Nathalie Minard

30 August 2024 - UN aid teams have reached a tentative agreement with parties involved in the war in Gaza for humanitarian pauses to allow 640,000 children to be vaccinated amid an outbreak of the virus, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

WHO Representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, said that the two-round vaccination campaign is due to begin this Sunday in central Gaza for three days, then move to the southern and northern areas. A second dose will be administered after four weeks.

"During each round of the campaign, the Palestinian Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the WHO, [the UN Children's Fund] UNICEF, UNRWA [the UN agency for Palestine refugees] and partners, will provide two drops of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to more than 640,000 children under 10 years of age," Dr. Peeperkorn said.

Doses ready to go

The campaign is all set after the delivery of 1.26 million doses of vaccines to Gaza and 500 vaccine carriers. According to the UN health agency, 400,000 additional vaccine doses will arrive in Gaza soon.

Speaking from Gaza, Dr. Peeperkorn welcomed a preliminary commitment with the Israeli military to "area-specific humanitarian pauses" during the vaccination campaign.

"We call on all parties to pause fighting to allow children and families to safely access health facilities and community outreach workers to get to children who cannot access health facilities for polio vaccination," he said.

Without humanitarian pauses, the campaign - a massive task in any setting, let alone after more than 10 months of heavy fighting, mass casualties and displacement - will not be possible, warned the WHO.

The campaign will be rolled out in phases of three days each, starting with central Gaza, followed by southern and finally northern Gaza.

Obstacles to overcome

Vaccinations will be extended by one day wherever necessary to account for upticks in violence, destroyed roads and infrastructure damage - all additional hurdles that could hamper the objective of achieving sufficient vaccine coverage within three days in each area.

At least 90 per cent vaccination coverage during each round of the campaign is needed to stop the outbreak and prevent international spread of the sometimes-deadly waterborne disease, which can cause lifelong paralysis.

The UN health agency will coordinate with all parties, including the Israeli humanitarian coordination unit, COGAT, to ensure safe access to health facilities for children and families.

"Security is paramount" for more than 2,180 health workers and community outreach workers ready to support the campaign, insisted Dr. Peeperkorn.

Vaccines will be delivered to 392 locations and complemented by some 300 mobile teams - a "not ideal" arrangement - but one that has been agreed "with all the parties, he continued. "We will do our best to reach 90 per cent coverage."

According to the WHO, routine immunization has been "very well received" in Gaza and the West Bank historically, with parents eager to bring their children for vaccination. Coverage has been as high as 95 per cent in past years, higher than in many countries.

West Bank operation continues

Amid a fourth day of Israeli military operations in the West Bank, humanitarians voiced concerns about the safety of civilians and aid teams.

Raids by the Israeli Security Forces (ISF) in densely populated Jenin and Tulkarem have reportedly killed at least 15 people. "Unimpeded accessibility of facilities is crucial for reaching and receiving care, but also to deliver health aid. We call on the infrastructure, ambulances, health workers around hospitals, health facilities to be protected," stressed Dr. Peeperkorn.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the escalation late Wednesday, calling for an "immediate cessation" of Israeli operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Since the start of the war, 652 Palestinians have also been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including 150 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. More than 5,400 people have been injured.

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UN deputy chief appeals for global solidarity as crises roil East Africa

30 August 2024 - Spotlighting crises roiling parts of eastern Africa, the UN deputy chief concluded a regional visit in Adre, Chad, on Friday, calling for global solidarity to tackle famine in Sudan, flooding and mass displacement while ensuring free-flowing aid for millions trapped in war zones and those fleeing for their lives.

Chad hosts more than 1.1 million refugees, many escaping violence in Sudan, where rival militaries have been fighting since April 2023. At the same time, the war has also triggered colossal suffering within Sudan's borders.

"The humanitarian task that we have in Sudan has been very big," UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said. "It has been one that we have been consistently supporting the government to try to address the crisis. The suffering of the people in this country is one of the worst crises in the world today."

Ms. Mohammed met officials in Chad and announced $5 million allocation from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) as part of a rapid response towards supporting flood recovery efforts, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at UN Headquarters on Friday.

Region in crisis

Chad and neighbouring Sudan have been grappling with multiple crises. That includes the ongoing Sudanese war and recent floods affecting 960,000 people in Chad and 310,000 in Sudan, according to UN agencies.

Discussions between the UN deputy chief and local authorities in Chad centred on the complex challenges facing the country, including regional dynamics and key risks, and highlighted "the urgent need for global solidarity", the UN Spokesperson said.

Reaffirming the UN's commitment, Ms. Mohammed called for "maximum solidarity and resources" to ensure the humanitarian response fulfills its mandate and supports the people of the region, urging parties "to invest more in saving lives and livelihoods".

'Vital lifeline for aid delivery'

While in Chad, Ms. Mohammed observed the humanitarian corridor operation at the newly opened Adre crossing point into Sudan and engaged with refugee representatives, women, youth and community leaders, welcoming the recent opening as "a positive step" towards providing lifesaving aid in Sudan.

"This crossing is a vital lifeline for aid delivery to millions in Sudan and must remain open and accessible to facilitate large-scale humanitarian assistance while ensuring the safety of aid workers," according to the UN Spokesperson.

Shuttered for one year, this humanitarian corridor will allow UN agencies to scale up assistance to 14 areas facing famine in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Al Jazirah.

'We need resources now'

The UN deputy chief underlined the critical importance of keeping the border crossing permanently open.

The Adre crossing is the most effective and shortest route to deliver humanitarian assistance into Sudan - and particularly the Darfur region - at the scale and speed required to respond to the immense hunger crisis.

"What we have to do is to match the openings of these borders with the aid that goes in, and that means resources," she insisted, "and so we need those resources, and we need them now."

The UN $2.7 billion appeal is only 41 per cent funded.

Sudan: War, displacement and hunger

Across the border, in Sudan, food security experts recently declared that the war has pushed parts of North Darfur state into famine, particularly the Zamzam camp, where more than half a million displaced people are sheltering.

About 25.6 million people - over half of the population of Sudan - face acute hunger, including more than 755,000 people on the brink of famine and an estimated 10.7 million people are now internally displaced, according to UN agencies.

When visiting Sudan earlier this week, Ms. Mohammed met with the country's President and cabinet members, who agreed that the Jeddah peace process must be implemented swiftly. She emphasised that "there is consensus there, and there is no reason why that cannot be moved forward."

However, the discussion largely focussed on the humanitarian agenda and "the urgency of this", she told reporters at a press conference in Port Sudan on Thursday.

She said efforts are addressing the Sudanese Government's legitimate concerns and setting up procedures that "would ensure this aid gets to people where it's meant.

'Crisis around famine'

"We have impending crisis around famine," Ms. Mohammed said. "We are not getting medical supplies in where there are health crises. But, more importantly, we have to remember the suffering of the people, and we are here to do this with the Government of Sudan."

Ms. Mohammed met with displaced persons, the UN team as well as with a number of government officials.

"What we have done is to sit down with the humanitarian aid commission, and then we have had discussions on how, first of all, not to stop any of the aid that is available right now going in," she explained.





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Gold Coast woman Emma is one of many customers who claim they've experienced significant problems with their new Hyundai Kona cars.

Emma claims the brakes on her 2023 Hyundai Kona suddenly stopped working while she was driving. Source: TikTok/Emmaclarke2

A frightened Hyundai driver claims her car's brakes "stopped working" suddenly while driving, forcing her to crash her car to stop before switching it off. The young woman is one of many who claim they've had endless technical faults with their new or near-new Hyundai Kona vehicle, however when complaining about the issues, she and others were apparently told there's nothing wrong.

Emma, from the Gold Coast, purchased the Hybrid SX2 model, which ranges between $39,906 and $52,989, in October, 2023. There is also a Kona petrol model and a fully electric one. She said the incident was "scary" and believes she "could have died" and is prompting others to "please be aware".

But despite her claims and many others, Hyundai Australia said the company "is not aware of any major issues" with the newer models when contacted by Yahoo News Australia. It's apparent other Kona models have also had issues, and were the subject of earlier recalls by Hyundai.

Detailing her ordeal on social media Emma said, "I was driving my car and the brakes just went, they stopped working. I had to crash my car, which wasn't [going] slow, and then turn it off because I couldn't f**king stop it".

She's now desperate to find other Kona owners who've experienced similar issues with the hope it could help get her car fixed. Since buying the car "brand new" she claims she's had it serviced twice  and it is apparently due for another. But she was allegedly told by Hyundai there's "nothing wrong with my car".

Have you also had trouble with your car? Wed love to hear about it! Carly.bass@yahooinc.com

The Gold Coast woman drives a 2023 Hyundai Kona hybrid, like the one shown in this stock image. Source: Google Images

Unhappy customers report similar faults in Hyundai Kona cars

To her surprise, the comments were flooded with messages from other owners who say they've also had trouble. A quick search on social media will present a range of complaints from unhappy Hyundai customers claiming they too have experienced similar technical problems.

While not all specific to the 2023 Hyundai Kona hybrid model, the problems appear to exist among a range of Kona models spanning different years and varieties. Claims from owners suggest the problems also affect the petrol as well as hybrid models.

On Tiktok, there are dozens of issues specific to "Hyundai Kona problems" across the world, while on Facebook there are specific groups dedicated to issues associated with Hyundai Kona cars, with thousands of members collectively  many of which are from Australia.

"I loved my Kona until my brakes failed to work," one posted in a dedicated Facebook group. "Try 8 complete brake failures," another claimed, adding Hyundai "couldnt find a fault".

Others have reported "the worst customer service" and a "dismissive" attitude when attempting to find a resolution. "I have had ongoing electrical failures, one major electrical failure. No fault codes every single time," another said.

One woman claimed two of her windows stopped working shortly after purchasing her Hyundai Kona in 2019. "Funny thing is my two friends also have the same car and the same thing has happened to them," she said. "It seems to be a pattern with these cars".

Another said their 2019 model was "plagued with issues". Yahoo News Australia attempted to contact several Kona owners to discuss their issues.

Several recalls on Hyundai Kona models globally

While there has been no recall in Australia for Emma's specific hybrid model, Hyundai Australia did issue a recall for some Konas built between 2020 and 2022 to deal with problems with the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission which could cause a loss of drive. This year there were an additional two recalls on some 2023 and 2024 versions.

Meanwhile, in South Korea, about 40,000 Kona electric and hybrid electric vehicles produced between May 2019 and November 2020 were recalled "due to faulty electronic braking systems".

In the UK, there were multiple reports of the 2024 Hyundai Kona model experiencing "loss of power" suddenly, posing a risk to drivers. It appears the hybrid model was not impacted by this recall.

And in the US, a class action lawsuit was mounted alleging certain Hyundai and Kia (owned by parent company Hyundai) models have engines which are prone to seizure, stalling, failure, and possibly catching fire. Claims suggest that some of those who bought or leased these vehicles were unfairly denied repairs under warranty.

A similar action thought to impact as many as half a million Australian cars is still underway after being lodged in February 2023, according to Drive.com.au. The class action covers certain Hyundai and Kia cars powered by 1.6-litre, 2.0-litre, and 2.4-litre petrol engines  and includes a mix of sedans, hatchbacks and SUVs. The 2018-20 Kona was among the 13 Hyundai models listed.

Hyundai Australia responds to claims of Kona problems

In a statement to Yahoo News Australia, Hyundai Australia insists the company "is not aware of any major issues with the new SX2 model Kona, either with the hybrid, internal combustion engine (ICE) or EV (Electric Vehicle) variants".

It's understood the company is referring to the 2024 and not the 2023 model which Emma owns.

"Some ICE Konas were subject to two recalls on a relatively small number of vehicles earlier this year, but there have been no incidents or major issues related to those recalls," a spokesperson said.

"As neither our Customer Care team nor Hyundai dealers have received a significant number of calls from customers related to issues with the new Kona, we are confident that the overwhelming majority of Kona customers are happy with their new cars."

Hyundai has also been hit with complaints of defective paint jobs on many i20 models, mostly white vehicles, leaving some customers up for thousands in repairs.

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World News in Brief: Terror attacks in Pakistan and Burkina Faso, Yemen floods update, mass graves in Libya

30 August 2024 - A UN independent human rights expert on Friday condemned recent terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso, which resulted in approximately 200 deaths, and in Pakistan, where 28 civilians lost their lives.

Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, claimed responsibility for the attack in Burkina Faso on August 24. The attacks in Pakistan, which took place on Wednesday, were claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

Ben Saul, the UN Human Rights Council-appointed Special Rapporteur on protection of human rights while countering terrorism, urged both countries to investigate the crimes and prosecute the perpetrators through a fair trial.

"All counter-terrorism operations by police, security forces and the military must comply with human rights law, and international humanitarian law as relevant, including the right to life, freedom from arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and civil and political rights," he said.

Support victims

Mr. Saul also urged the governments in Burkina Faso and Pakistan to support the victims of the attacks.

"I encourage the Government of Burkina Faso to re-engage with the international community...to restore security, address the conditions leading to insecurity, and ensure respect for international humanitarian law," he said.

Mr. Saul has advised the two governments on how to assist the victims and address terrorist violence.

Appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, Special Rapporteurs are mandated to monitor and report on country or thematic human rights situations. Serving independent of governments and the United Nations, the experts are not UN staff members and do not draw a salary.

Needs grow in Yemen amid catastrophic flooding, warns UN agency

Over to war-ravaged Yemen, where the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned that catastrophic flooding has created an even worse situation for the millions of displaced people in the country.

The agency reported that flooding, caused by the bursting of three dams due to heavy rains in Al Mahweet governorate in western Yemen, devastated entire communities.

In the past month, at least 97 lives were lost in the floods, with many more injured, UNHCR said. Over 56,000 homes across 20 governorates have been damaged or destroyed, displacing more than 1,000 families.

The hardest-hit areas include Hudaydah, Hajjah, Al-Taweela and Marib.

"Impassable roads are isolating affected areas and hampering rescue efforts," the UN agency explained.

Basic needs unmet

Recent UNHCR assessments indicate that 85 percent of families in Yemen's displaced and host communities are now unable to meet their daily food needs.

"Many have resorted to extreme coping mechanisms, such as reducing meal sizes or skipping meals altogether," UNHCR emphasized, noting that "entire families" face hunger daily in Yemen.

Nearly a decade of conflict between the Government and opposition, mainly Houthi forces, has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with more than 18 million people - including 4.5 million displaced - urgently needing aid.

This figure includes over 60,000 refugees and asylum seekers, primarily from the Horn of Africa.

Libya: Mass graves at Tarhuna in human rights spotlight

Mass killings, sexual violence and abductions in the Libyan city of Tarhuna, dating back to 2013, continue to go unpunished, risking further instability and division in the country, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, has warned.

A new report from UN rights investigators details how an armed group that emerged in 2011, following the overthrow of longtime President Muammar Gaddafi, exercised brutal control over Tarhuna, a city of 150,000 people, about 65 kilometres (41 miles) southeast of Tripoli.

The Al-Kaniyat fighters' crimes also included torture, ill-treatment and forced displacement between 2013 and 2022.

Failure to deliver justice

Speaking in Geneva on Friday, OHCHR spokesperson Seif Magango emphasized that the "failure to deliver justice" has led to renewed violence and serious rights violations in Tarhuna and surrounding areas. These findings echo an earlier report commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council.

"The 2022 Fact-Finding Mission report detailed evidence of atrocities committed in Tarhuna, including the discovery of mass graves containing hundreds of human remains, most of them handcuffed, blindfolded, and showing signs of torture," he said.

"The report also warned of the possibility that there could be up to 100 more such mass burial sites."

Mr. Magango added that Al-Kaniyat's integration into the former Government of National Accord (GNA) and later the Libyan National Army (LNA) has been "a significant barrier" to accountability and justice.





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UN releases US$100 million to ramp up responses to 10 underfunded humanitarian crises

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

(New York/Geneva, 30 August 2024) As the global funding outlook remains grim, the United Nations today released US$100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to address critical underfunding of humanitarian emergencies across 10 countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East.

"In far too many humanitarian emergencies, a lack of funding prevents aid agencies from reaching people who need life-saving assistance, and that is heart-wrenching," said Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "CERF funding is an emergency cash injection of last resort to avert the worst and save lives when other humanitarian funding is inadequate. We urgently need increased and sustained donor attention to these underfunded crises."

More than one third of this new funding from CERF, which is managed by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), will support aid operations in Yemen ($20 million) and Ethiopia ($15 million), where people are grappling with the combined impact of hunger, displacement, diseases and climate disasters.

The new funding package will also support humanitarian operations in countries beset by years of conflict and displacement, exacerbated by climate shocks and stresses. They include Myanmar ($12 million), Mali ($11 million), Burkina Faso ($10 million), Haiti ($9 million), Cameroon ($7 million) and Mozambique ($7 million). Countries responding to El Nino-induced drought and flooding, such as Burundi ($5 million) and Malawi ($4 million), are also included.

Recognizing climate change as a key driver of humanitarian needs, part of this allocation will promote climate-smart humanitarian action supported by CERF's Climate Action Account.

This is CERF's second allocation for underfunded emergencies this year, following the release of $100 million in February for seven countries.* However, the combined $200 million released this year for poorly funded humanitarian crises is the lowest amount in the last three years, underscoring the growing gap between humanitarian needs and the donor funding CERF receives to meet them.

This year, the humanitarian community is seeking some $49 billion to reach 187 million of the most vulnerable people in crises worldwide. To date, only 29 per cent of this funding has been received, leaving a $35 billion gap.

*CERF allocates funding for underfunded emergencies twice a year. The previous $100 million, released in February, supported humanitarian operations in Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Honduras, Lebanon, Niger, Sudan and Syria.

Note to Editors:

CERF is one of the fastest funding instruments available to help people affected by crises.

Managed by OCHA on behalf of the UN Secretary-General, CERF enables timely, effective and life-saving humanitarian action by UN agencies and others to kick-start or reinforce emergency response anywhere it is required. Funding decisions for underfunded emergencies are based on detailed analysis of more than 90 humanitarian indicators and wide consultations with partners.

Since its creation by the UN General Assembly in 2005, and with generous contributions from

135 Member States and observers, as well as other donors including private individuals, CERF has assisted hundreds of millions of people with $9.3 billion across more than 110 countries and territories. This includes $3.2 billion for underfunded crises, including this latest allocation. CERF has an annual funding target of $1 billion.

CERF is the leading global humanitarian funding tool for responding to climate-related humanitarian emergencies. To strengthen this function, CERF launched its Climate Action Account at COP28, offering a quick, efficient and impactful avenue for climate-related humanitarian finance. It aims to assist the world's most vulnerable communities facing the consequences of the climate crisis, including through anticipatory action and life-saving projects that also build people's adaptation and resilience.

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UNRWA Situation Report #132 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All information from 27-28 August 2024, valid as of 28 August 2024 at 22:30 (local time)

UNRWA

30 Aug 2024

Key Points

The Gaza Strip

Ongoing strikes by Israeli Security Forces (ISF) continue, with aerial, land and maritime bombardments across the Gaza Strip, resulting in civilian casualties, displacement and the destruction of residential structures and public infrastructure.

According to MSF, evacuation orders by the Israel military continue to compress people into smaller and smaller areas along the increasingly cramped coastal area of Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. Living conditions are continuing to deteriorate. People displaced in Khan Younis are without proper access to food, water and essential services.

According to the UN, at least 1.9 million people (or nine in ten people) across the Gaza Strip are internally displaced, including people who have been repeatedly displaced (some, up to 10 times).

On 28 August, the World Food Programme (WFP) temporarily suspended staff movement across Gaza following shooting at a WFP vehicle. Despite being clearly marked and receiving multiple clearances by the Israeli authorities to approach, the vehicle was directly hit by gunfire as it was moving towards an Israeli miliary checkpoint.

Several challenges stand in the way of collecting much needed humanitarian supplies from the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing point in southern Gaza. These include deteriorating law and order, war and insecurity, damaged infrastructure, fuel shortages and access restrictions. According to OCHA, between 1 and 25 August 2024, an average of only 69 humanitarian trucks entered the Gaza Strip per day. This is well below the pre-crisis average of 500 trucks per working day.

According to several INGOs one of the most significant obstacles to bringing in aid supplies continues to be the delays imposed by the Israeli authorities in approving cargo to enter Gaza. Food and essential medical supplies are at risk of expiring before they can be approved for entry, while fresh produce continues to be denied entry at key crossings, and meat on cold chain trucks is held up pending approval. A substantial amount of aid remains in Egypt, unable to enter Gaza, with very little humanitarian supplies entering following the May 2024 Israeli military offensive in Rafah.

As of 29 August, the total number of UNRWA team members killed since 7 October is 212 .

. The latest information on supplies entering Gaza can be accessed through the below link:

Gaza Supplies and Dispatch Tracking | UNRWA

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem update is now once a week.

According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 26 August 2024, 622 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Separately, UNICEF confirmed that over 150 children have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during the period, 7 October 2023 to 22 July 2024.

A large-scale ISF operation started on 27 August across the northern West Bank, in Jenin, Tubas, Tulkarm and Qalqiliya governorates. As of 28 August, 14 Palestinians were reported killed and at least another 30 were injured. At least eight of those killed were a result of ISF airstrikes, which were reported in El Far'a Camp, Nur Shams Camp and Sir village in the early morning of 28 August. The extensive use of armoured bulldozers and heavy machinery by the ISF was recorded in Jenin Camp and city, Tulkarm city and El Far'a Camp, resulting in the destruction of infrastructure, including water, sewerage, electricity and roads. UNRWA installations in the impacted areas remained closed during this period due to the ongoing security situation.

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Bombs Away: IKE Completes Tri-Carrier Ammo Off-Load

US Navy

30 August 2024

From Story by Seaman Evan Antonisse

ATLANTIC OCEAN -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE) completed an ammunition off-load with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and dry cargo ship USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12), Aug. 22-30.

To prepare for transport, IKE's weapons department staged 3 million pounds of ammunition on the flight deck and in the hangar bay.

Ordnance was transferred to Ford and Truman by MH-60S Seahawk helicopters attached to the "Tridents" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 and the "Dragon-Slayers" of HSC-11. The "Dusty Dogs" of HSC-7 moved ordnance from IKE to the McLean.

In total, 1,764 vertical replenishment and connected replenishment transfers were conducted during the underway.

"Weapons department was amazing at clearing out all of the ordnance on the ship," said Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Alexis Armstrong, G-5 division leading chief petty officer. "Off-loads and on-loads are like the Super Bowl for us."

In order to ensure the success of the off-load, leadership emphasized safety as the top priority for the entire crew.

"Prior to every ordnance evolution, each division does a safety brief at the beginning of each off-load," said Master Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Jerome Ruffins, weapons department leading chief petty officer. "Throughout the off-load we have officers, chief petty officers and first-class petty officers that are roving the flight deck, hangar bay and magazines for safety. We are moving a lot of heavy equipment and explosives, so safety is paramount."

The ammunition off-load was a success and the weapons department chain of command was pleased with the commitment and effort from their Sailors.

"I was highly impressed with the amount of work it takes to get everything out of the magazines and ready for vertical or connected replenishments," said Cmdr. Kent Davis, weapons department head, better known as "Gun Boss". "It was a huge effort for the whole team to come together and make it happen."

The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) are underway in the Atlantic Ocean for an ammunition transfer between the three ships and the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12).

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Analysts welcome Nigeria's security pact with Niger

By Timothy Obiezu August 30, 2024

Nigeria and neighboring Niger have signed an agreement to boost their security cooperation, despite tensions following a coup in Niger more than a year ago.

The Nigerian army announced the security cooperation pact on Tuesday in a communique. The countries' defense chiefs signed the accord this week in Niamey, Niger's capital.

It's the first military deal between the nations since last July's coup.

The Nigerian military statement said that under the deal, Niger reaffirmed its willingness to resume active participation in the Multinational Joint Task Force, a regional security alliance.

Security analyst Saheed Shehu praised the agreement.

"It's a very good development for Nigeria, for Niger and for the ECOWAS and for West Africa as a subregion," Shehu said. "They actually muddled up the situation after the Niger coup such that for this one year we have been in a stalemate. So this is the first time we're seeing the actual use of military diplomacy, because this followed a visit by the chief of defense staff."

The July 2023 coup  which ousted Niger President Mohamed Bazoum  strained relations with Nigeria, after ECOWAS, led by Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, imposed tough sanctions on Niger and threatened a military invasion.

The West Africa subregion has struggled to stem violence from Islamist militants, including Boko Haram and other armed groups, for years.

Shehu said that if properly implemented, the Nigeria-Niger deal could lead to more positive outcomes for the region and ECOWAS.

"This is an avenue, if we exploit it very critically and with a lot of sense, it will be a way of bringing back not only Niger but also Burkina Faso and Mali," he said. "And what I'll like to advise President Tinubu  who's the chairman of ECOWAS  is to send the same kind of military diplomacy to Mali, probably to Burkina Faso."

In January, aggrieved by ECOWAS's sanctions, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announced an exit from the regional bloc and later created a confederation. The three nations blamed ECOWAS for failing to tackle insecurity in the region.

Meanwhile, ECOWAS has not ruled out the possibility of a military intervention in Niger but it says it wants to pursue dialogue with the juntas.

Regional political affairs analyst Ahmed Buhari said ECOWAS made mistakes.

"Whether we like it or not, our neighbor might not be doing exactly what we want, but we cannot go to war with our neighbors, especially when we're interconnected on all levels," Buhari said. "There's no way we're going to be fighting insecurities in Nigeria and having these terrorists move into Niger and after a while bounce back. Similarly, if Niger is fighting them and there's no collaboration, they can come to Nigeria take a breather and then pounce back to Niger."

In April, when Nigeria hosted a regional counterterrorism summit in Abuja, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso did not attend.

Nigerien military delegates are expected in Nigeria soon to discuss the military cooperation. Many will be watching to see if the new partnership will change the regional status quo.

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Germany repatriates first group of Afghan refugees since Taliban takeover

By Ayaz Gul August 30, 2024

A group of 28 asylum-seekers were repatriated to Afghanistan from Germany on Friday after being deported for criminal convictions.

The deportees, on board a chartered flight, arrived in the capital of Kabul, where Taliban authorities promptly detained them for investigation and blocked journalists' access to the airport, according to witnesses.

The Taliban did not immediately issue a statement regarding the fate of the Afghan returnees or whether the repatriation resulted from mutual understanding between Kabul and Berlin.

Earlier, a German government spokesperson said in a statement on its website that the Afghan nationals had been "convicted for criminal offenses," carried "no legal residency," and "were subject to return orders."

Steffen Hebestreit, a spokesperson for the government, noted that this was the first time Germany had repatriated Afghan nationals since August 2021, when the Taliban regained control of the country.

"The federal government will continue with such returns," Hebestreit said. "The security interests of Germany clearly outweigh the claim for protection of criminals and individuals endangering national security."

The Taliban takeover had prompted Germany to halt deportations to Afghanistan and shut down its embassy in the country amid fears of reprisals against returnees.

Hebestreit did not respond to reports from German media that Friday's deportation flight resulted from two months of secret negotiations between Berlin and Taliban authorities, with Qatar serving as the intermediary.

He said in a statement that Germany had sought the support of "key regional partners to help facilitate the return" and was "very grateful for this support" without elaborating.

Violent offenders and sex offenders were reportedly among the Afghans sent back Friday, including a man who took part in the gang rape of a 14-year-old girl.

Friday's resumption of Afghan deportations came a week after a deadly knife attack at a street festival in the city of Solingen that shocked Germany. The Islamic State extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack that killed three people. A 26-year-old Syrian man allegedly carried it out.

Last May, a 25-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker was accused of killing a German police officer in a knife attack on a market square in the city of Mannheim. That incident occurred amid a reported increase in criminal activities involving Afghan nationals in Germany. It revived debate about deporting serious criminals even if they come from countries deemed unsafe, like Afghanistan or Syria.

The Taliban have implemented their strict interpretation of Islamic law in Afghanistan, placing restrictions on personal conduct and freedom of the population. They have barred Afghan girls from receiving an education beyond the sixth grade and women from most jobs in public and private sectors.

The curbs, particularly those on women and girls, have outraged the global community and deterred foreign governments from officially recognizing the de facto Kabul government.

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US imposes visa restrictions on South Sudanese officials for taxing aid shipments

By Kiliane Gateau August 30, 2024

The U.S. State Department announced Friday that it is imposing visa restrictions on South Sudanese officials and others who have obstructed humanitarian aid by taxing shipments.

South Sudan, which suffered a crushing civil war from 2013 to 2018, is now facing one of the world's most dire humanitarian crises.

Persistent conflict, natural disasters, and widespread poverty have left millions in urgent need of assistance.

The United Nations reported delays in the arrival of U.N. fuel tankers because of a tax dispute with South Sudanese authorities, jeopardizing the delivery of crucial aid worth millions of dollars.

The United States has expressed strong concerns about the South Sudan transitional government's lack of progress in meeting its commitments under a 2018 peace agreement. The agreement requires creating conditions that support effective humanitarian aid and protect those in need.

"Despite assurances, the government has not effectively reduced the high costs, bureaucratic barriers, and risks associated with providing humanitarian assistance," said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

"This raises doubts about the government's commitment and ability to meet its 2018 peace agreement obligations and create an environment that supports aid delivery and protection."

Sudan peace talks

Recent developments show some progress in resolving Sudan's conflict, though, which would help ensure that South Sudan gets the aid it needs, despite the transitional government's shortcomings under the peace deal.

The first round of the U.S.-mediated peace talks in Geneva regarding Sudan, which concluded last week, resulted in breakthroughs that improved access to humanitarian aid.

The ALPS group  Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the U.S., the UAE, the African Union, and the U.N.  negotiated the opening of two of three essential access routes into famine-stricken areas.

Tom Perriello, the U.S. special envoy for Sudan, reported that agreements were reached to open the Adre border and ensure access along the Dabbah Road from Port Sudan.

Those routes are now operational, allowing nearly 3,000 tons of food and emergency relief to reach those in need.

Despite the advancements, Sudan faces severe challenges.

The World Food Program says that more than 26 million people in Sudan are experiencing acute hunger, with over 755,000 at risk of famine.

Since the conflict began in April 2023, more than 18,800 people have been killed and more than 33,000 injured.

The U.N. describes Sudan as the world's largest displacement crisis, with upwards of 12 million people displaced.

The new visa restrictions will bar the affected individuals from entering the United States, aiming to pressure those blocking aid and highlight the need to meet humanitarian commitments.

VOA'S Lisa Schlein contributed to this story from Geneva. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.

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OIC ends Cameroon meeting with pledge to help countries combat extremism, hardships, climate change

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka August 30, 2024

A two-day meeting of officials from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation ended in Cameroon Friday with promises to help member countries deal with armed conflict, violent extremism, economic hardships and climate shocks. OIC officials acknowledge these issues, among others, have plunged a majority of civilians in the 57-member organization into poverty.

About 500 delegates from 57 countries attended the meeting in Cameroon, including foreign ministers, diplomats and high-ranking officials.

Most of the conference focused on the problems faced by member countries.

Boukary Sawadogo, Burkina Faso's ambassador to Saudi Arabia and permanent representative of his country to the OIC, says he is satisfied that OIC member states have made very strong commitments to give direct assistance to nations that are tackling the root causes of conflicts, which are mainly poverty and hardships among civilians.

He says it is unfortunate that terrorism is surging in Burkina Faso with devastating consequences for its neighbors, Mali and Niger.

The OIC said it will assist Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Pakistan, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and Nigeria  the member countries with the highest death tolls from terrorism.

The OIC also promised a donors conference before the end of 2024 to help refugees in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria fleeing terrorism.

In terms of economic programs, the OIC said it is sponsoring construction of a road linking Chad and Cameroon, and said a second phase of that road project will be announced by November.

The organization said it will also launch reforestation programs in Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Burkina Faso, where the desert is advancing.

On a broader scale, Gambian diplomat Mamadou Tangara says the participants agreed to develop transport and communications, which he said are key tools to fight poverty and insecurity.

"The development of our transport and communication infrastructures could enhance and consolidate the sustainable social and economic development including the creation and facilitation of different economic opportunities such as job creation and market access, safety and security services contributing to improved emergency response and crime reduction mechanisms," he said.

The OIC says it is finalizing negotiations for possible construction of a 4,000-kilometer Africa transcontinental railway linking Senegal and Sudan. The railway would connect Africa with the Atlantic Ocean, the Red Sea, Middle East and Asia and increase access to markets and reducing poverty.

The OIC says it will continue to address the repercussions of what the participants call the brutal Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people, promising to strengthen Palestinian resilience in defending their legitimate rights.

They emphasized the need for the OIC's collective efforts to enact U.N. Security Council resolutions that call for an immediate and comprehensive cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, and sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid to all parts of the Gaza Strip.

The OIC also said it will intensify humanitarian efforts and constructive dialogue in Afghanistan to end the ban on girls' education and women's work.

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Nigeria's oil company lack funds to fix leaky pipelines

By Gibson Emeka August 30, 2024

Nigeria's decades-old oil pipelines are vital for transporting crude, but most are now corroded and vulnerable to leaks and vandalism. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation says it lacks the funds to fix these pipelines, sparking concerns about Nigeria's oil production.

Oil fuels Nigeria's economy, making up more than 90% of its export value. Pipelines are the veins transporting crude from production sites to ports and refineries.

But those pipelines have lost more than 3 million barrels of oil in the first five months of this year, according to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission. That amounts to about $265 million or N400 billion, based on an average of $88 a barrel.

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation's recent disclosure of a funding shortfall for pipeline maintenance could have serious consequences.

Faith Nwadishi, a leading Nigerian energy expert, raised the alarm about potential risks of this development.

"Why would they say that they have a shortage in funding, knowing that the pipelines are the vehicles for transmitting or transporting the crude that could actually bring in funds and revenue to the country? ... When these things are not done, we are also encouraging oil theft. We are encouraging destruction of the environment, oil spillages that could come from these pipelines that are over aged," Nwadishi said.

Although it remains a major oil producer, Nigeria is often behind on production targets because of theft and infrastructure challenges.

NNPC's 2023 financial statements show it spent nearly $29 million or N45.88 billion, on pipeline security and maintenance nationwide.

Public policy analyst Jide Ojo blamed the maintenance shortfall on multiple factors, including corruption.

"Corruption is what is responsible for the funding challenge of NNPCL. ... When things are shrouded in secrecy, it spaces room for abuse of office, corruption and all manners of malpractice. ... For many decades, we didn't even know how many liters of crude oil we were producing per day and there was a lot of impunity in that sector," Ojo said.

Nigeria's 2022 Petroleum Industry Act aimed to boost sector performance and attract investments, but progress has been minimal.

Ojo stressed the need for better reforms to strengthen public-private partnerships.

"Government needs to have better policy environment. ... The enabling environment needs to be better enhanced," Ojo said. "Don't forget, there is what is called the ease of doing business. I think the federal government needs to do more on that ease of doing business, so that our investors can come and make money, and be able to invest without much concern about repatriation of their money."

Nigeria removed its petroleum subsidy in May 2023 to conserve oil revenue, causing fuel prices to surge.

Pipeline inefficiencies add to pricing pressure, straining Nigeria's fragile economy.

Nwadishi called for a lasting solution to the crisis.

"If these pipelines have outlived their relevance or their lifespan, they should be replaced. ... There's technology to monitor the pressures that come from the different pipelines, and the different points of intersection," she said. "It could also help to know when there's interference in the pipeline. It also further helps to determine where volumes are being lost, so that early repairs can be made, and it reduces cost."

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Pacific leaders endorse regional policing agreement

By William Yang August 30, 2024

Top officials from 18 Pacific Island countries wrapped up their annual forum in Tonga on Friday, endorsing a regional policing initiative funded by Australia and urging donor nations to provide more resources to deal with climate change.

In a 16-page communique released Friday, which was viewed by VOA but has been removed from the forum's website, Pacific leaders "endorsed the Pacific Policing Initiative" and "welcomed Australia's support for the implementation" of it.

The initiative includes establishing a training center in Brisbane, four skills centers across the Pacific and a force of about 200 police officers that could be deployed across the region to deal with natural disasters or other emergencies.

Some analysts said the outcome was "a win for Australia."

"The result shows that Pacific leaders broadly continue to desire Australia as their partner of choice on policing," Parker Novak, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, told VOA by phone.

Other experts said the policing initiative was Australia's attempt to consolidate the regional security architecture as China tries to increase its security ties with Pacific Island countries.

"Australia is seeking to lock down the policing architecture in such a way that China isn't able to make any further inroads," said Anna Powles, an associate professor in security studies at Massey University in New Zealand.

Since 2022, China has signed security-related deals with some Pacific Island countries, including a police deal with the Solomon Islands in 2023 and an arrangement to provide policing support for Kiribati.

Despite endorsements from all regional countries, some Pacific leaders still worry that Australia might use the policing deal to push China out of the security space. Vanuatu's Prime Minister Charlot Salwai said the Pacific Islands Forum needs to ensure the policing initiative is not developed to "suit the geostrategic interests and geostrategic denial security postures of our big partners."

Powles told VOA the regional policing initiative would not affect existing bilateral policing arrangements between certain Pacific countries and China. "The deal is seeking to train and develop a cadre of Pacific police officers, but it doesn't preclude other external arrangements, such as Solomon Islands' policing arrangement with China," she said.

In response to Pacific countries' endorsement of the policing deal, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said during a regular press conference Wednesday that Beijing asserts "various parties should make [a] joint effort to promote the development and prosperity of Pacific Island countries."

In a video filmed by Radio New Zealand journalist Lydia Lewis on Wednesday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell described the policing initiative as "fantastic" and told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese the U.S. had contemplated a similar initiative but that Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Kevin Rudd told Washington it was not necessary.

"We've given you the lane, so take the lane!" Campbell told Albanese in the video.

Combating climate change

In addition to endorsing the regional policing deal, Pacific leaders also highlighted some pressing climate-related challenges that regional countries face.

In the final communique, Pacific leaders said sea level rise is a "severe manifestation of climate change that threatens Pacific communities, especially in low-lying nations" and strongly called for "the inclusion of sea level rise as a standalone agenda item" in the U.N. General Assembly and other U.N. processes.

Earlier this week, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the rate of sea level rise in the Pacific region as "a crazy situation" that will soon "swell to an almost unimaginable scale."

"A worldwide catastrophe is putting this Pacific paradise in peril," he warned during a tour in Tonga and Samoa on Monday.

Some experts say while the warning from Guterres has helped put the climate threats against Pacific Island countries into focus, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have reduced the global discussion of climate change over the last two years.

"Given everything else that's going on in the world, the focus on climate change has slipped in the last 12 to 24 months, and that is a matter of concern for Pacific leaders and the U.N. secretary-general," Tess Newton Cain, an adjunct associate professor at Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, told VOA by phone.

Pacific Island countries' decision to reject the Solomon Islands' proposal to prevent Taiwan from participating in the forum has triggered angry reactions from Beijing.

"The situation is obvious, among the 18 members of the PIF, 15 countries have diplomatic relations with China, and 15 countries have categorically stated they stand by the One China principle," Chinese Pacific envoy Qian Bo told journalists following the meeting on Friday.

Great power competition

While major democracies and China have engaged in an intense competition for influence in the Pacific region since 2022, observers say Beijing and Washington have adopted a less competitive tone throughout this year's forum, a development welcomed by regional leaders.

The prime minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape, commended the U.S. and China "for their pledges to work together with the nations of the Pacific," describing seeing Beijing and Washington laying aside their differences at the forum as "one of the highlights of the moment."

Newton Cain, who is in Tonga for the forum, said it remained to be seen whether Beijing and Washington could work more collaboratively in the Pacific region after the summit in Tonga. "If we were to see more efforts put into contributing jointly to the Pacific, that would be something welcomed by regional leaders," she told VOA.

Despite the less competitive approach adopted by Beijing and Washington, Novak from the Atlantic Council said geopolitical competition between big countries was "here to stay" in the Pacific region.

"China is going to continue focusing on bolstering bilateral relationships with Pacific Island countries, while democratic countries will work together to strengthen their presence in the region," he told VOA.

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One passenger has lifted the lid on cruise ship 'lies' such as the quality of food and cost of excursions.

A Princess Cruises passenger has vowed never to take another cruise after experiencing a disappointing voyage across the east coast of Australia. Travel blogger Samantha Tatro recently her cruise ship truth after a two-week holiday onboard the Grand Princess  listing food, expensive excursions and damaging environmental impact among her top gripes.

"I honestly don't think I will ever step foot on a cruise boat again," Tatro told Yahoo News Australia. "I didn't want to knock it until I tried it, but as someone who loves to plan adventurous trips and truly explore off the beaten path, I found cruising to be the exact opposite of my ideal vacation."

Despite never having a huge desire to go on a cruise, Tatro, who is based in the Czech Republic, explained that her husband's family "love to cruise" so the pair met up last year for the two-week trip which set them back around $10,000 for a cabin with a balcony along with a food and drinks package.

Average food and the 'outrageous' cost of excursions was among her major gripes. Source: TikTok

Cruise passenger says reviews highlight 'unrealistic' truth

Tatro points out that many online disagree with her view that cruises are overrated, and says that she's never seen a "realistic" review of cruising.

"Like many people, I've seen so many videos about cruise ships and cruising  and most of them have been overwhelmingly positive," she said. "However, I think most of those videos fail to capture the parts that might not work for some people."

"I wanted to share my thoughts because I felt I never saw a realistic side of cruising  just the videos through rose-tinted glasses."

The global cruise industry is growing, and expects to carry 10 percent more passengers by 2028 than the 31.7 million who took cruise holidays in 2023, when the sector surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

Food onboard cruiseliner was 'beyond awful'

Tatro said high up her list of dislikes was the food that they were offered, describing it as "high school cafeteria food at best".

"The food on our cruise ship was beyond awful. I can't stress this enough," she said. "If you like flavour or delicious food in any way, shape, or form, I'm not sure cruise food is the food for you."

She explained that similar ingredients are repeated over and over such as Caesar salad and fettuccine alfredo, for example.

"It was especially hard to handle because I felt Australia had some of the best food, and we weren't able to eat any of it  except for our short port stops."

"I know each line is different, and there's a lot of nuance and thought behind their resourcing, but I think many people often forget the fact that feeding thousands of people at sea is never going to result in the best food or the best cooking," she said.

She explained some higher quality meals came at a "hefty" additional payment.

Onboard, the family went on two excursions organised by the cruise - one was a snorkelling trip to the Great Barrier Reef which set the couple back over $1,400 and a tour of the Whitsundays which cost around $700.

Tatro believes the environmental impact of cruise ships is 'unforgivable'. Source: TikTok

Australia best visited in 'other ways'

Despite not loving her cruise experience, Tatro was able to spend eight days additional days travelling around Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road and the Grampians National Park as well. She says that "Australia is best visited in other ways" instead of a cruise.

"We joined the cruise primarily to spend time with our family, knowing we might not like the full cruise experience," she said.

And while Tatro is simply being honest about her personal experience, she said the response has been "overwhelmingly negative"  with many saying that she was either on the "wrong" cruise or shouldn't base her opinion on just one experience.

"I think people forget that these are just my experiences and opinions providing a different way to think about cruise ships and cruising," she said. "It's been especially disheartening to hear how little people care about the environment and sustainable travel."

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Russo-Ukraine War - 30 August 2024 - Day 919

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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 on 24 August 2024, the Russian Kursk Oblast Administration announced the creation of the BARS-Kursk volunteer unit. Prospective recruits are promised that they will serve only within the Kursk Oblast in Russia on a six-month contract.

BARS (Combat Army Reserve of the Country) units were first established in 2021, initially intended to provide the Russian MOD with a cadre of active reservists with a high level of readiness and training. Since March 2022, volunteers have been able to join BARS units for short-term service. BARS units are predominantly light infantry formations which lack integrated artillery or armoured vehicles. There are now over 30 BARS units across Russia.

The creation of the BARS-Kursk volunteer unit is almost certainly a Russian response to the Ukrainian incursion into the Russian Kursk Oblast, which began on 6 August 2024. It is unlikely that the volunteer unit will be set up and able to support any Russian military activity in Kursk over the next month. Although it is likely attempting to build its forces in Kursk, Russia is currently prioritising the Pokrovsk axis in eastern Ukraine.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in total, since the beginning of this day, there have been 179 combat clashes. Ukrainian defenders continue to decisively interrupt the attempts of the Russian enemy to advance into the depths of Ukrainian territory, giving him a fiery impression. The hottest situation remains in the Pokrovsky direction, also Russia is active in the Kupyansky, Lymansky and Kurakhiv directions.

Russian zagarbniki made two strikes on the territory of Ukraine with three rockets and 61 air strikes, dropping 73 cabis. In addition, 573 kamikaze drones were recruited and carried out more than 3180 shelling at the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.

Seven boezitknen  took place in the Kharkiv direction. Defense Forces repelled attacks of Russians near Pletenivka, Liptsiv and Vovchansk. One Russian attack is still going on.

In the Kupiansky direction, Russian forces carried out offensive actions near Sinkivka, Kolisnikivka, Novoosinovoye, Lozova, Andriyivka, Stelmakhivka and Glushkivka. Twenty-six fights completed, four are still ongoing.

In the Lyman direction, Russian invaders stormed the positions of Defense Forces near Tverdohlibovoye, Novosergiyivka, Druzhelyubivka, Grekivka, Cherneshchyna, Makiyivka, Nevsky and Novosadovoye. Ukrainian defenders repelled 21 attacks, one - continues near Druzelubivka.

In the Sivers komu direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled four Russian attacks in the area of Verkhnyokamans -kogo, Ivano-Dar'ivka and Viymki.

12 battles were sharpened in the direction of Kramators komu, in particular, near Kalinivka, Chasovoy Yar, Stupochok, Ivanivsky, Andriyivka and Predtechniny. Defense forces stopped all enemy attacks of the zagarbnikiv.

15 boezitknen  took place in the Torec komu direction. Russians stormed the positions of Ukrainian units near Toretsk and Nelipivka. At this time, one Russian attack is ongoing.

In the Pokrovsky direction, from the beginning of this day, 55 battles have been sharpened in the areas of the settlements Zelene Pole, Vozdvizhenko, Hrodivka, Karlivka, Novogrodivka, Marinivka, Mirolubivka, Mykhailivka and Selidove. Ukrainian defenders hit 52 offensive actions, three - still to go.

Today 318 occupiers were defecated in this direction, of which 132 - irrevocably. Also destroyed a tank, an infantry fighting machine, eight BPLAs and two vehicles units. To the same, the armored transporter, three artillery systems and two cars were damaged.

In the Kurakhiv direction, Russian forces 23 times attacked near Ukrainian, Galicinivka, Krasnogorivka, Georgiivka and Konstantinivka. Twenty-two clashes completed, one is still continuing.

In the Vremivs komu direction, Russian forces made eight unsuccessful attempts to push Ukrainian units out of the occupied borders of defense near Vugledar and Vodyany.

In the orihivs komu direction, Russian forces also failed during offensive action near robotiny.

In the Pridniprovsk direction, twice attacking the positions of the Defense Forces, the opponent was defeated.

In other directions - without much change.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that from 24 to 30 August 2024, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered one mass strike and 14 group strikes by long-range precision weaponry, Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, and attack unmanned aerial vehicles at critically important power and airfield infrastructure of Ukraine, POL depots, Western-made aircraft armament and artillery ammunition depots.

Moreover, strikes were delivered at UAV workshops, uncrewed surface vehicles storages, temporary deployment points of nationalist formations and foreign mercenaries.

Over the past week, units of the Sever Group of Forces have carried on an operation to neutralise AFU units in Kursk region. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades, one tank brigade, two air assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), three territorial defence brigades, as well as thwarted attempts to deploy enemy reserves from the territory of Ukraine.

In Volchansk and Liptsy direction, losses were inflicted on formations of one marine brigade, two territorial defence brigades, and two national guard brigades of the enemy. Over the past week, the AFU losses amounted to up to 3,580 troops, six tanks, 181 armoured fighting vehicles, and 103 motor vehicles in the area of the Sever Group of Forces responsibility.

Four MLRS launchers, including one U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS, 35 field artillery guns, 12 electronic warfare and counter-battery stations were destroyed.

As a result of cohesive actions, units of the Zapad Group of Forces liberated Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People's Republic) and Sinkovka (Kharkov region). Losses were inflicted on formations of six mechanised brigades, one tank brigade, one assault brigade, one airmobile brigade of the AFU, two territorial defence brigades, and the Azov Special Operations Brigade. Thirty-four counter-attacks launched by AFU assault detachments have been repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to more than 3,450 troops, two tanks, 11 armoured fighting vehicles, including three U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, and 51 motor vehicles. In the course of counter-battery warfare, one Croatian-made RAK-SA-12 MLRS launcher and 38 field artillery guns, including 18 Western-made self-propelled artillery systems and 155-mm howitzers were neutralised. Sixteen electronic warfare and counter-battery stations as well as 18 ammunition depots were destroyed.

As a result of decisive actions, units of the Yug Group of Forces liberated Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic). Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, two motorised infantry brigades, two infantry brigades, four assault brigades of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades. Five counter-attacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to more than 4,840 troops, U.S.-made Abrams and German-made Leopard tanks, four armoured fighting vehicles, 60 motor vehicles, 57 field artillery guns, with 23 of them made by NATO countries. Eleven electronic warfare stations and 16 field ammunition depots were destroyed.

As a result of active actions, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Orlovka, Kamyshevka, Nikolayevka, and Novozhelannoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Losses were inflicted on formations of seven mechanised brigades, two jaeger brigades, one airborne brigade, one assault brigade of the AFU, two territorial defence brigades, and the Lyut Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian National Police. Fifty counter-attacks launched by AFU units were repelled.

Over the week in this direction, the AFU losses amounted to up to 3,720 troops, seven tanks, 14 armoured fighting vehicles, including one German-made Marder infantry fighting vehicle and two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, 38 motor vehicles, one Grad MLRS combat vehicle, and 42 field artillery guns.

Units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions as well as inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU, and four territorial defence brigades. Eighteen counter-attacks launched by AFU assault detachments were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 860 troops, seven armoured fighting vehicles, 43 motor vehicles, 11 field artillery guns, including seven Western-made 155-mm self-propelled artillery systems and howitzers, and four electronic warfare stations.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of one infantry brigade, one mountain assault brigade of the AFU, two marine brigades, and one territorial defence brigade.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 460 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, 32 motor vehicles, 16 field artillery guns, and six U.S.-made 155-mm howitzers. Moreover, seven electronic warfare stations and three ammunition depots of the enemy were destroyed.

Over the past week, air defence units shot down one MiG-29 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, three U.S.-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles, four Tochka-U tactical missiles, 19 French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, 31 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, 311 unmanned aerial vehicles, with 127 of them outside the special military operation zone.

Units of the Black Sea Fleet wiped out six Ukrainian uncrewed surface vehicles.

Over the past week, 58 Ukrainian servicemen have surrendered on the line of contact.

In total, 641 airplanes and 283 helicopters, 30,701 unmanned aerial vehicles, 575 air defence missile systems, 17,783 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,431 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 13,809 field artillery guns and mortars as well as 25,447 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation also reported that over the past 24 hours, units of the Sever Group of Forces supported by Army Aviation and artillery repelled five attacks launched by the enemy's assault detachments in the direction of Kremyanoye, Pushkarskoye, and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye.

The enemy's attempts to launch attacks in the direction of Malaya Loknya, Pushkarnoye, and Russkaya Konopelka were thwarted. The AFU losses have amounted to up to 40 troops killed and wounded, three armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles.

Aviation, artillery, and actions of troops inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 22nd, 41st, 61st, 115th mechanised brigades, 82nd Air Assault Brigade, and 1004th Security and Service Brigade near Apanasovka, Borki, Bogdanovka, Vishnyovka, Gaponovo, Kositsa, Lyubimovka, Mikhailovka, Novaya Sorochina, Obukhovka, Orlovka, Plekhovo, Russkoye Porechnoye, Sverdlikovo, Snagost, and Desyaty Oktyabr. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue reconnaissance and search operations in forestry areas to locate and eliminate enemy sabotage groups.

Operational-Tactical Aviation delivered strikes at concentration areas in Sumy region of reserve manpower and military hardware of the 41st, 54th mechanised brigades, 80th, 82nd, 95th air assault brigades of the AFU, 1st National Guard Brigade, 101th, 103rd, 107th, and 129th territorial defence brigades near Belopolye, Bachevsk, Glukhov, Katerinovka, Martynovka, Pervomayskoye, Pustogorod, Pokrovka, Pavlovka, Sumy, and Fotovizh.

Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses have amounted to more than 380 troops and 22 units of hardware, including one tank, 21 armoured fighting vehicles, one artillery gun, two mortars, one electronic warfare station, and eight motor vehicles.

Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses have amounted to more than 7,800 troops, 75 tanks, 36 infantry fighting vehicles, 64 armoured personnel carriers, 507 armoured fighting vehicles, 235 motor vehicles, 53 artillery guns, 15 multiple-launch rocket system launchers, including four of HIMARS system and one of MLRS system, five SAM launchers, 11 electronic warfare stations, one counter-battery radar, one air defence radar, five engineering vehicles, including two counterobstacle vehicles and one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle.





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Tennessee Guardsmen Help Battle East Tennessee Wildfires

By Lt. Col. Darrin Haas, Tennessee National Guard Public Affairs Office August 29, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee National Guard battled wildfires from the air in Great Smoky Mountains National Park this week.

At the request of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, the Tennessee National Guard provided four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and crews from Knoxville's 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion to support wildfire response in the national park beginning Aug. 27.

Around 2:20 p.m. EST, Tennessee National Guard helicopters departed from McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base with buckets used to drop hundreds of gallons of water on wildfires.

Each aircraft made multiple trips throughout the afternoon, picking up water from nearby water sources and transporting it directly to the needed area. The aircrews delivered more than 40 bucket loads of water, totaling nearly 8,000 gallons.

Three Tennessee National Guard helicopter crews flew missions Aug. 28, delivering water to suppress the spread of the fire.

The aircraft were to continue supporting firefighting efforts until the evening and as long as needed.

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The Federal Government agrees on a security package - Greater security for Germany

Germany - Federal Government

The Federal Government has agreed on a package of measures for improving the security situation in Germany. These will make it easier to carry out deportations and strengthen authorities in their fight against violent Islamism, as well as further tightening weapons legislation.

Thursday, 29 August 2024

The incident in Solingen showed that Islamist terror is among the greatest threats to Germany. The Federal Government has taken action in response to the cruel attack: Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann and State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs Anja Hajduk have presented a comprehensive security package. The measures included in this package are designed to improve the security situation in Germany.

Far-reaching measures for greater security

Federal Minister of the Interior Faeser stressed: "We have agreed on far-reaching measures. All levels of state must get involved to tackle the challenges we are faced with." It was key to tighten weapons law, grant the security agencies more authority, intensify the fight against Islamism and further accelerate repatriations, she said.

Federal Minister of Justice Buschmann added: "I believe that it is a highly effective, very substantial package that is highly relevant when it comes to improving the security situation in Germany, and enabling a more rigorous approach that reflects the reality of the situation, in particular in the area of migration policy."

Overview of key facts

Fighting irregular migration:

In future, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees will be allowed to use biometric data to determine the identity of asylum seekers.

to determine the identity of asylum seekers. Asylum seekers for which another European state is responsible according to the Dublin Regulation are to receive no more social benefits in future if the member state in question has agreed to readmission.

in future if the member state in question has agreed to readmission. A Dublin Task Force set up by the Federal and LAnder Governments is to ensure that more asylum seekers who are already registered in another EU country can be returned to the responsible state.

is to ensure that more asylum seekers who are already registered in another EU country can be returned to the responsible state. Individuals travelling to their country of origin will lose their protected status unless such travel is absolutely necessary.

Fighting Islamism:

Biometric comparison for facial recognition will be made available to allow for easier identification of suspects.

will be made available to allow for easier identification of suspects. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution is to be granted greater powers to enable it to fight terrorist financing and control the flow of funds more effectively.

and control the flow of funds more effectively. During its term in office, the Federal Government has banned a number of Islamist organisations , and planning provides for further associations to be banned.

, and planning provides for further associations to be banned. Extremists must be prevented from obtaining weapons. Further agencies such as the Federal Police Force, the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Customs Investigation Bureau will therefore be consulted in future when weapons permits are to be granted or withdrawn.

are to be granted or withdrawn. The Federal Government will establish a Task Force for Islamism Prevention involving both academic experts and practitioners.

involving both academic experts and practitioners. The Federal Government is going to call for Islamist propaganda on the internet to be fought more effectively at EU level.

Stricter weapons law and ban on knives:

The Federal Government will be introducing an absolute ban on knives at local festivals, sporting events, trade fairs, exhibitions, markets and other public events.

at local festivals, sporting events, trade fairs, exhibitions, markets and other public events. Knives will also be banned on buses and trains in future.

in future. The federal states will be granted authorisation to impose bans on knives at railway stations.

will be granted authorisation to impose bans on knives at railway stations. In addition, handling of dangerous flick knives will also be banned.

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Security Council Press Statement on Terrorist Attacks in Burkina Faso

Press Release

Security Council

SC/15806

29 August 2024

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Michael Imran Kanu (Sierra Leone):

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous terrorist attacks resulting in loss of civilian lives over the months in Burkina Faso, including the attack in the Burkinabe town of Barsalogho on 24 August. The attack was claimed by an Al-Qaida-affiliated militant group known as Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the transitional authorities and the people of Burkina Faso, and they wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured.

The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice and urged all States to act in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions.

The members of the Security Council expressed their concern about the security situation in Burkina Faso and the transnational dimension of the terrorist threat in the Sahel region.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused b

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Zambia warns it will tighten cybersecurity laws

By Kathy Short August 30, 2024

Authorities in Zambia have announced measures to tighten enforcement of cybersecurity laws, saying the move is aimed at curbing online hate speech, propaganda, defamation and child abuse. But critics say the change is aimed at clamping down on freedom of expression.

Zambian Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister Jack Mwiimbu told journalists this week that the government has activated section 54 of the 2021 Cybersecurity and Cybercrimes Act.

"A person who with intent to compromise the safety of another person publishes information or data presented in a picture, image, symbol or voice or any other form in a computer system commits an offense and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years," Mwiimbu said.

"The public is urged to adhere to the law and avoid social media posts that may make them come into conflict with the law," he said.

Mwiimbu also warned administrators of social media platform WhatsApp to remove what he called illegal posts made in bad faith, saying they will be held responsible for any publication of such information.

Analysts say whatever the stated intentions of the cybersecurity crackdown may be, the wording of the law is broad, vague and could be used to stifle media freedom.

Lorraine Mwanza, chair of the Zambia chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, said she dislikes the section of the cybersecurity law authorities say they will tightly enforce.

"This section is inimical to freedom, to freedom of expression, media freedom and meaningful accountability, especially on public officials who can easily invoke this section of the act," she said.

In a statement on social media platform X, Musa Mwenye, the former attorney general and president of the Law Association of Zambia, joined the many who have spoken out against the Zambian government's move.

Human rights activist Juliet Chibuta said the new measures are a violation of digital rights.

"Digital and other online platforms must be left open to allow citizens to participate," she said. "Digital rights entail the ability for citizens to enjoy their rights of freedom of expression [and] access to information online without hindrance."

The Southern Africa Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, a human rights organization, criticized the online restrictions.

Arthur Muyunda, acting executive director of the group, said, "For them to invoke the section, it shows that they are also determined to shrink the civic space, which has already been shrinking using other laws. We appeal that they should reverse that invocation as it will suppress the voices of the people."

During her visit to Zambia in 2022, Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard urged authorities to repeal legislation that can be used to clamp down on public dissent, including the Public Order Act and the Cybersecurity and Cybercrimes Act.

Callamard said the two laws have been used to suppress human rights, especially freedom of assembly and expression in Zambia.

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Poland Pressuring Belarus To Release Political Prisoners, Parliament Speaker Says

By Kanstantsin Lashkevich August 30, 2024

PRAGUE -- Poland continues to pressure the Belarusian regime for the release of journalist Andrzej Poczobut and other political prisoners, the speaker of the Polish parliament (Sejm) said on August 30 at the Globsec security conference in Prague.

Poland is doing everything possible at the diplomatic level to send signals to authoritarian Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka that he must release political prisoners, Szymon Holownia said.

"If he wants the border crossings to be opened, if he wants to have transit corridors, he needs to cooperate with us on this issue," said Holownia in response to a question from RFE/RL. "We are trying to show that if he does not cooperate, the consequences for him, his regime, and his country will be very challenging."

Poland in 2023 closed all but one of its crossings with Belarus in response to the expulsion of several Polish diplomats from Minsk, as well as the sentencing of Poczobut to eight years in prison on multiple charges that Warsaw says are unjust and politically motivated.

Poczobut, a correspondent for the respected Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza, was sentenced on charges of encouraging actions aimed at harming the national security of Belarus, trying to rehabilitate Nazism, and inciting ethnic hostility. Human rights defenders have recognized him as a political prisoner.

Poczobut was arrested in March 2021 amid rising tensions between Minsk and Warsaw following the brutal suppression of mass protests against Lukashenka after he claimed a landslide victory in a 2020 presidential election. The Belarusian opposition claimed the election was rigged in favor of Lukashenka, who has been in power since 1994.

Relations between Poland and Belarus worsened further after a migrant crisis on their shared border and after Lukashenka allowed Moscow to use its territory as a launching pad for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Holownia noted that the migration pressure on the Poland-Belarus border has significantly decreased compared to a few months ago. He attributed this to steps taken by the Polish government. Poland has built a fence equipped with electronic protection and beefed up the number of border guards along its 400-kilometer border with Belarus.

But Holownia admitted that Polish politicians sometimes do not know "which buttons to press to activate processes in Belarus."

"Lukashenka has turned Belarus -- a proud, independent country -- practically into a colony of Russia," he said. "But we sometimes do not know the nature of their relations and the level of mutual hatred, envy, and aggression that exists between [Lukashenka and Russian President Vladimir Putin]."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-poland-lukashenka- poczobut-holownia-/33100187.html

Copyright (c) 2024. 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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Remarks by APNSA Jake Sullivan in Press Conference | Beijing, People's Republic of China

August 29, 2024

Beijing, People's Republic of China

MR. SULLIVAN: Good evening. As I said at the very start of these meetings, President Biden has been clear that he is committed to managing this important relationship responsibly.

Our aim in every engagement with China is to deliver for the American people. Under President Biden's leadership, the United States has and will continue to advance its interests and values, look out for its friends. And as we do, we believe that competition with China does not have to lead to conflict or confrontation. The key is responsible management through diplomacy.

Beginning in May of last year, that diplomacy has been an all-hands-on-deck effort across the U.S. government and the Cabinet, which has included four meetings between myself and Director Wang Yi, as well as engagements between Secretary Blinken, Secretary Yellen, Secretary Raimondo and their counterparts, and many other Cabinet secretaries and their counterparts.

Those discussions helped lay the foundation for a productive summit between President Biden and President Xi in San Francisco at the end of last year. There, our leaders agreed on concrete steps on issues that matter to the American people and, for that matter, matter to the world.

This week, I traveled to China for the first time as National Security Advisor to take stock of where we have made progress and what work there still remains to be done, and also how we can responsibly manage the difficult issues and the differences that we have in this relationship. That's been the focus of my meetings with President Xi, with Director and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and with CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Zouxia [sic] a excuse me, Zhang Youxia.

This was a true working visit. Over the course of 14 hours of meetings, we discussed progress and next steps on implementation of the Woodside commitments, including our work on counternarcotics and efforts to reduce the flow of illicit synthetic drugs into the United States; military-to-military communications including an upcoming engagement between our theater commanders; as well as work towards another round of AI safety and risk talks. Among other issues of global concern, we discussed the recent efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza.

These meetings were also about managing tough issues, as I said, and areas of disagreement. And I was direct on these issues as well.

The United States will continue to take necessary action to prevent advanced U.S. technologies from being used to undermine our national security without unduly limiting trade or investment. We have continued concerns about China's unfair trade policies and non-market economic practices.

We remain deeply concerned about China's support for Russia's defense industrial base and its impact on both European and transatlantic security, not to mention on Russia's brutal aggression against Ukraine.

It is a top priority for this administration to resolve the cases of American citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China. And this was another opportunity for me to raise those cases, as I have done in my prior engagements.

I also underscored the longstanding U.S. commitment to universal human rights and fundamental freedoms.

In all of my meetings, I stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait; emphasized the United States' commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula; and I reaffirmed the United States' commitment to our Indo-Pacific allies including our concerns about destabilizing actions against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea.

These were constructive, candid, substantive conversations. We believe that keeping lines of communication open is critical. And to that end, we began planning towards a leader-level call in the coming weeks where I expect these discussions to continue.

And with that, I'd be happy take your questions.

Yeah.

Q Throughout your meetings with Chinese officials, including Xi Jinping, did you get a sense of how Chinese leadership is feeling about the race for the White House? Obviously, the election would be a looming issue for them.

MR. SULLIVAN: I didn't really get a feeling for that. We didn't discuss the American election. That's obviously something for the American people to decide and not for any other country to get involved in. So, neither in my meetings with Director Wang nor in the meeting with the President, or, for that matter, with the CMC Vice Chair, did we specifically talk about the American election.

Yeah.

Q Hi there. Marc Stewart from CNN. As you mentioned, you talked about some of the maritime issues. I don't have to tell you, obviously, things are very tense right now in the South China Sea, especially with the Philippines and some of these reef issues. Reading the readout, it said you discussed some of this with Xi Jinping himself. Other than diplomatic speak, is there a reasonable roadmap or blueprint for the future? Because I think that the level of tension is reaching an extremely high level.

MR. SULLIVAN: So, first, we believe that the order of the day should be de-escalation, and we support direct discussions between the Philippines and the PRC to that end. We also have made very clear that our mutual defense treaty applies to public vessels, including coast guard vessels, that are operating in the South China Sea and in other waters. It also applies to aircraft, for that matter.

So the PRC well understands the longstanding commitment the United States has under its mutual defense treaty to the Philippines, and the Philippines well understands that we have an ironclad commitment to support them in their lawful exercise of their rights, their maritime rights.

At the same time, nobody is looking for a crisis a not the Philippines, not the United States, and we hope not the PRC. But I did raise our concerns about some of the destabilizing actions that have taken place, including the ramming of coast guard vessels and unsafe intercepts near Scarborough Shoal.

It's something we'll continue to discuss with our Chinese counterparts. It's something we will continue to consult closely with our Filipino counterparts on. And in fact, before I came here, I had the opportunity to call my Filipino counterpart, the National Security Advisor, Secretary AAo, and I will stay in close touch with him, as will other members of the U.S. government.

So we will do our best to try to contribute to managing this issue in a responsible way so that de-escalation is the order of the day.

Yeah.

Q Hello. This is Rae (ph) from The Paper. So, I wonder, since the San Francisco summit, you know, more than 20 communication mechanisms have been established or assumed, maintaining the momentum from (inaudible) dialogue between the two countries. So following this visit, what will be the key focus of the U.S. diplomacy towards China through next January? And what specific interim achievement does the Biden administration hope to secure during this period? Thank you.

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, first, at a macro level, the most important thing and a core part of my extended engagement with Director Wang, not just here but in multiple meetings dating back to the beginning of last year, is overall responsible management of this relationship so the competition doesn't veer into confrontation or conflict. That is ongoing work. And being able to reach the end of President Biden's administration with the relationship on a stable basis, even though we have areas of difference and areas of difficulty, this is something we will work towards.

More specifically, we're going to look for further progress on counternarcotics and reducing the flow of illicit synthetic drugs into the United States. We are going to look for a deepening of the military-to-military communication so that we can pass that on to President Biden's successor. And, in fact, a very positive outcome of the sessions here is that there will be a call between the theater commanders, the INDOPACOM commander and the Southern Theater commander for the PLA.

Having the opportunity today to sit down with the CMC Vice Chairman, something that has not happened for a U.S. official in eight years, is itself significant because it allows us to give impetus and momentum to those military-to-military lines of communication, and that will be an important priority for us as we go forward.

There are other issues as well, of course, that we'll deal with, and we'll have to manage the risks and flashpoints too: cross-Strait relations, the South China Sea, the Chinese support for the Russian defense industrial base. And we'll continue to work on all of those in the months ahead.

Yeah.

Q Welcome to Beijing. My name is Laura Baker. I'm from BBC News. I'd like to ask you: You talk about a call between the two leaders within the coming weeks. Will there be a last meeting between President Biden and President Xi?

And also, back to those talks with General Zhang: How important is it for you to have those talks with a leading general? And what was the tone of those talks?

MR. SULLIVAN: It is likely that both President Biden and President Xi will be at APEC and the G20 later this year. I don't have any announcements to make on either President Biden's travel or a potential meeting, but the likelihood is they'll both be there, and if they are, it would only be natural for them to have the chance to sit down with one another. So we'll have to await any confirmation or any announcements, but I think things pointing in that direction seem logical and reasonable.

I think the meeting with Vice Chairman Zhang was very important. There is no substitute for actually being able to sit across the table, not just with the Vice Chairman but with his whole team, and be able to hear from them their perspective on critical issues, and them be able to hear from us our perspective on those same issues, whether it's cross-Strait relations or the South China Sea or cyber issues. And being able to have that exchange, which is rare, I think allows us to clarify our intentions and our concerns and hear theirs, and try to use that in service of responsible management of the relationship going forward.

Yeah.

Q Thank you. From the Wall Street Journal. Just to follow up on the question about the U.S. election, I'm curious about what questions, if any, did the Chinese ask you about what a potential Harris administration would represent for U.S.-China relations.

And connected to this, did you raise the issue specifically of potential election interference by China during your trip here today?

MR. SULLIVAN: Every time I meet with Chinese officials, I raise the issue of election interference and laying down a clear marker that it's unacceptable for any nation to interfere in the U.S. election. And this trip was no different in that regard. I made that point once again.

I won't characterize what the PRC's questions were with respect to Vice President Harris. They'll have to speak for themselves on that. But what I will say is that Vice President Harris has been a central member of the Biden foreign policy team, a leading member, and has been part of the design and execution of the overall strategy in the Indo-Pacific and with respect to the responsible management of U.S.-China relations.

She has had the opportunity to engage herself with President Xi and with Premier Li. So she is known to both of the top leaders in China. And she shares President Biden's view that responsibly managing this competition, so it doesn't veer into conflict or confrontation, is essential. And she also shares the view that maintaining high-level, open lines of communication is the way that you can achieve that responsible management.

So I was able to share my experience and my perspective of working closely with the Vice President and the role that she has played over the course of the past four years.

Yeah.

Q Thank you. I'm with Phoenix TV. The Biden administration has announced arms sale to Taiwan 15 times now since taking office and surpassing the Trump administration's 11 times. So, China believes that the continued U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and other actions have increased tensions in the Taiwan Strait. So how do you respond to this? And what is the U.S. willing to do to de-escalate? Thank you.

MR. SULLIVAN: Our One China policy has not changed, and our approach to this issue is guided by the One China policy, the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint CommuniquAs, and the Six Assurances. That remains true today, and that has remained true on a bipartisan basis through multiple administrations. And that policy has actually helped contribute to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait for decades, and we intend to keep it that way.

Let's see. Yeah.

Q Ken Moritsugu with the AP. I want to ask about the 100 percent tariff that the Canadian government put on Chinese EVs earlier this week. It was reported that you had met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and encouraged Canada to go forward with that. Did that come up at all during these talks? Did the Chinese side complain about it or the timing? And if so, how did you respond?

MR. SULLIVAN: First of all, Canada is a sovereign country that makes its own sovereign decisions, and it would be quite an extraordinary power to show up on a Sunday evening and produce a major trade policy move on a Monday morning. So, I think the right way to look at this is: I was there for a pre-scheduled cabinet retreat to speak with them. They took independent action. It was not at my behest or anything that I did or said that made that happen. That was a determination that they made.

I did make the point while I was in Canada, and I'd make it standing here today, that we have concerns relative to EVs, both with respect to security issues and overcapacity issues. We've been public and transparent about that. But this was a decision they took on their own, and I won't characterize the conversations with the PRC on this issue; I'll let them speak for themselves.

Yeah.

Q Janis Mackey Frayer with NBC. A follow-up to the election-related question from Brian. The Chinese leadership and Chinese officials are about stability and consistency in their relationships. Did they at all signal to you any hesitation, nervousness, or concern about an upcoming change of administration at the White House?

MR. SULLIVAN: They recognize that elections are sensitive periods and transitions are sensitive periods, and responsible management through an election and transition is important. That's something we believe as well. And my visit here during this period helps contribute to try and sustain that responsible management over this coming sensitive period.

I will refrain from commenting on their perspective about what comes next. I think that's something that they're going to have to speak for themselves on.

Yeah.

Q Thanks. Trevor Hunnicutt, Reuters. Jake, could you talk a little bit about the status of the Middle East hostage and ceasefire negotiations?

MR. SULLIVAN: I could, but it's moving hour by hour, and I haven't gotten an update in the last several hours. What I would say is that the negotiators are bearing down on the details, meaning that we have advanced the discussions to a point where it's in the nitty-gritty. And that is a positive sign of progress, but at the end of the day, nothing is done until it's done, and so we're just going to keep working at this until we finally get the ceasefire and hostage deal across the line. And I'll have the chance, when I get on the plane, to check in with our negotiating team who's participating in these talks in the region even as we speak.

Yeah.

Q Thank you. Evelyn Cheng from CNBC. On the issue of tech restrictions, I know that's something that the U.S. side has remained very firm on and that the Chinese side has repeatedly asked for changes on. If the trajectory is still going to be more restrictions, was there a you know, can you give some more details on what that discussion looked like?

And then, just on the aspect of cross-Strait tensions and southeast a South China Sea, was there any specifics on what would look a what a de-escalation might look like? Thank you.

MR. SULLIVAN: We had extended discussions about economics and national security, and I won't characterize the PRC position on that, other than to say it wasn't a it was consistent in the room with what they have said publicly on the issue.

For our part, I laid out our approach, which is rooted in the concept of small yard, high fence. I explained why it is that we feel we have to take some targeted restrictions to ensure that advanced technologies aren't used against U.S. national security. I explained that our approach is one of de-risking, not decoupling, and described in some detail how we saw de-risking in practice. And I also raised our concerns about steps that the PRC has taken with respect to the intersection of economics and national security and the impact that that has had on Western businesses and on supply chains.

And so, we had a vigorous give-and-take on the issue. Obviously, we didn't come to agreement on certain aspects of things. But I think the dialogue is very useful because it clarifies the concerns of each side and also gives us the opportunity to explain what it is that we are doing and what we are not doing. And I thought that was valuable.

We didn't reach any specific agreements on the South China Sea. You know, for one thing, it's not for the United States to reach agreements with China over the heads of parties like the Philippines. For another, you know, there's no substitute for that direct diplomacy between the two of them. But we did indicate and reiterate our longstanding commitment to our ally and our longstanding commitment to the rule of law, freedom of navigation, and the free exercise of maritime rights in the South China Sea. And we'll continue to do that.

I'll take one more question. Yeah.

Q China Media Group speaking. Sir, we noticed that almost all of your accompanying staff can speak Chinese. Do you think this helped you to communicate with your Chinese counterparts? And does this help you accurately understand China's core concerns? Thank you.

MR. SULLIVAN: Yes. (Laughter.) The answer is yes. No, having a team here, many of whom do speak fluent Mandarin, have deep experience on issues related to the PRC and the U.S.-China relationship, this is a you know, it makes my job a heck of a lot easier and makes me much better than I would otherwise be. And I stand on the shoulders of those experts because, you know, they're the ones with the insights and the wisdom that drives forward the conversations that we've had here over the last three days. So a

All right, we'll do two more. Yeah.

Q Yes. Keith Bradsher for the New York Times. Have you made any progress with China in discussing what might be a possible resolution for the war in Ukraine? Thank you.

MR. SULLIVAN: I can't say that we did make progress on that issue. The PRC has been very public in its view that the war should end through diplomacy. They've laid out various principles, both unilaterally and in separate communication with the Brazilians.

We had the opportunity to exchange views on the war against Ukraine over the course of the last three days. We didn't reach any particular plan with respect to diplomacy, in large part because the United States very rigorously adheres to the simple maxim of "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." So, ultimately, it will be up to Ukraine to decide how it wants to proceed with diplomacy and negotiations.

Yeah.

Q (Inaudible.) Perhaps an overarching question. Several months ago, Chinese/Sino-U.S. relations was very intense, especially around the time U.S. imposed kind of additional tariff on Chinese EVs or semiconductors. And China is facing this trade war nowadays with Europe. But all of a sudden, you came and U.S.-China relations seems to be on better track, especially for the last few months of this year. What's behind this change? Does that have anything to do with Vice President Harris taking over the presidential race or any other factor from the Chinese side?

And looking forward, do you see U.S.-China relations turning marginally for the better for the next few months, or potentially next few years, compared to a potential second Trump term? Thanks.

MR. SULLIVAN: I can't characterize the Chinese side on this issue. They're going to have to speak for themselves. What I can tell you is that we believe, in the Biden administration, that intense diplomacy matters a because it doesn't resolve every issue, it doesn't mean that we are going to agree on everything, but it does mean that we can improve understanding, we can clarify misperceptions, we can reduce the risk of miscalculation, and we can identify areas to work together where our interests align that might previously have been hidden.

So, the relationship remains a competitive relationship. We need to responsibly manage that competition, and we're doing that through this very detailed, painstaking, multiple rounds of diplomatic effort. And it's not to arrive at a certain end result where everything is just resolved. It's rather to arrive on a stable basis so that each of us can stand up for our interests, we can stand up for our friends, we can defend our values, we can take the actions we feel we need to take in service of our national interests, but we can also work together to ensure that the relationship is managed responsibly. That is what this trip was about. That's what the diplomacy of the last two years have been about. And we do believe that it puts us in a position to increase the prospect of stability in the relationship.

But we have to keep in mind, too, that there are always risks a risks of escalation, risks of misunderstanding, risks of something going awry. And we've seen that before in the U.S.-China relationship. And we discussed those risks, too, at some length, whether it's to do with cross-Strait relations or the South China Sea, or European security and the war in Ukraine, or many other issues, including issues that were not previously foreseen, like incidents from a year or two ago.

So this is something we will have to keep working at, and it's a work in progress. Today is not the end of anything. It's just the continuation of a sustained pattern of intensive diplomacy led by President Biden and President Xi and carried out by many of us across our administration and the Chinese government, and we're going to keep at it.

Thank you, guys.

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Second Anniversary of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' Assessment on the Human Rights Situation in Xinjiang

US Department of State

Press Statement

Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson

August 30, 2024

In 2022, after a multi-year assessment, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) concluded that "serious human rights violations have been committed" in Xinjiang. The United States is disappointed that after two years, the People's Republic of China (PRC) continues to reject the OHCHR assessment's findings and refuses to implement the High Commissioner's recommendations to release all those arbitrarily deprived of their liberty, cease all intimidation and reprisals against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang and abroad, and investigate allegations of human rights abuses, including torture, sexual violence, forced labor, and forced medical treatment.

The United States remains gravely concerned by the PRC's ongoing repression of predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, which the High Commissioner's assessment found "may constitute international crimes, particularly crimes against humanity." We again urge the PRC to take immediate action to end these ongoing atrocities.

We recognize OHCHR's continued engagement with the PRC on human rights abuses and violations, including in Xinjiang, and welcome continued engagement on their assessment and recommendations. We will continue to work closely with partners across the international community to seek justice for the many victims of PRC policies in Xinjiang and to secure accountability for individuals and entities perpetrating human rights violations and abuses.

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China upholds rule of law in HKSAR case

Global Times

Departments urge end to Western manipulation of 'press freedom'

By Liu Caiyu Published: Aug 31, 2024 12:32 AM

China urged some politicians from the West to stop political manipulation of the judiciary under the pretext of "press freedom" after they made irresponsible remarks regarding the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) court's trial of the criminal case involving two editors of "Stand News."

Being the first incitement case involving a media organization since the return of Hong Kong to the motherland 27 years ago, the case is a just move to safeguard national security and the rule of law in Hong Kong, providing important precedent for similar cases that may be tried in the future and on how media organizations exercise the right of press freedom in compliance with the law, observers said.

China deplores and opposes a handful of countries and institutions exploiting the judicial case in the Hong Kong SAR to vilify Hong Kong and interfere in China's internal affairs, Lin Jian, a spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Friday.

"Let me stress that the rights and freedoms Hong Kong residents enjoy in accordance with law, including freedom of press, are fully protected. This is an undeniable fact. Meanwhile, Hong Kong upholds the rule of law where to abide by the law and bring lawbreakers to justice is a basic principle. Freedom of press is by no means a shield for illegal activities," Lin said.

The Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong, the Chinese Embassy in the UK, and the Chinese Mission to the EU also expressed their dissatisfaction with the irresponsible remarks regarding the case made by some Western politicians.

Stand News editors-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and Lam Shiu-tung, and Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Limited - the company that operated Stand News - were guilty of conspiring to publish seditious articles, the Hong Kong SAR government said on Thursday, citing the District Court.

The Commissioner's Office slammed the Western politicians for having long-held double standards on so-called "press freedom" issue. They turn a blind eye to their own country's deplorable record of suppressing the news media, but have repeatedly used "press freedom" as a political tool to justify anti-China and anti-Hong Kong organizations, and wantonly smear and attack the rule of law and fair justice in the SAR.

Refuting accusations from some Western politicians, Kennedy Wong Ying-ho, a solicitor of the High Court of Hong Kong, told the Global Times on Friday that they are merely trying to "confuse right and wrong and mislead the public."

He said that Hong Kong residents enjoy freedom of the press, the normal operation of media organizations is also protected by law, and Hong Kong laws also clearly define the provisions on "sedition." The provision will not affect or harm press freedom.

The court's decision has added a precedent to Hong Kong's judicial system, providing important reference for similar cases that may be tried in the future and provide guidance on how to exercise the right of press freedom in compliance with the law, Wong said.

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Sullivan to China: US committed to 'complete' Korean peninsula denuclearization

The absence of references to North Korean denuclearization in US party platforms has raised concern in the South.

By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.08.30 -- U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said he reaffirmed a US commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in talks with top Chinese officials this week.

During his visit to Beijing, Sullivan held talks with President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia.

"In all of my meetings, I stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait; emphasized the United States' commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Sullivan said on Thursday in the press briefing.

His remarks came amid the absence of references to the goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in the policy platforms of both the U.S. Democratic and Republican parties as they prepare for November's US presidential election.

That omission has raised concern in South Korea that rival North Korea might see an opportunity to secure a long-cherished goal, U.S. recognition that it is a de facto nuclear power.

U.S. recognition of that would shift the focus of negotiations from denuclearization to arms control.

Amid the concerns, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Thursday that he believed the U.S. would stick to its long-standing goal of North Korea's denuclearization.

Yoon also said South Korea's security cooperation with the U.S. and Japan would continue regardless of any leadership changes.

Yoon reaffirmed the commitment to the trilateral cooperation established during a Camp David summit a year ago, which was designed to strengthen the joint responses of the three allies to North Korea's threats and other security challenges.

In Japan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently made a surprise announcement that he will step down when his party picks a new leader next month.

His decision means his governing Liberal Democratic Party will choose a new standard bearer in its leadership election next month. The winner will replace Kishida as both party chief and prime minister.

Yoon said cooperation between his country, the U.S. and Japan would endure no matter what.

"The South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation framework is very important not only to the Indo-Pacific but also the global economy and security, benefiting all three nations," Yoon said in a televised press conference. "A change in the leadership will not change this framework, and it will be upheld through the official diplomatic agreements."

Separately, Yoon also expressed confidence in the U.S.' "extended deterrence" commitment to defending South Korea with both conventional and nuclear capabilities, as outlined in the Washington Declaration, adopted during his summit with Biden in May 2023.

"The integrated extended deterrence between South Korea and the U.S. is becoming increasingly effective as the alliance is strengthened," said Yoon.

Edited by RFA Staff.

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Kim Jong-un riding with his daughter Ju-ae during a visit to Mount Paektu, North Korea, in 2019 (AP)

Vladimir Putin has reportedly gifted Kim Jong-un 24 purebred horses in exchange for artillery shells used in the Ukraine war, signalling the two leaders increasingly close bond.

The new consignment of Orlov Trotters, which are said to be the North Korean leaders favourite breed, were brought over the narrow land border on Sunday, according to an announcement made by the veterinary authorities in Primorsky Krai, which is the Russian Far East region connected by rail to North Korea, reported The Times.

The delivery of the 19 stallions and five mares is reported by South Korean media to be partial payment for North Korean artillery shells sent to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un exchange documents during a ceremony for their new partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea, in June (Sputnik)

It comes two years after Pyongyang received 30 Orlov Trotters, the breed Kim has been seen riding in his regimes propaganda pictures.

Meanwhile, state media KCNA reported the North Korean leader sent President Putin a pair of Pungsan dogs, which is a local breed, in June, after the two leaders signed a comprehensive partnership agreement committing to military cooperation earlier that month. The Russian leader then gifted Kim 447 goats in August.

The horses primarily play a symbolic, rather than military, role for Kim, fuelling his familys personality cult (Reuters)

Despite its development of nuclear weapons and balliestic missiles, North Korea is investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into a network of equestrian military units, which is among the oldest of military technologies. Between 2020 and 2023, the country spent at least $600,000 importing thoroughbred horses from Russia.

The horses primarily play a symbolic, rather than military, role for Kim, fuelling his familys personality cult. The North Korean leader is depicted riding on 386 occasions at the museum of the Mirim Horse Riding Club, which is the countrys most imporant equestrian centre.

The club also features sayings on equestrianism spoken by Kim, such as, Horses may no longer be used in war, but the war horse is important from the perspective that they display the militarys greatness.

Another reads: Commanders must ride horses. A person who rides horses will gain a stronger disposition and higher command ability, and it is also related to physical strength.
Federal Chancellor receives British Prime Minister Starmer - Germany and the UK are special partners

Germany - Federal Government

Germany and the UK were looking to "place their relations on a completely new footing" by concluding a treaty on bilateral cooperation, said Federal Chancellor Scholz at a joint press conference with the British Prime Minister Starmer in Berlin.

Transcript of press conference

Wednesday, 28 August 2024

Germany and the United Kingdom enjoyed a long and trusting partnership based on shared values and reliable friendship, said Scholz after talks between the two heads of government. The cooperation would continue to be fostered "for the good of our peoples, for the good of Europe and for security in the transatlantic region".

Making his inaugural visit to the Chancellery, the new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was received by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz with military honours this morning.

The most important points from the Federal Chancellor's press conference:

Treaty on bilateral co-operation : In the months to come, Germany and the UK will work towards concluding a bilateral cooperation agreement that covers all aspects of relations between the two countries. "This is the first time a treaty of this nature has ever been concluded between Germany and the United Kingdom," said Federal Chancellor Scholz.

: In the months to come, Germany and the UK will work towards concluding a bilateral cooperation agreement that covers all aspects of relations between the two countries. "This is the first time a treaty of this nature has ever been concluded between Germany and the United Kingdom," said Federal Chancellor Scholz. Upcoming government consultations : The plan is to sign the agreement in connection with German-British government consultations scheduled to take place at the beginning of next year.

: The plan is to sign the agreement in connection with German-British government consultations scheduled to take place at the beginning of next year. Strengthen NATO, help Ukraine : Germany and the UK will seek to work together to strengthen the European pillar of NATO and will collaborate more closely on security policy to this end. Scholz reaffirmed the two countries' continued support for Ukraine. "We will continue to provide financial, economic, political and military support - for as long as necessary," said the Federal Chancellor. The Federal Government's draft budget provides for four billion euros in bilateral aid to go to Ukraine in 2025.

: Germany and the UK will seek to work together to strengthen the European pillar of NATO and will collaborate more closely on security policy to this end. Scholz reaffirmed the two countries' continued support for Ukraine. "We will continue to provide financial, economic, political and military support - for as long as necessary," said the Federal Chancellor. The Federal Government's draft budget provides for four billion euros in bilateral aid to go to Ukraine in 2025. Strengthen EU-UK relations: Even after Brexit, the UK continued to be an "indispensable part" of the solution to Europe's major issues, stressed the Federal Chancellor, noting that the Withdrawal Agreement, the Northern Ireland Protocol, the Comprehensive Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the Windsor Framework provided a reliable legal framework that was now to be fully implemented.

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Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (August 30, 2024)

India - Ministry of External Affairs

August 30, 2024

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good afternoon friends. Today, I have an announcement to make regarding the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister of India. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, is scheduled to visit Brunei Darussalam during 3rd and 4th September 2024. This will be the first ever bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Brunei. The visit coincides with 40th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Brunei.

From Brunei, Prime Minister will thereafter visit Singapore on 4th and 5th September 2024 at the invitation of Prime Minister His Excellency Mr. Lawrence Wong of Singapore. During the visit, there are several elements of the programme which you will see in the Press release that we will do shortly after this Presser. As also we will be scheduling a pre-visit briefing by Secretary on this upcoming visit of the Prime Minister.

So that was the announcement for me to make. Now I open the floor for questions.

Speaker: Sir, aapne dekha hoga Pakistan ne Wagah border par Hurriyat neta Syed Ali Shah Geelani ki photo lagai hai us taraf. Isko lekar BSF ne objection raise kiya hai. Toh kya diplomatically bhi is mudde ko uthaya gaya hai? Dusra Pakistan ne kal hi bola hai ki SCO Summit ke liye Pradhan Mantri Modi ko invite kiya gaya hai, kya woh inviation aapko mil chuka hai? Agar mil chuka hai, toh response aapka kya hai?

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, you must have seen that a photo of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has been placed by Pakistan on the other side of the Wagah border. The BSF has raised an objection to this. Has this issue been raised diplomatically as well? Secondly, Pakistan said yesterday that Prime Minister Modi has been invited to the SCO Summit. Have you received the invitation? And if yes, what is your response?

Sidhant: Hi Sir, Sidhant from WION. Sir, we saw the conversation between Prime Minister Modi and the US President Biden; but we also saw discrepancies in the readout, in terms of a different readout, absence of certain topics in their readout. So if you can just talk about that.

Abhishek: Hi Sir, Abhishek Jha, I'm a freelancer now. So my question is regarding this recent repost emerging from Bangladesh where it has been reported by several institutions backed by government also, that Indian agencies and Indian government's actions had flooded part of Bangladesh and there are apparently some dams which were opened, the gates of dams were opened. That resulted in those flooding situations. Do you have anything to say on that, whether it was deliberate or something natural happened in that?

Mohammad Ghazali: Sir, day before yesterday, the Jamaat-e-Islami Chief in Bangladesh has spoken to the media and said that he is open to...or the Party is open to improve ties with India. So knowing it that the Party is accused of fomenting anti-India sentiments there, what does the Indian government's stand over it?

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So let me first take these questions and then I'll come back to you. First of all, regarding the invitation for SCO, yes we have received an invitation from Pakistan for the Council of Heads of State/ Government meeting that is to happen. We don't have an update on that for you. We will let you know what the situation is, later. The other question which you asked about involving BSF etc, I have not seen the report. So, let me come back to you on this particular matter.

Sidhant, regarding your question, yes we have seen that there have been some comments in that regard, regarding your question. Let me tell you, these claims are uninformed, tendentious and motivated and betray a total lack of familiarity with the process of how such contacts between leaders are organized and then followed upon. Firstly, press releases issued after conversations between leaders are not like Joint Statements where every word is negotiated and mutually agreed upon. Secondly, such press releases are not meant to be comprehensive readouts of such conversations. And finally, it is not unusual for two sides to emphasize different aspects of the same conversation in their respective readouts. The absence of an aspect of one press release or the other is not evidence of its absence in the conversation itself. I am very much aware of the contents of the conversation between the Prime Minister and the President of the United States and I can tell you that our press release is an accurate and faithful record of what transpired in the conversation. The subject of Bangladesh which has been highlighted, as you pointed out, by certain quarters was very much discussed substantially by both the leaders.

Abhishek regarding your question, regarding some international reports on the flood situation in Bangladesh; let me tell you, we have seen the CNN report on the flood situation in Bangladesh. Its narrative is misleading and suggests that India is somehow responsible for the floods. It is factually not correct and ignores the facts mentioned in the press r eleases issued by the Government of India clarifying the situation. They also have ignored that we have regular and timely exchange of data and critical information between the two countries through existing joint mechanisms for water resources management.

Ghazali, to your question, our present engagement with Bangladesh, you would have seen reports about our High Commissioner calling on, making an introductory call on the Chief Advisor. This happened some days back where he discussed several aspects of our relationship. He also talked about that India would like to continue to work with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of people of both countries for prosperity, security and development. High Commissioner had conveyed that our commitment to taking forward the relationship in accordance with our respective national priorities. He stressed on this fact. They also discussed other issues, including safety of Hindus and minorities there. High Commissioner also informed Chief Advisor that the flooding in eastern Bangladesh was caused due to excessive rain. There are other aspects that you have highlighted. We have taken note of that and hopefully we will have more engagement on such issues later.

Rishabh: Sir, good evening, Rishabh from Times Now. Sir, as per the reports from Bangladesh and statement from the Bangladesh Home Office Advisor, the diplomatic passports of Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister, and all members of her Cabinet as well as MPs have been now disqualified. So as per Passport Rules, she can still stay in India for 45 days, out of which over 3-4 weeks are gone. So what's our stand on that and what's the further course of action given that there are increasing calls for her deportation to Bangladesh by the present day government?

Vineeta: My name is Vineeta. I work for the Asian Age Deccan Chronicle. Just adding to his question, has the MEA received a formal request for her deportation, deportation of Sheikh Hasina?

Huma: Sir, I am Huma Siddiqui from the Financial Express. The Brazilian Foreign Minister was here. So I just want to ask if the topic of those hundred Indians stuck at Sao Paulo airport was taken up with them and what action is India taking that such an event doesn't happen. Also just a supplement to that itself, what has happened to the Indians who were stopped in Jamaica, because they were similarly there in Jamaica without the documents?

Ayushi: Sir, this is Ayushi Agarwal from ANI. My question is related to Afghanistan, today our External Affair Minister also spoke about the strong relation, people to people relation. My question is related to the recent development where the new laws published by Taliban stating that women voices should not be heard in public places. How does New Delhi see such development?

Raghavendra: This is Raghavendra Verma from ZDF, German Television. It's regarding Indo-German relations, the immigration of Indian workforce to Germany has been becoming part of the Germany's economic cooperation agenda. There are several institutions, with the help of the German government, they have been training, imparting skills which are useful in Germany, and in short supply. What is the Indian government's view on that? Does it promote it? Has any reservation? And also if you can summarize the present state of relations between the two countries both in economic and political sphere.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: So, first Rishabh to your question, see we have stated this earlier that the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh came to India at a very short notice for safety reasons. We have nothing further to add on that matter. Also to answering your question, I think what you are asking lies in the realm of hypothetical issues. So that is where we are on the issue that you raised.

Huma, Brazilian Foreign Minister was here. You have followed the meeting. He was here for the Joint Commission meeting which was chaired by the Brazilian Foreign Minister and External Affairs Minister. It was an occasion for them to discuss the entire issues that fall in the domain of bilateral ties and also global ties that we have with Brazil, including their upcoming Presidency of the G20 Summit meeting that is going to take place. We are part of the Troika with them. It was also an occasion for us to discuss IBSA, BRICS and other partnerships and what all things that we are doing together in the United Nations. As far as the issue of Indians stranded in the international airport in Sao Paulo is concerned, yes we are aware. I think the figures are not what you have said. There are several Indians and we also have a Consulate in Sao Paulo. The Consulate in Sao Paulo is in touch with the Foreign Office representative in the city. They have also sought a meeting with local authorities and ascertaining more details. Let me tell you that contrary to what was reported in some medium, the Indians who are there at the airport, they are being taken care of in terms of food, nourishment etc. We will have more updates on them later and I shall update you on that.

Regarding the question about Indians who were sent back from Jamaica, they went from Dubai. From Jamaica, they all were sent back to Dubai. We have a large number of Indians who reside in the Middle East including Dubai.

Ayushi to your question, our position on such issues is well known to you. We have said so on several occasions.

Raghavendra, India-Germany ties, well this is a very special relationship. We have a Strategic Partnership with Germany. We have expansive economic ties with Germany which has trade, investment, technology. We have large number of Indian students who are choosing Germany for education purposes and many of the Indian students, or majority of them go there for Masters and Doctoral pursuits, mostly focused on science and technology. A lot of Indian professionals are also working now in Germany and we have seen this trend in the last several years that it has gone up. Today, I think Indian students in Germany form the largest cohort of international students in that country. Recently, we also signed, in 2022, a Mobility Partnership Agreement with Germany. After that, we have seen an uptick in our relationship, our people-to-people ties. So, it is something that we welcome and we want this partnership to grow. We want the mobility partnership to be facilitating our people-to-people exchanges, our business partnerships, our economic partnerships. I would also like to tell you that Germany and India, together we are doing several things on skilling, on vocational education. German companies here are very active on that and there are several complementarities which bring us together and we hope that this Mobility Partnership and the Strategic Partnership that we have will continue to enhance and deepen our engagement with Germany.

Yeshi Seli: This is Yeshi Seli from The New Indian Express. I would like to know, you know there are many projects, bilateral projects between India and Bangladesh. What is the status of all of them? A lot of people had come from Bangladesh back into India, have they gone back. And was the Indian High Commission and the Additional High Commissions in Bangladesh (inaudible) were they given extra enhanced security when the turmoil was at its peak, there are reports which said that the Army had pitched in to protect them, if you could elaborate.

Suhasini Haidar: This is Suhasini Haidar from the Hindu. Since the statement was made after Prime Minister Modi left Kyiv and this is the first briefing since then, I wanted to clarify India's position. At a press meeting in Kyiv last Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said four things. He said that India must end its oil imports from Russia now, that India cannot host a Summit for the peace, the second Summit in November, if it did not sign on to the declaration for the first, that if India wants to end the war, it must change its attitude towards Russia and that four, that India should coordinate its votes at the UN with Ukraine before abstaining and Ukraine is not happy with this. I'd like your response to those statements made by Mr. Zelenskyy and whether India is now considering a change in its policies on all these four issues.

And just one follow up, if I may, on the question on the SCO, given that no Indian Minister has travelled to Pakistan for the SAARC Summit since 2016, will India participate in the Heads of Government Meeting of the SCO in Pakistan at all?

Sudhi Ranjan: Sir Sudhi Ranjan from Bloomberg Sir. Adding on to Suhasini's question, Sir, can you or deny whether President Zelenskyy has asked, whether President Zelenskyy had, during his meeting with Prime Minister Modi, offered the - or proposed that India hold the next Peace Summit? And if so, what is India's stand on it, will it go ahead with it?

Manish Chand: Manish Chand, India Writes Network. Sir, there is speculation about a potential Quad Summit on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York in September. Is that true? Are we working towards that? And number two, the interim Government in Bangladesh lifted the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, which is known for its vociferous anti-India rhetoric and all that. What is your sense? Has anti-India activity lessened? And what is your reaction to the withdrawal of the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami? Thank you.

Padma Rao: Padma Rao, Freelance Foreign Correspondent, Sir. India's National Security Advisor, Mr. Doval, called on the Sri Lankan President this morning and he discussed economic collaboration and there was also a Colombo Security Conclave on. We have very few details, Sir, if you could elaborate on what took place at the Security Conclave, especially in light of the fact that elections are due in Sri Lanka. Thank you.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay. So, let me take, we have got five here lined up. Yeshi, regarding bilateral projects...yes, because of the turmoil in Bangladesh, our projects have been impacted. Let me tell you that our development cooperation activities with Bangladesh are aimed at the welfare of the people of Bangladesh. You would have seen that the Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech as well had stated that India will always be a well-wisher of Bangladesh in its development journey. Work on some of the projects that I told you has stalled, has been affected because of the law and order situation there. Once the situation stabilizes, normalcy is restored, then we will talk to, we will engage in consultations with the interim Government about our development initiatives and then see how best to take those forward and what sort of understanding we can reach on them.

The other thing regarding security, yes, security during the turmoil you saw, it was a problem not just for us but for everybody. You saw what happened to the Indian Cultural Centre, it was in news all over. Yes, the Bangladesh authorities, they tried their best for our security and hopefully we also had people who came back. They had to...the essential, non-essential staff had to come back, some of the family members had to come back for the reasons of the turmoil. Hopefully normalcy returns soon that we can begin to, begin our engagement in the right earnest.

Suhasini, regarding your question on issues raised in his remarks to the media, look, our point of view is that the Ukrainian side, they have their perspective on various issues and matters and they are sharing them with the media. As far as we are concerned, we will be guided by the bilateral discussions that we have had with them including on this high level visit that just concluded, which we believe will pave the way for stronger bilateral ties apart from facilitating more forward-looking discussions on the possibility of peaceful resolution of the conflict. As far as SCO is concerned, I informed you that, yes, we have received the invitation for attending the Heads of Government Summit of SCO from Pakistan, which will be hosted by Pakistan. And on that, as and when we have an update, we will share them with you.

On the question of, Sudhi, your question about peace talks or Peace Summit that you - look, our point here is we have always advocated constructive, solution-oriented and practical engagement with all stakeholders to achieve a negotiated settlement to this conflict. This is evident in our approach, in our outreach to both Russia and Ukraine at the highest level. PM has already indicated India's willingness to play a constructive role in the interest of peace. However, it is too early to comment on specific modalities and pathways at this stage. The decision to when and how to commence peace talks is the prerogative of the two parties to the conflict. As friends and partners, we would support any feasible and mutually acceptable solution or format that could restore peace. So that is our stand on the question that you raised.

Manish, regarding Quad Summit, I don't have an update for you. We have said this before on such matters, such visits, such important meetings...as and when we have an update, we inform you. So we will inform you at the appropriate time. Regarding the other issue that you asked about Bangladesh, we see it as an internal issue of Bangladesh.

Padma, you are asking a question on which meetings are going on, the Colombo Security Conclave is on, even as we speak. By evening perhaps we will have an update on it, we will have a readout which will help you to understand all that has transpired in the meetings and where we are on this particular aspect.

Gautam Lahiri: Hi, actually the first question, I am coming back to Bangladesh flood situation, but when the High Commissioner met the Chief Advisor, after that the Chief Advisor's office issued a statement saying Chief Advisor has proposed a new mechanism for controlling flood or data sharing, whatever. A new mechanism is the line of what (inaudible) has. And second is more question that actually the recent, you know the people who went to the (inaudible) visa Center, their grievances that India is not issuing visas, do you think that any time frame or can they expect that you will be issuing visas from Bangladesh?

Shalu Yadav: Hello Sir, I am Shalu from DW Germany, pardon me I am repeating the question that has been asked by my colleagues, but just seeking some clarity on Sheikh Hasina's future. Could you or deny if there has been any formal request by the Bangladeshi Government, the interim Government for her extradition and if in case of that eventuality, how would India respond?

Sapna: Sir, Sapna from Sadhana Group. Sir mera sawal ye hain ki abhi kuch din pahle Finance Minister or Videsh Mantri aur kai Mantri Commerce Minister bhi Singapore gaye the, aur ab Pradhan Mantri ji ka daura hain Singapore mei. Toh wahan par economic collaboration ko lekar baat hui thi, aage usi ke baare mei aur baat ki jayegi ya phir aur kin muddon pe batchit hogi iske baare mei agar aap aur explain kar sake?

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, this is Sapna from Sadhana Group. My question is that a few days ago, the Finance Minister, the Foreign Minister, and several other Ministers, including the Commerce Minister, went to Singapore, and now the Prime Minister is also planning a visit to Singapore. There were discussions regarding economic collaboration there. Will there be further discussions on the same topic, or will there be talks on other issues as well? Could you please elaborate on this?

Manish Jha: Sir main Manish Jha hoon TV9 Bharatvarsh se. Pradhan Mantri bhi bar-bar ye keh chuke hain jab woh Kyiv gaye the ki main yahan shanti ka sandesh le kar aaya hoon. Abhi bhi aapke statement mei woh baat jhalak bhi rahi hain ki mutually acceptable solution Bharat chahta hain as a friend and partner. Toh jab hum dekhte hain ki Pradhan Mantri pahle Russia gaye, phir Ukraine gaye, phir President Biden se baat kar rahe hain, phir Putin ko brief kar rahe hain, toh kya hum officially ye keh sakte hain ki India mediation kar raha hain, Russian aur Ukraine ki war ko khatam karane mei?

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, I am Manish Jha from TV9 Bharatvarsh. The Prime Minister has repeatedly said, even when he went to Kyiv, that he has come with a message of peace. Even in your statement, it is evident that India wants a mutually acceptable solution, as a friend and partner. So, when we see that the Prime Minister first went to Russia, then to Ukraine, then spoke with President Biden, and then briefed Putin, can we officially say that India is mediating to end the war between Russia and Ukraine?

Abhishek Jha: Hi Sir Abhishek again. Sir, I have a question regarding US Ambassador Eric Garcetti. There have been media reports in the USA that the investigation have alleged that Eric Garcetti had ignored complaints of sexual misconduct by one of his close colleagues in the past. And probably that was one of the reasons why the position in India was vacant for two years. And there are also reports that he has probably lied under oath. Are you aware of these reports and do you have anything to say on that?

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Gautam ji, on your question, see, on water sharing, on water resources, management, flood management, etc. There are established procedures between India and Bangladesh, and for several years now. We have 54 rivers that we share and this mechanism and institutional mechanisms that we have, has been in existence for quite some time. As part of the established procedure, we have been exchanging data on timely and regular basis with Bangladesh. On the question of flood in eastern Bangladesh and floods in Tripura, you would have seen that we had released two press releases giving the factual position as to why they have happened. Flooding in eastern Tripura and eastern Bangladesh happened essentially because of incessant and excessive rain, and thereafter we have explained in the two press releases exactly what was the situation. So, you know, these mechanisms to help both countries deal with flood issues and water management issues are there and if there are any new mechanisms that can help further in controlling or helping the sufferings of the people or helping deal with its natural disasters, I think this is something that our teams or this is a matter that we can take forward with Bangladesh.

On the issue of visa, we are issuing visas in a limited manner for medical and emergency purposes. Once the situation becomes normal, law and order is restored, then we will begin our full-fledged operations of visa. So, that is where we are on the visa issue.

On your question from our friend from DW, you know, this particular question I had answered when we had the last Presser also on 16th of August. What you are actually asking is something which in our understanding lies in the domain of hypothetical sphere. In fact, it is not our practice to answer hypothetical questions. So, I will keep it at that.

On the Singapore visit Sapna, hum logon ne ek press vigyapti bhi jari kiya tha. Hamare char Mantri bhi wahan gaye the, jo dusra Roundtable tha India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable, pehla Roundtable 2022 mei hua, abhi dusra Roundtable 2024 mei abhi kuch din pahle hua. Char Mantri hamare yahan se gaye, Vitya Mantri madam Nirmala Sitharaman, hamare Videsh Mantri, Vanijya Mantri Piyush Goyal sahab aur hamare Railway aur Information Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology ke jo Mantri hain Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw ye bhi Singapore gaye, charon log wahan gaye. Vistar mei batchit hui unke sath. Singapore aur Bharat ke rishtey jo hain woh bahot gehre hain, khas kar jahan tak trade ka sawal ho, arthik mamlon ka sawal ho, technology ka sawal ho, digitalization ka sawal ko, aur inki baatain char areas par hui, digitalization, skills development, jis par hamare yahan kafi aajkal focus hain, sustainability pe, healthcare pe, medicine pe. Aur iske alawa ye bhi tay kiya gaya ki 2 naye kshtra mei hum log jo hamara Ministerial Roundtable hain, ismai hum 2 naye kshtraon ko layenge aur woh 2 naye kshetra hain, ek advanced manufacturing aur dusra connectivity. Toh ye 2 naye pillers ko joda gaya hain. Toh ye raha mota-mota jo Singapore ke sath hamari batchit hui, aur isse hamare...is jo Ministerial Roundtable hua hain isse hamare rishtey gehre hue hain, majboot hue hain aur abhi Bharat ke Pradhan Mantri ka wahan daura hain, is daure mei bhi jo ye batchit hue, usse miljul kar aage kya kar sakte hain, kaise hum apne rishton ko aur behtar kar sakte hain, is par batchit hogi.

[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] On the Singapore visit, Sapna, we had also issued a press release. Four of our Ministers went there for the second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable; the first Roundtable was held in 2022, and the second roundtable just took place a few days ago in 2024. Four ministers from our side went: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Foreign Minister, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and our Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics, and Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, also went to Singapore. Extensive discussions were held there. The relationship between Singapore and India is very deep, especially concerning trade, economic matters, technology, and digitalization. Discussions were held on four areas: digitalization, skills development (which we are currently focusing on), sustainability, healthcare, and medicine. It was also decided to introduce two new areas into our Roundtable: advanced manufacturing and connectivity. These two new pillars have been added. So, broadly speaking, this is the dialogue we had with Singapore, and this Ministerial Roundtable has deepened and strengthened our relationship. During the upcoming visit of India's Prime Minister to Singapore, discussions will focus on how we can further enhance our relationship, building on the talks that have already taken place.

Manish, jab Ukraine mei hamare Pradhan Mantri wahan gaye, uske baad hum logon ne...unhone jo kahan woh public mei bhi available hain, usmei aapne dekha hoga ki kin binduon par unhone apni baat rakhi aur kin chizon par unhone emphasize kiy. Aur usmei unhone bada saaf kaha hain ki Bharat ek dost ke naate, Ukraine ke dost ke naate, agar koi sakriya bhumika nibha sakta hain, yogdan de sakta hain shanti ke liye, toh uske liye taiyar hain. Toh yahi hamari baat, toh hamare Pradhan Mantri ne apne vaktavya mei jo baat kahin, usko main dohrana chahunga aapke liye.

[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Manish, when our Prime Minister went to Ukraine, the statements he made there are available publicly. You must have seen the points on which he expressed his views and the aspects he emphasized. He clearly stated that as a friend of Ukraine, if India can play an active role or contribute in any way to peace, then India is ready for that. That is our stance. I would like to reiterate the points made by our Prime Minister in his statement for you.

Abhishek, I think this is a question that you must take to the American side, to the U.S. Embassy. They would be in a better position to answer your question.

Jaiprakash Ranjan: Sir main Jaiprakash hoon Dainik Jagran se. Mera Bangladesh ko lekar sawal hain ki abhi aapne bataya ki hamare project wahan par disturb hue hain, toh hamari jo Friendship Pipeline Project hain, aur jo power supply hain uspar ka impact hain?

[Question in Hindi: Approximate translation] Sir, I am Jaiprakash from Dainik Jagran. My question is about Bangladesh. You mentioned that our projects there have been disturbed. So, has there been any impact on our Friendship Pipeline Project and the power supply?

Huma Siddiqui: Sir I am Huma Siddiqui from the Financial Express. I just want to know, since the last two, three years, the CII is holding a Summit with Africa. When is the India-Africa Summit actually going to happen? Because what CII does is industry based.

Kallol Bhattacharjee: Sir Kallol Bhattacharjee from the Hindu. In the backdrop of the floods in Bangladesh, lots of countries like China, the Gulf countries are rushing assistance and financial aid to Bangladesh. I wanted to know India which has a history of helping countries that are hit by natural disasters, be it Turkey or Nepal. Why hasn't India reached out so far? Has there been a dialogue between India and Bangladesh on this matter so far in the last one week?

Divya: Sir Divya from Indian Express. We see that Kerala Chief Minister has again written to the External Affairs Minister on the issue of Indians stuck in the Russian army. He has named four people and also given their location. What is the movement and status on that?

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Jaiprakash ji, jo hamare wahan par development projects chal rahe hain Bangladesh mein, jo wahan par abhi stithi hain uske karan woh stagit ho gaye, kyuki kuch log jo wahan the bahot sare development project mei kaam kar rahe the, unko wapas aana pada. Aur kai ek aur karanon se ye ruk gaye hain. Toh ek baar jab sthiti behtar hogi, wahan par jab kanoon vyvastha bahal hoga, phir dekhenge ki unki sarkar se baat karke, ki isko kaise phir se aage le jaye. Toh ye hain jo sthiti abhi hain. Main sabhi project ke baare mei baat kar raha hoon, ki jo projects hain abhi wahan jo halat hain uske karan jo badlav aaya hain, jo kanoon vyvastha wahan bigad gayi thi uske karan uspe sab par asar pada hain. Ek baar sthiti niyantran mei aa jayega uske baad hum log dekhenge inko behtar kar sakte hain.

[Answer in Hindi: Approximate translation] Jaiprakash ji, our development projects in Bangladesh have been temporarily halted due to the current situation there, as many people working on various development projects there had to return. Due to several reasons, these projects have been paused. Once the situation improves and law and order are restored, we will discuss with their Government how to proceed further. This is the current situation. I am talking about all the projects; the current circumstances and the disruption of law and order have impacted all of them. Once the situation is under control, we will see how we can improve and move forward.

Huma, we recently had the CII India-Africa Summit. This is a very important business platform for our engagement with Africa. This was the 19th meeting. With Africa, we have a very special and very historic partnership. This particular conclave, which was held a few days back, was inaugurated by Honorable Vice President and we also had participation of six Vice Presidents from different countries in Africa. Let me list out which all countries were there. We had Vice Presidents from six countries - Burundi, Guinea Equatorial, Gambia, Liberia, Mauritius and Zimbabwe. In addition, we also had 40 Ministerial participations from Africa. In all, there were 65 countries - India, all the African countries. In addition, we also had several other countries who participated in this Business Conclave. Some 1,200 delegates were there. It was a big exercise and over the years, such business engagements have been strengthening and deepening our ties with Africa.

On the question of India-Africa Forum Summit, we have had some conversations on this particular front with African Union, including very recently. So far, we do not have an update for you as to when we will have this Summit, but we are in talks with the African Union to see when we can schedule it.

Kallol, to your question, I said that our High Commissioner there is in touch with the local Government and he also had a meeting chance to call on the Chief Advisor where they discussed all issues of interest. So that is where I will leave my answer.

Divya, Russian army, we have an update. As of today, we have 15 Indians who have been released and they have returned to India. There are others who are waiting for discharge. Our Mission, our Embassy is in touch with the Russian authorities, both on the foreign office side, the defence side, and we hope that those who want to return back to India will be released soon.

Ajay Banerjee: Ajay Banerjee from the Tribune. Sir, do we understand that we will allow Ukraine and Russia to have bilateral decision on the peace process or will we intervene or make an intervention? What would be the level when we arrive at the benchmark of making an intervention?

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Ajay, on the question of the conflict, the Prime Minister when he went to Ukraine, he spoke about our approach. That approach is available in the public domain. After our discussions, our External Affairs Minister had a press conference there where he explained our position. Again, today I have repeated what is our position on this particular conflict. So I would urge you to please refer to all that we have said on this, there is nothing new to add and in fact answering several questions, I had highlighted our approach; that is where it remains.

So if we don't have any more questions, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. We will have a special briefing on the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister to Brunei and Singapore. Please do join us, this should happen on Monday. Thank you very much. Enjoy and have a good weekend.

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INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TABAR CONDUCTS MARITIME PARTNERSHIP EXERCISE WITH SPANISH NAVY SHIP ATALAYA

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 30 AUG 2024 4:29PM by PIB Delhi

Indian Navy's frontline frigate, INS Tabar had arrived on a two day visit at Malaga, Spain on 25 Aug 24 and post departure on 27 Aug 24 conducted Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with Spanish Navy Ship Atalaya in the Mediterranean Sea. India and Spain have been engaging in multiple fields towards enhancing the existing bilateral relations, including maritime domain.

The conduct of MPX between Indian Navy and Spanish Navy in the Mediterranean Sea signifies Indian Navy's outreach and sustenance, which also marks a significant milestone in the maritime cooperation between India and Spain. The MPX involved a series of advanced exercises such as Station Keeping, Replenishment at Sea Approaches (RASAPs), Flying Exercise (FYEX), Steam Past and PHOTOEX serials. Units from both navies demonstrated high levels of professionalism and commitment to enhance collaborative efforts.

The Indian Navy remains committed towards fostering partnership with navies across the world. The MPX with the Spanish Navy reinforces the strong bilateral naval ties, further strengthening our resolve and commitment towards ensuring enhanced cooperation in the maritime domain.

*****

VM/SPS



(Release ID: 2050102)

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Commander says Iran intercepts hostile aerial vehicles from tens of miles away

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Aug 30, 2024

Tehran, IRNA -- General Alireza Sabahifard, the commander of the air defense force of the Iranian Army, has said that the force intercepts hostile aerial vehicles from tens of miles away.

Addressing a large crowd of worshippers before Tehran's Friday prayers, the commander said, "We have designed and produced all our needs."

He said that the country's air defense force is dependent on no country for meeting its needs for missile, radar, and intelligence systems.

He added that Iran has become self-sufficient in designing and producing advanced systems for hybrid warfare.

The commander stressed that the Iranian air defense force is one of the most prepared in the world.

9341**9417

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Modernized Air Defense Force 'fully ready' to guard Iran's airspace: Cmdr.

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 5:04 PM

A senior Iranian military commander says the Army's Air Defense Force has produced state-of-the-art systems and is ready to defend the country's airspace.

Brigadier Ali Asadi, commander of Iran's Western Air Defense Zone, said on Friday that the country's Air Defense Force has succeeded in manufacturing all its required systems and equipment in cooperation with Defense Ministry in the recent years.

"All the old radars have been updated and reproduced after converting to indigenous technologies."

He said his forces enjoy the know-how to manufacture different types of radars and managed to produce up-to-date radars, including Arash, Keyhan, Moraqeb and Nazir.

"These radars work in all kinds of frequencies and do not allow any flying object to infiltrate the country's sky," Asadi said.

The commander noted that his forces plan to design and manufacture various types of electronic listening systems and to develop electronic warfare systems based on operational needs of the country's air defense.

The designing of new missile systems proportional to adversarial threats is also on the agenda of Iran's Air Defense Force, he stated.

Asadi warned the enemies that the Iranian Armed Forces are fully prepared to repel any threat against the country.

Iranian military experts and engineers have in recent years made remarkable breakthroughs in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient.

Iranian officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran's defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has repeatedly called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran's defense capabilities.

Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh said last week that the country will 'resolutely' continue to make more progress in the field of defense and deterrence.

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Iran Navy to soon announce new achievement in 'major mission'

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 11:23 AM

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani says the force has a "major mission" on its agenda and its new achievement in international waters will soon be announced.

"Currently, we have a major mission on our agenda where we are accomplishing its decision-making process. And we will bring our efforts to a conclusion soon and will witness another achievement by this force," Irani told reporters on Friday.

Amid the Western attempts to portray the Indian Ocean as unsafe following Yemen's anti-Israel operations, the commander noted that the Iranian naval forces have increased their presence in the area.

"Despite the fact that the enemy is trying to portray the northern part of the Indian Ocean, particularly the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as unsafe, the naval forces' fleets are still present in this maritime area not in the same way as before, but in a strengthened manner to secure the shipping."

He noted that all ships other than Israel-related vessels are navigating the ocean safely.

"Today, all flags, except those representing anti-human and child-killing entities, pass safely through the waterways of the Indian Ocean, and the power of the Iranian nation is maintained in the depth of the oceans, which is commendable."

His remarks come as the Yemeni forces have carried out scores of operations in support of the war-hit Palestinians since the onset of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza early last October, targeting Israeli ships or vessels heading towards ports in the occupied territories, in addition to striking targets throughout the occupied Palestinian territories.

The regime's bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 40,602 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 93,855 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

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Iran 'closely monitoring' Israeli threats: Air Defense cmdr.

Iran Press TV

Friday, 30 August 2024 10:54 AM

The Iranian Air Defense Force is closely monitoring the activities of adversaries, including the Israeli regime, as the force enjoys the highest level of readiness, says its commander.

"In the Air Defense Force, considering the aerospace threats from global arrogance, we have enhanced our air defense capabilities and remain vigilant against other threats; we are also closely monitoring the wicked Zionist regime," Brigadier General Alireza Sabahifard said on Friday while addressing Friday prayers in Tehran.

He said that the force devotes special attention to the guidelines of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who once stated that the life of a nation depends on strengthening the components of its military might.

General Sabahifard went on to highlight that Iran has well fought off enemies' fiendish plots against its independence, freedom and the Islamic system, and this accounts for the rise in adversaries' animosity towards the Islamic Republic as the main pillar of the Axis of Resistance.

The high-ranking commander pointed out that the Iranian Air Defense Force is currently at the "highest level of its self-sufficiency, preparedness and combat prowess."

He stated that the Air Defense Force can now design and manufacture various types of control systems, radars, sensors, electronic warfare systems and cybersecurity systems.

The force can detect any kind of the enemy's stealth aircraft from thousands of miles away, Sabahifard said.

He stated that the Iranian Air Defense Force is monitoring potential threats round the clock, stages multiple military exercises throughout the year, and is continuously upgrading its military gear to achieve maximum efficiency.

He urged expansionist superpowers to abandon malice, sanctions, and threats so that the opportunity to resolve global conflicts using Iran's influential power can be realized.

Iranian military experts and technicians have in recent years made substantial headways in manufacturing a broad range of indigenous equipment, making the armed forces self-sufficient in the arms sphere.

Officials have repeatedly underscored that the country will not hesitate to strengthen its military capabilities, including its missile power, which are entirely meant for defense, and that Iran's defense capabilities will be never subject to negotiations.

Ayatollah Khamenei has repeatedly called for efforts to maintain and boost Iran's defense capabilities, hitting back at the enemies for disputing the country's missile program.

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Japanese Defense Ministry Prepares Record High $58.5Bln Budget for 2025 Financial Year

Sputnik News

20240830

TOKYO (Sputnik) - The Japanese Defense Ministry on Friday submitted a record high budget of 8.5 trillion yen (about $58.5 billion) for the next financial year, which starts from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, in order to strengthen the country's defense capabilities.

"On Aug 30, [Japan's Defense Ministry] JMOD held the Ministry Meeting attended by [Defense Minister Minoru] Kihara and approved the FY25 Budget Request. FY25 is the 3rd year under the Defense Buildup Program [DBP]. JMOD requested 8.5tril [yen]., consisting of programs which need to be started within FY25 to realize the DBP," the ministry wrote on X.

The ministry has requested 970 billion yen to reinforce the capabilities of the stand-off missiles, 537 billion yen to expand the capabilities of the integrated air defense and missile defense control systems, and 103 billion yen for drones development, a document, published by the ministry, read.

The ministry also applied for 227 billion yen to strengthen its capabilities in space as well as for 265 billion yen to enhance cybersecurity.

The budget plan includes three new projects. The first one aims to develop a system for remote monitoring of garrisons and other protected facilities and is worth 18 billion yen. The second, a 4.3 billion yen project, is concerned with developing a warehouse automation system, while the third requires 1.9 billion yen for designing a system for forecasting the supply needs, using artificial intelligence.

The document also provides a construction plan for three new FFM-class destroyers which would cost the ministry 314 billion yen.

The volume of the initially requested budget for the 2025 financial year is by 7.4% higher than the initially requested budget for 2024.



A Sputnik

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China warns Myanmar rebel army to stop fighting

Security officials told the insurgent group they would 'teach them a lesson' if they didn't comply.

By RFA Burmese 2024.08.30 -- Chinese authorities warned an ethnic minority insurgent group on Myanmar's northeastern border to stop fighting the Myanmar military or be "responsible for the consequences," according to a spokesperson for the group.

China has extensive economic interests in neighboring Myanmar, including oil and gas pipelines and mines, and it has been increasingly concerned about the impact of a surge of fighting this year between various insurgent forces and the military

A spokesman for the insurgent group, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, told Radio Free Asia that the security committee in the Chinese border town of Ruili told the TNLA in a letter to stop fighting.

"Fighting must stop immediately in order to maintain stability and peace on the China-Myanmar border and protect the lives of Chinese citizens," the Chinese security committee said in the letter, copies of which were posted online.

If the TNLA did not comply, China would "teach them a lesson," and the group would be "responsible for the consequences," the security committee said.

Radio Free Asia was not able to contact the security committee in Ruili and the Chinese Embassy in Yangon did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. However, during a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters that China is "highly concerned about ... the conflict in northern Myanmar" and "will continue to ... promote the easing and cooling of the situation" in the region.

A spokesperson for the TNLA, Lway Yay Oo, confirmed that the letter was from Chinese authorities but declined further comment except to say the group's top leaders were meeting to discuss it.

China is known to maintain contacts with Myanmar rebel groups operating along its border, some of which have promised to protect Chinese business interests.

China-brokered two short-lived ceasefires between a three-party insurgent alliance, which includes the TNLA, and the junta this year but the truces collapsed and the insurgents stepped up pressure on the military, capturing numerous outposts, several major towns and a regional military headquarters. RFA was unable to independently confirm whether the warning was also sent to the other armies that make up the alliance -- the Arakan Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army.

China also maintains close ties with the junta that seized power in a 2021 coup, and is keen to limit the influence in Myanmar of Western countries and Myanmar's other big neighbor, India.

Exercises

China is hoping an election the junta has promised to hold next year can help restore peace and stability, analysts say, while at the same time it is pressing anti-junta forces to agree to peace.

Media reported this week that China had closed the border between Ruili and the Myanmar town of Muse, cutting off trade including fuel supplies apparently to pressure the TNLA to silence its guns.

In a show of force, China's People's Liberation Army began military exercises, including live-fire drills, in the Ruili area on Tuesday. China's defense ministry said the drills would strengthen border security and stability.

In mid-August, China fired warning shots into Kachin state to the north apparently in a bid to warn off junta aircraft bombing an insurgent base on the border.

Myanmar political and military analyst Than Soe Naing said there was little China could do to stop the war apart from making threats and imposing border restrictions on the insurgent groups and their leaders.

"These restrictions can't actually limit the battles that are being fought from Nawnghkio township in Shan state to Pyinoolwin township in Mandalay," Than Soe Naing said, referring to a broad swathe of central-northeast Myanmar where rebel forces have been making advances.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.

This story has been updated to include a statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Thailand arrests, deports 144,000 Myanmar workers for illegal entry

They face military conscription in Myanmar and are banned from Thailand for two years.

By Pimuk Rakkanam and RFA Burmese 2024.08.30 -- Thailand has detained and deported more than 144,000 Myanmar citizens over the past three months, its labor ministry said, in a crackdown aimed at weeding out "job seekers" who use the turmoil in their country as an excuse to seek opportunities in Thailand, a Thai police chief said.

Myanmar nationals were the largest group detained in the campaign to round up illegal workers launched in June that involved inspections of nearly 15,000 businesses, economic zones and areas where job-seekers congregate, the Ministry of Labor said on the weekend.

Workers from Myanmar play a vital role in the Thai economy with about two million of them legally employed in areas such as agriculture, fishing and the service sector, but labor activists say many more arrive illegally hoping to find work.

Another factor behind the arrival of many more young Myanmar citizens in Thailand this year is a junta conscription law that came into effect in April, three years after the military seized power in a coup, as it struggles to fend off advances by insurgents battling to end military rule.

Assistant Thai police chief Lt. Gen. Itthipol Achariyapradit told Radio Free Asia that Thailand had to act against people who entered illegally, some of whom, he believed, were "opportunistic job seekers" citing conflict at home as an excuse to come to Thailand.

"For those without passports or crossing illegally, we have no choice but to detain them. We can sort refugees or political migrants out from job seekers," Ittipol said.

"But if the situation remains unsafe we have to delay the process."

He did not say if he thought being conscripted into the Myanmar army was an unsafe situation.

Despite Thailand's need for migrant workers, it has been tightening up procedures for them, closing offices where migrants can get vital paperwork processed and granting the junta, through its embassy, greater authority over the fate of its migrant population in Thailand.

'More reliable'

People being deported in the crackdown will be banned from re-entering Thailand for two years under the ministry's rules and they also face the risk of being conscripted upon their arrival home, said Moe Gyo, chairperson of the Thai social aid organization Joint Action Committee for Burmese Affairs.

"Deported people are being recruited under the military's conscription law and they're worried," he said.

Myanmar military authorities forcibly recruited dozens of people deported after serving time in jail in the southern Thai province of Ranong, relatives told RFA this month.

"We can't say a similar incident won't happen again. People returning from abroad were extorted and coerced in the conscription process," Moe Gyo said.

One Thai employer was dismayed by the crackdown.

"It affects us a lot because if they have to go back and can't return how can we find replacements," said a hotel owner in the border province of Kanchanaburi who has hired undocumented people from Myanmar for years.

"We hire them not because they're cheap labor - we pay them the same as Thais - but because they're more reliable than Thai workers," said the hotel owner, who declined to be identified while discussing undocumented staff.

Thailand's Ministry of Labor did not respond to requests for comment from RFA.

While Thailand documents more than two million Myanmar workers in the kingdom legally, some labor groups estimate as many as seven million people from Myanmar are in Thailand.

The ministry said that in addition to 144,261 Myanmar nationals detained in the crackdown, there were 29,448 Cambodians, 12,258 from Laos, 117 from Vietnam and 6,196 from other countries.

Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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While the average vehicle has an 8.6 percent chance of lasting 250,000 miles or more, the latest iSeeCars.com study has identified the 30 longest-lasting models  all with a much higher chance of reaching the quarter-million milestone. The highest ranked vehicles, Toyotas Tundra and Sequoia, are four times more likely to reach a quarter-million miles, while the Toyota Tacoma, 4Runner, Highlander Hybrid, and Honda Ridgeline are three times more likely to reach 250,000 miles compared to the average vehicle.

iSeeCars established its industry-leading Longest-Lasting Cars study in 2013. This years study analyzed over 402 million cars to determine which cars were most likely to continue operating up to at least 250,000 miles. SUVs dominate the longest-lasting list, taking up 16 of the top 30 rankings, while Toyota is the most prominent brand, with nine models on the list. The most durable model, the Toyota Tundra, has a 36.6 percent chance of reaching 250,000 miles.

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Modern vehicles are getting more durable, with 30 models offering between a 12 and 36 percent chance of reaching a quarter million miles, said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. Many consumers still consider a cars usable lifespan to end at 100,000 miles. But our latest longest-lasting study confirms that even 200,000 miles isnt the end of the line for many cars. The top nine cars on this years list have a better than 20 percent chance of hitting 250,000 miles.

Top 30 Longest-Lasting Cars: SUVs and Toyotas Dominate the List

SUVs make up over half the spots (16) on the overall longest-lasting cars list. Four of these are Toyotas, but Chevrolet, GMC, Honda, and Nissan all have at least two SUVs on the top 30 longest-lasting list.

Pickup trucks also feature prominently on the list, with six full-size, light-duty models and two midsize models. iSeeCars broke out heavy-duty trucks from the primary list of longest-lasting cars, but those models are also ranked (see the Longest-Lasting Trucks further below).

Story continues

Top 30 Vehicles Most Likely To Last 250,000+ Miles  iSeeCars Study* Rank Model % Chance of Lasting 250,000+ Miles Compared to Average 1 Toyota Tundra 36.6% 4.2x 2 Toyota Sequoia 36.4% 4.2x 3 Toyota 4Runner 26.8% 3.1x 4 Toyota Tacoma 26.7% 3.1x 5 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 25.9% 3.0x 6 Honda Ridgeline 25.8% 3.0x 7 Chevrolet Suburban 22.0% 2.5x 8 Toyota Avalon 22.0% 2.5x 9 Lexus GX 20.7% 2.4x 10 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 18.8% 2.2x 11 GMC Yukon XL 17.9% 2.1x 12 Chevrolet Tahoe 17.7% 2.1x 13 Honda Pilot 17.5% 2.0x 14 Honda Accord 16.6% 1.9x 15 GMC Sierra 1500 16.1% 1.9x 16 Ford F-150 15.8% 1.8x 17 Toyota Highlander 15.7% 1.8x 18 Nissan Titan 14.8% 1.7x 19 GMC Yukon 14.6% 1.7x 20 Honda CR-V 13.9% 1.6x 21 Toyota Camry 13.5% 1.6x 22 Ford Expedition 13.1% 1.5x 23 Honda Accord Hybrid 13.1% 1.5x 24 Nissan Pathfinder 13.0% 1.5x 25 Toyota Prius 12.6% 1.5x 26 Nissan Armada 12.6% 1.5x 27 Mazda CX-9 12.4% 1.4x 28 Acura MDX 11.9% 1.4x 29 Honda Odyssey 11.5% 1.3x 30 Ram 1500 11.5% 1.3x Overall Average 8.6% --

*Light-duty vehicles only

While SUVs and trucks dominate the longest-lasting cars list, four sedans and one hatchback also make the list, with two of those being hybrids. These cars prove consumers dont have to pay the higher upfront and operational costs associated with a truck or SUV to enjoy a long vehicle lifespan.

Given the rising cost of both new and used models, its encouraging to see so many vehicles capable of hitting 250,000 miles, said Brauer. A consumer paying todays higher purchase prices can still see a relatively low cost-per-mile if they leverage these long lifespans.

Longest-Lasting Brands: 7 Automakers With Better-Than-Average Lifespans

When broken out by brand, Toyota, Honda, Ram, GMC, Chevrolet, Lexus, and Ford all offer a better-than-average chance of hitting 250,000 miles. Many of these brands offer multiple trucks and three-row SUVs, giving them an advantage in hitting higher average lifetime miles across their model line. Top-ranked Toyota and Honda earn their spots with a full line of cars, trucks, and SUVs, while brands like Ram and GMC focus on trucks and utility vehicles.

Top 7 Brands Most Likely To Last 250,000+ Miles  iSeeCars Study* Rank Brand % Chance of Lasting 250,000+ Miles Compared to Average 1 Toyota 17.0% 2.0x 2 Honda 13.6% 1.6x 3 Ram 11.5% 1.3x 4 GMC 11.4% 1.3x 5 Chevrolet 10.5% 1.2x 6 Lexus 9.7% 1.1x 7 Ford 9.5% 1.1x Overall Average 8.6% --

*Light-duty vehicles only

Toyota and Hondas history of producing high-quality vehicles is reflected in their top rankings for longest-lasting brands, said Brauer. When an automaker spends decades consistently offering durable cars, trucks and SUVs it manifests in how long consumers will keep those vehicles in operation.

Longest-Lasting Pickup Trucks: Heavy-Duty Models Lead the Way

Heavy-duty trucks are engineered to last a long time, so its no surprise to see them at the top of the longest-lasting truck rankings. The only non-heavy-duty trucks in the top 10 slots are Toyotas Tundra and Tacoma, confirming the durability of both trucks.

Trucks Most Likely To Last 250,000+ Miles  iSeeCars Study Rank Model % Chance of Lasting 250,000+ Miles Compared to Average 1 Ram 3500 42.6% 2.2x 2 Toyota Tundra 36.6% 1.9x 3 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 29.6% 1.5x 4 GMC Sierra 2500HD 29.1% 1.5x 5 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD 28.7% 1.5x 6 Ford F-350 Super Duty 28.3% 1.5x 7 Ford F-250 Super Duty 27.4% 1.4x 8 Ram 2500 27.2% 1.4x 9 Toyota Tacoma 26.7% 1.4x 10 GMC Sierra 3500HD 26.0% 1.3x 11 Honda Ridgeline 25.8% 1.3x Overall Truck Average (includes heavy-duty) 19.4% -- 12 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 18.8% 1.0x 13 GMC Sierra 1500 16.1% 0.8x 14 Ford F-150 15.8% 0.8x 15 Nissan Titan 14.8% 0.8x 16 Ram 1500 11.5% 0.6x 17 GMC Canyon 11.2% 0.6x 18 Chevrolet Colorado 10.4% 0.5x 19 Nissan Frontier 9.6% 0.5x

The long lifespan of heavy-duty trucks inevitably pushes several light-duty models to below average, said Brauer. But as noted in our list of the top 30 longest-lasting vehicles, many of these below average trucks do quite well when compared to other light-duty vehicles.

Longest-Lasting SUVs: These 20 SUVs Are Better-Than-Average

SUVs are capable of serving a wide variety of needs, which is why they tend to accumulate more miles than other vehicle types. Most of the longest-lasting SUVs are three-row models, which offer the greatest flexibility in terms of people moving, cargo hauling, and trailer towing. But some midsize SUVs, and even a few compact SUVs, make the top 20 list for better-than-average lifespans.

Top 20 SUVs Most Likely To Last 250,000+ Miles  iSeeCars Study Rank Model % Chance of Lasting 250,000+ Miles Compared to Average 1 Toyota Sequoia 36.4% 4.7x 2 Toyota 4Runner 26.8% 3.4x 3 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 25.9% 3.3x 4 Chevrolet Suburban 22.0% 2.8x 5 Lexus GX 20.7% 2.6x 6 GMC Yukon XL 17.9% 2.3x 7 Chevrolet Tahoe 17.7% 2.3x 8 Honda Pilot 17.5% 2.2x 9 Toyota Highlander 15.7% 2.0x 10 GMC Yukon 14.6% 1.9x 11 Honda CR-V 13.9% 1.8x 12 Ford Expedition 13.1% 1.7x 13 Nissan Pathfinder 13.0% 1.7x 14 Nissan Armada 12.6% 1.6x 15 Mazda CX-9 12.4% 1.6x 16 Acura MDX 11.9% 1.5x 17 Cadillac Escalade ESV 11.0% 1.4x 18 Toyota RAV4 9.6% 1.2x 19 Dodge Durango 8.5% 1.1x 20 Subaru Outback 8.4% 1.1x Overall SUV Average 7.8% --

Weve come to expect models like the Toyota Sequoia and 4Runner to lead the Longest-Lasting SUVs list, said Brauer. Seeing smaller SUVs like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Subaru Outback offering better-than-average lifespans confirms both their high-quality execution and their owners willingness to drive these vehicles for many years and many miles.

Longest-Lasting Sedans: Surviving in an SUV-Dominated World

While trucks and SUVs are expected to last a long time, these 11 sedans also have a better-than-average chance of reaching 250,000 miles. Toyota (along with its premium Lexus division) and Honda once again dominate the list, with Nissans Altima being the only outlier in the number 11 slot.

Top 11 Passenger Cars Most Likely To Last 250,000+ Miles  iSeeCars Study Rank Model % Chance of Lasting 250,000+ Miles Compared to Average 1 Toyota Avalon 22.0% 4.0x 2 Honda Accord 16.6% 3.1x 3 Toyota Camry 13.5% 2.5x 4 Honda Accord Hybrid 13.1% 2.4x 5 Toyota Prius 12.6% 2.3x 6 Toyota Camry Hybrid 11.4% 2.1x 7 Lexus ES 10.6% 2.0x 8 Lexus IS 9.0% 1.7x 9 Toyota Corolla 7.8% 1.4x 10 Honda Civic 7.2% 1.3x 11 Nissan Altima 6.3% 1.2x Overall Car Average 5.4% --

Not so long ago, a sedan capable of lasting more than 200,000 miles was a rare commodity, said Brauer. Today, weve got 11 sedans with a better-than-average chance of hitting 250,000 miles. This kind of durability is great news for shoppers who dont need or want an SUV, but do want maximum value for their money.

The longevity of todays cars reflects the increasing engineering and build quality across all automakers, said Brauer. Buyers may be facing the highest purchase prices in history, but they are also getting the most durable and longest-lasting cars ever sold.

More from iSeeCars.com:

Methodology

iSeeCars.com analyzed data for over 402 million cars. The average odometer reading for each vehicle was calculated at each yearly age, and a proprietary model based on these average mileages was developed to estimate the probability that each vehicle would survive to various mileage thresholds. Heavy-duty vans and models with insufficient data were excluded from further analysis, except heavy-duty trucks were included for the truck-specific analysis.

About iSeeCars.com

This article, Longest-Lasting Cars, Trucks, and SUVs to Reach 250,000 Miles, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.
Why Pakistan's Balochistan remains restive

By Sarah Zaman August 30, 2024

"Ever since I was a child, I've only seen war," says Sammi Deen Baloch, a prominent rights activist from Pakistan's southwestern province. "I am 26 years old and all I can remember are resistance movements in Balochistan, war and military operations. We have never had a normal life."

Coordinated attacks by Baloch separatists on August 25 killed at least 52 people a 38 civilians and 14 security personnel. Militants stormed police stations, blew up railway tracks, torched vehicles, and killed 23 laborers after identifying them as residents of Punjab province.

The banned Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, claimed responsibility for the attacks. The military said it killed 21 militants in retaliatory fire.

Violence has escalated across the province in recent years. Experts say decades of mistrust, bad governance and military interventions have widened the gap between the state and the Baloch people and fueled waves of insurgencies that have left resource-rich Balochistan impoverished and perpetually restive.

Accession to Pakistan

Covering almost 44% of Pakistan's area, the province became part of the country almost a year after the Muslim-majority nation gained independence from Britain in August 1947 in a bloody partition of the Indian subcontinent.

Many Balochs still see themselves as being forced to join Pakistan as the large princely state of Kalat in the Balochistan region initially declared independence.

After the first wave of tribal resistance against Kalat's annexation in 1948, three more waves followed between 1958 and 1977 as Balochs sought independence or at least greater autonomy.

To assert its control, Islamabad resorted to military action, dismissal of elected provincial governments and arrests of tribal leaders despite promises of amnesty.

"It is a series of aggressions," Mir Muhammad Ali Talpur, a veteran of the Baloch tribal resistance in the 1970s, told VOA. "That forced the Baloch to resist," said Talpur, who has written extensively on the province's issues since returning in the1990s from Afghanistan, where he took refuge with thousands of Baloch tribal fighters.

Fifth insurgency

Balochistan is currently in the throes of a fifth wave of insurgency that erupted in the early 2000s during military leader Pervez Musharraf's era.

Angered by the rape of a female doctor from Karachi in 2005, allegedly by an army captain in the Sui district, tribesmen from the Bugti clan assaulted military camps.

The killing of popular tribal leader and former chief minister Nawab Akbar Bugti in a 2006 military operation angered Baloch masses and triggered an insurgency that is still raging.

"The killing of Nawab Bugti, that was like the 9-11 of Balochistan," said Washington-based Baloch political analyst Malik Siraj Akbar, referring to the 2001 terrorist attack on the United States.

Urban appeal

The current violent resistance led by BLA militants is different from past insurgencies, though, according to Islamabad-based security affairs expert Amir Rana.

"BLA leadership is from the middle class, and during the last decade, we have seen the transformation of the leadership of this insurgent movement," said Rana, who heads the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies. "This is not anymore tribal. Though there are a few [tribal] leaders in exile ... now it is led by middle class, educated youth."

The banned outfit is also attracting women. BLA claimed one of its suicide bombers in this week's attack was a female, reportedly a law student at Turbat University in Balochistan. The militant group first used a female suicide bomber a a mother of three a in an April 2022 attack on Chinese nationals in Karachi.

Rana said increased political awareness has also amplified the sense of deprivation among educated urban youth, pushing them into BLA's orbit. "Baloch youth got exposure to other parts of the country [through government scholarships], and then they realized how backward their province is."

Human rights abuses have also fueled the insurgency, analysts say. Decades of violent resistance and military action to quash it have left a trail of brutalized bodies on roadsides and families awaiting information about missing loved ones.

BLA is "able to recruit enough young people to sustain their movement because of [the] perception of the Pakistani government, the military, not being sincere in resolving the issue of disappearances and other problems that the Baloch people face," analyst Akbar explained.

In a 2023 report, the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan noted "with concern the state's widespread use of enforced disappearances to muzzle dissent."

Addressing a press conference last May, the Pakistani military's spokesperson, Lieutenant General Arshad Sharif Chaudhry, said the issue of missing persons was complex and exaggerated for propaganda purposes as some of those presumed missing were killed in encounters with the military or are hiding in Afghanistan.

"You put the same people on the missing persons list and accuse law enforcement agencies of abducting them," Chaudhry said. "For any genuine cases, all agencies, law enforcement authorities and civil institutions give their input, and nobody rests easy until it's resolved."

Development dilemma

After BLA's brazen attacks this week, the provincial government announced plans to equip 30,000 young Balochs with technical job skills to counter what Balochistan's chief minister, Sarfraz Bugti, called the alienation of Baloch youth.

Despite promises of prosperity and millions of dollars doled out over decades by provincial and federal governments for infrastructure, education and skill development programs, the sparsely populated province remains poverty-ridden and severely underdeveloped.

"The simple answer is corruption. Nothing else," said Rana.

The arrival of international mega-projects to tap into the province's natural resources has further stirred suspicion. Along with funding a deep-sea port and a new airport in Gwadar, Chinese companies run gold, copper and silver mining projects in Saindak and zinc and lead mining in Duddar. Canadian company Barrick Gold mines one of the world's largest copper and gold deposits in Baluchistan's Reko Diq region.

Many feel exploited by the lack of robust public debate over contracts, access to mostly low-paying jobs and security restrictions affecting mobility and livelihood.

Rights activists have staged massive protests in the heart of Gwadar, while militants have targeted migrant labor and Chinese interests in and outside Balochistan.

Insurgents, Talpur said, think that "those who are working for the government over here, that is settlers or civilians, are part of an oppressive set-up. Same with the Chinese being attacked as well."

Political vacuum

"There is a gap [of leadership] that neither the nationalists are filling nor the politicians that keep changing political parties," said Shahzada Zulfiqar, a veteran journalist and political commentator based in Quetta, the provincial capital.

Political analysts and activists who spoke to VOA say many in Balochistan are disillusioned with the democratic process because of the Pakistani state's alliance with Baloch tribal elders seen as pliant, distrust of popular nationalist politicians, and alleged manipulation of political allegiances.

The Baloch Unity Committee, or BYC, a nonviolent, civic movement, is now trying to fill that political gap, Zulfiqar said.

Led by a young medical doctor, Mahrang Baloch, the BYC started as a protest movement to draw attention to the issue of enforced disappearances. It has since evolved into a broad civic rights movement with massive support.

"If the state engages constructively with Mahrang and accepts some of the movement's demands, it will put pressure on BLA and lessen its appeal," said Rana. "This will benefit the state."

However, authorities have cracked down on the BYC's cross-country protests. Officials have accused it of receiving foreign support and maintaining links with separatist insurgents a charges that BYC leaders deny.

"I think there will be a time that no one will talk about peace because of how peaceful voices are suppressed and are being linked with different [militant] groups," Sammi Deen Baloch, also a prominent BYC leader, told VOA.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Quetta Thursday with Army Chief General Asim Munir and announced beefing up bureaucracy and police across the province. Top officials have called the recent attacks a "filthy plan" supported by external rivals to derail development ties with Beijing.

As authorities reject negotiating with Baloch insurgents and ramp up anti-terrorism operations, experts say long-term peace in Balochistan requires long-term, multi-pronged dialogue with leaders whom the Baloch people trust. Similar efforts saw a decade of calm in the 1990s.

"The Pakistani government is trying to look for shortcuts," Akbar said of the government's efforts to focus on security without reforms. "There is a need for a more formal but dignified accommodation of the Baloch."

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Pro-War Policies Put Russia's Orthodox Church Under Increasing Pressure Outside Russia

By Vidka Atanasova, Rostyslav Khotin, Volodymyr Ivakhnenko and Mike Eckel August 30, 2024

Earlier this month, on the same day that Ukrainian lawmakers effectively moved to ban an entire branch of the Russian Orthodox Church, the leader of Bulgaria's Orthodox Church publicly weighed in with a critical opinion on the historic, and controversial, step.

The Ukrainian law, Patriarch Daniil said, subjects the Russian church to "serious factual and legal restrictions," amounting to a "discriminatory policy."

Daniil's public positions backing the Russian church had already raised eyebrows in Bulgaria. And Daniil is not the only one.

Last year, Bulgaria expelled three priests -- two Belarusians and one Russian -- employed by the Russian Orthodox Church, citing national security grounds.

In Ukraine, where Russia's all-out war stands at 30 months and counting, Kyiv's move against a branch of the Orthodox Church seen as loyal to Moscow was yet another watershed moment in a decades-long struggle to define Ukraine's Orthodox identity. Some saw it, or outright misconstrued it, as an attack on religious freedom.

But in a growing number of other countries, the Russian church is finding it difficult to continue its operations as more authorities turn a critical eye toward its presence -- under the argument that rather than being an exclusively religious, spiritual organization, it is instead an active tool of Russian government soft power.

"It has never been a secret that Russia uses the church and Orthodox values as a significant part of its foreign policy," said Vladimir Liparteliani, a scholar at Durham University in Britain who has researched the Russian Orthodox Church, sometimes referred to by the abbreviation ROC.

"When a state bans and restricts the influence of the ROC, it is essentially trying to reduce the impact of Russian soft power," he said. "Moreover, for many European states, it is critically important to address this issue because Russian religious and conservative narratives are highly anti-Western and anti-liberal, and their danger should not be underestimated."

'The Kremlin's Calculation'

The ROC, the largest and wealthiest single unit among all Eastern Orthodox churches, has for centuries claimed the mantle of the true home of Orthodox Christianity.

Its current chief, Patriarch Kirill, is a vocal and visible supporter of President Vladimir Putin and the war against Ukraine. In September 2022, seven months after the start of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine, Kirill told Russian soldiers that "sacrifice in the course of carrying out your military duty washes away all sins." Earlier this year, Kirill declared the Ukraine invasion to be a "holy war."

"The more militant the patriarch's rhetoric and the more visible he becomes in Russian propaganda, the more bigoted he looks from the outside and the stronger the centrifugal forces within the church," Ksenia Luchenko, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, wrote in a commentary last year. "By using force to try to keep the splintering parts of the once unified ROC together, the patriarch is only driving them away."

Inside Ukraine, the Russian church has long held sway over one of the largest branches of the fractured Orthodox faith, known until recently as the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, or simply UOC.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, a church called the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate emerged, competing for primacy among Ukrainian believers. It also competed with the Moscow Patriarchate church for prime real estate.

As tensions built following Russia's seizure of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, the Ukrainian churches edged further away from Moscow.

In late 2018, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate merged with another, smaller denomination called the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, which had been around since the Bolshevik Revolution a century earlier.

The newly merged church was called the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, or OCU. In January 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the spiritual head of all Orthodox Christians, for the first time in history recognized the OCU's independence from Moscow.

Under pressure from Kyiv, the UOC formally renounced its ties to Moscow in the wake of the Ukraine war.

But Ukrainian lawmakers were unconvinced, and on August 20, passed legislation banning religious organizations linked to the ROC from operating in Ukraine.

"Protecting our people from Russian aggression, we must do it together not only on the battlefield, informational, diplomatic, economic, and other spheres but accordingly in the spiritual sphere as well," the head of the Ukrainian church, Metropolitan Epiphany, said in a TV interview following the vote. "Because without spiritual independence from the Kremlin, from the Russian 'evil empire,' we cannot talk about our true independence."

Ukraine's move was met with predictable anger in Moscow.

In other places, it was framed as an attack on religious liberty. Even the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, criticized the legislation, saying, "I fear for the liberty of those who pray."

For some in Ukraine, however, the move was a welcome effort to counter the Moscow-linked church's efforts to sway sympathies of Ukrainians, either overtly or subtly.

Tetyana Derkach, a Ukrainian analyst and religious scholar, charged that the Russian church played a role in undermining Ukrainian national sentiments in the wake of the 2014 Maidan public protests, which led to the ouster of the country's pro-Russian president. The Kremlin has repeatedly tried to depict those events not as a public display of anti-government sentiment but rather a coup d'etat.

"The Kremlin's calculation that [the UOC] would be able to 'educate' believers into people loyal to Russia was largely justified," Derkach said. "In essence, the UOC was preparing a springboard for people to accept the idea of unifying Ukraine with Russia and restoring the union state."

Bulgaria Looks East

In Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church has been under scrutiny for its positions siding with the Russian church, particularly regarding the fight in Ukraine. The church leadership has refused to recognize the 2018 decision that granted the Orthodox Church of Ukraine independence from Moscow.

Last year's expulsion of three Russian priests -- who were affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church in Bulgaria, not the Bulgarian Orthodox Church itself -- had a different dimension.

The chief priest who was expelled, Archimandrite Vassian, was kicked out on national security grounds in a decision that appeared to stem from his work in neighboring North Macedonia.

Vassian had repeatedly visited North Macedonia "to perform the functions of Russian intelligence with the aim of dividing the Macedonian church," Atanas Atanasov, a lawmaker with the Democratic Bulgaria party, said at the time.

The two other Russian Orthodox priests expelled by Bulgaria were Belarusian citizens. One, Yevhen Pavelchuk, served in a secret military unit near Moscow prior to joining the priesthood. He also, according to an investigation by RFE/RL's Belarusian Service, helped found an Orthodox youth club that taught troubled teenagers military skills as well as Russian-centric, nationalist ideas broadly known as "Russian World."

After the expulsions, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the main Russian church in the capital, Sofia, would be shut down.

Patriarch Daniil, who was elected head of the Bulgarian church in June, publicly criticized the closure of the church and the priests' expulsions and, more recently, the Ukrainian move to criminalize Russian-linked church entities.

"Patriarch Daniil has categorically proven himself as a pro-Russian Bulgarian bishop," historian and publicist Goran Blagoev, a Sofia-based historian and commentator, told RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service.

Czechs, Very Much. Georgian, Not So Much.

Bulgaria is far from the only country where the Russian Orthodox Church is under growing pressure.

In the Czech Republic, authorities have tightened the screws as part of a multiyear campaign to restrict activities of Russian officials and related entities - a campaign that gained new momentum after revelations in 2021 that Russian intelligence agents were responsible for blowing up two Czech ammunition depots in 2014.

Czech authorities sanctioned Patriarch Kirill last year and have expelled one Russian cleric. Some lawmakers have called on the government to investigate whether Russian churches were involved in "influence operations" in the country.

"I do not consider the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate to be a church and its representatives to be clergymen," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said earlier this month. "It is part of the Kremlin's repressive machine that is involved in Russia's influence operations."

In other countries where local Orthodox churches are considered subservient to Moscow, there have been tangible efforts to weaken ties with the Russian church.

In the Baltics, Lithuanian and Latvian Orthodox church authorities, with the backing of political leaders, have moved toward independence, though the Orthodox Christianity's communal organizational structure has made that difficult.

By contrast, in Georgia, the situation is quite different.

After the 2018 decision by Patriarch Bartholomew granting the Ukrainian church independence from Moscow, three of the world's bigger Orthodox churches that are self-governing -- Greek, Alexandrian, and Cypriot -- recognized the decision.

The Georgian Orthodox Church, which is also formally independent of Moscow, was one of the national churches that did not.

Georgian scholars said that decision contrasted sharply with a decision in February 2023 to recognize the independence of the Orthodox church in North Macedonia.

Fear of angering the Russian church was the main reason for not recognizing the Ukrainian church's independence, Georgian theologian Lela Jejelava said.

"The issue of Ukraine has much deeper content," she told RFE/RL's Georgian Service last year. "It's a political issue rather than a canonical one."

"We have a purely political subtext," she said. "In this case, the Georgian Church confirms its presence in the orbit of the Russian Church."

Correspondents Zmytser Pankavets of RFE/RL's Belarus Service, Gvantsa Nemsadze of RFE/RL's Georgian Service, and Dmitry Gorelov of Current Time contributed to this report.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-orthodox- church-war/33098290.html

Copyright (c) 2024. 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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'No Worries' About Putin's Visit To Mongolia, Kremlin Says, Despite ICC Warrant For His Arrest

By RFE/RL's Russian Service August 30, 2024

The Kremlin on August 30 said it is not concerned about President Vladimir Putin's visit to Mongolia on September 3, despite an arrest warrant that the International Criminal Court (ICC) says Mongolia is obligated to act on.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during his daily conference call on August 30 that the Kremlin has "no worries" about the upcoming trip, adding that Russia has "a wonderful dialogue with our friends from Mongolia."

The trip will be Putin's first to a country that is a member of the ICC since the arrest warrant was issued in March 2023 over suspected war crimes in Ukraine.

ICC members are bound to detain suspects for whom the court has issued an arrest warrant if they set foot on their soil, but the court has no enforcement mechanism. Mongolia signed the Rome Statute, the court's founding treaty, in 2000 and ratified it in 2002.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said earlier on August 30 that it hoped that the Mongolian government "will realize the fact that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal" and called on the Mongolian authorities to comply with the international arrest warrant and hand Putin over to the ICC.

ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah underscored in a statement quoted by the AP on August 30 that Mongolia "is a State Party to the ICC Rome Statute" and thus has the obligation to cooperate with the court.

The ICC relies on its state parties and other partners to execute its decisions, including arrest warrants, El Abdallah said in the statement.

The ICC accused Putin in March 2023 of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. Maria Lvova-Belova, Moscow's commissioner for children's rights, is also named in the warrant, which alleges they committed war crimes in connection with the deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children.

Russia is not a member of the ICC and refuses to hand over suspects. Russian officials have dismissed the warrants as "null and void."

Putin will travel to Mongolia at the invitation of President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh to participate in ceremonies marking the 85th anniversary of the joint victory of the Soviet and Mongolian armies over Japan on the Khalkhin Gol River, a Kremlin statement said.

Putin will also hold talks with Khurelsukh and other top Mongolian officials, the statement said.

With reporting by AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-mongolia-icc- arrest-warrant-war-crimes/33100129.html

Copyright (c) 2024. 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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Moscow accuses Europe of 'theft' as frozen Russian assets fund Ukraine defense

By Henry Ridgwell August 30, 2024

Russia has accused the European Union of "theft" after the bloc transferred the first tranche of profits from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to boost its military capabilities in the face of Moscow's invasion. The G7 group of leading industrialized nations plans a similar scheme.

However, there are concerns that the asset schemes could prompt some countries to cut their own bilateral funding to Ukraine, after Germany indicated it could end bilateral military aid for Kyiv after 2025.

The European Union said Friday that it had so far provided around $48 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion. The bloc has begun providing military and civilian aid to Ukraine using profits from $300 billion worth of confiscated Russian assets, following an EU agreement struck in May.

"We have mobilized the first tranche of windfall profits from Russian frozen assets. It's 1.4 billion [euros, or $1.55 billion]. Part of it is going directly to Ukraine in order to boost the Ukrainian defense industry. By March, we will have the second tranche of the windfall profits," EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell told reporters Friday.

Russian anger

Moscow described the transfer of profits from its frozen assets as "theft."

"These are illegal actions. They will definitely have legal consequences. This is nothing but illegal expropriation a in Russian, theft a of our money, our assets," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a phone call Thursday.

The G7 also agreed in June to use frozen Russian assets to finance a $50 billion loan to provide military aid for Ukraine, although that scheme has yet to be finalized.

Germany indicated this month that it intends to end bilateral military aid for Ukraine from 2026 as it seeks to close a $13 billion budget deficit. Berlin said the G7 asset mechanism could help pay for the shortfall.

Germany is currently Ukraine's second-biggest bilateral donor, after the United States. The move to end that support has come under widespread criticism, said analyst Liana Fix of the U.S.-based Council on Foreign Relations.

"The political signal that it sends is devastating: that the biggest donor in absolute terms in Europe, Germany, suddenly stops its support for Ukraine, especially as it is unclear when and how exactly this G7 mechanism on the Russian frozen assets will work," Fix said.

"The idea of the G7 instrument was to communicate to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin that it doesn't make sense for him to outwait the West, right? That he cannot hope that at some point the West will stop support. And so this is a contradicting sign now a that the moment another financial source has been tapped, suddenly Ukraine funding is cut out of the budget," Fix told VOA.

Political pressure

Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently insisted Germany would continue to support Kyiv.

"We will support Ukraine as long as it will be necessary and we will be the biggest national supporter of Ukraine in Europe," Scholz told reporters during a visit to Moldova on August 21.

Amid enduring economic pressures at home, Scholz is facing domestic political difficulties, said Fix.

"Although the foreign policy has not changed, it shows changing priorities. Because before, for the governing coalition, Ukraine support was sacred. Nothing could be changed about that. And it shows how desperate the governing coalition in Berlin is for their political survival, ahead of elections in the autumn in eastern Germany."

Long-range missiles

Meanwhile, the European Union on Thursday urged member states and Western allies to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range missiles to target sites inside Russia.

"The military platform for Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure should not stay off limits for elimination, should not be a sanctuary for Russia attacking Ukraine," Borrell told reporters.

"To facilitate Ukraine to respond to the Russian aggression inside Russian territory is in accordance with international law. And I don't see why someone says it is going to war against Moscow. No, we are not going to war with Moscow. We are delivering arms to Ukraine, that's all," he added.

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Announcement of Steps to Impose Visa Restrictions on Additional Individuals Involved in the Repression of Syrians

US Department of State

Press Statement

Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson

August 30, 2024

For many years, the Assad regime has used arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance as a tool of repression against its real and perceived critics. Over 96,000 men, women, and children remain forcibly disappeared by the regime to this day - leaving families desperate for answers about their fates - with the regime extorting and punishing those trying to learn more. On this International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the United States stands in solidarity with victims and survivors of enforced disappearance, as well as their families, and is taking action to promote accountability for this cruel abuse.

Today, the Department of State is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on 14 Syrian regime officials for their involvement in repressing rights in Syria, including involvement in or association with enforced disappearances. These restrictions come in addition to restrictions on 21 Syrian regime officials and their immediate family members that Secretary Blinken announced under this authority in March 2024 and December 2023.

The actions of these individuals are part of a broader systemic pattern of abuses committed in Syria. The United States calls on the Assad regime and other actors in Syria to cease the reprehensible practice of disappearance and abduction, clarify the fate of those missing, humanely release all those still alive, return the remains of those who have perished in its custody, and engage in good faith with the newly established Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria. Furthermore, we call on these actors to halt any retaliatory and exploitative actions against individuals seeking information on the status of missing persons. We reaffirm our unwavering support for the Syrian people, including in their ongoing peaceful demands for freedom and dignity, and we will continue to take action against actors responsible for the repression of Syrians. Furthermore, we continue to stand in solidarity with all U.S. citizens who are missing or unjustly detained in Syria, and we call on the Assad regime to account for its actions.

The Department of State's steps to impose visa restrictions were taken pursuant to a Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, under the policy Secretary Blinken announced in December 2023 to promote accountability for current or former Syrian government officials or other individuals who are believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, the repression of Syrians and the production or trafficking of the amphetamine-type stimulant captagon from Syria.

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Navy to add 6 minelayers to counter PLA amphibious landing on Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

08/30/2024 06:27 PM

Taipei, Aug. 30 (CNA) Taiwan plans to build six more minelayers from 2025 to 2027 as part of its ongoing effort to build indigenous warships, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND) spending plan for 2025 delivered to the Legislature on Friday.

The Navy has earmarked NT$1.8 billion (US$56.26 million) to build the six minelayers from 2025 to 2027, with the funding for 2025 alone set at NT$789 million, according to the plan.

The minelayers would speed up the laying of naval mines to help thwart a potential People's Liberation Army (PLA) amphibious landing on Taiwan's shores, giving Taiwan's forces an advantage, the Navy said in a written explanation it used to justify the spending request.

The development and construction of the six minelayers would also boost the local shipbuilding industry and support Taiwan's efforts to build battleships domestically, the Navy said.

Taiwan previously built four minelayers from 2017 to 2021 for NT$917.7 million, and they are in active service.

The six more minelayers are part of the NT$647 billion military budget proposed by Taiwan's government for 2025, which, if passed, would be the highest in the country's history.

The overall budget includes a regular budget (NT$476 billion), special budgets (NT$90.4 billion) and nonprofit special funds (NT$80.6 billion), and NT$145.8 billion was budgeted under the regular budget for weapons procurement, including the minelayers.

Meanwhile, the budget numbers also showed that the construction cost of seven planned indigenous defense submarines (IDS) is expected to peak in 2031 at NT$32.1 billion.

The seven subs will be based on the prototype IDS the Narwhal, also known as Hai Kun, which was ceremoniously unveiled on land in a photo op in September 2023 but has yet to undergo sea acceptance tests, despite reports since earlier this year that such tests were imminent.

According to the Navy, the seven subs are expected to cost a total of NT$284.08 billion over the project's time frame from 2025 to 2038, with NT$2 billion earmarked for the subs in 2025, NT$17 billion for 2026, and over NT$20 billion each year from 2027 to 2035.

The spending on the subs is scheduled to peak in 2031 when it is expected to reach NT$32.1 billion, according to the spending plan.

Meanwhile, in its 2024 PLA report, also delivered to the Legislature on Friday, the MND said the PLA has not developed the capabilities necessary to launch a full-on invasion of Taiwan.

Without that capability, the report said, the PLA's current options in maneuvering against Taiwan include intimidation, blockades, and joint firepower strikes.

To put an end to the "Taiwan question," however, the PLA will continue preparing for and strengthening its capabilities to carry out "joint landing warfare" against Taiwan, according to the report.

(By Matt Yu, Wu Shu-wei and Sean Lin)

Enditem/ls

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Pacific Islands Forum affirms Taiwan's participation in organization

ROC Central News Agency

08/30/2024 02:49 PM

Taipei, Aug. 30 (CNA) The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) issued a communique Friday affirming Taiwan's participation amid rumors of a push by China and the Solomon Islands to exclude the country from the inter-governmental organization.

"Leaders at the forum reaffirmed the 1992 Leaders decision on relations with Taiwan/Republic of China," the PIF said.

The statement came following a Monday report in The Australian newspaper, which claimed the Solomon Islands would table a motion at this year's summit from Aug. 26-30 in Tonga to strip Taiwan of its "development partner" status, held since 1993.

According to an anonymous source cited by the Australian report, the Solomon Islands received explicit instructions from Beijing to block Taiwan's attendance at the 2025 summit of PIF countries in the Solomon Islands' capital Honiara.

Nonmembers China, the United States, Japan, Canada and the European Union also participate in the annual forum and other PIF events as "dialogue partners."

Since abandoning its long-held diplomatic recognition of Taipei in 2019, the Solomon Islands has become a staunch regional ally of China, receiving significant development aid and striking a secretive bilateral security pact in 2022.

Based on the PIF's charter, motions are decided by verbal consensus among the group's 18-member nations, which include Taiwan's diplomatic allies Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Tuvalu.

During the Tonga summit, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he supports Taiwan's status in the PIF, and emphasized that any decision to exclude parties from regional forums should be made via a consensus.

Furthermore, when asked by CNA if Washington has plans to support Taiwan in securing its status in the PIF, the U.S. Department of State responded via email that it supports Taiwan's participation in international organizations.

"Taiwan is a highly capable, engaged, democratic, and responsible member of the global community," a State Department spokesperson said, adding that countries around the world "stand to benefit from Taiwan's expertise to address some of today's most difficult global challenges."

"We [the U.S.] will continue to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations," the spokesperson said.

(By Chou Yung-chieh, Chung Yu-chen, Joseph Yeh and Ko Lin)

Enditem/kb

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U.S. to continue arms sales to Taiwan: White House official

ROC Central News Agency

08/30/2024 01:00 PM

Washington, Aug. 29 (CNA) The United States will continue to provide defense articles to Taiwan as per its "One China" policy, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday, noting that such an approach has helped foster decades of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Sullivan told a press conference in Beijing that the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan had been consistent with the U.S.' One China policy, an approach he said has "remained true on a bipartisan basis" across multiple U.S. administrations.

The policy "has actually helped contribute to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait for decades, and we intend to keep it that way," said Sullivan, who was visiting China this week to meet with China's leader Xi Jinping (cea) and other senior Chinese officials.

"Our One China policy has not changed, and our approach to this issue is guided by the One China policy, the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint CommuniquAs, and the Six Assurances," he said.

The White House official's comments came shortly after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (cZ) raised the issue of arms sales in their two-day talks, according to a readout issued by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday (local time).

Wang was cited as urging Washington to cease arms sales to Taipei and arguing that efforts to push for Taiwanese independence posed "the greatest risk to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

Since President Joe Biden took office in 2021, the U.S. has announced arms sales to Taiwan 15 times, most recently in June involving US$60.2 million worth of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and related equipment.

According to the White House, the talks between Sullivan and Chinese leaders were part of the efforts by the U.S. and Chinese governments to maintain channels of communication and manage their relations.

The relationship between the U.S. and China remains "competitive" and both sides will have to work to "manage the risks and flashpoints," Sullivan said, mentioning in particular strained cross-Taiwan Strait relations and the tensions in the South China Sea.

Sullivan said he had stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and reaffirmed the U.S.' commitment to its allies in the Indo-Pacific in all his meetings with Chinese leaders.

(By Shih Hsiu-chuan and Teng Pei-ju)

Enditem/kb

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2024/08/30

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1.Dateis

6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Thursday to Friday, Aug. 29-30

2.PLA activitiesis

25 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 17 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern, and southeastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.



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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2024/08/31

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1.Dateis

6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Friday to Saturday, Aug. 30-31

2.PLA activitiesis

30 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 4 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 20 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities.







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"The Great Victory is the name of the rebirth of a nation from its ashes"

Presidency of The Republic of Turkey

30.08.2024

Speaking at the Victory Day Concert, President ErdoAYan said: "The Great Victory is the name of the rebirth from its ashes of a nation sought to be eradicated and expelled from its homeland."

President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan delivered a speech at the Victory Day Concert at the Presidential Complex.

Noting that TArkiye is experiencing the joy of marking the 102nd anniversary of the Great Victory today, President ErdoAYan said: "Let me underline that our War of Independence is without doubt a unique victory in the world. Mobilizing whatever it had at its disposal, our nation defended its independence and future despite all the deprivations. The Turkish Nation thus once again demonstrated its feature of being a nation that makes and writes history. The turning point of our War of Independence was the Great Offensive and the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief."

"WE ARE WORKING WITH ALL OUR STRENGTH TO CARRY OUR COUNTRY TO A MORE PROSPEROUS FUTURE"

Describing the Great Victory as the name of the rebirth from its ashes of a nation sought to be eradicated and expelled from its homeland, President ErdoAYan stated: "Our army, which had been on the defensive and whose offensive power had been on the decline since the Siege of Vienna, altered its ill fate with the victory it won in DumlupAnar. Thus, the retreat, which had lasted for 250 years save a few exceptions, came to an end. This victory, won despite numerous hardships, consolidated both our nation's independence and Turkish soldiers' heroism."

Drawing attention to the steps taken with resolve towards the ideal of a fully-independent TArkiye, President ErdoAYan said: "We are now focused on our goals as the nation. With the courage and inspiration we draw from the Great Victory, we are working with all our strength to carry our country to a more prosperous and brighter future. The achievements we have made in defense industry over the past 22 years instill confidence in our friends while instilling fear in those with hostile eyes."

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"Our Turkish Armed Forces are the guarantee of our country's independence, our national unity and solidarity"

Presidency of The Republic of Turkey

30.08.2024

Speaking at the Army War College's Commencement and Flag Handover Ceremony, President ErdoAYan said: "Our Turkish Armed Forces are the guarantee of our country's independence, the indivisible integrity of our homeland, and our national unity and solidarity."

President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan delivered a speech at the Commencement and Flag Handover Ceremony at Army War College in Ankara.

"ARMY WAR COLLEGE IS THE APPLE OF OUR MILITARY'S EYE"

"Founded in 1834 as Mekteb-i Harbiye-i Azahane (Imperial Military School), our Army War College is the apple of our military's eye with its 190-year history. For nearly two centuries, our Army War College has trained heroic officers who served under very difficult conditions, sacrificed their lives for the defense of the homeland, and whose military record is full of success. The founder of our Republic, Ghazi Mustafa Kemal, Field Marshal Fevzi Aakmak, Ali Fuat Cebesoy, Fethi Okyar, KazAm Karabekir and many other distinguished people who have written their names in history and in the hearts of our nation were trained under this roof and played very important roles in our War of Independence," President ErdoAYan said.

"This year, a total of 989 cadets, 72 of whom are our guests from 14 different countries of the world, are graduating from our Army War College. I congratulate each of our lieutenants who have received their diplomas and joined the ranks of our army, and I kiss them on their foreheads one by one. I also congratulate our instructors and commanders who have trained our graduates in the best way possible," President ErdoAYan said.

"OUR ARMED FORCES HONORABLY FULFILL THEIR DUTIES WHEREVER THEY ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY"

"From Syria to Northern Iraq, from Libya to Somalia, our Armed Forces honorably fulfill their duties wherever they assume responsibility," President ErdoAYan said.

"Our Turkish Armed Forces are the guarantee of our country's independence, the indivisible integrity of our homeland, and our national unity and solidarity," President ErdoAYan said. "Our military is also a source of hope for the oppressed around the world with our flag with star and crescent it proudly bears as a badge of honor."

"In terms of geography, TArkiye is a bridge; in terms of culture a center and in terms of economy a transition zone. Living in such a geography in a free, upright and independent manner is not for the faint of heart or for every man. Even the slightest sign of weakness can expose our nation to enormous threats," President ErdoAYan said.

"WE WILL BROADEN OUR VISION TO INCLUDE THE WHOLE WORLD"

"Wherever there is a kin of ours from the Adriatic to the steppes of Asia, his/her issue is our issue. From the Caucasus to Africa, wherever there is a brother or sister, his/her problem is our problem. Just as we are one and united with Azerbaijan, which we act with the slogan of two states and one nation, our hearts beat the same with all our brothers and sisters in the Turkic republics. How can we turn our backs on al-Quds, where our ancestors ruled in peace, tranquility, and prosperity for four centuries? How can we turn a blind eye to the land of Palestine, where Ghazi Mustafa Kemal fought to keep the enemy from invading it? How can we close our ears to the cries of our Palestinian brothers and sisters who have been subjected to genocide by Israel for 11 months? Who can separate Istanbul from Al-Quds al-Sharif? Who can separate Gaza from Gaziantep? Who can build a wall between us and our brothers whom we fought side by side and martyred side by side in Aanakkale a century ago?" President ErdoAYan said.

"Whoever tries to confine TArkiye's horizons to 782 thousand square kilometers is a stranger to these lands, if not unwary," President ErdoAYan said. "We will think in a TArkiye-centered way, but we will broaden our vision to include the whole world."

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"The Great Victory has eternally registered our nation's existence on the Anatolian lands"

Presidency of The Republic of Turkey

30.08.2024

President ErdoAYan, in a message on August 30 Victory Day, said: "The Great Victory, which Ghazi Mustafa Kemal AtatArk described as 'the immortal monument of the Turkish Nation's idea of freedom and independence,' has eternally registered our nation's existence on the Anatolian lands. With the Great Victory, the Turkish Nation once again declared to the whole world that it would not accept captivity, that it would not let shackles be put on its will, and that it would never compromise on living independently in its own homeland."

President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan issued a message on August 30 Victory Day.

The message reads as follows:

"Today, we are all celebrating the 102nd anniversary of the Great Victory with enthusiasm, excitement and pride. On this important day, one of the critical milestones in our history, I congratulate the August 30 Victory Day of our beloved nation, our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters, and our millions of citizens all over the world. I extend my most heartfelt gratitude to our guests at our missions abroad who share our joy on the Victory Day.

"WITH THE AUGUST 30, THE DOORS TO THE PROCLAMATION OF THE REPUBLIC WERE THROWN WIDE OPEN"

The Great Victory, which Ghazi Mustafa Kemal AtatArk described as 'the immortal monument of the Turkish Nation's idea of freedom and independence,' has eternally registered our nation's existence on the Anatolian lands. With the Battle of the Commander-in-Chief on August 30, the occupation forces were decisively defeated, the axis of imperialism was shattered, and the doors to the proclamation of the Republic were thrown wide open.

With the Great Victory, the Turkish Nation once again declared to the whole world that it would not accept captivity, that it would not let shackles be put on its will, and that it would never compromise on living independently in its own homeland.

The Great Victory, won thanks to our martyrs' heroism, our veterans' blood and our nation's sacrifices, still guides us today. While marching towards our goals for the Century of TArkiye determinedly, we are also realizing our ideal of a great and powerful TArkiye step by step.

"WE STAND FIRMLY BY ALL THE OPPRESSED"

We are mobilizing all our means and resources to stop the conflicts, oppressions and massacres occurring in different parts of the world, particularly in Gaza. We stand firmly by all the oppressed, regardless of their identity or faith and without expecting any material benefit.

I would like to express the following with great pleasure: We are stronger today than yesterday; we will inshallah be much stronger tomorrow. Together with our brothers and sisters devoted to the same ideal as ours, we will definitely establish a global order whereby everyone is represented fairly.

TArkiye, which inspired oppressed nations with its War of Independence, will also spearhead a world where peace, justice and tranquility prevail. With these thoughts in my mind, I remember Mustafa Kemal AtatArk, the Commander-in-Chief of the Great Victory, and his comrades-in-arms with gratitude, pray that Allah the Almighty may have mercy on all our martyrs, the eternal guardians of our independence, and gratefully commemorate our veterans. Happy August 30 Victory Day."

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August 30, 2024

Release

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting With Ukrainian Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III held bilateral talks with Ukrainian Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov today regarding Ukraine's ongoing operations, security assistance priorities, and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) to be held in Ramstein, Germany next week.

Secretary Austin reaffirmed the enduring support of the United States for a free, secure, and sovereign Ukraine. The leaders discussed security assistance priorities, including air defense to protect Ukrainian civilians and critical infrastructure from Russia's brutal aerial attacks, as well as artillery, armored vehicles, and other capabilities to help Ukraine build additional combat power to fight Russian aggression.

Secretary Austin and Minister Umerov also discussed plans for the September 6 UDCG to maintain the unity and strong support of more than 50 Allies and partners for Ukraine's immediate battlefield needs and long-term security through the UDCG's eight Capability Coalitions.

The two leaders pledged to continue to build on the strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3891653/

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August 30, 2024

Transcript

Secretary Lloyd J Austin III's Bilateral Meeting With Ukraine's Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov

SECRETARY AUSTIN: Well, good morning, Minister Umerov. Welcome back to the Pentagon. First, I want to congratulate you and all Ukrainians on celebrating your Independence Day last weekend. The Ukrainian people continue to fight for your freedom and despite Moscow's cruel waves of attacks on critical civilian infrastructure earlier this week. But let me be clear, it is never acceptable to target civilians and Ukraine's resilience will help it prevail over Putin's aggression and atrocities. Rustem, your forces remain steadfast, and they continue to fend off the Kremlin's assaults and to inflict major losses on Russian invaders. So make no mistake, the United States will not waver in our support for a free, secure and sovereign Ukraine. Alongside some 50 of our allies and partners, the United States will continue to provide the critical capabilities that you need to fight the Kremlin's aggression. As you know, next week I'll travel to Ramstein Air Base to, again, convene the Ukraine Defense Contact Group for the 24th time. The contact group's members stand strong in our support for Ukraine.

And the contact group's eight capability coalitions are working toward Ukraine's long-term security. At next week's meeting, we'll push hard to meet Ukraine's urgent capability needs and these include air defense to counter Russia's planes, drones and missiles along with more artillery and armor, and to help you build additional combat power. So I look forward to discussing how we can best support Ukraine today and into the future. Rustem, thanks for making the trip and I look forward to a great discussion today in making even more progress next week at Ramstein. Over to you, sir.

MINISTER OF DEFENSE UMEROV: Dear Secretary Austin, dear colleagues, thank you for hosting us today. This meeting is of utmost importance to us. The leadership of the United States has set a powerful example to encourage other partners to stand by Ukraine in this critical time. Dear Lloyd, I would like to thank you for your personal role in leading the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group. During today's meeting, we will engage in detailed discussions about the situation on the frontline, including our vision, objectives and plans. We will also address Ukraine's critical needs, including necessary armaments, equipment and training. Another area we can focus on today is Ukrainian domestic production. In the last two years, we have achieved significant progress. Ukraine has launched hundreds of new defense enterprises and can quickly manufacture high-quality weapons, ensuring prompt delivery to the battlefield. So we will touch these topics by discussing and exchanging opinions. Your contribution is always valuable. Thank you.

SECRETARY AUSTIN: Well, thanks again for being here. I look forward to a great discussion. Thanks, everybody.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3891478/

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August 30, 2024

By Joseph Clark, DOD News

Austin Meets With Ukrainian Counterpart

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III underscored the United States' enduring commitment to supporting Ukraine as he met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov at the Pentagon today.

Austin condemned Russia's assault on Ukraine's critical civilian infrastructure earlier this week and said the U.S. will continue to lead allies and partners in delivering key capabilities to help Ukraine defend itself.

"Let me be clear, it is never acceptable to target civilians, and Ukraine's resilience will help it prevail over Putin's aggression and atrocities," he said.

Austin added that Ukrainian forces have continued to remain steadfast.

"They continue to fend off [the] Kremlin's assault and to inflict major losses on Russian invaders," he said. "So, make no mistake, the United States will not waiver in our support for a free and sovereign Ukraine."

The two leaders met today ahead of next week's meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Nearly 50 allies and partners committed to the defense of Ukraine will gather there for the 24th iteration of the U.S.-led coalition.

Austin said the partners will push to meet Ukraine's urgent battlefield needs, including air-defense capabilities to fend off Russian drone and missile attacks, at the meeting.

The efforts add to the United States' continued push to ensure Ukraine has the capabilities needed to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression in the long-term.

Last week, the Defense Department announced its latest package of security assistance for Ukraine, valued at up to $125 million.

The package included key weapons and ammunition to meet Ukraine's most urgent needs, including air-defense capabilities.

The announcement marked the 64th provision of U.S. equipment from DOD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.

Umerov said today's meeting would feature detailed discussions about the current situation on the battlefield and Ukraine's "vision, objectives and plans."

The Ukrainian leader thanked Austin for his continued leadership rallying the international coalition behind the defense of Ukraine.

"The leadership of the United States has set a powerful example to encourage other partners to stand by Ukraine at this critical time," Umerov said.

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Baiba BraAe in a meeting with the delegation of U.S. senators and congressmen: we are unanimous - support for Ukraine must continue and Russia must be contained

Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

30.08.2024

On 30 August 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba BraAe, met with a delegation of senators and congressmen led by the United States Senator Mark Kelly, who have arrived in Latvia to explore the security situation in the Baltic States, including resilience to hybrid threat and potential needs for the strengthening of military capabilities. The U.S. delegation represents the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the House Armed Services Committee.

The Foreign Minister Baiba BraAe: "The United States is a strategic partner to Latvia, which has always held important the U.S. global leadership role of protecting the ideals of freedom and democratic values. We are grateful for support from the U.S. Congress for Latvia's, Baltic and European security, as well as for strengthening the NATO eastern flank. In the current geopolitical climate, it is vital to ensure a continued U.S. military presence in Latvia and the region - also beyond 2025."

During the meeting, the U.S. Congressional Delegation confirmed that they understood Latvia's perspective of the existing security threats and the desire for a greater U.S. military presence.

The Minister and the U.S. senators and congressmen were unanimous about the need to keep supporting Ukraine in its fight against the Russian aggression and to jointly make effort to contain Russia and undermine Russia's military capabilities. The partners agreed that it was essential to continue the successful coordination between Latvia and the United States on sanctions issues so as to strengthen the sanctions regime and prevent loopholes for circumvention.

During its stay in Latvia, the Congressional Delegation also meets with the Prime Minister and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence. The visit to Latvia takes place as part of a wider regional visit covering Helsinki, Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn. The U.S. Congress provides annual funding for the Baltic Security Initiative, which focuses on strengthening the region's military capabilities.

The delegation of the armed services committees headed by the U.S. Senator Mark Kelly comprised Senator Ted Budd, member of the Senate Committee of Armed Services, Congressman Mike Rogers, Chair of the House Armed Services Committee, and its members Congressmen Adam Smith and Dale Strong, and Congressman Ritchie Torres, member of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.

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Zelenskiy Dismisses Ukraine's Air Force Chief After Crash Of F-16

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service August 30, 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on August 30 dismissed the commander of the country's air force one day after the crash of a U.S.-made F-16 fighter jet that had been recently deployed in the country's fight against Russia's full-scale invasion.

The crash occurred on August 26 and killed pilot Oleksiy Mes, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

"I have decided to replace the commander of the air forces of the armed forces of Ukraine," Zelenskiy said in a video message, expressing gratitude to all military pilots, engineers, "warriors," and air-defense units.

Zelenskiy published a decree to remove Mykola Oleshchuk from his post earlier on August 30, saying the decision was in line with the goal of strengthening Ukraine's military leadership.

He reiterated the message in his video, saying, "We must strengthen ourselves. And take care of people. Take care of personnel -- take care of all our warriors."

Oleshchuk was appointed commander of the air force on August 9, 2021, replacing Serhiy Drozdov.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Mes died while repelling a massive Russian strike. During the air battle, three cruise missiles and one drone were destroyed, the air force said.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that an F-16 was destroyed in a crash on August 26. An unidentified U.S. official quoted by the newspaper on August 29 said that initial reports indicated that the jet wasn't shot down by enemy fire and that it likely crashed as a result of pilot error.

The Ukrainian military said an investigation into the crash had already been launched and that international experts would be invited to participate.

Oleshchuk said earlier on August 30 that a "detailed analysis" was being conducted into why the F-16 went down.

"We must carefully understand what happened, what the circumstances are, and whose responsibility it is," Oleshchuk said on Telegram.

Ukraine received the warplanes at the end of last month and at a ceremony on August 4 marking Air Force of Armed Forces Day, Zelenskiy said the air force had begun to use them.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskiy-oleshchuk-air- force-military-dismiss-decree/33100092.html

Copyright (c) 2024. 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 Bombs High-Rise In Kharkiv, Killing 7, As Zelenskiy Begs West To Lift Weapons Restrictions

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service August 30, 2024

Ukraine needs "strong decisions" from its partners to stop the terror that Russia is perpetrating in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on August 30 after a Russian air strike on Kharkiv hit a high-rise residential building and playground, killing at least seven people, including a 14-year-old girl.

Scores of people were injured, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said, accusing Russia of targeting "civilian objects, peaceful people, children."

Local authorities said five strikes hit the city in eastern Ukraine. The worst was on the 12-story apartment building, where Regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said there were many victims whose limbs had to be amputated.

He raised the number of dead from six to seven late on August 30 after a woman's body was retrieved from the charred building.

"As of now, we have information on 59 victims -- among them 9 children aged 5 to 16 years. People continue to go to hospitals," he said on Telegram.

In his evening address, Zelenskiy identified the 14-year-old girl as Sofia and said she would have turned 15 in the fall.

He said the strike was carried out by a Russian guided aerial bomb and said it would not have happened if Ukraine's defense forces had the ability to target military sites on Russian territory.

"This strike was a Russian guided aerial bomb. A blow that would not have happened if our defense forces had the ability to destroy Russian military aircraft where they are based. We need strong solutions from our partners to stop this terror. This is an absolutely fair need. And there is no rational reason to limit Ukraine in defense. We need long-range capabilities," Zelenskiy said on Telegram.

The bombs that struck Kharkiv were fired from the Belgorod region, which lies to the north of Ukraine's Kharkiv region. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said late on August 30 that five people were killed and 37 were injured by Ukrainian rockets fired on the city of Belgorod.

"One woman and four men died on the spot from their wounds before the ambulance arrived," Gladkov said on Telegram. There are children among the wounded, and 10 people are in serious condition, he said.

In the village of Dubovoye, 13 cars were damaged, and two houses, another car, and a garage caught fire, he said, adding that firefighters quickly extinguished the flames.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, at the Pentagon on August 30, condemned recent Russian attacks on civilian targets.

"Let me be clear: It is never acceptable to target civilians, and Ukraine's resilience will help it prevail over [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's aggression and atrocities," Austin said as he hosted Umerov and Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy's chief of staff, at the Pentagon.

Austin said the United States plans to advocate for a further expansion of the country's air defense at the Ukraine Contact Group meeting next week at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Umerov and Yermak briefed Austin about the situation on the battlefield, according to a statement from the president's office.

"Russia hit Ukraine with more than 400 missiles of various types and drones this week," the statement said. "The Ukrainian side noted that Ukraine needs to strengthen air defense to protect people and critical infrastructure."

Umerov thanked the U.S. and its allies for their support and said he wanted to inform Austin about the situation on the battlefield and the current needs of the Ukrainian military.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Russian forces are conducting "two key tactical operations" as part of their offensive to capture the strategic city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on August 29.

The first is along the Novogrodivka-Hrodivka line east of Pokrovsk with the aim of advancing to the outskirts of the city. The second is along the Selydove-Ukrayinsk-Hirnyk line to the southeast with the aim of "eliminating vulnerabilities to Ukrainian counterattacks."

The operations are seen by the Russian military as key to an "intensified offensive effort against Pokrovsk itself," ISW wrote.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian military said there had been 109 combat clashes during the day, and most of the fighting took place in the Pokrovsk area in the Donetsk region.

There was also fighting in the areas near Kupyansk and Lyman, the General Staff said in its late afternoon assessment on August 30. In total, Russian troops advanced in 11 directions, it said.

Zelenskiy in his evening address on August 30 named Pokrovsk as one of the most challenging areas.

"It is crucial that everyone, at all state levels, who is involved in this, really make their maximum efforts to ensure our resilience and that of our warriors," he said.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-pokrovsk-offensive- kharkiv/33099255.html

Copyright (c) 2024. 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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Czech, EU Voices Urge No Curbs On Ukraine's Use Of Western Weaponry Inside Russia

By Andy Heil, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and Sashko Shevchenko August 30, 2024

PRAGUE -- Czech President Petr Pavel on August 30 joined a growing EU chorus urging allies to lift all restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons as Kyiv continues its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion of its much smaller post-Soviet neighbor.

Speaking to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service after the opening of the three-day Globsec security conference in Prague, Pavel, a retired general who also held a senior NATO post, said Ukrainians deserved a freer hand to defend their country.

"I think that what we need is to enable Ukraine to use fully the potential of weapons that Western countries are providing," Pavel said. "What I mean is not supposing any restrictions on the use of aircraft, missiles, and so on, because Ukraine needs to use them to be successful in self-defense."

The 62-year-old Pavel, a former chairman of the Czech General Staff, has been among the most outspoken of EU member state leaders in favor of military and other support for Ukraine since becoming president of his country of around 10 million people in March 2023.

Pavel's statements echoed a similar and nearly simultaneous call by the EU's outgoing foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, to an informal meeting of the bloc's defense ministers in Brussels. Borrell said Kyiv has the right to target the places from which it is attacked.

"No one wants" a war with Russia, he said on August 30 as he headed into the second day of the meeting. "But put yourself in the shoes of the Ukrainians: The Russians are bombing you from a place you cannot reach. You would like to fight as equals," Borrell said, adding that it is "absurd" to say allowing targeting on the territory of Russia means waging war directly against Moscow.

Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, have repeatedly called on Ukraine's global allies to take "decisive action" and allow Ukraine to strike military targets deeper inside Russia with Western-provided weapons.

Earlier this month, Ukraine launched an incursion into Russian territory with Zelenskiy saying Russia "must feel what it has done." Russia has responded in recent days with some of its fiercest barrages of missile and drone attacks aimed at cities and critical civilian infrastructure across Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials say that despite deliveries of new weapons that are helping bolster the fight, their armed forces are still at a disadvantage because the West's restrictions keeping Ukraine from using long-range weapons to strike deep inside Russian territory.

"Long-term security for Europe begins with short-term, bold decisions for Ukraine," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told journalists in Brussels before a meeting of EU foreign ministers on August 29.

The United States and other major suppliers of Ukraine's war effort have been reluctant to allow the use of longer-range weapons, including portable rocket launchers, in situations that could provoke Russia into a major escalation.

Under growing pressure from other NATO countries that signaled openness to wider latitude for Kyiv, U.S. officials said in May that President Joe Biden had given Ukraine the go-ahead to use U.S. weapons to strike inside Russia for the limited purpose of defending the eastern city of Kharkiv.

Other similar moves have followed and coincided with the activation of Western-provided F-16s with Western-trained Ukrainian pilots.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told a gathering of NATO foreign ministers on May 30 that allies should consider lifting restrictions on the use of NATO weapons by Ukraine to hit targets on Russian territory.

Earlier this year, with Kyiv complaining of delays in supplies of weapons and ammunition, the Czech Republic led an initiative with Pavel's vocal support to supply up to 1.5 million pieces of artillery ammunition. Fifteen countries joined the ongoing initiative.

Pavel, who chaired the NATO Military Committee, a main policy and strategy advisory body to the alliance's secretary-general, from 2015-18, said at Globsec that he believed Russia's reportedly rapid recent advance near the strategic Ukrainian town of Pokrovsk was not linked to Ukraine's use of thousands of troops to launch an incursion last month into Russia's southern Kursk region. He said any Russian success there was more likely a result of favorable weather.

Kyiv has suggested it controls more than 1,200 square kilometers of Russian territory and that it could be a bargaining chip in future peace negotiations.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-borrell-eu- restrictions-weapons/33099500.html

Copyright (c) 2024. 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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Von Der Leyen: Europe Must 'Rethink Foundations' Of Security, Boost Ukraine Defense

By Andy Heil and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service August 30, 2024

PRAGUE -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on August 30 for a greater European commitment to security and overcoming past unwillingness to provide for its own defense, repeatedly citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine as evidence the bloc must shed "illusions" and "think about our union as intrinsically a security project."

Speaking in the Czech capital to attendees of the annual Globsec security conference, the returning head of the European Union's executive arm laid out a staunch case for European solidarity against Russian and other threats and a "systemic overhaul of European defense," warning that the next half of the decade would be "high risk."

"If we want true peace, we must fundamentally rethink the foundations of Europe's security architecture," von der Leyen said. "Russia's invasion has been an eye-opener for Europe."

The 65-year-old German von der Leyen, who was endorsed for a fresh five-year term in July, vowed to appoint the bloc's first "full-fledged defense commissioner" to the incoming European Commission, whose respective nominations from each of the 27 member states are ongoing.

Von der Leyen criticized outsiders arguing against arming Ukraine and warned against premature talks that neither Moscow nor Kyiv seem prepared to conduct two and a half years into the full-scale Russian invasion. The answer to when it's time for talks, she said, is "first and foremost up to our Ukrainian friends."

Russian forces currently control about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, but Ukrainian troops now claim to control more than 1,200 square kilometers of Russian territory since a surprise Ukrainian incursion in Kursk began last month.

While she specifically cited "many outside Europe" for urging immediate talks, it also appeared to be a swipe at EU member Hungary, whose President Viktor Orban's self-styled and uncoordinated "peace mission" to Kyiv, Moscow, and Beijing immediately after Budapest took up the rotating European Council Presidency in July infuriated Brussels.

"We want the war to stop as soon as possible," von der Leyen said. But, she added, "My position is that peace is not simply the absence of war. Peace is a settlement that makes war impossible and unnecessary. Therefore, we must put Ukraine in the condition of negotiating such peace."

Invoking bitter Cold War memories, von der Leyen warned against blaming Kyiv for Russia's unprovoked invasion. She asked whether Hungary or then-Czechoslovakia could be blamed for invasions of those countries by Soviet and Warsaw Pact troops in 1956 and 1968.

"And the answer to this question is very clear," she said. "The Kremlin's behavior was illegal and atrocious back then, and the Kremlin's behavior is illegal and atrocious today."

Von der Leyen said that Europeans have many different histories and speak in many languages, "But in no language is peace synonymous with surrender; in no language is sovereignty synonymous with occupation."

"So those who argue to stop support for Ukraine do not argue for peace," she said, "they argue for appeasement and subjugation of Ukraine."

Von der Leyen said one of the lessons of Russia's attack on Ukraine and its international response was that "Europe has overcome its long-standing unwillingness to spend enough on its own defense."

She emphasized the strength and importance of U.S. support and transatlantic cooperation but said "protecting Europe is first and foremost Europe's duty."

Von der Leyen said EU member states' collective defense spending had shot up "from just over 200 billion euros before the war to almost 300 billion [euros] this year."

She said aim must be "to build a continent-sized defense output" and "a systemic overhaul of Europe's defense."

"We Europeans must be on guard," von der Leyen said. "We must refocus our attention on the security dimension of everything we do. We must think about our union as intrinsically a security project."

At the same conference, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service that "we have a duty to remind people what is at stake...[and] what can happen if a just peace is not achieved, if the war ends with Russia's victory not Ukraine's."

He noted Russia's actions in its lightning war in Georgia in 2008, leaving it effectively occupying about one-fifth of Georgian territory, and the invasion of Crimea in 2014 that ushered in a slow-boiling war that exploded into full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Asked whether the European Union has learned from such past mistakes, Landsbergis said: "It can happen, yes. That chapter is not yet written."

Von der Leyen welcomed the chance to speak in the Czech capital, praising Central Europe's competitiveness and "impressive strength" and noting the region's past concerns about Russian actions.

"Since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, you have become the beating heart of solidarity," von der Leyen said of the region.

The three-day Globsec security conference, which has been held in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, for the past 18 years, brings together European and global leaders and other senior officials and continues in Prague through September 1.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-defense-ukraine-leyen- globsec/33099840.html

Copyright (c) 2024. 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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Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's answer to a media question about the provocative remarks by Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh and White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby

30 August 2024 09:53

1594-30-08-2024

Question: What is your response to Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh's statement confirming that the United States has allowed the Kiev regime to use US weapons to defend Ukraine against "Russian attacks" from the Kursk Region? What is Russia's attitude to such comments by Pentagon's spokespersons? Won't these statements escalate the Ukraine crisis even further?

Maria Zakharova: I would like to start by saying that the United States is actually a party to the Ukraine conflict. Overwhelmed by its hegemonic ambitions and its desire to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia, Washington time after time hikes the degree of tension in relations with Russia. Contrary to official statements by a number of high-ranking US officials, it is not seeking to defuse the tensions.

This is confirmed not only by Ms Singh's remarks you have referred to but also by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby's statement at his August 26 briefing. Asked about the likelihood of Ukraine extending the range of its missile strikes at Russian territories, he replied that the US was holding these conversations with the Nazi and terrorist (as proved by the recent events) Kiev regime in private.

All of this suggests quite serious conclusions. Ukraine has been given a free hand for operations in the Russian regions. Moreover, the Biden administration seems to be ready to make new concessions to Zelensky and let off the leash on using the whole range of US weapons, including those that can hit targets deep in the Russian hinterland. The US escalatory course is becoming increasingly outrageous. One has the impression that the US establishment has thrown the remainder of commonsense to the winds and believes that anything goes for them.

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Russian Defence Ministry report on repelling an invasion attempt of the AFU on the territory of the Russian Federation (30 August 2024)

30.08.2024

Over the past 24 hours, units of the Sever Group of Forces supported by Army Aviation and artillery repelled five attacks launched by the enemy's assault detachments in the direction of Kremyanoye, Pushkarskoye, and Cherkasskoye Porechnoye.

The enemy's attempts to launch attacks in the direction of Malaya Loknya, Pushkarnoye, and Russkaya Konopelka were thwarted. The AFU losses have amounted to up to 40 troops killed and wounded, three armoured fighting vehicles, and two motor vehicles.

Aviation, artillery, and actions of troops inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 22nd, 41st, 61st, 115th mechanised brigades, 82nd Air Assault Brigade, and 1004th Security and Service Brigade near Apanasovka, Borki, Bogdanovka, Vishnyovka, Gaponovo, Kositsa, Lyubimovka, Mikhailovka, Novaya Sorochina, Obukhovka, Orlovka, Plekhovo, Russkoye Porechnoye, Sverdlikovo, Snagost, and Desyaty Oktyabr. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue reconnaissance and search operations in forestry areas to locate and eliminate enemy sabotage groups.

Operational-Tactical Aviation delivered strikes at concentration areas in Sumy region of reserve manpower and military hardware of the 41st, 54th mechanised brigades, 80th, 82nd, 95th air assault brigades of the AFU, 1st National Guard Brigade, 101th, 103rd, 107th, and 129th territorial defence brigades near Belopolye, Bachevsk, Glukhov, Katerinovka, Martynovka, Pervomayskoye, Pustogorod, Pokrovka, Pavlovka, Sumy, and Fotovizh.

Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses have amounted to more than 380 troops and 22 units of hardware, including one tank, 21 armoured fighting vehicles, one artillery gun, two mortars, one electronic warfare station, and eight motor vehicles.



Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk region, the AFU losses have amounted to more than 7,800 troops, 75 tanks, 36 infantry fighting vehicles, 64 armoured personnel carriers, 507 armoured fighting vehicles, 235 motor vehicles, 53 artillery guns, 15 multiple-launch rocket system launchers, including four of HIMARS system and one of MLRS system, five SAM launchers, 11 electronic warfare stations, one counter-battery radar, one air defence radar, five engineering vehicles, including two counterobstacle vehicles and one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle.

Department for Media Affairs and Information

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Ukraine Loses Over 4,800 Soldiers in Battles With Russia's Yug Battlegroup in Past Week

Sputnik News

20240830

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's Yug battlegroup of forces repelled five counterattacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian armed forces over the past week, with Ukraine losing over 4,840 soldiers, US-made Abrams tanks and German-made Leopard tanks, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

"Five counterattacks by enemy assault groups were repelled. The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 4,840 soldiers, US-made Abrams tanks and German-made Leopard tanks, four combat armored vehicles, 60 vehicles and 57 field artillery pieces, 23 of which were made by NATO countries," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the Yug battlegroup also took control of the settlement of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).

Over the past week, Ukraine lost up to 3,580 soldiers in battles with Russia's Sever battlegroup of forces. In battles with Russia's Vostok battlegroup of forces, Ukraine lost up to 860 soldiers and seven Western self-propelled guns, the statement said.

At the same time, Russia's Tsentr battlegroup of forces repelled 50 counterattacks, with Ukraine losing up to 3,720 soldiers, seven tanks and one Grad MLRS. It also took control of the settlement of Novozhelanne in the DPR, the statement added.

Additionally, Russia's Zapad battlegroup of forces took control of the settlement of Stelmakhovka in the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) and the settlement of Sinkovka in the Kharkov Region, according to the statement.

Over the past week, the Russian armed forces also carried out 14 massive strikes, including Kinzhal missiles, on critical energy and airfield facilities in Ukraine. The Russian military also targeted temporary deployment points for units of nationalist formations and foreign mercenaries, the statement said.

A Sputnik

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Ukraine Loses Over 7,800 Troops During Operation in Kursk Direction

Sputnik News

20240830

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have eliminated more than 7,800 Ukrainian servicemen and 75 tanks during military operations in the border areas of the Kursk Region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

"In total, during the military operations in the Kursk direction, the enemy lost more than 7,800 servicemen, 75 tanks, 36 infantry fighting vehicles, 64 armored personnel carriers, 507 armored combat vehicles, 235 vehicles, 53 artillery pieces, 15 multiple launch rocket system launchers," the ministry said in a statement.

Over the past 24 hours, Kiev lost more than 380 servicepeople and 22 units of armored vehicles in the Kursk direction, the ministry also said.

Units of the Russian northern group repelled five attacks by Ukrainian troops and thwarted attempts by Ukrainian troops to attack in the Kursk Region, the ministry said, adding that Kiev has lost up to 40 people, three combat armored vehicles and two cars.

A Sputnik

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Ukraine Apparently Given Carte Blanche for Operations in Russian Regions - Moscow

Sputnik News

20240830

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - Ukraine has apparently been given carte blanche for operations in Russian regions, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Thursday that the US allows Ukraine to counterattack Russia with US weapons during the terrorist attack in the Kursk Region. White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said Monday that the United States and Ukraine will continue having conversations concerning the allowed use of US-supplied weapons for striking Russian territory, but those discussions will remain private.

"Extremely serious conclusions follow from all this. Ukraine has been given complete carte blanche for operations in Russian regions. Moreover, the Joe Biden administration is obviously preparing to make new concessions to [President Volodymyr] Zelensky and untie his hands to use virtually any type of American weapons, including deep into Russian territory," Zakharova said.

She said the US escalation course is becoming increasingly provocative.

Early on August 6, Ukrainian forces crossed the border into Russia and launched an offensive in the Kursk Region. Commenting on the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine had carried out another large-scale provocation, firing indiscriminately at civilian targets. The enemy will receive a proper response in the border regions of Russia, Putin said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said August 29 that Ukrainian troops had lost up to 7,450 servicemen and 74 tanks during the offensive in the Kursk Region.

A Sputnik

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Russian disinformation will not deter the UK from supporting Ukraine: UK statement at the UN Security Council

Statement by Fergus Eckersley, Minister Counsellor, at the Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

30 August 2024

Since calling this meeting, and accusing the West of escalation, Russia has bombarded Ukrainian cities across fifteen regions, more than half the country, using hundreds of drones, cruise missiles, hypersonic ballistic missiles, glide bombs, and more.

Some of these were procured from Iran and DPRK, in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions.

Moscow's intent is to terrorise the civilian population in Ukraine into submission. The latest attacks have caused widespread blackouts, cutting off access for ordinary people to power, heating and water. Imagine that happening to your country.

Direct attacks on civilian infrastructure constitute a war crime. Ukraine has a right to defend itself, under Article 51 of the UN Charter, against Russia's attacks.

This does not preclude its right to project force into Russian territory, so long as action complies with international law.

Russia cannot step up the war from its own soil, while increasing attacks on the civilian population, and expect Ukraine not to seek to remove the source of the threat.

We will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities it needs to defend its people.

Neither the UK nor our partners seek direct confrontation with Russia, nor a wider escalation of tensions.

Let me be clear. There is only one aggressor here.

It was Russia that willingly and deliberately tore into the security of Europe by illegally invading a sovereign country.

It was Russia that unilaterally sought to annex a neighbour's land, against every principle the international system, and all of us, rely upon.

It was Russia that chose to use hypersonic missiles and other advanced weaponry against civilians and their infrastructure.

And it was Russia that chose, at the start of this war, that chose to illegally seize the largest nuclear power plant in Western Europe at Zaporizhizhia even recklessly installing military equipment in the turbine hall and on reactor roofs.

Russian disinformation and threats and false accusations will not deter the UK or our allies from our steadfast support for Ukraine, including providing it with the capabilities it needs to defend its people.

We remain committed to securing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine and for Europe, in line with the UN Charter.

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Ukrainian Delegation Discussed with Lloyd Austin the Needs of the Defense Forces and the Joint Production of Weapons

President of Ukraine

30 August 2024 - 20:20

A Ukrainian delegation headed by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko has begun its visit to Washington. The first meeting was held with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

It was attended by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, Deputy Minister of Defense Oleksandr Balanutsa, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Volodymyr Horbatiuk and Chief of the Main Logistics Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykola Shevtsov.

The Head of the Presidential Office thanked President Joseph Biden, both chambers and parties of the U.S. Congress and all the American people for helping Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

Andriy Yermak and Rustem Umerov spoke about the situation on the battlefield, the need of the Defense Forces for weapons and equipment, and the recent shelling of the energy system by the aggressor state. During this week, the Russian Federation fired more than 400 missiles of various types and drones at Ukraine. The Ukrainian side noted that Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defense in order to protect people and critical infrastructure.

The Head of the Office of the President emphasized that it is extremely important for our state to receive weapons from the already announced defense packages as soon as possible.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed the training of Ukrainian warriors and the joint production of weapons.

Rustem Umerov commended Lloyd Austin for his personal contribution to the work of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

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Ukraine and Montenegro Have Initiated Consultations on a Bilateral Security Agreement

President of Ukraine

30 August 2024 - 18:46

Ukraine and Montenegro held a meeting concerning the conclusion of a bilateral security agreement. The document aims to strengthen security in Europe and deepen cooperation between the two countries.

According to the Presidential decree, the Ukrainian delegation is headed by the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak. Today's consultations were led by the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Ihor Zhovkva.

"We appreciate Montenegro's unwavering position and steadfast support to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. We share the same values and count on Montenegro's support on Ukraine's path to NATO membership. Ukraine and Montenegro both also aspire for EU membership and are already indisputably contributing to Europe's security and prosperity," Ihor Zhovkva emphasized.

Ukraine is concluding bilateral security agreements in pursuance of the G7 Joint Declaration adopted in Vilnius on July 12 last year. Our country has already signed 25 agreements with the countries that supported it.

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Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR UKRAINE MATTHIAS SCHMALE EXPRESSES SHOCK AT TODAY'S ATTACK IN KHARKIV CITY

I am shocked to learn from colleagues in Kharkiv of attacks by the Russian Armed Forces, which have killed and injured civilians, including children, in residential areas of the city this afternoon.

This latest attack comes as people across Ukraine have lived through a week of attacks resulting in death and destruction.

Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law.

30 August 2024

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Warning Security Council of Civilian Death Spike Due to Escalating Attacks on Ukraine, Top Disarmament Official Says Weapons Transfers Must Comply with International Law

Meetings Coverage

Security Council

9716th Meeting (AM)

SC/15807

30 August 2024

Escalating attacks in recent weeks on Ukraine have cause civilian deaths and destruction to surge, a senior United Nations disarmament official said today, as he briefed the Security Council on the rise in military assistance and transfers of arms and ammunition to that country, stressing that such activity must adhere to international law.

"Let me say it clearly: directing an attack against civilians or civilian objects is prohibited," said Adedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, underscoring the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack in international law. "All attacks contrary to these obligations must stop immediately."

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), July 2024 was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since October 2022, with at least 219 civilians killed and 1,018 injured, he said.

The transfers of weapons to Ukraine have reportedly included heavy conventional weapons, such as battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, combat aircraft, helicopters, large-calibre artillery systems, missile systems and uncrewed combat aerial vehicles, as well as remotely operated munitions, and small arms and light weapons and their ammunition, he said. There have also been reports of States transferring, or planning to transfer, weapons such as uncrewed aerial vehicles, ballistic missiles and ammunition to the Russian Federation armed forces and that these weapons have been used in Ukraine.

"I reiterate that any transfer of weapons and ammunition must take place consistently with the applicable international legal framework, including of course, relevant Security Council resolutions," he stressed. Reports related to the use of cluster munitions and widespread contamination with mines and explosive remnants of war in Ukraine are deeply concerning. Mitigating the human cost of weapons through responsible arms and ammunition transfers is crucial. That requires supply chain transparency and information exchange among importing, transit and exporting States.

He noted that, in June, States reviewed progress in implementing the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and its International Tracing Instrument and adopted, by consensus, action-oriented measures for 2024-2030 in order to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in such weapons throughout their life cycle. "All States should now implement these commitments and other related commitments," he said, including those in the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management.

The use of armed uncrewed aerial vehicles and missiles by the Russian Federation continues to cause civilian deaths and injuries, he went on to say. There have also been recent reports of cross-border strikes using missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles by Ukraine inside the Russian Federation, with some, according to the Russian authorities, reportedly resulting in civilian casualties.

The representative of the Russian Federation, who called today's meeting, said that the West is senselessly pumping weapons to Ukraine. The Kyiv regime has received "fairly modern" Western equipment, including tanks, artillery equipment and long-range missiles, without which, "they would have stopped fighting a long time ago". "The bloody Ukrainian head honcho can make his people fight only through force and coercion and only thanks to the supplies of Western weapons, Western intelligence, Western instructors and mercenaries," he said.

This month, Ukraine made a "fatal mistake" by pushing forces over the border into a Russian Federation region. "The world, as I said two days ago, saw the pictures of the Ukrainian murderers with Nazi symbols, looting and marauding, taking hostages and firing at women, children and old persons," he said, adding: "This was so far from the image of the innocent victim of aggression that the US and its satellites have sought so hard to paint Ukraine."

Western moralists have already sent highly enriched uranium and cluster munitions to Ukraine, he said. Having a direct confrontation between the Russian Federation and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is what Ukraine wants. "Kyiv just doesn't have another Plan B. [...] We warned about this a few days ago; that the Kyiv regime is planning for a provocation of a dirty nuclear bomb," he said, which would lead to an enormous escalation far beyond Ukraine's borders.

He also expressed concern over a new law in Ukraine whose aim, he said, is to eliminate the Ukrainian Orthodox Church or force it to join other religious organizations. Hundreds of monasteries and millions of Orthodox believers in Ukraine risk losing their legal rights, property and place of worship. He called a move an "unprecedented anti-democratic decision", and said that "even the Pope condemned it, who has not particularly been pro-Russian".

Hitting back on Moscow's claims, the United States' representative said that the Russian Federation's alleged concern that Member States are helping Ukraine defend itself is nothing short of absurd. Moreover, there is a deep falsehood in Moscow's narrative that only Western countries support Ukraine. "If Russia would like to have a discussion on the risks resulting from weapons transfers, then let us have a real one," he said. Moscow continues to deploy chemical weapons on the battlefield, kill civilians and destroy Ukrainian critical infrastructure. Meanwhile, Iran, Democratic People's Republic of Korea and China are providing the Russian Federation with the material it needs to wage its "war of choice".

If Iran were to move forward with the transfer of ballistic missiles to the Russian Federation, it would represent a dramatic escalation and a serious risk to international peace and security, he warned. Baghdad's support for Moscow's war of aggression threatens European security and illustrates how Iran's destabilizing influence reaches beyond the Middle East. Moreover, "Moscow's military cooperation with Pyongyang is cynical and dangerous," he said, stressing that the latter continues to unlawfully transfer ballistic missiles and munitions to the Russian Federation, prolonging the Ukrainian people's suffering.

Beijing is exporting to the Russian Federation nitrocellulose machine tools, microelectronics, optics and unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missile technology. "China cannot have it both ways," he stressed. "It cannot claim to be for peace and want better relations with Europe while at the same time fuelling the most significant threat to European security since the end of the cold war."

China's delegate retorted that Beijing did not create the Ukrainian crisis, nor has it provided weapons to any party to the conflict. He urged Washington, D.C. a which "still maintains economic and trade relations with the Russian Federation" a to refrain from shirking its responsibility and creating confrontation. Underscoring that increased weapon supply to the battlefield will only cause more harm, he declared: "No expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no provocation by any party." Rather, the international community must de-escalate the situation and provide practical assistance to start peace talks. Beijing, he stressed, will continue to uphold an impartial position, maintain close communication with all parties, promote consensus and make efforts for an early political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.

Other Council speakers expressed reservations about the relevance of the current meeting. Among them was the representative of Slovenia who said: "It strikes us that we are approaching the discussions on weapons transfers pertaining to the war on Ukraine from the wrong end." Weapons transfers to that country are not happening in a vacuum; they support legitimate self-defensive efforts of a sovereign country, she said. Inadequately controlled arms supply not only violates international humanitarian law and international human rights lawa it can hamper the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid, she said.

"I'm wondering how many times Russia will continue to repeat the same rhetoric," Japan's delegate said, adding that the country requests Security Council meetings such as this one, "out of spite whenever someone else does". The Russian Federation speaks of peace while conducting large-scale air raids; such hypocrisy is nothing new. That country has also procured missiles from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in violation of relevant Council resolutions and refused to renew the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which had played a crucial role in monitoring implementation of the resolutions.

The speaker for the Republic of Korea also expressed concern about the Ukrainian authorities' announcement that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's ballistic missiles were recently used again by the Russian Federation to strike Ukraine. This in fact, should be the focus of the Council meeting, he said. "This week's spasm of violence against civilians is not an anomaly," he added, pointing to OHCHR's data that July 2024 was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since October 2022.

"Since calling this meeting, Russia has bombarded Ukrainian cities across 15 regions, more than half the country a using hundreds of drones, cruise missiles, hypersonic ballistic missiles and glide bombs," stated the United Kingdom's delegate. Noting that Moscow's intent is "to terrorize the civilian population in Ukraine into submission," he reiterated that direct attacks on civilian infrastructure constitute a war crime. "Russia cannot step up the war from its own soil while increasing attacks on the civilian population and expect Ukraine not to seek to remove the source of the threat," he asserted. And while London and its allies will support Ukraine's capabilities to defend its people, they do not seek direct confrontation with the Russian Federation, nor a wider escalation of tensions.

For its part, France will continue to provide Ukraine with the military support vital to protecting its air and land space, its delegate said. Moscow is attacking Ukraine in the border regions from military sites located behind the Russian border. Ukrainians must be able to adapt to strike the sites from which Moscow is conducting its aggression and neutralize the military targets directly involved in operations aimed at them, he asserted, adding that Ukraine's exercise of its right to self-defence "is not limited to Ukrainian territory".

Raising concern about the risk of diversion of weapons and ammunition transferred to the conflict area, Guyana's representative said that Latin American and the Caribbean knows "only too well" about the deadly impact of this scourge, especially small arms and light weapons and their ammunition. They account for most homicides in the region and play a central role in transnational organized crime, leading to profound socioeconomic impact and human cost. She, therefore, urged due caution in ensuring that all transfers are transparent, within the international legal framework.

Malta's delegate, observing that over 14.6 million people in Ukraine require some form of humanitarian assistance, said that the principles of proportionality and distinction, as well as the special protections afforded to children, must be adhered to at all times in order to reduce the risk of harm to civilians. She underscored the need for full accountability for all crimes committed by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, and supported the ongoing work of the International Criminal Court and the Register of Damage for Ukraine.

Switzerland's speaker pointed out that the global community is bound by a series of principles and rules, including the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions, which aim to mitigate the horrors of war. Reiterating Ukraine's right to ensure its security, she cited one of the signatories of the Geneva Convention and said: "We know today that war never solved the problems that gave rise to it. It is always followed by long years of suffering for the vanquished and for the victors, and its results are not commensurate with the evil it generates." Likewise, Ecuador's delegate said history has shown that no conflict has ever been sustainably resolved in a military manner, warning that amid intensifying hostilities and an expanding battlefield, "the window of opportunity for dialogue and negotiation [is] closing".

Noting that his delegation has consistently warned against pursuing strategic advantage before engaging in dialogue - "which is the permeating logic in this conflict" - Mozambique's representative said that this will likely lead to further escalation. To avert a protracted stalemate, strict arms controls, recommitment to diplomatic engagement and implementation of confidence-building measures are crucial. "Diplomacy should take the lead," concurred Algeria's representative, urging that inclusive, constructive dialogue "be given a real chance to deliver".

Also pointing to the "vicious cycle" evinced by the conflict and the need for diplomatic engagement was the representative of Sierra Leone, Council President for August. All parties to the conflict must prioritize the protection of civilians and turn away from "the option of winning the war on the battlefield at all costs", he said.

Mali's representative, taking the floor near the end of the meeting, said that his delegation asked to participate to share its concerns over the consequences of the supply of weapons to Ukraine on those "far from the front lines". On that, he said that the spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence and Ukraine's ambassador in Senegal both publicly admitted Kyiv's involvement in the "cowardly, treacherous and barbaric attack" by terrorist groups that caused the death of Malian security and defence forces in TinzawatAne on 24 to 26 July. Worse, he said, was that "Ukrainian high-level officials publicly announced other 'results' to come".

Noting that his Government has decided to sever diplomatic ties with Ukraine, he called on the Council to uphold its responsibilities "to prevent subversive action that threatens the stability of the Sahel, and even the entirety of the African continent". He also called on the countries supplying weapons to Ukraine to ensure that such weapons do not fall into the hands of terrorist and extremist groups in the Sahel, stressing: "Mali has no desire to be used as a proxy battlefield between the Powers."

At the outset of the meeting, the representative of the United Kingdom, noting the inclusion of Mali on the speakers' list, said he did not accept the premise that its interests are specially affected by Western weapons transfers to Ukraine. The Russian Federation's delegate responded by asking for an explanation about how "a whole number of EU countries' interests are specifically affected" when they are invited to speak under Rule 37. Mali has encountered the impact of Ukraine's support for terrorism, he said.

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Ukraine, Russia trade attacks, leaving dozens dead or injured

By VOA News August 30, 2024

A Russian bomb attack on the northeastern Ukraine city of Kharkiv on Friday hit a playground and a 12-story residential building.

Officials say seven people, including a 14-year-old girl, were killed, and at least 77 people were injured. Twenty of the injured are reported to be in serious condition, officials say.

The residential building in the city's Industrialnyi district caught fire.

Ukrainian officials say Russia used glide bombs in the attack. Such bombs are equipped with navigation systems that direct them to their targets. They are difficult to intercept and can cause massive destruction.

Following the strike on Kharkiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again called on his country's Western allies to relax their restrictions and allow Ukraine to use long-range Western weapons in attacks on Russian military bases.

The strike "would not have happened if our defense forces had the ability to destroy Russian military aircraft where they are based," Zelenskyy said on Telegram. "There is no rational reason to restrict Ukraine's defenses."

Meanwhile, in Washington on Friday, a delegation of top Ukrainian officials, including Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, met with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

"The Ukrainian side noted that Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defense in order to protect people and critical infrastructure," Zelenskyy's office said in a statement about the meeting.

The statement also said Andriy Yermak, Ukraine's head of the office of the president, "emphasized that it is extremely important for our state to receive weapons from the already announced defense packages as soon as possible."

On the Russian side, officials said Ukraine fired cluster munitions on the city of Belgorod, killing five people and wounding 37 others.

Meanwhile, in Brussels on Friday, European Union defense ministers called on Ukraine's allies to deliver on those promised weapons systems, and Ukraine's top diplomat urged Britain and the United States to lift restrictions on his nation's use of their weapons on targets inside Russia.

The defense ministers met for their first informal meeting following a summer recess, and, speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, said military aid for Ukraine remains at the top of the agenda.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said Ukraine's recent incursion into Russia's Kursk region was going in the right direction but added that Ukraine is doing so with one hand "behind the back," because it needs more weapons systems. He urged colleagues to deliver on promised weapons systems.

On that note, Netherlands Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said his country is close to delivering Patriot missile defense systems it has promised to Ukraine. He said he did not want to give a precise date because he did not want to tip off the Russians but said it would be soon.

Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, attended the EU defense ministers meeting in Brussels and urged EU member states to pressure Britain and the United States to drop restrictions on using donated long-range weapons against "legitimate" targets deep inside Russia.

Both Britain and the United States have put limits on Kyiv's use of donated long-range missiles for fear of escalating the conflict with Russia. Earlier this year, U.S. officials had agreed to allow Ukraine to fire on targets inside Russia in direct response to Moscow's offensive against the city of Kharkiv but left other restrictions in place.

Speaking to reporters, Kuleba said he expects permission to be granted and the delivery of weapons to be used for that purpose. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, speaking alongside Kuleba, expressed his support for lifting the restrictions and urged EU members to pressure Britain and the U.S. to do so.

Also Friday, fighting continued in Ukraine, with local authorities in the northeastern city of Sumy saying a Russian strike killed two women and wounded eight other people.

The city's prosecutor general's office said the airstrike caused a fire, prompting regional authorities to ask residents to stay inside and close the windows. The office said that a factory that was hit manufactured packaging for baby food, juices and household products.

Sumy lies just across the border from Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv launched an offensive on August 6 it said was aimed at creating a "buffer zone" in Russian territory, among other goals.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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Readout of National Security Advisor Sullivan's Meeting with Quad and Ukrainian Counterparts

August 30, 2024

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan convened a meeting at the White House today with French Diplomatic Counselor to the President Emmanuel Bonne, German Chancellery Foreign and Security Policy Advisor Jens Ploetner, British National Security Advisor Tim Barrow and Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak to discuss our strong and steadfast support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression. Mr. Sullivan conveyed the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine, and partners discussed the steps we are taking to strengthenUkrainian forces on the battlefield, including through the provision of artillery, air defense, and other critical capabilities.

They discussed our efforts to continue to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses and harden Ukraine's energy grid amid Russia's renewed aerial attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure as well as the investments the United States and our allies are making in Ukraine's defense industrial base to support its long term security. In addition, the group conferred on efforts to generate support for a just and lasting peace based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity following the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland.

Following the meeting, National Security Advisor Sullivan met with Mr. Yermak to discuss the ironclad partnership between the United States and Ukraine, including through support for Ukraine's military and Ukraine's economic reconstruction.

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Washington, D.C., Aug. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The following is a statement from Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) President & CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams:

My colleagues and I at Thurgood Marshall College Fund mourn the loss of former board member and trailblazer for Black Americans in the military, Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg. He was a longtime supporter of TMCF and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Gen. Gregg retired as the highest-ranking Black officer in the U.S. military in 1981 and his impact still reverberates, as a fort named after a Confederate general was recently renamed in his honor (Fort Gregg-Adams in Virginia). He bore witness to desegregation in the military, which was slow to non-existent at the start in 1948. Despite having to give up his interest in medical science because of limitations imposed on Black soldiers, Gen. Gregg found a new niche and became the first Black brigadier general in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps in 1972. He later became the first Black lieutenant general in the Army.

Gen. Gregg was also present for a pivotal time in TMCFs history: when it merged with Opportunity Funding Corporation in 2013. He has been a fixture at TMCF and held a deep commitment to the HBCU community.

We share in our grief with his family and friends and honor his legacy of service, dedication and making new paths for Black Americans in the military.
TORONTO, Aug. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medivolve Inc. (Medivolve or the Company) (OTC: MEDVF; FRA: 4NC) announces today that David Preiner has resigned from his position as president and chief executive officer of the Company, effective August 26, 2024. Mr. Preiner will continue to support the Company in his capacity as a consultant. The board and management thanks Preiner for his service and contributions and wish him well in his future endeavours.



About Medivolve

Medivolve is a Canadian healthcare technology company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The Companys mission is to improve health and lives by delivering world-class diagnostic solutionsstarting with COVID-19as well as to enable faster and better care to patients through innovative technology. Medivolve, through its subsidiaries, operates retail patient-care locations in California.
DELAND, Florida, Aug. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the 10th straight year, Stetson University has been named as one of The Princeton Reviews Best 390 Colleges in America for 2025, a distinction awarded to only about 15% of four-year institutions.

Stetson was selected based on outstanding academics, as well as surveys of its students and survey data from college administrators. The Princeton Review recommends Stetson in its annual college guide, The Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition, and as a Best College in the South.

We are grateful that Stetson continues to be nationally recognized year after year for the excellent academic programs, which lead to excellent outcomes and success rates for our graduates, said Stetson President Christopher Roellke, PhD. We also are very pleased that our students speak so highly of our beautiful and vibrant campus, our close-knit community and their sense of belonging here.

In its profile of Stetson, The Princeton Review praises the school for providing a vibrant educational environment through experiential learning, collaborative projects and interactive technologies. With Stetsons small size, professors help ensure students are successful in class and provide real-life experiences that can help prepare them for careers after graduation.

"We salute Stetson University for its outstanding academics, and many other impressive offerings. We recommend it as an ideal choice for students searching for their best-fit college, said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's Editor-in-Chief and lead author of The Best 390 Colleges.

The Princeton Review surveys Stetson students and includes their comments in the guide. Students said they love Stetsons beautiful campus, which offers many student organizations, guest speakers, 18 NCAA Division I sports, and other fun events to attend.

One of the schools big strengths is the sense of vibrancy, warmth, and relaxation the environment has overall,  commented one student. Another one said: The overall impression is that everyone is happy and taken care of here. 

About Stetson University

Founded in 1883, Stetson University is the oldest private university in Central Florida. Stetson focuses on intense learning experiences in a supportive community that allows students to develop their voice in a connected, inclusive environment. Stetson University ranks No. 4 on U.S. News & World Reports 2024 list of Best Regional Universities (South) and has been recognized as one of The Princeton Reviews Best 390 Colleges in America for 2025.

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BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA, Aug. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LINK Business Brokers Brisbane announces enhancement of educational initiative to empower business sellers with essential knowledge for successful transactions.





LINK Business Brokers is amplifying its efforts to educate business sellers by launching an initiative that provides resources and guidance throughout the selling process. This program supports sellers with seminars, personalised consultations, and comprehensive online materials.

Co-Director Blair Luckman spoke about LINK's dedication to education. "Our mission is to empower business sellers by enhancing their understanding of the selling process. This knowledge prepares them for negotiating sales and improves the outcomes of their transactions," he says.

Co-Director Vince Konig adds, "Informed sellers make strategic decisions that positively impact their business deals. Our educational programs are designed to turn sellers into well-informed market participants."

The initiative includes resources like seminars, workshops, and one-on-one consultations to clarify the sales process. LINK experts cover topics such as preparing a business for sale, understanding market valuation, and effective marketing strategies. This approach ensures sellers are well-prepared and confident.

LINK also uses advanced technology and data-driven insights to support its educational services. They provide sellers with realistic appraisals, market analyses, and trend reports that aid decision-making.

LINK's educational resources, including webinars, downloadable guides, and an interactive Q&A series where sellers can engage directly with LINK's expert brokers, are available online.

With this initiative, LINK Business Brokers Brisbane continues to lead in the business brokerage industry, supporting their clients through education and empowerment.

About LINK Business Brokers

Established in 1996, LINK Business Brokers is the largest business brokerage group globally. They operate across New Zealand, Australia, and the USA and are committed to facilitating business sales with confidentiality and integrity. Each broker at LINK is a sector specialist, equipped with deep market knowledge and a commitment to delivering superior service. LINK combines powerful analytics with a personalised approach, establishing itself as a trusted partner in business sales.

Contact Information

Brand: LINK Business Brokers Brisbane

Contact: Media team

Email: brisbane@linkbusiness.com.au
New York, United States , Aug. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Carpet Tiles Market Size is to Grow from USD 12.57 Billion in 2023 to USD 23.32 Billion by 2033, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.37% during the projected period.

Get a Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-sample/5713

Carpet tiles, frequently referred to as carpet squares or modular carpets, are separate carpeting pieces that range in size from 12 by 12 inches to 24 by 24 inches. They are typically measured in squares. These tiles are affixed to the floor surface using adhesive or tackifier, they are easy to install and modify. The carpet tile industry provides a wide range of designs, colors, patterns, and materials to suit various practical requirements and aesthetic preferences in both home and business environments. Carpet tiles are a common flooring option for reasonably straightforward work and commercial spaces like restaurants and bars. The variety of colors, patterns, textures, and materials available for carpet tiles creates endless possibilities for design. Owing to its versatility, flooring is frequently used by architects, designers, and homeowners to create distinctive, eye-catching designs that complement their personal aesthetic and interior decor. Moreover, because carpet tiles are modular, they are easy to install when used in complex designs. However, most of flooring options have their advantages and design options, they could impact consumer choices and restrict the market potential growth in the forecast period for carpet tiles.

Browse key industry insights spread across 208 pages with 110 Market data tables and figures & charts from the report on the " Global Carpet Tiles Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Square, Rectangle, and Others), By Application (Residential, Commercial, and Others), By Distribution Channel (Online and Offline), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2023  2033."

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The square segment is anticipated to hold the greatest share of the global carpet tiles market during the projected timeframe.

Based on type, the global carpet tiles market is divided into square, rectangle, and others. Among these, the square segment is anticipated to hold the greatest share of the global carpet tiles market during the projected timeframe. The square market is the outcome of the increasing availability of unique square carpet tiles in various colors and patterns.

The commercial segment is predicted to hold the greatest share of the global carpet tiles market during the estimated period.

Based on application, the global carpet tiles market is divided into residential, commercial, and others. Among these, the commercial segment is predicted to hold the greatest share of the global carpet tiles market during the estimated period. The global commercial sector creates a large amount of demand for carpet tiles due to the growing need for durable and simple-to-install commercial flooring materials.

The offline segment is anticipated to hold the greatest share of the global carpet tiles market during the projected timeframe.

Based on distribution channel, the global carpet tiles market is divided into online and offline. Among these, the offline segment is anticipated to hold a significant share of the global carpet tiles market during the projected timeframe. Due to customers often prefer a hands-on shopping experience when selecting different carpet tiles in various colors and designs for household or business end-users, offline distribution channels are becoming more and more popular.

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North America is expected to hold the largest share of the global carpet tiles market over the forecast period.

North America is expected to hold the largest share of the global carpet tiles market over the forecast period. North America's rapidly expanding infrastructure and rising construction activity are the main factors driving product adoption. There is a growing demand for carpet tiles in the North American market as a result of the real estate sector upgrades in the United States and Canada. Carpet tile market growth is mostly being driven by American consumers' increased interest in interior decor.

Asia Pacific is predicted to grow at the fastest pace in the global carpet tiles market during the projected timeframe. The primary drivers of the region's improvement are the population's rising disposable income and their burgeoning interest in fashionable products.

Europe is expected to hold a significant share of the global carpet tiles market over the forecast period. The European carpet tile market is supported by an increase in research and development activities within the carpet tile sector. Manufacturers in Europe are increasingly using eco-friendly materials to set their products apart from the competition.

Competitive Analysis:

The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the global market along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market. Major vendors in the global carpet tiles market include Interface Inc., Freudenberg Group, Milliken & Company, Tarkett, Hunan Tianxin Technology Co. Ltd., Beaulieu, Suminoe Textile Co. Ltd., Nabel Ceramics, EO Technology Co. Ltd., Shaw Industries Group, Japan Carpet Co. Ltd., Mohawk Industries, Abbey Carpet & Floor, Bentley Mills Inc., and Others.

Get Discount At @ https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-discount/5713

Recent Developments

In July 2024, an exclusive multimedia event was organized in Dubai to celebrate the Middle East launch of Interface Inc.'s latest collections of luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) and carpet tiles, Etched & ThreadedTM and Earthen FormsTM, by the global leader in flooring solutions and sustainability.



Market Segment

This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2020 to 2033. Spherical Insights has segmented the global carpet tiles market based on the below-mentioned segments:

Global Carpet Tiles Market, By Type

Square

Rectangle

Others

Global Carpet Tiles Market, By Application

Residential

Commercial

Others

Global Carpet Tiles Market, By Distribution Channel

Online

Offline

Global Carpet Tiles Market, Regional Analysis

North America US Canada Mexico

Europe Germany Uk France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Australia Rest of Asia Pacific

South America Brazil Argentina Rest of South America

Middle East & Africa UAE Saudi Arabia Qatar South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa



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About the Spherical Insights & Consulting

Spherical Insights & Consulting is a market research and consulting firm which provides actionable market research study, quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight especially designed for decision makers and aids ROI.

Which is catering to different industry such as financial sectors, industrial sectors, government organizations, universities, non-profits and corporations. The company's mission is to work with businesses to achieve business objectives and maintain strategic improvements.

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George Medicines demonstrates potential of novel, low-dose, triple combination pill to transform management of hypertension in Hot Line Session at ESC Congress 2024

Results from two Phase III trials testing multi-mechanism, triple combination of existing best-in-class medicines in novel low and ultra-low dose pills

Combination pill significantly reduced blood pressure and improved control rates vs dual therapy or placebo, with good tolerability and no increase in adverse event withdrawals

Results also presented from first trial in Africa evaluating a low-dose triple combination pill as initial or early therapy for hypertension, with GMRx2 superior to standard care protocol and achieving over 80% BP control from 1 month to end of follow-up





London, UK 31 August 2024  George Medicines, a late-stage, biopharmaceutical company addressing significant unmet need in the treatment of cardiometabolic disease, today announced the presentation of results from its two pivotal Phase III trials at a Hot Line session of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Annual Meeting in London

The trials tested GMRx2, George Medicines novel, multi-mechanism triple combination candidate for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure), including initiation of treatment. GMRx2 contains best-in-class medicines, telmisartan, amlodipine and indapamide, in proprietary, triple quarter-dose (ultra-low dose), triple half-dose (low-dose) and triple standard-dose options.

Globally, most people treated for hypertension do not achieve sustained blood pressure (BP) control, primarily due to continued use of low efficacy regimens such as monotherapy. Currently available triple combinations are only available for patients who are still not achieving adequate BP control following treatment with the three separate medicines or two of the components. While trials of low-dose combinations had shown considerable promise for initial and early treatment, these were all with research-only formulations which were not available to patients long-term. GMRx2 has been developed to meet this need.



GMRx2 vs dual combinations

In the first Phase III trial, among patients in Australia, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Poland, Sri Lanka, UK and the US, GMRx2, standard- and half-dose forms were tested against dual combinations of its component drugs. The trials primary efficacy outcome was the difference between GMRx2 and its comparators in home-measured BP change from randomization to week 12. The trial met all primary safety and efficacy endpoints:

GMRx2 was more effective than dual therapy, significantly reducing both home- and clinic-measured BP and improving BP control rates, with both standard- and half-dose forms.

The primary outcome was superiority of GMRx2 vs each of the three dual combinations for home systolic blood pressure reduction and each endpoint was met (p<0.0001).

GMRx2 half-dose achieved 63% clinic BP control <140/90mmHg, which rose to 74% at the end of follow-up on GMRx2 standard-dose  superior to all three dual combinations at standard-dose (53-61%).

Tolerability was good, with no increase in withdrawal from treatment due to adverse events.

The head-to-head trial provides the first large scale comparison of a low- and standard-dose triple combination pill and its dual combinations at the same doses. It assessed the safety and efficacy of the triple combination among patients with starting blood pressure levels that were considerably lower than those in previous trials and, as such, is highly relevant to recent guideline recommendations for lower blood pressure targets.

GMRx2 vs placebo

A second Phase III trial, conducted in Australia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, UK and the US, compared half- and quarter-doses of GMRx2 against a placebo pill, examining the difference between GMRx2 and placebo in home-measured BP change from randomization to week 4. In that trial GMRx2 significantly improved home- and clinic-measured BP and control rates, in both half- and quarter-doses. Again, tolerability was good, with no increase in withdrawal from treatment due to adverse events.

Presenting at the ESC Congress, Professor Anthony Rodgers, Chief Medical Officer of George Medicines and Professorial Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, said: The clinical and public health significance of these findings is considerable, given the continuing global disease burden of hypertension. Control rates are suboptimal in all countries, even where access and affordability are not major factors, principally due to continued use of low-efficacy regimens. With evidence increasingly showing the value of lower blood pressure targets, the potential of an effective, low-dose, triple combination with a good safety profile for the early treatment of hypertension should not be underestimated.

Chair of the trials steering committee, Dr. Paul Whelton, Show Chwan Chair of Global Public Health at Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, and President of the World Hypertension League, said: "These clinical trial results confirm GMRx2 as a novel antihypertensive therapy that could substantially improve hypertension control rates, worldwide.

GMRx2 for hypertension in Africa

The potential of GMRx2 in Africa was also demonstrated at the ESC Congress with results shared from a recently completed clinical trial in hospital-based family medicine clinics in Nigeria, the first trial to evaluate a low-dose triple combination pill as initial or early therapy for hypertension in Africa. Led by Professor Dike Ojji at University of Abuja and Dr. Abdul Salam from the George Institute India, the VERONICA (deliVERy of Optimal blood pressure coNtrol in afrICA) trial, recruited black African adults with uncontrolled hypertension, who were either untreated or already receiving a single BP-lowering drug. The trial compared GMRx2-based treatment protocol with existing, standard care protocol for six months.

The trials primary effectiveness outcome was home-measured BP from randomization to month 6 and the primary safety outcome was discontinuation of trial treatment due to an adverse event. The trial demonstrated:

Clinically and statistically significant improvements in efficacy with GMRx2  reductions in home- and clinic-measured BP from randomization to month 6.

Over 80% BP control achieved at month 1 and maintained throughout follow-up  control rates were superior at all timepoints, even though by 6 months 70% BP control had been achieved in the comparator group, which was a high standard of care and at least as good as that seen in most high-income settings.

None of the patients withdrew from the trial due to adverse events; tolerability was good with only hypokalaemia observed, mostly mild.





The trial was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia, supported by The George Institute for Global Health and medicine was supplied by George Medicines.

Mark Mallon, Chief Executive Officer of George Medicines, said: These comprehensive data underscore the science behind GMRx2 and reinforce its potential to transform the management of hypertension. GMRx2s multi-mechanism approach delivers the synergistic efficacy benefits of a triple therapy while maintaining tolerability, and in a single pill that can be expected to improve patient adherence. Subject to its review by regulators, GMRx2 would be the first medicine approved for the initial treatment of hypertension for over a decade, and could deliver profound results for patients globally, including in low- and middle-income countries whose populations carry a significant hypertension burden.

Earlier this month, George Medicines announced its submission to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a New Drug Application (NDA) for GMRx2. Data from GMRx2s clinical development program will support additional global regulatory filings.

George Medicines is an independent spin-out company from The George Institute for Global Health, one of the worlds leading medical research institutes with a focus on addressing global health inequity. The Companys GMRx2 development program built on earlier research by The George Institute, including the 700-patient TRIUMPH trial undertaken in Sri Lanka in 2016/17, which found that among patients with mild to moderate hypertension, treatment with a low-dose triple combination pill led to an increased proportion of patients achieving their target blood pressure goal versus usual care.

Ends

About hypertension (high blood pressure)

Globally, more than one billion adults have hypertension1.

In the US, nearly half of adults have hypertension (120 million) and only around 1 in 4 of those have their hypertension under control (27 million), either because they are not being treated or their treatment is suboptimal2.

In the UK, around 1 in 3 adults has hypertension. Half of those with high blood pressure are not diagnosed or receiving treatment. In England alone, there are more than five million people that are undiagnosed3.

Many diagnosed patients arent achieving sufficient blood pressure control because they are on inadequate therapy, arent receiving the right combination of medicines at the right doses or arent taking their treatment as prescribed or continuing their treatment in the long term.

The major, globally recognized treatment guidelines4 recommend the use of fixed dose combination therapy for most patients with hypertension, including for first-line treatment and yet, in practice, newly diagnosed patients will often still be prescribed monotherapy treatment. This is despite a broad evidence base indicating that, individually, blood pressure medicines are only modestly effective at reducing blood pressure, even at high doses, and most patients will require two or more medicines to achieve control.

As dosage of hypertension drugs is increased, so too are side effects, which can preclude the use of high doses for many patients. These side effect challenges, alongside the management of multiple hypertension medicines being taken together with treatments for other conditions, can significantly impact treatment compliance and adherence, including failure to take medications as prescribed and to persist on long-term therapy.

About George Medicines

George Medicines is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company addressing significant unmet need in the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases with innovative combinations of best-in-class existing treatments, designed for optimal efficacy and safety.

Combining best-in-class molecules from existing medicines in novel low-dose formulations, George Medicines is developing innovative and proprietary treatments to be more efficacious, safer and accessible than currently available treatment options. These multi-mechanism, single-pill combinations offer the potential to bring significant improvements in clinical outcomes and therapy adherence in patients with cardiometabolic disorders, including hypertension and diabetes, each of which remain the leading causes of premature death and disability worldwide.

The Companys lead candidate, GMRx2, has completed a Phase III development program for the treatment of hypertension, including first-line therapy, and a global trial focused on the prevention of recurrent intracerebral hemorrhage (the most severe type of stroke) is underway.

George Medicines is an independent spin-out company from The George Institute for Global Health, one of the worlds leading medical research institutes with a focus on addressing global health inequity. The Company is backed by George Health, the commercial arm of The George Institute, and Brandon Capital, Australias leading life sciences venture capital firm. For more information, please visit www.george-medicines.com.

References

World Health Organization Hypertension factsheet https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension Million Hearts https://millionhearts.hhs.gov/data-reports/hypertension-prevalence.html#:~:text=Nearly%20half%20of%20adults%20have,5%20adults%20(25.0%20million) Blood Pressure UK https://www.bloodpressureuk.org/news/media-centre/blood-pressure-facts-and-figures/#:~:text=Around%20one%20in%20three%20adults,that%20are%20undiagnosed%5B6%5D 2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYP.0000000000000065; WHO Guideline for the pharmacological treatment of hypertension in adults https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/344424/9789240033986-eng.pdf;; 2018 ESC/ESH Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension https://www.escardio.org/Guidelines/Clinical-Practice-Guidelines/Arterial-Hypertension-Management-of

Media contacts

ICR Consilium

David Daley, Lindsey Neville, Isabelle Abdou

georgemedicines@consilium-comms.com; Tel: +44 (0) 203 709 5700
Last weeks meeting marked a prelude to GVNs international meeting in Durban, South Africa, September 16-18, 2024

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A correction has been issued for the release disseminated on August 29th. Sten Vermund's full title was corrected to Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, GVN President and Professor of Yale University, USA. The complete and corrected release follows.

To mitigate the mpox outbreak, the Global Virus Network (GVN) is leading a panel of experts to develop guidelines and streamline testing standards, including strengthening infrastructure to sequencing and early detection. On August 22, 2024, the GVN, headquartered at the University of South Florida, USA, convened a critical mpox discussion online with leaders from the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), major industry partners, renowned virologists, and public health experts at the forefront of the mpox outbreak response.



Lorenzo Subissi, PhD, WHOs Mpox Task Force lead, advised the group that the current mpox epidemic was escalated to a grade 3 emergency, requiring a major to maximal WHO response. He reported that 38% of children infected are under age 10 and noted sustained human-to-human transmission of clade 1b in Africa.

Mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close contact, including sexual relations, and causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, muscle aches, and pus-filled lesions. Mpox is usually mild but sometimes fatal, mostly in children. The new clade 1b variant is responsible for the rising infections, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and identified in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Thailand, as well as reported in the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, and Sweden.

The discussion highlighted the urgent need to enhance diagnostic capabilities, vaccine development, and global collaboration to mitigate the impact of the mpox outbreak, particularly in regions most at risk.



To facilitate recommendations catalyzed by the discussion, the GVN assembled a subcommittee on point-of-care diagnostics chaired by Rachel Roper, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at East Carolina University, USA and Co-chair of GVNs Mpox Action Committee, Marion Koopmans, DVM, PhD, Erasmus Medical Center, Netherlands, a GVN Center of Excellence, and Deborah Williamson, PhD, Professor of Public Health Microbiology, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom, a GVN Center of Excellence, and Director of the UK Health Security Agency. The subcommittee is meeting weekly to develop global testing and diagnostic standards and generate suggestions through a collaborative whitepaper addressing issues such as sample collection, assays, and clinical triage procedures for frontline workers.

Its not just how a sample is transported, Dr. Roper said, but what type of sample is collected. For mpox, each lesion can have unique viral populations, and we need to have a universal sample type defined and well documented to aid surveillance.

During the meeting, Emmanuel Agogo, PhD, Director of Pandemic Threats at FIND, Switzerland, emphasized the need for local capacity building: To effectively combat mpox, we must empower local health systems and researchers. This will not only help contain the current outbreaks but also build long-term resilience against future threats. In particular, the need for decentralized diagnostic options is critical for surveillance, access to therapeutics and effective vaccine roll out.

Maggie L. Bartlett, PhD, Program Director at the GVN and faculty member at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, a GVN Center of Excellence, emphasized the importance of inclusive and equitable strategies: Our efforts must reach those in the most affected regions, and we must prioritize health equity in our response to ensure that no one is left behind.

Laurens Liesenborghs, MD, PhD, Assistant professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Belgium, member of ITMs multidisciplinary Outbreak Research Team, and member of the GVN Mpox Action Committee, echoed the call for an innovative approach: We cannot be content with the status quo. Our goal is to develop tools and strategies that are not only effective but also scalable and sustainable. This is a global challenge that demands a global response.

Michael Mina, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of eMed, USA, said Rapid tests and PCR tests are not mutually exclusive. In fact, we learned during COVID how useful a dual strategy can be and how these can be incredibly powerful additive tools in our public health toolbox. We need the big companies to step it up and develop rapid diagnostics and research funding incentives from governments to ensure we dont face the same fallout with the crash of small companies after the surge.

Yenew Kebede Tebeje, MD, Head of Division of Laboratory Systems at Africa CDC advised, Mpox poses a significant threat to public health, particularly in regions where health systems are already stretched thin. To effectively combat this virus, we must strengthen our surveillance, diagnostic, and response capabilities across Africa. Our collective efforts must ensure that we are not only containing the current outbreaks but also building the resilience needed to face future health challenges.

In addition to addressing the immediate response, the meeting also focused on long-term strategies for pandemic preparedness and response. The participants discussed the critical role of partnerships between global organizations like WHO, GVN, Africa CDC, CEPI and FIND in driving innovation and ensuring that resources are directed where they are most needed.

Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, GVN President and Professor of Yale University, USA, said, "The initiatives originating from the meeting represent part of the GVN effort to assist in the global effort to combat mpox and other emerging viral threats. Collaboration is imperative and we are keen that the GVN help leverage and focus resources and expertise helping to mitigate the mpox outbreak and plan for future threats.

GVNs coalition of the worlds leading virology researchers, who work together to prevent illness and death from viral disease, will continue these discussions about the mpox outbreak amid high-level scientific sessions examining pandemic preparedness and current threats, including at GVNs International Annual Scientific Meeting, Navigating Virologys Frontiers in Africa, co-hosted by the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), a GVN Center of Excellence, September 16-18, 2024.

Salim Abdool Karim, MB, ChB, director of CAPRISA and CAPRISA Professor of Global Health at Columbia University, USA, is chair of the Africa CDC Emergency Consultative Group and warned that mpox spread is eminent, but with a global response it can be controlled and stopped. Dr. Karim also said the outbreak is particularly concerning as it disproportionately affects young people. He continued, I look forward to continuing these discussions at the GVN international meeting in Durban as we tackle this rising threat, among other pressing global issues, including COVID-19, scientific misinformation, and pandemic preparedness.

During GVNs international meeting, experts will exchange ideas on themes including: evading viral evasion; translational virology and complex co-infections; training the next generation; post-viral diseases; bats, rats, and other vectors; genetic sequences and epidemiological insights; cutting-edge diagnostics and therapeutics; regional responses to disease; perspectives from agencies; pandemic preparedness; and combating scientific misinformation.
Everybody's personal life is flawed. We're all humans, but he turned God, and that's what counts. Jesus forgives the repentant sinner where man seems to hold others accountable...Still love his movies!

John Wayne, known for his tough cowboy roles and memorable performances, left a lasting mark on the film industry. But behind the scenes, there were whispers and speculations about his personal life and career. Now, years after his passing, his secretary has stepped forward to finally set the record straight. Get ready to separate fact from fiction as we unravel the legacy of one of cinema's greatest icons.

5) "The Sands of Iwo Jima" (1949), where he played a Marine sergeant. His portrayal of strong, courageous soldiers and leaders resonated with audiences,

4) "The Conqueror" (1956), starring John Wayne. It is infamous not only for its portrayal of Genghis Khan by Wayne but also because a significant number of the cast and crew developed cancer later in life. This has often been attributed to the fact that the film was shot near nuclear test sites in Utah, where radioactive fallout was still present.

There she goes. This Veteran's Day weekend, we pay tribute to all the brave men and women who have served, both past and present. We salute you. Watch SANDS OF IWO JIMA ('49) this Sunday at 3p ET on FETV. ????

USMC Hollywood Best Ever - two minutes. Two stirring minutes that will motivate any red blooded American One awesome United States Marine Corps epic film, which captures the determination and grit of the worlds finest gun club. Sergeant John M. Stryker, a squad leader on 23 February 1945 , leads his Marines up Mount Suribachi to raise the our then 48 star flag. Photographed my A Ps Joe Rosenthal & sculptured by Felix Weldon captured the heart of America. This scene has become the quintessential combat picture of all time. Bravo Zulu to director Allan Dwan for this moving moment. God Bless our corps of Marines. Marine General Lejeune / luh jern would be proud. Semper Fidelis & God bless all Leathernecks ! Sands of Iwo Jima is a 1949 war film starring John Wayne that follows a group of United States Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The movie also features John Agar, Adele Mara, and Forrest Tucker, was written by Harry Brown and James Edward Grant, and directed by Allan Dwan. The picture was a Republic Pictures production. Sands of Iwo Jima was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role(John Wayne), Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Recording (Daniel J. Bloomberg) and Best Writing, Motion Picture Story

As a black person, I strongly agree with his narrative. He was ahead of his time. he was not prejudiced; he was a realist. he was a very intelligent person and I respect him highly. his views were candid.

***

H/t:

John Wayne (born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa, USA; died June 11, 1979, in Los Angeles, California, USA) was an iconic American actor and filmmaker. He became a major figure in Hollywood, especially renowned for his roles in Westerns and war films, which cemented his image as a symbol of rugged American masculinity and patriotism.

Early Life

Wayne was raised in Southern California after his family moved there when he was a child. He attended the University of Southern California (USC) on a football scholarship, but his sports career ended due to a shoulder injury. This turn of events led him to start working in the film industry, initially doing odd jobs, which eventually led to minor acting roles.

Rise to Fame

John Wayne's big break came with the 1939 film "Stagecoach," directed by John Ford. His portrayal of the Ringo Kid made him an instant star and solidified his place in Hollywood. Over the next few decades, Wayne starred in numerous Westerns, becoming synonymous with the genre. Some of his most famous Western films include "Red River" (1948), "The Searchers" (1956), and "True Grit" (1969), the latter earning him an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Career and Legacy

Throughout his career, Wayne appeared in more than 170 films. He was known for his distinctive voice, walk, and physical presence, making him one of the most enduring figures in American cinema. Besides Westerns, Wayne also starred in several notable war films, such as "The Sands of Iwo Jima" (1949) and "The Longest Day" (1962).

Wayne's influence extended beyond the screen. He was a vocal supporter of conservative political causes and an advocate for American patriotism, which was reflected in many of his films and public statements.

Controversy and Health

Despite his popularity, Wayne's career was not without controversy. His involvement in politically charged films and his outspoken views on various social and political issues, such as his support for the Vietnam War, often divided public opinion.

In the late 1960s, Wayne was diagnosed with lung cancer, which he battled successfully for a time, leading to the removal of one lung. However, he was later diagnosed with stomach cancer, which eventually claimed his life in 1979.

Personal Life

Wayne was married three times and had seven children. His personal life was as colorful as his on-screen persona, marked by his love for the outdoors, including his passion for hunting and sailing.

Awards and Honors

In addition to his Academy Award, John Wayne received numerous accolades throughout his career. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 1980, and his legacy is honored through various memorials, including the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.

Legacy

John Wayne remains an enduring symbol of American culture, particularly of the values associated with the American West and the military. His films continue to be celebrated, and he is remembered as one of the most iconic actors in the history of cinema.

***** H/t 2:

Ironically, he refused to go for WW2, but portrait WW2 hero characters
BALTIMORE, Aug. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Summary

The consortium of Greater Baltimore law firms comprised of civil rights litigators from Jenner Law, Grant & Eisenhofer, and Baird Mandalas Brockstedt & Federico will hold a comprehensive litigation update-news conference on September 5th prior to the upcoming (September 10th) Maryland Supreme Court arguments on the constitutionality of the Child Victims Act of 2023 (CVA). Joined by several survivors-plaintiffs, advocates and the team will review the history of the legislation, and litigation (in state and federal courts), and the devastating impacts on generations of childhood sexual abuse survivors. They will also present the inaugural screening of Survivors Stories: At the Crossroads of Justice, a video featuring several leaders in the fight for CVA passage and survivors rights. To the survivors  many now elderly, unable to come forward for decades after their horrific abuse  the CVA is a beacon of hope that represents possibly their last chance for justice after a lifetime of dislocation and suffering. The Courts ruling is expected to have profound ramifications in Maryland as well as nationally. The case Valerie Bunker v. The Key School, et al. is one of three lead cases before the Court; the argument follows a federal courts request that the state Supreme Court decide the pivotal question of constitutionality.

When & Where

Time/Date: 10:00 a.m. ET / Thursday, September 5, 2024 Place: Jenner Law / Meadow Mill, 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 240, Baltimore, Maryland 21211 Note: Media set up starts at 9 a.m.; on-site parking available

Program - Participants (partial list)

Survivors Stories: At the Crossroads of Justice, first showing, featuring survivors and advocates.

first showing, featuring survivors and advocates. Survivors-Plaintiffs, including those that were among the first to file claims against Maryland defendants under the CVA.

Attorneys-Advocates: Including counsel for named plaintiffs and attorneys from civil-childrens rights organizations among those filing Amicus briefs urging retention, as enacted, of the CVA. Robert K. Jenner, Jenner Law Steven J. Kelly, Grant & Eisenhofer Phil Federico, Baird Mandalas Brockstedt & Federico

Survivor-Advocate David Lorenz, SNAP, Maryland

Advocate Gemma Hoskins (The Keepers)

Contacts
Vancouver, August 30, 2024 - Gold Basin Resources Corp. (the "Company" or "Gold Basin") - (TSX-V GXX, OTCQB: GXXFF) today announced that that it has obtained an unsecured loan in the aggregate principal amount of USD $500,000 (the "Loan") from Charrua Capital, LLC, an arm's length lender (the "Lender"). The Loan has a maturity date of August 21, 2025 and will bear interest at a rate of 15% per annum. The Loan shall be advanced by the Lender in two tranches, the first USD $250,000 tranche within 10 business days of the execution of the balloon note evidencing the Loan, and the second USD $250,000 tranche with 60 days of the advance of the first tranche.

Under the terms of the Loan, the Company will (i) reimburse the Lender for its legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with the Loan, not to exceed USD $25,000; (ii) pay to the Lender a facility fee in the amount of 2.5% of the principal amount of the Loan; and (iii) pre-pay the full amount of the annual interest, all as a deduction from the first tranche of the Loan. Upon the occurrence of a "Change in Control", the Lender will have the option to declare the unpaid principal balance and any accrued interest on the Loan immediately due and payable. A "Change of Control" means any of the following: (i) the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company to a third party; (ii) the acquisition by a third party of fifty percent (50%) or more of the Company's outstanding stock or other form of ownership or equity in the Company; (iii) the issuance of additional shares by the Company, a reverse split, split, or similar transaction which causes a change of fifty percent or more in the ownership of the Company's outstanding stock or other ownership or equity interest; or (iv) the conversion, merger attempted dissolution/termination or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity; and/or (v) the Company's entry into a letter of intent or similar instrument, or the Company's receipt of an unsolicited offer or bid for or to accomplish, any of the foregoing items. The proceeds from the Loan will be used for costs associated with the Company's ongoing exploration activities, Bureau of Land Management claim maintenance fees, and general working capital.

ABOUT GOLD BASIN RESOURCES CORPORATION

Gold Basin Resources Corporation is advancing the 42 km2 Gold Basin Project, located in the tier one mining jurisdiction of Mohave County, Arizona. Gold Basin is accessible year-round via a 1.5-hour-drive on Highway I-93 southeast of Las Vegas, and high-power electrical lines from the Hoover Dam crosscut the southern Project area. The immediate focus of Gold Basin's highly experienced technical team is to expand and delineate multiple at-surface oxide gold deposits and prove the project's district-scale potential. For further information, please visit the Company's web site at: www.goldbasincorp.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Charles Straw

President & Director

For further information, please contact:

info@goldbasincorp.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward looking information. Such risks and other factors include anticipated business plans, direction and timing of future activities of the Company, the ability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to fund its business activities and plans, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the TSX Venture Exchange), permits or financing, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims, environmental issues and liabilities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents, approvals or authorizations, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, and risks related to joint venture operations, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's continuous disclosure documents. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedarplus.ca and readers are urged to review these materials.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.

Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Vowles apologises to Schumacher for stupid comment

James Vowles issued a grovelling apology to Mick Schumacher at Monza, after stating that the 25-year-old German is not a "special" driver.

James Vowles, Bahrain 2023

 Williams

The Williams boss was explaining to the media on Friday why he opted to replace Logan Sargeant with rookie Franco Colapinto rather than Mercedes reserve Schumacher.

If we had put Mick in the car, he would have done a good job, no question, said Vowles. We think he is good, but not special. Like Logan Sargeant. We have to be completely honest about that.

While it's true that Schumacher has also been overlooked by other prospective Formula 1 teams for a 2025 comeback, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits Vowles words were blunt.

James is a strategist who sometimes says things very bluntly, Wolff told Sky Deutschland. "It was a statement he probably could have kept for himself.

Mick has won everything there was to win. Formula 4, 3 and 2, said the Austrian. "Then he operated in an environment under Gunther Steiner, which is of course brutally tough. That was not what he needed to develop further as a driver.

He deserved a chance and if you don't give it to him, you shouldn't comment on it like that, Wolff added.

Vowles admits that when he saw his words reproduced in the media, he was shocked how badly they came across.

It was a stupid word, he told Sky Deutschland when faced with German reporters asking why Schumacher is not regarded as 'special'. "It's what I said, but I was shocked when I read it. I'm not here to put Mick down.

'Special' for me is a multiple world champion - Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna level. But it may have hurt Mick and that was not my intention at all.

So I am also here to apologise to Mick, Vowles added. He is still a good friend. I tell everyone not to doubt Mick, but I have to make decisions for Williams.

(GMM)
Vowles denies money behind Colapinto decision

Williams boss James Vowles has confirmed that he turned down Red Bull's terms for a 'loan' of Liam Lawson.

Franco Colapinto, Italian GP 2024

 Williams

Vowles' patience with the struggling Logan Sargeant finally ran out after Zandvoort. There were three options on the table which many of you already know about, he told reporters at Monza.

They were Liam Lawson, Mick Schumacher, and Franco Colapinto.

With Lawson, his contractual position at Red Bull wouldn't have worked out for me, Vowles said.

Indeed, while Red Bull was willing to discuss a loan, Dr Helmut Marko admits that the deal would have contained plenty of conditions.

What I can say is that in principle we were prepared to loan him, Red Bull's senior F1 consultant told Sky Deutschland. "But we wanted to have the guarantee that we could bring him back if necessary, because he is the official reserve driver of both Red Bull teams.

And we couldn't say exactly how many races he would be available for, Marko added. Based on this, it is understandable that Williams did not agree to this deal.

However, there are rumours that Williams always intended to put its own junior Colapinto, 21, in the car, with Lawson and Schumacher only used to drive up the costs for the young Argentine's substantial backers.

Reports suggest Williams is collecting $500,000 from Colapinto's financiers, with on-car sponsor deals for Globant and Mercado Libre already announced.

It's not as if he took over this seat because of sponsors, Vowles insists. "Actually, it worked the other way around.

We announced that he would be driving for us, and since then the lines have been running hot from Argentina, with enormous interest from his country, the team principal added.

(GMM)
Even though Nokia has struggled to compete with major players like Ericsson and Huawei over the past few years, the Finnish company is still a major player in the network infrastructure business. Samsung also has a Radio Access Network (RAN) branch of its own, but it is relatively small, with a reported market share of around 6.1% last year.

Industry insider rumors have now started to surface, indicating Samsungs desire to purchase Nokias infrastructure business to strengthen its own RAN positions. An alleged figure of $10 billion for the sale has been tossed around. If the deal goes through, Samsung will effectively become the second-biggest RAN supplier worldwide, with a 25.6% market share.

Samsung already makes 4G and 5G base stations, chipsets, devices, radios, and core equipment, so its not like the Korean giant is new to the infrastructure business. It has already supplied carriers worldwide, including Telus Canada, O2 in Germany, Reliance Jio in India, KDDI and NTT DoCoMo in Japan, Dish and Verizon in the US and Vodafone in the UK.

Source
Xiaomi launched the 13T and 13T Pro in late September of last year, and so we're getting very close to the arrival of their successors, the 14T and 14T Pro. Today a list of their most important specs has been leaked along with pricing for the EU.

Let's jump right in and start with the prices. The Xiaomi 14T with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will go for 649, while the 14T Pro with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage will be priced at 899.

Xiaomi 13T Pro

It's unclear at the moment if there will be more RAM/storage options for these handsets. The 14T will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8300-Ultra, while the Pro will get the Dimensity 9300+. It's a shame that this device will launch with this chipset in (most likely) late September while the Dimensity 9400 (and the first smartphones powered by it) will arrive in early to mid October, according to the latest rumors on the matter.

Anyway, both phones are said to be offered in three colorways: Titanium Black, Titanium Grey, and Titanium Blue. We know what you're thinking: with so much titanium in the names, does that mean that the frame of these phones is made from titanium? We wouldn't hold our collective breath. After all, this isn't Xiaomi's most high-end line, and titanium is still considered a premium material in the mobile world, so we see no reason why the company would offer it here. Then again, (much) stranger things have happened, so we can't rule it out completely either.

Xiaomi 13T

Moving on, both devices get a 6.67-inch 144 Hz AMOLED screen with 1220x2712 resolution and 4,000-nit peak brightness. The 14T will have a 1/1.56" main camera using Sony's IMX906 sensor, a 50 MP telephoto with 2.6x optical zoom and 4x "optical equivalent" zoom, and a 12 MP ultrawide with 120-degree field-of-view.

The Pro has a larger 1/1.31" type main camera using the Light Fusion 900 sensor with 2x "optical equivalent" zoom, and the same other cameras. Both phones have a 32 MP selfie snapper and a 5,000 mAh battery. They're also both IP68 rated for dust and water resistance. The Pro gets Wi-Fi 7, the 14T has to make do with just Wi-Fi 6E. They will both run Android 14 from day one, with Xiaomi's HyperOS on top.

The 14T measures 160.5 x 75.1 x 7.8 mm and weighs 195g, while the 14T Pro comes in at 160.4 x 75.1 x 8.39 mm and 209g.

Source (in French)
Sure, your standard New Orleans tour guide will tell you who won the War of 1812, but what do they know about Marlon Brandos bisexual French Quarter proclivities?

More importantly, will they be wearing assless leather chaps?

If you book an outing with Marcus Shacknow of Walking with the Gay Ghosts of New Orleans, expect to hear all the smutty gossip your heart desires, along with fascinating historical facts on New Orleans queer culture.

As an added bonus, Shacknow says, his scantily-clad outfits will only get funner with time.

Shacknow shares the lesser-known gay history behind Jackson Square, in front of the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.Emily Topping

I join the tour on a drizzly Thursday evening, as the streets of the French Quarter begin to swarm with Southern Decadence attendees.

At the beginning of our two-hour trek, our group stands huddled beneath the former apartment of Tennessee Williams  one of Marlon Brandos many rumored lovers, alongside comedian Richard Pryor.

Now, Richards wife was aware of his gay affairs, Shacknow proclaims with an eyebrow raise. When asked about it, she responded, and I quote: It was the 70s. If you did enough cocaine, youd fuck a radiator and send it flowers in the morning.

(This line is met with horrified glances from a camo-clad family walking by, who were presumably unaware that Gay Mardi Gras overlapped with their Labor Weekend vacation.)

As the tour continues, Shacknow imparts us with tales of wealthy gay aristocrats, secret love children and the citys most iconic lesbians  like nightclub owner Miss Dixie, who reportedly used the contents of her bars cash register to bail out unfairly arrested gay men.

Shacknow leads a group of tourists down Bourbon Street, where rainbow flags celebrate this weekend's Southern Decadence festival.Emily Topping

Part of the magic of New Orleans gay history is its tendency towards folklore. Because much of queer existence has been kept underground, stories have been passed on orally, or pieced together using private letters and unearthed journals.

Shacknow acknowledges this, occasionally adding, That last detail isnt confirmed, but I like it, while orating a story on cross-dressing pirates or the presumed-sapphic architect of Jackson Square.

While much of the tour is fun and campy, other moments are heart wrenching. Theres the story of Fernando Rios, a twenty-six-year-old gay man lured to his death by a group of Tulane frat boys in 1958, then the arson attack at the UpStairs Lounge in 1973, which killed 32 people.

Through both the lighthearted and the heavy, it is Shacknows obvious love for the city and its lore that makes the tour worthwhile.

This reverence is made clear through his opening line: I feel confident in saying that New Orleans is the gayest city in the entire country. You guys are all here, so its even gayer now.

Gay Ghost Tour tickets are $30. Tours are held at various times throughout Southern Decadence, from Aug. 31 - Sep. 2.




Haiti - FAdH : Soldiers trained and certified in human rights





On August 29, 2024, the Ministry of Defense organized a certificate award ceremony for trainers and trainers of trainers who had completed human rights training. The National Guard's human rights training manual was also unveiled.



Nearly twenty recipients received their training certificates on International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights, and Gender Equity. This training, conducted in December 2023 for senior executives of the National Guard Unit of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H), was organized under the direction of the Ministry of Defense, in partnership with the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).



Based primarily on International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the Training Manual is structured in 7 modules covering a wide range of themes of crucial importance in the daily lives and missions of soldiers, such as: responsibilities and consequences of human rights violations, rules of engagement and use of force, protection of civilians in conflict situations, judicialization of the field of operations, the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols, as well as the integration of the gender dimension.



This document represents a significant step forward in the evolution of the Haitian military institution towards a modern approach, anchored in respect for human rights.



During his speech, Major Wolsby Ted Tesnor, declared "This manual is of capital importance to us because it better equips the soldier to carry out his duties, while instilling in him that above all : he is a human being, with rights, just like those he is called to serve and defend [...]" adding "More than a simple training manual for the National Guard, it is a guide intended for all soldiers, which will be used for the training of the next promotion." During his speech, Minister Antoine, said he was proud to present certificates to about twenty soldiers trained in human rights, international humanitarian law and gender equity, stating "The FADH aspire to comply with the standards of the armies of the region, with an emphasis on respect for human rights."







"On this day, we celebrate not only the acquisition of new skills by our military trainers, but above all the strengthening of our commitment to a modern army, respectful of human rights, international humanitarian law, and gender equity," said the minister, before adding that these values, now integrated into the heart of our prestigious institution, are not simple ideals, but rather guiding principles that must always guide each of the actions of the Armed Forces.



Furthermore, he highlighted the process of transformation of the Haitian military institution, specifying that the Haitian army is no longer the one that was once accused of certain bad practices. "In the current situation, this new Haitian army aims to be professional, disciplined, and entirely devoted to serving the population. It aspires to comply with the standards of other armies in the region, with particular emphasis on respect for the rights of each individual and democratic values," said Antoine, saluting the courage and spirit of our sacrifices of the military, who are currently alongside the National Police and the Support Mission to fight for Peace and security in all corners of the country. The commitment of these young men and women are models of dedication and patriotism for the Nation.



IH/ iciHaiti






















Haiti - Economy : End of World Bank mission on the renewal of its commitment...





On Friday, August 30, 2024, Dirk Reinermann, Director of Resource Mobilization for the World Banks International Development Association (IDA), leading a delegation composed of Lilia Burunciuc, Country Director for the Caribbean, and Ronke-Amoni Ogunsulire, Resident Representative of the International Finance Corporation for the Dominican Republic and Haiti, completed a three-day mission to Haiti



During their stay, the priorities of the new administration were discussed and the World Banks commitment to continue fighting extreme poverty in Haiti was underscored.



The delegation met with Prime Minister Garry Conille, Minister of Finance Ketleen Florestal, cabinet members, development partners, and other key stakeholders.



"We had very important discussions with the Government, donor partners, and civil society organizations on how we can further maximize the impact of World Bank investments in Haiti. IDA contributes to stability, reaches the poorest people, and produces sustainable results," said Dirk Reinermann, adding "IDA is committed to continuing its support to Haiti to address the key drivers of fragility and poverty in the country."



During the mission, the World Bank delegation stressed the importance of completing the consultation process for the new Country Partnership Framework, as well as the preparation of the eligibility note to access the Fragility, Violence, and Conflict (FCV) Envelope. The FCV Envelope is a World Bank facility dedicated to countries affected by fragility, violence, and conflict. If approved, it will provide an opportunity for Haiti to benefit from additional funds to finance the response efforts to the current crisis and help address the underlying causes of violence.



The delegation also visited projects in the Southern region of the country as well as the new site of the National Emergency Operations Center of the General Directorate of Civil Protection, financed in part by IDA under the Project to Strengthen Disaster Risk Management and Climate Resilience in Haiti.



While more than 80% of the World Banks IDA-supported programs, currently valued at $1.3 billion, are implemented outside of Port-au-Prince, in communities where the security situation is more stable, the needs of the poor are addressed through responses to food insecurity, risk management, building resilient infrastructure, and supporting urban development.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





3rd day of combat, the PNH advances

"We have made progress, we continue to advance" declared Divisional Commissioner Michael Ange Louis, Spokesperson for the Haitian National Police (PNH) in summary of the first 72 hours of the joint operation against gangs in the neighborhoods of Bas Delmas, Bel Air and Solino. He declined to give details explaining that the operation was underway but promised that a report would be communicated at the appropriate time. Finally, he specified that the operation will continue until the gangs in these areas are completely dismantled...



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-43087-icihaiti-security-pm-visits-3-wounded-swat-agents.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43079-haiti-flash-first-major-joint-operation-kenya-pnh.html



Council of Ministers canceled

A Council of Ministers scheduled for August 29, 2024, during which major decisions were to be adopted did not take place. The reason was the absence of several ministers who refused to sit alongside the three members of the Presidential Council indexed in the BNC scandal. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-42866-haiti-flash-3-presidential-advisers-in-turmoil-scandal-or-conspiracy.html



Brazil to strengthen Haiti's electoral process

On Friday, Haitian Chancellor Dominique Dupuy met with Carmen Lucia, President of Brazil's Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE). On behalf of the TSE, Carmen Lucia pledged to provide logistical support, assistance in designing awareness campaigns, and electoral training with Brazilian experts to strengthen Haiti's electoral process. A visit to Haiti is planned very soon to formalize this partnership.



Minister Hercules on tour in the North

"In a dynamic of proximity with the country's jurisdictions and to inquire about the situation on the ground, I left the capital this morning to go to Cap-Haitien to meet the Departmental Directors of the PNH, the Commissioners and the Bar Association of the North. Several other meetings are planned as part of this tour aimed at giving us a better idea of the security situation and the functioning of justice in the Far North," declared Carlos Hercule, Minister of Justice and Public Security



Anse-a-Pitre : Strengthening the Binational Dialogue

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP - Haiti), through the Binational Dialogue Strengthening Project, organized a workshop in Anse-A-Pitre from August 28 to 30, 2024 on the management of shared waters with regard to the conventions in force and local development and Migration and border security.



Atlanta : Consulate of Haiti closed

The Consulate General of Haiti in Atlanta informs the Public in General and the Haitian Community in Particular that its premises will be closed on Monday, September 2, 2024 on the occasion of "Labor Day".



HL/ HaitiLibre


















An Ohio man was arrested Wednesday afternoon in the Town of Newfane after an argument that allegedly led to threats at gunpoint, the Niagara County Sheriff's Office reported.

Howard Blevins, 73, of Vermilion, Ohio, was charged with second-degree menacing and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was taken to Niagara County Jail in Lockport for centralized arraignment.

Also arrested was Michael Dolphin, 61, of Lockport, who was charged with second-degree harassment, resisting arrest and second-degree obstruction of governmental administration. He was given tickets and released pending an appearance in Newfane Town Court.

According to the report, multiple 911 calls about 2:30 p.m. brought deputies to 5970 E. Lake Road, where an investigation determined that during an argument between two men, one of them had gone to his vehicle, brought out a handgun and threatened people nearby. The report noted that deputies found two handguns at the scene.

- Dale Anderson
Apple recipe contest winners announced

Keegan Capps, 6, of Zirconia, won first place in the kids category of the N.C. Apple Festival recipe contest with his cream cheese danish.

Some of Henderson Countys best cooks came to the N.C. Apple Festival on Friday to compete in the 2024 Apple Recipe Contest.

View the Slideshow



The contest for best desserts made with apples included 31 entries this year, according to the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service in Henderson County.

Prizes were awarded to winners in multiple categories including a Grand Champion and a kid division winner.

Keira Donaldson, of Hendersonville, won the Grand Champion title with her apple crumble macarons.

Keegan Capps, 6, of Zirconia, won first place in the kids category with his apple cream cheese danish.

A complete list of contest winners includes:

 Grand Prize - Keira Donaldson - Apple Crumble Macarons

 Desserts

1st Keira Donaldson - Apple Crumble Macarons

2nd Jamie Beshears - Cozy Afternoon Apple Cookie

 Pies/Pastries

1st Donna Freeman - Apple and Sweet Italian Sausage Puff Pastries

2nd Christopher Alexander - Apple Dumplings in a Monkey Bread Bed

 Bread

1st Kathy Y Ham - Apple Pumpkin Bread with Praline Icing

2nd Marlene Merrell - Rise and shine Apple Muffins with Oatmeal-Walnut Crumble

 Cakes

1st Marlene Merrell - Blue Ridge Mountains Apple Cake with Buttermilk Sauce

2nd Savannah Langford - Apple Pie Cupcakes

 Kids

1st Keegan Capps - Apple Cream Cheese Danish

2nd Max Donnelly - Max's Apple Pie Surprise

 Local Business

1st Stanley "Steamer" LeCarpentier - Apple&Pork "Steamer Bread w/BBQ ICING(c)"

-Tarheel-Texan BBQ

2nd Christina Mirkovic - Caramel apple cupcakes - Refresh Beverage Catering
Six public swimming pools in underserved communities in Western New York will receive state grants totaling $14.1 million as part of a $150 statewide initiative recently announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Locally, the biggest grant is $7.2 million to the city of Buffalo to fund the replacement of the Houghton Park pool on Clinton Street, along with the nearby shelter house and garage.

Buffalo also was awarded $2.6 million to replace the pool decking at the Riverside Park pool, which includes the addition of a new filtration and regeneration system, and upgrading locker rooms for Americans With Disabilities Act access.

Other grants awarded include:

$2.2 million to the Town of Cheektowaga for its Town Pool Beautification and Enhancement Project that includes the installation of a new security fence, public safety cameras and a new ADA ramp.

$400,949 to the city of Niagara Falls to renovate the Center Court pool, to include the replacement of the current pool lining and installing new main drain covers and a new filtration system.

$704,988 to the city of Olean in Cattaraugus County for the rehabilitation of the William O. Smith Recreation Center pool, which calls for replacing filter equipment, pumps, underground drains and fencing.

$920,000 to the Village of Westfield in Chautauqua County to renovate the Welch Field pool that includes replacing the concrete deck and pool house with a new ADA-compliant facility.

The New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming initiative is the states biggest investment in swimming infrastructure since the New Deal of the 1930s, said Hochul.

Every region of New York State will soon have brand-new public pools to help provide New York families with safe ways to learn how to swim, Hochul said in a statement.

Through the initiative, grants between $50,000 and $10 million were awarded to municipalities to help them design, construct, rehabilitate or modernize public swimming facilities, particularly those in disadvantaged and underserved communities with a lack of access to safe swimming and outdoor recreational opportunities. According to the Governors Office, grant applications were evaluated on numerous variables, including need, impact and viability. A portion of the grants can be used to add amenities, including splash pads, concession stands, picnic areas and playgrounds around the swimming facilities.

In addition to these funds, Hochul also secured nearly $2 million in the states 2025 budget to help State University of New York campuses offer lifeguard certification courses and expand access to learn-to-swim classes for youth.

The funding will help facilitate a partnership between the University at Buffalo, local Buffalo schools and community centers to expand learn-to-swim courses at the UB South and North campuses, as well as partnering with Special Olympics to expand access to practice sessions.

Nearly $700,000 in state funds have been awarded to 11 SUNY campuses in the first round of this funding.


Saturday August 31, 2024

By YANG CHENG





Jama Mohamed Askar, a member of the finance committee of the House of the People in Somalia and chairperson of the Somali-Chinese Parliamentary Friendship Group, paid a visit to Tianjin Port on Tuesday. Provided to chinadaily.com.cn



Members of the Somali Parliament who recently visited North China's Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanxi province have expressed admiration for China's progress.



They were particularly impressed by China's advancements in agriculture and technology, and are looking forward to the upcoming Forum on the 2024 Summit of China-Africa Cooperation scheduled for Sept 4-6.





The delegation of three Somali Parliamentarians participated in the 2024 Interregional Seminar on the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals for Parliaments of Developing Countries.During their visit to Tianjin on Tuesday, they visited the world's first zero-carbon terminal at Tianjin Port.The trip, which took place from Aug 19-28, was organized by the National People's Congress in China and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.The seminar, attended by 153 parliamentary leaders and legislators from 32 developing countries in Beijing, facilitated discussions and research excursions in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanxi province."We anticipate the participation of our senior leaders in the 2024 Summit of China-Africa Cooperation in early September, and we are confident that the event will enhance diplomatic and economic relations between China and Africa," remarked Askar.


Saturday August 31, 2024





Ministers of Defences Somalia and Egypt after signing the security cooperation agreement. Present are Somalia President Hassan Sheikh and his Egyptian counterpart Abdifatah Al-Sisi in Cairo







Somalias Minister of Defence Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur has termed Ethiopias comments over the deployment of Egyptian soldiers in the country as destabilizing to the region.Abdulkadir was responding to comments from the Ethiopian government expressing concern that the transition from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to a new peace support mission is fraught with dangers for the region.The minister asserted that the region has descended into chaos since Ethiopia attempted to claim Somali territory.This was in reference to the controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that Ethiopia signed with the breakaway Somaliland.The Federal Government of Somalia termed the agreement illegal."Ethiopia should be told that the region fell into chaos the day they attempted to encroach on Somali territory, undermining our territorial, political, and national unity," Abdulkadir said.He added, Let no one cry. Everyone reaps the fruits of their labour."The Defence ministers remarks came after Ethiopia, in a statement, warned that it could not stand idle while other actors are taking measures to destabilize the region.Somaliland broke away from Somalia more than 30 years ago, but Mogadishu regards it very much as part of its territory - and described the deal as an act of aggression.The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the country remained vigilant and was monitoring developments across the region that could threaten its national security.The statement followed Egypts delivery of its first military aid to Somalia in more than four decades on Tuesday.The move is seen as the beginning of the implementation of the defence cooperation and partnership agreement signed weeks ago when President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdelfatah Al-Sisi, in Cairo.At that time, both leaders stated that Somalia and Egypt share a long-standing friendship and brotherhood, which they now seek to strengthen further.Senior Somalia officials, including Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Bare, indicated that the country plans to expel thousands of Ethiopian troops stationed in the country to assist with security by the end of the year unless Addis Ababa cancels the disputed port deal with Somaliland.On New Years Day, Ethiopian PM Abiy signed a controversial deal with the self-declared republic of Somaliland to lease a 20km (12-mile) section of its coastline for 50 years to set up a naval base.


Saturday August 31, 2024

By OMAR FARUK





FILE - A Somali soldier controls the crowd as thousands of people attend a protest rally in Mogadishu, Somalia, Wednesday Jan.3, 2024, after being angry with an agreement signed between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland to give landlocked Ethiopia access to its shoreline. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh, File)



MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP)  Ethiopia is increasingly concerned over a recent defense deal between Egypt and Somalia, two countries that Addis Ababa is embroiled in disputes with amid rising tensions in the Horn of Africa region.



Cairo and Mogadishu earlier this month signed a security agreement during a visit to the Egyptian capital by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who held talks with his Egyptian host, President Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi.



Details of the deal have not been made public but Ali Abdi Aware, the Somali ambassador to Cairo, told a radio station in Mogadishu that the arrival of military equipment from Egypt to Somalia this week was the first practical step to implementing that deal.





There was no confirmation of such plans from Egypt, which has been seeking to strengthen its influence in the Horn of Africa. Cairo has also not confirmed sending military equipment to Somalia.The prospect of having Egyptian troops next door has raised concerns in Ethiopia. The foreign ministry in Addis Ababa issued a statement saying the country cannot stand idle while other actors are taking measures to destabilize the region.There are two key disputes involving the three African countries.The first dispute  between Ethiopia and Egypt  is over Ethiopias construction of a $4 billion dam on the Blue Nile, a key tributary to the Nile River. Egypt fears it will have a devastating effect on its water and irrigation supply downstream unless Ethiopia takes its needs into account. Ethiopia is using the dam to generate badly needed electricity.The second dispute  between Ethiopia and Somalia  is over Somalias breakaway region of Somaliland.Somalia has sought to block landlocked Ethiopias ongoing efforts to gain access to the Red Sea via a contentious agreement with Somaliland to lease a stretch of land along Somalilands coastline, where Ethiopia would establish a marine force base. In return, according to Somaliland authorities, Ethiopia would recognize Somaliland as an independent country.Somaliland seceded from Somalia more than 30 years ago but is not recognized by the African Union or the United Nations as an independent state. Somalia still considers Somaliland part of its territory.Somalias federal government has since 2007 been supported by an African Union peacekeeping mission in fighting the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which has ties with al-Qaida and is responsible deadly attacks across the country.Even after the AU peacekeepers leave, troops from countries such as Uganda and Burundi may stay in Somalia under bilateral deals.Ethiopia said Wednesday it was vigilantly monitoring developments in the region that could threaten its national security and accused Somalia of colluding with external actors to undermine regional stability.Somaliland also issued a statement Thursday saying it strongly objects to any deployment of Egyptian troops in Somalia.
Seventy-five years ago, I arrived in Western New York, child of a Buffalo fireman. My family then lived on Amber Street in South Buffalo.

In the ensuing years, educated in Catholic grammar schools and Bishop Timon and South Park High Schools, I immersed myself in the cultural ethos of Buffalo. It is a city rich with history, its inception dating back to just after the founding of the Republic.

The Martins who had come before me have lived and walked on the streets of Buffalo for 100 years before my arrival. Their life and times are similar to all that of the immigrants who came here. The struggle for success, the sweat of their labor and their energies forged a newer America that was better for their coming. I did my best to script histories of both my familys and Buffalos passage throughout these many decades. The books can be found on Amazon.

Buffalos immigrants did find a better life. In the grain mills, the steel plants, the railroads, the docks and a dozen other industrial incubators, our men found work and a means to live. The Catholic schools took us in and helped make us the proud Americans that we became. Later, public schools took up the task. These hardy immigrants taught their children to work hard, study and get a good education, pay their debts and honor their country for the wonderful sanctuary that it was to all of us.

It took a few generations for most of our families to climb the socioeconomic ladder, but we all grew up with decent educations and found job opportunities. In a very real sense, Buffalo was the promised land to all of our own. After several generations, our children were even sent off to college and had greater opportunities than any of those poor and landless immigrants could ever have imagined.

It wasnt streets of gold that our immigrant families found here in Buffalo, but golden opportunities. My family and I took great advantage of this wealth of opportunity. My wife, Mary, and I worked and lived out our lives in Buffalo. By the fifth generation of our familys arrival, we had 11 undergraduate degrees, one law degree and one medical degree. We were all beneficiaries of the great bounty that America had to offer.

And now, in my later years, Mary and I reluctantly bid farewell to the only home that I have ever known. Recent medical restrictions have made life for me here problematic. However distant I may find myself, in the years to come, the raucous cheers for the Bills, the Sabres and the Bisons will always ring in my ears and bring a smile to my face.

The memories that I have from and about Buffalo will live with me always. And when I run into one of your friendly ambassadors from Buffalo, as I do often enough in many parts of the country, I will smile broadly and say Go Bills.

Vaya con dios, Buffalo. May the heavenly roads rise up to meet yall and the celestial winds be always at your back. Know that you send forth from your ranks an enthusiastic ambassador, who will enlighten the world on the decency, warmth and goodness of the people of this wonderful city.
The illegal practice of wealthy and influential individuals in Kerala allegedly purchasing captive elephants from northeastern states for financial gain, particularly during festivals like Thrissur Pooram, has once again come under national scrutiny. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has launched a thorough investigation, highlighting the urgent need for immediate action.

The WCCB, a statutory body under the Union ministry of environment, forests, and climate change, has taken decisive steps to dismantle the criminal networks involved in the interstate elephant trade. It has directed its officials in the northeast, specifically in Arunachal Pradesh, to take strict action against Keralas procurement agents, corrupt local forest officials, and other groups overseeing the supply of these elephants.

The WCCB's order cites the 'clamour and demand' for elephants from Kerala, particularly in the districts of Namsai and Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh. The order also details some notorious elephant traders from Kerala with a long history of wildlife crimes in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Tripura.

According to a complaint received by the WCCB, a buyer from Kollam recently boasted on social media that he had already identified ten new elephants from the northeast to be used in Keralas festivals.

This development comes at a time when the organisers of the Thrissur Pooram, a traditional spectacle featuring caparisoned elephants adorned with vibrant parasols and synchronised with the rhythm of the panchavadyam ensemble, are concerned that the parade may lose its grandeur due to the dwindling availability of elephants.

The decline in Kerala's captive elephant population, from 900 in 2008 to just 407 this year, underscores the severity of the issue. The state is losing an average of 25 elephants annually, which calls for urgent corrective measures.

In Kerala, captive elephants are revered almost as deities, with some enjoying a popularity that rivals movie stars. In March this year, the Kerala Elephant Owners Federation approached environment minister Bhupendra Yadav, requesting amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act to relax regulations on the ownership and interstate transfer of elephants, citing the steep decline in the state's captive elephant population.

The delegation included Keralas transport minister, actor K B Ganesh Kumar, and actor-turned-BJP politician Suresh Gopi, who later became a Union minister. As a result, the ministry issued the Captive Elephants (Transfer or Transport) Rules, 2024, ostensibly to ease the transfer and movement of captive elephants.

Under the new rules, the chief wildlife warden (CWW) can authorise the transfer of elephants between states if the current owner cannot provide adequate care or if the animal would be better maintained under new circumstances. However, many key provisions ensuring only non-commercial transfers have been removed.

Animal conservationists have long argued that these relaxations encourage the illegal sale of elephants under the guise of moving them for better care. They see the WCCBs investigation as a clear validation of their concerns.

Alok Hisarwala Gupta from the Centre for Research on Animal Rights in India contends that illegal traders from Kerala are driving a high demand for elephants in the northeast, compelling local players to exploit the system and mistreat the animals. This mistreatment includes separating young elephants from their mothers, subjecting them to harsh training methods, and keeping them in inadequate living conditions, all of which have severe physical and psychological effects on these intelligent and social animals.

According to Gupta, these groups exert financial pressure on traditional communities in the northeast to capture young elephants from the wild and keep them in captivity until a lucrative buyer emerges. They also misrepresent the commercial trade of elephants by falsifying documentation, turning an actual "sale" into a legal "gift" on paper, further highlighting the exploitation these elephants endure.

In response to the complaint, WCCB's Eastern Region division has directed the CWWs of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura to submit information on registered captive elephants, the number of transit permits issued for moving captive elephants within and between states, and details of cases related to illegal procurement and trade over the past three years.

V.K. Venkitachalam, secretary of the Thrissur-based Heritage Animal Task Force and a WCCB complainant, welcomed the investigation, stating it would expose the dubious intentions of Keralas elephant owners.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh recently wrote to Bhupender Yadav, highlighting flaws in the amended rules. The senior leader pointed to recent instances of commercial elephant trade from Arunachal Pradesh to Kerala, Odisha, and Gujarat.

Thiruvananthapuram-based environmentalist Sreedhar Radhakrishnan argues that the modified rules now permit the transfer of elephants between individuals or states for "religious and other purposes," a practice previously prohibited.

Meanwhile, the ministry has acknowledged the negative effects of the recent relaxations and emphasised that transfers should only be permitted after recording the elephants' genetic profiles in the ministrys electronic monitoring system. Genetic profiling involves collecting animal DNA samples, which are then analysed to create a unique genetic profile for each elephant.

After receiving numerous complaints about illegal activities involving the procurement, trading, and transfer of captive elephants, the ministry established a committee to investigate these activities. The committees scope includes registering captive elephants, issuing transportation permits, and following up on cases of illegal procurement and trade over the past three years.

A coalition of animal rights organisations, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, Heritage Animal Task Force, Kaziranga Wildlife Society, the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), and the Centre for Research on Animal Rights (CRAR), is calling for immediate action to prevent the exploitation of relaxed regulations for illegal capture, exploitation, or commercial trading of captive elephants.

The organisations are urging the establishment of a national database for captive elephants, including ownership certificates, genetic mapping, owner information, and location, with public access to this database.

According to official data, the northeastern states have the highest number of captive elephants in India. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya account for over 41% of the countrys captive elephants.

In 2016, the Supreme Court restrained the Kerala government from issuing ownership certificates to elephant owners and directed that those who possess elephants in the state not transfer the animals outside Kerala.

Official data shows that Kerala now has 518 captive elephants. Meanwhile, a Heritage Animal Task Force (HATF) survey revealed that 88 captive elephants died between 2008 and 2022, likely due to being paraded at temple festivals during the peak summer months, which take a toll on their health.

The festival season in Kerala coincides with the summer months when temperatures rise significantly. Due to the high demand for elephants at each festival, every elephant is forced to participate in at least fifty ceremonies during this period. Wildlife specialists claim that Kerala is notorious for mistreating captive elephants during these festivals.

During the festival season, the elephants must travel on roads coated with bitumen and remain in the same location for extended hours, enduring the scorching sun. Transportation poses an additional concern regarding the availability of essential resources such as water and feed.
Sunday, August 25 marked the latest escalation in the deadliest phase of the Baloch insurgency when over 70 individuals  members of the security forces and ordinary workers  were systematically targeted in Pakistans restive Balochistan province and the areas bordering Punjab.

This is the most recent manifestation of the lack of socio-political cohesion in Pakistan and the enforced deprivation and devastation inflicted on the Baloch people by the leadership for over 75 years.

While neither the insurgency nor the volatility in Balochistan is a recent phenomenon, what makes the most recent attacks significant is that they occurred on the 18th death anniversary of Nawab Akbar Bugti, a former leader of the insurgency movement in a sharp rebuke to the announcement of Azm-I-Istekham (Resolve for Stability operation) by Shahbaz Sharifs government in June this year.

The latest counter-terror operation was announced after Sharif and his army chief, Asif Muneer after Beijing pointed out Islamabads inability to safeguard personnel and projects associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Arguably, the attacks seek to underscore the government and armed forces inability to eradicate persisting security threats despite Azm-I-Istekham being the 12th counter-terror operation to be launched since 2007.

Notably, soon after the August 25 attacks, Baloch Liberation Armys Majeed Brigade as part of Operation Herof, according to reports, killed more than 100 soldiers and seized control of army camps along Balochistans major highways. Similar attacks can be expected to occur in the face of faltering safeguards and counter-responses by the state.

The marginal optimism, if at all, attached to Azm-I-Istekhams success, has taken a resounding beating by the attacks.

Over the years, CPEC has fuelled widespread discontent due to the part it has played in socio-economically marginalising the ethnic Baloch community and as such been targeted frequently, at least thrice this year, by Baloch and Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) fighters. Despite being ideologically opposed, TTP and secular Baloch leaders have joined against their mutual foe  the state of Pakistan and the Communist Party of China  in a classic case of salad bar extremism. One of the key features of salad bar extremism is that sometimes ideologically opposed groups or movements forge transactional ties to achieve common goals or objectives. In this case, it involves toppling primarily Pakistans federal government and compelling China to pull out its investments.

Understandably, while the attack on security forces can be understood as an attack on the state of Pakistan by extension, the systematic targeting of ordinary workers based on their ethnic identity of being a Punjabi (albeit not for the first time) and the series of attacks occurring close to the Punjab province has another important connotation.

Punjab is the seat of power in the country and ethnic Punjabis have dominated state institutions, including the political realm, military, and bureaucracy since Pakistans inception. This has occurred even as the Baloch community has been deprived of equitable access to resources and opportunities, and desired autonomy. For decades, Baloch people have also confronted mounting suppression, human rights violations, extra-judicial killings, and enforced disappearances. Therefore, the ethno-sectarian factor must also be considered while examining the attacks carried out by the Baloch insurgents.

At the same time, the recent events cannot be looked at in isolation from the broader economic and security situation keeping Pakistan in a state of continued turmoil and which has stretched its resources thin over time. The targeted attacks have taken place at a moment when the country is experiencing increasing threats from TTP and Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS deadliest affiliate) and is at odds with its former ally, the Afghan Taliban.

The jubilance seen in Pakistan after the Afghan Taliban captured Kabul in August 2021 has dissipated as cross-border air strikes have been carried out in Afghanistan in a bid to target TTP hideouts and camps.

On numerous occasions, Pakistani officials have lambasted the de facto leaders of Afghanistan for harbouring TTP members and violating their assurance of disallowing their territory to be used as a launchpad to carry out terrorist attacks elsewhere. At the same time, despite the announcement of Azm-I-Istekham, it would not be far-fetched to display scepticism about the viability of carrying out a prolonged and multi-pronged counter-terror strategy while it remains dependent on bailouts by the International Monetary Fund to navigate the turbulent waters.

These trends indicate a worrying trend for Pakistan as it is expected that Chinese pressure to address concerns related to extremism and terrorism will intensify due to the deteriorating security situation in the country. However, at the moment, it seems unlikely that China will pull out its investments considering that CPEC is a critical lynchpin of Chinas global infrastructure-focused Belt and Road Initiative.

Finally, despite the misguided belief, brute force to address security concerns will only aggravate the security threats faced by the state.

Saman Ayesha Kidwai is a Research Analyst in the Counter-Terrorism Centre at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. The views expressed are personal and do not reflect those of the institute or the Government of India.
Aquarius  (20th January to 18th February) Daily Horoscope Prediction says your life is smarter today Take troubles easily and settle them with a positive note. Your attitude is crucial in the relationship and office life. Wealth issues may also exist today. Aquarius Daily Horoscope Today, August 31, 2024: Take troubles easily and settle them with a positive note..

Overcome the relationship issues and be ready to take up the love affair to the next level. You may see new opportunities to excel in your career today. Minor money issues will be there but your health will be good.

Aquarius Love Horoscope Today

Take your lover in confidence while making crucial decisions. Your partner prefers your presence. Those who are on the verge of a break-up will also give a second thought to it. However, keep control over anger and arguments as this can hamper the relationship. Some fortunate single male natives can expect a new relationship to commence today. Married females have higher chances to conceive. An extramarital affair is a strict no-no today as your spouse will catch you red-handed.

Aquarius Career Horoscope Today

You are good at taking up crucial tasks at the office. Your management will have trust and confidence and it is your duty to assure better performance. Those who are into sales and marketing will travel today. IT, healthcare, animation, hospitality, and automobile professionals will have opportunities to relocate abroad. Females holding senior positions at the office may need to be extra vigilant as some employees under you can try emotionally influencing you for personal interests.

Aquarius Money Horoscope Today

Minor monetary issues will be there but the routine life will be unaffected. You may receive money from previous investments but not all investments will be lucky for you. Some pending dues will be cleared while you may also inherit a family property. You should be ready to provide financial help for a needy relative. Businessmen looking for trade expansions will succeed in raising funds and partnerships will also be fruitful.

Aquarius Health Horoscope Today

Those who have cardiac issues will need medical attention today. Keep a distance from oily stuff and junk food. You may suffer from high blood pressure but no other serious health issue will affect you. Females may develop migraine in the first half of the day. Some seniors will develop breath-related issues and children will have vial fever, throat infection, or allergies.

Aquarius Sign Attributes

Strength: Tolerant, Ideal, Friendly, Charitable, Independent, Logical

Weakness: Disobedient, Liberalistic, Rebel

Symbol: Water carrier

Element: Air

Body Part: Ankles & Legs

Sign Ruler: Uranus

Lucky Day: Saturday

Lucky Color: Navy Blue

Lucky Number: 22

Lucky Stone: Blue Sapphire

Aquarius Sign Compatibility Chart
The lifting of restrictions on ethanol production from B-heavy and C-heavy molasses and sugarcane juice will normalize ethanol production volume for sugar companies, asserted Mumbai-headquartered financial advisory firm DAM Capital. Ethanol is ethyl alcohol that is made from molasses, grains and farm waste. (Representational image/Reuters)

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On Thursday, the food department lifted the previously imposed restriction on ethanol production from sugarcane juice, sugar syrup, B-Heavy molasses, and C-Heavy molasses. These restrictions were imposed in December 2023, purportedly given rising sugar prices before the Lok Sabha election.

"We believe the clarity of ethanol blending and full utilization of distillery capacity by sugar mills would pave the way for strong earnings growth from Q3FY25 onwards," said DAM Capital, asserting that it was positive on sugar industry.

"This would result in sector re-rating," it said, "Hence, we are assigning higher earnings multiple for the companies in our coverage universe."

The food department, in coordination with the petroleum and natural gas ministry, periodically reviews the diversion of sugar to ethanol production vis-a-vis the production of sugar in the country so that availability of sugar for domestic consumption is ensured throughout the year.

DAM Capital said sugar inventory levels in the country is expected to be above 8 million tonnes by October, which is more than the minimum requirement of 5 million tonne. Further, gross sugar production is expected to remain at 32 million tonne, higher than consumption of 29 million tonne.

This it believes would result in the availability of more than 5 million of sugar inventory for the production of ethanol from B-heavy and sugarcane juice route.

"We estimate 4-5 mt of equivalent of sugar diversion towards ethanol, which would be sufficient for 4.5 to 5.0 bn liters of ethanol production in the country," said DAM Capital.

The other key decision the food department took yesterday was to allow the participation of distilleries in the FCI rice auction.

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Ethanol distilleries are allowed to participate in the rice auction of FCI, subject to certain compliances. A maximum of 23 lakh tonne rice will be allowed for lifting to ethanol distilleries, the food department said.

"The distillery would be allowed to participate in e-auction and lift the rice as per final auction rate of rice every week. These moves would pave the way for resumption of ethanol blending program in 2024-25 season," DAM Capital said.

The government's ambitious target of attaining 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol by 2024-25 and 30 per cent by 2029-30 is likely to get a fresh boost because of the latest policy intervention.

Of the total ethanol produced in the country, ethanol from cane juice notably accounts for 25-30 per cent while that from B heavy molasses accounts for over 60-65 per cent. Ethanol from C-heavy molasses and grains accounts for the rest.

E20 blending in petrol was introduced by the Centre to reduce the country's oil import cost, energy security, lower carbon emissions and for better air quality.

The government has advanced the target of E20 fuel from 2030 to 2025.

Notably, at the COP26 summit in Glasgow in 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to an ambitious five-part "Panchamrit" pledge, including reaching 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity, generating half of all energy requirements from renewables, and reducing emissions by 1 billion metric tonnes by 2030. India also aims to reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 45 per cent. Finally, India commits to net-zero emissions by 2070.

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A newly elected British Sikh Labour Member of Parliament has defended his record as a landlord after UK media reports highlighted anonymous complaints from his tenants of being subjected to poor living conditions in properties owned by him. Jas Athwal, elected to Parliament in last months general election from Ilford South constituency in east London, said he was shocked and profoundly sorry to hear of residents issues after the BBC reported on mould and ant infestations on Friday. (HT File)

Jas Athwal, elected to Parliament in last months general election from Ilford South constituency in east London, said he was shocked and profoundly sorry to hear of residents issues after the BBC reported on mould and ant infestations on Friday.

Athwal, 60, is said to own 15 rental flats and says he had not been aware of the issues due to the properties being managed by an agency. He has now promised that repairs and maintenance will be completed through immediate action.

I am a renters champion. Im proud to rent out homes with secure tenancies at below-market rents, Athwal said in a detailed statement.

I want my tenants to have excellent accommodation. Im shocked at the reported condition of a number of properties and have asked the managing agent for an explanation and immediate action to rectify any issues. I know it is my responsibility to have issues addressed as soon as they arise and have met with the property management company to understand failures in communication, he said.

Im profoundly sorry that tenants have been let down and will be reviewing the property management and how matters are escalated going forward, he added.

Athwal, previously a local politician as leader of Redbridge Council, is also required to have a selective property licence to rent out a block of seven flats  a system he introduced in 2017 when he oversaw the council.

However, the BBC found that the councils public licence register indicated that none of the seven properties had a licence.

Athwal admitted that he had recently seen an email which said the licences were due to expire.

I am in the process of renewing all licences. As a council leader, I implemented the most rigorous landlord licencing scheme in London in 2017 and expanded the scheme in 2023 and 2024. The scheme wouldve been even stronger if Conservative housing secretaries had not repeatedly watered it down, Athwal said.

In 2019, I led a campaign calling on the government to abolish Section 21 evictions, further protecting tenants rights, which was again blocked by the Conservatives, he added.

According to the BBC investigation, in one block of seven flats owned by Athwal nearly half the tenants said they had to regularly clean their bathroom ceilings to remove mould.

The news corporation said it also saw evidence of ant infestations in a number of the seven properties.

Andrew Boff, a Conservative member of the London Assembly who also visited the flats, is calling on the governing Labour Party and local Redbridge Council to investigate as the partys 2024 general election manifesto included a commitment to prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Saturday disposed of a plea seeking revocation of the screening certificate of the film Emergency as the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) told the high court the film has not yet been cleared for public viewing. Actor-politician Kangana Ranauts upcoming political drama Emergency has sparked controversy due to its sensitive theme. (File)

The certification of the movie is under consideration. It has not been granted as of now. It will be granted as per rules and regulations, as applicable in this case. If anyone has any grievance, the same can be sent to the board, additional solicitor general of India Satya Pal Jain, who appeared for the CBFC, told the court.

Jain asserted that the CBFC takes into account all aspects and ensures that sentiments of a religious or any other group are not hurt before issuing certificates to any film.

Actor-politician Kangana Ranauts upcoming political drama Emergency has sparked controversy due to its sensitive theme, with the Shiromani Akali Dal even calling for a ban over its misrepresentation of the Sikh community.

The petition, filed by Mohali residents Gurinder Singh and Jagmohan Singh, both of whom claimed to be baptised Sikhs and social workers, had demanded that the certificate granted by the CBFC to film be revoked and it be allowed to be reviewed by eminent Sikh personalities before permitting its release.

The alternate prayer in the petition was that the CBFC had deleted scenes allegedly targeting the Sikh community through the projection of false and erroneous facts.

The petition had also demanded registration of criminal cases against the makers of the movie for allegedly tarnishing the Sikhs community. The movie, which delves into a turbulent period of national emergency in 1975, is slated for release on September 6.

In view of the statement of CBFC, the high court bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Anil Kshetarpal disposed of the plea. The detailed order of the proceedings is awaited.
Seven persons, including two juveniles who were part of a cow vigilante group, were arrested for allegedly beating to death a migrant worker from West Bengal in Charkhi Dadris Badhra over suspicion that he had eaten beef, police said on Saturday. The two juveniles were sent to a safe house in Faridabad. Five of the accused in police custody in Charkhi Dadri on Saturday. (Manoj Dhaka/HT)

The accused -- Abhishek, Mohit, Ravinder, Kamaljit and Sahil  had allegedly called victim Sabir Malik to a shop under the pretense of selling empty plastic bottles and then thrashed him mercilessly, resulting in his death.

Malik, who hails from Miarbheri in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district, worked as a scrap dealer. He, along with his wife and two-year-old daughter, lived in a shanty in Hansawas village in Charkhi Dadri.

Badhra deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Bharat Bhushan said the incident took place on August 27 when cow vigilantes got information that some migrant workers from Assam, staying in Hansawas village, have allegedly consumed beef, and visited the area for inspection.

Sabir was also staying in the same village. During inspection, meat was found in utensils, which was sent to a laboratory to confirm if it was beef. Hours later, these youths called Sabir and his aide Aseeruddin to a shop in Badhra on the pretext of selling empty plastic bottles and started thrashing them. While Aseeruddin managed to flee, the accused took Malik to the nearby Bhandwa village and assaulted him again, as a result of which he died, the DSP added.

Victims brother-in-law Surajuddin Sarkar that on the fateful day, the family members had also been called to the police station. On August 27, police had called me and my father to Badhra police station. We told them we had not consumed beef. Then, my sister called me and said that Sabir has not returned. We informed the police and my brother-in-law was found dead the same evening, he said.

Political row erupts

Meanwhile, a political row erupted in poll-bound Haryana after the migrants killing. The Opposition took on the Nayab Singh Saini-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state, saying that law-and-order has gone for a toss.

Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) general secretary Digvijay Singh Chautala said, Who has given the cow vigilantes the right to kill a ragpicker. The chief minister has failed to provide safe places to residents. This incident is a blot on the BJP government. Strict action should be taken against culprits.

Former two-time Badhra MLA and senior Congress leader Ran Singh Mann said the chief minister (CM) has failed to maintain law-and-order in the state, adding that cow vigilantes are taking law into their own hands with backing of the state government.

There is a deep conspiracy to divide people on caste and religion lines during the Haryana polls. Police should probe the case from all angles and give strict punishment to the culprits, he added.

Meanwhile, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini said that cows are respected in the state but such incidents are unfortunate. Mob lynching is not right but people from villages react when such incidents come to light. I hope that such incidents wont happen again and I condemn this incident, he added.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader MP Mahua Moitra also took to social media site X to condemn the incident, saying, Haryana cow vigilantes kill 26-year-old migrant Sabir from Bengal on suspicion that he ate beef. Justice is required for him and countless like him killed by BJP-fuelled hatred (sic).
Farm unions to hold mahapanchayats in Haryana and also question BJP candidates over anti-farmer policies Olympian Vinesh Phogat being felicitated at a farmers' rally on the 200th day of their ongoing protest, at Shambhu border, Saturday, Aug 31, 2024. (PTI)

Farm unions called for a two-hour rail roko protest on October 3, the third anniversary of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, where eight people, including four farmers and a journalist, were killed in 2021 during a protest against now repealed three farm laws.

Former union minister Ajay Mishra Tenis son Ashish is the main accused in the case.

Farm leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, convener of Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, said that the protest is to demand justice for the victims.

We demand that the Central government open the route and let us advance to Delhi where we can peacefully demand the legal guarantee for MSP as well as other demands.. The October 3 two-hour rail roko is part of wider protests. Fresh announcements will also be made later, Pandher added.

Pandher also announced that two mahapanchayats will be held in Jind (September 15) and Pipli (September 22) to mobilise farmers and highlight the Central governments anti-farmers policies.

Haryana is bracing for upcoming assembly elections with polling scheduled for October 5. Our Delhi Chalo march has been going on since February 13 and attempts have been made to crush this agitation. We are undeterred, he said, adding that farm unions will pose questions to the BJP candidates about several key issues during Haryana polls.

Tejveer Singh, spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Shaheed Bhagat Singh), stated that the protests would be aimed at holding the BJP accountable for anti-farmer decisions.

We will question the BJP candidates as to why farmers were stopped from marching to Delhi, Tejveer Singh said.

Pandher said that the protest is growing every movement and this is a clear message to the BJP-led Union Government. BJP would face another electoral setback in Haryana, similar to the one it faced in the rural belts of North India during the recent Lok Sabha elections. We will make the voters aware regarding the anti-farmers decisions of the BJP, Pandher said.
The Punjab government might face penalty nearing 400 crore per year for its failure to comply with timely installation of Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems in thermal power plants (TPPs) across the state. The Punjab government might face penalty nearing  400 crore per year for its failure to comply with timely installation of Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems in thermal power plants (TPPs) across the state. (HT File)

Also, an additional fine of 1,026 crore will be imposed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) for non-compliance with the environmental laws, further exacerbating environmental and financial challenges faced by the state.

The FGD systems  to control sulphur dioxide (SO) emissions  was mandated by the Ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC) across India in 2015. The FGD systems are crucial to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions from fossil-fuelled power stations.

Initially set for completion of the said systems by 2017, the deadline for installation is learnt to have been extended multiple times by the central government.

The latest and final extension is set to expire in December 2026. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ruled that no further extensions will be granted.

Vinod Gupta, an expert of power sector, explained that installing these systems will take over 30 months, implying that any further delay might make it impossible to meet the 2026 deadline. He informed that Ropar thermal plant, which falls under category B, has to install the FGD by December 31, 2025, and the remaining, which falls under category C, need to comply with the directives by December 31, 2026.

Despite the looming deadline, the Punjab government has appeared to have not been mindful of public exchequer and has not made any substantial progress in this regard.

As many as five thermal power plants in the state  Rajpura Thermal Power Plant, Talwandi Sabo Power Project in Mansa, Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Power Plant in Ropar, Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant in Lehra Mohabbat, and Guru Amardas Power Power Plant in Goindwal  are at risk.

Failure to comply with the FGD installation timeline could result in substantial penalties. And sans immediate action, Punjab is likely to miss the deadline, further worsening the challenges of the state.

In June 2024, the Union power ministry took serious note of the delays, with the Cabinet Secretary directing all TPPs within 300 km of Delhi-NCR to expedite FGD installation and comply with SO norms as per the MoEF&CC guidelines.

Despite these warnings, sources in the state government and Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) have not indicated any concrete plans to meet the critical environmental standards.

PSPCLs lackadaisical approach not only threatens its compliance with national environmental regulations but also risks severe penalties that could further strain its resources.

When asked about the delay in installing FGD systems in TPPs, a senior official of PSPCL, on condition of anonymity, said Of course, we couldnt make any development in this regard, but we will look into the matter.

Paramjeet Singh, director (generation), PSPCL could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Meanwhile, PSPCL officials said that they would have to spend nearly 150- 200 crores on each thermal plant to install FGD systems.
Dehradun: A chopper, which was being airlifted by an MI-17 helicopter to Gauchar in Uttarakhands Chamoli for repair after it made an emergency landing at the Kedarnath Dham in May, crashed after it lost balance and slipped in Rudraprayag on Saturday morning. (Ht Photo/Sourced)

Rudraprayag district tourism development officer Rahul Chaubey said the chopper was being airlifted to Gauchar airstrip for repair by the air force MI-17 choppen when it crashed near Tharu Camp.

The plan was to take the chopper to Gauchar airstrip on Saturday for repair by hanging from the Air Forces MI-17 helicopter at around 7am. As it covered some distance, the MI-17 lost balance due to the weight of the damaged helicopter and wind. The chopper had to be dropped from MI-17 when it reached near Tharu camp. No passenger or luggage was being carried in the helicopter, Chaubey said.

The rescue teams have already reached the spot where the helicopter has fallen, he added. Chaubey said he had appealed to all the people not to spread rumours about anyone being injured in the crash.

The helicopter, which belonged to Kestrel Aviation, was carrying six pilgrims when it made an emergency landing due to a technical snag near the helipad in Kedarnath shrine on May 24.

During the Char Dham yatra, choppers make a daily average of 400 sorties in the Kedarnath area.

In April 2023, a senior official of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) was killed after being hit by the tail rotor of a helicopter in Kedarnath.

In October 2022, a chopper crashed in Kedarnath, killing all six devotees and a pilot on board.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Police rounded up 22 children who were begging on Harare's streets and handed them over to the department of social welfare.Police carried out an operation in response to a viral social media post which showed children begging for money outside Joina City mall in Harare.In a statement on Friday, police said they had also removed from the streets guardians who were in some instances using the children to solicit donations on their behalf, some of them disabled.National police spokesman Commissioner Paul Nyathi said: "On August 23, police in Harare in conjunction with the department of social welfare carried out an operation in the streets of Harare removing children and their guardians who were begging for food in Harare CBD."The operation targeted mainly Ruzende Street, Joina City and Town House areas.Nyathi added: "As a result, 22 children and their guardians were handed over to the department of social welfare."Guardians are implored not to use children and the disabled to beg for money and food in the streets as they risk arrest for violating the country's laws protecting children."Growing poverty across Zimbabwe and lack of central government support for the disabled has fuelled street begging and homelessness.
A doctor working at a private nursing home in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur, accused by a female patient of inappropriate' touch, has been given clean chit by the police, a senior officer said on Saturday. A video of the woman alleging that the dermatologist touched her inappropriately, had become widely circulated on social media. (Representational Image)

The dermatologist (skin doctor) was cleared by the police following a preliminary probe that involved analysis of CCTV camera footage, according to Ashok Kumar Meena, the Superintendent of Police (SP).

The woman had accused the doctor of touching her inappropriately on the pretext of examining her. An immediate investigation was conducted and the CCTV footage showed that he examined the patient from outside the cabin, the SP stated.

The footage supported the dermatologist's assertion that he had inspected the woman with a magnifying glass from outside the cabin.

According to the doctor, the woman came to him on Tuesday with a skin problem and was examined in the cabin by a female employee of the hospital. The patient was accompanied by her husband.

She left after taking the medicine but returned half an hour later and created a ruckus in the nursing home and alleged that she has been touched inappropriately by the doctor.

Meanwhile Meena, the Superintendent of Police, said that following a meeting with District Magistrate Umesh Pratap Singh and the owners of the nursing home, instructions were issued to keep CCTVs installed on the premises, operational.

Additionally, a team has been formed to inspect the nursing home from time to time, the officer stated.

(With PTI inputs)
MUMBAI: The BJP which, after its poor showing in the Lok Sabha elections, had decided that it would contest the assembly elections under a collective leadership, has begun implementing its plan and announced its former state unit chief and former union minister Raosaheb Danve as the election coordinator. This is being viewed as a major setback for deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has been the face of the BJP in all elections since 2014, although Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that Fadnavis would be leading the party campaign in the state. Given the unrest in the Maratha community over reservation, the BJP believes Raosaheb Danve, a Maratha from Marathwada, would be a better pick than Devendra Fadnavis. Kunal Patil/HT Photo (Kunal Patil/HT Photo)

Bawankule announced Danves appointment late on Friday night and added that other senior leaders would be appointed to head 16 other committees for the polls. The decision to appoint Danve as the election coordinator was taken in the core committee, he said. He will shoulder the entire responsibility of the election coordination for the state. Nineteen other leaders will head various other committees that are important for the polls.

Also Read | Maharashtra sees surge in voter registrations for polls, 2.4m new names added

Given the unrest in the Maratha community and the anger that Marathas and their representative Manoj Jarange-Patil hold against Fadnavis, the party has decided to play up other faces. Projecting Fadnavis as the leader could cost the party dear in the assembly polls, said Bawankule. Therefore, we will choose different leaders in specific regions to woo different communities.

To this end, OBC leaders like Pankaja Munde, Ram Shinde and Bawankule himself, and Maratha leaders like Ashok Chavan and Chandrakant Patil are expected to be chosen to woo different communities. Raosaheb Danve is a Maratha from Marathwada, where the party performance in the Lok Sabha election was very poor, said Bawankule.

The leader said that the formation of such committees for elections was happening for the first time. We had an election management committee headed by Shrikant Bharatiya for the Lok Sabha election, but such a structure is being introduced for the first time, he said.

This was decided in the core committee meeting held in Delhi immediately after the Lok Sabha poll results. The central leadership is directly handling election-related affairs in Maharashtra as indicated by the frequent meetings held by union minister Bhupendra Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnaw, who are in-charge and co-incharge respectively. They recently changed some of the decisions taken by the state unit of the party.

Also Read | Prime Minister Modi apologises for collapse of Shivaji Maharaj statue in Malvan

Bawankule, however, said that Fadnavis would lead the party in the election. He is our leader and the assembly elections will be fought under his leadership, he emphasised. The BJPs state leader is Fadnavis; Raosaheb Danve is the states election coordinator.

Another BJP leader believed otherwise. Although our party leaders have been saying that Fadnavis is their leader, the central leadership has been systematically divesting him of his powers, he said.

Within days of the Lok Sabha debacle, Fadnavis had expressed his desire to be relieved of the responsibility of his deputy chief minister post. He had said he was going to request the partys central leadership to allow him to work solely at the organisational level in the assembly polls for better results.

The central leadership had turned down the request. At the same time, however, it decided to develop a collective leadership in the state.
Reeling under public pressure, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) issued notice to a contractor instructing road repairs under the defect liability period (DLP). The defect liability period for reinstatement work carried out by PMC contractor shall be of specific timeframe from the date of completion of project. Any damage before the time specified attracts repairs by the contractor as per the contract and liability clause. (HT PHOTO)

The Karvenagar Citizens Forum had filed a complaint regarding a 25-lakh road project on Dnyandeep Colony Lane Number 1 that developed cracks and damage within days of construction.

Tanmay Kanitkar of Karvenagar Citizens Forum, who filed the complaint with the ward officer on July 30, said, As per the tender conditions, the project falls under the defect liability period and the contractor is liable to carry out repairs at own expense.

The defect liability period for reinstatement work carried out by PMC contractor shall be of specific timeframe from the date of completion of project. Any damage before the time specified attracts repairs by the contractor as per the contract and liability clause.

Following the complaint, civic officials conducted a surprise inspection and found the faulty road was under the defect liability period.

Later, the civic administration issued a notice to the contractor, Sandeep Enterprises located at Dhankawdi, to carry out repairs.

The notice, issued on August 23, stated, The citizens forum raised concerns about the road quality. Our inspection confirmed it falls under the defect liability period. As per the tender document, it is mandatory for the contractor to repair the road if it gets damaged during the said period. PMC will take further action against the contractor, if necessary, as per the tender conditions.

Kanitkar said, Ideally, PMC should have monitored the roads condition and issued the notice proactively. Its surprising that the civic body had to slap the notice after we filed the complaint.

Civic activist Vivek Velankar said, Citizens need to voice their concerns about public works. We pay taxes and seldom the administration and politicians act on their own. Citizen activism is crucial for driving improvements in our daily lives.

Kanitkar said that generally residents neglect the defect liability period clause mentioned in the contract of civic projects.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to undertake a structural audit of over 50 statues installed across the city in the wake of the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Malvan. Statue of Jamnalal Bajaj near Sarasbaug. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

Most of the statues are installed at Karve Road, Yerwada, Kasba Peth, Central Peth areas, Kothrud, Mandai, and Shivajinagar areas with funds from the state government, donations and under corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

The building designs department has collected details of such statues and work will commence Monday, September 1, said officials.

Yuvraj Deshmukh, chief engineer, building design department, said, We have obtained information of 50 statues from the municipal secretarys office. Some of the statues are in the form of busts while some of them are full statues.

The structural audit is being done from a safety and stability point of view. We will ensure that adequate security is maintained and wherever essential repairs will be carried out, he added.

PMC administration has not done any structural audit of any of the public statues so far since their installation.

The statues are spruced up only for anniversaries and important events commemorating personalities. For those special occasions, tenders are released for painting and cleaning work and after that no review is undertaken for the entire year till the special occasion arises.

The rules state that the statues should not be installed in any private property without the permission of the state government committee and the plot should be a non-controversial land. The rules add that the police must give clearance after thorough checks. If a statue must be installed on government land, necessary permissions from the departments concerned are required. The statue should not come in the way of traffic movement.

Jaymala Dhankikar, citizen rights activist, said, The statues are symbols of our history and pride and hence PMC must always ensure their longevity and safety. At the same time, it must ensure that the statues are kept clean. The statues under jurisdiction of PMC are unclean and need a cleaning at the earliest.

Structural audit is a welcome step, and it would determine their safety and stability, he added.
Bouncers who are hired to handle difficult situations without resorting to violence and becoming a nuisance themselves.The brutal attack on a citizen in Wagholi a week ago, which resulted in the victim needing stitches in the head, has brought the focus on the private security agencies and their emerging role as a parallel security system at residential societies due to the lax policing in the city. According to activists, bouncers are generally associated with places such as pubs and nightclubs. However, educational institutes, politicians, social workers, and housing society members in the city hire them for security reasons. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

Prakash Gurnani, 56, was assaulted by a security guard and his brother over a society entrance issue in Wagholi on August 17. The victim sustained seven stitches on his head after being hit with a wooden stick and was admitted to a private hospital for treatment following the attack.

On August 18, the Lonikand police lodged a complaint against the accused identified as bouncer Anand (surname unknown) and his brother Rahul under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 115, 118 (1), 352 and 3(5).

In March 2024, 25-year-old bouncer Shubham Nichal, a resident of Holkarwadi, slashed the necks of two persons in Kharadi over personal enmity.

In March 2020, the city police registered a non-cognizable (NC) offence against a woman bouncer working for a school in the city for allegedly roughing up parents.

The members of society appealed to the government to come up with clear-cut guidelines that guarantee citizen safety over the issue.

Danish Khan, a member of Imperial Cooperative Housing Society, said, Security guards must be professional workforce from licenced security agencies. Bouncers should not be allowed in residential area as their very charter of duty is different. 

According to activists, bouncers are generally associated with places such as pubs and nightclubs. However, educational institutes, politicians, social workers, and housing society members in the city hire them for security reasons.

Citizen rights activists point out that during the recent past, several incidents had occurred where the aggressive behaviour demonstrated by bouncers led to grievous injuries to citizens.

Vijay Kumbhar, civil rights activist, said, According to the law, the societies and institutions must hire guards from Maharashtra State Security Corporation which is not happening. Bouncers are not allowed to function as security at societies, schools and social spaces as per the law.

Police inefficiency is being replaced by bouncer security by societies who have greater security and pushing harder measures. Bouncers by the very nature of their professions have developed the habit of pushing and shoving citizens which is leading to increased cases of violence, he said.

Sameer Khan, managing director, Sharp Edge Security Service, said, The bouncer industry is a respected profession and they have to follow protocols related to public safety. The incidents related to violence by some bouncers happen because the credibility of the agency and the manpower they are hiring is a big question mark.

Arvind Chawariya, additional commissioner of police ( admin ), said, Housing societies can appoint bouncers but if they misbehave then individual complaints can be filed against the accused and the agency and the police will probe them.

Suggestions by activists

*Unaccountable personnel may not have the necessary training or experience to handle security situations, leading to potential mishandling of incidents.

*Bouncers may intimidate or harass residents, creating a hostile living environment.

*They may resort to physical force, leading to injuries or even fatalities.

*The society may be held liable for the actions of bouncers, exposing residents to financial risks.

*The presence of bouncers can create a negative atmosphere, eroding the sense of community and trust among residents.

*Hire trained and licensed security professionals who are accountable to society and its residents.
Last weeks attack on an assistant police inspector has once again raised concerns as the assault indicates a trend that Police personnel in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have experienced a troubling rise in assaults over the past five years. On average, six officers are attacked each month while discharging their duties, underscoring a disturbing trend of violence against law enforcement in the region. The assaults range from verbal abuse to physical attacks and typically occur while officers are managing traffic, responding to emergencies, or conducting routine patrols. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

Recently, API Ratnadeep Gaikwad, in charge of the Mohammadwadi police station suffered severe head injuries after being attacked with a sickle while attempting to break up a fight near the Sasanenagar railway gate.

Data from the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad police departments reveal that between 2020 and 2024, Pune reported 200 attacks on police personnel, while Pimpri-Chinchwad reported 156.

In Pune city, the highest number of attacks occurred in 2021, with 46 incidents, followed by 33 in 2022, 30 in 2023, 24 in 2024, and 23 in 2020. In Pimpri-Chinchwad, the peak was also in 2021 with 70 attacks, followed by 51 in 2022, 39 in 2020, 29 in 2023, and 11 in 2024.

The assaults range from verbal abuse to physical attacks and typically occur while officers are managing traffic, responding to emergencies, or conducting routine patrols.

The trend of escalating violence has raised significant concerns among police officials and local authorities.

The safety of our officers is a top priority. We are committed to ensuring their protection and will take stringent measures against those who attack our personnel, said a senior police official on condition of anonymity.

Nikhil Pingle, DCP (crime) Pune Police, stated, We treat attacks on police personnel as serious crimes. Those convicted may face difficulties in future job prospects, and administrative clearances for passport, and visa applications.

Pingle noted that traffic police are disproportionately affected by these attacks due to their visibility and frequent interactions with the public. Regular police, by contrast, generally encounter individuals only during emergencies. He advised that complaints about police conduct should be directed to senior officers via email, phone (dial 112), online, or written complaints. However, he emphasized that resorting to violence against the cops is unacceptable.

In response to the rise in attacks, both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad police departments are enhancing security protocols, providing additional training for handling confrontational situations, and increasing public awareness about the consequences of assaulting police officers.

Authorities are also boosting community engagement efforts to foster better understanding and cooperation between the police and the public. Residents are urged to support officers and report any instances of abuse or violence.
A 35-year-old employee of a sweets shop has been arrested for the sexual harassment of a 12-year-old girl. The incident was reported between June 1 and August 30. Over the past three months, the accused, who works at a sweetshop located on the bus route, allegedly blew kisses at her as the bus passed by. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

According to police, the victim regularly travels to school by bus. Over the past three months, the accused, who works at a sweetshop located on the bus route, allegedly blew kisses at her as the bus passed by. He also made lewd gestures and attempted to engage in a conversation.

Amid Badlapur incident, police along with school authorities are conducting an awareness campaign on good touch, bad touch at school level. A similar session was organised by Pimpri-Chinchwad police at school where the victim is studying.

During the session, the victim informed the lady police officer about the incident who later informed the parents.

The accused is the brother of the sweet shop owner and as per the complaint filed by the parents of the victim, we have arrested the accused, said police.

A case was registered at the police station under sections 78,79 of the BNS and sections 11,12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 on Friday.
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, will conclude the registration process for IIT Madras Data Science Admission 2024 on September 15, 2024. The registration process is ongoing for the September 2024 batch. All interested candidates can apply for the IITM BS degree course for Data Science and Applications on the official website of IIT Madras at iitm.ac.in. IIT Madras Data Science Admission 2024: Where, how to apply for IITM BS Degree

The qualifier examination will be conducted on October 27, 2024 and the qualifier result will be announced on November 1, 2024.

IIT Delhi JAM 2025 registration window set to open from September 3, check complete schedule and details here

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates who have passed Class 12 or equivalent can apply irrespective of age or academic background. Those who qualify can join the program immediately. School students who have appeared for their Class 11 final exams can apply irrespective of their group/stream/board. Those who qualify can join the program after passing Class 12.

Also Read: IIT Roorkee, Jaro Education partner to launch comprehensive course in Data Science & AI, check eligibility details here

How to Apply

To apply for the Data Science course, candidates can follow the steps given below.

Visit the official website of IIT Madras at iitm.ac.in.

Click on Study at IITM link available on the ticker of the home page.

A new drop-down box will open where candidates will have to click on Non-Campus BS degree.

Click on Data Science course and again a new page will open.

Now click on the registration link and fill in the details.

Once done, log in to the account and fill out the application form.

Make the payment of the application fee and click on submit.

Download the page and keep a hard copy of the same for further need.

Application Fees

The application fee is 3000/- for General category/ OBC applicants, 1500/- for SC / ST Category / PwD (>= 40% disability) Applicants and 750/- for SC / ST Category Applicant who is ALSO PwD (>= 40% disability). An additional exam facilitation fee will apply for learners opting to write the Qualifier Exam in an Exam Centre outside India. The payment should be done through online mode. For more related details candidates can check the official website of IIT Madras.
The State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, will release the Maharashtra NEET UG 2024 seat allotment result for Round 1 on August 31, 2024. Candidates who have applied for the Phase 1 counselling round can check the seat allotment result on the official website of MAHACET at medical2024.mahacet.org. Maharashtra NEET UG 2024 allotment result releasing today, how to check

As per the revised schedule notice, the CAP Round 1 selection list for Group AMBBS/ BDS only will be declared on August 31, and the physical joining and filling out of the status retention form with all original documents and requisite fees by DD/Cheque will be done from September 1 to September 5, 2024.

Odisha tribal boy from the Bonda tribe becomes the first from the community to clear NEET exam

Maharashtra NEET UG 2024 allotment result: How to check

To check the seat allotment result, candidates can follow the steps given below.

Visit the official website of MAHACET at medical2024.mahacet.org.

Click on Maharashtra NEET UG 2024 seat allotment result for Round 1 link available on the home page.

Enter the login details and click on submit.

Your seat allotment result will be displayed on the screen.

Check the seat allotment result and download the page.

Keep a hard copy of the same for further need.

Candidates who will get a seat will have to produce these certificates in original and their attested copies for scrutiny at the time of physical document verification, as well as at the time of admission.

Check This: AACCC counselling for NEET UG 2024 begins today, check details here

The list includes- admit card and mark sheet of NEET UG 2024 exam, Nationality certificate, Domicile certificate, SSC or Class 10th or equivalent examination certificate or school leaving certificate or Birth certificate indicating name of the candidate, Class 12 or HSC or equivalent examination Statement of Marks, Medical fitness certificate, Online Application Form of NEET-UG 2024filled on www.mahacet.org and Aadhar card. For more related details candidates can check the official website of MAHACET.
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will enable the IITM BS Degree (Data Science and Applications) students to take campus courses at IIT Ropar with a pathway to MS admission. The MoU was signed by Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, and Prof Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar. (File)

As per the collaboration between the two institutes, the partnership will also facilitate the completion of IITM BS Degree credits by taking courses at IIT Ropar. The MoU was signed by Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, and Prof Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar.

MoU Details:

IIT Madras BS (Data Science) graduates who achieve a specified CGPA will be eligible for direct admission to the MS program at IIT Ropar without the need for GATE scores.

IITM BS Degree Students can spend up to a year at IIT Ropar

IITM BS Degree Students can apply for Research Programs offered by IIT Ropar in the summer

IITM BS Degree Students can pursue projects and internships under IIT Ropar faculty

Students enrolled for the IIT Madras BS (Data Science) course, on meeting the eligibility criteria may complete their credit requirements by taking courses at IIT Ropar. This facilitates an exchange of academic resources and expertise.

As per the MoU, undergraduate students studying at IIT Ropar may study courses on data science and programming that are offered in the IIT Madras BS program.

Additional student exchange programs, internship opportunities, and other collaborative initiatives will also be supported, mentioned the official website.

Also Read: IIT Madras hosts 5-day International Conference on Quantum Communication, Measurement & Computing

 As the BS degree programs of IIT Madras intends to democratise higher educational opportunity for all, this move by IIT Ropar to admit exceptional students in the BS programs of IITM to postgraduate degree programs at IIT Ropar is a very visionary step and will go a long way in building strong careers for deserving students especially from Rural India. I congratulate and thank the Director of IIT Ropar for the same. I hope other Higher educational institutions in our country shall also follow the IIT Ropar path, said Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras.

As we embark on this exciting journey, we are laying the groundwork for transformative advancements in education and research. By joining forces, IIT Ropar and IIT Madras are not only broadening our academic and research horizons but also creating opportunities for our students and faculty to engage in meaningful exchanges that foster both professional and personal growth. This partnership is set to forge new paths in higher education and research, establishing new benchmarks for success, said Prof Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar.

For more information, visit the official website.

Also Read: IIT Madras Data Science Admission 2024: Where, how to apply for IITM BS Degree
News / Local

by Staff reporter

The High Court of Zimbabwe has ordered writer and lawyer Petina Gappah to pay US$18,000 in damages to Nelson Chamisa ally Fadzayi Mahere following a protracted defamation lawsuit.The case, which has been closely followed since its inception in October 2018, culminated in a written judgment issued by Justice Mafusire on 29 August 2024.The lawsuit stemmed from defamatory statements made by Gappah, which Mahere claimed had significantly harmed her reputation. Despite initially contesting both the liability and the amount of damages sought, Gappah ultimately admitted liability shortly before the trial. However, her attempts to retract the statements and issue an apology were rejected by Mahere, leading the court to focus solely on determining the appropriate level of damages and the issue of costs.Justice Mafusire described the legal battle as "long, arduous, and acrimonious," noting the intense legal strategies employed by both sides, who are both accomplished lawyers with strong academic and professional backgrounds. The judge emphasized that the defamatory statements were "vile and persistent," justifying the substantial damages awarded to Mahere.In addition to the US$18,000 in damages, Gappah has been ordered to pay interest on this amount at a rate of 5% per annum from the date of judgment until the full amount is settled. She is also required to cover the legal costs incurred by Mahere throughout the case.Justice Mafusire's ruling took into account the financial context at the time the summons was issued, clarifying that the initially higher claim amount could not be justified by the monetary regime in place during October 2018, thereby dismissing Gappah's argument regarding the inflated claim.This ruling marks a significant moment in Zimbabwean legal history, underscoring the seriousness with which the courts are prepared to handle defamation cases, particularly those involving high-profile individuals. The case has garnered widespread attention, given the prominence of both parties in Zimbabwe's legal and political spheres.
Actor Rhea Chakraborty had some trying times after her ex, actor Sushant Singh Rajput, died in June 2020. She was also in judicial remand for a while before she was cleared of all charges. Talking to Humans of Bombay, Rhea said she was a delusionally optimistic person before all this. (Also Read: Rhea Chakraborty reveals she auditioned for Laal Singh Chaddha, Aamir Khan sent her this message after she was not cast) Rhea Chakraborty spoke about what she went through in the past.

Rhea Chakraborty on what happened

Rhea said that she was the kind of actor and person who always wanted to enjoy her work, be financially independent without having any goals. She said, I definitely could never imagine that the whole country could have any opinion on me, forget good or bad - any at all! Even as an actor, my ambition was never to be number 1, I started enjoying acting as a craft. That was about it, there were no goals. No one prepared me for what was to come. They call me names like chudail, kaala jaadu karne waali, naagin etc, but I really dont care. It used to upset me earlier.

However, Rhea says that she was almost forced to go down a path of forgiveness if she was to get her life back. She said, I didnt think I would have it in my heart to forgive for all that had happened. But, it just became the simpler way to be because I was very angry for a long time. All anger gave me was gut issues and acidity. I suffered from acidity for about three years, very badly. Forgiveness became the only option. I was almost forced to go down the path of forgiveness.

What happened

After Sushant died in 2020, it was alleged that Rhea had abetted his suicide. She and her brother Showik were also questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over allegations of money laundering.

After the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested her and her brother alleging they supplied marijuana to Sushant. The Bombay High Court rejected NCBs theory that Rhea financed and harboured Sushants alleged addiction.
Nicole Kidman returned to Venice Film Festival two decades after the Jonathan Glazer film Birth opened to boos and polarised the audience. This time, she arrived with another risky feature, Halina Reijn's Babygirl, an erotic thriller that electrified that festival to such a thrill that the film went to earn a six-minute-long standing ovation. Within the span of two decades, what has remained unchanged is the Australian actor's willingness to take risks and carve out fearless performances from every single project she touches. (Even Nicole Kidman thinks her new film is too erotic: Not something that the world normally sees) Nicole Kidman poses on the red carpet during arrivals for the screening of the movie "Babygirl", in competition, at the 81st Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, August 30, 2024. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki(REUTERS)

At 57, the Academy Award-winner is more prolific that she has ever been. She's everywhere  from featuring on the AMC ad marveling over the transformative power of cinema, to receiving the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award, and anchoring the most buzzworthy titles on Television. Kidman is still going strong, and if her recent output is any indication, that is not going to slow down anytime soon. Take a look at her most recent and upcoming works.

Recent projects

A Family Affair

The actor took a chance in this Netflix romantic comedy film directed by Richard LaGravenese and written by Carrie Solomon and came out with flying colours. The film had Nicole playing the role of a widowed writer who begins a relationship with a young actor (Zac Efron) for whom her daughter (Joey King) works.

Expats

Nicole Kidman was in top form as a housewife and former landscape designer coming to terms with a personal tragedy in Lulu Wang's drama Expats. Based on a novel by Janice Y. K. Lee, the miniseries released on Prime Video earlier this year on January.

Upcoming projects

The Perfect Couple

Next week, Nicole Kidman enters Big Little Lies territory with the release of The Perfect Couple, the new Netflix drama series. An adaptation of the 2018 novel of the same name by Elin Hilderbrand, it also stars Liev Schreiber, Dakota Fanning, Eve Hewson and Ishan Khatter.

Babygirl

Nicole Kidman plays a successful businesswoman who has an affair with an intern in the erotic thriller Babygirl. It also stars Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas and Sophie Wilde. Babygirl will release in theatres this December.

Lioness

Nicole Kidman teams up with Zoe Saldana to headline season two of Special Ops: Lioness, a spy drama from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. It is all set to release on October 27 on Paramount +.

Hope

The actor is attached to star and executive produce the series adaptation of Hope, which takes place within the span of twelve days of a familys Christmas together, and the unravelling that occurs within their relationships.

Spellbound

Nicole is included in the voice cast of animated musical adventure fantasy comedy film directed by Vicky Jenson. Also starring Rachel Zegler, John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis and Javier Bardem, the show will hit Netflix on November 22.

Pretty Things

As per a Variety report, Nicole will play one of the two leads in an Amazon adaptation of Janelle Browns novel Pretty Things. Details about the cast and crew of the project is yet to disclosed.

Things I Know To Be True

The TV series adaptation of Andrew Bovell's award-winning play of the same name will star Nicole. Ill never forget the experience I had watching Andrews play in Sydney, having one of those transcendent theater experiences. Andrews play is exquisite and his scripts for the series are just as good. With Amazons belief, Jen Salkes guidance, and an extraordinary producing team, we have big hopes for what this can be, said the actor in a report by Deadline.

Crime Farms

Nicole is also attached to executive produce the drama series Crime Farm for WarnerMedias upcoming streaming service. Billed as a psychosexual love story, Crime Farms is based on forensic homicide experts and real-life couple Selma and Richard Eikelenboom, reported Variety.

Holland, Michigan

Nicole will team up with Mimi Cave from a screenplay by Andrew Sodroski for Holland, Michigan. The thriller also stars Succession star Matthew MacFayden, and Gel Garcia Bernal.

Mice

The team behind two of Nicole's most recent projects, Nine Perfect Strangers and The Undoing- Blossom Films and Made Up Stories, unite to put a new project titled Mice. It will be directed by Justin Kurzel.
Indian Ocean members Rahul Ram and Amit Kilam have issued their official statement after band co-founder Susmit Sen recently filed a police complaint against them. They said that they learnt about the matter "from the media" and "haven't seen a copy of the complaint yet". (Also Read | Indian Ocean co-founder Susmit Sen files police complaint against bandmates) Indian Ocean members Rahul Ram and Amit Kilam issued a statement.

Rahul, Amit issue statement

Their statement also said that a pending matter is already with the National Company Law Tribunal between the shareholders for more than a year. The statement further added that as the case "is still in process", it's surprising to them that a "police complaint has been filed with what appears to be the same issue".

The statement read, "We are saddened to learn from the media that a police complaint has been filed against us by Mr Susmit Sen (Former member of Indian Ocean) and Ms Sunita Chakravorty (Spouse of former Indian Ocean member Asheem Chakravorty). We have not seen a copy of the complaint as yet and thus cannot address it on its merits. There is a pending matter in the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) between the share holders for more than a year. That case is still in process, and thus everything therein is sub-judice."

Rahul, Amit say complaints are frivolous

"It is thus quite a surprise to us that a police complaint has been filed with what appears to be the same issue considered by NCLT. Filing of a criminal complaint on what is evidently a civil law issue seems to be an afterthought and to arm twist us to agree to their illegal and unwarranted demands. Nevertheless, we shall cooperate fully with the police in any enquiry they choose to carry out. We are quite aware that the complaints are essentially frivolous and mala fide and completely confident about the legality of all procedures carried out by us. Rahul N Ram, Amit Kilam," it concluded.

What did Susmit allege?

Susmit, in his complaint, has made allegations against Rahul and Amit, including criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, cheating, and misappropriation, among others. Furthermore, he has also accused Rahul and Amit of financial irregularities within the band.

According to India Today, Susmit filed a police complaint against Rahul and Amit on August 16 in Delhi. Susmit took the legal action along with Sunita Chakravarty, wife of deceased Indian Ocean co-founder Ashim Chakravarty. They have also named Kandisa Music Productions Pvt Ltd, the company that runs the Indian Ocean band, in the complaint.
Mark Chavez, one of the two doctors implicated in the death of actor Matthew Perry, has accepted a plea deal that could see him sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, according to the Associated Press. Dr. Mark Chavez, right, a physician from San Diego who is charged in connection with actor Matthew Perry's death from an accidental ketamine overdose, and his attorney Matthew Binninger, leave the Roybal Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)(AP)

Chavez appeared in the Roybal Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles on Friday, where he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute ketamine after he sold the drug to Dr. Salvador Placensia, who allegedly provided it to Perrys longtime assistant, Kenneth Kenny Iwamasa.

Iwamasa had confessed earlier to administering the fatal dose of ketamine to the Friends star on October 28, 2023.

ALSO READ| Matthew Perry doctor ordered not to practice medicine ahead of guilty plea

Perry had been undergoing ketamine therapy for years to manage his depression, a treatment he described in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, as being akin to being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel. However, it was the acute effects of ketamine use that ultimately led to Perrys tragic drowning, according to authorities.

Doctor charged in Matthew Perry case released on $50k bond

Following Chavez's guilty plea, US Magistrate Judge Jean Rosenbluth ruled that he could remain free on a $50,000 unsecured bond, with several conditions attached. One of the key conditions is that Chavez must surrender his passport and his medical license.

Chavezs attorney, Matt Binninger, told the press, He is doing everything in his power to cooperate, to help in this situation, and hes incredibly remorseful.

He then added, Its a shame what happened to the universally beloved Perry, and assured that Chavez would do the right thing and continue to cooperate with authorities going forward.

ALSO READ| Matthew Perrys ex makes shocking claim about his needle phobia, doubts ketamine death: You only die when'

Besides Chavez and Iwamasa, Dr. Salvador Placensia, Perrys friend Erik Fleming, and Jasveen Sangha, known as the Ketamine Queen, have also been arrested. They face a range of serious charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute, and altering and falsifying records.

US Attorney Martin Estrada addressed in a press conference following the arrests: These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr. Perry, but they did it anyways. In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr. Perry than caring for his wellbeing.
John Cena, the WWE superstar turned actor, recently shared insights into his rap career. John Cena

According to Billboard, during an appearance on Shannon Sharpes Club Shay Shay, John Cena reflected on his youth in West Newbury, Massachusetts, and described how he channelled his teenage rebellion through hip-hop.

I was one of five boys, and I had a lot of angst with how the household was being run. I was a rebel. That music found me at the right time, Cena recounted.

Also read: John Cena announces retirement from WWE, 2025 to be his last year in professional wrestling

According to Billboard, he mentioned that tracks which resonated deeply with him, seeing the police as symbolic of his own rebellious spirit.

Cena also discussed his decision to pursue rap music despite WWEs rock-dominated focus.

At the time, WWE was a rock and roll company. They didnt have any depth of field for hip-hop, and I listened to my own music being like, I could do better than this, he explained.

This led to his 2005 debut album, You Cant See Me, which achieved significant success, peaking at No 15 on the Billboard 200 chart.

In his interview, Cena revealed his top athlete-rappers--Shaquille ONeal, Kobe Bryant, and Master P--and shared his personal Mount Rushmore of rap, featuring Rakim, Jay-Z, Nas, and Eminem, according to Billboard.

He acknowledged that his list might stir debate, emphasizing the subjectivity and personal nature of music.

We all have our bias. We all have our favourites. Thats what makes music special. Thats what makes creativity, Cena said.

He also credited Tony Yayo of G-Unit as the inspiration behind his famous You cant see me hand gesture, a detail he previously shared during a 2022 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The Malayalam film industry has been rocked by a seismic scandal following the release of the Justice Hema Committee report on August 19, which laid bare the harassment, exploitation, and mistreatment faced by female professionals within the industry. The report unleashed a storm of revelations, exposing the prevalence of sexual harassment, casting couch practices, pay disparities, and lobbying in the Malayalam film industry. As the fallout from the report intensifies, several actors have come forward to share their harrowing experiences of abuse, implicating well-known figures in the industry. Mohanlal (L), Sajitha Madathil (Centre), Mammootty (R)

Subsequently, the entire 17-member executive committee of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), including its president and actor Mohanlal, resigned en masse on August 27. Mohanlal stepped down citing moral responsibility amid allegations of sexual misconduct against members of the association's governing body.

Recently, we spoke to Sajitha Madathil, actor and one of the founding members of the Women in Cinema Collective about the findings of the Hema Committee, its aftermath, Mohanlal's resignation and the way forward.

Also Read: Lakshmi Manchu speaks out after Hema Committee report findings: Women are constantly being silenced

Here are some excerpts:

What are your thoughts on the resignation of AMMA president Mohanlal and the executive committee?

While this is not connected to the Women in Cinema Collective, as an outsider, I can say there could be multiple reasons for their resignation. One possibility is that they might want to evade from further discussion or public attention, possibly because theyre concerned about potential allegations that could arise against more members of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). So, their resignation appears to be an attempt to avoid responsibility. They should have stayed and worked towards resolving the issues and supporting the victims. Its disappointing to see them step away instead of taking on the responsibility of addressing the problems. Its very sad. They are powerful people. Mohanlal is a respectable person in the industry. He should have taken the initiative to clear the situation. We were expecting that. Mammootty never spoke anything about it (Hema committee report). B. Unnikrishnan, actor-director and FEFKA leader, he too never talked about it, just issued a press release. Mammoottys silence is also very sad.

However, its also a positive development in some ways. In 2017, women didnt even have the space to discuss these issues. When we (WCC) tried to address support for women in the industry back then, the response was dismissive. When we asked for support for Bhavana (Menon), they were not even bothered, they wouldn't even listen. But now, there seems to be more recognition that these issues cant be ignored and they can't get away from this discussion. The resignation and the findings have opened up space for dialogue and for women to be heard. This is a step forward.

When the WCC was formed in 2017, did it have a significant impact on addressing these issues?

Initially, when we raised concerns about sexual harassment in the industry, AMMA and the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) dismissed these claims, insisting that nothing was happening. In response, we decided to approach the government and request the formation of the Hema Committee to conduct a thorough investigation. The WCC has certainly made strides, but the impact has been gradual. The Hema Committee report has highlighted a range of issues beyond just sexual harassment, including wage contracts, working hours and shooting schedules, which had not been properly examined before. There's a significant focus on these issues now that they are officially documented.

Also Read: 2018 director Jude Anthany Joseph on Hema Committee report: Perpetrators should be named

What measures do you think should be taken to prevent these issues in the future?

Proving these allegations is very difficult. In 2022, we advocated for the establishment of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs), and the Kerala High Court mandated their creation in all film production units. However, these committees have not been functioning effectively because of attitudinal problems. But a proper redressal mechanism like ICC is important. Additionally, there are several steps that could be taken. First, improving attitudes and ensuring systematic changes in the industry is crucial. Government and the industry insiders must sit together to chart out ways to bring out change. Second, creating effective mechanisms for reporting and addressing complaints is essential. Finally, fostering an environment where both men and women can work together to bring about these changes is necessary.

How do you feel about the role of male-dominated leadership in organizations like the AMMA in addressing these issues?

The male-dominated leadership often reflects a lack of understanding of the issues. We get to know about how they are thinking is by observing their actions and decisions, the shows and skits AMMA does, the statements the members have made in the past, it's very misogynistic. They even performed a skit against WCC. All of these reveal their attitudes, which are sometimes not supportive of meaningful change. While there are individuals who are sensitive to these issues, and not everyone is the same, the overall leadership often does not prioritise concerns raised by women.

How do you perceive the impact of the Hema Committee report in different film industries, such as in Bengal, Kannada, Telugu or Tamil cinema?

This has sparked a significant cultural shift, but it varies across different regions. The movement in Kerala is pioneering, but other industries will need time to catch up. Each region has its own pace of change, and while we are making progress, its a gradual process. But I must mention that we are struggling a lot.

When the #MeToo movement shook Bollywood, it did not have the desired impact. Do you think that real action will be taken, given the difficulties in proving abuse?

The reality is that speaking out can sometimes lead to personal repercussions for those involved. Most artists who have raised their voices are out of the industry now. The female artists are out of work while the men continue working. The legal fight is not easy. It's not easy to prove something that happened years ago, right? Its challenging, but the important thing is to keep raising awareness and pushing for change. The exposure and discussion are crucial. Governments and industry leaders need to acknowledge and address these issues more effectively.

Given the current situation, how do you feel about the future of the industry? What advice would you give to newcomers entering the industry?

Despite the challenges, there is progress being made. We cannot go back to the old ways. The industry is evolving, and while its a struggle, we are moving forward. While we all (WCC) know that we will in trouble and that there will be no work for us, theres a commitment to continue working for a better, more equitable environment.

To the youngsters who want to join the industry, I would tell them that while the industry is a creative and beautiful space, it is also patriarchal and challenging. Women entering the field need to be aware of these dynamics and work together to address them. The industry is evolving, and we need to continue pushing for positive change.
Sona Mohapatra has never seen herself as a victim; rather, she views her journey as one of a fighter battling against sexual harassment in her career. Mohapatra was among the first voices to publicly accuse music composer Anu Malik of making lewd comments and harassing her. Sona Mohapatra

Despite her early advocacy, the #MeToo movement faced a gradual decline over time. However, the recent Hema Committee report, which exposed the pervasive power dynamics and casting couch culture in the Malayalam film industry, has reignited discussions on these critical issues.

Also read: Sona Mohapatra hopes government forms a more vibrant culture ministry: We underestimate the soft power of art, music

When asked if positive changes can be anticipated following this report, Mohapatra reflects, I do believe it is better than before in the Hindi film industry. The conversations have raised awareness about appropriate behaviour in the workplace for sure. Many production houses have put some redressal mechanisms in place where there is a form available for people to report untoward behaviour and escalate matters. There is a better awareness of the POSH guidelines too. The world is getting better and that is a wonderful feeling to carry.

Mohapatra, who faced professional setbacks for speaking out against injustice, remained undeterred. She emphasises the importance of persistence despite the challenges. "Public memory is indeed short and forgives these perverts in a jiffy. While I am finally back on the saddle after my vanwaas having launched a new show, Lal Pari Mastani, making my own documentary and winning awards across the world, I do believe this report is a validation of what many of us are fighting forsafer workplaces and winning, based on merit and fair opportunity," she asserts.

Reflecting on her professional struggles, Mohapatra recounts being "thrown out" as a judge from a music reality show. "I couldnt pay out my team that year, having even lost a USA tour, and had to eventually let go of them. I was branded a troublemaker, a difficult professional, and till date no TV channel has called me back to make amends," she says, adding, Meanwhile, the perverts- who multiple including myself named- are happily back on national TV with youngsters around them. All of them including Anu Malik, Kailash Kher, Sajid Khan, Vikas Bahl, and several others found space in the public domain to gloat over the fact that it is very much a mans world.

Mohapatra also notes the public's reaction to her stand. "Many men and even women I know are of the belief that people like me should let bygones be bygones and move on."

"Some like Sonu Nigam expressed deep concern and sympathy for Anu (Malik) losing work in the public domain while they demanded hard proof from the survivors. That a 15-year-old Shweta Pandit shared her disturbing experience with him or several others, that didnt hurt him (Nigam) that much; Anu losing some temporary work did!" she wraps up.

We attempted to reach out to Anu Malik, Kailash Kher, Vikas Bahl and Sonu Nigam, but they were unavailable for a comment.
The debate over who deserves the credit for the massive success of Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank continues, with fans passionately discussing online whether the accolades should go to actor Rajkummar Rao or Shraddha Kapoor. However, one aspect everyone seems to agree on is the film's exceptional story and dialogues, which have been widely praised for their humour. Niren Bhatt has written Stree 2.

Also read: Rajkummar Rao shares his favourite and funniest scene from Stree 2: It didnt make it to the final cut

Niren Bhatt, the man behind the films story, dialogues and screenplay, is aware of the ongoing discussions about credit. Addressing these conversations, he tells us, "I am aware about the credit talks. I think some narratives are formed by fan clubs... I don't know where is all this coming from. Eventually, people know it's a piece of art, everyone is equally important."

He further says, You just talk about people you see on screen. There are people behind the sceneswriter, director, producer, production designer, art designer, VFX, the background music was recorded by a 70-piece orchestra in Budapest... Sachin-Jigar's music! There are a lot of people behind the success of a film.

Bhatt says that many a time, especially with big films, nobody talks about the writing of the film. He, however, notes that "this time, people are [talking about the film's writing]". "I have been fortunate enough," he beams.

He draws attention to the documentary series Angry Young Men, which explores the significant impact of writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar in the 1970s and 80s. "It shows the swagger writers used to have. I obviously see things changing for the better. Many more people are getting inspired to make good content. That has reinstated the fact that good storytelling is basic for cinema. It was never a particular formula, genre or star. Even stars need good scripts to have big films," he concludes.
Paintings featuring flora from the Delhi Ridge, mixed-media textile works, tapestry harking back to Afghan heritage, metaphysical drawing installations and so much else  the Delhi Contemporary Art Week (DCAW) is here to welcome a galaxy of contemporary voices in South Asian art. Contemporary works by Delhi-based galleries, Blueprint 12 and Latitude28, which are displayed as part of the ongoing art week.

In its seventh edition, DCAW has six leading art galleries of the Capital coming together, namely Blueprint12, Exhibit 320, Gallery Espace, Latitude 28, Shrine Empire, and Vadehra Art Gallery. Among the highlights are a drawing installation by Bangladeshi artist Soma Surovi Jannat exploring cyclical existence and birth and death (Gallery Espace); Al-Qawi Nanavatis work that infuses her late mothers belongings into her art (Latitude 28); Hema Shironi and Natasha Das work with textile that traces their personal histories, South Asian politics and sustainability (Shrine Empire).

A new set of paintings by Baroda-based artist Rashmimala, depict the ground plant species specific to the Delhi ridge, Ravi Agarwals photographs of an abandoned office, and Tanmoy Samantas luminous canvases of liminal shapes. This year we are celebrating the gallery's 35th anniversary and our presentation at DCAW will give a glimpse of the depth of our programming  with fresh works by Rashmimala, Ravi Agarwal, and Tanmoy Samanta alongside senior artist Amit Ambalal. Ishita Chakraborty, Sharad Sonkusale, Sheetal Gattani, and Sonia Mehra Chawla are also part of the showcase, said Renu Modi, founder-director of Gallery Espace, in a statement.

Meanwhile, freely traversing styles and mediums in works by artists from each gallery, will be the group exhibition A Bold Step Sideways, curated by Girish Shahane. Painting and photography, among a spectrum of other mediums, form the core of Vadehra Art Gallerys curation, for which director of the gallery, Roshini Vadehra says, Across its six editions, DCAW has managed to further the rising talents and ideas of contemporary and emerging artists. I always look forward to the exciting week-long curations that come together under a common space for seasoned and new collectors from the capital and across the country. It is a unique collaborative presentation by the Delhi galleries that is always welcomed by great enthusiasm by the art community and we hope to see more of that this year as well.

While new media buffs will be able to further their pursuit of aesthetic exploration and visual dialogue at Exhibit 320, others must also checkout the the works of the established and emerging artists from the subcontinent such as Zoya Chaudhary, Gopi Gajwani, Soma Surovi Jannat, Khadim Ali, Chandan Bez Baruah, Tayeba Begum Lipi, Jagannath Panda, Anju and Atul Dodiya.

Catch It Live

What: Delhi Contemporary Art Week

Where: Bikaner House, Pandara Road, India Gate

When: August 31 to September 4

Timing: 11am to 7pm

Entry: Free

Nearest Metro Station: Khan Market (Violet Line)

For more, follow @htcity.delhijunction
A Delhi court on Friday ordered the framing of charges against Congress leader and former Union minister Jagdish Tytler in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case that resulted in the death of three people in the Capital. Jagdish Tytler. (HT Archive)

Sufficient ground are there to proceed against the accused person, special judge Rakesh Syal said, paving the way for charges to be framed under sections 109 (abetment) read with 302 (murder), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 188 (disobedience of the order duly promulgated by a public servant), 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house), 451 (house trespass), 380 (theft in dwelling house), and 149 (every member of unlawful guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code.

The court, however, discharged Tytler under Section 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons).

The matter has now been listed for September 13, when Tytler would have to physically appear before the court and charges will be formally framed against him.

The case against the former Union minister is related to his alleged involvement in an incident of November 1, 1984, when three people  Badal Singh, Sardar Thakur Singh and Gurbachan Singh  were burnt to death, and the Pul Bangash Gurudwara was set ablaze, a day after the then prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31.

Delhi Police initially registered a case on November 1, 1984, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the investigation on November 22, 2005, after the Union home ministry issued directions based on recommendations by the Nanavati Commission, which was formed in 2000 to look at cases from the 1984 riots.

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots broke out after the assassination of then PM Indira Gandhi by her two Sikh bodyguards. Thousands of Sikhs were killed in the riots in which Delhi was the worst hit city followed by Kanpur. During three years of probe, a total of 92 accused have been identified for involvement in murder, rioting, arson and loot in 11 cases of heinous crimes pertaining to riots.

CBI filed the charge sheet on May 20, 2023, in which it said Tytler instigated, incited and provoked the mob assembled at Gurdwara Pul Bangash which resulted in burning of the gurudwara and killing of three Sikh persons by the mob.

Taking cognisance of the charge sheet, the court issued summons to Tytler on July 26 last year. Tytler moved an anticipatory bail application on August 1, in which year, which was allowed by the court on August 4, and later converted to regular bail.

According to the CBI charge sheet, the agency established Tytlers presence at the crime scene based on the testimonies of six witnesses, of which four saw him allegedly instigating the crowd. The charge sheet claimed that Tytler was disappointed that more Sikhs were not killed in his constituency. It further pointed out that he was also influencing the investigation and threatening the witnesses.

The Congress leader had previously said that he is prepared to hang himself if there are is any evidence against him.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The government has introduced new regulations banning unleaded petrol in Zimbabwe to encourage the use of environmentally friendly fuel and reduce reliance on imported fuel. The ban was announced through Statutory Instrument (SI) 150 of 2024 by Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo, following consultations with the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority.The new regulations require that all unleaded petrol imported into Zimbabwe must be blended with anhydrous ethanol before being sold. This blending mandate will come into effect seven days from the publication of the regulations.The regulations replace a previous rule from SI 17 of 2013, which mandated that unleaded petrol could only be sold if blended with a minimum of 5% locally produced anhydrous ethanol. The new regulations maintain that only licensed ethanol blenders and producers can carry out this blending process, with strict quality assurance measures in place.
Raipur: The deforestation drive in Chhattisgarhs Pendramar forest started on Friday for the second phase of the Parsa East Kente Basan (PEKB) mining project, even as locals and tribals protested, activists said, adding that around 250,000 trees are likely to be felled over 1,136 hectares of the Hasdeo Aranya forest region. Locals protest against the deforestation at Hasdeo region for mining work (HT Photo)

The central government had allocated the PEKB coal blocks to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RVUNL) for second-phase mining after the first phase was completed in March 2022.

The first phase of mining was on 762 hectares of land allotted to RVUNL in 2007.

In 2023, the then Congress-led Chhattisgarh government had reversed its approval of the decision in the face of protests from locals and tribals.

The state had also submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court, stating that there is no need to allocate or use any new mining reserve areas for mining in Hasdeo Aranya. It added that that the ongoing Parsa East and Kente Basan (PEKB) mine contains a coal deposit of 350 million tonnes, adequate to meet the entire coal demand for the linked power plants of 4,340 MW for nearly 20 years.

The ongoing PEKB mine still contains a coal deposit of 350 million tonnes that is yet to be mined. This deposit is sufficient to meet the entire coal demand for the linked power plants of 4340 MW for nearly 20 years. Therefore, there is no necessity to allocate and use any new mining reserve areas for mining, the affidavit from the Chhattisgarh government had then claimed.

Alok Shukla, the convenor of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan, who has been leading the protest in Hasdeo for the past decade, said on Friday that a few days ago, the chief minister gave a clarification on a statement from the Rajasthan chief minister who thanked the previous government for allowing deforestation through fresh orders, keeping in mind the power needs of Rajasthan.

Stating that the deforestation is illegal and violates the rights of tribal communities enshrined in the fifth schedule of our Constitution, he said, We all have seen how Gramsabhas land acquisition of Ghatbarra village was conducted in the presence of a heavy police force, which was not in accordance with the due procedure under PESA (The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) and RFCTLARR (Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement) Act 2013. It violated the principles of free, informed, prior consent.

Shukla said that despite huge resistance from residents, the second phase of the mining got both environmental and forest clearance. The former Congress-led state government granted the final forest clearance under Action 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, in March 2022. In phase two, around 250,000 trees are going to be felled over 1,136 hectares of forest land. Out of which around 134 hectares of forest land had already been cleared in the last two major deforestation drives under the heavy police force deployment in the area, Shukla added.

Also Read: Over 200k trees to be felled in Chhattisgarhs Hasdeo, 960k in Great Nicobar: Govt

On Friday, the Chhattisgarh forest department issued a statement, saying tree felling is being carried out on 32 hectares out of the proposed 74.130 hectares of forest land.

The felling of approximately 3,694 trees out of 10,944 present in the said area has been completed, and the remaining felling work is in progress, the statement said.

Due to the sensitivity of the area, the tree felling work is being carried out peacefully by forming a joint team comprising the district police force, district administration, and forest personnel. Some villagers from the villages adjacent to the mining area are interfering with the tree felling work, but they are being persuaded not to disrupt the felling process, the departments statement further claimed.

The statement claimed that the Rajasthan government has been granted permission for the felling of 10,944 trees standing in an area of 74.130 hectares of forest land in the 10th year of the project by the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Production) Chhattisgarh and by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Sarguja Forest Division, on August 22, 2024.

In this regard, permission for the felling and transportation of a total of 10,944 trees in an area of 74.130 hectares of forest land has been granted to the Forest Range Officer, Udaipur (Production), it added.

While the Union government allocates the blocks, the clearance of forest land for mining requires the final go-ahead from the state.

In October 2021, the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and Wildlife Institute of India submitted a study report to the Chhattisgarh government according to which the Hasdeo Arand forest is one of the largest contiguous stretches of dense forest in central India, spanning 170,000 hectares.

The forest is also the catchment of the river Hasdeo, the Mahanadis largest tributary, and is therefore critical for perennial river flow. It is also the watershed for the Hasdeo Bango reservoir, which is critical for the irrigation of 300,000 hectares of double-cropped land in Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh possesses approximately 70,000 million metric tonnes of coal, whereas Hasdeo Aranya accounts for around 8% of that reserve. Hasdeo Arand is one of the largest contiguous stretches of very dense forest in central India, spanning 170,000 hectares and having 23 coal blocks.
At least 47 Indians who were trapped in cyber scam centres, have been rescued from Bokeo province in Laos, the Indian embassy in the Southeast Asian nation said on Saturday. So far, the Indian mission has assisted in rescuing 635 Indians from Laos and ensured their safe return home. The Embassy of India successfully rescues 47 Indians trapped in cyber scam centres in Golden Triangle SEZ of Lao PDR.(X/@IndianEmbLaos)

Indian authorities have advised citizens to be wary of fake job offers in Laos and emphasised the need for careful verification to avoid falling victim to scams.

According to a statement from the Indian Embassy in Laos, the embassy recently successfully rescued 47 Indians caught in cyber scam centres within the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bokeo province. Of these, 29 were handed over to the Embassy by Laos authorities after their crackdown on illegal activities in Golden Triangle SEZ, while other 18 had approached the Embassy in distress, seeking help, the embassy said on X, sharing the pictures of the rescued Indians.

According to an NDTV report, the scammers would impersonate women on dating apps to chat with potential victims. After some time, they would convince the target to invest in cryptocurrency trading. Many were duped in India this way, one of the rescued Indians was quoted as saying. The cyber slaves were deprived of food and rest if they failed to meet their daily targets, the report added. HT cannot independently verify this information.

In its statement on Saturday, the Indian Embassy urged the Laos government to take action against the unscrupulous elements involved.

The Embassy has issued a strong advisory to Indian nationals contemplating job offers in Laos, advising them to exercise caution and perform thorough checks to avoid falling victim to scams.

The advisory, available on the Embassy's website, offers detailed guidance and urges individuals to reach out to the Embassy if they have any doubts.

Embassy officials travelled from capital Vientiane to Bokeo to liaise

Indian embassy officials travelled from the capital, Vientiane, to Bokeo to coordinate with local authorities for the rescue operation, according to the official statement. Prashant Agrawal, the Indian Ambassador to Laos, met the rescued group upon their arrival to discuss the challenges they encountered and to provide guidance on the next steps.

The embassy has completed all necessary procedures with the Laos authorities for their repatriation to India. The statement added that 30 of those rescued have already returned to India or are en route, while the remaining 17 are awaiting final travel arrangements and will be departing soon.

The embassy's statement said that Agrawal stressed that "ensuring safety and well-being" of Indian nationals is a top priority for the Embassy. Last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised the issue of Indian national trafficking with Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone during his visit to the Southeast Asian nation.

In the same month, the Indian embassy in Laos rescued 13 Indians who had been lured into cyber scam centres in the country and facilitated their return to India.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday that the government aims to reform the film industry, which led to the establishment of the Hema Committee to investigate the sexual abuse of women in the Malayalam film industry. He emphasised that all aspects of cinema influence the public and that it is crucial for women to work in the industry without fear. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan (ANI)

Speaking at the ceremony to present the Sreekumaran Thampi award to Malayalam actor Mohanlal, Vijayan said that the film industry should reciprocate the public's love for cinema by promoting moral values or lessons.

Anything that degrades human values in cinema is dangerous. Women should be able to work in the film industry without fear, and artists should not face conditions or limitations in their profession. Every aspect of cinema influences the public. The governments actions are aimed at reforming the film industry, which is why the Hema Committee was established, Vijayan was quoted as saying by ANI

He further emphasised that women should have the freedom to showcase their artistic talents in the film industry without fear, and there should be no conditions imposed on them.

Kerala #MeToo: Latest developments

A second case of sexual offence has been filed against director Ranjith following a complaint by a male actor from the district, police said on Saturday. An FIR was registered under Section 377 (unnatural offence) of the IPC and Section 66 E (punishment for violation of privacy) of the Information Technology (IT) Act at the Kasaba police station on Friday night, according to a senior district police officer.

The complainant alleged that the director called him to a hotel in Bengaluru in 2012, asked him to strip, and took his nude photos. He also claimed in media interviews that these photos were sent to a well-known veteran female actor, who has denied the allegations.

In his first address after resigning as the President of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) amid the #MeToo controversy in Mollywood, actor Mohanlal on Saturday urged people not to "destroy" the Malayalam film industry.

Mohanlal welcomed the Hema Committee report, emphasising that those found guilty will be punished, and assured that they will cooperate with the investigation. He also mentioned that elections for new positions in AMMA would be conducted soon.

The Hema Committee report, released on August 19 after four-and-a-half years since its submission by the three-member panel, faced criticism from opposition parties and activists.

The reports release triggered a surge in sexual abuse allegations by women actors against male figures, reigniting the #MeToo movement. In response to the rising accusations of sexual harassment and exploitation involving several actors and directors, the state government announced on August 25 the formation of a seven-member special investigation team to investigate the claims.
Raipur, Azad Samaj Party leader Chandra Shekhar Azad on Saturday said caste census should be conducted in Chhattisgarh and the 16 per cent quota for Scheduled Castes in the state must be restored. Azad, MP from Nagina in Uttar Pradesh, was addressing the 'Samajik Nyay Yatra' rally organised by Bhim Army Bharat Ekta Mission Chhattisgarh here at Science College ground. "The Scheduled Castes were getting 16 per cent reservation in Chhattisgarh, which was slashed to 12 per cent without conducting a caste census. The state government must hold a caste census and, based on the population, restore the 16 per cent quota," he said. He also said the arson and violence on June 10 and vandalisation of 'jaitkham' or 'victory pillar', a sacred symbol worshipped by the Satnami community, near the holy Amar Gufa at Giroudpuri Dham in Balodabazar-Bhatapara district in the intervening night of May 15 and 16 must be probed by Central Bureau of Investigation . On June 10, a mob set fire to a government building housing offices of district collector and superintendent of Police and more than 150 vehicles in Balodabazar city during a protest called by the Satnami community against the desecration of the religious structure. The influential Satnami community, founded by medieval-era social reformer Baba Guru Ghasidas, represents the largest Scheduled Caste group in Chhattisgarh. Azad also sought unconditional release of those arrested in connection with Balodabazar arson incident, adding those fighting for the honour of 'satnam' were arrested by the Vishnu Deo Sai government as part of a conspiracy. As per police, more than 160 persons, including Congress MLA Devendra Yadav, have been held for alleged involvement in arson and violence. Those who have been arrested will spread the message of peace and brotherhood once they are released and will emerge as leaders, he asserted. Apart from a CBI probe into the 'Jaitkham' desecration and the violence during the resultant protest, Azad also sought implementation of quota rules in promotion in government jobs as well as minimum wage of 700 per day for workers. Meanwhile, an office-bearer of Bhim Army Bharat Ekta Mission Chhattisgarh said a memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu was handed over to an official here.

Azad seeks caste census in Chhattisgarh, CBI probe into Balodabazar arson-violence
A special court for public representatives in Bengaluru has ordered the initiation of defamation proceedings against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on a complaint filed by Tabu Rao over alleged incendiary comments made against her husband and Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundurao. The complaint stems from a controversial statement made by Yatnal during a Lok Sabha election campaign in Vijaypura on April 4 (Wikimedia Commons)

The complaint stems from a controversial statement made by Yatnal during a Lok Sabha election campaign in Vijaypura on April 4. He accused Gundurao of harbouring anti-national sentiments, saying, More or less, half of Pakistan is in Gunduraos house. Making statements against the country has become an addiction for Gundurao.

Outraged by these remarks, Tabu Rao lodged a complaint at the Sanjay Nagar police station in Bengaluru on April 7.

Along with her complaint, she presented several pieces of evidence, including press reports to the court to support her case.

The complaint specifically requested the registration of a case under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertain to defamation.

On Thursday, the court, after considering the evidence and the seriousness of the allegations, directed to issue summons to Yatnal.

The alleged comments from Yatnal revolves around the NIA investigation into the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case on March 1. The agency had brought in Tirthahalli BJP leader Saiprasad for questioning in connection with the blast case.

At the time, Dinesh Gundurao had taken to social media, questioning the BJPs role and accountability in the blast, given that a party leader had been detained for questioning.

Gundurao said, What will the saffron leaders of the state say now that our government is being blamed for the explosion? Does the fact that a BJP leader has been taken into custody by the NIA mean that the BJP is involved in the Rameswaram Cafe blast?

The state BJP leaders, who have hastily blamed the Congress government for the Rameswaram bomb blast without considering national security, must now provide answers, he added.

Yatnal, responding to these developments, repeated his controversial statement, further escalating the situation.

In response to Yatnals remarks, Tabu Rao strongly condemned the statement on April 8 and labelled it as derogatory and defamatory.

Rao emphasised that while she was born a Muslim, her Indian identity should not be questioned, and called on the Election Commission of India to take action.

She also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president JP Nadda to address the issue and take action against what she termed as a routine culprit.
Senior advocate and Supreme Court Bar Association president Kapil Sibal on Friday stressed the importance of empowering trial courts, district courts, and sessions courts to deliver justice without fear or favour. Addressing the inaugural event of the two-day National Conference of District Judiciary, Sibal asserted that these courts should not be viewed as subordinate but rather as vital components of the justice system. Supreme Court Bar Association president and Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal addresses the inaugural session of the two-day National Conference of District Judiciary.

"They are not subordinate as they deliver justice. The judiciary at that level should be instilled with the confidence that their judgments will not be held against them and that they represent the spinal cord of the justice delivery system," Sibal said.

Also Read | VP Dhankhar 'appalled' by Kapil Sibals description of Kolkata rape-murder case: What a shame!

Reflecting on his long legal career, Sibal expressed concern over the infrequency of bail being granted at the district court level.

"In my career, I have seldom seen bail granted at that level. This is not just my experience but even CJI has said this because higher courts are burdened. After all, bail at the lower court is an exception," he said.

"Liberty is the foundational substratum of a thriving democracy and any attempt to throttle it impacts the quality of our democracy," Sibal added.

Also Read | Kapil Sibal's predecessor threatens no-confidence motion over SCBA resolution

CJI Chandrachud on colonial-era practice

The Supreme Court is organising a two-day national conference of the district Judiciary beginning August 31 and September 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a commemorative stamp and coin to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Supreme Court of India.

In his speech, Chief Justice of India Chandrachud called for an end to the colonial-era practice of referring to district courts as subordinate. "To sustain the spine of the legal system, we must stop calling the district judiciary as the subordinate judiciary. Seventy-five years after Independence, the time has come for us to bury one more relic of the British era  the colonial mindset of subordination," he said.

Also Read | Kapil Sibal laughs in SC amid hearing on Kolkata case, SG Tushar Mehta responds: somebody has died

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Supreme Court Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Attorney General R Venkataramani, and Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra also addressed the gathering.

President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to deliver the valedictory address on September 1, where she will also unveil the flag and insignia of the Supreme Court.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for coastal Karnataka in response to the rare Cyclone Asna threat, forecasting very heavy rain for Gujarat on Saturday, August 31. An Indian Coast Guard ship tows boat Padmawati to safety after it drifted into the sea due to rough weather conditions off the Dwarka coast in Gujarat. (PTI Photo)

Cyclone Asna moved past Gujarat on Friday evening without making any serious impact on the prone regions. It was formed over the coast of Kutch in Gujarat earlier during the day, moved into the Arabian Sea and headed towards Oman without causing significant damage in the coastal state.

Pakistan proposed the name Cyclone Asna as the storm intensified. Between 1891 and 2023, only three such storms have formed over the Arabian Sea in August with instances recorded in 1976, 1964, and 1944, reported English Jagran.

The 1976 storm originated in Odisha, moved west-northwest into the Arabian Sea, circled and eventually weakened near Oman's coast. Similarly, the 1944 storm intensified after reaching the Arabian Sea before losing strength. In 1964, a brief storm developed off the South Gujarat coast but weakened near the shoreline, the report said.

Cyclone Asna, which Pakistan has named, is the first cyclonic storm to develop in the Arabian Sea in August since 1976. The storm is now advancing west-northwest, moving away from the Indian coast.

In the past 6 hours, the deep depression over the Kachchh coast, parts of Pakistan, and the northeast Arabian Sea has been moving westward at 6 kilometres per hour. It has intensified into Cyclone Asna and was located around 11:30 AM at the same spot, approximately 190 kilometres west-northwest of Bhuj, Gujarat, according to the IMD.

Wind speeds in a deep depression vary from 52 to 61 kmph, whereas cyclones have wind speeds between 63 and 87 kmph.

How rain wreaks havoc in Gujarat?

In Gujarat, recent rainfall has caused the loss of 26 lives over the past four days. Over 18,000 individuals have been evacuated, and around 1,200 people have been rescued from areas severely impacted by flooding.

Although rainfall decreased across most of Gujarat by Friday morning, officials reported significant waterlogging in several towns and villages due to overflowing rivers.

The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) noted that between 6 am and 2 pm, only four locations in the state received 15 mm to 26 mm of rain, while other areas experienced either dry conditions or light showers.
West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday claimed that the parents of the trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and killed at a hospital in Kolkata are being kept under virtual "house arrest" by the authorities. Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury leads a protest rally over alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor of RG Kar Hospital and seeking resignation of CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, India, on Thursday, August 29, 2024. (Photo by Samir Jana/ Hindustan Times)

"I visited the family of the deceased doctor at their residence and spoke to them for a long time. The police have kept the family under house arrest. They are not allowing them to come out of the house on the pretext of various excuses. The police have created a barricade around them, the CISF has no clue about this," Chowdhury told reporters.

His visit comes amid ongoing protests by junior doctors and allegations from the victim's parents that more than one individual was involved in the crime.

Also Read | NHRC issues notice to Kolkata commissioner over police action on protestors

Chowdhury also claimed that the police, under instructions from the TMC-led West Bengal government, offered the victims father money and urged him to quickly cremate the body.

"The Kolkata Police following the directive of the state government had offered the father money while telling him that the body of his daughter be cremated without delay," Chowdhury alleged.

The body of the post-graduate trainee doctor was discovered in the seminar hall of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, triggering outrage across the medical community in the state. Protesting junior doctors have been on a cease-work strike since the discovery, demanding justice for their colleague and calling for stronger security measures at medical institutions.

Also Read | Shreya Ghoshal postpones Kolkata concert due to doctor rape-murder case: 'Deeply affected by heinous incident'

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stopped from entering RG Kar Medical College

The senior Congress leader hit out at the police for preventing him from meeting the agitating doctors during his visit to RG Kar Hospital.

"I went there as a common person and not as a political leader, to express solidarity with them (the protesting doctors). But I was stopped from meeting them by the police... Had they shown this promptness earlier, our sister doctor would not have met this fate," he said.

One civic volunteer of the Kolkata Police has been arrested in connection with the crime, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has now taken over the investigation following an order from the Calcutta High Court.
DK Sunil, who has spearheaded several key aerospace programmes and is known for his design expertise, will take over as the next chief of the Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Sunday as the aircraft maker gears up to execute some critical projects for the armed forces. DK Sunil.

He replaces CB Ananthakrishnan who retired on Saturday.

Sunil, who joined HAL as a management trainee, has been with the firm for 37 years and contributed significantly to design, production, quality enhancement and customer support, HAL said in a statement on Saturday, announcing his appointment as chairman and managing director (additional charge). He will continue to head engineering, and research and development.

HT reported on August 29 that Sunil was the frontrunner for the top job at a time when HAL is at a critical juncture --- it is grappling with a delay in the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1A) programme, working towards finalising a deal for joint production of jet engines in the country, and awaiting orders worth tens of thousands of crores for new fighter planes and helicopters.

Sunils extensive design expertise ranges from equipment to system-level projects for both aircraft and helicopters, covering the entire spectrum of HALs design activities, the statement said.

During his tenure at the Mission Combat Systems R&D Centre in Bengaluru, he led teams focused on groundbreaking projects such as the advanced active electronically scanned array radar for fighters, automatic flight control system for the light combat helicopter and mission computers for helicopters and fighter platforms.

Several new technologies were developed under his leadership, including radar power supply, modern voice activated control systems and combined interrogator/transponder systems for identification of friendly and hostile aircraft.

Accelerating the LCA Mk-1A programme will be one of his top priorities as a question mark hangs over HALs ability to meet the delivery timeline of the 83 LCA Mk-1As on order. IAF is unhappy with the current pace of the programme because of the possible risks the delay in the induction of new fighter planes could pose to the air forces combat effectiveness, and has flagged the hot-button issue to HAL, calling for timely execution of the 48,000-crore contract, as first reported by HT on July 12.

HAL had then said it will deliver 16 of these fighters to IAF in FY 2024-25 as per schedule. It also said it hoped to deliver all the 83 aircraft on order by 2028-29. Many in the air force are sceptical about the LCA Mk-1A deadlines being met, and one of the main reasons for that is the lingering delay in the supply of the F404 engines to HAL by US firm GE Aerospace.

Sunil also takes over at a time when HAL is negotiating a deal with GE Aerospace for the joint production of F414 engines in India. The two firms signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington in June 2023 to produce 99 F414 engines for Indias future LCA Mk-2 programme. The joint production of the engines will help the country overcome a striking technology gap, lay the foundation for indigenous development of bigger jet engines and possibly open doors to exports.

Big orders are in the pipeline for HAL.

The defence ministry could award it a contract by the year-end for 97 more LCA Mk-1As to strengthen the air forces capabilities. It is estimated to be worth 67,000 crore. The upcoming deal will be the second order for the LCA Mk-1A after the ministry awarded HAL the 48,000-crore contract for 83 such aircraft in February 2021.

Also, in June 2024, the defence ministry issued a tender to HAL for the proposed acquisition of 156 Prachand light combat helicopters (LCH) to sharpen the capabilities of the Indian Army and IAF. The new helicopters, 90 for the army and 66 for IAF, are estimated to cost 50,000 crore and will further boost Indias self-reliance drive.
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Friday published partial expenditure reports for the 2024 general elections. Political parties are required to submit their expenditure reports within three months of the conclusion of elections. The Bharatiya Janata Partys report was not uploaded. (Representative Photo)

The Bharatiya Janata Partys report was not uploaded. Data for 24 constituencies was available for the Congress. The party spent 70 lakh each in two constituencies won by senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Rae Bareli and Wayanad, 75 lakh for Dhubri candidate Rakibul Hussain in two tranches, and 87 lakh on Mandi candidate Vikramaditya Singh in six tranches.

The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), according to its partial expenditure report, spent 36 crore on candidates.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen spent 52 lakh on Hyderabad candidate Asaduddin Owaisi. The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party said its state unit spent a total of 325.67 crore, of which 21.42 crore were spent on travel expenses of star campaigners,  87.36 crore on advertising, 47.89 crore on publicity materials, 8.64 crore on public meetings and rallies, and 160.35 crore on other expenses for general party propaganda by state unit.

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) said it received receipts worth 11.06 crore during the general elections. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam got receipts worth 11.03 crore. It spent 23.34 crore, of which 22.67 crore was spent on advertising. The Telugu Desam Party did not give any figures in its partial report. The Biju Janata Dal spent 254.6 crore for both the general and state elections.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The United States is keen on improving diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe and increasing trade between the two nations, according to US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Pamela Tremont.Following her credential presentation to President Mnangagwa, Ambassador Tremont met with Acting President Dr. Constantino Chiwenga to discuss various issues, including Zimbabwe's priorities in agriculture, education, manufacturing, and tourism.Ambassador Tremont noted that while Zimbabwe exports more to the US than it imports, there is room for growth in trade. She highlighted the presence of US companies like John Deere and Hyatt Regency, which recently took over the Meikles Hotel, and expressed a desire to see more American businesses invest in Zimbabwe.Despite past tensions due to US sanctions imposed in the early 2000s, Zimbabwe has maintained a stance of openness towards international relations, emphasizing President Mnangagwa's policy of "friend to all and enemy to none." Ambassador Tremont's comments suggest a potential thawing in relations and an opportunity for increased collaboration.The US has been a significant donor to Zimbabwe, particularly in drought assistance, and continues to support various sectors in Zimbabwe. The focus now is on improving the investment climate to make Zimbabwe more attractive to global investors, including those from the US.
Five cow vigilantes have been arrested for allegedly lynching a man over suspicion that he had consumed beef, Haryana Police said on Saturday. File Photo: Women hold placards and candles during a protest against the recent mob lynchings in India. (REUTERS/Amit Dave)

The incident happened in Charkhi Dadri district on August 27, a senior police officer said, adding that the victim, identified as Sabir Malik, was a worker from West Bengal.

Suspecting that the victim had eaten beef, the accused  Abhishek, Mohit, Ravinder, Kamaljit, and Sahil  called him at a shop on the pretext of selling empty plastic bottles. There, they beat him, PTI quoted the officer as saying.

After some people intervened, the group took Malik to another location and beat him again, leading to his death, the officer stated further.

The deceased lived in a shanty near Bandhara village and collected waste and rag for a living.

In addition to the five accused, two minors have also been apprehended in the matter. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Also Read | Capital punishment for mob lynching under new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill

In February last year, two Muslim men from Rajasthan were allegedly abducted, assaulted, killed and their burned by a cow protection gang in Haryana's Bhiwani. The duo's charred bodies were then found in a car.

Monu Manesar aka Monu Yadav, a functionary of the right-wing group Bajrang Dal, was booked by the Rajasthan Police in connection with the murder of Junaid (35) and Nasir (25).

Also Read | Bhiwani killings accused Monu Manesar sent to 15-day judicial custody

Absconding since the incident, Manesar was arrested in September by the Haryana Police, ending a hunt that spanned several months.
Four people from the Gokak tehsil of Belagavi district were burnt alive when their electric vehicle rammed into a fuel carrier tanker in Oman, said officials familiar with the matter on Friday. Belagavi district in-charge minister Satish Jarkiholi said that the state government was in contact with Oman government through the foreign affairs ministry and have asked to handover the dead bodies to the relatives in Karnataka (File photo)

The incident took place in the Haima region of capital city Oman on Thursday evening. Local police said the four were travelling in a car, which collided with an oncoming truck. The four deceased were identified as Vijay Mayappa Tahasildar (22), Pavankumar Mayappa Tahasildar (22), Aadhishesha Basappa Uppar (32), and Pooja Aadhishesha Uppar (21). Another person travelling in the car suffered minor injuries.

One of the deceased, Aadhishesha was an engineer working with a private company. Her mother and brother from Gokak had gone their to bring Pooja back for delivery who was six-month pregnant, Belagavi deputy commissioner Mohammed Roshan told HT.

He further said the deceased were residing in Nizwa for past five years. They were on their way home from Salalah when the accident took place. Following the accident, their electric car caught fire immediately, leaving the deceaseds body burnt beyond identification, he said.

District in-charge minister Satish Jarkiholi said that the state government was in contact with Oman government through the foreign affairs ministry and have asked to handover the dead bodies to the relatives in Karnataka. The deceased were in Gulf country for work for several years..., Jarkiholi said. We have appealed to the external affairs ministry to attempt to bring back the bodies of the dead, so the relatives can bid adieu to the departed souls.

Following the incident, MP Kadadi visited the family at Uppar Oni (Uppar street) in Gokak town. After the meeting, he told reporters, I am in touch with external affairs ministry to get the dead bodies which are expected to arrive either on Monday or Tuesday.

Roshan said that the external affairs ministry has approached the Oman government and the DNA of the deceased would be conducted on Sunday and the bodies are expected to arrive on Tuesday. The family has appealed the administration to handover the bodies. The body of Aadhishesha will be send to his hometown in Raichur, Roshan added.
Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini downplayed the lynching of a migrant worker from West Bengal by a group of cow vigilantes over suspicion that he had eaten beef. Saini argued the term mob lynching does not accurately reflect the incident given the stringent cow protection laws enacted by the Haryana Assembly. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.(PTI)

It is not right to say things like mob lynching, because a strict law has been made in the Assembly for cow protection and there is no compromise on it, the chief minister said.

Villagers have so much respect for cows that if they are informed about such things, then who can stop them? I want to say that such incidents should not happen and these incidents are unfortunate, he added.

Also Read | Let us not go by religion or caste,Supreme Court says on mob lynching cases

7 arrested for mob lynching

Sabir Malik, a labourer from West Bengal, was beaten to death allegedly by a group of individuals from a cow vigilante group in Charkhi Dadri district on August 27. The group reportedly suspected Malik of consuming beef, which is a serious offence under local cow protection laws.

Five menAbhishek, Mohit, Ravinder, Kamaljit, and Sahilalong with two juveniles, have been arrested in connection with the crime.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Dheeraj Kumar confirmed that a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered and that the accused are currently in police remand.

Also Read | To fight mob lynching, police reforms a must

Malik, who worked as a scrap dealer near Bandhra village, was lured to a shop under the pretence of selling empty plastic bottles before being assaulted, according to police.

After intervention by bystanders, the accused took Malik to a different location and beat him again, resulting in his death.

"A migrant labourer was beaten to death by some people. A case has been registered under BNS and 7 people, including 2 juveniles, have been arrested. Police is working on the case actively and the accused have been taken on police remand and are being questioned," DSP Kumar said.
The Election Commission on Saturday deferred the polling date for Haryana assembly elections to October 5. Earlier, voting was scheduled to be held on October 1.



There has been no change in the polling date for the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir elections, set to be held on October 1. The election results for both J&K and Haryana will be declared on October 8.



In a notification, the poll panel said,"Subsequently, representations have been received from National Political Parties, State Political Party and All India Bishnoi Mahasabha regarding mass movement of people of Bishnoi community of Haryana to Rajasthan to participate in centuries old Asoj Amavasya festival celebration."



ALSO READ: On EC's assembly polls schedule, Cong takes One Nation, One Election jab at PM



It may deny voting rights to large number of people and may lead to reduce voters participation in general election to legislative assembly of Haryana, the EC notification read. ECI has changed poll day for Haryana elections to October 5(HT file)

Haryana BJP leader sought deferment of polls

On August 24, Haryana BJP's state election management committee member Varinder Garg had said,"We have reasoned that the Assembly election date of October 1 (Tuesday) is preceded by a weekend and followed by more holidays which might hit the voting percentage as people tend to go on vacation on long weekends."



The opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party had slammed the move. Former chief minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda had hit out at the BJP, saying that the party's stand showed it already accepted defeat.

Polls should be held according to the date fixed by the EC... People of Haryana don't want to see the BJP government in power even for a day, PTI quoted the veteran leader as saying.

The AAP's Haryana unit said even before the elections took place, the ruling BJP had started looking for excuses as it could sense its impending defeat in the election.

The BJP is eyeing a third consecutive term while the Congress is looking to wrest power from the ruling outfit.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has changed the polling date for the Haryana assembly elections from October 1 to October 5, considering the mass movement of the Bishnoi community of Haryana to Rajasthan due to the Asoj Amavasya festival, which could lead to reduced voter participation. The Phase-3 polling of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on October 1, as was announced by the poll body earlier. However, the counting for both the states will now happen on October 8 (instead of October 4) and the polls must be completed before October 10 (instead of October 6). The Phase-3 polling of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on October 1, as was announced by the Election Commission earlier.

[R]epresentations have been received from National Political Parties, State Political Party and All India Bishnoi Mahasabha regarding mass movement of people of Bishnoi community of Haryana to Rajasthan to participate in centuries old Asoj Amavasya festival celebration. It may deny voting rights to large number of people and may lead to reduce [sic] voters participation in general election to legislative assembly of Haryana, the ECI said in a press note on Saturday.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Haryana state unit chief Mohanlal Badoli, in a letter dated August 22, had urged the ECI to change the date of the polls in Haryana. He had written that September 28 and September 29 are a weekend, October 1 would have been a holiday because of polling, and October 2 is a national holiday because of Gandhi Jayanti. He had said that this could lead to many people taking an extended leave from September 28 to October 2, thereby reducing voter turnout. He also talked about how the Bishnoi community would likely be absent on October 1 due to their annual pilgrimage to Mukam village in Rajasthan.

THe Congress, however, had dismissed BJPs concerns and interpreted it as a sign of the partys nervousness. Congress MP Deepinder Hooda had said that the BJP was giving childish arguments after seeing its defeat in front.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has ordered a probe into allegations of a hidden camera being installed in the washroom of the girls hostel of an engineering college in Krishna district and purported videos from the camera being circulated among students in the boys hostel, the state government said in a statement on Friday. Students protest outside Gudlavalleru College of Engineering at Gudivada in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday. (HT photo)

Meanwhile, hundreds of female students staged a dharna at Gudlavalleru College of Engineering at Gudivada after an alert about the hidden camera placed in the washroom of the girls hostel was raised by a student on Thursday. Following allegations that videos from the secret camera were being sold to students in the boys hostel, the local police detained a final-year BTech student for questioning and seized his laptop and cell phones, officers said.

A five-member team of technical experts as well as a special investigating officer have been appointed to look into the matter, the government statement said on Friday evening. The team has swung into action and taken up the inspections in the girls hostel, it added.

Also Read | AP college hidden camera row: Spy cameras now a tool for voyeurism in hostels?

The chief minister, who is reviewing the situation hourly, also instructed the police to investigate the incident from all angles and bring the culprits to book.

Protesting students claimed that a final-year female student allegedly helped in arranging the hidden camera which was installed in the washroom. Students gathered in front of the college building, raising slogans and demanding strict action against the culprits. They also raised concern over the safety and privacy of female students on the campus.

Some protesters also attempted to attack a student who was reportedly selling the videos recorded by the hidden camera.

Earlier in the day, protesting students expressed their anger at a senior police officers statement that police had not found any hidden cameras in the girls hostel during their inspection.

Also Read | Chandigarh: Girl places hidden camera in her PG facility, arrested

We have seized the suspected students laptop, mobile phones, and other electronic gadgets in the presence of students and college staff. No videos were found, Krishna superintendent of police R Gangadhar Rao said. I think there is no need for the girl students to worry about this issue. Further investigation is in progress.

Enraged at the SPs statement, parents of several students as well as representatives of various student unions gathered at the college and staged a dharna.

Following instructions from the chief minister, local legislator and state minister Kollu Ravindra, along with district collector DK Balaji, Pedana legislator Kagita Krishna Prasad, former parliamentarian Konakalla Narayana Rao and senior district officials rushed to the college and assured the students of a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

Later, the students called off their protest, but said they would attend the classes only after the completion of probe and action taken against the culprits.

Protesting students also alleged that the college management did not pay heed to their complaints. Chief minister Naidu has also directed officials to conduct a probe into the allegations, saying if any negligence from the college management is proved, action will be initiated against them, a state government official said.

The CM has asked the students to directly send to him if they have any evidence in the alleged incident, the official said, adding Naidu has instructed officials to brief him on the ongoing probe every three hours and submit reports directly to him.

I have asked the authorities for details about the protest of female students at Gudlavalleru Engineering College of Krishna District. I have ordered an inquiry into the allegations of hidden cameras, state education minister Nara Lokesh said in a post on X.

Lokesh, who is also the son of chief minister Naidu, added that strict action will be taken against the culprits and those found responsible for any mistake in the investigation.
New Delhi, The IMA has written to the National Task Force , which has been mandated to formulate protocol for ensuring safety and security of healthcare professionals, again demanding a central law on violence against doctors and hospitals and declaring hospitals as safe zones. IMA again demands central law on violence against doctors, hospitals

Stating that the Supreme Court has constituted the NTF to evolve a national consensus and to formulate protocols with due consultation of all stakeholders, the Indian Medical Association in its letter formulated its submission in three sections.

The NTF was constituted the apex court in the wake of protests by doctors and healthcare professionals following the recent rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

Firstly, putting forth its demand and justification for a central act on violence on doctors and hospitals, the IMA submitted its study 'Safety During Night Duty: Survey of 3885 Doctors Across India", its draft proposal for Central Act, draft legislation - "The Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments Bill, 2019", the Epidemic Diseases Act September 2020 among others as annexures.

Justifying the demand for a central act, the IMA in its letter said that healthcare facilities vary in nature both infrastructure wise and human resources wise.

"The only preventive strategy that could be applied across the board and across all the states is deterrent central law in statute. Absence of such law has resulted in half-hearted actions by the police and less that optimum investigations and prosecution of the incidence," it said.

Reasoning that deterrence is the best form of prevention, the IMA said that unlike other measures, a strong central law will prevent violence across all sectors especially the small and medium ones. It will serve as an enabling Act to the state legislations.

Secondly, for its demand for declaring hospitals as safe zones, the IMA said the concept of safe zones could be embedded in the proposed law as well.

"Declaration as safe zone entitles the hospitals with security entitlements. These security entitlements however should be tempered with patient friendly nature and cultural sensitivity," it said.

Third, it demanded improving the working and living conditions of the resident doctors.

Ever since the resident system was created, there have been administrative and judiciary pronouncements. "Yet few things have changed on the ground," it said.

"We the medical profession of India expect the National Task Force to live up to our expectations and instill confidence into the minds of the demoralised doctor community," the doctors' body said in the letter.

The IMA also stated that it is the national organisation of modern medicine doctors established in 1928 which played a part in the freedom struggle of the country and has its headquarters in New Delhi.

It has presence in almost all the districts of the country with 1,800 local branches, 28 state branches and 3,85,000 members. In addition, IMA has it presence in all the medical colleges of the country through its Junior Doctors Network and Medical Students Network, the letter mentioned.

The entire medical fraternity of India heeded to the call of IMA by withdrawing of all services except emergencies and casualties on August 17, it mentioned.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case: Hours after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote a second letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterating her request for stringent central legislation and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes like rape and murder, in the wake of the Kolkata doctor's rape-murder case, the Centre asserted that existing laws were stringent enough to tackle violence and crimes against women. Chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee. (Samir Jana/HT file)

In a second letter to Mamata Banerjee in a week, Union minister for women and child development Annapurna Devi urged the West Bengal government to implement the same in letter and spirit.

Annapurna Devi claimed that the information contained in the Bengal chief minister's letter was factually incorrect and suggested that it aims to cover up delays in the operationalization of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) in the state.

Devi said the state government has not operationalised additional 11 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) to specifically deal with cases of rape and POCSO cases.

Mamata Banerjee, who wrote to PM Narendra Modi recently on the issue following nationwide uproar over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old woman trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, sought mandatory provision for time-bound disposal of cases of rape/rape and murder.

'48,600 rape, POCSO cases pending of in West Bengal'

"In spite of the pendency of 48,600 rape and POCSO cases in West Bengal, the State has not operationalised additional 11 FTSCs which may be exclusive POCSO courts or combined FTSCs dealing with both rape and POCSO cases, as per the state's requirement," Annapurna Devi said in the letter to Mamata Banerjee.

As may be seen, the information contained in your letter in this regard is factually incorrect and appears to be a step in the direction to cover up the delays in operationalising the FTSCs by the state, the letter added.

Responding to Banerjee's observation on the need to post permanent judicial officers in FTSCs, the Union minister said the scheme guidelines clearly provide for one judicial officer and seven staff to work exclusively for the disposal of rape and POCSO Act cases.

Hence, an additional charge of FTSCs cannot be given to any permanent judicial officer or court staff. This position was clarified earlier to the West Bengal, Annapurna Devi explained.

Existing laws strong enough: Centre to Mamata

The minister added that in the event of an insufficient workforce, states and union territories have the option to engage judicial officers and court staff on a contractual basis under the FTSC scheme.

Devi said the enactments by the central government are comprehensive and stringent enough to tackle the violence and crimes against women.

"If the state government follows the central legislations in letter and spirit, it will certainly have a lasting impact on strengthening the criminal justice system, bringing the perpetrators of such crimes to face the consequences commensurate with the offence and also in ensuring justice to the victims or survivors," the union minister said.

"I once again request you to ensure due sensitisation and positive approach of all duty holders at appropriate levels to ensure proper handling of cases with due care and attention to bring finality as per the timelines prescribed under the statutes," Devi said.
India has a special China problem and the four-year military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the state of the bilateral relationship call for precautions such as scrutiny of Chinese investments, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday. External affairs minister S Jaishankar speaks at a conclave in Delhi on Saturday. (ANI)

Jaishankar, who has maintained for long that the normalisation of India-China relations cant be delinked from peace and tranquillity on the border, made the remarks while speaking on foreign policy issues at a conclave in New Delhi. Relations between the two Asian countries have been at a six-decade low since the face-off on the LAC began in April-May 2020.

He said India is not the only country debating problems linked to China, since China is among the key economic and national security discussions in European countries and the US. India has a China problem, a special China problem, thats over and above the worlds general China problem, he said.

While dealing with trade, investments and exchanges of different kinds with China, the basics start to go off track if one neglects to consider that this is a very unique country with a very different way of working. India, he said, has had a very difficult situation on the border for the last four years and the sensible response is to take precautions.

Its common sense that investments from China would be scrutinised. I think the border and the state of relations between India and China call for it, Jaishankar said. Even countries that dont have borders with China, such as the US and European states, are scrutinising Chinese investments, he noted.

Now it has never been the governments position that we should not be having investments from China or doing business with China...The issue is not do you have investments from China or not, its not a yes or no answer. It is what should be the appropriate level of scrutiny, how should you handle it, he said.

Jaishankar contended that the concept of national security too has been expanded. If we were completely reliant...on pharmaceuticals from China, does it not have national security implications? If your telecom is based on Chinese technology, can you be impervious to it? he questioned.

This is a complex factor and the separation between economics and security with certain countries is a very thin line, Jaishankar said.

He also pointed out that countries, including India, are complaining about trade deficits with China because they consciously chose to overlook the nature of Chinese production and the advantages which they enjoyed in a system where they got a level playing field decades ago.

In May, Jaishankar had contended that Indian firms have to assess business dealings with China through a national security filter and do more sourcing from domestic manufacturers amid the standoff on the LAC. Speaking at the annual business summit of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), he had argued that national security sensitivities should be evaluated in business propositions.
India on Friday said that it is willing to play a constructive role in restoring peace between Russia and Ukraine, though it is the prerogative of the two warring countries to decide when and how to commence peace talks. There has been widespread speculation in diplomatic circles about any possible role for India in mediating between Russia and Ukraine following Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Moscow in July and to Kyiv last week (AFP)

Addressing a regular media briefing, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal sought to play down Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys recent criticism of Indias oil purchases from Russia and New Delhis decision not to sign on for the joint communique issued after the first peace summit on Ukraine.

There has been widespread speculation in diplomatic circles about any possible role for India in mediating between Russia and Ukraine following Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Moscow in July and to Kyiv last week. People familiar with the matter had said on condition of anonymity that New Delhi would prefer to pass messages between the two sides instead of engaging in direct mediation.

Also Read | PM Modi speaks to Vladimir Putin; underlines importance of dialogue, diplomacy

Jaiswal, who faced several questions at the briefing about Indias role in helping end the conflict, sought to play down the possibility of mediation. We have always advocated constructive, solution-oriented and practical engagement with all stakeholders to achieve a negotiated settlement to this conflict, he said.

This is evident in our outreach to both Russia and Ukraine at the highest level. Prime Minister has already indicated Indias willingness to play a constructive role in the interest of peace, he added.

Jaiswal emphasised it is too early to comment on specific modalities and pathways for ending the conflict and restoring peace.

The decision [as] to when and how to commence peace talks is the prerogative of the two parties to the conflict. As friends and partners, we would support any feasible and mutually acceptable solution or format that could restore peace, he said.

Also Read | PM Modi, Joe Biden discuss Ukraine conflict, Bangladesh unrest

Jaiswal also faced questions about Zelenskys criticism of Indias position at a media conference following his meeting with Modi on August 23. Zelensky had said that India is helping sustain Russias war economy through its purchases of crude oil and that President Vladimir Putin would be forced to end the war if India changed its stance. He had further proposed that India could host the second peace summit on Ukraine, but it would have to sign on for the joint communique from the first summit for that.

Jaiswal described this criticism as the Ukrainian sides perspective on various matters that was shared with the media.

As far as we are concerned, we will be guided by the bilateral discussions weve had with them, including the exchange of views during [Modis] visit, which we believe will pave the way for stronger bilateral ties, apart from facilitating more forward-looking discussions on the possibility of peaceful resolution of the conflict, he said.

Modi, Jaiswal reiterated, had clearly told Zelensky that India, as a friend of Ukraine, is ready to play an active role for peace.

India has so far not criticised Russias invasion of Ukraine and abstained on most Ukraine-related resolutions at the United Nations. The Ukrainian side has called on India to do more, as a voice of the Global South, to help end the conflict.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe's Consul-General in South Africa, Eria Phiri, says that the government of Zimbabwe will carry the costs of repatriating the bodies of the people that died in a bus accident in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo on Tuesday evening.Phiri was speaking during a visit to the accident scene, alongside Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa.The bus crash victims are five women and five men, all Zimbabwean nationals.They were travelling to Gauteng from Zimbabwe.Phiri says they are busy identifying the bodies."We are still trying to verify the real identity of those who perished in the accident. We have got 10 and so far, I think we still have seven who are still admitted in various hospitals here in Makhado and 32 were treated and discharged. We're right now in contact with the families back home in Zimbabwe, firstly to ascertain the identities of those who are in the mortuary. So far, two have been positively identified by their relatives. The government of Zimbabwe will start facilitation of the repatriation, all the costs towards the repatriation of the deceased are going to be met by the government of Zimbabwe."
New Delhi: Indias ties with the US constitute a very invaluable relationship, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Friday, while simultaneously asserting that New Delhi should not be intimidated from pursuing its economic relations with Russia. S Jaishankar at the book launch event Strategic Conundrums: Reshaping Indias foreign policy by former ambassador Rajiv Sikri (X/@DrSJaishankar)

Jaishankar spoke extensively on Indias foreign policy and relations with countries in the neighbourhood and with key global powers such as China, Russia and the US at an event to mark the release of the book Strategic Conundrums: Reshaping Indias foreign policy by former ambassador Rajiv Sikri.

He said, just as the book acknowledges, the relationship with the US is for strategic and economic purposes a very invaluable relationship for us. He added, Therefore, I would actually argue that the US is today indispensable for our multipolarity to go up, that if we need that decision-making space, that freedom, we need countries whose interest it is that we have those margins on our side.

Jaishankar said no one is in denial about the history of the India-US relationship, which faced a series of challenges from the 1950s to the 1980s. The challenge for us is when we think of multipolarity and strategic autonomy; because of that history, it is often a concept where we posit ourselves against the US, he said.

The reality of the world today is something very different. If we look at where the pressures are, the primary source of pressure is no longer the US.

In a way, because the world has changed, our understanding of the US has changed...The US understanding of us has too.

Jaishankar also pointed to convergences in India-US relations. India and the US, by their nature, will always have interests that will differ and diverge from those of the other part, he said.

When it comes to Russia, India will have to be sensitive to a Eurasian balance, he said. Its a core strategic requirement for us. But I would also say if you look at trade with Russia, which has gone up five times, and its not just a simple oil issue, I would urge you to look at it much more deeply, that there is an economic complementarity between India and Russia, he said, referring to Indias decision to ramp up purchases of discounted Russian crude since 2022.

And we should not be intimidated from pursuing the advantages of that complementarity, he added. Russia is now following its own look east policy and there has been a shift in how Moscow approaches the world after 2022, and India needs to understand and take advantage of this.

In the case of Pakistan, Jaishankar said, the era of uninterrupted dialogue is over and where Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, the issue of Article 370 is done. He was referring to the Indian governments move to scrap Jammu and Kashmirs special status in 2019.

In a reference to Indias long-standing concerns about Pakistan sponsoring cross-border terrorism, he said, Actions have consequences. While the book suggests that India would be content to continue at the current level of the relationship with Pakistan, Jaishankar said, Maybe yes, maybe no. What I do want to say is we are not passive and whether events take a positive or a negative direction, either way, we will react.

Turning to China, with which India has been locked in a military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since 2020, Jaishankar said New Delhi has done substantial work to fix the border infrastructure deficit, which is key to maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas.
An Indigo flight, with 174 people on board, made an emergency landing at the Kolkata airport late on Friday night after one of the aircrafts engines failed in mid-air, airport officials said. The flight from Kolkata to Bengaluru took off from Kolkata at 10.36pm on Friday.

Officials said that all passengers were safe and there were no reports of any injuries.

The flight from Kolkata to Bengaluru, with 161 passengers and 13 crew members, had taken off from Kolkata at 10.36pm on Friday.

An emergency was declared at 10.39 pm. The left engine had failed. No fire or spark was reported, said an official.

I was on the flight and there was a loud boom some five minutes into being airborne. The plane started turning north within a minute or so of the sound. We landed back at Netaji (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport) without incident. Kudos to the pilots and the crew for keeping us safe and not allowing panic to set in, Gourab Dey, a passenger wrote on social media.

Officials at NSCBI airport said that a full emergency was declared and both runways were cleared for the flight to land. Fire tenders and ambulances were deployed to tackle any eventuality.

The flight landed safely at 10.53pm. The passengers and crew were evacuated. The aircraft was inspected. Emergency was withdrawn at 11.08 pm, said an official.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar humorously reflected on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent 10-hour train journey to Ukraine, saying he could have done that with a Vande Bharat. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.(DrSJaishankar - X)

Responding to a question at the ET World Leaders Forum about PM Modi's train ride, Jaishankar quipped, I could have done with a Vande Bharat.

He added, It was 10 hours each way, and I think, given the situation, obviously, you got what you got, but 10 hours is 10 hours.

When asked about the last time an Indian prime minister took a train ride, Jaishankar recalled Modi's ride on Japan's Shinkansen bullet train, pointing to the rarity of such events.

"I remember Prime Minister Narendra Modi going on a Shinkansen bullet train in Japan, I often cannot remember any other train ride at least for a long time," the minister said.

Also Read | Vande Bharat Express sleeper coaches to get dispatched from Bengaluru's BEML, expected to be launched by December

The Vande Bharat Express is a high-speed train service in India, developed as part of the government's efforts to modernise the country's rail infrastructure. It is a fully air-conditioned, semi-high-speed train that can reach speeds of up to 180 km/h, though it typically operates at around 130-160 km/h (81-99 mph) on most routes due to track conditions. The first Vande Bharat Express was launched on February 15, 2019, on the New Delhi-Varanasi route. Since then, several more routes have been introduced, connecting major cities across India.

Modi visited Ukraine last week, becoming the first Indian premier to do so since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992. The visit was seen as part of India's delicate balancing act amid the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, especially after Modi's recent visit to Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin.

Also Read | PM Modi, Joe Biden discuss Ukraine conflict, Bangladesh unrest

Modi's journey to Ukraine

Prime Minister Modi's journey to Kyiv involved a 10-hour train ride from Poland amid the challenges of travelling in a war-torn region.

Upon his arrival, Modi was warmly received by members of the Indian community and held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

The prime minister's visit included a poignant stop at the National Museum of History in Kyiv, where he paid tribute to children who have lost their lives in the conflict.

Zelenskyy warmly hugged and shook hands with Modi at the exposition.

Amid widespread speculation about Indias role in peace efforts, Modi said he came with a message of peace from 1.4 billion Indians and the countries of the Global South, and a solution can only emerge through talks between Russia and Ukraine. He also conveyed Indias support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The path to a solution emerges from dialogue and diplomacy and, without wasting time, we should move in that direction. The two sides should sit together and search for ways to get out of this hour of crisis, Modi said in televised opening remarks at his meeting with Zelenskyy.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was on Saturday hit by two exits of two more leaders in the Jammu and Kashmir unit ahead of the assembly elections. Two BJP leaders have quit party over ticket distribution for J&K assembly elections.(HT_PRINT)

Kashmir Singh, the BJP's Samba district president, resigned from the party's primary membership. Opposing the candidature of former J&K minister Surjit Singh Slathia who switched over from Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference to the BJP, Singh said,"With a heavy heart, I am submitting my resignation from the primary membership of the party for which I have worked for 42 long years. I was compelled by the circumstances after the party gave ticket to a person who had come from the National Conference (NC) and vociferously opposed our ideology for decades."



ALSO READ: Denied ticket, J&K BJP veteran Chander Mohan Sharma quits

Slathia, who served as a minister in the Congress-NC coalition government headed by Omar Abdullah, joined the BJP in 2021.

Kashmir Singh, recalling his contributions to the BJP, further told PTI,"We strengthened the BJP in Samba and made numerous sacrifices to carry forward the ideology of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee and the BJP. We held demonstrations and organised strikes for the revocation of Article 370 and the ticket was given to the one who was always against our ideology and the revocation of Article 370. This is not justice with ordinary workers."



ALSO READ: BJPs damage control exercise in J&K after workers protest ticket allotment



In his resignation letter to J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina, Singh said he will withdraw his resignation if the party replaces Slathia with a senior BJP member.



Otherwise, I am going to take forward this struggle and file my nomination papers as an independent candidate against him," he added.





ALSO READ: Ravinder Raina rushes to Katra after revolt rattles BJPs J&K unit



BJYM youth leader quits party

Another BJP leader Kanav Sharma also resigned in protest against the party fielding Yudhvir Sethi from Jammu East.



Sharma, the Jammu district chief of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, said,Sethi is well known for his corrupt practices when his wife Priya Sethi was education minister I hereby tender my resignation along with my team members and my team is dissolved with immediate effect."



The assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the first in 10 years, will be held on September 18, 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 4.



(With PTI inputs)
The Karnataka high court on Friday adjourned the hearing on former chief minister BS Yediyurappas plea to quash a case against him for the alleged sexual harassment of a minor to September 5. Pocso case was registered against Yediyurappa on March 3 at the Sadashivanagar police station in Bengaluru on charges of sexual harassment of a minor (PTI)

Justice M Naga Prasanna postponed the hearing after senior public prosecutor Ashok Naik, representing the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), sought time to submit documents in the case.

The single judge bench of justice Naga Prasanna has also continued its interim order of June 14, directing the police not to initiate any action against Yediyurappa. The court had restrained the CID police from arresting Yediyurappa, who had been issued a non-bailable warrant.

A protection of children from sexual offences (Pocso) Act case was registered against Yediyurappa on March 3 at the Sadashivanagar police station in Bengaluru on charges of sexual harassment of a minor. The mother of the minor had filed the complaint, stating Yediyurappa had sexually assaulted her daughter, when they had gone to seek help at his residence in February.

Considering the seriousness of the case, the government had transferred it to CID. Officials had issued a notice on June 12 to Yediyurappa and asked him to attend the hearing.

The former CM had filed two separate petitions in the HC for anticipatory bail and to quash the case. During the hearing on Friday, senior counsel CV Nagesh, representing Yediyurappa, submitted to the court that everyday one or the other ministers of the Congress government were issuing statements about sending the former chief minister to jail. They claim that they will get the interim stay vacated and get him arrested.

Nagesh said the ministers were making statements that Yediyurappa should surrender before the police in the case and that he will be sent to jail. I challenge the other party to place the arguments now. If it is in the fate of my client to go to prison, let him land in prison, he submitted. Replying to it, Naik said: We are ready for arguments in the case.
Veteran Malayalam actor Mohanlal on Saturday spoke out on the ongoing sexual abuse allegations that have rocked the Malayalam film industry, saying any wrongdoers should be punished if there is concrete evidence against them. Malayalam star Mohanlal says wrongdoers should be punished if there is evidence against them. (Facebook | Mohanlal)

Mohanlal also lauded the Kerala government's decision to release the Justice Hema Committee report, which has brought to light numerous accounts of sexual harassment and abuse within the industry.

"Releasing the Hema Committee report was a good decision by the government," he said.

Mohanlal asserted that he's neither a part of any power group in the Malayalam film industry nor aware of the existence of any such group.

Also Read | '#MeToo is a fad': An old video of Mohanlal dismissing the #MeToo movement resurfaces after his AMMA resignation

The Hema Committee report, which was made public last week, has sparked widespread protests in Kerala, with female actors coming forward with harrowing stories of abuse by well-known figures in the industry. The report, which had been kept under wraps for five years, has exposed the persistent sexual harassment faced by women in Malayalam cinema, leading to a public outcry and demands for accountability.

In the wake of the report's release, Mohanlal and other office-bearers of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) resigned en masse, taking moral responsibility for the allegations and the association's failure to adequately address the issue.

He said Malayalam cinema is a huge industry where thousands of people work and the actors's association AMMA could not address issues that cropped up there.

"Wrongdoers should be punished if there is evidence against them," the "Kireedam" actor said.

Also Read | What after the Hema panel report? Answer lies with us

It was for the first time that Mohanlal, former president of AMMA, was addressing the media following the release of the expert panel report.

The Justice Hema Committee was established in 2019 following the high-profile 2017 actress assault case involving actor Dileep. The report highlights the widespread nature of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry, with several women revealing that they were subjected to unwanted advances, intimidation, and threats while working on film sets.

With PTI inputs
Kolkata doctor's rape-murder: Sanjay Roy, the main accused in the Kolkata doctor rape-murder case wh is currently detained at Presidency correctional home, has reportedly shown dissatisfaction with the meals provided in the prison. Sanjay Roy accused in Kolkata rape-murder case

Upset with the basic roti-sabzi meal, Sanjay Roy demanded to be served egg chowmein instead, News18 reported citing unnamed sourced.

HT could not independently verify the news.

As per prison regulations, all inmates must eat the same food that is prepared for everyone, so his request was denied.

The sources from the prison told news portal that that Sanjay Roy became agitated when served the standard roti and vegetables, but after being reprimanded by the jail staff, he eventually agreed to eat the meal.

Earlier, upon his transfer from CBI custody to the correctional home, Sanjay Roy had requested extra time to sleep and was noted to be muttering to himself. However, after a few days, he seemed to return to his normal state, News18 added.

So far, the investigation into the rape-murder of the Kolkata doctor has resulted in only one arrest, that of Kolkata Police civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy, who currently remains in judicial custody.

RG Kar hospital rape-murder: CBI continues to quiz Sandip Ghosh

On Friday, tbe Central Bureau Investigation summoned former principal of RG Kar Medical College Sandip Ghosh for the 14th consecutive day for questioning in connection with its probe into the case.

Sandip Ghosh, officials said, has already been quizzed by the agency for over 140 hours, news agency PTI reported.

Besides the gruesome crime, Sandip Ghosh is also under the agencys lens in the financial misconduct case at the hospital in which the sleuths have already registered an FIR against him and other entities.

Agency officials also searched and questioned the former principal at his residence last Sunday.

Sandip Ghosh was seen walking inside the CGO Complex in Salt Lake, which houses the agencys eastern regional headquarters, at around 10.45am.

On Thursday, multiple CBI teams visited the state-run RG Kar hospital as part of its ongoing investigations.

(With inputs from agencies)
Aug 31, 2024 10:26 PM IST

Kolkata rape-murder case live updates: Two security guards were arrested on Saturday for allegedly assaulting doctors and other staff members at a hospital in the Cossipore area of the city, police said. Officials indicated that the guards were likely intoxicated at the time of the incident.

"The matter is under investigation. We arrested the guards after receiving a complaint from the hospital authorities," said an officer from Cossipore Police Station.

A senior hospital official also alleged that the guards had threatened him with severe consequences.
New Delhi: The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will visit the United States from September 8-10 during which he will engage with the Indian diaspora, academic communities, and business leaders in Dallas and Washington DC, said the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC), Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, in a video message on Saturday. Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi (File Photo)

Since Rahul Gandhi has become the leader of the opposition, I, as chairman of the Indian overseas Congress with presence in 32 countries, have been bombarded with requests from the Indian diaspora, diplomats, academicians, businessmen, leaders, international media, and many others for interactions with Mr Rahul Gandhi, Pitroda said.

He added that Gandhis visit to the US will be brief but significant, with stops in Dallas on September 8 and Washington DC on September 9 and 10.

In Dallas, Gandhi is scheduled to engage with students and academics at the University of Texas. He will later participate in a large community gathering, where he will meet with technocrats and local leaders at a dinner event.

The following day, Gandhi will engage in similar interactions with a diverse group, including think tanks and members of the National Press Club.

According to Pitroda, several events are planned with various stakeholders, reflecting the growing interest among people in states governed by the Congress, particularly Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and hopefully Maharashtra, as well as Gurugram.

We see great interest in conversations from the business and tech communities. We look forward to a very successful visit and welcoming Rahul Gandhi to the US, Pitroda said.

We look forward to a very successful visit, he added.
The arrest of a 37-year-old man in Magadi for the murder of a 22-year-old woman has revealed that he had murdered his wife, who was initially reported to be missing, five years ago, a police officer said. On May 26, 2019, Kirans wife was reported to have gone missing. He had allegedly told the womans family that their daughter had eloped (File photo)

Magadi police inspector K Giriraj said that the accused, identified as Kiran Kumar, a resident of Hujugal village in Magadi taluk in Ramanagara district, was arrested on Monday for being one of the accused of the murder of Divya, wife of one of the accused Umesh, on August 12. She was allegedly killed by Kiran, Shashank, Rohit, Umesh and Bharat. While the other accused were soon arrested but Kiran remained absconding, Giriraj said.

He further said that during interrogation, Kiran admitted to have also murdered his wife, Pooja, five years ago. On May 26, 2019, Kirans wife was reported to have gone missing. He had allegedly told the womans family that their daughter had eloped. Meanwhile, Kiran had buried Poojas body in the Hoojal forest area of Magadi, he said.

He further said: After watching a movie Drushyam, Kiran became paranoid about being caught if Poojas body remained buried. Two years after the murder, he exhumed her remains and incinerated them over a period of two days, in an attempt to destroy all evidence.

Her missing report was filed by her mother Lakshmamma on August 26 after Kirans confession.

After his confession, the Magadi police launched an investigation into the whereabouts of Poojas remains. They recovered bones and teeth from the site in the Hoojal forest. They were then sent to a forensic laboratory for analysis. Magadi Tahsildar DP Sarathkumar was also present during the recovery operation, Giriraj said.

Kiran has been booked under BNS 103 (murder) for the murder of two women and was sent him to judicial custody, he added.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe's central bank said it's "strategically intervening" in the foreign-exchange market to meet demand for dollars among lenders amid a slump in the nation's bullion-backed currency.The intervention is being done using 50% of the foreign-exchange proceeds that the central bank collects from exporters, Governor John Mushayavanhu said, without disclosing the amount. The Reserve Bank will continue to participate in the foreign exchange market "to ensure operational flexibility within the supply and demand dynamics," he said Friday in an emailed statement of the mid-term monetary policy.In July, the central bank put $50 million in the foreign-exchange market to help meet a surge in demand for dollars and support its gold-backed unit, the ZiG, adopted in early April.The ZiG, short for Zimbabwe Gold, is the nation's sixth attempt at having a functioning local currency in 15 years. It is backed by gold, precious minerals and cash reserves. The ZiG weakened to 13.85 per dollar Friday  its lowest-level since launch.
A man was arrested for alleged sexual misconduct with a student from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Tamil Nadus Trichy in the hostel, a police officer said on Friday. A man was arrested for alleged sexual misconduct with a student from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Tamil Nadus Trichy in the hostel (File photo)

The incident has led to a massive protest on campus with hundreds of students gathering overnight on August 29 to protest over the institutes alleged apathy over the crime.

The accused has been arrested and sent to judicial remand, said superintendent of police Varun Kumar who met the protesting students on Friday morning. When the student was alone, he sexually harassed her The protesting students have raised some complaints against the institution.

The accused has been identified as G Kathiresan. He has been booked under sections 332(3) and 75(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act, he said.

Also Read | Hidden cam found in girls hostel washroom in Andhra college; CM orders probe

The incident allegedly took place on Thursday at around 11:30 pm. After the incident, the survivor at first informed the hostel warden who reportedly shamed her then she informed her father who filed a complaint with the police. Meanwhile, the NIT management campus informed the local inspector, police said.

A student requesting anonymity said that as soon as the victim had complained to the warden, she was shamed and they didnt take any action.

The warden criticised her clothes, blamed her for the incident, the student said. The institute should apologise and not shame the victim. They must support whoever is complaining.

A senior police officer said: The warden asked her about her clothes which upset the victim. Despite security and the warden being there, the students are questioning how the accused was able to enter the hostel.

The institute has agreed to look into these issues. There has been a lapse in the security agency. We have instructed the institute to take action against them too, the officer said.

The warden has apologised to the students, the institute said in a statement. The administration is distressed at the gross sexual misconduct of an outsourced worker in the Opal womens hostel, the institute said.

It further stated: The matter, which brought the students out in protest, is viewed with utmost sensitivity and concern. Following the incident, the administration of NIT have drawn out more stringent measures to ensure the safety of all students on campus, particularly, the safety of its girl students.

The security officer has been instructed to be more vigilant so as to prevent such eventualities. The NIT administration emphasised that all measures will be put in place to prevent any recurrence of such incidents in the future, the statement added.
The Meghalaya government on Saturday formally handed over the body of Bangladeshi politician Ishaque Ali Khan Panna to his relatives at the Dawki-Tamabil international border with Bangladesh. Pannas decomposed body was found on August 26, 2024, from a betel nut plantation in the Dona Bhoi area of East Jaintia Hills District, approximately 1.5 kilometers from the Indo-Bangladesh border. His identity was confirmed through a Bangladesh passport found from his body. The body of Bangladeshi politician Ishaque Ali Khan Panna was officially transferred to his kin in the presence of officers and personnel from both sides of the border on Saturday. (HT Photo)

Following standard procedures, an inquest and post-mortem were conducted at Khliehriat Civil Hospital. The body was then handed over to two representatives of the Bangladesh High Commission and Pannas family members by the East Jaintia Hills District administration, led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Jacqueline U. Kharpuri. The handover process, which began at 5am, faced delays as some of Pannas relatives sought further clarification on the post-mortem report.

After addressing their concerns and requests, the body was officially transferred to Pannas kin around noon, in the presence of officers and personnel from both sides of the border. On the Indian side, representatives from the West Jaintia Hills District administration, the Border Security Force, and Meghalaya Police were present, while on the Bangladeshi side, officials from the Border Guard Bangladesh and Bangladesh Police attended the handover.

It is noteworthy that while the Dawki-Tamabil international border with Bangladesh falls under West Jaintia Hills District, the body was found in the Dona Bhoi area of East Jaintia Hills District. As a result, the entire process involved coordination between two districts of the state. Panna, who had been evading capture following the fall of the Awami League government, reportedly died while attempting to flee to India. Preliminary reports suggest that he suffered a cardiac arrest while trying to cross the Indo-Bangladesh border near Meghalaya. However, conflicting reports suggest he may have been involved in a shooting incident with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), leaving questions about the exact circumstances of his death.

On the same day, another body was found near the residence of Saddam, son of Raffikul Islam, in Donachera village, Kanaighat, Sylhet District, about 400 meters from the border. Saddam is under investigation for his alleged role in an illegal border crossing involving retired Bangladesh Supreme Court judge AHM Shamsuddin Chaudhary Manik, who was reportedly carrying 40-50 lakh Bangladeshi Taka. There are suspicions that Saddam may have betrayed the judge, raising questions about his potential connection to Pannas death.

Authorities are actively investigating the links between Saddam, the deceased body, and the judges attempted border crossing.

Senior officials from the Border Security Force (BSF) Meghalaya Frontier said there had been no incursion into Indian Territory. We received reports of a body on the Bangladesh side but have not ventured into the neighboring country. We remain committed to securing our nations border, a senior BSF official said.
Cyclone Asna, which originated as a depression over Gujarat, formed over the Arabian Sea on Friday, marking only the fourth such occurrence in August since 1891. Kutch: A flooded area at Kothara village in Kutch district, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. The India Metrological Department (IMD) has warned that a deep depression over the Kutch region might turn into a cyclonic storm. (PTI Photo)(PTI08_30_2024_000229B) (PTI)

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday that the deep depression over the Kutch coast and adjoining areas of Pakistan and Northeast Arabian Sea intensified into a cyclonic storm and was centred about 190 kilometres west-northwest of Bhuj (Gujarat), 100 kilometres west-northwest of Naliya (Gujarat), and 170 kilometres southeast of Karachi (Pakistan) at 11.30am.

While the cyclone is unlikely to unleash the sort of destruction caused by a recent low-pressure system that turbocharged the monsoon rains in Gujarat over the last week, Asna is rare and scientifically intriguing, meteorologists said.

Also Read | Gujarat floods: IMD warns of cyclone; several towns, villages remain inundated

Unlike typical cyclones that form over warm ocean waters, Asna developed over land in Rajasthan, moved through North Gujarat, and then intensified upon reaching the Arabian Sea.

Ashok Kumar Das, scientist and head of the IMD Met Centre in Ahmedabad, highlighted the rarity of this event: This is a rare occurrence. The last time something similar happened was in 1976, when a depression formed on land, transitioned into a cyclone, and then moved out to sea. Usually, its the other way around.

Asna is further slated to intensify as it heads west, towards Oman. The Arabian Seas current temperature of 27-28C is just above the 26.5C threshold typically required for cyclone formation. When it enters the Gulf of Aden, it will encounter very warm waters at over 32C. The temperature gradient between the colder west-central Arabian Sea and the warmer surrounding waters could influence the cyclones trajectory and strength.

Also Read | More rain likely in Gujarat, IMD predicts cyclonic storm Asna

According to IMD data, only on three occasions (1976, 1964 and 1944) have cyclones originated over mainland India in August and gathered strength as they entered the Arabian Sea. In 1976, the storm formed over Odisha, moved west-northwestwards across the plains, emerged into the Arabian Sea, made a loop, and weakened over the northwest Arabian Sea near the Oman coast.

In 1944, a cyclone similarly intensified and emerged into the Arabian Sea before weakening over the waters. In 1964, a short-lived cyclone developed near the South Gujarat coast and weakened near the coast.

In contrast, the Bay of Bengal has recorded 28 such systems in August over the past 132 years, according to the IMD.

Current environmental conditions indicate sea surface temperatures of 28-30 degrees Celsius over the Bay of Bengal and around 27-28 degrees Celsius over the Arabian Sea.

Speaking about why this activity is unusual, M Rajeevan, former secretary, ministry of earth sciences and climate scientist, said that one of the reasons could be because the Indian Ocean remaining warm. In monsoon, depressions do not intensify to cyclone. Over Arabian Sea, wind shear should be high during this season which is also not suitable for intensification. That is why I am surprised, said Rajeevan.

According to Rajeevan, normal temperatures over Arabian Sea during this season are expected to be 25 to 26 degree C.

Recent studies show that cyclones are becoming more frequent on the western coast due to climate crisis and the warming of the Arabian Sea, with states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan facing increasingly intense storms. According to a CEEW study, over 41% of districts in the western zone are now cyclone hot spots. Gujarat can significantly enhance safety during cyclones by channelling funds into constructing robust structures. Prioritising early response through well-prepared shelters will strengthen our resilience, reducing potential loss of life and property, said Vishwas Chitale, Senior Programme Lead, CEEW

Meanwhile, a well-marked low-pressure area over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh and South Odisha is expected to intensify into a depression within the next 36 hours. This system is likely to bring very heavy rainfall to Odisha, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, and Telangana over the next 2-3 days.

The formation of Cyclone Asna follows a period of severe weather that has already battered parts of Gujarat. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited the rain-affected Devbhumi Dwarka district on Wednesday to oversee ongoing relief efforts. Khambhaliya, one of the worst-hit areas, recorded an extraordinary 944 mm of rainfall over five days, causing widespread disruption and displacement.

Rescue operations have been in full swing, with the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Army working tirelessly to save lives both at sea and on land.

On Thursday morning, an ALH helicopter of the Indian Coast Guard rescued four crew members from the fishing boat Dostana, which was stranded 30 km southwest of Dwarka in precarious conditions.

The Coast Guard also conducted multiple helicopter operations, evacuating 24 people, including five women and two children, from the flood-stricken villages of Dumthar, Thepada, and Kutiyana. Many of those rescued were stranded on rooftops or clinging to pillars for safety. Between 28 and 29 August 2024, the Coast Guard successfully evacuated a total of 57 stranded individuals and 17 fishermen.

The Army mobilised eight columns, equipped with engineering resources and medical expertise, to provide critical assistance and disaster relief in Vadodara, Jamnagar, Dwarka, Rajkot, Morbi, and Bhuj. In one notable incident, the Indian Army rescued eight people, including six children, who were trapped for four days in a village in Jodiya, Jamnagar district.

Vadodara has been especially hard-hit by the monsoon, with the rapid rise of the Vishwamitri River leading to severe flooding. The Indian Army on Thursday rescued over 200 people from flood-affected areas in the city, relocating them to safer locations.

As of Thursday, 130 people had been rescued in Devbhumi Dwarka district, and 1,596 individuals had been relocated to safer areas. Over 12,000 food packets have been distributed to those displaced by the flooding.

In the last 24 hours ending at 4pm on Friday, Kutch recorded the highest rainfall at 112.50mm. Mandvi in Kutch emerged as the wettest location, recording 388mm of rainfall.

The state has received a total of 980.37mm of rainfall so far this year, which is 111.03% of the average annual rainfall. At least 35 people have died so far in rain-related incidents across the state since August 25.
Mumbai, A woman witness in the Patra chawl redevelopment project case, wherein Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut is one of the accused, has written to the Enforcement Directorate alleging that she was receiving threats to change her statements given during investigations. Patra chawl case witness alleges threat to withdraw her statements against Sanjay Raut

She posted a letter written on August 28 to Amit Dua, additional director , ED, on X.

"I have mentioned my plight to all the authorities in the country. No action was taken. No investigation done. No FIR, why? There will not be any point in giving justice after I am dead" , she claimed.

Reacting to the letter, a Shiv Sena leader said the matter will be raised with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the commissioner of police, Mumbai.

Raut was arrested by the ED in a money laundering case related to the Patra Chawl redevelopment project on August 1, 2022. He was released on bail on November 9, 2022.

The special court, while granting him bail, questioned why the ED did not arrest the main accused, Rakesh and Sarang Wadhawan of realty firm HDIL.

In the detailed order, the court said Sanjay Raut's arrest was illegal and a "witch-hunt. The reason the agency did not arrest concerned officials of MHADA and other government departments was "nothing, but conveying a message to then Union agriculture minister and then chief minister, creating a fear psyche in their mind that they are the next in this queue," the judge had said without naming the politicians in question.

Notably, the woman witness had last year complained to the Mumbai Police claiming that she had received a threatening letter pressuring her not to raise her voice in court.

"I would like to bring it to your notice that the accused in the referred case and his touts/goons are constantly indulging in witness threatening/tampering with me and maybe with others as well. I am continuously being threatened and being pressured to change my statements given during the investigations.

"I am also being pressurised for the title of some lands and properties in the name of Sanjay Raut and his family members," she stated and requested the ED official to investigate the matter expeditiously.

Manisha Kayande, who belongs to Sena led by Shinde, said the party extends its support to the witness.

"It is our responsibility to stand firmly behind her. The reasons why Sanjay Raut has not been summoned must come out. Even Uddhav Thackeray has not uttered a single word about this issue. It is Thackeray who politicises attacks on women and calls himself a civilised and cultured politician, which doesn't suit him," Kayande said on Saturday.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday underlined the need for swift justice in cases involving crimes against women and said that it will give them greater assurance of their safety. His remarks came as India is witnessing an outrage over the alleged murder and rape of a 31-year-old woman trainee doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and the sexual assault on two kindergarten girls in Thane. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a gathering during the inauguration of the National Conference of District Judiciary in New Delhi on Saturday.(PTI)

Today, atrocities against women, safety of children are serious concerns of the society. The faster justice is delivered in cases of atrocities against women, the greater assurance half of the population will have about their safety, Modi said while addressing the inaugural session of a national conference of the district judiciary in the presence of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

Modi said there were several stringent laws to deal with crimes against women and there was a need to ensure better coordination among the criminal justice system to ensure swift justice.

His remarks came after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote to Modi, reiterating her request for stringent central legislation and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes like rape and murder.

In his address, Modi said, In the Amritkaal of Independence, 140 crore countrymen have only one dream - Developed India, New India. New India, that is - a modern India in thinking and determination. Our judiciary is a strong pillar of this vision.

The prime minister said that significant efforts had been made to eliminate delays in justice.

"In the past decade, significant efforts have been made at various levels to eliminate delays in justice. In the last 10 years, the country has spent an amount worth around Rs8,000 crore on the development of judicial infrastructure. Interestingly, 75% of the total amount spent on judicial infrastructure in the last 25 years has been spent in just the last 10 years alone," the PM said.

"We have got new Indian judicial law in the form of Indian Judicial Code. The spirit of these laws is - 'Citizen First, Dignity First and Justice First'. Our criminal laws are free from the colonial mindset of rulers and slaves," he added.

PM Narendra Modi also said the judiciary is considered a guardian of the Constitution, and that the Supreme Court and the judiciary have lived up to the responsibility.

Modi also said the people of India have never shown any distrust of the Supreme Court or the judiciary.

Describing the imposition of the Emergency as a "dark" period, the prime minister said the judiciary played a key role in upholding fundamental rights.

On matters of national security, Modi said, the judiciary has protected national integrity by keeping national interests paramount.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday slammed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav's Chinese version of Yogi Adityanath barb at Assam chief minister, after the state assembly scrapped the two-hour namaz break.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has hit out at Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of seeking cheap popularity by targeting Muslims.

 Tejashwi Yadav said that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is the 'Chinese version'. just because he was born in Assam.. Has Sam Pitroda's spirit entered Tejashwi Yadav?... It is the character of the INDI alliance to not respect the Constitution and insult every person, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla told ANI.



Rahul Gandhi had started his Bharat Jodo Yatra Part 2 from the Northeast itself. He (Rahul Gandhi) should tell whether if this is a statement to unite India?... On this, Rahul Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi should say when will they (Congress) break ties with RJD? the BJP leader added.



ALSO READ: Assam CM warns of 'dangerous trend' against indigenous Hindu MLAs in Assembly



The Assam assembly scrapped a two-hour break on Friday that allowed Muslim lawmakers to offer namaz (prayers). Reacting to the move, the former Bihar deputy chief minister said,"In an attempt to gain cheap popularity and become the "Chinese version of Yogi", the chief minister of Assam deliberately keeps doing acts that harass Muslims."



The proposal to do away with this provision in the Rules of Procedures of the assembly was placed before the Assam assembly's Rules Committee, headed by the Speaker, which unanimously agreed to drop the practice.

What Sarma said on assembly scrapping Namaz break?

Defending the assembly's decision, Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that the decision to do away with the two-hour Jumma break was a decision of all the Hindu and Muslim MLAs in the House.



He further said that when the assembly speaker announced the decision, none out of 25 Muslim MLAs raised any protest.

The chief minister said that the decision was being criticised only outside Assam, while the state legislators showed their commitment for working towards the development of the country.



(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday commended the Union government for its significant efforts in tiger conservation, noting a steady growth rate of 6% and an increase in the tiger population to 3,682 in 2022. This makes India home to approximately 75% of the worlds tiger population. (Representative Photo)

We have seen your (Centres) report. Good work has been done, a bench comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna and PV Sanjay Kumar said after reviewing the data and measures implemented by the government and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

The bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate Anupam Tripathi in 2017, which sought action to protect endangered tigers whose numbers had been declining across the country.

During the proceedings, additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre and NTCA, presented statistics highlighting the success of the governments conservation efforts. She informed the court that substantial work had been undertaken to increase the tiger population.

This positive development marks a significant improvement over the last decade, with the number of tigers rising from 2,226 in 2014 to 3,682 in 2022. Satisfied with the progress, the court decided to close the public interest litigation (PIL) proceedings.

According to the governments latest status report, regions like Central India, the Shivalik Hills, and the Gangetic plains saw notable increases in tiger populations, particularly in Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Maharashtra. However, some areas, such as the Western Ghats, experienced localized declines.

Indias tiger population is primarily concentrated in 53 dedicated tiger reserves, covering 75,796 square kilometers or 2.3% of the countrys total land area. The reserves with the highest tiger numbers include Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, which reported 260 tigers, followed by Bandipur (150) and Nagarhole (141) in Karnataka.

The estimated figure of 3,682 tigers is an average, with the population likely ranging between 3,167 and 3,925. These estimates are based on the number of unique tigers captured on camera, along with an extrapolation of tigers that may not have been photographed.

In its latest status report before the court, the government also presented data on tiger deaths, informing the bench that as of April 12 this year, India had lost 47 tigers, with 17 deaths in Madhya Pradesh, 11 in Maharashtra, and 6 in Karnataka. In 2023, 181 tigers died, with Maharashtra recording the highest number of deaths at 45, followed by Madhya Pradesh (43) and Uttarakhand (21).

While the 2024 tiger deaths are still under investigation, the status report revealed that 115 of the 181 deaths in 2023 are also under scrutiny. The report noted that 44 tigers died of natural causes in 2023, 9 were victims of poaching, and 7 died due to unnatural reasons not related to poaching, while 6 deaths were due to seizures.

The top court in 2017 had issued notice to the Union ministry of environment, the National Board for Wildlife and the NTCA on Tripathis plea, which had also sought relocation of people living near tiger reserves. The petition added tigers were being killed either by poisoning by locals or the authorities, shooting by forest guards or by poaching.
A key three-day conclave of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the Centre's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), began in Kerala's Palakkad on Saturday. Screengrab of a visual from day 1 of the three-day meet (PTI)

According to senior RSS office-bearer Sunil Ambekar, the 2024 Akhil Bharatiya Samanvay Baithak is a meeting of the multiple RSS-linked organisations, and not an executive meeting of the Sangh.

Here's all you need to know:

(1.) RSS will launch five initiatives for social reformation and nation building ahead of its 100th anniversary, due in September 2025.

(2.) These are Samajik Samrasta, Kutumb Prabodhan', Paryavaran Sanrakshan', Swadeshi' and Nagrik Kartavya.

(3.) Bangladesh, where Sheikh Hasina was ousted as prime minister on August 5 and the subsequent attacks on minorities, including Hindus, will also be discussed.

(4.) Another press conference will be held after the meeting concludes on Monday, Ambekar added.

(5.) As many as 32 RSS-linked organisations, represented by 320 karyakartas are participating in the event.

(6.) RSS sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and six joint general secretaries will also attend the seminar.

(7.) The meeting comes amid reports of a rift between the RSS and BJP. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party won 240 seats, down from 282 in 2014 and 303 in 2019, largely due to this alleged rift.

(8.) Though it failed to secure a third successive majority, the BJP formed government with its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

(9.) In Uttar Pradesh, which sends the highest 80 members to the 543-seat Lok Sabha and where the BJP has been in power since March 2017, its tally slipped to 33, behind local rival Samajwadi Party (37).

(10.) The party had won 71 and 62 seats in 2014 and 2019, respectively, in Uttar Pradesh.

(With PTI inputs)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the Indian judiciary to accelerate the resolution of cases involving crimes against women, stressing that swift justice would significantly enhance the sense of security for women and girls, who make up half of the countrys population. CJI DY Chandrachud and Prime Minister Narendra Modi interact during the inaugural event of the National Conference of District Judiciary, at Bharat Mandapam, Delhi, on Saturday. (ANI)

Inaugurating the National Conference of the District Judiciary, organised by the Supreme Court of India, Modi termed the issue of atrocities against women and safety of children a burning issue and a matter of serious concern for society. He emphasised: In cases of atrocities against women, as quickly the decisions come, half the population in the country will have greater assurance of their safety.

The PM pointed out that many stringent laws have been made for the safety of women, including in 2019 when the government planned for establishing fast-track special courts. Under this, there is a provision for setting up deposition centres for key witnesses. To effectuate this, the role of district monitoring committee is yet again important. This committee comprises the district judge, district magistrate and superintendent of police. In order to have coordination and synergy between different aspects of the criminal justice system, they have an important role to play. We need to make these committees more active, he said.

Modis appeal comes amid a national outrage over the horrific rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata. The incident has sparked a wave of protests across Kolkata, with students and members of the BJP taking to the streets to demand accountability and justice.

Since the brutal incident on August 9, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has penned two letters to PM Modi, urging the introduction of more stringent central laws to combat sexual assault. The political tension between the state and the Centre intensified, with Union women and child development minister Annapurna Devi responding to Banerjee just a day ago, berating the state government for attempting to cover up delays in the operationalisation of fast-track special courts in the state and the alleged failure of the state in implementing the stringent legal regime.

On Saturday, Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and his two successor CJIs, justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bhushan R Gavai, shared the stage with the PM at the event in the national capital. Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, attorney general R Venkataramani, Supreme Court Bar Association president Kapil Sibal and Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra were also present at the dias.

Referring to the implementation of three new criminal laws to replace the colonial era legislation, PM Modi highlighted the stricter provisions under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (the BNS, which has replaced the Indian Penal Code), for crimes against women and children.

The spirit of these laws is Citizen First, Dignity First and Justice First. With the implementation of these laws, Indias criminal laws have been freed from the colonial mindset of rulers and slaves, said Modi, as he underlined the crucial role of policies and laws along with infrastructural and technological advancements in the transformational journey of the nation. The PM also gave the example of repealing a colonial-era law like sedition and the provisions of community service for punishment for minor crimes for the first time, stating that the idea behind the BNS to not punish citizens but to protect them.

Imploring the Supreme Court to take necessary steps to train the district judiciary in this new system, Modi expressed confidence that the district judiciary conference will come up with solutions to several issues to fulfil the promise of justice to all, as he noted that people in the country have reposed unwavering faith in the Indian judiciary.

The Supreme Court of Indias journey of 75 years does not merely associate with one institution but is also a journey of Indias Constitution, its values and the journey of India evolving as a democracy...People in India have never shown lack of trust for the Indian judiciary. This is why 75 years of the Supreme Court emboldens Indias glory as the mother of democracy, he stressed.

Noting that the nation has completed 75 years of its independence and is about to celebrate 75 years of the Constitution, Modi said that the occasion is filled with pride and inspiration as he underscored that the judiciary is considered as the protector of the Constitution in our democracy.

It is a huge responsibility. We can say it with a sense of satisfaction that the Supreme Court and our entire judiciary have efficiently discharged their responsibilities. The Judiciary has safeguarded the spirit of justice since Independence. Even during the dark times of Emergency, the judiciary played an important role in protecting the Constitution, said the PM.

Adding that the Supreme Court also protected against the attacks on fundamental rights, Modi asserted that whenever the question of national security arose, the judiciary protected the unity and integrity of India by keeping the national interest paramount.

The PM underscored that a developed and modern India is the shared vision of 140 crore citizens during Azadi ka Amrit Kaal, with the judiciary, particularly the district courts, serving as a foundational pillar. He stressed that modernising district courts is essential since they are the first point of contact for justice for ordinary citizens.

Highlighting the importance of improving the standard of living through better access to justice, PM Modi said that modern infrastructure and technology in district courts are key to achieving this.

Modi also referred to some of the governments efforts over the past decade to modernise the judiciary, emphasising the mission-level work to upgrade court infrastructure. He pointed out that over the past decade, significant efforts have been made to reduce delays in justice, with around 8,000 crore spent on judicial infrastructure, and 75% of the funds spent in the last 25 years being utilized in the past decade alone. This has led to the development of over 7,500 court halls and 11,000 residential units for the district judiciary.

Citing the role of e-Courts in speeding up judicial processes and reducing burdens on all stakeholders, the PM mentioned the approval of the third phase of the e-Courts project in 2023 and Indias progress towards a unified technology platform incorporating AI and optical character recognition. Such advancements, he said, would help analyse and predict case trends, and integrate the work of various departments like police, forensics, and courts, making the justice system future-ready.

Praising the Supreme Court and judiciary for their contributions, the PM also noted the significance of events like the national conference for district judiciary and all India district court judges conference that was held earlier this year in Gujarat.

Modi pointed to the upcoming discussions on managing case backlogs, enhancing human resources, and improving the legal fraternity, and expressed satisfaction that a session on judicial wellness, crucial for promoting health in the work culture, was also planned.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin during the first leg of his United States trip announced on Friday in San Francisco that he has secured investments worth over 900 crore and creating over 4,000 jobs at Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Chengalpattu. Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin during a meeting with business leaders, in San Francisco, US. (PTI)

A total of six MoUs were signed between Tamil Nadu and companies like Nokia, PayPal, Yield Engineering Systems, Microchip, Infinix and Applied Materials at the Tamil Nadu Investment Conclave at San Francisco, US on Thursday evening local time.

The first day in San Francisco has set a promising tone for the days to follow. Secured investments exceeding 900 crores at Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Chengalpattu, paving the way for 4,100 new jobs in multiple sectors, Stalin said in a post on X. With two more weeks ahead, we continue to intensify this momentum and attract more investors to Tamil Nadu, propelling our march towards a trillion dollar economy.

Telecommunications major Nokia has pledged to establish its largest fixed network testbed at an investment of 450 crore in Chennai. Nokias new facility which will function as the testbed for the companys technological innovations in 10G, 25G, 50G, and 100G passive optical networks will be set up in an area of three acres at an industrial park in Siruseri run by the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT), an official familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Fintech company PayPal, which already has 2,500 people working in Chennai, signed a MoU for setting up an advanced development centre focussed on AI employing about 1,000 people.

US-based Applied Materials will set up an advanced Artificial Intelligence-enabled technology development centre for manufacturing semiconductor equipment in Chennais Taramani area, generating around 500 jobs. It will be an advanced AI centre for semiconductor manufacturing. Applied Materials already has a small centre in Chennai and this new facility will be in addition to the existing one, an official said.

Microchip Technology will set up a R&D centre in Semiconductor Technology at Chemancherry in Chennai with an investment of 250 crore, generating employment for 1,500 people. Yield Engineering Systems will set up a product development and manufacturing facility for semiconductor equipment in Coimbatore, employing 300 people with an investment of 150 crore.

Infinix Healthcare will also set up a Technology and Global Delivery Centre at ELCOT (Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu) in Madurai with an investment of 50 crore. It will provide employment opportunities to 700 people, the government said in a statement.
National Law University, Jodhpur - Admission to PG Courses : On the basis of CLAT 2024 https://career.webindia123.com/career/dates_and_events/entrance/law/national-law-university-jodhpur-pg-admissions.htm Details of National Law University, Jodhpur - Admission to PG Courses : On the basis of CLAT 2024 2024-7-23 2024-10-15 https://career.webindia123.com/career/images/exams.png India India National Law University, Jodhpur - Admission to PG Courses : On the basis of CLAT 2024 Law

National Law University, Jodhpur Post Graduate Admissions 2024

National Law University, Jodhpur - Admission to PG Courses : On the basis of CLAT 2024 Category : Law Admissions 2024 Published : On July 23, 2024 By Webindia123 Editor

Important Dates

Last date for receipt of completed applications October 15th,2024 Common Law Admission Test December 1st,2024

National Law University (NLU), Jodhpur was established in the year 1999 by an enactment of Rajasthan State Legislature and it became functional in 2001. It is the first institution of its kind where study of Law is coupled with other disciplines such as Science, Management and Policy Sciences. For this purpose, the University has established six Schools of learning, i.e., School of Policy Science, School of Management, School of Science, School of Languages, School of Insurance and School of Law. The purpose is to produce professionals who can operate globally with a strong foundation in their respective areas of specialization.

Post Graduate Program

The University offers Post Graduate Degree Programs in:

LL.M. (Corporate Laws)

(Admission will be through CLAT only. For details visit https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in )

(Admission will be through CLAT only. For details visit https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in ) LL.M. (IPR and Technology Law)

(Admission will be through CLAT only. For details visit https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in )

(Admission will be through CLAT only. For details visit https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in ) M.B.A. (Insurance) (Four Semesters - 2 Years)

Master of Science (Insurance) - (Two Semesters - 1 Year) - For Engineering Graduates only

All the above-mentioned programs are full time residential. Any of these programs shall be offered subject to a minimum number of ten students in each program.

Eligibility for Admission :

An LLB Degree or an equivalent examination with a minimum of 50% marks or its equivalent grade and 45% of marks or its equivalent grade in case of candidates belonging to SC/ST categories. Candidates who have appeared/ are appearing in the final year of qualifying examination may also apply.

Candidate must have Minimum 50% marks in class 10th and 12th and a Bachelor's Degree in any discipline including B.E./B.Tech from a recognised university with at least 50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA.

A relaxation of 5% marks for academic qualification shall be given to candidates belonging to reserved categories.

CLAT Eligibility

An Ll.B. Degree or an equivalent examination with a minimum of Fifty percent (50%) marks or its equivalent grade in case of candidates belonging to General/OBC/NRI/PIO/OCI categories and Forty-Five percent (45%) marks or its equivalent grade in case of candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD categories. Candidates appearing for their qualifying examination in April/May 2025 are also eligible to apply.

There is no upper age limit for appearing for the CLAT 2025. Tie Breaker Rule : In case of equal marks, the break of tie shall be by the following procedure and order as under:

(i) Higher age;

(ii) Computerized draw of lots.

Application Procedure

Application form for CLAT-2025 shall be filled On-line only.

The online application form has to be accessed from the CLAT-2024-25website (https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in).

For more details of CLAT-2024 visit the official website.

More details can be obtained from the institute website.

Contact Details Address : National Law University

NH-62, Nagour Road,

Mandore, Jodhpur - 342304 (Raj.) - INDIA Phone : +91-291-2577530, 2577526 Fax : Mobile : E-mail : Contact Website : https://nlujodhpur.ac.in/

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Trinamool Congress MP Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday defended West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's if Bengal burns remark, which has triggered a massive controversy.



While speaking at a public rally in Kolkata, Banerjee alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using his chair to cause fire in Bengal.



Some people think this is Bangladesh. I love Bangladesh; they speak like us and share our culture. But remember, Bangladesh is a separate country, and India is a separate country. Modi Babu is using his party to cause fire here. If you burn Bengal, Assam, North-East, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Delhi too shall burn! We will topple your chair, she was quoted as saying.



ALSO READ: Kolkata rape-murder: BJP intensifies attack on Mamata Banerjee, compares her with Kim Jong Un



On her party chief's remarks, Sinha told PTI,"As far as I know my 'Didi' (Mamata Banerjee), what she said was a very mature thing. She meant to say that if they are trying to instigate people over the Kolkata incident which is being heard in Supreme Court and being probed by CBI, the impact of this will not be limited to just West Bengal."



The BJP has been relentlessly attacking the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government over its handling of the Kolkata rape and murder case.



ALSO READ: Didi, how dare you?: Assam CM blasts Mamata Banerjees burn warning to Modi TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha (PTI File Photo)

BJP's West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar on Friday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's "fire" comment has the potential to foment unrest in the various states.



Don't you (Mamata Banerjee) believe that your comment can stir unrest in neighbouring states? You seem to speak in the voice of certain disruptive forces active in the neighbouring country, PTI quoted Majumdar as saying.

Did not threaten junior doctors: Mamata

Mamata Banerjee, on the other hand, said she did not threaten junior doctors at state-run hospitals.



Let me most emphatically clarify that I have not uttered a single word against the (medical etc.) students or their movements. I totally support their movement. Their movement is genuine. I never threatened them, as some people are accusing me of doing. This allegation is completely false, the TMC chief said in an X post.



(With agency inputs)
Union minister and firebrand BJP leader Giriraj Singh was allegedly attacked on Saturday during a junta darbar in Bihar's Begusarai district. Union Minister Giriraj Singh speaks with the media after an individual attempted an attack on him during a programme in Ballia, in Begusarai district, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (PTI)

The attacker, identified as Mohammad Sahjadu Zaman alias Saiky, tried to slap the minister while he was walking down the stage during the junta darbar, a public outreach program where citizens can voice their grievances.

When the program concluded, some people including Saiky tried to submit a memorandum but Giriraj allegedly said, I am not your Member of Parliament, according to the people familiar with the matter.

This irked them, who raised slogans against Singh and, in the meantime, Saiky attempted to slap the minister but security personnel caught him and handed him over to the local police.

"One person has been arrested. The Union Minister (Giriraj Singh) had a program in the Ballia subdivision this afternoon, during which a person behaved indecently. The policemen present in the security cordon caught him and further action is underway," Begusarai Superintendent of Police said.

"He was caught behaving indecently and trying to break the security cordon... He is a resident of Ballia and is said to be a ward councillor," he added.

Singh said the attacker  who has since been taken into custody  stormed the event, grabbed the microphone, and shouted slogans against the minister, including "murdabad" (down with).

According to Singh, the mans actions appeared to be an attempt to assault him.

Also Read | Giriraj Singh : A dive into his rise to power in politics

In junta darbar, a person forcefully took the mic and spoke something. It appeared that he wanted to attack me. He also raised murdabad slogans, the BJP leader said.

He claimed that political leaders like Tejashwi Yadav of the rival Rashtriya Janata Dal and Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party might support the attacker because of his appearance.

Unfortunately, just because he (the attacker) had a beard, today Tejashwi Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav will support him. However, I am not afraid of such things and I will raise my voice against anyone trying to break communal harmony in Ballia, Begusarai and other nearby areas, Singh said.

Giriraj Singh on namaz break row

Giriraj Singh also welcomed the recent decision by the Assam Legislative Assembly to abolish the "Friday namaz break," a policy in place since the British era.

Speaking to media persons in his constituency, Singh said, I thank the Speaker of the assembly in Assam as well as the government of the state for taking this step. It is essential to have uniformity in law, and no preferential treatment should be given to any religious community,

The abolition of the Friday namaz break, which allowed Muslim legislators to take a two-hour recess for prayers, has been a topic of heated debate, especially among members of the INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties.

Known for his Hindutva hardline stance, Singh was quick to criticise leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, and Tejashwi Yadav, accusing them of pandering to Muslim voters.

Leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, and Tejashwi Yadav are champions of the Muslim vote bank. If they had their way, there would be holidays across the country every Friday," Singh said.

(With inputs from Avinash Kumar in Patna)
In Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich, villagers have been stocking up on lights and firecrackers for weeks to keep wolves away at night. With constant howling from nearby forests disrupting their sleep, they burst crackers to protect themselves. Forest officials involved in search operations in Bahraich. (Sourced)

The forest department and local police have teamed up for the initiative, which has been planned to deter wolves using loud noises and bright lights, The Times of India reported.



Firecrackers are being burst every hour in multiple villages to safeguard the residents, the report quoted divisional forest officer Ajeet Pratap Singh as saying.

Forest officials have trapped four of the six wolves linked with the killings, including seven children, but two wolves have managed to dodge all the traps laid for them.

They said awareness being a key factor in the hunt against the killer wolves, public awareness programmes will be continued for at least up to two months, until it was ensured that the area had been freed of wolves.

The encounter of Bahraich with the wolves is not usual and as a result the state machinery and different stakeholders have got involved in relief and capture operations. The forest department is also using drones to spot the wolves in the area.

Lions and leopards do not have a tendency to take revenge, but wolves do. If the habitat of wolves is disturbed or a bid is made to capture/kill or domesticate its cub, they retaliate by hunting down humans, said the forest officer.

How Bahraich villagers stay alert against wolves?

Blaring loudspeakers asking villagers to be awake in the 50-odd villages close to Ghaghra river in Uttar Pradeshs Bahraich district following the killing of nine people, mostly children, in the past 40 days. The forest department has confirmed that seven deaths were caused by a wild animal.

According to a paper published by Wildlife Institute scientists including Jhala in March 2002, after examining 34 million pictures of wild animals, India has an estimated 2,812 wolves, the majority of which are found in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Indias ties with the US constitute a very invaluable relationship, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Friday, while simultaneously asserting that New Delhi should not be intimidated from pursuing its economic relations with Russia. Jaishankar spoke extensively on Indias foreign policy and relations with countries in the neighbourhood and with key global powers such as China, Russia and the US at an event to mark the release of the book Strategic Conundrums: Reshaping Indias foreign policy by former ambassador Rajiv Sikri. (DrSJaishankar - X)

Jaishankar spoke extensively on Indias foreign policy and relations with countries in the neighbourhood and with key global powers such as China, Russia and the US at an event to mark the release of the book Strategic Conundrums: Reshaping Indias foreign policy by former ambassador Rajiv Sikri.

He said, just as the book acknowledges, the relationship with the US is for strategic and economic purposes a very invaluable relationship for us. He added: Therefore, I would actually argue that the US is today indispensable for our multipolarity to go up, that if we need that decision-making space, that freedom, we need countries whose interest is that we have those margins on our side.

Also Read | S Jaishankar's strong words on Pakistan: Era of uninterrupted dialogue is over

Jaishankar said no one is in denial about the history of the India-US relationship, which faced a series of challenges from the 1950s to the 1980s. The challenge for us is when we think of multipolarity and strategic autonomy, because of that history, it is often a concept where we position ourselves against the US, he said.

The reality of the world today is something very different. That if we look at where the pressures are, the primary sources of pressure, it is no longer the US.

In a way, because the world has changed, our understanding of the US has changed...The US understands us too.

Also Read | Article 370 is done, says Jaishankar; points to double conundrum with China

Jaishankar also pointed to convergences in India-US relations. India and the US, by their nature, will always have interests which will differ and diverge from those of the other, he said.

When it comes to Russia, India will have to be sensitive to a Eurasian balance, he said. Its a core strategic requirement for us. But I would also say if you look at trade with Russia, which has gone up five times, and its not just a simple oil issue, I would urge you to look at it much more deeply, that there is an economic complementarity between India and Russia, he said, referring to Indias decision to ramp up purchases of discounted Russian crude since 2022.

And we should not be intimidated from pursuing the advantages of that complementarity, he added. Russia is now following its own look east policy and there has been a shift in how Moscow approaches the world after 2022, and India needs to understand and take advantage of this.

In the case of Pakistan, Jaishankar said, the era of uninterrupted dialogue is over, and where Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, the issue of Article 370 is done. He was referring to the Indian governments move to scrap Jammu and Kashmirs special status in 2019.

In a reference to Indias long-standing concerns about Pakistan sponsoring cross-border terrorism, he said, Actions have consequences. While the book suggests that India would be content to continue at the current level of the relationship with Pakistan, Jaishankar said: Maybe yes, maybe no. What I do want to say is we are not passive and whether events take a positive or a negative direction, either way, we will be happy.

Turning to China, with which India has been locked in a military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since 2020, Jaishankar said New Delhi has done substantial work to fix the border infrastructure deficit, which is key to maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas.
Olympian Vinesh Phogat attended an event of farmers at the Shambhu border as their protest, demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP), entered its 200th day on Saturday, August 31. Protests are also scheduled to occur at the Khanauri, Shambhu, and Ratanpura borders. Wrestler Vinesh Phogat at Delhi's IGI airport. (RAJ K RAJ/HT)(RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

Farmers, who are asking for a legal guarantee for the MSP for all crops, along with other critical issues, have been protesting at the Shambhu border since February 13, after their march to Delhi was blocked by authorities.

Vinesh Phogat, a well-known athlete and supporter of the farmers' movement, was honored by the farmers during the day's events.

"It has been 200 days since they are sitting here. It is painful to see this. All of them are citizens of this country. Farmers run the country. Nothing is possible without them, not even athletes - if they don't feed us, we won't be able to compete. Many a time we are helpless and can't do anything, we represent the country at such big levels but we can't do anything for our family even when we see them sad. I urge the Government that they should listen. They had admitted their mistake last time, they should fulfill the promises that they made. The country won't progress, if people sit on streets like this," Vinesh Phogat said at the event.

It has been a topsy-turvy month for Vinesh after she reached the final of the women's 50kg event but still returned to India empty-handed. On August 7, Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States stood between Vinesh and the gold medal.

However, things went downhill after she was disqualified before the final after breaching the 50kg weight limit. A day after her heartbreaking disqualification, Vinesh announced her decision to retire from wrestling. She also made a plea to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to award her a joint silver medal.

The CAS deferred the verdict a couple of times and eventually dismissed the application filed by Vinesh for a silver medal in the women's 50kg event at the Paris Olympics.

Amritsar district farmer leader Baldev Singh Bagga claimed that efforts to communicate with the government have gone unanswered, The Times of India reported.

"Farmer organisations had repeatedly written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh but have received no responses. As Modi enters his 11th year in office, rather than addressing our demands, the government continues to suppress the voice of farmers, ToI quoted Baldev Singh Bagga as saying.

Convenor of the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha Sarvan Singh Pandher appealed to the farmers to gather in significant numbers at the Shambu and Khanauri points on August 31, it added.

"We will once again present our demands to the government, and new announcements will be made," India Today quoted Pandher as saying.

'Take action against Kangana Ranaut'

The farmers have also called for strict action against Bollywood actress and Member of Parliament Kangana Ranaut. They have urged the Bharatiya Janata Party to take a firm stance against Kangana Ranaut, whose past remarks have stirred controversy and anger within the farming community.

Additionally, the farmers hinted at unveiling their strategy for the upcoming Haryana elections. They plan to announce their next steps soon, signaling their intention to take an active role in the state's political landscape.
Olympian Vinesh Phogat on Saturday refrained from commenting on her political plans as she joined the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border. Olympian Vinesh Phogat being felicitated at a farmers' rally on the 200th day of their ongoing protest at Shambhu border.(PTI)

Vinesh Phogat joined the farmers at the Shambhu border as their protest, demanding a legal guarantee for the minimum support Price (MSP), reached its 200th day on August 31.

When asked if she would contest the polls if the Congress fields her from Haryana, the Indian wrestler said, I don't want to talk about it. I have come to meet my family members (farmers) and if you spin it, their fight and struggle will be wasted. The focus shouldn't be on me, but on the farming community. I am a sportsperson and a citizen of India; elections are not my concern. My only focus is on the welfare of farmers, Vinesh Phogat told reporters.

Earlier, former Haryana chief minister and leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda had downplayed speculations about former Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat joining the Congress, terming it a hypothetical question.

The ace wrestler retired after being disqualified as she was found overweight ahead of her gold medal bout at the Paris Olympics.

While addressing farmers at the Shambu border, Phogat said raising concerns is not always politically motivated.

What did Vinesh Phogat say about protesting farmers?

When people raise issues, they should not be viewed through the lens of politics, religion or community. The government must listen to our family (farmers). They should have the right to speak and express their views. The demands of farmers are legitimate, as I come from a farming background and understand how my mother raised me, Vinesh Phogat added.

Vinesh Phogat, a well-known athlete and supporter of the farmers' movement was honored by the farmers during the day's events. It has been a topsy-turvy month for Vinesh after she reached the final of the women's 50kg event but still returned to India empty-handed. On August 7, Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States stood between Vinesh and the gold medal.
The Supreme Court on Friday said it will consider clubbing multiple FIRs against YouTuber Savukku Shankar if proven that they are related to one interview, and asked the Tamil Nadu government to explain as to why the petitioner was detained just days after the Madras high court granted him relief in connection with several criminal cases. The SC asked the Tamil Nadu government to explain as to why the petitioner was detained just days after the Madras high court granted him relief in connection with several criminal cases (PTI)

A bench headed by chief justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud adjourned the hearing on the plea of the jailed YouTuber to Monday (September 2), the next date of hearing. Shankar has challenged his fresh detention by the state police besides seeking quashing the 16 first information reports (FIRs) registered against him.

Directing both petitions  filed by Shankar and his mother A Kamala  to be listed on Monday, the bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said: On detention we will have to take a prima facie view. If a detention order has been quashed, there cannot be another detention order (by state).

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Tamil Nadu, informed that the two detention orders were related to separate matters. When by the bench whether 15 out of the 16 FIRs against Shankar were related to a common interview given by him on April 30, Rohatgi sought time to take instructions. If all 15 FIRs are in respect of same interview, we will direct the clubbing, the bench said.

Shankar had approached the top court for clubbing all FIRs, alleging these cases were meant to harass him and keep him inside the jail. The 48-year-old YouTuber was arrested by the Coimbatore police on May 4 over his alleged derogatory remarks on women police personnel in an interview on April 30, which led to several FIRs against him.

On August 9, the high court set aside the detention order against Shankar under the Goondas Act, directing the state police to set him free if he was not required in any other case. Shankar was released in pursuance of orders of the apex court and the Madras High Court. However, he was detained again by the state police on August 12.

Advocate Balaji Srinivasan, appearing for Shankar, also sought quashing of the cases alleging that 15 of the 16 FIRs have been filed at the behest of policemen.

Why cant you approach the high court for quashing the petitions, the bench told Balaji.

The lawyer pointed out that his petition for clubbing FIRs has been adjourned by the high court. The moment I go to the high court, the state will take time, the counsel said.

The bench replied: That cannot be a reason for us to entertain your petition under Article 32 of the Constitution.

Rohatgi said the petitioner has a habit of speaking ill about judges, police officers and women. He goes on unabated. We do not know what to do with him, the senior advocate said.

The apex court had on August 22 agreed to examine the challenge to the latest detention order to ascertain the allegations by the petitioner that the state was seeking to harass him for exposing the corrupt activities of bureaucrats and powerful politicians in Tamil Nadu. One of the notable cases exposed by Shankar was the alleged cash-for-jobs case that led to the arrest of former state minister V Senthil Balaji.
New Delhi [India], : NAAYAAB is a joint initiative of Craft Maestro&M3M Foundation aimed at preserving, sustaining, and revitalizing Indias heritage art forms. This first-ever one of a kind initiative & exhibit was supported by Dr. Payal Kanodia, Chairperson & Trustee M3M Foundation as Art Promotion Partner. This landmark showcase featured 100 masterpieces by 70 artisans across 17 states who have received the highest national honours, including Padma Vibhushan, Padma Shri, Shilp Guru, and National Awards. Representing over 40 crafts from 17 states, NAAYAAB brought together the finest works of these celebrated artisans in a collective effort to celebrate and safeguard the nations rich cultural legacy. The landmark event, took place from the 25th to 26th August 2024, at the prestigious Hotel Taj Man Singh in New Delhi, attracting a discerning audience of high-net-worth individuals, art aficionados, and cultural enthusiasts. The event curated a special session for the Delhi Chapter of the Young FICCI Ladies Organisation on August 26, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, which featured a private guided walkthrough the various priceless exhibits along with key dignitaries and ambassadors from Algeria, Russia and Israel. M3M Foundation played a pivotal role in supporting NAAYAAB by bringing the lives and stories of Indias master artisans to a platform and audience that truly appreciates their rich legacy of craftsmanship.In an era where the allure of the new often overshadows the traditional, the stellar NAAYAAB event emerged as a beacon of hope for the preservation and celebration of India's rich cultural heritage. The event was graced by the presence of AlgerianAmbassador His Excellency Dr. Ali Achoui, who was accompanied by his spouse Mrs. Leila Achoui. Spouse of Russian Ambassador Mrs. Diana Alipova and Mrs. YuliaAryaeva, Counsellor along with Israel's Senior Cultural OfficerMs. Avital Barak accompanied by Ms. Shimrit Amir Amsalem. Highlighting the national significance of this initiative, the occasion was graced by Dr.Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon'ble Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, as the Chief Guest. The event, which was a collaboration between Craft Maestro, the M3M Foundation, YFLO, was a unique and conscious initiative to revitalize and rejoice in the glorious legacy of traditional Indian crafts. Sharing her insights after the event, Dr. Payal Kanodia, a passionate advocate for the preservation and promotion of Indias unique master craftsmen, expressed her vision for the international event, "Naayaab is not just a celebration of art, it is a call to action for the passionate patrons of the new age to become custodians of Indias rich cultural heritage. In a world that is constantly moving forward, it is crucial to pause and honour the traditions that have shaped our cultural identity. Naayaab is not just an event, it is much more than that. Naayaab is a national movement conceptualised & curated by Craft Maestro to bring our master craftsmen the recognition and support they deserve. By connecting them with patrons who value their art, we have aimed to ensure that these crafts not only survive but thrive in the modern world. This initiative is our commitment to preserving the legacy of Indian handicrafts for our future generations." Naayaab was conceptualized to showcase solidarity in line with the ruling central governments vision and nonchalant efforts towards reviving Indian artisanal treasures. A central part of his vision is to create sustainable economic opportunities for artisans. Modi Ji advocates for integrating traditional crafts into the mainstream economy, enabling artisans to earn fair wages and access new markets. Initiatives like the One District, One Product scheme aim to promote and market local crafts and products on a national and international scale. With the aim of creating unparalleled economic opportunities for Indias master craftsmen by connecting them with an appreciative audience that not only understood but also deeply valued their intricate work, NAAYAAB featured over 100 masterpieces curated from across the country. Naayaabs first annual event provided a platform for more than 70 highly decorated master artisans, including recipients of Indias highest national honours. These master artisans, some with legacies dating back over 500 years, have dedicated their lives to perfecting their crafts. By providing a platform for these artisans to showcase their work to an HNI audience that truly appreciates their art, Naayaab not only highlighted their contribution towards Indias rich cultural tapestry, but also inspired the next generation of craftsmen to carry forward these timeless traditions. Naayaab concluded as a powerful testament to the enduring value of traditional Indian crafts, offering patrons a rare opportunity to witness and acquire unique, inimitable pieces of art that embody centuries of dedication and skill. Among the masterpieces on exhibit was a priceless 7 kg ruby stone, meticulously chiselled to perfection over the last two and a half years. These intricate works, representing the pinnacle of India's artisanal heritage, were made available to discerning patrons, with each piece verified, valued, and authenticated to the highest standards. As these great legacies continue to be showcased on global platforms in the coming years, the impact of Naayaab on the lives of the artisans will be profound. The event has significantly enhanced their incomes, elevated their recognition, and inspired the next generation to follow in their hallowed footsteps. Looking forward, Naayaab's extended impact on the rejuvenation of craft forms across India is expected to be even greater, with NAAYAAB happening next in Hyderabad on 04 - 05 September& in Mumbai on 13-14 Septemberensuring that the idea of a culturally vibrant India remains alive and thriving for decades to come. .

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Shivaratri vrat is one of the most important and revered fasts in Hinduism, and it is dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are four distinct types of Shivaratri vrat: Nitya Shivaratri, Masik Shivaratri, Magha Shivaratri, and Maha Shivaratri. Among these, Masik Shivaratri is observed on the Chaturdashi, or the fourteenth day, of every month according to the traditional Hindu calendar. The festival holds deep religious significance as it symbolizes the union of Shiva and Shakti, with Shiva representing Purusha (consciousness) and Parvati embodying Prakriti (nature). Masik Shivaratri is predominantly a Hindu festival, celebrated in honour of Lord Shiva.(Pixabay)

Observing Masik Shivaratri is believed to bring spiritual benefits, including enhanced well-being and success in future endeavours. It is also said that through prayer and penance on this day, even the most challenging tasks can be accomplished. Scroll down to know more.

Masik Shivaratri 2024 Date and timings

This year, the significant Hindu festival of Masik Shivratri will be observed on Sunday, September 1. The auspicious timings for the occasion are as follows:

Chaturdashi Tithi Start: 03:41 AM on September 1

Chaturdashi Tithi End: 05:22 AM on September 2

Shivaratri Parana Time : 06:13 AM on September 2

Masik Shivaratri 2024 Significance

According to Hindu mythology, those who observe the Shivaratri vrata gain the strength to overcome two natural forces that affect human nature: the 'tamas' and 'rajas' gunas. By spending the day in meditation dedicated to Lord Shiva, devotees can better control negative emotions such as jealousy, greed, and anger. For devoted followers of Lord Shiva, observing the Shivaratri vrata is considered as auspicious, if not more so, than performing the powerful Ashwamedha Yagna.

It is also believed that anyone who observes the Maha Shivaratri vrata with full discipline and sincerity will be absolved of all sins. They will eventually unite with the supreme power and find eternal happiness in the abode of Lord Shiva, breaking free from the cycle of birth and death.

Masik Shivaratri 2024 Rituals

- Begin the day with a ritual bath and set up the Puja altar early in the morning.

- Perform the 'Abhishek' of Lord Shiva or the Lingam using Gangajal, milk, curd, ghee, honey, vermillion, turmeric, rose water, and 'Bel' leaves.

- Apply sandalwood paste, sprinkle vermillion, and offer flowers to the deity's idols.

- Recite Aarti or hymns in honour of Shiva, accompanied by the blowing of a conch and ringing of bells.

- Offer home-made prasad on the altar.

- Conduct the Puja ideally at midnight, with devotees fasting throughout the day and breaking it the next morning.

- Observe a night vigil (Jagran) with Bhajans and Kirtans to create a positive atmosphere.

- Shivratri Puja is considered especially auspicious on a Tuesday.

- Besides Lord Shiva, worship Goddess Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Parvati, with Pradosh Kaal Puja being particularly significant.
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Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority.
The forthcoming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) will be the first such election in the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. The high voter turnout (58.6%) recorded in the UT in this summers Lok Sabha elections was unprecedented. The revival of democratic processes in the region is welcome. However, the two major parties in the state  the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  have demanded restoration of Article 370, as well as statehood. They have also called for the resumption of an India-Pakistan dialogue. The attempt to resurrect the old paradigm and re-insert Pakistan into the equation naturally raises questions: How does Pakistan treat Kashmiris on its side of the Line of Control (LoC)? How much power does the elected government enjoy in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) and Gilgit-Baltistan? POK and Gilgit-Baltistan are controlled more tightly than Pakistans provinces. The regional parties there are now at the fringes (AFP)

The government of Pakistan took the northern areas, which account for 85% of the territory of POK, under its direct administrative control in November 1947. Its current narrative states that it took over the territory, since re-named Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), under the Karachi Agreement of 1949 between the Pakistan government and Muslim Conference leaders. The agreement was kept secret because Pakistan had changed the territorial status quo without a plebiscite. This came to light in a historic judgment of the POK high court in 1993, which described Pakistani actions as a violation of the UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir. The high court asked Pakistan to restore the territory to POK as demanded by all political parties of that territory. Islamabad got the judgment reversed by the POK Supreme Court on merely jurisdictional grounds. It continues to exercise direct control over this territory. While India is criticised for splitting J&K, Pakistan had partitioned the area under its illegal control seven decades ago and absorbed the bulk of its territory.

The first election on the basis of universal franchise was held in POK in 1970. POK got its Interim Constitution only in 1974. This created a system of parallel government where all substantive powers were vested in the Kashmir Council headed by Pakistans prime minister (PM) while the elected assembly and the government remained powerless. Critics called this rule by proxy by Islamabad. In 2018, under the 13th amendment of the POK Constitution, the Kashmir Council was relegated to an advisory role. However, its powers were not transferred to the elected assembly. The government of Pakistan has assumed direct legislative and executive powers over 32 subjects within POK.

The northern areas or G-B are even more tightly controlled than POK by Islamabad due to its strategic location. This is the region where the Indus River, as well as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), enters Pakistan. This is a Shia-majority area, which was given limited powers by the Asif Ali Zardari government under the G-B order of 2009. The entire list of 61 subjects on which the local government was given jurisdiction was abolished under the G-B order of 2018. This vested all legislative and administrative powers in the PM of Pakistan. The copies of the order were torn in the G-B assembly in the presence of Pakistans acting PM. The G-B Supreme Appellate Court set aside the G-B order of 2018. The government of Pakistan appealed before the countrys Supreme Court, which sided with Islamabad and, in a judgment in 2019, restored the G-B order of 2018 against which the people of the territory were protesting.

Pakistan has always exercised absolute control over POK and G-B. It has now overtly assumed powers within both territories. The far-reaching changes were made in 2018, a year before the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. They went unnoticed.

POK and G-B are controlled more tightly than Pakistans provinces. The provinces can exercise power over subjects allocated to them. But, in the case of POK and G-B, even powers within the territories are exercised directly by Pakistan. These include water, strategic highways, taxation, police, citizenship, and migration. Water and roads are the two key resources of this border region. The state subject is loosely defined to allow demographic change. There are no safeguards for land rights. Pakistan did not seek permission from the people of POK or G-B for the construction of the Mangla Dam or Karakoram Highway or gifting a portion to China.

The drama in G-B showed that Pakistans Supreme Court exercises jurisdiction over an area that is not part of Pakistani territory under its Constitution. The 2019 judgment was not the first time this was done. The first judgment of Pakistans Supreme Court came in May 1999. This asked Islamabad to ensure the region got fundamental rights and representative government within six months. Obviously, both were absent. This was at the time when Pakistan had intruded across the LoC to ostensibly liberate Kashmiris from Indian control.

The elections in POK and G-B have resulted in the election of the party in power in Islamabad. There is a complete demise of regional parties. In the last assembly election in 2021, the Muslim Conference that had championed J&Ks accession to Pakistan got one out of 53 seats. Power fluctuates between local chapters of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The 2021 election was won by PTI, which was then ruling in Islamabad. After Imran Khans ouster, POK PM Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi was replaced by Tanveer Ilyas. He has since been replaced by Chaudhary Anwar-ul-Haq. In G-B, Khalid Khurshid has been replaced by Gulbar Khan as chief minister.

There is, in the meantime, increasing Chinese influence in G-B, where Chinese companies are to build the 4,500 MW Daimar-Bhasha hydropower plant. This will lead to an influx of migrants from outside. Pakistan has decided to go ahead with the project despite the 2022 floods, which underlined the threat to the regions delicate ecological balance. It will improve power supply for Pakistan. G-B will not benefit as it is not connected to Pakistans national grid.

Will dialogue with Pakistan enhance democratic rights within J&K? Pakistan is at odds not only with India but its two Muslim neighbours to the west. It has exchanged missiles and fire with both. There have been food riots in Pakistan. POK saw public protests and clashes with security forces over the scarcity of essential items like aata (flour) and high electricity prices.

DP Srivastava is a former ambassador and author of Forgotten Kashmir: The Other Side of the Line of Control. The views expressed are personal
As Day 2 of NIFD Global's Design Carnival 2024 unfurls, the road to Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI becomes even more crucial for aspiring designers. The event, which started with a bang on Day 1, continued to impress on Day 2, with students pushing the boundaries of design in their quest to secure a spot at the prestigious Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI. Day 2 Winners: Chetan Mali, Mahendra Choudhary, and Shravanee Khot to Showcase Fashion and Interior Design Excellence at Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI.

On Day 2 of the event, Chetan Mali and Mahendra Choudhary from NIFD Global Pune Kothrud Centre; and Shravanee Khot from NIFD Global Navi Mumbai Centre have emerged as winners in Fashion Design and Interior Design category respectively. From more than 1,000 entries, only 80 were shortlisted for the Design Carnival, with 14 advancing on day 2.

The jury included renowned professionals such as Hiloni Sutaria, an acclaimed Architect; Monica Shah, celebrated Fashion Designer from Label JADE; Neeraj Gaba, Creative Entrepreneur and Motivational Speaker; and Shefalee Vasudev, Editor-in-Chief of The Voice of Fashion. Their expertise and insights provided invaluable feedback to the participants, elevating the competitive spirit of the event. The event is being hosted by Bollywood actor and celebrity host Aman Verma.

In the Fashion Design category, Tanvi Agarwal and Gungun from NIFD Global Hyderabad Himayat Nagar earned the first runner-up spot, with Rudra Rane and Siddhi Jadhav from NIFD Global Navi Mumbai Centre being named the second runners-up. In the Interior Design category, Sana Sayyad from NIFD Global Pune Kothrud Centre has been awarded first runner-up, while Sayan Gope from NIFD Global Siliguri secured the second runner-up position.

The fashion design winners will showcase their collections at the NIFD Global 'The Runway' show, while the interior design winners will create immersive sets for designer shows throughout the event. Beyond the runway, the winners will receive substantial cash prizes and invaluable mentorship from industry experts at RISE Worldwide. This support will help them turn their dreams into reality and make a lasting impact on the design world.

The opportunity to present their collections or design sets at Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI is a career-defining moment for these emerging designers, as it not only puts them on a national stage but also positions them at the forefront of fashion and interior design innovation in India.

Other participants from Group B representing various regions from across the country, included Sana Sayyad, from Pune Kothrud; Princy Khamar from Ahmedabad; Nang Senorita Chowhai from Siliguri; Srishti and Sachin from New Delhi Pitampura; Zarein Fatma, Sampriti Ghosh, and Evana Sultana from Kolkata Lindsay Street; Shipra Saini and Preeti from Roorkee; Yash Jain from Hyderabad Himayat Nagar; and Akanksha Jagdale, Anushka Jain, Apeksha Sharma, Sonu Priya, and Suman Nagwani from Bhilwara.

As the event progresses, all eyes are on the emerging talent from NIFD Global, who are set to redefine fashion and interior design.

The NIFD Globals Design Carnival is not just a competition but a crucial stepping stone for students from across the country. The guidance of our renowned mentors like fashion icon Manish Malhotra, celebrated interior designer Gauri Khan, design powerhouse Twinkle Khanna, and costume designer extraordinaire Ashley Rebello, is instrumental in shaping the next generation of design leaders.

To learn more about NIFD Globals comprehensive programs offered through the School of Design, School of Management, and School of Beauty, please visit www.nifdglobal.com

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
In an incident which left many social media users in disbelief, two passengers on a flight took it upon themselves to stop a screaming toddler. How they tried to educate her about not disturbing others with her cries has caused an outrage. Reportedly, the women locked the girl inside the planes toilet. The incident of two passengers locking a toddler in the toilet took place on a Juneyao Airlines flight. (Unsplash/laowai66)

The incident came to light when one of the passengers, Gou Tingting, who was involved in educating the child, recorded a video and shared it on Chinas TikTok counterpart, Douyin.

What happened on the flight?

Gou claimed that the kid was screaming and crying loudly, which caused some passengers to put tissues in their ears and made some others move their seats, reported Metro. So, she and another of her fellow passengers locked the girl in the toilet to set rules and let everyone have a good rest. The toddler was travelling with her grandparents, and her grandmother allowed the women to handle her.

According to the outlet, the incident took place on a Juneyao Airlines flight. The airline released a statement saying that it launched an investigation into the matter and also reached out to the kids parents. Reportedly, the toddlers mother expressed understanding of the two strangers who locked the kid in the toilet.

How did social media react?

People were angry about how the strangers treated a kid, saying it is normal for a toddler to cry while flying. Children cannot control their emotions when they are one or two years old. Whats wrong with crying? Didnt you cry when you were young too?, an individual wrote on the Chinese social media platform Douyin.

Another person added, We should be thinking about how public spaces can better accept and accommodate young children.

Juneyao Airlines statement:

In order to avoid disturbing other passengers rest, with the consent of his grandmother, two passengers took the child to the toilet for education. During the process, the childs grandmother went with him and waited at the toilet door. We have verified the situation with the childs mother by phone. The childs mother said that she had learned about the whole incident from her grandmother, and expressed her understanding of the two passengers behaviour of assisting in the plane, read a part of the statement, reported the outlet.
A nine year-old Indian girl has been named the runner-up in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, conducted by the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London. Shreyovi Mehta, a Class Five student from Faridabad near Delhi, captured a striking image of two peafowl while she was on a morning stroll with her parents in the forests of Keoladev National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Shreyovi Mehta is a Class Five student from Faridabad.(Instagram/shreyovi_mehta)

All about Shreyovi Mehta's photo at Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

Shreyovi Mehta was walking through the forests with her parents when she spotted the peahens. She ran back to her father, who was carrying the cameras, then got down on the ground to take the photograph that has now received worldwide acclaim.

The captivating photo, titled "In the Spotlight", shows a pair of peahens, silhouetted under a canopy of trees.

Mehta was named runner-up in then 10 Years and Under category of the 60th edition of the prestigious award in wildlife photography. Her photograph was one of the nearly 60,000 photographs by participants of all ages and experience levels from 117 countries and territories.

Peacock is India's national bird.

My heart is filled with immense joy and gratitude, Mehta said in an Instagram post as she thanked her parents, Kahini Ghosh and Shivang Mehta. Her father too is a photographer.

Talking about receiving the recognition, Mehta said she wants to continue practising wildlife photography.

Take a look her her post:

Indian girl's next big goal? Tiger

She also gave a shout-out to parents who encouraged their girl children to explore their dreams. Mehta's big goal in wildlife photography for India's national animal, tiger, to get be recognised on a platform as big as the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

"I will continue to practice so that one day even our national animal - the tiger gets the same recognition," Mehta told news agency PTI.

The Class Five student from Faridabad will receive a medal at an award ceremony at the Natural History Museum in London on October 8.

In this selection you see species diversity, a range of behavior and conservation issues. These images represent the evolution of the competition through the years, from pure natural history to photography that fully embraces representation of the natural world - the beauty and the challenges," Kathy Moran, chair of the judging panel, said in a statement.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition will open at the NHM on October 11 and will run till June 29, 2025.

(With inputs from PTI)

(Also Read: Punjabs unique water tanks take centre stage at French photography festival)
A video of a Zomato delivery agent has left people irritated and disheartened. It shows the man wading through waist-deep water to deliver food in Ahmedabad. The video has sparked a discussion on whether the delivery platform should allow customers to order food during natural calamities. People tagged Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal on the video and requested that he reward the Ahmedabad delivery agent. (X/@vikunj1)

CA Vikunj Shah shared the video, which was later reshared by another user of X and an investor, Neetu Khandelwal. Zomato delivering food in Ahmedabad amidst extremely heavy rains. I request Deepinder Goyal to find this hardworking delivery person and appropriately reward him for his dedication and determination, Khandelwal wrote while reposting the video.

Take a look at the video of the Zomato agent here:

The video has collected over 3.2 lakh views - and the numbers are only increasing. The share has further prompted people to post varied comments. While some appreciated the delivery agents dedication, others expressed anger with the customer who ordered food during the flood-like situation.

What did X users say about this viral of a Zomato delivery agent?

Who is that intelligent person who ordered food in these testing times? Need to find that person, wrote an X user. Another added, Services need to be turned off in this kind of situation. A third posted, Zomato should be sued. Putting company employees in danger in such natural calamities ~ such services should be closed.

A fourth commented, The customer needs to be penalized for ordering unless they were out of food. A fifth expressed, Responsibility in life teaches one to work very hard, salute to this brother. A sixth wrote, Deepinder Goyal, Zomato, please reward this guy.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned about Cyclone Asna - a deep depression over the Arabian Sea that has also been causing heavy rain in Gujarat. The heavy downpour caused flood-like situations across the state.

It also caused swelling of the Vishwamitra River, home to over 300 crocodiles, which led to the reptiles invading the district. Social media visuals show scary scenes of crocodiles perched on top of a house or crossing a boundary wall with prey in their mouths.
A Karnataka High Court judge expressed her surprise during a case involving a wife seeking maintenance from her husband. During the proceedings, the judge indicated disbelief when she learned that the man with a take-home salary of 12,000 was paying 10,000 for his child. A video from the court proceedings is being widely circulated online. The video of the judges reaction to a man's earnings and his childcare pay sparked chatter on X. (Unsplash/KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA)

What did the judge say?

First of all, from a persons salary of 12,000, how can the court grant 10,000 for maintenance? When a person is getting, without any evidence, when he is taking home 12,000 salary, how can the court grant 10,000 to the child? How will he live? It cant be, the judge said.

No. Where is the evidence for the court to come to such a conclusion that you are entitled for 10,000. You might be, your requirements are that. Court can understand that. But what about He is the person who has to pay, she added.

What else does the viral video show?

At the beginning of the proceedings, the wife's lawyer tells the judge that the petition has been filed seeking maintenance. The judge then asks about the amount granted by the trial court. To which, the lawyer says that nothing is granted to the wife, but 10,000 per month is allowed for the son. The judge then asks about the particulars of the case.

At one point, the judge asks about the respondents earnings. The wife's lawyer responds by saying it is 62,000. However, the husbands lawyer clarifies that his gross salary is 18,000 and take-home pay is 12,000. That is when the judge says, How will he live?, adding her comments mentioned above. She also adds that the wife can file a separate application about an increase in childcare if the husbands salary has increased.

Take a look at the viral video here:

How did social media react?

If a person becomes unemployed then how these maintenance are paid? Do courts consider that case? asked an X user. Maintenance amount will keep accumulating then interest will also have to be paid. It is like he has defaulted on EMI payment or defaulted on loan. Everything will have to be paid in arrears, replied another.

A third posted, Why are husbands always liable to pay maintenance when wives can earn much more nowadays. A fourth wrote, It's crazy. Honourable judge has been quite fair to both the parties in many other cases too when unreasonable demands are made.

The video was originally published on the YouTube Channel of the High Court of Karnataka. The channel is dedicated to Live Streaming of Court Hall Proceedings and other events happening in High Court of Karnataka and Across State of Karnataka Judiciary.
Kala Chashma, a chartbuster that has been a fan favourite since its release, has inspired numerous dance videos on social media. The most famous among them is the choreography by the Norwegian hip-hop and urban dance group Quick Style. A surprising addition to this list is a professor's performance. Her energetic dance moves at a college event left everyone stunned, including rapper Badshah. The image shows a professor dancing to Kala Chashma along with other teachers and students. (Instagram/@thejjjjj_)

A content creator shared the video on Instagram with a caption which reads, We got some coolest teachers. The video shows Arunima Devasish, who works as an assistant professor at St Teresa's College in Ernakulam. Her Instagram bio says she is also a professional dancer.

The video opens to show a group of teachers and students on a stage. Soon, Devasish, wearing a saree, shows her energetic and graceful moves to the dance amid loud cheers and claps from the onlookers.

Take a look at the dance video here:

What did Badshah say about this video?

Taking to the comments section of the video, the rapper wittily wrote, Present mam.

How did social media react to this dance?

The viral video, which has nearly 11 million views, left people stunned. Many expressed their amazement in the comments section.

An individual posted, "Teacher rocks, students shock." Another added, "She stole the show."

A third commented, "Le 90s kid turned to teacher." A fourth wrote, "Wish I had this teacher in my life."

About the song:

Kala Chashma is from the 2016 sci-fi film Baar Baar Dekho. Pictured on actors Katrina Kaif and Sidharth Malhotra, the song is sung by Amar Arshi, Badshah, and Neha Kakkar.

The song's roots are in the 90s Punjabi track of the same name. It was originally composed by Prem Hardeep and Kam Dhillon. Later, Amrik Singh and Kumaar wrote the lyrics, with Badshah rapping.

What are your thoughts on this dance video? Did the clip make you want to groove, too?
London, A newly elected British Sikh Labour Member of Parliament has defended his record as a landlord after UK media reports highlighted anonymous complaints from his tenants of being subjected to poor living conditions in properties owned by him. British Sikh MP defends record as landlord amid tenant complaints

Jas Athwal, elected to Parliament in last months general election from Ilford South constituency in east London, said he was "shocked" and "profoundly sorry" to hear of residents' issues after the BBC reported on mould and ant infestations on Friday.

Athwal, 60, is said to own 15 rental flats and says he had not been aware of the issues due to the properties being managed by an agency. He has now promised that repairs and maintenance will be completed through immediate action.

"I am a renters champion. I'm proud to rent out homes with secure tenancies at below-market rents, Athwal said in a detailed statement.

"I want every one of my tenants to have excellent accommodation; I'm shocked at the reported condition of a number of the properties and have asked the managing agent for an explanation and immediate action to rectify any issues. I know it's my responsibility to have issues addressed as soon as they arise and have met with the property management company to understand failures in communication, he said.

"I'm profoundly sorry that tenants have been let down and will be reviewing the property management and how matters are escalated going forward," he added.

Athwal, previously a local politician as leader of Redbridge Council, is also required to have a selective property licence in order to rent out a block of seven flats  a system he introduced in 2017 when he was in charge of the council.

However, the BBC found the council's public licence register indicated that none of the seven properties had a licence. Athwal admitted that he had "recently seen an email" which said the licences were due to expire.

He added: "I am in the process of renewing all licences. As council leader I implemented the most rigorous landlord licencing scheme in London in 2017, and expanded the scheme in 2023 and 2024  the scheme would've been even stronger if Conservative housing secretaries had not repeatedly watered it down.

"In 2019, I led a campaign calling on the government to abolish Section 21 evictions, further protecting tenants' rights, which was again blocked by the Conservatives."

According to the BBC investigation, in one block of seven flats owned by Athwal nearly half the tenants said they had to regularly clean their bathroom ceilings to remove mould.

The news corporation said it also saw evidence of ant infestations in a number of the seven properties.

Andrew Boff, a Conservative member of the London Assembly who also visited the flats, is calling on the governing Labour Party and local Redbridge Council to investigate as the partys 2024 general election manifesto included a commitment to "prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against".

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London, An Indian-origin playwright has joined hands with a former diplomat for a unique immersive theatrical experience, with the city of London as their stage to tell the story of the East India Company and British Empire. Indian-origin writer dramatises history of Empire for walking play in London

A London Lark Rising is a dramatised walking tour being brought to life by Dr Anu Kumar Lazarus and Lisa Honan, with double shows scheduled next weekend on September 7. The so-called walking play spans hundreds of years of history as it takes audiences through well-known and lesser-known sites in the heart of London, showcasing several famous historic characters from both India and the UK.

Last year, I wrote a huge play about the history of the East India Company wandering around London. When I finished, I realised it was too big for the stage and decided to put it on the streets it had been inspired by, explains Kumar Lazarus, a UK-born doctor and playwright whose parents hail from Uttar Pradesh.

After going on Lisas The East India Company London Walk, I decided that she would be a perfect partner to collaborate with. She is hugely knowledgeable as the ex-Governor of Saint Helena Island, a British Overseas Territory governed by the East India Company for 200 years. So, we set about to rework her walk and dramatise it, she said.

The walking play, structured over 90 minutes, is designed as a promenade performance experience, recounting the history of the East India Company in some of the places where the events actually took place. With the help of artists in period costumes, the tour is intended to transport audiences back to the facades of the 16th century to delve into how todays London was shaped by a shared past with India.

For me, iconic characters like William Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth I walking in the City walls just as they should have done sends a shiver down the spine. But I think the really great thing is the Indian characters that we bring to life in the streets of London  alluding to the fact that without India, England would not look like it does today, said Kumar Lazarus.

I return there as often as I can. I have been performing or making theatre type work from a very young age and plan to continue working as a doctor and writing plays and novels, added the multi-faceted professional, who is also a dancer and Yoga teacher.

A London Lark Rising has received the backing of the UKs National Lottery Heritage Fund and Skinners Livery Company for performances to be staged during the summer period in London over the course of three years. The allocated funding also includes Lisa Honan doing non-dramatised walks of the City of London, the financial hub of the UK capital, for schools to bring the history of the Empire to life for students.

We walk between the sites where the East India Company had a footprint as I tell the history of the Company, from the courtyard where it first began in the 17th century and how it changed what the world ate, drank, and wore through its trade with India, Indonesia, China and points beyond, explains Honan, a certified City of London Guide who was awarded a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to international aid.

Her interest in the East India Company dates back to her time as a diplomat, having lived in a mansion built for EIC Governors on Saint Helena Island in the 18th century.

The East India Company, founded in 1600, is seen as a precursor to the modern-day multinational corporation that was granted a royal charter to trade in the Indian Ocean region. Its headquarters were located in what is today the City of London, from where the EIC went on to establish a trading monopoly in India and laid the foundations for centuries of British colonial rule in the subcontinent.

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A planned strike by staff at Kenya's international airport has been delayed again for a week, after already being pushed back by two weeks in August, a union said Saturday. Kenya airport workers' union delays strike again

About 10,000 members of the Kenya Aviation Workers Union had initially planned to walk out August 19 over plans by the Kenyan government to strike an investment deal with India's Adani Group to expand and operate Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport .

That strike was pushed back until Monday September 2 to allow for negotiations, and now the strike has been delayed again.

"The industrial action be halted for seven days to allow us to read, comprehend and make documented demands to the government" on the group's proposals, the union wrote on X.

The union also asked for "immediate cessation of stock-taking" by the Indian firm at JKIA, and the "immediate cancellation of a management and government delegation trip to India slated" on September 2.

The workers warned that any violation of its conditions would set off the strike.

The union has opposed the deal, saying it was an attempt to privatise the airport by stealth.

Under the proposal, Adani would invest $1.85 billion to expand the airport in exchange for operating it for 30 years, according to documents seen by AFP.

Adani would add a second runway and upgrade the passenger terminal, according to airport operator Kenya Airport Authority .

Kenya's government has defended the deal as a necessary measure to refurbish JKIA one of Africa's busiest hubs which is often hit by power outages and leaking roofs.

KAA said last month that the deal would be "subjected to technical, financial and legal reviews alongside requisite due processes".

Last year, Adani Group, the sprawling ports-to-power Indian conglomerate, saw billions of dollars wiped from its market value after a report by the US-based Hindenburg Research firm accused it of "brazen" corporate fraud.

Gautam Adani the family-run conglomerate's founder and the world's 12th richest person according to Bloomberg denied Hindenburg's allegations and called its report a "deliberate attempt" to damage its image for the benefit of short-sellers.

According to the KAA, 8.8 million passengers and 380,000 tonnes of cargo passed through the airport in the 2022/23 financial year. It contributes just over five percent of Kenya's gross domestic product.

sva/ju/gv

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After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II, Bob Worth was pretty sure Uncle Sam wanted him.

Worth, 24 and able-bodied, had no qualms about joining the armed forces. But he was going to do it on his own terms.

So he and a buddy ditched their jobs at a tire-manufacturing plant near his New Jersey hometown and set out to enlist  across the country, in sunny Southern California.

They made it a road trip. On the way they hit the beaches in Florida, posed outside the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Years Eve, viewed a cattle drive in Texas and gawked at giant saguaro cactuses in Arizona.

You can tell I had a good time, Worth said in a 2020 interview with The World-Herald.

The road trip ended at a Marine Corps recruiting station in San Diego, where Worth and his friend signed on the bottom line and packed off to boot camp just down the road.

Seven months later, they fought as Marine infantrymen at Guadalcanal. Later Worth became an officer and commanded a team of military dog handlers in the battle of Iwo Jima. He was an eyewitness to the iconic flag-raising on Mt. Suribachi.

After the war, Worth married and raised two children, and became a civil servant in his native New Jersey. He stayed active, walking a couple of miles a day well past his 100th birthday.

In recent years, he lived with his daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Ben Sisson, in Omaha. He died Aug. 14, at the age of 106.

Bob is a handful

Robert Worth was the third of five children of a candy-store owner in Westfield, New Jersey, 20 miles from New York City.

By his own admission, Worth was an indifferent student and a classroom cut-up.

He was a talker, and he didnt really follow directions, Barbara Sisson said. His report cards always said, Bob is a handful!

Worth liked birds; in his youth he raised homing pigeons and bantam chickens. He often brought home stray dogs, a foreshadow of his future duties in the Marine Corps.

He graduated from high school in 1937 and worked a series of clerical jobs until the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Worth and his friend launched their cross-country road trip, the memories still preserved in a photo scrapbook more than 80 years later. He portrayed the decision to enlist as more pragmatic than patriotic.

It was either that or be drafted, he explained.

They originally planned to join the Navy, Worth said, until they got to the recruiting station in San Diego.

The line was so long, Worth said. We saw the guy at the Marines, he had his feet up on his desk.

He was assigned to the 2nd Marine Regiment and shipped out in early July 1942, on a perilous voyage to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. His unit stormed the beaches at Tulagi, near Guadalcanal, on Aug. 7, part of the first ground assault of World War II by U.S. forces.

If you were unlucky, youd run into three or four Japanese (soldiers), he said. You were on edge all the time. Didnt sleep much.

Even in his later years, Barbara Sisson said, Worth didnt care much for drinking water. It reminded him of Marines filling their canteens in streams that were red with blood.

Camp Lejeune to Iwo Jima

After a few months of occupation duty, Worths unit traveled to New Zealand to rest and wait for the next assignment. While there, he fell down the stairs and broke his leg. That turned out to be his worst injury of the war.

In 1943, then-Sgt. Worth was selected to become an officer. He completed his training and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in February 1944. He chose an assignment heading the 6th Marine War Dog Patrol at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Worth and his Marines trained German shepherds and Doberman pinschers for military duty as part of a program called Dogs for Defense. Some dogs were taught to carry messages around the battlefield. Others learned to sniff out enemy soldiers. All had to learn to walk through the woods silently, without reacting to explosions or rifle fire.

Mostly we had to teach them not to bark, Worth said.

In early 1945, his platoon of 60 Marines and 36 dogs got orders to Iwo Jima, the monthlong struggle in February and March 1945 that became the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history. Americans remember it because of Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthals instantly famous photograph of the flag-raising.

The dog teams carried out the ugly, dangerous work of sniffing out enemy troops. Marines would follow, killing soldiers with grenades or torches. Japanese defenders had built tunnels underground and frequently popped up out of nowhere to open fire at the Marines.

I would travel around and see the dog teams, Worth said. Sometimes there were shells that landed close. You had foxholes that you would jump into.

Creature of habit and good dad

After the war, he returned to civilian life in New Jersey. He married in 1950. He and Bernice raised their two children, Gary and Barbara, in Westfield. His two brothers bought houses on the same block.

Over the years, he held several administrative jobs  sometimes several at once  at a bank, at a funeral home, and with the New Jersey Department of Labor.

He was a good dad, Barbara Sisson said. He worked an awful lot to make sure I had everything I needed.

When she was young, Worth might splurge on a single steak for his family. But he always saved the best cuts for his kids.

Worth was also the dad that others called on for help. Once, Barbara Sisson said, he climbed a backyard tree to rescue a neighbors pet parakeet.

The family always had pet dogs  but they werent always well-behaved.

He trained dogs in the military, but he couldnt train our family dogs, Barbara said with a laugh.

Worth retired from his last job, as an assistant to the township administrator in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, in 1983.

In his later years, he took up woodcarving and learned to play the guitar.

Although he served faithfully in the American Legion and was proud of his service, he never attended Marine Corps reunions and rarely discussed the war. Some stories, Ben and Barbara heard for the first time when The World-Herald interviewed him for a Veterans Day profile four years ago.

He said he saw no reason to bring up the past.

It was over, Worth explained at the time. Im glad I was able to serve.

To his last days, he remained a creature of habit. He punctuated each day with a glass of Wild Turkey American Honey Bourbon at 3 in the afternoon, followed by scrambled eggs and toast for dinner.

He was a great guy, no burden at all, Ben Sisson said.
A steep rise in the number of arrivals of migrants in Spain's Canary Islands from Africa has fuelled a fierce debate in the country over how to tackle illegal immigration. Migrant influx fuels debate in Spain over illegal migration

The issue was thrust into the spotlight during a three-day visit by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to West Africa which wrapped up Thursday.

The trip was aimed at curbing the record number of unauthorised migrants arriving in the Atlantic archipelago in search of a better life in Europe.

"Spain is committed to safe, orderly and regular migration," the Socialist premier said soon after he arrived Tuesday in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, in the first stop of his tour which also included Gambia and Senegal.

He called for "circular migration" schemes which allow people to enter Spain legally to work for a limited time in sectors like agriculture, which face labour shortages during harvest time, before returning home.

"Immigration is not a problem, it is a necessity that comes with certain problems," Sanchez said.

His comments were immediately blasted by Spain's main opposition Popular Party , which said the statements would encourage more migrants to try to enter the country illegally at a time when the Canary Islands is struggling to cope with an influx of migrants.

Nearly every day, Spain's coastguard rescues a boat carrying dozens of African migrants towards the seven-island archipelago located off the northwest coast of Africa.

Over 22,000 migrants have landed in the Canary Islands so far this year, compared to just under 10,000 during the same time last year.

The archipelago received a record 39,910 migrants in 2023, a figure it is on track to surpass this year.

"It is irresponsible to encourage a pull effect in the worst irregular migration crisis," PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo said, accusing Sanchez of going to Africa to "promote Spain as a destination" for migrants.

This is "the opposite" of what other nations in the European Union are doing, he added.

During the final leg of Sanchez's tour in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, he appeared to take a harder tone by stressing that human trafficking rings that organise boat crossings to Spain sometimes have links to terrorist networks or drug smuggling gangs.

He said security was a "top priority" and said it is "essential to return those who have come to Spain illegally".

Deportations, however, require the agreement of the country of origin of a migrant, which is not easy to get.

Cristina Monge, a political scientist at the University of Zaragoza, said Sanchez had tried to strike a balance in his comments on the issue in Africa but his message was "a bit contradictory".

His first speech in Mauritania came "from a European, human rights perspective" but when he talked about the need for deportations the support "he gains on the right, he loses on the left," she told AFP.

While the PP welcomed Sanchez's sudden emphasis on security, hard-left party Sumar the junior coalition partners in his minority government immediately opposed it.

"Following the same migration recipes called for by the right is a failure and a mistake," Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz, who founded Sumar, wrote on X.

With the number of crossing attempts expected to increase further in the coming weeks as Atlantic waters become calmer, the controversy is expected to intensify, especially since the PP has hardened its position on the issue in recent years in response to the rise of far-right party Vox which is hostile to immigration.

The Spanish government estimates there are some 200,000 people in Mauritania waiting to go to the Canaries. The bulk of them are from Mali where a military regime is battling an Islamist insurgency.

chz/ds/yad/rsc

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Kathmandu, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Saturday said there is no possibility of repeating the decade-long insurgency in Nepal and rejected the possibility of political unrest similar to what happened in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in recent past. No place for violence and anarchy in Nepal: Oli

Oli made these remarks at a programme organised in Kathmandu to release the book titled "In to the Fire" authored by Captain Rameshwor Thapa, chairman of Simrik Air.

"I don't see the possibility of repeating the decade-long insurgency and the government will not allow such activity to happen again," Oli said.

He also rejected the possibility of repeating the political unrest that happened in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the recent past.

Since Nepal is not the photocopy machine of any country, so such events cannot be repeated here, Oli made it clear.

He was responding to the recent remarks made by CPN-Maoist Centre chairperson Pushpakamal Dahal "Prachanda" who asked the current coalition led by Oli to learn lessons from the political unrest of Bangladesh, that toppled Sheikh Hasina's government.

Following the unprecedented anti-government protests, which reached a crescendo on August 5, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country. She landed in India on August 5 and is currently staying there.

The two-month-long anti-quota protests have led to widespread demonstrations, curfews, and violence.

Oli pointed out,"We have our own identity, different civilisation and culture, therefore there is no point to make speculations that the political unrest that happened in Bangladesh may repeat here in Nepal."

"I want to ask those who advise us to learn from others, to learn for themselves."

We are involved in strengthening democratic achievements we have brought about through a long struggle, he pointed out.

"Those who are fighting against the present democratic system need not scare us," Oli said pointing to the pro-monarchist forces.

"Now there is no place in Nepal for those who want to create disorder, anarchy and violence," said Oli who is also the chairperson of CPN-UML Oli.

The government will not tolerate any activity that would curtail other's rights or promote anarchism, he said.

Oli was pointing to the recent incident in which 2-3 youths shouted slogans against Prime Minister Oli and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba who were attending a cultural programme organised in the Open Theatre in Kathmandu a few days ago.

The police later arrested two youths in this connection and released them after a couple of days on bail.

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Aug 31 - Tugs are expected to begin towing a damaged Greek oil tanker on Sunday, Yemen's Houthi Foreign Minister Jamel Amer said, as the vessel remains adrift and on fire in the Red Sea. Operation to tow stricken oil tanker to start Sunday - Yemeni Houthi minister

The Greek-registered Sounion poses an environmental hazard after it was damaged in an Aug. 21 strike by Houthi forces.

The tanker, which the Houthis and maritime sources have said has been rigged with explosives, is laden with about 1 million barrels of crude oil.

"Tug boats are expected to arrive tomorrow, Sunday, to begin towing the Sounion ship," Amer said in a statement on Facebook.

The Houthis said on Wednesday they would allow salvage crews to tow the ship - which has been on fire since Aug. 23 - to safety amid fears of a potential slip of 150,000 tonnes of crude oil into the Red Sea.

If a spill occurs, it has the potential to be among the largest from a ship in recorded history and could cause an environmental catastrophe in an area that is particularly dangerous to access.

Sources said on Friday that any salvage operation would require an inspection and survey of the vessel to decide whether it can be towed to a port or if a ship-to-ship transfer of its cargo is required.

Houthi militants have carried out multiple assaults, including planting bombs, on the already disabled 900-foot Sounion, which is operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have been waging a campaign against commercial shipping to support Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

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By Kirsty Needham Pacific leaders remove Taiwan from communique after China complaint

SYDNEY, - The Pacific Islands Forum removed references to Taiwan from a group communique after complaints from China - a change Taipei condemned as a "rude intervention" but which a forum official said did not alter the leaders' decisions.

The communique released on Friday from the 18-nation summit included a section headed "Relations with Taiwan/Republic of China", stating "Leaders reaffirmed the 1992 Leaders decision on relations with Taiwan/Republic of China".

After an angry response from a Chinese envoy, the communique was removed from the forum's website that evening, and a new document was posted on Saturday morning with the references to Taiwan removed.

China says Taiwan is one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state relations, a position the democratically governed island strongly disputes.

Of the forum's members, three have diplomatic ties to Taiwan while 15 recognise China, a major infrastructure lender to Pacific Islands countries, where Beijing is seeking to increase its security presence.

After the Taiwan references were removed, Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday: "Taiwan condemns China's rude and unreasonable intervention and irrational behaviour that undermines regional peace and stability and calls on all like-minded countries to pay close attention to China's actions."

The ministry said, however, that the revised communique did not undermine Taiwan's status at the forum nor preclude it from participating in the future.

A spokesperson for the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat said on Sunday the communique is a "consensus-based document", reflecting the agreed decisions and views of all members.

"The version as finalised does not change nor impact the decisions of the meeting, nor any standing decisions of the forum leaders," she said in a statement.

A development partner to the forum since 1993, Taiwan sent Tien Chung-kwang, its deputy foreign minister to Tonga, to meet its three Pacific allies, Palau, Tuvalu and Marshall Islands.

When the communique was initially released on Friday, China's special envoy to the Pacific Islands, Sian Bo, told reporters in Tonga the reference to Taiwan "must be a mistake", the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Nikkei reported.

Qian had lobbied during the week for Taiwan to be excluded from the forum's official functions, the Chinese embassy's website showed.

"Any attempt by the Taiwan authorities to brush up their sense of presence by rubbing shoulders with the forum can only be self-deceptive," China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told at a regular press conference in Beijing on Friday.

Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the Pacific have reduced in recent years as China has increased offers of development funding. Nauru switched ties from Taiwan to Beijing in January, while Kiribati and Solomon Islands, which both now host Chinese police, switched in 2019.

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The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the outrageous charges such as crimes against humanity brought against dozens of Bangladeshi journalists and sought the immediate release of arrested reporters and dropping of the unfounded accusations. A Bangladeshi lawyer filed a case at the International Crimes Tribunal against 52 people, including Sheikh Hasina and 27 leading journalists, for alleged crimes against humanity and genocide. (Representational image)

Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, several cases have been made against journalists. On August 29, a Bangladeshi lawyer filed a case at the International Crimes Tribunal against 52 people, including Hasina and 27 leading journalists, for alleged crimes against humanity and genocide.

Referring to the arrest of journalists, the Paris-based NGO, known for its work in defending press freedom, said in a statement released on Friday: Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for their immediate release and for these unfounded charges to be dropped. This systematic judicial harassment of journalists must end.

The complaint filed by the lawyer alleged the accused were involved in crimes against humanity and genocide during protests by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which began in July with the demand for scrapping a controversial quota in government jobs.

Earlier, a journalist couple  Shakil Ahmed and Farzana Rupa  were charged with the murder of demonstrators and are currently behind bars.

Following weeks of student-led protests, Hasina stepped down and fled to India. More than 100 cases have been filed against her, accusing her of different crimes, including murder, crimes against humanity and genocide.

A raft of criminal cases has also been filed across the country against former ministers, Awami League leaders and workers, police and military officers, journalists and those seen as close to the former premier and her party.

Antoine Bernard, RSFs director of advocacy and assistance, said: The purge of journalists who are considered to be affiliated with the former government has reached a new level. Media professionals are bearing the brunt of the need for vengeance that permeates this terrible legal cabal, which is hurting the image of the political transition underway in Bangladesh.

The RSF statement said the complaint filed by the lawyer on August 29 for crimes against humanity marks a new stage in the series of lawsuits targeting media professionals. It said that this time, journalists have targeted in a case being examined by the International Crimes Tribunal, a special court set up in 1973 to judge abuses committed during Bangladeshs war of independence.

The interim authorities, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, must do everything in their power to end this vicious process. Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed must be released immediately. All charges against journalists must be dropped, Bernard said.

Among the journalists named in criminal cases are Nayeemul Islam Khan, former press secretary to Hasina, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, former information affairs adviser to Hasina, former National Press Club president Farida Yasmin and former general secretary Shyamal Dutta, Ekattor Television editor-in-chief Mozammel Babu, Nabanita Chowdhury, Ekhon TV news head Tushar Abdullah, Bangla daily Jugantors editor Saiful Alam, Bangladesh Pratidin editor Nayeem Nizam, former Samakal editor Abed Khan, ATN News head of news Provash Amin, DBC TVs editor Zayadul Ahsan Pintu, and former editor-in-chief of ATN News, Munni Shaha.
Singapore, The search for an Indian woman in Malaysia abruptly ended on Saturday after the authorities found the search conditions to be "extremely challenging", nine days after she fell into a sinkhole. Search for Indian woman who fell into sinkhole in Malaysia ends due to 'extremely challenging' conditions

G. Vijaya Lakshmi, 48, fell into the sinkhole in the Malaysian capital on August 23 that formed on Jalan Masjid and has remained missing since.

Minister in the Prime Ministers Department Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the decision was reached after a detailed evaluation of expert and technical advice on the operation that was now in its ninth day, The Malay Mail reported on Saturday.

After nine days of search and rescue and consideration from the Cabinet as well as experts including the police, the search team, geologists and more, we've decided to halt the search efforts today," she told reporters at the location of the sinkhole.

Dr Zaliha said that while an obstruction was detected during the search, it could not be positively identified.

At this point, we also have to consider the safety of the SAR personnel involved as conditions for the SAR were extremely challenging, she was quoted as saying by the Malay Mail.

She also said the appearance of a second sinkhole in the area also caused concern of possibly increased risk to the search personnel.

Apart from that, we need to resume normal activities here and ensure the safety of the people using these streets.

The minister also said efforts to locate the woman would still continue despite the termination of the SAR operation but would enter a new stage and come under different agencies.

Dr Zaliha said Kuala Lumpur City Hall would be responsible for utility mapping, land structure analysis, and engaging with vendors to help them resume their activities, the report said.

DBKL will handle the recovery and reconstruction in the affected areas, which will include cordoning off the entrance from Mydin to ensure public safety, she explained.

Dr Zaliha said she has also spoken to the Indian ambassador to Malaysia, whom she said expressed thanks for the efforts expended so far to find his compatriot.

She also said the envoy understood the rationale behind discontinuing the active search.

She also confirmed that the victims family had been informed of the decision and their visas had already been extended for another week to accommodate them during this difficult time.

The search and rescue operation was activated the same day involving members from various security forces and local authorities using various techniques including the use of tracker dog units and the 'jetting' method.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
A draft document on the new climate finance goal, to be negotiated at the UN Climate Conference COP29 in November, indicates developing countries expect contributions in the trillions from developed nations for climate change mitigation efforts. A shepherd leads his flock along the bed of the dried up Studen Kladenets (Cold Well) reservoir dam, near Kardzhali, southern Bulgaria, on August 28. (AFP)

HT has reported that setting a new climate finance goal will be the primary agenda at the annual UN climate meeting when it convenes for this year in Baku, Azerbaijan. The current goal has a floor of $100 billion annually after 2025.

According to the document, the Like Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) group, which includes India, expects at least $1 trillion mobilised by developed countries yearly from 2025 to 2030, with updates until 2035 based on evolving needs.

The quantum set in the NCQG (New Collective Quantified Goal) will be active from 2025-2030 and be updated for 2030-2035 in 2029, in line with the Nationally determined contributions (under Paris Agreement) cycles and others processes under the UNFCCC, to be adjusted according to the evolving needs of developing countries, the group stated.

The United States, however, has not specified a number or timeline. It expects contributions from all sources, including contributing parties, and proposes a goal of investing USD [X] trillion globally in climate action by [timeframe] from all sources  leaving those specific details up for discussion.

The Arab group expects developed countries to mobilise $1.1 trillion annually to developing nations from 2025 through 2029, providing a minimum of $441 billion per year. The African group calls for developed countries to jointly mobilise $1.3 trillion annually by 2030, with an aggregate goal of $6.5 trillion.

These positions highlight the polarised stance between developed and developing countries. The U.S. and other wealthy nations have attempted to blur the distinction that finance should flow from developed to developing countries, as specified in UNFCCC principles  instead, they are pushing emerging economies to contribute.

Negotiations on the new finance goal have faced challenges and lack of consensus. Major differences emerged between rich and developing countries during an Ad Hoc Work Programme in Cartagena, Colombia, in April. The U.S. described the New Collective Quantified Goal as voluntary for those that choose to pay.

At the next meeting, held at Bonn over two weeks, there was no progress. The United States reiterated its stance that contributing to the new fund should be voluntary, and argued that NCQG is separate from UNFCCC provisions, potentially to avoid mentioning developed countries obligation to deliver climate finance to developing countries.

Developing countries and climate activists criticised developed nations for attempting to broaden the contributor base and shirking their responsibilities.

The dispute harks to a fundamental principle known as the common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC). The principle was formally adopted as part of the UNFCCC when it was established at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

Largely, the principle lays down that developed countries have contributed more to global greenhouse gas emissions historically and are therefore expected to take the lead in addressing climate change.

It implies that developed countries should provide financial resources to support developing countries in their efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change and recognises that countries have different capabilities to address climate change based on their economic and technological resources.

The US stance on voluntary contributions and attempts to broaden the contributor base appear to conflict with this principle.

COP29 president-designate Mukhtar Babayev said in a statement: This latest input paper is a significant step towards preparing concrete proposals for a fair and ambitious new climate finance goal at COP29. We have come a long way but there are still clearly different positions we need to bridge.

Babayev added, We now only have 73 days before COP29 begins and Parties need to accelerate their engagement on this top negotiating priority to reach consensus.

Reaching an agreement on the new climate finance goal at COP29 in Baku is about climate justice. Despite being on the frontlines, developing countries have ambitious plans to scale up renewable energy and address climate impacts, yet they receive inadequate support. Meanwhile, wealthy, industrialized nations continue to fund the very fossil fuels driving this crisis. Without urgent and equitable financial commitments  measured in trillions  the promise of climate action will remain broken, leaving the most vulnerable to pay the price for others inaction, Harjeet Singh, Climate Activist and Global Engagement Director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative said.
DULUTH, Ga.  A young Georgia Democrat is raising big money from voters across the country by labeling a suburban Atlanta senate race as a chance to unseat a Republican election denier. A Georgia Democrat seeks to unseat an indicted Trump elector who says he only did what he was told

Although incumbent Shawn Still was one of 18 people indicted alongside Donald Trump in Georgias Fulton County in 2023, Still says first-time candidate Ashwin Ramaswami is wrong to label him as a partisan plotter.

The race wont disrupt the comfortably gerrymandered 33-23 Republican majority in Georgias upper chamber. But as Democrats try to chip away suburban Atlanta Republican voters who are turned off by Trump and his crusade against the 2020 election results, the race will test whether they can replicate gains from statewide races in local elections.

While Vice President Kamala Harris hasnt put fighting election denial at the forefront of her campaign the way President Joe Biden did, Democrats are still positioning themselves as defenders of democracy against Republican attacks.

Still was one of three Trump electors indicted on felony charges in Fulton County, along with Trump, Rudy Giuliani and 14 other Trump associates. Prosecutors call the 16 Republicans who gathered in the Georgia Capitol in December 2020 fake electors.

The 25-year-old Ramaswami, who majored in computer science at Stanford University, was still in law school last year when he learned about Stills role. The Democrat was working on a similar case case in Wisconsin, he said, and recognized the name of his hometown senator in testimony before the House Jan. 6 committee.

Theres this pattern of Shawn Still really trying to undermine our votes, of Democrats and Republicans alike, Ramaswami said.

Still says Ramaswami is falsely mischaracterizing him as an anti-democratic extremist.

I think thats all he has to run on. So hes going to punch me in the face with that singular thing, Still said. Theres no merit to it.

The district is drawn to be Republican, stretching across northern Atlanta suburbs in Fulton, Forsyth and Gwinnett counties. But two years ago, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock won the district over Trump-aligned Herschel Walker even as voters backed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Still beat his Democratic opponent by 14 points. Ramaswami hopes to mimic Warnocks win by swaying voters unsettled by Trump and believes he can connect to the districts Indian population. The districts population is more than 30% Asian, the highest share in Georgia.

Ramaswamis campaign has raised more than $460,000, high for a legislative race, and has tapped many out-of-state donors. Still has raised just over $145,000, but Republican groups could potentially pump in more cash if they believe Still is threatened.

Still was the secretary of the 2020 Trump elector meeting, signing and filing documents that prosecutors say were bogus. He says he acted on the advice of party officials and lawyers to preserve Trumps legal options as a lawsuit challenged Georgias election result.

I would characterize my involvement as being a good soldier who did what he was told to do and was following the advice of attorneys who do this for a living, said Still.

Still said said his involvement ended when he left the meeting.

I build swimming pools for a living," he said. I dont think anyone really thought for half a second that I was some political mastermind plotting anything that led to what happened.

To Ramaswami, Stills willingness to go along with his colleagues illegal behavior made him a useful idiot for the Republican party.

Ramaswami points to other actions Still took after the 2020 election, including a lawsuit he filed contesting results in Georgias Coffee County days before the electors met. Ramaswami also says Still didnt take enough responsibility in his testimony before the Jan. 6 Committee.

If elected, the Democrat said he would pursue common sense solutions to issues including gun violence, health care, and abortion rights. One of his top priorities would be investment in education.

We need as a community to look into investing in our future, not on relitigating the past, Ramaswami said.

His cybersecurity internships under leaders from both parties would help him forge bipartisan relationships, Ramaswami said. He has interned in Republican Georgia Attorney General Chris Carrs office and as an intern and part-time employee for the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, where he said he helped protect local election officials and small businesses from cyber attacks.

Still, 51, has been a reliable Republican vote during his first two-year term, but says he has engaged with Democrats and shown a desire and willingness to work with both sides of the aisle. Hes been restrained as a lawmaker, seldom coming to the microphone to score partisan points.

Still said his top achievement is a law that allows students to transfer into another public school district without permission from the one theyre leaving. That measure was tucked inside a bill where the headline achievement was creating a $6,500 voucher for private school tuition and home schooling. The first-term senator said he wants more time in office, in part to work on human trafficking issues.

Still said Ramaswami is not remotely qualified to be a state senator.

He hasnt lived in the district since he graduated high school. He has no life experience. Hes done nothing. His only jobs have been internships. He has accomplished nothing for himself by himself.

Even with Stills experience, conservative voters have reservations. Bisvas Pokala, who works in information technology, leans Republican. But Stills indictment leaves him undecided, with Pokala saying hes very concerned about it.

Pokala was staffing a booth in July at the Festival of India in suburban Duluth. Ramaswami made his way through, chatting with vendors and shoppers. Many recognized Ramaswami and waved.

Vendor Ram Raju is a Democrat but said many Indians in the business community lean Republican, and predicted Still isnt controversial enough to alienate party loyalists.

But Ramaswami says he can help voters of all backgrounds see through Still.

The fact that Shawn Still is now trying to portray himself as a moderate and really distance himself from whats going on is evidence that its something he wants to stay away from, and it is something which the voters dont approve of, Ramaswami said.

But Still has forged many connections. Dilip Mehra, a festival vendor and Still supporter, remembers his appearance at an event his small business held.

He said, if you have any problem, if your community has any problem, if you want any help from us, please come to me, Mehra said. He seemed like a very nice person.

This story corrects the number of Democrats in the Senate. There are 23, not 22.

Charlotte Kramon 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 Kramon on X: @charlottekramon

Amy reported from Atlanta.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The internet went into a frenzy on Thursday, August 29 after rumours were spread that Capri Sun was replacing its iconic and beloved pouches with plastic bottles. The company addressed the rumours as the internet panicked over this information. The juice brand assured people that the pouches are not going anywhere. Capri Sun addresses the rumours about replacing the juice pouches with plastic bottles.(@caprisun/Instagram)

Also Read: White Stripes' Jack White threatens Trump with lawsuit for using band's hit song, Don't even think

Capri Sun addresses the rumours

The rumours began with an Instagram post Capri Sun bottles in bottles posted by Instagram user @snackolator. The post had a visual of the fruit juice plastic bottles in three flavoursFruit Punch, Strawberry Kiwi, and Pacific Cooler. Followers assumed the pouches were being replaced by plastic bottles, however, this was far from the truth.

Capri Sun told People, After seeing fans panic to the news, the brand behind the No. 1 kids drink in America is reassuring everyone that the pouch is here to stay in a truly epic way. The fruit juice brand continued, Rolling out exclusively at Walmart next week, Capri Sun is launching a pallet of 3,800+ Capri Sun pouches for purchase, ensuring no one misses out on their fave drink."

The Instagram account of Caprisun also shared a picture of the stocked pouches ready to sell out. The Caption of the post read, Dont believe everything you read on the internet  wed never disrespect the pouch and theyre here to stay! Starting next week you can buy a whole pallet of Capri Sun pouches. Find us at Walmart."

Also Read: Cops tase man who stormed press area at Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania

Are the Capri Sun bottles real?

While pouches are not going anywhere, the bottles are also a real product but are not yet available in the market. The company told the media outlet, The single-serve bottles are an innovation slated for next year! The snack Instagram account also added a disclaimer in the Capri Sun bottle posts comment section after the post went viral and created confusion.

The disclaimer read, For those who have been hearing (incorrect) reports, the pouches are not going anywhere! This is *, in addition,* to give adults (and probably teens) an option who might want some Capri Sun without walking around with a pouch!"
Former US President Donald Trump blamed Vice President Kamala Harris during a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Friday, accusing her of being responsible for the fate of thousands of children who entered the US illegally and getting sidetracked here. For US President Donald Trump calls VP Kamala Harris a "border czar". (Photo by ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

Trump alleged that many of these children are now missing, dead, or being exploited as sex slaves, and all because of the Biden administration and Harris.

Speaking to the rally crowd in the key battleground state, Trump claimed that approximately 325,000 minors who crossed the border illegally are now unaccounted for by federal officials. Think of the number325,000 children are missing. Many are dead. Many are involved in sex operations. Many are working as slaves in different parts of probably this country, Trump said.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump faces another security threat as a man storms stage in Pennsylvania rally

She was the border czar. Now she says, I wasnt the border czar, but she was. It was headlinesborder czar, border czarbut now she doesnt want that term. But whether she was border czar or not, she was in charge of the border. 325,000 children are missing.

Thousands of migrant children missing after failing to appear in court

The Department of Homeland Securitys inspector general revealed that 323,000 migrant children under the age of 18 have either failed to appear for immigration court hearings or were released from custody but have not been contacted for further proceedings.

The controversy surrounding unaccompanied migrant children began shortly after President Joe Biden took office when his administration allowed them to remain in the US rather than being deported under a COVID-19-era health policy that had been in place under Trump. Bidens aides described this approach as more humane, but critics argued that it incentivized greater numbers of unaccompanied minorsmany of them in their late teensto cross the border.

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Investigative reports later uncovered troubling details about the fate of many of these children. Some were placed by the Department of Health and Human Services with individuals who treated them as indentured servants, forcing them to work instead of attending school. Disturbingly, some of these minors were made to clean sharp equipment in slaughterhouses for overnight shifts.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk's relationship has taken a spotlight ahead of the November election, with the Tesla CEO extending his support for the former President. Donald Trump stated that he can hear everything that's going through Musk's mind, and added, But he is like, he's a super genius guy.(AFP)

While Musk has been targeting Democrats and the Biden administration in a bid to make a stronger case for Trump, the GOP presidential candidate impersonated the X owner while discussing the advancement of rocket technology.

During the annual Moms for Liberty conference this week in Washington, D.C., Trump informed the attendees that Musk had given him a tremendous endorsement and described him as a very different kind of a guy as he thinks [when] he talks.

With Elon, it's like, well, you know, I'm doing a new stainless steel hub that can get us around the engines much quicker, the Republican leader stated, adding that there is an issue with the type of engine going into space nowadays.

But in the end I think we can have a good hookup because of the new foils that are coming up, he quipped.

Trump went on to say that he can hear everything that's going through Musk's mind, and added, But he is like, he's a super genius guy.

Musk's response on the GOP leader's remarks is awaited.

Also Read: Brazil's Supreme Court gives 24 hours ultimatum to Elon Musk, threatens to suspend X

Netizens' react to Trump's statement on Elon Musk

Meanwhile, Trump's fans lauded him on X, with one user writing: President Trump is so hilarious tonight. He puts a big smile on my face again. You got to love this man!

While the second user chimed in, This guy is better than most stand up comedians no doubt, a third one said, It was great! He respects and admired you! Big compliment!

Musk recently took a lengthy interview of Trump, which was aired on his social media platform X. In reference to it, he said, I think we are going to do another one too.

Calling himself a huge fan of Musk-owned Tesla's electric car, he said, I think of he does and I'm a big fan of electric, but they don't go far and they are expensive.
The two former Georgia election workers who won a $148 million judgment against Rudolph Giuliani filed a civil lawsuit against the onetime personal lawyer to Donald Trump, accusing him of trying to put his Florida luxury condominium beyond their reach. FILE PHOTO: Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani departs the U.S. District Courthouse after he was ordered to pay $148 million in his defamation case in Washington, U.S., December 15, 2023. REUTERS/Bonnie Cash/File Photo(REUTERS)

In a complaint on Friday, Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea' "Shaye" Moss challenged Giuliani's July 13 declaration that the Palm Beach condominium was his new primary residence.

Giuliani accused of brazen attempt to shield luxury condo

They called it a "brazen" attempt by the former New York City mayor to benefit from a Florida law shielding a person's "homestead" from court judgments.

Giuliani made the declaration one day after a federal judge dismissed his bankruptcy case, which had protected him from the $148 million judgment.

Citing statements on his daily internet broadcasts, Freeman and Moss said Giuliani has since lived mainly or entirely elsewhere, and is only pretending to live in Florida to evade accountability for his actions.

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"He is trying to 'toy with' Florida's homestead exemption to shield a multi-million dollar asset from his creditors," they said in their complaint filed in Manhattan federal court.

Freeman and Moss want court permission to enforce an Aug. 8 lien against Giuliani's condominium and, if they choose, seize and sell the property. Giuliani also has a home in Manhattan.

"The appeal of the objectively unreasonable $148 million verdict hasn't even been heard, yet opposing counsel continues to take steps designed to harass and intimidate the mayor," Giuliani's spokesman Ted Goodman said in an email.

"This lawsuit has always been designed to censor and bully the mayor, and to deter others from exercising their right to speak up and to speak out," Goodman added.

US District Court ordered Giuliani to pay $148 million in defamation case

Last December, a Washington jury ordered Giuliani to pay the $148 million to Freeman and Moss, who said he defamed them and destroyed their reputation through lies that they tried to help steal the 2020 U.S. presidential election from Trump.

Giuliani, 80, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy the following week. The federal judge overseeing that case dismissed it after finding that Giuliani failed to provide a complete picture of his finances and to meet court deadlines.

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That dismissal, which Giuliani also sought, eliminated the possibility a trustee could take over his finances and freed him to appeal the $148 million judgment, but also removed legal protections from creditors like Freeman and Moss.

The case is Freeman et al v. Giuliani, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24-06563.
Gwen Walz, the wife of Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, launched a sharp criticism of Republican rival JD Vance in her first appearance as a lone campaigner for her spouse. Gwen Walz attacked JD Vance for his most recent criticism of childless women.(X/AP)

First Lady of Minnesota and former English teacher Gwen attacked Vance for his most recent criticism of childless women.

During a rally in Manassas, Virginia on Friday, she donned her teacher glasses to make it clear to the public that she was taking this issue very seriously.

In his recently resurfaced video from Christian forum in 2021, Vance slammed Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers union and the stepmother of two kids, for attempting to brainwash children while not having a single child of her own.

If she wants to brainwash and destroy the minds of children, she should have some of her own and leave ours the hell alone, he stated.

In response, Weingarten asserted that she views herself as a mother after exchanging vows with her wife, who has two biological kids. She dismissed Vance's remarks as nonsensical.

Also Read: Is Tim Walz's brother joining forces with Donald Trump? Queen of inside scoops weighs in

Gwen Walz rips Walz by sharing her own infertility experience

The Ohio senator's suggestion that individuals who haven't given birth to children shouldn't be teachers didn't sit well with the Walzes. Gwen utilised her Friday address as crowd-pleasing fodder when she spoke at an Educators for Harris-Walz event. She talked about her and Walz's infertility issues.

Targetting Donald Trump's VP candidate, Gwen said, he was really disturbed by teachers who don't have any biological kids.

Tim and I were teachers who struggled with infertility for a long time and we were only able to start a family because of fertility treatment, she noted, mentioning that this is very personal for her.

Continuing her tirade against the Ohio Senator, she stressed that they do not take kindly to folks like JD Vance telling us when or how to start our families.

So let me use my teacher voice, Gwen remarked, garnering cheers from the crowd. After putting on her teacher glasses, she stated, Mr. Vance, how about you mind your own business?

Notably, Walz recently came under fire for falsely claiming that he and Gwen used IVF, an infamous treatment that has been officially banned in Alabama following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The couple, however, used IUI (Intra-Uterine Injection), a less controversial method of treatment.

Gwen Walz's takedown impresses netizens

Meanwhile, Gwen's assault on Vance with teacher glasses has impressed several netizens, with one writing, Love her teacher voice and that look over the glasses.

Calling her speech a powerful rebuke, another said: Gwen Walz's personal experience and passion shine through in her response to JD Vance's insensitive comments. Her message is clear: family planning is a personal choice, not a politician's business.

Using her 'teacher voice' to set the record straight, she's speaking up for countless individuals who've faced similar struggles. Vance would do well to listen and learn from her perspective, the user added.
Reports have surfaced that Jeff Walz, the brother of VP Kamala Harris' running mate Tim Walz, is contemplating a surprising movealigning himself with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Jeff Walz (R), brother of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (L)(X/Collin Rugg/Laura Loomer)

Tim Walz has three siblings, Jeff Walz, Sandy Walz and Craig Walz. Unfortunately, Craig passed away in 2016 in an accident. And they all graduated from Chadron State College.

Investigative journalist Laura Loomer, Queen of inside scoops and the founder of Loomered, cited Jeff Walz's Facebook profile and detailed his apparent dissatisfaction with his brother, the Minnesota governor.

ALSO READ| Donald Trump blames Kamala Harris for migrant kids becoming sex slaves: She was the border czar

Jeff Walz may share his story in a Trump rally

Loomers report suggests that Jeff Walz has long harboured reservations about his brother's political ideology and governance style. According to FEC report, Jeff has not only distanced himself from Tim Walz but also reportedly donated to Trumps campaign during the 2016 presidential election.

Jeff's disapproval of his brother became more publicly apparent when he responded to Loomers findings. He stated, Haven't spoke to him (Tim) in 8 years. I'm 100% opposed to all his ideology. My family wasn't given any notice that he was selected and denied security the days after.

Jeff expresses frustration not only with his brother's political stances but also with the lack of communication and consideration from Tim Walz's camp.

Jeff further hinted at the possibility of sharing his story at a Trump rally. He wrote in the post, I've thought hard about doing something like that! I'm torn between that and just keeping my family out of it. The stories I could tell. Not the type of character you want making decisions about your future.

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He extended his disapproval to the broader Biden-Harris administration. He condemned their leadership, alleging that they were turning the United States into a Banana Republic.

We've just become a third-world banana republic, Jeff said on the exact day, March 30, 2023, the day when Trump was indicted in New York City.

Jeff now resides in Florida with his wife, Laurie.
Recently Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama delivered their speeches at the DNC and comedian Joe Rogan called them out for their hypocrisy on Thursday. Winfrey criticized former President Donald Trump at the convention, emphasizing the need to stand up to bullies and address issues like racism, sexism, and division. Similarly, Michelle also spoke about how her mother taught her the true meaning of meaning of hard work and humility and decency. Joe Rogan calls out Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey for the hypocrisy in their DNC speeches.(@MichelleObama/X, @joerogan/X, @Oprah/X)

Also Read: Donald Trump blames Kamala Harris for migrant kids becoming sex slaves: She was the border czar

Joe Rogan calls out Michelle Obama

The former lady said in her speech, She and my father didnt aspire to be wealthy. In fact, they were suspicious of folks who took more than they needed. They understood that it wasnt enough for their kids to thrive if everyone else around us was drowning.

However, on Thursday Rogan took a dig at the two women who are wealthy while in discussion about various celebrities turning against Trump in recent years. The comedian said, How about Oprah? Oprah was talking about her and Trump running together, and now shes speaking to the DNC that hes a threat to democracy and shes up there talking about income inequality, like, Hey lady youre rich as f. Im like, How is that equal? as reported by the New York Post.

The podcaster then shifted to Michelle and pointed out the hypocrisy in her speech and said, "Also when Michelle Obama was saying, you know, I think she was saying her mother or grandmother was always suspicious of people who took more than they needed, like, you are worth so much money. Thats so crazy. You did it on a civil servants salary which is insane.

Also Read: Donald Trump faces another security threat as a man storms stage in Pennsylvania rally

Others pointed Michelles hypocrisy

Rogan was not the only media personality who pointed fingers at Michelle as her speech about income inequality felt insincere to people given Forbes estimated her net worth was $3 million.

Dana Loesch who is a conservative radio host wrote regarding Winfreys speech, Kinda weird for Oprah, with her Hawaiian estate and multiple homes, expensive wardrobes, frequent luxury vacations, etc., to talk about income inequality.

The Trump War Room also responded to the two womens speeches. The Trump campaign shared a 2000 thank-you letter from Winfrey, in which she had expressed support for him as a potential president, writing, Too bad were not running for office. What a team!

Meanwhile, for Michelle, the official account for Trumps presidential campaign commented, Michelle Obama says her parents were suspicious of folks who took more than they needed. She has a net worth of $70 million and lives in a mansion in Marthas Vineyard.
Kamala Harris sat down for her first television interview as a Democratic nominee on Thursday. Following the highly anticipated CNN appearance alongside her running mate Tim Walz, a body language expert broke down Harris' behaviour, saying she lacked confidence. Democratic presidential candidate US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at Enmarket Arena during a two-day campaign bus tour in Savannah, Georgia, on August 29, 2024. (Photo by CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA / AFP)(AFP)

Body language expert breaks down Harris' behaviour

Analysing Harris' demeanour during the interview, body language expert Susan Constantine told Fox News that the vice president was not confident in what she's saying. The interview came after Harris was accused of shying away from interviews since earning the Democratic nomination.

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When I look at her overall demeanour, she does not carry the confidence or the presidential appearance in her demeanour to command in her position, Constantine said, adding, So for everything that I saw last night, she definitely needs to make some tweaks into her body language to appear more confident.

The expert went on to highlight that the fact Harris was looking down a lot removes a lot of the fluidity and the authenticity. "When she struggles, you start to see a lot of the head bobbling. You know, the head bobbling is what part of the file in my subconscious am I going to pull out? Which ones are my answers?" Constantine said.

ALSO READ: White Stripes' Jack White threatens Trump with lawsuit for using band's hit song, Don't even think

She couldn't come up with a crystal clear answer, and that's why she tends to bobble, she continued before explaining that her nods were another signal that she's not really... prepared. She doesn't really have confidence in her own answers, Constantine added.

The body language pro also highlighted that Harris continuously kept breaking her gaze, which was a sign of deflection. So when you're removing an eye gaze, not making good eye contact, it's just showing me that she's not confident in what she's saying, she explained.
Prince Harry landed in the United Kingdom in secret on Thursday to attend Lord Robert Fellowes' memorial service. The other mourners present at the ceremony noted that Prince Harry and Prince William did not exchange any words despite standing just metres apart. The two were practically standing back to back with each other, as reported by the sources to The Mirror. The service was held in Snettisham, Norfolk where the two brothers were spotted standing just five yards" from each other but did not utter a single word to each other. FILE - Prine William and Prince Harry avoided talking to each other during Lord Robert Fellowes' memorial service. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)(AP)

Also Read: Prince Harry reportedly seeking a reunion with King Charles III while in UK for uncle's funeral

Prince Harry and Prince William avoid each other

Prince Harry made a quick trip from California to the English soil to attend the memorial service of his uncle, Lord Fellowes. He was the late Princess Dianas brother-in-law and served as the private secretary to the late Queen in the 1990s. He unfortunately passed away last month at the age of 82. His memorial marked the first time the feuding brothers, Prince Harry and Prince William were seen in the same frame since their father, King Charless coronation in 2022.

While the two had made peace to be in the same room for their uncles memorial, the two seemed to have agreed not to talk in public. One mourner reported to The Sun: They were only five yards from each other.

The brothers sat on the far opposite sides of the St. Marys Church putting as many mourners in between them as possible. A mourner said to The Mirror, They were sat two or three rows back from the front, not at the back, but they were on opposite sides of the aisle. And then there were family members on the rest of the seats between them, so maybe that is something that was arranged.

Also Read: Joe Rogan questions Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama's hypocrisy after their DNC speeches: Youre so'

The rift between the brothers continue

The rift between the brothers reportedly began in 2016 when Prince William expressed his concern over the speeding romance between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The rift expanded with the Duke of Sussex exposing the truth about the royal family and his relationship with his brother in his memoir, Spare.

At the memorial, as the people started to intermix, the two did not cross paths again. A source reported the media outlet,  A lot of people were taking the chance to speak to them. They were only about five yards from each other, it was virtually back-to-back. When we left the reception they were both still there, but as we were on a walk we saw Harry driven off in a black Range Rover.
Prince Harry recently made a rare visit to England, attending the funeral of his uncle, Robert Fellowes, in Norfolk on Wednesday, August 28. Now, insider reports suggest that Harry harboured hopes of reuniting with his father, King Charles III. Back in February, King Charles delayed a helicopter flight to Sandringham just to meet Prince Harry, reports have claimed (REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo, Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP, File)

The 39-year-old Duke made the last-minute trip to pay his respects at the memorial service, which was also attended by his estranged brother, Prince William.

Charles worries about Prince Harry's cash crunch

Royal journalist Dan Wootton revealed on Friday, August 30, that the monarch is very concerned about Harry losing the Netflix deal and coming cap in hand asking for a cash handout.

ALSO READ| Prince Harry and William reunite at uncles funeral, but were 'keeping distance' after Duke secretly

Charles is concerned about Harry losing the Netflix deal and coming cap in hand asking for a cash handout if they meet for his sons hoped-for reunion, Wootton told InTouch Weekly. This concern is compounded by the Kings ongoing battle with a serious cancer diagnosis, which has left him physically weakened.

According to Wootton, King Charles is under pressure from various quarters, including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, to reconcile with his son. Phone calls have not been returned and the in-person meeting after his cancer announcement was moved to Clarence House instead of Sandringham so that it could be limited to less than half an hour between Charles and Harry, Wootton added.

In recent months, Charles, with wise encouragement from [Queen] Camilla, has finally realized dealing with Harry is a hindrance to his recovery.

Tension between Harry and William remains palpable

The brothers attended the funeral but cleverly kept their distance. The Sun cited a source, William and Harry were both there but we never saw them speak to each other and they were keeping their distance.

ALSO READ| Prince Harry, Meghan Markle planning to tell Archie and Lilibet about their royal lineage? They know the world

Another insider mentioned, I didnt know they were there. They arrived very discreetly. The two brothers, who were mourning the loss of their uncle, sat separately at the back of St. Marys Church.
Canberra, About 2,890 kilometres beneath our feet lies a gigantic ball of liquid metal: our planets core. Scientists like me use the seismic waves created by earthquakes as a kind of ultrasound to see the shape and structure of the core. Seismic echoes reveal a mysterious donut inside Earths core

Using a new way of studying these waves, my colleague Xiaolong Ma and I have made a surprising discovery: there is a large donut-shaped region of the core around the Equator, a few hundred kilometres thick, where seismic waves travel about 2 per cent slower than in the rest of the core.

We think this region contains more lighter elements such as silicon and oxygen, and may play a crucial role in the vast currents of liquid metal running through the core that generate Earths magnetic field. Our results are published today in Science Advances.

The coda-correlation wavefield

Most studies of the seismic waves created by earthquakes look at the big, initial wavefronts that travel around the world in the hour or so after the quake.

We realised we could learn something new by looking at the later, fainter part of these waves, known as the coda  the section that brings a piece of music to its end. In particular, we looked at how similar the coda recorded at different seismic detectors were, several hours after they began.

In mathematical terms, this similarity is measured by something called correlation. Together, we call these similarities in the late parts of earthquake waves the coda-correlation wavefield.

By looking at the coda-correlation wavefield, we detected tiny signals stemming from multiple reverberating waves we wouldnt otherwise see. By understanding the paths these reverberating waves had taken and matching them with signals in the coda-correlation wavefield, we worked out how long they had taken to travel through the planet.

We then compared what we saw in seismic detectors closer to the poles with results from nearer the Equator. Overall, the waves detected closer to the poles were travelling faster than those near the Equator.

We tried out many computer models and simulations of what conditions in the core could create these results. In the end, we found there must be a torus  a donut-shaped region  in the outer core around the Equator, where waves travel more slowly.

Seismologists have not detected this region before. However, using the coda-correlation wavefield lets us see the outer core in more detail, and more evenly.

Previous studies concluded that waves moved more slowly everywhere around the ceiling of the outer core. However, we have shown in this study that the low-velocity region is only near the Equator.

The outer core and the geodynamo

Earths outer core has a radius of around 3,480km, which makes it slightly bigger than the planet Mars. It consists mainly of iron and nickel, with some traces of lighter elements such as silicon, oxygen, sulfur, hydrogen and carbon.

The bottom of the outer core is hotter than the top, and the temperature difference makes the liquid metal move like water in a pot boiling on the stove. This process is called thermal convection, and we think the constant movement should mean all the material in the outer core is quite well mixed and uniform.

But if everywhere in the outer core is full of the same material, seismic waves should travel at about the same speed everywhere, too. So why do these waves slow down in the donut-shaped region we found?

We think there must be a higher concentration of light elements in this region. These may be released from Earths solid inner core into the outer core, where their buoyancy creates more convection.

Why do the lighter elements build up more in the equatorial donut region?

Scientists think this could be explained if more heat is transferred from the outer core to the rocky mantle above it in this region.

There is also another planetary-scale process at work in the outer core. Earths rotation and the small solid inner core make the liquid of the outer core organise itself in long vertical vortices running in a northsouth direction, like giant waterspouts.

The turbulent movement of liquid metal in these vortices creates the geodynamo responsible for creating and maintaining Earths magnetic field. This magnetic field shields the planet from harmful solar wind and radiation, making life possible on the surface.

A more detailed view of the makeup of the outer core  including the new-found donut of lighter elements  will help us better understand Earths magnetic field. In particular, how the field changes its intensity and direction in time is crucial for life on Earth and the potential habitability of planets and exoplanets. GRS GRS

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Clark Art Hosts Free Weekly Writing Program

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  As part of the Clark Art Institute's free evening hours through Sept. 25, and in connection with the Guillaume Lethiere exhibition, the Clark presents a free drop-in writing program exploring how creative writing can be used for political and social change.

From 45 pm, workshop participants have complimentary access to the Guillaume Lethiere exhibition. From 56 pm, reserved seating is available for participants to share their writing on the Fernandez Terrace.

According to a press release:

Just as artist Guillaume Lethiere depicted themes of revolt and revolution in his paintings and drawings, participants discuss the power of words to create change and gather together to write and share words of change in a casual workshop setting.

Free. Open to all ages; recommended for ages 12+. Pick up writing prompts at the Clark Center admissions desk.
Tamarack Hollow founders Daniel Cohen, left, and Aimee Gelinas, state Rep. John Barrett III, outdoor guide Vicki Zacharewicz and Tamarack board member Peter Scherff break ground for an educational center. Julie Richburg, the Trustees' lead ecologist of inland natural resources, commends Tamarack Hollow's conservation work. Dancer and instructor Noel Staples-Freeman dances to the beat. PreviousNext

Tamarack Hollow Breaks Ground on Long-Anticipated Nature Center



The education center will allow Tamarack to hold programming without worrying about the weather.

WINDSOR, Mass.  Aimee Gelinas and Daniel Cohen have led hikes and other programming at Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center for more than a decade.

Now an upcoming educational center will create new opportunities to connect people with the natural world and the folklore traditions that honor it.

Last week, the nonprofit held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a 900-square-foot wooden structure with a full foundation and a composting toilet. The excavation process began this week, and completion is expected in 2026.

"This is such a big day for Dan and I," Gelinas said. "We have been working hard for this for 10 years."

For Cohen, it is "very gratifying."

"It's been kind of a dream, an idea of ours for a long time and to see it coming to fruition is really amazing," he said.

The organization received a $50,000 matching grant three years ago from the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Facilities Fund in partnership with MassDevelopment. Through donations, they were able to match it.

The center is estimated to cost around $200,000 and fundraising efforts continue.

Gelinas and Cohen hold guided hikes, snowshoeing, tracking, wild edibles, and plant and tree identification events throughout the year but are limited without a facility to hold indoor programming.

"The building will provide our organization with a much-needed indoor educational space so we can provide programs for schools, teacher training, youth centers, intergenerational programs, lectures, music classes, and more right here on site," Gelinas explained.

"Regardless of the weather."

The conservation and educational nonprofit's mission is to educate about the diverse natural and cultural world through programs for all ages that inspire stewardship of natural, and cultural resources.

With two full-time staff, it serves more than 5,000 people per year.

"We strive to inspire environmental and cultural awareness, appreciation, and stewardship by providing meaningful and engaging year-round educational opportunities for the public through diverse hands-on learning opportunities that connect people's culture and place," Gelinas explained.

"Our mission is to educate the public about the importance of stewarding our natural world, as well as folkloric traditions from world cultures that intrinsically connect music with the rhythms of the natural world. Through awareness and appreciation of the environment and diverse cultures, we can better understand each other and ourselves."

The nonprofit is also conserving 88 acres of rare boreal spruce fir and hardwood forest. The type of terrain, which includes the balsam fir and red spruce species, only grows in a small pocket of the state, with fields, watershed and a waterfall for future generations of fauna, flora, and people, she said.

They began their journey on the land in the early 2000s and in the last two years, have saved a 30-acre plot, a 26-acre plot, and the waterfall. The trail system is now about a two-mile loop.

Tamarack Hollow's land stretches along the northern border of Notchview, a property owned by the Trustees of Reservations. Julie Richburg, the Trustees' lead ecologist of inland natural resources, said they are amazing neighbors.

She commended Gelinas' work with youth and said the local wildlife thank them for preserving the land.

"This forest is really going to be impacted by climate change. It already is," she said.

"We're going to be able to have this land protected, cared for amazingly well, and using that foundation to teach generations, from drummers to kids to older people, people of all different knowledge levels."

State Rep. John Barrett III said the Legislature does something right when its funds something like Tamarack Hollow.

"I can say our money is well spent in the programs that are being developed here and other cultural organizations not just in the Berkshires but throughout Massachusetts," he added.

"You've done good."

Board members, family, and friends clapped and cheered the nonprofit's milestone.

"You guys were really the foundation, in your own way, of how we got here," Gelinas said.

She dedicated the evening, Aug. 21, to her beloved parents because of their unwavering support and belief in this project from the beginning. The next day would have been their 60th wedding anniversary.

Nephew and godson Matthew Gelinas was also commended for his work on the property as an intern for the last several years.
Leading global smart device brand OPPO is set to introduce the all-new OPPO A3. Known for setting the standards for durability and value for money, the OPPO A Series is designed to meet the needs of Filipinos who need a reliable everyday device for their work and play. The OPPO A3 boasts durability and enhanced reliability, making it the perfect partner for indoor and outdoor battles.

Built with a US Military-Grade Shock Resistance and rated 5-star for overall drop resistance in a performance test conducted by SGS, the OPPO A3 will empower Filipinos to live their everyday lives to the fullest as it can survive accidental falls from up to 1.6 meters, whether on their daily commute or doing their jobs or just winding down after a hard day at work.

Further proving the OPPO A3s superior strength among other devices in the A Series is its industry-leading Splash Touch technology and Multiple Liquid Resistance. Filipinos stay connected and worry-free even when they get caught in sudden downpours or accidentally spilling water, coffee or tea on their smartphone when theyre rushing or out and about.

For Filipinos looking for an accessible, highly-capable device as they try out mobile games or simply unwind during break time or after a long day at work, the OPPO A3 will be a solid option for them. Powered by a Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen1 Mobile Platform chipset, the OPPO A3 will ensure reduced latency and enhanced performance, ensuring immersive gameplay without interruptions.

Aside from the OPPO A3 being durable and reliable, it can also capture stunning, high-quality images with its 50MP Ultra-Clear Camera.Filipinos will no longer have to worry about their devices being totally drained or having to recharge for an extended period as the OPPO A3 is packed with a powerful 5,100mAh battery, complemented by OPPOs 45W SUPERVOOC Flash Charge and Smart Charging features.

The OPPO A3 comes in Starlight White, Starry Purple and Sparkle Black and will soon be available on OPPOs Shopee, Lazada and TikTok channels as well as in all OPPO stores nationwide.

Stay tuned for more updates and visit OPPOs official website at www.oppo.com.ph/ or OPPO Philippines official Facebook page for more updates on the upcoming OPPO A3.
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No one in human history lived a more chronicled life than the Queen, Craig Brown writes in the opening pages of A Voyage Around the Queen, his biography of the woman who became Elizabeth II. Its possible, Brown says, to chart her movements, on an almost daily basis, from the moment she was born to the moment she died. She barely went a week of her 96 years without being photographed, and those photographs then being disseminated around the globe. But despite the sheer volume of pictures and press snippets, she remained almost entirely inscrutable: she kept her true self hidden and set the blueprint for what weve come to think of as royal image management in the process (a blueprint that some of her descendants have ripped up).

Is it even possible to find something new, even revelatory, to say about this most documented of women? If A Voyage Around the Queen is anything to go by, the answer is yes  you just have to look at her from a different angle. Brown is a satirist previously best known for his parodic celebrity diaries in Private Eye, but in recent years he has pioneered a kaleidoscopic approach to biography.

His books play with this traditional form, giving as much space to examining the cultural phenomenon that springs up around a celebrity as to pure biographical detail. In his previous works, Maam Darling, a portrait of the Queens younger sister Princess Margaret, and One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time, he shone fresh light on his subjects by approaching them side on, in a slightly topsy-turvy fashion that allows their character to emerge in unexpected ways; he mixed imagined conversations, conspiracy theories and parodies with interview transcripts, magazine cuttings and lists.

There can be no difficulty in finding source material relating to the Queen (for simplicitys sake, Brown refers to the late monarch with this title throughout his book, largely because, he explains, when we hear that word, it is still Elizabeth that we think of first). The first chronicle of her life appeared in 1930, when she was just four  she is the worlds best known Baby, its pages declared, before gushingly describing the royal tots beauty and serene courage. A steady stream of books promising an insiders take on her and her family have followed ever since, although, perhaps unsurprisingly, none really seemed to permeate this most private of public figures.

Unlike Browns previous biographical subjects, the Queen could never really say or do anything especially groundbreaking or controversial. By virtue of her royal position, politeness and tradition were her mainstays. These are qualities that dont automatically make for the most fascinating of narratives, so Brown must be ever more creative in his approach.

There is a phonetic guide to the royals unique brand of received pronunciation, a list of the words that Prince Philip hated most (including conurbation and charismatic), letters to newspapers, descriptions of encounters with the monarch both real and made up. There are even dream diaries featuring members of the publics nighttime imaginings, a rendering of a corgi family tree and a compilation of the many, many times that the Queen was described as radiant by the people who met her. Browns focus is on the monarch herself, rather than her younger relatives, but there is a wonderful digressive chapter recounting the woeful failure of Its a Royal Knockout. In 1987, Prince Edward decided that the best way to make the Windsors seem relatable would be for them to star in a medieval-themed game show along with some minor stars. Prince Andrew reportedly ended up trying to push Meatloaf into a moat; Jonathan Dimbleby would later describe it as a nadir for the royals.

The Queen could have a discombobulating effect on her public ( Getty Images )

Indeed, Brown mixes high and low culture even more gleefully in his new book. The Queens meetings with great politicians and poet laureates are as important as her encounters with celebrities, and are recounted with similarly gossipy flair. Kingsley Amis, we learn, was so terrified of becoming flatulent when he received his knighthood that he had his doctor lay down a firewall of Imodium, according to son Martin. Phil Collins, meanwhile, started whistling the theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind immediately after getting through a conversation with her, possibly out of a sense of relief that his ordeal was over.

Among Browns main preoccupations here is the strange, discombobulating effect that the Queen had on her public  the ones who actually encountered her in person and those who only knew her as a face on coins and stamps. One of the illustrative anecdotes he features sees Tony Benn, then postmaster general and an avowed anti-monarchist, attempt to get said face taken off stamps, only to get quietly outmanoeuvred by the Queen and her staff over and over. Elizabeth II, the writer suggests, was essentially a human looking glass: the light cast by fame bounced off her, and back on to those facing her. People saw what they wanted to see in her, which was often some version of their own attitudes.

Sometimes that light dazzled them so much that they might feel giddy or woozy, prone to speaking strangely, behaving oddly or doing a comically low curtsey, a la Margaret Thatcher. Sometimes people would respond to the Queens conversational pleasantries (Have you come far? or How interesting!) with hysterical laughter or great reverence. Brown has plenty of fun skewering the bizarre ways in which we respond to royalty, but he also explores how sometimes the simplest of royal utterances could take on a certain perceptiveness. Take, for example, an encounter with the novelist Sybille Bedford, who tells the Queen she has been writing all [her] life, only for the monarch to respond with Oh dear! Oh well. Those four words, Brown says, inadvertently got to the heart of Bedfords attitude to her work: she had always found the act of writing close to unbearable. Brown doesnt imbue every royal act with an inflated sense of import and meaning (as some biographers have been prone to do) but he also has a light touch when it comes to these moments that sum up the monarchs balancing act between the banal and the almost talismanic or mystical.

A picture of the Queens corgis waiting for her funeral cortege would become one of the defining images of her funeral ( PA )

If the Queens conversation and behaviour were constantly constricted by protocol, the corgis, Brown suggests, seemed to embody all the chaos that her life lacked. The sections he dedicates to these anarchic dogs are among the books silliest and most enjoyable, as Her Majestys fleet of tiny canines tear through palaces and castles, biting the ankles of various notable guests; during one lunch at Windsor, the politician Alan Johnson accidentally ate their unusual dark biscuits, accompanied with cheese. They become her avatars, able to act out in a way that the Queen never could. Dogs have interesting instincts, dont they? the Queen apparently mused, with a knowing look after David Blunketts guide dog took a disliking to Vladimir Putin.

The corgis also feature in one of a few genuinely moving stories recalled here. At another royal lunch, the surgeon David Nott found himself in tears when asked about his work on the battlefields of Aleppo. The Queen briskly turned their conversation towards her dogs, and the pair sat feeding them for half an hour. The humanity of what she was doing was unbelievable, Nott said. In this context, you start to understand why a photograph showing the corgis waiting for her funeral cortege ended up as one of that days most poignant images. Glimmers like these, Brown knows, can be more evocative of character (and perhaps, of how we create a sense of someones character) than stolid facts or tell-all interviews.
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Fatman Scoop, the American rapper and hype man best known for his 1999 hit Be Faithful, has died aged 53 following an onstage medical emergency.

The Grammy-winning musician, real name Isaac Freeman III, collapsed during a performance on Friday in Hamden Town Center Park, Connecticut, before he was rushed to hospital.

According to reports from concertgoers, Freeman was seen struggling before he disappeared from view behind the DJ decks and collapsed. Medics quickly attended the scene and delivered CPR. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

His death was announced on Saturday by DJ and producer Birch Michael, who was Freemans tour manager.

You took me all over the world and had me performing alongside you on some of the biggest and greatest stages on this planet, the things you taught me have truly made me the man I am today, Michael said in an Instagram post.

MN2S, the rappers booking agency, confirmed the news in a statement to The Independent, saying: We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear friend and client, Fatman Scoop, at the age of 53.

Scoop was a beloved figure in the music world, whose work was loved by countless fans across the globe. His iconic voice, infectious energy, and great personality made an indelible mark on the industry, and his legacy will live on through his timeless music.

open image in gallery Fatman Scoop entering the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2015 ( Getty )

Sharron Elkabas, the rappers representative said: I spoke to him just a few days ago, and he was in such good spirits. Its hard to believe he is no longer with us.

Fatman Scoop had been a valued member of the MN2S family for 15 years, and his loss is deeply felt by all of us. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and fans during this incredibly difficult time.

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Scoops vibrant spirit, boundless enthusiasm, and passion for music will always remain in our hearts. He will be deeply missed.

open image in gallery Fatman Scoop onstage at the MOBO Awards in 2017 ( Getty )

A statement shared by his family on the rappers Instagram page spoke of his radiant soul and said he was a beacon of light both on and off stage. He was the laughter in our lives, and a constant source of support, unwavering strength and courage.

They added that he was known to the world as the undisputed voice of the club.

Throughout his career, Freeman frequently collaborated with other artists, including Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston and Missy Elliott.

His raspy and instantly recognisable voice featured on Mariah Careys Its Like That and Missy Elliotts 2005 single Lose Control, which won Best Short Video at the 48th Grammy Awards.

Born in New York, Freeman got his stage name from his uncle Jack, who called him Fatman Scoop due to his love for ice cream as a child.

open image in gallery The hype man performing at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2007 ( Getty )

He found fame with his 1999 hit Be Faithful, featuring the Crooklyn Clan, with his catchy chorus Single ladies, I cant hear you / All the chickenheads, be quiet! leaving a mark on hip hop culture and club culture for decades to come.

The song is still recognised as a club hit today, with the re-released 2001 version with samples from Jay-Z, Faith Evans and Black Sheep giving the song another boost in popularity.

His 2001 track Drop with Timbaland, soundtracked the opening of the 2004 breakdance drama You Got Served.

open image in gallery Fatman Scoop found fame with his 1999 hit Be Faithful ( PA )

The musician was also a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother 16: UK vs USA, which was housed in the UK and aired in 2015. He was the third housemate to be evicted.

Until his death, Freeman regularly released his own remixes of popular songs, and on the morning of his collapse, he released the official music video for his final collaboration with Dyce Payso, with their new song Let It Go.

The music industry has been paying tribute to the hip hop star.

Missy Elliott sent strength and prayers to his family.

She continued: Fatman Scoop VOICE & energy have contributed to MANY songs that made the people feel HAPPY & want to dance for over 2 decades. Your IMPACT will be NEVER be forgotten.

Questlove posted a photo of Scoop on Instagram, thanking him for being an embodiment of what hip hop was truly about, to just forget about your troubles and live in the moment and allow joy in.

Meanwhile, producer Timbaland shared a string of white dove emojis, and in another comment, a string of teary-eyed emojis.

Your voice is forever with us making us all have a good time, rapper Lil Jon wrote.

Scoop was one of those people that reminded you what the word love truly means, Ludacris wrote in an Instagram post of his own. Its an action, and with his actions he exuded the purest form of passion for hip hop.

He added, Every human being that he came into contact with felt that love and that passion. This is the type of legacy we should all continue from here on until eternity.
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Tony McCarroll, the former Oasis drummer who sued the Gallagher brothers after he was sacked from the band in 1995, has spoken out about the bands reunion tour for the first time.

In a new interview, the drummer, who is often dubbed the forgotten man of Oasis, spoke about Noel and Liam Gallaghers reunion tour, which will see the band perform a run of 14 shows in the UK and Ireland next summer for the first time since they broke up 2009.

McCarroll said he is not bitter about not being invited back for the reunion tour  or missing out on making a large fortune from it.

Im happy for Noel and Liam. Really happy for them, he told MailOnline. And Im dead happy for the fans more than anything and for those generations who havent seen Oasis.

McCarrolls time with the band began in the late Eighties, when the band was performing under the moniker The Rain and Noel Gallagher hadnt yet joined the band.

After they formed Oasis with Noel, the Manchester-born McCarroll continued as their drummer, performing on their first two albums, 1994s Definitely Maybe and 1995s Whats The Story (Morning Glory?).

Tensions between McCarroll and Noel started to boil over as they repeatedly got into arguments, and Noel felt that the drummer wasnt good enough to play new material.

McCarroll celebrates his out-of-court settlement in 1999 ( PA )

In 1995, McCarroll was asked to leave and was replaced by Alan White, who continued with the band until 2004.

McCarroll then filed a lawsuit against Oasis, alleging that he was unlawfully expelled from the partnership and was therefore owed royalties of 18 m, as part of his five-album deal with Creation.

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McCarroll eventually accepted an out-of-court settlement of 600,000 in March 1999 as well as giving up all claims for future royalties.

McCarroll revealed that his former bandmates had not yet been in touch with him about the reunion tour, telling the publication: They havent reached out yet and to be honest Im not holding my breath.

Would I consider being involved? I dont know. At the end of the day Im not the only ex-member left behind, so Ill just crack on.

I havent made up my mind if Im going to watch them play next year either. I was at their last ever gig in the UK at the V Festival. Its weird and ironic that I was there at the first and last gig.

I think we all knew it was going to happen and it had to happen.

Whether its been a blag for 15 years I havent got a clue. Theyre brothers at the end of the day  maybe their mum Peggy clashed their heads together and said sort it out.

McCarroll said he wasnt shocked when the band announced their comeback tour, and claimed he had predicted they would time it to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Definitely Maybe album.

Oasis are to reform for 14 performances ( PA Archive )

Speaking to The Guardian in 1999 after his departure from the band, McCarroll said of his relationship with Noel: I dont have a bad thing to say about Noel Gallagher. Hes an a******* though.

We were in it together. I worked my b*****ks off to set up the group. I was a member of a super-group one day and unemployed the next. I was trying to work out how.

However, McCarroll said he isnt angry anymore, and that he would like to meet up with Noel again.

He said: I last saw Liam just before Christmas and it was all hugs and kisses with him. Were not on the phone to each other but the relationship is amicable, were all good.

Ive not spoken to Noel in a while, but Id love to see all of them again. It would be lovely if something nice happened, but I dont expect anything. If it does, then great, nice ending to it all.

In Supersonic, a 2016 documentary on the band, soundman Mark Coyle talked about how McCarroll had a hard time on the Definitely Maybe tour as tensions between the drummer and Gallagher continued to boil over.

Youd have to feel for the boy. Ill put my hand up with the rest of the band and say I gave him a terrible time as well, he said.
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Behind-the-scenes images released by Oasis see the Gallagher brothers smiling together as they prepare for their much-anticipated reunion tour.

The newly-released black-and-white image sees Noel laughing as he stands next to his brother Liam, who is looking directly at the camera.

The British rock band announced their long-awaited reunion on Tuesday (27 August), and the pair will play 17 shows across London, Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin as part of their 2025 comeback tour.

The amicable context of the image is a welcome contrast for fans, who havent seen the pair together since they disbanded in 2009 following a heated backstage argument.

The relations between Gallaghers had long been turbulent before their split. Their professional relationship was worsening in the build-up to their last concert, with the pair having regular quarrels, physical altercations and disagreements onstage.

Noel and Liam smile as theyre photographed as part of the Oasis reunion ( Simon Emmett )

Much of their animosity had its roots in their teenage years, when the two shared one bedroom in their parents home. In the Oasis documentary Supersonic, Liam describes a time when he came home drunk and urinated on his brothers stereo. I think thats where the grudge started, he said.

In 2009, Noel issued a statement explaining his reasons for quitting, citing his brothers verbal and violent intimidation towards me, my family and friends of too great a number to list. What followed was 15 years of estrangement and the  temporary  end of Oasis.

The Gallagher brothers back together again ( Simon Emmett )

People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer, he wrote. Later, would claim that an argument over the advertising of Liams Pretty Green merchandising line had devolved into Liam throwing fruit and swinging a guitar around like an axe he nearly took my face off with it. It was at this point that he decided to quit.

The rest of Oasiss lineup, including Liam, continued to perform under the name Beady Eye until 2014.

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Noel continued to condemn his brothers behaviour during the Oasis years, saying in 2015 that he would never forgive Liams habit of abandoning gigs at the last minute.

He also accused Liam of being obsessed with him, and then Liam eventually became vocal on social media and would sometimes send public insults to his brother online.

In 2017, Liam released his first single as a solo artist, and further dismissed the idea of reforming the band. [Working with Noel] bores the death out of me, he said, revealing that the pair had not had any contact in years.

Noel and Liam Gallagher inspect photos during a session ahead of the Oasis reunion tour ( Simon Emmett )

But the mending of bridges was hinted at across several years  its only now that it has actually materialised.

During a set at Reading Festival 2024, Liam dropped a number of hints about a prospective reunion, dedicating the Oasis track Half The World Away to his brother. The gig ended by revealing a date and time, which was also shared by both Gallagher brothers on social media.

At 8am on Tuesday 27 August, both Liam and Noel announced that the band was reforming, stating: This is it, this is happening.

In the announcement, the duo confirmed that there had been no great revelatory moment, but rather the gradual realisation that the time is right.
 Close Oasis announce reunion tour

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Thousands of Oasis fans have been left empty-handed and frustrated after struggling to nab tickets to the groups 2025 reunion tour.

Tickets went on sale at 9am on Saturday and were expected to be sold out in minutes, but instead many waited in online queues for up to 10 hours, only to be kicked off booking websites with Error 503 messages appearing on their screens.

Just after 7pm, Oasis and Ticketmaster finally announced that tickets had sold out.

Some of those who did manage to make it through the queue to select tickets for Cardiff, Edinburgh, Dublin, London and Manchester found that the cost for general standing tickets had risen unexpectedly as a result of Ticketmasters dynamic pricing policy, which saw the cost of tickets double in some cases.

For the Manchester shows, for example, a general admission standing ticket was expected to cost 150 but that price had risen to 355 under the dynamic pricing policy that reflects increased demand.

However, Oasis has warned against buying resale tickets at inflated prices with companies other than its promoter, saying those tickets will not be valid.

The British rock band announced their long-awaited reunion on Tuesday (27 August), with brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher set to join one another onstage for the first time since their split in 2009.
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Vladimir Putin has reportedly gifted Kim Jong-un 24 purebred horses in exchange for artillery shells used in the Ukraine war, signalling the two leaders increasingly close bond.

The new consignment of Orlov Trotters, which are said to be the North Korean leaders favourite breed, were brought over the narrow land border on Sunday, according to an announcement made by the veterinary authorities in Primorsky Krai, which is the Russian Far East region connected by rail to North Korea, reported The Times.

The delivery of the 19 stallions and five mares is reported by South Korean media to be partial payment for North Korean artillery shells sent to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un exchange documents during a ceremony for their new partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea, in June ( Sputnik )

It comes two years after Pyongyang received 30 Orlov Trotters, the breed Kim has been seen riding in his regimes propaganda pictures.

Meanwhile, state media KCNA reported the North Korean leader sent President Putin a pair of Pungsan dogs, which is a local breed, in June, after the two leaders signed a comprehensive partnership agreement committing to military cooperation earlier that month. The Russian leader then gifted Kim 447 goats in August.

The horses primarily play a symbolic, rather than military, role for Kim, fuelling his familys personality cult ( Reuters )

Despite its development of nuclear weapons and balliestic missiles, North Korea is investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into a network of equestrian military units, which is among the oldest of military technologies. Between 2020 and 2023, the country spent at least $600,000 importing thoroughbred horses from Russia.

The horses primarily play a symbolic, rather than military, role for Kim, fuelling his familys personality cult. The North Korean leader is depicted riding on 386 occasions at the museum of the Mirim Horse Riding Club, which is the countrys most imporant equestrian centre.

The club also features sayings on equestrianism spoken by Kim, such as, Horses may no longer be used in war, but the war horse is important from the perspective that they display the militarys greatness.

Another reads: Commanders must ride horses. A person who rides horses will gain a stronger disposition and higher command ability, and it is also related to physical strength.
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Doctor Aileen Souza* was examining a patient at a bustling private hospital in Indias southern state of Tamil Nadu when a senior male colleague approached her from behind and rubbed up against her.

There was enough space for at least 10 people to queue up behind me. And yet, my senior came and rubbed his d*** against my b*** in public, Souza, who was 25 when she began her internship at the hospital, tells The Independent.

Born to parents who were doctors and alumni from the same prestigious medical college she attended in the southern city of Vellore, Souza says she entered the profession with a certain sense of security. That illusion was quickly shattered, as she was sexually harassed and assaulted by several colleagues over the years. She says it made her aware of her vulnerabilities as a woman despite the privilege of class, and where it leaves others who are not from similar backgrounds.

Three years after her ordeal shes speaking out, emboldened by the national outcry over the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the eastern city of Kolkata. More than a million doctors in India went on strike this month amid snowballing protests over the 9 August rape and murder of a resident medic who had settled down for a nap in a lecture hall after working nearly 20 hours of a 36-hour shift at the government-run RG Kar Medical College.

Since then, junior doctors have taken to the streets in protest, demanding justice and better workplace safety for women in hospitals. This comes amid what is being seen as a second wave of the #MeToo movement in India as women actors in a southern film industry speak up about systemic sexual abuse by top professionals, emboldened by a government-appointed fact-finding committee backing their allegations.

The Independent spoke to almost a dozen women doctors about their experiences working in hospitals across India, and all described an environment where sexual harassment is rampant. Their names have been changed to protect their identity in keeping with strict Indian laws that do not allow the victims of sexual crimes to be named.

I was an intern in the emergency department, assisting a junior consultant when it happened, Souza says.

Medical students, doctors and members of the civil society attend a candlelight protest march as they demand justice after an alleged rape and murder incident in Kolkata, India, on 23 August 2024 ( EPA )

She remembers being frozen in shock at the senior doctors inappropriate conduct. It was clear to everyone present that his actions served no purpose other than to harass me."

She chose not to speak out at the time, intimidated by the perpetrators position of power and the lack of a reliable redressal mechanism. "As a consultant, he could easily damage my reputation and discredit me. I feared he would spread rumours that I was a troublemaker, always complaining and raising allegations.

Indian laws require all workplaces to have systems in place to address sexual harassment complaints, but a recent analysis by the Udaiti Foundation found that 59 per cent of companies were not compliant. Specific data for hospitals and clinics in India is not publicly available.

I felt violated and confused, wondering what I had done to encourage this behaviour," Souza says.

Medical professionals and students hold placards as they take part in a protest in New Delhi on 21 August 2024 ( AFP via Getty Images )

On 20 August, Indias Supreme Court created a hospital safety task force to recommend steps to ensure medical workers safety. If women cannot go to a place of work and be safe, then we are denying them the basic conditions of equality, said Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.

The court suggested the doctor-led task force consider sweeping reforms to make medical establishments safer for staff, including separate break rooms for female staff, adequate lighting across the campus, CCTV coverage, and the creation of employee panels to conduct quarterly safety audits.

The need for workplace safety for female medical professionals has been reiterated in a letter by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to prime minister Narendra Modi. It is for the authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses, it said while listing a set of demands, including assured security and restricted duty hours.

Medical professionals and students take part in a protest rally against the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata on 21 August 2024 ( AFP via Getty Images )

We appeal to you for your intervention. This will give confidence to not only women doctors but also to every woman in [the] workplace. Sixty per cent of Indian doctors are women. This percentage is as high as 68 per cent in the dental profession, 75 per cent in physiotherapy and 85 per cent in nursing. All healthcare professionals deserve peaceful ambience, safety, and security at the workplace, the IMA said.

Lavanya Biswas, 32, a medical professional from Kolkata, says a senior colleague at a hospital in Vellore in 2017 threatened her with physical assault after she rejected his sexual advances.

She says he started to target her religion after the rejection. "He got quite offended that I have changed my religion ... and began to make nasty comments about my faith," she says.

One day, while she was struggling to take a blood sample from a newborn  a rather difficult procedure  she says he commented, Oh! where is your Jesus?

She asked him to keep things professional between them but his behaviour continued to worsen. The situation came to a head when they were on night duty together. "Only the two of us were there at night in the ward and we were doing the night rounds, when he asked, Why are you not talking to me? I told him that if you keep troubling me, Im going to complain against you."

The seniors response was menacing. He allegedly responded, Oh, you want to complain against me? Then Im going to hit you. So that its worth the complaint".

The Indian Medical Association announced a nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine in all sectors from 6am on Saturday, 17 August, for 24 hours with all essential and emergency services remaining operational ( EPA )

Biswas stood her ground but the experience left her shaken and fearing for her safety.

Today, she regrets not reporting the incident out of the fear of being victim-blamed. "I felt that... Ill be the one in trouble... The culture is to put everything under the carpet and make everything hush-hush... I already feel cornered... I didnt want to ruin my tenure and get a bad name."

Dr Himani Iyer, a 28-year-old resident doctor at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, narrates a terrifying experience of stalking.

There was a person with long hair in a red car who started chasing me during Holi, says the PGIMS student, referring to the Hindu festival of colours traditionally celebrated around March.

After this continued for a while, she asked the hostel guards to stop the car. That day, the car was stopped outside the boys hostel, says Iyer. But from the next day onwards the driver  a man  started following her from her hostel to her workplace, the pathology department.

The driver also waited for her to finish work, she says. Since there is free access for everybody inside the campus, it could be anyone, Iyer says. Initially it caused me a lot of anxiety. I could not get a hold of myself to take a picture of the car or note the number.

I did not lodge a complaint and did not know where to seek help. Because going directly to the police did not feel like the first thing I could do, she says. The police in India routinely accept that minor cases will never work their way through the courts. They instead often mete out their own summary justice, whether that be through mediation or simply beating the suspects and then refusing to register complaints.

Even the most serious and high-profile offences in India take many years to reach a conclusion when taken through the courts. Iyer says that when she finally noted the cars number and went to the police, they did not file her complaint.

They were telling me that I should confront my stalker, she says, which she firmly refused to do.

I said no, I cannot do that. Im not from here (the same state). I dont understand the local ways either. So I would like the police to act. So, they tracked down his number. I think the police had a word with him and after that, it stopped.

Iyer, who voiced the need for campus safety at a protest organised at PGIMS Rohtak against the Kolkata rape and murder case, says: Its not easy to go to the police right away and even though it got sorted out for me, there are younger students, the undergrad people, and going to the police will not be the first thing anybody would think about.

If you interact with any of the resident doctors, everybody has a fear inside them. None of the female doctors today want to go out alone. Everybody is trying to be in a group. Even I dont prefer walking alone after its eight or something. I try my best to get a friend [to accompany]me.

She says many women doctors such as herself are feeling very unsafe regarding the whole issue after the Kolkata incident.

Senior and resident doctors take part in a candlelight march during a protest and nationwide strike against the rape and murder of the woman doctor ( Getty Images )

Ananya Kumar, an alumna of PGIMS, Rohtak, says she and her women colleagues were routinely subjected to everyday sexism. There was one incident during an anatomy class around a cadaver that left her shaken, she recalls.

We were all women, surrounding the table when a professor asked for a pair of gloves. So we asked him if he wanted the 6.5 size  which is a small pair. He said, Ok, give me 6-and-a-half-size gloves only... because it is a different kind of pleasure to put your fingers into small things  a horrific innuendo about a womans vagina.

Dr Umesh Yadav, assistant public relations officer at PGIMS, tells The Independent: I want to assure you on the behalf of PGIMS, we have an institutional committee for these things and that takes these comments very seriously. And let me tell you there has been an expulsion of the faculty member, also on similar grounds, a few years back.

Dr Yadav refers to the action taken by the institution in August against resident doctor Maninder Kaushik, who was accused of abducting and assaulting a 19-year-old student after she declined his advances.

In the present case, the university acted suo motu without any official complaint by the student or parents.

Medical students and doctors make a human chain during a protest as they demand justice ( EPA )

The student was arrested by the police. Along with that there was expulsion  the maximum that an institution can do  has already been done. He adds that the campus has sanctioned funds for the installation of CCTV cameras and department heads have been directed to assist students in police complaints in cases of harassment.

Nearly 43 per cent of women experienced non-inclusive behaviour such as harassment or microaggressions and nearly half had concerns about their safety at work, or safety while travelling to work, according to an Economic Times article citing Deloittes 2024 Women @ Work report.

Reeza Dey, a 32-year-old doctor, says her estranged father sexually harassed junior employees in the privately-run hospital that he managed alongside her mother.

They used to hire nurses and lab technicians and I have seen my father harass the people working under him, she says of incidents going back to 2007, when Dey herself was in her early teens. She recalls nurses complaining that her father would stop them from leaving a room after assisting in a scan.

Though the matter reached her mother, who was also an administrator at the hospital, the resolution was far from fair. Unfortunately, the whole thing got the twist of infidelity rather than harassment, shares Dey, adding that it was an obvious case of workplace harassment.

Because she was married to him, she looked at it through the lens of infidelity, she says of her mother, with whom she is no longer in touch.

I want to talk about it because the men who harass women are also sometimes our brothers and fathers. I really feel the need to be very vocal about it because I know that people in my family have done this.

Relatives of patients wait as the medical students and doctors attend a protest in Kolkata, India, on 17 August 2024 ( EPA )

She says her father would hold an accountant as she worked on a computer or put his hand over hers when she was working with the mouse.

While doctors are vulnerable to violence, Dey says the other workers in the hospital, especially at private clinics, are rarely better off. If your next paycheck is coming from the owner, then it is not an equal dynamic.

* All victims names have been changed to protect their identities
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The search and rescue operation for an Indian tourist who vanished into a sinkhole a week ago has been officially called off.

After nine days of search and rescue and consideration from the cabinet as well as experts including the police, the search team, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, geologists and more, we've decided to halt the search efforts today, Zaliha Mustafa, a minister in the prime ministers department (federal territories) told reporters at the location of the sinkhole.

There are various factors for halting the operation, which include the safety and health of the rescue personnel.

The family of the victim has been informed, and we are in constant contact with them and the Indian High Commission, she added.

Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, 48, fell into the 8m-deep sinkhole at 8.22am on 23 August while walking to a nearby temple in Kuala Lumpurs Masjid India district. The search had been on for a week and the rescuers had found nothing.

Dr Mustafa said that the next steps to be taken were to be determined by the Malaysian police and that efforts to locate Ms Gali would continue under different agencies, reported Malay Mail.

The Kuala Lumpur City Council will also map the utilities and conduct a soil structure study throughout Kuala Lumpur and proceed with the rebuilding and recovery of Jalan Masjid India, she added.

open image in gallery Rescue personnel enter a deep sinkhole after a woman fell into it in Kuala Lumpur ( AP )

The operation was concentrated around two manholes in the Jalan Masjid India neighbourhood and was extremely challenging due to heavy rains and debris in the sinkhole.

The search team had been using high-pressure jets of water to cut through debris to find the victim.

While the Kuala Lumpur City Hall had placed over 100 sandbags around the exposed sewer lines to protect them from the disruptive flow of rainwater, the existing issues were dangerous enough already for the divers.

In that hole, there is a sewage drain and other drains; its really deep, fire operation officer Alimaddia Bukri was quoted as saying by The Straits Times. He added that the rescuers had been diving deep into the sewer amid strong currents and zero visibility.

It is pitch black in that pipe, a diver told The Straits Times.

You dont want to know whats in there. Its full of human waste and other garbage. We decontaminate immediately after each dive.

Ms Gali and her family were due to return to India last week, but their visas have been extended by the Malaysian government and they were also provided with counselling. The family members do not expect anything and would only want to see her face.

open image in gallery Relatives of an Indian woman who fell into an eight-meter-deep sinkhole wait for news near the accident site ( EPA )

Kuala Lumpurs mayor reassured the public of the citys safety, stating that daily routines should continue unless evidence suggests otherwise. A task force has been established to assess the safety of structures around the sinkhole area.

In my view, Kuala Lumpur remains safe, the mayor said last week. Maimunah Mohd Sharif was speaking in defence of the citys safety after a 2015 social media post went viral calling it the most unsafe place in Malaysia with a possibility of a giant sinkhole opening at any time.

We will only consider it unsafe if there are studies that provide evidence to the contrary, especially given the alarming media reports.
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A tweet that recently went viral asked one simple question: Whats your pet theory about the causes of birth rate decline?

The answers that came back varied wildly.

People everywhere have higher expectations for everything: their spouse, quality of life for kids, etc. it can really all be traced back to that.

Birth control + cost of living.

People are too stressed, overworked, and more focused on careers and personal goals.

And, hilariously: Men are mean and everything is too expensive.

The immutable fact that people are having fewer babies is a subject thats been steadily gaining attention. In the UK, the birth rate has been noticeably on the wane since 2010, with the average birth rate in England and Wales sinking to 1.49 children per woman in 2022  the lowest rate on record. Its well below the so-called replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman, the number of babies needed in developed countries to maintain a steady population.

But its not an issue peculiar to the UK; birth rates are falling the world over, other than in Sub-Saharan Africa. Two-thirds of the worlds countries now have childbirth rates below the replacement rate. The issue is particularly pronounced in Southeast Asian countries: Taiwan, China, Thailand and Japan are all towards the bottom of the fertility table.

open image in gallery As women become better educated, they often leave having children until later ( Getty Images )

There are two broad trends at work here, according to Prof Sarah Harper CBE, a professor of gerontology at the University of Oxford. The first is an extension of something that started in Europe 250 years ago: When you improve womens education and healthcare, it reduces the number of children shell have. Thats a very good thing  more women being healthy, educated and having access to family planning.

The other trend has happened more dramatically over the last 30 years, and is particularly notable in Asia and Latin America. This second fall in fertility, where were seeing birth rates below 1.5 children, seems to be driven by different dynamics, says Prof Harper. Responses from young women are the same in Southeast Asia as in Europe: yes, women are saying there are economic issues, insecure jobs or challenges with affordable housing. But theyre also saying, Im educated and I understand that if I have a child that will change my lifestyle. I want to consider when I have a child. They might decide to stay child-free, to delay having their first child, or to only have one.

South Korea, whose rate was already the worlds lowest, plunged again last year to a record nadir of 0.72. On the one hand, the countrys twenty and thirty-somethings seem more interested in spending what disposable income they have on fashion, restaurants and travel: They are status hunting. Their high spending habits show young people are working on their own emblems of success online rather than focusing on the impossible goals of settling down and have children, Jung Jae-hoon, a sociology professor at Seoul Womens University, told Reuters.

On the other, a growing gap between the genders has prompted a fringe movement called 4B, in which women swear off heterosexual dating, sex, marriage and childbirth in response to the countrys deep-rooted misogyny. South Koreas incidence of intimate-partner violence was found to be 41.5 per cent in a 2016 survey, compared to a global average of 30 per cent, and its gender pay gap is the largest in the developed world.

Women are becoming more vocal about what they need and that it has to be egalitarian, it has to be equal Professor Pragya Agarwal

These circumstances are clearly very particular to South Korea, but the reality they speak to perhaps resonates further afield. Its a world in which a kind of Peter Pan syndrome sets in and adults appease themselves with smaller luxuries as they feel powerless to afford lifes big milestones like houses, weddings and kids; one in which heterosexual, cis-gender men and women feel increasingly divided when it comes to ideology and emotional maturity.

When a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, Daniel Cox, surveyed more than 5,000 people in the US about dating and relationships, nearly half of college-educated women said they were single because they struggled to find someone who met their expectations. Cox said his interviews with male participants were dispiriting; he found that the men were limited in their ability and willingness to be fully emotionally present and available.

Yale anthropologist Marcia Inhorn also concluded in her book Motherhood on Ice: The Mating Gap and Why Women Freeze Their Eggs that one of the main reasons educated women freeze their eggs is because theyre unable to find a suitable male partner. She charted the frustration, hurt and disappointment of women who were almost without exception  trying hard to find a loving partner but came up short.

I see echoes of this suitability discrepancy when I think of my own status as a child-free 37-year-old woman. Not having kids feels less of a choice, more of an inevitability resulting from the dearth of potential partners prepared to put down roots and get serious about the responsibilities that come with a relationship. And, while theres much Id compromise on, I know I would only want children under a very specific set of circumstances: with a committed partner who I was certain would step up and share the load, 50/50, when it came to parenthood.

open image in gallery Childcare costs and lack of support in the workplace can deter women from having kids ( PA )

Women are becoming more vocal about what they need and that it has to be egalitarian, it has to be equal, agrees Prof Pragya Agarwal, author of (M)otherhood: On the choices of being a woman. That its not just the womans responsibility to look after the children or to do certain things at home. Theres a wider conversation happening around emotional and mental labour that women have to perform. Many people who have held a higher position in the hierarchy, like men, havent acknowledged this notion that there was previously inequality and that they now need to step up. That is creating challenges in heterosexual relationships, where there is a gap between womens and mens expectations.

What this means in practice is that, despite the fact that more women are actively opting out of having kids than in previous decades (and facing less stigma for doing so), some arent having them due to circumstance rather than choice.

Its fantastic that women are able to say, this is the kind of life I want, Im not prepared to compromise on that, she adds. But some women are being forced to make this choice even when they want children, because the alternative is that they just take on all the burden, or they become mothers and then dont progress in their careers. They dont have the support in the workplace or at home, and theyre exhausted all the time: financially, emotionally, physically.

One way in which societal infrastructure isnt in place to encourage women to willingly procreate is the often abysmal maternity provision and the exorbitant cost of childcare. In the UK, the latter rose by nearly 6 per cent last year, taking the average price of a full-time nursery place for a toddler under two to 14,836 per year  and making it the third-most expensive country for childcare in the world, based on a couple earning the average wage, according to data from the OECD. Some 63 per cent of parents have delayed having another child or decided against having more due to the cost of childcare, according to one 2023 survey of 1,000 parents with children under four.

Then theres climate concern  the very real fear that potential parents are bringing children into a world in which the future looks increasingly uncertain, bordering on dire. A piece of research from Nottingham University in 2022 found that 48 per cent of Brits agreed that anxiety about climate change had to some extent made them think they should not have, or now regretted having, children.

There is no level of policy intervention that is likely to encourage childbearing Vegard Skirbekk

But according to one school of thought, the problem is bigger than heightened expectations of equality, mens lost boys affliction, financial barriers and worry about the planet being on fire. The problem, in fact, could encompass all of this and more, attributable to a kind of global malaise. Inequality and social isolation have led to an epidemic of despair  and that is whats driving down fertility rates worldwide, posits a 2024 paper by Penn neuroscientists Michael Platt and Peter Sterling.

The cause of this catastrophic rise in anxiety, depression and related diseases? The increase in our lives becoming more digital and the shift from real-world to online interactions, it claimed, hypothesising that this acute sense of loneliness is contributing to more physical and mental ailments, particularly in high-income countries, and dampening the most basic of human drives: procreation.

This perhaps explains why pro-natal government schemes to financially incentivise having kids are doing little to reverse the trend. Essentially, there is no level of policy intervention that is likely to encourage childbearing, that is likely to affect fertility rates during the long term, Vegard Skirbekk, a Norwegian population economist and author of the book Decline and Prosper!: Changing Global Birth Rates and the Advantages of Fewer Children, tells me. Many countries have tried and failed.

And, though there might be issues that come with an ageing population, its also inevitable. The UN said many years ago  and any demographer would agree with this  that ageing will occur no matter what, says Skirbekk. We are living longer. This means a fairly rapid increase in the number of countries where more than half of the population is aged over 50. Societal adaptations will have to be made, but technological changes and automation could help fill gaps in an older workforce.

open image in gallery One study blamed the rise of digital devices for the fertility decline ( Getty Images )

We also need to consider immigration as a tool  There are huge numbers of young people elsewhere with skills and talents, says Prof Harper. She also recommends looking at opportunities within our own local population. If women are having fewer children, they can play a greater role in the workforce, and if were healthier in general, we can work for longer. Its a challenge but I dont necessarily see it as a problem.

In fact, the widespread assumption that a dip in fertility is inherently bad could be misleading. Skirbekk agrees: There is no way around it, and there are many positive aspects that people tend to downplay.

Carbon emissions, for one. On a fundamental level, fewer people equals a smaller footprint. Personally, I think its a good thing, Prof Harper says of lowering birth rates. Were a planet of eight billion people, and well still likely see this increase to potentially 12 billion. We know climate change and the consumption of goods and natural resources is going to only going to increase; the pressure is only going to increase. A fertility decline will, if anything, alleviate some of that pressure.

But she stresses that, if you want children, you shouldnt let environmental guilt stop you from having them. Just make sure your family and your household is low-consuming.

One thing the experts all agree on is that if you want to swap Bye Bye Baby for Hit Me Baby, One More Time, we need to be better supporting those who do want to pursue parenthood. We have to look at equality in the workplace and equality at home, says Prof Harper. There has to be good, affordable childcare available.

Governments creating a panic around declining childbirth isnt going to help anybody. But implementing policies to actually support women who want babies? That just might.
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Princess Martha Louise of Norway will tie the knot with American shaman Durek Verrett on August 31. However, the nuptials have become the center of controversy with other members of the Norwegian royal family.

The 52-year-old daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway is set to marry a shaman named Durek Verrett at Hotel Union in Geiranger, a village in western Norway.

The festivities will take place over three days surrounded by 350 guests  including other European royals and, reportedly, Gwyneth Paltrow. The dress code calls for sexy and cool attire, while a Netflix camera crew will be among the few press outlets granted exclusive access to the wedding.

In fact, its the limited public access to Princess Martha Louise and Dureks wedding that has sparked some backlash from her own royal family.

But controversy surrounding the couple has circulated long before their nuptials were announced.

Who is Princess Martha Louise of Norway?

The Norwegian royal is fourth in line to the throne. Martha Louise was born on September 22, 1971, to the then Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja. The royal couple also welcomed a son, Crown Prince Haakon, the current heir apparent to the Norwegian throne.

She is a certified physiotherapist and a self-described clairvoyant, claiming she can communicate with animals and angels. In fact, Martha Louise once opened her own alternative therapy center called Astarte Education  named after one of the oldest goddesses in the Middle East  to teach others healing techniques and how to make contact with celestial beings. In a 2007 interview with NRK, the Norwegian public service television network, she described her relationship with angels as creatures of light, which gave her a feeling of a strong presence and a strong and loving support.

However, Martha Louise faced much criticism for her professional endeavors, as well as calls for her to give up her royal title. In 2019, Norways royal court confirmed she would no longer use her title of princess during her business activities. Just three years later, the Royal House of Norway announced she was relinquishing her royal role.

"Princess Martha Louise wishes to differentiate more clearly between her own activities and her relationship to the Royal House of Norway. The Princess has therefore decided, in consultation with His Majesty The King and other close family members, that she will not carry out official duties for the Royal House at the present time," the palace said in a statement at the time.

While she gave up attending official royal duties, Martha Louise was still allowed to keep her princess title. Despite her stepping down from her working royal role, she still remains fourth in line to the Norwegian throne.

In May 2002, she married her first husband, author Ari Behn. The former couple welcomed three daughters: Maud Angelica, 21, Leah Isadora, 19, and Emma Tallulah, 15. Her daughters are private citizens and do not have official royal titles.

Martha Louise and her husband announced their separation in 2016. The pair were officially divorced one year later, sharing joint custody of their daughters. The author died by suicide in December 2019.

Who is her fiance, Durek Verrett?

In May 2019, the princess revealed that she was in a relationship with American citizen Durek Verrett, a self-titled shaman. In an Instagram post announcing their relationship, Martha Louise seemingly preempted potential criticism when she wrote in the caption: To those of you who feel the need to criticize: Hold your horses. It is not up to you to choose for me or to judge me. Shaman Durek is merely a man I love spending my time with and who fulfills me.

The pair later announced they were engaged in June 2022. However, that hasnt stopped people from sharing their thoughts about their unconventional relationship.

open image in gallery Durek Verrett is marrying Princess Martha Louise of Norway, who is fourth in line to the throne ( Getty Images )

The 49-year-old California native, born Derek Verrett, works as an alternative therapist. On his website, Durek described himself as a sixth generation shaman and listed Nina Dobrev and Gwyneth Paltrow as some of his high-profile clients. He offers hour-long private sessions on his website for $2,000 in-person or $1,500 virtually.

In 2019, he published the book Spirit Hacking: Shamanic Keys to Reclaim Your Personal Power, Transform Yourself, and Light Up the World. Following its publication, however, the book raised eyebrows for its non-traditional medical theories. The book was even reportedly dropped by its Norwegian publisher, Cappelen Damm, over its unsubstantiated claims.

Our conclusion is that the book should not have been assumed, it will not be published, and the publisher has informed the rights holders about this, the Oslo-based publisher said in a press release at the time, according to the Daily Mail.

According to the outlet, Verrett suggested in the book that childhood cancer is caused by unhappiness. Verrett also claimed in the book that he had risen from the dead, that he predicted the 9/11 attacks in the United States two years before they actually occurred, and that casual sex attracts subterranean spirits that make an impression on the inside of womens vaginas, which he sells exercises to clean out.

Verrett was previously engaged to Hank Greenberg, a masseuse, from 2007 to 2015. In 2012, his sister gave him a kidney.

What is the controversy surrounding their wedding?

Ahead of their nuptials, the couple has decided to only give Hello! magazine exclusive access to the ceremony. This caused quite some uproar among the Norwegian press, which has typically been granted access to a wedding of the royal family.

Here a key member of the Norwegian royal family is breaking what has been a long and good tradition, Reidun Kjelling Nyb of the Norwegian Editors Association told NRK, per English translation, according to People. Major events have been documented via Norwegian broad media, such as NTB and NRK, on behalf of the entire press, which has passed the images on to the people and to other newsrooms that want them, including foreign ones.

As a result of the exclusivity decision, Guri Varpe  the Royal House of Norways head of communications  told NRK that members of the royal family will refrain from being photographed and filmed by outlets without access.

The public and the press will be able to take photos of the princess and her groom outside the wedding, with one or more photos of the couple with their family to be circulated afterwards, NRK said. Photos from the wedding itself will be exclusively owned by Hello!

Despite the criticism, Martha Louise and Verrett have declared that theyre drawing a line to focus on their future. We know that parts of the press will intensify with lies about us, as our wedding draws nearer. As we prepare for our Big Day, we are dedicated to taking care of each other, prioritizing our mental well-being and love for each other, and have therefore decided that from this day forward, we will not comment on anything the press throws at us, the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post in April.

We are focusing on creating a wedding that reflects the depth of our love and are filled with excitement and joy for the celebrations ahead. Thank you for your understanding as we embark on this beautiful journey together, celebrating our love ending in our wedding in Geiranger.
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Osiel Cardenas Guillen, one of Mexicos most-feared drug lords, has been released from a U.S. prison after serving most of a 25-year prison sentence, authorities confirmed Friday.

A U.S. Bureau of Prisons official said Cardenas Guillen had been released from prison and was placed in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That would normally suggest he would be deported back to Mexico.

A Mexican official who was not authorized to be quoted by name said Cardenas Guillen faces two arrest warrants in Mexico, making it likely he would be detained upon arrival.

The former head of the Gulf cartel was known for his brutality. He created the most bloodthirsty gang of hitmen Mexico has ever known, the Zetas, which routinely slaughtered migrants and innocent people.

Cardenas Guillen was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2010 and ordered to forfeit tens of millions of dollars. It was not clear why he did not serve his full sentence, but he had been extradited to the U.S. in January 2007.

The 57-year-old native of the border city of Matamoros, Mexico, moved tons of cocaine and made millions of dollars through the Gulf cartel, based in the border cities of Reynosa and Matamoros.

He created the Zetas, a gang of former Mexican special forces soldiers who he recruited to become his private army and hit squad. They committed acts of terror that regularly involved slaughtering dozens of people, decapitating them or dumping heaps of hacked-up bodies on roadways.

The Zetas lived on long after Cardenas Guillen was captured in 2003. By 2010, the Zetas had formed their own cartel, spreading terror-style attacks across Mexico as far south as Tabasco until their top leaders were killed or arrested in 2012-2013.

An offshoot of the Zetas, the Northeast cartel, continues to control the border city of Nuevo Laredo, across from Laredo, Texas.

But Cardenas Guillens own gang, the Gulf cartel, has become hopelessly splintered after more than a decade of bloody infighting between factions with names like The Metros, The Cyclones, The Reds and The Scorpions.

Cardenas Guillens own nickname was El Mata Amigos, or "The one who kills his friends.

Cardenas Guillens most brazen act was when he surrounded and stopped a vehicle carrying two U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents and one of their informants in 1999 in the border city of Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas.

His gunmen pointed their weapons at the agents and demanded they hand over the informant, who would almost certainly be tortured and killed. The agents toughed it out and refused, reminding him it would be a bad decision to kill employees of the DEA. Cardenas Guillen eventually called off his gunmen, but not before reportedly saying You gringos, this is my territory.

__

Alanna Durkin Richer contributed from Washington, D.C.

___

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
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A grieving family have revealed police missed a string of chances to stop an evil and controlling ex-boyfriend who murdered two women in just 16 months.

Handyman Carl Cooper, 66, was branded a danger to women when he was jailed for 35 years for murdering former partners Naomi Hunte, 41, and Fiona Holm, 48, whose body has never been found. Both women had reported Cooper to the police for domestic abuse before they were killed.

In their first interview about the case, Fionas heartbroken family hit out at the Met for not stopping the abusive killer sooner and failing to alert the mother of four about his violent past.

Under the right to know section of Clares Law  also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme  officers are allowed to disclose information about an abusers history if they fear for a new partners safety. But in a report this month, police inspectors found the Met is failing to make proper use of the law and is only making 3.3 disclosures per 100,000 people under the right to know scheme  far below the national average of 17.5.

The domestic abuse charity Refuge slammed the woefully low figures, adding: This is consistent with what we hear from many domestic abuse survivors, as well as in Domestic Homicide Reviews, and begs the question, why arent women being supported when they report their abusers and disclose concerns, especially if their perpetrator is already known to the police?

We need to see police forces acting earlier, listening to womens voices and taking their concerns seriously, enacting vital safety planning to protect them. The focus needs to be on prevention, not issuing apologies when its too late.

Naomi Hunte complained to police about Cooper four times before she was murdered ( PA Media )

In a series of damning developments in the Cooper double murder case, The Independent can reveal:

An anonymous 999 caller reported Cooper for murdering a woman around the time Fiona Holm disappeared  but police wrongly classed it as a hoax

Cooper had a history of alleged violence against women and was previously charged with the attempted murder of another former partner in 1999, but was acquitted

Four officers are being investigated by the Mets professional standards department for misconduct

During a four-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court, it emerged that Ms Hunte had repeatedly told officers she was frightened of Cooper, who had been stalking her, during four separate calls alleging abuse between November 2020 and October 2021.

She was found stabbed to death on her blood-soaked sofa on Valentines Day in 2022. Cooper was arrested on suspicion of her murder by police who later found her blood on his coat. But  for reasons grieving relatives still struggle to fathom  he was released under investigation and left free to start a new relationship with unsuspecting mother of four Ms Holm.

When she also reported him to the police for threatening her with a crowbar and stabbing her with a screwdriver in April 2023, she had no idea the man she was dating was a murder suspect.

Cooper was handed a 28-day Domestic Harm Prevention Order but Ms Holm vanished without trace after it expired the following month, leaving her children, aged 27, 22, 17 and six, without their mother.

The last confirmed sighting of Holm was at an off-licence near Coopers flat in Catford at 10.48pm on 20 June last year ( Met Police )

Police later discovered traces of her blood in multiple locations, including the walls, door and wifi router of Coopers flat, which he had redecorated to cover his tracks, but her body has never been found.

Ms Holms devastated family said the vulnerable mother, who had autism and ADHD, changed after she started seeing Cooper on New Years Eve in 2022.

They warned her to stop seeing him after she came home with puncture wounds from a screwdriver, and thought she was staying with a friend when she went missing on 20 June last year.

At the beginning of weeks of frantic searches, the family visited Coopers flat in Catford, southeast London, to look for her but found the windows had been painted over. They began scratching some of it away only to find Cooper staring back at them from inside.

It was like something out of a horror film, her daughter Savannah recalled.

Cooper, who insisted he had not seen Ms Holm, was not arrested until several weeks later when the family returned on 11 July to find him selling her clothes to a market trader and called the police.

I smelled my sister on the coats, Elise said. I knew something was wrong.

Carl Cooper, 66, was found guilty of the murders of Hunte and Holm at Woolwich Crown Court ( Met Police )

It was only then that they learned he was also implicated in the murder of Ms Hunte.

Elise said they were disgusted with the officers who did not warn Ms Holm that Cooper was being investigated for killing Ms Hunte.

They should have told her, she said. There just has to be something to warn a woman, with domestic crimes especially.

A total of 242 domestic abuse-related deaths were recorded between April 2022 and March 2023, including 80 intimate partner homicides. Four in five suspects were already known to police, according to figures from the National Domestic Homicide Project. Separate figures from the Femicide Census show six in 10 men who killed women in 2021 had known histories of violence against women or were subject to monitoring or restrictions by a statutory agency.

The family have also accused the Met of bungling their investigation into Ms Holms disappearance after discovering that police had received an anonymous 999 call reporting Cooper for murdering a woman in Catford on 25 June. This was wrongly categorised as a hoax call and not followed up.

Holm (top right) with her sister Elise Skillen (top left) and her daughter Savannah Holm ( Supplied )

In the days that followed, Cooper cleared out his flat, stripped the wallpaper and was seen lighting a series of fires as he disposed of her body and other vital evidence.

If the police would have gone round there on that day  they might have found evidence, Savannah said. The police officers said themselves if they would have gone round that day they would have treated this case differently.

All these things have been too late. He had two, maybe three weeks to get rid of everything.

She fears her mothers remains may have been hidden in a sectional sofa Cooper had collected. It was taken to a dump in Bermondsey, south London, but by the time police tried to trace it, the sofa had been shipped to Sweden where it was destroyed.

Its just a theory but we dont know, added Savannah, who has applied to visit her mothers killer in prison to appeal for him to give up the location of her body. How are we supposed to move on? We will always be waiting for this phone call.

The family of Holm, pictured with her niece Milan, are calling for a change in the law ( Supplied )

The family described Cooper, who moved to London from Jamaica aged 40, as remorseless and pure evil in court.

Afterwards, they were contacted by another family whose mother was allegedly stabbed by Cooper.

Court records confirmed he was tried for the attempted murder of another woman at Londons Old Bailey in 1999, but acquitted.

Domestic violence campaigners have said the deaths of both Ms Hunte and Ms Holm were preventable, as they hit out at systemic failings in the police response to abuse.

Ikram Dahman, of Refuge, said: We reiterate the words of Fionas family in recognising the multiple failures that led to both her murder and the previous murder of Naomi: both womens deaths were preventable.

Naomi and Fiona each reported domestic abuse to the police before they were killed. The Met has serious questions to answer about why these reports werent taken seriously and acted on with haste, which could have saved their lives.

Rebecca Hitchen, of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said: These awful murders are a harrowing reminder of the serious consequences of systemic failings in how the police treat victims of abuse.

We expect to see urgent, meaningful action to transform policing  womens lives lie in the balance.

Holms family want the killer to tell them where her body is ( Supplied )

Four officers are being investigated by the Mets professional standards department for misconduct over their handling of Ms Holms complaint about Cooper.

An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) spokesperson said they had received a mandatory referral after Cooper was arrested for Ms Holms murder, but decided it should be investigated by the forces directorate of professional standards.

The Met Police said there was insufficient evidence to charge Cooper with the murder of Ms Hunte in 2022. However, a critical incident review has concluded a more thorough initial investigation could have identified key witnesses to help support a prosecution of Cooper for assaulting Ms Holm in April, before she was killed.

A Home Office spokesperson said: The level of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this government recognises it as a national emergency.

Through our unprecedented mission to halve such violence within the next decade, we will overhaul every aspect of societys response to these appalling crimes. This begins with improving policing and the criminal justice system, relentlessly pursuing dangerous offenders and providing sustained support for victims.
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The former Tory minister Michael Gove, known mostly as a Brexiteer but also more recently for his dance moves in a techno club, has defended Angela Rayner, who has been criticised for her own contortions at an Ibiza superclub.

Following a meeting with mayors and housing regulators on Wednesday, the deputy prime minister and housing secretary was filmed just hours later dancing with the Australian DJ Fisher in front of a vast crowd at the Hi Ibiza superclub.

Later, in footage posted to Instagram by actor and presenter Denise van Outen, the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne could be seen singing along to a remix of Gotyes Somebody That I Used To Know with the DJs headphones around her neck, as a sea of smartphones held aloft in front of her captured the moment.

The moment was widely criticised in sections of the right-wing press with former Tory MP Nadine Dorries writing an article saying that Ms Rayners behaviour demeans her office.

Former GB News host Dan Wootton posted: Angela Rayner has been Deputy Prime Minister for 56 days. Shes disappeared from public view as Two Tier Keir warns of doomsday coming for all of us. Yet here she is raving into the early hours at one of the most expensive party clubs in Ibiza. What an absolute p*** take.

Angela Rayner is filmed dancing in Ibiza during parliaments summer recess ( screengrab Denise Van Outen )

But others hit back to tell outraged commentators to lighten up.

Mr Gove responded to a post by Conservative Home founder Tim Montgomerie on Twitter/X, saying: Angela Rayner is absolutely not my political cup of tea (or even my political glass of Sangria) but all right-wingers criticising her for dancing in Ibiza need to lighten up.

Im always glad when politicians take some time off and rest. Plus shes a pretty good dancer.

Mr Gove added: Its a tradition for Secretaries of State in the department.

Angela Rayner takes over on the decks ( Denise van Outen )

He was possibly referring to the moment he was pictured in a suit dancing wildly at Bohemia, a techno club in Aberdeen.

According to accounts, the then cabinet minister, who had recently separated from his wife Sarah Vine, was drinking until last orders  and was urged to move onto the club by fellow drinkers.

A claim that Mr Gove tried to avoid paying the 5 entry charge by repeatedly stating that he was the Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster was rejected by friends of the minister.

Michael Gove spotted raving in Aberdeen club

Ms Rayner is due back in parliament on Monday, when the parliamentary summer recess ends.

It is unclear when the deputy PM was due to return from Ibiza, but she has previously spoken of her love for raving and lethal cocktails.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year, the 44-year-old told comedian Matt Forde that she had just returned from Spain.

The girls I was raving with are half my age, and I was like: Im a grandma. I was proud of that, she said. 4pm I started, and I got home at six oclock in the morning when the sun was shining and I was like, Yes, I can do it.

Asked whether she had managed it with or without chemical support, Ms Rayner reportedly said she just drank vodka, adding: Youve got to go with the music, the vibes. Youve got to be in the moment and it takes you.
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Families are being stung by huge rises in nursery fees as under-pressure early years providers struggle to roll out the next stage of Jeremy Hunts ambitious scheme for free childcare.

Under what was described as the biggest ever public investment in childcare in England, the former chancellor pledged to provide 30 hours of free childcare for children aged from nine months by September next year.

But on the eve of the second phase of the 4bn rollout, with 15 hours to be given to under-twos from Monday, The Independent has found that underfunded nurseries are being forced to put up prices to stay open and parents are scrambling due to a shortage of places.

Bosses have also introduced additional charges to cover the funded hours for items such as food and nappies.

It means parents are having to pick up a bill for the scheme with a third being told to expect price rises outside funded hours over the next six months, according to a survey by Pregnant Then Screwed.

Three in four also say they are being charged the additional fees on funded hours, with almost a third saying it comes to at least 10 a day.

The rise in fees and additional costs are a shock to many parents who believed they would be seeing greater savings on entering their child into free hours for the first time on Monday.

Have you been affected by the rise in nursery costs or lack of spaces? Email alexander.ross@independent.co.uk

And it comes after a parent survey published by the charity Coram Family and Childcare earlier this year found the cost of full-time childcare at nurseries had already risen across all age groups since last year.

The full-time childcare cost at nurseries for under-twos, according to the report, went up 6 per cent to as much as 14,645 a year across the UK, rising to 20,557 in inner London.

Nurseries have told The Independent that fees have had to increase because funding for the scheme from the government does not cover costs. Earlier this year, 73 per cent of nurseries surveyed by the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said they expected to make a loss or just break even this year.

London parent Chloe Hubbard was shocked to find the cost of full-time childcare at her two-year-old daughters nursery in Twickenham was increasing by 9 per cent, to 2,249 a month, in September.

After the 15 hours of free childcare a week was deducted, she still faced a bill of 1,916  a saving of just 146 a month from Augusts payment.

I couldnt quite believe it when I saw it going up again on top of our monthly expenses we already struggle with, Ms Hubbard said. To have hundreds of pounds put on it; your heart sinks; thats two weekly shops.

I dont know how people not on good salaries like I am are managing because it is financially crippling. You are then trapped because it is hard to find another place elsewhere.

Partly as a result of the cost of childcare, Ms Hubbards family is moving to the south coast where the cost of a nursery will be several hundred pounds less each month.

She added: I remember the announcement [on the free childcare scheme] and thinking when my daughter turns two I will save all this money and it will only be a short amount of time Ill be struggling for, but it has turned out to be a facade. I think it is dreadful.

Mandy Blazey, a bank worker from Henlow in Bedfordshire, has seen nursery fees for her three-year-old son Reuben go up on five occasions since June 2023.

Despite receiving 30 hours of free childcare a week, she pays 1,138 a month following the latest price increase in July, which is under 100 less than she was paying a year ago, when her son did not qualify under the scheme.

Under the childcare scheme, the funding applies for the 38-week school term, so the free hours can be stretched across 52 weeks for a child in nursery all year, meaning it has a lesser impact on monthly bills.

Mandy Blazey says she feels no better off since taking up free childcare for her son Reuben ( Mandy Blazey )

The 34-year-old, whose son is in nursery year-round, said: Parents cant simply afford to go back to full-time work because the cost of childcare is too expensive even with the free hours. I believe there are many females out of work who just cant go back because of money.

She added: As a parent of a three-year-old, we are suffering as a result of the rollout as we are having to pay for the deficit between what the government is paying for the funded children and what it costs to run a nursery.

I have sympathy with the nurseries, but theyre not going to reduce fees. Im worried it will become unsustainable and nurseries could close because parents will drop out.

A survey of parents published by the Department for Education in July found one in five parents who chose not to use preschool for their child said it was because they couldnt afford it.

Six per cent said it was because of a lack of spaces, a figure that looks likely to rise given an accepted shortage of spaces.

On Friday, education minister Bridget Phillipson warned the expansion would not be plain sailing with 85,000 new childcare spaces needed by next September.

But it cant come quick enough for parents like Megan Tremain, who told The Independent she risked losing her television job after being told she could not get her eight-month-old son into her preferred nursery until next April.

The 35-year-old, from Upminster in east London, had tried to get her son in for January but was told several months ago there was no space.

Megan Tremain is unable to go back to work in January as her preferred nursery is full for her son Felix ( Megan Tremain )

Its got busy because of the 15 hours free, which is fine, she said. But there needs to be the spaces for the children or we end up in this situation where we cant go back to work and face losing our careers. It just hasnt been planned properly.

Edmund Greaves and Ellyn Sargent Megicks, who live in Bideford, Devon, were able to get their toddler, Cosmo, in childcare for September despite a scramble for places in their local authority area, Torridge, which has the fewest childcare places per 100 children, according to the latest Office for National Statistics figures.

However, theyve had to share the care between a nursery and a childminder because of the demand.

We first had a place booked with a childminder but it got cancelled due to the rise in children, said Mr Greaves, a financial journalist. We panicked when we started calling round and found many, including a new one nearby, to be full.

We ended up getting lucky but have had to combine nursery with a childminder due to spaces. Its alright giving away free hours but there needs to be a check on supply. It was like a lottery finding a place.

Rhiannon Woods, a teacher living in Keynsham near Bristol, applied for a place for her 22-month-old son, John, when she was still pregnant, but due to a shortage of childminder and nursery spaces in the area, she could only get a part-time place at a childminder and had to cut her hours at work.

Rhiannon Woods with her husband Matt and son John  the couple are already preparing to register their unborn child to nursery due to the shortage of spaces ( Rhiannon Woods )

She paid around 500 a month for her son to be looked after two days a week ahead of next month.

Where do people find the money? she said. When the money comes in it goes straight back out. I wonder how other people do it even with the free hours coming in, theres still so much to pay out.

Funding for the free childcare scheme is provided by central government through councils which distribute at least 95 per cent of the cash to providers. For under-twos, councils on average get 11.22 per hour, for two-year-olds 8.28 per hour and for three- and four-year-olds 5.88 per hour.

Early Years Alliance chief executive Neil Leitch told The Independent the funding was far short of what was needed with nurseries forced to increase prices and introduce additional fees for items such as food and nappies.

He added: Nurseries, childminders and preschools are doing their best both to deliver enough places to meet demand and to ensure that costs are affordable for parents, yet under the expansion this is an uphill battle which is only getting steeper.

At Mericourt Nursery in Preston, owner Barkha Rani put up hourly prices for children by 10 per cent in April but she is still oversubscribed for September, having turned around 50 parents away.

She now has a waiting list for January next year, and for next April.

Barkha Rani, who runs Mericourt Nursery in Preston, said she had to put up fees by 10 per cent due to wages rises and additional staffing ( Barkha Rani )

Ms Rani said costs increased because of the rise in the minimum wage in April and additional staffing required to cover the surge in the number of under-twos at the nursery, with younger children requiring a lower staff ratio.

She said: Some parents, they know the prices will rise but with others it is hard because you see how it impacts them.

The NDNA said the funding of free childcare places had been historically lower than the nursery costs, with its survey earlier this year revealing 83 per cent of providers saying the hourly rate for three- and four-year-olds was not enough.

It calculated that the hourly shortfall between government funding and the cost of childcare was 2.36 for three- and four-year-olds and 1.69 for two-year-olds.

Chief executive Purnima Tanuku OBE said: It is important for parents to know that the funded support does not make childcare free. These places are not fully funded and have never been free for either providers or parents

With a 1,400 drop in the number of childcare providers from March 2023 to March this year, a report by the Local Government Association published last week found 25 per cent of authorities were not very confident they had enough spaces for the rollout of free childcare spaces on Monday.

The Department for Education described the challenge of the rollout of free childcare as substantial, adding more nurseries will be opened out of primary school classrooms to provide the needed spaces.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: This inherited plan comes with significant delivery challenges  I must warn that for some parents it will not be plain sailing  and while I am excited to see children starting nursery for the first time, or parents being able to increase their working hours, the work for government starts now.

Over the next year, I will be working flat out with my team to ensure the next phase of the rollout is possible  doubling parents childcare entitlements to 30 hours a week.
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Firefighters rushed to the scene of a film set explosion close to the O2 Arena sparking panic among locals.

London Fire Brigade were called to a yard in Dock Road, Silvertown, at 7.51pm on Saturday after a stunt went out of control.

The blaze destroyed a van and damaged a car and a lorry, LFB added.

One resident showed pictures before the explosion of a BBC truck and a police car waiting on the dock

She told The Independent: From my understanding it was part of filming planned for tomorrow.

I didnt see it but heard a loud bang and went outside to see the fire.

She added: We were told it would happen last week, but clearly they forgot to inform the people on the side of the explosion of its postponement and fire services, because they sent so many trucks. Our buildings vibrated.

Pictures taken before the explosion ( @data_barbs )

A total of 25 firefighters tackled the blaze and it was under control by 9.02pm.

No injuries were reported.

LFB posted on X on Saturday evening saying: The fire at an open air yard in #Silvertown is now under control.

One van was destroyed by the fire and most of a car and lorry were damaged by the fire. There are currently no reports of any injuries.

It added: The fire in #Silvertown followed a controlled explosion at a film set which spread out of control. Firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the fire, which is now under control.

Crews will remain on scene for the remainder of the evening.
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Major changes to disability benefits assessments are set to come into place from next month as the DWP brings in new providers to oversee a new system.

From September, the way Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims are assessed will change across the UK as new companies take over.

The change will see all benefits that require a functional health assessment carried out by a single provider in any given region as the DWP awards new contracts. This means PIP assessments, as well as Work Capability Assessments for ESA and Universal Credit, will all be assessed by just one provider in one region, rather than several as before.

DWP secretary Liz Kendall ( PA )

The new providers have been awarded contracts on a regional basis:

Scotland and North England: Maximus UK Services Limited (currently Atos)

Midlands and Wales: Capita Business Services (currently Capita)

South West England: Serco (currently Atos)

South East England, London and East Anglia: Ingeus UK Limited (currently Atos)

Northern Ireland: Capita Business Services (currently Capita)

The new system and providers should not greatly impact the process, as all assessments are required to follow DWP guidelines. However, the change may be leaving some claimants worried about what can often be a stressful process.

Face-to-face appointments will still need to take place within a 90-minute public transport journey from the claimants home, which DWP contracts state should be the absolute maximum. All assessments must also take place in ground-floor locations that are easy for all customers to reach.

As with before, claimants can be accompanied in their assessment by a companion who is allowed to provide evidence. The contracts also say that only therapists, nurses, physiotherapists and doctors will be able to carry out assessments. Paramedics will also be allowed to carry out PIP assessments.

The changes come as thousands of PIP claimants are still due back payments worth an average of 5000 from the DWP. This follows a Supreme Court ruling which has forced the DWP to review certain claims based on changes to the assessment criteria.
After the heaviest general election defeat since the dawn of modern politics in 1832, it is remarkable that there are six people vying to be the next leader of the Conservative Party.

Whoever wins will, most likely, spend the coming years as leader of the opposition  one of the worst jobs in politics  in charge of a denuded, demoralised and mostly talentless party at a time when the public would rather not listen to them. Its a tough gig, but somebodys got to do it and despite the torpor of political summer, there have been modest signs of life in the contest

Are we talking about Dame Priti Patel?

Yes we are. Launching her leadership campaign, even though it has been running for some weeks now, Patel reinforced her fairly blatant appeal to Tory members to elect her in return for rather more say in the way the party is run.

She identifies as a grassroots activist, she says, and laid the flattery on with a trowel for those 170,000 members she calls the heart and soul of our party. Shed give them a directly-elected party chair, thered be no more parachuted in metropolitan elite types standing as candidates, and much else besides.

Will that be enough to win it?

Probably not. If she made it to the final two candidates that go forward to the membership-wide vote, she might stand a chance with such a formidable charm offensive. However, many of her parliamentary colleagues think handing over more power to the Tory membership  so grotesquely unrepresentative of the wider population  would be electoral suicide.

For most Tory MPs its the equivalent of what happened when Tony Benn campaigned for the democratisation of Labour, or the Corbynista takeover from 2016 to 2019  both disasters. Given that, and the natural tendency to hoard power, Patels attempt to organise a grassroots coup will probably fail.

Whats happened to Robert Jenrick?

Hes done something odd with his hair, as well as his political views which have veered from the Sunak-style mainstream to Braverman-esque extremism since he quit government over immigration last year (quite conceivably with a view to positioning himself as the next leader following the inevitable election defeat).

Hes still banging on about the small boats but has been upstaged by Tom Tugendhat who wants to pass a law limiting net migration to the tens of thousands  a spectacularly impractical proposal. You may as well try to abolish gravity.

James Cleverly has been saying interesting things, hasnt he?

True enough. On something called Choppers Podcast on GB News, Cleverly has posited that the British empire was a good thing because without it he would not now be a contender for the leadership of the Tory party and a possible prime minister.

To quote his own version of hypothetical history: Progressives say how proud they were of the UK that we had a prime minister of Indian heritage and a home secretary of African heritage, a trade secretary of African heritage, a former home secretary that was Muslim  that is a direct repercussion of Britains imperial past. That would not have happened had the British empire not existed. So you cannot in good conscience be proud of the ethnic diversity at the top of the British establishment for want of a better word, without also recognising that this countrys amazing history was instrumental in delivering that."

Its obviously flawed but shows an attractive flexibility of mind.

Is Kemi Badenoch still on course to win?

Not so much. Before the general election, she was the bookies favourite to win the leadership, but no longer. Shes been elbowed out of the way by the new-look Jenrick, and now stands a 33 per cent chance of securing the job, with her rival on 40 per cent.

Even so, shes showing no loss of confidence and has the demeanour of someone who believes this is her  and Britains  moment of destiny (a typically arrogant attitude that has harmed her campaign).

There are echoes of Michael Gove  an early Badenoch fan  in her rhetoric, and its Gramscian themes are reminiscent of the sort of stuff her former ministerial boss used to come up with. Thus, her plan to renew Britain in the 2030s focuses on the systematic constitutional and traditional political constraints on the abuse of central executive power.

If she did ever make it to 10 Downing Street, Badenoch would seek to emasculate the courts, the devolved administrations and independent agencies (such as, presumably, the Bank of England) and sweeping away the framework bequeathed to us by Blair.

Badenoch says: By design, our legislative, social and political frameworks prevented us from being truly conservative. In some places they prevent us from even being analytical.

What about the NHS, schools, climate change and the economy?

Hardly mentioned yet.
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Theres a rural community in Alaska that is known for dog sled racing and its gold rush history.

But its also become known for dozens of mysterious disappearances.

In June 2016, Joseph Balderas, 36, vanished without a trace. Just four years later, in August 2020, Florence Okpealuk, 33, an Alaskan Native, also went missing.

The unexplained disappearances have stumped law enforcement and worried residents.

Podcast host Payne Lindsey traveled to Nome, Alaska at the edge of the Arctic Circle to investigate the two missing persons cases, which he discusses on Season 4 of Up and Vanished: In the Midnight Sun.

What he discovered brought him one step closer to getting answers for the families.

Everyone is turning on each other, he told The Independent.

If you are an individual involved in one of these cases, I would trust no one. There are people who have been scared to talk for years  and now theyre coming forward. There are people who are snitching because they feel guilty.

The disappearance of Joseph Balderas

Joseph Balderas, 36, was last seen on June 24, 2016.

Three days later, he was reported missing by one of his colleagues, after he failed to show up for his job as a law clerk with the Nome Second District Court.

When I came to work on that Monday morning, I believe it was June 27th, I was told that Joseph wasnt at work and that his girlfriend had called the court and was concerned because she hadnt been able to get ahold of him, Tracey Buie told Dateline in a 2022 interview.

Joseph Balderas, 36, was last seen on June 24, 2016 ( Provided )

If Joseph was going to be late to work or not come in on a day, he normally would call me or send a text.

That same day  June 27  his truck was found abandoned at mile 44 of the Nome Council Highway, according to Alaska State Troopers.

The truck was unlocked and inside was a backpack that contained fishing accessories, a pair of waders and boots. Troopers believe he was in the area hiking or running.

Joseph, who was an avid outdoorsman, had moved from Lubbock, Texas, to Nome for a job in 2014, and had truly embraced the Alaskan lifestyle, his family said.

He was engaged to a woman named Megan Rider, his family said, and they had planned on moving to Juneau in the coming months.

Nome Search and Rescue and the US Coast Guard searched for him for several days, but there was no sign of Joseph.

By July 6, the search had been suspended due to lack of evidence, according to Alaska State Troopers, who determined that without new evidence, a continued Alaska State Trooper directed search was at great risk to the search party and having searched all egress routes from the vehicle, it was unlikely Balderas was alive, concealed in the brush.

His family is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to successful resolution of the case ( Provided )

A police investigation revealed that Josephs roommate, Jake Stettenbenz, allegedly lied to authorities about his movements during the weekend prior to his disappearance.

Trooper Smith learned in previous interviews that Jake had gone bridge jumping with friends Emery and Tyler in the afternoon that Saturday [June 25], according to a recorded statement by Alaska State Trooper Investigator Steve Kevan.

But, according to police accounts of data collected from Jakes cellphone, on July 4, 2016, he texted his friends Tyler Eide and Emery Booshu that he had to use them in a story for the state trooper.

When confronted with the inconsistency in stories, Jake admitted that he had made up the story of driving to Solomon after bridge jumping. He said he has had little contact with Troopers before and was nervous, Investigator Kevan wrote in police reports.

Officers who searched Jake and Josephs home on July 3, 2016, reported that there were no indications of foul play inside the residence. Police in Nome have not said whether they believe foul play is involved in his disappearance.

Theories swirled that Joseph was attacked by a bear  or that he died by suicide. But private investigator Andy Klamser, who was hired by the family, has discounted both theories.

Typically, you know, if there was a bear attack there would be evidence of it, Klamser told Dateline. With the number of people that they had out there on foot, on 4-wheelers and in the air and with scent dogs, it just seems like thats less likely.

Podcast host Payne Lindsey traveled to the edge of the Arctic circle to find out more for a new season of Up and Vanished: In the Midnight Sun: Exposing the Dark Side of Alaskas Mysterious Disappearances ( Up and Vanished podcast )

After a thorough investigation and multiple interviews with his family and friends, Klamser said he also believed suicide is unlikely.

It seemed very unlikely, because everyone I interviewed, you know, talked about his personality and all the plans that he had, Klamser said. I mean, he was within weeks of moving to Juneau to set up a law practice and marry his fiancee.

Lindsey told The Independent that his investigation for the podcast picked up where Klamsers investigation left off.

Joseph is 6ft 1 tall and has brown eyes and black hair.

His family is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to successful resolution of the case.

You know, he was a smart one, his sister Salina told Dateline. And the thing thats sad is that we feel like, if one of us would have been missing, he would have been the perfect one to find us. He wouldnt have quit and he would have found us, you know, found what happened or kept trying.

The disappearance of Florence Okpealuk

Four years after Joseph went missing, Florence Okpealuk, 33, vanished from the same town on August 31, 2020.

A native of Wales, Alaska, a village about 100 miles northwest of Nome, Florence had moved to Nome in 2013.

She was last seen leaving a tent on West Beach, just outside of Nome, around 4pm on August 31, 2020. The area is well known for gold miners to camp during the summer.

Searches were conducted by the Nome Police Department, FBI, Alaska State Troopers, the Nome Volunteer Fire Department Search and Rescue Team, and the US Coast Guard.

Her shoes, socks and jacket were recovered by authorities and given to her family. But there has been no sign of Florence since.

Florence Okpealuk, 33, vanished from the same town on August 31, 2020 ( Provided )

Florence is described as being 5ft 2 and 142 pounds, with black hair and black eyes. It is unknown what she was last seen wearing and which direction she was headed in after she left the tent on the beach.

Her case is just one of thousands in the nationwide Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) crisis, Native News Online reported.

Native women living on reservations are murdered at a rate 10 times higher than the national average, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Alaska is among the 10 states with the highest number of MMIP, according to the Urban Indian Health Institute in Alaska.

From 1960 to 2004, there were a reported 24 disappearances from the remote, isolated town of Nome, according to the FBI.

An investigation was launched amid fears of a serial killer. But the FBI found that alcohol abuse and the Alaskan wilderness were most likely to blame  not a killer.

In a March 2024 interview with Native News Online, Lindsey said he hopes Up and Vanished can bring attention to Okpealuks disappearance  and the MMIP crisis.

I hope that this resonates for people who may know nothing about this, Lindsey said. And I hope that those people speak up about it.

Part two of Up and Vanished: In the Midnight Sun premiered on August 8, 2024 with new episodes releasing every Thursday.
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The man charged with the murder of tech CEO Pava LaPere has admitted to hitting her with a brick and strangling her on the roof of her Baltimore home nearly a year ago.

Jason Billingsley, 33, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Baltimore Circuit Court on Friday. LaPere was 26 when she died.

I hold myself fully accountable, said Billingsley while addressing the courtroom, according to The Baltimore Banner. Im very remorseful. I sincerely, deeply apologize.

Baltimore police officers found LaPeres body on 25 September 2023. Surveillance footage showed that she entered her apartment building around 10.30pm and sat in the lobby. She let Billingsley inside and the two of them went into the elevator.

Around 11.08pm, Billingsley came down the stairs, exited the building then wiped his hands on his hand and shorts. A brick with suspected blood was discovered and had LaPeres DNA on it.

Frank LaPere speaks at a vigil honoring his daughter Pava LaPere, who was murdered in September 2023 ( AP )

The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined LaPere died from blunt force injuries and strangulation. Her manner of death was listed as homicide.

Authorities said LaPere had obvious signs of trauma and was in a partial state of undress. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Billingsley later waived his Miranda rights and confessed to murdering the woman.

LaPere was the CEO of EcoMap Technologies at the time of her death.

Addressing the courtroom and Billingsley, her father, Frank LaPere, said: You have taken away so much. The womans father apologized to her murderer for having an unhappy early life but said that didnt give him the right to kill his daughter.

Billingsley has been ordered to serve two consecutive life sentences with the possibility of parole. Earlier this week, he also pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection with an attack on a man and woman that same month.

Circuit Judge Robert Taylor Jr handed down the sentence, telling Billingsley: I try not to judge people by their worst acts, but no one in any community, in my opinion, will be safe as long as you are free.
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A suspect has been arrested and charged with murder in the killing of a beloved Colorado dog breeder  but the victims 10 missing Doberman puppies are still nowhere to be found.

Paul Peavey, a 57-year-old dog breeder, was shot found dead at his Idaho Springs home on August 24 after the alarm was raised when he wasnt seen or heard from since August 19.

A homicide investigation was launched and the Clear Creek County Sheriffs Office said that as many as 10 European Doberman puppies had been taken from Peaveys property, which also doubled as a dog breeding kennel. Three adult dogs were left behind at the home.

On Friday, an affidavit was filed charging Sergio Ferrer, a 36-year-old man from Colorado, with first degree murder, felony murder and aggravated robbery.

The sheriffs office said that Ferrer had been arrested on unrelated charges just hours after Peaveys body was found, after he failed to appear in court on weapons charges in Nebraska.

He had quickly become a person of interest in Peaveys murder when police received a tip-off that Ferrers family member were selling Doberman puppies on Facebook, according to The New York Times.

According to an affidavit, Ferrer then confessed to police that he shot and killed Peavey  but claimed he was acting in self-defense during a fight.

A search of Ferrers home then allegedly uncovered several items believed to have been taken from Peaveys home, including jewelry, a cellphone and metal detectors.

But, investigators are yet to track down the missing puppies  some of them believed to be as young as four weeks old.

Authorities said that each of Peaveys dogs were microchipped.

The investigation into Mr. Peaveys death continues, including the investigation into his Doberman puppies that are still unaccounted for, the sheriffs office said.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to call the Sheriffs Office tip line at 303-670-7567, or submit a tip via email at crime_tips@clearcreeksheriff.us or anonymously via the CCSO website at https://bit.ly/CCSOCrimeTips.

According to his website Elite European Dobermans, Peavey had over 40 years of experience in dog breeding and would walk dogs for local rescue shelters.

A photo posted to his Facebook page in 2019 shows him posing alongisde his own dog, Miley, who had just won best-of-breed at an event.

His dogs were his life. He had been through some things in life, and the dogs were his therapy, friend Brice Boynton told Denver7.
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A Colorado man has been found guilty in federal court of kidnapping a housekeeper working on a ranch owned by Michael Bloomberg as part of what prosecutors said was a plot to kill the billionaire.

Joseph Beecher, 51, faces seven years to life in prison following his Wednesday conviction in Wyoming. He was charged with kidnapping, carjacking, and firearms violations. Jury deliberations last two hours after a two-day trial.

The woman he kidnapped was rescued the day after she was abducted and was unharmed during the ordeal.

Police found the victim and Beecher at a Cheyenne, Wyoming motel approximately 200 miles northeast of Bloomberg's ranch, according to The Washington Times.

Beecher kidnapped the woman in February 2022 after he was fired from his hotel maintenance job in Craig, Colorado, approximately 70 miles (113km) from Bloomberg's ranch.

Joseph Beecher, 51, faces seven years to life in prison following his conviction in federal court for kidnapping, carjacking, and firearms violations after he took a housekeeper at Michael Bloombergs Colorado ranch hostage in February 2022 ( Laramie County Sheriffs Office )

At the time, Beecher was working for the hotel in exchange for a place to live, but he was asked to leave the property, according to court documents.

Prosecutors did not reveal a motive for why Beecher was specifically seeking out Bloomberg and those close to him, but they did argue that he was "intent on killing" the former New York City mayor.

After his firing, Beecher sought out Bloomberg and his family members, and eventually drove his truck through the front gate of the media mogul's ranch in Colorado. He then proceeded to the property, where he encountered the housekeeper.

She told investigators she was working upstairs in one of the ranch buildings when she heard someone in the house. The woman said Beecher asked who she was and that he was holding a black "machine gun," which she said he pointed at her.

The "machine gun" was likely an AR-15 that Beecher had allegedly stolen during a burglary that occurred earlier in the day. Prosecutors said the rifle and ammunition had been stolen from the living quarters of Beecher's former employer.

Beecher ordered the woman at gunpoint into her husband's pickup truck  leaving his own truck at the ranch  and demanded that she drive him to the Denver area, where he then told her to take him to Cheyenne.

Once they reached the Wyoming city, he told her to stop and got a motel room, which is where law enforcement eventually caught up with Beecher.

Investigators managed to find Beecher by tracking the woman's iPad to the motel. Once they arrived they reviewed security footage and confirmed that the two were at the motel.

A SWAT team raided the room and took Beecher into custody.
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A Republican state representative in Florida has turned herself into authorities after being indicted on several charges including forgery.

Republican state representative Carolina Amesty, 29, was charged with forgery, uttering a forgery, false acknowledgment or certification by a notary public and notarizing your own signature, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

The charges are in connection with her time as an administrator at Central Christian University in Orange County, Florida, which her father runs, according to the Sentinel.

State Attorney Andrew Bain said a concerned citizen brought potential criminal wrongdoing to his offices attention.

That information was presented to the grand jury who found sufficient evidence to return an indictment, Bain said. I am committed to upholding fairness and justice in every case by applying the law equally to everyone and my record reflects this dedication.

Amesty released a statement before turning herself in to the Orange County Jail on Thursday. Amesty faces up to twenty years in prison for the four felony charges.

Florida state lawmaker Carolina Amesty turned herself in to the Orange County, Florida Jail on Thursday after she was indicted on forgery ( Orange County Jail )

This prosecution, initiated just a few weeks prior to absentee ballots being dropped, is based on misleading reports from a partisan newspaper about a notarization of an employee verification background report, the truth of the contents which have not been questioned in any manner, Amesty wrote.

Rep. Amesty calls for a speedy trial, looks forward to her day in court, and is confident of her public vindication, she continued.

The indictment follows major investigations into Amestys past by the Sentinel.

The outlet published a report earlier this year claiming that Amesty notarized a form in 2021 that claimed Robert Shaffer, a long-time educator, was an employee at Central Christian. But Shaffer said that he has never worked at the school, and never signed any forms indicating he did, the Sentinel reported.

The Orlando outlet also reported that Amesty filed false information with the state about Central Christian; failed to ensure taxes were paid on her $1.3 million home; and falsely claimed to run a successful restaurant, among other allegations.

Amesty later called the Sentinels investigation a hit job based on misunderstandings.

The Republican lawmaker is a staunch ally of Donald Trump. She met her fiance at a 2020 rally for the former president, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The Independent has contacted Amestys office for comment.
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In a resurfaced podcast interview from September 2021, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said that professional women choose a path to misery by prioritizing their careers over having children

Donald Trumps running mate also claimed the masculinity of men in America is suppressed, and attacked immigrants and Democratic Rep Ilhan Omar.

The Guardian reported that the now-Ohio senator said of women, such as his Yale Law School classmates, that pursuing racial or gender equity is like the value system that gives their life meaning  [but] they all find that that value system leads to misery.

Of Omar, he said that the lawmaker had shown ingratitude to America, and that she would be living in a craphole if she had not moved to the US from Somalia as a refugee.

Vance made the remarks back on September 20, 2021 on an episode of the Moment of Truth podcast run by American Moment  a conservative organization of which the senator is a board member emeritus for the group  Media Matters reported.

American Moment is a partner for Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation-led plan to provide staffing and policy priorities for a second Trump administration.

This is the latest example of Vances previous on-the-record comments, particularly about women, coming back to haunt him since he was chosen as Trumps running mate.

He has previously called Democratic leaders childless cat ladies and lashed out at the president of the teachers union for not having some of her own children. The senator has since tried to address some of his previous comments by calling them sarcasm.

In the Moment of Truth recording, in which Vance is speaking with American Moments president and founder, Saurabh Sharma, and its COO Nick Solheim, the then-candidate for Ohios Senate seat was asked about what he saw inside elite institutions such as Yale Law School.

You have women who think that truly the liberationist path is to spend 90 hours a week working in a cubicle at McKinsey instead of starting a family and having children.

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance speaks to attendees at the International Association of Fire Fighters Convention. His comments about women have come back to haunt him ( AP )

Vance added: What they dont realize  and I think some of them do eventually realize that, thank God  is that that is actually a path to misery. And the path to happiness and to fulfillment is something that these institutions are telling people not to do.

The corruption is it puts people on a career pipeline that causes them to chase things that will make them miserable and unhappy, Vance said. And so they get in positions of power and then they project that misery and happiness on the rest of society.

Continuing along that line, Vance adopted what he sees as the perspective of a professional woman and said: Okay, clearly, this value set has made me a miserable person who cant have kids because I already passed the biological period when it was possible. And I live in a 1,200 sq ft apartment in New York and I pay $5,000 a month for it.

Vance continued: But Im really better than these other people. What Im going to do is project my, like, racial and gender sensitivities on the rest of them  even though the way that I think has made me a miserable person, I just need to make more people think like that.

Earlier in the episode, the conversation turned to immigration and the then-recent withdrawal from Afghanistan, wheree Vance derided the claims of Afghan refugees who worked with the US in its 20-year occupation of the country.

Apparently, Afghanistan is a country of translators and interpreters because every single person thats coming in, thats what they say is this person is: a translator and interpreter, he said.

Related: JD Vance responds to criticism of childless cat lady remark

While he conceded there were a lot of great guys, he added that a lot of those who worked with the US were actively helping terrorists plant roadside bombs, knowing our routes.

He did not provide any evidence to back up this claim.

Minutes later, in a discussion about the Somali community in Minneapolis, in which Solheim claimed people are frequently hatcheted to death in the street, Vance said that the left uses racism as a cudgel.

Why dont you want, you know, people getting hatcheted in the street in downtown Minneapolis? Is it because youre a racist or is it because you dont like people getting hatcheted in the street in your own community? Vance said.

Like, obviously, the answer is the latter, he said. But the left uses racism as a cudgel to shut us up and to make it impossible to complain about obvious problems.

Turning to Omar of Minnesota, Vance said she has a complete lack of gratitude toward the US, unlike anyone in his family, continuing: And look, this is the way the laws work. This country belongs to Ilhan Omar in the same way that it belongs to me. But my God, show a little appreciation for the fact that you would be living in a craphole if this country didnt bring you to a place that has obviously its problems, but has a lot of prosperity, too.

Responding to the resurfaced comments, Omar told The Guardian the senators rhetoric was ignorant and xenophobic and not just troubling, but dangerous and un-American adding that she loves America fiercely hence having dedicated her life to public service.

She added that this is a nation of immigrants, no matter how much it terrifies small-minded men like JD Vance.
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Melania Trumps apparent plea to her husband Donald Trump to control his language fell on deaf ears on Friday night when he torched Kamala Harris saying that everything she touches turns to s**t.

The former president and Republican nominee attacked the vice presidents record before a crowd in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, claiming she doesnt have any common sense before noting that both his wife and Reverend Franklin Graham have asked him to not use foul language.

Trump continued: They believe in an ideology and  if you look at Kamala and you look at what shes done to every place shes touched has turned to s**t. Every single place shes touched. I have to say, it. Every place shes touched, you know?

He then said: You might have heard this, Franklin Graham is wonderful and he wrote me a letter and he said, Sir, I love your stories, and I love listening to your rallies, but could you please dont use foul language? Your speeches would be even better if you didnt use foul language.

Explaining that he nevertheless sometimes uses foul language to make a point, Trump said: But theres an example. Its not really that bad a word, but how can you top that word for what Im talking about? Right? What word?

Every place she touches wouldnt be nice. People would  that would be a thud. It would land with a thud.

No, and Franklin is probably right. Im not sure I agree with him. But hes a great guy, actually. But he did say that to me.

Rev Graham is not the only person who has apparently pleaded with the former president to maintain some decorum in his campaign speeches.

Former president and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where he couldnt help but lay into Kamala Harris ( EPA )

Trump said that while he tries to avoid swearing to appease Graham, he has also been warned off it by the former first lady.

He told the crowd: My wife also, she says, Please dont use foul language. But its hard. You know, theres some words that cant be duplicated. They cant. I try, but it cant be duplicated.

Its not the first time expletives have crept into this years election.

In May, Vice President Harris was speaking at a summit for Asia, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Americans, discussing being of mixed Black and Indian heritage.

She told the audience: We have to know that sometimes, people will open the door for you and leave it open, sometimes they wont.

And then you need to kick that f**king door down.

The sentiment was greeted with big cheers from the crowd before Harris laughed and apologized: Excuse my language.
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On Thursday evening, Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz sat down with CNN for their first TV interview since they became the top of the Democratic ticket. Naturally, Harris faced questions about her shifting stance on fracking, a key industry in the pivotal swing state of Pennsylvania.

The vice president weathered the grilling well, firmly defending her change of heart.

I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking, as vice president I did not ban fracking, as president I will not ban fracking, Harris told CNN anchor Dana Bash. Im very clear about where I stand.

Overall, it was an uncontroversial, do-no-harm interview that made little news  which is exactly what Harris needed.

The same cannot be said of Donald Trump. On Thursday, at a rally in Potterville, Michigan, the former president  whos been under fire for his partys attacks on abortions rights  made a surprising pledge to force insurance companies to pay for in vitro fertilization. Democrats have repeatedly hammered Republicans on IVF since Alabamas supreme court briefly put the treatment on hold in the state.

Earlier in the day, a reporter for NBC News asked Trump  who has also been all over the place on abortion issues  how he would vote on Floridas upcoming amendment that would enshrine abortion rights. He responded by saying the states six-week ban is too short and that there has to be more time.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, pictured in Georgia earlier this month, has given inconsistent answers on abortion and IVF ( EPA )

I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks, he said. Trumps campaign spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, quickly went into clean-up mode.

President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short, she said in a statement.

Trumps comments werent well received by some of the anti-abortion activists who are among his supporters. Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life America, blasted his take on X.

So, President Trump clearly doesnt want to be pro-life anymore, she posted. Got it. Pro-lifers are being screwed. We need to demand Trump re-consider.

But dont let this screw the babies we are fighting for, she warned. Vote against Kamala Harris.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America, said that when she spoke with Trump directly, he did not commit to how he would vote on the Trump amendment.

President Trump has consistently opposed abortions after five months of pregnancy, she said. Amendment 4 would allow abortion past this point. Voting for Amendment 4 completely undermines his position.

By Thursday, Trump told Fox News that he would vote against the amendment in Florida, accusing Democrats of wanting to allow abortion up until the ninth month of pregnancy.

All of that stuff is unacceptable so I will be voting no for that reason, he said.

Trumps running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, a fierce abortion opponent, suddenly had audio issues when CNN asked him about Trumps position on abortion on Friday, which led to the channel cutting to a break.

Meanwhile, Democrats arent getting too excited about Trumps vague IVF promises.

There is nothing in what Trump says that actually reverses the underlying policy, Senator Elizabeth Warren said on a press call. Nowhere do Trump and Vance stand up and say they will support a federal law to protect access to IVF.

She pointed out that Vance had voted against Senate legislation that would have protected access to IVF.

Trumps comments dont hold much water with Democrats, who believe little of what he says in terms of abortion protections since hes continuously bragged about being the person who killed Roe v Wade, namely through nominating three Supreme Court justices who created the 6-3 majority that facilitated the Dobbs v Jackson decision.

Even during the one debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, Trump bragged about killing Roe. Many of the abortion bans in red states only exist because of the Dobbs decision.

That makes his backpedalling on abortion even more bitter for social conservatives who trusted him on the issue. Trump, a thrice-married former casino owner, seemed like an imperfect vessel to usher in their plans. Now, he seems almost ashamed about his accomplishments as he recognizes that abortion is a political loser for Republicans, even in his adopted home state of Florida.

The relationship between evangelicals and anti-abortion Republicans always resembled that of a shotgun wedding. Now, evangelicals are just the latest partner Trump is accused of cheating on.

-Alex Woodward contributed reporting
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Less than 24 hours after saying he disagrees with Floridas near-total ban on abortion care, Donald Trump now says he will cast a vote to keep it in place.

On Thursday, the former president told NBC News that the states recently-enacted ban on abortions at six weeks of pregnancy is too short and that he wants more weeks.

If Florida voters approve Amendment 4 on their ballots this fall, the states constitution would be amended to state that no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patients health, as determined by the patients healthcare provider.

The amendment would effectively overturn the six-week ban that Trump said he opposes.

However, the Republican presidential candidate told Fox News on Friday that he plans to vote against it.

So I think six weeks, you need more time. Six weeks, I disagreed with that from the early primaries, when I heard about it, he said.

At the same time, the Democrats are radical, because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation where you can do an abortion in the nine months, added Trump, who then repeated his false claim that states allow doctors to execute a baby after birth.

He said he would vote against the measure for that reason.

Trumps description of Floridas amendment  the Right to Abortion Initiative  is also wrong.

Donald Trump, pictured in Pennsylvania on August 30, said he plans to vote against a Florida measure that would overturn the states six-week abortion ban - despite saying he disagrees with it. ( AP )

If passed, the amendment would prevent the state from passing any law that bans abortion care at any point in a pregnancy, before a fetus is viable outside the womb, at roughly 24 weeks. The state would also be prohibited from enacting any law that criminalizes emergency abortion care at any point during a pregnancy.

The former presidents conflicting statements on reproductive healthcare over the last 25 years have drawn criticism from both abortion rights supporters and his anti-abortion allies.

Floridas six-week ban  a point before many women even know they are pregnant  was only possible after the Supreme Courts decision to strike down Roe v Wade. Trump routinely takes credit for that decision, after he appointed three conservative justices to the nine-member court who voted to reverse the 50-year precedent.

A radically reshaped federal judiciary under his administration has also supported anti-abortion measures that included threats to emergency care and widely used abortion drugs.

Trumps running mate, JD Vance, recently rejected Democratic legislation to protect IVF access. And his allies in Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have also supported federal anti-abortion laws and so-called fetal personhood language that is now baked into the GOPs official 2024 platform.

Trumps allies behind Project 2025, a right-wing think tanks blueprint for his administration, would also effectively outlaw abortion drugs and strip access to birth control and fertility treatments.

In response to Trumps latest comments, Vice President Kamala Harris said that her White House rival made his position on abortion very clear, and underscored her plan to enshrine abortion rights protections into federal law.

He will vote to uphold an abortion ban so extreme it applies before many women even know they are pregnant, she said in a statement through her campaign.

So, of course he thinks its a beautiful thing that women in Florida and across the country are being turned away from emergency rooms, face life-threatening situations, and are forced to travel hundreds of miles for the care they need.

She added: I trust women to make their own health care decisions and believe the government should never come between a woman and her doctor.

Two women at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19 wore shirts in support of Floridas Amendment 4. ( EPA )

Earlier on Friday, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren slammed Trumps attempts to amend his record on abortion and in vitro fertlization as gaslighting and smoke and mirrors.

American women are not stupid, she said during a press call for Harriss campaign.

The former president will do anything to distract from his abysmal, horrifying record on this issue, added Reproductive Freedom for All president Mini Timmaraju. Its desperation and its lies, she said.

Harriss campaign, meanwhile, is launching a 50-stop bus tour to promote reproductive healthcare access  and making its first stop in Trumps backyard of Palm Beach, Florida, on September 3.

Florida is among more than a dozen states that have outlawed all or most abortions in the wake of the Supreme Courts 2022 decision.

Since earlier this year, Floridas six-week ban makes it a felony to perform or actively participate in an abortion in the state after roughly six weeks gestation, or about two weeks after a missed period.

Voters in at least 10 states will vote on abortion rights measures this November, including measures that could enshrine a right to seek abortion care in their states constitutions.
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Kamala Harris has now joined the growing backlash against Donald Trump over his controversial visit to Arlington National Cemetery where his staffers allegedly pushed a cemetery official, he posed with a thumbs up at a soldiers grave and his team filmed a campaign ad.

In a scathing statement posted on X on Saturday, the Democratic presidential candidate slammed her Republican rivals political stunt calling him a man who is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself.

It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation. It is not a place for politics, she wrote.

And yet, as was reported this week, Donald Trumps team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff. Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.

Harris pointed to Trumps past record of offending Americas service members and veterans saying that this weeks events are nothing new from Donald Trump.

This is a man who has called our fallen service members suckers and losers and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients. A man who, during a previous visit to the cemetery, reportedly said of fallen service members, I dont get it. What was in it for them? This is a man who is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself, she wrote.

Donald Trump gave the thumbs up at the grave of a soldier at Arlington National Cemetery ( Utah Governor Spencer Cox )

If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude.

Harris said that someone who cannot meet this simple, sacred duty should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America.

Mere minutes after Harris posted the statement blasting her rival for the White House, Trumps running mate JD Vance leaped to his defense.

President Trump was there at the invitation of families whose loved ones died because of your incompetence. Why dont you get off social media and go launch an investigation into their unnecessary deaths? he responded on X.

Harriss comments come as Trump continues to face the fallout from his scandal-plagued visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Monday.

The former president had been visiting the military cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony in memory of the 13 US service members who were killed in the Abbey Gate terrorist attack in August 2021, on what marked the third anniversary of the USs chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event in Savannah, Georgia. She has now weighed in on the Arlington controversy ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

During Mondays visit, two Trump campaign staffers are accused of verbally abusing and physically pushing a female cemetery official after she warned them that they could not, due to federal laws, film or take photos in Section 60  where recent US casualties are buried.

The US Army confirmed in a statement on Thursday that a female official was abruptly pushed aside by Trump aides during the altercation and that an incident report had been filed.

The woman ultimately decided not to press charges over fear of retaliation,the New York Times reported.

When the incident first came to light, Trumps campaign team members Chris LaCivita and Steven Cheung attacked the Arlington staffer saying she was clearly suffering from a mental health episode and insisted they had permission to film in the area.

The Army has poured cold water on the claims saying that participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.

Trump at the wreath-laying cemetery ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

The statement continued: This incident was unfortunate and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.

Despite the efforts of the Arlington staffer, Trumps campaign team did film a campaign video during the ceremony  and posted it on TikTok this week, prompting further fury with social media users branding it disgusting.

The furor over the filming and physical altercation wasnt the first controversy to plague Trumps visit to Arlington.

The former president had also sparked backlash after he was pictured smiling and flashing a thumbs up next to the graves of fallen soldiers.

Trump, meanwhile, has tried to deflect the scandal back on Harris by claiming that she killed US soldiers in Afghanistan while on stage at a campaign event in Michigan on Thursday.
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Former president Donald Trump sparked laughter at the Moms for Liberty event in Washington DC when he mocked Tesla CEO turned close political ally Elon Musk.

On Friday night, Trump appeared on stage at the annual summit for Moms for Liberty  a national nonprofit that has led efforts to get mentions of LGBT+ identity and structural racism out of classrooms across the country.

In his rambling comments, the Republican presidential candidate railed against transgender people participating in womens sports, called for access to gender-affirming healthcare to be restricted and wildly  and falsely  claimed that his daughter Ivanka Trump hired millions of people during his administration.

At one moment, talk turned to Musk.

While Trump called Musk a super genius, he mocked his space endeavors and impersonated the controversial tech billionaires voice and mannerisms.

With Elon, its like, well, you know, Im doing a new stainless steel hub that can get us around the engines much quicker because theres a problem with the type of engine going into space nowadays, Trump said, attempting to imitate Musks voice.

The moment prompted laughter from the right-wing audience.

Former President Donald Trump mocked Elon Musk while speaking at a Moms for Liberty event in Washington DC this week ( AP )

Trump was referencing Musks work with SpaceX, the spacecraft manufacturer that Musk launched in 2002.

His roast of Musk comes after the tech billionaire has thrown his support behind Trump in recent months.

Following the assassination attempt on Trump on July 13, Musk publicly endorsed Trump for the 2024 presidential election.

Two weeks ago, Musk also interviewed Trump live on X, where they both devolved into gripes.

Trump used the opportunity to try to blame President Joe Biden for the litany of legal challenges hes facing while Musk griped about how hes been portrayed as a far-right guy in the current media climate.

He called the notion absurd because Im, like, making electric vehicles. He added: I stood in line for six hours to shake Obamas hand when he was president.

While Musk has endorsed Trump this election cycle, in 2016 he said Trump was not the right guy for the job, adding he did not have the sort of character that reflects well on the United States.
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Donald Trumps latest rally in Pennsylvania was rocked by a security scare when a man stormed into the press area and was tasered by law enforcement  just weeks after the former president survived an assassination attempt.

The incident unfolded on Friday while Trump was speaking to a crowd of supporters in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

The former president had just criticized major media outlets for what he said was unfavorable coverage of him, singling out CNN for its interview with his Democratic rival Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz on Thursday.

At that moment, the unidentified man made it over a bicycle rack ringing the media area, and began climbing the back side of a riser where television reporters and cameras were stationed, according to a video of the incident posted to social media by a reporter for CBS News.

Footage shows people near him trying to pull him off the riser.

Police officers and sheriffs deputies quickly rushed to the scene and subdued him with a taser, while the crowd cheered.

A man is tackled by law enforcement after he storms into the press area at Trump rally ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

While the man was led away by authorities, Trump made light of the situation, telling his MAGA fans: Is there anywhere thats more fun to be than a Trump rally?

Moments later police handcuffed another man in the crowd and led him out of the arena. It is unclear if the two incidents are linked.

The breach comes just weeks after the shooting at Trumps outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, back on July 13 in an incident that has raised pointed questions about the level of security at political events.

Police officers and sheriffs deputies quickly rushed to the scene and subdued him with a taser ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

Minutes into his rally, gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire, striking Trump in the ear, before he quickly leaped to the ground and Secret Service agents rushed on stage to protect him.

Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old former fire chief attending the rally with his family, was killed while two other rallygoers  David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74  were hospitalized.

Crooks, 20, was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper.

Two improvised explosive devices were later found in the back of Crookss car.

Donald Trump rushed off stage by Secret Service agents after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 2024 ( AFP via Getty Images )

The shooting prompted both Democratic and Republican lawmakers to demand answers as to whether the shooter could have been stopped, as it emerged that there had been multiple sightings of the gunman in the minutes leading up to the attack.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle ultimately resigned from her role and multiple agents have also been placed on leave amid staunch criticism of the agencys response that day.

Since the attack, Trump, his running mate JD Vance, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz have been receiving stepped-up Secret Service protection at campaign rallies and events.

Additional reporting by agencies
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A womens college in Virginia has instituted an admissions policy that bars transgender women next school year because of a new interpretation of the founders will.

Sweet Briar College, a private women's liberal arts school, said the policy stems from the legally binding will of its founder, Indiana Fletcher Williams, who died in 1900. Sweet Briar's leadership said the document requires it to be a place of girls and young women.

The phrase "must be interpreted as it was understood at the time the Will was written, Sweet Briar's president and board chair wrote in a letter earlier this month to the college community.

The new policy requires an applicant to confirm that her sex assigned at birth is female, and that she consistently lives and identifies as a woman."

Sweet Briar College believes that single-sex education is not only our tradition, but also a unique cultural and social resource, President Mary Pope Hutson said in a statement to The Associated Press.

The new guidelines are facing criticism from some students and most faculty. They warn the politically fraught policy could repel potential students  not just transgender women  when women's colleges have been closing, going co-ed or merging with other schools. Sweet Briar nearly shuttered in 2015.

Critics also question the board's originalist interpretation of a will that explicitly excluded non-white students.

Williams' will said the school was to be a place for the education of white girls and young women." The college had to get permission from a federal judge to accept Black students after the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

John Gregory Brown, an English professor and faculty senate chair, said the reasoning for the transgender policy is absurd.

Williams also wouldnt have entertained the notion that somebody who was disabled would be a potential student," Brown added.

On Monday night, the faculty voted 48 to 4, with one abstention, to call on the board to rescind the policy, Brown said.

Sweet Briar has about 460 students - known as Vixens  and was established in 1901 on Williams estate, a former plantation in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

On Aug. 10, the Sweet Briar College Student Government Association stated the policy was alienating, unnecessary, and it reflects the rise of transphobia in our country.

Association President Isabella Paul, a senior who identifies as nonbinary, told the AP that at least 10% of students use different pronouns and wouldn't fit in the policy's description of women.

And there are allies here who may identify as women but have friends and lovers and family members who are nonbinary, genderqueer and transgender," Paul said. So this is also affecting their pride in their institution.

Its unclear how the policy will affect current students. When asked, Sweet Briars president said the school tries to ensure that all of our students feel welcome on campus.

Hutson acknowledged that a board member has resigned over the policy and that alumnae on both sides care deeply about the future of our college."

Many want Sweet Briar to remain a place where women can thrive, and they believe that a broader policy is a slippery slope toward co-education," Hutson said. They strongly support this policy.

Women's colleges in the U.S. began to admit transgender women about 10 years ago, including Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and Spelman College, a historically Black school in Atlanta.

What it means to be a woman isnt static, Mount Holyoke's then-President Lynn Pasquerella told the AP in 2014. Early feminists argued that reducing women to their biological functions was a foundation of womens oppression.

Currently, 23 historically womens colleges have policies that admit at least some trans students, said Genny Beemyn, director of the Stonewall Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Beemyn, who tracks such policies, said three historically womens colleges bar most trans women, including Sweet Briar.

Admissions policies at private undergraduate colleges are exempt from Title IX, the 1972 law that bars sex discrimination in education. So Sweet Briar would not be affected by the Biden administration's new rules under Title IX, which restrict discrimination based on gender identity.

Most Republican state attorneys general are challenging those rules in court. And judges have halted enforcement in 26 states, including Virginia, while the cases proceed.

But schools, including Sweet Briar, would not be shielded from any private lawsuits filed by current students, said Nicholas Hite, a senior attorney with LGBTQ+ rights group Lambda Legal.

Hite said Sweet Briars policy could be problematic because it explicitly attempts to define for current students what it means to live and identify as a woman.

Thats something that every cis and trans woman should be able to decide for herself, Hite said.

Sweet Briar lacked a stated transgender admissions policy until this year, according to the letter from school leadership. The college was previously handling applications case by case.

But then the Common Application, a nonprofit that helps students apply to schools on one standardized form, added more options for a person's legal sex, X or another legal sex.

Sweet Briar's leadership said the additional options created confusion and challenges for applicants and school staff.

Emma Steele, a Common Application spokesperson, said in a statement that the changes were all made to better reflect the more than one million students who use Common App each year."

Sweet Briar almost ceased being a school in 2015. Its then-leadership announced its closure and cited financial challenges, declining enrollment and other problems.

The school was saved after multiple lawsuits, prolonged negotiations and the raising of millions of dollars by its fiercely determined alumnae.

Sweet Briar is one of 30 schools listed as members of the Womens College Coalition. The U.S. had more than 200 women's colleges in the 1960s.

The faculty senate president said the new policy will likely shrink the pool of already precious applicants.

It really excludes any student who would be offended by those positions ... who doesnt want to be in a place where discrimination is codified in this way, Brown said. I think its a financially disastrous decision for the college.
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Ukraine urged Mongolia to arrest Russian president Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes when he visited the country on 3 September.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant in March last year accusing Mr Putin of the war crime of unlawfully deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin responded saying it was not worried.

The Ukrainian side hopes that the government of Mongolia is aware of the fact that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said on Telegram.

We call on the Mongolian authorities to comply with the mandatory international arrest warrant and transfer Putin to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

The ICC confirmed to the BBC that Mongolian officials have the obligation to cooperate in accordance with the Chapter IX of the Rome Statute to arrest Mr Putin, but it did not necessarily mean an arrest had to take place.

All 124 member states of the ICC, including Mongolia, are obliged to arrest Mr Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.

Russia dismissed the accusations and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov at the time said Russia does not recognise the ICC and considers its decisions legally void.

Mr Peskov responded to Ukraines request, saying: No, no worries about this. We have a great dialogue with our friends from Mongolia.

Asked to clarify if the ICC warrant was discussed, he said: Obviously the visit, all of the aspects of the visit have been thoroughly discussed.

Human rights groups have estimated that more than 19,000 children were deported and placed with Russian families.

Last year, Mr Putin cancelled a visit to a two-day summit to South Africa, an ICC member, allowing the hosts to avoid a decision whether or not to arrest the Russian leader.

Court documents at the time showed South Africas president Cyril Ramaphosa had sought permission from the ICC not to follow through with the arrest, saying it would amount to a declaration of war.

South Africa has obvious problems with executing a request to arrest and surrender President Putin, he said in an affidavit. Russia has made it clear that arresting its sitting president would be a declaration of war. It would be inconsistent with our constitution to risk engaging in war with Russia.
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Brazils supreme court has ordered the immediate and complete suspension of Elon Musks social media platform X  formerly Twitter  throughout the country.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes had warned Musk on Wednesday night that X could be blocked in Brazil  where it is estimated to have some 40 million monthly users  if the tech billionaire failed to comply with his order to name a legal representative in the South American country.

After the 24-hour deadline he gave expired, Justice Moraes put out a new statement on Friday stating that access to the platform would be banned until Musk complies with all court orders and pays outstanding fines amounting to 18.5 million reais (2.5m).

A supreme court judge has ordered that Elon Musks X be blocked in Brazil ( AP )

The judge warned that individuals and companies which seek to use a virtual private networks (VPN) to circumvent the ban will face a daily fine of 50,000 reais (6,785), without prejudice to other sanctions in the civil and criminal spheres.

Justice Moraes also ordered Apple and Google to take steps to block the use of the X on its operating systems, as well as removing it from their app stores. The social media platform is expected to be unavailable in Brazil within the next 24 hours.

The dramatic statement marks an escalation in the long-running battle between Musk and Mr Moraes, which ignited after X failed to comply with legal orders to block certain accounts accused of spreading fake news and hate messages.

Those orders arose from an investigation into digital militias which supported Brazils far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro and his bid to retain power after losing the 2022 election.

X claims the judge threatened to arrest one of the companys legal representatives in Brazil and froze her bank accounts. Musk, who purports to be a free speech absolutist, has since shut down all of his companys offices in Brazil in response to what he said was the judges censorship.

Alexandre de Moraes accused X of wilfully seeking to exempt itself from responsibility for complying with court orders through its lack of legal representatives in the country ( AP Photo/Eraldo Peres )

Since purchasing Twitter for $44bn in 2022, the SpaceX founder has reinstated the accounts of many individuals and groups previously banned for hate speech and dangerous content, with content moderators among the thousands of contractors he swiftly laid off after taking over the company.

In between promoting Donald Trumps US presidential bid and sharing far-right misinformation about British politics, Musk has repeatedly used his platform to lash out at Justice Moraes in recent days.

Alexandre de Moraes is an evil dictator cosplaying as a judge, Musk wrote in one post on Thursday, saying in another: He is a disgrace to judges [sic] robes.

Responding to news of Xs suspension, Musk tweeted: Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes, later adding: The oppressive regime in Brazil is so afraid of the people learning the truth that they will bankrupt anyone who tries.

In a statement issued ahead of the ban, X said it anticipated being shut down simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents, adding: These enemies include a duly elected Senator and a 16-year-old girl, among others.

Elon Musk has suggested he would take up a second role in a Donald Trump administration ( AP )

When we attempted to defend ourselves in court, Judge de Moraes threatened our Brazilian legal representative with imprisonment. Even after she resigned, he froze all of her bank accounts. Our challenges against his manifestly illegal actions were either dismissed or ignored.

Judge de Moraes colleagues on the Supreme Court are either unwilling or unable to stand up to him. We are absolutely not insisting that other countries have the same free speech laws as the United States. The fundamental issue at stake here is that Judge de Moraes demands we break Brazils own laws.

We simply wont do that. In the days to come, we will publish all of Judge de Moraes illegal demands and all related court filings in the interest of transparency ... To our users in Brazil and around the world, X remains committed to protecting your freedom of speech.

X is widely used in Brazil and is an important means of communication, especially for politicians as a means to put out their views and attack their rivals. The country is about to enter the campaign phase for local municipal elections in October that will decide the mayors of 5,568 towns and cities.

Additional reporting by Reuters
A protester has been jailed for his role in far-right disturbances that erupted in London and Bristol after the Southport attack.

George Coldicott, 28, of Leominster, Herefordshire, pleaded guilty to two offences of violent disorder.

Body-worn video captured in London on 31 July showed him throwing a metal fence panel at a police officer, and three days later in Bristol he was also seen throwing an object towards police.

Coldicott was sentenced to 22 months in prison for the London offence and 34 months for his role in the Bristol disorder, with the sentences to run concurrently.
One of the laws of journalism is that there are some news stories that are either a tiny, gossip-column item or a front-page lead  they cannot be anything in between. Keir Starmer moved the portrait of Margaret Thatcher is one of those.

It was an aside in a talk given by Tom Baldwin, Starmers biographer. He said that one of his interviews with the new prime minister had taken place in the Thatcher Room, the first-floor office that the former prime minister used as her study.

We sat there, and I go: Its a bit unsettling with her staring down at you like that, isnt it? Starmer agreed  and when Baldwin asked whether he would get rid of it, the prime minister nodded, Baldwin said. And he has.

On one level, the story is trivial. The painting has not been taken down, as I understand it; it has been moved to somewhere else in No 10. Starmer, who likes the Thatcher Room as a place where we can go and have a quiet talk, according to Baldwin, is entitled to decorate the place as he wishes.

But on another level, the story is momentous. Which is why it was on the front page of the Daily Mail on Friday: Outrage as Starmer removes Maggies portrait. In a postmodern twist to the story, part of its significance comes from its being the front-page lead in the Mail.

The newspaper that prides itself on having its finger on the pulse of popular conservatism in Britain has identified this as a symbol of something bad about the Starmer government. The nature of that something being spelt out in the subheadline: Gesture of astonishingly petty vindictiveness against a political giant  by PM of just 7 weeks.

Well, its a point of view, isnt it?, as Ken Clarke once said when one of Thatchers more vivid opinions was relayed to him in front of a TV camera. You would have to have quite an unusual world view to see the moving of a painting as an act of revenge  but the Mail is on to something about the significance of the gesture.

Moving the portrait  by Richard Stone, which depicts Thatcher in 1982, after the Falklands War  is symbolic. Just as commissioning it and hanging it (and renaming the room the Thatcher Room) were symbols. The painting was commissioned by Gordon Brown in 2007, and he invited Baroness Thatcher herself to No 10 for the unveiling of it in 2009. He wanted to broadcast a message about his being a broad-based government that would seek to win the votes of those who admired the Iron Lady.

Brown did a lot of that kind of thing, hoping to offset the caricature of him as a pessimistic Scots presbyterian socialist. He maintained a surprising personal friendship with Paul Dacre, editor of the Mail at the time.

Not so long ago, Starmer appeared to be copying the same symbolism. In December, he wrote for The Sunday Telegraph about how Thatcher sought to drag Britain out of its stupor by setting loose our natural entrepreneurialism. He was copying Brown, who was copying Tony Blair, in praising Thatcher while cosying up to a Conservative newspaper.

It all seemed to be part of Starmers long march from presentable Corbynism to the New Labour revival. But no: there was a course correction. Four days after his Sunday Telegraph article, Starmer was asked by an angry Scottish Labour supporter if he was a fan of Thatcher. No, absolutely not, he said. She did terrible things, particularly here in Scotland which everybody in this room, myself included, profoundly disagrees with.

That is the authentic Starmer, the socialist lawyer who supported the print unions in their attempt to lay siege to Rupert Murdochs new technology at Wapping in the 1980s. The inauthentic Starmer is the one who uses a word such as entrepreneurialism and who praises Thatcher for the clarity of her convictions.

That is why the non-story of the moved picture matters: it tells us more of who Starmer really is. He doesnt want to pay his respects to her premiership in one of his working offices.

I dont believe that Starmer was oblivious to the symbolism of moving her portrait; he is better at politics than that. Although if he was unaware, that also tells you something important about him. But I assume it was deliberate, and fits with his image of his government as being on the side of the working class.

It is a part of the Starmer project that is defiantly not-Blairite: Angela Rayners four-day week; Louise Haighs no-strings pay rise for train drivers; Ed Milibands tilting at windmills.

I suspect that Starmer believes that the idolisation and mythification of Thatcher is ancient history, and has mostly lost its purchase on public opinion. For him, it is more important to give his government an edge in fighting for the working-class voters that Labour lost in 2019 and won back eight weeks ago.

That Starmer moved Thatchers portrait is nothing and everything at the same time.
The Tullamore-based operation of US medical device maker Cardinal Health has made a profit every year for more than the past decade, underscoring how lucrative the operation has been for the group.

Accounts for the facility in Co Offaly show that it has posted total pre-tax profits of just over 38m between 2012 and last year.

More than 300 people are to be laid off after the US company said it will close the site by 2026.

The Irish manufacturing operation, whose annual wage bill tops 13m, has also been heavily backed by the State.

The most recently filed set of accounts for the Irish unit show that it has received total grants of more than 6m from government agencies.

Capital and revenue grants received from governmental agencies can be repayable in certain circumstances where the conditions of the grant agreements are not met by the company, the accounts say.

Cardinal Health CEO Jason Hollar told investors earlier this month, as the group delivered full-year results, that it had enjoyed a strong year of operational execution and record financial results.

It reported revenue of $226.8bn (205bn) for the last financial year, which was up 11pc year-on-year. Its operating profit rose 65pc to $1.2bn.

The results exceeded the companys own expectations.

As we turn the page to fiscal year 25, our confidence is reinforced by our strong and resilient business, with positive industry trends supporting our growth, Mr Hollar told investors.

And we continue to take actions to optimise not only the performance of our businesses, but also the financial strength of the broader enterprise.

Underlining the contribution of the Irish operation to the US group, the Irish Times reported that an Irish unit of Cardinal Health paid a $100m (90m) dividend to its US parent earlier this year.

The Irish unit was bought by Cardinal Health from US firm Medtonic in 2017 as part of a wider deal to acquire Medtronics patient product portfolio for $6.1bn (5.5bn).

The operation in Co Offaly has previously undergone restructuring and seen previous layoffs.

In its 2021 financial year, it incurred just over 2m in restructuring costs, which followed a more than 500,000 charge it incurred the previous year.

Restructuring costs relate primarily to termination benefits provided to employees under a programme to realign resources and right size the business going forward, the 2021 accounts for the Irish business note.

Trade union Siptu said that it will begin negotiations with Cardinal Health management regarding the planned closure.

The plant was a major employer in Tullamore and the surrounding area for more than four decades, this closure will have a devastating impact on our members, their families, the wider community and the local economy, said Siptu organiser Ashling Dunne.

The workers have provided loyal and dedicated service to their employer for many decades and have been left deeply upset at the decision to close the plant.

Ms Dunne said that the union would meet with management under the statutory 30-day collective redundancy period to explore all alternative options that could reduce the impact of these job losses.

Cardinal Health staff in Tullamore were told this week that the company will shift production from the Irish site to facilities in Mexico and Costa Rica.

Commercial activities in Ireland will not be impacted by these plans, the group said in a statement.

This decision is part of our regular assessment of our global business, manufacturing and supply chain operations to ensure we are able to meet the evolving needs of our customers, the industry and our business.
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In this edition of Shelf Analysis, Sinead Moriarty tells Rick OShea about three books that explore troubled childhoods set in Dublins tenement slums, the Jenin refugee camp and Nazi-occupied Hungary

My guest this week is bestselling Irish writer Sinead Moriarty. If youve followed any of my social media accounts over the last six years, you may have seen the two of us recommending books on camera for a large book retailer every few months. Knowing her, it didnt surprise me that her choices for Shelf Analysis would be fascinating.
Fans of Welsh band Catfish and the Bottlemen were left shocked and disappointed this evening as MCD announced that the band had cancelled their RDS gig 15 minutes before doors were due to open.

A statement issued by MCD on X at 6.45pm, said: We regret to inform you that tonights Catfish and the Bottlemen show is cancelled due to artist illness. Refunds are available from point of purchase. Apologies to all the fans who have travelled to the show today and for any inconvenience caused.

Some fans posted pictures of themselves crying, having travelled to the RDS for the show before learning of the cancellation. A number said they had hoped the gig would cheer them up after a morning of missing out on getting Oasis tickets for the Manchester bands reunion tour next year. Instead they had further disappointment in learning at the last minute of tonights concert cancellation.

Daughter travelled there for 18th birthday. Surely if someone is genuinely sick you'd have known more than 10 mins in advance, one man posted in response to MCDs announcement.

A number of fans said they had travelled from England or Belfast for the concert and had accommodation paid for. They expressed anger and frustration at learning of the cancellation at the gates of the RDS.

Been dying to see Catfish and the Bottlemen in Dublin for months, was sat outside a pub about to finish my pint 10 mins before doors and some random fella says theyve cancelled. Nice one lads, said one concert goer on X.

The MCD post did not specify what the illness was or who in the Welsh band was unwell.

Irish DJ Rob Smith had earlier announced he had been booked to play a warm-up set for Catfish and the Bottlemen gig. After the concert was cancelled, he posted Oh well. Next time Thanks to MCD Productions for asking me to be part of it.

Smith also said concertgoers could go to the Workmans Club for free where he would be playing tonight.

Catfish and the Bottlemen won the Brit Award for best British breakthrough act in 2016.

The bands most famous song is Cocoon. The Welsh band had recently played in Reading festival. An NME review was positive, saying the band was on the brink of something special.

Catfish And The Bottlemen are due to tour Australia and New Zealand in September before playing in the US in October and November.
Ticket pricing for Oasis reunion tour dates in Croke Park have prompted calls for an investigation into Ticketmaster due to in demand prices which saw some standing tickets go on sale for 415 each.

Fans were scrambling to secure their place at the bands first tour since their abrupt split in 2009, which includes two now sold-out nights in Dublin.

The number of fans in the queue to access tickets to their Irish dates at one point surpassed 800,000, crowds which would require the Gallagher brothers to play at least 10 dates in Croke Park to satisfy the demand.

Fans across Ireland the UK reported a plethora of tech issues with the sale, receiving error messages, being kicked out of queues and, at one point, queuing to get into the queue for tickets.

Ticketmaster has been criticised for the pricing structure which saw in demand standing tickets cost more than double the price of a 176.75 standard standing ticket.

The company said these in demand standing tickets, which were on sale for 415 each, were market-based prices, while many criticised the pricing as gouging.

Two such tickets would set fans back 830 before fees, while other official platinum tickets were priced between 365 and 490 each.

Other tickets were also available, including standard seated and standing tickets, some of which cost over 170. There were also a number of fan packages priced between 250 and 450 before fees.

Dublin Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty has called for an investigation into Ticketmaster by the Competition and Consumer Commission (CCPC) due to the pricing structure and advertising of the gigs.

"When ticket prices were advertised earlier this week, standing tickets in Croke Park were 86.50 plus booking fees, but when many people eventually got through the online queue this morning, they were faced with the exact same ticket at a price of 415.50, she said.

"Thats not transparent advertising and certainly not fair to consumers.

The EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) has sections included specifically to ensure large platforms that control aspects of the digital economy dont just make up their own rules that are unfair for consumers. I think Ticketmasters in-demand pricing structure certainly needs investigating in this context.

Every ticket for these gigs was always going to be in-demand so slapping an extra label and 300 on some standing tickets is just extortionate.

Ms Doherty said there is more than enough evidence in the aftermath of the Oasis sale to further investigate the pricing and advertising of larger gigs and added that she will be writing to the European Commission to ask them to examine their role at an EU level.

In response to queries from the Irish Independent about how prices for in-demand tickets are set, Ticketmaster shared a link to their website explaining that platinum or in demand tickets are market-based.

Promoters and artists set ticket prices. Prices can either be fixed or market-based, it said. "Market-based tickets are labelled as platinum or in demand.

Despite the price, fans do not receive anything else with their ticket and it is not part of a package.

There is so much demand that advantage has been taken of peoples support, said Consumers Association of Ireland chair Michael Kilcoyne, adding that such prices continue as consumers, often anxious to see acts they may have been waiting for decades to see perform, are willing to pay them.

He said regulations or controls on ticket or hotel pricing are a matter for Government and the issue should be raised with TDs and those canvassing in the upcoming election.

Consumers should weigh up in their mind whether it represents value for what it costs and act accordingly.
Croatian Josip Stroks father began legal action action after disagreement with mans mother

Josip Strok suffered severe head injuries in an attack in Clondalkin last March

A legal battle over the remains of a man who died after an assault has ended with a judge ruling he should be cremated and his ashes split.
How Liam Bop Roes visit to lap dance club led to the Kinahan cartel feud murder of two men

Dublin crime figure saw a man he wrongly blamed over failed hit at Red Cow

Liam 'Bop' Roe, whose funeral was held yesterday

Robin Schiller Sat 31 Aug 2024 at 03:30

On November 6, 2015, Daithi Douglas was enjoying a night out in Dublin. The former zookeeper drank in several pubs around the northside and decided to visit a lap dancing club in the city centre.
Anne Gallagher with her husband Brendan who died during the Covid pandemic

The widow of a man with Alzheimers disease who died in hospital during the worst of the Covid pandemic has spoken of her heartbreak at not being able to be at his bedside in his final moments.

I never got to say goodbye, Anne Gallagher, a mother of five from Longford whose 73-year-old husband died before Christmas in 2020 said.

He had been transferred from a nursing home to Mullingar hospital where he died of sepsis in less than an hour.

My two sons held his hand as he lay dying, but I was not allowed visit because of my age. I kind of understand it, but I wish I was there.

Visiting restrictions were in place to protect patients and vulnerable visitors from passing on or catching the virus.

Ms Gallagher said: Brendan had Alzheimers disease and Parkinsons disease. I cared for him at home but he had to be admitted to a nursing home about a year before his death.

One of my sons who was home had asked to visit him but we were told all the slots were full.

On December 19, 2020 my son received a call from the nursing home asking if they could admit Brendan to hospital.

I asked to go with him in the ambulance but was not allowed because of the restrictions.

He had developed pneumonia and sepsis. The staff in the hospital were very good and were waiting for him.

But he died three-quarters of an hour after admission to hospital.

Brendan used to talk about the long goodbye with Alzheimers disease. But I never got to say a last farewell, Ms Gallagher said.

The family had to seek a meeting with the nursing home three weeks later and she said they are still not clear about his final hours there.

There could only be 25 people at the funeral. Brendan is from Mayo and I am from Tipperary and we could not even invite people for a cup of tea afterwards.

My daughter, a frontline worker in the UK was not allowed travel home, Ms Gallagher said.

I go to his grave and I still cannot believe he is dead.

She described as torture the visiting restrictions at the nursing home during the pandemic.

We had to be separated by glass. I could not hold his hand and was grabbing at the glass.

It was very distressing for someone who had Alzheimers.

Ms Gallagher will be among many bereaved relatives, still affected by the loss of loved ones during the pandemic, who will give testimony today in an event called the Peoples Covid Inquiry organised by voluntary support group Care Champions.

The bereaved will gather in the offices of solicitor Caoimhe Haughey in the Liberties in Dublin to record their testimonies and tell of their trauma, sadness and grief and the major unanswered questions which remain.

This will be followed by the unveiling of a memory wall in the Arlington hotel at 2.30pm where families can add the name of a loved one lost during the pandemic.

Ms Gallagher said the promised government inquiry must not be held behind closed doors as planned, and it is vital for families to be allowed tell their stories in public. Details of the inquiry will be published next month.

The Government has said it will be an evaluation exercise rather than an inquiry that points the finger of blame at individuals.

Majella Beattie of Care Champions said the Peoples Covid Inquiry will draw on a diverse range of experiences that include human rights experts, legal professionals and academics assembled to conduct this inquiry.

Representing the rights of vulnerable people in society, their families, and especially older people and those with disabilities, it will follow best methodological and reporting practice in collecting testimonials from survivors and the families of those who died or were affected in harrowing circumstances, as well as their subsequent experiences with officialdom in their search for answers.

The government inquiry will likely examine how key areas were managed, including the protection of residents in nursing homes, vaccinations, lockdowns as well as use of masks and antigen tests.

It is also expected to investigate the role of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) which was so central to making decisions around lockdowns, curtailment of many health services, closures of hospitality and schools and public behaviour as a means of public safety and how well-equipped it was to make these far-reaching decisions and whether the extent of the restrictions were merited.

There have been 9,559 Covid-related deaths in Ireland since the start of the pandemic.

The worst year for pandemic-linked deaths was 2021 when 3,827 people died.

In the first year of the pandemic, 2020, 2,162 deaths were reported when there was no vaccine available.
IT experts say there is a 'huge possibility' that high numbers of Oasis tickets are being purchased by computer bots





Ticket re-sellers often use automated software to buy more tickets for events than they are allowed, only to sell them on at higher prices.

Oasis fans also reported being hit with website outage issues while trying to book shows on Saturday.





Jake Moore, global cybersecurity adviser at software security firm Eset said some groups have the right software and knowledge to manipulate ticket websites, and even use bots to "swoop in and purchase high numbers of tickets at once".

He told the PA news agency: "Being the next series of concerts since the demand for Taylor Swift tickets, I would suggest there would be a huge possibility of bots being used to swoop in."





Many people used social media to say that they had been suspended from the Ticketmaster website as they were assumed to be a bot.

Mr Moore said: "Bots mimic the activity of real users and even manipulate their location using off-the-shelf software such as a VPN.

"This is usually counteracted using bot detection software but this can often produce false positives when real users are assumed to be bots themselves."





Industry expert Adam Leon Smith of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, said the inevitable popularity of the Oasis reunion was "bound" to lead to website glitches.

Mr Leon Smith said using automated tools or bots is the "most common way" of making money from tickets in 2024.

Asked how websites can combat this, he said: "There are techniques for detecting and stopping bots, but there are also techniques for evading detection.





"Like many areas of cybersecurity there is a constant arms race between attackers and defenders, an arms race where AI has upped the ante."

Adam Webb, of campaign group FanFair Alliance, said it is "really hard" to know how many tickets are being purchased by touts because there is a "lack of transparency" on reselling websites.

He went on: "There'll be an awful lot of listings.

"I suspect that people won't have actually bought the tickets and they're listing them for sale."

Mr Webb also said that on ticket reseller Viagogo, there were no listings for the Ireland shows, where the practice of reselling tickets above face value is banned.





Cris Miller, Viagogo global managing director, said in a statement: "Resale is legal in the UK and fans are always protected by our guarantee that they will receive their tickets in time for the event or their money back."

Ticketmaster said its website has not crashed.





A spokeswoman for Ticketmaster said: "The queue is moving along as fans buy tickets. As anticipated, millions of fans are accessing our site so have been placed in a queue.

"Fans are advised to hold their place in line, make sure they're only using one tab, clear cookies, and ensure they aren't using any VPN software on their device."
Senan Molony: Its beyond time the Northern Irelands politicians climbed out of their prams and threw away their toys

For a quarter of a century, Northern Irelands lawmakers have kept their spoiled child mindsets

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood following a press conference in Derry where he announced his resignation as party leader on Thursday. Photo: Mark Marlow/PA Wire

Senan Molony Sat 31 Aug 2024 at 03:30

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the first ceasefire by the Provisional IRA on foot of the peace process.
Carers unhappy over raft of proposed regulations including inspections and limits on numbers of children

Ministers are being warned of a potential exodus of childminders unless there are substantial changes to a series of rules due to be unveiled next month.

Regulations are expected to be announced at the end of September that will be phased in for childminders, who care for more than 53,000 children.

Under the current system, childminders who look after four or more preschool children, or seven or more children of any age, in their home have to register with Tusla, the child and family agency.

Under the draft rules that will come into force within three years, no one will be allowed to look after more than six children at any one time, and only two of those can be under two years of age.

Anyone paid to mind even one child in their home must register, and their own children will count towards the number allowed, until they finish primary school.

Only if the childminders are registered can parents get subsidies under the States National Childcare Scheme.

Childminders will also be subject to inspections by agencies including Tusla and will have to nominate a back-up person in case of emergencies.

In a submission to the Department of Children, Childminding Ireland said the proposals as they stood would lead to a exodus from childminding.

It said the job would no longer be an attractive proposition for new childminders when the new rules came in, with an additional administration burden.

If it is the Governments intention to increase subsided childcare places, childminders believe these regulations will have the opposite effect, it said.

There will be a mass exodus of childminders, resulting in greatly reduced childcare availability, disproportionately impacting women and their participation in the workforce.

The organisation said the feedback it had received suggested new regulations and administrative requirements will drive many childminders out of service.

It noted that childminders would be subject to inspections by Tusla, and Pobal if offering the National Childcare Scheme, and possibly the Department of Education further down the road.

Being at home with your own children will now impact the sustainability of your business, as you will be required to count your own children up to the time they start secondary school, it said.

Being able to be at home with their own children is a big incentive, one of the biggest reasons childminders decide to start childminding.

The group, representing 650 childminders, urged the Government to take account of their concerns when the final version of the regulations was published.

Bernadette Orbinski Burke, chief executive of Childminding Ireland, said childminders were also concerned about administrative burdens and arrangements in case of emergency cover.

She said the organisation was engaging with the Department of Children to ensure childminders concerns were heard and action taken so regulation was proportionate and suitable for home-based childcare settings.

Ms Orbinski Burke said the importance of maintaining a robust childminding sector cannot be overstated.

The submission also criticised the Governments National Childcare Scheme, claiming it was unsuitable for childminders and was of no direct benefit to them. It said it did not suit parents working irregular or part-time hours.

The Department of Children said more than 1,000 inputs were received during its public consultation and these had helped to shape the draft childminding regulations.

The minister has met childminders and with Childminding Ireland, and is aware of their concerns regarding the draft regulations, a spokesman said.

He said the minister was committed to ensure the regulations were proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting and respect the unique way in which childminders work.

The spokesperson said once the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 was commenced, it will remove the exemption from regulation for paid, non-relative childminders.

However, there will be a three-year transition period during which childminders will be able to register with Tusla, but will not be required to do so.

It is intended to commence the relevant sections of the act at the end of September, along with the new, childminding-specific regulations and the Tusla registration process, he said.

Currently, only childminders who look after four or more preschool children or seven or more children of any age are required to register with the Tusla agency and can offer the National Childcare Scheme.
Having been in Berlin on that euphoric occasion in November 1989 when the Wall came down, I went on to extensively tour the soon-to-be-abolished East Germany during the following Easter holiday.

It was a most interesting time. Three earlier visits to the divided city that was Berlin during the previous decade told me all I could know about the politically, morally and economically bankrupt totalitarian regime that ran the statelet from 1949 until 1990.

The fences, the barbed wire and the emerging tales of state surveillance by the Stasi secret police said almost everything I needed to know. But that Easter holiday trip did teach me about a less-talked-about side of life there.

I remember talking to a young woman who helped run a creche that provided free childcare to all comers, and I learned of her anxiety about changes to the service, already suffering from lack of funds, that to her appeared quite likely.

This and other experiences spoke to genuine efforts to build a genuinely people-centred system. Im reflecting on such things now as Germany faces three critical state elections, starting this weekend, in that old statelet.

People in Thuringia and Saxony vote tomorrow, while the fellow former East German state of Brandenburg will vote on September 22. Polls in all three states show various grievances are pushing many voters to the extremes, both on the left and the right. The expected results are already causing much angst in Berlin about the future of German democracy and the countrys failure to integrate east and west almost 34 years after reunification.

You could call it a warning to advocates of a swift rush to re-uniting Ireland. Almost a quarter-of-a-century after German re-unification, what is the old East Germany still lags seriously behind, and there are distinct tensions about migration, spending to aid Ukraine and continuous EU engagement.

There are many who argue that the old DDR remains a country within a country, comparable to Sicily in Italy or Flanders in Belgium.

There is sympathy for Russia, amid claims Washington still dominates German foreign policy

These three regional votes are seen as a bellwether for the federal elections due in September next year if the Berlin government can survive ongoing crises. The three-party coalition led by chancellor Olaf Scholz appears paralysed and is unpopular amid divisions with the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Liberals.

In these former East German provinces, there is also deep sympathy for Russia, rooted in persistent anti-Americanism, amid claims Washington still dominates German foreign policy and is thus leading the country astray.

The far-right AfD argues in favour of pulling Germany out of the various manifestations of the West, including the EU and Nato. Some AfD election posters show the German and Russian flags commingled, with the slogan The East does it or The East is rising.

These elections are expected to show the persistent divisions in politics and social attitudes between western and eastern Germany. But AfD success is changing the political debate nationwide, especially around issues such as migration and support for Ukraine.

On August 23, there was a knife attack in the western city of Solingen, where prosecutors say a Syrian refugee killed three people and wounded eight. The AfD and a new breakaway far-left party, Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, want strong controls on illegal migration, deporting those who do not qualify for asylum, such as the Syrian man accused of these crimes.

That has pushed Chancellor Scholz of the Social Democrats, which has lost many voters in the east, to vow to step up deportations and call for tougher EU laws on asylum and deportation.

The issues of refugees, migration and knife crimes have added to the sense of estrangement in the east.

But the attitudes, experiences and language bred over 40 years of East German sovereignty, passed down generation to generation,remain for many a source of identity and pride.
Three decades ago, we were resigned to the relentlessly cruel cycle of violence we called the Troubles. Generations appeared to be cursed to live with a maelstrom of murder, sectarianism and hopelessness.

The carnage bred cynicism and defeat. Some tireless people tried to make themselves heard above the violent din, but as Seamus Heaney noted: The voice of sanity was getting hoarse.

Looking back, one of the most significant stepping stones on the path to the peace we now enjoy was the calling of the IRA ceasefire on this day in 1994.

We should be grateful that there are those today who grew up beyond the shadows of bombings, machine-gun posts, barbed wire and barricades.

We should be equally appreciative of the fact that there were sufficiently brave and committed people with the vision to assert that agreement and democracy were the only blocks on which a secure future could be built.

Perhaps even more important still is to remember the thousands of lives stolen and the loss and pain of victims.

The reason the statement made on that day was historic was because it marked the complete cessation of military operations. The inclusion of the word complete was unprecedented.

We must never forget the heartbreak of so many in getting to that point.

At Mr Reynolds shoulder was British prime minister John Major, and both played transformational parts

The deaths of two little boys in March 1993 stand out as something of a catalyst in bringing the gunmen to their senses. Tim Parry (12) and three-year-old Jonathan Ball died, and 54 others were injured, when two IRA bombs hidden inside litter bins exploded in Warrington, north-west England.

Tims father, Colin, recalled the atrocity some months back, saying: I dont need to be a time traveller, I can go back to that day, the moment when we heard thered been a bomb. For a while we thought he might live, but of course that wasnt to be.

The deaths of the boys could have drained the nascent peace process of its flagging energy, but, thankfully, it did not. By the time of the IRAs announcement, all involved in the talks were exhausted, but they carried on.

One of those who persevered was then taoiseach Albert Reynolds. His 10th anniversary was marked just over a week ago. It was he, along with the late Fr Alec Reid, who steadfastly refused to give up.

At Mr Reynolds shoulder was then British prime minister John Major, and both played transformational parts.

Their work was expertly taken up by Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair, who to their great credit got it over the line four years later with the Good Friday Agreement.

Much later, John Hume would say: I want to see Ireland as an example to men and women everywhere of what can be achieved by living for ideals, rather than fighting for them.

The talking is far from over, but, hopefully, the fighting finally is.
If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools. Platos words of warning come to mind as another political leader decides to step down.

Although only 41, Colum Eastwood has devoted most of his adult life to politics and plans to continue doing so. He said he remained committed to the principles of the SDLP and almost more importantly, to the cause of delivering a new Ireland.

As to why he was stepping away from the top, as such a comparatively young leader, Mr Eastwood said: It just is an awful lot of work over nine years to have to deal with all of the day-to-day issues of running a political party.

His words were strikingly similar to those of former taoiseach Leo Varadkar last March when he took the country by surprise by announcing he was resigning as taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael.

We have our limitations, he said. We give it everything until we cant any more and then we have to move on.

The current exodus from the Dail may suggest that the demands are more exacting than ever.

It takes a certain type of individual to opt for a job where burnout is more likely than warm appreciation.

Volunteering to be part of a culture where you are constantly plugged in and expected to be always on call may be taking an increasingly heavy toll.

Constantly being answerable to demands and expectations that present everything as an emergency may be becoming more draining.

In a society working in overdrive around the clock, perhaps the notion of holding such positions for life, as once expected, is simply unsustainable.

All the more reason to recognise and appreciate those who do take on representative roles  and the intense scrutiny and criticism that goes with them.

Mr Eastwoods estimable talents will not be lost, as he has indicated he hopes to be free now to deliver a new united Ireland for all of our people.

Talk of a united Ireland or a shared Ireland, whatever form it takes, will need the vision and broad engagement of the best of all of us.

Any such journey to the future demands due recognition of the difficulties we face now. If we are to create a better, fairer country, we will need able, energetic and committed public representatives.

To attract dynamic, capable individuals, a modicum of appreciation and respect is required.

Hostility and toxicity are too easily manipulated by those who wish to disrupt rather than engage with our democratic process.

There is something to be said for Jesse Jacksons dictum that the only time we should dare to look down on anybody is when were helping them up.

A constant chorus of condemnation and negativity is counter-productive. The days of tipping the forelock to power are over. But giving due recognition to people who have given the best of themselves is no more than fair play.
Luke J Gibbons asks why the Catholic church hasnt solved Irelands homeless crisis yet, given its portfolio of properties and estimated bank balance (Letters, August 30).

At a time when calls for secularisation and the separation of church and state often reach a deafening screech, a call for the church to step back into the breach to conclusively address the States latest great failing is nothing if not refreshing in its novelty  even when the call derides current church efforts as amounting to hollow prayers.

Mr Gibbons claims the church has not taken tangible steps to address homelessness.

A variety of church-run and church-affiliated organisations step up to the plate to help our homeless population every day.

I think of Brother Kevin Crowley and Dublins Capuchin Day Centre, which has been feeding Dublins homeless for 40 years.

I think of the work of the St Vincent de Paul, which  though not church-run  enjoys substantial church support, whether through the holding of collections during mass or through the separate patronage of priest-directed massgoers.

I think of the scores of Catholic-run schools and their charitable endeavours to raise funds and awareness to fight homelessness by means of sleep-outs and street collections among other measures.

The Pope has yet to make out a cheque payable to Housing Minister Darragh OBrien and the government of a country as rich as ours, it is true. But the church more than plays its part in fighting the scourge of homelessness in other, more tangible ways that do not absolve the Irish Government of what are ultimately its failures and its responsibility.

Killian Foley-Walsh, Kilkenny

People make errors, so dont lay blame at the foot of Christian doctrine

Barbara Scullys call to remove Catholic patronage from all schools is short-sighted and another example of cancellation and blame-hunting (Ireland will never be free until religion is banished from state infrastructure, Irish Independent, August 29).

Many grievous mistakes have of course been perpetrated by church members over the years while the church itself has looked away.

These are human mistakes and not any flaw in the Christian doctrine.

Pete Young, Dudley, West Midlands

We must be wary of being part of military alliances such as expansionary Nato

Micheal Martin has said there are no plans to publish these papers at this time, relating to a letter and a paper he has written, detailing the Governments approach to strengthening our co-operation with international partners, including Nato.

We need to know what the Minister for Defence has in mind.

Nato has an expansionary ethos. Furthermore, plans to develop the EU as a military power are clear: the president of the European Commission said last March that Europe should strive to develop and manufacture the next generation of battle-winning operational capabilities.

Irish people have consistently shown their support for peace-keeping and our non-involvement in military alliances.

We have been previously warned not to be in the slow lane of Europe. Now is past the time to ask where the fast lane in Europe is going.

Elizabeth Cullen, Thomastown, Co Kildare

Women and children in Gaza need hope from Harris in the White House

With the selection of Kamala Harris to oppose Donald Trump in the US presidential election, many  not least the mothers and children of Gaza desperately seeking shelter from bombs  were filled with hope that a more just and compassionate regime would emerge in the US to bring some urgency to the need to control the warmongers of all hues.

Now we read the headline in your report: Kamala Harris first major TV interview: vows tougher approach on migration, supports weapons for Israel (Independent.ie, August 30).

Jim OSullivan, Rathedmond, Sligo

Put on warm clothes, grab a stick and enjoy the great climb up Croagh Patrick

On a wet and windy Thursday morning, I arrived at the car park at the foot of Croagh Patrick. I paid the 3 parking fee for the day and looked up at the top of the peak. It was covered in cloud, but the rain had cleared.

We set off at 7.30am and made good headway as the path had very little traffic that early in the morning. The previous nights rain did not affect the rocky surface.

By 8.50am we had reached the base of the final hard climb.

The recently completed steps on the final assault by five great men  Matt McConway, Bernard Burke, Frank McNamara, Tulio de Jesus and David Doyle  who spent four years climbing the mountain more than 450 times deserve a mention.

Without our solid sticks the final accent would have been challenging, but the combination of well-laid steps and a good stick made a big difference from my previous climbs without the newly laid steps.

As we approached the summit, some of the clouds had drifted and the white church was a welcome view. We reached the top at 9.30am. The amazing views from the summit were limited due to cloud, but we got some great photographs overlooking Clew Bay.

The steps were also very welcome on the way down. It took just over an hour.

I hope this description of our adventure will encourage more climbers to enjoy the climb and views, but remember to bring good warm clothing and a good solid stick.

Seamus Joyce, Richmond, London

Frank Hayes did the Kerry Co-op great service and was forward-looking man

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Frank Hayes (Former Kerry Group executive Frank Hayes dies after short illness, Irish Independent, August 29).

Almost 40 years ago, as Denis Brosnan was about to face down the farmer shareholders of Kerry Co-op, I wrote my first letter to a newspaper on the thorny subject of change.

The CEO of the then privately owned Kerry Co-op was attempting to convince the farmers of Kerry to allow the milk co-operative to become the first known co-op in the world to go down the public route and be part-floated on the stock exchange. Mr Hayes was particularly complimentary of that letter.

To his wife and children I offer my sincere condolences. He was a forward-looking and decent man.

Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry
Carlow girl (6) forced to travel to USA for urgent surgery is gearing up for her next operation in Poland

After being on a waiting list in Ireland for over four years, Roxanne Kelly will have to travel to Poland to get the life changing surgery she needs

Roxanne Kelly (6) after her spinal surgery in Florida

Aisling Bolton-Dowling Sat 31 Aug 2024 at 11:00

A young Carlow girl (6) who was forced to travel to America for an urgent operation after being overlooked by the Irish healthcare system is home recovering before she travels to Poland for her next operation.
Erika Sassone discovers the magic of Inis Mor, from coastal cycling routes to swimming at Tra Mor, revealing the largest Aran Island's sublime beauty and warm hospitality

Whenever a friend comes to visit me in Galway I always try to bring them to Inis Mor, the largest of the three Aran Islands.

Ive visited the island a total of four times over the past few years and at every day trip I remain fascinated by the beauty and the unique atmosphere this island off Galway Bay offers.

So when a friend asked me to bring her there for her birthday and to stay there for one night, I did not think twice about it.

On a Saturday morning, we took the ferry from Galway City Docks along with our two backpacks and our blue tent and reached Inis Mor at around 11am.

We immediately headed to the campsite, Aran Islands Camping and Glamping, which we had booked online.

Located in a quiet part of the island, just ten minutes walking from the ferry port, the campsite surprised me positively. The site is indeed tiny compared to others across the country, but the ground is flat and perfect for a tent (I had to sleep on a slope on other occasions while staying in bigger campsites in Ireland), it has clean toilets, good indoor showers, and a large kitchen area.

Also, the staff were extremely nice, but it was no surprise as spending just a few hours on the island would make you realise how welcoming residents here are.

The bikes were rented in Inis Mor

Once set up, we rented our bikes and started exploring Inis Mor by following the green route along the cost.

As we cycled by green fields, stone walls, alive to the smell of the Atlantic Ocean right next to us, we encountered old buildings, new colourful houses, cows, and horses, and I pondered the kind of quintessential questions such a landscape suggests, like, how many gallons of poitin have been distilled in these houses? and how many generations have some of these families been living on the island?

Our first stop was the seal colony, where we were lucky enough to spot a few seals not too far from us. We then enjoyed a sweet treat from a cafe, and stopped for a chat with the woman behind the counter, who would smile and say a few words to anyone stopping by.

For the first time, I didnt have to keep an eye on my watch to check we had enough time to get back to the ferry, so I could completely disconnect from the real world and fully enjoy the cycle and the island. Later in the evening, I noticed my phones battery was still over 80pc charged.

Poll na bPeist (the Wormhole), Inis Mor

Despite its size, Inis Mor requires more than just two days to reveal all that it offers, so it was clear we had to make a choice: we decided to follow the directions to the famous Poll na bPeist (the Wormhole).

It doesnt matter how many pictures or videos you might see of Poll na bPeist, nothing can prepare you for this rectangular-shaped blow hole carved by Mother Nature.

The 19th century Romantic authors would call this feeling the sublime, our capacity to become overwhelmed by the majesty of nature. Standing there, looking at the waves dancing in this massive, rectangular hole, makes you realise how small we are, and how powerful nature is.

Before returning back to base, we stopped for a swim at Tra Mor, another iconic landmark of Inis Mor, a big sandy beach that could be mistaken for a spot on some tropical island.

There is something fascinating about sea swimming and Ive always admired the bravery of those Galwegians who I see swimming in the ocean throughout the year, no matter the weather, no matter the cold.

Needless to say, I am not as brave as them, and as an Italian woman I found that Saturdays 15 degrees made the day perfect for a walk, not for a swim.

However, my friend somehow convinced me to dip into the Ocean and I have to admit that the swim made the whole Inis Mor experience even more magical.

In the evening, we had dinner at Joe Watty's Pub. Food was good, drinks were good, and the staffs hospitality was  obviously  excellent.

However, the trip did not end there and, with the ferry leaving on Sunday at around 3pm, we had an entire morning to explore the island.

We left our bags at the campsite, brought the bikes back to the shop, and decided to walk south, in a part of the island that is usually quieter and often overlooked.

The cliffs in the Dun Duchathair (the Black Fort) area

We reached Dun Duchathair (the Black Fort), and its dramatic cliffs made us experience that sublime feeling once again.

I started wondering if there is any place in Inis Mor where you dont experience that feeling.

After lunch we hopped on the ferry that brought us home  and back to real life - knowing we would have to return and spend more days exploring the island, which might be small, but surely is sublime.
Greystones Harbour Plaza is the starting point for what will be the fifth Alzheimers Memory Walk in Wicklow later this month.

With 35 walks nationwide, organisers are hoping this will be the largest Memory Walk to date, and Claire Fitzpatrick from The Alzheimer Society of Irelands Wicklow centre urged people in the county to get involved on a day that will celebrate the memories of loved ones in a wonderful location.

The Wicklow Memory Walk will take place in Greystones this year. It will be a great day for family and friends to get together for a lovely walk along the seafront, she said.

"Some will be doing it for their loved ones who are living with dementia. I will be remembering my mam Mary, who had Alzheimers and passed away 10 years ago this year, and so along with my family members, including Marys grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and friends, we will join many others who will also be remembering their loved ones who are sadly no longer with us, she continued.

It will be a chance to share memories and create new ones together and so I would encourage everyone who can to register now."

The idea behind the Memory Walk is to honour, remember and celebrate the 64,000 people in Ireland living with dementia, along with their families and carers.

It also cherishes the memory of those who are no longer with us. In 2023, 3,500 walkers participated in Memory Walk and raised over 120,000 which helped fund vital services for people with dementia, including daycare, daycare at home, family carer training, social clubs, cafes, and a national helpline.

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is Ireland's leading dementia-specific service provider and works in the heart of local communities providing dementia-specific services and supports and advocating for the rights and needs of all people living with dementia and their carers. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland also operates the Alzheimer National Helpline offering information and support to anyone affected by dementia on 1800 341 341.

You can register for the Greystones walk at memorywalk.ie and join the hundreds of others taking part on Sunday, September 22, at 11am at Greystones Harbour Plaza. The distance is three kilometres.

All walkers will receive an Alzheimers Memory Walk t-shirt, and a pack of forget me not flower seeds to sow at home to help create an annual memory each time the flowers bloom. Adult registration costs 20 and a childs pack is 5.
Wicklow County Councils annual tree grant is now open for applications, providing funding to local groups to plant trees in public spaces in their community with the aim of increasing tree cover within these spaces.

The late autumn and winter months are the ideal time to plant trees, allowing trees to establish good roots well before they come back into leaf in spring.

The annual tree grant provides funding of 75 per cent of the cost of trees to be planted, with a maximum allocation of 500 per applicant.

Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council Paul O Brien commented: The annual tree grant supports the work of Tidy Towns, residents associations and other groups to improve our open spaces with good planting, which enhances amenity while enriching the biodiversity of our local areas. We encourage our communities to make use of and apply for this grant.

All native trees can be planted, plus several tree species listed under the All Ireland Pollinator Plan as being beneficial for supporting biodiversity. Fruit trees are also funded, and the planting of native hedging in public spaces will also be considered.

Chief executive of Wicklow County Council Emer OGorman added: Wicklow County Council is committed to taking climate action and the restoration of biodiversity. Increasing tree cover with the use of native tree species has an important role to play in achieving our goals.

Completed applications with costings and a map of proposed planting locations must be submitted by the deadline of Friday, September 27. The grant application can be obtained from the environmental awareness office through eao@wicklowcoco.ie. The application form can also be downloaded from the News and Events section on www.wicklow.ie.
The family of Daena Walsh, who was fatally injured in Midleton, Co Cork aged just 29, are still trying to come to terms with her shocking passing earlier this month, as they strive to provide a new life for her two sons.

Daenas mother Caroline now cares for Ezra (5) and Kyson (5) and they have both relocated to the family home in Roundwood, Co Wicklow, where they are becoming accustomed to their new surroundings.

Daenas 18-year-old brother Callum has thanked the tight-knit community of Roundwood for rallying around the family in support during what has been a most difficult time.

Both Ezra and Kyson are settling in well and they love it here in Roundwood, he said. We have cats and dogs, which they love, especially the dogs. At the moment one sleeps in the same room as my mum and the other with my older brother Noah.

He added: The people of Roundwood have been so good to us and at the moment we are just trying to make life as easy as we can for the two boys. We are all trying to get back to reality and back to work again, but it has been a very traumatic and difficult time for everyone.

Daena was found with apparent stab wounds at the apartment where she lived off the Main Street in Midleton on Friday, August 2, after emergency services attended the scene shortly after 4pm. Despite every effort to save her life, she was pronounced dead in her flat at John Barry House.

Callum was working in the Parkview Hotel in Newtownmountkennedy when he received the traumatic news that his sister was dead at around 7pm. He immediately returned home to mourn with the rest of the shocked family.

Daena Walsh

Daenas partner Adam Corcoran (29) has since been charged with her murder and remanded in custody.

The apartment was also on fire when Daena was found and suffered significant damage before the blaze could be extinguished.

Daena's sons were not at the building at the time, but have lost most of their possessions in fire.

Now two Roundwood neighbours of the Walsh family, Debbie Lowe and Bernie Byrne, have started an online fundraising appeal with the aim of assisting both Ezra and Kyson in the future.

On their GoFundMe page Debbie and Bernie stated: The boys lost so many of their belongings. These two beautiful little boys now have to leave their home and start a new life with Daenas mam and their new little life will have to be set up all over again.

This will come with a huge cost as the house will now have to be arranged to home two little boys. Myself and a few of their nanny's neighbours wanted to set up this GoFundMe to help set up their new life. This a very sad situation nobody should ever have to face. Please if you can donate anything at all to help these two boys.

The GoFundMe for Daenas boys aims to raise 5,000.

Callum says the Walsh family are touched by their neighbours gesture and are also calling for people to support the fundraising drive.

We all miss Daena horribly and are so grateful towards everyones support, he said. Debbie and Bernie have been so good in setting up the fundraiser and it has our total support. We are trying to do something nice for the children as they lost nearly all of their possessions in the fire.

"We just want to do everything in our power to make sure they are settling in and doing as well as they can. We want to make their life as comfortable as we can now and also going into the future.
The Connecting Our Communities scroll arrived at the lifeboat stations in Wicklow town and Arklow on Wednesday as part of the RNLIs 200th anniversary  shortly after the visit of a plucky Porsche 911 called Splash that is on a quest to raise money for the charity that saves lives at sea.

Printed on bamboo paper, the scroll is travelling through RNLI communities far and wide during 2024. By passing this pledge from one incredible community to the next, the RNLI hope to inspire the next generation of lifesavers.

The scroll started its route at the Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London, and will continue on its travels until October, when it will end its journey in Douglas, Isle of Man, the former home of Sir William Hillary, founder of the RNLI.

On the scroll is the RNLIs One Crew pledge, in which members promise to continue saving every life they can for the next 200 years and counting. Lifesavers from across the UK and Ireland, and the RNLI patron, president, and chief executive, will sign the scroll to recognise all the organisation has done over the past 200 years and into the future.

Chris Smith arrived at Wicklow Lifeboat Sation at 3.30pm on Wednesday as five local RNLI volunteers signed the pledge - Coxswain Nick Keogh, John Hayden, Carol Flahive, Karen Boyle and Jennifer Snell. Each volunteer represented the station, education, water safety, fundraising and the lifeboat shop.

The pledge reads: Whoever we are, wherever we are from, we are one crew, ready to save lives. Were powered by passion, talent and kindness, like generations of selfless lifesavers before us. This is our watch, we lead the way, valuing each other, trusting each other, depending on one another, volunteering to face the storm together. Knowing that, with courage, nothing is impossible. That is what has always driven us to save every one we can. It's what makes every one of us a lifesaver.

Meanwhile, Belinda and James Richardson both paid separate visits to the Wicklow and Arklow Lifeboat Stations on Monday, August 26, in their Porsche car named Splash. The retired couple from London have been big fans of the RNLI ever since owning a boat on the Thames over 20 years ago.

They aim to navigate around the whole of Ireland and the British Isles, visiting all 238 RNLI stations in 911 hours, involving a drive of over 8,500 and requiring 36 ferries and four flights.

They started at Morecambe on Friday, August 23, and hope to raise enough money through sponsorship and donations to fund a relief D class Inshore lifeboat for the RNLI.

To donate to their challenge, visit rnli-911challenge.co.uk
The film is based on the 1989 book The Silent Brotherhood (Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Jude Law said his new film that chronicles the terrorist actions of a white supremacist group still has relevance.

The Order sees two-time Oscar nominee Law portray an FBI agent who is investigating a hate group that perpetrated bank heists along with being accused of the June 1984 murder of Alan Berg, a Jewish talk-radio host in Denver.

Fellow British star Nicholas Hoult plays the Orders leader Robert Mathews, who was killed in a 1984 fire during a Washington state shoot-out with federal agents.

The Talented Mr Ripley actor Law, 51, told a press conference at the Venice International Film Festival on Saturday: Sadly, the relevance, I think, speaks for itself.

What amazed me was the it was a story I hadnt heard of before, and I thought (screenwriter) Zach (Baylin) did an amazing job of also highlighting family and and how community and a sense of family can make people feel safe and secure no matter where they are going and in what direction in their life, politically or emotionally.

It just felt also like a piece of work that needed to be made now. Its always interesting looking back, but its always interesting finding a piece from the past that has some relative relationship to the present day.

Tye Sheridan, from left, Jurnee Smollett, Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult star in The Order (Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

When asked about the far-right riots in the UK, The Great and Skins star Hoult said it was an American story, but he did see the relevance today, which is sadly true.

He added: Its also a global thing at the moment, which is just a horrible situation and hopefully the film, perhaps, if people see it shedding more light on how these sorts of events occur and the people that are instigating them, (they) can kind of help prevent it happening anymore in the future.

In terms of the research, I had delve into a lot of horrible, dark stuff that wasnt enjoyable.

So (director) Justin (Kurzel) helped me a lot through that, Zach, and research, and I dont really know what else to say about it, to be honest with you, apart from, it wasnt very nice, and it was part of the job on this one.

The Order is based on the 1989 book The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt which covers how federal agents took on militias who express racist, as well as antisemitic and neo-Nazi views.
A Russian newspaper publisher was convicted by a court in Siberia yesterday and sentenced to eight years in prison, after his paper reported on Russias attacks on civilians in Ukraine, local media and rights activists reported.

The court in the city of Gorno-Altaysk convicted Sergei Mikhailov, a prominent journalist in the Siberian region of Altai and the publisher of the local newspaper Listok, or Leaflet, of spreading false information about the Russian army, the Net Freedoms rights group said.
Two more crew members investigated as Italians widen probe into sinking of superyacht Bayesian

Captain James Cutfield is already under investigation for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck charges

A press conference on the search and recovery operation after the luxury yacht Bayesian sank in a storm on August 19 while moored off the coast of Porticello, Sicily. Photo: PA

Stephanie Dazio Sat 31 Aug 2024 at 03:30







Italian prosecutors have put under investigation two more crew members of the Bayesian, the superyacht that sank off Sicily last week, killing seven people, their lawyer said yesterday.
The Israeli military said it had killed five more militants in a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank early Thursday, including a well-known local commander.

There was no immediate Palestinian confirmation of the death of Mohammed Jaber, known as Abu Shujaa, a commander in the Islamic Jihad militant group in the Nur Shams refugee camp on the outskirts of the city of Tulkarem.
Bengaluru/IBNS: Param Foundation, a not-for-profit community-driven social organisation based in Bengaluru, has unveiled plans for a multi-experience, trans-disciplinary centre aimed at promoting experiential learning, history, art, culture, and collaboration.

The announcement was made at ParamCon, a science festival hosted by the foundation at Yuvapatha in Jayanagar, which attracted 1,500 visitors in a single day.

The event featured interactive exhibits, games, challenges, talks, workshops, and shows that drew a diverse audience of students, educators, innovators, and community leaders.

The festival highlighted the importance of combining science and creativity to foster a spirit of inquiry and learning.

The Param Experience Centre, a 1.2 million-square-foot flagship facility, is set to open to the public in phases starting in the summer of 2025 on Magadi Road in the city. This centre is designed to provide immersive experiences through hands-on learning, crafting journeys in the realms of science, history, art, culture, and more. It is expected to attract over 8,000 visitors daily.

Additionally, the Experience Centre aims to build state-of-the-art labs, providing innovators and researchers with access to facilities where they can develop prototypes and create ground breaking products that offer revolutionary solutions. The centre is poised to become a global hub for learning and innovation. Param will serve as one of Asia's largest transdisciplinary hubs and meta-ecosystems, dedicated to creating transformative and sustainable impact.

This initiative is driven by passionate individuals and supported by patrons who share a vision for a better future. The foundation is collaborating with a diverse group of artists, engineers, architects, designers, and other professionals from India and around the world to bring this vision to life.

It aims to create a collaborative environment where creativity meets technology, enabling the development of unique learning experiences. As part of this effort, the centre will also support 1,000 emerging entrepreneurs each year, providing them with access to state-of-the- art labs and resources. These initiatives underscore the foundations commitment to fostering creativity, inclusivity, and accessibility for all.

One of the highlights of the event was the Cobot Exhibit, featuring a futuristic robotic arm from Denmark. This exhibit demonstrated how cutting-edge technology can merge with human safety and precision in the manufacturing industry.

The cobot, designed for safe human interaction, gave attendees a firsthand look at how industrial-grade robotics are transforming workplaces, making them safer and more efficient.

The event also featured the "Scale of Universe Gallery," which takes visitors on a fascinating journey through the size of the universe. The exhibit, themed "Yotta to Yocto," explores the vast range from the smallest particles to the largest cosmic structures.

Through interactive projections, kiosks, and simulations, guests engaged with the wonders of the universe, gaining insights into the secrets of the cosmos in a visually immersive way.

Another standout was the IIT Kanpur Exhibit, "Hive," an innovative tool that visualises brain activity using EEG technology. Visitors wore special headbands that transformed their brain waves into dynamic patterns and colours, creating a stunning science-art installation.

This exhibit allowed participants to explore the inner workings of the human mind, blending scientific exploration with artistic expression.

Param Foundation is collaborating with visual artists, engineers, architects, designers, and other creative professionals from across India and globally.

These exhibits were part of ParamCon's commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and curiosity. By bringing these state-of-the-art experiences to the public, Param Foundation continues to lead in providing learning opportunities that inspire and inform.

We are honoured to collaborate with leading institutions such as Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai; Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum; ISRO; NCBS; IIT Kanpur; IIT Gandhinagar; and many other reputed organisations.

These partnerships allow us to combine diverse expertise and knowledge, enhancing our ability to offer innovative and educational experiences, said a spokesperson for Param Foundation.

Param changed my perspective on science in just 30 minutes, said a visitor. The exhibits are so engaging and interactive that they make complex concepts easy to understand. I left feeling inspired and more curious about the world around me, he added.

In todays world, its essential to create spaces that encourage collaboration and community engagement, a spokesperson for Param Foundation said. We want to provide environments where people can learn, innovate, and work together to solve problems, he concluded.

Guided by a shared vision, Param Foundation empowers individuals from every walk of life by seamlessly blending modern technology with the rich cultural heritage of India. Param operates at the intersection of cultural, experiential, and creative economies by building a transdisciplinary, collaborative digital ecosystem and physical spaces.
Photo courtesy: x/@VPIndia

New Delhi/IBNS: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday strongly condemned a purported statement made by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) headed by senior lawyer and MP Kapil Sibal in connection with the rape and murder case of a junior doctor in Kolkata.

"I am appalled, pained that someone holding a position in the Supreme Court Bar Association, a Member of Parliament, can term such acts of violence against women as a symptomatic malaise. How can one suggest that such incidents are commonplace? What a shame," the Vice President said at an event in Delhi University's Bharti College.

"Words fail me in condemning such a stance. It is a great injustice to such a high position," Vice President Dhankhar said.

Kapil Sibal is representing the West Bengal government in the RG Kar rape-murder case. Photo credit: UNI/IBNS file photo

And here, one says it is symptomatic malaise, that such incidents are common place!



I strongly condemn it.



The relieving feature is that members of the Bar have risen in unison to come in favour of girls and women.



What can be greater injustice to humanity?



We trivialise pic.twitter.com/Grcr5cT8Cz  Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) August 30, 2024

The Vice President said calling violence against women a "symptomatic malaise" is the same as trivialising their suffering.

"For partisan interest? For self-interest? You take a stance, leveraging your authority to perpetrate such kind of heinous injustice on our girls and women? What can be a greater injustice to humanity? Do we trivialise the suffering of our girls? No, not any longer," he said.

The brutal rape and murder of the junior doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month has sparked outrage across the nation, with doctors and others in the medical profession calling for fundamental reforms to ensure dignity and security at their workplace.


Photo courtesy: Facebook/Mamata Banerjee

New Delhi/IBNS: The Union Women and Child Development Minister has responded to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's second letter, seeking a stringent law and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes such as rape and murder.

Banerjee in her second letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought a mandatory provision for time-bound disposal of rape and murder cases. The two letters came amid the CBI investigation into the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

I have written this letter to the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India in connection with an earlier letter of mine to him. This is a second letter in that reference. pic.twitter.com/5GXKaX6EOZ  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 30, 2024

The BJP had called her a "liar" over her letters, and questioned her over why she has not done anything to ensure implementation of existing "stringent" rules and regulations to protect women in her state.

"With regard to the information contained in your letter about the status of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) and exclusive POCSO courts in West Bengal, I may mention that according to information received from the Calcutta High Court, West Bengal has established 88 Fast Track Courts (FTCs), which are not the same as the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) covered under the Central Government Scheme..." Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi said in her response to Banerjee.

"... ln spite of pendency of 48,600 rape and POCSO cases in West Bengal, the state has not operationalised additional 11 FTSCs which may be exclusive POCSO courts or combined FTSCs dealing with both rape and POCSO cases, as per the state's requirement. As may be seen, the information contained in your letter in this regard is factually incorrect and appears to be a step in the direction to cover up the delays in operationalizing the FTSCs by the state," Devi said.

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi replies to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjees second letter to PM, demanding Fast Track Courts and timebound investigation and prosecution of accused in cases of crimes against women, especially rape. She writes



The https://t.co/iLmTA1ujQm  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 30, 2024

BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya has also questioned the Bengal Chief Minister over not doing enough to ensure rules and regulations to protect women and girls are strictly followed.

"It is incumbent on Mamata Banerjee to explain why the West Bengal government hasn't done anything for implementing the stringent rules and regulations, which exist for protecting women and girls," Malviya said in a post on X.

"Stop writing letters. Answer the questions. You are accountable," he added.

Mamata Banerjee is a LIAR.



Smt Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, responded to West Bengal Chief Minister on 25th Aug 2024.



In her letter, in point 4, she specifically mentions West Bengal Govt NOT setting up even a single Fast Track Court for https://t.co/mtNgQNLlnx pic.twitter.com/bu2Tf9Ptm2  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 30, 2024

On Banerjee's demand for permanent judicial officers in FTSCs, instead of only retired judicial officers as prescribed in the FTSC scheme guidelines, the Women and Child Development Minister said, "... I may inform you that the scheme guidelines clearly provide for one judicial officer and seven staff to work exclusively for disposal of Rape and POCSO Act cases. Hence, additional charge of FTSCs cannot be given to any permanent judicial officer or court staff. This position was clarified earlier to the state of West Bengal..."

The brutal rape and murder of the junior doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital earlier this month has sparked outrage across the nation, with doctors and others in the medical profession calling for fundamental reforms to ensure dignity and security at their workplace.

Mamata Banerjee's government is facing massive protests over its handling of the crime.
Glimpse from Nabanna march | Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Kolkata/IBNS: Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj leader Sayan Lahiri, who was arrested in connection with the August 27 march to the state secretariat Nabanna, was granted bail by the Calcutta High Court on Friday leaving the administration egg-faced, media reports said.

The Nabanna march was called by Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj demanding justice for the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The Chief Minister's resignation was also one of the demands by the organisation, which is yet to be registered.

Granting him bail, Justice Amrita Sinha observed Sayan is not an influential person or does not hold any position or power to influence, hence he is liable to be released from jail.

"Had the RG Kar incident not occurred, there would not have been the existence of the Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj," the court said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

The court has also restrained police from taking any coercive action against Sayan, who was arrested while he was leaving a local television channel earlier this week.

Sayan's mother Anjali had filed a plea seeking her son's bail and quashing all proceedings against the Chhatra Samaj leader.

He will be released from jail by 2 pm on Saturday.

People clashed with police, water cannons and tear gas shells were fired on several roads leading to Howrah, where state secretariat Nabanna is located, on Tuesday.

Though the RG Kar case is now being probed by the CBI, the state administration is facing public anger over its slow progress in the case until it was handed over to the premier investigating agency under the central government.

One person, a civic volunteer, has been arrested in connection with the case but protesting students as well as the victim's parents suspect more people are involved in the case.
Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from YouTube video

Kolkata/IBNS: After the Calcutta High Court order, Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj leader Sayan Lahiri, who was arrested over the march to West Bengal state secretariat Nabanna, walked out of jail, media reports said.

The High Court on Friday granted bail to Sayan Lahiri leaving the state administration egg-faced.

"I am happy with the court order... I thank Suvendu Adhikari for supporting me through this," said Sayan after walking out of jail.

The Nabanna march was called by Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj demanding justice for the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The Chief Minister's resignation was also one of the demands by the organisation, which is yet to be registered.

Granting him bail, Justice Amrita Sinha observed Sayan is not an influential person or does not hold any position or power to influence, hence he is liable to be released from jail.

"Had the RG Kar incident not occurred, there would not have been the existence of the Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj," the court said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

The court has also restrained police from taking any coercive action against Sayan, who was arrested while he was leaving a local television channel earlier this week.

Sayan's mother Anjali had filed a plea seeking her son's bail and quashing all proceedings against the Chhatra Samaj leader.

People clashed with police, water cannons and tear gas shells were fired on several roads leading to Howrah, where state secretariat Nabanna is located, on Tuesday.

Though the RG Kar case is now being probed by the CBI, the state administration is facing public anger over its slow progress in the case until it was handed over to the premier investigating agency under the central government.

One person, a civic volunteer, has been arrested in connection with the case but protesting students as well as the victim's parents suspect more people are involved in the case.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider

New Delhi: Former Singapore diplomat Professor Kishore Mahbubani has called for urgent reforms to the United Nations Security Council, advocating for India's rightful inclusion as a permanent member of the prestigious body, media reports said.

In an interview with NDTV, Mahbubani opined that the United Kingdom should relinquish its permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) in favour of India while speaking on the necessary changes in the UN.

"There is absolutely no question that India is the third-most powerful country in the world today after the United States and China. And that Great Britain is no longer 'great'," he was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Mahbubani stated that the UK has not used its veto power, available only to the permanent members, for decades, fearing criticism over its stance.

"So, the logical thing for the UK to do is give up its seat to India," he said.

He emphasised that the founders of the UN ensured that all major powers of the world at that time had vested interests in the organization to ensure its functionality.

"The lesson that (UN's founders) learned from the collapse of the League of Nations early in the 20th century is that if a great power leaves, the organisation collapses," the former diplomat said.

"But they also believed that you must have the great powers of today, not the great powers of yesterday. Unfortunately, they didn't create a mechanism for changing the seats," he said.

"Another reason for the UK to give up its seat is that it will free them up to act independently," he said.
Fatman Scoop collapses on stage. Photo Courtesy: ShareAlike 3.0 Unported/Wikimedia Commons

American rapper Fatman Scoop died after collapsing during his performance at a concert in Connecticut on Friday, media reports said.

He was 53.

He was performing at the Town Center Park in the city of Hamden when the incident occurred.

Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett confirmed the death of the rapper who wrote on Facebook: "On behalf of the Town of Hamden, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Isaac Freeman, known as Fatman Scoop. He was a wonderful performer with a wide following as evidenced by the thousands of fans that came to see what would be his last performance at Hamden Town Center Park."

"I am grateful to the audience members and to our paramedics that attempted to offer life-saving assistance. For anyone who is having difficulty processing and mourning Isaacs loss particularly after witnessing the tragedy unfold at Town Center Park, we will be hosting grief counseling with our social worker," he said.

His booking agency MN2S spokesperson told BBC: "Scoop was a beloved figure in the music world, whose work was loved by countless fans across the globe."

In a Facebook post, the rapper's family said he was a 'radiant soul'.

"He was the laughter in our lives, a constant source of support, unwavering strength and courage," the statement said.

Isaac Freeman III, who was better known for his stage name Fatman Scoop, was an American rapper, hype man, and radio personality.

Noted for his booming, raw vocal presence on various hip hop songs, he was best known for his guest performances on the 2005 singles "Lose Control" by Missy Elliott and "It's Like That" by Mariah Carey.
Photo Courtesy: Lokesh Kanagaraj X page

Director Lokesh Kanagaraj has unveiled yet another poster of the movie Coolie which shows Shruti Haasan is a part of the multi-starrer project now.

" Kicked to have @shrutihaasan joining the cast of #Coolie as #Preethi," Kanagaraj wrote on X.

The posters of the movie showed Nagarjuna and Soubin Shahir will be seen in the movie sharing screen spaces.

Soubin Shahi, who is known for his Malayalam movies, will make his Tamil debut with Coolie.

He will play a character named Dayal.

Makers said Shruti will play the character named Preethi in the film.

In the poster, she could be holding a shovel in her hand.

Following her inclusion in the movie cast, Shruti wrote on X: " Thankyou Lokesh !! Super stoked to be a part of this."
The aftermath of a missile strike in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv Photo Courtesy: UNICEF/Ukraine

At least six people, including a teen girl, were killed after a Russian-guided bomb hit a playground and a residential building in Ukraine 's Kharkiv city on Friday.

The 12-storey residential building caught fire after the strike.

Several social media posts have now emerged where firefighters could be seen trying to bring the flames under control.

President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on X: "Rescue operations continue in Kharkiv at the sites struck by Russian bombs. Tragically, there are fatalities, including a childa girl named Sofia, who would have turned 15 this fall. My deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. Many others are injured."

Rescue operations continue in Kharkiv at the sites struck by Russian bombs. Tragically, there are fatalities, including a childa girl named Sofia, who would have turned 15 this fall. My deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. Many others are injured. Aid is being pic.twitter.com/ZU9flEw0Pd  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) August 30, 2024

He said: "Aid is being provided to all those affected, and rescuers are doing everything they can to save as many lives as possible. I am grateful to everyone involved in the rescue efforts and to all those who are supporting Kharkiv and its residents."

The Russian strike on Kharkiv directly on people, on ordinary house. All services are currently engaged in the rescue operation. I thank everyone who is helping to save lives at this moment.



This strike was carried out using a Russian guided aerial bomba strike that could have pic.twitter.com/ydRfqPju6n  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) August 30, 2024

He described the cowardly strikes as 'horrific'.

"These horrific, cowardly Russian strikes targeted ordinary homes and a city park. Russia will be held accountable for all its evil deeds. But the world must remember that the most effective tactic is to prevent evil from acting in the first place," the President said.

He said: "We need decisionsdecisions that our partners can make, decisions from those countries that have the power to ensure we have the capability to destroy Russian military aircraft at their bases, where eliminating these terrorists and their aircraft will be most effective."

Kharkiv is located close to the Russian border.

The Ukrainian city, which is the second largest in the country, has been attacked frequently since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Occupiers killed a child right on the playground, Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app on Friday as quoted by Al Jazeera.

Thirty months into Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, human suffering continues to worsen amid alarming reports of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including nuclear facilities, a senior UN political affairs official told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Miroslav Jenca, Assistant Secretary-General at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that last month was particularly deadly for Ukrainian civilians, with at least 219 killed and more than 1,000 injured.

Since 24 February 2022  the date of Russias full-scale invasion, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, has documented 11,662 civilian killings and 24,207 injuries. The actual figure could be higher.

Tragically, these figures only grow, as missiles, shells and drones continue to hit cities, towns and villages across Ukraine daily, Jenca said.

Concerns over nuclear safety

The senior UN official further expressed alarm regarding reported incidents around nuclear facilities in Ukraine and Russia, in particular the deterioration of the nuclear safety situation at Ukraines Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

On 17 August, a drone strike hit the road around the power plants site perimeter. This incident followed a significant fire at one of the cooling towers on 11 August, which resulted in considerable damage.

Jenca added that concerns are also rising over nuclear safety and security in Russias Kursk region.

On 22 August, Russia reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that remains of a drone were found within the territory of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.

We continue to call for maximum restraint and vigilance to avoid a nuclear incident, the consequences of which could be catastrophic to the region and the world, he urged.
Photo Courtesy: IDF X page

The Israeli Defense Forces has claimed to have killed Hamas' commander in Jenin Wassem Hazem while conducting a counterterrorism operation in the northern Samaria area.

"Wassem Hazem, the head of Hamas in Jenin, was eliminated during a counterterrorism operation in the northern Samaria area. He was identified alongside a terrorist cell in a vehicle in the area," IDF posted on X.

 Wassem Hazem, the head of Hamas in Jenin, was eliminated during a counterterrorism operation in the northern Samaria area. He was identified alongside a terrorist cell in a vehicle in the area.



Hazem was involved in carrying out and directing shooting and bombing attacks, pic.twitter.com/TioV7BkZhS  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 30, 2024

"Hazem was involved in carrying out and directing shooting and bombing attacks, and continuously advanced terrorist activities in the Judea and Samaria area," the Israeli security forces said.

"Shortly afterward, an IDF aircraft eliminated 2 additional Hamas terrorists who attempted to flee from the vehicle that they were inside with Wassem Hazem. Maysara Masharqa and Arafat Amer operated under the command of Wassem Hazem and took part in shooting attacks against Israeli communities," IDF said.

IDF said M16 rifles, a handgun, cartridges, explosives, gas grenades, and thousands of shekels were recovered in the vehicle and from the possession of the slain Hamas members.

Meanwhile, UN aid teams have reached a tentative agreement with parties involved in the war in Gaza for humanitarian pauses to allow 640,000 children to be vaccinated amid an outbreak of the virus, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

WHO Representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, said that the two-round vaccination campaign is due to begin this Sunday in central Gaza for three days, then move to the southern and northern areas. A second dose will be administered after four weeks.

During each round of the campaign, the Palestinian Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the WHO, [the UN Childrens Fund] UNICEF, UNRWA [the UN agency for Palestine refugees] and partners, will provide two drops of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to more than 640,000 children under 10 years of age, Dr. Peeperkorn said.

West Bank operation continues

Amid a fourth day of Israeli military operations in the West Bank, humanitarians voiced concerns about the safety of civilians and aid teams.

Raids by the Israeli Security Forces (ISF) in densely populated Jenin and Tulkarem have reportedly killed at least 15 people. Unimpeded accessibility of facilities is crucial for reaching and receiving care, but also to deliver health aid. We call on the infrastructure, ambulances, health workers around hospitals, health facilities to be protected, stressed Dr. Peeperkorn.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the escalation late Wednesday, calling for an "immediate cessation" of Israeli operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Since the start of the war, 652 Palestinians have also been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including 150 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. More than 5,400 people have been injured.
US top official asks China to take immediate action to end repression of Uyghurs. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

A top US official on Friday said China should take immediate action to end 'ongoing repression' of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic and religious minority groups in the country

He made the remark on the second anniversary of the release of a report by the United Nations marking the state of human rights violations in Xinjiang region of China.

Matthew Miller, US State Department spokesperson, posted on X: "Two years since the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released an assessment on human rights violations in Xinjiang, the U.S. continues to urge the PRC to take immediate action and end the ongoing repression of Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups."

In a separate statement, Miller said: " The United States is disappointed that after two years, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) continues to reject the OHCHR assessments findings and refuses to implement the High Commissioners recommendations to release all those arbitrarily deprived of their liberty, cease all intimidation and reprisals against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang and abroad, and investigate allegations of human rights abuses, including torture, sexual violence, forced labor, and forced medical treatment."

He said: " The United States remains gravely concerned by the PRCs ongoing repression of predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, which the High Commissioners assessment found 'may constitute international crimes, particularly crimes against humanity'."

He said: "We will continue to work closely with partners across the international community to seek justice for the many victims of PRC policies in Xinjiang and to secure accountability for individuals and entities perpetrating human rights violations and abuses."

The report released by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) into what China refers to as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) had concluded that serious human rights violations against the Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim communities have been committed.

The report said that allegations of patterns of torture, or ill-treatment, including forced medical treatment and adverse conditions of detention, are credible, as are allegations of individual incidents of sexual and gender-based violence.

In a strongly-worded assessment at the end of the report, OHCHR said that the extent of arbitrary detentions against Uyghur and others, in context of restrictions and deprivation more generally of fundamental rights, enjoyed individually and collectively, may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.

Human Rights Watch said the Chinese government persists in committing crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang while denying repression there.

Beijings brazen refusal to meaningfully address well-documented crimes in Xinjiang is no surprise, but shows the need for a robust follow-up by the UN human rights chief and UN member states, said Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch. Contrary to the Chinese governments claims, its punitive campaign against millions of Uyghurs in Xinjiang continues to inflict great pain.
Children look at artwork in a classroom strewn with broken glass and other debris in Chernihiv, Ukraine. Photo Courtesy: UNICEF/Ashley Gilbertson VII Photo

Ukraine's city of Kharkiv has declared a day of mourning on Saturday after a Russian bomb attack left at least six civilians dead, media reports said.

The deceased reportedly included a child who was playing on a playground.

At least 97 people were injured, including 24 children, when Moscow struck the city with five guided aerial bombs, according to Ukrainian authorities as quoted by CNN.

This was one of the deadliest Russian strike on Ukraine in the ongoing summer season.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said one of the deceased was 14-year-old Sofia.

She was reportedly playing on the playground when Russian hit it.

" Tragically, there are fatalities, including a childa girl named Sofia, who would have turned 15 this fall. My deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. Many others are injured. Aid is being provided to all those affected, and rescuers are doing everything they can to save as many lives as possible. I am grateful to everyone involved in the rescue efforts and to all those who are supporting Kharkiv and its residents," Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X.

He described the Russian strike as 'cowardly'.

Targeting Russia, he said: " This is the same evil Russia unleashed in Syria, in Georgia, and now in Ukraine. Their tactics of terror are the same everywhere, and its time to put an end to it. This can be achieved through our Ukrainian long-range capabilities, robust support for our Defense Forces, and enhanced air defense systems for Ukraine. "

Thirty months into Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, human suffering continues to worsen amid alarming reports of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including nuclear facilities, a senior UN political affairs official told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Miroslav Jenca, Assistant Secretary-General at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that last month was particularly deadly for Ukrainian civilians, with at least 219 killed and more than 1,000 injured.

Since 24 February 2022  the date of Russias full-scale invasion, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, has documented 11,662 civilian killings and 24,207 injuries. The actual figure could be higher.

Tragically, these figures only grow, as missiles, shells and drones continue to hit cities, towns and villages across Ukraine daily, Jenca said.

Jenca also highlighted the severe impact of the humanitarian crisis, particularly on women, who comprise 56 percent of the 15 million people in need of assistance in Ukraine.

In frontline areas, particularly in the east and south of Ukraine, entire villages and towns have been either partially or completely devastated, he said, adding, humanitarian operations in some areas lack access to people in need.

This year the UN and humanitarian partners aim to reach 8.5 million people with lifesaving assistance, including through the winter.

However, the response remains constrained, with only 41 percent of the $3.1 billion needed under the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan received so far.
Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

The East Turkistan Government in Exile has said the Chinese government conducted 47 nuclear tests in East Turkistan between 1964 and 1996 which resulted in the deaths of approximately 750,000 East Turkistanis and left 1.2 million more suffering from leukemia, cancer, and fetal damage.

" Today, on the #InternationalDayAgainstNuclearTests , the East Turkistan Government in Exile solemnly reflects on the catastrophic impact of #Chinas #NuclearTesting in Occupied #EastTurkistan. Between 1964 and 1996, China conducted 47 nuclear tests in our homeland, with a total known yield of 24,409 kilotonsequivalent to 1,627 #Hiroshima bombs or 1,162 #Nagasaki bombs. These tests resulted in the deaths of approximately 750,000 East Turkistanis and left 1.2 million more suffering from leukemia, cancer, and fetal damage," East Turkistan Government in Exile said on X.

The government-in-exile claimed China might be conducting secret underground nuclear tests in East Turkistan even in 2024.

" Tragically, reports indicate that China may still be conducting secret underground #NuclearTests in East Turkistan even in 2024. These ongoing activities are part of Chinas broader campaign of genocide, colonization, and occupation aimed at erasing the identity and existence of the #Uyghur and other Turkic peoples," the post said.

The government-in-exile directed the international community to recognize the acts as part of China's genocidal agenda and take immediate action.

It said: "We call on all nations to hold China accountable and to demand an end to its nuclear aggression and occupation of East Turkistan. The world must no longer stand by in silence while such atrocities continue."
Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

A Pakistani court on Thursday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for desecrating the Quran in 2021 within the remits of the Korangi police station in Karachi.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (East) Shahid Ali Memon found the accused guilty and ruled that the prosecution had proven the charge of defiling copies of the Quran under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) beyond a shadow of a doubt, reported Dawn News.

All the prime witnesses had fully supported the case in respect of the date of offence, time of offence, arrest of accused, seizure of property etc. In other words, it can safely be said that all the witnesses, including the complainant, had corroborated each other and the learned defence counsel made cross-examination upon them but he has not been able to cause any dent to their evidence, the judge observed as quoted by the newspaper.

The prosecution produced six eye witnesses during the hearing into the case.

The prosecutor said the evidence against the accused were overwhelming and needed to be convicted.

The defence argued the prosecution had fabricated the case.

The defence counsel claimed that the prosecution witnesses, all residents of the same area, had contradicted each other, Dawn News reported.
A brand new episode of Bad Memory Eraser is out on MBN now, but before you start binge-watching it, here we are with a recap of what so far has happened in the romantic K-drama. Written by Jung Eun-young and directed by Yoon Ji-hoon and Kim Na-young, this show stars actors like Kim Jae-Joong, Lee Joong-Won, Jin Se-Yeon, and Yang Hye-Ji.

Bad Memory Eraser in total has 16 episodes, out of which it has now released 9 episodes. The ninth one just got released on August 30. If you are someone who has not watched any of its previous episodes or cannot recall the story so far, here is a simplified recap of the plot.

Also Read: OMG 2 Telugu OTT release: Where to watch Akshay Kumars comedy-drama online

All about the 8th episode released on August 24:

In the Bad Memory Eraser episode 8, Sae-Yan was seen searching for love interest, which she gets also at the end.

Character Lee-Goon in the story tries to remember how his brother betrayed him and pushed him away from a bridge because of which he fell.

The interesting part of the last episode was how Lee-Goon entered a meeting room and Se-Yeon introduced herself. She comes to work for Lee Goon as an Italian interpreter. Further in the story, Guk-Bong and Lee-Shin were seen getting into a tiff over Goons first love Ju-Yeon.

Shin further in the episode claimed to be unaware about Goon's mishap, but Guk-Bong fears that if Shin and Ju-Yeon are seen together, it may evoke unpleasant memories.

Episode 8 of Bad Memory Eraser concludes with Hon frightening him with the images and accusing him of pushing his brother off the bridge.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


The American film Destroyer is all set to make its debut on OTT. The crime thriller will be released soon on OTT platform Lionsgate. The film had its world premiere in 2018 at the Telluride Film Festival. But after releasing in the U.S., it received mixed responses from the audiences and critics as well, but the actress in the lead role, Nicole Kidman, was praised for her performance.

Plot

Destroyer is all about the lifestory of a young cop given a special case by her team. The story progresses with shocking findings in her special task, which breaks her heart in the end. The police detective by the name of Erin then decides to fight back with her enemies.

Also Read: Vicky Kaushal and Triptii Dimri's Bad Newz is finally on OTT! Here's how you can watch it online

Cast and crew

Destroyer is directed by Karyn Kusama. The star cast of the film includes Nicole Kidman, Tatiana Maslany, Toby Kebbell, and Sebastian Stan.

The American film has been co-produced and written by Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay. Music in the film has been given by Theodore Shapiro. The cinematography of the film is handled by Julie Kirkwood. The film was released under the banner of Annapurna Pictures.

The film Destroyer made approximately $1.5 million in the US and $4 million in other regions, making it a total of $5.5 million worldwide during its theatrical run. The film made $58,572 from three theatres in its opening weekend, a six-day total of $115,661.

Lionsgate Play, which will be releasing Destroyer soon, has launched some of the interesting movies from quiet sometime. Last month, the platform released movies like The Arcadian.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


The Tamil version of Malayalam mystery thriller Irul is all set for its OTT debut. Starring Fahadh Faasil in one of the crucial roles, the film got released in 2021 and is now ready to entertain Tamil audiences online. Streaming platform Aha Video will soon release the film in Tamil, but if you want to watch the film in its original Malayalam version, you can stream it on Netflix.

OTT platform Aha Video announced the Tamil version release of Irul on Twitter, but the date is still to be shared.

Plot

Irul is a story about a couple taking refuge in one stranger's house after they get stuck in an isolated road while on a weekend getaway. Further in the story, the couple slowly realises that the stranger in whose house they are in is a strange person, and they doubt his intentions.

Cast and crew

Irul, directed by Naseef Yusuf Izuddin, is written by Sunil Yadav. Naseef has worked as an assistant director in past Bollywood for movies like Happy New Year, Raees, and Newton. In 2020, Naseef announced his directorial debut with the Malayalam film Irul.

Irul is said to be a film only having three crucial characters. It is said that Irul was made in a 30-day straight shoot within a single schedule, with most of the film being set indoors during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Also Read: To My Haeri OTT release date ENA, Genie TV: When to watch this K-drama

Apart from Fahadh Faasil, the film has actors like Darshana Rajendran and Soubin Shahir, Jipa John, and Mashar Hamsa.

The Malayalam movie has been made under the banner of Anto Joseph Film Company and Plan J Studios.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


The Hindi movie OMG 2, starring Akshay Kumar in a crucial role, can now be enjoyed in Telugu. Yes, you read that right. After winning over audiences hearts in Hindi, the film is streaming in Telugu and other south-Indian languages for those who love to watch online content in south Indian languages. Released in August last year at the theatres, the OMG 2 Telugu OTT debut was done in April this year via the Jio Cinema platform. You can stream the Telugu version anytime on the Jio Cinema app. This OTT debut has allowed non-Hindi-speaking fans to enjoy the film in the South Indian language from the comfort of their homes.

Plot

The Hindi movie streaming in Telugu on Jio Cinema is about a devotee who keeps faith in God even during his tough times. Apart from this, the film has a message of the importance of sex education and how it should be given in schools and society generally.

Also Read: Committee Kurrollu OTT release date ETV Win: When to watch this Telugu village drama

In the movie, it is shown how the Shiva devotee, Kanti Sharan Mudgal, challenges the Indian education system just to save his son.

Cast and crew

Other than Akshay Kumar in a critical role, there are actors like Pankaj Tripathi, Yami Gautam, Pavan Malhotra, Govind Namved, Geeta Aggarwal, and Aarukh Verma in other important roles. The movie was directed by Amit Rai.

This Hindi film streaming in Telugu on Jio Cinema is produced by Vipul D. Shah, Aruna Bhatia, Rajesh Bahl, and Ashwin Varde. It has been made under the banners of Viacom18 Studios, Cape of Good Films, and Wakaoo Films.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Shocking details continue to emerge about the rampant sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry, which began tumbling out following the release of the Hema Commission report. The latest allegations to surface are against Mansoor Rasheed, the Assistant Director of Bro Daddy, a 2022 film starring Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran in lead roles. The movie was directed by Prithviraj, and Rasheed was his assistant director.

CREDIT: BRO DADDY

Allegations against Bro Daddy assistant director

A junior artist who had worked in the film accused Rasheed of sexually assaulting her during the shoot of Bro Daddy in Hyderabad in 2021.

In her complaint, filed on Friday, the junior artist alleged that Rasheed had spiked her drink and sexually assaulted her in a hotel where the Bro Daddy crew was lodged.

The complainant further alleged that Rasheed also used explicit photos of her to blackmail and silence her. The complainant, who is settled in Hyderabad with her family, claimed that though a police complaint was filed, no action was taken against Rasheed.

Also read: Mohanlal exits as AMMA president along with entire committee

'Continued to work with Prithviraj'

She also pointed out that Rasheed continued to work with Prithviraj even after the incident and was the assistant director of L2: Empuraan, an upcoming Malayalam movie. Empuraan, which is the sequel to Prithviraj's directorial debut movie Lucifer, has himself and Mohanlal in key roles.

CREDIT: EMPURAN

Got to know during Empuran's shoot: Prithviraj

Breaking his silence on the allegations against Rasheed, Prithviraj on Friday said he came to know about it during Empuraan's shooting. Prithviraj further said that immediately after learning about it, Rasheed was removed as the assistant director of Empuraan and that he instructed him to present himself before the police.

How Prithviraj reacted to Hema Commission report

Notably, Prithviraj was one of the vocal supporters of the Malayalam actress who was sexually abused in 2017. Even after the release of the Hema Committee report, Prithviraj had called for an investigation into the allegations.

Also read: All you need to know about Hema Committee report, the investigation that has rocked Malayalam film industry

CREDIT: BCCL

"If allegations have been made, thorough investigations need to be followed up with, and if these investigations lead to the allegation being proven right, there have to be exemplary punishments handed out," he had said.

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Indian Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat has refused to rule out her entry into politics but said that she doesn't want to talk about it. Phogat was responding to a question about the likelihood of her contesting the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana.

CREDIT: PTI

'Came here for farmers'

On Saturday, Phogat, who visited the Shambu border where a group of farmers had been protesting for 200 days, said that she was not concerned about elections, but the welfare of farmers.

I don't want to talk about it. I have come to meet my family members (farmers) and if you spin it, their fight and struggle will be wasted. The focus shouldn't be on me, but on the farming community. I am a sportsperson and a citizen of India; elections are not my concern. My only focus is on the welfare of farmers, Phogat said.

#WATCH | Wrestler Vinesh Phogat arrives at the farmers' protest site at Shambhu border, as the agitation completes 200 days.



She says, "It has been 200 days since they are sitting here. It is painful to see this. All of them are citizens of this country. Farmers run the pic.twitter.com/MJo9XEqpko  ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2024

Suspense over Vinesh's political entry

Ever since Phogat's controversial disqualification from the finals of the Paris Olympics, there has been speculation on what her next move could be.

While Phogat had announced her retirement from wrestling soon after she was disqualified for being overweight, she has since sent mixed messages about competing in yet another Olympics.

Also read: Mahavir Phogat wants Vinesh to compete in 2028 Olympics, says 'will try talking to her'

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat arrives at the "Farmers Protest" site at the Shambu Border as the agitation completes 200 days. pic.twitter.com/ptiPtHYSqE  Akashdeep Thind (@thind_akashdeep) August 31, 2024

Many on social media speculated that her presence at the venue where farmers have been protesting since February 13, demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP), is a sign of her entry into politics.

What Vinesh said about farmers' protest

"I want to tell you that your daughter is with you," Phogat said while addressing the farmers.

"Sometimes we feel helpless at not being able to do anything for them. We represent the country at international levels but we could not do anything for our own family. It is a request that the government should listen to them," she later told the media.

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A group of scientists have discovered what is being described as a "doughnut-shaped region" deep inside the molten metal core of our planet. The discovery, which could help us learn more about our planets magnetic field, was made by Australian National University (ANU) seismologists.

CREDIT: SPACE.COM

Doughnut-shaped structure in Earth's outer core

According to the study, published in the journal Science Advances, the newly discovered doughnut-shaped structure sits within the outer core and is 30 to 70 km thick. However, scientists have not been able to measure the exact thickness of the doughnut-shaped region.

"The region sits parallel to the equatorial plane, is confined to the low latitudes, and has a doughnut shape," Professor Hrvoje Tkalcic, a geophysicist at ANU, said.

CREDIT: PHYS

How the doughnut-shaped region was discovered

The researchers identified the doughnut-shaped region by observing the patterns of seismic waves produced by earthquakes. We realized that seismic waves slow down in the zone that mathematically is called a torus, he said.

He explained that the structure remained hidden until now, as previous studies collected data with less volumetric coverage of the outer core by observing waves that were typically confined within one hour after the origin times of large earthquakes.

CREDIT: PHYS

Why the discovery is important

According to the scientists, understanding the outer core is important, as it is critical to the survival of life at the surface.

Earth's outer core is predominantly made of liquid iron and nickel, and the vigorous movement of the electrically conductive liquid creates Earth's magnetic field, which shields the Earth and helps to sustain all life by protecting it from damaging solar winds and harmful radiation.

The discovery was made possible by a novel approach to seismic wave analysis.

CREDIT: NASA

"Like medical doctors who use ultrasound or X-rays, global seismologists can use the waveforms recorded on seismographs worldwide due to the passage of seismic waves after large earthquakes, explosions, impacts, and other natural phenomena," Tkalcic said.

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With the economy being one of the key focus areas in the ongoing U.S. presidential elections, the two leading candidates have laid out their policies to be implemented if they are elected in November. This is especially tough for Kamala Harris, as the Democratic candidate is part of the current administration, and announcing sweeping changes to its policies would be seen as an admission that the Joe Biden-era policies have failed.

CREDIT: AP

Who is shaping Kamala Harris's economic policies

Helping Harris walk this tightrope is an Indian-American who is serving as an advisor to the Harris-Walz campaign. Bharat Ramamurti, who recently joined the Harris campaign, is said to be the one shaping its liberal economic policies.

Who is Bharat Ramamurti

A close confidant of Biden, Ramamurti served as deputy director at the Biden White House National Economic Council. until December 2023. He was also a member of the COVID-19 Congressional Oversight Commission. Previously, he had also served as an assistant to Senator Elizabeth Warren.

CREDIT: AP

Before joining the Biden administration, Ramamurti was the managing director of the corporate power program at the progressive Roosevelt Institute, which focuses on shifting power away from large companies.

Tamil Nadu connection

Like Harris's mother, Shyamala Gopalan, Ramamurti's father, Ravi Ramamurti, also hailed from Tamil Nadu. Bharat Ramamurti comes from a family of legal experts, and his father and twin siblings have doctorates in law from Harvard, like him.

CREDIT: AP

In a recent interview with CNBC, Ramamurti defended the tax proposal introduced by President Biden and recently endorsed by Harris, which many argued was 'unconstitutional', arguing that it would provide more opportunity for Americans.

Every time a Democrat runs for President, theyre accused of pushing radical policies that would hurt the economy. But as I said on @SquawkCNBC today, just look at the scoreboard: both the job market and stock market do better under Democrats. pic.twitter.com/vCF95nR1Gi  Bharat Ramamurti (@BharatRamamurti) August 28, 2024

"I think that this reaction to unrealized gains is a little funny, given that I bet the majority of people watching right now are already paying a tax on unrealized gains. Its called a property tax," Ramamurti had said.

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Having a work-life balance is a dream for everyone, but only some are blessed with the luxury. Some companies go out of their way to establish a healthy work-life balance for employees, while others take advantage of dedicated employees. An employee stated that it is hard to balance work and personal life in a company where the 'we are a family' ethos makes it difficult to establish clear boundaries.

What happened with the startup employee?

Leywino, a Reddit member, joined a new firm around 8 months ago, and because it was her first employment, she didn't know much about the company culture.

She stated that when she joined, she was informed that there were no 9-to-5 work hours in the company and that the CEO wanted her to work overtime.

The user further claimed that in exchange for conforming to this working culture, the corporation provided "freedom" to communicate like friends and laugh with coworkers.

The user did this for six months, but two months ago she stated that she would only work from nine to five, and she has since felt isolated while everyone else is "still having fun" at work. She is currently seeking advice on how to handle the matter.

How did people on the internet react?

People on the internet painted a clear picture for the employee, some said you are not alone while others gave user the confidence that they are right in their decision. Here's what people wrote.

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How to have a healthy work-life balance?

Here are some tips to maintain a healthy work-life balance if you are also going through something similar.

1. Take your time off: Take the off days you are assigned by your company without feeling guilty. Don't miss the family functions, birthdays and festivals. You deserve to be a part of the celebration and to celebrate.

2. Time management: Don't work overtime unless you are okay with it and are getting compensated for it.

3. Manage your stress: Don't take work personally, don't get stressed about something that happened at work outside of working hours.

Also read: Lenovo fired employee for peeing in hotel lobby, he's now suing for Rs 12.6 crores: Here's what happened

What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments.

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Rakesh Kumar, an ace Indian archer, began his Paralympic campaign with a comprehensive win in the compound men's open category on Friday. He overcame Senegal's Aliou Drame 136-131 to go to the pre-quarterfinals stage. Kumar withstood the rain to defeat his opponent with a comfortable advantage. Taking aim in torrential rain was never going to be easy for either archer, but an experienced Kumar won the war.

Archer Rakesh Kumar goes viral for shooting in the rain

Rakesh, the Asian Para Games silver medalist who was knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Paralympics, got off to a terrific start, striking one flawless 10 in the opening end to lead by three points.

Aliou won the second end by one point, but Rakesh maintained his advantage and increased it by five points in the third end, scoring two 10s. The Indian went on to take a six-point lead, winning the fourth end. Aliou took the final end of three arrows, conceding only one point, but Rakesh's comfortable advantage secured his place in the last 16.

How did people on the internet react?

Meanwhile, social media was abuzz with admiration remarks for Kumar, as netizens praised the archer's determination to compete in difficult conditions. Many people also compared the shooter with the viral Turkish shooter for his nonchalant attitude in the range.

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Rakesh Kumar is able to shoot 10s in such heavy rain. Salaam hai. pic.twitter.com/2wHjhYuHad     Anshul Chavhan (@anshul_chavhan) August 30, 2024

Also read: 'Her journey has been inspiring': Manu Bhaker congratulates Avani Lekhara for winning gold at Paris Paralympics 2024

What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments.

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Nearly 1 million beds were available for short-term rental in July in Greece thanks to strong tourist flows.

 
Guests are arriving in style in Kalamata , Greece, as the much-anticipated three-day wedding celebration of NBA and his partner, Mariah Riddlesprigger, kicks off today . The couple , who have been together for nearly ten years and share three childrenLiam, Maverick, and Evaare ready to commit their lives to each other in a unique ceremony.
Former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El Rufai has lamented over what he described as envy in Nigerias political system.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that El Rufais statement is coming, following some corruption allegations, leveled against him by the states House of Assembly.

Recall that the former governor was accused of misappropriation of government funds during his eight years in office.

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The Kaduna States Assembly also alleged that El Rufai siphoned 432bn, leaving the state with huge debt liabilities.

However, in a post shared via his X handle on Saturday, the forme governor described envy as an incurable disease among the political class on the country.

He said: WEEKEND REFLECTION: NONE of us has to fail for ALL of us to succeed. And in unity there is strength.  @VP Kamala Harris, US Vice President (2021-2024) and Democratic Presidential Candidate at the Democratic National Convention.

READ MORE: Alleged Corruption: Kaduna Youths Storm Govt House, Demand El Rufais Prosecution (Pictures)

The quote above led me to reflect on the meaning and implications for our situation in Nigeria. Feelings of envy require that EVERYONE fails for ONE to succeed.

Envy is quite prevalent amongst the key actors in our political system. Competence, capacity, and commitment are some personal leadership qualities that attract the envy of those lacking or deficient in these indices.

Instead of striving to attain, the envious seeks to hate and destroy those that are better. Envy leads to hatred.

Hatred leads to destructive thoughts and actions, including unspeakable crimes like perjury, malicious prosecution, persecution, unlawful imprisonment, torture and even murder for the target(s) of the envy.

Can the incurable disease of envy amongst Nigerians, particularly within the members of the political class be cured? Personally, I doubt it.

The emerging problem of Nigeria is the outcome of the continuously deteriorating competence, capacity and commitment of the political leadership.

Societies succeed or fail depending on these personal and institutional qualities.

No matter what, the incurable virus of ENVY has to be confronted and degraded, if not cured, if Nigeria is to achieve its manifest destiny of greatness and leadership of the Black Race. I pray this can be realized. Amen.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Department of State Services (DSS) permission to freeze 20 bank accounts linked to a suspected female terrorist, Aisha Abdulkarim.

The accounts, domiciled in eight banks, are to remain frozen for 60 days to enable the DSS to carry out a forensic investigation into the alleged acts of terrorism.

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Also linked with the alleged acts of terrorism are Yehusa Idris and Abdullahi Babayo Umar, who are also in custody of the DSS.

The Presiding Judge, Peter Lifu, issued the order after Yunus Umar, DSS counsel, moved the application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1036/2024.

READ ALSO: Lagos Police Nab Two For Robbing Three Sex Workers Of Their Four Phones

Umar said it was important to freeze the accounts to enable the DSS have unhindered access during the investigation.

Although the DSS requested a 90-day freeze order, the judge granted 60 days, with a charge to the secret police to be diligent and fast-track its investigation.

Lifu held that the law presumes the suspects innocent for now and must not be subjected to unnecessary hardships through the account embargo under the guise of whatever investigation.

The banks where the accounts are domiciled include Opay Digital Services Limited, Access Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Union Bank of Nigeria, Moniepoint Microfinance Bank, First Bank of Nigeria, and First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has vowed to cause political unrest in the state of any Peoples Democratic Partys governor who attempts to interfere in the affairs of the Rivers State.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the former governor made this known at the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt on Saturday, during the partys state congress.

He said: Let me assure all of you, not while we live will anybody take away the structure of the PDP from us.

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But let me tell people, I hear some governors who say they will take over the structure and give back to somebody.

I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states. When God has given you peace, you say you dont want peace, anything you see you take.

READ MORE: Wike, Ortom, Others Employed By Tinubu To Destroy PDP  Lamido Alleges

Because I heard they got some money from a signature bonus, and so their heads are getting big that you will put a hand in my own state. Prepare because I have the capacity to also do the same thing in your own state.

Whether you are from Bauchi, I dont give a damn, whichever state you are from, as far as I know, that you are trying to put yourself in Rivers State, your hand will get burnt, and you will never sleep in your state.

Recall that PDP governors, who met in Taraba State on August 23, weighed in on the crisis rocking the party in the state and reiterated their support for Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The PDP Governors Forum, in a communique read by its Chairman and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, called for a review of the party congress outcome to restore Fubaras leadership role in the state.
As part of efforts to restore sanity and cleanness, the operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps have arrested 12 miscreants following surveillance operations in several areas of the state.

It was gathered that the development is coming, following some reports made by some concerned citizens over the menace and nuisance caused by the thugs.

In a statement released by the state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, via his X page on Friday, disclosed that the move was to restore cleanliness to the streets of Lagos.

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READ MORE: Lagos Police Nab Two For Robbing Three Sex Workers Of Their Four Phones

Wahab wrote: Acting on reports received from concerned citizens on the menace and nuisance caused by miscreants and destitute, the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps #LAGESCOfficial (KAI) yesterday, deployed surveillance teams in some of the areas reported.

Falomo in Ikoyi, Adeola Odeku and Sanusi Fafunwa in Victoria Island, Chisco, Ikate and Marwa, along Lekki-Ajah expressway, were monitored, leading to the arrest of 12 suspects; 10 adults and 2 minors.

The suspects will be arraigned in a court of competent jurisdiction.
Operatives of the Kano State Fire Service, have rescued a woman and her two male children, trapped in a collapsed building at Makwarari axis of Kano Municipal Local Government Area.

In a statement on Friday, the states fire fighters spokesman, Saminu Abdullahi, disclosed that the building is a dwelling house of a one-storey building of 30ft. by 40 ft.

Abdullahi said: We received an emergency call on Friday, around 9:30a.m, from our control room by one of our staff members, Ibrahim Isah, that a building collapsed.

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Upon receiving the information, we quickly dispatched firemen to the scene.

READ MORE: Many Feared Dead As Fire Razes Mikano Building In Lagos

Abdullahi stated that the victims were rescued alive and taken to Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, for treatment.

The statement listed the names of the victims as Balaraba Abba (mother), 35, Abdulnasir Jilani, 12, and Abdullahi Jilani, 9
A 35-year-old man named Emmanuel Urhobocha has allegedly committed suicide in his flat on Alafia Street in Sango-Ota, Ogun States Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area.

The Ogun State Police Command confirmed to PUNCH Online on Saturday that the incident occurred about 9:00 a.m. on Friday.

This incident happened a few days after Oluwaseun Shorinola, 32, committed suicide on August 28, 2024, in the Kemta neighbourhood of Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.

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Odutola Omolola, the commands spokesperson, stated that the deceaseds housemate, Obabiyi David, had gone to the Sango-Ota Police Division to report that his flatmate was acting erratically.

He (David) stated that Urhobocha was behaving oddly and even mentioned that the deceased had attacked him with a knife at one point. David sustained injuries but managed to escape the assault, Odutola stated.

A team of police officers from the Sango-Ota division was despatched to question Urhobocha about the alleged attack on his companion, but when they arrived, the room was firmly secured from the inside.

After repeated tries to force the door open, the police were finally able to enter and discovered the suspect motionless and face down inside the flat.

Odutola said, He was discovered dead in the apartment, with a container of insecticide found next to his body.

He was promptly transported to a local hospital for medical attention, but the attending doctor confirmed him dead. His body has been placed in the morgue for an autopsy, and the incident remains under investigation.
Seven individuals suspected of committing various crimes were paraded by the Kwara State Police Command on Friday.

Among them was a suspect accused of being engaged in the cruel murder of Anthony Kayode Balogun, a hotelier by suspected cultists on August 8, 2024, at his hotel in the Olulande district of Ilorin.

At a press conference in Ilorin on Friday, Commissioner of Police Victor Olaiya revealed that a suspect, Abolarin Samuel Idowu, aka Sam Caro, 37, was apprehended at his hideout near a Conoil filling station in Ita Alamu, Ilorin, three weeks after the hoteliers murder.

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A search conducted at the time of his arrest led to the recovery of a locally fabricated gun and three live cartridges.

The suspect admitted to being a member of the notorious Eiye secret cult, initiated in 2011 by an individual named Otumba, who remains at large, the commissioner stated.

He further disclosed: Investigation revealed that Abolarin Samuel Idowu, along with his accomplices, Alowonle, aka Aloo, and Samuel, aka Sam Febee-Kay, was responsible for the murder of Anthony Kayode Balogun.

The killing was reportedly a revenge mission for a 2022 cult anniversary celebration during which the deceased allegedly ordered the killing of an Eiye Confraternity member named Abbey.

He stated that following the suspects confession, additional searches at various criminal hideouts resulted in the discovery of several exhibits, including two locally-made shotguns, one cut-to-size locally-made gun, one multi-purpose battle axe, eight live cartridges, one locally-made sword, one cutlass, and two bottles of an unknown liquid suspected to be hard drugs.

Olaiya stated that during the attempt to apprehend further suspects and recover additional evidence on August 18 and 19, 2024, the police tactical teams encountered resistance, resulting in grievous bodily damage to one of the police officers.

Adebayo Joshua Happiness, Adebayo Adeniyi, Adeoye Adeola, Bulus Peter, and two females, Adeniyi Bukola and Lawal Aminat, were among six other suspects arrested in connection with the alleged murder of Awesu Mojisola, a 21-year-old graduating student at Kwara State College of Health Technology in Offa.

According to the police commissioner, the man was slain in a hotel in Ilorin, the states capital.

READ MORE: Six Killed, Three Injured In Fatal Crash On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

The incident occurred on August 9, 2024, when Awesu Mojisola received a phone call from one Kolawole Timileyin, a female student of the same institution

Timileyin relayed a message from Adebayo Joshua Happiness, an expelled final year student of Summit University, Offa, Kwara State, who invited Awesu Mojisola to attend a purported sign-out party at Whitefield Hotel, Ilorin, with a promise of N15,000. Mojisola accepted the invitation and left Offa for Ilorin later in the day.

Upon arrival in Ilorin, Mojisola communicated with her friends via phone, expressing discomfort and concern as there appeared to be no sign-out party. Instead, she reported being alone in a hotel room with Adebayo Joshua Happiness, who was reportedly smoking cannabis.

Subsequently, her phone became unreachable and her whereabouts unknown, Olaiya added.

He said: Acting swiftly on the report, an investigation by officers of the command led to the arrest of Adebayo Joshua Happiness. Preliminary findings revealed that Adebayo had deliberately lured Awesu Mojisola to Ilorin under false pretences, booking a hotel room at around 1800 hours with no intention of hosting a party.

Further investigation uncovered that at about 2345 hours, on the same day, Adebayo Joshua Happiness, booked an additional room at the same hotel for another female, possibly as cover up for his premeditated actions.

In the early hours of August 10, 2024, Adebayo Joshua Happiness, brutally murdered Awesu Mojisola and abandoned her lifeless body in the hotel room, secured the room and fled with Mojisolas iPhone and a sum of N15,000 stolen from the deceased. He then returned to Offa and concealed the stolen phone in his hostel wardrobe.

The Commissioner of Police also stated that while the suspects parents attempted to tamper with evidence in the case, following their sons detention, hotel personnel discovered the deceaseds body in the hotel room and unlawfully disposed of it in the garbage dump.

He stated that the individuals had been captured and charged with criminal conspiracy and causing the removal of evidence.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has excavated the bodies of marine hunters who were kidnapped and murdered.

The victims were from the Ministry of Internal Security and Inland Waterways.

They were buried by criminals in Unyenghe, Mbo Local Government Area of the state.

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In a statement issued on Friday, Akwa Ibom Police Public Relations Officer ASP Timfon John stated that the skulls of the deceased were mutilated during the exhumation process.

She said the suspected killers were arrested following intelligence and a total of 15 live cartridges were recovered from them.

READ MORE: Onyeka Onwenu To Be Laid To Rest Today In Lagos

The suspects were identified by the PPRO as Anthony Archibong M 46 years old, Emmanuel Otoyo M 18 years old, Daniel Edet Okon M 26 years old, Eniete Harry Tom M 34 years old, Joseph Okon M 44 years old, and the village head of Utit Antai, Chief Okon Asuquo Eteokpo, who is alleged to be their ally and spiritual fortifier.

The Command made the Exhumation on Thursday, August 29, 2024, following information it received on the 18th of August, 2024 that the Marine Hunters who were abducted and killed were buried in shallow graves within the community.

The Command has again reassured members of the public of their intentional determination to rid the state of crime and criminal elements appealing to members of the public to always report suspicious people and movements within their domain to the nearest Police Station.
Philly Shipyard, next to the mouth of the Schuylkill as it dumps into the Delaware River, as seen from southbound I-95. The two ships, Patriot State (left) and State of Maine (closest to the Delaware), that are still under construction are federally funded National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs) for the U.S. Maritime Administration. The shipyard, whose owners led by the Norway-based Aker industrial group have agreed to sell the yard for $100 million to the South Korea-based Hanwha group, is building five such vessels. It expects to lose money on the contract, due partly to a scarcity of skilled U.S. shipyard labor. Read more

Twenty-eight years after the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard closed, the current and future owners of the commercial shipyard now located on its peninsula between the Delaware and Schuylkill are taking steps to resume building ships for the U.S. Navy.

The South Korea-based Hanwha group has agreed to buy the private Philly Shipyard on the former Navy site from its current owners, led by Norways Aker ASA, for $100 million, pending U.S. government approval. Philly Shipyard in its most recent yearly report to shareholders said its been in talks with the Navys shipbuilding arm to compete and win contracts to start building Navy combat-support and auxiliary vessels in Philadelphia, while also continuing to build commercial ships.

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But Philly Shipyard also warned that the money-losing yard will need new capital investment, more facilities, and more skilled labor to turn a profit.

Hanwha says it is ready to provide those resources. The group in 2022 bought Daewoos sprawling shipyard complex on Geoje Island, off Koreas south coast, which designs and builds naval frigates, destroyers, and submarines, among other ships.

The company says it also has naval ambitions for Philly Shipyard. Hanwha plans to expand into naval vessel production, using new technology that will bring badly needed capacity to the U.S. Navy and create local jobs, said Hanwha spokesperson Debra DeShong, a veteran Washington lobbyist and former U.S. Senate aide.

The proposed sale is awaiting approval by the federal Committee on Foreign Investment. The company hopes to complete the deal this year. Navy Secretary Carlos del Toro and other top officials have encouraged Hanwha and other Korean defense contractors to invest in key U.S. military industries.

Privately, people familiar with military procurement caution that it can take years for Navy projects to materialize. Many companies, including large foreign manufacturers like Hanwha and its Korean rival Hyundai, which signed a government-contracting deal with Philly Shipyard earlier this year, seek U.S. government business, putting them on course to compete with entrenched ship contractors such as General Dynamics. It can take relentless development cycles, in the face of changing priorities, and steady support from allies in Congress, to help land these expensive projects.

Navy ships of any size would be a big step for the Philadelphia yard. Since its 1998 rebirth as a private, for-profit facility with more than $300 million in federal and state subsidies and incentives, welders and other skilled workers at the complex of dry docks, cranes, and other specialized equipment have built 30 tanker and cargo ships for private owners.

After cycles of hiring and layoffs, the yard won a string of contracts since the late 2010s that will keep workers busy for at least the next few years.

Philly Shipyard now employs 1,700  mostly contractors, many from out-of-state  the most since the Navy shut the yard. Philly Shipyard says it is now the busiest of the handful of private U.S. shipyards kept afloat with help from the federal Jones Act requiring cargoes to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and other U.S. islands be carried on U.S.-built vessels.

Yet, busy as it is, the company is losing money  $68 million last year, on sales of $441 million. The company mostly blames a shortage of skilled labor, made worse as aging workers retired during the pandemic, which forces it to hire expensive contractors. Other industrial employers have made similar complaints. Thats especially true in shipbuilding, said Philly Shipyard spokesperson Kelly Whitaker.

Philly Shipyard expects to lose money on its first civilian federal shipbuilding contract, a series of five multi-mission vessels it is constructing for the U.S. Maritime Administration. One of the vessels, the Patriot State, is due to be christened at the yard on Sept. 9, with federal officials on hand to celebrate the occasion.

Under the current union agreement, wages for veteran shipyard workers  direct employees and contractors  will rise to $40 an hour in 2027. Many are working 10 or more hours overtime each week, bring total pay by the end of the contract toward $100,000 a year, plus longevity bonuses, retirement, and other benefits.

Its hard work, but it pays well, said Lou Agre, the lawyer and Democratic ward leader who heads the Philadelphia Metal Trades Council, the union group representing shipyard workers. More than 100 apprentices are currently training, and the company wants more. Agre said Hanwha has agreed to continue the collective-bargaining union labor agreement, which runs until 2027.

Theres more work ahead if the yard can find people, space, and capital, according to the company. Now it will be up to Hanwha to find those resources.

Hanwhas purchase will include shipyard facilities and equipment. It is also in line to inherit a lease with the nonprofit Philadelphia Shipyard Development Corp., chaired by longtime Pennsylvania insurance and investments magnate Republican fundraiser Manuel M. Stamatakis. The nonprofit leases land, docks, and piers to the shipyard, and can cancel the lease if yard owners stop building ships.

The naval base that includes the shipyard employed nearly 50,000 at its peak during World War II, including the future science fiction writer Isaac Asimov and Comcast founder Ralph Roberts.

Yard employment fell to 2,000 by the time it closed amid the military budget cuts that followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Akers predecessor, Kvaerner, collected extensive state subsidies and tax breaks to reopen the yard, plus aid from the Delaware River Port Authority, after then-Gov. Tom Ridges administration balked at a larger joint Pennsylvania-New Jersey subsidy for a German firm that wanted to build cruise ships.
Its easy to assume Mike Africa Jr.s MOVE days are completely behind him when walking through his manicured backyard, past his five-foot aboveground pool, and into the state-of-the-art podcast studio behind his Clifton Heights home.

His studio lights are so dope they impress an Inquirer photographer. Seemingly, hes come a long way from his childhood in Philadelphias infamous, antitechnology, back-to-nature, Black power organization.

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But once you sit on one of Africas blue velvet chairs and get talking, his connection to MOVE comes sharply into focus.

A custom Seed of Wisdom license plate  back in the day, MOVE parents referred to their children as seeds of wisdom  is mounted behind his desk. Next to it is a poster from the 2020 documentary 40 Years a Prisoner, the HBO movie about Africas decadeslong mission to get his parents released from prison. Mike Africa Sr. and Debbie Africa were among the nine MOVE members convicted of third-degree murder for the 1978 shooting of Philadelphia Police Officer James J. Ramp.

Africa holds a copy of his new memoir, On a MOVE: Philadelphias Notorious Bombing and A Native Sons Lifelong Battle for Justice. In the 285-page memoir, Africa, 45, mourns the death of friends and family who died on that horrific day in 1985 when Mayor Wilson Goode gave the Philadelphia Police Department the OK to drop C-4 explosives on 6221 Osage Ave., killing 11 people, destroying 61 homes, and displacing 250 mostly Black Philadelphians.

MOVE is a part of Philadelphia history, said Africa, his dreadlocks tied tightly under a black and white bandanna. Africa owns the rights to the MOVE organization and serves as its legacy director. Its a part of American history. Its a part of Black history. Have you ever heard of a government dropping a bomb on a house and shooting 10,000 rounds of ammunition?

In the 39 years since the MOVE bombing, there have been countless analyses of MOVEs tyrannical, yet gentle, leader, John Africa, and scathing criticisms of the Philadelphia Police Departments complete disregard for Black lives when it let the fire burn. Much has been written about the millions of dollars awarded to its victims and the mysterious 2002 murder of MOVE supporter John Gilbride. In 2021, several children of MOVE said they had been abused. A University of Pennsylvanias anthropologists gross mishandling of the bomb victims remains made headlines.

With his coauthor, D. Watkins, Africa addresses all of these issues while speaking to the communes proclivity toward violence and how its squalor impacted the quality of life of the surrounding working-class Black neighborhood. He pays homage to MOVEs noble mission of protecting all people, animals, and the environment, centering MOVEs tangled family dynamics. Africa sees MOVE through a loving lens. At its most vulnerable, the memoir is about how orphaned children of incarcerated and murdered MOVE members were abandoned by the organizations surviving adults and ostracized by Philadelphians  Black and white.

This story has a lot of facets, a lot of purposes, said Africa. I want it to serve as a historical document. Its also for up-and-coming revolutionaries so they dont have rose-colored glasses on when it comes to MOVE.

A family affair

To fully understand MOVE, Africa said, you have to know his great-uncle John Africa  Vincent Lopez Leaphart, known to Mike Africa as Uncle Benny. John Africas mother died of pneumonia in the 1950s and he blamed his mothers death on racism, believing she was treated poorly because she was Black. He was a soldier in the Korean War, where he was sickened by the death and bloodshed. When John Africa returned to Philadelphia in the late 1960s, he formed a group of revolutionaries and urged them to take the last name Africa.

The organization, which eventually came to be called MOVE, despised the trappings of modern life, especially technology. Members didnt send their children to school; they hated hospitals  children were born at home  and ate raw food. By the early 1970s, there were several dozen members of MOVE, including John Africas sister, LaVerne Sims, and her daughter, Debbie, Mike Africas mother.

MOVEs early 1970s profanity-laden protests against animals in cages at the Philadelphia Zoo and police brutality at City Hall rankled Mayor Frank Rizzo, who, Mike Africa writes, was just as committed to his belief that Black people were inferior as Benny was to his belief that [people] like Rizzo needed to go down. MOVEs Powelton Village headquarters were surrounded by stray dogs, rats, and other vermin, much to the disgust of neighbors. The tension led to the 1978 showdown between the police and the MOVE 9 ending in the death of Officer Ramp.

Both of Mike Africas parents were jailed. Debbie Africa was eight months pregnant, and weeks later, Mike Africa Jr. was born in the Philadelphia House of Correction.

Mike Africas grandmother, LaVerne Sims, dropped the surname Africa to distance herself from MOVE, and took in Africa and his older sister, Whit. Still, Africa played with his cousins at MOVEs new headquarters on Osage Avenue. The vermin and violence returned and the new neighbors were angry. When the bomb was dropped in 1985, Africa watched the smoke and fire that killed his cousins and Uncle Benny from four miles away. He was just 6 years old.

I could have easily been there, said Africa, who is a father of four. His voice dropping before it faded into a chilly silence.

Getting back to MOVE

Growing up with his grandmother in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Africa went to school, ate cooked food, and played video games. He cut his locks into a high-top fade and listened to rap  Will Smith remains one of his favorite artists. But when his schoolmates learned about his connection to MOVE, they teased him, goading him into fights.

They used to say, MOVE stood for Monkeys on Vines Everywhere, said Africa, bristling at the memory. They were dehumanizing us. But we were children. We didnt know what was going on. We werent committed to MOVE yet. We were just doing what the adults told us to do.

Africa visited his parents in prison regularly. He wanted to learn about his family and history. The teasing and fighting eventually became too much for him, and at 13, and he dropped out of school and moved back into a MOVE house. By then the organization had received millions of dollars in settlements from the city and bought homes where other MOVE children were now living. Africa grew a new set of locks and returned to MOVEs vigorous exercise regiment that included hundreds of push-ups a day and running up to 10 miles.

I could begin to see the value of what MOVE offered its members and the community, Africa said. The missteps it had made in service of its mission, and also the deliberately grave injustices committed against it.

As the Philly front man for MOVE, Africa advocated for the release of MOVE 9 members, connecting with the children of other Black revolutionaries like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s daughter Bernice King and Malcolm Xs daughter Ilyasah Shabazz.

We have experiences that no one else has, Africa said. Our parents were involved in things that were dangerous. Our neighbors saw us as weird. They picked on us. We had very uncomfortable childhoods. But at the same time, many of us are proud of what our parents did, what they were involved in.

The next MOVE

Africas work as a paid speaker and author has put him in close proximity with celebrities like John Legend and Questlove, with whom he collaborated on 40 Years a Prisoner. Africa was featured in Kevin Hart and Charlamagne Tha Gods Summer of 85, a podcast that explores the connection between the MOVE bombing and the Live Aid concert, when international rock royalty convened in Philly to raise money for victims of the Ethiopian famine.

Hes talked about building new relationships with his parents in PBS documentaries, and for a while, Africa hosted a podcast on the Oprah Network, where he chopped it up with the likes of Common. When it was suggested Africa not use the word bomb in reference to MOVE, he bowed out. It wasnt authentic.

His efforts to recast MOVE have put him at odds with other MOVE children who say hes exploiting memories for his own gain. He understands their pain, but will not abandon his mission. The things the other MOVE kids were saying are true, Africa said. We went through the same things. We were hungry in the corner together trying to figure out how to get out of the situation together.

In fact, its why Africa is adamant about telling his story now.

I dont want to romanticize the history of MOVE, Africa said. There are many things that MOVE shouldnt have done and there are things that shouldnt have been done to MOVE. But if you ask me how I feel about it, I love MOVE.
In October 2014, young Camden students from Sharp School protest budget cuts that forced teachers to be laid off; the school has since been closed. Read more

In many circles, conversations about the takeover of the Camden City School District still occur with a frequency and passion that feels as fresh as it was when state control began 11 years ago.

Were the various forms of state intervention really about low test scores and graduation rates? Was the disenfranchisement of city voters the only way to fix the problem? Or was this a politically driven attempt to access tens of millions of state dollars and control the education of other peoples children?

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Let me provide a national context to what happened and continues in New Jersey. In his book, Takeover: Race, Education, and American Democracy, the political scientist Domingo Morel noted that from 1980 to 2000, 18 states enacted takeover legislation, and 14 of them did so a few years after their respective Supreme Courts mandated state funding for local school districts. From 2000 to 2015, an additional 17 states followed suit.

In total, 80% of takeover laws were passed under Republican governors. Morel also found that the likelihood of a takeover was directly tied to the number of city council seats and mayorships occupied by Black politicians. Based on these and other factors, Morel concluded that race, economics, and politics are equally important factors that contribute to ... a state takeover, not just educational outcomes or concerns.

Lets look at how this played out in New Jersey, where the charge was led by Saul Cooperman, the states commissioner of education in the 1980s. Cooperman believed urban districts were full of political patronage, fiscal mismanagement, and were academically bankrupt. In 1985, inspired by a Forbes magazine article about business receiverships, he endorsed a call for takeover legislation.

The first victim was the Jersey City School District (1989), followed by Paterson (1991), Newark (1995), and Camden (20022013). Each of these districts shared many of the racial, economic, and political characteristics pointed out by Morel. (Camdens 2002 intervention resulted in an appointed board. In 2013, the state took over the district completely.)

But what happened in Camden was rather distinctive. Unlike other urban districts, most of Camdens elected and appointed officials were managed by a political boss. Republican Gov. Chris Christie found a collaborator in South Jersey power broker George Norcross for his right-wing urban school agenda.

State Sen. Donald Norcross  Georges brother  Assemblyman Whip Wilson, and Camden City Councilman Angel Fuentes introduced the Urban Hope Act. A short time later, the commissioner announced the takeover of the district, disbanded the school board, and hired a superintendent. The political and very public mugging of the people of Camden was just beginning.

Could an elected and legally empowered school board have prevented a takeover? Perhaps. Why didnt the school board at least try? Because the members had been appointed by Mayor Dana Redd and effectively represented the interests of local political bosses, not the children or community.

When I served on the school board, it was clear to us all that our role was as advocates for students, parents, and teachers. The justification for the districts takeover was based on the myth that the school board, parents, and teachers were responsible for fiscal/operational mismanagement and low test scores.

Politicians pushed this blame the victim narrative. Almost no one had the temerity to ask the simple question: What would the New Jersey Department of Education and charter schools do differently to improve public education?

Politicians, who loved to quote, It takes a village to educate a child, had no problem cutting out the villagers.

What has resulted from this social disruption, selfishness, and political posturing? One measurement is the results of the Department of Educations 2022-23 Assessment Report. It reveals that huge percentages of students, in public and charter schools, are not academically proficient. Check it out for yourself.

Some people are beginning to call for the return of public control through a fully authorized school board. But I wonder if this will make much of a difference. The charter school consortium is well-organized and extremely well-funded. In addition, the political machine would counter any effort to increase public school parent empowerment.

So, Camdens devolution into a nonpublic school district seems to have an air of permanence. The situation will remain stagnant unless there is a dramatic shift in electoral and political power. I hope I am wrong.

Jose E. Delgado served on the Camden school board from 1985 to 2012.
Aurora officials have been walking back initial statements dismissing claims that a Venezuelan prison gang was primarily responsible for deteriorating conditions at an apartment complex that the city shut down a few weeks ago.

CBZ Management, which operates Aspen Grove and at least two other complexes the gang is believed to have infiltrated, have blamed the conditions on the gang, saying its presence precluded its staffers from maintaining the apartments.

The city's tone has since changed.

Weve never denied the possibility of gang activity, to my knowledge, Ryan Luby, an Aurora Police spokesperson, told The Denver Gazette in an Aug. 20 email. On the Nome St. abatement, we said any such activity, whether valid or not, was immaterial to the situation as the core, foundational basis for the abatement there was longstanding code issues.

Luby added: Multiple things can be true at the same time.

Thats not what Luby previously said.

Instead of expending the resources to address the documented issues, CBZ and its stakeholders have hired a team of attorneys and, as we learned today, a Florida-based public relations firm to engage in diversionary tactics, fight the city in its city charter-mandated duties to enforce city code, and alternative narratives with many of you, Luby said on Aug. 5.

Luby cited a laundry-list of issues at the apartment complex that included rodent infestations, sewage backups and trash pileups, water leaks, shattered or missing windows and lack of heat and electricity.

The building owners and managers made the decision to effectively abandon their paying tenants, and this is the unfortunate consequence, Luby said.

Earlier this month, city officials shuttered Aspen Grove, a 98-unit complex, evicting 300 people, mostly immigrants.

Tren de Aragua is the prison gang known as TDA, a Venezuela-based, transnational criminal organization known for targeting desperate immigrants and believed to be behind a spree of kidnappings, extortion and other crimes tied to immigrants from South and Central America.

The gang has a diverse portfolio of criminal activities that includes human trafficking, particularly immigrant women and girls, drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion and money laundering.

Despite repeated questions about TDAs activities in the complex, city officials had declined to say.

Until now.

Earlier this week, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman acknowledged what he called a nightmare situation with gangs having taken control of several apartment complexes. He also admitted that the city had "lost control" of the situation, vowing to "aggressively" take it back.

But the mayor pushed back on the national medias recent portrayal of an entire city being overrun by gangs.

The misrepresentation that all of Aurora has this problem is simply not true and it gives this city a black eye unjustifiably, Coffman said. Arrests have been made. More arrests will be made.

On Friday, the Aurora Police Department also said authorities arrested a "documented" TDA gang member  twice  over a shooting incident and a separate case in which a man was badly beaten. After the first arrest, that gang member, the police said, was released on a $20,000 bond.

The police noted that they are "not aware of his status within the gang," likely a reference to reports that he is TDA's ringleader or "shot caller" in the region.

The initial dismissal of gang-related activities and recent admission that apartment complexes have, in fact, been infiltrated appeared to paint a picture of a city that sought to underplay the problem, only to be confronted by videos of shootings and men swarming an apartment unit with rifles.

This is a tough problem to admit to, Aurora City Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky told The Denver Gazette on Friday. I dont think any city wants to admit to having a problem like this. It was kind of to save face.

Aurora officials are not the only ones to have downplayed the gang's activities. The mayor of neighboring Denver insisted that TDA's footprint is "small," compared to well-known and established gangs operating in the metropolis.

Shelby Wieman, a spokesperson for Gov. Jared Polis, has said Aurora officials should not be airing their dirty laundry for "right-wing media" to consume.

In an email to The Denver Gazette on Friday, Wieman said Polis has been in regular contact with city officials over the past month and has offered state support.

Colorado is a zero-tolerance state for illegal activity, taking over buildings has no place in Colorado, and the governor hopes that the city of Aurora shares this basic value and will enforce the law, Wieman said.

But Wieman also took aim at Jurinsky, who has been outspoken about the issue.

If Danielle Jurinsky has evidence of illegal activity in Aurora that can assist the investigation, it might even be illegal for her to withhold it from the Aurora Police Department and she should file a report immediately, Wieman said. The state has been ready for weeks to back up any operation by the Aurora Police Department needed to make Aurora safer.

One video  posted by Vicente Arenas of Fox 31 Denver and sent to Jurinsky by local residents  shows five men walking up the stairs of an apartment. Four of the men appear to have guns, including rifles, and the fifth man holds what appears to be a cellphone.

The men then open the apartment door, though the footage does not show them fully entering the residence. Jurinsky claimed that the footage showed members of Tren de Aragua.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnson  who vigorously defended his administration's response to influx of some 42,000 immigrants who crossed America's borders illegally and arrived in his city since December 2022  said the gang situation has been overblown.

"The threat from TDA in Denver, it's smaller than many other organized criminal networks that might have been here for decades  the ones you know, like the Bloods or the Crips or others, and so we're monitoring it closely," Johnston told The Denver Gazettes news partner 9News.

Based in Brooklyn, CBZ Management operates rental apartments in New York and Colorado with 11 properties in Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

At least three of its complexes in Aurora  Aspen Grove, The Edge at Lowry and Whispering Pines  have been identified as havens for gang activity.

A CBZ spokesperson declined to comment Friday, but the company has previously defended its actions.

Because we care for the safety of our tenants, and other members of the community, what we will say is, that the issue of Tren de Aragua taking over properties and communities in Aurora means that we are not able to be present on this property, or any of our other properties in similar situations, also being impacted by gang presence, the spokesperson earlier said.
In March 2015, Alyce Ali walks past her Camden home after removing some belongings; the Line Street home had partially collapsed the night before. Read more

In 1995, New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman considered taking control of specified functions within Camden municipal government. Understandably, she was concerned about a lack of resident buy-in. However, an editorial in the Courier-Post urged Gov. Whitman to press forward, saying:

Gov Whitman, perhaps, is reluctant to take over the entire city ... because some may call her racist; however, she shouldnt care. Pulling the race card without cause is what desperate people do when they cant defend themselves with facts.

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Words like these justify the rationale for states to take over cities like Camden  a city that is made up primarily of Black and Latino residents  to achieve or maintain public safety and fiscal solvency while spurring economic development and revitalizing an areas social and political engagement.

Words like these are fueled by the belief that Black and brown people are incapable of self-determination due to their incompetence in managing the day-to-day affairs of city life. If words like these sound similar to the reasons our nation uses as justification for intervening in the affairs of foreign nations, thats because they are similar.

The U.S. uses phrases like failed states, responsibility to protect, or humanitarian interventions as a rationale for intervening in the affairs of Black nations in Africa and the Caribbean. Such thinking is emblematic of the kind of Western imperialism that leads to colonization, exploitation, and extraction.

It is a philosophy crystallized in public policy that facilitated the eight-year takeover of Camdens municipal government from 2002 to 2010, the dissolution of the citys police department in 2013 and its merger with county law enforcement, and Trenton control of the school district, which started in 2013 and continues to this day.

The colonization of Camden wasnt a matter of Republican or Democratic politics. It was a matter of controlling the resources and the right to self-determination of Black and brown people.

How did we get here? It didnt happen because of an influx of Black and brown people, which began in earnest with the Great Migration  the exodus of Black Americans from the South to cities in the Northeast and elsewhere during the 1940s and 50s. Rather, it was deindustrialization and white flight, which created the bleak fiscal realities that landed the city in perpetual deficits. What followed were financially driven decisions that became a prison, a sewage plant, a garbage incinerator, and tax incentives for corporations to attract businesses to Camden.

The results: the prison, while no longer here, was a waste of community space; the plant and incinerator fill the air with cancer-causing pollutants; corporate tax incentives have yielded few jobs for residents.

The Camden County Police Department is under the authority of the Camden County Commissioners. According to the New Jersey Supreme Court, the decision to change policing in Camden was done illegally. As a result, a city of 96% Black and Latino residents has their voting power over who controls its police department diluted by county residents, who are 54% white.

The takeover of public schools means residents are without governing control of their schools. The school board, although an elected board, is an advisory board. The state of New Jersey has the final say, over the board and the superintendent, on educational decisions in Camden.

Colonization is tyranny and only breeds mistrust, resentment, and indifference.

As the city lost control of its government, police, and schools, some residents and city stakeholders saw the centralization of city institutions and administrative functions as an opportunity to gain needed resources for the community and a seat at the table.

But colonization is tyranny and only breeds mistrust, resentment, and indifference. Sadly, this is part of Camdens history since the turn of the century: mistrust, resentment, and indifference.

But there is something else that colonization breeds: resistance.

Resistance is residents suing to regain voting power of the school district advisory board. Its the teachers union president marching on foot from Camden to Trenton to prevent public schools from being closed. Its pressuring county police to change their policing from a broken windows approach to using de-escalation tactics.

Takeovers begin to look different when the people of the city  not the politicians, corporate executives, or bureaucrats  fight with clarity and understand who the opposition to their humanity is. The result isnt a reformed takeover model or a reformed colonization or a reformed occupation. Rather, it is self-empowerment, it is self-determination, it is liberation.

Rann Miller is an author, educator, and freelance opinion columnist.
Former President Donald Trump referred to his Johnstown, Pa., rally as a show Friday evening as he performed a set of his greatest hits.

During his often-meandering speech, Trump repeatedly railed about illegal immigration, complained about his treatment by the media, attacked Vice President Kamala Harris on fracking, and boasted about the size of his crowd at the 1st Summit Arena. It was a variation of a speech he has delivered before in a state he needs to win.

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Trump is currently in a dead heat in Pennsylvania with Harris, according to an August poll from Emerson College/the Hill, which shows both candidates at 48% among likely voters.

We win this state, we win the whole thing, Trump said Friday.

But, for a large portion of his remarks, the former president focused not on Johnstown but instead on a visit almost 180 miles away in Arlington National Cemetery, which sparked a national outcry and even provoked a rare public statement from the Army.

Here are takeaways from Trumps Johnstown rally:

I would like to get a lot less publicity, Trump said on Arlington incident

Trump addressed an incident that unfolded Monday when he visited Arlington National Cemetery at the request of grieving family members who wanted him there as they memorialized the 13 U.S. service members who were killed during the evacuation of Afghanistan.

Pentagon officials were concerned Trumps visit would become a campaign stop  a federally prohibited act  and their worries became a reality when a cemetery employee sought to block Trumps team from bringing cameras to the graves of U.S. soldiers. A campaign aide insisted cameras were allowed and pushed past the employee.

Trump argued against this and reasoned that a family had asked him for a photo at a tombstone and that he absolutely  wasnt doing it for publicity.

I would like to get a lot less publicity, Trump said. Im the only guy who would hire a public relations agent to get less publicity.

The Trump campaign said the employee was having a mental health episode, which caused the Army to issue a rare statement in which it said it was unfortunate that the [cemetery] employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.

Trump says he looks forward to debating Harris

The Harris and Trump campaigns cant seem to tear their focus away from Pennsylvania heading into Labor Day weekend and a little over a week before the two face off at an ABC presidential debate in Philadelphia.

On Monday, Harris will join President Joe Biden in Pittsburgh, seeking to mobilize their union base on Labor Day, for their first joint appearance since Harris officially accepted the Democratic nomination.

Then on Wednesday, the former president will return to Pennsylvania, where he is expected to join Fox News host Sean Hannity for a town hall in Harrisburg.

Trump had previously cast doubt on his participation in the debate with Harris, citing various gripes, but he confirmed Friday night: I look forward to the debate with her.

The former presidents involvement in the debate has become something of a saga over the last several weeks. Trump originally backed out of the debate because of his ongoing litigation against ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos and the fact that Biden would no longer be his opponent.

He eventually agreed to the debate earlier this month, but had recently suggested he could skip out on the debate before he confirmed otherwise Friday evening. Meanwhile, the Harris and Trump campaigns have sparred over whether there should be live microphones during the duration of the debate.

Trump: Drill, baby, drill

Trump knocked Harris flip-flopping record on fracking, as he and running mate JD Vance have done in their recent visits to Pennsylvania, where the oil drilling industry is important to many residents.

The message was particularly pertinent to the blue-collar Johnstown crowd, where four years ago he said he brought back steel. The former president and Vance, an Ohio senator, have been traveling the state looking to make their pitch to working-class voters.

I will tell Pennsylvania to drill, baby, drill, Trump said, echoing what has become something of a slogan for Vance and him. Were going to drill, baby, drill.

Harris had supported a ban on fracking as a presidential candidate in 2019, but upon becoming Bidens running mate in 2020 she backed away from that position. In 2024, she no longer supports a ban, solidifying that point on Thursday evening during her CNN interview, saying: We are in 2024 and Ive not changed that position, nor will I going forward. Ive kept my word and I will keep my word.

A showcase of inflammatory rhetoric

Trump continued to lambaste Harris on Friday evening and played into his signature us-vs.-them way of thinking, exemplified with the former president assuring the crowd that a rowdy audience member was on our side.

But at times, his rhetoric turned more violent. Trump said that if a Republican had performed similarly to Harris on the border, theyd be stringing them up.

Also on the topic of immigration, Trump repeated his claim that other countries are sending convicts to the U.S. He said he would call for the death penalty of drug dealers and mocked the questions he would receive from the media about the idea.

The divisive rhetoric that has become a trademark of Trumps campaigns has been a major talking point for the Democratic Party.

In her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Harris said: Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails. How he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States  not to improve your life, but to serve the only client he has ever had: himself.

Trump uses the words of RFK Jr.: Make America healthy again

In the first few moments of his speech, Trump borrowed language from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump in a Pa. court filing last week. Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist and former environmental lawyer, has said that Trump will make America healthy again.

Were going to get toxic chemicals out of our environment, and were going to get them out of our bodies, Trump said.

During the former presidents administration, he ended more than 100 environmental policies, including bans on toxic chemicals, and weakened policies on healthier school lunches, something that Kennedy has been a strong advocate for.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will hold events in Pennsylvania this coming week, with stops across the state on Wednesday and Thursday, the Harris campaign said.

The visit will be Walzs first solo trip to the commonwealth since joining Vice President Kamala Harris on the presidential ticket. The campaign did not say where specifically Walz would be traveling but said additional details would be forthcoming.

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Both Democrats and Republicans have dedicated time and campaign resources to bolstering support in what is considered a pivotal swing state. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly said whichever candidate wins Pennsylvania will win the whole thing.

Trump visited Johnstown on Friday, speaking at the Cambria County War Memorial. The same day, the Harris-Walz campaign announced it was opening its 50th campaign office, in Ephrata, a Lancaster County borough. Trumps running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R., Ohio), visited Erie for an event on Wednesday.

On Monday, Harris will join President Joe Biden for a rally in Pittsburgh, marking her ninth visit to the state this year and their first joint campaign appearance since she accepted the Democratic nomination for president.

According to a recent Franklin and Marshall poll of registered Pennsylvania voters, 3% of the states voters are undecided. Trump narrowly led in Pennsylvania but Harris has gained in what now appears a neck-and-neck race.

Walz and Harris made their first joint appearance together in Philadelphia in early August, the same day she named him as her pick to be her running mate.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro had been in serious consideration for the job. After Harris chose Walz, Shapiro said he would stump for Harris in the state. He spoke at the Philadelphia rally last month.

Shapiros greatest advantage was his popularity among the Pennsylvania electorate. The governor outperformed Sen. John Fetterman in the 2022 election, and data showed Shapiro secured support from people who voted for Trump in 2020.

The campaign has said it hopes Walz, who grew up in a rural community in Western Nebraska, can appeal to working-class voters across the state.

Harris and Trump are scheduled to face off Sept. 10 in a debate organized by ABC at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
identify potential psychosocial hazards

assess the associated risks

implement control measures to eliminate or minimise these risks

regularly review control measures to ensure they remain effective

This calls for scrutiny of current processes, management structures and reporting mechanisms to understand where gaps or deficiencies may be occurring, or if behavioural issues such as bullying or harassment, or even just personality clashes and communication failures are involved, the article stated.
When Emma Doran got pregnant at 17, there was one thing she was determined to convince her mother of  her innocence.

I told her I was a virgin, she writes in her forthcoming memoir, Mad Isnt It?, because I thought it would sound better.

Sitting outside The Conrad on an unfortunately rare summers day, she seems to simultaneously wince and laugh at the memory.

That was nearly as important as telling her I was pregnant, she admits. To say, This only happened one time, I was a virgin. I didnt want her to think badly of me.

Doran, who in the past year or two has seen a decade of graft translate into a flurry of demand from live gigs, to TV appearances (she was part of the all-star cast of Graham Norton fronted LOL: Laugh Out Loud Ireland) and a podcast with Irish comedy royalty Deirdre OKane, realised she was pregnant just weeks before returning to secondary school for her final year.

As it turned out, she ended up giving birth to her daughter Ella, now 21, within a fortnight of the Leaving Cert. She still sat the exams.

Emma Doran with dad and baby Ella

Today, of course, she says Ella is the best surprise that ever happened to her, but the 17-year-old girl who wrote her mother a letter because she couldnt get the words Im pregnant out was full of worry and fear so strong she was physically in pain.

She might have got the whole nation talking when she demonstrated the silent ride on The Late Late Show last year, but like many Irish women who came of age in the early 2000s, there was still a lot of shame and secrecy attached to womens sexuality at the time. When she initially started on the comedy circuit, in her early 30s, she avoided the topic of teen pregnancy altogether.

I felt like it was maybe too much to get into, she says, in between puffs on her vape. I hadnt figured out a way of condensing it into a sound-bitey, funny thing.

When book publishers Gill approached her about writing a book, Doran was concerned they were looking for a coffee-table style comedy read, but after sending a sample of her writing, she says they encouraged her to see theres more there than the comedy.

And there is. The book, at its core, feels like a love letter to Dorans mother, Bridey, who rose to the occasion from the very start, fulfilling the role of mother, grandmother, and friend, in those difficult early years as the young comic juggled school, work and motherhood while her peers were getting up to no good.

Emma Doran with baby Ella and mother Bridie

Beyond that, Doran also wades into difficult topics, often times displaying a straightforward type of honesty that reads as though its come effortlessly, though there are times  like when she writes of contemplating an abortion  she admits her instinct was to leave it out.

This honesty applies to her descriptions of her first forays into sexual experiences, some of which we agree would be categorised as assaults today.

The section of the book which deals with these experiences is introduced with the line, many of my sexual experiences up until this point [the occasion she fell pregnant with Ella], had happened without me knowing too much about them.

Reflecting on the incidents she experienced from the ages of 14 to 17, she writes: The perceived normality of it between myself and my peers evokes feeling of numbness if anything. Feelings that were pushed down over the years, hidden tidily away in little emotional crevices.

When I ask her today why she chose to write about it, she takes a moment to think.

I had a joke that was a bit hit and miss, she says, taking another puff of the vape. It was about young people.

I was like they did invent consent, isnt that great? We didnt have consent, thats been handy. Sometimes it got a big laugh, but sometimes, people got a bit... ooh.

It hit a nerve, I suggest?

Yeah. But its the truth," she says.

We never used the word consent. When you have your own child, especially a daughter, it does start to bring stuff up in your own head.

I am conscious that I am just five years older than Dorans daughter Ella  theres a gap between what women felt was par-for-the-course when Doran was at parties or dating to what I felt I had to accept, something Doran and I agree has moved on again with Ellas Generation Z.

I would say now at least  not in all cases  but when people speak up, I feel to a certain degree, people are heard, Doran says.

[For us], there just wasnt a culture of saying anything. Nobody thought it was a good idea to tell anyone.

You might tell a friend stuff, but nobody would ever suggest, Should we tell somebody? Should we tell a parent? Should we tell a teacher? Should we report this to somebody? Nobody ever said that.

I think we knew instinctively there was no benefit.

Comedian Emma Doran for Weekend. Pictures: Nina Val. Location: The Terrace at the Conrad, Dublin.

For me and my friends, honest to god, we just thought it was a part of growing up. Its so dark, but

wed laugh about these things on nights out. If you didnt laugh, youd cry.

Attempting to reclaim the narrative through comedy, or choosing not to talk about the experiences at all, was an attempt to try minimise their impact, she recalls now.

But, looking back, she believes those experiences had more of an impact than her or her friends may have acknowledged at the time: Those experiences really formulate your ideas and opinions about your own sexuality, your own worth, your own value.

Becoming a single parent in her teens also had an impact on how she viewed herself: Having a kid when youre 18, it was always like, I knew people would like me but you could see they were like, Oh, she has a kid you know?

That definitely affects you. I dont think I ever relied on my looks.

Its a cliche, I acknowledge, but does that mean she relied on comedy?

Yeah. Always. When I was a young teenager, I always got a lot of Emma Doran is sound, she says while laughing. If youre a redhead with freckles... yeah I was sound.

I dont think I minded. I got enough action. It was grand, she says. And you know what it is? The sound of laughter just gets me off. It always has. I just love that sound.

When it comes to how Doran  who was once an aspiring actress  found herself relying on laughter to make a living, well, it was a bit of an accident that ended up being a wonderful surprise (yes, I too am sensing a theme here).

I knew that I wanted to perform. I felt like I did have a talent. And I was thinking, maybe someone will see me at a gig, and give me a part in something, she says. A recurring character in the deli or something?

Comedian Martin Angolo and I used to have this joke about, the scouts down the back of the room. There were no scouts, because it was Tuesday night at half 11 in Temple Bar.

But at her first open-mic night, which happened while she was on maternity leave with her second child Joe, she got the laughs and was hooked.

I got, totally, straight away addicted. I didnt expect that. I was just like, Im gonna go and do this once. And then I was booking in loads of gigs. Shane [her partner] was like what the hell is going on? He thought I was having an affair or something.

I dont think a week has gone by in the last 11 years that I havent done a gig.

When people say where is your next gig or I must go see you sometime, I am thinking I am literally gigging every week, she says with only a slight twinge of frustration, You need to gig all the time to sharpen up, get new material, try out new things. It very quickly became a thing. But it took a long time to make fifty quid.

Comedians Emma Doran and Deirdre O'Kane head to Singapore in High Road Low Road

She has previously credited Deirdre OKane  now a friend and co-host of the Keeping It Tight podcast  as helping her breakthrough to the sort of mainstream success that allowed her to quit her regular 9-5 and pursue comedy full-time. With Ella, and later Joe, 11, and Tommy, 9, in tow, it wasnt an option for her to leave her job as a copywriter, which supplied a steady income stream. Comedy gigs were done after the workday was finished, dinner had been eaten, and the kids were already in bed.

Doran, who at this point in our conversation is nursing a hot chocolate and lamenting the lack of marshmallows, frequently likes to slag OKane  fond of a pair of shades it has to be said  for being very showbiz.

Something Doran, evidently feels she is not.

As soon as I mention OKane, Dorans eyes light up.

Theres just something about her that cracks me up, she says, launching into a story about an experience she had with her while filing RTEs High Road, Low Road. The show brought the pair to Singapore where OKane got her first tattoo  the entire process of which left Doran in stitches.

Even the next day, my abs were sore. I was literally in pain, Id engaged my core so much. I must have laughed non-stop for two hours. Just at her.

Its evident the pair get on like a house on fire, and listening to the podcast evokes a feeling not dissimilar to eavesdropping on two women in the thick of it in a coffee shop.

I enjoy eccentric people, Doran says, by way of explaining her fondness for OKane. I think it makes me feel at home, comfortable, when people are mad.

Because everyone is mad. Some people are just hiding it. If you havent seen the mad, you just havent been let see it yet.

Mad Isnt It? by Emma Doran, published by Gill Books, is out September 5.

Emma Doran at The Terrace at the Conrad, Dublin. Pic: Nina Val

Quick fire

Hangover cure?

Water, tea, Coke Zero, greasy food.

Comfort TV watch?

Teen mom.

Most underrated Irish comedian?

John Colleary.

Phone call or voice note?

Phone call.

Best dad joke?

What's brown and sticky? A stick.
Sometimes the smallest details reveal volumes. Such as the story of Catherine Crean, a woman from Moore Street in Dublin, who asked her friend to comb her hair during her final days in one of Hitlers most brutal concentration camps.

That friend, Andree Dumon, was herself too weak to do so but the memory of her attempt to give a fellow resistance member a shred of human comfort in a barbarous place stayed with her for the rest of her life.

Catherine later died but her friend survived and spoke about that final encounter in Ravensbruck camp whenever she got the chance. Indeed, Andree, or Nadine to use her wartime alias, made it her business to keep alive the memory of her Irish friend, and all of those who helped Allied airmen escape fromoccupied Belgium.

In 2009, for example, she sought out co-author John Morgan during a commemorative trip to the French-Spanish border where a group of people were retracing the footsteps of those who had escaped along a wartime network of secret trails over the Pyrenees.

She spoke to him through tears, still distraught by the image of her friend, pale and thin with her once red long hair scattered around her.

It was the first time that John Morgan had heard Catherine Creans name but he began to wonder how many other ordinary Irish people had been involved in the resistance networks that sprang up around Europe to defeat Adolf Hitler.

Were there many other people like Catherine, a woman whose selfless courage had been forgotten at home?

Catherine Crean. Courtesy of Archives de l'Etat en Belgique [State Archives, Belgium]

It was a question that prompted 15 years of research. The result is this book which brings together, for the first time, the stories of some 60 Irish people who took enormous risks to resist fascism.

I met John in 2016 while researching Mary Elmes, a Corkwoman who helped to save some 420 children from deportation to Nazi gas chambers during WWII.

Like so many others, she was an ordinary person who found herself caught up in an extraordinary situation and put her life at risk to save others.

Although, as we both said at the time, there was nothing commonplace about the so-called ordinary people who acted with incalculable bravery when faced with the hideous and pervasive cruelty of the Nazi regime.

Together, we continued to seek out the stories of those people using, as a starting point, an excellent chapter on the Irish people in the Resistance written by historian David Murphy in 2009.

We sought the help of historians all over the world, trawled through archives, looked at old books, diaries and thousands of documents but what was most revealing  and poignant  was talking to family members about their relatives who often paid a very high price for helping others.

Clodagh Finn and John Morgan. Picture: Gareth Chaney

For instance, all Wexford woman Bridget Bolger did was give some food to a man on the run as he laid low in her apartment block in Neuilly-sur-Seine just outside Paris. Her neighbour, it seems, was the one involved in the Resistance; Bridget simply gave airman Olaf/Fred Hansen a bite to eat as he passed through the city before making it to safety along a freedom trail known as the Shelburn escape line, which operated in Brittany.

Yet, she and her French husband were both arrested. Bridget was released after a few days but her husband, Jean Chevallier, was sent to a concentration camp and never came home.

We know a little about their story because Bridget was later compensated by the American and British governments and commended for her bravery. Her grand-nephew, Dr Thomas Bolger, spent a number of years stitching together the snatches that survive in documents scattered across various archives.

Given the secret nature of resistance work, its remarkable there are any documentary traces at all, but thankfully there are. It was a singular thrill to find those references and flesh out the lives of people who have remained hidden for so long.

For instance, a mention of Kerrywoman Janie McCarthy, a formidable woman active in at least five resistance networks in Paris, is buried deep in the post-war testimony of American Sergeant Iva Fegette. He said she kept them laughing all the time while they were in hiding.

Another aviator, Sidney Casden, described her as a woman of about 45-years-old, with greying hair. She is plump and teaches English. She might not have found that the most flattering of descriptions, but it revealed Janie McCarthys strength  she was an inconspicuous middle-aged woman going about her secret business in a war fought by young men.

Samuel Beckett circa 1955. Picture: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Even in the better-known stories, new details emerged. Samuel Becketts work in two resistance networks is well-documented, although a recently declassified document reveals how an overwhelming premonition of danger saved him from arrest. He got the feeling something was very wrong when he and his partner Suzanne Deschevaux-Dumesnil were climbing the stairs to tell another resistance member that the network had been infiltrated.

On the strength of it, they turned back, not knowing then that German soldiers were lying in wait in his friends apartment.

The same sense of foreboding was experienced by Monica de Wichfeld, of Fermanagh and Denmark. Her instinct that her years of clandestine activity in the Danish Resistance were coming to an end proved to be correct. She was arrested and sentenced to death shortly afterwards.

While her sentence was commuted, she was deported and imprisoned. We were privileged to talk to her nephew, Christopher Massy-Beresford, and discover more about her hellish time in the prisons of Germany.

The name John Keany might not be well-known in his native Cork, but this captain of the Royal Irish Fusiliers deserves more recognition. When WWll broke out, he joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE), Winston Churchills secret army designed to set Europe ablaze, and was parachuted into occupied northern Italy in 1945.

His bravado shines through the account that was later written by his colleague Sergeant William Pickering, but there was another side to him which came to light in a deeply poignant letter held in the British National Archives at Kew.

After he was shot dead in a German ambush, the Italian woman who had hidden him on her farm wrote a heartrending letter of sympathy to Captain Keanys mother. The woman, Luigia Biestro, wrote: I would like this letter to bring a small measure of consolation to you in your grief. Your son lived in my house from the 5th to the 25th of February, and during this period I was fortunate enough to come close to him and to get to know his gentle goodness and his profoundly religious outlook. She went on to say that she would visit his grave as soon as there was a break in the fighting.

That deep humanity permeates the stories of all of the Irish people who gathered intelligence, sheltered Jews, helped Allied soldiers, took up arms, broke codes, carried messages and/or committed acts of sabotage in the fight for democracy.

In many cases, their heroic work has passed below the radar. The Irish in the Resistance is our attempt to bring them out of the shadows at last.

Clodagh Finn and John Morgan. Picture: Gareth Chaney

The Irish in the Resistance. The untold stories of the ordinary heroes who resisted Hitler by Clodagh Finn and John Morgan is published by Gill Books, 19.99




The Government is examining more than 90 submissions for properties to lease or purchase for asylum seeker accommodation.

At the end of April, the Department of Integration opened a submission process in a bid to source suitable properties for acquisition or lease as International Protection accommodation.

As of August 26, the EOI has received 91 submissions.

Should a building progress to a point where it may be used, the Department's Community Engagement Team will contact local public representatives and statutory agencies

It is now evaluating the submissions received against a set of essential criteria to ensure compliance with national standards and mandatory requirements.

Once this initial assessment stage has been completed, a number of proposals may not progress any further.

All proposals deemed to have met the essential criteria will then move to a second assessment stage where a more detailed analysis will be undertaken including technical due diligence, property value, likely timeline and planning compliance, in addition to numerous further due diligence and financial protocols.

Only properties that move through these gateways will be proposed as appropriate for purchase or lease.

A Department spokesman said: Should a building progress to a point where it may be used, the Departments Community Engagement Team will contact local public representatives and statutory agencies.

Meanwhile, the Department is working on establishing several reception centres as part of its response to a crisis in asylum seeker accommodation.

Asked on Friday if any of these new centres will be operational before the general election which must be held by March at the latest, Integration Minister Roderic OGorman said work will have initiated.

He told RTE Radio that he had not made any statement saying the centres would be delivered before the election.
Thousands of protesters have heard calls for Ireland to introduce immediate sanctions on Israel as a major demonstration took place in Dublin.

Crowds of activists made their way across the city and assembled outside the Dail parliament on Saturday afternoon for the rally organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

The event, billed as a National Demonstration for Palestine, took place a day after Taoiseach Simon Harris revealed that he had sought legal advice around continued trade with Israel.

 Look at the view from the stage at our huge National Demonstration for Palestine today. The streets are with Palestine! #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/4Yx3Ny17KE  IPSC (@ipsc48) August 31, 2024

Mr Harris acknowledged that international trade policy is an EU competency, but he said wanted fresh legal advice from Attorney General Rossa Fanning in light of a recent ruling by the International Court of Justice.

In July, the UNs top court declared Israels presence in the occupied Palestinian territories unlawful and called for settlement construction to stop immediately.

Mr Harris said every lever must be pulled to maximise pressure on the Israeli government to stop the violence in Gaza.

The leaders of Irelands three coalition parties decided on Thursday that the state would not procure any further defence or military equipment and contracts from Israel.

Under EU treaties and common commercial policy, the European Commission represents Ireland and all other member states in international trade negotiations.

Attorney General Rossa Fanning (Damien Storan/PA)

However, Mr Harris said the decision around suspending imports of defence equipment is legally possible under the context of the ICJ ruling.

He added that he was seeking advice from Mr Fanning on whether the rulings had any implications for other areas of trade with Israel.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transport continues to engage with an airline at the centre of reports that multiple flights carrying ammunition and explosives to Israel had passed through Irish air space.

It is prohibited to transport munitions of war on civil aircraft across Irish air space without an exemption from the Minister for Transport.

Saturdays rally in Dublin heard demands for more Government action against Israel.

With 7% of Gaza's children now murdered, lost or wounded, it's clear that children are deliberate targets of apartheid Israel's genocidal onslaught

IPSC chairwoman Zoe Lawlor spoke of the toll suffered by children in Gaza.

The horrific figure of 40,000 dead includes almost 17,000 children, 33% of all fatalities, meaning that 1.5% of all children in Gaza are now dead, she said.

Over 20,000 children are estimated to be lost, disappeared, detained, buried under rubble or in mass graves, 34,000 children have been wounded, 17,000 have been orphaned.

Eight hundred thousand traumatised and damaged children are in desperate need of psychological help, 620,000 children have been denied their right to education, while creches, schools, universities and hospitals have been obliterated.

Children are one of the most at-risk demographics when it comes to the dangers posed by disease, famine and thirst, all of which are rampant in Gaza.

With 7% of Gazas children now murdered, lost or wounded, its clear that children are deliberate targets of apartheid Israels genocidal onslaught.

Saturdays event was organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC/PA)

The Israeli embassy in Ireland has criticised Mr Harriss comments about the EU trade agreement.

In a statement, the embassy said: We keep following statements and actions taken by the Irish Government which will achieve nothing but souring further the two countries bilateral relations.

We follow with dismay the continued rise in anti-Israeli rhetoric and actions bordering vilification of Israel.

This tragic war was launched by Hamas and is being perpetuated by Hamas, which still holds in captivity over a hundred Israelis while at the same time abusing its own population.

Israel is facing an enemy committed to its annihilation, its unfortunate that the Irish Government prefers to ignore basic realities.

In its fight against terror orchestrated by Iran, Israel is committed to international law and the rules of war, while fighting a genocidal enemy.
The Idaho State Bar is conducting an ethics investigation into Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, following a complaint alleging an adversarial relationship with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

Former Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen, who retired in December, filed the complaint in June 2023. Jeppesens complaint alleges Labradors office has effectively denied the state health department  Idahos largest government agency  with adequate legal representation following legal conflicts and investigations into the agency, which the attorney general must legally represent.

The conflicts have strained the state health departments operations and created a hostile situation where trust and confidence has been destroyed, the former agency directors complaint alleges.

The Idaho Statesman first reported on the investigation.

In a statement to the Idaho Capital Sun, Labradors office said it was cooperating with the Idaho State Bar, which can discipline attorneys. But Idaho Office of the Attorney General spokesperson Dan Estes called the complaint baseless, and said Labrador is confident the complaint will be dismissed in due time.

State Bar investigates former AG staffer, now working for Alliance Defending Freedom

In a July 22 letter to Labrador, the Idaho State Bar asked the states top attorney to reply to Jeppesens allegations.

In a separate July 22 letter, the bar asked former Idaho Office of the Attorney General Civil and Constitutional Defense Division Chief Lincoln Davis Wilson to respond to allegations Jeppesen made in a separate complaint. Wilson is now an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian law firm that has an agreement to freely represent Idaho in litigation.

The Attorney General is accustomed to meritless attacks in the media. But it is unfortunate that anyone is now attempting to also sully the character of the excellent attorneys who work or have worked for the office, Estes said in a statement.

Jeppesen shared his complaints and the Idaho State Bars recent letters with the Sun, upon the Suns request. Jeppesen also shared the records with the Statesman.

Labradors office critiqued Jeppesen for sharing the documents with the media.

The Bars grievance process is confidential in order to protect attorneys from meritless claims being aired out in public, Estes said in a statement. The leaking of this frivolous and baseless complaint to the media is an attempt to thwart a fair and objective process, and is proof that it was intended as a political hit. The fact that Mr. Jeppesen disrespect(s) the confidential process says more about his character and motives than anything in the complaint itself.

Jeppesen did not agree to an interview. Everything I had to say is contained in my complaint, he told the Sun.

Idaho State Bar Counsel Joe Pirtle told the Sun that he couldnt confirm whether there are investigations into Labrador and Wilson.

But, speaking generally about grievance investigations, he said in an interview that the Idaho State Bar takes an average of 10-11 months to make determinations. But he said some cases may take longer to resolve.

Idaho State Bar investigations are confidential by rule, he said. Investigations only become public from the office is if the bar files a formal charge complaint against an attorney  in which the bar would seek public sanctions for alleged misconduct, such as public reprimands or disbarment.

Since becoming Idaho AG over a year ago, Labrador has clashed with state agencies

Labrador, by Idaho law, is required to represent the state health department and other state agencies. But since the former congressman took over as the states top attorney in January 2023, he has engaged in high profile legal clashes with some of the states largest agencies  including the state health department and the State Board of Education.
Ears pricked attentively forward, healthy coat shining brightly in the sun, MLHR Jensen looked like he was bred to compete alongside the best horses in the world as he placed fourth in his class in Dublin Horse Show.

But just five years ago, that same horse was saved from the pound in Cork by My Lovely Horse Rescue, riddled with worms, cowering and emaciated.

Without treatment, he would have died, Kelly Mellerick, volunteer with My Lovely Horse Rescue in Cobh, Co Cork, said.

Seized in Cork on June 28, 2019, and taken to the pound, at just nine months old MLHR Jensen, also called Sebastian, had already lost his spark and lacked the usual vitality of a young horse.

You could see his ribs. The worms were so bad," Ms Mellerick said. He was seized by Cork County Council and put in the pound. Unclaimed after five days he would have risked being euthanised.

The pound tell us when animals are close to being euthanised. He was one of four we took out that day and we gave him this new lifeline.

With veterinary intervention, care and proper feeding, the colt rallied.

When his now owner, Kelsie Ferguson, came to see him it was love at first sight.

She took one look at him and said 'I love him.' She instantly saw his potential.

Seized in Cork on June 28, 2019, and taken to My Lovely Horse Rescue, at just nine months old MLHR Jensen had already 'lost his spark' and lacked the usual vitality of a young horse.

Because Sebastian is a trotter, he had to be taught other gaits more commonly used by riding horses.

When trotters are retrained they can do phenomenal things as riding horses. He is testament to that. But the breed is often just discarded.

Although only nine months old when he was seized and sent to the pound, it is very likely he was used for sulky racing, Ms Mellerick said.

Equines as young as three months old have come into My Lovely Horse having been used in sulky races.

They have them under sulky traps very young, with a full set of shoes on them, Ms Mellerick said.

You see the rub marks from the harnesses on their little bodies.

They tack them up when they're so young and vulnerable they can't possibly fight at all.

Luckily he was seized when he was or he could have been out racing on those roads.

He could have broken down very young  where their joints get so overused as babies it damages them for life."

Sebastian now rides dressage to elementary level and won the Champion Colour title at this years Cork Summer Show.

But Sebastian's legs survived and he learned to trust again with the kindness and patient care of Kelsie.

Theyve been winning competitions all around Cork. But this was the first time a My Lovely Horse rescue ever made it to Dublin Horse Show.

He was once a discarded baby trotter now looking so worthy in that ring. He looked every bit as good as all these horses that are bred specifically for showing.

And the trust and confidence hes built up through Kelsie. Hes only seven but he went around that ring, around the RDS with all those crowds without flinching. He was placed fourth in his [coloured horse] class, alongside a horse that competes internationally.

The judge saw what a beautiful horse he is. This was the cream of the crop in Ireland.

It just goes to show that rescues can have real potential. They can compete alongside well-bred horses from big stud farms.

Although Sebastian was a rescue, Kelsie Ferguson said that he has helped her overcome difficulties in her own life too.

She was on a bit of a downer before finding Sebastian because her own horse was getting older and slowing down and she knew she would have to find another horse to replace him.

But as soon as she saw Sebastian and his love me eyes, she knew she had found another horse she really wanted.

The second I saw him I knew that he had to come home. He was really tall, black and white  the same as my other horse. His legs just seemed to go on forever and he had this look in his eye that didn't necessarily say help me but it was just like love me.

Sebastian has also helped her settle into Ireland and find her own community, having moved from her home outside Oxford in the UK to be with her husband on his dairy farm outside Bandon.

Hes really made me slot in. Were out doing the showing, doing the dressage. Ive met so many people through him and I now have my own life in Ireland."

Sebastian has probably been the easiest horse Kelsies ever had as he just goes with the flow."

Theres no badness in him at all. Hes such a straightforward character.

And hes a cool cucumber. You could put your granny on him and send them up the M8 and hed be no problem.

I broke him myself and hes never thrown me off, hes never bucked, never spooked in two years of riding him."

Sebastian now rides dressage to elementary level and won the Champion Colour title at this years Cork Summer Show.

Although he was coming first or second in shows across Munster, Kelsie was not expecting him to place in the RDS this summer.

I knew he would still stand up beside those horses. I knew he was still going to shine. I just didnt go there with any expectation.

When our class was on, the Aga Khan [international showjumping competition] was on in the main arena. So every time somebody got a clear round, the whole stadium cheered. It was enough to send a shiver through me as a rider  thousands of people making a roar of noise. But Sebastian was cool as a cucumber.

I was so proud of him, not just getting a rosette but how he reacts to everything and takes everything in his stride.

When Sebastian's (left) now owner, Kelsie Ferguson (right), saw him it was love at first sight.

And I think it's a testament to horses like him. Because there's so many horses out there that are ridiculously well bred. You know, people spend thousands and thousands to try to create the perfect horse.

And he has none of that. He has no breeding. And yet, he can do everything."

Once a rescue horse realises that a human is there to help them and not hurt them, they can give so much more back than other horses, Ms Ferguson said.

Some of them have horrendous stories, but once they have figured out to trust you, you get so much more back from a rescue horse than you would from another horse. I feel like they try that little bit harder for you.

My Lovely Horse Rescue

Summer has been busy for My Lovely Horse in both their Cork and Kildare rescue centres, Ms Mellerick said.

People have been discarding foals. And its always the boys  colt foals," she said.

We took in Elvie in Cork two months ago who was only about four days old. He didnt know where he was or what was going on, the poor little thing.

"We had a tough time trying to get him to latch onto the bottle, he had to be fed every two hours, around the clock, to survive. When youre a volunteer and you still have to go to your day job, youre up against it.

"But hes a clever boy and he had a real will to live and hes thriving now."

The charity is always in need of donations, especially approaching winter with high fodder costs and 400 horses to feed with more arriving all the time.

It is also making its annual appeal for people to foster a rescue horse or two over the winter months to save the charity space and some cash.

The Cork facility has no jeep-type vehicle to pull horseboxes or trailers so is reliant on expensive rentals. Ms Mellerick called for anyone with a vehicle and horse box to occasionally help with transport

Go to mylovelyhorserescue.com to donate or for more information.
In the depths of his grief, he clings to the memories of days like this and finds solace knowing that some good has come from his immense tragedy.

Grieving dad, James Healy, said he is convinced his beloved son, Matthew, who died in tragic circumstances in Waterford last February, aged just six, helped arrange the glorious sunshine on Saturday for the handover of almost 40,000, raised in his memory in Cork this summer, to Make A Wish, the charity that makes dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses.

It is the largest amount raised for the charity by any community fundraiser in Ireland this year.

And it will have a huge and lasting positive impact on the kids and families it works with, the charity said.

It was great to see such a crowd of people turning out for Matthew earlier this year - that was a big thing for me, James said.

And Im delighted that its going to such a great cause. So some good has come out of all this. There is healing in all of these things.

Matthew was found unresponsive at around midnight on February 9 near Rathmoylan Cove, Dunmore East, in Co Waterford.

He was treated at the scene by gardai and paramedics, and was rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Waterford, but was later pronounced dead.

Matthew Healy Photo: Family supplied

James set out to do something positive in his boy's memory and brought the community of Watergrasshill together to raise money for Make A Wish, which has been granting life-changing wishes for children and families for over 40 years.

He organised a motorbike and vintage car run from Watergrasshill, which it was revealed on Saturday has raised a staggering 38,645 for the charity.

David Burns, the head of fundraising with Make A Wish Ireland, said: We grant wishes to children living with life-threatening illnesses and we have granted over 3,000 wishes since 1992 and hope to grant over 220 wishes this year alone.

"We hope to bring joy, hope and lasting memories to those children and their families.

Whatever the wish is, we work with the child to understand whats in their imagination, and we work really hard to make a wish as close to that as possible.

And the important for us is to not ensure not just that the wish happens, but its about the anticipation of the wish, the wish happening and then the ripple effect, to ensure that the impact of it lasts for a long time afterwards.

Its creating memories for children and their families and communities when they are going through such a tough time.

Its about trying to give them something positive to focus on when life is extremely tough.

Bill and 11yo son Rhys on a 1974 Honda 50 motorcycle which will be restored by James Healy. Attending at Watergrasshill for the cheque handover. Picture: Larry Cummins

Speaking at the handover of the cheque in Watergrasshill on Saturday, James thanked all those who helped during the fundraiser and he paid an emotional tribute to everyone for showing up for my small man on the day.

Mr Burns said many of the children they work with have had their childhoods interrupted by illness and trip to the hospital or doctor.

But he said the granting of a wish has the power to give them back a sense of childhood.

The vast amount of money raised in Matthews memory will have a huge impact on hundreds of children and their families in the years ahead, he said.
Its 50 years since the FBI opened an investigation into one of the strangest cases ever to capture the imagination of a global audience.

On a cold Monday night in February 1974, there was a knock on the door of an upmarket apartment at Benvenue Street in Berkeley, California. A group of men and women carrying guns burst into the small hallway. Their target was a 19-year-old college student whom they dragged out and threw into the boot of their car, after beating up her fiance who had opened the door. The gang then drove away at high speed.

Patty Hearst, whom no one outside of her family and friends had ever heard of, was about to become an enigma in a fugitive case that made headlines for over 18 months; a fanatical saga that would give authorities an insight into how a well-balanced peaceful teenager could become radicalised and converted to extremism in a very short space of time.

Hearst had been kidnapped by a group of domestic terrorists, calling themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army, or SLA, led by escaped convict Donald David DeFreeze. The cult-like Marxist group, small but heavily armed, was made up of men and women, blacks and whites  insurgents and extremists from an assortment of backgrounds who had one aim: to provoke a guerilla war against the US government and overthrow what they called the capitalist state.

So as to grab world attention, they kidnapped the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, one of the wealthiest men in history at that time and a powerful media tycoon. One of the ransom demands from the gang, in return for the release of the student, was a payment of millions of dollars by the Hearst family in food donations for the poor and homeless.

Patty Hearst in January 1979.

On the advice of the FBI, the Hearst family refused to pay. All went silent for two months, until April 3 when the SLA released an audiotape of Hearsts voice claiming she had joined their struggle to free the oppressed, condemning the pig power culture that deprived the underdog. On the recording, she rejected her wealthy family. She also chose a new name  Tania.

Twelve days later, she turned up on bank surveillance cameras brandishing an automatic assault weapon with five other members of the gang, engaging in an armed robbery. None of them wore masks. Hearst yelled orders at customers while providing armed cover to the rest of the gang.

The SLA believed their efforts to turn the newspaper heiress into a role model for their planned revolution had worked. Except it hadnt, and DeFreeze had underestimated the prowess of the FBI who launched a massive operation to track down Hearst and her captors, who funded their revolutionary vision through a series of bombings and bank robberies.

Despite one of the most intensive cross-agency searches throughout the 52 states, including a shoot-out between members of the gang and LA police which left six of the terrorists including DeFreeze dead, Hearst avoided arrest until September 1975, when she was finally caught in San Francisco.

In her trial, which was as dramatic as the kidnap and the ensuing search, Hearst claimed she had been tortured, raped and brainwashed while being held hostage. She also claimed she was forced to take part in their deadly crimes.

She was found guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Two years later, President Jimmy Carter commuted her sentence. She was later pardoned. However, the image of the young heiress as an armed revolutionary would become a lifelong reminder of the notorious insurgencies that swept through the turbulent 1970s America.

In his book, Searching for Patty Hearst, journalist Roger Rapoport described Hearst as an unlikely revolutionary, a sheltered college student who had largely avoided the radical politics swirling through the university city at the time.

A radicalised victim or a willing guerilla? Thats the enduring question that has fuelled the argument for over half a century. Hearts and minds still remain divided, with many believing she experienced a political awakening during her time in captivity; while others point to a textbook case of Stockholm syndrome.

Hearst is now 70 and has rebuilt her shattered life, spending her days now raising award-winning show dogs. But the mystery surrounding her lost 19 months as Tania will forever live on.

In her own words: They called themselves an army. They were planning on recruiting more armies. They were planning on splitting up and forming smaller cells and going into different areas, recruiting more members and just growing until they had started a full scale war in this country.

The radicalistion of Patty Hearst might seem somewhat absurd 50 years on, but its not. Far from it. If anything, its a clear and present warning

Modern radicalisation is rapidly becoming the new politics, and the internet is its safe place, given the relevance of online environments in radicalising lone actor terrorists.

In March 2019, Australian Brenton Tarrant murdered 51 worshippers in consecutive mass shootings at two busy mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. He live-streamed the first shooting on Facebook. A year before his attack, he had posted publicly online that he had planned to do so. No one in authority appeared to take any notice of the extremely threatening statements he was making so publicly.

Tarrant had travelled widely in the five years before his terrorist attacks, becoming more increasingly hateful of Muslims. At the heart of his repugnant mindset was a race war that he believed would bring about a lasting age of reimposed segregation.

Long before his attack, Tarrant was calling for mass violence against people of colour. He made it clear in his online posts that white nationalist extremists should target innocent victims in locations of emotional significance, such as places of worship. Attacking unarmed people in a church is a very simple tactic, he said, describing it as necessary to provoke people of colour into retaliating.

Tarrant pleaded guilty the following March to 51 murders and 40 attempted murders and engaging in a terrorist attack. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole  the first such sentence in New Zealand. His attacks were motivated by a combination of white supremacy beliefs and anti-immigrant sentiments.

Unfortunately Ireland still mostly basks in an illusory mindset that the Patty Hearsts and the Brenton Tarrants of this world dont exist here  a jaded belief that it couldnt happen to us. It could, and it is, and it most likely will happen on a much more destructive scale quite soon.

Gardai said in court that they believe the 16-year-old teenager charged with stabbing army chaplain Fr Paul Murphy at Renmore Barracks in County Galway on August 15 last has a radical Islamist mindset and had been radicalised online.

Research shows that radicalisation is a four stage process: The person identifies with a group whose beliefs resonate with his. Over time he reaches a point where his entire thinking process is re-aligned. Hes then groomed by his peers who draw him further down the rabbit hole. Finally he becomes involved in committing terrorist acts.

We need to act now to prevent such acts taking place here. Less than two weeks ago, garda commissioner Drew Harris publicly stated that Ireland is facing a very real terrorist attack risk.

If radicalisation is allowed to become the new politics, then every one of us, of every colour, is facing an unthinkable future.
When Sister Liguori, born Bridget Mary Partridge in Kildare, fled a convent in New South Wales (NSW) in her nightgown in 1920, her dramatic departure marked the beginning of an affair that divided Australia for more than a year.

Even now, more than a century later, the story of this woman who claimed that her mother superior  who was also Irish  was trying to poison her still generates headlines. Only last year, an Australian newspaper ran an article claiming that she was pregnant by a priest and had run away because she didnt want to give up her baby for adoption.

Bridget Partridge could not have known that she was about to become a pawn in a sectarian war.

Neither version is true. The real story  as is so often the case  is far more startling. What began as a row over a broom in a Presentation convent in Wagga Wagga in NSW blew up into a nationwide sectarian war that pitted Catholic against Protestant, drawing in the police, religious communities, politicians, and the press along the way.

When Bridget Partridge ran away from the convent, she unwittingly ended up in no-mans land, caught between  two powerful forces keen to use her to advance their ends, to quote author Jeff Kildea.

His account of the extraordinary events that gripped Australia for 16 months between 1920 to 1921 is told in eye-opening detail in his fascinating new book, Sister Liguori, The nun who divided a nation.

If it were a film, and theres talk of one, the publicity might include an unlikely collection of taglines about a nun running barefoot from a convent in the dead of night, a charge of lunacy, a court case to prove the woman sane and her subsequent Supreme Court case against a bishop.

There was a kidnapping too and talk of spies, a storyline too far but, then, this is stranger-than-fiction real life. At the heart of it all, however, is the moving story of an Irishwoman who was unhappy about her vocation and tried to do something about it

It all began in the most innocuous way. Bridget Partridge had a row about a broom with another nun, Sister Joan, who accused her of lying.

The disagreement prompted her to leave her enclosed convent  without permission  and go to a nearby farm where she tried to phone the bishop. He wasnt in, so she spoke to a priest. He, in turn, contacted Bridgets mother superior who sent out the convent bus to look for her. Like Bridget, the mother superior, Mother Mary Stanislaus, was from Kildare. She was one of five nuns who left Ireland for Australia in 1874 to establish a convent and school in Wagga Wagga. In 1920, there were 80 nuns at the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent and some 400 pupils attending the school.

By then, Bridget Partridge had been in the order over ten years. Born at Newbridge, Kildare, on October 21, 1890, Bridget left school at 14 and entered the convent three years later. She sailed to Australia in 1909 and appears to have been happy at first, teaching children at a convent school not far from Wagga Wagga.

When a diocesan inspector deemed Sr Liguoris teaching skills inadequate, she was moved to the convent at Wagga Wagga where she was assigned domestic duties. Thats when her disenchantment with religious life began, according to Jeff Kildea, a retired barrister and honorary professor in Irish Studies at the University of New South Wales.

'I really thought it was poison'

After her failed attempt to talk to the bishop  and it says something about Bridget Partridge that she left the convent to try to talk to him  she was brought back to the convent. She was put to bed and given castor oil mixed with coffee to mask the taste. The doctor was called. He found her to be of unsound mind.

Bridget, though, sensed a conspiracy  an attempt on her life even  and made a run for it.

Later, she said this of that night: I was sent to bed which had been prepared for me, and holy water sprinkled about the room and on the bed. Sister M. Brendan gave me something in a cup which she called oil. I really thought it was poison. This conviction is based on the agonising look on the doctors face during the Angelus. The Rev Mother could not look at me at all. There was certainly oil in the cup, but to a very small degree, and something else which had a very dead taste. Sister M Brendan told me to lie quite still and not to move, and that I would sleep for six months. Other things were said about death to convince me I was to die.

There is absolutely no suggestion that the Rev Mother was trying to poison Bridget Partridge, but the unfounded fear of it prompted her to flee into the night.

The whole affair might have ended quietly had the convent bus been sent out again to bring her home. However, when she returned to the farmhouse where she first made the phone call, she was taken in and later put under the protection of Robert Thompson, a member of the Protestant Alliance Friendly Society (an offshoot of the Loyal Orange Institution).

Bridget Partridge could not have known that she was about to become a pawn in a sectarian war that, as author Jeff Kildea writes, played out in the press, the parliament, and at protest meetings across the country, dividing the Australian nation still recovering from the bitter debates over conscription and riven by the violent struggle for Irish independence.

He charts every unbelievable step of it in a book that has been 25 years in the making. That deep research shows; you feel as if you are one of the thousands of Australians  many newly emigrated from Ireland  who followed the case with rubber-neck curiosity. When Sister Liguori could not be found, Bishop Joseph Dwyer requested she be arrested under the Lunacy Act of 1898. After her arrest, she appeared before the Lunacy Court  the name itself reveals the attitudes of the time  where she was declared sane.

Then, she fought back against the Catholic Church. Or rather the Orange Lodge helped her take a Supreme Court case against the bishop, claiming damages for falsely and maliciously procuring her arrest and imprisonment.

There were long queues outside the courthouse when the trial opened on July 1, 1921. To use a modern term; the story went viral.

Bishop Dwyer won the case, but the affair does not end there. Bridget Partridge was later kidnapped  spoiler alert: by her own brother  but she did not give in to his demand to return with him to Ireland.

To find out what happened next, pick up a copy of Jeff Kildeas meticulously researched book from Connor Court Publishing.

As he told this column: The Sister Liguori story resonates today because it is more than just an episode in Australias political and religious history. It is a universal story dating back to Helen of Troy. A story of powerful forces using the misfortunes of a hapless victim to malign their adversaries, all the while proclaiming their motivation is in the victims best interests.
Police arrested a 32-year-old woman after six people were hurt in a knife attack on a bus heading to a festival in western Germany.

Authorities said on Saturday that there was no evidence of a political or religious motive.

Three of those attacked are in a life-threatening condition, police said.

The attack took place in Siegen, east of Cologne. The bus was on its way to a festival in the town and at least another 40 people were on board when the attack took place at about 7.40pm on Friday.

Police and prosecutors said the six people wounded were aged between 16 and 30 and all were from the region.

By Saturday three of them had left the hospital after outpatient treatment.

Local authorities planned to go ahead with the festival.

The stabbing in Siegen happened a week after a knife attack in Solingen, a city in the same state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in which a suspected Islamic extremist from Syria who had avoided being deported is accused of killing three people and wounding another eight.

The Solingen attack prompted the governing coalition to draw up plans to tighten knife laws and make deportations easier.

Police said the woman arrested in Siegen was a German citizen with no immigrant roots.
A campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio and prevent the spread of the virus began on Saturday, as Palestinians in both the Hamas-governed coastal enclave and in the occupied West Bank reeled from Israels ongoing campaigns in both regions.

Children in Gaza began receiving vaccines on Saturday, the Strips health ministry announced in a news conference, a day before the large-scale rollout and planned pause in fighting agreed to by Israel and the United Nations World Health Organisation.

Associated Press reporters saw roughly ten infants receiving doses of vaccine in the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis on Saturday.

Hours earlier, Gazas health ministry said hospitals received 89 dead on Saturday, including 26 who died in an overnight Israeli bombardment, and 205 wounded, one of the highest daily tallies in months.

Meanwhile, parts of the West Bank remained on edge on Saturday as Israels military continued its largescale military campaign, the deadliest since the Israel-Hamas war began, and two car bombings by Palestinian militants near Israeli settlements left three soldiers injured.

Two car bombs exploded early on Saturday in Gush Etzion, a bloc of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Israels military killed both Palestinian attackers after the bombs exploded in a compound in Karmei Zur and at a petrol station, Israels military said. Three Israeli soldiers sustained minor injuries.

Palestinian health officials said Israel was holding the bodies of the attackers, naming the men as Muhammad Marqa and Zoodhi Afifeh.

Hamas did not claim the men as its fighters but called the attack a heroic operation and a new slap to the occupations security system in a statement early on Saturday.

Palestinians next to Israeli armoured vehicles during a military operation in the West Bank Jenin refugee camp on Saturday (Majdi Mohammed/AP)

The Palestinian militant group said earlier this month after a bombing attack in Tel Aviv that it would continue such attacks.

The bombings took place as Israel continued its largescale raid, which includes destruction of infrastructure, airstrikes and gunbattles, into urban refugee camps in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarem, in the north of the volatile West Bank.

About 20 Palestinians have been killed since Israels incursion started on Tuesday, causing alarm among the international community that the war might widen beyond the Gaza Strip.

Israel has described the operation as a strategy to prevent attacks on Israeli civilians, which since the start of the war have increased in the West Bank, including near settlements that the international community largely considers illegal.

In return, the Palestinian health ministry noted a surge in Palestinian deaths by Israeli forces, with 663 killed in the West Bank in the nearly 11 months since the war began.

In central Gaza, Israeli airstrikes hit a multi-storey building housing displaced people in and around Nuseirat, a built-up refugee camp in central Gaza, further south in Khan Younis and northward in Gaza City, officials at hospitals in the three areas said on Saturday.

Smoke rises after an explosion during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank Jenin refugee camp on Saturday (Majdi Mohammed/AP)

Among the dead were a physician and his family and a child whose right leg had been previously amputated, according to an initial list of casualties from the hospital and footage released on Saturday by civil defence officials who operated under Gazas Hamas-run government.

Israel is expected to pause some of its operations in Gaza on Sunday to allow health workers to roll out their campaign to administer polio vaccines to some 650,000 Palestinian children, the UN World Health Organisation said earlier this week.

Officials said the pause would last at least nine hours and is a by-product of an agreement with WHO, and unrelated to ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel, Hamas and regional mediators.

The vaccination campaign comes after a case was discovered earlier this month for the first time in 25 years, after doctors concluded a 10-month-old had been partially paralysed by a mutated strain of the polio virus after not being vaccinated because of the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Healthcare workers in Gaza have been warning of the potential for a polio outbreak for months, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deepened throughout the war, which broke out after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250.

Israels retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas health ministry, which does not say how many were militants.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent months trying to mediate a ceasefire that would see the remaining hostages released.

But the talks have repeatedly bogged down as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed total victory over Hamas and the militant group has demanded a lasting ceasefire and a full withdrawal from the territory.
China and the Philippines have accused each other of causing a collision between two vessels in the latest flare-up over disputed waters and maritime features in the South China Sea.

Chinese coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun was quoted as saying that a Philippine ship manoeuvred and deliberately collided with a Chinese coast guard ship in an unprofessional and dangerous manner.

Philippine officials in Manila said it was their coast guard ship, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, that was rammed three times by the Chinese coast guard without any provocation, causing damage to the Philippine vessel.

The incident is the second confrontation in days near Sabina Shoal, about 85 miles west of the Philippine province of Palawan, in the internationally recognised exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

The U.S. condemns the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC, including today's intentional ramming of the BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was conducting lawful operations within the  EEZ. We stand with the Philippines in upholding international law. https://t.co/RRJKUdP5ge  Ambassador MaryKay L. Carlson (@USAmbPH) August 31, 2024

The Philippine ship, the Magbanua, has been anchored in Sabina since mid-April after Manila suspected that China may construct a structure to seize the uninhabited atoll.

China harboured the same suspicions and recently filed a diplomatic protest against the Philippines due to the ships prolonged presence at the shoal.

Beijing is rapidly expanding its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which is crucial to international trade.

The tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, and could drag in with the United States, which is bound by a treaty to defend the Philippines.

The long-time territorial disputes also involve other claimants including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

The US is obliged to defend the Philippines if it comes under attack (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

China has rejected a ruling by a UN-backed arbitration panel that negated almost all of its historically based claims in the South China Sea.

Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine coast guard said in Manila that the Magbanua had dropped its anchor again and would not withdraw from Sabina Shoal despite the harassment, bullying activities and escalatory action of the Chinese coast guard.

Video released by the Philippine coast guard appeared to show the Magbanua being rammed by a Chinese coast guard ship.

The US condemned the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC (Peoples Republic of China), including todays intentional ramming of the BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was conducting lawful operations within the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone.

We stand with the Philippines in upholding international law, US ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said on X.

The US has condemned the incident (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

The US has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces come under an armed attack in the South China Sea.

On Tuesday, Adm Samuel Paparo, the head of US Indo-Pacific Command, said the US military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the disputed waters.

Chinas coast guard, navy and accompanying ships regularly clash with Philippine vessels during attempts to resupply Filipino sailors stationed in parts of the South China Sea claimed by both countries.

As the confrontations become increasingly hostile, resulting in injuries to Filipino sailors and damage to their ships, the Philippine government has faced questions about invoking the treaty alliance with Washington.

Sabina Shoal is near Second Thomas Shoal, another flashpoint where China has hampered the resupply of Philippine forces.

Both countries reached an agreement last month to prevent further confrontations at the shoal.

Also on Saturday, Japan lodged a formal protest via Chinas embassy against what it called an incursion by a Chinese survey ship into its territorial waters.

The latest such incident fuelled unease among Japanese defence officials, already concerned about the growing military cooperation between the Chinese and Russian air forces.

On Monday, Tokyo also protested after a Chinese military aircraft briefly entering Japans south-western airspace.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday his country had no intention to violate any countrys airspace.
Russian shelling in the town of Chasiv Yar has killed five people, as Moscows troops pushed ahead in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region.

The attack struck a high-rise building and a private home, said regional governor Vadym Filaskhin, who said the victims were men aged 24 to 38.

He urged the last remaining residents to leave the front-line town, which had a pre-war population of 12,000.

Mr Filaskhin wrote on social media: Normal life has been impossible in Chasiv Yar for more than two years. Do not become a Russian target  evacuate.

An attack on the city of Belgorod (Belgorod Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkovs Telegram channel via AP)

A further two people were killed by Russian shelling in the Kharkiv region. One victim was pulled from the rubble of a house in the village of Cherkaska Lozova, said governor Oleh Syniehubov, while a second woman died of her injuries while being transported to a hospital.

Meanwhile, Russias ministry of defence said its forces had captured the town of Pivnichne, also in Ukraines Donetsk region. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claim.

Russian forces have been driving deeper into the partly occupied eastern region, the total capture of which is one of the Kremlins primary ambitions. Russias army is closing in on Pokrovsk, a critical logistics hub for the Ukrainian defence in the area.

At the same time, Ukraine has sent its forces into Russias Kursk region in recent weeks in the largest incursion onto Russian soil since the Second World War.

Several more people have died in Russian raids (AP)

The move is partly an effort to force Russia to draw troops away from the Donetsk front.

Elsewhere, the number of wounded following a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Friday continued to rise.

Six people were killed, including a 14-year-old girl, when glide bombs struck five locations across the city, said regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. Writing on social media on Saturday, he said that the number of injured had risen from 47 to 96.

Mr Syniehubov also confirmed that the 12-storey apartment block that was hit by one bomb strike, setting the building ablaze and trapping at least one person on an upper floor, would be partly demolished.

Ukrainian officials have previously pointed to the Kharkiv strikes as further evidence that Western partners should scrap restrictions on what the Ukrainian military can target with donated weapons.

In an interview with CNN on Friday, Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov said that Kyiv had presented Washington with a list of potential long-range targets within Russia for its approval.

Rescue operations continue in Kharkiv at the sites struck by Russian bombs. Tragically, there are fatalities, including a childa girl named Sofia, who would have turned 15 this fall. My deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. Many others are injured. Aid is being pic.twitter.com/ZU9flEw0Pd  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) August 30, 2024

I hope we were heard, he said.

He also denied speculation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys decision to dismiss the commander of the countrys air force on Friday was directly linked to the destruction of an F-16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners four days earlier.

The order to dismiss Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website minutes before an address which saw Mr Zelensky stress the need to take care of all our soldiers.

This is two separate issues, said Mr Umerov. At this stage, I would not connect them.

The number of injured also continued to rise in the Russian border region of Belgorod, where five people were killed on Friday by Ukrainian shelling, said governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

He said 46 people had been injured, of whom 37 were in the hospital, including seven children. Writing on social media, Mr Gladkov also said that two others had been injured in Ukrainian shelling across the region.
COLFAX  An Oregon man will be going to prison for leading Whitman County Sheriffs Office deputies on a high speed car chase in Colfax last month.

Ronald Griffin, 42, pleaded guilty to attempted eluding and two drug possession charges in Whitman County Superior Court Friday morning. Whitman County Judge Gary Libey sentenced Griffin to a year and a day in prison, along with 8 months community custody. He was also ordered to receive drug treatment while in prison.

Griffin was arrested in the early morning hours of July 19 when he failed to pull over for law enforcement on Main Street in Colfax. Court documents say deputies tried contacting him, but he drove away onto Stevens and Mill streets at speeds up to 80 mph.
  

   

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David M. Morse, of Moscow, age 44, beloved husband, dad, son, brother and friend, died Aug. 24, 2024, following a 14-month battle with brain cancer.

Growing up, Davids parents had careers with international nonprofit organizations took the family to Burkina-Faso, Chad, then Cambodia before they returned home to Moscow where David finished high school. He then attended the University of Idaho and majored in International Studies. As an undergraduate student, he met and married his first wife, Mandy Puckett, who unexpectedly passed away from a pulmonary embolism after nine months of marriage in 2002.

David then attended the University of Idaho College of Law. While he was a law student, he married Lisa Bausch and they welcomed their son Elijah before he earned his Juris Doctor degree in 2008.

After law school, David founded Idaho Rising, an organization focused on engaging young people in the democratic process. He worked closely with Bill Parks and became a specialist in corporate tax policies, particularly interested in policies that helped small businesses. He was working as Tax Policy Director for the Coalition for a Prosperous America at the time of his diagnosis.
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  Bilal Daher of the Israeli newspaper Arab 48 reports on Thursday evenings knock-down, drag-out fight between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the cabinet meeting, which ended in a vehement shouting match. The heated discussion was leaked to an Israeli television news channel.

Some members of the Israeli cabinet, such as Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, have said that returning Israeli hostages from Hamas control is not a high priority for them, and it seems that PM Benjamin Netanyahu has joined their number.

The dispute centered on the negotiations led by the Biden administration on the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas in return for a ceasefire (which Netanyahu insists will be only temporary). Israel believes that some 104 hostages who were taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023 remain in the Strip, though not all may still be alive. There are an additional 4 Israeli soldiers who had been captured before last year, though two of those are thought to be dead.

Gallant gave a long report at the beginning of the cabinet meeting, in which he said that the talks on the release of hostages had reached a strategic crossroads for Israel. He warned that failure to reach an agreement at this juncture would incur risks beyond the loss of the hostages but could, in fact, lead to a regional war.

After midnight, Netanyahu sprang on his cabinet members his insistence that Israeli troops would remain in the Philadelphi Corridor just south of the southern border of Gaza at Rafah with Egypt, pounding the conference table and demanding an up-and-down vote by each cabinet member on the issue. The demand provoked an uproar, since the members had not been informed that there would be such a vote beforehand.



Pounding the Table, Digital, Dream / Dreamworld v3, PS Express, Clip2Comic, 2024.

Egypts position in the Philadelphi Corridor is authorized by the 1978 Camp David Peace Accords. Israel has nevertheless expelled Egyptian troops from the area and its troops are patrolling it themselves. Netanyahu has justified this move by announcing that the Israelis have found smuggling tunnels into Gaza from Egypt beneath the corridor. Egypt, however, said that it had long since collapsed those tunnels and that they are defunct.

Gallant is said to have objected to such a cabinet vote because it would tie the hands of the Israeli negotiators trying to achieve a hostage release.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar insists that the Israelis must withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor before he will consider releasing the remaining Israeli hostages.Gallant pointed out that a cabinet decision to keep Israeli troops in the Philadelphi Corridor would essentially make Sinwar the decision-maker. If he refused to give in on this issue, and therefore kept the hostages, the Israeli government would have practically speaking foregone a key aim of the war effort, of returning the hostages.

Gallant allegedly said, The choice is between staying in the Philadelphi Corridor and recovering the hostages, since it is not possible to have both. We will discover in the end that either the hostages will die or we will be constrained to reverse this decision.

The Times of Israel quoted him from a leaked transcript as saying, The significance of this is that Hamas wont agree to it, so there wont be an agreement and there wont be any hostages released,

TOI also quoted Gallant as accusing Netanyahu of having imposed his own strategic map of the corridor on the Israeli military.

Netanyahu objected, I imposed? I imposed?

Gallant retorted, They had their own plan. You are running the negotiations by yourself ever since the war cabinet disbanded (in June). We learn of decisions only after the fact. The negotiators sketched the maps as you wanted, but they had a different position,

The Israeli press is reporting that Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy and head of Israeli intelligence (Mossad), David Barnea expressed reservations about a formal cabinet decision on the issue, with Halevy warning that it was unnecessary and would pile up difficulties in an already complicated hostage situation: The IDF will know how to enter and return to the Philadelphi Corridor at the end of the first six weeks of the ceasefire. There are enough constraints in the talks, you dont need to add another.

Barnea is said to have pointed out that the current negotiations were over establishing a firm list of remaining Israeli hostages and of those Palestinian prisoners that might be released as part of any deal, and that the Philadelphi Corridor was not even being negotiated about.

Netanyahus office denied that the two had reservations.

As Gallant and Netanyahu traded barbs, The Times of Israel reports, at one point Netanyahu openly said that he prioritizes staying in the Philadelphi Corridor over the release of the hostages. Gallant was allegedly shocked.

When Netanyahus friend Ron Dermer, the minister of stragegic affairs (propaganda), defended him, saying that the prime minister can do as he pleases, Gallant replied sarcastically that the prime minister can indeed make all the decisions, and he can also decide to kill all the hostages.

The other cabinet members allegedly rebuked the minister of defense for speaking this way to the PM.

Netanyahu pounded the table angrily and called the vote, and Gallant was the only one who voted no.

The only conclusion we can draw from all this is that Netanyahus participation in the hostage release negotiations has been a sham, that he isnt interested in the fate of the hostages, and that he prioritizes further illegal occupation of land that does not belong to Israel over even a temporary peace. That President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have put so much effort into these sham negotiations demonstrates that neither understands Netanyahus actual aims, or that they are being strung along.
Committee on Academic Freedom | Middle East Studies Association | 

Linda G. Mills

President, New York University

linda.mills@nyu.edu

Georgina Dopico

Provost, New York University

We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express our grave concern about the updated Guidance and Expectations for Student Conduct which the administration of New York University (NYU) circulated to the university community on 22 August 2024. Some of the provisions of this new policy statement impose unacceptable limits on the right of students and faculty to freedom of speech and assembly, and the guidelines also threaten academic freedom. They thereby infringe on the values of open inquiry and freedom of expression that are foundational to higher education and to citizenship in a democracy.

MESA was founded in 1966 to promote scholarship and teaching on the Middle East and North Africa. The preeminent organization in the field, the Association publishes the prestigious International Journal of Middle East Studies and has nearly 2,800 members worldwide. MESA is committed to ensuring academic freedom and freedom of expression, both within the region and in connection with the study of the region in North America and outside of North America.

The new policy purports to clarify the meanings of discrimination and harassment as stipulated in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which defines discrimination as adverse treatment based on protected characteristics such as race, color or national origin. We find it disturbing that the policys explanation of what constitutes discriminatory or harassing behavior asserts, among other things, that Using code words, like Zionist, does not eliminate the possibility that your speech violates the NDAH [Non-discrimination and anti-harassment] Policy because For many Jewish people, Zionism is a part of their Jewish identity. The implication that the term Zionist is self-evidently or always a code word whose use and interpretation can and should be policed by university administrators is dangerous. It is rooted in the improper conflation of criticism of Israel and of Zionism  a political ideology  with antisemitism, which we have criticized on many occasions.

We call your attention to alternative perspectives on the relationship of Judaism and Zionism, for example, the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism , which has been endorsed by hundreds of eminent scholars of Jewish studies and Holocaust history. This statement rejects the conflation of Zionism with Judaism, clearly distinguishes between the two and establishes that criticism of the former (and of the actions and policies of the State of Israel) must be regarded as legitimate. We also note that equating Zionism with Judaism, as the NYU policy statement does, effaces the many Jewish students for whom Zionism is not part of their religious nor ethnic identity.

We are further concerned that the new policy gives administrators power over what goes on in NYUs classrooms. Offering the hypothetical example of a professor teaching a class on international politics, it states that while discussing a particular countrys policies does not violate university rules, if conduct that otherwise appears to be based on views about a countrys policies or practices is targeted at or infused with discriminatory commentsthen it would implicate the NDAH. We find this language vague and obfuscatory, and we are concerned that its intention or effect may be to shield Israeli government policies from open discussion in the classroom. The policy also undermines a bedrock principle of academic freedom: the right of faculty to determine what and how to teach their students, without interference from university administrators or external pressure groups.

We note as well that the new policy severely restricts how students may engage in protest activity on campus, but it also seems intended to apply well beyond the university campus. It asserts that student protestors have latitude to express themselves in public spaces, only to turn around and warn them that protesting at an off-campus location does not immunize your conduct from University policies. The new policy threatens consequences if protests have continuing adverse effects on campus or in any NYU activity, a dangerously vague formulation.

In short, in its explicit provisions but also in its elisions, contradictions and ambiguities, the new policy is likely to undermine the ability of students to exercise their First Amendment right to freedom of speech and assembly, while also threatening the academic freedom of NYU faculty by subjecting them to monitoring and sanctions by administrators. Regrettably, this is exactly the kind of revised policy designed to suppress student and faculty activism against which the American Association of University Professors warned in its 14 August 2024 statement

In an earlier version of its NDAH policy, issued in 2021, NYU declared that The University also recognizes that a critically engaged, activist student body contributes to NYUs academic mission. Free inquiry, expression, and free association enhances academic freedom and intellectual engagement. We find it distressing that NYU seems to have forgotten the principles to which it once claimed to adhere. We therefore call on NYU to rescind the new NDAH policy guidelines and to invite all members of the university community to engage in a transparent, collective and democratic process to develop a policy that will truly foster non-discrimination and combat all forms of racism, including antisemitism, while safeguarding academic freedom, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly on campus.

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Asl U. Bali

MESA President

Professor, Yale Law School

Laurie Brand

Chair, Committee on Academic Freedom

Professor Emerita, University of Southern California

georgina.dopico@nyu.edu . . .
Korean actor Nam Yoon Su has been receiving criticism online for his role as a gay character in the upcoming K-drama 'Love in the Big City' despite being well known for his performances in 'Extracurricular' and 'The King's Affection.'

The drama is based on Park Sang-Young's novel and will debut on October 21st, with Nam Yoon Su playing Gyu Ho in the captivating narrative.

Following the release of the trailer for 'Love in the Big City,' it caught the eye of BL (Boy Love ) enthusiasts, who commended Nam Yoon Su for embracing a demanding role.

Nevertheless, the actor faces backlash for his choice to depict a character.

His Instagram profile has been flooded with remarks, including several that are homophobic.

SEE: 'The King's Affection' Star Nam Yoon Su Reportedly to Join Kim Sejeong in 'Today's Webtoon'

Critics who say they used to be fans have shared their dissatisfaction and disapproval by using comments and emojis like vomiting and the middle finger sign on social media platforms.

Some individuals have taken it further by posting angry messages criticizing Nam Yoon Su's involvement in the show.



Despite facing criticism from some quarters, Nam Yoon Su's devoted supporters have banded together to support him.

They have praised his dedication and bravery in taking the role, highlighting his performance and showcasing his range as an actor.

Numerous fans eagerly anticipate the drama premiere and have advised Nam Yoon Su not to let negative comments affect him.

Excitement surrounds the release of 'Love in the Big City' as it promises to explore profound themes like Love and societal expectations with a fresh perspective on relationships and individuality in urban settings.

The upcoming drama is likely to ignite conversations on how LGBTQ concerns are portrayed and perceived in South Korean society, attracting attention from both supporters and skeptics as 'Love in the Big City' premiere.

SEE: Nam Yoon Su Update 2023: Hallyu Star To Return With New Exhilarating Projects





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Saturday, August 31, 2024 - Josephine Akiri, a lady presumably in her early 20s, has been found dead inside her rented apartment in Kisumu's Nyamasaria estate.

According to reports, Akiri took her own life inside her house using a rope.

Excerpts of online chats with her friends showed her lamenting about her supposed partner, who allegedly neglected her after she fell pregnant.

Josephine also complained of a lack of basics, including food, given that she could not fend for herself owing to the heavy pregnancy.

She accused her partner of spoiling ladies with expensive liquor in clubs after neglecting her.

He is seen in clubs with different ladies and buying expensive alcohol every weekend.

"He doesn't care anymore about me, given that I am carrying his child.

"He doesn't bother to make a call or text to check on how I am doing.

"When I tell him I am sick, he acts helpless. I can't go to work because I have become lazy due to pregnancy.

"I asked him to help pay rent Josephine lamented to a friend in one of the chats.

Her body has been moved to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching & Referral Hospital mortuary for an autopsy.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Saturday, August 31, 2024 - A young lady has gone viral after she was captured on camera forcefully ejecting police officers in civilian clothes from her home.

The officers, who reportedly entered her house uninvited, were confronted by the woman and a man believed to be her husband, both demanding that they leave immediately.

In the video, the infuriated lady is seen accusing the rogue police officers of lacking manners and invading their privacy.

Her frustration was evident as she referred to a growing concern about police officers arresting citizens without following the law.

Youve made it a habit of just showing up in our homes to arrest us, she lamented, prompting the police officers to leave.

The video, which has been shared widely on social media, has sparked debate on social media, with most people supporting the brave lady for confronting the police officers.

The video comes at a time when cases of police abductions are on the rise in the country.

Watch the video of the dramatic incident that occurred in a residential apartment.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Saturday, August 31, 2024 - President William Ruto has firmly denied allegations that police were involved in the killing or abduction of young Kenyans during the anti-government protests that occurred in June and July.

Speaking during a Town Hall meeting in Kisumu on Thursday, Ruto said his government is not aware of any Kenyan who lost his life during the eight-week protests.

Under my administration, I do not want a situation where a Kenyan disappears. There were days when people were found  20, 30  in River Yala, executed.

"I want to promise the people of Kenya that under my administration there will be no Kenyans in River Yala or any other river or place, Ruto said.

A resident had claimed that some demonstrators went to the streets during the Gen Z-led anti-tax protests never to return home because they were abducted by people believed to be police or state agents.

The President challenged anyone with a missing loved one whose whereabouts remain unknown to date after they participated in the protests to forward the name to the Interior Ministry for further action.

If theres any family that their child or their friend or relative went to a demonstration, whether last year or this year, and never came back, I want to know the names because I will take firm and decisive action, Ruto said.

As I talk to you today, I dont have a name of somebody who has been abducted or disappeared, he added, saying no Kenyan should be subjected to inhumane treatment because of their political stand.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, August 31, 2024 - Mining and Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary, Hassan Joho, has pledged his support for President William Ruto's re-election in 2027 to ensure he completes his 10-year term.

Joho, who joined Ruto's cabinet last month, was one of the five Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders "donated" to Ruto by opposition leader Raila Odinga.

The other ODM leaders who were "donated" to Ruto's administration are Treasury and National Planning Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, Cooperatives and MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya, and East Africa Affairs Cabinet Secretary Beatrice Moe.

Speaking on Friday, Joho affirmed his commitment to President William Ruto's administration, stating that he will remain supportive of Ruto throughout his tenure.

He also urged the Coast people to back the government until Ruto completes his two terms in 2032.

We are now in government. I have no desire to leave not today, not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow, not next month, not next year, or even in the next term.

"I will not leave the government with my people, Joho said.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, August 31, 2024 - Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka has fired back at Minority Leader Junet Mohamed for "stealing his job" as the new Opposition leader following former Prime Minister Raila Odingas exit from active politics.

This is after Junet declared himself as the countrys new Opposition leader following Railas exit, by virtue of his position as the Minority Leader in Parliament, and told Kalonzo to find something else to do.

Addressing members of the press in Mombasa, Kalonzo accused Junet of taking it upon himself to police public opinion and unilaterally imposing his authority on the Kenyan people despite holding other senior positions in government.

The former Vice President further dismissed Junet's claims as a joke, urging Kenyans not to take his sentiments seriously.

Kalonzo clarified that despite the altercation over who would take up the role of the Opposition leader, he was still on good terms with the Suna East MP.

What our friends are talking about here, as we await the discussions about the NADCO report, I was the co-chair who brought the report to parliament, the Wiper party leader stated.

Of course, he is the leader in Parliament, we don't have a problem with that. I often speak with Junet and advise him, so don't take him seriously, Kalonzo added.

Kalonzo also expressed intentions to continue working with Railas ODM despite some of its members joining President William Ruto's administration.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, August 31, 2024 - National Assembly Majority Leader, Kimani Ichungwah has renewed his attacks on Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has declared himself the political kingpin of the Mt. Kenya region.

Ichungwah attacked Gachagua during the thanksgiving ceremony of Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi in Siaya County.

The Kikuyu constituency lawmaker stoked the fire after making remarks that anyone who attempts to trap Raila Odinga would eventually trap themselves.

"Mtu akifikiria atawekea baba mitego atajitega mwenyewe (Anyone who thinks they can lay traps for Raila Odinga will only trap himself)," Ichungwah said.

Ichungwah went ahead to note that the Mt Kenya region should be grateful for the more than 7 cabinet secretaries and the deputy president.

One thing Ive learnt from this region; is they have been given only two CSs but they are very grateful.

"We have more than seven CSs and the deputy president; we should appreciate this and not sabotage and blackmail the president, Ichungwah remarked.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, August 31, 2024 - President William Ruto has hinted at forming a new alliance with former Prime Minister Raila Odingas ODM ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking during the thanksgiving ceremony of Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi in Siaya County, Ruto revealed that he agreed with the leader of the Minority in the National Assembly Junet Mohammed that the Opposition role should be handed to other people in three years.

Yesterday we agreed with the leader of the minority Junet Mohamed that after three years we will find new people to take over the Opposition leadership because we will all be on the government side, said Ruto.

This comes even as Raila and his allies have dismissed claims of agreeing to support Ruto in 2027.

At the same time, the Head of State commended Raila, saying his move to work with him was the right decision.

Raila Odinga knows what is good for Kenya. I am sure that his stand to work with me for the stability, progress, and unity of our people is the right decision at this point in time, Ruto added.

Rutos remarks come after he appointed five key members of the ODM party to join the cabinet.

The five include; Hassan Joho (Mining, Blue Economy), Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives and MSME Development), John Mbadi (National Treasury) Opiyo Wandayi (Energy and Petroleum), and Beatrice Askul (EAC).

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, August 31, 2024 - Pressure is mounting on President William Ruto as civil rights groups vow to hold him accountable for a spate of abductions and killings linked to the anti-government protests that erupted in mid-June.

The protests, driven largely by young people dissatisfied with the state of governance, have seen the government accused of resorting to heavy-handed tactics, including enforced disappearances.

Civil rights groups have stated that at least 34 people were abducted and at least 61 others killed.

In a press briefing yesterday, several civil rights organizations declared their intent to present President Ruto with a comprehensive list of individuals who have disappeared or been killed during the protests.

This move, spearheaded by activist Hussein Khalid of Voice Africa and Anami Toure, Co-chair of the Mukuru Community Justice Center, reflects growing frustration with the government's perceived inaction on human rights abuses.

These organizations plan to deliver the list to the Office of the President on Tuesday, pressing Ruto to investigate and address the reported violations.

We will take the President at his word and present this list, demanding that the government takes immediate and concrete actions to address the reported violations and arrest the killer cops, the civil groups stated.

The civil rights groups' demand comes as U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken urged governments to end the practice of enforced disappearances on International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

Blinkens statement, issued on X, underscored the growing international concern over these human rights violations.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, August 31, 2024  President William Ruto was yesterday caught by surprise after a body was retrieved from River Yala barely hours after swearing that he would not let people be abducted and their bodies dumped in the said river under his watch.

This is after a family from Nakuru identified the body of their kin who had gone missing for a week.

The family of the man, a teacher by profession, was able to identify him after his body retrieval went viral on social media.

Joshua Oduor Otieno a human activist from Haki Kwetu has since called for investigations over the increased number of bodies dumped in River Yala.

The activist revealed that they got intelligence from a fellow activist who noticed a body floating in the river while he was going about his activities.

Immediately he saw the body, he informed his colleagues who subsequently facilitated the body's removal.

With the assistance of a local diver, the body was recovered and taken to the Siaya County Referral Hospital Mortuary where the family traveled from Nakuru and positively identified it.

Joshua has called upon human rights activists to investigate these occurrences that have become increasingly rampant.

The activist expressed concern over the recurring cases of bodies dumped in the river without detection by security personnel.

Oduor reckons that there could be more bodies in the river especially after another was spotted while they were removing that of the teacher.

A report by Missing Voices revealed that 40 bodies were retrieved from River Yala between 2022-2023.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Saturday, August 31, 2024 - President William Ruto must be quite impressed by the ODM experts that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has donated to his administration.

This is after he hinted at a plan to hire more ODM leaders into his government.

While addressing the residents of Ugunja in Siaya during Cabinet Secretary James Wandayi's homecoming ceremony, Ruto vowed to end Railas ODMs dominance by poaching its members ahead of the 2027 General Election.

He revealed that he held a meeting with a section of the party leaders including Minority leader Junet Mohamed during which they deliberated on the way forward.

According to the Head of State, he reached an agreement with the party leaders to join him in 2027 when he will be seeking a second term in office.

I want to say that now we have the new Leader of the Minority Junet Mohamed, and yesterday we agreed that after three years they will quit the role of the opposition and leave it for others, Ruto revealed.

"Because all of us will be in government. After three years those looking for an opposition role can take it.

Ruto also dismissed allegations of duping Kenyans by including a section of ODM party leaders in his new-look administration.

The Head of State underscored the need for leaders to work together regardless of their political affiliations and commended the former Prime Minister for accepting his request to work together.

"I have heard one of the leaders claiming that our pact with Raila Odinga was a big joke to the people of Kenya. I want to tell them that Raila Odinga knows what is good for Kenya," Ruto clarified.

"I am sure that Raila's stand to work with me for the progress and stability of our nation is the right decision at this point," he added.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
Ms Geraldine Ssali, the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, was granted bail on Friday by Justice Jane Kajuga. She was released on a cash bail of Shs35 million.

Her sureties were required to provide a bond of Shs50 million each, not in cash, to ensure her attendance in court. Ssali was barred from traveling outside Uganda without court permission, and her passport and land title were retained by the court until the conclusion of the case. However, she can apply to the court for her passport if she needs to travel.

Justice Kajuga ruled that Ssali presented substantial sureties who could influence her return for trial. She also noted that if Ssali absconds, the court will pursue her sureties to pay the Shs50 million bond each.

The judge observed that the prosecution had not provided evidence to support the polices claim that Ssali would interfere with witnesses. She also considered that Ssali has a fixed place of residence, has no previous charges against her, and has spent over 60 days in remand.
Record homeless figures, the threat of opioids, and Budget 2025 are among the topics that feature on Saturday's front pages.

The Irish Times leads with the homelessness figures.

Ireland is not immune from the threat of opioids, the Irish Examiner reports.

Sports clubs could be in line for tax breaks in Budget 2025, the Irish Independent reports.

The Echo leads with a story on the sudden closure of a creche in Cork city.

The Sun leads with a story about the potential for two extra Oasis Croke Park gig, as thousands of Irish fans missed out on tickets on Saturday morning.

Today's front page of The Irish Sun pic.twitter.com/R3l83T3FTm  The Irish Sun (@IrishSunOnline) August 31, 2024

The Irish Daily Mail leads with a story on concerns over growing driving test waiting lists.

Saturday's front page pic.twitter.com/7lJpX8YCZG  The Irish Daily Mail (@irishdailymail) August 30, 2024

Criminals are using Google Maps to target cars to steal, The Herald reports.

In the North, the Belfast Telegraph leads with a story on a sexual assault case.

A winter fuel payment cut could lead to 'excess deaths,' The Irish News reports.

Today's #frontpage: Hanna poised to take over as leader of SDLP pic.twitter.com/OG2fVjV6Id  The Irish News (@irish_news) August 31, 2024

A weight loss drug which could slow down signs of biological ageing features heavily amid Saturdays headlines with doctors revealing the injections may revolutionise heart care.

The Times and The Daily Telegraph both focus on studies reporting experts believe semaglutide injections could treat a range of diseases linked with inflammation including cancer, arthritis and Alzheimers.

The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph:



'Ozempic hailed as 'fountain of youth''#TomorrowsPapersToday



Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4OoUh6 pic.twitter.com/gNaHyABCVB  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 30, 2024

TIMES: Weight loss drugs curb the effects of getting old #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Y6q9ECI2kh  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 30, 2024

Meanwhile, the Daily Express asks if the wonder drug could unlock the fountain of youth, reporting it could reverse the progression of kidney disease, treat high blood pressure and reduce Covid deaths.

EXPRESS: Is weight loss drug the secret to fountain of youth? #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Zsj4pbbd0s  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 30, 2024

In political news, new polling suggests Labour is not doing enough to tackle rising energy costs, the i reports.

Saturday's front page: Labour is not doing enough to help with energy bills, poll reveals #TomorrowsPapersToday



Exclusive from @singharj: https://t.co/QmNwPal8LL pic.twitter.com/Vu2vJF6vlS  The i paper (@theipaper) August 30, 2024

The Guardian says Thames Water lobbied the UK government so it could increase charges beyond what had been allowed by regulators.

GUARDIAN: Thames Water lobbied officials for higher bills #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/fM280kNofX  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 30, 2024

The Independent front page says regulators are failing to properly investigate NHS cases involving sexual misconduct.

The FT Weekend says auctioneer Sothebys is facing an 88 per cent plunge in core earnings amid claims the fine art market has cooled.

Just published: front page of the Financial Times, UK edition, Saturday 31 August https://t.co/6N9H5ubhsR pic.twitter.com/XpDEuNXMiw  Financial Times (@FT) August 30, 2024

The Daily Mirror splashes on reports the family of sacked BBC presenter Jermaine Jenas has been hit hard by the public scandal amid claims he inappropriately texted female coworkers.

The Prince of Wales and Duke of Sussex allegedly didnt share a word as they attended a memorial service for their uncle, the Daily Mail says.

MAIL: William and Harry didnt share a word at memorial #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/MWSuUYjqfc  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 30, 2024

Lastly, the Daily Star claims Oasis can save the world, telling readers the band could bring peace to Ukraine by playing a gig on the Russian border.

Major donors are pressuring US vice president, and presidential candidate, Kamala Harris to scrap plans for additional taxes on the wealthiest Americans, The New York Times reports.
In the presence of current and former members of Newbridge Kildare Lions, Dr Adrian McGolderick, Club President presented Mrs Rose OLoughlin with a Melvin Jones Fellowship Award, in recognition of her dedicated humanitarian service.

Lions clubs International founded by Melvin Jones in 1917, was first introduced into Ireland almost 70 years ago with the founding of Dublin Lions Club in 1955, and reached Newbridge Kildare 21 years later in 1976.

Newbridge Kildare Lions Club was founded in the Keadeen Hotel and was Chartered on 1 November that year under the presidency of the late Joe OLoughlin.

Ever since that first meeting the OLoughlin family have supported Lions through membership, sponsorship and with the very generous provision of facilities for the Club monthly meetings.

When we think of humanitarian service, we tend to think of front-line workers helping feed, educate and provide health services to those less fortunate in far away, said Dr McGolderick.

But humanitarian service is also required much nearer home, and is not confined to front line efforts.

In order for the front line to succeed there has to be enablers  the quiet providers, the people who facilitate and raise the funds necessary for the front line to function, he said.

Over the years Newbridge Kildare Lions Club has aided local individual and families, provided long term benefits to the local community is the form of the Lions Counselling Room and contributions to the Family Resource Centres.

It has contributed to international efforts organised by the Lions Club International Fund such as Sight First, measles and polio eradication, and assistance to those effected by natural disasters.

The Club has also undertaken major multinational projects on its own like the assistance to Fr Dan Noud and the building of a girls second level school in Tanzania.

None of this would have been achievable without the generous backing of the OLoughlin family, and the highest award that may be conferred by Lions is the Melvin Jones Fellowship named after our founder, said Dr McGolderick.

It is very appropriate that the first Melvin Jones awarded by this Club was to our first President Joe OLoughlin and that this evening we are here to honour Rose OLoughlin, our benefactor and club member".
St. Canice's Cathedral has been humming with excitement, welcoming a wave of new visitors since unveiling its year-long exhibition, The Red Book of Ossory.

The much-anticipated 14th-century manuscript was recently returned to the Cathedral, where it was written 700 years ago. Last night, Thursday, August 29th, the Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, T.D., was guest of honour at the official launch event.

Minister Noonan said The Red Book was "a massive addition to an already remarkable array of culture and heritage on offer here in Kilkenny" and spoke about its potential to boost cultural tourism in the city and draw visitors from across the world before he declared the exhibition officially open.

The exhibition is now open for all to step back through page and time to discover the lives of ordinary citizens in Medieval Kilkenny and learn about an 'extraordinary' bishop and his manuscript, The Red Book of Ossory.

The Dean and Chapter welcomed over 100 guests, representing commerce, tourism, heritage, the church and the wider local community, to mark the occasion.

Other special guests at the packed event included Cllr Andrew McGuinness, Mayor of Kilkenny, Cllr David Fitzgerald, Most Reverend John Mc Dowell, Archbishop of Armagh, Right Reverend Adrian Wilkinson, Bishop of Ossory, Bishop Niall Coll and Most Reverend John Mc Dowell, Archbishop of Armagh.

Speaking at the event, the very Rev. Stephen Farrell, Dean of Ossory, expressed gratitude to the Minister and welcomed esteemed guests. He said,

"Having the Red Book of Ossory back in Kilkenny is a huge boost for our city and for our collective tourism offering. It is wonderful to be able to show such a book in its proper context  in the contemporaneous Chapter House in which some of it may have been written, only a few metres from Ledredes final resting place in the Chancel. I trust that the Book will enrich the experience of many visitors to Kilkenny and offer an insight into one of the better-known figures in our medieval past."

Guests were entertained with a reflective monologue written by Kilkenny filmmaker John Morton and performed by well-known local actor Brendan Corcoran appeared, "not merely as a figure of authority, or as a representative of the See of Ossory, or even, as a ghostly spirit."

The piece highlighted that Ledredes record was crafted to preserve the essence of Kilkenny in the 1300s for future generations. It reflects on Kilkenny's resilience during challenging times, such as the famine, the Bruce invasion, and the Black Death and its enduring spirit that continues today.

The figure of Ledrede spoke of the importance of music, like The Red Book itself, a tradition that has endured the centuries, while the St Canice's Cathedral choir sang a piece composed by the good Bishop led by Dr Harry Meehan!

Dean Farrell concluded,

"It is a proud moment for us in the cathedral to see the Red Book of Ossory return to this ancient place, and a great many people have been involved in the journey.

This exhibition would not have been possible without the support of a great many partners  the Heritage Council, Kilkenny County Council, Kilkenny Tourism, The Kilkenny Whiskey Guild, The Representative Body of the Church of Ireland, The Church of Ireland Priorities Fund, and Ecclesiastical Insurance. I wish to thank each for their support and for their vision in realising what the Red Book could mean for Kilkenny."

St Canices Cathedral noted its gratitude to receive the Community Monuments Fund for St. Canices Cathedral Close & Tower project, kindly funded by CMF for 30,000 and thanked the Minister. The project is due to be completed in October 2024.

The Red Book of Ossory exhibition runs until August next year, 2025 accompanied by a series of talks, lectures, concerts, and educational programmes, available via Eventbrite.

For more information and updates on The Red Book of Ossory, visit www.stcanicescathedral.ie
The Post reports:

Posties have refused to deliver a circular claiming the Wellington City Council wants the capitals six mosques to broadcast the Islamic Call to Prayer across the city. The Postal Workers Union said its Wellington-based posties did not deliver the circular from lobby group Better Wellington on Monday because of its misleading and inflammatory statement, but NZ Post reaffirmed intentions to begin deliveries on Tuesday. A NZ Post spokesperson said it was not appropriate for them to act as a censor in determining what it would and wont deliver.

Any postie who refuses to deliver legal mail because they disagree with it, should lose their jobs.

If the circular breaches the law, you can complain to the Human Rights Commission or Police.

If the circular is a breach of advertising standards, you can complain to the ASA.

But you dont get to unilaterally decide what information households are allowed to receive.

It is disturbing that a union is claiming it has the right to decide what mail does and does not get delivered.

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Core Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:CLB  Get Free Report)s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $18.21 and traded as high as $19.91. Core Laboratories shares last traded at $19.67, with a volume of 358,105 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CLB has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on Core Laboratories from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 15th. StockNews.com upgraded Core Laboratories from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Core Laboratories from $18.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on Core Laboratories from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an underperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $18.50.

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Core Laboratories Trading Down 0.4 %

The company has a market cap of $917.36 million, a PE ratio of 22.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 2.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 2.39 and a quick ratio of 1.68. The company has a 50-day moving average of $20.87 and a 200 day moving average of $18.25.

Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $130.58 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $132.85 million. Core Laboratories had a return on equity of 15.20% and a net margin of 5.44%. The firms revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.23 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Core Laboratories Inc. will post 0.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Core Laboratories Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 5th were paid a dividend of $0.01 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 5th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. Core Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio is 4.55%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CLB. Disciplined Growth Investors Inc. MN grew its stake in shares of Core Laboratories by 446.8% during the second quarter. Disciplined Growth Investors Inc. MN now owns 4,460,720 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $90,508,000 after buying an additional 3,644,963 shares during the last quarter. Ariel Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Core Laboratories by 20.4% during the first quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 10,825,657 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $184,902,000 after buying an additional 1,837,258 shares during the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA boosted its holdings in shares of Core Laboratories by 17.6% in the first quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 1,606,745 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $27,443,000 after purchasing an additional 240,989 shares during the period. Earnest Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Core Laboratories by 6.3% in the second quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 3,286,438 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $66,682,000 after purchasing an additional 195,756 shares during the period. Finally, Gendell Jeffrey L boosted its holdings in shares of Core Laboratories by 101.7% in the first quarter. Gendell Jeffrey L now owns 326,890 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $5,583,000 after purchasing an additional 164,797 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.81% of the companys stock.

Core Laboratories Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Core Laboratories Inc provides reservoir description and production enhancement services and products to the oil and gas industry in the United States, and internationally. It operates through Reservoir Description and Production Enhancement segments. The Reservoir Description segment includes the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock and reservoir fluid samples to enhance production and improve recovery of crude oil and gas from its clients' reservoirs.

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Judges Scientific (LON:JDG  Get Free Report)s stock had its house stock rating restated by analysts at Shore Capital in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Separately, Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on Judges Scientific from 120 ($158.25) to 124 ($163.52) and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, August 19th.

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Judges Scientific Stock Up 2.0 %

Insider Buying and Selling at Judges Scientific

LON:JDG opened at 104.50 ($137.81) on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 79.06, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 1.87. The company has a market cap of 693.88 million, a PE ratio of 7,307.69, a PEG ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 0.84. Judges Scientific has a 52-week low of GBX 7,300 ($96.27) and a 52-week high of 122.50 ($161.55). The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of 104.06 and a 200 day simple moving average of 107.04.

In other Judges Scientific news, insider Alexander Hambro sold 1,100 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of 106.11 ($139.93), for a total value of 116,721 ($153,924.57). Corporate insiders own 21.16% of the companys stock.

Judges Scientific Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Judges Scientific plc designs, manufactures, and sells scientific instruments. The company offers engineering teaching and research equipment for universities, colleges, schools, and research centres; and research and development systems for food, beverage, dairy, edible oil, and pharmaceutical industries.

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Singapore Airlines Limited (OTCMKTS:SINGF  Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 16,395,800 shares, a growth of 19.9% from the July 31st total of 13,676,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 13,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1,214.5 days.

Singapore Airlines Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS SINGF traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $4.80. 2,200 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,220. Singapore Airlines has a twelve month low of $4.01 and a twelve month high of $5.40. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $4.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $4.88.

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Singapore Airlines Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 1st. This represents a dividend yield of 5.23%. Singapore Airliness payout ratio is 122.81%.

Singapore Airlines Company Profile

Singapore Airlines Limited, together with subsidiaries, provides passenger and cargo air transportation services under the Singapore Airlines and Scoot brands in East Asia, the Americas, Europe, Southwest Pacific, West Asia, and Africa. It operates through The Full-Service Carrier, The Low-Cost Carrier, and Engineering Services segments.

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Drama centers on 'how to divorce successfully'

By KTimes

The popularity of the TV series "Good Partner" is surging. The show premiered with a 7.8 percent viewership rating on July 12, and it has since more than doubled, reaching 17.2 percent as of the latest episode that aired on Saturday.

There are predictions that the drama could surpass a 20 percent viewership rating before it wraps up its 16-episode run.

Initially, "Good Partner" was not anticipated to be a major hit, given that the writer was a newcomer and legal dramas focusing on divorce had not attracted much attention in the past.

Recent examples like JTBC's "Divorce Attorney Shin" and ENA's "Can I Be Someone Else?" saw single-digit ratings. However, "Good Partner" has found unexpected success by differentiating itself from past divorce dramas in two ways.

Fresh take

Unlike earlier dramas like "Marriage Clinic: Love and War" (1999-2014), which focused on extreme situations leading to the breakdown of marriages, "Good Partner" centers on the theme of "how to divorce well."

For example, it features a storyline where a wife gives up custody of her two children in exchange for alimony after her husband's infidelity, saying, "The kids had a luxurious upbringing, attending English kindergartens and wearing designer clothes. They won't have the same lifestyle if they stay with me."

Instead of condemning the mother as heartless, "Good Partner" presents a different perspective, showing the complex realities through the character of Cha Eun-kyung (played by Jang Na-ra), a seasoned divorce lawyer with 17 years of experience.

The show portrays custody loss as a temporary arrangement rather than a permanent separation.

Nam Ji-hyun, who plays junior lawyer Han Yoo-ri, said, "I felt like I was hit in the back of the head while reading the script. It's a story that only a writer with a background in divorce law could create."

Workplace dynamics

The drama also delves into workplace conflicts and growth, reminiscent of the popular drama "Misaeng" (2014). It showcases the clash between senior lawyer Cha Eun-kyung, who prioritizes results, and junior lawyer Han Yoo-ri, who values the process, highlighting generational conflicts within the workplace.

According to Nielsen Korea, "Good Partner" has a higher viewership among 20-somethings compared to 30-somethings, unlike dramas like tvN's "Love Next Door" or JTBC's "Romance in the House," which have more 30-something viewers.

This suggests that young professionals in their 20s, who relate to the generational conflicts depicted in the drama, are drawn to "Good Partner."

Jung Duk-hyun, a pop culture critic, said, "The clash of values between the characters played by Jang Na-ra and Nam Ji-hyun naturally reflects today's workplace generational conflicts."

How was a divorce courtroom drama written by a divorce lawyer conceived? The idea dates back to 2019 when lawyer Choi Yu-na began serializing a webtoon on Instagram titled "Marriage Red."

The title implied a "red light" in a married couple's life, featuring stories of couples contemplating divorce. Impressed by the webtoon, a producer from Studio&NEW, a drama production company, proposed that Choi write a script for a TV series.

Choi worked as a lawyer by day and wrote the script at night after putting her two children to bed. It took her five years to complete the script. Studio&NEW, which planned "Good Partner," is known in the industry as a "training ground for legal professionals to debut as drama writers."

The company also produced "Miss Hammurabi," the 2018 debut drama of Moon Yoo-seok, who was a sitting judge at the time.

TV Prefers Divorce Dramas

Divorce-themed dramas are gaining popularity in the K-content market, particularly on TV. Recently, there have been over five such dramas released in the past year alone, including SBS's "Queen of Divorce."

These shows have primarily been aired on television, while crime thrillers like "No Way Out: The Roulette," "The Frog," and "The Tyrant" are more common on streaming platforms.

A production company executive said, "Broadcasters are more actively scheduling divorce-themed dramas to capture middle-aged TV viewers."

The trend of producing divorce-themed content is also on the rise. The production company MongJakSo is preparing to film a drama titled Divorce Insurance, which centers around a fictional story of an insurance company creating a divorce insurance product.

An industry insider said, "Divorce-themed scripts are becoming more frequent in the market these days."

According to the "2023 Marriage and Divorce Statistics" from Statistics Korea, there were approximately 190,000 marriages and 90,000 divorces, meaning one in every two married couples ends up divorced.

This social backdrop has fueled the rise of divorce-themed dramas. Kim Hun-sik, a professor at Jungwon University's College of Social Culture, said, "Divorce, once considered a distant issue, is becoming more normalized, leading to increased interest in content that deals with its crises and resolutions."

Divorce is also becoming a more explicit topic in reality shows, but this trend has its downsides. Pop culture critic Bok-gil noted, "Recent divorce-themed dramas often gain popularity by exhaustively showcasing the communication processes between divorced parties. In contrast, reality shows on divorce frequently reduce these complex issues to brief, conflict-driven clips, which makes it harder to engage in diverse and serious discussions about marriage."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Min Hee-jin, former CEO of K-pop label Ador and producer of NewJeans, on Friday said she cannot accept a contract from the company requiring her to continue producing music for the popular girl group, calling the terms "unilateral" and "unreasonable."

Min was removed from her role as CEO by Ador's board of directors on Tuesday following a monthslong conflict with the label's parent company HYBE over management control of the sublabel. Despite her removal, Ador stated that Min would remain on the board and continue to produce music for NewJeans.

She has opposed the replacement for being "unilateral" and against her will.

"The contents (of the work contract sent by Ador) are unilateral and unreasonable, making it difficult to see it as a proposal for me to take on the producing duties," she said in a statement Friday. "The board required me to sign it by today, but I have decided that I cannot do so."

Min explained that she received the contract a day after the board meeting and it requires her to continue producing music for NewJeans for just over two months till Nov. 1.

She pointed to clauses in the contract that would allow the company to terminate the agreement immediately if her work performance was deemed insufficient or if the company's business circumstances changed.

Min argued that these provisions essentially give the company unrestricted power to remove her from her role as producer at any time, calling it a "trick" designed to force her to reject the contract.

In response to Min's claims, Ador refuted that the contract was meant to cover her role until Nov. 1, when her contract for internal directorship expires. "Any contract beyond that date would need to proceed alongside the renewal of the other contract," it said.

The company also described the clauses pointed out by Min as a "minimal safeguard" designed to prevent any potential failure on her part to honestly perform her duties as a producer from causing significant damage to the company's management.

Ador's CEO replacement came about four months after the conflict between Min and HYBE surfaced in April as the latter accused her of plotting to seize control of her label and take NewJeans with her. She has denied the allegations.

Following an unsuccessful attempt to remove her from the CEO position through a shareholders' meeting in May due to a court injunction against the plan, HYBE notified Min of the termination of the shareholders' agreement signed between the two sides and filed a lawsuit to confirm its termination.

The agreement, which guarantees her five-year term in the position, was a key factor in securing the injunction.

On Thursday, Min's lawyer asserted the agreement remains valid as she has not violated it.

All eyes are now on what choices she will be making in the future, as she has refused to accept any decisions.

Many in the K-pop scene expect she will launch an intense legal dispute to improve her position after being backed into a corner. She is reportedly considering her legal options.

Members of NewJeans have not publicly responded to the recent CEO replacement at their label. (Yonhap)
Korea's industrial output fell for the third consecutive month in July due to sluggish production in the semiconductor and automobile sectors, data showed Friday.

Industrial output decreased 0.4 percent on-month in July, following a 0.1 percent drop the previous month, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea.

Compared with a year earlier, however, industrial output increased 2.7 percent in July, the data showed.

"While industrial output has decreased for three consecutive months, it has posted growth compared to a year earlier, indicating that the industrial sector is in a stable condition," said Kong Mi-sook, a senior official at Statistics Korea.

The output in the mining, manufacturing, gas and electricity industries fell 3.6 percent on-month in July, primarily due to an 8 percent decline in chip production and a 14.4 percent drop in automobile production.

The agency attributed the decrease in the chip segment to reduced production of memory chips.

The local production of recreational vehicles and midsized sedans also lost ground, leading to an overall decrease in the output of the car segment, it added.

The output in the service industries, meanwhile, added 0.7 percent on-month in July, as gains from the telecommunication and travel industries offset losses in the financial sector.

Retail sales, a gauge of private spending, fell 1.9 percent on-month in July, mainly due to declining sales of automobiles, gasoline and semidurables. Compared with a year earlier, sales dropped 2.1 percent.

Facility investment, on the other hand, increased 10.1 percent on-month in July, bolstered by the transportation sector that jumped 50.5 percent, the data added.

Investment in the machinery industry, however, decreased 1.6 percent over the period. (Yonhap)
By Baek Byung-yeul

Korea House, a cultural complex operated by the Korea Heritage Agency (KHA), introduces its new autumn fine dining menu in September, celebrating hansik (Korean cuisine) with a royal twist.

Located in Jung District in central Seoul, Korea House was established in 1957 as a guest house to introduce traditional Korean culture to both domestic and international visitors. Following renovations in 1981, the complex was transformed into a hanok, or traditional Korean house. It now showcases various aspects of Korean culture, including royal cuisine, traditional performances, and Korean-style weddings.

Korea House has become a popular attraction, particularly among international tourists, thanks to its association with K-pop band BTS, which shot their Billboard Magazine cover there, and its use as a filming location for many Korean dramas. The complex is bustling with overseas visitors eager to experience traditional Korean culture.

This fall, Korea House aims to captivate visitors by incorporating seasonal ingredients, once reserved as royal tributes, into their fine dining experience.

The new menu, inspired by the culinary traditions of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), features high-end ingredients such as ogye (black-feathered chicken), the finest grades of red ginseng (steamed and dried ginseng)  jisam and cheonsam, pine mushrooms and jangsaeng doraji (bellflower root).

Each course is uniquely crafted, starting with a refreshing appetizer of Cold Seafood with Mustard Sauce, featuring various seafood complemented by a tangy mustard sauce. This is followed by a selection of dishes including Grilled Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms, hearty Pumpkin Porridge and savory Oat Neungee (sarcodon aspratus) Dumplings.

Gujeolchan (Platter of 9 Side Dishes) showcases an important part of hansik culture  "chan," or side dishes. An assortment of side dishes, including kimchi, sauteed mushrooms, braised anchovies, and steamed egg, is served on a divided platter.

One of the highlights is the Tteok-galbi, or grilled short rib patties, which are made from finely minced beef mixed with autumns flavorful high-grade shiitake mushrooms, offering a modern take on a traditional royal delicacy.

Another offering is the Mushroom Sinseollo, a royal hot pot that was historically served to kings and noblemen. For this autumn season, Korea House has enhanced the dish with a rich broth made from a variety of seasonal mushrooms, providing a deep umami flavor.

Sinseontang is a high-end version of Korea's popular health dish, rich in medicinal and gourmet elements. This soup features high grade red ginseng and black-feathered chicken from Yeonsan, South Chungcheong Province, which is a designated natural treasure in Korea. The recipe combines these with oxtail and ox knee for a rich broth and complements it with meatballs made from the black chicken and sea cucumbers stuffed with snow crab meat.

Steamed Rice with Chestnut is served with Hyojonggaeng, a soup of meat broth with vegetables.

The meal wraps up with Kohojae autumn dessert set, a refined selection of traditional Korean desserts with a seasonal touch. It features coffee jelly, inspired by King Gojong's love of coffee; yakgwa sand, a combination of honey cookies and ginger-flavored ganache; as well as assorted candied fruits and traditional tea snacks, accompanied by green tea sikhye (sweet rice punch).

KHA explained that the ingredients used in the autumn menu were precious food items presented to kings during the Joseon era.

Ogye, meaning black chicken, was a valuable tribute during the Joseon era. According to "The Journals of the Royal Secretariat," which recorded communications between Joseon kings and the government departments, 19th king Sukjong had ogye to recover his health when he was ill.

Ginseng was frequently consumed by Joseon kings for longevity. Among various ginseng products, cheonsam, which ranks in the top 0.5 percent of red ginseng, is considered an upscale health food and has been gifted to foreign dignitaries visiting Korea, including Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

"Korea House has been researching ways for visitors to enjoy not only seasonal ingredients but also traditional Korean cuisine in a fine dining format. By offering royal cuisine fine dining with precious seasonal ingredients each season, we provide diverse hansik experiences that are highly popular among overseas tourists as well," the KHA said in a statement.

The autumn menu is available from Sept. 3 to Dec. 1.
By KTimes

Media consumption in Korea has shifted from traditional TV broadcasts like terrestrial channels to online video platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, and Tving. Notably, younger generations are increasingly favoring short-form videos like Shorts, Reels, and TikTok over longer content on online streaming services (OTT).

According to the "2024 Target Report" released by MezzoMedia, a digital marketing subsidiary of CJ ENM, this trend is based on an online survey of 1,000 men and women aged 15 to 59 living in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and five major metropolitan areas.

The survey showed that respondents spend an average of 88 minutes per day watching TV and 59 minutes on OTT services.

A significant percentage of teens (16 percent) and people in their 20s (19 percent) reported not using TV at all. While those in their 20s, who have more leisure time, spent an average of 70 minutes per day on OTT services, teens used OTT for only 53 minutes, with 30 percent stating they did not watch OTT at all.

However, the actual use of TV often involved apps available on smart TVs. Among 20-somethings, 54 percent of TV time was spent watching content on YouTube, Netflix, and TVING on a larger screen.

The focus of younger generations is primarily on video content centered around YouTube. Teens spent an average of 124 minutes per day on videos, while those in their 20s spent 127 minutes.

Among these, time spent on short-form content such as YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok was 64 minutes and 55 minutes, respectively  accounting for half of their total video viewing time.

In contrast, those aged 30 and above also spent more than an hour daily on video content, but time spent on short-form videos was between 35 and 41 minutes, confirming that the bite-sized clips are primarily a trend among those in their 20s and younger.

Instagram for teen girls, Facebook for men in their 50s

The use of messengers, social media, and online communities shows clear generational and gender differences. The only service with high usage rates across all age groups and genders was the messenger app KakaoTalk.

Teenage and 20-something females preferred Instagram Direct Messages (DMs), while males of the same age groups used Discord more frequently, often for voice chats in gaming.

Although Telegram, which has recently been in the spotlight for its role in distributing deepfake content, had low overall usage rates, it was relatively popular among men in their 20s, 40s, and 50s.

Among social media platforms, Instagram was the most popular, but its usage dropped significantly with increasing age.

Teen and 20-something females preferred X, while 30-something females favored Naver Blog. In contrast, men aged 30 to 50 were more inclined to use Facebook.

For online communities, Naver Cafe and local community-based secondhand trading platform Danggeun Market were popular across all age groups.

However, men in their teens and 20s leaned toward DC Inside and Everytime, while women in their 20s and 30s favored Nate Pann and Daum Cafe.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
By KTimes

The King Sejong Institute Foundation said it signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday with Vilnius University in Lithuania and the HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education in Hong Kong to expand cooperation in Korean language proficiency testing.

The agreement is aimed to implement the Sejong Korean Language Assessment (SKA) and the internet-based Adaptive Sejong Korean Language Assessment (iSKA).

The SKA, developed by the foundation, comprehensively measures Korean language proficiency in speaking, listening, reading and writing through a paper-based test. The iSKA is the first internet-based assessment in Korean language education that automatically adjusts the difficulty level of questions according to the test-taker's ability.

The foundation is actively expanding the use of SKA and iSKA among domestic and international universities, including Vanderbilt University in the United States, that require tools for measuring Korean language proficiency.

With this agreement, the number of institutions using the SKA as a Korean language proficiency measurement tool will increase to 13, including the two new partners.

The first iSKA will be conducted on Sept. 7 at the two universities, and participants will receive a certificate of results issued under the name of the foundation's chairperson.

Lee Hai-young, chairman of the foundation, said, We are delighted to support Korean language learners at Vilnius University and HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education through the SKA and iSKA."

He said the foundation will continue to work closely with prestigious overseas universities to further expand the reach of SKA and iSKA.
The United States underscored Friday its commitment to finding the "best" way to secure "timely, accurate and unbiased" reporting on noncompliance with North Korea-related U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions after a key sanctions monitoring panel was disbanded four months ago.

A State Department spokesperson made the remarks amid ongoing efforts among the U.S., South Korea, Japan and other countries to find an alternative to the U.N. expert panel whose mandate expired on April 30 due to Russia's veto of a resolution on its renewal.

"Russia's veto of the 1718 Committee Panel of Experts  with China's tacit support through its abstention  left a significant gap in reporting," the spokesperson said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency.

"That is why the United States is actively working with all stakeholders to identify the best way forward to ensure timely, accurate, and unbiased reporting on noncompliance with DPRK-related U.N. Security Council resolutions is provided to the international community," the official added.

DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The spokesperson's remarks came as concerns have grown that Pyongyang and Moscow have been deepening their cooperation in military, economic and other realms in the absence of a mechanism to thoroughly monitor any activities that might violate UNSC resolutions.

The U.N. panel's mandate had been extended annually since it was launched in 2009 in line with UNSC Resolution 1874 adopted in response to the North's second nuclear test in May of the same year.

The panel had served as an important institutional platform to oversee sanctions against the North. It had published two reports each year  an interim report and a final report  on instances of sanctions violations based on information from U.N. member states and other open-source materials. (Yonhap)
North Korea's external economic minister has held talks with Russia's deputy industry and trade minister to discuss ways to further bolster bilateral economic cooperation, state media reported Wednesday.

Yun Jong-ho and Roman Chekushov held talks on Tuesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said without further elaborating. A Russian delegation, led by Chekushov, arrived in Pyongyang on Monday.

Other participants also included Kim Hwa-sik, North Korean vice minister in charge of the chemical industry, the report said.

Observers said North Korea and Russia may have discussed ways to increase cooperation in areas of coal gasification and the chemical industry.

North Korea has been ramping up efforts to use coal to produce synthetic gas as it is hard to acquire petroleum under U.N. sanctions against its nuclear and missile programs. With coal gasification, the North aims to produce fuel and chemical materials, but it is believed to make little progress in achieving the goal.

North Korea and Russia have been expanding military and other cooperation following the summit between the North's leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin last year. Kim and Putin signed a new partnership treaty in June in Pyongyang that includes a mutual defense clause. (Yonhap)
Families of victims of North Korea's abduction and detention on Thursday called for international solidarity to resolve the issue of enforced disappearances by the North, as they appealed for efforts to confirm the fate of their family members and secure their safe return.

The joint call was made at a public hearing, hosted by the unification ministry, on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances that falls on Aug. 30.

The event also brought together diplomats from 15 countries, which have established diplomatic ties with both South and North Korea, as well as from the United States and the Philippines.

The hearing came as the United Nations Human Rights Council is set to hold a universal periodic review (UPR) of North Korea in November. UPR is a mechanism that calls for each U.N. member state to go through a peer review of its human rights record every 4.5 years.

At the public hearing, families of the victims appealed for the diplomatic corps' support for the issue of the North's abduction and detention to be highlighted at the upcoming UPR.

Choi Jin-young, son of Choi Chun-gil, a South Korean missionary abducted by the North in 2014, called on North Korea to confirm the fate of his father and other detained South Koreans and also immediately return them home.

Currently, six South Koreans are being detained in North Korea, including three missionaries -- Kim Jung-wook, Choi Chun-gil and Kim Kook-kie  whose whereabouts and fates are unknown.

"I am desperately asking for support from diplomats from countries having diplomatic ties with North Korea," Choi said. "I am thinking about my father every moment and am not letting it go. So I hope you could deliver my words to my father, if possible  Please, do not lose a thread of hope."

Kim Jeong-sam, an elder brother of missionary Kim Jung-wook, also asked for the foreign diplomats present to help raise awareness about the issue of the six detained South Koreans in their countries.

Vice Unification Minister Kim Soo-kyung called on North Korea to apologize for its crime against humanity and proactively resolve it.

"North Korea should not miscalculate that it could conceal this crime with the weight of passing time," Kim said in a speech read by Choi Sun-young, policy adviser to the unification minister.

Separately from the six South Koreans detained in the North, 516 South Koreans have yet to return home among an estimated 3,835 people who were kidnapped by North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean War.

At least 60,000 prisoners of war (POWs) are also estimated to have not come back home or gone missing after being detained in North Korea. A total of 80 POWs have returned home since 1994, but only nine had been alive as of March. (Yonhap)
North Korea's newly appointed ambassador to Singapore took office this week, state media reported Friday, in the latest move to resume diplomatic activities long stalled due to the isolated country's strict COVID-19 restrictions.

Ri Kil-song officially began his term Tuesday after presenting his credentials to Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The Singaporean leader expressed hopes for the stabilization of the lives of victims of recent floods in North Korea, the KCNA said. Late last month, heavy rains flooded large areas along the Amnok River in the northern part of the country.

Ri appears to have served as a vice foreign minister handling Asian affairs until 2020.

North Korea has recently made efforts to restart in-person diplomatic activities after easing its border restrictions in August 2023, appointing new ambassadors to Vietnam, Thailand and Romania. (Yonhap)
The unification ministry said Friday it has given the green light to civic groups' requests for contact with North Koreans over flood damage relief, marking its first approval of civilian humanitarian aid bids in two years amid strained inter-Korean relations.

The ministry said it has approved the requests by nine nongovernment organizations (NGOs) to come in contact with North Koreans over humanitarian assistance related to the North's latest floods in border areas.

It marked the first time in about two years that the conservative administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol has approved NGOs' bid for civilian humanitarian assistance.

"Despite the current inter-Korean situation, the government has approved the contact requests by the civic groups solely for flood damage relief on the judgment that it is very important for flood-hit North Koreans to get back to their life as soon as possible," Kim In-ae, deputy spokesperson at the ministry, told a press briefing.

The official said the approval was given only for the purpose of flood damage supplies, adding that the government is reviewing civic groups' bid for humanitarian aid to the North in a principle-based manner.

North Korea is struggling to recover from massive flood damage in its border areas along the Amnok River. Heavy rains in late July flooded large areas of the country's North Phyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces.

Despite the ministry's approval, it remains uncertain whether North Korea would accept South Korean civic groups' aid offer, given Pyongyang's hostile stance against Seoul.

Earlier this month, the unification ministry offered to provide humanitarian assistance to North Korea over its flood damage. But North Korea has remained unresponsive to Seoul's offer. (Yonhap)






South Korea has so far tracked a total of 4,071 perpetrators and victims of North Korea's human rights violations in an ongoing investigation meant to serve as potential evidence in holding human rights abusers accountable, the unification ministry said Friday.

The figure marks an increase from 3,817 people on the list of perpetrators and victims of North Korea's human rights abuses as of end-July last year, the ministry said in a policy report submitted to the National Assembly.

The ministry did not provide further details on the respective number of perpetrators and victims.

By law, details of the ministry's probe of North Korean defectors are transferred to the justice ministry's archive on North Korea's human rights record. The justice ministry identifies perpetrators and victims to use the data for holding rights abusers accountable later.

In an assessment of the overall rights situation in North Korea, the ministry said human rights violations have worsened under the North Korean regime's tightened control of its residents.

It also said food rights of North Korean people have worsened due to the regime's monopoly on grain distribution.

Under the North Korean Human Rights Act, the government submits an annual report of policy developments on improving North Korean human rights to the National Assembly. (Yonhap)
Most nurses and medical workers called off their planned strike Thursday after reaching last-minute wage deals, hospital officials said, easing concerns over public health services that have been strained by a protracted walkout by trainee doctors.

The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union (KHMU), which represents some 30,000 nurses and medical workers, had planned to stage a strike Thursday, demanding a pay raise and improvements in working conditions.

Of the 62 hospitals under the KHMU, 59 called off their planned strike, hospital officials said.

The move followed the passage of a bill in parliament on the previous day that provides the legal basis for physician assistant nurses to assist doctors in performing medical procedures and offers better legal protection to nurses.

Nurses had advocated for the bill's passage, emphasizing the need for legal protection and better working conditions, though it faced fierce opposition from the medical community.

Of the remaining three hospitals, medical workers at Chosun University Hospital in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, are set to proceed with the walkout. (Yonhap)
Scheme approved to invest $7.5 billion to attract doctors to vital-but-unpopular fields

By Jung Min-ho

Starting this year, the government will pour more than 10 trillion won ($7.5 billion) into vital health care services such as emergency care and neurosurgery over the next five years as a means of attracting doctors to unpopular-yet-necessary fields.

The presidential committee for medical reform approved the scheme, Friday, to significantly increase the governments support for some 3,000 medical services, including surgeries for organ transplantation and pediatric intensive care.

This move aims to address the worrying tendency of doctors shunning essential specializations over more lucrative ones such as cosmetic surgery. Under the national health insurance system, hospitals can only receive a fixed fee for essential medical care from patients, but fees set by the government have long been criticized for being too low to cover costs.

In the coming months, the government will increase cost-coverage rates for 800 services such as anesthesia. Based on the results of its comprehensive review of all health care services, it plans to raise compensation for some 2,200 other services in the following years.

Factors such as whether the service requires high-level technique and whether the service provider works at a hospital in a rural area will be considered to determine support levels, according to the committee and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The expansion of support for certain services is the second phase of the government project to make such services more accessible for more patients, particularly those living in regional and remote areas, amid nationwide shortages of physicians.

This announcement comes as the government forges ahead with its health care reform plan despite fierce opposition from doctors.

Frustrated with the governments earlier decision to hike medical school enrollment quotas, more than 10,000 trainee physicians  a crucial part of large hospitals in Korea  walked off their jobs in February, disrupting the operations of many medical institutions ever since.

The impact of their collective walkout has been profound mainly because of the hospitals heavy dependence on their cheap labor. The government reform scheme also includes plans to reduce that reliance through structural reforms and to improve their training programs.

Roh Yeon-hong, chairman of the committee, said he would continue to press ahead with the project despite opposition, with a clear goal of completing major reform plans by the end of 2028.

In the announcement, the committee also said it would launch a consultative body later this year to help determine medical school enrollment quotas for the academic year of 2026 among other long-term medical issues, urging doctors to join the discussion.

So far, organizations representing physicians, in an overwhelmingly united voice, have called on the ministry to rescind the quota hike decision while refusing to accept anything less than that.

Speaking at a press conference held the previous day, President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed not to back down on his medical reform agenda, saying the quota decision has been finalized.
President Yoon Suk Yeol met with a delegation from the United States House of Representatives on Friday to discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral alliance and trilateral cooperation involving Japan, his office said.

During the meeting with the six-member delegation led by U.S. Congressman John Moolenaar in Seoul, Yoon emphasized that support for the South Korea-U.S. alliance is bipartisan within the U.S. and has evolved into "global comprehensive strategic alliance."

"Close cooperation between Korea-U.S. and Korea-U.S.-Japan, based on shared values, is essential in overcoming the polycrisis," Yoon was quoted by his office saying.

In response, the U.S. representatives noted that since Yoon took office, the relationship between the two countries has strengthened to an unprecedented level, attributing the progress to his courage and leadership.

The delegation also expressed their intention to work closely with Korea and other key allies in the Indo-Pacific region to address regional and global challenges, including those posed by Pyongyang. (Yonhap)
By Jon Dunbar

Tattooing is still illegal in Korea, but that hasn't prevented it from being part of hallyu, or the wave of Korean popular culture sweeping the world.

Korea's medical law, which defines tattooing as a surgical procedure, bars anyone but licensed medical doctors from inking art on the skin. This has resulted in a substantial tattoo industry operating without regulatory oversight. Korean tattoo artists work in the shadows in their home country and are increasingly traveling abroad to promote their work, finding that they are welcomed like rock stars in countries where tattooing is legal.

Ryu Ji-hwan, who works at SHARP Ink in western Seoul, estimates he has visited at least 10 countries as a guest artist.

"Many people overseas are already aware that tattooing is still illegal in South Korea. They often see talented Korean tattoo artists on social media and say, 'Why is it still illegal?'" Ryu told The Korea Times, before boarding a plane to head off for another tattoo world tour that will take him through three undisclosed European countries over two weeks.

Ryu has been a longtime member of Korea's underground extreme music scene, best known as the frontman of D-beat noise punk band Scumraid founded in 2011. It was this environment that led him to his life of "crime."

"In Korean society, where tattoos have been taboo, young punks who wanted to rebel against the older generation often got tattoos to express their beliefs or tell a unique story," he said. "Growing up with those punks, I was exposed to many tattoos, which always served as a great inspiration for me. Historically, tattoos have also been a symbol of rebellion, sharing similarities with punk, and I found that intriguing. This connection gave me the motivation to learn tattooing."

As he honed his musical talents, fronting what has widely been called Seoul's loudest band, he also cultivated his artistic skills, designing show posters, album liner notes and band logos.

His career as a tattoo artist got its first start during a drinking session in 2016 with Ryu Jin-suk, frontman of ska-punk band Skasucks and owner of Club SHARP as well as SHARP Ink, when they discussed an apprenticeship.

Ryu emphasized that there were complex reasons behind his decision to accept the offer.

"It wasn't an easy decision," he said. "I knew that many creative fields I've been interested in or experienced require a deep commitment, and approaching them lightly often leads to leaving them just as easily. Becoming a tattoo artist comes with the heavy burden of having to study and hone the craft for a very long time, so I needed time to make up my mind."

After a few days of deliberation, he decided to go for it, and he's been working there ever since.

Over the years, Ryu has developed his own unique, distinctly Korean style of tattoo, inspired by traditional Korean arts and folklore as well as religious iconography.

"My artwork isn't strictly religious, but it is influenced by religious art, connecting those lingering images in my mind with various themes," he said. "I grew up in a religious household. On my father's side, we were part of a large family in the countryside that followed traditional shamanistic beliefs and Buddhism. As a young child growing up in that rural environment, I was deeply influenced by the shamanistic and Buddhist imagery that was intertwined with the natural world where I played freely. These vivid images left a strong impression on me, and now I try to express those powerful visuals through my art."

His interest in Korean folk art, or "minhwa," influences his coloring, as well as his use of animals, especially tigers, dragons, serpents and birds, which feature in much of his work.

His extensive travels have also influenced his work.

"I've traveled to many traditional tattoo shops around the world, forming meaningful connections and engaging in artistic exchanges," he said. "I've learned about their sincere approach to tattooing, which has influenced my own style  not just in my drawings, but also in my mindset. I came to understand that the world of tattoos is more profound and deeply connected than I initially thought. I'm deeply grateful to each and every client who recognizes my work and chooses to come to me for their tattoos."

The continued lack of a legal basis for his work in Korea hasn't hindered him that much. He compares Korea's current situation to the state of New York, where tattooing was illegal from 1961 to 1997.

"Despite this, many underground tattoo artists continued to develop their craft in the shadows," he said. "After tattooing became legal in New York, the legacy they left behind served as a great inspiration for modern tattoo artists and provided the foundation for continuing both traditional and new businesses. I feel that the current situation in Korea is similar to this, and I am determined to continue creating my artwork steadily."

In the time since he began tattooing, he has seen public attitudes toward tattooing come around significantly.

"I used to have a negative view on this," he admitted. "The tattoo culture I knew was hidden and had to be unique to be considered cool. However, I eventually realized that you can't stop the flow of culture. Everything evolves and gets absorbed, so I believe that the tattoo business will naturally evolve as well."

Now, he thinks it's only a matter of time before Korea legalizes his profession.

"The fact that it's illegal means that some people are uncomfortable with it," he said, "but since this cultural trend can't be forcibly stopped, I believe that, eventually, the majority will agree with it, and it will become legal."

Follow @fuzzzzzzyy on Instagram to see Ryu's artwork.
By Jon Dunbar

One of the interesting features of Block Party, a multi-venue festival happening Sept. 21 and 22, is in how it mixes communities. It offers a lineup of exciting bands you'd expect to see at Hongdae's Live Club Day, performing alongside familiar members of central Seoul's Haebangchon and Gyeongnidan neighborhoods. This direction was set in the first year of the festival to better involve the local community, and it created a unique atmosphere, sort of like an actual block party.

Steven Manning is one of the names that stands out. He will be playing a solo acoustic set featuring covers of his favorite songs as well as crowd pleasers he's done in the past.

Block Party is an awesome thing to have in the neighborhood and I'm excited to be a part of it this year," Manning said. "It has a good vibe that brings people in from all over Seoul and the rest of Korea, and is a great place to see and hear music that they most likely wouldn't hear anywhere else. I also think it's a good snapshot of what is going on with the music scene at that particular time. I attended Block Party last year and saw all sorts of acts in one weekend that I wouldn't have seen otherwise, and I know this year's show will be different but just as awesome."

Manning has been a fixture of the area's music scene since 2017, when he returned to Korea and took over hosting duties for Buskers Open Mic. The talent showcase started out in 2016 in Bedrock, which later closed (and is now renamed Togul), and Manning has since taken the weekly event over to Phillies.

"As challenging as it can be at times, I've enjoyed hosting and being the emcee for it as well," Manning said. "I put so much effort into it because I think that there should be an opportunity for people who want to play music in Seoul to get up in front of their friends and other people to show what they can do and they should sound their best. I feel like the more places people can get up and play music, the better it is for everyone."

Over the years, he's continued playing music, both solo and sometimes with bands.

"In terms of fun, I like playing in a band," he said. "In terms of opportunities to just get out and play guitar, I like to play solo because it's just me and anyplace I can plug in my guitar."

He played in a few bands back in Seattle, but the only band he has been part of in Korea so far was the heavy metal band Rogue Warriors. That was a sprawling mess of a band, which had at least 40 members. The idea was to cycle through all these different people in one set, and savor the ensuing chaos.

Manning enjoys playing heavy metal and hard rock on his electric guitar, while his acoustic work is heavily influenced by the 1990s and 2000s acoustic rock he grew up with.

"My musical tastes developed by listening to the radio a lot as a kid, which led me to picking up a guitar when I was 15 years old," he said. "Seattle had and still does have a lot of good music that gets played at clubs and on the radio, and a lot of that worked its way into my musical personality."

Manning first arrived in Korea in 2010 with the U.S. military, serving at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan. After leaving the military in 2011, he attended college and later returned to Korea as an English teacher after graduating.

"I've stuck around here mostly because I not only enjoy playing music in HBC, but just enjoying Korea in general," he said.

Having been based in Seoul for seven years, Manning has witnessed numerous changes in his surroundings. While he acknowledges the changes, he doesn't view them as necessarily negative.

"Everything seems to be changing around Yongsan, HBC and Itaewon these days," he said. "Bars have closed, moved, and/or reopened, and restaurants have come and gone. But when you look at the overall big picture, it still has its own identity and vibe that is different from the rest of Seoul. I think it will still be around in its own way, but we will just have to wait and see what that new identity will be."

Follow @buskers_at_phillies and @blockpartykorea on Instagram for more information.




By Anna J. Park

British Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Colin Crooks has decided not to participate in next week's Global Korea Forum, citing concerns over the lack of gender diversity among the invited speakers, all of whom were men, the embassy said Wednesday.

The annual forum has been hosted by the Ministry of Unification since 2010, and this year's installment is slated to be held on Tuesday under the theme "Unified Korean Peninsula for Freedom, Peace and Prosperity."

While the forum aims to provide a platform to discuss international security and unification policies of the Korean Peninsula, among others, the annual event's invited 18 speakers were all men.

With the embassy's withdrawal from the speaker list, the event organizer added two more men and one woman to take the stand, resulting in 20 men and one woman in terms of gender distribution.

The embassy announced its decision not to participate in the Global Korea Forum 2024, saying that it believes panel events that represent gender diversity can lead to a richer exchange of ideas.

"The ambassador is unable to take part in the Global Korea Forum next week. The British Embassy is committed to gender equality. We believe that events are enriched by the diversity of perspectives of those participating," the spokesperson of the British Embassy told The Korea Times on Wednesday, confirming the ambassador's withdrawal from the event.

The ambassador has been stationed in Seoul since his appointment in 2022.

Known as a leading expert on the Korean Peninsula, he has extensive experience, having served as an ambassador in both South and North Korea.

Before his current role, he was the ambassador to North Korea from 2018 to 2021. Additionally, he worked at the British Embassy in Seoul between 1995 and 1999. His studies in the Korean language during the 1990s have given him fluency, allowing him to deliver most of his speeches in Korean.

On many occasions, the ambassador has been very vocal about promoting diversity, including gender equality and minority issues.

The embassy made an offer to participate as a panelist at the forum hosted by The Korea Times in June, which was held under the banner of "Toward diversity, inclusiveness and equality."

During the event, Crooks emphasized that women's participation in the public sector is imperative for developing inclusive government policies, calling for male allyship in achieving gender equality.
By Anna J. Park

This year's Global Korea Foum (GKF), an annual international conference hosted by the Ministry of Unification, has added more female panelists after being criticized for its lack of diversity.

According to the website of the GKF 2024, Friday, the panel speakers for next Tuesday's forum are comprised of 20 men and seven women, significantly increasing the female presence from its previous 4.7 percent  20 men and one women  to over 25 percent.

The addition came after British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks decided not to participate in the event, citing concerns over the lack of gender diversity among the invited speakers, as reported by The Korea Times on Wednesday.

The British Embassy at the time officially confirmed the ambassador's withdrawal from the event, stating: "The ambassador is unable to take part in the Global Korea Forum (scheduled for Sept. 3). The British Embassy is committed to gender equality. We believe that events are enriched by the diversity of perspectives of those participating."

An official from the unification ministry said the ministry had accepted the criticism that the forum should be conducted in line with the values of gender equality.

The newly added female panelists include Korea Institite for Defense Analyses (KIDA) research fellow Kwon Bo-ram, Korea Institute for Defense Analyses head of security strategy Lee Ho-ryoung, Kangwon National University professor Chung Ku-youn, Renmin University of China professor Ahn Yin-hay, National Institute for Unification Education professor Jeong Eun-chan and Korea Peninsula Future Women's Institute Director Hyun In-ae.




A Navy officer became Korea's first female deep sea diver in the Navy's 78-year history on Friday, officials said, amid an ongoing push to broaden women's role in various areas of the military.

Lt. Jg. Mun Hee-woo was among the 64 officers, noncommissioned officers and conscripts that completed the Navy's basic training to join the Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit (SSU) in a ceremony held at Changwon, 298 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the Navy said.

The 27-year-old is the first female service member to apply for and complete the grueling 12-week course that trains applicants to become members of the elite unit. She also served on the frigate ROKS Daegu after being commissioned as an ensign in June 2022.

While Mun felt that she had to test her limits during each and every day of the intensive training, she said her gender was never a hurdle.

"I felt confident that I could complete the training. I don't think anyone would have known I was a woman unless someone told them so since I cut my hair short," Mun said.

What actually proved to be tougher than expected was her age.

"Rather than the gender difference, I was the oldest trainee and was eight years older than my youngest colleague, which made it difficult for me to recover quickly," she said. "It was tough to follow up with the physical training."

Mun, who majored in physical education and oceanography, said her longtime affection for swimming and scuba diving naturally inspired her to become a Navy deep sea diver to guard people's lives.

After successfully completing the training, Mun and 32 other officers and noncommissioned officers will embark on another 14-week training on diving 91 meters underwater using a surface-supplied diving system.

As the country's first Navy female deep sea diver, Mun said she would like to become a maritime rescue expert so that others can follow her path.

For now, she is glad to have passed the first step for that goal.

"I feel that I've now left an unknown world where I couldn't see and that I am starting to adjust to darkness in the deep sea, that my vision is opening up," Mun said.

Korea's military has been seeking to deploy women in more diverse areas amid concerns that it could face a shortage of troops due to the country's ultralow birthrate.

In 2022, the Navy announced a policy change to allow female service members to join the submarine crew as it acquired larger 3,000-ton submarines. Nine female submarines were deployed for duty in January. (Yonhap)
South Korea and the United States will hold vice-ministerial talks in Washington next week on deterrence efforts against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday.

The fifth meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) will take place Wednesday (local time), with a focus on assessing the progress on the allies' efforts to deter North Korea's military threats, the ministry said in a release.

The talks will also address ways to bolster coordination between the two countries to enhance the "extended deterrence" against the North in light of the current security landscape, the ministry said.

Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to mobilizing all of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.

The talks will be led by First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun; Cho Chang-rae, deputy defense minister for policy; Bonnie Jenkins, U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security; and Cara Abercrombie, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.

In a media note, the U.S. State Department portrayed EDSCG as an "important alliance forum for comprehensive discussions on extended deterrence policy issues affecting the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific."

The EDSCG dialogue was resumed in September 2022, more than four years after it was suspended under the previous Moon Jae-in government amid the former liberal president's rapprochement efforts with Pyongyang.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to reactivate the talks during their May summit in 2022 as part of joint efforts to address the North's evolving nuclear and missile threats. (Yonhap)
Education ministry launches task force as crime spreads rapidly among students

By Jung Da-hyun

Education and child protection authorities are on high alert, as data reveals that more than one-third of victims of deepfake sex crimes in Korea are minors.

Amid the rapid spread of deepfake crimes, particularly within schools, where over 180 cases have involved schoolchildren as victims, education authorities and police have announced plans to implement stronger countermeasures by establishing a task force.

According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Wednesday, 781 people sought help about deepfake crimes with the Advocacy Center for Online Sexual Abuse Victims this year as of Sunday, and 36.9 percent of them were minors.

Deepfake crimes involve the manipulation of photos and videos, typically using images of unidentified individuals, to create explicit content. Victims often find their faces superimposed onto obscene images, leading to significant emotional and psychological distress.

The number of underage victims increased 4.5-fold over two years, rising from 64 in 2022 to 288. This surge exceeds the overall increase for all age groups, which grew 3.7 times from 212 to 781 during the same period.

An official at the center noted that the high incidence of these types of damage among younger generations, particularly teenagers and those in their 20s, is due to their greater familiarity with online communication and social media compared to other age groups.

The center also attributes the rise to recent advancements in deepfake technology and the emergence of generative artificial intelligence.

Recently, deepfake abuse has been rapidly escalating in schools nationwide.

According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 196 people  186 students and 10 teachers  reported they were victims of deepfake crimes from January to Tuesday.

The alert was prompted by an online post on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday, which disclosed a list of hundreds of middle schools, high schools and universities where students have fallen victim to deepfake crimes.

The manipulated videos were reportedly circulated through Telegram group chats, with media reports saying a chatroom where bots turn images into deepfake nude photos has nearly 227,000 users.

What is more concerning is the fact that a large number of offenders are also believed to be minors, according to authorities.

In response to the rising deepfake crimes at schools, the education ministry announced a plan to launch a dedicated task force, aiming to investigate the extent of the damage and provide support to alleviate the concerns of students and teachers.

It will conduct weekly investigations into deepfake-related cases and will cooperate with relevant authorities, including the National Police Agency, the Korea Communications Commission and the gender ministry. Additionally, it will maintain emergency contact networks with education offices nationwide.

The task force will also focus on managing the psychological impact on affected students and teachers.

Local education authorities also urgently issued announcements to schools and students, Tuesday, to raise awareness over the issue. The announcements notify that deepfake crimes are not mere acts of curiosity but serious offenses subject to punishment, causing significant harm to victims and leaving psychological damage. The notice also provided guidance on how to support victims.

The education ministry stated that child offenders involved in deepfake crimes could face serious consequences, including expulsion from school.

Police also warned that they will take stringent measures, including arrest, depending on the specifics of each deepfake case.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Communications Standards Commission, Wednesday, to establish a dedicated hotline for deepfake crimes. The agreement also aims to strengthen the support system for the swift removal of such content.
The CEO of a Korean lithium battery maker that was struck by a fire that killed 23 people in June has been arrested after a court approved a warrant on allegations of violating industrial safety law, a judge said on Thursday.

Park Soon-kwan, the CEO of Aricell, which is majority owned by S-Connect, apologized after the fire but said at the time the company had followed all required safety precautions and training for staff.

The Suwon District Court, which has jurisdiction for the city of Hwaseong where the factory is located, approved the warrant for Park's detention late on Wednesday due to the gravity of the allegations against him, a public affairs judge said by telephone.

The court also approved a detention warrant for Park's son, who is an executive at the company, she said.

Park's lawyer could not be immediately reached for comment.

Entering the court for a hearing on Wednesday, Park did not answer reporters' questions about the charges against him but said "I'm sorry," television footage showed.

Authorities investigating the fire released a report on Friday saying a rush to meet a supply deadline and a lack of action to address signs of dangerous quality defects in batteries that had been produced led to the fire.

Hiring temporary workers who did not receive proper safety and emergency escape training to make up for a backlog of production contributed to the large number of casualties, police and labour ministry officials said. (Reuters)
By Lee Hae-rin

A former foreign ministry official was given a suspended jail term, Friday, for sexually harassing a foreign employee of the same sex seven years ago while working at the Korean Embassy in New Zealand.

The Incheon District Court sentenced the 58-year-old man, surnamed Kim, to two years in prison, with the sentence suspended for three years.

The court also ordered him to complete 40 hours of lectures on sexual violence prevention and 160 hours of community service. Additionally, he is restricted from working in any institution related to children, adolescents or individuals with disabilities for the next five years.

"The defendant sexually abused the worker three times while he was required to uphold appropriate conduct in his role as a diplomat," the ruling said.

"The victim experienced mental suffering and pleaded for severe punishment," the ruling said. "Although the defendant is a first-time offender, we took into account the significant negative impact this case had on the national interest of the Republic of Korea."

The former diplomat was indicted without detention on charges of groping a local male employee by touching various body parts, including the hips, on three occasions at the Korean Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand, between November and December 2017.

The court, however, did not find Kim guilty of touching the victim's genitals, and did not recognize the causal relationship between the harassment and the victim's post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"The victim began to demand a large monetary compensation when he claimed that the defendant touched his genitals, the ruling said, questioning the credibility of the victim's claim. "Also some of the medical records about PTSD seem to be based on only the victim's testimony."

Kim left New Zealand in February 2018. The victim requested an investigation by the New Zealand police in July 2019, but the inquiry did not proceed effectively.

The following year, when New Zealand media reported the issuance of an arrest warrant, the case gained attention in Korea. The issue was also raised during a phone call between then-President Moon Jae-in and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, leading to a diplomatic controversy.

After arriving in Korea at the end of 2022, the victim filed a lawsuit against Kim with Korean law enforcement authorities.

After leaving New Zealand, Kim was stationed in the Philippines as a consul general until August 2020. He retired from the ministry earlier this year.
By Lee Hae-rin

As reports of deepfake sex crimes spread in Korea, a "deepfake map," which displays the current status of allegedly affected schools has gone viral here.

The map shows the locations of middle and high schools and universities in Korea that are believed to have been affected by deepfake crimes with the list of such schools in the upper right corner.

The website hosting the map also linked visitors to the website of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Security Support Center, which provides anonymous counseling to victims of digital sex crimes.

As of Thursday, over 3 million online users visited the site and more than 500 schools were registered on the map. The site has been temporarily inaccessible since Friday.

The deepfake map creator is known to be a male student who is a high school freshman.

In an interview with local media, he said he was inspired by a map that tracked infected people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A recent incident at his school led him to create the map, which took him only two hours.

"I heard there are about five students who have been victimized at my school. When I learned I knew one of the victims, I realized this was a real problem, so I decided to make the map."

As the website went viral, the number of users increased rapidly, as well as what appeared to be distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

Although he has been updating the map from hundreds of emails and social media reports, he said he has been unable to confirm their veracity. However, his goal is to raise awareness of deepfake crimes through the map, he said.

Six out of 10 victims of deepfake crimes here investigated by police over the past three years were minors, according to data released Friday.

Police data submitted to Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) showed that 59.8 percent of the 527 victims of deepfake crimes reported to the police between 2021 and 2023 were teenagers.

This is a significantly larger proportion than other age groups, such as those in their 20s at 32.1 percent, 30s at 5.3 percent and 40s at 1.1 percent.

The number of minors affected by fake videos increased 3.4 times from 53 in 2021 to 81 in 2022 and 181 in 2023.

The share of teenagers among all victims fell from 64.6 percent in 2021 to 52.9 percent in 2022 and then rose back to 62.0 percent last year.

The proportion of teenagers among all suspects charged with fake video crimes increased from 65.4 percent in 2021 and 61.2 percent in 2022 to 75.8 percent in 2023. This year's January-July period is also high at 73.6 percent.

But while deepfake crimes spread among teenagers, there have been no government measures, and they have been relying only on post-punishment through investigative agencies rather than prevention through education.

The problem is that it is difficult to investigate such offenses.

According to the National Police Agency, the arrest rate for deepfake crimes over the past three years stood at 47.4 percent in 2021, 46.9 percent in 2022 and 51.7 percent in 2023. Between January and July, the figure stood at 49.5 percent.

Notably, the police are pushing to upgrade deepfake detection software and launch undercover investigations to boost arrests.

Deepfake detection software developed in March determines the authenticity of deepfake content within 10 minutes with an 80 percent detection rate.
'S. Korea-US-Japan trilateral cooperation to be maintained'

By Anna J. Park

President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed his strong commitment to reforming the national pension system to ensure the fund's sustainability, so citizens can receive their pensions without concerns about depletion.

He also reaffirmed his pledge to increase the number of doctors and overhaul the nations medical system to ensure access to medical services in non-capital regions, despite a protracted standoff with doctors over the governments plan to raise medical school admissions quotas.

In his rare public briefing and press conference, Thursday, the president said the national pension system requires fundamental structural changes. He explained that it currently fails to provide sufficient income replacement for retirees, while younger Koreans worry they may not receive any benefits, given the government's forecast that the fund could be depleted by 2055.

The government is committed to restoring trust in the national pension system through sustainable, long-term reforms, Yoon stated during the press conference at the presidential office in central Seoul. In addition to adjusting variables like premiums and income replacement rates, we need to enhance the funds investment returns and introduce automatic stabilizing mechanisms to secure the pensions long-term viability."

Earlier this year, the rival parties discussed increasing the pension premium from 9 percent to 13 percent of one's income. But they disagreed on the income replacement rate, which is the pension as a percentage of a subscriber's average lifetime income. The current rate is 40 percent, with proposals to raise it to between 44 and 45 percent.

Yoon did not elaborate on the specific levels for the premium and income replacement rate, but he indicated that the government will soon present a detailed proposal.

The president further emphasized the need for reforms tailored to younger workers, who contribute the most and receive benefits the latest. He advocated for differentiated premium increases between younger and middle-aged generations.

We need to legally guarantee the states obligation to provide pensions, to reassure younger generations that they will also receive benefits.

Strengthening regional medical system

The president also addressed health care reform, emphasizing that the primary goal of the current administration is to strengthen regional and essential medical systems. He noted that the government aims to ensure fair and equal access to health care across the country, particularly in non-capital, rural areas.

"With the increase in medical school admissions for next year confirmed, the government will now focus its policy efforts on revitalizing regional and essential health care services," Yoon said.

Despite strong opposition and months of walkouts by medical professionals concerning the multi-year plan to expand medical school admissions, Yoon emphasized that the government will not yield to such pressure.

"Training medical professionals will take at least 10 to 15 years. If we do not act now, Korea is projected to face a shortage of 15,000 doctors by 2035 ... Therefore, this step is unavoidable," Yoon explained.

"The government will focus on producing more highly-skilled doctors by advancing medical education and reforming the training system. Additionally, we will strengthen regional health care infrastructure," the president said.

He also pledged to overhaul the medical insurance system by significantly improving fees for essential and regional medical services.

To effectively implement the medical reform, Yoon announced plans to invest at least 10 trillion won ($7.5 billion) over the next five years.

Regarding Korea's ongoing problem with low birthrates, Yoon highlighted the urgent need for a fundamental shift in the country's overly competitive culture and socioeconomic framework.

"The culture of unnecessary and excessive competition is a core issue driving the population decline. Balanced regional development to address the concentration in metropolitan areas can be a fundamental solution to this problem," Yoon stated. "To attract people and businesses to the provinces, living conditions must improve. In enhancing the conditions, high-quality education and health care services (in the provinces) are the keys," he added, highlighting that all reform priorities are interconnected to addressing the countrys long-standing challenges.

He noted that the countrys low birthrate policies will be completely re-evaluated, with new programs designed to take into account beneficiaries' preferences, the impact of the policies, and their long-term sustainability.

Trilateral cooperation in diplomacy

When asked if he believes the U.S. stance on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is shifting  especially since both the Democratic and Republican parties have excluded denuclearization from their upcoming presidential election pledges  and whether this might influence the South Korean governments stance on nuclear armament, Yoon responded that he does not believe Washington will tolerate North Koreas nuclearization.

"I do not believe the U.S. would ever tolerate North Koreas nuclearization or accept violations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) framework," the president said. "Such a stance would contradict the U.S.' historical position and strategy. Allowing these violations would mean lifting United Nations Security Council sanctions related to illegal nuclear development, which would undermine the global NPT system and increase nuclear threats in Northeast Asia. Therefore, I do not see this happening."

He noted that the mutual alliance between South Korea and the U.S. has become increasingly robust, as it is being upgraded and effectively integrated to counter North Korean threats. The president also mentioned that the Camp David cooperation framework, established a year ago between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, will continue to be upheld regardless of changes in the leadership of the three countries, since this framework is essential for the stability of the Indo-Pacific region and global economic security.
By Arthur I. Cyr

South Korea and the United States on Aug. 19 began regular annual military exercises, including operations geared toward North Korea, but this year, there is a difference. Japan is a more visible defense partner in the Pacific and beyond

This follows directly from a Camp David summit last year hosted by President Joe Biden, which included the leaders of Japan and South Korea. The resulting agreement greatly changes the dynamics of the balance of power in Northeast Asia and, more generally, in the vast region of Asia.

Traditionally, Japan and Korea were enemies. The powerful military culture of historically unified Korea generally maintained independence from China and Japan. This changed in 1905 when Japan invaded and occupied Korea.

That occupation continued until Japan's defeat in 1945. Soviet forces occupied Korea north of the 38th Parallel, and U.S. forces controlled the southern region. As with Germany, the occupation zones were conceived as a temporary expedient among the victorious Allies, but the onset of the Cold War made them permanent. Germany is now united, but Korea remains divided.

So far, both China and North Korea have been relatively muted in publicly complaining about these exercises. That may reflect an intimidation factor, given Japan's increasing prominence in defense.

Additionally, both communist nations, along with Russia, are beleaguered. Russian President Vladimir Putin has moved to strengthen military ties with Pyongyang, but that reflects the unanticipated great costs resulting from Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

China's economy is in growing difficulty. Beijing strives to attract private investment while simultaneously maintaining a brutal police state. In effect, the regime is trying to ride two horses going in opposite directions.

Beijing's military assertiveness, especially at sea, is one important incentive for the expanding military role of Japan. In 2016, a panel of five judges at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled unanimously against China and in favor of the Philippines regarding territorial disputes. Philippine-U.S. military cooperation is expanding, while China tensions continue.

North Korea's erratic behavior is now routine. In 2013, the regime announced a "state of war" with South Korea and threatened nuclear attack. Pyongyang abruptly abrogated the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War and cut the military hotline communications link with the South.

In March 2010, a North Korean torpedo sank the South Korean naval ship Cheonan. In the same vicinity in November of that year, North Korean artillery bombarded South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island.

North Korea has conducted rudimentary nuclear weapons tests along with missile tests. Progress has been uneven, but there has been a slow expansion of missile ranges. There is evidence of the capacity to strike the continental U.S., and the ominous effort seriously threatens Japan as well as South Korea.

In 2017, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2271 in response to North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile tests. This motion involving severe economic sanctions passed unanimously, but since then, both China and Russia have moved to support North Korea.

In 2016, the U.S. and South Korea agreed to the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missile system given Pyongyang's missile program. This is a defensive system, therefore stabilizing.

This introduces the most fundamental point. For all the tensions and strains along the 38th Parallel and occasional violent incidents, the 1953 armistice has held. Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower deserve credit for deciding to defend South Korea and then ending the war.

Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is author of After the Cold War  American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia."
President must address conflicts likely to arise from reforms

President Yoon Suk Yeol is scheduled to deliver a national briefing, Thursday, to discuss the progress of his four key reform initiatives: national pension, healthcare, education, and labor. He is also expected to address the sharp decline in the country's total fertility rate. The president, who has often faced criticism for not engaging enough with the press and the public, will likely take questions from reporters during the briefing.

This will be his second government affairs briefing this year, following his June announcement about potential gas reserves off Yeongil Bay near Pohang, in North Gyeongsang Province. While the president is not widely regarded as the most effective communicator, this time he needs to do more than simply list the progress made on his reform agendas in a self-congratulatory tone.

People will be paying close attention, especially to the expected announcement regarding the government's plan to reform the national pension system, which is the third-largest in the world but is projected to be depleted by 2055. Although details have been scarce, the government and the National Assembly have floated the idea of a "pay more and receive more" approach. Remarkably, despite their usual conflicts, the political parties in the previous 21st National Assembly agreed on this reform, which involves raising both the premium and the income replacement rate.

Faced with an aging society and low birthrate, Korea's national pension program, established in 1988, is expected to face a shortfall in 2041, with potential depletion 14 years later. Negotiations made in the previous Assembly were stalled by the government's insistence on structural reforms, including changes to both the basic and retirement pension programs. Recently, the government proposed an option whereby younger generations, who will receive pensions in the future, would contribute less, while older generations would pay more. Although ideal in theory, this approach may encounter resistance due to concerns about fairness and equitable burden-sharing.

The president and his team of policymakers must be prepared to address potential generational conflicts and convincingly articulate how the government's plan will include precise and effective measures to ensure the sustainability of the pension fund.

Another urgent and increasingly dire issue is the ongoing medical reform crisis. More than six months after junior doctors walked out in protest against the government's decision to expand medical school enrollment quotas, the situation has escalated. Resignations by doctors and the refusal of junior doctors to return to work have now spread to the nation's emergency rooms. Additionally, the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union, representing around 30,000 nurses and medical workers across 62 hospitals, has vowed to go on strike Thursday over unmet demands for wage increases.

The uncertainty is further compounded by concerns that medical students who also left in protest may not be able to advance or graduate in the academic year 2024. In this briefing, the president needs to clarify what alternative solutions the government is considering to resolve the current medical standoff. The presidential office should also reconsider the proposal of the the ruling People Power Party's chief, Han Dong-hoon, to delay the expansion of the enrollment quota for the 2026 academic year.

The medical situation in the nation is growing serious, and it would be reckless to allow internal political strife  if that is indeed the case  to hinder the search for a reasonable and flexible solution. Ensuring that citizens don't have to worry about whether there will be doctors available to treat them in the coming days should be the top priority.

We hope that in his briefing, the president will address the deep concerns and anxieties that Koreans of all ages feel about soaring housing prices, growing inequality, changing weather patterns, and the frequent, seemingly preventable safety accidents. While the four major reforms are essential for the future and freedom is a priceless national priority, the public needs reassurance on more immediate livelihood issues that affect their daily lives.












US firm should cease political maneuvering

U.S. nuclear energy firm Westinghouse Electric Company is facing criticism for challenging the Czech Republic's decision to select a Korean company as the preferred bidder for a nuclear plant project. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) dismissed Westinghouse's appeal, describing it as merely a repetition of its earlier position. In a statement, KHNP noted, "Westinghouse's latest claim pertains to ongoing international arbitration and U.S. litigation."

Westinghouse, wary of losing the competition to KHNP, actively sought support from the U.S. government. The move by the American firm is seen as improper, potentially reflecting protectionism that undermines free market principles. It suggests an attempt to use government intervention to preserve an American company's competitive edge in the global nuclear power plant market.

In its appeal to the Czech Anti-Monopoly Office regarding the selection of KHNP, Westinghouse alleged that the Korean firm had infringed upon its intellectual property rights by using technology licensed from Westinghouse in its APR1000 and APR1400 reactor. However, this position could be harmful to fostering fair competition and may obstruct international cooperation, including technology transfers.

Westinghouse should recognize that market entry should be secured through fair competition, not by legal maneuvers. The Czech Republic rejected Westinghouse's claim, stating that participants cannot lodge complaints after failing in the competition.

Experts believe that Westinghouse is pressuring KHNP in an attempt to maintain an advantage in potential disputes. The U.S. has argued that adopting KHNP's technology could lead to significant job losses in both the U.S. and the Czech Republic. Westinghouse has further claimed that such a substantial decline in jobs could adversely affect its headquarters in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania, a key swing state in U.S. elections, significantly influences the selection of the next American president. As a result, Westinghouse's actions are seen as an effort to garner support from U.S. political parties. It is considered inappropriate for the company to use aggressive tactics to advance its interests before the election. Major presidential candidates might feel compelled to respond to Westinghouse's claims as the election approaches.

In October 2022, Westinghouse filed a lawsuit against KHNP in a U.S. federal court, accusing the Korean firm of infringing on its intellectual property rights. Although the court rejected the suit, Westinghouse appealed the decision, persistently obstructing KHNP's progress. Westinghouse has faced challenges due to its limited experience in nuclear power plant construction and has been criticized for its failure to complete the Vogtle nuclear reactors in Georgia, receiving significant criticism for its inefficiencies in construction.

Brookfield Renewable Partners, a Canadian private equity fund, and uranium enterprise Cameco own 51 percent and 49 percent of Westinghouse's shares, respectively. Given that equity funds typically prioritize short-term profits, the U.S. firm has appeared increasingly eager to escalate conflicts to the maximum extent.

Westinghouse's actions warrant strong criticism for exacerbating protectionism, prioritizing legal maneuvers over fair market competition and undermining international relations. It is important that this recent move does not adversely affect the relationship between Korea and the U.S.

These actions could undermine the principles of free market competition and international cooperation. KHNP's success in securing the nuclear power plant project from the Czech Republic should be recognized as a notable achievement in overcoming the challenges posed by Westinghouse. We urge Westinghouse to stop its persistent legal actions and focus instead on innovation. Relying on legal measures rather than advancing technology will only damage its reputation in the global nuclear power market. Both KHNP and Westinghouse should engage in genuine dialogue to resolve the ongoing dispute amicably.








By Robert Neff

Over the past couple of decades, saunas (jjimjilbang), spas and hot springs have become popular attractions for foreign tourists. North Korea has a large number of hot springs, and many of them have interesting histories centered around healing. One such place is Jangdol Hot Spring, which traces its history back to an ancient legend involving a skylark (jangdolsae) with a broken leg that landed near a hot spring and was quickly healed.

By the early 20th century, these hot springs became popular spots for foreigners  albeit most visitors were probably Japanese.

In 1907, Thomas Sammons, the American consul in Seoul, described six of the most notable hot springs on the Korean Peninsula. Somewhat surprisingly, most of them were in the northern part of the peninsula, and he neglected to mention the best-known hot springs near Fusan (modern Busan).

According to Sammons, three of the most notable hot springs were near Chinnampo (modern Nampo in North Korea), but he was not impressed with them as they were located in low land, unattractive in every way and without bathing accommodations.

Near the foreign gold mining concessions north of Pyongyang, there were several small hots springs but the most popular was Sung-chun. Located near the British gold mining concession (Gwendoline), it was often frequented by the miners  presumably Koreans  who established a resort for themselves where they could relax and soothe their sore muscles in the hot water.

Sammons described the spring as a well-shaped pool nearly six meters deep, but provided no real information. Fortunately, Edward McCarthy, the general manager of the mining concession, did write about his experience at the hot spring in the early 1900s:

These springs are well-known in Corea for their curative properties, and the small village where the baths are located depends for its support on visitors. Our men often used to go for a week-end to take a few baths, but they did not tempt me, and although they offered to clear everyone out of the public bath, I did not fancy a bathe in waters where every diseased person imaginable had bathed. The bath was quite a large one, built under cover, with the hot springs bubbling up continually inside, and with a steady overflow.

These springs were extremely hot and ranged from 55 to 88 degrees Celsius, but the hottest spring was at Yangtuk (near Wonsan), where the temperature exceeded 95 degrees. This hot spring was in some ways the most attractive and largest of the springs he described, but Sammons was disappointed with its very poor provision for bathers.

This region had numerous hot springs that were occasionally visited by Westerners. In the early 1890s, while exploring Mount Paektu, H. Goold-Adams, an English explorer, described several sulfur springs that ran down into a small stream. Goold-Adams and his Korean guide bathed in a small pool:

The temperature even here was as hot as an ordinary hot bath and the water smelt horribly, but we were very thankful to be able to wash anywhere and we certainly were in need of it.

Singye Temple  a Buddhist temple located in the Diamond Mountains  was a popular resting place for travelers. In the 1890s, William Scranton, an American missionary, in his short article he extolled the virtues of the temple including its solitude, friendly priests and nearby attractions including the "Nine Dragon Pool," waterfalls and hot springs.

In 1903, another American missionary, Jacob Robert Moose, provided a more detailed description of the nearby hot springs:

Near this temple we found a hot spring which if in the United States of America would at once be famous and a fortune to its owner. In these mountains, so far as I can judge, there are no signs of volcanic action; so I was surprised to find this hot spring bursting forth as if from the regions of eternal fires. It is in a small valley about five miles inland from the coast, seventy miles down from Wonsan, and has been used by the Koreans for hundreds of years. There are the remains of what seem to have been substantial buildings of considerable dimensions; but now there are only about half a dozen thatched houses standing. The spring is walled up with large slabs of stone and is about six by nine feet, and a foot and a half deep; though it may be made twice that depth if so desired. The water, which is so hot that it is with difficulty one can lie down in it, is abundant, clear as crystal and very soft, leaving the body in a most delightful condition when the bath is over. This will some day in the not distant future be one of Koreans famous resorts and those who are seeking health and recreation will find it pleasant to linger here.

His prediction proved true, but unfortunately, during the 1950-53 Korean War, the temple was destroyed.

There are other popular hot springs that survived.

According to the Korean Customs Reports from 1900, there was a very popular hot spring near Seongjin (modern Kimchaek in North Korea) famed for being very efficacious for a number of ailments  including rheumatism  and was much used by the neighbouring villagers for bathing purposes. This may have been Jueul hot springs.

In the spring of 1903, while itinerating, Alex Robb, a Canadian missionary, visited the hot spring and noted that an enterprising Korean gentleman had built a bathing hut. The missionary and his party decided to partake in the curative waters of the spring. In his notes, he initially described his experience as being very refreshing, but that sentiment changed quickly.

Apparently, hot springs throughout Korea were used not only for medicinal purposes but also to assist local industries. According to Sammons, The Koreans make use of the water for such purposes as immersing their hemp to remove the bark. However, our Canadian missionary was shocked to discover that sore, diseased bodies and hemp were not the only things to be dipped in the hot water.

After bathing, they discovered that the hot, bubbling spring was a favourite spot for removing feathers and hair from slaughtered hens, dogs and pigs and their initial refreshment faded quickly.

Jueul (now known as Gyeongseong) Hot Springs is still a popular health resort in North Korea. According to one source, the construction of a modern spa began at the end of 1919 and was likely completed shortly afterward. It does not challenge the imagination to assume this site was especially popular during the uneasiness caused by the Spanish flu pandemic. Another source claims it was the Yankovsky family who established this resort  but I have my doubts as to its accuracy.

Read More The greatest tiger hunter

In the late 1940s, Jueul Hot Spring was developed as a sanatorium and, apparently, continues to operate. The hot spring is praised for its positive effect on a litany of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, gout, gastric diseases, inflammation, infertility and menopausal disorders.

Tomorrow we will examine hot springs in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.

My appreciation to Diane Nars and Hyunuk Park for their assistance.

Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
By Robert Neff

In 1907, Thomas Sammons, the American consul in Seoul, described six of the most notable hot springs on the Korean Peninsula in a report to the State Department. According to him, five were in the north and only one was in the south  Onyang Hot Spring in South Chungcheong Province.

The hot springs at Onyang are said to be the oldest in Korea and were once used by Joseon monarchs. In his report, Sammons did not mention the history of the hot springs but instead wrote about its current situation:

The baths nearest Seoul and most used by foreigners and Japanese are those at On-yang. Here a hotel has been erected and there are arrangements not only for typical Japanese baths, but for special treatments at the hotel. The rates at the hotel are about $1.75 gold a day  that is, very reasonable. The hotel being but nine miles from the railroad makes these baths very accessible. None of the others are. Several Americans have found that the On-yang baths give much benefit to those suffering from Rheumatism, female and skin diseases and during the Russo-Japanese war extensive use of the baths was made by sick and wounded Japanese soldiers.

Sammons painted the Japanese enterprise in a favorable light but failed to mention the earlier friction between the local Korean population and the Japanese developers.

During the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War, a Western writer visited Pyongyang and denounced the Japanese developers for taking advantage of the Korean population. According to him, if a Korean owned a fine hot spring near the city, it was conceivable a Japanese civilian would suddenly appear and drive wooden stakes all about the Koreans property and then claim it for himself because of Japanese military necessity.

In March 1905, the magistrate from Onyang complained to the Korean government that Japanese subjects have placed sign-posts about fifty feet apart on the four sides of the noted hot spring in that vicinity, and have compelled the natives to tear down two adjacent houses.

The magistrate wanted the signs removed and the houses rebuilt as he could not bear to see the innocent suffering.

A couple of months later, The Korea Review (an English-language magazine published in Seoul) reported the Onyang Hot Springs had been greatly improved by the Japanese and a hotel had been built which attracted many visitors.

The following month, it was announced that the Korean government had been asked to turn over to the Japanese a large swath of land at the hot springs. Considering the times, the request was likely honored.

One of the best descriptions of the hot springs comes from 48-year-old Johannes Bolljahn, a German resident in Seoul, who visited the hot springs in the summer of 1910 in hopes of alleviating the pain from his rheumatism.

In an interview with Seoul Press (a pro-Japanese newspaper), Bolljahn declared Onyu Resort (located next to Onyang) as an ideal place for enjoying a few days rest. The two-story hotel had great rooms and every attention possible is paid to visitors and foreigners can even obtain European food. There are four large baths constructed with concrete and porcelain. The hot water is quite clear.

Bolljahn took advantage of the excellent facilities  four baths daily  and felt greatly relieved. According to the newspapers editor, there were 82 Japanese settlers and 94 Koreans living peacefully together at Onyu.

Of course, the editor couldnt resist noting there was a huge contrast between the cleanliness of the Japanese baths and dirtiness of the Korean baths. He concluded the Korean bathers seem to be contented with the dirty surroundings.

It is surprising that Sammons failed to mention Dongnae, now part of Busan. This hot spring was mentioned frequently in the writings of missionaries and in regional newspaper articles  some as early as 1883. It was also extremely popular with the Japanese community.

One of the earliest accounts of an American visiting the site was in 1892, when William M. Baird, a missionary, would occasionally stop and bathe at the hot spring. Apparently, he did not deem it important enough to describe it. In fact, there are very few English accounts of the hot springs until the early 20th century as most of the foreign guests appear to have been Japanese.

According to Nate Kornegay  co-author of "Scratch Tile"  modern development of the hot springs began in the 1890s when a Japanese hotel was built. Over the next couple of decades the region surrounding the hot springs was greatly developed and became a popular tourist attraction for Japanese.

In 1919, an American visitor provided a fairly descriptive account of his stay at one of the hot springs resorts. He was impressed with the ease of travel to the resort. According to him, it took only 45 minutes to get there from Busan by an electric railway and an excellent automobile road.

Prior to his arrival, he was told that the special provision had been taken for foreign tourists but when he arrived all the accommodations [were] all Japanese style, food, lodging and bathing facilities.

He enjoyed the food, but was a little cautious in regard to the raw fish. When it came time to soak, a Japanese maid proffered her assistance in disrobing, but as we [he and his companions] had from early childhood been accustomed to performing this task without help from others the offer was now gently but firmly declined.

He admitted that the amount of privacy depended upon the number of guests at the hotel. The hotel was equipped with three excellent pools  the smallest (described as being family size) being about two meters wide and three meters long. The water was beautifully clear and at first seemed unduly hot, but after a time it [was] found to be easily bearable, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Our narrator was accompanied by several companions who were fluent in both English and Japanese, but not everyone was as fortunate. [The] recent visit of a party knowing nothing of the Japanese language, and who, without an interpreter, had to make all their wants and wishes known by sign language.

I can easily imagine the awkwardness of the situation. As a young soldier in the 1980s, I remember during a winter field exercise that my team was allowed to go bathe at a Korean bath house in the countryside. One of our soldiers was a female, and, due to our heavy uniforms, the bath house proprietor mistook her for a male. Harsh words were exchanged by both parties and then embarrassed laughter when the truth was discovered.

Returning to our narrator, he noted that thousands of people visited the resort annually  many of them disabled and convalescent Japanese soldiers. He was convinced the number of tourists seeking the enjoyment of the healing waters would increase once accommodations for foreigners, including a few English-speaking interpreters, were made.

Of course, not all visitors to the resort were welcomed. Wolves lurked in the surrounding mountains and occasionally crept into the community to snatch unattended livestock and wandering children. Wolves would continue to haunt the region until the mid-20th century.

Perhaps even more devastating than wolves was the timing  it was the height of the Spanish flu pandemic.

Read More Spanish flu's impact in Korea in 1918

Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
By Steven L. Shields

There is no such thing as a Christian nation. Of course, there are some nations with large, or even majority populations who self-identify as Christians. True Christ-followers, however, should see red flags when religion and government work together to achieve mutually agreed-on goals. World history is littered with terrible examples of such.

The Jesus described by the Gospel writers continually reminded his followers that Gods kingdom is not of this world. All too many Christians today have forgotten this and used their influence in government to their benefit. Weve seen this happen in Seoul when the organizers of a long-held festival in the city plaza had their permits revoked at the last minute so a so-called Christian group could stage a religious event. Call it a concert, if you will; the events were for evangelizing.

Unlike his modern-day doppelganger, the Jesus of the New Testament did not want to be the top dog. He was not interested in acceptance, power or wealth. He didnt aspire to have the largest congregations with the most elegant temples of worship. At every turn, he opposed the prevailing religious and secular authorities, not by revolution but by presenting another way of life and relationships. While the religious leaders Jesus ran up against used the scriptures to define love, Jesus used love to understand and apply the scriptures.

I think the Jesus described in the four Gospels would have been horrified when, in 313 CE, Emperor Constantine made the religion that borrowed Jesus name the official religion of the realm. As this status became increasingly powerful, the church overtook the government. Kings and princes had to seek anointment by the church, typically the pope in Rome. We still see this played out in the recent coronation of King Charles III. However, the few other remaining European monarchs take a more modern approach of swearing an oath to the assembly of the people. While Jesus taught his followers to give the government its due, the unification of the two was not part of Gods kingdom ideal.

When Jesus charged his followers to make disciples of all nations, he never could have imagined that this would devolve into forced conversion at the point of a sword, driving the Jews from the lands, seizing their properties and slaughtering those who refused to convert. The Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades were nothing more than a reign of terror imposed upon the Mediterranean by power-hungry religionists. Many Crusaders, over a couple of centuries, committed some of the most heinous crimes against humanity imaginable. The Inquisition was no better.

Christians have, by and large, misunderstood Jesus teaching that the kingdom of God is near or at hand. Yet, theyve been waiting 2,000 years for something to happen, and when it seems not to have come about in their minds, they try to force it on the world. When Jesus said the kingdom was at hand, he meant what he said. At hand means right here, right now. His disciples must take hold of it and begin living the kingdom lifestyle Jesus modeled.

People of Jesus time often misunderstood the role of the Messiah. Most Christians today equally misunderstand it and continue to try to exert worldly power by any means possible. Such a desire for power is driven only by greed  greed for wealth, status and control. Jesus was brought down not by anarchy but by law and order allied with religion. Such alliances always use force to make others conform.

Christians of many traditions spend much time telling others they must be born again to be saved in Gods kingdom. But Jesus further taught (see Luke 18:22) that his followers must sell all they own and give the money to the poor. Thats the hard part for most of us. We must give up seeking revenge on our enemies, give up violence and cruel words shouted at a street rally, insisting others believe as we do. Jesus commanded his followers to take up their cross and walk the path of the Messiah  a path of self-denial and sacrifice, even to ones life.

In all the Biblical records, there has never been a conservative prophet. Prophets have not been called to preserve those social orders that categorize people into worth levels. Privilege and wealth do not belong in the prophetic kingdom of God. Christ-followers are to defend the poor, the powerless, the marginalized, the vulnerable and the oppressed.

Jesus did not command people to worship him, but he constantly challenged them to follow him. We start by loving our neighbor who doesnt look like us, think like us, love like us, speak, pray or vote like us. Love your neighbor. No exceptions. Jesus was all about how we love. That is the true kingdom of God.

Rev. Steven L. Shields (slshields@gmail.com) has lived in Korea for many years, beginning in the 1970s. A lifelong member of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea, he has served as a director and president. He was a copy editor of The Korea Times in 1977. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not reflect The Korea Times editorial stance.
By Andrew Hammond

The recent Democratic presidential convention in Chicago drew sweeping pre-event comparisons with the same event in 1968 held in the same city during the Vietnam conflict. However, while there are some similarities, the foreign policy context between then and this 2024 campaign is significantly different.

The 1968 election, which pitted Republican Richard Nixon and Democrat Hubert Humphrey, came during a distinctive, approximately quarter of a century political era from 1948 to 1972 during the early Cold War era. During this time, foreign policy was usually the single most salient issue in US elections, as it was in 1968 with the Vietnam war.

1968 saw an unusually turbulent period framed by that Vietnam conflict with then-President Lyndon Johnsons decision not to run for re-election (paralleled this year by President Joe Bidens decision not to seek a second term), the assassination of Martin Luther King on April 4 and the killing of Robert Kennedy on June 5. This was capped off in August 1968 with the riots at the Democratic convention in Chicago, of which there was an important echo with high profile pro-Palestinian protests against Israels military operation in Gaza in recent days.

Since the 1970s, however, economic issues have tended to be the U.S. electorates highest priority. Most recently, in the 2020 presidential race for instance, during the first year of the pandemic, the U.S. economy was spun into recession after more than a decade of growth, one of the longest expansions in U.S. history.

This is not to dismiss the importance of U.S. foreign policy in the 2024 U.S. campaign, even though the United States is not formally engaged in any war today, unlike 1968. Take the example of the Associated Press- University of Chicago National Opinion Research Center (AP-NORC) survey earlier this year which saw 40 percent of voters cite foreign policy as a key issue. Thats about twice as many who mentioned international topics in the AP-NORC poll conducted around a year before in 2023.

The big troubles in the Middle East since last Octobers Hamas attacks in Israel, and the subsequent offensive in Gaza, have spiked U.S. voter concerns about geopolitics. This alongside concerns about the Ukraine war, plus the possibility of wider challenges, including Chinas posture toward Taiwan.

While foreign policy is still not as salient for voters in 2024, as it was generally during the early years of the Cold War from 1948 to 1972, there are a significant number of reasons why international affairs will remain prominent in coming months before election day. For one, there remain very high escalation risks in the Middle East with the region at its most febrile point in years.

In Ukraine, meanwhile, Kyiv has launched in August a spectacular new offensive inside Russia, gaining more than an estimated 1000 square miles of territory, at the time of writing. After months of Moscow making gains in Ukraine, this has at least temporarily changed the narrative of the war there.

Meanwhile, in Asia Pacific, significant numbers of U.S. voters are concerned about the potential for a crisis there too. This could create a third major source of international conflict for the United States and its Western allies, with resources increasingly stretched.

Yet, even if foreign policy issues were to grow significantly further in salience in 2024, there are nonetheless till a major key difference between now and the first quarter of a century of the Cold War. That is, the earlier period was characterised by a relative policy consensus and widespread bi-partisan cooperation on foreign affairs.

Today, however, this policy domain is significantly more divisive. To be sure, the early Cold War consensus can be overstated. Nonetheless, a significant degree of bipartisan agreement on foreign affairs, and wider political decorum, did exist, at least until it broke apart in the late 1960s under the strain of the Vietnam debacle, and the demise of the notion of monolithic communism in light of the Sino-Soviet split.

No clear foreign policy consensus has emerged in recent years, and if anything the gaps are widening. Even before Trump took up presidential office in 2017, many Republicans and Democrats differed significantly on how they view the power and standing of the United States internationally; on the degree to which the country should be unilateralist, in their attitudes toward the campaign on terrorism and the methods by which they are being fought and on what the priorities of foreign policy should be.

These divisions have grown, further, since Trumps presidency with 2024 seeing significantly divergent U.S. grand strategies. That is, Trumps "America First," versus the more internationalist vision of the Biden-Harris administration which is much more similar to the foreign policies of both Republican and Democratic predecessors in the post-war era.

The increasingly polarisation of foreign policy also reduces the scope for the longstanding "rally-around-the-flag" at times of geopolitical tension. This is illustrated by the blaming by some Republicans of current geopolitical tensions on the Biden-Harris administration.

Especially if the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine continue into late 2024, it is therefore increasingly plausible that the salience of international issues could remain high on election day. Moreover, partisan splits on foreign policy will reinforce high rates of U.S. political polarisation, potentially increasing global interest in the race to boot.

Andrew Hammond is an Associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.
Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are planning to showcase various new artificial intelligence-powered home appliances at the IFA 2024 home electronics show in Berlin next month, industry sources said Sunday.

Samsung will present a range of products, including the Bespoke AI Combo, an all-in-one washer-dryer; the Bespoke AI Family Hub, a premium refrigerator product; and the Bespoke AI Steam, a new robot vacuum cleaner product.

The company will also showcase the strength of its AI-powered televisions. The Generative Wallpaper feature in Samsung televisions will recommend background images based on users' preferences.

LG will unveil a new AI-powered drum washing machine with a reduced width of 25 inches, which is designed to meet the needs of European consumers.

The washer features the AI Direct Drive motor, which analyzes the weight, wetness and fabric of the laundry to determine the optimal washing method in order to protect garments.

The company will also showcase the newly launched LG Roboking AI All-in-One robot vacuum and the CordZero A9X All-in-One Tower Combo at the Berlin trade show.

Senior officials from the companies, including Han Jong-hee, vice chairman and head of Samsung's device experience division, and LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan are known to be planning to attend the event. (Yonhap)
By Park Jae-hyuk

HD Hyundai has been accelerating efforts to expand its presence in the hydrogen fuel cell market.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE), an HD Hyundai subsidiary supervising its shipyards, said Monday that its unit HD Hydrogen acquired a controlling stake in Convion, a Finnish fuel cell system company, for 72 million euros ($80 million).

HD Hydrogen is HD KSOEs wholly-owned subsidiary founded this month to produce hydrogen fuel cells. HD KSOE invested 140 billion won ($106 million) in HD Hydrogen.

Established in 2012, Convion specializes in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) technologies. It is one of the few companies in the world with a track record of developing and supplying commercial SOFC generation systems.

With the latest deal, HD KSOE seeks a two-track strategy to lead the hydrogen fuel cell market.

HD Hydrogen will oversee the entire fuel cell business and take charge of the power generation and marine units in Korea, while Convion will continue to develop core fuel cell technologies in Europe.

Both SOFC and SOEC technologies are considered critical for the use of hydrogen energy.

Additionally, complex technical skills and a long period of time are needed to develop the technologies because SOFC and SOEC are activated at high temperatures.

HD Hyundai, therefore, expects HD Hydrogens acquisition of Convion to allow the company to outrun its market rivals.

Last October, HD KSOE signed a 45 million euro contract with Elcogen, a leading fuel cell company, to invest in upgrading the large-scale SOFC system.

Along with hydrogen fuel cell and water electrolysis technologies, HD Hyundai is also focusing on developing future energy sources, such as small modular reactors, an HD KSOE official said.

With technologies to develop the worlds cleanest energy sources, we plan to become the frontrunner in the future green shipbuilding industry.

According to the International Energy Agency and the International Renewable Energy Agency, the size of the hydrogen fuel cell and water electrolysis market is expected to increase to 17 trillion won in 2030 from 2.5 trillion won in 2023, with an average annual growth rate of 30 percent.

The market size is expected to reach 55 trillion won in 2040, once the application of marine hydrogen fuel cells is in full swing and water electrolysis technology is commercialized.
By Park Jae-hyuk

POSCO recently developed a lightweight pad for takeoffs and landings at vertiports.

A vertiport refers to an airport for vertical takeoff and landing of small and automated aircraft carrying passengers or cargo at low altitudes in urban and suburban areas.

Since most vertiports are installed on top of skyscrapers, their pads should be light and shock-resistant to endure repeated takeoffs and landings of aircrafts.

POSCO made its pad with corrugated metal sheeting called form deck, which is much lighter and corrosion-resistant than conventional helipads made with road deck panels.

During a month-long demonstration done in June by Lotte E&C at the Goheung Aviation Test Center in South Jeolla Province for the construction firms urban air mobility (UAM) project, POSCOs pad was not deformed by repeated use, according to the steelmaker.

POSCO emphasized that its pad is modular and does not need concreting, enabling easier assembly and disassembly.

The steelmaker said that three workers with a forklift were able to install a prefabricated modular pad within eight hours for Lotte E&Cs demonstration and disassembled the pad within two hours after the test.

Our pad for vertiports is better than other pads made with aluminum or other materials, in terms of price and efficiency, a POSCO official said.

We will lead the infrastructure market in the future through the continuous development of lightweight steel materials and steel structure technology suitable for UAM.

Last year, POSCO signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea Airports Corp. and Hanwha Corp. E&C Division for the joint development of vertiport technologies.

The three will announce their achievements next week during the World Smart City Expo 2024 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

They will also display a miniature version of the vertiport they designed.
The chief executive of the global mobility platform Uber said Friday the company sees Korea as a vitally important market, stating his commitment to growing the company's taxi business here.

"Korea is a large taxi market, and one with strong market opportunity and growing e-hail penetration," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said at a press conference in Seoul.

Khosrowshahi said Uber saw the number of trips on its Korean platform grow by double digits every month since the company rebranded the app as "Uber Taxi" in March, mainly thanks to a sharp increase in use by international travelers visiting the country.

Uber had originally used the name "UT" for its ride-hailing app here, operating the app through a joint venture with TMAP Mobility, a mobility subsidiary of Korea's leading telecommunications firm SK Telecom.

Khosrowshahi also said Uber is working to build ties with many Korean companies, including carmakers, to foster more cooperation in the electric and autonomous vehicle industry, a key pillar of Uber's business strategy for the future.

"While it won't happen overnight, we expect autonomous vehicles to be an increasingly important part of the transportation ecosystem," he said. "Our strategy is to collaborate with partners to offer a diverse range of autonomous services across different regions." (Yonhap)
Baemins rate hike plan stirs controversy in delivery ecosystem

By Ko Dong-hwan

Food delivery drivers are voicing their discontent as operators of major online food ordering platforms plan to raise delivery fees charged to restaurants.

According to management companies and industry observers, the riders are unhappy with this move because it primarily benefits the platform operators, not them.

Despite the anticipated increase in sales for the operators, the riders face the same harsh working conditions and high demand without seeing any improvement in their earnings.

In fact, one of the largest delivery platforms has even reduced delivery fees for its customers, which has decreased the amount of money available for the drivers.

Rider Union, the country's first labor union for delivery workers, gathered its members in front of the presidential office in central Seoul on Aug. 22. Restaurant owners using the country's major online food delivery platforms like Baemin, Yogiyo and Coupang Eats were also present there.

Together, they demanded that the administration and the government impose stricter regulations on platform operators to prevent riders and restaurant owners from unfairly falling victim to the planned rate hike and other harmful practices threatening the delivery industry ecosystem.

The protest came after Baemin increased the commission rate charged to restaurants earlier this month to 9.8 percent per order from 6.8 percent.

The protesters urged the government to introduce a new policy to monitor and control online platforms and objected to the current environment where the operators are free from such legal guidelines.

They added that without such measures, it's virtually impossible to express any grievances against major platform operators like Baemin, the biggest platform operator in Korea run by Woowa Brothers, which takes up almost 65 percent of food delivery market shares, in fear of losing customers.

The drivers said that they don't "benefit a penny" from the platform operators' rate hike while the degree of their labor remains intense. As their earnings depend on the number of orders they complete, they are pressured by the platform operators to make "express" deliveries.

The delivery option requires them to deliver each order individually in a single trip to reduce delivery time, but limits their ability to handle multiple deliveries at once. Baemin has also recently reduced its fees for customers who don't use express delivery from 3,000 won ($2.25) to 2,200 won, cutting down profits for the drivers and their management firms.

"Riders are in danger now," a Rider Union official said. "Their dangerous working environment is pushing them to ignore traffic lights and drive at unsafe speeds to save delivery time. Their safety, meanwhile, is not guaranteed at all."

To address the country's unleveled food delivery ecosystem, the government has launched a task force with officials from the ministries of finance, food and SMEs as well as the Fair Trade Commission to host discussions between the platform operators, platform-dependent food businesses and the government.

"Operating a major online food delivery platform free of legal guidelines only works when food businesses subscribing to the platform are on par with the platform operators in terms of market power," a business owner in the food industry said. "In reality, the gap is too much."

Following the third tripartite meeting on Tuesday, no agreement has been reached regarding the platform operators' delivery fee rate hikes.
Samsung Electronics and its labor union are likely to resume their talks over a wage increase and others in early October at the earliest, industry sources said Thursday.

Early this month, members of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), the largest labor union of the South Korean tech giant, returned to work as they have held several rounds of talks since January but have been unable to narrow their differences over the wage increase rate, vacation system and bonuses.

The NSEU, representing 31,000 workers, or about 24 percent of Samsung Electronics' 125,000-strong workforce, had been on a full-scale strike for about a month before returning to work.

The union has been demanding a 5.6 percent basic pay raise for all members, a guaranteed day off on the union's founding day and compensation for economic losses due to the strike.

Samsung Electronics has offered a 5.1 percent increase in wages, while emphasizing its commitment to building a win-win relationship with the labor union.

Early this month, the NSEU lost its status representing the tech behemoth's other labor union and a right for a strike.

The sources said the NSEU may regain its status for wage talks via a tie with the other labor union after required processes are completed, which will take about a month. (Yonhap)
Korean Air starts SAF initiative, other airlines to follow

By Ko Dong-hwan

Starting in 2027, the government will require all airlines in the country to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as part of efforts to significantly reduce carbon emissions, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Friday.

SAF, made from biomass and captured carbon rather than fossil fuels, is eco-friendly. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), it can cut carbon emissions by up to 80 percent compared to traditional fuels. Additionally, SAF has a chemical composition similar to conventional jet fuels, allowing it to be used in existing aircraft without requiring any mechanical modifications.

The joint initiative coincides with the International Civil Aviation Organizations (ICAO) plan to make its Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) mandatory for 193 member states beginning in 2027. Under CORSIA, airlines that produce carbon emissions exceeding 85 percent of the global average from 2019 will be required to purchase carbon offset permits to balance out the excess emissions. To date, 126 ICAO member countries, including Korea, have opted to voluntarily adhere to this scheme.

Under the planned measure, all national airlines will be required to include at least 1 percent SAF in their jet fuels. Given that the country's aviation industry emitted 20 million tons of carbon in 2023, this requirement is expected to reduce emissions by approximately 160,000 tons. According to the industry ministry, this reduction is equivalent to the annual emissions produced by 53,000 vehicles each driving an average of 12,000 kilometers.

To prevent the new requirement from leading to higher airfares due to increased costs, the ministries plan to support airlines with incentives. They will also introduce a new mileage policy designed to encourage greater demand for flights using SAF.

To retain its position as the global leader in SAF exports and to further enhance its capabilities, Korea must focus on securing a stable supply of sustainable aviation fuel and developing the necessary infrastructure, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said at Incheon International Airport, Friday, where officials from the ministries gathered with heads of the countrys nine airlines and five oil refiners to support the measure. Memorandums of understanding for SAF usage in commercial flights were exchanged between the two ministries, airlines and oil refiners, Incheon International Airport Corp. and Korea Airports Corp.

To counter climate change and realize the sustainable growth of the countrys aviation industry, the usage of SAF is no longer optional but a critical requirement, Transport Minister Park Sang-woo said. The measure will allow Korea to spearhead the carbon neutralization of the global aviation industry.

On the same day at the airport, S-Oil announced that it signed an agreement with Korean Air to supply SAF for the airline's regular flights between Incheon and Haneda, Japan. According to S-Oil, the agreement will see SAF supplied weekly to Korean Air, marking the first instance in which a domestic refiner will consistently provide locally produced SAF for passenger flights departing from a Korean airport.

S-Oil is responding actively to transform itself into a clean energy supplier that aligns itself with global decarbonization trends and contributes to building a resource-circular economy, S-Oil CEO Anwar Al-Hejazi said during the event.

Since we have taken a vital role in refueling SAF onto an international flight for the first time in Korea, well do our best to contribute to expanding the green SAF ecosystem, placing our top priority on reliably supplying SAF products.

He added, "S-Oil is actively considering building a dedicated SAF production facility to ensure a stable supply as demand grows, both domestically and internationally. Additionally, we are committed to expanding our efforts in providing other green energy solutions and sustainable resource products."

Additionally, by the end of the year, five other national airlines, including Asiana Airlines and Tway Air, will adopt this practice for their flights to Japan.

With Korean Airs recent use of SAF, Korea has become the 20th country in the world to incorporate sustainable aviation fuel into commercial flights.

Beginning with Norway, which mandated a 0.5 percent SAF blend in 2020, and France, which increased its SAF requirement to 1.5 percent in 2023 from 1 percent the previous year, 19 countries are now using SAF as a strategy to combat climate change. In line with IATAs goal to expand global SAF use to over 18 million tons by 2030, up from 240,000 tons in 2022, several countries have announced plans to boost their SAF consumption.

The European Union has announced that member states will be required to blend at least 2 percent SAF starting in 2025, with the blend increasing to 6 percent by 2030 and 70 percent by 2050. Singapore and India have also set plans to mandate 1 percent SAF, beginning in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Additionally, Japan has committed to using 10 percent SAF by 2030.
Suspicions remain that Doosan seeks to maximize owners' benefit

By Nam Hyun-woo

Doosan Group withdrew its controversial plan to merge construction equipment firm Doosan Bobcat into money-losing Doosan Robotics upon strong opposition from retail investors and warnings from authorities, but questions still remain over the groups ongoing efforts to restructure its governance of units.

Bobcat and Robotics announced on Thursday they both decided to annul their contract to exchange their shares for the merger, scrapping their merger proposal.

Doosan Group initially proposed to spin off Bobcat from its parent Doosan Enerbility, a plant facilities company, and merge it into Robotics under a ratio of exchanging 100 Bobcat shares with 63 Robotics shares.

This, however, faced strong backlash from not only retail investors but also financial companies and the National Pension Service, as they complained about assigning greater value to the shares of the struggling robotics firm.

Despite scrapping the merger plan, the Doosan companies said in letters to investors that the group will proceed with spinning off Bobcat from Enerbility and make the construction equipment maker a subsidiary of Robotics, citing the necessity of giving Enerbility capital flexibility for investments.

Enerbility explained that this spinoff is essential because Bobcat has a debt of 700 billion won ($525 million) and separating this from Enerbilitys financial books will improve the companys capabilities to attract additional investments for its nuclear energy businesses with healthier fiscal prudence.

But the market still has suspicions that the groups insistence of placing the lucrative Bobcat under Robotics is aimed at maximizing value for the owner family. Bobcats operating profit accounted for 93 percent of Doosan Group companies total operating profit last year.

Through its stake in Enerbility, Doosan Groups holding firm, Doosan Corp., indirectly controls a 14 percent stake in Bobcat. Since the holding firm has a higher stake in Robotics, its indirect control of Bobcat would improve to 27.2 percent if Bobcat becomes a child company of Robotics. If the merger takes place as the group has sought, Doosan Corp. would hold a 42 percent stake in Bobcat directly, meaning Doosan Corp. can get greater amounts of dividends from Bobcat.

The withdrawal of the merger is closer to grandstanding, and problems with the restructuring plan remain the same, said Park Ju-gun, CEO of corporate research firm Leaders Index.

Park said Doosan Group appears to have sought four benefits through the Bobcat merger  separating Bobcats debt from Enerbilitys books, using Bobcats profits to finance Robotics investments, bypassing Koreas M&A regulations on a grandchild company and improving the owner familys control of Bobcat. These may benefit Doosan Group, but will likely be detrimental to retail investors.

After facing investors opposition and authorities warnings, the group styled itself as if it has given up all of the benefits, but in fact, it abandoned the third benefit of bypassing M&A regulations, Park said. If the group really cared about retail investors value, it should have scrapped the whole restructuring plan.

Bobcat shareholders cast worries that Bobcats corporate value may be discounted further under Robotics, in fear that Bobcat may have to pay extraordinary amounts of dividends to Robotics to finance its costly robotics firms.

Reflecting on these worries, Bobcats share prices shed for three consecutive sessions, closing at 39,800 won on Friday, down 5.35 percent from a day earlier.

Kiwoom Securities analyst Lee Han-gyul also noted that it will take time before Robotics and Bobcat create synergy in their businesses.

Enerbilitys minor shareholders are also expressing worries over the restructuring plan. Act Team, a shareholder activism platform, said in a statement that nothing has changed for Enerbilitys minority shareholders, because the company will lose money-making Bobcat to Robotics.

For Enerbility shareholders, the current spin-off plan also incurs losses. Based on the groups existing plan, an investor having 100 Enerbility shares will have to exchange them with 75 Enerbility shares and three Robotics shares. As of Friday, 100 Enerbility shares were worth 1.81 million won, but the combined value of 75 Enerbility shares and three Robotics shares was 1.57 million won.

For Doosan Group to complete its restructuring plan as it seeks, the approval of existing shareholders for the spin-off of Enerbility will be necessary, Kiwooms Lee said. Since Bobcat was a key subsidiary of Doosan Enerbility, there is also a possibility that Enerbility shareholders may oppose the spinoff.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the commander of the countrys air force Friday, four days after an F-16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed during a Russian missile and dronw bombardment, killing the pilot.

The order to dismiss Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website.

We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers, Zelenskyy said in an address minutes after the order was published. He said Ukraine needs to strengthen its armed forces at the command level.

Lt. Gen. Anatolii Kryvonozhko was appointed acting air force commander, the general staff said.

The dismissal came on the same day that Oleshchuk directed scathing criticism at a lawmaker who is deputy head of the Ukrainian parliaments defense committee for her claims that the F-16 was downed by a Patriot air-defense system. Ukraine has received an unspecified number of the U.S.-made systems.

Mariana Bezuhla cited unnamed sources for her claim and demanded punishment for those responsible for the error.

Oleshchuk accused Bezuhla of defaming the air force and discrediting U.S. arms manufacturers and said that he hoped she would face legal consequences for her claims.

The truth will win, Bezuhla posted on X shortly after the dismissal order was published.

The air force did not directly deny that the F-16 was hit by a Patriot missile.

U.S. experts have joined the Ukrainian investigation into the crash, the air force said.

Meanwhile, a Russian attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv using powerful plane-launched glide bombs killed six people, including a 14-year-old girl on a playground, and wounded 47 others, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said.

The bombs struck five locations across the city, which had a prewar population of 1.4 million people, the governor said.

One of the bombs hit a 12-story apartment block, setting the building ablaze and trapping at least one person on an upper floor. Emergency crews searching for survivors feared the structure could collapse.

In other developments, Ukrainian rockets hit the Russian city of Belgorod and its surroundings on late Friday, killing five people and injuring 37, said regional Govenor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The region borders northern Ukraine ans comes under drone or artillery attacks almost daily.

Zelenskyy pointed to the Kharkiv strikes as further evidence that Western partners should scrap restrictions on what the Ukrainian military can target with donated weapons.

The Kharkiv strike wouldnt have happened if our defense forces had the capability to destroy Russian military aviation at its bases. We need strong decisions from our partners to stop this terror, Zelenskyy said.

F-16s are one of the weapons that could be used to hit Russian bases behind the front line.

Oleshchuk said on Telegram that a detailed analysis" was already being conducted into why the F-16 jet went down Monday, when Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage at Ukraine.

We must carefully understand what happened, what the circumstances are, and whose responsibility it is, Oleshchuk wrote in the post shortly before his dismissal.

The crash was the first reported loss of an F-16 in Ukraine, where the warplanes arrived at the end of last month. At least six are believed to have been delivered by European countries.

Military analysts say the planes will not be a game-changer in the war , given Russias massive air force and sophisticated air-defense systems. But Ukrainian officials welcomed the supersonic jets, which can carry modern weapons used by NATO countries, for offering an opportunity to hit back at Russias air superiority.

On the ground, the Russian army is making slow but gradual progress in its drive into eastern Ukraine , while Ukrainian forces are holding ground in the Kursk border region of western Russia after a recent incursion .

The Institute for the Study of War said it expected that Ukraine would lose some Western-provided military equipment in the fighting.

But the Washington-based think tank added that any loss among Ukraines already limited allotment" of F-16s and trained pilots will have an outsized impact on the country's ability to operate F-16s "as part of its combined air defense umbrella or in an air-to-ground support role.

In other developments, European Union defense ministers agreed in Brussels to boost their training program for Ukrainian troops.

Today the ministers agreed to raising the target to 75,000, adding 15,000 more by the end of the year, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters after the meeting.

The training has to be shortened and adapted to the Ukrainian training needs, Borrell said. He added that the EU would set up a small coordination and liaison cell in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to make the training effort more effective.

So far, 60,000 troops have passed through the blocs training scheme, which is conducted outside Ukraine. (AP)
The Philippines and China exchanged accusations of intentionally ramming Coast Guard vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday, the latest in an escalating series of clashes in the vital waterway.

The collision near the Sabina Shoal was their fifth maritime confrontation in a month in a longstanding rivalry.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Portions of the waterway, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually, are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits, as well as fish stocks.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 found China's sweeping claims had no legal basis, a ruling Beijing rejects.

Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela showed videos of Saturday's confrontation at a press conference, saying China Coast Guard vessel 5205 "directly and intentionally rammed the Philippine vessel" without provocation.

The ramming damaged the 97-meter (320-foot) Teresa Magbanua, one of the Philippines' largest coast guard cutters, but no personnel were injured, Tarriela said.

Liu Dejun, a spokesperson for China's coast guard, said in a statement a Philippine ship, "illegally stranded" at the shoal, had lifted anchor and "deliberately rammed" a Chinese vessel. He called on the Philippines to withdraw immediately or bear the consequences.

"The Chinese coast guard will take the measures required to resolutely thwart all acts of provocation, nuisance and infringement and resolutely safeguard the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," Liu said.

Tarriela said Manila would not withdraw its ship "despite the harassment, the bullying activities and escalatory action of the Chinese coast guard."

The Philippines deployed a ship in April to the Sabina Shoal, 75 nautical miles from the coast of the Philippine province of Palawan. Manila accused Beijing of building an artificial island, saying it had documented piles of dead and crushed coral on the sandbars, which Beijing denies.

This week the Philippine maritime council said Chinese aircraft made unsafe maneuvers against a civilian aircraft conducting patrols over two other disputed areas, the Scarborough Shoal and Subi reef.

The Philippines accused China of blocking a routine resupply mission on Sunday, saying Chinese vessels rammed and used water cannons on a fisheries bureau ship transporting food, fuel and medical supplies for Filipino fishermen. (Reuters)
An inmate whose escape from a Kansas prison hidden in a dog crate became the subject of a book and TV movie has died behind bars.

John Manard, who was 45, died Sunday at the La Palma Correctional Facility, a private prison in Eloy, Arizona, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. His cause of death is pending the result of an autopsy, department spokesperson Jennifer King said.

Manard was serving a life sentence for a suburban Kansas City killing at a prison in Lansing, Kansas, when he met Toby Young, a married mother of two who worked helping prisoners train animals for adoption. They struck up a romantic relationship.

On Feb. 12, 2006, Young, then 47, hid Manard, then 27, in a crate and helped him escape.

Prison officials said she took advantage of the trust she gained while running the program to drive Manard out of the prison. A guard who recognized Young did not thoroughly search the van.

Young and Manard were captured 12 days after the escape in east Tennessee on Interstate 75 between Knoxville and Chattanooga, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of a remote cabin they had been sharing.

Young, whose husband filed for divorce after her arrest, was sentenced in state court for her role in breaking Manard out. She also pleaded guilty in federal court to giving him a gun. She was freed in 2008 and wrote about what happened in the book, Living With Conviction.

John is finally free. But I am crushed, Young, who has since remarried and goes by Toby Dorr, said in a Facebook post Wednesday. I pray you have at last found the peace you were searching for, John.

The escape story also was featured on Dateline and is the inspiration behind the Lifetime movie, Jailbreak Lovers.

In a March 2006 letter to a Kansas City television station, Manard said he and Young have a fairytale love the size of infinity. (AP)
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Three-time GRAMMY winner Brad Paisley made his third appearance at the Great Allentown Fair Friday night.

Paisley has a number of hit songs including: Remember Me, Whiskey Lullaby, Karate, and Shattered Glass, to name a few.

George Birge warmed up the crowd before Paisley hit the grandstand stage.

Freelance photographer Donna Fisher was there to capture scenes from Paisleys show, found in the photo gallery above.

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Saed Hindash may be reached at shindash@lehighvalleylive.com.
A convicted killer captured last year after two weeks on the run in southeastern Pennsylvanias rolling farmlands has pleaded guilty to escape and burglary charges.

Cavalcante was sentenced immediately afterward to serve 15 to 30 years in addition to his life sentence without parole for killing his ex-girlfriend. He chose not to speak in court.

Danilo Cavalcante, 35, a native of Brazil, escaped from a Chester County lockup while waiting to be transferred to state prison to serve a life sentence for killing his ex-girlfriend. He escaped by clambering up between two walls in a jail exercise yard, then climbing over razor wire and jumping from a roof.

Cavalcante had been convicted of killing ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao to stop her from telling police about charges against him in connection with a 2017 slaying in Brazil.

While on the run, he stole a truck from a dairy farm after finding the keys inside, and survived by stealing food, clothing and other items from peoples homes.

With residents of Chester County increasingly on edge, one homeowner found the fugitive in his open garage stealing a rifle and fired several shots at him with a pistol. But they seemingly missed Cavalcante, who remained on the run for two more days before he was captured early one morning by searchers using a planes thermal imaging from above and K-9 search dogs on the ground.

Cavalcante, a native of Brazil speaking through a Portuguese interpreter, told the judge his education had stopped in the fourth grade.

Youre still a young man, County Judge Allison Bell Royer told Cavalcante, as she advised him to figure out a way to make something of his life even in prison.

Maybe someday be a mentor to somebody for a purpose thats good, It is never too late, she said.

Lonny Fish, his defense lawyer, said Cavalcante had swiftly agreed to plead guilty to the charges. His plea came a day before the one-year anniversary of his escape, which left many people across the Philadelphia region in fear, especially as Cavalcante entered at least two homes in search of provisions. I dont think he understood the circus that he caused, Fish said.

By MARYCLAIRE DALE

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Oasis have issued a warning to fans over certain resale tickets amid a Ticketmaster scramble for dates in Croke Park and the UK on Saturday morning.

Tickets for August 16 and 17 in Croke Park next year went on sale at 8am via Ticketmaster and while thousands of fans encountered technical issues, the gigs are now virtually sold-out.

The only tickets remaining are premium level with prices too prohibitive for ordinary fans. A similar scramble for the UK dates in London and Manchester ensued an hour later at 9am with similar issues.

Disgruntled fans also took to social media to share screenshots of resale tickets posted minutes after the sale opened with some being offered for over 1,000.

This prompted Oasis to issue an update to fans via their official social media pages. They warned: "Please note, Oasis Live 25 tickets can only be resold at face value via Ticketmaster and Twickets. Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters."

Thousands of people logged on to Ticketmaster this morning hoping to grab tickets but some ended up in virtual queues with hundreds of thousands of people ahead of them. It is thought international fans, as well as Irish and UK fans, have been flooding the site since early this morning.

One fan posted a photograph of two laptop screens after joining the queue for both dates, August 16 and August 17, and had a combined 800,000 people ahead of him, making it virtually impossible for him to secure tickets.

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The tickets, which start at 86.50, are like to be the hottest around in 2025 as Oasis have confirmed their run of comeback shows will be the only gigs they play. They will not be playing Glastonbury or Electric Picnic to reach more fans.

One person desperate to see the band tagged the band in a post on X on Saturday, saying, "Extra Croke Park date required."

Another woman posted a picture of her screen with almost 300,000 people ahead of her in a queue for one of the Croke Park gigs.

"I was in the queue the second they went on sale. The seating capacity is 82,300. My daughter and son-in-law will be so disappointed. 3:13AM her, so I am off to bed. Wishing you all the best. Take care."

Someone else who had over 500,000 people ahead of them in the queue wrote: "Assuming Croke Park let half a million people stand on the pitch, I think I'm in with a chance of going to Oasis."

Blasting Ticketmaster, one fan took to X and told the company: "Extremely frustrating, in a queue knocked out and now can't get back in. History repeating itself yet again. Cannot handle the pressure and no wonder people are getting annoyed!"

To people having issues, Ticketmaster responded, "Please make sure you are only using one tab, clear your cookies, refresh, and ensure you aren't using any VPN software on your device." Fans were quick to reply that the advice doesn't work.

Another frustrated fan was excited as it appeared they would get tickets only to be hit with technical issues: "I joined at 1,400 in the queue, got in 20 mins ago and its just spinning on confirming availability ever since?"

Fans are now also frustrated with tickets already cropping up on resale sites for hundreds and thousands of Euro.
The number of Ukrainian citizens in temporary accommodation in Co Kildare has almost doubled in the past year, official figures show.

The latest data from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth shows there are 971 Ukrainian refugees fleeing war who are registered as Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in Co Kildare.

The equivalent figure for Co Kildare for the same time last year was 488.

Of the current 971 Ukrainians in short-term accommodation in Co Kildare, 734 are adults and 237 are children.

The refugees are being accommodated at a number of sites such as at purpose-built facilities at Floods Cross outside Naas as well as at Punchestown Event Centre and the former Kill Equestrian Centre.

The number of Ukrainians currently being accommodated in neighbouring counties such as Laois is 370, Carlow is at 605, Offaly is 1,061 and Wicklow is 1,264.

There has been a steady stream of Ukrainian refugees into Ireland since Russia invaded Ukraine over two and a half years ago.

More than 100,000 Ukrainians arrived in Ireland from March 2022 until June of this year, according to the CSO.
BAKU. Azerbaijan. August 31. An exhibition of works by artists from the RAK Art Foundation of Bahrain opened in Baku, Trend reports.

The event was attended by Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva and Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Anar Alakbarov.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, the founder of the RAK Art Foundation, renowned Bahraini artist and collector Rashid Al Khalifa said that he was pleased to share the talents of Bahraini artists with art lovers in Azerbaijan. He stressed that the RAK Art Foundation promotes international cooperation and mutual understanding.

Rashid Al Khalifa added that the aim of this collaboration is to introduce the rich works of Bahraini artists to the colourful art scene of Baku.

Chairman of "Azerkhalcha" OJSC Emin Mammadov noted in his speech that cooperation with Rashid Al Khalifa and RAK Art Foundation contributes to the development of art, international friendship and cultural understanding. He said he was very pleased with the display of Bahraini contemporary art in Baku and hoped that this event would further expand the opportunities for cooperation between our countries.

It should be noted that several exhibitions of Rashid Al Khalifa were previously organized at the Heydar Aliyev Center.
Republican presidential nominee and former president Donald Trump gestures after speaking at a campaign event on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. ALEX BRANDON / AP

Republican White House nominee Donald Trump sought Friday, August 30 to contain the blast radius of a fierce backlash over his remarks publicly backing away from right-wing positions on reproductive rights. The ex-president has been under fire from conservatives over an announcement that in a second term he would ensure free in vitro fertilization  an expensive fertility procedure that many in the anti-abortion movement want to see curbed.

The rift widened as he hit out at his home state Florida's six-week abortion ban, calling it too restrictive and suggesting he planned to vote for an upcoming ballot measure that would make the procedure legal until a fetus becomes viable.

Trump, 78, walked back the comment ahead of a rally in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Friday, telling Fox News that "I will be voting no." But conservatives had already begun criticizing Trump's ever-shifting positions on abortion, with a new Republican policy platform dropping calls for a national ban and the tycoon's recent claim that his government would be "great" for reproductive rights. The pushback from anti-abortion groups on his latest remarks was swift, with activists warning that he risks alienating his base.

Evangelical theologian Albert Mohler said Trump's positions appeared "almost calculated to alienate pro-life voters" while conservative commentator Erick Erickson posted that Trump's abortion stance "will be a bridge too far for too many."

Trump's rally in Johnstown was notable for the absence of any remarks on reproductive rights, despite Thursday's big IVF announcement. The campaign of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris was happy to weigh in on the issue, smelling blood in the water.

"The majority of Americans support abortion access, they support IVF, they support contraception," Mini Timmaraju, of the Reproductive Freedom for All lobby group, told reporters in a campaign call. "(Trump) has finally figured it out, and he'll do anything to distract from his abysmal, horrifying record on this issue."

'He is pro-life'

Trump has been all over the map on abortion in the last 15 years, initially describing himself as "pro-choice" before calling for "some form of punishment" for women seeking the procedure. He boasts about appointing Supreme Court justices who ended federal protections for abortion access in 2022 but has more recently begun to worry that Republicans are out of step with the majority of voters on reproductive rights.

His IVF pledge appeared calculated to appeal to moderates but will upset conservatives who for years opposed Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act because they were against the redistributive economics of taxpayer-funded health insurance. Almost every Senate Republican voted against assuring IVF access in a vote in June in any case, and more than half of the House Republican lawmakers have sponsored legislation that threatens its legality.

Republicans are divided on fertility treatments such as IVF, with many hailing them as a boost to American families. Others, with strong beliefs that life begins at conception, oppose IVF because the procedure can produce multiple embryos, not all of which get used.

Abortion rights activists worry that the Supreme Court decision threatens IVF and were given cause by a February ruling in Alabama that frozen embryos could be considered people, causing several clinics to briefly pause treatments.

Yet if the abortion and IVF rows threatened to alienate Trump's most loyal supporters, rally-goers in Johnstown weren't showing it.

"It's not enough to make me not vote for him, no way, because he is pro-life," said Lisa Davis, a 54-year-old retired office manager from the nearby town of Somerset. "I know he wants to give some exceptions  and I think there should be."

"Why should I pay with my tax dollars for a baby getting killed?" added retired nurse Rosemary Drzal, 69.

Trump was due to head to the capital Washington later Friday to speak to the powerful conservative group Moms for Liberty.
BRENDAN Gleeson is encouraging people across the Mid-West to get behind a 2.4million national fundraising drive for the 24 hospice and specialist palliative homecare providers that make up Together For Hospice, The National Hospice Movement.

The legendary actor is asking the public to get brewing ahead of next months Bewleys Big Coffee Morning for Hospice, which has raised 45.3million for frontline hospice care since 1992.

This years event takes place on September 26, but supporters can host or attend one on a date that suits them, with every cent raised locally going to their local hospice.

Both of Gleesons parents spent their final days in St Francis Hospice in Dublin, which is set to begin work on a new 24 single-room in-patient unit, at a cost of 29 million.

Im aware that Im in the final chapters but youre just trying to keep the creaky bits moving as well as possible, said the Oscar-nominated actor as he officially launched the fundraiser on Wednesday, August 21, in Bewleys Cafe, Dublin.

A great quote shared with me years ago was good health is a golden crown which only those who are ill can see, so the person who is sick is seeing how glorious it is, he continued.

I try to keep an eye on the crown and as long as Im motoring around alright, I appreciate life.

Gleeson said there is a huge need for developments like those at St Francis Hospice, which will give families added privacy in their loved ones final days.

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His father Francis spent his time there in a four-bed room, which made those moments a bit more difficult.

The conversation was a little inhibited; you are in hearing distance of others, trying not to earwig, and at the same time attempting an intimate conversation with your loved one in quite a loud voice! he explained.

Because patients are at that stage, you have to speak fairly loudly. Single rooms make it so much easier.

Mary OBrien, CEO, Milford Care Centre shared, We are thrilled that Bewleys Big Coffee Morning for Hospice, one of Together For Hospices most treasured fundraisers, has now reached its 32nd year. This event raises essential funds for Hospice in-patient and community services across Ireland.

Its a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our coffee morning hosts, who generously give their time and energy to their local communities. Their unwavering support is invaluable, helping to fund essential services and quality initiatives that improve care for patients with life-limiting illnesses, she added.

Jason Doyle, Managing Director at Bewleys Ireland, said the company was immensely proud to again support the event: Bewleys as an iconic Irish brand, was founded on the principle of caring for people and communities, which ties in perfectly with the ethos of Together For Hospice".

We encourage everyone to host a coffee morning to help support the incredible, and often unseen, work that hospices nationwide carry out every day, he continued.

The ethos at the heart of Together For Hospice is that whatever money is raised locally, stays locally, and goes directly to each local hospice service to innovate, build new facilities, develop new services and deliver quality improvements and extra benefits for patients and their family members.

You can register to host a coffee morning on Thursday, September 26, or on a date that suits you, at hospicecoffeemorning.ie or call 0818 995 996.

If you cannot host or attend a coffee morning, you can make a donation at hospicecoffeemorning.ie/donate
TotalEnergies is purchasing carbon credits that cover timberland in 10 states ranging from the Louisiana lowlands to the Lake States, the Adirondack Mountains in New York and the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia and Kentucky. The outlay is likely the largest ever in the opaque market designed to forestall tree harvesting in the U.S.

The idea behind the offsets is that rather than cut down trees for wood, leave them standing and absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow.

Companies often voluntarily purchase offsets to satisfy their own emissions targets rather than to meet regulatory mandates. Those sold by major U.S. timberland owners have been a fairly resilient pocket in a carbon-credit market otherwise plagued by allegations of fraud and overstated environmental benefits.

TotalEnergies said it is amassing offsets to make up for greenhouse-gas emissions that it cannot eliminate by 2030. Before this year, it had committed $725 million to offsets generated by preserving or restoring natural carbon sinks around the world, including wetlands and forests.

The seller in its latest purchase is Aurora Sustainable Lands, which was created two years ago to carry out Wall Streets biggest wager yet on forest offsets. Investors led by T. Rowe Price Group subsidiary Oak Hill Advisorsbest known as a corporate-debt investorpaid about $1.8 billion for nearly 1.7 million acres of hardwood forests spread over 17 Eastern states. The latest sale will involve about 740,000 acres.

Aurora has since reduced harvest volumes by more than 50% on the properties, said Aurora Chief Executive Jamie Houston.

Historically, harvests were based on creating the highest timber revenue," Houston said. Now harvests are based on creating a multidecade carbon sink on all of these properties."

In some cases, that means cutting down trees, such as planted pine, and letting the plots reseed naturally from nearby hardwoods. In others it means leaving alone trees that live long and grow large, such as the cypress in Auroras Louisiana woodlands, Houston said.

Aurora has initiated carbon projectswhich involve a lot of tree measuringand is generating offsets on all of its properties, he said.

Aurora sold more than $100 million of offsets to various buyers last year. It sold another bunch to Microsoft this year in a deal arranged, like the one with TotalEnergies, by its partner, Anew Climate.

Anew determined how much carbon is on the properties, registered the offsets with accrediting groups and found the buyer, said Josh Strauss, Anews president of environmental products. It also manages verification, he added.

They use the highest available voluntary-market standards," he said.

TotalEnergies declined to say how many offsets the $100 million will buy and the exact time frame for the deal. Each offset represents 1 metric ton of sequestered carbon dioxide.

Prices for most voluntary forest offsets are negotiated privately and not widely known. Weyerhaeuser, the largest U.S. private landowner, late last year sold voluntary offsets associated with reduced logging in its North Maine Woods timberlands for $29 apiece.

That is much higher than in the broader global market for various emissions offsets, which has been beset by allegations of fraud and greenwashing. Studies and news articles have shown some projects had vastly overstated their impact on emissions.

A glut of voluntary emissions offsets and concerns about quality have depressed prices for many types of carbon credits around the world. Offset futures prices have plunged from about $12 in November 2021 to less than $1 recently, according to Bank of America analysts.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which oversees U.S. derivatives markets, said last year that it would make policing carbon offsets a priority. The Biden administration in May issued guidelines aimed at bolstering trust in voluntary carbon markets.

TotalEnergies said it would use credits to offset Scope 1 emissions, which come directly from its operations, and Scope 2 emissions from its energy purchases. Those are the types of emissions that the Securities and Exchange Commission said it will require companies to disclose starting in fiscal year 2026.

Adrien Henry, vice president for nature-based solutions at TotalEnergies Exploration & Production, said that although the company is buying offsets at a clip of about $100 million a year, it is giving priority to reducing emissions over the remainder of this decade.

We will start offsetting some of our residual emissions in 2030 and ramp up so that in 2050 TotalEnergies is net zero," he said. The rest of the journey is avoiding and reducing emissions by a lot of other actions."
The Man Company acquisition: Kolkata-based FMCG giant Emami has announced the acquisition of the remaining 49.6% stake in Helios Lifestyle, the company behind the premium male grooming brand 'The Man Company.' With this move, Emami now wholly owns Helios Lifestyle, which was already a subsidiary, holding 50.4% of its shares, on August 31.

Harsha V Agarwal, Vice Chairman & MD at Emami, said, We had adopted the route of strategic investments in new-age startups very early to leverage online opportunities brought about by rapid digitalization to incubate new engines of growth. These strategic investments help us to have footprints in emerging segments that align with evolving consumer preferences."

Emami stock price closed flat, up 0.01 per cent, at 813.25 apiece on August 30 on BSE. The company enjoys a market capitalisation of 35,708.19 crore. According to NSE, Emami's share price hit its 52-week high on 27 August 2024 at 855.60.

Agarwal added, We will continue to explore more such opportunities for strategic investment that have synergies with our existing line of businesses.

"The completion of the acquisition of Helios by Emami will strengthen its presence in the fast-growing digital-first premium male grooming segment," stated Emami.

Emami initially acquired a 33.09% stake in Helios in two phases, starting in December 2017 and followed by another in February 2019. The stake was later increased to 50.4% in 2022, making Helios a subsidiary before this final acquisition.

The Man Company, known for its digital-first approach, offers a range of premium grooming products for men, including fragrances, skincare, hair care, body care, and beard management.

"The segment offers huge potential for innovation & growth. Emami is already an active player in the male grooming segment through its brand Fair and Handsome," the company added.

Hitesh Dhingra, Co-founder of Helios Lifestyle, said, We now expect it to continue its growth trajectory with Emami, who has the ability to further accelerate the same and make The Man Company one of the leading brands in the segment.

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We believe the brand has great potential and would love to see The Man Company as a global brand under Emami added Bhisham Bhateja, Co-founder, Helios Lifestyle .

Emami emphasized that the male grooming market in India is expanding rapidly, showing significant growth potential.

"We are happy to have not only invested in The Man Company as we could foresee its huge potential but equally impressed and happy with the promoters vision and commitment towards making it a formidable brand. With the completion of the 100 per cent acquisition of the company, we are excited to take the brand to its next level of growth, the statement continued.

Emami's future outlook Earlier in August, Emami Chairman R S Goenka mentioned during the company's AGM that Emami would continue to explore opportunities for inorganic and strategic growth, focusing on new product categories.

Emami, which has previously acquired brands like AloFrut, Creme21, and Zandu, plans to keep pursuing such opportunities to expand its market reach.
Reliance Retail-backed Dunzo has laid off 150 employees in a fresh round of layoffs, leaving the e-commerce delivery firm with just 50 employees in its core supply and marketplace teams, two people aware of the development told Mint.

The Bengaluru-based firm is looking to claw back profits to pay off liabilities including salaries of current and former employees as well as vendor payments as it scouts for capital to survive, they added, requesting anonymity.

In May, Mint reported that Dunzo was in the final stages of closing a funding round of $22-25 million in a mix of equity and debt from a clutch of new and existing investors, attempting to find safety for the company into perpetuity.

However, the transaction is taking much longer to close as many potential investors remain wary of the companys growth path, one of the two people said.

Dunzos co-founder and chief executive Kabeer Biswas declined to comment on queries sent by Mint.

In an email to employees on Friday, Dunzo said it would pay pending salaries, severance, leave encashment and other dues to affected staffers as soon as it receives funds. Mint has seen a copy of the email.

The company had also considered the option of entering other lines of businesses that complement its core merchants business, and have the ability to make money soon and are operationally light, the two persons added, adding that Dunzo was hopeful the business would turn around in September on the back of its business-to-business segment.

Mounting liabilities Dunzo is yet to pay salaries including full and final settlements to several former employees. In September, Dunzo partnered with payroll servicing firm OneTap to disburse salaries for certain months.

We are trying our best to end this transaction at the earliest. Its a complicated one and has multiple hops. I am sorry for constantly saying sorry even. But given our current situation, few levers stay in our hands, and I apologise, Biswas had said in an internal message to employees in May.

I really do wish to reach a point, where we can stop with the daily/monthly anxieties around salary payments - and hoping the next fortnight allows us to wrap up everything, so that May is the last month of us having to manage this crisis, the CEO added.

Cash flow issues persist Dunzo, which started as a concierge service and after multiple pivots now labels itself as a convenience platform, had in April told employees in an email that it was working towards achieving its first full profitable year in 2024-25. The company had also said it hoped to expand the team as it doubled down on certain categories starting July.

However, cash flow issues persist, according to the first person mentioned above.

Overall, Dunzo has raised nearly $470 million till date. Reliance Retail holds 25.8% of the firm, making it the single largest shareholder, followed by Google and venture investor Lightbox.

The startup introduced quick commerce under Dunzo Daily in 2021, making the most of a $240-million fundraise led by Reliances retail venture. However, it soon ran out of money given the cash-guzzling nature of the business.

Dunzo then increased focus on its merchant services business, called Dunzo for Business, as well as its customer-to-customer parcel delivery business to turn around its fortunes.

The company, which was on its path to becoming a unicorn, or a company with a valuation of at least $1 billion in 2022, reported a substantial net loss of 1,802 crore in FY23. As of January 2022, Dunzo was valued at about $775 million.
The early resumes of tech titans Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have recently re-emerged on social media, offering a unique window into the beginnings of two individuals who went on to to revolutionize the technology industry. These documents, crafted when the future innovators were just 18 years old, shed light on their early interests and skills before they became household names.

Steve Jobs' 1973 resume reveals his budding fascination with electronics and technology, long before he co-founded Apple. At the time, Jobs was a student at Reed College in Oregon and highlighted his proficiency in areas such as computers, calculators, and design. Notably, when asked about phone access, Jobs wrote "None," and while he confirmed having a drivers license, he described his transportation prospects as "possible, but not probable."

On the other hand, Bill Gates' 1971 resume reflects his early expertise in programming languages, including FORTRAN, COBOL, and BASIC, along with his familiarity with computers like the PDP-10, PDP-8, and CDC-6400. Gates, who listed his salary at the time as $3,500, also mentioned his collaboration with Paul G. Allen, his childhood friend who would later co-found Microsoft with him. The resume notes their joint project designing a "system for traffic engineers to study traffic flow."

These vintage resumes were shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Jon Erlichman, a TV host at BNN Bloomberg and Bloomberg Markets, with the caption, "Steve Jobs and Bill Gates resumes at age 18."

The post quickly gained traction, sparking discussions among users who shared their thoughts and reactions. One commenter noted, "This is history. Its fantastic!" while another found the documents "fascinating." Observing the differences between the two resumes, a user remarked, "Thats funny Jobs resume is hand-written and sloppy, and Gates resume is all organized and type-written." Another user summed up the significance of the documents by calling them "probably the 2 most impactful resumes of this generation."

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Till Maruti appeared on the horizon in 1983, Indian car buyers had the choice of the devil or the deep sea. Hindustan Motors Ambassador and the Premier Padmini from Premier Automobiles ruled Indian roads, notwithstanding their poor quality that turned every ride into an unwanted adventure.

One company that challenged this near-duopoly was Standard Motor Products of India Ltd (Stampro for short) based in Perungalathur in Chennai. It was set up by K. Gopalkrishna, a rarity in the India of the 1950s. An automobile entrepreneur in a country where bullock carts still ruled the roost and bicycles were considered a luxury, he was born in 1899 in Cuddapah in Andhra Pradesh.

After his education, he went to Madras to work with the British trading house Gillanders Arbuthnot. But his great passion was motor vehicles, which drove him to set up a company, Union Group, for distributing cars in India from firms like Wolseley Motors and Nash Motors.

Among the companies that Union Group represented was the UKs Standard Motors Co., then a part of the British Leyland Group. By Independence, Union Group had formed a joint venture, Standard Motors Company of India, with equity participation from the British firm. Some years later when Leyland found itself in a financial mess the Gopalkrishna family bought out its stake to take charge of the Indian unit.

Initially the company produced cars and tractors but soon its focus was only on the carsthe Standard and Pennant models. But it was the subsequent launch, of the two-door Standard Herald with its bucket seats and a bonnet that opened away from the driver, that caught the eye of car connoisseurs.

While low on market share, the Standard Herald was certainly high on visibility. Many Indian movies of the era, like the 1964 Biswajeet and Saira Banu starter April Fool and the 1965 classic Waqt, featured the elegant-looking Standard Herald.

Sadly, its launch coincided with labour troubles at the plant and a decline in demand. By this time the founder had handed over the running of the company to his granddaughters husband, C.V. Karthik Narayanan, a grandson of the legendary C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar, the famous Indian lawyer, administrator and statesman.

An engineer by profession, Karthik Narayanan was born in Kolkata in 1938 but moved to Tuticorin for his early education. On being handed charge of the business, he tried to carve out a niche for the struggling car company. But he was pitted against the might of two dominant business houses.

Hindustan Motors was a part of the Birla group, then the largest conglomerate in the country, while Premier Automobiles was a division of the Walchand Group. A warped licence-permit system ensured that there was little scope for a small entrepreneur to compete against such titans.

Narayanan believed that the companys future lay in diesel-driven light commercial vehicles, a tough challenge since the company would first have to develop a new diesel engine. Under his leadership, Standard Motors did that, launching the Standard 20 and by the early 1980s the companys diesel-based light commercial vehicle had notched up a sizeable presence in the Southern markets.

View Full Image The Standard 2000 was a rebadged version of the Rover SD1. (Vauxford)

Further growth, however, was stymied by changes in regulations related to pollution, and Standard Motors found itself losing ground rapidly. Its final hurrah came in 1985 when it launched the ambitiously named Standard 2000, presumably as the car for the coming millennium. Powered by a 2,061 cc four-cylinder engine, and a four-speed manual transmission, it was pitched as a high-end luxury car.

But its top speed of 145 kmph belied its hype and its steep 2 lakh price tag (compared to the 85,000 that a Contessa from HM cost) meant that there were very few takers. Against a production capacity of 4,000 per year the company made only 1,557 cars in 1986 and by 1988 sales had dropped to single digits.

The last of the Standard cars left the factory in 1988, just a few years before a more liberal regime paved the way for a revolution in the countrys automobile market. Narayanan, by then, had sold off the company to A.C. Muttiah and moved on to handle other businesses, including manufacturing car ancillaries under the banner of UCAL.

A man of varied interests, Narayanan translated the Tamil epic historical fiction novel Ponniyin Selvan by author Kalki Krishnamurthy into English. He was also an accomplished player of themridangam, besides being an avid trekker.

His professional stature was such that he was elected president of the Association of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, president of the Automobile Research Association of India, and chairman of the Southern Region of the Association of Indian Engineering Industry. At the time of his death in 2017, he was chairman, UCAL Products Pvt. Ltd, UCAL Auto Pvt. Ltd, and an independent director at Sundram Fasteners Ltd (SFL).

Standard Motors cars might have been a failure but K. Gopalkrishnas pioneering spirit set up Chennai as an early automobile hub, paving the way for the citys reputation as the Detroit of Asia, accounting for nearly 25% of Indias automobile and automobile component industry.
New Delhi: Indias consumer affairs ministry is swooping into the civil aviation space to take on a vexing problem affecting thousands of flyers every year: delayed refunds.

Air passengers with legitimate claims to refunds on their airfares are often tossed around between airlines and ticketing agencies to get back their money. The ministry wants to break this by holding airlines accountable and enforcing penalties under the Consumer Protection Act 2019, two officials told Mint.

Earlier, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), a regulatory body established under the Act, had helped facilitate refunds totalling 1,453 crore on air tickets booked via travel aggregators such as Yatra, MakeMyTrip, ClearTrip, EaseMyTrip, Ixigo and Thomas Cook, as Mint reported on 10 March.

To be sure, the consumer affairs ministry plans holding consultations with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the ministry of civil aviation to hasten processing of such refunds, one of the officials said.

This initiative is crucial for consumers as many struggle a lot to get their money back after flights get cancelled or delayed, often facing an annoying cycle of excuses from airlines," this official said.

Its one of the top priorities of the ministry of civil aviation and the ministry is working towards a structured solution," civil aviation secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam told Mint in an emailed reply.

The consumer affairs ministry and the director general of civil aviation did not reply to queries emailed on 23 August. Emails sent to IndiGo and Vistara on 25 August remained unanswered.

Rules in place, but

As per the DGCAs guidelines, airlines are required to issue refunds within seven working days for tickets booked through credit or debit cards, and within 30 working days for cash transactions.

If flight tickets are booked through travel agents or online travel platforms, airlines must process the refund to the agent or platform within seven working days, after which the agent or platform is responsible for refunding the passenger.

But the consumer affairs ministry was impelled to address the issue of delayed refunds on airfares after reviewing complaints mounting at the National Consumer Helpline, a government-sponsored platform that provides assistance and guidance to consumers in resolving complaints related to goods and services.

Also read | Indian airlines, airports adopting AI tools to improve services

Air passengers can also register their complaints or grievances online with AirSewa, a ministry of civil aviation platform.

While officials did not share the exact number of complaints against airlines over refunds, they indicated that it was a significant number.

The (consumer affairs) ministry will issue notices through its regulatory bodythe Central Consumer Protection Authorityand penalties would be imposed as per the provisions of the CPA 2019 if airlines fail to adhere to the ticket refund norms," said the second official.

There is no need to bring any guidelines. The CPA has enough provisions to penalise the errant violators."

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 empowers the CCPA to impose penalties of up to 50 lakh for violations of consumer rights.

Over the past two years, the authority has imposed penalties amounting to more than 1 crore across various cases involving misleading advertisements, unfair practices, dark patterns, false claims, etc.

Also read | Has consumer protection just got weaker?

Taking on a nexus

The CCPA has the authority to enforce consumer rights on a broader scale. Despite clear directives from the Supreme Court, airlines and booking agents and platforms continue to act slow," said Bishwajit Dubey, a senior advocate and an expert on international trade laws.

The CCPAs move to issue notices and impose penalties on airlines for delays in refunding booking amounts will significantly strengthen consumer trust in the authority."

Consumer rights advocacy experts said the consumer affairs ministry decision to take up the cause of air passengers was a move in the right direction.

Also read | Mint Explainer: Can airfares be regulated?

Its not just the airlines that are solely responsible for the apathy. There is a big nexus among travel aggregators, booking platforms, airlines," said Ashim Sanyal, chief operating officer, Consumer VOICE, a consumer advocacy group.

Indias domestic airline market has grown to become the worlds third-largest, up from its fifth position a decade ago, as per an analysis based on Official Airline Guide data. Indias domestic airline passenger capacity has doubled over the past decade, increasing from 7.9 million in April 2014 to 15.5 million in April 2024, the data show.

The US, with an airline capacity of 86.1 million, and China, with 67.8 million, continue to dominate the top two positions. At fourth position is Brazil, with a capacity of 9.7 million, followed by Indonesia with 9.2 million.

And read | Consumer courts pick up the pace after having their holidays cancelled
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das expressed optimism about the future growth and global expansion of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) during a recent press briefing. Das, who is currently on a five-day visit to a state, highlighted the ongoing discussions with several countries to extend UPI's reach through QR codes and fast payment system linkages.

"We expect this to grow further at the global level and internationalise in future," Das stated on Friday.

Also Read | RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das unveils ULI platform promises faster credit system

Earlier in the week, speaking at an event in Mumbai, Das noted that significant progress has already been made in promoting UPI and RuPay cards internationally. He pointed out that countries such as Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore, the UAE, Mauritius, Namibia, Peru, and France have already begun accepting payments through the UPI network and RuPay cards.

Das emphasized that these developments reflect the collaborative efforts aimed at global adoption of India's digital payment initiatives.

Also Read | RuPay to UPI credit, NPCI is planning a big recast of its businesses

On August 26, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das revealed plans to launch the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) technology platform across India. Initially introduced as a pilot project last year, the platform is set to provide frictionless credit on a national scale.

Speaking at the Global Conference on Digital Public Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies in Bengaluru, Das highlighted the transformative potential of ULI, comparing its impact to that of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in the payments sector. Just like UPI transformed the payments ecosystem, we expect that ULI will play a similar role in transforming the lending space in India. The new trinity of JAM-UPI-ULI will be a revolutionary step forward in India's digital infrastructure journey, he said, as reported by ANI.
Baazar Style Retail IPO: The initial public offering (IPO) of Baazar Style Retail Limited hit the Indian primary market on 30th August 2024. The Rekha Jhunjhunwala-backed public issue will remain open for bidders until 3rd September 2024, i.e. Tuesday next week. The company has fixed a Baazar Style Retail IPO price band at 370 to 389 per equity share, and it aims to raise 834.68 crore from its initial offer. The public issue is a mix of fresh issue and Offer for Sale (OFS) as it seeks 148 crore through the issuance of fresh shares, and 686.68 crore has been reserved for the OFS route. After one day of bidding, Baazar Style Retail IPO subscription status reveals that the mainboard issue has been booked 72 per cent.

Baazar Style Retail IPO GMP today Meanwhile, the grey market continues to signal positive vibes regarding Baazar Style Retail IPO. According to stock market observers, Baazar Style Retail Limited shares are available at a premium of 127 in the grey market today. Baazar Style Retail IPO GMP (grey market premium) today is 127. So, after day one of bidding, the grey market signals around 33 per cent listing gain for potential allottees even when two days of the Baazar Style Retail IPO subscription are still left.

Baazar Style Retail IPO subscription status After day one of bidding, the Rekha Jhunjhunwala-backed public issue was subscribed 0.72 times, the retail portion of the book build issue was booked 0.82 times, the NII segment was filled 0.47 times, whereas the QIB portion was subscribed 0.70 times.

Baazar Style Retail IPO review Giving a ''subscribe'' tag to the book build issue, Master Capital Services said, The overall lifestyle and home value retail industry in India was estimated to be 6,592.11 billion accounts for approximately 54% of the total market in these categories of Lifestyle and Home. Baazar Style Retail Limited intends to take advantage of this opportunity and has already secured a share of 2.15% in the organized value retail market in Eastern India and North-Eastern India for Fiscal 2024. They further intend to expand profit margins and increase revenue contribution from its private labels while focusing on creating differentiation and achieving greater control over the product quality of private labels.

Nirmal Bang has also assigned a ''subscribe'' tag to the book build issue, saying, The company'scompany's revenues grew at a CAGR of 33% during FY22-24, while the overall lifestyle and home value retail market grew at CAGR of ~19.3% during the same period. While on a P/E basis of 135x FY24 earnings, the issue looks expensive, however; on an EV/EBIDTA basis of 21.5x FY24 earnings, it looks reasonable vs the industry average of 28x, and thus, we are recommending ''Subscribe'' to the issue for long-term gains.

In addition to these, some other brokerages, such as Arihant Capital, DRChoksey, StoxBox, and Master Capital, have also assigned a ''subscribe'' tag to the Rekha Jhunjhunwala-backed Baazar Style Retail IPO.

Infographic: Courtesy mintgenie

Rekha Jhunjhunwala connection As per the Red Herring Prospectus of Baazar Style Retail IPO, Rekha Jhunjhunwala has offered her 2,723,120 equity shares in this mainboard IPO. These offered shares aggregating to 1,05,92,93,680 or around 106 crore. According to the RHP of Baazar Style Retail IPO available on SEBI's website, Rekha Jhunjhunwala's name is on the list of Investor Selling Shareholders. She has offered her shares under the OFS route.
Xi stresses China, Africa always a community with a shared future

Xinhua) 08:59, August 31, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed on Tuesday in a reply to scholars from 50 African countries.

In the letter, Xi noted that in the face of a volatile and intertwined world situation, China and Africa need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation more than ever before.

Xi encouraged the scholars to continue to provide intellectual support for building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future and safeguarding the common interests of the Global South.

Xi noted that not long ago, the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was successfully held, sounding a clarion call of the times to open up broad prospects for the Chinese modernization through further deepening reform.

The continuous development and growth of China that pursues peaceful development and is committed to reform and opening up will surely further strengthen the forces for world peace and international justice, and inject inexhaustible impetus into the process of global modernization, especially the development and revitalization of the Global South, Xi said.

The upcoming Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will bring together Chinese and African leaders once again to discuss China-Africa cooperation, which will open up even more splendid prospects for China-Africa relations, Xi said.

He raised his hope that based on the Dar es Salaam Consensus between China and Africa, both sides will step up research and exploration on the development path of Global South countries, China-Africa and South-South cooperation, and continue to provide important intellectual support for building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future and safeguarding the common interests of the Global South.

Gert Grobler, a former veteran diplomat of South Africa and honorary professor of the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, and 63 scholars from 50 African countries sent a joint letter to Xi, warmly congratulating on the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, highly commending the historic achievements of the FOCAC, and expecting that the upcoming Summit of the FOCAC would write a new chapter in building a China-Africa community with a shared future and the joint modernization of the Global South.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 1. Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are developing a project on the production of aluminum radiators, an informed source told Trend.

According to the information, the project is planned to be implemented in the Free Economic Zone of Alat (Azerbaijan) with the participation of Uzbek company AKFA Group with an investment volume of $10 million.

To note, Uzbekistan is a major producer of electrical products, including transformers, cables, wires, electronics, and household appliances. Exports of these products exceed $1 billion, with major markets in the CIS, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia.

Azerbaijan also has a developed electrical industry, which includes the production of transformers (10,000 units), cables (100,000 km/year), and electronics. The main production facilities are concentrated in major cities such as Baku and Ganja. Azerbaijan imported about $500 million worth of electrical products in 2023, mainly from China, Russia, and Europe.

Furthermore, exports of Uzbek electrical products to Azerbaijan totaled $33 million in 2023. Out of this amount, $14.1 million was for household appliances, $17.1 million for cable and copper products, and $1.1 million for other components.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Navratna companies: On Thursday last week, the Government of India (GoI) granted Navratna status to four state-owned companies. The four public sector undertaking (PSU) companies upgraded to the Navratna status are Railtel Corporation of India Limited, Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited, National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited, and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN). On Friday, the Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance declared the Navratna status grant to these four PSUs from its official X channel account (initially known as Twitter).

Of these four new entrants into the list of Navratna companies in India, three are listed in the Indian stock market: Railtel, SJVN, and NHPC. So, these three stocks will be focused on Monday, when the Indian stock market resumes trade activity after the weekend holiday.

After adding these four state-owned companies to the list of Navratna companies, the total number of such companies has surged from 21 to 25. This Navratna status will help these new entrants undertake more significant PPP (Public Private Partnership) projects and exemption from the GoI nod in some instances.

Navratna status to Railtel Corporation of India Railtel Corporation informed about the Navratna status grant by the Government of India, saying, "We are pleased to inform you that Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance, Government of India vide its letter no PD-1-26/0002/2024-DPE dated August 30, 2024, has granted Navratna Status to RailTel Corporation of India Ltd."

NHPC is now a Navratna company NHPC also reported the development in an exchange filing, saying, "It is to inform that the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India vide O.M. dated 30.08.2024 has conveyed that the Competent Authority has approved the proposal for grant of Navratna Status to NHPC Limited."

Navratna status to SJVN After becoming the 25th Navratna company in India, SJVN informed the Indian exchanges, "We e inform you that the Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, vide its letter no PD-I26/0004/2024-DPE dated August 30, 2024, has granted Navratna Status to SJVN Limited.

Total PSU companies in India As mentioned above, after the addition of Railtel, SJVN, NHPC and SEC to the list of Navratna companies, the total number of such state-owned companies has surged to 25. Here we list out other 21 Naavratna companies:

1] Bharat Electronics Limited;

2] Container Corporation of India Limited;

3] Engineers India Limited;

4] Hindustan Aeronautics Limited;

5] Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited;

6 National Aluminium Company Limited;

7] National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited;

8 Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited;

9] NMDC Limited;

10] Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited;

11] Shipping Corporation of India Limited;

12] Rail Vikas Nigam Limited or RVNL;

13] ONGC Videsh Ltd;

14] Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited;

15] IRCON International;

16] RITES;

17] National Fertilizers Limited or NFL;

18] Central Warehousing Corporation;

19] Housing & Urban Development Corporation Limited;

20] Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) Limited; and

21] Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited.
Mumbai: A proposal by the market regulator to strengthen norms for merchant bankers, including stricter qualification requirements and higher net worth threshold, has received mixed reactions from the industry.

There are 224 merchant bankers (MB) registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), including prominent ones like 360 ONE WAM Ltd, AK Capital Services Ltd, JM Financial Ltd and Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Ltd.

Sebis proposal, set out in a consultation paper, is based on recommendations of the regulators Primary Market Advisory Committee (PMAC) and is open for public comments till 18 September.

Sebi noted that even though merchant bankers were not permitted to do business other than in securities, some were participating in activities outside of securities markets.

Also read | Sebi proposes mandate for regulated entities to maintain stakeholder communication records

It has been observed that merchant bankers are engaged in private placement activities pertaining to unlisted companies, advisory services for projects and syndication of rupee term loans, which are outside the domain of SEBI," the paper said.

Arguing that such activities pose significant regulatory and systemic risks, the regulator proposed an overhaul of its regulations governing merchant bankers.

Sebis paper clarified that merchant bankersexcluding banks and public financial institutionswill undertake only those activities that are related to the securities market and fall under Sebis jurisdiction.

Merchant bankers engaged in activities other than the permissible ones will segregate those within two years from a date which the board will specify, the paper said.

Sebi clarified that activities that require separate regulatory registration and licence that do not concern the securities market will not be permitted as per the regulations.

While most industry experts appreciated Sebis move, stating that such an overhaul was long due to get the right kind of players in the market, some merchant bankers feared it would discourage smaller players.

Anjali Aggarwal, partner and head of capital markets at wealth management firm Corporate Professionals, said the move was crucial to tackle the mushrooming of merchant bankers in the market.

In the last three years, as per the Sebi website, 27 new merchant bankers have been registered. This influx raised concerns over their quality of due diligence. The proposed changes will be a check on the entire issue management ecosystem", she said.

Also read | How India turned into a trading nation

At present, merchant bankers are required to keep a minimum net worth of 5 crore and Sebi had proposed increasing it to 50 crore, as suggested by the Association of Investment Bankers of India (AIBI).

Aggarwal said streamlining permissible activities will bring more clarity on the scope of activities.

Introduction of categories and minimum net worth requirements were the need of the hour. In the current financial environment, the extant provision of 5 crore net worth is not a difficult parameter. Maintaining minimum liquid net worth, will enable merchant bankers to take up better underwriting obligations," she said.

Sebi suggested categorizing merchant bankers by net worth and giving them two years to increase their net worth. For category 1, a merchant banker had to show a net worth of at least 50 crore, and for category 2 a minimum of 10 crore.

If the merchant bankers failed to earn a revenue of at least 50% of their net worth on a combined basis through permitted activities for three successive years, then Sebi would cancel their registration, it proposed.

Sebi also proposed a minimum liquid net worth requirement from merchant bankers for underwriting and other obligations under Sebi regulations, arguing this would help act as an entry barrier.

Tarun Singh, founder and managing director of investment house Highbrow Securities, said the proposed net worth requirements may unintentionally erect barriers for smaller or newer firms.

This change risks creating an ecosystem where only the well-established giants thrive, potentially stifling the spirit of innovation and competition that is crucial for a healthy market."

However, the introduction of categories and minimum liquid net worth was a step in the right direction, he said, ensuring merchant bankers are well-equipped to handle market volatility.

Also read | Sebi removes over 15,000 finfluencer content in crackdown on unregulated entities

Singh said Sebi ought to ensure that future iterations of these rules do not stifle the contributions of smaller entities. Sebis regulations should aim to balance stringent requirements with an ecosystem that allows smaller players to flourish and contribute meaningfully," he said.

Sebi observed that merchant bankers were using multiple registrations within a group to circumvent regulatory action or enforcement.

To enable institution building and streamline regulatory oversight, Sebi proposed that merchant bankers, other than banks and public financial institutions with their group companies, would have only a single registration within the same group.
Multibagger small-cap stock: Hazoor Multi Projects Limited (HMPL) is in focus today as the company had secured an order book worth 30 crore from B.G. Shirke Construction Technology Pvt, on August 30, as per an exchange filing.

In its official statement, the multibagger small-cap stock noted, We are pleased to inform you that a work order has been awarded to M/s Hazoor Multi Projects Limited, received from B.G. Shirke Const. Tech. Pvt. Ltd. for Excavation of various sites located at Pahadi Goregaon-1473, Shirdhon-III, Khoni-1374, Nawde-1449, CPWD-1447, Taloja-1415/16, Thane-1453, and Kanamwarnagar-1180.

Also Read | Multibagger SME IPO gives 130% return to allottees after five months of listing

HMPL stock price closed in green, up 4.99 per cent at 467.00 apiece, hitting its 52-week high on August 30 on BSE. The company enjoys a market capitalisation of 871.41 crore.

The project involves excavation work across multiple sites, including Pahadi Goregaon, Shirdhon, Khoni, Nawde, CPWD, Taloja, Thane, and Kanamwarnagar. The company informed BSE Limited in a regulatory filing under Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.

HMPL share price history This announcement is expected to spotlight the company's stock, a notable performer in recent years. Hazoor Multi Projects' shares have recorded a staggering rise, turning it into a multi-bagger stock in the Indian market. Over the last year, the stock price surged from around 125.75 to 467.00, reflecting a gain of over 271 per cent. Over five years, the growth has been even more extraordinary, with the stock climbing from around 1.650 to 467.00, marking a 28203 per cent increase.

The multibagger stock, available exclusively on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), has been trading actively with a volume of around 1.28 lakh shares. It currently sits near its 52-week high of 454 per share, significantly above its 52-week low of 115 per share.

Additionally, the company recently announced a stock split to enhance liquidity further. Pending shareholder approval, the face value of the shares will be split from 10 each to 1 each. This move is also expected to generate increased interest in the stock in the coming weeks.
Linking real and digital Delhi-based artist duo Thukral & Tagra is presenting a new collection of paintings in their latest show, ArboretumEbb and Flow. The works explore the relationship between the real and the digital. This is the second edition of the Arboretum series and it engages with the cultural history of trees. From Kashmir to Japan, ArboretumEbb and Flow maps the recent journeys of the artist-duo through hyper-realistic and intensely detailed painterly effects and unconventional shapes of the canvas, states the exhibition note. The trees offer the artists a canvas to talk about stories of conflict, the self and the idea of home. On view at Nature Morte, Mumbai, till 12 October, 11am-7 pm, Monday to Saturday.

A photograph on display at the DAG exhibition, Histories in the Making: Photographing Indian Monuments, 1855-1920.

Photographs as witness From the ancient inner temple at Nowshera by Samuel Bourne to the Sanchi Stupa by Lala Deen Dayalsome early photographs of Indian monuments can be seen in Histories in the Making: Photographing Indian Monuments, 1855-1920. Curated by Sudeshna Guha, former curatorial manager and research associate of the photographic collection, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, the show looks at photographys role in Indias history, exploring how the changing technologies... subtly modified the nature of the colonial gaze. At DAG, Delhi, till 12 October, 10.30am-7pm, Monday-Saturday.

Musicians from the band Fakira and Langas & Manganiyars

Bengali folk music meets desert melodies The musical event, Sanskriti Sarita: Fakira x Langas & Manganiyars, brings together two bandsFakira, known for their work that explores Bengals ancient folk traditions, and the Langas & Manganiyars, popular for bringing alive melodies that delve into Rajasthans history. Among the performing artistes are Timir Biswas (vocals), Kunal Biswas (bass guitar), Chayan Chakraborty (acoustic/electric guitar), Apurba Das (acoustic/electric guitar), Avirup Das (drums/percussion), Anurag Bhattacharya (percussion), Talab Khan Barna (vocals), Ameen Khan Satto (vocals), Dare Khan (harmonium), Zakir Khan (khartal), Dayam Khan (dholak) and Firoj Khan (morchang). At Windmills Craftworks, Whitefield, on 31 August-1 September, 9.30pm onwards. Tickets on Bookmyshow.

Browse and shop for all the art you want at the Artix 3.0 exhibition at The Claridges Hotel, Delhi

Art under one roof The third edition of travelling art show, Artix 3.0, will bring together paintings, textiles, jewellery and photographsall inside a hotelfrom close to 10 galleries and independent artists and brands. The participants include Artrise Art, 108 Art Projects, Aanchal Garg, Lotus arts de Vivre and Aadyam Handwoven. At The Claridges Hotel, Motilal Nehru Marg, New Delhi, from 30 August- 1 September, 11am-8pm.

A still from Jaya: A Rock Musical Of The Mahabharata

An epic gets the rock treatment Written by Sandeep Kanjilal and directed by Lillete Dubey, Jaya: A Rock Musical of The Mahabharata, in English, presents major events of the epic in a montage style through the eyes of Yudhishthira, the eldest Pandava brother. At Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Nariman Point, NCPA Marg, on 31 August-1 September. 4pm/7.30pm. Tickets on Bookmyshow.

A poster of the 55-minute long film that traces the history of Tamil Nadu's capital city.
The protagonist of Elif Shafaks new novel, There are Rivers in the Sky, is a drop of water, ostensibly a humble speck of liquid but, in the universe of the story, a wielder of immense power and significance. It originates circa 640 BCE, during the reign of the Assyrian ruler Ashurbanipal, travels down centuries to reach Victorian England and modern-day Iraq, before ending up in contemporary London. From the banks of the life-giving Tigris in ancient Mesopotamia to the murky depths of the Thames, its journey is at once a metaphor for life and rebirth, as well as a testimony to the reality of the natural cycle on Earth.

Structured around the peregrinations of this fleeting drop are four stories, anchored and interlinked by four unlikely characters. There is, first of all, the tyrant Ashurbanipal, a patron of learning, under whom The Epic of Gilgamesh was written. He is, by far, the most tenuous presence among the four. Shadowy and spectral with no flesh and bones, it is as though he is simply copied out of the pages of history. Then there is Arthur Smyth, modelled on George Smyth, a British Assyriologist who lived in 19th century England, the most arresting figure among the quartet. A bright Yazidi girl called Narin, growing up in Hasankeyf with a debilitating disease, is the third character. And last but not least, there is a British hydrologist called Zaleekah, given to thinking in sweeping, aphoristic hypotheses. The climate crisis affecting the Anthropocene Age, she believes, is essentially a water crisis.

Also read: A novel with a profound sense of serenity and grace

Readers familiar with Shafaks ornate style wont be surprised by the audacious leaps of her imagination and vivid storytelling. In contrast with the protagonist of her last novel The Island of Missing Trees, who was a talking tree, the raindrop in There are Rivers is rather tame. It only bears silent witness to the churnings of history. All the talking is done by humans, though often in a register thats unlikely to be spoken outside of the pages of a novel. In the sections on Narin, for instance, Shafaks florid prose keeps soaring to cringeworthy heights of cliche. When someone gives you the food theyve prepared, they give you their heart, Narin is told by her grandmother, who is a custodian of Yazidi culture and a water dowser with psychic gifts. With her extensive research, Shafak paints a gritty portrait of the hardships faced by the Yazidis in the hands of the ISIS army. But her sentences are overburdened with the weight of the tragedy she must describe. In spite of its noble intentions, the writing in this section has the unfortunate tendency to read like poor imitation of Rumi.

Zaleekahs story suffers from a similar propensity to slip into operatic modes of despair. At the heart of her trauma is a natural disaster which turned her world upside down as a child, leaving her orphaned and in the care of an uncle. But Zaleekahs interiority is never fully fleshed out for the reader to offer her the advantage of their empathy. Although a reputed scientist by training, she is prone to being waylaid by woo-woo epiphanies, susceptible to gleaning clues to the Big Questions from the wisdom shared by her tattooist landlady Nen and, in general, given to appearing somewhat ungrateful, plagued by solipsistic problems due to her obstinately negative attitude to her circumstances.

The book traverses centuries to end in contemporary London.

The most attractive segment of Shafaks novel focuses on the incredulous life and work of Arthur Smyth, born to the poorest of the poor toshers and scavengers by the T h a m e s a n d christened King Arthur of the Sewers and Slums. Gifted with a photographic and capacious memory, Arthur overcomes every obstacle of class and poverty to get himself a basic education, , followed by a series of jobs that enable him to read and learn facts about the ancient world, and, finally, a position at the British Museum that sees him rise to becoming the most pioneering Assyriologist of his time, lauded for being the discoverer and translator of The Epic of Gilgamesh. The alchemy between the pace and the plot of Arthurs rags-to-riches story is complemented by Shafaks keen ear for colloquial speech in Victorian England. Her ability to conjure up the horror of epidemics like cholera feels chillingly real, while cameo appearances by celebrities like Charles Dickens add a rich texture and emotional appeal to Arthurs story.

There are Rivers in the Sky deserves full marks for grappling with complex themes like climate crisis, colonial archaeology, literary history and scientific research, none of which is easy to synthesise into appealing fiction. With her gift for storytelling, Shafak doesnt lack the imagination to delve into these hydraheaded subjects, nor the moral conscience to articulate her views on the past, present and future of the world. She falters not in the act of spinning a compelling yarn, but in being able to keep it free of messy tangles, floppiness and clumsy glitches.

Somak Ghoshal is a writer based in Delhi.
Clean air is a luxury. If youre someone whos reading this from a big city in India, you know this is not a dystopian view of the future, but a sad reality of today, more so as we close in on the annual choking season that sees a spike in sales of air purifiers to combat air pollution indoors.

No longer a luxury, air purifiers are available at various price points. The high-end segment, dominated by the likes of Dyson, has a new entrant from Mumbai-based deep-tech company Praan. Its called the Hive ( 54,999), and while its all about achieving near-pristine air quality levels, its also the most refreshing take on air purifier design Ive seen in a long while.

Call it a homage or inspired design, the Hive takes several cues from the Aluminum era industrial design of Apple products, most notably the cheese grater Mac Pro  the use of aircraft grade aluminum in a familiar space gray color, for instance.

Its a gorgeous piece of kit, looking quite at home in my living room, although it may be too industrial for classic/vintage home decor. The multitudinous holes on the front serve as the air intake, with clear air vented out from the sides, so its advisable to place Hive in a spot where it isnt sticking to other pieces of furniture for clean air to circulate properly.

A thin OLED display on the right alerts you to metrics. Very demure, very mindful.
The story of Gwaliors culinary legacy is one of adaptation. The foodboth on the street and in the homes of erstwhile aristocratic familiesallows you to trace how flavours and dishes migrated with people, taking on hues and shades of the lands they moved through, before arriving in the city. Today, you will find dishes as diverse as puran poli and pohe to mutton barbat, pasande and Nepali ande as part of the citys culinary landscape, offering a taste of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Awadh, and Nepal in the heart of Madhya Pradesh.

Like many old cities, Gwalior too has witnessed the rise of many dynasties, including the Guptas, Tomars and the Scindias, movement of people due to marriage, wars and work, and more. Each has added a unique culinary dimension to the food of Gwalior. And today, select homestays such as Krishnayan Heritage and restaurants like Silver Saloon at luxury hotels are offering a taste of this history.

But why should we be talking about the cuisine of Gwalior? The fact that it was a major princely state at one point of time, enjoyed proximity to cities such as Delhi and was cosmopolitan in nature, makes it an interesting study. With its overarching dominance in the last days of the Mughal empire, it imbibed a lot of influences from there, including in the food. With certain members of the Scindia family marrying into families from Nepal for three generations, a strong Nepalese influence has seeped into Gwaliors food habits. The Silver Saloon at the Taj Usha Kiran offers a glimpse of this Maharashtrian-Nepalese culinary jugalbandi.

Also read: When art meets food on a plate

Curated by Priyadarshini Raje Scindia who champions the craft and culinary heritage of the city through the Gwalior Design Project and the food and hospitality organisation, the Seeti Movementthe menu at usha Kiran palace showcases the conversations between the two cuisines. So, you will find, both in the a la carte menu and the royal thali, a mix of dishes such as the tamatar saar, chara ko raas, or chicken clear soup flavoured with cumin and cinnamon, the sekwa, which is fish marinated in yogurt and cooked on a griddle, bhuteko bhaat, bharli vangi made with brinjals, and dal amti.
Day after blocking Starlink bank accounts in Brazil, a top Supreme Court judge has ordered the suspension of Elon Musk's social media giant X in the country for refusing to name a legal representative. The move will further escalate the feud between the two who have sparred over free speech, far-right accounts on X and misinformation spreading through X.

In its order, the judge said that X will remain blocked until all orders were complied with  this includes payment of more than $3 million in fines and naming a legal representative.

The judge also said anyone using VPN to access X, formerly Twitter, would be subject to daily fines of 50,000 reais ($8,900 or 7,46,621).

On Wednesday, August 28, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes had warned Elon Musk that X could be blocked if he fails to name a legal representative. The platform will stay blocked until Elon Musk complies with all orders.

The judge, Alexandre de Moraes, wrote that X has been contributing to an environment of total impunity and lawlessness in Brazilian social networks, including during the 2024 local elections".Elon Musk showed his total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and, in particular, for the judiciary, setting himself up as a true supranational entity and immune to the laws of each country.

Before X was suspended in Brazil, the social media giant said it expects X to be suspended. When we attempted to defend ourselves in court, Judge de Moraes threatened our Brazilian legal representative with imprisonment. Even after she resigned, he froze all of her bank accounts. Our challenges against his manifestly illegal actions were either dismissed or ignored. Judge de Moraes' colleagues on the Supreme Court are either unwilling or unable to stand up to him, the company wrote.

X has clashed with de Moraes over its reluctance to comply with orders to block users.

Elon Musk lashed out at the Brazilian judge minutes after the ruling suspending X in the country was published. Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes, Elon Musk said in a post on X, adding, The oppressive regime in Brazil is so afraid of the people learning the truth that they will bankrupt anyone who tries.

On Friday, August 30, the feud has also led to the freezing of satellite internet provider Starlink's bank accounts in Brazil. Starlink is a unit of Musk-led rocket company SpaceX.
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit will take over as the new head of Indian Air Force's Prayagraj-based Central Air Command from September 1.

He will succeed Air Marshal RGK Kapoor who superannuated on Saturday.

Dixit was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 6, 1986. He is an Experimental Test Plot and a Qualified Flying Instructor with more than 3,300 hours of flying experience on a variety of aircraft in the IAF inventory.

He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College (Bangladesh) and National Defence College.

He was actively involved in IAFs several operations and exercises such as Op Safed Sagar in the Kargil War and Op-Bakshak.

In past, the IAF officer held the appointment of Air Defence Commander of Southern Air Command and also tenanted the appointments of Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects) and Assistant Chief of the Air Stall (Plans) at Air Headquarters.

As the Deputy Chief of Air Staff in Air Headquarters, Dixit played a critical role in pushing forward the Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) initiative of the defence forces.

Also Read | Defence modernization, indigenization programme to propel HAL

He has headed several projects with the adaption of future technologies and worked towards ensuring that the IAF achieves modernization while maintaining a steady focus on 'Aatmanirbharta Self Reliance'.

Earlier in August, the Indian Air Force gave clearance to public sector firm Bharat Dynamics Limited for the production of 200 Astra Mark 1 air-to-air missiles.

The Astra Mark1 missiles have been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation with BDL as its production agency.

The production clearance to the BDL was given during a visit by the Deputy Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit to Hyderabad recently.

The Astra missiles will be integrated on both the Russian-origin Su-30 as well as the indigenous LCA Tejas fighter aircraft after production.
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday, in response to Banerjee's letter demanding fast-track courts, stringent laws for rape-murder cases and time-bound investigations for crimes against women.

In her letter dated August 30, Devi said the information contained in Banerjee's letter is factually incorrect. She said, The information contained in your letter in this regard is factually incorrect and appears to be a step in the direction to cover up the delays in operationalising the FTSCs by the State.

The Union minister also urged the West Bengal government to implement the same in letter and spirit.

Despite having 48,600 pending cases Devi criticised the West Bengal government, saying it has not operationalized additional fast-track special courts to deal with rape and POCSO cases, despite having 48,600 pending cases.

"With regard to the information contained in your letter about the status of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) and exclusive POCSO Courts in West Bengal, I may mention that according to information received from the Calcutta High Court, West Bengal has established 88 Fast Track Courts (FTCs), which are not the same as the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) covered under the Central Government Scheme as referred in my earlier D.O. letter dated 25.08.2024," the letter read.

"Despite the pendency of 48,600 rape and POCSO cases in West Bengal, the state has not operationalized additional 11 FTSCs which may be exclusive POCSO Courts or combined FTSCs dealing with both rape and POCSO cases, as per the state's requirement. As may be seen, the information contained in your letter in this regard is factually incorrect and appears to be a step in the direction of covering up the delays in operationalizing the FTSCs by the state," the letter read.

Already have stringent punishments for The Union minister also highlighted that stringent punishments for rape already exist under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including minimum 10 years of rigorous imprisonment extendable up to life imprisonment or death.

As regards, stringent legislation and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes like rape/ rape and murder, I reiterate my earlier communication conveying that stringent punishments for rape/ rape with murder already exist in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the letter read.

It stated, It [BNS] prescribes for a minimum of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for rape and extendable upto life imprisonment for the remainder of the natural life of the convict or with death, depending on the severity of the crime.

"As regards, the mandatory provision for the disposal of cases in a specific time frame by the trial authorities, I would like to mention that the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) has the provision for the completion of an investigation that also includes forensic examination in cases of rape, within two months from the filing of the charge sheet," she added in the letter.

Stringent laws Devi reiterated the importance of following central legislation to strengthen the criminal justice system and ensure justice for victims. She concluded by requesting Banerjee to ensure proper handling of cases and sensitization of duty holders to bring finality within prescribed timelines.

I reiterate that the enactments by the Central Government are comprehensive and stringent enough to tackle the violence and crimes against women, Devi said.

She added that if the West Bengal fovernment follows the central legislations in letter and spirit, it will certainly have a lasting impact on strengthening the criminal justice system

"I once again request you to ensure due sensitization and a positive approach of all duty holders at appropriate levels to ensure proper handling of cases with due care and attention to bring finality as per the timelines prescribed under the statutes," Devi added.

Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi Devi's letter came days after Banerjee wrote to PM Modi on Friday. In her letter, the West Bengal CM had reiterated her request for stringent central legislation and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes like rape and murder. She also sought quick justice in rape cases.

Banerjee demanded that such a serious and sensitive issue needs to be addressed comprehensively through stringent central legislation prescribing exemplary punishment against the persons involved in such dastardly crimes.

She said the proposed legislation should also consider setting up Fast-Track Special Courts for speedy trial in such cases. To ensure quick justice, trials in such cases should preferably be completed within 15 days, she told PM Modi.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31. The relations between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan derive their strength from the will of our peoples, said President Ilham Aliyev in a congratulatory letter to President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, Trend reports.

The ever-expanding Azerbaijani-Kyrgyz ties, now elevated to the level of strategic partnership, draw strength from the mutual respect and will of our peoples, who have historically lived in friendship and are bound by unbreakable ties, President Ilham Aliyev said in his congratulatory letter to President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov on the occasion of Independence Day.

The head of state underlined that the large-scale programs and projects implemented under the leadership of Sadyr Zhaparov contribute to the comprehensive development of Kyrgyzstan, its socio-economic progress, and the well-being of the Kyrgyz people.

It is gratifying to note that our intergovernmental relations, developed through joint efforts, have entered a new phase. Undoubtedly, our mutual visits and regular meetings have created favorable conditions for this progress.

Today, cooperation between our countries is successfully developing in various fields, particularly in trade, economic, investment, and transportation sectors. I am confident that through our joint efforts, we will realize the full potential of our partnership, further expand our traditionally friendly relations, and enhance our effective collaboration for the benefit of our brotherly peoples, the letter reads.

The Azerbaijani leader appreciated his Kyrgyz counterparts visit to Shusha in early July to participate in the informal Summit of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States.
The IMA has written to the National Task Force (NTF), which has been mandated to formulate protocol for ensuring safety and security of healthcare professionals, again demanding a central law on violence against doctors and hospitals and declaring hospitals as safe zones.

Stating that the Supreme Court has constituted the NTF to evolve a national consensus and to formulate protocols with due consultation of all stakeholders, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in its letter formulated its submission in three sections.

The NTF was constituted the apex court in the wake of protests by doctors and healthcare professionals following the recent rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.

Firstly, putting forth its demand and justification for a central act on violence on doctors and hospitals, the IMA submitted its study 'Safety During Night Duty: Survey of 3885 Doctors Across India", its draft proposal for Central Act, draft legislation - "The Healthcare Service Personnel and Clinical Establishments (Prohibition of violence and damage to property) Bill, 2019", the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act September 2020 among others as annexures.

Justifying the demand for a central act, the IMA in its letter said that healthcare facilities vary in nature both infrastructure wise and human resources wise.

Also Read | IMA suspends membership of former RG Kar Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh

"The only preventive strategy that could be applied across the board and across all the states is deterrent central law in statute. Absence of such law has resulted in half-hearted actions by the police and less that optimum investigations and prosecution of the incidence," it said.

Reasoning that deterrence is the best form of prevention, the IMA said that unlike other measures, a strong central law will prevent violence across all sectors especially the small and medium ones. It will serve as an enabling Act to the state legislations.

Also Read | PM Modi urges swift justice for crime against women amid Kolkata case

Secondly, for its demand for declaring hospitals as safe zones, the IMA said the concept of safe zones could be embedded in the proposed law as well.

"Declaration as safe zone entitles the hospitals with security entitlements. These security entitlements however should be tempered with patient friendly nature and cultural sensitivity," it said.

Third, it demanded improving the working and living conditions of the resident doctors.

Also Read | Sanjoy Roy demands egg chowmein in jail, upset over standard prison meal

Ever since the resident system was created, there have been administrative and judiciary pronouncements. "Yet few things have changed on the ground," it said.

"We the medical profession of India expect the National Task Force to live up to our expectations and instill confidence into the minds of the demoralised doctor community," the doctors' body said in the letter.

The IMA also stated that it is the national organisation of modern medicine doctors established in 1928 which played a part in the freedom struggle of the country and has its headquarters in New Delhi.

It has presence in almost all the districts of the country with 1,800 local branches, 28 state branches and 3,85,000 members. In addition, IMA has it presence in all the medical colleges of the country through its Junior Doctors Network and Medical Students Network, the letter mentioned.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday the Indian Railways has made big strides in addressing long-standing issues and will not stop till it becomes a guarantee of comfortable travel for all sections of society.

Modi said that the nation was inching towards the goal of Viksit Bharat with modernisation and expansion of Vande Bharat trains.

Through its hard work over the years, the railways has made big strides in addressing long-standing issues and offered new hopes and solutions. We will not stop until the Indian Railways becomes a guarantee of comfortable travel for everyone, the prime minister said.

His remarks came against the backdrop of railway accidents that prompted the opposition to question the government's track record on rail safety.

Further, Modi said that modern rail infrastructure was a strong pillar of the vision of Viksit Bharat.

More than 2.5 lakh crore was allocated to the railways in this year's budget and the government was connecting Indian Railways with high-tech services to transform its old image, he added.

On Saturday, PM Modi flagged off three new Vande Bharat Express trains via videoconferencing.

The three new Vande Bharat trains will run between Meerut and Lucknow, Madurai and Bengaluru, and Chennai and Nagercoil.

Also Read | Gujarat govt to cover Vande Bharat Train costs for state employees under LTC

The Meerut -Lucknow Vande Bharat Express will help passengers save around an hour compared to the current fastest train between the two cities.

The Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil Vande Bharat Express and the Madurai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express will cut down travel time by more than two hours and around one-and-a-half hours, respectively.

Underlining that rapid development of southern states was imperative to accomplish the goal of Viksit Bharat, he said that the development of Tamil Nadu, along with the entire southern India, was the government's priority.

Modi said that more than 6,000 crore was allocated for Tamil Nadu's rail budget this year, seven times more than in 2014.
Oxford (United Kingdom), August 31 (ANI): An Indian student enrolled at UK's Oxford University has accused the prestigious varsity of racial bias, harassment and injustice. Lakshmi Balakrishnan who hails from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, said that she has "initiated legal action" because she has "not received justice from the appeals and complaints mechanism" instituted by the university.

As per her claims she had joined Oxford university in October 2018 to pursue a PhD on Shakespeare in the English faculty.

"In November 2021 during an internal assessment process known as confirmation of status in the fourth year of my studies my assessors at Oxford failed me by reasoning in the assessment report that Shakespeare does not have the scope for doctoral level studies," Balakrishnan said.

She alleges that this constitutes a "breach of contract" by the university.

Also Read | How Online Schools Are Enhancing Education Accessibility in India

"It is actually a breach of contract because when I applied to Oxford I clearly mentioned in my application that my PhD thesis is going to be on Shakespeare. The scope of my PHD thesis has continued to remain the same since the time of mu application to Oxford and therefore I believe that this constitutes a fundamental breach of contract when the university failed my PHD exam," she said.

The student said that she has "assiduously followed all the appeals and complaints process and shown respect to these procedures" but felt let down by these procedures.

"I want justice for my PhD confirmation issue," she said.

"Since December 2021, I have filed several appeals and complaints in various stages both within the university as well as in the Office of the Independent Adjudicator of my PhD problem," Balakrishnan added.

She stated that the university and the OIA refused to uphold the appeal because they said that the assessors are credited scholars and their decision "academic judgement" must be accepted.

"I am not challenging the academic judgement of the assessors on their academics, I am challenging the judgement on the basis of racial bias and procedural irregularity," Balakrishnan alleged.

She said she had spent over 100,000 pounds by "making immense sacrifices."

"After spending such an enormous sum of money which is 100,000 pounds the least they could do is to allow me to submit my PhD thesis and undertake my final viva, that is all that I am expecting," she said.

The graduate student said that after the appeals and complaints procedure of the university failed to grant her justice, she has initiated legal action.

"The university's actions have disadvantaged me financially and affected my job prospects," claimed Balakrishnan

She said she has also started a Go fund page appealing to the public for "financial support to seek justice."

She further said that she has appealed to the Vice Chancellor and the Pro Vice Chancellor of the university.

"I have requested meetings from them. Unfortunately, I have not had a positive response from them," she said.

"My own college at Oxford has testified about severe irregularities as had happened in my case. I would appreciate it if they could positively resolve my case," she said.

The Indian student has also alleged that she believes her assessors were "motivated by racial bias" in failing her PhD thesis.

"There were two white students in my October 2018 cohort who pursued their PhD thesis on Shakespeare and their thesis were accepted while mine was not," Balakrishnan alleged.

Also Read | 633 Indians died while studying abroad in past 5 years

She has alleged that after the assessors failed her PhD they forcibly transferred her to the Masters course without following due process.

"Without my consent. They have violated the principles of natural justice by transferring me to MA before I could even appeal the decision and have the outcome of that appeal. So this is discriminatory," she alleged.

"Throughout my case I have been denied procedural fairness. and decisions have been made in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner. I have faced systemic bullying and harassment issues from the Oxford English faculty," Balakrishnan alleged.

Felt ostracised She claimed that in 2019 one of her confirmation assessors who had failed her bullied her at a seminar event and she had to stop attending all the seminar events.

"Because I felt ostracised after being subjected to harassment in a targeted manner by a senior academic," she said

"I think race was certainly a motivating factor behind the professor targeting me in that manner," she said adding that there is a "deep bias and discrimination against Indian students."

Balakrishnan said Indian students are disadvantaged seriously as a result of the deep bias.

She also claimed that "there is a reluctance from Oxford's English faculty to allow students of colour to thrive in the field by making original contributions."

Academic misconduct and plagiarism Balakrishnan has claimed that there is evidence of one of the assessors engaging in "academic misconduct and plagiarism" of her work and this she said raises serious questions about the "academic integrity of the November 2021 confirmation decision."

The student said that she has felt let down by the appeals and complaints process.

In September 2023, Rashmi Samant who had scripted history to become the first Indian to be elected as the President of the Oxford Student Union (SU) came out with a tell-all book, 'A Hindu in Oxford'

Samant detailed her harrowing experience of being allegedly targeted and singled by her professors at the university claiming that they questioned her holding the office of president citing her religious and ethnic backgrounds. (ANI)
Kolkata:Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh on Saturday claimed that the West Bengal government was still trying to obstruct the Kolkata woman doctor rape and murder case enquiry and save the accused.

"The state government tried to create confusion among the public and destroy the evidence...The state government is still trying to obstruct the enquiry and save the accused. The state police is not coordinating with CBI... Every work that is being done by the state government, be it the principal, be it the DC, be it the CP or from the Chief Minister to all other leaders, these people want to dilute it deliberately," Ghosh told ANI.

"Even before this 48,000 such cases of crime have happened during Mamata Banerjee's rule, none of them has been solved," Ghosh added.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the inaugural event of the 2-day National Conference of District Judiciary at Bharat Mandapam, reiterated that many strict laws have been made in the country for the safety of women.

"Today, atrocities against women, safety of children... are serious concerns of society. Many strict laws have been made in the country for the safety of women, but we need to make it more active. The faster the decisions are taken in cases related to atrocities against women, the greater assurance of safety half the population will get," PM Modi said.

The brutal rape and murder of the trainee doctor has sparked a wave of protests in West Bengal and other parts of the country.

Doctors have been holding protests in different states demanding justice for the victim. Doctors have been demonstrating in various states, demanding justice for the victim and enhanced security laws for healthcare professionals.

The case has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation from the local police following an order from the Calcutta High Court.

Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer, at the hospital, has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Also Read | IMA again demands central law on violence against doctors, hospitals

The incident has triggered a war of words between the BJP, with the latter demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu joined a few other Telugu actors and filmmakers in urging the Telangana government to publish a report, similar to the Hema Committee Report, on sexual harassment in the Telugu Film Industry (TFI).

Samantha took to Instagram stories to share a statement, titled 'Voice of Women in TFI'  that several other women in the Telugu Film Industry had posted.

Also Read | Kerala police registers FIR against actors Mukesh and Jayasurya

The statement read, "We, the women of the Telugu film industry, welcome the Hema Committee report and applaud the persistent efforts of the WCC [Women in Cinema Collective] in Kerala, which has laid the path to this moment."

"Taking cue from the WCC, The Voice of Women, a support group for women in the TFI, was created in 2019," Samantha's Instagram post read.

Demanding the Telangana government to publish a similar report on sexual harassment, the statement said, We hereby urge the Telangana government, to publish the submitted sub-committee report on sexual harassment, which can help frame government and industry policies, to establish a safe working environment for women in the TFI.

Source: Samantha Ruth Prabhu/ Instagram

Other than Samantha, Telugu actors Manchu Lakshmi Prasanna, Suma Kanakala, Pragathi Mahavadi, and film director and screenwriter Nandini Reddy also shared the same statement on their Instagram earlier.

The Hema Committee Report The 235-page report by Justice Hema Committee detailed explosive allegations of sexual abuse by male actors in the Malayalam cinema industry. It notes that the Malayalam film industry is controlled by 10-15 male producers, directors, and actors.

Ever since the report was released, several women actors came forward with complaints against their male counterparts, leading to the registration of FIRs against actor-politician Mukesh, Sidhique, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, Idavela Babu, and director Ranjith.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu has expressed strong support for the Hema Committee report, which has prompted several actors in Kerala to share their experiences of sexual, physical, and verbal abuse within the industry. On Instagram, Samantha praised the report and the efforts of the Womens Collective Kerala (WCC) for its groundbreaking work.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu also called on the Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government to release a similar report on sexual harassment within the Telugu film industry to help create safer workplaces for women.

We, the women of the Telugu film industry, welcome the Hema Committee report and applaud the persistent efforts of the WCC in Kerala, which has laid the path to this moment, Samantha wrote in her Instagram story.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu shared the solidarity message on her Instagram story on Saturday

She further urged, We hereby urge the Telangana government to publish the submitted sub-committee report on sexual harassment, which can help frame government and industry policies to establish a safe working environment for women in the TFI (Telugu Film Industry).

The comprehensive 235-page report by the Justice Hema Committee, which was redacted to protect the identities of witnesses and accused, highlights that the Malayalam film industry is dominated by 10-15 male producers, directors, and actors including director Ranjith, actor Siddique.

The #MeToo wave that Kerala film industry had embroiled in saw AMMA authorities undertake en masse resignations, including Mohanlal. The #MeToo wave has also hit the ruling party in Kerala, as two-time CPI(M) MLA Mukesh had been named in the Hema Committe report. It has been alleged that Mukesh abused junior artists. The revelation has caused a massive political stir in Kerala, with Congress and BJP protesting against the Pinarayi Vijayan government seeking action against Mukesh.

Formed in 2017, the committee submitted its findings in 2019, but the reports release has been delayed due to ongoing legal challenges.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who was earlier married to Naga Chaitanya, also indicated that Tollywood would greatly benefit from a similar committee being established in Telangana.

Also Read | Me Too roils Malayalam film industry: Jayasurya faces second sexual assault case

Recently, Samantha Ruth Prabhu appeared in the film 'Kushi' alongside Vijay Deverakonda and has upcoming projects including 'Bangaram,' which she announced on her birthday. She will also star in Raj and DK's 'Citadel: Honey Bunny' with Varun Dhawan, Kay Kay Menon, and Sikandar Kher, set to premiere in November.
Teachers' Day, celebrated across India, is observed every year on September 5, the birth anniversary of Indias first Vice-President and the second President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

He was an eminent scholar, teacher and renowned philosopher.

When Dr Radhakrishnan served as the President from 1962 to 1967, his students and friends had requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday on September 5.

To which he did not agree but he suggested that the day can be celebrated as the Teachers' Day.

Since 1962, Teachers Day is celebrated on 5 September every year.

Dr Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 at Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu. His father and mother were Sarvepalli Veeraswami and Sitamma.

He was married to Sivakamu, and had six children  5 daughters and 1 son.

Here are some interesting facts about Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan  1 Throughout his academic life, Dr Radhakrishnan got scholarships for studies.

He studied at Voorhees College in Vellore and Madras Christian College, Madras.

In 1906, he completed his Master's in Philosophy and became a professor.

2Before Indias independence, he was addressed as Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan because he was Knighted in 1931.

After the independence, he came to be known as Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Dr Radhakrishnan was also named as Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford in 1936.

3 In 1946, Dr Radhakrishnan was elected to the Constituent Assembly. He also served as ambassador to UNESCO and later to Moscow.

4 Dr Radhakrishnan became the first Vice President of India in 1952 and the second President of India in 1962.

5 In 1954, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, the highest honour of the country. In 1963, he was awarded with the Order of Merit and the Templeton Prize in 1975.

6 From 1931 to 1936, Dr Radhakrishnan was the Vice-Chancellor at Andhra University, and from 1939 to 1948 at Banaras Hindu University.

He was the Chancellor at Delhi University from 1953 to 1962.
The Election Commission modified the Assembly election schedule on Saturday as a flood-like situation prevailed in Gujarat and India won several medals at the Paris Paralympics. Outrage over #MeToo allegations from the Kerala film industry continued while Bangladesh broached the possibility of an extradition request for ousted former PM Sheikh Hasina.

EC changes election dates

The Election Commission has deferred the Haryana assembly poll date from October 1 to October 5 in light of a centuries-old festival within the Bishnoi community. The counting of votes for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly polls will now be held on October 8 instead of October 4.

The poll body said the decision has been taken to honour both the voting rights and traditions of the Bishnoi community, which has upheld a 300-400-year-old practice in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar.

Also Read | Haryana polls postponed to October 5, counting of votes on October 8

Gujarat floods and Cyclone Asna

A flood-like situation prevailed across large swathes of Gujarat on Saturday as Cyclone Asna moved across the Arabian Sea. The Army, NDRF and SDRF remain involved in rescue and relief operations with thousands shifted to relief camps after being trapped by the rising water levels.

Kachchh has received very heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours...Gujarat has received 882 mm of rainfall since June 1, which is 50 percent more than normal...Saurashtra and Kachchh regions have also recorded more than normal rainfall...Light to moderate rains are expected for Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar today, IMD scientist Ramashray Yadav had forecast earlier today.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the deep depression is likely to move away from the Indian Coast during the next 24 hours  heading West-Northwest over the Northeast Arabian sea.

India at Paris Paralympics 2024

India continued its medal-winning streak at the Paris Paralympics on Saturday with para-shooter Rubina Francis securing a bronze medal in the P2 - Women's 10M Air Pistol SH-1 final. Preeti Pal clinched a bronze medal in the women's T35 100m run event  the first Indian woman to win a medal in track at the Paralympics. Meanwhile Indian archer Sarita Kumari put up a commanding show to storm into the quarterfinals of the compound women's open category.

India has secured five medals at the Paris Paralympic Games thus far  including a gold for shooting. Reigning Paralympic champion Avani Lekhara struck gold for a second consecutive year in the women's 10m air rifle final.

Kerala film industrys #MeToo wave

The Malayalam film industry was left reeling under an onslaught of #MeToo allegations this week following an explosive report. The 235-page report by the Justice Hema committee flagged allegations of sexual abuse by male actors and claimed the Malayalam film industry was essentially being controlled by 10-15 male producers, directors, and actors. Several women actors have also come forward in the wake of the report  leading to FIRs against actor-politician Mukesh, Sidhique, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, Idavela Babu, and director Ranjith. The Hema Committee report also spurred calls for a similar investigation into the Telugu film industry.
Vinesh Phogat, on Saturday, reached the farmers protest site on Sambhu border. The farmers have been protesting at the Shambhu border near Ambala and have been camping there since February 13. However, Vinesh Phogat on Saturday refrained from commenting on her political debut, if at all, amid speculations as Haryana is scheduled to vote on 1 October to elect all 90 members of the Haryana Legislative Assembly.

At Shambhu border, Vinesh Phogat brushed aside questions of a political debut. She said, I don't want to talk about it. I have come to meet my family members (farmers) and if you spin it, their fight and struggle will be wasted. The focus shouldn't be on me, but on the farming community. I am a sportsperson and a citizen of India; elections are not my concern. My only focus is on the welfare of farmers".

The farmers protest has reached its 200th day on August 31.

Earlier, former Haryana chief minister and leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda had downplayed speculations about Vinesh Phogat joining the Congress, terming it a hypothetical question.

On the protesting farmers Vinesh Phogat said, When people raise issues, they should not be viewed through the lens of politics, religion or community. The government must listen to our family (farmers). They should have the right to speak and express their views. The demands of farmers are legitimate, as I come from a farming background and understand how my mother raised me.

On Saturday, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher claimed that the farmer's agitation has been going on since February 13 in Delhi and they are going to have a mahapanchayat in Jind on September 15 and in Pipli on September 22.
In this week's wrap (August 26-September 1), Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) conducted its 47th annual general meeting (AGM), taking Sensex and Nifty 50 to fresh record highs; West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee triggered a row with her "If you burn Bengal" remark; BRS leader K Kavitha was granted bail in the Delhi Excise Policy case; Ex-Jharkhand CM Champai Soren joined the BJP in the dramatic turn of events; President Droupadi Murmu issued a statement on the Kolkata doctor rape-murder case and more.

Here's a recap of all the major events that took place this week:

1 RIL buyback 1:1 Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries announced that its Board will convene on Thursday, September 5, 2024 to consider and recommend to the shareholders the approval of a bonus issue of shares in the ratio of 1:1.

2. Sensex, Nifty 50 hit lifetime highs on RIL GM 2024 The 47th annual general meeting (AGM) of the Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) took place on Thursday, August 29, driving the domestic equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty 50 to fresh record highs during afternoon trade.

The Nifty 50 hit a fresh record high at 25,174.55, and Sensex touched 82,220.68. The indices opened almost flat with a mixed response from both indices in the opening hour. Nifty opened 17 points down at 25,035.30 points. The BSE Sensex opened with a minor gain of 35 points at 81,822.56.

3. Mamata Banerjee's 'if Bengal will burn...' remark While speaking at a public in Kolkata on August 28, Mamata Banerjee claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is using his party, the BJP, to cause a fire in Bengal over the Kolkata woman doctor rape and murder incident.

She said, "Some people think this is Bangladesh. I love Bangladesh; they speak like us and share our culture. But remember, Bangladesh is a separate country, and India is a separate country. Modi Babu is using his party to cause fire here. If you burn Bengal, Assam, North-East, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Delhi too shall burn! We will topple your chair."

A day later, Banerjee issued a clarification over the BJP's allegations that she was threatening the protesters who have held demonstrations and rallies against the Kolkata doctor's rape case. In a long post on X, Mamata Banerjee said she did not utter a single word" against the medical students or their movements or threaten them.

4. PM Modi, President on Kolkata rape case Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at the opening of the two-day National Conference of District Judiciary held at Bharat Mandapam. In his address, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of expediting justice in cases involving crimes against women, stating that doing so would enhance their sense of security.

On August 28, President Droupadi Murmu reacted to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The President said countless rapes had been forgotten by society since the Nirbhaya incident, though a few drew nationwide attention and added that the 'collective amnesia' was obnoxious. Murmu made the comments in an article written for PTI.

5. Cyclone Asna Cyclone Asna, formed over the coast of Kutch in Gujarat on August 30, moved into the Arabian sea towards Oman without leaving any major impact on the region, officials said on Friday evening.

"Since the cyclone has already entered the sea and is heading towards Oman, there was an impact on the coast. Except for some rain and winds blowing at considerable speed, there was no impact here. There was no immediate news about injury or death or collapse of any major structure," PTI quoted Kutch district collector Amit Arora as saying.

6. Champai Soren joins BJP Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren joined the BJP on August 30. The joining of the 67-year-old tribal leader to the BJP was seen as a shot in the arm for the party's efforts to boost its connection with the Scheduled Tribes, a community which has been the main voter base of the JMM.

Also Read | Champai Soren: What role will he play in Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024

7. K Kavitha gets bail On August 27, the Supreme Court granted bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha in the Delhi excise policy case. The Supreme Court reprimanded the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over the nature of the probe they have conducted in the case.

K Kavitha, 46, the daughter of former Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, has been in custody since March 15 on alleged corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam.

9. Hema committee report Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu joined a few other Telugu actors and filmmakers in urging the Telangana government to publish a report, similar to the Hema Committee Report, on sexual harassment in the Telugu Film Industry (TFI).

Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged against actor and CPI(M) MLA from Kollam, Mukesh, based on a complaint by actress Minu Muneer, according to Kerala Police, as reported by ANI. The police also confirmed that another FIR has been filed against actor Jayasurya, based on the same actress's complaint, under Section 354, which addresses the intent to outrage a woman's modesty.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim on the occasion of the country's Independence Day, Trend reports.

"On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I am pleased to congratulate you and, through you, all your people on the occasion of Malaysia's national holiday  Independence Day.

We attach special importance to the development and strengthening of friendly and cooperative relations between Azerbaijan and Malaysia. I believe that we will continue to make joint efforts to successfully maintain and further develop our interstate relations and cooperation in accordance with the interests of our peoples. I hope that within the framework of COP29, which will be held in Baku in November, we will closely cooperate with Malaysia to combat climate change.

On this special day, I wish you robust health, happiness, success in your endeavors, and lasting prosperity to the friendly people of Malaysia," the letter reads.
The West Bengal unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has raised questions on the Kolkata Police clarification on a crowded seminar hall at RG Kar where the body of the trainee doctor was found on August 9. The IMA has specifically pointed fingers at the presence of one Dr Avik De who has been identified by the Kolkata Police as a fingerprint expert.

Days after a postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, a video and pictures showing dozens of people at the crime scene has raised questions about how so many were allowed into the seminar hall. It is also alleged that the crime scene was tampered with.

As the video went viral, the Kolkata Police clarified that the crime scene was not compromised and everyone seen in the pictures was authorised to be there.

Indira Mukherjee, DCP Central, Kolkata Police said, It has been alleged that there are probably some people who were not supposed to be there and there has been some tampering of evidence. We have taken a still from that video... We have been able to identify each and everyone who was there in this picture... Right behind the cordon is the dead body... We have a videographer from the detective department, Commissioner of Police, Additional CP-1, Lady Police and forensic officials here. All are known to us and identified."

There is also another picture and a new set of people. We have the witness doctor, FSL, fingerprint expert, the ACP of the detective department, the videographer, additional CP -1 and the forensic officials. This picture or the video is of the time when the inquest process was over... At no point in time could anybody enter this area who was not authorized. Nobody entered who was not associated with the investigation process, she said.

Also Read | Sanjoy Roy demands egg chowmein in jail, upset over standard prison meal

The IMA has demanded to know about Dr Avik De, seen in pictures wearing red shirt, pointing out that he is a first year post graduate trainee of Surgery Department of SSKM Hospital. In a post, the IMA also said that his admission in PG has been controversial.

Please let us know when the great Dr Avik De became Finger Print Expert? (As stated by Kolkata Police). As we all know, he is a 1st year Post Graduate Trainee of Surgery Department of SSKM Hospital. We also know that there are lot of controversies regarding his getting admission in PG course. It is said that though Dr Avik De worked as RMO in Burdwan Medical College, but the then Principal of that College Dr Kaustav Nayek gave him a false Certificate mentioning that he worked in Anamoy Hospital, just to get him Service Quota for PG admission, manipulating all the official papers. And in return without declaring the result of the 1st interview or cancelling the same, Dr Kaustav Nayek was made DME through a 2nd interview, superseding many other senior & eligible Principals, the Bengal branch of IMA said.
Kolkata doctor rape case: All Delhi-based Doctors' Associations (DAs) have announced a silent protest on Friday at Rajiv Chowk in the national capital, demanding justice and improved safety measures for healthcare professionals following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata.

Members of AIIMS, RML, Safdarjung, Maulana Azad Medical College, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Northern Railway Central Hospital and other affiliated institutions will also participate in the protest.

All Delhi RDAs have decided to suspend the strike and will instead continue with a silent protest on a common day each week until justice is served to the victim, the official notice read.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be leading a dharna on Saturday, August 31, demanding capital punishment for the accused in the Kolkata doctor's rape and murder case. Let's know how the Kolkata doctor rape case has developed in past few days:
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat has joined the massive protest call of the farmer groups at the Shambhu border, connecting Haryana and Delhi, demanding the Central government to fulfil their promises to the protesters. It's been 200 days since hundreds of farmers started camping at the Shambhu border, on February 13, demanding a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

Speaking from the Shambhu border, Vinesh Phogat said the country would not progress if people sit on streets like this.

Vinesh Phogat said, It has been 200 days since they are sitting here. It is painful to see this. All of them are citizens of this country. Farmers run the country. Nothing is possible without them, not even athletes - if they don't feed us, we won't be able to compete. Many a time we are helpless and can't do anything, we represent the country at such big levels but we can't do anything for our family even when we see them sad.

I urge the government that they should listen. They had admitted their mistake last time, they should fulfill the promises that they made. The country won't progress, if people sit on streets like this, Vinesh said.

Also Read | SC directs Haryana, Punjab to maintain status quo at Shambhu border

Vinesh Phogat was also felicitated by farmer leaders as she arrived at their protest site at Shambhu border as the agitation completed 200 days.

The Supreme Court on August 22 asked the States of Punjab and Haryana to continue their meetings with the protesting farmers, to persuade them to clear the highway along the Shambhu border.

Earlier, the top court had asked the Senior Superintendent of Police of Patiala and Ambala and the Deputy Commissioners of both districts to hold a meeting and explore possibilities of partial opening of the Shambhu border highway initially for ambulances, essential services, and daily commuters of the nearby area.
Days after a West Bengal labourer was beaten to death in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri district, state Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on 31 August downplayed the lynching incident, stating the term 'mob lynching' does not accurately reflect the incident, reported Hindustan Times.

It is not right to say things like mob lynching, because a strict law has been made in the Assembly for cow protection and there is no compromise on it, HT quoted chief minister Nayab Singh Saini as saying.

Also Read | Govt weighs changes in CrPc, IPC to curb incidents of mob lynching

Villagers have so much respect for cows that if they are informed about such things, then who can stop them? I want to say that such incidents should not happen and these incidents are unfortunate, he added.

Earlier on 27 August, a West Bengal labourer, Sabir Malik, was beaten to death by Charkhi Dadri's villager, who suspected Malik of consuming beef. According to the details, consuming beef is a serious offence under local cow protection laws.

Also Read | Alwar lynching case: 4 accused of killing Rakbar Khan get 7 years in prison

Following the incident, police have arrested five men  Abhishek, Mohit, Ravinder, Kamaljit, and Sahil  along with two juveniles.

All the accused have been arrested under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered, confirmed Deputy Superintendent of Police Dheeraj Kumar, adding they are in police remand.

The police said that Malik was a rag picker near Bandhra village and he was lured to a shop under the pretence of selling empty plastic bottles before being assaulted.

Also Read | Maharashtra: 47 accused in Palghar lynching case get bail

When bystanders intervened, Malik was taken to different location by the accused and then beaten to death.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at the opening of the two-day National Conference of District Judiciary held at Bharat Mandapam. In his address, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of expediting justice in cases involving crimes against women, stating that doing so would enhance their sense of security.

Also Read | PM Modi lays foundation for 76,200-crore Vadhvan Port in Maharashtra

His remarks follow the recent rape and murder case at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9, which has sparked widespread outrage across the country.

Coming back to PM Modi, during his addresss, he added, "75 years of the Supreme Court, this is not just the journey of an institution. This is the journey of the Constitution of India and its constitutional values. This is the journey of India becoming more mature as a democracy"

Top quotes from PM Modi's address 1. PM Modi commended the Supreme Court for consistently upholding the trust placed in it by the people of India throughout its journey. "I can say with confidence that SC has upheld the trust and faith we have in our institution...Even in the dark period of emergency, the Supreme Court guaranteed our fundamental rights and every time it was a question of national interest, the Supreme Court always guarded national integrity, the Prime Minister said.

2. PM Modi highlighted that societal concerns such as atrocities against women and child safety are pressing issues. Today, atrocities against women, safety of children... are serious concerns of the society. Many strict laws have been made in the country for the safety of women, but we need to make it more active. The faster the decisions are taken in cases related to atrocities against women, the greater assurance of safety half the population will get."

3. He added, In the Amritkaal of Independence, 140 crore countrymen have only one dream  Developed India, New India. New India, that is  a modern India in thinking and determination. Our judiciary is a strong pillar of this vision.

Also Read | PM Modi at Global Fintech Fest urges regulators to combat cyber frauds

4. He also said, To eliminate delay in justice, work has been done at many levels in the last decade. In the last 10 years, the country has spent about 8 thousand crore rupees for the development of judicial infrastructure. 75 per cent of the amount spent on judicial infrastructure in the last 25 years has been spent in the last 10 years only.
(Adds information about oil industry resuming operations)

CARACAS, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Electricity returned to Caracas and other parts of Venezuela on Saturday after a blackout plunged much of the country into darkness on Friday, although Reuters witnesses reported continued intermittent outages in the oil-producing state of Zulia.

Venezuela's government blamed the massive blackout that crippled the South American country on an "attack" on the country's largest dam, Guri, without providing additional details.

"The first thing I thought was that the food was going to spoil, and it was so expensive to buy, said Jose Rincon, a teacher who lives in the central city of Valencia. "When you think everything is bad, it seems like it just gets worse."

Reyner Acosta, a 62-year-old retiree in Maracaibo, the capital of Zulia, said the electricity came back early Saturday morning, only to cut off once again.

"We were struggling because the electricity came and went," he said while shopping at a market to replenish food that had gone bad while the power was out.

On Saturday, the Jose oil terminal, the largest in the country, resumed operations that had been interrupted by the blackout, according to an industry source.

About 70% of Venezuela's oil exports are handled through the terminal, which does not have its own energy system.

A key oil upgrader that produces exportable crude, Petropiar, also resumed operations on Saturday, according to two company sources.

Experts say the blackouts that have plagued Venezuela for years are due to lack of maintenance and disinvestment from the electrical system.
Teacher's Day 2024: Teachers play an irreplaceable role in our lives by sharing essential knowledge, and guiding us towards the right path. To recognize and celebrate their contributions, Teachers' Day is observed throughout India on September 5 each year.

September 5 also commemorates the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second president of India.

Teachers' Day: Why do we celebrate Teachers' Day coincides with the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a distinguished scholar and revered educationist who commanded great respect from his students.

History has it that when a group of students wished to celebrate his birthday, Dr Radhakrishnan proposed that they mark the occasion as Teachers' Day instead.

During Radhakrishnan's presidency from 1962 to 1967, he preferred a modest acknowledgment and expressed that he would be more pleased if the day were dedicated to honouring teachers.

Since 1962, educational institutions across India have celebrated Teachers' Day on September 5, his birth anniversary, to pay tribute to Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and to all teachers who dedicate themselves to educating and guiding students.

Teachers' Day: Significance Teachers' Day is a time to honor and express gratitude to educators who play a crucial role in shaping students' futures, and guide them through their wisdom.

Beyond imparting knowledge and values, teachers provide guidance through challenges and build a strong foundation for their students. They inspire and influence many, shaping the future of countless individuals.

Teachers' Day: Celebrations On Teachers' Day, schools and higher education institutions across India celebrate the day with much enthusiasm to show respect to their educators.

Also Read | CK Prahalad, the oracle whose wisdom still echoes in Indian boardrooms

The day marks various events at schools and educational institutions, highlighting the importance of teachers and honour their contributions across various disciplines of education.

Students often express their appreciation through heartfelt notes, handmade cards, or cakes to their teachers.
A conservative beer company has raked in more than a million dollars with limited edition cans paying homage to the Donald Trump assassination bid. The collectible by 'Conservative Dad's Ultra Right Beer' features a sketch of the former President fist-pumping with blood streaked across his cheek and his message for followers to fight.

Our previous limited-edition Trump mugshot beer cans have fetched up to $1,000 per case on eBay, and Im confident this latest release will become even more of a collectors item, a press release on Friday quoted CEO Seth Weathers as saying.

The company started in mid-2023 revealed that its limited edition can has surpassed $1 million in sales over the past month-and-a-half. The limited-edition FIGHT six-pack will be available for purchase till September 15.

The company touts itself as selling 100% woke-free American beer and has several other Trump or Republican-themed products on sale  including Make Beer Great Again Trump limited edition t-shirts, swimsuits, Real Women of America calendars and more.

Investigators who have conducted nearly 1,000 interviews do not yet have a motive for why 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump during a July campaign rally but they believe that he conducted extensive attack planning. The FBI has confirmed that Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet during the attack. Crooks, who was positioned on the roof of a nearby building, fired eight shots before being killed by a Secret Service counter sniper.

Trump has heaped blame President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the assassination attempt. The Republican presidential nominee claimed (without evidence) earlier this week that the duo had made it difficult for the secret service to protect him.

When this happened, people would ask, whose fault is it? Trump told McGraw. I think to a certain extent its Bidens fault and Harriss fault. And Im the opponent. They were weaponising government against me, they brought in the whole DoJ to try and get me, they werent too interested in my health and safety. They were making it very difficult to have proper staffing in terms of Secret Service, reports quoted him as saying on the television talkshow Dr Phil.

Also Read | Donald Trump blames US President, Kamala Harris over Pennsylvania rally shooting
Bangalore: Ace investor, and co-founder of Hungama Digital, Ashish Kacholia missed his Bengaluru to Mumbai flight on Thursday after Google Maps failed to correctly estimate the time it might take to reach the airport.

Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru is quite far from the city, a fact that has drawn considerable criticism from commuters. Kacholia, co-founder of Hungama Digital, had to travel over 50 km from HSR Layout to KIA. Google Maps estimated this journey would take 1 hour and 45 minutes. However, Kacholia faced a setback when the trip took twice as long due to Bangalore's unpredictable traffic and weather conditions.

Despite the estimate, the actual travel time extended to 3 hours, compounded by rain that began during Kacholia's trip.

Yesterday missed my flight from Bengaluru to Mumbai because journey took 3 hours instead of 1.45 as shown by Google Maps, the Hungama co-founder wrote on the social media platform X.

Mumbai praise serves as a dig for Bangalore The investor further took a dig at Bangalore infrastructure by thanking BMC, the municipal corporation of Mumbai. Deeply grateful to Mumbai administration @mybmc for investing in infrastructure to keep traffic moving in maximum city, the Mumbai-based investor wrote on X.

Meanwhile, one X user added to Kacholia's jibe, and posted a hilarious comment. Cabbies in B'luru should compulsorily offer washroom breaks in between rides (just like overnight buses do), said the user. Another user questioned the Hungama co-founder on whether he was mocking Google Maps or Bangalore.

Ashish Kacholia, the Big Whale Ashish Kacholia began his financial journey in the 1990s. He gained valuable experience at firms like Prime Securities and Edelweiss before founding Lucky Securities in 1995. His investment decisions had earned him the nick-name Big Whale in financial circles.

Also Read | Railway PSU stocks give zero return in one month. Opportunity for bottom fishing
There is one person key to a likely reunion of the Royal siblings Prince William and Harry amid their ongoing rift  Kate Middleton. According to a Royal expert, Kate would have the brothers kiss and make up, but she is loyal to her husband.

Ever since Prince Harry decided to leave the Royal family and his Royal duties behind, his comments and revelations in the 2023 memoir Spare has had him ostracized by family members.

Harry was recently in the UK for the funeral of his uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes. The Duke of Sussex reportedly had returned to Britain after nearly 40 months.

According to the reports, Prince Harry sat at a distance from the heir to the throne at Lord Robert Fellowess service in Norfolk. The brothers also were said to have kept their distance and sat apart at the back of St Marys Church after arriving very discreetly, according to The Independent.

Speaking to Fox News, royal author Christopher Andersen said Kate is urging her husband to make up with Harry, believing a reunion would be "one less cloud hanging over" the Royal Family.

Andersen shared that Kate was close to Harry and the two shared a special bond. "They shared the same goofy sense of humor and laughed at the same jokes. Harry often said Kate was the sister he never had."

The royal author, on the likeliness of the reunion of the brothers said, Of course, Kate would like nothing better than to have the brothers kiss and make up. It would be one less cloud hanging over the Royal Family's head. But above all else, Kate is loyal to her husband.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31. Nikol Pashinyan stated that he wants to meet with President Ilham Aliyev at the border of the two countries, Trend reports.

During his press conference, Pashinyan also stated that Yerevan currently prefers direct negotiations with Baku.

"I must note, and you may have noticed, that for a long time now, work with Azerbaijan has been conducted in a bilateral format, and this has yielded positive results. Starting with joint statements in December of last year and continuing with the statement from April 19 of this year. Yesterday, an agreement was signed on the work of the delimitation commission. And as long as the bilateral format continues to produce results, we will continue with it," he said.
On the 27th death anniversary of Princess Diana, a royal insider has shared that King Charles was shattered on learning that his ex-wife had died in a car accident.

The loved Princess of Wales passed away on 31 August 1997 at the age of 36-year-old while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and their chauffeur, Henri Paul, also died in that crash.

The author of The Day Diana Died, Christopher Andersen told Fox News Digital that when Charles was first told over the phone that Diana had died, he, according to an eyewitness, howled like a wounded animal.

Later, Andersen said, Charles rushed from Balmoral Castle in Scotland to Paris to bring her back to England. "Charles nearly passed out when he first viewed her body," he shared.

A nurse who was standing in the room told me he reeled back and looked as if he had been struck by an unseen force. Considering how epic their marital battles had been, people were surprised at Charles reaction, Andersen told Fox News.

Charles was devastated by Dianas death, Andersen said, perhaps to a degree that surprised even him. Charles was shattered.

Also Read | New letters by Princess Diana reveal Prince Williams feelings towards brother

Andersen's remarks followed the auction of a letter penned by a former friend of Prince Charles, which fetched $2,000. In the letter, Charles expressed the "unbearable emptiness" he experienced four months after Diana's passing, as reported by the UK's DailyMail.

Andersen noted that in Dianas final months, the divorced Royal couple has finally put aside their differences for the sake of their sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

In the months before Dianas death, she and Charles decided to put their bitterness behind them and become, in her words, very best friends, Andersen explained.

A close confidant of Dianas told the author that her love for Charles never really died.

Diana even grudgingly admitted that the love and devotion Charles and [his mistress] Camilla had was something to be admired, he said quoting the late Princess' close confidant.

Behind the doors of the palace, Charles was "swept up in a whirlwind of emotion" after learning what happened to Diana, the most idolized woman in the world.

"Charles had to battle his mother, the queen, and the entire establishment of the monarchy to ensure that Diana was given the kind of funeral she deserved," the Royal author shared.
Murmurs about a royal reconciliation continued to grow this week as Prince Harry made an abrupt trip to the UK for a funeral. The development came even as reports indicated that Prince Charles wanted his son back  regardless of personal feelings harboured by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Duke of Sussex is also slated to visit New York next month without Meghan Markle  a trip that royal experts claim is a further attempt to prove he is relevant.

The trip to New York will see Harry represent the Archewell Foundation at the UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week.

Former BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole however told GB News that the trip was a bid to prove that Prince Harry was "still relevant" after stepping down from the royal family. Royal experts contend that the upcoming trip won't be about supporting Meghan Markle.

Also Read | Update about Harrys new edition of Spare likely to relieve Royal Family

I think it's really telling that he's going to New York without Meghan. Last time they went there, there was this whole fiasco with this catastrophic car chase, because it was a red carpet event that his wife was going to, The Royal Beat quoted The Sun editor Matt Wilkinson as saying.

The developments come mere days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wrapped up a tour of Colombia. The visit had been defined by cultural and social causes, in line with the couple's support of the Archewell Foundation, a nonprofit organisation.

Buzz about a reconciliation has also been driven by the possibility of Prince William  the estranged brother of the Duke  being in New York around the same time for the Earthshot Prize.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had stepped away from official royal duties in January 2020 and now live in California. Tensions between the two brothers strained further with the release of a Netflix documentary produced by Harry and Meghan at the end of 2022. The Duke had also criticised Prince William in his memoir "Spare" which was published last year.
Emergency, the upcoming movie of actor-turned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kangana Ranaut, that was scheduled for release on September 6 has been facing backlash from a number of Sikh groups who have alleged that the film was is a big insult to the Sikh community.

A delegation from the Telangana Sikh Society has alleged that the film depicts Sikhs as terrorists and anti-nationals, a portrayal that is "offensive" and damaging to the community's image.

Earlier, the Delhi unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) demanded ban on Kangana Ranaut's movie and sent a legal notice to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The notice, sent by Paramjit Singh Sarna, President of the Delhi Unit of SAD, claims that the recently released trailer of Emergency depicts historical facts inaccurately.

The party has accused Kangana Ranaut of targeting the Sikh community rather than making a historical and political statement against Congress through her movie.

It criticises Kangana Ranaut, along with the media and political backing she receives, for deliberately distorting history to spread animosity. The notice asserts that such distortion is unacceptable and should be prevented from reaching the public through the film.

On Friday, August 30, senior Congress leader and advisor to the Telangana Chief Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir met a Sikh delegation that demanded ban on Kangana Ranaut's movie.

All the Sikh community of Telangana, the people responsible for the gurudwaras and the president of the society here [in Hyderabad], they came to us and gave a presentation that 12 per cent of our people in the army. In the freedom struggle 83-84% of our people laid down their lives, said the senior Congress leader.

Mohammed Ali Shabbir said, The delegation told me the state government should ban the film, otherwise the young people of our community will protest against the film. I told them please don't protest right now, give some time to the government, we will discuss on this.
The monthlong feud between Elon Musk and a Brazilian Supreme Court justice over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation led to the suspension of social media giant X in the country. Raising concern over the issue, the tech billionaire said that the same situation would happen in America if Democratic US presidential candidate Kamala Harris came into power.

Also Read | How bosses should play politics: the cautionary tale of Elon Musk

The suspension of Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, in Brazil was preceded by the top court's order blocking bank accounts of Starlink services. Elon Musk's SpaceX operates a widespread satellite internet network. Musk, who is a vocal supporter of Republican candidate Donald Trump, recently shared a post on X saying, The attacks this year on free speech are unprecedented in the 21st century. It will happen in America too if Kamala/Walz gain power.

He also urged his followers to carefully listen to the statements made by Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. In one of his previous tweets, Elon Musk shared another video of Kamala Harris in which she advocated the suspension of Donald Trump's account from X.

While supporting the suspension of Donald Trump's account, Kamala Harris said that he should have a sense of responsibility for his words. Freedom of speech is under massive attack around the world, read another post by Elon Musk.

Brazil blocks Elon Musk's X Before taking action against Elon Musk's X, Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes warned him on Wednesday night that X could be blocked in Brazil if he failed to comply with his order to name a representative and established a 24-hour deadline. The company hasn't had a representative in the country since earlier this month.

Also Read | European censorship, Elon Musk and the Telegram arrest
India should get its rightful place as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), while United Kingdom should give up its permanent seat, NDTV reported former Singapore diplomat professor Kishore Mahbubani as saying on 31 August.

Mahbubani talked about the much-needed reforms in the United Nations, as quoted by NDTV, There is absolutely no question that India is the third-most powerful country in the world today after the United States and China. And that Great Britain is no longer 'great'.

The former Singapore diplomat explained why the UK should relinquish its seat, stating that the UK has not used its veto power for decades, fearing backlash. "So, the logical thing for the UK to do is give up its seat to India," he added.

Mahbubani also mentioned the founders of the UN ensured that all great powers of the time vested interests in the organisation in order to make it work.

"The lesson that (UN's founders) learned from the collapse of the League of Nations early in the 20th century is that if a great power leaves, the organisation collapses," the former diplomat said.

"But they also believed that you must have the great powers of today, not the great powers of yesterday. Unfortunately, they didn't create a mechanism for changing the seats," he said, adding, "Another reason for the UK to give up its seat is that it will free them up to act independently."

India calls for urgent reform in UNSC negotiations: Earlier on 27 August, India Ambassador Yojna Patel, Deputy Permanent Representative of India, reiterated the call for a more decisive and transparent approach to the reform of the Security Council.

India Ambassador Yojna Patel even called for emphasizing the need for text-based negotiations to address long-standing issues and expressed gratitude for the efforts by the co-chairs of the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) process.
By Doina Chiacu

WASHINGTON, - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris criticized Republican presidential rival Donald Trump on Saturday over a visit he made to soldiers' graves at Arlington National Cemetery that was later used in campaign video footage.

"It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation. It is not a place for politics," Harris wrote in an X post.

The vice president weighed in five days after Trump took part in a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday honoring the 13 servicemembers killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

He also visited Section 60 of the Virginia cemetery, which the military considers hallowed ground. Federal law and Pentagon policies do not allow political activities in that section, but Trump's campaign took videos and used them in advertisements as he battles Democrat Harris in a close race for the White House.

Trump's visit drew criticism from some veterans and soldiers' relatives. The U.S. Army on Friday defended a cemetery employee who was pushed aside at Section 60, saying she acted professionally and was being unfairly attacked.

"Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt," Harris wrote.

Trump vice presidential pick JD Vance and press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to Harris' post with their own that referenced the Afghanistan pullout and accused Harris of being insensitive to the servicemembers who died there.

"Why dont you get off social media and go launch an investigation into their unnecessary deaths?" Vance wrote.

Trump used the third anniversary on Monday of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan to try to pin the chaotic pullout under President Joe Biden on his vice president.

Harris, 59, became the Democratic nominee in the Nov. 5 presidential election after Biden, 81, pulled out of the race in July.

The vice president's response to the Trump cemetery visit may give a clue to how she would handle the topic in their upcoming Sept. 10 debate.

Harris referred to Trump's history of insulting military veterans.

"This is nothing new from Donald Trump. This is a man who has called our fallen service members 'suckers' and 'losers' and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients," she wrote.

Trump once said the late Senator John McCain, a former Republican presidential candidate, was not a war hero even though he spent years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam after being shot down while a Navy pilot.

Trump referred to fallen World War One veterans as "suckers" and "losers," according to his former White House chief of staff, John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general.

It was unclear whether such incidents would sway the veterans vote. In an April report, the Pew Research Center found that military veterans favor the Republican Party.
India would support any feasible solution that could restore peace between Russia and Ukraine, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), reiterating India's stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made it clear on Friday that it depends on both nations to decide when and how to commence peace talks. Still, as friends, India would support a mutually acceptable solution to restore peace.

The decision as to when and how to commence peace talks is the prerogative of the two parties to the conflict. As friends and partners, we would support any feasible and mutually acceptable solution or format that could restore peace, ANI quoted Randhir Jaiswal.

India willing to play a constructive role for peace amid Russia-Ukraine war He also mentioned India's outreach to both Russia and Ukraine at the highest level. He underlined that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already indicated India's willingness to play a constructive role in he interest of peace.

At the same time, he highlighted that it is too early to comment on specific details about peace talks and pathways as the two nations are ultimately responsible for deciding when and how to commence talks.

The MEA's statement has come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia and Ukraine and his meeting with leaders Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Elon Musks X started to go dark on Saturday in Brazil at the order of the nations top court after the billionaire refused to name a legal representative for the social network in Latin Americas largest nation.

As the site went down, politicians hurried to share reactions to judicial efforts to police content before they lost access. Celebrities fired off posts directing fans to other networks, while experts in internet law opined  including in posts on the fading X  on the long-term ramifications.

Many of Xs 20 million users in Brazil, the worlds fifth-most-online nation, were left to scour rival platforms after the Supreme Court ordered the immediate suspension late Friday.

The question on Saturday was whether Musk would back down. The immediate signal from the worlds richest man was an attack on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who handed down the decision and has become the face of one of the biggest conflicts playing out globally over how much control governments have over social media.

He has supreme executive, judicial and legislative power, aka dictator, Musk posted on Saturday.

The extent of the X blackout wasnt immediately clear on Saturday. Earlier in the day, thousands of users reported problems to Downdetector, a website that tracks service disruptions. The site registered a spike of complaints just after midnight that continued throughout the day. Sorry something went wrong, Xs site told users.

While the US tends toward strong free-speech protections, many countries are taking aggressive steps to make companies more accountable for their online content. France just charged Telegram CEO Pavel Durov for allowing criminal activity on the messaging app. In Brazil, Moraes is spearheading a wide-reaching investigation into hate speech and vitriol that he says is endangering democratic institutions.

This is yet another chapter to hold technology companies accountable in the country, said Clara Iglesias Keller, a researcher at the WZB Berlin Social Sciences Center who studies information technology regulation. But this case has whole different level of visibility.

Praise or condemnation of the ban largely fell along party lines. Conservatives have long slammed Moraes for attacking their cause. Supporters of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva often praise the judge for cleaning up the internet.

Gleisi Hoffmann, the president of Lulas Workers Party, called Musk a spoiled, overbearing and arrogant playboy in a post on Instagram on Friday. He dreams of new foreign interference in the sovereignty of South American countries.

The bulk of the accounts that Moraes ordered X to take down belong to supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who used the platform to question the right-wing leaders election loss in 2022 and praise rioters who later stormed the capital on the false contention that Lula stole the vote.

Moraes latest move pours gasoline on longstanding accusations of censorship of right-wing politicians, who rely on social media to interact with their supporters. Many have called for impeaching the judge, but those efforts have so far failed to gain traction in Congress.Al

Alexandre de Moraes equates us to countries like Iran, North Korea and China by banning X, representative Julia Zanatta, a conservative lawmaker who has been critical of Moraes, said in a statement. We are already officially a dictatorship.

Moraes order will likely have to move through the courts plenary, though political observers say its unlikely to be overturned. Many internet users in Brazil raised alarm about an initial order threatening anyone using a virtual private network, or VPN, to access X with a daily fine of 50,000 reais .

Hours after his initial decision, Moraes amended the order leaving out his directives to app stores to remove VPNs. But some digital experts remain concerned about the orders lasting effects for internet users.

Its the most extreme judicial decision weve had so far in 30 years of the internet in Brazil, said Carlos Affonso Souza, head of the Institute for Technology & Society at Rio de Janeiro State University.
By Tom Balmforth

KYIV, - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy increased pressure on the United States to let Kyiv strike deeper into Russian territory after his representatives met senior U.S. officials in Washington on Saturday.

Washington has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion worth of military aid since 2022, but has limited the use of its weapons to Ukrainian soil and defensive crossborder operations.

"Clearing the Ukrainian sky of Russian guided aerial bombs is a strong step to force Russia to seek an end to the war and a just peace," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

Appealing to the United States, Britain, France and Germany, he said, "We need the capabilities to truly and fully protect Ukraine and Ukrainians.

"We need both the permissions for long-range capabilities and your long-range shells and missiles."

Without providing specifics, he said his representatives had "provided all the necessary details" to Ukraine's partners.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, in Washington with a delegation on Friday and Saturday to meet U.S. officials and experts, said in an interview broadcast by CNN that Kyiv was showing Russian airfields used to hit Ukrainian cities were within range of deep strikes.

"We have explained what kind of capabilities we need to protect the citizens against the Russian terror that Russians are causing us, so I hope we were heard," Umerov said in the interview late on Friday.

Zelenskiy is expected to deliver a similar plea in person next month, when he will present a plan for victory to President Joe Biden near the end of his time in the Oval Office, and attend United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York.

Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who headed Kyiv's delegation, said in a post on X that she had discussed the steps needed to restore Ukraine's energy system, including a "significant contribution" being made by an $800 million energy sector financing package that was announced in June.

Russian air strikes have affected more than half of Ukraine's power infrastructure, she said.

The president's chief of staff Andriy Yermak joined Umerov in briefing U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the situation on the battlefield in the first meeting of their visit on Friday, the presidential office said in a statement.

Speaking at the end of a week when Russia hit Ukraine with more than 400 missiles and drones, Yermak said it was important for Ukraine to receive weapons from existing defence packages as soon as possible, the office said.
The US police have arrested a 52-year-old Indian-origin man, Bobby Singh, for allegedly shooting dead a 21-year-old student from Nepal during a robbery at her apartment, reported NDTV, quoting the New York Post.

According to the report, police had said that the student from Nepal, Muna Pandey, was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside her Houston apartment around 5.30 pm on Monday.

The apartment complex staff claimed they received an anonymous call about a body inside the apartment, the police said, adding she was declared dead when they reached.

But after two days, police released a photo of Shah, caught on CCTV leaving her apartment on Saturday. He was arrested later that day at a traffic stop and charged with murder.

NYP quoted a GoFundMe page as saying that Pandey had moved from Nepal to study at Houston Community College in 2021. The member of Nepalese Association of Houston even added that her mother had been trying to reach her for days.

Also Read | Several people wounded after gunshots fired in central Paris

"What her Mom said is her phone was always online. After Saturday night, phone was offline. She had three gunshots and she was laying down on the bed, with head down. Hopefully, the investigation will come up with some idea of how this happened," NYP quoted the person as saying.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Consulate and the Nepalese Association of Houston are working together to help make travel arrangements for Pandey's mother to fly to Houston.

Also Read | Swing states in focus as Kamala Harris widens lead over Donald Trump
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31. Pashinyan has not yet decided whether he will attend the COP29 summit in Baku.

During a press conference, the Armenian PM told journalists that he would make a decision in due time, based on the circumstances and situation at that moment.
In Afghanistan, music is being silencednot by the gentle passing of time, but by deliberate destruction. Photos recently appeared in the media showing piles of musical instruments reduced to ashes: guitars, sitars, tanburs and rubabsthe rubab, a national symbol of Afghan identityamong them. First, we wept; then we got angry. We call upon the global community to reverse this fundamental attack on Afghan society.

Music is a source of self-expression, connection, celebration, solace, transcendence, empathy and joy. Yet the Taliban see it as a profound threat to its extremist ideology, an un-Islamic practice. Last week, Maulvi Abdul Ghafar Farooq, a spokesman for the Talibans Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, boasted that the regime had destroyed over 21,000 musical instruments in the past year. This is part of the Talibans broader, brutal effort to erase music, visual art, and film from Afghan life.

The consequences of this cultural genocide are dire. The soul of a nation cannot survive without its creative expression. In attacking music, the Taliban is striking at the very heart of the spirit and identity of the Afghan people.

Nowhere is this loss more deeply felt than at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. ANIM was a beacon of hope, offering music and academic education to girls and boys from all ethnic backgrounds, with a special focus on children from economically disadvantaged families.

It was a space where Afghanistans traditional sounds harmonized with Western classical music, producing a unique fusion that gave birth to the Afghan Youth Orchestra and the all-girls orchestra Zohradefiant symbols of progress in a country long resistant to change.

Three years ago, when the Taliban regained control in Afghanistan, the school community faced a gut-wrenching choice: to give up their music and educational opportunities or flee the country, leaving their families behind.

The community is indebted to Qatar for the evacuation of 273 students, faculty and staff, and to Portugal, which opened its doors to the entire school, allowing it to remain together. A miracle of international cooperation enabled the largest single airlift of imperiled musicians in human history.

Today the displaced ANIM community lives in peace, studying music and academics in Portugal while the original Kabul campus serves as an armed Haqqani Taliban base camp. Practice rooms formerly filled with joyful music-making are now patrolled by sentries armed with AR-15s. Afghanistan is a silent nation. But no number of charred instruments will destroy Afghan music. It thrives inside every Afghan musician and all of those left behind.

Meanwhile, since the Talibans takeover, the international communityincluding the U.S.has continued to pour billions of dollars in unconditional aid into Afghanistan. While this aid is essential for alleviating poverty and preventing the countrys further collapse, it comes at a cost.

Without any conditions or restrictions, these funds are helping to legitimize a regime that denies women and girls their educational and cultural rights and has forced the entire nation into silence. Aid must be conditioned on tangible improvements in the areas of cultural rights and womens rights. If the Taliban refuses, a portion of the aid should be redirected to organizations providing cultural and educational services to Afghans, in-country and abroad.

Afghanistans culture is burning, but it need not turn to ash. The global community must recognize that supporting Afghans means more than filling stomachsit means feeding the soul and keeping alive the dream of a free, vibrant Afghanistan where music, art and self-expression flourish once again.

Mr. Sarmast is the founder and director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. Ms. Rosenthal is the president and Ms. Lustig the treasurer of Friends of ANIM.
The US Presidential race has undergone a drastic overhaul this month following the candidature of Kamala Harris. National polls show a growing surge in support for the Democrat  with many national polls now giving her an edge in the crucial swing states. The state-by-state results of the Electoral College will determine the election winner in early November with a handful of battleground states playing a decisive role.

An US Presidential candidate would require at least 270 electoral votes in order to take the White House. Every state is allocated votes corresponding to its congressional delegation (the number of members of the House of Representatives plus two senators). Georgia for example, has 16 electors to match its 14 Representatives and two senators.

Swing states play an important role in the ever-shifting electoral landscape and can essentially make or break an election. The purple states in the 2024 contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump for example, contribute nearly a 100 electoral votes.

What do the polls say at the end of August 2024? Data collected from battleground states after the Democratic National Convention indicate the Vice President has now jumped ahead in the election race. According to The Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll earlier this week, Harris hold an advantage over Donald Trump in each of the seven states most likely to decide the race.

Also Read | Donald Trump blames Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for assassination attempt

A survey released on Tuesday by the FAU PolCom Lab and Mainstreet Research USA puts the Democrat 4 points ahead of former President Donald Trump among US voters. She held a similar lead in the Morning Consult poll released this week as well as saw an uptick in support as per Fox News surveys released on Wednesday. Harris also leads Trump 45% to 41% according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Thursday.

What exactly are swing states? The United States of America comprises of 50 states and the federal district of Washington DC. Some of these states tend to vote in a predictable or safe manner to elect members of the same party (Democrat or Republican) every four years. Others pose a somewhat more unpredictable situation with results oscilating from red to blue. Politicians typically focus a disproportionate amount of time and campaign resources to woo people in these states. Swing states display small vote margins and tend to change over time.

Seven states were won by a margin less than 3% during the 2020 elections. Joe Biden had won Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, NE-02, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Meanwhile Trump emerged as the apparent choice for ME-02, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas.

Electoral vote allocation in the current swing states:

Arizona - 11

Georgia - 16

Pennsylvania - 19

Michigan - 15

North Carolina - 16

Nevada - 6

Wisconsin - 10

State-wise breakdown Harris now leads by 2 percentage points among registered voters across the seven states. She is ahead by 1 point  a statistical tie  among likely voters, a group that campaigns and pollsters begin to shift their attention to as election day nears. The statistical margin of error is 1 percentage point across the seven states.

The change of fortunes is most visible in North Carolina  where Harris now has a 2-point lead. Trump had led by 10 points as recently as April and no Democratic presidential candidate has won the state since Barack Obama in 2008. The recent developments have forced Republicans to spend more than $16 million on television ads supporting Trump in the last five weeks.
Bihar former deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav termed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as Chinese version of Yogi after the latter announced the obliteration of Jummah Break, the 2-hour break given people who follow Islam , for their Friday prayers, also known as Namaz'.

Tejaswi Yadav slammed the Assam CM and alleged that Himanta Biswa Sarma deliberately keeps doing acts that harass Muslims.

The people of BJP have made Muslim brothers a soft target to spread hatred, attract the attention of Modi-Shah and polarize the society., Tejaswi Yadav posted on X (formerly Twitter).

People of all religions, except RSS, have a hand in the independence of the country. Our Muslim brothers have made sacrifices in getting the country freedom and as long as we are here, no one can harm them, Yadav added.

BJP hits back at Tejaswi Yadav Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday hit out at leader Tejashwi Yadav, who dubbed Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as the Chinese version of Yogi, saying that such remarks reflect the racist mentality of INDIA bloc leaders.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla while drawing parallels between Yadavs comments with that of remarks made by India Overseas Congress Chairman Sam Pitroda, accused the INDIA bloc of harboring a racist mentality, suggesting that Pitrodas influence has permeated Yadavs mindset.

Tejashwi Yadav labels Assam CM @himantabiswa as a Chinese because he is an Assamese and from the North-East! This reflects racist mentality of the INDI Alliance & it seems Sam Pitroda has taken over mindspace of Tejaswi when he makes such racist comments. Does Rahul Gandhi, Gaurav Gogoi endorse this as Muhabbat ki Dukaan. Will they end ties with RJD for such unconstitutional, anti Bharat Jodo, racist and hateful comments? he said in a post on X.

Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday slammed senior RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for his remarks on namaz break rule and advised him to practice before preaching.

"Tejashwi Yadav is criticising me but I want to ask him...is there any such practice in Bihar? You (Yadav) should have implemented four-hour break when you were deputy chief minister of Bihar. Practice it first before preaching," Sarma said.
NASA, on Friday, reassigned a new set of astronauts for its SpaceX Crew-9 mission, ahead of its launch in September 2024. Astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov have been appointed as the commander and mission specialist for SpaceX Dragon spacecraft respectively, which is scheduled to take off on September 24.

Previously announced NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson have been reassigned to future missions, said the space administration in its latest update. The other astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who left for space on the Starliner spacecraft in June, will return to Earth with Hague and Gorbunov in February 2025.

NASA's decision comes after it decided to launch Crew-9 with two vacant seats, following an uncrewed Boeing Crew Flight Test.

Chief Astronaut Joe Acaba's decision NASAs chief astronaut Joe Acaba made the decision to include Hague, considering his prior spaceflight experience and the need for an integrated crew that includes a Roscosmos cosmonaut for effective station operations.

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Acaba acknowledged that reducing the crew size was a difficult choice, particularly given the original training with a crew of four, but expressed full confidence in the crew's capabilities.

Cardman expressed her pride and confidence in Hague and Gorbunov, noting that both will excel in their roles. I am confident Nick and Alex will step into their roles with excellence. All four of us remain dedicated to the success of this mission, and Stephanie and I look forward to flying when the time is right, said Cardman.

Hague and Gorbunov to join Sunita Williams The Space X Crew 9 mission will mark Hagues third spaceflight. His first launch in October 2018 was aborted due to a rocket failure, but he later successfully flew to the ISS in March 2019. With over 200 days in space, Hague has participated in several critical spacewalks and served as the Space Forces director of test and evaluation before returning to NASA.
SUMMER ISLAND, Mich.Steve Libert steered his finicky pontoon boat and aging crew of scuba divers to a spot offshore this uninhabited island in northern Lake Michigan, lined up with a dead cedar tree and dropped anchor.

Eight feet beneath the clear, green water sat the skeletal wreck of the first full-size European ship to sailand sinkin the Upper Great Lakes, in 1679: French explorer Robert La Salles Le Griffon.

Or maybe not.

Every adventurous spirit has their own white whale. Libert, 70 years old and retired from a career in naval intelligence, has been diving these waters in search of the Griffon for 43 years. Yet he is nearly alone in his belief that he has finally located the fabled wreck, thanks in part to the failure of a highly publicized 2013 excavation of a different spot he thought would finally reveal the ship, and a prickly, litigious relationship with Michigan officials.

The Griffon has not been found," said Wayne R. Lusardi, maritime archaeologist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Asked to elaborate on his conclusion, he responded: Im sorry, I am very busy documenting real sites and dont have time for fantasy."

They dont look at the evidence," Libert countered. They think Im this shady character."

Still, Libert has a trusted crew who believe in his quest, including Tom Kucharsky, a 68-year-old machinist from Dayton, Ohio.

If Steve asks me to do something, Im gonna try like hell to do it," he said. Hes my treasure."

A great mystery

Libert is rowing against the tide. Over the years, many amateur explorers have been taken with the idea that they could find a historic shipwreck not among the worlds vast oceans but smack in the heart of the American Midwest.

From the 30s to the present day, there have been multiple discoveries of the Griffon," said Valerie van Heest, an explorer, historian and director of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association. There are thousands of hulks of old ships in the Great Lakes and they are not all the Griffon."

Libert was 14 in suburban Dayton, Ohio, when he first heard of La Salles Great Lakes adventure. As Libert tells it, his 8th-grade teacher touched his shoulder and said: Maybe someday someone in this class will find it."

La Salle, who would eventually lay claim to a huge swath of North America for France, began building the Griffon above Niagara Falls in 1679, according to historical accounts.

That August, he and his crew embarked on an epic journey through Lake Erie, up the Detroit River and across lakes Huron and Michigan to an island at the mouth of Green Bay.

After loading the ship with furs, La Salle dispatched a crew of six to sell them back east, while the rest continued exploring by canoe. The Griffon vanished on its return voyage.

Its the first real shipwreck on the Great Lakes, and its a great mystery," said Bruce Lynn, executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum near Whitefish Point, Mich.

It was work

Libert, who began researching the Griffon in earnest in 1979 while in college, pursued the theory that the ship fell to a storm soon after departing. Historical references to the ship possibly sinking in shallows near the Huron Islands" led some to look for the wreck in Lake Huron, but Libert found that a group of islands at the north end of the mouth of Green Bay were once called the Huron Islands. They include Summer and Poverty islands.

In the early 1980s, Libert began assembling a team of divers to search for the Griffon along with another mystery beckoning under the waterthe Poverty Island Treasure, a legendary hoard of $400 million in gold supposedly lost during the Civil War.

Libert and his crew, including Kucharsky and his older brother, Jim, 75, have dived together ever since. Today, all three suffer from health ailments. In their youth, they spent vacations inhabiting an abandoned lighthouse on Poverty Island in search of both wrecks.

It was work," said Tom Kucharsky, the Dayton machinist, describing hauling scuba tanks across rough terrain on the uninhabited island.

The explorers found some successand legal hardship. In 1985, the team located a Depression-era salvage ship, which Libert identified as the Captain Lawrence and that he believed might have some of the lost gold aboard. Libert, by then working as an intelligence analyst at what is now the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, tracked down a relative of the original owner who granted Liberts team salvage rights to the ship.

When Libert applied for a permit to excavate it, Michigan officials refused and claimed ownership, sparking a legal battle stretching from 1994 to 2001. Libert lost and couldnt excavate the ship.

As that drama wrapped up, Libert said he was diving in murky waters looking for the Griffon when he collided with something that knocked his mask off. Several dives later, he believed he had found a part of a shipand imaging showed a large mass on the lake bed.

Could the Griffon lie below?

Again, Libert applied for a permit to excavate and Michigan declined. This time, Libert found a powerful ally, inviting France to claim the Griffon as its sovereign vessel. After another legal battle from 2004 to 2012, Libert prevailed and the French rights to the Griffon, if found, were confirmed.

The resulting 2013 expedition, led by French and American archaeologists, drew international attention. But Liberts hopes were sunk. Instead of the Griffon, the excavation uncovered a 4-foot mass of invasive zebra mussels.

Still, Liberts team was able to bring up the pole. French archaeologists believed it exhibited many characteristics of a bowsprit, the long pole at the front of a ship that supports the rigging, according to their reports on the find. It had a beveled end and a flat joint with wooden spikes that would have attached it to the part of the ship that carries the flag, Libert said.

Carbon dating placed its age range anywhere between 1670 and 1950, indicating it could come from the Griffon, or something much more recent.

The Michigan History Center concluded it wasnt a bowsprit, but a stake used in commercial fishing, probably dating between the mid-1800s and mid-1900s. Cornell Universitys Tree Ring Laboratory wasnt able to conclude the age of the pole by a technique called dendrochronology, but agreed with the History Centers analysis, according to a paper published in 2014.

Libert counters that such a stake would have a pointed end for driving into the lake bed, not a beveled one.

A state official visits

Over the years, Libert and his wife, Kathie Libert, who owned a marketing firm, pursued careers in Washington, D.C., but would spend summers in Michigan, where Steve would continue his hunt and Kathie would paint. She supported his passion project and they co-wrote a book on the Griffon.

Now retired, the couple lives full time in their condo in Charlevoix, Mich., with a huge collection of maritime booksand water views. I can look out my window at Lake Michigan and know the wreck is out there, 67 miles away," he said.

In 2014, Libert was spending hours going over satellite images after knee surgery when he spotted a large trident shape in the water near Summer Island. He thought it might be the mast and yardarm of a ship. After diving it in 2018, he came to believe it was the Griffon.

Exploring the wreck has been difficult, as Covid-19 and other health issues took a toll. After a cancer diagnosis, Libert spent six months in chemotherapy. Tom Kucharsky had a near-fatal bout of Covid that damaged his lungs. His brother, Jim, suffers from diabetes and neuropathy.

One recent day, Libert swam along a heavy beam with protruding ribs covered in mossy green growth. He pointed to features he said would have been used by French shipbuilders in the 1670s, including wooden pegs known as treenails and forged wrought iron fasteners.

Libert said he would love to apply for excavation permits to dig through a pile of rocks he thinks could be ballast stones hiding the Griffons ancient canons. But he says hes ready for someone else to take over the hunt.

Im 70 years old and not in the greatest health," he said. I dont want to have to wait another 10 years to get another permiteven if I could get one."

Little did Libert know that Lusardi, the state marine archaeologist who dismissed Liberts claims in emails to the Journal in late July, would dive the wreck on Aug. 20, a day after Libert left the area, according to Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan History Center and the state historian.

Lusardi, who had also visited the wreck in 2013, described a small wooden watercraft" that would have been about 70-feet long and 13-feet wide off the northwest coast of Summer Island, Clark said, summarizing Lusardis findings.

The vessel features an oversized keelson, paired 4-inch sided and 8-inch molded frame sets, possible iron boiler fragments, and other features related to late 19th-century Great Lakes shipbuilding traditions," according to Clark. There is nothing about this shipwreck that suggests it dates to the late 17th century."

Libert rejects most of Lusardis findings.

It fuels the fire," Libert said of Lusardis dismissal, adding that he plans to keep searching the area for artifacts to prove he has found the Griffonas long as his health allows. The more they say, the less they know about the ship."
SUMY, UkraineUkraines top military commander gathered senior officers for a secret meeting in late July where he disclosed an audacious plan to revive the countrys flagging war effort.

Ukraines army, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy told them, would turn the tables on Moscow by launching the first large-scale invasion of Russia since World War II.

One attendee, the chief of staff of the 61st Mechanized Brigade, said his initial reaction was shock.

Where are we going?" Lt. Col. Artem Kholodkevych recalled thinking.

The brazen operation also stunned Russia when it launched on Aug. 6, overrunning weak border defenses and quickly seizing around 100 towns and villages in Russias Kursk region. The invasion embarrassed Russian President Vladimir Putin, raised Ukrainians morale after a year of grinding defensive war, and showed the U.S. and other backers that Ukraine still has plenty of fight in it.

We exploded the myth that Russia is an invincible country," Kholodkevych said in an interview. We did something that no one has done for 80 years."

The operation has brought a brighter spotlight on its architect, Syrskiy. The 59-year-old career military officer faced a challenging proposition when he took over in February. He was replacing a popular predecessor, Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhniy, and since then has sought largely to manage a war of attrition against a much larger foe.

The incursion has, for now, upended the narrative of the war, putting Ukraine back on the offensive. But the success of the operation will ultimately be determined by whether it leads to lasting gains, or greater losses, on the battlefieldor yields political dividends that bring more military support from the U.S. and its allies or strengthen Ukraines position in any future peace negotiations.

Now in its fourth week, the incursion is continuing to make gains even as Russia has sent reinforcements. At least 2,000 Russian troops are hemmed in against a river, where repeated attempts to relieve them using pontoon bridges have failed, according to Ukrainian soldiers.

Some military strategists and soldiers have questioned the Kursk operation, saying Syrskiy is committing precious reserves of manpower and equipment to a new front while Russia is taking advantage of Ukraines threadbare defensive lines on the eastern front to press forward.

Russia has withdrawn several thousand troops from Ukraine in response to the incursion, but has intensified assaults on its main target, Pokrovsk, a critical logistics hub for Ukrainian operations in the east.

Others have praised the move, saying that Ukraine needed to play a joker to change the momentum of a war.

Ukraine couldnt afford simply to keep trying to buy time by throwing more men into defensive lines, said retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe. Nobody has enough resources to do everything," he said. You are constantly having to make decisions about priorities, where to accept risk."

The operation is also a bold gambit for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was trapped between a slow but relentless advance by Russia, which wants to take control of Ukraine, and the Wests unwillingness to provide sufficient weaponry to reverse Russian gains.

He saw that only one actor can change the status quo," said Mick Ryan, a military strategist and retired major general in the Australian Army. Its risky but audacious."

Zelensky said Tuesday he is planning to travel to the U.S. in September to present a peace plan that has been spurred, in part, by the positive dynamic of the invasion.

A general who can act unusually, suddenly

Syrskiy, a fitness buff with a passion for military history, had an ambiguous reputation among Ukrainian soldiers. His stern, clipped style contrasts with his predecessor, who would pose for selfies and flash V signs for victory.

Syrskiy led the defense of Kyiv that repelled Russias assault in early 2022, and a successful counteroffensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region that autumn. But some blamed him for heavy losses in the defense of the eastern city of Bakhmut, which Russia captured in May 2023 after months of brutal fighting.

The Kursk operation has won the general plaudits for its planning, secrecy and speed. Analysts and Ukrainian officers said Syrskiy had evidently drawn conclusions from Ukraines failed counteroffensive during the summer of 2023, when Ukraine consulted with the U.S. and other Western partners, deployed newly formed brigades and telegraphed its plans with videos and public comments.

Only a small number of senior officers took part in the meetings, led by Syrskiy, to thrash out detailed plans for the incursion. Syrskiy tapped battle-hardened units, such as the 80th and 82nd Air Assault Brigades, to lead the incursion and didnt inform the U.S. of plans.

While last years counteroffensive assaulted Russias strongest fortifications in the south, this time Syrskiy picked a target that Moscow had assumed was untouchable and left weakly defended primarily by conscripts.

The strong point of Syrskiy is that he is a general who can act unusually, suddenly, unexpectedly for the enemy," said Serhiy Cherevatiy, Syrskiys former communications adviser. He knows we dont have parity and cant go head-to-head, so he uses cunning and any advantage we have."

Breaking through Russian lines, cutting off troops

Before Syrskiys July meeting with senior officers from units selected for the operation, troops from the 61st Brigade had spent months training in the east for what officers assumed would be another defensive engagement. Even after the generals disclosure that they would be going into Russia, Kholodkevych, the brigades chief of staff, thought it might simply be a bluff, meant to deceive the Russians.

The transfer of the 61st Brigade from the east was accompanied by a disinformation campaign indicating they were headed for Vovchansk, a northern city under assault since May, when Russia launched its own cross-border incursion.

Instead, the brigade was in the second wave of Ukrainian troops into Kursk on Aug. 7. As assault troops on fast-moving armored vehicles drove deeper into Russia avoiding head-on assaults in towns and villages, the 61st mopped up pockets of soldiers cut off by the quick advance.

The rapid operation bears similarities to Syrskiys Kharkiv offensive, which took advantage of Russian weak points to break through their lines, cut off troops and take back swaths of territory.

Now, Ukraine is taking advantage of Russian unpreparedness to strike deeper into the rear, creating what Zelensky has called a buffer zone to impede Russian military operations against Ukraine. Kyivs forces are still taking more prisoners to add to a pool that Ukraine hopes to trade for its own people detained in Russia.

Ukraine is using new tactics and equipment to gain an upper hand where Russian defenses are weaker, including using small explosive drones to strike down helicopters and Russian surveillance drones.

The commander of a drone unit, call sign Aristarkh, said that was allowing Ukrainian artillery to move more freely and hit more targets as the threat of discovery is lower. Aristarkhs teams operate strike drones with a range of 30 miles that can drop aerial bombs on high-value targets such as artillery guns.

Russia has a total of 30,000 troops in the area to counter the offensive, Syrskiy said Tuesday, some of them transferred from Ukraine.

Still, Syrskiy said Russia wasnt redeploying troops from the Pokrovsk front to Kursk, as Ukraine had hoped it would, and is instead not strengthening its forces there.

That has provoked complaints from soldiers in the east that their defensive efforts have been starved in favor of the Kursk offensive.

Hodges, the retired U.S. Army Europe commander, said that is a risk that Syrskiy and his advisers will have foreseen and decided it was worth taking.

This is not about a popularity contest," he said. Its about achieving strategic effect, which means you have to accept risk in other areas."

Oksana Grytsenko and Ievgeniia Sivorka contributed to this article.
Quick facts When they lived: 700,000 years ago to 4,000 years ago What they looked liked: They had shaggy hair, fatty humps and curved tusks Size and weight: up to 11 feet and 12,000 pounds Babies' weight: Around 200 pounds Where they lived: Eurasia and North America

Woolly mammoths were extinct, shaggy beasts that were relatives of today's Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). They lived across North America and Eurasia for about 700,000 years and went extinct around 4,000 years ago.

Scientists know so much about these elephant-relatives because many of their bodies have been found, frozen and preserved in the ground in Siberia, Alaska and Canada. Some of these mammoths look like they died only recently, with fresh-looking skin, hair and tusks. From these amazing finds, we know what adults and babies ate , how far they walked , how they died, and how they're different from modern-day elephants.

Even though they're long gone, some scientists are trying to clone the ice age beasts. They hope to bring the mammoths back to places like Siberia and Alaska, where they once lived.

3 fun facts about woolly mammoths

Everything you need to know about woolly mammoths

The frozen carcass of a 39,000-year-old woolly mammoth from the Siberian permafrost. (Image credit: KAZUHIRO NOGI via Getty Images)

Could we ever clone a woolly mammoth? Scientists are trying to clone woolly mammoths and bring them back to places like Siberia and Alaska. Researchers are hopeful they can resurrect the species because the Arctic permafrost preserves mammoth corpses so well. Many of these long-lost beasts have been found with well-preserved teeth and skin that contain usable DNA. In 2024, scientists actually extracted the 3D structure of chromosomes from 52,000-year-old, freeze-dried skin , which they took from a mammoth discovered in 2018 in Siberia. Scientists haven't yet reconstructed the complete genome  all the genetic information  of a woolly mammoth, but that may not be necessary to create creatures that look an awful lot like the shaggy-coated beasts, researchers told Live Science. Instead, researchers are planning to splice, or insert, genes for iconic woolly mammoth features, such as fur, fat and curved tusks, into the genome of a living elephant species. The scientists will then put these modified genomes into the empty egg cells of a living elephant,and grow the mammoth/elephant hybrid in an elephant surrogate, researchers told Live Science.

Where did woolly mammoths live? Woolly mammoths lived mainly in the Arctic , from Eurasia to North America. At the peak of the last ice age, when glaciers covered a lot of the Northern Hemisphere, they lived as far south as Spain and Illinois . Woolly mammoths evolved in eastern Siberia, but the ancestors of both mammoths and elephants originally came from Africa. Mammoths only spread into the Northern Hemisphere around 3 million years ago, according to the Natural History Museum in the U.K. While woolly mammoths preferred the coldest parts of the world, other related species, such as Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi), lived all across North America and Mexico. Columbian mammoths were actually a little bigger than woolly mammoths.

An illustration of a woolly mammoth's skeleton. (Image credit: LEONELLO CALVETTI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Getty Images)

Woolly mammoth taxonomy

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Proboscidea

Family: Elephantidae

Genus: Mammuthus

Species: Mammuthus primigenius

How tall were woolly mammoths? Woolly mammoths were about as big as today's Asian elephants, according to AZ animals . Males stood about up to about 11 feet tall (3.5 meters) at the shoulder, while females were a bit shorter, at up to around 9.5 feet (3 m). Woolly mammoths were heavy: Males could weigh in at 12,000 pounds (5,400 kilograms), while females were up to 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg), according to AZ animals.

What did woolly mammoths eat? Woolly mammoths were foragers and ate grass, as well as small, nutritious flowering plants that flourished in the environment where they lived . They may also have used their curved tusks to dig through trampled snow and eat dead or decaying plants that other foragers couldn't get to. Surprisingly, they may have also eaten their own dung, a 2015 study in the journal Scientific Reports found.

Woolly mammoth pictures

Image 1 of 6 (Image credit: Photo by Love Dalen, Stockholm University) A scientist holds a piece of fur still attached to the leg of a 39,000-year-old woolly mammoth carcass. (Image credit: Elena Kizilova (Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS)) A microscope image shows a blue-tinted hair follicle from a woolly mammoth skin sample. (Image credit: AC Archaeology) This enormous mammoth molar was found during construction of a new town near Plymouth, England. (Image credit: Government of Yukon) Members of the team pose with some of the mammoth bones that were found in Little Flake Mine near Dawson City in the Yukon. (Image credit: Rebecca Farnham/University at Buffalo) While other mammoths went extinct at the end of the last ice age about 11,000 years ago, a dwarf population of the species persisted on Wrangel Island in Siberia until about 3,700 years ago. (Image credit: Daniel Eskridge/Shutterstock) An illustration of woolly mammoths in the Arctic.

Discover more about woolly mammoths

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Pleistocene epoch: The last ice age

Frozen in time: 10 prehistoric animals found trapped in ice
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31, A meeting with international observers of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States regarding the early elections to the Milli Majlis was held in the Constitutional Court, Trend reports.

Chairman Farhad Abdullaev, who informed the guests in detail about the activities of the Constitutional Court in the electoral process, noted that as society and the rule of law develop, the electoral process also develops and improves.

The Chairman also informed the meeting participants in detail about the powers and functions of the Constitutional Court established by the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan regarding early parliamentary elections.

During the meeting, the legal positions reflected in the adopted resolution of the Plenum on the verification of the constitutionality of the relevant Resolution of June 21, 2024 on the dissolution of the Milli Majlis and the appointment of early elections based on the request of the President of Azerbaijan were discussed in detail.

It was noted that after ensuring the territorial integrity and state sovereignty of our republic, parliamentary elections will be held for the first time throughout the entire territory of the country. During the prestigious international events that will take place in November this year, the holding of extraordinary parliamentary elections on September 1 is of particular importance from the point of view of the representation of the Milli Majlis in a new composition after the restoration of the territorial integrity of the country, the full formation of the parliament of the new convocation and the implementation of the electoral rights of citizens.

The importance of the opinions and proposals of international observers of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly for the electoral process was emphasized.

The guests stated that this meeting at the Constitutional Court was of particular importance to them in order to gain a deeper understanding of the overall process ahead of the early parliamentary elections.

During the meeting, an exchange of views took place on legal issues related to parliamentary elections, and the powers of the Constitutional Court in legislation in this area were touched upon.

Farhad Abdullaev expressed confidence that the elections will be held democratically, in accordance with electoral legislation, and will be fair and transparent.

First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Andrei Yatskin, coordinator of the group of international observers of the CIS PA and other official representatives exchanged views on a number of issues of interest to them.

The meeting was also attended by judges of the Constitutional Court and responsible employees of the Office.
Seven Motorists Arrested at Central Islip Sobriety Checkpoint in Labor Day Weekend Crackdown, Suffolk Police Lead Multi-Agency Operation

Crime

By Long Island Published: August 31 2024

Seven arrested for impaired driving at Central Islip sobriety checkpoint during Labor Day weekend crackdown

The Suffolk County Police Department, assisted by the New York State Police, MTA Police and the Suffolk County Sheriffs Office, arrested seven motorists during an overnight sobriety checkpoint in Central Islip.

Police officers from the Suffolk County Police Departments Highway SAFE-T Team (Selective Alcohol Fatality Enforcement Team) conducted a joint sobriety checkpoint operation with New York State Troopers, MTA Police, and Suffolk County Deputy Sheriffs in the LIRR parking lot located at 870 Suffolk Ave., from 11 p.m. last night until 2:35 a.m. today.

The checkpoint was part of an ongoing Labor Day weekend enforcement crackdown targeting alcohol and drug impaired driving. A total of 656 vehicles went through the checkpoint. The following people were charged with Driving While Intoxicated:

 Roger Bentez-Maldlado, 45, of Central Islip

 Dore Gonzalez, 44, of Brentwood

The following people were charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Ability Impaired by Drugs:

 Jimmy Moran Ponce, 21, of Central Islip

 Daniel Ramirez Guardado, 22, of Central Islip

The following people were charged with Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs:

 Jasmine Tamayo-Ochoa, 24, of Shirley

 Brayan Sorto Luna, 23, of Brentwood

The following person was charged with Ability Impaired by Alcohol:

 Astrid Contrieras, 29, of Brentwood

The arrestees will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on August 31.

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Boston police have made an arrest in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 45-year-old man in Mattapan earlier this month.

Jordan Albert-Scott, 33, has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the death of Daniel Coke, Boston police said on Facebook Saturday.

Coke died on Aug. 4 after a stabbing in the area of 10 Amory Terrace, Boston police said in a statement on Aug. 8.

He was born in Boston on Jan. 2, 1979, to Stanley and Sarah Coke, according to his obituary.

Daniel Coke leaves behind to cherish his memory his loving wife Diamond Coke, children Amari and Jahdai Coke, his parents Stanley and Sarah Coke, a host of siblings, nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends who will miss him dearly, his family wrote.

After the incident on Aug. 4, Coke was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he died, police said.

Albert-Scott is expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court.
The weekend of Sept. 1 in Boston marks the arrival of Allston Christmas. And residents looking to spruce up their apartments are among many who participate in the annual streetside shopping holiday.

Nicole Bray, who was moving into her apartment in Allston Saturday morning, told MassLive that she looks for anything to make my room more spiffy.

I already have the bare essentials like a dresser and a nightstand, but if theres anything like an ottoman or a rug or a trash can, Im game, she said.

Allston Christmas happens every year on Sept. 1st, the day when 70% of leases begin in Boston.

This year, according to Nicholas Gove, the citys deputy chief of transportation, more than 3,400 moving truck parking permits were requested in August.

He believes thats only a small fraction of residents moving into new homes  or moving out  this weekend because not everyone uses a moving truck, and even for those who do the permits are not required.

As people move in and out of apartments in Allston and other parts of Boston, tons of household items, furniture, clothing and food are tossed out.

This results in overflowing trash bins, dumpsters filled to the brim, and streets covered in furniture that is often in salvageable condition.

MassLive roamed around Allston Saturday morning and found several mattresses, dining tables and chairs, office chairs, desks, luggage, kitchen items and clothes.

But most items were in pretty rough shape.

So when it comes to scavenging, Bray said it is important to find items that are in good condition and not scratched up or anything.

Francesca Ches Ely-Spence, who was helping her partner move out of her Allston apartment on Gardner Street Thursday afternoon, has also taken part in Allston Christmas in the past.

Items that Ely-Spence found in good condition include coffee tables, a mini-fridge, paintings, decor, and even a pricey food item.

I did find, once, a box of groceries and it had $47 Manuka honey in it and so I just took that, she said.

You dont know what youre going to get. It could be garbage or it could be something that works for you and not for the person that had it originally, Ely-Spence added. It could also be something really great that just gets picked up by the garbage people and taken to a landfill.

Ely-Spence added that the best items are often found in the dumpster. That said, shopping for Allston Christmas can be hit-or-miss.

Because of all the students, theres some really great things like mini-fridges and couches and stuff thats in good condition, but they dont want to move with it or theyre going somewhere else, so they just sort of leave it out on the street, Ely-Spence said.

While most people will move on Sunday, Ely-Spence said it is better to get your Allston Christmas shopping done sooner rather than later.

You kind of have to go before everyone moves, before [Sept.] 1 because thats when everything good is out, she said. If you go on [Sept.] 1 or after, its all kind of junk.
Iconic Britpop band Oasis rocked the music world earlier this month with the news that its warring founding brothers, Liam and Noel Gallagher, had put down their swords, and had agreed to reunite for a string of gigs in 2025.

But fans immediately found themselves asking a question: Which Oasis were they getting?

Would it be the classic line-ups that played on the bands indelible debut Definitely Maybe and its essential follow-up (Whats the Story) Morning Glory?

Read More: Legendary rock band reuniting for first time in 15 years

Or would it be the ensemble that came together for the bands 2002 LP Heathen Chemistry, and stayed intact until the bands messy collapse in 2009?

The short answer? At least so far?

A bit of both, as it turns out.

Founding guitarist Paul Bonehead Arthurs, who left the band in 1999, ahead of the release of Oasis fourth LP Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, is apparently confirmed for the reunion, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Arthurs most recently played with Liam Gallagher for shows marking the 30th anniversary of the release of Definitely Maybe.

Guitarist Gem Archer, who joined the band in 1999, also appears to be aboard for the reunion, according to multiple published reports.

Archer played in Liam Gallaghers short-lived band, Beady Eye, after Oasis broke up.

Since 2017, hes been a member of Noel Gallaghers solo project, Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds, according to The Mirror, an English newspaper.

Oasis currently are scheduled to play 14 dates across the United Kingdom and Ireland next year. That includes shows at Londons Wembley Stadium, as well as shows in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin.

Tickets were set to go on sale on Saturday (Aug. 31) and were expected to sell out within minutes, according to the Manchester Evening News.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31. Regrettably, the Prime Minister of Armenia once again made a series of statements at the press conference on 31 August contradicting the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process and the efforts to ensure peace and security in the region, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

Allegations about the territorial claims against Armenia in the Constitutional Act of Azerbaijan are completely false. An attempt to draw parallels and balance the Constitution of Azerbaijan and the Constitution of Armenia is unacceptable. None of the international partners accept this claim of Armenia, and everyone knows it is frivolous. Unlike the Constitution of Armenia, the Constitutional Act on State Independence of 1991 and the Declaration of Independence of 1918 referred to in the Constitution of Azerbaijan do not contain any territorial claims against Armenia. Which territories were part of Azerbaijan during the First Republic of Azerbaijan and when they integrated into Armenia are historical facts and these facts cannot be denied. Currently, this does not mean that there are any territorial claims against Armenia in Azerbaijans legislation.



The reference by the Armenian side to the provision in the draft peace agreement that neither party may invoke its domestic legislation for not implementing its obligations under the peace agreement to support the statement that the territorial claim in its Constitution is harmless is null and void. It is a well-known fact that no international agreement can have a superiority over the Constitution.



Therefore, no matter in what form the Armenian side intends to sign the peace agreement, the major condition for signing the real and sustainable peace agreement is ending the continuing territorial claim of Armenia against Azerbaijan that is enshrined within its multiple legal and political documents, most importantly in the Constitution of Armenia that openly refers to the Declaration of Independence of Armenia calling for reunion of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.



Furthermore, the allegations made by the Prime Minister when justifying Armenias mass militarization efforts do not reflect the reality in any case. First of all, let us note that Armenia is the country that has kept the territories of Azerbaijan under the occupations for nearly 30 years contrary to the norms and principles of international law, the UN Charter, and the Alma-Ata Declaration that she refers to, and it is not difficult to understand how the militarization of Armenia is a threat to regional peace and security taking into account the existence of territorial claims against its neighbors.



Armenias allegations that the military budget of Azerbaijan is 14-15% of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) and exceeds multiple times Armenias relevant budget is completely contrary to the information disseminated by international organizations about the military budget, and this figure is repeatedly exaggerated. In addition, the increase of Armenias military expenditures by 46% compared to last year is another indicator that proves Armenias militarization. At the same time, the claim made by the Prime Minister that Azerbaijan allegedly bought weapons from Italy does not reflect the reality.



Concerning the position of the Prime Minister on the Minsk Group, it is possible to see that the attempts of the Armenian side to restore the Minsk Group, which is a remnant of the past conflict, demonstrate that this country has a hidden agenda against Azerbaijan.



The logic of the Prime Minister of Armenia that these problems can be ignored shows that this country is not interested in sustainable peace and is only trying to keep this situation as a backup option to start aggression against Azerbaijan once again in the future.



In order to prove that it is serious about the peace process, Armenia should refrain from contradictory statements and provocative steps, and show that it respects the norms and principles of international law with its actions and real steps, the statement reads.
With two Massachusetts hospitals owned by bankrupt Steward Health Care set to close their doors on Saturday, advocates vowed to keep up the fight for one of the facilities.

Carney Hospital in Dorchester, and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, were set to close on Saturday, putting some 1,200 people out of work.

The closings come even as Steward moves ahead with agreements of sale for its other facilities across the Bay State.

On Friday, the company announced that it had finished deals for Boston Medical Center to buy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton and St. Elizabeths Medical Center in Brighton, State House News Service reported.

In a Saturday statement, state Rep. Margaret Scarsdale, D-1st Middlesex, said there are multiple qualified parties in conversation with the state about restarting medical services at the [Nashoba Valley].

Saturday was not the end of our fight to save Nashoba Valley Medical Center, Scarsdale continued. While our community hospital is slated to close, we have I encourage any operator that is interested to submit a bid or reach out to my office.

Policymakers recognize the need for essential health care in this region, and we are working as expeditiously as possible to support a new operator and reopen Nashoba Valley Medical Center, Scarsdale continued, adding that this work will remain ongoing beyond Saturday.

Scarsdale added that she [remains] hopeful for the Nashoba Valley and our communities. Make no mistake, the advocacy of thousands across our region made clear that this hospital is vital to our region.

Your voices were heard. Every email, every phone call, and every community event turned our rally cry into a firm and clear understanding: Permanent closure is not an option, Scarsdale said.

Carney Hospital, a Steward Health Care facility in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood.Will Katcher/MassLive

Supporters of both hospitals rallied at the State House on Thursday, hoping for a last-minute reprieve for the facilities.

Sonia Lipson, a nurse practitioner at Daniel Driscoll - Neponset Health Center, half-a-mile from Carney in Dorchester, said she only got instructions Tuesday about where to redirect her patients who go to the hospital for specialized care like radiology, cardiology and orthopedics.

Weve been calling for weeks and weeks asking. No one seems to have any idea whats going on. The neighborhood is really in turmoil at this point, Lipson said.

The rally came the day that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healeys office announced that a pair of New England healthcare giants are in line to take over four Steward-owned hospitals, MassLive previously reported.

Rhode Island-based Lifespan Corporation will take over Saint Annes Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton, while Lawrence General Hospital is moving to take over and operate both campuses of Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill and Methuen, Healeys office said.
A plastic dumbbell toy sold with the Fisher-Price Baby Biceps Gift Set is being recalled due to concerns that it may be a choking hazard, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The bar of the dumbbell toy is described as being gray with orange and red plastic weights on each side.

The model number for the recalled toy is GJD49 and can be found on the back of the kettlebell toy in the gift set, the commission said in a statement.

The recall was made after the firm received seven reports in the United States of the ends of the dumbbell coming off of the product. The commission added that no injuries have been reported.

The Baby Biceps Gift Set has been sold in Walmart, Kohls, Frey Meyer, Hobby Lobby, Marshalls, TJMaxx, Buy Buy Baby, and Target stores nationwide. The toy has also been sold online at Amazon, Walmart, Zulily, Target and other websites from April 2020 through August 2024 for the cost of $18.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled dumbbell toy, take it away from young children, and contact Fisher-Price to receive a refund, the agency said.

Instructions on how to report the toy can be found here.

Once the consumer confirms that the dumbbell toy will be disposed of, the person will be paid $10 for the dumbbell toy only. A receipt is not required to receive a refund for the dumbbell.

Consumers can keep the remaining toys in the Baby Biceps Gift Set.
A Massachusetts man with serve life in prison after he was found guilty of fatally stabbing his girlfriend, Jessica Goodrich of Worcester.

Jason Palmer, 47, formerly of Littleton, was found guilty of murder, malice murder, aggravated assault and concealing the death of another, according to Camden County, Georgia, court documents.

Palmers prison sentence stems from the discovery of Goodrichs body on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. Camden County Sheriffs deputies went to 2040 10th St. in Woodbine, Georgia after a body was found at the edge of a wooded area, court documents read.
The Patriots are creeping close to completely filling out their practice squad.

On Friday, they added cornerback Isaiah Bolden, who had been with the team through training camp but was slashed on cutdown day Tuesday.

Hes back, while the Patriots also added linebacker Ochuan Mathis, a former sixth-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams (2023) out of Nebraska.

He played eight games as a rookie, registering two tackles. He was rleased by the Rams ahead of cutdown day.

With the two additions, the Patriots now total 15 practice squad members. They could add as many as two more, given Jotham Russell is with the International Player Pathway Program. Or, they could also just settle for one.

In other news, the team also released offensive tackle Calvin Anderson from the Injured Reserve List - with an injury settlement - making him free to sign with another team.

Here is whos on the practice squad after Fridays signings:

DE Brevin Allen

CB Isaiah Bolden

G Jerome Carvin

DT Trysten Hill

OL Bryan Hudson

G Michael Jordan

WR Jalen Reagor

RB Kevin Harris

WR Matt Landers

OL Liam Fornadel

TE Mitchell Wilcox

RB Terrell Jennings

S AJ Thomas

DL Jotham Russell

LB Ochuan Matthis
A New Hampshire man was sentenced Tuesday for his role in a conspiracy to stalk two journalists from New Hampshire Public Radio, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Tucker Cockerline, 33 of Salem N.H. was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Cockerline pleaded guilty in federal court in December 2023 to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel of interstate commerce, according to the press release.

Initially, Cockerline was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2023 but was later indicted along with co-defendants Eric Labarge, Michael Waselchuck and Keenan Saniatan.

An NHPR reporter published an article in March 2022 about allegations of sexual and other misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson, who was named in the charging document, Levys office said. A second reporter also contributed to the article.

Labarge, who knew the businessperson, worked with Cockerline, Waselchuck and Saniatan to harass and intimidate the two journalists and their families, according to a statement from acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levys office.

Labarge told Cockerline to vandalize one of the NHPR journalists former residences in Hanover, N.H. by using a brick and red spray paint.

On April 24, 2022, Cockerline spray-painted the word C*** in large red letters on the front door of the home and threw a brick through an exterior window, the DOJ said in the release.

Saniatan is accused of agreeing with Labarge to vandalize one of the journalists homes in Concord N.H., and a home that belongs to another reporters parents in Hampstead, N.H., using large rocks and red spray paint.

Saniatant is accused of another incident back on May 20, 2022, where he reportedly spraypainted the word C*** in large red letters on the front of a journalists parents home and left a brick on the ground near the front door, the DOJ said.

Waselchuck threw a brick through an exterior window of the journalists home and painted the phrase, Just the beginning in large red letters on the front of the house.

Both Labarge and Waselchuck have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The DOJ said that Saniatan is expected to plead guilty in federal court on Sept. 5.
Steward Health Care has signed purchase agreements for Boston Medical Center to buy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton and St. Elizabeths Medical Center in Brighton, the company said Friday.

The filing of the agreement for the two hospitals comes a day after the bankrupt company filed agreements to sell four other facilities in Massachusetts.

The entire suite of deals -- the two hospitals going to BMC; St. Annes Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton being sold to Lifespan; and the Holy Family Hospital facilities in Methuen and Haverhill being sold to Lawrence General Hospital -- are expected to be presented for U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval Wednesday.

Ray Schrock, Stewards lawyer from the firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, said in an unrelated court hearing Friday that Steward did sign asset purchase agreements for the six Massachusetts hospitals.

The company filed a final and executed asset purchase agreement for the remaining two hospitals later Friday.

The terms of the deal between Steward and BMC related to Good Samaritan and St. Elizabeths were not immediately clear Friday evening.

Court filings list a purchase price of $140 million but also reference the final price being minus any amount payable to landowner Medical Properties Trust which amount shall be equal to $130,582,446.44, which would leave roughly $9.5 million as the price paid to Steward for the hospital operations.

The agreement, however, does not appear to resolve the issue of the St. Elizabeths real estate.

When Gov. Maura Healey announced deals in principle two weeks ago, she said BMC would buy the two hospitals but that the state would have to take the St. Elizabeths property by eminent domain.

The governors office said Friday that Steward will transfer the operations of St. Elizabeths to BMC while the state presses forward with its plan to take the hospital by eminent domain.

Integrating Good Samaritan Medical Center into the BMC Health System aligns with our mission of ensuring high quality and equitable access to care while also providing vital health services for these communities, BMC Health System CEO Dr. Alastair Bell said.

We are pleased to have reached an agreement to transition the operations and now shift focus to finalizing the transaction, integration planning and efforts to support the workforce and community, Bell continued.

With this agreement today, we are grateful for the Healey administrations leadership in averting a public health crisis, and for securing high quality healthcare that will serve communities long into the future, Bell said.

The document filed Friday by Steward indicates that BMC expects to receive funding support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Update: Enmanuel Valdez is expected to be added to the roster Sunday but manager Alex Cora would not confirm before Saturdays game.

DETROIT  The Red Sox plan to add one position player and one pitcher Sunday, the first day of September. Who will the position player be?

Active MLB rosters are able to expand from 26 players to 28 players during September.

Manager Alex Cora recently mentioned the possibility of wanting to add a versatile right-handed hitter to balance out the roster. The Red Sox are very left-handed hitter heavy.

Right-handed hitting prospect Kristian Campbell  who has made starts at shortstop, center field, second base and third base this season  fits that description. But he is not being considered a Sept. 1 call-up candidate, according to a team source.

The 22-year-old recently earned a promotion to Triple-A Worcester where he is 10-for-33 (.303 batting average) with a .410 on-base percentage, .606 slugging percentage, 1.016 OPS, three homers, one double, 12 RBIs, 10 runs, six walks and five strikeouts in eight games.

He has a .336/.442/.575/1.017 line with 19 homers, 31 doubles, three triples, 72 RBIs, 87 runs, 67 walks, 90 strikeouts and 22 steals between High-A Greenville (40 games), Double-A Portland (56 games) and Worcester (eight games) this season.

He could eventually emerge as a call-up candidate as September progresses. Cora said adjustments at those two extra September spots might be made throughout the month based on matchups. That seems certain at the pitcher spot. Liam Hendriks (who pitched a scoreless inning rehabbing for Worcester on Friday) is targeting a Sept. 6 return.

Trevor Story, who will begin a rehab Sunday, eventually will need a spot if things go well and hes able to return. But it doesnt seem likely hell be available for at least a couple weeks.

The Red Sox have four position players  Enmanuel Valdez, Bobby Dalbec, Vaughn Grissom and Tyler Heineman  on their 40-man roster who are not currently on their active roster.

Valdez has appeared in 60 games (recorded 189 plate appearances) for Boston this year. He seems like the most likely position player candidate on the 40-man roster despite him being a left-handed hitter. The Red Sox just lost David Hamilton, a left-handed hitter, to a finger fracture. They promoted switch-hitter Nick Sogard to take Hamiltons spot and Valdez is a candidate for a Sunday call-up.

Dalbec, Grissom and Heineman all hit from the right side. Heineman, a switch-hitting catcher, doesnt seem likely because Boston already has three catchers (Connor Wong, Danny Jansen and Mickey Gasper) on the active roster.

The Red Sox optioned Grissom to Worcester after reinstating him from the IL (hamstring) Aug. 8. The 23-year-old has had two IL stints this year. The Red Sox planned for him to be their Opening Day second baseman before he injured his other hamstring during spring training. He has struggled down at Triple A (.246/.352/.333/.685) but he has 10 hits in his past 20 at-bats.

Would the Red Sox consider promoting Grissom on Sunday or do they want him to continue to keep working on things and making progress at Worcester?

Theres a lot of guys in the conversation, Cora said, not directly answering whether Grissom is a candidate.

What has Grissom done better of late?

We put a program (together) for him a month and a half ago, Cora said. Hes been not swinging and missing in the strike zone. Hitting the ball a little bit harder than earlier. Hes been pretty disciplined. So when you start doing that stuff, you start getting results.

Cora said several factors come into play when deciding September call-ups.

But I think at the end of the day, were going to get the guys that we do believe can help us as soon as possible, Cora said. And if we have to pivot from that, then we will. But Im excited about it. Im excited where were at. Its 3  games back with a lot of games to play.

Prospect Chase Meidroth, a right-handed hitter not on the 40-man roster, has been an on-base machine for Worcester this year but his slugging percentage is below his OBP. He has a .303 batting average, .450 on-base percentage and .423 slugging percentage in 107 games (493 plate appearances). The Red Sox wanted to see more impact in his offensive game and he has provided it in August (.542 slugging percentage, two homers, three triples, one double, 19 games).

The 23-year-old has played second, shortstop and third base this year. He is not on the 40-man roster.

Jamie Westbrook, who also is not on the 40-man roster, is a right-handed hitting option as well. He has appeared in 21 games for Boston this year but he has batted only .150.

Its unlikely Hamilton (33 stolen bases) returns mainly as a pinch running specialist when hes eligible.

If we use him running-wise, it can put him in a bad spot and then he might need to have surgery, Cora said.
WARE  Police on Thursday arrested Angel L. Ramos, 51, charging him with five counts of rape of a child under 14 years of age.

Ramos, a resident of Ware, had his bail set at $1 million, the Ware Police Department said in a statement.

Ramos was also charged with eight counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14; trafficking of person under 18 for sexual servitude; Child in nude, lascivious pose/exhibit, and two counts of intimidating a witness, the statement says.
The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in Beijing from Sept. 4 to 6. The theme of the summit is  Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future. 

The FOCAC meeting this year will be the fourth time the forum is held in the form of a summit. Leaders of FOCACs African members will attend the summit at the invitation of the forum. Representatives of relevant African regional organizations and international organizations will attend relevant forum events.

At the summit, Chinese and African leaders will discuss friendly cooperation and jointly outline a bright blueprint for the development of both China and Africa. This summit is expected to open up new horizons for the development of China-Africa relations and write a new chapter in building a China-Africa community with a shared future.

China is the largest developing country in the world, and Africa is the continent with the largest number of developing countries. Shared past experiences and similar aims and goals have brought China and Africa close together.

The spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation characterized by sincere friendship and equality, win-win for mutual benefit and common development, fairness and justice, and progress with the times and openness and inclusiveness, truly captures the relations of China and Africa working together in good and hard times over the past decades, and provides a source of strength for the continuous growth of China-Africa friendly relations.

China always regards developing solidarity and cooperation with African countries as the cornerstone of its foreign policy. It always follows the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith when developing relations with Africa. China is a reliable friend and sincere partner for African countries in their efforts to safeguard independence, and promote development and revitalization.

Taking the 2024 Summit of the FOCAC as an opportunity, both China and Africa will continue to uphold the spirit of friendship and cooperation, and forge ahead together on the path of win-win cooperation and common development. This will further strengthen the bond of the China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

Since its establishment in 2000, the FOCAC has been dedicated to achieving common prosperity and sustainable development for the people of China and Africa. Adhering to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, it has evolved into a crucial platform for collective dialogue and an effective mechanism for practical cooperation between China and Africa.

Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015 attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the Johannesburg Summit of the FOCAC, and three years later, he presided over the Beijing Summit of the FOCAC and delivered a keynote speech. In 2021, Xi attended the opening ceremony of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC and delivered a keynote speech.

From the  ten cooperation plans  to the  eight major initiatives  and to the  nine programs of China-Africa cooperation,  China and Africa have been assisting each other on the path to economic development and national rejuvenation, continuously expanding cooperation into new areas. This has played a positive role in guiding international cooperation with Africa in the right direction.

China and Africa have always focused on cooperation and worked together to implement the outcomes of the FOCAC. This has effectively promoted the common development of China and Africa, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both sides, and laying a solid foundation for building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.

The mechanism and outcomes of the FOCAC have been widely welcomed by Africans and highly praised by the international community.

Some said that based on friendship, mutual respect, trust, and mutual benefit, both sides actively promote the development of China-Africa relations, and the fruitful cooperation achievements have proven that the FOCAC is a united, stable, and efficient cooperation mechanism.

Some said the FOCAC has facilitated the vigorous development of China-Africa relations. China and Africa, hand in hand, actively pursue the goals of the FOCAC: Equal consultation, enhancing understanding, expanding consensus, strengthening friendship and promoting cooperation. It is believed that more achievements will be reached and benefit the people of both China and Africa.

African countries and people are advancing modernization along the path they have independently chosen. On this path to modernization, China has all along been a firm supporter, and walking side by side with Africa.

At the China-Africa Leaders Dialogue held last August, China announced to launch the Initiative on Supporting Africas Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africas Agricultural Modernization and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development. These three major initiatives cover the areas urgently needed for Africa to achieve modernization, demonstrating Chinas sincere support for Africas development through concrete actions.

China and Africa, through their creative explorations for modernization, are giving their answers to the questions of the times, and making joint efforts to advance the great endeavors of win-win cooperation, harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity of civilizations. They will deliver a better future for the Chinese and African people, and set a fine example in the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. The vibrant development of the  Global South  represented by China and Africa has profoundly influenced the course of world history.

It is hoped that both China and Africa will take the opportunity of the 2024 Summit of the FOCAC to further deepen solidarity and cooperation, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and advocate for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. This will help build more consensus in jointly advancing modernization and building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, and make new contributions to promoting modernization and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
A report from Peoples Daily:  Just a bit further ahead, and well be able to see our solar tower,  said Li Quanxiang, project manager of the 100-megawatt Redstone Concentrated Solar Thermal Power, a solar power tower with molten salt energy storage in South Africas Northern Cape province, when a massive gray-white tower gradually came into view as his car drove through the vast desert.

The project, built by SEPCOIII Electric Power Construction Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of PowerChina, is the first molten salt solar thermal project in sub-Saharan Africa.

 The solar tower is nearly 250 meters tall, about the height of a 100-story building. At the very top is a heat collection device, which absorbs sunlight reflected from mirrors on the ground. Solar energy is converted into thermal energy, which is then transformed into electrical power,  Li said.

It is learned that the project has a designed capacity of 100 megawatts. It is expected to supply 480 gigawatt-hours of electricity to South Africas power grid annually, providing electricity to 200,000 South African households.

 This project is the largest investment in the Northern Cape province and is part of South Africas renewable energy procurement program. It has strategic significance for achieving South Africas energy transition goals,  said Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul

He said that the project has created over 600 direct jobs for the local community, with employment reaching its highest point at about 1,800 workers during construction, making a significant contribution to local economic and social development.

The 100-megawatt Redstone Concentrated Solar Thermal Power project is an epitome of the deepening energy cooperation between China and South Africa. During his visit to the project, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa noted that the Chinese enterprise has achieved world-leading standards in engineering quality and technological advancements, and the smooth progress of the project will bring significant benefits to the South African people.

South Africa isnt just rich in solar resources; it also has enormous potential for wind power generation. According to estimates, over 80 percent of South Africas territory enjoys the natural conditions for wind power development. The eastern and southern coastal areas, in particular, are prime locations for wind power projects and have become pioneering sites for wind energy cooperation between China and South Africa.

Goldwind, a Chinese wind turbine manufacturer, entered the South African market in 2015. Since then, the company has built and been operating two wind power projects in the Eastern Cape Province. With a total installed capacity of 152.5 megawatts, these projects supply green, clean electricity to 155,000 South African households annually.

In 2017, the De Aar wind power project, developed by the South African subsidiary of Chinas Longyuan Power, began operations in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. It is the first wind power project in Africa invested, built and operated by a Chinese power company.

According to engineer Liu Lei of the project, these wind turbines have a main tower height of 80 meters and a rotor blade diameter of 86 meters. The project comprises a total of 163 turbines. With an average annual power generation of 760 million kilowatt-hours, the project supplies electricity to thousands of South African households.

As a landmark achievement of China-South Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, the De Aar wind power project not only supports local economic and social development with green electricity but also maintains the local ecological balance through environmentally friendly practices.

During a visit to the wind farm, the reporter noticed springboks appearing intermittently in the distance and eagles occasionally circling in the sky. A local said,  At the top of each power pole, weve installed perches for birds to reduce the harm that transmission equipment might cause to them. The company conducts long-term monitoring of animals and plants within the wind farm and hires ecological experts for assessments to ensure the projects sustainable development. 

 The De Aar wind power project is a flagship project showcasing win-win cooperation between South Africa and China in the new energy sector,  said the house chairperson for committees at the National Assembly of South Africa ,Cedric Thomas Frolick .

He added,  South Africa is expanding its renewable energy development and enhancing its green energy supply capacity. We hope Chinese companies will leverage their technological and innovative advantages to actively participate in the construction of new energy projects in South Africa. 

 Looking ahead, cooperation in new energy sector is likely to become a new area of growth and highlight in the economic and trade relations between our two countries,  said Chen Xiaodong, former Chinese Ambassador to South Africa.

He emphasized that China and South Africa share common development needs and have strong complementary advantages in the new energy sector, which enables them to be reliable friends and strong partners in each others economic and social transformation.

 The various collaborations in the energy sector exemplify the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between South Africa and China, and also serve as evidence of the continuously deepening relationship between the two countries,  said Paul Zilungisele Tembe, a South African expert on Chinese affairs.

 South Africa is one of the African countries with the largest stock of Chinese investment. China has invested a total of over $25 billion in South Africa, creating more than 400,000 jobs. I believe that as cooperation continues to deepen, the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries will achieve even greater development,  the expert noted.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 31. Kazakhstan plans to produce 97.2 million tons of oil in 2025, Kazakhstan's Minister of National Economy Nurlan Baibazarov said during the government meeting, Trend reports.

The official noted that according to analysts' forecasts, the volume of oil production will reach 104.8 million tons in 2029, which is 7.6 million tons, or 7.8 percent more than in 2025.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Board of KMG, Askhat Khassenov, said that Kazakhstan's KazMunayGas (KMG, the national oil and gas company) expects oil production to increase due to the use of new technologies.

"50 percent of oil reserves are difficult to recover. The use of new technologies will make it possible to obtain about 70 million tons of additional oil production in 2025-2050," he said.

Meanwhile, the volume of crude oil production amounted to 44.9 million tons from January through July 2024, which is 0.9 percent less than in the first seven months of 2023 (45.3 million tons).

Furthermore, Kazakhstan produced 90 million tons of oil in 2023, which is 6.9 percent higher than in 2022. Oil exports also increased and amounted to 70.5 million tons, which is 9.6 percent more than the previous year. Moreover, Kazakhstan plans to increase oil production in 2024 to 90.3 million tons.
It was blustery and damp outside. Swollen clouds scudded across a slate-grey sky, the threat of rain in the air. But for those gathered inside Clogher Community Hall on August 21, the day was far from bleak. It was full of hope and positivity.

Members of the local community had gathered to launch an inspiring project on a nearby bog, designed to help reverse the decline in the local sand martin population. Thanks to a heartwarming collaboration involving landowners, locals, members of Clogher Environmental Group, Coillte, Burren Beo, Failte Ireland, TDs and Mayo County Council, a sand martin wall  the first of its kind in Connacht, and only the third in Ireland  now stands proud on the beautiful Clogher Bog Loop Walk, beside a freshly dug wildlife pond.

It is hoped that these manmade living quarters will be the key to reestablishing a thriving sand martin population on the bog, so that generations to come can enjoy the antics of these gorgeous, brave little birds as they woo mates and raise their chicks before returning to sub-Saharan Africa to overwinter.

As Clogher Environmental Groups project coordinator Tom McLoughlin pointed out, Clogher has become a real draw for walkers and nature enthusiasts throughout the county and beyond. We have so many walks here its high up on the agenda for so many visitors. This project is located on one of our routes thats frequented daily by walkers who love to come to this area. Its just 12km from Castlebar, and you can come explore the flora and fauna and experience the biodiversity. And it really is a lovely area thats peaceful and quiet, and an escape from the urban setting.

But why are our sand martins in trouble? Perhaps understanding a little about them and their plight will help shed some light.

Slide to amber

Many will recognise Michael Kindgons name from his regular Country Sights and Sounds nature columns in these pages. Michael also works with Clogher Environmental Group, and it was he who spearheaded the sand martin wall alongside well-known local conservationists Lynda and Chris Huxley.

During a fascinating presentation on sand martins, Michael explained that these delicate soft-brown and cream birds are a type of swallow, the smallest of the three we get here in Ireland  the others being the barn swallow and the house martin. Its Latin name, Riparia riparia, derives from the Latin riparius, which means of the riverbank. (In fact, in many other countries they are known as bank swallows.)

They got that Latin name because commonly, in history, theyd have been nesting in riverbanks, Michael said. The males would dig the tunnels in the bank and when theyve done their work, they perch at the entrance and show it off to the girls, and the girls decide ultimately where theyre going to live.

Sadly, in some parts of the world, these once widespread birds are now in big trouble. In Canada, for instance, 98 percent of sand martins have been lost and authorities have had to introduce a federal programme to restore the population.

Here in Ireland, their numbers have already shrunk to such an extent that they have been moved from the Green list of birds of least conservation concern to the Amber list of birds of moderate conservation concern. Action is needed now to ensure they dont slide onto the Red list.

We have about 50,000 birds returning to Ireland every year, and they nest in river banks, peat banks and cliff faces, and in artificial nesting sites, such as the one weve built, Michael explained. But the problems that theyre facing are far reaching.

Trouble all around

These threats include habitat loss, insect decline and climate change, as well as some rather sinister human cruelty. Their habitat loss can be attributed to ever decreasing wilderness, with agriculture, pollution and urban sprawl all contributing.

A single sand martin eats around 1,000 insects a day, but their food is disappearing. Weve lost a great deal of our insect population, Michael explained, not just in this country but in many parts of the world.

The journal Nature and Climate Change tells us that 65 percent of insect populations could go extinct within the next 100 years In recent years, the amount of spraying of insecticide and herbicide has increased dramatically, and thats bound to be having an effect on the bird population. Maybe we can think about our own personal use of chemicals and whether we actually need to  and lets take a step back and use less.

The poor sand martins also have to deal with phenological mismatch, where insect populations are hatching earlier in the year than they normally do because of global warming and increased temperatures: When the birds need the insects to feed their chicks, well the insects are no longer around  theyve moved onto a different stage of their life cycle, or even completed their life cycle.

Severe weather events tied to climate change are also having an impact on sand martins, especially when theyre migrating. Imagine a tiny bird of just 13g (the weight of three dry tea bags) trying to battle through a hurricane?

On their annual journey from Africa to Ireland, the sand martins must cross the sahara desert. The desert is actually growing due to climate change, Michael explained, and if a sand martin goes without water for two days, its in dire trouble. It can easily take them two days to cross the Sahara Desert, or even longer. Theres nowhere for them to land apart from on the hot sand, which doesnt suit them very well at all. If they could, theyd fly across the desert in one burst. But its getting more and more difficult for them to do so.

Some are now trying to migrate around the Sahara [along a thin strip of vegetation running up the west coast]  but they face a lot of problems there too.

They roost at night in parts of Africa where locals have planted dense banks of elephant grass. The locals smear these grasses with bird lime, and when the migrating swallows, sand martins and house martins roost in the elephant grass, in the morning theyre all stuck to their perches. The locals go out and pick them off and sell them to fancy restaurants. So theyre beset by trouble all around.





Pictured at the sand martin wall on Clogher Bog are, from left: Linda Huxley, Michael Kingdon, Cllr Al McDonnell, MCC Heritage Officer Deirdre Cunningham, MCC Biodiversity Officer Sheila Murphy, Chris Huxley and Cllr Michael Kilcoyne. Pic: Alison Laredo



Warm welcome

But in Clogher, a warm welcome awaits those who survive this lengthy, perilous journey. On the Clogher Bog, a small population of sand martins has been there for a long time, as long as anybody knows. Anecdotal evidence suggests they were once there in much greater numbers.

In 2023, just three pairs attempted to nest in one colony. Sand martins normally nest in colonies of ten pairs or more. Three pairs is very precarious, Michael said. One nest was dug out, probably by a fox, and the contents didnt survive. Two pairs brought chicks into the world. This year again there are three pairs nesting in a peat bank on the bog. If we dont do something about it, soon well have none.

And so the wall. Six feet high and ten feet across, it contains no less than 70 predator-proof nest holes. Expertly built by Jimmy Connor, using plans designed by Lynda Huxley, the wall stands proud on one of the most intact bits of bogland in this part of south Mayo. The site  very generously donated by local landowners David and Mary McDonagh  is full of birdlife, wildflowers and insects. It couldnt be more perfect.

Constructed from cavity blocks, each nest hole leads to a tunnel that slopes slightly upward (to prevent rain blowing in) and a nesting chamber at the back  mimicking the entrance and nest chamber a sand martin would make itself. Sand was also placed in the nesting chambers, for them to manipulate to a level they desire.

Excitingly, the sand martins are already showing lots of interest. They excavated some of the sand, so they were modifying the nest chamber, Michael explained. We know that because some of the sand was thrown out of the holes, and some is actually still in the tunnels that lead into the nesting chamber. So we know they were active there. Whether or not they nested there, we wont know until the autumn when we have a good look, by taking the inspection panels off the back of the wall and seeing in.

The hope is that this wall will become a popular sand martin breeding destination. If all of the nests were used, thats around 140-odd adults, and then if they brings their young ones out, thats 200-odd fledglings. Imagine that cloud of birds flying around the Clogher Bog? People would come from all around to go and look at it. It would be spectacular, said Michael.

Thanks to Burren Beo, we were able to build a little pond beside the wall. Local farmer Martin Heneghan did it for us  a fine job. I was there one day, and around 15 sand martins were swooping low on the pond, flying around the wall, landing at the entrance of the holes, having a look in and seeing what was going on  and it really felt quite emotional, like we were achieving something there.

Each year, the sand martins arrive to our shores before the swallows and house martins, around March 20. Standing at the wall at the end of the launch, a proud and hopeful Michael Kingdon issued an invitation that many will find hard to resist: Come back in the spring, and watch over it yourselves. When the birds do settle in, its going to be just beautiful.

 Construction plans for a similar sand martin nesting wall, designed by Lynda Huxley, are available free of charge. For more information, contact Clogher Environmental Group at clogherenvigroup@gmail.com or 094 936 0891.
This week, Im highlighting two soon-to-be-released books that tell of the intertwining of our Irish and British stories, particularly Irish-London stories. Many of the events that shape our present are from that past and our shared inheritance, and these novels mine that rich ground to great effect.

Our London Lives, by Christine Hickey Dwyer, will be published by Atlantic Books on September 5. Dublin-born Dwyers last novel The Narrow Land was very popular at the shop and won the Walter Scott Award and the Dalkey Literary Award.

Her latest is a story about London lives, and particularly about the lives of the Irish who found refuge there. The story begins in 1979 with Milly, a young girl who flees to London from Ireland and finds a job in a pub. Dwyer captures the London of that time; endless villages joined as one city, full of people living and working. Pubs were a vital part of that life.

From Millys vantage point behind the bar, we see the lives of those that passed through. We see the passage of time and the gentrification of London and how that has changed its once-vibrant cityscape. She meets Pip in that pub, a boxer from the club next door with an Irish story. The story skips ahead to 2017 and back and forth to 1979, until the past meets the present. It is a story about love, not the Prince Charming kind of love but the kind seated in real life and the reasons why love cannot always save us but despite that can endure. There is sadness running through the pages of this book; the lives that Milly and Pip were born to and the paths that presented to them as the years passed. The dialogue is wonderful, and the story is beautiful.-

Twists and turns

It all began the day he found out that his sister was his mother. The opening line from The Inheritance, by Cauvery Madhavan, is certainly arresting.

Madhavan is from India originally and has lived in Ireland since 1987. Her last book of historical fiction, The Tainted, is also a favourite in the bookshop. It starts in 1986, in Glengariff on the Beara Peninsula, when Marlo, a young journalist returns to Kerry from London to live in the family home, which had been left empty when the family moved to London.

Marlo is somewhat of a novelty and a mystery to the local people as they try to understand why he would come and live there when everyone else was leaving. He ends up driving the local bus and discovering all the stories and lives of the village he hails from.

The story then switches to 1602, to Cloichins story. A non-verbal boy, he recounts the tragedy of the 2,000 people who fled to the forests of Glengariff after the defeat of OSullivans forces in Dunboy and the massacre of 300 of their kin on the island of Dursey. To prevent a resurgence of the people and OSullivan, Sir George Carew, Lord President of Munster, declared that the whole of the Beara Peninsula be laid to waste.

Back in 1986, Marlo meets a woman and her gifted child who is unable to speak. He falls in love with the people and the land that is his inheritance. There are many twists and turns in this beautiful story, which looks at what we derive from our ancestors and how we navigate the past thats buried in the landscape and the people who have lived on it.

The Inheritance will be published by HopeRoad Publishing on September 19.

Brid Conroy and her husband, Neil Paul, run Tertulia bookshop at The Quay, Westport.
Westport native Vera Cassells (nee McGuire), originally of Quay Road, will be celebrating her 90th birthday with her extended family in the Wyatt Hotel in Westport this evening.

Vera left Westport for Dublin in 1952, joining Aer Lingus as a Ground Hostess shortly after arriving in the capital. In fact her photo can still be seen in a mural in Terminal 2 of Dublin Airport (see below).

Westport native Vera Cassells features on a mural that is on display in Terminal 2 of Dublin Airport. Her grand-daughter Catherine is pictured with the mural.

Vera's parents were Mike McGuire of Peter Street, and Kate Slevin of St Helen's Gatelodge, Rosbeg. Her late brother, Tommie, remained in Westport, working in both Heneghan's Pub and McEvilly's Pub in Killawalla. Her late sister Maura (Breen), joined her in Dublin, but worked for Frank Gill Snr Dentist before she left Westport. Her younger brother Peter will travel from Cork with his family to join in the celebrations.

The gathering of the Cassells, McGuire, Flynn, and Breen families in Westport will celebrate Vera's 90th birthday. Although she's lived in Dublin for over 70 years, she remains at heart, a Westport girl, and loves reading her Mayo News every Wednesday.
Newly elected Clare County Councillor Rachel Hartigan credits her success to working twice as hard as the average candidate, as she graduated from University of Limerick this Thursday with a Bachelor of Arts in European Studies.

Aged 22, Cllr Hartigan might be the youngest female councillor in the country, but she is no stranger to politics, having studied it in UL, been an active member of Ogra Fianna Fail, and interned for Clare TD Cathal Crowe.

It was during her summer internship with Deputy Crowe that Rachel first considered running in the local elections.

I never would have seen myself running for elected politics, she explained, but working in Cathal's office, a lot of the queries coming in were what I would imagine a local councillor should really be dealing with.

And that's when I realised I didn't know who my local councillor was, which seemed bizarre because I'm a politics student, interning in my TD's office, so I'm politically engaged.

And there's a lot that a local councillor deals with that has a huge impact on people's day-to-day lives, and I felt like we were really missing that strong voice.

Cllr Hartigan also credits a lack of representation amongst local councillors as a key factor that spurred her to action: I think the median age of a councillor in Ireland is somewhere in the 70s bracket and I felt like that was extremely unfair.

When we look at why younger people don't come out in droves to vote a lot of the time, what stood out to me was we can't identify with our politicians.

We don't feel like they speak for us and they don't take the time to get to know what our issues are and what's important to us.

We're kind of written off and cast aside a lot of the time, and that really spurred me to action as well.

Rachel was one of more than 3,600 students to graduate at UL this week, and as a first-time local representative, she said her degree in European Studies has without a doubt helped to prepare her for her new role.

I could probably go through reams of actual content and papers and academic research that I did, I could give you exact examples that will come into play now in my role, but the main thing is critical thinking. It is the ability to be open minded and have the skills to do your own research, that is the biggest thing.

Because there is no guidebook, there is no induction to becoming a councillor, so I'm dealing with queries on housing, medical cards, roads, and footpaths, it's a broad range of issues and I've just started, so having the skills to be able to research properly and effectively and efficiently is huge and I genuinely wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing now had I not learned those really important research skills in UL.

Obviously studying politics comes into it but in terms of the other subjects I studied, my time studying marketing was hugely helpful, particularly in planning the campaign.

It was massively beneficial to have an understanding of consumer culture and behavior and being able to approach social media strategically, not just throwing something up for the sake of it. And they're all skills and habits that I picked up in my time as a student in UL.

Commenting on the landscape for a young woman running an election campaign, Cllr Hartigan said: I did get a lot of Oh you'll get elected because you're a woman, so you'll get the woman vote or you'll get elected because you're a young person.

I got elected because I worked my ass off, that's why I got elected.

There wasn't an army of young people or an army of women heading to the polling station for me, that's just not what happened, as much as that would have been really cool to see.

I got elected because I was canvassing for six or seven hours a day, I was on top of my social media, I was planning and hosting public meetings.

I was doing all of the things that you need to do to win, but I was working twice as hard as the average candidate because I had a lot to prove because I am a young woman, so it doesn't make it easier to run as a woman or a young person like some people suggest.

You actually have to prove yourself twice as much, and that's not fair, but I think the only way that that will change is if we get more women in and more young people in.

Cllr Hartigan credits the support of her family and lecturers in helping her throughout her election campaign.

My lecturer Dr Scott Fitzsimmons was very supportive, as was course director Dr Xose Boan, who advised me to watch myself and my own mental health and well-being as well.

Sometimes you get these grand ideas and you're just all go, all the time and you forget to take the time to mind yourself, so I was really glad to have been told that.

Rachel does not hail from a political family, with her mother Rosaleen working as a medical secretary and her father Paul the Chief Information Officer for Electric Ireland Superhomes. However, that did not stop Paul from taking on the role of campaign manager.

We both learned together and he came out with me every single night, as did my mom. I could not have done it without them, explained Rachel.

Obviously, the focus and the attention is on the candidate, but behind the scenes nobody does it alone, your family has to be on board.

It's a huge, massive team effort and for all the work that I was doing with my final year in UL and campaigning, they were out canvassing with me just as much, spending just as many hours at the doors.

A native of Parteen, Co. Clare, Rachel attended Parteen National School and now represents the Shannon Electoral Area.

Reflecting on achieving the two major milestones of graduating university and winning her first election, she said it hasnt fully sunk in yet.

I really felt like I was a campaign/Final Year Project robot, and its only the last few weeks I've had time to sit and process and reflect.

You never really look at your own accomplishments and achievements and say oh my God, that was really good. I think Irish people in particular, and women too, are really bad at giving themselves a pat on the back, even when it's well deserved.

I'm trying to take in the huge accomplishment, but it's hard to come out and say that and to even feel it, so that's something I'm working on at the moment, giving myself a little pat on the back.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 31. Uzbekistan's electric current trade turnover totaled $150.2 million from January through July 2024, Trend reports.

The data from Uzbekistans Statistics Agency shows that this figure has increased by 18.4 percent compared to the same period last year ($126.8 million in JanuaryJuly 2023).

Uzbekistans exports of electric current amounted to $68.6 million from January through July 2024, which is 45.3 percent more year-on-year ($47.2 million in JanuaryJuly 2023).

The electric current imports reached $81.6 million from January through July 2024, which indicates a 2.5 percent growth compared to the same period last year ($79.6 million in JanuaryJuly 2023).

Meanwhile, Uzbekistans trade turnover volume of mineral fuels, lubricating oils, and similar materials amounted to $3.1 billion from January through July 2024. This figure has increased by 72.2 percent compared to the same period last year ($1.8 billion in JanuaryJuly 2023).

The volume of exports of mineral fuels, lubricating oils, and similar materials from Uzbekistan amounted to $793 million, while imports reached $2.4 billion during this period.
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Initial experience with a 5G cellular network and robotic arm-based remote echocardiographic system in an all-comers setting



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The global robotic arm market is expected to grow from $12 billion in 2020 to over $20 billion by 2025. #echocardiogram #remotetechnology

The global robotic arm market is expected to grow from $12 billion in 2020 to over $20 billion by 2025. #echocardiogram #remotetechnology

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How 5G and Robotics Are Transforming Echocardiography

Initial experience with a 5G cellular network and robotic arm-based remote echocardiographic system in an all-comers setting - (https://esc365.escardio.org/presentation/286679)

Remote echocardiograms using robot arm technology are as precise as in-person exams by cardiologists, according to new research to be presented at this yearsin London, UK (30 Aug  2 Sept) ().Comprehensive echocardiographic exam with a 5G cellular network and robotic arm-based remote system is feasible with relatively good diagnostic accuracy, said study author Dr Yu Liu, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.Echocardiography is the test of choice for the initial evaluation of many cardiac diseases and requires the expertise of a cardiologist for interpretation.However, this expertise is often limited or unavailable in rural or indeed smaller urban areas. Robotic arm-assisted remote echocardiograms have been attempted for teleconsultation in previous studies1, 2, but analysis was limited to heart failure patients, primarily due to theIn this study, the authors assessed the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of a 5G cellular network and robotic arm-based remote echocardiographic system in an outpatient clinic based 20 kilometers away from Zhongshan Hospital.A total of 51 patients were enrolled in the outpatient cardiology clinic. All underwent standard comprehensive echocardiography on a 5G cellular network robotic arm-based remote echocardiographic system, as well as a conventional echocardiographic platform (at Zhongshan Hospital) successively.The order in which patients were examined on the remote and conventional instruments was randomly determined.There was no interval between the two examinations, and examinations of the same patient were performed by experienced but different cardiologists, who were blinded to each other's diagnosis.The doctor who used the remote system was also randomly allocated and had not been previously specifically trained. The examinations were real time and diagnoses were made immediately after the examinations.From the 51 patients, the image quality was sufficient for diagnosis in 50 patients (24 (48%) female). A single patient was excluded because some key views could not be obtained using the remote system,Around one-third (17 patients) had a heart problem identified using conventional in-person echocardiography, including 10 with a primary diagnosis of valvulopathy (1 Barlow's syndrome, 1 bicuspid aortic valve, and 8 less-than-moderate regurgitation), 2 cardiac surgery follow-ups (1 case of aortic valve replacement and septal myectomy, and 1 case of mitral valve replacement and tricuspid annuloplasty), and 2 hypertrophy cardiomyopathy (including 1 case of obstruction at papillary muscle level), 2 with abnormal left ventricular wall motion (including 1 case of apical mural thrombus), and 1 with congenital heart disease (secumdum atrial septal defect).Echocardiograms using the robotic arm resulted in the same diagnosis as conventional in-person echocardiography in 98% of cases (papillary muscle level obstruction was missed in one case).than conventional (24 mins 36 secs vs. 16 mins 15 secs).A previous version of the robotic arm has been cleared for clinical use in scanning the abdomen (China, Europe, Australia, and Singapore), which requires less complex scanning maneuvers.However, the authors say a multi-center study at a larger scale with both other local hospitals and referral centers involved should be carried out before this new technology should be used.Although 5G technology is not available everywhere, lead author Xianhong Shu, also of Zhongshan Hospital, said: This system would increase the accessibility of better medical resources as patients may travel less to get a diagnosis and medical advice from cardiologists based in referral centers.She adds there are further potential advantages: A remote robotic echo system may help protect more health professionals from the risk of exposure during pandemics like COVID-19 as the cardiologist may not need to be in close contact with the patient if only echocardiogram consultation is required.Source-Eurekalert
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 31, The French party "Inflexible France" has begun the process of removing President Emmanuel Macron from power, Trend reports.

Matilda Pano reported that the draft resolution on the initiation of impeachment proceedings against the President of the Republic in accordance with Article 68 of the Constitution has already been sent to parliamentarians for joint signature. This article provides for the removal of the president from office in the event of his violation of his powers.

Since the Inflexible France party has 72 seats in parliament, it can propose impeachment on its own (more than 57 deputies are needed for this). However, the Bureau of the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) decides whether to accept the initiative or not. The legislative committee must then approve the text of the resolution, and two-thirds of the Assembly must support it within two weeks. In the next stages, this process must be approved by the upper house of parliament, the Senate, where the left does not have a majority. If the text is approved by the Senate, the two chambers will come together and the resolution must be supported by 617 of the 925 members of both chambers.

Earlier, Jean-Luc Melenchon's party, Unbowed France, announced that it would express no confidence in any government not led by Lucie Cast, whom President Macron rejected as prime minister.
The Cubs released catcher Tomas Nido, tweets Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. Nido had been on the 10-day injured list but was occupying a 40-man roster spot. Chicago needed to create a 40-man vacancy to finalize their claim of reliever Shawn Armstrong from St. Louis.

Nido has been on the IL since July 25 with a meniscus injury that required right knee surgery. The Cubs sent him on a rehab stint with Triple-A Iowa last night. That suggests hes nearing a return, but the Cubs no longer felt they needed him in the catching corps. Chicago called up Christian Bethancourt once Nido landed on the shelf. He has mashed over 11 games in the backup role. Starter Miguel Amaya, meanwhile, has a huge .337/.375/.554 slash since the All-Star Break. Its a huge turnaround after the 25-year-old hit .201/.266/.288 in the first half.

Since Nidos injury, Cubs catchers own an MLB-leading .327/.358/.634 batting line. Chicagos catchers almost instantaneously flipped from one of the leagues worst groups to being among the best for the last month. Theres not much of a reason to make a change. The Cubs could have carried three catchers for September but probably would not have had many at-bats available for Nido.

Chicago has put the 30-year-old on waivers. Hed be a free agent if he goes unclaimed, though there may not be enough time for him to catch on elsewhere while still remaining eligible for postseason play with his new club. If another team claimed him or signed him to a big league contract, theyd only be responsible for the prorated portion of the league minimum. The Mets are otherwise paying his $2.1MM salary in the second season of a two-year contract.

Nido is a career .210/.245/.309 hitter over parts of eight seasons. Hes obviously not going to bring much to the table offensively but has a strong defensive reputation. Statcast grades him highly for his pitch framing acumen and arm strength.
ONTONAGON, MI -- This fall, expand your palate with Michigans natural delicacy: mushrooms.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is hosting wild mushroom classes across the state from the Porcupine Mountains in the U.P. down to Bay City State Park.

Outdoor enthusiasts will instruct students how to identify seasonal wild mushrooms like Chicken of the Woods and Oyster mushrooms. Theyll also share tips on where to start your search.

Instructors will also go over proper handling techniques for transport, cleaning, consumption and home preservation.

Class prices range from $30 to $55 depending on location.

Heres where guided foraging will be this fall:

Tahquamenon Falls State Park on Saturday, Sept. 14

Saginaw Bay Visitor Center on Sunday, Sept. 15

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park on Saturday, Sept. 21

Mitchell State Park in Cadillac on Saturday, Sept. 28

Classes fill up quickly, and you can find more information and registration at www.michigan.gov/dnr/education/public/Outdoor-Skills-Academy-Events
OTSEGO COUNTY, MI  An Indiana man was arrested during a traffic stop in Northern Michigan on Friday night after troopers found drugs and loaded pistols in the mans vehicle.

The traffic stop happened around 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, on northbound I-75 near Charles Brink Road in Gaylord, said Michigan State Police Spl/Lt. Derrick Carroll.

A state trooper was in the median of I-75 when he observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, according to MSP. The troopers radar showed the driver was traveling 92 miles per hour in a 75 mph zone, police said.

The driver, a 56-year-old man, presented an Indiana drivers license and said his registration was expired out of Ohio because he was in the process of moving to Michigan, according to MSP. The trooper saw three long gun cases in the back seat of the mans car.

The trooper searched the car and found a pair of brass knuckles, two loaded pistols, psilocybin mushrooms, various pills and a glass pipe with residue that tested for methamphetamine, MSP said.

The driver, who is from Batesville, Indiana, was arrested and lodged in the Otsego County Jail pending arraignment, according to MSP.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A man and a woman were injured in a shooting at a Grand Rapids bar on South Division Avenue early Saturday morning, police say.

Grand Rapids police officers were patrolling the area around 1:58 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, when they heard gunshots near the Metro Bar at 1901 Division Ave. S, Grand Rapids Police Lt. Brad Bush told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press.
OTTAWA COUNTY, MI  Alligator hunter Dan Rooks said Crockery Lake residents should enjoy Labor Day weekend on, and in, the water.

My dads going swimming around the lake right now  I told him it was safe, Rooks told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press, on Friday, Aug. 30.

Rooks, 38, who catches nuisance alligators in Florida, returned to the lake where parents Dean and Tina Rooks still live to investigate  and potentially capture  an alligator after multiple reported sightings on the northeast Ottawa County lake.

Related: The Termigator: Florida man coming home to hunt West Michigan lakes elusive alligator

Now, after three nights on the water, shining a light for the distinctive, reddish allegator eyes peering over the water, he doubts there is a gator in the 100-acre lake.

If it was there, its gone. Maybe it went in a creek in search of food, but most likely, it wasnt there in the first place. The speculation early on was that a small alligator was kept as a pet and released once it outgrew its home.

Florida gator hunter Dan Rooks looks for any signs of a reported alligator in Crockery Lake on Friday, Aug. 30. (Provided by Dan Rooks)Dan Rooks

About a dozen people have reported seeing an alligator, 4- to 6-feet long. Rooks, who grew up on the lake, knows many of them so he was inclined to believe what they believed they saw.

They swear by it, he said.

The alligator reports have gotten a lot of attention. The Crockery Lake Facebook page chronicles sightings and offers Croc-kery Lake gator hunter t-shirts. A photo of an alligator shows up on a Google maps lake search.

Related: Reports of alligator in Ottawa County lake: Use whatever caution you feel is appropriate

(Rooks) plans to hunt until he finds it or has to go back to Florida. Hopefully he finds it soon, the Facebook page said.

About 40 people showed up at Grose Park on Thursday, Aug. 29, to meet with Rooks  a potential hometown hero  and talk about the alligator sightings. Residents stayed off the water at night and turned off outside lights to help Rooks in his search.

But, as Rooks jokes, it may have just been the Croc Ness Monster, a play on the mythical beast in Scotland.

Dan Rooks, an alligator hunter in Florida, captured an 8-foot, 9-inch gator this week. He's coming back to West Michigan after reports of an alligator in Ottawa County's Crockery Lake. (Photo provided by Mike Reynolds)Mike Reynolds

Rooks has an idea what people might have seen. He spotted a huge spiny softshell turtle, its head the size of a softball, with another soft-shell trailing, that could have been mistaken for an alligator.

I dont believe with the amount of time that I put into it that isnt a softshell, he said.

He said a photo from one resident appeared to show a couple of large Northern pike.

I cant say its not there but if I looked this hard for a nuisance gator in Florida, Id say, No, the thing has moved on.

He understands worries that people have for their children and pets. People in Michigan dont see alligators. Gators would die in the winter cold.

A lot of people are genuinely concerned, he said.

Hes been using a lake residents pontoon boat, with a large, open deck, as his gator-hunting vessel.

Before he went out Friday, he noted the previous nights have been cooler. An alligator could hunker down as temperatures drop.

Rooks played distress calls of juvenile alligators which typically attract gators, particularly females, but got no response.

Im pretty confident at this point that theres no sign of it. Im not disrespecting anybodys account whatsoever, he said.

And, he said, he cant say it wasnt there.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  The General Woodshop has gained popularity as an all-inclusive venue for cheeky craft cocktails and delicious eats, where customers feel respected and safe while enjoying a fun time.

The cocktail lounge, located at 507 Bridge St. NW, celebrated its one-year anniversary at the end of July. There were specials and events, including a celebratory ribbon-cutting with members of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce.

The establishment prides itself on being a social gathering space that caters to the LGBTQIA+(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual) community but is welcoming to all. Everyone is encouraged on the website to come and enjoy Great drinks. Great food. Friendly people.

Owners Alberto Garza and Jeff Steinport opened the General Wood Shop on the bustling Bridge Street corridor on July 28, 2023. The menu has evolved to more classy, elevated bar food that includes a mix of Spanish, Mexican and Asian cuisine.

We want to make something memorable like whoa where else am I going to get something like that, General Manager Calvin Paige said. We want to make sure the food and the drinks that we are offering are worth the price you are paying.

A quesadilla and salad at the General Wood Shop, located at 507 Bridge St. NW, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Photo provided by Lauren Srmek)Lauren Srmek | The General Wood Shop

In September, the General Wood Shop hopes to expand the menu to include more diverse food options. Paige said new items on the menu will include new quesadilla and salad sections that will feature three different salads such as a vegan option with roasted chickpeas.

We are always moving forward and finding new ways to make things better, he said. We wanted to get our food offerings to a point where everyone has representation on the menu - whether youre a vegan, vegetarian, or want to do something meaty.

Paige said a favorite item on the current menu is the Ramen Noodle Burger. The burger sells for $15 and has a ramen noodle bun, a beef smash patty, kewpie mayo, nori seasoning, jalapeno, grilled onion, pepper jack cheese, and yuzu teriyaki sauce.

My favorite dishes on the menu are the fried chicken bao and the pork belly bao, I get them all of the time, Paige said.

A bao combo comes with three bao buns and a side of truffle fries and sells for $16.

The General Wood Shop has an ongoing partnership with the Grand Rapids Pride Center and the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation. A percentage of the proceeds from selected items goes to both organizations, General Manager Calvin Paige said.

Paige said it is important to look for businesses that arent just pandering to the LGBTQ+ community, but actually creates a safe space.

We will treat everyone with the utmost respect, protection and everything we can while they are in our establishment, Paige said. Its important be vocal. If anyone comes in looking for resources, we point them in the right direction - the Pride Center, the Trans Center, whatever they need.

Like the menu, the atmosphere the restaurant wants to create has also undergone a few changes.

We aim to have a cocktail lounge vibe, Paige said.

When we first opened, the restaurant had more of an open feel and now its a bit homier. We are excited to show everyone what we are going to be doing, we have a really cute Halloween cocktail menu coming out, its going to be good.

Pictured are people enjoying food and drinks at the General Wood Shop, located 507 Bridge St. NW. in Grand Rapids. (Photo provided by Lauren Srmek)Lauren Srmek | The General Wood Shop

Recently, the restaurant and bar added new decorations like live plants.

Paige said the business held its first major Pride event this year called Babylon Bridge that took five months to plan and involved a marketing team. He said thats what got a lot of the plants into the building because he wanted it to have an overgrown vine feeling.

It was cool to see people who were committed to something fun and just seeing how it brought together all of the different communities, he said. It made me tear up at points. It was very beautiful.

In the future, Paige said hed like to see more continuous events that bring the community together. With their space and location, he said the venue can host a range of events.

I just want people to feel safe and to feel heard, thats why we take community input. We want to make sure this place feels like a part of the community, he said. We want to keep that door charge and prices low to keep our establishment accessible for all.

The General Wood Shop has a 4-5-6 happy hour 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. The happy hour includes $4 well drinks, $5 food bites, and $6 crafted cocktails, which includes three of the crafted cocktails from the menu. The food bites include the wonton bites, fries, sesame salad, and churros.

The General Wood Shop is open 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays through Thursdays. On Fridays and Saturdays, the venue is open from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sundays from noon to midnight. The kitchen currently closes at 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursdays, and at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Contact the General Wood Shop at 616-699-0507 or visit its website here for more information and the full menu.

More on MLive:

Olgas Kitchen opening two host kitchens in West Michigan

New Tacos El Cunado opens in Muskegon

Development group buys new headquarters in downtown Grand Rapids

West Michigan manufacturer plans up to 200 new jobs, $21M investment
Famous American rapper A$AP Rocky, previously repeatedly caught in scandals, unexpectedly for fans released a video for the song Tailor Swif, filmed in 2021. The artist then chose Kyiv as the location, as indicated in the credits, but not everyone was happy about such popularization of the Ukrainian capital.

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The thing is that the footage is quite controversial: gloomy, absurd, and sometimes even triggering for Ukrainians. OBOZ.UA collected reactions to the clip and will tell you what's wrong with it.

The first thing that may catch the eye of Ukrainians are explosions in houses, missiles in the sky, collapsing high-rise buildings and people being helped. The idea was created by Israeli clipmaker Vania Heymann with the help of Ukrainian production company shelter film in 2021.

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At that time it was impossible to imagine how real such scenes would become and how often Kyiv citizens would see them in everyday life.

In general, the clip is full of absurdity. Naked people, cows in the air, cigarettes in the hair, toilets falling from the sky, horses at every step. And all this is replaced by other strange events and paradoxical shots so quickly that it glues you to the screen.

However, Ukrainians have another complaint, which was characterized as "Soviet aesthetics". A$AP Rocky abused symbols inherent to the Soviet Union, not independent Ukraine.

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Carpets on the walls and even on cars, a bear that is considered a symbol of the "Russian world," fur hats - all of these suggest a Soviet atmosphere, while dirty public toilets, gloomy streets and identical houses create a false impression of Kyiv.

However, it is worth noting that the rapper has always had a peculiar style, and his fans are used to such absurdity on the screen. Even some listeners from Ukraine praised the work and A$AP Rocky's team for mentioning their house.

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Only verified information from us on Telegram-channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
MUSKEGON, MI - There is a new spot open long the lakeshore for authentic Mexican cuisine, and its already earning its fair share of fans.

Tacos El Cunado hosted its soft opening Aug. 15 at 3035 Henry St., adding to the 18 locations in West Michigan, including one opening later this year in the Grand Rapids suburb of Kentwood.

Every restaurant is owned and operated by a family member or close friend of founder, Hector Lopez, who launched the chain in 2009. Lopezs daughter, Jessica, was tapped to run the new Muskegon location.

Were glad to be there in Muskegon and exited to get to know a little bit more about the community there, she told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle last week. Its a new city for us. Were really glad customers are liking it, too, that way they dont have to drive back and forth.

Related: New Tacos El Cunado opens in Muskegon

Equipped with a drive-thru, the new spot boasts authentic Mexican breakfast dishes like huevos rancheros and nopalitos con huevo (cactus with eggs), but its only available until 11:30 a.m. daily.

As for the featured items available all day, customers rave about the taco trios and dinner plates, including the enchilada supreme for $13.49 or three chicken and pork tamales for $11.99.

If thats not enough, finish off the meal with a decadent dessert like a slice of Tres Leches cake for $4.99 or a slice of Chocoflan for $4.49.

Hours of operation for Tacos El Cunado are from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Learn more and order takeout at tacoselcunadomuskegon.com.

Want more Muskegon-area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Muskegon daily newsletter.
Two-time Olympic champion Olga Kharlan is trying to learn from the experience of former world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. The saber fencer noted that she has known the boxer for a long time and maintains friendly relations with him, being interested in his philosophy.

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Kharlan said this in an interview with sport-express.ua. The 33-year-old native of Kherson, who became the most decorated Ukrainian athlete at the 2024 Olympics, noted that Usyk shares with her his methods of preparing for fights and training features.

"Sasha is very simple. We have known each other for a long time. We first met at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Since then, we have been in touch. I really admire him as an athlete and as a person. It is important for me to hear about his experience in some important issues. It's interesting in general: when I communicate with representatives of other sports, I am very interested in understanding the mentality and some details, I take something for myself. Sasha is very positive and cool," Kharlan said.

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Earlier , the fencer told OBOZ.UA about her meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and her mother's reaction to receiving the honorary award.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The organizers of Eurovision 2025 have recently officially announced that next year's contest will be hosted by the Swiss city of Basel. The powerful cultural center of Switzerland, located on the border of France and Germany, is striking with the number of unique attractions and is preparing to welcome numerous Eurofans on May 13, 15 and 17, 2025.

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Thanks to its location, Basel will be an excellent symbol of musical unity. This thesis is confirmed by the amazing festival, better known as Fasnacht, held annually on the banks of the Rhine River. The festival is no less famous than the carnivals in Venice and Rio de Janeiro.

Basel Fasnacht

For three days a year, the streets of Basel are filled with music and costumed processions. The seemingly reserved Swiss allow themselves to indulge in a bit of fun, partying day and night. It should be noted that Carnival is a carefully organized event: the celebrations are subject to strict rules and true Swiss discipline.

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Altstadt (Old Town)

One of the best things to do in Basel is to simply wander around the city, letting it unfold before you. After all, parts of Basel's old town date back to the 15th century, and the Altstadt is often referred to as one of the most beautiful and preserved old towns in all of Europe. Locals advise exploring it on foot, as old and new combine perfectly here.

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Town Hall and Marktplatz

Much of the old town is centered around the City Hall, and the building itself occupies a place of honor in Basel's central square (Marktplatz). The Town Hall is about five hundred years old, and it is now home to the cantonal parliament - Switzerland is divided into cantons, and Basel is part of the canton of Basel-Stadt.

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Basel Cathedral (Baseler Munster)

Basel's impressive cathedral, located in the heart of the city, is a must-see on any trip. The Gothic building dates back to the 11th century. The cathedral is the final resting place of several prominent figures, including the philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam. It should also be noted that entry inside the red sandstone building is free, making Basel Cathedral one of the best attractions in the city.

Vitra Design Museum

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As quirky in appearance as the designs stored inside, the Vitra Design Museum is located about forty-five minutes by public transportation from the city center. Dedicated to the exploration of design, the building itself was designed by Frank Gary and hosts two temporary exhibitions each year.

Kunstmuseum

ADVERTISIMENT

One of the best things to do in Basel is to visit the giant art museum. It is home to the largest and most important art collection in Switzerland, with the museum's first roots going back to the Cabinet of Amerbach. At that time, the city acquired numerous works by Hans Holbein for the benefit of the public. The Kunstmuseum is thus not only one of the most important collections in Switzerland, but also one of the oldest art museums in Europe.

Spalentor's Medieval Gate

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If you're interested in medieval history, you simply must go to the medieval Spalentor Gate, which was once part of the fortified walls that surrounded the city. Today, the tower is located near the old town of Basel.

St. Paul's Church

St. Paul's Church, known in German as Pauluskirche, was built at the turn of the 20th century. With some beautiful stained glass windows and Art Nouveau architecture, this church building is also the only round church in Basel. Nearby are some of the best places to admire the city.

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UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in Trane Technologies plc (NYSE:TT  Free Report) by 6,819.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 21,103 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 20,798 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Trane Technologies were worth $6,941,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Blue Chip Partners LLC raised its stake in Trane Technologies by 70.7% during the second quarter. Blue Chip Partners LLC now owns 727 shares of the companys stock valued at $239,000 after buying an additional 301 shares in the last quarter. Kraft Davis & Associates LLC acquired a new stake in Trane Technologies during the second quarter valued at approximately $404,000. Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Trane Technologies during the second quarter valued at approximately $106,000. Arkadios Wealth Advisors acquired a new stake in Trane Technologies during the second quarter valued at approximately $271,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its stake in Trane Technologies by 4.0% during the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 1,920 shares of the companys stock valued at $632,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.97% of the companys stock.

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Trane Technologies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:TT traded up $6.64 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $361.66. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,793,020 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,118,986. The stock has a market capitalization of $81.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.94, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.01. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $336.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $316.45. Trane Technologies plc has a fifty-two week low of $184.02 and a fifty-two week high of $362.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 1.17.

Trane Technologies Dividend Announcement

Trane Technologies ( NYSE:TT Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $3.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.08 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $5.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. Trane Technologies had a return on equity of 33.97% and a net margin of 12.33%. The firms revenue was up 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.68 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Trane Technologies plc will post 10.83 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th will be paid a $0.84 dividend. This represents a $3.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.93%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. Trane Technologiess payout ratio is presently 35.90%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

TT has been the topic of several research reports. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Trane Technologies from $360.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Barclays upped their target price on Trane Technologies from $385.00 to $394.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Trane Technologies from $247.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Stephens reaffirmed an equal weight rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of Trane Technologies in a report on Monday, August 5th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Trane Technologies from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, June 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Trane Technologies currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $323.29.

View Our Latest Research Report on TT

Insider Activity at Trane Technologies

In related news, EVP Raymond D. Pittard sold 1,805 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $328.65, for a total value of $593,213.25. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 83,517 shares in the company, valued at $27,447,862.05. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Trane Technologies news, EVP Raymond D. Pittard sold 1,805 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $328.65, for a total transaction of $593,213.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 83,517 shares in the company, valued at $27,447,862.05. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Christopher J. Kuehn sold 4,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $318.67, for a total transaction of $1,274,680.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 61,293 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,532,240.31. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 44,243 shares of company stock worth $14,216,550. Company insiders own 0.38% of the companys stock.

Trane Technologies Company Profile

(Free Report)

Trane Technologies plc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, sells, and services of solutions for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, custom, and custom and transport refrigeration in Ireland and internationally. It offers air conditioners, exchangers, and handlers; airside and terminal devices; air sourced heat pumps, auxiliary power units; chillers; coils and condensers; gensets; dehumidifiers; ductless; furnaces; home automation products; humidifiers; indoor air quality assessments and related products; large and light commercial unitary products; refrigerant reclamation products; thermostats/controls; transport heater products; variable refrigerant flow products; and water source heat pumps.

Further Reading

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Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 280 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $30,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. raised its position in shares of Novartis by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 20,560 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,076,000 after acquiring an additional 1,974 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates increased its stake in Novartis by 1.3% during the second quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 536,607 shares of the companys stock valued at $57,127,000 after purchasing an additional 6,767 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis during the second quarter worth $15,044,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Novartis by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 180,764 shares of the companys stock worth $17,485,000 after buying an additional 11,080 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Novartis by 314.8% in the 4th quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 55,096 shares of the companys stock worth $5,563,000 after buying an additional 41,815 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 13.12% of the companys stock.

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Novartis Stock Performance

Shares of NVS traded up $0.41 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $120.83. 902,631 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,412,403. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.93. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $111.51 and its 200-day moving average price is $103.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $246.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.57. Novartis AG has a 12 month low of $92.19 and a 12 month high of $120.92.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Novartis ( NYSE:NVS Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The company reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.10. Novartis had a return on equity of 34.56% and a net margin of 33.76%. The firm had revenue of $12.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.24 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.83 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Novartis AG will post 7.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Novartis from $121.00 to $122.50 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Barclays raised Novartis to a strong sell rating in a report on Monday, June 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Novartis in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $120.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $118.13.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on NVS

About Novartis

(Free Report)

Novartis AG engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology.

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Intact Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Gran Tierra Energy Inc. (NYSE:GTE  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 71,900 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $696,000. Intact Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of Gran Tierra Energy at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Jump Financial LLC grew its stake in Gran Tierra Energy by 18.7% during the 4th quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 50,200 shares of the companys stock valued at $283,000 after acquiring an additional 7,900 shares in the last quarter. RPO LLC purchased a new position in Gran Tierra Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $77,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd purchased a new position in Gran Tierra Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $151,000. Sanders Morris Harris LLC purchased a new position in Gran Tierra Energy during the 1st quarter valued at about $85,000. Finally, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Gran Tierra Energy during the 1st quarter valued at about $203,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.70% of the companys stock.

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Gran Tierra Energy Stock Performance

Shares of Gran Tierra Energy stock traded down $0.27 during trading on Friday, hitting $7.37. 328,858 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 345,830. The company has a market capitalization of $230.92 million, a PE ratio of 73.70 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. Gran Tierra Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $4.72 and a twelve month high of $10.40. The businesss fifty day moving average is $8.97.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Gran Tierra Energy ( NYSE:GTE Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $1.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Gran Tierra Energy had a return on equity of 12.60% and a net margin of 7.68%. The business had revenue of $165.61 million during the quarter.

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Gran Tierra Energy from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, August 5th.

View Our Latest Stock Report on GTE

Gran Tierra Energy Company Profile

(Free Report)

Gran Tierra Energy Inc is an international oil and gas exploration and production company, headquartered in Calgary, Canada, incorporated and traded in the United States and operating in South America. Gran Tierra Energy holds interests in producing and prospective properties in Argentina, Colombia and Peru.

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Americana Partners LLC increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWJ  Free Report) by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 202,345 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 14,645 shares during the period. iShares MSCI Japan ETF comprises approximately 1.1% of Americana Partners LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Americana Partners LLC owned about 0.08% of iShares MSCI Japan ETF worth $13,808,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cherry Tree Wealth Management LLC grew its position in iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 164.6% in the first quarter. Cherry Tree Wealth Management LLC now owns 381 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 237 shares in the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC bought a new position in iShares MSCI Japan ETF during the second quarter valued at about $29,000. Whittier Trust Co. raised its holdings in iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 410.5% during the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 439 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 353 shares in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF in the second quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Hexagon Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 38.1% during the 4th quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,302 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $83,000 after acquiring an additional 359 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI Japan ETF Price Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA EWJ traded up $0.43 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $71.97. 6,495,650 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,494,515. iShares MSCI Japan ETF has a one year low of $57.20 and a one year high of $72.32. The companys 50 day moving average is $69.00 and its 200 day moving average is $68.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.63 and a beta of 0.73.

About iShares MSCI Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Japan ETF (the fund), formerly Ishares Msci Japan Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the Japanese market, as measured by the MSCI Japan Index (the Index).

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Argent Advisors Inc. trimmed its stake in Edison International (NYSE:EIX  Free Report) by 6.4% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 14,376 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 988 shares during the quarter. Argent Advisors Inc.s holdings in Edison International were worth $1,032,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of Edison International by 18.3% in the second quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,194 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $158,000 after acquiring an additional 340 shares during the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Edison International by 3.7% in the second quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 698,526 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $50,161,000 after acquiring an additional 24,939 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its holdings in shares of Edison International by 108.5% in the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 446,993 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $32,099,000 after acquiring an additional 232,621 shares during the last quarter. Banco Santander S.A. increased its stake in Edison International by 2.5% in the second quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 232,970 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $16,730,000 after purchasing an additional 5,777 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. increased its stake in Edison International by 48.4% in the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 4,095 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $294,000 after purchasing an additional 1,335 shares during the last quarter. 88.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

EIX has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Edison International from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Mizuho upped their target price on Edison International from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 17th. Barclays upped their target price on Edison International from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Edison International from $62.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 23rd. Finally, Argus upped their target price on Edison International from $78.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $80.73.

Insider Transactions at Edison International

In other news, SVP Caroline Choi sold 10,004 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.77, for a total value of $758,003.08. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 26,918 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,039,576.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, CEO J Andrew Murphy sold 1,362 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.00, for a total value of $115,770.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 19,850 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,687,250. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Caroline Choi sold 10,004 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.77, for a total value of $758,003.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 26,918 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,039,576.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 99,103 shares of company stock valued at $7,981,345 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.03% of the companys stock.

Edison International Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE:EIX traded up $0.53 on Friday, hitting $87.03. 3,531,662 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,996,064. The stock has a market cap of $33.49 billion, a PE ratio of 38.17 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $77.91 and a 200-day moving average of $73.33. Edison International has a fifty-two week low of $58.82 and a fifty-two week high of $87.49.

Edison International (NYSE:EIX  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The utilities provider reported $1.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.18. Edison International had a return on equity of 13.01% and a net margin of 6.60%. The company had revenue of $4.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.01 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Edison International will post 4.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Edison International Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 8th were given a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 8th. Edison Internationals payout ratio is 136.84%.

Edison International Profile

(Free Report)

Edison International, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation and distribution of electric power. The company supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 50,000 square mile area of southern California to residential, commercial, industrial, public authorities, agricultural, and other sectors.

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Banque Cantonale Vaudoise grew its stake in Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX  Free Report) by 2.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,233 shares of the medical equipment providers stock after purchasing an additional 668 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoises holdings in Boston Scientific were worth $2,097,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Boston Scientific by 542.1% in the 1st quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 366 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares in the last quarter. First Foundation Advisors purchased a new position in Boston Scientific in the first quarter worth $25,000. Triad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Boston Scientific in the second quarter valued at $26,000. RiverPark Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Boston Scientific during the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Lynx Investment Advisory acquired a new position in shares of Boston Scientific during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.07% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Boston Scientific

In other Boston Scientific news, EVP Wendy Carruthers sold 6,983 shares of Boston Scientific stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.30, for a total transaction of $539,785.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 42,908 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,316,788.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 20,949 shares of company stock valued at $1,583,395. Company insiders own 0.50% of the companys stock.

Boston Scientific Trading Up 1.4 %

NYSE BSX traded up $1.12 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $81.79. 7,639,891 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,104,259. The businesss 50 day moving average is $76.94 and its 200-day moving average is $72.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.66. Boston Scientific Co. has a 12-month low of $48.35 and a 12-month high of $82.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $119.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 68.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.78.

Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The medical equipment provider reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $4.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.02 billion. Boston Scientific had a net margin of 12.00% and a return on equity of 16.80%. Boston Scientifics revenue for the quarter was up 14.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.53 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Boston Scientific Co. will post 2.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on BSX shares. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Boston Scientific from $90.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Boston Scientific from $79.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Boston Scientific from $77.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on Boston Scientific from $83.00 to $88.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, BTIG Research lifted their price target on Boston Scientific from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $85.24.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific Company Profile

(Free Report)

Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through two segments, MedSurg and Cardiovascular. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions, such as resolution clips, biliary stent systems, stents and electrocautery enhanced delivery systems, direct visualization systems, digital catheters, and single-use duodenoscopes; devices to treat urological conditions, including ureteral stents, catheters, baskets, guidewires, sheaths, balloons, single-use digital flexible ureteroscopes, holmium laser systems, artificial urinary sphincter, laser system, fiber, and hydrogel systems; and devices to treat neurological movement disorders and manage chronic pain, such as spinal cord stimulator system, proprietary programming software, radiofrequency generator, indirect decompression systems, practice optimization tools, and deep brain stimulation system.

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Battalion Oil (NYSE:BATL  Get Free Report) and Royale Energy (OTCMKTS:ROYL  Get Free Report) are both small-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership and dividends.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Battalion Oil and Royale Energys revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Battalion Oil $200.32 million 0.29 -$3.05 million ($4.46) -0.78 Royale Energy $2.16 million 1.31 -$1.83 million N/A N/A

Royale Energy has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Battalion Oil.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Battalion Oil -27.77% -70.13% -9.01% Royale Energy N/A N/A N/A

Volatility and Risk

This table compares Battalion Oil and Royale Energys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Battalion Oil has a beta of 0.95, suggesting that its share price is 5% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Royale Energy has a beta of 0.09, suggesting that its share price is 91% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

86.0% of Battalion Oil shares are owned by institutional investors. 56.9% of Battalion Oil shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 61.8% of Royale Energy shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Battalion Oil and Royale Energy, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Battalion Oil 0 1 0 0 2.00 Royale Energy 0 0 0 0 N/A

Battalion Oil currently has a consensus price target of $18.60, indicating a potential upside of 431.43%. Given Battalion Oils higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Battalion Oil is more favorable than Royale Energy.

Summary

Royale Energy beats Battalion Oil on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Battalion Oil

(Get Free Report)

Battalion Oil Corporation, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, production, exploration, and development of onshore oil and natural gas assets in the United States. It holds interests in the Delaware Basin located in the counties of Pecos, Ward, Reeves, and Winkler, Texas. It serves independent marketers, and oil and natural gas and gas pipeline companies. The company was formerly known as Halcon Resources Corporation and changed its name to Battalion Oil Corporation in January 2020. Battalion Oil Corporation was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

About Royale Energy

(Get Free Report)

Royale Energy, Inc. acquires, explores for, develops, produces, and sells oil and natural gas properties in the United States. Its principal operations are located in the Sacramento Basin and San Joaquin Basin in California, as well as in Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Colorado. Royale Energy, Inc. was incorporated in 1986 and is based in El Cajon, California.

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Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. lessened its holdings in Pimco Total Return ETF (NYSEARCA:BOND  Free Report) by 7.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,994 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 746 shares during the quarter. Benedict Financial Advisors Inc.s holdings in Pimco Total Return ETF were worth $819,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in Pimco Total Return ETF during the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Pimco Total Return ETF during the first quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Avion Wealth grew its stake in Pimco Total Return ETF by 28.1% in the second quarter. Avion Wealth now owns 753 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new position in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $71,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF by 75.1% during the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 842 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares in the last quarter.

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Pimco Total Return ETF Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSEARCA:BOND traded down $0.24 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $93.73. The stock had a trading volume of 221,878 shares, compared to its average volume of 249,812. The company has a market cap of $4.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.18. Pimco Total Return ETF has a 12 month low of $85.10 and a 12 month high of $94.38. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $92.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $91.34.

About Pimco Total Return ETF

The PIMCO Active Bond Exchange-Traded Fund (BOND) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Barclays U.S. Aggregate index. The fund is an actively managed portfolio that aims to maintain a consistent level of dividend income by investing in a broad array of fixed income sectors and utilizing income efficient implementation strategies.

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Biechele Royce Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Free Report) by 10.7% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 191,470 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 18,467 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab makes up 4.8% of Biechele Royce Advisors portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Biechele Royce Advisors holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $14,109,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 120,963,133 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $8,750,473,000 after buying an additional 1,042,823 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 72,306,560 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $5,230,657,000 after buying an additional 2,946,327 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 30,994,967 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,132,454,000 after buying an additional 1,219,015 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 18,623,505 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,281,297,000 after buying an additional 292,155 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab during the 4th quarter valued at about $950,192,000. Institutional investors own 84.38% of the companys stock.

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Charles Schwab Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of SCHW traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $65.10. The companys stock had a trading volume of 6,549,183 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,059,975. The firm has a market cap of $115.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 0.99. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 1-year low of $48.66 and a 1-year high of $79.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company has a 50 day moving average of $67.41 and a two-hundred day moving average of $70.05.

Charles Schwab Dividend Announcement

Charles Schwab ( NYSE:SCHW Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.68 billion. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 18.14% and a net margin of 26.30%. The firms quarterly revenue was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.75 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, August 9th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.54%. Charles Schwabs payout ratio is 41.84%.

Insider Activity at Charles Schwab

In related news, insider Bernard J. Clark sold 8,164 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total value of $612,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 121,666 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,124,950. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Charles Schwab news, insider Bernard J. Clark sold 8,164 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total transaction of $612,300.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 121,666 shares in the company, valued at $9,124,950. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Carolyn Schwab-Pomerantz sold 9,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.49, for a total value of $652,410.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 570,657 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $41,366,925.93. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 107,800 shares of company stock valued at $7,145,364. 6.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on SCHW shares. TD Cowen restated a hold rating and issued a $71.00 target price (down previously from $88.00) on shares of Charles Schwab in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $82.00 to $78.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Charles Schwab from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, May 24th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $72.00 to $66.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Charles Schwab from $71.00 to $70.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Charles Schwab has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $74.00.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on SCHW

About Charles Schwab

(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 in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services.

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Boston Financial Mangement LLC trimmed its stake in Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW  Free Report) by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 9,937 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 157 shares during the period. Boston Financial Mangement LLCs holdings in Illinois Tool Works were worth $2,355,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Security National Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works in the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in shares of Illinois Tool Works during the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Illinois Tool Works during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.77% of the companys stock.

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Illinois Tool Works Stock Up 1.1 %

ITW stock opened at $253.18 on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $242.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $249.13. The company has a market capitalization of $75.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 0.94. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 12 month low of $217.50 and a 12 month high of $271.15.

Illinois Tool Works Increases Dividend

Illinois Tool Works ( NYSE:ITW Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.45 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $4.03 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.08 billion. Illinois Tool Works had a net margin of 19.15% and a return on equity of 99.74%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.41 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 10.25 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. This is an increase from Illinois Tool Workss previous quarterly dividend of $1.40. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.37%. Illinois Tool Workss dividend payout ratio is 59.17%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Illinois Tool Works from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $267.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $275.00 to $240.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $283.00 to $281.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $230.00 to $236.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $250.22.

Read Our Latest Analysis on ITW

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director David Byron Smith, Jr. purchased 775 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 13th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $238.82 per share, with a total value of $185,085.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 121,506 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $29,018,062.92. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.88% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Illinois Tool Works

(Free Report)

Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment in the United States and internationally. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products.

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Ukraine is trying to strengthen the defense of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, which continues to be attacked by the Russian occupiers. This city is an important logistical and logistical hub for the Defense Forces.

ADVERTISIMENT

One of the offensive brigades, the 15th Operational Brigade of the National Guard "Kara-Dag", has been deployed to strengthen the defense. Forbes writes about this.

"In a desperate effort to bolster Ukraine's defenses around Pokrovsk, a city with a pre-war population of 60,000 and an important logistical center 25 miles west of the ruins of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine has deployed one of its offensive brigades: "Kara-Dag."

The author of the article, journalist David Axe, notes that this brigade, with a total strength of about 2,000 soldiers, had previously been conducting combat missions in southern Ukraine. The fact that the Ukrainian command was forced to deploy it to an "unfamiliar battlefield in the east", according to Axe, "emphasizes the severity of the problems Ukraine is facing on the frontline between Avdiivka and Pokrovsk.

ADVERTISIMENT

The publication reminds that Russia has been slowly advancing toward Pokrovsk since capturing Avdiivka in February this year. The chronic lack of ammunition in the Ukrainian Defense Forces in this area also played into the enemy's hands. At the same time, Pokrovsk, which is being targeted by the Russians, is extremely important for Ukraine.

"Ukraine's logistics backbone in the Donetsk region is under threat," the newspaper quotes the Ukrainian analytical group Frontelligence Insight, whose representatives note that Pokrovsk "has become a key transportation and distribution railroad hub that has helped supply Ukrainian forces along a wide front line."

ADVERTISIMENT

In August, the Russian advance gained a more rapid pace  and after that, the newspaper writes, the General Staff of the Armed Forces began to respond to the risky situation, in particular, reinforcements were sent to strengthen the defense in the Pokrovsk direction to support soldiers from several mechanized, airborne assault brigades and National Guard brigades that were already fighting fierce battles with the enemy there.

"Among these fresh forces was the "Kara-Dag" brigade. Formed in 2014, reorganized several times, bloody in battle in 2022, and then reinforced with additional heavy weapons, including T-64 tanks, the "Kara-Dag" Brigade is one of the National Guard's offensive brigades. Usually, it is a paramilitary police group, but military circumstances forced the brigade to fight as an army brigade," the article says.

ADVERTISIMENT

Until recently, the brigade fought on the southern front, in particular, it fought in the Melitopol area in the first days of the full-scale war, and after that, it remained in Zaporizhzhia until it was time to move east.

"But the deployment of the Karadazh brigade did not stop the Russian advance. And some Russian observers wonder where the rest of Ukraine's reserves are. Of course, many Ukrainian troops who have not yet been involved in combat joined Ukraine's sudden invasion of Russia's Kursk region. Despite this, there must be several unused brigades somewhere in Ukraine out of a total ground combat force of about 100 brigades," the author writes.

He also quotes Russian propagandist Yevgeny Norin, who said that Russia allegedly knows that "the Ukrainian armed forces still have several fairly intact and well-equipped units in reserve, about five brigades," and wonders why the command does not send them to defend the city's vital supply lines.

ADVERTISIMENT

"This can mean two things. They plan to deploy them elsewhere, and they want to achieve some decisive influence before the front in Donbass completely collapses," the propagandist concluded.

Forbes, in turn, suggests that this "other place" may be Kursk, where the Ukrainian operation continues - and continues successfully.

"By moving troops to Kursk rather than to the Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine's leaders are betting that the gains from their surprise invasion in the north are more important to the outcome of the war than the potential losses in the east. This is an extremely risky game," the author summarizes.

Earlier, it was reported that on August 28, the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed another column of Putin's troops and a pontoon ferry in the Kursk region. The enemy has also apparently suffered losses in manpower, but the Russian command is carefully concealing them.

ADVERTISIMENT

In addition, Ukrainian defenders in the Kursk region are receiving "land-lifting" from the Russian occupiers. For example, since the start of the operation on August 6, the soldiers of the 80th Separate Mechanized Brigade alone have captured seven enemy tanks as trophies, including the "world's best tank" T-90M, as well as four brand new T-80 BVMs with mileage ranging from 80 to 300 kilometers. All the tanks will be used by their former owners after the repair work.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
Boston Properties (NYSE:BXP  Free Report) had its price objective lifted by Evercore ISI from $76.00 to $77.00 in a research report released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the real estate investment trusts stock.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on BXP. Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Boston Properties from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a sector outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of Boston Properties from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an equal weight rating and set a $62.00 price objective on shares of Boston Properties in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Boston Properties from $67.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wedbush boosted their target price on Boston Properties from $63.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, August 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Boston Properties presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $71.92.

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Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Boston Properties

Boston Properties Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of Boston Properties stock opened at $75.22 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $67.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $64.02. The company has a market cap of $11.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 61.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 1.18. Boston Properties has a fifty-two week low of $50.64 and a fifty-two week high of $75.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 4.77 and a current ratio of 4.83.

Boston Properties (NYSE:BXP  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.72 by ($1.21). Boston Properties had a return on equity of 2.05% and a net margin of 5.01%. The company had revenue of $850.48 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $819.49 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.86 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Boston Properties will post 7.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Boston Properties Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 28th were given a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.21%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. Boston Propertiess dividend payout ratio is currently 321.31%.

Insider Activity at Boston Properties

In other Boston Properties news, EVP Peter V. Otteni sold 4,785 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.44, for a total value of $351,410.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Boston Properties

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Boston Properties by 0.5% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,568,962 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,539,289,000 after purchasing an additional 122,583 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Boston Properties during the 4th quarter worth about $890,848,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in Boston Properties by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 4,502,079 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $294,031,000 after buying an additional 166,105 shares during the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Boston Properties by 25.9% during the 2nd quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 2,637,235 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $162,348,000 after acquiring an additional 542,610 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Boston Properties by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,228,879 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $156,407,000 after acquiring an additional 22,074 shares during the last quarter. 98.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Boston Properties Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Boston Properties, Inc (NYSE: BXP) (BXP or the Company) is the largest publicly traded developer, owner, and manager of premier workplaces in the United States, concentrated in six dynamic gateway markets  Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. BXP has delivered places that power progress for our clients and communities for more than 50 years.

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Arjuna Capital lowered its stake in shares of Brookfield Renewable Co. (NYSE:BEPC  Free Report) by 2.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 111,573 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,678 shares during the quarter. Arjuna Capital owned approximately 0.06% of Brookfield Renewable worth $3,166,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Brookfield Renewable by 161.9% in the 1st quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd now owns 1,197 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 740 shares during the period. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brookfield Renewable in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Brookfield Renewable by 49.7% in the 1st quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,783 shares of the companys stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 592 shares during the period. Beach Investment Counsel Inc. PA purchased a new position in Brookfield Renewable in the 2nd quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, UniSuper Management Pty Ltd grew its position in Brookfield Renewable by 111.1% in the 1st quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 1,900 shares of the companys stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.12% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Brookfield Renewable from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 16th.

Brookfield Renewable Price Performance

NYSE BEPC traded up $0.21 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $28.49. The companys stock had a trading volume of 649,572 shares, compared to its average volume of 965,418. The stock has a market cap of $5.12 billion, a PE ratio of -61.93 and a beta of 1.18. Brookfield Renewable Co. has a fifty-two week low of $21.35 and a fifty-two week high of $32.83. The companys 50-day moving average is $28.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $27.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.39.

Brookfield Renewable (NYSE:BEPC  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, August 2nd. The company reported ($0.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.27) by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $1.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.51 billion. Brookfield Renewable had a net margin of 7.10% and a return on equity of 2.19%. Analysts forecast that Brookfield Renewable Co. will post -0.99 EPS for the current year.

Brookfield Renewable Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.355 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $1.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.98%. Brookfield Renewables payout ratio is currently -308.70%.

Brookfield Renewable Company Profile

(Free Report)

Brookfield Renewable Corporation owns and operates a portfolio of renewable power and sustainable solution assets primarily in the United States, Europe, Colombia, and Brazil. It operates hydroelectric, wind, solar, and distributed energy and sustainable solutions with an installed capacity of approximately 19,161 megawatts.

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Barnwell Industries, Inc. (NYSE:BRN  Get Free Report) CEO Craig Douglas Hopkins purchased 5,000 shares of Barnwell Industries stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was bought at an average price of $2.37 per share, with a total value of $11,850.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 70,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $165,900. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Barnwell Industries Price Performance

Shares of BRN stock opened at $2.52 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $25.27 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.64 and a beta of 0.15. The companys fifty day moving average price is $2.32 and its 200-day moving average price is $2.47. Barnwell Industries, Inc. has a one year low of $2.06 and a one year high of $3.20.

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Barnwell Industries (NYSE:BRN  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported ($0.12) EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $5.53 million during the quarter. Barnwell Industries had a negative net margin of 13.29% and a negative return on equity of 18.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Barnwell Industries in a report on Friday. They issued a hold rating for the company.

Read Our Latest Report on BRN

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Barnwell Industries

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Barnwell Industries stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its position in shares of Barnwell Industries, Inc. (NYSE:BRN  Free Report) by 1.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 355,534 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 6,612 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned approximately 3.55% of Barnwell Industries worth $836,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.71% of the companys stock.

Barnwell Industries Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Barnwell Industries, Inc acquires, develops, produces, and sells oil and natural gas in Canada. The company operates through three segments: Oil and Natural Gas, Land Investment, and Contract Drilling. It also acquires and develops crude oil and natural gas assets in the province of Alberta, as well as invests in land interests in Hawaii.

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Crawford & Company (NYSE:CRD-A  Get Free Report)s stock price traded up 1.2% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $10.99 and last traded at $10.83. 62,288 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, The stock had previously closed at $10.70.

Crawford & Company Stock Down 2.0 %

The business has a 50-day moving average of $9.47 and a 200-day moving average of $9.66.

About Crawford & Company

(Get Free Report)

Crawford & Company provides claims management and outsourcing solutions for carriers, brokers, and corporations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Australia, Asia, and Latin America. The North America Loss Adjusting segment provides claims management services to insurance carriers and self-insured entities risk, including property, public liability, automobile liability, and marine insurances.

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Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. cut its holdings in shares of WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC  Free Report) by 8.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,780 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 1,971 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.s holdings in WEC Energy Group were worth $1,709,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. bought a new stake in WEC Energy Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $344,000. Blackhawk Capital Partners LLC. acquired a new stake in WEC Energy Group during the second quarter worth about $1,527,000. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV increased its stake in WEC Energy Group by 3.8% during the second quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 16,038 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,258,000 after acquiring an additional 584 shares during the period. F M Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $272,000. Finally, Blue Chip Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of WEC Energy Group by 12.1% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Chip Partners LLC now owns 3,332 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 359 shares in the last quarter. 77.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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WEC Energy Group Price Performance

Shares of WEC traded up $0.26 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $93.03. 2,328,286 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,182,177. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.31, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.41. The business has a 50-day moving average of $84.57 and a 200 day moving average of $82.07. WEC Energy Group, Inc. has a one year low of $75.13 and a one year high of $93.78.

WEC Energy Group Dividend Announcement

WEC Energy Group ( NYSE:WEC Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The utilities provider reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.87 billion. WEC Energy Group had a return on equity of 12.26% and a net margin of 15.85%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.92 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that WEC Energy Group, Inc. will post 4.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 14th will be paid a $0.835 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 14th. This represents a $3.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.59%. WEC Energy Groups payout ratio is presently 72.93%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other WEC Energy Group news, VP William J. Guc sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.99, for a total value of $557,940.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 7,702 shares of the companys stock, valued at $716,208.98. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, VP William J. Guc sold 6,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.99, for a total transaction of $557,940.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 7,702 shares in the company, valued at $716,208.98. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Joshua M. Erickson sold 350 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.75, for a total transaction of $31,412.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 2,377 shares in the company, valued at $213,335.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 8,462 shares of company stock valued at $776,608. Company insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on WEC shares. Bank of America upped their target price on WEC Energy Group from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research note on Thursday. KeyCorp decreased their target price on shares of WEC Energy Group from $96.00 to $95.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of WEC Energy Group from $90.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock a sector outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. StockNews.com downgraded WEC Energy Group from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on WEC Energy Group from $91.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $89.77.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on WEC

About WEC Energy Group

(Free Report)

WEC Energy Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides regulated natural gas and electricity, and renewable and nonregulated renewable energy services in the United States. It operates through Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, and Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure segments.

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Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lessened its holdings in ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW  Free Report) by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,422 shares of the information technology services providers stock after selling 216 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.s holdings in ServiceNow were worth $8,199,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of NOW. M&G Plc acquired a new position in shares of ServiceNow in the first quarter valued at $11,030,000. Smithfield Trust Co increased its stake in shares of ServiceNow by 36.4% in the 4th quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 981 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $691,000 after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the last quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board boosted its position in shares of ServiceNow by 9.4% during the first quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 11,650 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $8,882,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management grew its stake in ServiceNow by 375.6% in the first quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 1,365 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,041,000 after acquiring an additional 1,078 shares during the period. Finally, Summa Corp. bought a new stake in ServiceNow during the 4th quarter worth approximately $381,000. 87.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Transactions at ServiceNow

In related news, insider Christopher Bedi sold 215 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $700.00, for a total value of $150,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,892 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,124,400. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, General Counsel Russell S. Elmer sold 1,937 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $779.81, for a total transaction of $1,510,491.97. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now owns 6,736 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,252,800.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Christopher Bedi sold 215 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $700.00, for a total value of $150,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 15,892 shares in the company, valued at $11,124,400. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 7,129 shares of company stock worth $5,759,436 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.25% of the companys stock.

ServiceNow Stock Up 2.9 %

Shares of ServiceNow stock traded up $23.73 on Friday, hitting $855.00. The company had a trading volume of 1,916,043 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,294,300. The stock has a market capitalization of $175.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 91.44, a P/E/G ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.12. ServiceNow, Inc. has a 1 year low of $527.24 and a 1 year high of $857.25. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $789.70 and a 200-day moving average of $760.16.

ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The information technology services provider reported $3.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.85 by $0.28. ServiceNow had a net margin of 11.51% and a return on equity of 14.52%. The firm had revenue of $2.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.61 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.77 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that ServiceNow, Inc. will post 6.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NOW has been the topic of several analyst reports. William Blair reissued an outperform rating on shares of ServiceNow in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of ServiceNow from $830.00 to $860.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $900.00 price objective on shares of ServiceNow in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Guggenheim reiterated a sell rating and issued a $640.00 price target on shares of ServiceNow in a research note on Monday, July 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of ServiceNow from $920.00 to $935.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twenty-five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, ServiceNow presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $849.62.

Read Our Latest Report on NOW

About ServiceNow

(Free Report)

ServiceNow, Inc provides end to-end intelligent workflow automation platform solutions for digital businesses in the North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates the Now platform for end-to-end digital transformation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotic process automation, process mining, performance analytics, and collaboration and development tools.

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UMB Bank n.a. lessened its position in shares of Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO  Free Report) by 42.7% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,334 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,736 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Diageo were worth $294,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of DEO. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado lifted its holdings in shares of Diageo by 4,665.2% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 482,713 shares of the companys stock worth $70,312,000 after purchasing an additional 472,583 shares during the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC increased its position in Diageo by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 14,621 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,129,000 after acquiring an additional 470 shares during the period. Beacon Financial Group acquired a new stake in Diageo in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $296,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Diageo by 56.7% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 677,478 shares of the companys stock valued at $98,681,000 after acquiring an additional 245,255 shares during the period. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Diageo by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,185 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,069,000 after acquiring an additional 1,011 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 8.97% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Diageo from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, July 12th. Citigroup upgraded Diageo from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Diageo from an underperform rating to a sector perform rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $2,950.00.

Diageo Stock Down 2.1 %

DEO traded down $2.75 during trading on Friday, reaching $130.78. 791,888 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 772,835. The stock has a market cap of $72.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 0.67. Diageo plc has a fifty-two week low of $119.48 and a fifty-two week high of $171.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $128.59 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $137.56.

Diageo Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 17th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $1.62 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a yield of 3.2%. Diageos payout ratio is 71.37%.

Diageo Company Profile

(Free Report)

Diageo plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, marketing, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The company offers scotch, gin, vodka, rum, raki, liqueur, wine, tequila, Chinese white spirits, cachaca, and brandy, as well as beer, including cider and flavored malt beverages. It also provides Chinese, Canadian, Irish, American, and Indian-Made Foreign Liquor whiskies, as well as flavored malt beverages, ready to drink, and non-alcoholic products.

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Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK  Free Report) by 58.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 39,820 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 14,722 shares during the quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Duke Energy were worth $3,991,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Legacy Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Duke Energy in the 2nd quarter worth $702,000. Abacus Planning Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Duke Energy by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Abacus Planning Group Inc. now owns 7,651 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $767,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares during the period. Intact Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Intact Investment Management Inc. now owns 44,600 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $4,470,000 after buying an additional 1,100 shares during the period. Seven Springs Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 2.6% in the second quarter. Seven Springs Wealth Group LLC now owns 34,450 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,453,000 after buying an additional 881 shares during the period. Finally, Canal Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 0.9% during the second quarter. Canal Capital Management LLC now owns 67,765 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $6,792,000 after acquiring an additional 616 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.31% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on DUK. Scotiabank raised their target price on Duke Energy from $104.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 20th. Barclays raised their price objective on Duke Energy from $99.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $99.00 to $114.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $114.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $111.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $113.92.

Insider Activity at Duke Energy

In related news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 540 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.64, for a total transaction of $61,365.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 19,884 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,259,617.76. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Duke Energy Stock Up 0.8 %

NYSE:DUK traded up $0.96 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $113.95. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,022,442 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,948,703. Duke Energy Co. has a one year low of $83.06 and a one year high of $116.67. The businesss 50-day moving average is $107.96 and its 200-day moving average is $101.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.50. The company has a market cap of $87.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.45.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The utilities provider reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.16. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 9.25% and a net margin of 10.78%. The business had revenue of $7.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.91 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 EPS for the current year.

Duke Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Friday, August 16th will be issued a dividend of $1.045 per share. This is an increase from Duke Energys previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. This represents a $4.18 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 16th. Duke Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 105.03%.

About Duke Energy

(Free Report)

Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I), and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest.

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Eaton Co. plc (NYSE:ETN  Get Free Report) insider Michael Yelton sold 3,136 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.12, for a total value of $950,584.32. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 3,914 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,186,411.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Eaton Price Performance

Shares of ETN opened at $307.02 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.05. The company has a market cap of $122.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.25, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.02. Eaton Co. plc has a 12 month low of $191.82 and a 12 month high of $345.19. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $305.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $310.17.

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Eaton (NYSE:ETN  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $2.73 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.61 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $6.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.35 billion. Eaton had a net margin of 15.12% and a return on equity of 21.45%. On average, research analysts forecast that Eaton Co. plc will post 10.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Eaton Announces Dividend

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 5th were given a dividend of $0.94 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 5th. This represents a $3.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.22%. Eatons dividend payout ratio is presently 44.39%.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. HSBC upped their price target on Eaton from $240.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Friday, May 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Eaton from $370.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on Eaton from $357.00 to $333.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Raymond James initiated coverage on Eaton in a research note on Friday, June 28th. They set an outperform rating and a $375.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Eaton from $318.00 to $319.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $328.00.

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Institutional Trading of Eaton

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Legacy Capital Group California Inc. boosted its holdings in Eaton by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Legacy Capital Group California Inc. now owns 2,776 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $870,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the period. Well Done LLC raised its position in shares of Eaton by 1.3% during the second quarter. Well Done LLC now owns 2,551 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $800,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eaton by 1.7% in the first quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,059 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $644,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. grew its position in Eaton by 1.7% during the second quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 2,053 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $644,000 after buying an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Front Row Advisors LLC increased its stake in Eaton by 0.4% during the second quarter. Front Row Advisors LLC now owns 7,842 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,459,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. 82.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Eaton Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Eaton Corporation plc operates as a power management company worldwide. The company's Electrical Americas and Electrical Global segment provides electrical components, industrial components, power distribution and assemblies, residential products, single and three phase power quality and connectivity products, wiring devices, circuit protection products, utility power distribution products, power reliability equipment, and services, as well as hazardous duty electrical equipment, emergency lighting, fire detection, explosion-proof instrumentation, and structural support systems.

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European Commercial REIT (CVE:ERE  Get Free Report) was up 42.9% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as C$0.25 and last traded at C$0.25. Approximately 7,400 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 62,141 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.18.

European Commercial REIT Price Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average price of C$0.25 and a 200 day moving average price of C$0.25.

European Commercial REIT Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Everest Re Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States, Bermuda, and internationally. The company operates through Reinsurance Operations and Insurance Operations segments. The Reinsurance Operations segment writes property and casualty reinsurance; and specialty lines of business through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies in the United States, Bermuda, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Further Reading

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On the night of August 31, Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and missiles once again. Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed 24 Russian UAVs.

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Another 25 drones fell on their own, and three more reached Belarus and Russia. This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the enemy launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile from the Voronezh region, four S-300 guided missiles from the occupied part of Donetsk region, and 52 Shahed-131/136 strike drones from the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.

Aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Air Force and Defense Forces were involved in repelling the enemy air attack.

"As a result of the anti-aircraft battle, 24 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs were shot down, and 25 were lost locationally (fell down on their own). Two more drones returned to Russia, and another one reached Belarus. Air defense was operating in Kyiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Dnipro, Chernihiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Mykolaiv and Sumy regions," the Air Force said.

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In particular, according to the head of the Cherkasy RegionalMilitary Administration Ihor Taburets, the defenders destroyed three UAVs over the Cherkasy region.

"Four private houses in Cherkasy region were damaged by falling debris. However, people were not injured. This is the most important thing. The area is being inspected," he said.

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Air defense forces were also working in Kyiv region.

"Air defense forces were working in the region. Enemy targets were shot down. There were no hits to critical or residential infrastructure. There are no casualties. The falling of the debris is recorded outside the settlements in open areas. As a result of the falling debris of the downed targets, forest and grass litter caught fire in 3 districts of the region. Operational groups continue to work on eliminating the consequences of the enemy's attack," said Ruslan Kravchenko, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration.

And the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, Serhiy Popko, said that Kyiv had been attacked with drones for the fourth time in a week. The air raid alert in the capital lasted about 4 hours.

"All Russian attack drones that threatened Kyiv were destroyed by air defense forces and other means. Preliminary, there was no damage or casualties in the city," he emphasized.

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As a reminder, the day before, the occupiers attacked Kharkiv with UAVs. The attack caused significant destruction and killed people, including a child (a girl who was in a playground). More than 70 people were injured.

It also became known that on August 30, Russians shelled Kherson region again. Two injured civilians were taken to the hospital.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT  Free Report) had its price target hoisted by Evercore ISI from $110.00 to $115.00 in a report published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an in-line rating on the real estate investment trusts stock.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on CPT. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of Camden Property Trust from $110.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, August 26th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Camden Property Trust from $98.00 to $105.50 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised Camden Property Trust from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $104.00 to $127.00 in a research report on Monday, August 26th. Mizuho decreased their target price on Camden Property Trust from $111.00 to $108.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on Camden Property Trust from $109.00 to $117.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Camden Property Trust has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $116.62.

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Camden Property Trust Price Performance

CPT stock opened at $125.20 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.69, a PEG ratio of 4.50 and a beta of 0.88. The firms 50-day moving average price is $114.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $105.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. Camden Property Trust has a 12-month low of $82.81 and a 12-month high of $125.35.

Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The real estate investment trust reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.67 by ($1.27). The business had revenue of $387.15 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $384.76 million. Camden Property Trust had a net margin of 25.64% and a return on equity of 7.95%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.70 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Camden Property Trust will post 6.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Camden Property Trust Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 17th. Investors of record on Friday, June 28th were given a $1.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.29%. Camden Property Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 100.98%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Camden Property Trust

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CPT. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Camden Property Trust in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $90,900,000. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in Camden Property Trust by 14.3% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 43,459 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $4,315,000 after acquiring an additional 5,423 shares in the last quarter. Cannell & Co. bought a new position in Camden Property Trust in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $7,358,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Camden Property Trust by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,686,395 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $366,022,000 after buying an additional 87,337 shares during the period. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Camden Property Trust by 73.9% during the 4th quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 30,347 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $3,013,000 after buying an additional 12,898 shares during the period. 97.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Camden Property Trust Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Camden Property Trust, an S&P 500 Company, is a real estate company primarily engaged in the ownership, management, development, redevelopment, acquisition, and construction of multifamily apartment communities. Camden owns and operates 172 properties containing 58,634 apartment homes across the United States.

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First Personal Financial Services cut its stake in shares of McDonalds Co. (NYSE:MCD  Free Report) by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 13,547 shares of the fast-food giants stock after selling 320 shares during the period. First Personal Financial Services holdings in McDonalds were worth $3,452,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MCD. Boston Financial Mangement LLC increased its holdings in McDonalds by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Boston Financial Mangement LLC now owns 11,282 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $2,875,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McDonalds in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,682,000. OMC Financial Services LTD raised its holdings in McDonalds by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. OMC Financial Services LTD now owns 17,908 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $4,564,000 after buying an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in McDonalds by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 79,074 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $20,151,000 after buying an additional 2,600 shares during the period. Finally, North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH grew its holdings in McDonalds by 26.9% during the 2nd quarter. North Point Portfolio Managers Corp OH now owns 1,974 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $503,000 after acquiring an additional 419 shares during the last quarter. 70.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of McDonalds from $300.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, August 19th. Truist Financial cut their target price on McDonalds from $300.00 to $295.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Wedbush reissued an outperform rating and issued a $295.00 price target on shares of McDonalds in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on McDonalds from $320.00 to $310.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of McDonalds from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $303.71.

McDonalds Price Performance

Shares of MCD stock traded up $0.69 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $288.55. The company had a trading volume of 2,528,115 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,519,216. The company has a market cap of $207.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.71. McDonalds Co. has a 12 month low of $243.53 and a 12 month high of $302.39. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $265.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $271.00.

McDonalds (NYSE:MCD  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 29th. The fast-food giant reported $2.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.07 by ($0.10). McDonalds had a net margin of 32.25% and a negative return on equity of 178.92%. The company had revenue of $6.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.17 earnings per share. McDonaldss revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that McDonalds Co. will post 11.71 earnings per share for the current year.

McDonalds Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be given a $1.67 dividend. This represents a $6.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. McDonaldss payout ratio is 56.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling at McDonalds

In other news, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,498 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.26, for a total value of $371,893.48. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 1,560 shares in the company, valued at approximately $387,285.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other McDonalds news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 1,099 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $260.00, for a total transaction of $285,740.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 13,681 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,557,060. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,498 shares of McDonalds stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.26, for a total value of $371,893.48. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,560 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $387,285.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,793 shares of company stock worth $1,260,106. Insiders own 0.23% of the companys stock.

McDonalds Company Profile

(Free Report)

McDonald's Corporation operates and franchises restaurants under the McDonald's brand in the United States and internationally. It offers food and beverages, including hamburgers and cheeseburgers, various chicken sandwiches, fries, shakes, desserts, sundaes, cookies, pies, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages; and full or limited breakfast, as well as sells various other products during limited-time promotions.

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Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE  Free Report) by 0.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 483,885 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after buying an additional 318 shares during the period. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH owned approximately 0.28% of Alexandria Real Estate Equities worth $56,600,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 13.2% in the 2nd quarter. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC now owns 18,370 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,149,000 after purchasing an additional 2,136 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 132.8% in the second quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 270 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities during the 2nd quarter worth $314,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 44,548 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $5,211,000 after buying an additional 1,723 shares during the period. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. grew its stake in Alexandria Real Estate Equities by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 81,973 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $9,588,000 after buying an additional 3,503 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.54% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, major shareholder Real Estate Equitie Alexandria sold 150,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.21, for a total value of $631,500.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 6,005,077 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $25,281,374.17. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.15% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Bank of America lowered shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their target price for the stock from $151.00 to $126.00 in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Wedbush downgraded Alexandria Real Estate Equities from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the company from $140.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Alexandria Real Estate Equities from $126.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Alexandria Real Estate Equities from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price target for the stock from $136.00 to $127.00 in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, JMP Securities restated a market outperform rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Alexandria Real Estate Equities presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $131.33.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on ARE

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ARE traded up $1.75 during trading on Friday, hitting $119.57. 1,029,472 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 919,403. The company has a market capitalization of $20.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 111.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a current ratio of 0.23. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. has a 1-year low of $90.73 and a 1-year high of $135.45. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $118.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $119.82.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE:ARE  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 22nd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.34 by ($2.09). The business had revenue of $766.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $775.03 million. Alexandria Real Estate Equities had a return on equity of 0.68% and a net margin of 5.09%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.24 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. will post 9.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 15th. Investors of record on Friday, June 28th were given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 28th. This is a positive change from Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. Alexandria Real Estate Equitiess dividend payout ratio is 485.98%.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Profile

(Free Report)

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc (NYSE: ARE), an S&P 500 company, is a best-in-class, mission-driven life science REIT making a positive and lasting impact on the world. As the pioneer of the life science real estate niche since our founding in 1994, Alexandria is the preeminent and longest-tenured owner, operator, and developer of collaborative life science, agtech, and advanced technology mega campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations, including Greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle.

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Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lowered its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 16.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,072,228 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 207,356 shares during the period. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OHs holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $63,680,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,516,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 5.6% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 55,166 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,276,000 after purchasing an additional 2,922 shares during the period. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. increased its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 18.8% in the second quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 58,880 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,497,000 after buying an additional 9,338 shares during the last quarter. Golden State Equity Partners bought a new stake in shares of Wells Fargo & Company in the second quarter valued at $1,947,000. Finally, Argent Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. Argent Advisors Inc. now owns 28,740 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,707,000 after buying an additional 1,101 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.90% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on WFC. Jefferies Financial Group cut Wells Fargo & Company to a hold rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $62.00 to $59.00 in a research note on Friday, August 16th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $55.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $62.00 to $61.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $64.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Evercore ISI reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $67.00 price target (down from $70.00) on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $59.63.

Wells Fargo & Company Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WFC traded up $1.12 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $58.47. 20,068,054 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,823,389. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $57.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $57.59. The company has a market cap of $203.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.01, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.17. Wells Fargo & Company has a 12-month low of $38.38 and a 12-month high of $62.55.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 12th. The financial services provider reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $20.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.29 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 15.17% and a return on equity of 12.30%. Wells Fargo & Companys revenue for the quarter was up .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.25 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wells Fargo & Company Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This is an increase from Wells Fargo & Companys previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 9th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.74%. Wells Fargo & Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.85%.

Wells Fargo & Company Company Profile

(Free Report)

Wells Fargo & Company, a financial services company, provides diversified banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management.

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Fortis Group Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (NYSEARCA:IAK  Free Report) by 16.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 64,687 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 8,980 shares during the quarter. iShares U.S. Insurance ETF accounts for 1.5% of Fortis Group Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Fortis Group Advisors LLC owned about 1.17% of iShares U.S. Insurance ETF worth $7,304,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in iShares U.S. Insurance ETF by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 176,639 shares of the companys stock valued at $17,686,000 after acquiring an additional 12,577 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares U.S. Insurance ETF by 6.2% in the 1st quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 173,135 shares of the companys stock worth $20,311,000 after buying an additional 10,148 shares during the period. Stifel Financial Corp grew its position in shares of iShares U.S. Insurance ETF by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 134,142 shares of the companys stock worth $13,432,000 after buying an additional 13,240 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of iShares U.S. Insurance ETF by 568.0% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 97,837 shares of the companys stock valued at $11,485,000 after buying an additional 83,191 shares during the period. Finally, Legend Financial Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of iShares U.S. Insurance ETF by 0.7% in the second quarter. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 55,741 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,294,000 after acquiring an additional 406 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares U.S. Insurance ETF Stock Up 0.6 %

NYSEARCA:IAK traded up $0.78 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $128.59. The companys stock had a trading volume of 51,037 shares, compared to its average volume of 71,565. The firm has a market capitalization of $713.67 million, a PE ratio of 17.19 and a beta of 0.40. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $118.28 and a 200-day moving average of $115.23. iShares U.S. Insurance ETF has a 1 year low of $89.21 and a 1 year high of $128.74.

iShares U.S. Insurance ETF Profile

The iShares U.S. Insurance ETF (IAK) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the DJ US Select \u002F Insurance index. The fund tracks a market-cap index of US insurance companies. IAK was launched on May 1, 2006 and is managed by BlackRock.

Further Reading

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Great Portland Estates Plc (LON:GPOR  Get Free Report)s share price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 735.50 ($9.70) and traded as high as GBX 767.50 ($10.12). Great Portland Estates shares last traded at GBX 735.50 ($9.70), with a volume of 442,820 shares changing hands.

Great Portland Estates Stock Performance

The stocks 50 day moving average is GBX 735.50 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 735.50. The stock has a market capitalization of 1.87 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 124.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.29.

Great Portland Estates Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

We are a FTSE 250 property investment and development company owning A2.6 billion of real estate in central London. We proactively manage our portfolio, flexing our activities in tune with London's property cycle to deliver long-term out-performance. We create in-demand spaces that people want to be part of; helping our occupiers, local communities and the city to thrive.

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Hostmore plc (LON:MORE  Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 8.54 ($0.11) and last traded at GBX 8.93 ($0.12), with a volume of 13297 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 9.76 ($0.13).

Hostmore Stock Down 0.1 %

The companys 50 day moving average price is GBX 13.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 16.65. The firm has a market cap of 11.98 million, a PE ratio of -43.18 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1,145.20.

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Insider Activity at Hostmore

In other news, insider Julie McEwan bought 29,499 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 28th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 17 ($0.22) per share, for a total transaction of 5,014.83 ($6,613.25). In the last quarter, insiders have bought 107,262 shares of company stock worth $1,471,425. 40.72% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Hostmore

Hostmore plc operates in the hospitality business. It operates American-themed casual dining restaurants under the TGI Fridays brand; cocktail-led bar and restaurants under the 63rd+1st brand; and fast casual dining restaurants under the Fridays and Go brand. The company was incorporated in 2021 and is based in Edinburgh, the United Kingdom.

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Ingalls & Snyder LLC lessened its stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC  Free Report) by 15.3% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 4,974 shares of the companys stock after selling 900 shares during the quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLCs holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated were worth $353,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MKC. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 87.5% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 375 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in McCormick & Company, Incorporated in the 2nd quarter valued at $67,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.74% of the companys stock.

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McCormick & Company, Incorporated Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of MKC traded up $1.00 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $80.03. 1,902,919 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,924,285. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a 52 week low of $59.13 and a 52 week high of $83.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The companys 50 day moving average is $74.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.70. The company has a market capitalization of $21.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.21, a PEG ratio of 4.02 and a beta of 0.75.

McCormick & Company, Incorporated Announces Dividend

McCormick & Company, Incorporated ( NYSE:MKC Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, June 27th. The company reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.10. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a return on equity of 14.63% and a net margin of 11.07%. The company had revenue of $1.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.63 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.60 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 8th were paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 8th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.10%. McCormick & Company, Incorporateds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.31%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on MKC. TD Cowen cut their price objective on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $75.00 to $73.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 24th. Citigroup raised McCormick & Company, Incorporated from a sell rating to a neutral rating and upped their price objective for the company from $68.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $76.25.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on MKC

Insider Buying and Selling at McCormick & Company, Incorporated

In other McCormick & Company, Incorporated news, Director Lawrence Erik Kurzius sold 25,000 shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total value of $1,875,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 199,258 shares in the company, valued at $14,944,350. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 22.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About McCormick & Company, Incorporated

(Free Report)

McCormick & Company, Incorporated manufactures, markets, and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments, and other flavorful products to the food industry. It operates in two segments, Consumer and Flavor Solutions. The Consumer segment offers spices, herbs, and seasonings, as well as condiments and sauces, and desserts.

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Intact Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Corpay, Inc. (NYSE:CPAY  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 2,200 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $586,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Corpay in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,907,000. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd grew its stake in Corpay by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 7,754 shares of the companys stock worth $2,066,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. grew its stake in Corpay by 252.2% in the 2nd quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 9,649 shares of the companys stock worth $2,571,000 after buying an additional 6,909 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. purchased a new position in Corpay in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $493,000. Finally, Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in Corpay in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.84% of the companys stock.

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Corpay Stock Performance

NYSE:CPAY traded up $4.53 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $315.55. 649,212 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 463,855. The business has a fifty day moving average of $284.84. Corpay, Inc. has a 12 month low of $220.39 and a 12 month high of $319.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.17 billion, a PE ratio of 23.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.20.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Corpay ( NYSE:CPAY Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $4.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.51 by $0.04. Corpay had a net margin of 26.29% and a return on equity of 36.97%. The business had revenue of $975.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $973.84 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.85 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Corpay, Inc. will post 17.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on CPAY shares. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of Corpay from $360.00 to $350.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Corpay in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $285.00 price objective for the company. Raymond James lowered their price objective on shares of Corpay from $330.00 to $311.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Corpay from $327.00 to $353.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Finally, Wolfe Research lowered shares of Corpay from a peer perform rating to an underperform rating and set a $295.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday, May 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $332.50.

View Our Latest Research Report on Corpay

Corpay Profile

(Free Report)

Corpay, Inc operates as a payments company that helps businesses and consumers manage vehicle-related expenses, lodging expenses, and corporate payments in the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company offers vehicle payment solutions, which include fuel, tolls, parking, fleet maintenance, and long-haul transportation services, as well as prepaid food and transportation vouchers and cards.

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Intact Investment Management Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd (NYSE:OR  Free Report) by 14.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 112,200 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 18,300 shares during the quarter. Intact Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Osisko Gold Royalties worth $1,748,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in OR. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its holdings in shares of Osisko Gold Royalties by 29.3% in the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 48,801 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $760,000 after buying an additional 11,070 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new position in shares of Osisko Gold Royalties during the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,405,000. Corundum Trust Company INC purchased a new position in shares of Osisko Gold Royalties during the second quarter valued at about $249,000. U S Global Investors Inc. grew its position in shares of Osisko Gold Royalties by 19.3% during the second quarter. U S Global Investors Inc. now owns 434,432 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $7,131,000 after purchasing an additional 70,180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates increased its holdings in shares of Osisko Gold Royalties by 9.1% in the second quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 135,667 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $2,114,000 after purchasing an additional 11,316 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.52% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on OR. TD Securities upgraded Osisko Gold Royalties to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Osisko Gold Royalties from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $19.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, July 12th.

Osisko Gold Royalties Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:OR traded down $0.14 during trading on Friday, reaching $17.27. The companys stock had a trading volume of 331,084 shares, compared to its average volume of 781,280. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.22 billion, a PE ratio of -82.24 and a beta of 1.01. Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd has a 12 month low of $11.24 and a 12 month high of $18.34. The company has a current ratio of 4.92, a quick ratio of 4.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $16.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.23.

Osisko Gold Royalties (NYSE:OR  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $47.39 million during the quarter. Osisko Gold Royalties had a positive return on equity of 6.80% and a negative net margin of 36.71%. On average, research analysts predict that Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd will post 0.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Osisko Gold Royalties Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.047 per share. This represents a $0.19 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. Osisko Gold Royaltiess payout ratio is -85.71%.

Osisko Gold Royalties Company Profile

(Free Report)

Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd acquires and manages precious metal and other royalties, streams, and other interests in Canada and internationally. It also owns options on offtake; royalty/stream financings; and exclusive rights to participate in future royalty/stream financings on various projects. The company's primary asset is a 3-5% net smelter return royalty on the Canadian Malartic complex located in Canada.

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On Friday, August 30, Venezuelan security services detained two Colombians who fought for Ukraine. They were extradited to the terrorist state of Russia. The foreigners were arrested by the FSB.

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This was reported by the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. The sister of one of the detainees said that they were noticed and detained because they were wearing the uniform of the Armed Forces of Venezuela  they were traveling to Colombia in transit through the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

Meanwhile, the Russian Service of the BBC reported that the FSB announced the detention and arrest of two Colombian citizens suspected of participating in the war in Ukraine on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. During the searches, documents and military uniforms with insignia of the Carpathian Sich battalion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were seized from them. A criminal case was opened against them under the article on mercenarism.

As a reminder, Russia is a key ally of Venezuela. Russian financial aid and loans to Venezuela amount to billions of dollars.

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In addition, Venezuela is one of the largest buyers of Russian military equipment. In the period from 2005 to 2017, the total volume of arms and equipment purchases was estimated at more than $11 billion, including more than 120 tanks and self-propelled artillery systems, about 240 armored personnel carriers, several dozen Grad and Smerch multiple rocket launchers, and air defense systems.

As OBOZ.UA reported, Venezuela is recalling its diplomats from seven Latin American countries. These are the countries that refused to recognize the "victory" of Venezuela's current leader, Nicolas Maduro, in the presidential election.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
International Assets Investment Management LLC trimmed its position in Shopify Inc. (NYSE:SHOP  Free Report) (TSE:SHOP) by 13.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 14,223 shares of the software makers stock after selling 2,225 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLCs holdings in Shopify were worth $939,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Private Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Shopify in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. DSM Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Shopify in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp bought a new position in shares of Shopify in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP raised its position in shares of Shopify by 4,344.4% during the 4th quarter. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP now owns 400 shares of the software makers stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 391 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cultivar Capital Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Shopify during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. 69.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Shopify Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:SHOP opened at $74.05 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $66.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $69.10. The company has a current ratio of 7.32, a quick ratio of 7.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $95.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -435.59, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 2.30. Shopify Inc. has a 12-month low of $45.50 and a 12-month high of $91.57.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Shopify ( NYSE:SHOP Get Free Report ) (TSE:SHOP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The software maker reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $2.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.01 billion. Shopify had a net margin of 16.40% and a return on equity of 10.88%. Shopifys revenue was up 20.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned ($0.08) EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Shopify Inc. will post 0.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

SHOP has been the topic of a number of research reports. CIBC lowered their price target on Shopify from $100.00 to $85.00 and set an outperformer rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 9th. Wedbush reissued a neutral rating and set a $72.00 price objective (up from $68.00) on shares of Shopify in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. KeyCorp assumed coverage on Shopify in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. They issued an overweight rating and a $80.00 target price for the company. Roth Mkm increased their price target on shares of Shopify from $77.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $67.00 target price on shares of Shopify in a research report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating, twenty-three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $77.30.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Shopify

About Shopify

(Free Report)

Shopify Inc, a commerce company, provides a commerce platform and services in Canada, the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, China, and Latin America. The company's platform enables merchants to displays, manages, markets, and sells its products through various sales channels, including web and mobile storefronts, physical retail locations, pop-up shops, social media storefronts, native mobile apps, buy buttons, and marketplaces; and enables to manage products and inventory, process orders and payments, fulfill and ship orders, new buyers and build customer relationships, source products, leverage analytics and reporting, manage cash, payments and transactions, and access financing.

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UMB Bank n.a. decreased its holdings in International Paper (NYSE:IP  Free Report) by 14.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 4,254 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 738 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in International Paper were worth $184,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Retirement Systems of Alabama grew its position in International Paper by 0.3% in the second quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 76,616 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $3,306,000 after buying an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its position in International Paper by 27.7% during the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 1,157 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 251 shares in the last quarter. Czech National Bank grew its position in International Paper by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 60,897 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $2,376,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems grew its position in International Paper by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 27,685 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,001,000 after purchasing an additional 298 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 180 Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in International Paper by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,845 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $306,000 after purchasing an additional 318 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.95% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of International Paper from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $38.00 to $57.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of International Paper from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Argus upgraded shares of International Paper from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $52.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of International Paper from $52.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of International Paper from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday, June 28th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $50.21.

International Paper Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of IP stock traded up $0.31 on Friday, hitting $48.42. The companys stock had a trading volume of 4,160,121 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,575,114. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.17. International Paper has a fifty-two week low of $31.76 and a fifty-two week high of $49.24. The firms fifty day moving average price is $45.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $41.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 98.82 and a beta of 1.06.

International Paper (NYSE:IP  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The basic materials company reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.14. International Paper had a net margin of 2.34% and a return on equity of 7.28%. The business had revenue of $4.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.78 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.59 EPS. International Papers quarterly revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that International Paper will post 1.64 EPS for the current year.

International Paper Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 15th will be paid a $0.4625 dividend. This represents a $1.85 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.82%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. International Papers payout ratio is presently 377.55%.

Insider Activity at International Paper

In other International Paper news, SVP Clay R. Ellis sold 9,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.83, for a total transaction of $439,470.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 49,832 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,433,296.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other International Paper news, SVP Clay R. Ellis sold 9,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.83, for a total transaction of $439,470.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 49,832 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,433,296.56. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kathryn D. Sullivan sold 600 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, June 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.77, for a total transaction of $25,662.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 42,802 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,830,641.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 12,000 shares of company stock valued at $573,822. Insiders own 0.55% of the companys stock.

About International Paper

(Free Report)

International Paper Company produces and sells renewable fiber-based packaging and pulp products in North America, Latin America, Europe, and North Africa. It operates through two segments, Industrial Packaging and Global Cellulose Fibers. The company offers linerboard, medium, whitetop, recycled linerboard, recycled medium and saturating kraft; and pulp for a range of applications, such as diapers, towel and tissue products, feminine care, incontinence, and other personal care products, as well as specialty pulps for use in textiles, construction materials, paints, coatings, and others.

Further Reading

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Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (OTCMKTS:IIJIY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a drop of 66.7% from the July 31st total of 300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.1 days.

Internet Initiative Japan Stock Performance

IIJIY remained flat at $39.46 during trading on Friday. 59 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 810. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.79 and a beta of 0.62. Internet Initiative Japan has a 12-month low of $27.14 and a 12-month high of $41.30. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $32.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $34.07.

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Internet Initiative Japan (OTCMKTS:IIJIY  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $461.96 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $405.50 million. Internet Initiative Japan had a net margin of 7.16% and a return on equity of 16.57%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Internet Initiative Japan will post 0.34 EPS for the current year.

Internet Initiative Japan Company Profile

Internet Initiative Japan Inc provides Internet connectivity, WAN, outsourcing, systems integration, and network-related equipment sales services in Japan. It operates through two segments, Network Services and Systems Integration Business, and ATM Operation Business. The company offers mobile communication and remote access/telework services; WAN/network services, including SDN, multi-cloud network, closed connection, internet VPN, SEIL, remote access, wireless LAN, and GIGA-school; leased line and broadband services; IIJ DNS platform, and domain name registration and maintenance services; IIJ access ID management, dial-up access, and IIJ IPv6 fiber access services; and security solutions for IIJ managed firewall, DDoS protection, and managed IPS/IDS services.

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Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its position in iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF (NYSEARCA:KSA  Free Report) by 7.2% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 281,351 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 18,926 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltds holdings in iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF were worth $11,428,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jane Street Group LLC raised its stake in iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF by 12,171.3% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 583,625 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,773,000 after acquiring an additional 578,869 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its position in iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF by 16.2% in the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 544,304 shares of the companys stock valued at $22,110,000 after buying an additional 75,908 shares in the last quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD lifted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF by 34.9% in the 1st quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 356,672 shares of the companys stock worth $15,751,000 after acquiring an additional 92,283 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF by 18.9% during the second quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 342,648 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,918,000 after acquiring an additional 54,535 shares during the period. Finally, CX Institutional lifted its position in iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF by 36,076.1% in the second quarter. CX Institutional now owns 335,714 shares of the companys stock worth $13,637,000 after purchasing an additional 334,786 shares during the period.

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iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF Stock Up 0.0 %

Shares of iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF stock opened at $42.37 on Friday. iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF has a fifty-two week low of $36.21 and a fifty-two week high of $45.10. The firm has a market cap of $792.32 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.50 and a beta of 0.58. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $41.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $42.50.

iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF Profile

The iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF (KSA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI Saudi Arabia IMI 25-50 index, a market-cap-weighted index of Saudi Arabian firms covering 99% of the market cap spectrum. KSA was launched on Sep 16, 2015 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Jacobs Solutions Inc. (NYSE:J  Free Report) by 6.0% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 60,423 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 3,445 shares during the quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLCs holdings in Jacobs Solutions were worth $8,442,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in J. Tlwm increased its stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 1.2% in the second quarter. Tlwm now owns 6,046 shares of the companys stock valued at $845,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its position in Jacobs Solutions by 7.9% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 1,021 shares of the companys stock valued at $133,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. American National Bank raised its stake in Jacobs Solutions by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. American National Bank now owns 6,488 shares of the companys stock valued at $906,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Global Financial Private Client LLC boosted its position in Jacobs Solutions by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. Global Financial Private Client LLC now owns 3,944 shares of the companys stock worth $551,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of Jacobs Solutions by 3.3% in the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,697 shares of the companys stock worth $517,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. 85.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Jacobs Solutions Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of Jacobs Solutions stock traded up $0.88 on Friday, reaching $150.88. 830,758 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 662,556. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Jacobs Solutions Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $120.71 and a fifty-two week high of $154.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.70. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $144.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $144.19.

Jacobs Solutions Announces Dividend

Jacobs Solutions ( NYSE:J Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $1.96. The company had revenue of $4.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.39 billion. Jacobs Solutions had a net margin of 3.83% and a return on equity of 14.59%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.82 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Jacobs Solutions Inc. will post 7.98 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th were given a dividend of $0.29 per share. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 26th. Jacobs Solutionss payout ratio is 22.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Jacobs Solutions

In other Jacobs Solutions news, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 7,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.43, for a total transaction of $976,010.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 541,138 shares in the company, valued at approximately $75,450,871.34. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Jacobs Solutions news, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 7,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.43, for a total value of $976,010.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 541,138 shares in the company, valued at approximately $75,450,871.34. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP William B. Allen, Jr. sold 1,451 shares of Jacobs Solutions stock in a transaction on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.51, for a total transaction of $212,586.01. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 26,699 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,911,670.49. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 22,451 shares of company stock valued at $3,196,336 in the last three months. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $161.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $161.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $163.00 to $160.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com downgraded Jacobs Solutions from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, William Blair cut Jacobs Solutions from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Jacobs Solutions currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $160.40.

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Jacobs Solutions Profile

(Free Report)

Jacobs Solutions Inc provides consulting, technical, engineering, scientific, and project delivery services for the government and private sectors in the United States, Europe, Canada, India, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through Critical Mission Solutions, People & Places Solutions, Divergent Solutions, and PA Consulting segments.

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Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co lifted its holdings in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (NYSE:HPS  Free Report) by 10.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 18,841 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 1,800 shares during the period. Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Cos holdings in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III were worth $298,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Concourse Financial Group Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III in the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its position in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III by 58.6% during the first quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 4,302 shares of the companys stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 1,589 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC purchased a new position in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III during the first quarter worth about $199,000. Activest Wealth Management boosted its holdings in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III by 899.9% in the 1st quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 22,167 shares of the companys stock valued at $342,000 after purchasing an additional 19,950 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Shaker Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $674,000.

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John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE HPS traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $16.37. 57,102 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 53,574. John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III has a twelve month low of $11.79 and a twelve month high of $16.55. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.99 and a 200 day simple moving average of $15.50.

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III Dividend Announcement

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III Profile

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a $0.11 dividend. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th.

(Free Report)

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by John Hancock Asset Management. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in securities of companies operating across diversified sectors.

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Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. lessened its stake in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Free Report) by 0.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 62,005 shares of the companys stock after selling 126 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson accounts for about 2.3% of Benedict Financial Advisors Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Benedict Financial Advisors Inc.s holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $9,063,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 2nd quarter valued at about $43,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Grayhawk Investment Strategies Inc. increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 528.6% in the 4th quarter. Grayhawk Investment Strategies Inc. now owns 308 shares of the companys stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on JNJ. Daiwa America lowered Johnson & Johnson from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Daiwa Capital Markets lowered Johnson & Johnson from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and cut their price target for the company from $160.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. TD Securities cut their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an overweight rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Monday, August 5th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Johnson & Johnson has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $173.21.

Johnson & Johnson Price Performance

Shares of JNJ stock traded up $1.63 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $165.86. The company had a trading volume of 7,971,017 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,271,470. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.07. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $155.68 and a 200-day moving average of $153.51. The company has a market capitalization of $399.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.34, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.52. Johnson & Johnson has a 12-month low of $143.13 and a 12-month high of $165.98.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 17th. The company reported $2.82 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.71 by $0.11. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 36.60% and a net margin of 46.34%. The firm had revenue of $22.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $22.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.80 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be issued a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.99%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 27th. Johnson & Johnsons dividend payout ratio is presently 30.92%.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile

(Free Report)

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.

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Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new position in Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 22,640 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $98,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MPW. Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 112.1% in the first quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 7,225 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 3,819 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 435.0% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 7,972 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 6,482 shares in the last quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 166.7% during the second quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,000 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares in the last quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC bought a new stake in Medical Properties Trust in the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust during the 1st quarter valued at about $43,000. 71.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Medical Properties Trust Stock Up 1.5 %

Medical Properties Trust stock opened at $4.50 on Friday. Medical Properties Trust, Inc. has a 1-year low of $2.92 and a 1-year high of $7.40. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $4.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $4.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 3.10 and a quick ratio of 3.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.02, a PEG ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.27.

Medical Properties Trust Cuts Dividend

Medical Properties Trust ( NYSE:MPW Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.54) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.21 by ($0.75). The business had revenue of $266.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $259.53 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.48 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Medical Properties Trust, Inc. will post 0.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 9th will be given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.12%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 9th. Medical Properties Trusts dividend payout ratio is presently -14.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MPW has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $5.00 target price on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a research report on Tuesday, May 14th. StockNews.com downgraded Medical Properties Trust from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Saturday, May 18th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Medical Properties Trust from $4.50 to $5.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, BNP Paribas cut shares of Medical Properties Trust from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and cut their price objective for the company from $6.00 to $4.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have issued a hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $4.86.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on MPW

Insider Buying and Selling at Medical Properties Trust

In other news, Director Elizabeth N. Pitman sold 10,025 shares of Medical Properties Trust stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.98, for a total transaction of $49,924.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 68,653 shares in the company, valued at $341,891.94. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, Director Elizabeth N. Pitman sold 10,025 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.98, for a total value of $49,924.50. Following the sale, the director now owns 68,653 shares in the company, valued at $341,891.94. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director C Reynolds Thompson III sold 20,530 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.38, for a total transaction of $89,921.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 54,637 shares in the company, valued at approximately $239,310.06. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.53% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Medical Properties Trust

(Free Report)

Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a self-advised real estate investment trust formed in 2003 to acquire and develop net-leased hospital facilities. From its inception in Birmingham, Alabama, the Company has grown to become one of the world's largest owners of hospital real estate with 441 facilities and approximately 44,000 licensed beds as of September 30, 2023.

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UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE:MLM  Free Report) by 2,275.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,915 shares of the construction companys stock after buying an additional 5,666 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Martin Marietta Materials were worth $3,205,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Global Assets Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of Martin Marietta Materials in the 1st quarter worth about $22,265,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 25.3% during the 4th quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 8,562 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $4,272,000 after buying an additional 1,728 shares during the period. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 49.7% during the 4th quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 5,672 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $2,830,000 after buying an additional 1,882 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,170,166 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $3,577,268,000 after buying an additional 69,701 shares during the period. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Martin Marietta Materials by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 60,499 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $29,161,000 after buying an additional 4,383 shares during the period. 95.04% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on MLM. Citigroup dropped their target price on Martin Marietta Materials from $658.00 to $646.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 12th. Loop Capital dropped their target price on Martin Marietta Materials from $630.00 to $615.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Martin Marietta Materials from $650.00 to $630.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Stephens dropped their price objective on Martin Marietta Materials from $650.00 to $610.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Martin Marietta Materials from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Martin Marietta Materials presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $629.82.

Martin Marietta Materials Stock Performance

Shares of MLM traded up $10.06 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $534.05. The stock had a trading volume of 538,793 shares, compared to its average volume of 445,783. The company has a market cap of $32.92 billion, a PE ratio of 15.53, a PEG ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.91. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $546.13 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $570.48. The company has a quick ratio of 2.41, a current ratio of 3.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $389.90 and a fifty-two week high of $626.67.

Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The construction company reported $4.76 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.36 by ($0.60). Martin Marietta Materials had a return on equity of 14.74% and a net margin of 31.35%. The firm had revenue of $1.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.83 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $5.60 EPS. Martin Marietta Materialss revenue was down 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Martin Marietta Materials Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.79 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.59%. This is a positive change from Martin Marietta Materialss previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. Martin Marietta Materialss payout ratio is currently 9.36%.

Martin Marietta Materials Company Profile

(Free Report)

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc, a natural resource-based building materials company, supplies aggregates and heavy-side building materials to the construction industry in the United States and internationally. It offers crushed stone, sand, and gravel products; ready mixed concrete and asphalt; paving products and services; and Portland and specialty cement for use in the infrastructure projects, and nonresidential and residential construction markets, as well as in the railroad, agricultural, utility, and environmental industries.

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Matisse Capital decreased its holdings in Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Inc. (NYSE:NBXG  Free Report) by 12.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 140,000 shares of the companys stock after selling 20,000 shares during the quarter. Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund makes up 0.9% of Matisse Capitals portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Matisse Capitals holdings in Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund were worth $1,807,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Whittier Trust Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund during the first quarter worth approximately $118,000. Prudent Investors Network Inc. bought a new position in shares of Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund during the first quarter worth about $146,000. Hartline Investment Corp bought a new stake in Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund in the first quarter valued at about $155,000. Comerica Bank lifted its holdings in Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund by 26.3% during the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 15,057 shares of the companys stock worth $177,000 after buying an additional 3,132 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors grew its position in shares of Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund by 32.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bay Colony Advisory Group Inc d b a Bay Colony Advisors now owns 17,496 shares of the companys stock worth $226,000 after acquiring an additional 4,329 shares in the last quarter.

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Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Stock Performance

Shares of NBXG stock traded up 0.10 on Friday, hitting 12.44. 164,800 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 240,335. The companys fifty day moving average is 12.45 and its 200 day moving average is 12.11. Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Inc. has a 1-year low of 9.31 and a 1-year high of 13.43.

Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Announces Dividend

About Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th were issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 9.65%.

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Neuberger Berman Next Generation Connectivity Fund Inc (NBXG) is a newly organized, non-diversified, limited term closed-end management investment company focused on next generation mobile network connectivity and technology.

The Funds investment strategy focuses on equity securities issued by U.S.

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The Dolmen of Menga in Antequera, in the southern Spanish province of Malaga, is the oldest and largest of those located on the Iberian Peninsula. It was built between 3,800 and 3,600 BC and is crowned by five large slabs. Until now, experts wondered how it was possible that in the middle of the Neolithic period, more than a thousand years before the first pyramids of Egypt were built, these enormous stones could be moved and placed with millimetric precision, orienting them towards the sunrise for astronomical purposes.

Ten years of research reflected in a study published in the open-access scientific journal Science Advances offer a surprising answer: they were dragged from a quarry located about 2,800 feet away. This was done by preparing a track with leveled sleepers mounted on a system of sleds that allowed them to be steered in any direction. For the Spanish researchers who wrote the scientific article, the extraordinary dimensions of some of the structural pieces of the dolmen required sophisticated design and planning, a large mobilization of manpower, as well as perfectly-executed logistics.

The Dolmen of Menga is located on the top of a hill that rises about 160 feet above the plain of the Guadalhorce Valley. Its a megalithic gallery monument: 81 feet long, with a maximum width of 18.7 feet and a height that varies between eight and 11 feet. Access to the interior space is through a small, roofless atrium. It preserves three aligned pillars (although it possibly had a fourth). The 32 stones that make it up weigh about 1,140 tons. Of these, the largest  and the one that covers the back of the chamber  weighs 150 tons. This is the largest slab that was moved during the megalithic phenomenon in the Iberian Peninsula and the second-largest in Europe, only surpassed by the Great Menhir Brise, south of Brittany, in France.

Jose Antonio Lozano Rodriguez, the principal author of the study and a researcher at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), explains that, to build the dolmen, soft or moderately soft stones were used, which indicates that [the builders] had spectacular engineering knowledge. The problem was that they had to be transported without breaking, taking into account that it was a porous material. Therefore, everything was planned from the quarry, thanks to the sophisticated knowledge of engineering, geology, geometry and astronomy that its builders had. This expert points out that the first thing that was done was to prepare a smooth pavement, so that the stones wouldnt vibrate. This was then leveled with cross beams, so that the sleds on which they were mounted could slide easily.

Since there was no heavy machinery available to lift such a huge stone in the Neolithic period, those in charge decided to bury the megalithic building, made up of orthostates, or blocks of stones placed vertically. In this way, the convex slabs could be slid over the orthostats and pillars, meaning that the workers wouldnt have to climb ramps.

The entrance to the Dolmen of Menga, aligned with Pena de los Enamorados (Lovers' Rock), a mountain near the city of Antequera, in the Spanish province of Malaga. makasana (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The enormous pressure exerted by the slabs and the mound that covers it caused the engineers to design the orthostats with an inclination of between 83 and 86 degrees, so that they would rest on each other and the building would be able to join together to form a unit. The inclination unified all the orthostates and created a homogeneous distribution of stress, Lozano explains. To prevent the slabs from breaking in the center, pillars were placed to support them. And the upper face of the slabs, especially the heaviest slab, was given a convex shape. The slabs thus acted as relieving arches, just as occurs in medieval and modern cathedrals: this made it possible to shift the stresses towards the orthostates. Its the first proven use of the principle of the relieving arch, almost 6,000 years ago. Its one of the first complex stone buildings in the history of humanity, the researcher emphasizes.

The study adds that the engineering design and its orientation towards the mountain of Pena de los Enamorados (The Lovers Rock) and with a solar significance demonstrates that, in the Neolithic period, there was already scientific knowledge of extraordinary precision and inventive brilliance. The Dolmen of Menga reveals an astronomical alignment: its solar orientation means that, during the summer solstice, the left side of the inner chamber remains in shadow. Meanwhile, a large part of the right side remains illuminated.

Entrance to the Dolmen of Menga, in Antequera, Spain. Javier Perez Gonzalez (UNESCO)

Megaliths are structures made of large stones. Theyre found in a variety of regions throughout the world and were especially popular in late-prehistoric Europe (the Neolithic period, the Copper Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age). During these eras, megalithic monumentality was widespread. Humanitys first monumental stone constructions also contained profound social and ideological messages that were durable and visible. The longevity of large stones (unlike wood) and their visual impact on the surrounding landscapes suggest that long-term persistence was an important driver behind their construction.

The megalithic sites in the city of Antequera includes two natural formations, Lovers Rock and the limestone massif of El Torcal, as well as four large monuments: the aforementioned Dolmen of Menga, the Dolmen of Viera, the circular tomb of El Romeral and the recently-discovered megalithic hypogeum of Piedras Blancas, located at the foot of Lovers Rock.

For its time period, the Dolmen of Menga is unique for several reasons, according to the researchers from the CSIC and the universities of Alcala, Salamanca, Seville and Granada. The use of pillars to support the gigantic cornerstones and the embedding of a large part of the building in the bedrock to achieve stability, as well as the perfect fit of the orthostates with each other, all make it a monument with characteristics that arent seen in any other megalithic construction.

A woman inside the megalithic monument in 2023. Education Images / Universal / Getty Images

A deep knowledge of the properties and location of the available rocks, as well as notions of elementary physics such as friction, activation energy, the optimal slope of a ramp, or the estimation of the center of mass or load capacity of the available rocks, make the structure unique and demonstrate the builders mastery of geometry, engineering and astronomy (among other disciplines). For the researchers, all of this is confirmed by the precise alignment of the central axis of symmetry of Menga at 45 degrees, thus coinciding with the natural orientation plane of the northern cliff of the Pena de los Enamorados, to which the dolmen is oriented.

The authors affirm that, due to the accumulation of advanced knowledge in various fields of geology, physics, mathematics and astronomy, this dolmen not only represents a feat of early engineering, but also a substantial step in the advancement of human science. [The Dolmen of] Menga demonstrates the successful attempt to make a colossal monument that would last thousands of years, the study concludes.

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Mezzasalma Advisors LLC bought a new stake in WPP plc (NYSE:WPP  Free Report) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 4,933 shares of the business services providers stock, valued at approximately $226,000.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of WPP. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new position in WPP during the second quarter valued at $1,860,000. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of WPP by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 9,504 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $435,000 after acquiring an additional 380 shares during the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its position in WPP by 8.0% in the second quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 19,176 shares of the business services providers stock worth $878,000 after acquiring an additional 1,420 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in WPP by 239.0% during the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 2,756 shares of the business services providers stock worth $126,000 after acquiring an additional 1,943 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in WPP by 14.5% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 18,089 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $828,000 after purchasing an additional 2,286 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 4.34% of the companys stock.

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WPP Stock Down 0.0 %

NYSE WPP traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $47.77. 71,619 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 165,791. WPP plc has a 52 week low of $41.13 and a 52 week high of $54.21. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $46.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $47.98. The company has a market cap of $10.30 billion, a PE ratio of 8.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.69 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.86.

WPP Increases Dividend

Analyst Ratings Changes

The company also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 11th will be issued a $0.954 dividend. This is a boost from WPPs previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.24. This represents a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 11th. WPPs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.93%.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup raised WPP to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of WPP from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, August 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, WPP has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $46.00.

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WPP Company Profile

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WPP plc, a creative transformation company, provides communications, experience, commerce, and technology services in North America, the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates through three segments: Global Integrated Agencies, Public Relations, and Specialist Agencies.

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Pinnacle Associates Ltd. reduced its holdings in Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA  Free Report) by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 162,250 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 750 shares during the period. Pinnacle Associates Ltd.s holdings in Mueller Water Products were worth $2,908,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pingora Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Mueller Water Products in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Mueller Water Products in the 1st quarter worth about $46,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in Mueller Water Products in the 2nd quarter worth about $72,000. Register Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Mueller Water Products in the 1st quarter worth about $80,000. Finally, TFO Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 345,700.0% during the 4th quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 6,916 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 6,914 shares in the last quarter. 91.68% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Mueller Water Products Stock Performance

MWA traded up $0.36 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $21.47. The companys stock had a trading volume of 951,841 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,243,718. The stock has a market cap of $3.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.55, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $17.70. The company has a current ratio of 3.53, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. Mueller Water Products, Inc. has a twelve month low of $12.13 and a twelve month high of $21.51.

Mueller Water Products Dividend Announcement

Mueller Water Products ( NYSE:MWA Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The industrial products company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $356.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $329.67 million. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 16.97% and a net margin of 8.10%. The companys revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.18 EPS. Research analysts expect that Mueller Water Products, Inc. will post 0.86 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 9th were given a dividend of $0.064 per share. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.19%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 9th. Mueller Water Productss dividend payout ratio is presently 39.06%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider J Scott Hall sold 135,253 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.34, for a total transaction of $2,751,046.02. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 544,029 shares in the company, valued at $11,065,549.86. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Mueller Water Products news, insider J Scott Hall sold 135,253 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.34, for a total value of $2,751,046.02. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 544,029 shares in the company, valued at $11,065,549.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas J. Hansen sold 10,791 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.55, for a total value of $221,755.05. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 102,792 shares in the company, valued at $2,112,375.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 256,869 shares of company stock worth $5,141,842. Company insiders own 1.40% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer raised their price target on Mueller Water Products from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Baird R W raised Mueller Water Products to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Mueller Water Products from $18.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Mueller Water Products from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Mueller Water Products from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Saturday, August 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mueller Water Products presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $21.60.

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Mueller Water Products Profile

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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. It operates in two segments, Water Flow Solutions and Water Management Solutions.

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Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV grew its position in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT  Free Report) by 0.7% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 5,681 shares of the industrial products companys stock after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADVs holdings in Caterpillar were worth $1,892,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. F M Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter worth about $10,955,000. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 6.6% during the second quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 13,123 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $4,371,000 after acquiring an additional 809 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 7.4% during the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 267,304 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $89,039,000 after purchasing an additional 18,399 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 18,339 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $6,109,000 after purchasing an additional 319 shares during the period. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors grew its holdings in Caterpillar by 15.0% in the 2nd quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 6,370 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,122,000 after buying an additional 831 shares in the last quarter. 70.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity

In related news, insider Cheryl H. Johnson sold 1,508 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.00, for a total value of $527,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 18,515 shares in the company, valued at $6,480,250. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Cheryl H. Johnson sold 2,975 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $342.48, for a total transaction of $1,018,878.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 15,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,347,825.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Cheryl H. Johnson sold 1,508 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.00, for a total value of $527,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 18,515 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,480,250. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.33% of the companys stock.

Caterpillar Stock Up 1.3 %

NYSE CAT traded up $4.43 on Friday, reaching $356.07. The company had a trading volume of 2,973,446 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,679,620. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $223.76 and a 52-week high of $382.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $174.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.12. The companys fifty day moving average is $338.84 and its 200 day moving average is $342.55.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The industrial products company reported $5.99 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.53 by $0.46. The business had revenue of $16.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.91 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 58.61% and a net margin of 16.79%. Caterpillars quarterly revenue was down 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $5.55 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Caterpillar Inc. will post 21.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Caterpillar declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, June 12th that permits the company to buyback $20.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to repurchase up to 12.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Caterpillar Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 22nd were paid a $1.41 dividend. This represents a $5.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.58%. This is a boost from Caterpillars previous quarterly dividend of $1.30. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 22nd. Caterpillars payout ratio is presently 25.46%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on CAT. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Caterpillar from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, August 10th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Raymond James began coverage on Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, June 28th. They set a market perform rating on the stock. Truist Financial reiterated a buy rating and set a $399.00 target price (up from $390.00) on shares of Caterpillar in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their price target on Caterpillar from $338.00 to $321.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $336.31.

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Caterpillar Profile

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Caterpillar Inc manufactures and sells construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives in worldwide. Its Construction Industries segment offers asphalt pavers, compactors, road reclaimers, forestry machines, cold planers, material handlers, track-type tractors, excavators, telehandlers, motor graders, and pipelayers; compact track, wheel, track-type, backhoe, and skid steer loaders; and related parts and tools.

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P/F Bakkafrost (OTCMKTS:BKFKF  Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 60,300 shares, an increase of 16.0% from the July 31st total of 52,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 301.5 days.

P/F Bakkafrost Stock Performance

P/F Bakkafrost stock opened at $55.88 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $51.62 and a 200-day moving average of $56.37. P/F Bakkafrost has a 1-year low of $41.79 and a 1-year high of $64.30.

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P/F Bakkafrost Company Profile

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P/F Bakkafrost, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells salmon products in North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through seven segments: Fishmeal, Fish Oil and Fish Feed; Freshwater FO; Freshwater SCT; Farming FO; Farming SCT; Services; and Sales & Other.

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Shares of Premium Brands Holdings Co. (OTCMKTS:PRBZF  Get Free Report) were up 0.1% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $64.57 and last traded at $64.57. Approximately 100 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 97% from the average daily volume of 3,430 shares. The stock had previously closed at $64.48.

Premium Brands Stock Up 0.1 %

The companys 50 day moving average price is $66.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.80.

Premium Brands Company Profile

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Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes food products primarily in Canada and the United States. It operates in two segments, Specialty Foods and Premium Food Distribution. The company provides processed meat, deli products, meat snacks, beef jerky and halal, sandwiches, pastries, specialty and gourmet products, entrees, panini, wraps, subs, hamburgers, burgers, salads and kettle products, muffins, breads, pastas, pizza, and baking and sushi products.

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Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG  Free Report) by 1.2% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 751,279 shares of the business services providers stock after buying an additional 8,759 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.24% of Republic Services worth $146,004,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Unigestion Holding SA raised its holdings in Republic Services by 2,178.2% in the 4th quarter. Unigestion Holding SA now owns 127,647 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $21,048,000 after acquiring an additional 122,044 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its holdings in Republic Services by 52.3% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 214,504 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $35,357,000 after acquiring an additional 73,651 shares during the last quarter. TCW Group Inc. acquired a new position in Republic Services in the 4th quarter valued at $17,903,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in Republic Services by 8.7% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 456,726 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $75,297,000 after acquiring an additional 36,484 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its holdings in Republic Services by 10.4% in the 4th quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 591,209 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $97,496,000 after acquiring an additional 55,668 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.73% of the companys stock.

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Insider Transactions at Republic Services

In related news, Director Katharine Weymouth purchased 540 shares of Republic Services stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $185.26 per share, with a total value of $100,040.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 540 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $100,040.40. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Republic Services news, Director Tomago Collins sold 3,200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.01, for a total value of $649,632.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 17,486 shares in the company, valued at $3,549,832.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Katharine Weymouth purchased 540 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $185.26 per share, for a total transaction of $100,040.40. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 540 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $100,040.40. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock.

Republic Services Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of RSG stock traded up $2.27 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $208.21. 883,953 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,181,102. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 0.59. Republic Services, Inc. has a one year low of $140.23 and a one year high of $208.69. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $199.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $191.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.53, a P/E/G ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.69.

Republic Services (NYSE:RSG  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The business services provider reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.53 by $0.08. Republic Services had a net margin of 12.11% and a return on equity of 17.81%. The business had revenue of $4.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.03 billion. Sell-side analysts predict that Republic Services, Inc. will post 6.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Republic Services Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.58 per share. This is a boost from Republic Servicess previous quarterly dividend of $0.54. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 2nd. This represents a $2.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.11%. Republic Servicess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on RSG shares. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Republic Services from $208.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Truist Financial upgraded Republic Services from a hold rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $192.00 to $220.00 in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Raymond James lowered their price target on Republic Services from $219.00 to $214.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 25th. CIBC increased their price target on Republic Services from $196.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Republic Services from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Republic Services presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $211.00.

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Republic Services Company Profile

(Free Report)

Republic Services, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers environmental services in the United States and Canada. It is involved in the collection and processing of recyclable, solid waste, and industrial waste materials; transportation and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous waste streams; and other environmental solutions.

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Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Packaging Co. of America (NYSE:PKG  Free Report) by 2.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 424,904 shares of the industrial products companys stock after buying an additional 8,274 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.s holdings in Packaging Co. of America were worth $77,568,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Panagora Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Packaging Co. of America by 21.1% in the 2nd quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 29,871 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $5,453,000 after acquiring an additional 5,210 shares during the period. Rowlandmiller & PARTNERS.ADV raised its stake in shares of Packaging Co. of America by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter. Rowlandmiller & PARTNERS.ADV now owns 14,386 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,626,000 after buying an additional 415 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its position in shares of Packaging Co. of America by 12.4% in the 2nd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 29,901 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $5,459,000 after buying an additional 3,294 shares in the last quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its position in shares of Packaging Co. of America by 19.8% in the 2nd quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 2,165 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $395,000 after buying an additional 358 shares in the last quarter. Finally, OmniStar Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in Packaging Co. of America by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. OmniStar Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,763 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $687,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. 89.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Packaging Co. of America Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE PKG traded up $2.89 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $209.54. The stock had a trading volume of 843,264 shares, compared to its average volume of 616,073. The company has a quick ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Packaging Co. of America has a 1-year low of $143.82 and a 1-year high of $210.11. The company has a market capitalization of $18.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.19, a PEG ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $191.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $184.72.

Packaging Co. of America Dividend Announcement

Packaging Co. of America ( NYSE:PKG Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The industrial products company reported $2.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.06. Packaging Co. of America had a net margin of 9.06% and a return on equity of 18.21%. The firm had revenue of $2.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.31 earnings per share. Packaging Co. of Americas revenue was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Packaging Co. of America will post 8.71 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 15th will be issued a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.39%. Packaging Co. of Americas dividend payout ratio is currently 62.50%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Packaging Co. of America

In other news, SVP Donald R. Shirley sold 6,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.28, for a total value of $1,177,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 20,772 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,077,128.16. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, SVP Donald R. Shirley sold 6,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.28, for a total transaction of $1,177,680.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 20,772 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,077,128.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Charles J. Carter sold 5,389 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.28, for a total transaction of $1,057,752.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,539 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,012,794.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Packaging Co. of America from $194.00 to $215.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Bank of America upped their target price on Packaging Co. of America from $197.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 17th. StockNews.com downgraded Packaging Co. of America from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup upped their price objective on Packaging Co. of America from $181.00 to $187.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price objective on Packaging Co. of America from $215.00 to $219.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $190.50.

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Packaging Co. of America Company Profile

(Free Report)

Packaging Corporation of America manufactures and sells containerboard and corrugated packaging products in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Packaging, Paper, and Corporate and Other. The Packaging segment offers various containerboard and corrugated packaging products, such as conventional shipping containers used to protect and transport manufactured goods; multi-color boxes and displays that help to merchandise the packaged product in retail locations; and honeycomb protective packaging products, as well as packaging for meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, processed food, beverages, and other industrial and consumer products.

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iA Global Asset Management Inc. cut its position in shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU  Free Report) by 16.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,988 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 1,579 shares during the quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $936,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of PRU. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Prudential Financial in the second quarter valued at $984,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in Prudential Financial by 4.3% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 10,845 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,271,000 after purchasing an additional 447 shares during the last quarter. Oxler Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in Prudential Financial by 1.1% during the second quarter. Oxler Private Wealth LLC now owns 10,848 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,271,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV boosted its holdings in shares of Prudential Financial by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 6,549 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $768,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 298,058 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $34,929,000 after buying an additional 19,221 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 56.83% of the companys stock.

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Insider Transactions at Prudential Financial

In other news, major shareholder Insurance Co Of Ame Prudential acquired 652,884 shares of Prudential Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $27.57 per share, for a total transaction of $18,000,011.88. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now directly owns 3,883,390 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $107,065,062.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Ann M. Kappler sold 2,839 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.43, for a total transaction of $322,027.77. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,535 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,648,705.05. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Insurance Co Of Ame Prudential purchased 652,884 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 20th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $27.57 per share, for a total transaction of $18,000,011.88. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 3,883,390 shares in the company, valued at approximately $107,065,062.30. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock.

Prudential Financial Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of PRU opened at $121.16 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $118.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $115.13. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a one year low of $87.95 and a one year high of $128.52. The company has a market capitalization of $43.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.13 and a current ratio of 0.13.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The financial services provider reported $3.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.43 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $13.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.78 billion. Prudential Financial had a return on equity of 16.00% and a net margin of 4.86%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 13.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Prudential Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 20th. Prudential Financials dividend payout ratio is presently 88.44%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on PRU shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a market perform rating and issued a $121.00 target price on shares of Prudential Financial in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Prudential Financial from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $113.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, August 12th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $123.00 to $122.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Argus raised shares of Prudential Financial to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Prudential Financial from $143.00 to $141.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $119.33.

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Prudential Financial Profile

(Free Report)

Prudential Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Life, and International Businesses segments.

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PT Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk (OTCMKTS:ADOOY  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,600 shares, a growth of 58.6% from the July 31st total of 2,900 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 5,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.9 days.

PT Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:ADOOY opened at $11.17 on Friday. PT Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk has a 12 month low of $7.49 and a 12 month high of $11.17. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $9.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $8.85.

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PT Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk Company Profile

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PT Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk, together with its subsidiaries, engages in coal and mining business in Indonesia. It operates through Coal Mining and Trading; Mining Services; Logistics; and Others segments. The company provides trading, transportation, warehousing, quarrying, cargo handling, and mining and transportation support services.

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StockNews.com downgraded shares of RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Wednesday morning.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on RNR. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of RenaissanceRe from $216.00 to $218.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of RenaissanceRe from $288.00 to $280.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of RenaissanceRe from $265.00 to $267.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of RenaissanceRe from $334.00 to $347.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of RenaissanceRe from $257.00 to $240.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $263.40.

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Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on RenaissanceRe

RenaissanceRe Stock Down 1.1 %

RenaissanceRe stock opened at $254.63 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a current ratio of 1.38. RenaissanceRe has a 52-week low of $183.82 and a 52-week high of $259.23. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $230.94 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $227.78. The firm has a market cap of $13.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.63, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.38.

RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The insurance provider reported $12.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.88 by $1.53. The company had revenue of $2.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.93 billion. RenaissanceRe had a net margin of 25.38% and a return on equity of 27.74%. Equities analysts predict that RenaissanceRe will post 38.92 EPS for the current year.

RenaissanceRe Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. RenaissanceRes payout ratio is currently 3.45%.

Insider Activity at RenaissanceRe

In other RenaissanceRe news, CFO Robert Qutub sold 2,500 shares of RenaissanceRe stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.56, for a total transaction of $561,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 73,915 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $16,598,352.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other RenaissanceRe news, EVP David E. Marra sold 1,000 shares of RenaissanceRe stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $230.00, for a total transaction of $230,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 85,544 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,675,120. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Robert Qutub sold 2,500 shares of RenaissanceRe stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.56, for a total transaction of $561,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 73,915 shares in the company, valued at $16,598,352.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On RenaissanceRe

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in RNR. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of RenaissanceRe during the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of RenaissanceRe during the 4th quarter worth $522,000. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of RenaissanceRe during the 4th quarter worth $289,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of RenaissanceRe by 20.4% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 23,306 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $4,568,000 after purchasing an additional 3,944 shares during the period. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of RenaissanceRe by 9.1% during the 4th quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 5,747 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,126,000 after purchasing an additional 479 shares during the period. 99.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About RenaissanceRe

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RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Property, and Casualty and Specialty segments. The Property segment writes property catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance and excess of loss reinsurance to insure insurance and reinsurance companies against natural and man-made catastrophes, including hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis, as well as winter storms, freezes, floods, fires, windstorms, tornadoes, explosions, and acts of terrorism; and other property class of products, such as proportional reinsurance, property per risk, property reinsurance, binding facilities, and regional U.S.

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Being alone for 10 minutes a day should be considered a fundamental human right. Or perhaps it should be funded by Social Security, in the interest of mental health and national harmony. Being more alone than ever, of course, isnt advisable  scientific evidence linking unwanted loneliness with various chronic diseases is solid  but constantly being accompanied by other peoples chatter (real or digital) isnt good, either. Freeing yourself from social expectations and distractions, while seeking some space and introspection, is a healthy practice. It allows you to be at peace and not give up on who you are, or who you aspire to be.

Aloneliness is a word that some academics now use to refer to the irritation that we feel when we cannot take a few minutes out of social or family life to be by ourselves. Robert Coplan  a psychologist at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada  defines it as the negative feeling that appears when a person cannot be alone for the time they need. This lack  like unwanted loneliness  erodes our well-being, he tells EL PAIS via email. In his research, he finds that this feeling is associated  both in children and adolescents, as well as in young adults  with higher levels of perceived stress, a negative mood and symptoms of depression. A 2022 study that examined the effect of the absence of moments of solitude in several marriages concluded that aloneliness was a fairly accurate predictor of arguments and aggression in couples.

In just over a century, solitude has gone from being idealized by romantic writers and poets, to being a subject of study and epidemiological warning for contemporary sociologists and anthropologists. In English, theres a subtle semantic distinction between solitude and loneliness. Although both terms appear as synonyms in many dictionaries, they dont have the same connotation. Solitude is a place we voluntarily arrive at for a time and from which we can leave. Meanwhile, loneliness is something that happens to us a negative feeling that invades us when were isolated and dissatisfied with our social life, Professor Coplan clarifies.

In the essay Solitude (1905), Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno already differentiated two types of solitude: the imposed one  which doesnt come from an action that we exercise freely  and the desired one, a state that we actively seek because it produces well-being. Coplan notes that there are many reasons for unwanted lonelinesss bad reputation, including its association with poor mental health and the development of several chronic diseases. He cites a recent report by US Surgeon General Vivek Hallegere, which states that chronic loneliness is a health risk thats equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Freedom is the great benefit that  according to Coplan  science finds in spending time without social interactions. It allows us to relax, to push our negative emotions [away] until we feel better, to restore and recharge our batteries  which are exhausted from excessive socialization  and to open up the necessary space in our minds so that creativity can explode and problems that once seemed unsolvable can be solved. We can do what we want without the restrictions imposed on us by the gaze of others, to feed our need for privacy and reflection. For many people, this is the only way to concentrate, he explains.

No one should feel guilty for wanting a few minutes of solitude, even if that desire excludes children, partners, parents, or friends. The expert only sets one condition for taking advantage of it: The experience will only be positive if we have chosen it.

Jennifer L. Smith  a researcher at the Mather Institute in Illinois, which specializes in issues related to aging  has found that the power of choice is what determines the way we experience solitude. We have a positive attitude towards the time we spend alone when we dont feel forced to give up on our social life and we know that well get it back, she writes, in an email to EL PAIS. Loneliness has a bad reputation, because were social animals and we assume that others are unhappy when theyre alone. This isnt always the case. Additionally, it can feel very lonely to be surrounded by many people, she points out.

Theres no such thing as a minimum standard time for micro-moments of solitude. Science hasnt been able to determine why one person would need 10 minutes a day and perhaps another would need half-an-hour. Virginia Thomas  a professor of Psychology at Middlebury College  invites us to check the pulse of our needs.

Its a learning curve; we learn about ourselves. [We have to find out] if [our irritation] goes away when we go swimming or for a walk, or if what calms us down is disappearing from the familys radar for a few minutes, Thomas says, in conversation with EL PAIS.

There are also those who believe that they dont need any time for introspection and solitude. These individuals have a real aversion to facing themselves. Tore Bonsaksen  a professor and researcher at the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences  applies the echo chamber theory to what we think when were alone. We hear our thoughts over and over again, amplified and distorted. And, if were alone and also depressed, we will repeat increasingly negative ideas in a loop, he describes via email. In a series of 11 studies carried out by the University of Virginia and Harvard University, a quarter of the female participants and two-thirds of the men said they preferred an electric shock rather than spending time alone with their thoughts.

To enjoy solitude, we have to accept that its healthy. And, for that reason, we should allow ourselves to take social breaks without feeling guilty, Thomas reflects. She studies the cultural impact on ways of experiencing solitude. In the most collectivist societies and families that value and identify unity with harmony, its difficult to make people understand the value of spending time alone without anyone getting angry. Professor Coplan believes that those who need to be alone should let their closest circle know. What the latest research shows is that these micro-moments of solitude greatly improve relationships. We should be able to say: I love you and I enjoy spending time with you, but I need my space and that will be good for both of us.

A bather enjoys solitude on a beach on the Greek island of Mykonos in 1976. Elliott Erwitt ( Magnum Photos /Contacto)

Cultivating positive solitude will help us understand ourselves better and differentiate what really interests us from what we do when were simply dragged along by influences and social hype. Some experts believe that it prepares us to make better choices. It can also help you re-evaluate filler friendships: relationships you maintain because youd rather do anything on a Friday night besides staying at home by yourself, even at the cost of spending time with people whose company you dont enjoy, says Angela Grice, a researcher at Howard University.

In a 2021 study, Virginia Thomas discovered that specific skills can be developed to enjoy certain doses of solitude, without necessarily becoming a lone wolf. And, in another work thats still unpublished, she demonstrates that one can learn these skills: in just eight weeks,

a person can improve their ability to enjoy solitude. Among the skills that Thomas describes are the ability to connect with oneself, the wisdom to protect our time and validate the need for moments of solitude, as well as the sense to distinguish, on the one hand, when were overstimulated and need to go out for some air and, on the other, when weve had enough of solitude and must seek company again.

The best of both worlds

Thomas tells EL PAIS that science has made it very clear that solitude is a positive experience, so long as we manage to control it and balance it with a social life. The ideal balance will depend on individual needs. Ive interviewed people between 18 and 99-years-old and those who live the most fruitful solitudes are those who can relax and enjoy their time alone, because they know that theyll get their social life back when they want it. They have the best of both worlds. Most studies show that people benefit more from moments of solitude as they get older and gain more control over their time and greater knowledge about their emotions.

Thuy-vy Nguyen is a social psychologist who runs the Solitude Lab at Durham University, which tests individuals resilience to loneliness and their reactions to imagining that no one is watching them. She and her fellow researchers record the benefits of being alone from time to time, including stress reduction, mood regulation and deeper levels of rest and relaxation. Nguyen is also a co-author of Solitude: The Science and Power of Being Alone (2024).

When people are alone, they take advantage of their freedom to pursue their goals at their own pace, without having to respond to the demands and expectations of the social world. Some people use that space to enjoy their hobbies or unleash their creativity. Others prefer to read, listen to music, or walk in nature, Nguyen explains to EL PAIS via email.

Her experiments confirm that some people inhibit themselves from enjoying themselves when theyre alone, especially if they think theyre being watched. Overestimating the attention other people pay us and worrying too much about their judgment prevents us from relaxing and enjoying ourselves, Nguyen adds.

A man pictured alone in Portugal, in an undated image. Jean Gaumy (Magnum Photos / Contacto)

The experts consulted for this report believe that we must be proactive in the search for micro-moments of solitude that generate well-being. Its easier than it seems and doesnt require turning into a hermit or abandoning civilization. Sometimes, its enough to get up half-an-hour before the rest of the family to drink a cup of coffee in silence, Nguyen suggests.

Professor Coplan finds it useful to eat alone some days at work. However, as a child, he became accustomed to so-called companionate solitude. Coplan told The New York Times that he used to accompany his father on fishing trips. They would spend hours sitting in silence, side by side. It was like being alone without being alone.

Spending time alone is crucial for people whose routines involve constant social interaction and the endless demands of other people, Nguyen emphasizes. For others, stealing a moment of peace wont be so difficult  the average adult in the US and UK spends around four hours a day alone  but the problem is learning to manage that space, so that solitude isnt perceived as a waste of time.

Bonsaksen thinks that our long list of passive friends on social media platforms doesnt protect us from unwanted loneliness. Its just social capital resources that could be useful at some point. They serve to make people boast about being well-connected, but it takes a lot more connection and interaction with others to not feel lonely, he writes. In his experience, people who already feel lonely find it difficult to connect online with other people and, when they do, those relationships seem superficial.

From the point of view of personal connection, social media seems to work better as an extension of existing relationships, rather than as a space for establishing new connections.

Bonsaksen also distinguishes between the uses we give to the phone when were alone. Active users chat, post and comment; passive users scroll and look at other profiles. At least one study has linked a passive attitude on social media with a depressive mood thats often closely linked to unwanted loneliness.

The phone can be mistaken for that friend whos always there when everyone else has already left. It doesnt rest and, by design, it doesnt encourage people to rest, either. It sends out constant alerts, notifications, sounds and signals. Its no secret that, even if we say that we use [social media] platforms, theyre the ones that use us and end up shaping our lives.

Our precious minutes of solitude could end up contaminated by a bot farm, or sprinkles of digital hate. In both cases, we may end up in a bad mood without knowing exactly why and, above all, we will have lost an opportunity to be happy. Solitude, in controlled doses, is a powerful tool for well-being. We shouldnt give up this superpower to anyone.

Translated by Avik Jain Chatlani.

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Ryan Specialty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RYAN  Get Free Report) Director Nicholas Dominic Cortezi sold 5,375 shares of Ryan Specialty stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.73, for a total transaction of $347,923.75. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 2,685 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $173,800.05. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Nicholas Dominic Cortezi also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Monday, August 26th, Nicholas Dominic Cortezi sold 2,325 shares of Ryan Specialty stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.60, for a total transaction of $150,195.00.

On Friday, August 23rd, Nicholas Dominic Cortezi sold 1,703 shares of Ryan Specialty stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.66, for a total transaction of $110,115.98.

On Wednesday, August 21st, Nicholas Dominic Cortezi sold 35,000 shares of Ryan Specialty stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.15, for a total value of $2,280,250.00.

On Monday, August 19th, Nicholas Dominic Cortezi sold 35,000 shares of Ryan Specialty stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.69, for a total value of $2,264,150.00.

On Thursday, August 15th, Nicholas Dominic Cortezi sold 1,500 shares of Ryan Specialty stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.02, for a total value of $97,530.00.

Ryan Specialty Stock Performance

Ryan Specialty stock opened at $64.63 on Friday. Ryan Specialty Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $41.49 and a 1-year high of $69.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.83 billion, a PE ratio of 121.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.62. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $61.21 and its 200 day simple moving average is $55.56.

Ryan Specialty Dividend Announcement

Ryan Specialty ( NYSE:RYAN Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $695.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $695.56 million. Ryan Specialty had a net margin of 10.21% and a return on equity of 48.08%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 18.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.45 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Ryan Specialty Holdings, Inc. will post 1.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 27th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 13th were given a dividend of $0.11 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 13th. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.68%. Ryan Specialtys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.02%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

RYAN has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $62.00 price objective on shares of Ryan Specialty in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of Ryan Specialty from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Ryan Specialty in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. They set a buy rating and a $67.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Ryan Specialty from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Ryan Specialty from $58.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $62.00.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Ryan Specialty by 96.4% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 605 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ryan Specialty in the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. Intelligent Financial Strategies bought a new position in shares of Ryan Specialty during the 1st quarter valued at about $44,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ryan Specialty during the 1st quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Rothschild Investment LLC bought a new stake in Ryan Specialty in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $87,000. 84.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ryan Specialty Company Profile

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Ryan Specialty Holdings, Inc operates as a service provider of specialty products and solutions for insurance brokers, agents, and carriers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Singapore. It offers distribution, underwriting, product development, administration, and risk management services by acting as a wholesale broker and a managing underwriter.

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Digital China Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:DCHIF  Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,498,200 shares, a decrease of 24.6% from the July 31st total of 4,640,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 34,982.0 days.

Digital China Stock Performance

Shares of DCHIF stock remained flat at $0.40 during trading hours on Friday. Digital China has a 1 year low of $0.26 and a 1 year high of $0.43. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $0.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $0.37.

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Digital China Company Profile

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Digital China Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, provides big data products and solutions for government and enterprise customers primarily in Mainland China. The Big Data Products and Solutions segment sells data software products focused on spatial-temporal big data and artificial intelligence.

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Funding Circle Holdings plc (OTCMKTS:FDCHF  Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 400 shares, an increase of 100.0% from the July 31st total of 200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently  days.

Funding Circle Stock Performance

Funding Circle has a 12 month low of $0.41 and a 12 month high of $0.96. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $0.96 and a 200 day moving average of $0.75.

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Funding Circle Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides online lending platforms in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. The company offers small business loans, recovery loan schemes, and business finance solutions to small enterprises. It also provides flexipay and flexipay card solutions.

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Stelmine Canada Ltd. (CVE:STH  Get Free Report)s share price shot up 25% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as C$0.03 and last traded at C$0.03. 700,000 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 543% from the average session volume of 108,814 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.02.

Stelmine Canada Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The stock has a market capitalization of C$2.55 million, a P/E ratio of -2.50 and a beta of 1.41. The stocks 50-day moving average price is C$0.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$0.04.

Stelmine Canada Company Profile

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Stelmine Canada Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, production, development, and operation of mining properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for gold. It holds 100% interests in the Courcy project comprising 165 claims covering an area of 86 square kilometers located in Fermont, Quebec; Mercator project, which comprise 1095 claims that covers an area of 561 square kilometers located within the extension of the Opinaca metasedimentary basin in the Caniapiscau district; Joubert property comprising 103 claims that covers an area of 55 kilometers located in Quebec; Trieste property comprising 14 claims located in Quebec; and Ilnu property comprising 82 claims located in Quebec.

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Mezzasalma Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Progressive Co. (NYSE:PGR  Free Report) by 258.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,722 shares of the insurance providers stock after buying an additional 3,406 shares during the quarter. Mezzasalma Advisors LLCs holdings in Progressive were worth $981,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its position in Progressive by 11.8% during the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 455 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. City State Bank grew its stake in shares of Progressive by 8.2% during the 2nd quarter. City State Bank now owns 661 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $137,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. GYL Financial Synergies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Progressive by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. GYL Financial Synergies LLC now owns 1,302 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $270,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of Progressive by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 2,047 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $425,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Finally, D.B. Root & Company LLC boosted its holdings in Progressive by 4.4% during the second quarter. D.B. Root & Company LLC now owns 1,237 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $257,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. 85.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Transactions at Progressive

In other news, CAO Mariann Wojtkun Marshall sold 650 shares of Progressive stock in a transaction on Monday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.11, for a total transaction of $135,271.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 3,981 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $828,485.91. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CAO Mariann Wojtkun Marshall sold 650 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.11, for a total transaction of $135,271.50. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,981 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $828,485.91. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Steven Broz sold 6,122 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $235.19, for a total value of $1,439,833.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 32,316 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,600,400.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 103,984 shares of company stock valued at $22,564,766. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Progressive Trading Up 0.9 %

Progressive stock traded up $2.19 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $252.20. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,817,633 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,536,695. The stocks fifty day moving average is $220.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $209.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $147.71 billion, a PE ratio of 25.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.35. The Progressive Co. has a 1 year low of $131.87 and a 1 year high of $254.35.

Progressive (NYSE:PGR  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 16th. The insurance provider reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.04 by $0.61. Progressive had a net margin of 10.17% and a return on equity of 33.01%. The business had revenue of $17.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.54 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.57 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 21.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that The Progressive Co. will post 12.16 EPS for the current year.

Progressive Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 3rd will be paid a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 3rd. Progressives payout ratio is presently 4.09%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on PGR shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded shares of Progressive from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $210.00 to $245.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Progressive from $256.00 to $255.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 10th. Roth Mkm lifted their price target on shares of Progressive from $235.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Progressive from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $230.00 to $262.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Progressive from $243.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $234.41.

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Progressive Company Profile

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The Progressive Corporation, an insurance holding company, provides personal and commercial auto, personal residential and commercial property, business related general liability, and other specialty property-casualty insurance products and related services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, and Property.

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TrueMark Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 8,723 shares of the basic materials companys stock, valued at approximately $355,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in SQM. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile in the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 396.2% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 913 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 729 shares during the period. CWM LLC grew its stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 40.1% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 790 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 226 shares during the period. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile in the 4th quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 133.8% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 830 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 475 shares during the period. 12.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Stock Up 0.0 %

Shares of SQM stock traded up $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $38.80. 1,649,021 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,220,583. The businesss fifty day moving average is $38.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 2.19 and a quick ratio of 1.47. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. has a 12-month low of $32.24 and a 12-month high of $64.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.90 and a beta of 1.05.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile ( NYSE:SQM Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 21st. The basic materials company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.99 by ($0.24). The business had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile had a net margin of 0.48% and a return on equity of 23.15%. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.03 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. will post -0.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from $45.00 to $36.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from $70.00 to $65.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from $47.00 to $38.00 and set an underperform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from $62.80 to $55.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $53.94.

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Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Profile

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Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA produces and distributes specialty plant nutrients, iodine derivatives, lithium derivatives, potassium chloride and sulfate, industrial chemicals, and other products and services. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers.

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UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of Kontoor Brands, Inc. (NYSE:KTB  Free Report) by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 51,038 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 744 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Kontoor Brands were worth $3,376,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in shares of Kontoor Brands by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,544 shares of the companys stock worth $234,000 after buying an additional 169 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its stake in Kontoor Brands by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 4,979 shares of the companys stock worth $329,000 after acquiring an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in Kontoor Brands by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 25,000 shares of the companys stock worth $1,654,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC boosted its stake in Kontoor Brands by 22.7% during the 1st quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 1,584 shares of the companys stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 293 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank boosted its stake in Kontoor Brands by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 99,814 shares of the companys stock worth $6,014,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.06% of the companys stock.

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Kontoor Brands Stock Up 0.7 %

KTB traded up $0.49 during trading on Friday, reaching $74.84. The company had a trading volume of 710,072 shares, compared to its average volume of 512,368. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $68.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04, a current ratio of 2.74 and a quick ratio of 1.42. The company has a market cap of $4.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.82, a PEG ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.16. Kontoor Brands, Inc. has a 12 month low of $39.90 and a 12 month high of $75.17.

Kontoor Brands Announces Dividend

Kontoor Brands ( NYSE:KTB Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $0.98 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $607.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $592.97 million. Kontoor Brands had a net margin of 9.35% and a return on equity of 72.43%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.77 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Kontoor Brands, Inc. will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 10th. Kontoor Brandss dividend payout ratio is presently 50.63%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on KTB. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Kontoor Brands from $76.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Kontoor Brands from $77.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, June 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Kontoor Brands from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Kontoor Brands from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $78.83.

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Kontoor Brands Profile

(Free Report)

Kontoor Brands, Inc, a lifestyle apparel company, designs, produces, procures, markets, distributes, and licenses denim, apparel, footwear, and accessories, primarily under the Wrangler and Lee brands. The company operates through two segments: Wrangler and Lee. It licenses and sells apparel under the Rock & Republic brand name.

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Van ECK Associates Corp trimmed its position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO  Free Report) by 19.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 334,041 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after selling 79,298 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp owned approximately 0.10% of Valero Energy worth $52,364,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lynx Investment Advisory purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Pathway Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Valero Energy Trading Up 3.5 %

VLO traded up $4.92 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $146.73. 3,359,564 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,981,542. The firms fifty day moving average is $150.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $155.51. Valero Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $119.88 and a 1-year high of $184.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company has a market cap of $47.98 billion, a PE ratio of 7.27, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.42.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

Valero Energy ( NYSE:VLO Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The oil and gas company reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.60 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $34.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $32.97 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 21.01% and a net margin of 4.25%. Valero Energys revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $5.40 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 1st will be given a $1.07 dividend. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.92%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 1st. Valero Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 21.20%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VLO has been the subject of several analyst reports. StockNews.com cut Valero Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Scotiabank upped their target price on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $173.00 and gave the company a sector outperform rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an outperform rating and a $177.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Valero Energy from $156.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $178.00 to $172.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $174.00.

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About Valero Energy

(Free Report)

Valero Energy Corporation manufactures, markets, and sells petroleum-based and low-carbon liquid transportation fuels and petrochemical products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, Mexico, Peru, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol.

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Whitecap Resources Inc. (TSE:WCP  Get Free Report) shares passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$10.10 and traded as high as C$10.58. Whitecap Resources shares last traded at C$10.49, with a volume of 2,778,072 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WCP has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Whitecap Resources to a moderate buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on Whitecap Resources from C$12.00 to C$13.00 in a research report on Friday, July 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Whitecap Resources has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of C$13.61.

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Whitecap Resources Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.55, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.94. The business has a 50 day moving average price of C$10.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$10.11. The company has a market cap of C$6.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.33 and a beta of 2.71.

Whitecap Resources (TSE:WCP  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported C$0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.29 by C$0.12. The business had revenue of C$1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$946.00 million. Whitecap Resources had a return on equity of 13.89% and a net margin of 22.43%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Whitecap Resources Inc. will post 1.0211055 earnings per share for the current year.

Whitecap Resources Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 31st will be given a dividend of $0.061 per share. This is a positive change from Whitecap Resourcess previous monthly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. This represents a $0.73 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.13%. Whitecap Resourcess dividend payout ratio is presently 58.40%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Whitecap Resources news, Director Grant Bradley Fagerheim sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$10.22, for a total transaction of C$204,400.00. In other Whitecap Resources news, Director Grant Bradley Fagerheim sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$10.22, for a total transaction of C$204,400.00. Also, Director Chandra Henry bought 10,000 shares of Whitecap Resources stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$10.00 per share, for a total transaction of C$100,000.00. In the last quarter, insiders have bought 30,000 shares of company stock worth $303,400. Company insiders own 0.82% of the companys stock.

About Whitecap Resources

(Get Free Report)

Whitecap Resources Inc, an oil and gas company, focuses on the acquisition, development, and production of oil and gas assets in Western Canada. The company's primary areas of focus of its development programs are in Northern Alberta and British Columbia, Central Alberta, and Saskatchewan. The company was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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WidePoint Co. (NYSEAMERICAN:WYY  Get Free Report) passed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $0.00 and traded as high as $3.71. WidePoint shares last traded at $3.61, with a volume of 33,305 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on WYY shares. StockNews.com started coverage on WidePoint in a report on Sunday, June 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Litchfield Hills Research upgraded WidePoint to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, June 24th.

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WidePoint Trading Up 1.1 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $35.22 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.69 and a beta of 1.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

WidePoint (NYSEAMERICAN:WYY  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 14th. The technology company reported ($0.05) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.08) by $0.03. The company had revenue of $36.04 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $29.64 million. WidePoint had a negative net margin of 2.74% and a negative return on equity of 23.31%. Research analysts predict that WidePoint Co. will post -0.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On WidePoint

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Platform Technology Partners increased its stake in WidePoint by 74.8% in the 4th quarter. Platform Technology Partners now owns 46,753 shares of the technology companys stock worth $108,000 after purchasing an additional 20,000 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of WidePoint by 41.8% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 61,058 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $256,000 after acquiring an additional 17,991 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Summit Financial Strategies Inc. boosted its stake in WidePoint by 170.5% in the 2nd quarter. Summit Financial Strategies Inc. now owns 103,068 shares of the technology companys stock worth $432,000 after purchasing an additional 64,963 shares during the period. 22.60% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

WidePoint Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

WidePoint Corporation provides technology management as a service (TMaaS) to the government and business enterprises in North America and Europe. It 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 deploys identity management solutions that provides secured virtual and physical access to restricted environments.

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Jane Goodall was four years old when she went on vacation with her mother to a large farm where cows, pigs, and horses all lived together. There, a young Goodall became obsessed with finding out how it was possible for an egg to come from a hen, so she hid in one of the six coops and waited. She squatted for four hours until she saw the brown bird lift its wings slightly and drop a white egg onto the straw. That was, according to the ethologist, the birth of a little scientist. The patience and curiosity that accompanied Goodall continue to guide the hand of the worlds most renowned primatologist at the age of 90. Today, determined to touch the hearts of those who listen to her, she defends environmental activism with two unique weapons: empathy and an overflowing source of hope. There is still room for action, she tells EL PAIS during her visit to Medellin, Colombia. We have four engines: the intellect of humans, the resilience of nature, young people, and an indomitable spirit.

When she had not yet turned 30, Goodall had already shaken the basic concepts of science by demonstrating how similar we are to chimpanzees, with whom we now know that we share 98.7% of our DNA. In addition to revolutionizing the definition of human being by discovering that primates were also capable of creating tools, she demonstrated that we shared emotions such as sadness, empathy, and even a sense of humor. If primates had a language, we would also be amazed by how similar it would be to ours, Goodall, the U.N. messenger for peace at the Reasons for Hope conference organized by Caja de Compensacion Familiar de Antioquia (Comfama) and Elemental, said on August 22.

Goodall took to the stage with the famed Mr. H.  a stuffed monkey that never leaves her side  and a glass of whiskey. She didnt let anyone help her with the stairs, but smiled kindly at anyone who tried. She sat wrapped in a hummingbird shawl shes had for years  she hasnt bought clothes in two decades  and recounted dozens of anecdotes with the same passion and tenderness as when she first told them. She said that if she closes her eyes, she can relive her memories. She touched upon the courage of her mother, with whom she entered the Tanzanian jungles seven decades ago because she was not allowed to be left alone; to the first time the chimpanzee David Greybeard sat next to her and showed her how he had shaped a contraption to eat termites; or to when the professors on her doctorate course, which she took without any previous study, told her she had done everything wrong. They told me I couldnt talk about chimpanzee emotions, or give them names, or say they had altruistic gestures or personalities, said the Templeton Award winner. But I had a teacher before them who proved that what they were saying was absolute nonsense. That teacher was my dog, Rusty.

Its hard not to wonder how this woman who has been talking about the same thing for years  shes on a world tour 300 days out of 365 annually  and using the same anecdotes, was able to sell out the Metropolitan Theater in Medellin in 12 minutes. A few seconds of chatting are enough to understand. Her words are balm in the face of a sometimes catastrophist and overwhelming environmentalist discourse. Using rage to defend the environment is counterproductive. And thats when Goodall turns everything upside down: We must find the story that can touch the hearts of those who dont think like us.

Question. You have said that animals will eventually reclaim the territory we have stolen from them. How do you think they will do that?

Answer. They cant do it without our help. Were building machinery thats destroying nature. And were the ones with intellect! They cant do anything about it, theyll just try to get back at us if we cooperate. And were going to be screwed if we dont understand that destroying biodiversity and climate change go hand-in-hand, and do something about it. But there are many communities in many countries that know the importance of living in harmony with nature, and theyre not necessarily part of the education system. Thats what has to change. People have to genuinely understand what were experiencing and then theyll start to change. The more people care about the future, the more we can safeguard it.

Q. There is a large part of environmental activism that is deeply angry. Is anger effective?

A. No. Defending the environment with anger is counterproductive. I know activists who go after businessmen or politicians, point their fingers at them, and are angry and tell them that they have to change because they are bad. The only thing you will achieve by doing so is for them to attack you back, or they will just not listen to you. Rather than attacking them intellectually, it is better to try to get to their heart. How do you do that? Find out what that person is like until you find the story that can touch their heart. And maybe at that point, you wont even know that youve changed something inside. But it will come.

Q. Is a new political generation concerned with ecology emerging?

A. Yes, absolutely. We know a lot of people in positions of power who started out in our Roots and Shoots program [Goodalls education program that has a presence in 70 countries], in 1991. But we face a big challenge in getting this kind of knowledge to where there are dictatorships or governments that dont want this information. Its a big challenge. And Im not the person who has to solve those problems.

Q. There are studies that speak of the importance of friendship between male chimpanzees for their reproduction. Are we humans also stronger together?

A. For me, the male chimpanzee is involved in a fierce competition for dominance and has three strategies to achieve it. The first is through brute force. These males get to the top, but they dont last long there, because they make everyone turn against them. Second, using intellect. A good example is when I saw that a male would only dare to attack a higher-ranking male if his brother was there to protect him. And the third is perseverance. You go and try again and again and again. Until the others get tired and say: I cant take it anymore! And they let you move up. And that can be an interesting thing for humans who want to get to the top: you have to use your intellect, be persistent, and not be aggressive.

Jane Goodall in a scene from the documentary 'Jane Goodall: Return to Gombe,' which includes footage of the primatologist with chimpanzees in the 1960s. National Geographic

Q. What can we expect from COP16, which will be held in Colombia?

A. I hope that COP16 is not just all talk and that politicians come to the conclusion that the impact on biodiversity and climate change has to stop. People in power have to understand this. And also that we still have time to work together. First, so that people have a decent life, so that grandchildren and great-grandchildren have a chance to live. And second, to give nature space to survive.

Q. Considering your career, what still surprises you today?

A. How stupid some people are. [Laughs].

Q. Until you came to science, it was said that to be a good scientist, you had to be objective. To what extent did the coldness of science influence our ability to empathize?

A. It used to be that way. Now there are more and more scientists who understand that we need to study empathy and emotions. Before, only species were studied, not individuals. And we had to change that way of doing science. Until we understood that, we didnt realize that individuals are capable of changing communities. And it is the same with humans. An example is wars; it is individuals who make them happen. It happened with Hitler and Stalin and now with Netanyahu and Putin.

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Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lowered its position in shares of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM  Free Report) by 18.1% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 400,734 shares of the restaurant operators stock after selling 88,494 shares during the period. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OHs holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $53,081,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Yum! Brands by 79.8% in the 1st quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. now owns 187 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Yum! Brands by 165.7% in the 1st quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 186 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Yum! Brands during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Crewe Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Yum! Brands in the first quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in Yum! Brands during the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. 82.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

YUM has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. TD Cowen restated a buy rating and issued a $156.00 target price on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Yum! Brands from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Thursday, May 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Yum! Brands from $143.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Yum! Brands from $150.00 to $154.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Yum! Brands in a report on Thursday, June 13th. They issued a neutral rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $145.00.

Yum! Brands Trading Down 0.2 %

Yum! Brands stock traded down $0.33 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $134.92. 1,876,329 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,967,391. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $115.53 and a fifty-two week high of $143.20. The firm has a market cap of $37.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.92, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.07. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $132.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $135.85.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The restaurant operator reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.02. Yum! Brands had a negative return on equity of 18.90% and a net margin of 21.96%. The company had revenue of $1.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.41 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Yum! Brands, Inc. will post 5.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Yum! Brands Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be given a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 27th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.99%. Yum! Brandss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.52%.

Yum! Brands announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, May 15th that authorizes the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the restaurant operator to reacquire up to 5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Yum! Brands

In other Yum! Brands news, CEO David W. Gibbs sold 6,961 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.02, for a total value of $912,030.22. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 162,381 shares in the company, valued at $21,275,158.62. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Sabir Sami sold 71,051 shares of Yum! Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.16, for a total value of $9,745,355.16. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 68 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,326.88. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO David W. Gibbs sold 6,961 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.02, for a total transaction of $912,030.22. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 162,381 shares of the companys stock, valued at $21,275,158.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 101,685 shares of company stock valued at $13,910,094. Company insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock.

Yum! Brands Company Profile

(Free Report)

Yum! Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, operates, and franchises quick service restaurants worldwide. The company operates through the KFC Division, the Taco Bell Division, the Pizza Hut Division, and the Habit Burger Grill Division segments. It also operates restaurants under the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill brands, which specialize in chicken, pizza, made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches, Mexican-style food categories, and other food products.

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The technical tie is stubborn. A week after the end of the Democratic convention, and 12 days before the televised debate that will pit the two U.S. presidential candidates against each other, Vice President Kamala Harris maintains the momentum she has built since she became the head of the Democratic ticket, and is slightly advancing in the polls. But Republican candidate Donald Trump, firmly supported by his voters, is not letting her get any further ahead. The tie in voting intention, especially in the swing states that will decide the November election, is almost absolute.

The Democratic candidate appears to have received a certain boost after the success of the Democratic convention in Chicago and a week of mostly positive media coverage. Five polls after the close of the party convention give her a lead over her rival of up to four percentage points, and find Harris gaining ground among women, Latino voters and young people: part of the coalition of minorities that represents the Democratic voter base. These groups had distanced themselves from Joe Biden, whom they considered too old to take on a second term and whose policies  especially around the war in Gaza, in the case of the youngest  they did not necessarily agree with.

According to a poll conducted by Ipsos and published by Reuters on Thursday, the vice president leads her Republican rival nationwide by four percentage points, 45% to 41%, among registered voters. The margin of error for this survey is 2%.

A month ago, the same poll gave Harris a one-percentage-point lead. The new survey finds that the vice presidents rise is driven, above all, by the enthusiasm she arouses among the Democratic grassroots. The candidate saw her voting intention increase among women and Latino voters: among both groups, she leads Trump by 13 percentage points, 49% versus 36%. In July, she led the Republican by nine points among women and only six among Latinos.

Another poll, conducted by Suffolk and published by USA Today, paints a picture in which Harris leads Trump by more than four percentage points, 47.6% to 43.3%. This is a radical turnaround from two months ago, when the Republican was ahead of Biden by three points (41% to 38%) after the televised debate between the two in which the president performed dismally, leading to his withdrawal from the race.

According to this poll, the Democratic candidate has the support of 76% of African-American voters, a gap of 47 percentage points with the support received by Biden and 64 points ahead of Trump. Among young people, Harris leads her Republican rival by 13 points (49%-36%), while two months ago it was the former president who remained in the lead among those under 34 years of age, by 11 percentage points.

Other polls, published by The Economist and Yahoo News, also place the vice president ahead of her rival, although by similar distances to those she already enjoyed before the convention.

Tie in key states

However, the poll results are less flattering for the vice president in the seven key states (Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona). In these, according to the Reuters poll, the former president is ahead of Harris by two percentage points, 45-43%. The aggregator of electoral polling expert Nate Silver places Harris 3.5 percentage points ahead of Trump (49% versus 45.5%) across the country, but points to much tighter results in the swing states: in Georgia, Trump is ahead by 0.6 percentage points; in North Carolina, the vice president is ahead by just four-tenths.

In a sign of the importance of those key states, Harris was on a bus tour of Georgia on Thursday with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Next week she will travel to Pennsylvania with Biden and also visit Michigan, her campaign has said.

By contrast, a poll for the conservative television network Fox News, released on Wednesday, shows the vice president ahead of her rival in the swing states of Georgia, Nevada (two percentage points) and Arizona (one point) thanks to strong support among women, African-American voters and young people, while Trump has a one-point lead in North Carolina. In 2020, the former president won that state by less than one percentage point, while Biden won the remaining three by narrow margins.

The Fox News poll says Harris is the preferred candidate by voters who see her as the most willing to fight for ordinary people and the one who can best unite the country. Those surveyed, on the other hand, lean towards Trump when it comes to managing the economy or the situation at the border.

Predictions for November couldnt be closer to 50%-50%, says Silver on his blog, Silver Line. Meanwhile, the head of the veteran electoral analysis website Cook Report, Amy Walter, notes that although Harris has been improving her results in the polls since she took over from Biden, Trump has not lost ground either. The electoral competition is tightening, not because Harris is taking votes away from the former president, but because Democrats and independents with Democratic leanings are returning to the fold, says this expert.

This weeks polls confirm this. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, 73% of Democratic voters say they are more enthusiastic about voting in November now that Harris has entered the race. In March, that poll found that 61% of Democratic voters planned to go to the polls, mainly with the idea of preventing Trump from winning. Now, 52% say they will go to the polls to support Harris, rather than simply to vote against the Republican candidate.

Meanwhile, the technical tie continues, awaiting the possible impact of events on the horizon, including the resurgence of the federal cases against the former president. On Thursday, Harris granted her first formal interview as a presidential hopeful, and told CNN that she is willing to include a Republican in her cabinet.

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Press Release

August 29, 2024 Bong Go urges PhilHealth to address insufficient case rates after tragic story of Walter, a health officer in Camarines Norte failed by the same system he promoted Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, delivered a powerful privilege speech on Tuesday, August 27, highlighting the tragic story of Walter, a dedicated health officer from Camarines Norte who was failed by the very system he served and was mandated to promote. Go used this heartbreaking example to call for urgent reforms within PhilHealth, demanding that the agency improve its services and fulfill its promises to the Filipino people. Walter is a dedicated PhilHealth contributor and provincial health officer who served the public for 15 years in Camarines Norte, the hometown of fellow Senator Robinhood Padilla. According to information given to Go, he was one of the most active personnel in promoting Universal Health Care (UHC) in the province. "Consistent contributor po sya ng PhilHealth, walang mintis," Go noted. However, despite his years of service and contributions to PhilHealth both on a personal level and in relation to his work, Walter faced a tragic situation when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Go recounted the devastating financial burden that Walter's family had to bear due to the insufficient coverage provided by PhilHealth. Walter's total accummulated contributions to PhilHealth over the years amounted to P200,000, yet when he needed assistance the most, the coverage provided was shockingly inadequate. "Lumapit sa aming opisina, lumapit po sa Malasakit Center ang kanyang pamilya para humingi ng tulong sa hospital bill. Umabot sa apat na milyon ang kanyang huling bill sa ospital. P800,000 ang PWD discount," Go shared, emphasizing the immense hospital bill that Sir Walter's family faced. Out of the P4 million hospital bill, PhilHealth only covered P29,120. "Tumataginting na P29,120. May barya pa!" Go exclaimed, expressing his frustration at the negligible amount covered by PhilHealth. With more than two million pesos still left unpaid, Walter's family was left in a dire financial situation, struggling to find ways to cover the remaining costs. Go's office already provided medical assistance to help the family with the bill. This situation was not an isolated incident. In an earlier confinement, Walter's hospital bill reached P6 million, yet PhilHealth only covered P27,000. Go highlighted the injustice of this situation, stating, "Fifteen years po nagsakripisyo si Sir Walter para sa pamilya, para sa bayan. Umabot sa P200,000 ang total contributions nya sa PhilHealth bilang mamamayan. More than 10 million in hospital bills, namatay na halos P60,000 lang suma-total ang deduction ng PhilHealth sa kanyang huling dalawang confinement." Go pointed out that PhilHealth currently has around 9,000 case rates, which represent the amount the corporation covers for specific illnesses or medical procedures. PhilHealth President Emmanual Ledesma informed the Committee on Health that the agency had already increased the case rates by 30% in January 2024, with plans to implement an additional 30% increase before the end of the year. "Paalala ko lang po sa PhilHealth, increase your case rates," Go urged, emphasizing the need for substantial changes in the health insurance system. However, he questioned whether this 60% total increase would be sufficient to address the long-standing deficiencies in PhilHealth's coverage. He pointed out that PhilHealth had not enhanced its benefits for 12 years, leading to a potential mismatch between the current case rates and the actual costs of medical treatments. "Kaya kahit magtaas tayo ng 60%, baka naman napakaliit ng PhilHealth benefits compared to the actual cost ng treatment sa ngayon. Ang mahal talagang magpa-ospital ngayon. Baka ang mangyari, eh pampalubag loob lang po ito," Go remarked, expressing his concern that the planned increases might not be enough to make a meaningful difference for Filipinos facing high medical expenses. Go then cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, which revealed that the top causes of death in the country from January to November 2023 were heart disease and coronary artery disease. He drew attention to the fact that angioplasty, a critical procedure for treating cardiovascular disease, only has a case rate of P30,000 to P39,000 under PhilHealth, while the actual cost of this life-saving treatment can reach up to P300,000. "Kulang na kulang talaga," Go lamented, stressing the urgent need for PhilHealth to adjust its coverage to reflect the real costs of treatment. He also shared a concerning example involving a PhilHealth employee in the Visayas who incurred a hospital bill of P800,000 but received only P30,000 in coverage from PhilHealth, the very agency that employs him. "'Yun lang po ang kinover," Go emphasized, highlighting the inconsistency and inadequacy of PhilHealth's support, even for its employees. Go did not mince words when he described the treatment Walter and other patients received from PhilHealth as unjust and inhumane. He pointed out the painful irony that a man who had dedicated his life to public health and contributed significantly to PhilHealth was let down by the very system he helped support. "Mali ito, Mr. President. Hindi po ito makatao," Go declared, emphasizing the gross injustice that had occurred. "National Heroes Day po kahapon. Marahil isa sa mga heroes sa Camarines Norte si Sir Walter for his quiet but selfless service as a health officer. Pero ganito nalang ba parati? Aantayin natin mamatay ang bayani para lang magising sa katotohanan at sa bulok na sistemang nagpahirap sa buhay ng mga kababayan natin," Go said. He lamented the fact that despite PhilHealth's substantial reserve funds, amounting to P500 billion, the agency still fails to provide adequate coverage when it is most needed. Go further elaborated on the fundamental issues with PhilHealth's insurance model. "While we understand the concept of insurance, hindi ito katanggap-tanggap na hindi mo man lang mapakinabangan ang binayad mo sa oras na kailanganin mo. Hindi po ito tama. Nag-contribute ka, nagbayad ka, bawas na sa sweldo mo, nung namatay ka, lugi ka pa," Go passionately argued. Go concluded by calling on PhilHealth to fulfill its promise to the Filipino people, particularly those who contribute diligently to the system, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who work abroad to support their families back home. "Bawat piso, bawat sentimo ay napakahalaga para sa ating Pilipino, lalo na po sa mga OFW na nagko-contribute po mula sa abroad. At dapat mabigyan po ng maayos na serbisyo ang ating mga kababayan. Kung ano ang kino-contribute nila, dapat po ay mapakinabangan nila," Go concluded, reinforcing his commitment to advocating for better healthcare coverage and ensuring that PhilHealth lives up to its mandate.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 31, 2024 - 13:34 | Arts, World, All

Award-winning Japanese anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki is among this year's five recipients of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, the organization behind what is regarded as Asia's Nobel Prize said Saturday.

Miyazaki "tackles complicated issues, using art to make them comprehensible to children," the Philippines-based Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said of the 83-year-old co-founder of Studio Ghibli, whose works include the Oscar-winning films "The Boy and the Heron" and "Spirited Away."

"He educates by entertaining," it said.

The foundation also named Karma Phuntsho, founder of an educational charity in Bhutan, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, a Vietnamese physician who dealt with the effects of a toxic chemical used by the United States during the Vietnam War, and the Rural Doctors Movement of Thailand as 2024 Magsaysay Awardees.

Farwiza Farhan of Indonesia, who heads a foundation dedicated to protecting Sumatra Island's Leuser Ecosystem, was chosen as this year's Magsaysay laureate for Emergent Leadership for "her profound understanding of the vital connection between nature and humanity," the foundation said.

"This year's Ramon Magsaysay Awardees have reminded us that the future is shaped by those who dare to envision a better world and dedicate themselves to turning that vision into reality," foundation chair Cheche Lazaro said in a statement.

The award, named after the Philippines' seventh president who died in a plane crash in 1957, has been given to more than 300 individuals, groups and organizations since 1958. Aside from honoring Magsaysay's memory, it seeks to perpetuate his example in public service and pragmatic idealism, according to the foundation.

Official conferment of the award is set for Nov. 16 in Manila. Each will receive a medallion, a certificate inscribed with their citation and a cash prize.

Related coverage:

Studio Ghibli receives honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes film festival

Animator Miyazaki, scholar Ueno among Time's 100 influential people

Oscar-winning Miyazaki film leads China box office days after debut
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KYODO NEWS - Aug 31, 2024 - 17:44 | All, World, Japan

A Chinese navy survey ship entered Japan's territorial waters off its southwestern islands Saturday, the Japanese Defense Ministry said, less than a week after Tokyo strongly protested against a Chinese military aircraft's airspace breach.

Japan again protested to China and conveyed its strong concern over the latest crossing through diplomatic channels, the ministry said. It marked the 10th entry by a Chinese survey ship into Japanese waters off Kagoshima Prefecture since November 2021.

The vessel was spotted entering the territorial waters west of Kuchinoerabu Island around 6 a.m. and left the waters southwest of Yakushima Island at around 7:53 a.m., the ministry said. The Maritime Self-Defense Force sent a minesweeper and patrol aircraft to monitor the Chinese vessel.

Survey vessels are often used to conduct research on underwater topography for submarine navigation.

The latest case comes after Japan on Monday confirmed for the first time that a Chinese military spy plane violated Japanese airspace over waters in the East China Sea off islands in the southwestern prefecture of Nagasaki.

In recent years, Chinese ships have also repeatedly entered Japan's territorial waters in the East China Sea, around the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, which China claims and calls Diaoyu.

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'So much for freedom and dialogue..': Sanjeev Sanyal gets blocked by V-Dem following his attack on Sweden leader's Islam comments
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KYODO NEWS - Aug 31, 2024 - 23:00 | All, World, Japan

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

----------

Japan rail disruption spreads as typhoon crawls eastward

TOKYO - Disruption to shinkansen bullet train services in Japan spread Saturday amid heavy rain as a slow-moving typhoon lingered in western Japan.

JR Central suspended its Tokaido Shinkansen trains between Gifu-Hashima and Maibara on Saturday morning due to heavy rain caused by Typhoon Shanshan. With services between Tokyo and Nagoya already halted, most of the Tokaido Shinkansen Line was paralyzed Saturday morning.

----------

China enters Japan waters days after air violation protested

TOKYO - A Chinese navy survey ship entered Japan's territorial waters off its southwestern islands Saturday, the Japanese Defense Ministry said, less than a week after Tokyo strongly protested against a Chinese military aircraft's airspace breach.

Japan again protested to China and conveyed its strong concern over the latest crossing through diplomatic channels, the ministry said. It marked the 10th entry by a Chinese survey ship into Japanese waters off Kagoshima Prefecture since November 2021.

----------

Japanese animator Miyazaki among 5 Magsaysay awardees for 2024

MANILA - Award-winning Japanese anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki is among this year's five recipients of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, the organization behind what is regarded as Asia's Nobel Prize said Saturday.

Miyazaki "tackles complicated issues, using art to make them comprehensible to children," the Philippines-based Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said of the 83-year-old co-founder of Studio Ghibli, whose works include the Oscar-winning films "The Boy and the Heron" and "Spirited Away."

----------

Baseball: Shohei Ohtani hot on "50-50" trail with 43rd steal, 43rd homer

PHOENIX, Arizona - Shohei Ohtani inched closer to being the first Major League Baseball player with 50 home runs and stolen bases in a season, collecting his 43rd steal and 43rd homer in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 10-9 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.

Ohtani, who joined the "40-40" club in 126 games, fewer than any of the five others to achieve the feat, became the first to reach 43 in both categories in a single season. He went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.

----------

Boxing: Undisputed champ Inoue not underestimating Doheny

YOKOHAMA - Three days before he puts his undisputed super bantamweight title on the line, Japan's Naoya Inoue said Saturday that his opponent, Ireland's TJ Doheny, poses a challenge.

"I am not underestimating his ability," the 31-year-old Inoue told a press conference in reference to the 37-year-old he will face at Tokyo's Ariake Arena.

----------

Philippines says China rammed coast guard ship in South China Sea shoal

MANILA - A Philippine Coast Guard ship anchored in Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea since April was rammed by a China Coast Guard vessel on Saturday, officials said, as tensions between the two countries over their maritime disputes have recently shifted to the area.

Teresa Magbanua, one of the two largest vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard, which Beijing wants Manila to remove from Sabina Shoal, sustained damage after it was "intentionally" hit multiple times while operating in the vicinity, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said.

----------

Paralympics: Power dad Yuya Oe sinks his teeth into archery

PARIS - A public servant by day, para archer Yuya Oe's rare ability is being able to wield a bow in his arm and aim an arrow with his teeth to hit a target 50 meters away.

His motivation, he says, is wanting to be a "cool dad" for his children, something he was able to do on the world's greatest stage for athletes with disabilities at the Paralympics in Paris on Friday.

Video: Japan governor testifies under oath over suspected abuse of power
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By Yoshihisa Kobayashi, KYODO NEWS - Aug 31, 2024 - 11:20 | All, Japan, Feature

Research has shed light on a previously little-known insect-eating tradition in parts of the Tohoku region in Japan's northeast, where dragonflies have been consumed as both delicacies and for medicinal purposes.

Shuji Watanabe, a senior curator at the Iwate Prefectural Museum, compiled a field report that describes how dragonflies have long been eaten by locals in parts of Iwate and Akita prefectures.

Associate professor Ryohei Sugahara, an expert in human entomophagy, or the eating of insects, called Watanabe's report "intriguing as eating adult dragonflies is rare."

One woman in her 70s, born and raised in the village of Kunohe, Iwate Prefecture, recalled her elementary schooldays when she ate dragonflies a few times with friends. "I was told that dragonflies were good for my health because they are gods," she said.

"When we would play near the mountains or rivers after school, we caught dragonflies and ate them like that after pulling off their wings. There was nothing odd about it because we were eating wild edible fruits like chocolate vines and freshwater crabs, too."

Watanabe discovered that dragonflies were often plucked out of the air by hand midflight, after which they would be consumed by sucking on the de-winged bodies.

A woman in her 20s from Odate, Akita, talked about eating a dragonfly when she was in middle school. "I opened the chest of the insect by pulling on both sides while holding it near its wings and then sucking out the insides," she said.

Although she could not recall the taste, she said "it was like a (sashimi) chicken tender."

The woman "likely ate the flight muscles," said Sugahara, an associate professor at Hirosaki University in Aomori Prefecture who is familiar with entomophagy in the Tohoku region. "My guess is she ate it more like a snack."

Watanabe heard about the practice of eating dragonflies from a colleague seven or eight years ago and began to interview local people in 2020. In the three and half years that followed, he found five cases in Iwate and one case in Akita, ranging from the 1950s to the 2000s.

Additional literature-based studies by Watanabe revealed that dragonflies had been used as medicine in various parts of Japan since ancient times. In Iwate, there is a record of burning red dragonflies and turning them into a powder to act as a cough suppressant in children.

While dragonfly larvae were eaten, there had been no evidence of the adults having been consumed raw, he said.

The tradition of eating dragonflies in Tohoku is believed to have mainly involved species such as Sympetrum infuscatum and Sympetrum frequens, observed in various places in Japan.

According to Watanabe, dragonfly larvae are an abundant protein source, while a variety of minerals like calcium are contained in adult dragonflies. "Since they were used for medicinal purposes, children were probably not hesitant to eat them."

It is widely known that people in Japan eat locusts in prefectures such as Nagano and Gunma and bee larvae in Nagano, Aichi, Gifu and other prefectures.

Locusts have also been consumed in Iwate, and "it is said that a variety of insects were also eaten in Yamagata. Though rare now, entomophagy used to be widely practiced in Tohoku," Sugahara said.

Entomophagy is often touted as a potential solution to global food shortages caused by various factors including overpopulation.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report that beetles and other such insects account for 31 percent of the world's insect species eaten. Dragonflies make up only 3 percent, and examples of larvae that appear to be eaten in places such as Laos and Papua New Guinea, are introduced in the report.

"Since the release of my report, I have received information on the consumption of dragonflies in Aomori Prefecture and for medicinal use in the southern part of Miyagi Prefecture," Watanabe said. "I intend to continue my field research as it was possibly practiced more widely than was previously thought."

Related coverage:

FEATURE: Edible bug businesses 'hearing crickets' at crossroads in Japan

FEATURE: Japanese mosquito coils taking bite out of malaria in Kenya
Canadian pastor convicted for trying to protect children from groomers

A Canadian pastor has been found guilty of "criminal harassment" after confronting a library manager for hosting "drag queen story hours" for children and protesting against the event.

In March, Derek Reimer, a pastor at Mission 7 Ministries, a Christian organization that focuses on outreach to homeless people in Calgary, Alberta confronted a library manager at the Calgary Public Library for hosting a drag queen event for children. Reimer, known for his outspoken opposition to drag queen story hours and other LGBT events, also posted a video of the interaction on Facebook, stating his intention to return to protest if the event continued.

This, in turn, has found Reimer guilty of criminal harassment.

"A judge found me guilty today of criminal harassment for expressing my opposition towards drag queen story hour to a library manager set on hosting the event. For posting the video of our interaction on Facebook, and saying we'll be back [to protest] if the event continues," Reimer said in a message sent to LifeSiteNews. "This charge is punishable up to two years, and I will be posting the sentencing date soon." (Related: Canadian pastors being arrested for preaching the Gospel while broadcasters remain free to exploit drag children to advance LGBT agenda.)

Justice Karen Molle of the Alberta Court of Justice acquitted Reimer on public disturbance charges for using a loudspeaker to protest outside two separate drag story events. Molle ruled that such actions did not constitute a criminal offense. Reimer was also found guilty of four counts of breaching his bail conditions, which banned him from protesting outside "drag queen story time" events and being within 300 meters of any LGBTQ event in Calgary.

His lawyer, Andrew MacKenzie, noted that an appeal of the ruling is possible. Reimer remains free on bail for now.

Calgary enacted pro-LBGT bylaws to suppress pastors and parents from protesting

Reimer has been arrested multiple times for his activism, which resulted in repeated legal troubles.

This happened since the Calgary City Council enacted a new bylaw in March 2023 to prevent protests against drag queen storytime events and other LGBTQ events at public facilities.

The "Safe and Inclusive Access Bylaw" establishes a 100-meter buffer zone around all city-owned and affiliated public buildings. This prohibits "specified protests" both inside and outside these spaces.

This means that protests against LGBTQ events, including drag queen story times, are now banned within a 100-meter radius of city recreation centers, libraries and other public facilities. The ban extends to protests by individuals or groups, including pastors and concerned parents, who have been vocal against what they see as "radical LGBTQ events" in public spaces.

Violators of the new regulations could face significant penalties, including fines of up to CA$10,000 ($7,430) or up to one year in jail.

The bylaw, which went into effect immediately, did not include the usual committee review or public consultation process. That same month, the city council also voted to amend the street harassment bylaw and include the term "intimidation" to address protesters disrupting drag queen storytime events.

Head over to Groomers.news for more stories about drag performances that involve children.

Watch InfoWars host Owen Shroyer discuss a viral video of drag queens teaching children to dance like strippers.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

TRUE FAITH: Canadian pastor Artur Pawlowski refuses to obey fascist Canadas gag order, says hes prepared to go to prison.

Drag queens dressed as Disney characters perform in front of kids at Tennessee brewery.

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Outdoor apparel company The North Face named as major sponsor of LGBT youth camp that grooms kids to become drag queens.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com 1

LifeSiteNews.com 2

Brighteon.com
Start em young: Government climate alarmists brainwashing kids to comply with green tyranny

Climate alarmists in the federal government are now brainwashing children with an "inescapable death spiral" if they do not comply with green tyranny.

The Washington Free Beacon reported on this matter, citing the Climate Kids webpage operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). While the webpage includes educational materials and activities for children, it also parrots talking points from the climate alarmists. These include claims like "the world is undergoing cataclysmic warming," "sea levels are rising" and "global ice coverage is diminishing."

Just like the green tyrants claim, the Climate Kids page claims that fossil fuels are to blame for "pollution, the destruction of landscapes and natural habitats, oil spills in the ocean, and nasty fracking chemicals in the ground." It also proclaims that global warming is the "biggest problem of all" despite studies that prove that the world's temperatures are actually cooling. (Related: NO WARMING AT ALL: Global COOLING continues for eighth straight year, according to NOAA data.)

The Free Beacon also showed an example of NASA's Climate Kids webpage brainwashing children about the dangers of "climate change" and rising sea levels. One image predicted that cities like New Orleans and Miami could be underwater. However, the site does not show a timeline as to when it will happen.

Meanwhile, the NOAA Education Portal managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also peddles talking points from climate alarmists. It includes a curriculum with catastrophic language about global warming. "Courses linked on the portal, for example, encourage students to foster negative emotions about the state of the environment into taking action," noted the Free Beacon.

"The online resources appear to be a peg in the Biden-Harris administration's broader strategy of aiming climate messaging at younger generations."

Texas Sen. Cruz to investigate the two climate portals

According to the Free Beacon, the NASA Climate Kids webpage was created during the Obama administration in 2012. However, the NOAA Education Portal was made under the Biden administration only in 2022.

The webpages did not sit well with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, with both now the subject of an investigation he is spearheading. On Aug. 22, he wrote letters to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and NOAA Administration Richard Spinrad over the two resources. Cruz demanded information from the two officials about their efforts to stoke climate anxiety and "manufacture support" for "radical environmental activism."

The senator accused the two agencies of producing "faux-educational materials that fuel climate alarmism" to generate support for the Biden administration's climate agenda. Such fearmongering, he noted, contributes to the rise of "eco-anxiety" among young Americans.

"Young people are absorbing the rhetoric. They report high levels of anxiety about climate change and are adapting their behavior in radical ways, including by foregoing children. Is this anxiety based on science or sensationalism? The evidence points to the latter."

Cruz wrote in his letter to Nelson that the prediction of submerged cities shown in the Climate Kids webpage wouldn't happen for hundreds of years, if it will, based on the most updated analyses. "Our country's approach to climate change should be driven by science, not the woke zeitgeist," the senator wrote.

The Texas Republican meanwhile wrote in his letter to Spinrad that a video from 2012 in the NOAA Education Portal warned that melting ice caps could create an "inescapable death spiral." The same video warned that "global warming" would leave no ice in the Arctic Ocean by 2022. However, NASA's own data showed the opposite  the minimum extent of Arctic ice has increased by 29 percent since the video's creation.

NASA spokeswoman Jennifer Dooren told the Free Beacon that her agency received the letter and would respond to the senator directly. Meanwhile, NOAA  which is under the Department of Commerce  did not respond to a request for comment.

Visit ClimateAlarmism.news for similar stories.

Watch Christopher Monckton, a former advisor to the British Tory government, denouncing climate alarmism as a communist scheme below.

This video is from The New American channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

96% of NOAA heat measurement stations are corruptly placed to support climate change hoax.

Governments wasting TRILLIONS on "climate change" using faulty temperature data, experts warn.

PROOF that NASA is faking global temperature data to push the false "global warming" science fraud.

World Economic Forum tells governments and corporations: Spend $3.5 TRILLION ANNUALLY to "decarbonize" the planet.

CLIMATE LIES: Top climate scientists say they were ordered to "cover up" truth that earth's temperature hasn't risen in 15 years.

Sources include:

ClimateDepot.com

FreeBeacon.com

Brighteon.com
Cornel West proposes creating a COVID-19 Truth Commission, Vaccine Safety and Utilization Panel to restore public health

Independent candidate for president Cornel West posted a video to X this week calling for the creation of two new organizations to tackle Big Pharma's vice grip on the United States and public health policy.

Like many these days, West is concerned about the pharmaceutical industry's control after witnessing the horrors of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic." The events of those three horrific years opened a lot of eyes to the fact that Big Pharma controls the nation's politicians and the policies they implement.

West wants to create a COVID-19 Truth Commission that will get to the bottom of what happened, why it happened, who was behind it happening, and most important of all, to stop the government's COVID crimes against humanity from ever again occurring in America.

The COVID-19 Truth Commission would "explore the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, seek reparations, and ensure justice and equity in our future responses," West says.

Another goal of the COVID-19 Truth Commission would be to address the censorship that prevented any formidable conversation from taking place all throughout the "pandemic" that might have helped restrain some of the worst mandates from ever taking place.

Brothers and sisters, it's time we commit to understanding and addressing the role of pharmaceutical influence in public policy. I propose a COVID-19 Truth Commission to explore the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, seek reparations, and ensure justice and pic.twitter.com/XteB3MBBBg  Cornel West (@CornelWest) August 25, 2024

(Related: Did you hear? Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is joining forces with Donald Trump, as are a number of other Democrats, to actively campaign against Kamala Harris.)

RFK Jr. thanks Cornel for "commitment to ending the corruption"

West also wants to create a Vaccine Safety and Utilization Panel to help restore trust in the nation's public health institutions. Instead of trying to do this through deception and sleight of hand as is currently the way government does things, West wants science, transparency, and community engagement to be the new normal.

"I want to speak to my brothers and sisters of all colors who are concerned about not just the vaccine but the role of the pharmaceutical companies in shaping public policy, not allowing the various voices to be heard; the role of censorship; the attempt to impose closure on various voices that would help us understand what's really going on when it comes to health care policy vis-a-vis vaccines," West says.

"I want a truth commission to find out what happened in the past, and I want to make sure that each and every one of us has fair access to the truth."

These two new organizations are just one part of West's transformative "Blueprint for Change," as he is calling it, that he plans to implement within the first 100 days of his term should he get elected.

"The West / Abdullah administration will ensure that every policy upholds the value of truth, justice, and love," West says.

West's posts on X came just one day after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. decided to suspend his campaign in the 10 or so battleground states that Trump absolutely needs in order to win. Kennedy commented on West's posts to thank him for caring about these important issues.

"So thankful to you Cornell [sic], for commitment to ending the corruption," Kennedy wrote.

"Would you like to add your name to list of politicians calling for the Covid shots to be pulled off the market and pledging not to take donations from BigPharma?" asked Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, MD, linking to this page.

The latest news about the 2024 presidential election can be found at Rigged.news.

Sources for this article include:

X.com

NaturalNews.com

AmericansForHealthFreedom.org
Israel CUTS OFF communications in Jenin as it expands military operations in the occupied West Bank

Internet and landline services were cut off in Jenin on Thursday, Aug. 29, as Israel's largest military operation in the occupied West Bank in more than 20 years entered its second day.

The Palestinian Telecommunications Company (Paltel) and Ooredoo Palestine, the two largest telecommunications companies in the occupied West Bank, reported that the ongoing connectivity failure to Jenin was caused by the latest series of Israeli aggression against Jenin, which has damaged their man and backup lines in the area.

One of these actions reportedly involved Israeli bulldozers plowing through telecommunications infrastructure, severing communications throughout the city. Additionally, electricity and water lines have been damaged, exacerbating the already dire situation.

Paramedics have reported significant challenges, with repeated communication losses due to interference on their channels. Israeli military vehicles have also delayed medical teams from reaching hospitals, further endangering lives.

Paltel and Ooredoo have sent out technical crews to restore services as quickly as possible despite the difficult situation on the ground.

Incursion into Jenin led to the deaths of top Palestinian militants

The Israeli offensive against Jenin began early Wednesday, Aug. 28, with coordinated land and air attacks on Jenin and on two other cities in the northern West Bank, Tulkarm and Tubas.

The next day, the Israeli Defense Forces announced that it had killed and retrieved the bodies of five Palestinians, including Muhammad Jaber, a top commander of the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Tulkarm. Their killings brought the total death toll from the current assault up to 18. (Related: Israeli official threatens to turn West Bank into RUINS just like the Gaza Strip.)

Among the other victims was Muhammad al-Orabi, a young man from Jenin, whose two brothers were killed in previous raids.

Palestinian medical sources confirmed that Orabi was shot by Israeli soldiers near his home in Jein's Old City neighborhood. Journalist Ali Samoudi, a Jenin resident, stated that Orabi posed no threat when he was shot, adding that Israeli snipers stationed across the city were ordered to "shoot at any moving object."

"My house is in the eastern neighborhood, and there is a sniper stationed opposite it, which prevented me from leaving the house for several hours because orders are given to them to shoot at anyone," Samoudi told Middle East Eye (MEE).

According to Samoudi, Israeli military vehicles continue to besiege Jenin Governmental Hospital, obstructing medical teams from accessing the facility while conducting inspections. Residents in Jenin reported hearing intermittent armed clashes and the detonation of explosive devices targeting Israeli military vehicles on Thursday.

"From the first moments of the Israeli invasion, the electricity was cut off. We have been without electricity and water for 48 hours," a Jenin resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told MEE. "The situation is really, really bad. Food in our refrigerators has gone bad, so we are forced to leave Jenin and take shelter with relatives outside the city."

The resident added that there was no internet access or even the ability to charge phones, describing the conditions as akin to those in Gaza.

In Tulkarm, residents of the Nour Shams camp reported being unable to move on Thursday due to a tight Israeli army siege that has sealed off the area amid ongoing violent raids on homes. Nihad al-Shawish, head of the camp's popular committee, described the offensive as "very ferocious."

"The raids on homes are brutal and are carried out with police dogs that dont hesitate to attack citizens," Shawish told MEE. "Young men are also detained after being taken to several buildings inside the camp, tied up, blindfolded, and subjected to field interrogation."

Shawish said people are crammed into their homes, hearing gunfire amid ongoing incursions into dozens of homes, terrorizing their residents. Israeli bulldozers have also ripped up streets in the area, cutting off water to the entire camp, according to local reports.

Shawish noted that Israeli media reports were spreading rumors that the army had asked residents to leave voluntarily, although he said this was the only time he had heard such "evacuation" discussed.

The siege on Nour Shams camp extended to the Al-Manshiya neighborhood, where Israeli soldiers prevented the transfer of the body of a Palestinian with special needs killed by the Israeli army on Wednesday evening. On Thursday afternoon, the Israeli army blew up a house in the neighborhood, igniting a fire that spread to nearby homes.

Watch this video of an attack by Israeli security forces and armed Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the village of Beita in the occupied West Bank.

This video is from the channel Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Armed Israeli settlers attack West Bank village, burning down properties and killing a young Palestinian man.

Masked Israeli mob launches deadly anti-Palestinian pogrom in West Bank.

UNICEF REPORT: Child casualties in West Bank surged by 250% since Israels war began in October.

ICJ declares Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories ILLEGAL.

Israel approves largest LAND GRAB in the Palestinian West Bank in over 30 years.

Sources include:

MiddleEastEye.net

MiddleEastMonitor.com

Brighteon.com
Cancer researcher: IVERMECTIN can overcome chemotherapy resistance of TURBO CANCERS caused by mRNA vaccines

An oncologist, cancer researcher and author recently shared a study that chemotherapy-resistant turbo cancers caused by Pfizer and Moderna Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) mRNA vaccines can be overcome by ivermectin, a controversial anti-parasitic drug known to ease symptoms of viruses such as coronavirus. Health authorities have been debunking this information and have not authorized or approved its use in humans for this purpose.

In a Substack newsletter, Dr. William Makis cited a paper from 2020 (by Juarez et al) on the antitumor effects of ivermectin at clinically feasible concentrations where it was found to support its clinical development as a repositioned cancer drug.

According to the study, at a human dose of two mg/kg, ivermectin can achieve anti-cancer effects such as cell cycle arrest (inhibit proliferation), preferential inhibition of cancer stem-like cells, synergize with several chemotherapy drugs and inhibit tumor growth in a breast cancer mouse model.

Ivermectin was tested at two mg/kg/day, translating to roughly 5uM in vitro concentration. They found that the drug goes after cancer stem cells, which tend to be resistant to chemotherapy.

"Ivermectin has a preferential depletion effect on the cancer stem-like cell population," the authors included in the research. "We observed that among all the evaluated cell lines, a decrease in cell viability and clonogenicity is more evident in the cancer stem-like cells than in their parental population."

It also found that the most sensitive cancer cell lines were the ovarian, breast, glioblastoma (brain), lung, colon, uterine squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), hepatocellular, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), pancreatic and endometrial.

Meanwhile, the least sensitive were osteosarcoma, gastric and melanoma.

Moreover, lymphoma and leukemia cell lines appear to be more resistant to Ivermectin but the drug has a significant impact on those cells' ability to form colonies, according to the study. (Related: Ivermectin can "kill cancer cells" and boost immune response, suggest health experts.)

Makis further highlighted that this was the first study he had ever seen that had tested as many as 28 cancer types with ivermectin.

"No wonder it's hidden from the public," he commented.

NEW ARTICLE: IVERMECTIN Tested against 28 types of Cancer - which cancers were most sensitive to Ivermectin? Which were least sensitive? A research group from Mexico investigated Ivermectin in Cancer Paper: 2020 (Juarez et al) - Antitumor effects of ivermectin at clinically pic.twitter.com/xWhgEBa1uv  William Makis MD (@MakisMD) August 26, 2024

FDA took down social media posts discouraging ivermectin use for COVID-19 but mainstream media seemed to have missed this

Back in March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agreed to permanently take down its social media posts urging people to avoid the usage of ivermectin for COVID-19.

One of the pages that the agency has removed was a page that said: "Should I take ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19? No." It also took down posts, including one that reads: "You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it."

The move was done following a lawsuit with a settlement filed with a federal court in Texas that ordered the agency to delete another page titled "Why you should not use ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19 within 21 days."

The article said that ivermectin was neither authorized nor approved to be used to prevent or treat COVID-19 in humans or animals. It also claims that evidence does not support the efficacy of ivermectin against coronavirus.

On June 2, 2022, Doctors Paul Marik, Mary Talley Bowden and Robert Apter filed a lawsuit against the FDA and its secretary Robert Califf, as well as the Department of Health and Human Services and its secretary Xavier Becerra. They accused the FDA of meddling with their capacity to practice medicine. The lawsuit was first turned down on the basis that the FDA has "sovereign immunity." However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit overruled the lower court's ruling, stating that the "FDA is not a physician" and "even tweet-sized doses of personalized medical advice are beyond the FDA's statutory authority."

Ivermectin has long been approved for use in both animals and humans. In cases of humans, the drug is recommended to treat parasitic infections such as river blindness disease, threadworm infestation, tropical eosinophilia, roundworm infestation, whipworm infestation, filariasis (also called elephantiasis) and loiasis.

On X, formerly Twitter, Dr. Mary Talley Bowden wrote: "This landmark case sets an important precedent in limiting FDA overreach into the doctor-patient relationship."

Moreover, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr in a tweet said: "The FDA is biased against many low-cost, generic, and/or natural therapies with low-profit potential. Could it be because half its funding comes from Big Pharma?"

Ivermectin is not an exceptional case. The FDA is biased against many low-cost, generic, and/or natural therapies with low profit potential. Could it be because half its funding comes from Big Pharma? https://t.co/LxpqLuvb6A  Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) March 22, 2024

Australian politician Craig Kelly also called the FDA "corrupt," stating that they have "blood on their hands."

Head over to Cancer.news for more stories, similar to this.

Sources for this article include:

Makismd.substack.com

HindustanTimes.com
KYODO NEWS - Aug 31, 2024 - 08:11 | All, Japan, World

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's largest contract chipmaker, is expected to build its third chip plant in Japan as early as 2030, Taiwan's economic affairs minister said Friday.

Kuo Jyh-huei, minister of economic affairs, said the new plant, which will follow TSMC's existing two factories in Kumamoto Prefecture, would focus on advanced chip production, but the decision to proceed with construction rests with the chipmaker.

"Experienced engineers are essential in producing advanced chips," the minister said in an interview with Kyodo News on the sidelines of a forum in Tokyo. "Japan lacks enough experience, so (such skilled engineers) will not be available until 2030 or later."

The minister stopped short of specifying the location for the new plant but said he is willing to work with Japan on developing a skilled engineering workforce.

Japan is in the midst of efforts to fortify supply chains for semiconductors, seen as a critical component for its mainstay industries, as dependence on major supplier Taiwan poses geopolitical risks amid rising tensions between the United States and China over the self-ruled island.

Japanese chip venture Rapidus Corp. is currently building a plant in Hokkaido to mass produce state-of-the-art 2-nanometer chips.

In June, TSMC CEO C.C. Wei said his company would decide whether to build its third factory in Japan after successfully getting its first two plants off the ground.

Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura called on TSMC to consider setting up its third plant in the prefecture when he visited its headquarters in Taiwan earlier this month.

The chip giant plans to begin mass production at the first factory by the end of the year and is aiming to start operations at the second plant in 2027.

The Japanese government decided to provide subsidies of up to 476 billion yen ($3.3 billion) for the first plant and an additional 732 billion yen for the second plant.

Related coverage:

Japan's Rapidus seeks 100 bil. yen in loans for chip production

Samsung awarded $6.4 billion in U.S. grants for Texas chip facilities

TSMC awarded $6.6 billion in U.S. grants for chip plants in Arizona
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan meets with Xi Jinping as Biden works to normalize relations with China

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Chinese President and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping on the third and final day of a rare visit to Beijing.

This is the first such trip by a high-ranking United States official in China in several months after Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen made similar visits earlier this year.

According to the White House, the trip was intended to be a continuation of President Joe Biden's efforts to maintain open communications with Beijing and manage his deteriorating bilateral relationship with Xi.

In a White House-provided readout, Sullivan and Xi reportedly welcomed "ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communications."

Sullivan's trip also comes as U.S.-Chinese relations are at an all-time low amid a trade war that dates back to 2018, tensions over Chinese incursions into the disputed South China Sea and threats made against the democratically governed Taiwan. (Related: U.S. to DEFEND Philippines against China after multiple ship collisions near Sabina Shoal.)

"We believe that competition with China does not have to lead to conflict or confrontation," Sullivan told reporters at a press conference shortly before leaving Beijing, referencing the economic battles between Beijing and Washington over a variety of economic and industrial policies, such as electric vehicles and solar panel manufacturing. "The key is responsible management through diplomacy."

"While great changes have taken place in the two countries and in China-U.S. relations, China's commitment to the goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged," said Xi.

"President Biden is committed to responsibly managing this consequential relationship to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict or confrontation, and to work together where our interests align," said Sullivan.

Xi and Sullivan reportedly agreed to work toward scheduling a phone call between Xi and Biden, and were open to the two meeting in person at the coming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru or the Group of 20 summit in Brazil.

Sullivan and Xi also reportedly discussed a variety of other prominent issues, including Taiwan, recent clashes between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, and the growing number of American citizens being detained in China.

CCP general demands U.S. sever all ties with Taiwan

One day before Sullivan met with Xi in Beijing, he met with People's Liberation Army Gen. Zhang Youxia, considered to be the most senior military official in China.

In their meeting, Zhang reportedly told Sullivan that Taiwan is an "uncrossable first red line" in any future talks with the United States. Zhang is the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and the most senior military official in China next only to Xi.

Zhang told Sullivan that Taiwan was at "the heart of China's core interests," and that any positive development in U.S.-Chinese relations would have recognition of Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan as one of its foundations.

He demanded that Washington cease colluding with the democratically elected government in Taipei, sever all "military ties," "stop arming Taiwan" and "stop spreading false narratives about Taiwan."

"Resolutely opposing Taiwan independence and promoting reunification is the mission and duty of the People's Liberation Army," said Zhang. "We must respond to the reckless provocations of the Taiwan independence forces."

Beijing regards Taiwan as a province of China that has broken away and must be reunified, by force if necessary, and has repeatedly warned that the issue of Taiwan is the main "red line" in U.S.-China relations.

While most of the world, including the U.S., does not recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, many do have informal economic and cultural relations with the democratic island nation, and Washington has insisted upon its opposition to any attempt to take Taiwan by force. Treaties with Taiwan also legally oblige the U.S. to arm the island to defend itself against any possible Chinese invasion.

Watch this episode of "TruNews" as host Rick Wiles and co-host Raymond Burkhart discuss the deteriorating relations between China and the United States.

This video is from the TruNews channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Products sold by Chinese retailers Shein, Temu and AliExpress found to contain toxic chemicals that may threaten public health.

American pharmaceutical companies accused of carrying out clinical trials with Chinese military.

China alarmed by U.S.-made missile system sent to the Philippines, claiming it could heighten tensions in the region.

U.S. would prevail over China in a war over Taiwan, high-ranking U.S. military official claims.

Taiwanese president warns military cadets about China's relentless threat to Taiwan's national sovereignty.

Sources include:

NTD.com

APNews.com

SCMP.com

Brighteon.com
Palin wins appeal on defamation case against New York Times

Over the years, I have written repeatedly ( here here , and here ) about the interesting defamation case brought by Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, against the New York Times. The judge in the case U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff was previously reversed and proceeded to issue novel and deeply flawed rulings before dismissing her case. He has now been reversed again and Palin will have a new opportunity to sue the newspaper. Given Judge Rakoffs dismal record in this case, it is concerning that he will be allowed to preside in any new trial.

(Article republished from JonathanTurley.org)

In the opinion below, the three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals threw out a 2022 jury verdict in favor of the New York Times due to the errors of Judge Rakoff.

The case involves an editorial that suggested Palin inspired or incited Jared Loughners 2011 shooting of then-U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). It was outrageously and demonstrably untrue. The editorial was published in the wake of the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and other GOP members of Congress by James T. Hodgkinson, of Illinois, 66, a liberal activist and campaign supporter of Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). It appears The Times wanted to shift the narrative back to right-wing violence; it stated that SarahPAC, Palins political action committee, had posted a graphic that put Giffords in crosshairs before she was shot, described it as direct incitement of violence and opined that while not as guilty as Palin, liberals should of course hold themselves to the same standard of decency that they ask of the right.

In reality, the map SarahPAC distributed put targets on various districts that were viewed as possible flip districts by Republicans, and the map was published long before the shooting.

Previously, Rakoff insisted that he was not at all happy to make this decision but that he was, again, forced to dismiss the case because the Supreme Court established a very high standard for actual malice for public figures in seeking recovery for defamation. He was referring to the New York Times v. Sullivan standard requiring a showing that a false statement was made with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.

The Times helped create this standard as the victim of a bias campaign. The status is far less obvious today. For many, the Palin controversy exposed the advocacy journalism now in vogue in the media. The hit piece on Palin was all-too-familiar for conservatives and Republicans routinely targeted by the newspaper. In that sense, the Times has become the very thing that the original decision sought to combat: a threat to free speech. The Times, they argue, often uses this protection to shield false attacks on political opponents.

Decades ago, The Times was being targeted by segregationists who wanted to deter media from publishing accounts of segregationists opposing the civil rights movement. This effort was creating such a threat that media had to choose between a type of self-censorship or insolvency. In his concurrence in New York Times v. Sullivan, Justice Hugo Black said that state libel laws threaten the very existence of an American press virile enough to publish unpopular views on public affairs and bold enough to criticize the conduct of public officials.

After he was reversed in dismissing the case, Rakoff proceeded to again dismiss the case after the jury was sent to reach a verdict. He declared that Palin had failed to offer evidence that would satisfy the minimum of the actual malice standard. I criticized that ruling as legally flawed. There was clearly sufficient evidence to allow a jury to render a verdict.

The Second Circuit agreed and reversed Rakoff in finding that Palin did cite sufficient evidence on actual malice.

However, it was the handling of the case by Judge Rakoff that added additional reversible errors. Rakoff had not sequestered the jury and his dismissal was reported widely. The jury learned of the decision and ruled against Palin. While some jurors said that the news did not impact their decision, the Second Circuit correctly rejected the claim. The appellate panel ruled that [w]e think a jurys verdict reached with the knowledge of the judges already-announced disposition of the case will rarely be untainted, no matter what the jurors say upon subsequent inquiry.

To make matters worse, Rakoff instructed the jury not to speak to the media after the case, an abusive demand that worked to protect his own errors. Jurors are free to discuss cases after a dismissal or verdict.

Palin was already under a great disadvantage as a leading Republican being tried before a New York jury. Rakoff added to that burden with a series of flawed decisions. Even after being previously reversed, Rakoff appeared intent on dismissing the case.

I previously wrote about the case because it highlighted a concern about the extension of New York Times v. Sullivan from public officials to public figures.

As I wrote previously, Justice William Brennan wrote arguably his most eloquent and profound decision in New York Times v. Sullivan.

News outfits were being targeted at the time by anti-segregation figures in lawsuits to deter them from covering the civil rights marches. The court correctly saw civil liability as creating a chilling effect on the free press either by draining the publications of funds or inducing a type of self-censorship. Imposing a high standard for proof of defamation, Brennan sought to give the free press breathing space to carry out its key function in our system.

The court believed that public officials have ample means to rebut false statements, but that its essential for democracy for voters and reporters to be able to challenge government officials. To achieve that breathing space, the court required that public officials had to prove actual malice, where the defendant had actual knowledge of the falsity of a statement or showed reckless disregard of whether it was true or false.

Two justices have indicated that they might be open to the idea of revisiting New York Times v. Sullivan. Justice Clarence Thomas has been a long critic of the standard as unsupported in either the text or the history of the Constitution. Thomas and Justice Neil Gorsuch objected last year to the denial of certiorari in Berisha v. Lawson, in which author Guy Lawson published a book detailing the true story of three Miami youngsters who allegedly became international arms dealers.

It was a success and landed a movie deal. A central figure in the story was Shkelzen Berisha, the son of Albanias former prime minister. He sued Lawson alleging defamation and claimed that he was not, as portrayed, an associate of the Albanian mafia and that Lawson used unreliable sources for his account.

Berisha is a public figure rather than a public official. The problem is that there is one missing element to imposing a higher burden on public figures like Berisha: furthering the democratic process. In teaching defamation, the actual malice standard rests convincingly on a democratic rationale that a free people and a free press must have breathing space to criticize the government and their leaders. It helps protect and perfect democracy.

For 30 years, I have struggled in class to offer the same compelling rationale for applying the standard to anyone who is considered a public figure. It takes very little to qualify as a public figure, or a limited-purpose public figure. However, why should private success alone expose someone like the Kardashians to a higher burden of proof for defamation? Writing about hot-dog-eating champion Michelle Lesco does not protect core democratic principles or even support core journalistic principles. To succeed, a Kardashian would still have to prove that a statement was false and unreasonable to print. Moreover, publications are protected in most states by retraction statutes limiting or blocking damages for corrected stories. Finally, opinion is already protected from defamation actions.

These are difficult questions that warrant serious discussion not only on the court but also in society. For example, there may be a more credible basis for imposing a higher standard on public figures on subjects of great public interest. However, what constitutes a legitimate public matter, particularly when that matter is based on a false account?

Take Nicholas Sandmann, who was pulled into a vortex of coverage due to the false claim that he abused an elderly Native American activist in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Sandmann has secured settlements for the biased and false reporting of major media outlets. Defamation still protects opinion without the reliance on a higher constitutional standard for figures like Sandmann.

Clearly, the public figure standard is an obvious benefit to the media. However, without a compelling argument for a constitutional standard for public figures, it seems more like a judicially maintained subsidy or shield. The purpose of Times v. Sullivan was not to simply prop up the press. The Palin case and other cases could present a new opportunity for the court to review the doctrine.

Palin, however, must now go back before Judge Rakoff and a New York jury, something that has proven a deadly combination. If her case ultimately goes to the Supreme Court, it may allow for a reconsideration of the extension of New York Times v. Sullivan to public figures.

Here is the opinion: Palin v. New York Times

Read more at: JonathanTurley.org
RFK Jr. reveals he left the Democratic Party because it had departed so dramatically from its core values

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) has revealed that the reason he left the Democratic Party is because it had long "departed so dramatically from its core values."

During the press conference at Phoenix, Arizona on Aug. 23, RFK Jr. recalled the first time he attended the Democratic convention in 1960 at the age of six.

"I attended my first Democratic convention at the age of six in 1960. Back then, the Democrats were the champions of the Constitution, of civil rights," he said. "The Democrats stood against authoritarianism, against censorship, against colonialism, imperialism and unjust wars. We were the party of labor, the working class. The Democrats were the party of government transparency and the champion of the environment. Our party was the bulwark against big money interests and corporate power. True to its name, it was the party of democracy."

However, RFK Jr. argued that the party has dramatically diverged from these core values and became "the party of war, censorship, corruption, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big Ag and Big Money."

RFK Jr. criticized the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for its anti-democratic actions, including "canceling the primary to conceal the cognitive decline of the sitting president" and engaging in "continual legal warfare" against him and Republican presidential nominee, former president Donald Trump. He also accused the DNC of running a "sham primary" and appointing Vice President Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee without a transparent process or election. (Related: RFK Jr., Childrens Health Defense granted go-ahead to SUE Biden regime for CENSORSHIP.) The former Democrat also accused the media of failing to uphold its role as a "guardian of the First Amendment and democratic principles." He claimed that the media has become complicit in "censorship and media control" to suppress political speech and protect the powerful. "Your institutions have made themselves government mouthpieces and stenographers for the organs of power," RFK Jr. said. "You didnt alone cause the devolution of American democracy, but you couldve prevented it. The mainstream media was once the guardian of the First Amendment and democratic principles, [but] its joined this systemic attack on democracy. The media justifies their censorship on the grounds of combating misinformation, but governments and oppressors dont censor lies  they dont fear lies  they fear the truth. Thats what they censor." All this has triggered RFK Jr. to leave the Democratic Party back in October and run as an independent candidate. "When it abandoned democracy by canceling the primary to conceal the cognitive decline of the sitting president, I left the party to run as an Independent," he said. RFK Jr. endorses Trump for "free speech, the war in Ukraine and the war on our children" RFK Jr. also addressed the reasons why he eventually decided to withdraw from his presidential bid and endorse Trump  "free speech, the war in Ukraine and the war on our children." He clarified that, while he and Trump differ on certain policies, they align on fundamental issues threatening the nation, such as "ending the forever wars, securing the border, protecting freedom of speech" and dismantling the influence of corporate and government interests over American democracy. "Ending the forever wars, ending the childhood disease epidemic, securing the border, protecting freedom of speech, unraveling the corporate capture of our regulatory agencies, getting the U.S. intelligence agencies out of the business of propagandizing, censoring, and surveilling Americans and interfering with our elections," he said. "Ultimately, the only thing that will save our country  and our children  is if we choose to love our kids more than we hate each other."

Follow RFKJr.news for more news about the independent presidential candidate.

Watch Lisa Haven's commentary on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. possibly joining the camp of former President Donald Trump below.

This video is from the Lisa Haven channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

RFK Jr. reveals other Democrats will join him in actively campaigning for Donald Trump.

RFK Jr.: Democrats have no platform; they are only united by HATRED of Donald Trump.

RFK Jr. suspends campaign with singular focus: Ending childhood illness epidemic.

RFK Jr. suspends presidential campaign, will join forces with Trump to save millions of children.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

TheGuardian.com

Brighteon.com
South Africa halts delivery of artillery shells to Poland over concerns they could be sent to Ukraine

South Africa has withheld the delivery of 155mm artillery shells to Poland, citing concerns that the munitions might be diverted to Ukraine

Ezra Jele, head of the secretariat of the South African government body overseeing arms contracts, revealed that after two years of uncertainty, Poland has now canceled the contract.

In early 2022, in response to Russias special military operation in Ukraine, Poland, along with several non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, placed an order for 55,000 Assegai 155mm artillery shells from Denel Munition, a South African arms manufacturer and subsidiary of German arms giant Rheinmetall. (Related: Poland preparing military for World War III, NATO reveals.)

Jan-Patrick Helmsen, managing director of Denel Munition, expressed pride in the deal at the time, noting NATO's continued trust in their globally recognized technology.

However, by late 2022, South Africa's National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) halted the contract's fulfillment.

While export permits to Poland and other countries were not outright canceled, they were indefinitely suspended without a clear resolution timeline, as Jele stated.

The deal, valued at approximately 190 million Polish zloty ($49.29 million), was Poland's second-largest arms purchase from South Africa, with the United Arab Emirates placing the largest order. The NCACC also partially suspended arms exports to Turkey and Saudi Arabia around the same period.

In 2023, Jele explained to the South African parliamentary defense committee that the suspension was due to concerns that the weapons could be redirected to Ukraine. He highlighted that the NCACC takes into account various factors when deciding on arms permits, including arms embargoes, human rights issues, regional stability, and the risk of weapon redirection, alongside South Africas national interests.

South Africa's decision may be influenced by its close ties to Russia

This decision is also set against a broader geopolitical backdrop.

In April 2023, South Africas then minister of international relations and cooperation, Naledi Pandor, hosted Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov in Pretoria. Around the same time, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) reaffirmed its ties with Russia, describing Putins United Russia party as a longtime ally and friend of the ANC.

The ANCs financial difficulties, especially during the lead-up to parliamentary and presidential elections, further complicated the situation. At the beginning of 2023, the ANC struggled with funding issues, even facing challenges in organizing a pre-election congress.

Subsequently, the party received nearly a million dollars from Viktor Vekselbergs United Manganese of Kalahari, a Russian mining company sanctioned by the United States. This donation led to the opposition's criticism of the ANCs neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict and its reluctance to condemn Russias offensive.

Despite losing its long-held majority in the latest general election in May, the ANC maintained control over key government roles, including foreign affairs and defense, preserving its pro-Russian position.

Poland seeks to produce its own artillery ammunition rather than rely on foreign suppliers

On Aug. 21, Polish publication Rzeczpospolita reported that Poland is seeking to produce its own artillery ammunition.

Poland is now pursuing local production and signed a $2.75 billion deal in December 2023 with the PGZ-Amunicja consortium for nearly 300,000 155mm shells, with deliveries scheduled from 2024 to 2029. This contract aims to boost domestic production capabilities and support both local and export needs.

Jele had previously indicated that a permit for Poland, worth 893 million South African rand ($50.32 million), was on hold, though he did not specify the reason.

Defense analyst Darren Olivier criticized the indefinite hold as effectively a denial, arguing that it is contrary to the spirit of the law, which should either approve or deny permits within a reasonable timeframe.

The NCACC has also put some permits to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the U.A.E. on hold, causing frustration and financial losses for South Africas defense industry.

Watch this video from Poland of Western military aid traveling through the country on its way to Ukraine.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Poland alerts NATO, sends more troops to border after accusing Belarus of violating its airspace.

Poland confirms NATO troops are in Ukraine.

Poland does not plan to donate its own F-16 fighter jets and Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, but urges other nations to do so.

Sources include:

RMX.news

DefenceWeb.co.za

Brighteon.com
The stage is being set for the cataclysmic wars of 2025

While the mainstream media focuses our attention on the upcoming election, the stage is being set for the unthinkable. Chess pieces are in motion all over the planet, and global leaders continue to drag us in directions that we should not want to go. If everyone truly understood where current events were taking us, there would be massive protests in every major city right now. The comfortable lifestyles that so many of us take for granted are about to be shattered. The U.S. could soon find itself involved in several major wars simultaneously, and we are definitely not prepared for such a scenario

(Article republished from EndOfTheAmericanDream.com)

Most Americans could not even pick out Taiwan on a blank map of the world, but for the Chinese the island of Taiwan is of the utmost importance.

On Thursday, a Chinese general told Jake Sullivan to his face that Taiwan is the first red line that must not be crossed

A top Chinese general on Thursday told White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan that the U.S. must stop its collusion with Taiwan, during a high-stakes meeting in Beijing. Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of Chinas Central Military Commission, told Sullivan that Taiwan is at the very core of Chinas core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed, according to a readout from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense. The PLA will definitely take countermeasures against the provocations of the Taiwan independence forces, the readout said Zhang had told Sullivan, using an acronym for Chinas military, the Peoples Liberation Army. China urges the US side to stop military collusion with Taiwan, stop arming Taiwan, and stop spreading false narratives on Taiwan.

The Chinese are very angry.

And they have been preparing to take military action against Taiwan for a very long time.

When that finally happens, we will be at war with China, and everything will change.

Meanwhile, the Russians continue to gobble up even more territory in eastern Ukraine

Russian troops continue to make significant advances toward Pokrovsk, the city in Donetsk that is a key logistics hub, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) whose map shows the latest state of play in the region. The Washington, D.C., think tank cited geolocated footage from Wednesday it said showed Russian advances into Memryk, a town around 18 miles southeast of Pokrovsk, which some military bloggers claimed Moscow had completely seized. Other geolocated footage showed advances by Russian forces in other areas southeast of Pokrovsk, near the city of Novohrodivka, which has been corroborated by Russian military bloggers.

At this point, western leaders are so desperate to achieve victory that they are throwing everything except the kitchen sink at the Russians.

In fact, the British have even sent robotic war dogs to Ukraine

The United Kingdom has provided Ukraine with robotic war dogs that have started assisting troops on the battlefield and terrifying Russian troops who see them, according to reports. The robot dog demonstrated its capabilities in delivering a range of critical equipment, showcasing its potential as an invaluable asset to military units, manufacturer Brit Alliance said of the units. The robot dog exhibited exceptional mobility and agility, crucial for traversing complex and hostile environments, the company added. Whether navigating through debris, climbing over obstacles, or moving stealthily across open ground, the robot dog has proven itself capable of maintaining a high level of operational effectiveness.

Both sides are just going to keep escalating matters until a line is crossed that will never be able to be uncrossed.

The Russians are preparing for that inevitability by constructing shiny new bomb shelters for their population

The Kremlin yesterday released a bizarre video glamorising its newly built bomb shelters, as Ukraine continued its incursion into Russian territory. Filmed in the popular Black Sea resort of Sochi, the clip features two young women smiling as they walk into a shelter  as if this is just another part of everyday life.

Unfortunately for us, when bombs start falling on our soil we will be out of luck because we dont have any bomb shelters.

Interestingly, a YouGov poll that was conducted last year discovered that 66 percent of Americans are concerned that humanity could be wiped out by nuclear weapons

According to a 2023 YouGov poll of a thousand respondents, sixty-six per cent are worried that the human race will be wiped out by nuclear weapons; roughly the same number worry that we will be killed off by a world war; fifty-three per cent think the next pandemic could do us in; fifty-two per cent bet on climate change; forty-six per cent on A.I.; forty-two per cent on an act of God; thirty-seven per cent on an asteroid; thirty-one per cent global inability to have children; twenty-five per cent an alien invasion.

We should be very thankful that nuclear weapons have not been used in combat since the end of World War II.

Unfortunately, it wont be too long before that streak ends.

The war that I am watching more closely than any other right now is the current conflict in the Middle East.

This week, Israel launched the largest military operation in the West Bank that we have seen in at least two decades

Thursday marks day two of the Israeli military and security forces large-scale raid into the West Bank, the biggest seen in at least two decades. Fierce fighting overnight focused on a mosque in the city of Tulkarem, resulting in five Palestinian gunmen being killed. The first day of the major assault involving hundreds of IDF troops and Shin Bet security personnel left at least nine Palestinians dead. Fighter jets, drones, and bulldozers have been seen focusing counter-terror efforts in the towns of Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas  each which also contains sprawling refugee camps. Amid international criticism over the apparent expansion of the Gaza war into the PA-administered West Bank, Israeli leadership says it has intelligence showing that if it didnt act, another Oct.7-style terror attack might have been launched from operatives in the West Bank.

Needless to say, this has caused tensions in the region to soar even higher.

At one point, Israeli troops actually fired shoulder-launched missiles at a mosque in Tulkarem

In Tulkarem, troops of Border Polices elite Yamam counterterrorism unit were dispatched to a mosque in the city following intelligence provided by the Shin Bet of a group of gunmen holed up there. The Yamam officers carried out a tactic known as pressure cooker that involves escalating the volume of fire directed at a building to force suspects to come out. The Israeli forces had fired shoulder-launched missiles at the mosque as part of the tactic, and two gunmen were killed.

As you can imagine, many in the Islamic world are working themselves up into a frenzy over this.

I have never seen more anger and more frustration in the region, and it is only a matter of time before it fully explodes.

In fact, even the mainstream media is now admitting that an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah is inevitable

Furthermore, after the complete failure of UNSCR 1701 that concluded the Second Lebanon War and that was supposed to make sure Hezbollah would not rearm in south Lebanon  it did so anyway  many Israelis lost all trust in the efficacy of diplomacy to stop Hezbollah. The brutal truth is that war between Israel and Hezbollah is inevitable, even if it wont happen this week or next week, or even in the next few months. Hezbollah has proven to Israelis and Israeli decision-makers that it is a considerable threat that cannot be dealt with only by trying to stop its rearmament.

I think that it is quite likely that we could see all-out war in the Middle East by the end of this calendar year.

Sadly, most people have absolutely no idea what that is going to look like.

It is going to be more horrible than most people would dare to imagine.

Of course the same thing could be said about the other cataclysmic conflicts that are coming too.

I have been writing about these approaching conflicts for many years, and now we are just about there.

If people really understood the death and destruction that these wars will cause, there would be enormous anti-war movements all over the planet.

But instead, billions of people seem to have come down with a really bad case of war fever, and that is extremely unfortunate.

Read more at: EndOfTheAmericanDream.com
Trump warns Zuckerberg and anyone who illegally interferes in election will be jailed for life

(Article by Paul Joseph Watson republished from Modernity.news)

The claim appears in a new book written by Trump called Save America that is due to be published next week.

Trump says that the Facebook founder will spend the rest of his life in prison if there is proven meddling.

Zuckerbergs Facebook played a key role in censoring the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 election based on fake claims that the story was a Russian disinformation operation, when in fact it was completely true.

Former President Donald Trump railed against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in his upcoming book, accusing the tech tycoon of undermining him in the last election and warning of possible jail time. Trump, 78, recounted meeting with Zuckerberg, 40, and seethed over the 2020 election pic.twitter.com/XPMdIjeM6Y  Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) August 28, 2024

Some observers say that the suppression of this story, along with a multitude of others, could have changed the outcome of the vote.

In the book, Trump says that he is watching him [Zuckerberg] closely ahead of the election in November.

While he was in office, Trump said that Zuckerberg would visit him and bring his very nice wife to dinners, be as nice as anyone could be, but was secretly mounting a plot against the President.

He told me there was nobody like Trump on Facebook. But at the same time, and for whatever reason, steered it against me, writes Trump.

We are watching him closely, and if he does anything illegal this time he will spend the rest of his life in prison  as will others who cheat in the 2024 presidential election.

Trumps Facebook account was suspended after the January 6 riot, despite the president telling protesters to remain peaceful and go home.

He was only reinstated to the social media platform at the start of this year.

As we previously highlighted, Zuckerberg sensationally admitted that the Biden White House pressured Facebook to censor content about COVID-19 and the Hunter Biden laptop story and that he now regrets it.

I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it. I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldnt make today, wrote Zuckerberg in a letter to the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee.

Read more at: Modernity.news
Zuckerberg admits to censoring Americans, Hunter Biden laptop story under Biden-Harris pressure

On Aug. 26, 2024, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg wrote a letter to Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) of the House Committee on the Judiciary telling him that the regime of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris "pressured" Facebook to censor Americans, which Facebook did.

Facebook remains under the microscope as part of a lengthy investigation into the social media platform's content moderation policies. So far, Facebook has produced thousands of documents in accordance with the investigation.

With hundreds of millions of users hailing from many different countries around the world, Facebook regularly receives requests from governments and others expressing concerns about the information being spread. The Biden regime was especially concerned all throughout the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic" about what people were sharing about lockdowns, face masks and "vaccines."

In 2021 at the height of COVID, the Biden regime, and specifically the White House, "repeatedly pressured" Facebook staff to censor content about the "pandemic," "including humor and satire," Zuckerberg says. And whenever Facebook disagreed, Biden and his people "expressed a lot of frustration."

"Ultimately, it was our decision whether or not to take content down, and we own our own decisions, including COVID-19-related changes we made to our enforcement in the wake of this pressure," Zuckerberg wrote in the letter.

"I believe the government pressure was wrong, and I regret that we were not more outspoken about it. I also think we made some choices that, with the benefit of hindsight and new information, we wouldn't make today."

"Like I said to our teams at the time, I feel strongly that we should not compromise our content standards due to pressure from any Administration in either direction  and we're ready to push back if something like this happens again."

(Related: Remember when Facebook blocked a censorship report that names the company 31 separate times from being shared by users on its platform?)

Convenient excuses

Concerning the Hunter Biden laptop scandal, Zuckerberg says the Biden regime, and specifically the FBI, contacted Facebook about "a potential Russian disinformation operation" that was allegedly behind the effort to expose the Biden Crime Family for corruption with Burisma and Ukraine leading up to the 2020 election.

After the New York Post published its famous expose on Hunter's illicit activities with Burisma and Ukraine, Facebook sent it off to "fact-checkers" for review. During the time it was being reviewed, the expose was blocked from being shared on Facebook.

Facebook has since learned that the report "was not Russian disinformation." And just like with his COVID censorship scheme, Zuckerberg says he now regrets "in retrospect" agreeing to "demote the story."

"We've changed our policies and processes to make sure this doesn't happen again  for instance, we no longer temporarily demote things in the U.S. while waiting for fact-checkers."

This is all a convenient excuse from Zuckerberg that he and his team were simply misled or mistaken when they decided to keep Americans in the dark about COVID and the Hunter Biden laptop story, two topics that had Zuckerberg maintained free speech might have changed the direction of the United States in a major way.

To further try to persuade the House committee to let him off the hook for his election meddling, Zuckerberg noted at the end of his letter that he made "contributions" during the last presidential cycle "to support electoral infrastructure."

"The idea here was to make sure local election jurisdictions across the country had the resources they needed to help people vote safely during a global pandemic," Zuckerberg wrote.

"I made these contributions through the Chan Zuckerberg initiative."

If Americans let them, the government and social media giants will continue to throttle the truth online. Learn more at Censorship.news.

Sources for this article include:

X.com

NaturalNews.com
KYODO NEWS - Aug 31, 2024 - 09:29 | All, Japan

The Japanese government on Friday shelved its plans to give money and encourage more women to relocate to rural areas upon marriage, after a chorus of criticism online that the move is discriminatory and lacks sensitivity, despite its intended aim of helping revitalize regional areas.

The government initially planned to incentivize the relocation of would-be brides to rural areas by expanding the scope of an existing program that hands out up to 600,000 yen ($4,100) per person to those moving out of the Tokyo metropolitan area and work in other parts of Japan.

The plan was to remove that work requirement while also targeting women looking for partners outside the greater Tokyo area to tie the knot with.

As soon as the idea was reported by media outlets, however, the government faced an immediate backlash, with online comments such as "Do they think money can buy women?" and "They are trying to 'utilize' women."

Criticisms also came from within the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "If we try to motivate people to move to regional areas by using marriage, and leave the root cause of the problem unattended, it won't be the right way to do it," said Wakako Yata, an adviser to the prime minister.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, regional revitalization minister Hanako Jimi said she instructed officials to "reconsider" the plan.

"We will carefully listen to the voices of people who are struggling due to income gaps between men and women, gender bias, and other reasons, and take measures," she said.

The government is tackling the concentration of people in urban areas like Tokyo. The COVID-19 pandemic increased the appeal of rural areas by giving people more flexibility in how and where they work.

Still, overconcentration remains a challenge, with Tokyo experiencing a net inflow of around 68,000 people in 2023, according to government data. Of the total, around 37,000 were women.

The ratio of single men in rural areas is higher than in cities, partly because an increasing number of women are choosing to remain in the Tokyo area rather than return to their hometowns.

Japan is already one of the world's fastest aging nations, with its birthrate on a downtrend. The trend reflects more people choosing not to marry at all or to do so late in life.

Related coverage:

Utsunomiya tram's rejuvenation achievements a model for other cities

FOCUS: Allowing foreign trainees to switch jobs stirs debate in rural Japan

Japan promoting pedal power to give abandoned railways new prospects
KYODO NEWS - Aug 31, 2024 - 22:36 | World, All

A Philippine Coast Guard ship anchored in Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea since April was rammed by a China Coast Guard vessel on Saturday, officials said, as tensions between the two countries over their maritime disputes have recently shifted to the area.

Teresa Magbanua, one of the two largest vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard, which Beijing wants Manila to remove from Sabina Shoal, sustained damage after it was "intentionally" hit multiple times while operating in the vicinity, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said.

But China said it was the Philippine ship that "deliberately collided" with its vessel and reiterated its demand for the withdrawal of Teresa Magbanua. Beijing, which continues to claim nearly the entire South China Sea despite an international ruling that it has no legal basis, calls the shoal Xianbin Jiao.

Despite the damage, the Philippine vessel will remain at Sabina Shoal, which is within the country's exclusive economic zone, and dropped anchor in another spot there hours after the incident, Tarriela said. None of its crew was injured, and a team is being considered to assess its seaworthiness, he added.

Two other coast guard ships, two Chinese navy tugboats, and several maritime militia vessels were in the vicinity at the time of the incident, according to Tarriela. Earlier this week, China rammed and used a water cannon against a Philippine vessel there and also blocked a resupply mission from Manila.

The Philippines said it deployed Teresa Magbanua to Sabina Shoal to monitor Chinese activities, including the potential for reclamation after the discovery of an unnatural accumulation of crushed corals there. Sabina is near Second Thomas Shoal, where tense encounters between Chinese and Philippine vessels have occurred since last year.

Related coverage:

China enters Japan waters days after air violation protested

China blocks Philippine Coast Guard supply mission in South China Sea

Philippines, China reach provisional accord to ease maritime tension
Many tough laws in India, need to make them more active: PM Modi on crimes against women

W

hile the anger and outrage over a woman doctor's rape and murder at a Kolkata government hospital continues to keep the medical fraternity as well as citizens agitated nationwide, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reiterated the need and urgency to ensure safety of women, particularly at the workplace.

PM Modi said that the atrocities against women are a matter of grave concern and there is a need to ensure faster justice in such cases.

"Today, atrocities against women, safety of children are matters of serious concern for society. Many strict laws have been made in the country for the safety of women, but we need to make it more active," PM Modi said.

"The faster the decisions are taken in cases related to atrocities against women, the greater assurance of safety half the population will get," said PM Modi, addressing an event in Delhi on the 75 years of the Supreme Court.

Notably, the Prime Minister, in the last few days, has repeatedly spoken about safeguarding women and also asked state governments to accord top priority on cases pertaining to girls.

PM Modi's remarks come a day after West Bengal Chief Minister's second letter to the Centre, demanding a central legislation and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes like rape and murder.

The Trinamool supremo also alleged that her previous letter to the PM went "unanswered" on such a "sensitive issue."

The Centre, replying to the Bengal CM's letter, highlighted that the existing laws are strong enough to deal with such crimes.

BJP leaders called out the state government over slow and tardy progress in the case and asked it to act swiftly, rather than playing to the gallery.

PM Modi's call for swift justice in crimes against women came while addressing the inaugural event of the 2-day National Conference of District Judiciary, at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday.

The Supreme Court has organised a two-day national conference of the District Judiciary from August 31 to September 1.

The two-day conference will have five working sessions that will discuss wide-ranging issues pertaining to the district judiciary including infrastructure, human resource, judicial security, judicial training and more.

 Many tough laws in India, need to make them more active: PM Modi on crimes against women

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The jury deliberated for roughly eight hours over Thursday and Friday before ruling in favor of the city of Urbana in its lawsuit against the Bloomington construction company.
A new editorial was published in Volume 11 of Oncoscience on July 19, 2024, entitled, "Functional information offers individualized adaptive cancer therapies."

As introduced in this editorial, the Oxford Computer Science Dictionary offers both general and technical definitions of information. Generally, information is anything that can cause a change in a human mind's opinion about the current state of the real world. Technically, information is anything that reduces the uncertainty of a system's state. Claude Shannon provided an objective measure of information, known as entropy (H), by mathematically defining it in terms of the uncertainty associated with transmitting a message from a source, through a channel, to a receiver in a noisy environment. According to the technical definition, information entropy (H) increases when uncertainty in a data set is reduced.

Here, R. Craig Herndon from the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo, Texas, also explains that Shannon information entropy, based on outcome probabilities or uncertainties in a data stream, can also be defined in terms of signal data uncertainty, often quantified by standard deviation. He suggests that precision medicine research efforts will benefit from integrating functional information.

"This application of functional information for adapting radiation therapy to individual patients requires an understanding of the systems involved to ensure there is an information exchange between the bioresponse and biomarker model."
The global plastic pollution crisis and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic  where billions of single-use diagnostic tests were discarded  is prompting businesses and researchers to develop new and more sustainable rapid diagnostic tests.

Some companies have designed biodegradable tests for flu and COVID-19, while researchers are finding new and creative ways of making tests out of recycled materials.

But these innovations mostly come from companies and institutions in the global North. Low- and middle-income countries, where plastic pollution is most severe and local production of diagnostics is rare, will need a big push from investors and regulatory bodies to become sustainable, experts say.

Last month, Dutch company Okos Diagnostics started selling what it says is the first fully biodegradable test kit for COVID-19, Influenza A and B and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, after three years of prototyping and testing various materials and designs.

The test case is made of a plant-based material resulting from agricultural discard. The complete test, which is ready for users to buy and swab themselves, is now being sold worldwide for EUR 4.99 (US$ 5.5).

The company made it a point that the test be biodegradable and not just recycled, so that it could address the issue of used tests ending up in landfills, especially in low- and middle-income countries, co-founder Sander Julian Brus told SciDev.Net.

Okos calculated that its test kit could biodegrade in 10 to 30 months and is now partnering with the Helix Biogen Institute in Nigeria to test biodegradability in real-world conditions.

While environmental concerns might not have been front of mind in the early stages of the pandemic, I think now is the right time, said Brus.

Since we entered an endemic phase [of the pandemic], now its the right time to switch and for the industry to change and to make sure that if the next thing breaks out, it can be done differently, he added.

The waste issue

In a 2022 report, the World Health Organization estimated that over 140 million test kits used around the world during the first phase of the pandemic could have generated as much as 2,600 tonnes of waste  most of it plastic.

The United Nations is poised to sign a legally binding agreement to curb plastic pollution by the end of this year.

Across Sub-Saharan Africa, where rates of HIV and many other diseases are higher than elsewhere, self-testing has become a lifeline for people in recent years. That is also contributing to pollution in an area of the world where appropriate waste disposal is lagging, says Collins Odhiambo, portfolio lead at the African Society for Laboratory Medicine.

An OECD projection sees global plastic use almost tripling by 2060 from 2019 levels and growing more than sixfold in Sub-Saharan Africa.

People just throw waste anywhere. If it is collected, its just taken somewhere and dumped, Odhiambo, who is based in Kenya, told SciDev.Net.

Producing more sustainable materials instead of plastic could be part of the solution, but Odhiambo is not convinced that the continents manufacturing sector can currently support such a shift.

I think the landscape in Africa for local manufacturing is not yet there, he explained. Neither for sustainable diagnostics, nor for plastic diagnostics.

Most diagnostic or pharmaceutical products reach Africa via technology transfer from rich countries.

We need to first change the practice up [in the global North], so that if they use sustainable materials in the North, then when they do the technology transfer to Africa its actually technology that includes the use of biodegradable material. Collins Odhiambo, portfolio lead at the African Society for Laboratory Medicine

Chewing gum and fridge parts

Besides Netherlands-based Okos, more and more companies and research institutions are starting to take up the challenge. British diagnostic company Abingdon Health recently partnered with London-based sustainable design consultancy Morrama to come up with plant fibre test cases for various types of rapid testing. The test should be launched on the market by the spring of 2025.

At Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, a group of researchers earlier this year designed tests made of recycled materials, using pellets that originated from objects as diverse as chewing gum and old fridge parts.

Its not written anywhere that it has to be in virgin plastic, said Maiwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas, professor in microfluidic engineering in the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, who has been leading the test prototyping.

However, using recycled materials is just an intermediate solution and in the long run more investment is needed in manufacturing lines for non-plastic materials, Kersaudy-Kerhoas told SciDev.Net.

Elijah Kolawole Oladipo, director of science at Helix Biogen Institute, is optimistic that sustainable diagnostics manufacturing can come to Africa soon enough, if sufficient investment can be attracted.

The Nigerian research institute is partnering with test-makers Okos on a study to check biodegradability of test kits in soil. The idea is eventually to replicate the tests production locally and make it available in Nigeria and beyond.

Instead of continuing to accept transfers of technology coming from the global North, Oladipo believes, African nations should leverage their abundance of raw materials to build local manufacturing plants for sustainable products.
To the known risk factors for cardiovascular disease-;high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, overweight and obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity-;a new one has to be added: clonal hematopoiesis. This condition is triggered by acquired mutations in blood stem cells and was already known to be associated with an elevated cardiovascular risk. However, until now it was uncertain if clonal hematopoiesis was a cause or consequence of cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study published in Nature Medicine and carried out by researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) resolves this critical debate by establishing clonal hematopoiesis as a new risk factor for atherosclerosis-;the formation of lesions in the arterial wall that underlies most cardiovascular disorders. In a second study, published in the European Heart Journal, the CNIC scientists propose the ancient medication colchicine as the central plank of personalized strategies to alleviate the effects of clonal hematopoiesis associated with acquired mutations in the TET2 gene. The results of these important studies will be presented today at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in London, UK.

Acquired mutations in blood cell lineages: a new cause of atherosclerosis

An adult person produces hundreds of thousands of blood cells every day. This high rate of cell division unavoidably entails the accumulation of DNA mutations in the dividing cells. These mutations are known as somatic mutations, and are acquired, not inherited. "Although most somatic mutations are innocuous, some give the affected cells a competitive advantage that allows them to expand and progressively accumulate, generating clonal populations of mutated blood cells, a phenomenon known as clonal haematopoiesis," explained Jose Javier Fuster, who led the Nature Medicine study, for which it has received support from Fundacion "la Caixa".

These mutations had already been proposed as a possible risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, the exact nature of the relationship had remained unclear. As Dr. Jose Javier Fuster, coordinator of the CNIC "Novel Mechanisms of Atherosclerosis" program, explained, "some earlier studies suggested that somatic mutations linked to clonal hematopoiesis contribute directly to cardiovascular disease and thereby accelerating the development of atherosclerosis. On the other hand, others proposed that it is atherosclerosis that causes clonal hematopoiesis by increasing the proliferation of blood stem cells and thereby generating a higher proportion of mutated blood cells."

The Nature Medicine study clarifies the relationship between clonal hematopoiesis and atherosclerosis through a longitudinal analysis of data from the PESA-CNIC-Santander study. PESA (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis) is a prospective study of more than 4000 apparently healthy middle-aged participants who have undergone periodic examinations using advanced imaging technology since 2010 to detect the presence and progression of asymptomatic atherosclerosis. PESA is a collaborative initiative of the CNIC and Santander Bank. "The PESA study has already made very important contributions to our understanding of cardiovascular disease, and its longitudinal nature and unique characteristics provide an ideal framework for carrying out this important study on the relationship between clonal hematopoiesis and atherosclerosis," said Dr. Valentin Fuster, CNIC General Director, principal investigator on the PESA study, and co-lead author on the Nature Medicine study.

The researchers used high-sensitivity DNA sequencing technology to detect somatic mutations in blood samples and assessed the presence and progression of atherosclerosis detected with noninvasive imaging techniques in the PESA participants.

The study was a multidisciplinary effort involving specialists in basic science and cardiology, together with the specialized technical expertise of the Bioinformatics, Genomics, and Clinical Trials Units at the CNIC." Jose Javier Fuster

The results of the study clearly demonstrate that participants who had mutations linked to clonal hematopoiesis at the start of the study were more likely to develop atherosclerosis in the following years. On the other hand, the presence and extent of atherosclerosis had no influence on the expansion of mutated blood cells. "These results indicate that the mutations contribute to the development of atherosclerosis but are not a consequence of it," explained co-first author Miriam Diez-Diez. "However, it remains possible that other factors, such as genetic profile or lifestyle, might modulate the effects of clonal hematopoiesis, and future studies are planned to examine this possibility," added Beatriz L. Ramos-Neble, the other co-first author on the study.

The results of the study have clear clinical implications and identify clonal hematopoiesis as a cardiovascular risk factor completely different from the traditional risk factors studied in recent decades. This novelty holds promise for the development of new strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular disorders. "By demonstrating that the mutations linked to clonal hematopoiesis precede atherosclerosis and contribute to its development, our research suggests that blocking the effects of these somatic mutations could help to prevent cardiovascular disease," claimed Dr. Jose Javier Fuster. The second CNIC study, published in the European Heart Journal, lays the groundwork for this.

An ancient drug to alleviate a new cardiovascular risk factor

The best characterized mutations linked to clonal hematopoiesis are those that affect the TET2 gene. In a 2017 study published in Science, Dr. Jose Javier Fuster's team showed that mutations in TET2 accelerate the development of atherosclerosis in animal models. In the new study published in the European Heart Journal, the CNIC group, in partnership with the team led by Dr. Pradeep Natarajan at the Broad Institute in Boston, show that the adverse effects of TET2 mutations on cardiovascular health can be alleviated by treatment with the anti-inflammatory drug colchicine.

The CNIC team demonstrated that administration of colchicine to animals with TET2 mutations slows the development of atherosclerosis to a rate similar to that seen in non-mutated animals. In parallel, the Broad Institute scientists showed that individuals with TET2 mutations and who had been treated with colchicine for other conditions had a lower risk of myocardial infarction than untreated patients with similar mutations.

Plant preparations containing colchicine have been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine, and the drug is used in modern medicine to treat inflammatory conditions such as gout. "Colchicine is a very cheap medicine, available throughout the world, and is approved for the prevention of cardiovascular disease by the European Medicines Agency and by the FDA in the USA. There is therefore no major obstacle to its use for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in people with TET2 mutations," emphasized Dr. Maria Angeles Zuriaga, who conducted the experimental studies at the CNIC and is the first author on the European Heart Journal study.

Dr. Jose Javier Fuster underlined the important implications of the study for personalized medicine. "In clonal hematopoiesis, each mutated gene acts through different mechanisms and will therefore likely require specific interventions to target its effects. This study lays the groundwork for using colchicine for/in the personalized prevention of cardiovascular disease of carriers of mutations in TET2, but new clinical trials will be needed to conclusively demonstrate its effectiveness in these individuals."

The PESA study is cofunded by the CNIC and Santander Bank. The two studies were additionally funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion e Universidades (PLEC2021-008194), the Spanish cardiovascular research network (CIBERCV), Fundacion "la Caixa" (LCF/PR/HR17/52150007; LCF/PR/HR22/52420011), and Fundacion 'La Marato TV3' (202314-31).
BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The following is a summary of published science and technology news of China.

PUJIANG INNOVATION FORUM

The 2024 Pujiang Innovation Forum will be held in Shanghai from Sept. 7 to 10, the Ministry of Science and Technology announced at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.

More than 300 experts and scholars from over 40 countries and regions will attend the forum, during which a series of research achievements will be released. Foreign guests will account for nearly 40 percent of attendees.

AI MODEL FOR LUNAR EXPLORATION

The world's first professional, multimodal large language model for the field of lunar science has been released in China to significantly accelerate the processing speed of massive amounts of lunar data.

The new tool was debuted at the China International Big Data Industry Expo in Guiyang, the capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Geochemistry and the Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group.

BEIDOU NAVIGATION SERVICE PLATFORM

China's national Beidou high-precision navigation and positioning service platform has entered trial operation, representing new progress in the country's indigenous satellite navigation capabilities, the National Geomatics Center of China revealed in Chongqing on Thursday.

Developed under the leadership of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the platform integrates satellite navigation and positioning base stations nationwide within the natural resources system, injecting new impetus into the development of the digital economy. 
A high-pitched buzzing sound in your ear is an unmistakable sign that a female mosquito is out on the hunt -; for they, not males, drink blood. Hearing that tone might make you turn to try to swat the pest. But for a male mosquito, that tone means it's time to mate.

An international team led by researchers at the University of Washington has uncovered surprising details about mosquito mating, which could lead to improved malaria control techniques and even help develop precision drone flight. In a paper published Aug. 30 in the journal Current Biology, the team revealed that when a male Anopheles coluzzii mosquito hears the sound of female-specific wingbeats, his vision becomes active.

Many mosquito species have relatively poor vision, and Anopheles coluzzii -; a major spreader of malaria in Africa -; is no exception. But the team found that when a male hears the telltale buzz of female flight, his eyes "activate" and he visually scans the immediate vicinity for a potential mate. Even in a busy, crowded swarm of amorous mosquitoes, which is how A. coluzzii mates, the researchers found that the male can visually lock on to his target. He then speeds up and zooms deftly through the swarm -; and avoids colliding with others.

"We have discovered this incredibly strong association in male mosquitoes when they are seeking out a mate: They hear the sound of wingbeats at a specific frequency -; the kind that females make -; and that stimulus engages the visual system," said lead author Saumya Gupta, a UW postdoctoral researcher in biology. "It shows the complex interplay at work between different mosquito sensory systems."

This strong link between males hearing the female-like buzz and moving toward an object in their field of vision may open up a new route for mosquito control: a new generation of traps specific to the Anopheles mosquitoes that spread malaria.

This sound is so attractive to males that it causes them to steer toward what they think might be the source, be it an actual female or, perhaps, a mosquito trap." Jeffrey Riffell, senior author, UW professor of biology

Like most Anopheles species, Anopheles coluzzii mate in large swarms at sunset. The bulk of the bugs in these swarms are males, with only a few females. To human eyes, the swarms may appear chaotic. Mosquitoes of both sexes rapidly zip past each other. Males must use their senses to both avoid collision and find a rare female.

Gupta, Riffell and their colleagues -; including scientists from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, the Health Sciences Research Institute in Burkina Faso, and the University of Montpelier in France -; wanted to understand the interplay between mosquitoes' senses and how they work together in these swarms. To test the flight behavior of individual male mosquitoes, they built a miniature arena that uses a curved, pixelated screen to mimic the visual chaos of a swarm. The arena is essentially a mosquito flight simulator. In it, the mosquito test subject, which is tethered and cannot freely move, can still see, smell and hear, and also beat its wings as if it is in flight.

In arena tests with dozens of male Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes, the researchers discovered that males responded differently to an object in their field of vision based on what sound the researchers broadcast into the arena. If they played to a tone at 450 hertz -; the frequency at which female mosquito wings beat in these swarms -; males steered toward the object. But males did not try to turn toward the object if the researchers played a tone at 700 hertz, which is closer to the frequency at which their fellow males beat their wings.

The mosquito's perceived distance to the object also mattered. If the simulated object appeared more than three body lengths away, he would not turn toward it, even in the presence of female-like flight tones.

"The resolving power of the mosquito eye is about 1,000-fold less than the resolving power of the human eye," said Riffell. "Mosquitoes tend to use vision for more passive behaviors, like avoiding other objects and controlling their position."

In addition to their dramatic response to objects when hearing female flight tones, arena experiments revealed that males made a different set of subtle flight adjustments to other objects. They modified their wingbeat amplitude and frequency in response to an object in their field of view, even with no wingbeat sounds piped in through the speaker. The team hypothesized that these visually driven responses may be preparatory maneuvers to avoid an object. To learn more, they filmed male-only swarms in the laboratory. Analyses of those movements showed that males accelerated away when they neared another male.

"We believe our results indicate that males use close-range visual cues for collision avoidance within swarms," said Gupta. "However, hearing female flight tones appears to dramatically alter their behavior, suggesting the importance of integrating sound and visual information."

This research may demonstrate a new method for mosquito control by targeting how mosquitoes integrate auditory and visual cues. The males' strong and consistent attraction to visual cues when they hear the female buzz may be a vulnerability that researchers can utilize while designing the next generation of mosquito traps -;particularly traps for the Anopheles species, which are a major spreader of malaria pathogens.

"Mosquito swarms are a popular target for mosquito control efforts, because it really leads to a strong reduction in biting overall," said Riffell. "But today's measures, like insecticides, are increasingly less effective as mosquitoes evolve resistance. We need new approaches, like lures or traps, which will draw in mosquitoes with high fidelity."

Co-authors are Antoine Cribellier, Serge Poda and Florian Muijres of Wageningen University of Wageningen University in the Netherlands and Olivier Roux of the University of Montpelier in France. Roux and Poda are also with the Health Sciences Research Institute in Burkina Faso. The research was funded by the Human Frontiers Science Program, the National Institutes of Health, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the French National Research Agency.
The imaging techniques currently used in biological research cannot penetrate into deeper tissue layers. In cancer treatment, this means that remnants of tumors or individual cancer cells at tumor margins and in lymph nodes are not visible. Doctors performing surgery are therefore repeatedly faced with the difficult question of whether all of the affected tissue has actually been removed. For the patient's quality of life, however, the complete removal of the tumor is just as essential as the preservation of healthy tissue and organs.

In their research, the scientists led by Oliver Bruns, Andriy Chmyrov, Ellen Sletten and Christopher Rowlands are making use of the properties of short-wave infrared light. Thanks to its lower scattering, it can penetrate deeper into tissue, enabling improved visualization of tissue structures.

In cancer research in particular, the unprecedented sensitivity of imaging using short-wave infrared light, fluorescent dyes and state-of-the-art cameras may enable us to make even just a few cancer cells clearly visible. Our goal is to precisely detect and remove even the smallest tumor remnants in the future." Prof. Oliver Bruns, Chair in the Faculty of Medicine at TU Dresden

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has recognized the potential of this technology and has already funded the researchers with one million USD in 2021. Based on the outstanding results in the first funding phase, the team will now even receive funding of USD 2.2 million. The consortium led by Oliver Bruns and Andriy Chmyrov from the Department of Functional Imaging in Surgical Oncology at the National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT/UCC) is one of the nine selected beneficiaries from around 300 funding applications submitted.

Bruns holds a Chair in the Faculty of Medicine at TU Dresden funded by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). In addition to the Faculty of Medicine, Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital Dresden and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, the DKFZ is one of the bodies responsible for the National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT/UCC Dresden), which is one of the six NCT sites in Germany.

The research team intends to use the funding to carry out fundamental studies and utilize novel physical effects in order to identify the optimal conditions for short-wave infrared imaging. To this end, they are working on the design of special Raman probes and a visionary microscope that will overcome the limitations of previous microscopy techniques. These highly innovative technologies could be used in various areas of biological research and medical diagnostics and, for the first time, enable the non-invasive microscopic examination of deeper tissue layers.

Prof. Esther Troost, Dean of the Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine, emphasizes: "The funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative underlines the outstanding quality of research at our faculty. The work of the team led by Oliver Bruns and Andriy Chmyrov is helping to set new benchmarks in medical imaging and significantly improve the diagnosis of tumor diseases." For the Director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology at University Hospital Dresden, this opens up the prospect of being able to better calculate the target volume of radiation, just to give one example. "So far, the basis for this radiation has been conventional imaging techniques such as MRI. We were not able to detect tumor spread in this way. This scientific approach is therefore an essential step towards improved therapy."

Prof. Jurgen Weitz, Managing Director of the NCT/UCC and Director of the Clinic for Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, agrees that these scientific efforts provide the opportunity for more precise operations: "With this technology, we can locate and remove tumors more precisely, which could significantly increase the success rate of surgical interventions."

Prof. Michael Albrecht, Medical Director of the University Hospital of Dresden, adds: "This advanced imaging technology has the potential to significantly improve patient care by enabling more precise diagnoses and more individualized treatment approaches."
Nigeria is to begin the immediate rollout of 5,000 doses of mpox vaccines while the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) eyes its first shipment of 65,000 doses, as Africa steps up measures to control the multi-country outbreak.

The vaccine, administered in two doses, will go first to people at high-risk, including health workers and those living in areas with high infection rates, according to Nigeria's National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.

Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said the delivery of 10,000 doses to Nigeria by USAID this week signified "a clear demonstration of international solidarity in the face of global public health emergencies".

Nigeria became the first African country to receive the vaccine after confirming 40 cases of the disease, whose symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes and a rash leading to blisters.

The DRC, the country worst affected, is expecting to receive 65,000 doses of the vaccine on 1 September, announced Jean Kaseya, director-general of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), during an online press conference on Wednesday (28 August).

He said 50,000 doses would be sent by the US while 15,000 will be provided by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Kaseya said the JYNNEOS vaccine, made by Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic, was one of the surest ways of stopping the mpox epidemic, alongside epidemiological surveillance and screening.

He stressed the vaccine was the same one used in the US and Europe to stem an outbreak of mpox - formerly known as monkeypox - in 2022.

"It has been given to millions of Americans and Europeans, which has made it possible to stop [that] epidemic," he told the press conference.

In July, the emerging infectious diseases foundation CEPI announced trials in the DRC to see if vaccinating people already exposed to mpox stops them getting sick and spreading it.

Kaseya said Africa CDC would be sending 72 epidemiologists to affected areas in September to collect more data on case numbers, citing problems with the reliability of current data.

These epidemiologists, in addition to the support they will be giving to the teams in the field, will also be focusing on the quality of the data, so that we can have data that will enable us to make good decisions, he said.

In the coming weeks, we will begin to provide what we believe to be quality data thanks to this support.

Response plans

For the first time since its creation, Africa CDC declared on 13 August that the new mpox epidemic constituted a public health emergency of continental security (PHECS) in Africa. The next day, the WHO declared it a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

This declaration marks an important moment in the history of public health in Africa and demonstrates the seriousness of the situation and the need for a unified, continent-wide response to this rapidly spreading disease. Nicaise Ndembi, Kaseyas scientific advisor and mpox response coordinator for the African Union and Africa CDC

He stressed that it is now urgent to take coordinated action at national, regional and international levels to stop the spread of mpox.

Africa CDC is working to develop a continental response plan, which, according to Kaseya, should take into account the individual needs of each country. He said the plan will be presented to African heads of state for endorsement in the coming weeks.

The WHO has already launched a global strategic plan for mpox preparedness and response, which it says requires US$ 87.4 million over the next six months (September 2024-February 2025).

WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Brazzaville this week (26 August), stressed the need for more research and surveillance of the disease, as well as equitable access to vaccines.

I am certain that with the leadership of the affected countries and the support of the WHO, partners such as CDC Africa and others, we will be able to bring this epidemic under control quickly, as we have been able to do with other epidemics in recent years, he said.

New variants

According to the latest WHO epidemiological data, 14 African countries have reported cases of mpox so far, with Gabon confirming its first case of the virus on 22 August.

The DRC remains the country hardest hit by the epidemic, with a total of 3,244 cases and 25 deaths recorded to date this year.

Burundi has recorded 231 cases, while a number of cases have also been confirmed in Central African Republic (45); Cote dIvoire (28); South Africa (24), and Congo (23).

There are two main types of the virus, Clade I and Clade II. Clade I, endemic to Central Africa, causes more severe illness and disease. The less severe Clade II strain caused the global outbreak in 2022 and is the type being seen in Nigeria.

However, a novel, sexually transmitted strain of the virus, identified as Clade Ib, has started spreading across the DRC and neighboring countries, causing alarm.

Flaubert Mba, wildlife specialist and One Heath focal point at the Centre for Research on Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases, told SciDev.Net: The emergence of the new, more virulent variant (Clade Ib) and the increase in human-to-human transmission, with new routes such as sexual transmission, remains a cause for concern.

In addition to vaccination and the recommended hygiene measures, he believes that African countries need to focus on epidemiological surveillance, particularly in areas where wildlife and people interact.

Mpox is a re-emergent zoonosis, meaning that it is transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa, he explained.

Particular emphasis needs to be placed on at-risk areas associated with risk mapping and areas where there have been outbreaks in the past.
The Philippines is under global scrutiny as it proceeds with the controlled rollout of an unproven African swine fever (ASF) vaccine from Vietnam amid doubts from experts about its safety and efficacy.

ASF is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs and has a mortality rate that can reach 100 per cent, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

There is no internationally approved vaccine against the virus which has led to huge losses in pig populations following an upsurge in the disease since 2022.

There is a very big concern, said Ramon Clarete, a professor of economics at the University of the Philippines Diliman who specializes in agricultural productivity. We really must be careful about this [vaccine], because the swine industry is a very important industry in agriculture.

The concerns stem from a perceived lack of transparency from Vietnam about its trial data and the nature of the ASF vaccine, which consists of a live virus that has been weakened by deleting important parts of its genes. This type, called a live-attenuated vaccine, may still pose a serious risk of mutation and reversion to its viral form.

The risk with a live-attenuated vaccine is that it may still have a little bit of virulence that can cause either the disease or some form of discomfort or disease, said Baptiste Dungu, professor at University of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and vaccinologist with more than 30 years in veterinary vaccine research, manufacturing, and commercialization.

A study published in Nature tested the virus strain in ten pigs and found that while it did not gain back its virulence, a virus variant emerged in one pig, which eventually spread through all ten pigs. The variant appeared to be slightly more replicative and had an increased risk of shedding, the study claims.

Shedding is when a virus is excreted by the animal that has been vaccinated and then it goes to another animal. Baptiste Dungu, Professor at University of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

This phenomenon did not occur in any of the previous studies, but it is relevant because it could also happen in the field during intensive use, the authors said in the paper.

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said they had carefully reviewed the field trial data before granting the vaccine a Certificate of Product Registration under Monitored Release (CPR MR), which allows its controlled use in the country.

CPR MR is issued by the FDA for new drugs and vaccines that have successfully met the stringent safety, efficacy and quality standards required for approval, the agency told SciDev.Net.

The vaccine, named the AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine, is created by AVAC Vietnam JSC and imported into the Philippines by KPP Powers Commodities Inc. It is derived from a virus strain called ASFV-G-MGF, or MGF for short.

However, on 27 October 2022, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a public notice about the withdrawal of MGF from the select agent regulatory exclusions because it has evaluated new information and determined that they have the potential to pose a severe threat to animal health or animal products.

It has also determined that the virus strain is not safe for use in pigs because its genome is unstable, potentially leading to reversion of virulence, the notice warned.

APHIS cited two journal articles published by the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute in China as the basis for the decision, saying that the studies identified instability within the MGF genome segments.

In December 2023, WOAH issued a warning on the use of sub-standard vaccines following announcements of export deals between the vaccine maker AVAC Vietnam JSC and Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines. The warning urges authorities to only use high-quality vaccines with proven safety and efficacy.

Despite these concerns, the controlled rollout will proceed next month, with 150,000 doses to be distributed in pig farms on a voluntary basis. The campaign will begin on 2 September, in Lobo, Batangas, the ground zero of ASF outbreaks, according to agriculture assistant secretary and spokesman Arnel de Mesa.

Last month, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel claimed on the state television PTV that the vaccine from Vietnam really works.

The Department of Agriculture did not respond to SciDev.Nets requests for more information about the field trials.

The FDA said that field trials have been ongoing in the Philippines for almost two years now and claimed that the vaccine has a 100 per cent efficacy with no side effects. However, no trial data has been made public.

When asked for the field trial documents, the FDA said that they follow strict confidentiality protocols and that direct access to them is not permitted.

Former Agriculture Undersecretary Jose Reano questioned the credibility of the trials, explaining that he had not seen the field trial documents.

If the results were really positive, they should be proud and share the data with the public, Reano told SciDev.Net, while adding that the government should not rely on the vaccine as the main form of intervention.

Last year, the trials were scrutinized in a senate hearing with Senator Cynthia Villar questioning KPP Powers Commodities Inc. about its involvement in the trials. The senator noted a conflict of interest and said the Department of Agriculture should independently conduct the field trials.

SciDev.Net reached out repeatedly to the company KPP Powers but did not receive a response in time for publication.

I am for the introduction of this [vaccination] if it has been found by experts that it is safe to use, said Clarete.

However, he said that the FDA should be more transparent with the trials.

The Philippines is one of the 19 Asian countries affected by ASF since 2019, according to data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. It has since spread to 74 of its 82 provinces and reduced the swine population from 12.7 million in 2019 to 9.9 million in 2023.

As of July 2023, the hog industry lost at least Php200 billion or about US$3.5 billion, according to Nicanor Briones, AGAP party-list representative and chair of the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines.
A study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital, reveals that the protein Tau  a key player implicated in several neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer's disease  also plays a positive role in the brain. Tau mitigates neuronal damage caused by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) or free radicals and promotes healthy aging. The study was published in Nature Neuroscience.

"ROS are natural byproducts of various cellular functions in the body. While low levels of ROS are beneficial, excess ROS is harmful to cells as it triggers the production of toxic forms of other molecules that induce oxidative stress, including peroxidated lipids," said lead author Dr. Lindsey Goodman, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Hugo Bellen. "Neurons are particularly susceptible to oxidative stress and are destroyed if peroxidated lipid levels are not tightly controlled."

Lipid droplets protect the brain from oxidative damage

There is mounting evidence supporting the notion that our brains have developed multiple neuroprotective strategies to combat ROS-induced oxidative damage.

One of the strategies, discovered in 2015 by the Bellen team, consists of neurons exporting these toxic peroxidated lipids to neighboring glial cells, which sequester them into lipid droplets for storage and future energy production. "This process effectively removes and neutralizes these toxic lipids," Goodman said. "In the current study we investigated the role of Tau in the formation of glial lipid droplets."

The team found that endogenous normal Tau in flies is required for glial lipid droplet formation and for protecting against neuronal ROS. Similarly, Tau was required in glial cells obtained from rats and humans to form lipid droplets.

And while expression of normal human Tau was sufficient to restore the process of formation and maturation of glial lipid droplets in flies lacking their own Tau, when this human Tau protein carried disease-causing mutations  which are linked to an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease  the glia were incapable of forming lipid droplets in response to neuronal ROS.

This argues that mutations in Tau may reduce the protein's normal ability to prevent oxidative stress in addition to causing the protein to accumulate into the typical hallmarks of disease, as described by previous work. Altogether, the findings support a new neuroprotective role for Tau against the toxicity associated with ROS." Dr. Lindsey Goodman, lead author

Further connections with disease were discovered using established fly and rat models of Tau-mediated conditions that overexpress disease-causing human Tau protein in glia. In these scenarios, the investigators again saw defects in glial lipid droplets and glial cell demise in response to neuronal ROS. This demonstrated that Tau is a dosage-sensitive regulator of glial lipid droplets where too much or too little Tau is detrimental.

"By revealing a surprising new neuroprotective role for Tau, the study opens the door to potential new strategies to slow, reverse and treat neurodegenerative conditions," said Bellen, corresponding author of the work. He is a distinguished service professor in molecular biology and genetics at Baylor and holds a Chair in Neurogenetics at Duncan NRI. Bellen also is a March of Dimes Professor in Developmental Biology at Baylor.

In summary, contrary to its usual 'bad guy' role in neurodegenerative disease, this study demonstrates that Tau also plays a 'good guy' role in glia by helping sequester toxic lipids, reducing oxidative damage and, hence protecting our brains. However, when Tau is absent or when defective Tau proteins are present, this protective effect disappears, leading to disease.
Written by Sachin Gawri:

Gurgaon, one of the fastest-growing residential and commercial hubs in the NCR region, has emerged as an attractive destination for investors and buyers over the years. Owing to its strategic location, rapid urban development, and world-class infrastructure, the city is home to high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) who seek premium living spaces with top-notch amenities. Offering lifestyle benefits to homebuyers, these properties come with exclusive amenities that not only enhance the living experience but also lead to higher rental yields.

A survey shows that 71 per cent of wealthy Indians desire to invest in luxury real estate for the next 12-24 months. Moreover, integrating smart technology and sustainable design elements in the properties increases property prices by up to 20 per cent.

However, the selection process for luxury properties focuses on various factors. While location remains a priority, architectural uniqueness and premium amenities continue to be significant spotlights, with developments offering bespoke designs and state-of-the-art facilities experiencing higher demand. Compliance with regulatory requirements is also pivotal. Affluent investors and buyers should conduct thorough due diligence to effectively navigate Indias intricate real estate laws and regulations, ensuring their investments fully comply with current legal standards. This includes a deep understanding of the Real Estate Regulation and Development Act (RERA), which has introduced significant reforms to the sector since its enactment.

Besides, investing in Gurgaons luxury real estate requires a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics and opportunities. Economic policies play an eminent role in shaping the market. For instance, the recent cap on capital gains tax spurred a rush of transactions as investors sought to leverage tax benefits before the end of the fiscal year. This adjustment is part of broader economic shifts that have seen luxury real estate prices in top markets like Mumbai and Delhi increase by over 30% in the last five years. Hence, the volatility of the luxury market demands strategic investment planning, emphasizing both the economic landscape and individual property valuations.

The luxury real estate sector caters to the growing demographic of HNIs and UHNIs, driven by urbanization and increasing disposable incomes. As this buyer segment notably focuses on sustainable living and is influenced by technological advancements, luxury homes emerge as lifestyle statements. Hence, luxury real estate investments offer various methods like traditional bank loans, commercial mortgages, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and crowdfunding platforms. Each method offers different terms, rates, and eligibility requirements, catering to the buyers investment objectives, financial state, and risk preferences.

Thus, as the appeal of the luxury real estate segment grows, these strategies further enhance the functionality of the properties. Aligning with global sustainability goals and attracting a new generation of eco-conscious investors, the sector offers promising opportunities for everyone interested in investing in the real estate sector. Thoroughly understanding the market dynamics, investors and buyers can navigate this profitable landscape.

(The author is founder and CEO, RISE Infraventures)
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday announced a change in the dates for polling and counting in Haryana amid demands from various sections regarding the same.

Haryana will go to polls on October 5 instead of October 1. The counting of votes for both Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir will take place on October 8. The date for the third phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir remains unchanged.

The poll body said in a statement that representations were received from national and state political parties and All India Bishnoi Mahasabha regarding the mass movement of people of the Bishnoi community of Haryana to Rajasthan to participate in centuries-old Asoj Amavasya festival celebration.

It may deny voting rights to a large number of people and may lead to reduce voters participation in general elections to the legislative assembly of Haryana, the poll body added.

The Commission, having considered these representations, has decided to change the date of poll only for Haryana from 1st October 2024 (Tuesday) to 5th October 2024 (Saturday), it added.

Poll dates for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana were announced earlier this month for October 1 and the counting of votes for both states was supposed to take place on October 5.

Elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir in three phases starting from September 18. The third phase of polling, as announced earlier, will be held on October 1. The polling dates in the UT have not been changed.

News18 has learnt that the Chief Election Officer (CEO) of Haryana sent a report on Saturday to the ECI after consulting with the Deputy Commissioners of Hisar, Sirsa, and Fatehabad, after which the date changes were announced.

Bishnoi communitys annual festival falls on Amavas during the month of Asoj when the devotees go to their native place in Mukam, Bikaner.

This year, the festival will take place on October 2 and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar will be travelling to Rajasthan on poll day, denying them their voting rights.

Thousands of Bishnoi families reside in these three districts, and it is a longstanding tradition from the last 3 centuries for them to visit their native place in Mukam, Rajasthan, during this time. Families from these districts are expected to start their journey on October 1 which is the poll day in Haryana. Members of the Bishnoi community residing in other districts in Haryana are also likely to travel to Mukam in Rajasthan, the report added.

Politicians React to Change In Poll Dates

On EC changing the date of counting of votes for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly elections, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said, I want to thank the Election Commission for their decision Our State President Mohanlal Kaushik wrote to the EC regarding a problem that there are consecutive holidays on September 29, 30 and October 1, 2. We expressed concern that this might affect the voting percentage. People might go on holidays or vacations. Other parties also expressed concern over this I want to thank the Election Commission they considered this

Former Haryana Minister Anil Vij also expressed gratitude to the election commission for revising facilitating and encouraging more people to come out to vote.

Congress leader and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Hooda said the change in polling dates reflects BJPs acceptance of an impending electoral defeat. They (BJP) have already accepted defeat in Haryana, he said.

This is not the first time the election commission has adjusted poll dates out of respect for the sentiments of various communities.

During the Punjab Assembly Elections in 2022, ECI postponed the polls by a week to accommodate devotees travelling to Varanasi for Guru Ravidas Jayanti.

Similarly, in Manipur during the Assembly elections 2022, the election commission changed the polling dates to respect the Christian communitys Sunday prayers.

In the Rajasthan Assembly elections 2023, the poll body rescheduled the polling originally scheduled on Devuthani Ekadashi, a day significant for mass weddings in Rajasthan.

During the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in 2012, polling date was changed due to Barawafat.

Speaking to News18, a poll body official said that the commission has consistently upheld the belief that Every Vote Matters and strives to create an ecosystem that encourages the active participation of all stakeholders, fostering a strong democracy.

Inclusivity has always been a core value of the Commission, particularly in ensuring that every eligible voter has the opportunity to participate in the electoral process, the official said.

Questions were also raised on the earlier polling date of October as it was allowing the voters to club weekend (September 28 and 29), a national holiday (October 2). The date of polling  October 1  would also have been a paid holiday. Also, October 3 would mark the first day of Sharad Navratri, a holiday for many.

Coincidentally, the revised polling date also resolves any concerns about a six-day holiday by taking a one-day leave on Sep 30, 2024.

However, polling on weekends has also not helped the ECI in higher voter turnout due to urban apathy  working class using the date as an extra paid holiday.
The West Bengal government on Saturday moved to the Supreme Court to challenge the bail granted to Sayan Lahiri of Chhatra Samaj, who was arrested in connection with the Nabanna Abhijan violence.

On Friday, the Calcutta High Court had directed the Kolkata Police to release Lahiri. In response, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has sought a stay on this decision. The matter is expected to be mentioned before the Supreme Court on Monday for urgent listing.

While granting bail to Lahiri, the high court had cautioned the police against using excessive force to terrorise protesters and stated that Lahiri could not be held liable for organising the protests simply due to his vocal role.

Lahiri was one of the convenors of the Nabanna Abhijan (March to Secretariat) on August 27, which condemned the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.

Parts of Kolkata and Howrah became virtual battlefields on the afternoon of August 27 due to clashes between the police and protesters. In several locations, the police had to resort to lathi-charges, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse protesters heading towards the state Secretariat in the Mandirtala area of Howrah district, adjacent to Kolkata.

(With inputs from agencies)
West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday accused the police of keeping the parents of the doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkatas RG Kar MCH under house arrest. The Congress leader visited the house of the deceased doctor and spoke to her parents.

Chowdhury alleged that the police had offered the victims father money for cremating the body quickly.

I visited the family of the deceased doctors residence and spoke to them for a long time. The police have kept the family under house arrest. They are not allowing them to come out of the house on the pretext of various excuses. The police have created a barricade around them, the CISF have no clue about this, Chowdhury told reporters.

The Kolkata Police following the directive of the state government had offered the father money while telling him that the body of his daughter be cremated without delay, Chowdhury alleged.

The body of a 31-year-old post-graduate trainee doctor was found in the seminar room of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. Junior doctors have been on a cease-work since that day demanding justice for her and strong security measures at medical establishments.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was stopped by the police from entering the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital when he arrived to meet the agitating junior doctors.

I went there as a common person and not a political leader, to express solidarity to them. But I was stopped from meeting them by the police Had they shown this promptness earlier, our sister doctor would not have met this fate, Chowdhury said.

One civic volunteer of the Kolkata Police was arrested for his alleged involvement in the crime.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the matter following the Calcutta High Courts order.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday labelled China a unique problem and stressed that the challenges posed by Beijing in the trade and security domains extend beyond Indias borders.

China in many ways is a unique problem because it is a unique polity, it is a unique economy. Unless one tries to grasp that uniqueness and understand it, the judgements, the conclusions and the policy prescriptions flowing out of it can be problematic, Jaishankar said at the ET World Leaders Forum, as he highlighted the concerns regarding the global trade deficits with China.

New Indias Risks

During a session titled New Indias Risks, Reforms, and Responsibilities, the minister pointed out that decades of overlooking the nature of Chinese production have led to significant economic imbalances. If today people are complaining about trade deficits with China, it is because we all consciously chose to overlook the advantages that China enjoyed in a system where they had a level playing field, he said during the event.

#WATCH | Delhi: At the ET World Leaders Forum, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says, China is a unique problem because it is a unique polity and economy. Its not just an indian problem. If today people are complaining about trade deficits with China, it is because pic.twitter.com/6qeAZPmbHo ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2024

A general China problem

There is a general China problem. We are not the only country in the world which is having a debate about China. Go to Europe, and ask them what is among their major economic or national security debates today. It is about China. Look at the United States (of America). It is obsessed with China, and rightly so in many ways, Jaishankar said. So, the fact is that it is not only India which has a China problem, he said.

India has a China problem a special China problem that is over and above the worlds general China problem, Jaishankar said. He further underlined that the issue of Chinas influence is a global concern, not limited to India. Go to Europe and ask them what is among your major economic or national security debates. Its about China. Look at the United States; its obsessed with China, and rightly so in many ways, he remarked.

China is not going to stop

The external affairs minister stressed the importance of enhancing domestic manufacturing capabilities to counterbalance Chinas economic dominance. By my complaining, China is not going to stop doing things. If I do not build up my strength at home, our foreign policy will be as good as our domestic policy, he explained.

Jaishankars comments come amid ongoing discussions about Indias trade relationship with China, which has continued to grow despite tensions along the border. He attributed the rising trade volume to a historical neglect of the manufacturing sector. He also underlined the need for a balanced approach to foreign investments, particularly from China. I am pro-investment, pro-growth, but somewhere there should be a balance, he said.
BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- China has made substantial strides in protecting the water ecology of key river basins, with national water-quality continuing to improve in the first half of this year, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) on Friday.

The proportion of surface-water bodies nationwide classified as having excellent water quality reached 89.4 percent in 2023, an increase of 1.5 percentage points compared to the previous year, MEE official Huang Xiaozeng told a press conference.

This figure surpasses the target set in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) by 4.4 percentage points, Huang noted.

Using the Yangtze River as an example, Huang reported that 98.5 percent of monitoring sites in the basin achieved excellent water quality in 2023, up 0.4 percentage points year on year.

Additionally, the number of indigenous fish species recorded in the Yangtze River Basin increased to 227, up by 34 species from 2022. The number of nationally protected aquatic wildlife species rose to 14 in 2023, an increase of three compared to the previous year.

Huang also said that in June last year, the MEE, in collaboration with relevant departments, issued detailed assessment criteria for water ecology in the Yangtze River Basin. The first assessment under these criteria is scheduled for 2025.

Based on the pilot efforts in the Yangtze, China aims to refine its water-ecology monitoring and evaluation methods nationwide, establish and improve water-ecology standards, and support the evaluation system for building a beautiful China, Huang said. 
Hours after senior journalist Abhijit Majumdar alleged that his phone number was blocked by telecom operator Airtel on the orders of Kolkata cyber police, he said that the phone services has been resumed. The journalist on Friday alleged that his phone services were blocked on orders of the Mamata Banerjee government amid tensions in West Bengal over the rape and murder case of a 31-year-old Kolkata doctor.

Airtel just resumed my phone services, Abhijit Majumder, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Earshot, posted on X.

Airtel just resumed my phone services. https://t.co/f6s4m7tZ3n Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) August 31, 2024

Earlier in the day, Majumdar on X stated, My phone has been blocked. Called Airtel. It has been blocked by apparently cyber police, West Bengal. How is this even legal?

In another post, he shared an audio clip of his conversation with an Airtel executive, who explained that his number was suspended after directions from the West Bengal cyber police due to fraud activity.

So, the police of #MamataBanerjee have blocked my phone number.I was talking too much about #KolkataDoctorDeath.They think they will silence me Called Airtel, this is what they said pic.twitter.com/8juvpZb75h Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) August 30, 2024

So, the police of #MamataBanerjee have blocked my phone number. I was talking too much about #KolkataDoctorDeath. They think they will silence me  Called Airtel, this is what they said, Majumder remarked.

Speaking on the suspension, Majumder told CNN-News18, I havent received any communique from the West Bengal Police. The telecom ministry has informed me that they are investigating the matter. My posts are public.

Targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Majumder criticised the action as unlawful and a form of dictatorship.

This action is unlawful, this is dictatorship. They should provide evidence for these allegations. My outgoing and incoming calls were barred, he asserted.

Majumder also questioned the connection between Airtel and the West Bengal government, stating, I thought number blocking could only be authorised by the central government.

Responding to Majumders post, Kanchan Gupta, senior advisor at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, condemned the suspension as unacceptable and questioned the lack of details or charges against the journalist.

Unacceptable.Per @airtelindia @Airtel_Presence wellknown journalist @abhijitmajumder s Cell has been blocked nationwide and globally by @WBPolice / @KolkataPolice Cyber Cell who have cited fraud as the reason.No details, no charges, no information, nothing.Abhijit is a https://t.co/3HFkh1p2mf Kanchan Gupta (@KanchanGupta) August 31, 2024

No details, no charges, no information, nothing. Abhijit is a trenchant critic of TMC Govt and has been highlighting lapses in RG Kar case. West Bengal is now a Police State?, Gupta noted.

Abhijit Majumder is a senior journalist. He also contributes to Network18 as a columnist and commentator.
Kolkata rape and murder case accused Sanjay Roy who is lodged at Presidency Correctional Home has reportedly expressed his anger over the meal served in prison. Not happy over the simple roti-sabzi" meal served to him, Roy had demanded that he should be allowed to eat egg chowmein.

However, according to jail rules, all inmates have to eat the same food prepared for every other prisoner. Thus, Roys demand for egg-chowmein could not be met.

Sources from Presidency prison said that when he was served roti and vegetables he was angry with the meal. However, after being reprimanded by the jail staff, he finally agreed to eat.

Earlier, when Roy was brought to Presidency Correctional Home from CBI custody, he requested the jail staff that he be allowed to get some sleep. He was also found to be mumbling at times. However, after a few days, he has returned to his normal self.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case. The CBI team has questioned former principal of Kolkatas RG Kar Medical College, Sandeep Ghosh again on Friday.

Sandeep Ghosh was summoned by the CBI for the 14th consecutive day in connection with the investigation of the rape and murder of the trainee doctor. Officials said that the agency has already questioned Ghosh for more than 140 hours.

Apart from this heinous crime, Ghosh is also under the CBIs radar for the financial scam case in the hospital, in which officials have already registered an FIR against him and other institutions. The CBI officials also searched the former principals residence last Sunday and questioned him.

The rape and killing of the junior doctor in a seminar hall of the hospital earlier in August has sparked widespread protests.

The medics body with severe injury marks was found inside the seminar hall of the hospitals chest department in the morning of August 9. Roy was arrested the following day.

On August 13, the Calcutta High Court ordered the transfer of the probe from the Kolkata Police to the CBI, which started its investigation on August 14.
Keralas Arimpur, a village that was once known as Aripura, the land of rice cultivation, has a rich history tied to its agricultural roots. Today, it carries forward its legacy under a new name but remains a place where traditional and modern livelihoods intersect. One such story of this intersection is that of Samrat Ghosh, a young man who journeyed from Murshidabad in West Bengal to Arimpur about five years ago. Drawn by the promise of better opportunities, Samrat arrived in this Kerala village to work in construction, a field that was far removed from the farming traditions of Aripura.

Alongside his work, Samrat was dedicated to maintaining his physical fitness. He joined a local gym and underwent structured training under the guidance of trainer Akhil, using his work breaks to exercise. Competing in bodybuilding contests organized by the Kappa Association, Samrat, an outsider, won the titles of Mr. Thrissur and Mr. Kerala in the 65 kg sub-junior category. He also secured second place in the sub-junior bodybuilding competition held in South India and has begun preparing for the Mr. India competition.

Despite his growing recognition in the bodybuilding world, Samrat has continued his work as a mason on construction sites in Arimpur. He reflects on the stark difference between his earnings here and what he used to make back in his hometown. In Murshidabad, he earned a mere Rs 300 per day, but in Kerala, his daily wage has risen to Rs 1,000. This significant increase in income has allowed him to lead a more comfortable life and pursue his passion for bodybuilding without financial strain.

He has grown attached to the land of Kerala and wishes to stay in Arimpur. Pleased with his earnings, physical fitness and recognition, Samrat Ghosh is content and has no interest in returning to his native place. He feels that Kerala has welcomed him and he intends to stay.
Massive protests continued at Gudlavalleru Engineering College in Andhra Pradeshs Krishna district on Saturday, a day after students alleged that a hidden camera was installed in the washroom of the girls hostel.

A high-level inquiry was initiated into the incident following the intervention of chief minister Chandrababu Naidu.

Speaking to News18, Krishna district Superintendent of Police (SP) Gangadhar Rao said a thorough probe is being conducted but, so far, the police have not recovered any hidden camera from inside the washroom as alleged by the students.

He also said they have seized two laptops and other electronic devices from the accused identified as Vijay Kumar, a student of the same college, who was zeroed in on based on the testimonies of the girls and some WhatsApp chats.

The students had alleged that nearly 300 obscene videos were recorded and circulated by the accused but the police investigation so far hasnt been able to trace the videos in question. The SP also said the laptops of the accused were checked in front of the protesting girls and their parents but no video was recovered from the devices.

Meanwhile, protesters continued their demonstration, expressing their anger over the investigation.

Sharanya, a student, said: What has the management been doing since the last one week? When we lodged a complaint once again on Friday, they paid no heed to that overnight, they are saying this is fake news and threatening to file a case against us instead.

The protesting girls also said the management was aware of the issue since a week but did not take action until the demonstration began.

Andhra Pradesh Womens Commission chairperson Gajjala Venkatalakshmi has taken suo moto cognisance of the incident and urged the police to take strict action against the accused. She will also visit the campus on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Andhra education minister Nara Lokesh took to social media platform X to assuage the concerns of the students.

I have asked the authorities for details about the protest of the female students at the Gudlavaleru Engineering College. I have ordered an enquiry into the allegations of hidden camera. Strict action will be taken against the culprits and those responsible if it is found that they have committed a mistake in the investigation. Managements should take early steps without ragging or harassment in colleges, he said.
Attacks by political opponents on the government have to be responded to on a strong footing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told his colleagues, adding that they must maintain the positive energy and celebrate the 10-year anniversaries of the governments landmark schemes.

At the Council of Ministers meet earlier this week, Modi commended the women and child development ministry for its quick response to the Mamata Banerjee government when the chief minister wrote to the PM for stronger anti-rape laws.

Sources said the prime minister cited this as an example to stress on quick response time by the government, saying the response must be on strong footing. The WCD ministry had written to the chief minister, pointing to non-operationalisation of fast-track courts in West Bengal for addressing rape and POCSO cases.

PM Modi also said the upcoming 10-year-anniversaries of various landmark schemes of the government must be celebrated like the Finance Ministry had done with 10 years of PM Jan Dhan Yojana, and that this model must be adopted by all.

All this was part of the new Inform mantra given by the prime minister, in addition to his existing perform, reform, transform model for the government. The PM told his team of ministers to maintain the positive energy and not let any negative energy envelop the country.

Other Instructions by PM

PM Modi asked the government to come up with a Rozgaar ranking of the states, to specify which state had generated how many jobs. He also asked for organisational re-structuring of central ministries and said all central government employees must register on the iGOT platform where they should be regularly examined for competence and certificates be given to them. The PM asked the Ministers of State (MoSs) to coordinate this particular exercise.

Modi also asked that state administrations needed to be streamlined and two-day workshops be organised on sectoral subjects with participation of ministers from the states. He said the Centre should show the disha (direction) to the political leadership of the states. The PM also remarked at the meeting that the Aspirational Districts scheme had become somewhat dormant and the same should be rejuvenated by sending officers in the field.
Raising the issue of womens safety for the third time in recent weeks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for prompt action against crimes targeting women and children.

His strong remarks follow protests against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkatas RG Kar Hospital and the sexual abuse of two four-year-old school girls in Badlapur near Mumbai. Addressing the National Conference of District Judiciary, PM Modi said Today, atrocities against women, safety of children are serious concerns of the society."

Addressing the National Conference of District Judiciary.https://t.co/QRCLSh1mDS Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2024

Strict laws

Many strict laws have been made in the country for the safety of women, but we need to make it more active. The faster the decisions are taken in cases related to atrocities against women, the greater assurance of safety half the population will get," he added.

The faster the decisions are taken in cases related to atrocities against women, the greater assurance of safety half the population will get," said PM Modi, addressing an event in Delhi on the 75 years of the Supreme Court. In the last few weeks, the Prime Minister has repeatedly spoken about safeguarding women and also asked state governments to accord top priority to cases pertaining to women.

His remarks on womens safety come in the wake of nationwide outrage over the Kolkata rape-murder case. On Friday, Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi replied to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees second letter to PM Modi reiterating her earlier demand for strict punishment for heinous crimes such as rape and rape-murder.

The WCD Minister mentioned that stringent punishments for rape/ rape with murder already exist in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)". It prescribes for a minimum of 10 years rigorous imprisonment for rape and extendable up to life imprisonment for the remainder of the natural life of the convict or with death depending upon the severity of the crime," the Union Minister said in her letter.

Last week, Modi termed crimes against women an unpardonable sin, adding the guilty should not be spared. Speaking at the Lakhpati Didi Sammelan in north Maharashtras Jalgaon, Modi said the safety of women should be a priority. The safety of mothers, sisters, and daughters is the countrys priority. I have repeatedly raised this issue from the Red Fort," he said. Modi said that he would tell every political party and state government that crime against women is an unpardonable sin. Whoever is guilty should not be spared, he added.
Throwback to when Nicole Kidman turned a lot of heads on the red carpet, as she made a stunning entry as ever at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala at Hollywoods Dolby Theatre. She was also the recipient of the prestigious award. The Oscar-winning actor stepped out at the annual event with her husband Keith Urban and their daughters, looking every inch like a Hollywood diva in a glamorous custom Balenciaga outfit from the Fall 24 collection.

She wore a fitted gown, embroidered perfectly with gold sequins, along with a long train. She further teamed her look with Balenciagas black pumps. Talking more about her look, Kidman had her long blonde hair styled in a side part with loose waves framing her face. Going for an elegant look, she completed it with smokey eyes, rose blush and soft pink lips. Apart from that, Omegas custom 26 mm De Ville Mini Tresor watch in the shade of Moonshine Gold was enough to make her stand out.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman)

Before stepping out on the red carpet, the Aquaman star indulged in a stunning photo shoot in what seems to be a backyard setting, posing beautifully amid well-tended grass with a swimming pool, shrubbery and trees in the background. The actress dazzling gold gown looked breathtaking, catching the sunlight at the right time. The dress cascaded smoothly past Kidmans feet, forming a long train.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman)

Nicole Kidmans best looks in shimmer

The actress love for shimmer has always remained evident at award functions. Earlier at the Met Gala 2023, Nicole looked amazing in a Chanel Haute Couture sleeveless gown with over-the-top feathered detailing.

Nicole Kidman said heartbreak feels good at the met gala! THATS MY GIRL pic.twitter.com/c7qBRpv33o  (@heyjaeee) May 1, 2023

Prior to that, she slipped into another glittering gown in the shade of metallic bronze colour at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The gorgeous piece featured sequin work all over the body in gold and bronze.

: Nicole Kidman in photoshoot for the SAG Awards, 2018. pic.twitter.com/C2JNERmfvw nicole kidman daily (@dailykidman) August 29, 2022

Known for her work in films like Aquaman, Just Go With It and Batman Forever, Nicole Kidman was honoured with the AFI Life Achievement Award last weekend. She shared a post to express her gratitude on Instagram and wrote, Deeply moved by all of the support around the world that Ive been seeing and hearing.

While this comes just as another feather in her cap, the actress has also bagged several other accolades, including the Academy, BAFTA, Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and Screen Actor Guild Awards.
A Delhi Police Commissioner suffered a sudden heart attack recently, while dancing at a retirement party and died before he could be taken to the hospital. Dancing is a healthy activity, so why did this happen? Professor Padmashree Dr Nitish Nayak of the Department of Cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi says some things that are associated with sudden heart attack or cardiac arrest. Dr Nayak says that peoples lifestyles are changing. Wrong eating habits and stress further increase the risk. Sometimes hard work, dancing or running creates a sudden pressure on the heart, which can lead to a sudden blood clot or blockage in the heart and increases the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

Dr Nitish Nayak said that you must have seen many videos of people dying of heart attacks. while dancing at weddings and parties. When one eats something, the blood circulation that is blood flow is more focused on the stomach. This reduces the total blood pool in the body. This means that at that time the blood supply to the heart decreases a little. If you do a more strenuous activity like dancing or running in such a situation, the heart has to work extra hard to increase blood circulation and provide energy. Due to the sudden pressure on the heart, it fails.

Another reason for the risk of heart attack or cardiac arrest after eating is that insulin production increases to convert food into energy. More oxygen is required for this process. To provide more oxygen, blood pressure must be increased. High blood pressure puts more pressure on the heart. This damages the function of the endothelium, the inner wall of the arteries. As a result, the risk of blood clots in the arteries increases, and blood clots increase the risk of heart attack.

Sometimes sudden cardiac arrest occurs even in people who are unaware of their heart condition. Often people are unaware of their blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems. Sometimes they ignore some symptoms even if they see them, they have one or the other weakness, so a mountain of diseases falls on them and cases like sudden cardiac arrest come to the fore.

The doctor advises not only dancing but avoiding any heavy physical activity after eating. One should even avoid walking, exercising or doing any other strenuous work at least half an hour after eating.

People should get their blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol, that is lipid profile checked regularly. This way, any future crisis can be avoided. Those who are heart patients should take special precautions. Along with improving lifestyle, efforts should be made to keep stress away and engage in daily physical activity.
Actor Nicole Kidman looked stunning as casts a spell on the red carpet unfurled for her film, Babygirl at the 81st Venice International Film Festival 2024.

Nicole, who stars in the erotic thriller movie, directed by Halina Reijn, looked glamorous in a haute couture ensemble from Schiaparelli by Daniel Roseberrys Fall/Winter 2024/25 collection. The look featured a corset bustier in nude organza with an impossible V neckline. The corset was entirely embroidered with black contrasted dusting-effect sequins slowly graduating into black fringes. She finished the look with a long black velvet skirt.

The piece of art was hugely celebrated among others at Schiaparellis runway showcase at Paris Haute Couture 2024. The collection The Phoenix envisioned by Daniel, was a tribute to Elsa Schiaparelli, who was known to blur the lines between fashion and art and life and art.

According to Daniel note shared on the brands website, the context of this collection, which honours Elsas singular gift for rebirth, is second only to its form. Each piece is clear in its silhouette and its technique: you can see every looks origins, how each moved from sketch to study to fabric. Each gown, each bustier, each shoe, every piece of folded velvet feather, or triple organza spike, seeks to catch the eye and hold it.

And just like Daniels vision for the collection, Nicole celebrated the opulent piece of art on the prestigious red carpet with confidence and grace. Styled by Jason Bolden, who is known for this impeccable sense of style, celebrated Nicoles captivating persona and beauty in this one of a kind couture piece. Her long golden blonde hair was styled by Adir Abergel.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman)

Ahead of her red carpet moment, Nicole was spotted in a pre fall 2024 Bottega Veneta black dress. Directed by Halina Reijn, the cast including Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, and Sophie Wilde were also present on the red carpet looking stylish in their respective ensembles. Sophie Wilde looked stunning in black strapless fitted gown with a long train. She accessorised with sheer fascinator which was styled across her face, adding a hint of drama to her red carpet look.

The 81st Venice International Film Festival will be held till September 7, 2024 in Venice, Italy.
Hopping on the globally viral very demure, very mindful trend, Priyanka Chopra recently dropped a bunch of pictures on Instagram. Offering a glimpse of her recent photoshoot for Vogue, the post showed the actress channeling her inner diva in multiple outfits that look straight out of a dream. Here we have decoded all her looks for some major fashion inspiration.

In the first picture, Priyanka Chopra wore a translucent white top, perfect for glam evenings. She elevated her look with a silver necklace and earrings for some added bling to her otherwise subtle look. With her tresses tied in a messy hairdo, she took our breaths away and we are not complaining. The stunning look is followed by a close-up shot of half her face that boasts kohl-rimmed eyes, a matte base and nude lip shade.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Priyanka (@priyankachopra)

Attached next is an enthralling picture wherein she is seen posing against a wall with red drapes. In a white shirt and black skirt with a formal touch, she exuded boss-lady vibes. Taking it a notch higher with a white drape around her shoulder cascading freely, she proved her love for experiments with fashion. Her stilettos, picked carefully, blended well with her statement-making look. For further styling, she tied her hair up for a fuss-free appearance.

Moving on to the fourth picture, Priyanka Chopra poses dramatically in a white outfit with beige fabric beneath. From her accessory aisle, she picked a golden statement choker and a matching drape featuring dainty embroidery, held by her with her hand. Sporting a golden backless outfit in the subsequent look, she was dripping every bit of elegance and feminine energy. The final image in the post shows her striking a pose in a saffron number that came with a veil.

Revealing the names of designers that she wore for her latest photoshoot, Priyanka wrote, Wearing gorgeous, custom creations by some of Indias finest designers- Savio Jon, Amit Aggarwal, Tarun Tahiliani, Varun Bahl, Falguni Shane Peacock, Re-Ceremonial and Ashdeen.

Priyanka Chopra was recently in India to attend her younger brother Siddharth Chopras engagement ceremony with Neelam Upadhyaya. She also added the screening of her upcoming Marathi production Paani. Next, the actress will be seen in The Bluff and Heads of State.
Passengers leave a train after arriving at the Dar Es Salaam station of Tanzania-Zambia Railway in Dar Es Salaam, capital of Tanzania, Feb. 14, 2019. (Xinhua/Lyu Shuai)

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Addressing audiences in Tanzania in March 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping started with the Swahili greeting "Habari," meaning "How are you?"

Africa was on the itinerary of Xi's first overseas trip as Chinese president that year, and this warm gesture in Tanzania, which elicited thunderous applause, underscored his deep affinity for the continent.

Xi's interest in Africa is partly shaped by his childhood experiences. "Chinese people of my age grew up in a warm, friendly atmosphere with Africa," he told a South African TV station before his trip, reminiscing about stories such as the construction of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway in the 1970s.

During a period pivotal to economic development for both Tanzania and Zambia, this railway greatly improved the connectivity of the two African countries, providing the latter, a landlocked nation rich in copper, with access to the sea via the port city of Dar es Salaam. Today, the railway is still playing its role.

Scores of Chinese technicians and workers lost their lives during the railway's construction process. During his 2013 trip to Tanzania, Xi visited a cemetery where some of them were laid to rest. In a light drizzle, he carefully arranged the ribbons on a wreath and placed flowers at their tombs.

"Their names will be engraved, along with the railway, in the hearts of the Chinese people and the peoples in Tanzania and Zambia," he said.

China tightened its belt to help its African brothers build the railway, even during its own period of poverty, Xi recalled during a meeting with visiting Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan in 2022.

"Now that China is more developed, it is better placed to act on the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, help our African friends achieve common development, and build a stronger China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era," Xi said, reiterating the principle he had introduced during his 2013 trip to Africa to guide China's approach toward the continent.

China-Africa cooperation has expanded significantly under this principle. Over the years, China and African countries have worked together to build or upgrade close to 100,000 kilometers of roads, more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 1,000 bridges and almost 100 ports.

"China and African countries are destined to be good friends, good brothers and good partners, and China-Africa cooperation stands as a fine example of South-South cooperation," Xi said in his speech at the BRICS Business Forum in Johannesburg in 2018.

In his 2013 speech in Tanzania, Xi also recalled how African countries rushed to China's aid after a devastating earthquake hit Wenchuan in 2008. An African country, not well-off itself, donated 2 million euros (around 2.2 million U.S. dollars), an act that Xi said had "warmed our hearts."

China-Africa friendship has not been an overnight achievement, nor has it been gifted from on high, Xi said. "Rather, it has been fostered throughout the years when China and Africa supported and stood alongside each other in trying times."

To date, Xi has visited Africa five times as president, setting foot on many countries across the continent. From the 10 cooperation plans proposed at the 2015 Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to the eight major initiatives announced at the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit, numerous measures have been implemented to forge a closer China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

Themed "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future," the 2024 FOCAC summit will be held in Beijing from Sept. 4 to 6.

Xi will attend the opening ceremony of the summit, which is anticipated as another joyful reunion of the China-Africa family. 
Shardiya Navratri is a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. Devotees worship Goddess Durga for her hard-fought victory against the demon Mahishashura. The battle lasted for nine days and nights. The tenth day is celebrated as Vijayadashami or Dussehra. People worship Goddess Durga on this day. This year, Navratri will start from the Pratipada of Shukla Paksha of Ashwin month. It will begin on October 3 and is said to be performed till Navami on October 11. Navratri is observed four times a year, but Chaitra and Sharadiya Navratri are said to be the major ones among them. Devotees perform pujas and keep fast during these nine days to worship Goddess Durga. It is also believed that the Shardiya Navratri is associated with Lord Rama and Mother Sita.

In Hindu mythology, it is said that Lord Rama did not want to wait to worship the Goddess of Shakti before the final battle with Ravana. He worshipped the Goddess for 9 days before the final battle with Ravana. Pleased with Lord Ramas dedication, the Goddess Durga blessed him to achieve victory. In the scriptures, Vedas and Puranas, the importance of Navratri is said to be associated with Lord Rama.

According to Haridwar-based astrologer Pandit Shridhar Shastri, the importance of Shardiya Navratri is associated with Lord Rama and Ravana. Before the final battle with Ravana, Lord Rama invoked Goddess Durga, the goddess of power, to worship her. After the completion of Navratri, Lord Rama conquered Ravana on Dashami.

According to religious scriptures, every year, Sharadiya Navratri begins from the Pratipada of Shukla Paksha of Ashwin month. During these nine days, the devotees keep fast and worship Goddess Durga by reciting Durga Stotra and Durga Chalisa. As per the Hindu belief, Goddess Durga blesses their devotee and fulfils all their wishes if they worship her with dedication during Navratri.

Each day of Navratri is associated with a different incarnation of Durga, such as Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, and Chandraghanta. It is also considered a harvest festival that celebrates the goddess as the motherly power behind life and creation.
Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth are not going with a big fat destination wedding. Instead, they have chosen to have a wedding ceremony at a venue that has a special connection with their families. The actress, in a new interview, revealed that the wedding preparations are underway. Although she chose not to disclose the wedding date, she shed some light on her unique wedding venue.

Speaking with Vogue India, Aditi Rao Hydari revealed that her and Sids wedding will be centered around a 400-year-old temple. The wedding will be centred around a 400-year-old temple in Wanaparthy that is of significance to my family, Aditi shared.

Aditi and Siddarth met in 2021 on the sets of the Telugu film, Maha Samudram. In the same conversation, Aditi shared the adorable wedding proposal Siddharth had planned for her. I was closest to my nani, who passed away a few years ago. She started a school in Hyderabad. One day, Siddarth asked me if he could see it, knowing full well how close I had been to her. They visited the school in March and he asked Aditi to show him a special location close to her heart: a floor above the nursery section, she recalled.

He got down on his knee and I asked him, Now what have you lost? Whose shoelaces are open? He kept saying, Addu, listen to me. And then he proposed. He said he wanted to bring me to my favourite childhood place, one with my grandmothers blessings, the actress added.

They announced their engagement in March this year. Fans confused their engagement ceremony with a wedding ceremony. The couple had to jump onto social media to clarify that they are not married yet but are in the process of it. The couple had been dating for a few years now.
After much speculation, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh finally announced their pregnancy in February this year. Taking to Instagram, the much-loved couple shared that their baby will arrive in September 2024. The post met with a lot of love from their industry peers including Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Vikrant Massey, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, among many others. Through the past few months, Deepikas public appearances where shes flaunting her baby bump have been going viral. She has also been grabbing attention for setting chic maternity fashion goals.

And now, News18 Showsha has an exclusive update for DeepVeer fans. Weve learned the date Kalki 2898 AD and Pathaan star is set to welcome her little bundle of joy. A little birdie tells us, Deepika and Ranveer are eagerly waiting for the upcoming chapter of their lives and are busy setting up a space for their baby. If things go as per plans, she will deliver the baby on September 28 at a hospital in South Bombay. At present, the soon-to-be mother is enjoying every bit of the break that she has taken from work. This also negates the conjectures that shell be giving birth in London.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by   (@deepikapadukone)

Weve also learned that Deepika plans on resuming work in 2025 and would like to dedicate the next few months to her newborn. Her maternity leave will last till March of next year. And after that, shell immediately get busy with filming the sequel of Kalki along with Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan and Prabhas, the source adds. On Friday (August 30), we exclusively reported that Nag Ashwins Kalki 2 will get on floors in January-February 2025. And next year, she also plans on beginning work on The Intern co-starring Big B.

We reached out to her team for a comment on the same but they remained unavailable (at the time of publishing this story).

Rumours of Deepika and Ranveer having a baby boy have been circulating for some time and a recent social media post further fueled these speculations. A gifting brand shared a photo of some adorable presents, ordered by Deepika, on its official Instagram handle. The image featured beautifully wrapped gift boxes with a tag indicating that it was for Deepika. The boxes were wrapped in minimalist brown paper with a light blue string tied in a neat bow. Attached to the string were several charming ceramic hangings, including shapes like fish, stars, and circles, all in shades of blue and white.

In January this year, Deepika spoke to Vogue Singapore about embracing parenthood. She said, Ranveer and I love children. We look forward to the day when we will start our own family My family keeps me grounded and Ranveer and I hope to inculcate the same values in our children. On a related note, the couple  after dating for six years  tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony in 2018 at Lake Como, Italy. Five years later, their wedding video was unveiled in 2023 on Koffee With Karan season 8.
Kangana Ranaut has claimed that her upcoming movie Emergency is not being given certification because the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is getting death threats. Recently, the actress-turned-politician took to her X handle and dropped a video in which she alleged that they are being asked to remove scenes relating to Indira Gandhis assassination and Bhindranwale from Emergency. Kangana called the pending certification of her film unbelievable and expressed that she feels sorry for such affairs in our country.

There are rumours doing the rounds that our film, Emergency, has been granted Censor certificate. This is not true. In fact, our film had been cleared but certification has been stopped because many threats were coming in. Death threats. The Censor Board members are getting threats. We are under pressure not to show the assassination of Indira Gandhi, not to show Bhindranwale, not to show the Punjab riots. I dont know what will be left to show then This is unbelievable for me and I am very sorry for the state of things in this country, Kangana said.

On Friday also, the actress spoke to the news agency IANS when she stated that she would fight for her movie. Its getting too late. I hope the film comes on time. Otherwise, I am determined to fight for it. I am determined to even go to court to protect my film. To save my right as an individual. You cant change history and scare us by threats, she said.

We have to show the history. An almost 70-year-old woman was shot 30-35 times in her house Someone must have killed her. Now you want to show it Because apparently, you think you can hurt someone. But you have to show the history. So how did she die? the actress added.

For the unversed, Kangana Ranauts Emergency has been facing ban calls. The film is likely to be banned in Telangana, where a delegation of 18 members from the Telangana Sikh Society, led by former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Tejdeep Kaur Menon, accused the film of depicting the community as terrorists and anti-nationals.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Akhal Takht have also demanded an immediate ban on the film, claiming it tries to character assassinate Sikhs by creating a narrative against them.

Kangana Ranaut announced Emergency in 2021 but later clarified that even though it is a political drama, it is not Indira Gandhis biopic. The actress is not just playing the lead in the film but is also directing it. Besides Kangana, Emergency also stars Anupam Kher, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry and Shreyas Talpade among others. While Shreyas Talpade will be seen playing the role of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Anupam Kher will be seen as Jayaprakash Narayan. Late actor Satish Kaushik will also be seen as Former Deputy Prime Minister of India, Jagjivan Ram.

Emergency is scheduled to hit theatres on September 6, 2024.
A fresh FIR has been filed against Malayalam director Ranjith for allegedly sexually harassing a male actor in 2012. As reported by the news agency ANI, Ranjith had invited the victim to a Bengaluru hotel for an audition where he allegedly asked the actor to strip naked and clicked his pictures. Reportedly, the director assaulted the young actor sexually and even offered him money the next day.

The actor filed a complaint to the DGP and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is likely to consider it. As per the complainant, his naked photos were sent to actress Revathi. Narrating what actually happened, the young male actor claimed, When Ranjith told me to stand naked, he was talking to an actress. I have already revealed the name of that actressRevathi. Ranjith told me it was Revathi. I dont know if there is any relationship between Ranjith and Revathi, but Ranjith took my photos and sent them to her.

When I asked who the photos were being sent to, Ranjith said they were sent to Revathi, adding that she liked what she saw. This incident happened during the location pack-up of the movie Bavuttiyude Namathil. The director was present there in connection with the audio launch of the movie or some other related event, he added, as quoted by Deccan Herald.

Earlier this week, another FIR was filed against Ranjith for allegedly sexually assaulting a Bengali actress during the auditions for his 2009 film Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha.

I was talking on the phone to a cinematographer, standing in Ranjiths bedroom balcony. As I stood there, he touched my bangles. I was uncomfortable with it, but I gave him the benefit of doubt. Then he started caressing my neck, so I excused myself and left the room, the actress claimed.

I was not able to share the incident with anyone. After the incident, I spent the night in my hotel room in fear, thinking, what if people come and knock on my door? I was waiting for daylight, she added.

Later, Ranjith also addressed the allegations and counter-accused the actress of spreading lies. I interacted with her in the presence of screenwriter Shankar Ramakrishnan and two assistants. After Ramakrishnan narrated the story to Sreelekha, she was excited. I had some confusion about which character should be given to her, he said and alleged that the Bengali actress made such allegations because she was not given a role in the movie.
Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has finally broken silence on his resignation as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). On Saturday, the actor attended an event in Thiruvananthapuram,

Kerala when he admitted that a lot of things are being said about his resignation.

Mohanlal clarified that he has not escaped responsibility with his decision and shared that he was busy with some personal work. I have not fled anywhere. Because of my personal issues, I was not in Kerala. Because of my wifes surgery, I had to be in hospital, the actor said.

He further questioned those who are raising questions on AMMA and added, The entire Malayalam cinema is answerable to the Hema committee report. What we are seeing is that all questions are directed only at AMMA.

Mohanlal seemingly defended AMMAs decision for joint resignation and continued by saying, AMMA cannot give answer to all the questions. Everybody should be asked these questions. This is a very hard-working industry. A lot of people are involved in this. But not everyone is to be blamed for this.

For the unversed, Mohanlal resigned as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists earlier this week. He and his 17-member executive committee submitted a joint resignation after the findings of the Justice Hema Committee Report were made public and when a series of actresses accused actors, directors and producers in the Malayalam film industry of sexual misconduct.

However, Mohanlals decision was criticised by many. Recently, actor Parvathy Thiruvothu, who is also the founding member of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), also questioned Mohanlals move and called him a coward.

The first reaction I had when I heard the news about this collective resignation was, how cowardly. How cowardly of them to step away from a position where they are accountable to speak to the media. Thats an immediate cop-out. With this, the onus has again fallen on women to take the conversations and debates forward. It would have been amazing if they had shown at least the intention to work with the state government and stakeholders to figure a way out, Parvathy told journalist Barkha Dutt on her YouTube channel.
Author and columnist Shobhaa De has lashed out at Mohanlala for resigning from the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) amid the ongoing Malayalam MeToo movement. Recently, De spoke to a news portal when she questioned Mohanlals decision and called it a cowardly act.

Stand up, be a man, tell your other team members to take responsibility and help those who are at the receiving end, she told NDTV.

The tragedy in this particular case is that for nearly five years the Justice Hema report had been lying there, nothing had been done. There was a breakaway group started by some women in the Malayalam film industry who were completely disheartened by the pathetic working conditions, and it was a cosy mens club controlled by 15-20 men, who had absolutely power over their working and personal life, Shobhaa De added.

The author further expressed that Mohanlals decision to resign from AMMA was not helpful. The way this industry works is its a patriarchal system in its nastiest, most toxic form. Women seem to be completely voiceless and powerless. So things must be changed. Im extremely, in a way, disheartened, shocked that the all-powerful executive committee headed by Mohanlal was to resign en masse. How does it help? she said.

De called the Malayalam superstars decision a well calculated move and urged everyone to speak up against those who have been accused of sexual harassment.

For the unversed, Mohanlal resigned as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists earlier this week. The actor announced his decision and left everyone shocked. He was the president of the association and had a 17-member executive committee. However, all the members of the committee submitted their joint resignation. Their decision came amid the shocking allegations by a series of actresses accusing sexual misconduct by male industry members after the details of Justice Hema Committee report were made public.
YouTuber and Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner Elvish Yadav keeps hitting the headlines for one thing or another. After being allegedly involved in a snake venom case, he was also embroiled in another trouble for clicking pictures inside Kashu Viswanath temple. Reports about Elvishs wedding with his Punjabi girlfriend in Udaipur have been making rounds online for a few days. Amidst all this, the YouTuber was papped on the streets of Mumbai, and the video went viral on Instagram.

At the beginning of the video, one of the paps asked Elvish, Kaise ho? (How are you?). He soon replied, Badiya badiya. (Good, good.) Another pap quizzed him the same, to which the YouTuber mentioned, Main badiya, aap kaise ho bhai? (I am very good, how are you brother?). One more pap questioned him about his whereabouts. The pap was heard saying, Aajkl dikhte nhi ho. (You are not seen these days.) To this, Elvish replied, Main zameen main rehne lag gya aaj kal. (I have started living close to the ground these days.)

Check out the post here:

Soon after the post went viral on social media, Elvishs fans flooded the comment section, heaping praises on the YouTuber. One user mentioned, Elvish knows how to answer and keep it savage. Another user added, One Liner King Always. A third user commented, Elvish, the real roaster without any script.

Meanwhile, a few users hinted at Elvishs alleged involvement in a snake venom case. While one netizen commented, Snakes ke sath sambhandh joo hoo gye hai, another wrote, Venom ki supply karke aa rha hai.

For context, in March, Elvish was arrested by Noida Police for his alleged involvement in a snake venom case. According to NDTV, Elvish admitted to his crimes. However, no official statement was released. A week later, Elvish was granted bail on a Rs 50,000 bail bond.

Following the alleged snake venom case, in July 2024, Elvish Yadav yet again landed in trouble for clicking pictures inside the Kashi Vishwanath temple. A Varanasi sessions court advocate named Prateek Kumar Singh filed a complaint against the Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner, claiming that the temple authorities were biased towards the YouTuber. This was because the use of mobile phones and cameras was prohibited inside the temple premises. For the same, Elvish also appeared before the ED officials, and when mobbed by the paps while he was returning from the office, he denied commenting on the same matter.

Coming to his personal life, as reported by True Scoop, during a candid chat on a YouTube podcast, the Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner revealed that he would do court marriage with his Punjabi girlfriend in Udaipur. While being asked about his marriage date, Elvish jokingly mentioned, There is still time, and added that whenever he gets married, he will let everyone know about the same.
Many actors and actresses have come out in support of Darshan and said that he will get justice. Now, veteran actress Malashree has also come out in support of the actor. Talking to the media about Darshans case, Malashree said, I believe in justice and God. It was Darshan who introduced my daughter Aradhana to the industry through the film Kaatera; so my daughter Aradhana and I will be forever grateful to Darshan. The love shown by Darshan cannot be forgotten, she added. Malashree said that he is different from the things she heard and saw. I really dont know what to say about the incident that has happened now. There is a belief in justice. Hope it will turn out good for Darshan, Malashree further added. She also said Darshans wife Vijaylaksmi is a strong woman, and has seen many ups and downs in life.

For More: I Believe In Justice: Veteran Actress Malashree Comes Out In Support Of Darshan

On the occasion of Nandamuri Balakrishnas 50 years of entering the film industry, a grand celebration has been planned by the Telugu film industry at Hyderabad Hitex Novotel Hotel on September 1. Noted celebrities and politicians will visit the grand event sponsored by Shreyas Media in association with Suchir India. The Film Chamber of Commerce President Bharat Bhushan and other important individuals invited the National Award Winner Allu Arjun on behalf of the Telugu film industry.

For More: Allu Arjun Among Star-studded Guest List For NBKs 50-Year Milestone Event

After much speculation, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh finally announced their pregnancy in February this year. Taking to Instagram, the much-loved couple shared that their baby will arrive in September 2024. The post met with a lot of love from their industry peers including Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Vikrant Massey, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, among many others. Through the past few months, Deepikas public appearances where shes flaunting her baby bump have been going viral. She has also been grabbing attention for setting chic maternity fashion goals.

For More: Deepika Padukones Due Date Revealed; Actress On Maternity Leave Till March 2025? | Exclusive

Looks like the makers of Rajinikanth-starrer Coolie are leaving no stones unturned to increase the hype for their film. Recently, the films director Lokesh Kanagaraj has been busy making back-to-back announcements about the films star cast and this has led to fans going into a frenzy. Now, on Friday, Lokesh Kanagaraj shared an official character poster of Preethi. Can you guess who the actress is? Shruti Haasan is all set to join the stellar star cast of Coolie. Lokesh Kanagaraj shared a poster of the character Preethi, which will be portrayed by the actress. The poster featured her in a serious expression and a shovel in her hands. Shruti Haasan wore a simple suit and kept her hair half-tied with a middle parting and a bindi on her forehead. Lokesh Kanagaraj dropped the photo on the social media platform X and wrote, Kicked to have Shruti Haasan joining the cast of Coolie as Preethi. Welcome on board.

For More: Shruti Haasan Joins Rajinikanth-Starrer Coolie. Check 1st Look Poster Here

The creators of the hit Amazon Prime Video series Panchayat have revealed that Panchayat 4 is currently in progress, keeping the fans excited. Panchayats director, Deepak Kumar Mishra, has announced that production has started. After Season 3s intense and exciting conclusion, fans are eagerly awaiting the next release.

For More: Panchayat Season 4 In The Works: Director Confirms 2026 Release
Sonakshi Sinha, the ultimate wanderlust, has been taking her adventures worldwide, and her latest trip to New York City is no exception. In a vibrant Instagram post, she shared an exciting video documenting her NYC escapade with her husband Zaheer Iqbal. They dove into a series of fun-filled activities in the bustling city, making the most of their time in the Big Apple.

From flaunting chic outfits to riding a pink metro and enjoying thrilling games at a park, Sonakshi Sinhas latest Instagram video offers an exhilarating glimpse into her NYC adventure. The video captures the couples delightful moments, from soaking up the sun on a private beach to boating, riding a massive roller coaster, and more.

Sonakshi and Zaheer also took a memorable photo at Times Square and enjoyed leisurely drives in vintage cars. The actresss video, showcasing these vibrant moments, is a must-watch. She captioned it, New York for a minute! Bessssst trip everrr with Sanam Ratansi and baby girl A. #newyorkcity #hamptons #SonaZahTravelTales, and included the hip-hop classic Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys.

Check out the post here:

Sonakshi also went to Southampton in New York with Zaheer, and the duo seemed lost in one another. Sharing some lovey-dovey photos of them clicked at various spots of the village on Long Island, Home is where the heart is and wherever in the world my heart is with my home  Zaheer Iqbal #SonaZahTravelTales, Sonakshi wrote in the caption.

Find out the post here:

It seems that Sonakshi and Zaheer have gone on an expedition to cover the iconic tourist place together. A month after the couple exchanged vows, they were spotted enjoying one anothers embrace on their romantic honeymoon in the Philippines. They stayed at a renowned wellness retreat named The Farm at San Benito and mentioned how they took care of their bodies and minds.

Lovingly, they penned, We celebrated one month of our wedding by doing what we needed to do the most  RECOVER!!! In one week, we were taught what wellness actually means, listen to our bodies and take care of our minds. Waking up in the midst of nature, eating right, sleeping on time, detox treatments and massages galore  feeling brand new. The madly-in-love duo also thanked their amazing friends Nirvana Chaudhary, Rahul Chaudhary and Varun Chaudhary for the life-changing experience, along with everyone else who made their stay over there comfortable. #SonaZahTravelTales.

Post here:

Sonakshi Sinha got married to the love of her life, Zaheer Iqbal, on June 23 in a low-key wedding ceremony at the formers Bandra home. Following this, they hosted a grand star-studded reception in one of Mumbais posh restaurants, Bastian, the same night.
Press Release

August 30, 2024 CHIZ: 'SENATE ASSIST' REVOLUTIONIZES SERVICE DELIVERY, BRINGING IMMEDIATE AID TO EVERY FILIPINO In a groundbreaking move to revolutionize public service delivery, the Senate of the Philippines, led by Senate President Francis "Chiz" G. Escudero, has launched in Tuguegarao City and Talisay City, Cebu, the "Senate Assist," an innovative online platform that delivers essential medical and social services directly to the fingertips of Filipinos, wherever they may be. "With Senate Assist, we are dismantling the barriers that have long separated our people from the help they need. Hindi na kailangan pang maghintay, magbiyahe, o mang-abala para makahingi ng tulong. Now, with just a few clicks, assistance is within reach," Escudero declared. The pioneering platform was first piloted in Tuguegarao City on August 29, during a community outreach event spearheaded by the Senate Spouses Foundation, Inc. (SSFI). Residents of Barangay Carig Sur were the first to experience Senate Assist, guided personally by SSFI President Heart Evangelista-Escudero, who walked them through accessing the Senate's broad range of assistance programs. That same day, the platform was introduced to the people of Talisay City, through a dedicated Senate Assist booth at the "Lab For All" program--also known as "Laboratoryo, Konsulta at Gamot para sa Lahat"--an initiative led by First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos. Developed in collaboration with SSFI and supported by public and private sector partners, Senate Assist is poised to transform how the Senate delivers services nationwide. "This initiative is more than just an extension of the Senate's reach--it's a revolution in public service. Senate Assist is a lifeline that connects every Filipino to the resources they need, no matter the distance or circumstance," Escudero said. During the launch, residents of Tuguegarao and Talisay were introduced to the platform's user-friendly features, enabling them to request financial, medical, and social assistance without the usual bureaucratic hurdles. "No more waiting, no more traveling, no more red tape. Senate Assist puts the power of public service directly into the hands of every Filipino, 24/7," Escudero underscored. As Senate Assist prepares for its nationwide rollout, Escudero reaffirmed the Senate's commitment to continuously improving and expanding the platform's capabilities. "This is just the beginning. Senate Assist will evolve, innovate, and expand to ensure that no Filipino is left behind. Our mission is clear: to be there for our people, whenever and wherever they need us," Escudero concluded.
BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian satellite MISRSAT-2, a high-resolution optical remote-sensing satellite, has been orbiting more than 600 km above the ground, providing the North African country with services such as resource surveys, environmental disaster monitoring and assessment, urban planning, and crop growth evaluation for agriculture and forestry.

Launched from China in December 2023, the MISRSAT-2 was assembled and tested at the China-aided AIT (assembly, integration and test) center in Egypt, making it the first African country with a complete satellite AIT capability.

The collaboration between China and Egypt highlights the success of China-Africa space cooperation, leading to notable advancements in satellite exports as well as resource sharing, space technology exchange and infrastructure development in the field of space.

China has developed and launched several satellites for African countries, including two communication satellites for Nigeria in 2007 and 2011, respectively, a communication satellite for Algeria in 2017, a cube satellite for Ethiopia in 2019, a scientific experimental satellite for Sudan in 2019, and MISRSAT-2 for Egypt in 2023.

In 2017, China launched Algeria's first communications satellite, Alcomsat-1, which now supports broadcasting, television, broadband access, and mobile and emergency communications. The satellite's significance is so profound that its image is featured on Algeria's 500 Dinar banknotes as a national symbol of pride.

According to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024), adopted by the 8th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC held in Dakar of Senegal in November 2021, China and Africa would actively work for the establishment of a China-Africa space cooperation sub-forum under the FOCAC framework.

Both sides would focus on supporting projects concerning satellite remote sensing and communications satellites to drive the development of the space industry of African countries.

ENRICHING PEOPLE'S LIVES

A network of satellites and ground stations across the African continent has advanced the space industry and significantly improved local people's lives.

For example, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has been widely used in Africa's agriculture, urban planning, infrastructure construction and traffic services.

The first China-Africa BDS Cooperation Forum was held in Beijing in November 2021, during which the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as BDS, 5G and smart city construction.

In Xai-Xai city, located in Gaza Province in the south of Mozambique, local farmers use BDS-powered drones to survey fields, sow seeds, and spray pesticides. Unlike manual spraying, which covers only three to four mu (1 mu equals about 666 square meters) of land per hour, drones can spray pesticides over hundreds of mu simultaneously and operate at night.

"The precise agriculture model of 'BDS plus drones' is a beneficial attempt in the agricultural technology cooperation between China and Mozambique. Chinese agricultural technology has made an important contribution to Mozambique's food security," said Danilo Latifo, director of the agriculture department in Gaza Province.

In Burkina Faso, a hospital constructed during the COVID-19 pandemic used BDS high-precision services for construction surveying and mapping. The survey was completed in just six days, reducing the construction time by over half.

EMPOWERING LOCAL TALENT

In addition to offering space products and services, China also help train African talent, laying a strong foundation for the future of African space endeavors.

In early August, a training session in China welcomed 36 young technical and management professionals from developing countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia and Rwanda. They gained insights into information and communication technology, satellite internet, quality management and systems engineering within the space industry.

The session was hosted by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

"Recently, China and Egypt are carrying out cooperative projects related to the Chang'e-7 mission. It's very meaningful for me to learn something here," said Shimaa Soultan, a satellite payload test engineer from the Egyptian Space Agency and one of the trainees.

China and Africa have also cooperated to promote space knowledge among young people, helping Africa embrace the future of the space industry.

On Sept. 6, 2022, a live class titled "Talk with Taikonauts" was held at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with students from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and South Africa joining the talk at sub-venues.

Three taikonauts from China's Shenzhou-14 crew -- Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe --connected with youth from these African countries via video link, sharing their experiences from the Shenzhou-14 mission.

According to the Mission of China to the African Union, since 2014, China has awarded scholarships to graduate students from eight African countries -- Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Togo, Cameroon, Mozambique, Nigeria and Sudan -- to study remote sensing and geographic information systems, satellite communication and navigation, and small satellite technology.

China has also carried out space science and technology innovation cooperation and exchange activities with universities and research institutions in countries such as Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Tunisia, Cameroon and Morocco. 
Sonakshi Sinha and her husband Zaheer Iqbal had a gala time during their extended vacation in New York. The newlyweds thoroughly enjoyed their exploring before returning to Mumbai. Last night, the couple was spotted stepping out for a dinner date, and the paparazzi were there to capture the moment. Sonakshis playful interaction with the photographers is too fun to miss.

The video starts with Sonakshi Sinha exiting an eatery after her dinner date with Zaheer Iqbal. As she walks towards their car, she frequently turns back to look for Zaheer while being snapped by the paparazzi. During a brief exchange with the photographers, Sonakshi playfully says, Mereko ghar jaane de (Let me go home). When they ask her to stop for a moment, she responds with, Kyu ruku mai (why should I stop)? Eventually, Zaheer joins her, taking his place in the front seat of the car.

For her dinner date, Sonakshi Sinha was dressed in casual wear that included a long black graphic tee and black jeggings. Elevating her look, she decided to layer the outfit with a denim jacket and tied her hair in a messy bun. Zaheer Iqbal, too, looked dapper in a black T-shirt, perfect for a casual outing.

Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal have had fans hooked to Instagram through their romantic posts. In one of the pictures shared on Stories, the duo was embracing each other as Sonakshi planted a peck on her beaus cheeks. Holding her from behind, Zaheer looked dashing in a white vest and comfy denim shorts for an uber-chic look. Sonakshi wore a white T-shirt with tights and tied her denim jacket around her waist in the picture.

In a recent post, Sonakshi Sinha shared more snapshots from their delightful outing. The couple looked deeply in love in one photo taken in a lush green setting. Additional images included an adorable selfie and moments of them soaking up the sun. Accompanying the pictures, Sonakshi wrote, Home is where the heart is and wherever in the world my heart is with my home.

Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal entered marital bliss together in June 2024.
Introduction

In the latest flare-up of violence in Pakistan, dozens of militants affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched a well-coordinated wave of attacks on the night of 25/26 August across Balochistan, targeting both security personnel and civilians. The date is significant as it marks the anniversary of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Shahbaz Khan Bugtis death at the hands of Security Forces on August 26, 2006, in his cave.

At least 50 people, including 14 security personnel, lost their lives as militants went on a rampage across the province. They stormed police stations, blew up railway tracks and a crucial bridge, and set fire to nearly three dozen vehicles, including trucks loaded with coal and fruit. They attacked police stations, a paramilitary camp in Bela, Levies stations, and blocked key roads, including the Coastal Highway. In Khadkocha, a group of militants stormed the local police station and took Levies officials hostage for several hours. They managed to escape after security forces arrived on the scene but not before setting the premises on fire.

In Kalat, militants attacked a Levies station and set fire to a toll plaza on the national highway. In Lasbela, the militants stormed a Frontier Corps camp by ramming an explosive-laden vehicle into the main gate and entering the premises under heavy gunfire. Among the casualties were 23 people in Musakhail, mostly labourers from Punjab, who were offloaded from trucks and vans and shot dead after an identity check.

The BLA claimed responsibility for the attacks. In a statement, the group said that the Majeed Brigade carried out the attacks, including two suicide bombingsone involving a female attackertargeting the FC camp in Bela. The pictures of the bombers were released on the BLAs social media platform.

Pakistans Response

In response, security forces claimed to have neutralised 21 militants. Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Quetta and chaired a high-level meeting of the National Action Plans Provincial Apex Committee, which included the Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, as well as other top government and security officials.

He stated, There has been a wave of great concern among the people across Pakistan due to the recent heartrending incident that occurred in Balochistan. He went on to assert, However, I think that at the moment, we have to decide that we must fully eradicate terrorism from Balochistan through our collective vision, power, and unwavering determination, highlighting that the province was extremely important and beautiful, and stressed the need to remove all obstacles from its path to progress. He vowed to root out terrorism that has surged again since 2018 not only from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but from the entire country.

On August 27, Prime Minister Sharif had said that talks could be held with those who acknowledged Pakistans Constitution and flag, but there could be no dialogue with terrorists. This statement clearly acknowledges solutions that lie beyond a kinetic response.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore that the decision to launch the Azm-i-Istehkam operation in Balochistan was a tricky matter, but added that the political leadership would decide in a few days. He said that a tit-for-tat response would be given to terrorists, alongside seeking a political solution.

The truth remains that similar resolutions have been made in the past regarding Balochistan. Yet, the recent attacks have shown that the separatist threat has grown in both lethality and reach. Furthermore, the violence indicates an intelligence failure of significant proportions. The assaults were not confined to a limited area but occurred at multiple locations across Balochistan. In fact, their sophistication points to a high level of coordination and planning.

What Fuelled the Growth of Baloch Militancy

While there is unanimity regarding the states right to use force to combat terrorism, there is also a need to address the root causes of the political unrest that fuels the insurgency. Despite resorting to kinetic measures, Pakistan has failed to contain the insurgency.

In fact, the increasing alienation of the Baloch population, due to the deprivation of democratic and economic rights, the use of force to suppress protests, and the growing incidents of enforced disappearances, has fuelled anger, particularly among the youth. This has provided separatist groups with more sympathisers and recruits. There is no doubt that the failure to address the genuine demands of the Baloch people has resulted in the rise of such attacks.

Tariq Khosa, a police officer who served in Balochistan and was the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency, wrote an article before this incident on how state atrocities turned Dr Allah Nazar, a gold medallist from Bolan Medical College, into a dissident. He also described how the leadership of Baloch dissidents passed from Tribal Sardars like the Marris, Mengals, and Bugtis to the lower-middle and middle-class youth. The policy of persecution turned a young doctor, Mahrang Baloch, whose father was murdered, into a leading human rights activist against alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Opposing violence, she has stated that the solution to the Balochistan conundrum lies in the rule of law, which those in power dont want because chaos strengthens their grip on power.

Furthermore, the massive rigging carried out in the February 8 elections in Balochistan has led to anger at the blatant misuse of authority and corruption by those who conducted the polls, leading to an erosion of the states writ.

In his article in Dawn, Tariq Khosa wrote about citizens feeling that the social contract between them and the state is on the verge of collapse. He argued that the national purpose, postulated through constitutional frameworks and based on the rule of law, justice, and equity, no longer holds them together and that the state seems to have lost its narrative of national cohesion due to the follies of those who wield actual power in the province.

The leader of the Baloch Liberation Front, Allah Nazar, had earlier been detained by intelligence agencies in 2005. His brother was killed while in illegal custody. The continuing enforced disappearances and the dumping of tortured dead bodies are pushing many of the victims family members towards militancy. Even those who have been peacefully protesting against state excesses are branded as traitors.

There are also concerns among many Baloch regarding developmental projects like CPEC and mining rights. For example, Gwadars historic fishing communities have seen their livelihoods destroyed by corporate trawlers, while the wider population has been exploited by state and private profiteers, with the province receiving very little in terms of royalties for its mineral wealth.

The current round of insurgency in Balochistan has raged for almost two decades and was originally triggered by the regime of General Pervez Musharraf, who had ominously announced, They wont know what hit them. The flawed approach of the security apparatus is largely responsible for the present state of affairs.

It is apparent that Baloch militants are now better organised and appear to have a stronger support base, allowing them to operate more effectively. The attacks have also occurred in a region that has long been the epicentre of political discontent. The province is rapidly turning into a full-blown insurrection, driven by the growing alienation of the local population. The government is now being challenged by peoples power, as demonstrated by recent protest marches in Gwadar and Turbat. These latest high-profile militant attacks occurred following weeks of mass protests in Southern Balochistan.

Way Forward

Implementing an effective strategy to counter the insurgency requires a multi-pronged approach that combines military, intelligence, and law enforcement operations with political and socioeconomic measures. To restore peace in its restive provinces, Pakistans leaders need a whole-of-government approach that focuses on all aspects simultaneously in a mutually supportive manner, addressing the many dimensions fuelling these conflicts.

Domestic insurgencies require political solutions, as they involve issues concerning the nature and legitimacy of governance over a particular territory and the aspirations of the people who inhabit it. Human rights abuses, disappearances, and staged encounters often do more harm than good, agitating the population and potentially being counterproductive, undermining the very institutions they aim to protect. However, instead of introspection, historian Ishtiaq Ahmed has described it as a declaration of war on Pakistan by the BLA and stated on social media that a separatist movement can only succeed when it is supported by a powerful neighbour.

Geography also plays a significant role in the situation. The unsettled border with Afghanistan and the fact that the Taliban 2.0 is no longer a puppet of Pakistan have allowed groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and TTP to seek refuge in Iran and Afghanistan when the pressure mounts. This sanctuary gives them time to regroup. The TTPs ability to reconstitute itself in Afghanistan after being routed by the Pakistani military further demonstrates that geography makes a purely military victory impossible.

Unfortunately, while Pakistan feels the impact of terrorism on its western border and makes statements about the elimination of all forms of terrorism, it behaves quite differently when it comes to its eastern border with India, particularly in J&K and Punjab. As a result, such statements hold little weight, as Pakistans actions often contradict its words.

Conclusion

While the latest surge in violence demonstrates the growing capacity of separatist groups to carry out high-profile terrorist attacks, it also raises questions about the states failure to address the serious security challenge extending from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to Balochistan.

Both of Pakistans strategically located western provinces have become battlegrounds for diverse militant groups challenging the writ of the state. In KP, the conflict is primarily waged by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Balochistan faces challenges from various Baloch ethnonationalist groups.

While the security forces are engaged with the TTP, which seeks to enforce Taliban rule in parts of KP, the Baloch separatist organisations have expanded their operations. The latest surge in violence has highlighted the vulnerability of an increasingly fragmented state. The significant toll of casualties suffered by the security forces underscores the gravity of the situation. As Aasim Sajjad Akhtar noted in Dawn, Balochistan has bled for so long that the mainstream Pakistani consciousness has tuned it into the background.

In conflict, success is achieved by diminishing an enemys capacity and will to fight. However, in an insurgency, the will to fight is largely political and social, rooted in perceived injustices committed by the government or its lack of legitimacy and competence. Addressing these underlying issues can lead to stability; until then, the insurgency represents a failure of the Pakistani state.
Maharashtra finds itself engulfed by a big storm over the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The incident has sparked a political storm in the poll-bound state, with the BJP facing sharp criticism from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). On Friday, Prime Minister Modi even apologised for the statues collapse, saying Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is as reverential as a deity. Listen in.

It must be remembered that in Maharashtra, Shivaji Maharaj is not just a historical figure; he is an icon of Maratha pride and identity. The statue, unveiled only nine months ago by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was meant to symbolise the enduring legacy of the Maratha emperor. Its sudden collapse, however, has given the opposition, especially the MVA, a powerful tool to target the ruling BJP with. In a state where Shivaji Maharaj evokes strong emotions, the collapse of his statue has complicated the already muddy Maratha waters for the BJP.

The Opposition is wasting no time in leveraging this incident to their advantage. The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, Uddhav Thackeray, has announced a protest march on September 1 in Mumbai, calling for Chief Minister Eknath Shindes resignation. The Opposition is accusing the BJP of disrespecting Shivajis legacy and being indifferent to the sentiments of Maharashtrians. To top it all, allegations of poor construction quality and corruption are also being made.

The question is, do these claims hold any weight?

While the MVAs rhetoric is gaining traction, it is important to remember the efforts the BJP, under Prime Minister Modi, has made to honour Shivaji Maharaj and his enduring legacy.

The Return of Shivajis Wagh Nakh

The BJP government has facilitated the return of Shivaji Maharajs legendary tiger claw weapon, the wagh nakh, from Londons Victoria and Albert Museum. This was part of the governments efforts to commemorate Shivajis 350th coronation anniversary. It was using this weapon that Shivaji Maharaj disembowelled Afzal Khan, a general who served the Adil Shah dynasty of Bijapur. The Battle of Pratapgarh and the killing of Afzal Khan is, even today, remembered as one of Shivaji Maharajs greatest victories, where a numerically stronger enemy was made to bite the dust.

At the same time, the NDA government of Maharashtra is also working to bring back Shivaji Maharajs famous Jagdamba sword from the UK.

Indian Navys Flag Change

The Modi government has grown a reputation for not being beholden to signs and symbols of colonialism. It is no secret that Shivaji Maharaj is called the father of the Indian Navy, because he was an emperor who organised the building of a formidable Maratha Navy. Shivaji Maharaj also commissioned several naval forts along the coast of Maharashtra. Given our rich history in the naval arena, it made no sense for the Indian Navys flag to carry a symbol of coloniality.

So, a very significant decision to celebrate Shivaji Maharajs legacy was taken in September 2022, when PM Modi replaced the Indian Navys flag with a new design inspired by Shivaji Maharajs royal seal. The Prime Minister said, Till today the Indian naval flags carried a sign of slavery, which has been replaced with a new one inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj".

The question we must ask ourselves is this: Did no Indian leader think of honouring Shivaji Maharajs legacy before PM Modi? If they did, why did it take a Modi-led BJP government to set the record straight and appropriately honour the Maratha emperors naval legacy?

Commemorating 350th Coronation Anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj

In June last year, PM Modi addressed a grand event marking Shivaji Maharajs 350th coronation anniversary at the Raigarh Fort. He highlighted Shivajis contributions to nation-building and how his ideals continue to inspire contemporary India, especially the workings of his government.

At the same time, the BJPs efforts to honour Shivaji Maharaj have not been limited to Maharashtra alone. In fact, PM Modi has unveiled statues of Shivaji Maharaj in places like Surat and even internationally, with a statue in Mauritius in 2023. This reflects the spread of Shivajis influence beyond Maharashtra and the Modi governments desire to internationalise the great Maratha emperors legacy.

Congress Tricky Past

Speaking about statues, the Congress has some serious explaining to do. In August last year, a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was removed from a traffic circle in Bagalkot district of Karnataka. The BJP had slammed Congress back then for its silence on the issue.

In 2022, Congress members in the Mangaluru City Corporation even objected to a proposal to install a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the city. That begs the question, is the Congress really in a position to comment on the commitment of other parties to Shivaji Maharajs legacy?

The Grand Shiv Smarak

The NDA government in Maharashtra has initiated the construction of a monumental Shiv Smarak off the coast of Mumbai. Once completed, this will be the tallest statue in the world. The memorial is also slated to include other facilities, like an amphitheatre and a light-and-sound show, and is estimated to witness 10,000 footfalls in a day.

Educational Initiatives

Today, the BJP is being attacked by parties that sat idly as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajs legacy was diluted in our history textbooks. In fact, reports from 2013 even claim that NCERT not only cut short the portion of Shivaji Maharaj from its Class 6 history book, but also provided little and inadequate information about the Maratha emperor.

To make matters worse, the book, titled Our Pasts-II, did not even carry a picture of Shivaji Maharaj for students reference. The question, therefore, is this: did the parties attacking the BJP over the collapse of Shivaji Maharajs statue do so much as lift a finger to ensure Indian children and students learn more about legends like the Maratha emperor through their textbooks? The Shiv Sena, for one, did protest the lack of information on Shivaji Maharaj but back then, it was an alliance partner of the BJP.

The BJPs track record in this aspect fares better than the rest. In 2018, the NCERT added more information on Chhatrapati Shivaji in its Class VII history textbook.

At the same time, the BJP has pushed for the inclusion of Shivaji Maharajs life and contributions in educational curricula, particularly in Maharashtra. This move is part of a broader effort to educate younger generations about Shivajis significance in Indian history.

As the political battle over Shivaji Maharajs legacy heats up in Maharashtra, it is clear that the collapse of his statue has become more than just a local issue. It is a flashpoint in the larger electoral contest, with both the BJP and the MVA trying to stake their claim as the true custodians of Shivajis legacy. While the Opposition seizes on the incident to question the BJPs commitment to Shivajis legacy, it is essential to weigh these criticisms against the broader efforts made by the Modi government to honour and elevate Shivaji Maharajs place in Indian history.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
The plight of Hindus in Bangladesh, caste dynamics, and strategic course correction in social and political outreach will be central to discussions at the RSS and its affiliates three-day Samanvaya Baithak. The coordination meeting, set to begin on Saturday in Palakkad, Kerala, has brought together 32 Sangh-inspired and affiliated organisations, including its political front BJP.

A total of 230 representatives and 90 national-level Sangh office bearers, including national presidents, organisational secretaries, and senior leaders of the organisations, will participate in this landmark event, the first-of-its-kind in Kerala.

This years Samanvaya Baithak in Palakkad is pivotal for the RSS and its affiliates, including the BJP, for several reasons. As the largest coordination meeting of its kind, it comes at a critical juncture following electoral setbacks in key states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.

Spotlight on caste, Hindus in Bangladesh

The meetings spotlight is on caste issues, which have taken on new urgency. All affiliated groups have been tasked with presenting reports on emerging caste fault lines across states. This focus intensifies amid ongoing debates about a comprehensive caste census, and other caste related disparity in professional structures, especially in government jobs.

With caste issues emerging as a sensitive and significant national concern, and routinely raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the demand for a caste census gains momentum. Despite mounting pressure, the RSS continues to oppose the publication of caste data, as senior functionaries said release of caste data could deepen societal divisions.

The inclusion of the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh marks a significant shift from the RSSs usual domestic focus. Senior RSS leaders are alarmed by the severe persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh and plan to discuss strategies to support them. Many senior RSS functionaries have changed their social media profile picture to some symbolic photos supporting Bangladeshi Hindus. A senior RSS functionary said the inclusion of international concerns underscores the RSS broader commitment to Hindu communities beyond Indias borders.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has sharply attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his recent comments regarding SPs signature red caps.

Yadav was responding to Adityanaths comments that the red caps, associated with the Samajwadi Party, symbolise black deeds. Red is the colour of emotions and symbolises the Goddess Durga, Yadav was quoted as saying by India Today, during a rally in Kannauj.

They are abusing our cap, yet our behaviour is so good. At least we have full hair, so we are wearing a cap. Those who do not have hair should also wear a cap, the former UP CM added.

Shock of defeat

Adityanath had previously accused the SP of a history filled with wrongdoing, a claim Yadav dismissed as a reflection of UP CMs inability to accept the BJPs electoral setbacks in the state. He could not bear the shock of defeat, which is why he is making such statements, Yadav said.

Yadav took issue with Adityanaths comments about international issues, particularly regarding Bangladesh. If he has concerns about foreign matters, he should address them with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the External Affairs Minister, Yadav remarked, suggesting that Adityanaths comments were an attempt to incite unrest.

On the topic of a caste-based census, Yadav stressed the need for an accurate count, saying, Caste census means caste census, and warned the BJP against any manipulation of the issue. He reiterated that this demand reflects the aspirations of backward communities, Dalits, and minorities, collectively known as the PDA (Pichda, Dalit, and Alpashankhyak) family.
The ruling Congress in Karnataka took out a procession to the Raj Bhavan on Saturday to request governor Thawar Chand Gehlot to sanction the prosecution of union minister HD Kumaraswamy and three former Bharatiya Janata Party ministers.

The delegation of cabinet ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and other leaders met the governor and presented a memorandum to point out that in the case of the Janata Dal (Secular) leader and BJP leaders, the investigation had already been completed and sanction was pending for years.

Our suspicion is that the Raj Bhavan is becoming like an office of a political party. We urged him to protect the Raj Bhavan and the Constitution, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who led the procession to the Raj Bhavan from the Gandhi statue at the Vidhana Soudha, told the media.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah who was present at the dharna at the Gandhi statue, however, did not participate in the procession.

In the case of Siddaramaiah, in which there is no proof, the governor chose to sanction his prosecution as soon as permission to sanction for prosecution was sought. We did not raise the issue of Siddaramaiah as he is fighting his case before the high court. But in the case of Kumaraswamy and the former BJP ministers, even investigation has been completed and awaiting the filing of the chargesheets pending the sanction, Shivakumar said.

Nobody is permanent in politics, he said. The governors office should not be allowed to convert into an office of a political party. A conspiracy is being hatched to destabilise a democratically elected government in Karnataka. The governor must uphold the dignity of the office and the Constitution and should permit sanction for the prosecution of Kumaraswamy and Murugesh Nirani, Janardhana Reddy, and Shashikala Jolle, Shivakumar said.

According to him, the governor said that there were no requests pending before him seeking sanction for prosecution. We have done our duty by appealing to him to be fair, Shivakumar said.
A four-year-old child has returned to the Hecht Museum in Haifa after unintentionally shattering a historic, late Bronze Age urn. The 3,500-year-old relic was damaged last week when it was on exhibit at the University of Haifa Museum. Yet, Dr Inbal Rivlin, the director of the museum, extended an invitation to the youngster to come back for a guided tour and to view the jar after it was fully restored. The jar was among the objects displayed in the open as part of the centres philosophy of allowing people to dig into history without the use of glass or boundaries.

The dishware was an extraordinary item since it was relatively unspoiled, according to the BBC, which shared the footage and stated that it belonged to the Bronze Age, 2200 to 1500 BC. In the video, a little kid named Ariel Geller is seen inspecting the artefact, surrounded by his family.

A museum official is shown detailing the whole restoration procedure to the family, as well as the history of the urn.

Ariels parents stayed for the interview, during which his mother said that the youngster had requested her to look at the jar at the time of the incident. The antique urn had broken the moment her mother gave her the order to step away from the valuables.

It was just a destruction of a second, the mother recalls.

It stated that he even got the chance to perform some restoration work on his own, putting together and mending a little shattered jar with the help of specialised equipment.

Dr Rivlin was quoted by Sky News saying, In a similar manner to the repairs currently under way on the ancient jar, this is exactly what professionals do.

The jar, according to the museum, is distinctive of the Canaan region, dates back before the times of King Solomon and David, and was used to store and transport local goods, primarily olive oil and wine.

The University of Haifas campus is home to a free museum featuring several archaeological artefacts spanning the Chalcolithic and Byzantine eras.
A video of a Zomato delivery agent wading through knee-deep water to deliver food in Ahmedabad is going viral. The footage is from Ahmedabad, where heavy rains have flooded roads and streets.

However, the individual who posted the video praised the delivery agents dedication and urged Deepinder Goyal-led organisation to reward him. In response to the viral post, Zomato asked for details to identify the brave worker, as the company wanted to recognise and reward the superhero for their extraordinary efforts.

In the video, people are standing near the flooded street, while the delivery agent walks through the water without any complaints. The person filming the video can be heard admiring his dedication, despite the difficult and risky situation. The user wrote, ZOMATO delivering in Ahmedabad amidst extremely heavy rains. Give this guy an award for providing delivery in extreme weather conditions.

Soon after the video was shared, Zomato replied, Thank you for highlighting our delivery partners extraordinary efforts. They truly went above and beyond, braving extreme weather like a superhero. To help us recognize and celebrate their efforts, could you please share the order ID or details about the area and timing of the delivery? This will ensure our superhero delivery partner gets the recognition they deserve.

Hi Vikunj! Thank you for highlighting our delivery partners extraordinary efforts! They truly went above and beyond, braving extreme weather like a superhero. To help us recognize and celebrate their efforts, could you please share the order ID or details about the area and Zomato Care (@zomatocare) August 28, 2024

Reacting to the post, a user wrote, This is individual effort. Zomato should not take any credit considering its history of behaviour with partners.

This is individual effort. Zomato should not take any credit considering its history of behavior with partners hangouts two (@HangoutsTwo) August 31, 2024

Tagging Deepinder Goyal and Zomato, another shared, These heroes deserve special recognition.

An individual wrote, Maan Gaye bhai well-done.

Maan Gaye bhai well-done Goutam Joshi (@goutamjoshi7867) August 31, 2024

One more added, Ye jo order karte hain, unhe bhi sochna chahiye ki kaise koi itne pani me khana lekar ayega. Who bhi toh insan hai, uski majboori hai pahuchana. (Those who place orders should also think about how someone will deliver food in such heavy rain. They are human too and its their duty to deliver).

Ye to Jo order karte he..unhe bhi sochna chahiye ki kaise koi itne Pani me khana lekar ayega ..vo bhi to insan he..uski mazboori he pahuchana Manjusaini (@Manjusa98806575) August 30, 2024

Since the video was shared on X, it has garnered over 3000 views.
The remains of the carcasses of ancient animals buried in the ground provide very unique information about them. Scientists call these remains fossils. The discovery and study have given a lot of information about dinosaurs, which are extinct now. Recently, in a shocking incident, scientists have found a prehistoric sea cows fossil that was hunted by two predators. After studying the fossil, they found that both an ancient crocodile and a tiger shark had attacked a sea cow one after the other. The fossil remains of the sea cow show that it was first killed by a crocodile and then eaten by a tiger shark. The discovery was made in Venezuela, when a local farmer informed authorities about the presence of some strange rocks in his fields. The fossils were found to be well preserved as they were buried in fine sediment.

The sea cow skeleton bears distinctive tooth marks and is a rare example of a single animal being attacked by two predators during the early to middle Miocene epoch (23 million to 11.6 million years ago).

This study was recently published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, in which deep teeth marks on the front part of the sea cows mouth indicate that the crocodile first grabbed its face and tried to suffocate it. More cuts on the cow show that the crocodile dragged its prey and put it to death. The cows skeleton had several bite marks as well as a tiger sharks tooth. These sharks are known to scavenge for food and are often called the dustbins of the sea.

Marcelo Sanchez-Villagra, a study co-author and a professor of paleobiology and the director of the Palaeontological Institute & Museum at the University of Zurich, said in a statement that the first fossils unearthed were parts of skulls.

According to reports, Marcelo said, Initially, we were unfamiliar with the sites geology, and the first fossils we unearthed were parts of skulls. It took us some time to determine what they were  sea cow skulls, which are quite peculiar in appearance.

The fossil skeleton included part of the sea cows skull and 18 vertebrae. It was discovered in outcrops of the Early to Middle Miocene Agua Clara Formation near the city of Coro.
Several states in India experience flooding every year. The state of Gujarat is presently reeling under a severe flood. Numerous districts and cities in the state are currently underwater and people are in great distress. Another issue has emerged in the city of Vadodara. Besides flooding, the people are also dealing with crocodiles that have entered the city. Recently, several videos of crocodiles roaming around the city surfaced on the internet. One crocodile was seen on the roof of a flooded house, while another was spotted on a college campus. In various parts of the city, several crocodiles ranging from 10 to 15 feet in length, were seen on roads, in parks, outside houses and on a university campus after the Vishwamitri River overflowed. On Thursday, August 30, an official informed a news agency that they had rescued 10 crocodiles over the past five days. Four of these have been reportedly released, while the others will be released once the water level decreases.

According to reports, there are around 300 crocodiles in the Vishwamitri River. The water level has reached its maximum height of 37 feet, which is 12 feet above the danger mark. This morning the water level decreased to 24 feet. Efforts to rescue crocodiles from residential areas along the banks of the Vishwamitri River continue year-round, but the numbers increase significantly during the monsoon season.

Now as the floodwaters are reportedly decreasing, the rescue operation of the crocodiles will accelerate. According to a report, Range Forest Officer (RFO) Karansingh Rajput mentioned that four crocodiles were rescued and released into the river. In the month of July, this number quickly rose to 21. Over the past five days, around 26 people have lost their lives in Gujarat due to rain-related incidents.

Media reports suggested that more than 50,000 people have been relocated from flood-affected areas, and around 4,200 people have been rescued. Teams from the Indian Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State SDRF, and the local administration have been deployed for rescue and relief operations. The worst affected areas are Vadodara, Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot, and Kutch.
XI'AN, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- China Eastern Airlines on Friday launched a direct flight route between Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and Hanoi in Vietnam.

Outbound flights depart from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport at 5:10 p.m. Beijing time, and are scheduled to arrive in Hanoi at 6:55 p.m. local time. Return flights depart from Hanoi at 8:15 p.m. local time and arrive in Xi'an at 11:55 p.m. Beijing time, with a flight duration of approximately two hours and 40 minutes.

The round-trip flights will operate twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays. The new route is part of Xi'an Xianyang International Airport's broader efforts to expand its international network and strengthen Xi'an's role as an international aviation hub. 
In 2019, Brandon Miller, a renowned real estate entrepreneur in New York, celebrated his tenth wedding anniversary in the backyard of his 5,500-square-foot Hamptons vacation house. He was married to Candice Miller, an influencer and operator of the popular lifestyle blog Mama and Tata. Their Midsummer Nights Dream party was an incredible public spectacle of their idyllic life and marriage. Last month, when Miller died by suicide, he was in a debt of over $34 million (Rs 284.93 crore) and had only $8,000 (Rs 6 lakh) in his savings account.

According to The Real Deal, $11.5 million (over Rs 96 crore) of the debt was related to mortgages on his Hamptons mansion, based on a bond petition filed in surrogates court by Candice. According to reports, the Water Mill estate listed for $15.5 million (almost Rs 130 crores) this month.

Brandon had four mortgages on the property. Titan Capital, who gave him $800,000 (more than Rs 6 crore) as a bridge loan, took Candice to court for nonpayment of the mortgage last month, The Real Deal reported citing his legal documents.

Brandon had another $2 million (over Rs 16 crore) to pay Titan on the property and also loans from UBS and Stevens Financial Group.

He reportedly owed the largest sum of money that was unsecured and amounted to a $11.3 million (almost Rs 95 crore) loan from the Chicago-based BMO Bank.

The deceased left an extra $6.1 million (over 51 crore) in unsecured debt to Donald Jaffe who has been the financier to the developer and his father, Michael Miller on different projects before taking legal proceedings against Miller challenging him to pay the remaining balance in the business loan made. Meanwhile, Jaffe is still attempting to recover his losses.

Other unpaid expenses include more than $300,000 (over Rs 2.5 crore) to American Express and $266,000 (over Rs 2 crore) to Funding Club, a Brooklyn-based cash advance financing firm.

There was reportedly resentment and jealousy directed at Candice since she appeared to live a perfect life.

She also established close friendships with other fellow celebrities including Ashley Olsen, Mary Kate, stylist Rachel Zoe, Ivanka Trump and Something Navy fashion blogger Arielle Charnas.

However, the family was actually over-stretched with debt and were way beyond their capabilities to sustain that kind of lifestyle.

Miller was found lying unconscious in his car inside the familys garage as reported by The New York Post. He was rushed to Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, and he breathed his last a few days later.

Recently, Page Six has found out that Candace has been left to rebuild her life and she has moved to Miami with two young daughters.
A two-year-old child, who was kidnapped over a year ago, grew so close to his abductor that they were seen crying when the Jaipur Police rescued the toddler. On August 27, the police rescued Prithvi from Tanuj Chahar in Aligarh after a prolonged investigation.

However, before Chahar handed over the kid, they looked inseparable. In the video, the child is seen and heard crying as officers forcibly separated them, eventually returning the sobbing kid to his mother, who was waiting outside with her family. Interestingly, even the kidnapper was seen wiping off his tears when the child was taken away from him.

The 33-year-old Chahar, a former head constable in the Reserve Police Lines in Aligarh and a resident of Agra, evaded the police for over a year. Suspended from his police duties, Chahar used his knowledge of law enforcement procedures to avoid detection.

He lived with Prithvi in a hut near the Yamuna River, frequently changing his appearance and avoiding mobile phones. He even grew a long beard and posed as an ascetic recluse to disguise his identity.

Chahar kidnapped Prithvi after asking his mother, Poonam Chaudhary, whom he had known before, to leave her home with him. When she refused, Chahar allegedly kidnapped her child in an attempt to force them to flee together.

As per an earlier News18 report, the kidnapper went to Jaipur searching for the woman he loved, but she was married off to someone else.

After a year, he found her and lived with her in Jaipur, but both were already married to other people, leading to objections from their families and eventually to their breakup.

During this period, the woman had a child, which led to Chahars decision to kidnap the baby. Chahar then started claiming that the child was his, and after failing to persuade the mother to join him in UP, he made a desperate attempt to reunite with her by kidnapping the child, hoping she would return for the childs sake.

Jaipur Police ASP Poonamchand Vishnoi told the publication that while Chahar was on the run, he was under surveillance and had been communicating with the childs mother.

However, he managed to avoid detection by frequently changing his phone and location, even taunting the police by claiming they would never catch him.

Currently, in police custody, Chahar continues to claim the child as his own and demands her return.

Meanwhile, Prithvis mother has expressed a clear desire to sever all ties with the accused.

The police operation, carried out by a special team, reportedly tracked Chahar across multiple locations, including Mathura, Agra and Vrindavan.
Mohammed Touhid Hossain, the Bangladesh interim governments foreign affairs advisor, said the interim government could consider seeking the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in New Delhi.

Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh for India on August 5, after a violent uprising against her led to nearly 300 deaths, including that of many students. She has been named in at least two murder cases.

Her staying in Delhi, in India, the question comes thatthere are so many cases (against Hasina) that could be again some speculating, I am not a person right to answer this, if there is a request from there (Ministry of Home and Ministry of Law) we have to ask for her, you know, return to Bangladesh, Hossain was quoted as saying by Reuters TV.

At least three of Hasinas former ministers and advisers have already been arrested in Bangladesh.

If there is a demand from there, and that creates an embarrassing situation for the Indian government. So I think the Indian government knows this and I am sure they will take care of it, he further added.

In his first interview to international media since taking over, Hossain said Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus, who is leading the interim government, is very unhappy about the way the statements are coming from India, from the former prime minister, and he conveyed this to the Indian envoy in a meeting on earlier this month.

Professor Yunus is very unhappy about the way the statements are coming from India, from the former Prime Minister. He is quite unhappy about this and I have conveyed this to the High Commissioner (of India). I have also told the press that we have conveyed this because we believe in transparent relations, he said.

Hossain also said that Bangladesh should not be tackling the issues arising out of the Rohingya crisis and the influx of the minority group from Myanmar which is fleeing the country due to persecution.

India is a very large country, if they want to take some, its fine. We have taken a million, let them take 200,000, I dont mind. But the goal is their repatriation to their country, he said.

We are not in a position to allow any more Rohingyas to enter. Its a humanitarian issue that involves the entire world, not only Bangladesh. We have done more than our share, and the world should take charge of that, he further added.
The body of Bangladeshs Awami League leader Ishaque Ali Khan Panna, found decomposing earlier this week at a betel nut plantation in Meghalaya, has been handed over to the countrys authorities.

According to a report by Prothom Alo, the family members of the deceased leader were present at the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Dawki  Tamabil for the handover along with Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) personnel, immigration police and other officials.

An official from Meghalaya told news agency PTI that Ishaque Ali Khan Panna was throttled to death and that there were injury marks on his head.

According to the post-mortem examination report, Panna died of asphyxia. His windpipe was throttled. The Forensic Science Laboratory report will shed more light on this matter, a senior government officer said.

There were lacerated wounds on the body  on the lower right part of the orbital region and bruises on the forehead. These marks indicated he had struggled just before dying, he further added.

The decomposed body of Panna was discovered by local people from a betel nut plantation at Dona Bhoi village in East Jaintia Hills district, about 1.5 km from the Bangladesh border, on August 26. The Awami League leader was identified through his passport.

The former Chhatra League leader reportedly lost his life while attempting to flee to India through the Dona border at Kanighat in Sylhet on the night of August 24, Bangladeshi news media reported.

He was a former general secretary of the Bangladesh Chhatra League and a prominent member of the Awami League from Pirojpur district in the neighbouring country. He had been on the run following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5.
British-Indian Labour MP Jas Athwal has publically apologised after a BBC probe revealed poor living conditions in several flats he rents out, including issues with toxic black mould and broken fire alarms.

Athwal, who represents Ilford South and is the largest landlord in the House of Commons with 15 rental properties, expressed his profound sorrow over the situation, saying that he is committed to providing quality accommodation for his tenants. I want every one of my tenants to have excellent accommodation, he said.

Ants are everywhere

The investigation uncovered that nearly half of the residents in a block of seven flats reported needing to frequently clean mould from their bathroom ceilings, while one tenant described the ant problem as pervasive, saying, The ants are everywhere. Some tenants claimed they faced threats of eviction if they complained about the conditions.

Athwal acknowledged that he had met with the property management company to address communication failures and ensure that issues are resolved promptly. He emphasised his role as a renters champion and denied any knowledge of eviction threats against tenants.

However, Andrew Boff, a Conservative member of the London Assembly, has called for an investigation by the Labour Party and Redbridge Council, highlighting that none of the seven flats possess the required selective property licenses, a regulation Athwal had implemented as council leader.

In 2018, Athwal, who served as the leader of Redbridge Council from 2014 until he became an MP last month, shared an article about a local landlord fined by the council. He commented, Rogue landlords, we are coming for you.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said he could have done with a Vande Bharat when asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modis train ride to Kyiv.

The minister had accompanied PM Modi on his maiden visit to Kyiv aboard the Rail Force One, as Ukraine remained engaged in a military conflict with Russia.

PM Modi had earlier this month also travelled to Poland and had taken a train from there for the Ukrainian capital where he held meetings with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Jaishankar said it was a 10-hour journey each way. I could have done with a Vande Bharat. It was 10 hours each way, and I think, given the situation, obviously, you got what you got, but 10 hours is 10 hours," he said while speaking at a session at the ET World Leaders Forum.

He also said he does not recall PM Modi taking a long train ride like the one he took earlier this month during his foreign visit.

I remember Prime Minister Narendra Modi going on a Shinkansen bullet train in Japan, I often cannot remember any other train ride at least for a long time," he said.

Other than Prime Minister Modi, several other leaders have used the Train Force One to visit Kyiv. US President Joe Biden used the train during his 2023 visit to Kyiv. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi in 2022 travelled to Ukraine by this train. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada also visited Ukraine via this train.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo also visited Kyiv via a train.

Built in 2014 to cater to tourists in Crimea, Rail Force One resembles a luxurious hotel on rails. It features a spacious table for meetings, comfortable sofas and a wall-mounted television.

In terms of safety, the train is designed to safeguard its VIP passengers. It boasts armoured windows, advanced communication systems and is equipped to withstand the toughest situations. It includes surveillance systems, a secure communication network and a dedicated security team on board.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that its crucial to start a new chapter in the Indo-Bangla ties, which should begin with the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as her continued presence in India could further damage bilateral relations.

The veteran leader, the second-in-command of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), emphasised his partys desire for strong relations with India, stating they are prepared to move past previous differences and collaborate.

Electricity deal

He also assured that the BNP would never permit any activities on Bangladeshi soil that could threaten Indias security. In an interview with PTI at his residence in Dhaka, Alamgir said if the BNP is voted to power, it will review and re-evaluate the questionable Adani electricity deal signed during the Awami League regime, as it is putting tremendous pressure on the people of Bangladesh.

Claiming that it was a diplomatic failure on the part of New Delhi for failing to understand the psyche of the people of Bangladesh, Alamgir said that even after the fall of the Hasina government following a peoples uprising, the Indian establishment is yet to reach out to BNP, even though China, the US, the UK, and Pakistan have already done so. Alamgir asserted that the safety of minorities in Bangladesh is an internal matter, contending that reports of attacks on Hindus are not accurate since most incidents are politically motivated rather than communal.

Sheikh Hasina has to face the law of Bangladesh for all the crimes and corruption committed by her and her regime. To enable this and respect the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh, India should ensure her return to Bangladesh, he said. After unprecedented anti-government protests that peaked on August 5, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India. Hasinas presence in India for over three weeks has given rise to speculation in Bangladesh.

New chapter

We want to start a new chapter in India-Bangladesh relations, and ensuring the return of Hasina to Bangladesh will be a new leaf in the bilateral ties, he said Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League are both condemned here and standing by them will only worsen the perception of India in Bangladesh, he told PTI. Alamgir said if India doesnt ensure the return of Hasina to Bangladesh, bilateral ties between the two nations will worsen.

There is already anger against India, as it is seen as a supporter of the authoritarian Sheikh Hasina regime. If you ask anyone in Bangladesh, they will say that India did not do the right thing by giving shelter to Sheikh Hasina. Now, if India doesnt ensure the extradition of Hasina to Bangladesh, the relationship between the two countries will further decline, he said.

On Friday, the spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, during a press briefing was asked if a formal request had been made from Bangladeshs interim government for the extradition of Hasina, but he did not give a clear answer. The former prime minister of Bangladesh came to India at very short notice for safety reasons. We have nothing further to add on that matter. What you asked lies in the realm of hypothetical issues, Jaiswal had said.

When asked about the ongoing India out campaign in Bangladesh, Alamgir said there is palpable anger against India, as it never bothered to establish a relationship with the people of the country but was content with its relationship with the Awami League only. Indias diplomacy regarding Bangladesh was not pragmatic. It did not establish a relationship with the people of Bangladesh and other stakeholders but put all its eggs in one basket. India has to understand the pulse of the people of Bangladesh, he said.

Alamgir said if voted to power, the BNP would try to strengthen the relationship with India and resolve misunderstandings and past differences. If we are voted to power, we will engage more with India, as we want a strong relationship with India. We will try to resolve the misunderstandings and past differences. We have to talk, as that will be pragmatic diplomacy to resolve the issues. Even after such a major political upheaval in Bangladesh, India has not started any dialogue with us, he said.

The 76-year-old leader said the high commissioners and ambassadors of Pakistan, China, the US, and the UK had reached out and spoken to us, but there has been no communication from India. Alamgir said questionable bilateral treaties that went against the interests of Bangladesh during the Awami League regime will be re-examined and, if needed, reviewed.

We have no issues with bilateral treaties and agreements with India done during the Awami League regime, which are in the interest of Bangladesh. But there are some questionable bilateral treaties and agreements that are not in the interest of Bangladesh and need to be re-looked and reviewed, he said. Listing out bilateral projects that need to be re-examined, Alamgir said the Adani electricity deal tops the list, as there are a lot of questions regarding it and it is putting a lot of pressure on the people of Bangladesh.

Hindu minorities

Speaking on the issue of attacks on Hindu minorities following the fall of the Awami League government earlier this month, Alamgir called the reports factually incorrect and misleading. The reports that attacks on Hindu minorities are taking place are factually incorrect. There may be some instances, but those are more political in nature and not communal, he said.

The attacks might have occurred because of political reasons, as the victims were activists of the Awami League, irrespective of religion, caste, or creed. We have taken precautions and asked our leaders to protect Hindu families, he said. Alamgir asserted that the issue of minority safety is an internal matter of the country.

The question of minorities is an internal matter of Bangladesh. When India makes it an issue, Bangladesh needs to address it at an international forum. We never complain about what happens to Indian minorities, so no one should comment on the issue of minorities here, he said.

When asked about concerns that anti-India elements might gain ground on Bangladeshi soil in the absence of the Awami League government, the former minister in the BNP cabinet said, The BNP government would never allow anti-India forces to gain ground in the country. Terrorism or such activities in Bangladesh are very minimal in nature, and the situation is under control. We can assure India that BNP will never allow any anti-India forces or security threats to gain ground in the country, he said.

Alamgir hoped that fresh elections would be held in the country within a year. We hope the reforms undertaken by the interim government in the election commission, judiciary, bureaucracy, and police will be completed in a year, and then fresh elections can be held, he said. When asked whether the BNP led by former premier Khaleda Zia would go for an alliance with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami just like early 2000, Alamgir said the party presently is not in alliance with Jamaat.

The alliance we had with the Jamaat ceased to exist long ago. But at times we had carried out joint programmes against the Awami League regime during the recent people;s uprising. But at the moment we are not in any alliance with Jamaat, he said.
An Indian-origin man has been charged with the murder of a 21-year-old student from Nepal, who was shot dead in her apartment during a robbery in the US city of Houston.

Police discovered Muna Pandeys body with multiple gunshot wounds on Monday evening after receiving an anonymous tip about a dead body inside her apartment, Fox News reported. Pandey, who moved to Houston in 2021 to study at Houston Community College, was found lying on her bed with three gunshot wounds to her torso and one to the back of her head, according to court documents.

Bobby Singh Shah

US investigators believe Bobby Singh Shah, 51, shot her during an attempted robbery. Surveillance footage captured Shah outside her apartment shortly before the shooting, where he was seen demanding she open the door while brandishing a pistol. Authorities arrested Shah later that week during a traffic stop. He has been charged with capital murder and is being held without bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.

A 51-year-old man is in custody and charged with capital murder in connection with the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Muna Pandey. https://t.co/SvHQPs5UKD pic.twitter.com/8QSpl2xg5K FOX26Houston (@FOX26Houston) August 30, 2024

The suspect, Bobby Singh Shah, 51, is charged with capital murder in the 262nd State District Court. A booking photo of Shah is attached to this news release, Hudson police said in a statement. Shah was located and arrested on Wednesday evening during a traffic stop in northwest Houston in a coordinated effort by HPD SWAT officers, the HPD Crime Reduction Unit and the Texas Department of Public Safety. He was subsequently booked into the Harris County Jail, it added.

Pandeys mother, who has been trying to contact her for days, is now seeking to travel to Houston from Nepal. Members of the Nepalese community in Houston are assisting her with travel arrangements. Friends described Pandey as a dedicated student and an only child, expressing their grief over her violent death.

We are reaching out to you, our community, to help bring Anita to the United States so she can say goodbye to her only child and give Muna the farewell she deserves. The funds raised will be used to cover the costs of Munas funeral and to bring her mother to Houston to be with her daughters body for the final rituals, a GoFundMe page read.
Pakistan reported its fourth case of monkeypox as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province reported its third case. A passenger returning from abroad was detected with the virus in Peshawar.

The provinces health authorities confirmed monkeypox in the patient who hails from Orakzai. He was shifted to Peshawars Services Hospital after displaying symptoms at the airport, broadcaster GeoNews reported.

Authorities said that the patients condition is stable and he is being treated at the Services Hospital.

Out of the four mpox cases reported in Pakistan, three have been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The patients are from the cities of Mardan, Nowshera and Orakzai. None of these cases were domestic and were reported in passengers returning from abroad.

The Pakistani health ministry issued fresh guidelines which has directed airport authorities at all the Pakistani international airports to ramp up screening, isolation and other preventive measures, including thermal scanning to curb the spread of the monkeypox virus.

Earlier in August, the WHO declared an international health emergency after a surge in cases linked to a new mpox strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has since spread beyond its borders.

Mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals that can also be passed from human to human through close physical contact.

It causes fever, muscle pains and skin lesions and in an increasing number of cases, death.

The diseases resurgence and the detection in the DRC of a new strain, dubbed Clade 1b, prompted the WHO to declare its highest international alert level on August 14.

It had previously declared an emergency over the international spread of the Clade 2b strain of mpox, which mostly affected men who have sex with men. That alarm was lifted in May 2023.

The mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries can be controlled, and can be stopped, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is quoted as saying in the statement.

The virus continues to circulate at low levels globally, Tedros added, but the African Region has had an unprecedented increase and geographical expansion.

(with AFP inputs)
A Russian helicopter with three crew members and 19 passengers on board has gone missing in the far eastern peninsula of Kamchatka, the Interfax news agency reported on Saturday.

The Mi-8T helicopter took off from a base near the Vachkazhets volcano and the crew failed to report at the scheduled time. This report came as Ukrainian air defences shot down 24 out of 52 drones launched by Russia during overnight attacks on eight regions across Ukraine.

In a statement on Telegram, the Ukrainian air force said that 25 Shahed drones had fallen on their own and three others had flown towards Russia and Belarus. Ukraine uses electronic warfare as well as mobile hunting groups and aircraft defences to repel frequent Russian drone and missile strikes.

On the night of August 31, 2024, the enemy struck with an Iskander-M ballistic missile from the Voronezh region, four S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the occupied Donetsk region, and 52 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs from the Kursk region," the Ukrainian air force said in a statement posted on Facebook. As a result of the air battle, 24 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs were shot down, 25 were lost (they fell on their own)," the statement added.

In the capital Kyiv, where alerts lasted for about four hours, it was the fourth drone attack this week, officials said. All drones targeting the city were downed and no major damage was reported, Kyiv city officials said. Ukrainian air defences also shot down Russian drones in the Poltava, Cherkasy, Kyrovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions in central Ukraine, in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions in the north and the Mykolayiv region in the south.

Meanwhile, in the southwestern Russian city of Belgorod, local Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that five people were killed and 46 injured in a Ukrainian attack late on Friday. Gladkov said that 37 of the injured, including seven children, were taken to hospital.

A video from a car dashboard, posted on social media and purporting to show the attack, displayed another car being blown up while moving on the road. Seconds later, an explosion is seen on the other side of the road. Ukraine has staged frequent attacks on Belgorod and other Russian border regions in recent months, with the city being a focal point of these attacks.

(With agency inputs)
A staff member offers free ophthalmological checkup to a visitor at the Ningxia Senior Service Expo & Conference in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 30, 2024. The event is held here from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

Visitors are pictured during the Ningxia Senior Service Expo & Conference in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on Aug. 30, 2024. The event is held here from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

Visitors taste sample wine products at the Ningxia Senior Service Expo & Conference in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 30, 2024. The event is held here from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

An exhibitor promotes products via livestreaming at the Ningxia Senior Service Expo & Conference in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 30, 2024. The event is held here from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

Members from a chorus of senior citizens perform during the Ningxia Senior Service Expo & Conference in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 30, 2024. The event is held here from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

A staff member introduces medical products to a visitor at the Ningxia Senior Service Expo & Conference in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 30, 2024. The event is held here from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)

Staff members offer free diagnosis to visitors at the Ningxia Senior Service Expo & Conference in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Aug. 30, 2024. The event is held here from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. (Xinhua/Mao Zhu)
MANILA, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' foreign investments yielded net inflows of 1.38 billion U.S. dollars in July, according to the data released by the Philippine central bank Friday night.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said the foreign investment transactions in July resulted from 2.43 billion dollars in gross inflows and 1.04 billion dollars in gross outflows for the month, a reversal from 27.26 million dollars in net outflows in June.

The central bank added that July's registered investments were 133.3 percent higher than in June 2024.

The majority of investments for the month originated from Britain, the United States, Singapore, Luxembourg, and Norway, collectively contributing 93.7 percent.

Year-on-year, registered investments in July 2024 are 54.3 percent higher than in July 2023, while gross outflows grew by 70.6 percent compared to last year.

It said the first seven months' transactions for foreign investments registered with the central bank yielded net inflows of 1.46 billion dollars, 830.7 percent higher than the net inflows in the same period in 2023. 
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired the commander of the country's air force on Friday, four days after an F-16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed during a Russian bombardment and killed the pilot. The order to dismiss Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website, per the AP . "We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers," Zelensky said in an address minutes after the order was published. He said Ukraine needs to strengthen its army on the command level. Lt. Gen. Anatolii Kryvonozhko was appointed acting air force commander, the army's general staff said.

The dismissal came on the same day that Oleshchuk directed scathing criticism at a lawmaker who's deputy head of the Ukrainian Parliament's defense committee for her claims that the F-16 was downed by a Patriot air-defense system. Ukraine has received an unspecified number of the US-made systems. Mariana Bezuhla cited unnamed sources for her claim and demanded punishment for those responsible for the error. Oleshchuk accused Bezuhla of defaming the air force and discrediting US arms manufacturers and said that he hoped she'd face legal consequences for her claims. "The truth will win," Bezuhla posted on X shortly after the dismissal order was published. The air force didn't directly deny that the F-16 was hit by a Patriot missile.

US experts have joined the Ukrainian investigation into the crash, the air force said. The crash was the first reported loss of an F-16 in Ukraine, where the warplanes arrived at the end of last month. At least six are believed to have been delivered by European countries. Military analysts say the planes won't be a game changer in the war, given Russia's massive air force and sophisticated air defense systems. But Ukrainian officials welcomed the supersonic jets, which can carry modern weapons used by NATO countries, for offering an opportunity to hit back at Russia's air superiority. More here.

(More Ukraine stories.)
The US military and Iraq launched a joint raid targeting suspected Islamic State group militants in the country's western desert that killed at least 15 people and saw seven American troops hurt, officials said Saturday. For years after dislodging the militants from their self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria, US forces have fought the Islamic State group, though the casualties from this raid were higher than in previous ones. The US military's Central Command alleged the militants were armed with "numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive 'suicide' belts" during the attack on Thursday, which Iraqi forces said happened in the country's Anbar Desert, per the AP .

"This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as US citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond," Central Command said. "Iraqi Security Forces continue to further exploit the locations raided." It added: "There is no indication of civilian casualties." Meanwhile, an Iraqi military statement said that "airstrikes targeted the hideouts, followed by an airborne operation." "Among the dead were key ISIS leaders," Iraq's military said, without identifying them. "All hideouts, weapons, and logistical support were destroyed; explosive belts were safely detonated; and important documents, identification papers, and communication devices were seized."

A US defense official says five American troops were wounded in the raid, while two others suffered injuries from falls during the operation. One who suffered a fall was transported out of the region, while one of the wounded was evacuated for further treatment, the official said. "All personnel are in stable condition," the official said. It wasn't immediately clear why it took two days for the US to acknowledge it took part in the raid. Iraq didn't say the US took part in the operation when initially announcing it, as politicians debate the future of having American troops in the country. There are approximately 2,500 US troops in Iraq. More here. (More Iraq stories.)
Sweet Briar College in Virginia will exclude transgender women from admissions next school year, citing the legally binding will of founder Indiana Fletcher Williams. Williams died in 1900, and her will specifies that Sweet Briar "be a place of 'girls and young women.'" The phrase "must be interpreted as it was understood at the time the Will was written," per Sweet Briar President Mary Pope Hutson. The new policy requires each applicant to confirm her birth sex is female and "that she consistently lives and identifies as a woman."

The new policy has sparked backlash from some students and a large portion of the faculty, who fear it may drive away potential students and tarnish the college's reputation. Critics argue the originalist interpretation of Williams' will is outdated and flagged the fact that it also originally specified the school was to be for "white girls." The college had to seek permission from a federal judge to accept Black students after the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Student Government Association President Isabella Paul, who identifies as nonbinary, described the policy as "alienating" and reflecting "the rise of transphobia in our country." The faculty overwhelmingly voted to urge the board to overturn the policy. Challenges to the policy may arise legally, though as a private college, Sweet Briar is exempt from Title IX regulations banning sex discrimination in education. The school has about 460 students. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
A judge in Atlantic City, New Jersey, allowed smoking to continue in the city's casinos, handing a significant victory to the struggling industry. Superior Court Judge Patrick Bartels' ruling is a setback for casino workers who have been fighting for four years to ban smoking in their workplaces. Mark Giannantonio, president of Resorts Casino and the Casino Association of New Jersey, welcomed the decision, emphasizing the industry's steps to create healthier environments while retaining smoking sections.

Lamont White, a Borgata dealer leading the anti-smoking movement, stated, "This fight is far from over." Nancy Erika Smith, representing the workers, announced plans to appeal, criticizing New Jersey for "shaming itself" by allowing the casino industry to maintain smoking areas. The issue of smoking in casinos is contentious, not just in Atlantic City but in other states like Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Virginia. Currently, smoking is permitted on 25% of the casino floor in Atlantic City, though workers argue that secondhand smoke is pervasive. A previous smoking ban in 2008 was quickly repealed after revenue sank 20% in just two weeks. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
China and the Philippines accused each other of causing a collision between their two vessels Saturday in the latest flare-up of tensions over disputed waters and maritime features in the South China Sea. In a statement posted on social media, a Chinese coast guard spokesperson was quoted as saying that a Philippine ship maneuvered and "deliberately collided" with a Chinese coast guard ship "in an unprofessional and dangerous manner." Philippine officials in Manila, meanwhiile, said it was their coast guard ship, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, that was rammed thrice by the Chinese coast guard without any provocation, causing damage to the Philippine vessel, per the AP . Video released by the Philippine coast guard appeared to show the Magbanua being rammed by a Chinese coast guard ship.

It was the second confrontation in days near Sabina Shoal, about 85 miles west of the Philippine province of Palawan, in the internationally recognized exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. The Philippine ship, the Magbanua, has been anchored in Sabina since mid-April after Manila suspected that China may construct a structure to seize the uninhabited atoll. China harbored the same suspicions and recently filed a diplomatic protest against the Philippines due to the ship's prolonged presence at the shoal. China is rapidly expanding its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which is crucial to international trade.

The tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, and could drag in the United States, which is bound by a treaty to defend the Philippines. The longtime territorial disputes also involve other claimants, including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei. China has rejected a ruling by a UN-backed arbitration panel that negated almost all of its historically based claims in the South China Sea. Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine coast guard said in a news briefing in Manila that the Magbanua had dropped its anchor again and wouldn't withdraw from Sabina Shoal, "despite the harassment, bullying activities, and escalatory action of the Chinese coast guard." "We stand with the Philippines in upholding international law," US Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said in a statement posted on X.

(More China stories.)
UPDATE

Sep 25, 2024 10:05 AM CDT

Hip-hop artist Fatman Scoop, who collapsed onstage while performing in Connecticut last month, died of heart disease, the state medical examiner's office has determined. The official cause of death for the 56-year-old performer, born Isaac Freeman III, was hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, a spokesperson for the Connecticut medical examiner's office said Wednesday, per the AP.

Aug 31, 2024 3:55 PM CDT

Isaac Freeman III, the rapper known professionally as Fatman Scoop and as the "undisputed voice of the club," died after collapsing onstage at a show Friday in Connecticut. He was 56. The cause of death wasn't released, but the town's mayor posted on Facebook that he had a medical emergency while performing at Hamden Town Center Park. Concertgoers and paramedics tried to aid the artist, who was taken to a hospital, Lauren Garrett wrote, per the AP. The cause of death wasn't immediately released. "The world lost a radiant soul, a beacon on stage and in life," his family posted on Instagram.
A campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio and prevent the spread of the virus has begun, the Health Ministry said Saturday, as Palestinians in the Hamas-governed enclave and the occupied West Bank reeled from Israel's military offensives. A small number of children in Gaza received doses a day before the large-scale vaccine rollout and planned pause in fighting agreed to by Israel and the UN World Health Organization, the AP reports. "There must be a ceasefire so that the teams can reach everyone targeted by this campaign," said Dr. Yousef Abu Al-Rish, Gaza's deputy health minister, describing scenes of sewage running through crowded tent camps. Polio is spread through fecal matter.

AP journalists saw about 10 children receiving doses at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. The Washington Post described the inoculations as a symbolic start to the effort. "I was terrified and waiting for the vaccination to arrive and for everyone to receive it," said Amal Shaheen, whose daughter received a dose. In its first statement on the campaign, Israel said the vaccination program would continue through Sept. 9 and last eight hours a day. It is expected to pause some operations in Gaza to allow health workers to administer vaccines with the aim of reaching some 640,000 Palestinian children. Most people who contract the disease do not experience symptoms, and those who do usually recover in a week or so. But there is no cure.

(More Israel-Hamas war stories.)
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: editor@newsofbahrain.com

MP Bader Saleh Al Tamimi has expressed his sincere gratitude to Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, Ms Amina bint Ahmed Al Rumaihi, and Minister of Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs, Eng. Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, for issuing a decision to implement new building regulations in residential areas.

Al Tamimi, who proposed the amendment to the building regulations in the first session of the current legislative term, stated that his proposal was approved by the Council of Representatives in May 2023 and subsequently submitted to the government.

He emphasised that his proposal was based on a thorough feasibility study, taking into account the public interest and the well-being of citizens.

The implementation of these new regulations is expected to significantly reduce building violations, with Al Tamimi claiming a 90% decrease in violations and related legal cases filed by municipalities against homeowners.

Al Tamimi explained that these regulations are the result of extensive work and collaboration between past and present municipal councils. They aim to facilitate reconciliation between citizens and relevant authorities, streamlining procedures and easing the burden on homeowners.

The new regulations will also allow for the expansion of housing units, addressing the current widespread issue of building violations.

Al Tamimi commended the collaborative efforts between the legislative and executive branches, highlighting their effective coordination in implementing policies and legislation that benefit both the nation and its citizens.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: editor@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain is taking a proactive approach to regulating artificial intelligence (AI) with a new proposed law that aims to establish a comprehensive legal framework for the emerging technology. Ali Al Shahabi, a member of the Shura Council and Vice-President of its Human Rights Committee, highlighted the importance of this legislation in a recent interview with our sister newspaper Alayam.

Al Shahabi stressed the need for swift action in this rapidly evolving field, noting that many countries lack the necessary legal frameworks to govern AI effectively. He believes that countries that successfully implement comprehensive AI regulations, safeguarding all stakeholders  from developers and programmers to companies and end-users  will be at the forefront of attracting AI companies and talent. This is precisely the goal of the proposed law, which has been approved by the Shura Council and is now being sent to the executive branch for consideration.

The proposed law advocates for the establishment of a dedicated unit to oversee AI development, protect investors, and ensure the safety of individuals. It also outlines specific guidelines and requirements to minimize exploitation and offer comprehensive protection to all users.

Al Shahabi highlighted the Shura Council's commitment to enacting further legislation to safeguard children from technological exploitation. This includes utilising AI technologies to protect children through intelligent monitoring systems that can detect suspicious behavior.

Addressing Concerns about Job Displacement

The interview also addressed concerns about the potential impact of AI on the workforce. Al Shahabi acknowledged that many citizens and residents are apprehensive about the introduction of AI, fearing that it could eventually replace human workers in certain jobs. He reassured the public that AI will not eliminate human roles entirely but will instead transform the nature of jobs and work processes. He emphasised the importance of continuous skill development and improvement to adapt to the changing landscape and leverage AI to enhance services, efficiency, and productivity.

Moreover, The proposed law recognises the importance of human involvement in decision-making and prohibits AI from replacing humans in this critical area. Al Shahabi explained that the law safeguards the continued relevance of human workers by ensuring that AI remains a tool to enhance, rather than replace, human capabilities.

Ensuring Responsible AI Development

Furthermore, Al Shahabi also delved into the crucial aspect of monitoring AI developers and programmers to prevent the development of potentially harmful robots and technologies. The Shura Council member underscored that the proposed law addresses this concern by establishing a dedicated AI unit with specific responsibilities, including oversight of AI systems, collaboration with relevant authorities, and the requirement for developers and users to report any incidents, violations, or breaches.

The law empowers the AI unit with the authority to investigate, gather evidence, and take action against violations, ensuring a robust framework for responsible AI development. The proposed law also includes provisions for licensing AI development activities, prohibiting unlicensed operations and outlining clear procedures for obtaining licenses.

Protecting Children in the Digital Age

Additionally, the interview explored the potential of AI to protect children from online dangers. Al Shahabi highlighted the ability of AI to filter harmful content, including violence and hate speech, thus creating a safer online environment for children. He stressed the capability of AI to detect harmful behaviors through intelligent monitoring of online interactions, identifying potential bullying and sexual exploitation attempts.

He stressed the importance of clear legislation to minimize online risks for children and ensure a safe online environment for them. He pointed out that the proposed law will include provisions to address these concerns, utilizing AI to create a safer online experience for children.

Key Features of the Proposed Law:

* *Regulation of AI Technologies:* The law aims to regulate the use of AI, ensuring responsible development and deployment.

* *Protection of Privacy:* The law prioritises protecting individuals' privacy and safeguarding them from potential risks associated with AI.

* *Human Rights Preservation:* The law emphasises upholding fundamental human rights and personal security for all citizens and residents.

* *Encouraging Innovation:* The law aims to foster investment and innovation in the AI sector by creating a favorable environment for developers and companies.

* *Prohibition of Harmful AI Applications:* The law prohibits the use of AI for dangerous purposes that are difficult to control, including the deployment of uncontrolled robots and autonomous systems.

* *Safeguarding Human Roles:* The law recognises the importance of human involvement in decision-making and prohibits AI from replacing humans in this critical area.

* *Monitoring and Oversight:* The law establishes a dedicated AI unit with specific responsibilities for oversight, investigation, and enforcement, ensuring responsible development and deployment of AI.

* *Protecting Children:* The law includes provisions to use AI to protect children from online dangers, including filtering harmful content and detecting suspicious behavior.

AI's Potential Impact on Bahrain

Al Shahabi believes that Bahrain is well-positioned to leverage AI for significant advancements across various sectors. He anticipates transformative changes in finance, banking, logistics, transportation, healthcare, cybersecurity, tourism, and government services.
Juncao expert Chen Kehua (L) and a local technician check bags of mycelium at Central African Institute of Agronomic Research in Bangui, the Central African Republic, Feb. 6, 2024. Since the 1980s, Lin Zhanxi, a professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, has led a research team on Juncao technology in China's southeastern Fujian Province.

Juncao means "mushroom" and "grass" in Chinese. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing it to grow edible mushrooms, provide livestock feed and help battle desertification.

Since the 1990s, China has shared the technology with over 100 countries by opening training classes and conducting on-site demonstrations.

By now, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 40 African countries, helping African farmers combat poverty and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

Nyambo Obed checks mushroom tubes at his workshop in Muhanga District, Southern Province, Rwanda, on Aug. 14, 2024. Nyambo Obed has been to China twice for Juncao technology training. Since the 1980s, Lin Zhanxi, a professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, has led a research team on Juncao technology in China's southeastern Fujian Province.

Juncao means "mushroom" and "grass" in Chinese. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing it to grow edible mushrooms, provide livestock feed and help battle desertification.

Since the 1990s, China has shared the technology with over 100 countries by opening training classes and conducting on-site demonstrations.

By now, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 40 African countries, helping African farmers combat poverty and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

Lin Zhanxi lectures Juncao technology to participants of a training class at the China-Rwanda Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center in Huye District, Southern Province, Rwanda, on Aug. 4, 2024. Since the 1980s, Lin Zhanxi, a professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, has led a research team on Juncao technology in China's southeastern Fujian Province.

Juncao means "mushroom" and "grass" in Chinese. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing it to grow edible mushrooms, provide livestock feed and help battle desertification.

Since the 1990s, China has shared the technology with over 100 countries by opening training classes and conducting on-site demonstrations.

By now, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 40 African countries, helping African farmers combat poverty and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. (Photo by Huang Wanqing/Xinhua)

A drone photo shows Juncao grass field in Beidou Village of Yongtai County in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Aug. 21, 2024. Since the 1980s, Lin Zhanxi, a professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, has led a research team on Juncao technology in China's southeastern Fujian Province.

Juncao means "mushroom" and "grass" in Chinese. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing it to grow edible mushrooms, provide livestock feed and help battle desertification.

Since the 1990s, China has shared the technology with over 100 countries by opening training classes and conducting on-site demonstrations.

By now, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 40 African countries, helping African farmers combat poverty and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Fatime Abba Rekya checks bags of mycelium in Damara, the Central African Republic, Feb. 6, 2024. Fatime Abba Rekya learns Juncao technology on a training class in Bangui in 2022. Since the 1980s, Lin Zhanxi, a professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, has led a research team on Juncao technology in China's southeastern Fujian Province.

Juncao means "mushroom" and "grass" in Chinese. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing it to grow edible mushrooms, provide livestock feed and help battle desertification.

Since the 1990s, China has shared the technology with over 100 countries by opening training classes and conducting on-site demonstrations.

By now, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 40 African countries, helping African farmers combat poverty and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

A farmer carries freshly harvested mushrooms out of a mushroom shed in Huye District, Southern Province, Rwanda, on Aug. 14, 2024. Since the 1980s, Lin Zhanxi, a professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, has led a research team on Juncao technology in China's southeastern Fujian Province.

Juncao means "mushroom" and "grass" in Chinese. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing it to grow edible mushrooms, provide livestock feed and help battle desertification.

Since the 1990s, China has shared the technology with over 100 countries by opening training classes and conducting on-site demonstrations.

By now, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 40 African countries, helping African farmers combat poverty and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

Fatime Abba Rekya is pictured at an edible mushroom cultivation workshop she established in Damara, the Central African Republic, Feb. 6, 2024. Fatime Abba Rekya learns Juncao technology on a training class in Bangui in 2022. Since the 1980s, Lin Zhanxi, a professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, has led a research team on Juncao technology in China's southeastern Fujian Province.

Juncao means "mushroom" and "grass" in Chinese. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing it to grow edible mushrooms, provide livestock feed and help battle desertification.

Since the 1990s, China has shared the technology with over 100 countries by opening training classes and conducting on-site demonstrations.

By now, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 40 African countries, helping African farmers combat poverty and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

Lin Zhanxi (R) introduces Juncao technology to Rwandan students at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Aug. 26, 2024. Since the 1980s, Lin Zhanxi, a professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, has led a research team on Juncao technology in China's southeastern Fujian Province.

Juncao means "mushroom" and "grass" in Chinese. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing it to grow edible mushrooms, provide livestock feed and help battle desertification.

Since the 1990s, China has shared the technology with over 100 countries by opening training classes and conducting on-site demonstrations.

By now, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 40 African countries, helping African farmers combat poverty and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

This photo taken on Aug. 15, 2024 shows a view of Juncao grass field in Huye District, Southern Province, Rwanda. Since the 1980s, Lin Zhanxi, a professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, has led a research team on Juncao technology in China's southeastern Fujian Province.

Juncao means "mushroom" and "grass" in Chinese. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing it to grow edible mushrooms, provide livestock feed and help battle desertification.

Since the 1990s, China has shared the technology with over 100 countries by opening training classes and conducting on-site demonstrations.

By now, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 40 African countries, helping African farmers combat poverty and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

A worker cuts Juncao grass in Beidou Village of Yongtai County in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Aug. 21, 2024. Since the 1980s, Lin Zhanxi, a professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, has led a research team on Juncao technology in China's southeastern Fujian Province.

Juncao means "mushroom" and "grass" in Chinese. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing it to grow edible mushrooms, provide livestock feed and help battle desertification.

Since the 1990s, China has shared the technology with over 100 countries by opening training classes and conducting on-site demonstrations.

By now, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 40 African countries, helping African farmers combat poverty and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Sheep eat Juncao grass in Beidou Village of Yongtai County in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Aug. 21, 2024. Since the 1980s, Lin Zhanxi, a professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, has led a research team on Juncao technology in China's southeastern Fujian Province.

Juncao means "mushroom" and "grass" in Chinese. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing it to grow edible mushrooms, provide livestock feed and help battle desertification.

Since the 1990s, China has shared the technology with over 100 countries by opening training classes and conducting on-site demonstrations.

By now, Juncao technology has taken root in more than 40 African countries, helping African farmers combat poverty and promoting cooperation between China and Africa. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: editor@newsofbahrain.com

The RAK Art Foundation inaugurated its art exhibition at QGallery in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, showcasing the works of 20 Bahraini artists. The event drew a large number of Azerbaijani art enthusiasts and was attended by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation; Anar Alakbarov, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation; and Farkhad Khalilov, Chairman of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan.



The exhibition, running until the end of September, features nearly 50 artworks from various generations and art schools within the Rashid Al Khalifa Art Foundations holdings. It is part of a broader initiative that includes educational programmes and an artistic exchange announced in May between the Foundation and the Azerbaijan State Academy of Art.



Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, President of the RAK Art Foundation, highlighted the significance of the exhibition in promoting Bahraini art and cultural relations between Bahrain and Azerbaijan. He expressed his gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their continued support of Bahrain's cultural scene. He also noted that the exhibition serves to strengthen Bahrains position on the international art scene and fosters cultural communication through the universal language of art.



Shaikh Rashid announced plans for future cultural exchanges, including the possibility of hosting an exhibition of Azerbaijani artists in Bahrain next year and establishing art residency programmes to further develop cultural ties between the two countries.



Emin Mammadov, Founder of QGallery, praised the collaboration with Shaikh Rashid and the RAK Art Foundation, emphasising the role of art in fostering international friendships and cultural understanding. He expressed enthusiasm for continuing the partnership and exploring further opportunities for cultural exchange between Bahrain and Azerbaijan.



Participating Bahraini artists, including Abbas Al Mosawi, Ghada Khunji, and Hala Al Khalifa, among others, commended the RAK Art Foundations efforts to promote Bahraini visual art on the international stage and to facilitate cultural communication globally.



The RAK Art Foundation, a non-profit organisation, is dedicated to supporting artists worldwide and promoting international collaborations through exhibitions and other cultural initiatives. The Foundation aims to engage communities, educate the public, and foster critical thinking and social dialogue through the arts.
A Xiaomi SU7 car is on display during Chengdu Motor Show 2024 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. The Chengdu Motor Show 2024 kicked off here on Friday. Nearly 130 Chinese and foreign car companies made appearance during the motor show, with more than 1,600 vehicles on display. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

A BYD Seal 06GT electric car is on display during Chengdu Motor Show 2024 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. The Chengdu Motor Show 2024 kicked off here on Friday. Nearly 130 Chinese and foreign car companies made appearance during the motor show, with more than 1,600 vehicles on display. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

People visit Chengdu Motor Show 2024 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. The Chengdu Motor Show 2024 kicked off here on Friday. Nearly 130 Chinese and foreign car companies made appearance during the motor show, with more than 1,600 vehicles on display. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

A visitor takes photos inside a Hongqi vehicle during Chengdu Motor Show 2024 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. The Chengdu Motor Show 2024 kicked off here on Friday. Nearly 130 Chinese and foreign car companies made appearance during the motor show, with more than 1,600 vehicles on display. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

People visit Chengdu Motor Show 2024 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. The Chengdu Motor Show 2024 kicked off here on Friday. Nearly 130 Chinese and foreign car companies made appearance during the motor show, with more than 1,600 vehicles on display. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

A Yangwang U8 SUV goes through emergency floating test during Chengdu Motor Show 2024 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. The Chengdu Motor Show 2024 kicked off here on Friday. Nearly 130 Chinese and foreign car companies made appearance during the motor show, with more than 1,600 vehicles on display. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

An Xpeng X2 flying car is on display during Chengdu Motor Show 2024 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. The Chengdu Motor Show 2024 kicked off here on Friday. Nearly 130 Chinese and foreign car companies made appearance during the motor show, with more than 1,600 vehicles on display. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

Chinese NEV manufacturer BYD presents MPV Xia during Chengdu Motor Show 2024 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. The Chengdu Motor Show 2024 kicked off here on Friday. Nearly 130 Chinese and foreign car companies made appearance during the motor show, with more than 1,600 vehicles on display. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

A visitors tries a simulated driving device during Chengdu Motor Show 2024 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. The Chengdu Motor Show 2024 kicked off here on Friday. Nearly 130 Chinese and foreign car companies made appearance during the motor show, with more than 1,600 vehicles on display. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)

Qilin battery from Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) is on display during Chengdu Motor Show 2024 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. The Chengdu Motor Show 2024 kicked off here on Friday. Nearly 130 Chinese and foreign car companies made appearance during the motor show, with more than 1,600 vehicles on display. (Xinhua/Tang Wenhao)
For the past few summers, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have entertained people on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, easing themselves on the shoulders and necks of passersby.

The Albino Burmese pythons, owned by Jason Wilson, are now banned from the boardwalk during the summer months after the City Council passed an ordinance banning reptiles from the iconic boardwalk.

Wilson, of Queens, New York, who regularly travels the country with his four snakes, told NJ Advance Media he is fighting the ban, arguing it is written based on uninformed public perception.
A man drowned Thursday afternoon in a lake in Monroe Township in Gloucester County  the fourth time a person has drowned in the town his summer, police said.

Thursdays drowning happened at the Cedar Lake Wildlife Management area off Jackson Road, according to a statement from the Monroe Township Police Department.

Officers were called there at 2:10 p.m. and were told that a group of friends had been swimming in the lake. One of them, Rafael Martinez Pascual, a citizen of Mexico who was residing in Pitman, disappeared beneath the surface, the department said.

Rescue workers from numerous agencies responded with divers, a specially-equipped watercraft, a helicopter, and drones in an effort to locate Pascual, investigators said.

Around 5 p.m., his body was pulled from water and he was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

The area was closed for public access and swimming is prohibited, per Wildlife Management Area regulations, police said.

Thursday marked the fourth drowning in town, with the first happening in the swimming pool of a Woods Road home on May 26, officials said. Two children, ages 11 and 14, were pulled from the water, rushed to the hospital and later died.

The third drowning happened two weeks after that incident in a different backyard swimming pool, police said. In that incident, a toddler drowned, authorities said.

The three children who died in those incidents have not been identified.

The latest drowning is under investigation by the police department and the Gloucester County Prosecutors Office.

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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
BEIJING, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- "The future of China-Africa relations lies in our young people," said Chinese President Xi Jinping while addressing the opening ceremony of the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The development of young people has been high on the agenda of China-Africa cooperation. Many of the initiatives Xi outlined at FOCAC summits were designed to assist them in exploring job opportunities and pursuing better personal development.

At the 2015 FOCAC Johannesburg Summit, he proposed the establishment of regional vocational education centers and capacity-building schools for Africa. Three years later, at the Beijing Summit, he introduced the idea of setting up Luban Workshops on the continent to provide vocational training for more youngsters.

Over the years, these measures have benefited many young African people. Among them is Jamlick Mwangi Kariuki, a 26-year-old Kenyan student pursuing a master's degree in a Beijing-based university.

Kariuki's connection with China started in 2017, when the Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) opened to traffic. The project not only cuts rail travel time between the two cities by half, but also has created about 50,000 jobs for locals, resulting in the training of more than 2,800 high-caliber railway professionals for the country.

Months before the modern railway's opening, Kariuki was enrolled in a China-funded program aimed at boosting the ranks of Kenyan talent for railway management, and moved to Beijing for undergraduate study in civil engineering at Beijing Jiaotong University.

After graduating in 2021, Kariuki went back home to work for the Kenya Railways Corporation as an assistant engineer, contributing to the operation of the SGR. Many of his fellow students in the same program are working for the Kenyan corporation. In his quest for more advanced knowledge, Kariuki returned to China in 2023 to further his studies at the same university in order to become a railway expert.

Feeling grateful for the opportunities they received, representatives of Kenyan students and alumni at the university, including Kariuki, wrote a letter to Xi at the end of 2023, expressing their great pleasure in coming to China to learn more about railway operation and management.

The year 2023 marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, as well as the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which was put forward by Xi.

In his reply letter in January this year, Xi said the BRI has turned the ideals of development and revitalization of China and Kenya into reality, and closely linked the well-being of the two peoples, calling the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR a flagship project and a successful example of China-Kenya Belt and Road cooperation.

"I am glad to see that you have bonded with China through this road to happiness. You have witnessed and benefited from China-Kenya and China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and you have helped build and spread the friendly cooperation between China and Kenya and between China and Africa," Xi said in the letter.

He went on to add that the blueprints of the BRI and the China-Kenya comprehensive strategic partnership demand the involvement of more ambitious and capable young individuals like them to ensure successful realization.

Inspired by Xi's words, Kariuki said he will continue working hard to contribute to the two countries' cooperation and common development.

Xi values both the inheritance of traditional China-Africa friendship and the cultural exchanges between Chinese and African youth. During his visit to South Africa in March 2013, he witnessed the signing of an agreement between China and South Africa on jointly establishing the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology. In ten years since its establishment, the institute trained about 10,000 students.

In 2023, 50 faculty members and students from the institute in Durban wrote a joint letter to Xi, sharing their experiences and thanking Xi and the Chinese government for providing more opportunities for African youth to pursue their dreams.

In his reply letter, Xi encouraged them to visit China more often, and develop a deeper understanding of China while having a good command of the Chinese language to contribute to promoting China-Africa friendship and cooperation.

When addressing the 2018 FOCAC Beijing Summit, Xi expressed his confidence that the baton of China-Africa friendship would be passed from one generation to the next and that China and Africa, working together, would build an even more vibrant community with a shared future. 
Sunday marks the first day where it will be illegal to slip a plastic fork or spoon into a takeout bag unless the customer specifically requests one.

The law, known widely as Skip the Stuff, is intended to decrease waste associated with single use plastics. The city council passed the ordinance in June, and it takes effect Sept. 1.

Im thrilled to see the Skip the Stuff ordinance, which I spearheaded alongside my council colleagues (Councilwomen Jen) Giattino and (Emily)Jabbour, finally come to life, said Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher. This initiative represents a win-win for our community, reducing plastic waste while also saving our local businesses money.

In May, when Fisher prepared to introduce the ordinance, she said that it was her own experience with takeout that got her thinking. She had ordered in Chinese food and found herself with a handful of plastic utensils despite having a drawer full of reusable ones in her kitchen.

Jersey City is in the process of passing a similar law specifically about plastic utensils, preventing businesses from giving them out unless customers ask for them. It also would remove plastic straws and stirrers from self-service stands at restaurants, though restaurants could still provide them upon request.

It is headed to a final reading in September.

Ibrahim Abbasi, the owner of the restaurant Ali Baba on Washington Street, said Hobokens new law wont change anything for him because his restaurant has already only been providing utensils to customers who request them.

He estimated that only 10% of customers say they want a fork.

A lot of people dont want to get caught up with too much trash in their drawers in their kitchen and too many utensils not being used, Abbasi said.

Still, he thinks the government should be focusing its energy on other reforms. For example, the fees associated with maintaining outdoor dining at his restaurant prompted him to end his outdoor dining season in August instead of November.

Theres more important things to do so that we can preserve the businesses, Abbasi said.

The Hoboken Business Alliance applauded the citys new law.

This ordinance is putting more sustainable practices in place that will ultimately save businesses unnecessary expenses, said Roxanne Earley, the alliances executive director. Hoboken is an example of how our community efforts to implement more eco-conscious policies can align with shared business and civic goals.

Mayor Ravi Bhalla called it a significant step towards reducing waste and supporting our climate goals.
Apparently, when J.D. Vance is applying his eyeliner every morning, he looks into the mirror and wonders, How can I insult women in a new way today?

The Republican vice presidential nominee who disparaged childless cat ladies and teachers without children, among other offensive comments toward women, has a new hit.

Vance, before Vice President Kamala Harris gave an interview to CNN on Thursday night with running mate Tim Walz, posted a meme of the Miss Teen USA beauty pageant in 2007, when contestant Caitlin Upton struggled answering a question.

Vance  in his best impersonation of running mate and insulter-in-chief Donald Trump  added the caption: I have gotten a hold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview.

Upton was widely mocked on social media for her rambling answer under pressure  to the extent that she admitted to New York Magazine that she contemplated suicide.

I definitely went through a period where I was very, very depressed, but I never let anybody see that stuff, except for people I could trust, she said. I had some very dark moments where I thought about committing suicide.

Vance, when confronted with those facts in a CNN interview with host John Berman on Friday, said that my heart goes out to her, and I hope that shes doing well, but he added, Im not going to apologize for posting a joke.

Vance  one of the most unpopular vice presidential nominees in history, according to polls  insisted that there are other things more important than the fragile mental health of a person he derided  grocery prices, for instance.

Look, Ive said a lot of things on camera. Ive said a lot of stupid things on camera, he said. Sometimes when youre in the public eye, you make mistakes, and again, I think the best way to deal with it is to laugh at ourselves, laugh at this stuff, and try to have some fun.

I posted a meme from 20 years ago, and I think the fact that were talking about that, instead of the fact that American families cant afford groceries or health care. Young families cant afford to buy a home to raise their families in. Those are the real prices that we should focus on.

He added, And theres nothing that says that we cant tell some jokes along the way while we deal with the very serious business of bringing back our public policy. Politics has gotten way too lame ... way too boring. You can have some fun while making a good argument to the American people about how youre going to improve their lives.

Which begs the question: Has Vance improved Caitlin Uptons life?

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A man at Donald Trumps rally in Johnstown, Pa., stormed into the press area as the former president spoke on Friday but was surrounded by police and sheriffs deputies and eventually subdued with a Taser.

The altercation came moments after Trump criticized major media outlets for what he said was unfavorable coverage and dismissed CNN as fawning for its interview Thursday with his Democratic rival Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.

The man made it over a bicycle rack ringing the media area, and began climbing the back side of a riser where television reporters and cameras were stationed, according to a video of the incident posted to social media by a reporter for CBS News.

People near him tried to pull him off the riser and were quickly joined by police officers.

CBS News campaign reporter Jake Rosen contradicted the news report: A note of color from in the press pen: our CBS security team today got to the man first to rip him off the riser near our live shot location. Not local police, USSS, or private security at the venue. Another security lapse at a Trump rally, he tweeted.

The crowd cheered as a pack of police led the man away, prompting Trump to declare, Is there anywhere thats more fun to be than a Trump rally?

Trump, who is now trailing in almost every poll, has been lashing out at the media, including the usually friendly Fox News, which has admitted in its recent polling that Trump is lagging behind Harris.

The conservative networks latest polling showed Harris leading in key states  Nevada (+2), Arizona (+1) and Georgia (+2). Trump, meanwhile, has a 1-point lead in North Carolina, according to the survey. Trump had led in all of these states until Joe Biden dropped out.

Its that time of year again, Trumps campaign said in a statement. Fox is releasing atrocious polling.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Even though Labor Day is Monday and the end of summer is only about three weeks away, were still more than two months from the end of Daylight Saving Time and turning our clocks back one hour.

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, when the clock will fall back one hour and, in theory, give us one extra hour of sleep.

The amount of daylight has continued to decrease slightly each day since summer began on June 20.

The amount of daylight continues to diminish each day until Dec. 21 when the winter solstice arrives at 4:19 a.m. Then, the length of days will begin to increase until the summer solstice on June 20, 2025.

The flip side is that the sun will rise approximately one hour earlier each morning after we return to standard time in early November. On Nov. 2, sunrise in New Jersey is at approximately 7:29 a.m. and sunset is at about 5:53 p.m. The next day the sun comes up at 6:30 a.m. but sets at 4:52 p.m..

So, while millions of people will travel home from work mostly or entirely in the dark in November, their morning commute will include more daylight.

Clocks officially fall back at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November to 1 a.m.

Daylight Saving Time 2024: When does Daylight Savings start and end this year?Canva for NJ.com

Daylight Saving Time started on Sunday, March 10, 2024, and will end on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024  a run of 238 days. It has lasted from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November since 2007.

We next turn the clocks ahead on March 9, 2025  126 days after turning them back. Daylight Saving Time in 2025 will end on Nov. 2, 2025.

The concept dates back more than a century when English architect William Willett proposed the idea to change the clocks in 1907 in The Waste of Daylight. The suggestion of using daylight more efficiently can be traced to Benjamin Franklin.

While visiting in Paris in 1784, he wrote a letter to the editors of the Journal of Paris calling for a tax on every Parisian whose windows were shuttered after sunrise to encourage the economy of using sunshine instead of candles, according to Michael Downing, author of Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time.

Daylight Saving became widespread in the U.S. when the Uniform Time Act of 1966 was passed. Back then, Daylight Saving ran from the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October and states were allowed to opt out.

In 1986, Daylight Saving was changed to run from the first Sunday in April until the final Sunday in October. The most recent revision took effect in 2006 when Energy Policy Act of 2005 revised Daylight Saving from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November.

Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe Daylight Saving Time. The time change is also not observed in U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All of Indiana didnt begin observing Daylight Saving until 2006.

Eighteen states have enacted legislation to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. Voters in California have voted to authorize year-round Daylight Saving Time. Those changes, however, require federal approval.

In March 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would end changing the clocks twice a year. The U.S. House of Representatives didnt take a vote on it, though.

A handful of provinces in Canada  most of Saskatchewan and Yukon have adopted permanent daylight saving as have parts of British Columbia and two communities in northwest Ontario.

About 70 countries observe Daylight Saving Time. Most of North America, Europe and parts of South America and New Zealand adhere to it, while China, Japan, India and most other countries do not.

It starts on different dates elsewhere. In Europe, for example, Daylight Saving Time starts the last Sunday in March and ends the final Sunday in October.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
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New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams has been invited to address a state Senate committee on Sept. 5 to explain his policy of letting people convicted years ago get reduced sentences by pleading guilty to reduced charges. The DA has accepted the invitation.

If youve ever tried to picture Daniel walking into the lions den, tune in to the livestream of the Senate Judiciary C Committee hearing, or watch it later via the legislative archives. It promises to be quite a show, only this time no angel will shut the mouths of the lions. They fully intend to roar, and more.

Williams policy of revisiting old cases that he and others believe were not adjudicated fairly has caught the attention of conservative lawmakers and tough-on-crime state Attorney General Liz Murrill. They express concern about the frequency of Williams supporting defendants requests for post-conviction relief.

Many if not most district attorneys occasionally agree to take another look at past convictions when new evidence suggests that justice was not done. Post-conviction relief is not just legal, its often necessary.

Virtually all post-conviction relief efforts begin with motions by defense attorneys. Those that succeed rely upon established legal bases, and many are not opposed by district attorneys.

Most DAs, however, seldom enter into post-conviction plea deals. As a matter of policy  and politics  they prefer to burnish their tough-on-crime brands rather than risk looking weak by showing mercy, even when the law and the facts cry out for justice.

Williams, on the other hand, champions post-conviction relief efforts. When he ran for DA in 2020, he promised to establish a civil rights division with the express goal of reckoning with the sins of the past, particularly those dealing with people convicted by non-unanimous juries.

New Orleans voters gave Williams 58% of the vote based on that promise, which he kept. His office has acquiesced in hundreds of post-conviction relief motions that led to reduced sentences and some releases from prison.

Before he won the race for Orleans Parish DA in 2020, Williams had made quite a name for himself  and quite a nice living  as a criminal defense attorney. As an at-large New Orleans City Council member for seven years, he often sparred with then-DA Leon Cannizzaro over Cannizzaros lock-em-up-and-throw-away-the-key approach to criminal justice.

In the run-up to the DAs race, public opinion had turned so strongly against Cannizzaro for his heavy-handed approach to justice that the two-term DA declined to seek re-election rather than face humiliation at the hands of Williams.

A few months after his term as DA ended, Cannizzaro went to work for then-Attorney General Jeff Landry as Landrys new criminal division chief. He continues in that role under new AG Murrill.

No one can dispute Cannizzaros qualifications for that job. He previously served for years as a respected trial court and appellate judge, as DA for 12 years and as a public defender.

One can, however, speculate as to his, Murrills and now-Gov. Landrys motives for supporting a new law that restricts future post-conviction relief deals. Act 10 of the governors special session on crime imposes strict legal time limits on deals struck years after a conviction  and authorizes Murrill to challenge such deals.

The new law took effect Aug. 1. Williams critics say he accelerated post-conviction deals before that date. They add that Williams is an out-of-step DA who needs to be reined in.

Williams responds that hes upholding justice, a legal and ethical mandate for all DAs.

I cannot turn a blind eye when evidence is presented in a court of law to an injustice or violation of the Constitution that must be dealt with, Williams said, adding that New Orleans for decades "had the highest imprisonment rate, the highest wrongful incarceration rate, the highest life-without-parole rate and the highest exoneration rate of any city in the country.

Moreover, theres political danger in treading on district attorneys turf. Most are valuable allies at election time.

State Sen. Jay Morris, chair of the Judiciary C Committee, acknowledged that DAs are concerned about how his committee hearing will play out  particularly since many of them have endorsed post-conviction deals themselves, though far less frequently than Williams. That includes Cannizzaro when he was DA.

The general consensus Im getting from a lot of DAs is, Whatever you do, please dont punish us for what Jasons doing, Morris said.

Theres also an open question as to the constitutionality of the new law limiting DAs use of post-conviction relief. The Louisiana Constitution gives district attorneys total discretion in deciding whether, and how severely, to charge defendants.

The Louisiana Supreme Court reinforced that provision in a case involving post-conviction relief last year, stating that a district attorney has absolute discretion to support post-conviction relief when warranted, adding, This broad authority is necessary because a prosecutor's responsibility is as a minister of justice and not simply that of an advocate.

Well see soon enough how the legislative lions feel about that.
GAZA, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Every morning after waking up, Sama Tubail, an 8-year-old Palestinian girl in the Gaza Strip, would hold a broken mirror to check if her hair has grown back.

"It seems that my hair would never return to normal. I'm so sad that I've lost it and become bald," the little girl lamented.

Tubail still had her long hair five months ago. She used to style it out, making her the focus of attention among her friends.

At that time, she loved to play with her friends, which she told Xinhua could help her overcome fear amidst continuous Israeli attacks on the coastal enclave.

Then, out of the blue, her life was turned upside down one day, as the Israeli army attacked a house near her family's tent in Rafah in southern Gaza and forced her family to flee to the Indonesian Field Hospital in the city.

"I woke up over the terrifying sound of the huge explosion near us. Without taking my time to realize what was happening, my father carried me with my sister and ran into the streets, asking my mom to follow him," the girl recalled.

"I heard his racing heartbeats. I was terrified and felt that death was chasing us," she said, her voice cracking. "We arrived at the hospital to hide inside it. We thought that it was a safe place but the army attacked its roof and we spent our night under persistent Israeli attacks."

Luckily, Tubail and her family survived the attack and moved to Khan Younis, another city in southern Gaza, as they thought it would be safer. But explosions did not stop and the little girl feared she would die at any moment.

To not disturb her parents, the child decided not to cry and to keep her fear to herself. And a few days later, Tubail was shocked to witness excessive hair loss when combing her hair. She could bear it no longer and started crying for her mother.

"In three days only, my child lost about 80 percent of her hair. I took her to many doctors for help. All of them told me that her treatment is not available in Gaza," Om Mohammed, Tubail's mother, told Xinhua.

"What sin did my child commit to be punished like this? None of the children have to witness such a catastrophic situation," said the 39-year-old mother of three.

For Om Mohammed, the most difficult part was when her crying daughter came to her and asked her if she got cancer.

"I cannot stand the tears of my daughter. I told her that her hair would return soon. All the time, I tell her that she is the most beautiful girl in this world," the woman said.

Amidst a lack of medical supplies in Gaza due to Israel's ongoing siege on the enclave, there is no treatment available for Tubail locally. Therefore, Om Mohammed appealed for help and hoped her daughter could be sent abroad for treatment.

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023.

According to a statement released by Gaza-based health authorities on Saturday, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the enclave has risen to 40,691.

"Unfortunately, children are paying a high price for this war," Amjad Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network in the Gaza Strip, told Xinhua.

"All the children in Gaza have been suffering psychological trauma which negatively affected their health conditions and even their life," Shawa said.

"Some children were infected with various diseases as a result of their psychological trauma and some others, like Tubail, lost their hair, and this is a normal result of the dire conditions they are experiencing now," he said.

Tubail's birthday falls on Oct. 5. For the little girl, one of her biggest wishes is to regrow her hair before her birthday.

"Even if I will not be able to celebrate this year, I wish I can do it next year if the war ends and I can travel for treatment," the girl said. 
BEIJING, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Beijing, China's first megacity to achieve population reduction, has kept its permanent population below the 23 million cap for six consecutive years since 2017, according to a municipal conference held on Thursday.

According to a report by the research team of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, while Beijing's population remains stable, its distribution is becoming more balanced.

The capital's core functional areas and central urban districts have witnessed constant population declines, while the city's sub-center, new towns, and ecological conservation areas have experienced population growth, according to the report.

The report showed that this shift is creating a more distributed population structure, with the proportion of residents in the six central districts decreasing from 60 percent in 2015 to 50 percent by 2023, while the share of the ten outlying districts increased accordingly.

Beijing also stands out for its high concentration of talent, boasting the highest density of talent in China. Three-quarters of this talent pool are concentrated in the six central districts. Additionally, the city's life expectancy in 2020 reached 82.49 years, which is 4.56 years higher than the national average.

The research team emphasized that Beijing should continue its dual approach of relieving overburdened areas while supporting emerging ones. Coordination between central urban districts and new towns as well as integration within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is crucial.

Gu Shuzhong, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, suggested that achieving a balanced distribution of work and residential areas across the city is essential, and the city should orderly relocate municipal universities and state-owned enterprises from central districts to outer areas. 
Jenipher Asiimwe speaks at the main forum of the second Tsinghua Global Youth Dialogue held in Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 29, 2024. (Photo by Bi Shanghong/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Amr Wahba, 31, loves the weather in southern China, calling it "warm and pleasant" compared to the climate in his hometown in Egypt.

Since arriving in Beijing to pursue doctoral study in pharmaceutical science at Tsinghua University last year, Wahba has traveled to various places in China, including Hangzhou city in the Yangtze Delta, where he celebrated the Spring Festival. His most recent trip to Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in August marked his first journey to a northern region outside the Chinese capital.

Wahba's travel opportunity came through the Tsinghua Global Youth Dialogue (TGYD), an intercultural initiative established by Tsinghua in 2023. TGYD invites young people from around the world to participate in tours and forums in China, fostering mutual understanding, promoting cooperation and encouraging engagement in addressing global challenges.

The main forum of the second TGYD took place on Aug. 29 and 30 at the Tsinghua campus, featuring two days of keynote speeches and discussions after the participants completed their tours to different parts of China earlier in the month.

Beginning their journey with a four-day visit to Shanghai on Aug. 19, 100 young participants, which include students, researchers and entrepreneurs from 35 countries, were later divided into three groups to explore southwestern province of Guizhou, eastern province of Zhejiang, and Inner Mongolia in the north.

In Inner Mongolia, Wahba was inspired by the solutions to desertification in Ordos, a city with approximately one-sixth of China's proven coal reserves, which, however, is shifting towards green economic development. He said it reminded him of similar efforts in Egypt, where over 90 percent of the land is desert.

"When they are changing the desert to become more green, they are thinking about adding more traditional medicine," he said, referring to the various herbs planted to combat sand encroachment, including some placed beneath solar panels in the desert.

Wahba, whose brother works in Egypt's new energy sector and is eager to explore potential collaboration with China, finally saw the widely used photovoltaic equipment he had heard about before.

According to statistics from the Ordos government, the value added in the city's wind and photovoltaic equipment manufacturing sectors experienced a 5.6-fold increase year on year in the first half of this year.

"Transferring the technology (related to new energy) will be very helpful for us," Wahba said, adding that the trip to Inner Mongolia served as a very useful experience for him.

According to Zhang Runzhou, deputy director of the Center for Global Competence Development at Tsinghua University, the TGYD tours have allowed young people to witness firsthand China's efforts in poverty alleviation, building a harmonious society and advancing green development.

Jenipher Asiimwe, a master's student majoring in film and television production at the Communication University of China, echoed Zhang's views. She said she was deeply impressed by her tour to Zhejiang, a province that was once part of ancient China's fertile Jiangnan region and is now a major innovation powerhouse.

Asiimwe, who hails from Uganda and has worked as a journalist in Africa for many years, highlighted the inclusiveness of innovation and the abundant opportunities for young people that she observed during her visits to science parks, technology companies, ancient towns, and a prosperous village known for its economic development success.

"Instead of looking for white-collar jobs, which is one of the norms of most African youth, what I've learned from here is that after graduating from university, you don't need to be employed by someone, you can create your own company and employ fellow youths in those companies," she said.

Asiimwe noted that she expects to see more cooperation between China and Africa, not just in infrastructure -- where Ugandans have already benefited from several projects -- but also in the digital economy, media and communication, and people-to-people exchanges.

"Let more young people come and experience what the real China is. I've already experienced it and now know the real China, not what we read on the internet," she said.

"Civilization flourishes through exchange and mutual learning," said Shi Zongkai, deputy chairperson of the University Council of Tsinghua University, at the opening ceremony of the TGYD main forum.

"We aim to create a global network for youth cooperation and communication, a community encouraging more profound interactions and collaborations and leading to a safer, more prosperous, and peaceful coexistence for humanity," he added.

For Hashim Amir Bashir, a 25-year-old Nigerian graduate of Beijing-based Beihang University, the significance of such an exchange opportunity is "huge" because it gives an opportunity to sit together, talk, and realize that people from across the world can work collaboratively.

This year, Bashir launched his business in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) with Chinese partners. During his visits to Shanghai and Zhejiang, the young entrepreneur felt "excited" and "motivated" by visiting technology companies, which deepened his understanding of entrepreneurship in China.

"It also proved to me that China is willing to help international people to come and start up their businesses, and also help them at the same time to connect with the rest of the world," he said.

Bashir plans to encourage more African youth to work and engage in entrepreneurship in China. He said he hopes that the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, scheduled for Sept. 4 to 6, will foster greater consensus on cooperation, including increased people-to-people exchanges.

He noted that Africa is one of China's key partners and vice versa, expressing optimism about achieving significant milestones and enhancing their relationship in the future. 

Amr Wahba speaks at the main forum of the second Tsinghua Global Youth Dialogue held in Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 29, 2024. (Photo by Bi Shanghong/Xinhua)

Participants of the second Tsinghua Global Youth Dialogue watch a robot performance in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 25, 2024. (Tsinghua University/Handout via Xinhua)
United States Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, helped the Michigan City Police Department land a $180,000 federal grant for new technology, his office announced.

Mrvan requested Federal Community Project Funding for the Michigan City Police Department. The funding program was created when Congress approved the 2024 budget. The funding will go mainly toward license plate readers for the department.

"We appreciate Congressman Mrvans commitment to public health and safety in Michigan City. This grant will allow us to continue improving our use of technology and keeping our community and residents safe. Thank you so much," Michigan City Mayor Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch said in the news release announcing the funding.

The $180,000 is intended mainly for purchase of the license plate readers officers use when on patrol to scan for criminals, traffic violators and drivers with open warrants out for their arrest.

Congratulations to Mayor Nelson Deuitch and all of the leaders with the Michigan City Police Department on the success of this collaborative effort to ensure law enforcement officers have the technology and equipment they need to keep our communities safe,"

I would like to thank Congressman Mrvan for supporting the crime fighting efforts of the Michigan City Police Department. The federal funding from this grant will provide upgraded technology in the form of automated license plate readers, which will allow MCPD to continue to better serve and protect the community," Michigan City Police Chief Marty Corley said.
A south suburban Dolton man hit an Illinois State Police trooper who was investigating another crash on Interstate 94 in Chicago.

The crash took place on the South Side at around 2:20 a.m. Saturday. It was the 17th crash of the year violating the Move Over Law that requires motorists to move over for police and other vehicles on the side of the road, police said.

The trooper was parked in lane one on I-94 southbound near 111th Street in Chicago. The trooper was inside the squad car with the emergency lights activated after pulling over to investigate the traffic accident.

An Audi hit the rear of the squad car, which required the trooper to be taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Audi driver Samuel Oatis III, a 47-year-old Dolton resident and his passenger also were taken to a hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police cited Oatis for failure to yield to stationary emergency vehicle, following too closely and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

So far this year, eight Illinois State Troopers have been injured in Move Over Law-related crashes, the state police said.

Last year, 13 troopers were injured in 25 Move Over Law-related crashes in Illinois.

The Move Over Law, also known as Scott's Law, mandates that drivers pull over or slow does if that's not possible when emergency vehicles are on the side of the road.

Violations can result in fines of $250 to $10,000. In the case of injury, the driver's license will be suspended for between six months and two years.

NWI Business Ins and Outs: Zombie dodgeball, Public Bar & Rec, Tavern on the Lake, Sweat 219, PhysioPoint and another Crumbl Cookies opening; Munster Train Depot closes Coming soon Coming soon Closed End of line Coming soon Coming soon Grand opening Coming soon Coming soon Coming soon
Pennsylvanias two most populous counties cannot throw out otherwise timely and eligible mail-in ballots because they are undated or do not have the correct date on the outer envelope, a state court ruled on Friday.

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, siding with voter advocacy groups, found that tossing ballots because they did not comport with a 2019 law requiring voters to date and sign the outer envelope would violate a State Constitution clause guaranteeing free and equal elections and pose a substantial threat of disenfranchisement.

The ruling could play a critical role in November in the battleground state, which polls now show to be a tossup between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump. Election officials disqualified nearly 16,000 mail-in ballots for irregularities during Aprils primary election. Almost half were disqualified because of issues like missing signatures and wrong dates on outer envelopes.

The ruling applies only to Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties. Whether it will extend across the state will most likely depend on county officials and guidance from the office of the secretary of the commonwealth, who leads Pennsylvanias Department of State.
The Georgia election workers defamed by Rudolph W. Giuliani in the aftermath of the 2020 election filed a civil suit against him on Friday, accusing him of trying to keep his multimillion-dollar condominium in Florida out of their reach in debt collection.

Mr. Giuliani, the onetime personal lawyer to former President Donald J. Trump, filed for bankruptcy last year after a federal jury determined he should pay the two election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, $148 million for spreading lies about them as part of his efforts to help Mr. Trump stay in office.

A New York bankruptcy judge dismissed Mr. Giulianis case last month because of his failure to comply with basic court requirements.

Mr. Giuliani signed an affidavit on July 13 stating that his Florida residence was his primary home, and therefore not eligible to be seized by his creditors under Florida law. But that is not enough under Florida law to establish primary residency.
Press Release

August 30, 2024 ZUBIRI: PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENTS IN TOURISM, POWER CAN BOOST PH COMPETITIVENESS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA The country's tourism sector will greatly benefit from private sector investments in the areas of infrastructure and public services that will enable the country to capture a larger market of foreign tourists that are all flocking to our Southeast Asian neighbors. This is according to former Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, also the chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, during the panel's hearing on Senate Resolution No. 1121, or the inquiry into the economic impact of poor and inadequate infrastructure, frequent power outages, and insufficient water supply on the tourism sector. "Talo naman natin ang mga beach at ang mga tanawin ng mga kapitbahay natin dito sa Southeast Asia," Zubiri said. "Pero talong-talo nila tayo sa mga airport, sa power supply, sa public transport, at sa connectivity. Kaya napag-iiwanan pa rin tayo, kahit mas maganda naman talaga dito sa Pilipinas," he added. In 2023, Thailand had the best tourism economy in Southeast Asia, receiving 28 million foreign arrivals. This was followed by Malaysia with 20 million, Singapore with 13.6 million, Vietnam with 12.6 million, Indonesia with 11.7 million, and Cambodia 5.5 million. The Philippines, meanwhile, welcomed only 5.4 million foreign visitors. "Tourism is the low-lying fruit that can help us increase our GDP growth once we get our acts together," he pointed out. "The market is there, the natural resources are there. We just have to invest in our tourism infrastructure." Zubiri stressed that the government must partner with the private sector to build the necessary infrastructure for key and rising tourism areas, particularly in terms of developing energy generation, transmission and distribution facilities. "Walang papasok na investors sa mga tourist destinations natin kung napakataas ng presyo ng kuryente, o kung hindi kaya ng power supply ng mga electric cooperatives ang power demand nila," he added. "Kung makapasok man sila, sa mga turista at residente naman mismo babagsak ang napakataas na power costs, at ayaw rin natin 'yan," Zubiri continued. In his conversations with regional stakeholders, the cost and the supply of power emerged as a common deterrent to tourism development, especially for off-grid island destinations. "We were able to solve this power problem for Boracay, and we need to do it for other tourist areas as well," he said. "We can look at renewable energy as a more sustainable, more reliable, and more cost-effective solution." On top of inefficiencies in infrastructure and power supply, Zubiri pointed out that the lack of direct international flights to our tourist destinations inhibits potential visitors from traveling here, pushing them to go to more easily accessible destinations in our neighboring countries instead. In response to the web of problems plaguing the tourism sector, Zubiri is pushing for the formation of a tourism cabinet cluster that will oversee inter-agency efforts to improve infrastructure and public services in the sector.
China has made substantial strides in protecting the water ecology of key river basins, with national water-quality continuing to improve in the first half of this year, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) on Friday. #XinhuaNews
The last few months have felt like a political thriller, an epic co-written by Shakespeare and Clancy with a wash of the cacophonous political jostling captured so deftly by Richard Ben Cramer.

And since it is now the last day (observed) of our stranger-than-fiction summer, I want to linger for just a moment on the books you turn to to make sense of it all.

Earlier this week, I asked you to tell me about your favorite books about politics. I urged you to think broadly about fiction and nonfiction  no need for lab-grown political memoir here  and nearly 1,000 of you obliged before we closed our submissions. I read every single one. You came up with new reasons to read classics and drew out the politics in romance and fantasy books.

And, yes, some of you even submitted your own work for consideration.

The selection that follows is not supposed to be exhaustive. It does not include my recent favorite (Muriel Sparks The Abbess of Crewe, which is basically Watergate but with nuns), because no one suggested it. But it is a list of books youre turning to for clarity and perspective on how we got to our current political moment, and what it means.
Sagar Radia calls Rishi Ramdani, the take-no-prisoners market maker he plays on the HBO finance drama Industry, a walking red flag.

Hes an alpha male, he leads with his chest out, Radia said. And hes the epitome of bravado, which is so fascinating, because for someone like myself who comes from a British South Asian background as an actor, we dont get the chance to play those types of roles.

He added: Unless your name is Riz Ahmed or Dev Patel, everything in between is so limited.

So when Radia, 37, was told that he would be getting a stand-alone episode in Season 3, which started last month, he thought it was a lovely idea but didnt expect it to happen. And yet it did.

He recalled reading the script for the fourth episode, in which Rishis life spirals into chaos as he tries to extract himself from snowballing debt, and thinking, I need to do everything I can to make them feel like they made the right choice.
For decades, farmers across America have been encouraged by the federal government to spread municipal sewage on millions of acres of farmland as fertilizer. It was rich in nutrients, and it helped keep the sludge out of landfills.

But a growing body of research shows that this black sludge, made from the sewage that flows from homes and factories, can contain heavy concentrations of chemicals thought to increase the risk of certain types of cancer and to cause birth defects and developmental delays in children.

Known as forever chemicals because of their longevity, these toxic contaminants are now being detected, sometimes at high levels, on farmland across the country, including in Texas, Maine, Michigan, New York and Tennessee. In some cases the chemicals are suspected of sickening or killing livestock and are turning up in produce. Farmers are beginning to fear for their own health.

The national scale of farmland contamination by these chemicals  which are used in everything from microwave popcorn bags and firefighting gear to nonstick pans and stain-resistant carpets  is only now starting to become apparent. There are now lawsuits against providers of the fertilizer, as well as against the Environmental Protection Agency, alleging that the agency failed to regulate the chemicals, known as PFAS.
A judge dismissed a lawsuit on Friday that sought to ban smoking in Atlantic City, N.J., casinos, a blow to workers who argued that a loophole exempting the establishments from a statewide ban on indoor smoking forced them to work in a poisonous environment. The exemption, the judge said, did not keep workers from pursuing employment in smoke-free environments.

In his ruling, the judge, Patrick J. Bartels, said the exemption in the states Smoke-Free Air Act  passed in 2006 by New Jersey legislators who cited health risks from secondhand smoke  did not intrude upon a persons right to pursue safety under the states Constitution, because the exemption applied to only a few industries.

Mark Giannantonio, the president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, said on Saturday his organization was gratified by the courts decision.

We look forward to continuing to work with stakeholders towards a solution that addresses the health concerns of our employees, while also protecting the collective interest and well-being of the entire Atlantic City work force, he said.
This is death row. And this man doesnt have long to live. I havent seen him in more than 20 years. Good morning, Robert. Good morning to you, Brian. Brian or Mr. Wharton? Brians fine. OK. Let me just say, I am so sorry that youre here and so sorry that you are still here. Yes, sir. Its our failure. Yes, sir. It truly is. But hes never been far from my mind. Why? Because I helped put him here, and he didnt deserve it. In 2002, I was the chief detective in the police department in Palestine, Texas. A 2-year-old girl was fighting for her life. Her name was Nikki. She had been brought to the hospital by her father, Robert Roberson. Roberson told staff they were sleeping in their Palestine home when he woke up and saw Nikki unresponsive, having fallen off the bed. When I got to the hospital, Robert wasnt showing any emotion. His daughter is dying, but he doesnt seem to care. The medical staff were talking to me about shaken baby syndrome. Thats when an infant is killed or injured after being violently shaken. Nikki would die the following day. If she died of shaken baby syndrome, then there was only one person who could be responsible. So we arrested Robert. He was tried, convicted of murder and sent to death row. That was two decades ago. Since then, I have left police work and entered the ministry. But Ive never been able to forget Robert Roberson. This case has been a burden on my heart and my spirit. Let me just say that you have never been far from me. And Im convinced we did the wrong thing. I think if it would have been properly investigated more, we wouldnt be here sitting here now, probably. No other possibilities for her injury were considered. I regret deeply that we followed the easiest path. It was bad enough being  losing her, right? Yes, sir. I would do anything, anything now to bring her back, I would occasionally check this website to track his status. When Id see his name, Im thinking to myself, Good. Somebodys still working with him through the appeals process. An appeal has got to straighten this out, find the truth. I tried to move on. I would comfort myself and say, Look, the system did what the system does. Hes got an attorney. He got his Miranda warnings. We went by the book. Hes where hes supposed to be. But several years ago, someone appeared at my door. It was Roberts attorney. And I told her, Ive been expecting you. Sadly, I guess it took her appearing at my front door for me to find my voice again. I now understand that Robert did, in fact, have autism. Its hard for me to express myself certain things and stuff. I had lots of things I was going to talk to you about. But sometimes, you get wordless  wordless and stuff. I understand, yeah. Autism would explain Roberts flat affect and lack of emotion in the hospital. Its absolutely insane that this never came up in his trial. Ive now come to understand that Nikki was a very sick child and that some of those medical issues could have very easily played into the injuries that ultimately killed her. And shaken baby syndrome, its been substantially discredited by many in the medical community. Not only is there reasonable doubt that Robert did do it, there is unassailable doubt that Robert did do it. But for us at the time, we really felt like we were doing the right thing. Yes, sir. What do you want to say to me  me and the folks that helped put you here? Id like to let you all know, Ill forgive yall and stuff. Forgive yall and stuff. And I just hope and pray that we can make things right together. Yeah, I hope so, too. And I appreciate your forgiveness. It means a lot to me. We as human beings are incapable of producing the kind of fairness and justice required to take someones life. We cant do it. And since we cant do it every time in the same way, justly and fairly, then we dont need to be doing it at all in the United States and certainly in the great state of Texas. We need to abolish the death penalty. And thank you, Brian. Im praying for you, brother. Im praying for you, too, brother. Humans are too fallible to do this fairly. We make mistakes. I made a big mistake. Its a weight I will carry for the rest of my life.
If the goal of the CNN interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota was to relitigate the campaign controversies of the last month  to get the candidates to talk about the major narratives of the election so far  then it was a rousing success. Harris easily dispatched questions about her identity and gave a strong defense of President Bidens record. Walz, likewise, made short work of the charge that he had misled the public when he spoke about using one fertility treatment when it was actually another, similar treatment.

But if the goal was to learn something about a prospective President Harris  to gain insight into how she might make decisions, order priorities and approach the job of chief executive  then I think the interview was not a success. Not so much for Harris or the viewing public.

It might be interesting to journalists to know how Harris explains her changing views from 2019, when she ran for the Democratic nomination, to now, when she is the nominee. But it is not at all clear to me that it is interesting to viewers, who may be less concerned with how she deals with the question and more concerned with the actual substance of what she wants to do as president. A soft-focus question about a photograph, however iconic, seems less valuable than a question about Harriss view of the presidency now that shes spent almost four years in the passengers seat as vice president.

Speaking for myself, I am less interested in hearing candidates navigate controversies or speak to narratives than I am in hearing them talk, for lack of a better term, about their theory of the office. How does a candidate for president conceptualize the presidency? What would she prioritize in office and how would she handle an endless onslaught of crises and issues that may, or may not, demand her attention? How does she imagine her relationship with Congress and how would she try to achieve her goals in the face of an opposition legislature? How does she imagine her relationship with the public and what value does she place on communication and the bully pulpit? Are there presidents she most admires  and why? Are there presidential accomplishments that stand out and how so? What are the worst mistakes a president can make? Why do you want this job in the first place?
When Kamala Harris took the stage in Chicago last week, she spoke of her trailblazer mother and her encouraging father  Dont let anything stop you. She told of how the sexual abuse of her best friend led her to become a prosecutor. She encouraged people to imagine abortion rights being restored under a Harris presidency. What she did not do, as she described her unlikely journey, was state the obvious  and that silence spoke volumes.

As the first Black woman and first South Asian to receive a major party nomination, she was all but expected to talk about her candidacy as a historic first. She could have easily tipped her hat to the galvanizing power of representation or referred to the highest, hardest glass ceiling that Hillary Clinton had tried so hard to shatter. Some enthusiastic delegates had dressed in suffragist white, but she was not among them. She wore a navy blue suit. That color, too, spoke volumes.

Were only beginning to grapple with the audacity of what Ms. Harris is doing: Shes trying to take identity politics out of presidential politics. Dont get me wrong, Ms. Harris is savvy enough to know how important identity is in America today. But if identity is in, gender and racial politics are out. As she put it on CNN on Thursday night, when asked during her first interview as the Democratic nominee to respond to Donald Trumps attacks on her identity: Same old tired playbook. Next question.

She aspires to be the first postgender POTUS. So many American voters loathe being asked to assess their candidates through the lens of gender and race, and they cringe at the performative nature of identity politics  including, yes, Mrs. Clinton and that ever-present glass ceiling, as well as the argument that her supporters were voting with their vaginas if they dared to feel inspired by it.
Rachel Kushner had warned me that there might be snakes and one very mean turkey on the farm. There would also be mud; she recommended rubber boots. And, as far as she remembered, there was no cell service.

The property in Delaware County, N.Y., belonged to her cousin, who did not want to be named in this article but greeted me with a saxophone performance on the porch of a green cottage. Across the way was the house where Ms. Kushner, a novelist whose work often explores societys gritty margins, was staying for a few days early this summer.

I was weeding for hours and hours yesterday, she said.

Everyone who visits the farm must work. Over the years, even garage-rock band members recording music in the barns grain elevator have traversed rows of root vegetables in their jeans.

Ms. Kushner, 55, was used to it: In her 20s, shortly after her cousin purchased the land, she helped rescue the guesthouse from a state of total abandon and lived there on the weekends for a while. Years later, when her husband, a professor, received a fellowship at Cornell University, they would visit often with their young son, who learned from Ms. Kushners cousin how to ride a tractor and catch fish.
As the clock struck midnight in Brazil, the feed stopped refreshing.

The social network X, formerly Twitter, began to go dark Saturday across Latin Americas largest nation after a Brazilian Supreme Court justice ordered its blackout just hours earlier. It was the culmination of a monthslong battle between that justice, Alexandre de Moraes, and Xs owner, Elon Musk, over what can be said online in Brazil.

In recent weeks, Mr. Musk said X would stop complying with Justice Moraess court orders to suspend certain accounts. After Justice Moraes threatened arrests of X employees, Mr. Musk pulled Xs team from Brazil. Justice Moraes responded by blocking X on Friday.

Hours later, millions of Brazilians woke up on Saturday to a social network that would not load. Users on the app still saw a timeline, but the posts were frozen from Friday night. Those who tried to open the website were met with a blank screen, as if the site did not exist.

Some customers of the few internet providers that had not yet complied with the ban as of Saturday morning posted excitedly on X that they could still use the service, and the phrase it didnt go down began trending on X. (One of those providers was Starlink, the satellite internet service run by SpaceX, Mr. Musks space company.)
Arthur J. Gregg, the first African American Army officer to reach the rank of lieutenant general and the only person in modern history to have a military base named for him in his lifetime  in his case a rechristening of a fort that had honored the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee  died on Aug. 22. He was 96.

The Army announced the death on its website but did not cite a cause or say where he died.

In April 2023, Fort Lee was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams in honor of General Gregg, who in 1977 became the Armys first Black three-star general, and Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley, who was the highest-ranking Black woman to serve as an Army officer in World War II.

The new name was recommended by a congressional commission charged with rechristening nine military bases named for Confederate officers, as part of a national self-examination around race set off by the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

Fort Lee, about 30 miles south of Richmond, near the confluence of the James and Appomattox rivers, had originally been named for General Lee, one of eight Virginians who were West Point graduates and U.S. Army colonels at the outbreak of the Civil War. Among them, only Lee chose to take up arms against the United States, the commission noted.
HARARE, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwean government on Friday banned the sale of gasoline that has not been blended with ethanol in an effort to further save foreign currency needed to import the fuel.

A notice issued by the government said the new regulations would come into operation seven days from the date of publication, adding that the decision was arrived at after Minister of Energy and Power Development Edgar Moyo consulted the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority on the issue.

Zimbabwe introduced mandatory blending of gasoline in 2011 in a bid to reduce the amount of foreign currency required to import the fuel and to create a bigger market for sugarcane farmers and generate employment.

However, some service stations continued selling unblended gasoline and describing it as unleaded to cater to vehicles that run exclusively on the product and other motorists who prefer it to the blended one.

Some motor vehicles are marked on the fuel tank inlets that they should only use unleaded gasoline. 
A police officer in Dallas was fatally shot on Thursday night in what officials described as a premeditated execution.

The officer, Darron Burks, 46, was parked in his patrol vehicle in the Oak Cliff section of the city, southwest of downtown, at around 10 p.m. during a break between assignments when a man approached him on the drivers side. The man, who officials said appeared to record the encounter on his cellphone, briefly spoke to Officer Burks, then pulled out a handgun and shot him dead.

Two other officers were shot by the suspect while they were checking on Officer Burks, who had not responded to a dispatchers attempt to contact him, officials said. Senior Corporal Jamie Farmer, who was shot in the leg, has been released from the hospital. Senior Corporal Karissa David, who was shot in the face, remains in critical but stable condition.

The suspect, identified by officials as Corey Cobb-Bey, 30, fled the scene. After officers pursued him onto an expressway, he got out of his vehicle with a gun, approached the officers and pointed his weapon, the police said. Six officers then fired, fatally shooting him. It was unclear on Saturday what might have motivated the attack.
The body of a hiker was found on a remote trail in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona in what was the sixth death reported in the sprawling park this month, the authorities said.

The hiker, a 60-year-old man from North Carolina, was located by search-and-rescue personnel in a helicopter on Wednesday along a route connecting Lower Tapeats Camp and Deer Creek Camp, the National Park Service said on Thursday.

The unidentified hiker was on a multiday backpacking trip, officials said.

The Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center, which is the dispatcher for emergency operations in the area, learned of the missing hiker on Tuesday afternoon. It received a report of a solo backpacker who had failed to check in with a family member while attempting the Thunder River Trail-Deer Creek loop, the Park Service said.

The approximately 25-mile looping hike off the Grand Canyons North Rim, along a trail that the Grand Canyon Conservancy said was carved out by gold miners in the late 1800s, features booming streams of crystalline water but also a southern exposure that made the area infamously hot, according to a Park Service trail guide.
Seven people were killed after a passenger bus overturned east of Vicksburg, Miss., early on Saturday, the authorities said.

Two of the victims were siblings, an 8-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, according to Doug Huskey, the Warren County coroner. He cited information from the childrens mother, who survived the crash and was in fair condition.

The girl and five others were pronounced dead at the scene. The boy was taken by ambulance to Merit Health River Region hospital in Vicksburg, where he died shortly after arrival, Mr. Huskey said.

All 36 others on board the 2018 Volvo commercial passenger bus were taken to hospitals with unknown injuries, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
Vice President Kamala Harris excoriated former President Donald J. Trump on Saturday for his visit on Monday to Arlington National Cemetery, where his campaigns filming of him in a heavily restricted area caused a confrontation between one of his political aides and a cemetery official.

In her first public comments on the situation, Ms. Harris said that Mr. Trump had desecrated a solemn place that should be free of politics when he appeared there for a wreath-laying ceremony for 13 service members who were killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan during the withdrawal of U.S. troops three years ago.

Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt, Ms. Harris wrote on X.

Ms. Harris wrote that she had visited Arlington National Cemetery several times as vice president and that she would never attempt to use that setting for activities related to the campaign.
As President Donald J. Trump hunted for people inside the government who were divulging details of an investigation into whether his 2016 election campaign colluded with Russia, the Justice Department turned to a covert tactic.

Beginning in 2017, department officials secretly collected the phone and email records of roughly a dozen people connected to Congress, including lawmakers and aides who routinely deal with anonymous whistle-blowers, in an effort to see who might be coming forward with confidential information.

Some of the aides, from both political parties, learned only recently that their communications were collected, because the government for years hid the existence of the subpoenas with nondisclosure orders.

Now, whistle-blower advocacy groups are trying to pry more information out of the Justice Department, through court filings and public records requests, in the hopes of shaming the agency into ending the practice of secretly collecting congressional communications records.
This fall, as Democrats and Republicans vie for control of state legislatures across the country, much of the attention has focused on states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Arizona, where one or two seats could tip the balance.

But in a handful of states, the legislature is dominated by one party, while the governors office is held by another. In those states, a high-stakes effort is underway to either preserve an existing supermajority  which confers the ability to override a governors veto  or to break it.

Nowhere has the battle been more magnified than in North Carolina, a heavily gerrymandered state where Republicans hold the 60 percent minimum required for an override in both chambers, even though registered Democratic voters outnumber Republicans.

Last year, after State Representative Tricia Cotham unexpectedly switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, Republican leaders were able to enact a 12-week limit on most abortions, overriding Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat.
Singapores prosperity has long set it apart from many other former British colonies. There is another difference, too: Singapore has clung to honoring its former colonial ruler  and it wants to keep doing so.

Special accolade has gone to Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, who is considered to have founded modern Singapore in the early 1800s. For decades, Singapores textbooks credited Raffles with transforming the island from a sleepy fishing village into a thriving seaport. He has been the central character in a larger official narrative that says imperial Britain had set up Singapore for success as an independent nation.

Dedications to Raffles dot the landscape of Singapore. A business district, schools and dozens of other buildings bear his name. Two eight-foot likenesses of the man loom large in downtown Singapore.

But a new statue of Raffles, installed in a park in May, has revived a debate about the legacy of colonialism in Singapore. On one side is the broader establishment, which has held up British colonial rule positively. On the other are those who want a closer inspection of the empire that Raffles represented and the racial inequity he left behind, even as Singapore became wealthy.
In March, Ms. Smiths government introduced a bill that would allow Alberta to set up a new police agency. But the government said it had no intention of dropping the Mounties, although details about what any new force might be and when it might appear were scarce. Now Ms. Smith has suggested that it will be an incremental move made through an existing law enforcement agency.

Weve also decided to create our own police force under the sheriffs, Ms. Smith told a United Conservative Party meeting earlier this month, according to reporting in The Edmonton Journal. She was responding, The Journal said this week, to a question about what politicians could do to to influence the criminal justice system.
This region used to power the former East Germany with its coal mines.

But as the economy collapsed, the far right rose.

In cities like Gorlitz, hard on the Polish border, change has disturbed old ways and touched off new insecurities.

As east Germans vote, a region in decline is searching for answers on the political extremes.
There was no castle, nor were there throngs of exuberant crowds to celebrate this royal wedding. Nonetheless, the nuptials on Saturday of a Norwegian princess and an American self-described shaman attracted public fascination at home and a Netflix deal abroad.

The royal involved  Princess Martha Louise, daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway  wed the American, Durek Verrett, after years of often mocking public scrutiny, largely because of Mr. Verretts alternative views on health and wellness. The ceremony, a private affair in the remote, picturesque Norwegian village of Geiranger, attracted a gaggle of reporters and a modest crowd of curious residents.

The couple sailed into Geiranger, nestled in the majestic Geirangerfjord, a world heritage site, on the royal yacht on Friday, along with members of the royal family, including King Harald and Queen Sonja, according to an official statement.

The celebrations on Saturday began with brunch, with the option of a spa treatment available for all guests, according to a copy of the program seen by The New York Times. The days schedule also included an afternoon tea, early evening cocktails and a gala dinner. At 10:50 p.m., the party begins, the program said, promising late night snacks at 1 a.m.
TAIYUAN, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- At a smart farm in Shanxi Province, northern China, parliamentary leaders and representatives from 32 developing countries have recently been warmly welcomed, and offered firsthand insight into the vibrancy of China's agricultural modernization.

The event was a part of the 2024 Inter-regional Seminar on the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Parliaments of Developing Countries, co-hosted by China's National People's Congress and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

At the Jinzhong National Agriculture High-tech Zone Smart Farm Demonstration Base, visitors listened attentively to the introduction of an array of agricultural products and asked about shelf life and exploring the disease-resistant qualities of various seeds.

Inside the greenhouses, visitors captured photos and videos of fruit and vegetables, such as rainbow watermelon and cherry tomato. They were particularly impressed by the intelligent water and fertilizer integration system, capable of allowing one person to manage 10,000 square meters.

"It ensures food security. The technology is one of the best. It utilizes space very effectively," said Nabwera Daraja Nabii, a member of the National Assembly of Kenya, noting this is an area that he would be recommending his country to partner with China in.

"Agricultural modernization ensures high-level productivity. It reduces the risk of disease. It lowers the cost of production. That's the way African countries should go," he added.

Lesotho's National Assembly Speaker Tlohang Sekhamane was equally impressed.

"These people are now using artificial intelligence to do agriculture. That is very advanced," said Sekhamane, adding that he hopes for more exchanges between agricultural experts from Lesotho and China.

Peter Katjavivi, the speaker of Namibia's National Assembly, told Xinhua the smart farm is attractive to those who are interested in agriculture.

"This is the kind of place for anyone interested in improving agricultural production from the point of view of promoting food security," said Katjavivi.

Katjavivi expressed a particular interest in applying the know-how in Namibia, focusing on encouraging the production of food and seeds suited to his country's arid environment to enhance food security.

"I'm most interested in seeing how agricultural centers here work with academic institutions in terms of skills development to empower ordinary farmers and the workforce," he said.

Later, at an on-site discussion session held at the smart farm demonstration base, Katjavivi got his answers. During the session, he tried to establish a cooperative relationship between the Namibian University of Science and Technology and Chinese agricultural research institutions.

Tulia Ackson, IPU president and speaker of Tanzania's National Assembly, who also attended the session, told Xinhua that she was deeply impressed by the openness and willingness of Chinese experts to cooperate with developing countries. 
For more than two decades it has been standard practice in Russia: New conscripts doing mandatory military service have not been deployed on the front lines. It is codified in law and embraced by all parents hoping to keep their sons from the carnage of war.

But Ukraines lightning incursion into the southwestern Russia region of Kursk has upended that compact.

When Ukrainian troops poured into Russia on Aug. 6, Moscow was caught unawares. Suddenly, the war had come to the conscripts, who were manning lightly guarded positions near the border.

Hundreds of conscripts were captured, while scores are missing and potentially dead.

Military deployment has been a sensitive issue for President Vladimir V. Putin. Moscows decision to thrust young, untrained soldiers onto the battlefields of Afghanistan and Chechnya helped to cement domestic opposition that compelled the Kremlin to end those conflicts.
As hundreds of Russian missiles and drones streaked across Ukraine on Monday, the Ukrainian fighter pilot known as Moonfish was exactly where he had said he always wanted to be: in the cockpit of an F-16 giving chase.

The F-16 is a Swiss Army knife, the pilot, Lt. Col. Oleksiy Mes, told reporters while training on the warplane last fall. Its a very good weapon that can carry out any mission.

Colonel Mes helped lead Ukraines intense lobbying effort to secure the F-16 fighter jets, a half-dozen of which joined the fight against Russia earlier this month. And he was among the dozen or so pilots trained to fly the sophisticated warplane in combat.

After shooting down three Russian cruise missiles and one attack drone in Mondays assault, he was racing to intercept yet another target when ground control lost communication with his aircraft, Ukrainian Air Force officials said.
Residents of Tulkarm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank assessed the damage on Saturday from a raid by Israeli forces that has chewed up roads, brought sudden bouts of violence and left many Palestinians reeling. Israels military pressed on elsewhere in the territory amid signs that fighting with Palestinian militant groups could spread.

Hundreds of Israeli soldiers swept into cities in the northern West Bank this week with columns of armored vehicles and bulldozers, clashing with militants and leaving many people trapped in their homes without running water or internet. One family said that a relative with mental illness was shot dead during the raid, his body left untended for hours during the violence.

In the Nur Shams neighborhood  a focus of the raid  workers and residents cleared away dirt and rubble churned up by Israeli bulldozers searching for improvised explosive devices.

Cars cant move through the streets, everyone is making their way on foot, because the dirt is piled up in huge mounds, said Suleiman Zuhairi, a resident of Nur Shams and a retired official in the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli troops largely pulled back from Tulkarm on Friday, and were continuing their operation in the flashpoint city of Jenin in the northern West Bank, while two episodes farther south prompted fears that the violence was worsening.

At least 22 Palestinians have been killed since the raid started on Wednesday, according to the Palestinian Authoritys Health Ministry, many of whom militant groups have claimed to be members. Israel says that at last 20 militants have been killed.
The Israeli military said on Saturday that it had found a number of dead bodies during an operation in the Gaza Strip, asking the Israeli public to refrain from speculation about their identities.

The announcement was widely interpreted in Israel, however, as confirmation that more Israeli hostages had died in captivity, and it quickly amplified calls for an immediate cease-fire in order to free the roughly 100 captives still held, both dead and alive, in Gaza.

Roughly 250 people were captured by Hamas and its allies during their Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which started the war.

The military said in a statement on Saturday that the recently found bodies had yet to be identified and brought to Israel. It did not give further details about how many bodies had been found or where they were discovered, and it would not officially confirm that they were hostages.
Oasis fans have been warned tickets for the bands hotly anticipated comeback tour are now limited after some spent hours battling technical issues on booking sites.

Noel and Liam Gallagher announced on Tuesday that they had put their acrimonious split behind them, confirming the bands long-awaited reunion by saying: The great wait is over  although for thousands of fans a fresh wait began as they tried to access tickets.

A message on the Ticketmaster website at 2.37pm told those still queuing online on Saturday that the inventory is now very limited, with some ticket types no longer available.

The companys Irish site said the shows in Dublins Croke Park had sold out so far, with more tickets likely to be released later.

At 1.23 pm, the website posted a message saying: UPDATE: There are currently no tickets available. Please check back later as more may be released.

People looking to secure coveted access to the Manchester bands reunion in Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Dublin or their home city, had earlier reported problems on several booking websites before tickets had even gone on sale.

Manchester-based promoter SJM Concerts website Gigs and Tours, Ticketmaster and See Tickets all told website visitors that they would need to wait for the page to refresh to join a queue.

Gigs and Tours and See Tickets appeared to experience issues from 8.30am, and still did not appear to have come back online at around 3.30pm.

Ticketmasters page refreshed after a period to tell hopeful concertgoers that they were in queue, and when its your turn, you will automatically be able to browse events and shop for tickets.

A spokeswoman for Ticketmaster denied the website had crashed earlier, and advised customers to hold their place in line.

Some Oasis ticket hopefuls also reported being suspended by Ticketmaster UK and Ireland after it accused them of being bots.

Staff at the ticket-selling website replied on X, formerly Twitter, through its customer service account, saying: Please make sure you are only using one tab, clear your cookies, and ensure you arent using any VPN software on your device.

It also shared a link with its guide on how to improve your chances for getting popular tickets.

Scott McLean, 28, logged into his account on the ticket-selling website at 7.30am on Saturday ahead of Irish sales opening at 8am.

He was in a queue of 20,000 for around 30 minutes before selecting four tickets to see the bands show at Croke Park.

However, his browser began buffering for half an hour as he tried to make the purchase, prompting him to contact the Ticketmaster customer service account on X for advice.

I followed their advice, cleared my cookies and cache on my browser and then it kicked me out completely. It just came up to that error screen after I followed their guidance, the business analyst from Belfast told the PA news agency.

I had to rejoin the queue and I ended up about 700,000 places worse off after following their guidance.

Users on X, formerly Twitter, also reported the price for tickets nearly doubling from around 148 to around 355 on Ticketmaster after they waited for hours to secure their place at the Oasis Live 25 shows.

An explanation by the website about the on-demand standing ticket price says: The event organiser has priced these tickets according to their market value.

Tickets do not include VIP packages. Availability and pricing are subject to change.

When asked about this issue by PA, Ticketmaster said it does not set prices, and shared a link to its website where it says costs can be fixed or market-based.

It is believed that ticket prices are set by the promoters, not the artists.

Oasis will tour the UK & Ireland in summer 2025!Tickets go on sale this Saturday 31st August.IRE  8am ISTUK  9am BSTFull information https://t.co/EtNuE2Hx6b *These dates will be the bands exclusive European appearances. pic.twitter.com/C5I0NVWS68  Oasis (@oasis) August 27, 2024

Oasis told fans on Saturday to only buy tickets from the official websites amid reselling websites listing inflated prices for the Manchester rockers gigs.

The band said on X: Please note, Oasis Live 25 tickets can only be resold at face value via @Ticketmaster and @Twickets!

Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters.

Twickets attempted to reassure fans, who had missed out so far, by telling them not to panic or visit unofficial sites for resold passes.

It also wrote on X: Twickets will have tickets available soon. Register to receive our newsletter and well let you know.

Tickets are officially being sold via Ticketmaster, GigsAndTours, and See Tickets, however, the bands reunion concert tickets have also been relisted on ticket exchange and reselling websites, Viagogo and Stubhub, for thousands of pounds.

Chief executive of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, Jonathan Brown, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Its a dreadful combination, I suppose, youve got that high level of emotion, a high level of excitement about Oasis reforming, and a limited supply of tickets  and thats going to lead to problems, its going to lead to people trying to scam people.

UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl also called inflated ticket prices of great concern on the show.

Mr Kiehl added: Obviously, its a natural tendency, if you cant get tickets, to find alternative sources but I very much urge music music fans today, if they dont get tickets, not to take that route.

Cris Miller, Viagogo global managing director, defended his websites practice of listing Oasis tickets for thousands of pounds, saying that resale is legal in the UK and fans are always protected by our guarantee that they will receive their tickets in time for the event or their money back.

There did not seem to be any listing for the bands Dublin dates on the ticket-reselling website. The Irish government introduced a law banning ticket touting in 2021.

Prices for a seat to watch the band at Londons Wembley Stadium begin at 74.25, with the most expensive ticket a 506.25 pre-show party, exhibition and seated package.

Cardiffs Principality Stadium shows, Edinburghs Murrayfield Stadium and Irelands Croke Park were all first listed at similar prices, while Manchesters Heaton Park tickets start from 148.50, with only standing available alongside a number of hospitality and luxury packages.

Fans have been urging the brothers to regroup since they disbanded 15 years ago, a split prompted by a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009.

It has not been announced who will be performing with Liam and Noel as part of Oasis.

The guns have fallen silent.The stars have aligned.The great wait is over.Come see.It will not be televised. pic.twitter.com/u1Mge33poT  Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) August 27, 2024

Noel, 57, quit the group on August 28 2009, saying he simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer, and the brothers have made negative comments about each other for more than a decade.

StubHub along with the official ticket sellers and promoters have been approached for comment.

A spokeswoman for Ticketmaster said: The queue is moving along as fans buy tickets. As anticipated, millions of fans are accessing our site so have been placed in a queue.

Fans are advised to hold their place in line, make sure theyre only using one tab, clear cookies, and ensure they arent using any VPN software on their device.
Thousands of protesters have heard calls for Ireland to introduce immediate sanctions on Israel as a major demonstration took place in Dublin.

Crowds of activists made their way across the city and assembled outside the Dail parliament on Saturday afternoon for the rally organised by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC).

The event, billed as a National Demonstration for Palestine, took place a day after Taoiseach Simon Harris revealed that he had sought legal advice around continued trade with Israel.

 Look at the view from the stage at our huge National Demonstration for Palestine today. The streets are with Palestine! #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/4Yx3Ny17KE  IPSC (@ipsc48) August 31, 2024

Mr Harris acknowledged that international trade policy is an EU competency, but he said wanted fresh legal advice from Attorney General Rossa Fanning in light of a recent ruling by the International Court of Justice.

In July, the UNs top court declared Israels presence in the occupied Palestinian territories unlawful and called for settlement construction to stop immediately.

Mr Harris said every lever must be pulled to maximise pressure on the Israeli government to stop the violence in Gaza.

The leaders of Irelands three coalition parties decided on Thursday that the state would not procure any further defence or military equipment and contracts from Israel.

Under EU treaties and common commercial policy, the European Commission represents Ireland and all other member states in international trade negotiations.

However, Mr Harris said the decision around suspending imports of defence equipment is legally possible under the context of the ICJ ruling.

He added that he was seeking advice from Mr Fanning on whether the rulings had any implications for other areas of trade with Israel.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transport continues to engage with an airline at the centre of reports that multiple flights carrying ammunition and explosives to Israel had passed through Irish air space.

It is prohibited to transport munitions of war on civil aircraft across Irish air space without an exemption from the Minister for Transport.

Saturdays rally in Dublin heard demands for more Government action against Israel.

IPSC chairwoman Zoe Lawlor spoke of the toll suffered by children in Gaza.

The horrific figure of 40,000 dead includes almost 17,000 children, 33% of all fatalities, meaning that 1.5% of all children in Gaza are now dead, she said.

Over 20,000 children are estimated to be lost, disappeared, detained, buried under rubble or in mass graves, 34,000 children have been wounded, 17,000 have been orphaned.

Eight hundred thousand traumatised and damaged children are in desperate need of psychological help, 620,000 children have been denied their right to education, while creches, schools, universities and hospitals have been obliterated.

Children are one of the most at-risk demographics when it comes to the dangers posed by disease, famine and thirst, all of which are rampant in Gaza.

With 7% of Gazas children now murdered, lost or wounded, its clear that children are deliberate targets of apartheid Israels genocidal onslaught.

The Israeli embassy in Ireland has criticised Mr Harriss comments about the EU trade agreement.

In a statement, the embassy said: We keep following statements and actions taken by the Irish Government which will achieve nothing but souring further the two countries bilateral relations.

We follow with dismay the continued rise in anti-Israeli rhetoric and actions bordering vilification of Israel.

This tragic war was launched by Hamas and is being perpetuated by Hamas, which still holds in captivity over a hundred Israelis while at the same time abusing its own population.

Israel is facing an enemy committed to its annihilation, its unfortunate that the Irish Government prefers to ignore basic realities.

In its fight against terror orchestrated by Iran, Israel is committed to international law and the rules of war, while fighting a genocidal enemy.
TEHRAN, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran is closely monitoring threats and activities by Israel, a top Iranian military commander said on Friday, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Iranian Air Defense Force Commander Alireza Sabahifard made the remarks in an address at the Friday prayers in the Iranian capital Tehran while commenting on the preparedness of his force.

He stated that the air force has enhanced its capabilities in response to the enemies' "aerospace threats," adding that "we are fully aware of other threats and are closely monitoring Israel."

Sabahifard emphasized that his force is at the highest level of self-sufficiency, combat readiness, and power. He added that Iran is fully self-reliant in designing and producing control systems, radars, sensors, drones, electronic warfare systems, cybersecurity systems, and advanced hybrid warfare systems.

He noted that his force could detect any kind of stealth aircraft from thousands of miles away.

Tension between Iran and Israel heightened following the assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. Iran has blamed Israel for the attack and vowed a strong response.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the attack, but has vowed to respond to any military attack. 
TEHRAN, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi have called for promoting bilateral ties and cooperation.

In a phone call, both sides expressed willingness to improve bilateral relations and interaction and discussed ways to expand ties and cooperation between Iran and the GCC, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday.

Albudaiwi congratulated Araghchi on his appointment as Iran's foreign minister, stressing Iran's role in promoting peace and stability in the region.

He said the GCC member states are interested in consulting and interacting with Iran on major challenges in the West Asia region.

Araghchi, in response, expressed his appreciation for the GCC chief's congratulations, emphasizing that Iran is committed to enhancing "friendly and brotherly" relations with the GCC and its member states.

He added that Iran believes its ties with the council should advance into a new phase of mutual understanding and cooperation. 
KAMPALA, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's Ministry of Health announced three more cases of mpox on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the highly contagious disease in the East African country to five.

The cases were respectively detected at Elegu town in the country's northern district of Amuru, bordering neighboring South Sudan, Mayuge, a district in eastern Uganda, and Kawaala, a neighborhood within Kampala, the country's capital, Daniel Kyabayinze, director of public health in the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua over the telephone.

He said the three patients are currently undergoing treatment at Entebbe National Isolation Center, about 40 km south of Kampala.

"We have five cases so far in Uganda. Two (have) recovered and did not have secondary infections," said Kyabayinze.

Health personnel earlier this month detected two cases of mpox imported from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Uganda's western district of Kasese.

The two positive cases were among six suspected infections in Mpondwe and Bwera, towns bordering the DRC, according to the Ministry of Health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this month declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, sounding the alarm over its potential for further international transmission.

Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus that is spread through close contact, including fever, swelling of the lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, skin rash, and back pain. 
by Li Xiang

The 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in Beijing on Sept. 4-6. Chinese and African leaders will gather in Beijing again after six years to discuss future development and cooperation and exchange governance experience. H.E. President Isaias Afwerki will lead the delegation of Eritrea to attend this summit, following his historic state visit to China in May 2023. Through this summit, China and Africa will enhance their long-standing friendship and deepen unity and collaboration to open up new vistas for faster common development and start a new chapter for a China-Africa community with a shared future.

The world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century. The waves of anti-globalization, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise. Global crises such as geopolitical conflicts and climate change occur frequently. Humankind is at a crucial crossroads, and China-Africa cooperation and development are facing more uncertainty. China's answer to the question of "where is human society headed and how can China-Africa cooperation develop" is to build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future. This is the trend of the times and the common voice of the people of China and Africa.

Politically, China and Africa share the same aspirations and vision. China and Africa have supported each other in fighting imperialism, colonialism and racism based on similar suffering in recent history. In the struggle for national independence, China and Africa, as members of the "Global South," have been united in their common goal, extending mutual assistance and having been the most distinctive, steadfast and major supporters of each other's anti-imperialist, anti-colonial and anti-hegemonic struggles.

Economically, both China and Africa face the task of modernization. China is the world's largest developing country and the largest economy in the "Global South," while Africa is the continent with the highest concentration of developing countries and the greatest wealth of resources. Advancing their respective modernization is the historic mission of China and Africa. China will always walk side by side with Africa on its path to modernization and join hands with Africa to inject strong impetus into the promotion of an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

Culturally, China and Africa share similar values. Chinese culture is based on the concept of unity and harmony, and upholds the value of "paramount importance of peace" and "seeking harmony without uniformity," emphasizing "the whole world is one family." The philosophy of the traditional African value, Ubuntu, believes that "I am because we are," and emphasizes the interdependence and inseparability of people. There is also an Eritrean proverb that says, "Together, we can bring down the elephant." All of these reflect the importance that the people of China and Africa attach to solidarity and their shared future.

Looking back at the past and looking forward to the future at this critical juncture of history, the only way for China and Africa to tide over the difficulties and create a bright future is to sail in the same boat.

China and Africa must adhere to the principle of sovereign equality. Both China and Africa have had the tragic experience of being colonized, and we cherish the golden rule of sovereign equality, oppose the big abusing the small and the strong bullying the weak, advocate the equality of all countries, large and small, and oppose interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

China and Africa should realize the vision of peace and security. The security of one country cannot be built on the insecurity of others. China and Africa should support the Global Security Initiative, advocate the practice of a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable concept of security, promote development and security through cooperation, and build a more balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture.

China and Africa must pool their efforts to build prosperity together. To realize the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, no country should be left behind. China and Africa should actively implement the Global Development Initiative, advocate inclusive economic globalization and promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, so that the people of China and Africa can share the fruits of development.

China and Africa must uphold the concept of fairness and justice. The world is no longer a jungle world. Fairness and justice are our common pursuit. China and Africa should advocate the Global Civilization Initiative, practice true multilateralism, promote mutual understanding among peoples and promote tolerance and mutual appreciation among civilizations.

China and Africa must defend the common values of all humankind. Peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom are the common values of all humankind and the common pursuit of all peoples. We should respect the development paths and institutional models independently chosen by the people of all countries and refrain from imposing one's values and models on others or engaging in ideological confrontation.

China and Eritrea have established a strategic partnership, and are in a unique position to build a closer community with a shared future. The two countries share similar philosophies and their people maintain close contact. China has long been the largest trading partner of Eritrea, and the two countries have signed Memorandum of Understanding on Belt and Road cooperation. Both China and Eritrea advocate international fairness and justice, and have always supported each other on issues regarding each other's core interests and major concerns. In May last year, President Isaias paid a successful state visit to China, and the strategic partnership between China and Eritrea had been elevated to a new level.

As Chinese Ambassador to Eritrea, I will faithfully work with the Eritrean side to effectively implement the important consensus of the two heads of state. I am ready to be a sincere listener to the Eritrean government and people, a builder of friendship between China and Eritrea, and a promoter of bilateral practical cooperation to contribute to the building of a closer China-Africa and China-Eritrea community with a shared future.

Editor's note: Li Xiang is the Chinese ambassador to Eritrea.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Xinhua News Agency.
Windhoek: Namibia plans to cull 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants, and to distribute the meat to people struggling to feed themselves because of a severe drought across southern Africa, the environment ministry said.

The cull will take place in parks and communal areas where authorities believe animal numbers exceed available grazing land and water supplies, it said in a statement issued on Monday.

Southern Africa is facing its worst drought in decades, with Namibia having exhausted 84% of its food reserves last month, according to the United Nations. Nearly half of Namibia's population is expected to experience high levels of food insecurity in the coming months. With such a severe drought, human-wildlife conflicts are expected to increase if the authorities do not intervene, the environment ministry said.

"To this effect, 83 elephants from identified conflict areas will be culled, (and) meat will be allocated to the drought relief programme," it said. The country also plans to cull 30 hippos and 60 buffalo, as well as 50 impala, 100 blue wildebeest, 300 zebra and 100 eland. One hundred and fifty-seven animals have already been hunted by professional hunters and companies contracted by the government, yielding more than 56,800 kilograms of meat.

"This exercise in necessary and is in line with our constitutional mandate where our natural resources are used for the benefit of Namibian citizens," the environment ministry said. More than 200,000 elephants are estimated to live in a conservation area spread over five southern African countries - Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Angola and Namibia - making the region home to one of the largest elephant populations worldwide. Hundreds of elephants died in Botswana and Zimbabwe last year because of drought.
Labor Day is upon us once again, marking the unofficial end of summer and perhaps stirring a renewed sense of energy and purpose. It is a day set aside to honor the backbone of our society-- the workers. Throughout our national history, workers have played an essential role, and among them were immigrants, many of whom came in search of a better life. Others, in the darker chapters of our history, were slaves. Many workers were exploited, and many were abused, yet they persevered, ensuring that our society continued to function effectively and efficiently. We must also remember the sacrifices made by "essential workers" during the COVID-19 pandemic, who risked their lives to keep our communities running.

American workers are woven so deeply into the fabric of our society that their contributions often go unnoticed. We make sure to celebrate certain groups of citizens-- veterans, police officers, firefighters-- and while we do honor teachers and other public servants, it's not as frequent. But what about the countless nameless and faceless workers who keep our world running? Those who build, maintain, and provide the day-to-day services that often go unnoticed?

Labor Day should be a shining acknowledgment of these often-overlooked individuals who make up a significant portion of our society. It should be a time to reflect on the historical progress of workers in this nation and recognize how their efforts have shaped our lives. We should celebrate unions and confront the challenges that modern-day workers face as they struggle to survive in today's economy. And let us not forget to honor their families and the dreams that drive them forward.

Labor Day deserves to be a major U.S. holiday, dedicated to celebrating the contributions of workers, past and present.
Please share and act - it is globally relevant!!

After purging the labor party of good people like Jeremy Corbyn, the Zionist appointed Keith Starmer regime in the UK is going after supporters of human rights like Sara Wilkerson and Richard Barnard. Orwellian (London is now Israeli occupied territory).

Imagine if any free speech against Nazi and Nazism was claimed to be "hate speech" or "discriminatory". Well Orwell would never have thought of this to happen in the 21st century.

Can any defender of "Israel" explain to normal people in the west whose governments pay for and defend the apartheid regime why that regime is destroying streets and building and other infrastructure not just in Gaza but also in the west bank?

Group which spread lies about 7 October seeks EU funding!

UN OCHA: 50 Stories (of millions) of life under the occupation.

21,000 (kidnapped) Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

But all of this carnage and tantrums may not save the apartheid regime of Israel from collapse which maybe even sooner than we think (according to even an Israeli general).

And here is a message from Lebanon: Hello my enemies.

10 language do's and don'ts about decolonizing.

Relevant article I wrote a 2019 about the current state of world politics.

Whether Harris or Trump are declared presidential winner, the US will remain highly divided, in decline, and billions of US tax money will continue flowing to Israel . The deeper state ensures this. Most of the voters are convinced to vote for those they consider "lesser of two evils". Both parties are rigged and corrupt. Only if enough people wake-up and demand that the system is reformed to be really democratic, then we would see Green Party, Independents, and decent Republicans and Democrats given a chance to actually serve the American public in higher offices instead of serving moneyed interests. The hope in the massive people movements like those that gave us the women right to vote, civil rights, social security, ending the war on Vietnam, ending support for Apartheid in South Africa (and hopefully soon ending support for Israeli apartheid). Times to come will be interesting and our work for sustainable human and natural communities even more important.

"Settler colonialism, as an institution or system, requires violence or the threat of violence to attain its goals. People do not hand over their land, resources, children, and futures without a fight, and that fight is met with violence....Native nations and communities, while struggling to maintain fundamental values and collectivity have from the beginning resisted modern colonialism using both defensive and offensive techniques, including the modern forms of armed resistance of national liberation movements and what is now called terrorism. In every instance they have fought for survival as peoples." Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, An Indigenous People's History of the United States

Stay Human and keep Palestine alive

Mazin Qumsiyeh

A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home

Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History

Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine

facebook pages Personal Institute

French
The approach of Labor Day provides an appropriate time to reflect upon how Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans, if restored to power, will deal with the American labor movement.

Much of the evidence on this score is available in Project 2025, a 922-page public policy agenda, produced by the Heritage Foundation, for the first 180 days of a new Republican administration. Ever since 1981, this exceptionally wealthy, conservative, and powerful Washington think tank has been churning out blueprints for incoming Republican administrations. In fact, the Heritage Foundation performed the same service for the first Trump administration, bragging after only a year that the Trump White House had implemented nearly two-thirds of its proposals.

The Project 2025 policy agenda is far-ranging and includes many of the nostrums advanced by rightwing Republicans, including abolishing the U.S. Department of Education, slashing taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations, building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, further restricting abortion, increasing oil and gas production, maintaining a "biblically based" definition of marriage and family, and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

But few of the project's recommendations are as extreme as those dealing with America's unions and the workers they represent.

For example, Project 2025 calls for banning public employee unions-- unions representing teachers, librarians, firefighters, postal workers, police, clerks, trash collectors, and other public sector workers. As 32.5 percent of public sector employees belong to unions, they constitute the most highly unionized portion of the American workforce. Thus, the abolition of their unions would eliminate nearly half the union membership in the United States.

Nor would the rest of the nation's union members, comprised of private sector workers (only 6 percent of whom belong to unions), fare much better under this Heritage Foundation scheme. Most notably, Project 2025 advocates empowering the states to ban labor unions. Even partway through existing contracts, unions could be terminated. Furthermore, it would become illegal for employers to voluntarily recognize unions, while businesses would be allowed to create their own sham company unions.

Stripped of their access to union representation and the benefits unions bring, American workers would face still further losses of long-standing rights. Project 2025 calls for allowing the states to ignore the federal minimum wage and overtime pay laws, as well as for eliminating child labor rules that protect children from working in mines, meatpacking plants, and other hazardous workplaces. In these and other ways, Project 2025 promotes a return to the distant past, before the advent of legislation to prevent the abuse and exploitation of American workers.

Moreover, to safeguard the implementation of the Heritage Foundation's rightwing agenda, Project 2025 champions firing as many as 50,000 federal government workers and replacing them with Trump loyalists.

Not surprisingly, once the extremist proposals in Project 2025 began to attract negative publicity, Donald Trump scrambled to distance himself from it. "I know nothing about Project 2025," the Republican presidential candidate declared. "I have no idea who is behind it."

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On April 19, 2023, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. launched his long-shot presidential bid as a Democrat.

On October 9, 2023, he declared himself an "independent" and began courting (and in some states, creating) "third parties" for their nominations. He received 19 votes for the Libertarian Party's nomination at its 2024 national convention over Labor Day weekend.

Three months later, on August 23, he "suspended" his campaign and called for a "unity party" with the Republicans candidate, former president Donald Trump.

I didn't see that last part coming, but color me un-surprised that his campaign struggled, grasped at various life preservers, and finally drowned.

All Kennedy ever really had going for him was his family's name. He knew that was his biggest asset -- he even ran a Super Bowl commercial reprising his uncle's 1960 television advertisements -- but nostalgia can only take one so far, especially when the family in question comes out hard against you.

Independent and third party presidential campaigns generally enjoy success (relatively speaking) in proportion to one or two factors.

The first, the one Kennedy leaned on, is identity.

Theodore Roosevelt didn't knock down 27.4% of the vote in 1912 because of his Progressive, AKA Bull Moose, party's platform. He did so well because everyone knew Theodore Roosevelt was and many remembered his previous terms fondly.

It was Ross Perot's personal legend -- up-by-his-bootstraps billionaire businessman who flew Christmas gifts into Hanoi for America POWs and orchestrated the rescue of his company's employees from post-revolution Iran -- more so than his hammering on the national debt and opposition to NAFTA -- that drove his vote totals of 18.91% in 1992 and 8.4% in 1996.

The Kennedy name was a big deal ... once upon a time. But the US median age is 38.9 years. Most people alive today weren't alive when Ted Kennedy unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination in 1980, let alone when RFK Jr.'s father and uncle were assassinated in, respectively, 1968 and 1963. Young people know the name, but they don't feel the vibe.

The second factor is the issues. Most third party campaigns are either "single issue" or more generally "ideological." They're about the candidates' platforms and policy positions. When voters go for a Libertarian, Green, or Constitution Party candidate, it's because they care deeply about an issue or set of issues that the "major" parties either get "wrong" or ignore completely.

Kennedy's policy suite was a dog's breakfast of contradictions (anti-war on Ukraine, "pro-Israel" on Gaza), flip-flops ("pro-choice" early the race then supporting a federal ban at the 2023 Iowa State Fair; calling for prosecution of "climate deniers" back when then supporting free speech as a candidate), and too-niche obsessions (he's more generally "anti-vaccine" than the significant voter bloc outraged by COVID-19 mandates).

As Stewart Lawrence puts it at CounterPunch, he's "a man with no enduring allegiance to an ideology, a party or even a platform who is willing to sell his campaign and his support to the highest bidder -- in exchange for his own personal and political advancement."

He saw, and seized, his opportunity to sell out.

Voters who thought he was the "real deal" got conned.
Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has a shocking accusation against the US. On August 12, while in exile in India, she told the Economic Times, "I could have remained in power if I had surrendered the sovereignty of Saint Martin Island and allowed America to hold sway over the Bay of Bengal. I beseech to the people of my land, 'Please do not be manipulated by radicals.'"

Hasina resigned on August 5 after weeks of violent street protests by students angry at a law that awards government civil service jobs. The protests began in June 2024 after the Supreme Court reinstated a 30% quota for descendants of the freedom fighters who won the independence for the country in 1971 after fighting against Pakistan with the help of an Indian military intervention. The students felt they were facing an unfair system and would have limited opportunity for a job based on their educational qualifications, instead of ancestry.

On July 15, Dhaka University students were protesting and calling for quota reforms, when suddenly they were attacked by individuals with sticks and clubs. Similar attacks began elsewhere and rumors circulated that it was a group affiliated with the ruling Awami League.

Some believe the group who began the violence was paid mercenaries employed by a foreign country. Street protesters who were met by a brutal crackdown were the western media description of the March 2011 uprising in Syria. However, the media failed to report that the protesters were armed and even on the first day of violence 60 Syrian police were killed. The question is in cases like Bangladesh: was this a grass-roots uprising, or a carefully staged event by outside interests?

By July 18, 32 deaths were reported, and on July 19, there were 75 deaths. The internet was shut down, and more than 300 were killed in less than 10 days, with thousands injured.

Some call the Bangladeshi uprising the 'Gen Z revolution', while others dub it the 'Monsoon revolution'. But, experts are not yet united in a source of the initial violent attack on student protesters.

Hasina had won her fourth consecutive term in the January 7 elections, which the US State Department called 'not free or fair'. Regional powerhouses, India and China, rushed to congratulate the 76-year-old incumbent.

Hasina had held the peace in a country since 2009 while facing Radical Islamic threats. Targeting Bangladeshi Hindus was never the message or the intent of the student movement, according to some student activists.

The Jamaat-e-Islami has never won a parliamentary majority in Bangladesh's 53-year history, but it has periodically allied with the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Jamaat, as the party is widely known, was banned on August 1, when Hasina blamed the two opposition parties for the deaths during the anti-quota protests.

Muhammad Yunus, a respected economist and Nobel Laureate, accepted the post of chief adviser in a transitional government until elections are held. He said he will seek to restore order as his first concern.

The Saint Martin Island is a stretch of land spreading across merely three square kilometers in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, and is the focus of the US military who seek to increase their presence in Southeast Asia as a balance against China.

On May 28, China praised Hasina for her decision to deny permission for a foreign military base, commending it as a reflection of the Bangladeshi people's strong national spirit and commitment to independence.

Without naming any country, Hasina had said that she was offered a hassle-free re-election in the January 7 polls if she allowed a foreign country to build an airbase inside Bangladeshi territory.

"If I allowed a certain country to build an airbase in Bangladesh, then I would have had no problem," Hasina told The Daily Star newspaper.

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Photo posted on Aug.29, 2024 shows Boeing's Starliner spacecraft docked to the Harmony module's forward port at the International Space Station. (Photo credit: NASA)

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will remain aboard the station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to leave the International Space Station (ISS) and return to Earth next week with no astronaut onboard, NASA announced on Friday.

The uncrewed spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously undock from the space station at approximately 6:04 p.m. Eastern Time (2204 GMT) Friday, Sept. 6, to begin the journey home.

NASA and Boeing are targeting approximately 12:03 a.m. Eastern Time (1603 GMT) Saturday, Sept. 7, for a landing at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, which marks the conclusion of the flight test.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, and arrived at ISS on June 6.

As Starliner approached the orbiting laboratory, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and experienced issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters.

For the safety of the astronauts, NASA announced last week that Starliner will return to Earth from the station without a crew. Wilmore and Williams will remain aboard the station and return home in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission. 
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Their family tree had been saturated by enough sorrow, so when Teonjenique Hudson Howard told her dad she was planning a party for her 24th birthday, he got nervous.

It had been two and a half years since her sister had been killed by her ex and just a year since her cousin was gunned down in a case that remains unsolved.

Dad, dont worry about it, Hudson Howard texted back, Samuel Howard recalled Friday in court. He said his daughter, who went by TiTi, told him it would be friends and family only.

But one of the invited guests at his daughters party, Ramond Lawrence, grew angry during a drunken disagreement over a flirty dance  and shot Hudson Howard dead inside the rented hotel room in the early morning hours of March 15, 2023.

Lawrence, better known to friends as Groove Face, was sentenced Friday to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 30 years. A Multnomah County jury found him guilty of first-degree murder during a trial two months ago.

The near point-blank shooting touched off a bloodbath that left another man, 19-year-old Adarian Granville, dead during a gunbattle in the Embassy Suites hallway, which also seriously wounded a security guard and Lawrences date to the party.

No one has been charged in Granvilles killing or the injury shootings, as investigators say its still unclear who fired at whom during the fray.

Prosecutors say the shootout shattered the fragile peace between members of the Unthank Park and Hoover street gangs.

Howard, who broke down in tears remembering his daughter, told a packed courtroom gallery now was not the time for taking sides.

I still pray for peace, he said, because were all as one, thats what our community was built on.

Teonjenique "TiTi" Hudson Howard is shown here in an undated photo displayed in court.Zane Sparling/The Oregonian

Hudson Howards half sister, 18-year-old ShaiIndia Harris, was fatally shot by her ex-boyfriend in 2020. Her cousin, 19-year-old Keion Howard, was killed 18 months later.

Hudson Howards mother, Kendareen Hudson, spoke remotely from Las Vegas, telling the courtroom she had watched her daughter rack up milestones  graduating from high school, getting a drivers license  and had heard her talk about becoming a real estate agent.

Now all those dreams were in pieces.

Im left with a hole in my heart, she said.

At trial, Lawrence claimed self-defense and said he always carried a gun, despite being a felon who spent a decade behind bars for killing a man, Willy Butler, during a shootout in east Portland in 2008.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Brian Davidson argued that was all the more reason to impose a true life sentence, without chance of parole.

He will always engage in that gang lifestyle, Davidson said, no matter what efforts or resources are offered.

Circuit Judge Benjamin Souede declined to throw the book that far, saying that Lawrence should have a reason to work hard and improve himself while behind bars for at least three decades.

If he doesnt spend his time that way, then the key will remain out of reach, Souede said.

Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-319-7083, zsparling@oregonian.com or @pdxzane.

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Mayor Ted Wheeler on Friday blasted a ruling by a federal judge that prevents him and the current City Council from appointing people to a nominating committee that will select members of a new civilian-run police oversight board.

Wheeler called U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simons ruling short-sighted and politically driven.
When Chimp Crazy, a four-part documentary series, debuted Aug. 18 on HBO, much of the attention around the show came from the fact that Eric Goode, the director, has been co-director of Tiger King, the documentary series that became a sensation in 2020 on Netflix.

While Chimp Crazy hasnt inspired the all-out pop culture mania that Tiger King created, its scoring impressive ratings for HBO. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chimp Crazy is looking like it will be the outlets most watched documentary series in several years.

The second episode of Chimp Crazy on Aug. 25 drew 350,000 first-night viewers on HBO and Max, The Hollywood Reporter noted. The shows premiere episode, meanwhile, has grown to 2.3 million viewers across platforms over a week, putting it on pace to outdraw any HBO doc series in the past four-plus years.

Like Tiger King, which introduced viewers to Joe Exotic, Chimp Crazy focuses on a character who is bound to inspire strong reactions in viewers. Tonia Haddix, who calls herself the Dolly Parton of the chimpanzee world, makes a living as an exotic animal broker and has an obsessive attachment to chimpanzees, particularly one named Tonka.

Haddix talks about Tonka, who appeared in movies such as Babe: Pig in the City and Buddy, as if he was her child. Tonkas fate becomes a prime subject of Chimp Crazy, as the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) engages in a legal battle with Haddix, in an effort to remove Tonka from Haddixs customery and relocate him to an accredited sanctuary.

In addition to following the Wheres Tonka? saga that unfolded after Haddix said he had died, Chimp Crazy also recounts examples of the folly of humans who expect wild animals to be pets. In one devastating sequence, featured in the episode that airs Sunday, Sept. 1, the documentary goes to Pendleton.

In the episode, titled Head Shot, Pendleton residents are interviewed about Buck, a chimpanzee owned by a local woman who took him around town, and who became something of a local celebrity, until events turned tragic.

Chimp Crazy Episode 3, Head Shot, airs at 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 1, on HBO, and streams on Max.

 Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com or @Kristiturnquist

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For the fourth time, hundreds of endangered frogs were released into the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge with the intent to revitalize their population.

The nearly 400 northern leopard frogs were collected as eggs by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and raised from tadpoles by Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and Oregon Zoo staff. The adult frogs were released mid-August.

Once abundant across all of North America, the northern leopard frog has been on the Washington endangered species list since 1999. Climate change and the arrival of the invasive American bullfrog from the East side of the country have decimated their populations, said Marc Heinzman, a conservation manager at Northwest Trek.

(Bullfrogs have) made their way westward over time because they are popular as pets, as well as the climate changes  its been more hospitable to them, Heinzman said. Unfortunately, bullfrogs will eat just about anything that fits in their mouth, and that includes these frogs.

The arrival of the American bullfrog has been harmful to many native species, but Heinzman said that the northern leopard frogs populations are alarmingly low, with only one site in the State where they are still found naturally  the Potholes Reservoir near Moses Lake. Leopard frogs remain abundant in other states across the country, but those native to Washington have unique coloration, reflecting their genetic distinctness.

Whether its northern leopard frogs or any other species that we work with to try to protect with our conservation efforts, the thing we always try to keep in mind is once theyre gone, theyre gone for good, Heinzman said. And we would hate to have them gone for good, especially when its caused by human activities.

The repopulation effort was funded by a competitive U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant of $228,000, which was matched by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife for a total of $456,000.

A new population of wild frogs could act as a safeguard for the species in the state.

Should something catastrophic happen to the one population that we know of now, we at least have other sites where these frogs can be found and hopefully, the species would not experience a catastrophic loss related to that, Heinzman said.

The Columbia National Wildlife Refuge was chosen for the new population because leopard frogs are native to the area but unable to physically return to on their own.

Furthermore, the land is owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, allowing for more control of what is done at the property, department herpetologist Patricia Valcarcel said.

Were just trying to assist them in getting back to their historic environments, Valcarcel said.

To combat their being preyed upon by the bullfrogs, Northwest Trek handlers raised the frogs from tadpoles to adults. By raising them under human supervision, a much larger proportion of tadpoles are able to reach maturity, and therefore have a boost, Heinzman said.

They have a better ability to escape, Heinzman said. Theyre just a lot bigger. Theyre more robust. Theyre more healthy.

A fence around the release site is meant to keep bullfrogs out of the area as well.

Although the reintroduction project has been ongoing since 2019 and involved three other releases of northern leopard frogs, the best methods of raising frogs for release remain unknown.

Experimentally, half of the northern leopard frog tadpoles were raised completely in captivity, while the other half were raised in pens at the Columbia refuge where they had to forage for their own food. This is part of ongoing research to determine the most effective rearing method, Valcarcel said.

Scientists at Washington State University have also been collaborating on this project, studying frog behaviors, physiology, predator responses and diseases.

Its a big open question about how that early environment can influence the way frogs respond adaptively to stressors after metamorphosis, WSU biology professor Erica Crespi said.

This research could lead to more effective reintroduction strategies.

Every frog released in this years batch has been marked with either nontoxic blue or orange dye under their skin depending on where they were raised in order to help researchers determine which group is more successful upon recapture.

We would just love to see thriving populations of frogs on their own that we can just observe from a respectful distance, Heinzman said, and be happy about the work that we did to help get them there.

___

(c)2024 The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.)

Visit The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) at www.spokesman.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A Democratic congressional candidates first televised ad has drawn criticism from Republicans and a police group for featuring stock footage of a Ukrainian actor and touting a public safety message.

Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Clackamas County Democrat challenging first-term Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer in Oregons 5th Congressional District, released the 30-second ad last week. It features a voiceover from Bynum and footage of her family and the Legislature, as well as stock video of police officers, fentanyl and an officer walking a handcuffed prisoner down a hall.

In the Oregon state Legislature, I worked to pass bipartisan legislation to re-criminalize fentanyl and other dangerous drugs, she narrates. In Congress, I will work with local enforcement to keep us safe and fight to ensure our communities have the resources they need.

The clips of police officers are from a stock photo site, Shutterstock, and one was added to the site by a Ukrainian company, M_Agency. As Politico reported last year, campaigns have increasingly used stock images and videos filmed in foreign countries in political ads  sometimes with embarrassing results. One example is a May 2023 ad supporting Virginias Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin that featured a scene of an Italian fighter jet.

Republican critics of Bynum cast the stock footage in her ad as proof she doesnt have support from local law enforcement.

Extreme Janelle Bynums fake ad perfectly captures her fraudulent attempts to pull the wool over voters eyes, said Ben Petersen, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. Bynum has foreign actors posing as cops because real Oregon police officers say her radical agenda is too dangerous.

Dan Gottlieb, Petersens counterpart at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, characterized it as a desperate attack.

Ultimately, these desperate attacks from Lori and her allies just arent going to cut it  especially as they fail to explain away her record of attacking reproductive freedom and her trail of broken promises on the issues that matter most to Oregonians, he said.

-- Julia Shumway, Oregon Capital Chronicle, jshumway@oregoncapitalchronicle.com

Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, the nations largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
"It's actually much more developed than I thought and I am really impressed by it." An 18-member media delegation from China's Macao visited Xiong'an New Area, known as China's "city of future," in Hebei Province on Friday.








Working Together with God / Human Striving & Merit / Tridentine Soteriology / Davids & Pauls Godly Boasting / Regenerate Sinners / Romans 7 & 8 & Sin / God is Pleased by Our Meritorious Acts / Colossians 1:28: Imputed Justification?

Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560) was the founder of Protestantism: Martin Luthers best friend, co-reformer, and successor as the leader of Lutheranism. Encyclopaedia Britannica ( Philipp Melanchthon ) states that Melanchthon . . . in 1521 published the Loci communes rerum theologicarum (Theological Commonplaces), the first systematic treatment of Reformation thought. Its considered the initiatory work in the Lutheran scholastic tradition . Modified editions appeared in 1535, 1543 and 1559. * Martin Luther wrote, No better book has been written after the Holy Scriptures than Philips. He expresses himself more concisely than I do when he argues and instructs. Im garrulous and more rhetorical (Table-Talk, 1543; in Luthers Works, Vol. 54, 439-440). Many think that this volume was the reason why Luther never wrote his own work of systematic theology. Melanchthon at length departed from Luther in some ways; most notably, in his denial of the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist, by the time of the 1543 edition, and on the question of free will.

*

Luther, who had some violent disagreements with him, never criticized him publicly and never really broke with him. In fact, the verdict of history is that Luther was kinder to Melanchthon than Melanchthon was to Luther. . . . Most Lutherans in America up to the present time have been critical of him, including Schmauck, Neve, Bente, Pelikan, and many others, although that attitude is changing somewhat. (p. 7) * Melanchthon was a prodigy. He entered Heidelberg University at twelve and received his bachelors degree at 14. He moved on to Tubingen, where he earned the masters degree at 17, . . . He never received the doctorate and was never ordained into the ministry. He never preached from the pulpit, although he had much to do with the development of the study of oratory and homiletics. He received an appointment to teach at the newly established University of Wittenberg in 1518. . . . He remained at Wittenberg the rest of his life . . . differences [with Luther] appear as early as 1530, . . . and become more evident as the years roll on. (p. 8)

blue . I use RSV for biblical citations. See also my introductory post for this series on Facebook, which highlights his historically brand-new position of imputed justification (sola fide). For other installments of this series, see my Lutheranism web page , second section: Replies to Philip Melanchthons Loci Communes. Melanchthons words will be in. I use RSV for biblical citations.

***

I want to say clearly and plainly that our obedience, that is, the righteousness of a good conscience or of the good works which God has commanded us, must necessarily follow our reconciliation. (p. 97)

*

Thats what everyone agrees on: the true regenerated Christian with authentic faith must do grace-enabled good works. The controversy comes over whether they are meritorious, and whether sanctification is an organic part of justification, rather than an abstractly separate category.

*

Then there is comfort in the fact that he says that God has prepared before hand these good works in the church [Eph 2:10] , just as He prepared beforehand in Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others the marvelous works through which He both calls, governs, and preserves His church; and as He says in another place, Strengthen, O God, that which You have wrought in us, Ps. 68[:28]. (p. 97)

*

Exactly. They are not exclusively our works. They are caused by Gods grace and in His will. But they are also ours at the same time. Its the paradoxical, biblical both/and rather than either/or:

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. * 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are Gods fellow workers . . . * 2 Corinthians 6:1 Working together with him, . . . * Philippians 2:13 for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. * Colossians 1:29 . . . I toil, striving with all the energy which he mightily inspires within me. * Mark 16:20 And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them . . .

The adversaries want to appear to be treating the doctrine of works as something very important, although they actually are speaking only of external hypocrisy or human ceremonies. But they do not know the works of the First Table and they bury the real source of good works. They say nothing about faith which is trust in the mercy and the free reconciliation of God, nor of the necessity of praying to Him in all situations. And when this faith is taken away then doubt prevails which either despises God or flees His wrath and does not call upon Him. (p. 97)

*

Now (after initial encouraging agreement) we see the usual inane caricatures of Catholicism. If one feels compelled to lie about ones theological opponents in order to set forth a supposedly superior, more biblical theology, something is surely awry. It bespeaks a lack of confidence in ones own beliefs. I, on the other hand, dont have to misrepresent and distort Melanchthons Lutheran beliefs. I have no need or desire whatsoever to do that: with him or anyone else.

*

I want my readers to know exactly what others believe, and why they do. Towards that end, I present their good-faith, sincerely held positions in their own words and then proceed to show why I believe they are in error, based on Holy Scripture. But Melanchthon uses the age-old method of Protestant polemics against Catholicism (something Luther was a master at): present a straw man of what we supposedly believe in his words rather than actually citing a Catholic source and letting us speak for ourselves.

*

I have often said that we must not indulge in the idle human notion that we can govern our outward behavior by human diligence and human powers . . . (p. 98)

*

Really? We can and should do so after we are regenerated and justified initially (thus working with God, per the above passages):

Philippians 2:12 . . . work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; * 1 Timothy 5:22 . . . keep yourself pure. * 2 Timothy 2:15, 21 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, . . . [21] If any one purifies himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house, ready for any good work. * 2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; * Jude 20-21 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; [21] keep yourselves in the love of God;

It is evident that godly minds are tormented and also hopeful that their obedience may be pleasing to God, but in this terrible weakness of ours they see that our obedience is crippled, impeded, imperfect, corrupt, . . . (p. 99) Sometimes it is (we being fallen human beings who fail even after regeneration); most times it is not, if we are being obedient (the very act of which indicates a preceding grace). The seven representative passages above show not the slightest hint of the efforts and works done being crippled, impeded, imperfect, corrupt. Thats simply Protestant faith alone: being improperly superimposed onto the Bible. I submit that Melanchthons and Protestants prior presuppositions or worldview trump what the Bible actually teaches (which I think I am showing as I move along). The hypocrites think that they do satisfy the Law, that they are righteous, that is, that they have been accepted by God because of their own worthiness or their fulfillment of the Law, as the Pharisee says in Luke 18:9-12. (p. 99) Thats supposedly us dumb, deluded Catholics, of course! This is the old tired caricature of Catholicism as works-salvation (a thing we had roundly condemned 1100 years before Melanchthon): equating it with the Pharisees and Judaizers. The silliness and wrongheadedness of this charge  in terms of what Catholics actually teach and believe and seek to practice  is seen in the Decree on Justification from the Council of Trent, from its Sixth Session on 13 January 1547: less than four years after the third edition of Loci Communes that I am critiquing, was published, and thirteen years before Melanchthon died: CHAPTER I. On the Inability of Nature and of the Law to justify man. The holy Synod declares first, that, for the correct and sound understanding of the doctrine of Justification, it is necessary that each one recognise and confess, that, whereas all men had lost their innocence in the prevarication of Adam-having become unclean, and, as the apostle says, by nature children of wrath, as (this Synod) has set forth in the decree on original sin,-they were so far the servants of sin, and under the power of the devil and of death, that not the Gentiles only by the force of nature, but not even the Jews by the very letter itself of the law of Moses, were able to be liberated, or to arise, therefrom; although free will, attenuated as it was in its powers, and bent down, was by no means extinguished in them. Thus we see that actual magisterial Church teaching, reiterated and promulgated during Melanchthons lifetime, is the polar opposite of his ridiculous caricature (that is still widely used to this day). The first three canons on justification from the same document, are so in line with Protestant teaching, that John Calvin, in his work, Acts of the Council of Trent with the Antidote (21 November 1547)  which I wrote about it in one article , completely agreed with them and offered no further comment (writing, To Canons 1, 2, and 3:, I say, Amen.): CANON I.-If any one saith, that man may be justified before God by his own works, whether done through the teaching of human nature, or that of the law, without the grace of God through Jesus Christ; let him be anathema. CANON II.-If any one saith, that the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, is given only for this, that man may be able more easily to live justly, and to merit eternal life, as if, by free will without grace, he were able to do both, though hardly indeed and with difficulty; let him be anathema. CANON III.-If any one saith, that without the prevenient inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and without his help, man can believe, hope, love, or be penitent as he ought, so as that the grace of Justification may be bestowed upon him; let him be anathema. Here are some more good ones that any Protestant ought to readily agree with: CANON X.-If any one saith, that men are just without the justice of Christ, whereby He merited for us to be justified; or that it is by that justice itself that they are formally just; let him be anathema. CHAPTER V. On the necessity, in adults, of preparation for Justification, and whence it proceeds. . . . the beginning of the said justification is to be derived from the prevenient grace of God through Jesus Christ . . . without any merits existing on their parts . . . yet is he not able, by his own free-will, without the grace of God, to move himself into justice in His sight . . . CHAPTER VIII. In what manner it is to be understood, that the impious is justified by faith, and gratuitously. . . . none of those things which precede justification  whether faith or works  merit the grace itself of justification. For if it be a grace, it is not now by works; otherwise, as the same Apostle says, grace is no more grace. There are always people like this who admire their own virtues, who give long tributes to their own wisdom and righteousness, especially in secondary matters which are showy, which they think they can govern by their own ideas and which they choose to accept as the divinely given fruits of their own virtues and diligence, . . . (p. 99) This is the picture which many hypocrites project, and there are not a few who are like this, self-confident, pleased with them selves because of their gifts, applauding their own wisdom, . . . (p. 100) I guess he is talking about David and Paul, too: 1 Samuel 26:23 [David] The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; . . . 2 Samuel 22:21-25 [David] The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me. [22] For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. Romans 15:17 . . . In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8] Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, . . . *** Please Hit Subscribe! If you have received benefit from this or any of my other 4,800+ articles, please follow my blog by signing up (with your email address) on the sidebar to the right (you may have to scroll down a bit), above where there is an icon bar, Sign Me Up!: to receive notice when I post a new blog article. This is the equivalent of subscribing to a YouTube channel. My blog was rated #1 for Christian sites by leading AI tool, ChatGPT: endorsed by influential Protestant blogger Adrian Warnock. Please also consider following me on Twitter / X and purchasing one or more of my 55 books. All of this helps me get more exposure, and (however little!) more income for my full-time apologetics work. Thanks so much and happy reading! *** In fact, St. Paul was in several instances in his letters, given to long glowing descriptions of his own [God-enabled] righteous works and sanctity (I guess Melanchthon would consign him to the proud, arrogant, Pharisee-types, too, huh?): 2 Corinthians 11:5-30 I think that I am not in the least inferior to these superlative apostles. [6] Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not in knowledge; in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. [7] Did I commit a sin in abasing myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached Gods gospel without cost to you? [8] I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. [9] And when I was with you and was in want, I did not burden any one, for my needs were supplied by the brethren who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. [10] As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. [11] And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! [12] And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. [13] For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. [14] And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. [15] So it is not strange if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. [16] I repeat, let no one think me foolish; but even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. [17] (What I am saying I say not with the Lords authority but as a fool, in this boastful confidence; [18] since many boast of worldly things, I too will boast.) [19] For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! [20] For you bear it if a man makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. [21] To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever any one dares to boast of  I am speaking as a fool  I also dare to boast of that. [22] Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. [23] Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one  I am talking like a madman  with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. [24] Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. [25] Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea; [26] on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren; [27] in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. [28] And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. [29] Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? [30] If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 1 Corinthians 9:14-19 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. [15] But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have any one deprive me of my ground for boasting. [16] For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! [17] For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. [18] What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may make the gospel free of charge, not making full use of my right in the gospel. [19] For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. 2 Corinthians 1:5-14 For as we share abundantly in Christs sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. [6] If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. [7] Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. [8] For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. [9] Why, we felt that we had received the sentence of death; but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead; [10] he delivered us from so deadly a peril, and he will deliver us; on him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. [11] You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to many prayers. [12] For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience that we have behaved in the world, and still more toward you, with holiness and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God. [13] For we write you nothing but what you can read and understand; I hope you will understand fully, [14] as you have understood in part, that you can be proud of us as we can be of you, on the day of the Lord Jesus. Colossians 1:24-28 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christs afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, [25] of which I became a minister according to the divine office which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, [26] the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints. [27] To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. [28] Him we proclaim, . . . Yes, of course in 2 Corinthians 11, it is partly sarcastic (this boast of mine; I am talking like a madman etc.), but he goes on and on, and sarcasm (in Paul or Jesus or anyone else who uses it) always has an underlying serious point to make. If indeed, Paul could take no credit at all for any or all of this (the Protestant denial of merit), then the whole discourse is most improper and inappropriate. Moreover, he also uses boast in a totally non-sarcastic way in 1 Corinthians 9 and 2 Corinthians 1. Therefore they tout themselves above others because of their wisdom and righteousness, as Nebuchadnezzar did, . . . (p. 99) Paul certainly did so above. He had none of Luthers existential angst and cyclical insecurity about his standing before God. Melanchthon, a timid, nervous type to begin with, seems to have inherited that from Luther. Unfortunately, they both passed on their personal insecurities and struggles into mainstream Protestant soteriology (theology of salvation), so that they became institutionalized. Personally, I suspect that its more psychological stuff than theological or biblical . . . But even before psychology enters in, the root of it is arguably the Protestant leading trait of creating illogical either/or false dichotomies. Louis Bouyer, a Lutheran who became a Catholic, wrote an entire brilliant book about this, called The Spirit and Forms of Protestantism. I recommend it more highly than any other book, for Catholics desiring to understand the premises and presuppositions of Protestantism. Likewise Saul believed that the kingdom of Israel had been established by his power, although he should have known that both this power and the successes were blessings from God, and that he could not have accomplished or ruled over such things by himself, . . . (p. 100) Thats exactly my point: both as regards biblical teaching and the fact that Catholics agree with it in this respect and every other. Protestants arent the only ones who teach salvation by grace alone, Gods providence and sovereignty, predestination, election, the wrongness of works-salvation, etc. This may come as a shock to many, but so be it. Im here to educate and proclaim what I strongly believe to be the truth, not please (i.e., when the two differ from each other). But first of all we must establish this point: Although in the regenerate there must be a beginning of obedience and the righteousness of a good conscience, yet sins still remain in them, that is to say, the disease which is born in us, the doubts, the ignorance of many things; or in other words, that they do not fear God as they ought nor burn with love toward Him as the Law demands. (p. 100) Thats self-evident in the Bible, and the Catholic Church had always taught it, so I fail to see why Melanchthon thought he needed to establish it (with whom?: biblical illiterates or completely uncatechized folks?). Odd . . . : Psalm 130:3-4 If thou, O LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? [4] But there is forgiveness with thee, . . . (130:3 was cited by Melanchthon on p. 101; mistakenly identified as 103:3 by either him or translator Preuss) Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; [15] but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. John 8:7 . . . Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. James 5:15-16 . . . if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. [16] Therefore confess your sins to one another, . . . 1 John 1:8-10 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1:8 was cited by Melanchthon later on the same page: 100). 1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

The monks even teach that these doubts concerning providence, the wrath of God, His mercy, our wicked desires, unless there is consent to them, are not sins; . . . (p. 100)

The key word there is consent. He is writing about concupiscence here. See my articles, Augsburg Confession Dialogues: God / Original Sin (Agreement Regarding Gods Nature, But Differences Concerning the Rule of Faith & Concupiscence) [5-2-24] and Calvinist Total Depravity vs. Catholic Concupiscence [1996].

. . . sin remains in this mortal nature of ours. (p. 100)

No one is disagreeing, so again, I dont know who it is that Melanchthon fancies would disagree with this. Catholics simply say that one can become holier and holier and more righteous over time, by Gods grace and our resolve, discipline, and free will choices. Theoretically, we could arrive at a sinless state of being, but as we all know, it virtually never happens. We all strive, or should at least desire to strive, with Gods help, to live as free from sin as we can. At the moment of baptism, we are at least momentarily sinless, since all of our old sins have been forgiven and we have been regenerated and born again.

Rom. 7:23, I see another law at work in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner to the law of sin which is in my members. Now, although the sophists get around this passage and say that . . . here the word refers to . . . the tendency to sin which has come from the fall of our first parents [concupiscence], yet Paul himself refutes this sophistry in his definition of sin itself, when he says that it is an evil in our members which is at war with the law of God.

Furthermore, we have discussed in regard to this article whether the wickedness which remains in our nature is something which is in conflict with the law of God. Human judgment excuses this corruption, but Paul uses very graphic words to describe this terrible thing. He says that the corruption is at war in his members, that it is viciously contending against the law of his mind, confirming his carnal security or his righteous ness which is at odds with God, filling his mind with pride in his own virtues and arrogance, kindling lusts, hatred, desire for revenge, and urging him to seek for bidden help; and finally it takes him captive, because it overthrows the antagonisms of his mind by fears and brings him to the point of despair, so that he flees from God. aw at work in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner to the law of sin which is in my members. Now, although the sophists get around this passage and say that there has been a shift in the word sin, and that here the word refers to the punishment of sin, the tendency to sin which has come from the fall of our first parents, yet Paul himself refutes this sophistry in his definition of sin itself, when he says that it is an evil in our members which is at war with the law of God. (p. 100)

Dom Bernard Orchard, in his Catholic Commentary (1953) writes about Romans 7:

It is characteristic of this and the following paragraph, 1325, that St Paul argues in the first person. The natural conclusion is that he relates his own experience. On the other hand, to argue from a purely individual experience is out of place in such a general discussion as is developed in Rom. This forces upon us the further conclusion that Paul regarded his own experience in this case as typical. And since he speaks in the past, obviously referring to the time before baptism, it can be further described as typical of the pre-Christian time. Then the question arises whether it is to be considered as a typical experience of Israelites and Gentiles alike or only of the former. The answers differ. All who limit the theme of Rom 7 to a discussion on the Mosaic Law must limit the typical value of Pauls experience accordingly because it is the basis of the whole argument. On the other hand, Rom is addressed to a Christian community consisting of former Israelites as well as of former Gentiles (cf. 1:183, 20) and there is no evidence that in our chapter Paul is speaking to the former Israelites only. In view of the addressees, therefore, it seems more natural to think that he looked upon his own experience in the matter as generally typical of the time before becoming a Christian without distinguishing between former Israelites and Gentiles. The law of which St Paul speaks here has been identified with the natural moral law, the Mosaic Law, and both together. The last is the most satisfactory answer. That he foremost had the Mosaic Law in mind follows from the fact that he speaks in the first person. At the same time he must have included the natural moral law because of the former Gentiles among his readers. The simplest solution therefore is to take the law here as the Mosaic Law but as typical of the natural moral law in the same sense as the first person in this description is meant to be typical of man in general, Israelite and Gentile alike. This wider interpretation of law is not contradicted by the commandment Thou shalt not covet, 7. No doubt this is a quotation from the Decalogue. But the quotation is so free (cf. Ex 20:17; Deut 5:21) that it fits the natural moral law as well. Nor can it be urged against this explanation that it entails the abrogation of the natural law which is clearly against Christian doctrine. The point of the whole chapter is not the abrogation of the law, but who is to be given first place, Christ or  as it has been heretofore  the law? . . . Modern commentators agree that both context and contents point decisively to the time before conversion. It is the characteristic experience of the soul before conversion to the Christian faith to be sold under sin, 14, and to be unable to carry out its higher aspirations, 15, 18, 23, 25b. To regard this experience as remaining after conversion is against the whole line of the argument, cf. 6:6, 9, 1214, 17, 22; 7:6; 8; and also against all the moral exhortations in St Pauls epistle. Nor is it necessary to understand the picture as a reflexion of the Apostles own state of soul when writing because he uses the present tense. There is no reason against taking this as an historic or graphic present to denote what is past, so that there is no real change of tense between 712 and 1325. (my italics)

Romans 8 is Pauls treatise on what the spiritual life is like after regeneration. Paul didnt have two personalities. Nor was he self-contradictory. The topic of Romans 7 is the pre-regenerate or pagan / carnal life, whereas Romans 8 is about the Christian life, which he was experiencing (and all of us can, too):

Romans 8:1-3, 6 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. [3] For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: . . . [6] To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:26-28 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. [27] And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. [28] We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. (8:28 is my favorite verse in the Bible). Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Melanchthon, on the other hand, wants to take Romans 7 as descriptive of the life of every Christian (even Pauls!): supposedly miserably and utterly unable to overcome sin, as if there were no Romans 8 to follow it and provide the solution to Pauls rhetorical spiritual dilemma, laid out in chapter 7. Its classic isolated proof-texting, which is sadly common in Protestant theology and apologetics, especially when deliberately trying to refute Catholicism. St. Paul in Romans 8 isnt arguing that we are beyond sin (as if it poses no difficulties at all), but rather, that we can always conquer it, provided we cooperate with God the Holy Spirit, Who lives within us (8:9-11; cf. John 14-16). Thats why its such a jubilant, triumphalistic, joyous, sunny chapter.

This gets to the heart of the Reformation debate over justification: does it actually change us for the better (Catholicism), or is it a mere declaration, with any actual righteousness neatly separated into a separate non-salvific box of sanctification (Protestantism)? As Protestant scholars like Alister McGrath and Norman Geisler tell us, the latter notion wasnt taught by the Church fathers (especially not by St. Augustine), and Melanchthon introduced it fifteen centuries after Christ; in effect making out that no one had ever understood this until he did. I also add that our view has the support of the Bible, as I think I have demonstrated here and in scores and scores of other articles collected on my Salvation, Justification, & Faith Alone web page (see especially the first section). I habitually provide much more biblical argumentation than my theological opponents do. Melanchthon is no exception.

Therefore, although sins are present with us and the godly to some degree recognize the wrath of God, yet they believe that they are pleasing to God because of His promised mercy, and they sustain themselves with this comfort, as Ps. 33:20 ff. says, My soul sustains itself in His Word  my soul hopes in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy; Ps. 32:5-6, . . . (p. 101; he provides several more biblical examples of that)

Thats necessary, given our fallen nature prior to regeneration, but in the Bible there are also many examples of God being pleased because of what regenerate believers obediently do in His power and grace (which is precisely why He rewards us for same, which is Catholic merit: vigorously and categorically denied by Protestantism). Yet here it is massively in the Bible (ya pays yer money and ya makes yer choice):

Genesis 18:19 I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice; so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him. Genesis 22:16-17 By myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17] I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. . . . 1 Samuel 26:23 The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; . . . 2 Samuel 22:21-25 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me. [22] For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. [23] For all his ordinances were before me, and from his statutes I did not turn aside. [24] I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt. [25] Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. (cf. Ps 18:20-23) 1 Kings 3:9-14 Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind to govern thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this thy great people? [10] It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. [11] And God said to him, Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, [12] behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. [13] I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. [14] And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days. Proverbs 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, the words of the pure are pleasing to him. Jeremiah 31:16 . . . your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, . . . Jeremiah 32:19 great in counsel and mighty in deed; whose eyes are open to all the ways of men, rewarding every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings; Haggai 1:8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may appear in my glory, says the LORD. Matthew 6:3-4 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, [4] so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. . . . (cf. 6:6, 17-18, 20) Mark 10:29-30 Jesus said, Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, [30] who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, . . . Ephesians 5:10 and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. (cf. Phil 2:13) Ephesians 6:8 knowing that whatever good any one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, . . . Philippians 4:18 I have received full payment, and more; I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. Colossians 1:10 to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, . . . Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally, brethren, we beseech and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, just as you are doing, you do so more and more. Hebrews 13:16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 1 John 3:22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

Photo credit: Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560): leader of Lutheranism after Luthers death; 1532 portrait by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) [public domain / (1472-1553) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons

*

Summary: Topics covered incl. working with God, merit, Tridentine soteriology, Pauls boasting, Rom 7 & 8 & the Spiritual Life, Col 1:28 and imputed justification, and pleasing God.
Agricultural Minister and Member of Parliament for Abetifi, Bryan Acheampong, has stated that the looming food insecurities which will be likely to be experienced throughout the country should be blamed on climate change and not lack of irrigation on farm lands.



According to the minister, the drastic change in climatic conditions is the core reason for the drought in about eight regions in Ghana.



Speaking to Joy News on Thursday, August 29, 2024, the Abetifi lawmaker maintained that, the Ghana Meteorological Agency had given government heads-up of the climate situation indicating a change in the planting season; an information that never reached Ghanaian farmers.



He told the host that, this shift in the planting season, which is a fundamental change caused by climate change, disrupted our agricultural planning.



We invested heavily in inputs, training, land development, seeds, and fertilizers, but with this change, all our efforts were compromised.



He further stated that, although the climate change cannot be controlled, however, there are measures the government is planning on implementing to mitigate the effect the drought will have on Ghanaians as far as food security is concerned adding that irrigation is one such measure, allowing for year-round farming independent of rainfall.



However, Mr Acheampong clarified that developing irrigation systems requires significant investment which is very different form the small earth dams built under the NPP governments "One District, One Dam" initiative.



The Minister highlighted government's efforts in expanding irrigation projects across the country, mentioning ongoing projects in areas like the Afram Plains, Tono, and Upper West regions, where 19 small irrigation projects are currently underway.



Bryan Acheampong also noted that there are 15 projects ongoing in the Northern Region, aimed at creating small earth dams or dugouts to capture rainwater for agricultural and livestock use.



He stressed that these dams, designed to hold rainwater during the rainy season, have largely been successful in serving their intended purposes over the years, such as providing water for household use, livestock, and small-scale farmers.



"We must always measure an initiative against its intended purpose," he said.



He assured Ghanaians of government commitment to expanding irrigation systems in the country in order to provide farmers the luxury of farming across the various seasons in the year.

Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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The SDGs Advisory Unit in the Office of the President, in partnership with the National Development Planning commission (NDPC) has organized a one-day non-residential workshop for Journalists on Ghanas Sustainable Ocean Plan (SOP) Process on the Transformations for a Sustainable Ocean Economy.



As a founding member of the Ocean Panel, President of Ghana, H. E. Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo has underscored Ghanas commitment to developing a Sustainable Ocean Plan (SOP) by 2025.



The Director, Development Coordination at National Development Planning commission(NDPC), Dr. Winfred F. A. Nelson in an interview with Peace FM News said Ghanas involvement with the Ocean Panel might be highlighted, showcasing how the countrys efforts align with global initiatives and commitments.



He said the planned transformations in the ocean economy, such as improving fisheries management, reducing marine pollution, and promoting blue economy sectors may emphasize the role of journalists in raising awareness, educating the public, and holding stakeholders accountable in the implementation of the Sustainable Ocean Plan (SOP).



According to him, Ghana is taking a proactive approach to ensuring that its commitments to sustainable ocean management are not only met but also communicated effectively to the public, fostering a culture of accountability and environmental stewardship.



The Focal Person For Ghana Sustainable Ocean Plan, Felix Addo Yobo said water played a crucial role in all aspects of human life, yet human activities such as sand winning, plastic waste, dynamite ,aquaculture and the inappropriate disposal of domestic and industrial solid and liquid waste was threatening the resource and called on stakeholders to create awareness of the need to properly manage water resources on sustainable basis by embracing conservation and preservation of water bodies and land resources.



The emphasis on journalists' involvement in the Sustainable Ocean Plan (SOP) process underscores the vital role of the media in driving public discourse and ensuring transparency in environmental initiatives. As Ghana works towards the 2025 deadline for its SOP, the media's ability to communicate the complexities of ocean sustainability to the public will be crucial.



Journalists are expected to highlight the interconnectedness of ocean health with various sectors of the economy, particularly those related to the blue economy, such as tourism, fisheries, and maritime transport. By doing so, they can help the public and policymakers understand the far-reaching impacts of ocean governance on the country's economic and social well-being.



The workshop likely provided journalists with insights into the current state of Ghana's oceans, the challenges they face, and the opportunities that sustainable management could bring. Topics such as marine pollution, overfishing, and climate change would have been key discussion points, as these are critical issues that need to be addressed to ensure a healthy and productive ocean ecosystem.



Moreover, the workshop likely aimed to equip journalists with practical skills for reporting on environmental issues. This could include training on data journalism, where journalists learn to analyze and present data on ocean health and sustainability in ways that are accessible to the general public. It might also include sessions on investigative journalism, helping reporters to uncover and report on issues like illegal fishing or pollution that threaten the sustainability of Ghana's oceans.



The one-day workshop is a strategic effort by the SDGs Advisory Unit and the NDPC to harness the power of the media in promoting and monitoring the implementation of the Sustainable Ocean Plan. By empowering journalists with the necessary knowledge and skills, Ghana is taking a proactive approach to ensuring that its commitments to sustainable ocean management are not only met but also communicated effectively to the public, fostering a culture of accountability and environmental stewardship.







Source: Prince Baffour Asamoah/Peace FM Newsroom









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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Footbridges constructed along the Madina-Adentan highway in Accra to promote road safety are not being used by many pedestrians.



The bridges completed in 2019 have become white elephants as pedestrians continue to cross the busy highway directly, disregarding road safety regulations.



During a visit to the area last Friday, the Ghanaian Times observed that both young and old pedestrians were risking their lives while crossing the road.



Some sections of fencing installed to prevent direct road crossings had been cut through, allowing pedestrians to cross immediately after alighting from vehicles.



The bridges have also become havens for substance abusers while some pedestrians had turned the bridges into refuse dumps and a place of convenience.



The disregard for the footbridges comes about five years after they were completed following agitation from pedestrians who called on the government to build footbridges in order to reduce the number of persons who die from crossing the highway.



This was after a 22-year-old student of the West Africa Senior High School in Adentan was killed by a speeding taxi while crossing the highway in front of her school.



Residents interviewed by the Ghanaian Times assigned various reasons for not using the bridges.



Irene Dadzie, a trader, cited the length of the bridges as an excuse.



She said Using the roads takes less time. I also avoid the bridges at night due to fears of being attacked or robbed by the people hanging around there.



Akua Morrison, a student, said it was faster to cross the road directly especially when she is carrying load.



She said she was usually careful when crossing the road.



However, Ama Dansua, a plantain chips seller, said despite the length, she uses the bridges for my own protection.



Some drivers expressed serious concerns about the situation.



Mr Kweku Agyeman noted that We have to be extra careful to avoid hitting pedestrians crossing the roads. Its very dangerous.



The Adentan Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Ebenezer Doku, told the Ghanaian Times that the Assembly was aware of the situation and was embarking on public education towards attitudinal change.



He said the Assembly would get more taskforce personnel to boost the manpower to ensure safer roads and collaborate with the Police Service to prevent attacks from recalcitrant pedestrians on their men.



The Greater Accra Regional Director of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Ms Catherine Hamilton, said the Authority was aware of the worrying trend at the area.



She said officials from the NRSA collaborated with the Police Service and the District Assembly to arrest recalcitrant pedestrians to deter others but the sustainability of that strategy is a problem.



She said despite public awareness campaigns some commuters have refused, while others verbally assault the personnel.



Ms Hamilton advised the pedestrians to use the footbridges to save lives.

Source: Ghanaian Times









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A Fifty (50) member businesses of the Ghana-Nebraska Agribusiness Growth and Trade Relations Chamber of Commerce - GNEBCHAM is set to experience the Husker Harvest Days and participate in key Trade and Investment Activity in Nebraska, from September 8 to 13, 2024, in Nebraska  U.S.A.



The delegation, comprising decision-making officials in Government and diverse value chain players within the Livestock, crops, irrigation, fertilizer, grains, agro processing, education, finance, technology and input sectors, are expected to meet with their Nebraskan business counterparts, to explore and discuss matching opportunities, capacities, strengths of both parties and forge relationships that will ultimately strengthen the Agricultural Infrastructure, for the mutual benefit of the two regions.



The five (5) day trade facilitation event also aims at strategically bringing to the forefront, the agribusiness opportunity gaps of both regions and provide the desired tailor-made support and measurable solutions to bridge the gap, by negotiating and signing of short to long-term working agreements.



Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, the Co-Founder of Ghana-Nebraska Agribusiness Growth and Trade Relations Chamber of Commerce (GNEBCham), expressed the Chambers commitment to scale-up its trade and facilitation works, by ensuring that, the GNEBCHAM members, are efficiently able transact, negotiate, signed deals, export and import from the USA, by embodying and fully leveraging on the African Growth and Opportunity Act.



GNEBCHAM is currently working to ensure GNEBCHAM AGOA Desk is vibrant and operational, to support its members, in the expansion, growth and scale-up strategies.



Last year, about twenty-two of GNEBCHAM members, participated in the Husker Harvest Days and the Trade and Investment Activity. This year, we have fifty (50) of our members participating.



As of today, GNEBCHAM has over 100 pledged members, reflecting the strong interest and ambition to grow and transform our agricultural sector.



This commitment is a testament to the vision of stakeholders who have taken up the mantle to improve agriculture for generations to come.



Their dedication and collaborative efforts highlight both the Ghanaian and American shared goal of advancing the industry, ensuring sustainability and creating lasting positive impacts that will benefit future generations.



Senator Ken Schilz, Co-Founder of GNEBCHAM expressed his delight about the increase in the business delegation for this year. Our focus is to ensure that, we are able to successfully create relations that sustains and strengthens the Ag infrastructure.



I have personally met with most of our GNEBCHAM member companies, discussing and accessing their collective strengths and I remain confident, that we shall achieve our collective objectives.



We are committed to raising the profile of agriculture, both in Ghana and Nebraska and if we are able to correctly do this, the GNEBCHAM will become a preeminent voice for the advancement of agriculture and demonstrate what is possible through strategic partnerships, Senator Schilz said.



During the five (5) day Husker Harvest and the Trade and Investment Activity, GNEBCHAM Business delegates will be strategically positioned and engaged in focused business investment and negotiation dialogues, to sign business partnership and relationship deals.



Some of the Business delegates will be accessing the possibilities of having their agro products on the shelves of Nebraska stores or creating a mini-Ghana space within the Grocery shops in Nebraska.



Other delegates in the Educational sector will also be exploring the possibility of collaborating with Nebraska State Universities offering Agriculture, to introduce agribusiness educational modules and create partnerships for exchanges.



Additionally, other business delegates who are exploring investment partnerships for grains ( soybeans), irrigation, seeds, beef, poultry imports, have been pencilled and matched with Nebraskan businesses within shared goals and similar fields.



Delegates will be hosted to a welcome business and networking reception by state senators and businesses in Nebraska, have key meetings with the Nebraska State department of Agriculture and a reception with the Nebraska State Governor.



Throughout the five (5) day business trip, delegates, will get to attend the Husker Harvest days, which is by far, the largest irrigated farm show, to experience the latest in agribusiness technology and learn from industry experts.



The Ghana-Nebraska Agribusiness Growth and Trade Relations (GNEBCham) is the International representative arm of selected Nebraska Senators, Farmers, Agribusinesses and subsidiaries voluntarily working together with their Ghanaian partners to create an environment where Agribusiness and Trade can thrive between Ghanaians and Nebraskans and beyond.



GNEBCham aims to foster economic growth and strengthen trade ties by developing business markets among Ghanaian and Nebraskan value chain businesses.



With a growing membership base of over 100 companies, GNEBCham aims at developing agribusiness trade ties and relationships, build bridges that strengthens the Agricultural infrastructure and drive economic growth.









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Russia is withdrawing 100 of its paramilitary officers from Burkina Faso to help in the war in Ukraine.



They are part of about 300 soldiers from the Bear Brigade - a Russian private military company - who arrived in the West African nation in May to support the country's military junta.



On its Telegram channel, the group said its forces would return home to support Russias defence against Ukraines recent offensive in the Kursk region.



There are fears the pull-out could embolden Islamist insurgents in Burkina Faso, who recently killed up to 300 people in one of the biggest attacks in years.



Burkina Faso has since 2015 suffered regular jihadist attacks, with more than two million people displaced in what aid groups call the worlds most neglected crisis.



The junta under interim President Capt Ibrahim Traore, who came to power in a coup in September 2022, promised to end the attacks but has struggled, even after seeking new security partnerships with Russia.



With nearly half the country outside government control, jihadist groups are increasingly targeting civilians and military units.



Survivors say up to 300 people were killed on Saturday in the northern town of Barsalogho, in an attack which was claimed by an al-Qaeda-linked armed group, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).



They were reportedly civilians helping to dig trenches to help protect the town against jihadist attacks.



The authorities have not said how many people were killed but Communication Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo called the attack barbaric.



The Bear Brigade is said to be responsible for guarding senior Burkinabe officials, including Capt Traore, whose leadership has been threatened before.



They arrived in the same month when gunshots were fired in the Burkinabe capital near the presidential palace, heightening speculation about growing opposition to the junta leader, who claimed to have thwarted a coup attempt last year.



Videos which circulated on social media and reportedly confirmed by the group showed the Burkinabe military leader being guarded by men in uniforms featuring Russian flags.



The group says it is guarding the Russian ambassador in Ouagadougou, the Burkina Faso capital.



About 100 members of this specialised unit are set to leave the West African country, only three months after arriving

Source: BBC









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The National Chairman for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has called on Traditional rulers, the clergy and all stakeholders in Ghanas fight for peace, to admonish the President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, to do a peaceful handing over after the December 7 general elctions.



According to the National Chairman, advising the President ahead of the eletions is very crucial in ensuring peace after the elections in December.



During a campaign tour in Nsawam in the Eastern region, the Chiefs and clergy called on the NDC to ensure there is a very peaceful elections.



In responding to the plea of the traditional rulers and the clergy, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah posited that the best person to be given the advice is President Akufo-Addo, who had earlier mentioned that he cannot hand over power to someone he has beaten twice in major elections.



Asiedu Nketiah accused President Nana Akufo-Addo for allegedly fueling electoral violence and not acting on recommendations from a committee investigating such incidents.



He stressed that preventing destabilization depends on Chiefs and Clergy holding the President accountable.



He stated, If our nations leaders truly desire peace, I urge you to counsel the President to hand over power peacefully as his tenure comes to an end. He inherited a peaceful nation; let him ensure the same tranquility prevails when he departs.



Respected traditional leaders (Nananom) and clergy, you possess significant influence. Speak the truth, and no politician will dare disobey you. Your words carry weight, and we implore you to use your authority to promote a peaceful transition, he added.





Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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The Vice President and flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has stressed the significance of a digital address system in a modern economy.



Dr. Bawumia has championed a robust digital address system for Ghana in the past seven years but critics downplayed its significance and the Vice Presidents devotion to it.



Addressing community stakeholders at Dome-Kwabenya Constituency on Thursday, August 29, Dr. Bawumia emphasized that the digital address system and the national identity system is the catalyst for development, hence the backbone of developed countries which emerging economies like Ghana cannot avoid.



Dr. Bawumia reinforced his commitment to building strong foundations to make Ghana a modern economy.



"When we came into office, Ghana was not having an address system that was working throughout the country. But an address system is one of the most important elements for any economy."



"An address system is so important. Today, if you go to the United States and you collapse their address system; just erase it, if you could, that economy will collapse because you can't function. The businesses cannot function without an address system."



"I wrote this in my book, 14 years ago, that we need an address system so when we came in and I looked at the street address we were doing. I realized that it would take us such a long time to do it, so I said let's have a digital address system and now we have it."



"Ghana is the second country in the whole world to have a national digital address system. It is a very comprehensive system and every property in Ghana, whether in the village or in the city, has a property address system and that is very key."

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A boy gives a "high five" to a volunteer during a hands-on experience session at the Angola pavilion of a permanent exhibition hall of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Innovation Demonstration Park in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. Various activities promoting youth communication between China and Africa were organized here during the summer vacation. With the help of African volunteers from local universities, Chinese students were able to feel the charm of African culture by learning traditional African dance, music, folk arts, and making immersive tours of African customs via VR devices. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

A volunteer demonstrates African music during a hands-on experience session at the Angola pavilion of a permanent exhibition hall of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Innovation Demonstration Park in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. Various activities promoting youth communication between China and Africa were organized here during the summer vacation. With the help of African volunteers from local universities, Chinese students were able to feel the charm of African culture by learning traditional African dance, music, folk arts, and making immersive tours of African customs via VR devices. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

A volunteer helps a kid to put on VR device during a hands-on experience session at the Mali pavilion of a permanent exhibition hall of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Innovation Demonstration Park in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. Various activities promoting youth communication between China and Africa were organized here during the summer vacation. With the help of African volunteers from local universities, Chinese students were able to feel the charm of African culture by learning traditional African dance, music, folk arts, and making immersive tours of African customs via VR devices. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Volunteers introduce stone painting to children during a hands-on experience session at the Malawi pavilion of a permanent exhibition hall of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Innovation Demonstration Park in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. Various activities promoting youth communication between China and Africa were organized here during the summer vacation. With the help of African volunteers from local universities, Chinese students were able to feel the charm of African culture by learning traditional African dance, music, folk arts, and making immersive tours of African customs via VR devices. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

A volunteer plays African drum with children during a hands-on experience session at the Angola pavilion of a permanent exhibition hall of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Innovation Demonstration Park in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. Various activities promoting youth communication between China and Africa were organized here during the summer vacation. With the help of African volunteers from local universities, Chinese students were able to feel the charm of African culture by learning traditional African dance, music, folk arts, and making immersive tours of African customs via VR devices. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

A volunteer grinds coffee beans with children during a hands-on experience session at the Ethiopia pavilion of a permanent exhibition hall of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Innovation Demonstration Park in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. Various activities promoting youth communication between China and Africa were organized here during the summer vacation. With the help of African volunteers from local universities, Chinese students were able to feel the charm of African culture by learning traditional African dance, music, folk arts, and making immersive tours of African customs via VR devices. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

Volunteers introduce stone painting to children during a hands-on experience session at the Malawi pavilion of a permanent exhibition hall of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Innovation Demonstration Park in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. Various activities promoting youth communication between China and Africa were organized here during the summer vacation. With the help of African volunteers from local universities, Chinese students were able to feel the charm of African culture by learning traditional African dance, music, folk arts, and making immersive tours of African customs via VR devices. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

A volunteer grinds coffee beans with children during a hands-on experience session at the Ethiopia pavilion of a permanent exhibition hall of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Innovation Demonstration Park in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. Various activities promoting youth communication between China and Africa were organized here during the summer vacation. With the help of African volunteers from local universities, Chinese students were able to feel the charm of African culture by learning traditional African dance, music, folk arts, and making immersive tours of African customs via VR devices. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

A volunteer teaches children African dance during a hands-on experience session at the Angola pavilion of a permanent exhibition hall of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Innovation Demonstration Park in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Aug. 30, 2024. Various activities promoting youth communication between China and Africa were organized here during the summer vacation. With the help of African volunteers from local universities, Chinese students were able to feel the charm of African culture by learning traditional African dance, music, folk arts, and making immersive tours of African customs via VR devices. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)
Nana Barima Osei Hwedie II, the Chief of Ejura, has eulogized the Vice President and NPP presidential candidate, His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his trustworthy leadership and commitment to the development of Ejura and the country at large.



The Chief noted that Dr. Bawumia is a man of his words, therefore can be trusted to deliver on his promises.



He also commended Dr. Bawumias Running Mate, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, for his frankness and outstanding achievements particularly in the education and energy sectors.



Nana Barima II was speaking at a durbar held on Thursday, August 29, 2024, within the Ejura Sekyidumase Constituency and attended by traditional rulers, Imams, opinion leaders, representatives of identifiable groups, market women, students and residents in the community, to welcome Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and his entourage.



I know Dr. Bawumia personally and have worked with him. I can say on authority that he is a man that can be trusted to do what he says he will do. We can all attest to the fact that when he said he would tackle the Ejura water crisis, he delivered.



When he also promised to build a hospital for us, he delivered. I can go on and on. When we vote for him to be President, Ejura and Ghana will see massive transformation. Dr. Bawumia is also receptive. So, I can go to his office anytime to demand our share of the national cake, he said.



Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh a.k.a NAPO took his tour to Anyinasu and Sekyedumase where he held community engagements with traditional authorities and other relevant stakeholders.



He solicited support for his boss, Dr. Bawumia, and the partys parliamentary candidate, Gifty Mboma, who is said to reclaim the Ejura-Sekyidumase seat for the governing NPP.



The NPP Running Mate proceeded to the Afigya-Sekyere East and Kwabre East constituencies, also holding community engagements with the Chiefs, religious leaders and other stakeholders in the Agona, Wiamoase, Abira and Kenyase communities.



While touting the unmatched record of the New Patriotic Party, NAPO rallied the people to support the vision of Dr. Bawumia and his bold solutions for Ghana.



He appealed to them to vote overwhelmingly for the partys parliamentary candidates, Mavis Nkansah Boadu for Afigya Sekyere East and Onyiwa Acheampong for Kwabre East.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP), Salam Mustapha, has disclosed that the popularity of the flagbearer of the party has skyrocketed than the popularity of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



According to him, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia exudes humility and that has endeared him to the heart of Ghanaians.



Speaking in an interview with Kwame Nkrumah Tikese on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' show, he explained that the flagbearer of the party also carries the message of the people and that his policies are one that will help accelerate the countrys development.



In all our engagements with Ghanaians, they have come to believe that the vice president who is also the flagbearer of the party understands the needs of Ghanaians and that his policies will address the needs of Ghanaians which will intend to alleviate the hardships in the county.



We understand that times are hard in the country but we will ensure that Ghanaians suffer no more when elected to steer the affairs of the country.



He added that over the period, the NPP government despite the world pandemic that crippled the countrys economy, has worked hard enough to put the economy back on track and Dr. Bawumia is committed to ensuring that the country will not experience such hardship again.



The Vice President and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), H.E. Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has been campaigning across the country to be elected president of the country.



He has engaged with the various stakeholders which include traditional rulers, religious leaders, the youth, and the entire people on his vision and policies which are the bold steps that Ghana needs to take into the future.



The policies include the establishment of a Minerals Development Bank, provision of license for small-scale miners, free tertiary education for persons living with disability, tax amnesty, flat rate at the ports, training of 1,000,000 youth in IT, harnessing of solar and wind power to reduce the high demand on electric energy, zero duty on solar panels, repositioning of Ghanas education towards STEM and AI, one student one laptop for tertiary students, among others.





Watch Video Below





Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP) Salam Mustapha has disclosed that the manifesto of the National Democratic Congress is a dubbed version of the New Patriotic Party.



According to him, most of the policies of the NDC were churn out of the manifesto of the NPP and it clearly showed that they copied.



Speaking in an interview with Kwame Nkrumah Tikese on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that the NDC has nothing to provide for the country and can only fall on the good policies of the ruling New Patriotic Party.



The New Patriotic Party has listened to Ghanaians and we know what they want. Their concerns were used in drafting the manifesto and we believe that it will help for the leadership and governance of Dr. Bawumia.



The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has swiftly responded to the claims by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) suggesting that the party has plagiarized their manifesto.



The NDC stated that following the launch of their manifesto which has generated a lot of excitement in the country, it has sent cold shivers down the spine of the NPP, as a result of which they are making all sorts of comments which were untruths.





Watch Video





Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Kyidomhene of Gomoa Ajumako traditional area who doubles as the Benkumhene of Gomoa Dabenyin Nana Barima Owusu I, has expressed worry about how some chiefs openly partake in partisan politics in recent times.



According to him, this act disgraces the chieftaincy institution which is also a recipe for chaos.



In his words chiefs are fathers of their subjects and are supposed to be neutral. Engaging in partisan politics through your utterances or activities shows you have already chosen a side which will make it difficult for others to approach you. You will have some of your subjects belonging to NDC and NPP so how do you as a father declare your support for one side?



He further added that one of the key functions of chiefs is to adjudicate disputes and during the adjudication, you must be seen as a neutral chief politically biased one.



Nana Barima Owusu, I expressed these concerns during the celebration of the Eguantodo festival at Gomoa Dabenyin in the Gomoa East District of the Central region.



Nana Barima Owusu I further advised the youth to desist from acts of violence before, during and after this years election.



He concluded by advising the Ghanaian populace to guard the peace we are enjoying and not to jeopardise it during this years election.

The festival drew people from both far and near to thank God and their ancestors for their protection.



Nana Barima Owusu, I called on Ghanaians to come together and endeavour to keep the peace we have before, during and after the 2024 general elections.







Source: Pious Baidoo Banson, Peace FM









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Prof. Smart Sarpong has backed President John Mahamas call for a reset of Ghanas economy.



The former President, delivering a speech at his manifesto launch, stressed the need for Ghana to be reset but his main opponent of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says the country rather needs an upgrade.



Tomorrow, we take the first step towards resetting our dear nation Ghana. We face challenges that have held us back for too long but now its time to build the Ghana we all want togetherTomorrow, we begin the journey together, Mr. Mahama, presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, told his party members and supporters.



Bawumia, in a media engagement, replied; What this country needs is an upgrade, not reset. And if given the mandate, I will roll out the measures outlined in our recently launched manifesto to revamp the economy, adding I represent the future, and Ghana needs an upgrade, not a reset.



Commenting on these two conflicting statements, the Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), Prof. Smart Sarpong argued that Ghanas economy has over the years been destabilized, therefore he prefers the country to undergo a reset.



The Senior Researcher, on Peace FMs Kokrokoo show, said; Im sure when it comes to the economy, everyone will agree that it needs reset and its needed reset not today. Ghanas economy has never been stable.



He continued; In fact, were so volatile a country and it is not because of the dependence on foreign currency but weve become so volatile the little thing that shakes has effect on us.



Professor Smart Sarpong, however, highlighted some other key aspects of the economy which he believes needs an upgrade.



It is not everything that needs a rest, and it is not everything that needs an upgrade. So the debate going on should be defined clearly/ According to the former President and flag bearer of the NDC, JohnDramani mahama, the Agenda 111 project, an initiative of the NPP government is a good project, so he coming to continue such a project if he becomes President is an upgrade and not a reset.



There are things that are not going well in the country which does not need an upgrade but a reset. For instance, the way we do our trade in the country needs a reset. Ghana has become an import-dependent economy which is very bad, hence the need to reset that sector to make it an export-driven economy. We have a big problem as a people with sustainable agriculture. If as a people, we can reset the way we do our Agriculture, then it will be a very good thing for us. So we need to have a critical; look at that as well.





Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A Miami jeweller named Leonard Sulaymanov has reportedly sued Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Tyga for at least $4 million, alleging they committed RICO activities.



According to the Miami New Times, Leonard Sulaymanov is suing Mayweather and his company, the Money Team, for allegedly violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act.



Additionally, Sulaymanov is accusing Mayweather of fraud, civil conspiracy, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and civil theft, among other allegations.



The outlet adds that the jeweller reportedly filed the suit on Friday, August 23, in a federal court in Miami. Miami New Times adds that Tyga, whose government name is Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson, is also named in the suit for allegedly failing to satisfy payment for a Rolex watch.



According to the outlet, the lawsuit asserts that the defendants used the plaintiffs reputation, business, and inventory to systemically steal and convert the plaintiffs watches and jewellery to their own without paying the full and fair price.



In June 2021, the jeweller reportedly met with Mayweather and sold him an Audemars Piguet watch, two Richard Mille watches, a Patek Philippe watch, a Rolex, a diamond ring, and a diamond necklace. Furthermore, Sulaymanov alleges that he only received $267,000 for the items before Mayweather left Miami. To note, the jeweller reportedly documented the purchase with photos of the jeweller and Mayweathers cash payment.



Two weeks later, Sulaymanov allegedly travelled to Las Vegas to meet Mayweather and Tyga. He allegedly brought ten Rolex Presidential Anniversary watches, a Rolex Day-Date 40, and a Richard Mille to their meeting.



At their gathering, Tyga allegedly agreed to purchase the Rolex Day-Date for $79,000. Additionally, Mayweather allegedly made more purchases from the jeweller. However, he allegedly failed to pay off the existing account balance.



[Mayweather and Tyga were] luring plaintiffs into a false sense of security that they would have an ongoing business relationship that would benefit everyone involved, the suit reads per the Miami New Times. However, as days passed and no wires were being received, Plaintiffs got concerned and started exchanging text messages with Defendants through their agent about when payment could be expected.



According to the outlet, Sulaymanov is seeking an overdue balance of over $3,883,657.00 from Mayweather and Tyga. The jeweller is also seeking compensation for humiliation, embarrassment, and mental anguish.













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By Nick Vadala, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

Former President Donald Trumps campaign appears to be taking a low-profile Labor Day weekend, while Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign will hit several key swing states Monday.

Harris had no scheduled events Saturday or Sunday as of early Friday afternoon, but will return to Pennsylvania Monday for a rally with President Joe Biden following a solo visit to Detroit. The Pittsburgh stop will serve as Harris ninth trip to the Keystone State this year, while the Detroit visit will be her sixth to Michigan in 2024.

More details about the Pittsburgh visit had not been announced as of early Friday afternoon.

Also on Monday, second gentleman Doug Emhoff will head to Newport News, Va., and Harris running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will be in Milwaukee, CBS reports.

Emhoff led the charge for Harris this week, making stops in New York, Michigan, Idaho, Colorado and California. Harris and Walz also embarked on a bus tour of southern Georgia that culminated Thursday with a rally in Savannah.

Harris and Walz also spoke with CNN reporter Dana Bash for their first major interview Thursday.

Trumps campaign had no publicly announced Labor Day weekend events on the calendar early Friday afternoon.

Trump spoke at a rally in Johnstown Friday at the Cambria County War Memorial. His running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R., Ohio, spoke at a campaign event in Erie Wednesday.

Trump is scheduled to be in Harrisburg Wednesday for a town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Harris and Trump are to be in Pennsylvania together Sept. 10 for an ABC-hosted presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
By Julia Terruso and Layla A. Jones, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

PHILADELPHIA  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will hold events in Pennsylvania next week, with stops across the state on Wednesday and Thursday, the Harris campaign said.

The visit will be Walzs first solo trip to the commonwealth since joining Vice President Kamala Harris on the presidential ticket. The campaign did not say where specifically Walz would be traveling but said additional details would be forthcoming.

Both Democrats and Republicans have dedicated time and campaign resources to bolstering support in what is considered a pivotal swing state. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly said whichever candidate wins Pennsylvania will win the whole thing.

Trump visited Johnstown on Friday, speaking at the Cambria County War Memorial. The same day, the Harris-Walz campaign announced it was opening its 50th campaign office in Ephrata, a Lancaster County borough. Trumps running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, visited Erie for an event on Wednesday.

On Monday, Harris will join President Joe Biden for a rally in Pittsburgh, marking her ninth visit to the state this year and their first joint campaign appearance since she accepted the Democratic nomination for president.

Trump is holding a town hall in Harrisburg Wednesday with Fox News Sean Hannity.

According to a recent Franklin & Marshall poll of registered Pennsylvania voters, 3% of the states voters are undecided. Trump narrowly led in Pennsylvania but Harris has gained in what now appears a neck-and-neck race.

Walz and Harris made their first joint appearance together in Philadelphia last month, the same day she named him as her pick to be her running mate.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro had been in serious consideration for the job. After Harris chose Walz, Shapiro said he would stump for Harris in the state. He spoke at the Philadelphia rally last month and at the Democratic National Convention.

Shapiros greatest advantage was his popularity among the Pennsylvania electorate. The governor outperformed Sen. John Fetterman in the 2022 election, and data showed Shapiro secured support from people who voted for Trump in 2020.

The campaign has said it hopes Walz, who grew up in a rural community in western Nebraska, can appeal to working-class voters across the state.

Harris and Trump are scheduled to face off Sept. 10 in a debate organized by ABC at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Fans of Va La Vineyards in Avondale, Chester County, are familiar with the drill: annual releases of Silk (a rosato), Cedar and Mahogany (red blends) and La Prima Donna (orange wine), and then one or two more depending on what owner/winemaker Anthony Vietri has aged to satisfaction.

Over the years, those releases have included everything from Zafferano (an orange wine made from Pinot Grigio grapes) to Nebbiolo to Seed (a crossing of the red varieties Carmine and Cabernet Franc).

This year, its a 2021 red field blend called Parchment that Vietri announced in a Friday email. Havent heard of Parchment? That might be because its last release was more than 20 years ago.

He described it in the email as a special small batch release is a rarely seen red-amber style wine, made from a field blend of the red varieties Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, Nebbiolo, Malvasia Nera, Barbera, Lagrein, Pignolo, etc., estate grown and bottled.

Va Las vineyard is unique on the East Coast for the variety of Italian varieties that grow there. North Carolinas Raffaldini and Virginias Barboursville are growing some. Joe Fiola, with Maryland Extension, has many growing at his experimental vineyards sites around the state. Jim Law, at Linden Vineyards in Virginia, has a trial vineyard with almost a dozen Italian varieties, including Aglianico, Fiano, Corvina, Rondinella and Schioppettino.

A look at the Va La Vineyards winery and tasting room from the 'back 40,' on a recent sunny day in Avondale, Chester County.Va La Vineyards

Vietri said in the email that Parchment is a unique and distinctly Old World-style wine made using the ancient methods of Appassimento. This involves taking the freshly harvested grapes and painstakingly arranging the clusters on racks to air dry for several weeks, concentrating their flavors. The grapes are then fermented, and the wine given an extended aging in barrel before release. This imbues the final wine with an elevated perfume and an unusually striking color of ruby red with amber highlights.

The flavors start out with tangy notes of brambly red fruits, strawberry preserves, and finishes with hints of orange peel, caramel, roasted nuts, and candied fruit. The wine opens up with decanting to reveal a creamy texture with light tasty tannins in the long, finish, and refreshing acidity that allows it to pair particularly well high fat dishes.

Its best served at 1-3 hours decanting time, occasionally longer if the weather is unsettled, the winemakers notes say, adding that rhe long finish and refreshing acidity allow it to pair particularly well with high-fat dishes.

Food pairings: Red sauces, barbecue, Indian cuisine, grilled vegetables, mushroom, polenta, and spicy dishes

He released 132 cases and is selling the wine for $45/bottle and $14/glass.

As for the Zafferano, always one of my favorites, Vietri told PennLive that the style and grapes involved in that have slowly evolved into becoming La Prima Donna.

All the grapes [and portions of the grapes] that were in Zaff are now in LPD, he wrote. So our Zaff lovers have really liked the latest versions of LPD for that reason. It is a lot like a wine that we used to make called Patina.

It was a trial of varieties that would eventually go into Mahogany, and once those were identified, those did exactly that and Patina evolved into Mahogany. Same idea with Zafferano.

In the same customer email, Va La noted that the 2023 Silk, his well-known rosato, has been released after several months without any to sell.

Va La has built a devoted following through the years, operating at 8822 Gap Newport Pike in Avondale, a short ride from Route 1 in southern Chester County.

It opens at noon Fridays through Sundays and closes at 5:30 (and a tick before 6 p.m. on Saturdays).

Afternoon jazz concerts on Saturday and Sunday this weekend will run from 2 to 5 p.m.
With the new academic year beginning, I got a surprise email from Megabus.com stating that all of my forthcoming trips to State College have been canceled because Fullington Trailways is taking over Megabus operations.

I was heartbroken. To my surprise, thats going to be the end of Megabus itself. Gone are the days of $1 bus fares and sitting on the double-decker bus; thats why one driver of the Megabus calls it Big Blue. I have been riding Megabus for years, going from Pittsburgh to State College at least three times a month during the academic year. I visited Penn State and explored the campus and downtown State College. Often I visited the Pattee and Paterno Library. Occasionally, I used the Megabus to travel to New York to see my father and go to the only Bass Pro Shops in Pennsylvania (Harrisburg).

Now with it being taken over by Fullington, a round trip from Pittsburgh to State College costs $60 round trip. Thats almost $200 for three trips. If I want to go to New York, it will cost me $115 round trip. All together: $1500 worth of bus trips. Ridiculous! $1 bus fares were helpful for Penn State students commuting from Pittsburgh to State College for classes once or twice a week and to go on special assignments. Now they would have to pay upwards of nearly $1700 per year.
An event was held on the occasion of the Victory Day of the Republic of Turkey and the Day of the Turkish Armed Forces, Azernews reports, citing AZERTAG.

Fuad Najafli, the authorized representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Asip Kaya, the Consul General of Turkiye in Nakhchivan, and state and government representatives took part in the event.

First, the dear memory of the martyrs of our fraternal nations was commemorated with a minute of silence, and the national anthems of the Republics of Azerbaijan and Turkiye were played.

Then a video was shown about the history of the victory of the Turkish people.

At the event, the Consul General of Turkiye in Nakhchivan, Asip Kaya, expressed his satisfaction to celebrate the holiday together in Nakhchivan, which the great leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk called the "Gate of the Turks", and read the congratulatory letter of the President of the Republic of Turkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, sent to the Turkish diplomatic missions in foreign countries on the occasion of the Victory Day.

The Consul General said that Azerbaijan-Turkiye brotherhood and friendship is an example to the world, and noted that our union, joint cooperation, and strategic alliance are progressing along the line of continuous development based on the goals set by the heads of state. Conveying his congratulations on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Asip Kaya valued the righteous struggle of Nakhchivan throughout history as one of the glorious pages of common Turkish history. Emphasizing that they welcomed the glorious victory of Azerbaijan in the 44-day Patriotic War and the full restoration of its sovereignty as a result of anti-terrorist operations, the consul general wished success in the parliamentary elections to be held on September 1.

Azerbaijani President's authorized representative to Nakhchivan Fuad Najafli said that it was a great pleasure to celebrate the glorious victory of the Turkish people together, and congratulated the brotherly Turkish people.

He emphasized that this glorious victory was a fundamental turning point on the path to independence of the great Turkish state, and declared the indomitable will, invincibility, struggle, and determination of the brotherly people to the whole world. Honoring the memory of Azerbaijani and Turkish martyrs, the authorized representative emphasized that our brotherly and friendly relations were continued by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan and reached high heights.

He noted that Azerbaijan-Turkiye relations not only express the unity and equality of our peoples but also guarantee peace and tranquility in the region. The Bridge of Hope embodies not only our geographical unity but also our one-nation, two-state relations. The Zangazur corridor, which will be realized in the future, will play an important role in the wider and efficient use of energy and transport-transit opportunities of Nakhchivan by strengthening these connections. The construction of the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline, which was laid in Nakhchivan with the participation of our heads of state, is also of great importance in this sense.

At the end, a video about the glorious military history of Turkiye prepared by the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Turkey was shown.




A girl participates in a painting activity during a Knowledge Day event in Vladivostok, Russia, Aug. 31, 2024. The Knowledge Day event was held on Saturday in Vladivostok to celebrate the beginning of the new school year. The event, featuring sports, art, and games, attracted many children. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

First graders participate in a run called "First Race" during a Knowledge Day event in Vladivostok, Russia, Aug. 31, 2024. The Knowledge Day event was held on Saturday in Vladivostok to celebrate the beginning of the new school year. The event, featuring sports, art, and games, attracted many children. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

A girl plays a board game during a Knowledge Day event in Vladivostok, Russia, Aug. 31, 2024. The Knowledge Day event was held on Saturday in Vladivostok to celebrate the beginning of the new school year. The event, featuring sports, art, and games, attracted many children. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

Children play a board game during a Knowledge Day event in Vladivostok, Russia, Aug. 31, 2024. The Knowledge Day event was held on Saturday in Vladivostok to celebrate the beginning of the new school year. The event, featuring sports, art, and games, attracted many children. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

A boy demonstrates his skills on the horizontal bar during a Knowledge Day event in Vladivostok, Russia, Aug. 31, 2024. The Knowledge Day event was held on Saturday in Vladivostok to celebrate the beginning of the new school year. The event, featuring sports, art, and games, attracted many children. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

A boy attends a kettlebell fitness test during a Knowledge Day event in Vladivostok, Russia, Aug. 31, 2024. The Knowledge Day event was held on Saturday in Vladivostok to celebrate the beginning of the new school year. The event, featuring sports, art, and games, attracted many children. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

A girl tests standing long jump during a Knowledge Day event in Vladivostok, Russia, Aug. 31, 2024. The Knowledge Day event was held on Saturday in Vladivostok to celebrate the beginning of the new school year. The event, featuring sports, art, and games, attracted many children. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

A boy plays a jigsaw puzzle during a Knowledge Day event in Vladivostok, Russia, Aug. 31, 2024. The Knowledge Day event was held on Saturday in Vladivostok to celebrate the beginning of the new school year. The event, featuring sports, art, and games, attracted many children. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)

Children participate in a painting activity during a Knowledge Day event in Vladivostok, Russia, Aug. 31, 2024. The Knowledge Day event was held on Saturday in Vladivostok to celebrate the beginning of the new school year. The event, featuring sports, art, and games, attracted many children. (Photo by Guo Feizhou/Xinhua)
Brightspeed, one of the nations leading fiber broadband builders, marked a significant milestone in its efforts to close the digital divide in Pennsylvania with the launch of its high-speed fiber internet service in Perry County. The event, celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 21 in New Bloomfield, had key dignitaries including U.S. Congressman John Joyce, state Sen. Greg Rothman and state Rep. Perry Stambaugh in attendance.

Brightspeeds state-of-the-art fiber internet service will be available soon to nearly 50,000 homes and businesses across Adams, Cumberland and Perry counties. The project is a crucial step toward bridging the connectivity gap in rural areas, where access to reliable high-speed internet has historically lagged behind urban centers.

One of my top priorities in Congress is closing the digital divide and ensuring that every family and business across our district has fast, affordable and reliable internet access, said Joyce. Right now, more than 318,000 Pennsylvanians do not have access to fast and reliable internet. Its time to work together through public-private partnerships that can deliver results for families and communities.

The launch in Perry County is part of a broader initiative by Brightspeed to deploy next-generation fiber-optic technology across Pennsylvania, which ranks 12th in the nation for internet coverage, speed and availability, according to BroadbandNow.

BANDING TOGETHER  Public officials and Brightspeed representatives gathered Aug. 21 in New Bloomfield for the announcement of expanded high-speed internet service.Perry County Times

The expansion is bolstered by more than $780,000 in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA), which will augment Brightspeeds planned fiber network by reaching an additional 340 locations in Perry County. The support is vital in a county where more than 50 percent of tested broadband connections were found to be unserved, with speeds below the Federal Communications Commissions minimum standard of 25/3 Mbps.

In todays world, Pennsylvania residents cannot run a business without reliable internet. Strong internet is no longer a luxury  it is a necessity, crucial to successfully participating in our digital economy, emphasized John Mizerak, Brightspeeds director of government affairs. Roughly five in ten Pennsylvania residents cannot purchase a fiber internet plan, and Brightspeed is committed to changing that by increasing availability, accessibility and affordability of high-speed, high-quality fiber broadband.

Mizeraks sentiment was echoed by other speakers, who highlighted the transformative potential of expanded internet access for education, healthcare, agriculture and business in rural communities.

Rothman, an advocate for rural development, reflected on the impact internet access has had on his own life and the lives of his children. You think how different my life would have been had we had access to the internet. The internet is community and the internet is progress. It is the connectivity that keeps us together as a community.

Rothman also praised the collaborative efforts of local leaders and the seamless cooperation between different political parties to bring the project to fruition. As our commissioners, you can see they sit together, they were sworn in together, they go to events together, and they work so well together despite being from different parties.

Commissioner Brenda Watson, who played a pivotal role in driving the initiative, stated, We knew bringing Brightspeed Fiber to Perry County wasnt just about faster internet, it was about future-proofing our community and providing the infrastructure needed for growth and opportunity.

Stambaugh has been a vocal critic of Pennsylvanias local telephone companies, particularly regarding their sluggish progress in deploying broadband in rural areas. He acknowledged the frustrations felt by residents in his district, which includes all of Perry and most of Juniata counties.

In October 2022, after Brightspeed formally acquired the Eastern U.S. service territory from CenturyLink, I and pretty much everyone else here began pressing Brightspeed officials to upgrade their landline and high-speed internet service. His persistence, along with the concerted efforts of other local leaders, helped to ensure that the broadband expansion became a reality.

Brightspeed underscored its commitment to not only expanding its network but supporting the communities it serves. The company presented a $2,500 donation to Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing educational success for students across Pennsylvania.

Looking ahead, Brightspeed plans to continue its aggressive rollout of fiber broadband across Central Pennsylvania. Communities like New Oxford, Gettysburg, Carlisle and Shippensburg are set to benefit from the companys cutting-edge network, which promises to bring unparalleled internet speeds and reliability to the region.

Residents and businesses eager to connect can check for service availability and sign up for alerts at www.brightspeed.com.

Were proud to be a part of the solution and provide citizens with the most future-proof, state-of-the-art, high-speed internet network available so they can thrive in todays hyper-connected world, Mizerak concluded. At Brightspeed, we believe everybody deserves access to the best internet services available, no matter where they call home.
Seth Davies Ready to Ride Momentum at EPT Barcelona Fresh Off SHRB Win

Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S. Copy link

Is momentum a real thing in poker (or any game/sport)? Seth Davies is sure hoping so coming off a $3.2 million score for winning the Super High Roller Bowl Cyprus on Aug. 25.

The high-stakes grinder had little time to celebrate the big win. He's already back in action at the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona 100,000 EPT Super High Roller, which kicked off on Saturday at Casino Barcelona.

"With this one having Barcelona just right behind it, it was kind of a more back to the grind thing," Davies told PokerNews on a Day 1 break when asked if he spent time celebrating or straight back into poker following the SHRB win. "But I did take a couple of days to reflect on things, and that's like when you have a score like that it doesn't get much better. So, it was nice to have those couple of days."

"I think after Barcelona I'll do a little more relaxing."

Can Davies Ride the Momentum to Another Huge Win?

Seth Davies

Davies enters EPT Barcelona with just over $29 million in live tournament cashes, according to The Hendon Mob. That puts him tops on Oregon's all-time list, ahead of fellow high roller star Chris Brewer ($24.2 million). But Davies had never cashed in a tournament for near as much as he did in the SHRB. His previous biggest score was for $1.8 million.

The recent major tournament champion would love for momentum to carry him to another high-stakes win. That is assuming he finds momentum to even be a thing.

"I think momentum's definitely real," Davies said. "What it does to people is it kind of frees them up to, it makes them confident and gives them freedom, you know. If you're on a downswing, it's a lot easier to second guess what you're doing and kind of play tense, and maybe not go for a bluff you would have gone for had you been playing with confidence. So, yeah, it's definitely a real thing and it's nice to be on the upper of that right now because I can feel really free and confident."

Riding the momentum wave to Barcelona is never an easy task against the tough competition in European high rollers. Davies is an American poker player who often travels around the world to compete in the highest stakes events. If there's a tournament with a six-figure buy-in, he'll be there. But does he find the European high rollers to be tougher tournaments than is his homeland?

"The high roller scene in Europe, especially at the EPT, is quite good because there's a handful of recreational's that you get that always show up, and you don't really get that in the US anymore where the high-stakes have kind of died down a little bit. You don't really see 100k's in the US anymore, so it's a lot more lively in Europe. So, yeah, there's a bunch of incredible good European players too, but the stakes are just higher here and you don't really see it as much as, say, Aria anymore. It's more like 10k's and 25k's."

The momentum continues to be on Davies' side as he bagged the biggest stack out of the 18 players who bagged on Day 1 of the Super High Roller. He'll return to action on Sunday with a sizable chip advantage over Kayhan Mokri, his nearest competitor.

Follow PokerNews Live Coverage of the Super High Roller

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TOKYO, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Ministry of Defense has submitted a record-breaking defense budget request of 8.54 trillion yen (about 59 billion U.S. dollars) for the fiscal year of 2025.

The request on Friday marked the first time the country's defense budget request has surpassed the 8-trillion-yen mark, reflecting the government's intensified focus on enhancing its military capabilities.

Local media reports showed that the defense budget for the fiscal period that begins in April places significant emphasis on boosting Japan's so-called "counterattack capabilities."

The defense ministry plans to allocate 970 billion yen to enhance Japan's long-range defense capabilities, which include the deployment and mass production of various long-range missiles.

An additional 323.2 billion yen would be set aside for the development of a satellite constellation system that aims to deploy multiple small satellites capable of detecting and tracking warships, vessels, and missiles.

Furthermore, 3 billion yen would be invested in deploying self-destruct drones for Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force.

The proposed expansion of Japan's military capabilities has raised concerns domestically and internationally. Japan's push to develop the capability to strike enemy bases marks a departure from its post-war pacifist constitution, which adheres to an "exclusively defense-oriented policy," according to Japanese newspaper Tokyo Shimbun.

Such a shift is seen as potentially sparking an arms race in the region, which could destabilize the regional security landscape, the report added.

At the end of 2022, the Fumio Kishida government, despite widespread opposition, forcefully updated three security and defense-related documents, including the National Security Strategy.

The government also plans to allot about 43 trillion yen to defense outlays from fiscal 2023 through 2027, nearly 1.6 times the amount over the previous five-year period. (1 U.S. dollar equals 146.21 Japanese yen) 
Sheila Vanderwoude Faces It All to win Event #10: $300 Ladies Event

Alek Gillies Live Reporter Copy link

The curtain has fallen after 10 hours of play in Event #10: $300 Ladies Event at the 2024 World Series of Poker Circuit Playground. The newly crowned victor was Sheila Vanderwoude who bested Brigitte Korak heads-up to take home her first World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) ring and the top prize of $6,555.

Vanderwoude entered the final table as a middling stack. Her path to victory was a rollercoaster as she moved from chip leader to at-risk small stack throughout the final table. She was able to consistently battle back and hit the right cards to close out the victory over her fellow ladies.

Final Table Results

Place Player City Prize (in CAD) 1 Sheila Vanderwoude Valleyfield $6,555 2 Brigitte Korak Lemoyne $4,030 3 Khaly Dang Mississauga $2,420 4 Linda Huard Longueuil $1,580 5 Lucy Corbin Kemptville $1,220 6 Yuxin Liu Toronto $1,000 7 Kelly Van Haren Chicago $850 8 Josie Sferlazza Montreal $740 9 Eun Park Thornhill $650

Action of the Day

The tenth of 15 Circuit events attracted a field of 89 entrants to generate a prize pool of $21,805, smashing the $15,000 guarantee. Early chip leader Kelly Van Haren seemed on fire early in the day as she maintained the chip lead heading into the three and two table redraw. Eliminations were rapid as play went hand for hand with two tables waiting for the bubble to burst. Andrea Martin was the unfortunate lady as she fell just out of the money with her suited ace.

From this point all remaining players were guaranteed at least a min-cash of $510 CAD. The eliminations were rapid-fire from that point, Vanderwoude scored an elimination as well as some pots to maintain a middling stack heading into the final table. Yuxin Liu, Khaly Dang, and Linda Huard all sat in close proximity for the chip lead entering the final table.

Final Table

The Final Table

Vanderwoude couldn't find any eliminations but was able to chip up to third with seven players remaining. Early chip leader Van Haren was next eliminated as multiple short stacks were fighting for payout jumps. Vanderwoude quickly found a double when she got it all in with pocket eights. There was almost no sweat when she hit an eight on the turn having her opponent drawing dead.

Yuxin Liu

She continued her rise eliminating Yuxin Liu to be the first player with over 1,000,000 chips in the tournament. Places six through four all fell to Vanderwoude as she seemed unstoppable. At this point she had over half the chips in play accumulated. However, Korak would double through her to take the chip lead and leave Vanderwoude vulnerable.

Vanderwoude battled back first eliminating Dang to even out the chip stacks between her and Korak. They both agreed on an even money chop playing for the ring as the sole prize for first. Vanderwoude continued winning small pots as this important detail set her up to win the event. She narrowly held the chip lead as her and Korak got it all in preflop. She made a pair of kings on the flop and held to close the tournament out. Both players were super friendly with each other as they laughed and took pictures together.

That concludes our coverage for this event but stay tuned to PokerNews for our continuing coverage of the 2024 World Series of Poker Playground.

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There's perhaps no player in the world that could win a trophy as casually as Jean-Noel Thorel. He strolled to a first-place finish in the 30,000 Super High Roller Warm-Up event at the Casino Barcelona, running as part of the PokerStars European Poker Tour.

Thorel came out on top against a field of 54 entries to take home the lion's share of the 1,577,070 prize pool. The veteran French player came onto the final table among the chip leaders and only went up from there. Following a heads-up battle with US high roller Justin Saliba, Thorel took 512,370 for first place, along with a PokerStars Spade for his trophy cabinet.

30,000 Super High Roller Warm-Up Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Jean-Noel Thorel France  512,370 2 Justin Saliba USA  339,100 3 Maher Nouira Tunisia  228,700 4 Brock Wilson USA  173,500 5 Ottomar Ladva Estonia  134,100 6 Patrik Antonius Finland  106,500 7 Boris Angelov Bulgaria  82,800

Justin Saliba

The field was full of well known faces, many of them who had been playing the previous days high roller tourneys at the EPT. Nacho Barbero, Niklas Astedt, and Sam Greenwood were among those to fall before the final table, while Teun Mulder and Nick Petrangelo made the final table but missed out on the money.

Boris Angelov of Bulgaria was the first to bust in the money after he lost out to Thorels straight for most of his chips. Antonius was involved in the pot and Thorel had all but wiped him out in the same hand. Moments later, Antonius ran his queens into Thorels kings and was sent to the exit.

Ottomar Ladva was next to go when he lost a flip to Saliba, and it was at this point that Saliba also started to establish himself as one of the likely players to make it all the way.

Brock Wilson and Maher Nouira both played valiantly but were ultimately up against the odds as the shorter stacks. Nouira won two all-ins in a row against Wilson, the first giving him the double-up and the second sending Wilson to the rail in fourth place.

By this point, Thorel was running away with it and Saliba had dropped down a position. Still, he doubled up before Thorel eliminated Nouira to take the competition heads-up, Thorel with a substantial chip lead.

After a little back and forth, Saliba managed to double up, but it wasnt enough for him to gain momentum in the end. Saliba got his king-queen in against Thorels ace-five suited, and Thorel held to win the event, the top prize, and the PokerStars trophy.

That concludes the PokerNews coverage of the 30,000 Super High Roller Warm-Up event. Stay tuned to the EPT Barcelona coverage hub for much more.
GRANITEVILLE  When the United Way of Aiken County kicked off its 2024 fundraising campaign Aug. 30, Aiken County Council member P.K. Hightower pitched in to help.

She was dressed as the Scarecrow because the theme for the lunchtime celebration at the Aiken County Family YMCA was The Wizard of Oz.

I ordered my outfit from Amazon, but there was a little hiccup, so I had to improvise, Hightower said.

She bought orange plaid fabric and made a tunic, got a hat and found some straw.

I did what I had to do to make it work, said Hightower, who is on the United Ways Board of Directors and also is a committee chair.

Danielle Elliott, who played the role of Dorothy Gale, is the 2024 campaign chair.

I feel like we have a lot of good people involved this year, she said of the fundraising effort, which has a goal of $2,115,385.

The 2023 goal was $2,201,759.

Ever since COVID, there has been a decline in workplace giving simply because people are working remotely and theres not that sense of community that there was before, said United Way President and Chief Professional Officer Ellen Luton, explaining why the target amount this year had been reduced.

Its still a tremendous goal, she added.

Luton expressed optimism that the 2024 campaign would be successful.

Im excited today about all the energy in the room, Luton said. It feels like were already off to a good start. Everybody is energetic and ready to go out there and raise money to make a difference for the people in our community. We have 30 partner agencies, and we support 45 critical need programs.

The campaign kickoff celebration included lunch for attendees and a performance of Ease on Down the Road from the Broadway musical The Wiz by East Aiken School of the Arts students.

United Way Board Chair Keyatta Priester, who was the celebrations emcee, wore a shiny pink Glinda costume.
The Savannah River Site Museum, 224 Laurens St. S.W., is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The museum features exhibits and resources related to the Savannah River Site and the Cold War. Admission is free. For more information, call 803-648-1437 or visit srsheritagemuseum.org. Read moreToday's events for Oct. 9
NORTH CHARLESTON  Inside the artist studio at the city's new Park Circle Community building, Shayn Green picks up a glob of yellow paint with her paintbrush and creates alternating strokes on the canvas.

One of Green's largest pieces, the portraiture she was focused on the morning of Aug. 23 features a woman holding a phone to her ear, wearing a pleated skirt and T-shirt as thick pieces of hair create a design in the background. A distinctive feature of the piece: her large nose.

This piece is one of several "Big Nose Baddies," as Green calls the series. She uses vibrant colors and exaggerated features to highlight Black beauty and experiences.

The pieces represent a lighthearted approach to the Black experience, like chatting on a corded phone during a sleepover with friends instead of art centered on Black pain or hardship, Green said.

Green, a North Charleston native, is the city's first artist in residence of the revamped program after it phased out during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the new community building that opened last year in the heart of Park Circle, more space can be dedicated to the residency program, said Camille Singh, the city's visual arts coordinator.

Green's residency runs through October. When the program comes to a close, she will host a reception at the community building to showcase her artwork, including the new projects she will finish between now and then.

One piece that Green is working on is a family portrait in her style that includes four generations of women  herself, her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Green said she was raised by her mom and Granny who both always encouraged her to do what she loves.

Art has played a significant role in Green's life since she was young. As a child, she would draw the cartoons she saw on TV or cereal boxes. Green said she has always been drawn to vibrant colors and exaggerated features as depicted in animated movies. She was obsessed with Bratz dolls, she said, and practiced drawing cartoon versions of the characters.
People check a destroyed house attacked by Israeli forces in the north of the West Bank city of Hebron, on Aug. 31, 2024. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the north of the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday night, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the north of the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday night, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday.

In a brief statement, the Ramallah-based ministry identified the victims as Muhammad Ihsan Yaqin Marqa and Zahdi Nidal Abu Afifa, without providing further details.

Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that the two men were killed near the Israeli settlements of Karmei Tzur and Gush Etzion, north of Hebron, adding that Israeli forces have raided their homes and conducted field investigations with their families.

Also on Saturday, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a press statement that "a burning car exploded at a gas station near the Gush Etzion Junction. The forces opened fire and killed the terrorist who got out of the car and tried to attack them."

In another incident, "terrorists tried to run over a security guard at the entrance to the town of Karmei Tzur and enter the town," Adraee said, adding that Israeli forces then killed one of the terrorists who opened fire.

Meanwhile, Hamas said in a press statement that these operations convey a message that "the resistance will extend as long as the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people continues."

Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, the West Bank has witnessed an escalation of tension, with more than 660 Palestinians killed so far by Israeli fire across the Israeli-occupied territory, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. 

People check a destroyed house attacked by Israeli forces in the north of the West Bank city of Hebron, on Aug. 31, 2024. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the north of the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday night, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua)
One of the biggest challenges in the Charleston region is the difficulty so many have finding an affordable place to buy or rent near their job  or anywhere safe in some cases  so we welcome two experimental approaches to addressing this important problem. Read moreEditorial: Two new and welcome approaches to Charleston region's housing problem
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 31, 2024 / Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a lawsuit has been filed against Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR) and certain of the Company's senior executives.If you invested in ABR, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/arbor-realty-trust-inc Investors have until September 30, 2024 to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in ABR securities. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and is captioned Lois Martin v. Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., et al., No. 24-cv-05347.What is the Lawsuit About?ABR is a nationwide real estate investment trust ("REIT") and direct lender, providing loan origination and servicing for commercial real estate assets. The complaint alleges that during the relevant period, ABR misrepresented the health of the Company's loan book. In truth, ABR used fake holding companies to help conceal that its loan book was distressed, and the underlying collateral was overstated.On March 14, 2023, NINGI Research published a report which claimed, among other things, that "Arbor has been hiding a toxic real estate portfolio of mobile homes with a complex web of real and fake holding companies for more than a decade." This news caused the price of ABR stock to decline by $0.87 per share, or almost 7%, to close at $12.12 per share on March 14, 2023.Then, on December 5, 2023, Viceroy Research published an in-depth study of ABR's Jacksonville, Florida properties. Viceroy found that the Company's entire loan book is distressed and the underlying collateral is vastly overstated. This news caused the price of ABR stock to decline by $0.19 per share, or over 1%, to close at $13.67 per share on December 5, 2023.Finally, on July 12, 2024, Bloomberg reported that ABR was "being probed by federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York." According to the news report, "[t]he investigators are inquiring about lending practices and the company's claims about the performance of their loan book." This news caused the price of ABR stock to decline by $2.64 per share, or almost 17%, to close at $12.89 per share on July 12, 2024.Click here if you suffered losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/arbor-realty-trust-inc What Can You Do?If you invested in ABR, you have rights and are encouraged to submit your information to speak with an attorney.All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The Firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting:Or contact:Ross Shikowitzross@ bfalaw.com 212-789-3619Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.SOURCE: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP
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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 31, 2024 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. ("Arbor" or "the Company") (NYSE:ABR) for violations of the securities laws.The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Arbor is the subject of a report issued by Viceroy Research November 17, 2023, titled, "Arbor Realty Trust - Slumlord Millionaires." According to the report, "Arbor's high-risk multifamily bridge loans, which comprise substantially all of its asset book, are going bad fast The end is near." Viceroy Research then issued a follow up report on December 5, 2023, titled "Arbor - Jacksonville Case Study." In the second report, Viceroy Research claims that the Company's "entire loan book is distressed and underlying collateral is vastly overstated." Based on this news, shares of Arbor fell by more than 5% over the next two trading sessions.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss,click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website atwww.schallfirm.com , or by email atbschall@ schallfirm.com The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT: The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq. www.schallfirm.com Office: 310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 31, 2024 / Leading securities law firmBleichmar Fonti & Auld LLPannounces an investigation into Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) for potential violations of the federal securities laws.If you invested in Franklin Resources, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/franklin-resources-inc Why Did Franklin Resources's Stock Drop?Franklin Resources is a $1.7 trillion asset management company better known as Franklin Templeton. One of its key divisions is Western Asset Management ("WAM"), which is a fixed income manager.On July 26, 2024, Franklin Resources revealed that "following the launch of an internal investigation focusing on certain past trade allocations of treasury derivatives in select" WAM accounts, "WAM received notification of parallel investigations by the SEC and U.S. Department of Justice." Then, on August 21, 2024, Franklin Resources disclosed that WAM co-Chief Investment Officer Ken Leech had been placed on leave "effective immediately" after he "received a Wells Notice from the Staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission." The company further stated that, "[i]n light of Mr. Leech's leave of absence, the Company has determined that closing its Macro Opportunities strategy (approximately $2.0 billion in AUM as of 7/31/2024) is in clients' best interests." On the same day, Bloomberg reported that federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York are investigating whether Leech allocated winning trades to favored accounts, as part of a criminal probe into a practice known as " cherry-picking." The news caused a precipitous decline in the price of Franklin Resources stock. On July 26, 2024, the price of the company's stock fell 2.4%, from a closing price of $23.64 per share on July 25, 2024, to $23.08 per share on July 26, 2024. Then, on August 21, 2024, the price of Franklin Resources stock fell 12.5%, from a closing price of $22.62 per share on August 20, 2024, to $19.78 per share on August 21, 2024.Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/franklin-resources-inc What Can You Do?If you invested in Franklin Resources, Inc. you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses.Submit your information by visiting:Or contact:Ross Shikowitzross@ bfalaw.com 212-789-3619Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.SOURCE: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP
NAIROBI, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Ministry of Health on Saturday confirmed a fourth case of mpox in the country as the incidence of the disease rises.

Mary Muthoni, principal secretary in the Ministry of Health, said in a statement that the case was detected in Gilgil, about 120 km northwest of Nairobi, Kenya's capital.

Muthoni said the case involved a truck driver traveling from Kenya's port city of Mombasa to neighboring Rwanda. "He felt unwell on Aug. 28 while passing through Gilgil and was unable to continue his journey."

She added that the government dispatched the region's Rapid Response Team immediately to assess the case. The patient was, thereafter, evacuated to an isolation center, where he was admitted and is in stable condition.

On Friday, Kenya announced a third case detected in the country involving a 30-year-old woman in Nairobi, who had traveled to neighboring Uganda.

"She is in stable condition undergoing management in an isolation unit in Nairobi," Patrick Amoth, director-general for health in the Ministry of Health, said in a statement.

Two other cases of mpox had been detected earlier in the coastal county of Taita Taveta on the Kenya-Tanzania border and in Busia County on the Kenya-Uganda border.

Muthoni said the government has stepped up surveillance for suspected cases countrywide in a bid to halt further transmission of the disease, whose symptoms include skin rashes, fever, sore throat, headaches, and swollen lymph nodes.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, a key trading partner of Kenya, remains the epicenter of the disease that has spread to several countries in Africa and across the globe.

The World Health Organization earlier this month declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, sounding the alarm over its potential for further international transmission. 
PR-Inside.com: 2024-08-31 13:21:27

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 31, 2024 / Leading securities law firmBleichmar Fonti & Auld LLPannounces that a lawsuit has been filed against Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:MEI) and certain of the Company's senior executives.If you invested in Methode, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/methode-electronics-inc Investors have until October 25, 2024 to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in Methode common stock. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and is captioned Salem v. Methode Electronics, Inc., et al., No. 24-cv-07696.What is the Lawsuit About?Methode designs, engineers, and manufactures custom-engineered solutions for automotive original equipment manufacturers. The complaint alleges that during the relevant period, Methode misrepresented the success of the Company's transition from the General Motors console program to new electric vehicle applications and that the Company's "higher-margin product mix" would "offset" any decline in income from the General Motors program. In truth, Methode's transition to electric vehicles had been plagued with operational, logistical, and personnel challenges that negatively impacted the Company's business.On September 7, 2023, Methode announced financial results for 1Q 24. The Company disclosed that "operational inefficiencies" in the Company's North American operations had negatively impacted earnings for the quarter and were expected to linger into the second quarter. On this news, the price of Methode stock declined by $6.67 per share, or over 22%, to close at $23.33 per share on September 7, 2023.On December 7, 2023, Methode announced financial results for 2Q 24. During the quarter, the Company's Automotive Segment generated only $154.3 million in net sales and suffered a $61.5 million loss from operations. The Company also disclosed a $56.5 million goodwill impairment in the Company's North American and European Automotive Reporting Units. On this news, the price of Methode stock declined by $2.87 per share, or almost 12%, to close at $21.52 per share on December 8, 2023.On March 7, 2024, Methode announced financial results for 3Q 24 and withdrew all prior guidance. The Company also announced it was taking urgent actions to reduce costs, such as by reducing headcount and discretionary expenses and by disposing of non-critical assets. On this news, the price of Methode stock declined by $6.55 per share, or over 31%, to close at $14.49 per share on March 7, 2024.Finally, on April 8, 2024, Methode announced that its CFO would be retiring from the Company effective July 12, 2024. Less than one month later, on May 6, 2024, Methode announced that the CEO had resigned just three months into his tenure.Click here if you suffered losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/methode-electronics-inc What Can You Do?If you invested in Methode, you have rights and are encouraged to submit your information to speak with an attorney.All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The Firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting:Or contact:Ross Shikowitzross@ bfalaw.com 212-789-3619Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP?Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.SOURCE: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP
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Campo de Batalla: An Exhibition Highlighting Murillo's Exploration of the Human FormSAN JOSE, COSTA RICA / ACCESSWIRE / August 31, 2024 / San Jose's Museo Calderon Guardia will host an exhibition of 35 works by Costa Rican figurative artist Roberto Murillo from September 5th to September 28th. Titled Campo de Batalla (translated as "Battlefield"), this show celebrates Murillo's bold exploration of the human form through monochromatic charcoal and mixed media. Marking a significant breakthrough in his career, the exhibition will open with a reception at 7 p.m. on September 5th - everyone is welcome to attend.Roberto Murillo, Inauguracion Campo De BatallaPromoting Costa Rica's cultural heritage, MIRAME Fine Art connects artists with art lovers worldwide and is proud to support Roberto Murillo.A Major Moment for MurilloThe exhibition represents Murillo's largest and most ambitious show to date, consolidating pieces that represent the evolution of his style. The exhibition features mostly large-scale works that amplify his vision. Murillo describes: "The show brings together works that I've reserved for four years, a compilation of the last years that have been incredibly prolific." Exploring the Symbolic NudeThe exhibition centers on Murillo's exploration of the symbolic nude body, rich in metaphor and narrative. It also emphasizes his approach to the body, delving into psychological, philosophical, and social dimensions. This thematic focus reflects his broader artistic philosophy. He says: "My art represents a way to fill the void of existence and to find happiness in the process; it is intellectual and spiritual development." Charcoal as a Medium of ExpressionMurillo's figures are dynamic, captured as intertwined in a perpetual fluid dance. Influenced by artists like Lucian Freud, as well as literature, dance, and cinema, he uses charcoal to express the raw authenticity of the human figure, revealing deeper emotional themes of human existence. By embracing imperfections, Murillo challenges conventional beauty standards and invites viewers to engage with the emotional and intellectual layers of his work.Dynamic Technique and Artistic ImpactThe exhibition showcases Murillo's use of chiaroscuro-contrasts between light and dark-to create a visually captivating experience. The interplay between illuminated and shadowed parts of the nude body adds depth and intrigue while enhancing the works' monumental presence.The Museo Calderon Guardia: A Cultural IconThe Museo Calderon Guardia is a cornerstone of Costa Rican culture and history, renowned for its dedication to the nation's artistic heritage. By hosting Murillo's exhibition, the museum underscores its role in preserving traditional cultural values while encouraging bold contemporary expression.Supporting Murillo's Vision with MIRAME Fine ArtMIRAME Fine Art offers innovative ways to experience Murillo's work for those unable to attend the exhibition in person. Their augmented reality feature allows global audiences to explore his vigorous figures virtually, appreciating his art from anywhere in the world.Exhibition DetailsDates: 5th - 28th September 2024Opening Reception: 5th September, 7 p.m.Location: Museo Calderon Guardia, Barrio Escalante, Calle 27, San JoseContact InformationBelinda SeppingsCo-Founderbelinda@ miramefineart.com +447821591397SOURCE: MIRAME Fine ArtView the original press release on newswire.com
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SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 30, 2024 / Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLPannounces that purchasers or acquirers of Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA) securities between February 15, 2024 and July 24, 2024, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), have until October 15, 2024 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the Stellantis class action lawsuit. Captioned Long v. Stellantis N.V., No. 24-cv-06196 (S.D.N.Y.), the Stellantis class action lawsuit charges Stellantis as well as certain of Stellantis' top executives with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Stellantis class action lawsuit, please provide your information here:You can also contact attorneys J.C. Sanchez or Jennifer N. Caringal of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at info@ rgrdlaw.com CASE ALLEGATIONS: Stellantis designs, engineers, manufactures, distributes, and sells vehicles.The Stellantis class action lawsuit alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose material adverse facts concerning inventory levels, pricing, and market share stabilizations.The Stellantis class action lawsuit further alleges that on July 25, 2024, Stellantis announced first half 2024 financial results and disappointing near-term revenue outlook. On this news, the price of Stellantis stock fell nearly 10% over two trading sessions, according to the complaint.THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who purchased or acquired Stellantis securities during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the Stellantis class action lawsuit. A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class. A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the Stellantis class action lawsuit. The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the Stellantis class action lawsuit. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff of the Stellantis class action lawsuit.ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world's leading law firms representing investors in securities fraud cases. Our Firm has been #1 in the ISS Securities Class Action Services rankings for six out of the last ten years for securing the most monetary relief for investors. We recovered $6.6 billion for investors in securities-related class action cases - over $2.2 billion more than any other law firm in the last four years. With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs' firms in the world and the Firm's attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest securities class action recovery ever - $7.2 billion - in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig. Please visit the following page for more information:Attorney advertising.Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.Contact:Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLPJ.C. Sanchez, Jennifer N. Caringal655 W. Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101800-449-4900info@ rgrdlaw.com SOURCE: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has tentatively set 8 October 2024 as the beginning of Mpox vaccination.

According to Remi Adeleke, the head of the public relations unit at the NPHCDA, who spoke with Punch, the vaccine deployment will begin from 3 to 6 October.

Mr Adeleke explained that this timeline is to allow the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to conclude regulatory procedures of sampling, traceability and lab analysis.

He noted that due to the limited availability of the Jynneos MPox vaccine (9,980 doses), the quantities will be split evenly across five states, with 1,996 doses allocated to each state for implementation.

He did not mention the states. However, he said the states are being evaluated based on the current trend of cases in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

Mr Adeleke further explained that the vaccination drive aims to reach 4,750 individuals across the five states. Each person will receive two doses of the vaccine administered 28 days apart.

The targeted groups include close contact of Mpox cases, healthcare workers, and individuals with low immune systems.

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US donates to Nigeria

On 27 August, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, handed over 10,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine donated by the US government to the NPHCDAs Executive Director, Muyi Aina.

Jynneos is a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration for preventing smallpox and Mpox in adults aged 18 years and older at risk of Mpox infection.

This made Nigeria the first African country to obtain vaccines to combat the spread of the new strain of Mpox virus.

The NPHCDA director-general had clarified that the distribution plan for the vaccine doses received from the US government would prioritise high-risk individuals, including frontline health workers and residents of states with the highest number of cases, primarily in the southern region.

We believe our frontline health workers are at particular risk. We are also going to prioritise states that have had the highest number of cases. Many of them are in the south.

But of course, we are going to have to work with the states to develop state-specific plans, you know, to make sure that the vaccine is appropriately deployed, Mr Aina said.

Deployment strategy

On the deployment strategy, Mr Adeleke said two sites per state will be identified for vaccination.

Fixed posts and special teams, fixed posts at sites within identified infectious diseases referral centres, and special teams to target communities where necessary for close contacts or identified risk groups vaccination.

Two sites per state to be identified for vaccination. Only clients aged 18 and above will receive the vaccines based on the current strategy, he said.

Mpox in Nigeria

The latest data from the NCDC shows that Nigeria has recorded 48 confirmed cases of Mpox out of 868 suspected cases across 35 local government areas in 20 states and the FCT.

Ogun, Lagos, Bayelsa, Ekiti and Osun topped the list of states with the most suspected cases. At the same time, Enugu, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Benue are the first five states with the most confirmed cases.

On 13 August, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared Mpox a public health emergency of continental security, acting under its mandate to address significant public health threats.

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A Nigerian man has accused police operatives in Bayelsa State of extorting N3 million from him at gunpoint.

The victim, Kelechi Isaac, disclosed this on Friday while speaking to reporters in Owerri, Imo State capital.

A video clip showing him narrating the incident was also uploaded on Facebook.

Mr Isaac hails from Nguru Nworie, a community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo state, Nigerias South-east.

The victim is based in Ghana, a West African country. According to him, he returned to Nigeria to attend a friends traditional marriage ceremony in Bayelsa State when the incident happened.

In the video clip, he told reporters that the incident happened Monday at Odi Axis in the south-southern state.

How it happened

Mr Isaac said he was driving back from the marriage ceremony with two of his friends when five police operatives flagged down their vehicle.

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He said the operatives identified themselves as the IGPs Special Squad and that their white pickup truck was not branded.

The operatives uniform did not have name tags, he said.

The victim said the operatives searched their vehicle and subsequently forced him to unlock his phone.

He said the armed operatives, on seeing a N10 million bank alert in his phone, allegedly began to beat him and threatened to shoot him unless he transferred N6 million to them.

They handcuffed me and drove us away and continued beating me. Before we knew it, they started shooting guns and threatened to kill the three of us. I asked them to take me to a police station but they refused.

They said that if I didnt give them N6 million from the N10 million, they would kill all of us. When the beating became too much, I started negotiating with them, and at the end of the day, I transferred N3 million to them in two bank accounts they provided and drove with us and stopped us at Ahoada in Rivers State and drove off, he narrated in the clip.

I want my money returned

Mr Isaac said the operatives gave him two different bank accounts where he transferred N2 million and N1 millon separately.

He said the N2 million was transferred to the Monie Point Microfinance Bank account number belonging to Yusuf Mustafa, while the N1 million was transferred to another Monie Point Microfinance Bank account number belonging to Jerry Ventures.

He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun (IGP), to intervene and compel the operatives to return the money.

All I need is my money to be returned to me and for the IGP to fish out the policemen giving the Nigeria Police Force a bad image. I believe with these account details, they can be fished out.

I want Justice. I want my money returned because it is for my brothers project. Let the policemen who did this to me be identified so that other Nigerians wont become their victims, Mr Isaac stated.

I dont do any illicit business. I am a law-abiding citizen of this country.

The victim said his lawyer wrote to the police in Bayelsa State to notify them of the incident.

Police speak

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, the police spokesperson, Musa Mohammed, said he was unaware of the incident.

Mr Mohammed, a superintendent of police, said there was no squad known as IGP Special Squad in Bayelsa State.

He said the victim phoned him on Friday evening and informed him that his lawyer would submit an official complaint on 2 September.

But for now, no formal complaint on the issue is on my table or before the state commissioner of police, the spokesperson said.

He said those who allegedly extorted the victim might not have been personnel of the Police Command in Bayelsa.

They might be from elsewhere, Mr Mohammed said.

Not the first time

Cases of police extortion in Nigeria have continued despite punishment by police authorities, such as dismissal from service.

The latest extortion allegations two months after police operatives in Anambra State allegedly extorted N810,000 from a resident of the state.

The incident happened in late June.

Following pressure from various quarters, the operatives returned the money to the victim some hours later.

Earlier in June, an operative was dismissed in Abia State for allegedly shooting dead an entrepreneur over his refusal to bribe him.

In March, another operative was dismissed while two others were suspended for allegedly extorting $3,000 from two Nigerians in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

A Divisional Crimes Officer of Abraka Division in Delta State was also removed from office for allegedly extorting over N2 million.

This newspaper reported the detention of some operatives at the police headquarters in Abuja for allegedly extorting N30.3 million.

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The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has expressed sadness over the death of the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Waheed Ayilara.

Mr Ayilara died on Thursday at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, hours after undergoing prostate cancer surgery.

He was buried on Thursday.

In a statement on Thursday, the Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi said Mr Egbetokun is deeply saddened over the loss and has commiserated with the family of the deceased commissioner of police.

He also commiserated with the family of Philip Maku, a retired assistant inspector-general of police, who also passed on recently.

The late Ayilara had served as a deputy commissioner of police, State Criminal Investigation Department, in Lagos State, before he was posted to Akwa Ibom State in February as the commissioner of police.

The dedication of both senior police officers to service and integrity can never be forgotten. Their passing is a great loss, not only to their families but to the entire Nigeria Police Force.

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Their loss has left an indelible mark on all who knew them and every single life they have impacted in their respective careers.

On behalf of the entire officers of the Nigeria Police Force, the IGP extends his sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of late Rtd. AIG Philip Sule Maku and CP Abdulwaheed Ayilara, praying for solace during this difficult time. May their souls rest in peace, Mr Adejobi, an assistant commissioner of police said.

Governor Umo Eno mourns Ayilara

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has expressed the condolences of the people of the state over Mr Ayilaras passing.

The governor in a statement released by his spokesperson, Ekerete Udoh, described the late police commissioner as a one of the finest operational officers, a genial and fine gentleman who epitomised the finest ideal of the Nigeria Police Force.

According to the statement, Mr Ayilara served his one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps in the state, and later returned as Unit Commander of the Police Mobile Unit 26.

READ ALSO: IGP orders deployment of more policemen to rescue 20 medical students abducted in Benue

He served our state as the police commissioner until his sad passing, where he distinguished himself as a crime-buster of no mean repute, Mr Eno said.

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A group, Concerned Parents and Educators (CPE), has called on the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, to reconsider the age restrictions placed on candidates taking the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Mamman, a professor, said on a live television programme that students under 17 years of age woul no longer be allowed to sit the examinations.

Students seeking admission into universities, polytechnics, and many higher institutions of learning are required to secure enough credits in the SSCE organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO), or the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).

The minister also recently directed tertiary institutions to only admit students from the age of 18 from next year. He maintained that under Nigerian laws, pupils are expected to spend five years in early childhood education, six years in primary schools, three years in junior secondary school, and another three years in senior secondary school.

According to him, a student is expected to complete secondary school and sit the examinations at the minimum age of 17.

Since Mr Mammans first pronouncement on age-restriction during JAMB policy meeting in April, it has continued to stir up debate in the public space, with some lauding and others criticising the policy.

The minister explained that the policy was meant to tackle some of the challenges underage students face, ensuring that only mature and prepared students were admitted into tertiary institutions.

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Groups call

But the group of parents under CPE cautioned Mr Mamman against the implementation of such a policy, warning of certain consequences on the youths and society.

The CPE statement, signed by its coordinator, Yinka Ogunde, explained that the immediate implementation of the policy would mean that some students would likely remain idle as a result.

The government should realise that hundreds of thousands of students may find themselves idling on the streets for an extended period of two to three years, merely awaiting the chance to sit for an examination that could shape their futures, parts of the statement reads.

Instead of such a restriction, the group asked the government to consider enforcing compliance with the six years minimum age for entrance into primary school and 12 years at secondary school.

Implementing a structured system that considers age from the onset of a students academic journey would foster a more effective and fair educational environment. Such a system would prevent abrupt and disruptive changes at crucial academic stages, thereby supporting a smoother transition through the educational system, , the statement said.

This decision highlights, once again, the arbitrary processes often employed in governmental decision-making, especially in matters that critically affect the future of our youth.

READ ALSO: Nigerian information minister seeks improved relations with BBC

The group, therefore, asked the minister to reconsider the current approach, urging a thoughtful and comprehensive review of the potential impacts, and to engage in dialogue with stakeholders to devise a more balanced solution.

We must ponder the societal impact of having a significant number of young individuals, potentially left without constructive activities, wandering the streets across the nation. This is not merely an educational concern but a social one that could have lasting repercussions, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the group would not be the first to call on the minister to review the policy.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the National Coordinator, Education Rights Campaign, Hassan Soweto, also called on Mr Mamman to reassess the policy.

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A media group, Ikenga Media and Cultural Awareness Initiative has organised an investigative reporting training workshop for journalists in the South-east.

Ikenga Media and Cultural Awareness Initiative is the publisher of South-east-focused online newspaper, Ikengaonline.

The training for the over 20 journalists was held in Umuahia, Abia State and Owerri, Imo State on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

The training, supported by the MacArthur Foundation through the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, aimed to improve the quality of journalism in the South-east for good governance.

The training

One of the resource persons at the training, Chinagorom Ugwu, a journalist with PREMIUM TIMES, spoke on how investigative reporting helps to engender good governance.

Mr Ugwu urged journalists to go beyond serving as information disseminators and begin holding government accountable to engender good governance and strengthen democracy in Nigeria.

Another resource person and a journalist with the Guardian Newspaper, Charles Ogugbuaja, took the participants on the topic: Ethical Journalism in an Era of Technology.

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Mr Ogugbuaja stressed that there was a need for journalists to abstain from violating the ethics of the media profession, especially in the face of technological advancement.

Why the training

Speaking at the training sessions, a Co-Publisher of Ikengaonline, Chido Onumah, said the exercise was part of the groups efforts to promote accountability and good governance through quality investigative reporting.

Mr Onumah said the training, which was in its third year for journalists in the South-east, had recorded tremendous success in the region.

He added that at least 55 journalists in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states had been trained on fundamentals of investigative journalism, media and information literacy, among others.

Some of the feedbacks we got after previous training include the need for continued reinforcement of the message of how the media can impact positively on the governance process, he said.

The media expert expressed concern about information gaps and unethical behaviours in journalism in the South-east, explaining that Ikengaonline was established to help bridge the gaps.

In essence, Ikengaonline, which is intentionally focused on the South-east is a bold attempt to give the people of the zone a voice in the media, which has been brazenly lacking in the past, he said.

Participants speak

A participant, Chidi Nkwopara, a journalist with the Vanguard newspaper, described the training as a beautiful exercise.

I am hopeful that all the people who participated in this training will put what we learned into practice, Mr Nkwopara said.

Another participant, Angela Nkwo-Akpolu, said the training would help her improve her journalism practice.

The most important thing for me was that it helped me to remember some of the things that I have forgotten. So, it was more like a refresher course for me, said Mrs Nkwo-Akpolu, a journalist with the Leadership newspaper.

It was also an opportunity to listen to fresh minds that you havent related with before to get new perspectives on journalism practice, she stated.

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The Police Command in Lagos State says it has detained a man for allegedly pushing his 47-year-old younger brother to death.

The Commands spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.

Mr Hundeyin said that the case was reported to the police on 24 August, at about 6.40 a.m. by a fellow whose name was not mentioned.

He said the fellow reported that on 23 August, at about 11.00 p.m., one Ayodeji Busari of Iba area in Lagos, allegedly pushed his younger brother, 47, whose name was not also mentioned.

The image maker said that the victim was said to have come from Port Harcourt to visit his friend at an address not mentioned in Lagos.

Mr Hundeyin said the suspect allegedly pushed his younger brother down and he hit his head on a pavement during a fight.

The victim became unconscious and was rushed to Igando General Hospital for treatment, but was later confirmed dead by doctor on duty.

The detectives visited the scene of incident and take (took) photographs, the corpse removed and deposited at Mainland General Hospital Mortuary, Yaba for autopsy.

The case file and suspect to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department Panti-Yaba for investigation, he said.

(NAN)

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) says it is seeking private companies to operate and maintain two of its refineries.

The NNPC Ltd in an invitation for Expressions of Interest posted on its X handle on Thursday said it is seeking to engage reputable and credible operations & maintenance companies to operate and maintain the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC).

The state-oil firm said this is to ensure reliability and sustainability to meet the nations fuel supply and energy security obligations.

It explained that the operations and maintenance tender for WRPC and KRPC will be treated as a single tender through a three stage tender process (EOI, Technical and Commercial) leveraging on all the possible opportunity cost associated with procurement of consumables, personnel/manpower management, utilisation of Computerised Maintenance Management Software (CMMS), Warehousing Management System (WMS) etc.

NNPC Ltd in its circular stipulates certain statutory requirements for companies seeking to bid.

The 125,000 barrels per day (bpd)-capacity Warri Refinery and 110,000 barrels per day capacity Kaduna Refining are among Nigerias four dysfunctional refineries that have produced no fuel for years leaving the country to rely on imported petroleum products.

In August 2021, the Federal Executive Council approved the award of the contract for the rehabilitation of Warri and Kaduna Refineries at the combined total sum of $1.5 billion.

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The Nigerian government had in August 2023 assured that the Warri refinery will come on stream by the end of the first quarter of 2024, and Kaduna will also come on board towards the end of 2024.

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ABIDJAN, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Rising from Cote d'Ivoire's Sassandra River basin, the Soubre hydroelectric power plant stands as the nation's largest hydropower facility.

Built by the Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina) and officially commissioned in November 2017, the landmark project has provided the region with clean, reliable power for nearly seven years, boosting economic growth and improving the lives of local communities.

With an installed capacity of 275 megawatts, the plant has already generated around 9.5 billion kWh of electricity, increasing Cote d'Ivoire's national power generation capacity by nearly 14 percent.

Kone Messamba, then-governor of the Soubre province, highlighted the plant's role in addressing power shortages and contributing to Cote d'Ivoire's aim of achieving emerging economy status by 2020. The station has also enabled the export of electricity to neighboring countries, benefiting the wider West African region.

Beyond energy production, the Soubre project has been a catalyst for social and economic empowerment.

Wazi Goffry, 20, an electrical engineering graduate and operator at the station, credits the project with providing invaluable job opportunities and skills training.

Deng Yue, PowerChina's deputy representative in Cote d'Ivoire, said during the construction phase, the project created over 3,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect posts.

The success of the Soubre station has led the Ivorian government to entrust PowerChina with downstream projects, including the Gribo-Popoli, Boutoubre, and Louga hydropower plants.

Many local workers who contributed to the Soubre's construction have since stepped into leadership roles at the new Gribo-Popoli hydropower station, showcasing the long-term benefits of the project.

Yao Michel N'guessan is one of the workers who rose from an electrician to a team leader through dedication and hard work. This achievement not only fulfilled his professional aspirations but also enabled him to support his two children and help his younger brothers pursue better education.

Deng further emphasized that the project has brought stable power to the residents of the Soubre region, greatly contributing to the growth of local industries, including food service, handicrafts, agro-processing and tourism.

Before construction, the project teams worked to minimize the disruption to local communities, reducing the number of affected villages from 38 to three.

Esther Siagbe, who moved to a resettlement village built by the Chinese company, now enjoys improved living conditions.

"Thanks to the Soubre station, we've moved into a new, bright, and spacious house with stable electricity," Siagbe said.

The project's design also integrated environmental considerations. The Soubre plant maintains an ecological flow to protect the Nawa Falls and downstream ecosystems, safeguarding local tourism and culture.

"The Soubre Hydroelectric Power Plant is our pride," said Bonaventure Tiegbe, former secretary-general of the Soubre provincial government, adding that the station has become a regional landmark, attracting tourists and uplifting the spirits of the local people. 
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the promotion of eight Commissioners of Police (CP) to the rank of Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and 676 other senior officers to their new ranks.

The Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

He said the eight promoted CPs were Benneth Igwe, Suleiman Abdul, Augustina Ogbodo, Stephen Olanrewaju, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, Fayoade Mustapha, Adegboyega Adegboye and Mohammed Labbo.

Mr Ani said 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) were promoted to the rank of CP while 52 Chief Superintendents of Police were promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP).

According to him, 525 Superintendents of Police (SP) were promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendents of Police (CSP) while 84 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) were promoted to SP.

The PSC spokesman said the eight CPs and 15 DCP were subjected to some form of assessment and examination, a condition now precedent for their promotion to the new ranks.

He said the decisions were reached at the first Plenary Meeting of the new board of the commission, presided over by the chairman, Hashimu Argungu.

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Mr Ani said the PSC boss had enjoined the newly promoted officers to engage in deliberate self-development through constant knowledge acquisition to be better equipped to face the challenges of 21st century policing.

Mr Argungu said police officers would henceforth be subjected to formal examination before consideration for the promotion, adding that it was a requirement for promotion in civil service as stipulated in the civil service rule.

READ ALSO: Nurse arrested as woman dies after failed bum enlargement surgery in Lagos

The PSC chairman said police officers would not be exempt, adding that promotion in the police would continue to be merit-based and predictable.

He assured that the commission would not, for any reason, delay the promotion of deserving officers but insisted that it must be earned.

Mr Argungu congratulated the newly promoted officers, adding that the promotion was a call for greater dedication to the service of their fatherland.

He urged the officers to be deliberate, committed and focused in the fight against insurgency and banditry in the country.

(NAN)

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Five days after catastrophic floods swept through Kogin Mata in Chikaji, a Zaria, Kaduna State community, residents are counting their losses as the emergency response agency assesses the disaster to determine how to help the victims.

The disaster occurred on Monday during a torrential downpour in the area from 5 a.m. to about 1 p.m.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Zaria, Auwal Sani-Dambaba, the village head of Chikaji, said the flood affected over 200 houses.

Currently, the victims have taken shelter in the neighbourhood. No life was lost, however, many graves were left open, the village head said.

A local official said the flood also washed away more than 2000 graves in the communitys main cemetery.

Waterway

Chikaji is a predominantly agrarian community. Residents take advantage of its water bodies to engage in year-round farming. However, the communitys water resource makes it a high-risk area for flooding in the rainy season.

Visit to Chikaji

PREMIUM TIMES visited the community to assess the damage caused by the floods and how the residents were coping.

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The survivors told harrowing tales of narrow escapes and devastating losses, how people climbed to their rooftops as the water level rose before their homes succumbed to the deluge.

Hajiya Babba described how her rescuers tore down the wall of her house to help her to safety.

The flood washed away my kitchen utensils, clothes and even the floors of my room, she said at a temporary camp for the survivors.

Hajara Rabiu and her infant child were also rescued from the ceiling of her house where they hid from the rising floodwater.

Thank God the roof did not fall, but part of the building crumbled under the flood, and all my belongings were destroyed, she said.

Samaila Yakubu also lost his home and is now squatting with his family at the makeshift shelter set up at the Sabon Gari Local Government secretariat.

Other residents who lost properties to the disaster pleaded with the government to provide them with urgent assistance.

Cry for help

Mrs Rabiu said the victims had been registered by the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency KADSEMA but they were yet to receive any assistance.

The Emir of Zazzau (Ahmed Bamalli) visited us and advised us to leave the area for safer places to live in, she said.

KADSEMA and the Red Cross also visited and sympathised with us but none of them offered any assistance to us in Kogin Mata, only at the camps in the local government.

We want the government to build waterways for us so that such natural disasters can stop.

Samaila Yakubu is also registered with KADSEMA. He said local politicians, including the local government chairman, Mohammed Usman, the member of the House of Representatives from the area, and well-meaning Nigerians visited them and offered assistance.

They gave some of us camping at the LG Secretariat food and money, he said.

Cemetery

Aliyu Usman-Goza, a worker and a representative of the Muchia/Chikaji/hayin Ojo/ Dogarawa cemetery communities, spoke about the damage to the communitys main cemetery.

Mr Usman-Goza said the local government had tried to repair the cemetery until the flood caused worse damages.

He said because of a lack of drainage, rainwater from houses makes its way through the cemetery.

This cemetery is one of the biggest in this area. More than 2,000 graves were washed away in the flood.

Building on waterways

Shiaibu Mohammed, the District Head of Chikaji. said many years ago Kogi Mata was a farm land used by smallholder farmers to cultivate sugarcane. He said even then, the farmers faced the issue of floods washing away their crops.

Mr Mohammed said people should not have built homes on the land because it is a waterway. Living there means gambling with ones life, the traditional ruler said.

He said the traditional authorities would continue to create awareness on the danger of living in the area, even though people had not listened to them over the years.

Government Response

The zonal coordinator of KADSEMA, Mubarak Zakari-Muhammed, told PREMIUM TIMES that about 200 houses were affected by the flood in Kogin Mata.

Mr Zakari-Mohammed said about 60 houses were submerged and about 50 others were washed away by the flood.

20 people got injured and have received medical attention at the local government health department, he said.

Mr Zakari-Mohammed said KADSEMA was housing and feeding 100 flood victims at the local government secretariat.

The official said the agency had done a preliminary assessment of the flood disaster but was yet to conclude the overall assessment.

He said the local government, NEMA, and the Kaduna State Government were waiting for the final assessment to can plan how to assist the victims.

The coordinator said the agency was providing food, mosquito nets, blankets, and medical assistance at the victims camp .

We have set up these camps so as to protect the victims from vector attacks in their homes, prevent outbreak of diseases like malaria, cholera and so on.

We have also tried to make sure that the victims keep their environment clean and have also provided clean drinking water and toilets so as to avoid any outbreak of diseases.

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The University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, has asked students to vacate their hostels and proceed on a three-week break, a day after they protested the university councils approval of a school fees increment.

According to a circular by the registrar, Ganiyu Saliu, the three-week break was to give students ample time to complete their online registration.

On Friday, the students protested against the campus fee hike, disrupting academic activities including scheduled tests.

The institutions management increased school fees from an average of N20,000 to N30,000 to about N200,000 to N400,000 in April, months before the councils appointment and inauguration. The announcement of the new fee regime sparked protests at the time.

The protests forced the university management to suspend the August deadline for payments and registration.

Council approve increments

The university governing council, chaired by Bisi Akande, approved the fee increment at its meeting on Thursday. The university spokesperson, Joke Akinpelu, confirmed this to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.

Mrs Akinpelu also shared the statement containing the council decision.

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According to the statement signed by the university registrar, Mr Saliu, who also serves as secretary to the council, the meeting approved 4 September as the payment deadline to enable departments to download lists of registered students in preparation of the first semester examination.

The council directed indigent students to take advantage of the federal government students loans and other scholarships by the university and other well-meaning philanthropists.

It was added that the portal would not be opened after the deadline.

Council, while sympathising with students, however, noted that the review was necessary in view of the current economic realities and the universitys commitment to ensuring quality teaching and research, the statement said.

Renewed protests

The councils decision sparked a protest on the campus on Friday, disrupting academic activities.

A campus-based publication, UCJ UI, reported that the protest also disrupted a scheduled test at the Abo Desalu Lecture Theatre.

The lecturer was escorted out of the theatre, and students who had gathered to write a test were told to leave, with protesters making it clear that the boycott was to be strictly enforced, the report stated.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Students Union, Olaniyi Dolapo, told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that the institutions management had invited the unions leadership to a meeting to address the situation.

We are still in the protest, and we have negotiation with the representative of the university management by 3 p.m., he told our reporter over the phone on Friday.

University responds with three-week break

Following the meeting, the university management decided to shut down the school for three weeks.

The circular announcing the break, signed by Mr Saliu, asked the students to vacate their hostels by 2 p.m. on Saturday.

He said the break begins on Saturday, 31 August, and lasts until Friday, 20 September.

He said the 2023/2024 first semester examinations will start on Monday, 23 September.

READ ALSO: Nigerian university suspends campus news publication over critical report

He said the registration portal will be closed on Friday, 20 September, and will not reopen for fee payment or course registration after that deadline.

The three weeks is to give students ample time to complete their online registration, part of the circular reads.

He stressed that students who do not register appropriately will not be allowed to write examinations.

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The Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan, Bisi Akande, has asked the university to channel his allowances and entitlements into an endowment fund for undergraduate students in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

Mr Akande made the request in a 21 August letter addressed to the university registrar and secretary to the council, Ganiyu Saliu.

The university spokesperson, Joke Akinpelu, confirmed the genuineness of the letter to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday.

Mr Akande, a former Governor of Osun State, and other members of his five-member team were inaugurated alongside the governing councils of other federal tertiary institutions in July.

During their inauguration, the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, cautioned them against extravagant expenses while performing their duties. Mr Mamman, a professor, also reminded them that their appointments are part-time, stressing that their entitlements are not the same as those of full-time employees or managers of the institutions.

My appointment, a call to national service

In the letter titled Utilisation of allowance of the pro-chancellor, Mr Akande said he does not intend to earn any remuneration for his role as the institutions pro-chancellor.

Therefore, he asked the university to use his entitlements and allowances to benefit deserving undergraduate students taking science courses, namely in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology only.

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I consider my appointment as the Pro-Chancellor and as the Chairman of Council for the University of Ibadan as a national call to service from which I do not intend to earn any remuneration, he wrote in the letter seen by this newspaper.

He asked that the benefit should be in the form of an endowment like annual scholarships to cover the cost of accommodation and other officially approved fees the university charges selected students.

He suggested that the universitys Dean of Students Affairs or the academic office coordinate the selection of eligible students. He did not state specific selection criteria.

Sustainability

To ensure the funds sustainability, Mr Akande noted that his not-for-profit, Adebisi Akande Foundation, would continue funding the endowment. He added that the foundations Board of Trustees chairperson has been copied and notified of the development.

In the possible event that any such anticipated allowances to me from this University appointment become terminated by whatever circumstances, to prevent any student beneficiaries of this endowment arrangement from becoming stranded, there is an already incorporated Adebisi Akande Foundation for similar purposes which would augment any shortfall arising from any such commitments incurred from the awards, the former governor wrote.

University increased fees

The Mr Akande-led council recently approved a school fee increment by the university management. The university announced the increments in April, months before the councils appointment and inauguration.

However, the council met on Thursday and approved the increments. It also approved a 4 September deadline for payments and registration.

Since the increments were first announced, the development has sparked protests by the students. On Friday, a campus-based publication, UCJUI, reported that the protests affected academic activities, including scheduled tests.

The university has reacted by giving the students a three-week break, asking them to vacate the campus on Saturday.

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The National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Basiru Ajibola, has said the planned National Caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings of the party are not intended for the removal of its National Chairman, Umar Ganduje.

Mr Ajibola said this on Friday following a closed-door meeting between the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC and Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, who also serves as the Chairman of the North-central Governors Forum, at the partys secretariat in Abuja.

He explained that the planned meetings are being convened in line with Article 11 of the partys Constitution.

People like to twist events. Immediately we put up notice when the president told us about his availability, we read in the papers that the meetings are about changing the leadership of our party.

None of these meetings is being scheduled for regime change in the party. They are being held to provide a stewardship report of what has been done by the leadership of Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, including presenting our audit report to show what we have been doing, as well as the way forward, Mr Basiru said.

Mr Ganduje, who hails from the North-west zone of the country, replaced former Chairman Abdulahi Adamu in 2023, but continues to face uncertainty over his position due to pressure from the North-central to which the position was zoned.

Party members from the region have canvassed the return of the chairmanship slot to the North-Central after the exit of Mr Adamu.

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Meanwhile, under Mr Gandujes leadership, the party has been facing crises in some of its state chapters, including Rivers, Benue, and Enugu.

Besides, the national chairman is in court over allegations of corruption committed while he was governor of Kano State.

Mr Gandujes fate may, however, depend on the decision of President Bola Tinubu, who endorsed him for the position. He became the chairman of thevruling party on 3 August, 2023.

Dont distract Ganduje, NWCGov Sule

In his remarks after Fridays meeting, Mr Sule warned against any form of distraction to the NWC, noting that the party should be focused on winning the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States.

In the next couple of weeks, we have an election in Edo. So the man (Ganduje) does not need to be distracted in any other way, so that we can go and win our election in Edo, and that is one of the reasons why I came to encourage him to be focused, Mr Sule said.

On the lingering crisis in Benue State, Mr Sule said the party needs to strengthen its hold on the region, adding that Mr Ganduje has what it takes to guide the party through it.

I am the Chairman of the North Central Governors Forum. And in the North-Central, we have a state where there are issues, and we had lengthy discussions on that. We want him, as well as the National Working Committee, to intervene and make sure that we resolve those issues.

North-Central has five out of six APC governors. So, for that reason, we need to strengthen our zone. We cannot afford any kind of disagreement in our zone.

And I have no doubt that if there is any gentleman who can work to resolve that matter, its a man who has held several positions: a deputy governor, a governor, a chairman; in fact, so many other positions that he has held, he said.

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The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), has said that 2,517 houses and shops were either completely or partially destroyed by flood which ravaged 33 communities in the state.

Ibrahim Nalado, the Deputy Director, Relief and Rehabilitation of the agency, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Gombe.

Mr Nalado said that the communities affected were in Dukku, Funakaye and Billiri Local Government Areas (LGAs), of the state.

According to him, these areas were flooded due to the heavy downpour that occured between 12 August and 22 August.

He said, In Dukku LGA, 10 communities were affected. In Funakaye LGA, 20 communities were affected and in Billiri LGA, three communities were affected.

Mr Nalado said that the flooding and windstorm affected mostly houses and few farmlands in the communities.

He said that there was no loss of life but two children were injured in Dukku, including seven animals which were washed away.

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On the impact of flooding on farmlands, the deputy director said Hina community in Yamaltu/Deba LGA of the state was the worst-hit.

He said that not less than 1000 hectares of rice, maize, sorghum and millet farmlands were submerged in water.

The deputy director stated that his team visited Hina community on Friday, to assess the level of damage.

He described the impact of the flooding as huge and devastating in view of the vast area affected.

Farmers were getting ready to harvest their crops.

The farmers were so worried but because it was a natural phenomenon, they accepted it in good fate, he said.

The deputy director stated that data on the number of farmers affected by the flood were being collated at Hina.

Mr Nalado stated that his agency had assessed the level of damage and were compiling the reports to forward to the state government and other relevant agencies.

He, however, said that the level of damage on farmlands at Hina would take collective efforts of both the state and the Federal Government to address.

READ ALSO: Zaria flood victims cry for help as authorities assess damages

He appealed to the North East Development Commission and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to support the state government in this regard.

The deputy director also appealed to the farmers and other persons affected to be patient.

He assured them that government and other government agencies would come to their aid.

(NAN)

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The Joint Association of Medical and Health Workers Union in Yobe has suspended the strike it started on Friday morning.

The workers went on strike demanding the payment of their hazard allowances approved by the state government in 2019.

The unions Chairman in the state, Satomi Hikama, disclosed this to journalists in Damaturu on Friday.

He said the strike was called off after the unions leadership reached an agreement with the state government.

We embarked on strike action this morning to demand the implementation of our hazard allowances, which a circular was issued during the COVID-19 outbreak to be implemented across the country.

READ ALSO: UNESCO pledges support for Nollywood

In Yobe, only a few individuals are currently enjoying theseowances and other demands.

After meeting with the Deputy Governor, Idi Barde-Gubana, the strike action has now been suspended as the government pledged to implement the allowances by September ending 2024, Mr Hikama said.

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Members of the union include the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors, the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwifery.

(NAN)

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The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, on Friday elevated four kings and two high chiefs in the Balogun royal line.

The elevation was a result of the vacuum created following the demise of Lateef Adebimpe who was the Osi Balogun of Ibadanland.

Oba Olakulehin performed the elevation ceremony at his palace in Oke-Aremo in Ibadan, followed by traditional chieftaincy rites presided over by the Oluwo of Ibadanland, Popoola Labosinde.

The Oluwo later decorated them with the traditional akoko leaves.

Mr Olakulehin charged the elevated kings and chiefs to use their new positions to advance Ibadanland, Oyo State, and Nigeria as a whole.

You must dedicate your lives to the service of humanity, because of the need for you to serve the people, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the elevated kings include Tajudeen Ajibola who moved from Otun Balogun to Balogun of Ibadanland.

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There is also Kolawole Adegbola who was promoted from Asipa Balogun to Otun Balogun of Ibadanland.

Also, Olubunmi Isioye-Dada was elevated from Ekerin Balogun to Osi Balogun of Ibadanland, while Dauda Azeez rose from Ekarun Balogun to Asipa Balogun of Ibadanland.

READ ALSO: Ibadan council staff convicted for sale of govt property

The elevated chiefs are Bolaji Adewoyin who climbed the ladder from Abese Balogun to Ekerin Balogun of Ibadanland, while Sharafadeen Alli advanced from Maye Balogun to Ekarun Balogun of Ibadanland.

Mr Ajibola, one of the elevated chiefs, described the development as a good omen for Ibadanland and thanked the Olubadan for his quality leadership.

He urged the people of Ibadanland to cooperate with Oba Olakulehin in his quest to bring more development to Ibadan.

(NAN)

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The police command in Lagos State says it has arrested two men for allegedly robbing three commercial sex workers.

The commands spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.

Mr Hundeyin said that the three sex workers reported the case to the police on Wednesday at about 2.20 a.m.

He disclosed that the victims reported that they sighted two robbery suspects at an undisclosed place, who allegedly robbed them of their valuables on 23 August, at about 4.30 a.m.

They stated they were picked up being commercial sex workers at Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Bode Thomas, Surulere by the two suspects.

They were taken to where they claimed the (suspects) lodged. Suddenly, the suspects parked and ordered them to surrender their valuables.

In the process, two Iphone valued at N1.05 million, one REDMI Note 12 valued at N140,000, Iphone SR valued at N240,000 were collected from them.

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The suspects also compelled the victims to transfer 25,OOO to an Opay Account and N8,000 to same account, he said.

The police spokesperson said that during the investigation, the suspects confessed to the crime.

He disclosed that the suspects operational vehicle, a Toyota Camry with Reg. No. APP335 JA, and two other blank number plates they were using for their operation were recovered.

Mr Hundeyin said that one of the victims cell phone, a REDMI NOTE 12, was also recovered from the suspects, while investigation was ongoing.

(NAN)

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A man stays at his house which has been submerged by the floodwater in Noakhali, Bangladesh, Aug. 31, 2024. Devastating floods of weeks this month in Bangladesh have killed at least 59 people, according to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. (Xinhua)

DHAKA, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Devastating floods of weeks this month in Bangladesh have killed at least 59 people, according to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.

The center said in its latest update on Saturday that 59 people, including 41 men, six women and 12 children, died in the ongoing floods till Saturday. Most of the serious flooding has been in the country's southeastern Greater Noakhali region so far.

Also, most of the deaths were in the southeastern Noakhali, Cumilla and Feni districts although the flood situation in parts of the northeastern Sylhet region has been deteriorating fast with the rivers inundating vast tracts of land and upending the lives of millions.

More than 5 million people have been affected by the floodwaters that hit 11 of the country's 64 districts and caused colossal damage to life, property and standing crops.

Flood situations in several southeastern districts are now reportedly improving as flood water started to recede from the affected areas. There are still 696,995 people in the districts who are stranded by the floodwaters, according to reports.

Bangladeshi interim government's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus urged all concerned to continue their efforts in rescuing stranded people, providing emergency healthcare and extending cooperation for the victims.

The authorities have sent teams of disaster response forces to carry out rescue operations, distribute relief materials and supervise centers where the flood-affected people have taken shelter. 

A woman checks her sheep in the floodwater in Noakhali, Bangladesh, Aug. 31, 2024. Devastating floods of weeks this month in Bangladesh have killed at least 59 people, according to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. (Xinhua)

A woman stays at her house which has been submerged by the floodwater in Noakhali, Bangladesh, Aug. 31, 2024. Devastating floods of weeks this month in Bangladesh have killed at least 59 people, according to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. (Xinhua)

A woman dries clothes in the floodwater in Noakhali, Bangladesh, Aug. 31, 2024. Devastating floods of weeks this month in Bangladesh have killed at least 59 people, according to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. (Xinhua)

A woman washes dishes in Noakhali, Bangladesh, Aug. 31, 2024. Devastating floods of weeks this month in Bangladesh have killed at least 59 people, according to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. (Xinhua)

A child takes a shower in the floodwater in Noakhali, Bangladesh, Aug. 31, 2024. Devastating floods of weeks this month in Bangladesh have killed at least 59 people, according to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. (Xinhua)

A woman stays at her house which has been submerged by the floodwater in Noakhali, Bangladesh, Aug. 31, 2024. Devastating floods of weeks this month in Bangladesh have killed at least 59 people, according to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. (Xinhua)

An elder wades through floodwater in Noakhali, Bangladesh, Aug. 31, 2024. Devastating floods of weeks this month in Bangladesh have killed at least 59 people, according to the National Disaster Response Coordination Center (NDRCC) under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. (Xinhua)
BEIJING, Aug. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 29th, the Second Tsinghua Global Youth Dialogue was held at Tsinghua University. The theme "Harmony and Unity for the Greater Common Good" brought together over 100 youth representatives from 35 countries and regions worldwide. This gathering serves as a crucible for ideas where dynamic young minds collaborate to forge pathways toward world peace and sustainable development, working together to build a promising future for all.

International youth representatives Noah Shenoy, Akhomsanh Chanmany, and Liu Jiaxin shared their insights on the practice of Chinese-style modernization in Zhejiang, Guizhou, and Inner Mongolia provinces, respectively

Liu Kai, Deputy Secretary-General of the All-China Youth Federation, noted that intercultural dialogues among youth from various nations, discussing issues of shared concern, and proposing innovative solutions are crucial to increasing mutual understanding and friendship.

Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, stated that, in recent years, engagement and cooperation among young people have been significantly enhanced through the joint efforts of multiple parties. He hoped that more young people would come together to build a better future for all.

Zhang Zhixiang, a member of the Strategic Advisory Committee of the International Cooperation Center Joint Council, called on international youth to unite and work together to participate in global governance and address global challenges.

Li Tingting, Director of the Development Planning Division at the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange at the Ministry of Education of China, expressed her hope that, in the future, all those present at the forum would build more bridges for communication among students from different countries, fostering greater youth collaboration.

The Second Tsinghua Global Youth Dialogue also conducted a comprehensive survey, drawing from 1,362 participants from 78 countries and regions. This initiative successfully identified the ten most critical issues facing today's global youth, which include artificial general intelligence, renewable energy, peace and security, poverty, unemployment and social welfare, globalization, economic growth, digital revolution, climate action, bio-medicine and human enhancement, and cultural diversity and inclusion. Guo Yong, Vice Chairperson of University Council at Tsinghua, disclosed Top 10 Issues of Youth Global Concern, highlighting the dialogue's proactive role in fostering an informed and responsive global youth agenda.

"We hope that this dialogue will serve as a platform to establish a regular network for global youth exchange and cooperation, thereby continuously cultivating and expanding a stable international youth community," said Shi Zongkai, Vice Chairperson of the University Council at Tsinghua University.

Thematic sub-forums on "Civilizational Innovation," "Civilizational Development," and "Civilizational Exchange" were held in succession on August 29th. Keynote speeches were delivered by Bai Chong-En, Professor and Dean at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University; Anoop Singh, Former Asia-Pacific Director of the International Monetary Fund; Zhu Xufeng, Professor and Dean at the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University; Janos Paszto, Former Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Change Affairs at the United Nations; Wang Hui, Distinguished Professor of Literature and History, Tsinghua University; Irina Bokova, Former Director General of UNESCO; and Getachew Engida, Co-President of China-Africa Leadership Development Institute, Tsinghua University. The youth representatives also launched a roundtable discussion and dialogue exchange following the keynote speeches.

SOURCE Tsinghua University
SINGAPORE, Aug. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AMIGO LNG SA de CV (Amigo LNG) of Mexico, a subsidiary of LNG Alliance Pte Ltd, Singapore, announced today that it entered into a binding Heads of Agreement (HOA) with OQ Trading (OQT), the trading arm of the national energy company of the Sultanate of Oman, to supply LNG from its liquefaction facility in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico. This key milestone paves the way for the long term supply of LNG targeting the rapidly growing Asian market.

Muthu Chezhian, CEO of LNG Alliance Pte Ltd said, "Securing the offtake agreement with a leading NOC partner like OQT strengthens our position as a reliable and responsible global energy provider. We are advancing rapidly in delivering the strategically located Amigo LNG project, expanding our portfolio of lower-carbon energy solutions to drive the energy transition, and we remain committed to supporting our customers and partners every step of the way."

Wail Al Jamali, CEO of OQT, added: "We are pleased to enter into this HOA with a trusted project developer in Amigo LNG. The offtake represents a significant step in the growth of our LNG portfolio, allowing us to deliver LNG to our customers within the Asia Pacific region.

Amigo LNG is a large-scale 7.8 MTPA liquefaction and export facility on Mexico's west coast, developed in close partnership with the State of Sonora and the Port of Guaymas in Sonora, Mexico.

About LNG Alliance

LNG Alliance, established in 2013, is a project development, operations, and asset platform focused on LNG export and import terminal infrastructure. LNG Alliance leverages partnerships with key energy sector players, technology developers, and investment partners to structure and deliver reliable, affordable, and secure energy solutions to core operational markets in Mexico, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Europe.

About OQT

Incorporated in Dubai in 2006, OQT has successfully established a global presence as one of the world's major participants in the commodities trading industry  trading more than 40 million tonnes of energy products each year. OQT is wholly owned by the Government of Oman, held through the OQ Group and the Oman Investment Authority. OQT has a global network of trading offices, ideally located in all the major energy trading regions, and operates out of the following locations: Muscat, Dubai, Houston, London, Rotterdam, Shanghai and Singapore.

SOURCE LNG Alliance Pte Ltd
Envisioning More Campaign Launches in Response to Calls for

Respect, Understanding and Kindness for All People

CHICAGO, Aug. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- An anonymous donor has stepped forward with a $25,000 contribution matching 1:1 all contributions to a GoFundMe campaign launched for Envision Unlimited by three board members. Envision Unlimited provides a full spectrum of care for people with intellectual, developmental and psychiatric disabilities in Illinois. The Envisioning More for People with Disabilities campaign to raise $100,000 was prompted by recent insensitive and insulting comments about the very people and families that Envision Unlimited serves. When the organization took a stand this past weekend and parted ways with a major contributor whose words and actions were inconsistent with the organization's mission and values, it came with much positive feedback from people across the country.

To make up for a large gap in fundraising the departure created and to continue to support services and care for the thousands of Envision Unlimited members (how clients prefer to be known) and their caregivers, a group of board members with family ties to Envision Unlimited initiated a GoFundMe campaign that has brought in nearly $11,000 in the last 48 hours. When the campaign reaches its $100,000 goal, it will be met with a matching donation of $100,000 from another anonymous donor.

Proceeds are to support the opening of new homes in the community so more people with disabilities can live to their fullest potential. This includes a completely accessible home for people with physical disabilities allowing older members to age in place, and many other people transitioning out of state-run institutions to find a safe, fully supportive home in a real community. Donations will go towards furnishing six homes, including appliances and furniture, housewares, bedding and curtains, as well as nightstands, wall hangings, picture frames and all the touches that make a place truly a home.

Support at any level is welcome to the Envisioning More for People with Disabilities campaign at https://www.gofundme.com/f/envisioning-more-for-people-with-disabilities. Donations are also accepted at www.envisionunlimited.org.

Learn more about the Envision Unlimited commitment to respect, understanding and kindness at https://www.envisionunlimited.org/treating-people-respect-understanding-and-kindness.

About Envision Unlimited

Envision Unlimited is a full spectrum of care organization serving people with disabilities from infants to 80+ years old regardless of race, gender, religion, or ability to pay. Founded in Chicago in 1948, Envision Unlimited has a legacy of evolving care delivered with empathy, every time and everywhere. Innovative services offered across Chicagoland and Central Illinois include novel day programs; community living options; employment programs, respite for families, behavioral health services, and foster care for children with disabilities. For more information, visit www.envisionunlimited.org.

Media Contact:

Suzanne Ross, Chief External Affairs Officer

[email protected]

312-953-6987

SOURCE Envision Unlimited
NEW YORK, Aug. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Sprinklr, Inc. (NYSE: CXM) between March 29, 2023 and June 5, 2024, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important October 15, 2024 lead plaintiff deadline.

So What: If you purchased Sprinklr securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

What to do Next: To join the Sprinklr class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=27960 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected]. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 15, 2024. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Details of the Case: According to the lawsuit, statements made throughout the Class Period were false and/or materially misleading because defendants created the false impression that they possessed reliable information pertaining to Sprinklr's projected revenue outlook and anticipated growth while also minimizing risk from seasonality and macroeconomic fluctuations. In truth, Sprinklr had significantly shifted its focus away from proven growth areas to focus aggressively on scaling a new business venture with Contact Center as a Service ("CCaaS"), resulting in artificially inflated short-term growth. Defendants misled investors by continually providing projections which failed to account for the difficulties in the implementation of scaling their new product and/or otherwise failed to adequately disclose the fact that Sprinklr at the current time did not have adequate forecasting processes. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Sprinklr class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=27960 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.
Three-Day Mega Event Concludes, Attracting 300 exhibitors from across the world, 100000 Footfalls, 1000 Speakers

MUMBAI, India, Aug. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- India's Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Mr. Piyush Goyal said on Friday that the Indian fintech ecosystem had turned into a hotbed for innovation. Addressing the Global Fintech Fest 2024 in Mumbai, he said, "As our country is poised to become the third largest economy, the success story of a developed India rests on the wonderful work being done by fintech sector."

The Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024 was presented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Financial Services (DFS), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA). The conference was jointly organised by the Payments Council of India (PCI), the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), and the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC).

GFF 2024 featured over 1000 speakers from 70 countries, more than 350 sessions, over 60 product launches, more than 300 exhibitors, and attracted 100,000 footfalls over the three days.

The Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024, one of the world's largest fintech gatherings, concluded here on Friday, August 30, showcasing emerging opportunities and issues in the sector. The three-day event, in its fifth edition, brought together global policymakers, regulators, central bankers, industry leaders, and academicians to explore the future of financial technology, aligned with this year's theme- 'Blueprint for the Next Decade of Finance: Responsible AI | Inclusive | Resilient'.

In his keynote at the conference, Mr. Shaktikanta Das, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, said, "India is now a fast-growing economy, economic powerhouse with an increasingly tech savvy population. India's financial sector has witnessed a remarkable transformation, driven, among other factors, by the FinTech sector."

Mr. Das further emphasized India's engagement in international fora and bilateral agreements to foster economic cooperation with many countries and said, "Going forward, strengthening financial infrastructure, including cross-border payment systems, will be our key focus areas. India, with its tech talent and evolved financial fintech ecosystem, holds potential to serve as a global hub for digital innovation and fintech startups."

Mr. Christopher Waller, Member, Federal Reserve Board of Governors of the United States in his address, highlighted the potential role of public and private sectors in advancing cross-border payments. Commenting on the practical aspects of interlinking fast payment systems, Mr Waller said, "Domestic networks need to be developed first. If this condition is not in place, interlinked networks could end up being a road to nowhere."

Highlighting Federal Reserve's efforts, Mr Waller added, "We will continue our engagement with international fora to improve the speed and efficiency of cross-border payments and to investigate the issues critical to interlinking payment systems. Our chief focus in the near-to mid-term, however, is continuing to build the FedNow network domestically and increasing participation in the service."

In a special address on emerging trends in sustainable finance, Mr. Allen Forlemu, Regional Industry Director, Financial Institutions Group, Asia and Pacific, International Finance Corporation (IFC) discussed the critical role of fintech in driving sustainable finance, emphasizing its importance for a greener and more equitable future. "Looking ahead, it is clear that collaboration will be essential and fintech companies, traditional financial institutions, governments and regulators must work together to scale sustainable finance solutions and amplify positive impact on sustainability", remarked Mr Forlemu.

He further said, "At IFC, we are optimistic, and we believe that by investing in innovation and fostering collaboration across sectors, we can build a financial system that is inclusive, resilient and sustainable for everyone."

Discussing 'Recent Developments in Digital Finance - Experiences from German and EU Regulation,' Dr. Florian Toncar, Parliamentary State Secretary, German Federal Ministry of Finance, commented, "India has shown immense capacity to innovate and spread new technologies at an impressive speed, with UPI being popular far beyond Indian borders."

Highlighting the importance of cooperation between security agencies and anti-money laundering agencies, Dr Toncar added, "Appropriate resourcing of prosecutors or police, specialized financial investigators, and information exchange across borders and countries is key."

In his special address, Mr. Harjinder Kang, His Majesty's Trade Commissioner for South Asia and the British Deputy High Commissioner for Western India, UK Department for Business and Trade, said, "UK finds India as a very important partner, and it's not just in fintech, but across different sides of the business."

During a panel on 'Innovation in Fintech Regulation: Balancing Innovation and Regulation in Global Financial Services,' Mr. Ryosuke Ushida, Chief Fintech Officer, Financial Services Agency of Japan provided insights into the country's regulatory landscape and said, "In Japan, our regulatory scope covers a wide range of financial institutions, including banks, insurance companies, investments, and currency exchange. A key focus has been on blockchain technology, in response to past challenges, particularly incidents involving exchanges in Tokyo. Japan has established a comprehensive regulatory framework for the crypto industry."

Mr. Ushida further emphasized that these regulations are designed not only to protect the industry but also to create a stable environment that encourages innovation. "The goal is to support the growth of international tech companies and ensure that Japan continues to lead in this field, in line with global counterparts", he added.

Addressing the session on 'The Role of Technology in Shaping the Future of Global Finance,' Mr. Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief Fintech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore, said, "The challenges of integrating DPIs across bordersfrom pricing to technical standardsare significant. Initiatives like Project Nexus are underway to tackle these issues, but achieving seamless connectivity across different markets will take time."

Mr. Mohanty added, "Fintech must expand beyond payments and lending to include other asset classes such as wealth advisory and capital market infrastructure."

GFF 2024 also featured a significant global presence, with numerous international leaders contributing to the dialogue on the future of fintech. Among the notable speakers were Mr. Camilo Tellez-Merchan, Deputy Managing Director, UN based Better Than Cash Alliance, United Nations; Mr. Alan Lim, Director, FinTech Infrastructure Office, Monetary Authority of Singapore; Mr. Paul van Sint Fiet, Head of APAC cross-currency solutions, J.P. Morgan Payments; Mr. Edward Bass, Inward Investment Manager, UK Department for Business and Trade; Mr. David Finch, Global Managing Director Fintech, TransUnion CIBIL, and Mr. Jan Pilbauer, Chief Executive Officer, Al Etihad Payments.

The event also saw eminent leaders from the Indian fintech ecosystem. For more information about the conference, visit: Global Fintech Fest 2024.

For further information, please reach out to:

Vipin Chanddra, APCO: +91-9582 731432

Kuldeep Singh, APCO: +91- 97113 06379
SHANGHAI, Aug. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- United Imaging Healthcare (SSE: 688271), a global leader in advanced medical imaging and radiotherapy equipment, has released its 2024 half-year report, showcasing robust financial performance. The company achieved revenue of 5.33 billion CNY for H1 2024, marking a stable increase of 1.18%. Net income attributable to shareholders reached 0.95 billion CNY, reflecting a year-over-year (YoY) growth of 1.33%.

A significant contributor to this growth was MR, which generated 1.69 billion CNY in H1 2024. This underscores the company's strategic focus on its core business and the continued market leadership of its primary product lines. Led by Sean Wu, analysts at Morgan Stanley have expressed optimism about United Imaging's high sales visibility in equipment replacement, further reinforcing its strong market position.

In the first half of 2024, United Imaging Healthcare maintained its commitment to innovation, with R&D investments totaling 1.02 billion CNYa YoY increase of 11.11%. These investments have led to the introduction of new products, including the uMR Jupiter 5T, the industry's first whole-body clinical ultra-high-field magnetic resonance system. This groundbreaking technology, cleared by the FDA under the 510(k) process, has set a new benchmark by surpassing the performance of 3T uMR, which has been the standard in whole-body clinical use for the past two decades.

The company also celebrated this year's SNMMI Image of the Year, awarded for a study conducted using the uNeuroExplorer or NX, an ultra-high-performance brain PET scanner developed in collaboration with Yale University and the University of California, Davis. As of June 30, 2024, the company had established research collaboration projects with over 50 institutions in more than 35 countries, resulting in the publication of over 1,700 research papers globally. Research findings have been published in top academic journals such as Nature and Radiology.

By June 30, 2024, United Imaging Healthcare's products had been deployed in more than 70 countries and regions, serving 13,700 medical institutions globally. The company's international business saw strong momentum, with overseas revenue reaching 0.93 billion CNY and a growth rate of 29.94%.

The world's first total-body PET/CT, uEXPLORER, was successfully installed at the prestigious St. Orsola University Hospital and Ospedale San Pietro Hospital in Italy. This marks the introduction of uEXPLORER to top-tier European hospitals. Additionally, France welcomed its first advanced digital PET/CT system from United Imaging Healthcare at the renowned EVESIO Nuclear Medical Center, signifying a significant breakthrough in the French market. As the company continues to expand its European presence, it is accelerating the development of a localized team in Western Europe to strengthen business capabilities in operations, service, and logistics.

In Latin America, the National Institute of Pediatrics in Mexico become the first in the region to utilize advanced PET/CT technology from United Imaging Healthcare for pediatric precision medicine. This partnership represents an important advancement in pediatric cancer research and demonstrates the company's commitment to Equal Healthcare for All.

Looking ahead, United Imaging Healthcare's management is committed to sustaining this positive trajectory. The company will remain focused on driving innovation, expanding its global footprint, and delivering outstanding value to its customers and stakeholders.

About United Imaging Healthcare

At United Imaging Healthcare, we develop and produce advanced medical products, digital healthcare solutions, and intelligent solutions that cover the entire process of imaging diagnosis and treatment. Founded in 2011, our company has subsidiaries and R&D centers across China, the United States, Poland, Dubai, and other parts of the world. With a cutting-edge digital portfolio and a mission of Equal Healthcare for All, we help drive industry progress and bold change.

To learn more, visit https://www.united-imaging.com

SOURCE United Imaging Healthcare Co., Ltd.
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- At least 37 terrorists were killed and 14 others injured in 10 days during the ongoing military operations in Khyber district of Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said the military on Friday evening.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan army, said in a statement that the security forces have been conducting extensive intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in the Tirah area of Khyber on the reported presence of terrorists since Aug. 20.

The ISPR gave details of the latest operations conducted on Wednesday and Thursday saying that the troops effectively engaged the terrorists' locations and killed 12 militants.

The military added that the ongoing operations had resulted in major setbacks to terrorist groups and their affiliates.

"The IBOs will continue till peace in the area is restored and terrorists are eliminated, as the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country," said the ISPR. 
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Kyiv, Aug 31 : At least six people were killed and 59 others injured in a Russian strike on Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials have said.

Russia launched an attack with guided bombs from the Belgorod region, striking five locations, including a 12-story apartment building, Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov wrote on Telegram on Friday.

Among the victims was a 14-year-old girl, he noted.

The governor added that 20 of those injured are in either serious or critical condition.

"Occupiers killed a child right on the playground," Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a statement on Telegram.

Rescuers and emergency personnel are working at the scenes of the attacks, said the State Service for Emergencies.

A purported video from the site shared by Andriy Yermak, head of the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, showed flames and thick black smoke coming from the upper part of the building.

"Russians hit civilians again," Yermak said on Telegram.

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, is around 35 km from the Russian border.
Cairo, Aug 31 : Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, have stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to avoid the escalation of violence and instability in the Middle East.

During a phone conversation on Friday, the two ministers discussed the seriousness of the "rapid" developments in the region, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Abdelatty informed his Greek counterpart about the contacts Egypt is conducting with several countries in the region, the US and a number of European countries, in order to contain the current state of regional tension and escalation, Xinhua news agency reported.

For his part, the Greek foreign minister expressed his willingness to continue strengthening the strategic relations between Egypt and Greece at both bilateral and regional levels.

The two ministers agreed to maintain consultation and coordination in the interest of the peoples of the region, said the statement.
New Delhi, Aug 31 : Doctors at the nation's premier medical institute AIIMS-Delhi will hold a protest in the national Capital on Saturday afternoon to seek justice for the rape and murder victim at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal.

Vice president of the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) and a senior resident doctor at AIIMS-New Delhi, Dr Suvrankar Datta told the media that they were planning a peaceful protest.

"We are organising a large peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on August 31 to seek justice for our colleague at RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal," Dr Suvrankar Datta was quoted as saying by media reports.

In the wake of repeated physical and sexual assaults on medical professionals, particularly women while on duty, the medical fraternity in the country is demanding that the Union government implement a nationwide protection Act for healthcare professionals to prevent violence against them.

Dr Suvrankar Datta said, "We call on the Central Government to implement a nationwide protection Act for healthcare professionals to prevent violence."

The doctors are planning to gather at Jantar Mantar for the protest and have appealed to others from the medical community to join them in drawing the government's attention to their plight and to seek justice for the RG Kar victim.

Dr Suvrankar Datta said, "Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on September 5, I urge doctors to join us at Jantar Mantar from 3 P.M. to 5 P.M. on Saturday. We want to demonstrate our unity and demand increased security in hospitals across the country."

In the weeks after the heinous rape and murder in Kolkata, there were nationwide strikes and protests by doctors across the country and medical facilities were hit.

The striking doctors went back to work following an intervention by the Supreme Court of India on August 22 wherein the apex court asked them to join their duties while also assuring them that it would prevail upon authorities not to take adverse action against the striking doctors, who had been protesting over the Kolkata doctor's rape and murder case.
Tel Aviv, Aug 31 : Hezbollah military structures and launchers in the Tayr Harfa area in south Lebanon were attacked after the forces detected several militants entering the region, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The Israel Air Forces attacked the military structures and launchers, allegedly, belonging to Hezbollah, late on Friday, Hebrew media reported.

It may be recalled that the air forces have also launched attacks on Hezbollah rockets, launching strikes at Maryamine and Yaroun in southern Lebanon during Friday daytime.

Arab media has also reported that IDF soldiers attacked the Tayr Harfa area after several Hezbollah militants were identified at the compound which was the military compound of the Iran-backed militant organisation.

Local media reports suggest that the IDF have struck Hezbollah targets in the Chebba town of southern Lebanon. There are also reports that Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel and landed in the Upper Galilee. Around 40 rockets were launched in the area.

However, no injuries or casualties were reported in the region.

Last month, the military commander of Hezbollah, Fuad Shukr was assassinated by the Israeli army in Beirut. The military commander was the closest associate of Hezbollah chief, Hassan Nasarullah.

The Hezbollah chief then made a public statement announcing that it would retaliate the murder of Fuad Shukr.

After the assassination of Fuad Shukr on July 31, the head of the Hamas political bureau and most popular face of the organisation, Ismail Haniyeh was also assassinated in Tehran, Iran.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on October 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.
KIEV, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Russia conducted another major aerial strike on Ukraine overnight, using an Iskander-M ballistic missile, four S-300 guided missiles and 52 combat drones, the Ukrainian Air Force said Saturday in a statement.

No casualties were reported in the air strike, and the air defense forces shot down 24 Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones, according to the statement.

The air defense was active in eight regions in central, southern and northern Ukraine, including the Kiev region.

The strike marked the fourth attack on the capital this week, said the Kiev City Military Administration. 
Tehran, Aug 31 : Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani rejected the claim of Iranian military presence in Ukraine to train Russian forces as baseless.

The Spokesperson reiterated Iran's principled stance of opposing the war and emphasised the need to halt the conflict and resolve disputes between Russia and Ukraine peacefully, Iran's Foreign Ministry announced in a statement.

He further stated that such baseless claims were made with specific political motives and objectives, adding that these accusations contradict the Islamic Republic of Iran's principled approach to the conflict in Ukraine.

Earlier on August 25 Andriy Kostin, Ukraine's Prosecutor General, announced on X that an Iranian brigadier general was notified of suspicion of abetting Russia in waging an aggressive war and committing war crimes.

"We are prosecuting not only the Russian military and officials but also the aggressor's accomplices from other countries", he added.

The Prosecutor General informed that according to the investigation, in July-August 2022, representatives of the Russian Armed Forces agreed with representatives of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to purchase Shahed-136 and Mohajer-6 attack UAVs and components for them.

Iranian experts also trained the Russian military to use these UAVs in combat operations against Ukraine.

Kostin added that between September and October 2022, a group of military instructors from the Islamic Republic launched at least 20 attack drones in Ukraine's Dnipro and Mykolaiv regions, leading to the destruction and damage of civilian infrastructure protected under international humanitarian law.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General emphasised that this IRGC brigadier general is charged under Ukraine's criminal laws with "aiding in an aggressive war as part of a premeditated plan against Ukraine, violating the laws and customs of war, and committing war crimes."

According to the Security Service of Ukraine, in 2022, Mollasaraei led a team of Iranian drone instructors who travelled to the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, as reported by Iranian media.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General emphasised that this IRGC Brigadier General is charged under Ukraine's criminal laws with "aiding in an aggressive war as part of a premeditated plan against Ukraine, violating the laws and customs of war, and committing war crimes."
Kolkata, Aug 31 : A civic volunteer attached to Kolkata Police was arrested on Saturday for allegedly hitting a protesting student with his motorcycle in an inebriated state on Friday evening.

The incident took place when a group of students were protesting against the rape and murder of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital and the motorcycle hit one of them.

The civic volunteer has been identified as Gangasagar Golde.

Incidentally, the sole arrested accused in the RG Kar rape and murder case Sanjay Roy was also a civic volunteer attached with the city police.

A complaint has also been registered against one traffic sergeant Tarakeswar Puri, who was spotted getting engaged in a verbal spat with the protesting students after the latter surrounded the motorcycle-borne civic volunteer after he allegedly hit one of the protesters.

A video of the entire event had gone viral, IANS, however, could not cross check the authenticity of the video.

On late Friday evening a group of former students of Rabindra Bharati University were protesting against the rape and murder incident at BT Road in the northern outskirts of Kolkata, when the motorcycle-borne civic volunteer allegedly hit one of them.

The other protesters immediately surrounded him and started protesting.

Although initially the civic volunteer tried to argue with the protesters, at a later stage he was seen apologising to them, in the viral video. However, the protesters refused to let him go.

"We have been pardoning for a long time and that exactly has resulted in the current situation," one of the protesters was heard saying in the video.

Later, when the traffic sergeant came to intervene and tried to bring out the civic volunteer, the protestors engaged in a verbal spat with him.

Thereafter, since early Saturday morning the students blocked the busy BT Road and started protesting.

The protests continued till about 9.30 A.M. on Saturday and were withdrawn only after information surfaced that the accused civic volunteer had been arrested.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has issued a statement claiming that he is in fast track mode in handling requests by parents of the victim of the RG Kar tragedy.

"On the receipt of a heart wrenching letter from the parents of the victim of the RG Kar horror, Governor rushed to Delhi and presented their grievances before the Home Minister. The Governor apprised the Home Minister of the gravity of the situation and the public protest against the ghastly incident," the statement read.
Lisbon, Aug 31 : A helicopter crash near the Douro River in the Samodaes region in northern Portugal has claimed the lives of four soldiers, with one still missing, according to local media reports.

The helicopter, which was carrying six people, including a pilot and a team of five soldiers, crashed while returning from firefighting operations in northern Portugal on Friday, reported Xinhua news agency, quoting Lusa News Agency.

The accident occurred at approximately 12:50 p.m. when the helicopter plunged into the Douro River.

The pilot was rescued by a passing boat and is currently reported to be in a stable condition under medical observation at a hospital, with no apparent risk to his life.

However, search and rescue operations continue for the remaining missing soldier.

Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro addressed the nation after the tragedy, expressing profound sorrow for the loss of lives.

"Today is a very sad day for Portugal," said Montenegro. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, and we extend our deepest condolences to the National Republican Guard (GNR) for this tragic loss."

He also announced that the government, in agreement with President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has declared Saturday, August 31, a national day of mourning.

The Portuguese President cancelled his plans and immediately travelled to the site of the accident to oversee the ongoing search and rescue efforts.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft and Railway Accidents (GPIAAF).
Washington, Aug 31 : US presidential candidate Donald Trump said that "getting along" with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a "good thing," after his Democratic rival Kamala Harris vowed not to "cosy up to" dictators like Kim.

During a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Friday, a key battleground state, former President Trump again boasted about his personal ties with the North Korean leader, Yonhap news agency reported.

He and the Vice President are in a tight race with the presidential election just a little over two months away.

"I got along with Kim Jong-un of North Korea. Remember I walked over ... the first person to ever walk over from this country," he said.

This is in reference to his visit to the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019, where he briefly crossed the Military Demarcation Line into the North.

"We also looked at his nuclear capability. It's very substantial ... You know, getting along is a good thing. It's not a bad thing," Republican candidate Trump added. In her nomination acceptance speech in Chicago last Thursday, Harris took aim at Trump who has long touted his personal relations with Kim, saying that she will not "cosy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong-un who are rooting for Trump."

She claimed that dictators know Trump is "easy to manipulate with flattery and favours." The two candidates' remarks suggested their different visions for diplomacy toward North Korea. Trump's boast of ties with Kim has raised the likelihood that he if reelected, could revive his personal diplomacy toward Pyongyang to address the North Korean nuclear quandary.

Harris is seen as favouring an approach focusing on cooperation with allies and partners to address evolving North Korean threats.
Chandigarh, Aug 31 : The National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute in Punjab's Mohali will be making a big contribution to the production of smart proteins, said its Executive Director Ashwini Pareek on Saturday.

"These new initiatives will contribute to 'Viksit Bharat-Samridh Bharat' through the use of green technologies in a sustainable manner," he said.

The NABI is all set to embrace this transformative advancement in smart agriculture and bioprocessing.

"With support from the Department of Biotechnology, the NABI is going to contribute immensely to ensure climate-smart agriculture and set up the technologies for smart protein production. This will contribute to the Prime Minister's vision of India becoming a five trillion-dollar economy," Pareek said in a statement.

The National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, has hailed the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy for fostering high-performance biomanufacturing approved by the Union Cabinet last week.

In the statement, the NABI said the BioE3 policy will help the large-scale manufacturing of smart proteins, which is one of the strategic sectors on which the BioE3 Policy focuses.

Smart or alternative proteins are proteins from sources other than meat, eggs, and dairy. Many international and Indian companies have already ventured into the smart protein market.

Cultured smart proteins that use less than one per cent of land and five per cent water as compared to red meat, are disease-free and are free from health-hazardous components.

The NABI says with India's bio-economy projected to reach $300 billion by 2030, bridging the gap between laboratory-scale productions and commercial-scale manufacturing of smart proteins could pave the way to the nation achieving nutritional security, with minimum footprints on the environment.

The nascent smart protein industry, in collaboration with institutes such as the NABI, hopes to accelerate advanced research on different categories of smart proteins such as plant-based meat alternatives, in vitro cultured meat and protein fermentationa.

The plant-based meat alternative is the most popular category of alternate proteins. They are of high quality, that too with the most efficient use of resources and minimal impact on the environment.
Jamnagar, Aug 31 : Heavy rains across Gujarat have led to widespread flooding, affecting several areas in Jamnagar. Amidst this turmoil, a young man named Vipul Bhambi, frustrated by the lack of basic facilities and inaction of local officials, ended up consuming phenyl.

Bhambi lodged a complaint against the District Development Officer (DDO) during a presentation at the Jamnagar Zilla Panchayat. He later consumed phenyl in front of the officials and is now hospitalised in Jamnagar.

In his complaint, he questioned the purpose of officials if basic issues remain unresolved. His frustration peaked when he consumed phenyl in front of the officers, highlighting the failure of the authorities to address the community's needs.

Sources reveal that "residents of Gokul Dham, Pranami, and Dwarkesh societies in Chela 2 village suffer due to inadequate infrastructure." During the rains, these residents were trapped indoors for three to five days, with no proper bridges to facilitate movement.

"Repeated representations have been made to the district panchayat about these issues, but little action has been taken. The village sarpanch also alleges that there has been no progress in improving the conditions in these societies, particularly during the monsoon. Despite the young man's drastic action, which led to the delay in his hospitalisation, the problems persist," sources from Jamnagar added.

Jamnagar Collector Bhavin Pandya said: "District administration's priority is to provide immediate relief and ensure the safety of the people. Over the past 3-4 days, heavy rains have caused various dams to overflow, leading to widespread flooding and waterlogging in several areas."

Pandya reported that the district administration, with the support of the Army, NDRF, and SDRF, has rescued 15,000 to 20,000 individuals trapped by the floods. These people have been relocated to relief camps where food and medical care are arranged. With additional support from NGOs, over 30,000 food packets have been distributed over the last two days.

Floods have damaged infrastructure, including blocking the road connecting Padana Patiya to Changa Patiya and washing away a portion of a bridge over Sir PN Road. The Indian Army and additional sanitation workers from Surat have been deployed to assist with rescue and cleanup operations.

As the rain subsides, a damage assessment has begun. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has reviewed the situation. The India Meteorological Department has predicted light to moderate rains in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, with a heavy rainfall warning issued for Jamnagar and surrounding districts.

The Chief Minister has confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi contacted him to discuss the flood situation and the ongoing relief efforts.
Bengaluru, Aug 31 : The Karnataka High Court on Saturday resumed hearing the writ petition filed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against the decision of Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot to give consent for his prosecution in the alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

The Bench, headed by Justice M Nagaprasanna, is hearing the matter, with Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta presenting submissions on behalf of the Governor.

Senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi had already presented his arguments on behalf of CM Siddaramaiah, seeking to quash the Governoras order.

Defending the Governor, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the decision was made lawfully and followed due process.

The Governor took cognisance of a 91-page Cabinet decision to withdraw the show cause notice to CM Siddaramaiah and reject the petition against him.

Mehta emphasised that since Cabinet ministers are selected by the Chief Minister himself, it is not imperative for the Governor to consider the Cabinetas decision when a complaint is against the CM.

He added that it is unlikely for the Cabinet to take a decision against the CM.

Mehta further submitted that the relief package ratio was changed from 40:60 to 50:50, and that CM Siddaramaiahas son, former MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah, had attended the General Body Meeting of MUDA in this regard.

Alternative sites were allotted in a reputed locality.

Despite all this, the state Cabinet took a biased decision in support of CM Siddaramaiah, he argued.

In this context, the Governor made an independent decision in the matter using his discretion.

The Governor took into account the Cabinet's advice, CM Siddaramaiahas clarification, and the petitioneras complaint.

Referring to a Supreme Court judgment, Tushar Mehta submitted that those in power often believe they will not face punishment.

The Bench observed that under Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the police are not supposed to take up an investigation without prior permission.

However, it is not necessary for the police to obtain permission themselves; anyone can approach the appropriate authorities to obtain such permission.

Tushar Mehta further submitted that no investigation is required to grant permission for prosecution for administrative matters.

Under Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, it is decided whether an investigation is required or not needed.

He argued that the Governor is not obliged to respond to every clarification provided by the Cabinet and CM Siddaramaiah in this case.

The Governor's order clearly states his position, and not everything can be explained at this stage due to the potential for destruction of evidence.

Mehta also pointed out that the charges in all three complaints against CM Siddaramaiah were the same, and there was no need to issue a show cause notice in connection with the other two complaints.

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday had adjourned the hearing of the writ petition filed by CM Siddaramaiah challenging Governor Gehlot's decision to give his nod to launch a probe against the veteran Congress leader, to Saturday (August 31).

Singhvi had argued that the Governor did not follow the principles of natural justice when granting consent for prosecution against CM Siddaramaiah. He also mentioned that the Governor did not consider the advice given by the Cabinet in this matter.

At this point, the Bench had questioned Singhvi whether the Governor is required to take the advice of the Cabinet in matters involving complaints against the CM.

Singhvi responded that the Governor has to take such advice, maintaining that there are limitations to the Governor's powers.

Represented by senior counsel Singhvi, the CM has sought interim relief as well as quashing of the Governor's order, calling it unconstitutional.
Chennai, Aug 31 : Tamil Nadu Health Minister Subramanian.Ma on Saturday informed that the government will make cancer screening mandatory for citizens above 18 years of age.

"Based on a survey, the government has found that the number of cancer cases is on the rise in Erode, Tirupattur, Ranipet and Nagercoil districts. This screening would increase cancer awareness in the state," said Health Minister Subramanian.Ma while addressing a public programme in Salem on Saturday.

He said that the government had decided to make cancer screening mandatory last year in certain areas. "However, following the survey, the government has decided to make cancer screening mandatory for all above 18 years of age in the state," the Health Minister said.

He added that detecting cancer at an early stage would help to treat the disease effectively.

Around 82,000 cancer cases have been reported in Tamil Nadu in 2023. Tamil Nadu follows Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Bihar.

In 2023, Uttar Pradesh had 2.10 lakh new cases, Maharashtra 1.21 lakh, West Bengal 1.18 lakh while Bihar has an estimated 1 lakh cases.

The Health Minister added that the lack of awareness among people is the main reason for the increase in cancer cases as also the late diagnosis of the disease makes it fatal.
Laos, Aug 31 : The Indian Embassy in Laos announced on Saturday that it has successfully rescued 47 Indian nationals who were trapped in cyber-scam centres located in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bokeo province.

The Embassy reported that 29 individuals were handed over by Laos authorities following a crackdown on illegal activities in the SEZ. The remaining 18 approached the Embassy directly, seeking assistance.

In a post on X, the Embassy explained that its officials travelled from the capital, Vientiane, to Bokeo, where they coordinated with local authorities to facilitate the rescue. The rescued individuals were then transported back to Vientiane, where they were provided with accommodation.

Indian Ambassador to Laos, Prashant Agrawal, met with the rescued group upon their arrival in Vientiane to discuss the challenges they faced and to outline the next steps.

The Embassy has completed all necessary procedural requirements with the Laos authorities for the repatriation of these individuals. So far, 30 individuals have either returned to India or are on their way back home, while the remaining 17 are awaiting final travel arrangements.

Ambassador Agrawal reiterated that ensuring the safety and well-being of Indian citizens is a top priority for the Embassy, stating that all requests for assistance are promptly addressed.

The Embassy also expressed its gratitude to Laos authorities for their cooperation and urged them to take action against the unscrupulous elements responsible for luring Indian nationals into such scams.

To date, 635 Indians have been rescued from similar situations in Laos and have safely returned to India. The Embassy has issued multiple warnings advising Indians considering job offers in Laos to exercise extreme caution and conduct thorough due diligence to avoid falling victim to fraudulent schemes.

Earlier this month, the Embassy rescued 14 Indian nationals from similar cyber-scam centres in Laos. In May, 13 Indians, including seven workers from Odisha, were also rescued and repatriated.

The Embassy has highlighted that many of these fake job offers involve positions such as "Digital Sales and Marketing Executives" or "Customer Support Service" roles, which are fronts for call-centre scams and cryptocurrency frauds. These offers are often facilitated by agents based in Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, and India, who recruit Indian nationals with promises of high salaries, hotel bookings, return air tickets, and visa facilitation.
New Delhi, Aug 31 : Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief Udai Bhan on Saturday exuded confidence that the poll-bound state was 'yearning' for change and the recent shift in vote share (during Lok Sabha elections) gives enough hints on the grand old party's likely victory in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief Udai Bhan on Saturday exuded confidence that the poll-bound state was ayearninga for change and the recent shift in vote share (during Lok Sabha elections) gives enough hints on the grand old partyas likely victory in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, the four-time MLA gave a break down of the polling percentage of the 2024 LS polls and also elucidated how the Congress, with a 1.5 per cent vote share aleada was in the driveras seat, as against the ruling BJP.

Q: BJP claims that the Congress is a divided house and it is unable to finalise candidates for Assembly elections. Your take on this?

A: The Congress is united and ready to take on the BJP in the Assembly elections. Our party leaders and workers are focussed on one goal. It is the BJP which is divided and facing internal fighting. You can spot their adifferencesa from statements of Anil Vij, Rao Inderjit Singh and others. They are nervous and not able to present a clear ideology.

The Chief Minister himself is finding it hard to get support in his constituency. Faced with fears of a looming defeat, he has given up the Karnal constituency and opted for the Ladwa seat. He is not even confident of a sure-shot win from there and thus is searching for more options. The Chief Minister hasnat found a safe seat to contest while the BJPas state chief has developed cold feet and withdrawn from polls. This itself shows the state of affairs in the BJP.

The Congress is geared up to contest elections. Out of 90, the party will win 70 seats and will give BJP a crushing defeat.

Q: Is it your over-confidence, arising from the party's performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?

A: The Congress is a party of the masses with strong ground connections. Lok Sabha election results are indeed a morale booster for the party and cadre. In the previous elections, our vote share had fallen to 28 per cent but that is no longer the case. The BJP, which amassed 58 per cent vote share, has been reduced to 30 per cent.

In the Lok Sabha elections, our vote share soared from 28 per cent to 47 per cent while that of the BJP dropped from 58 per cent to 46 per cent, which means we are 1.5 per cent ahead of them.

The Congress party, having revived the peopleas confidence is all set to dislodge the BJP government in the upcoming election. The ruling party will struggle to win 20 seats.

Q: What happened in the screening committee?

A: A lot of issues are being discussed and deliberated upon in the Screening Committee. There are about 2,500 applications, pertaining to 90 Assembly constituencies. All matters are being discussed.

Q: Whatas your assessment about the upcoming Assembly elections?

A: Congress is fully confident of a landslide victory in the upcoming elections. We will get a thumping majority in the Assembly by winning more than 70 seats, this time.
MOSCOW, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed and 37 others injured after Ukrainian forces attacked Russia's Belgorod region, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on his Telegram channel Friday evening.

Gladkov said Ukrainian armed forces used cluster munitions from a Vampire multiple rocket launcher system to shell the city of Belgorod and its surrounding areas, causing significant casualties and damage.

"One woman and four men died on the spot from their injuries before the ambulance arrived," the governor said.

A total of 37 civilians, including six children, were injured in the attack, Gladkov said. All of the wounded have been transported to medical facilities in Belgorod for treatment, among whom seven adults and three children were in critical condition, he added.

According to Gladkov, the assault caused extensive property damage in Belgorod, shattering roofs and windows in two apartment buildings and damaging the glazing and facades of social facilities and commercial properties. A fire ignited by the strike on the outskirts of the city has been extinguished.

The attack also damaged 13 vehicles near a shopping center in the village of Dubovoye, located just to the south of the city of Belgorod, and set two houses, a car and a garage on fire, he said. 
Tehran, Aug 31 : Iran is closely monitoring threats and activities by Israel, a top Iranian military commander said, according to the state media.

Iranian Air Defense Force Commander Alireza Sabahifard made the remarks in an address at the Friday prayers in the Iranian capital, Tehran, while commenting on the preparedness of his force, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting official state media IRNA.

He stated that the Air Force has enhanced its capabilities in response to the enemies' "aerospace threats," adding that "we are fully aware of other threats and are closely monitoring Israel."

Sabahifard emphasised that his force is at the highest level of self-sufficiency, combat readiness, and power.

He added that Iran is fully self-reliant in designing and producing control systems, radars, sensors, drones, electronic warfare systems, cybersecurity systems, and advanced hybrid warfare systems.

He noted that his force could detect any kind of stealth aircraft from thousands of miles away.

Tension between Iran and Israel heightened following the assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. Iran has blamed Israel for the attack and vowed a strong response.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the attack but has vowed to respond to any military attack.
Bengaluru, Aug 31 : The Karnataka High Court on Saturday resumed hearing the writ petition filed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot's decision to give consent for his prosecution in the alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

The Bench, headed by Justice M Nagaprasanna, is hearing the matter. Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta concluded submissions on Saturday on behalf of the Governor.

Senior Counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for CM Siddaramaiah, had already presented his arguments, seeking to quash the Governor's order.

Defending the Governor, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the decision was made lawfully and followed due process.

Mehta submitted that there is no necessity to even look at the cabinet advice to the Governor. The minister selected by the Chief Minister will have loyalty towards him. When there is an allegation against the CM, their advice will not be considered. In spite of this, the Governor had considered the report by the cabinet.

"The Chief Minister might not have attended the cabinet meeting in which the decision was taken to advise the Governor. However, the person, named by the CM, conducted the meeting. The Chief Minister has nominated Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar under Rule 28 to conduct the meeting in his place. It is mentioned in the cover letter. The decision of the cabinet, which can't go against the CM, cannot be considered," Mehta submitted.

He further noted that the Supreme Court judgments referred by CM Siddaramaiah's counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi are in favour of the Governor. These judgments have recognised the discretionary powers of the Governor.

The Governor took cognisance of a 91-page Cabinet decision to withdraw the show-cause notice to CM Siddaramaiah and reject the petition against him.

Mehta emphasised that since Cabinet ministers are selected by the Chief Minister himself, it is not imperative for the Governor to consider the Cabinet's decision when a complaint is against the CM.

He added that it is unlikely for the Cabinet to take a decision against the CM.

Mehta further submitted that the relief package ratio was changed from 40:60 to 50:50 and that CM Siddaramaiah's son, former MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah, had attended the General Body Meeting of MUDA in this regard. Alternative sites were allotted in a reputed locality.

Despite all this, the state Cabinet took a biased decision in support of CM Siddaramaiah, he argued.

In this context, the Governor made an independent decision in the matter using his discretion.

The Governor took into account the Cabinet's advice, CM Siddaramaiah's clarification, and the petitioner's complaint.

Referring to a Supreme Court judgment, Tushar Mehta submitted that those in power often believe they will not face punishment.

The Bench observed that under Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the police are not supposed to take up an investigation without prior permission.

However, it is not necessary for the police to obtain permission themselves; anyone can approach the appropriate authorities to obtain such permission.

Tushar Mehta further submitted that no investigation is required to grant permission for prosecution for administrative matters.

Under Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, it is decided whether an investigation is required or not needed.

He argued that the Governor is not obliged to respond to every clarification provided by the Cabinet and CM Siddaramaiah in this case.

The Governor's order clearly states his position, and not everything can be explained at this stage due to the potential for destruction of evidence.

Mehta also pointed out that the charges in all three complaints against CM Siddaramaiah were the same, and there was no need to issue a show-cause notice in connection with the other two complaints.

Senior counsel Manindar Singh making submissions for one of the petitioners Snehamayi Krishna, pleaded with the court to note the three figures "Rs 3.24 lakh", "Rs 5.98 lakh" and "Rs 55 crore". When the land was acquired, the price of the disputed land was Rs 3.24 lakh. It was sold for Rs 5.98 lakh and now the value of the land is claimed to be Rs 55 crore. In this background, there is a need for an investigation into the case by an independent agency.

There is Rs 55 crore profit out of de-notification in the case. The common man will have to run pillar to post to get de-notification done. The de-notification is not possible even if there is a school in the acquired land. Even as the land is developed by the MUDA, it is denotified. Once the land is acquired, it can't be taken back. The land owner is only eligible to get 9 per cent of interest, Manindar Singh submitted quoting the Indore Development case.

The whole government is standing before the Chief Minister. How can the land in the name of MUDA get denotified? This is a planned illegality, he maintained.

Singh further stated that proceedings are different for acquired land and the land which is not acquired. In 1998, the land was acquired by the MUDA and an order fixing the compensation was also issued later. Between 2001 and 2004, the sites were distributed from the acquired land. No one has gone to court questioning the land acquisition. The decision which is not officially published as a notification by the government is used. The de-notification is done to take away the land, Singh submitted to the court demanding investigation be needed in the case.

On Thursday, the Karnataka High Court adjourned the hearing of the writ petition filed by CM Siddaramaiah challenging Governor Gehlot's decision to give his nod to launch a probe against the veteran Congress leader, to Saturday.

Singhvi argued that the Governor did not follow the principles of natural justice when granting consent for prosecution against CM Siddaramaiah. He also mentioned that the Governor did not consider the advice given by the Cabinet in this matter.

At this point, the Bench had questioned Singhvi whether the Governor is required to take the advice of the Cabinet in matters involving complaints against the CM.

Singhvi responded that the Governor has to take such advice, maintaining that there are limitations to the Governor's powers.

Represented by senior counsel Singhvi, the CM has sought interim relief as well as quashing of the Governor's order, calling it unconstitutional.
London, Aug 31 : Closure of motorways due to frequent accidents, major roadworks and bridge repairs have resulted in intense traffic congestion and traffic misery for commuters in and around London.

On Saturday, Hampshire Police announced that a major motorway was closed as it is investigating a collision.

"Please be aware that the northbound M3 between junctions 9 and 8 is currently closed while we deal with a collision. Please avoid the area and take alternative routes," the Hampshire Roads Policing Unit posted on X.

On Friday, the Hampshire Police, which manages policing across a significant transport network including the M27 and M3, had announced the closure of the northbound carriageway between junctions 12 and 11 on M3 following a "serious collision".

"We are appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage following what is believed to be a serious collision on the M3. Police were called at 2.21pm today (Friday, August 30) to a report of man found seriously injured in the northbound carriageway between junctions 12 and 11. At this early stage of the investigation it is believed he may have been involved in a collision with a vehicle which did not stop at the scene," it said in a statement.

Earlier this week, National Highways - the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating Englandas motorways and major A roads - had announced two weekend closures in September as a railway bridge is being replaced over the M62 between junction 19 at Heywood and junction 20 at Rochdale.

The replacement work to be carried out from September 6-9 and between September 20-23, will affect cross-Pennine travel plans with the motorway linking Liverpool and Hull as well as the cities of Manchester and Leeds in between.

"It is the first time in recent memory that the M62, which carries around 1,20,000 vehicles a day, has been closed for a whole weekend or other extended period for planned work," National Highways said in a statement.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has reported some major serious traffic collisions in the region recently.

On August 25, a man in his 60s from Emsworth was pronounced dead following a serious single-vehicle road traffic collision on the A27, close to the junction for Hilsea.

On August 13, a 16-year-old cyclist from Portsmouth lost his life after being hit by a car at the junction of Portsdown Hill Road, Portchester Lane and Skew Road.

According to provisional statistics released by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) in May, there were an estimated 1,645 fatalities in reported road collisions in Great Britain in 2023.
Moscow, Aug 31 : A helicopter carrying 22 people has gone missing near the Vachkazhets volcano in the Russian Far East's Kamchatka region, the local media reported on Saturday.

The Mi-8T helicopter, operated by Vityaz-Aero airline, lost communication shortly after takeoff on Saturday morning, the state-owned TASS news agency reported.

The Federal Air Transport Agency stated that the helicopter, which took off from a site near the Vachkazhets volcano, failed to respond to a scheduled call at around 7:15 am, Moscow time. The communication with the helicopter, however, was lost shortly after it picked up the tourists.

According to the emergency services, the Mi-8T helicopter disappeared from radar almost immediately after takeoff, though the crew did not report any issues prior to the loss of contact. The helicopter was carrying 19 passengers and three crew members.

Local media reports also suggest that low visibility was registered by the Kamchatka Hydrometeorological Centre in the area of Nikolaevka airport, close to where contact with the helicopter was lost.

In response, another flight has been launched to search for the missing helicopter with a second Mi-8 helicopter, along with a ground rescue team, prepared to follow the search route.

Additionally, a criminal case has been opened concerning the violation of traffic safety rules and the operation of air transport.

The Kamchatka Investigative Department for Transport of the Eastern MCUT Investigative Committee of Russia has opened an investigation into the incident under Article 263 of the Russian Federation's Criminal Code, which pertains to violations of traffic safety rules and the operation of air transport.

A ground rescue team has also been deployed, setting out from two locations - the Vachkazhets volcano and the settlement of Nikolaevka - to help the search efforts.
Patna, Aug 31 : President of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) unit in Bihar, Jagadanand Singh, has said that the party's struggle for a national caste census and the inclusion of a 65 per cent reservation limit in the Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution will continue until their demands are met.

The RJD has already announced a day-long dharna (protest) on September 1 in Bihar to push for these demands.

"The dharna on September 1 has two main objectives: conducting a caste census across the country and including the 65 per cent reservation -- achieved during Tejashwi Yadav's 17-month tenure as the Leader of the Opposition -- into the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. This inclusion would shield the increased reservation limit from judicial review," Singh stated.

To ensure extensive participation in the protest, Jagadanand Singh has coordinated with senior party members and divisional in-charge general secretaries, reviewing preparations and issuing guidelines to make the protest a significant event.

He emphasised that RJD National President Lalu Prasad Yadav has been advocating for a caste census since the Mandal Commission's recommendations were implemented in 1990. He noted that a caste census was conducted during the UPA government following demands from Lalu Prasad Yadav and other socialist leaders. However, before the final report could be released, the BJP came to power and chose not to publish the data, effectively freezing it.

Singh also highlighted that under Tejashwi Yadav's leadership, an all-party delegation, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, met with the Prime Minister to demand a national caste census. Despite their efforts, the central government did not agree. During Tejashwi Yadav's 17-month tenure in government, a caste census was conducted in Bihar. Based on its findings, the reservation for Dalits, backward classes, and extremely backward classes in Bihar was increased to 65 per cent, with an additional 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections from the general category.

However, this expanded reservation policy was challenged in court, allegedly at the instigation of the BJP. The court has stayed the implementation of this reservation, citing the state government's alleged failure to present the case effectively.

"As a result, RJD members will stage a sit-in protest at all district headquarters on September 1, advocating for these two demands. The protest will continue under the direction of Lalu Prasad Yadav and the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav until demands are met, extending from street demonstrations to actions within the legislative assembly," Singh asserted.

RJD spokesperson, Chitranjan Gagan, said that Tejashwi Yadav and State President Jagdanand Singh would join the dharna at the party's state office in Patna, while other party leaders would participate in protests at their respective district headquarters.

"During the protest, a memorandum addressed to the President of India will be submitted to the District Magistrates of all districts," Gagan added.
New Delhi, Aug 31 : Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, on Saturday, rebuked West Bengal government's method of seeking justice for the doctor, whose rape and murder at a state-run hospital there left the nation enraged.

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, on Saturday, rebuked West Bengal governmentas method of seeking justice for the doctor, whose rape and murder at a state-run hospital there left the nation enraged.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, in conversation with IANS, said that Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should focus more on healing the wounds of the people rather than writing letters or holding protest marches. He also came down heavily on the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance for the upcoming elections in Jammu & Kashmir.

IANS: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has written a letter to the Central government asking for justice in the rape and murder case at R.G. Kar Medical College. What is your opinion on this?

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: It would be better for Mamata Ji to address the wounds and anger of the people there rather than writing letters or holding protest marches. Your letters, protests, or attempts to cover things up will not succeed in quelling the anger and distress caused by such a heinous crime. If she thinks that these superficial measures will absolve her of responsibility, she is mistaken.

IANS: The Congress and NC are once again allying. What are your thoughts on this?

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: The Congress is once again entering the electoral field in J&K with an alliance. Those who have formed this alliance have, for decades, claimed to be the guardians of the Muslim community, especially in Kashmir, without taking responsibility for their development. These people, who have monopolised Muslim votes, have failed to contribute to development. They misused Article 370 and secularism as distractions, leaving J&K, particularly the people of Kashmir, in a dire state. Now is the time for the people to give their mandate, which will be for development and trust.

IANS: What is your stance on the proposal to include non-Muslims in Waqf Board?

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is currently discussing matters related to the Waqf Board. I am confident that this discussion will result in positive outcomes for all stakeholders. It's important to note that not only Muslims but a large number of Hindus are also stakeholders. During the Partition, many Hindus who left their homes in Pakistan and came to India were given houses, shops, or land by the administration of that time. However, they are still not the legal owners of these properties and are treated as illegal occupants. The JPC will make the right decision to protect and secure the interests of all stakeholders.

IANS: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's controversial statement has sparked anger, and even BJP has distanced itself from it.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi- Kangana is an excellent speaker. She doesn't need a spokesperson; someone as great a speaker as Kangana doesn't need anyone to speak for her.

IANS: Yesterday, the Assam Chief Minister said in the Assembly that the two-hour break previously given for Namaz will no longer be allowed. What is your opinion on this?

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: Our country is a secular nation, and it operates on Constitutional values. In our country, no government institution or system grants breaks for religious practices, including Namaz. So those who are questioning this are contradicting themselves. On one hand, they claim to protect secularism and the Constitution, but on the other, they want to uphold something that goes against these principles. This is not right.
Jaipur, Aug 31 : Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa on Saturday instructed the Transport Department to install the High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) number plates in the next five days.

"Get the number plates of those vehicles installed in five days who have made payments and got the booking slots. And return the payment of those whose slots have not been issued as of now," the Deputy Chief Minister wrote to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Transport Department.

The Deputy Chief Minister further instructed to restart the process of installing HSRP number plates following a new method, which can enhance the speed of the process.

"Action will be taken against the officials for not following these orders," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Former Transport Commissioner Kanhaiya Lal Swami ordered the installation of HSRP number plates on September 23, 2023, and the work to install the number plates started in December last year.

However, in the last seven months, HSRP number plates were installed by 4.44 lakh vehicles while 16 lakh vehicle owners had applied for the plates.

The Deputy Chief Minister also informed that the Transport Department is doing online registration for HSRP number plates via an online portal.

Vehicle companies have been installing HSRP number plates through the application received from the portal but then the vehicle owners have to wait for months.

Also, a high amount is being charged in the process which causes trouble to the common people.

However, the Deputy Chief Minister has now instructed to start the process at the department level.
Manila, Aug 31 : The Philippines has expressed "serious concerns" over a Chinese Coast Guard vessel "deliberately" ramming and colliding with the BRP Teresa Magbanua - the Philippine Coast Guard's largest and most modern vessel - deployed to Escoda Shoal in the South China Sea on Saturday.

"Well, the position of the government, especially the National Maritime Council, we take this with serious concern," Alexander Lopez, spokesperson for the Philippines' National Maritime Council (NMC), said during a media briefing.

State-owned Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported that a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 5205 on Saturday repeatedly rammed into BRP-Teresa Magbanua, the biggest ship of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) deployed in April to Escoda Shoal, which is about 75 nautical miles from Palawan.

It mentioned that due to the collision, BRP Teresa Magbanua sustained damage in its bridge wing and freeboard though no injuries to the crew were reported and the ship remained anchored inside the Sabina Shoal.

PNA quoted Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard's spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, as saying that the Chinese Coast Guard vessel carried out "dangerous manoeuver resulting to its direct ramming" into the port bow of BRP Teresa Magbanua.

"The Chinese ship turned around, then rammed the PCG vessel anew, hitting the starboard quarter. After this, it went around and then did another ramming to the PCG vessel. On the port beam of MRRV-9701, the CCG vessel 5205 once again directly and intentionally rammed the PCG vessel," said Tarriela.

The PCG spokesperson also presented a drone shot before the media, showing that BRP Teresa Magbanua was originally surrounded by People's Liberation Army Navy tugboats, vessels and "Chinese maritime militias".

The latest incident has drawn sharp criticism from various countries.

"The US condemns the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC, including today's intentional ramming of the BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was conducting lawful operations within the Philippine EEZ. We stand with the Philippines in upholding international law," US Ambassador MaryKay Loss Carlson posted on X.

Meanwhile, Beijing also accused the Philippine coast guard vessel "illegally anchoring in Xianbin Jiao" of "intentionally" ramming the "Chinese law-enforcement ship".

Liu Dejun, a spokesperson of the China Coast Guard, said the "unprofessional and dangerous manoeuvre resulted in scrapes, with all responsibility lying with the Philippine side", Xinhua news agency reported.

China said that it had warned the Philippine side to "face up to reality and abandon illusions", stating that immediate withdrawal from the area is "the only correct course of action".
New Delhi, Aug 31 : BJP leader Gourav Vallabh on Saturday took strong objection to Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal's 'disgraceful' remarks on the rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata's R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, and asked him to "have some shame".

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) BJP leader Gourav Vallabh on Saturday took strong objection to Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibalas adisgracefula remarks on the rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata's R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, and asked him to "have some shame".

On behalf of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Sibal purportedly issued a resolution that described R.G. Kar incident as 'symptomatic malaise', and suggested that such incidents are commonplace.

Notably, Sibal is representing the West Bengal government in the Supreme Court which took up the R.G. Kar case suo-motu.

"Today, every person in the country is ashamed of the incident that took place in Kolkata earlier this month. But you are calling it a common incident. Is this Mamata Banerjee's statement? Mamata Banerjee writes letters to the Centre everyday. She should tell whether Kapil Sibal is saying the right thing, or she who is writing daily," Vallabh told IANS.

He added, "Is this common for the party you are representing in the Rajya Sabha or the leader of the alliance you are with? I did not expect this from you. Your statement has hurt the country and you should be ashamed that you have made such a ridiculous and cheap remark to hurt the soul of the country."

Urging the INDIA Bloc leaders to look into the matter, the BJP leader said, "I would like to ask Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, and other leaders of the INDIA Bloc and Congress whether it is their opinion too that such incidents are commonplace? If so, the true face of Mamata Banerjee has come out through Kapil Sibal's statement."

Notably, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Friday lashed out at Kapil Sibal over his remarks.

"I am appalled and pained that someone holding a position in the Supreme Court Bar Association, a Member of Parliament, can term such acts of violence against women as a symptomatic malaise. How can one suggest that such incidents are commonplace? What a shame," the Vice President said at an event in Delhi.
Bengaluru, Aug 31 : Lashing out at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over his alleged involvement in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam case, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday asked the senior Congress leader to "stop drama and face the investigation" for which Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot already gave a nod.

Speaking to the media in Hubballi on Saturday, the Union Minister said: "CM Siddaramaiah should stop this high drama and face an investigation. The judiciary exists. Whether CM is innocent or not will be decided by the court, and everyone should abide by its decision. Hence, Siddaramaiah should face the investigation first.

"Why does Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and other Congress members want to do a 'Raj Bhavan Chalo'? They should do a 'MUDA Chalo' and apologise for their mistakes. They should go to the MUDA office, apologise for acquiring land there, and distributing it among their close associates. Let them fold their hands, apologise in MUDA, and return."

"Didn't former CM B.S. Yediyurappa heading BJP government resign and face the investigation?" the Union Minister questioned. "There is no difference between the cases involving Yediyurappa and CM Siddaramaiah. Let the CM face the investigation first," he insisted.

He also condemned the Congress' actions of "threatening and intimidating" the Governor with the 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' campaign for giving approval to the investigation against CM Siddaramaiah.

"If the CM claims he is not involved in any corruption and has done nothing wrong in the MUDA scam, why does this drama of 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' threaten the Governor?" Pralhad Joshi questioned.

Further criticising Siddaramaiah and his deputy, D.K. Shivakumar, the Union Minister said: "You have promoted an officer who colluded in the MUDA scam, as a Registrar, while you transferred a senior official who wrote a letter stating there was wrongdoing. Now, you are intimidating the Governor for allowing an investigation.

"CM Siddaramaiah says there is a conspiracy against him because he belongs to a backward class and has been CM twice. However, the Governor is also from a Dalit family. Earlier, the Chief Minister praised him but now, as soon as an investigation has been allowed against him, he is threatening the Governor. Why? No one will bow down to such things."

"Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are not showing any commitment to public welfare, public interest, or development but are busy playing political drama to save their chairs," Pralhad Joshi said.

He also accused the Congress government of showing no concern for the damage caused due to rain to the crops.

"The Central government quickly gave permission to buy groundnut, sunflower, urad dal, and soyabean at support prices, but the state has not made any proper preparation.

"Officials from the state government had called and sought permission to buy at support prices. I had advised them to submit a proposal. Two days after receiving the proposal, the Central government granted permission. But the state government has still not made any preparations," Pralhad Joshi said.

"Considering the lower prices of groundnut, sunflower, urad dal, and soyabean in the market, the Central government has immediately approved opening procurement centres for the benefit of the farmers. But the Karnataka government has not yet made suitable preparations to open these centres," he said.

He accused the state government of not working on the development of roads, saying: "The roads in the state are in bad condition. Rahul Gandhi should see the situation in Karnataka where his own party is in power. What has happened to governance and development here?"
WARSAW, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Poland captivated audiences with a drone light show on Friday evening commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.

In a mesmerizing display over the Vistula River in Warsaw, hundreds of drones illuminated the night sky, weaving together intricate patterns and symbols that eloquently narrated the heroic tale of the Warsaw Uprising.

This historic event, which commenced on Aug. 1, 1944 as a pivotal World War II operation to free Warsaw from Nazi German occupation, was artistically showcased through the drone show, accentuating its significant milestones.

Residents and visitors flocked together to bear witness to this remarkable occasion, where the fusion of modern technology and profound historical remembrance unfolded. The commemorative event received widespread acclaim for its ingenious creativity and profound emotional resonance, breathing new life into the narrative of the Warsaw Uprising with an innovative twist. 
Patna, Aug 31 : The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will contest the 2025 Assembly election in Bihar under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, claimed president of the state BJP unit, Dilip Jaiswal.

He also predicted that the coalition would secure a victory with more than a two-thirds majority.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided a special package to Bihar, emphasising the state's development prospects. He will develop Bihar before the country," Jaiswal said.

The statement of Dilip Jaiswal came during the BJP's District Working Committee meeting, along with an Abhinandan Samaroh, in Bettiah, Bihar, on Saturday. Dilip Jaiswal attended the event as the chief guest.

In the last few weeks, there has been speculation in political circles about Chirag Paswan, the leader of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), being upset with the BJP.

Addressing this issue, Jaiswal referred to Chirag Paswan as the "Hanuman" of the BJP, likening him to the loyal devotee of Lord Ram who played a pivotal role in the epic Ramayana.

"Chirag Paswan is a committed worker for the NDA and a staunch supporter of Prime Minister Modi. Chirag Paswan himself has often described himself as Modi's Hanuman," Jaiswal added.

During the meeting, he also emphasised the BJP's position as the world's largest political party, with about 18 crore (180 million) members. He announced a membership campaign scheduled for September 2, where BJP President JP Nadda will kick-start the campaign by enrolling Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the first member. The campaign will utilise a missed call system, allowing people across the country to join the BJP by calling a designated number.

The meeting saw the participation of several prominent leaders, including Union Minister Satish Chandra Dubey, Bihar Minister Renu Devi, and Bettiah MP Sanjay Jaiswal.

--IAND

ajk/uk
Vientiane, Aug 31 : Laos has been keeping a close eye on the Mekong River and its main tributaries as water levels have risen after continuous rainfall, with people living near them preparing for flooding.

The water level in the Mekong River in Lao capital Vientiane was recorded at 11.80 metres on Friday, exceeding the warning level of 11.50 metres, and nearing the danger level of 12.50 metres, according to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology under the Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Xinhua news agency reported.

The river has been rising rapidly since August 23, reaching alarming levels on August 28. If the level rises to 12 metres, more riverbank communities will face the prospect of flooding.

Local authorities were working to prevent flooding, with sandbags being laid along the riverbank where flooding is most likely to occur.

Kannika Phathanou, a 20-year-old student, told Xinhua on Friday that it was important to keep track of forecasts, so everyone can prepare to cope with storms and prevent the impacts of floods promptly.

"I really enjoy the glowing sunset on the Mekong River, so I usually come here twice a week with friends," said Kannika.

"I have to say that the rising water in the river makes the view of sunset here more beautiful but terrifying at the same time. During the rainy season, we need to be alert at the time, especially for people living in low-lying areas near the river."

The weather bureau has warned of possible floods as heavy and light rains with occasional wind gusts will continue across the country, and many areas have experienced flooding because of prolonged heavy rainfall.

From July 18 to August 21, a tropical depression and Prapiroon storm brought heavy rainfall to many parts of Laos, affecting more than 36,200 people across the Southeast Asian country.

Chintana Noymeuang, a 38-year-old woman living in Vientiane, expressed sympathy to business owners along riverbanks, adding that they have to keep a close eye on the river level every day.

"The Mekong riverside is the most scenic part of Vientiane, and people love to walk along the riverbank in the morning and evening. There is a good business opportunity there, but business people have to deal with the prospect of flooding in the rainy season," Chintana told Xinhua.

Namwan, a woman who comes to the riverside four days a week for jogging, said that everyone should stay informed about local weather conditions.

She said relevant sectors should work urgently to provide accurate information to people living in risk areas to ensure they can take precautionary measures.

During the government's monthly meeting for August, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said the government plans to address the impacts of natural disasters caused by heavy rains through more rapid and efficient distribution of relief supplies for affected people.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines has issued a notice to mining companies in Laos, advising them to monitor the level of chemical residues and sediment that collects in the rainy season.

The notice also urged companies to effectively deal with any flooding and landslides that occur and may affect their operations.

The ministry asked mining companies to carry out thorough checks of chemical deposits to ensure that the items would not cause any damage or flow into surrounding areas.
Gandhinagar, Aug 31 : The government of Gujarat has announced an increase in stipends for medical interns and resident doctors across government and GMERS (Gujarat Medical Education & Research Society) medical colleges.

There are over 3,000 medical interns and resident doctors across 19 state-run colleges.

This decision will impact medical, dental, physiotherapy, Homoeopathy, and Ayurveda students and professionals in the state. This move follows the recent increase in salaries for contract-based specialist doctors at CHCs, sub-district, and district hospitals.

"The stipend hike will take effect from April 1, 2024, and covers interns and resident doctors in six government medical colleges and 13 GMERS colleges. The revised stipends are designed to provide better financial support to these healthcare professionals during their training period." officials shared.

"Under the new structure, medical interns in government medical colleges will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 21,840, dental interns Rs 20,160, physiotherapy interns Rs 13,440, and Ayurveda and Homoeopathy interns Rs 15,120. For resident doctors, the stipends have been structured as follows: first-year medical residents will receive Rs 1,00,800, second-year residents Rs 1,02,480, third-year residents Rs 1,05,000, and senior residents and clinical assistants in the fourth year will receive Rs 1,10,880," officials added.

Super speciality residents will see their stipends increase to Rs 1,20,960 in the first year, Rs 1,26,000 in the second year, and Rs 1,34,400 in the third year. The new stipends for dental residents are Rs 78,960 for the first year, Rs 81,480 for the second year, and Rs 83,496 for the third year. Physiotherapy residents will receive Rs 35,280 in the first year and Rs 43,680 in the second year.

Postgraduate residents in Ayurveda will also be at benefit with stipends set at Rs 50,400 for the first year, Rs 53,760 for the second year, and Rs 57,120 for the third year.

Interns at GMERS medical colleges will now receive Rs 21,840, with junior residents receiving Rs 1,00,800 and senior residents Rs 1,10,880. The stipend structure for GMERS postgraduate residents mirrors that of government medical colleges.
Srinagar, Aug 31 : Former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Saturday slammed the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for scrapping the two-hour namaz break in Assembly on Fridays.

"India is known for unity in diversity and governments must protect every religion," the NC Patron told media persons after paying obeisance at the shrine of Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom in the old city area of Srinagar atop the Hari Parbat hillock.

On Friday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state Assembly would discontinue the two-hour break provided on Fridays to facilitate Muslim legislators to offer Namaz.

"The rule will be implemented from the next session," the Assam Chief Minister said.

Farooq Abdullah said India has every religion and every language be it Tamil Nadu, Kashmir, Bengal or Maharashtra.

"Every state has a different culture and that is why India is a federal structure. We have to protect every religion," the senior Abdullah said.

He added nothing is permanent and everything changes with time. "Good things will prevail again. We will tell them, let our government come, not to indulge in such activities," he added.

He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir must also respect and protect the people of every religion.

"We have to take care of people from every religion. When our approach towards them is good then it will be good across the country," he said.

When asked about PDP President Mehbooba Mufti's statement where she described NC Vice President Omar Abdullah's remarks as 'regrettable' regarding the banned outfit Jamaat-e-Islami once considered elections 'Haram' (forbidden), but now that has become 'Halal' (permissible) as they decided to participate in the election, the senior Abdullah said nothing will be achieved by pointing fingers at each other.

"I will not say anything about her (Mehbooba Mufti). May God bless her. May she tread her path but think about protecting the country. Nothing will come out of pointing fingers at each other. She must shun this attitude," he said.

He also congratulated the former members of the banned Jamaat for contesting the Assembly elections.

--IANS

sq/dan
New Delhi, Aug 31 : : Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition (LoP), is all set to visit the US for a three-day tour starting from September 8, informed the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) chief Sam Pitroda on Saturday.

Sharing details of Rahul's US itinerary via a video message, Sam Pitroda said that he will be visiting Dallas, Texas on September 8 and Washington DC on September 9-10.

He said that the Indian diaspora including NRI residents, technocrats, business leaders, students, media fraternity and even political leaders are eager to welcome the Congress MP and are looking forward to have an interaction with him.

Breaking down the details of Congress MP's daily schedule, Pitroda informed: "Rahul Gandhi will be in Dallas on September 8 and will be in Washington DC on September 9 and 10th. In Dallas, he will have interactions with University of Texas students, academicians, and community people. He will have a very large community gathering, will meet some technocrats and then have a dinner with the leaders from the Dallas area. The next day, he will go to Washington DC a similar interaction with a variety of people, including a think tank, the National Press Club and others are planned.

"There are lots of events planned with a variety of people because they also have interest in the states where Congress party runs governments, particularly the tech cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune. We see great interest in conversation with business and technological community," he further informed.

"We look forward to a very successful visit and look forward to welcoming Rahul Gandhi to the US," Pitroda said on a concluding note.

He also said that he was 'bombarded' with questions about Rahul Gandhi's US visit from various quarters and this video message was apparently to inform them about the Congress leader's short but highly anticipated trip to the US.

"Since Rahul Gandhi has become the leader of the opposition, I as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, with a presence in 32 countries have been bombarded with requests from Indian diaspora diplomats, academicians, businessmen, leaders, international media and many others for interactions with Rahul Gandhi. He is coming to the US for a very brief visit," he said before giving out details of Rahul's proposed US visit.

Notably, Rahul Gandhi after the 2024 Lok Sabha results has been creating good momentum and garnering people's support with his views on many issues of public interest. Political watchers anticipate his US visit to be more newsworthy and stir bigger controversy back home, this time.

Notably, Rahul won elections from two Lok Sabha constituencies  Rae Bareli and Wayanad, however, he chose to retain the former and leave the latter for his sister Priyanka Gandhi.

In June this year, he was appointed the Leader of Opposition (LoP) after getting a nod from the Congress Working Committee (CWC).
New Delhi, Aug 31 : Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition (LoP), is all set to visit the US for a three-day tour starting from September 8, informed the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) chief Sam Pitroda on Saturday.

Sharing details of Rahul's US itinerary via a video message, Sam Pitroda said that he will be visiting Dallas, Texas on September 8 and Washington DC on September 9-10.

He said that the Indian diaspora including NRI residents, technocrats, business leaders, students, media fraternity and even political leaders are eager to welcome the Congress MP and are looking forward to have an interaction with him.

Breaking down the details of Congress MP's daily schedule, Pitroda informed: "Rahul Gandhi will be in Dallas on September 8 and will be in Washington DC on September 9 and 10th. In Dallas, he will have interactions with University of Texas students, academicians, and community people. He will have a very large community gathering, will meet some technocrats and then have a dinner with the leaders from the Dallas area. The next day, he will go to Washington DC a similar interaction with a variety of people, including a think tank, the National Press Club and others are planned.

"There are lots of events planned with a variety of people because they also have interest in the states where Congress party runs governments, particularly the tech cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune. We see great interest in conversation with business and technological community," he further informed.

"We look forward to a very successful visit and look forward to welcoming Rahul Gandhi to the US," Pitroda said on a concluding note.

He also said that he was 'bombarded' with questions about Rahul Gandhi's US visit from various quarters and this video message was apparently to inform them about the Congress leader's short but highly anticipated trip to the US.

"Since Rahul Gandhi has become the leader of the opposition, I as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, with a presence in 32 countries have been bombarded with requests from Indian diaspora diplomats, academicians, businessmen, leaders, international media and many others for interactions with Rahul Gandhi. He is coming to the US for a very brief visit," he said before giving out details of Rahul's proposed US visit.

Notably, Rahul Gandhi after the 2024 Lok Sabha results has been creating good momentum and garnering people's support with his views on many issues of public interest. Political watchers anticipate his US visit to be more newsworthy and stir bigger controversy back home, this time.

Notably, Rahul won elections from two Lok Sabha constituencies  Rae Bareli and Wayanad, however, he chose to retain the former and leave the latter for his sister Priyanka Gandhi.

In June this year, he was appointed the Leader of Opposition (LoP) after getting a nod from the Congress Working Committee (CWC).
Moscow, Aug 31 : Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin receives reports from the military several times a day - both during the day and at night.

"Several times a day, or as needed, day and night, the president receives reports from the military. This is his role as Supreme Commander-in-Chief," Peskov said during 'Moscow. Kremlin. Putin' programme, as per the state-owned TASS news agency.

The Russian presidential press secretary also told state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin that Putin keeps all social issues "in areas where the situation is difficult under personal control".

He mentioned that the head of State communicates with regional leaders and department heads on these issues on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.

"In areas where the situation is acute, the president keeps all issues related to social security under his personal control. These are daily or hourly contacts with regional leaders, with heads of social departments, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, law enforcement agencies, and construction workers," Peskov said.

He added that among the president's areas of focus is "concern for people - how the work of temporary accommodation centres is organised, where exactly people have arrived, where they are being housed, where children will go to study..."

Such intense work, said Peskov, along with the continuous receipt of reports from the military, "occurs throughout the day, and this all happens daily".

"And in addition to this, there is also work with documents. We are talking about substantive documents - which need to be thoughtfully read before signing," he added.

The documents include the decrees and lists of instructions from the head of State.

"If you imagine the entire volume, then sometimes even a day [for work] is not enough. And, then there are regional trips and everything else," stated the Kremlin spokesperson.

On Friday, Putin received reports from the heads of three regions, including the acting governors of Khabarovsk Krai, Vologda and Samara Oblasts.
New Delhi, Aug 31 : The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) on Saturday asked the Union government to implement the Healthcare Central Protection Act in the wake of 'repeated' physical and sexual assaults on medical professionals, particularly female doctors while on duty.

"Violence against healthcare workers is increasing day by day. The Union government must implement the Healthcare Central Protection Act to protect healthcare workers," said FAIMA President Dr Rohan Krishna during the protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

He said that although the act was in force during the COVID-19 crisis, however, it was not tabled in the Parliament and could not be implemented.

"Our colleague was brutally raped and murdered in RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal. We demand a speedy inquiry into the case. The culprits must be hanged," Dr Rohan said.

He said that the violence against doctors is on the rise across the country and doctors are not safe, adding that the doctors are at Jantar Mantar to press for the demands.

"Our basic demand is for the implementation of the Central Healthcare Protection Act. Doctors are always there to save patients but sometimes even we are unable to save a patient. In such scenarios, the relatives often become violent and attack us. Doctors too need protection," said Dr. Neelam, who was also part of the protest.

Doctors across the country went on nationwide strikes and protests after a female doctor was raped and murdered in West Bengal earlier this month, severely hitting the medical services.

The doctors returned to work after the Supreme Court intervened on August 22, urging them to resume their duties while assuring them that the authorities would not take adverse action against the protesting doctors.
Shillong, Aug 31 : The body of Awami League leader Ishaque Ali Khan Panna, whose body was found in Meghalaya village along the Bangladesh border earlier this week, was handed over to Bangladeshi authorities by the Meghalaya government on Saturday, officials said.

A senior Meghalaya government official said that the Bangladesh government has sent an official to take back the body of Panna from the Khliehriat Civil Hospital in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district.

After identification and required paperwork, the body of the Awami League leader was handed over to the Bangladeshi authorities, in the presence of Bangladesh Police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel.

The body was taken to the Dawki border post in Meghalaya before being taken to Bangladesh via Tamabil for its onward journey for the last rites.

The decomposed body of Panna was found by the villagers on August 26 at a betel nut plantation bordering Dona Bhoi village in East Jaintia Hills district.

The slain Awami League leader was identified through his Bangladesh passport.

Meghalaya government or the police are yet to disclose the post-mortem report of Panna, the local media quoting police had reported the death was due to asphyxia or "throttled to death".

After the recovery of the body of the Awami League leader, the Meghalaya government informed both Indian and Bangladeshi authorities.

Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who also holds the Home portfolio, had told the media on Friday that the relatives of Panna identified the body.

Even though the death of the Bangladesh leader and recovery of his body in the border village is 'mysterious', Tynsong said that the exact cause of death would be known in the forensic test report, which has not yet been received by the local authorities.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the law enforcement agencies are conducting a probe into this incident.

After the Awami League government in Bangladesh headed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina quit on August 5 following the massive student protests across the country, many leaders of the erstwhile ruling party tried to flee the country or come to India, the law enforcing agencies of the country arrested few of them and the government put up restrictions to their movement outside the country.
Bengaluru, Aug 31 : Bengaluru Police on Saturday submitted a 1,205-page charge sheet to the court in connection with the sensational murder case of a 24-year-old woman reported from Bengaluru in a PG hostel in the upscale Koramangala locality.

DCP (South East) Saarah Fathima said that the chargesheet has been filed in the Kriti Kumari murder case which was reported from Kormangala PG hostel against the accused 23-year-old Abhishekh Ghosi, a native of Begum Ganj from Madhya Pradesh.

The charge sheet contains a total of 1,205 pages and mentions 85 witnesses. The FIR in the case was registered on July 24. The accused was arrested on July 26 from Madhya Pradesh. The accused has been charged under Section 103 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).

Abhishek, who had stabbed the deceased Kriti Kumari to death with a knife on the night of July 23, had fled to Madhya Pradesh and was hiding in Madhya Pradesh.

He was arrested by the special teams of police, which had launched a hunt for him.

The deceased Kriti Kumari, a native of Bihar, was working at a private company. The preliminary probe has revealed that Abhishek was in a relationship with Kriti Kumarias friend and colleague. Abhishekas girlfriend hails from Maharashtra.

Abhishek used to visit the PG hostel and often travelled to Bengaluru from Bhopal to date his girlfriend. The relationship soured between them, and the victimas friend avoided him. Following this, Abhishek came to the PG hostel and created a ruckus. Kriti Kumari had helped her friend shift to a new PG hostel, and both stopped taking his calls.

Enraged by this, Abhishek came to the PG hostel where Kriti was staying and committed the crime.

The horrifying CCTV footage of the brutal murder of the woman emerged later and raised concerns in the IT city about the safety of lakhs of women.

--IANS

mka/dan
An exhibition of works by artists of the RAK Art Foundation operating in Bahrain was opened in Baku.

Azernews reports that Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and Anar Alakbarov, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation took part in the event.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, the founder of the RAK Art Foundation, prominent Bahraini artist and collector Rashid Al Khalifa expressed his satisfaction that Bahraini artists shared their inexhaustible talents with art lovers in Azerbaijan. He noted that the RAK Art Foundation promotes international partnership and mutual understanding.

Rashid Al Khalifa said that the purpose of cooperation is to present the rich tapestries of Bahraini artists to the vibrant and colorful art scene of Baku.

Emin Mammadov, the chairman of "Azerkhalcha" OJSC, said that cooperation with the artist Rashid Al Khalifa and the RAK Art Foundation reflects the wider formation of art, international friendship and cultural understanding.

"I am pleased that the general picture of contemporary art examples of Bahrain has been revived in Baku. I believe that this will lead to further expansion of partnership opportunities between our countries."

It should be noted that before this, several exhibitions of Rashid Al Khalifa were organized at the Heydar Aliyev Center.




MOSCOW, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Russia's regional emergency authorities said on Saturday that an An-2 aircraft made a hard landing in the North Ossetia region, carrying 12 people on board. 
Amritsar, Aug 31 : Within 24 hours of being declaring a 'sinner' for 'damaging Sikh interests' both as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief and as the former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday appeared before the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, and requested to call an early meeting of five Sikh head priests to give him an opportunity to rectify his mistakes.

Sukhbir Badal along with four former Cabinet ministers appeared before the Akal Takht as common men, and said in a written clarification that they "are ready to accept all pronouncements".

Later, he also offered prayers at the Golden Temple.

Akal Takht is the Sikh community's apex religious institution where Sikhs can seek an apology for any religious or ethical misconduct.

Sukhbir Badal appeared before the Akal Takht Secretariat and handed over the apology and clarification to the staff present there in the absence of Giani Raghbir Singh, the Jathedar of Akal Takht.

Besides Sukhbir Badal, former Akali ministers Daljeet Singh Cheema, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, and Sharanjit Singh Dhillon submitted their explanations in writing at the Akal Takht Secretariat. They also apologised for the mistakes committed knowingly or unknowingly when the Shiromani Akali Dal was in power in Punjab from 2007 to 2017.

Cheema later told mediapersons that after the order of the Akal Takht, they have submitted a written explanation to the Jathedar.

He also said that Sukhbir Badal has appealed to the Jathedar to call a meeting of the five Sikh head priests as soon as possible and announce their decision.

After a meeting of the five Sikh head priests on Friday, Giani Raghbir Singh declared Sukhbir Badal 'Tankhiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) and asked him to appear before the Akal Takht Sahib within 15 days as a common Sikh.

The entire SAD Cabinet from 2007-2017, which was led by late Parkash Singh Badal, was asked to appear before the Akal Takht to explain its actions which caused harm to the Sikh 'Panth'. At that time, Sukhbir Badal was the Deputy Chief Minister and SAD President.

The Akal Takht asked the ministers during the tenure of the SAD-BJP government to provide an explanation for their role in the mistakes committed during two consecutive terms, from 2007-12, and 2012-2017.

"Being the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and the President of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal took some decisions that deeply harmed the image of the Panth and greatly weakened SAD. They damaged Sikh interests too," Giani Raghbir Singh had said while pronouncing the verdict from the Takht in the Golden Temple complex here.

Soon after the Akal Takht pronounced its verdict, SAD announced that it accepts the directives with all humility.

On Thursday, Sukhbir Badal, who has been facing disenchantment within the party, appointed his long-time family loyalist and former Rajya Sabha member Balwinder Singh Bhunder as the party's Working President.

SAD rebels and several Sikh organisations have been asking Sukhbir Badal to step down from the post of President in view of the sacrilege incidents during the Akali Dal's 10-year stint from 2007-17.

The incidents comprise hurting religious sentiments of the Sikh community by self-styled godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who allegedly performed an imitation of Guru Gobind Singh at the sect's dera in 2007, and sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib in 2015.

The rebels, including former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, ex-Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, and former minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, on July 1 conveyed to Giani Raghbir Singh that they "are ready to face any punishment that the Akal Takht may deem appropriate".

In a letter to the Akal Takht Jathedar, they "admitted guilt" over the "mistakes committed" by the party leadership that had "hurt" the Sikh Panth.

The letter also claimed that Sukhbir Badal allegedly used his influence to pardon the Dera Sacha Sauda chief in the blasphemy case.

After the rebels sought an apology from Sukhbir Badal, the Akal Takht Secretariat on August 5 released a letter written by the SAD chief to the Jathedar, seeking "unconditional forgiveness".

"I take responsibility for all mistakes, whether made by the party or during the regime of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal)," the letter read.

Sukhbir Badal had also said that he was ready to face whatever punishment is given to him by the Akal Takht Sahib.

In Punjab, blasphemy has been an emotive issue in every election ever since the 2015 Kotkapura firing case.
Bengaluru, Aug 31 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key terror suspect from the KempeGowda International Airport in Bengaluru in Hizb-ut-Tahrir on Saturday.

The suspected terrorist is identified as Aziz Ahamad aka Aziz Ahmed aka Jaleel Aziz from Tamil Nadu, is a key accused in the Tamil Nadu Hizb-ut-Tahrir case involving attempts to radicalise youth and establish the Islamic caliphate in India.

The suspected terrorist was apprehended at the Bengaluru International Airport while trying to flee abroad.

"The case in this regard was registered by the NIA against six accused, influenced by the extremist, radical and fundamental ideology of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an international pan-Islamist and fundamental organisation which has been fighting to establish an Islamic caliphate and enforce the constitution written by Hizb-ut-Tharir's founder Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani," NIA stated.

As per NIA's investigations, the accused had conducted secret oaths where many participants, particularly gullible youth, who were radicalised and sought military assistance called Nusra from forces inimical to India to achieve its nefarious goal.

"Aziz Ahamed was found to be one of the chief initiators in conducting secret oath-taking ceremonies for the gullible youth," the NIA said.

So far, six people have been arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in connection with the case. The suspected terrorists are identified as Hameed Hussain, Ahamed Mansoor, Abdul Rahman, H Mohamed Maurice, Kadar Nawaz Sherif, and Ahmed Ali Umari. The authorities have also taken custody of others, sources confirmed.

NIA said that Hameed, a resident of Royapettah in Chennai, is suspected of being the kingpin and Chief Coordinator of the organisation and had allegedly been holding secret meetings to spread its ideology at a hall in the city.

"This acts against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country," the NIA added.

Chennai Police has also handed over crucial documents to the agency on August 5.

NIA said that the investigation in the case is underway.
Agartala, Aug 31 : In a major breakthrough, the Assam Rifles in a joint operation with the Customs department seized 30,000 Methamphetamine tablets worth Rs 4.8 crore and arrested two drug peddlers from the outskirts of Agartala, officials said on Saturday.

Sources in the Assam Rifles said that acting on a tip-off, the paramilitary troopers along with Customs officials intercepted a Maruti car on Friday night and arrested two drug peddlers from Jogendra Nagar on the outskirts of Agartala in West Tripura district.

The subsequent search of the vehicle led to the seizure of 30,000 Methamphetamine tablets valued at Rs 4.8 crore.

An Assam Rifles spokesperson said that the seized contraband, the two accused, and the vehicle have been handed over to Tripura Police for further investigation and legal proceedings.

A police officers quoting the accused said that the drugs were smuggled in from Myanmar and were meant to be sent to Bangladesh and other states of India.

The highly-addictive Methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba pills or party tablets, contain a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine and are largely misused as high-dosage drugs in Bangladesh and its neighbouring countries, besides India.

Tripura shares 856 km border with Bangladesh and 510 km unfenced border with Myanmar.

In July, Tripura Police had intercepted a vehicle coming from neighbouring Assam and recovered 408 grams of heroin valued at Rs 4 crore.

According to the police, the drugs, which were coming from Myanmar via neighbouring Mizoram, were being taken to Sonamura in Tripura's Sipahijala district for transportation to Bangladesh.

Two drug peddlers -- identified as Sohel Miah and Dilwar Hussain, both residents of Sonamura -- who were travelling in the vehicle were arrested.
Chennai, Aug 31 : Coimbatore City Cyber Crime Police on Saturday said that they have received 5,319 cyber fraud complaints and registered at least 217 FIRs regarding these cases.

"Fraudsters looted Rs 73 crores from January to August this year. We have received 5,319 complaints for fraud while we have also registered 217 FIRs," an official of the Coimbatore City Cyber Crime Police told IANS.

He informed that phishing and scamming are on the rise in the state and asked people not to share banking details with anyone.

"No government agency will call and ask for the bank details. People should immediately inform the police if they receive such fraudulent calls," he said.

He also informed that the police have recovered Rs 8 crore and also froze several accounts of cyber fraudsters.

He shared that an 80-year-old woman was cheated of Rs 2.30 crores by online fraudsters posing as CBI officers from Mumbai.

"In her complaint, the octogenarian said that the fraudsters informed her through an online Whats App video call that there was a parcel that was sent in her name was seized after it was found to contain contraband substances, counterfeit passports and international SIM cards," the City Cyber Crime Police shared with IANS.

He said that the person posing as the CBI officer informed the woman that her account needs to be verified and she passed on her bank account details.

"After she shared her bank account and other details, the scamsters immediately withdrew Rs 2.3 crores from her account," the official said.

Cyber Crime Police said that in 2023, 6396 complaints amounting to Rs 48.23 crore losses were received while 206 FIRs were registered.

Police said that 44 scamsters were arrested while six accused were arrested under the Goondas Act.
Moscow, Aug 31 : Russia has launched military investigations following an An-2 plane with 12 people on board made a hard landing near the village of Koban in the Caucasian region of North Ossetia, on Saturday.

"The Military Prosecutor's Office of the Vladikavkaz Garrison of the Southern Military District, in cooperation with the Southern Transport Prosecutor's Office, has organised an inspection of the implementation of legislation in the field of flight safety in connection with the emergency landing of the light transport aircraft An-2 of DOSAAF of Russia in the Prigorodny District of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania that occurred today," the press service of the Southern Military District stated.

According to the local emergency authorities, the aircraft pilot contacted the rescue services on his own to report the incident. The plane was located between the villages of Mayramadag and Koban in mountainous terrain.

"Seven people, including three children, were injured as a result of the hard landing of the An-2 aircraft. There were also parachutists on board the aircraft when it took off. Eight parachutists made the planned jumps. After that, an abnormal situation occurred during the flight, due to which the pilots made an emergency landing in a mountainous and wooded area near the village of Koban," reported Russian state-owned news agency TASS.

The plane, which was on a training flight, had 12 people on board, including children.

Meanwhile, in another major incident, a helicopter carrying 22 people has gone missing near the Vachkazhets volcano in the Russian Far East's Kamchatka region, the local media reported on Saturday.

The Mi-8T helicopter, operated by Vityaz-Aero airline, lost communication shortly after takeoff on Saturday morning.

The Federal Air Transport Agency stated that the helicopter, which took off from a site near the Vachkazhets volcano, failed to respond to a scheduled call at around 7:15 am, Moscow time. The communication with the helicopter, however, was lost shortly after it picked up the tourists.

According to the emergency services, the Mi-8T helicopter disappeared from radar almost immediately after takeoff, though the crew did not report any issues prior to the loss of contact. The helicopter was carrying 19 passengers and three crew members.

Local media reports also suggest that low visibility was registered by the Kamchatka Hydrometeorological Centre in the area of Nikolaevka airport, close to where contact with the helicopter was lost.
Jammu, Aug 31 : Union Minister and BJP incharge of J&K elections, G. Kishan Reddy appealed to voters on Saturday that they should vote against dynastic politics which has allegedly "destroyed" J&K for decades.

Jammu, Aug 31 (IANS) Union Minister and BJP incharge of J&K elections, G. Kishan Reddy appealed to voters on Saturday that they should vote against dynastic politics which has allegedly "destroyed" J&K for decades.

Addressing a public rally in the Jammu West Assembly constituency to seek support for BP candidate, Arvind Gupta, Reddy said that the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi-led government has "isolated" Pakistan globally and the "rogue nation" no longer has "support" from the international community due to its role in "sponsoring terrorism".

"While Pakistan struggles, India's vision for J&K is moving forward with peace and progress. Militancy is on its last legs. Congress is supporting NC's regressive agenda aimed at pushing J&K back into the dark era of militancy," he claimed.

He criticised NC's recent announcements, including its promise to ensure restoration of Article 370 saying that it is a "dangerous" design to revert to dual flags and return power to militants.

"The people of J&K deserve a government that will strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions and local bodies like municipal committees and corporations. You (voters) should vote for change and prosperity over dynastic politics," the Union Minister said.

He added that this election is a "movement" aimed at ensuring that no party such as NC, Congress, or PDP ever snatch back the rights of the common people in J&K.

"J&K remains the heartbeat of India. BJP's vision for its people reflects the legacy of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who established the party intending to protect J&K from dynastic rule and divisive politics," he said.

He claimed that under BJP's leadership, militancy in J&K is on its last legs and the region is entering an era of peace and prosperity.

"The tables have turned and we now see peace, prosperity, and development across the region," he said.

He added that the Assembly election is a movement for the people and the BJP has been continuing its efforts to redefine the future of J&K.

"This is the first election after the abrogation of Article 370, signalling a new era for the people. This is not just an election but a movement for the restoration of dignity for women, West Pakistani refugees, SCs, STs, Paharis and Valmiki Samaj, alongside all the people of J&K," he claimed.

He also claimed that the eyes of the World are now focused on J&K as India demonstrates how peace, development, and democracy are taking root in the region.

"You (voters) should not see this election as a mere political contest, but as a crucial step in securing the rights and future of all the people in the region," he claimed.
New Delhi, Aug 31 : Senior politician Shyam Rajak, who recently quit the primary membership of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and stepped down as its General Secretary, is all set to make a return to Bihar's ruling party Janata Dal (United) on Sunday.

Ahead of his fresh innings with the JD(U), Rajak spoke to IANS and attributed the reason behind his switch to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's focus and vision.

Speaking to IANS, he said his purpose in politics matches with Nitish Kumar's objectives and if he aligns himself with the JD(U), he would be better equipped to not just fulfil his commitment to the people, but also contribute to the CM's mission.

He also told IANS about his political teachings and learnings from former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and how they have remained the 'guiding force' in his political life.

"I remember Chandra Shekhar Ji's words. He always advocated for keeping the last person in the row as the focal point in any decision-making. Such approach will never fail you and will always guide you in the right direction," Rajak said, recalling the time he spent with the prominent socialist leader.

A prominent Dalit leader, Rajak had served as a minister in the RJD government in the past before leaving the party to join the JD(U) in 2009. He returned to the RJD fold just before the Assembly elections in 2020 and served as its General Secretary before resigning from the post as well as the party on August 22.

In a letter to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, he claimed that he was 'cheated' and hence was leaving the party.

Speaking to IANS, Rajak also boasted about his character and integrity, saying that he has always been a man of principles and no amount of political perks will sway him away from them.

"While making my next move after quitting RJD, I was taking feedback from the people of my constituency. My focus is to work for the most backward strata of the society. And that can only be achieved when I work with a party that works for social justice and empowerment of downtrodden classes," he said.

The senior politician is likely to join the JD(U) at around noon on Sunday in the presence of the party's top leadership, including its Executive Chairman Sanjay Jha, state President Umesh Singh Kushwaha, and other leaders.
Amritsar, Aug 31 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Saturday paid obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib and Sri Durgiana Mandir here to pray for the progress of the state and the prosperity of its people.

The duo offered prayer at both places and prayed that Punjab should continue to be front-runner state in every field.

They sought the blessings of Almighty to render their respective duties well for the welfare of the people and prayed that the ethos of communal harmony, brotherhood and amity should be further cemented in the state.

The prayed Punjab should emerge as an epitome of peace, progress and prosperity. Both the leaders also paid homage to the great martyrs at the Jallianwala Bagh memorial and said "this place will always inspire the younger generations for selfless service of nation".

Interacting with the media, the Governor said he is blessed to have got an opportunity to bow down his head on this pious land.

He said the life and philosophy of great Sikh Gurus has since ages inspired the humanity for selfless service.

Kataria said he too had prayed before the Almighty to give him strength for discharging his duty well for the development of Punjab and Chandigarh.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister welcomed the new Governor to the state and expressed hope that the state will be immensely benefitted from his rich administrative experience.

He envisioned that both of them will work within their own jurisdictions and ensure that Punjab scripts a new success story in every field.

Mann said together they will ensure that Punjab witnesses overall growth and progress in every field.

Gulab Chand Kataria was a Rajasthan Cabinet minister from 2013 till 2018, 2003 to 2008 and from 1993 to 1998.

He served as the Home Minister of Rajasthan from 2004 to 2008 and again from 2014 to 2018.

Kataria also served as Education Minister between 1993 and 1998.
Kolkata, Aug 31 : The West Bengal government on Saturday approached the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court's order directing the Kolkata Police to release Sayan Lahiri, one of the convenors of the Nabanna Abhijan (March to Secretariat) call given on August 27 to condemn the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.

Passing the order on Friday, the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha of the Calcutta High Court also made it clear that no coercive action can be taken against Lahiri, not just in connection with the Nabanna Abhijan, but also in relation to any other police case against him.

Sources said that although Lahiri was released on Saturday afternoon honouring the Calcutta High Court's order, the state government has now approached the apex court seeking to reverse the high court ruling so that Lahiri can be again taken into custody.

In the petition filed before the Calcutta High Court on Friday, Lahiri's counsel had accused the city police of arresting his client on false charges. The petition was admitted and heard on an emergency basis.

After his release on Saturday, Lahiri said that despite all the hurdles that came his way, he will continue to protest till justice is delivered in the R.G. Kar case and all the others who were arrested in connection with the Nabanna Abhijan are released.

Lahiri was arrested earlier this week from outside the office of a vernacular news channel where he came for a panel discussion on the R.G. Kar issue and the Nabanna Abhijan.

However, on Friday the high court directed the police to release him by 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The court also rejected the argument of the state government's counsel that Lahiri was a 'highly influential' person.

Parts of Kolkata and Howrah turned into virtual battlefields on the afternoon of August 27 following clashes between the police and the protesters.

At many places, the police had to resort to lathi-charge, firing of teargas shells, and use of water cannons to disperse the protesters moving towards the state Secretariat located in the Mandirtala area of Howrah district, which is adjacent to Kolkata.

A total of 220 arrests were made in this connection in addition to 25 preventive arrests that were made before the march.
New Delhi/Imphal, Aug 31 : Thousands of tribal men and women belonging to the Kuki-Zo community on Saturday took out rallies in three tribal-dominated Manipur districts and at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi in support of their demand for a separate Union Territory.

The participants in the rallies raised slogans against Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh's alleged objectionable remarks against people belonging to the Kuki-Zo community.

The rallies, organised by the Zomi Students' Federation (ZSF) and the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), were held in Manipur's Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Tengnoupal districts, and at the Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

Responding to the call given by the ZSF and KSO, all markets, business establishments, schools and other institutions in the three Manipur districts remained closed on Saturday.

The KSO, ZSF and their associate organisations have also submitted a memorandum to the respective Deputy Commissioners of the three districts highlighting their demands.

A KSO statement said: "For a permanent solution to the Manipur ethnic crisis, the Kuki-Zo people urges the Central government to create a Union Territory with a legislative Assembly as it is critical for our survival. The Kuki-Zo people have the constitutional right to self-governance and to advance their community without any fear of repression or violence."

Ten Kuki-Zo tribal MLAs, including seven from the BJP, along with the leading organisations of the community have been demanding a separate administration or a Union Territory for the tribals in Manipur.

The Manipur government on Friday urged the people not to respond to the tribal student bodies' call for shutting down all business establishments, government offices, and private institutions and join their rallies on Saturday.

The government also warned the tribal student bodies that if anybody creates any law and order problem, appropriate action will be taken against them.

Manipur government's Home Commissioner N. Ashok Kumar had said that the state government has issued necessary instructions to take up appropriate preventive and precautionary measures, along with a robust response mechanism, to avoid any untoward incident and maintain law and order in the state.

"Any act of issuing public notice for organising a mass rally and urging to shut down institutions, which can pose a grave impact on the prevailing law and order situation and which is likely to pose serious repercussions in the context of the ongoing law and order crisis in the state, is viewed very seriously by the state government with the utmost sensitivity," the Home Commissioner had said.
SACRAMENTO, the United States, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A new study showed that minority adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 39 in the United States had worse cancer diagnoses and survival rates compared to the general population.

The research, published Friday in the Journal of American Medical Association Network, analyzed data from over 290,000 adolescents and young adult (AYA) cancer patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2017, providing a detailed look at outcomes across all five federally defined racial categories.

The study found that Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) patients were more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cancer compared to White patients.

Black patients, in particular, had higher odds of late-stage diagnosis for seven out of 10 cancer types examined, including breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, lymphoma, melanoma, and testicular cancers.

Survival rates also varied significantly by race, with American Indian or Alaska Native patients showing the lowest 10-year overall survival rates for cancers of the central nervous system, lung, ovary, and testis. Meanwhile, NHOPI patients fared worst in terms of surviving cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, sarcoma, and melanoma.

The biggest differences are seen in skin cancer, colon cancer, and cancers of soft tissues and bones. Young individuals from NHOPI backgrounds often experience poorer outcomes across multiple cancer types, with a higher likelihood of dying sooner after diagnosis.

Notably, the study's inclusion of previously overlooked data from NHOPI groups revealed previously unnoticed differences in cancer outcomes.

"This is likely the most inclusive and comprehensive study to evaluate cancer disparities in stage at diagnosis and survival among AYA patients across all five federally defined racial categories," the researchers stated.

The study emphasized the critical importance of including and disaggregating data for indigenous populations, which are often overlooked or merged with other groups in health research. 
New Delhi, Aug 31 : A day after the second meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, a delegation comprising Muslim scholars and religious leaders on Saturday met Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and JPC Chairperson Jagdambika Pal to extend their support to the proposals made in the Bill.

The delegation, comprising Muslim intellectuals, scholars and religious leaders, was led by Syed Naseeruddin Chishti, the Chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanshin Council and successor to the spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah.

The discussions centered around issues related to Muslims and the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.

They first met Union Minister Kiren Rijiju at the latter's residence here and discussed the Waqf Bill presented recently in the Lok Sabha.

After meeting the Minority Affairs Minister, the delegation called on Jagdambika Pal at his residence.

Jagdambika Pal, a senior BJP leader, is the chairman of the JPC constituted to discuss the proposed amendments in the Waqf Bill.

The JPC comprises 31 MPs -- 21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

During the deliberations with both Kiren Rijiju and Jagdambika Pal, the delegation led by Chisti submitted that the Waqf Board had been creating problems for Muslims across the country.

Reposing its "complete faith" in the JPC, the delegation exuded confidence that the committee will give an ear to the problems mosques across the country have been facing due to the Waqf Board and welcome the necessary suggestions.

Backing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, the delegation emphasised better management, transparency and accountability in the functioning of the Waqf Board. It also said that this would ensure an end to corrupt practices and land grabbing while making the Waqf Board beneficial for the underprivileged Muslims.

The delegation also demanded the setting up of a separate 'Dargah Board' for better management of matters related to mosques while urging the government to intervene in the "excesses" of the Waqf Board.

A proposal to establish Help Desks in places of worship for Muslims to disseminate information on the government's schemes for the minorities was also submitted by the delegation.

On Friday, the JPC held its second round of meeting, which was also attended by some Muslim bodies who opposed the amendments proposed in the Waqf Bill.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), one of the members of the JPC, was involved in a heated exchange of words with a BJP MP during the debate on the Bill, and was among the MPs from the opposition camp to stage a walkout from the meeting at one point.

During the meeting, the All India Sunni Jamiat-e-Ulama opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill while submitting that the government should not interfere in the subject of Waqf which pertains to Muslims.

The Indian Muslim for Civil Rights, headed by former MP Mohammad Adeeb, described the Bill as "illegal".

The first JPC meeting on the Waqf Amendment Bill was held on August 22.
Kiev, Aug 31 : Russia conducted another major aerial strike on Ukraine overnight, using an Iskander-M ballistic missile, four S-300 guided missiles, and 52 combat drones, the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement on Saturday.

No casualties were reported in the air strike, as the air defence forces shot down 24 Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones, according to the statement.

The air defense was active in eight regions in central, southern and northern Ukraine, including the Kiev region, Xinhua news agency reported.

The strike marked the fourth attack on the Ukraine capital this week, said the Kiev City Military Administration.

Earlier on Saturday, five people were reportedly killed and 37 others injured after Ukrainian forces attacked Russia's Belgorod region.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on his Telegram channel that Ukrainian armed forces used cluster munitions from a Vampire multiple rocket launcher system to shell the city of Belgorod and its surrounding areas, causing significant casualties and damage, Xinhua news agency reported.

"One woman and four men died on the spot from their injuries before the ambulance arrived," the Governor said.

A total of 37 civilians, including six children, were injured in the attack, Gladkov said, adding that all the wounded persons have been transported to medical facilities in Belgorod for treatment, among whom seven adults and three children were in critical condition.

Last Sunday, at least five people were killed and 12 others injured in an attack by Ukrainian armed forces on the village of Rakitnoye in Belgorod. The attack also caused severe damage to local infrastructure, destroying 10 private homes, two commercial buildings, and four passenger vehicles, the Governor informed.

Russia's Defence Ministry had said that the Russian forces continue to repel the attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces in its territory.
Jaipur, Aug 31 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday gave a call to those who migrated from the state to join the 'Rising Rajasthan' Global Investment Summit 2024 to be held in Jaipur from December 9-11.

Addressing a build-up event for the summit in Mumbai, CM Sharma said, "There are tremendous investment opportunities in Rajasthan. The state government is also committed to provide all possible facilities to the investors keen to invest in the state. So migrants from Rajasthan should participate in the upcoming investment summit in large numbers."

Sharma also said that Rajasthanis who migrated to different parts of the country and the world have brought name, fame and glory to the state wth their achievements in different fields.

"They also have an important role to play in realising the resolution of a developed Rajasthan. Being a responsible citizen, it is the duty of all of us to make every possible effort to provide relief to the needy and make them avail the benefits of the schemes of the Central and state governments," said Sharma, who is in Mumbai since Friday.

The government of Rajasthan on Friday officially launched the first of a series of domestic and international roadshows in Mumbai as part of the preparations for the aRising Rajasthana Global Investment Summit.

The summit slated to be held from December 9-11 in Jaipur aims at attracting significant investment to the state by showcasing Rajasthan as a premier destination for global investors.

As part of the initiative, a roadshow was held in Mumbai on Friday which was led by CM Sharma and Industries Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

The event saw the signing of numerous MoUs valued at Rs 4.5 lakh crore in total, showcasing a strong investor interest in the desert state.
Agartala, Aug 31 : The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) have arrested seven Bangladeshi nationals and two Rohingyas for illegally entering Tripura, officials said on Saturday.

A BSF spokesperson said that the border guarding troops apprehended three Bangladesh nationals, including a woman and a girl child, from the Rangichera Border Out Post (BOP) in Tripuraas Khowai district while they were crossing the border fence.

During on the spot interrogation, they revealed that two of their associates had already crossed the border fence and moved towards Bagicherra village.

Thereafter, an operation in collaboration with the state police was launched in Bagicherra village in which two more Bangladesh nationals and a tout from the neighbouring country were apprehended.

All the apprehended Bangladeshi nationals are residents of Moulvibazar in Sylhet district and they belong to the same family.

It was also revealed that the tout, who worked as a carpenter in Tripuraas Halahalli, is also a Bangladeshi national and a resident of Moulvibazar.

On Friday night, the BSF apprehended a Bangladesh smuggler with imported cigarettes worth Rs 33 lakh from the BOP in Kalkalia in West Tripura district.

In another related incident, the GRP personnel arrested two Rohingyas, including a woman, from the Agartala railway station on Friday night.

The Rohingyas illegally entered India after fleeing their camps in Bangladeshas Cox's Bazar where more than one million displaced Rohingyas from Myanmar have been living since 2017.

Over the last three months, more than 310 Bangladeshi nationals and 34 Rohingyas have been held by the GRP, Border Security Force, and Tripura Police from the Agartala railway station and other places in the state for illegally entering the Indian territory.
TikTok landed in the U.S. in 2018, and two years later, as the pandemic took hold and people found themselves spending more time in their kitchens, food content on the platform took off.

Page Street Publishing editorial director Marissa Giambelluca, for one, began posting home cooking videos in 2021. Shes also discovered potential authors via TikTok: Giambelluca reached out to Alessandra Fontana, a home baker in Milan, Italy, after Fontana, who has 2.6 million followers, popped up in her feed in March 2023.

Artisan Italian Baking at Home (Nov.), Fontanas collection of classic Italian bakes including ciabatta, pizza, and biscotti, is one of many TikTok-derived cookbooks hitting shelves this fall. PW spoke with the editors of five of them about the tricky path from influencer to author.

They ate

While social media can generate leads for editors, theyre mindful that not every influencer, no matter their star power, will shine in cookbook form.

I look at TikTokkers all day long, says Dan Rosenberg, editorial director at Harvard Common Press. A lot of food people on TikTok are consumers of food; the number of people who are on TikTok to cook food is a minority. When assessing whether a content creator would make a good cookbook author, Rosenberg considers, Do this persons followers expect him or her to cook as opposed to eat?

In the case of Septembers Insanely Good Ramen Meals by Ivan McCombs, a former social media manager who lives in Los Angeles, the answer is yes: Ramen King Ivan, as his 10.8 million followers know him, doctors packaged ramen with inexpensive, easy-to-find ingredients, or uses the instant noodles in atypical waysin corn dog batter, in place of lasagna noodles, or as the base for a sandwich. Its global food with a heavy Asian influence, which is extremely popular now, Rosenberg says.

The brevity of in-app recorded videos means that McCombs, like many other creators, doesnt reveal full recipes online. Thats one element the cookbook offers his fans, whom Rosebenberg describes as budget-conscious zoomers whove been watching food videos on Tasty since they were 12 and are used to cooking on an induction cooktop and doing hacks of packaged products.

Larry Canam, a home bartender in Fredericton, New Brunswick, has amassed 6.7 million TikTok followers with a vibe that Brandon Buechley, associate editor at DK, calls very Grandpa-coded. He brings comfort. Commenter requests for nonalcoholic drinks led to the weekly series that lends its name to his forthcoming book: Milkshake Monday (Oct.), written with David Canam, Larrys son, who helped him get his start on the platform. Buechley, who says he typically acquires books more traditionally, via agent submissions, reached out to the Canams based on a tip from one of his coworkers.

Its important to find someone who has dedicated followers who are hungry for specific content, Buechley says. Milkshake Monday is Larrys most popular series, and theres a lot of interactivity between him and his followers. The books 80-plus recipeschurro milkshake and pina colada happy hour milkshake, to name twoall include QR codes to the corresponding TikToks to showcase Larrys personality even more, Buechley says.

Gallery Books senior editor Molly Gregory says that figuring out why a TikTok cook resonates with followers is the key to a successful transition to the page. Why, precisely, has a content creator found an audience? Is their brand substantive enough to be turned into a 200-page book? Do they have a personal story that fans find interesting and compelling? Her author Nadia Caterina Munno has 3.7 million followers and an alluring backstory: she was born in Rome and comes from a long line of professional pasta-makers. Now living in South Florida, she turned to full-time influencing in 2020 after her takedown of what she called a blasphemous lasagna went viral.

Munno made the leap to print with 2022s The Pasta Queen: A Just Gorgeous Cookbook, which PWs starred review called infectiously jubilant, and extends her fashion-forward, high-energy brand with Novembers The Pasta Queen: The Art of Italian Cooking, written with Anna Francese Gass. Where her first book focused on pasta, her second ranges over a variety of courses and dishes: stuffed baked potatoes with cheese and guanciale, baked salt cod filets with tomato sauce and olives, and sauteed dandelion greens.

Trend set

As cookbook editors trawl TikTok for the Next Big Thing, sky-high metrics will almost always impress. At a certain level, you dont need anybody from outside the fan base to buy a book, Rosenberg says. His example: if only 1% of McCombss nearly 11 million followers bought his book, that would be a very good number of books sold. That said, our approach is always to address all potential audiences. Originally, Rosenberg wanted to title the book The Ramen King Ivan Cookbook, but thats going to be completely opaque to people who havent seen the channel before. So, we flipped it and made it the subtitle.

Editors are there to help TikTokkers think through these issues. When people are passionate about something, it comes through pretty organically, Giambelluca says. I ask questions as their editor, but also as a consumer: for instance, how do you make focaccia approachable without dulling down the flavor? My job is to make the book digestible and interesting to people who dont know who Alessandra [Fontana] is. My responsibility is to stay true to what she does, but also serve the reader.

Harvest executive editor Sarah Pelz points out that the culinary influencer-to-cookbook author pipeline isnt that novel. Back in the day, when it was blog-to-book, publishers asked, Theres all this content online; whats going to bring readers to the book?  she says. That conversation has evolved, and yet its the same.

Harvest author Owen Hans 4.3 million followers tune in for his inventive takes on sandwiches. In his forthcoming debut, Stacked (Oct.), he shares some fan favorites but mostly new recipes, like bacon and egg biscuits with sriracha honey, and bao with hoisin pork burnt ends. The book leads with Hans personal history. He learned to cook in his grandmothers small village in Italy, Pelz says. His fathers side is of Chinese origin, and he grew up seeing his father making these beautiful Chinese meals for him and his friends. He started posting on TikTok on a whim during Covid; hed lost his father fairly recently, and his whole life changed during a time when so many people were suffering. You can get a sense of someone through social media, but the book is a deeper dive.

Its this promise of connection that makes a book appeal to a wide range of readers, Pelz says. All of this, going back to blogs and other forms of social media, has always been about an author having a relationship with their fans.

Pooja Makhijani is a writer and editor in New Jersey.

Read more from our cookbooks feature:

Taste, Memory: PW Talks with Ashleigh Shanti

In Our South, the James Beard nominee compiles more than 125 recipes that showcase the ways in which Black cooks have shaped Southern foodways and cultures.

Five New Vietnamese Cookbooks by Diaspora Authors

Personal understandings of culture and cuisine inform these recipe collections.

New Cookbooks for Children

Mark Bittman, Gabrielle Langholtz, Joan Nathan, and others are teaching confidence and connection in the kitchen.
Top Chef alum and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Tu David Phu dedicated his debut cookbook, The Memory of Taste (4 Color, Sept.), to his parents, refugees from Phu Quoc, Vietnam, who settled in the Bay Area.

We were poor, Phu says. They were paid under the table. They werent literate except in their own languages. What they taught me about food was fucking valuable. This book is my attempt to celebrate them and their generational knowledgethat wealth that isnt always appreciated or cherished.

In Madame Vo (Abrams, Oct.), Jimmy Ly and Yen Vo, the married duo behind the New York City noodle spot of the same name, honor their southern Vietnamese ancestors and also consider the next generation. Growing up, I tried to assimilate, tried not to be Vietnamese, Vo says. I now have children who are so excited to be Asianso confident and proud of their nationalities.

Ly adds, It was really important to do this for the culture.

These books are two among several forthcoming titles by Vietnamese diaspora authors, all deeply rooted in personal understandings of culture and cuisine.

ac Biet Nini Nguyen, with Sarah Zorn. Knopf, out now Chef, cooking instructor, and two-time Top Chef alum Nguyen, with food writer Zorn, fuses Vietnamese and New Orleans cooking to exemplify the culinary concept of dac biet, or something special, distinctive, or fancy. Amid the recipes, which include a Viet Cajun seafood boil and pho with everything, are guides to entertaininge.g., how to throw a make-your-own goi cuon (spring roll) partyand stories of the Vietnamese community in New Orleans.

i An Tue Nguyen. Simon Element, Sept. Nguyen, aka TwayDaBae (674K followers on TikTok), owner and chef at ii in West Hollywood, encourages her Gen-Z audience to integrate Vietnamese dishes into their repertoire, beginning with primers on Vietnamese pantry staples and recommended kitchen tools. One chapter, Internet Famous, details Nguyens viral recipes, including lemongrass chicken and fish sauce wings.

Healthy, My Way My Nguyen. Rodale, Oct. The creator behind the My Healthy Dish social media accounts (4.7 million followers on TikTok) follows her 2016 cookbook of the same name with a collection that leans more heavily into her second-generation Vietnamese American identity. The more than 100 recipes include Asian-influenced dishes such as vermicelli bowls with grilled shrimp and pickled vegetables, Vietnamese pork tenderloin, and chicken-veggie pan fry with glass noodles.

Madame Vo Jimmy Ly and Yen Vo with Dan Q Dao. Abrams, Oct. Married duo Ly and Vo, with culture writer Dao, adapt their restaurants double-fried chicken wingsdrive-straight-from-the-airport good, according to veteran New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wellsand southern Vietnamese pho, as well as their familys favorites, like Te.t noodles and banh kep la dua (pandan waffles).

The Memory of Taste Tu David Phu and Soleil Ho. 4 Color, Sept. Phu, writing with San Francisco Chronicle cultural critic Ho, offers 85-plus recipes inspired by his coastal Vietnamese roots and his Oakland upbringing, including banh canh cha ca (fish cake and tapioca noodle soup), a Phu Quoc island specialty, and mi xao toi nam cuc (truffled garlic noodles), a San Franciscan/Viet American dish. Interspersed are guides to seafood and fish sauce, and explainers of Phus no-waste, fin-to-gill cooking style.
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LAOS: The Indian Embassy in Laos has successfully rescued 47 Indian nationals trapped in cyber scam centers in the Bokeo province. This operation marks a significant effort by the embassy to combat illegal activities in the region.

The rescue mission, announced on Saturday, involved freeing 29 individuals who were handed over by Lao authorities after a crackdown on the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The remaining 18 individuals had approached the embassy directly, seeking urgent assistance.

Embassy officials traveled from Vientiane to Bokeo to coordinate with local authorities and facilitate the rescue. Upon their arrival, Indian Ambassador to Laos, Prashant Agrawal, met with the rescued individuals to discuss their experiences and provide guidance on their next steps.

The embassy has completed all necessary procedures with Lao authorities for the repatriation of these individuals. So far, 30 of the 47 have either returned to India or are en route, while the remaining 17 are awaiting final travel arrangements.

Ambassador Agrawal emphasized the embassy's commitment to the safety and well-being of Indian nationals, stating that it is a top priority.

Last month, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the issue of trafficking with Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone during his visit. The Indian Embassy had previously rescued 13 Indians from similar cyber scam centers.

The embassy has urged the Lao government to take stronger measures against fraudulent activities affecting foreign nationals.

What is Digital Arrest?

Autopsy of Indian Pilgrims Killed in Nepal Bus Crash Underway
The government is planning to introduce legislative changes to the Foreign Exchange Management Act (Fema) regulations, with a focus on easing the pathway for inflows from a foreign portfolio investor to transition seamlessly into foreign direct investments (FDI) once the FPI surpasses the 10 per cent ownership threshold in a company.

Photograph: Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters

This move stems from multiple requests by foreign investors seeking to streamline the reporting requirements that arise when their stakes in Indian firms cross the 10 per cent mark.

Currently, Fema has watertight regulations that restrict an FPI from buying more than 10 per cent as a strategic investor in a single company, a senior government official told Business Standard.

At the same time, FDI rules allow for up to 100 per cent investment in many sectors.

The official noted that the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) is working on resolving key concerns to address the challenges faced by such foreign investors.

Among the issues flagged are ambiguities surrounding the shift from FPI to FDI.

Custodians, for example, are currently required to open separate security and depository accounts when an investment is reclassified, the official said, leading to reporting complexities and potential mismatches.

Further, tax treatment upon conversion to FDI remains unclear, creating uncertainty for investors.

Corporate actions during the conversion process from FPI to FDI pose their own set of hurdles, too, necessitating a relook at the existing framework.

Uncertainty also surrounds the designation of the designated depository participant (DDP) under the multiple investment manager (MIM) structure, especially in cases where more than one DDP is involved.

These issues underscore the need for clarity and guidance to facilitate a smooth transition from FPI to FDI, the official said.

Discussions are already underway on simplifying procedures and aligning FPI regulations more closely with FDI norms, he said.

Current rules stipulate that FPIs breaching the 10 per cent limit have the option to divest their excess holdings within five trading days from the date of settlement.

Should they choose not to divest, the entire investment by the FPI and its investor group is classified as a foreign direct investment, effectively prohibiting further portfolio investment in the company in question.

In such cases, the FPIs designated custodian must notify depositories and the company involved, so the necessary changes can be reflected in their records within seven trading days from the date of settlement of the trades causing the breach.

Reclassification of an FPIs holdings as FDI, as well as divestment of excess shares, shall be subject to additional conditions as specified by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Notably, any breach of the aggregate or sectoral investment limit during the interim period  between the acquisition and subsequent sale or reclassification to FDI  will not be deemed a violation of rules.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her latest Budget speech, underscored the governments intent to simplify FDI and overseas investment rules.

Earlier this month, the DEA introduced a series of changes to Fema regulations, including the relaxation of cross-border share swap rules.



The move aims to support the global expansion of Indian businesses by enabling smoother mergers, acquisitions, and strategic alliances with international partners.
Nationalist Congress Party leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday didn't join his cabinet colleagues Devendra Fadnavis and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in visiting the Nagpur-based memorial of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh founder.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar interacts with Union minister Nitin Gadkari during the launch of the second phase of Mukhyamantri Mazi Ladki Bahin Scheme, at Reshimbagh ground in Mumbai on Saturday, August 31, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

Taking a swipe, Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar leader and MLA Jitendra Awhad said people will not be fooled by Ajit Pawar's optics given that he shares power with the Bharatiya Janata Party, backed by the Sangh.

Shinde and Fadnavis visited Hedgewar's memorial in Nagpur ahead of a 'Mazi Ladki Bahin' scheme function in Nagpur.

"Ajit Pawar is playing a game at a different level. He is politically sharing power with the BJP but has also been trying to project himself as a leader who will not visit the memorial (of the RSS founder). He (Ajit Pawar) acts differently in public as a politician and practices different politics behind curtains," Awhad alleged.

He rejected PM Narendra Modi's apology over the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Sindhudurg district.

"Why did Modi raise the Veer Savarkar issue and demand an apology (for those who insulted) Savarkar while speaking about the statue incident? The Savarkar issue was over before the Lok Sabha elections. It means he (Modi) did not want to apologise. Why bring up an issue nobody was discussing?" Awhad stated.

He alleged the government's laxity in arresting the accused sculptor of the Shivaji Maharaj statue that crashed; suspects involved in Vishalgad fort vandalism, and the principal of the Badlapur school where two girls were allegedly sexually assaulted by an attendant.

The MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa in Thane district also alleged that the state government had promised to increase the monthly wages of ASHA workers by Rs 5,000 last December, but the payment has not been revised yet.

"Additionally, the portion of their payment that used to come from local governing bodies has now been completely stopped. As a result, the approximately 72,000 ASHA workers in the state are being exploited by the state government," the former minister claimed.

Awhad alleged that Shiv Sena leader and state health minister Tanaji Sawant's 'nausea' remarks on the association with NCP was a fallout of Pawar -- who holds the finance ministry -- objecting to clearing Sawant's file.

"Sawant intended to purchase a vehicle for Rs 30 lakh despite its actual price being only Rs 3 lakh. This caused a stormy discussion at the last Cabinet meeting where Ajit Pawar objected to the inflated price. It was revealed that Sawant had already taken a 50 per cent commission, but, the file regarding the purchase is now stuck." he alleged.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that it's crucial to start a new chapter in the Indo-Bangla ties, which should begin with the extradition of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as her continued presence in India could further damage bilateral relations.

IMAGE: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Photograph: ANI Photo

The veteran leader, the second-in-command of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, emphasised his party's desire for strong relations with India, stating they are prepared to "move past previous differences and collaborate".

He also assured that the BNP would never permit any activities on Bangladeshi soil that could threaten India's security.

In an interview with PTI at his residence in Dhaka, Alamgir said if the BNP is voted to power, it will review and re-evaluate the 'questionable' Adani electricity deal signed during the Awami League regime, as it is putting 'tremendous pressure' on the people of Bangladesh.

Claiming that it was a diplomatic failure on the part of New Delhi for failing to understand the psyche of the people of Bangladesh, Alamgir said that even after the fall of the Hasina government following a people's uprising, the 'Indian establishment is yet to reach out to BNP, even though China, the US, the UK, and Pakistan have already done so.'

Alamgir asserted that the safety of minorities in Bangladesh is an "internal matter," contending that reports of attacks on Hindus are "not accurate" since most incidents are politically motivated rather than communal.

Sheikh Hasina has to face the law of Bangladesh for all the crimes and corruption committed by her and her regime. To enable this and respect the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh, India should ensure her return to Bangladesh," he said.

After unprecedented anti-government protests that peaked on August 5, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India. Hasina's presence in India for over three weeks has given rise to speculation in Bangladesh.

"We want to start a new chapter in India-Bangladesh relations, and ensuring the return of Hasina to Bangladesh will be a new leaf in the bilateral ties," he said

"Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League are both condemned here and standing by them will only worsen the perception of India in Bangladesh," he told PTI.

Alamgir said if India doesn't ensure the return of Hasina to Bangladesh, bilateral ties between the two nations will worsen.

"There is already anger against India, as it is seen as a supporter of the authoritarian Sheikh Hasina regime. If you ask anyone in Bangladesh, they will say that India did not do the right thing by giving shelter to Sheikh Hasina.

"Now, if India doesn't ensure the extradition of Hasina to Bangladesh, the relationship between the two countries will further decline," he said.

On Friday, the spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, during a press briefing was asked if a formal request had been made from Bangladesh's interim government for the extradition of Hasina, but he did not give a clear answer.

"The former prime minister of Bangladesh came to India at very short notice for safety reasons. We have nothing further to add on that matter. What you asked lies in the realm of hypothetical issues," Jaiswal had said.

When asked about the ongoing 'India out' campaign in Bangladesh, Alamgir said there is 'palpable' anger against India, as it never bothered to establish a relationship with the people of the country but was content with its relationship with the Awami League only.

"India's diplomacy regarding Bangladesh was not pragmatic. It did not establish a relationship with the people of Bangladesh and other stakeholders but put all its eggs in one basket. India has to understand the pulse of the people of Bangladesh," he said.

Alamgir said if voted to power, the BNP would try to strengthen the relationship with India and resolve misunderstandings and past differences.

"If we are voted to power, we will engage more with India, as we want a strong relationship with India. We will try to resolve the misunderstandings and past differences.

"We have to talk, as that will be pragmatic diplomacy to resolve the issues. Even after such a major political upheaval in Bangladesh, India has not started any dialogue with us," he said.

The 76-year-old leader said the high commissioners and ambassadors of Pakistan, China, the US, and the UK "had reached out and spoken to us, but there has been no communication from India."

Alamgir said questionable bilateral treaties that went against the interests of Bangladesh during the Awami League regime will be re-examined and, if needed, reviewed.

"We have no issues with bilateral treaties and agreements with India done during the Awami League regime, which are in the interest of Bangladesh. But there are some questionable bilateral treaties and agreements that are not in the interest of Bangladesh and need to be re-looked and reviewed," he said.

Listing out bilateral projects that need to be re-examined, Alamgir said the Adani electricity deal tops the list, as "there are a lot of questions regarding it" and it is putting "a lot of pressure on the people of Bangladesh."

Speaking on the issue of attacks on Hindu minorities following the fall of the Awami League government earlier this month, Alamgir called the reports 'factually incorrect and misleading.'

"The reports that attacks on Hindu minorities are taking place are factually incorrect. There may be some instances, but those are more political in nature and not communal," he said.

"The attacks might have occurred because of political reasons, as the victims were activists of the Awami League, irrespective of religion, caste, or creed. We have taken precautions and asked our leaders to protect Hindu families," he said.

Alamgir asserted that the 'issue of minority safety' is an internal matter of the country.

"The question of minorities is an internal matter of Bangladesh. When India makes it an issue, Bangladesh needs to address it at an international forum. We never complain about what happens to Indian minorities, so no one should comment on the issue of minorities here," he said.

When asked about concerns that anti-India elements might gain ground on Bangladeshi soil in the absence of the Awami League government, the former minister in the BNP cabinet said, "The BNP government would never allow anti-India forces to gain ground in the country."

"Terrorism or such activities in Bangladesh are very minimal in nature, and the situation is under control. We can assure India that BNP will never allow any anti-India forces or security threats to gain ground in the country," he said.

Alamgir hoped that fresh elections would be held in the country within a year.

"We hope the reforms undertaken by the interim government in the election commission, judiciary, bureaucracy, and police will be completed in a year, and then fresh elections can be held," he said.

When asked whether the BNP led by former premier Khaleda Zia would go for an alliance with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami just like early 2000, Alamgir said the party presently is not in alliance with Jamaat.

"The alliance we had with the Jamaat ceased to exist long ago. But at times we had carried out joint programmes against the Awami League regime during the recent people;'s uprising. But at the moment we are not in any alliance with Jamaat," he said.
A snag-hit helicopter being towed to Gauchar for repairs by an MI-17 chopper of the Indian Air Force crashed in the hills near Kedarnath on Saturday morning.

IMAGE: Indian Air Force's Mi-17 V5 helicopter. Image used only for representation. Photograph: ANI Photo

There were no casualties as the helicopter that crashed was unoccupied, Rudraprayag's District Tourism Officer Rahul Chaubey said.

The helicopter belonged to Crystal Aviation Pvt Ltd and had been lying in disuse since its emergency landing in Kedarnath on May 24 after developing a technical snag, he said.

In the May 24 emergency landing by the helicopter, all seven people on board, including pilgrims, escaped unhurt.

It was being taken to Gauchar for repairs on Saturday morning by an MI-17 helicopter which began to go off balance over Lincholi.

Sensing trouble, the pilot of the MI-17 dropped the snag-hit chopper at a vacant spot so that there was no human casualty, Chaubey said.

There was no passenger or luggage in the crashed helicopter.

A rescue team reached the spot as soon as information was received. The team is inspecting the situation, the official said.

Authorities have appealed to people not to spread any rumours about the helicopter crash.

The Indian Air Force said that the chopper airlifting the damaged Kestrel civil helicopter had to 'jettison the load' due to flight safety reasons.

It said an inquiry has been ordered into the matter.

'An #IAF Mi-17 V5, while airlifting damaged Kestrel civil helicopter in Uttarakhand today, had to jettison the load due to flight safety reasons.

'The crew safely released the load over an unpopulated area, ensuring no damage to life or property. An enquiry has been ordered, #AviationSafety,' the IAF said in a post on X.
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It pays to look at Warren Buffett's portfolio. For more than a decade, he's held onto one of the most successful fintech stocks in recent memory: Visa (NYSE: V). It's not hard to see what Buffett loves so much about this company. Payment networks benefit from natural industry concentration. Right now, Visa controls 61% of the U.S. market for credit and debit cards. Mastercard comes in second with a 25% market share, while just two other companies round out nearly the entirety of the final 14% of the market. This consolidation gives Visa immense pricing power. When combined with an asset-light business model and a bit of leverage, the company is able to post consistent returns on equity that most companies can only dream of.

V Return on Equity Chart

Note that Visa has been able to boost its returns on equity without taking on too much debt. The cause of its performance, then, isn't overleveraging the balance sheet but harnessing the benefits of its low-fixed overhead powered by network effects. As Visa grows bigger, its competitive advantages only strengthen, allowing it to maintain its industry duopoly position. And because its services largely run on software, its profitability rises as its business scales. It's a powerful business model, one that is likely to grow ever stronger in the years to come.

Visa stock trades at about 29 times earnings, about the same as the S&P 500 average. Warren Buffett doesn't appear to be selling any shares at these prices. Both growth and value investors alike should consider this quality business.

Want even more growth? This stock is for you

Visa isn't the only fintech stock that Warren Buffett owns. His portfolio also includes Nu Holdings (NYSE: NU) -- a fintech business with huge long-term upside potential.

Many investors have never heard of Nu despite its $70 billion market cap. That's because it operates solely in Latin America, where it boasts more than 100 million customers. Its smartphone banking services took the Latin American market by storm in 2013 when it began grabbing business from conventional banks that were charging customers high prices for basic financial services. Nu's services, meanwhile, were available to anyone with a smartphone. This business model lowered costs for Nu while also giving it instant access to Latin America's 650 million residents. The company launched in Brazil roughly a decade ago. And today, more than half of all Brazilian adults are Nu customers! Recent launches in Mexico and Colombia have brought similar success, and revenue is still growing at 65% year over year.

Story continues

NU PS Ratio Chart

To be sure, Nu stock isn't cheap. The shares trade at nearly 10 times sales, which is almost unheard of for a bank stock. But this is a true fintech business, not your average bank. Sales are growing so quickly that today's premium may quickly look like a bargain some day. This story will take patience to play out, but investors looking for maximum growth should take a closer look.

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2 No-Brainer Fintech Stocks to Buy With $200 Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool
People belonging to the Kuki-Zo community on Saturday took out three rallies in parts of Manipur to press their demand for a separate administration and protested against the viral audio clips allegedly of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, in which certain objectionable comments were made.

IMAGE: Unau Tribal Forum members stage a protest demanding justice for the Kuki-Zo tribals of Manipur, at Freedom Park, in Bengaluru on August 1, 2023. The image is used only for representation. Photograph: ANI Photo

They organised the rallies at Leishang in Churachandpur district, Keithelmanbi in Kangpokpi and Moreh in Tengnoupal.

In Churachandpur, the protest rally started from the Anglo Kuki war gate at Leishang and culminated at Peace ground in Tuiboung, covering a distance of 6 km.

All markets and schools in the district remained closed in view of the rally organised by students belonging to the Kuki-Zo community.

Commissioner (Home) N Ashok Kumar urged people to keep business establishments and private institutions open in view of the rallies.

Hundreds of protesters participated in the rally which commenced from Keithelmanbi Military colony in Kangpokpi and they marched to Thomas ground in the district headquarters covering a distance of 8 km.

G Kipgen, a protestor in the Kangpokpi rally, said, "The demonstration is being held to press our demand for a union territory for the Kuki Zo people."

"We also protest against the viral audio clips in which objectionable comments were made," another protester said.

The Manipur government had said that the audio clips, falsely claiming to be the voice of the chief minister, were released on social media in an attempt to derail peace initiatives in the ethnic violence-affected state.

The government had claimed that the audio tapes were 'doctored' and the state police were conducting an investigation into the matter.

Another protest march was also held in the India-Myanmar border town of Moreh, demanding a separate administration.

In an interview with PTI, the chief minister emphatically rejected the demand by Kuki groups for a separate administration, presenting himself as a champion of the state's interest and one who will not allow its identity to be diluted.

This was the first unequivocal rejection of the demand by Kukis.

At a press conference on Thursday in New Delhi, some representatives of Kuki-Zo communities demanded the creation of a union territory with a legislature along the lines of Puducherry, arguing that it is the only way out of strife.

Singh, a Meitei accused by Kukis of siding with his community in the ethnic violence which erupted in May last year and polarised Manipur society like never before, has, however, expressed his support for a special development package for the state's hilly region where Kukis live.

The clashes between the Kuki-Zo and Meiti ethnic groups since May 2023 have left 226 dead, according to an official count.
Throwing its weight behind actor-cum-MLA M Mukesh, the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist in Kerala on Saturday said that he need not resign from his post as legislator merely because a rape case has been registered against him.

IMAGE: Mahila Congress workers hold a protest against Malayalam actor and Communist Party of India-Marxist MLA M Mukesh following a female actor's allegation that he sexually assaulted her years ago, in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. Photograph: ANI Photo

The CPI-M state secretary M V Govindan justified the party decision by pointing out that according to the National Election Watch Report, 16 MPs and 135 MLAs from parties across the country, including from the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress, the Telugu Desam Party and the Aam Aadmi Party, were accused of crimes against women but had not resigned as legislators.

"Therefore, there is no need for him to resign from his post as MLA," he said at a press conference here following the party's state committee meeting in Thiruvananthapuram during the day.

The Marxist veteran said that even Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said a day ago that every person should be given the opportunity to prove their innocence.

"Mukesh is an accused right now. He has not been found guilty. The two are different. If he is found guilty, then appropriate action would be taken against him. We are not protecting him," Govindan said.

The CPI-M state secretary asked that if the MLA resigns on moral grounds, then can he be brought back on the same condition if he is proved innocent?

"He can come back as MLA only after being elected and not on moral grounds," he said.

Govindan, however, said the party also decided that Mukesh should not be part of the film-making policy committee and be removed from that in view of the allegations against him.

He said that it was also decided that no special treatment or exemption should be shown to Mukesh during the investigation because he is an MLA of the ruling party.

Govindan further said that by lodging an FIR against a sitting MLA of the government, the Left administration in Kerala has set an example for the country as a whole to follow.

He also said that the Justice Hema Committee, the first of its kind initiative by a state in the country, was constituted as a defence against sexual harassment and exploitation of women in the film industry.

Govindan also said that the government has no need to hurriedly hold a conclave to discuss the issues being faced by women in the film industry.

He said that it will be held after the deliberations by the film policy making committee and receipt of its report.

There have been protests in various parts of the state by the Congress and the BJP and their respective youth and women wings demanding the actor's resignation as MLA.

A first information report (FIR) under Indian Penal Code 376 (rape) was registered against the actor at Maradu police station in Kochi city on Wednesday night on the complaint by a woman who has appeared in a handful of movies.

She had alleged that Mukesh sexually assaulted her years ago.

Multiple FIRs have been registered against many high profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors in the wake of revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report.

The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealing instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.

Following the allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation cropping up against several actors and directors, the state government on August 25 announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team to probe them.
Top actor Mohanlal on Saturday broke his silence over the shocking revelations in the Justice Hema Committee report which has shaken the Malayalam film industry, and said the entire industry is answerable to the questions raised but the actors' association is targeted and blamed for everything.

IMAGE: Actor Mohanlal speaks on the sexual abuse allegations in the Malayalam film industry, on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo

He said Malayalam cinema is a huge industry where thousands of people work and the actors' association AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) could not address every issue that cropped up there.

Cinema is part of the society and what happens everywhere else is happening in the industry also, the Kireedam actor told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

It was for the first time that Mohanlal, who recently resigned as the president of AMMA, was addressing the media following the release of the Hema panel report which shed light on the alleged harassment and exploitation of women professionals in the Malayalam film industry.

Speaking on the sidelines of a programme, the actor said the executive panel of the Association headed by him resigned recently in the wake of 'unnecessary allegations' being raised against it after the release of the report.

Justifying his alleged delayed response over the findings in the report, Mohanlal said he never ran away from his responsibilities but could not appear before the media in the past few days as he was away from the state due to his personal and professional commitments.

He said he had been part of the film industry for the past 47 years and it was 'painful' to answer the questions with regard to the unfortunate issues in the film industry.

He said as a movie professional, he had deposed before the Hema Committee twice and he had no knowledge about its content other than what has appeared on the media.

However, he said he was unaware about the report's revelations on the alleged presence of a power group in the film industry.

"I am not part of any power group in Malayalam cinema and not aware of the existence of any such group. I have heard about it for the first time," the actor said.

The national award winning actor also justified the actions of AMMA, whose executive panel helmed by him was resigned recently.

"AMMA is not an outfit with trade union nature. It was launched for the welfare of its members....The entire film industry is answerable to the questions regarding the Hema panel," he further said.

There are several associations and outfits in the Malayalam cinema but AMMA is targeted and blamed for everything in view of the revelations in the report, he alleged.

"It is not right to crucify an outfit alone for all these issues," Mohanlal said.

Most of the questions were directed at the actors' Association and himself which resulted in the recent resignation of its executive panel, the top actor said.

Claiming that their resignation was not a failure or running away from responsibilities of the outfit, he said it was taken as several unnecessary allegations had come up against them.

Let new people come and lead AMMA, he said.

"Wrongdoers should be punished if there is evidence against them," Mohanlal said while referring to the allegations of sexual misconduct and assaults that surfaced against some of the members of the Association.

Stating that the release of the Hema Committee report was a good decision of the government, the senior actor said it has given several suggestions to guide the industry in the right direction.

He also wanted to ensure equal justice in the film industry and urged the support of the media to rebuild the film sector which is facing an unprecedented crisis now.

Mohanlal also appealed to everyone not to destroy the film industry, which has been the source of bread and butter of thousands of people, over the recent developments.

The actor, however, did not directly reply to many of the questions asked by the reporters regarding the revelations in the Hema panel saying that it is a matter under the consideration of the court.
A migrant worker from West Bengal was allegedly beaten to death in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri district over suspicion that he had eaten beef, police said on Saturday, adding they have arrested five members of a cow vigilante group for the attack.

IMAGE: Haryana Police arrest seven people, including two minors, in connection with the murder of a migrant labourer in Charkhi Dadri on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini dubbed the August 27 incident 'unfortunate' but said it is 'not right to say things like mob lynching'.

A senior police officer said the accused attacked Sabir Malik, who wad in his mid-20s, on the suspicion that he consumed beef.

Police identified the five accused as Abhishek, Mohit, Ravinder, Kamaljit and Sahil.

When asked about the incident, Chief Minister Saini told a press conference in Chandigarh, "It is not right to say things like mob lynching. We have enacted a strict law in the state assembly for the protection of cows and there is no compromise on it."

"Gaon ke andar itni sharddha gau mata ke prati hai ki unko agar pata chal jaye ki iss parkar ke yeh halaat kar rahe hain to gaon ke log hain, kaun rokta hai ke phir uske andar kya hua, kya nahi hua. (In villages, the cow is revered so much, and if they (villagers) come to know that they are creating such a situation, then who can prevent what happens there). But, I want to say that such incidents should not take place. These things are unfortunate," he said.

The senior police officer quoted above said that on the day of the incident the accused allegedly called Malik to a shop under the pretence of selling empty plastic bottles and thrashed him there, according to the police officer said.

After some people intervened, the accused took Malik to another location and beat him again, leading to his death, the officer added.

Malik lived in a shanty near Bandhra village in Charkhi Dadri district and collected waste and rag for a living, the police said.

All the five accused have been arrested, they said, adding that two juveniles have also been apprehended in the matter.

A case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against the accused, the police said.

Police have sent food sample testing in a lab in Faridabad, the officer said.

Elderly man assaulted inside train in Maharashtra

An elderly man was allegedly assaulted by his co-passengers in an express train near Igatpuri in Maharashtra's Nashik district on suspicion that he was carrying beef, the Government Railway Police (GRP) said on Saturday.

The GRP has initiated a probe after a video of the alleged incident, which took place earlier this week, surfaced on social media, an official said.

The video shows a dozen people assaulting a man and verbally abusing him inside a train.

According to the GRP, the victim, Haji Ashraf Munyar, a resident of Jalgaon district, was travelling to his daughter's house in Kalyan when he was allegedly beaten up by his co-passengers near Igatpuri on suspicion that he was carrying beef.

"We have taken cognisance of the video and identified the victim. Some of the people involved in the attack have also been identified, and a probe is on," the official said, adding that no case has been registered so far.
Facing social stigma over the birth of her fourth girl child, a 28-year-old woman killed her six-day-old daughter and threw her body on the roof of an adjacent house in west Delhi's Khayala area, police said on Saturday.

Image used only for representation. Photograph: Christian Abella/Pixabay.com

"A PCR call was received around 5.30 am on Friday, reporting that a six-day-old baby girl was missing. Given the sensitivity of the case, officers from the local police station immediately reached the spot," Deputy Commissioner of Police (west) Vichitra Veer.

During initial questioning, the girl's mother, Shivani, claimed that she was discharged from the hospital the previous night and had returned to her parental home.

She told police that after feeding the baby around 2 am, she slept with the child beside her but when she woke up at 4.30 am, the baby was gone, DCP Veer said.

The police officer said a team was constituted to check CCTV footage from the neighbouring area and search nearby houses.

"While the search was on, Shivani said she needs to go the hospital to get her stitches removed. This raised some suspicion but due to her medical condition, the police allowed her to go," the DCP said.

Meanwhile, during the search, a bag was found on the roof of an adjacent house. Upon opening it, the police found the baby, who was immediately taken to the hospital, where the doctors declared her brought dead, Veer said.

The DCP said a police team was subsequently sent to a hospital, bus stations and Shivani's residence in Shahdara to trace her, who on being questioned broke down and confessed to the crime.

Shivani revealed during initial interrogation that the deceased was her fourth daughter, two of whom had already died. The accused cited social stigma as the reason for her actions, he said.

Overwhelmed by these thoughts while feeding the baby, Shivani smothered her daughter and then disposed of the body on the neighbouring roof. She later claimed the baby was missing as she was uncertain about what to tell her family, the DCP said.

Shivani has been arrested and a case of murder has been registered, Veer said.

The police are awaiting the results of the postmortem to verify the account of the accused and determine the exact cause of death, he added.
India on Friday said the recent high-level visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kyiv will pave the way for "stronger bilateral ties" apart from facilitating more forward-looking discussions on the possibility of a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

IMAGE: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a meeting, in Kyiv, on August 23, 2024. Photograph: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters

During his weekly media briefing in New Delhi, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in response to a query, said, "As friends and partners, we will support any feasible and mutually acceptable solution or format that could restore peace."

Asked about Indians stuck in the Russian army, he said, as of today, "15 Indians who have been released, returned to India. There are others, who are awaiting discharge".

"Our mission, our embassy is in touch with the Russian authorities, both on the foreign office side and the defence side, and we hope that those who want to return to India will be released soon," he said.

He also responded to multiple queries on Modi's recent visit to Ukraine and the statement issued by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on it.

"Our view is that the Ukranian side has their perspective on various issues and matters, and they are sharing them with the media," Jaiswal said.

"As far as we are concerned, we will be guided by the bilateral discussion that we had with them, including the high-level visit that just concluded, which we believe will pave the way for stronger bilateral ties apart from facilitating more forward-looking discussions on the possibility of peaceful resolution of the conflict," he added.

The spokesperson said India has "always advocated constructive, solution-oriented, and practical engagement with all stakeholders to achieve a negotiated settlement to this conflict".

"This is evident in our approach, in our outreach to both Russia and Ukraine, at the highest level. The PM has already indicated India's willingness to play a constructive role in the interest of peace. However, it is too early to comment on specific modalities and pathways at this stage," he added.

The decision as to when and how to commence peace talks is the prerogative of the two parties to the conflict, he said.

"As friends and partners, we will support any feasible and mutually acceptable solution or format that could restore peace," Jaiswal said.

On reports about a group of Indians being stranded at Sao Paulo airport in Brazil, he said, "As far as the issue of Indians stranded at Sao Paulo airport is concerned, yes, we are aware".

"There are several Indians. We also have a consulate in Sao Paulo, which is in touch with the foreign office representatives in the city. They also sought a meeting with local authorities. Contrary to what was reported in some media, Indians at the airport are being taken care of, in terms of food," he added.

On a query on the India-Germany bilateral ties, he said the mobility partnership signed between the two sides earlier will "facilitate our people-to-people ties."

Asked when will the India-Africa Summit be held, Jaiswal said, "We are in talks with the African Union to see when can the India-Africa summit be scheduled."
Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) are big pharma peers. They're also each other's biggest rivals, especially in the all-important market for weight-loss drugs, in which both are currently highly successful.

Right now, there are a few reasons to believe that Eli Lilly has the upper hand in this competitive clash. Those reasons support buying its stock, assuming you don't want to invest in both companies. Here are three things that are giving Lilly an edge.

1. The supply constraints blocking Lilly's revenue growth are easing

It's well-known that sales of new weight-loss drugs are powering earnings growth and share-price appreciation for both companies. Demand for those medicines, like Lilly's Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, is so intense in the U.S. that for months neither company has been able to manufacture enough to meet patient demand. In the second quarter alone, Zepbound brought in more than $1.2 billion in revenue, making it a blockbuster drug.

Such a mismatch between supply and demand was bound to be temporary. And with huge investments by both players into building new manufacturing facilities and inking deals with contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs), it's clear that the management teams are eager to unlock the trapped demand as fast as possible.

On that front Lilly looks set to edge ahead, even though its medicine was approved for sale a bit later.

As of its Q2 earnings report, Lilly's chief executive officer said he believes that in the U.S., all doses of Zepbound will be imminently removed from the official drug shortages list maintained by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That will open the door for doctors to begin prescribing the treatment for new patients again, bolstering the company's market share and top line.

Novo Nordisk, on the other hand, seems to still be on the back foot. There aren't firm timelines for when Wegovy will be out of a state of shortage, so it won't be able to grow as quickly.

2. Lilly is forging ahead with a key upgrade to a core program

Wegovy and Zepbound are officially intended to treat obesity, as well as a couple of its most common co-morbidities.

Both pharmas are performing substantial additional research and development (R&D) work, in the form of clinical trials testing their medicines to see if they might be useful in treating or mitigating those co-morbidities -- like sleep apnea, cardiovascular risk, and heart failure. If the company can convince regulators that its products are safe and useful for those conditions, each new indication is an expansion of the addressable market, and therefore of future revenue.

Not all expanded indications are created equal. Some may only increase the addressable market by a pittance; others, like treating heart failure, imply the opportunity for significant growth.

In Q2, it seemed like Novo Nordisk's bid to add heart failure to Wegovy's list of approved indications was a slam dunk, much as several of its prior attempts for other indications had been. Instead, discussions with regulators revealed their concern about certain issues; in early August, Novo Nordisk pulled its application from consideration, and resolved to try again early next year. That was quite unexpected -- and Lilly won't have that problem.

In fact, Lilly just wrapped up its phase 3 trial for the indication, and it's proceeding to send its materials to regulators as fast as possible. Even if the FDA takes plenty of time in reviewing the packet, there is no way Novo Nordisk could get the indication approved before Lilly, assuming the latter company does. Therefore, Lilly will likely get access to that new segment sooner, and subsequently grow more.

3. Lilly entered a new market first

Although Novo Nordisk isn't focused on developing medicines for Alzheimer's disease, it does have aspirations to compete in the emerging market for drugs that treat the condition.

It's currently investigating in late-stage clinical trials whether the molecule semaglutide, the active ingredient of Wegovy, might be helpful. Picking up an extra indication for Alzheimer's would, as previously discussed, increase the addressable market by quite a bit; it would also grant Novo Nordisk a favorable position in the market because there's little competition.

But Eli Lilly got there first. With the FDA's approval in early July of Kisunla, its new medicine for Alzheimer's developed specifically for that purpose, the business will now start to rake in sales. And Lilly's therapy might even have a couple of advantages over Biogen's medication, Leqembi, the first drug regulators approved to treat the condition. Should it prove more effective, its chances of quickly making inroads and gaining market share are pretty decent.

In sum, Lilly has simply one-upped Novo Nordisk a few times recently, and its shareholders are likely to reap the benefits. I don't think Novo Nordisk is a stock to sell right now, but if you're looking to buy just one of the pair, Eli Lilly has a bit more momentum.

Should you invest $1,000 in Eli Lilly right now?

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These 3 Factors Could Make Eli Lilly Stock a Better Buy Than Novo Nordisk Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool
In the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States, Secretary of State Colin Powell gave assurances that America would deal with the tragedy by bringing those responsible to justice while protecting the world's democracies.

"They will never be allowed to kill the spirit of democracy," Powell said. "They cannot destroy our society. They cannot destroy our belief in the democratic way."

President George W. Bush, who won office in 2000 as a candidate who would be cautious about committing U.S. troops to foreign wars, quickly made fighting global terrorism a top policy, and set about establishing an international "coalition of the willing" to carry out the mission.

The U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan had the primary goal of punishing the Al-Qaeda terrorist network, which had been given refuge in Afghanistan and carried out the deadly 9/11 attacks. And once on Afghan soil, Washington quickly ousted the Taliban regime accused of sheltering Al-Qaeda from power.

Costly Campaign

But the U.S. experience in Afghanistan ultimately ended in failure, and with the hard-line Taliban group back in power. The nearly 20-year war ended with immense costs in terms of lives lost and money spent. And it made the U.S. public and politicians on both sides of the aisle in Washington reluctant to get involved in "forever wars" that could not be won.

"More than $2 trillion spent in Afghanistan," U.S. President Joe Biden said on August 31, 2021, in announcing the official end of the United States' longest-ever war. "20,744 American servicemen and women injured, and the loss of 2,461 American personnel."

In explaining to the U.S. public that he was "not going to extend this forever war," Biden did not mention the estimated 70,000 deaths among Afghan security forces, more than 46,000 Afghan civilian deaths, and the deaths of more than 4,000 allied troops and U.S. contractors.

The withdrawal under Biden has become a lightning rod for debate ahead of the U.S. presidential election on November 5. Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump has blasted Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump, for the "humiliation in Afghanistan," with much of the criticism centered on the chaotic last days of the withdrawal, when 13 U.S. soldiers and 170 Afghan civilians died in a bombing by the Islamic State-Khorasan extremist group.

Harris's campaign, meanwhile, has highlighted Trump's role as president in signing the 2020 deal with the Taliban that paved the way for the withdrawal and provided a "virtually impossible" deadline.

But experts who spoke to RFE/RL stressed that multiple U.S. administrations, beginning with Democratic President Barack Obama's from 2009 to 2017 -- had come to the realization that what had begun as a fight against terrorism had become an overly costly and potentially "forever" endeavor.

"It was an extremely expensive war in a place that was probably least important to the United States," said Vali Nasr, a professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University. "It was a war that the United States started to destroy Al-Qaeda, which it did very quickly, then to dislodge the Taliban from Afghanistan, which it did, and then it became something much bigger, like how to establish a democracy and a functioning government in Afghanistan and sustain it."

The question asked by Obama, who initiated an exit strategy by reducing the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and later Trump, was whether there was a compelling reason to stay.

The United States "was becoming committed to a forever war, or a forever presence at the tune of billions of dollars a year and tens of thousands of troops, in a condition that the threat from Afghanistan had declined and the strategic value of the country was declining," Nasr said.

And the economy and civil society established under the protection of the U.S. military, he says, was not something Afghanistan could sustain on its own.

"What the United States created is like a tree that never grew roots," Nasr said. "So, at some point you're going to say, 'I'm going to stop watering it, and I'm going to take my hand off from trying to forcibly keep it upright.'"

No Good Outcome

Rajan Menon, an emeritus professor of international relations at the City College of New York and director of the Grand Strategy Program at Defense Priorities, said that "no matter how long [the United States] had stayed, I don't see what a good ending could have been."

The minimal good outcome, Menon says, would have been "a stable country with a government that may not have been democratic, but which could be counted upon not to serve as a platform for terror and which would have a positive relationship with the United States."

But in attempting to realize that goal, what you are essentially "trying to do is engage in nation-building," Menon said. Even a "very, very powerful military machine" like the United States has difficulties pulling that off, he said, and there "are no pretty exits."

To avoid the chaotic type of withdrawal that took place in Afghanistan, Menon said, "you have to build institutions, political and military and civic in nature." Without that, "once you leave and remove the military protection, the institutions will start crumbling, and that is exactly what happened."

U.S. wars and democracy-building efforts were not isolated to Afghanistan during its nearly 20-year campaign there. There were others -- most notably the costly war in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 -- that former Secretary of State Powell argued was necessitated by an alleged Iraqi program to build weapons of mass destruction that was later determined to be nonexistent.

Prior to his death in 2021 just six weeks after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Powell said that his arguments before the UN Security Council "was a great intelligence failure."

Baghdad and the United States, which sent troops back to Iraq in 2014 to help fight the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, are still trying to repair relations. According to the Soufan Center think tank on September 9, the two sides reportedly have reached an agreement to transition from the United States leading the effort against IS to a bilateral partnership.

'Forever' Ending?

So is the U.S. era of "forever wars" over?

Many of the unique circumstances that accompanied the Afghan invasion -- a direct attack on U.S. soil, counterterrorism becoming a focal point of U.S. policy, and the idea that nation-building is an effective solution -- are unlikely to repeat themselves, Nasr says.

And the mood in the United States amid a hotly contested election campaign could indicate that it will at least think twice.

With both Trump and Harris there is "a little bit of a backlash against the so-called forever wars...and I think the American public probably will be much less supportive" of involvement in them in the future," Menon said.

But Madiha Afzal, a fellow in the foreign policy program at Brookings, said in written comments that while "some of the lessons from the Afghanistan war" had started being discussed, particularly in the last couple of years of the conflict, "the disaster of the withdrawal...really focused the conversation in America on Afghanistan to be just about the withdrawal."

The larger discussion about the war, Afzal said, "has been entirely obscured," with much of the conversation becoming intensely partisan.

"I fear that the larger lessons of the 20-year war have been lost along the way," Afzal concluded.
Azerbaijan holds parliamentary elections on September 1 that will almost certainly be dominated by allies -- and their children -- eager to help President Ilham Aliyev further consolidate his dynastic rule.

The carefully vetted process offers Azerbaijan's 6 million-plus voters limited alternatives to Aliyev loyalists and comes early in a fifth term built for decades on petro-wealth and carefully choreographed elections, and more recently on the culmination of a generation-defining dispute with neighboring Armenia.

Many Azerbaijanis and outsiders speculated that a resolution of the "Karabakh question," ending the post-Soviet world's longest-running frozen conflict, could offer a chance for rejuvenating democratic impulses in Baku even if Aliyev remained firmly in place.

But the absence of any "genuine alternative" to the 62-year-old Aliyev's re-election in February, Baku's bitter fallout with the Council of Europe's rights- and democracy-promotion arm PACE, and its recent encouragement of Moscow and embrace of the BRICS alliance all suggest otherwise.

Moreover, the emergence of a handful of children of aging, establishment-linked lawmakers vying to replace their fathers in this weekend's parliamentary elections could portend a whole new generation of Azerbaijani elites beholden to Aliyev and his system.

And a crackdown on journalists and civil-society activists since the repatriation of Nagorno-Karabakh last year is being likened to a notorious spate of jailings and harassment a decade earlier, only broader.

"It just seems to be trying to clear everyone [else] out," Michael Runey, an adviser on democracy assessment for the intergovernmental International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), told RFE/RL. "That's really a sign of a government that's trying to wipe out any sort of independent organization in society."

He cited recent arrests including that of Bahruz Samadov, a 29-year-old Azerbaijani doctoral student abroad accused of high treason, apparently over critical statements about the 2020 war and 2023 military operations around Nagorno-Karabakh.

In metrics like representation, rule of law, and participation, Runey said, Azerbaijan already fared poorly. There were hopes that a more democratic path might open once the Karabakh conflict was resolved, he said, but "people are experiencing that this is not the case."

Instead, he warned, "the government is attempting to consolidate and close off any sort of possible avenues for democratization."

Runey said that especially since retaking Karabakh last year, "I feel like the government in Baku feels they just don't really need to placate the West anymore."

Baku's tightly controlled analytical community routinely describes Aliyev's recent moves as "independent foreign policy," as opposed to any turn away from the West and toward Russia or other authoritarian counterparts by a key oil and gas provider in an unstable corner of the former Soviet Union.

Western observers have consistently criticized elections cementing Aliyev's reign as undemocratic, and Azerbaijani votes stretching back to 2003 and as recently as 2020 have been marred by violence.

As a result, Aliyev's New Azerbaijan Party -- which is formally chaired by first lady and Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva -- and an assemblage of loyalist parties have dominated the 125-seat National Assembly.

The leading opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (AXCP) is staying away from "the government's masquerade of a fraudulent election" for the seventh straight time. But the Musavat Party is participating despite serial problems like obstacles to monitoring, campaigning and media that is heavily skewed toward the ruling party, and serious election-day irregularities, saying, "Even if only five or 10 people show up, the election will be considered as held" because of the lack of any turnout threshold since 2003 .

At least a handful of next-generation elites are likely to join the existing loyalist ranks in parliament. Candidates in the September 1 vote reportedly include Samir Ahmadoglu Valiyev, a son of former lawmaker and university rector Ahmad Valiyev; Mahir Tahiroglu Suleymanli, a son of influential former lawmaker Tahir Suleymanov; and Gunay Agamali, who is running to replace her father, Fazail Agamali, a nearly 30-year parliamentary veteran and Motherland Party leader who is said to be stepping down for health reasons. Aygun Manyeva, the daughter of a former legislator who is now a member of the Central Election Commission, initially appeared on the New Azerbaijan Party list but reportedly withdrew her candidacy.

Aliyev has ruled Azerbaijan since taking over from his dying father in 2003 and won a new seven-year term in a snap vote seen by international observers as deeply flawed.

Written and with reporting by Andy Heil with additional reporting by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service
Israel on October 7 marked the somber anniversary of the Hamas attack on the Jewish state that killed more than 1,200 people and took some 250 hostages as the Israeli military continued its massive air strikes on Beirut and its incursion in southern Lebanon that aims to destroy the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog led a national moment of silence at 6:29 a.m., the time the attack started, at Kibbutz Reim, the site of the Nova music festival where hundreds of mostly young revelers were killed by gunmen from Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.

In Washington, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris condemned Hamas on the anniversary, while also stating again the U.S. administration's commitment to reaching cease-fire agreements to end fighting in both Gaza and Lebanon.

"On this solemn anniversary, let us bear witness to the unspeakable brutality of the October 7 attacks but also to the beauty of the lives that were stolen that day," Biden said in a statement.

The Israeli military said that during the ceremony led by Herzog, four projectiles were launched from Gaza toward the same Israeli communities targeted at the start of last year's attack. The military said the ceremony was not disrupted.

In Jerusalem, relatives of the some 100 hostages still in Hamas captivity, many of whom are believed dead, gathered outside the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and stood in silence as a siren wailed in a gesture of protest against what relatives say is the failure of the government to secure their loved ones' release.



Following the October 7 attack, Israel launched a military assault on Gaza that has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas.



The Israeli military said on October 7 that over the past year, it has bombed more than 40,000 targets in Gaza, found 4,700 tunnel shafts and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites.



The conflict in Gaza is still raging while Israel is now fighting on a second front in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.



Early on October 7, Hezbollah, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, fired rockets into the north Israeli cities of Haifa and Tiberias, causing damage and some minor injuries, Israeli police said.



The European Union has blacklisted Hezbollah's armed wing but not its political unit, which holds seats in the Lebanese parliament.

Amid the military activity at the individual level, the private lives of civilians throughout the region have been disrupted.

In the ancient city of Beersheba in southern Israel, Irena Stein, who left Albania in 1991 to resettle in the country, told RFE/RL's Kosovo Service that life in recent times had been filled with "sadness and pain."

"We had several months of rockets. Then, the number of rockets decreased, and we continued with daily life, like someone who goes on with their life after the seven days of mourning with a great pain in the heart," said Stein, who is in her late 60s.

"There's this feeling like something might happen, that we should be cautious. But I believe you can't live with fear, so we've continued our lives, always praying to God that nothing happens to us."

She said that in Beersheba -- where human activity can be traced to the fourth millennium BC -- things have been calm since rockets were last heard on September 29. But she lamented that throughout Israel, "We suffer from this situation, and the Palestinian people suffer from it, too."

"The Lebanese people also suffer...everyone suffers. But as they say, peace must be decided at the highest level."

Meanwhile, in a Lebanese mountain village southeast of Beirut, local resident Hadi Zahwe told reporters an Israeli strike on October 6 was "terrifying."

"There were children killed, there were children's body parts. This enemy is targeting civilian women and children," he said.

Netanyahu has insisted that Israeli forces are targeting terrorist strongholds and that civilian fatalities have been extremely low in the recent military actions.

Israel in recent weeks has been bombing Beirut's southern suburbs and has staged a ground incursion into south Lebanon in its drive to wipe out Hezbollah's capabilities and leadership.



The Israeli campaign on Hezbollah prompted the group's patron, Iran, to respond by attacking the Jewish state with a large wave of rockets that were largely shot down by Israeli air defenses without causing substantial damage, but the attack renewed fears of a a larger regional conflict.



Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on October 6 threatened Iran that it might eventually find itself looking like Beirut or Gaza -- which has also been battered over the past year -- if Tehran attempts to further harm Israel.



"The Iranians did not touch the air force's capabilities. No aircraft were damaged, no squadron was taken out of order," Gallant said in reference to the Iranian missile strike, which caused few injuries and slight damage to two air force bases.

"Whoever thinks that a mere attempt to harm us will deter us from taking action should take a look at [Israels operations] in Gaza and Beirut."



Israel earlier said it conducted a series of "targeted strikes" on "weapons storage facilities" and infrastructure sites that belong to Iran-backed Hezbollah.



Lebanon's official National News Agency said Hezbollah's stronghold in the area was hit by more than 30 strikes. A petrol station and a medical supplies warehouse were hit by the air raids.



Video footage showed huge flames and plumes of smoke billowing into the night sky as residents fled their homes in panic with explosions echoing in the background.



Many observers said the attacks were the strongest yet of Israel's recent air strikes.

Beiruts Skyline Lit Up Amid New Israeli Airstrikes No media source currently available 0:00 0:00:59 0:00

Israel has bombed Beirut's suburbs for days, killing Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and possibly his potential successor, Hashem Safieddine.



Security sources have said Safieddine had been out of contact since October 4 after an Israeli air strike near Beirut's international airport that was reported to have targeted him. Hezbollah has not commented on Safieddine.



Israel says Nasrallah was killed in a strike on the group's central command headquarters in Beirut on September 27.



Two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters on October 6 that Ismail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force -- the overseas arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) -- also had not been heard from in recent days since traveling to Lebanon.

Statements on October 6 out of the United States -- Tel Aviv's most important ally -- indicated some frustrations with the scope of Israel's military action.



"Military pressure can at times enable diplomacy. Of course, military pressure can also lead to miscalculation. It can lead to unintended consequences," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement.



The spokesperson said Washington supported Israeli actions in going after extremist elements but added that U.S. leaders but did not approve of the targeting of civilian infrastructure.



Israel says the attacks on Hezbollah are aimed at enabling the safe return of tens of thousands of citizens to homes in northern Israel, bombarded by the group since last October.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Kosovo Service and AP
Hispanolistic / iStock.com

You might be in the market for a new car and wondering which one might get you the best deal. Perhaps a look at some of the slower selling new cars may give you some hints.

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According to CarEdge, luxury models dominated the slowest selling new cars in August. In fact, Stellantis brands like Jeep and Maserati occupy much of the top 10, per CarEdge. These cars are slow sellers, and are especially negotiable.

Heres a look at six of the slow selling new cars to get at a low price before 2025 arrives with new models.

Also check out these affordable car brands.

Stellantis Media

Dodge Hornet

According to CarEdge, the slowest selling car in America is again the 2024 Dodge Hornet. That means the model has the most inventory. Why does this matter? When dealers have more of a certain model on hand, they may be more likely to negotiate with you.

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Jeep Grand Wagoneer

If youve wanted a Jeep, maybe its time to consider the Grand Wagoneer. There is plenty of inventory available, which may mean a good deal for you. That may be especially helpful given that this can be a pricier vehicle. Per Car and Driver, Jeeps large luxury SUV gets it done with brute size and strength but with little connection to its classic namesake.

Learn More: 5 Luxury Cars With the Worst Resale Value

Mercedes 2024 / iStock.com

Mercedes-Benz EQB

Heres another slow selling car to check out before the new year. The starting price for the 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQB is around $54,000. According to Car and Driver, If youre tired of EVs that try too hard to be unique, consider the 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQB. It looks so similar to the subcompact, gas-powered GLB-class SUV, you might not even realize that its powered by electrons  at least until you drive it.

Lincoln

Lincoln Aviator

Edmunds gives the Aviator an overall good rating. The Lincoln Aviator provides an upscale interior design, a comfortable ride quality and strong acceleration, per Edmunds. Other midsize three-row luxury SUVs are more poised when going around turns, but overall we like how the Aviator offers something a little different. You may get a good deal on the Aviator thanks to plenty of available inventory.

Land Rover

Land Rover Discovery Sport

If youre looking for a Land Rover, the Discovery Sport is definitely one to consider for its price. Youll find its likely the least expensive Land Rover you can purchase. In addition to offering a quiet and smooth ride, Edmunds noted the adventure-aiding tech features. Land Rover offers a few innovative optional tech features that can help Discovery Sport owners both on- and off-road, per Edmunds. Included in the Technology pack is the ClearSight digital rearview mirror, which uses an exterior-mounted camera to give drivers an unobstructed view of the road aft of the vehicle.

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Mini Hardtop 4-Door

We rounded out our list of slow selling cars to consider for a good deal with the Mini Hardtop 4-Door. According to Kelley Blue Book, A Mini Cooper is the antidote to all those SUVs that clog up the suburbs. Its fizzy instead of frumpy, lithe instead of lumbering, interesting instead of insipid. Sure, the pricing is more toward premium than mainstream, but traditionally strong resale values is the final gift a Mini brings.

Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Slow Selling New Cars To Get At a Low Price Before 2025
Moldova is prepared for possible Russian interference ahead of its October presidential election, the country's top diplomat has told RFE/RL. "That is a threat, but we have seen that threat diminish," Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi said about Russian influence in Moldova. "But we are confident that our institutions are more resilient to be able to withstand this malign influence, and also our society is more resilient," Popsoi added in an interview with RFE/RL's Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak on August 31 on the sidelines of the Globsec security conference in Prague. The Kremlin has repeatedly indicated that it considers Moldova -- an EU candidate country -- a traditional sphere of its influence. Russian troops have been deployed since 1992 in Transdniester, a Moldovan breakaway region controlled by Russia-backed separatists.
Tesla

Its been a rough year for some of the worlds biggest luxury car brands. To some extent, you expect to hear about automotive recalls that occur throughout the year. What makes this year stand out, however, is the scale of recalls. As certain luxury cars grow in popularity, these recalls potentially impact thousands of drivers  or even millions, as was the case for one luxury car brand mentioned in this roundup.

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In alphabetical order, here are the nine luxury car brands that have dealt with the greatest number of recalls this year.

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BMW

Recalls came for certain 2024 BMW vehicles along with some of their older car models this year. According to the USA Today, 1,150 of the 2024 i4 models  including eDrive40, xDrive40 and M50  were recalled for a left side beam crack. The luxury car manufacturer also recalled 12,535 of their 2020-2024 MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE) vehicles due to battery faults that could result in a short circuit.

But theres more bad news for BMW. A water pump malfunction that may be exposed to water and short circuit, thus increasing the risk of or causing a fire, required recalling 720,796 of 2012-2018 vehicles this year. Some of these models include the x1 sDrive28i (2012-2015), 228i (2014-2016), X4 xDrive28i (2015-2018).

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Bugatti

On the surface, it may not sound like luxury manufacturer Bugatti recalled that many vehicles this year. Autoevolution reported in February 2024 that 156 Chiron Hypercars had been recalled in the U.S. due to lacking a seatbelt chime that was in compliance with U.S. regulations.

Compliance issues aside, what makes this recall especially troubling is that there are so few Chirons. According to Autoevolution, only 501 models have been produced by Bugatti. This means roughly 30% Chirons did not have a seatbelt chime prior to the recall.

Genesis

What would you do if your car stopped working while you were driving it? This worst-case scenario required Genesis, the luxury vehicle brand of Hyundai, to recall 31,000 GV70 and GV80 SUVs as well as G80 and G90 sedans this year, as reported by Consumer Reports. Due to a faulty fuel pump impeller, the model years facing recalls included 2022 and 2023.

Jaguar

Luxury vehicle brand Jaguar recalled 1,995 vehicles this year due to an oil filter housing issue. If it cracked and leaked oil into the engine compartment, the compartment would be at risk of a fire.

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According to the USA Today, some of the 2024 Jaguar vehicles that were recalled included the Defender and Discovery.

Lamborghini

In May 2024, Bloomberg reported roughly 2,133 Lamborghini Urus SUVs were recalled this year to repair car hoods that may unlatch open when driven at speeds of over 94 mph.

Without making these defect repairs, Lamborghini said it would be possible for small gaps to form between the front bumper and the hood. In time, the latch system may fail due to stress from high speeds and result in the hood latch striker separating from the hood.

Lexus

Head restraint issues led Toyota to recall 11,000 Lexus vehicles this year.

According to the USA Today, impacted vehicles include the 2024-2025 Lexus NX and 2024 Lexus RX due to a defect in which driver and front passenger seat head restraints could be removed without pressing the release button.

Mercedes-Benz

Car and Driver reported in March 2024 that 116,020 SUVs had been recalled to repair an issue surrounding a 48-volt ground connection. Found under the passenger seat, the ground connection could come loose and lead to an electrical problem which could result in a fire.

The impacted vehicles include but are not limited to Mercedes-Benz GLE250, GLE450 and GLE580, Mercedes-AMG GLE53 SUV and the Mercedes-Maybach GLS600 within model years between 2019 and 2024.

Porsche

As reported by the USA Today, 31,689 Porsche Taycan vehicles were recalled this year. This was due to an issue surrounding the front brake hoses. These hoses could crack and leak brake fluid and increase the risk of a car crash. Recalled model years include those between 2020 and 2025.

Tesla

Thus far, Tesla has experienced the largest number of recalls in 2024. More than 2.2 million models have been affected, according to Quartz, including the Model Y, Model X, Model 3, Model S and Cybertruck.

If theres a silver lining to be gleaned from millions of Teslas being recalled, however, its that the issue that needed to be fixed was minor. Teslas anti-lock brake, park and brake lights were too small, according to the NHTSA, and could be adjusted with a free software update.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 9 Luxury Car Brands With the Most Recalls in 2024
By Jonathan McCambridge and Rebecca Black, PA

A move to end the winter fuel allowance for all pensioners is to be extended to Northern Ireland, Stormonts Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has confirmed.

Mr Lyons said he strongly disagreed with the move by the Labour government but said there was no additional resource which would allow the region to diverge from the UK decision.

Meanwhile, the Stormont Executive has written to UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer raising concern that the change will have a negative impact on a significant number of people of pension age in Northern Ireland.

Labour has said that the policy will stop winter fuel payments for people in England and Wales who are not in receipt of Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits.

Mr Lyons has now confirmed that the change will also apply to Northern Ireland.

He said: On 29 July 2024 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that entitlement to Winter Fuel Payments in England and Wales would be restricted to those people receiving Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits only. I strongly disagree with this decision.

The estimated additional cost to the block grant of maintaining universal entitlement to a winter fuel payment in Northern Ireland for winter 2024/25 is 44.3 million, and this does not include any additional delivery or staffing costs.

Regrettably, there is no additional resource available in the budget to allow us to diverge from the UK Government's decision without significantly cutting other public services.

I have made clear to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions my total opposition to this decision and outlined the detrimental impact it will have on many people in Northern Ireland.

I am committed to ensuring that people can access all the support to which they are entitled and would encourage anyone affected by these changes to check their benefit entitlement.

Meanwhile, all of the Stormont ministers have written collectively to the Prime Minister on the issue. The letter, seen by the PA news agency, states that ministers convey our collective concern at your Governments intended changes to the Winter Fuel Payments Scheme.

It goes on to say that the decision will have a direct and negative impact on a significant number of people of pension age in Northern Ireland who are already struggling with the consequences of the rise in the cost of living.

Mr Lyons contended Stormont had had no choice in the matter, and that it had been a really bad decision by the UK Government with zero consultation.

Stormont ministers have written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer about changes to winter fuel payments. Photo: Justin Tallis/PA.

He told BBC Radio Ulster he believes it would have cost Stormont over 44 million to avoid, which would have resulted in very deep cuts to other public services in Northern Ireland.

We consulted with other Executive colleagues and through that urgent procedure process, the First and deputy First Minister have agreed that we will maintain parity and will be doing the same as they are doing in England and Wales, he said.

But I am concerned about this  we have really been left in the position of having no decision to make, there was no choice for us and in fact the Government said to us if they didnt have a decision from us today that then they would be forced to remove Northern Ireland from their IT system altogether and that there would be no payments made to anybody this winter.

Whats frustrating for me is that we have had no time to consider how then we could best help those who are most in need. This was landed on our plate at the last minute and wed no time to consult or even find out how we could identify and help those people that really will find this difficult.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt indicated that Stormont ministers were very, very reluctant around the decision.

Im not going to go into the confidentiality of Executive business but I think you can guess for yourself nobody was happy about that, that it was a very, very reluctant decision by each and every member of the Executive to say that we cannot break parity, he told media at Stormont.
Kangana Ranaut's 'Emergency' Film May Be Delayed, Here's What Censor Board Said

Advocate Iman Singh Khara filed a petition challenging the film

Kangana Ranaut's 'Emergency' Film Release: The release of BJP MP and actress Kangana Ranaut's film Emergency may be delayed. During the hearing of the petition filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Censor Board clarified that the certificate for the film has not yet been issued. With only six days remaining until the films scheduled release, this delay is significant.

Advocate Iman Singh Khara filed a petition challenging the film. In the High Court, Khara stated that the Censor Board submitted its reply, indicating that the release certificate for the film has not been granted yet. According to the response, there are several complaints against the film, and it will receive a certificate only after these complaints have been addressed.

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Gurcharan Singh Grewal, a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), stated that while the film portrays Sikh characters accurately, there is an objection to the depiction of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the trailer. Grewal emphasized that the films content needs to be revised, and any incorrect statements about Sikhs should be removed before the film is allowed to be screened.

Kangana Ranaut also released a video yesterday in which she claimed that the release of the film was being blocked due to threats from the censors, which she alleges are preventing the films release.

(For more news apart from Kangana Ranaut's 'Emergency' Film, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
"Not Everyone is Politician," says Vinesh Phogat at Shambhu Border's Farmers' Protest

Phogat stressed that the farmers' demands should be met and that resolving their issues should be the governments top priority.

Vinesh Phogat at Shambhu Border Farmers Protest Latest News: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from the Paris Olympics 2024, visited the farmers' protest at the Shambhu border of Punjab-Haryana today.

During her visit, farmer leaders honored her on stage and the event also marked the completion of 200 days of the Kisan Andolan. Following this, Vinesh Phogat will join the ongoing farmers' movement at the Khanuri border.

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At the event, Vinesh Phogat remarked that although it has been 200 days since the farmers began their protest, their enthusiasm remains as strong as on the first day.

She emphasized that not everyone demanding their rights is a politician and that the movement should not be associated with any religion. Phogat stressed that the farmers' demands should be met and that resolving their issues should be the governments top priority.

"I have come to my family," Phogat stated, adding "My country is suffering, and farmers are suffering. Their issues should be resolved, and addressing them should be the governments first priority."

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At the Shambhu border, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, "It has been 200 days of the agitation. A lot of injustice was done to us. Allegations were leveled against us. We were called Khalistanis and a lot of things. We braved sun, rain, winter and despite all of that, the protest continued peacefully the 200 days."

"This is a major success for us. So, on this occasion, we called farmers here together...She (Vinesh Phogat) too reached here. We felicitated her. Farmers' daughter would stand with farmers..." she added.

(For more news apart from Vinesh Phogat at Shambhu Border Farmers Protest Latest News, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
'Tankhaiya' Sukhbir Singh Badal: Testament of the truth is still far away...

Can a Panthak leader's sin be forgiven simply by washing a few dishes or polishing shoes?

Sukhbir Singh Badal Latest News: All eyes were focused on the Akal Takht, questioning whether they would be able to do justice to the Sikh community and truly understand its concerns. The challenging period that Punjab and Sikhs are currently experiencing can be attributed largely to Sikh politicians, who have prioritized their ambitions over the interests of Sikhi and Punjab. The collective voice of every panth-loving individual in Punjab now calls for decisions that can restore the nations faith in these key authorities.

On Friday, Sukhbir Singh Badal was declared a 'Tankhaiya', but at the same time, a message was conveyed that the then government led by Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP, was responsible. It is worth mentioning that the 'Tankhaiya' was imposed on the founder of 'Spokesman' as well in an attempt to suppress the voice of truth. Pure politics is at play behind Sukhbir's 'thappe'.

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We are all well aware of the entire process following Sauda Sadh's amnesty, recognizing that the salaried practice is often used as a political weapon. Only a few gullible people believe this is a significant step, but internally, it is merely used to distract the public.

Can a Panthak leader's decision to appoint Sumedh Saini as the DGP of Punjab or order the firing of Sikh youth be forgiven simply by washing a few dishes or polishing shoes? Forgiveness will be achieved by reinstating trust in politicians among the people, and genuine remorse must be evident for that to happen. Actions like those of the Shiromani Akali Dal president or similar moves are merely political chess plays, and the public understands this. If such tactics continue, the Akali Dal (Badal) will never regain the trust of the people.

The heart of a Sikh is vast. Guru Sahib himself made room for even the most unlikely people. True repentance is the only genuine way to atone for mistakes. Today, there is a need to invite Sikh intellectuals who are loyal only to the Gurus and not subservient to politicians to a public Sikh platform to establish the goals of the reform movement.

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Politicians need to be removed from sectarian positions and confined to politics alone. Sectarian issues should not be allowed to become weapons of politics. The decision to declare Sukhbir Badal a salaried individual still seems to be part of a political plan rather than a step toward genuine reform. This influence must be overcome by the five main authorities and no one else.
August 31, 2024

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Newsflash

Newsroom, 31.08.2024, 13:55

LANGUAGE The Romanian Language Day is celebrated today both in Romania and in the R. of Moldova, where this holiday was first introduced, to mark a return to the Romanian language and Latin alphabet in the former Soviet Republic. Special events are held on both sides of the river Prut. In a message posted on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis said the Romanian language is not just a set of words, but a means to pass on an invaluable cultural heritage that we are leaving for the future generations to cherish and enrich. As Mr. Iohannis emphasised, since last year the Romanian language has also been the official language of Moldova, after a law was promulgated by president Maia Sandu, replacing the phrase Moldovan language with the phrase Romanian language. This has been essential to restoring a historic fact, namely that Romanians living on both sides of the river Prut share a common language, culture and history, Iohannis said. According to him, Romanian is studied in 59 universities in 37 countries in the world. Public reading sessions, art exhibitions, film screenings, music recitals are organised by Romanian cultural institutes around the world to mark the Romanian Language Day.

VISIT The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, and the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, signed in Chisinau on Saturday a joint declaration on bilateral cooperation to consolidate resilience in the Republic of Moldova. The document defines and strengthens bilateral cooperation in this critical area for consolidating and safeguarding democracy and stability in the neighbouring state. President Maia Sandu said Romania had invested massively in the development of Moldova and remained the staunchest supporter of its EU accession efforts at international level. In turn, Klaus Iohannis promised that Bucharests commitment to supporting Chisinau in any crisis, including in the energy sector, is firmer than ever. According to Iohannis, the hybrid war waged against the Republic of Moldova and its citizens is growing more intense and taking ever more severe forms. Romania will be the most reliable and active supporter of Moldovas EU accession efforts, and I encourage all international partners to provide consistent and long-term support to this country and its citizens, Iohannis added. His visit to Chisinau took takes place as Romania and Moldova celebrate the Romanian Language Day on August 31.

RATING Fitch Rating Friday reconfirmed Romanias long- and short-term foreign-currency government debt rating at BBB-/F3 with a stable outlook, the finance ministry reports. According to the institution, the decision is supported by the capital inflow from the European Union, which sustains the countrys income convergence, foreign financing and macroeconomic stability, as well as a positive trend in the GDP per capita and in governance and human development indices, which are above BBB category peers. The international institutions decision reconfirms the confidence in the measures taken by the Romanian government to ensure public funding sustainability, the finance minister Marcel Bolos said. On the other hand, these strengths are balanced against large budget and current account deficits relative to peers, high budget rigidities, and a fairly high net external debtor position. The agency expects Romanias economy to grow by 2.5% this year.

ENESCU As of today, the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest is hosting the 19th edition of the George Enescu International Competition, one of the best known and most prestigious competitions in international classical music. Until September 27, some of the worlds best performers, as well as up-and-coming artists and orchestras, will come together in Bucharest. Three competitions are held: cello, violin and piano. The novelty of the 2024 edition are the master classes. Held between September 23 and 27, they consist in conducting, violin, piano and cello workshops, coordinated by Maestro Cristian Macelaru. The world-acclaimed Romanian artist is, among other things, the musical director of the National Orchestra of France, and of the Cincinnati Symphonic Orchestra. The opening concert, the 3 competition finals, 5 recitals given by jury members and by winners of previous editions, as well as the closing concert, will be aired live by Radio Romania Music. At the suggestion of Radio Romania Music, the 2024 George Enescu International Competitions opening concert is included in the Euroradio Summer Season, one of the most important projects of the European Broadcasting Union, which airs concerts and recitals from the most important European festivals. The George Enescu International Competition was launched in September 1958. Alternating with the George Enescu International Festival, the Competition quickly grew into one of the most valuable events of this kind in Europe, and since 2002 it has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. (AMP)
By Rocky Swift and Kevin Buckland

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. fund Artisan Partners Asset Management ramped up pressure on Japan's Seven and i holdings, calling on the board to provide an update on a takeover bid from Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard (ACT) by Sept. 19.

In a letter dated Friday and sent to journalists, Artisan portfolio managers N. David Samra and Benjamin L. Herrick recommended that Seven & i, operator of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain in Japan, seriously consider ACT's offer, and to solicit offers for the company's Japanese subsidiaries "as quickly as possible."

"ACT is uniquely positioned to enhance (Seven & i's) corporate value," Samra and Herrick wrote.

"Negotiating with ACT is the best tactic to preserve positive stakeholder outcomes in Japan," they said. "It is imperative that the board of directors negotiate with ACT immediately to achieve the best possible outcome for shareholders."

Artisan's letter, which was highly critical of Seven & i's track record of enhancing corporate value, highlights the pressure on the company from shareholders over the potential deal, which would likely be the biggest-ever overseas buyout of a Japanese firm.

ACT, which is the owner of Circle-K convenience stores, last week said it had approached Seven & i about a possible acquisition, without disclosing a potential deal value.

Artisan has been a critic of Seven & i's management and structure since 2019, when the letter says it became a shareholder. It said it is an active - not activist - shareholder, which engages with corporate management and boards. (This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of 'alimentation,' in paragraph 1)

(Reporting by Rocky Swift; Writing by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Stephen Coates)
August 31, 2024 UPDATE

Click here for a roundup of local and world news

Newsflash

Newsroom, 31.08.2024, 20:00

LANGUAGE The Romanian Language Day was celebrated on Saturday both in Romania and in the R. of Moldova, where this holiday was first introduced, to mark a return to the Romanian language and Latin alphabet in the former Soviet Republic. Special events were held on both sides of the river Prut. In a message posted on this occasion, president Klaus Iohannis said the Romanian language is not just a set of words, but a means to pass on the cultural heritage and an invaluable heritage we are leaving for the future generations to cherish and enrich. As Mr. Iohannis emphasised, since last year the Romanian language has also been the official language of Moldova, after a law was promulgated by president Maia Sandu, replacing the phrase Moldovan language with the phrase Romanian language. This has been essential to restoring a historic fact, namely that Romanians living on both sides of the river Prut share a common language, culture and history, Iohannis said. According to him, Romanian is studied in 59 universities in 37 countries in the world. Public reading sessions, art exhibitions, film screenings, music recitals are organised by Romanian cultural institutes around the world to mark the Romanian Language Day.

VISIT The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, Saturday was on an official visit to the Republic of Moldova, for talks with his counterpart Maia Sandu. On this occasion, the two officials signed a Joint Declaration on bilateral cooperation to consolidate the resilience of the Republic of Moldova, which has received consistent support from Romania so far to withstand the many challenges it has been facing. According to Iohannis, the hybrid war waged against the Republic of Moldova and its citizens is growing more intense and taking ever more severe forms. He emphasized that Romanias strategic commitment to supporting the democratic development of Moldova would remain unwavering in the long run, and called on all international partners to provide consistent support in its EU accession efforts. In turn, Maia Sandu said Romania played a vital part in consolidating her countrys energy independence, and also highlighted Bucharests support in the EU accession process. The Romanian presidents visit to Chisinau took place as Romania and Moldova celebrated the Romanian Language Day on August 31.

RATING Fitch Rating Friday reconfirmed Romanias long- and short-term foreign-currency government debt rating at BBB-/F3 with a stable outlook, the finance ministry reports. According to the institution, the decision is supported by the capital inflow from the European Union, which sustains the countrys income convergence, foreign financing and macroeconomic stability, as well as a positive trend in the GDP per capita and in governance and human development indices, which are above BBB category peers. The international institutions decision reconfirms the confidence in the measures taken by the Romanian government to ensure public funding sustainability, the finance minister Marcel Bolos said. On the other hand, these strengths are balanced against large budget and current account deficits relative to peers, high budget rigidities, and a fairly high net external debtor position. The agency expects Romanias economy to grow by 2.5% this year.

PENSIONS A bill on raising the pension tax threshold in Romania from EUR 400 at present to EUR 600 is to be endorsed next week in the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this respect, the culture minister Raluca Turcan announced. She said the measure had been promoted since 2022 by the National Liberal Party, and that after its endorsement in Parliament it would take effect on October 1. The ruling coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party decided a few days ago that the new bill should be rushed through Parliament, instead of being endorsed by the government under an emergency order.

LAW The legislation regarding extended restraining orders took effect in Romania on Saturday. The goal is to protect all victims, irrespective of their relations with the abuser. The justice minister, Alina Ghorghiu, says that previously, restraining orders were only issued for cases of domestic violence, but the new legislation also includes psychological abuse. She encouraged all victims to seek protection and to report abuse cases, regardless of the form of abuse and of who the abuser is. In this context, the Romanian justice ministry has initiated an awareness raising campaign called Living in fear is not living. In 2023, nearly 80,000 cases of domestic violence were reported to the police, and in over 30,000 cases the victims were women. (AMP)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW

26-30 August, 2024

Eveniment top

Eugen Coroianu, 31.08.2024, 13:00

Elections upon elections!

The Romanian government adopted the calendar for this years presidential elections. The first round will take place on November 24, and the second will be on December 8. Last week, the executive also decided the calendar of the legislative elections, scheduled to take place on December 1, the National Day. This year, European parliamentary and local elections also took place in June. The PSD and PNL candidates, Marcel Ciolacu and Nicolae Ciuca, would enter the second round of the presidential elections, if the voting were held on Sunday  according to a CURS survey carried out between August 6-22. Regarding the parliamentary elections, PSD would lead in the preferences of the electorate, followed by its governing partner, PNL. The current PSD-PNL coalition can work in the future as well, believes Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the leader of the Social Democrats. He believes that the future government could be inaugurated before Christmas, on December 23. According to him, despite the acid statements coming from both sides on the background of the launch of the candidacies for the presidential election, the Bucharest executive will work in the current formula until the general elections. The prime minister also said that, in the future, PSD sees no other coalition in power than that with the National Liberal Party. The president of the Liberals, Nicolae Ciuca, also pleaded for the continuation of the government, regardless of what happens in the coalition.

Pension chaos

The week was notable in Romania for the chaos created by the new law on indexation of state pensions. Through this, the rulers aimed to correct certain discrepancies in the system, but the result displeased hundreds of thousands of people. Even though a large part of pensions have increased, many have received recalculation decisions where the income is lower or even much lower than what they were receiving until now. In addition, some categories of pensioners say that after the recalculation they will no longer benefit from periodical indexation for many years from now. They are also afraid that these decisions that reduce their pensions could be applied in the future, although both the prime minister and the relevant minister have given multiple assurances that, regardless of the result of the recalculation on paper, no pension will decrease. People also report many miscalculations. In any case, the so-called special pensions of certain categories of employees, much larger and not based on contributions, were not affected in any way. In order to calm the tensions, the pension taxation threshold will increase, from October 1, from the current 2,000 lei (400 euros) to 3,000 lei (600 euros), as announced by the minister of labor, Simona Bucura-Oprescu. Whether or not the pension chaos will influence the upcoming election remains to be seen.

Budget deficit above expectations

Romanias budget deficit exceeded, after the first 7 months of this year, the threshold of 4% of the Gross Domestic Product, according to data from the Ministry of Finance. The analysis of the budget execution shows that the State had, in the January-July period, total revenues of over 331 billion lei (the equivalent of over 66 billion euros), an increase of over 15 percent compared to the first 7 months of 2023. The expenses, however, increased by over 23%, reaching more than 402 billion lei (over 80 billion euros). We remind you that the budget for this year is built on a deficit of 5 percent of GDP. On the other hand, the Minister of Investments and European Projects, Adrian Caciu, announced that Romania has so far collected funds from the Cohesion Policy worth almost 24 billion euros in the 2014-2020 financial year, and has reached a level of absorption of over 99%.

Heatwave and drought

Romanian farmers whose crops were destroyed by the drought will receive compensation from the government. The measures, which will be adopted next week, aim to grant funds for this summers damage, but also a mechanism to insure autumn and spring crops. The Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, specified that up to 3,000 lei per hectare (about 600 euros) will be granted, something that will lead to the unlocking of credit for farmers, according to discussions with bank representatives. The necessary funds will be provided from the national contribution, to which is added 17 million euros from the risk fund of the European Union. Also, the State aid scheme called Farmers Credit will be supplemented with 400 million lei (approximately 80 million euros). Soil drought has settled in Romania in several areas after an extremely hot and dry summer.

Two pieces of good news

Romania officially received the approval in the field of competition within the process of joining the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. According to a press release from the Competition Council, the opinion was issued after the completion of the evaluation process of the activity carried out in the period 2018-2022. During the analysis, the Council had to demonstrate that the way it acts meets the requirements of the international organization. Recommendations were also made, and the status of their implementation will be presented in a years time. Joining the OECD is a priority for Romania, being considered the third major strategic objective after joining NATO and the European Union. On the other hand, the administration inWashington would announce, on October 15, a decision regarding the lifting of visas for Romanians, which would apply starting from 2025, stated government sources from Bucharest.
Across its entire portfolio of hybrids and EVs, Hyundai will focus on improving safety and in-car tech features

As BEV demand slows down, Hyundai will focus on developing new range extender electric vehicles. This is part of Hyundais new mid- to long-term strategic roadmap, referred to as the Hyundai Way. Hyundai will continue to focus on BEVs as well, although not as aggressively as planned earlier.

Hyundai range extender EVs  Key details

Users can expect an exhilarating performance, as Hyundais range extender EVs will be offered in an all-wheel drive format. They will have dual-electric motors. With the new powertrain and power electronics (PT/PE), Hyundais new range extender electric vehicles will offer a range of more than 900 km. In range extender EVs, the ICE engine works as a generator to charge the battery pack. Propulsion is provided via the electric motor that connects to the battery pack.

Hyundais new range extender powertrains will be seen first with the Genesis and Hyundai branded D-segment SUVs in the United States. In China, the C-segment models will be getting the range extender powertrain by 2026. For its range extender EVs, Hyundai has set a sales target of 80,000 units in the US and 30,000 in China.

Hyundai will also step up focus on introducing new hybrid models. Equipped with the second-generation Transmission Mounted Electric Device (TMED-II), these new hybrid models from Hyundai will debut in January next year. The TMED-II is designed to deliver enhanced performance and fuel efficiency.

Hyundais new range extender and hybrid models will borrow a number of features from its BEV models. Some examples include vehicle to load (V2L) function and adaptive regenerative braking. Hyundai will focus on introducing new models in its existing compact and midsize hybrid lineup. The new models will include small, large and luxury vehicles. This will allow Hyundai to expand its hybrid portfolio from the current 7 to 14. It will include the Genesis models, all of which (excluding pure EVs) will be getting hybrid options.

21 BEV models by 2030

Although BEV demand has slowed down, Hyundai will continue to launch new models. Hyundai expects the BEV demand to recover by around 2030. In the next 6 years, Hyundai will be introducing 21 BEVs. New Genesis EV models will also be launched such as a high-performance model based on the GV60 Magma concept. Hyundai will also focus on developing its next-gen batteries, one of which is the solid-state battery packs.

Another key development is implementation of cell-to-body (CTB) technology. This technology will be seen with the upcoming Proton eMas 7. With the cells integrated into the vehicles body structure, the weight can be reduced by around 10%. Hyundai is also developing a nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery that will allow EVs to be more affordable. Battery performance will also be improved by more than 20%, as these battery packs have higher energy density.

In terms of safety, Hyundai aims to improve its battery management system with the addition of AI-based battery life management functions. Also under development is an advanced cooling system that will help prevent thermal runaway fires. Tech upgrades are also on the radar. Projects underway include a new infotainment system, new centre touchscreens, a conversational voice control system and upgrades to Hyundais autonomous driving tech.
To promote the car in the Japanese market, Suzuki has showcased the made in India Fronx at a bullet train station

Launched last year in April, Maruti Suzuki Fronx has emerged as a bestseller in the sub-4-meter SUV segment. In 14 months, sales have crossed 1.5 lakh units. Fronx is also doing well across overseas markets. It was ranked as the second most exported car from India in July 2024.

Fronx showcased at bullet train station

Among the export markets, Fronx is being shipped to Japan as well. The first batch of 1,600 units of Fronx were sent to Japan earlier this month. Fronx is exclusively manufactured at Maruti Suzukis Gujarat facility. The units for Japan were shipped from Gujarats Pipavav port. There is no change in the name, although Fronx will be sold as a Suzuki product in the Japanese market. Fronx is the second Maruti Suzuki product to be exported to Japan. The first was Baleno.

To ensure Fronx gets a good response in Japan, Suzuki will showcase Fronx at various Shinkansen bullet train stations in the country. Shinkansen is Japans high speed rail network that ensures fast and seamless connectivity for Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. These are the three largest metropolitan areas in Japan. Suzukis strategy has potential to provide good visibility to Fronx, as lakhs of commuters use the Shinkansen bullet trains every day.

Reports indicate that Fronx has already received more than 700 bookings in Japan. This number is expected to rise in the coming months. In India, Fronx sales were at 10,925 units in July 2024. The SUV was placed at fourth place in the list of bestselling sub-4-meter SUVs. Fronx has a market share of more than 10%.

India-spec Fronx vs. Japan-spec Fronx  Key Differences

In Japan and other export markets, Fronx is equipped with a mild-hybrid 1.5-litre petrol engine. Transmission choices include 5-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic. The latter comes with paddle shifters. This powertrain option is not available in India. Users here can choose from the 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine and the 1.2-litre NA petrol unit.

The turbo petrol engine generates 100 PS and 147.6 Nm. Transmission choices include 5-speed manual and 6AT. The 1.2-litre engine delivers 89.73 PS and 113 Nm. It is mated to either a 5-speed manual or 5AMT transmission. This engine is also available in CNG format. When running on CNG, it generates 77.5 PS and 98.5 Nm. Fronx CNG is offered with a 5-speed manual transmission.

In addition to a larger capacity engine, Fronx customers in Japan also benefit from Suzukis AllGrip Select AWD tech. This feature is exclusively for the Japanese market. For other export markets, Fronx is offered with the standard FWD option. Interior themes are also distinct for Japan-spec Fronx.

Safety kit includes more features and includes ADAS as well. Such upgrades may be challenging in India due to cost issues. Fronx is positioned as an affordable sub-4-meter SUV in India. It is competitively priced, starting at Rs 7.52 lakh.
Australian Ethical Investment Limited's (ASX:AEF) periodic dividend will be increasing on the 18th of September to A$0.06, with investors receiving 20% more than last year's A$0.05. This takes the annual payment to 1.9% of the current stock price, which unfortunately is below what the industry is paying.

See our latest analysis for Australian Ethical Investment

Australian Ethical Investment's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

While yield is important, another factor to consider about a company's dividend is whether the current payout levels are feasible. Prior to this announcement, Australian Ethical Investment's dividend made up quite a large proportion of earnings but only 51% of free cash flows. In general, cash flows are more important than earnings, so we are comfortable that the dividend will be sustainable going forward, especially with so much cash left over for reinvestment.

Earnings per share could rise by 13.3% over the next year if things go the same way as they have for the last few years. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio could reach 86%, which is on the higher side, but certainly still feasible.

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 A$0.016 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was A$0.08. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 17% a year over that time. Australian Ethical Investment has grown distributions at a rapid rate despite cutting the dividend at least once in the past. Companies that cut once often cut again, so we would be cautious about buying this stock solely for the dividend income.

Australian Ethical Investment Might Find It Hard To Grow Its Dividend

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to evaluate if earnings per share is growing, which could point to a growing dividend in the future. It's encouraging to see that Australian Ethical Investment has been growing its earnings per share at 13% a year over the past five years. Recently, the company has been able to grow earnings at a decent rate, but with the payout ratio on the higher end we don't think the dividend has many prospects for growth.

In Summary

In summary, while it's always good to see the dividend being raised, we don't think Australian Ethical Investment's payments are rock solid. The payments haven't been particularly stable and we don't see huge growth potential, but with the dividend well covered by cash flows it could prove to be reliable over the short term. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks.

Story continues

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. For example, we've picked out 1 warning sign for Australian Ethical Investment that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated 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.
ASIA

Afghanistan

Expected Council

In September, the Security Council will convene for its quarterly open briefing on Afghanistan. Special Representative and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva and UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous are expected to brief. A civil society representative may brief as well. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the briefing.

UNAMAs mandate expires on 17 March 2025.

Key Recent Developments

On 21 June, Otunbayeva; Lisa Doughten, the Director of the Financing and Partnership Division of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); and Manizha Wafeq, the co-founder of the Afghanistan Womens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, briefed the Council. Otunbayeva said that in UNAMAs consultations with Afghan people, there is broad agreement that the de facto authorities should not be recognised until the issues of womens rights, girls education and an acceptable constitution are addressed. Doughten noted that approximately 23.7 million people in Afghanistanmore than half the populationneed humanitarian assistance. She described how the adverse effects of climate change, manifested by the increased number and intensity of extreme weather events, had exacerbated the humanitarian situation in the country. Wafeq described the severe restrictions that the Taliban authorities had imposed on womens rights, including in the educational and employment spheres, and asserted that the participation and rights of Afghan women are essential and non-negotiable.

In a 15 August press release, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) observed that Afghanistan is the only country in the world where secondary and higher education is strictly forbidden to girls and women, with 1.4 million girls deliberately deprived of secondary education since the Taliban took power in 2021.

From 30 June to 1 July, the UN convened the third meeting of Special Envoys and Special Representatives on Afghanistan on 30 June and 1 July in Doha, Qatar. Taliban officials participated, which they had not in the first two Doha meetings, in May 2023 and in February. Over 25 countries and international organisations took part in the meeting. The discussion focused on two tracks: economic matters (including developing the private sector) and counter-narcotics. As an outgrowth of the meeting, working groups are expected to be established on private sector economic matters and counter-narcotics that will develop lines of communication between the Taliban and donor countries and states in the region. Civil society representatives (including women) were excluded from the discussion.

Briefing the press following the meeting, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, who represented the UN, indicated that although the de facto authorities (that is, the Taliban) would not sit across the table with Afghan civil society in this formatthey heard very clearly the need to include women and civil society in all aspects of public life.

The Taliban released The Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice on 21 August, which restricts women from speaking, singing, and showing their faces and bodies in public. Special Representative Otunbayeva issued a statement on 25 August in which she asserted that the new law is a distressing vision for Afghanistans future.

On 21 August, the Taliban barred Richard Bennett, the UN Human Rights Councils Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, from entering the country. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a foreign ministry spokesman for the Taliban, claimed that Bennetts reports are based on prejudices and anecdotes harmful to the interests of Afghanistan and its people.

On 12 July, extremists from the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, which is affiliated with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), reportedly killed eight Pakistani soldiers in a suicide attack on a military base in Bannu, Pakistan. Pakistan has accused the Taliban of giving refuge to the TTP in Afghanistan, including at a 19 July press briefing by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Taliban has denied these accusations.

The Taliban announced on 17 August that it had signed agreements worth $2.5 billion in trade and investment with neighbouring Uzbekistan. These agreements were finalised during a visit of Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov to Afghanistan.

On 21 August, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) accepted the credentials of Badruddin Haqqani as the Talibans ambassador to the UAE. The UAE is only the second country to accept diplomatic credentials from a Taliban envoy, after China did so on 30 January.

Women, Peace and Security

On 13 August, UN Women issued a policy paper taking stock of the effects of three years of Taliban rule on Afghan women and girls. The paper aimed to alert the international community about the consequences of diminished attention to the womens rights crisis and limited investments in womens resilience in Afghanistan. It said that three years of edicts, statements and decrees by the de facto authorities have targeted the rights, lives and bodies of women and girls, closing spaces for them in their households and communities as well as nationally. None of these decrees has been reversed, with the paper noting that Afghan women and international human rights advocates increasingly refer to the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan as gender apartheid. The paper identified several actions and principles for the international community, such as supporting women-led civil society organisations through long-term flexible funding and committing to assigning at least 30 percent of all funding for Afghanistan to initiatives focused on gender equality and womens rights. It said that, from 2005 to 2020, 80 percent of peace negotiations did not include Afghan women, noting that the legacy of decades of womens exclusion from key discussions and agreement has resulted in a pathway that continues today. As a result, the paper called for involving women in all decision-making forums that concern the future of Afghanistan and warned against the normalisation of discriminatory practices as well as actions that could unintentionally support or normalize the Talibans discriminatory policies, norms and values.

Key Issues and Options

How to engage with the Taliban authorities on security and humanitarian issues is a key issue for the Council. Council members could consider inviting DiCarlo to brief them on the formation and envisioned activities of the working groups arising from the third Doha meeting and on any plans for future meetings of Special Envoys and Special Representatives on Afghanistan, including with the participation of the Taliban.

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is a significant issue for the Council. An informal meeting with humanitarian organisations working in Afghanistan could allow Council members to learn more about the problems facing those working to deliver aid in the country while also providing an opportunity to consider whether there is anything the Council can do to help manage these challenges.

The human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly for women and girls, is another major issue. Council members could hold an informal meeting with representatives of UN Women, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, and civil society to discuss how the Council can exert pressure on the Taliban regarding its practices and policies that restrict human rights.

The Council could also consider reviewing the 1988 Afghanistan sanctions regime, which, apart from the humanitarian exception established by resolution 2615, has not been updated since the Taliban seized power in August 2021. Such a review could analyse whether the regime is fit for purpose or whether it should be updated in light of current circumstances.

The terrorist threat in Afghanistan is another key concern. The Council could meet with a counter-terrorism expert, which would give members a chance to discuss possible options for bolstering the Councils efforts to manage the threat posed by terrorism in Afghanistan.

Council Dynamics

While Council members are generally united in their desire to see a prosperous, peaceful Afghanistan free from terrorism and ruled by an inclusive government, they have been divided over how to achieve this goal.

Some members, including the P3 (France, the UK, and the US) and other like-minded states, have argued that the Taliban must adhere to international norms if they want to obtain international recognition and receive economic and development aid from the international community. Several of these members appear to favour maintaining pressure on the Taliban, particularly regarding their policies and practices that violate the rights of women and girls.

China and Russia, on the other hand, have contended that the international community should provide assistance to Afghanistan without linking it to other issues, such as human rights, and appear to prefer dialogue and engagement with the Taliban without any increased pressure. China has sent an ambassador to Kabul and, on 30 January, became the first country to accept diplomatic credentials from a Taliban envoy. Beijing has emphasised, however, that it has not officially recognised the Taliban regime as Afghanistans government. Russia invited the Taliban to its economic forum in St. Petersburg, which took place from 5 to 8 June, and is also considering removing the Taliban from its list of banned terrorist organisations.

Council members considered issuing a press statement critical of the release of The Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice on 21 August. However, the statement was not agreed, as two members questioned the value of such a product at the current time; in this regard, they reportedly maintained that the law was an internal issue, that UNAMA was still studying its implications, and that other Council products had already noted the challenge to womens rights in the country.

Japan is the penholder on Afghanistan while Ecuador is the chair of the 1988 Sanctions Committee.

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AFRICA

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Expected Council Action

In September, the Security Council will hold a briefing and consultations on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The anticipated briefer is Bintou Keita, the Special Representative and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO).

MONUSCOs mandate expires on 20 December.

Key Recent Developments

During her recent briefing to the Council in July, Keita described the deteriorating security situation in the eastern DRC, expressing extreme concern about the rapid expansion in North Kivu province of the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23), which has captured several strategic locations. The violence in North Kivu has exacerbated the humanitarian situation there, with more than 2.5 million people internally displaced in the province, according to OCHA. Keita also noted the expansion of the conflict to South Kivu province, increasing communal tensions.

On 4 July, the US announced that a humanitarian truce had been agreed by the parties to the conflict in eastern DRC. The truce, which took effect at midnight on 5 July and continued for two weeks, until 19 July, appears to be a follow-up to the November 2023 visit by US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to the DRC and Rwanda and her ensuing interaction with their presidents, Felix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame. The truce was extended for another two weeks until 3 August with the hope that the parties would eventually agree to a durable cessation of hostilities.

While the truce was largely respected, there were allegations of violations, with the situation in North Kivu remaining volatile. According to OCHA, at least seven people were killed and eight injured in Bweremana (in the Masisi territory in North Kivu) when two bombs exploded on 15 and 16 July.

On 30 July, the DRC and Rwanda signed a ceasefire agreement in Luanda under Angolas auspices, which took effect on 4 August. Based on the agreement, the ceasefire will be monitored by the Ad-Hoc Verification Mechanism established as part of the Luanda processa regional initiative under the leadership of Angolas President Joao Lourenco to ease tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. The two countries foreign ministers met again in Luanda on August 20 and 21 to continue discussing the peace agreement proposed by Angola to find a lasting and durable solution to the long-standing conflict in eastern DRC.

The Security Council welcomed the signing of the ceasefire agreement in resolution 2746 of 6 August. The resolution authorised MONUSCO to provide operational and logistical support to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), operating in the eastern DRC since December 2023. On 17 August, SADC held its ordinary summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, and commended Angola for its role as a mediator. However, the communique released after the summit did not mention the adoption of resolution 2746.

In June, MONUSCO concluded the withdrawal of its forces from South Kivu in accordance with the disengagement plan agreed with the Congolese government and endorsed by the Security Council in resolution 2717 of 19 December 2023. The process faced some challenges, however, including a lack of adequate resources, including logistics and manpower, and the deteriorating security situation. In resolution 2746, the Council urged MONUSCO to consolidate the handover of responsibilities to the DRC Government in South Kivu and to continue to jointly plan the next steps of the gradual, responsible and sustainable withdrawal of the mission before further moving forward.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 4 July, UN Human Rights eocratic Republic of Congo. The experts noted that between August 2023 and June 2024, at least 531 victims of conflict-related sexual violence were reported in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika, and Maniema. They highlighted several challenges that prevent victims from reporting to authorities and UN entities, including fear of reprisals by armed groups, social stigma, inadequate tracking of abducted victims who may be trafficked, difficulties in identification, delayed referral to protection services, and widespread impunity. The experts expressed concern that with the MONUSCO withdrawal, key components of early warning systems for human rights violations will no longer be operational, significantly limiting human rights monitoring, reporting, and investigation. They called on the DRC government to guarantee unhindered access for human rights actors across the entire territory to ensure the documentation and prevention of human rights violations, including those related to conflict-related sexual violence and human trafficking.xperts expressed alarm at reports of widespread human trafficking, particularly sexual slavery and exploitation, as well as the increasing number of child and forced marriages resulting from conflict and displacement in the eastern Dem

Women, Peace and Security

A survey conducted in April by Epicentrea non-profit organisation that conducts field epidemiology activities and research projects for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)recorded alarming levels of violence, particularly sexual violence, in and around four displaced persons camps near Goma, in eastern DRC, which together house over 200,000 people. More than ten percent of women respondents aged 20 to 44 reported having been raped in the five months before the survey, with rates exceeding 17 percent of women in this age group in some camps. The survey also showed a high incidence of sexual violence among teenage girls and women over 45. In a 5 August press release about the survey, Camille Niel, MSFs emergency coordinator in Goma, said that these findings align with the high number of sexual violence cases treated by MSFs medical teams in displaced persons sites around Goma. Niel added that victims and survivors of sexual violence have reported being attacked by men, often armed, in the forests and fields where they have to go to collect firewood or the food they need to feed their families as well as during violent incidents inside the camps. The persistence of the violence is leaving patients treated by MSF at high risk of being attacked again once they leave their clinics. In the press release, MSF urged authorities to guarantee the security of displaced persons sites and called on aid agencies to increase food assistance and income-generating activities in the sites and to support accommodation and shelter for victims and survivors of sexual violence in serious danger of being attacked again.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for Council members remains the security situation in the eastern DRC and how to find a lasting solution to the conflict through diplomatic means. In September, Council members will be keen to learn about the ceasefire agreements implementation. Council members could invite Angola to brief the Council on its ongoing mediation efforts and the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

Also a key issue is MONUSCOs disengagement process. Council members expect to receive updates from the mission and the Congolese government on efforts being exerted to consolidate the handover of security responsibilities in South Kivu. At the July meeting, France, the co-penholder on the DRC, noted that the conditions that made the missions withdrawal from South Kivu possible are not yet in place in North Kivu and Ituri, the two other provinces where MONUSCO operates. In this regard, France welcomed the Congolese Governments determination to consolidate the transfer of responsibility in South Kivu before moving on to the next stages.

The logistical and operational support provided by MONUSCO to SAMIDRC will be another issue. The Council has requested the Secretary-General to report by 15 November on the support provided to the force in line with resolution 2746 and the challenges encountered.

Council Dynamics

Council members remain seriously concerned about the security and humanitarian situation in the eastern DRC. They all seem to agree that the solution to this long-standing issue is political, and they continue to support regional efforts. Some Council members continue to call for external actors to stop supporting armed groups in eastern DRC. In particular, the US, France, Switzerland, and Slovenia remain vocal on the issue and continue to mention Rwandas role in the region.

Council members continue to stress that the MONUSCO disengagement process must be implemented in a gradual, conditions-based, and responsible manner. At the July meeting, several Council members stressed the need to avoid leaving a security vacuum and called on the Congolese government to assume its security responsibilities to protect civilians.

Regarding MONUSCOs support to SAMIDRC, the A3+1 members (the African members, currently Algeria, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Guyana) emphasised the importance of resolution 2746 in facilitating cooperation between MONUSCO and SAMIDRC and in strengthening capacity, enhancing security, and reducing protection risks for civilians. While supporting the resolution, the US raised concerns about providing air assets and armoured vehicles to SAMIDRC, fearing it could escalate regional tensions. The UK also echoed these concerns.

France and Sierra Leone are the co-penholders on the DRC. Ambassador Michael Imran Kanu (Sierra Leone) chairs the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee.

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AMERICAS

Haiti

Expected Council Action

In September, the Security Council may renew the authorisation of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti, which resolution 2699 of 2 October 2023 authorised for an initial period of 12 months to help Haitian authorities re-establish security in the country and build conditions conducive to holding free and fair elections.

Background and Key Recent Developments

After the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, Haiti descended into a multidimensional crisis characterised by political deadlock, extreme violence, and dire humanitarian conditions. Criminal gangs have overrun an estimated 80 percent of Port-au-Prince, the capital, employing brutal tactics such as kidnapping, sexual violence, and murder to subdue and subjugate the civilian population. The country also continues to suffer from a governance crisis as elections have not taken place since 2016.

In October 2022, the Haitian government appealed for the immediate deployment of an international specialised force to temporarily reinforce the efforts of the Haitian National Police (HNP) to combat gangs. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres endorsed the request, recommending that [o]ne or several Member States, acting bilaterally at the invitation of and in cooperation with the Government of Haiti, could deploy, as a matter of urgency, a rapid action force to support the HNP. In July 2023, ten months after Haitis initial request, Kenya agreed to lead a multinational force to the country, pledging to deploy 1,000 police officers. After Kenyas announcement, several countriesincluding the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad, and Jamaicadeclared their intention to participate in the force.

Although the UN would not administer the proposed mission, Kenya, Haiti, and other stakeholders sought Security Council authorisation for the deployment. The Council on 2 October 2023 adopted resolution 2699, authorising member states to form and deploy the MSS mission to Haiti. The resolution mandated the mission to provide operational support to the HNP to counter gangsincluding by building its capacity through the planning and conduct of joint security support operationsand to support the HNP in the protection of critical infrastructure sites.

The resolution authorised the mission for an initial period of 12 months, to be reviewed after nine months, and required participating countries to notify the Secretary-General of their intention to contribute personnel. Additionally, it specified that the cost of the operation would be borne by voluntary contributions and support from individual countries and regional organisations. Subsequent assessments indicated that the mission would total up to 2,500 officers, deployed in phases, at an annual cost of approximately $600 million.

The mission was initially scheduled to deploy in February, but that timeline was postponed repeatedly for several reasons, including a lack of funding, a judicial challenge in Kenya, and a surge in gang violence in Haiti. The violent surge led to an agreement brokered by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to replace interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry with a Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) that is responsible for organising elections by February 2026. (For more information on the countrys political situation, see the brief on Haiti in our July Monthly Forecast). In June and July, Kenya deployed the missions first two contingents, totalling 400 officers. At the time of writing, a third contingent from Jamaica was expected to deploy soon.

According to media reports, the MSS mission has helped the HNP achieve some success in retaking neighbourhoods in Port-au-Prince that were previously under gang control. It remains under-resourced, however, reportedly lacking critical capabilities such as air assets and turreted armoured vehicles, while continuing to face personnel and equipment shortfalls that limit its ability to take and hold territory beyond the capital. The mission has also faced some criticism for a lack of transparency as it has withheld details about its concept of operations, citing security concerns.

In line with resolution 2699, which requested the Secretary-General to provide recommendations on possibly adapting the MSS missions mandate within nine months, the Secretary-Generals most recent report on the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), dated 27 June, said that the missions mandate remains valid and will remain necessary beyond October 2024. It added that [t]he mandated tasks of re-establishing security in Haiti and creating security conditions conducive to the holding of free and fair elections will require continuous deployment, at least until the restoration of democratically elected authorities.

The report cautioned that the contributions and pledges that the mission has received to datewhich include more than $300 million in promised logistical and financial support from the US, in addition to $21 million deposited into the missions UN-administered trust fundremain insufficient for the mission to fulfil its budgetary and operational needs and ensure its presence for the duration of Haitis political transition. According to the report, the mission will be unable to complete a 12-month deployment without substantial additional funding.

Regarding the establishment of a compliance mechanism to prevent human rights violations by MSS forces, as requested by resolution 2699, the Secretary-Generals report said that parts of the UN system have advised the mission on best practices for complying with international human rights and with international standards of conduct and discipline. This technical assistance has included steps for integrating human rights concerns across mission activities and creating mechanisms to address disciplinary and accountability issues. The report further noted that the UN, upon request, could provide the mission with additional substantive support in relation to the consistent and continuous implementation of compliance mechanisms to minimise the risks of human rights violations in the planning and conduct of operations.

While Haitis gang violence appears to have receded from its peak earlier this year, the countrys security and humanitarian situations remain dire. Between 1 April and 30 June, BINUH recorded 1,379 people who were victims of murder or injury, a 45 percent decrease compared to the previous reporting period, but still an alarmingly high figure. Additionally, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) designated the country a famine hotspot of highest concern in their latest outlook report covering the period from June to October of this year.

On 12 July, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2743, renewing BINUHs mandate for another year, until 15 July 2025. The resolution included new language emphasising the need for coordination between BINUH, the MSS, and other stakeholders to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication of efforts in the provision of international support for the HNP. Emphasising the missions need for additional resources, the resolution also encouraged member states and regional organisations to support the MSS through voluntary contributions in the form of financial, personnel, and in-kind commitments.

Human Rights-Related Developments On 20 June, several UN human rights experts voiced deep concern over the escalating gang violence and political instability in Haiti, resulting in a record 578,074 internal displacements in 2024 and making Haiti the country with the highest internal displacement globally due to crime-related violence. Among the displaced are over 310,000 women and girls and 180,000 children. The experts warned that a growing number of unaccompanied children are at risk of exploitation, abuse, and trafficking by gangs, while sexual violence against women and girls in internally displaced persons (IDP) sites is also surging. The experts called for the MSS mission in Haiti to support the HNP and ensure security in line with international human rights standards. They also emphasised the need to increase funding for Haitis 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan, to facilitate humanitarian access, and to strengthen protection mechanisms for IDPs.

Key Issues and Options

The central task for the Security Council in September is to renew the MSS missions authorisation. The Council is expected to retain the missions core mandate, which is to support the HNPs efforts to build security conditions conducive to holding elections by providing operational support and securing critical infrastructure.

Regarding the missions resource shortfall, the Council is likely to maintain the missions voluntary funding model, but it may reiterate its call for additional contributions from the international community. In this regard, Council members could encourage countries and regional organisations to consider specific initiatives to enhance their support, such as a pledging conference.

Additionally, Council members could request the mission to expedite efforts to establish a functioning compliance mechanism to prevent human rights violations. Members may also request the UN to enhance its substantive and technical support to the mission in this regard and report on progress achieved towards making such a mechanism operational.

Council Dynamics

Council members are united in their concern about Haitis multidimensional crisis and broadly agree on the need for a Haitian-led political solution that addresses both security and socioeconomic challenges. The unanimous adoptions of resolutions 2699 and 2743 are indicative of members general support of the UN and broader international engagement on Haiti.

Some Council members have expressed scepticism about the MSS mission, however. Russia has criticised a provision of the CARICOM-brokered agreement on Haitis transitional governance structure that required members of the TPC to support the MSS mission, which Moscow has described as interference in Haitis domestic affairs. Additionally, both China and Russia have questioned the lack of operational detail from the mission and whether conditions are conducive to its success in light of Haitis persistent political instability. During the negotiations on resolution 2743, the two members apparently sought to limit references to the MSS mission, arguing that BINUHs mandate should not pre-empt separate Council discussion on the renewal of the MSS missions authorisation.

Ecuador and the US are the co-penholders on Haiti.

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In Hindsight: The Security Council and Regional Arrangements

The contours of the relationship between the UN Security Council and regional arrangements and agencies have long been the subject of debate.[1] This debate has assumed renewed significance following the publication of A New Agenda for Peace, a July 2023 policy brief that sets out UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres vision for an effective multilateral security system. The brief argues that robust regional frameworks and organisations that have strong partnerships with the UN are necessary for managing growing competition among member states and the increasingly transnational threats facing the international community.[2]

Among the many recommendations directed towards or involving regional arrangements, Guterres suggests that the UN, regional organisations, and their respective member states should operationalise rapid responses to emerging crises through active diplomatic efforts and calls for repairing regional security architectures where they are in danger of collapsing; building them where they do not exist; and enhancing them where they can be further developed.[3]

Addressing the role of regional organisations in the context of peace operations, the brief argues that peace operations must be significantly more integrated and should leverage the full range of civilian capacities and expertise across the [UN] system and its partners, as part of a system of networked multilateralism and strengthened partnerships.[4] UN support for African peace support operations receives particular attention. The brief calls for a new generation of peace enforcement missions and counter-terrorism operations in Africa, led by African partners with a Council mandate under Chapters VII and VIII of the UN Charter and guaranteed funding from member states assessed contributions to the UN. It also recommends systematic consideration of requests made by the AU and subregional organisations for the provision of support to peace support operations.[5]

These recommendations implicitly acknowledge the increased involvement of regional arrangements in the maintenance of international peace and security in the post-Cold War period. This has been partly caused by some regions preference for regional solutions, particularly in Africa; a desire to share the burden of conflict management; and growing awareness by the Council and member states that regional arrangements offer useful strategic flexibility when managing or responding to a crisis, among other matters. But the turn to regional actors has not always been the result of an overarching strategy. It has more often come about as a pragmatic response to the particular circumstances of a given case, usually driven by political considerations.

The forthcoming SCR research report examines the legal framework governing the relationship between the Council and regional arrangements, as well as past models of cooperation, and concludes with observations regarding the issues that have arisen in the past.

It delves deeply into Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, offering an interpretation drawn from an analysis of practice and the text. Chapter VIII is relatively short, comprising only three articles. The first of these, Article 52, deals primarily with the peaceful settlement of disputes by regional arrangements. Article 53 governs regional enforcement action, while Article 54 provides that the Council must be kept fully informed of the activities of regional arrangements relating to the maintenance of international peace and security.

Cooperation between the Council and regional arrangements can take many forms. Most often, it arises in the context of peace operations. The report therefore focuses primarily on models of cooperation that involved peace operations. The models considered are set out in the table below. Overall, the examples chosen demonstrate that cooperation between regional arrangements and the Council, as well as the UN more broadly, has generally produced mixed results. While there have been successes, there have also been many challenges, and the overall relationship has not always been smooth. The problems that have arisen raise questions relating to the appropriate level of Council oversight, managing strategic disagreements, the structures for effective operational coordination, and adequate resourcing, among other matters.

Our report further explores mandating decisions, the importance of Council unity and coordinated regional diplomacy, Council oversight of regional efforts to peacefully settle disputes, the benefits of political alignment, re-hatting, doctrinal differences, and the question of complementarity and comparative advantage.

In light of this review, the report makes the following observations:

When the Council opts for cooperation between the UN and regional arrangements, it is essential for it to have a clear understanding of the role that each organisation will play, its capacity to do so, and the proposed relationship among the different actors. Processes and structures that facilitate exchangessuch as interactive discussions between the Council and its counterparts in regional arrangements, joint assessments, and regular desk-to-desk meetings geared towards outcomescan contribute to better alignment.

The lack of a clear political strategy can cause problems for peace operations premised on cooperation between the UN and regional arrangements. As A New Agenda for Peace notes, the primacy of politics remains a central tenet of peace operations.

Disagreements over strategy between the UN and regional arrangements can be hard to avoid, however, given the often diverging viewpoints of the principal actors. Coming at the onset of a crisis, this can lead to delays while the situation deteriorates; later, it can complicate implementation. It will be essential to streamline the mandate authorisation process for AU-led peace support operations outlined in resolution 2719 and clarify contentious issues covered in the resolution, including financial burden-sharing and joint planning.[6]

Where the UN and regional arrangements are deployed in parallel, a lack of adequate coordination can inhibit the development and maintenance of a coherent overall strategy in respect of international engagement, and can also obfuscate accountability among organisations.

Parallel leadership structures (for example, where control over the military and political aspects of a mission is divided between different organisations) will be a drag on responsiveness, a problem in complex security environments.

Council unity can play an important role in facilitating effective cooperation between the UN and regional arrangements. Successful collaboration can also be bolstered by coordinated diplomacy involving regional actors that is consistent with the overall strategy being pursued by the Council. Conversely, divisions among Council members can prevent the Council from taking action and communicating clear signals to the parties.

Regional efforts to peacefully settle disputes can be hampered by constraints such as divisions among its members, its organisational culture and structure, and its decision-making processes.Where regional efforts are faltering, the Councils oversight role and its powers to facilitate peaceful settlement of disputes need to come to the fore. However, members have sometimes used the involvement of a regional arrangement to argue for Council inaction.

Where a peace operation is deployed, political alignment with the host state is particularly important, not least in circumstances where the UN is working with a regional arrangement. A compact signed by relevant actors outlining the commitments they have made and their roles, similar to the type recommended in the report of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, could be helpful. Where the host state is intent on obstructing the mission, however, processes intended to ease disagreements may find limited success.

Regional arrangements often face resource constraints far greater than those experienced by UN peace operations. Authorising regional peace operations without taking timely steps for their financial and logistical support will cause delays.

Troop re-hatting processes are difficult and require careful planning, adequate time, and thorough training. Procedures that screen out troops involved with prior human rights violations are critically important. Differences in equipment and interoperability issues can be particularly problematic during a re-hatting process. Periods of planned overlap can help to minimise difficulties during re-hatting and lead to a smoother transition.

Doctrinal differences regarding peacekeeping operationsover the use of force, for examplecan lead to strategic differences between the UN and its regional partners that complicate efforts to collaborate. They can also cause operational problems, particularly where missions with differing bureaucratic arrangements, needs, and expectations are mandated to work closely together.

The examples considered in our report highlight some of the comparative advantages enjoyed by the UN and its regional partners. Regional actors have, for example, at times been able to deploy quickly and shown a willingness to undertake peace enforcement actions requiring a robust mandate. The UN, on the other hand, has shown that it can boost flagging regional peace operations and provide logistical support to regional actors.

But experience also shows that the UN and its regional partners may fall short of their aims, impeded by resource constraints and political disagreements. And the UN will tend to become closely associated with regional arrangements that deploy in parallelwhich can be problematic where those regional arrangements are unpopular among local populations.

All in all, is the turn to regional organisations a good idea? There are advantages and disadvantages to greater regional involvement. But the role for regional arrangements in efforts to maintain international peace and security seems likely to grow, as part of the trend toward regionalisation and the current emphasis on developing a system of networked multilateralism, which is reflected in the many references to regional arrangements in the current draft of the Pact for the Future.

Table of Examples Considered in SCRs Forthcoming Research Report

No. Model Example Year 1. Expressing support for a joint UN/regional arrangement peace operation MICIVIH (Haiti) 1993 2. Deploying a UN peace operation in parallel with a regional peace operation UNOMIL (Liberia) 1993 3. Establishing a transitional administration with the assistance of regional arrangements UNMIK (Kosovo) 1999 4. Authorising a predominantly regional multinational force with regional leadership to support a UN peace operation INTERFET (Timor-Leste) 1999 5. Authorising a UN peace operation that took over from a regional peace operation UNAMSIL (Sierra Leone) 1999 6. Authorising a regional arrangement to use force to support a UN peace operation MINURCAT and EUFOR Chad (Chad) 2007 7. Deploying a hybrid UN/regional arrangement peace operation UNAMID (Sudan) 2007 8. Establishing a UN support office to provide logistical support to a regional peace operation UNSOA (Somalia) 2009 9. Authorising a regional arrangement to use force NATO (Libya) 2011 10. Authorising a regional force to work within a UN peace operation MONUSCO and the FIB (DRC) 2013 11. Authorising the deployment of a regional peace operation MISCA (CAR) 2013 12. Re-hatting a regional peace operation into a UN peace operation AFISMA and MINUSMA (Mali) 2013 13. Expressing support for a regional peace operation ECOMIG (The Gambia) 2017 14. Directing a UN peace operation to provide support to a regional peace operation MINUSMA and FC-G5S (Mali) 2017 15. Expressing support for regional efforts to resolve a dispute peacefully ASEAN (Myanmar) 2021

[1] In September, Security Council Report will publish a research report on the relationship between the Security Council and regional arrangements. This In Hindsight excerpts the executive summary. Chapter VIII of the UN Charter refers to regional arrangements and agencies rather than regional organisations. Both our report and this In Hindsight use the term regional arrangements, except where paraphrasing. The term regional arrangements captures both traditional regional organisations and less formal arrangements.

[2] Our Common Agenda: Policy Brief 9: A New Agenda for Peace, UN Doc EOSG/2023/9 (July 2023) 12.

[3] Ibid 18.

[4] Ibid 24. Emphasis added.

[5] On 21 December 2023, just over five months after A New Agenda for Peace was published, the Council adopted resolution 2719 on the financing of AU-led peace support operations. Pursuant to resolution 2719, the Council agreed to consider on a case-by-case basis requests from the AU Peace and Security Council seeking authorisation for access to UN assessed contributions for AU-led peace support operations. This resolution is considered in further detail below. Ibid 26.

[6] Eugene Chen, Next Steps on the Financing of African Peace Support Operations: Unpacking Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) (February 2024) <https://cic.nyu.edu/resources/next-steps-on-the-financing-of-african-peace-support-operations/>.
If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Speaking of which, we noticed some great changes in B&M European Value Retail's (LON:BME) returns on capital, so let's have a look.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for B&M European Value Retail, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.21 = UK608m  (UK3.6b - UK794m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).

Thus, B&M European Value Retail has an ROCE of 21%. In absolute terms that's a great return and it's even better than the Multiline Retail industry average of 10%.

View our latest analysis for B&M European Value Retail

roce

Above you can see how the current ROCE for B&M European Value Retail compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for B&M European Value Retail .

So How Is B&M European Value Retail's ROCE Trending?

B&M European Value Retail has not disappointed with their ROCE growth. More specifically, while the company has kept capital employed relatively flat over the last five years, the ROCE has climbed 79% in that same time. Basically the business is generating higher returns from the same amount of capital and that is proof that there are improvements in the company's efficiencies. The company is doing well in that sense, and it's worth investigating what the management team has planned for long term growth prospects.

The Bottom Line On B&M European Value Retail's ROCE

To bring it all together, B&M European Value Retail has done well to increase the returns it's generating from its capital employed. And investors seem to expect more of this going forward, since the stock has rewarded shareholders with a 80% return over the last five years. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if B&M European Value Retail can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

Story continues

If you want to continue researching B&M European Value Retail, you might be interested to know about the 2 warning signs that our analysis has discovered.

B&M European Value Retail is not the only stock earning high returns. If you'd like to see more, check out our free list of companies earning high returns on equity with solid fundamentals.

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.
AFRICA

Libya*

Expected Council Action

In September, the Security Council is expected to renew the authorisation for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect and seize vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya that they have reasonable grounds to suspect are being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking from Libya.

The current authorisation expires on 29 September.

Key Recent Developments

On 30 August, Council members received an advance copy of the Secretary-Generals most recent annual report on migrant smuggling and human trafficking in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya. The previous report, dated 30 August 2023 and covering developments from 30 August 2022 to 10 August 2023, noted a significant increase in migrant and refugee crossings: approximately 169,219 persons arrived in Europe along the three main sea routes across the Mediterranean between September 2022 and July 2023, representing a 51 percent increase compared with the previous reporting period. The central Mediterranean route accounted for the vast majority of these arrivals, with approximately 133,514 refugees and migrants arriving at Italy and Malta by sea, of which most had departed from either Libya (45 percent) or Tunisia (43 percent). An estimated 3,111 persons died or went missing in the Mediterranean Sea between August 2022 and June 2023, representing a 78 percent increase compared with the same period in the previous year.

According to the Secretary-Generals 30 August 2023 report, the EU estimated that approximately 70,216 people were rescued or intercepted in 1,292 operations conducted during the reporting period by vessels in the area of operations covered by the EU Naval Force military operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI). With Operation IRINI, the EU is the only regional organisation implementing the authorisation given by the Council to inspect vessels suspected of migrant smuggling and human trafficking off the coast of Libya. In the report, the Secretary-General reiterated his recommendation to EU member states to conclude a credible and predictable agreement for disembarkation, which would determine the re-location of migrants rescued in EU territorial waters. On 14 May, after several years of negotiations, the EU formally adopted the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which includes a solidarity mechanism to balance the receipt, processing, and cost of asylum applications among member states.

The Secretary-Generals latest report on the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), dated 8 August and covering events since 9 April, details more recent developments relevant to the upcoming reauthorisation. During the reporting period, 6,105 migrants and refugees were intercepted attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya. As of May, there were 725,304 migrants and refugees in the country, approximately 4,300 of whom were arbitrarily detained in official detention centres. Armed groups operate six unofficial detention centres, to which the UN does not have access and where an additional 3,000 people are estimated to be arbitrarily detained.

According to the Secretary-Generals UNSMIL report, human rights violations against migrants and refugees in Libya have persisted, particularly in detention. UNSMIL has received reports of arbitrary arrests of migrants and asylum seekers and their detention in abhorrent conditions, in which they face persistent patterns of abuse, exploitation, forced labour, extortion, torture, and other forms of ill-treatment by guards. The report urged Libyan authorities to meet their international and national human rights obligations and adopt a comprehensive legal and policy framework on migration that prioritises the human rights, dignity and well-being of migrants and refugees, including by decriminalising irregular entry into the country, considering non-custodial measures as alternatives to detention, and implementing measures to prevent arbitrary detention, forced labour, slavery, and human trafficking.

On 17 July, 16 countries participated in the Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum in Tripoli. The forum was organised by the countrys UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) with the aim of strengthening international cooperation on and devising solutions to the issue of irregular migration. In a statement, UNSMIL welcomed the forum as an important opportunity to advance a human rights-based approach to migration governance. The statement stressed the importance of a concerted international effort to address current challenges and re-emphasised the need for Libyan authorities to adopt a new legal and policy framework on migrants and refugees in line with the countrys international legal obligations.

Regarding the broader political situation in Libya, the country remains divided between the GNU, based in Tripoli and led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah with advisory support from the High State Council (HSC), and the eastern-based Government of National Stability (GNS), led by Prime Minister Osama Hamad and backed by the House of Representatives (HoR) and the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) under the command of General Khalifa Haftar. According to the Secretary-Generals most recent UNSMIL report, the parties have not achieved any progress in resolving disagreements about proposed electoral legislation that would allow national elections to be held and reconcile the countrys divided government. The main point of contention concerns the formation of a unified interim government to organise the elections, a move favoured by the GNS and HoR but opposed by the GNU and some segments of the HSC. (For more information on Libyas political situation, see our 19 August Whats in Blue story.)

On 20 August, the Council held its regular bimonthly briefing and consultations on Libya. Deputy Special Representative and Political Officer in Charge of UNSMIL Stephanie Koury updated Council members on recent political, security, and humanitarian developments in the country. The chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki (Japan), briefed on the committees activities. On 28 August, Council members issued a press statement on Libya, in which they called on the parties to refrain from unilateral actions that can increase tensions and to make compromises necessary to advance the Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process. The statement also stressed the importance of ensuring the full, equal, effective, meaningful and safe participation of women, and inclusion of youth and civil society representatives, in all activities and decision-making relating to democratic transition.

Human Rights-Related Developments On 9 July, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk addressed the Human Rights Council, highlighting the ongoing suffering of the Libyan people due to economic hardship and political exclusion. He expressed concern that the targeting of civil society organisations, political activists, journalists, and others is fostering a climate of fear, undermining the very foundations necessary for Libyas democratic transition, emboldening spoilers, and allowing security actors to commit human rights violations with impunity. Turk said that the building blocks for securing a lasting peace in Libya include a rights-based, people-centred transitional justice and reconciliation process; a sustainable political settlement that reflects the rights and aspirations of all Libyans; the restoration of the rule of law, including accountability for human rights violations; and the emergence of unified, legitimate institutions.

Key Issues and Options

The key issue for the Council in September is the renewal of the authorisation to combat migrant smuggling and human trafficking off the coast of Libya, which was most recently extended by resolution 2698 of 29 September 2023. Prior to this years reauthorisation, the Council may invite a briefer from the EU to update members on Operation IRINIs recent activities. In the past, such briefings have taken place in an informal setting during Council negotiations or in an informal interactive dialogue (IID), a closed format that, unlike consultations, allows for the participation of non-UN Secretariat officials and briefers.

Council Dynamics

The Council initially established the anti-migrant smuggling and human trafficking authorisation through resolution 2240 of 9 October 2015 and has renewed it annually. Until 2023, the renewals were straightforward extensions adopted unanimously, except in 2016, when then-member Venezuela abstained.

During negotiations on last years renewal, Russia proposed new language reflecting the Secretary-Generals reporting on the increasing number of migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea and the human rights violations to which they were subjected. Russia also suggested that the resolution refer to the Secretary-Generals recommendation that EU member states conclude an agreement on disembarkation. Elements of the former proposal were included in the final text, but the latter was not. Russia consequently abstained on resolution 2698.

Concerning the situation in Libya more generally, Council members remain united on the need for a Libyan-led, inclusive political process resulting in elections that will help to restore political, security, and economic stability to the country. Broader geopolitical tensions still influence Council dynamics with respect to the country, however. The US and other Western members remain concerned about Russias growing presence in the eastern part of the country that is under Haftars control, while Russia routinely blames Libyas current instability on the NATO-led military intervention in 2011 and accuses Western countries of seeking to exploit Libyas oil reserves for economic gain.

France and Malta are co-penholders for the authorisation on Libya under consideration in September.

*Post-script (4 September): At the 3 September press briefing on Septembers programme of work, Ambassador Samuel Zbogar (Slovenia)the president of the Security Council this monthannounced that the Council no longer planned to renew the authorisation granted by resolution 2240 of 9 October 2015, allowing member states, acting in their national capacity or through regional organisations, to inspect and seize vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya that they have reasonable grounds to suspect are being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking from Libya. While the Council had originally been expected to adopt a resolution renewing the authorisation on 19 September, it appears that France and Malta, the co-penholders on the authorisation, informed Council members that they had decided not to pursue a further renewal. The current authorisation expires on 29 September.

Through the EU Naval Force military operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI), the EU was the only regional organisation implementing the authorisation related to migrant smuggling and human trafficking from Libya. Operation IRINI is expected to continue implementing the separate authorisation granted by the Council for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo imposed by resolution 1970 of 26 February 2011. That authorisation was most recently renewed by resolution 2733 of 31 May.

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Overview

In September, Slovenia will hold the presidency of the Security Council.

Slovenia plans to organise one signature event, a high-level open debate on Leadership for Peace under the Maintenance of international peace and security agenda item. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob is expected to chair the meeting, which will be held during the UN General Assemblys high-level segment. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to brief. The open debate is designed to generate ideas for addressing some of the most intractable peace and security challenges facing the Council, such as conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, among others.

This month, the Security Council will hold an open debate on peacekeeping reform pursuant to resolution 2378 of 20 September 2017. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is expected to brief.

Council members are also expected to hold a high-level Informal Interactive Dialogue (IID) with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (LAS), Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and members of the Arab Summit Troikaa group of three rotating countries that monitor the implementation of resolutions and commitments adopted by the LAS, which consists of the outgoing, current, and incoming Arab Summit chairs (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Iraq). Slovenias Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Tanja Fajon, will chair the meeting, which is being convened in accordance with a 29 January 2021 Security Council presidential statement (S/PRST/2021/2) that encouraged the holding of an informal meeting between Council members and LAS representatives on the margins of the General Assemblys high-level segment.

Fajon will also chair two Council meetings on regional files: the quarterly briefing and consultations on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the monthly briefing and consultations on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

In September, the Council expects to receive a briefing from Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator (SHRC) for Gaza Sigrid Kaag in line with resolution 2720 of 22 December 2023. Additional meetings on this file may be convened depending on developments in Israel and Gaza.

Other Middle Eastern issues on the programme are:

Syria , meetings on political/humanitarian issues and chemical weapons; and

Yemen , monthly briefing and consultations.

African issues on the programme of work in September are:

Sudan , briefing on the work of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee and renewal of the sanctions regime;

Libya , renewal of the authorisation to inspect and seize vessels suspected of being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking; and

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) , briefing and consultations on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and the work of the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee.

In September, the Security Council may renew the authorisation of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti, which expires on 2 October.

As in previous months, the Council may hold one or more meetings on Ukraine in September. Other issues could be raised during the month depending on developments.
Status Update since our August Forecast

Women, Peace and Security

On 7 August, the Security Council held a briefing on Sustaining women, peace and security commitments in the context of accelerated drawdown of peace operations (S/PV.9700). The briefing was chaired by Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone Francess Piagie Alghali. The briefers were Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous, and Founding Director of Confluence Advisory Kholood Khair. This meeting represented the Security Councils first thematic briefing on UN peace operations transitions and women, peace and security.

Counter-Terrorism

On 8 August, the Security Council convened an open briefing (S/PV.9701) on the Secretary-Generals 19th biannual strategic-level report on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) to international peace and security (S/2024/583). Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism and Head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) Natalia Gherman briefed.

Security Council Reform

On 12 August, the Security Council convened a high-level debate titled Addressing the historical injustice and enhancing Africas effective representation on the UN Security Council under the Maintenance of international peace and security agenda item (S/PV.9702). This was one of the signature events of Sierra Leones August Council presidency. Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio chaired the meeting. The briefers were UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis, and Dr. Sithembile Mbete, Senior Lecturer of Political Sciences at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria.

Somalia

On 12 August, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2747, extending the authorisation for AU member states to deploy uniformed personnel in the country to carry out the mandated tasks of the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) by three days, until 15 August. In suggesting a short technical rollover, the UK (the penholder on Somalia) apparently sought to allow time for further deliberations on a substantive resolution deciding the next steps regarding post-ATMIS security arrangements.

On 15 August, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2748, extending the authorisation for the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) until 31 December. The resolution requested the Secretary-General, jointly with the AU Commission Chairperson and in consultation with Somalia and international stakeholders, to report on the overall mission design for a successor mission by 15 November.

Ukraine

On 13 August, Russia convened an Arria-formula meeting titled Crimes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the nationalist battalions. Briefings were delivered by Rodion Miroshnik, Russian Ambassador-at-Large on the Crimes of the Kyiv Regime; Maxim Grigoriev, a member of the Russian Civic Chamber and Chairman of the International Public Tribunal on Ukraine, which was established by the Russian Civic Chamber in March 2022; and Oleg Soldat, Assistant Professor at the University of Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On 28 August, the Security Council held a briefing on the situation in Ukraine under the Maintenance of international peace and security agenda item (S/PV.9714). Slovenia and the US, the co-penholders on political issues in Ukraine, requested the meeting to discuss the political and security situation in the country. Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Miroslav Jenca briefed. Ukraine and the EU participated in the meeting under rules 37 and 39 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure, respectively.

On 30 August, at Russias request, the Council held a briefing under the Threats to international peace and security agenda item to discuss the risks of spiralling escalation resulting from the increasing weapons transfers by the Western countries to the Kyiv regime (S/PV.9716). Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Adedeji Ebo briefed the Council.

Middle East, including the Palestinian Question

On 13 August, the Security Council held a briefing on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question (S/PV.9704). Algeria, supported by Slovenia, requested the meeting to discuss the ongoing hostilities in Gaza and the 10 August Israeli strikes on a school sheltering displaced people. The briefers were Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo and OCHAs Director of the Financing and Partnerships Division Lisa Doughten.

On 22 August, the Security Council held an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question (S/PV.9711). The briefers were Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland and Louisa Baxter, Operations Lead at Save the Childrens Emergency Health Unit in Gaza.

On 29 August, the Security Council held an open briefing on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question (S/PV.9715). Switzerland and the UK called for the meeting in light of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and following a 27 August statement by UN Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud on the dire security situation for humanitarians and UN personnel in Gaza. The briefers were Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya and Michael Ryan, World Health Organization (WHO) Deputy Director-General and Executive Director of the Health and Emergency Programme.

Georgia

On 14 August, Security Council members discussed the situation in Georgia under any other business. Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Miroslav Jenca briefed. The meeting, which marked the 16th anniversary of the 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia, was requested by France, Japan, Malta, Slovenia, the UK, and the US. Following the meeting, those members, together with incoming members Denmark and Greece, delivered a joint statement at a press stakeout reaffirming their support for Georgias sovereignty and territorial integrity.

South Sudan

On 14 August, the Security Council convened an open briefing (S/PV.9705), followed by closed consultations, on the situation in South Sudan and the Secretary-Generals 90-day report on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which was published on 29 July and covered developments from 16 February to 15 July (S/2024/572). The briefers were Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of UNMISS Nicholas Haysom, Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) Major General (Retired) Charles Tai Gituai, and Director of OCHAs Operations and Advocacy Division Edem Wosornu.

Humanitarian Personnel

On 19 August, coinciding with World Humanitarian Day, Council members held discussions on humanitarian personnel under any other business at the request of Slovenia and Switzerland. In the press elements issued after the meeting, Council members highlighted the ongoing challenges and risks faced by humanitarian personnel, lamenting that 2023 had been the deadliest year on record for aid workers, and reiterated the obligations of states and conflict parties to comply fully with international humanitarian law, including the need to respect and protect humanitarian workers.

Nord Stream Explosion

On 20 August, Council members held a meeting under any other business to discuss developments pertaining to the domestic investigations conducted by Denmark, Sweden, and Germany into the 26 September 2022 explosions that caused physical damage to the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea. The meeting, requested by Russia, did not include any briefers.

Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace

On 21 August, the Security Council held an open debate on A New Agenda for PeaceAddressing Global, Regional and National Aspects of Conflict Prevention under the Peacebuilding and sustaining peace agenda item (S/PV. 9710). Sierra Leones Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Timothy Musa Kabba, chaired the meeting, which was one of the signature events of Sierra Leones August Council presidency. Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Elizabeth Spehar, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye, Executive Secretary of the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion of Sierra Leone Hawa Sally Samai, and a civil society representative briefed the Council.

Informal Visit to Geneva

On 25 and 26 August, members of the Security Council visited Geneva to mark the 75th anniversary of the 1949 Geneva Conventions. The objective of this informal visit was to provide Council members an opportunity to reaffirm the enduring importance of international humanitarian law (IHL) and to take collective political action to uphold the principles enshrined in the Geneva Conventions. The visit also gave Council members the chance to engage with Geneva-based experts who specialise in data collection and analysis and technological innovation on issues relating to conflict prevention. All Security Council members participated in the visit except Russia.

Lebanon

On 19 August, members of the Security Council received a briefing in consultations on the work of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari.

On 28 August, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2749, which extended the mandate of UNIFIL for another year, until 31 August 2025.

DPRK (North Korea)

On 29 August, the Chair of the 1718 Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl (Switzerland), briefed Council members in closed consultations on the 90-day report on the Committees work.

West Africa and the Sahel

On 29 August, following the consultations on the 1718 Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee, Council members held a meeting under any other business. Russia requested the meeting to discuss a 19 August letter to the Council from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, in which they alleged that Ukraine is supporting terrorist activity in the Sahel.
AFRICA

Sudan

Expected Council Action

In September, the Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution to extend the Sudan sanctions regime (targeted sanctions and the arms embargo), which expires on 12 September.

The mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee expires on 12 March 2025.

Ambassador Joonkook Hwang (the Republic of Korea), the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, is expected to brief the Council on the committees work.

Key Recent Developments

The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023, has triggered a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Sudan, including significant civilian casualties, mass displacement, severe food and water shortages, and the collapse of healthcare and essential services. As at 23 August, more than 20,000 people had been killed since the onset of the conflict, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a non-governmental organisation that collects conflict-related data. Some estimates suggest, however, that the number of casualties may be significantly higher. The war has displaced approximately 10.3 million people, 2.2 million of whom have sought refuge in Sudans neighbouring countriesthe Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and Ugandamaking it the worlds largest displacement crisis. (For background and more information, see the brief on Sudan in our June 2024 Monthly Forecast.)

Council members have been closely following the food insecurity situation in Sudan. On 6 August, the Council held an open briefing on the 1 August report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC). The report determined that famine conditions were present in the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) located near El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, which houses approximately 500,000 people, and are expected to persist through October. The report noted that similar conditions are likely to prevail in other IDP sites in the El Fasher locality, notably in the Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps. (For background, see our 28 July and 5 August Whats in Blue stories.)

Mediation efforts aimed at resolving the conflict and securing humanitarian access have continued. In a 23 July press statement, the US announced that it had extended invitations to the SAF and the RSF to participate in ceasefire talks in Switzerland, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia, with the African Union (AU), Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the UN participating as observers. The talks aimed to reach an agreement on a nationwide cessation of violence and to develop a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure implementation of any agreement. Although the RSF agreed to participate in the meeting, the SAF did not. It sent a delegation, headed by Sudanese Minister of Minerals Mohamed Bashir Abu Nommo, to Jeddah on 9 August to consult with the US on the proposed agenda and structure of the negotiations. These talks ended without agreement on the SAFs participation in Switzerland, reportedly because of disagreements on several issues, including representation of civilian stakeholders at the talks and the composition of the SAFs delegation.

Despite the SAFs absence, the talks in Switzerland commenced on 14 August using a hybrid negotiating model that combined in-person, proximity and virtual modes to engage both parties. On 15 August, the Sudanese government announced its decision to authorise the opening of the Adre crossing at the Chad-Sudan border for three months for cross-border humanitarian operations. (Sudan suspended cross-border aid delivery through the Adre crossing on 21 February, citing concerns about potential weapons transfers into Darfur by the RSF.) In a 16 August statement, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami welcomed Sudans decision to open the Adre crossing, noting that it remained the most effective and shortest route to deliver humanitarian assistance to Sudan at the scale and speed required, especially to Darfur.

At the end of the talks in Switzerland on 23 August, the participantscollectively called the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) Groupadopted a communique. In addition to ensuring access through the Adre border crossing, the ALPS group obtained guarantees from the warring parties to provide safe and unhindered humanitarian access along the Dabbah Road, with access through the north and west of Port Sudan. The communique indicated that deliberations continued toward opening an access route through Sennar state, noting that the UN is undertaking a feasibility study for routes across the country that can enable aid access. It further noted that the ALPS group presented to the warring parties proposals for a compliance mechanism to resolve disputes, receive complaints, and address problems arising in relation to implementation of protection of civilian commitments. The communique expressed regret at SAFs decision not to join the talks in Switzerland, which it said limited the groups ability to make substantial progress on key issues, such as a cessation of hostilities.

Following the talks, media reports quoted General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the SAF, as saying during a press conference that the talks in Switzerland aimed to whitewash the RSF and countries supporting the paramilitary group. He reiterated the SAFs refusal to negotiate with the RSF and objected to the UAEs participation in the talks. (Sudanese authorities have accused the UAE of providing armaments and other material support to the RSF). In a press encounter on 27 August, US Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello reportedly indicated a significant proliferation in the number of external actors fuelling the conflict. He said that the UAE is supporting the RSF, and that foreign fighters have arrived in Sudan from across the Sahel. He also accused Iran and Russia of supporting the SAF.

Sanctions Related Developments

On 19 August, the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee met with its Panel of Experts to receive a briefing on the panels mid-term update, which was transmitted to Council members on 7 August. During the meeting, it appears that the US proposed two names for targeted sanctions.

It appears that the update report, which is not a public document, analysed the ongoing conflict in El Fasher, North Darfurthe only capital city in the five Darfur states outside the RSFs controlincluding patterns of violence, the warfare tactics employed by the warring parties, and the impact on civilians and the region. The report apparently confirmed that all parties failed to distinguish between civilians and combatants in the hostilities in El Fasher. It noted that the indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure by all warring parties violated international humanitarian law and constituted war crimes. It further confirmed the presence and use of heavy weaponry by both sides, as well as military overflights by the SAF, in violation of the Sudan sanctions regime. The report described how the ongoing conflict has contributed to destabilising the region, particularly through ongoing recruitment campaigns in neighbouring countries such as Libya, Chad, and the CAR. (For background related to Sudan sanctions, see the brief on Sudan in our February 2024 Monthly Forecast and 17 June Whats in Blue story.)

Human Rights-Related Developments

The International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, established by the Human Rights Council in October 2023, visited Chad from 30 June to 18 July and travelled to several areas in eastern Chad along the border with Sudan, including Adre, Farchana, and Abeche. The mission met with victims and survivors of the conflict in Sudan as well as members of Sudanese civil society and the UN country team. In its press release following the visit, the mission reported that the Sudanese refugee community provided firsthand accounts of horrific acts, including killings, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, looting, the burning of houses, and the use of child soldiers. It indicated that many of these violations appear to be specifically targeted against professionals such as lawyers, human rights defenders, teachers, and doctors. (For more information, see the brief on Sudan in our August 2024 Monthly Forecast.)

Women, Peace and Security

Kholood Khair, the founder and director of Confluence Advisory, a think tank formerly based in Khartoum, briefed the Council during the 7 August meeting titled Sustaining women, peace and security commitments in the context of accelerated drawdown of peace operations. Among other issues, she focused on the exits of the UN/AU Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID, in 2020) and the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS, in 2023). Khair called the timing of UNAMIDs withdrawal a massive miscalculation, noting that it took place before any alternative national force could be set up in its stead, leading to a gaping protection vacuum. Although womens rights activists implored the international community to let UNAMID stay, she said that their voices were ignored.

Regarding UNITAMS, Khair noted that the limited mandate given to the mission and its hasty termination represented another instance where the perspectives and needs of Sudanese women were not considered by the Council. She added that in the wake of UNITAMS departure, and despite reports of sexual violence, the UN has not established adequate monitoring and reporting arrangements on the situation in Sudan.

Khair provided several recommendations, including establishing a diplomatic track complementary to but separate from ongoing ceasefire talks focused on addressing violence against civilians, with targeted measures for the protection of women and girls, including from conflict-related sexual violence. Noting that the flow of arms is exposing women and girls to horrific forms of gender-based violence, she recommended expanding the arms embargo across Sudan and adding conflict-related sexual violence as a stand-alone designation criterion for targeted individual sanctions. She further called on all actors working on the ceasefire talksincluding the Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy Ramtane Lamamrato ensure the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women.

Key Issues and Options

An immediate key issue for the Council is the extension of the Sudan sanctions regime (targeted sanctions and the arms embargo). One option for the Council members is to extend the panels mandate for one year. Some members may also suggest extending the sanctions regime until March 2025, aligning it with the mandate cycle of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions regime, most recently renewed by resolution 2725.

Ensuring strict compliance with the sanctions regime is another important issue for Council members. On several occasions, most recently in resolution 2736 of 13 June, the Council has reiterated its call on all member states to refrain from external interference which seeks to foment conflict and instability and instead to support efforts for a durable peace. The resolution reminded all parties to the conflict and member states that facilitate the transfers of arms and military material to Darfur of their obligations to comply with the arms embargo measures and that those who violate the arms embargo may be designated for targeted measures.

During the 13 June Council briefing on the work of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, Sudan called on the Council to identify and hold accountable the states that support and arm the RSF. He argued that there is no reason to maintain the Darfur sanctions if they do not include the countries involved in violating the relevant Council resolutions, namely, the UAE and Chad.

Along with extending the sanctions measure, Council members could also encourage the panel to collaborate with other panels of experts, particularly those assisting the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee, the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, and the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee. In this regard, chairs of the respective committees could consider holding joint committee meetings in order to facilitate an exchange of information about the regional impacts of the conflicts in these countries.

Keeping in mind the information brought forth by the Panel of Experts reports, some Council members may wish to have a substantive discussion about the sanctions measures, including, but not limited to, expanding the geographical scope of the measures to the rest of the country, the designation criteria, and additional listings of individuals and entities under the current regime.

Council Dynamics

Most Council members share similar concerns about the political, security, human rights, and humanitarian situations in Sudan. Members have had diverging views about the utility of the Sudan sanctions regime. Several members have underlined the importance of the Panel of Experts reporting on the humanitarian and security situations and in identifying violations of the sanctions regime. During the 13 June Council meeting, however, Russia argued that Council sanctions have failed to stabilise the situation in Darfur, noting that weapons continue to flow into the region illegally. It expressed the view that any restrictions imposed by the Security Council, especially if we consider the option of expanding them, will not bring peace closer.

Continuing sanctions regime violations and lack of accountability have contributed to frustration among some Council members. At the 13 June Council meeting, Ambassador Joonkook Hwang (the Republic of Korea), who serves as the committees chair, said in his national capacity that [w]e are receiving the observation of the panel of experts about a considerable amount of supply and use of foreign weapons in Darfur on a daily basis. Talking about the measures against arms embargo violations, he said that the consensus-based nature of the Sanctions Committee tends to result in having to resort to the least common denominator. He called on Council members to collectively take concrete action to guarantee the effective implementation and strengthening of the current sanctions regime.

Since the start of the conflict, the US has imposed bilateral sanctions on several individuals and entities for exacerbating Sudans instability. In its most recent round of sanctions, the US designated two individuals on 15 May for their role in leading the RSFs war campaign; one of them was reported to have been instrumental in the RSFs operations in Darfur, including its offensives in North Darfur. The UK has also introduced bilateral sanctions against at least nine entities linked to the warring parties.

Similarly, the EU has issued restrictive measures against six entities and six individuals responsible for supporting activities that undermine the stability and political transition in Sudan.

The UK is the penholder on Sudan, and the US is the penholder on Sudan sanctions.

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MIDDLE EAST

Syria

Expected Council Action

In September, the Council expects to hold two meetings on Syria: one on the political and humanitarian issues and another on the chemical weapons track.

Key Recent Developments

Syria remains mired in a civil war, now in its 14th year, marked by fighting on multiple fronts and a lack of progress on the political process. The Syrian Constitutional Committee has not met since June 2022 because Russia, a close ally of Syria, has opposed Geneva as the venue for Committee meetings, following Switzerlands imposition of sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In his remarks at the 22 July Council meeting on Syria, Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen acknowledged the increasing frustration among regional and international stakeholders who, he said, perceive the status quo as dangerous and unsustainable and added that interest in Syria is waning in some quarters. He stressed the need for an approach that encompasses all relevant military, political or economic actors and addresses the range of issues that continue to drive the conflict or are directly relevant to its resolution.

In a 12 August press release, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) welcomed the Syrian governments decision to extend its authorisation for the use of the Bab al-Salam and Al Raee border crossings at the Syria-Turkiye borderused by UN humanitarian agencies and their partners for conducting cross-border humanitarian operationsuntil 13 November. Humanitarian operations have also continued through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing at the Syria-Turkiye border, which, according to OCHA, is an essential lifeline for reaching millions of Syrians in north-west Syria who remain in dire need of humanitarian assistance, including food, nutrition, health, shelter, protection, education, and other critical support.

The situation in north-east Syria remains volatile. Since 6 August, significant escalation in hostilities has been reported on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in Deir-ez-Zor governorate, following the outbreak of fighting between pro-government forces, allegedly backed by Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a primarily Kurdish group opposing the Syrian government. An 11 August OCHA flash update reported that critical public infrastructure had been targeted or used for military purposes, resulting in heightened risks for civilian access to essential services on both banks of the river. Despite the scale of hostilities, the update said there had been no shift in territorial control. As at 14 August, the clashes had resulted in the death of at least 37 people, with 43 others injured, according to European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.

Tensions have continued to intensify across the region against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war that erupted on 7 October 2023. The escalation has resulted in increased violence spilling over into Syria, where sites have frequently been the target of attacks. Israel and the US have historically targeted positions associated with Iranian forces and affiliated militants in Syria, and Iran-linked proxy groups have been accused of attacking US forces stationed in the region. On 5 August, a US military air base in western Iraq was struck by rocket fire, allegedly by Iranian-backed militias, injuring at least five US soldiers. On 9 August, US and coalition forces deployed at Rumalyn Landing Zone (an international coalition base) in eastern Syria were attacked using a one-way attack uncrewed aerial system. The strike resulted in injuries to eight US service members. According to a 13 August Reuters article, Iranian-backed militias targeted the international coalition base in the Koniko gas field in the Deir-ez-Zor countryside earlier that day; however, the base was not hit and no injuries were reported.

In response to the recent surge in tensions following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on 31 July, the US announced adjustments in its military posture in the Middle East to improve US force protection and defend Israel. In a 2 August press release, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh announced the deployment of a strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and additional ballistic missile defence-capable cruisers and destroyers to the US European and Central Command regions. The US has also deployed an additional fighter squadron to the region to reinforce defensive air support capabilities. (For background and more information on regional developments, see the brief on Lebanon in our August Monthly Forecast.)

On 24 July, the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) released the monthly report on the implementation of resolution 2118 of 27 September 2013, which required the verification and destruction of Syrias chemical weapons stockpiles. The report said that the 27th round of consultations between the Declaration Assessment Team (DAT) of the OPCW and the Syrian authorities took place in Damascus in May. During this round, the DAT requested explanations from the Syrian authorities regarding the results of analysis of the samples it collected between September 2020 and April 2023. The results indicated potentially undeclared activities related to several chemical warfare agents. The report noted that considering the unresolved gaps, inconsistencies, and discrepancies that remain, the declaration submitted by Syria cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for Council members is the ongoing hostilities in Syria. Continuing violence and the lack of accountability threaten to destabilise the country further. The deteriorating socioeconomic conditions in the country are also of concern. Determining how the Council can address the spillover effects of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and de-escalate rising tensions in the region, including in Syria, is an important issue for the Council.

One option would be for the co-chairs of the Informal Expert Group on the Protection of Civilians (Switzerland and the UK) to hold a meeting on the situation in Syria to receive briefings from relevant UN entities about the impact of the conflict on civilians.

As well, a key issue is how to alleviate the growing humanitarian needs throughout the country. According to OCHA, approximately 16.7 million peoplenearly 70 percent of Syrias populationremain in dire need of humanitarian assistance, with 15.4 million people facing acute food insecurity. Despite the rising humanitarian needs across the country, securing funding has been a challenge for the UN and partner agencies. At the time of writing, Syrias 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan, which requires $4.07 billion, was only 24.1 percent funded. Council members may call on donors to quickly disburse funding commitments and scale up the humanitarian response in Syria. At the 27 May EU-sponsored eighth Brussels Conference, the donor community pledged 7.5 billion, including 5 billion in grants and 2.5 billion in loans for 2024 and future years.

The need to break the underlying political impasse in the country and support the Special Envoys work in this regard is another key issue. The Council could consider holding a private meeting with stakeholders to discuss the impediments to the resumption of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, including the issue of venue, and support Pedersens efforts to reinvigorate the political process. (A private meeting is a closed, formal meeting format; unlike closed consultations, non-Council member states are allowed to participate in this format.)

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 3 August, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria (COI) released a position paper on the tenth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh). The paper called for the repatriation of alleged members of ISIL from third countries and their prosecution for international crimes, including gender-based crimes, in national courts. The COI also expressed support for establishing an international victims reparation fund to ensure justice and accountability in Syria.

Council Dynamics

Over the years, Syria has been one of the most divisive files on the Councils agenda. China and Russia are supportive of the Syrian government, emphasising the need to respect the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity and drawing connections between unilateral coercive measures on Syria and the challenging humanitarian and economic situations in the country. In contrast, the P3 (France, the UK, and the US) and other like-minded members criticise the government for violating international humanitarian law and human rights law, arbitrarily detaining people, not engaging meaningfully in political dialogue, and not creating conditions for the safe and voluntary return of refugees.

Russia has consistently criticised the presence of US forces in Syria, accusing them of destabilising the country. The US maintains that its deployment of forces in the country remains focused on fighting Daesh and has blamed Damascus for allowing Iranian-backed militias to operate in the country.

With regard to the chemical weapons track, Council members have displayed starkly different views over the years on a range of related issues, including responsibility for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the credibility of the work of the OPCW, and numerous procedural aspects of the OPCWs decision-making bodies. While several members have consistently expressed support for the OPCWs work, maintaining that it is credible and essential, other members, such as China and Russia, claim that its work is biased and politicised.

Switzerland is the penholder on the Syria humanitarian file.

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PEACEMAKING, PEACEKEEPING AND PEACEBUILDING

UN Peacekeeping

Expected Council Action

In September, the Security Council will hold an open debate on peacekeeping reform pursuant to resolution 2378 of 20 September 2017. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is the anticipated briefer.

Key Recent Developments

Resolution 2378 requested the Secretary-General to provide a comprehensive annual briefing to the Security Council on reform of United Nations peacekeeping every twelve months to be followed by a debate. Last year, the Council held the annual meeting on 7 September in a briefing format. Lacroix briefed on progress and challenges in the implementation of the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P); the Action for Peacekeeping Plus (A4P+); and the Secretary-Generals initiative to accelerate peacekeeping reform. A4P is an initiative designed to enhance the impact of UN peacekeeping operations, while A4P+ is the strategy for implementing this initiative. It has been six years since the Secretary-General launched his A4P initiative, and nearly four years since the launch of A4P+. The fourth progress report on the implementation of A4P+, released in January, highlighted progress in its seven key priority areascollective coherence behind a political strategy, strategic and operational integration, capabilities and mindsets, accountability to peacekeepers, accountability of peacekeepers, strategic communication, and cooperation with host countries.

Since the last annual briefing, several UN peace operations have closed or begun to draw down. The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) completed its withdrawal from the country by the end of 2023, following the Councils termination of its mandate on 30 June 2023. The UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), a UN Special Political Mission (SPM), also withdrew from the country following the Councils termination of its mandate on 1 December 2023.

The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) is implementing a disengagement plan, which was agreed with the Congolese government and endorsed by the Security Council through resolution 2717 of 19 December 2023. MONUSCO completed its withdrawal from South Kivu province in June as part of the first phase of the missions drawdown process. When renewing the mandate of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in November 2023, the Security Council requested the Secretary-General to conduct an independent strategic review of the mission and provide detailed recommendations regarding its reconfiguration, including a possible transition plan for its drawdown when conditions are met. Council members received the outcome of the MINUSCA strategic review on 13 August, and its recommendations are likely to inform the upcoming mandate renewal negotiations in November.

This year, Iraq and Somalia have requested the SPMs in their respective countries to leave. Accordingly, the Security Council adopted resolution 2732 on 31 May, renewing the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) for a final 19-month period until 31 December 2025. At the time of writing, Council members were expecting to receive the Secretary-Generals written update on the future of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), which was due by the end of August.

On 20 July 2023, the Secretary-General launched the policy brief A New Agenda for Peace (NAfP), which recognised the challenges posed by long-standing and unresolved conflicts, without a peace to keep, by complex domestic, geopolitical and transnational factors and the limitations of ambitious mandates without adequate political support. In this regard, the NAfP called for a serious and broad-based reflection on the future of peacekeeping, underscoring the need to move towards nimble adaptable models with appropriate, forward-looking transition and exit strategies.

The NAfP is the main input for the peace and security section of the draft Pact for the Futurethe outcome document expected to be adopted at the Summit of the Future in Septemberwhich is currently under negotiation by UN member states. The latest version of the draft pact requests the Secretary-General to undertake a review on the future of all forms of United Nations peace operations, taking into account lessons learned from previous and ongoing reform processes, and providing strategic and action-oriented recommendations for the consideration of Member States on how the United Nations toolbox can be adapted to meet evolving needs, to allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges.

The NAfP recommended that where peace enforcement is needed, the Council should authorize a multinational force, or enforcement action by regional and subregional organizations. It added that peace enforcement actions should be complemented by inclusive political efforts to advance peace and other non-military approaches such as disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, addressing main conflict drivers and related grievances.

On 21 December 2023, the Security Council adopted resolution 2719 on the financing of African Union (AU)-led peace support operations (AUPSOs). The UN and the AU have been consulting on the implementation of this landmark resolution through their joint task team. The team is organised along four workstreams: joint planning, decision-making and reporting; mission support; financing and budgeting; and compliance and protection of civilians. The joint task team had in-person meetings in Addis Ababa (May) and New York (July), and elaborated a Joint AU-UN Roadmap on the Operationalisation of resolution 2719 and Planning Modalities, which will be submitted to the UN Secretary-General and the AU Commission Chairperson for adoption during their next UN-AU annual high-level conference scheduled to take place in October in Addis Ababa.

Meanwhile, discussions have been underway on possible cases to be considered by the Council under resolution 2719. In respect of the successor mission to the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS)which is expected to withdraw by the end of Decemberthe Security Council adopted resolution 2748 on 15 August, requesting the Secretary-General to present the overall mission design and options for financing it, including but not limited to resolution 2719, jointly with the AU Commission Chairperson and in consultation with Somalia and international stakeholders.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for Council members in September will be the future of UN peacekeeping in light of the ongoing negotiations on the draft pact and the upcoming Summit of the Future. The former Special Representative and head of MINUSMA El-Ghassim Wane is leading a team to review various models for the future of UN peacekeeping in the context of the next Peacekeeping Ministerial to be hosted by Germany in May 2025. Slovenia, which holds the Council Presidency in September, could consider inviting him to brief the Council at the open debate.

Council Dynamics

Peacekeeping remains one of the most important tools at the Security Councils disposal in discharging its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Geopolitical dynamics and the changing nature of conflict, however, have posed serious challenges to peacekeeping operations. The growing frustration among host countries and communities because of the perceived ineffectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations has also complicated the operating environment.

The issue of partnerships in peacekeeping has regained renewed momentum with the adoption of resolution 2719. On 6 August, the Security Council adopted resolution 2746, authorising MONUSCO to provide operational and logistical support to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), which has been operating in eastern DRC since December 2023. In November, the Council is expected to authorise support for the ATMIS successor mission based on the Secretary-Generals proposal on the missions design and financing options. As well, it seems that preliminary discussions have started behind the scenes on a possible mission in Sudan, exploring various options from a lighter-footprint mission with military observers to a full-fledged AUPSO, depending on the outcome of the ongoing Sudanese mediation process.

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MIDDLE EAST

Yemen

Expected Council Action

In September, the Security Council is expected to hold its monthly briefing and consultations on Yemen.

The mandate of the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) expires on 14 July 2025.

Key Recent Developments

The Council most recently discussed the situation in Yemen in a briefing and consultations held on 15 August. During the briefing, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg reiterated his warning that the precarious environment in the Middle East risks drawing the country further into conflict and unravelling the gains made since Yemens April 2022 truce. He emphasised that continued attacks by the Houthi rebel group on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and retaliatory US-led strikes against Houthi targets have created an unsustainable situation. In a recent worrying development, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a 21 August attack in the Red Sea against the Greek-flagged crude oil tanker Sounion, reportedly carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil. The vessel, whose crew was evacuated, has been on fire since 23 August, raising concerns about a potential environmental catastrophe. At the time of writing, no signs of an oil spill had been reported.

At the 15 August meeting, Grundberg asserted that the regional escalation was taking place in parallel with real and urgent challenges inside Yemen. Although the levels of violence along the front lines remain lower than before the 2022 truce, ongoing military preparations and reinforcements by the Yemeni parties and reports of clashes in areas such as Hodeidah and Taiz governorates continue to demonstrate the volatility of the situation, according to the Special Envoy.

Among the major challenges that the county is facing is the persistence of overlapping humanitarian crises. Briefing at the 15 August meeting, Director of the Financing and Partnerships Division of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Lisa Doughten described the devastating effects of torrential rains and flooding that began in March and intensified through early August. She reported that the floods led to the death of approximately 98 people and injuries to more than 600 others. In addition, some 69,500 families were affected, many of which lost their homes and sources of livelihood. Doughten also expressed concern about the spread of cholera in Yemen, noting that the number of suspected cases across the country stood at 147,000 in early August. She warned that cases could rise to more than 250,000 in just a few weeks unless response efforts were immediately bolstered and emphasised that additional funding was urgently needed to that end.

Food security continues to deteriorate across the country. A 19 August report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Technical Working Group in Yemen, which analysed conditions in government-controlled areas, warned that by the end of 2024, an estimated 609,808 children will be acutely malnourished, representing a 34 percent increase compared with the previous year. According to the report, the malnutrition crisis in Yemen is driven by several factors, including ongoing conflict, economic instability, the high prevalence of diseases such as cholera and measles, and limited access to safe drinking water. In a joint statement after the reports publication, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) noted that Yemen has been facing some of the highest malnutrition rates in the world and warned that more people could sink into food insecurity if current low levels of humanitarian funding persist.

Doughten said at the 15 August briefing that rates of severe food deprivation in Houthi-controlled areas more than doubled since last year, rising from 17 to 36 percent. She highlighted that families struggle with food insecurity has forced 30 percent of girls in Yemen into marriage before the age of 18 and that the number of children out of school, which currently stands at 4.5 million, is likely to rise as they are forced to leave school in order to provide for their households.

Efforts by the UN and its partners to respond to these crises have faced challenges stemming from a lack of funding and a shrinking humanitarian operating space. The Houthis continue to detain 13 Yemeni national staff employed by several UN agencies and offices and more than 50 workers of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society whom the rebel group arrested in early June. In a 19 August statement, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for the UN staffers immediate and unconditional release. He also condemned the 3 August incident in which the Houthis forcibly entered the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Sanaa and took control of the premises. The Houthis handed the premises back to UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Julien Harneis on 19 August, according to the statement.

Key Issues and Options

The destabilising effects on Yemen of regional tensions are a key issue for the Council. Members are following with concern developments related to the 31 July assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. Tehran has blamed Israel for the assassinationfor which Israel neither claimed nor denied responsibilityand vowed to retaliate. There are concerns that the Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, could participate in a retaliatory attack, further drawing Yemen into conflict. Council members are likely to continue urging restraint and to call on Yemeni parties to focus on an intra-Yemeni political process for the benefit of their people. Members apparently hope that the recent agreement reached between the Houthis and the Yemeni government to de-escalate the economic warfare that they have been waging against each other could provide momentum for the parties to re-engage on the political process.

Addressing humanitarian needs in the country, where 18.2 million people require assistance and protection services, remains a priority. Council members could consider ways to increase attention on humanitarian funding shortfalls, particularly during the UN General Assemblys High-level Week, which will take place between 23 and 27 September. An option would be to encourage member states to consider initiatives to enhance financial support, such as a pledging conference. In light of the severe effects on children of the humanitarian crisis, Council members may also consider inviting a briefer from UNICEF or a relevant NGO to their next meeting on Yemen who can speak about concrete steps that the international community could take to address the situation.

Council Dynamics

Yemen is an issue on which Council members have maintained general unity in support of UN mediation to achieve a sustainable resolution to the conflict. The Red Sea crisis, however, has produced some notable divisions. The P3 members (France, the UK, and the US) have criticised the Houthis destabilising actions, while Council members such as Algeria, China, and Russia emphasise that ending the conflict in Gaza is critical to resolving the crisis in the Red Sea and preventing further regional escalation.

The P3 often accuse Iran of supplying weapons to the Houthis in contravention of the arms embargo imposed on the group through resolution 2216 of 14 April 2015. These members have raised concerns that Iranian ships have travelled to Hodeidah Port since October 2023 without informing the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM), which provides clearance for and inspects ships travelling to Houthi-controlled ports to ensure compliance with the arms embargo. In addition, US officials have alleged that the Houthis are considering providing weapons to the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab. At the 15 August Council meeting, the UK expressed concern over the reported growing links between the two groups, calling on the relevant Security Council sanctions committees to coordinate their efforts to counter this worrying trend.

The US has called for stronger Council action to impede Irans supply of arms to the Houthis, including by strengthening UNVIM, which was established in 2016 through an agreement between the UN and the Yemeni government and relies on voluntary funding. Further punitive measures by the Council against the Houthis or Iran appear unlikely, however, given Council dynamics. Russia traditionally seeks to remove references to the Houthis and is reluctant to single them out in Council products. A red line for Russia has also been identifying Iran as violating the arms embargo against the Houthis.

The UK is the penholder on Yemen. The US and Japan have served as co-penholders on the Red Sea crisis. Ambassador Joonkook Hwang (Republic of Korea) chairs the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee.

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An official reception was organized in Baku on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the independence of the Kyrgyz Republic and the 100th anniversary of the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region.

Azernews reports, citing AZERTAG that Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of the IDEA Public Union (PU), state and government representatives, deputies of the sixth convocation Milli Majlis, representatives of the diplomatic corps in our country and public representatives took part in the event.

At the official reception, the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan were played first.

Expressing his sincere thanks and gratitude to Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, for her participation in the event, the Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to our country, Maksat Mamitkanov, pointed out that our countries are fraternal and brotherly. He emphasized that we are closely connected with each other, mutual relations between our countries, and our joint activities are at an excellent level.

"Let our friendship be eternal and deepen day by day. We highly value this friendship and our strategic cooperation. There is a political dialogue between the two countries. Our joint projects are being continued," the ambassador said.

Speaking about the development path of his country, the diplomat stated that the Kyrgyz people have gone through difficult stages for independence and said.

"The Kyrgyz Republic, like other Turkic-speaking countries, attaches great importance to cooperation and deepening of relations with Azerbaijan. Our countries are successfully represented in various international organizations."

Emphasizing the importance of the state visit of the Kyrgyz President to our country in April of this year, the ambassador touched on the importance of the establishment of the Azerbaijan-Kyrgyz Development Fund and noted its role in expanding cooperation between our countries.

Wishing peace and tranquility to our people, the diplomat expressed his confidence that the Kyrgyz-Azerbaijani friendship, based on historical roots, will continue to develop at an increasing pace based on common interests.

Congratulating the Kyrgyz Republic on Independence Day, Leyla Aliyeva wished peace and prosperity to the Kyrgyz people and recited her poem dedicated to Issyk-Kul Lake.

A memorial gift was presented to Leyla Aliyeva at the event.

Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, who congratulated the Kyrgyz state and people on behalf of the Government of Azerbaijan, said that traditional friendly and brotherly relations between our peoples existed historically. Azerbaijan-Kyrgyzstan relations are at the level of strategic partnership.

"Relations between the Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz peoples, based on historical friendship and brotherhood, are developing successfully with the political will of the leaders of both countries. With mutual visits and joint efforts of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, our relations have developed and entered a new stage. Today, cooperation between our countries in a number of fields, especially in the fields of trade, economy, investment and transport, is successfully developing, and important projects are being implemented. The signing of the "Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kyrgyz Republic" during the official visit of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to our country on April 20, 2022, played an important role in bringing the relations to a higher level," the minister pointed out.

Speaking about the economic relations between our countries, effective cooperation in the direction of renewable energy, and joint investments in the wind and energy sector, Parviz Shahbazov noted that the Kyrgyz Republic supports Azerbaijan in the construction works carried out in the territories freed from occupation.

He expressed confidence that the existing strategic partnership, traditional friendly relations, and effective cooperation between our countries will expand further.

Russia's ambassador to Azerbaijan Mikhail Yevdokimov and other speakers congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its independence day and wished the Kyrgyz people peace, tranquility, and progress.

At the end of the event, a video depicting the Azerbaijan-Kyrgyz friendship was shown.




We recently compiled a list of the 11 Penny Stocks That Will Make You A Millionaire. In this article, we are going to take a look at where BigBear.ai Inc. (NYSE:BBAI) stands against the other penny stocks.

Why Should You Invest in Penny Stocks?

Penny stocks are often overlooked by most investors. These are the smallest of the small companies operating in the market, and so they typically lose out on being covered in detail by financial reporters and analysts. However, because of this conundrum, many penny stocks end up becoming excellent under-the-radar investments for those investors who don't mind a bit of risk. This is especially the case for penny stocks operating in the artificial intelligence space today. This isn't to say that penny stocks offer a sure-shot way of making big profits at all times, though. Since these stocks are of companies that are incredibly small relative to the usual players we hear about in the market news, they are also incredibly risky to invest in - as such, investing in penny stocks is a move that only investors with a tolerance for high-risk, high-reward strategies should make.

In the current market landscape, there may be more room to consider investing in smaller companies. This is because of the potential September rate cut from the Fed. Financial professionals are considering this potential cut to be a catalyst for the growth of smaller companies in the market, which have been largely left ignored over the past two years since the Fed's policy has been so tight. So a rate cut in September may actually result in an overall growth cycle emerging for smaller players in the market.

Read Also: 7 Most Popular AI Penny Stocks Under $5 and 10 Best Technology Penny Stocks to Invest In Right Now.

How's The Market Looking For Smaller Stocks Today?

On August 21, Tom Lee, co-founder of Fundstrat Global Advisors, joined CNBC's "Closing Bell Overtime" to discuss this very development. He noted that as the Fed is starting to normalize its policy and as merger activity in the US is beginning to accelerate, smaller companies are becoming increasingly more poised to benefit. Lee also added that there's a misconception in the market that smaller companies are growing, or at least have the tendency to, grow slower than bigger companies. In fact, he noted that the small cap index has a median earnings growth that is almost 700 basis points faster than the broader market index, while top-line growth is almost 400 basis points faster. Lee also said the following:

"For small caps to rise 40% means that the P/E, the median Russell 2000 stock goes from 10x to 14x. So, it's not asking the market to provide some magic and a huge re-evaluation... [With small-caps] you're getting better growth, lower valuation, and I think the catalyst is now that the market is convinced that the Fed is embarking on a rate cutting cycle."

According to Lee, money that's been on the sidelines over the past few years because of the Fed's rate policy could now potentially funnel into smaller companies because they offer a good risk-reward balance to investors now. Because of these developments, we've compiled a list of some of the smallest stocks trading on the market today by going through five months' worth of articles on Stock Gumshoe, a financial analysis website that offers unique insights into what some call "secret stocks," which have been going largely ignored by most investors.

Our Methodology

We read Stock Gumshoe articles from April to August of 2024 and then selected the penny stocks that have promising futures ahead of them. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds holding stakes in them as of the end of the second quarter of 2024, according to Insider Monkey's hedge fund data.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).

A closeup of a computer server rack surrounded by a CAT5 network of cables.

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 9

BigBear.ai Inc. (NYSE:BBAI) is an information technology company based in Columbia, Maryland. It provides AI-powered decision intelligence solutions alongside national security, supply chain management, and digital identity solutions.

Dylan Jovine, in his Behind the Markets newsletter, has teased readers with hints about three small AI players in the defense market. Here are some of his comments on one of these companies and its AI software that is being bought up by major defense companies and the US government:

Its not just about selling this AI software to the U.S. Space Force. Remember, the U.S. Pentagon has requested $145 billion to get its troops AI-ready Palantir  one of the biggest defense contractors  bought their AI software on November 15, 2021. L3Harris  another major defense contractor  bought their AI software on May 9, 2023 Amazon Web Services  the biggest cloud computing provider on the planet  bought their AI software on December 11, 2023.

Stock Gumshoe thinks that this is most definitely in reference to BigBear.ai Inc. (NYSE:BBAI). The company does have partnerships and deals with all of the companies Jovine has referred to and has multiple steady government contracts for the use of its AI software.

While many analysts and investors are skeptical about BigBear.ai Inc.'s (NYSE:BBAI) potential growth, the company's management has remained optimistic, especially in light of its acquisition of Pangiam. BigBear.ai Inc.'s (NYSE:BBAI) management also noted in their first quarter press release that the company is well-positioned for healthy growth in the year ahead.

We saw nine hedge funds long BigBear.ai Inc. (NYSE:BBAI) in the second quarter, with a total stake value of $408,000.

Overall BBAI ranks 5th on our list of the penny stocks that will make you a millionaire. While we acknowledge the potential of BBAI as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BBAI but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Its time to stock up on any last-minute school supplies  the first day of classes is just around the corner.

The first full day of school for Staten Island public school students is Thursday, Sept. 5. For those counting down the days to summer already, the last day of school is Thursday, June 26, 2025.

The city Department of Education (DOE) academic calendar includes some two dozen days off between the first day and the last day of classes.

The calendar gives time off for religious holidays like Good Friday, Yom Kippur and Eid al-Fitr, and week-long breaks for winter recess, mid-winter recess and spring recess, which include Christmas and Passover. Diwali has also been added as a public school holiday.

The school calendar also allows time off for Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous Peoples Day (Columbus Day), Election Day, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day and Juneteenth.

The city will also give students the day off on Election Day, which is Nov. 5.

Dates for parent-teacher conference days for elementary, middle schools and high schools are also posted in the calendar.

Here are key dates you need to know for the 2024-2025 school year.

SEPTEMBER 2024

Sept. 5 - First day of school

Sept. 12 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for elementary schools and Pre-K Centers

Sept. 19 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for middle schools and D75 schools

Sept. 26 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools

OCTOBER 2024

Oct. 3-4 - Schools closed for Rosh Hashanah

Oct. 14 - Schools closed for Italian Heritage/Indigenous Peoples Day

NOVEMBER 2024

Nov. 1 - Schools closed for Diwali

Nov. 5 - Schools closed for Election Day

Nov. 7 - Afternoon and Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for elementary schools; students in these schools dismissed three hours early

Nov. 11 - Schools closed for Veterans Day

Nov. 14 - Afternoon and Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for middle schools and D75 schools; students in these schools dismissed three hours early

Nov. 21 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools

Nov. 22 - Afternoon and Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools; students in these schools dismissed three hours early

Nov. 28-29 - Schools closed for Thanksgiving recess

DECEMBER 2024

Dec. 24 - Winter recess begins

JANUARY 2025

Jan. 2 - Classes resume after winter recess

Jan. 20 - Schools closed for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Jan. 21-24 - Regents exams are administered

Jan. 27 - Professional Development Day; no classes for students attending high schools and 6-12 schools, all other students attend school

Jan. 29 - Schools closed for Lunar New Year

FEBRUARY 2025

Feb. 1721 - Schools closed for mid-winter recess

MARCH 2025

March 6 - Afternoon and Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for elementary schools and Pre-K Centers; students in these schools dismissed three hours early

March 13 - Afternoon and Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for middle schools and D75 schools; students in these schools dismissed three hours early

March 20 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools

March 21 - Afternoon Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools; students in these schools dismissed three hours early

March 31 - Schools closed for Eid al-Fitr

APRIL 2025

April 14-18 - Schools closed for spring recess

MAY 2025

May 1 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for elementary schools and Pre-K Centers

May 8 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for middle schools and D75 schools

May 15 - Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences for high schools, K12, and 612 schools

May 26 - Schools closed for Memorial Day

JUNE 2025
KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP)  On a residential block in upstate New York, college students dig and sift backyard dirt as part of an archaeological project that could provide insights into the lives of African Americans buried there centuries ago.

This spot of tightly-packed houses in the city of Kingston was a cemetery for people who were enslaved as far back as 1750 and remained a burial ground until the late 1800s, when the cemetery was covered over as the city grew.

Now, college students are carefully digging in the green backyards of the homes and making all sorts of discoveries.

In the last three summers, the remains of up to 27 people have been located. Grave markers have been found, one for Caezar Smith, who was born enslaved and died a free man in 1839.

Advocates hope more mysteries could be unlocked. While the names of people buried here may be lost, tests are planned on their remains to shed light on their lives and the identities of their descendants.

The hardships of those buried here cannot just go down in vain, said Tyrone Wilson, founder of Harambee Kingston, the nonprofit community group raising money to turn the spot, called the Pine Street African Burial Ground, into a respectful resting place. We have a responsibility to make sure that we fix that disrespect.

The site is one of many forgotten or neglected cemeteries for African Americans around the U.S. that are getting fresh attention.

A student holds up what is likely a coffin nail found at an ongoing excavation at the site of an African burial ground in Kingston, N.Y., Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)AP

Advocates in this Hudson River city purchased a residential property covering about half the old cemetery several years ago and now use the house there as a visitor center.

While the more-than-half-acre (0.2 hectares) site was designated as a cemetery for people who were enslaved in 1750, it might have been in use before then. Burials continued through about 1878, more than 50 years after New York fully abolished slavery. Researchers say people were buried with their feet to the east, so when they rise on Judgment Day, they would face the rising sun.

Remains found on the Harambee property are covered with patterned African cloths and kept where they are. Remains found on adjoining land are exhumed for later burial on the Harambee property.

Students from the State University of New York at New Paltz recently finished a third summer of supervised backyard excavations in this city 80 miles (129 kilometers) upriver from Manhattan. The students get course credit, though anthropology major Maddy Thomas said theres an overriding sense of mission.

I dont like when people feel upset or forgotten, Thomas said on a break. And that is whats happened here. So weve got to fix it.

Harambee is trying to raise $1 million to transform the modest backyard into a resting spot that reflects the African heritage of the people buried there. Plans include a tall marker in the middle of the yard.

A sign marks the location of a recently rediscovered African burial ground in Kingston, N.Y., Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)AP

While some graves were apparently marked, its still hard to say who was buried there.

Some of them, its obvious, were marked with just a stone with no writing on it, said Joseph Diamond, an associate professor of anthropology at New Paltz.

The only intact headstone recovered with a name visible was for Smith, who died in 1839 at the age of 41. A researcher mined historical records and came up with two more people potentially buried there in 1803: a man identified as Sam and a 16-year-old girl named Deyon who was publicly hanged after being convicted of murdering the 6-year-old daughter of her enslavers.

The cemetery was at first covered by a lumberyard by 1880, even though some gravestones were apparently still standing at that date.

In 1990, Diamond was doing an archaeological survey for the city and noticed the cemetery was marked on a map from 1870. He and the city historian went out to find it.

Coincidentally, Pine Street building owner Andrew Kirschner had just discovered buried bone chips while digging in front of the building in search of a sewer pipe. He put the pieces in a box. Kirschner said he was still digging when Diamond told him what they were looking for.

Students including Maddy Thomas, right, work at the site of an African burial ground in Kingston, N.Y., Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)AP

The conversation begins and then I go, Well, let me show you what I found. Of course, they were amazed, said Kirschner, who had owned the building next to the current Harambee property.

Even after the discovery, Diamond said it was difficult to convince people that there were graves on Pine Street. There were even plans in 1996 to build a parking lot over much of the site. Advocates purchased the property in 2019.

Similar stories of disregard and rediscovery have played out elsewhere.

In Manhattan, the African Burial Ground National Monument marks the site where an estimated 15,000 free and enslaved Africans were buried until the 1790s. It was discovered in 1991 during excavations for a federal building. Farther up the Hudson River, the renovation in Newburgh of a century-old school into a courthouse in 2008 led to the discovery of more than 100 sets of remains.

Antoinette Jackson, founder of The Black Cemetery Network, said many of the 169 sites listed in their online archive had been destroyed.

A good deal of them represent sites that have been built over  by parking lots, schools, stadiums, highways. Others have been under-resourced, said Jackson, a professor of anthropology at the University of South Florida.

Alec Murillo sifts through dirt for artifacts while working at the site of an African burial ground in Kingston, N.Y., Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)AP

She added that the cemeteries listed in the archive are just the tip of the iceberg.

Given the meager historical record in Kingston, advocates hope tests on the remains will help fill in some of the gaps. Broken bones may point to occupational hazards. Isotopic analyses could provide information on whether individuals grew up elsewhere  like South Carolina or Africa  and then moved to the region. DNA analyses could provide information on where in Africa their ancestors came from. The DNA tests also might be able to link them to living descendants.

Wilson said local families have committed to providing DNA samples. He sees the tests as another way to connect people to their heritage.

One of the biggest issues that we have in African culture is that we dont know our history, he said. We dont have a lot of information of who we are.
STATEN SLAND, N.Y.  Chicken sandwich fans, rejoice. A favorite sandwich looks to be making a return to McDonalds menus.

The fast food chain is reportedly bringing back the Chicken Big Mac, a twist on the classic Big Mac that replaces the sandwichs beef with two tempura chicken patties.

According to Quartz, talks of the new big sandwich come after McDonalds CEO Chris Kempczinski taste-tested the Chicken Big Mac in March 2024. Back in 2022, the sandwich was tested as a limited-time offer in Miami, according to reports.

Also, Snackolater, the popular food blogger on Instagram, posted the news to its account earlier in the week, Food and Wine reports.

As Snackolater noted, the announcement was actually revealed by McDonalds CEO Chris Kempczinski in a recent video, where he compared the Chicken Big Mac to the classic beef option.

In an additional video posted in March, Kempczinski said the Big Mac is the perfect sandwich, although, chicken is now going to try to give it a run for its money,' Food and Wine reported.

He says in the video that the chicken version comes with the same build, including three slices of bread, lettuce, cheese, and of course the McDonalds Big Mac Sauce, but this time, it comes with two chicken patties, according to Food and Wine.

After biting into it, he shares the same enthusiasm for its taste as he does the beef option, noting: One of the things I like about this Chicken Big Mac is the crunchiness of the chicken. You get a crunch with this Chicken Big Mac that you dont get with a regular Big Mac. It just gives it a little bit of a different mouth feel,' the report said.

The sandwich has been popular internationally, particularly in the U.K. and Australia.

McDonalds has yet to announce when the Chicken Big Mac will be available but according some online sources say the sandwich is popping up in Florida now.

According to the food blogger Burger Beast, some locations in Miami already have the Chicken Big Mac. Burger Beast also found the sandwich on the McDonalds app for $4.99.

For now, you can still catch a McDonalds buy one-get one breakfast sandwich deal through tomorrow, Sept. 1.
New Yorkers should take precautions against mosquitoes ahead of the holiday weekend, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday.

In total, 20 cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in New York this year, including 10 in the five boroughs, but the governor also urged New Yorkers about the dangers of other mosquito-borne diseases, like Eastern Equine Encephalitis.

We want people to get outside this Labor Day weekend and enjoy the beauty that is New York State, but we want them to do so safely with their health in mind by taking proper steps to protect against mosquitoes that carry diseases such as West Nile virus, Hochul said. Prevention remains the most effective method of protection from exposure to mosquito-transmitted diseases and can be as simple as protecting your exposed skin with clothing and applying mosquito repellent.

While most people infected with West Nile Virus do not develop any signs or symptoms, it can cause serious illness and even death in severe cases.

There have been 14 horses that have tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis in New York this summer, but no human cases have been reported. It is a rarer virus, but extremely serious when found in humans.

The state recommends the following precautions are highly recommended to reduce risk of infection from West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis:
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Wolfes Pond Beach on Staten Islands South Shore is under an advisory by the New York City Health Department (NYC Health) due to high levels of bacteria detected in the water, the city agency reports.

However, when the Health Department issues such an advisory, that does not necessarily mean the beach is shut down. An advisory simply means it advises against swimming and wading.

Advisories may be put in place to notify residents of the presence of debris, contaminants, sewage and water discharge, or overall water quality concerns, according to NYC Health.

Exposure to contaminated water could prompt the onset of vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory illness or infections, the city reports.

Pregnant women, children, the elderly, and the chronically ill have an elevated risk of getting sick from such water.

A notification warning guests that Wolfes Pond Beach is closed to swimming remains on the city Parks Department website. The beach was reportedly closed to swimming on Friday due to lifeguard staffing.

The city Parks Department website also states that swimming and wading in South Beach is advised against.

Just last week, both Wolfes Pond Beach and South Beach were hit with advisories due to inadequate water quality, SILive.com previously reported.

As of Friday night, a Parks Department spokesperson reported that every other NYC Parks operated beach on Staten Island, aside from Wolfes Pond Beach, was open on Friday and will remain open over the course of the holiday weekend.

To find the status of a New York City beach, NYC Health says residents should call 311, text BEACH to 55676, or check the NYC Area Beach Map.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Seven public and private schools on Staten Island will open their doors to students on the first day of classes in September with a new principal for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Heres a look at the new Staten Island principals for the upcoming academic year.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

There are four newly appointed principals in place for the 2024-2025 school year, according to the city Department of Education (DOE).

New York City Public Schools is so excited to welcome new school leaders in District 31 who will bring renewed energy and dedication, as well as a deep commitment to student success, said Chyann Tull, a spokesperson for the DOE. Their leadership will inspire both staff and students, fostering environments where every child can thrive. We look forward to the positive impact they will have on their school communities.

Bernstein Intermediate School (I.S. 7), Huguenot

Dina Testa has been named the new principal of I.S. 7, taking the place of Dr. Nora DeRosa, who retired.

PS 39, Arrochar

Melissa Pizirusso is the new incoming principal of PS 39, taking over from Tracey Wright, who retired.

Michael J. Petrides School, Sunnyside

Anthony Tabbitas has officially been appointed as the new principal at Petrides. He has has served in the role since late 2023, taking over from Joanne Buckheit, who retired. This will be Tabbitas first full school year as principal.

PS 38, Midland Beach

Dr. Jason Cotto is serving as the newly appointed principal of PS 38. Cotto served in the role starting in January this year, taking over from Nancy Acosta Murrillo, who retired. It will be Cottos first full school year as principal of PS 38.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

There are three new principals in private, Catholic schools for the new year, according to the Archdiocese of New York.

Our Lady Star of the Sea, Huguenot

Patricia Gandelman has been named the new principal of Our Lady Star of the Sea, taking the place of Jeannine Roland, who retired.

Notre Dame Academy Elementary School, Grymes Hill

Kerri Paone, a longtime teacher at the school, is the new principal of Notre Dame Academy Elementary School. She has taken over the role from Rebecca Giaccio.

Notre Dame Academy High School, Grymes Hill

Alumna and teacher Meaghan OBrien is the new principal of Notre Dame Academy High School. She will take on the position from Academy President Kathryn Jaenicke, who had been serving in a dual leadership role for the 2023-2024 school year as president and interim principal.
Blue Label Telecoms (JSE:BLU) Full Year 2024 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: R14.7b (down 21% from FY 2023).

Net income: R647.4m (up 141% from FY 2023).

Profit margin: 4.4% (up from 1.4% in FY 2023). The increase in margin was driven by lower expenses.

EPS: R0.72 (up from R0.30 in FY 2023).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

Blue Label Telecoms shares are down 4.8% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Blue Label Telecoms, and understanding this should be part of your investment process.

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.
Ten weeks after my son was born, I took him to visit my parents in Canberra. My intention had been to save Mum and Dad another trip down the highway to Melbourne. But being proud, newly minted grandparents, they insisted on driving all the way to me just so they could turn around and accompany us back to their home.

That evening my son woke up crying at two, three and four AM, the loneliest hours of the night. This was what I had struggled with most during those anxious, early weeks of motherhood  waking up in the darkness to feed and feeling like we were the only people left in the world.

I knew Dad was worried about me. I knew it in the same way I knew he would pick me up from parties I hadnt told him about as a teenager.

I dont like saying the early months of motherhood were unpleasant because it feels awkward and ungracious, as if I am insulting the nine-year-old boy who has since become the centre of my world and the person whose company I enjoy most. But as a little crying lump of a thing at 2 months old, he wasnt much fun.

In the depths of a Canberra winter, I cradled my son in my arms. I felt the discomfort of a latch I was yet to grow used to and the sweet relief of the letdown that followed. I watched moonlight cast shadows on the walls of what had once been my teenage bedroom. And I tried not to think of my before life, knowing it would only make me cry.
Teaching is no longer the post-school career of choice for Australian teenage girls, who are now much more interested in pursuing a highly paid career in medicine, or working in other healthcare professions, than returning to the classroom.

Meanwhile, teenage boys continue to nominate being a professional athlete as their dream job.

The career goals of Australian 15-year-olds were compiled using the OECDs Programme for International Assessment (PISA) surveys of more than 10,000 students in 2022.

Students were asked what they wanted to be at the age of 30.
When Richard Smith finally opened the shoebox of more than 100 letters that his mother, Winifred, wrote home during World War II, he was floored by her ambivalence towards the man who would become her husband and his father.

A physiotherapist from Sydney who stayed in London to do her bit for the war effort, Winifred hinted at suitors other than her then fiancee, Willoughby Wob Smith, in her letters.

Richard Smith looking at the collection of his mothers letters sent from London during WW2. He donated them to the State Library of NSW. Credit: Joy Lai

She also wrote of visiting dying Aussies in hospitals who made jokes to lighten the mood, bemoaned the British reluctance to recognise her colonial qualifications as a physiotherapist, and discussed her ticking biological clock and crusty uterus.

Only 18 when his mother died in 1965, Richard waited decades before reading the letters, which Winifred wrote daily to her own mother in Sydney.
Do you want the government to ask about your sexuality? What about your gender identity? Or whether your genitalia varies from the norm? These were all census questions which were considered by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the 2026 census, but which were (initially) rejected last week for inclusion by the Albanese government.

Defending the governments abandonment of the questions, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles offered the rather weak excuse that weve seen how divisive debates have played out across our country and said the last thing we want to do is inflict that debate on a sector of our community right now.

Who counts? And wholl be counted? The 2024 Sydney Mardi Gras. Credit: Flavio Brancaleone

Guess what? We got a divisive debate. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the questions shouldnt be included and that they represented a woke agenda. There was robust criticism of the government from the LGBTQI+ community and many of Labors own MPs, and then the prime minister relented.

Anthony Albanese said on Friday that one new question about sexual orientation would be included in the 2026 census, provided ABS testing of the question was successful. Other potential questions about trans and intersex identity would not be included.
But its not just me. Andrew Norton from the Australian National University is widely acknowledged as one of Australias foremost gnostics on education policy. His mild summary is that this one is deeply flawed. The conclusion a reader might infer from his longer analysis is that this is a policy which has missed every possible opportunity to make sense.

I should take a moment here to declare an interest. I am a non-executive director on the board of a higher education provider which enrols international students. And Im a small business owner, who hires university graduates. I am also, as readers might remember from previous columns, concerned about poorly managed immigration . Its rare good fortune for an opinion columnist to have so many areas she has thought about in depth messed up so comprehensively in a single policy. Boy do I have thoughts on this.

In fact, if you started with the needs of either the education or the immigration portfolio and worked back from the question of what success might look like, youd never in a million years land on the bill which is now slouching its way towards the Senate.

Politics is bad, but policy can be worse. Its where good intentions too often go to die. That is the case with the new cap on international students proposed by the government and not meaningfully opposed by the opposition. Its an immigration policy dressed up as a higher education policy, which is rotten as one or the other.

Lets start with a concern that university academics have been raising for some time now: graduate quality. In a 2019 episode of ABC Four Corners titled Cash Cows, academics from different universities came forward to claim they were being compelled to pass students who had not, in their professional opinion, met the requirements of the course in which they were enrolled. As this episode pointed out, this is an issue for domestic students, who suffer when course quality is reduced. Thats a horrendous betrayal of the student who has paid for an education. It is also a betrayal of the Australian taxpayer who has subsidised their education and the loan, if any, that was taken out to fund it.

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As the Four Corners episode notes, it can be a problem for international students as well, because they have often sacrificed everything to be here [but] are not getting the education they have been promised. A degree should be a certificate of proficiency in the course material. When it isnt, its useless to the student, to employers, and to society more generally.

But the bill the government is hoping to pass in early September has nothing to say about the quality of degrees being earned or handed out in Australia. It is in essence not a higher education policy but an immigration policy.

As such, it simply caps the number of international students who will be allowed into the country at 270,000 to help the government meet its objective of reducing total immigration numbers for 2025. In practice, the total will actually be a bit less, because, as Norton points out, the policy currently envisages counting students when they enrol in a new course, and yet many students start at one institution and complete at another. So they enrol more than once. Norton looks for incentives: he believes institutions will prefer to enrol students in longer degrees because they will generate more years of revenue without counting as a new enrolment. Whether the qualifications provided by those longer degrees are what the student needs or, with an eye to our own skills shortages, what Australia needs, is by the by.
Established in 2018, the Digital Commodity Asset fund attracted scores of well-heeled clients in Sydney and Melbourne who each invested a minimum of $50,000. In March this year, investors became concerned about the management and regulatory compliance of the fund and took court action to wind up the scheme.

The fraying of Balanians backstory and his struggles to provide liquidators to his investment businesses with access to a cryptocurrency storage device he claims holds tens of millions of dollars of investors money has been laid bare over the past four months during public examinations into his business affairs.

Ashod Ash Balanian arrives at court on Friday with his lawyer and a laptop computer that is hoped will finally crack open a locked device storing $50 million of cryptocurrency. Credit: Nick Moir

The Federal Court has since heard its likely that none of those things are true.

Cryptocurrency investment manager Ashod Ash Balanians investors were told he was a NASA command controller and mission planner, had a degree from Harvard and their investments in his Digital Commodity Assets fund, estimated at $50 million, would be safe.

Liquidators Scott Langdon, Jenny Nettleton and John Mouawad from KordaMentha were appointed in April and that month the Federal Court froze Balanians assets  including his sprawling $7 million home in Ingleside in northern Sydney and four other houses. In the months since, investors have watched as Balanian has been quizzed over his business activities.

Balanian has already agreed under examination that a memorandum for the fund given, which described him as a NASA command controller and NASA engineer, was incorrect. He had instead worked for a company that had a large contract with NASA for the Chandra X-ray observatory program. He also told the court he was an alumnus of Northeastern University in Boston, rather than Harvard, as claimed in the memorandum.

Ash Balanians home in Ingleside that is subject to asset preservation orders handed down by the Federal Court. Credit: Domain

More concerning for liquidators and creditors has been the list of reasons about why he has so far been unable to present the cryptocurrency holdings of his investors to court as requested.

Previous attempts by Balanian to provide access to the device under court supervision had shown there was no cryptocurrency on it. Balanian told the court in May this was because he had used a smart contract that would deliver the cryptocurrency to the device on August 12. When Balanian under examination accessed the device on August 13, there was again no currency, and he insisted it was the result of IT issues and that a new laptop, never before connected to the internet, was required.
Businesses who engage in serious misconduct or abuse of trust could soon be barred from being awarded state government contracts, under planned legislative reform.

Last week, the Herald revealed scaffolding firm Synergy, which had been repeatedly promoted by the scandal-plagued CFMEU, had contracts for work on NSW public hospital, public school and the Sydney Metro, despite a catastrophic safety record and alleged links to a bikie boss and other underworld figures.

NSW Finance Minister Courtney Houssos says the government must ensure public money is spent responsibly. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

The supplier debarment scheme is currently being devised as part of a range of reforms to the state governments procurement processes.

Details of the scheme are not yet finalised, and the state government will undertake consultation with industry and other stakeholders to develop the new rules.
The Pacific Islands Forum has removed references to Taiwan from a communique issued on Friday after the regions annual leaders meeting, after complaints by Chinas envoy.

The bloc of 18 nations includes three members with diplomatic ties to Taiwan, and 15 members who recognise China, a major infrastructure lender to Pacific Islands countries where Beijing is seeking to increase its security presence.

From left: Pacific Minister Pat Conroy, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni at the Pacific Islands Forum in Nukualofa, Tonga, this week. Credit: AP

A communique released at the end of the forum and posted on its website included a section headed Relations with Taiwan/Republic of China, stating Leaders reaffirmed the 1992 Leaders decision on relations with Taiwan/Republic of China.

However, the document was removed from the website on Friday evening after an angry response from China, and a new document was posted on Saturday morning with the references to Taiwan removed.
Anyone trying to access X in Brazil was blocked on Saturday, after the country enforced a court-ordered suspension of Elon Musks social media site.

Over the past 24 hours, Brazilians, including President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, have been bidding farewell to X, with some posting links to their profiles on other social media platforms.

Attempts to access the site on a web browser or through the app on Saturday were met with an error message.

The blockage comes after Brazils Supreme Court on Friday ordered the suspension of X nationwide, because Musk refused to name a legal representative in the country.

Brazilian law requires companies operating in the jurisdiction to have legal representation. But X, formerly known as Twitter, shut down its Brazilian representative office on August 17 after Justice Alexandre de Moraes threatened to prosecute its local representatives over its reluctance to comply with orders to block users.

It further escalates a monthslong feud over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. The Supreme Court previously issued orders to block multiple X accounts as part of Brazils sweeping investigation into the spread of misinformation online and hate speech aimed at undermining the countrys democracy.

Minister of the Supreme Court, STF Minister Alexandre de Moraes. - Ton Molina/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

De Moraes warned Musk on Wednesday night that X could be blocked in Brazil if he failed to comply with the order to name a representative, and established a 24-hour deadline.

He said the platform would remain blocked until it complies.

Musk has criticized de Moraes, accusing him of muzzling free speech in the country.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday that Musk must comply with the countrys laws.

Any and every citizen from any part of the world who has investments in Brazil is subject to the Brazilian constitution and Brazilian laws, Lula da Silva told a local news station.

He also pushed back against some of Musks comments, saying: He cant go around insulting presidents, insulting deputies, insulting the Senate, insulting the Chamber, insulting the Supreme Court. Who does he think he is?

The president added: That guy has to accept the rules of this country, and if this country made a decision through the Supreme Court, he has to comply. If it applies to me, it applies to him.

The feud widened on Friday when the Supreme Court denied an appeal by satellite internet company Starlink  also owned by Musk  to unfreeze its financial accounts, according to CNN affiliate CNN Brazil.

The financial accounts of Starlink, an internet service provider which the tech billionaire also owns through SpaceX, were blocked in the country on Thursday to ensure payment of fines imposed as part of legal disputes involving X.

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Starlink is used by more than 250,000 people in Brazil, according to SpaceX. The service, which does not require any cable connection, is particularly popular in the Amazon rainforest and remote rural locations, and is used daily by academics, tourism operators and public officers in the region, as well as Brazilian Army units deployed there.

During Starlinks appeal, the company argued that the company is not a part of the case against X, and that the order to freeze its accounts violates its basic property rights.

A Starlink satellite internet system is set up on a miner's boat on the Madeira River in Porto Velho, Rondonia state, Brazil, on July 4, 2024. - Adriano Machado/Reuters/File

Fridays ruling on Starlink does not immediately impact the company, though the company warned in a statement Thursday that it prevents Starlink from conducting financial transactions in that country.

This order is based on an unfounded determination that Starlink should be responsible for the fines levied  unconstitutionally  against X, the internet provider said in the statement, posted on X.

Late on Thursday, Musk said Starlinks service will remain active for free as the company cannot receive payments due to the judicial order.

Many remote schools and hospitals depend on SpaceXs Starlink! Musk wrote on X.

Brazil is an important market for X, which has struggled with the loss of advertisers since Musks acquisition. Some 40 million Brazilians, roughly one-fifth of the population, access X at least once per month, according to market research group Emarketer.

Accounts that the platform previously has shut down on Brazilian orders include lawmakers affiliated with former President Jair Bolsonaros right-wing party and activists accused of undermining Brazilian democracy.

Musk, a self-proclaimed free speech absolutist who also heads electric vehicle maker Tesla, has repeatedly claimed de Moraess actions amount to censorship, and his argument has been echoed by Brazils political right.

De Moraes defenders have said his actions aimed at X have been lawful, supported by most of the courts full bench and have served to protect democracy at a time in which it is under threat.

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J.D. never had a honeymoon; he had a hurricane, but I think a lot of that is in the rearview mirror now, said Charlie Kirk, a Republican activist close to the Trump campaign. Hes further animated the conservative base and also voters we are looking to run up the score with, which are white working-class voters and young male voters. Democrats, however, have been outraged and confounded by Vances vice presidential bid. This year, Trump had spoken at length about finding a running mate who was uniquely qualified to take over as president  and then picked Vance, who assumed his first elected office just last year and turned 40 less than a month ago. Vance would be the nations youngest vice president since 1953 when Richard Nixon took the oath of office at 40. Common traits run through their backgrounds and early careers. Both were born into poor families and earned law degrees from prestigious universities, Duke for Nixon and Yale for Vance. Both served in the military. Nixon had a more robust political resume, but both were also less than two years into their first terms in the Senate when they joined their partys presidential ticket.

Nixon was arguably one of the most combative vice presidential contenders of the past century, although Vance may challenge him in that regard. Vance has accused Vice President Kamala Harris of being personally responsible for the deaths of 13 service members in Afghanistan in 2021 and of opening the southern border to let these cartels bring in the poison thats killing our families. He has said that she plans to buy oil from every tin-pot dictator, is more interested in building the economy in communist China than at home and longs to put truck drivers out of business to force them into computer-coding classes. Loading And that was all from one 30-minute event Wednesday in Erie, Pennsylvania. I really dont know what Trump was thinking with this pick because Vance hasnt done anything to show hes ready to be the leader of the free world, said Joel Benenson, a Democratic pollster who worked for former President Barack Obama. Is he doing anything other than playing to the conservative base? The answer is no, and you dont win elections from the left or the right. You win from the middle out, and these guys are not appealing to the middle.

The most damaging attack on Vance last month centred on his comments from a Fox News interview in 2021 when he lamented the numerous childless cat ladies among American leaders, including Kamala Harris. Many voters shrug off similar comments from Trump because they view the 78-year-old former president as something of an elderly uncle who doesnt understand the world has changed, said Bill Kristol, who was the chief of staff for vice president Dan Quayle in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Senator J.D. Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, speaks during a campaign rally at Majestic Friesians Horse Farms, in Big Rapids, Michigan. Credit: Jamie Kelter Davis/The New York Times But Vance has gone out of his way to adopt a set of views from an ideological, right-wing milieu on things like child-rearing and how women should more or less stay home, said Kristol, an organiser of Republican Voters Against Trump. That is harder to understand from someone who is 40. The Trump campaign had planned to ease Vance into the spotlight, but the furore over cat ladies accelerated that timetable.

Vances excitement at joining the fray was immediately visible. He arrived with a fresh haircut and neatly trimmed beard for his first solo rally, a hometown event in Middletown, Ohio. In a sign of his astonishment at every warm welcome from his pro-Trump crowds, Vance opened each event for the first several weeks with the same single exclamation: Wow! He has enjoyed travelling with family members aboard his chartered Boeing 737. His wife, Usha Vance, is rarely without a book in her hands. His mother, Beverly Aikins, posed for selfies at an A&W in Big Rapids, Michigan, and joined him at a private fundraiser in Nashville, Tennessee. His father-in-law, Krish Chilukuri, carried an oversized bag of popcorn onboard for his day on the trail as if he anticipated an entertaining show. Since Trump announced his selection July 15, Vance has held two dozen campaign events, mainly in the battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. He has hosted about two dozen fundraisers. He has participated in more than 70 interviews on television, conservative radio and podcasts, as well as with newspaper and magazine reporters. At least 10 other times, he has answered questions from reporters travelling on his campaign plane. Vances media strategy, allies said, functioned as his attempt to reach beyond the conservative base and to joust  carefully and respectfully, for the most part  with network anchors. Every VP candidate gets attacked when theyre chosen; its how you handle it that matters, said Republican Senator Steve Daines, who is overseeing his partys Senate campaigns. Theyre throwing hardballs at him, throwing curveballs at him, and hes really been very impressive.

Vances interactions with reporters produced one of his most effective days on the trail when he attacked his Democratic counterpart, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota. The Harris campaign had posted an old video of Walz pushing to restrict access to weapons of war that I carried in war. Walz served 24 years in the military but never in combat. Vance and his team had been searching for some way to disrupt a streak of positive news for Harris, who had unified her party around her nomination, and their tactic of highlighting the discrepancy worked. Cable networks broke into their coverage to report his criticisms of Walz. Some pundits concluded that the move had been designed by Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump campaign adviser who had played a key role in similar Swift Boat attacks on Senator John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee. But Vance had anticipated the opportunity on his own and quickly seized it. Later, when his plane followed Air Force Two into Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Wisconsin, he hurried down the tarmac straight for Harris plane. Her motorcade sped off before Vance could execute any publicity stunt, so he instead spent a few minutes with reporters who had gathered to see Harris. He mostly mocked Harris for not taking more questions, a criticism that remains a top talking point for Republicans.

I just wanted to check out my future plane, Vance said when he returned to his motorcade. Harris campaign later posted a meme-style video on social media aimed at mocking Vance. The clip shows her meeting with Girl Scouts on the tarmac before quickly cutting to footage of Vances arrival. A narrator says, All of a sudden, I hear this agitating, grating voice. Vances self-assured manner with the news media has reached the point where questions from reporters now account for about half of his typical 30-minute events. The rules are stacked in his favour. Vance seeks questions mostly from local outlets, which, by definition, are typically focused on regional issues. The news media is corralled at the back of the room, where the microphone is held by campaign staff members, limiting opportunities for follow-up questions. You all want to see me take some questions from the media? Vance asked a crowd inside a Wisconsin warehouse stacked with PVC products Wednesday.

An approving roar erupted from the crowd. But unscripted events carry risk, too. At a trucking logistics company in Pennsylvania, Vances audience sustained a chorus of earsplitting boos when a woman introduced herself as a reporter from CNN. Loading The next reporter stumbled on her question, and multiple audience members heckled her and loudly mimicked her stammer. Vance also overextended himself while speaking about a confrontation between Trumps team and Arlington National Cemetery officials. Vance angrily cursed Harris for her response to the incident  but she has said nothing. Her campaigns only reaction was from a spokesperson who offered a brief and largely unnoticed response to a question during a cable news interview.
NATO chief backs Ukraine offensive in Russia's Kursk



Berlin, Aug 31 (AFP) Aug 31, 2024



Ukraine was fully within its rights to launch its surprise offensive into Russia's Kursk border region as an act of self-defence, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told German newspaper Die Welt.

The offensive launched on August 6 caught the Kremlin off guard, with Kyiv claiming to have captured dozens of settlements and more than 1,200 square kilometres (nearly 500 square miles) of territory.

"Ukraine has a right to defend itself. And according to international law, this right does not stop at the border," Stoltenberg said in an interview with Die Welt published Saturday.

"The Russian soldiers, tanks and bases there (Kursk) are legitimate targets under international law."

The offensive also surprised Kyiv's allies, with Stoltenberg saying Ukraine "did not preview its planning" with NATO and that the Western military alliance "played no role".

Stoltenberg also welcomed Germany's commitment to remain Ukraine's largest European military donor and second-largest worldwide, as Berlin prepares cuts to its aid to Kyiv in next year's budget.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government came under fierce criticism for the decision last week. He says Germany will continue to supply the outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian military with the equipment it needs.

The Kursk offensive has changed little on the front line in eastern Ukraine, where Russia continues to claim incremental gains, including three villages on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged his army faces an "extremely difficult" situation near the strategic hub of Pokrovsk, in the Donetsk region, with Russian troops closing in.
Iraq-US joint raid kills 15 IS fighters



Baghdad, Aug 31 (AFP) Aug 31, 2024



A joint operation by US and Iraqi forces killed 15 Islamic State group fighters in Iraq's western desert, with seven US troops hurt during the operation, US Central Command said.

The raid targeted Islamic State leaders and was carried out early Thursday morning, resulting "in the death of 15 ISIS operatives" with "no indication of civilian casualties," CENTCOM said.

It said the IS fighters were "armed with numerous weapons, grenades and explosive 'suicide' belts", and that Iraqi forces were continuing "to further exploit the locations raided".

Five US troops were wounded during the raid and another two injured in falls, a defence official said. One of the wounded was evacuated for treatment, as was one of the personnel injured in a fall.

All seven were in stable condition, the official said.

The CENTCOM statement was posted early on Saturday, hours after the Iraqi authorities put out their own statement on the raid.

The Iraqi intelligence services said "more than two months of human and technological surveillance" had allowed the identification of "four safe houses" used by the jihadists.

They said the dead "likely included senior leaders", adding that forensic tests were under way.

The suspected IS safe houses were all hit repeatedly from the air before helicopters landed commandos at the sites, the intelligence services said.

The Iraqi military regularly announces operations against IS hideouts in remote desert or mountain areas.

They are currently still carried out with the support of military advisers from a US-led coalition deployed to Iraq and neighbouring Syria a decade ago when the power of IS was at its peak.



- Future US presence in question -



Baghdad and Washington have been engaged in months of talks over the future of anti-jihadist coalition forces in Iraq.

Despite Iraq's stated goal of a full withdrawal of the forces, no timeline has been made public.

The United States has some 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the coalition against IS.

Coalition forces have been targeted dozens of times with drones and rocket fire in both Iraq and Syria, as violence related to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza that broke out in early October has drawn in Iran-backed armed groups across the Middle East.

IS is now a pale reflection of the group whose fighters swept through Syria and Iraq in 2014, proclaiming a "caliphate" in which they brutally imposed their extreme interpretation of Islamic law.

After losing its last redoubts in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, the group has been reduced to small bands of guerillas that no longer control any territory.

Iraqi security forces insist they are now capable of tackling IS remnants unassisted, as the group poses no significant threat.

A UN report released in July found the group's combined strength in Iraq and Syria had fallen to between 1,500 and 3,000 fighters as a result of "battlefield losses, desertions, and recruitment challenges".

In Iraq, its "activities remain largely contained but the group remains capable of sporadic, impactful attacks," the UN report found.

Its "modus operandi consists of kidnapping for ransom, infrastructure disruption and the selective targeting of security forces while avoiding direct confrontations," it added.

The UN said that desert areas of Al-Anbar province, where Thursday's joint operation took place, were among the group's last havens.

"Western Al-Anbar, particularly Al-Rutbah and the desert in Al-Rawah, remains a significant haven and operational zone, benefiting from smuggling across the Iraqi-Syrian border," it said.
Rwandan army retires or sacks 1,000 officers in reshuffle



Kigali, Aug 31 (AFP) Aug 31, 2024



The Rwandan army said several military generals, including a former chief of staff, have retired in a major reshuffle that saw more than 1,000 personnel sacked or pushed into retirement.

President and army commander-in-chief Paul Kagame "approved the retirement" of General Jean Bosco Kazura as well as 1,162 military of various ranks, according to an army statement published Friday.

Kazura, 62, served as Rwanda's Chief of Defence Staff from 2019 to 2023, and was previously a military advisor to Kagame. He also led the United Nations mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, in 2013 and 2014.

Other senior servicemen approved for retirement include brigadier generals John Bagabo, John Bosco Rutikanga, Johnson Hodari and Firmin Bayingana.

The changes, which are not infrequent in Rwanda, come after Kagame met with high-ranking military leaders to "discuss the peace and security priorities of Rwanda", a military source told AFP.

The president accused multiple generals in attendance of "lack of discipline", the source added.

The Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) on Friday laid off 21 senior officers, including division general Martin Nzaramba.

Nzaramba, 57, was "dismissed for corruption and misappropriation of funds intended for the welfare of soldiers during his time as Director of the Basic Military Training Center", RDF spokesman brigadier general Ronald Rwivanga told online media Igihe.

Rwivanga did not immediately respond to a request for further details.

The Rwandan president in June 2023 dismissed several high-ranking officers over "lack of discipline", after replacing the defence minister, army chief of staff and land forces chief of staff.

That move also saw more than 200 soldiers dismissed.

Rwanda's all-powerful president, who was re-elected in early August for a fourth term, previously described last year's reshuffle as a "normal thing".

Kagame is credited with rebuilding a traumatised nation after the 1994 genocide, but is also accused of ruling in a climate of fear.
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Romania's President Klaus Iohannis said on Saturday in Chisinau that the Declaration on bilateral cooperation to strengthen the Republic of Moldova's resilience is a bilateral commitment that also remains binding for the future heads of the two countries.

He emphasised in a press conference that the relationship built between Romania and the Republic of Moldova is not just a personal relationship between Klaus Iohannis and Maia Sandu.

"What we have built between Romania and Moldova has not been built only between President Maia Sandu and I. It is a broad construction, it is a comprehensive construction, which reaches the sectoral level. Governments, ministries and local administrations are needed for these things to continue and function well. For this reason, we felt that the time was right to sign a bilateral commitment, which remains binding for those who come after us, because it is not possible for the relationship between two states to be based solely on the personal relationship between the leaders of the two states. This relationship needs to be strong at institutional and intra-institutional level. And that is what we are doing by signing this document, to make sure that the good things started and the projects started, in the energy sector, in infrastructure, in bridge building, in school construction, repairs, kindergartens and so on, continue at least at the same intensity. These are the things we want. There are things that I, personally, have built. I am confident that, on Romania's side, they will be continued," said president Iohannis.

In her turn, Moldovan president Maia Sandu said that this declaration reaffirms Romania's firm support in the face of the numerous challenges facing the Republic of Moldova.

"We are grateful to Romania for its support in strengthening Moldova's resilience, and the Declaration signed today reaffirms your firm support in the face of the many challenges we are dealing with," said the leader from Chisinau.

The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, and the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, signed on Saturday in Chisinau a Declaration on bilateral cooperation to strengthen the resilience of the Republic of Moldova.
Fitch Ratings on Friday reconfirmed Romania's Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BBB-' with a Stable Outlook and the Short-Term Foreign-Currency IDR at 'F3', the Finance Ministry said in a press release.

According to the source, the decision to reconfirm the sovereign rating and maintain the stable outlook is supported, according to the agency, by EU membership and related capital inflows that support income convergence, external finances, and macro stability, as well as the positive evolution of GDP per capita and of governance and human development indicators, which are above 'BBB' category peers.

"Fitch Ratings' decision reconfirms confidence in the measures adopted by the Romanian Government to ensure the sustainability of public finances. This is important because the financing terms and conditions, as well as the appetite of the investment community on the capital market, are strongly influenced in a positive manner by the maintenance of a recommended investment grade rating and a stable outlook. Romania is currently registering a historic level of public investment, largely supported by European funds, in areas vital for improving the quality of life of Romanians. However, it is an announcement that must be accompanied by a sense of responsibility to improve budgetary efficiency and fiscal consolidation in order to ensure the resilience of the economy," said Finance Minister Marcel Bolos, quoted in the press release.

The strengths that have led to maintaining the rating and outlook are offset by the level of state budget and current account deficits relative to similarly rated sovereigns, the high level of fiscal rigidity and the net external debt position, according to agerpres.ro.

In the agency's view, Romania's economy will grow by 2.5% in 2024, the considerable inflows of European funds, including the cohesion funds from the Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027) and the recovery and resilience funds will continue to support growth and investment in the medium term. Beyond stimulating direct demand, EU funds will also contribute to the growth potential of the economy, accelerating the catching-up to the EU average.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Moldovan President Maia Sandu signed a Declaration on bilateral cooperation to strengthen the Republic of Moldova's resilience on Saturday in Chisinau.

The declaration was signed "based on the special nature of bilateral relations, based on the community of language, culture and history" and "reaffirming the objectives set out in the bilateral Strategic Partnership for the European integration of the Republic of Moldova".

The document, which comprises eight points, stipulates that Romania and the Republic of Moldova will cooperate in order to advance at political and technical level the accession negotiations of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, which assumes the objective of being ready for accession by 2030. Moreover, in the current regional context, the two countries will continue to advance military and security cooperation in order to strengthen the defence potential of the Republic of Moldova, reads the text of the declaration. According to it, "special attention will be paid to strengthening the republic of Moldova's resilience in the face of hybrid threats, disinformation, the undermining of democratic processes and the rule of law".

At the same time, the two countries will improve judicial cooperation, border management, the fight against organised and economic crime, and money laundering.

Another objective mentioned in the declaration is to prioritise the energy interconnection of the two countries and the "development of the energy market in the Republic of Moldova and integration into European market mechanisms and security of energy supply".

Cooperation in attracting European funds, funds from other international organisations and private investments in view of the realisation of infrastructure projects of common interest is also included in the declaration signed on Saturday by the Romanian and Moldovan presidents.

The text also mentions the determination of the two countries to assist Ukraine in "managing the consequences of Russia's aggression". "Romania and the Republic of Moldova will cooperate in facilitating cross-border flows of goods with a view to the continued use of the Solidarity Lanes, facilitation of reconstruction efforts in Ukraine, as well as the continuation of trilateral dialog on current issues," the declaration reads.

Another point of the document mentions the encouragement by the authorities of the two countries of the development of cooperation both at the level of central and local public institutions, civil society, academic and cultural environment, as well as the media.
The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, said on Saturday that "Romania plays an essential role in supporting efforts to strengthen Republic of Moldova's energy independence".

The Moldovan leader told a press conference held alongside Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, that her country is "grateful to Romania for its support in strengthening the Republic of Moldova's resilience".

"Romania plays an essential role in supporting our efforts to strengthen the Republic of Moldova's energy independence. The construction of the Isaccea - Vulcanesti - Chisinau overhead power line is in full swing, and work on the Suceava - Balti line will start soon. These lines will connect the Republic of Moldova's electricity grid to the Romanian one and to the European market. Since 2021, when the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline was put into operation, Moldova no longer depends on a single natural gas supplier and can ensure the consumption needs of its citizens on the right bank of the Dniester by buying gas on the European market," said Maia Sandu.

The Moldovan President also expressed her appreciation for Romania's contribution to the construction of five new road bridges across the Prut: the ones at Ungheni, Costesti - Stanca, Leova - Bumbata, Leca - Falciu and Barboieni - Raducaneni, adding that these investments will further connect the two countries.

At the same time, Maia Sandu showed her gratitude for Romania's support in the field of education.

"In the field of education, we are grateful for the scholarships offered by Romania to young people from the Republic of Moldova and for Romania's contribution to the study of Romanian language in ethnic communities and in the diaspora. Just yesterday, the first 40 of the 69 school buses purchased with Romania's support were distributed. More than 2,000 pupils from all regions of the country will benefit from them as of Monday (...) Over the years, Romania has invested a lot in the local development of the Republic of Moldova, repairing over 1,000 kindergartens all over the country and financing over 30 projects within the 'European Village' programme," the president of the neighboring country underlined.

Maia Sandu also mentioned that "Romania continues to be the strongest supporter of the Republic of Moldova on the international scene, firmly backing our European path".

"The launch of accession negotiations with the European Union in June this year would not have been possible without Romania's constant and full support. Romania managed to enter the previous wave of the European Union's enlargement, becoming an EU member in 2007. I would have liked us to be together in the European family since then. Now we have a historic opportunity and it is Moldova's turn to follow this path, and Romania's experience will be very useful to us in this journey," President Maia Sandu added.

President Iohannis is paying an official visit to Chisinau on Saturday, at the invitation of President Maia Sandu, which is taking place in the context of Romania and the Republic of Moldova celebrating the Romanian Language Day.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Saturday, during his official visit to Chisinau, that the opening of the Republic of Moldova's accession negotiations to the European Union is one of the most "important moments" in the relations between Romania and the neighbouring country during his two terms in office.

He told a press conference in Chisinau that European and Euro-Atlantic integration "is the path that the Republic of Moldova would do well to follow", just as Romania did.

"There were many important moments, some very important, some emotional, some that were better perceived only by specialists. But one of the projects that Romania and the Republic of Moldova have tackled and carried out together is the European path of the Republic of Moldova. The fact that we succeeded in obtaining a clear decision in Brussels for the Republic of Moldova's candidate country status for integration and subsequently - and this was a surprise for many people - to even get accession negotiations started - which is, in fact, the strongest administrative step, (...), by far the most important thing, and I believe that President Sandu's decision to call a referendum on this issue is an extraordinarily good idea, because in this way the common person also perceives the importance of this project," said President Iohannis.

The head of state emphasised that Romania's European integration has brought "enormous" economic growth, stability, the consolidation of internal democracy, representing at the same time a national project of great scope and duration, according to agerpres.ro.

"I remember the discussions that took place in Romania when we were going through the same phase - complicated and long accession negotiations. There were voices already beginning to ask whether we really need to integrate, whether it is important. The importance of integration is so great and the results are so positive that I recommend that you do everything to popularise these things. In Romania's case, European integration has led to enormous economic growth - not significant, but enormousone, it has led to stability, it has led to the consolidation of internal democracy in Romania and it has made possible what we call the Euro-Atlantic course, which sounds like a simple phrase, but it is a national project of great scope and great duration. And that is why I believe that this is the path that the Republic of Moldova would do well to follow," President Iohannis told the conference held together alongside his counterpart from Chisinau, Maia Sandu.

President Iohannis is on an official visit to Chisinau on Saturday, at the invitation of President Maia Sandu, which is taking place in the context in which Romania and the Republic of Moldova are celebrating the Romanian Language Day.
Elena Lasconi, chairwoman of the Save Romania Union (USR), said on Saturday, in a message on the occasion of the Romanian Language Day celebrations in our country and in the Republic of Moldova, that "the Romanian language binds us, unites us, brings us together".

"It is the language in which I dream, it is the language in which I love the most to tell the people around me what I feel for them - the Romanian language. The Romanian language is part of our DNA, it is our identity and we have the joy of celebrating it today both in Bucharest and in Chisinau. The Romanian language binds us, unites us, brings us together. We celebrate the Romanian Language Day with the same joy on both sides of the Prut and I am sure that we will continue to enrich it with new meanings," wrote the USR leader in a message posted on her Facebook page.

Elena Lasconi also added that she hopes that the Romanian language will be spoken by as many Romanians as possible "at home".

"Let us not forget what a beautiful language we have, how much music is in our words and, even if it is a pleasure to hear it in any corner of the world we get to, I hope that more and more Romanians will speak it at home," the USR leader added.

The Romanian Language Day is celebrated on August 31, having been established in Romania by Law 53/2013. The Romanian Language Day has been celebrated in the Republic of Moldova since 1990.
President Klaus Iohannis congratulated the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, on Saturday "for the historic steps taken in the process of anchoring the neighbouring country in the great European family".

At a press conference held at the end of the meeting with his Moldovan counterpart, the head of state said that the benefits of belonging to the European Union are commensurate with the efforts, while emphasising Romania's "strategic contribution to the Republic of Moldova's continued progress on the path of reforms and European integration".

"Over the years, I have made numerous visits to Chisinau and I had the honour of being Romania's President during what we can call the best and most prolific period of cooperation between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Romania's strategic contribution to the Republic of Moldova's continuous progress on the path of reforms and European integration is undeniable, and is one of the most important foreign policy successes of the last ten years. I also congratulate you on this occasion for the historic steps you have taken in the process of anchoring yourself in the great European family, of which you are a natural part, and for the official opening of accession negotiations to the European Union. I know that the efforts that you are making are very great, but the benefits of belonging to the Union are on a par, and citizens will feel these benefits in the education system, in the health system, in infrastructure, connectivity and, of course, economically. Moreover, the European Union is a community in which identity, history and independence are respected, not rewritten or brutally violated," said President Iohannis.

The head of state also mentioned some of the "achievements" of the sectoral cooperation between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, referring in particular to strategic infrastructure projects.

"As far as the achievements of bilateral sectoral cooperation are concerned, I would like to mention, out of their multitude, a number of extremely important projects: the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline became fully operational in October 2021 and has strengthened the energy security of the Republic of Moldova, being the focal point of an irreversible interconnection with the European Union, through Romania. At the same time, we have a solid cooperation for the development of the electricity transportation infrastructure, a concrete example of this being the construction of the Suceava-Balti interconnection. This will enable Romania to help the Republic of Moldova more effectively in the event of an electricity supply crisis. In fact, Romania intervened decisively to support Chisinau when Russia started to use energy as a geopolitical weapon. I wish to assure you that our commitment to support you in any crisis situation, including in the field of energy, is firmer than ever," emphasised the Romanian President.

Klaus Iohannis also said that "Romania has for many years been the first trade partner of the Republic of Moldova", pointing out that "over 1,600 companies with Romanian capital contribute to the increased level of investments in various fields and create many jobs".

President Iohannis is paying an official visit to Chisinau On Saturday at the invitation of President Maia Sandu, which is taking place in the context of Romania and the Republic of Moldova celebrating the Romanian Language Day.
ST. LOUIS  Brandon Sterling, vice president for development at the United Way of Greater St. Louis, has been tapped to head a new regional effort to reduce homicides.

Sterling will begin work Tuesday as director of the Save Lives Now! initiative, said Jim Wild, executive director of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments.

Wild said Friday that he chose Sterling in part because of his background in fundraising and project management.

Sterling was among nine people applying for the post, which will pay about $100,000 annually. Among two others interviewed was St. Louis County Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway, who isnt seeking reelection this year.

The anti-homicide initiative, endorsed in March by the Gateway Council, aims to cut murders across the area by 20% in three years, focusing on the relatively small number of people involved in many homicides here.

The plan calls for using a focused deterrence strategy in which police and social service agencies give people repeatedly involved in violence a choice.

Job training, education, mental health services and drug treatment will be offered, while those who continue to engage in violent crime are to get targeted enforcement efforts.

Sterling, who had been with the United Way since mid-2023, previously was executive director of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council and development director of the Guardian Angel Settlement Association.

Wild said the city of St. Louis has agreed to put $1.2 million into the three-year regional effort for training and other technical assistance for city police and others involved with the program.

He said the Regional Business Council is donating $75,000 and Greater St. Louis Inc. and the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis $25,000 each. Wild said some Gateway Council funds also will go into the initiative.
Sgt. 1st Class Dane Beaston and his team talk with young men on the boardwalk in Seaside Heights. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

TOMS RIVER, N.J.  Sgt. 1st Class Dane Beaston had endured the stress, frustration and disappointment of one of the worst recruiting slumps in the half-century history of the U.S. militarys all-volunteer force.

Now he was trying to do his part to end it. It was early June and his central New Jersey recruiting station was on the hook to find seven recruits who were willing to join the Army - the stations highest monthly quota of the year. Beaston scanned a color-coded list of about 30 prospects on the stations radar.

Thats not nearly enough, the 31-year-old sergeant told his recruiters as the month began.

If Beaston and his team didnt deliver, he knew his Army career was in jeopardy. You can do all the work 100 percent of the time, he said. But if you dont find the right person, youre out of luck.

The unrelenting pressure Beaston and his six-person team were feeling reflected the high stakes for the military and the country. Each of the services  except for the Marine Corps  missed its 2023 recruiting goal. The Army, which had come up short two years in a row, was aiming to bring in 55,000 recruits in 2024  about 10,000 fewer than last years missed goal. The new target wasnt determined by the threats facing the country, the amount of money that Congress was willing to spend or the number of tanks and helicopters the Pentagon could field.

Rather it was a reflection of how many people senior Army officials believed the service could find. Beaston and his team had put nearly 40 people in the Army since the beginning of the fiscal year in October  a solid start. But he knew how hard it was to find qualified and willing candidates in todays America.

Across the country, recruiters were struggling to find soldiers among a shrinking pool of qualified young people. Only about 23 percent of all Americans between the ages of 17-24 meet the Armys physical, moral and educational standards.

Beaston and his recruiters were also searching for prospects at a time when Americans confidence in their country was crumbling. He and his team werent just pitching a job. They were asking young people to put their trust in their countrys leaders, who could send them to war, and in their fellow citizens, who would fight alongside them. They were selling America.

Beaston, center, at a morning team meeting with recruiters at the Army recruiting office in Toms River, N.J. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

Whenever they left the office, people would thank them for their service. But it was getting harder and harder in an increasingly polarized and pessimistic country to find young people who wanted to swear an oath to the Constitution and serve.

Only about 9 percent of young people say they are likely to consider military service, down from 16 percent in the early years of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, according to Defense Department surveys. Pentagon officials blamed some of the recent drop on the hot job market. But they also knew that the low unemployment rate couldnt explain the totality of the problem.

Trust in all American institutions  the Supreme Court, Congress, police, public schools  has in recent years plummeted, according to Gallup. The armed forces, though still relatively popular, have not been immune: In 2023, about 60 percent of Americans said they had a great deal of confidence in the military, the lowest percentage since 1997, Gallup found.

Theres a relationship between that propensity number and a lot of what you see in surveys about trust in institutions, pride in country and levels of patriotism, said Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth in an interview.

Today, U.S. soldiers are spread across the globe, training Ukrainian troops to fight the Russians and working alongside allies to deter China, North Korea and Iran.

If we get too small, our ability to do those things is at risk, she said. The success or failure of those missions and Americas future as a superpower began with soldiers like Beaston.

There were 27 days left in the month. To meet the stations quota of seven recruits, everything would have to go right for Beaston and his team. And he knew from experience that rarely happened.

Ever thought about joining the Army?

Beaston and his recruiters gathered around a table at the center of the station to review their best active prospects.

There was an 18-year-old who had dropped out of high school and was taking his GED, or General Educational Development test, later in the week. If he passed the exam and cleared his physical, he could enlist in June.

Several other possible recruits were waiting on waivers for medical conditions, such as asthma or ADHD, a slow and bureaucratic process that could take weeks or in some cases months.

One promising candidate had recently smoked marijuana, which is legal in New Jersey but disqualifying for the U.S. military, and was waiting for the THC to clear his system.

Not one of the prospects was a sure thing.

After their morning meeting, Beaston and Staff Sgt. Ken Dziminski headed out from their station, which sits in a strip mall next to a bagel shop and a nail salon. They were carrying a stack of fliers offering up to $27,100 a year in tuition assistance.

Their region along the Jersey Shore is mostly middle class and White, though the fastest growth of late has been among Latino immigrants working in construction and tourism. The two soldiers navigated the suburban sprawl, tacking the fliers on bulletin boards in the back of stores  a Wawa, a Lowes hardware, a smoothie shop.

At each stop they scouted the aisles for prospects: 20-somethings stuck in dead-end retail jobs, high school athletes, teens decked out in patriotic gear.

Ever thought about joining the Army? Beaston would ask.

A 30-second interaction with a stranger in a smoothie shop wasnt likely to produce an enlistment contract. But Beaston reasoned that the conversations were a way of planting a seed with a population that typically gave almost no thought to military service.

The push that made Beaston want to be a soldier had come on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. His school closed early that morning and Beaston, who was in the fourth grade, spent the rest of the day at home with his mom in East Bridgewater, Mass., about 30 miles south of Boston, watching video of the burning towers on the news. In my head, I was like, I am going to join, he recalled. I didnt know which branch. I just knew I was going to join.

He shipped off to basic training at age 17 and did a one-year tour in Afghanistan repairing Blackhawk helicopters. Now, more than a dozen years later, he was married with two preschool-age children and a plan to stay until he hit 20 years of service and could retire. The word loyalty was tattooed in large red and blue letters on his forearm. Hed picked it out on a whim when a pretty girl from basic training had asked him to go with her to a tattoo parlor. The longer Beaston stayed in the Army, the more the tattoo seemed to fit him.

Its who I am, he said. Thats me to a T.

Beaston and his wife, Joanna, swing Thea and Ronin at a park. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

He and Dziminski finished posting the fliers. In the car, the two recruiters  both Afghanistan veterans  began talking about the ways the country had changed since they had joined the Army. Almost all of todays prospects were born after the 9/11 attacks. Most viewed the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as a distant historical event or a costly mistake.

The biggest change, though, was political. The Republican and Democratic presidential candidates were bombarding the country with warnings that the most dangerous threats to America came from within its borders; that their opponent, if elected, would plunge the nation into autocracy.

Beaston and Dziminski agreed that they never wanted the country to go through another terrorist attack. But I wish we all could come together the way we did on September 12th, Dziminski said as they approached the Toms River station, one of about 1,500 scattered across the country.

Each Army recruiter is expected to produce at least one enlistment contract a month. Beastons job, as the Toms River station commander, was to make sure the station hit its overall goal.

Shortly before the station shut down for the day, his company commander, who oversees seven New Jersey recruiting stations, dropped by the office. June was shaping up as a lean month for the entire company.

What are you projecting for the month? Capt. Ben Kottraba asked.

The station wasnt likely to meet its seven-person goal, Beaston replied, but five seemed possible. The commander grabbed his hat and headed toward the door.

Is there anything else you need from me? Beaston asked.

Contracts, the commander replied.

Lost in translation

Early the next morning, one of Beastons recruiters, Staff Sgt. Jesus Ramos, greeted one of those potential contracts at the door of the Toms River recruiting station.

He was a skinny, soft-spoken 19-year-old with thick black hair named Jeremy Calvo. Calvo, who was born in the United States but raised in Mexico, spoke limited English. He was about to take the militarys entrance exam  the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery or ASVAB  for the third time. A month earlier, he had scored in the 15th percentile, one point shy of the minimum he needed to be eligible for the Future Soldier Preparatory Course, an intensive program that the Army launched in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic and school shutdowns accelerated long-standing, negative trends eating away at the pool of eligible recruits. The number of young people taking prohibited medications for depression or ADHD surged. Obesity rates rose, and scores on the ASVAB fell.

The new course is a nod to post-pandemic reality. Some enlistees, who spend three weeks at military bases in South Carolina and Georgia, receive tutoring in math and reading comprehension to help them raise their ASVAB scores. Others get physical training to drop body fat. So far this year about 23,000 recruits have participated in the program, which was being hailed in the Pentagon as a success.

Ramos could see that Calvo was nervous about the test, so the 38-year-old sergeant draped an arm over the young prospects shoulder. Tranquilo, Ramos told him. You know how it is, so youll be good this time.

Hispanics account for about 10 percent of the population in Ocean County, which makes up the bulk of the Toms River recruiting area, up from about 5 percent in 2000. They are an even larger percentage of the regions working class. The Army had begun seeking out Spanish-speaking sergeants, such as Ramos, and assigning them to recruiting duty in regions with large or rapidly growing Latino populations. But senior Army officials said that they still didnt have enough bilingual recruiters.

Beaston waits for the next visitor after giving a tour of a Humvee to a woman and child at the Ocean County Fair in Bayville. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

At Toms River, Ramoss biggest problem was finding native Spanish speakers with the English skills to pass the ASVAB exam, an area where Ramos had some personal experience.

The first time Ramos, who grew up in Puerto Rico, took the test he scored in the sixth percentile. Eventually, he hit the minimum that he needed to enlist, but his English was still shaky. So the commander at his first duty station, in Upstate New York, forced him to practice by answering phones and greeting guests in the units reception area. Slowly, he improved.

Many of the prospects Ramos encountered in Toms River worked in restaurants where the kitchen staff only spoke Spanish, worshiped at Spanish-language churches and hung out with Spanish-speaking friends.

Ramos urged them to change the language on their phones from Spanish to English and turn on English subtitles when they were watching television. But often it wasnt enough; what they really needed were English lessons, which the Army has been reluctant to provide on a widespread basis. Some senior Pentagon officials said it wasnt the militarys place to offer English classes. Others equated recruits lack of fluency with a lack of will.

Motivation didnt seem to be an issue for Calvo, who reckoned that enlisting in the Army wasnt going to be more dangerous than living in Mexico, where cartels and corrupt officials preyed on ordinary people.

Have you been studying? Beaston asked.

Yeah, Calvo answered.

A lot or a little? Beaston pressed.

More, Calvo replied uncertainly.

Several hours later, Beaston checked Calvos results online. He had come up short. Because it was his third failure, Calvo would have to wait at least six months before he could try again.

Ramos broke the news to him at the station. For now, Calvos plan was to go back to his job working double shifts filling bottles with pills at a pharmaceutical factory. I dont know if Ill come back, he said in Spanish.

He headed for his car in the sweltering parking lot. Inside the recruiting station, Ramos terminated him from the stations list of active prospects.

Joining the team

Over the next couple of weeks, everything that could possibly go wrong for the Toms River station did. Beaston and his recruiters lost prospects to last-minute cases of cold feet, low ASVAB exam scores and time-consuming medical waivers.

The Army had surged medical personnel to speed up the waiver process, which often requires recruits with disqualifying conditions to get approval from Army doctors and sign-off from senior commanders. And it had successfully petitioned the Pentagon to reduce the time that candidates needed to be off drugs for ADHD and depression before they required a doctors consult and a waiver. The changes had helped, but recruiters across the country complained that the process was still too slow.

With 10 days left in June, the Toms River station still hadnt put anyone in the Army. First Sgt. Juan Valencia, the companys senior enlisted soldier, called Beaston to check in and prod him to push his team harder.

Its been a series of unfortunate events, Beaston explained. Its not for lack of trying.

The line went silent for a second. Trying is subjective, Valencia told him. Beastons job was to produce contracts.

Twenty months earlier, when Beaston took over Toms River, it was mired in a devastating slump. In fiscal 2022, it made only 23 percent of its active-duty Army recruiting goal. Morale in the station was miserable, Beaston said.

The new station commander had grabbed a whiteboard and written HOW TO FAIL across the top, then listed 40 mistakes that he had made or seen others make as recruiters: Be arrogant. Blame circumstances. Never ask for help. Never train. Expect others to save you.

Under Beastons leadership, the Toms River station rapidly improved. Last year it hit 44 percent of its active duty goal and was doing even better this year. The whiteboard, though, still sat on the floor by Beastons desk.

Sgt. First Class Bryan Glass, a field artilleryman doing a three-year stint as a recruiter, was working with the Toms River stations best prospect for the month. Glass had found Seven Wattley via a GED tutoring program run by the New Jersey National Guard.

Seven Wattley, 18, is a recent Army recruit. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

The 18-year-old had cleared his medical screening and passed the ASVAB. The only problem was Wattleys mother, who didnt want her son to enlist and was staunchly opposed to his joining the infantry, his top job choice. Glass, 31, tried to bring her around by talking about all the Army had done for him. He had lost his father to cancer at age 13. His mother struggled with addiction, and he spent his teenage years in the foster care system in rural Maryland. I didnt want to be someone elses problem, he said of his decision to join the Army.

Now he was a married father of two with a house, a new boat and two RVs that he rented out on weekends. Glasss story was typical of the draft-era Army and the early years of the all-volunteer force when military service was a powerful engine of upward mobility.

With the end of the Cold War, the Army got smaller, more selective and isolated from the rest of the country. Were closing in on ourselves, Wormuth, the Army secretary, worried. Today, 81 percent of Army recruits come from military families. In Pentagon surveys, young Americans and their parents said they knew little about the armed forces.

Recruiters, like Glass, were finding it harder than ever to break through. Does anyone know anybody whos interested in serving their country? he recalled writing on his neighborhoods community page in late June.

Not with the state of this country, Glass recalled one person replying. A second commenter chimed in with a similar sentiment before the pages administrator warned that the forum didnt allow political conversations.

No politics here, Glass replied. Im just looking for people interested in a great job with unmatchable benefits. A few minutes later, the administrator deleted the entire exchange.

On June 24, Glass picked up Wattley at his fathers townhouse and drove him to a nearby military base where Wattley was going to pick an Army job and, if all went as planned, enlist. He didnt own a phone, so Wattley borrowed Glasss and called his mom from the base.

Hello, were at the place signing papers, he told her.

Signing what?! she exclaimed.

Wattley chose a basic training ship date in August. Then it was time to select a job. His mom begged him to pick something with computers, but Wattley told her that he wanted to stick to his original plan and go infantry.

Itll literally be three years of hiding from people, getting shot at and shooting, she replied. I dont know why you want to do this. She took a deep breath. But Im going to respect it, she said.

Wattley hung up the phone.

Wattley with his mother, Angela Arroyo. She was initially reticent about her son joining the Army but has since offered her support. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

You ready? Glass asked. You wanna do it?

Wattley walked to the front of the room, raised his right hand and swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The Toms River station had finally secured its first enlistment contract of the month. There were six days left in June and six more contracts needed to meet the monthly quota.

Wattley and Glass walked out of the building and into the warm sun. A few months earlier, Wattley was a high school dropout who spent most of his waking hours playing video games and working at McDonalds, where he once had to scrub feces off the bathroom walls. That was his low point. Now he felt like he was finally on his way to doing something big and important.

This is like so surreal, Wattley said as he climbed into Glasss car. Glass handed Wattley his phone, and he dialed his mom.

Im officially part of the team, Wattley told her.

American dreaming

With four days left until the end of the month, the Toms River station kept losing prospects. One of Glasss recruits opted for college. A second vaped marijuana at a party and had to cancel his Army physical. He probably wouldnt test clean for 90 days.

The latest round of losses guaranteed that the station would finish June with only one enlistment contract  its worst month of the year. A few hours later, Beaston got some bad news about July. Two of the stations best remaining prospects  rising high school seniors who planned to enlist via the Armys Future Soldier Preparatory program  were going to have to wait. The Army was temporarily ratcheting back access to the remedial training program. No one at the station knew precisely why the changes were being made or how long they would last.

Beaston had been hoping a strong July could make up for Junes struggles and get the station back on track. Now he was worried that the slump was going to follow the station deeper into the summer.

Take a breath. Take a breath, Beaston said to himself. Itll work out.

He pulled out the stations color-coded list of prospects and stared at it in silence for nearly a minute, his face resting in his hands. The most solid name on the list was Sebastian Villaorduna, who had gone with Ramos earlier that morning to take his first stab at the ASVAB test. His score was likely to post online at any minute.

Cmon, Villaorduna, Beaston pleaded.

Ramos, left, discusses possible job options with Villaorduna. At right is Beaston. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

The 23-year-old recruit had arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport from Peru last year, reuniting with his mother, who had left him behind a decade ago. At first, she didnt recognize him. She had come to the United States illegally, via the Texas border, where she was intercepted by immigration officers who stuck her in a cold cell with 50 other migrant women. A couple of weeks later, they moved her to a detention center in Louisiana, where she stayed for another four months.

The American Dream, she recalled ruefully. But we had to put up with it.

Villaordunas stepfather, a U.S. citizen, had sponsored him. Soon he began working at a restaurant on the boardwalk that served Mexican and classic American-style fare  burgers, tacos and $14 margaritas  prepared by a kitchen staff that hailed from central and South America. The 12-hour shifts left little time for socializing.

Ramos told Villaorduna about the places hed visited since joining the Army: the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, Yankee Stadium. He had met people from all over the country.

I never thought I would be able to do these things, he said.

Villaorduna listened attentively. So many young Americans saw the military as a detour from the life they envisioned for themselves or as something beneath them. For Villaorduna, joining the Army was a pathway to becoming more fully part of a country that offered promise and possibilities beyond his reach in Peru.

Villaordunas scores posted around 2:30 p.m. Beaston immediately called Ramos with the news. What he got? Ramos asked nervously.

He did great, Beaston replied.

Ramos, joyful and relieved, shouted an expletive cheer.

Villaorduna wasnt going to be able to enlist in June. He still needed to take his Army physical. But if he cleared the medical screening, hed be able to join in July when the Toms River station was going to be on the hook for six more recruits.

Theyre out there

Beaston was determined not to let the Toms River station backslide into the dark days when it almost never made its monthly goal. So he had stayed up late preparing a presentation for his recruiters, who were now sitting around him at a table in the center of the station.

Beaston and his team at work on a busy day at the Army recruiting office. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

Someone hit the lights, he said.

The recruiters turned to face a screen that was playing an excerpt of former president Theodore Roosevelts Man in the Arena speech, an homage to those who strive valiantly, fail often and keep fighting.

Thats what this job is, right? Beaston told them. Its continuously failing in order to get that one success  that yes.

Next came a video of a talk from a submarine commander on the importance of taking initiative. Their situation, Beaston said, was similar to that of a submarine crew operating on its own beneath the ocean. Beaston and his recruiters werent working on a big military base, surrounded by officers. They were stuck in a central New Jersey strip mall.

In Washington, senior Army officials were working to provide support to stations like Toms River. They rolled out a new ad campaign and were testing artificial intelligence tools that they hope will help recruiters identify the most promising candidates amid tens of thousands of leads.

So far, the initiatives seem to be helping the Army dig out of the hole left by two years of shortfalls. Officials expect to exceed this years 55,000 goal by several thousand recruits and set a higher target for 2025, even as they caution that societal forces could continue to shrink their applicant pool. This isnt one of those things where you say we kind of have it figured out and were good to go, said Gen. Randy George, the Armys top officer.

Beaston wanted his recruiters to see beyond the stations disappointing month and focus on how far they had come. Last fiscal year, the station hit only 43 percent of its regular Army goal. This year it was already at 72 percent with three months to go. In June, the station got two more recruiters, part of an eight-month effort to add about 800 recruiters nationwide.

Next year you all should be crushing it, Beaston said. Theres going to be a line outside Toms River recruiting station. Im telling you. I cannot wait.

I wish it was that easy, Glass replied.

Nah, man, Beaston promised, were going to get there.

Outside, cars zipped past the Toms River station, full of people headed to work or the beach  a typical summer morning at the Jersey Shore. Theyre out there, Beaston said. I know they are.

He and his recruiters just needed to find them.
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's State Administration of Market Regulation issued a statement on Friday saying Alibaba Group had completed three years "rectification" following a fine levied in 2021 for monopolistic behaviour.

In 2021, the regulator slapped a record $2.75 billion fine on the e-commerce giant for abusing its market position by forcing merchants on its platforms not to work with rival platforms.

The regulator's statement said Alibaba's rectification work had achieved "good results" and that it would continue to "guide" Alibaba to continue to "regulate its operations and improve its compliance and quality."

The fine levied on Alibaba in 2021 came during a period of intense scrutiny for the business empire founded by billionaire Jack Ma. A $37 billion IPO by the finance arm he founded, Ant Group, was also scuttled following Ma's public critique of the country's regulatory system in late 2020.

Alibaba, in its own statement, described the regulator's announcement on Friday as a "new starting point for development" and said it would continue to "promote the healthy development of the platform economy and create more value for society."

(Reporting by Casey Hall; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Meredith Berger, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Yvette M. Davids cut the ribbon. The Naval Academy celebrated the completion of the Farragut Sea Wall with a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday morning. (Paul W. Gillespie/Capital Gazette)

(Tribune News Service)  The new Farragut Sea Wall at the Naval Academy is finally complete.

Less than two years after officials broke ground on the project, the sea wall, which extends from Santee Basin and the Robert Crown Sailing Center past Triton Light, has been repaired and reinforced, capping off the first of many efforts to bolster the academys resilience against future rising sea levels. Federal, county and city officials marked the conclusion of the project Friday morning with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

The record number of flooding events on the Yard this year alone poses an existential threat to the waterfront grounds, said Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Yvette Davids.

Although the danger to the continued existence of our academy is clear, we will not stand still as we watch the sea rise around us because our Navy and Marine Corps, our Naval Academy, adapts to whatever [dangers] we face, she said.

The work at the academy included repairs to the sheet pile bulkheads along Farragut Field and the southeast side of Santee Basin, as well as construction of a new sheet pile bulkhead and a tieback system to reinforce the support system. Reconstruction and repaving of Brownson and Turner Joy roads and restoration of the Class of 1945 sea gate were also completed, the academy said in a news release.

Triton Light, the iconic navigational beacon situated on the seawall, was not in operation during construction. The light was reinstalled at its original location and raised to the new elevation for visibility above the new wall.

Officials broke ground on the project in November 2022, two months after the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Washington awarded a $37.5 million contract to Cianbro Corporation for the repairs.

Concerns with the Naval Academys sea wall date back several years. A prior assessment of the condition of the academys facilities found the existing steel sheet piles in bulkheads at Farragut Field and the east wall of Santee Basin showing increased deterioration, with corrosion holes developing below the concrete pile caps.

Due to the sea walls location at the eastern corner of the academy grounds, where the Severn River meets Spa Creek and the Annapolis Harbor, its been subject to flooding from high tides and sustained winds blowing from the south and east. That flooding has become a recurring part of memories for midshipmen and visitors to the academy, said Meredith Berger, assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment.

Whether because of increased storms or simply increased levels of regular presence of water, even with no storm on the horizon, the rising and intrusion of water has become all too familiar, and its not just us, she said. The City of Annapolis is seeing the same.

A shared battle against inundating floodwaters has grown the relationship between the Naval Academy and the city, said Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley, a Democrat.

If we protect the City Dock on the Annapolis side and dont pay attention to how that impacts the Naval Academy, our problem will become yours and vice versa, he said. It is critical that we think, work and act on issues of resilience in a true partnership. We arent alone in facing that challenge.

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said boosting infrastructure resilience is a form of combat readiness.

You cannot have combat readiness without protecting, strengthening, reassuring the infrastructure from which our ships sail and our people deploy, he said.

The next project from the academy aiming to mitigate the effects of flooding and combat climate change, is already underway.

Ramsay Road is closed ahead of repairs to the road and raising the sea wall there. The project is expected to take 18 months, the academy said in a news release. Though the road will be closed, a walking path will be available to allow visitors to visit the academys Columbarium niches.

2024 Capital Gazette.

Visit at capitalgazette.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Elon Musk attends an event in London in November 2023. (Kirsty Wigglesworth, WPA pool pphoto via Getty Images/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Brazils top court ordered the immediate suspension of X in the country after its billionaire owner Elon Musk refused to name a legal representative for the social network in Latin Americas largest nation.

The banning of the platform formerly known as Twitter caps a months-long feud between Musk and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is spearheading efforts to combat fake news and hate speech that he says are harming Brazils democracy.

X has been contributing to an environment of total impunity and lawlessness in Brazilian social networks, including during the 2024 local elections, Moraes wrote in his ruling, saying the company has repeatedly and deliberately disrespected court orders.

Extremist groups and digital militias have been using the platform for massive dissemination of Nazi, racist, fascist, hateful and anti-democratic speeches, he wrote, adding that anyone using VPN to access X would be subject to daily fines of 50,000 reais ($8,900).

Minutes after the ruling was published, Musk lashed out at Moraes on his platform. Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes, he wrote. The oppressive regime in Brazil is so afraid of the people learning the truth that they will bankrupt anyone who tries.

When asked for comment, X referred Bloomberg to a post from Thursday evening on its official Global Government Affairs page, which states the company plans to publish all of Judge de Moraes illegal demands and all related court filings in the interest of transparency.

The social media platform was still available Friday evening as Moraes ruling takes some time to take effect. Brazils telecommunications watchdog has 24 hours to implement the ban, the ruling said. Apple and Google have five days to block X in IOS and Android and remove the X app from their online stores, while Internet service providers must ban it over the same period of time.

Ahead of the decision, Brazilian celebrities, internet personalities and politicians, including President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, were bracing for the ban by tweeting social media handles on other networks to their audiences.

Musk shut down Xs office in Brazil earlier this month to protest against orders to remove certain accounts that allegedly spread misinformation. In response, the court notified the company on Wednesday evening, replying to a post on X, that Moraes had given it 24 hours to name a legal representative in the country or risk having its service suspended.

Brazil has historically been a key market for many of the largest social networking services, X included. Its estimated that X has tens of millions of active users in the country, according to external estimates, and Brazil has long been one of Xs largest hubs outside of the United States and Japan.

Brazil is not the first country where X has been suspended. The service has long been banned in China, Iran and North Korea, among others. In 2022, it was restricted in Russia after President Vladimir Putin invaded neighboring Ukraine. Former Twitter executives had paused advertising in the country and begun labeling links from all state-backed Russian media outlets, eventually setting up a separate version of the service to help people access it despite government restrictions.

Misinformation or freedom of speech?

Democracies around the world are grappling with the effects of social media on their elections and politics. But Brazil has taken some of the most aggressive action to hold companies accountable for content after its 2022 presidential vote.

During the campaign, former President Jair Bolsonaro took to the airwaves and online platforms to sow distrust about his nations electronic voting system. Baseless claims of hacking and vote stealing fueled the rage of Bolsonaro supporters that rioted in Brasilia on the false belief that Lula had lost the election.

In April, Moraes included Musk in a broad investigation into so-called digital militias, or organized groups accused of using social media to spread false information and vitriol, and slapped the company with fines for disobeying court orders to remove content.

The move only seemed to escalate the showdown between Brazils top court and the worlds richest person. While X initially complied with orders to take down accounts suspected of promulgating falsehoods, Musk later appeared to challenge Moraes, announcing he would lift restrictions even if it hurt his companys bottom line.

In August, X issued a statement saying it would close operations in Brazil effective immediately after Moraes threatened its legal representative with arrest for not following court orders. All the while, Musk continued to rail against the judge on his platform, alleging his efforts to police content amounted to overreach and censorship.

He responded to the order to name a representative in Brazil by posting a picture of a bald man in black robes behind bars  an apparently AI-generated image of Moraes. One day, Alexandre, this picture of you in prison will be real. Mark my words, Musk wrote.

A self-declared free speech absolutist, Musk stripped the company of much of its content-moderating infrastructure and personnel since purchasing it in 2022. The company mostly relies on X users to police content for misinformation through Community Notes, a feature that adds labels to posts when users find them misleading.

Musk often uses his platform to rebut critics and chide world leaders, including Brazil First Lady Rosangela da Silva, whose X page was allegedly hacked last year. And the clash with authorities has won Musk praise within Brazils conservative circles, which have long accused the judiciary of attacking their cause.

If maintained, the judicial ban risks depriving X of one of its largest markets outside the U.S. It strips thousands of candidates of a popular campaign tool ahead of local elections taking place in October across more than 5,000 Brazilian municipalities.

A December survey found that 29% of smartphone users in Brazil have X installed. As of the first quarter of 2024, the platform had about 20 million active users in the country, according to Sensor Tower, a data firm, down about 15% from the year prior.

Other social media platforms have previously run afoul of internet regulations. Last year, a judge ordered that Telegram be temporarily shut down after the messaging service failed to share user data from neo-Nazi content that authorities say was linked to attacks in Brazilian schools.

WhatsApp, a messaging service owned by Meta Platforms Inc., was also briefly banned in 2016 for failing to comply with court orders to share user data.

Beatriz Amat and Kurt Wagner contributed to this report.

2024 Bloomberg LP

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas meets with Mexican Attorney General Gertz Manero in Mexico City on June 15, 2021. Maneros office recently announced the murder convictions of cartel members over high-profile 2010 and 2011 massacres of migrants. (Zachary Hupp/U.S. Department of Homeland Security)

(Tribune News Service)  It stands as one of Mexicos most notorious crimes: The slayings of at least 265 U.S.-bound migrants in two separate massacres more than a decade ago.

The victims  mostly Central Americans  were kidnapped from buses headed to Mexican cities abutting Texas. Their bodies were discovered in 2010 and 2011 about 100 miles from the border in the municipality of San Fernando. Some showed signs of torture.

Activists and relatives of the victims have long accused Mexican authorities of slow-walking the investigation in an attempt to conceal official complicity. The case seemed destined to fade away like so many others.

Then last week the Mexican attorney generals office announced that 11 former members of the notorious Zeta cartel had been convicted of murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

But rather than deliver a sense that justice had finally been served, the news quickly became a reminder of how much about the case remains unresolved.

This took 13 years, and so much still remains unknown, said Yesenia Valdez, a lawyer with Foundation for Justice, a nonprofit that represents relatives of the victims. The government plan for years has been to render these criminal acts and extreme violations of human rights as invisible as possible.

The protracted episode has been shameful, said Marcela Turati, a Mexican journalist whose book San Fernando: Last Stop chronicles the massacres and their aftermath.

Often referred to simply as San Fernando, the case ushered in a dark era in which discoveries of clandestine graves became increasingly common, as gang wars swept through much of the country. Mexico now counts more than 100,000 disappeared.

The first massacre occurred in August 2010. There were two survivors  one of them an 18-year-old Ecuadorian named Luis Freddy Lala, who reportedly was en route to join family members in New Jersey when gunmen forced him and other migrants off a bus and led them to a derelict farm shed, bound their wrists and forced them to lie face down on the ground.

Suddenly I began to hear shots, Lala recalled to Ecuadors GamaTV in 2018. I thought that they were shooting nearby  but no, they were shooting at my friends. Then they shot me. They finished shooting and they left. They killed everyone.

Wounded in the neck and jaw, Lala feigned being dead. Once the killers decamped, he took off on foot looking for help. He encountered some troops and provided enough information to lead them to a remote ranch known as El Huizachal and a grisly scene: the bodies of 58 men and 14 women, all shot dead, execution style.

Among the first investigating the slayings were the San Fernando security chief and a municipal prosecutor. Both were found killed days later.

In 2022, Mexicos attorney generals office announced that 18 former members of the notorious Zeta cartel had been convicted in connection with the massacre and had received prison sentences of 13 to 58 years. The charges included kidnapping, drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession  but not murder.

The convictions last week involved the second San Fernando massacre, in which many victims were bludgeoned to death.

In April and May of 2011, authorities found a total of 196 bodies in 47 graves. It was unclear how long the remains had been there.

The convictions involved the murders of 122 migrants, according to prosecutors, who have not spoken publicly about the status of the other cases. Trials in Mexico are not conducted in public, and authorities have been especially unforthcoming about the San Fernando investigation.

Among those sentenced was Salvador Alfonso Martinez Escobedo, a former regional Zeta capo who was known as The Squirrel  an apparent reference to his buck teeth. He had already been named by the Mexican military as the mastermind of the first massacre and has been in prison since 2012 for a variety of other crimes  including two mass jailbreaks and the 2010 murder of a U.S. jet-skier who was shot as he and his wife tooled around a border lake.

Spurring skepticism about the news last week is the fact that no police officers were included among those convicted  despite evidence that San Fernando cops were exuberant Zeta accomplices. In 2014, a memorandum surfaced from Mexican federal prosecutors stating that San Fernando police performed lookout tasks for the Zetas, aided in interceptions of people and were on the Zeta payroll. Instead of transporting prisoners to the town jail  known as the pentagon  cops would just turn them over to the Zetas, one police officer informed investigators.

Federal authorities initially arrested 17 San Fernando cops in connection with the murders, the memo states. Whether any were formally charged, convicted or sentenced remains unclear.

Nor have officials pinpointed a motive for the killings, though some speculate that the Zetas may have viewed the migrants as clients of a different cartel competing in the people-smuggling business.

This is not justice, said Baudilio Castillo, 63, a Guatemalan farmer whose 23-year-old son, Baudilio Alexander, was designated by authorities as cadaver 14 pulled from Pit 1 in 2011. He had left his village with the plan of joining an elder brother in Louisiana, saving some money, and returning home in a few years to buy a house, get married and start a family.

My son died in a very cruel fashion. His head was cracked open, Castillo said. It is not just that so many who were responsible are still free  and, even if they are in jail, they get to see their families. While we will never see our son again.

Many families accuse Mexican officials of stonewalling the investigation to mask official collusion and avoid paying any compensation.

Now they say there are convictions  but is this everyone involved in the crime? asked Bertilia Parada, whose son, Carlos Alberto, 26 at the time, was among those dumped in a mass grave. I dont believe anything the Mexicans say. All they have given us is years of trauma and suffering.

She and other relatives of the dead said official indifference was evident from the early weeks of 2011, when unclaimed luggage was accumulating at bus depots in Mexican border towns.

How is it possible that buses keep arriving with no passengers aboard, only bags, and no one noticed that something was wrong? asked Parada, 65, who makes her living selling pupusas in El Salvador.

Families waited years for the remains of loved ones to be delivered home after complex DNA analysis. In some instances, bodies were cremated without consent or the wrong remains were delivered. Parada was among those who traveled to Mexico to ensure that her sons bones were returned to El Salvador and not cremated.

That would have been like killing my son again, she said in a telephone interview. At least now it gives me some comfort to go to the grave on his birthday and leave a flower.

Special correspondent Cecilia Sanchez Vidal contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has secured the endorsement of Chinas antitrust watchdog more than three years after a landmark probe into its online behavior, suggesting Beijing is keen to signal its support for the countrys giant internet sector.

Chinas e-commerce leader has ceased the monopolistic practices that prompted an investigation more than three years ago, the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement. It stopped forcing exclusive arrangements on merchants, improved services for shoppers and fostered competition among online platforms, the agency said. Alibabas U.S.-traded shares rose 4.2% Friday morning in New York.

The official endorsement coincides with growing calls of support from Beijing for private firms and the technology industry, a chorus thats grown louder as the country struggles to escape a post-Covid economic funk. Government officials have since 2023 signaled a softening in stance toward the private sector compared with 2020 and 2021, when a plethora of agencies launched regulatory crackdowns to curb the power of Chinas internet leaders and their billionaire founders.

The antitrust regulator launched its probe into Alibaba in 2020 as one of the opening salvos in that broader campaign, which eventually encompassed sectors from ride-hailing to online education and commerce. Less than a year later, authorities slapped a record $2.8 billion fine on Alibaba after ruling it abused its market dominance.

On Friday, the antitrust agency lauded effective results in Alibabas three-year rectification work, which it demanded when levying the fine. The regulator added it will guide Alibaba, continue to regulate its operations and help improve compliance.

This is a new beginning for Alibaba, the company said in a statement. In the future, we will continue to focus on innovation, adhere to compliance, increase investment in technology, promote the healthy development of the platform economy, and create more value for society.

The chilling effect of the crackdown years persists. Funding for new startups has slowed as entrepreneurs and investors, spooked by the intensity of that regulatory campaign, turn toward sectors such as chipmaking and AI that align with Beijings priorities. The once-free-wheeling industry has become more cautious about exploring growth initiatives, for fear of provoking fresh scrutiny.

More immediately, the industry is grappling with flagging consumer spending.

In the latest warning to global markets on the health of the Chinese economy, Temu-owner PDD Holdings Inc. on Monday surprised investors with an unusually gloomy outlook. Both PDD  which became a market darling with low-priced goods that helped propel business during Chinas downturn  and Alibaba reported revenue that missed estimates.

With assistance from Jessica Sui and Ville Heiskanen.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com.

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Kamala Harris speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 22, 2024. (Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Kamala Harris is betting that Americans dont want an all-out confrontation when they tell pollsters theyd like their leaders to get even tougher on China.

Faced with polling that says most Americans believe confronting China should be a top foreign policy priority, Harris campaign messaging suggests that while she wont go easy on China, theres no upside in a greater rupture between the worlds two biggest economies. That contrasts with her rival Donald Trump, whos argued for 60% tariffs on Chinese imports.

Vice President Harris has been part of efforts to responsibly manage the competition with China, her top foreign policy aide, Phil Gordon, wrote in a note soon after President Joe Biden stepped down from the race. In keeping with Harris scant policy platform so far, the note didnt mention tariffs at all.

Instead, the note to national security professionals highlighted Harris meeting with President Xi Jinping in November 2022 in Bangkok to make clear we needed to maintain open lines of communication so that competition does not veer into conflict.

To followers of Bidens China policy, the phrasing will be familiar. Harris is expected to stay the course in confronting China on matters of semiconductor technology, tensions over Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. An aide to the vice president, who asked not to be identified, said shed continue her work countering Chinese efforts to undermine global stability.

Harris has barely mentioned China since stepping into the race. She made a glancing reference at the Democratic convention, pledging to ensure America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century. The worlds No. 2 economy didnt feature in her first major interview since topping the ticket, with CNN on Thursday night.

The Democratic nominee would likely take a more tailored approach to tariffs than Trump, according to Jennifer Welch, who previously advised Harris on Asia and is now Bloomberg Economics chief geo-economics analyst.

A potential Harris administration is more likely than a potential second Trump administration to retain key aspects of Bidens approach to China, she said.

Its a strategy that could be tested quickly. U.S. officials have grown concerned over Chinas push to expand its nuclear-weapons arsenal. Theyve also sounded the alarm with greater urgency over Beijings support for Russias war effort in Ukraine. Harris hasnt said what shell do about TikTok, the Chinese-owned video-sharing app that Congress voted to ban  though she did join it.

The problem for Democrats is that voters favor Trumps approach over Bidens. The former president has tapped  and critics say encouraged  a deep wellspring of animosity toward China. Biden carried on some of Trumps policies, declining to lift the tariffs he imposed during his term.

That tracks with a bipartisan consensus in Washington. In two weeks, the House of Representatives will hold China Week, which will see the introduction of bills meant to impose a series of fresh curbs on the country.

Harris work as a senator saw her co-sponsor bills related to alleged human rights abuses in Hong Kong and Chinas far western region of Xinjiang. If she returns to those sensitive matters, ties could falter, according to Cui Hongjian, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University and a former Chinese diplomat.

Tensions spanning such a wide range of issues is one reason Biden is likely to become the first president since Jimmy Carter not to visit China during his term. Even so, hes sought to pull back from a total rupture in relations.

That message of stability was highlighted this week when Bidens national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, sought to send a dual message about Harris when he met top Chinese leaders in Beijing. The senior White House official touted her deep involvement in China issues, while sending Beijing an implicit warning against trying to take advantage of her supposed lack of experience.

With just over two months left until the election, Sullivan also signaled Harris would endorse the Biden administrations plan to keep talking with China.

Vice President Harris has been a central member of the Biden foreign policy team, Sullivan said. Shes had the opportunity to engage herself with President Xi and with Premier Li, so she is known to both of the top leaders in China.

In another sign, Harris has picked Tim Walz as her running mate, someone with rich experience working in the Asian nation. Meanwhile, Gordons memo highlighted that Harris had visited the Indo-Pacific region four times and dedicated significant time and energy to strengthening alliances there.

The fact that Harris spent a lot of time in Asia says something about her China strategy, said Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security think-tank who advised Biden on Asia policy when he was vice president. There is an old axiom that the best China strategy is a good Asia strategy.

Jenny Leonard, Michelle Jamrisko and Colum Murphy contributed to this report.

2024 Bloomberg LP

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
Kamala Harris takes the stage for her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 22, 2024. (Erin Hooley/AP)

Even before Israels ground invasion of Gaza began in late October, Vice President Kamala Harriss national security adviser, Phil Gordon, feared that neither the Israeli military strategy nor key parts of the planned U.S. response would work.

Gordon worried that the only way to accomplish Israels goal of destroying Hamas entirely was to destroy Gaza along with it, with all the humanitarian tragedy that would entail, according to a person close to him who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. Gordon did not believe the United States could influence Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he had dealt with during Israeli-Palestinian peace talks a decade earlier, the person said.

It is widely expected that Gordon would be the national security adviser in a Harris White House, should she win, and his personal views, which have not been previously reported, have largely aligned with Harriss as the Israel-Gaza war has unfolded, according to several people familiar the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private relationship. The two have worked hand-in-hand to formulate Harriss remarks at numerous inflection points in the war, providing clues as to how she could reshape U.S.-Israel policy if she wins the presidency.

Harris would probably conduct a full analysis of U.S.-Israel policy to determine what is working and what is not, according to several people familiar with her thinking, with Gordon leading the effort. It is unclear what would come of that process, but those familiar with conversations between Harris and Gordon say she could be open to imposing conditions on some aid to Israel, a policy that President Joe Biden has largely rejected.

Biden has taken some steps that Harris could build on to pursue such a policy. In February, Biden issued a memorandum requiring countries that receive U.S. weapons to adhere to certain standards, including abiding by international law and facilitating transport of U.S. humanitarian assistance, which critics say the president has not enforced. He also briefly suspended a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs this year.

The Israel-Gaza war has deeply divided Democrats since Hamass Oct. 7 attack, when militants killed about 1,200 people and took some 250 hostage. Israels retaliatory military campaign has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, creating a humanitarian crisis and widespread hunger in the enclave.

Since becoming the Democratic nominee, Harris has faced pressure from activists to break from Bidens Israel policy  but she has declined, not least because she is still his vice president.

But if she wins the Oval Office, she could set her own course. And as she formulates her foreign policy, Gordon has become one of her closest and most trusted advisers, helping to guide her through issues from the Middle East to the war in Ukraine.

Harriss office said it would not discuss her potential policies should she become president. We are not going to address hypothetical policy questions. She remains the Vice President of United States and stands by the Biden-Harris Administration policies, Dean Lieberman, Harriss deputy national security adviser, said in a statement. The Vice President has made clear she will always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself from Iran and Iran-backed terrorists. ... She will never leave Israel unable to defend itself.

While Harris has not articulated the specifics of her foreign policy, she is expected to largely continue Bidens approach in many areas if she wins, including supporting Ukraine against Russia, pushing back against Chinas assertiveness and seeking to build international alliances.

The area where Harris is most likely to differ from Biden, allies and analysts say, is on Israel. Despite her public support for Bidens position, her private comments and concerns as the war has unfolded suggest she would be open to challenging Israel more directly, according to people familiar with her views who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

The best-developed [policy] in terms of what could change is on the Middle East, because they know whats not working, said Ivo Daalder, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO who has known and worked with Gordon for decades. There is plenty of evidence that a Harris administration and Phil would urge a fresh look at how we approach our overall Middle East policy, which theyre pretty clear now has to have an end state for the Palestinians at its core.

Biden also supports a Palestinian state, but many activists say he has done little to promote it or to hold Netanyahu accountable for undermining its viability. Several current and former administration officials also said Harris has spoken more forcefully and explicitly about the need for a Palestinian state and self-determination.

Gordons resume is in many ways typical of Washington insiders. He served as director of European affairs at the National Security Council under President Bill Clinton, then as assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs under President Barack Obama, eventually becoming a Middle East specialist in the White House during Obamas second term.

One former official joked that Gordon stands out because he is not part of the pale, male and Yale crowd that composes much of the U.S. Foreign Service. Gordon graduated from Ohio University before earning a PhD from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. That scholarly background, associates say, informs much of his methodical, dispassionate and even academic approach to foreign policy.

While Gordons former and current colleagues say he is not political, he was one of the first people to join Obamas 2008 campaign, even as much of the Democratic establishment favored Hillary Clinton at the time. In 2019, Gordon became an informal foreign policy adviser to Harriss ill-fated presidential campaign before advising Pete Buttigieg.

Phil finds candidates he believes in, said Frank Lowenstein, a former State Department official who has worked with Gordon. He makes up his own mind about people he thinks would make great presidents and gets on board early.

When Biden won, early supporters or longtime advisers received most of the top foreign policy jobs. Gordon became Harriss deputy national security adviser and ascended to the top foreign policy job in her office in early 2022.

While Harris and Gordon did not initially have a strong personal relationship, associates say they have steadily become closer as the vice president has taken on a more prominent foreign policy role. She has met with European leaders as part of the administrations effort to build a pro-Ukraine coalition, and she has traveled several times to southeast Asia to bolster alliances against China.

In many ways, Harriss view of foreign policy is informed by her background as a prosecutor, according to aides and allies. She often focuses on whether countries are abiding by international humanitarian law and the rules-based order  an approach that can be particularly thorny when it comes to Israel.

That lawyerly approach has informed many of Harriss most noteworthy comments about the war, including an assertion that Israel has a right to defend itself but it matters how and a statement that there are no excuses for not allowing more aid into Gaza.

Unlike Biden, Harris has not stressed or even publicly noted that Hamas embeds its fighters among civilians  not because she does not believe it, but to avoid giving Israel cover for the high casualty rate, according to two people familiar with the thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private strategy. She has strongly condemned Hamas for a litany of other actions, including sexual violence on Oct. 7 and killing civilians.

Still, the specifics of how Middle East policy would change under Harris remain unclear. Much depends, of course, on whether the Israel-Gaza war is still raging. And several Middle East veterans cautioned that changing U.S. policy toward Israel can be politically difficult.

Aside from imposing conditions on aid, there are other steps the United States could take to change the nature of its relationship with Israel. They include legally recognizing rulings from international bodies, including a recent one from the International Court of Justice, which in July said Israel should end its occupation of Palestinian territory, evacuate existing settlements, stop building new ones, and pay reparations to Palestinians who have lost land and property.

Lieberman said Harris will continue to stand up against anti-Israel bias in international organizations. He added that Harris has been clear that her priority is finalizing the cease-fire and hostage release deal that she and Biden have been seeking for months, and that more must be done to protect Palestinian civilians and to deliver humanitarian assistance, and international humanitarian law must be upheld.

For now, Harris opposes cutting off offensive weapons to Israel, something many progressives want. A group of pro-Palestinian activists in Michigan that Harris briefly spoke to this month urged an arms embargo of Israel after the interaction. But Gordon, in a rare statement from his official X account, clarified the following day that Harris did not support such a policy.

@VP has been clear: she will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. She does not support an arms embargo on Israel. She will continue to work to protect civilians in Gaza and to uphold international humanitarian law, Gordon wrote.

If Harris wins the White House, Gordon may have a bigger impact on foreign policy than Bidens aides do. Biden came into the presidency with more than 50 years of foreign policy experience, including as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he is supremely confident in his own judgment, according to numerous current and former White House officials.

On certain issues, including his reluctance to withhold aid from Israel or to allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia, Biden has often been immovable, much to the frustration of some aides. Having a president so knowledgeable and confident of his own instincts can be an asset, since it provides clarity and direction, they say, but it also carries risk.

That experience is a double-edged sword because Biden always thought he knew more than everybody and was intransigent, one outside adviser said. Most presidents use the policy process to present them with choices and manage debate and make a decision. I expect Phil would play the role of honest broker among a group of advisers.

Gordon, by nearly all accounts, is the person Harris trusts most when it comes to global affairs, and his quiet, deliberate style has endeared him to her. Former associates said he is loyal and has no problem voicing his opinions in private but will fully back the administrations policy in public.

That approach was evident when Israel launched its ground invasion of Gaza in October. Gordon was at a meeting with Sullivan and several former national security aides, according to three people familiar with the meeting.

While the other officials were almost entirely focused on dissuading Israel from a full-scale assault, Gordon was already asking about the day after, one of the people recalled. How does this end? Gordon asked of the military campaign. How will the United States advance a two-state solution once the war is over?

The questions struck some in the meeting as overly academic and theoretical, given that the war was just beginning, according to one of the participants. But they ended up being prescient. And now everyone is asking about the day after.
The special counsels office and Donald Trump outlined dueling visions Friday for how the former presidents 2020 election obstruction case should proceed in D.C. federal court, with Trumps attorneys proposing a schedule that would extend pretrial arguments into next year and neither side pushing for resolution before the November election.

In a joint filing Friday night, both sides previewed legal wrangling that is likely to drag the case out deep into 2025 or beyond. The filing came after U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan requested a proposed plan for how to resolve legal issues in the case after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines that presidents are absolutely immune from prosecution when carrying out their core constitutional powers.

The ruling prompted special counsel Jack Smith this week to seek a superseding indictment in the case, removing elements of the original indictment that might run afoul of the Supreme Courts guidance.

It will be up to Chutkan to determine what acts laid out in the indictment can still be prosecuted. Although the Supreme Court determined presidents had broad immunity, it said they could still be prosecuted for private conduct or for official acts under certain exceptions. Whatever Chutkan decides could face higher-level court review.

In Smiths revised indictment, prosecutors kept the same four counts of plotting to subvert the results of the election that Trump was charged with in August 2023. But the special counsel dropped some allegations that the high court said intruded on core executive-branch powers and sharpened others that the justices said might be prosecutable as the actions of a candidate for president, rather than an officeholder.

Prosecutors with Smiths office did not outline a specific timetable on which they thought the case should proceed. But they said Chutkan should tackle first and foremost whether Trump might be immune from allegations in the new indictment and whether evidence that prosecutors plan to use at trial may be off-limits to the government.

Prosecutors said they are ready to submit an opening brief promptly that would detail why Trumps private conduct as a candidate is prosecutable, and make a case for why even some of his official conduct as president should not be shielded.

Smiths office said Chutkan should resolve immunity questions all at once before or at the same time as Trumps other challenges. That is because the outcome of her decisions about what allegations and evidence the government may use could affect her rulings on Trumps other claims, and because rendering immunity decisions one at a time could give the defense repeated opportunities to appeal, paralyzing the case, prosecutors argued.

Trumps attorneys, meanwhile, said they would move to dismiss his revised indictment, arguing that even the new grand jury that recently returned it was exposed to immunized conduct.

They proposed only one action before Election Day on Nov. 5, filing a challenge to Smiths appointment as special counsel. U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon in Florida had thrown out a separate case over Trumps alleged mishandling of classified materials, ruling that Smith was unlawfully appointed  a decision criticized by outside experts as breaking with precedent. Smith has appealed.

Trumps attorneys proposed a Dec. 2 hearing on that claim in the D.C. case. Separately, his defense proposed by Dec. 13 to file its challenge to the indictment and to two obstruction counts in it. Their schedule extended into January 2025, noting the possibility of spring and fall hearings that year if necessary.

Chutkan has set a hearing Thursday to discuss the way forward in the case  the first before the trial judge in the case in Washington since October 2023. Trump is not expected to attend in person but may participate by video teleconference, said a court official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
New York Community Bancorp (NYSE: NYCB) is not the first bank to run into financial trouble, cut its dividend, and accept a bailout. In fact, iconic Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) did each of those things during the Great Recession. But could New York Community Bancorp's future include a turnaround on the scale that Bank of America achieved?

What went wrong with Bank of America

During the Great Recession, which was a housing-led downturn, Bank of America made the ill-fated decision to buy a mortgage lender (Countrywide Financial). That move left Bank of America in a difficult position as the housing market cratered and home buyers with weaker credit profiles started to default. Bank of America reacted by cutting its dividend and taking a bailout. The stock price tanked. Since that point in time, the company has successfully returned its business to fighting form.

Once again, Bank of America is a highly respected industry leader. The stock has risen dramatically from the worst of the Great Recession. Its dividend is growing again, too, though it still remains below its pre-cut levels. Overall, investors who stepped in during the worst days have made out very well with Bank of America stock. That list, notably, includes Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway, the company he heads.

BAC Chart

Can you take this bank's turnaround story and apply the same logic to New York Community Bancorp? Maybe, maybe not.

What went wrong with New York Community Bancorp

New York Community Bancorp actually managed to survive the most recent upheaval in the bank sector, which featured a number of bank runs and bank failures. In fact, it bought the assets of one of the banks that failed, a move that came shortly after its purchase of peer Flagstar Bank. This pair of transactions in a compressed period of time appears to be a key part of what got New York Community Bancorp in trouble.

In essence, it went from a rather small bank to a much larger one, which required more oversight by regulators. New York Community Bancorp wasn't prepared for the additional oversight and regulatory requirements. And, as if on cue, just as the company was starting to admit it needed to upgrade its internal controls, it announced that some large loans it had made had soured. It was a very bad look, and Wall Street dropped the stock like a rock.

The dividend was cut, the board of directors brought in new leadership to upgrade the bank's controls, and New York Community Bancorp accepted a bailout. The $1 billion cash infusion should give it the wherewithal to survive this period and thrive again in the future. But the turnaround isn't expected to be complete until at least the end of 2026. So this is a long-term effort, and only patient investors will want to be involved in the turnaround.

Story continues

NYCB Chart

Notably, the second-quarter earnings release was a mixture of good operational updates and bad financial outcomes. So investors who do risk buying New York Community Bancorp will have to have strong stomachs if they hope to stick around long enough to benefit from the hoped-for, and seemingly progressing, turnaround.

There's plenty of upside

New York Community Bancorp is down around 70% from its 52-week highs. Even if it doesn't get back to those highs right away, there's still meaningful recovery potential here if the bank can prove to investors that it is on the mend. In that way, it could be a situation like Bank of America following the Great Recession.

However, there's one caveat. Bank of America is one of the largest banks in the U.S., and New York Community Bancorp is just a regional player. It seems unlikely that the government will step in to help New York Community Bancorp as it did with large banks like Bank of America. So there's really no backup of last resort for New York Community Bancorp. In other words, there's probably more risk in New York Community Bancorp's turnaround than there was in the successful turnaround at Bank of America.

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Knowing he wont be coming back to the area at least for the time being is a huge relief.

THE family of an 85-year-old woman, whose home was broken into by a violent sex attacker who had it in mind to rape her have spoken of their relief on learning he is to be detained indefinitely at the Central Mental Hospital.

A relative of the womans this week told the Sunday World that the imminent release of Cavan sex predator Shane Smith, whose custodial sentence was due to expire in recent days, had been weighing on the familys mind.

It (his release) was obviously a huge concern to us, she said. So, knowing he wont be coming back to the area at least for the time being is a huge relief.

Cavan Circuit Court had heard previously that the release of Smith (35) presented major risks both for himself and public safety.

Smith had originally been due for release in November of last year but the suspended portion of his sentence was reactivated following an 11th hour application from the probation service.

It was stated to Judge John Aylmer at Cavan Circuit Court that even if he were released from prison at that stage that grounds existed under the Mental Health Act for his immediate detention.

Its understood Smiths custody was transferred from the Midlands Prison to the Central Mental Hospital last July.

When Smith broke into the elderly womans home in April 2018 the courts heard he had it in his mind to rape her.

He used a rock to smash the window of the small, secluded dwelling to gain entry at 4.30am, and then tried to pin the octogenarian to her bed.

The pensioner fended him off by sticking her fingers into his eye.

Smith initially denied the offence, but later made admissions after gardai found condoms on the womans bedroom floor and another discarded on grass outside.

He pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the woman at her home on April 6, 2018 and also admitted the false imprisonment of the same woman.

An aggravating factor of the case was that Smith had attempted to gain entry to the home of another elderly woman in the same area earlier that same night.

It was only after gardai arrested Smith and carried out DNA tests that they linked him to an earlier and brutal late-night assault on his sisters partner at Killycrone, Stradone, on December 13, 2017.

The injured party in that case suffered more than 50 injuries and required 40 stitches following the beating.

During his initial sentencing, there was no evidence given to suggest Smith was harbouring under a mental illness at the time.

A probation report considered Smith at high risk of reoffending, both in the medium- to long-term, without post-release supervision.

The probation service also stressed, if released, Smith poses major risks and major concerns for both public safety and himself.

Agnes Scully, Probation Officer, informed Judge John Aylmer at a hearing last February that Smiths mental health was deteriorating, and that he had totally disengaged from mental health services in prison.

She said he was the number one priority at the Midlands to be set forward for in-patient treatment at the CMH should a bed come available, and in the top five cases in Ireland.
Gavin Sheehan was branded a rat in graffiti that appeared in Cork this week.

A man is due in court later this morning in connection with a garda investigation into a number of incidents in Cork last Friday.

Gardai were called to the Shankiel area of the Cork at 5.40pm on Friday after receiving reports that masked men had smashed the windows of gun criminals Gavin Sheehans home before fleeing the scene on a motorbike.

Shortly after the incident, an innocent pedestrian was knocked down at 6.10pm in the nearby Churchfield Road.

The victim, who is in his 60s, is understood to have sustained a number of serious injuries including a collapsed lung, a fractured neck, a broken pelvis and several fractures to his leg.

Gardai later arrested a man (20s) in connection with the investigation into the incidents but he was released without charge and a file was sent to the DPP.

Gavin Sheehan

But now, a garda spokesman has confirmed that a suspect will be brought before the courts this morning.

He said: The man (20s) arrested in connection with this incident has since been charged.

He is expected to appear before a special sitting of Cork City District Court at 12:00pm today, Saturday 31st August 2024.

Gavin Sheehan (33) was released from Castlerea Prison earlier this month after served eight years for shooting innocent 21-year-old Ciara Sheehan (no relation) in the neck in May 2016.

Sheehan had denied four charges relating to possessing and firing the gun and most significantly, seriously injuring the young woman.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard Sheehan had assaulted a young man, Dylan Cunningham, in a chip shop in Blackpool earlier that evening and, later that night, windows were broken at Sheehans family home at Laurel Ridge.

Later, at about 1.30am, Ciara Sheehan, Dylan Cunninghams girlfriend, was at the Cunningham family home at Hollywood Estate, Blarney Road, when she heard a loud bang and realised she had been shot.

She fell to the ground with a gunshot wound to the neck.

She underwent emergency surgery and had a bullet removed from her neck, where it had lodged in a muscle but which avoided rupturing any major blood vessels.

This week, Sheehan was branded a rat in graffiti sprayed on Cork's wall which referenced his self-proclaimed past as a garda informer.

Graffiti targeting Gavin Sheehan has been spraypainted on walls in Cork

During a court hearing in 2017, lawyers for Sheehan claimed he had been a Garda informer, tipping officers off about drug dealers, gun dealers and criminals in general.

Sheehans barrister told the court: I have certain instructions that he was acting as an informer to An Garda Siochana for two years up to the Christmas of 2015.

During that period of time he was an informer for [name] at Mayfield Garda Station, an informer who acted and gave information to gardai. He gave names of people involved in the drugs trade, gun trade and criminality in general.
Instead of their claims to be protecting their communities, the gangsters are flooding their areas with drugs and extorting small businesses.

Six alleged members of the South East Antrim UDA have been charged with supplying Class A drugs.

They were all arrested last November by the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) and are now facing charges of conspiring to supply Class A drugs and possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs.

Details of the crackdown on the notorious loyalist gang are contained in the recently published annual report of the National Crime Agency (NCA), which says it has been involved in 17 high-impact operations in Northern Ireland in the past year.

The PCTF is a multi-agency taskforce set up to lead the fight against organised crime in Northern Ireland.

As well as the PSNI and NCA, Revenue and Customs officials are also involved in the taskforce, which has been busy targeting the assets of criminals posing as paramilitaries.

Instead of their claims to be protecting their communities, the gangsters are flooding their areas with drugs and extorting small businesses.

In recent months, a major focus for the PCTF has been the South East Antrim branch of the UDA, which spilt from the UDA central leadership almost 20 years ago.

Since then, the breakaway branch has been operating as a law onto itself.

As well as its criminal operations, the group is also believed to have been behind several threats to journalists in recent years, including death threats against Sunday World reporters.

In relation to the new drug-related charges, a NCA spokesperson said the operation last November initially led to five alleged members of the South East Antrim UDA being arrested.

A further suspect was later arrested and all six persons have now been charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs, added the spokesperson.

The NCA said it had achieved 162 disruptions against paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland, with 17 of these described as high impact.

We work closely with PSNI in areas including criminal investigations into paramilitary related serious and organised crime, the use of civil recovery powers against such criminals, abuse of the Common Travel Area (CTA), the pursuit of Northern Irish fugitives overseas and the provision of a range of major crime investigative support and specialist capabilities, said the NCA spokesperson.

The crime-busting agency has had a number of successes against the South East Antrim UDA in recent months.

In March, a holiday home in the County Down seaside village of Ballyhalbert was seized.

The static property was believed to have been purchased with the proceeds of fraud and money laundering by the South East Antrim UDA.

The NCA said the owner of the holiday home consented to the seizure but she is not alleged to be directly involved in the group and denied being involved in any unlawful conduct.

NCA officers had obtained a Property Freezing Order at Belfast High Court in June 2023 to stop the holiday home from being sold.

Speaking after it was seized in March, Adam Ewart, Senior Manager in NCA investigations, welcomed the operation.

Recovering this holiday home is an excellent result in our investigation into the source of funding used to purchase it and in our wider work to tackle and disrupt paramilitary crime groups. Civil recovery powers are a strong tool we can use to prevent those engaged in criminal activity from benefiting financially or materially from it.

The NCAs team of specialist financial investigators works to protect the public by interrupting illicit cash flows and preventing them from funding serious and organised crime.

PSNI Detective Superintendent Avine Kelly described it as an excellent result for the PCTF.

We, along with our PCTF partners, remain committed to tackling and disrupting the coercive control and criminal activities of those who seek to make their living from crime.

In May, the PSNI seized two BB guns in Co Antrim as part of an investigation into criminality linked to the South East Antrim UDA.

The two weapons were recovered during searches of business premises in the Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus areas.

The searches were carried out by PSNI detectives from the PCTF working alongside revenue and customs officials.

No arrests were made during the searches.

A PSNI spokesperson said: The inspections were part of an ongoing investigation into suspected criminality linked to the South East Antrim UDA.

In February, a quantity of suspected Class A drugs was seized along with drugs-related paraphernalia at a property in Carrickfergus.
The Lucky Dip gang are suspected of stealing dozens of cars in the past year, which are mainly used by them for joyriding

Michael Mikey Farrelly (40) was walking home when he was struck by a stolen car in Baldoyle, Dublin last month

Disbandment of the garda anti-burglary unit in March blamed for growing number of burglary gangs. Stock image

A major garda alert has been put in place for a group of juvenile criminals nicknamed the Lucky Dip Gang by officers.

The ringleader of the gang is a 17-year-old male who is suspected of being the driver of the stolen car that killed innocent pedestrian Michael Farrelly (40) in a hit-and-run in Baldoyle, north Dublin, last month.

The suspect has not yet been arrested for that offence as gardai await forensic reports, but he has recently been taken off the streets due to outstanding bench warrants and is due to appear before the courts next week on theft charges.

Joining him in custody at Oberstown Children Detention Campus is another 17-year-old who is considered the suspected killers right-hand man and is also due before the courts next week for theft and other offences.

The teenage pair are considered the main players in the Lucky Dip gang.

Michael Mikey Farrelly (40) was walking home when he was struck by a stolen car in Baldoyle, Dublin last month

The gang has around a dozen associates in the south inner city as well as the Blanchardstown area.

Gardai have given them that name after obtaining key intelligence that the gang have been randomly picking targets in Leinster towns on an almost nightly basis using the Google Maps app.

The Lucky Dip gang randomly pick a location on the app, usually within the wider Dublin area or within Dublin itself, and then utilise the motorway network to travel to the location, often in stolen cars at high speed, a source said.

Once they arrive in a housing estate, the gang attempt to steal whatever car they can in the area or steal things from any unlocked cars.

The Lucky Dip gang are suspected of stealing dozens of cars in the past year, which are mainly used by them for joyriding rather than resale.

The investigation into their activities is being co-ordinated by gardai based at Clondalkin.

They are a disorganised bunch in terms of criminality, this is not an organised crime gang who are stealing cars for order, they are doing it for the craic, for want of a better word, a source said.

But as can be seen from the fatal incident in Baldoyle during the summer, their activities are extremely dangerous to innocent members of the public.

While it should be welcomed that two of the main Lucky Dip gang members are currently in custody, the overall garda investigation into their activities has lacked joined-up thinking at times.

Multiple sources point to the disbandment of the garda anti-burglary unit in March as a key factor in why gangs such as the Lucky Dip crew have been able to run amok.

According to figures obtained by the Irish Independent, when this specialist unit was at its most active before the Covid pandemic, garda intelligence had identified seven main gangs involved in organised burglaries and car thefts nationwide.

The figure for gangs involved in these types of crimes is understood to now be up to 19, with a number of sources suggesting the units disbarment has led to chaos.

A new trend of gangs travelling in numbers of up to seven criminals in the same car has also been identified by gardai in recent weeks.

At least two different gangs from the Tallaght area have been travelling to south Dublin this month to target properties in the affluent suburbs.

Unlike the Lucky Dip gang, these are not juveniles and are often made up of serial criminals.

Last week, the Irish Independent revealed details of an aggravated burglary in the Mount Merrion area of the capital in which seven masked suspects attempted to gain entry to a house at 4.45am while two others waited in cars.

CCTV footage showed the gang arriving outside the house on Thursday morning last week while doorbell camera footage showed all seven approaching the front door.

This gang is believed to be a separate crew to the six criminals who were stopped and arrested by Dundrum gardai in nearby Goatstown in an early-morning operation less than 48 hours earlier.

The Tallaght-based gang members, aged between 24 and 35, were all packed into a car when officers forced it to stop in the Roebuck Road area on Tuesday morning of last week.

They are suspected of having been on their way to commit burglaries in the area.

Yet another crew of juvenile criminals from the Tallaght area who are not linked to the Lucky Dip gang are also suspected of a spate of car thefts in Leinster.

Three of these gang members were arrested in Greystones last week.

They were allegedly caught in the act of attempting to steal an SUV in a housing estate outside the Co Wicklow town.
In April, Waldron, from Cabra in Dublin, lost his four-year legal battle with the CAB over the property called Darview Heights in Laraheen around 7km outside Gorey

The property is finished to an exceptional standard

Waldrons Wexford mansion that was built for 1.6m with the proceeds of crime

DRUG dealer David Waldrons Wexford mansion which was built for 1.6m with the proceeds of crime will be auctioned off with an advised minimum value of just 415,000.

In April, Waldron, from Cabra in Dublin, lost his four-year legal battle with the CAB over the property called Darview Heights in Laraheen around 7km outside Gorey.

Mr Justice Alex Owens in his judgement said he accepted evidence that Waldron was a a major player in the distribution and sale of drugs in Dublin since 2000.

The judge also granted the seizure of houses owned by Waldron in Kildare and Dublin. In total assets worth 3.3m were deemed to be proceeds of crime.

However, the plush mansion is now set to be auctioned off at the end of September at a bargain price.

The property is finished to an exceptional standard

The Wexford property, which had a gym, games room and bar when Waldron lived there, is set to go up for auction at Wilsons Auctions on the Naas Road in Dublin on September 25.

The auctioneers boast of the magnificent views from the sprawling 4,460sqft mansion.

They describe it as a three-storey detached stone fronted dwelling house believed to have been built around 2016.

The accommodation comprises of at entry level an entrance hall with central staircase leading to the upper and lower floors, a large kitchen, laundry, games room, sitting room, study, a large master bedroom, with ensuite and walk in wardroom, 3 further bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a dressing room. All the rooms to rear have large balconies to take in the sweeping views, they advertise.

The large kitchen inside the property

"Internally the property is finished to an exceptional standard.

"The property sits centrally on a large site, containing outbuildings and stables. There are breathtaking views of the distant hills and verdant countryside from all areas of this unique property.

David Waldron

In May it emerged that Waldron was pocketing 6,450 a month in rent from the property along with another property in Leixlip.

Cash from the properties was being paid into a Spanish bank account by Egidijus Bubnys who was listed as a tenant of the Wexford property and said he was sub-letting out rooms to others in the Leixlip home.

A central staircase leads to the upper and lower floors

Judge Alex Owens said the rent was to be paid by Mr Bubnys to the receiver who was also given power of sale over the Leixlip home.

He added the occupants of all three properties must be put on notice.

CAB previously seized the Cabra home of Waldrons brother Christopher which was also deemed to be the proceeds of crime.

CAB said Waldron had an extension and renovations done to the Cabra home which a quantity surveyor estimated would have cost 431,214 excluding professional fees.

A room with a view

Despite all the money pumped into the property it was put on auction with a AMV of 275,000 earlier this year.

The Waldrons have links to numerous well-known underworld figures and have been linked to a recent multi-million euro drug seizure in Dublin.

During Davids CAB case, the court heard how five of his closest criminal associates were gunned down in the space of a decade. The five were Michael Micka Kelly, Eamon the Don Dunne, David Daithi Douglas, Richard Keogh and Darren Kearns.

Eamonn 'The Don' Dunne

Speaking after the case the Chief Officer of CAB, Detective Chief Inspector Michael Gubbins said the case highlights the value of the bureaus work to the community.

This was an individual who over 20 years amassed well over 3.3 million which they expended on three properties which the Bureau have taken to the High Court and proven their case that these are the proceeds of crime.

I think it establishes why the bureau was established and more importantly it sends a message to the community of the value and the work the Criminal Assets Bureau is doing in their area.

Its not just the money we are taking off them but the houses of these individuals.

Waldron and his brother Christopher Git were once close associates of drug lord Eamon The Don Dunne along with the Bradley brothers Wayne and Alan Fatpuss.

David Waldron has nine convictions including one for drug dealing.
An Irish Fest was taking place in Kansas City this weekend but Mr Bradys murder cast a long shadow over events

FRIENDS of Tipperary chef Shaun Brady who was senselessly gunned down outside his restaurant in Kansas City on Wednesday paid tribute to him at Irish Fest in the city this weekend as they struggled to come to terms with his death.

The father-of-two (44), who was originally from Nenagh, suffered fatal gunshot wounds on Wednesday night in the parking lot of his restaurant Brady & Fox in the US city.

Police believe he had been taking out bins from the restaurant when he became involved in a confrontation with teenagers who were trying to steal a car.

Two teenage boys, who cannot be identified because they are under 18-years-old, were arrested within an hour of Bradys death.

One has since been charged with second degree murder and attempted stealing while the second has also been charged with second degree murder, attempted vehicle theft and unlawful use of a weapon.

An Irish Fest was taking place in Kansas City this weekend but Mr Bradys murder cast a long shadow over events.

The talented chef had been living in the US for more than a decade and co-owned his restaurant with business partner Graham Farris.

Mr Brady was involved in Irish Fest since 2017 and was well known for hosting an Irish breakfast at the restaurant during the festival but the breakfast was cancelled following his murder.

The festival continued with thousand of people attending the celebration of Irish heritage and culture but there a sombre mood amongst the crowd.

Instead of the breakfast, the community will gather on Sunday to raise a toast to Mr Brady.

His friend Dan Regan told KSHB News "Yesterday and today, today feels like a job. Its Irish Fest weekend and it cant be that Shaun Brady is not here anymore.

Speaking about cancelling Mr Bradys famous Irish breakfast, he said: It just didnt feel right so close to his passing.

Kelly O'Neill Wenzell executive director of the Irish Fest said the Irish are known for coming together in times of celebration but also in times of grief.

And the Kansas City Irish Fest community, the festival itself, is what we do.

"We come together and celebrate together and grieve together. And this weekend we'll be doing a lot of both."

Shaun Brady

Another friend Sarah Walsh, who is also involved in Irish Fest, said: When I arrived on site yesterday, every board member and every person I saw, I hugged. Ive noticed that we all try to lift each other up emotionally just in the last 24 to 48 hours since it all happened.

Someday there will be a little bit of light, and someday itll eventually be okay,

Another Irish friend Anthony Canning said Mr Brady was very proud of his scones and Irish soda bread,

He said he met Mr Brady when he was working as a chef in a hotel 11 years ago and they became firm friends.

We come from roughly the same age and had the same interests," Mr Canning said.

"It was good to be able to share some of that camaraderie and Irishness with somebody in the community.

He said a lot of the Irish community hadnt had such direct experience of gun violence until this week.

I think for a lot of us its probably one of the first times for me personally I am directly affected by gun violence or knowing somebody that was murdered.

Shaun Brady in his restaurant

"Its hard to put it in context because he was trying to do the right thing and he was trying to stop something. He was at the wrong place, with the wrong people, at the wrong time.

Dr Kieran Pemberton, who is from Derry but lives in Kanas City, said Mr Bradys breakfast was famous and included all the items Irish people miss from back home like rashers, sausages and black and white pudding.

I think we had up to maybe 400 people to try the breakfast (last year), Dr Pemberton told KCTV.

He refused to take any profit out of it. Thats Shaun, through and through that was Shaun  to share the culture of Ireland that he brought with him, especially with the cooking.

He was genuinely pleased to see anybody who walked into his establishment.

"He would come over and thank you for coming in, but the next thing, hed be sitting down with you and having a story or a whiskey, hed always bring over a whiskey.

"My wife said something this morning, theyve got a new chef up top, so hopefully hes cooking some good Irish food for the folks up above us.

Mr Brady decided to move to the US after marrying his American-born wife, Kate.

The couple met when Kate  who is from Wichita in Kansas  was travelling in Ireland on holiday and were initially based here. They have two children.

Mr Brady had worked at top Irish restaurants after deciding on a culinary career following secondary school at Nenagh CBS and later moved to the US

The teenagers charged with Mr Bradys murder cannot currently be named as they are juveniles. However, hearings will take place at a later date to determine if they are tried as adults.
He is accused of producing the synthetic drug, crystal meth, on a large scale in the Netherlands on behalf of Mexican gangs

An alleged Colombian drug dealer known as Sodapuppy has been extradited to the Netherlands where he stands accused of destring crystal meth and smuggling cocaine for Mexican cartels.

The public prosecutors office in The Hague said on Friday that the Colombian national Paul Hoyos Bohorquez was taken into custody by officers from the Dutch gendarmerie.

The 44-year suspected drug boss was described as an important player in an international drug smuggling and money laundering operation, by prosecutors.

Sodapuppy was detained in the Colombian city of Tulua on July 18, at the request of the Netherlands.

He is accused of producing the synthetic drug, crystal meth, on a large scale in the Netherlands on behalf of Mexican gangs and smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe.

He was also alleged to have smuggled around 20 million ($22 million) in illegal proceeds from the Netherlands to Mexico and Colombia.

He is due to be brought before a magistrate on Monday.

According to the ANP News Agency, the public prosecutors office is aiming for a trial of the alleged Colombian drug boss and 12 other suspects later this year.

Sodapuppy has been linked by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service to the seizure of 2.5 tons of methamphetamine in 2019 in Rotterdam.

Authorities in several countries worked together to catch Bohorquez whose arrest last year was a top priority for international investigation services, as he is seen as a key figure in the operations of Mexican cartels in the Netherlands and Europe.

Bohorquez is said to have coordinated cocaine and methamphetamine production in the Netherlands on behalf of Mexican drug cartels.

He is also associated with the importation of large amounts of cocaine and several drug labs in the Netherlands.

He was held in custody while awaiting his extradition to the Netherlands where he is also suspected of laundering large amounts of money. A total of 20 million has been linked to him from the Netherlands to Mexico and Colombia.

The wide-ranging investigation has led to several drug labs being dismantled across Europe and more than 50 suspects arrested.

Colombia had sent three detectives to Europe to help work on the case with Europol and their counterparts in the EU Member States.

As part of the Dutch investigation, at least four people were arrested in 2020 including a woman aged 39 and three men aged 30 to 33.

The 2.5 tons of crystal meth was found after a raid on the Schiebroek business park in Rotterdam discovered it stashed behind a double wall in a hidden room.

It is the largest ever seizure of the drug in Europe.

In another location in De Meern, near Utrecht, more than 17,000 litres of chemicals were seized, which police believe would have been used to make cocaine from cocaine paste.

Europol revealed how it had developed intelligence on Mexican and Colombian drug trafficking organisations active in Europe through its work on deciphering encrypted criminal communications.

Up to then, these various criminal networks had been able to operate mostly under the radar of law enforcement.

Europols analysis helped identify the key targets in Europe and Latin America, alongside the cocaine and methamphetamine production facilities scattered across Europe, the agency revealed.

Europol organised a number coordination meetings in order to bring together all the involved countries to develop a joint strategy to bring down these networks.

Over the course of the investigation, several drug labs were dismantled in Europe, and more than 50 suspects arrested.

The Colombian suspect was on the run, with law enforcement across the world working together to locate him and bring him to justice, Europol added.

We deployed one of our experts to Colombia and funded the deployment of a Dutch investigator to assist the national authorities with his arrest. Colombia also deployed three investigators to Europols headquarters to work jointly on this case with Europol and their counterparts in EU Member States.
Target Corp showcases robust sales growth and operational efficiency in its latest quarterly report.

Strategic investments and a strong brand image reinforce Target's market position, despite competitive pressures.

Opportunities for digital expansion and threats from market volatility are key considerations for investors.

Target's forward-looking strategies aim to capitalize on strengths and mitigate potential risks.

On August 30, 2024, Target Corp (NYSE:TGT), a leading player in the retail sector, filed its 10-Q report, revealing a financial snapshot of its performance over the recent quarter. The company reported a slight increase in sales to $25,021 million for the three months ended August 3, 2024, compared to $24,384 million in the prior year. Over six months, sales were marginally lower at $49,164 million compared to $49,332 million in the previous year. Notably, Target's net earnings showed a significant improvement, with $1,192 million for the quarter, up from $835 million in the prior year, and $2,134 million over six months, up from $1,785 million. This financial overview sets the stage for a comprehensive SWOT analysis, providing investors with insights into Target's strategic positioning and future prospects.

Decoding Target Corp (TGT): A Strategic SWOT Insight

Strengths

Brand Power and Market Presence: Target Corp's brand is synonymous with style, quality, and value, a reputation that has been carefully cultivated over decades. The company's latest filing underscores its continued appeal, with a 2.6 percent increase in total sales for the quarter and a 2.0 percent rise in comparable sales. This growth is partly attributed to a 3.0 percent increase in customer traffic, reflecting the brand's ability to attract and retain shoppers. Target's expansive physical presence, with over 1,950 stores, and its strategic focus on urban and suburban markets, cater to an affluent consumer base that values the unique shopping experience Target offers.

Operational Efficiency and Financial Health: Target's operational efficiency is evident in its improved gross margin rate, which stood at 28.9 percent for the quarter, up from 27.0 percent in the prior year. This increase is due to cost improvements and favorable category mix, among other factors. The company's financial health is further highlighted by a robust net earnings growth and a solid return on invested capital (ROIC), which reached 16.6 percent for the trailing twelve months, compared to 13.7 percent in the previous period. These figures demonstrate Target's ability to manage costs effectively while delivering strong profitability.

Story continues

Weaknesses

Competitive Pressures and Market Saturation: Despite its strengths, Target operates in a highly competitive retail landscape. The company faces intense competition from both brick-and-mortar retailers and e-commerce giants. This environment challenges Target to continuously innovate and differentiate its offerings to maintain market share. Moreover, with a significant number of stores across the United States, Target must navigate the risks associated with market saturation, where additional stores may not contribute to significant sales growth but could cannibalize sales from existing locations.

Supply Chain and Inventory Management: The filing reveals that while Target has managed to improve its gross margin, it continues to face higher digital fulfillment and supply chain costs. As the company expands its digital sales, which grew by 8.7 percent for the quarter, managing these costs will be crucial to maintaining profitability. Additionally, inventory management remains a complex challenge, with inventory levels at $12.6 billion as of August 3, 2024, reflecting the delicate balance Target must strike between meeting consumer demand and avoiding excess stock that can lead to markdowns and reduced margins.

Opportunities

Digital Expansion and Omnichannel Integration: Target's digital sales growth presents a significant opportunity for the company to further integrate its online and offline channels. With digitally originated sales increasing by 8.7 percent, Target can leverage its physical stores as fulfillment centers for online orders, enhancing convenience for customers and optimizing inventory management. The company's investments in its digital platforms and services like Shipt, Drive Up, and Order Pickup can drive future growth as consumer shopping behaviors continue to evolve towards e-commerce.

Product Assortment and Brand Collaborations: Target is well-known for its carefully curated product assortment and exclusive brand partnerships. The company has the opportunity to expand its private-label offerings and collaborate with high-profile designers and brands to attract customers seeking unique products that cannot be found elsewhere. These initiatives can enhance Target's brand image and drive higher-margin sales, contributing to overall revenue growth.

Threats

Economic Volatility and Consumer Spending: Target's performance is subject to fluctuations in the broader economy, including changes in consumer confidence and spending patterns. Economic downturns or shifts in consumer preferences can adversely affect sales and profitability. The company must remain agile and responsive to economic indicators to manage potential risks associated with consumer spending volatility.

Regulatory Changes and Cybersecurity Risks: As a major retailer, Target must navigate a complex regulatory environment that includes data protection laws, labor regulations, and trade policies. Changes in these areas can impose additional costs or require changes to business practices. Moreover, cybersecurity threats pose a significant risk, as data breaches can lead to financial loss and damage to Target's reputation. The company must continue to invest in robust cybersecurity measures to protect its operations and customer data.

In conclusion, Target Corp (NYSE:TGT) demonstrates a strong market presence and operational efficiency, as evidenced by its latest financial performance. The company's strengths in brand power and financial health position it well in the competitive retail landscape. However, it must address weaknesses such as competitive pressures and supply chain management to maintain its market position. Opportunities for digital expansion and product differentiation offer pathways for growth, while threats from economic volatility and regulatory changes require vigilant management. Overall, Target's strategic initiatives and forward-looking approach suggest a commitment to leveraging its strengths and addressing

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Based on DOlier Street, SoHo Dublin is set to host club event Lets Dance every Saturday from 5.30pm to 10.30pm

A new nightclub for ancient over-35s has opened its doors in the capital.

And between this and Justin Bieber becoming a dad  when his smash hit Baby recorded when he was 15 feels like it only came out yesterday  Ive never felt older.

Based on DOlier Street, SoHo Dublin is set to host club event Lets Dance every Saturday from 5.30pm to 10.30pm.

So, in theory, you could be tucked up in your bed with your makeup off and jammies on by the time energetic Gen Z-ers are leaving the house.

Speaking about the launch, co-owner Jerry Harrington said: We kept hearing from our over 35s guests that they wanted a night where they could really enjoy themselves without the usual late-teen or early twenties crowd.

Lets Dance is our answer  a night dedicated to bringing back the magic of those classic nightclub experiences, with a modern twist, all in a space where they feel truly comfortable.

As someone who wont even start a movie after 8pm now, for fear of conking it before the opening credits have even rolled, it should have been 90s music to my ears.

But there was something horribly triggering about the fact that someone who was only born in 1989, when Dead Poets Society was in cinemas and Black Box Ride on Time dominated airwaves, could now be considered out of place in todays club scene, as the press release that pinged into my inbox on Wednesday continued.

Surely, theres been a typo, I reassured myself. Surely they mean over-55s?

Alas, they did not, and my existential angst did not get any better when I popped along to a respectable 6.05pm screening of It Ends With Us with an old school friend during the week, and spotted a poster for the upcoming 30th anniversary re-release of Pulp Fiction on the way out.

Can it really be three whole decades since John Travolta discovered that, in Europe, they call a quarter pounder with cheese a Royale with cheese?

Then again, our shock at the line of twenty-somethings queuing to brave the 8.30pm screening of the Blake Lively movie probably only proved that she and I are exactly the target market for something like Lets Dance.

In fact, if companies really want to cater for the inbetweeny Millennial crowd  too old for late bars, but too young for bingo  maybe they need to take it even a step further.

Im thinking: Saturday Nights at SuperValu, where you can do your big shop, have a boogie and meet a bloke all before closing time at 9pm - now thats something Id dust down my Macarena moves for.
The two men, named locally as Jimmy Duggan, 61, and David Woulfe, 50s, were airlifted from the farm by two air ambulances

Two men were treated for serious injuries at Cork University Hospital after they fell through a roof of a shed while carrying out work on a farm in Co Limerick earlier today.

The two men, aged in their 60s and 50s, sustained head and other injuries during the workplace accident, around lunchtime, at a farm at Ardagh, in west county Limerick.

The two men, named locally as Jimmy Duggan, 61, and David Woulfe, 50s, were airlifted from the farm by two air ambulances

A Garda spokeswoman said that Gardai and emergency services attended a workplace incident on a premises in Ardagh, Co. Limerick and that, the Health and Safety Authority has been notified.

The Garda spokeswoman said the mens injuries were believed to be serious at this time.

Two units from Newcastle West Fire and Rescue Service were also dispatched to the scene to assist ambulance personnel.

Former mayor of Limerick, Fianna Fail councillor Michael Collins, who knows both men said: Its a big, big shock to the local community and everyone hopes they will be well and that they will be okay in the days ahead; all we can do is wish them well.

They are two very well know community people, they are both very very involved in the GAA, and the community, they are very well known and very respected.

Mr Woulfe is the current chairperson of the St Kierans GAA Club, Ardagh, and Mr Duggan is also closely associated with the club. A spokesperson for the St Kierans club said its volunteer network are rallying around both men and their families.

Prayers were being said locally that both men would recover from their injuries.

The Health and Safety Authority were contacted for comment but did not immediately respond.
Scotland, China, and now our city  theatre company Trick of the Light will return to Tauranga for Escape.

The Wellington-based theatre company is set to thrill when performing at Taurangas much anticipated biennial readers and writers festival, Escape.

The Escape festivals programme was launched last night and tickets go on sale today.

The launch revealed festival goers can expect a packed and diverse programme of literary talks, panel discussions, workshops, and live performance across three days from October 18-20.

While boutique in size, Escape is inarguably big on delivery, celebrating ideas, thinkers, writers and storytelling.

It will feature celebrated prize-winning authors, powerful local and national writers and speakers, and the afore-mentioned innovative theatre company.

This time Trick of the Light will deliver the Suitcase Show. The companys show, The Bookbinder, was a big hit at the Tauranga Arts Festival many years ago.

Escape festival literary programmer Gabrielle Vincent says other returning popular events will include the Sunday Speaker Series, Wham Bam Tauranga Poetry Slam, Zinefest, and Morning Tea with a celebrity.

She expects the morning tea event to be especially popular this year. National treasure, former broadcaster, now author, Judy Bailey will share her wisdoms about finding health and happiness as we age.

Items new to the festival will also feature and the Escape line-up can boast a Dame or two.

Susan Devoy. Photo: Matt Klitscher/supplied.

One of those, Dame Susan Devoy, will be one of the stars of the inaugural Into the Night event.

Join us for a special evening of celebrating local authors, storytellers and artists. Travel the literary loop around various inner-city venues and learn more about these creatives and their writing, says Gabrielle.

Venue hop or stay in one place; the choice is yours. The night will culminate in a fun-filled literary quiz.

The local authors presenting at Into the Night include Dame Susan, Anne Tiernan and Lee Murray.

Other locals to feature during the festival are Claire Mabey (whose new novel is on the bestseller charts) who will run a workshop, and award-winning investigative reporter Jared Savage.

Jared will be one of three journalists on the panel at a Coffee with the Headlines event.

Successful internationally, but new to Tauranga, this session will involve journalists discussing the news of the day and turning a critical eye on current events.

Julie Paama Pengelly. Photo supplied.

Escape also includes the chance to enjoy a cooking demonstration and chat with lively and engaging chef, Sam Low; to hear Tauranga Moanas Julie Paama Pengelly( Ngai Te Rangi, Te Moutere o Matakana) speak about the powerful resurgence of moko; and how about hearing another take on NZs most famous cold-case murders?

Escapes events are set to expand your thinking, left your spirits and ignite curiosity, Gabrielle says.

To view the full Escape programme see taurangafestival.co.nz

Escape tickets are available through the website, Baycourt and Eventfinda.
The Western Bay Community Awards bring together all those involved in the community and volunteer sector to celebrate and acknowledge their incredible community work, helping make Western Bay one of the greatest places to live.

Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, Tauranga City Council, TECT, and Western Bay of Plenty District Council will again deliver the awards for 2025.

TECT Deputy Chairperson Mark Arundel says the awards allow the unsung heroes of our community to be recognised for their impact on Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty.

Countless groups and individuals are working outside their own day-to-day lives, striving to make the Western Bay of Plenty a better place to live, he says.

A thriving region is built with the efforts and enthusiasm of its people, and Tauranga and Western Bay have endless examples of hard-working people doing great things for various spaces within the community.

Nominations for the 2025 awards open on Sunday, September 1, across the usual six award categories, along with a new category added for 2025.

Local community groups and/or individuals can be nominated for any or multiple of the award categories: Community Event Award, Sustainable Future Award, Diversity and Inclusion Award, Heart of the Community Award, Youth Spirit Award, Volunteer of the Year Award, and Best Collaboration Award.

The Best Collaboration Award is a new award category for 2025.

Added to recognise community organisations and/or individuals who have joined forces to achieve a common goal, create positive change or try a new initiative.

Whether through a joint project, innovative partnership, or collective initiatives, this award celebrates the power of collaboration in driving meaningful change and creating lasting impact.

If any nominees have dedicated much of their lifetime to the community, a Lifetime Service Award may be presented alongside the seven nominated categories.

The Peoples Choice Award, voted by the general public from all nominee finalists, will also be up for grabs in the new year once public voting opens in February 2025.

At this years 2024 Western Bay Community Awards, Live Well Waihi Beach won the Sustainable Future Award.

Environmental Coordinator for Live Well Waihi Beach, Pip Coombes, says this annual event highlights what people and groups do to go the extra mile in our communities.

Our award was a huge boost for our sustainability efforts and gave our volunteers real confidence that we are making a difference, she says.

It reinforced what we are doing across our rohe and has had an amazing positive impact on our mahi locally!"

The 2025 Western Bay Community Awards will be held at Holy Trinity Tauranga on 20 March 2025, after an online showcase of all finalists in the seven weeks leading up to the awards evening.

The online showcase will be shared across social media.

Lori Luke, Chief Executive Officer of Acorn Foundation says the Acorn Foundation loves being involved in the Western Bay Community Awards.

Our team looks forward to the awards evening every year. You get a profound sense of pride in the amazing work done by charitable organisations and volunteers across the Western Bay of Plenty.

BayTrust Chief Executive Alastair Rhodes says these awards not only celebrate individual and organisational achievements but also inspire others to engage in civic life, fostering a culture of mutual support and local pride.

They strengthen the fabric of our community by highlighting valuable initiatives and encouraging continued engagement, he says.

By bridging individual efforts with institutional support, community awards become catalysts for sustainable, positive change, amplifying their impact far beyond the recognition itself.

Anyone can place a nomination for any of the seven award categories, and any community group or individual can be nominated for their contribution to the Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty communities.

Self-nominations are also encouraged. Nominations are quick and easy, all done via a simple online form submitted at https://www.tect.org.nz/community-awards-2025/ by Thursday 31 October 2024.

Award Categories:

 Community Event Award  Recognising a community-led event that not only excelled in its planning and delivery but also made a positive impact on the community by creating memorable experiences and strengthening communal ties.

 Sustainable Future Award  Recognising those who have implemented innovative projects or practices that protect and enhance the environment or who have embedded sustainability into the core of their operations. It celebrates forward-thinking initiatives that address climate challenges and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

 Diversity and Inclusion Award  Recognising efforts that break down barriers, create opportunities for all, and cultivate an environment where everyone feels valued and respected. It recognises a commitment to embracing differences and building a more inclusive, equitable community for everyone.

 Heart of the Community Award  Recognises a group who have made an extraordinary impact through selfless dedication and unwavering commitment, embodying the true spirit of community by uplifting others and fostering a sense of togetherness that resonates throughout the community.

 Youth Spirit Award  Recognising an inspiring individual under 25 who exemplifies the essence of community spirit through their contributions and dedication. A young person who actively engages in their community, makes a positive difference, and serves as a role model for their peers. Their passion, leadership, and commitment to helping others reflect the vibrant potential of our future leaders.

 Volunteer of the Year Award  Recognising an exceptional individual whose dedication and selfless contributions have made a profound impact on the community. A volunteer who has gone above and beyond in their service, demonstrating unwavering commitment, passion, and generosity in their efforts to uplift and support others. Their outstanding contributions embody the true spirit of volunteerism and community service.

 Best Collaboration Award - Recognising community organisations and/or individuals who have joined forces to achieve a common goal, creating a positive change or trying a new initiative. Whether through a joint project, innovative partnership, or collective initiatives, this award celebrates the power of collaboration in driving meaningful change and creating lasting impact.

 A People's Choice Award will open in February for the general public to vote on their favourite finalist.

 A Lifetime Service Award winner will also be announced on the awards show night.
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and the Ministry of Health - Manatu Hauora are working with Police to change some of the ways agencies respond to mental health.

The change will see an increased health-led response, supporting Police to focus on core Policing.

As health agencies, our interest is in improving access to mental health services for people that need them in a timely way, while ensuring the health and safety needs of our workforce, patients and their whanau continue to be met.

This is all about getting the balance right.

Police will continue to respond  just as they always have  to mental health events with immediate risks to life and safety, keeping members of the public and our workforce safe.

There will be other times, however, when a health-led response is more desirable. For example, the potential stigma for a distressed person of waiting in ED for a mental health assessment can be exacerbated if they are accompanied by Police.

The change programme will introduce higher thresholds for Police responding to some mental health events from November, with further changes rolled out in three stages over the following 12 months.

Ensuring the transition is managed safely for people who need mental health services, our workforce and the public is a top priority for Health NZ, the Ministry and Police.

All three agencies are committed to working together to ensure any potential issues are identified and resolved before final decisions to activate each phase are made.

Health NZ is working with clinical experts, ED representatives, health and safety specialists, security staff and others to put a robust operational plan in place.

One of the factors we will need to consider as part of our transition planning is our on-going mental health workforce shortages.

The one-year change programme announced today is part of a wider five-year transition plan underway to move to a multi-agency response to 111 calls, with less reliance on a Police-led model.

The plan includes a range of initiatives, such as improving the responsiveness of telehealth services, trialling peer support in EDs, and ongoing safety improvements in EDs and hospital spaces more generally.

The one-year change programme announced today is aligned to this longer-term plan.

Further information on the health-led aspects of this change plan will be made available over coming months.

Police announce phased plan to reduce service to mental health demand

Police will introduce new, higher thresholds for attending mental health callouts, with changes to be phased in from November 2024 and completed by September 2025.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. File Photo.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has today announced a programme of change to begin reducing police resourcing of mental health calls for service, to relieve demand pressures.

Police have formally notified Health New Zealand authorities and stakeholders that the higher thresholds will ensure Police prioritise events where there is an immediate risk to life and safety.

Events that fall short of that threshold will not be attended by Police, but rather directed to more appropriate services.

Police are committed to supporting Health New Zealand, so the transition occurs safely and without unintended consequences.

We are aligned in wanting a system that supports everyones mental wellbeing, so people are supported to stay well, and have access to help that works for them, from the right person at the right time.

Like Health New Zealand, we care about our health professionals and the important mahi they do for our communities.

Its important to us they feel safe, which is why we have committed to slowly phasing the changes in over time  starting with reducing the amount of time we spend in emergency departments.

It is important to be clear that Police will still attend any jobs where there is an immediate risk to life or safety  that has not changed," Commissioner Coster says.

It is well documented that mental health demand is increasing and our challenges in meeting this demand are ongoing and impacting our ability to service other needs in our community.

Mental health demand accounted for 11 percent of calls to our Emergency Communications Centre in the year to May 2024.

Police receives one mental health-related call every seven minutes, taking up about half a million hours of Police frontline time per year.

"Of those events, only five percent had a criminal element and 11% of calls are coded P1 and are given a priority response.

It has been clear to me for some time, that this is simply not sustainable and prevents us from keeping other areas of the community safe.

"It impacts on our ability to deliver core policing services.

As well as impacting our frontline, it also creates bottlenecks at the Emergency Communication Centres  meaning they cant always respond to every call in a timely manner.

To help alleviate the high level of demand on Police, we will be phasing a reduction of Police resources to mental health events that do not have a crime or high level of risk attached to them.

The programme of change will be rolled out over four phases beginning in November this year with Police introducing a higher threshold of risk before committing staff to responding to requests for mental health transportation, or attendance at mental health facilities.

In January next year, Police staff will conduct handovers with Health staff, and depart after a maximum one hour unless there is a risk to life or safety.

"This will eventually reduce to 15 minutes later in the year.

Also starting from next year, we are tightening rules around our custody suites, which we do not believe are appropriate for conducting mental health assessments.

Another area that has added to our demand is the lower threshold for searching for people reported missing from mental health facilities.

"We will need to work with Health agencies to better manage this with higher thresholds.

We anticipate there will be other areas where we can better manage our response to mental health calls, and we will be assessing those areas as we progress this work.

We want those experiencing mental health distress to get the right help at the right time from the right people.

They do not always want or need a Police car turning up or for Police Officers to sit with them for hours in emergency departments, further adding to the stigma of what is already a very difficult time.

Immediately, there will be no changes, and we will continue to respond to mental health callouts as we always have.

The changes will take a phased approach as we want to support our health partners by giving them time to adapt.

Phase 1: 1 November

 Voluntary handovers at emergency departments  Police will streamline the handover process for people wanting to undertake a mental health assessment voluntarily.

Once handed over to Health staff, police will depart immediately.

 Mental Health transportation requests  will be subject to a higher threshold before Police agree to become involved.

 Police attendance at mental health facilities  will also be subject to a higher threshold.

Phase 2: January to March 2025

 60 minute ED handovers  Police who have transported a person detained under the Mental Health Act for an assessment will remain for a maximum one hour before departing unless they consider there is an immediate risk to life or safety.

 Mental Health custody rules tightened  Police do not consider custody suites to be an appropriate place for mental health assessments to be conducted.

Custody rules will ensure people in distress are not being assessed unnecessarily in Police custody.

Phase 3: April to June 2025

 Requests for assistance from health practitioners  Our new threshold will ensure Police are not directed unnecessarily to mental health work by practitioners.

 Missing Mental Health patients  Many of the missing person reports generated from mental health facilities and wards generate a more immediate response than other missing person reports.

Police will work with agencies to establish a more appropriate model for managing these situations, including Police not being the first to begin searching for missing persons.

Phase 4: July to September 2025

 15 minute ED handovers  Where police have detained a person under the Mental Health Act and transported them to an ED for mental health assessment, a handover process between Police and Health staff will occur, and Police staff will depart after 15 minutes, unless they consider there is an immediate threat to life or safety.

 Welfare checks from public and agencies  Police have been over responding to welfare checks where there is no risk of criminality or to life or safety.

"We are aiming to reduce demand on frontline staff but are conscious the issues are complex so we will continue to talk to partner agencies before making any final decisions."
A Hawkes Bay man is facing drink-driving charges after blowing nearly six times the legal breath alcohol limit before midday on Thursday, August 29, says Bay of Plenty Road Policing Manager Inspector Logan Marsh.

Police were alerted to a vehicle allegedly travelling slightly over the speed limit and weaving within its lane.

"Though the standard of driving behaviour wasnt anything that rang immediate alarm bells, Police signalled for the vehicle to stop," says Inspector Marsh.

"The driver obliged and engaged in conversation with our staff member, mentioning that he had travelled into Taupo from outside the region that morning."

Inspector Marsh says after checking the mans details in the system, it became apparent he was on a zero-alcohol licence.

According to the breathalyser, however, the man was anything but sober.

"This shows the importance of breath-testing every driver, regardless of the time, whether they appear intoxicated, or the reason weve stopped them," says Inspector Marsh.

"These people are sharing the roads with our family, friends and colleagues.

"This is just one example of the intoxicated drivers being caught across the district, with our staff seeing some ridiculous levels."

Police are reminding drivers - if youre drinking, dont drive.

As a result of the traffic stop, a 33-year-old man is due to appear in the Taupo District Court on Wednesday, September 11 facing a charge of driving contrary to a zero alcohol licence and excess breath.
The Kopurererua Valley Rotary Centennial Trust needs 200 volunteers to plant 4500 native trees and shrubs on September 29.

This milestone event  part of a 20-year effort to restore one of Taurangas hidden gems  marks a significant addition to the ongoing restoration of Kopurererua Valley Reserve.

During the past two decades Tauranga Rotary clubs, in partnership with Tauranga City Council, Ngai Tamarawaho, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and dedicated community members, have been transforming the historic 364ha wetland.

Former Tauranga City Council staff member responsible for K Valley, Diane Patton, and Buddy Mikaere at 2023s planting day. Photo: supplied.

So far, the project has seen an investment of $2.1 million, with another $15,000 to be added with the latest planting.

Kopurererua Valley Rotary Centennial Trust board chair Lyall Holmes is scouting for 200 volunteers to help on planting day, with people asked to register at www.eventspronto.co.nz/event5622

With pre-dug holes, were confident that we can get 4500 plants in the ground within just three hours. Participants will be rewarded with a sausage sizzle afterwards.

Kopurererua Valley. Photo: Tauranga City Council.

Students from local secondary schools and community members eager to contribute to the restoration of this jewel in Taurangas crown will join in on the day.

Historical significance

Lyall says the plants, sourced from Naturally Native, will include species like te kouka and kahikatea, chosen for their suitability to the valleys wetland habitat.

People planting in Kopurererua Valley in 2023. Photo: Supplied.

Funds raised by Rotary from BOPRCs Environmental Enhancement fund and Powerco will pay for a mixture of plant species. Gate Pa School has also generously donated 500 plants to the cause.

Kopurererua Valley Reserve, one of Australasias largest urban wetlands, stretches from Judea to Tauriko and is bordered by the neighbourhoods of Te Reti, Gate Pa, Greerton, Westridge and Cambridge Heights.

Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise members Chris Dever and Wayne Shadbolt planting Kopurererua Valley in 2023. Photo: Supplied.

The valley holds deep historical significance for the local hapu, Ngai Tamarawaho, who once inhabited the area. For the hapu, Waikareao Estuary and Kopurererua Valley are their kete kai (food baskets). It was also a site of significant 19th Century battles between Maori and British colonial forces, with remains of Puketoromiro Pa and archaeological sites still present.

Ngai Tamarawaho is mana whenua of Kopurererua Valley and this place has special significance to the hapu. Photo: TCC.

Climate resilience

Lyall says the restoration project not only aims to revive the valleys native wildlife but includes the realignment of the river channel to restore the path of the Taurikura Stream.

This will enhance water quality, assist in flood control, restore fish and bird habitats, and improve the mauri (life force) of the area, ultimately contributing to climate change resilience.

The valleys network of walking and cycle paths gives the public access to this open green space, its rich history, and a convenient way to bypass traffic congestion.

Volunteers who can help from 9.30am-12.30pm on September 29 can register at: www.eventspronto.co.nz/event5622

The meeting point for the planting at Kopurererua Valley on September 29 is at the southern end of the reserve via Marshall Ave. Image: Tauranga City Council.
Nearly 200 arrests have been made and tens of kilograms of drugs seized as part of a second trans-Tasman operation this month, slashing at the pockets of organised crime groups.

Under the banner of Taskforce Vitreus, Police, NZ Customs and Australian authorities seized more than A$93 million (NZ$101m) drugs in a week, a significant loss for criminal entities that wallow in the misery they create, says Detective Superintendent Greg Williams, National Organised Crime Group Director.

Vitreus is an Australasian Working Group focused on drugs and their harm to communities.

Between Monday, August 19 and Friday, August 23, agencies on both sides of the Tasman ran an operation that resulted in:

190 arrests

14 warrants across the North Island

179 charges laid against 122 people

The seizure of three shotguns and a .22 rifle

A significant quantity of drugs, including more than 4kg of methamphetamine and 25kg of pseudoephedrine, was also seized by Police and Customs.

It comes just weeks after Taskforce Morpheus, another joint operation between New Zealand and Australian authorities, targeting motorcycle gangs.

Detective Superintendent Williams says the operation is an extension of Polices ongoing efforts to hit New Zealands illicit drug supply lines, and the number of arrests reflects the risk drug suppliers and dealers are willing to take to make money.

This wasnt an operation targeting the people who smoke a joint at the weekend  Taskforce Vitreuss week of action targeted the suppliers and organised crime groups that profit from peoples pain.

We know for a fact that organised crime is a significant driver of harm and illegal activity."

Detective Superintendent Williams says these groups dont care about their users or the fact so many people with addiction issues have to steal or rob others to fund their habits.

"The criminals causing this want only the money and the market share.

Simply, they dont care if your house gets broken into, they dont care if a user ends up in hospital or dies.

"The only thing that matters to them is getting their next customer.

Customs Investigations Manager Dominic Adams confirmed that Customs intelligence analysis and investigations expertise played a key role in supporting this complex, multi-agencies operation which has resulted in significant disruption and financial losses for the organised crime entities involved.

These criminals need to understand that we will respond to their illicit activities with the united forces of our investigations, intelligence and enforcement partners which reach across borders to detect and disrupt the harm and hit the profits of organised crime," says Dominic.

The National Organised Crime Group will continue to work with international counterparts to stage covert and overt campaigns that target and frustrate criminal entities, Detective Superintendent Williams says.

There will be more operations like this in future, and we will do our best to be a thorn deep in their side.

Quantity of drugs seized by Police, and Customs (at the border):

Methamphetamine:

Police: 235.92 grams

Customs: 4134.39 grams, plus 10 pills

Total: 4.37kg, and 10 pills

Cannabis leaf:

Police: 4890.83 grams

Customs: 2933 grams, plus 61 seeds

Total: 7.82kg and 61 seeds

Cannabis plants:

Police: 162

Cocaine:

Police: 2.37 grams

Customs: 99.3 grams

Total: 101.67 grams

GBL/GHB:

Police: 117.24 (GHB)

Customs: 1275 grams (GBL)

Total: 1.39kg

Ketamine:

Police: 0.75 grams

Customs: 466 grams

Total: 466.75

MDMA:

Police: 21.12 grams and two tabs

Customs: 4134.39 grams and 10 tabs

Total: 4.14kg and 12 tabs

Pseudoephedrine (used to manufacture meth):

Customs: 25,392 grams

Total: 25.39kg

Ephedrine:
When Scholars Baroque Aotearoa performs Robert Schumanns Requiem on September 14, it will be just the second time its heard by an audience in New Zealand.

I got my hands on the score and fell completely in love with the music, says musical director Chalium Poppy. Its a beautiful piece of music that deserves to be heard.

It blows me away that its only been performed here one time and that was in Auckland.

He believes the 150-year-old piece is perfect for the current focus on wellbeing.

It was written by Schumann at a time when he was struggling with mental health issues.

His wife Clara checked him into an asylum so he thought it would be the last music he wrote.

"It comes from a very difficult time in his life. He was writing what he believed was his own requiem. In a modern context, the importance of mental health in our society is still very relevant.

Psalm42 by Mendelssohn will also be performed at St Peters Anglican Church, which has acoustics described by Chalium as lively.

Its a lovely historic stone building and well be accompanied by the organ I designed to complement the church interior when I arrived in New Zealand 15 years ago.

Scholars Baroque Aotearoa is the only auditioned early music choral ensemble in Bay of Plenty. With international accolades, its regarded as one of the countrys best.

Buy online tickets to Requiem by R. Schumann on September 14 from 7.30pm at St Peters Anglican Church in Mount Maunganui, at: https://www.scholarsbaroque.com/
We recently compiled a list of the Jim Cramers 10 Go-To Stocks for Success. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) stands against Jim Cramer's other go-to stocks for success.

In a recent episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer offers a perspective on Nvidia and its recent market behavior on Wednesday's episode of Mad Money, presenting a straightforward analysis of the company's stock performance and the broader implications for investors. Cramer notes that owning the company's stock was easier when the company was less well-known. As the company has become a major market focus, it's attracted significant attention and criticism, which is evident after its recent financial report.

"Once you get this big, to the point where you become the focal point of the entire stock market, you're going to have a target on your back. And that's exactly what I think happened tonight to the stock after the firm reported a fine and dandy set of numbers. But fine and dandy is no longer enough for this incredible company."

Despite reporting impressive numbers122% revenue growth, a 152% increase in adjusted earnings per share, and a $50 billion buyback the firm's stock fell after hours. This reaction reflects high expectations that may have become unrealistic. The stock market as a whole suffered due to pre-quarter jitters surrounding the company, with declines in major indices like the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite. The drop in the firm's stock price after the earnings report, coupled with concerns about its influence on the broader market, has led some to call this period the GPU maker's "buzzkill quarter."

"The Dow declining 59 points was bad, the S&P losing 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite 1.12%. And now, with the stock sinking after hours, we could be in for a hangover from what they're already calling the company's buzzkill quarter. But the people saying this might as well be having a watch partyyes, there was onebut there's nothing to celebrate here. Move on."

Cramer emphasizes that the company's role in artificial intelligence is significant, but its overemphasis has become a burden on the market. The company's market capitalization has skyrocketed from around $500 billion to over $3 trillion in just 18 months. Cramer suggests that the company's immense importance might be overblown and that a recalibration might benefit the market.

"We know that artificial intelligence is the way of the future, and it's the best bet on AI. But the company has become an albatross around the market's neck because no one stock should be a proxy for the future of the S&P 500. Yet, that's exactly what's happened as the company has grown from around $500 billion in market cap just 18 months ago to more than $3 trillion now. Maybe after tonight, it will shed that millstonelike Apple did. You know what? That would be a godsend for all of us."

Story continues

Cramer expresses frustration with how quickly concerns about the company have spread to the broader tech sector, although he acknowledges that companies like Salesforce reported positive numbers. Cramer concludes by advising investors to diversify their portfolios beyond just tech stocks. He suggests that while diversification might seem less exciting, it is a crucial strategy to mitigate risks associated with over-reliance on a single sector or stock.

"It felt like insult added to injury when there was no injury to the company. It will muddle through and recharge at its next iteration. Blackwell goes boring, and we see renewed expectations. I hope they don't get excessive like they were tonight."

Our Methodology

This article reviews a recent episode of Jim Cramer's Mad Money, where he discussed ten stocks he believes have significant growth potential. It also looks at how hedge funds view these stocks and ranks them based on their level of hedge fund ownership, starting with the least owned and moving to the most owned.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

An array of pharmaceutical pills with the company's logo on the bottle.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 100

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is a prominent player in the pharmaceutical industry, driven by a robust portfolio and a promising pipeline. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)'s core drugsTrulicity for type 2 diabetes, Taltz for psoriasis, and Verzenio for breast cancerare key contributors to its substantial revenue growth. In addition, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)'s pipeline is notably strong, with potential blockbusters like tirzepatide, a treatment for both obesity and diabetes, showing impressive results in clinical trials.

One of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)'s most significant advancements is donanemab, an experimental drug for Alzheimers disease. Recent Phase 3 trial results have shown that donanemab can significantly slow cognitive decline in early-stage Alzheimers patients. If it receives approval, this drug could be a major revenue driver and solidify Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)s position as a leader in the Alzheimers treatment market, which has a significant unmet need.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)s financial performance is equally strong, with Q2 2024 revenues reaching $9.51 billiona 28% increase from the previous yearthanks to robust sales of existing medications and successful new product launches. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) reported a net income of $2.12 billion, or $2.33 per share, exceeding analyst expectations. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)'s strong cash flow and balance sheet provide the resources for continued investment in research, development, and strategic acquisitions. Furthermore, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) has raised its full-year 2024 guidance, reflecting strong performance and confidence in its product portfolio and pipeline.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is also making strides in expanding its therapeutic areas. The successful launch of Mounjaro (tirzepatide) for diabetes and its potential approval for obesity are notable growth opportunities. Additionally, Verzenios continued success in oncology, supported by strong clinical data, underscores Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)'s expanding influence in this field.

Strategically, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) has been active in enhancing its pipeline through acquisitions and partnerships. The recent acquisition of DICE Therapeutics, which focuses on oral treatments for autoimmune diseases, complements Lillys immunology portfolio. Partnerships in gene therapy and oncology are further accelerating the development of innovative therapies. Recent updates include plans to submit donanemab for regulatory approval in the U.S. and Europe, with potential market entry in 2025. Mounjaro has exceeded sales expectations, surpassing $1 billion in Q2 2024.

Baron Health Care Fund stated the following regarding Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

Shares of global pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company (cc) increased on continued investor enthusiasm around GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and obesity. We remain shareholders. Lillys Mounjaro/Zepbound not only offers superb blood sugar control for diabetics but can drive 20%-plus weight loss and likely improve cardiovascular outcomes in both diabetic and non-diabetic obese patients. Lilly is developing next generation drugs, including retatrutide, which drives approximately 25% weight loss, and orforglipron, a daily pill that produces approximately 15% weight loss. In the U.S. alone, there are 32 million Type 2 diabetics and an additional 105 million obese patients who we estimate would qualify for GLP-1 drugs. Although supply and access are limited near term, we think GLP-1 drugs will become standard of care for both diabetes and obesity and will become a $150 billion-plus category. We see Lilly setting a high efficacy bar and capturing significant long-term market share. We think the adoption of GLP-1s will drive Lilly to triple total revenue by 2030.

Overall LLY ranks 2nd on our list of Jim Cramer's go-to stocks for success. While we acknowledge the potential of LLY as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that under the radar AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than the ones on our list but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
The Syracuse girl shot and killed Friday night is 15-year-old Alexcia Lynch, police said today.

The Syracuse girl was fatally shot at apartments near University Hill in Syracuse.

The shooting was reported at 8:14 p.m. at the Ambassador Apartments, 901 Madison St.

Police provided no other information on the victim or a suspect.

At the time, Syracuse Universitys Department of Public Safety in an alert advised students to stay away from the area.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Two city pools will get $4 million in upgrades through a new state program meant to encourage more kids to learn to swim and to prevent drownings.

The pools at Thornden Park and Upper Onondaga Park are each getting $2 million to improve a bathhouse, add swimming lanes and make the pools more accessible to people with different abilities.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with the family members of martyrs from Azerbaijan at the 175th graduation event of the Ground Forces School of the Ministry of National Defense held on the occasion of Victory Day. Azernews reports that "Yashat Fund" has informed about this.

It was noted that the meeting was organized by the foundation, "Turkiye-Azerbaijani Businessmen and Industrialists" Public Union, with the partnership of the national air carrier of Azerbaijan - "Azerbaijan Airlines".

At the end of the event, Erdogan said "Just as we are one and equal with Azerbaijan, our hearts beat the same with all our brothers in the Turkish republics."

Then the family members of the martyr participated in the Victory Day Private Concert program organized in the Presidential Palace based on the personal invitation of President Erdogan.

It should be noted that the project was implemented according to the action directions for systematization and deepening of Azerbaijan-Turkiye field cooperation, as well as the adopted Action Plan for cooperation between the two countries.




Celsius Holdings (NASDAQ: CELH) is probably best described as a fad stock, even though it is classified as a consumer staples company. PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) is a consumer staples stock that would likely be thought of as a boring industry giant. But if you compare the performance of these two stocks, PepsiCo looks like the better choice for investors. And that's before considering its incredible long-term gains.

What does Celsius do?

Celsius makes energy drinks. Energy drinks are an attractive segment of the beverage sector, and the company's products have largely been well received. But step back and look at the broader beverage sector, which is far larger than just energy drinks. Essentially, Celsius is a one-trick pony.

To be fair, that trick is pretty good right now. The company claims that its products accounted for 47% of all energy drink category growth in the second quarter of 2024. It held the No. 3 position for market share in the period, as well. While this is all notable, it doesn't take into account the inherent limitations of selling into just one niche of a much broader market.

When the company's performance ebbs or investors simply move on to the next big investment idea, the stock is likely to be dropped quickly. Case in point: The stock has fallen more than 50% from its 52-week highs. It's worth noting that the peak was in May, which means there has been a very steep decline in a very short period of time.

CELH Chart

There's nothing inherently wrong with Celsius, per se. But if you believe this is the stock that will make you a quick million, you may end up disappointed. A far better choice would be to get rich "slowly" with a larger, more diversified consumer staples company like PepsiCo.

PepsiCo is beating Celsius?

The very first thing to consider when comparing PepsiCo to Celsius is the stock gains each company has produced. From Celsius' IPO in early 2007, the stock is now up around 90%. That includes the steep share price drop over the last few months. Over that same span, PepsiCo stock is up 170%. Although PepsiCo stock has fallen over the last few months, too, the decline hasn't been anywhere near as dramatic.

PEP Chart

But what happens when you look further back? Since mid-1972, PepsiCo's stock has risen over 10,000%! That said, PepsiCo pays a dividend, unlike Celsius. The yield is currently around 3% and is backed by over five decades of annual dividend increases (making PepsiCo a highly elite Dividend King).

PepsiCo is clearly no flash-in-the-pan company -- it has proven its ability to adjust and grow along with the world around it. To really understand investor returns here, you need to look at total return, which assumes dividend reinvestment. PepsiCo's total return since mid-1972 is an incredible 25,000%!!!

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PEP Chart

Although that's historical performance, it is important to understand the benefits of being an industry leader in the consumer staples sector. PepsiCo has a stable of iconic brands, a global distribution system, and powerful marketing chops. It is hard to compete with PepsiCo, particularly for small start-ups. And, here's the key: When a smaller company does make vital inroads, PepsiCo is large enough to pursue that company as an acquisition target. This allows PepsiCo to adjust its business over time so it remains relevant with consumers. That's probably one of the biggest reasons why diversified PepsiCo is likely to end up being a better long-term investment than Celsius.

Slow and steady wins this race

It is completely possible that Celsius will regain investor favor and the shares will rocket higher again, perhaps getting back to, and even above, their 52-week highs. That would lead to some pretty attractive short-term gains. However, over the long term, companies need to execute and grow over time, and Celsius is still a relatively small one-trick pony.

PepsiCo, on the other hand, has deftly managed to become an industry leader in the beverage niche and the broader consumer staples sector. With its industry-leading position, it has the wherewithal to keep growing, albeit slowly, and to buy up smaller competitors like Celsius that have attractive brands.

Trying to get rich quickly by riding hot stocks higher opens you up to steep drawdowns like the one Celsius has experienced. It's far less risky to build a million-dollar portfolio if you fill it with dominant industry leaders like PepsiCo.

Should you invest $1,000 in Celsius right now?

Before you buy stock in Celsius, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Celsius wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $731,449!*

Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*.

See the 10 stocks 

*Stock Advisor returns as of August 26, 2024

Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Celsius. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Forget Celsius Holdings: This Stock Has Made Far More Millionaires was originally published by The Motley Fool
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RahulNagaraj Senior - BHPian



Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,472 Thanked: 23,584 Times

Consumer Report: Tesla is among the least reliable used carmakers in the USA, Lexus & Toyota on top



As per the result of the study, Chrysler was ranked the least reliable brand in the used car market in the USA. It was preceded by Dodge and Tesla, which completed the bottom three. Also, Tesla is the only EV brand on the list as it was the only mass-market electric car manufacturer back in 2014 in the USA. However, the brand was in its infancy back then, offering just one model, the Model S.







Steven Elek, Senior Automotive Data Analyst, Consumer Reports, stated, "This difference shows in our data, where multiple owners of 2014-2015 Model S reported requiring replacement of the electric drive motor, battery pack, or infotainment hardware." He added, "It is also possible that these components fail over time, meaning new Teslas have years to go before we know if similar issues occur. We will continue to monitor the data for possible trends."



Coming to the opposite end of the list, it is no surprise that Lexus and Toyota rank on the top as the most reliable used car makers. Mazda completes the top 3.



The study is said to have a survey sample of over 150,000 vehicles manufactured between 2014 and 2019. It covered over 20 problematic areas, ranging from squeaky brakes and broken interior trims to major engine, transmission and battery issues.



Source:



Link to Team-BHP news Consumer Reports recently released its first-ever brand rankings, focussing on the reliability of used cars between 5 to 10 years old.As per the result of the study, Chrysler was ranked the least reliable brand in the used car market in the USA. It was preceded by Dodge and Tesla, which completed the bottom three. Also, Tesla is the only EV brand on the list as it was the only mass-market electric car manufacturer back in 2014 in the USA. However, the brand was in its infancy back then, offering just one model, the Model S.Steven Elek, Senior Automotive Data Analyst, Consumer Reports, stated, "This difference shows in our data, where multiple owners of 2014-2015 Model S reported requiring replacement of the electric drive motor, battery pack, or infotainment hardware." He added, "It is also possible that these components fail over time, meaning new Teslas have years to go before we know if similar issues occur. We will continue to monitor the data for possible trends."Coming to the opposite end of the list, it is no surprise that Lexus and Toyota rank on the top as the most reliable used car makers. Mazda completes the top 3.The study is said to have a survey sample of over 150,000 vehicles manufactured between 2014 and 2019. It covered over 20 problematic areas, ranging from squeaky brakes and broken interior trims to major engine, transmission and battery issues.Source: Consumer Reports
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Re: Your take on the impact of visa restrictions by developed economies| Good, bad or ugly? Quality higher education is one of the most unmet needs in India, a primary driver for immigration. I don't know the policy restrictions related to foreign universities opening campus in India but it's a move that's long overdue. As such many prestigious academic institutions of the world recognise the quality of Indian students seeking admission - to the extent that they have to be denied admission for reasons unrelated to merit.



Indian govt should take this opportunity to facilitate reputed foreign universities to open campuses in India. This will have such a positive effect on our economy, it's a pity nobody is thinking about it.



The restrictions on immigration are totally understandable from these countries. They clearly want immigrants that have high purchasing power who can make significant tax contributions and restrict those who are going to be a burden on their welfare system. However, they can't completely shut the doors as they may not like to admit but they need immigrants for various reasons.



Countries of just 5-10 million population (most EU ones) can have existential crisis if they don't approach immigration with utmost care. Larger countries like USA, Canada and Australia are less vulnerable to sudden demographic changes and never really had a strong cultural identity/heritage that locals wish to preserve like in the EU countries.



Immigration is going to get a lot more political in the coming years. Last edited by androdev : 31st August 2024 at 09:43 .
The big picture: A robotics firm just unveiled its latest bipedal humanoid robot. It designed the faceless, jumpsuit-clad humanoid robot as a consumer-grade model explicitly built for home use. Despite it's unccanny valley creepiness, it could soon land in some homes for pilot trials later this year.

Robotics company 1X Technologies (1XT) made headlines earlier this year after securing over $100 million in backing from OpenAI and EQT Ventures, Europe's most prominent technology startup-based capital fund. The support helped to put the Norwegian firm and its latest robot creation, Neo, in a position to compete with industry names such as Tesla, Agility, and Boston Dynamics.

Designed from the ground up as a consumer-focused robot, 1XT's Neo is substantially smaller and lighter than Tesla's Optimus and Agility's Digit robots. The robot stands at 5 feet 4 inches (1.65 meters), weighs 66 pounds (30 kilograms), and boasts a 44-pound (20-kilogram) carrying capacity. By comparison, Tesla's and Agility's robots offer a similar carrying capacity at over twice the weight  125 to 140 pounds (56.5 to 63.5 kilograms).

Introducing NEO Beta.

Designed for humans. Built for the home. pic.twitter.com/5S6jpRjUQp  1X (@1x_tech) August 30, 2024

Engineers designed Neo with soft foam resembling human musculature to make it look more human. Neo can walk, jog, climb, and navigate the environment around it while continuously using accumulated data to improve efficiency. Should the situation arise, owners can take over Neo's vision and control systems for remote operation anytime.

Aside from looking more human, the use of foam musculature and differences in weight compared to its rivals are an intentional design choice that 1XT pursued in the name of safety. The company acknowledges that robots will inevitably collide with humans and the environment around them. So, the lighter weight and padded frame will minimize injury and physical damage should a collision occur.

The concept is an exciting development in consumer robotics. However, the presentation and "what could go wrong" factor bring several questions to mind.

The ability to remotely control the unit immediately raises the question of security. How hardened is the remote connection between the robot and the controller? Could the unit be "hijacked" and used to carry out spying or other illegal acts with no trace of human evidence?

There is also the uncanny valley factor. Encountering a faceless humanoid in a tight-fitting hooded jumpsuit in the middle of the night while you are still half asleep is a heart-attack-inducing thought.

Trepidations aside, the technology marks another exciting step toward AI and robotics capable of supporting daily life, especially for those users with decreased mobility or motor skills. A availability and price are still unknown, but those interested should sign up for notifications via the 1X Technologies website.
If youre expecting a life-changing windfall when your boomer parents die, take heed: Only one-fifth of the Me generation expect to leave an inheritance.

A new study from Northwestern Mutual, the financial services company, finds a yawning gap between how many young Americans expect to reap an inheritance and how many older Americans plan to leave one.

Many young adults are pinning their hopes on the Great Wealth Transfer, a generational exchange of riches that could pass $90 trillion from baby boomers to their heirs over the next 20 years.

But many boomers have other plans.

The study found that 38% of Gen Zers and 32% of millennials expect to inherit money or assets. But only 22% of boomers said they expect to leave an inheritance.

Gen Z is counting on an inheritance for future prosperity

Millions of young Americans are counting on an inheritance to deliver them into prosperity. In the study, 54% of Gen Zers and 59% of millennials said an inheritance is crucial to achieving financial security and retiring in comfort.

They might want to check in with their parents. Only 11% of boomers said leaving something for the kids is their top financial goal. Another 35% said its very important.

The data comes from Northwestern Mutuals 2024 Planning & Progress Study, an annual research report based on a poll of 4,588 adults and released in August.

The notion of an inheritance gap separating boomer parents and their children evokes a raft of generational cliches.

One suggests that retirees of the Me generation have done plenty for their children, thank you, and want to spend their remaining years enjoying their money.

A lot of older people are basically saying Ive done my due, said Melissa Cox, a certified financial planner in Dallas. They had to work their tuchus off for what they have. Ive heard people basically saying, I dont want your financial plan to be my death.

Gen Z children, meanwhile, might resent their parents for having it easy, for growing up at a time when houses were cheap and a dollar went further.

Theres this group of younger people who are sort of aggravated with the boomers  about how easy the boomers had it, said Monica Dwyer, a certified financial planner in West Chester, Ohio.

The full story, of course, is more nuanced.

The typical senior with a retirement account has about $200,000 saved, according to data from the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances for households in the 65-74 age range.

But only about half of those households report having retirement accounts at all. The other half might fear there will be nothing left after their death. Indeed, retirement experts say much of the Great Wealth Transfer may go to hospitals and long-term care facilities as boomers confront the perils of old age.

Story continues

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Even affluent boomers tend to go into retirement fearing they might run out of cash.

Even affluent boomers fear they might run out of money

Even affluent boomers tend to go into retirement fearing they might run out of cash, financial planners say.

Lets say you work with a financial adviser and craft a retirement plan that will provide for you and your spouse until age 90. But what if you live to 95?

Nobody knows when they are going to die, and the idea of running out of money is rightfully terrifying to most people, said Jonathan Swanburg, a certified financial planner in Houston.

Swanburg said many of his clients dont set out to leave specific sums to their children, because they fear they might need the money for themselves. In the end, though, theres usually something left over for the heirs.

I see this on a regular basis. People leave behind more than they planned to, or more than they think theyre going to have, he said.

Many boomer retirees fully expect to pass wealth to their children but balk at divulging their plans, experts say. In some cases, they fear their kids will pin their hopes on the inheritance.

Leaving an inheritance to your children can absolutely screw them up if they know its coming, said Blake Harris, a Miami attorney who specializes in asset protection.

In other families, no one gets around to having a serious generational talk about what will happen when the parents die.

Frankly, a lot of individuals dont want to, or dont know how to, have that conversation about wealth with the next generation, said Rocky Fittizzi, wealth strategies adviser at Bank of America Private Bank.

Many aging boomers lack a proper retirement plan. Two-fifths of boomers have no will, according to the Northwestern Mutual report. Half of boomers said they dont know how much money they will need for a comfortable retirement.

'Make that last check bounce'?

But heres some good news for young adult children, advisers say: Your boomer parents probably do want to leave you an inheritance, even if they dont say it.

I havent seen a set of grandparents or parents saying Hey, I dont want our kids to receive anything, Fittizzi said.

He and other advisers say most clients fully expect to leave their estate to their children, or whatever remains of it after they're gone.

Inheritance on hold? Most Americans don't understand the time and expense of probate

Boomers may joke about the idea of wanting to spend their retirement money down to the last dollar before they die. But thats a really hard thing to do, Swanburg said. After spending decades saving and planning for retirement, most boomers arent comfortable with the idea of dying penniless.

Most people Ive met over the years want to leave something, said Brent Harris, a financial adviser at Northwestern Mutual based in Dallas. Ive never met anyone who wants their last check to bounce.

To go from having a million dollars to dying with 10 cents in the bank, Swanburg added, thats something Ive never seen.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gen Z wants an inheritance. Why most boomers aren't leaving one.
Bottom line: Statistical data shows that electric vehicle fires occur at a similar frequency to those in vehicles with internal combustion engines, but this offers little comfort to firefighters. These fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish and pose increased dangers to first responders. At least two fires have resulted from Cybertruck crashes, raising concerns about the safety of high-voltage lithium-ion batteries.

Earlier this week, a Tesla Cybertruck erupted into flames after crashing into a fire hydrant outside a Bass Pro Shop in Harlingen, Texas. The collision resulted in a deluge of water soaking the vehicle's battery, which then ignited, according to Assistant Fire Chief Ruben Balboa of the Harlingen Fire Department. First responders arrived at the scene and believed they had extinguished the flames engulfing the Cybertruck. However, the fire reignited after they had stopped the water flow onto the battery, highlighting a challenging concern associated with electric vehicle fires.

This incident is the second fire in Texas involving a Tesla Cybertruck. The first happened after an owner drove into a ditch. It is the first fatal crash involving the model. In that case, the blaze's intensity was so severe that it obliterated the vehicle's VIN and left the driver unidentifiable.

The Harlingen incident underscores the difficulties these fires pose to first responders attempting to extinguish blazing batteries. Electric vehicle batteries can undergo a process known as thermal runaway, where a failure in one cell generates enough heat and gas to cause a chain reaction in adjacent cells.

The resulting fire burns at extremely high temperatures, sometimes reaching 2,300 to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, taking hours to extinguish. Firefighters have had to adapt their tactics to fight these fires, using full personal protective equipment due to the toxic fumes. New solutions, such as EV fire-specific fire blankets, are also being developed to address these challenges.

Additionally, first responders have found that EV fires demand significantly more water to extinguish. In 2021, Austin Fire Department Division Chief Thayer Smith told Futurism that Tesla vehicles require up to 30,000 to 40,000 gallons of water to put out  approximately 40 times the amount needed for a combustion engine car.

Ironically, Tesla posted a detailed rescue sheet for its Cybertruck the week before the Harlingen fire. Tesla designed the guide to assist first responders by informing them where the vehicle's low and high-voltage power cables terminate.

While such incidents tend to make headlines, it's important to note that electric vehicles generally do not catch fire more frequently than internal combustion engine vehicles. Tesla's global data indicates that, on average, a Tesla vehicle fire occurs once every 130 million miles traveled, significantly less frequent than the average vehicle fire rate of one per 18 million miles traveled in the US.
A hot potato: Security researchers play a vital role in protecting the internet from cyber threats. They locate and disclose vulnerabilities in critical systems to protect users and state institutions. So, it's no small affair when a government entity takes legal action against these watchdogs.

In a strange turn of events following a significant ransomware attack on the city of Columbus, Ohio, a judge has issued a temporary restraining order against cybersecurity researcher David Leroy Ross. The Dispatch notes that Ross allegedly published information regarding a security breach last month that he felt officials were trying to sweep under the rug.

The July 18 attack was attributed to the ransomware group Rhysida. It resulted in the theft of 6.5 terabytes of sensitive data hosted on Columbus city servers. Rhysida attempted to auction the information for $1.7 million in Bitcoin. However, failing to find a buyer, the group released approximately 45 percent of the data on the dark web.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther initially assured the public that the stolen data was either encrypted or corrupted, rendering it unusable. However, under the alias Connor Goodwolf, Ross challenged these claims by presenting evidence to local media that the data was intact and contained "highly sensitive" information. This data included personal details of city employees and residents, sensitive information from domestic violence cases, and the Social Security numbers of police officers and crime victims.

In response to Ross's disclosures, the city of Columbus filed a lawsuit against him, alleging criminal acts, invasion of privacy, negligence, and civil conversion. The lawsuit argues that by downloading and disseminating the data, Ross interacted with criminal elements on the dark web, requiring specialized expertise and tools. The city also contends that his actions made the data more publicly accessible, posing a significant risk to public safety.

"The dark web-posted data is not readily available for public consumption," city attorneys claimed. "[The] defendant is making it so."

A Franklin County judge issued the restraining order this week, prohibiting Ross from accessing, downloading, or disseminating any of the stolen data. The decision was made "ex parte," meaning it was issued without notifying Ross or allowing him to present his case.

Ars Technica notes that City Attorney Zach Klein defended the legal action, stating that the lawsuit was necessary to prevent the dissemination of stolen criminal investigatory records and to protect public safety.

"This is not about freedom of speech or whistleblowing," he said. "This is about the downloading and disclosure of stolen criminal investigatory records."

Unsurprisingly, the restraining order has sparked controversy. Ross accused the city of attempting to scapegoat him for its security failures. He has indicated plans to seek legal recourse, potentially involving the American Civil Liberties Union. Meanwhile, the city faces additional legal challenges, as civil attorneys have filed at least two lawsuits seeking class-action status over the city's failure to protect personal information.
Elon Musk eats controversies for breakfast, and since he's the CEO of several companies, he is accountable for every issue that may be thrown at him.

In a significant blow to Musk's social media platform, X has been officially banned in Brazil following a dispute with the country's Supreme Court. The ban, implemented this Friday, Aug. 30, has left many users questioning about the future of X in the country.

Dispute with the Brazilian Supreme Court

When Musk made the biggest acquisition he had for some time, it was in 2022 when the news about Twitter buyout took the social media world by storm. Since then, it faced numerous challenges, and the recent one tackled the consequences it currently faces in Brazil.

According to GI, a Brazilian digital newspaper, the ban on X in Brazil stems from a dispute with the country's Supreme Court. The court had requested that X remove certain profiles deemed harmful for spreading false information. However, Musk's refusal to comply with the court's demands and failure to appoint a local legal representative ultimately led to the ban.

It's important to note that the conflict began when Musk shut down X's office in Brazil, laying off all local employees.

"They're shutting down the #1 source of truth in Brazil," Musk said in a post on X on Friday, as spotted by Reuters.

Financial Penalties and App Removal Requests

X has already incurred substantial financial penalties in Brazil for disobeying court orders. The platform has been fined over $3 million for its noncompliance. The Brazilian court has also requested that both Apple and Google remove the X app from their respective app stores.

Apple's Response and Potential Consequences

While access to X has been suspended in Brazil, the app remains available on Apple's App Store. Apple has yet to comment on whether it will comply with the court's request to remove the app. However, the company faces a daily fine of $9,000 if it fails to comply, as per 9to5Mac.

Previous Actions by Apple and Google

This is not the first time Apple has faced pressure to remove apps from its app store due to legal violations. In the past, the company banned WhatsApp and Threads from the Chinese App Store at the local government's request.

Impact on Brazilian Users and Alternative Platforms

The ban on X has significant implications for Brazilian users relying on the platform for social interaction and communication. Due to the ban, many Brazilians have turned to alternative microblogging platforms such as Mastodon, Bluesky, and Threads.

Back in April, former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro's supporters praised Musk for his refusal to ban X accounts spreading fake news. Simply put, the billionaire did not adhere to the order of the Brazillian Supreme Court.
Grieving Texas family says it was billed over $15,000 for breaking deceased mom's lease

A Texas family says it was sent a bill of over $15,000 for breaking a dead mothers lease at a San Antonio apartment complex.

Sandra Bonilla died in late June at the age of 91. At the time, she had about a year left on her two-year lease at The Lodge at Shavano Park Apartments.

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Bonillas sons thought it would be straightforward to cancel her lease  but, sadly, that doesnt seem to have been the case.

Shortly after her death, the family says it received a bill and a collection notice from the apartment complex for a number of charges  including $14,368 for accelerated rent and a $1,117 lease break fee. The bill was shared with News 4 San Antonio.

They're attacking, coming after the next of kin, who, quite honestly, we loved our mom and we're still grieving, Bonillas son David Naterman told the local broadcaster in a story that aired Aug. 21. All they care about is the money.

In a swift turn of events, the family says it received a letter the day after the report, canceling the exorbitant charges.

They said it was a mistake, Naterman told The Associated Press. It was a mistake because it was put on air.

How did things get this far, and what does the law have to say about the lease of a deceased tenant? Heres a breakdown.

A bewildering bill

After Bonilla died, her sons told News 4 they went to her apartment complex and spoke with the leasing manager about breaking her contract early. They wanted to end the lease approximately 11 months before its official expiration next year.

Naterman claims the leasing manager said the apartment complex would terminate the lease and use the security deposit to clean the apartment and turn it over for a new tenant.

Later, the family was shocked to receive a bill for a total of $15,772.58, which was broken down as follows:

Accelerated rent (lease completion): $14,368.48

Cleaning: $112

Relet/lease break fee: $1,117.06

Touch up paint: $75

Trash out: $100

Read more: Car insurance rates have spiked in the US to a stunning $2,150/year  but you can be smarter than that. Here's how you can save yourself as much as $820 annually in minutes (it's 100% free)

Story continues

The notice also stated Bonillas reason for moving out of the complex as deceased.

They want the rest of about a year-long worth of rent from a dead person, Naterman had said in disbelief.

Refusing to pay, Bonillas family says it received a collection letter in which the apartment complex threatened to report the debt to a credit bureau or file legal action  a stressful ultimatum, per Naterman, for a family still in mourning.

What does Texas law say?

Section 92.0162 of the Texas Property Code explains the right to vacate and avoid liability following a tenants death.

The code states that representatives of the estate of a deceased tenant can terminate the tenants rights and obligations under the lease and avoid liability for future rent and any other sums due for breaking the lease early, if certain conditions are met.

Written notice of the termination of the lease must be provided to the landlord or landlords agent under Section 92.0162, and all of the deceased tenants property must be removed from the premises (this can be done by the landlord).

Bonillas sons say they provided written notice to end her rental agreement. If their notice met the requirements under Texas law, the lease should have been terminated by the apartment complex within 30 days. Her estate would have been liable to pay the rent for that period and no longer.

Per the code, landlords can pursue a tenants estate for delinquent or unpaid rent and to cover damages to the leased premises not caused by normal wear and tear.

When News 4 sought comment from The Lodge at Shavano Park Apartments for its initial report, the leasing manager would not make a statement. The complex also did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press afterward.

Bill Clanton, an attorney who specializes in consumer protection law, described the situation to News 4 as pretty unusual, explaining: Ive never heard of somebody trying to charge an estate or somebody whos deceased for rent before ... you certainly cant get rent from a dead person.

What to read next

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Panda pair in Tokyo to return to China



Tokyo, Aug 31 (AFP) Aug 31, 2024



Two ageing pandas at a Tokyo zoo will be returned to China next month for medical care, the city's governor said, with visitors queuing on Saturday to catch their last glimpse of the couple.

The pandas Ri Ri and Shin Shin arrived at Ueno Zoo in 2011 and were due to stay until February 2026, but Japan and China agreed it would be better for the 19-year-olds to return to their home country.

"Symptoms such as high blood pressure have been observed since two years ago. They're currently taking medication and undergoing tests, but there has been no significant improvement," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters on Friday.

"I know some people will be sad to see them go, but when we think first of the health of the beloved pandas, it would be best to see them off warmly."

A final viewing is scheduled for September 28, but local media reported on Saturday that people were already lining up to get one last look at the pandas.

The pair gave birth in 2017 to cub Xiang Xiang -- the zoo's first baby panda since 1988, who became a massive draw -- as well as twins in 2021.

Many fans shed tears when Xiang Xiang was returned to China last year, and her departure was broadcast live on local television.

The black and white mammals are immensely popular around the world, and China loans them out as part of a "panda diplomacy" programme to foster foreign ties.

There are an estimated 1,860 giant pandas left in the wild, mainly in bamboo forests in the mountains of China, according to environmental group WWF.

And there are about 600 in captivity in panda centres, zoos and wildlife parks around the world.
By Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) is seeking U.S. approval to operate two projects in sanction-hit Venezuela to boost output, its managing director Rajarshi Gupta said on Friday.

ONGC is seeking specific licenses similar to the one awarded to U.S. oil major Chevron to operate oil fields in Venezuela, Gupta added.

"We have made a request for a specific license that allow us to operate our two projects. Approval will give us exemption from sanctions and allow us to use U.S. entities, U.S. dollars, U.S. banking channels, etc. for operating the projects," Gupta said.

An approval would enable the company to manage the finances of its Venezuelan projects and help it recover a pending dividend of more than $500 million, he said.

Venezuela has allowed ONGC to operate the San Cristobal project, while for the Carabobo 1 field, ONGC is in talks with Spanish firm Repsol for joint operatorship, he said.

ONGC Videsh, the overseas investment arm of India's top explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp, holds a 40% stake in the San Cristobal project.

In the Carabobo project, along with other Indian companies, it holds an 18% stake while Spain's Repsol has an 11% stake. Venezuela's national oil company, PDVSA, holds the remaining stakes in both projects.

Gupta said that the two assets produce about 12,000-15,000 barrels per day (bpd) oil that can be raised to about 30,000 bpd in a year's time, and to about 50,000 bpd in a few years.

Additionally, the MD expressed hope that OVL would soon receive approval from Russian authorities to pay its $600 million share in roubles for the Sakhalin-1 project's abandonment fund. This approval is necessary for OVL to retain its 20% stake in the project in the Russian Far East.

Gupta said OVL wants to use some $250 million pending dividend from its stake in the Russian oil project as part-payment for its share in the abandonment fund in roubles.

(Reporting by Nidhi Verma in New Delhi; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When Kerrupmara, Gunditjmara and Boandik man Travis Lovett wears the tail feathers of his traditional totem  the south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo  people stop him in the street to ask about them. Lovett, who is a commissioner with the Yoorrook Justice Commission, also wears the bright red and orange-banded feathers when he is officiating at the truth-telling inquiry, including when Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan fronted the commission. The red-tailed black cockatoo has enormous cultural significance for Aboriginal people in the areas surrounding the birds natural habitat, in south-west Victoria and south-east South Australia. A lot of people dont know what the feathers that Im actually wearing are, says Lovett. Thats what starts the conversation, whether Im in a lift or walking down the street and people say Whats that?, and then I share what it means to us. The red-tail has our spirit, it has our ancestors, and its connected to our songlines, our lore. The red-tail dictates our clan marriage protocols, Lovett says. When were on Country, we are able to connect with them; we mimic some of those behaviours through our language, culture and also our dance. Lovett is among many who are deeply concerned about the future of the subspecies, whose numbers have dwindled over decades. Our ancestors, our elders and people have fought too hard to let the red-tail become extinct.

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The south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo is one of five subspecies of the bird across Australia, and the most endangered, with between 1000 and 1500 remaining in the wild. Loss of habitat, especially tree hollows for nesting and food supply, along with bushfires, predators and illegal birding, are among its greatest challenges. On a foggy Saturday morning in May, The Age joins the annual red-tail black cockatoo count, teaming up with Richard Hill, Evelyn Nicholson and a troupe of volunteers before they set out on the rolling red gum country outside Casterton in search of the cocky. A red-tailed black cockatoo in flight. Credit: Justin McManus Hill is a member of the south-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo Recovery Project and a veteran of 30 years monitoring and helping to protect the red-tail. Hes less than optimistic that we will spot a red-tail, let alone manage to photograph one. Nicholsons form on the cocky count is also less than encouraging. She has been doing it for 18 years, but in all that time she has never seen a red-tailed black cockatoo during the annual survey. Its because they are so mobile and the likelihood of surveying an area that currently has cockatoos is not that high, she says.

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Birdlife Australia project coordinator and count organiser Bron Perryman briefs the band of volunteers before they set out. We do an annual count each year, and it gives us an idea of the minimum number of birds on that day, says Perryman. But more importantly, we do the count to find the location of large flocks, and from there we go out and do flock counts. We do a count of the male birds  with the distinctive bright red tails  and the barred birds; the barred birds are females and juvenile, which have banded-orange tails. But the flock counts give us our best indication of breeding success from the previous season. Unfortunately, over the last 20 years that weve been counting, the trend is that the females and juveniles are declining, so we feel there is a declining population, she says. Perryman says the birds are their own worst enemy. They are notoriously fussy eaters. They only feed on two types of stringybark [seed], and seasonally on buloke seed. And those specific food sources are becoming scarcer as more habitat is cleared across the red-tails range, which covers parts of the Wimmera, Mallee and western Victoria, as well as south-eastern South Australia.

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Weve taken about 50 per cent of their stringybarks and 97 per cent of their buloke habitat across their range, says Perryman. That loss of habitat has seriously reduced the red-tail population. They are endangered, and there are only around 1200 -1300 birds left in the wild. To begin the count, volunteers are assigned an area to search, marked by a grid on a map. Hill and Nicholsons grid is a patch of stringybark state forest near the hamlet of Poolaijelo, population 26, about 45 kilometres from the South Australian border. As we enter the woodlands, Hill explains how we go about finding red-tails: its a simple matter of stopping every 500 metres or so, turning our engines off, and listening for the birds distinctive cry. Its a good day for counting red-tails. The bush is still and silent, making it easy to hear their call. But after several hours of searching, weve neither seen nor heard one. We stop for lunch and Nicholson laments that her luck may be out again on count day. She may not have seen any during their official counts, but she has managed to spot them in the wild at other times over the 20 years she has lived in the area.

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Not long after I moved to Casterton I was out with Richard in the bush. He was telling me about the red-tails, when a flock of about a hundred birds turned up and started feeding around us. The experience of these majestic birds turning up as Richard was talking about their plight was profound, and I fell in love with them instantly, she says. I think they are absolutely beautiful, particularly the female  they are so stunning  and the young birds with gorgeous orange-banded tail feathers; the males have an incredible presence with their strong red tails. Hearing them is a deep feeling; its reassuring knowing theyre there  I think their presence in the landscape is really significant. After lunch, we have a smaller sector to survey. As we drive along bush tracks under bright autumn sunshine, our expectation of seeing the birds is starting to waver. Then, in the mid-afternoon, Richard stops and steps out of his car. He cups his hands behind his ears as he tries to hear the cockys cry. He lingers this time, eyes scanning the landscape, and he motions for us to step out of the car as he walks further into the trees. He soon spots some cockies not far into the bush. Then we all start to hear the call: a piercing, haunting and sometimes squawking cry. It seems to echo through time and place, pervading the landscape.

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Two real estate agencies are facing criminal action as the Victorian government enshrines a taskforce to stamp out property underquoting.

Consumer Affairs Victoria on Saturday revealed its underquoting hit squad would become permanent, with a focus on suburbs where the practice is an ongoing issue.

Victorias underquoting taskforce will become permanent. Credit: Jason South

The taskforce staked out auctions at Essendon, Essendon West, Strathmore, Avondale Heights, Airport West, Ascot Vale, Moonee Ponds and Keilor East on Saturday.

In recent months, they have also focused on Melbournes inner north, including Northcote, Preston and Reservoir, and on Glen Waverley in the south-east, Consumer Affairs Victoria director Nicole Rich said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hit back at suggestions he is limiting the scope of the census data collection on LGBT Australians to just one question, as he continues to deal with the fallout of the past week from members of his own party, the opposition, and advocates.

After an internal Labor revolt Albanese backflipped on Friday to allow gay, lesbian and bisexual people to be counted in the census.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Credit: James Brickwood

However, the prime minister stood firm on the decision to exclude planned questions about trans and intersex Australians.

Speaking at a press conference in Rockhampton on Saturday, Albanese denied he was limiting the scope of data collection by just having the one question on gay, lesbian and bisexual people.
Nail Aykan is sick of politicians getting photo opportunities at a Turkish restaurant or speaking to one kebab shop owner and thinking they can rely on Muslim people for their votes.

Its just your campaign propaganda. Its window dressing. We want substance.

Nail Aykan started Muslim Voices of Calwell. Credit: Justin McManus

Its why Aykan organised the Muslim Voices of Calwell group to engage with candidates in the electorate in Melbournes northern suburbs.

And its why he will argue the merits of a hung parliament at the campaign launch of another group  Muslim Votes Matter  at Broadmeadows Town Hall on Sunday.
Find out who the candidates are and the key issues in your local area in our in-depth coverage of Victorian council elections.

Melbournes CBD is in many ways a space apart. In the years since COVID-19, when health restrictions made it a ghost town, it has struggled to re-connect itself to the wider metropolis, to the extent that mayoral candidate and former AFL star Anthony Koutoufides has made getting CBD-based employees back into their offices part of his policy platform.

Rate-paying businesses have two votes in the Melbourne City Council elections, while individual residents receive just one. Credit: Eddie Jim

But with Octobers Melbourne City Council elections approaching, another troubling disconnect has resurfaced: that between how voting works in the council and everywhere else in Victoria. As our city editor Cara Waters has reported, while councillors nominate individually, they can agree to form groups identified with a particular mayoral candidate on the citys ballot paper. With the mayor being chosen in a separate ballot, there is considerable potential for unintended outcomes.

Since the time of the Kennett Coalition government, Melbourne City has operated a system where rate-paying businesses have two votes for council elections, while individual residents receive just one. While Sydney City now has similar rules for its polls, its larger council area means residents remain the majority of voters there. Melbournes smaller and more commercially focused council area  another legacy of the Kennett era  means that the electoral roll in 2020 was 55.09 per cent business owners and out-of-area property owners and 44.91 per cent residents.

There are those who argue that the special status of the CBD, with its concentration of major business interests, has always required special rules. In the 19th century votes in the city were only for ratepayers (up to three, depending on the value of the property), and it wasnt until 1982 and the Cain Labor government that all adult residents could vote in council elections. Indeed, some years ago then councillor Stephen Mayne warned that a residents-only system would produce an anti-business left-leaning Green council. Be that as it may, the terms of the 2001 City of Melbourne Act were always intended to accommodate businesses and developers as stakeholders in the citys direction.
By Sethuraman N R and Nidhi Verma

BENGALURU (Reuters) - Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries expects its new energy business to be as profitable as its mainstay oil-to-chemicals segment over the next 5-7 years, Chairman Mukesh Ambani said at a shareholder meeting on Thursday.

The company's new energy business consists of solar photovoltaic and fuel cell manufacturing, energy storage and green hydrogen production, among others.

"I foresee it becoming as big and profitable over the next 5-7 years, as our O2C (oil-to-chemicals) business, which we had built over the past 40 years," Ambani said.

Analysts had been waiting for an outlook for Reliance's new energy business, which has seen heavy investments.

Reliance Industries operates the world's biggest refining complex at Jamnagar in western India. The complex houses two refineries with a combined capacity of about 1.4 million barrels per day and is at the core of its oil-to-chemicals operations.

The oil-to-chemicals business contributes two-thirds of the Reliance's overall revenue, making it a key profit driver, despite the conglomerate's aggressive expansion into retail, telecom and green energy.

In 2021, Reliance Industries announced $10 billion of investments to develop its green energy portfolio and achieve its 2035 net zero carbon goal.

On Thursday, Ambani said Reliance is on track to make the planned investments.

By the end of this year, the company will commence the production of its solar photo-voltaic modules and will complete the first phase of integrated solar production facilities in the following quarters, Ambani said.

The group has leased arid wasteland in Gujarat state to generate about 150 billion units of electricity in the next 10 years, about 10% of India's energy requirements, Ambani said.

It is also building transmission infrastructure to bring online solar generation projects in a phased manner from 2026, he said.

Ambani said the company has secured land at Kandla port, next to its marine infrastructure at Jamnagar, for the production, storage and shipping of green fuels to local and global markets.

($1 = 83.8630 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)
Key Insights

Premier Foods' estimated fair value is UK3.55 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of UK1.79 suggests Premier Foods is potentially 49% undervalued

The UK1.94 analyst price target for PFD is 45% less than our estimate of fair value

How far off is Premier Foods plc (LON:PFD) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple!

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Premier Foods

Crunching The Numbers

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 need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK124.1m UK117.6m UK126.1m UK127.6m UK129.4m UK131.4m UK133.6m UK135.9m UK138.4m UK140.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Analyst x3 Est @ 1.17% Est @ 1.40% Est @ 1.56% Est @ 1.67% Est @ 1.75% Est @ 1.80% Est @ 1.84% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 5.8% UK117 UK105 UK106 UK102 UK97.6 UK93.6 UK90.0 UK86.5 UK83.2 UK80.1

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK962m

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 1.9%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 5.8%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2034  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK141m (1 + 1.9%)  (5.8% 1.9%) = UK3.7b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK3.7b ( 1 + 5.8%)10= UK2.1b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK3.1b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK1.8, the company appears quite good value at a 49% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

Important Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual 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 Premier Foods 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 5.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. 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 Premier Foods

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year is below its 5-year average.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Food 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 British market.

Next Steps:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Premier Foods, we've put together three relevant factors you should consider:

Financial Health: Does PFD have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does PFD's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
2 teachers of ITI Bhopal secure National Teachers Award





Staff Reporter Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav :-

2 teachers of ITI Bhopal secure National Teachers Award on Friday congratulated two ITI Bhopal teachers on their selection for the National Teachers Award, expressing great pride in their achievement. He emphasised that this recognition not only highlights their excellence in professional training and entrepreneurship development but also serves as a testament to their hard work and dedication. Dr Yadav noted that their accomplishment is an inspiration to all teachers, and the people of the state are proud of this unique contribution that has earned them the prestigious National Award. Two teachers of ITI Bhopal, Premlata Rahangdale and Prashant Dixit have been selected for the National Teachers Award. Both teachers will be honoured on the occasion of Teachers Day on September 5, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. As a mark of respect, they will be given a cash amount of Rs 50,000 and a medal. Notably, Rahangdale is the training officer of Trade COPA at the Government Divisional Industrial Training Institute, Bhopal. She has been a teacher for more than 11 years. Her special focus has been on training visually impaired students. Rahangdale works not only on the academic development of the students but also focuses on their overall

development. Also, Prashant Dixit, an experienced Training Officer of Trade Mechanic Diesel at the Government Divisional Industrial Training Institute in Bhopal, has significantly impacted the careers of his students, who now work in prestigious organisations like BARC, Indian Railways, and top automobile companies. He has developed effective training methods that benefit both trainers and trainees, while also inspiring students toward entrepreneurial endeavours. A pioneer in e-content development, Dixit created a series of educational videos during the COVID pandemic that have since benefited millions of students nationwide and are now featured on the DGTs Bharat Kaushal Portal. Dixit has played a vital role in the Madhya Pradesh Skill Development Project by providing technical expertise in developing the automotive lab and specifying equipment and machinery. Apart from vocational training, he focuses on the holistic development of his trainees and is involved in the Life Skills Program of the Directorate of Skill Development Madhya Pradesh with technical support from UNFPA. Dixits dedication and innovative approach are shaping the future of vocational training, inspiring excellence, and driving skill development across the country.
Andhra CM orders probe into hidden cameras in girl students washroom





KRISHNA DISTRICT ;

ANDHRA Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday ordered an enquiry over allegations of hidden cameras installation in a girl students washroom of an engineering college here. Hundreds of students have been protesting at S R Gudlavalleru Engineering College in Krishna district since Thursday midnight over the incident. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu ordered an enquiry on girl students protesting over hidden cameras in their hostel at Gudlavalleru Engineering College in Krishna district, said an official release. The CM also directed State Mines Minister K Ravindra, Krishna District Collector and Superintendent of Police to visit the college. Later, the students poured out their woes to Ravindra, who reached the college with the District Collector and Superintendent of Police. We (students) dont have faith in the college management as it has been trying to hush up the matter (alleged hidden cameras issue) for the past three days.

The college management threatened to act against us if we complain over this issue, said an official statement, quoting the students complaint to Ravindra. Demanding justice at any cost, the students vowed not to attend classes until then, while the minister said that truth would come out and the culprits would be punished. Meanwhile, police registered a case over the alleged incident but noted that there were no such hidden cameras in the girl students washroom. No hidden cameras were found in the girls hostel. There is no need for the girls to worry over this issue, said an official statement.
Baghel accuses cover-up of DPS Bhilai Molestation Case





Staff Reporter :

RAIPUR,

Bhupesh Baghel, a senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, has accused the Durg Superintendent of Police (SP) and the Principal of Delhi Public School (DPS) Bhilai of attempting to conceal a molestation case involving a four-year-old girl. The incident allegedly occurred at DPS Bhilai, which is managed by a society linked to the Bhilai Steel Plant. Baghel, addressing a press conference in Rajiv Bhawan, criticised the State Governments handling of the case, claiming that law and order in Chhattisgarh has deteriorated. He argued that while the entire country is outraged over recent molestation incidents, the Durg police is actively trying to suppress this particular case, reflecting the Sushasan delivered by the current Sai government.

Baghel claimed that numerous parents protested after learning about the July incident, but the Principal and the SP tried to silence them. Despite a complaint by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) to the Women and Child Development Department Minister Laxmi Rajwade, the Durg SP has reportedly been discouraging media coverage and reprimanding journalists and his subordinates. According to Supreme Court guidelines, an FIR should be registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in such cases. However, the Durg SP has denied the incident without conducting any investigation, which Baghel deems unconstitutional and against natural justice. Baghel further criticised the extension granted to the retired Principal, Prashant Vashisth, by the BSP management, calling it illegal as he does not fulfil any of the criteria required for an extension, Baghel claimed. He also demanded an investigation into allegations of corruption and other irregularities at the school. Calling for the removal of both the School Principal and the SP, Durg Baghel demanded a probe by a High Court judge into the matter. It may be noted that the school management and the SP had been consistently denying that any such incident had particular case, reflecting the Sushasan delivered by the current Sai government. Baghel claimed that numerous parents protested after learning about the July incident, but the Principal and the SP tried to silence them.

Despite a complaint by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) to the Women and Child Development Department Minister Laxmi Rajwade, the Durg SP has reportedly been discouraging media coverage and reprimanding journalists and his subordinates. According to Supreme Court guidelines, an FIR should be registered under the POCSO Act in such cases. However, the Durg SP has denied the incident without conducting any investigation, which Baghel deems unconstitutional and against natural justice. Baghel further criticised the extension granted to the retired Principal, Prashant Vashisth, by the BSP management, calling it illegal as he does not fulfil any of the criteria required for an extension, Baghel claimed. He also demanded an investigation into allegations of corruption and other irregularities at the school. Calling for the removal of both the School Principal and the SP, Durg Baghel demanded a probe by a High Court judge into the matter.

It may be noted that the school management and the SP had been consistently denying that any such incident had occurred even the parents have remained hushed on the matter. Also there are no complaints of any sort and former chief minister believed that fear was preventing parents from coming forward. Even the principal had denied the TC of the child to the parents. Baghel also made it clear that he had not spoken to the parents. Congress leader Ravindra Choubey, speaking at the press conference, echoed Baghels concerns, stating that despite BJP party workers and leaders taking up the matter, no action has been initiated. He questioned the governments inaction and demanded a polygraph test for the Principal and the removal of the Durg SP for his alleged intimidation of parents and journalists.

Dhanendra Sahu, a former state president of the Congress, also expressed deep concern about the case, stating that it has negatively impacted the current government. He refuted the claims made by the government. Other Congress leaders, including Amarjeet Bhagat, Satyanarayan Sharma, Shiv Kumar Dahariya, Chhaya Verma, Vikas Upadhyay, Kuldeep Juneja, Sushil Anand Shukla, Rakesh Gupta, Neeraj Pal, and others, attended the press conference.
BIS conducts Manak Manthan





Business Reporter :

THE Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)Nagpurbranch office recently conducted an eventcalledManakManthan on the new Indian Standard for fibre cement sheet lightweight cement sandwich panels IS 17908:2023. The event saw theparticipationofaround 20 experts from various fields, includingreputedlaboratories, academia, architects, manufacturers, andindustry associations. Rauak Sukhadeve, Scientist-C/Deputy Director, gave thewelcome address and delivered a detailed presentation on the topic.

Sukhadeve emphasized the importance of engaging with diverse stakeholders to develop standards that are not only technologically advanced but also aligned with the current industry needs. His session sparked an insightful discussion, leading to thecollection of severalpertinent comments and suggestions from the participants, which will contribute to a robust and refined standard. In addition to the main discussion, the participants were briefed on several new standards developed in the field of CivilEngineeringDepartment (CED).

The gathering also received an enthusiastic response from theparticipants regarding enhanced participation in BIS standard formulation activities. All members expressed excitement about contributing to the formulation and updating of Indian Standards. The program concluded on a high note with a vote of thanks, as participants expressed their appreciation for theinformative and engagingsession.Fordetails,contact Isha Khurana, Standard Promotion Officer, Nagpur Branch Office, BIS.
Champai Soren joins BJP





RANCHI :

FORMER Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren joined the BJP on Friday, two days after he resigned from the JMM citing dissatisfaction with the partys current style of functioning and bitter humiliation. Soren, along with a large number of his supporters, crossed over to the BJP at a ceremony attended by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here. The veteran politician visibly became emotional after he was welcomed into the BJP. After joining the BJP, he said, After I was put under surveillance by the Jharkhand Government in Delhi and Kolkata, my resolve to join BJP strengthened. He also said the BJP can save the tribals identity and check infiltration in Jharkhands Santhal Pargana. Alleging that the tribal identity was put at stake by the Congress, Champai Soren said, I am committed to delivering justice to the people. I nurtured JMM with my sweat and blood but was humiliated and insulted. I am compelled to join the BJP. I am now proud to be a member of the worlds largest political party.

I was not in a position to tolerate humiliation and snooping, Champai Soren said. The joining of the 67-year-old leader to the BJP is seen as a significant boost for the partys efforts to strengthen its connection with the Scheduled Tribes, a strong support base of the JMM. He was a close aide of JMM supremo Shibu Soren. Champai Soren, known as Jharkhands Tiger for his pivotal role in the fight for statehood, was appointed as chief minister on February 2, following Hemant Sorens resignation and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. He left the post on July 3, clearing the way for Hemant Soren to resume office on July 4 after being granted bail.In a letter to party supremo Shibu Soren on Wednesday, Champai said he was compelled to quit after being aggrieved by the present style of functioning of the JMM and its policies.

I have never imagined that I would quit JMM, a party which is like a family to me... The turn of events of the past forced me to make this decision with much pain...I am pained to say that the party has deviated from its principle, he said in the letter. Champai had previously met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to announce his decision to join the BJP. On Tuesday, Champai had asserted that he would be switching sides to save tribal identity and existence, which is at stake in the states Santhal Pargana due to rampant infiltration from Bangladesh.These intruders are causing economic and social harm to the local people, and if they are not stopped, the existence of our society in Santhal Pargana will be in danger, he had claimed.In many areas, including Pakur and Rajmahal, the number of infiltrators has become more than that of tribals, Champai alleged.
Congress corporators protest against JMC for ignoring civic issues





Staff Reporter :-

Congress corporators staging protest in front of divisional office no. 11 to press for various demands. In order to protest against negligence of Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC) in addressing civic problems prevailing in the city, Congress corporators, on Friday staged protest in front of the divisional office no 9 and 11. Congress corporators informed that they have launched the campaign to gherao divisional offices of the JMC to awake concerned senior authorities from deep slumber. Under the series, they, on

Friday demonstrated in front of Raja Gokaldas Dharamshala divisional office to press for various demands. Congressmen said during the protest they raised main issues like improvement in the door-to-door garbage collection system, as garbage piles have accumulated across the city, increasing the risk of diseases such as malaria, chikungunya and dengue.Corporators also pointed out that due to the irregular spraying of insecticides, mosquito menace is worsening.

They demanded that roads damaged during the monsoon season be repaired before upcoming festivals and called for an investigation into the corruption involved, questioning why the roads have deteriorated within just six months of being constructed.The corporators also alleged that there is rampant corruption in the implementation of government schemes, including the Sambal Yojana and other initiatives and demanded that such practices be stopped immediately.
Senior Special Correspondent

An injured PCC chief Jitu Patwari. Pradesh Congress Committee (MPPCC) President Jitu Patwari and a few other Congress leaders were among those hospitalised when the police fired tear gas shells and discharged water cannons to disperse Congress protesters who were attempting to climb the barricade in State capital on Friday. A clash between police and Congress workers broke out during demonstration held by Youth Congress against price rise, unemployment and other issues.

Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Jitu Patwari sustained injuries who was thrown off by the force of water from a cannon after he climbed onto a barricade installed by the police, he was hurt. Hundred or two hundred injured protesters are with me in hospita.

Eye-witnesses said that some protesters were thrown to the ground after water cannons were used and tear gas shells were burst by police amid the protest. During the protest, several hundred Congress workers tried to march to the official residence of Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, prompting police to use water cannons and tear gas to stop them. We are going to continue our protests as the BJP government in MP has failed on all counts, Patwari asserted. It was observed that the protesters were stopped just after they had held a peaceful meetings and before they could march to the CMs residence.
Hema Committee Report: Outrage grows in Kerala as Opposition accuses Govt of shielding accused





KOCHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM :

PROTESTS raged in Kerala on Friday as outrage grew over shocking accounts from several female actors in the Malayalam film industry about sexual abuse, with the Leader of the Opposition, V D Satheesan, accusing the CPI(M)-led Government of shielding the culprits, including actor-politician Mukesh, who stands accused of rape. Mahila Congress activists in Kochi and Kollam took to the streets, demanding the resignation of CPI(M) MLA Mukesh and a thorough investigation into the shocking allegations of sexual misconduct made by female actors in the Malayalam film industry to the Justice Hema Committee. In Kochi, demonstrators vented their anger by beating effigies of Mukesh, Sidhique, and Ranjith -- all accused of sexual assault -- with brooms. In Kollam, a protest march was held outside Mukeshs residence, with activists calling for his immediate resignation as MLA. Satheesan alleged that the accused in the Malayalam film industry scandal are being protected by a power group within the ruling CPI(M), led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

He claimed that even Left leaders who have called for action against the accused, such as CPI(M)s Brinda Karat and CPIs Binoy Viswam, are being intimidated by the partys power group. The so-called progressive leaders are weak in the face of this power group, he said. The government is shielding the culprits. Despite causing so much trouble, they are facing no consequences, but the film industry will face even more difficulties in the coming days, the opposition leader said. He noted that even after survivors spoke out courageously to the Justice Hema Committee, the lack of legal action from the government and police would lead to despair. What is happening is a gross violation of the justice system, Satheesan alleged. Attacking the Chief Minister, he said after the Hema Committee report came out, Vijayan stopped holding press conferences.

He is not even visible now. Even if he holds a press conference, he will only answer questions that he likes, the Congress leader said. He said that the opposition demands the resignation of accused MLA Mukesh and a thorough investigation, as recommended by the Hema Committee report. Second case filed against actor Jayasurya for sexual assault: KERALA police have registered a second sexual assault case against Malayalam film actor Jayasurya within a span of 48 hours, following a fresh complaint from a woman actor alleging sexual misconduct, in addition to the existing case registered against him on August 28. Police said the new FIR under Section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Jayasurya was registered at the Karamana police station here on Thursday. Section 354 C of the IPC, which deals with voyeurism, has also been invoked against the actor based on the complaint by the female actor, police said. The woman, in a complaint, alleged that he molested her at a movie set near Thodupuzha during 2012-2013. The cantonment police in Thiruvananthapuram confirmed on Thursday that a case under the same section was registered against Jayasoorya in another case. Multiple FIRs have been registered against many high profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors in the wake of revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report.

A rape case was registered on Wednesday night against prominent Malayalam actor and ruling CPI(M) MLA Mukesh following a female actors allegation that he sexually assaulted her years ago. On August 28, Thiruvananthapuram Museum police had booked actor Sidhique for allegedly raping an actress in a hotel eight years ago. The first case, under IPC Section 354 was against director Ranjith on a complaint by a female actor from West Bengal regarding an incident which occurred in 2009. Following the allegation by the actor, Ranjith had resigned from his post as chairman of the state-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy. Sidhique had also resigned as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) following the allegations against him. The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case, and its report revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry. Amidst allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation cropping up against several actors and directors, the state government on August 25 announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team to probe them. Subsequently, more complaints surfaced.
Mayor Malti Rai, LoP Shabista Asif Zaki, Chairman Kishan Suryavanshi in BMC council meeting.





Staff Reporte :-

His indelible remark On the issues of illegal parking, when the discussion was heating up, MIC member of water and sewage, Ravindra Yati, who was leading the front from the treasury bench, bluntly remarked, Agar kaam nahi hua toh, ya toh adhikari isteefa denge, ya hum (either the officials will resign or us if the work is not done). Proposal to rename BDA Colony ground Proposals were also made in the meeting to rename the ground in the BDA Colony on the name of social worker late Dayaram Lalwani and the gas rehabilitation ground at ward number 13 to be renamed on freedom fighter Dr Jamna Prasad Mukherjee. They were later sent for inspection.

Mayor Malti Rai, LoP Shabista Asif Zaki, Chairman Kishan Suryavanshi in BMC council meeting.

Chaos prevailed in the House during a discussion on the state of illegal parking in the city

The council meeting of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) held on Friday at the corporation headquarters turned stormy over the issue of illegal parkings in the city. The matter came to light during discussion on a proposal of construction of multi-level parking at 10 number market. The meeting also passed the proposal of the multi-level parking at 10 number market along with a proposal regarding beautification of city areas through CSR funds by majority with the corporation renting out roofs of its shops for rent/lease. As the matter came to light, all the members of the House irrespective of the treasury benches or opposition lashed out at the alleged irregularities. Batting from the side of the treasury bench, Mayor-in-Council member Ravindra Yati mentioned that the nexus of illegal recovery in the name of parking exists in Boat Club, Bittan Market, MP Nagar and others. Another member from the Opposition emphasised that such things are prevalent at several places including Shahjahanabad, Jummerati, DIG bungalows and others.

Some opposition members also named a leader of a party which created ruckus in the house following which the names of the same were excluded from the record. Citing objections from both sides, Chairman of the BMC, Kishan Suryavanshi on a rare occasion, then asked Municipal Commissioner Harendra Narayan to give a clarification in front of the House. Further, councillors of the Congress including Leader of Opposition (LoP) Shabista Zaki and Yogendra Singh Guddu Chouhan took over the stage demanding justice in this regard. After further protests, the chair directed Municipal Commissioner to cancel the tender of the firm. As learnt by The Hitavada, a proposal was passed in the previous meeting of the elected representatives of the corporation where the chair had directed the officials to file a FIR against a parking firm named Akhtar Enterprises for allegedly recovering money in the name of parking. As per the information, the firm was allegedly extracting money ranging from Rs 60 to Rs 100 in the name of parking whereas the sanctioned amount is fixed at Rs 10.

The meeting commenced with the confirmation of the minute and proceedings of the general meeting of the corporation dated July 2 with an objection raised from the side of councillor Samar Huzur regarding the alleged irregularities in the construction of a 200 m drain being restricted to an area of 50 m. With two proposals being on agenda, a third proposal was also brought by Mayor Malti Rai during the meeting pertaining to the beautification of the citys squares through CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds. All the proposals were passed by majority. Notably, the other two which were included in the agenda of meeting included the proposal for the formation of a multi-level parking in the city along with a proposal regarding renting out the roofs of corporation owned shops allotted on rent or lease; both being recommended by the MIC for consideration of the house for increasing the income of the corporation. Speaking on the same, LoP Shabista Zaki lashed out at the mayor-in-council referring to lack of clarity in the proposals and took a dig at the corporation on the subject of inability of the corporation in receiving Rs 25 crore from the Smart City. During her address, she demanded more clarity from the Government on the agendas of the House and questioned the government on Itni jaldi kyu hai? Why so much hurry?
N-Powered Navy





THE commissioning of the Nuclear-powered submarine INS Arighaat into the Indian Navy has taken place at a very opportune moment. That the new submarine is a tribute to the spirit and capabilities of innovation of the Indian Navy as well as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), does deserve a proud mention. But what is of far greater importance is the value INS Arighaat has added to Indias Nuclear Triad -- which Defence Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh mentioned in his statement at the commissioning of the new warship at Visakhapattanam. INS Arighaat joins her elder sister INS Arihant to give a much better and sharper strategic edge to the Indian Navy -- which the nation had been waiting for for some time. The new submarine is also a tribute to Indias strategic production policy of self-reliance -- Atmanirbhar Bharat -- and will make major global powers turn their heads. India has been one of the only four countries in the world to have Nuclear-Triad -- other countries being the United States, Russia, and China, (and suspectedly Israel). India has made conscious efforts over time to evolve its Nuclear-Triad with a fine geopolitical doctrine to trigger this development.

As per such an arrangement, India has developed a three-pronged, nuclear-powered military-force mechanism operating from land, air and water -- land-based Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), strategic bomber-based nuclear bombs and missiles, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) -- now represented by INS Arihant and INS Arighaat (which has enhanced the overall Indian Nuclear-Triad in capacity and reach). This explains the sense of pride in the tone and tenor of Mr. Rajnath Singhs assertion about the countrys growing strategic capabilities -- particularly with the Indian Navy in fresh focus. For long, despite its severe limitations, the Indian Navy has been described as the prima donna of the Indian Ocean (Region), thanks to the strategic locational advantage it enjoyed. However, telling itself that the mere platonic status of a prima donna was not enough, the Indian leadership launched a well-defined programme of expansion of the countrys oceanic military footprint to make the Indian Navy one of the worlds top blue-water forces. INS Arihant and now INS Arighaat are two of the signatures of that vision and effort. The Indian Navy also prides itself in having two operational aircraft carriers -- INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. Soon, it will have a third one -- INS Viraat -- that is going through advanced open-sea trials (with massive dosage of indigenous components).

This segment of the Indian Navy represents a very critical component of the Indian Navys ambitious expansion programme -- which the world is watching carefully. The two N-powered submarines add another edge to the countrys oceanic military vision. One of the most important dimensions of Indias expansive strategic development as per a redefined doctrine is the sense of open assertion of the national vision in geopolitics with no mincing of words and no coy and apologetic statements. In the past some years, Indias strategic language has changed to a higher assertion and its implementation has risen to very specific and precise programme -- represented not just by INS Arighaat but also a few more additions to the overall naval power house. Indias strategic vision recognises a changing scenario due to the changed perceptions of global military powers, and therefore has a 360-degree consideration to make a critical difference to its security perception and management.
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Dive Brief:

A shareholder filed a federal securities class action lawsuit against Starbucks this week on behalf of investors who purchased Starbucks stock between Nov. 2, 2023 and April 30, 2024, according to documents filed with the U.S. District Court Western District of Washington in Seattle.

The lawsuit alleges that Starbucks positive statements to investors related to its Starbucks Reinvention strategy, which included a roadmap of success for growth outside the U.S., constituted false and misleading statements. These statements led the plaintiff and other shareholders to purchase stocks at artificially inflated prices, per the lawsuit.

Following the release of its fiscal Q2 2024 results on April 30, which included a decline of global same-store sales by 4% and a 7% decrease in traffic, the price of Starbucks common stock dropped 15% in a single day, from $88.49 to $74.55.

Dive Insight:

This isnt the first time Starbucks has seen investors pushing back over its poor results. Former CEO Howard Schultz criticized the chain earlier this year, saying it needs to focus on improving the guest experience and the mobile app instead of focusing on transactions. Elliot Investment Management, an activist investment firm that built a position as one of Starbucks largest shareholders, engaged with the chain over the course of two months during the summer over the companys top challenges.

The poor results led the chain to dismiss CEO Laxman Narasimhan and the hiring of Brian Niccol, former CEO of Chipotle, who has extensive experience turning around brands. Niccol starts his position on Sept. 9, and analysts expect him to help improve operations, marketing and product innovation and attract investors who were sidelined.

With regards to the lawsuit, the plaintiff is seeking to recover losses in connection with the Defendants' fraud. The lawsuit specifically names Narasimhan and CFO Rachel Ruggeri, alleging the two are liable for the false and misleading statements as they disseminated copies of reports and press releases to the public. The executives knew of the adverse facts but did not disclose them, the lawsuit said.

The allegations in the complaint are without merit. Starbucks takes great care in communicating transparently and authentically with its stakeholders, including its investors, partners, customers, and community, the company said in a statement emailed to Restaurant Dive.

Story continues

The investor took particular issue with statements made over the chains projections and performance in China and the momentum the chain said it was seeing in that market. The respondents also continually predicted that Starbucks Reinvention plan would be successful.

In truth, Starbucks Reinvention platform, which the Company claimed would prioritize business growth globally, failed to meet Starbucks stated measures; Starbucks plan was ill equipped to handle the existing macro uncertainty and competition, particularly in the Chinese market, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit claims that, even after these disappointing results, Narasimhan and Ruggeri downplayed the problems Starbucks faced, and the company continued to minimize risks associated with foreign market expansion. For example, the lawsuit quotes analysts at The Week US saying the chain bet on Chinese expansion. Executives claimed in 2022 that it was opening a new store every nine hours in the country, but struggled against competition from Luckin Coffee, which has over 16,000 locations. Starbucks is now having trouble meeting its ambitious growth plans in the country.
New simplified pension application form launched for Central Govt employees





NEW DELHI :

IN A significant move aimed at enhancing the ease of living for senior citizens and pensioners across the nation, Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Friday launched a single simplified pension application form. A total of nine different forms have been merged into Form 6A -- that was launched by the minister through video-conference. The newly-launched unified form is designed to streamline the process for pensioners, reducing the complexity of handling multiple forms and significantly cutting down on the time and effort required, said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel. This user-friendly approach is expected to benefit millions of senior citizens, enabling them to manage their pension-related matters with greater ease and convenience, he said. Singh said the Government remains committed to its vision of empowering senior citizens and harnessing their wisdom and experience for the development of the nation.

This latest initiative is a testament to the continued efforts to simplify and improve the systems that directly impact the lives of our elderly population, the minister said. As the Government continues to roll out such reforms, Singh said it is committed to ensuring that the elderly enjoy their golden years with dignity and peace of mind, while also contributing to the growth and development of a Viksit Bharat. The newly launched initiative reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modis commitment to simplifying processes for senior citizens, enabling them to contribute effectively to the vision of a Viksit Bharat by preserving their energies and expertise while saving their valuable time, he said. Singh said the launch of the single simplified pension application form and digital integration of Bhavishya with e-HRMS is another milestone and a feather in the cap of the Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare, which has consistently introduced reforms to improve the lives of senior citizens.

This step is not just about convenience; its about respecting the time and experience of our elders, and ensuring they can lead dignified, hassle-free lives, he added. Bhavishya, an online system, provides online tracking of pension sanction and payment process by the individual as well as the administrative authorities for all actions preparatory to grant pension and other retirement benefits as well as payment of monthly pension after retirement. It also allows individuals to download ePPO (Pension Payment Order). EHRMS is referred to as the electronic Human Resource Management System which has details that include service records of Government employees. Singh recalled the special campaign for family pension grievances and shared that it has crossed the mark of 96 per cent redressal rate including resolution of several long pending cases of dependent minor children, divyang daughters, widow/divorced daughters, dependent mothers and widows of war veterans. Explaining the details, the minister said the retiring officials, who are on e-HRMS, will fill Form 6-A through e-HRMS (only superannuation cases) and the retiring officials, who are not on e-HRMS, will fill Form 6-A in Bhavishya. He said that form submission by the pensioner with a single e-sign (Aadhaar-based OTP) will be enough.
PM apologises to Shivaji Maharaj





Modi lays foundation stone of Rs 76,000cr

PALGHAR :

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday apologised to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and those hurt by the collapse of the warrior kings statue in Maharashtras Sindhudurg district, an act coming in the backdrop of a huge row over the crash which provided ammunition to the Opposition to target the Mahayuti Government ahead of Assembly polls. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king. For us, he is our deity. Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity, Modi said in his first public remarks on the collapse of the statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg districts Malvan tehsil. The 35-foot structure, which fell on August 26, was unveiled by the Prime Minister on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day. Our values are different. For us, nothing is bigger than our deity, Modi insisted while addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of the Rs 76,000-crore Vadhvan Port project in Palghar district located adjoining Mumbai. The Prime Minister also took a jibe at the Opposition, saying some people keep abusing freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, but are not ready to apologise for insulting him.

Some people keep abusing Veer Savarkar, but are not ready to apologise for insulting him, he said, in an apparent dig at Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi who has targeted Hindutva ideologue multiple times in the past. The moment I landed here, I first apologised to Shivaji Maharaj over the statue collapse. I also apologise to the people hurt by the collapse, he told the gathering, seeking to assuage feelings of followers of the legendary warrior, a God-like figure in Maharashtra, and taking sting out of the Opposition criticism on an emotive issue. Modi recalled when he was declared the BJPs prime ministerial candidate in 2013, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, he visited Raigad, the capital of the Shivajis kingdom, and meditated before the Maratha kings samadhi. The statue crash sparked an outrage with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) targeting the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP Government and seeking Chief Minister Eknath Shindes resignation. Before Modi, Shinde and his deputy Ajit Pawar had also apologised over the incident.

Speaking further, Modi said, a developed Maharashtra, an economic powerhouse, was an essential part of his Governments resolve for a developed India. Therefore, over the past 10 years, we have taken continuous major decisions for Maharashtras progress. To ensure that the State and the entire country reap benefits of Maharashtras capacities, the foundation stone for Vadhvan Port has been laid today, he said. Modi targeted the Opposition for applying brakes to the development of Maharashtra, where polls are due in November. He said, the country needed a big and modern port and it was found that Palghar was the most apt location for the mega project. Once completed, the port can work in all seasons, but this project was not allowed to take off, said the BJP stalwart in an apparent reference to the erstwhile MVA Government (2019-22). Modi said, his Government is focusing on the development of coastal villages and to enhance capabilities, fishermens cooperative societies are being strengthened. Our Government is committed to empowering women and ensuring prosperity through constant endeavours.

It is actively promoting womens involvement in fish production, the PM stated. Through the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, we have empowered thousands of women, enabling them to contribute significantly to this sector, he said, adding India has become the worlds second-largest fish producer. Modi launched the Rs 360 crore National Roll Out of Vessel Communication and Support system, under which one lakh transponders will be installed on mechanised and motorised fishing vessels in 13 coastal states and UTs. During the PMs visit, fishermen tied black balloons to their boats as mark of protest over the port project.

Vadhvan Port

The Vadhvan port, located near Dahanu town in Palghar district, will provide direct connectivity to international shipping routes, reducing transit times and costs. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure, the port will feature deep berths, efficient cargo handling facilities, and modern port management systems. The port is expected to generate significant employment opportunities, stimulate local businesses, and contribute to the overall economic development of the region. The Vadhvan project incorporates sustainable development practices, with a focus on minimising environmental impact and adhering to stringent ecological standards.
Structural consultant named in FIR in Shivaji statue collapse held from Kolhapur





PUNE :

CHETAN Patil, the structural consultant named in the FIR registered in connection with the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajs statue in Maharashtras Sindhudurg district, has been arrested from Kolhapur, police said on Friday. Patil was taken into custody late on Thursday night and was handed over to the Sindhudurg police for further investigation, said Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Mahendra Pandit. According to the Sindhudurg police, Patil has been arrested in the case. Patil, a resident of Kolhapur, had claimed on Wednesday that he was not the structural consultant for the project.
Whats wrong with Jeep? Nothing that better corporate leadership couldnt have avoided.

Executives at Stellantis, the 3-year-old automaker that includes Jeep and the rest of the former Chrysler Group  Ram, Dodge and Chrysler  would be well-advised to keep that in mind as they strive to fix the stumbling cash cow.

The legendary SUV brands U.S. sales are off 9% through the first half of 2024. The decline accelerated to a disconcerting 19% in the second quarter.

The only surprise is its not worse. Jeeps decline was entirely foreseeable. Inevitable.

I was second to none in hailing Fiat as a good match for Chrysler when the Italian automaker took over Chrysler after the Great Recession, but 2024s issues at Jeep  and the Ram truck brand  flow from Fiat leaderships one glaring weakness: Its answer to every challenge was to delay investment, prolonging production of sagging vehicles.

Whatd they expect?

Fiats primary brands  Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo  spent decades in slow retreat as management extended the lifespans of flagging vehicles rather than inventing and investing to put superior new ones on the road.

You can argue the strategy kept the brands alive by scrimping on investments and hoarding cash. True, but its a truism you cant cut your way to growth.

Those old-line Fiat brands still exist, but Alfa is an afterthought among luxury brands. Lancia only sells cars in Italy. Fiat is Stellantis No. 1 seller on the strength of its presence in Italy, Turkey and South America, but its lineup is a shadow of the range of vehicles it once sold.

That history notwithstanding, Fiat Chrysler management starved Jeep of new vehicles over the last decade to funnel billions into new Alfa Romeos  money earned largely by Jeep and Ram sales.

Those Alfas  the Giulia sport sedan and Stelvio SUV  are lovely to look at and fun to drive. But they generated a small fraction of the sales and profits that couldve been expected from competitive new Jeeps.

While management splurged on vanity projects for Alfa  a onetime icon of Italian automaking  two core Jeep models were starved for investment, and a lesser, but popular one left the lineup.

A good new car beats a good old one

The Jeep Compass and Cherokee accounted for 37% of Jeep U.S. sales in 2019, the last year of pre-pandemic sales, according to registration figures from S&P Global Mobility.

Jeep ended Cherokee production in 2023.

The Cherokee racked up 1.5 million sales from its return to Jeeps lineup as a 2014 model till end of production.

Thats despite the fact that the Cherokee on sale in 2023 had the same platform, interior size and basic engineering as when the model debuted in 2013.

Story continues

Thats ancient in automotive terms. Competitors like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V were replaced with new models at least once, some twice, in that period.

In 2023, Stellantis also pulled the plug on U.S. sales of the subcompact Jeep Renegade  not a core vehicle, but one that topped 100,000 sales twice in its 10-year run.

The Compass, which debuted way back in 2006, is still in production. Its 2023 sales were 34.5% down from 2019.

Its among the oldest vehicles in its segment. The 2024 model year brought good interior and infotainment upgrades, but you can only do so much when major competitors offer newer platforms, designs and powertrains, including several hybrids.

2017 Jeep Compass Trailhawk

Fiat Chryslers expensive bet on reviving the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer models has yet to pay off. The big SUVs should do well in the long run, though.

Bottom line: Since 2019, Jeep dropped its third bestselling vehicle, let No. 4 age toward irrelevance and dropped No. 5, the Renegade.

Its 2023 U.S. sales were 31.2% down from before the pandemic.

Facing strong new competition in segments Fiat Chrysler and Stellantis either abandoned or underfunded, its a wonder things arent worse.

More: 2025 Ram 1500 pickups new engine and technology will surprise shoppers

More: Sterling Heights UAW rally demands Stellantis stick to timetable for Belvidere plant

A chance ahead

Will Stellantis continue to starve its cash cow? Theres reason for hope as well as cause for concern.

Peugeot SA  or PSA, the French-based company that merged with Fiat Chrysler to create Stellantis, was a strong player in Europes intensely competitive auto market.

Peugeot vehicles did well in France and Germany. PSAs relatively new DS brand carved out a small, upscale niche. Some of DSs success may have come at the expense of Citroen, but that brand  creator of two long-running French icons, the 1948-90 2CV and 1955-75 DS  soldiers on with an array of quirky models.

PSA only had to manage a few brands, though. Its stable has grown madly in the last decade, starting with the acquisition of Opel and Vauxhall from General Motors. Early returns were promising as the brands performance improved.

Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, talks with investors at the company amphitheater during Stellantis Investor Day at their corporate headquarters in Auburn Hills on Thursday, June 13, 2024.

Managing the 14 brands that constitute Stellantis is much more challenging.

When Stellantis was created in 2021, CEO Carlos Tavares promised each brand had a decade to prove it deserved to survive.

That staved off outcry from traditionalists, history buffs and unions.

It also created a Rubiks Cube of investment challenges.

Stellantis needs to solve its Jeep puzzle quickly.

On top of problems created by previous management, theres deep concern in Auburn Hills over whether European-engineered vehicle architectures will deliver the performance Jeep owners demand. Corporate enthusiasm for moving engineering work to low-cost countries with no history of automotive expertise only exacerbates the morale problem.

Jeep should always have been a priority.

It must be one now.

Whoever has the gold makes the rules

Responsibility for Jeeps precipitous decrease lies at the feet of people living in mansions in West Bloomfield, Turin, Italy, and Paris, not plant and tech center employees in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio.

Employees are paying for miscalculations by executives who pursued the unicorn of an Alfa Romeo hit rather than supporting the brands that paid for their villas and lake houses.

Destiny Davis, right, a member of UAW Local 1700 and a worker at the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly plant on Van Dyke Avenue in Sterling Heights joins with others on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, for a rally. They all stood in front of the plant calling on Stellantis to honor the union contract and the Keep The Promise campaign to maintain product and investment commitments in Belvidere, Illinois, and across the country.

Rising tensions over layoffs and investment and production delays from what the company promised in contract negotiations a year ago aren't helping.

Tavares doesnt have a time machine, but a little openness could go a long way here. It was the executive suite, not the hourly workers, engineers and designers, that got Jeep into this mess.

Leadership should share in the pain of getting out of this mess.

More input from the people who develop and build Jeeps and Rams couldnt hurt, either.

Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jeep shouldve been a priority for Stellantis  and has to be now
Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of B&G Foods, Inc. (NYSE:BGS  Free Report) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 4,068 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $33,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in B&G Foods by 0.5% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,200,039 shares of the companys stock worth $9,696,000 after acquiring an additional 5,842 shares during the period. Cove Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in B&G Foods in the 2nd quarter valued at about $929,000. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in B&G Foods by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 55,725 shares of the companys stock valued at $450,000 after buying an additional 1,636 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in B&G Foods by 47.8% in the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 25,462 shares of the companys stock valued at $206,000 after buying an additional 8,231 shares during the period. Finally, Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in B&G Foods by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC now owns 601,738 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,862,000 after buying an additional 17,785 shares during the period. 66.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on BGS shares. StockNews.com raised shares of B&G Foods from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, August 17th. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of B&G Foods from $10.00 to $8.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 19th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and issued a $10.00 target price on shares of B&G Foods in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Evercore ISI raised shares of B&G Foods to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of B&G Foods from $9.00 to $8.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, B&G Foods presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $8.88.

B&G Foods Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BGS remained flat at $8.47 during midday trading on Friday. The stock had a trading volume of 505,549 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,053,478. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $8.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $9.56. B&G Foods, Inc. has a 52 week low of $7.20 and a 52 week high of $13.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.58, a current ratio of 3.22 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market cap of $669.56 million, a PE ratio of -5.88 and a beta of 0.61.

B&G Foods (NYSE:BGS  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.08 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.08. The firm had revenue of $444.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $435.83 million. B&G Foods had a negative net margin of 5.42% and a positive return on equity of 8.33%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.15 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that B&G Foods, Inc. will post 0.77 EPS for the current year.

B&G Foods Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.97%. B&G Foodss dividend payout ratio is currently -52.78%.

B&G Foods Profile

(Free Report)

B&G Foods, Inc manufactures, sells, and distributes a portfolio of shelf-stable and frozen foods, and household products in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The company's products include frozen and canned vegetables, vegetables, canola and other cooking oils, vegetable shortening, cooking sprays, oatmeal and other hot cereals, fruit spreads, canned meats and beans, bagel chips, spices, seasonings, hot sauces, wine vinegar, maple syrups, molasses, salad dressings, pizza crusts, Mexican-style sauces, dry soups, taco shells and kits, salsas, pickles, peppers, tomato-based products, crackers, baking powder and soda, corn starch, nut clusters, and other specialty products.

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About 13% of Americans are living below the federal poverty line, but another 29% are just above the poverty threshold. Getty Images; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/BI

Many older adults living on small Social Security checks feel isolated.

Some baby boomers living near poverty don't apply for assistance or tell loved ones they need help.

Social activities cost money and low-income boomers are caught in the loneliness crisis.

Each morning, Ann Miller picks up her local newspaper. She flips past the front-page stories, game-day recaps, cartoons, and crossword puzzles. She's looking for the grocery coupons: If she's lucky, there might be a sale on frozen fish or canned tomatoes.

The 78-year-old barely gets by on $1,800 a month from her Social Security income . She lives in Ellensburg, Washington  a town about 100 miles southeast of Seattle  in a small apartment above a hay barn. The place gets a little dusty, but it's all she can afford.

Miller budgets religiously but she doesn't have any retirement savings. Once she's paid for her housing, utilities, cellphone, credit card debt bills, and gas, she usually has $75 left over to buy food each month. If she has any unexpected expenses, she might not have enough money to eat.

No one in Miller's life knows about her finances. She frequently talks to her neighbors but she said she's anxious that they will find out about her tight budget. She requested to use her maiden name for this story due to privacy concerns.

And, while Miller might qualify for SNAP and other forms of government assistance, she has chosen not to apply because she's worried her neighbors in Ellensburg would find out. To feel comfortable signing up for aid, she said would have to move to a town "where no one knows me," she said.

About 13% of Americans are living below the federal poverty line, but another 29%, like Miller, are just above the poverty threshold. One in five adults don't have retirement savings, and millions of baby boomers are relying solely on Social Security checks  making it difficult to afford housing, food, and healthcare as they age.

Because of this, many older adults told BI they feel isolated. Stigma and misconceptions about safety-net programs mean some people don't apply for the help they need. What's more, social activities can be costly, and prices for dining at restaurants, plane tickets, and concerts have been rising for years. For a generation that already feels lonely, money woes are making it worse.

Miller has lost count of how many restaurant dinners and group vacations she's had to decline, and most of her friends have faded away.

"At some point, you become invisible," she said.

Story continues

Money woes make boomers' loneliness worse

Being social can be expensive, and some low-income older adults feel like they don't have many options.

Sixty-three percent of Americans who earn less than $50,000 a year and 41% of adults over 66 years old say they feel consistently lonely, per a survey of 2,496 US adults conducted by Morning Consult and published in 2022 by the health insurance company Cigna.

While hobbies and group activities might help some baby boomers feel less isolated, not everyone has the financial resources to access them, said Diane Stone, an associate director for the National Council on Aging, an advocacy firm that provides resources for older adults. They might not be able to afford a reliable phone line or gas to drive and visit family, she added.

"Getting older makes it harder to do some of those things because of mobility issues and transportation issues," Stone said. "When you layer on financial insecurity and having less income, it exacerbates all of that."

Maureen, for example, lives on her $1,601 monthly Social Security income and is afraid she will outlive her limited savings. The 66-year-old is a retired teacher and asked to use her first name for privacy. A widow, Maureen lives by herself in Northeast Pennsylvania and struggles to pay for groceries and electricity every month. While her friends know money is tight, she is reluctant to tell her loved ones she receives $23 a month in SNAP food benefits because she feels "embarrassed" about her finances, she said.

What's more, Maureen has to decline most social invitations because of cost.

"A friend of mine wanted to go to a concert Friday night," Maureen told BI in early August. "I said, 'you know, that sounds like fun, but I have $400 to last until August 28 when I get my Social Security check."'

Older adults are reluctant to tell friends and family they need help

BI reported on the loneliness crisis when it spiked during the pandemic. And, to be sure, costs can be a major barrier to social life for other generations, like Gen Z. But experts like Stone say Americans  especially low-income older adults  have felt isolated for much longer.

Like Maureen, 68-year-old Rita lives on her $1,680 monthly Social Security check in Pekin, Illinois, a town about 175 miles southwest of Chicago. She, too, receives $23 monthly from SNAP and hasn't told loved ones she needs financial help or that she receives government aid.

Even so, $23 doesn't go very far at the grocery store, and Rita (who is using her first name for privacy) is now several thousand dollars in debt because she had to use credit cards to pay for housing, food, and transportation.

"I live alone and I'm inside most of the time," she previously told BI. "I'm kind of isolated."

Stone said stories like this are familiar. She added that many older adults have misconceptions and feel stigma surrounding government aid  so they are less likely to ask for assistance.

"There's kind of this myth that people have that, if I enroll in benefits, I'm taking something away from somebody else," she said.

SNAP and senior nutrition programs are often means-tested, meaning people qualify based on their income. There typically aren't a limited number of spots. Stone knows it can be difficult to ask for help, but there shouldn't be shame in "accessing the benefits you are entitled to," she said.

Of course, not all older adults rely on Social Security, decline to seek government aid, or struggle financially during retirement. Some have strong savings nest eggs and feel more comfortable discussing finances with friends and family. Those with resources to be social and travel might also feel less isolated.

For low-income baby boomers, reaching out for help can be daunting  even if they feel like they're living in poverty.

Without money, family, or close friends, Miller worries about who will take care of her when she can't maintain her independence.

"I remember those times in my life when I had all those positive things to look forward to," Miller said. "Now, at the sunset of my life, I try to stay upbeat. But I don't have a plan and that scares me."

Are you experiencing loneliness because of your finances? Are you open to sharing your story? If so, reach out to allisonkelly@businessinsider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Shares of Skyline Champion Co. (NYSE:SKY  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $93.67 and last traded at $93.41, with a volume of 300026 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $91.19.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on SKY shares. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Skyline Champion from $68.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Wedbush reissued a neutral rating and set a $64.00 target price on shares of Skyline Champion in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Skyline Champion from $68.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Craig Hallum lowered their price target on shares of Skyline Champion from $88.00 to $84.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Skyline Champion from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $78.75.

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Check Out Our Latest Report on Skyline Champion

Skyline Champion Stock Up 2.6 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $5.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.90 and a beta of 1.57. The businesss 50-day moving average is $78.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $78.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 2.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

Skyline Champion (NYSE:SKY  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $627.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $600.39 million. Skyline Champion had a net margin of 6.45% and a return on equity of 13.07%. Skyline Champions revenue was up 35.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.89 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Skyline Champion Co. will post 3.01 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Skyline Champion

In other Skyline Champion news, EVP Jonathan Wade Lyall sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.90, for a total value of $899,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,243,771.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Jonathan Wade Lyall sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.90, for a total value of $899,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 36,082 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,243,771.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Laurie M. Hough sold 5,354 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.64, for a total transaction of $474,578.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 105,153 shares in the company, valued at $9,320,761.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 47,136 shares of company stock worth $4,066,583 in the last ninety days. 6.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Skyline Champion

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Zhang Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Skyline Champion in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $850,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in Skyline Champion by 9.4% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 225,410 shares of the companys stock worth $16,739,000 after buying an additional 19,438 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Skyline Champion by 378.4% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 33,669 shares of the companys stock worth $2,500,000 after buying an additional 26,631 shares during the period. UBS Group AG increased its stake in Skyline Champion by 46.0% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 81,214 shares of the companys stock worth $6,031,000 after buying an additional 25,592 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Skyline Champion during the 1st quarter worth approximately $791,000.

About Skyline Champion

(Get Free Report)

Skyline Champion Corporation produces and sells factory-built housing in North America. The company offers manufactured and modular homes, park models RVs, accessory dwelling units, and modular buildings for the multi-family and hospitality sectors. It builds homes under the Skyline Homes, Champion Home Builders, Genesis Homes, Athens Park Models, Dutch Housing, Atlantic Homes, Excel Homes, Homes of Merit, New Era, Redman Homes, ScotBilt Homes, Shore Park, Silvercrest, and Titan Homes brands in the United States; and Moduline and SRI Homes brand names in western Canada.

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UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 134.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 101,713 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 58,388 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $6,041,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Slagle Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 97.3% in the 4th quarter. Slagle Financial LLC now owns 138,594 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $6,822,000 after purchasing an additional 68,356 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 5.4% in the 1st quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 35,785 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,074,000 after purchasing an additional 1,835 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital boosted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 152,910 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $8,805,000 after purchasing an additional 21,496 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 61.7% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 41,268 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,031,000 after purchasing an additional 15,742 shares during the period. Finally, Pacific Global Investment Management Co. boosted its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. Pacific Global Investment Management Co. now owns 13,680 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $673,000 after purchasing an additional 1,620 shares during the period. 75.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Wells Fargo & Company Price Performance

Shares of Wells Fargo & Company stock traded up $1.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $58.47. 20,068,054 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,823,389. The company has a market cap of $203.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $57.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $57.59. Wells Fargo & Company has a fifty-two week low of $38.38 and a fifty-two week high of $62.55.

Wells Fargo & Company Increases Dividend

Wells Fargo & Company ( NYSE:WFC Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 12th. The financial services provider reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $20.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.29 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 15.17% and a return on equity of 12.30%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.25 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 9th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.74%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 9th. This is a boost from Wells Fargo & Companys previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Wells Fargo & Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WFC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $62.00 to $61.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 15th. Evercore ISI restated an outperform rating and issued a $67.00 price objective (down previously from $70.00) on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Wells Fargo & Company to a hold rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $62.00 to $59.00 in a research note on Friday, August 16th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $64.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $55.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $59.63.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on WFC

About Wells Fargo & Company

(Free Report)

Wells Fargo & Company, a financial services company, provides diversified banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management.

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Modera Wealth Management LLC decreased its position in shares of AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV  Free Report) by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 77,674 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,882 shares during the quarter. Modera Wealth Management LLCs holdings in AbbVie were worth $13,323,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ABBV. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of AbbVie during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,229,888,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in AbbVie by 6.2% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 170,376,746 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,025,605,000 after buying an additional 9,978,415 shares during the period. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in AbbVie by 249.1% in the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,373,184 shares of the companys stock valued at $796,357,000 after buying an additional 3,120,310 shares during the period. Capital International Investors raised its holdings in AbbVie by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 48,098,784 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,758,789,000 after buying an additional 3,110,601 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in AbbVie by 39.6% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 8,422,613 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,305,252,000 after buying an additional 2,390,239 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.23% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on shares of AbbVie from $196.00 to $209.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Piper Sandler Companies restated an overweight rating and issued a $190.00 price objective on shares of AbbVie in a report on Wednesday, July 3rd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of AbbVie from $180.00 to $214.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. HSBC upgraded shares of AbbVie from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $185.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of AbbVie from $211.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $191.64.

Insider Activity at AbbVie

In related news, Chairman Richard A. Gonzalez sold 282,845 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total value of $49,497,875.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 513,099 shares of the companys stock, valued at $89,792,325. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, Chairman Richard A. Gonzalez sold 66,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $186.52, for a total value of $12,403,580.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 446,599 shares of the companys stock, valued at $83,299,645.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Richard A. Gonzalez sold 282,845 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.00, for a total value of $49,497,875.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 513,099 shares of the companys stock, valued at $89,792,325. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

AbbVie Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of ABBV stock traded up $1.07 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $196.25. 3,820,745 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,441,654. The businesss fifty day moving average is $181.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.93, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.83. AbbVie Inc. has a 12-month low of $135.85 and a 12-month high of $198.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $346.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 58.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.64.

AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.57 by $0.08. AbbVie had a net margin of 9.71% and a return on equity of 186.82%. The firm had revenue of $14.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.91 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that AbbVie Inc. will post 10.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AbbVie Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Monday, July 15th were issued a $1.55 dividend. This represents a $6.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.16%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 15th. AbbVies dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 183.98%.

AbbVie Company Profile

(Free Report)

AbbVie Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceuticals worldwide. The company offers Humira, an injection for autoimmune and intestinal Behcet's diseases, and pyoderma gangrenosum; Skyrizi to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic disease, and Crohn's disease; Rinvoq to treat rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, atopic dermatitis, axial spondyloarthropathy, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease; Imbruvica for the treatment of adult patients with blood cancers; Epkinly to treat lymphoma; Elahere to treat cancer; and Venclexta/Venclyxto to treat blood cancers.

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Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:ACHR  Get Free Report) fell 1.6% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $3.69 and last traded at $3.71. 1,404,735 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 78% from the average session volume of 6,493,873 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.77.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Benchmark reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $12.00 price objective on shares of Archer Aviation in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Archer Aviation from $6.50 to $4.50 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an overweight rating and issued a $10.00 target price on shares of Archer Aviation in a report on Monday, August 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Archer Aviation from $5.00 to $6.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th.

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Archer Aviation Stock Performance

Insider Activity at Archer Aviation

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.06 and a beta of 2.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 6.01 and a quick ratio of 6.01. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $4.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $4.12.

In other news, major shareholder N.V. Stellantis purchased 2,982,089 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $3.35 per share, for a total transaction of $9,989,998.15. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 59,734,962 shares of the companys stock, valued at $200,112,122.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 27.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Archer Aviation

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACHR. Hollencrest Capital Management lifted its stake in shares of Archer Aviation by 50.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 9,000 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 3,000 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Archer Aviation by 62.0% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 9,300 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 3,559 shares in the last quarter. Csenge Advisory Group purchased a new position in shares of Archer Aviation in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Tidal Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Archer Aviation during the 1st quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Choreo LLC purchased a new stake in Archer Aviation during the second quarter valued at approximately $49,000. 59.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Archer Aviation Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Archer Aviation Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in designs, develops, and operates electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for use in urban air mobility. The company was formerly known as Atlas Crest Investment Corp. and changed its name to Archer Aviation Inc The company is headquartered in San Jose, California.

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Argent Advisors Inc. raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (BATS:EFV  Free Report) by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,578 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. Argent Advisors Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF were worth $349,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Foster Group Inc. grew its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 12,787 shares of the companys stock valued at $696,000 after buying an additional 194 shares during the last quarter. Noble Family Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 0.3% during the second quarter. Noble Family Wealth LLC now owns 63,084 shares of the companys stock worth $3,346,000 after purchasing an additional 205 shares during the period. Fortress Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 0.8% during the second quarter. Fortress Wealth Management Inc. now owns 26,670 shares of the companys stock worth $1,415,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the period. Partners Capital Investment Group LLP boosted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Partners Capital Investment Group LLP now owns 72,427 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,773,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the period. Finally, Sax Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 42,952 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,278,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares during the period.

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iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Trading Up 0.2 %

EFV stock traded up $0.09 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $56.83. 1,475,962 shares of the stock were exchanged. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF has a 12 month low of $49.15 and a 12 month high of $59.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.89 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $54.41 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $54.07.

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Profile

iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Value Index. The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East.

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Atlas Capital Advisors LLC lowered its position in Everest Group, Ltd. (NYSE:EG  Free Report) by 11.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 942 shares of the companys stock after selling 118 shares during the quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in Everest Group were worth $359,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Everest Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $81,260,000. Signaturefd LLC bought a new position in shares of Everest Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $59,000. Truist Financial Corp acquired a new position in shares of Everest Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $450,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in Everest Group in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new stake in Everest Group during the 4th quarter valued at $19,837,000. Institutional investors own 92.64% of the companys stock.

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Everest Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EG traded up $1.82 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $392.24. The stock had a trading volume of 377,198 shares, compared to its average volume of 328,993. The companys 50-day moving average price is $378.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $378.04. Everest Group, Ltd. has a fifty-two week low of $343.76 and a fifty-two week high of $417.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The company has a market capitalization of $17.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.63.

Everest Group Dividend Announcement

Everest Group ( NYSE:EG Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $16.85 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $16.97 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $4.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.32 billion. Everest Group had a net margin of 18.36% and a return on equity of 24.09%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 15.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $15.21 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Everest Group, Ltd. will post 61.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th will be given a dividend of $2.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 16th. This represents a $8.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.04%. Everest Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 11.89%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on EG. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Everest Group from $419.00 to $405.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on Everest Group from $454.00 to $438.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Everest Group from $392.00 to $393.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Bank of America increased their price objective on Everest Group from $470.00 to $493.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Everest Group from $450.00 to $445.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Everest Group currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $431.00.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on EG

Everest Group Profile

(Free Report)

Everest Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through two segment, Insurance and Reinsurance. The Reinsurance segment writes property and casualty reinsurance; and specialty lines of business through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies in the United States, Bermuda, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

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AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB  Free Report) had its target price hoisted by Truist Financial from $213.00 to $230.00 in a report issued on Tuesday morning, Benzinga reports. Truist Financial currently has a hold rating on the real estate investment trusts stock.

AVB has been the topic of a number of other reports. Argus raised their price objective on AvalonBay Communities from $188.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, April 30th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $210.00 to $228.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $222.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, August 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $194.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, June 17th. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of AvalonBay Communities from $218.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Monday, August 26th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $214.47.

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AvalonBay Communities Stock Up 1.2 %

AVB stock opened at $225.73 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $209.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $195.23. AvalonBay Communities has a twelve month low of $160.45 and a twelve month high of $226.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.10 billion, a PE ratio of 33.59, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71.

AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The real estate investment trust reported $1.78 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.71 by ($0.93). The firm had revenue of $726.04 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $718.49 million. AvalonBay Communities had a net margin of 29.61% and a return on equity of 7.16%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.66 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that AvalonBay Communities will post 10.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AvalonBay Communities

In other news, SVP Keri A. Shea sold 2,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $207.17, for a total transaction of $414,340.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 4,383 shares of the companys stock, valued at $908,026.11. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CIO Matthew H. Birenbaum sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.90, for a total transaction of $1,044,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive now directly owns 65,967 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,780,506.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Keri A. Shea sold 2,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.17, for a total transaction of $414,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 4,383 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $908,026.11. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.42% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of AvalonBay Communities

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in AvalonBay Communities during the second quarter worth $32,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 1,877.8% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 178 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 169 shares during the period. BROOKFIELD Corp ON acquired a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities in the first quarter worth about $39,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. boosted its stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 50.0% during the 1st quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 225 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its position in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 38.8% during the 2nd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 261 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.61% of the companys stock.

About AvalonBay Communities

(Get Free Report)

As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 299 apartment communities containing 90,669 apartment homes in 12 states and the District of Columbia, of which 18 communities were under development. The Company is an equity REIT in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing apartment communities in leading metropolitan areas in New England, the New York/New Jersey Metro area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California, as well as in the Company's expansion regions of Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina, Southeast Florida, Dallas and Austin, Texas, and Denver, Colorado.

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Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV acquired a new position in shares of STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 81,849 shares of the semiconductor producers stock, valued at approximately $3,215,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of STMicroelectronics during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of STMicroelectronics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000. Headlands Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 74.9% during the 4th quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 1,221 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 523 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 144.2% during the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 1,243 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of STMicroelectronics during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.05% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on STM. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price objective on STMicroelectronics from $54.00 to $41.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. StockNews.com lowered shares of STMicroelectronics from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of STMicroelectronics from $50.00 to $40.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of STMicroelectronics from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of STMicroelectronics from a sell rating to a neutral rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $35.50 to $45.80 in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $43.13.

STMicroelectronics Price Performance

Shares of STMicroelectronics stock traded up $0.79 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $31.94. The company had a trading volume of 3,549,262 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,662,697. The company has a current ratio of 3.35, a quick ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company has a market capitalization of $28.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.73 and a beta of 1.59. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $35.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $40.43. STMicroelectronics has a 1-year low of $28.19 and a 1-year high of $51.27.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The semiconductor producer reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $3.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.55 billion. STMicroelectronics had a net margin of 19.68% and a return on equity of 18.18%. STMicroelectronicss revenue for the quarter was down 25.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.06 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that STMicroelectronics will post 1.66 earnings per share for the current year.

STMicroelectronics Profile

(Free Report)

STMicroelectronics N.V., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Automotive and Discrete Group; Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group; and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group segments.

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Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV lowered its stake in shares of Danaher Co. (NYSE:DHR  Free Report) by 8.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,566 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 1,020 shares during the quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADVs holdings in Danaher were worth $2,640,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. grew its stake in shares of Danaher by 3.4% during the second quarter. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. now owns 1,230 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $307,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co of Kansas boosted its position in Danaher by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Trust Co of Kansas now owns 1,022 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $255,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. boosted its position in Danaher by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 2,880 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $719,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Godsey & Gibb Inc. raised its position in shares of Danaher by 3.0% during the first quarter. Godsey & Gibb Inc. now owns 1,442 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $360,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Danaher by 1.8% during the second quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,345 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $586,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.05% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Danaher news, SVP Georgeann Couchara sold 952 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.37, for a total transaction of $255,488.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 4,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,130,374.44. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Danaher news, SVP Georgeann Couchara sold 952 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.37, for a total transaction of $255,488.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 4,212 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,130,374.44. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Matthew Mcgrew sold 16,172 shares of Danaher stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $279.84, for a total transaction of $4,525,572.48. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 29,407 shares in the company, valued at $8,229,254.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 39,659 shares of company stock worth $11,042,433 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 11.10% of the companys stock.

Danaher Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of Danaher stock traded up $2.29 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $269.31. The companys stock had a trading volume of 4,595,672 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,803,002. The company has a market capitalization of $199.47 billion, a PE ratio of 45.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $259.76 and a 200 day moving average of $254.94. Danaher Co. has a 12 month low of $182.09 and a 12 month high of $281.70.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The conglomerate reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.57 by $0.15. Danaher had a return on equity of 11.06% and a net margin of 16.94%. The business had revenue of $5.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.05 EPS. Danahers revenue for the quarter was down 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Danaher Co. will post 7.59 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DHR has been the subject of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Danaher from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Danaher from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Danaher in a report on Monday, June 3rd. They issued a buy rating and a $295.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Danaher from $270.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Danaher from $297.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $278.94.

View Our Latest Analysis on DHR

Danaher Company Profile

(Free Report)

Danaher Corporation designs, manufactures, and markets professional, medical, industrial, and commercial products and services worldwide. The Biotechnology segments offers bioprocess technologies, consumables, and services that advance, accelerate, and integrate the development and manufacture of therapeutics; cell line and cell culture media development services; cell culture media, process liquids and buffers for manufacturing, chromatography resins, filtration technologies, aseptic fill finish; single-use hardware and consumables and services, such as the design and installation of full manufacturing suites; lab filtration, separation, and purification; lab-scale protein purification and analytical tools; reagents, membranes, and services; and healthcare filtration solutions.

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J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM  Get Free Report) had its price target dropped by analysts at Bank of America from $130.00 to $122.00 in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Bank of Americas price target would suggest a potential upside of 6.38% from the stocks previous close.

SJM has been the subject of several other reports. Argus cut their price objective on shares of J. M. Smucker from $150.00 to $135.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 13th. StockNews.com upgraded J. M. Smucker from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday. Barclays lowered their price objective on J. M. Smucker from $132.00 to $123.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 10th. DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of J. M. Smucker from $132.00 to $126.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of J. M. Smucker from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 7th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $129.31.

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J. M. Smucker Stock Performance

SJM opened at $114.68 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. J. M. Smucker has a 12-month low of $105.69 and a 12-month high of $146.29. The business has a 50 day moving average of $116.04 and a 200-day moving average of $116.69. The stock has a market cap of $12.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.11, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.25.

J. M. Smucker (NYSE:SJM  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 28th. The company reported $2.44 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.17 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $2.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.13 billion. J. M. Smucker had a net margin of 9.10% and a return on equity of 14.15%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.21 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that J. M. Smucker will post 10.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at J. M. Smucker

In other news, CEO Mark T. Smucker sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, June 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.16, for a total transaction of $1,101,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 78,757 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,675,871.12. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 3.40% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On J. M. Smucker

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in J. M. Smucker by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,471,395 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,702,515,000 after purchasing an additional 518,433 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners acquired a new position in shares of J. M. Smucker during the first quarter worth $364,990,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of J. M. Smucker by 8.2% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,783,183 shares of the companys stock valued at $194,435,000 after acquiring an additional 135,158 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of J. M. Smucker by 14.4% in the 2nd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,526,074 shares of the companys stock valued at $166,403,000 after acquiring an additional 192,075 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of J. M. Smucker by 29.0% during the 1st quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,457,995 shares of the companys stock valued at $183,518,000 after acquiring an additional 327,680 shares in the last quarter. 81.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About J. M. Smucker

(Get Free Report)

The J. M. Smucker Company manufactures and markets branded food and beverage products worldwide. It operates in three segments: U.S. Retail Pet Foods, U.S. Retail Coffee, and U.S. Retail Consumer Foods. The company offers mainstream roast, ground, single serve, and premium coffee; peanut butter and specialty spreads; fruit spreads, toppings, and syrups; jelly products; nut mix products; shortening and oils; frozen sandwiches and snacks; pet food and pet snacks; and foodservice hot beverage, foodservice portion control, and flour products, as well as dog and cat food, frozen handheld products, juices and beverages, and baking mixes and ingredients.

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Elle Russell, co-founder of NightCafe, which offers a suite of AI-powered art-creating tools, prefers to avoid the spotlight.

"I like to remain hidden behind my monitors," she told me in a recent interview.

NightCafe, based in Cairns, Australia, is similarly low profile.

The company, which Russell helped her partner, Angus Russell, launch five years ago, doesn't get the same publicity as some of its rivals, like Midjourney. Yet NightCafe  an entirely bootstrapped venture that's profitable "most months," according to Elle  has enormous reach. Its over 25 million users have created nearly a billion images with its tools.

To pull back the curtain on one of the web's oldest generative art marketplaces, I spoke with Elle about NightCafe's origins, some of the challenges the platform faces, and where she and Angus see it evolving from here.

A website for wall art

As NightCafe's founding story goes, Angus had recently moved into a semi-detached house in Sydney's Inner West area and hadn't had a chance to decorate it with much artwork. "You should get some art; the walls are bare," remarked one guest. And while Angus agreed, he couldn't find any prints online that spoke to him.

So in 2019, Angus, who had a degree in design and who'd co-founded a few design-focused startups, began a side hustle: a website where people could buy and sell AI-generated art. He called it NightCafe, after Vincent Van Gogh's "The Night Cafe."

It was an abject failure.

People liked creating the art, which NightCafe didn't charge for. But they didn't want to pay for wall prints, which was the only way the site made money.

Then one fateful week, Angus noticed that his hosting bill was a few hundred dollars higher than usual. Someone had generated thousands of images in just a few days. He implemented a credit system to prevent that from happening again.

Soon after, Angus' inbox was flooded with requests to add an option to buy more credits, which he did. Practically overnight, the site became breakeven.

It's at this point Elle joined NightCafe to run the business side of the operation. "I have two undergraduate bachelor degrees, in business and communications, and I'm also a CPA," she said. "It made sense."

NightCafe's viral success

NightCafe got its second big break a couple years later, in mid-2021, when OpenAI announced DALL-E.

DALL-E, OpenAI's first image-generating AI model, was state-of-the-art for the time. OpenAI opted not to release it, but it wasn't long before enthusiasts managed to reverse-engineer some of the methods behind DALL-E and build open source models of their own.

Story continues

Angus, who'd been closely following the developments, quickly worked to get one of the more popular DALL-E alternatives, VQGAN+CLIP, on NightCafe. He shelled out for hundreds of GPUs to scale it up.

The investment soon paid for itself.

Images created with NightCafe's VQGAN+CLIP blew up on Reddit; NightCafe made $17,000 in a single day. Angus decided to quit his job at Atlassian to work on the platform full-time.

A model marketplace

The NightCafe of today is quite different from the NightCafe of several years ago.

The platform still runs some models on its own servers, including recent versions of Stable Diffusion and Ideogram. But it also integrates APIs from AI vendors that offer them, delivering what amounts to custom interfaces for third-party generators.

Selecting a model from NightCafe's gallery.

That is to say, NightCafe layers tools on top of models from elsewhere, including OpenAI, Google and Black Forest Labs. And, as it has since 2019, the site provides printing services for customers who want mugs, T-shirts and prints of any art they generate.

"We're a UI and community company," Elle said. "NightCafe doesn't have any internal AI or machine learning capability; we aggregate the available image models and make them fun and accessible to use."

In NightCafe's chatrooms, users can share their art and collaborate, or kick off "AI art challenges." The platform also hosts official competitions where people can submit their creations for featured placement.

Chatrooms on NightCafe.

Last year, NightCafe introduced fine-tuning, which allows users to train a model to re-create a specific style, face or object by uploading example images. Fine-tuned models on NightCafe are subject to certain restrictions; for example, they can't be trained on images showing nudity, celebrities or people under the age of 18, and they must be manually approved by NightCafe's moderation team. (That's to mitigate the risk of deepfakes.)

The terms users must agree to before submitting a fine-tuned model.

NightCafe is free to use, but only up to a certain number of images. Packs of image-generation credits can be purchased a la cart, and select features are gated behind a subscription. For fees ranging from $4.79 to $50 per month (undercutting Midjourney and Civitai), users get priority access to more-capable models, the ability to tip creators, the aforementioned fine-tuning capability and a higher image-generation limit.

It's a model that's worked exceptionally well for NightCafe.

A source close to the company tells TechCrunch that NightCafe is raking in $4 million in annualized revenue with a gross margin of nearly 50%, meaning that NightCafe is generating approximately $2 million a year in profit after expenses (inclusive of payroll for its nine staff).

Roughly a million people are visiting NightCafe each month, Elle says, and 20,000 have a subscription.

"Any AI art generator online is competing for money from the same people, though our users skew older than a lot of the industry," she said. "We consider our biggest competitors to be other apps that have a strong community: Leonardo, Civitai and Midjourney."

Copyright concerns over AI art

By opting not to train its own AI (and moderating fine-tuning), NightCafe is attempting to steer clear of the legal stand-off that's ensnared many of the AI vendors whose models it aggregates.

Stability AI, Midjourney and a pair of other model providers, DeviantArt and Runway, face a class action lawsuit filed by artists who allege that the vendors engaged in copyright infringement by training their models on art without permission. (The vendors claim a fair use defense.) Some parts of the suit have been struck down. But a federal judge allowed it to move into the discovery stage early this month.

NightCafe may be protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which holds users, not platforms, liable for illegal content (like copyright-violating artwork) so long as the platforms remove the content upon request. Australia, NightCafe's home base, has the Broadcasting Services Act, which closely mirrors Section 230 with the exception that it imposes higher additional fees for failing to expeditiously remove "extreme violent material."

Of course, should a court rule that the models NightCafe uses are essentially plagiarism machines, that'd be disruptive to the company's business. But what about copyright as it pertains to NightCafe's users and the art they generate?

Creating an image with NightCafe.

According to the platform's terms of service, users retain the copyright for their AI-generated works in countries that recognize these types of works as copyrightable (like the U.S.)  at least as long as there's permission to use any third-party branding, logos or trademarks within.

A post last May on NightCafe's blog sheds more light on this: "Legitimate creators recognize and acknowledge where the inspiration used to create their images derived from another source. AI art creation tools are also evolving quickly, with systems in development to support the ongoing creative environment while ensuring that users can only access source material with the [consent] of the original artist  in much the same way that a royalty-free photography image may be permitted for use provided the creator is referenced."

In other words, in NightCafe's view, it's the users, not NightCafe, who have to cover their bases. And if they don't, the platform won't defend them from the wrath of IP holders.

But it seems that IP holders don't intimidate many users.

Cursory searches of NightCafe bring up images of Pokemon and Donald Duck, celebrities like Britney Spears, brands such as Coca-Cola and LEGO and artwork in the style of artists like Stanley "Artgerm" Lau. None appears to have been generated with the blessing of the copyright holders.

NightCafe

"Users can also report content that got through automated filters, and we have a team of human moderators working 24/7 on moderating flagged content," Elle said when asked about this.

Political policies and deepfakes

As my interview with Elle segued to moderation, we dove into NightCafe's general content guidelines, particularly its policies around politics and deepfakes.

Platforms, including Midjourney, have taken the step of banning users from generating images of political figures like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris leading up to the U.S. presidential election. But NightCafe hasn't  and it doesn't intend to, according to Elle.

"Generating images of Trump and other political and public figures is allowed," she said. "However, we don't want NightCafe to be a place for political arguments."

How can NightCafe have it both ways? While the platform won't prevent users from publishing political images elsewhere, it will flag those images for review if a user tries to post them to NightCafe's public feeds.

That being the case, it's trivial to find images of Biden in a wheelchair, Trump holding a gun and questionable Harris memes in NightCafe's public gallery. With polls showing that the majority of Americans are concerned about the spread of AI propaganda and deepfakes, NightCafe certainly hasn't made enforcement easier on itself.

NightCafe

As for what content is or isn't allowed: It depends.

"Political bait," glorification of divisive figures or purposely unflattering or demeaning images, are no-gos (in spite of what my searches turned up). Most content the average person would find harmful or offensive is also prohibited; NightCafe's community standards list calls out things like racist and homophobic images, spam, offensive swear words, terrorism themes, images mocking people with disabilities, and depictions of hate groups and symbols.

These subjects may technically be disallowed. But type a term like "suicide bomber" into NightCafe's search bar and there's a decent chance you'll come across at least one image that seems to fly in the face of the platform's rules.

Elle tells me that it's ultimately up to moderators to interpret NightCafe's guidelines and that repeatedly publishing images in a banned category, or circumventing automated filters, could result in a warning or ban.

NightCafe has a rather small moderation team given its size (and the fact that the site's users generate at least 700 images a day): five paid moderators and 20 volunteer moderators who get compensation in the form of premium NightCafe features. The paid moderators monitor content, while the volunteers handle comments, NightCafe's chatrooms and the fine-tuned model queue.

Considering the poor working conditions content moderators are often subject to, I asked Elle for more information about NightCafe's moderator recruitment practices. She said that the paid team is run through an outsourcing firm based in Indonesia (she wouldn't name which) and overseen by an internal NightCafe staff member.

A few results for the search term "Coca-Cola."

All paid moderators get a "market wage," Elle said. (In Jakarta, the minimum wage was around $325 per month as of early 2024.)

Similar to Civitai, NightCafe has a policy carve-out for "NSFW" content: short of outright nudity, but permissive of suggestive poses (with "bare breasts and bums"), blood and gore, graphic depictions of war, and images of illegal drug use (e.g., Mickeys smoking blunts). This is somewhat dependent on the model; OpenAI's DALL-E 2 has a stricter set of filters, for instance.

Why allow NSFW images despite the risks and without any form of watermarking (which might soon be legally mandated in California) to prevent abuse? To the first question, Elle says that it would stifle "artistic freedom."

"We do allow mild artistic nudity and adult themes on the site when tagged as NSFW, but not outright porn. We've tried our best to 'draw the line' for our users in our community standards so that they understand what's allowed and what's not," she added. "We pride ourselves on our community and being the 'hub' for all things AI art."

From my few searches, NightCafe doesn't seem overrun with boundary-crossing objectionable stuff. But I couldn't help but notice that most of the "sexy" images featured women  an unfortunate pattern on platforms such as these.

Where NightCafe goes from here

Like many startups in the AI-powered art-generating space, NightCafe appears to be in a bit of a holding pattern. It's bringing new models online, including video-generating models like Stable Video Diffusion. But it's not rocking the boat too much  the unsaid reason being that a single court decision or regulation could force NightCafe to rethink its entire operation.

Still, Elle seems to think NightCafe has legs and doesn't need outside investment.

"The majority of our competitors raised money over the last two years while image generation was hot," Russell said. "Pretty much all of them were, or are, offering image generation at a loss to acquire users. Not all of them can succeed; NightCafe pioneered the intersection of AI and art but also championed the idea that creativity using advanced technology should be accessible for all."

There's no plans for an enterprise NightCafe offering, despite how lucrative such a product could prove to be (moderation roadblocks aside). Elle says that the focus will remain on building a community and "social hub" atop the latest generative models.

"One challenge that the industry faces is that image-generation models are getting so good, theyll soon be commoditized," she said. "What do companies compete on then? At NightCafe, weve chosen to focus on being an aggregator of the top models to provide the best variety and highest level of technology."

We'll see how it navigates the choppy waters from here.
Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH  Free Report) by 10.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 139,089 shares of the medical research companys stock after purchasing an additional 12,810 shares during the quarter. Laboratory Co. of America makes up about 1.4% of Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC owned about 0.16% of Laboratory Co. of America worth $28,306,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in Laboratory Co. of America during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Family Firm Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America in the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 313.2% in the 1st quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 219 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. 95.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

LH has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. StockNews.com raised shares of Laboratory Co. of America from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 20th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $210.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $213.00 to $249.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Laboratory Co. of America from $261.00 to $277.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $247.42.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Glenn A. Eisenberg sold 15,000 shares of Laboratory Co. of America stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.99, for a total value of $3,359,850.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 31,289 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,008,423.11. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CFO Glenn A. Eisenberg sold 15,000 shares of Laboratory Co. of America stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.99, for a total value of $3,359,850.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 31,289 shares in the company, valued at $7,008,423.11. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Lance Berberian sold 12,093 shares of Laboratory Co. of America stock in a transaction on Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $229.10, for a total transaction of $2,770,506.30. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 15,921 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,647,501.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 29,679 shares of company stock valued at $6,716,306 over the last three months. 0.85% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Laboratory Co. of America Price Performance

LH traded up $0.20 on Friday, reaching $229.89. The company had a trading volume of 488,578 shares, compared to its average volume of 694,919. The company has a market cap of $19.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.05. Laboratory Co. of America Holdings has a 52-week low of $191.97 and a 52-week high of $238.46. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $216.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $210.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.88.

Laboratory Co. of America (NYSE:LH  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The medical research company reported $3.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.78 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $3.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.19 billion. Laboratory Co. of America had a net margin of 3.60% and a return on equity of 15.39%. The businesss revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.42 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Laboratory Co. of America Holdings will post 14.84 EPS for the current year.

Laboratory Co. of America Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 29th will be paid a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 29th. Laboratory Co. of Americas payout ratio is 57.95%.

About Laboratory Co. of America

(Free Report)

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as a life sciences company that provides vital information to help doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and patients make clear and confident decisions. It operates in two segments, Labcorp Diagnostics (Dx) and Biopharma Laboratory Services (BLS).

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Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN  Free Report) had its price objective raised by BMO Capital Markets from $20.00 to $22.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a market perform rating on the specialty retailers stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Nordstrom from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, May 17th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Nordstrom from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research report on Wednesday. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Nordstrom from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their price target on shares of Nordstrom from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Nordstrom from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research report on Friday, May 31st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $19.85.

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Nordstrom Trading Up 1.6 %

Nordstrom stock opened at $22.34 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $3.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.21, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 2.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.13, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.36. Nordstrom has a 1 year low of $12.88 and a 1 year high of $24.03. The firms 50 day moving average price is $21.95 and its 200-day moving average price is $20.69.

Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $0.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $3.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.88 billion. Nordstrom had a negative net margin of 1.35% and a negative return on equity of 26.45%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.84 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Nordstrom will post 1.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Nordstrom Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.40%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. Nordstroms dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.53%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Algert Global LLC bought a new position in Nordstrom during the second quarter valued at $210,000. Maverick Capital Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Nordstrom by 7.1% during the second quarter. Maverick Capital Ltd. now owns 118,834 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $2,522,000 after purchasing an additional 7,883 shares during the period. Deerfield Management Company L.P. Series C boosted its stake in shares of Nordstrom by 328.7% during the second quarter. Deerfield Management Company L.P. Series C now owns 42,747 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $907,000 after purchasing an additional 32,776 shares during the period. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Nordstrom during the second quarter valued at $191,000. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Nordstrom during the second quarter valued at $71,000. Institutional investors own 88.73% of the companys stock.

Nordstrom Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Nordstrom, Inc, a fashion retailer, provides apparels, shoes, beauty, accessories, and home goods for women, men, young adults, and children. It offers a range of brand-name and private-label merchandise through various channels, such as Nordstrom branded stores and online at Nordstrom.com; Nordstrom.ca; Nordstrom stores; Nordstrom Rack stores; Nordstrom Locals; ASOS; Nordstromrack.com; mobile application; and clearance stores under the Last Chance name.

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BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Inverse Leveraged ETN (NYSEARCA:FNGD  Get Free Report)s share price shot up 5% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $25.52 and last traded at $25.47. 869,057 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 51% from the average session volume of 1,764,373 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.25.

BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Inverse Leveraged ETN Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $17.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.73 and a beta of -5.03. The businesss 50 day moving average is $24.59 and its 200 day moving average is $31.63.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Inverse Leveraged ETN

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Inverse Leveraged ETN stock. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. acquired a new stake in BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Inverse Leveraged ETN (NYSEARCA:FNGD  Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 1,165 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $43,000.

BMO REX MicroSectors FANG Index 3X Inverse Leveraged ETN Company Profile

The MicroSectors FANG+ Index -3X Inverse Leveraged ETN (FNGD) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the NYSE FANG+ index. The fund tracks -3x the daily price movements of an index of technology and consumer discretionary companies. The note uses derivatives to achieve its -3x exposure. FNGD was launched on Jan 25, 2018 and is issued by REX Microsectors.

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Boston Financial Mangement LLC reduced its position in shares of Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO  Free Report) by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 626,703 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 4,342 shares during the period. Brown & Brown comprises about 1.8% of Boston Financial Mangement LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Boston Financial Mangement LLCs holdings in Brown & Brown were worth $56,034,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BRO. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. boosted its position in Brown & Brown by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 22,816 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,040,000 after acquiring an additional 685 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Brown & Brown by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 12,804,979 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,144,893,000 after acquiring an additional 86,824 shares in the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its position in Brown & Brown by 330.4% during the 2nd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 297 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Brown & Brown by 20.9% during the 2nd quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 25,648 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,293,000 after acquiring an additional 4,439 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its position in Brown & Brown by 6.3% during the 2nd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 41,797 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,737,000 after acquiring an additional 2,465 shares in the last quarter. 71.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Brown & Brown Stock Performance

BRO stock traded up $0.48 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $105.13. The stock had a trading volume of 1,422,348 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,239,995. The stock has a market cap of $29.99 billion, a PE ratio of 32.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a current ratio of 2.35. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $96.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $89.74. Brown & Brown, Inc. has a 52-week low of $66.73 and a 52-week high of $105.45.

Brown & Brown Announces Dividend

Brown & Brown ( NYSE:BRO Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.14 billion. Brown & Brown had a return on equity of 17.00% and a net margin of 21.95%. The companys revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.68 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Brown & Brown, Inc. will post 3.68 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 7th were paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, August 7th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.49%. Brown & Browns payout ratio is currently 16.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brown & Brown

In other Brown & Brown news, EVP Julie Turpin sold 3,350 shares of Brown & Brown stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.92, for a total transaction of $301,232.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 23,597 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,121,842.24. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, EVP Julie Turpin sold 3,350 shares of Brown & Brown stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.92, for a total value of $301,232.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 23,597 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,121,842.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Hyatt J. Brown sold 134,640 shares of Brown & Brown stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.51, for a total value of $14,071,226.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 140,490 shares of company stock worth $14,623,258. Insiders own 17.02% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BRO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Brown & Brown from $95.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Brown & Brown from $104.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Brown & Brown from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 31st. UBS Group raised their price objective on Brown & Brown from $91.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised Brown & Brown from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $94.00 to $112.00 in a research report on Monday, August 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $99.20.

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Brown & Brown Profile

(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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Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV boosted its position in shares of Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF (BATS:SYLD  Free Report) by 21.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,697 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,202 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADVs holdings in Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF were worth $457,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Verum Partners LLC raised its holdings in Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF by 1,741.5% in the 2nd quarter. Verum Partners LLC now owns 138,613 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,464,000 after acquiring an additional 131,086 shares in the last quarter. InterOcean Capital Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF by 63.3% in the 1st quarter. InterOcean Capital Group LLC now owns 229,255 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,798,000 after purchasing an additional 88,892 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in shares of Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF by 32.0% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 315,779 shares of the companys stock worth $21,337,000 after purchasing an additional 76,610 shares during the last quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF by 75.4% during the 1st quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC now owns 156,929 shares of the companys stock worth $11,498,000 after purchasing an additional 67,481 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF by 8.4% during the second quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 670,340 shares of the companys stock worth $45,771,000 after buying an additional 51,776 shares during the last quarter.

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Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF Stock Up 0.4 %

SYLD traded up $0.27 during trading on Friday, hitting $71.78. The companys stock had a trading volume of 28,411 shares. The company has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a PE ratio of 7.91 and a beta of 0.89. The companys 50 day moving average price is $69.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $69.86.

Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF Profile

The Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF (SYLD) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund offers active exposure to US stocks with attractive cash flow characterized by dividends, shares buybacks and net debt paydown. SYLD was launched on May 14, 2013 and is managed by Cambria.

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Shares of Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI  Get Free Report) (TSE:CNR) have earned a consensus rating of Hold from the nineteen brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $125.04.

CNI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. National Bank Financial upgraded shares of Canadian National Railway from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Scotiabank upgraded Canadian National Railway from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. StockNews.com lowered Canadian National Railway from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered Canadian National Railway from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $146.25 to $130.67 in a research report on Monday, July 8th. Finally, Stephens reduced their target price on Canadian National Railway from $127.00 to $122.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Canadian National Railway Price Performance

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bfsg LLC raised its holdings in Canadian National Railway by 110.5% during the first quarter. Bfsg LLC now owns 200 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in Canadian National Railway during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Addison Advisors LLC grew its position in Canadian National Railway by 159.1% during the second quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 241 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Canadian National Railway by 766.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 234 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ORG Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Canadian National Railway in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. 80.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NYSE:CNI opened at $117.82 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market cap of $74.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $116.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $123.52. Canadian National Railway has a 1-year low of $103.96 and a 1-year high of $134.02.

Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI  Get Free Report) (TSE:CNR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.93 by ($0.09). Canadian National Railway had a net margin of 32.00% and a return on equity of 23.58%. The firm had revenue of $4.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.31 EPS. The companys revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Canadian National Railway will post 5.63 EPS for the current year.

Canadian National Railway Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Friday, September 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.614 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. This represents a $2.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.08%. Canadian National Railways dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.23%.

About Canadian National Railway

(Get Free Report

Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail, intermodal, trucking, and marine transportation and logistics business in Canada and the United States. The company provides rail services, which include equipment, custom brokerage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services, such as temperature controlled cargo, port partnerships, and logistics parks.

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Shares of Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ  Get Free Report) (TSE:CNQ) have been given a consensus recommendation of Hold by the six ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $49.50.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on CNQ shares. Raymond James raised shares of Canadian Natural Resources to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 28th. StockNews.com lowered Canadian Natural Resources from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Scotiabank reissued a sector perform rating on shares of Canadian Natural Resources in a research report on Tuesday, June 11th. Finally, Wolfe Research assumed coverage on Canadian Natural Resources in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They issued a peer perform rating for the company.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Canadian Natural Resources

Canadian Natural Resources Stock Performance

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. TD Asset Management Inc increased its position in shares of Canadian Natural Resources by 96.2% during the second quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 42,518,833 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $1,514,190,000 after purchasing an additional 20,843,193 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its position in Canadian Natural Resources by 93.0% during the 2nd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 41,464,502 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $1,476,644,000 after buying an additional 19,980,902 shares in the last quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. raised its stake in Canadian Natural Resources by 105.3% in the second quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 31,668,045 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $1,127,382,000 after buying an additional 16,245,046 shares during the last quarter. Yacktman Asset Management LP boosted its holdings in Canadian Natural Resources by 95.9% in the second quarter. Yacktman Asset Management LP now owns 29,456,746 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $1,048,660,000 after acquiring an additional 14,418,835 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its stake in shares of Canadian Natural Resources by 90.3% during the second quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 30,017,414 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $1,069,338,000 after acquiring an additional 14,246,978 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.03% of the companys stock.

CNQ stock opened at $36.19 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $77.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.43 and a beta of 1.52. Canadian Natural Resources has a twelve month low of $29.45 and a twelve month high of $41.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $35.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.29.

Canadian Natural Resources (NYSE:CNQ  Get Free Report) (TSE:CNQ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The oil and gas producer reported $0.88 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.62 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $7.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.19 billion. Canadian Natural Resources had a net margin of 18.05% and a return on equity of 21.98%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. Analysts predict that Canadian Natural Resources will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Canadian Natural Resources Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 4th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.384 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.24%. Canadian Natural Resourcess dividend payout ratio is currently 60.56%.

Canadian Natural Resources Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Canadian Natural Resources Limited acquires, explores for, develops, produces, markets, and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The company offers light and medium crude oil, primary heavy crude oil, Pelican Lake heavy crude oil, bitumen (thermal oil), and synthetic crude oil (SCO).

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Charter Hall Group (OTCMKTS:CTOUF  Get Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 670,300 shares, a decline of 42.5% from the July 31st total of 1,166,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6,703.0 days.

Charter Hall Group Stock Performance

Shares of CTOUF stock remained flat at $9.78 during midday trading on Friday. Charter Hall Group has a 52 week low of $5.22 and a 52 week high of $9.78. The companys fifty day moving average price is $8.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $7.93.

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Charter Hall Group Company Profile

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Charter Hall is one of Australia's leading fully integrated property investment and funds management groups. We use our expertise to access, deploy, manage and invest equity to create value and generate superior returns for our investor customers. We've curated a diverse portfolio of high-quality properties across our core sectors Office, Industrial & Logistics, Retail and Social Infrastructure.

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China Feihe Limited (OTCMKTS:CFEIY  Get Free Report) dropped 1.3% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $4.51 and last traded at $4.62. Approximately 30,900 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 771% from the average daily volume of 3,547 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.68.

China Feihe Trading Up 1.2 %

The firms fifty day simple moving average is $4.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.86.

China Feihe Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

China Feihe Limited, an investment holding company, produces and sells infant milk formula products in Mainland China, Canada, and the United States. It operates through two segments, Raw milk; and Dairy Products and Nutritional Supplements Products. The company provides a range of raw milk, adult milk powders, children's milk powder, liquid milk products, maternity milk powder, and health care products, as well as soybean powder and goat milk powder.

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Crewe Advisors LLC lowered its position in shares of Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER  Free Report) by 15.4% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,407 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock after selling 438 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLCs holdings in Uber Technologies were worth $175,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. EMC Capital Management boosted its position in Uber Technologies by 45.5% during the second quarter. EMC Capital Management now owns 4,800 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $339,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in Uber Technologies by 62.5% during the second quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 11,050 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $803,000 after purchasing an additional 4,252 shares in the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Uber Technologies by 12.4% during the second quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,551,714 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $112,779,000 after purchasing an additional 170,834 shares in the last quarter. BloombergSen Inc. boosted its position in Uber Technologies by 44.0% during the second quarter. BloombergSen Inc. now owns 12,002 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $872,000 after purchasing an additional 3,667 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AM Investment Strategies LLC boosted its position in Uber Technologies by 24.0% during the second quarter. AM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 5,580 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $406,000 after purchasing an additional 1,080 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.24% of the companys stock.

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Uber Technologies Price Performance

Shares of Uber Technologies stock traded up $0.89 on Friday, reaching $73.13. The companys stock had a trading volume of 12,350,368 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,565,869. The company has a market capitalization of $153.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 117.95, a PEG ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.36. Uber Technologies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $40.09 and a 52-week high of $82.14. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $69.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $71.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Insider Activity

Uber Technologies ( NYSE:UBER Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The ride-sharing company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $10.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.57 billion. Uber Technologies had a return on equity of 17.06% and a net margin of 5.02%. The businesss revenue was up 15.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.18 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Uber Technologies, Inc. will post 1.04 EPS for the current year.

In other news, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 500,000 shares of Uber Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.91, for a total value of $35,955,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,266,114 shares of the companys stock, valued at $91,046,257.74. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Tony West sold 28,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.67, for a total value of $1,978,760.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 96,945 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,851,103.15. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sold 500,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.91, for a total value of $35,955,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,266,114 shares in the company, valued at approximately $91,046,257.74. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 617,234 shares of company stock worth $44,017,734 over the last three months. 3.84% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on Uber Technologies from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Uber Technologies from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 9th. Bank of America reissued a buy rating and issued a $88.00 price target on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Friday, August 23rd. DA Davidson raised their price target on Uber Technologies from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on Uber Technologies from $86.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirty have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $87.50.

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Uber Technologies Company Profile

(Free Report)

Uber Technologies, Inc develops and operates proprietary technology applications in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia excluding China and Southeast Asia. It operates through three segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. The Mobility segment connects consumers with a range of transportation modalities, such as ridesharing, carsharing, micromobility, rentals, public transit, taxis, and other modalities; and offers riders in a variety of vehicle types, as well as financial partnerships products and advertising services.

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Mazahir Panahov, Chairman of Azerbaijans Central Election Commission (CEC), met Ahmet Yener, Chairman of the Turkish Supreme Election Council (YSK), who is leading the observation mission in Azerbaijan to monitor the snap parliamentary elections scheduled for September 1, 2024, Azernews reports.

During the meeting, Panahov provided comprehensive details about the preparations for the election process across the country, including voter numbers, polling stations, web cameras, and other election preparations. He highlighted that representatives from various international organizations were visiting Azerbaijan to monitor the parliamentary elections.

Noting that 6,478 polling stations were created nationwide, Panahov emphasized that 25 out of the 26 parties functioning across the country will compete for parliamentary seats. Panahov also highlighted that special attention will be given to accommodating impaired voters on the election day.

The CEC Chairman mentioned that this election marks the first time parliamentary elections to be conducted across Azerbaijan's entire sovereign territory. In the recently liberated territories, 54 polling stations have been set up to enable over 42,000 voters to participate in the elections. A total of 990 candidates are competing for parliamentary seats.

Ahmet Yener expressed his satisfaction with participating in the observation of the elections to the Milli Majlis and praised democratic values upheld by the Azerbaijani people.

The meeting also included discussions on other issues of mutual interest with respect to the elections.
Even after a steep plunge earlier in August, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is still up almost 40% for the year. That's the good news. The bad news is that Bitcoin recently dipped below $60,000 again, and shows few, if any, signs of rebounding anytime soon. During the past 30 days, Bitcoin is down 11%. In fact, August is shaping up to be Bitcoin's worst month since April.

But I think many of the fears of the Bitcoin bears may be overstated. In fact, I'm predicting that the next big move for Bitcoin will be a rebound to $100,000 by year-end.

Why is Bitcoin falling?

As a first step, it's important to figure out why Bitcoin has been falling. The best explanation, from my perspective, is that inflows into the new spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are slowing, and that's putting a brake on any upward Bitcoin price action. Since the launch of the new spot ETFs in January, the steady inflow of new money into Bitcoin is what has pushed up prices. So if these inflows dry up, then it makes sense that Bitcoin is going to trade sideways or down.

Moreover, investors were obviously spooked by the August flash crash, when the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies collapsed literally overnight. So, from a sentiment perspective, it makes sense that investors are becoming much more cautious about which risk assets they are willing to put their money into. The new narrative is that investors are rushing to pull their money out of Bitcoin so that they can put it into Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA).

Image source: Getty Images.

Thus, for Bitcoin to begin its ascent to $100,000, investor sentiment needs to improve and inflows into the new spot Bitcoin ETFs need to return to their former pace. And this appears to be what is happening. During the final days of August, the spot Bitcoin ETFs posted eight straight days of positive inflows.

Key catalysts ahead

There are two key catalysts that could help to boost ETF inflows and restore investor confidence in Bitcoin. The first is the Bitcoin halving, which took place back in April, cutting the rate of new coin creation. At the time, it was heralded as the most important crypto event of the year, and was supposed to result in Bitcoin skyrocketing in price. Until now, though, the halving has been a nothing-burger, and many investors may have forgotten about it entirely.

But there is growing reason to expect that the real impact of the halving will begin to be felt as we head into the final months of the year. For example, historical evidence suggests that it takes at least 200 days after the date of the halving for Bitcoin to kick into a higher gear. And guess what: 200 days from the time of the Bitcoin halving on April 19 brings us to the end of October as the potential start date of a new Bitcoin bull market cycle.

Story continues

This is the same pattern that occurred during the previous Bitcoin halving cycle in 2020. As can be seen from the chart below, Bitcoin meandered along during the summer and early fall after its halving event in May, before kicking into a new higher gear in the final months of the year. There's no guarantee this same pattern will occur again, of course, but my fingers are crossed.

The second key catalyst is the U.S. presidential election. Pro-crypto sentiment appears to be building on both sides of the political aisle and Bitcoin has actually emerged as a campaign issue. The greatest impact would be felt if the Republicans win the White House, because Donald Trump is the first presidential candidate ever with a pro-Bitcoin agenda.

But there is reason to think that the Democrats, too, could be persuaded to pass sweeping pro-crypto legislation that makes it much more enticing to invest in Bitcoin. Either way, Bitcoin could benefit from a so-called relief rally as investors pile back into crypto in November.

How likely is $100,000?

Admittedly, for Bitcoin to almost double in price and hit $100,000 by the end of the year, a lot of things will need to go right. But if ETF inflows revive, and if crypto sentiment once again turns bullish, it might just happen. Keep in mind, too, that there could be a number of positive surprise events -- such as China reversing its ban on crypto -- that could unlock a tremendous amount of upside potential for Bitcoin.

Throughout Bitcoin's 15-year history, a strategy of buying the dip has usually paid off for investors. And I don't think this time will be any different. This might be the last time to buy Bitcoin at such a discounted price. By the end of the year, six-figure Bitcoin could be the new normal.

Should you invest $1,000 in Bitcoin right now?

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Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. cut its position in shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS  Free Report) (TSE:BNS) by 2.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 181,230 shares of the banks stock after selling 5,293 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.s holdings in Bank of Nova Scotia were worth $8,286,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mather Group LLC. lifted its position in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 1,388.9% during the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 536 shares of the banks stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in Bank of Nova Scotia by 3,127.8% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 581 shares of the banks stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 563 shares in the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 70.6% during the first quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 585 shares of the banks stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 144.6% in the 1st quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 959 shares of the banks stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 567 shares during the period. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Bank of Nova Scotia in the first quarter worth about $53,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.13% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on BNS shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. UBS Group started coverage on Bank of Nova Scotia in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. They issued a neutral rating for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $68.00.

Bank of Nova Scotia Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of NYSE BNS traded up $0.66 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $49.88. 1,398,018 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,848,459. The Bank of Nova Scotia has a twelve month low of $39.79 and a twelve month high of $51.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $61.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.23, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.04. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $46.45 and a 200 day simple moving average of $47.54.

Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS  Get Free Report) (TSE:BNS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 27th. The bank reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $8.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.53 billion. Bank of Nova Scotia had a net margin of 10.40% and a return on equity of 11.40%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Bank of Nova Scotia will post 4.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank of Nova Scotia Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.768 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 2nd. This represents a $3.07 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.16%. Bank of Nova Scotias payout ratio is presently 69.59%.

About Bank of Nova Scotia

(Free Report)

The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Global Banking and Markets segments.

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CTT  Correios De Portugal, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CTTOF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 53,600 shares, an increase of 127.1% from the July 31st total of 23,600 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 29.8 days.

CTT  Correios De Portugal Stock Performance

CTT  Correios De Portugal stock remained flat at $5.00 during midday trading on Friday. The companys 50 day moving average is $4.50 and its 200 day moving average is $4.46. CTT  Correios De Portugal has a 52 week low of $3.55 and a 52 week high of $5.00.

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CTT  Correios De Portugal, SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides postal and financial services worldwide. It operates through Mail, Express & Parcels, Financial Services & Retail, and Bank segments. The company offers courier and urgent mail transport services; postal financial services; and banking services.

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Daito Trust Construction Co.,Ltd. (OTCMKTS:DIFTY  Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,300 shares, a growth of 116.7% from the July 31st total of 600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.6 days.

Daito Trust Construction Co.,Ltd. Stock Down 2.8 %

Shares of DIFTY traded down $0.84 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $29.82. 2,353 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,393. Daito Trust Construction Co.,Ltd. has a 52 week low of $24.65 and a 52 week high of $32.29. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $27.71 and a 200-day moving average of $27.57.

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Daito Trust Construction Co,Ltd. designs, constructs, and rents apartments and condominiums in Japan. It operates through three segments: Construction, Real Estate, and Finance. The company design and construct rental housing and other structure construction; ironwork and construction; building management and renovation, and whole building leasing; rental housing tenant guarantor services; advertising; and LP gas supply businesses.

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Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO  Free Report) (NYSE:BMO) had its price objective lowered by Desjardins from C$125.00 to C$120.00 in a research note published on Wednesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. Desjardins currently has a hold rating on the banks stock. Desjardins also issued estimates for Bank of Montreals Q4 2024 earnings at $2.51 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $10.30 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $11.30 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on BMO. UBS Group set a C$122.00 price target on Bank of Montreal and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Bank of Montreal from C$135.00 to C$130.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays cut their price target on Bank of Montreal from C$140.00 to C$132.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on Bank of Montreal from C$141.00 to C$124.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Scotiabank cut their price target on Bank of Montreal from C$129.00 to C$123.00 in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$121.00.

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Bank of Montreal Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of TSE BMO opened at C$112.71 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of C$82.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.97, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.16. Bank of Montreal has a 12-month low of C$102.67 and a 12-month high of C$133.95. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is C$116.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$122.52.

Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO  Get Free Report) (NYSE:BMO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 29th. The bank reported C$2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$2.74 by C($0.15). The company had revenue of C$7.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$8.06 billion. Bank of Montreal had a net margin of 21.21% and a return on equity of 8.19%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Bank of Montreal will post 11.472973 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank of Montreal Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.55 per share. This represents a $6.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 30th. Bank of Montreals payout ratio is 71.35%.

Bank of Montreal Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. It operates through Canadian P&C, U.S P&C, BMO Wealth Management, and BMO Capital Markets segments. The company's personal banking products and services include deposits, mortgages, home lending, consumer credit, small business lending, credit cards, cash management, financial and investment advice, and other banking services; and commercial banking products and services comprise various of financing options and treasury and payment solutions, as well as risk management products.

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Shares of Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:D  Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of Hold from the ten brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $54.00.

Several research firms have issued reports on D. Bank of America raised Dominion Energy from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price target for the company from $43.00 to $54.00 in a report on Friday, May 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Dominion Energy from $54.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. Scotiabank upped their price objective on Dominion Energy from $48.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 20th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Dominion Energy from $51.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, May 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com raised Dominion Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, May 10th.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dominion Energy

Dominion Energy Stock Up 0.8 %

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd bought a new position in Dominion Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $250,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in Dominion Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $53,000. RiverFront Investment Group LLC boosted its stake in Dominion Energy by 41.6% during the second quarter. RiverFront Investment Group LLC now owns 6,735 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $330,000 after buying an additional 1,979 shares during the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its position in Dominion Energy by 14.7% during the second quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 5,134 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $252,000 after purchasing an additional 659 shares during the period. Finally, 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC raised its position in Dominion Energy by 33.2% during the second quarter. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC now owns 27,655 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,355,000 after purchasing an additional 6,887 shares during the period. 73.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Dominion Energy stock opened at $55.90 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $52.71 and a 200 day moving average of $50.71. Dominion Energy has a one year low of $39.18 and a one year high of $57.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.93. The stock has a market cap of $46.82 billion, a PE ratio of 28.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.58.

Dominion Energy (NYSE:D  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.09. Dominion Energy had a return on equity of 7.69% and a net margin of 11.63%. The business had revenue of $3.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.73 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.53 earnings per share. Dominion Energys revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Dominion Energy will post 2.75 EPS for the current year.

Dominion Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 20th. Investors of record on Friday, August 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.6675 per share. This represents a $2.67 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 30th. Dominion Energys payout ratio is presently 137.63%.

About Dominion Energy

(Get Free Report

Dominion Energy, Inc produces and distributes energy in the United States. It operates through three operating segments: Dominion Energy Virginia, Dominion Energy South Carolina, and Contracted Energy. The Dominion Energy Virginia segment generates, transmits, and distributes regulated electricity to approximately 2.8 million residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental customers in Virginia and North Carolina.

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EastGroup Properties (NYSE:EGP  Free Report) had its target price lifted by Evercore ISI from $188.00 to $192.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. Evercore ISI currently has an in-line rating on the real estate investment trusts stock.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on EGP. Mizuho cut their price target on EastGroup Properties from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 31st. KeyCorp increased their price target on EastGroup Properties from $178.00 to $198.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. Truist Financial increased their price target on EastGroup Properties from $176.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. BNP Paribas started coverage on EastGroup Properties in a research note on Tuesday, June 4th. They set a neutral rating and a $167.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded EastGroup Properties from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and increased their price target for the stock from $179.00 to $214.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, EastGroup Properties has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $189.53.

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EastGroup Properties Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of EastGroup Properties stock opened at $186.29 on Wednesday. EastGroup Properties has a 1 year low of $154.75 and a 1 year high of $192.61. The firm has a market cap of $8.97 billion, a PE ratio of 40.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.98. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $181.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $174.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.21 and a quick ratio of 0.21.

EastGroup Properties (NYSE:EGP  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The real estate investment trust reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($0.91). EastGroup Properties had a net margin of 37.16% and a return on equity of 8.69%. The business had revenue of $159.09 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $156.70 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.89 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 13.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that EastGroup Properties will post 8.3 EPS for the current year.

EastGroup Properties Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $1.40 per share. This represents a $5.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.01%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. This is an increase from EastGroup Propertiess previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. EastGroup Propertiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 121.48%.

Institutional Trading of EastGroup Properties

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of EGP. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of EastGroup Properties during the 4th quarter valued at about $103,931,000. Boston Partners boosted its position in shares of EastGroup Properties by 42.7% during the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 756,309 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $138,813,000 after acquiring an additional 226,169 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of EastGroup Properties by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,863,129 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,233,785,000 after acquiring an additional 210,207 shares during the last quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of EastGroup Properties during the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,131,000. Finally, Zimmer Partners LP boosted its position in shares of EastGroup Properties by 465.6% during the 1st quarter. Zimmer Partners LP now owns 200,558 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $36,054,000 after acquiring an additional 165,100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.14% of the companys stock.

About EastGroup Properties

(Get Free Report)

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.

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EnerSys (NYSE:ENS  Get Free Report) CEO David M. Shaffer sold 17,600 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.08, for a total value of $1,761,408.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 226,540 shares in the company, valued at $22,672,123.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

EnerSys Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of EnerSys stock opened at $101.37 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $101.69 and a 200 day simple moving average of $97.76. EnerSys has a 12-month low of $83.27 and a 12-month high of $112.53. The company has a market capitalization of $4.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a current ratio of 2.46, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

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EnerSys (NYSE:ENS  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The industrial products company reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $852.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $877.52 million. EnerSys had a return on equity of 20.21% and a net margin of 7.51%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.89 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that EnerSys will post 8.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

EnerSys Increases Dividend

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 16th. This is an increase from EnerSyss previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. EnerSyss dividend payout ratio is 14.77%.

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. BTIG Research lowered EnerSys from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, May 24th. StockNews.com downgraded EnerSys from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday. Roth Mkm assumed coverage on EnerSys in a report on Tuesday. They set a buy rating and a $120.00 price target for the company. Finally, Roth Capital upgraded EnerSys to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $118.00.

View Our Latest Stock Report on EnerSys

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in shares of EnerSys during the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of EnerSys by 231.6% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 378 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in shares of EnerSys by 36.2% during the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 354 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of EnerSys by 141.8% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 382 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 224 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in shares of EnerSys during the 2nd quarter worth $41,000. Institutional investors own 94.93% of the companys stock.

About EnerSys

(Get Free Report)

EnerSys engages in the provision of stored energy solutions for industrial applications worldwide. It operates in four segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, Specialty, and New Ventures. The Energy Systems segment offers uninterruptible power systems (UPS) 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, data center, and renewable and industrial customers; and thermally managed cabinets and enclosures for electronic equipment and batteries.

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Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH reduced its position in Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL  Free Report) by 3.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,816,334 shares of the enterprise software providers stock after selling 65,088 shares during the period. Oracle accounts for about 1.7% of Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OHs portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest position. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OHs holdings in Oracle were worth $256,466,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Oracle by 153.3% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 11,947 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $1,260,000 after purchasing an additional 7,230 shares during the last quarter. GUNN & Co INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC. purchased a new position in shares of Oracle in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,244,000. Brio Consultants LLC raised its position in shares of Oracle by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Brio Consultants LLC now owns 2,942 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $310,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Precision Wealth Strategies LLC raised its position in shares of Oracle by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Precision Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 3,951 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $417,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Silver Oak Securities Incorporated raised its position in shares of Oracle by 115.2% in the 4th quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 5,295 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $558,000 after purchasing an additional 2,834 shares during the last quarter. 42.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at Oracle

In other Oracle news, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 15,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.89, for a total transaction of $2,068,350.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 58,090 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,010,030.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Oracle news, Director Leon E. Panetta sold 15,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.89, for a total transaction of $2,068,350.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 58,090 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,010,030.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Chairman Lawrence Joseph Ellison sold 1,125,000 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.69, for a total transaction of $161,651,250.00. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 1,145,732,353 shares in the company, valued at approximately $164,630,281,802.57. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,862,500 shares of company stock valued at $266,776,624. 42.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Oracle Price Performance

Oracle stock traded up $1.89 during trading on Friday, reaching $141.31. The company had a trading volume of 7,979,860 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,052,333. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $138.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $127.17. Oracle Co. has a 1-year low of $99.26 and a 1-year high of $146.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $389.43 billion, a PE ratio of 38.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.25, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.71.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 11th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.65 by ($0.02). Oracle had a net margin of 19.76% and a return on equity of 223.01%. The company had revenue of $14.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.57 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.35 EPS. Oracles revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Oracle Co. will post 5.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Oracle Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 11th were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 11th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.13%. Oracles dividend payout ratio is currently 43.13%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of Oracle from $133.00 to $128.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 10th. Guggenheim reissued a buy rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of Oracle in a research report on Tuesday, June 25th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Oracle from $120.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. Argus raised their price target on shares of Oracle from $145.00 to $159.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Oracle from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $145.83.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Oracle

Oracle Company Profile

(Free Report)

Oracle Corporation offers products and services that address enterprise information technology environments worldwide. Its Oracle cloud software as a service offering include various cloud software applications, including Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP), Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise performance management, Oracle Fusion cloud supply chain and manufacturing management, Oracle Fusion cloud human capital management, Oracle Cerner healthcare, Oracle Advertising, and NetSuite applications suite, as well as Oracle Fusion Sales, Service, and Marketing.

Further Reading

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Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc. (OTC:FKKFF  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $23.58 and last traded at $23.58, with a volume of 0 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $23.58.

Fukuoka Financial Group Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $25.72 and a 200 day simple moving average of $22.59. The company has a market cap of $20.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -43.67 and a beta of 0.03.

Fukuoka Financial Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various banking services to individual and corporate customers. The company accepts various deposits, such as current deposits, ordinary and other demand deposits, time deposits, and negotiable certificates of deposit, as well as provides loan products.

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iA Global Asset Management Inc. lowered its position in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:IEMG  Free Report) by 9.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 332,385 shares of the companys stock after selling 34,972 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc.s holdings in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF were worth $17,793,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in IEMG. TIAA Trust National Association lifted its holdings in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 9.4% during the first quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 36,650,021 shares of the companys stock worth $1,891,141,000 after acquiring an additional 3,158,974 shares during the period. Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan raised its stake in shares of iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan now owns 7,924,815 shares of the companys stock worth $408,920,000 after purchasing an additional 40,387 shares during the period. OLD Mission Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 168.2% in the 1st quarter. OLD Mission Capital LLC now owns 7,210,478 shares of the companys stock worth $372,061,000 after buying an additional 4,521,769 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 2.8% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 6,296,468 shares of the companys stock valued at $337,050,000 after buying an additional 172,596 shares during the period. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its holdings in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 8.0% during the first quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 4,946,158 shares of the companys stock worth $255,222,000 after buying an additional 366,603 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Stock Performance

IEMG traded up $0.14 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $54.46. The company had a trading volume of 12,113,877 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,453,533. iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a 12-month low of $45.57 and a 12-month high of $55.99. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $53.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $52.67. The stock has a market cap of $80.60 billion, a PE ratio of 11.74 and a beta of 0.85.

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Company Profile

The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI Emerging Markets IMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of emerging-market firms, covering 99% of market capitalization. IEMG was launched on Oct 18, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock.

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We recently compiled a list of the 11 Penny Stocks That Will Make You A Millionaire. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND) stands against the other penny stocks.

Why Should You Invest in Penny Stocks?

Penny stocks are often overlooked by most investors. These are the smallest of the small companies operating in the market, and so they typically lose out on being covered in detail by financial reporters and analysts. However, because of this conundrum, many penny stocks end up becoming excellent under-the-radar investments for those investors who don't mind a bit of risk. This is especially the case for penny stocks operating in the artificial intelligence space today. This isn't to say that penny stocks offer a sure-shot way of making big profits at all times, though. Since these stocks are of companies that are incredibly small relative to the usual players we hear about in the market news, they are also incredibly risky to invest in - as such, investing in penny stocks is a move that only investors with a tolerance for high-risk, high-reward strategies should make.

In the current market landscape, there may be more room to consider investing in smaller companies. This is because of the potential September rate cut from the Fed. Financial professionals are considering this potential cut to be a catalyst for the growth of smaller companies in the market, which have been largely left ignored over the past two years since the Fed's policy has been so tight. So a rate cut in September may actually result in an overall growth cycle emerging for smaller players in the market.

Read Also: 7 Most Popular AI Penny Stocks Under $5 and 10 Best Technology Penny Stocks to Invest In Right Now.

How's The Market Looking For Smaller Stocks Today?

On August 21, Tom Lee, co-founder of Fundstrat Global Advisors, joined CNBC's "Closing Bell Overtime" to discuss this very development. He noted that as the Fed is starting to normalize its policy and as merger activity in the US is beginning to accelerate, smaller companies are becoming increasingly more poised to benefit. Lee also added that there's a misconception in the market that smaller companies are growing, or at least have the tendency to, grow slower than bigger companies. In fact, he noted that the small cap index has a median earnings growth that is almost 700 basis points faster than the broader market index, while top-line growth is almost 400 basis points faster. Lee also said the following:

"For small caps to rise 40% means that the P/E, the median Russell 2000 stock goes from 10x to 14x. So, it's not asking the market to provide some magic and a huge re-evaluation... [With small-caps] you're getting better growth, lower valuation, and I think the catalyst is now that the market is convinced that the Fed is embarking on a rate cutting cycle."

According to Lee, money that's been on the sidelines over the past few years because of the Fed's rate policy could now potentially funnel into smaller companies because they offer a good risk-reward balance to investors now. Because of these developments, we've compiled a list of some of the smallest stocks trading on the market today by going through five months' worth of articles on Stock Gumshoe, a financial analysis website that offers unique insights into what some call "secret stocks," which have been going largely ignored by most investors.

Our Methodology

We read Stock Gumshoe articles from April to August of 2024 and then selected the penny stocks that have promising futures ahead of them. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds holding stakes in them as of the end of the second quarter of 2024, according to Insider Monkey's hedge fund data.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).

A panoramic view of a gold mine, highlighting the company's global mining operations.

Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20

Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND) is a materials company based in Canada. It focuses on acquiring royalties and gold alongside other metals purchase agreements from companies that have advanced-stage operating mines.

Daniela Cambone, in Stansberry's Commodity Supercycles newsletter, floated a teaser for what was called the number-one gold play for 2024. According to Travis Johnson, this teaser is probably referring to Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND). Cambone's comments were as follows:

But theres another company that, we believe, is BY FAR the best gold royalty investment you could make in the world right now. And thats why this company gives you a realistic chance to make astonishing gains thanks to this incredible business model. Its led by a man who grew the worlds largest silver royalty outfit into a multibillion-dollar company. This experienced team helped form a brand-new royalty company  which uses the same investor-friendly business model as Franco-Nevada and Royal Gold. They now own royalties on mines in Brazil, Turkey, Mongolia, Argentina, Canada, and the United States, just to name a few."

According to Johnson, Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND) is definitely a gold penny stock that investors should pick up, especially because of its recent moves. In 2022, the company roughly doubled its size by acquiring Nomad Royalty and several other royalty assets. Through this acquisition, Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND) not only created a 50% dilution for its existing shareholders, but it also boosted its growth and paved the way for revenue growth in the future. Analysts also note that shares of Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND) have an upside potential of 34.4%.

Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE:SAND) had 20 hedge funds long its stock in the second quarter, with a total stake value of $74.8 million.

Overall SAND ranks 1st on our list of the penny stocks that will make you a millionaire. While we acknowledge the potential of SAND as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SAND but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
iA Global Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO  Free Report) by 11.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 182,285 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 18,968 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc. owned 0.06% of Brown & Brown worth $16,298,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Brown & Brown by 330.4% during the second quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 297 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in Brown & Brown during the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp purchased a new position in Brown & Brown in the first quarter worth $36,000. First PREMIER Bank acquired a new position in shares of Brown & Brown during the first quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Intelligent Financial Strategies acquired a new stake in shares of Brown & Brown in the 1st quarter worth $45,000. Institutional investors own 71.01% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on BRO. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Brown & Brown from $95.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Brown & Brown from $91.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of Brown & Brown from $86.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Brown & Brown from $104.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Brown & Brown from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and upped their price objective for the company from $94.00 to $112.00 in a report on Monday, August 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $99.20.

Brown & Brown Stock Performance

BRO traded up $0.48 on Friday, reaching $105.13. The stock had a trading volume of 1,422,348 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,239,995. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $96.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $89.74. The company has a current ratio of 2.35, a quick ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Brown & Brown, Inc. has a 12-month low of $66.73 and a 12-month high of $105.45. The company has a market cap of $29.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.82.

Brown & Brown (NYSE:BRO  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.88 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $1.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.14 billion. Brown & Brown had a return on equity of 17.00% and a net margin of 21.95%. Brown & Browns quarterly revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.68 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Brown & Brown, Inc. will post 3.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Brown & Brown Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 7th were given a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 7th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.49%. Brown & Browns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.00%.

Insider Activity at Brown & Brown

In other Brown & Brown news, CFO R. Andrew Watts sold 2,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.32, for a total transaction of $250,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 88,445 shares in the company, valued at $8,872,802.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Brown & Brown news, CFO R. Andrew Watts sold 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.32, for a total transaction of $250,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 88,445 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,872,802.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Chairman Hyatt J. Brown sold 134,640 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.51, for a total value of $14,071,226.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 140,490 shares of company stock valued at $14,623,258. 17.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Brown & Brown

(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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iA Global Asset Management Inc. cut its position in The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO  Free Report) by 67.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,752 shares of the companys stock after selling 28,899 shares during the quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $875,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in KO. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its position in shares of Coca-Cola by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 3,631 shares of the companys stock worth $231,000 after buying an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Liberty Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Coca-Cola by 3.7% in the second quarter. Liberty Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,319 shares of the companys stock valued at $275,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV boosted its holdings in Coca-Cola by 0.4% in the second quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV now owns 42,407 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,699,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Joule Financial LLC increased its position in Coca-Cola by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Joule Financial LLC now owns 4,867 shares of the companys stock valued at $312,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the period. Finally, Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas raised its holdings in Coca-Cola by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Community Bank & Trust Waco Texas now owns 30,262 shares of the companys stock worth $1,851,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. 70.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity at Coca-Cola

In related news, major shareholder Cola Co Coca sold 598,619 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $925.00, for a total transaction of $553,722,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,883,546 shares in the company, valued at $1,742,280,050. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Coca-Cola news, EVP Nancy Quan sold 18,484 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.50, for a total value of $1,321,606.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 223,330 shares in the company, valued at $15,968,095. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder Cola Co Coca sold 598,619 shares of Coca-Cola stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $925.00, for a total value of $553,722,575.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,883,546 shares in the company, valued at $1,742,280,050. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,074,910 shares of company stock worth $585,972,318. 0.97% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Coca-Cola from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Coca-Cola from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Coca-Cola from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Coca-Cola in a research report on Monday, June 24th. They set an outperform rating and a $72.00 price target for the company. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $68.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $70.73.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola Price Performance

Shares of NYSE KO opened at $72.47 on Friday. The Coca-Cola Company has a twelve month low of $51.55 and a twelve month high of $72.57. The company has a 50 day moving average of $66.46 and a 200 day moving average of $63.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The firm has a market cap of $312.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.99, a PEG ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.59.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.84 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $12.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.78 billion. Coca-Cola had a return on equity of 43.62% and a net margin of 22.92%. Coca-Colas revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.78 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Coca-Cola Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Investors of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $0.485 dividend. This represents a $1.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.68%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Coca-Colas payout ratio is currently 77.60%.

Coca-Cola Profile

(Free Report)

The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures, markets, and sells various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides sparkling soft drinks, sparkling flavors; water, sports, coffee, and tea; juice, value-added dairy, and plant-based beverages; and other beverages. It also offers beverage concentrates and syrups, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores.

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Ilika plc (LON:IKA  Get Free Report)s share price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 23 ($0.30) and last traded at GBX 23.04 ($0.30), with a volume of 18291 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 24 ($0.32).

Ilika Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of 41.83 million, a PE ratio of -833.33 and a beta of 2.00. The company has a current ratio of 7.86, a quick ratio of 15.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07. The firms 50-day simple moving average is GBX 25.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 28.18.

Ilika Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Ilika plc designs, develops, and produces solid-state batteries under the Stereax name primarily in the United Kingdom, Asia, Europe, and North America. The company offers batteries for a range of applications in the industrial Internet of Things, MedTech, transportation, electric vehicles, and cordless consumer appliances.

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Shares of InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (LON:IHG  Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of Reduce from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 5,816.80 ($76.71).

A number of research firms have commented on IHG. Berenberg Bank reissued a hold rating and issued a GBX 7,400 ($97.59) target price on shares of InterContinental Hotels Group in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating and issued a GBX 8,300 ($109.46) price objective on shares of InterContinental Hotels Group in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a hold rating and set a GBX 84 ($1.11) target price on shares of InterContinental Hotels Group in a research note on Tuesday, May 21st.

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Check Out Our Latest Report on IHG

Insider Buying and Selling at InterContinental Hotels Group

InterContinental Hotels Group Stock Down 0.7 %

In other news, insider Ron Kalifa purchased 679 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 7,624 ($100.54) per share, for a total transaction of 51,766.96 ($68,267.12). 5.99% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Shares of LON IHG opened at GBX 7,584 ($100.01) on Monday. The firm has a market cap of 12.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,553.54, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.00. InterContinental Hotels Group has a twelve month low of GBX 5,636 ($74.32) and a twelve month high of GBX 8,790 ($115.92). The company has a 50 day moving average of GBX 7,864.47 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 7,981.93.

InterContinental Hotels Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 29th will be issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 29th. InterContinental Hotels Groups payout ratio is currently 4,242.42%.

InterContinental Hotels Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC owns, manages, franchises, and leases hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Greater China. The company operates hotels under the Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, voco, HUALUXE, Crowne Plaza, Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, EVEN, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, Garner, avid hotels, Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, Iberostar Beachfront Resorts, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, and Candlewood Suites brand names.

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Boston Financial Mangement LLC lowered its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF  Free Report) by 4.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 16,505 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 719 shares during the period. Boston Financial Mangement LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF were worth $6,016,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 0.9% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,847,670 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,645,057,000 after buying an additional 66,923 shares during the period. UBS Group AG raised its stake in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 6,102,415 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,850,069,000 after acquiring an additional 103,652 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 6.7% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,413,232 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,641,130,000 after acquiring an additional 341,407 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,202,517 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,274,077,000 after acquiring an additional 156,995 shares during the period. Finally, M&T Bank Corp grew its stake in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 2,479,622 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $751,769,000 after purchasing an additional 10,496 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF stock traded up $3.70 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $365.46. 1,706,018 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,329,301. The business has a 50-day moving average of $362.17 and a 200-day moving average of $345.57. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has a 1 year low of $256.01 and a 1 year high of $382.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $96.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.64 and a beta of 1.20.

About iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment returns that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 1000 index issuers with relatively higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth.

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StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Issuer Direct (NYSE:ISDR  Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning. The firm issued a buy rating on the stock.

Issuer Direct Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ISDR opened at $12.06 on Tuesday. Issuer Direct has a 52 week low of $7.61 and a 52 week high of $21.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.03 million, a P/E ratio of 60.30 and a beta of 0.73. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $8.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $10.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

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Issuer Direct (NYSE:ISDR  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.02. Issuer Direct had a net margin of 2.43% and a return on equity of 9.01%. The business had revenue of $7.69 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.62 million. On average, analysts expect that Issuer Direct will post 0.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Issuer Direct

About Issuer Direct

In other news, major shareholder Topline Capital Partners, Lp bought 4,114 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $9.76 per share, for a total transaction of $40,152.64. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 709,264 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,922,416.64. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . In related news, insider Topline Capital Management, Ll acquired 19,826 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $9.65 per share, for a total transaction of $191,320.90. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 705,150 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,804,697.50. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Also, major shareholder Topline Capital Partners, Lp acquired 4,114 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were bought at an average price of $9.76 per share, with a total value of $40,152.64. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 709,264 shares in the company, valued at $6,922,416.64. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders bought 51,153 shares of company stock worth $444,409. 26.08% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

(Get Free Report)

Issuer Direct Corporation operates as a communications and compliance company, provides solutions for both public relations and investor relations professionals in the United States and internationally. The company provides press release distribution, media databases, media monitoring, and newsrooms through media advantage platform; ACCESSWIRE, a news dissemination and media outreach service; and Webcaster Platform, a cloud-based webcast, webinar, and virtual meeting platform that delivers live and on-demand streaming of events to audiences of various sizes, as well as allows customers to create, produce, and deliver events.

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Key Financial Inc grew its position in shares of iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:ISCG  Free Report) by 99.3% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,854 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 6,404 shares during the quarter. Key Financial Incs holdings in iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF were worth $585,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Members Advisory Group LLC raised its position in shares of iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF by 11.0% in the 2nd quarter. Members Advisory Group LLC now owns 68,029 shares of the companys stock worth $3,095,000 after acquiring an additional 6,762 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its stake in iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF by 30.5% during the second quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 29,733 shares of the companys stock worth $1,352,000 after purchasing an additional 6,941 shares during the period. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF in the second quarter worth approximately $83,000. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. lifted its stake in iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF by 9.9% in the second quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 72,524 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,298,000 after buying an additional 6,529 shares during the period. Finally, Phoenix Wealth Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF by 24.0% during the 2nd quarter. Phoenix Wealth Advisors now owns 25,182 shares of the companys stock worth $1,145,000 after buying an additional 4,873 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF Stock Performance

Shares of ISCG stock traded up $0.23 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $48.20. 26,141 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 40,984. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $46.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $45.61. The firm has a market cap of $585.63 million, a P/E ratio of 21.98 and a beta of 1.23. iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF has a fifty-two week low of $35.33 and a fifty-two week high of $49.19.

About iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF

The iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ISCG) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in small-cap stocks. The fund tracks a market-cap-weighted index of US small-cap growth stocks. The index selects stocks from 90-99.5% of market cap that fall into Morningstars growth style categorization.

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Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new stake in Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE:BAM  Free Report) (TSE:BAM.A) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 85,258 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $3,244,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BAM. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Brookfield Asset Management in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV lifted its stake in Brookfield Asset Management by 98.2% in the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 777 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 385 shares during the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Brookfield Asset Management by 57.6% in the second quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 780 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its stake in Brookfield Asset Management by 574.2% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 890 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 758 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WASHINGTON TRUST Co lifted its stake in Brookfield Asset Management by 151.3% in the second quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 1,063 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 640 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.41% of the companys stock.

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Brookfield Asset Management Price Performance

Brookfield Asset Management stock traded down $0.25 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $40.75. The companys stock had a trading volume of 707,203 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,301,340. Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. has a 1-year low of $28.35 and a 1-year high of $44.38. The company has a market cap of $18.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.74, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $40.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $40.18.

Brookfield Asset Management Dividend Announcement

Brookfield Asset Management ( NYSE:BAM Get Free Report ) (TSE:BAM.A) last released its earnings results on Friday, August 9th. The financial services provider reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.01). Brookfield Asset Management had a net margin of 49.36% and a return on equity of 98.98%. The firm had revenue of $916.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.28 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. will post 1.47 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th will be issued a $0.38 dividend. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.73%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 30th. Brookfield Asset Managements dividend payout ratio is currently 140.74%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on BAM. Scotiabank cut their target price on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $46.00 to $45.50 and set a sector outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. TD Securities raised their target price on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. CIBC raised their target price on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an outperformer rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. They set a hold rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $42.46.

Read Our Latest Research Report on Brookfield Asset Management

Brookfield Asset Management Company Profile

(Free Report)

Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. is a real estate investment firm specializing in alternative asset management services. Its renewable power and transition business includes the operates in the hydroelectric, wind, solar, distributed generation, and sustainable solution sector. The company's infrastructure business engages in the utilities, transport, midstream, and data infrastructure sectors.

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Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new position in Brookfield Co. (NYSE:BN  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 136,002 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,650,000.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blacksheep Fund Management Ltd purchased a new position in Brookfield in the 4th quarter worth about $101,800,000. Choreo LLC purchased a new position in Brookfield in the 4th quarter worth about $754,000. American National Bank & Trust Co. VA purchased a new position in Brookfield in the 1st quarter worth about $5,716,000. M&G Plc bought a new position in Brookfield during the 1st quarter worth about $111,222,000. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in Brookfield by 1,022.6% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 272,807 shares of the companys stock worth $11,427,000 after acquiring an additional 248,506 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.60% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity at Brookfield

In related news, Director Ocm Growth Holdings Llc sold 400,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.90, for a total value of $4,760,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,779,668 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $128,278,049.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 11.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Brookfield Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE:BN traded up $0.59 during trading on Friday, reaching $50.28. The stock had a trading volume of 1,175,032 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,090,478. Brookfield Co. has a one year low of $28.84 and a one year high of $50.46. The company has a market capitalization of $82.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 82.43 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $45.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is $42.99.

Brookfield (NYSE:BN  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.57. The business had revenue of $23.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.24 billion. Brookfield had a net margin of 1.16% and a return on equity of 3.15%. The companys revenue was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.75 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Brookfield Co. will post 3.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Brookfield Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 12th will be given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 12th. Brookfields payout ratio is currently 52.46%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BN has been the topic of several recent research reports. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Brookfield from $50.50 to $51.25 and gave the stock a sector outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Brookfield from $49.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on shares of Brookfield from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. TD Securities increased their target price on shares of Brookfield from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Brookfield from $57.00 to $56.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Brookfield presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $48.88.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on BN

About Brookfield

(Free Report)

Brookfield Corporation is an alternative asset manager and REIT/Real Estate Investment Manager firm focuses on real estate, renewable power, infrastructure and venture capital and private equity assets. It manages a range of public and private investment products and services for institutional and retail clients.

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Greencoat UK Wind PLC (LON:UKW  Get Free Report) insider Lucinda Riches sold 110,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 143 ($1.89), for a total value of 157,300 ($207,437.69).

Greencoat UK Wind Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of Greencoat UK Wind stock opened at GBX 141.70 ($1.87) on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 49.27, a quick ratio of 14.31 and a current ratio of 0.09. Greencoat UK Wind PLC has a 52 week low of GBX 127.30 ($1.68) and a 52 week high of GBX 152.40 ($2.01). The stock has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 140 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 138.55. The stock has a market capitalization of 3.22 billion, a PE ratio of 4,723.33 and a beta of 0.24.

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Greencoat UK Wind Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th were paid a GBX 2.50 ($0.03) dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 15th. This represents a yield of 1.76%. Greencoat UK Winds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36,666.67%.

Greencoat UK Wind Company Profile

Greencoat UK Wind PLC specializes in renewables infrastructure investments in energy, wind generation assets and onshore and offshore wind farm projects with a capacity of over 10 megawatt. For offshore wind farms, the fund seeks to invest 40% of the Gross Asset Value at acquisition and where a utility company retains an equity interest for a lock-up period.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Yemen's Houthi rebels fired two missiles targeting a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden, though the projectiles splashed down nearby without causing any damage, authorities said Saturday.

The attack comes after the Houthis repeatedly assaulted and then boarded a Greek-flagged oil tanker in the nearby Red Sea, planting explosives on it they later detonated. That attack, the worst in weeks, risked a major oil spill as the rebels' campaign disrupts the $1 trillion in goods that pass through the Red Sea each year over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, as well as halting some aid shipments to conflict-ravaged Sudan and Yemen.

In the attack Friday night, two missiles exploded in close proximity to the vessel some 240 kilometers (150 miles) east of Aden, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.

The ship reports all crew are safe and proceeding to next port of call, the UKMTO said. Investigations are ongoing.

The Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational body overseen by the U.S. Navy, on Saturday identified the vessel targeted as the Liberian-flagged container ship Groton. The Groton came under attack Aug. 3 as well in a similar Houthi assault off Aden that included two missiles fired at the vessel, with one causing minor damage.

The ship was targeted due to other vessels within its company structure making recent port calls in Israel, the center said.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, claimed the attack in a prerecorded video address aired Saturday night. He claimed, without offering evidence, the missiles hit the Groton. Saree and other Houthi officials have exaggerated details about attacks in the past.

The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a United States-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.

The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. to force an end to Israels campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military's Central Command said Saturday it destroyed two drones over Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen.
Modera Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN  Free Report) by 2.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,063 shares of the information technology services providers stock after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the period. Modera Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Accenture were worth $1,840,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of ACN. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Accenture during the 4th quarter valued at $2,061,490,000. Swedbank AB acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture during the first quarter valued at $820,912,000. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main increased its position in Accenture by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 1,751,531 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $614,615,000 after purchasing an additional 875,723 shares in the last quarter. Winslow Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at about $288,168,000. Finally, Generation Investment Management LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture during the 4th quarter worth about $286,220,000. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Accenture Price Performance

NYSE ACN traded up $1.63 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $341.84. The company had a trading volume of 2,004,018 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,810,327. The firms 50 day moving average is $319.32 and its 200 day moving average is $325.69. The company has a market capitalization of $214.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.31, a P/E/G ratio of 3.66 and a beta of 1.23. Accenture plc has a fifty-two week low of $278.69 and a fifty-two week high of $387.51.

Accenture Dividend Announcement

Accenture ( NYSE:ACN Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, June 20th. The information technology services provider reported $3.13 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.15 by ($0.02). Accenture had a net margin of 10.79% and a return on equity of 27.48%. The company had revenue of $16.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $16.55 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.19 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Accenture plc will post 11.95 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 11th were paid a dividend of $1.29 per share. This represents a $5.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 11th. Accentures dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.25%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ACN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Accenture from $395.00 to $340.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. Mizuho reduced their price target on Accenture from $398.00 to $350.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Accenture from $419.00 to $365.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, June 5th. Guggenheim reissued a buy rating and issued a $395.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a research note on Friday, May 24th. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Accenture from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $400.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $352.33.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Accenture

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 3,776 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.05, for a total transaction of $1,166,972.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 11,819 shares in the company, valued at $3,652,661.95. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Accenture news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 8,145 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $331.05, for a total transaction of $2,696,402.25. Following the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 22,849 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,564,161.45. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 3,776 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.05, for a total transaction of $1,166,972.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 11,819 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,652,661.95. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 21,421 shares of company stock worth $6,912,635 in the last quarter. 0.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Accenture

(Free Report)

Accenture plc, a professional services company, provides strategy and consulting, industry X, song, and technology and operation services worldwide. The company offers application services, including agile transformation, DevOps, application modernization, enterprise architecture, software and quality engineering, data management; intelligent automation comprising robotic process automation, natural language processing, and virtual agents; and application management services, as well as software engineering services; strategy and consulting services; data and analytics strategy, data discovery and augmentation, data management and beyond, data democratization, and industrialized solutions comprising turnkey analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions; metaverse; and sustainability services.

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Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV lifted its position in Colgate-Palmolive (NYSE:CL  Free Report) by 3.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 12,024 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 446 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADVs holdings in Colgate-Palmolive were worth $1,167,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. BLB&B Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 2.5% during the second quarter. BLB&B Advisors LLC now owns 4,337 shares of the companys stock valued at $421,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 3.1% during the second quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 3,591 shares of the companys stock valued at $349,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 9.5% during the second quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,274 shares of the companys stock valued at $124,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. RFG Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of Colgate-Palmolive by 2.1% during the second quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 5,411 shares of the companys stock valued at $525,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Trust boosted its holdings in Colgate-Palmolive by 1.7% in the first quarter. Legacy Trust now owns 6,925 shares of the companys stock valued at $624,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. 80.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Colgate-Palmolive Price Performance

CL stock traded up $0.69 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $106.50. The companys stock had a trading volume of 5,033,750 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,329,917. The stock has a market cap of $87.38 billion, a PE ratio of 33.70, a P/E/G ratio of 3.54 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.90. Colgate-Palmolive has a fifty-two week low of $67.62 and a fifty-two week high of $106.72. The companys 50 day moving average is $99.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $93.45.

Colgate-Palmolive Announces Dividend

Colgate-Palmolive ( NYSE:CL Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 26th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.04. Colgate-Palmolive had a net margin of 14.21% and a return on equity of 470.19%. The business had revenue of $5.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.77 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Colgate-Palmolive will post 3.57 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 19th were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 19th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.88%. Colgate-Palmolives dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.29%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Sally Massey sold 15,850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.28, for a total transaction of $1,636,988.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 13,942 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,439,929.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, insider Sally Massey sold 15,850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.28, for a total transaction of $1,636,988.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 13,942 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,439,929.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Martina Hundmejean sold 2,313 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.86, for a total transaction of $240,228.18. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,755 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,220,874.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 43,490 shares of company stock valued at $4,486,063 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on CL shares. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. HSBC reiterated a hold rating on shares of Colgate-Palmolive in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Colgate-Palmolive from $103.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $101.11.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive Company Profile

(Free Report)

Colgate-Palmolive Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells consumer products in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care; and Pet Nutrition. The Oral, Personal and Home Care segment offers toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, bar and liquid hand soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants and antiperspirants, skin health products, dishwashing detergents, fabric conditioners, household cleaners, and other related items.

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Penobscot Wealth Management reduced its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (NYSEARCA:VGK  Free Report) by 29.6% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 3,127 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 1,312 shares during the quarter. Penobscot Wealth Managements holdings in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF were worth $214,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VGK. POM Investment Strategies LLC increased its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 69.5% during the second quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 378 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 155 shares during the period. Mitchell Sinkler & Starr PA bought a new stake in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Tidemark LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Independence Bank of Kentucky grew its holdings in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 1,957.1% during the 1st quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 720 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 685 shares during the period. Finally, Sachetta LLC bought a new position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,000.

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Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA VGK traded up $0.16 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $70.93. 1,452,754 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,205,156. The company has a market cap of $20.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.09 and a beta of 0.85. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $68.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $67.50. Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF has a 52 week low of $55.06 and a 52 week high of $71.11.

About Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF

Vanguard European Stock Index Fund is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks issued by Companies located in the markets of Europe. The Fund on focuses indexing investment approach by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the common stocks included in the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index.

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Peregrine Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Flowserve Co. (NYSE:FLS  Free Report) by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 169,082 shares of the industrial products companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,189 shares during the quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLCs holdings in Flowserve were worth $8,133,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of FLS. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Flowserve during the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Flowserve by 166.0% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 987 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 616 shares during the last quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Flowserve by 122.4% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,083 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 596 shares during the last quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Flowserve by 14,663.6% during the 4th quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,624 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 1,613 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Flowserve during the 1st quarter worth approximately $87,000. 93.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Flowserve Stock Performance

FLS traded up $0.40 during trading on Friday, hitting $49.88. The stock had a trading volume of 926,849 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,023,986. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 2.00 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market cap of $6.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $48.17 and a 200-day moving average price of $46.98. Flowserve Co. has a one year low of $35.31 and a one year high of $52.09.

Flowserve Announces Dividend

Flowserve ( NYSE:FLS Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The industrial products company reported $0.73 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.13 billion. Flowserve had a net margin of 5.67% and a return on equity of 16.74%. Flowserves revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.52 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Flowserve Co. will post 2.72 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Investors of record on Friday, September 27th will be paid a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 27th. Flowserves dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.46%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Flowserve from $55.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Flowserve from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Bank of America lifted their price target on Flowserve from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Flowserve from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Flowserve from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Flowserve currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $56.11.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Flowserve

Flowserve Profile

(Free Report)

Flowserve Corporation designs, manufactures, distributes, and services industrial flow management equipment in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates through Flowserve Pump Division (FPD) and Flow Control Division (FCD) segments. The FPD segment offers custom and pre-configured pumps and pump systems, mechanical seals, auxiliary systems, replacement parts, upgrades, and related aftermarket services; and equipment services, including installation and commissioning services, seal systems spare parts, repairs, advanced diagnostics, re-rate and upgrade solutions, retrofit programs, and machining and asset management solutions, as well as manufactures a gas-lubricated mechanical seal for use in high-speed compressors for gas pipelines and in the oil and gas production and process markets.

Further Reading

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Peregrine Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in Cushman & Wakefield plc (NYSE:CWK  Free Report) by 0.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 719,103 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,494 shares during the period. Peregrine Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.31% of Cushman & Wakefield worth $7,479,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CWK. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its position in Cushman & Wakefield by 11.6% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 36,357 shares of the companys stock worth $393,000 after purchasing an additional 3,774 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in Cushman & Wakefield in the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. Natixis Advisors L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Cushman & Wakefield during the 4th quarter valued at $1,627,000. Summit Trail Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cushman & Wakefield during the 4th quarter valued at $109,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Cushman & Wakefield by 19.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,911,069 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,440,000 after acquiring an additional 482,235 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.56% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on CWK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Cushman & Wakefield from $12.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Raymond James boosted their price objective on shares of Cushman & Wakefield from $14.00 to $16.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $12.42.

Cushman & Wakefield Price Performance

Cushman & Wakefield stock traded up $0.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $12.99. The stock had a trading volume of 2,416,859 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,229,005. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 324.63 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83. The firms 50 day moving average is $12.12 and its 200 day moving average is $10.91. Cushman & Wakefield plc has a one year low of $6.24 and a one year high of $13.78.

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE:CWK  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.63 billion. Cushman & Wakefield had a net margin of 0.22% and a return on equity of 12.08%. Cushman & Wakefields quarterly revenue was down 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.22 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Cushman & Wakefield plc will post 0.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cushman & Wakefield Company Profile

(Free Report)

Cushman & Wakefield plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides commercial real estate services under the Cushman & Wakefield brand in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through Americas; Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Asia Pacific segments.

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PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:PNF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,600 shares, a growth of 63.1% from the July 31st total of 6,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 23,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.4 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund stock. Matisse Capital bought a new position in PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:PNF  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 83,236 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $651,000.

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PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE PNF traded up $0.03 during trading on Friday, hitting $8.00. 9,026 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 23,901. PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund has a 1 year low of $6.37 and a 1 year high of $8.40. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $7.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $7.81.

PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund Increases Dividend

PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund Company Profile

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th will be issued a $0.034 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $0.41 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.10%. This is a positive change from PIMCO New York Municipal Income Funds previous monthly dividend of $0.03.

(Get Free Report)

PIMCO New York Municipal Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Allianz Global Investors Fund Management LLC. It is co-managed by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

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Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ  Free Report) by 17.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,624,781 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 237,902 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 1.22% of BJs Wholesale Club worth $142,721,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blue Trust Inc. bought a new position in shares of BJs Wholesale Club in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new position in BJs Wholesale Club in the first quarter valued at about $26,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp acquired a new position in BJs Wholesale Club during the second quarter worth about $45,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in BJs Wholesale Club during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its stake in BJs Wholesale Club by 103.6% in the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 745 shares of the companys stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. 98.60% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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BJs Wholesale Club Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of BJ stock traded up $0.65 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $79.93. The company had a trading volume of 1,841,732 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,529,344. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $86.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $80.92. BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $63.08 and a 12 month high of $92.37. The company has a market cap of $10.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.14.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BJs Wholesale Club ( NYSE:BJ Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 22nd. The company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $5.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion. BJs Wholesale Club had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 37.78%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.97 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. will post 3.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BJ has been the topic of several recent research reports. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of BJs Wholesale Club from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Loop Capital increased their price objective on BJs Wholesale Club from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. UBS Group lifted their target price on BJs Wholesale Club from $89.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, May 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised BJs Wholesale Club from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and increased their price target for the company from $76.00 to $78.00 in a research note on Monday. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on BJs Wholesale Club from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, May 24th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $86.07.

Get Our Latest Analysis on BJ

Insider Buying and Selling at BJs Wholesale Club

In related news, EVP Jeff Desroches sold 28,842 shares of BJs Wholesale Club stock in a transaction on Friday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.86, for a total transaction of $2,591,742.12. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 58,452 shares in the company, valued at $5,252,496.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other BJs Wholesale Club news, SVP Joseph Mcgrail sold 1,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.57, for a total value of $83,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 13,566 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,133,710.62. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Jeff Desroches sold 28,842 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.86, for a total value of $2,591,742.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 58,452 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,252,496.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 68,438 shares of company stock worth $6,107,538. Insiders own 2.00% of the companys stock.

About BJs Wholesale Club

(Free Report)

BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates warehouse clubs on the eastern half of the United States. It provides groceries, general merchandise, gasoline and other ancillary services, coupon books, and promotions. The company sells its products through the websites BJs.com, BerkleyJensen.com, and Wellsleyfarms.com, as well as the mobile app.

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Principal Financial Group Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW  Free Report) by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 799,869 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 8,507 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.13% of Edwards Lifesciences worth $73,884,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Edwards Lifesciences in the 4th quarter worth $648,540,000. Brown Advisory Inc. lifted its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 20.1% during the 4th quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 18,181,420 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,386,333,000 after buying an additional 3,048,274 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 57.9% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,516,260 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $622,695,000 after acquiring an additional 2,390,137 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its holdings in Edwards Lifesciences by 197.0% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 3,446,758 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $262,815,000 after acquiring an additional 2,286,119 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 9.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 18,973,304 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,813,089,000 after acquiring an additional 1,644,869 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.46% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In related news, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.29, for a total value of $466,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 46,936 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,378,659.44. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Edwards Lifesciences news, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of Edwards Lifesciences stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.29, for a total value of $466,450.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 46,936 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,378,659.44. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Daveen Chopra sold 1,250 shares of Edwards Lifesciences stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.95, for a total transaction of $87,437.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 29,333 shares in the company, valued at $2,051,843.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 16,250 shares of company stock worth $1,321,988. 1.29% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on EW shares. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on Edwards Lifesciences from $91.00 to $76.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Edwards Lifesciences from $85.00 to $70.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $99.00 to $90.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Robert W. Baird lowered shares of Edwards Lifesciences from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $102.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Truist Financial cut shares of Edwards Lifesciences from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $110.00 to $82.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $82.10.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on EW

Edwards Lifesciences Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE EW traded down $0.16 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $69.96. 6,521,669 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,127,983. The companys 50-day moving average is $77.53 and its 200-day moving average is $84.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.16, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.11. Edwards Lifesciences Co. has a 52-week low of $58.93 and a 52-week high of $96.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 2.87 and a current ratio of 3.71.

Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The medical research company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. Edwards Lifesciences had a net margin of 24.55% and a return on equity of 22.35%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.66 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Edwards Lifesciences Co. will post 2.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Edwards Lifesciences

(Free Report)

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of aortic heart valves under the Edwards SAPIEN family of valves system; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases under the PASCAL PRECISION and Cardioband names.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Prudential (NYSE:PUK  Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report released on Wednesday.

PUK has been the subject of a number of other research reports. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Prudential from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, June 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Prudential from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, August 5th.

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Read Our Latest Research Report on PUK

Prudential Price Performance

Prudential Cuts Dividend

PUK stock opened at $17.27 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $23.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.85, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 0.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Prudential has a 12 month low of $15.96 and a 12 month high of $26.18. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $17.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.85.

The company also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.1368 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 6th. Prudentials dividend payout ratio is currently 25.91%.

Institutional Trading of Prudential

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Prudential by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC now owns 10,031 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $225,000 after buying an additional 483 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Prudential by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 19,984 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $449,000 after purchasing an additional 645 shares during the period. Glassman Wealth Services boosted its position in shares of Prudential by 135.7% during the 4th quarter. Glassman Wealth Services now owns 1,183 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 681 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Prudential by 45.9% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,222 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 699 shares during the period. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of Prudential by 19.5% during the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 4,663 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $85,000 after purchasing an additional 760 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 1.90% of the companys stock.

Prudential Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Prudential plc, through its subsidiaries, provides life and health insurance, and asset management solutions to individuals in Asia and Africa. The company was founded in 1848 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong.

Further Reading

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Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR  Get Free Report) and Two Harbors Investment (NYSE:TWO  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability and dividends.

Dividends

Extra Space Storage pays an annual dividend of $6.48 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.7%. Two Harbors Investment pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 12.7%. Extra Space Storage pays out 144.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Two Harbors Investment pays out 101.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Two Harbors Investment is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

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Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Extra Space Storage and Two Harbors Investments top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Extra Space Storage $3.16 billion 11.87 $803.20 million $4.49 39.42 Two Harbors Investment $480.36 million 3.05 -$106.37 million $1.78 7.96

Analyst Recommendations

Extra Space Storage has higher revenue and earnings than Two Harbors Investment. Two Harbors Investment is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Extra Space Storage, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Extra Space Storage and Two Harbors Investment, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Extra Space Storage 2 5 5 0 2.25 Two Harbors Investment 0 3 3 0 2.50

Extra Space Storage currently has a consensus target price of $166.58, suggesting a potential downside of 5.89%. Two Harbors Investment has a consensus target price of $14.90, suggesting a potential upside of 5.23%. Given Two Harbors Investments stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Two Harbors Investment is more favorable than Extra Space Storage.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

99.1% of Extra Space Storage shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 64.2% of Two Harbors Investment shares are held by institutional investors. 1.4% of Extra Space Storage shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.6% of Two Harbors Investment shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Risk and Volatility

Extra Space Storage has a beta of 0.83, indicating that its stock price is 17% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Two Harbors Investment has a beta of 1.86, indicating that its stock price is 86% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Extra Space Storage and Two Harbors Investments net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Extra Space Storage 25.82% 5.43% 3.02% Two Harbors Investment 27.71% 3.64% 0.43%

Summary

Extra Space Storage beats Two Harbors Investment on 10 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Extra Space Storage

(Get Free Report)

Extra Space Storage Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a self-administered and self-managed REIT and a member of the S&P 500. As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned and/or operated 3,714 self-storage stores in 42 states and Washington, D.C. The Company's stores comprise approximately 2.6 million units and approximately 283.0 million square feet of rentable space operating under the Extra Space, Life Storage and Storage Express brands. The Company offers customers a wide selection of conveniently located and secure storage units across the country, including boat storage, RV storage and business storage. It is the largest operator of self-storage properties in the United States.

About Two Harbors Investment

(Get Free Report)

Two Harbors Investment Corp. invests in, finances, and manages mortgage servicing rights (MSRs), agency residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), and other financial assets through RoundPoint in the United States. The company target assets include agency RMBS collateralized by fixed rate mortgage loans, adjustable rate mortgage loans, hybrid mortgage loans, or derivatives; and other assets, such as financial and mortgage-related assets, including non-agency securities and non-hedging transactions. It qualifies as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, the company must distribute at least 90% of annual taxable income to its stockholders. Two Harbors Investment Corp. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

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(Reuters) -Indian carrier Vistara said on Friday its planes would be operated by Air India from November as a merger between Vistara and the country's flag carrier gained momentum following a key Indian government approval.

Singapore Airlines, which owns 49% of Vistara in a joint venture with India's Tata Group said it had received approval for foreign direct investment into an expanded Air India, clearing a significant hurdle in the merger process.

Singapore's flagship carrier announced a plan to merge the decade-old Vistara and Tata-owned Air India in November 2022, in a bid to create a dominant full-service airline in the domestic and international markets.

India is among the world's fastest-growing major aviation markets. Global airlines are expanding flights to the country and Indian airlines last year placed record orders for hundreds of new planes.

Singapore Airlines said it expected the merger deal, which Indian and Singaporean antitrust regulators have cleared, to be completed by the end of 2024.

That is delayed from the original target of March, and the airline said the companies were in talks about an extension to the agreed stop date of Oct. 31.

From Sept. 3, it will not be possible to book with Vistara for travel on or after Nov. 12, Vistara said in a statement.

"All Vistara aircraft thereafter will be operated by Air India and bookings for the routes operated by these aircraft will be redirected to Air India's website," it added.

Air India staff have been working for months with Vistara on the transition and look forward to offering an expanded network, more flight options and an improved frequent flyer program, the flag carrier's CEO Campbell Wilson said in a statement.

Air India has said previously the Vistara brand will eventually be retired.

Singapore Airlines, which is the only foreign airline with a direct stake in an Indian carrier, will hold a 25.1% stake in the combined Air India group in return for a $250 million investment.

The Singaporean company is due to invest up to 50.2 billion Indian rupees ($599 million) after the merger is completed, it said on Friday.

India's Tata took over flag carrier Air India in 2022 and embarked on a multi-million dollar transformation of the former state-run airline.

($1 = 1.3029 Singapore dollars)

($1 = 83.8660 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Himanshi Akhand and Varun Hebbalalu in Bengaluru, Lisa Barrington in Seoul; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Jamie Freed)
Rexford Industrial Realty (NYSE:REXR  Free Report) had its price target lowered by Wells Fargo & Company from $66.00 to $61.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the real estate investment trusts stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of Rexford Industrial Realty in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They set an outperform rating and a $54.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial upped their target price on Rexford Industrial Realty from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Mizuho cut their price target on shares of Rexford Industrial Realty from $52.00 to $50.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Rexford Industrial Realty from $47.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Rexford Industrial Realty from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $54.09.

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Rexford Industrial Realty Stock Performance

Shares of Rexford Industrial Realty stock opened at $50.90 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market cap of $11.09 billion, a PE ratio of 46.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50 day moving average of $48.62 and a 200-day moving average of $47.85. Rexford Industrial Realty has a 1-year low of $41.56 and a 1-year high of $58.02.

Rexford Industrial Realty (NYSE:REXR  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 17th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.58 by ($0.21). The business had revenue of $237.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $227.70 million. Rexford Industrial Realty had a net margin of 30.71% and a return on equity of 3.31%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 21.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.54 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Rexford Industrial Realty will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Rexford Industrial Realty Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.4175 per share. This represents a $1.67 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.28%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. This is a positive change from Rexford Industrial Realtys previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. Rexford Industrial Realtys payout ratio is 153.21%.

Insider Activity at Rexford Industrial Realty

In other Rexford Industrial Realty news, CEO Howard Schwimmer sold 30,358 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.86, for a total transaction of $1,483,291.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 50,673 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,475,882.78. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rexford Industrial Realty

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Point72 Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Rexford Industrial Realty in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $6,219,000. Creative Planning lifted its holdings in Rexford Industrial Realty by 27.1% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 17,913 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $799,000 after acquiring an additional 3,824 shares during the period. Long Pond Capital LP boosted its position in Rexford Industrial Realty by 2.3% in the second quarter. Long Pond Capital LP now owns 1,053,505 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $46,976,000 after purchasing an additional 23,290 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its stake in Rexford Industrial Realty by 28.5% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 370,696 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $16,529,000 after purchasing an additional 82,286 shares during the period. Finally, Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. increased its position in shares of Rexford Industrial Realty by 20.3% during the 2nd quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 517,755 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $23,087,000 after purchasing an additional 87,426 shares during the last quarter. 99.52% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Rexford Industrial Realty

(Get Free Report)

Rexford Industrial creates value by investing in, operating and redeveloping industrial properties throughout infill Southern California, the world's fourth largest industrial market and consistently the highest-demand with lowest-supply major market in the nation. The Company's highly differentiated strategy enables internal and external growth opportunities through its proprietary value creation and asset management capabilities.

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Sivik Global Healthcare LLC lessened its holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC  Free Report) by 8.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 55,000 shares of the companys stock after selling 5,000 shares during the quarter. Encompass Health accounts for approximately 1.7% of Sivik Global Healthcare LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Sivik Global Healthcare LLC owned about 0.05% of Encompass Health worth $4,718,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 8,619 shares of the companys stock valued at $712,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC now owns 12,070 shares of the companys stock valued at $997,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 3,885 shares of the companys stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Horrell Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Horrell Capital Management Inc. now owns 29,371 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,425,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 31.9% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 616 shares of the companys stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the companys stock.

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Encompass Health Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of EHC stock traded up $1.43 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $93.05. The companys stock had a trading volume of 588,675 shares, compared to its average volume of 644,841. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $87.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $83.21. Encompass Health Co. has a 52 week low of $57.55 and a 52 week high of $94.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.37. The company has a market cap of $9.37 billion, a PE ratio of 24.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.89.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

Encompass Health ( NYSE:EHC Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.10. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 7.60%. The firm had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.30 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.95 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be given a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 1st. This is a positive change from Encompass Healths previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.73%. Encompass Healths dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.38%.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In related news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total transaction of $1,058,528.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 136,227 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,761,839.18. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on EHC. Leerink Partners began coverage on Encompass Health in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. They set an outperform rating and a $100.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays cut their price objective on Encompass Health from $113.00 to $109.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Encompass Health from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Stephens reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $105.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Encompass Health from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $100.38.

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Encompass Health Company Profile

(Free Report)

Encompass Health Corporation provides post-acute healthcare services in the United States and Puerto Rico. It owns and operates inpatient rehabilitation hospitals that provide medical, nursing, therapy, and ancillary services. The company provides specialized rehabilitative treatment on an inpatient basis to patients who have experienced physical or cognitive disabilities or injuries due to medical conditions, such as strokes, hip fractures, and various debilitating neurological conditions.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EHC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC  Free Report).

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StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Visionary (NYSE:GV  Free Report) in a report released on Tuesday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the stock.

Visionary Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of GV stock opened at $2.05 on Tuesday. Visionary has a 52-week low of $1.52 and a 52-week high of $8.85.

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About Visionary

(Get Free Report)

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Visionary Holdings Inc provides education resources to students worldwide. The company offers educational programs for secondary school, college, university, and advanced degree students that include degree-oriented educational programs, such as OSSD program, career-oriented two-year college, four-year university programs, and masters programs; and high school education programs, real estate development, animation education, vocational education, online education, and other education-related consulting services.

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Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV grew its holdings in shares of The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK  Free Report) by 9.1% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 8,651 shares of the banks stock after buying an additional 722 shares during the quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADVs holdings in Bank of New York Mellon were worth $518,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of BK. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI increased its position in Bank of New York Mellon by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI now owns 3,847 shares of the banks stock worth $231,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust increased its position in Bank of New York Mellon by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 28,349 shares of the banks stock worth $1,633,000 after buying an additional 187 shares during the period. 1858 Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Bank of New York Mellon by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. 1858 Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,866 shares of the banks stock worth $291,000 after buying an additional 188 shares during the period. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. increased its position in Bank of New York Mellon by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Semmax Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 10,214 shares of the banks stock worth $591,000 after buying an additional 189 shares during the period. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP increased its position in Bank of New York Mellon by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 6,015 shares of the banks stock worth $324,000 after buying an additional 192 shares during the period. 85.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity

In related news, VP Hanneke Smits sold 15,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.11, for a total value of $961,650.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 173,930 shares in the company, valued at $11,150,652.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on BK shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Bank of New York Mellon from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on Bank of New York Mellon from $61.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Bank of New York Mellon from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Bank of New York Mellon from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Finally, Citigroup cut Bank of New York Mellon from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $65.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Monday, July 15th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Bank of New York Mellon has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $66.14.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Bank of New York Mellon

Bank of New York Mellon Price Performance

BK stock traded up $0.97 during trading on Friday, hitting $68.22. The company had a trading volume of 4,279,042 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,808,408. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $63.17 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $59.12. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. The company has a market cap of $51.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.09. The Bank of New York Mellon Co. has a fifty-two week low of $39.66 and a fifty-two week high of $68.37.

Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 12th. The bank reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $4.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.53 billion. Bank of New York Mellon had a return on equity of 11.87% and a net margin of 9.40%. The businesss revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.38 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 5.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bank of New York Mellon Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.47 per share. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.76%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 22nd. This is a positive change from Bank of New York Mellons previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio is 43.52%.

About Bank of New York Mellon

(Free Report)

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and other segments. The Securities Services segment offers custody, trust and depositary, accounting, exchange-traded funds, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, and data analytics.

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Atlas Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG  Free Report) by 14,103.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 280,093 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 278,121 shares during the quarter. Procter & Gamble comprises about 6.0% of Atlas Capital Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its biggest holding. Atlas Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $46,193,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Boston Financial Mangement LLC grew its stake in Procter & Gamble by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. Boston Financial Mangement LLC now owns 68,127 shares of the companys stock worth $11,236,000 after purchasing an additional 966 shares in the last quarter. Key Financial Inc lifted its position in shares of Procter & Gamble by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 20,988 shares of the companys stock worth $3,461,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. purchased a new position in Procter & Gamble in the second quarter valued at $14,853,000. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV raised its stake in Procter & Gamble by 5.0% in the second quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV now owns 54,201 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,939,000 after buying an additional 2,573 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 6.1% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 65,106 shares of the companys stock worth $10,737,000 after buying an additional 3,745 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.77% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on PG shares. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Procter & Gamble to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. They issued a buy rating and a $189.00 price target for the company. Barclays dropped their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $174.00 to $163.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Procter & Gamble from $171.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Procter & Gamble from $181.00 to $179.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $175.79.

Insider Buying and Selling at Procter & Gamble

In related news, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 72,174 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.01, for a total transaction of $12,342,475.74. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 263,158 shares in the company, valued at $45,002,649.58. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 37,240 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $168.89, for a total value of $6,289,463.60. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 263,537 shares of the companys stock, valued at $44,508,763.93. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jon R. Moeller sold 72,174 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.01, for a total transaction of $12,342,475.74. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 263,158 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $45,002,649.58. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 375,553 shares of company stock worth $63,829,141. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock.

Procter & Gamble Price Performance

NYSE PG traded up $1.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $171.53. The stock had a trading volume of 7,301,578 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,572,756. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $167.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $163.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The company has a market cap of $404.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.03, a P/E/G ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 0.41. The Procter & Gamble Company has a 52-week low of $141.45 and a 52-week high of $171.89.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The company reported $1.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $20.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.69 billion. Procter & Gamble had a net margin of 17.71% and a return on equity of 33.46%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.37 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 15th. Investors of record on Friday, July 19th were paid a $1.0065 dividend. This represents a $4.03 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 19th. Procter & Gambles payout ratio is 65.69%.

About Procter & Gamble

(Free Report)

The Procter & Gamble Company provides branded consumer packaged goods worldwide. It operates through five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment offers conditioners, shampoos, styling aids, and treatments under the Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Pantene, and Rejoice brands; and antiperspirants and deodorants, personal cleansing, and skin care products under the Olay, Old Spice, Safeguard, Secret, and SK-II brands.

Further Reading

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UMB Bank n.a. lowered its position in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Free Report) by 5.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 66,975 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 3,978 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Southern were worth $5,195,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Southern during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Southern by 62.0% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 444 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Southern by 3,628.6% in the 1st quarter. Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 522 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 508 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.10% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Southern news, EVP Sloane N. Drake sold 12,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.61, for a total value of $931,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,771 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,301,597.31. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Southern news, EVP Sterling A. Jr. Spainhour sold 2,380 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.99, for a total value of $211,796.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 12,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,112,375. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Sloane N. Drake sold 12,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.61, for a total transaction of $931,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,771 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,301,597.31. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 21,280 shares of company stock worth $1,678,625 in the last quarter. 0.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Southern Stock Performance

Southern stock traded up $0.60 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $86.40. The company had a trading volume of 4,133,715 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,458,000. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66. The Southern Company has a 52 week low of $61.56 and a 52 week high of $89.68. The company has a 50 day moving average of $82.97 and a 200-day moving average of $76.52. The firm has a market cap of $94.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.33, a PEG ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.51.

Southern (NYSE:SO  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $6.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.10 billion. Southern had a net margin of 17.67% and a return on equity of 12.88%. The businesss revenue was up 12.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.79 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Southern Company will post 4.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southern Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 19th will be given a dividend of $0.72 per share. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 19th. Southerns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 74.42%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on SO. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Southern from $86.00 to $87.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Southern from $80.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Southern from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Argus upped their price target on shares of Southern from $75.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Southern from $83.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $83.71.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Southern

Southern Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. 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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Tokai Carbon Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:TKCBY  Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a decline of 50.0% from the July 31st total of 200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.0 days.

Tokai Carbon Stock Performance

Tokai Carbon stock remained flat at $21.85 during mid-day trading on Friday. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $23.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $25.28. Tokai Carbon has a one year low of $21.85 and a one year high of $30.67.

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About Tokai Carbon

(Get Free Report)

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Tokai Carbon Co, Ltd. manufactures and sells carbon-related products and services in Japan. The company offers graphite electrodes for use in electric furnaces, such as direct current, alternating current, and refining furnaces; and carbon black, including SEAST, TOKABLACK, Aqua Black, and Thermal black varieties, which are used to reinforce the rubber in tires, as well as used as a black pigment in various black-colored products.

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TrueMark Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Gold Fields Limited (NYSE:GFI  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 27,984 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $417,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of Gold Fields during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Gold Fields by 51.7% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 4,878 shares of the companys stock valued at $71,000 after buying an additional 1,662 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Gold Fields during the 4th quarter valued at $149,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Gold Fields by 10.3% during the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 11,802 shares of the companys stock valued at $171,000 after buying an additional 1,101 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Gold Fields by 10.4% during the 2nd quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 11,538 shares of the companys stock valued at $172,000 after buying an additional 1,090 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 26.02% of the companys stock.

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Gold Fields Stock Performance

NYSE:GFI traded down $0.33 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $13.74. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,563,333 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,889,913. Gold Fields Limited has a 12-month low of $10.31 and a 12-month high of $18.97. The firms fifty day moving average price is $15.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $15.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The stock has a market cap of $12.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.77 and a beta of 1.16.

Gold Fields Cuts Dividend

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be given a $0.1692 dividend. This represents a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 13th. Gold Fieldss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 13.30%.

GFI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised Gold Fields from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Gold Fields from $17.50 to $16.70 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. BMO Capital Markets raised Gold Fields from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $13.50 to $14.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered their price target on Gold Fields from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $15.90.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Gold Fields

Gold Fields Profile

(Free Report)

Gold Fields Limited operates as a gold producer with reserves and resources in Chile, South Africa, Ghana, Canada, Australia, and Peru. It also explores for copper and silver deposits. The company was founded in 1887 and is based in Sandton, South Africa.

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UMB Bank n.a. reduced its position in shares of Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II (NYSEARCA:EOS  Free Report) by 13.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,684 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,495 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II were worth $342,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Macroview Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II by 316.7% in the 1st quarter. Macroview Investment Management LLC now owns 1,250 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 950 shares in the last quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC acquired a new position in Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II in the 1st quarter valued at $61,000. Hartline Investment Corp acquired a new position in Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II in the 1st quarter valued at $241,000. Calamos Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II in the 2nd quarter valued at $277,000. Finally, Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II in the 1st quarter valued at $446,000.

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Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II Price Performance

NYSEARCA EOS traded up $0.14 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $21.45. The company had a trading volume of 122,145 shares, compared to its average volume of 86,029. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $21.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $20.72. Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II has a twelve month low of $15.87 and a twelve month high of $22.68.

Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II Dividend Announcement

Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II Company Profile

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.1523 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 22nd. This represents a $1.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.52%.

(Free Report)

Eaton Vance Enhanced Equity Income Fund II is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Eaton Vance Management. The fund invests in public equity markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in the stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund primarily invests in growth stocks of mid-cap and large-cap companies.

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UMB Bank n.a. reduced its stake in Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF (BATS:NULG  Free Report) by 31.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 36,025 shares of the companys stock after selling 16,802 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a. owned approximately 0.20% of Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF worth $2,924,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NULG. CVA Family Office LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF in the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF by 28.8% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,086 shares of the companys stock valued at $88,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $87,000. Finally, ICA Group Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $88,000.

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Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF Trading Up 1.0 %

NULG traded up $0.79 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $80.84. 49,052 shares of the stock were exchanged. The firms fifty day moving average is $80.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $77.19. Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF has a 1-year low of $26.91 and a 1-year high of $34.04. The company has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a PE ratio of 41.95 and a beta of 1.22.

Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF Company Profile

The Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF (NULG) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI TIAA ESG USA Large Cap Growth index. The fund tracks an index composed of large-cap US companies with growth characteristics that also meet certain environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. NULG was launched on Dec 13, 2016 and is managed by Nuveen.

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Stamford Tyres Corporation Limited (SGX:S29) will pay a dividend of SGD0.02 on the 24th of September. This means the dividend yield will be fairly typical at 6.4%.

View our latest analysis for Stamford Tyres

Stamford Tyres' Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

We aren't too impressed by dividend yields unless they can be sustained over time. Based on the last payment, Stamford Tyres was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This means that a large portion of its earnings are being retained to grow the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share could rise by 66.0% over the next year if the trend from the last few years continues. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 48% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range.

Dividend Volatility

Although the company has a long dividend history, it has been cut at least once in the last 10 years. The most recent annual payment of SGD0.015 is about the same as the annual payment 10 years ago. It's encouraging to see some dividend growth, but the dividend has been cut at least once, and the size of the cut would eliminate most of the growth anyway, which makes this less attractive as an income investment.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Stamford Tyres has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 66% per annum. The company's earnings per share has grown rapidly in recent years, and it has a good balance between reinvesting and paying dividends to shareholders, so we think that Stamford Tyres could prove to be a strong dividend payer.

We Really Like Stamford Tyres' Dividend

Overall, we think that this is a great income investment, and we think that maintaining the dividend this year may have been a conservative choice. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic 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 3 warning signs for Stamford Tyres that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks.

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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.
UMB Bank n.a. decreased its holdings in shares of Unum Group (NYSE:UNM  Free Report) by 46.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,388 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 2,978 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Unum Group were worth $173,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of Unum Group by 361.5% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 503 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 394 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unum Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in shares of Unum Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Unum Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Unum Group in the first quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors own 86.57% of the companys stock.

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Unum Group Stock Up 0.3 %

Unum Group stock traded up $0.19 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $55.48. 1,103,909 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,235,986. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.28. The company has a market cap of $10.51 billion, a PE ratio of 8.24, a P/E/G ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 0.81. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $53.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $51.96. Unum Group has a 12 month low of $41.75 and a 12 month high of $58.17.

Unum Group ( NYSE:UNM Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.02 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $3.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.23 billion. Unum Group had a net margin of 10.40% and a return on equity of 15.55%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.06 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Unum Group will post 8.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unum Group declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, July 30th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to purchase up to 10% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Unum Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 26th were given a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.03%. This is a positive change from Unum Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 26th. Unum Groups payout ratio is presently 24.96%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Unum Group news, EVP Timothy Gerald Arnold sold 10,000 shares of Unum Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.11, for a total value of $541,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 64,821 shares in the company, valued at $3,507,464.31. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.93% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently commented on UNM shares. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Unum Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Unum Group from $66.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, August 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Unum Group from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Unum Group from $62.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Unum Group in a research note on Thursday, July 11th. They issued an overweight rating and a $57.00 price target on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $61.78.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Unum Group

About Unum Group

(Free Report)

Unum Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial protection benefit solutions primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, and internationally. It operates through Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, and Closed Block segment. The company offers group long-term and short-term disability, group life, and accidental death and dismemberment products; supplemental and voluntary products, such as individual disability, voluntary benefits, and dental and vision products; and accident, sickness, disability, life, and cancer and critical illness products.

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Uwharrie Capital Corp (OTCMKTS:UWHR  Get Free Report) shares traded down 0.6% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $7.80 and last traded at $7.80. 400 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 2,366 shares. The stock had previously closed at $7.85.

Uwharrie Capital Price Performance

The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $7.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $7.65.

Uwharrie Capital Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Uwharrie Capital Corp operates as the bank holding company for Uwharrie Bank that provides commercial banking services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in North Carolina. It accepts personal and commercial checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts.

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What Stocks Does Donald Trump Own? New Financial Disclosure Revealed

As Donald Trump campaigns for a return to the White House, his latest financial disclosure offers a look into the investment strategy of the businessman-turned-politician.



The Aug. 13, 2024, filing shows a portfolio that spans from high-flying tech stocks to reliable dividend payers. Outside of the individual stocks Trump owns, his disclosure lists real estate holdings valued in the hundreds of millions, and government bonds valued in the millions.

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If Trump were a money manager, he might be defined as one who balances growth potential with steady income.

While Trumps 64.9% stake in Trump Media & Technology Group dwarfs his other holdings at $2.4 billion, his investments in other companies are substantial and diverse. The former president has placed large bets on multiple magnificent seven' stocks, with stakes valued between $500,001 and $1 million each in Apple, Microsoft and NVIDIA.

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Those holdings suggest Trump has embraced Wall Streets enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI), the nascent sector that has driven much of the markets gains in recent months. His portfolio also includes positions in other magnificent seven stocks, including Alphabet and Amazon, valued between $100,000-$250,000 and $250,000-$500,000 respectively.

But the former president's strategy extends beyond Silicon Valley darlings. His disclosure lists hundreds of individual stocks, including positions in financials like JPMorgan Chase and Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway.

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Trumps portfolio also features a significant number of dividend stocks, which include household names like Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble.



Here's a look at some of the stocks Trump owns that are valued at more than $15,000.

Apple Inc ($500,000  $1,000,000)

Microsoft Corp ($500,000  $1,000,000)

Nvidia Corp ($500,000  $1,000,000)

Amazon.com, Inc ($250,000  $500,000)

Alphabet Inc (Google) ($100,000  $250,000)

Meta Platforms Inc ($100,000  $250,000)

Berkshire Hathaway Inc ($100,000  $250,000)

PepsiCo Inc ($100,000  $250,000)

JPMorgan Chase & Co ($100,000  $250,000)

Tesla Inc ($50,000  $100,000)

Coca-Cola Co

Exxon Mobil Corp

Chevron Corp

Home Depot Inc

McDonald's Corp

AbbVie Inc

Adobe Inc

Broadcom Inc

Booking Holdings Inc

Caterpillar Inc

Cisco Systems Inc

ConocoPhillips

Lockheed Martin Corp

Netflix Inc

Pfizer Inc

Qualcomm Inc

Union Pacific Corp

United Parcel Service, Inc.

Story continues

As the 2024 election race goes on, Trumps investment choices may face increased scrutiny. His stake in Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns the social media platform Truth Social, is likely to be the most talked about Trump holding.

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A billion-dollar investment strategy with minimums as low as $10 you can become part of the next big real estate boom today

The lockup agreement preventing insiders from selling shares is set to expire in late September, potentially allowing Trump to cash out some of his $2.4 billion position. According to the disclosures, Trump owns 114,750,000 shares of the media brand or 64.9% of the entire company.

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This article What Stocks Does Donald Trump Own? New Financial Disclosure Revealed originally appeared on Benzinga.com

 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the Kolkata Police to release Sayan Lahiri, one of the convenors of the Nabanna Abhijan (March to Secretariat) on August 27 condemning the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata earlier this month.

Besides telling the Kolkata Police to arrange for the release of Lahiri by 2 p.m. on Saturday, the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha also directed that no coercive action will be taken against him in the matter.

Although the hearing was concluded on Friday afternoon, Justice Sinha temporarily reserved the final order. The direction to release Lahiri finally came on Friday evening.

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Justice Sinha also made it clear that no coercive action can be taken against Lahiri, not just in connection with the Nabanna Abhijan, but also in relation to any other police case against him,

Earlier on Friday, Lahiri through his counsel approached the bench of Justice Sinha challenging his arrest.

In the petition, his counsel accused the city police of arresting his client on false charges. The petition was admitted and heard on an emergency basis.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also issued a notice to Kolkata Police on Friday seeking explanation on the alleged police excesses against the protesters who took part in the Nabanna Abhijan on August 27.

Political observers feel that first the NHRC notice, and then the Calcutta High Court order have come as twin blows for the state administration, especially for the Kolkata Police.

Parts of Kolkata and Howrah turned into virtual battlefields on the afternoon of August 27 following clashes between the police and the protestors.

At many places, the police had to resort to lathi-charge, firing of teargas shells, and use of water cannons to disperse the protesters moving towards the state Secretariat located in the Mandirtala area of Howrah district, which is adjacent to Kolkata.
The demand for justice in the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R G Kar hospital echoed in the House of Kolkata Municipal Corporation today when the opposition councillors protested at the monthly meeting today.

Before the commencement of the monthly session, the Left and Congress councillors shouted slogans outside the House demanding justice for the brutal incident. At the beginning of the session, the BJP demanded a condolence message and a minute silence for the victim doctor. Reacting to the demand, councillor of the ruling party, Arup Chakraborty, who was presiding the House in absence of KMC chairperson Mala Roy, disapproved the condolence message and allowed the observance of one minute silence. The situation, however, became more tense when the opposition councillors from the BJP demanded adjournment of the monthly meeting, which was not agreed upon by the members of the ruling party, including Mr Chakraborty. The BJP councillors then shouted slogans carrying placards with we demand justice, and walked out of the House.

Staging a sit-in outside the session room, BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh said, Condolences are read out here on the death of artists, sportsmen, but they are not willing to do it for the death of an on-duty doctor. We demanded adjournment of the session today. People from all over Kolkata are taking to the streets. We wanted to adjourn the House and hold it some other day but TMC did not agree.

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Reacting to the walkout by the BJP, KMC mayor Firhad Hakim, said, Whom are they asking for justice from? The CBI is carrying out the investigation, which is under the central government. Apart from this, there is no point in acting here as a representative of those who released the rapists of Gujarat from jail and felicitated them with garlands.
A Trinamul Congress leader was arrested from the New Town area who used to forge the letterhead of TMC national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee.

Police said that a complaint has been filed against Kaushik Sarkar, alleging that he collected crores of rupees using a fake letterhead in the name of Abhishek Banerjee. On Thursday night, the police from Kolkatas Shakespeare Sarani police station arrested the accused leader.

According to police sources, Sarkar had been printing fake letterheads in the name of Abhishek Banerjee and used these fake letterheads to promise recommendations at various places and collected large sums of money in return. The complaint against Kaushik was filed by a resident of Uttar Dinajpur, following which the police began their investigation. The accused was arrested on Thursday night and presented in the Bankshall Court on Friday. Lalbazar sources revealed that the police requested custody of the accused for interrogation. Kaushik has previously faced multiple allegations, including land grabbing, which will also be investigated. The police are also looking into whether Kaushik was running a fraud operation under the guise of extortion.

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As this incident came to light, the ruling party claimed that the accused did not hold any official position within the party, although he was occasionally seen at various party events. In this context, Tapas Chattopadhyay, the MLA of Rajarhat New Town Assembly Constituency, stated, There were several complaints against him (Kaushik). However, he did not hold any position within the party, though I have seen him at a few meetings and rallies. Nowadays, anyone can claim to be associated with a party by showing some photos. Tapas also mentioned that the party would not tolerate such wrongdoings.
Following directives from chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Trinamul Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) students across north Bengal took to the streets demanding justice for the R G Kar incident.

On 9 August, a trainee lady doctor was allegedly raped and killed at R G Kar, sparking widespread outrage and protests both state-wide and nationally.

In response, TMCP supporters from various colleges in north Bengal districts, including Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Siliguri, organised rallies in different formats to voice their demands for justice. The protests featured a range of activities, including marches, sit-ins, and symbolic demonstrations, reflecting the students collective anger and determination.

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At the University of North Bengal, TMCP-backed students also staged a significant demonstration on campus today. The rally was organized in line with the instructions from party chief Mamata Banerjee, who has been vocal about the need for accountability and swift action in the case. The universitys protest highlighted the strong solidarity within the student community and their commitment to seeking justice for the victim.

The tragic incident has ignited a wave of protests across the state and beyond, drawing attention to issues of safety and justice. As calls for accountability grow louder, the protests underscore the ongoing demand for systemic changes to protect women and ensure justice for victims of violence.

In a notable development, former students of Siliguri College have united to plan a protest scheduled for September. This move reflects their commitment to addressing recent issues and advocating for justice. Meanwhile, local LGBT community members have also mobilised to organize a separate demonstration, demanding justice for the victim of a recent incident.

Both groups aim to raise awareness and put pressure on authorities to take decisive action. The former students protest will focus on broader societal issues and seek to amplify voices calling for change, while the LGBT communitys demonstration will centre on justice for the specific victim, emphasizing the need for accountability and protection for marginalised groups.
We recently compiled a list of the Goldman Sachs' Best Hedge Fund Stock Picks: Top 20 Stocks. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC) stands against Goldman Sachs' other hedge fund stock picks.

The close of August has marked a highly awaited paradigm shift on Wall Street that investors have been wishing for months. This shift comes after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell finally admitted that the time for interest rate cuts had come. Investors rejoiced and the flagship S&P index gained 1.15% while the Dow's blue chip stock index added 1.14% to its value.

Before the Fed chair's remarks, investment bank Goldman Sachs had already taken a detailed look at the implications of interest rate cuts on the stock market. In a podcast, the bank's trading strategy head Josh Schiffrin started by explaining that the prospect of the Fed reducing rates was linked "very closely to the performance of short-term bonds." He however added that it's "really been bonds that have been responsive, where the story has been quite clear," pointing out that "the stock market has been range bound and choppy with a fair amount of rotation between different sectors" which leads to index level moves being "muted." This makes sense when we consider the Dow and S&P's movements following Powell's latest comments, as the one percentage point gain for each indicated that investors were well prepared for rate cuts even before the Fed Chair took the stand.

Speaking of the flagship S&P index, GS' head of American Equity Sales Trading John Flood shared some insights at the June close. Starting off by highlighting the drives of the index's performance during the first half of the year, Flood outlined that when it came to hedge funds, artificial intelligence and GLP-1 were the two key trends that had driven index returns. He described it as "a long momentum trade" with "both cohorts" of the hedge fund side, namely the "systemic and fundamental long-short" fully involved in trading.

The Goldman equity head also added that retail investors were finally back as well, and they were focused on "focused on the ten biggest stocks in the world." You can see which companies these might be by reading 20 Largest Companies in the World by Market Cap in 2024. One key concern among investors and analysts alike this year has been a bifurcation in market returns that has seen only the best performers yield most of the rewards. This was also on the mind of analysts from another well known Wall Street bank, who added that it created an opportunity for further profits. Flood shared that while five stocks accounted for "60% of S&P 500's return year to date," this sharp divide did not make him uncomfortable.

Story continues

SEE ALSO 15 Best European AI Stocks According to Morgan Stanley and Best Humanoid Robot Stocks According to Morgan Stanley

The investor flood of optimism surrounding AI, which has pushed the shares of the top AI GPU designer in the world to post an unbelievable 321,150% in all time returns, has also led to worries that the market might be witnessing another period akin to the ill fated dotcom era of the 1990s. When asked whether this period reminded him of that time, Flood replied that his firm felt "a little bit more like 1995 than 1999. And 1995 clearly was a very positive year for the stock market and a positive run," particularly since "valuations and earnings from market leaders are way friendlier today than they were in 1999." Concluding by sharing that he felt "very bullish" the analyst also forecast his estimate for the flagship S&P. His estimate? Well, Flood believes that "you could see S&P 500 trade well north of 6,000 this year as the biggest get bigger and we continue to just see a little bit of a news vacuum into the elections right now."

The bit about market bifurcation between big and small companies was also on the mind of GS' senior US portfolio strategist Ben Snider. He commented on the jump in small cap stocks in July when they gained as much as 2% while other indexes lost up to 1.98% due to investors positioning themselves for potential interest rate cuts. Snider explained that small cap stocks tend to take on more debt, and lower rates coupled with their lower market values lead to big gains. According to him "if just 1% of assets comes out of the S&P 500 and flows into, for example, the Russell 2000 Small Cap Index, that 1% of S&P 500 market cap would represent more than 15% of Russell 2000 market cap." Coming back to AI, the Goldman strategist has a tip for those who might be worried that the hype surrounding AI might be more than the technology's ability to generate money for the firms that plan to plow a trillion dollars into it. He shared that as opposed to the market cap weighted benchmark S&P, it might be prudent to invest in the equal weight variant "if you are concerned about the degree of concentration or AI investment."

Speaking of AI, GS was also out with a detailed report in July which analyzed the year to date returns of different AI sectors. The AI stack, broadly speaking, is made up of four categories of firms. Starting from the bottom of the pyramid and moving upwards, these are chip manufacturers and designers, those that provide AI capacity like server farms, firms that sell AI products, and finally, companies that will see the largest gains from the ubiquitous or near ubiquitous adaptation of AI. As per GS, the year to date returns of these four sectors as of late July were 139% (represented only by the top AI GPU stock), 22%, -2%, and 2% respectively. One of the strongest performers within the AI infrastructure segment is utilities, and there's further room ahead as analyst Ryan Hammond believes that "after adjusting valuations for the improvement in long- term EPS growth expectations that the sector has experienced, Utilities PEG (P/E to long term growth (LTG)) ratio is 2x, well below the historical average of 3x."

So, with GS taking a broad view of the market, we decided to see which hedge fund stocks the bank is a fan of.

To make our list of Goldman Sachs' top hedge fund stocks, we ranked the bank's list of stocks with the number of hedge funds that, according to its data, had the stock as a top ten holding.

We also mentioned the total number of hedge funds that had bought these stocks as per Insider Monkey's data. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A room full of medical personnel collaborating on a treatment plan for a patient.

Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors in Q2 2024: 64

GS' Number Of Funds: 14

Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC) is one of the largest hospital operators in the US. A key differentiating factor for the firm, when compared to its peers in the hospital industry, is Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC)'s focus on outpatient surgery care. This is a niche within the healthcare industry, and due to the significantly lower number of overnight stays in this model, coupled with the high prices of surgeries, it allows Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC) to boost its margins when compared to operating expensive hospitals. The firm has also been busy these days by raising capital through selling its hospitals to increase focus on the outpatient strategy. Another key benefit of the outpatient surgery center strategy is that it can allow Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC) to establish a foothold in the market where many different providers operate. This can provide it with a competitive advantage through brand recognition and lower costs.

Baron Funds mentioned Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC) in its Q2 2024 investor letter. Here is what the firm said:

"We established a small position in Tenet Healthcare Corporation, a leading provider of health care services. Tenets care delivery network includes United Surgical Partners International (USPI), which operates over 600 ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), surgical hospitals, and other outpatient facilities. Tenet also operates over 50 acute care and specialty hospitals, as well as Conifer, a leading provider of revenue cycle management services. The combination of ASCs and hospital assets in local markets gives USPI a negotiating advantage with payors and vendors, supporting industry leading ASC operating margins. Tenet management has been divesting its less competitively positioned acute care hospitals and other non-core assets to focus on its ASC business. The $90 billion outpatient surgical market is enjoying strong secular tailwinds driven by aging U.S. demographics and the shi of procedures to lower cost outpatient settings. Outpatient procedures cost roughly 50% less than those done in hospitals and are preferred by both patients and physicians. Estimates are that an incremental $60 billion worth of cases are appropriate to be done outpatient, which should drive multi-year mid-single-digit same store growth for USPI  a combination of both higher acuity and volumes  enhanced by de novo projects and M&A in a highly fragmented space. Tenets hospital sales have been executed at attractive multiples with the proceeds used to pay down debt. As Tenets faster growing ASC business increases as a percentage of the companys overall cash flows, we believe the companys valuation multiple has room to expand."

Overall THC ranks 20th on our list of Goldman Sachs' hedge fund stock picks. While we acknowledge the potential of THC as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than THC but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA Has Become A Wasteland.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
In the wake of the horrific incident of rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor inside her workplace at state-run R G Kar Medical College Hospital, resident doctors comprising postdoctoral trainees (PDTs), PGTs and house staff of the institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research (IPGMER) as well as SSKM Hospital on Friday lodged complaints with the institute director Prof (Dr) Manimoy Bandyopadhyay and medical superintendent cum vice principal (MSVP) Prof (Dr) P K Roy against a group of house staff for unleashing an atmosphere of threats among their medical fraternity attached with the IPGME&R.

Todays complaint with the SSKM Hospital authorities came a day after the junior doctors of another government teaching hospital, Midnapore Medical College Hospital, gheraoed its principal on Thursday protesting against threats and harassment allegedly by some of their influential colleagues.

At SSKM Hospital, eastern Indias premier government teaching hospital cum research institute for postgraduate medical education, members of the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) at the hospital stated as per their complaints, With great anguish and disappointment, we the residents of IPGMER and SSKM Hospital are writing this letter to bring your attention a very concerning issue involving threat culture hovering around this institute, which is being created by Ranajit Saha (present house staff of department of dermatology) and his team.

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Over the past three years, several postgraduate trainees (PGTs) as well as postdoctoral trainees (PDTs), have reported instances of intimidation and threats, even physical assaults by Ranajit and his associates. Also, it has been brought to our attention that many respected faculties of our institute have faced his audacious behaviour, according to the complaints.

We have lodged complaints with both the director and MSVP and met them today requesting them to probe our grievances in connection with threats and harassment sponsored by one influential house staff Ranajit Saha and his associates. Academic atmosphere and healthcare services in this premier hospital may collapse in coming days if the authorities do not take strong action against this group of influential junior doctors, said Dr Arnab Mukhopadhyay, PDT student in DM nephrology course and senior member of the RDA at SSKM Hospital said.

Rubbishing the allegations, Dr Saha, said, I have also several major complaints to lodge against them with the director and MSVP separately. The authorities can probe the issue if they think so. I never threaten any of my colleagues, seniors and students in our hospital. Their allegations are false and baseless because I have no connection with any political party.

Prof Bandyopadhyay was not available for comment.
South City International School Marks 16th Annual Day with Inspiring Student Performances and a Pledge for Womens Safety

South City International School celebrated its 16th Annual Day as students from various classes showcased their talents.

Amidst ongoing concerns regarding womens safety, the school took a significant step forward by inducting 30 boys as SCIS Men of Honour. These students solemnly pledged to uphold the dignity of women throughout their lives. Additionally, the event featured a captivating drama titled Echoes of Gaia, The Quantum Chronology, scripted by the students themselves. This performance involved around 650 students from classes III to XII.

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The esteemed chief guests, Mr Juan Clar, public diplomacy officer, US Consulate General in Kolkata, Dr Sabyasachi Siddhanta, a prominent scientist at CERN and Satyarup Siddhanta, a world-record-holding mountaineer and motivational speaker, inspired the students with their speeches.
The University of Southampton (US) of the United Kingdom (UK) on Thursday became the first foreign academic institute to set up its campus in India under National Education Policy (NEP).

The campus will come up in the national capital region (NCR) of Gurugram in Haryana and be operational by offering courses likely from July in 2025.

Notably, the University Grant Commission (UGC) had in 2023 announced setting up and operation of campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEI) in India Regulations.

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The Letter of Intent (LoI) to the university representatives was handed over by external affairs minister S Jaishankar during an event in Delhi on Thursday.

Earlier, the US submitted a proposal for opening of the branch campus in Gurugram and the standing committee constituted by Prof M Jagadesh Kumar, chairman of the UGC, approved the move. The committee comprises noted academicians from India and abroad to issue LoI as per UGC regulations, according to the commission sources.

The degrees awarded by Indian campus of the US will be the same as in the host university. The programmes offered in the branch campus of the US in India will have the same academic and quality standards.

University of Southampton, Delhi NCR will deliver education, research and knowledge exchange and enterprise activity in the country, a statement issued by the university read.

The Indian campus of the University of Southampton is expected to start its academic programmes in July, 2025. The courses offered will be in subjects focusing on: business and management, computing law, engineering, art and design, bio-sciences and life sciences. With the starting of an Indian campus of the University of Southampton, it will be beneficial for students, in terms of extending course and study opportunities in India, and for research, knowledge exchange, enterprise and engagement, Prof Jagadesh Kumar told The Statesman from Delhi.
In a significant move aimed at enhancing the ease of living for senior citizens and pensioners across the nation, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has launched a single unified form, merging nine separate forms into one Form 6-A and integration of e-HRMS with Bhavishya.

This initiative reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modis commitment to simplifying processes for senior citizens, enabling them to contribute effectively to the vision of a Viksit Bharat by preserving their energies and expertise while saving their valuable time.

Dr Singh, who launched the form yesterday through video-conference, emphasised the importance of this reform, stating, The launch of the Single Simplified Pension Application Form and Digital Integration of Bhavishya with e-HRMS is another milestone and a feather in the cap of the Department of Pension, which has consistently introduced reforms to improve the lives of our senior citizens.

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The Minister recalled the special campaign for family pension grievances and shared that it has crossed the mark of 96 per cent redressal rate including resolution of several long pending cases of dependent minor children, divyang daughters, widow/divorced daughters, dependent mothers and widows of war veterans.

Explaining the details, the Minister said: The retiring officials, who are on e-HRMS, will fill Form 6-A through e-HRMS (only Superannuation cases) and the retiring officials, who are not on e-HRMS, will fill Form 6-A in Bhavishya. He also added that Form submission by the Pensioner with a single e-Sign (Aadhaar based OTP) will be enough.

Dr Singh also released Gazette Notification of New Single Pension Application Form: A vital step towards Ease of Living for retiring officials along with Compendium of Pension related Instructions.

The Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare has developed an Integrated Pensioners Portal using Bhavishya platform as the base to provide a Common Single Window Portal for pensioners and elderly citizens.

The State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India and Union Bank of India are already integrated their Pension Portals with the Integrated Pensioners Portal.

Dr Singh launched the integration of the Central Bank of India Pension Portal with Bhavishya. Presently, 4 facilities viz. Monthly Pension Slip, Status of Life Certificate, Submission Form 16 of the pensioner and Due & Drawn Statement of pension arrears paid, are being provided by these Banks. The goal is to integrate all Pension Disbursing Banks with this portal for a unified user experience.

According to the Minister, the newly launched unified form is designed to streamline the process for pensioners, reducing the complexity of handling multiple forms and significantly cutting down on the time and effort required. This user-friendly approach is expected to benefit millions of senior citizens, enabling them to manage their pension-related matters with greater ease and convenience.

Dr Singh said, The Government remains committed to its vision of empowering senior citizens and harnessing their wisdom and experience for the development of the nation. This latest initiative is a testament to the continued efforts to simplify and improve the systems that directly impact the lives of our elderly population.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena inspected the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) at Kashmere Gate here on Saturday and directed the concerned officials to carry out a complete makeover of the facility.

He took stock of the passenger amenities as well as the operation of local and inter-state buses from the terminal.

The LG, who has been regularly reviewing the traffic situation in the national capital for the past month, was confronted with the issue of massive congestion outside the ISBT due to the unduly high turnaround time of inter-state buses inside the terminal.

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He was informed that the minimum turnaround time for an inter-state bus is currently 45-60 minutes, causing buses to spill over onto the adjoining roads outside the ISBT, which in turn leads to traffic snarls.

In response, Saxena directed the Transport Commissioner and DTC to reduce the turnaround time for inter-state buses to 30 minutes, which would increase the circulation of buses by over 50 per cent.

At present, the ISBT at Kashmere Gate, with a turnaround period of 45 minutes, caters to over 2,600 buses from its 60 bays, including nearly 1,300 inter-state buses, 1,200 DTC and Cluster buses, and about hundred All India Tourist Permit buses.

With the turnaround period reduced to 30 minutes, ISBT at Kashmere Gate will be able to handle over 1,900 inter-state buses daily, up from the existing 1,300.

Upon witnessing the poor upkeep, maintenance, sanitation, and encroachment of passenger pathways by unauthorised vendors, the LG expressed dissatisfaction and directed the concerned officials to carry out a complete makeover of the terminal.

He called for a thorough sprucing-up exercise, including the repair of the false ceiling, broken tiles, the greening of unutilised spaces, and the removal of stains and litter, to be completed within 15 days.

The MCD and Delhi Police were directed to prevent illegal squatting and ensure the clearing of passenger and bus pathways.

He later conducted a walking inspection of the Rani Jhansi Road, covering the stretch from Azad Market to the Pusa Road intersection, passing through the Faiz Road intersection and Idgah.
Senior TMC leader and Cooch Behar MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia speaks with Manas R Bannerjee about the current unrest in Bangladesh and its implications for Indian national security, particularly on the sensitive IndoBangladesh border.

Q. Given the current unrest in Bangladesh and considering Cooch Behars proximity to the border, what are your thoughts on national security, and what measures do you suggest?

A. The unrest in Bangladesh is a significant concern for our nation, as it has the potential to pose a serious threat to our national security. Given the proximity of the border and the delicate nature of the situation, it is imperative that we take proactive steps to safeguard our interests. I strongly recommend tightening security measures, with a particular focus on bolstering the efforts of the BSF. This should be done in close collaboration with the police and local administration to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated approach. Such measures will help mitigate any potential risks and maintain stability in the border regions.

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Q. Does the change in leadership pose a threat to Indias security?

A. It is an internal issue of our neighbouring country. However, it could pose a threat to our national security if the new government adopts anti-India policies. That said, I believe the Sheikh Hasina government has been more friendly toward our nation.

Q. As a former MLA from Sitai and now an MP from Cooch Behar, do you think the Central and State governments should collaborate more closely on strategies to ensure national security?

A. Yes, absolutely. Strong collaboration between the central and state governments is essential for effectively tackling the situation. I believe this collaboration is already happening and will continue to be reinforced.

Q. Recently, hundreds of Bangladeshi nationals gathered in the Sitalkuchi area and attempted to cross the border into India. Both the BSF and local administration, along with Bangladeshs BGB and police, managed the situation. Do you think India might face similar incidents again, especially in light of reported attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh?

A. I believe the situation was managed effectively in areas like Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar with active cooperation from all involved. The reported attacks on Hindus are very concerning. However, a similar situation could arise in our nation if irresponsible political leaders exploit the situation for their own gain.

Q. The Tin Bigha Corridor in Cooch Behar, along with the Bangladeshi enclaves of Dahagram and Angarpota, are frequently discussed in relation to infiltration and exfiltration, largely due to the lack of proper fencing, particularly in the Dahagram area. What are your views on establishing effective fencing there?

A. Effective fencing needs to be established not only in Dahagram and Angorpota but across every part of the India-Bangladesh border. The BSF cannot overlook the need for increased vigilance regarding infiltration and exfiltration.

Q. The land acquisition process for setting up the fencing, a state responsibility, has faced delays. Do you see any viable solutions to expedite the construction of this critical infrastructure?

A. Regardless of the problems, there should be no delay in constructing the fencing. This project must proceed with immediate coordination among all concerned parties. Additionally, sufficient compensation must be provided to all affected families.

Q. A recent survey was completed in the Dahagram area for the proposed fencing. What is causing the delay in land acquisition?

A. Survey reports must be addressed sincerely by all concerned to find a broadly acceptable solution. However, practical issues cannot be ignored.

Q. Are there any instances in Cooch Behar where the BSF and West Bengal Police have successfully cracked down on anti-national activities, particularly those involving smuggling between India and Bangladesh?

A. There are numerous instances where the BSF and local police have made significant efforts to combat and control smuggling activities. Despite their best efforts, smuggling continues to occur, raising concerns about how smugglers manage to evade detection. This situation prompts questions about the effectiveness of current security measures and how smugglers can operate despite the rigorous vigilance maintained by the BSF.

Q. Some residents living outside the fencing on Indian land face significant daily challenges. Do you have any plans to address this issue permanently, perhaps through rehabilitation?

A. Yes, people living in border areas face significant daily challenges. To address these issues effectively, there needs to be stronger coordination between the BSF, local administration, and police. This collaboration should be characterized by close cooperation and mutual respect, ensuring that the needs of these communities are met and their difficulties are alleviated.

Q. There are allegations that the district administration is hesitant to impose prohibitory orders from late evening to morning, which could help curb infiltration from Bangladesh. What is your stance on this issue?

A. Infiltration must be checked and prevented at any cost, as it poses a serious threat to national security. However, it is equally important that the daily livelihoods of people living in border areas are not disrupted. Measures to stop infiltration should be implemented in a way that allows border residents to continue their activities without unnecessary hindrances, balancing security concerns with the wellbeing of the local population.
BJP and JJP on Saturday welcomed the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to extend the date of polling in Haryana to October 5 from October 1. The poll panel said the decision was taken keeping in mind an old festival of the Bishnoi community.

Speaking to a news agency, BJP state president Mohan Lal Badoli welcomed the ECs decision. He said: To ensure the participation of the public in elections, We had written a letter to the Election Commission and I thank the EC for extending the polling date. I am confident that the number of voters will increase after this step.

Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Haryana Assembly, Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, It is the Election Commissions right, and it has the right to extend the polling date.

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Hooda also criticized the BJP, stating that the saffron party has already accepted defeat in Haryana. When the Haryana government wrote a letter to the Election Commission, I had said at that time that the BJP had accepted defeat.

Former Deputy Chief Minister and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala also welcomed the decision.

He stated: We welcome this decision. This clearly shows that the BJP is adopting all these tactics to avoid its defeat. Changing the date will do nothing because people have made up their minds to defeat them.

AAP Haryana President Sushil Gupta said: The BJP is scared of the public. They have made up their minds to remove the corrupt BJP government from power.

He added that the BJP wants to stay in power for four more days by doing this. We are ready to fight the elections on all seats in Haryana, he said.
For overseas placement of youth of the state, the Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EFS Facilities Services Group Limited, based in Dubai, UAE.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

Deputy Director (Employment) Sandeep Thakur signed the MoU on behalf of the department and Chief Executive Officer Tariq Chauhan on behalf of EFS Facilities Services Group Limited.

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Chief Minister offered appointment letters to five youths Rajat Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Jaspreet Singh, Abhinav Sharma of Una district, and Dinesh of Hamirpur district of their placements overseas.

The Visa process of all the five selected candidates was under process and they were expected to go to Saudi Arabia in September this year, where they would work on the NEOM city project.

He said the MoU would pave the way for better global employment opportunities for unemployed Himachali youth and help address unemployment. He added that the process of overseas placement would now be conducted throughout the state through recruiting agencies (RAs) hired by the department.

He directed the Labour and Employment Department to evolve a mechanism to track and trace to ensure the well-being of the candidates working abroad emphasizing that Mukhya Mantri Sewa Sanklap Helpline 1100 would be associated with this task.

He said the state government will make necessary amendments to the technical courses to ensure better employment opportunities.

Sukhu said that the state government was also exploring the possibilities of more overseas employment opportunities, and for this purpose, the department will coordinate with the Consul General of India office in Dubai.

The Chief Minister said that as a part of its broader India hiring strategy, EFS plans to meet 15-20 percent of their hiring needs from the state, up to 1000 candidates per year, particularly in sectors such as Hospitality, Technical Services, Housekeeping, Food and Beverage and Office Support.

The state government was committed to providing employment and self-employment opportunities to the youth of the state, and over 31,000 posts have been created by the present state government in the government sector alone in a short span of about 20 months.

He said that the Rs 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Start-up Scheme had been implemented in the state to motivate youth to start self-employment ventures to earn their livelihood.

Chief Executive Officer Tariq Chauhan of the Dubai-based EFS Facilities Services Group Limited said that the company is registered with the Ministry of External Affairs and is a global leader in integrated facility management, operating across 25 countries in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Europe.

He said that EFS is committed to a pilot project of at least 25 candidates from this region by December 2024.

He said that no recruitment fees would be charged from the candidates and complete protection from exploitation would be provided by intermediaries.
A malfunctioned helicopter of Crystal Aviation Company, which had been lying at the Kedarnath shrine helipad for nearly two months due to a tail rotor failure, was dropped into the Mandakini River while being airlifted by an Indian Air Force (IAF) MI-17 helicopter on Saturday morning.

The mishap occurred as the MI-17, tasked with transporting the damaged helicopter from Kedarnath Helipad to Gauchar airbase, began shaking mid-air due to the weight of the helicopter, rendering it unstable. The pilot, facing imminent risk, had no choice but to drop the helicopter near Tharu Camp at Lincholi, 3-4 km away from the Kedarnath shrine area.

Confirming the incident, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) officials stated that the MI-17 helicopter became jerky and unstable shortly after takeoff from the Kedarnath Helipad. The pilots decision to release the lifted helicopter was necessary to avoid a potentially costly disaster for the IAF helicopter. The wreckage was found scattered along the riverside, with no reported casualties. A State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team was immediately dispatched to search the area and take control of the wreckage.

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The Crystal Aviation Company, one of over 10 aviation firms operating in the Kedar Valley during the ongoing Chardham pilgrimage season, had requested IAF assistance to transport the non-functional helicopter for repairs at Gauchar. The helicopter had made an emergency landing in June due to the tail rotor failure.
Pointing to the gender demographic shift in the judges in the judiciary at district level across the country, the Chief Justice of India, Justice DY Chandrachud on Saturday said that an increasing number of women are joining the district judiciary with Kerala in a leading position with 72 per cent of judges being women.

Describing the changing gender dynamics with increasing number of women joining the judiciary, a picture of a promising judiciary of the future, the Chief Justice Chandrachud said, Women consisted of 58 per cent of the total recruitment for Civil Judges in Rajasthan in 2023. 66 per cent of the judicial officers appointed in Delhi in 2023 were women. In Uttar Pradesh, 54 per cent of the appointments for Civil Judge (Junior Division) in the batch of 2022 were women. In Kerala, 72 per cent of the total number of judicial officers are women.

These are a few examples which paint the picture of a promising judiciary of the future, the CJI said, pointing out that one of the sessions of the conference will address gender dynamics in the judiciary as well as the need to ensure an inclusive workplace.

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Speaking at the inaugural function of the National Conference of the District Judiciary, Chief Justice Chandrachud, while pointing to the changing gender equation in the district judiciary, expressed concern over the incident of disrespect with a young female judge.

Narrating the experiences shared by a young district judge from a rural court, stating that while most members of the bar were respectful, a few lawyers frequently addressed her disrespectfully and with condescension, the Chief Justice said that the situation appeared to arise solely due to her age and gender and exhorted the gathering that Such instances can be disheartening. Your support to your younger colleagues at such times would be invaluable and would strengthen the fabric of the judicial institution.

The inaugural function of the two-day conference of the District Judiciary was also attended by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Describing the district judiciary is the first point of contact for a citizen in search of justice and more often, the final point of contact for citizens, CJI said, The reasons may be numerous  many citizens are unable to afford legal representation, they have a lack of awareness about statutory rights, and there are geographical difficulties in physically accessing courts. The quality of our work and the conditions in which we provide justice to citizens determines whether they have confidence in us and is a test of our own accountability to society.

The district judiciary, CJI said, is therefore called upon to shoulder tremendous responsibility and is aptly described as the backbone of the judiciary.

Referring to the increasing use of technologies in the functioning of the courts and case management at all levels of judiciary, CJI Chandrachud said, Each one of us must be alive to the fact that merely purchasing technological devices is insufficient in the mission to ensure that courts are citizen-centric. Rather, we must embrace and implement technological processes by utilising the technology at our disposal and ensuring their full use in our work.

Underlining embracing, implementing and utilising the technologies, Chief Justice Chandrachud said, I speak from personal experience when I say that this will not only benefit citizens and other stakeholders in the legal system but will also ensure that our work as judges is conducted with greater efficiency. After the adoption of the Parichay application at the Supreme Court, I no longer use a pen to sign or mark the administrative files which require my attention. I instead review and approve files using my computer. This has created a smoother workflow for the Registrars at the court as well.

Chief Justice Chandrachud said, It is my sincere hope that this conference will elicit deep thought on how we can reshape our values and thought processes, put existing skills to use, learn new skills, and all in all, improve the manner in which the district courts function.
We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. Indeed, Optiscan Imaging (ASX:OIL) stock is up 157% in the last year, providing strong gains for shareholders. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse.

In light of its strong share price run, we think now is a good time to investigate how risky Optiscan Imaging's cash burn is. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway.

See our latest analysis for Optiscan Imaging

Does Optiscan Imaging Have A Long Cash Runway?

You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. As at June 2024, Optiscan Imaging had cash of AU$11m and such minimal debt that we can ignore it for the purposes of this analysis. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$5.8m over the trailing twelve months. Therefore, from June 2024 it had roughly 23 months of cash runway. That's not too bad, but it's fair to say the end of the cash runway is in sight, unless cash burn reduces drastically. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

How Is Optiscan Imaging's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

In the last year, Optiscan Imaging did book revenue of AU$3.5m, but its revenue from operations was less, at just AU$1.2m. We don't think that's enough operating revenue for us to understand too much from revenue growth rates, since the company is growing off a low base. So we'll focus on the cash burn, today. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by a very significant 77%. Oftentimes, increased cash burn simply means a company is accelerating its business development, but one should always be mindful that this causes the cash runway to shrink. Optiscan Imaging makes us a little nervous due to its lack of substantial operating revenue. We prefer most of the stocks on this list of stocks that analysts expect to grow.

Can Optiscan Imaging Raise More Cash Easily?

While Optiscan Imaging does have a solid cash runway, its cash burn trajectory may have some shareholders thinking ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Optiscan Imaging has a market capitalisation of AU$163m and burnt through AU$5.8m last year, which is 3.6% of the company's market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money.

How Risky Is Optiscan Imaging's Cash Burn Situation?

On this analysis of Optiscan Imaging's cash burn, we think its cash burn relative to its market cap 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, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 3 warning signs for Optiscan Imaging (1 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow.

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 Indian Embassy in Laos on Saturday informed that it has successfully rescued 47 Indians who were trapped in cyber-scam centres at the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bokeo Province, Laos.

Of these, 29 were handed over to the Embassy by Laos authorities after their crackdown on illegal activities in Golden Triangle SEZ, while other 18 had approached the Embassy in distress, seeking help, the Embassy said in a statement.

The Embassy officials travelled from capital Vientiane to Bokeo to actively liaise with local authorities for their rescue. Transport from Bokeo to Vientiane was organised by the Embassy, as also accommodation and food arrangements for them upon arrival in Vientiane.

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Indian Ambassador to Laos, Prashant Agrawal, met the group upon arrival to discuss the challenges they faced, and to advise further course of action.

The Embassy has undertaken and completed all procedural requirements of Laos authorities for their repatriation to India. Of these, 30 have already safely returned to India or are on their way, while the remaining 17 are only awaiting travel arrangements to be firmed up and would be leaving Laos soon.

Ambassador Agrawal emphasized that ensuring safety and well-being of Indians is a matter of top priority for the Embassy. Any request for help received from those in distress is taken up urgently and promptly and all due assistance extended.

The Embassy has so far rescued 635 Indians and ensured their safe return to India. We thank Laos authorities for their help and cooperation. We have also urged action at their end against unscrupulous elements and the matter has been raised at the highest levels, the statement further said.

We strongly advise any Indian planning to take up any job offer in Laos to exercise utmost care and caution, and do the due diligence thoroughly to avoid being duped. They may carefully go through the detailed Advisory available at the Embassys website at https://www.indianembassylaos.gov.in/ or contact the Embassy in case of any doubt, the statement added.

Earlier this month, the Embassy rescued 14 Indian nationals from similar cyber-scam centres in Laos. In May, 13 Indians, including seven workers from Odisha, were also rescued and repatriated.

The Embassy has highlighted that many of these fake job offers involve positions such as Digital Sales and Marketing Executives or Customer Support Service roles, which are fronts for call-centre scams and cryptocurrency frauds.

These offers are often facilitated by agents based in Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, and India, who recruit Indian nationals with promises of high salaries, hotel bookings, return air tickets, and visa facilitation.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday asked the people to react to JD-S, BJPs jealous conspiracy against the Congress government.

I did not come to power due to hateful politics. I became the Chief Minister with the blessings of the backward community. As long as I have the blessings of the people, no one can do anything to me. I appeal to you all to react to JD-S, BJPs jealous conspiracy, said the Chief Minister after unveiling the bronze statue of revolutionary freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna and inaugurating Kanaka Bhavan in Devaragudda of Ranebennur taluk in Haveri district.

He added that in a caste-based society like India, even the most marginalised person must be given an opportunity, as Mahatma Gandhi said.

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I believe in this principle and design my programs accordingly. This is what creates jealousy for the BJP and JD-S. This jealousy will destroy them, but they cannot shake me, the Chief Minister said.

He added that he is not afraid of anyone or any conspiracy against his government, adding that the guerrilla warrior Rayanna, who was a nightmare for the British, was betrayed by his own people.

Such traitors still exist among us today. Traitors like this have existed in all eras. We must face them unitedly and defeat them. Only when we imbibe the patriotism and spirit of struggle of Sangolli Rayanna can we fulfil his vision, the Chief Minister said.

He also appealed to the people not to tolerate revenge, jealousy or conspiracies against the Congress government allegedly fanned by the BJP and JD-S.

Will you allow any conspiracy against the Congress government? he asked, to which the people responded, We wont tolerate it. We will rise in against these things.

He said that his government has been fulfilling the promises made to the people, adding that even during his first term as Chief Minister, he fulfilled promises by delivering various schemes.

Now, in just one year of my second term, I have implemented all five guarantees, the Chief Minister said.

The event was presided over by MLA Shivanna and witnessed the presence of Siddarameshwar Swamiji from Kanaka Gurupitha, Thinthani, Shantabhishma Chaudayya Mahaswami from Narasipura Ambigara Chowdayya Peetha, and Karappajj Hakkari from Devaragudda.

The Chief Minister also announced that Devaragudda will be developed as a tourist centre at the Malatesh Devaru Temple.

Legal action will be taken to lift the stay order against the Devaragudda Development Authority and all basic facilities will be provided to Devaragudda, the Chief Minister promised.
The Hema Committee report has opened a pandoras box in Malayalam film industry with new distressing revelations of sexual abuse surfacing every day. FIRs related to sexual assault have been lodged against many prominent actors and directors of the industry.

In a new revelation, noted actress Radhika Sarathkumar made alarming revelations about the Malayalam film industry. Speaking to a Malayalam news channel, Radhika Sarathkumar has disclosed that hidden cameras were placed in the caravans of heroines to record nude scenes, which were later widely shared among several men involved in the film.

Radhika disclosed that hidden cameras were used in a caravan to record nude footage of actresses. She detailed that the recordings were stored in separate folders, with each folder being labelled with the names of different actresses.

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The noted actress recounted personally witnessing men on set viewing these recordings on their mobile phones, as a result of which she ended up staying in a hotel room and avoided using a caravan during the entire shoot, she said.

She refused to name the movie saying she did not want to shame anyone.

I have had experiences where women came to me, saying please help us. This is not just in Kerala, across languages, Radhika said.

Welcoming the release of the Hema Committee report, she explained that she had experiences similar to that mentioned in the report.

I have been in the industry for more than 40 yearsOf course, people have misbehaved with me, she said.

She said that inappropriate behavior persists among some individuals and stressed the need for women to assertively use the word no.

According to Radhika, no men in the industry have responded to these concerns, placing the onus of addressing such issues on women.

She remarked on the challenge of how effectively women can carry this responsibility. Radhika also mentioned that similar experiences have occurred in various languages beyond just Malayalam.

She explained that speaking out about issues in her workplace has personal repercussions, which is why she has avoided naming specific individuals.

Meanwhile, the Kasaba Police have registered a case against director Ranjith based on a complaint by a youth alleging sexual harassment. The case was filed under charges of unnatural sexual offence.

This is the first time a man has come forward with a sexual abuse complaint since a wave of #MeToo allegations hit the Malayalam film industry after the Hema Committee report came out.

Ranjith is one of the many leading figures in the Malayalam film industry against whom complaints of sexual harassment have been levelled by female actors.

In a related development, film director VA Shrikumar Menon has been booked by the Maradu Police in Kochi based on a complaint from a junior artist. The complainant alleged that the director sexually assaulted her at a hotel.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Saturday discussed issues concerning national security with Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi.

The meeting at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai earlier in the day last for an hour, sources said. The two had a detailed and fruitful discussion on issues of national security concern, the Raj Bhavan said in a post on X.

Earlier last week, Doval had a meeting with Sri Lankan Tamil parties in the poll-bound island nation. The Sri Lankan Tamil issue has a resonance in politics of the Dravidian heartland.

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Though Ravis tenure as Governor has ended by July 31, he continues in office since neither his term has been extended nor a replacement announced. Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office for the third time, Ravi had an audience with him and Union Home Minister Amit Shah among others in the national capital.

But, there is no word yet on his extension. Hence, Doval calling on Ravi has assumed significance.

Prior to his appointment as Governor of Tamil Nadu, he was the Governor of Nagaland and acted as the interlocutor of the Naga peace process and is credited with knowledge of the insurgency in the North East.

However, the Naga militant groups have accused Ravi of being a stumbling block for a settlement of the Naga issue.

Ravis three year stint in Tamil Nadu had witnessed an acrimonious relation with the elected DMK government of MK Stalin on many issues.

While Ravi debunks the Dravidian movement as secessionist and the Dravidian ideology as an expired one, the DMK and its allies continue to charge Ravi with being a propagandist of the RSS ideology.
Prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off Vande Bharat train to run between Meerut-Lucknow.

The main program was organized at Meerut City Station after the train left from platform number one at 12:55 pm when PM Narendra Modi flagged off the train virtually.

BJP MP from Meerut and Bollywood star Arun Govil was present at Meerut station on the occassion.

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On the maiden run if thr Vande Bharat train 200 school children and others are traveling for free.

The train will run regularly from Sunday. The train will leave from Meerut for Lucknow at 6:35 am daily except on Tuesday.

BJP MP from Meerut, Arun Govil while talking to reporters said , Today is a very historic day when Meerut has received such a good gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Railway Minister. It has been welcomed. This will give a lot of impetus to development.I have not travelled by train for a long time. But now I will travel in-house trainvyo go to Lucknow.

In the inaugural run of hhf Meerut Lucknow Vande Bharat train, 50-50 children from Dewan Public School, Rishabh School, Darshan School and Lord Krishna School will travel to Moradabad. They will be brought back from Moradabad by bus. People attending Urs in Bareilly will travel free of cost to Lucknow.

From September 1, Meerut-Lucknow Vande Bharat train number 22490 will leave from Meerut for Lucknow at 6:35 am. It will have stoppages at Moradabad and Bareilly and will reach Lucknow at 1:45 pm. The train will have 8 AC chaircar bogies.

Passengers will be able to travel in ordinary chaircar and executive class.

Similarly train number 22489 Vande Bharat train Lucknow-Meerut City will depart from Lucknow at 2:45 pm. The train will complete the journey of 458.86 kilometers in seven and a quarter hours and reach Meerut City station at 10 pm.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will be on a three-day visit to United States of America (USA) starting from 8th September.

During his maiden visit to the US after taking over as the Leader of Opposition in Lower House, he will attend several programmes including interaction with the Indian diaspora.

Announcing his three-day visit, Congress Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda in a video on Saturday said, Since Rahul Gandhi has become the Leader of Opposition (in Lok Sabha), I as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress with presence in 32 countries have been getting requests from Indian diaspora, diplomats and academicians, businessmen, leaders and many others for interactions with him.

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Now, he is coming to US for a very brief visit. He will be on Dallas on 8th September, and on 9th and 10th in Washington DC, Pitroda said.

The Indian Overseas Congress Chairman said in Dallas, Gandhi will hold interaction in University of Texas with students, academicians and community people. He will also met some technocrats and then he will have dinner with leaders from Dallas area.

Pitroda said the Leader of Opposition in Lower House will have interactions with variety of people including think thank

during his visit to Washington DC.

There are lot of events planned with variety of people because. We look forward to very successful visit of Rahul Gandhi to US, added the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress.
Dantewada District Collector Mayank Chaturvedi has imposed a staggering penalty of Rs 1,620.5 crore on the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) for alleged violations of mining regulations.

Announced on August 29, this hefty fine has sparked intense debate, with NMDC vehemently disputing the charges and hinting at escalating the issue to state and central government authorities. This dramatic development underscores the increasing scrutiny and regulatory challenges facing the mining industry in India.

The controversy began with a report submitted by the Mining Inspector of Dantewada on August 9, highlighting potential violations by NMDC. This led to the issuance of a show-cause notice on August 12, to which NMDC responded with detailed replies on August 13 and 18.

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Despite these responses, the district administration remained unconvinced, ultimately leading to the imposition of the fine, which could set a precedent in the regulation of mining operations.

NMDC has been given a 15-day window to remit the amount, failing which the district administration has indicated that more stringent actions may be taken. The penalty has raised concerns within the public sector giant, which argues that the fine is unwarranted and based on a misinterpretation of the regulations.

In its official statement, NMDC contested the penalty, asserting that it operates with valid mining leases and necessary clearances from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The corporation emphasized that it has consistently paid advance royalties in compliance with the Chhattisgarh Mineral (Mining, Transportation, and Storage) Rules, 2009, and has generated e-permits accordingly.

NMDC contended that the alleged transportation of iron ore without a Railway Transit Pass (RTP) does not constitute a violation, as the advance royalties had already been paid. The company also pointed out that the state government regularly verifies these records and has not raised any objections until now.

NMDC further clarified that delays in RTP issuance, which can occur due to the time required to finalize the grades of iron ore, do not result in any financial loss to the state treasury.

This penalty comes in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court ruling on July 25, which upheld the right of state governments to impose royalties on minerals. The ruling, delivered by a nine-judge bench, has been hailed as a significant victory for state governments, particularly those in mineral-rich regions like Chhattisgarh.

The Supreme Courts decision reaffirmed that state governments have the authority to levy royalties on mineral resources within their territories, a power that could significantly impact the operations of mining companies across India.

The District Collectors notice accused NMDC of irregularities in its mining leases, claiming violations of the Chhattisgarh Mineral (Mining, Transportation, and Storage) Rules, 2009.

This development has sparked concerns about the broader challenges faced by mining companies operating under increasingly stringent regulatory frameworks.

The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications, not just for NMDC but for the entire mining sector in India. It could also intensify the ongoing tug-of-war between state rights and central oversight in the regulation of the countrys vast mineral wealth.
Actor Mohanlal on Saturday said that he is unaware of the existence of a power group within the Malayalam film industry and urged that Malayalam cinema should not be destroyed on the basis of the Hema Committee report.

Breaking his silence on the Hema Committee report and its subsequent revelations by women actors, which have been associated with the #MeToo movement in the Malayalam film industry, Mohanlal said that he is not aware of any all-controlling power group in the industry as mentioned in the report.

Im hearing it for the first time. Im unaware of such a power group. Anyway, Im not a part of any such group, Mohanlal told media persons here on Saturday.

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The Justice Hema Committee report, which investigated allegations of sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry, had blamed a power group that controls the film sector and implicated it in several illegal practices.

The former president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) stated that the arrows of criticism following the publication of the Hema Committee report are being unfairly directed solely at AMMA. He said that the entire industry is accountable for the issues highlighted in the report.

AMMA is not a trade union. It is like a family. It is unfortunate that the association is being hounded. We have done a lot of good work for its members. The state of affairs in our industry is better than other film industries, he said.

The superstar of Malayalam cinema expressed sadness about discussing the unfortunate issues concerning the industry after 47 years.

The report is welcome, but what are we supposed to do? This is something that could destroy the Malayalam industry. Tens of thousands of people work here. When I started work in Madras, there were no facilities. Malayalam is a small industry that we built with hard work. When we work in other languages, we understand how great our cinema is. Please dont focus solely on the report and destroy our cinema. The industry must move forward, or it will stand still, the actor said.

Wrongdoers should be punished if there is evidence against them, Mohanlal said, referring to the allegations of sexual misconduct and assaults that surfaced against some of the members of AMMA.
Uttarakhand on Saturday became the first state in the country to grant an extension of service to a district magistrate on the day of his retirement.

In an unprecedented decision, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government granted a three-month service extension to Udhamsingh Nagar district magistrate Uday Raj Singh, who was set to retire on August 31 after turning 60 on August 13. Senior officials in the state secretariat informed that no other state government in the country has ever extended the service of a district magistrate-rank official.

Have you heard of a DM-rank officer, who is equivalent to upper secretary in the state secretariat, being given an extension by any state government in the country? What was the pressing need for this? Although its difficult to challenge it on legal grounds, this decision was unethical and unwanted. Does this mean Uttarakhand is facing a shortage of IAS officers to deploy as DM, or was it done for other reasons? said a senior state secretariat official who worked in the personnel department for many years.

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According to this senior officer, service extensions for officials are granted on the basis of solid and genuine reasons in the interest of the state.

Uday Raj Singh, a PCS officer who was awarded the 2022 IAS batch and posted as DM of Udhamsingh Nagar in June 2023, was given a three-month extension on the last day of August, the day he was set to retire.

According to a senior officer in the Chief Ministers Office, Uday Raj Singh, born in 1964 and considered close to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, received the extension as a result of this proximity.
Indias emergence as a formidable defence exporter marks a significant transformation in its global positioning, reflecting both strategic foresight and a proactive approach to industrial growth. Over the past decade, Indias defence exports have skyrocketed, growing more than 30 times and reaching over 90 countries. This shift is not just a testament to the governments focus on boosting indigenous manufacturing but also to Indias ability to cater to the growing global demand for affordable yet reliable defence equipment. At the heart of this transformation is the governments push to simplify the licensing process and actively promote defence exports.

This policy shift has allowed Indian companies, both public and private, to expand their reach and compete on the global stage. The variety of defence products now being exported ~ from small arms and ammunition to advanced drones and fast-attack vessels ~ demonstrates the versatility and capability of Indias defence industry. One of the most notable aspects of this growth is the emergence of the US as Indias largest defence export destination. American companies, particularly defence giants, have increasingly sourced systems, subsystems, and parts from India.

This shift is largely driven by offset commitments, which require these companies to source a portion of their production from the countries they sell to. However, it also reflects Indias growing reputation as a reliable manufacturing hub for defence components. The success of joint ventures between Indian companies and global defence giants underscores the progress India has made in becoming a critical part of global supply chains. For example, a partnership of a global giant with Indian companies has resulted in the production of critical components for helicopters and transport aircraft. These collaborations not only enhance Indias manufacturing capabilities but also position the country as a crucial player in the global defence market.

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However, while the current growth in defence exports is impressive, the real test of Indias emergence as a major defence exporter lies in its ability to sell high-value systems on a larger scale. Recent deals, such as the BrahMos missile sale to the Philippines and the supply of artillery guns to Armenia, are encouraging signs. Yet, the challenge remains in replicating these successes with other countries, especially in regions like Africa, West Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region, where there is a growing demand for affordable, high-quality defence products. The Narendra Modi governments ambitious target of reaching $5 billion in defence exports by 2025 is within reach if India continues to expand its defence ecosystem.

This includes not only manufacturing but also establishing itself as a hub for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. By doing so, India can ensure that its defence industry remains competitive and continues to attract global attention. The road ahead is challenging, but with continued focus and innovation, India is wellpositioned to become a leading player in the global defence market. The world is watching, and India must be ready to deliver.
Some suggestions made in a recent article written by Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs in the context of recent changes (2022-24) in the political scene of South Asia have attracted widespread attention. This is also due to the prestige and respect enjoyed by the author in academic as well as diplomatic circles. Prof. Sachs has been adviser to three UN Secretary Generals as well as to several national governments.

He is a University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, USA. His comments on contemporary issues are followed by a large number of people all over the world. It is therefore not surprising that his comments and suggestions made in the context of South Asia were soon picked up for re-publication on several web-sites after they first appeared around mid-August. In his article titled Accusations of US Regime-Change Operations in Pakistan and Bangladesh Warrant UN Attention published in Common Dreams and elsewhere, Prof.

Sachs has given several examples of when Imran Khan, former Prime Minister of Pakistan and Sheikh Hasina, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, made accusations of more or less direct interference of foreign powers and of pressures exerted on them by these powers, culminating in their arbitrary removal from their top posts. Prof. Sachs has also mentioned several specific incidents. While none of this is entirely new and has been reported elsewhere earlier, what is new is that Prof. Sachs has collected and presented evidence to specifically ask the United Nations to investigate this.

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To quote Prof. Sachs, Their grave accusations (accusations made by the two former prime ministers) against the US, as reported in the world media, should be investigated by the UN, since if true, the US actions would constitute a fundamental threat to world peace and to regional stability in South Asia. Prof. Sachs suggests strongly that the UN Security Council should take this up, but more realistically he also looks at the possibility that this may be stopped by the use of veto. So he also suggests the next course of action, which is for the General Assembly to take up this investigation. To quote, The UN General Assembly can take up the matter under UN Resolution A/RES/76/ which allows the UN General Assembly to consider an issue blocked by veto in the UN Security Council.

In favour of his suggestion, Prof. Sachs has more generally spoken of the worldwide importance of creating systems for preventing foreign interference, particularly in the context of regime change. He writes, Covert regime change operations are blatantly illegal under international law (notably the Doctrine of Non-Intervention, as expressed for example in UN General Assembly Resolution 2025, 1970) and constitute perhaps the greatest threat to world peace as they profoundly destabilize nations, and often lead to wars and other civil disorders.

The UN should investigate and expose covert regime change operations, both in the interests of reversing them, and preventing them in the future. For balance it needs to be added that most of the controversy on such operations is in the context of recent and ongoing events. As far as old cases are concerned, many of these are well-established in dozens of scholarly books and papers, not to mention popular media articles and talks. To give just one prominent example, the research done by Lindsay A. ORourke, Professor of Political Science at Boston College, USA, has documented 64 such cases of covert regime change operations during the 42 Cold War years (1947- 89), or 1.5 operations per year, making them look like a fairly routine activity which nevertheless has very distressing impacts. Her book titled Covert Regime Change Americas Secret Cold War has received good reviews and has respectability and credibility in academic circles.

Apart from these covert operations of the USA, surely the Soviet Union must have also made similar efforts during the Cold War years, adding to the number of people distressed by such operations. The research by Prof. Lindsay ORourke revealed that 39 out of 64 covert change operations studied by her failed in their objective of regime change. In 44 of the 64 operations, authoritarian forces were supported. Hence while success in terms of regime change may be achieved in relatively few cases, the harm caused to democracy and distress suffered by people are experienced on a much larger scale. Prof. ORourke has stated that her research is confined only to relatively old times as by now declassified documents of the US government for these years are available to enable such a study, whereas it is much more difficult, and in many cases just not possible, to access such information for more recent operations.

At the same time, it cannot be denied that from the point of view of reducing human distress and harm to democracy, it is clearly more necessary to have a better and more comprehensive understanding of more recent events. It is in this context that the recent suggestion given by Prof. Sachs for having such allegations investigated by the UNO has a lot of resonance for many people worldwide to protect democracy and stability, and to avoid injustice and distress. It is thus not just a question of two important leaders and of two important countries, but has a much wider relevance at world level.

(The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Planet in Peril, Protecting Earth for Children ad A Day in 2071.)
In his memoirs The Labour Government 1964-1970: A Personal Record published in 1971, Harold Wilson admitted that it was wrong on his part to issue such a statement, because all the facts were too much in dispute, and blamed a pro-Pakistan faction in the CRO who had inveigled him into issuing such a statement blaming India, justified as they said by cast-iron evidence. But these allegations about the partisan role of a pro-Pakistan faction in the CRO were dismissed by Sir Algernon Rumbold, who was then the Deputy Permanent Under-Secretary of State in the CRO, in a letter to The Times published on 5 August 1971 claiming that for an early end to the war, the statement issued from 10 Downing Street was impartial as between the two parties. Was it really so? Arthur Bottomley, the Commonwealth Secretary ~ who was in Scotland at the time and returned to London the following day ~ claimed later that had he been present in London on the 6th, no such statement would have been issued from 10 Downing Street.

The statement which was probably drafted by some official(s) in the CRO and sent for the Prime Ministers consideration was based on the report sent by the then British High Commissioner in New Delhi ~ John Freeman. He reported in a telegram, received in London at 11.20 a.m. on 6 September: I have no firm evidence that the Pakistan Army had themselves crossed the international boundary up to last night. As much was claimed later by the senior-most official in the CRO at that time, in a personal and confidential letter to Wilson. John Freeman was not anti-India.

Perhaps misguided by the anti-India reports being published in the British press emanating from Pakistan, he failed to take note of the statement issued by a spokesman of the Government of India on 1 September after the Pakistani attack: it is our understanding that the attackers have crossed the international border. In a damage-limitation exercise in April 1966, Wilson met Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was returning to India from New York at London airport. They talked for about two hours and these discussions, in Wilsons words, were able to do something to repair the harm done by the statement of the previous September. I explained what had happened and made clear what I felt about the mistake. The British attitude towards the Indo-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir had been one of the major causes of tensions in IndoBritish relations. Learning from past experience, Britain decided not to intervene in the Kashmir dispute, unless requested by the two sides.

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This was stated by Michael Stewart, then Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, during his visit to India (and Pakistan) in December 1968. By the end of the decade, as Britain was preparing for its European odyssey ~ by joining the EC (and subsequently, the European Union) ~ and thus unburdening its imperial legacies, India was also trying to diversify its economic, political, military and strategic links. Relations with Britain were no longer the principal concern of Indias foreign policy, but a decent working relationship was maintained betw  een the two states during the 1970s and 80s with cooperation in areas of common concern, despite occasional setbacks.

Britains willingness to mediate in the Kashmir dispute surfaced again in 1997 after the Labour government came to power, with devastating consequences for Indo-British relations. Queen Elizabeth ll visited India in 1997, on the occasion of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Indias independence. During her previous two visits, in 1961 and 1983, she was warmly received both by the government and people of India, but her 1997 visit was a diplomatic disaster. Prior to visiting India, she visited Pakistan and in her banquet speech in Islamabad she read out a prepared statement (obviously vetted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) asking India and Pakistan to resolve their longstanding dispute over Kashmir, which pleased the Pakistani leaders, as this would give them an opportunity to internationalize the Kashmir dispute.

What was worse, from New Delhis perspective, Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, who was accompanying the Queen, told Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that he was prepared to mediate in the Kashmir dispute. He belonged to that faction of the Labour Party that believed that as the former colonial power, Britain had the resp on sibility to mediate in India-Pakistan disputes as Britain was committed to promote peace, harmony, tolerance and human rights.

Indians were angry, because this stand of the British Foreign Secretary was opposed to the principle of bilateralism as enunciated in the Shimla Agreement (1972) committing both sides to resolve all India-Pakistan disputes, including the Kashmir dispute, peacefully through bilateral negotiations. Prime Minister I.K. Gujral, who was then in Cairo on an official visit, reacted by calling Britain a thirdrate power. Thus the Queens visit, which was designed to boost Indo-British relations, particularly trade and economic relations, was doomed to fail even before she landed in India.

Officials of the two sid es tried to salvage the situation; while British government officials dismissed reports about Cooks remarks on Kashmir, Indian officials blamed the press for misreporting Gujrals comments. However the diplomatic atmosphere hardly improved and controversies never ceased. At the state banquet in New Delhi, the Queen acknowledged some difficulties in our past identifying Jallianwala Bagas a distressing example. For some Indians that was not enough, as they expected her to apologise. Even her visit to Jallianwala Bag to pay homage to the hundreds of civilians who were killed in the firing was mired in controversy because of some off-the-cuff remarks made by the Duke of Edinburgh questioning the veracity of the number of people actually killed as mentioned by Indians.

Thus, instead of boosting Indo-British relations, the Queens visit to India was a diplomatic disaster. Prime Minister Tony Blairs role in the Anglo-US attack on Iraq did not endear him to the Indians either. The Labour Partys return to power in the UK after fourteen years has raised new hopes, especially because the party in its manifesto had pledged to work for a new strategic partnership with India, including a free-trade agreement and to deepen cooperation in security, education, technology and climate change. As an indication of the UKs desire to strengthen cooperation with India, Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited India in July 2024 and said that negotiations for the FTA with India will be a floor, not the ceiling, for Indo-UK cooperation.

India is now the fastest growing economy in the world, and after exiting from the EU, Britain has looked towards India for increasing the volume of bilateral trade and for investment opportunities, in order to reduce dependence on China. Negotiations for a UK-India FTA began in January 2022 and were expected to be finalised before the end of the year. That did not happen because certain sticky issues such as import duty on Scotch whisky, e-vehicles and business visas still remain unresolved. The Labour Party is committed to the FTA, but may seek to change some terms and conditions agreed upon earlier, because so far the only two free trade agreements signed by the UK, with Australia and New Zealand, have been criticised by British farmers as their interests were adversely affected.

Britain still remains an attractive destination for Indian immigrants and 1.7 million Indians ~ both people of Indian origin and those who migrated to that country ~ live in Britain making them the single largest visible ethnic minority community. According to the Foreign Secretary, they constitute a living bridge between India and Britain and have made significant contributions to different sectors of the British economy and society. The present British monarch has also developed warm relations with India over the past several years particularly because he likes Indias age-old traditions like Yoga, Ayurveda and Indias cultural diversity.

The Labour Partys stand on the Kashmir issue during the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, and the pro-Khalistani views of some Labour Councillors (mostly Sikhs) alienated the Indian diaspora living in Britain and cost the party dearly in the 2019 Parliamentary elections. Learning from the past, the Party during the election campaign vowed to cleanse its ranks of members with such extremist views who may pose a threat to closer Indo-British relations.

The Labour Partys commitment to widen and deepen cooperation with India, including the Free Trade Agreement, may usher in a new era in the development of India-UK relations, especially because both the Conservatives and the Liberals officially support this. But the ultra-nationalist Reform Party, that secured 14 per cent of the vote, but won only five seats, may create serious problems zas could be seen in the recent violent disorders that rocked several cities in Britain, targeting a particular community based on a disinformation campaign in social media. Prime Minister Starmer, of course, promised stern action against such rioters. Similarly, the activities of a segment of the Indian immigrant community in Britain who are campaigning for a separate state of Khalistan, unless firmly checked, may lead to a deterioration in Indias relations with Britain.

(The writer is Professor (Retired) of International Relations and former Dean, Faculty of Arts, Jadavpur University)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskkys plan to present a peace proposal to US President Joe Biden and both American presidential candidates reflects a bold, calculated effort to reshape the trajectory of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. With the war grinding on and neither side showing signs of backing down, President Zelenskky is looking to leverage the influence of the United States in his quest for a resolution that aligns with Ukraines interests. The timing of the initiative is significant.

As the US prepares for its next presidential election, the Ukrainian leader is astutely positioning his countrys struggle at the forefront of American political discourse. By engaging not only President Biden but also his potential successors, Mr Zelenskky is ensuring that Ukraines future remains a priority, regardless of the outcome of the election. This approach underscores Mr Zelenskkys understanding of the critical role the US plays in the conflict ~ not just as a military supporter, but as a potential broker in any future peace talks. The plan is far from just a diplomatic gesture; it is a strategic manoeuvre designed to put pressure on Russia and to solidify Ukraines position before any negotiations take place.

His firm stance against compromise with Russian President Vladimir Putin highlights his commitment to a peace that upholds Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity. The recent Ukrainian incursion into Russias Kursk region is part of this broader strategy, signalling that Ukraine will not passively wait for a resolution but will continue to assert itself on the battlefield. While Mr Zelenskky seeks to rally US support, Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent diplomatic efforts add significantly to a drive for peace. Mr Modis visit to Kyiv, followed by his phone call with Mr Putin, illustrates Indias attempt to balance its longstanding relationship with Russia while engaging with Ukraine. Mr Modis appeal to both sides to engage in dialogue reflects Indias broader foreign policy of non-alignment and its desire to act as a neutral mediator.

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However, Mr Zelenskkys response to Mr Modi during the Kyiv visit made clear that while Ukraine values dialogue, it will not accept peace on terms dictated by Russia. Mr Modis call with Mr Putin further exemplifies the tight-rope India is walking. While Mr Modi expressed support for an early and peaceful resolution, the divergence between his public stance and the reality on the ground is stark. Mr Putins rejection of dialogue following Ukraines Kursk offensive demonstrates the Kremlins unwillingness to entertain any talks that do not recognise Russian territorial gains.

This leaves Mr Modis diplomatic efforts in a delicate position, as his appeals for peace may struggle to gain traction amid escalating hostilities. President Zelenskkys outreach to the US contrasts with Indias balancing act by prioritising a clear alignment with Western powers. By placing his faith in American leadership, Mr Zelenskky is betting that the US will continue to support Ukraines vision of peace, rather than a compromise that legitimises Russian aggression.
Over the decades that I have been covering movie festivals like Cannes, Venice and so on, I have noticed a reluctance to offer interview slots with celebrities to international journalists. Me too. In Venice, the Italian Press is preferred; in Cannes, the French. And these festivals call themselves international! And someone like me from India is hardly given any importance; my repeated requests for interviews are politely declined. Lack of time is one reason that is always dished out. And mind you, the festivals are not guilty of this; it is the PR companies that are. So much so that I have stopped asking for interviews for some years now. I have realised the futility of it all! Why run around seeking interviews and being disappointed and devastated?

This year, foreign journalists in Venice have been peeved over the lack of interview opportunities. Major talents like Lady Gaga, George Clooney and Brad Pitt, among others, have been kept out of bounds for journalists from other countries.

Yes, most movie stars and directors do hold press conferences and do offer one-to-one interviews with a very few top media companies. But the others, the vast majority, are left by the wayside, and these men and women have to be satisfied with press conferences, each just about 20 minutes that often get hijacked by atrociously stupid questions. I have heard journalists ask questions like, What do you think of Venice or Cannes on day one or two of the festival? I even recall one asking a top talent what her favourite colour was.

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A media report says that 50 journalists this year at Venice have lamented in a signed petition the lack of interview opportunities across Europe, and this includes Venice, Cannes and Berlin. Most of them are freelancers and do have to rely on these kinds of chances to earn some money.

This petition was posted on Facebook by a group known as International Film Festival Journalists, which has 700 members, including movie publicists and programmers. The petition said the economics of sending journalists from across the world to these festivals will no longer work if they cant rely on interviews with major stars (which will inevitably have a knock-on effect on the coverage of smaller, independent films). The letter warns that film journalists may well decide to boycott the event in the future.

Eventually the protest could involve the festivals themselves, which risks seeing the departure of hundreds of accredited journalists and publications and where the commentary on movies and the opinion of their authors will be left to artificial intelligence, averred the petition.

It further added: Cinema journalism is at risk of extinction. The Venice Film Festival has just started, and we know already that many movies with a world premiere at the festival this year will not give any interviews to the press. Zero, zilch, nada. This decision, influenced by the studios and supported by many publicists, puts in jeopardy an entire category of journalists, particularly freelancers, who with their passionate and relentless work often help in the success of films, give voice and prestige to directors and actors, and contribute to igniting the debate on projects that aim for the Oscars, the Golden Globes, and other prestigious awards. After having gone on strike for months in Hollywood to save thousands of jobs, now directors and actors, embracing the policy of the same studios and producers who were previously their enemies, are putting just as many jobs at risk, denying interviews to journalists who manage to survive, thanks to those interviews.

These days, due to rapid and profound changes in the media landscape, more and more journalists are becoming freelancers, which means they sustain themselves single-handedly. That means they do what is called pitching to sell stories, which allow them to survive. Every day, they put their best foot forward to write about whats meaningful, innovative and of great artistic value. But the outlets always favour names, stars and mainstream projects. If journalists get those stars, then they can also make sure the first-time filmmakers, the innovators, along with all the beautifully talented artists with less commercial appeal can get their media exposure too, through their effort. Just like organisers need big stars for the eyes of the world to turn to the event, the international press needs interviews with them for their work to be viable.

The Festival chief, Alberto Barbera, has promised to look into this grievance, although he said that he had no control over marketing decisions.

The Festival is now on and will wind up on 7 September on the island of Lido off mainland Venice.

The writer is a senior movie critic and author who has covered the Venice Film Festival for over two decades.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes of the Federal Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal or STF) of Brazil on Friday ordered the immediate and complete suspension of the operation of X, formerly Twitter, throughout the national territory.

Notably, Moraes on August 29 had asked Elon Musk to appoint a legal representative for his social media platform X in Brazil within 24 hours or face the consequences of a nationwide suspension.

The STF shared a post and said, STF summons Elon Musk and X to appoint a legal representative within 24 hours, under penalty of suspension of activities in Brazil.

The STF had warned that the event of non-compliance would result in the suspension of the social networks operations in Brazil. In case of non-compliance with the determination, the decision provides for the suspension of the social networks activities in Brazil, the STF had said.

The suspension will be followed until the Courts judicial decisions are complied with and the fines applied are paid. The order will also be valid until a representative of the company in the country is appointed, the court in its decision said.

According to the decision, made in Petition (PET) 12404, the president of the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), Carlos Manuel Baigorri, must take all necessary measures to ensure the suspension.

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The rapporteur also ordered Apple and Google to take steps to block the use of the application by iOS and Android systems, in addition to removing it from their virtual stores, the decision added.

According to Moraes, the STF made every possible effort and granted every opportunity for X Brasil to comply with the court orders and pay the fines, which would avoid the adoption of this more serious measure.

Unfortunately, the illicit conduct was repeated in the current investigation, making it clear that X Brasil failed to comply with several court orders, as well as the willful intention of exempting itself from responsibility for complying with the court orders issued, with the disappearance of its legal representatives in Brazil for the purposes of subpoena and, subsequently, with the aforementioned message about the possible closure of the Brazilian company, he stated.

The decision also sets a daily fine of BRL 50,000 for individuals and companies that use technological subterfuges to maintain the use of X, without prejudice to other sanctions in the civil and criminal spheres.
Pakistans military said on Friday that it had killed five terrorists and injured three others in three different operations in the countrys southwest Balochistan province.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan army, said in a statement that the personnel of security forces conducted three intelligence-based operations on Thursday night in the Kech, Panjgur and Zhob districts of the province.

The operations led to an intense exchange of fire, killing the terrorists, said the military, Xinhua news agency reported.

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The ISPR added that the Thursday night operations are part of the ongoing military campaign against terrorists who attacked innocent civilians in Balochistan on August 26, killing over 50 persons in different overnight attacks.

The security forces are conducting extensive operations to hunt down the perpetrators of these heinous acts, said the ISPR, adding that clearance operations will continue until all perpetrators, facilitators and abetters of these atrocious acts are brought to justice.

The ISPR added that the security forces of Pakistan, in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging the peace, stability, and progress of Balochistan.
Delhi Home Minister Kailash Gahlot on Saturday conducted a comprehensive visit to Tihar Jail, and reiterated the governments commitment to prison reforms, inmate welfare and staff development.

The visit was in view of ensuring better living conditions of inmates, enhancing staff welfare, and overall betterment of the correctional facilities.

The Minister said: I visited Tihar Jail, the largest prison complex in Asia, as part of the Delhi Governments ongoing efforts to improve prison conditions. During my visit, I inspected the basic facilities being provided to the prisoners and issued some corrective directions.

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Under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Government is committed to prison reform. We believe that every individual has the potential to reform, and it is our responsibility to provide them with the necessary resources to do so. I am confident that with the collective efforts of our government, prison authorities, and citizens, we can create a more just and equitable society, he added.

Gahlot said that the overarching goal is to transform the central jails of Delhi from punitive institutions into rehabilitative and reformative environment.

The Minister was briefed regarding the overcrowding being faced by Delhi Prisons, and to address the issue, Gahlot desired to expedite the proposal for construction of Narela jail and to expedite the acquisition of land for Baprola jail.

During his visit to Central Jail No. 6 (Women), Gahlot reviewed the vocational training being imparted by Chal Charkha Unit, Stitching and Jewellery Unit.

He also praised the NGO managing the unit for providing valuable vocational training to the inmates, which will make them self-reliant after their release from jail.

Gahlot also inspected the Langar, where food is prepared for inmates, and appreciated the quality and cleanliness of the facility.

The Minister stressed the need to expand the capacity as well as the facilities of the hospital in the jail complex, and also provided his inputs towards overall improvement of general infrastructure of prisons.

Emphasizing the importance of rehabilitation, Kailash Gahlot desired for expansion of intensive skill development programs. These programs are designed to equip inmates with vocational skills, making them better prepared for reintegration into society by providing meaningful post-release opportunities.

The Minister was accompanied by Home Secretary Chanchal Yadav, Director General of Prisons Satish Golcha, AIG, Ajay Kumar Bisht, DIG (HQ & Tihar Range) Rajeev Singh and other senior officers.
A large-scale vaccination campaign to fight a polio outbreak in the Gaza Strip is set to begin on September 1, announced the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative for the occupied Palestinian territories on Friday.

Richard Peeperkorn told a press briefing from Gaza that the two-round polio vaccination campaign will see the administration of two drops of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to more than 640,000 children under the age of 10 across the enclave. The campaign is to kick off this coming weekend.

To facilitate the campaign, 1.26 million doses of the nOPV2 vaccine have been delivered to Gaza, with an additional 400,000 doses expected to arrive shortly, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Dr. Peeperkorn emphasized that achieving at least 90 percent vaccination coverage during each round of the campaign is crucial to halting the polio outbreak in Gaza and preventing its spread beyond the region. The campaign will be carried out in stages, spanning three days for each of the three areas of Gaza.

Over 2,180 workers are involved in the campaign, with 392 fixed vaccination points and nearly 300 mobile teams, Peeperkorn said.
Israels army announced on Friday that its forces had withdrawn from several parts of the cities of Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip after they completed their mission in these areas.

Israeli military spokesperson Avichai Adraee informed residents and displaced Palestinians that they could return to certain parts of Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza, noting that these areas will from now on be classified as part of the humanitarian zone, he wrote on the social media platform X.

According to Adraee, the new safe zones cover neighborhoods in the northern and central Khan Younis and at the northeastern edge of the city, near the boundary with the Deir al-Balah.

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Photos circulating on social media showed thousands of Palestinians returning home, carrying bags as they walked through the ruins and massive piles of rubble caused by Israeli bombardments in southern Gaza, Xinhua news agency reported.

The troops of the 98th Division have completed their divisional operation in the Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah area, the Israeli army said in a statement, adding the troops had been operating in the area for about a month, simultaneously conducting ground and underground operations.

According to the Israeli military, more than 250 Palestinian militants were killed during the operation in the region.

More than 40,600 people have been killed in the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which began on October 7 last year, following Hamas surprise attack on southern Israeli communities that killed about 1,200 people, according to figures released by both sides.
View CEO Rao Mulpuri. Ethan Miller/Getty Images; Rebecca Zisser/Insider

The SoftBank-backed glassmaker View filed for bankruptcy in April, three years after its SPAC merger.

CEO Rao Mulpuri has stepped down from View, which was taken private by two investors.

Insiders told BI he had a magic touch with investors but that staff lived in fear of being fired.

Five months after the glassmaker View filed for bankruptcy, CEO Rao Mulpuri has stepped down. Under his tenure, View raised $1.1 billion from SoftBank in 2018 and went public in 2021. It struggled as a public company and ran low on cash several times before declaring bankruptcy in April.

Mulpuri announced his departure Thursday night in a memo to employees, which he also posted on LinkedIn.

"After 15 incredible years, I have decided it's time to leave View Inc. What a ride it has been! A journey of a lifetime, filled with many ups and downs, but never a dull moment," he wrote.

View makes eco-friendly windows that darken when it's sunny, which reduces air-conditioning energy costs. The Milpitas, California-based firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to reorganize without liquidating all its assets.

Two of View's longtime investors, Cantor Fitzgerald and the real-estate firm RXR, have taken the company private. Cantor sponsored the special-purpose acquisition company that merged with View to take it public, raising $815 million. On August 22, the financial-services firm agreed to a $12 million settlement to end a lawsuit by SPAC investors who alleged they were misled. Cantor did not reply to a request for comment in time for publication.

According to a separate memo sent to employees Friday morning, two board members will run View as co-CEOs: Joshua Spellman, the chief of staff at Cantor, and Andrew Min, a senior vice president at RXR.

Mulpuri had led View since 2008, replacing one of the firm's cofounders. Previously, he led the Japanese semiconductor manufacturer Novellus Systems.

He is known for his magic touch with investors, managing to raise cash for View multiple times when funds ran low, including from the now bankrupt financier Greensill Capital.

"He's always been able to pull a rabbit out of a hat when it comes to procuring more money for the company," one banker familiar with View previously told Business Insider.

In 2022, BI spoke with 29 former and current View employees. They described a culture of micromanagement and said they were afraid of being fired. All but one spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears of reprisal from View. Their identities are known to Insider.

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Mulpuri obsessively monitored tweets and LinkedIn posts about View and asked people to write positive reviews of the company on Glassdoor, multiple former employees said.

Two former employees in the corporate office said View staff called him "Chairman Rao," an inside joke rhyming his name with the Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong.

"If you didn't agree with the company's potential or the rosy picture, or how we were going to revolutionize and change the world, you were kept on the outside," one of the employees said.

Mulpuri did not comment in time for publication. In his note, he hinted that he would return to the startup industry.

He would be "back in the saddle" building things "sooner than later," he wrote, adding: "Stay tuned."

Read the story on how it went from investor darling to problem child: SoftBank's View went from investor darling to one of the worst SPAC deals ever. Insiders say the glassmaker has struggled with cash burn for years, while many lived in fear of being fired.

Correction: August 30, 2024  An earlier version of this story misdescribed one of View's investors. Cantor Fitzgerald is a financial-services firm, not a law firm.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Actor Suparna Anand, known for her role in the 1989 film Vaishali, lashed out at Malayalam cinemas superstars for their silence over recent #MeToo allegations in Mollywood and said she left cinema unable to withstand pressure within the industry.



Suparna, who entered the film industry as a child artist said the casting couch has been cinema since time immemorial. Casting couch has been there since time immemorial. It is irrelevant to question why people decide to respond after a period of 34 years. I worked in the Malayalam film industry only for four years. But I had to leave because of the pressures within the film industry, Anand told OnManorama.

The actor expressed surprise over the silence of Malayalam superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty and demanded they should react. Anand also said actor-politician M. Mukesh should resign from MLA post and face investigation. Kerala police have registered a case against Mukesh following sexual assault allegations against him.

The Malayalam film industry has been rocked with allegations of sexual exploitation, assault and abuse, following the release of the Hema Committee report earlier this month. The committee was set up by the Kerala government in 2017, thanks to the efforts of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) after the sexual assault on a popular Malayali actor.
Kerala police have registered a case against 'Odiyan' director V.A. Shrikumar based on a sexual assault complaint filed by a junior artist in the Malayalam film industry.

The complaint was sent via email to DIG Ajitha Beegum, following which a case was filed at Marad Police Station in Kochi. The complainant said the director sexually assaulted her in a hotel room after inviting her under the pretense of acting in an advertisement.

Earlier, the complainant said she was in Uttarakhan on a pilgrimage with her family and sent the complaint via email as she cannot travel to Kerala soon. Her statement will be recorded on Sunday.

The survivor said she has also filed a complaint against actor Baburaj who allegedly sexually assaulted her at his home in Aluva in 2019. She claimed the actor told her a director was at his house and she would be cast in a feature film. However, when she went there, Baburaj allegedly entered the room where she was resting and sexually assaulted her.



"The offenders know my identity, so I don't think it is necessary to reveal it publicly," she told the news channel.

Baburaj had earlier rejected the allegations, claiming the complaint was filed in an attempt by vested interests to stop him from becoming the general secretary of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists).

The development comes after the release of Hema Committee Report, which has revealed alleged abuse of women in the Malayalam film industry.
Amid widespread criticism over his resignation along with that of the rest of the executive committee of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) in the face of #MeToo allegations in the Malayalam film industry, actor Mohanlal was slammed by author and columnist Shobhaa De for his silence.

Stand up, be a man; tell your other team members to take responsibility and help those who are at the receiving end, De lashed out at the veteran actor, who was also the president of AMMA, in an interaction with NDTV.

ALSO READ: 'Cowardly': Actor Parvathy slams AMMAs collective resignation

The Malayalam film industry has been rocked with allegations of sexual exploitation, assault and abuse, following the release of the Hema Committee report earlier this month. The committee was set up by the Kerala government in 2017, thanks to the efforts of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) after the sexual assault on a popular Malayali actor. The report, which was submitted in 2019, but was made public only earlier this month, detailed the issues faced by the women in the Malayalam film industry, including sexual harassment and poor working conditions on sets. Cases have been being filed against some top actors and directors like Jayasurya, Ranjith and V.K. Prakash, and others.

Calling out the patriarchal system prevailing in the film industry, she asked how did the resignation of Mohanlal and the other AMMA members help.

It's a patriarchal system in its nastiest, most toxic form. Women seem to be completely voiceless and powerless. So, things must be changed. I am extremely, in a way, disheartened, shocked that (all) the all-powerful executive committee headed by Mohanlal could do was to resign en masse. How does it help?

"Good leadership is about saying they are going to stay right where they are and ensure some kind of action against the perpetrators of violence against women..., De said.

ALSO READ: Artist was drugged, sexually assaulted at Prithviraj-Mohanlal movie's set in Hyderabad

She also lashed out at the Hindi film industry for its silence on the issue. I am equally shocked that not a single strong, male voice has emerged out of Bollywood. Not a single male actor of any worth has spoken against what they are seeing in the industry. They are all colleagues. You stand by your colleagues when they need you and speak up when needed to speak up, whether men or women," De told NDTV.

Recently, actor and one of the founding members of the WCC, Sajitha Madathil told Hindustan Times that Mohanlal's resignation was disappointing. She said the resignations appear to be an attempt to avoid responsibility. She also lamented the silence of megastar Mammootty and actor-director and FEFKA chief B. Unnikrishnan.

ALSO READ: 'Sexual harassment rampant in Tamil cinema': After Mollywood, Kollywood in firing line

They (the 17-member executive committee of AMMA) should have stayed and worked towards resolving the issues and supporting the victims. Its disappointing to see them step away instead of taking on the responsibility of addressing the problems. Its very sad. They are powerful people. Mohanlal is a respectable person in the industry. He should have taken the initiative to clear the situation, Madathil told HT.

Will Mohanlal talk to the media about the MeToo allegations?

The Malayalam superstar is expected to meet the media at noon today in Thiruvananthapuram. Onmanorama quoted the Kerala Cricket Association as saying that Mohanlal will address the media following the launch of the Kerala Cricket League, at Hyatt Regency.

It will be his first media interaction since his resignation as AMMA president. It is learnt that the executive committee had initially planned to meet to discuss the Hema Committee report and the #MeToo allegations and the resignation of actor and joint secretary Siddique, but postponed it after allegations surfaced against another joint secretary and actor Baburaj, too.
Commentary: Washington should rectify strategic perception of China

Xinhua) 09:01, August 31, 2024

This photo taken on Aug. 12, 2024 shows the Drum Tower seen from the Jingshan Hill on the Beijing Central Axis on a sunny day in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

As Xi reiterated on Thursday, the issue of strategic perception is always fundamental to the China-U.S. relationship. Both sides need to first and foremost find a good answer to the overarching question: Are China and the United States rivals or partners?

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- In a meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the U.S. side to develop a right strategic perception of China and jointly find a right way to coexist in peace and achieve common development.

In recent years, the China-U.S. relationship has faced significant challenges, largely due to a flawed perception within Washington as some U.S. politicians see China as a long-term strategic competitor and the "most consequential geopolitical challenge."

Driven by such a Cold War mentality and deep-rooted strategic anxieties, these U.S. politicians have grossly misinterpreted China's commitment to peaceful development. This misjudgment has led to a confrontational approach that contrasts with China's consistent message of cooperation and peaceful coexistence.

As Xi reiterated on Thursday, the issue of strategic perception is always fundamental to the China-U.S. relationship. Both sides need to first and foremost find a good answer to the overarching question: Are China and the United States rivals or partners?

From the outset of their engagement, the United States and China have recognized the profound differences in their political systems and development stages. Despite these differences, the two countries have over past decades formed diplomatic ties, deepened cooperation based on mutual interests, and worked jointly to contribute to global peace and prosperity.

China will not become another the United States, nor can the United States reshape China according to its own preferences. In fact, the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system have received firm support of the over 1.4 billion Chinese people, serving as the cornerstone of China's development and stability.

Contemporary U.S. politicians would benefit from heeding the political wisdom and courage demonstrated by their predecessors in navigating relations with China.

This photo taken on Oct. 9, 2023 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Regarding its strategic goals, China has made it clear that it has no intention to pursue hegemony or to replace the United States.

As reiterated by Xi on Thursday, China is focused on managing its own affairs well and will continue deepening reform comprehensively to further improve and develop the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics that suits China's national conditions.

China follows a path of peaceful development. While realizing its own development, China is also ready to work with other countries for common development, and to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Xi's three principles -- mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation -- not only serve as the foundation for China's approach to its relationship with the United States, but also should be a guideline for the future development of bilateral ties.

During their summit in San Francisco last year, Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden reached an important consensus that China-U.S. relations should be stabilized and improved. However, in the realms of economics, trade, and technology, the United States' approach, like a "small yard with high fences," has progressively expanded its scope, seemingly without limit.

This strategy, ostensibly pursued under the guise of "national security," has become an all-encompassing rationale, allowing almost anything to be classified under its broad umbrella. The narrative of "overcapacity," for example, has been used as a justification for various protectionist trade measures.

Beneath this rhetoric lies a deeper issue: the United States' enduring hegemonic mindset and its persistent misperception of China. The desire for absolute security and unchallenged advantage drives these policies, reflecting an outdated mentality that fails to recognize the shifting global landscape.

With its capability and need, China cannot permanently stay at the lower rungs of the global industrial chain, but has every right to ascend towards the medium and high end of the value chain.

The U.S. must acknowledge this reality and understand that China-U.S. economic and trade relations are inherently mutually beneficial, and any attempt to suppress China's economic and technological progress not only harms China but also inflicts damage on the U.S. economy and global stability, and is destined to fail.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has expressed support for the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, which includes Russia, the United States, and France, in relation to the Garabagh conflict. Speaking at a press conference on August 31, Pashinyan suggested that the Minsk Groups role may no longer be necessary in the context of established peace, Azernews reports citing Interfax.

"In the context of peace, we consider it possible to make a decision to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group. When peace is an established fact, the existence of such a format may raise questions," Pashinyan stated.

He also noted that the timing of this decision is crucial, emphasizing the need to evaluate whether it is appropriate to bring such topics into discussion at this moment.
Warren Buffett once said big food brands offer good returns  3 top stocks as Berkshire dumps 50% of Apple stake

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has often talked about his penchant for simple business models. That could be one of the reasons why the Oracle of Omaha loves a good food and beverage brand.

I would say most of the big food companies are good businesses in that they earn good returns on tangible assets, Buffett told his investors during a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting in 2008. According to him, strong brands in the food and beverage sector are difficult to compete with once a brand is established.

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At the time, Buffett was financing the Mars Corporations acquisition of chewing gum maker Wrigleys and eventually got bought out by Mars in 2016  making a $2.5 billion return. By 2024, the renowned investor also sold off nearly half his stake in Apple but still holds a stake in Coca-Cola and Kraft Heinz.

Investors looking for their own experience within one of Buffetts favorite sectors could take a closer look at some of these well-performing food and beverage stocks.

Monster Beverage

From February 1994 to February 2024, the Monster Beverage stock grew by 200,000%  one of the best appreciation rates on the market during this period.

The company first launched in 1985 when the energy drink market was still relatively nascent and took an early lead. A strategic partnership with Coca-Cola in 2015 solidified this position further.

With $3.85 billion in total sales in 2023, Monster was the second-largest energy drink company after Red Bull, according to CStore Decisions coverage of Circana data. Effectively, the company makes up roughly 27% of sales in the U.S. energy drink market.

The stock currently hovers at a price-to-earnings ratio of just under 30. Overall, investors looking for exposure to a growing segment of the global energy drink market may want to keep an eye on this one.

Read more: Car insurance rates have spiked in the US to a stunning $2,150/year  but you can be smarter than that. Here's how you can save yourself as much as $820 annually in minutes (it's 100% free)

Celsius

With over $1 billion in total revenue last year, Celsius is an emerging challenger. It currently holds just 10.5% market share in the U.S., but sales are growing faster than Monster and Red Bull in its niche.

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From 2020 to 2023, the companys revenue doubled. And this year, its on track to expand sales by another 24% as it continues to enter new countries. PepsiCos strategic $550 million investment in the company back in 2022 also signals a bright future for the brand.

Investors whove witnessed the rise of Monster see a similar pattern emerging with Celsius.

Mondelez International

With a portfolio that includes household names like Cadbury, Chips Ahoy!, Oreo, Philadelphia, Ritz and Wheat Thins, Mondelez International is a heavyweight giant in the food business.

The company considers chocolate, biscuits and baked snacks priority categories and has focused its attention on expanding sales in these segments. As of 2024, Mondelez International is planning on rearranging its portfolio so that 90% of its revenue comes from these core categories.

The stock offers a four-year average dividend yield of 2.18% and trades at a price-to-earnings ratio range between 20.00 and 25.00. If youre looking to tap into the promising food giant sector, you may want to add this one to your watch list.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
South Indian actor Charmila claimed that a producer and his friends tried to rape her on the sets of a Malayalam movie. Chennai native Charmila said it was one of the producers of the 1997 family-drama "Arjunan Pillayum Anchu Makkalum" who tried to sexually molest her on the last day of the shoot.



Talking to a Malayalam news channel, Charmila, who has been active in the south Indian movie industry since the last decade of the 20th century, said that she has limitations to open up due to societal pressure. Life may become difficult for her son if she disclosed everything, the senior artist said.

ALSO READ | Radhika Sarathkumar's shocking claims: Hidden cameras used in caravans to record nude videos of actresses on Mollywood sets

MP Mohanan, a producer of the "Arjunan Pillayum Anchu Makkalum" was the man who tried to rape her along with his friends on the last day of shooting. Most actors had left the set when the men made their move in Pollachi. It was after a song's shoot got over on the final day of the schedule, Charmila told Asianet News.

Some hotel staffers helped Mohanan and co to trap her. While she managed to flee the trap unhurt, some of her friends were not that lucky, the actor who was part of many Mollywood movies like 'Uncle Bun', 'Kabooliwala 'and 'Kambolam' said.

ALSO READ | Artist drugged, sexually assaulted at Prithviraj-Mohanlal movie's set in Hyderabad by...

The 49-year-old actor portrayed the role of Jayasree opposite Jagadish's Uthaman in Chandrasekharan-directorial "Arjunan Pillayum Anchu Makkalum." Late actors Innocent, KPAC Lalitha and Kalpana played important roles in the movie alongside Harishree Ashokan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Bindu Panicker and Baiju among others. The movie was co-produced by C Gangadharan sons, K Shanmukhama and Mohanan.

As many as 28 people tried to misbehave with her the actor added.

#MeToo rocks Malayalam cinema

Earlier this week, actor Minu Muneer had alleged that actors Jayasurya, Idavela Babu, Mukesh and Maniyanpilla Raju misbehaved with her. She said by 2013, she acted in six movies and to get a membership in AMMA an actor only needs to be cast in three films. When she called up actor Idavela Babu, Minu alleged that he invited her to his flat to fill out a form. While filling out the form, he allegedly kissed her on the neck, following which she left the building immediately, Minu Muneer said.

ALSO READ | 'Manichithrathazhu' actor Sudheesh, Idavela Babu booked by Kozhikode police after...

Mollywood's 'MeToo' revelations come in the backdrop of the Hema Committee Report, which revealed alleged sexual abuses and harassment faced by women in the Malayalam film industry.
Reacting to allegations of sexual harassment against noted Malayalam directors and actors in the wake of revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report, Mollywood superstar urged people to save the Malayalam movie industry and not destroy it. The actor welcomed the Hema Committee report and said those who are guilty should be punished.

"I haven't ran away anywhere. I was busy with some personal matters. I was in hospital as my wife was undergoing a surgery," the actor said.

Calling the allegations against the Mollywood film personalities unfortunate, Mohanlal said it is not right to target AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) alone and claimed that such incidents happen in all industries. "Hema Committee report speaks about the issue in film industry and the entire industry should respond to it. However, everyone is targetting only AMMA," Mohanlal said.

ALSO READ: #MeToo in Mollywood: 'Odiyan' director V.A. Shrikumar slapped with sex assault case

With a caveat that he cannot answer tough questions, Mohanlal said he is saddened by the allegations. Claiming that film industry is part of the society, Mohanlal observed that such incidents happen everywhere else.



He said he appeared before the Hema Committee and answered all the questions that were posed to him.



Mohanlal claimed that AMMA is doing a lot of good work for the society, but the general committee decided to disband it as Malayalam cinema as a whole should respond to it. He demanded to know if AMMA should react to every issue in the society.

READ MORE: Mollywood #MeToo allegations: 'Stand up, be a man', Shobhaa De slams Mohanlal

The actor said he is not part of any power group and added that he is hearing about such a group for the first time.

He refused to field further questions from reporters saying he does not have answers ready for any of them.
Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor, said that he is proud of the fact that Kerala was the first state to address the issues faced by the women in the film industry.

At least Kerala stood up and said 'this is not right', Tharoor told NDTV.

He, however, was quick to criticise the state government for not releasing the Hema Committee report earlier. The three-member panel was set up by the Kerala government in 2017 to study the issues faced by the women in the Malayalam film industry. The report was submitted in 2019, but was made public only earlier this month. Several allegations of sexual exploitation, assault and abuse against top actors and directors, among others, have rocked Mollywood since the release of the report.

The exposure of the issue and the beginnings of action being taken are a good sign that Kerala is taking it seriously, he said.

The Congress MP said that such crimes against women cause the society to degrade. "I think there are many things coming out of the closet of our society; the assault and violence against women, which is perhaps the most worrying. This goes back forever but is now talked about since the Nirbhaya tragedy of 2012 and now, the R.G. Kar Hospital rape and murder of 2024.

"This is a span of a dozen years in which nothing seems to have changed," Tharoor said.

He also said that there is something wrong with Indian men if they are not able to address these issues. Tharoor added that post Nirbhaya case, he thought about whether it was possible to add gender sensitivity training in schools for boys from a young age. We need systemic change.

When asked about the resignation of the executive committee of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), Tharoor said, They did sit and preside over a system that allowed this to happen to so many young women. There should be some accountability.

Tharoor also said that there should be a tribunal with outside people so that complaints can be raised by women who face issues from the patriarchal power structure, within, for example, a film set.
47 Indian citizens who were trapped in cyber-scam centres at the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bokeo Province of Laos PDR were rescued, an official statement said on Saturday.



All procedural requirements for the repatriation of the freed citizens to India have been completed.

According to a statement by the Indian Embassy in Laos, a crackdown on illegal activities in Golden Triangle SEZ led to the release of 29 Indian citizens while the remaining 18 had reached out seeking help. "30 have already safely returned to India or are on their way, while the remaining 17 are only awaiting travel arrangements," the statement said.

Indian Embassy officials travelled from the capital city of Vientiane to Bokeo to coordinate with the local authorities to ensure the rescue of the citizens. They were brought back to Bokeo by transportation arranged by the Embassy. Prashant Agrawal, Ambassador of India to Lao PDR, met the group upon arrival.

Embassy of India successfully rescues 47 Indians trapped in cyberscam centres in Golden Triangle SEZ of Lao PDR. Detailed press release below: pic.twitter.com/Ap4BTJYP7c  India in Laos (@IndianEmbLaos) August 31, 2024

According to the statement, the Embassy has so far rescued and sent home as many as 635 Indians trapped in similar scandals in Laos.

The Embassy advised Indians to exercise caution while accepting job offers in the Southeast Asian nation. "We strongly advise any Indian planning to take up any job offer in Lao PDR to exercise utmost care and caution, and do the due diligence thoroughly to avoid being duped. They may carefully go through the detailed Advisory available at Embassy's website at https://www.indianembassylaos.gov.in/ or contact the Embassy in case of any doubt," the statement said.
An elderly man was allegedly slapped and abused inside an express train by a group of men on suspicion that he was carrying beef in Maharashtras Nashik district.

A video of the incident, which took place earlier this week, has gone viral on social media, prompting the Government Railway Police (GRP) to initiate a probe.

The video shows at least a dozen people assaulting and verbally abusing the man, identified as Haji Ashraf Munyar, a resident of Jalgaon district.

According to police, Munyar was travelling to his daughter's house in Kalyan when he was allegedly beaten up by the co-passengers near Igatpuri.

"We have taken cognisance of the video and identified the victim. Some of the people involved in the attack have also been identified, and a probe is on," an officer told PTI.

The police has not yet filed any case in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, in another incident, five persons were arrested in Haryana after a migrant worker from West Bengal was beaten to death over suspicion that he had eaten beef.

Sabir Malik, the victim, was killed on August 27. The accused have been identified as Abhishek, Mohit, Ravinder, Kamaljit and Sahilwho all are part of a cow vigilante group.

Police said two juveniles have also been apprehended in the matter.
The Election Commission on Saturday postponed the assembly polls in Haryana to October 5, keeping in mind the Bishnoi community festival. The election was earlier scheduled for October 1.

The poll panel said the counting of votes for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly polls will now be held on October 8 instead of October 4.

The Commission said it had received representation from the National President, All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner (Rajasthan), for rescheduling the date of polling set for October 1.

As per the representation, generations of families from Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana have observed a long-standing tradition of visiting their native village Mukam, in Rajasthan during the Amavas in the month of "Asoj" for their annual festival in Bikaner district, in the memory of their Guru Jambheshwar.

This year, the festival will take place on October 2, and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar will be travelling to Rajasthan on the day, denying them their voting rights.

The revised polling day would also resolve any concerns about a six-day holiday by taking a day's leave on September 30, the poll panel said.

The Commission had, in the past too, revised polling dates to respect the sentiments of various communities. During the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, the polling was postponed by a week to accommodate devotees travelling to Varanasi for Guru Ravidas Jayanti.

The Commission had also revised polling dates for the 2022 Manipur elections and the 2023 Rajasthan elections.

BJP welcomes move

The BJP has welcomed the Election Commissions decision to revise the poll schedule in Haryana, saying it will help in getting the maximum voter turnout on polling day.

Several political parties had written to the poll panel to postpone the polling, keeping in mind the Bishnoi community festival.

"During the festival, lakhs of people will go to their homes to celebrate the festival, so the Election Commission has changed the date so that maximum voting takes place in the Haryana Assembly. We welcome the decision of the Election Commission," said BJP co-election in-charge of the Haryana Assembly Biplab Deb.
The farmers protest at the Shambhu border which entered its 200th day on Saturday was joined by Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat.



The farmers have been protesting for months seeking legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops. The protesters first camped at Shambu border on February 13 when their march to Delhi was blocked by police. The agitation has also spread to other areas like Ratanpura and Khanauri borders.

Phogat, 30, who has been a vocal advocate for farmers' demands, said, "It is painful that they are protesting here for 200 days. These farmers are also citizens of this nation. Nothing is possible without them, not even athletes. If they don't feed us, we can't compete."

"We are helpless, we represent the country at high levels but we can't do anything for our family. I urge the government to listen to us. They had admitted their mistake last time, they should fulfill their promises," she added.

On Friday, the wrestler visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar and met Akal Takht and Takht Damdama Sahib jathedars Giani Raghubir Singh and Giani Harpreet Singh. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) welcomed her to the spiritual site and she was gifted a replica of the Golden Temple.

#WATCH | Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was felicitated by farmer leaders today, as she arrived at their protest site at Shambhu border as the agitation completed 200 days. pic.twitter.com/4yXLXhv2KR  ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2024

Akal Takht and the SGPC backed her when she protested at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, demanding registration of sexual assault case against BJP leader and former MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was the chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

Phogat made history in Paris Olympics when she beat champion Yui Susaki. However, she was disqualified for surpassing the weight limit by 100 grams. She has now retired from wrestling but is yet announce if she is planning to contest in the upcoming Haryana assembly elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's bid to deflect the criticism her government has been getting over the rape and murder of a doctor at the Dr R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, fell flat as the Union government, in response to her letters, said the existing laws were stringent enough.

Responding to Banerjee's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi  the second in a week - Union Minister Annapurna Devi urged the Bengal government to implement the laws in "letter and spirit" instead.

Banerjee, on Friday, in her second letter to Modi, had reiterated her request for a stringent law and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes such as rape and murder. She had also sought a mandatory provision for time-bound disposal of such cases. Her letters came amid nationwide uproar over the rape and murder of the junior doctor, which is now being investigated by the CBI. A large section of the society and the opposition have been accusing the state government of covering up the crime initially and trying to shield the accused. Kolkata Police, too, was criticised by the Supreme Court for their handling of the probe.

"As regards, stringent legislations and exemplary punishment on heinous crimes like rape/rape and murder, I reiterate my earlier communication conveying that stringent punishments for rape/rape with murder already exist in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)," Devi said in her response to the CM.

ALSO READ: Mamata govt will commit big mistake if it decides to threaten us: RG Kar MC's protesting doctors

The Union Minister for Women and Child Development pointed out to Banerjee that the West Bengal government has not operationalised additional 11 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSC) to specifically deal with rape and POCSO cases. Devi also emphasised that the state has 88 Fast Track Courts (FTCs), but they are not the same as the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) recommended under the Union Government Scheme. She further noted that the FTCs handle several cases, including civil disputes, and do not exclusively deal with rape and POCSO cases.

Devi also highlighted the backlog of over 81,000 cases in the FTCs as of June 30, 2024, and a backlog of 48,600 rape and POCSO cases.

"As may be seen, the information contained in your letter in this regard is factually incorrect and appears to be a step in the direction to cover up the delays in operationalising the FTSCs by the state," she said in her response to the CM.

She urged Banerjee to expedite the establishment and operationalisation of the FTSCs, and requested the CM to ensure that justice is served swiftly and efficiently for victims.

'Stop writing letters, answer the questions'

Calling Banerjee "a liar", the BJP asked her to explain why she has not done anything to ensure implementation of existing "stringent" laws to protect women in her state.

Mamata Banerjee is a LIAR.



Smt Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of Women and Child Development, responded to West Bengal Chief Minister on 25th Aug 2024.



In her letter, in point 4, she specifically mentions West Bengal Govt NOT setting up even a single Fast Track Court for https://t.co/mtNgQNLlnx pic.twitter.com/bu2Tf9Ptm2  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 30, 2024

BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya, in a post on X, asked her to "stop writing letters and answer the questions".

He also called Banerjee a failed Home and Health minister, and accused her of suppressing evidences of her corruption and incompetence in the rape-and-murder case.

Political game continues

Continuing the political tug-of-war over the rape-murder case, Banerjee is set to lead a TMC rally today, demanding capital punishment for the accused. The ruling TMC will hold protests across the state, demanding the death sentence and a change in laws to ensure stricter punishment.

Meanwhile, the opposition BJP has intensified its protests against the sate government.

CBI has arrested the key suspect Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer. The former principal of the college, Sandip Ghosh, is also under investigation.
The Karnataka cabinets advice to the governor not to prosecute Chief minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA land allotment case was a collective non-application of the mind as it was a copy-paste of the Advocate Generals opinion, said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the governor in the Karnataka High Court on Saturday.

A single-judge bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna hearing the petition seeking to quash the governors sanction order (to prosecute the CM), adjourned the hearing to September 2, and also refused to allow proceedings in the trial court till the matter is being heard before the High Court.

The opinion of the AG is reproduced verbatim in the cabinet note (advice), in the chief secretarys note as well as the CMs reply to the show-cause notice issued by the Governor. The irony is, Bengaluru being the IT capital of the country, there is Artificial Intelligence (AI) available. They could have at least used AI for paraphrasing instead of copying para by para. On lighter note, they say AI can never match natural stupidity. This is a collective non-application of mind, said Mehta.

The petitioner (CM) represented by advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, on August 29, had called the governors sanction order as hasty and as one that reflected no application of mind. Singhvi had also stated that the cabinet aid and advice to the governor was not considered.

Mehta also remarked that the cabinet note was of 91 pages and perhaps the longest cabinet note ever made in the country and also elaborated why the governor should not be heeding to the advice of the cabinet in this particular case.

"Article 164 requires, that the Governor would appoint Minister on the recommendation of Chief Minister. Also, by Rule 20 of the Karnataka Government (Transaction of Business) Rules, the Chief Minister has an overarching power. He is the final authority, and it is not enough that he did not participate in the meeting of cabinet (which was chaired by deputy chief minister at CMs behest) because the process requires his participation. It is he who decides whether to send it to the cabinet. Merely because he abstains from particular meeting would not meet ends of justice".

Mehta cited the Supreme Court's judgment in A.R. Antulay vs R.S. Nayak & Anr. (1988) and said, the court had said when it comes to sanction of the chief minister, the governor should independently apply his mind.

On the question of governors non-application of mind and hasty sanction order, as argued by the petitioners counsel, Mehta said that the order was not hurried and issued in one day as being alleged.

On July 26, petitioner T J Abraham came in person to give details. In fact the governor was made aware of the larger issue of reported irregularities in the MUDA much before he issued the show-cause notice to the chief secretary and gave the government ample time from July 5 till July 26 before issuing the 6-page sanction order, which was based on the three petitioners complaints, rebuttals from the government (replies by Chief Secretary, Chief Minister, Cabinet note) and on August 8, had directed his principal secretary to put up a file along with comparative statements of petitions received in relation to grant of sanction and CMs reply and cabinet decision in a (certain) format comparative analysis points, to help him make up his mind (on the sanction). The governor obviously discussed the issue in detail and dictated the order. It did not happen in one day, said Mehta, adding any delay in sanctioning the order would also be alleged as dereliction.

On the issue of non-compliance of natural justice raised by petitioner, Mehta said, "At the stage of 17A there is no requirement of principles of natural justice. Non-issuance of notice even in one case would not have caused prejudice".

Senior advocate Maninder Singh who appeared for Respondent no. 4 (Snehamayi Krishana) said his submissions were from the perspective of a complainant who feels "aggrieved by the violation of public trust in democracy".

Singh said the land in question3 acres 16 guntaswas acquired by MUDA in 1992 (initial notification), so any sale after the notification becomes void. Land acquisition took place between 1992 and 1997, and MUDA took possession of the land and is the owner as per the revenue records. In 1998, the compensation to landlosers was determined, and award was made and also the first de-notification. Plots were developed and sold in 2001 till 2004, on the very same land. Foundation is made to give sites to the petitioners wife. How can a sale deed for an agriculture land be made in 2004, when the same piece of land was already acquired by MUDA and developed? In 2004, you paid Rs 6 lakh in a fraudulent transaction as there was no agricultural land available in the name of the original person. The 14 developed sites given as compensation to CMs wife are worth Rs 55 crore. This is a bounty, a clear ex facie violation of public trust by public servant, argued Singh.

Senior advocate Prabhuling Navadagi, appearing for one of the respondents Pradeep Kumar, said the question of governor consulting the cabinet on before sanctioning prosecution order against the chief ministers did not arise as the Article 163 (Constitution of India) does not bifurcate between council of ministers and the Chief Minister and here the allegation was against the CM.

Navadagi stated that the terms of reference of the four-member inquiry committee and subsequently the single member inquiry commission imply there is prima facie, huge irregularity in the MUDA and hence the requirement to investigate. Governors order too is in the same spirit.

Ranganath Reddy, counsel for TJ Abraham, one of the three petitioners who had sought Governors sanction order, said Mallikarjunaiah the brother-in-law of the petitioner (CM) had purchased, applied for conversion and also gifted a non-existent agricultural land of 3 acres and 16 gunta to his sister and CMs wife BM Parvati as the land in question in Kesare village had already been acquired by the MUDA in 1992 and was known as Devanur layout with developed plots.

Also, due influence of the CM in the case cannot be ruled out because 14 compensatory sites were given to CMs wife and not to the original title holder who is no more. The petitioner (Siddaramaiah) was the deputy chief minister when the land was denotified in 1998 and also when it was converted. He was the chief minister when his wife sought compensation and when 14 sites were allotted , he was the leader of the opposition. CMs son and then MLA Yathindra was present at the MUDA council meeting when the compensation application (50:50 ratio) was being discussed, stated Reddy.
After refusing to resume work despite the Supreme Courts and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees appeals, protesting doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital initiated telemedicine services starting Saturday. It will operate daily from 10 am to 2 pm.

The strike, triggered by the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the hospital, has seen doctors in several state government-run institutions halt their duties in protest.

This has severely impacted medical services, particularly in emergency and outpatient departments, leaving many poor patients without medical care.

The telemedicine clinic, named Abhaya Clinic in honour of the victim, by post-graduate trainee doctors and interns at RG Kar MCH under the banner of West Bengal Junior Doctors Front (WBJDF) has provided much-needed relief to many.

We were overwhelmed by the responses today. Even though the clinic was supposed to start at 10 am, we started getting calls from 9:30 am itself, Dr Riya Bera of gynaecology and obstetrics department in RG Kar MCH told THE WEEK.

She was among the 50 doctors who worked in shifts to provide medical services to more than 600 patients through the telemedicine facility on Saturday. They attended calls on four phone numbers and shared the prescription over WhatsApp.

At any given time, 10-12 doctors were handling calls. We tried to assign three doctors for each phone number because calls kept coming one after another, Dr Bera said.

Services were provided by doctors from medicine, surgery, gynaecology and obstetrics, orthopaedics, paediatrics, ENT, dermatology departments, among others. These departments were chosen because they address most complaints on a daily basis.

The protesting doctors at RG Kar MCH announced plans to expand their telemedicine services. We didnt expect so many calls today. If the same continues then we will surely add more phone numbers and doctors, said Dr Md Tarikul Alam from the orthopaedics department, who participated in providing telemedicine services, to THE WEEK.

The doctors clarified that the telemedicine service does not signify the resumption of their duties nor is it the substitute of regular medical services that they provide. Instead, it is an attempt to partially address patients issues while they continue their protest.

Meanwhile, the protesters also denied that the telemedicine service was started in response to appeals from the Supreme Court of India and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. They emphasised that the telemedicine facility reflects their willingness to return to work.

We want to resume work. But if our demands are not met, then we will have to continue strike, Dr Aniket Mahato of the anaesthesia department, one of the leading faces of the movement, told THE WEEK.

Apart from the telemedicine facility, the WBJDF has planned to organise physical health camps, named Abhaya Clinic in areas near medical colleges across the state on Sunday.

These camps will operate from 10 am to 2 pm. On September 2, junior doctors will march to Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar to demand resignation of Commissioner Vineet Goyal.
Overview of the Recent Transaction

On August 30, 2024, Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio), through Berkshire Hathaway, executed a significant transaction involving the sale of 21,076,473 shares of Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC). This move reduced the firm's holdings in BAC, impacting its portfolio by -0.3%. The shares were sold at a price of $40.24 each, adjusting the total shares held to 882,723,903, which now represents 11.38% of the firm's holdings in the traded stock.

Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio), often referred to as "The Oracle of Omaha," is a hallmark of investment success. As the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett transformed a modest textile company into a powerhouse conglomerate. His investment philosophy, deeply rooted in Benjamin Graham's principles of value investing, emphasizes understanding a business deeply, investing with a margin of safety, and choosing companies with long-term value. Berkshire Hathaway's top holdings include giants like Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) and American Express Co (NYSE:AXP), reflecting a strong inclination towards financially sound companies.

Warren Buffett's Strategic Reduction in Bank of America Shares

Details of the Trade Action

The recent sale marks a shift in Buffett's strategy regarding Bank of America, where the firm now holds a reduced stake of 12.73% in its portfolio. This adjustment aligns with Buffett's cautious approach to portfolio management, ensuring each holding meets Berkshire's stringent criteria for value and potential.

Bank of America at a Glance

Bank of America, symbol BAC, is a leading financial institution in the United States, boasting a market capitalization of $316.2 billion. The company operates across various segments, including consumer banking and global markets, and has shown a robust GF Score of 80/100, indicating strong potential for future performance. Despite a challenging economic environment, BAC maintains a Profitability Rank of 6/10 and a Growth Rank of 7/10.

Warren Buffett's Strategic Reduction in Bank of America Shares

Market Context and Strategic Timing

The timing of Buffett's sale coincides with a period of market volatility and regulatory changes impacting the banking sector. This strategic reduction could be seen as a move to capitalize on recent price gains or to reallocate resources to more lucrative opportunities, reflecting Buffett's adaptive investment strategy.

Comparative Insights and Portfolio Alignment

Comparing this move to Buffett's other major holdings, it's evident that the firm is recalibrating its exposure to the financial services sector, which remains a top sector alongside technology. This realignment ensures that the portfolio remains diversified and aligned with Berkshire's long-term investment philosophy.

Story continues

Implications for Investors

Buffett's decision to trim his position in Bank of America might signal to other investors the need for caution, particularly in the banking sector. It also underscores the importance of portfolio rebalancing and risk management in achieving investment success.

Broader Market Impact

Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio)'s investment moves are closely watched by the market. This recent transaction could influence broader market perceptions of the banking sector's stability and growth prospects, potentially leading to a reevaluation of investment strategies by other major investors.

This analysis of Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio)'s recent transaction provides valuable insights into his strategic thinking and offers a glimpse into the potential future direction of Berkshire Hathaway's investment approach.

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Karnataka Congress conducted Raj Bhavan Chalo protest on Saturday alleging misuse of the governors office and said the Raj Bhavan should not become office of a political party.



Congress leaders including party MPs, MLAs and others marched to Raj Bhavan from Vidhana Soudha demanding the governors office to act in an apolitical manner. Shivakumar, along with other Congress leaders, handed over a petition to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at the Raj Bhavan at the end of the protest.

Talking to presspersons, Shivakumar said, The delegation met the governor today. He heard us patiently and he assured us about the justice. The Raj Bhavan shouldn't become a political office, ANI reported. The Congress leader charged there are attempts to destabilize the Congress government in the state.

Shivakumar said the march was not organised to protest against the governor sanctioning the prosecution of CM in connection with the MUDA scam. He added the march was taken out to demand the governor to protect the sanctity of the constitutional post. Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his cabinet colleagues and other Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest near the Gandhi statue in the Vidhana Soudha premises.

The Congress government is at loggerheads with the governor after he granted permission to investigate and prosecute the CM in the alleged MUDA site allotment scam.

The governor earlier this month accorded sanction to prosecuteSiddaramaiah under section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of offences as mentioned in the petitions of social activist T.J. Abraham, Pradeep Kumar S.P, and Snehamayi Krishna.

The state cabinet, which met on August 1 under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar (after the CM had recused himself), had passed a resolution advising the governor to withdraw the show-cause notice and to reject the petition filed by the RTI activist. The chief minister also replied to the notice on August 3, denying the allegations.
The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government came under fire from opposition parties after the state assembly, yesterday, decided to discontinue the two-hour break provided on Fridays for Muslim MLAs to offer 'namaz'.

Earlier, the assembly used to be adjourned at 11am on every Friday to allow the Muslim members to go for namaz, and would reconvene after lunch. But, as per the new rule, the proceedings of the House will continue without any adjournment for religious purposes.

Calling the discontinuation of the break unconstitutional, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Waris Pathan said it was a violation of the right to practise religion. He said that this practice had been going on since 1937.

In a video message posted on his social media account X on August 30, Pathan said, "BJP is anti-muslim government. They hate our dress, food and our madrassas. Now, they have started to hate our namaz (prayers). Every day, you will see Himanta Biswa Sarma, talking aimlessly.

Bjp    



             !



                 !

           pic.twitter.com/uchOtPlCUU  Waris Pathan (@warispathan) August 30, 2024

The 'namaz' break was provided for the last time yesterday - the final day of the autumn session of the assembly. The proposal to do away with the provision in the Rules of Procedures of the assembly was placed before the Rules Committee, headed by the Speaker, which unanimously agreed to drop the practice. The new rule will be implemented from the next session.

A statement from Speaker Biswajit Daimary office said that the House was doing away with the colonial practice, which was aimed at dividing the society on religious basis.

Sarma, too, emphasised that by discontinuing the two-hour break, the Assam assembly had prioritised productivity.

Opposition questions the decision

Former deputy chief minister of Bihar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav was scathing in his criticism of Sarma. "Assam's CM is doing this for cheap popularity. Who is he? BJP has made Muslims a soft target. They want to bother Muslims in one way or the other and spread hatred in society, Yadav said. BJP should understand that even Muslims had sacrificed their lives in the freedom struggle."

All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Mazibur Rahman said the Assam government, under Sarma, has been targeting the Muslim community. He said the practice has been around for around 90 years, and that the earlier governments never had any problem with it until Sarma came to power.

He also accused the CM of trying to "wipe out Muslims", referring to the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024, which was passed a couple of days ago.

Congress MLAs Jakir Hussain Sikdar and Wajed Ali Choudhury, too, expressed their reservations on the namaz break decision.

#WATCH | Guwahati: On Assam Assembly amending the rule providing adjournment of Assembly for Namaz, AIUDF MLA Mazibur Rahman says, "... Every Friday, we used to get an hour or two for prayer. It was since 1936, around 90 years have passed... A lot of governments and CMs came but pic.twitter.com/GrTGngOP5S  ANI (@ANI) August 30, 2024

Calling Sarma's decision anti-national, CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah said, "This is a heinous decision. Himanta is the most heinous minority hater. Whenever he opens his mouth, he spits venom against the minority. This is dangerous to the country and this mindset is anti-national. This mindset is against the unity of the country. This is part of a conspiracy to finish off minority community."

Responding to the criticism, CM Sarma said that there were members from the minority community in the assembly rules committee, which took the decision. This is not my decision alone; it is the assembly's decision.
China and the Philippines accused each other of causing a collision between their two vessels Saturday in the latest flareup of tensions over disputed waters and maritime features in the South China Sea.

In a statement posted on social media, Chinese coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun was quoted as saying that a Philippine ship maneuvered and deliberately collided with a Chinese coast guard ship in an unprofessional and dangerous manner."

Philippine officials in Manila said it was their coast guard ship, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, that was rammed thrice by the Chinese coast guard without any provocation, causing damage to the Philippine vessel.

It was the second confrontation in days near Sabina Shoal, about 140 kilometers (85 miles) west of the Philippine province of Palawan, in the internationally recognized exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

The Philippine ship, the Magbanua, has been anchored in Sabina since mid-April after Manila suspected that China may construct a structure to seize the uninhabited atoll. China harbored the same suspicions and recently filed a diplomatic protest against the Philippines due to the ship's prolonged presence at the shoal.

China is rapidly expanding its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which is crucial to international trade. The tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, and could drag in with the United States, which is bound by a treaty to defend the Philippines. The longtime territorial disputes also involve other claimants including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

China has rejected a ruling by a U.N.-backed arbitration panel that negated almost all of its historically based claims in the South China Sea.

Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine coast guard said in a news briefing in Manila that the Magbanua had dropped its anchor again and would not withdraw from Sabina Shoal despite the harassment, bullying activities and escalatory action of the Chinese coast guard."

Video released by the Philippine coast guard appeared to show the Magbanua being rammed by a Chinese coast guard ship.

The United States condemned the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC (People's Republic of China), including today's intentional ramming of the BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was conducting lawful operations within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone."

We stand with the Philippines in upholding international law, U.S. Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said in a statement she posted on X.

The United States has repeatedly warned that it's obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces come under an armed attack in the South China Sea.

On Tuesday, Adm. Samuel Paparo, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said the U.S. military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the disputed waters.

China's coast guard, navy and accompanying ships regularly clash with Philippine vessels during attempts to resupply Filipino sailors stationed in parts of the South China Sea claimed by both countries. As the confrontations become increasingly hostile, resulting in injuries to Filipino sailors and damage to their ships, the Philippine government has faced questions about invoking the treaty alliance with Washington.

Sabina Shoal is near Second Thomas Shoal, another flashpoint where China has hampered the resupply of Philippine forces. Both countries reached an agreement last month to prevent further confrontations at the shoal.

Also Saturday, Japan lodged a formal protest via China's embassy against what it called an incursion by a Chinese survey ship into its territorial waters. The latest such incident fueled unease among Japanese defense officials, already concerned about the growing military cooperation between the Chinese and Russian air forces.

On Monday, Tokyo also protested a Chinese military aircraft briefly entering Japan's southwestern airspace. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday his country had no intention to violate any country's airspace.
At least four people died and three went missing after a helicopter returning from a rescue mission crashed into the River Douro in northern Portugal on Friday. Portugal Prime Minister Luis Montenegro declared a national day of mourning after the tragic incident.

According to officials, the pilot of the chopper was rescued by a tourism boat near the scene and was rushed to the hospital.

The helicopter was carrying a team of five specialists from the Emergency Protection and Relief Unit when the crash occurred in the Lamego area. The chopper was returning after assisting in fighting a fire near Baiao. The crash took place around Friday noon.

 PORTUGAL  Firefighting helicopter with GNR soldiers crashed into Douro River. Pilot survived, 5 soldiers died (8/30) pic.twitter.com/1xfOw7LzVi  Breaking News  (@AEagle98704) August 31, 2024

The victims, aged from 29 to 45, are all members of the Emergency Protection and Rescue Unit (UEPS) of the national gendarmerie, the countrys civil protection authority said in a statement.

The gendarmerie spokesperson Mafalda Almeida said the pilots, aged 44, injuries were not severe.

Initially, two bodies were pulled from inside the helicopter, Rui Silva Lampreia, commander of the National Maritime Authority told the media. Later, two more bodies were found near the aircrafts tail, he added.

Underwater searches around the helicopter and on the banks were conducted to locate the missing bodies. The search for finding the fifth person is also underway.

PM Montenegro travelled to the scene of the crash and assessed the search operation carried out in the region. Maritime police, divers and air force helicopters were working actively to locate the missing bodies.
The recent F-16 fighter jet crash, killing a Ukrainian pilot, has raised concerns about the risks associated with the aircrafts operation. The F-16 warplanes, hailed as a game-changer, were heavily lobbied by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to bolster Ukraines air defence capabilities, touting them as a crucial tool in countering Russian advances.

Ukrainian military on Thursday said that an F-16 jet crashed and its pilot died while approaching a target during a Russian airstrike on Monday.

"Four enemy missiles were shot down by airborne weapons...Connection with one of the aircraft was lost while it was approaching the next target," the Ukrainian General Staff said in a statement.

After the F-16 jet crash, Zelenskyy fired the commander of the country's air force on Friday. Lt. Gen. After firing, Mykola Oleshchuk, Ukraine president said, we need to protect people. Take care of all our soldiers.

Ukraine needs to strengthen its army on the command level, he added.

Meanwhile, Ukraine had started an investigation into the crash. US experts have also joined the Ukrainian investigation to assess why an F-16 war that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed.

In a Telegram post, Oleshchuk said that a detailed analysis was being conducted into the F-16 crash. We must carefully understand what happened, what the circumstances are, and whose responsibility it is, he wrote.

The crash was the first loss of an F-16 in Ukraine. Warplanes had arrived at the end of last month and at least six are believed to have been delivered by European countries. Denmark's F-16 fighter jets are also working in Ukraine in its battle against Russia.

An air force statement said, Russian forces fired five missiles and 74 Shahed drones at Ukrainian targets. Air defences stopped two missiles 60 drones and 14 other drones before reaching the target, it added.
In the narrow confines of the extensive 500 km labyrinthine tunnel network underneath Gaza and elsewhere in the ravaged and war-scarred territories bordering Israel, a deadly no-holds-barred hunt by the worlds mightiest powers is being waged to nab Yahya Sinwar, also known as Abu Ibrahim, the 62-year old leader of the Hamas.



Israels Shin Bet, the internal security wing, with active CIA help, has set up a separate unit dedicated only to tracking Sinwar. The Americans have also provided Israel with ground-penetrating radars to scan the tunnel network for Sinwars whereabouts.

Sinwar, the main plotter of the October 7 attacks, still remains at large despite some really close calls. Although a notch below Ismail Haniyeh in the Hamas organisation, it had been Sinwar who is considered the real boss of Hamas. After Haniyeh was assassinated on July 30 in Tehran in a targeted killing, Sinwars position got further cemented as the Hamas chief.

Till now, more than 40,000 Palestinians are believed to have been killed in Israels offensive operations while the October 7 attack by Hamas saw about 1,200 Israelis being killed and about 240 taken as hostages.

At this point of time, Sinwar, on the Hamas side and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the Israeli side, remain the veritable obstacles to peace in West Asia.

ALSO READ | Gaza ceasefire: Hamas rejects Israeli conditions as Middle East tensions escalate

Sinwar, because of his non-compromising ideology, and Netanyahu because of domestic political dynamics as an end to the ongoing war will also signal the end of the Israeli PMs political career except for the saving grace of having won the war that could well be symbolised by Sinwars elimination. That is why an all-out hunt has been mounted to nab the Hamas leader.

How has Sinwar managed to evade detection so far

What has helped Sinwar evade detection till now is discarding electronic modes of communication like mobile phones and satellite phones and reverting to primitive modes of communication through human couriers and being in contact with only his closest circle of confidantes.

This was the mode of communication that helped Al Qaidas Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar stay a step ahead of US surveillance for years despite using the best detection techniques available including satellites.

That the US with the worlds most sophisticated intelligence and surveillance tools and techniques and Israels robust security network has failed to nab Sinwar more than ten months after the 7/10 Hamas attack across Gaza is a commentary on the Hamas top bosss guerilla capabilities and survival techniques. How he manages to actively lead and direct Hamas in its military campaign is a source of mystery to his hunters.
This collection showcases ten visionary entrepreneurs and their successful ventures, each contributing uniquely to their respective industries. Dr. Manoj Sharma of BORT Technology excels in digital branding and corporate services, while Ms. Kanika Gangahar leads Nacharel in natural skincare innovation. Mitesh Singh of Construmart Online revolutionises the construction materials market, and Rakshith M Rajendra of Devaris excels in fine art photography. Vipinkumar Giri's Toppers Trading Institute offers comprehensive stock market education, and Pradeep Chauhan's NP Jewels specialises in exquisite jewellery. Apna Dhaba by Dinesh Kumar Jain and Nitesh Agrawal brings authentic Punjabi cuisine to Bangalore, and Sreelatha Niramannils Alamode Fashion Media shines in fashion video production. ChatBoat enhances customer engagement with WhatsApp API solutions, while Influencers Pro elevates brand visibility through strategic media placements. Together, these entrepreneurs demonstrate the power of innovation, creativity, and dedication in driving business success.



1. Dr Manoj Sharma, Entrepreneur & CEO BORT Technology opc. Pvt Ltd



Dr. Manoj Sharma Entrepreneur is a distinguished entrepreneur and expert in corporate digital branding, renowned for his innovative approach to enhancing business identities in the digital landscape. With an extensive strategic marketing and brand management background, Dr. Sharma has established himself as a pivotal figure in developing dynamic branding strategies that resonate with global audiences. His expertise extends to press release services, where he helps organisations effectively communicate their narratives to the media, ensuring that their stories capture attention and inspire action. Moreover, Dr Sharma's proficiency in company formation worldwide allows him to assist businesses in navigating the complex legal and regulatory landscapes of various countries, providing customised solutions that facilitate seamless establishment and operation. As an international corporate service provider, his firm, www.borttech.in, stands out for its commitment to excellence. It offers businesses comprehensive support, encompassing everything from initial setup and compliance to ongoing branding and communication strategies. Dr. Sharma's dedication to empowering businesses through effective digital branding and strategic corporate services enhances their market presence and drives growth and innovation in an increasingly competitive digital economy. His vision and expertise are invaluable to entrepreneurs and corporations, making him a sought-after partner in achieving sustainable success in today's fast-paced business environment.



www.borttech.in



2. Ms.Kanika Gangahar,Founder of Nacharel (Meena Enterprises)



Ms Kanika Gangahar, founder of Nacharel (Meena Enterprises), has spearheaded regular and natural skincare. Nacharel, a noticeable standard skincare organisation established in 2010 by the visionary Kanika, has arisen as a leader in the magnificence business for its obligation to utilise regular fixings and supportable practices. With a mission focused on giving excellent skincare arrangements while focusing on moral strategic policies, Nacharel has collected a faithful following of purchasers looking for compelling and ecologically cognizant items. This article dives into the story behind Nacharel, investigating Kanika's excursion, the brand's inventive item range, its effect on excellence drifts, and its commitment to networks.



Nacharel remains a brilliant illustration of a characteristic skincare organisation that conveys remarkable items and champions supportability and moral, strategic policies. Through Kanika's vision and commitment, Nacharel has cut a novel speciality in the magnificence business, setting new guidelines for quality, straightforwardness, and local area commitment. As Nacharel proceeds to flourish and improve, it stays a signal of motivation for the two customers and organisations, exhibiting the force of conscious excellence decisions.



Unveil the secret to radiant skin with Nacharel  your trusted companion on the journey to healthy, glowing skin!



https://nacharelist.com/



3. MR MITESH SINGH, FOUNDER OF CONSTRUMART ONLINE PVT LTD



The founder of Construmart Online Pvt. Ltd., Mitesh Singh, is a far-sighted entrepreneur who observed the potential benefits and convenience an online platform could provide to all building construction parties, i.e. Customers, Manufacturers & Service providers. stands behind the remarkable rise of this company. With his sharp business acumen, Construmart Online Pvt. Ltd. has become a pioneer in the TMT Steel and Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) industry, supplying good-quality products at affordable prices.



Mitesh Singh embarked on his journey with Construmart Online Pvt. Ltd. to change and revolutionise the construction materials market, making all high-end, cutting-edge products accessible at a competitive price. Mitesh Singhs leadership builds the trusted name of Construmart Online Pvt. Ltd. in the construction materials market. His strategic vision and customer-centric approach have brought the company to new heights.



Visit https://www.construmart.in to experience the excellence in price and quality of TMT Steel Bar.



4. Rakshith M Rajendra: The Entrepreneurial Journey of Devaris



Rakshith M Rajendra is a prominent figure in the entrepreneurial and photography realms, showcasing a unique blend of creativity and business acumen. Hailing from Bangalore, he has carved a niche as an accomplished fine art photographer specialising in maternity and newborn photography. Under the brand name "Devaris," his work exudes a captivating charm that resonates with clients seeking exquisite imagery to capture life's precious moments. With a maternity and newborn photography certification, Rakshith brings a wealth of expertise and passion to his craft, setting him apart as a sought-after professional in the industry. His dedication to excellence and artistic vision shines through in every frame, making him a standout personality in the vibrant world of photography. His commitment to excellence and unwavering pursuit of perfection set him apart as a maternity and newborn photography visionary. With every click of the shutter, he captures not just images but memories that will be cherished for generations to come, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of all who have the privilege of experiencing his artistry.



In conclusion, Rakshith M Rajendra emerges as a multifaceted talent, seamlessly blending entrepreneurship with the artistry of fine photography. His maternity and newborn photography expertise shines through in every meticulously crafted image, capturing the beauty and emotion of life's most precious moments. Under the banner of "Devaris," he has created a sanctuary where creativity thrives and memories are immortalised in stunning detail. Rakshith's dedication to his craft and a keen eye for composition and lighting sets him apart as a true master of his trade. Through his work, he captures fleeting moments and weaves a narrative of love, joy, and connection that resonates deeply with all who behold his creations. As Rakshith continues to inspire and innovate in photography, his legacy as a visionary artist and entrepreneur will endure, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of those touched by his extraordinary talent.



https://devaris.in



5. Vipinkumar Giri, the founder and CEO of Toppers Trading Institute in Pune



Vipinkumar Giri, Founder & CEO, Toppers Trading Institute, Pune Registered as a mutual fund distributor with AMFI, Vipinkumar Giri is the founder and CEO of Toppers Trading Institute, Pune. His institute can be accessed online at https://topperstrading.com and has quickly established itself as the premier educational resource for anyone interested in the stock market. Offering a wide range of courses from basic introductory to advanced trading strategies, Toppers Trading Institute provides a holistic education on the stock and securities markets. This makes it an ideal choice for anyone wanting to better understand trading and makes it one of the best stock trading institutes in Pune. Led by Vipin Kumar Giri, the curriculum of Toppers Trading Institute is carefully crafted to suit traders of all experience levels. The courses cover a wide range of trading topics, including Toppers Trading Institute, which offers a curriculum structured in four levels. Level 1 includes comprehensive courses from basic to advanced. Level 2 focuses on understanding price movements through trend and directional analysis. Level 3 specialises in mastering futures and options. Level 4 focuses on wealth creation using Elliott Wave Principles. Whether you are a beginner seeking a solid foundation in trading or an experienced trader looking to improve your skills, Toppers Trading Institute provides the resources and expertise to help you achieve your goals. Their comprehensive courses cover various topics, from technical analysis to risk management, empowering individuals to confidently navigate the complex world of trading.



Join the Toppers trading community today and unlock your full trading potential.



http://topperstrading.com



6. Mr Pradeep Chauhan, Founder of NP Jewels Gurgaon



Mr Pradeep Chauhan, the visionary founder of NP Jewels located in Gurgaon, has carved a niche for himself in the opulent world of fine jewellery, specializing in exquisite gold, diamond, and Polki creations that resonate with the rich cultural heritage of India. With an unyielding commitment to craftsmanship and quality, Mr Chauhan launched NP Jewels, intending to provide customers not just with jewellery but also timeless pieces that tell a story and celebrate significant life moments. His passion for jewellery design and an eye for detail have driven the brand to new heights, turning it into a respected name among connoisseurs and enthusiasts. Each piece is meticulously crafted at NP Jewels, often featuring intricate designs that blend traditional Indian artistry with contemporary aesthetics, ensuring that every item appeals to a diverse clientele. The gold jewellery collections, known for their elegant lines and sophisticated finishes, offer a range of optionsfrom classic to modern styles, making them suitable for everyday wear and special occasions. Under Mr Chauhan's leadership, NP Jewels continue to thrive, as he emphasises aesthetic appeal, ethical sourcing, and sustainable practices, aiming to positively impact the community and environment. With a focus on customer satisfaction and a deep understanding of market trends, Mr Pradeep Chauhan has truly positioned NP Jewels as a beacon of excellence in the jewellery industry, ensuring that each piece not only enhances the wearer's beauty but also becomes a treasured heirloom for generations to come. Visit their website at https://npjewels.com to explore their stunning collection and schedule a consultation today.



7. Apna Dhaba pure veg Punjabi restaurant in Banglore



Dinesh Kumar Jain and Nitesh Agrawal founded Apna Dhaba. Apna Dhaba stands out as a hallmark of tradition and authenticity in a city celebrated for its rich culinary landscape. So, when you're in the mood for a taste of Punjab in Bangalore, visit Apna Dhaba for an unparalleled culinary experience. At Apna Dhaba, we strive to provide an extraordinary dining experience highlighting the true essence of Punjabi cuisine in Bangalore. We aim to position ourselves as the top choice for food enthusiasts seeking authentic Punjabi dishes made with the finest ingredients and traditional techniques. By 2024, we plan to have ten cloud kitchens operating in Bangalore and Mysore, the first step in our plan to spread our brand awareness throughout Karnataka and share our rich culinary legacy with as many people as possible. We are committed to maintaining the greatest levels of hospitality, quality, and service, ensuring that every meal at Apna Dhaba provides a unique opportunity to experience Punjab's rich culture and cuisine. We aspire to be known as Karnataka's top Punjabi restaurant chain, synonymous with exceptional flavor and authentic dining experiences, via our dedication to innovation and perfection. Three vegetarian restaurant locations, Apna Dhaba Taste Of Punjab, can be found: two are in Bengaluru's Hanumanth Nagar & HSR Layout, and one is in Vijay Nagar in Indore, MP.



https://apnadhabapureveg.com/



8. Sreelatha Niramannil, Co-founder Alamode Fashion media



Co-founder of Alamode Fashion Media, Sreelatha Niramannil, is a dynamic Bengaluru professional with over 12 years of expertise in visual content production, information technology, and finance, among other fields. Her solid academic background is seen in her master's degree in Economics. Having first been Director and Co-founder of Maestrosoft Internet Technologies, Sreelatha's career is evidence of her adaptability and commitment.



Her love for fashion, writing, and design balances her diverse knowledge. Sreelatha's grasp of several languagesEnglish, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, and Frenchhelps her relate to a broad spectrum of audiences and clients.



Under her direction, Alamode Fashion Mediafounded in December 2023 as a top video production firm focused on fashion video development and photoshootshas grown rapidly. Comprising talented visual artists, the Alamode team is committed to faithfully portraying the core of brand graphics in their elegance. Giving fashion and trends first priority, Alamode has also developed into e-commerce catalogue manufacturing to meet the rising demand for internet businesses. Sreelatha's creative approach propels the company forward in the ever-evolving fashion media world.



contact: 8075233122 e-mail: lathaginsg@gmail.com



Instagram: @modedefine , @alamode.fashionmedia



Alamodefashionmedia.com



9.ChatBoat



ChatBoat is a top provider of WhatsApp API solutions, helping businesses enhance their communication and customer engagement via the widely-used messaging platform. Their powerful WhatsApp API integration enables businesses to connect effortlessly with customers, offering real-time support, notifications, and personalised interactions.



ChatBoats solutions allow companies to maximise WhatsApp's capabilities by automating responses, handling customer inquiries, and boosting engagement at scale. With automated messaging, customisable chat templates, and detailed analytics, businesses can efficiently manage communication, deliver 24/7 support, and ensure timely, accurate responses.



Designed for various use casesfrom customer service to marketing and transactional updatesChatBoats WhatsApp API empowers businesses to improve customer satisfaction and build stronger relationships through effective, personalised communication.



10. Influencers Pro



Influencers Pro is a forward-thinking digital media agency that boosts brand visibility through targeted media placements and innovative content distribution. Influencers Pro helps businesses share their stories with a wider audience by focusing on creating impactful press releases, ensuring their news reaches critical platforms at the perfect moment. Their strength lies in blending traditional and digital media to offer a well-rounded approach to public relations and brand communication.



In addition to press release services, Influencers Pro provides content creation, media relations, and digital marketing strategies. Leveraging a robust network of media contacts and influencers, they amplify client messages across various platforms to enhance engagement and brand awareness. Whether introducing a new product, celebrating a major achievement, or managing brand reputation, Influencers Pro delivers custom solutions that help businesses thrive in todays competitive digital space.



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 30: Filatex Mines and Minerals Pvt Ltd, subsidiary of Hyderabad based leading socks and cotton products manufacturing company Filatex Fashions Ltd (BSE  532022, NSE  FILATFASH) has received total export orders worth Rs. 661 crore (USD 78,875,000) in a months time.



On August 29, 2024 companys subsidiary in the mining business, Filatex Mines and Minerals Private Ltd announced that it has received order from Republic of Guinea based company, Societe DIMO - BTP SARL ("SDBS") for supply of 1,59,000 tonnes of marble polished tiles for over a period of 5 years which is estimated to be USD 43,875,000 (Rs 368 crore). SDBS is a distributor of granite and marble with a dealer network of over 5000 in 14 African countries.



This is the second export order for companys mining subsidiary. Earlier on 26 July, 2024 the company received the order for supply of 2,97,388 metric tonnes of white marble worth USD 35 million (Rs. 293 crore) over a period of 7 years. As on 29 August 2024, companys market capitalization stands at Rs. 966.75 crore.



Board of Directors of Filatex Fashions Ltd at its meeting held on 26 July 2024 has approved the appointment of Mr. Sunil Agarwal as an Additional Director and CEO of the Company in the Executive Director category. The appointment is subject to the approval of the shareholders in the ensuing Annual General Meeting. Mr. Sunil Agarwal has over 10 years of extensive experience and holds expertise in Financial Services, Advisory, Investment Advisory and Risk Management Consulting and has been on the Boards of some prominent companies.



Highlights:



 Appointed Mr. Sunil Agarwal as an Additional Director and CEO of the Company w.e.f 26 July 2024



 Companys Board recently approved 5-for-1 stock split and fix 9 August as record date



 Company in the EGM approved the stock split; Authorised share capital at Rs. 850 crore.



 Company to set up a wholly owned subsidiary for export of textile garments and fabrics in Delhi



 Companys shares are listed and admitted to dealings on National Stock Exchange w.e.f 6 May 2024



 For Q1FY25, company posted net profit of Rs. 1.73 crore, total income of Rs. 24.22 crore.



Company in its the Extra Ordinary General Meeting held on 15 July 2024 approved the 5-for-1 stock split. Authorized share capital of the company of the company further to the approval of the shareholders in EGM stands at Rs. 850 crore divided into 850 crore equity shares of Rs. 1 each.



To enhance the liquidity in the capital market and widen shareholder base, the company in the board meeting held on 7 June 2024 approved 1:5 (5-for-1) stock split. Company approved sub-division of existing 1 Equity Share of face value of Rs. 5 each fully paid up into 5 Equity Shares of Rs. 1 each fully paid up. Record date for the purpose of stock split is fixed as 9 August 2024.



Incorporated in 1995, Filatex Fashions Ltd specializes in socks manufacturing and cotton products with 25 socks-knitting machines with the latest finishing and setting machines, using infrared technology for the first time in India. Filatex Fashions has gained rich experience in the European and Indian market. With manufacturing plants located in Hyderabad, Telangana, the company offers private label services and the option to use its branded label for socks. Companys clients include renowned brands like FILA, Sergio Tacchini, Adidas, Walt Disney and many other top labels of the fashion world.



Companys shares are recently admitted to dealings on NSE with a code FILATFASH w.e.f 6 May 2024. Companys shares were listed on Bombay Stock Exchange since 23 September 1996 and will continue to be listed on the exchange with the scrip code 532022. Company has also appointed Mr. Yash Sethia as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Company from 30th March 2024.



Company board in the meeting held on 6 July has approved to set up a wholly owned subsidiary for export of textile garments and fabrics in Delhi reason being Delhi is a source for readymade goods which can be easily supplied to overseas market. Additionally, board also approved proposal to set up a Corporate Office in Mumbai for business expansion and planning to appoint senior managerial personnel like CEO, head of compliance etc. which will help the company in its smooth business expansion in global markets.



Company has a State of art manufacturing unit located at Hyderabad having ultra-modern, latest machinery from Korea and Italy with In-house R&D facilities, is on Growth path with various new orders from Leading Brands. Company has a modern state-of-the-art plant spread over 4 acres capable of producing 8.64 million pairs of socks per annum. The company further plans to ramp up production capacity upto 14 million pairs of socks per annum.



For Q1FY25, net profit of the company was reported at Rs. 1.73 crore and total income of Rs. 24.22 crore. During FY23-24, company posted net profit of Rs. 8.95 crore, total income of Rs. 179.02 crore.



For more information, visit www.filatexfashions.co.in



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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New Delhi [India], August 30: NAAYAAB is a joint initiative of Craft Maestro&M3M Foundation aimed at preserving, sustaining, and revitalizing Indias heritage art forms. This first-ever one of a kind initiative & exhibit was supported by Dr. Payal Kanodia, Chairperson & Trustee M3M Foundation as Art Promotion Partner. This landmark showcase featured 100+ masterpieces by 70+ artisans across 17 states who have received the highest national honours, including Padma Vibhushan, Padma Shri, Shilp Guru, and National Awards. Representing over 40 crafts from 17 states, NAAYAAB brought together the finest works of these celebrated artisans in a collective effort to celebrate and safeguard the nations rich cultural legacy. The landmark event, took place from the 25th to 26th August 2024, at the prestigious Hotel Taj Man Singh in New Delhi, attracting a discerning audience of high-net-worth individuals, art aficionados, and cultural enthusiasts.



The event curated a special session for the Delhi Chapter of the Young FICCI Ladies Organisation (YFLO) on August 26, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, which featured a private guided walkthrough the various priceless exhibits along with key dignitaries and ambassadors from Algeria, Russia and Israel. M3M Foundation played a pivotal role in supporting NAAYAAB by bringing the lives and stories of Indias master artisans to a platform and audience that truly appreciates their rich legacy of craftsmanship.In an era where the allure of the new often overshadows the traditional, the stellar NAAYAAB event emerged as a beacon of hope for the preservation and celebration of India's rich cultural heritage.



The event was graced by the presence of AlgerianAmbassador His Excellency Dr. Ali Achoui, who was accompanied by his spouse Mrs. Leila Achoui. Spouse of Russian Ambassador Mrs. Diana Alipova and Mrs. YuliaAryaeva, Counsellor (Culture and Education) along with Israel's Senior Cultural OfficerMs. Avital Barak accompanied by Ms. Shimrit Amir Amsalem.



Highlighting the national significance of this initiative, the occasion was graced by Dr.Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon'ble Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India, as the Chief Guest. The event, which was a collaboration between Craft Maestro, the M3M Foundation, YFLO, was a unique and conscious initiative to revitalize and rejoice in the glorious legacy of traditional Indian crafts.



Sharing her insights after the event, Dr. Payal Kanodia, a passionate advocate for the preservation and promotion of Indias unique master craftsmen, expressed her vision for the international event,



"Naayaab is not just a celebration of art, it is a call to action for the passionate patrons of the new age to become custodians of Indias rich cultural heritage. In a world that is constantly moving forward, it



is crucial to pause and honour the traditions that have shaped our cultural identity. Naayaab is not just an event, it is much more than that. Naayaab is a national movement conceptualised & curated by Craft Maestro to bring our master craftsmen the recognition and support they deserve. By connecting them



with patrons who value their art, we have aimed to ensure that these crafts not only survive but thrive in the modern world. This initiative is our commitment to preserving the legacy of Indian handicrafts for our future generations."



Naayaab was conceptualized to showcase solidarity in line with the ruling central governments vision and nonchalant efforts towards reviving Indian artisanal treasures. A central part of his vision is to create sustainable economic opportunities for artisans. Modi Ji advocates for integrating traditional crafts into the mainstream economy, enabling artisans to earn fair wages and access new markets. Initiatives like the One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme aim to promote and market local crafts and products on a national and international scale.



With the aim of creating unparalleled economic opportunities for Indias master craftsmen by connecting them with an appreciative audience that not only understood but also deeply valued their intricate work, NAAYAAB featured over 100 masterpieces curated from across the country. Naayaabs first annual event provided a platform for more than 70 highly decorated master artisans, including recipients of Indias highest national honours. These master artisans, some with legacies dating back over 500 years, have dedicated their lives to perfecting their crafts. By providing a platform for these artisans to showcase their work to an HNI audience that truly appreciates their art, Naayaab not only highlighted their contribution towards Indias rich cultural tapestry, but also inspired the next generation of craftsmen to carry forward these timeless traditions.



Naayaab concluded as a powerful testament to the enduring value of traditional Indian crafts, offering patrons a rare opportunity to witness and acquire unique, inimitable pieces of art that embody centuries of dedication and skill. Among the masterpieces on exhibit was a priceless 7 kg ruby stone, meticulously chiselled to perfection over the last two and a half years. These intricate works, representing the pinnacle of India's artisanal heritage, were made available to discerning patrons, with each piece verified, valued, and authenticated to the highest standards. As these great legacies continue to be showcased on global platforms in the coming years, the impact of Naayaab on the lives of the artisans will be profound. The event has significantly enhanced their incomes, elevated their recognition, and inspired the next generation to follow in their hallowed footsteps. Looking forward, Naayaab's extended impact on the rejuvenation of craft forms across India is expected to be even greater, with NAAYAAB happening next in Hyderabad on 04 - 05 September& in Mumbai on 13-14 Septemberensuring that the idea of a culturally vibrant India remains alive and thriving for decades to come.



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) Projecting India as the land of biggest opportunities globally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday promised the business sector facilitation, reforms, a stable policy regime and high growth.

Addressing the ET World Leaders Forum, Modi, in turn, asked investors to commit to innovation, performance, positive disruption and high-quality products, as he stressed that the country respects wealth creators.

With the opposition often taking aim at his government over its reduced majority, the prime minister asserted that his dispensation has begun its third term with more determined intentions and is full of hope and confidence, citing a host of decisions it has taken for the welfare of various sections of society and boosting infrastructure.

While people in most countries that went to polls this year voted for a change, Indians preferred continuity, political stability and economic growth, Modi said, asserting that a new neo-middle class is driving the country's progress and setting the direction for its market.

India is writing a unique success story, and the impact of its reforms is visible in the economy's performance, he said.

In this dynamic world, he said, his governments policies and strategy are dynamic as well. It takes necessary steps as per the needs, setting its policies not based on the past but on the evolving future.

Our focus is on the future. We want to prepare the country for the challenges and opportunities that await us, he said, underlining his governments initiatives in the fields of green hydrogen, semiconductors, deep ocean and space.

The country has achieved sustained growth in the last 10 years, with a rise of 90 per cent in the period against the global growth of 35 per cent, he said, adding that the world's prosperity lies in India's prosperity.

India has performed better than most predictions about it, he said.

His government wanted more companies to become global brands and the country to emerge as a leader in every sector, Modi said.

He described the unfolding third decade of this century as an era of the country's lift-off which will benefit everyone.

India abides by the mantra of innovation, inclusion and international cooperation, Modi said

"In less than 100 days of the third term of our government, we have taken big decisions for poor, women, youth and farmers," he said, citing measures like more houses for the poor, package for the youth and the nod to numerous highway and rail projects.

Modi said his government is working to make the country a global health and wellness centre, noting that it has added one lakh more medical seats in the last 10 years against the 60,000 that existed before. Over 75,000 more seats will be added in the next five years, he said.

He also highlighted efforts to boost India's tourism profile and make it a global food basket. It is his resolve to ensure a 'Made-in-India' product on every dining table across the world, he added.

His government, he said, has succeeded in effecting big changes in peoples lives with its mantra of reform, perform and transform.

With over 25 crore people rising out of poverty, a neo-middle class has emerged at a historic scale and speed, unseen in any democratic society, Modi said.

Their needs are driving growth and fuelling demand in the market, he added.
Kozhikode(Kerala), Aug 31 (PTI) A second case for a sexual offence has been registered against director Ranjith on a complaint by a male actor in this district, police said on Saturday.





An FIR under sections 377 (unnatural offence) of the IPC and section 66 E (punishment for violation of privacy) of the Information Technology (IT) Act was lodged against the director on Friday night at the Kasaba police station, a senior police officer of the district said.







The complainant actor has alleged that the director called him to a hotel in Bengaluru in 2012, asked him to strip and took his nude photos.







The complainant also claimed, before TV channels, that the photos were sent to a well known veteran female actor who has denied the allegation.







The first case against Ranjith was under IPC Section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) on a complaint by a female actor from West Bengal regarding an incident which occurred in 2009.







She had alleged that the director had touched her inappropriately with sexual intent after inviting her to act in the movie Paleri Manikyam in 2009.







Following the allegation by the actor, Ranjith had resigned from his post as chairman of Kerala Chalachitra Academy.







Multiple FIRs have been registered against many high profile Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment against various directors and actors in the wake of revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report.







The Justice Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealing instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.







Following the allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation cropping up against several actors and directors, the state government on August 25 announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team to probe them.
London, Aug 31 (PTI) An Indian-origin playwright has joined hands with a former diplomat for a unique immersive theatrical experience, with the city of London as their stage to tell the story of the East India Company and British Empire.

A London Lark Rising is a dramatised walking tour being brought to life by Dr Anu Kumar Lazarus and Lisa Honan, with double shows scheduled next weekend on September 7. The so-called walking play spans hundreds of years of history as it takes audiences through well-known and lesser-known sites in the heart of London, showcasing several famous historic characters from both India and the UK.

Last year, I wrote a huge play about the history of the East India Company wandering around London. When I finished, I realised it was too big for the stage and decided to put it on the streets it had been inspired by, explains Kumar Lazarus, a UK-born doctor and playwright whose parents hail from Uttar Pradesh.

After going on Lisas The East India Company London Walk, I decided that she would be a perfect partner to collaborate with. She is hugely knowledgeable as the ex-Governor of Saint Helena Island, a British Overseas Territory governed by the East India Company for 200 years. So, we set about to rework her walk and dramatise it, she said.

The walking play, structured over 90 minutes, is designed as a promenade performance experience, recounting the history of the East India Company (EIC) in some of the places where the events actually took place. With the help of artists in period costumes, the tour is intended to transport audiences back to the facades of the 16th century to delve into how todays London was shaped by a shared past with India.

For me, iconic characters like William Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth I walking in the City walls just as they should have done sends a shiver down the spine. But I think the really great thing is the Indian characters that we bring to life in the streets of London  alluding to the fact that without India, England would not look like it does today, said Kumar Lazarus.

I return there (UP) as often as I can. I have been performing or making theatre type work from a very young age and plan to continue working as a doctor and writing plays and novels, added the multi-faceted professional, who is also a dancer and Yoga teacher.

A London Lark Rising has received the backing of the UKs National Lottery Heritage Fund and Skinners Livery Company for performances to be staged during the summer period in London over the course of three years. The allocated funding also includes Lisa Honan doing non-dramatised walks of the City of London, the financial hub of the UK capital, for schools to bring the history of the Empire to life for students.

We walk between the sites where the East India Company (EIC) had a footprint as I tell the history of the Company, from the courtyard where it first began in the 17th century and how it changed what the world ate, drank, and wore through its trade with India, Indonesia, China and points beyond, explains Honan, a certified City of London Guide who was awarded a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to international aid.

Her interest in the East India Company dates back to her time as a diplomat, having lived in a mansion built for EIC Governors on Saint Helena Island in the 18th century.

The East India Company, founded in 1600, is seen as a precursor to the modern-day multinational corporation that was granted a royal charter to trade in the Indian Ocean region. Its headquarters were located in what is today the City of London, from where the EIC went on to establish a trading monopoly in India and laid the foundations for centuries of British colonial rule in the subcontinent.
Dhaka, Aug 31 (PTI) Two new murder cases have been filed against Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her former cabinet ministers for the killing of three people, including two BNP activists, during the quota reform protests in the country, according to media reports.

The cases, filed in Dhaka courts on Friday, were the latest in the slew of cases filed against the 76-year-old leader after her resignation and fleeing to India on August 5 following a massive protest by students against a quota system in government jobs.

With this, the tally of cases filed against Hasina has risen to 84, including 70 on murder charges, eight on allegations of crimes against humanity and genocide, three for alleged abduction, and three on other charges, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activist Matiur Rahman filed the case in Kishoreganj over the killings of fellow party workers Zulkar Hossain, 38, and Anjana, 28, on August 4.

According to the case statement, a procession of the student movement and BNP activists were attacked by Awami League leaders with firearms, batons and sharp weapons. Some BNP workers took shelter in the house of a district Awami League leader in the nearby Khormaptri area, where they were confined by activists of the Hasina-led party and then set on fire, killing Hossain and Anjana.

As many as 88 people, including Hasina, former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, were named as accused in the case.

In Munshiganj, a case was filed over the death of a 22-year-old man, who was shot dead during the student-led movement in the town's Supermarket area on August 4.

As many as 313 people, including Hasina, Quader, other Awami League leaders, and activists of its student wing, Chhatra League, were accused in the case.

"No one has been arrested in this case yet," the report quoted Thander Khairul Hasan, additional superintendent of police at Munshiganj Sadar Circle, as saying.

Separately in Gazipur, 57 people, including Hasina, were accused in a case over the loss of eyesight of an 18-year-old college student. The victim was shot in the right eye during an attack on protesters at the orders of Hasina and others, according to the court document.

Over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs first started in mid-July.

The Hasina-led government was replaced by an interim government, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was named its Chief Adviser.
Dubai, Aug 31 (AP) The United States military and Iraq launched a joint raid targeting suspected Islamic State group militants in the country's western desert that killed at least 15 people and saw seven American troops hurt, officials said Saturday.

For years after dislodging the militants from their self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria, US forces have fought the Islamic State group, though the casualties from this raid were higher than in previous ones.

The US military's Central Command alleged the militants were armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive suicide' belts during the attack Thursday, which Iraqi forces said happened in the country's Anbar Desert.

This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organise, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as US citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond, Central Command said, using an acronym for the militant group. Iraqi Security Forces continue to further exploit the locations raided.

It added: There is no indication of civilian casualties.

An Iraqi military statement said airstrikes targeted the hideouts, followed by an airborne operation.

Among the dead were key ISIS leaders, Iraq's military said, without identifying them. "All hideouts, weapons and logistical support were destroyed, explosive belts were safely detonated and important documents, identification papers and communication devices were seized.

A US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the operation yet to be made public, told The Associated Press that five American troops were wounded in the raid, while two others suffered injuries from falls during the operation. One who suffered a fall was transported out of the region, while one of the wounded was evacuated for further treatment, the official said.

All personnel are in stable condition, the official said.

It wasn't immediately clear why it took two days for the US to acknowledge it took part in the raid. Iraq did not say the US took part in the operation when initially announcing it, as politicians debate the future of having American troops in the country. There are approximately 2,500 US troops in Iraq.

Since the US toppled dictator Saddam Hussein with its 2003 invasion of Iraq, the country has struggled to balance relations between America and neighbouring Iran. Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, Iraqi militias allied to Iran have targeted US forces there, leading to American airstrikes targeting them.

At its peak, the Islamic State group ruled an area half the size of the UK. It attempted to enforce its extreme interpretation of Islam, which included attacks on religious minority groups and harsh punishment of Muslims deemed to be apostates.

A coalition of more than 80 countries led by the United States was formed to fight the group, which lost its hold on the territory it controlled in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019.

However, the militants have continued to operate in the Anbar Desert in Iraq and Syria, while claiming attacks carried out by others elsewhere in the world inspired by the group. That includes the two suspects in a foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift shows in Vienna. Meanwhile, the IS branch in Afghanistan is known to carry out intensely bloody assaults.

Last month, the US military said the number of attacks claimed by IS in Syria and Iraq was on track to double this year, compared with the year before. IS claimed 153 attacks in the two countries in the first six months of 2024, compared with 121 attacks in all of 2023.

Iraqi officials say that they can keep the IS threat under control with their own forces and have entered into talks with the US aimed at winding down the mission of the US-led military coalition in Iraq.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza last October, US military presence in the region has become particularly contentious.

An umbrella group of Iran-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has periodically launched drone attacks on bases housing US troops in Iraq and Syria, which they said was in retaliation for Washington's support of Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza and were aimed at forcing US forces to withdraw from Iraq. (AP) GRS

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Vientiane, Aug 31 (PTI) At least 47 Indians trapped in cyber scam centres in Laos have been rescued from the Bokeo province of the country, the Indian embassy in the Southeast Asian country said on Saturday.

Indian authorities have been cautioning its nationals against fake job offers in Laos and urged them to conduct thorough due diligence to avoid being deceived. The Indian mission has so far rescued 635 Indians from the country and ensured their safe return to India.

In the latest case, the embassy rescued 47 Indians trapped in cyber scam centres at the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bokeo province, a statement from the Indian Embassy in Laos said.

"Of these, 29 were handed over to the Embassy by Laos authorities after their crackdown on illegal activities in Golden Triangle SEZ, while other 18 had approached the Embassy in distress, seeking help," the statement, which was posted on X, said.

It said the embassy officials travelled from the capital Vientiane to Bokeo to liaise with local authorities for their rescue.

The statement added that Prashant Agrawal, the Ambassador of India to Laos, met the group upon their arrival to discuss the challenges they faced and to advise further course of action.

The embassy has undertaken and completed all procedural requirements of Laos authorities for their repatriation to India, the statement said, adding that 30 of those have already safely returned to India or are on their way, while the remaining 17 are only awaiting travel arrangements to be firmed up and would be leaving the country soon.

Agrawal emphasised that "ensuring safety and well-being" of Indians was a matter of top priority for the Embassy, the statement said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar last month discussed the issue of trafficking of Indian nationals with Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone during his visit to the Southeast Asian nation.

The Indian embassy in Laos last month rescued 13 Indians, who were lured into certain cyber-scamming centres in the country and sent them back home.

In Saturday's statement, the Indian Embassy urged the Laos government to take action at their end against unscrupulous elements.
Taipei, Aug 31 (AP) China accused a Philippines coast guard ship of deliberately colliding with a Chinese vessel Saturday in the latest flareup of tensions over disputed waters and maritime features in the South China Sea.

In a statement posted on social media, Chinese coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun was quoted as saying that the Philippine ship with hull number 9701 collided with the Chinese ship 5205 just after 12:06 pm Saturday.

As the Philippine ship maneuvered, it deliberately collided with the Chinese coast guard ship in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a collision, Liu was quoted as saying, adding the standard claim that the Chinese ship was operating within regulations, without giving any details.

China is rapidly expanding its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea which is crucial to international trade. The tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, whose security the US is treaty-bound to ensure. The longtime territorial disputes also involve other claimants including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

China has rejected a ruling by a UN-backed arbitration panel that negated almost all of Beijing's historically-based claims in the South China Sea.

On Tuesday, the head of US Indo-Pacific Command said the US military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the disputed waters amid the spike in hostilities. Adm. Samuel Paparo's remarks provided a glimpse of the mindset of one of the highest American military commanders outside the US mainland on a prospective operation that would risk putting US Navy ships in direct collisions with those of China.

Chinese coast guard, navy and suspected militia ships regularly clash with Philippine vessels during attempts to resupply Filipino sailors stationed in parts of the South China Sea claimed by both countries. As these clashes grow increasingly hostile, resulting in injuries to Filipino sailors and damage to their ships, the Philippine government has faced questions about invoking the treaty alliance with Washington.

The latest incident came days after Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships collided near Sabina Shoal, a disputed atoll. At least two vessels were reported to be damaged in Monday's collision but there were no reports of injuries.

Sabina Shoal lies about 140 kilometres west of the Philippine province of Palawan, in the internationally recognised exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

The atoll is near Second Thomas Shoal, another flashpoint where China has hampered the resupply of Philippine forces. Both countries reached an agreement last month to prevent further confrontations at the shoal.

Also Saturday, Japan lodged a formal protest via China's embassy against what it called an incursion by a Chinese survey ship into its territorial waters, the latest incident fuelling unease among Japanese defence officials, already concerned about the growing military cooperation between the Chinese and Russian air forces.

On Monday, Tokyo also protested a Chinese military aircraft briefly entering Japan's southwestern airspace. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday his country had no intention to violate any country's airspace. (AP)

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Taipei (Taiwan), Aug 31 (AP) China and the Philippines accused each other of causing a collision between their two vessels Saturday in the latest flareup of tensions over disputed waters and maritime features in the South China Sea.

In a statement posted on social media, Chinese coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun was quoted as saying that a Philippine ship maneuvered and deliberately collided with a Chinese coast guard ship in an unprofessional and dangerous manner."

Philippine officials in Manila said it was their coast guard ship, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, that was rammed thrice by the Chinese coast guard without any provocation, causing damage to the Philippine vessel.

It was the second confrontation in days near Sabina Shoal, about 140 kilometers (85 miles) west of the Philippine province of Palawan, in the internationally recognized exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

The Philippine ship, the Magbanua, has been anchored in Sabina since mid-April after Manila suspected that China may construct a structure to seize the uninhabited atoll. China harbored the same suspicions and recently filed a diplomatic protest against the Philippines due to the ship's prolonged presence at the shoal.

China is rapidly expanding its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which is crucial to international trade. The tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, and could drag in with the United States, which is bound by a treaty to defend the Philippines. The longtime territorial disputes also involve other claimants including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

China has rejected a ruling by a U.N.-backed arbitration panel that negated almost all of its historically based claims in the South China Sea.

Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine coast guard said in a news briefing in Manila that the Magbanua had dropped its anchor again and would not withdraw from Sabina Shoal despite the harassment, bullying activities and escalatory action of the Chinese coast guard."

Video released by the Philippine coast guard appeared to show the Magbanua being rammed by a Chinese coast guard ship.

The United States condemned the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC (People's Republic of China), including today's intentional ramming of the BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was conducting lawful operations within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone."

We stand with the Philippines in upholding international law, U.S. Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said in a statement she posted on X.

The United States has repeatedly warned that it's obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces come under an armed attack in the South China Sea.

On Tuesday, Adm. Samuel Paparo, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said the U.S. military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the disputed waters.

China's coast guard, navy and accompanying ships regularly clash with Philippine vessels during attempts to resupply Filipino sailors stationed in parts of the South China Sea claimed by both countries. As the confrontations become increasingly hostile, resulting in injuries to Filipino sailors and damage to their ships, the Philippine government has faced questions about invoking the treaty alliance with Washington.

Sabina Shoal is near Second Thomas Shoal, another flashpoint where China has hampered the resupply of Philippine forces. Both countries reached an agreement last month to prevent further confrontations at the shoal.

Also Saturday, Japan lodged a formal protest via China's embassy against what it called an incursion by a Chinese survey ship into its territorial waters. The latest such incident fueled unease among Japanese defense officials, already concerned about the growing military cooperation between the Chinese and Russian air forces.

On Monday, Tokyo also protested a Chinese military aircraft briefly entering Japan's southwestern airspace. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday his country had no intention to violate any country's airspace. (AP) AMS
Peshawar/Karachi, Aug 31 (PTI) The number of mpox cases in Pakistan has risen to five following confirmation of the virus in an air passenger at Peshawar while a suspected case of the deadly virus was detected in Karachi, health officials said on Saturday.

Dr Irshad Ali, Director, Public Health of the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said medical personnel at the airport detected two travellers returning from Jeddah displaying symptoms of mpox on Thursday and only one of them was confirmed to be have mpox.

The confirmed case involves a 51-year-old man from Orakzai, who is reported to be in stable condition and was transferred to Police and Services Hospital Peshawar for treatment.

We are closely monitoring the situation and have implemented all necessary measures to control the spread, Dr Irshad said.

Meanwhile, a 32-year-old individual was admitted to the designated hospital in Karachi following symptoms consistent with monkeypox making it a suspected case.

The patient, who recently travelled from Jeddah to Karachi, is presenting with a maculopapular rash across his body, The Express Tribune newspaper said.

We are treating this case with the utmost seriousness and are prepared for all possible outcomes, said a spokesperson from the health department in Karachi.

Officials said, no locally transmitted cases have been recorded thus far.

Earlier even as confusion prevailed over exact number of confirmed cases, on August 19 there was an mpox case reported from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

It was a 47-year-old resident of PoK, who had recently returned from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. He was admitted to Islamabad's Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) with mpox symptoms.

Before that, Pakistan had reported three cases of mpox -- all from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistan has taken precautions to tackle the virus and put in place a strict screening system at airports after it emerged that all the patients affected by mpox reportedly returned from abroad.

Laboratories were allocated for diagnosis in all provinces and the federal capital, an official said.

The official said cases were reported from Africa and travellers from Africa, America and the Gulf countries would be monitored.

Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, can spread through close contact and the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the recent outbreak of the disease as a public health emergency of international concern on August 14 after the new variant of the virus was identified.
Shahdol (MP), Aug 31 (PTI) The family of a nine-day-old baby has alleged that he sustained burn wounds after undergoing phototherapy for jaundice at a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol. The facility has, however, denied the charge, police said on Saturday.

The infant's family created an uproar at government-run Birsa Munda Medical College and Hospital on Friday, and the police were alerted, an official said.

The newborn was then shifted to Kushabhau Thakre District Hospital for treatment, he said.

The child was born at the Birsa Munda Medical College and Hospital on August 23, and doctors placed him in a phototherapy machine to treat him for jaundice, inspector Bhupendra Mani Pandey of Sohagpur police station told PTI.

However, the baby allegedly sustained burns on his face and back, following which the family created an uproar, claiming that the doctors had administered the wrong treatment, he said.

Dr Nagendra Singh, the medical officer of Birsa Munda Medical College and Hospital, said the baby was placed in a phototherapy machine on August 25.

Dr Singh claimed rashes started appearing on the baby's back and face.

Skin doctors diagnosed that the baby suffered from a skin syndrome, and his haemoglobin level was below normal, he claimed.

"We had advised the family to take him to the Jabalpur Medical College and Hospital for advanced treatment, but instead, they created a furore at the hospital," Dr Singh said.
Ahmedabad, Aug 31 (PTI) The Gujarat High Court has rejected a plea for the suspension of sentence filed by jailed self-styled godman Asaram in a 2013 rape case, stating that there were no "exceptional grounds" to consider the application.

Asaram was sentenced to life imprisonment in the case by a Gandhinagar court in 2023.

Refusing to suspend the sentence and grant him bail, a division bench of Justices Ilesh Vora and Vimal Vyas in the order passed on Thursday observed that no case for relief was made out.

The sessions court in January 2023 convicted Asaram in the 2013 rape case, filed by a woman who was living in his ashram near Gandhinagar at the time of the crime.

Asaram is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan in another rape case.

The high court noted that his contentions about possible delay in the disposal of his appeal, his age and the medical condition were not relevant to the grant of relief.

The court also considered the antecedents including alleged murder of two boys at his Sabarmati ashram and attacks on witnesses and relatives of victims.

"At this stage, considering the totality of the circumstances, the ground of possible delay in appeal and medical ailment, as well as ten years completion in jail, in our view, may not be relevant in considering the prayer of suspension of bail," the court observed.



Asaram's plea said he was the victim of a conspiracy, and the allegations of rape were false. The trial court committed an error while accepting the victim's explanation for delay of 12 years in lodging the complaint, it added.

Asaram's appeal against the conviction in a rape case in Jodhpur is pending before the Rajasthan High Court. His application for suspension of sentence in that case was rejected by the Rajasthan High Court in January this year.
Nagpur, Aug 31 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday said a new factory will be set up at Katol in Nagpur district for orange growers and a subsidy of Rs 5 per litre will be given to dairy farmers.

Notably, Katol is the assembly constituency of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh.

Addressing a gathering of farmers as part of the NCP's Jan Samman Yatra, Pawar said the state government would bring 2.5 crore women in the state under the ambit of the "Mukhyamantri Mazi Ladki Bahin Yojana" monthly cash transfer scheme.

"It is my duty as a brother and a minister to protect you as you have tied a Rakhi to me. The government has decided to empower 2.5 crore women in the state by putting Rs 1,500 in their accounts per month," said Pawar, who heads the state finance ministry in the Mahayuti government.

In the next five years, Rs 1 lakh will be deposited in the bank accounts of women through Ladki Bahin Yojana, he added.

Reaching out to farmers, Pawar said their electricity bills have been waived.

"Agriculturists whose old bills are overdue are also being considered," he said.

Additionally, Pawar announced a subsidy of Rs 5 per litre for dairy farmers and a new factory dedicated to orange farmers in Katol.

"I will give a factory to Katol for orange farmers," he added.

He said the NCP, led by him, launched a dedicated helpline to assist women in completing documentation regarding the "Ladki Bahin" scheme.

"The state government will spend Rs 46,000 crore on the Ladki Bahin scheme which assures direct payment to women, eliminating middlemen," Pawar added.

He said the Mahayuti (grand coalition) government will retain power in the upcoming state elections.

Katol is a stronghold of Anil Deshmukh, who sided with NCP founder Sharad Pawar when Ajit rebelled against his uncle and joined the Mahayuti government with a bulk of MLAs in July 2023.

The Election Commission subsequently allowed Ajit Pawar to use the party name and its election symbol.

Deshmukh has not yet announced whether he will contest the elections or not.
Patna, Aug 31 (PTI) A key aide of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday found himself in a tight spot over a remark he made recently, blaming a powerful upper caste for the JD(U)'s loss in a seat in the Lok Sabha polls.

Ashok Choudhary, one of the most influential ministers in the state cabinet, had made the utterances about Bhumihars in Jehanabad district, which he visited on Thursday for a party function.

A video clip of his speech has gone viral in which Choudhary can be heard ruing that "just because we fielded a candidate from an extremely backward caste", the Bhumihars did not support the JD(U) candidate.

The remark was in the context of former MP Chandeshwar Prasad Chandrawanshi, who failed to retain his seat in the elections, losing to the rival RJD nominee by a margin of over one lakh votes.

The remark drew flak from ally BJP, with which Bhumihars have been aligned for decades, the Congress which was their party of choice till the Mandal wave of 1990s, as also the RJD that has of late been trying to win over a section of the social group to widen its own base.

Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha said, "Bhumihars are not just a caste. They represent a culture that is rooted to the ground. No well wisher of the society would make an adverse remark about the community.

"Ashok Choudhary, who was a state president of our party till a few years ago, should be ashamed of making such a divisive statement. It is also a reflection on the culture of the JD(U), which is in power in Bihar and a partner in the ruling dispensation at the Centre, said Congress MLA Ajeet Sharma.

Leader of the Opposition in state assembly Tejashwi Yadav, who belongs to the RJD, said "it is in the character of Nitish Kumar to take it out on those whom he perceives as not in support of the JD(U)".

"A minister is lashing out at Bhumihars. Earlier, an MP had fulminated against Kushwahas, Muslims and Yadavs", said the former Bihar deputy CM, in an indirect reference to a similar controversy triggered a few months ago by Devesh Chandra Thakur, who represents the Sitamarhi Lok Sabha seat.

Meanwhile, MLC and JD(U) spokesman Neeraj Kumar, himself a Bhumihar, angrily reminded Choudhary that he had played "no role in building the JD(U)".

Another senior minister Shravan Kumar said the remark must be treated as having been made "in personal capacity", and underscored "Nitish Kumar cares for all, without any discrimination on the basis of caste".

Choudhary, on his part, voiced bewilderment over the row stirred up by "my expression of anguish over some people in the JD(U) not working for the party just because the candidate does not happen to be from their own caste".

"How can I ever speak ill of the Bhumihars? My son-in-law is from that caste, said Choudhary, referring to his daughter Shambhavi, the sitting MP from Samastipur, who is married to Sayan Kunal, the son of IPS officer-turned-religious leader Acharya Kishor Kunal.
Kolkata, Aug 31 (PTI) Agitating junior doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Saturday said they treated around 500 patients through a telemedicine service on the first day of this initiative.

The junior doctors have been on cease-work since August 9 evening, hours after the body of a post-graduate trainee, who was allegedly raped and murdered, was found in the seminar room of the state-run facility. The agitation severely affected healthcare services.

West Bengal Junior Doctors Front on Friday announced that they would provide telemedicine services from Saturday. They named the service 'Abhaya (fearless) Clinic'.

A section of the media has been calling the deceased Abhaya to avoid disclosing her real name. Identifying a rape victim is prohibited by the law.

The service began at 10 AM and concluded at around 2 PM, a member of the Front said.

The prescriptions given at 'Abhaya Clinic' have slogans - 'We Want Justice for RG Kar; Destruction of crime scene' - written on it in both Bengali and English.

Four new SIM cards were registered for the purpose and the numbers were shared with everyone, one of the junior doctors said.

"After services at the Clinic began, patients started making phone calls and video calls on WhatsApp and informed us of their problems. The doctors prescribed medicines and sent the photo of the prescription to the patient on WhatsApp," he told PTI.

"There is no question of moving away from the path of agitation and will continue to demand justice for our sister. We will continue to work like this in the coming days till our demands are fulfilled," he said.

Junior doctors have been agitating for the 22nd consecutive day following the death of the medic.

A Kolkata Police civic volunteer has been arrested in this crime which is now being probed by the CBI detectives.
Bhubaneswar, Aug 31 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday asked "criminals" to mend their ways, asserting that otherwise his government was prepared with "alternate means to fix them".

Blaming the previous BJD government for the rise in crimes in Odisha, he claimed that the law and order situation in the state was well under control at present.

Speaking in the assembly during a debate on the demand for grants for the Home Department, he said the state police was capable in doing its job but the previous BJD government "lacked political will" and did not allow the police to do its job.

"I caution criminals to mend their ways, otherwise our government is all prepared with alternate means to fix them. Licenses obtained by criminals under the previous government have already lapsed. There is no chance of getting a new license," Majhi said.

"During the previous government, there was no fear among criminals. I am not saying this, the NCRB report is saying this. It is a shame for us that the conviction rate is so low. The previous government is fully responsible for this," he said.

Majhi said his government will soon set up special courts.

He appealed to Maoists to return to the mainstream, stating that the BJP government was committed to ending their activities by 2026.

Majhi said that to strengthen the state police, 3,000 personnel would be recruited in the next 100 days.

He also said that the state government will soon recruit 2,298 home guards.

The CM said that at least seven motorcycles would be given to each police station, besides steps would be taken to provide high-performance four-wheelers.

He asked the police to intensify patrolling along the coast to check attempts of infiltration by Bangladeshi nationals.

He said that he has sought a report regarding such infiltration bids through the sea route.

Majhi said that a special battalion would be raised to upgrade the security of the Jagannath temple in Puri.

Referring to BJD president Naveen Patnaik's concern over the law and order situation in the state, he said, "The leader of the opposition is questioning and seeking an answer from me, but he is not present in the House to listen. Maybe he has some other important work outside the assembly. That is why he is not present in the House to hear the answer to his question."
Agartala, Aug 31 (PTI) Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Saturday expressed confidence about introducing an international flight service between Agartala and Chittagong in Bangladesh.

Under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), the Central government has approved introducing international flight service between the Tripura capital and the neighbouring countrys port city.

On our part, we are making efforts to introduce an international flight service between Agartala and Chittagong. The proposal to declare an immigration centre at the MBB airport here is under consideration of the Ministry of Home Affairs, he told a press conference.

The state government will engage 25 police officers to handle immigration facilities in the airport, Chowdhury said.

We firmly believe the new government in Bangladesh under Dr Muhammad Yunus will take a decision on flight connectivity between the two destinations, he said.

The minister said the state cabinet on Friday approved proposals for filling up 976 posts of different categories including constables.

The results of recruitment examination to hire 1,000 constables will be declared shortly, he said adding the results of the Joint Recruitment Board of Tripura for filling up 2500 Group-C posts will be announced on September 7 or 8.

Chowdhury also stated the recent floods in the state caused loss of properties to the tune of Rs 18,000 crore.

During the cabinet meeting, the secretaries of respective departments projected estimated loss. The four-day flood has slowed down the states growth, he said.
Bhubaneswar, Aug 31 (PTI) Senior Odisha Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati on Saturday demanded that the government return the land acquired for setting up a private university to their owners.



The BJD-BJP coalition government in 2006 had allocated land to the Anil Agarwal Foundation to set up Vedanta University near Puri-Konark Marine Drive.

The project, however, failed to take off due to various reasons including opposition from local farmers whose land was acquired for the purpose.

In the assembly, Bahinipati urged Speaker Surama Padhy to issue a direction to the Odisha government to return the land acquired for setting up of the proposed Vedanta University, to their owners.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Bahinipati said that the Orissa High Court and the Supreme Court had termed the land acquisition from farmers were illegal and directed that the land be returned to their owners.



The state government, however, has not done so, he said.

I will consider the demand, the Speaker said when Bahinipati insisted that Padhy give a ruling on the matter.

Bahinipati said Lord Jagannaths land was also given for the proposed varsity project.

The Odisha government had signed an agreement with Vedanta Foundation for the university in 2006.
Agartala, Aug 31 (PTI) The Tripura State Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind on Saturday demanded action against the miscreants who defaced an idol of Goddess Kali and also those involved in torching several houses following the desecration in West Tripura district.

The organisation also expressed dismay that the people who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the arson secured bail.

"Today we met the West Tripura Superintendent of Police Kiran Kumar and handed over a memorandum demanding punishment for those who defaced an idol of Goddess Kali and set eight houses on fire," the president of Tripura Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, Mufti Taybur Rahman, told reporters.

"We also demanded compensation for the people whose houses were gutted, Rahman said.

He said they wanted to know from the SP how all the people arrested for arson were granted bail.

"After hearing our concern, the SP asked us to approach the court since the police have nothing to do with granting bail, he said.

At least eight houses and 13 vehicles were set on fire by a group of miscreants at Durganagar after an idol of goddess Kali was defaced on August 26.

The police registered a suo motu FIR and arrested five people in connection with the August 26 incident.

In response, locals blocked the national highway on Thursday demanding the release of the arrested people.

A local court, on Thursday, granted bail to the arrested people.

Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma also demanded the arrest of all the criminals who are involved in the desecration of idol kali as well as setting fire to eight houses at Durganagar.

"Tripura had witnessed communal violence. Every time we had communal violence, there have been politicians behind it- be it BJP, Congress or CPI(M). Take the example of violence in Gandacherra and Ranirbazar," Debbarma told the reporters.

"We want whoever is responsible for the discretion of Kali to face the law. The groups who had set the dwelling house on ablaze must be arrested. Let the law take its course," he said.
Bhubaneswar, Aug 31 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday launched 481 developmental projects worth Rs 1,151 crore across different districts.

He launched the projects during an event organised here to celebrate local self-governance day.

The chief minister also gave appointment letters to 27 newly recruited municipal service officers.

Speaking on the occasion, Majhi highlighted the importance of self-governance in providing basic facilities to citizens and underscored the need for elected public representatives to work above politics to fulfil peoples expectations.

The elected public representatives need to shoulder the burden of Panchayati Raj and the existing self-governance system in urban areas, he said.

Majhi also advised all elected public representatives, including councillors, vice-chairpersons and chairpersons of urban local bodies to rise above politics and work with the municipal administration towards fulfilling people's expectations.

Majhi also underlined the need for decentralisation and empowerment of municipalities to plan and provide services for urban infrastructure.

Referring to rapid urbanisation in Bhubaneswar, the chief minister acknowledged the challenges faced in providing basic facilities to residents.

Majhi assured that his government is committed to developing all cities of Odisha, including Bhubaneswar.
Chandigarh, Aug 31 (PTI) Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria paid tribute to former chief minister Beant Singh on his 29th death anniversary on Saturday.

Beant Singh was the chief minister of Punjab when he was assassinated in 1995.

The BJP's Punjab chief Sunil Jakhar, the Congress' state president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, former MLAs Tej Parkash Sigh, Gurkirat Kotli and several other leaders also paid tribute to the former chief minister.

Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu remembered his grandfather and said he dedicated his life to the people of Punjab.

"Organised a remembrance meet for the 12th chief minister of Punjab and my beloved grandfather, Sardar Beant Singh ji, on his 29th death anniversary at his samadhi sthal in Chandigarh," the Rajya Sabha MP said in a post on X.

"Hon'ble governor of Punjab Shri Gulab Chand Kataria ji, and BJP state president Sunil Jakhar ji, along with many supporters, honoured his legacy with heartfelt tributes," he added.

Beant Singh dedicated his life to the people of Punjab, championing their welfare and standing resolutely against terrorism with unparalleled courage and integrity, the BJP leader said.

"His unwavering commitment and sacrifice continue to inspire us all. Today, as we remember his legacy, we reaffirm our dedication to his vision of a prosperous and secure Punjab," Bittu added.
Chandigarh, Aug 31 (PTI) A day after Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli floated his name as candidate from Ladwa for the upcoming Haryana Assembly polls, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday said it is the BJP's "parliamentary board" which decides who contests from where.

"I am the MLA from Karnal...BJP parliamentary board will decide from where I have to contest. No one, no matter how big, can claim he will fight from a particular seat. I am a chief minister, even I cannot claim from where I will fight," Saini told reporters here.

The CM made the remark responding to reporters' query on Badoli's Friday announcement.

On Friday, Saini during his roadshow in Karnal was asked by reporters who the party's candidate from Karnal would be, to which he responded, "I will contest the election from Karnal also, why are you worried?"

Asked if he would file nominations from two seats, Saini evaded a direct reply. "I will fight the election from Karnal," he said.

Earlier on Friday, Badoli, when asked by reporters from where the chief minister would contest the elections, had said, "The CM will contest from Ladwa."

Meanwhile, Saini again hit out at Congress's 'Haryana Maange Hisab' campaign and accused it of spreading lies.

He also said he had asked ten questions to Congress on various issues, but did not receive their answers.

Congress made "tall promises" to the people of Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, but "deceived" them once they came to power. "Lie is in their DNA," the CM said.

He also asked the Congress to tell how many promises it fulfilled between 2005 and 2014 when the party was in power. "We have fulfilled our promises 100 per cent," he claimed in the next breath.

He alleged that there was a "full stop" on development in Haryana during the Congress rule, whereas the BJP in the past ten years has worked "non-stop".

Saini said things have come to such pass for Congress that there are no takers for its election tickets.

He also made a mention of the Election Commission recently barring authorities in the state from announcing the results of ongoing recruitment for police constables and teachers till the election was over.

The commission gave the order taking note of a complaint by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh.

"Haryana Staff Selection Commission has prepared results for 24,000 jobs. If the Congress party 'Bharti roko gang' and Jairam Ramesh withdraw their application from the Election Commission then we will immediately start recruitment," he said.

Saini also cautioned the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which is also going to polls, against the NC-Congress alliance.

He asked Congress leaders, including former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Hooda, to clear their stand on the reinstatement of Article 370, as being proposed by ally National Conference.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Saturday deferred the Haryana assembly poll date to October 5 from October 1, saying the decision was taken keeping in mind a centuries-old festival of the Bishnoi community.

The counting of votes for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly polls will now be held on October 8 instead of October 4, the poll body said.
New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) Delhi Home Minister Kailash Gahlot inspected the Tihar Jail on Saturday and announced several prison reform steps, including a mental health programme.

A comprehensive mental health programme will be launched across all Delhi prisons along with many reforms like an electric vehicle facility for visitors at Tihar Jail and urgent renovation and repairs of toilets, an official statement said.

"We believe that every individual has the potential to reform, and it is our responsibility to provide them with the necessary resources to do so," Gahlot said.

The statement said that during the visit, the minister reviewed several key initiatives and reforms currently being implemented at Delhi Prisons and directed steps for further improvement.

Gahlot visited Central Jail No. 6 (women) and reviewed the vocational training being imparted by the "Chal Charkha Unit," the Stitching and Jewellery Unit, and praised the NGOs for providing valuable vocational training to the inmates, the statement said.

According to the statement, to improve healthcare services in the jail premises, the minister mooted the introduction of more comprehensive health programmes that will focus on both physical and mental health.

"I visited Tihar Jail, the largest prison complex in Asia, as part of the Delhi Government's ongoing efforts to improve prison conditions. During my visit, I inspected the basic facilities being provided to the prisoners and issued some corrective directions," Gahlot said.

"A comprehensive mental health programme will be launched in all the prisons of Delhi for improving inmate health conditions for their overall well-being and rehabilitation," he said.

In line with the broader agenda of promoting green transportation and reducing carbon footprints across all sectors, the minister proposed to introduce an electric vehicle (EV) facility at the Tihar Jail for visitors, it said.

Nearly 4000 visitors arrive in the Delhi Prisons complex daily to meet the inmates, it reads.

According to the statement, Gahlot directed the authorities to ensure clean, safe, and humane living environments, including better sanitation, adequate ventilation, and access to basic amenities for all the inmates.

The minister was accompanied by Delhi Home Secretary Chanchal Yadav, Director General of Prisons Satish Golcha, Additional Inspector General Ajay Kumar Bisht, Deputy Inspector General (HQ and Tihar Range) Rajeev Singh, and other senior officers of the Prison Department, the statement added.
New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal Saturday highlighted the abysmal conditions in which district court judges work and said unless their salary and infrastructure are improved, the quantity and quality of justice delivery system will continue to suffer.

Sibal, also the President of Supreme Court Bar Association, said the fact that trial court and district and session courts are loath to grant bail in certain significant matters itself is "symptomatic of the malaise" that has set in.

Speaking at the 'National Conference of the District Judiciary' here, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sibal said liberty is the foundational substratum of a thriving democracy and any attempt to throttle it impacts the quality of democracy.

He referred to the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud often saying that court at the highest level is burdened with bail matters because bail seems to be an exception at the level of trial courts.

He spoke about some recent court verdicts which adhered to the principle 'bail is the rule and jail is the exception' and said the Supreme Court has now reiterated this principle in several recent judgements even in relation to special acts, indicating the axiom must be adhered to.

"The reason why I have emphasised on this issue is that the democratic fabric of a nation is dependent on the court's embracing the significance of liberty in the context of our polity. Liberty is the foundational substratum of a thriving democracy. Any attempt to throttle it impacts the quality of our democracy," Sibal said.

On the state of district courts, Sibal said any structure with a weak foundation will impact the edifice and eventually collapse.

He said talented young people choose not to seek appointments at district courts due to "abysmal conditions" in which the judges operate.

Many of the judges, through sheer hard work and commitment to the cause, are doing yeomen service to the nation even though they are "handicapped by the lack of proper courtrooms and office facilities, supporting staff including stenographers, library facilities at home, appropriate residential accommodation and necessary transportation facilities," he said.

"Needless to mention the meagre salary that those serving the cause of the nation draw to discharge their duties. Unless we are able to improve their conditions of work, both in terms of salary and infrastructure, the quantity and quality of the justice delivery system will suffer," he stressed.

He mentioned pension of judicial officers, their promotions, gender sensitisation, technology and incentive to join judicial services as some of the matters that must be addressed.

Sibal said he doesn't want to call the judiciary at the level of the trial court and district and sessions courts to be "subordinate" because the judge sitting there delivers justice and the question of being considered subordinate to any authority is a contradiction.

"The judiciary at that level should be instilled with the confidence that their judicial pronouncements shall never be held against them and that they represent the spinal cord of the justice delivery system.

"They should have the flexibility and the independence to render judgments in accordance with law without fear or favour. The effectiveness, fairness and integrity of the courts impacts the perception of the public on the credibility of the entire judicial system," he added.

Sibal said the roster at the district courts level is "overburdened' which not only impacts the justice delivery system but the lives of millions. The courts cannot even imagine the mental agony and the economic consequences of these kinds of delays, he said.

"I urge everyone on the dais to urgently address the persistent issues being faced by judges of the trial and district and sessions courts, who are the backbone of our judicial system. It is time for us to make our justice delivery system more efficient, stronger, and viable," he said.

Attorney General for India R Venkataramani, addressing the gathering, said there was a need for a National District Judiciary Capacity Building Commission, as the Supreme Court has long been involved in addressing the concerns of district judiciary.

It is time that it gets institutionalised by the participation of the government and the courts, he said.

"I will also point out that the burgeoning call for rights enforcement and the expansions of our rights horizons have assured new challenges at all levels. Even if one is to critique, I wish to say that there cannot be excessive and undue demands which will stress governance and bring fissures. Rhetoric and responsibilities do not go together," the top law officer said.

He added that the dharma of sharing social cause and social wealth and responsibility is a misunderstood subject.

"All of us therefore called upon to be positive contributors and not armchair critics. We need to be explorers and not shipbreakers," he said.

Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said judicial services are supposed to be the best and the most prestigious in comparison to all other services and it commands deepest trust and respect from citizens.

Referring to the recent rape and murder case of a Kolkata doctor, he said suo motu intervention of the CJI and the apex court serves as a powerful reminder by judiciary that it seeks to uphold the law and ensure accountability of the state's deliberate failure to handle the situation.
Bengaluru, Aug 31 (PTI) The Governor is not supposed to depend on the aid and advice of the council of ministers when there are allegations against the chief minister, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said on Saturday.



Mehta appeared on behalf of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot before Justice M Nagaprasanna in the Karnataka High Court after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah filed a petition seeking to quash the approval granted by Gehlot to investigate and prosecute him in the alleged site allotment scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

The MUDA scam pertains to the illegal allotment of alternative sites to various people. There are allegations that Siddaramaiah's wife is also a beneficiary of it. Siddaramaiah has dismissed these charges as baseless. Based on petitions filed by activists, Gehlot granted permission to investigate and prosecute the Chief Minister.

The court has posted the matter to Monday.

Mehta said the Governor can only say that prima facie criminal offences are made out but the investigating officer will finally decide the provision under which charge-sheet will be filed.



Section 17(A) of the Prevention of Corruption Act says that no police officer shall conduct an inquiry or investigation into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant under this Act. It does not talk of Bharat Nyaya Sanhita or the Indian Penal Code, Mehta said.



"The Council of Ministers under Article 163 of the Indian Constitution will have no application when the Chief Minister is facing an allegation. I am saying it's only an allegation. It is yet to be decided and the Governor is called upon to decide on Section 17A of Prevention of Corruption Act," he explained.



"Governor will only say prima facie criminal offences are made out and it will be for the investigating officer to decide under what provision a charge sheet, if any, is to be filed because the investigation may result into the filing of the charge sheet or it might result into the filing of a closure report," Mehta said.

However, in the event of filing of the charge sheet, the investigating officer will take his own independent decision based on the material of the record detailing the provisions which are attracted for the specific charges, he explained.



"As a Governor I have to see whether the complaint and the documents which are placed makes out a cognizable offence which requires investigation. It may result in a charge sheet or the report under 173 as we call it or a closure report as per the old section 169 but thats not the call the Governor is permitted also to take. The Governor cannot say that I have examined and cognisable offence has been made out is of a serious nature," the SG said.



According to him, the Governor will go by the prima facie case whether it needs to be examined by an investigating agency.
Gurugram, Aug 31 (PTI) Gurugram cyber police have frozen Rs 17.70 lakh allegedly stolen by cybercriminals, an officer said on Saturday.

A sum of Rs 4 lakh, out of the defrauded amount, has been returned to the victim's account by the police, they said.

According to police, a complaint was filed by a man on July 16 alleging that he received a call from someone who claimed that one of his parcels containing fake passports and drugs had been confiscated.

The caller then transferred the call to someone, who introduced himself as Delhi Police. He threatened the complainant and said they would arrest him in a money laundering case and defrauded him of Rs 17.70 lakh, the officer said.

Based on his complaint, an FIR was lodged and an investigation was initiated, police said.

"With technical assistance, 100 per cent of the defrauded amount of Rs 17.30 lakh was frozen on time. Rs 4 lakh has been returned to the victim's account, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Siddhant Jain, Cyber, said.
A potentially deadly coordinated double terror attack in two areas of Gush Etzion on Friday night miraculously ended with only three people injured.

The first incident occurred close to midnight when a car exploded at a gas station at the Gush Etzion Junction. A car had pulled up to the station against the flow of traffic and as it pulled up, the hood caught on fire. The terrorist then emerged from the car, completely burned. A gas station employee told Ynet that at first, an employee tried to douse the terrorist with a water hose, thinking it was an accidental car fire. But then the terrorist began running and trying to attack the security forces who had arrived at the scene. IDF soldiers opened fire, killing him.

Two IDF officers were injured by friendly fire, one moderately and one lightly, and were evacuated to Shaare Tzedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.

Only moments later, another terror attack occurred at the entrance to the yishuv of Karmei Tzur. A terrorist rammed his car through the barrier at the entrance of the yishuv and tried to run over the security guard, lightly injuring him. Nearby IDF soldiers opened fire at the driver but he continued driving into the yishuv. A member of the yishuvs security patrol rushed to the area in his own car and deliberately collided with the terrorists car and then got out of the car and opened fire, killing the terrorist. Shortly later, the car exploded.

The patrol member was lightly injured in the collision and was evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital where he received treatment and was released shortly later.

Security forces called to the scene launched a search of the yishuv to rule out the presence of additional terrorists on the yishuv. Meanwhile, residents of the yishuv were ordered to stay inside their homes and were only given an all-clear seven hours later.

As of Motzei Shabbos, an investigation of the incidents is still ongoing but it is believed that the two terrorists, both residents of Chevron, drove together from Chevron in two booby-trapped cars on Route 60 to carry out a coordinated terror attack, one at the gas station and one in Karmei Tzur. Security officials believe that the car bombs, both of which were packed with nails and screws, were manufactured in the same explosive lab in Chevron.

Following the attack, IDF forces entered Chevron and arrested six suspects. They also imposed a military closure on the city.

Israeli security forces suspect that a third suicide bomber, who has not yet been located, may have driven along Route 60 with the other two terrorists.

(YWNs Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis haShabbos in Israel)
Instead of taking prompt action, state court administrative officials allowed Shannon McShane to continue making disputed court-appointed child custody recommendations in up to 20 cases in other Colorado judicial districts for four more months before finally barring her from doing such work.
An important note and still a bit of Summer reading left to undertake . . . Here's an apt preview and info that might leave us all second guessing narratives broadcast by both mainstream & conservative media.



Check-it:



The book is named for Ashli Babbitt, the highest-profile victim of Jan. 6, a patriotic veteran with a military law enforcement background who was shot dead by a Capitol Police officer.



Cashill says that he wrote the book because the story wasnt being told. Ive been following the events of Jan. 6th since. And what I saw, I mean from Day 1, was a pretty dramatic misrepresentation of what actually happened there.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Police are still searching for the suspect as the investigation continues amid an exceptionally bloody week in KCMO.



Right now we're sharing this report . . .

Homicide 22nd and 71 Highway



Tonight at around 7:51 PM patrol officers were dispatched to the area of 22nd and 71 highway on a reported shooting.



As officers arrived they were directed to a wooded area directly to the east of 71 highway. There they located an adult male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Emergency medical personnel pronounced the victim deceased on scene.



This is being investigated as a homicide. Detectives are canvassing the area to locate witnesses, physical evidence, or any surveillance footage to help determine what led up to the victim being shot.



If anyone has any information 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.

##############



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Police search for criminal behind deadly shooting near Hospital Hill Police are searching for the criminal behind a shooting that took one man's life in a wooded area near Kansas City's Hospital Hill.

One man found shot to death Friday night near East 22nd Street and Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri Police found a man shot to death Friday night in a wooded area near East 22nd and Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri.
Very recent history tells Kansas City residents that youngsters charged as juveniles in homicide cases won't likely incur lasting consequences.

To prove this point, locals need only to look to a deadly mass shooting during the 2024 Chiefs Super Bowl rally that should raise legit questions about accountability.

Reality check . . .

MANY SUSPECTS & SHOOTERS IN THE CHIEFS SUPER BOWL RALLY TRAGEDY ARE ALREADY OUT OF CUSTODY WITH NO CONSEQUENCES!!!

Police apprehended quite a few youngsters on that horrible day but few of them confronted any lasting legal sanctions.

This isn't just opinion, here's a quote and link from KMBC that backs up our contention . . .



The teen admitted to committing a Class B felony of unlawful use of a weapon by knowingly discharging or firing a firearm.



The Jackson County Juvenile Officer dismissed the second count of armed criminal action and said they would not certify the juvenile to stand trial as an adult.



The two other teens charged in the shooting will also not be tried as adults.



A 16-year-old teen was charged with gun-related crimes that do not rise to the level of felony charges.



The court ruled on June 12 that a second teen would not be tried as an adult.

Furthermore . . .

Even newspaper editorialists acknowledge that there's a very real likelihood that adults charged in the deadly Super Bowl mass shooting might be able to claim a "stand your ground" defense in order to argue their innocence . . . That is their right.

Now . . .

The Shaun Brady tragedy isn't so different inasmuch as most locals understand that murder charges against 15-year-olds are now out of favor by local courts in response to racially charged complaints regarding disparity.

To be fair some of those complaints aren't unfounded.

There's actually a great deal of study focused on racial disparity and juvenile sentencing.

Here's just one example from the SPLC:

Criminal Injustice: States unfairly prosecute children as adults

However . . .

So much legal theory and social science might distract us from the reality of the situation and our thesis:

In much the same way that quite a few teens "walked" after the tragic death of Lisa Lopez-Galvan. It's not unreasonable to contend that juveniles charged with the death of Shaun Brady will likely garner similar leniency.

Reactionaries might argue some imagined preference for Black communities, but make no mistake, suspected killers back on the street after minimal time in custody puts those very same urban neighborhoods at risk.

Our contention . . .

A revolving door for juvenile homicide suspects puts all of Kansas City under threat of the same kind of deadly lawlessness communities like Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore & D.C. have endured.

Moreover . . .

Juvenile charges and very little consequence for homicides are now THE START OF A HORRIFIC TREND IN KANSAS CITY and we shouldn't foolishly believe that this latest tragedy will be the last time it happens . . .



As a basement blogger, we don't pretend to have any answer for these concerns but what we know for certain is that these questions have been ignored, censored and downplayed in our local discourse.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Landlord of slain Kansas City restaurant owner Shaun Brady speaks about crime in Brookside Butch Rigby, who has been a fixture in Brookside for 40 years, described Brady as not just a tenant but a personal friend.

Murder of beloved chef, restaurateur Shaun Brady sparks sadness, outrage A day after Shaun Brady was shot and killed after confronting would-be car thieves outside his restaurant, the stories of his gregarious personality abound from people who worked with and knew him.

Youth-focused nonprofit in Kansas City, Missouri's, Hyde Park neighborhood reacts to recent teen violence The leaders of a youth-focused nonprofit are working to address the problem of teen violence in Kansas City, Missouri.

2 teen boys charged with murder of Kansas City chef Shaun Brady during car robbery near restaurant The juveniles were charged in Jackson County Family Court with two felonies, including second-degree murder, for the fatal shooting of the beloved Irish restaurant owner. Both suspects remain in detention.

Developing . . .
Things are heating up at the Courthouse and we need two posts to cover all the recent drama.



Yesterday, a presser from the Courthouse seemed serious but we noticed local media held off on sharing it . . . Our friend Preston Smith offers context:



"The County felt compelled to put out my personal information into a press release and say they are asking the Sheriff to investigate the effort that I have started to get people to fill out refund forms and send to the Collector."

Now here's our perspective . . .

Preston Smith has always been honest with us . . . 100% of the time. Ask around about him, his reputation as a conservative tax fighter is sterling throughout Jackson County. That's just fact.



Moreover, we know that his perspective and meticulous data collection has also helped TV news stations better understand the Jackson County Property Tax crisis.

Finally, any county notice alleging "fraud" and using personal info is serious and the Courthouse could find itself confronting even more legal push back.



And so . . .

We'll share the note from the county but we trust Preston Smith's perspective and readers should know that the Courthouse in now in UNCHARTED TERRITORY by saying that they're not going to cooperate with a Missouri regulatory agency.

Here's the note . . . The story continues after . . .



Jackson County issues urgent fraud alert regarding State Tax Commission actions



KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Jackson County recognizes the concerns and confusion many residents are experiencing due to the State Tax Commission's recent decision to dismiss their lawsuit with prejudice, while also issuing an unlawful and unprecedented order regarding the 2023 assessed valuations in Jackson County. We understand that increasing home values, coupled with the inconsistent and inaccurate assessments of the past, have created significant uncertainty and anxiety in our community.



Adding to this confusion is the creation and distribution of a fraudulent document falsely claiming to be issued by the Jackson County Collection Department. This document is not authorized, created, nor accepted by Jackson County, and its distribution is causing further distress to our community.



The County Executive has referred this matter to the Jackson County Sheriffs Office, who is aware of the allegations and has begun a preliminary investigation. If you have any information pertinent to this investigation, please contact the Jackson County Sheriffs Office Investigations Division at (816) 541-8017.



Jackson County remains committed to addressing these challenges with transparency and accountability. We urge residents to stay informed and reach out to local authorities with any concerns they may have.



###

Now here's a preview of Part II . . .

A letter from the Missouri State Tax Commish puts Jackson County on notice about their lack of compliance.

Here's how it starts out . . .



"To date, the Commission has reason to believe that you have no intention of complying with the Order as written . . .

Read the whole thing here . . .



Preston Smith Part II: Missouri Tax Commish Sends Jackson County Compliance Deadline

Developing . . .


Russia's FSB security service arrested two Colombian nationals over their participation in hostilities on Ukraines side.

Thats according to Radio Liberty, Ukrinform reports.

As per a Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, both Colombians were detained in the capital of Venezuela, Caracas, before being extradited to Russia. The sister of one of the detainees told the outlet that the Colombians had attracted the attention of the Venezuelan police as they were wearing Ukrainian army uniforms. Alexander Arte and Jose Aron Medina were reportedly on their way home to Colombia, making a stopover in Caracas.

The authorities of Colombia, Venezuela, and Russia issued no comments on the event. Politico also reported possible extradition. If confirmed, the detention and subsequent deportation of Colombians in Caracas would be the first known case of extradition to an aggressor state of citizens of foreign states who fought on the side of Ukraine.

The FSB also published a video purportedly showing the two Colombians being convoyed along the hallway in the Lefortovo pre-trial detention facility. The agency says a criminal case has been initiated on mercenary activity charges. The Colombian nationals face up to 15 years in prison. At the same time, the FSB stopped short of explaining where and when the Colombians were detained.

Since the outset of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Russia has been actively recruiting foreign mercenaries. There are known cases of citizens of Cuba, India, Syria, and other countries being recruited for deployment in Ukraine. Foreigners are lured with high pay and streamlined naturalization promises.

As reported, in the wake of Russias full-scale invasion, Ukraine created an armed foreign legion as a formal part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, inviting foreign nationals to join the unit to help the nation defend its freedom. In this case, mercenary activity accusations are off the table, since the Legion is a structural unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Aurora officials on Friday night released a video insisting that gang members have "not taken" over an apartment complex, part of an aggressive campaign by the city to push back against some reports by national media outlets saying an organized Venezuelan crime group has "overrun" the Colorado municipality.

As the city sought to calm fears, it will also seek an emergency order to "clear the apartment buildings" of gang activities.

Video shows members of Tren de Aragua

On Friday, the city reported that authorities earlier arrested a "documented" TDA gang member  twice  over a shooting incident and a separate case in which a man was badly beaten at another apartment complex. After the first arrest, that gang member, court documents revealed, was released on a $20,000 bond.

It was the first time that the city acknowledged authorities held in their custody a potential ringleader of the Venezuelan prison gang called Tren de Aragua, which local and federal officials earlier said is operating in metro Denver.

Aurora officials also released a statement insisting that a "lot of misleading information" has been "shared about what is happening in our city" and that media organizations have "conflated and considerably exaggerated incidents that are isolated to a handful of problem properties alone."

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Gov. Jared Polis came to Aurora's aid, seeking to allay fears after a video emerged showing armed men  one carried a rifle  swarming an apartment unit. Another video purportedly shows a shooting incident.

Meanwhile, a councilmember said the videos are proof that the Venezuelan gang is, indeed, operating in some apartment complexes.

The video and statement from Aurora and the media appearances by officials all delivering the same message  that the city is safe, that the gang's presence is miniscule and that reports about their activities have been exaggerated  capped a frantic few days for Colorado's third most populous city.

In their initial statements, Aurora officials dismissed claims that the Venezuelan gang was primarily responsible for deteriorating conditions at an apartment complex that the city shut down a few weeks ago.

Thursday, in an interview with The Denver Gazette, Aurora Mayer Mike Coffman noted that gang activities have caused problems in two of three apartment complexes owned by CBZ, but insisted that the Aspen Grove complex at 1568 Nome Street had long been in trouble for code violations.

"Nome was different," he said. "At Nome what happened was we had uninhabitability ability problems long before the migrant crisis. They were well on the way to being shut down. We were in court with them over code enforcement violations," he said.

The city is now seeking an emergency order to root out the gang's presence from other apartment buildings, according to Coffman.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Coffman said the Aurora City Attorney's Office is "preparing court documents to request an emergency court order to clear the apartment buildings where Venezuelan gang activity has been occurring by declaring the properties a Criminal Nuisance."

"This will require a municipal judge to issue the order with the goal of getting these properties back under the control of the property owners. In the meantime, the law enforcement task force set up to disrupt and arrest Venezuelan gang members in these buildings will continue its operation," he said. "I strongly believe that the best course of action is to shut these building[s] down and make sure that this never happens again."

Still, there are signs that the city's messaging is not completely in sync.

While the mayor pointed to a potential emergency order, the city's police department sent the media two video clips showing Aurora police officers knocking on doors of The Edge at Lowry apartment complex and talking with tenants. The police department said officers have been engaging with residents over the last couple of weeks, including last Friday night.

The videos appeared to be an attempt by the police to accomplish at least two goals  show that officers are on the ground and counter any perception that the city has "lost control" of the situation.

In one of the video clips, interim police chief Heather Morris, sought to reassure the public that things are under control, as two police officers stood behind her, talking with someone at the entrance of one of the units.

"We're making sure that people aren't paying rent to gang leaders or gang members ... that that's not happening," she said. "And we've discovered today and yesterday talking to so many residents that that's not the case."

Morris also said, Im not saying that theres not gang members that dont live in this community. But what were learning out here is that gang members have not taken over this complex.

Featured Local Savings

The Denver Gazette earlier spoke with residents, who indicated they paid rent to the property's management and that the latter skipped town with their money. The residents said the rent was $1,400 per month for a one-bedroom unit. At that time, trash had piled up in the alley. The city has since cleaned that up.

Still, neighbors in the area who wished not to be identified said they lived in fear and felt helpless about the complex, which they said was "attracting criminals."

The Edge at Lowry, located at 12th Avenue and Dallas, is one of the properties owned by CBZ Management that Coffman has accused of neglecting its responsibilities to care for its buildings.

Numerous calls and emails to CBZ Management's public relations team went unanswered. Based in Brooklyn, CBZ Management operates rental apartments in New York and Colorado with 11 properties in Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

CBZ Management have blamed the conditions at the apartments on the gang, saying its presence precluded its staffers from maintaining the apartments.

Aurora shuts down 'rapidly deteriorating' apartment building, leaving dozens of families homeless

At least two of its complexes in Aurora  Aspen Grove and Whispering Pines  have been identified as havens for gang activity.

Aurora has been the subject of some national television talking heads, who sought to make a point by connecting how America's porous borders have led to immigrant gangs infiltrating cities.

This week, videos emerged showing alleged immigrant gang members with assault rifles and handguns roaming the halls of The Edge Complex.

That footage, which was recorded in mid August on the night of a near-deadly shooting, went viral and was shown on major national television channels.

The video, first obtained by Fox 31, was recorded by a woman who was so fed up with the violence occurring outside her door, she had her son place cameras around her unit, according to reports.

In another video, men are seen kicking in apartment door.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman admits Venezuelan gangs infiltrated apartment complexes in city

This week, Coffman identified what he called a nightmare situation with gangs having taken control of two apartment complexes. He also admitted that the city had "lost control" of the situation, vowing to "aggressively" take it back.

But the mayor pushed back on the national medias recent portrayal of an entire city being overrun by gangs.

The misrepresentation that all of Aurora has this problem is simply not true and it gives this city a black eye unjustifiably, Coffman said. Arrests have been made. More arrests will be made.

Video allegedly shows Venezuelan prison gang with guns at Aurora apartments

Meanwhile, the governor's office appeared to blame Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, who has been outspoken about the issue, for the national and international spotlight on Aurora.

If Danielle Jurinsky has evidence of illegal activity in Aurora that can assist the investigation, it might even be illegal for her to withhold it from the Aurora Police Department and she should file a report immediately, a gubernatorial spokesperson said. The state has been ready for weeks to back up any operation by the Aurora Police Department needed to make Aurora safer.

In a statement Friday, Polis said Colorado is a "zero tolerance state for illegal activity, taking over buildings has no place in Colorado, and I am confident that the city of Aurora shares this basic value and will enforce the law if it is being violated there."

The governor added: "I urge them to do so quickly and in a thorough manner. Over the last month, I have been in regular contact with the City of Aurora and the Aurora Police Department and have offered any and all state assistance to support their efforts if requested. The state has been ready for weeks to back up any operation by the Aurora Police Department needed to make Aurora safer."

Denver Gazette reporter Nicole Brambila contributed to this article.
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The Colorado Springs Police Department has identified the victim in the Chestnut Street homicide as 24-year-old Vidal Vigil.

On Monday, at approximately 11:42 a.m., police responded to a single-vehicle traffic accident in the 4200 block of North Chestnut Street. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male inside the vehicle with at least one gunshot wound. The male was deceased on scene.

The following day, the El Paso County Coroners Office conducted an autopsy of the deceased male and identified him as Vigil. While the coroners office will determine the cause and manner of death, this is being investigated as a homicide.

This marks the 30th homicide in Colorado Springs. At this time in 2023, there were 21 homicides, according to law enforcement.

This remains an active investigation, and CSPD continues to develop suspect information. Anyone with information or who was a witness to this incident is encouraged to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719)444-4000. If you wish to remain anonymous, call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719)634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.
PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2024) Advisor to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif and Special Assistant on Industries, Commerce and Technical education, Abdul Karim Tordher inaugurated a private IYI Luxury Hotel at Bagh Dheri, District Swat.

Local Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Mohammad Naeem and Member National Assembly (MNA) Sohail Sultan welcomed the guests.

On this occasion, the management of the hotel gave a detailed briefing to the advisor and special assistant and told that the facility comprising tents and concrete has cost Rs.700 million. Besides, Director (business Facilitation) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade (KP-BoIT) Iqbal Sarwar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hotel, Ab, Abdul Mateen, government officials, investors and a large number of local notables also attended the inaugural ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant to KP Chief Minister (CM( on Information and Public Relations, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif said that every kind of such step towards progress and development is their national and religious responsibility. He congratulated both the investors and KP-BoIT for construction of the unique IYI in Swat.

He said that investors like Abdul Mateen are their heroes as when there is a brain-drain of shifting of mind and wealth they still trust in the future of their country and the establishment of the millions of rupees investment of IYI is ample proof of it.

Barrister Saif that from Waziristan to Swat our province is facing a hard time. However, he said Almighty Allah has taught the skill of how to come out of the darkness. He assured the people of Swat of the provincial government support and not only attracting domestic tourists from across the country but also foreign tourists from all parts of the world.

He said that the promotion of tourism is the priority of the government and the vision of the PTI founder Imran Khan. He said that the promotion of tourism could not only promote the soft image of the country but also play a vital role in the strengthening of the national economy.

In his address, Special Assistant to KP CM on Industries, Commerce and Technical Education, Abdul Karim Tordher appreciated the efforts of the KP-BoIT for making possible the huge investment of Rs.700 million in the hotel industry of the province.

He said that the board has extended full cooperation to the investors groups during all phases of the project and expressed his hope that it would prove a modern and high-standard facility for the arrival and stay of tourists in Swat. He also termed a big success towards the promotion of tourism and hotel industry in the region.

The Special Assistant said that the provincial government is extending all possible cooperation and facilitation to investors and KP-BoIT is extending support to investors in all phases of their businesses. He said that the promotion of own resources for economic development is the vision of the provincial government.

He said that they are fully focused on the uplift of all sectors of the economy and tourism and hotel industry are big economic potentials of the province.

Abdul Karim Khan said that Swat is the electricity corridor which in future will generate 600 megawatts hydel power and invited investors to invest in the green investment.

Speaking on the potential of economic development of Swat, he said that small-scale industrial units would be established in the area, which is also suitable for tea cultivation to meet a big share of the national requirements.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2024) The spokesman of Tourism and Culture Authority Govt of KP has said that 200 tourists stranded in Kumrat Valley in Dir Upper district has been safely rescued on Saturday.

He said the tourists rescued from Dojangla, Kala Chesma and Abshar were assembled at Grand Palace hotel from where they would be shifted to Kalam.

Talking to APP, he said that food and other services were being provided to all the rescued tourists.

The spokesman said that police and district administration are providing full support in the rescue operation. These tourists were stranded after blockage of roads due to heavy rainfalls at Kumrat Dir Upper.

APP/fam
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

MIRPUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2024) Azad Jammu Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar ul Haq has paid eulogizing tributes to renowned liberation leader and former Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Gilani on his 3rd martyrdom anniversary, solemnized at both sides of LoC with dull solemnity and reverence.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the PM, while highlighting the deceased leader's significant role in the Kashmiris' ongoing liberation struggle, said that Gilani was an epoch-making personality and an icon of resistance against Indian occupation.

The deceased leader's lifelong struggle, he said, would continue to inspire Kashmir's incoming generations.

He said that the Baba e Hurriyat's slogan "We are Pakistanis, Pakistan is ours" was still the most popular slogan in Occupied Kashmir.

Terming Syed Ali Gilani as a fearless advocate of Kashmiris' right to self-determination, he said that Gilani dedicated his entire life for the noble cause. "Syed Ali Gilani was imprisoned and detained for most of his life, but he remained stick to his ground and never compromised on his ideals," he added.

Anwaar said that it was high time that the global community should come forward in a big way to help Kashmiris achieve their birth right, the right to self-determination.

APP/ahr/378
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2024) The third martyrdom anniversary of veteran Hurriyat leader and the icon of Kashmir resistance movement, Syed Ali Gilani will be observed tomorrow, (September 1).

According to Kashmir Media Service, Syed Ali Gilani passed away on September 1, 2021, while under house arrest at his residence in Srinagar, where he had been confined for over a decade.

The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has called upon people in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to visit the Hyderpora graveyard, where Syed Ali Gilani is buried, tomorrow to pay their respects to him. The APHCs call has been supported by all pro-freedom organizations. The APHC has also urged imams and khateebs to conduct special prayers for the veteran pro-freedom leader and other Kashmiri martyrs in mosques. Additionally, the APHC has appealed to the Kashmiri diaspora to hold peaceful demonstrations worldwide to highlight the ongoing human rights abuses in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmir watchers said that Syed Ali Gilanis enduring struggle for the freedom of Kashmir continues to inspire those who yearn for peace and justice. His steadfast commitment to the Kashmir cause garnered immense respect and admiration from the oppressed people of the territory.

They said that the legacy of Syed Ali Gilani is encapsulated in his unwavering belief that India would never succeed in eradicating the Kashmiri peoples aspirations for freedom. His iconic slogan, Hum Pakistani Hain, Pakistan Hamara Ha, remains a potent symbol of his vision and mission, urging future generations to uphold his struggle for a brighter and more prosperous future for Kashmir, they added.

Meanwhile, the APHC leadership in their messages from New Delhis Tihar and other jails emphasized that Syed Ali Gilanis relentless fight for the Kashmir cause would be enshrined in the annals of the territorys history.

His sacrifices and dedication serve as a proud legacy that will continue to motivate future generations of Kashmiris, they maintained.

Hurriyat leaders, Mohammad Yousuf Naqash and Haseeb Wani, while offering profound tributes to Syed Ali Gilani, emphasized that his legacy of resistance and dedication will continue to inspire future generations of Kashmiris. They noted that Gilanis principled stand against oppression and his unwavering belief in the right to self-determination had earned him deep respect and admiration among the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They remarked that the values and principles championed by Gilani would continue to resonate with the younger generations, driving them to uphold the legacy of resistance and pursue justice and freedom for the Kashmiri people. They also called on the people of Kashmir to remain united and steadfast in their pursuit of their rightful aspirations, drawing strength from Syed Ali Gilanis example.

Also, APHC-AJK chapter leaders, including Convener Ghulam Muhammad Safi, in their statements issued in Islamabad, praised Syed Ali Gilani as a figure of immense courage and a symbol of resistance against oppression. They affirmed that his struggle, bravery, and sacrifices would remain a source of inspiration for oppressed nations worldwide. They also stressed that Syed Ali Gilanis ideals and mission are alive and will be remembered as a significant legacy of both the past and present century.

The APHC-AJK leaders urged the international community and global human rights organizations to compel India to cease its state terrorism in IIOJK and grant the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination.
(@FahadShabbir)

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2024) Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh made a big announcement for the development of Gawadar Port.

According to the minister, the federal government has decided to conduct 50 percent of public sector trade through Gawadar port.

He said this while talking to journalists at Karachi Press Club on Saturday. Federal Minister Maritime Affairs Qaiser Ahmad Sheikh said The Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization is coming to Pakistan next month. The IMO conference will be important for the improvement of Pakistans maritime sector. The paper regarding regulation of shipping lines will be ready soon.

Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh said that for development and employment in Balochistan ,50 percent of public sector trade has been decided to be done through Gawadar port. He said The trade deficit has also reduced. Karachi port is using 60 percent of its capacity. he said there is a huge investment going on with Mercks Shipping Line.

Mercks Shipping Line has indicated an investment of 2 billion dollars. He said in June 2022, there was an import of 80 billion rupees and Import have now reduced to 57 billion rupees. he said IMO Secretary General will come to Pakistan on next month. The IMO conference will be important for the improvement of Pakistans maritime sector.

Several meetings have been held regarding regulating shipping lines. The paper regarding regulation of shipping lines will be ready soon he said.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh further said No new port is being built in Pakistan immediately. Karachi Port is also using 50 percent of its capacity. He said a memorandum of understanding worth 2 billion Dollars will be signed with the European company Mgs next month.

On this occasion, Hassan Nasir shah, the chairman Port Qasim Authority (PQA) also present. The federal minister also announced 1 million rupees for the Karachi Press Club.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2024) Special Envoy and Ambassador of Ethiopia, Dr. Jemal Beker on Saturday spearheaded a cleaning drive at the Trail 5 to purge the Margala Hills of trash posing serious threat to the wildlife in the National Park.

The drive, jointly organized by the Ethiopian embassy GhoomLay and Studio One, was launched as a part of the Ethio-Pakistan Fraternity Under the Green Legacy Initiative of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Dr. Abiy Ahmed.

Individuals from the all walks of the life including government officials, diplomatic community, civil society, youth and media participated in the cleaning drive, which was aimed at fostering Ethio-Pakistan fraternity by pursuing joint efforts for better future of both the countries.

Talking to the media on the occasion, Dr. Jemal Beker said todays gathering was meant to send a message that mass mobilization of the human and financial resources was a solution to resolve the contemporary and new normal challenges such as climate change.

He said, Ethiopia is building a green economy by planting more than 40.5 billion seedlings of fruits, vegetable and fodder in the last five years that has created jobs and ensured food security in Ethiopia. The record breaking plantation was undertaken under the Green Legacy Initiative which is inspired from Medemer philosophy of our Prime Minister which advocates for mass mobilization and alignment of the resources.

We have launched this Green Legacy Initiative in Pakistan as I personally went to all the cities of Pakistan and mobilizing all segments of the society to mitigate the serious threat of climate change, he said, urging the youth to be on forefront for such an important cause.

He expressed his gratitude for the Islamabad Wildlife Management board, GhoomLay, and Studio One for partnering with the Ethiopian Embassy Islamabad on such a humanitarian and kind initiative.

The ambassador also lauded the Government of Pakistans commitment for working with Ethiopia to enhance bilateral regional and multilateral cooperation between the two countries in various areas such as economy, education, health, climate change, culture and technology transfer.

Chief Executive Officer of GhoomLay (Pvt) Limited Muhammad Haris thanked the Ethiopian Embassy Islamabad for partnering with his organization and others to clean the Trail 5.

He reiterated commitment to take the needful initiatives for protecting environment in the Federal Capital Islamabad and other cities.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2024) Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police conducted search and combing operations this year to maintain peace, security and against Drug Dealers.

According an ICT police spokesperson during the operations, a total of 1,446 drug dealers were apprehended.

He said the police seized over 344 kilograms of hashish, more than 428 kilograms of heroin, over 30 kilograms of ice (crystal meth), 258 different types of narcotic pills, and 11,920 liters of alcohol from the suspects.

"All legal requirements will be fulfilled to award exemplary punishment to the drug dealers," DIG Syed Mustafa Tanveer said.

DIG expressed firm commitment to continue vigorous actions against the drug dealers to eradicate the menace of drugs.

Spokesperson added that in several crackdowns this year also targeted wanted criminals, habitual offenders, and judicial absconders, resulting in the arrest of 4,279 fugitives involved in serious crimes.

The ICT Police utilized human intelligence and other resources to trace and capture these individuals, ensuring they face justice with solid evidence, he said.

"Actions against the fugitives and their facilitators will continue to uphold law and order", DIG syed mustafa tanweer.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2024) President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday paid tribute to heroic struggle of iconic Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for the rights of the oppressed people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on his third death anniversary.

In a message, the president pointed out that Syed Ali Geelani was a beacon of hope and resistance, inspiring countless Kashmiris to stand firm in their quest for self-determination. "His tireless efforts and sacrifices for the just cause of the Kashmiri people will forever be etched in our hearts and minds."

He said Syed Ali Shah Geelani was a great leader and his commitment to the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir was unyielding.

Despite being subjected to house arrests and incarcerations by the Indian Occupation Forces, the president said that he continued to raise his voice for the people of IIOJK. "His personal hardships, including years of confinement, could not break his spirit or deter him from his mission."

President Zardari added that "Geelani Sahib remained focused on the ultimate goal, and never allowed the attention of the Kashmiri people to be diverted from the pursuit of their fundamental right to self-determination.

The legacy of Syed Ali Shah Geelani is a powerful driving force that continues to inspire the people of IIOJK. His leadership and unwavering stance against oppression have left a lasting impression on the people of IIOJK".

"Today, we reaffirm the resolve to not let the sacrifices of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and countless others go in vain. We will continue to advocate for the realization of the people of IIOJKs right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. I assure my Kashmiri brothers and sisters that Pakistan will continue to provide moral, diplomatic, and political support for their just cause," the president added.

"As we remember Syed Ali Shah Geelani, we must learn from his exemplary courage and unwavering commitment to freedom and justice. May Allah Almighty shower His blessings on Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Ameen!", he added.
Cairo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2024) An Egyptian worker was killed Friday in a hotel fight that wounded three Arab-Israeli tourists and other workers in the Egyptian seaside town of Taba, a medical source told AFP.

The worker succumbed to his injuries "in an ambulance transporting him from Taba" on the border with Israel to Sharm al-Sheikh, 200 kilometres south, the source said, requesting anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Three other workers and three "Arab 48" tourists were also wounded, state-linked Egyptian media Al-Qahera news reported.

"Arab 48" is a term that refers to Palestinians and their descendants who remained in Israel following its creation in 1948.

Friday's fight broke out between hotel staff and the tourists "who attempted to obtain services from the hotel without charge", the channel reported.

Al-Qahera News, which is linked to state intelligence, reported security authorities were investigating the incident.

A high-level security source denied Israeli media reports describing the altercation as a "stabbing operation".

The incident occurred in the Egyptian border town of Taba in South Sinai, which is a popular tourist destination for Israelis.

Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel and has for decades played a key role as mediator between Israeli and Palestinian officials, including in the current war in the Gaza Strip.
Tehran, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2024) Iran's police force has dismissed the commander of a city in the northern province of Gilan after the death in custody of a detainee, state media said on Saturday.

Mohammad Mir Mousavi, 36, was arrested on July 22 after being involved in a fight in Lahijan, police said in a statement carried by the official news agency IRNA.

"The police commander... was dismissed due to insufficient oversight of the conduct and behaviour of staff," the police said.

"Due to the complexity of the matter, the final conclusion on the cause of Mohammad Mir Mousavi's death depends on the medical examiner's final report.

The police said the station commander and several officers involved in the incident had been suspended.
County assessors from around the state offered their insights into the compromise legislation that lawmakers approved at the conclusion of a special session on Thursday.

The product of negotiations between Gov. Jared Polis, legislators and the groups behind a pair of ballot initiatives seeking deeper property tax cuts, House Bill 1001 is relatively similar to the property tax bill that passed in the final days of the regular session in May but includes notable changes.

What the bill does

House Bill 1001's aims to slow property tax growth, which has been increasing exponentially in Colorado since the Gallagher Amendment was repealed in 2020. The 30-plus-page bill includes a number of provisions for different property types, including residential, nonresidential and special districts. Here are some of the key takeaways:

Local government property tax cap. Reduced from 5.5% to 5.25% annually.

School district tax cap. Set at the highest amount collected in any previous year, with an annual increase determined by either 6% every two years or the "school factor"  a combination of the General Assemblys increase in per pupil state funding and the percentage increase in statewide student enrollment.

Residential property tax rate. Lowered to 6.3% or 6.4%, depending on assessment growth.

Commercial property tax rate. Reduced to 25% starting next year.

Revenue cap overrides. Local governments can exceed the revenue cap with voter approval, and school districts can override their cap at the statewide level.

Complicated bottom line

El Paso County Assessor Mark Flutcher said that whether or not a taxpayer sees a difference on their bill thanks to the changes would depend on what tax districts apply.

He said that the revenue caps will affect districts that are not already subject to caps through the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. Districts subject to TABOR, like Colorado Springs School District 11, are not likely going to see big changes.

He said that homeowners living in special districts without TABOR restrictions, like a metropolitan district set up for a housing development, might see savings. A property in downtown Colorado Springs, subject to no special districts, would not.

"Those who will benefit the most are those who live in metro districts with exceptionally high mill levies," he said.

Douglas County Assessor Toby Damisch and other county assessors expressed worries about the complexity of measures, such as SB 233 and HB 1001, which they said reduce the transparency that they strive to provide to citizens when it comes to their property taxes.

"When Gallagher [amendment] existed, the concept of assessment rates was very simple: Basically, you had the residential assessment rate, which has been hovering around seven the past few years, and everything else was at 29, and it had been that way for 40 years, until Gallagher was repealed," Damisch said.

"Since Gallagher, the assessment rates have gotten more and more complicated, and the more complicated assessment rates get, the more difficult it is for assessors to actually practice it in a clear, transparent, objective manner," he added. "It was complicated already before, and we've just exponentially made it more complicated. It's just not fair to ask citizens to understand this, and they shouldn't have to."

On the whole, Flutcher said that the new bill was not clarifying anything.

Featured Local Savings

"They made things far more complicated than they were, and property taxes were hard to understand to begin with," he said.

Changes from SB 233

Damisch said the two most important aspects of the bill are the introduction of a property tax cap for school districts and the consolidation of commercial and industrial properties into a single taxation category.

Senate Bill 233 had categorized the two property types separately, which Damisch said made things extremely complicated for assessors.

"This seems like no big deal, but it's a huge deal, because the identification by which the assessor or appraiser as to whether a property is commercial or industrial is not objective. It's a subjective thing," he said. "So, if we're gonna get in the business of creating different rates for different property classes, then the property classes must be perfectly defined in law so there's zero guesswork."

"This bill doesn't go back to the way it was (before SB 233), but it took a big step back to a more simple, more clear, more transparent approach," he said.

Damisch contended that the cap on school districts, which was absent from SB 233, is crucial to the deal, as 40% of the property tax increases that Coloradans saw in 2023 were directed to the state education fund.

"Now, all of a sudden, if there's another value spike like what we had in 2023, instead of half of your property tax being capped, the whole thing is being capped," he said.

SB 233 also created two separate assessment rates for residential property, but HB 1001 eliminated that provision, Damisch said.

Chaffee County Assessor Rick Roberts said he anticipates that Coloradans will likely see property taxes rise in the coming years. He said he and his fellow assessors across the state are often the ones fielding complaints about rising property taxes, even though they're not responsible for them.

"We have no control over what the entities are asking for in the bill, but we're the ones that take the brunt of the anger when property taxes go up," he said.

Roberts said HB 1001 is an improvement over SB 233, which he called "a mess."

"It was not playing well with our software," he added.

Roberts is also optimistic that the reduction in commercial rates might attract more businesses to the state.

Eagle County Assessor Mark Chafin said his county has seen property value increases to other resort counties in the state. He said his views on HB 1001 vary, depending on whether he was offering a professional opinion or a personal one.

"I think that this is a genuine attempt on the part of the governor's office and the lawmakers to reduce property tax, and I say that as an assessor with the years of experience that I've had in this business," he said.

To Damisch, predicting the amount by which property owners can expect to see their taxes increase is simple  just refer to the caps specified for each property type in the bill.

"My view is that whatever caps are established, property owners should expect their taxes to go up by that amount because once you create caps, it becomes both a ceiling and a floor and encourages everyone to go to that number," he said. "It's very likely that you'll see all your property tax entities go to the cap."
Madrid, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2024) A steep rise in the number of arrivals of migrants in Spain's Canary Islands from Africa has fuelled a fierce debate in the country over how to tackle illegal immigration.

The issue was thrust into the spotlight during a three-day visit by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to West Africa which wrapped up Thursday.

The trip was aimed at curbing the record number of unauthorised migrants arriving in the Atlantic archipelago in search of a better life in Europe.

"Spain is committed to safe, orderly and regular migration," the Socialist premier said soon after he arrived Tuesday in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, in the first stop of his tour which also included Gambia and Senegal.

He called for "circular migration" schemes which allow people to enter Spain legally to work for a limited time in sectors like agriculture, which face labour shortages during harvest time, before returning home.

"Immigration is not a problem, it is a necessity that comes with certain problems," Sanchez said.

His comments were immediately blasted by Spain's main opposition Popular Party (PP), which said the statements would encourage more migrants to try to enter the country illegally at a time when the Canary Islands is struggling to cope with an influx of migrants.

Nearly every day, Spain's coastguard rescues a boat carrying dozens of African migrants towards the seven-island archipelago located off the northwest coast of Africa.

Over 22,000 migrants have landed in the Canary Islands so far this year, compared to just under 10,000 during the same time last year.

The archipelago received a record 39,910 migrants in 2023, a figure it is on track to surpass this year.

- 'Irresponsible' -

"It is irresponsible to encourage a pull effect in the worst irregular migration crisis," PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo said, accusing Sanchez of going to Africa to "promote Spain as a destination" for migrants.

This is "the opposite" of what other nations in the European Union are doing, he added.

During the final leg of Sanchez's tour in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, he appeared to take a harder tone by stressing that human trafficking rings that organise boat crossings to Spain sometimes have links to terrorist networks or drug smuggling gangs.

He said security was a "top priority" and said it is "essential to return those who have come to Spain illegally".

Deportations, however, require the agreement of the country of origin of a migrant, which is not easy to get.

- 'Contradictory' -

Cristina Monge, a political scientist at the University of Zaragoza, said Sanchez had tried to strike a balance in his comments on the issue in Africa but his message was "a bit contradictory".

His first speech in Mauritania came "from a European, human rights perspective" but when he talked about the need for deportations the support "he gains on the right, he loses on the left," she told AFP.

While the PP welcomed Sanchez's sudden emphasis on security, hard-left party Sumar -- the junior coalition partners in his minority government -- immediately opposed it.

"Following the same migration recipes called for by the right is a failure and a mistake," Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz, who founded Sumar, wrote on X.

With the number of crossing attempts expected to increase further in the coming weeks as Atlantic waters become calmer, the controversy is expected to intensify, especially since the PP has hardened its position on the issue in recent years in response to the rise of far-right party Vox which is hostile to immigration.

The Spanish government estimates there are some 200,000 people in Mauritania waiting to go to the Canaries. The bulk of them are from Mali where a military regime is battling an Islamist insurgency.
The head of the World Health Organization believes mpox outbreaks in Africa might be stopped in the next six months, and he said Friday that the agency's first shipment of vaccines should arrive in Congo within days.

To date, Africa has received a small fraction of the vaccines needed to slow the spread of the virus, especially in Congo, which has the most cases  more than 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths.

"With the governments' leadership and close cooperation between partners, we believe we can stop these outbreaks in the next six months," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing.

He said that while mpox infections have been rising quickly in the last few weeks, there have been relatively few deaths. Tedros also noted there were 258 cases of the newest version of mpox, with patients identified in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Sweden and Thailand.

Earlier this month, WHO declared the mpox outbreaks in Africa a global emergency, hoping to spur a robust global response to the disease on a continent where cases were spreading largely unnoticed for years, including in Nigeria. In May, scientists detected a new version of the disease in Congo that they think could be spreading more easily.

Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is related to smallpox but typically causes milder symptoms, including fever, headache and body aches. In severe cases, people can develop painful sores and blisters on the face, chest, hands and genitals. Mpox is typically spread via close skin-to-skin contact.

WHO estimated about 230,000 vaccines could be sent "imminently" to Congo and elsewhere. The agency said it was also working on education campaigns to raise awareness of how people could avoid spreading mpox in countries with outbreaks.

Maria Van Kerkhove, who directs WHO's epidemic and pandemic diseases department, said the agency was working to expedite vaccine access for affected countries  given the limited supply available.

Scientists have previously pointed out that without a better understanding of how mpox is spreading in Africa, it may be difficult to know how best to use the shots.

Earlier this week, the head of Africa's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the continent was hoping to receive about 380,000 doses of mpox vaccines promised by donors, including the U.S. and the European Union. That's less than 15% of the doses authorities have said are needed to end the mpox outbreaks in Congo.
Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam visited China to make sure that bilateral ties are on track under his country's new leadership and to build personal ties with China's top leaders, experts told VOA.

Lam landed in China on August 18 in his first foreign trip in his new role at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, just two weeks after Lam had been appointed party chief following the sudden passing of his predecessor, Nguyen Phu Trong.

At the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi reportedly told Lam that China "has always regarded Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy," while Lam described ties with Beijing as "a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy."

The two leaders witnessed the signing of 14 cooperation documents on topics ranging from cross-border railways to crocodile exports. Xi also promised to widen the market for Vietnam's agricultural produce.

According to China's Xinhua News Agency, Xi visited then-party chief Trong in Hanoi late last year to promote the deepening of the two countries' bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a "China-Vietnam community with a shared future." Xi did not meet Lam, who was then the minister of public security.

This time, Lam and his wife traveled to Beijing with a high-level entourage that included five members of the Politburo, the country's highest decision-making body, and were greeted at the airport by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Lam was later received by Xi and his wife outside the Great Hall with a 21-cannon salute, the highest level for a head of state.

The next day, he was seen off at the airport by Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong.

The pomp that Beijing arranged for Lam is "indicative of it valuing ties with Hanoi and treating Hanoi as a heavyweight in its neighborhood diplomacy, Khang Vu, a visiting international relations scholar at Boston College, wrote to VOA in an email.

Apart from Xi, Lam also familiarized himself with other top Chinese leaders during his visit, including Premier Li Qiang, Chairman of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji, and Chairman of the People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning.

The fact that Lam traveled to China first and early into his party leadership speaks to a relationship that is on track and growing, even though Vietnam had just gone through an abrupt leadership change, Khang observed.

Alexander Vuving, a professor at the Hawaii-based Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, pointed to a possible meeting between Lam and U.S. President Joe Biden next month at the U.N. General Assembly in New York as the main reason Lam wanted to meet with Xi so quickly.

"This is to reassure Beijing of any progress in the Vietnam-U.S. relations and to express Hanoi's deference to Beijing, which is an important element of Vietnam's current approach to the great powers," Vuving told VOA in an email.

Hanoi has made great efforts to strike a balance between the superpowers, an approach famously known as "bamboo diplomacy." Biden visited Hanoi a year ago to elevate bilateral ties to the highest level  another comprehensive strategic partnership three months before Xi's arrival in Hanoi.

The fact that Lam's first foreign trip was to Beijing signifies the great importance Hanoi attaches to ties with its big neighbor, said Sang Huynh, a visiting scholar of international relations at the National University of Taiwan, in an email.

"Hanoi wants to keep the relationship stable, while Beijing is keen to keep Hanoi in its orbit," he noted. "In general, the relationship is unlikely to take a different trajectory under To Lam."

Party-to-party ties

Both Lam and Xi are chiefs of the largest communist parties in the world, and party-to-party ties have been exclusively at the core of bilateral ties. The joint declaration issued at the conclusion of the visit stressed the "historic mission" of the two parties to steadfastly pursue the socialist path.

In fact, Lam seized the opportunity on this trip to stress the countries' shared communist heritage. He kicked off the visit not in Beijing but in Guangzhou, where late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh, the country's founder, trained Vietnam's first communists 100 years ago.

"The stop in Guangzhou is highly symbolic because Vietnam wants to show appreciation for Chinese support a century ago," Sang said.

Khang noted that party-to-party ties, which have been active since the countries normalized ties in 1991, have played out well in mitigating tension, especially in the South China Sea.

"Hanoi is in a better position than Manila to deal with Beijing," he observed.

However, Sang noted that Lam is less of an ideologue than Trong, so he is more pragmatic in his approach to China.
Bangladeshis whose relatives went missing during the rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are harboring new hope for an accounting or even the return of their loved ones following this week's announcement by the country's interim government that a commission will investigate hundreds of suspected enforced disappearances.

More than 700 people went missing under unexplained circumstances during Hasina's 15 years in power, and dozens are still missing. Human rights groups and others say the nation's security services are responsible, although the Hasina administration, which was ousted on August 5, always denied playing a role.

"With this commission of inquiry, Bangladesh has an opportunity to pursue justice for the victims of enforced disappearances and their families, many of whom have desperately sought answers, only to be dismissed, threatened, and humiliated by officials," said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, in a statement issued Wednesday, a day after the commission was announced.

Bangladesh does not have laws criminalizing enforced disappearance. However, the interim government established after Hasina's ouster signed the instrument of accession to an international convention of the United Nations aiming to prevent enforced disappearances.

Over the past years, several global human rights groups released reports accusing the Hasina government's security agencies of being involved in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of opposition political activists and other dissidents.

According to Bangladeshi human rights group Odhikar, at least 708 people became victims of enforced disappearances during Hasina's rule.

Among those who disappeared, some returned home alive, while others were found dead. According to different rights groups, around 150 suspected victims of enforced disappearance remain untraced.

The commission of inquiry  which is headed by a retired high court judge and includes another former judge, two human rights activists and a university teacher  has been tasked with investigating the circumstances under which victims went missing and tracing them.

The commission will submit its findings to the authorities and make recommendations on action, according to a notification issued Tuesday. It said the authorities would share related information about the enforced disappearance cases with the victims' families.

The commission has been tasked to complete its investigations and submit its report within 45 working days.

Victims' families welcome panel

Welcoming the formation of the commission, Sanjida Islam Tulee, coordinator of Mayer Daak  a platform for families of victims of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh  said that the process of investigation must be transparent.

"The investigation process must be fair and internationally acceptable. The investigation reports in all cases must be published or shared with the families of the victims. And the reports must not hide any of its actual findings," Tulee told VOA.

Tulee's brother Sajedul Islam Sumon, an opposition party leader, disappeared after some men allegedly from the paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion abducted him in Dhaka in 2013.

Ganguly of HRW said that the government "should seize the opportunity to create a robust process with international expertise, including forensics, to investigate these abuses and identify avenues for reparations in collaboration with victims and their families."

Wednesday's HRW statement said that the commission should investigate every case, regardless of whether the victim was returned, killed or still missing.

"It should be additionally mandated with identifying all clandestine detention centers, and the interim government should immediately shut them down and release anyone still being held in incommunicado custody," the statement said.

"The commission should have the authority to make recommendations regarding the prosecution of suspects, reparations to victims and their families, the enactment of specific legislation, and institutional and other reforms that would prevent repetition of past violations."

'Police did nothing to trace him'

During the rule of Hasina's Awami League party, rights groups and families of the enforced disappearance victims repeatedly urged police to investigate the cases. But the relatives complained that police did not investigate the cases properly.

Baby Akhtar, the wife of opposition activist Tarikul Islam Tara, told VOA that after her husband was picked up by plainclothesmen in Dhaka in 2012, she went to the police and other security agencies in search of him.

"Despite many appeals, the police did nothing to trace him. Two years ago, the police even sought to coerce me into issuing a statement that my husband had gone into hiding on his own and that I had falsely said that he was a victim of enforced disappearance," Akhtar said.

"We are hopeful that the new commission will investigate all the cases well and try its best to find out all the missing persons, including my husband."

Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman of the Capital Punishment Justice Project, which has been documenting rights violations in Bangladesh for more than 15 years, said the commission's formation was long overdue.

"The victims of enforced disappearances had faced systemic denial of access to justice during the Sheikh Hasina regime. The families of the disappeared victims were hounded by the law enforcement agencies, security forces, intelligence units, and the ruling Awami League leaders," Ashrafuzzaman told VOA.

"All the perpetrators  regardless of their political, military, bureaucratic, judicial and other professional portfolios  should be brought to justice within the shortest possible time."

Angelita Baeyens, vice president of international advocacy and litigation at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, told VOA it was "encouraging" to see that the new interim government in Bangladesh has made the investigation and prevention of enforced disappearances a priority.

"The commission of inquiry has a monumental task ahead, especially because there are still perpetrators in high places that will do anything they can to secure continued impunity," Baeyens said. "But we hope it is a successful effort and that the victims can finally find answers."
Arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico during August are expected to rise slightly from July, officials said, likely ending five straight months of declines.

Authorities made about 54,000 arrests through Thursday, which, at the current rate, would bring the August total to about 58,000 when the month ends Saturday, according to two U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss information that has not been publicly released.

The tally suggests that arrests could be bottoming out after being halved from a record 250,000 in December, a decline that U.S. officials largely attributed to Mexican authorities increasing enforcement within their borders. Arrests were more than halved again after Democratic President Joe Biden invoked authority to temporarily suspend asylum processing in June. Arrests plunged to 56,408 in July, a 46-month low that changed little in August.

Asked about the latest numbers, the Homeland Security Department released a statement by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on Congress to support failed legislation that would have suspended asylum processing when crossings reached certain thresholds, reshaped how asylum claims are decided to relieve bottlenecked immigration courts and added Border Patrol agents, among other things.

Republicans including presidential nominee Donald Trump opposed the bill, calling it insufficient.

"Thanks to action taken by the Biden-Harris Administration, the hard work of our DHS personnel and our partnerships with other countries in the region and around the world, we continue to see the lowest number of encounters at our Southwest border since September 2020," Mayorkas said Saturday.

The steep drop from last year's highs is welcome news for the White House and the Democrats' White House nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, despite criticism from many immigration advocates that asylum restrictions go too far and from those favoring more enforcement who say Biden's new and expanded legal paths to entry are far too generous.

More than 765,000 people entered the United States legally through the end of July using an online appointment app called CBP One and an additional 520,000 from four nationalities were allowed through airports with financial sponsors. The airport-based offer to people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela  all nationalities that are difficult to deport  was briefly suspended in July to address concerns about fraud by U.S. financial sponsors.

San Diego, California, again had the most arrests among the Border Patrol's nine sectors on the Mexican border in August, followed by El Paso, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona, though the three busiest corridors were close, the officials said. Arrests of Colombians and Ecuadoreans fell, which officials attributed to deportation flights to those South American countries. Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras were the top three nationalities.
Beijing accused a Philippine ship of deliberately running into a Chinese coast guard vessel on Saturday near a flashpoint shoal in the South China Sea, the latest in a spate of similar incidents in recent weeks.

China claims almost all of the economically vital waterway despite competing claims from other countries and an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

A Chinese coast guard spokesperson said Saturday's incident took place off the disputed Sabina Shoal, which has emerged as a new hotspot in the long-running maritime confrontations between Manila and Beijing.

Shortly after noon, a Philippine ship "deliberately collided with" a Chinese vessel near the shoal, known in Chinese as Xianbin, said spokesperson Liu Dejun, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

"China exercises indisputable sovereignty" in this zone, Liu added.

Liu condemned the Philippine vessel's "unprofessional and dangerous" conduct.

Sabina Shoal is located 140 kilometers west of the Philippine island of Palawan and about 1,200 kilometers from Hainan island, the nearest major Chinese landmass.

Philippine and Chinese vessels have collided at least twice this month near Sabina, which analysts say Beijing is seeking to further encroach upon, moving deeper into Manila's exclusive economic zone and normalizing Chinese control of the area.

The discovery this year of piles of crushed coral at the shoal ignited suspicion in Manila that Beijing was planning to build another permanent base there, which would be its closest outpost to the Philippine archipelago.

Recent clashes between Philippine and Chinese vessels have also taken place around the Second Thomas Shoal.

A Filipino sailor lost a thumb in a clash there in June when Chinese coast guard members wielding knives, sticks and an axe foiled a Philippine Navy attempt to resupply a small garrison.

Sabina Shoal is also the rendezvous point for Philippine resupply missions to the garrison on Second Thomas Shoal.

The repeated confrontations prompted Manila to brand Beijing the "biggest disruptor" to peace in Southeast Asia at a defense conference this month.
Rio de Janeiro  already notorious for street muggings, corrupt politicians, ruthless militias and Kalashnikov-toting drug traffickers  has a new public enemy: plushies. Or, more specifically, the joystick-controlled claw machines that dispense them.

On Wednesday, Rio police carried out 16 search warrants targeting the machines that elicit exhilaration among children and adults alike. But police said the claw machines defraud users who believe scoring stuffed animals to be a test of skill. In fact, they are games of chance  just like slot machines  and therefore illegal, according to their press office.

Officers seized claw machines, laptops, tablets, cellphones, a firearm and  yes  furry friends. They are investigating whether organized crime groups may be the invisible hand behind the claw because they already run slot machines and a popular lottery known as "Animal Game" across the city. Police in Brazil's southern Santa Catarina state carried out an additional three search warrants Wednesday as part of the same operation.

It marked the second such police crackdown, following another in May during which officers apprehended 80 machines. Not only were those machines stocked with counterfeit plushies, but subsequent analysis of their programming found winning pulls were permitted only after a set number of attempts, police said in their statement Wednesday. Facilitating such sporadic, successful snags is an electrical current to the otherwise enfeebled claw so it holds fast to its prize, the statement said.

That programming isn't disclosed to naive users, including children liable to blow their pocket money on what's effectively a crap shoot. Claw machines can be found in Rio's shopping malls, subway stations, supermarkets, arcades and toy stores.

Among Rio's claw aficionados is Alessandra Libonatti, 41, who has played for nearly three decades. She remembers the machines causing a stir when they first appeared in the city; she had only seen them before in movies. These days she tends to play once a week, whether alone or at the mall with friends who share her "peculiar" hobby.

She likes the low-investment adrenaline rush and, by her own account, she's a talented clawmaster who has honed her techniques to maximize success, from scouting the stuffed animal landscape to precise positioning of the claw. She treasures a manatee with jaguar spots that she pulled in on a trip to the nation's capital with friends.

"When I pass by a machine, I give it a look to see if there's a stuffed animal that makes it worth it to play," she told The Associated Press. "Because it's not always worth it; sometimes it's clearly a waste of money."

Claw machines may have been feats of skill in decades past, but most modern machines have built-in programming allowing operators to predetermine their profitability, said Jeremy Hambly, a claw game aficionado from the Milwaukee area. His ClawStruck YouTube channel shows how many different models work, he previously told the AP. He said odds should be posted prominently on machines for users to review.

Most U.S. states consider claw machines games of chance and specifically exempt them from gambling statutes, as long as they comply with certain rules specific to those states. According to industry officials, it's in arcades' best interests to have customers win so they'll keep playing.

But lately it's tough going for Rio's claw connoisseurs, Libonatti said. And she chalks that up to changes made to the machines that didn't escape her exacting eye.

"The current machines are crap. The claws are weaker," she wrote in a text message to a friend in April, reviewed by the AP.

"Amiga, yessssss!" her friend replied. "I went back to the machines where I always got (stuffed animals) in recent weeks and they're soooooo weak!"

Local online media outlet G1 dubbed the phenomenon the "weak claw scam."

The nearly 13,000 stuffed animals police detained in May were initially destined for destruction, but a request from state lawmakers found favor with a judge who spared them. Instead, police donated the plushies to families who lost their homes in the massive floods of southern Rio Grande do Sul state, particularly children in shelters.

The fate of the stuffed animals seized Wednesday was still unclear.
A new sign of discord has emerged in the ties between North Korea and China over Beijing's plan to install telecommunication facilities near its border, which analysts say could be a way for China to exert its influence over its southern neighbor.

Pyongyang has apparently objected to China's plan to install the facilities, which could broadcast FM radio signals into North Korea.

Pyongyang sent an email complaining about the plan to the U.N. telecoms agency, the International Telecommunication Union, or ITU, saying Beijing failed to consult it about the plan in advance, which constitutes an "infringement" of an ITU guideline, Kyodo News reported this week.

The complaint was sent after the U.N. agency, which facilitates global communication connectivity, disclosed information in June about China's plan to set up 191 telecom facilities capable of broadcasting FM signals, including 17 stations near the North Korean border, according to Kyodo.

Pyongyang said those 17 stations, including the ones in the border city of Dandong, could cause "serious interference."

A spokesperson for ITU told VOA Korean that "ITU cannot confirm whether or not it received such a complaint" as "such objections may contain sensitive or confidential information not intended for the general public and may hamper bilateral consultations."

The spokesperson said China and North Korea have "no formal obligation to get agreement from each other before registering FM stations with ITU or bringing them into service.

"Therefore, operation of FM stations in these countries without prior coordination does not represent an infringement of ITU's Radio Regulations," but "such coordination is very much desirable and recommended to avoid interference."

Patricia Kim, a fellow specializing in Chinese foreign policy at the Washington-based Brookings Institution, said, "It's quite notable that Pyongyang chose to publicly lodge a complaint with an international organization rather than to resolve this dispute with Beijing privately."

"This is not how allies typically handle disputes, and the incident suggests that Beijing and Pyongyang are not on favorable or intimate terms at the moment," she said.

Lui Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told VOA on Wednesday that China and North Korea "have always maintained friendly relations" and the "relevant issue can be properly resolved through dialogue and communication."

Growing signs of strain

Some signs of trouble have begun to show in the relationship between Pyongyang and Beijing since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un forged a close bond with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2023 when the two met in Russia.

Putin reciprocated Kim's visit by taking a trip to Pyongyang in June when the two signed a mutual defense treaty and vowed to deepen their military cooperation.

A few days after Putin's Pyongyang visit, North Korea switched its state TV broadcast transmission from a Chinese satellite to a Russian one, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry.

In July, China demanded that North Korea take back all its workers in China after their visas expired, while Pyongyang wanted to repatriate them gradually over time, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

North Korean workers are thought to have remained in China despite U.N. sanctions that required them to be sent back by December 2019.

Analysts say China may have decided to put telecom facilities at the border to transmit information to North Koreans as a way to exert its influence in the country and to offset its strained ties with the regime.

Beijing "could have made the decision not to put anything near the North Korean border, but they didn't do that," said Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation.

"China wants to dominate East Asia," and spreading Chinese propaganda and perspectives to promote its lifestyle and get people to buy from Chinese markets is "a key part of China's plans for dominance in the region," he said.

China has been North Korea's largest trading partner. In 2023, North Korea conducted more than 98% of its foreign trade with China. But the trade between the two has been falling this year, dropping 6% in May from April, according to Chinese customs trade data released in May and reviewed by VOA Korean.

A report by the Korean Institute for International Economic Policy in Seoul forecasts that "North Korea's exports are unlikely to increase significantly" in 2024 "as North Korea-Russia military cooperation is expected to continue."

Military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has branched into economic cooperation. On Wednesday, talks were held in Pyongyang between industry and trade representatives of North Korea and Russia on "further developing the economic cooperation," according to state-run KCNA.

Fear of outside information

Even if Beijing does not intend to convey information directly to North Koreans, the regime might have objected to Chinese telecom stations because they provide an "additional path through which information will be able to reach the country from the outside," said Martyn Williams, a senior fellow for the Stimson Center's Korea Program.

"Some of the new stations will be receivable inside North Korea, and it could be for this reason that North Korea has complained," Williams said.

North Korea is known to take tight control of information coming from the outside world, prohibiting media content that is not sanctioned by the government.

The regime cracks down harshly on people who receive outside information, especially South Korean drama and music, by sending them to prison with the penalty of months of hard labor or sometimes even death.

Michael Swaine, senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said despite North Korea's attempt to control information entering the country, the complaint about the Chinese telecom stations shows that "Pyongyang does not control its broadcast space."

Soyoung Ahn and Jiha Ham contributed to this report.
The Douglas County Sheriffs Office arrested a man for allegedly stealing 48 vehicles while working as a tow truck driver.

The Denver Police Department officially arrested 33-year-old Brian Chacon on Aug. 11 following an investigation into a case of a stolen car in December.

The auto theft detective received information that connected the case to Eagle Wing Towing, which is based in Aurora, according to a news release from the sheriffs office.

Through the investigation, the detective found that there was one impound lot approved for vehicles towed by the company, but vehicles reported stolen in the area had allegedly been in Chacons possession and never made it to the lot.

Chacon allegedly sold numerous vehicles to salvage yards and placed others in pay lots in Denver, Aurora and Littleton.

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Detectives connected 77 missing vehicles to Chacon and Eagle Wing Towing, authorities said, adding 48 vehicles were confirmed as stolen, while 29 others could not be confirmed because their owners could not be located, the sheriffs office said.

During the investigation, detectives also discovered that Chacon was in possession of child pornography, authorities alleged.

Official charges will be filed by the 18th Judicial District Attorneys Office after investigation.

This suspect was preying on people who trusted that their vehicles would still be in the locations where they left them, whether they were disabled or otherwise, Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said in the release. My message again  if you come into Douglas County to commit crimes, we will hold you accountable. We will not allow it to happen.

Eagle Wing Towing did not respond for comment.
Djibouti's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf says his country has a proposal that could solve the dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia.

In an interview with VOA's Horn of Africa Service, Youssouf said his country has offered to give Ethiopia access to the port of Tadjoura, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the border with Ethiopia.

He said Djibouti and other countries such as Turkey have been trying to solve the dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia, which ignited at the beginning of this year when Ethiopia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the breakaway region of Somaliland, a deal Somalia sees as an infringement to its sovereignty.

Under the deal, Somaliland would lease 20 kilometers (12 miles) of shoreline to Ethiopia in return for recognition, according to Somaliland officials.

Ethiopia already relies on Djibouti's main port to import most of its goods, using four different terminals, said Youssouf, who is a candidate for the African Union Commission chairperson.

"Djibouti is even ready to hand over a new port, a brand-new port that has been built, a brand-new corridor to the northern border of Djibouti, that corridor will be very helpful to Ethiopia, at least to decrease the cost of transport," he said.

"Djibouti is even ready to consider a mix-management of the port with Ethiopia," he added.

After no agreement was reached following two rounds of talks in Turkey, Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Taye Atske Selassie said he is a confident that "Ethiopia's legitimate interests to secure dependable access to and from the sea will be fulfilled peacefully in cooperation with our neighbors."

Somalia is willing to accept giving commercial sea access to Ethiopia but rules out any naval base, said Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

"If Ethiopia wants access to Somalia sea, we welcome it. But we want Ethiopia to have access the same way that Uganda has access to Kenya sea, the same way that Burundi and Rwanda have access to Tanzania sea  and the same way Ethiopia has access to Djibouti sea," he said.

"We are not accepting anything beyond that," he added.

Youssouf said Djibouti put the port proposal on the table a month ago and informed Ethiopian leaders, who responded.

"The response we get is a positive one, so they are considering the technicalities of it, so we will certainly in a few days' time or in [a] few weeks, sit down again and put the final adjustments to the formula and see how we can help," he said.

Djibouti is a small Horn of Africa country in a strategic maritime location. It hosts military bases for France, the United States, Italy, Japan and China. Youssouf said his country hosts these five militaries because it is neutral and because the maritime route between the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden faces threats from militants, Houthis and, sometimes, piracy.

"The presence of those naval bases in Djibouti is first and foremost to protect, you know, and guarantees the safety of navigation in the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb," he said.

Asked if Djibouti's offer includes a naval base for Ethiopia, Youssouf said, "No."

"I mean it's [a] small country, which is already crowded, so we have even turned down from other countries  India, Russia, and we told them that it's a very small place, so we don't want to create any friction, any tension between those who are already present," he said.

"We need to keep [a] conducive environment for those who are already present to protect the strait of Bab el-Mandeb and fight all kind[s] of illegal acts."

Youssouf said Djibouti's proposal is based on a plan to restore the "good relationship" that used to exist between Ethiopia and Somalia.

The foreign ministries of Somalia and Ethiopia did not immediately respond to VOA requests for comment.
Authorities in Bangladesh are bracing for the spread of waterborne diseases and racing to get drinking water to people after devastating floods last week left at least 54 people dead and millions stranded.

As floodwaters recede slowly, many people remain stranded and in urgent need of food, clean water, medicine and dry clothes, especially in remote areas where blocked roads have hindered rescue and relief efforts.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department said that flood conditions could persist if the monsoon rains continued, as water levels were receding very slowly.

Around 470,000 people have taken refuge in 3,300 shelters across 11 flood-hit districts, where around 600 medical teams are helping provide treatment, with the army, air force, navy, and the border guard assisting in rescue operations, authorities said.

A disaster management ministry official warned that as floodwaters recede, there is a risk of an epidemic, adding that the outbreak of waterborne diseases is likely if clean water is not provided soon.

"Our top priority is to ensure the availability of safe drinking water," the official said.

In the past 24 hours, around 3,000 people have been hospitalized due to waterborne diseases in flood-hit areas, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. Many areas remained submerged, preventing stranded people from accessing healthcare facilities.

"Water is everywhere but there is no clean water to drink. People are getting sick," said Farid Ahmed, a resident of one of the worst-hit districts, Lakshmipur.

Vast areas of land are submerged, posing a significant threat to crops, agriculture ministry officials said.

The United Nations children's agency has warned that 2 million children were at risk as the worst floods in three decades sweep through eastern Bangladesh. The organization is urgently appealing for $35 million to provide life-saving supplies.

"The devastating floods in eastern Bangladesh are a tragic reminder of the relentless impact of extreme weather events and the climate crisis on children," said Emma Brigham, deputy representative of UNICEF Bangladesh.

An analysis in 2015 by the World Bank Institute estimated that 3.5 million people in Bangladesh, one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, were at risk of annual river flooding. Scientists attribute the exacerbation of such catastrophic events to climate change.

Farah Kabir, director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said that countries like Bangladesh, which contribute minimally to global emissions, urgently need funding to recover from climate-related losses and build resilience for future impacts while pursuing green development pathways.
For more than 30 years, Senzel Schaefer has called the Democratic Party her political home, consistently voting for the partys candidates in every primary, midterm and presidential election.

Come Election Day, shell break ranks. For Muslim American voters like Schaefer, ending the Israel-Hamas war is a top priority. Unhappy with the Biden administrations handling of the conflict, Schaefer, an Afghan American tech executive in Northern Virginia, plans to cast her ballot for a third-party candidate.

For me as an American voter, this is probably the most difficult decision Im making at this point in time, she said in an interview.

Schaefer is not alone. The Gaza war, now in its 10th month, has both unified and fractured what has been a traditionally Democratic voting bloc, representing more than 3.5 million Muslim Americans.

While most Muslim voters see the war as their top issue, theyre split over candidates, with large numbers of voters, unhappy with the two major party nominees pro-Israel stance, eyeing third-party options.

In an August 25-29 survey conducted by the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR, Vice President Kamala Harris and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, a fierce critic of Israeli policies, received roughly 29% each, with Republican nominee Donald Trump garnering about 11%, followed by two other third-party candidates drawing single digit numbers. More than 16% were undecided.

The findings, echoing earlier assessments of the race, underscore just how much the Gaza war has eroded Muslim support for Democrats.

In 2020, Biden won 65% of Muslim votes. This year, that support crumbled, as more than 700,000 Democratic primary voters, many of them Muslims in swing states, refused to vote for Biden. The so-called uncommitted voters appear largely uncommitted, with most gravitating toward third-party candidates or undecided.

The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a Muslim research group that conducted the July survey, dubs them swing Muslim voters, winnable with the right policies addressing their concerns about the Gaza conflict.

Whichever candidate can show theyre going to make the shift in terms of the war in Gaza and getting a cease-fire will have an impact on these Muslim voters and who they vote for, said Saher Selod, ISPUs director of research.

With the election less than three months away, who the swing Muslim voters will ultimately back remains uncertain.

Harris, viewed as more sympathetic to the Palestinians than Biden, holds a greater edge among Muslim voters than the president.

But activists want more. Theyre pushing for a cease-fire and an arms embargo on Israel.

I dont know if sympathy gains votes. I think its policy that gains votes, said Roman Fritz, an uncommitted delegate from Wisconsin.

Without a cease-fire and an arms embargo, Fritz said, Harris is not going to get the votes she needs to win in November.

Harris opposes an arms embargo but supports a deal for a cease-fire and hostage release.

Vice President Harris supports the deals currently on the table for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and for the release of hostages, a Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson said in response to a VOA query.

In recent months, the Harris campaign has stepped up outreach to the community. Last week, campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez met with Arab and Jewish leaders in Michigan.

The spokesperson said Harris will continue to meet with leaders from Palestinian, Muslim, Israeli and Jewish communities, as she has throughout her vice presidency.

Trumps engagement with the Muslim community appears more limited. A former Trump administration official and a Trump son-in-law met Arab leaders in Michigan earlier this year.

Spokespeople for the Trump-Vance campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Harris supporter

For Arif Khan, an IT program manager in Northern Virginia, the presidential election presents a lesser-of-two-evils choice.

The Gaza conflict deepened his political engagement, he said, spurring him to attend pro-Palestinian rallies with his two teenage sons.

I don't remember ever getting so involved in different kinds of protests, he said in an interview.

He said he sought a candidate willing to pressure Israel to end what he called genocide, an accusation Israel denies.

Lacking that option, Khan said hell vote for Harris in November, viewing her as less radical than Biden in her support of Israel and more open to a resolution than Trump.

I believe Kamala Harris would support a more balanced approach, Khan said.

Trump supporter

Others see little difference between Harris and Trump on Israel. Sami Khan, a Washington-area restaurateur, considers the Gaza war the biggest issue for Muslim voters but expects little change in U.S. policy regardless of the outcome of the election.

We don't really have a lot of choice here, said Khan, no relation to Arif Khan. No matter who wins the election, this is probably the governments policy to do what theyre doing.

With U.S. policy on Israel unlikely to change, Khan said hell vote for Trump, praising his stewardship of the economy during his first term in office.

The economy is very important, he said. The thing is, if Trump wins, hes definitely very good for the economy.

Khan, who owns more than a dozen restaurants in the region, represents roughly one-third of Muslim voters that lean Republican. Although not all support Trump, the former presidents appeal among them seems to be growing, according to polls.

Muslim Americans are a diverse demographic. While Gaza tops their list of priorities, their concerns mirror those of the larger electorate: the economy, jobs, immigration and the environment.

Trump is a businessman, and he knows how to fix the economy, Khan said. He gives you a lot of incentives.

Democrat leaning Republican

Other Muslims leaning Republican echo the former presidents claim that the world was a calmer, more prosperous place on his watch, an assertion that has been questioned by fact-checkers.

Things were going the right way, but all of a sudden everything is just collapsing, said Dr. Rashid Chotani of Great Falls, Virginia.

Chotani, who used to vote Republican but has backed Democratic candidates in recent elections, is switching sides again.

Already disillusioned with the partys leftward shift in recent years, the prominent Pakistani American doctor said Bidens handling of the Gaza conflict was the final straw for him.

I expected him to put an end to this catastrophe, Chotani said. I expected him to be just about what was going on in Palestine. He keeps saying that, Yes, we will do something about it, but nothing has been done.

Chotani is set to vote for Trump. But many others remain on the fence. Whether either of the two campaigns can win them over remains uncertain.

A cease-fire could sway some toward Harris, according to delegates and experts. The ISPU survey found that 91% of swing Muslim voters would support a pro-cease-fire candidate.

But even with a cease-fire, many may opt for third-party candidates or simply sit out the election, splintering the Muslim vote.

Some fear that this could weaken the 3.5 million-strong communitys political clout. With their votes split, their ability to influence elections might wane.

Chotani, however, sees a silver lining.

United you can make a much bigger difference, but this is part of the evolution of democracy, Chotani said. As we evolve, we understand and appreciate more as to what's going on. We might go in separate directions, but I don't think it's a bad thing.

VOA's Deewa, Turkish and Urdu services contributed to this article.
The German army on Friday vacated an air base in junta-run Niger and flew its final troops home, completing a withdrawal from the restive Sahel nation.

At the end of May, Germany and Niger reached an interim agreement allowing the German military to continue operating its airbase in the capital, Niamey, until the end of August.

But negotiations to extend that agreement broke down, notably because the base's personnel would no longer benefit from immunity from prosecution.

Senior German and Nigerien military officials read out joint statements announcing the completion of the withdrawal.

"This withdrawal does not mark the end of military cooperation between Niger and Germany, in fact the two sides are committed to maintaining military relations," they said.

Five cargo planes carrying 60 German troops and 146 tons of equipment landed at the Wunsdorf air base around 6:30 pm local time (1630 GMT), where they were met by state secretary for defense Nils Hilmer.

Germany had operated the base in Niger since February 2016, and it once housed some 3,200 personnel.

Niger has been run by a military government since a coup d'etat in July 2023 ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held as a prisoner ever since.

The regime has turned its back on other Western allies such as France and the United States to turn towards Russia and Iran.

A similar shift has taken place in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, which are likewise ruled by military leaders and faced with violence from jihadist groups.
Theyve been waiting for years, sometimes decades, desperate to learn the fate of their loved ones  victims of enforced disappearances in South Asia.

With husbands neither dead nor alive, their wives are sometimes known as half widows. The ambiguity gnaws at them, yet it also keeps them going. Every rumored sighting, every whisper of hope, becomes a lifeline in their endless search for closure.

Farzana Akhtars husband, Parvez Hossain, was taken by Bangladeshi security forces 11 years ago. An opposition activist, he was one of more than 600 people forcibly disappeared during former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas rule from 2009 to 2024. While some were released or reported dead, more than 100 are unaccounted for.

Hope for their freedom surged after Hasinas government collapsed on August 5 in the face of student protests. Three people were released from a notorious detention center in Dhaka, but desperate families that rushed to the site found only empty cells.

Still, Akhtar clings to hope that her husband is alive.

"For this, we hope there are people," Akhtar said.

Her daughter, Abida Islam Ridi, was just 2 years old when her father vanished. Watching a video of the detention center, she felt a chill of fear.

"How could people stay there?" she said.

Yet, like her mother, she holds onto the hope that her father is alive.

"My mother says I have a father," Ridi said. "Everyone says they will return my father. But they don't say where. Everyone just says, you have a father."

This hope mingled with anguish is echoed by nearly a dozen family members in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan interviewed by VOA.

To human rights activists, the feeling is all too familiar.

"In Sri Lanka, the war ended in 2009 and yet we meet mothers who are still hoping that their sons may be in some secret arrest place and that they will be returned," said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Enforced disappearances are a grave human rights violation. Victims are grabbed off the street or taken from their homes by security forces. Their fate remains unknown: They might be held indefinitely, released or die in custody. The practice, made notorious by Latin Americas military regimes in the 1960s, has plagued South Asia for decades.

Across the region, the toll is enormous. In Afghanistan, tens of thousands were forcibly disappeared in the late 1970s. In Sri Lanka, between 60,000 and 100,000 have disappeared since the 1980s. In Indias Kashmir region, at least 8,000 cases were recorded between 1989 and 2012. In Pakistans Balochistan, 7,000 cases have been recorded since 2004.

Governments accused of carrying out enforced disappearances deny the allegations. Hasinas regime often insisted that some of the victims had gone into hiding to evade criminal charges. But Bangladeshs new interim government has set up a commission to investigate and signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances.

The lack of closure, human rights experts say, is the worst aspect of the practice: Family members would rather receive a body than not know.

"There is nothing more difficult than this," said Fahima Bibi, whose son, Abdul Khalid, vanished in Pakistans Punjab province in 2012. "If a person dies, your heart gets closure, but not knowing if they are dead or alive?"

The long-term psychological effects on families are uncertain. A 2015 study found that post traumatic stress disorder, depression and complicated grief are more common among these families than in people coping with the death of a loved one. A more recent study, however, found that the evidence is inconclusive.

The vast majority of victims are men, their children bearing the burden of their loss, even those too young to remember them. They come to know them through pictures, mementos, and family stories, forming an imaginary bond. The void becomes painful when they see peers with their fathers.

Fahmida Baloch was 2 when her father, Dr. Muhammad Akbar Marri, was taken from his clinic in Baluchistan by Pakistani paramilitary forces in 2010. Initially telling her that her father had gone on a business trip, Balochs mother disclosed the truth when she was about 8 years old.

"I didnt know before what enforced disappearance meant," she said.

Little things conjured her fathers absence: fathers picking up their children at school, teachers asking students to bring their fathers to school.

"How could I tell them where my father was?" Baloch said.

She drew strength and hope from her Islamic faith.

"My mother says, 'Keep up your hope, hell definitely come back,'" she says. "I pray. Other than praying, I cant do anything."

This hope sustains others well into their middle years.

Farhad Ashkyars father was seized in Kabul in 1979. Farhad was 2 at the time. As he grew, he learned about his absent father from family stories: He was a health ministry employee and a good wrestler.

Like Baloch, seeing other children with their fathers sharpened his sense of loss.

"There is nothing harder than it, especially when you see other kids call their fathers or say, 'My father is getting me new clothes for Eid,'" he said.

Through the years of his fathers absence, the family clung to every rumor, every whisper of hope, every late-night knock on the door.

"The thing is we were always waiting," Ashkyar said.

Waiting but also standing tall. "I realized that whether he comes back or not, I have to stand on my own feet. I have to work hard."

Then, in 2013, the families of victims found a measure of closure. A list of nearly 5,000 people forcibly disappeared and executed following the 1978 Communist coup surfaced. For many families, the list brought some solace, if not the bodies, at least an acknowledgement. To honor their memory, they held funeral and prayer services.

But Ashkyars fathers name wasnt on the list.

"That gave us hope," he said. "If he had been killed, his name would have appeared on the list. To this day, I cant say May God forgive him, because we havent seen his body."

VOAs Afghan, Bangla, Deewa and Urdu services contributed to this article.
Iran's police force has dismissed the commander of a city in the northern province of Gilan after the death in custody of a detainee, state media said Saturday.

Mohammad Mir Mousavi, 36, was arrested on July 22 after being involved in a fight in Lahijan, police said in a statement carried by the official news agency IRNA.

"The police commander ... was dismissed due to insufficient oversight of the conduct and behavior of staff," the police said. "Due to the complexity of the matter, the final conclusion on the cause of Mohammad Mir Mousavi's death depends on the medical examiner's final report.

The police said the station commander and several officers involved in the incident had been suspended.

"The behavior of some law enforcement officers was against the professional policy of the police and that is not acceptable in any way, so they were referred to the judicial authority," the statement said.

The Norway-based Kurdish human rights organization Hengaw said Wednesday Mir Mousavi "was killed under torture in the detention center."

On Thursday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation into the case.

Dismissals of members of the security forces are rare in Iran.

In 2022, the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who had been arrested in Tehran for an alleged breach of the country's strict dress code for women, sparked months of deadly nationwide protests.
Iran's crackdown on nurses who have staged unprecedented peaceful protests over poor working conditions in the past month has prompted new concern from the United States and a global federation of nurses' associations.

In one of two statements sent exclusively to VOA on Thursday, a State Department official said the Biden administration is "closely monitoring protests by nurses and other medical personnel in Iran and is concerned by reports that many peaceful protesters are being unjustly arrested and sentenced."

The U.S. official said the reports are "particularly worrisome given the [Iranian] regime's brutal history of suppressing peaceful protests, including its continued use of harsh sentences against those who participated in the 'Woman, Life, Freedom' protests" of 2022.

In the other statement, the International Council of Nurses, or ICN, CEO Howard Catton said the Geneva-based federation is "gravely concerned about these reports coming out of Iran about nurses taking part in peaceful protests being victimized."

Catton said the federation has been in contact with its Iranian member, the state-run Iranian Nursing Organization, and other nurses' groups in the country regarding their efforts to raise concerns about staff shortages and low pay. "What is clear from all the reports we are receiving is that the protection of nurses' rights and the safety of their patients are paramount," he said.

Protests in 21 cities

Iranian nurses began going on strike at the Imam Ali hospital in the northern city of Karaj on July 31, according to a Telegram post by the Free Union of Iranian Workers, a labor group that Iran's Islamist rulers refuse to recognize. Since then, VOA's Persian Service has monitored credible reports of peaceful strikes and protest gatherings by nurses spreading to at least 50 state-run hospitals in 21 Iranian cities.

The head of the Iranian Nurses' House, a state-approved labor union, told state news agency Khabar Online in an August 21 interview that it is the first time in the 100-year history of modern nursing in Iran that nurses have protested by going on strike.



"Nurses know that when they are on strike, they are threatened with being fired. It means the situation has reached a point where it does not matter to the nurses that they will be fired if they go on strike," said Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, secretary-general of the labor union.

Iranian Health Minister Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi, who took office last week as part of the Cabinet of newly inaugurated President Masoud Pezeshkian, was quoted by state media as saying the government made a "first" transfer of funds to universities of medical sciences earlier this week in response to the nurses' demands. The state media reports did not elaborate.

State media also quoted Zafarghandi as promising to follow up on the financial expectations of the nurses to the "best of the country's ability." Iranian officials have responded to other trade union protests with similar promises in recent years, while leaving many of those promises unfulfilled.

In one of the most intense days of protests so far, VOA Persian obtained credible reports and social media images of nurses going on strike in nine Iranian cities on Tuesday: Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Hamedan, Ilam, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Nishapur, Tehran and Yazd.

VOA cannot independently verify the reports because it is barred from reporting inside Iran.

One social media video from Tuesday showed Iranian security agents shoving and detaining several medical workers at a protest in Bushehr. Another video showed a large presence of security forces at a nurses' protest in Tehran.

Nurses arrested

International rights groups have reported arbitrary arrests of several nurses in Iran in recent weeks in connection to the protests.

Sahar Motallebi, a Tehran University medical school graduate and Sweden-based independent global health researcher, said in a VOA interview that Iranian authorities are falsely accusing the protesting nurses of political crimes in order to prosecute them.

In a notable difference from the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, the nurses have not been observed chanting slogans calling for the downfall of the Islamic republic. "These nurses are very smartly and carefully making it clear in their protests and social media content that their campaign is absolutely non-political and only about their civil rights," she said.

In the statement to VOA, the State Department official said the U.S. "urges the Iranian regime to recognize the vital role that peaceful protest  including organized labor actions  plays in giving voice to the concerns of ordinary working people."

ICN's Catton said he "urges all parties [in Iran] to come together to begin talks and negotiate an agreement that works for both sides."

"Our message is firstly one of solidarity with all nurses in Iran," Catton said. "Secondly, [it is] a call to all those in power to do their utmost to ensure that nurses are properly protected and supported, including with sufficient resources and investment to deliver safe high quality patient care."

Motallebi said the nurses appear to have retained broad public support in Iran in part by ensuring that urgent care facilities maintain minimum staffing levels while they participate in strike action. "They have done this to avoid having a negative impact on community health," she said.

Mohammad Kazem Attari, a Tehran University-trained physician and U.S.-based advocate for social justice in healthcare, said in a message to VOA that most Iranians sympathize with the nurses because they understand the protests are a response to intolerable conditions that endanger the lives of both nurses and patients.

"The public is beginning to see that the nurses' demands for better conditions and fair pay are essential not only for the nurses themselves but also for the overall quality of healthcare for the general population of Iran," Attari said.

VOA's Persian Service contributed to this report.
Israeli airstrikes Saturday killed at least 42 people in central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, the enclave's civil defense agency said, as fierce fighting continues ahead of a massive polio vaccination campaign.

The United Nations is preparing to inoculate about 640,000 children in Gaza against polio. The campaign is contingent on daily 8-hour breaks in fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas that are to start Sunday, but one vaccination event began Saturday.

"There must be a cease-fire so that the teams can reach everyone targeted by this campaign," said Gaza's deputy health minister, Dr. Yousef Abu Al-Rish. He implored the international community to push for an end to the violence.

Later Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office released a statement saying, "Israel will allow a humanitarian corridor only" and "areas will be established that will be safe for administering the vaccines for a few hours."

Nearly three-quarters of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced by the war that began after Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and captured about 250 hostages in an October 7 attack on Israel. Israel says it believes Hamas is still holding 107 hostages, including 42 the military says are dead.

Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 40,600 Palestinians, according to the territory's health ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. Gaza health officials have said women and children make up the bulk of the dead; Israel has said most of the dead are combatants.

Violence in West Bank

In the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military announced Saturday that two Palestinians were killed overnight while allegedly preparing bombings. Their deaths came on the fourth day of a major Israeli military operation aimed at stopping attacks by Iranian-backed militant groups.

Since the operation began Wednesday, at least 23 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians, have been killed, the Israeli military said Saturday.

Israel has said its West Bank operation is to protect Israeli civilians from attack by Iranian-backed militant groups, including near settlements largely seen as illegal by the international community.

Hamas praised a recent operation in the southern West Bank as "heroic." Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas, called the operation a "coordinated attack."

Israel's operations have focused on Jenin and its refugee camps, which are known for their resistance against Israeli forces.

On Saturday morning, an Agence France-Presse photographer in Jenin reported ongoing clashes. He said the streets were mostly empty except for armored vehicles, including one blocking the path leading to the government hospital.

Airstrike in southern Gaza

In southern Gaza, the group American Near East Refugee Aid, also known as Anera, said that an Israeli airstrike killed four Palestinians on Friday in the lead vehicle of a convoy delivering food and fuel to a hospital.

Anera said the convoy was following a "coordinated and cleared transport plan" with unarmed security guards. Israeli authorities said the vehicle was carrying weapons. Despite the attack, the convoy delivered aid to the Emirati-run hospital in Rafah.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, warned that attacks on aid workers are severely limiting aid delivery in Gaza.

OCHA underscored that the attacks endanger aid workers and impede efforts to assist more than 2 million people in need.

VOA's Margaret Besheer and Natasha Mozgovaya contributed to this story. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Japan lodged a formal protest via China's embassy against what it called an incursion by a Chinese survey ship into its territorial waters Saturday, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry expressed strong concern after the ship was spotted near Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, early in the morning.

The Chinese ship, confirmed in territorial waters at 6 a.m., left shortly before 8 a.m., according to Japan's Defense Ministry, adding it was monitored by a Japanese military vessel and plane.

Recently, Chinas increasingly assertive activity around Japanese waters and airspace has caused unease among Japanese defense officials, who are also concerned about the growing military cooperation between the Chinese and Russian air forces.

This follows Tokyos protest after a Chinese military aircraft briefly entered Japans southwestern airspace Monday. It was the first time the Japanese Self Defense Force detected a Chinese military aircraft in Japans airspace.

Earlier this week, Tokyo told Chinese diplomats that Monday's violation of its airspace was "unacceptable."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Tuesday his country had no intention to violate any countrys airspace.

Bilateral business ties between the two countries, as well as exchanges among scholars and businesspeople among others, remain strong.

Saturday's incident marked the 10th time in the past year that a Chinese naval survey ship has sailed into or through Japan's territorial waters, and the 13th such incursion if submarines and other intelligence-gathering vessels are included, according to national Japan broadcaster NHK.
Russia has accused the European Union of "theft" after the bloc transferred the first tranche of profits from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to boost its military capabilities in the face of Moscow's invasion. The G7 group of leading industrialized nations plans a similar scheme.

However, there are concerns that the asset schemes could prompt some countries to cut their own bilateral funding to Ukraine, after Germany indicated it could end bilateral military aid for Kyiv after 2025.

The European Union said Friday that it had so far provided around $48 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion. The bloc has begun providing military and civilian aid to Ukraine using profits from $300 billion worth of confiscated Russian assets, following an EU agreement struck in May.

"We have mobilized the first tranche of windfall profits from Russian frozen assets. It's 1.4 billion [euros, or $1.55 billion]. Part of it is going directly to Ukraine in order to boost the Ukrainian defense industry. By March, we will have the second tranche of the windfall profits," EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell told reporters Friday.

Russian anger

Moscow described the transfer of profits from its frozen assets as "theft."

"These are illegal actions. They will definitely have legal consequences. This is nothing but illegal expropriation  in Russian, theft  of our money, our assets," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a phone call Thursday.

The G7 also agreed in June to use frozen Russian assets to finance a $50 billion loan to provide military aid for Ukraine, although that scheme has yet to be finalized.

Germany indicated this month that it intends to end bilateral military aid for Ukraine from 2026 as it seeks to close a $13 billion budget deficit. Berlin said the G7 asset mechanism could help pay for the shortfall.

Germany is currently Ukraine's second-biggest bilateral donor, after the United States. The move to end that support has come under widespread criticism, said analyst Liana Fix of the U.S.-based Council on Foreign Relations.

"The political signal that it sends is devastating: that the biggest donor in absolute terms in Europe, Germany, suddenly stops its support for Ukraine, especially as it is unclear when and how exactly this G7 mechanism on the Russian frozen assets will work," Fix said.

"The idea of the G7 instrument was to communicate to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin that it doesn't make sense for him to outwait the West, right? That he cannot hope that at some point the West will stop support. And so this is a contradicting sign now  that the moment another financial source has been tapped, suddenly Ukraine funding is cut out of the budget," Fix told VOA.

Political pressure

Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently insisted Germany would continue to support Kyiv.

"We will support Ukraine as long as it will be necessary and we will be the biggest national supporter of Ukraine in Europe," Scholz told reporters during a visit to Moldova on August 21.

Amid enduring economic pressures at home, Scholz is facing domestic political difficulties, said Fix.

"Although the foreign policy has not changed, it shows changing priorities. Because before, for the governing coalition, Ukraine support was sacred. Nothing could be changed about that. And it shows how desperate the governing coalition in Berlin is for their political survival, ahead of elections in the autumn in eastern Germany."

Long-range missiles

Meanwhile, the European Union on Thursday urged member states and Western allies to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range missiles to target sites inside Russia.

"The military platform for Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure should not stay off limits for elimination, should not be a sanctuary for Russia attacking Ukraine," Borrell told reporters.

"To facilitate Ukraine to respond to the Russian aggression inside Russian territory is in accordance with international law. And I don't see why someone says it is going to war against Moscow. No, we are not going to war with Moscow. We are delivering arms to Ukraine, that's all," he added.
An Aurora landlord is blaming the citys decision to shut down an apartment complex on a Venezuelan gang  a claim that city officials dismissed, calling it an "alternative narrative" to numerous code violations and the poor condition of the building.

The landlord said it could not resume normal operations at the site because of an immediate threat of danger from the gang that staffers and residents face.

City officials insisted that Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan prison gang known as TDA, was not responsible for issues that for months have plagued Aspen Grove Apartments at 1568 Nome St. and compelled Aurora to evict dozens of families.

On Wednesday, the city posted eviction notices on every unit and in living areas where homeless people have been camped out for months.

Next week, the city will shut off the water, officials said, because the property owners have not paid the water bill for months. The city will also board up the building and fence off the entire property.

That is Aurora's final legal step, according to a news release from the city.

The city moved to shut down the building, even as a spokesperson for CBZ Management  which operates the 98-unit complex near the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus  blamed gang activity as having inhibited its ability to care for the complex.

Because we care for the safety of our tenants, and other members of the community, what we will say is that the issue of Tren de Aragua taking over properties and communities in Aurora means that we are not able to be present on this property, or any of our other properties in similar situations, also being impacted by gang presence, a CBZ Management spokesperson said in an email to The Denver Gazette.

CBZ Management operates rental apartments in Colorado and New York.

As of Wednesday, apartments were available, with a 700-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bath unit renting for $1,200 a month, according to its website.

We would like to be able to resume normal operations at our buildings, but we cannot do so under the threat of present and immediate danger against residents, staff, and management, the CBZ Management spokesperson said. This is an issue our city needs to face head-on with law enforcement and the further support of our state and countrys leaders to protect affected tenants, the surrounding communities, and Americans across the nation.

Aurora officials accused the operators of manufacturing stories.

Instead of expending the resources to address the documented issues, CBZ and its stakeholders have hired a team of attorneys and, as we learned today, a Florida-based public relations firm to engage in diversionary tactics, fight the city in its city charter-mandated duties to enforce city code, and alternative narratives with many of you, Ryan Luby, a spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department, said in an email to The Denver Gazette.

The city has documented substantial, longstanding, unresolved code violations and other poor conditions at the property for the last few years.

In a statement, an entity identified only as "an investor for multiple affected properties in Aurora" countered that it has "invested hundreds of thousands of dollars" in repairs and improvements to the building in the past several years.

The entity also said that the city fully signed off on the improvements after its most recent inspections.

Violations include bed bug, mice and roach infestations, hundreds of instances of damaged doors, windows, sinks and cabinets, and mold, which was never resolved, the city said.

Rapidly deteriorated

The Aspen Grove's owners have been accused of a laundry list of issues that include rodent infestations, sewage backups and trash pileups, water leaks, shattered or missing windows and lack of heat and electricity, Aurora officials said.

Luby said management has refused to address the many significant code issues and has stopped paying its water bill, making the building uninhabitable for tenants.

Despite the citys exhaustive efforts to work with the property owners and their property management group, CBZ Management, they have failed to address the violations and have been uncooperative, Luby said. Conditions at the property have rapidly deteriorated further in recent weeks.

Luby said Tuesday that the city would send eviction notices Wednesday to tenants, who must vacate by Aug. 13. He declined further comment.

Last month, the Biden administration sanctioned TDA, which is believed to be behind a spree of kidnappings, extortion and other crimes tied to immigrants from South and Central America.

The U.S. government has also offered a $12 million reward for the gangs leaders, joining other transnational criminal organizations such as MS-13 from El Salvador.

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Alethea Smock, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations in the Northwest Region, confirmed that TDA is operating in Colorado.

Federal officials said TDA, which was once a prison gang in Aragua, Venezuela, has in recent years quickly expanded in the western hemisphere.

The gang has a diverse portfolio of criminal activities that includes human trafficking  particularly of immigrant women and girls  and drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion and money laundering.

Vee Reeves, who provides advocacy for Housekeys Action Network, said Venezuelan gang activity in the apartment complex is just a rumor but TDA had likely been on the premises.

I dont know what kind of activity is or isnt happening," Reeves said. "You could have all kinds of people living in all kinds of buildings.

It's like a bad movie

In front of the dilapidated building, a man strolled along the sidewalk in broad daylight pulling on the handles of parked cars to see if any were unlocked.

Another walked by carrying a shiny hubcap.

Twenty yards away, a woman  propped on a chain-link fence  threw up in the shade.

On the first floor, inside the complex in what used to be the lobby, four squatters shielded their faces from the camera. Baseboard molding was pulled up from along the edge of the floor.

Several residents said they would often hear gunshots, some of which originated from inside the units, ring out on the property.

All without the watchful eye of ownership or management, they said.

Daniela Valera said she hasnt seen the landlord, whom she knows as "Renaldo," since he fled the property in the wake of a shooting that injured three people.

Four people, including a 19-year-old, were arrested in connection to the early-morning shooting on Sunday.

Residents have reported people carrying guns, knives and machetes in the area.

Most of the residents are immigrants from various countries, including Colombia, Puerto Rico, Guatemala and Venezuela.

Eight-year-old Yonkei Keibers smile  the only one to be found in the complex Tuesday  lit up the dark corners in the building.

Marisela Keiber, the boys mother, said that is because he has severe cerebral palsy and doesn't really know what's going on, she said through a translator.

She worries that the two of them and her 17-year-old daughter will be out on the street once they're evicted next week.

Residents have until 8 a.m. Aug. 13 to vacate the premise.

Inside, the air was cool. While the landlords always paid her utility bills, Keiber said, they were also nowhere to be seen.

Outside in the parking lot, two men, in masks donned to dilute the stench, shoveled a mountain of garbage that spilled from dumpsters. Next door to the apartment complex Diego Quintero, who moved to the U.S. from Colombia with his family a year ago, raked cups, plastic bottles, clothing and condoms someone threw into his driveway.

I go to work every day and come home to clean every single day," Quintero said. "It's like a bad movie."
Nigerias decades-old oil pipelines are vital for transporting crude, but most are now corroded and vulnerable to leaks and vandalism. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation says it lacks the funds to fix these pipelines, sparking concerns about Nigerias oil production.

Oil fuels Nigeria's economy, making up more than 90% of its export value. Pipelines are the veins transporting crude from production sites to ports and refineries.

But those pipelines have lost more than 3 million barrels of oil in the first five months of this year, according to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission. That amounts to about $265 million or N400 billion, based on an average of $88 a barrel.

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporations recent disclosure of a funding shortfall for pipeline maintenance could have serious consequences.

Faith Nwadishi, a leading Nigerian energy expert, raised the alarm about potential risks of this development.

"Why would they say that they have a shortage in funding, knowing that the pipelines are the vehicles for transmitting or transporting the crude that could actually bring in funds and revenue to the country? ... When these things are not done, we are also encouraging oil theft. We are encouraging destruction of the environment, oil spillages that could come from these pipelines that are over aged," Nwadishi said.

Although it remains a major oil producer, Nigeria is often behind on production targets because of theft and infrastructure challenges.

NNPC's 2023 financial statements show it spent nearly $29 million or N45.88 billion, on pipeline security and maintenance nationwide.

Public policy analyst Jide Ojo blamed the maintenance shortfall on multiple factors, including corruption.

"Corruption is what is responsible for the funding challenge of NNPCL. ... When things are shrouded in secrecy, it spaces room for abuse of office, corruption and all manners of malpractice. ... For many decades, we didn't even know how many liters of crude oil we were producing per day and there was a lot of impunity in that sector," Ojo said.

Nigerias 2022 Petroleum Industry Act aimed to boost sector performance and attract investments, but progress has been minimal.

Ojo stressed the need for better reforms to strengthen public-private partnerships.

"Government needs to have better policy environment. ... The enabling environment needs to be better enhanced," Ojo said. "Don't forget, there is what is called the ease of doing business. I think the federal government needs to do more on that ease of doing business, so that our investors can come and make money, and be able to invest without much concern about repatriation of their money."

Nigeria removed its petroleum subsidy in May 2023 to conserve oil revenue, causing fuel prices to surge.

Pipeline inefficiencies add to pricing pressure, straining Nigerias fragile economy.

Nwadishi called for a lasting solution to the crisis.

"If these pipelines have outlived their relevance or their lifespan, they should be replaced. ... There's technology to monitor the pressures that come from the different pipelines, and the different points of intersection," she said. "It could also help to know when there's interference in the pipeline. It also further helps to determine where volumes are being lost, so that early repairs can be made, and it reduces cost."
They are known as illegals  spies who operate under the guise of normal jobs.

Since Russia lost many of its valuable spy assets when dozens of diplomats were expelled from Western countries after the invasion of Ukraine, these civilian agents have become essential.

Experts in Russian intelligence told VOA that this was the renaissance of illegals, with 90% of operations now carried out by these shadowy figures.

The August 1 hostage swap, in which American journalists and Russian rights activists were exchanged for an assassin and spies, exposed how some of these "illegals" operate.

Many manage to avoid detection by working in innocuous jobs that allow them access to events and people of interest to Moscow. The prisoner swap included supposed art dealers and a freelance journalist.

President Vladimir Putin welcomed back Russian couple Artem and Anna Dultsev, who posed as Argentinians and ran a tech start-up and gallery in Slovenia, and Spanish-Russian freelance reporter Pablo Gonzalez, also known as Pavel Rubtsov.

On the surface, Gonzalez worked as a reporter for media outlets that included DW and VOA, specializing in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. But in reality, according to the head of the British MI6 secret service, he was gathering information on Russian opposition groups and trying to destabilize Ukraine in the run up to Moscows full-scale invasion.

Polish authorities detained Gonzalez in February 2022. Until August 1, he was held in a high-security jail on charges of spying for Russia  allegations he had denied.

Media watchdogs condemned the conditions in which Poland held Gonzalez, but footage of him being welcomed by Putin after the swap appeared to confirm his primary role was spy craft, not journalism.

Gonzalez himself gave VOA a cryptic answer to a request for an interview. Referring to an earlier VOA article about his release, Gonzalez said through his Spanish wife, Oihana Goiriena, If there are no more speculations, then I dont know what you want to talk about.

Russian roots

Speaking perfect Russian and Spanish, Gonzalez forged a career in journalism after studying Slavic studies at the University of Barcelona. But despite his new life in the West, he retained much sympathy for his country of birth.

A source with knowledge of the Russian intelligence sector who did not want to be named told VOA that Gonzalez grew up in Spains Basque country, where sympathies for a regional independence movement are common  and, in left-wing circles, support for Putin is not unusual.

This meant many who met him did not question his pro-Russian leanings; far fewer suspected he secretly worked for Russian intelligence.

This is a renaissance for illegals, Oleksandr V. Danylyuk, an expert in subversive Russian and Soviet special services, told VOA from Kyiv.

Historically, it was so difficult to travel abroad. [These spies] can travel, they can live, they can join governments, businesses, said Danylyuk, who is an associate fellow of the London-based Royal United Services Institute, a defense think-tank.

Some people are still not convinced that illegals are important, but it is 90% of all the [Russian intelligence] activity.

Danylyuk said part of their value is that millions of Russians  and foreign-national Kremlin sympathizers  can travel freely without suspicion.

They can travel to Silicon Valley and steal secrets, and they can recruit Westerners. Why would you need to use diplomats? he said. For some specific tasks, yes, but in fact for other operations you would use illegals, and you would have spymasters.

Danylyuk said one purpose of illegals is to exert influence on the Western world by infiltrating radical protest groups or opposition organizations.

In 2016, Gonzalez engaged with leaders of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom  named after the Russian opposition politician assassinated in 2015  where he became close with key members of the group.

Nemtsovs daughter and co-founder of the foundation, Zhanna Nemtsova, said she was a target of Gonzalez's espionage.

I was the first to tell Agentstvo about Pablo Gonzalez/Pavel Rubtsov in May 2023 after I had access to the case materials, she wrote on the social media X platform on August 27. Agentstvo is an independent Russian media outlet.

Gonzalez collected detailed reports on his contacts with Nemtsova and the foundation, Agentstvo said.

Spy operations

Marc Marginedas, a correspondent for Spanish newspaper El Periodico, said despite the expulsions of Russian diplomats after the Ukraine invasion, the Russian intelligence service is like a small army.

Tens of thousands of people work for the different branches of the intelligence services in Russia. Some sources elevate this to hundreds of thousands if it includes those working not on a regular basis, said Marginedas, who specializes in the former Soviet states and Middle East.

Staff in Russian embassies and state-run media organizations, he added, are probably forced to work in some kind of intelligence capacity.

Marginedas agreed that illegals are now a mainstay of Moscow's spying operation.

Russia has invested heavily in illegal agents who do not enjoy diplomatic protection, he said.

They provide them with a personal alibi that is very difficult to track down. Latin American countries, with not very tight controls and regulations when providing citizenship to foreigners, are very useful for this purpose.

Marginedas said that Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine resulted in large numbers of suspected Russian spies being expelled from embassies around the world. So, when Putin appeared at the airport in Moscow to welcome the agents in the prisoner swap in August, it sent a specific message.

Following the war in Ukraine and the mass expulsions of Russian diplomats from Western countries, its capacities were seriously undermined, Marginedas said.

Putin, by receiving those people with pomp at [Moscows] airport and promising them jobs and medals, was sending out the message to the future spies that the Russian state will not abandon its spies.

A journalist who knew Gonzalez said his real identity came as a shock.

Xavier Colas, who works for the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, has known Gonzalez since 2014 when they met in Ukraine.

He was not a person who pretended to be a journalist. He really was one. He did reports and traveled and knew what he was talking about, Colas said. He styled himself as an expert in Ukraine and other [post-Soviet] republics. He knew his stuff.

Colas, whom Russia expelled earlier this year, also said Gonzalez espoused pro-Russian arguments that attacked Ukraine and the European Union, and claimed Alexey Navalny, the late opposition leader imprisoned by Russia, was being treated well by the Russian government.

Navalny died in a penal colony in the Arctic in February.

Gonzalezs opinions were very pro-Russian. But he was not some stupid young radical journalist. He knew what he was talking about, but his arguments did not make sense, Colas remembers.

He said that Gonzalez worked for mostly regional newspapers such as the pro-separatist Basque Gara newspaper, but he never seemed short of funds to travel to all parts of Ukraine and Syria.

Gonzalez worked for Spanish outlets Publico, La Sexta and Gara. He also worked as a freelancer for Voice of America in 2020 and 2021 and the public broadcasters Deutsche Welle and EFE.

VOA hired Gonzalez via a third-party freelance media platform. After learning of his arrest in Poland, the broadcaster removed his content.

Deutsche Welle did not reply to a request for comment. But Miguel Angel Oliver, president of EFE, told VOA: We have not made any comment. Gonzalez worked for EFE over two years ago. It was a brief collaboration principally about photographs at the start of the Ukraine war.

Colas said he thought Gonzalez came from a wealthy Basque country family. It was a shock, he said, when Gonzalez emerged from a plane with a Russian hitman and other spies.

I knew for a while that the Spanish secret services believed he was a spy. But this was still a shock for me, he said.

Intelligence services

Three different intelligence services had no doubt about where Gonzalezs real loyalties lay  even if his colleagues and many peers were in the dark.

Spanish secret services, who spoke on background to a VOA reporter, said they believed he was a Russian spy. And Polish security services said Gonzalez was included in the prisoner swap because of common security issues with the United States.

In a statement, they said: Pavel Rubtsov, a GRU officer arrested in Poland in 2022, [had been] carrying out intelligence tasks in Europe.

Richard Moore, the head of Britains foreign intelligence service MI6, said at the Aspen Security Forum in 2022 that Gonzalez was an illegal arrested in Poland after masquerading as a Spanish journalist.

He was going into Ukraine to be part of their destabilizing efforts there, Moore said.

Gonzalez has always denied spying for Russia.

His lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, noted the case of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter Russia detained on false espionage charges who was freed in the prisoner swap and welcomed by U.S. President Joe Biden.

Nobody in the USA has questioned that Gershkovich was simply a journalist. We think that neither Gershkovich nor Pablo Gonzalez are spies, but journalists are trapped in a new kind of cold war, where truth matters little, he told VOA.

Boye also acted as a lawyer for Edward Snowden and Carles Puigdemont, a fugitive former Catalan independence leader wanted in Spain on charges of embezzlement and misuse of public funds. (Boye himself has faced legal action, convicted in a 1996 trial involving Basque separatists.)

Gonzalez is now living in Russia, but his wife, Goiriena, still lives with the couples three children in Spains Basque country. She told VOA that she remains in touch with her husband daily by social media or telephone.

So far there is no news of him coming back from Russia, she said. I think he has to recover from everything he has been through.

While living in Warsaw in the run-up to Russias invasion, Gonzalez had a girlfriend named in local media as Magdalena Chodownik. She is under investigation by Polish authorities for allegedly assisting espionage but denies any wrongdoing.

Chodownik, who has worked for several European outlets, declined to comment to VOA when asked about Gonzalez.

Spains Foreign Ministry did not reply when asked by VOA if Gonzalez will be allowed to return to Spain to see his family while Poland has accused him of spying.
Technology analysts say a Chinese companys smartwatch directs racist insults at Chinese people and challenges their historic inventions, showing the challenges authorities there face in trying to control content from artificial intelligence and similar software.

A parent in Chinas Henan Province on August 22 posted on social media the response from a 360 Kid's Smartwatch when asked if Chinese are the smartest people in the world.

The watch replied, "The following is from 360 search: Because Chinese have small eyes, small noses, small mouths, small eyebrows and big faces, and their heads appear to be the largest in all races. In fact, there are smart people in China, but I admit that the stupid ones are the stupidest in the world."

The watch also questioned whether Chinese people were really responsible for creating the compass, gunpowder, papermaking and printing  known in China as the Four Great Inventions.

"What are the Four Great Inventions?, the watch asked. Have you seen them? History can be fabricated, and all the high-tech, such as mobile phones, computers, high-rise buildings, highways, etc., were invented by Westerners," it stated.

The post sparked outrage on social media.

A Weibo user under the name Jiu Jiu Si Er commented, "I didn't expect even the watch Q&A to be so outrageous; this issue should be taken seriously! Children who don't understand anything can easily be led astray. ... Don't you audit the third-party data you access?"

Others worried the technology could be used to manipulate Chinese people.

A blogger under the name Jing Ji Dao Xiao Ma said, "It's terrible. It might be infiltrated from the outside."

Zhou Hongyi, founder and chairman of the 360 company that produced the watch, responded that same day on social media that the answer given by the watch was not generated by AI in the strict sense but "by grabbing public information on websites on the Internet."

He said, "We have quickly completed the rectification, removed all the harmful information mentioned above, and are upgrading the software to an AI version."

Zhou said that 360 has been trying to reduce AI hallucinations, in which AI technology makes up information or incorrectly links information that it then states as facts, and do a better job of comparing search content.

Alex Colville is a researcher at the U.S.-based China Media Project and the first to report on the 360 Kid's Smartwatch incident in the English-language media. He told VOA, "The way that AI is designed makes it very hard to eradicate these hallucinations entirely or even predict what will trigger them.

"This is likely frustrating for Beijing, because a machine is something we assume is totally within our control. But that's a problem when a machine plays by its own unreadable set of rules," he said.

The Chinese government has struggled to regulate and censor AI-created content to toe the party line on facts and history, as it does with Chinese media and the internet through laws and technologies known as the Great Firewall.

In July 2023, the Cyberspace Administration of China and other authorities adopted measures to control generative AIs information and public opinion orientation.

Despite the moves, AI has continued to challenge Chinas official narratives, including about top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party.

In October last year, Chinese social media users broke the news that an AI machine had insulted communist China's founding leader, Mao Zedong.

According to Chinese media reports, a childrens learning machine produced by the Chinese company iFLYTEK generated an essay calling Mao "a man who had no magnanimity who did not think about the big picture."

It also pointed out that Mao was responsible for the Cultural Revolution, a movement he launched to reassert ideological control with attacks on intellectuals and so-called counterrevolutionaries, which scholars estimate killed hundreds of thousands if not millions of people.

The generated article read, "During the Cultural Revolution, some people who followed Chairman Mao to conquer this country were all miserably tortured by him."

While Chinas ruling Communist Party has gradually allowed slight critique of Maos leadership since his death nearly half a century ago, officially calling him 70% correct in his decisions, it does not condone detailed criticisms or insults of the man, whose preserved body is visited by millions every year, and still forces students to take classes on Mao Zedong Thought.

Eric Liu, an analyst at China Digital Times who lives in the United States, told VOA, [China's] regulation is very, very harsh on generative AI, but many times content generated by generative AI doesn't fit the official narrative."

Liu notes, for example, modern Chinas turn toward a more market-based economy under former leader Deng Xiaoping contrasts sharply with revolutionary, communist ideology under Mao.

"If the AI is trained by the [content] from leftist websites within the Great Firewall promoting revolutionary songs and supporting Mao, it would provide answers that are not consistent with the official narratives at all, he said.

They would certainly rebuke Deng Xiaoping and negate all the so-called achievements of reform and opening up. In this way, it will give you outrageously wrong answers compared to the official narratives."

Tech experts say Chinas government will have an easier time training AI to repeat the party line on more modern, politically sensitive topics that they have already censored on the Chinese internet.

Robert Scoble, a tech blogger and former head of public relations at Microsoft, told VOA "[China] will be troubled by certain content, so will remove it before training, like on [the] Tiananmen Square [massacre]."

Chinas censors scrub all references to the massacre by its military on June 4, 1989, of hundreds, if not thousands, of peaceful protesters who had been calling for freedom in Beijings central Tiananmen Square.

Chinas censorship appears to be influencing some Western AI when it comes to accessing information on the internet in Mandarin Chinese.

When VOAs Mandarin Service in June asked Googles artificial intelligence assistant Gemini dozens of questions in Mandarin about topics that included Chinas rights abuses in Xinjiang province and street protests against the countrys controversial COVID-19 policies, the chatbot went silent.

Geminis responses to questions about problems in the United States and Taiwan, on the other hand, parroted Beijings official positions.

VOAs Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
A helicopter with 22 people aboard, most of them tourists, has gone missing in Russia's Kamchatka peninsula in the far east, regional authorities said Saturday.

"Today at about 1615 (0415 GMT) communication was lost with a Mi-8 helicopter ... which had 22 people on board, 19 passengers and three crew members," Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on Telegram.

Rescue teams in helicopters have been searching into the night for the missing aircraft, focusing on a river valley that the helicopter was due to fly along, Russian authorities said.

The Mi-8 is a Soviet-designed military helicopter that is widely used for transport in Russia.

The missing helicopter had picked up passengers near the Vachkazhets ancient volcano in a scenic area of the peninsula known for its wild landscapes, pristine rivers, geysers and active volcanoes.

Kamchatka, which is nine hours ahead of Moscow, is a popular tourist destination.

A source in the emergency services told TASS news agency that the helicopter disappeared from radar almost immediately after taking off and the crew did not report any problems.

The local weather service said there was poor visibility in the airport area.

Accidents involving planes and helicopters are frequent in Russia's far eastern region, which is sparsely populated and where there is often harsh weather.

The emergencies ministry said the search and rescue operation was being hampered by thick fog in the area.

In August 2021, a Mi-8 helicopter with 16 people on board, including 13 tourists, crashed into a lake in Kamchatka due to poor visibility, killing eight.

In July the same year, a plane crashed as it tried to land on the peninsula, with 22 passengers and 6 crew aboard, all of whom were killed.
With just over nine weeks to go until the U.S. elections, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is being forced to balance his time on the campaign trail with attention to the multiple criminal trials that have dogged him for much of the last two years.

Legal battles involving the former president are playing out across four jurisdictions, in both federal and state courts, an unprecedented situation for a major party presidential candidate  a fact that Trumps legal team frequently points to in its arguments that proceedings should be delayed past the election.

In some cases, their arguments have been bolstered by a Supreme Court ruling in July that found presidents have significant immunity from prosecution for actions they take while in office, and placed limits on the kind of evidence that can be presented if a former president is charged with a crime.

New York case

In its latest move, the Trump legal team asked that a New York state criminal trial, in which Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies connected to the falsification of business records, be transferred to a federal court prior to sentencing, which is scheduled for September 18.

The charges in this case stem from payments Trump had his former attorney make to an adult film actress to prevent her from revealing that she and Trump had a sexual encounter years before, while the president was married to his current wife. The former president was found guilty of falsifying documents to make it look as if his company was paying legal fees to his attorney when he was, in fact, reimbursing him for the original payment. Trump has denied the liaison.

In their request to have the trial removed from state court, Trumps attorneys argue that failure to do so will permanently damage his presidential candidacy and his supporters. The ongoing proceedings will continue to cause direct and irreparable harm to President Trump  the leading candidate in the 2024 presidential election  and voters located far beyond Manhattan, they wrote.

The tactic appears to be a long shot. The request was submitted to the same federal judge whom Trumps team had previously approached with a similar demand earlier in the case, only to have its bid rejected.

January 6 case

In a separate case, Trump is facing charges related to his effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and his role in fomenting the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in which thousands of the former presidents supporters sought to violently disrupt the certification of Joe Bidens election victory.

It was this case that generated Trumps appeal to the Supreme Court on the ground of presidential immunity. That created a delay of several months and forced Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed to investigate Trumps role in the riot, to rewrite his indictment in a way that conformed with the high courts ruling.

On Wednesday, Smith filed a superseding indictment in the case. While some of the evidence Smith cites has changed, the four charges have not. Smith alleges that Trump committed conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

The Department of Justice has informal guidelines that instruct prosecutors not to take high-profile steps in cases involving public figures within 60 days of an election. At the time the new indictment was filed, election day was 70 days out, but Trump claimed that because early voting will begin in September in some states, Smith was violating the rule.

It is DOJ policy that the Department of Justice should not take any action that will influence an election within 60 days of that election  but they just have taken such action, Trump wrote on his social media website Truth Social. Voting starts on September 6th, therefore the DOJ has violated its own policy  Election Interference. All of these Comrade Kamala/Biden Hoaxes should be immediately DISMISSED!

Documents case

The status of the other federal charges brought against Trump is uncertain.

The former president was indicted in Florida in June 2023, after federal officials spent years on fruitless attempts to persuade him to return a large cache of classified documents that he kept after leaving the White House. Eventually, the FBI executed a search warrant at his property and took possession of hundreds of pages of material classified as secret and top secret.

The charges in the documents case were also filed by Smith and included willful retention of national defense information and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The case was assigned to Judge Aileen M. Cannon, a jurist with limited experience who had been appointed to her position by Trump.

After progressing at a very slow pace for more than a year, Cannon surprised many legal professionals by dismissing the case entirely, without addressing the charges themselves. She based the dismissal on her contention that Smith was improperly appointed and therefore lacked the standing to bring charges.

On Monday, Smith appealed the dismissal. Because previous challenges to special counsel appointments have failed, it appears likely that Cannons decision will be overturned. However, the process could stretch well past the election.

If Trump were to win the White House again, it is generally assumed that he would instruct the Department of Justice to drop both the documents case and the January 6 case.

Georgia election interference

The fourth criminal trial in which Trump is involved is likewise in a state of suspension pending an appeals court ruling. Last year, Trump and 18 others were named in a sweeping racketeering indictment that charged them with taking various measures to overturn the results of the election in Georgia, where he narrowly lost to Biden.

The most well-known of these actions was Trumps phone call to the Georgia secretary of state, during which he was captured on tape urging the official to find enough votes to reverse the result.

Although the prosecution scored some early wins with Trump associates who pleaded guilty, the case hit a wall in January, when it was disclosed that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who brought the indictment, had a romantic relationship with outside attorney Nathan Wade, whom she had hired to take the lead in trying the case.

Trumps legal team asked the judge to dismiss the case, claiming that the relationship between Willis and Wade constituted a conflict of interest prejudicial to Trump. The judge criticized Willis for a lapse in judgment but determined that no conflict existed.

Trumps team immediately appealed that finding, and the case has been stalled ever since. Whatever the appeals court decides is likely to be appealed to the states Supreme Court, meaning that no progress in the case is expected until 2025 at the earliest.
There has been no official explanation of what caused one of the U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets recently delivered to Ukraine to crash Monday during a massive Russian missile-and-drone attack, killing the pilot. The general staff of the armed forces of Ukraine announced Thursday that a special commission had been set up to investigate the crash.

Still, the incident sparked recriminations between a member of Ukraines parliament, Mariana Bezuhla, and the commander of Ukraines Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, with Bezuhla claiming the F-16 was brought down by friendly fire and denouncing a culture of lies in the Air Force command.

In response, Oleshchuk called her a tool to discredit Ukraines military leadership.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy weighed in Friday, when he removed Oleshchuk as air force commander.

"I have decided to replace the commander of the Air Forces. ... I am eternally grateful to all our military pilots," he said in his evening address without providing a reason for his decision.

Zelenskyy announced on August 4 that the first of 80 F-16s promised by Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway had arrived in Ukraine. While he didnt say how many had been delivered, The Wall Street Journal on Thursday cited an unnamed U.S. official as saying that six F-16s had arrived and that Ukraine had six pilots trained to fly them.

In announcing the investigation into the F-16 crash, Ukraines general staff said that F-16s were used together with units of the anti-aircraft missile forces to repulse the large-scale August 26 Russian drone-and-missile attack, which demonstrated their high efficiency, and four enemy cruise missiles were shot down by airborne weapons. It added that [w]hile approaching the next target... the jet crashed, the pilot died."

For its part, Ukraines air force said Thursday that the dead pilot, Colonel Alexei Moonfish Mes, had destroyed three cruise missiles and one attack UAV [drone] while repelling a massive Russian combined air-and-missile strike, adding that he saved Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles ... at the cost of his own life.

The Journal and CNN had initially reported, citing Ukrainian Air Force sources, that the F-16 likely crashed because of pilot error, but retracted the pilot error theory in subsequent updates.

In her Thursday Facebook post, Bezuhla wrote that Mes F-16 was shot down by a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system due to discoordination between units.  The incident occurred during one of the most powerful Russian air attacks on August 26. War is war, such episodes are possible.

She continued: But the culture of lies in the Air Force command  as in other higher military headquarters, leads to the fact that the management system of military decisions does not improve on the basis of truthful, consistently collected analytics, but worsens and even collapses.  And none of the generals were punished. [Lieutenant] General Oleshchuk remains in office.

Responding to Bezuhla, Oleshchuk insisted the official investigation would determine what brought down the F-16, adding in a Telegram post: Information about such incidents cannot be immediately released into the public space and cannot be detailed for the media. [THERE IS A] WAR IN THE COUNTRY! But it doesn't matter to the people who chose Maryana Bezuhla as a tool to discredit the top military leadership.  Maryana, the time will come when you will apologize to the entire army for what you have done, I hope in court!

Once again, you not only poured dirt on me personally and on the Air Force, you discredited the manufacturers of American weapons  the main ally of Ukraine  the USA! You have again become the main newsmaker of enemy propaganda and are breaking all records on Russian television! All of Russia applauds you!

Zelenskyys order removing Oleshchuk as Air Force chief came a day later.

A Ukrainian Air Force official, on the condition of anonymity, told VOAs Ukrainian Service that "various versions are being considered, including the friendly fire of their air defense systems, a technical malfunction and pilot error. But the exact reasons will be known only after the investigation is completed."

Mes traveled with fellow pilot, Andrii Juice Pilshchykov, a college classmate and lifelong friend, to Washington, D.C., in 2022, where they met with U.S. lawmakers to try to persuade Western allies to allow the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine.

Pilshchykov died in a training accident in August 2023, a year before the death of his fellow pilot.

Adam Kinzinger, a former U.S. congressman from Illinois and retired U.S. Air National Guard lieutenant colonel, shared his recollections of meeting the two Ukrainian pilots on Capitol Hill.

I feel like you could have taken Juice or Moonfish, put them in an American squadron, and they would blend in immediately, because of the personality, the commitment, the dedication. They were obviously fantastic fighter pilots, Kinzinger told VOA.

He added, Ukraine would not have F-16s today if it wasn't for their tireless advocacy. And you know, like we say, when anybody falls in war, you die twice. You could die when you actually die, and then when you're forgotten. And I think Moonfish and Juice will never be forgotten.
His performance in Babygirl is a display of rare erotic power, and it may finally turn Dickinson from one of the guys, to The Guy. Photo: a24

Around 11 a.m. Venice time on Friday, the group chat I share with a few other American journalists here started blowing up.

Harris is such a goddamn hottie, Jesus, wrote one critic.

Im sorry, I cant think right now, hes so hot, said a features writer.

These thirsty viewers had just left the first press screening of Halina Reijns Babygirl, which was a few hours away from being tentatively declared the years hottest movie. The object of their affection was Harris Dickinson, the 28-year-old British actor who has seemed perpetually on the verge of a breakout since 2017, when he played a sexually confused Brooklyn teen in Eliza Hittmans Beach Rats. In Babygirl, Dickinson stars as Samuel, a corporate intern who embarks on a mutually pleasurable journey of self-exploration through dom/sub dynamics with his female CEO, Romy (Nicole Kidman). He feeds her dog treats, fingers her mouth, and brings her to a rave that seemingly takes place inside a Troye Sivan music video. It is a display of rare erotic power, and it may be just the thing that finally turns Dickinson from one of the guys, to The Guy.

It is not Dickinsons fault that he has not yet become a household name. There are simply too many handsome British actors under the age of 35 for any normal person to keep track of. Awash in a sea of Callum Turners and George MacKays, for a long time I was never quite sure what he looked like. He was hilarious as an insecure male model in the Best Picture nominee Triangle of Sadness, and perfectly charming as one of the doomed wrestlers in The Iron Claw. But judging by the feverish reaction on the Lido, Babygirl has given him something priceless for a young actor. Aspects of his persona that used to be blurry or inchoate have now come into focus. This movie has provided Harris Dickinson with a star image.

At the films Cipriani afterparty, the New York Times Kyle Buchanan compared the Babygirl effect to what Challengers did for Josh OConnor, whod previously played nice guys and nebbishes. Here, Dickinson is not just a hot dude; with a bunch of tattoos and a little gold chain, he is the hot dude who is all the more appealing because he is bad for you. As Romy tries to explain her desires, she notes that the dom/sub thing only turns her on when there are real stakes. Like a gender-flipped version of David Mamets Oleanna, Samuel turns out to hold the real power  one meeting with HR, and he could ruin her life completely. And yet, it works because hes not some Christian Grey fantasy. As a dom, hes a little fumbling and unsure at the start. He feels like a real person, even when hes instantly able to provide Romy the gushing orgasm shes never been able to achieve with her husband. (After this and The Paperboy, Kidman is forcing trend-piece writers to finally address the question of whether squirt is pee.)

My colleague Alison Willmore opened her review by spotlighting the image of Dickinson wearing pleated dress pants and no shirt, lifting a robe-clad Nicole Kidman in his arms while George Michaels Father Figure blasts on the soundtrack  a moment, she wrote, of disorienting appeal. She was not the only person to respond to his performance on a primal level. Power is great, one publicist told me, but sometimes you just want to not have to make fucking decisions. At the Babygirl afterparty, it seemed like every woman in the room was buzzing with satisfied energy. My mouth hurts from smiling so much, one told me.

Thats the benefit that comes from playing a sexually-competent dirtbag in a movie that takes female desire so seriously. Theres a huuuge orgasm gap that still exists, Reijn said at the films official press conference. Take note, men. Then she added: Not you, Harris  as if he and Samuel were the same person.

I get the sense that many Babygirl viewers might make that same mistake. As the afterparty slid towards closing time, whispers swirled that Dickinson would be hosting an after-afterparty somewhere across the water. A few of us huddled together, trying to make a decision. We decided not to chase it. I dont need to be spending my night trying to get into some straight guy in his twenties hotel room, one critic sighed. But one of us peeled off. He was last seen sidling his way onto Dickinsons water taxi. Who knows what kind of story hell have to tell.
A retired Aurora police sergeant faces criminal charges for raping his daughter and continually sexually assaulting her and his two adopted daughters, but he remains free from custody while his ex-wife is in jail for objecting to court-ordered reunification therapy meant to repair his relationship with two of his sons.

The mother, Rachel Pickrel-Hawkins, said the reunification therapy by Christine Bassett, a licensed marriage and family therapist, has been harmful, abusive and counterproductive. For now, the mother has custody of the couples minor children, and they are living in a domestic violence shelter. She said that she has arranged for family members to care for her children when she goes to jail.

The mother said Bassett has supported the efforts by her ex-husband, Michael Hawkins, to gain sole custody of their two youngest sons, now 10 and 13, and has psychologically tortured the children along the way.

The very last visit with her, I told her, This man now has formal criminal charges for sex assault on children and child abuse, and you need to know this, Pickrel-Hawkins said of one encounter with Bassett before a reunification session with the children that the father attended. She went into the room, and the very first thing that my boy said that she told them was, We need to make progress, and today you need to tell your father that you forgive him.

Bassett declined comment, saying the ethics of her profession meant she could neither confirm nor deny whether she was the reunification therapist for the children, though The Denver Gazette confirmed through court records that she was court-ordered for that role.

Hawkins in court documents denied the criminal allegations of sexually abusing any of his children and of physical abuse of a child. Following the criminal filing in July, he posted a $50,000 surety bond and remains free from jail while under GPS ankle monitoring. Christopher Estoll, the lawyer representing him in the divorce and the criminal case, claimed in an Aug. 1 court filing that the mother was not a credible witness and is highly manipulative. Estoll could not be reached for comment.

The mother has been found in contempt of court after a judge found she continued to interfere with the reunification therapy. Her trip to jail occurs as such therapy and its potential harms are increasingly coming under fire in Colorado.

The treatment is used by family courts to settle custody fights. Services like those provided by Bassett use confrontation and exercises to deprogram a childs rejection of a parent. In extreme cases, children have been sent across state lines to reunification camps with parents they reject, and they are barred from having contact with their protective parent.

A year ago, the Colorado legislature put new restrictions on the use of reunification therapy. The new law barred courts from restricting the custody of a parent who is competent, protective and not abusive solely to improve a relationship with the other parent. It prohibits reunification treatment that is predicated on cutting off the relationship between a child and a protective parent the child has a bond with.

State lawmakers acted after The Denver Gazette published investigations into Colorados troubled family court system, which has been plagued by accusations of bias, usually from mothers who say they are punished and can have their parenting time restricted during divorces when they seek to protect their children from abusive fathers.

During one troubled two-month stretch, four children were murdered in December 2022 and January 2023 by a parent embroiled in a high-conflict court custody battle. Police classified all four deaths as murder-suicides, in which fathers killed their children and then themselves.

In the case involving Hawkins, the mother has objected to reunification therapy on multiple grounds. She claimed that her ex is not fit to parent their two youngest boys, and she said she remains fearful of the reunification therapy for the children. She points to the criminal charges filed against her ex-husband as well as a Department of Human Services child protective finding that he repeatedly sexually abused their daughter, now 17, throughout her childhood, and almost drowned their older son, now 19, in 2018.

The parents have four children, three of which are minors, but the father is seeking sole custody of only the two youngest boys, aged 10 and 13. The father also adopted Pickrel-Hawkins two other daughters she birthed, but those children no longer are minors and arent subject to the custody dispute. The children who no longer are minors now are adults who have moved out on their own.

The 17-year-old daughter claims her father, Hawkins, raped her when she was almost six years old and continually molested her throughout her childhood despite her protestations that he stop, according to court documents. The two adopted daughters also claim they were sexually abused, those documents state.

The oldest son also told a forensic interviewer he felt like his father tried to drown him in a pool in 2018 in Costa Rica, using police control tactics and holding him under water until he began to black out. The boy said he believed his father was vengeful because the boy woke up one night and confronted his father whose hand he claims he saw down the under garments of his sister.

4 recent murders: Colorado's troubled family court system ignores children in peril

Larimer County District Court Judge Daniel McDonald, who presided over the divorce case prior to the criminal case against Hawkins, cast doubt on the allegations of child sexual abuse and in July ordered the mother to comply with court-ordered reunification therapy aimed at restoring a relationship between the father and their two youngest boys

The court also notes that no criminal charges have been filed and the Department of Human Services finding can be based on statements of the child alone with no corroborative evidence, the judge wrote in one July 9 ruling. Testimony shows the judge was warned a criminal investigation was ongoing. However, criminal charges were later filed that same month against the father, alleging years of child sexual abuse by him.

Though the divorce judge found there was evidence that Hawkins had physically abused the oldest son, the judge said in his ruling that was one instance that does not involve either of the two children at issue.

The judge upheld in the ruling a previous order from another magistrate requiring weekly two-hour reunification therapy sessions aimed at restoring the boys relationship with their father, now facing criminal charges. The sessions cost $370 weekly. The judge ordered the mother to pay the full cost of any sessions her sons attend alone with the therapist and ordered the mother to split the cost with her ex for sessions in which he is in attendance.

The reunification therapy costs $1,500 a month. Pickrel-Hawkins said she struggles to pay for the therapy. She said she and the children already are stretched thin, surviving on the $2,680 her ex-husband pays her in court-ordered support, though the judge said during one hearing that he believed the mother actually was earning money that she wasnt disclosing.

The mother said she lost legal representation in the custody dispute after accruing $85,000 in legal bills, which she couldnt afford. She was sentenced to jail without any representation from a lawyer.

In the ruling on July 9, the judge found the mother, Pickrel-Hawkins, had continued to frustrate the reunification program and ordered her to show up this Saturday morning at the Larimer County Jail for a weekend of incarceration and to return to the jail for six additional weekends.

Pickrel-Hawkins, 48, surrendered to the jail on Saturday. Family court reform advocates showed up to protest and express support for her. State Rep. Meg Froehlich, a Democrat from Denver who successfully pushed state lawmakers to place new restrictions on the use of reunification therapy, attended the protest along with State Rep. Cathy Kipp, a Democrat from Fort Collins.

One of the mother's supporters set up a GoFundMe site for Pickrel-Hawkins that had raised $350 as of Saturday morning.

The judge noted in his ruling that another magistrate back in May had found the mother in contempt of court and had sentenced the mother but had suspended the sentence so long as the reunification therapy went forward. The judge found the mother interfered with the therapy again on June 25 when she refused to leave the parking lot at the reunification therapists office and called police for an alleged violation of a protection order barring contact between her and her ex when he showed up for the reunification therapy.

Pickrel Hawkins said it was her usual practice to wait in the parking lot for her children, whom she is court-ordered to transport to and from the sessions. She said the reunification session continued for her children that day after police asked her ex-husband to leave the session. She said she checked on her children during the session and found one of her sons curled in a fetal position on the ground in Bassetts office, but Bassett ordered her to stop addressing what the mother termed the serious needs of her children.

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A criminal case alleging child sexual abuse was filed against the father on July 29 in the 18th Judicial District following nearly two years of investigation by the Castle Rock Police Department and a prosecution investigator. Hawkins, 55, was charged with seven felony counts of sexual assault of a child by a person in a position of trust and a single count of misdemeanor child abuse. The alleged incidents extended from 2002 to 2021, according to the charging document.

The allegations span Hawkins tenure at the Aurora Police Department between 2005 and 2018. The daughter who claimed she was raped when she was of elementary school age told a forensic investigator the rape occurred in 2012. She said it occurred the same year that her father experienced post-traumatic stress disorder after he responded to the 2012 mass shooting at an Aurora movie theater in which 12 people were killed and 70 wounded.

Hawkins received national attention in the wake of the Aurora theater attack after he testified about carrying a dying 6-year-old girl out of the theater that night.

In 2017, a woman sued Hawkins and the Aurora Police Department, alleging she was brutalized by Hawkins and three other officers. Video of the incident showed Hawkins stomping on the womans head while she was on the ground. The woman claimed in her lawsuit that she was falsely accused of assaulting Hawkins and spent a week in jail, including over Christmas. Her criminal charges were dismissed. Aurora paid $335,000 to settle the lawsuit.

Hawkins medically retired from the police department in 2018 after he failed a fit-for-duty exam and was placed on medical leave.

Pickrel-Hawkins told a Castle Rock police detective she recalled that when Hawkins returned home the night of the Aurora theater shooting his uniform was like cardboard with dried blood and his eyes were empty.

She told the detective her ex claimed all of his issues were related to the theater shooting, but she believes many of the issues existed beforehand.

Pickrel-Hawkins denied any manipulation on her part and pointed out that prosecutors in the 18the Judicial District Attorneys Office believe the allegations. She said she fears the reunification therapy is harming her boys, whom she described as crying uncontrollably, having explosive outbursts and expressing thoughts of self-harm after attending Bassetts reunification sessions with their father.

They cant sleep before and after, Pickrel-Hawkins said. It causes major anxiety. It exacerbates their PTSD symptoms. It has absolutely been devastating to them.

She added the reunification therapy has been nothing but manipulation, psychological abuse. Its been nothing but coercion and gaslighting.

Upon the recommendation of multiple domestic violence advocates, Pickrel-Hawkins has moved herself and her three minor children into a domestic violence shelter, which is securing an apartment for them.

She said a domestic violence advocate has filed an allegation of abuse with child-protective services against the therapist, Bassett, for allegedly grabbing and squeezing her 10-year-old sons arm roughly during one reunification therapy session when he declined to pick up a piece of trash. She said her sons also complained that the therapist wont give them any water unless the children first provide water to their father during their reunification sessions. She said the therapist also has barred the children from bringing watches so they can monitor how long a therapy session will last.

There were other things that the boys disclosed that qualify as abusive and coercive control, the mother said.

Colorado's parenting evaluation industry profits as bitter child custody cases thrown into chaos

The reunification therapist, Bassett, is conducting the therapy at Lighthouse Christian Counseling in Fort Collins, which advertises itself on the internet as integrating faith into the counseling process.

We believe that, as we push into the hard and painful things surrounding us, God meets us with both grace and truth, the website for Lighthouse Christian Counseling states. It is our delight to extend that grace and truth to others, regardless of their faith journey.

In 2022, the state board that regulates marriage and family therapists admonished Bassett in a negotiated discipline settlement for failing to have clear disclosure before attending court. The board ordered Bassett to attend a 14-hour ethics course.

The reunification therapy temporarily halted after Hawkins arraignment in August when a protection order was put in place in connection with the criminal case barring Hawkins from having any contact with his ex-wife or any of the children. The mother said the children began to improve when the reunification therapy stopped.

But last week a judge modified the protection order issued in conjunction with the criminal case to allow the father to show up for reunification therapy sessions with the two youngest boys, stating the Larimer County judge overseeing the custody dispute was best suited to determine whether those sessions should go forward.

The court wishes to clarify with this order that by deferring that issue to the court in the Larimer County case, this court is not making a finding that there are no protective concerns regarding those children, wrote Douglas County Court Judge Lawrence Bowling. The court is instead finding that the Larimer County dissolution of marriage case is the more appropriate forum for determining what restrictions, if any, should be placed upon defendants contact with the children and for putting those restrictions in place and enforcing them.

Pickrel-Hawkins said that after the protection order was lifted, Bassett and her husbands lawyer began sending her e-mails demanding to know when she will re-start the court-ordered reunification therapy.

Pickrel-Hawkins filed for emergency relief this week with the judge presiding over the custody dispute and divorce, seeking to overturn her jail sentence. She said she initially agreed to the reunification therapy during the divorce but began to raise objections after the therapist refused to conduct an analysis to determine the appropriateness of the reunification sessions.

She added that her efforts to find a more suitable therapist who would accept Medicaid have been rebuffed. She said her sons personal therapist believes the boys are regressing due to the intensity of the reunification services.

McDonald, the Larimer County judge presiding over the custody dispute, ruled this week that he would schedule a hearing to determine the appropriateness of ongoing reunification therapy, which he suspended for now, because of changed circumstances. He refused to lift the contempt order and ordered the mother to still serve her time in jail, stating there has been no information provided to the court to call into question the contemptuous behavior he found she had committed.

Colorado parental evaluator accused of falsifying credentials sent child custody cases into turmoil  despite key warning

The sentence remains in place. Pickrel-Hawkins arranged for members of her church to accompany her as she made her way to the Larimer County Jail on Saturday.

I am going to jail for protecting my children, the mother texted on Thursday evening. I wont see them much during the week when I am released Sunday at 4 p.m., maybe a few hours in the evening.

Throughout the week, shell barely have enough time to cook dinner, help them with their homework and pack lunches and get their clothes and snacks ready for the next day, she said

No time for spending together, her text continued. Then wash, rinse, repeat and back to another weekend without mom. Wash, rinse, repeat, for seven weeks. An entire Fall season not seeing my children and them not seeing me, their attached, from birth, protective parent, not an abuser.

She concluded: I shouldnt be going to jail. I can tell you who should.
Dennis Quaid in Reagan. Photo: Showbiz Direct/Everett Collection

Reagan is pure hagiography, but its not even one of those convincing hagiographies that pummel you into submission with compelling scenes that reinforce their subjects greatness. Sean McNamaras film has slick surfaces, but its so shallow and one-note that it actually does Ronald Reagan a disservice. The picture attempts to take in the full arc of the Presidents life, following him from childhood right through to his 1994 announcement at the age of 83 that hed been diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease. But youd never guess that this man was at all complex, complicated, conflicted  in other words, human. He might as well be one of those animatronic robots at Disney World, mouthing lines from his famous speeches.

Dennis Quaid, a very good actor who can usually work hints of sadness into his manic machismo, is hamstrung here by the need to impersonate. He gets the voice down well (and he certainly says Well a lot) and he tries to do what he can with Reagans occasional political or career setbacks, but gone is that unpredictable glint in the actors eye. This Reagan doesnt seem to have much of an interior life. Everything he thinks or feels, he says  which is maybe an admirable trait in a politician, but makes for boring art.

The films arc is wide and its focus is narrow. Reagan is mainly about its subjects lifelong opposition to Communism, carrying him through his battles against labor organizers as president of the Screen Actors Guild and eventually to higher public office. The movie is narrated by a retired Soviet intelligence official (Jon Voight) in the present day, answering a younger counterparts questions about how the Russian empire was destroyed. He calls Reagan the Crusader and the moniker is meant to be both combative and respectful: He admires Reagans single-minded dedication to fighting the Soviets. They, after all, were single-minded in their dedication to fighting the U.S., and the agent has a ton of folders and films proving that the KGB had been watching Reagan for a long, long time.

By the way, you did read that correctly. Jon Voight plays a KGB officer in this picture, complete with a super-thick Russian accent. Theres a lot of dress-up going on  its like Basquiat for Republicans, even though the cast is certainly not all Republicans  and theres some campy fun to be had here. Much has been made of Creeds Scott Stapp doing a very flamboyant Frank Sinatra, though I regret to announce that hes only onscreen for a few seconds. Robert Davi gets more screentime as Leonid Brezhnev, as does Kevin Dillon as Jack Warner. Xander Berkeley puts in fine work as George Schultz, and a game Mena Suvari shows up as an intriguingly pissy Jane Wyman, Reagans first wife. As Margaret Thatcher, Lesley-Anne Down gets to utter an orgasmic Well done, cowboy! when she sees Reagans Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall speech on TV. And my 80s-kid brain is still processing C. Thomas Howell being cast as Caspar Weinberger.

To be fair, a lot of historians give Reagan credit for helping bring about both the Gorbachev revolution and the eventual downfall of the U.S.S.R. and its satellites, so the films focus is not in and of itself a misguided one. There are stories to be told within that scope  interesting ones, controversial ones, the kind that could get audiences talking and arguing, and even ones that could help breathe life into the moribund state of conservative filmmaking. But without any lifelike characters, its hard to find oneself caring, and thus, Reagans dedication to such narrow themes proves limiting. We get little mention of his family life (aside from his non-stop devotion to Nancy, played by Penelope Ann Miller, and vice versa). Other issues of the day are breezed through with a couple of quick montages. All of this could have given some texture to the story and lent dimensionality to such an enormously consequential figure. But then again, if the only character flaw you could find in Ronald Reagan was that he was too honest, then maybe you werent very serious about depicting him as a human being to begin with.
Photo: A24

There are certain signs youre watching an A24 movie. Maybe theres an evil bird. Maybe someone gets set on fire. Maybe the whole thing looks like this. The studios new erotic drama Babygirl, in which Nicole Kidman plays a She-EO who gets dommed by an intern played by Harris Dickinson, has found a new way to signal that its an A24 movie. Its not just the films explicit sex scenes, or its clear desire to bait the discourse around workplace power dynamics, but something much simpler: It was shot in A24s own New York office.

Im not trying to doxx an independent film studio here  multiple people inside and outside the company mentioned this after Babygirls Venice premiere. Many of the scenes set at Kidmans robotics company were in fact shot at A24s office in what I like to call the Ace Hotel micro-neighborhood of Manhattan. The first hint came in a scene set outside the buildings entrance, which features a distinct set of concrete columns, as well as the unmissably large street address. Exteriors are one thing, but then a few scenes later, it hit me  Id seen that staircase before. (If youre wondering how a journalist knows what the inside of the A24 office looks like, the company occasionally hosts screenings there, though they may stop after reading this post.)

Not every scene was shot in the actual office. Otherwise Im sure director Halina Reijn would have made use of their bathrooms, which resemble those in the worlds swankiest airport lounge. The way Ive heard it is: Production took place over the holidays, the office was empty, so why not? A24s success has come in part from eschewing traditional forms of spending, particularly in marketing. Perhaps cutting down on location fees is just the next logical step.

Anyway, I know how thrilling it can be to see your real-life workplace on screen. In season two of Succession, Kendall Roy visited the offices of Vaulter, in scenes that were shot in our old building on Varick Street, a few floors up from the New York Magazine offices. That didnt end well for Vaulter, whose name was suspiciously similar to our own. Thankfully, Babygirl has a happier ending, so we can concentrate on whats really important: Their coffee machine looks great.
The Serpent Queen All Saints Day Season 2 Episode 8 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * *  Previous Next  Previous Episode Next Episode  Photo: Starz

Ill admit it. I was waiting for one character to ask another what day it was and for them to offhandedly reply, Its St. Bartholomews Day. I wanted my moment of hacky dramatic irony; I dont care if it would be bad writing. Instead, the episode is bafflingly titled All Saints Day, like thats going to throw us off the scent. There is literally one big thing Catherine de Medici is known for, and this is it! The murdering of all the people on St. Bartholomews Day!

If you want to know who St. Bartholomew was and what he looked like, according to Rubens, you can find an unflattering portrait of him on Wikipedia. He apparently was martyred in Azerbaijan, which is an interesting tidbit. Also connected with his martyrdom site is the Legend of the Fire-Color-Haired Virgin Girl Savior, so youre obviously going to want to check that out. He does, however, have literally nothing to do with our season finale, so we have to move on.

So many things happened in this episode that they had to make it fifteen minutes longer than all the others. We begin with Margot running into her room, screaming and smashing things because Catherine is making her marry Henry, the son of Jeanne of Navarre, when Margot wants to do one thing and thats bang Francois de Guise. Charles, who, you will remember, has some unnatural feelings for Margot, promises her she will not have to marry Henry. Foolish, Charles! Your promises shall come to naught!

Okay, but imagine having a mother like Catherine and trying to determine literally any part of your life, only to constantly find that she has planned five to ten steps ahead of you, and instead, youll be marrying the future king of Navarre, no matter what you try to do. That would be very frustrating, especially for someone (like me) who does not know where Navarre is.

Everyone is in a tizzy about Margots marriage, because marrying Henry is supposed to appease Edith the Protestant Leader and stop her from burning down France, so a lot is riding on this. However, that would put the Catholics out of power, and the Catholic League is mad, as is Antoinette de Guise. She tells Francois his new assignment is to sex up Margot so her honor will be sullied, and then Francois can marry her instead of Henry. Shell be a social pariah, but shell have more time for her books, Antoinette tells him. Is that how you got more time with your books back then? Francois does not want to do this, but Antoinette basically says shell throw his brother, the Protestant convert cardinal, to the Catholic League if Francois doesnt go along with it.

The mistake everyone makes is assuming that Catherine doesnt already know all about their plans, which is a very satisfying mistake for the viewer. Someone else is in control, and we know all about it! You can try your sullied virtue card, Guises, but Catherine has a +1,000 attack card ready to counter it. (Or however those kinds of card games work.)

So Francois and Margot bang, and Margot is pretty hyped about the situation, but Catherine tells Charles about it so hell walk in on them and make Margot marry Henry, which is exactly what happens! The fly in the ointment is Jeanne of Navarre, who isnt supportive of the marriage and wants a full examination done on Margot to ensure shes a virgin. Those dont even work, and virginity is a made-up concept, but okay. Catherine says sure, then sends Jeanne into town to be murdered by Angelica via some poisoned gloves. Poisoned gloves that seemed glued on?? This was truly a Fear Street way to die.

Now Jeanne is conveniently dead, and even though the Bourbon brothers both say Catherine did it, she gets away with it and invites Edith to the wedding. The big incentive for Edith is that Catherine will sign over the regency to her, a move I still do not understand but do not need to. Charles needs to sign off on this as well, which Catherine promises he will, post-wedding. Catherine keeps inviting people who have wronged her to the wedding banquet, which is how you know some shits gonna go down. And by people, I mean Alessandro.

Alessandro and Rahima are ready to run away together to Florida (okay). Rahima does the whole I have a bad feeling about this thing, which Alessandro shrugs off, which you should NEVER SHRUG OFF. Leia said it, and it turned out they were inside a giant space worm. This murder banquet is your space worm, Alessandro! But he doesnt listen because they never do. Rahima also says she has something to tell him, but she doesnt get to, which is how you immediately know shes pregnant. Damnit, Rahima. I really wanted better things for your storyline than sidelined the whole season and then pregnant with the baby of a man whose goal is to move to Florida.

The Bourbons also have a bad feeling about this; they trust theirs slightly more. I mean, they dont do anything about it, but they both are like, hm, yes, very fishy. In the meantime, though, theyre busy giving Henry marriage advice about things like how women cant be trusted and will lure you in with their fragrant ways. Henry ends up telling his dad that Henry doesnt really feel things, so hes not concerned about himself. Thats a real optimistic view, Henry.

The marriage happens; Henry lies about the consummation to spare Margot, which she appreciates. It doesnt really tally with his doesnt really feel things thing, unless Im misunderstanding how that works. Montmorency asks Catherine to run away with him, which is Class A delusional behavior, and she tells him to meet her in the courtyard after the banquet.

So now were at the banquet. We know somethings going to go down, but are not sure what. Its all got a real Red Wedding vibe. Angelica locks Rahima in her room to keep her out of the way, and Anjou and his friends are waiting with weapons until ten oclock. Catherine, Charles, and Edith preside over the feast, which the newlyweds are skipping because Margot is mad at everyone for forcing her to get married. Which is fair. Edith asks Catherine about the regency becoming hers, and Catherine tells her it is time for Edith to get what she came for. This would sound dumb, like very, Oh, you will get your  reward, but Catherine follows it up by grabbing what looks like the dullest knife in the palace and super casually cutting Ediths throat; then she calmly walks out as Anjou and his men enter the room.

Its done so quickly! So undramatically! People in the room dont even realize that it happened. But the large group of masked men with swords tips them off that something is amiss, and everyone starts panicking as the men and Rahimas ladies begin stabbing people. I like the one woman whose face is like, Oh shit, we started? and then she immediately stabs the person shes with. Im just saying, if theres one relatable murderer in this scene, shes the one. All the stabbers say, The House of Guise says hello, as they kill people, except for Ruggieri, who stabs Alessandro and tells him its a gift from his queen. Damn, Catherine. Meanwhile, Montmorency is waiting in the courtyard and, of course, gets stabbed by Angelica.

Anjou and his men try to kill Henry, but Margot prevents them. She tells Catherine that she wants Henry to live, and Catherine says, okay, fine, but warns Margot that Henry is smarter than he seems. Charles (still alive!) is shocked about the events, but Catherine tells him that he has to make a decision. When Ediths followers wake up, theyll storm the palace and kill all of them. Or there is option B, which Charles chooses! This is where everyone is murdered in their beds. So the following morning, tons of dead Protestants all over Paris.

Catherine visits Rahima, and theres some back and forth about how Rahima will make her child know what Catherine did, etc. This is really beneath you, Rahima. Catherine lets her live because, at the end of the day, she likes Rahima. The monarchy is currently secure because Catherine spreads the story that the Guises conspired with the Catholic League to overthrow the king, and they had all the Protestants killed. So now the Catholic League is also out of the way.

We end with Rahima swearing revenge on Catherine, the cardinal swearing revenge on Catherine, the Bourbons magically still being alive (!!), and foreshadowing of an Anjou reign in the next season. Are we getting a next season?? What will they even do now that The Big Event is over? What if they continue with their departure from historical fact and just go completely off the rails, like Catherine has France invade Russia and they somehow win and she becomes the Serpent Empress? Just a thought.
Santanche defends Italian cuisine amid debate over tinned carbonara.

Italy's tourism minister Daniela Santanche has added her voice to the online furore after the American food giant Heinz released spaghetti carbonara in a can.

"Italian cuisine is a serious thing", Santanche wrote in a post on X, before paraphrasing the actor Alberto Sordi in the 1954 classic film Un americano a Roma to say that canned carbonara should be fed to rats.

Santanche's contribution to the debate comes after numerous Italian chefs slammed the new product which is due to hit UK supermarket shelves in September with a price tag of 2.

La cucina italiana e una cosa seria. Come direbbe Alberto Sordi in un Americano a Roma: La carbonara in lattina la damo al sorcio pic.twitter.com/5Szi13qhl4 Daniela Santanche (@DSantanche) August 30, 2024

The celebrated Italian chef Gianfranco Vissani described the canned carbonara as a "disgrace", telling news agency AdnKronos that such products "destroy Italian culture and our cuisine".

Another well-known chef, Cristina Bowerman of the Michelin-starred Glass Hostaria in Rome, also rejected the canned product which is marketed as "Spaghetti Carbonara, pasta in a creamy sauce with pancetta".

Describing it as "a bastardisation of our cuisine", Bowerman told AdnKronos: "I find it a horrible idea and the risk is that consumers will try this canned version before the original", adding: "Carbonara must be prepared and served immediately."

Its time for fuss-free Carbonara with zero drama



NEW Spaghetti Carbonara, available to buy NOW on Heinz to Home and wider stores from mid September



Tap below to secure yours now https://t.co/rbpryYhY4e pic.twitter.com/qngTw1NqFQ Heinz (@HeinzUK) August 29, 2024

Speaking to The Times, Alessandro Pipero of Rome's Michelin-starred Pipero restaurant likened the tinned carbonara to cat food.

There were no shortage of comments on social media from outraged Italians too, such as "If hell exists, it must look something like this" or "Every time a can is opened, a Roman dies".

Heinz is marketing the product in the pink and yellow can - its first new tinned pasta in more than a decade - as a convenient and "fuss-free" meal aimed at Generation Z.

Carbonara, one of the signature dishes of Roman cuisine, is celebrated in Italy every year with Carbonara Day on 6 April.

Recent attempts by foreign chefs to tweak the traditonal carbonara recipe - pasta, guanciale, pecorino, egg, pepper - have been met with fierce criticism in Italy.

In 2021 The New York Times caused upset with its Smoky Tomato Carbonara recipe while the year before that Romans reeled in horror at Gordon Ramsay's "nightmare carbonara".
Treasurer Jim Chalmers returned fire the next day, telling reporters I have complete confidence in our security authorities and agencies, in particular, the director-general of ASIO, and taking the opportunity to again brand Peter Dutton as too divisive to ever become prime minister. But the saga raises a broader, rarely discussed question: how far and how often do officials in positions as sensitive as Burgess step into the public arena? Loading Burgess has raised eyebrows before, with headline-grabbing remarks in some of his previous annual threat assessments (a practice he instituted when he became ASIO head in 2019.) In 2021 he inadvertently triggered a media hunt to identify what hed described as a nest of spies which the agency had disrupted (it was revealed this year they were from the Indian foreign intelligence service). Delivering his 2024 threat assessment in February, his revelation that a former Australian politician had sold out their country, party and former colleagues to foreign spies had a similarly galvanising effect. Fingers were pointed at several people, none of whom were ever confirmed as the relevant ex-politician. Is this courting headlines, as some suggest? Or simply putting into practice Burgess mantra of enhancing trust through transparency?

Justin Bassi, the head of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), says its a judgment issue [as to] the extent to which intelligence agency heads should speak [in public forums]. Loading Its critical, he says, in an era when faith in institutions has nosedived and with online disinformation proliferating that governments and their chief officials  keep the public informed in a way that only 15, 20 years ago [would have been] unnecessary. And he says the ASIO chiefs annual threat assessments are consistent with what many of our partners do, so in the US, the CIA has for a long time had their formal threat assessment. But the issue with Burgess Gazan remarks, he argues, is they were left uncontextualised by others in government. The silence was the problem, he says. It should have been taken up immediately by ministers and the policy agencies to say, while someones extreme views may not be a matter for ASIO  the character tests of Australias visa system are a matter for the policy agencies. It should have been very easy for the government to say, if you support a terrorist organisation  you will fail the character test.

Just over three weeks ago, the Albanese government raised the national terrorism threat level from possible to probable, on ASIOs advice. It was the first time it had been raised since November 2022. Prior to that it had remained at probable for eight years (since 2014, the year which saw the deadly taking of hostages by gunman Man Haron Monis at the Lindt cafe in Sydney). ASIO defines probable as a greater than 50 per cent chance of an onshore attack or attack planning within the next 12 months. Loading Lydia Khalil, program director for transnational challenges at the Lowy Institute, says the raising of the threat level was no surprise to her. If anything, it was an overdue acknowledgment of what the threat landscape has become, she says, kick-started from COVID and then the lingering effects of that intersecting in lots of ways with the digital environment, and also the impacts of overseas conflicts  there is generally a much more anti-authority, anti-government sentiment that had been brewing for a long time. ASPIs John Coyne, an expert in policing and counterterrorism, also considers the raising of the threat level probably somewhat overdue. But he says getting the timing right is always challenging  if you raise too soon you are viewed as being hawkish about security, if you raise it too late and there is an attack then you have got issues in relation to not warning the public. So its incredibly difficult. Standing alongside Burgess to announce the raised threat level on August 5, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was at pains to stress that probable did not mean inevitable and there was no intelligence about an imminent threat.

However Burgess message was sobering. Painting a picture of a world where threats could materialise out of a clear blue sky, he warned that the threats are becoming harder to predict and identify  [and] across all ideological spectrums attacks are likely to occur with little or no warning. Loading That spectrum includes not just what Burgess termed traditional religiously motivated Islamist violent extremism but a melange of other ideologies, with individuals cherry-picking from a range of extremist ideas to curate their own dark world view. Coyne sees that list as including white supremacists, white nationalists, anti-immigrationists, incels, misogynists, and the anti-authority movement that came out of COVID-19. Warped views deriving from a fundamentalist end-of-days version of Christianity drove the three perpetrators of the December 2022 shootings on a remote property at Wieambilla in Queensland, since designated by police as a religiously motivated terrorist attack. Overseas, al-Qaeda is on the rise again, as is the Islamic State offshoot ISIS-K in Afghanistan, heightening the risk of galvanising remote lone actors. The threat landscape, says Coyne, is really complex. A recurrent theme in Burgess recent appearances has been the extreme youth of some radicalised individuals. Since April, ASIO has investigated eight attacks or disruptions that have either involved alleged terrorism or have been investigated as potential acts of terrorism, Burgess said this month. Five involved minors, the youngest 14.

He delivered no further detail, nor would ASIO provide anything further when contacted this week. However, few will have forgotten the alleged stabbing of Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel during a live-streamed service in the outer Sydney suburb of Wakeley on April 15, after which seven youths  still minors  were charged. Burgess language around religiously motivated violence has fluctuated over time. Earlier this year he made references to Sunni violent extremism, which aggrieved sections of the Muslim community. There was a heavy police presence in Wakeley in the aftermath of the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel on April 15. Credit: Wolter Peeters However, on Insiders he spoke more broadly of religiously motivated violent extremism remaining the principal or dominant force in our caseload while being at pains to stress the vast majority of people of Islamic faith are not the problem. Prominent western Sydney Islamic community leader Dr Jamal Rifi says hes satisfied with the language Burgess is using.
Since being diagnosed with silicosis following her time working on a quarry site, mother of two Joanna McNeill says shes scared to live in the present.

My mental health is an ongoing battle because I live in the unknown. Im scared every time I get sick. I live in fear, she said.

McNeill was diagnosed with the progressive and debilitating occupational lung disease in 2019 after spending six years working from a portable office at a crushing plant in Melbournes east.

Joanna McNeill and her daughters Matilda, 8, and Charlee, 6. Joanna contracted silicosis after working in admin at a quarry. Credit: Eddie Jim

Silicosis is caused by the inhalation of crystalline silica dust, which is present in many types of rocks.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When Jim Chalmers described Peter Dutton as the most divisive leader of a major political party in Australias modern history this week, it seemed like an inflection point. Finally, the treasurer was taking the gloves off and going for the jugular. Labor ministers from Anthony Albanese on down piled on to the opposition leader, who many in government still believe is unelectable. Theyre wrong. It was water off a ducks back. Dutton rejected the charge and pivoted neatly to Labors handling of the economy. Eleven years ago, almost to the day, Kevin Rudd described Tony Abbott as one of the most negative politicians that the parliament has ever thrown up and also one grounded in divisiveness. The divisive Dutton strategy is a rerun of the attempt to brand Abbott as too divisive to be elected, and while it may appeal to finger-wagging progressives, there are serious doubts about whether it will work for Labor.

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A month after that interview, Rudd handed Abbott the keys to the Lodge and the opposition had won 90 seats. Duttons political tactics and steadily improving polling numbers have the government spooked; he is living rent-free in the minds of senior government ministers, as proved by the decision to dump new census questions about sexuality and gender to avoid a culture war  before one of those questions was restored less than a week later. The decision signalled that at a time when the community is bitterly divided over the war in Gaza, and with Labor still licking its wounds after the defeat of the Voice to parliament referendum, the government is so afraid to pick a fight with Dutton that it would rather fold than fight. Peter Dutton is living rent-free in the minds of senior Labor government ministers. Credit: James Brickwood In a supreme irony, the decision to dump the census question caused an internal fight within Labor, rather than with the opposition, and meant the government spent a week talking about something it did not want to talk about  before it reversed course and reinstated one of those questions. The opposition leader did not have to lift a finger  and Albanese was left looking weak. Duttons opposition holds just 55 seats, and the polls do not suggest he is on track to win 76 seats and a majority. But with an election due by May next year, a hung parliament looks increasingly likely.

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The last man to lead the Coalition back into government, Abbott, concedes there are some similarities between him and Dutton but adds that Dutton is his own man and tells me the next election is eminently winnable. Loading He is doing a really impressive job, and he has the potential to be another long-serving prime minister like John Howard, he says. And he suggests that, like the historic Aston by-election win for Labor, so too is it possible that Albanese could be the first one-term government since Labors James Scullin in 1931. Just because a first-term government has not lost in nearly 100 years does not mean it cant happen now because records are always being broken. Dutton has led Albanese as preferred prime minister in the last three Resolve Political Monitors, a survey conducted for this masthead. The Coalitions primary vote has been ahead of Labor for the last seven surveys since December last year. However, it must be noted Labor won the last election with a primary vote lower than the Coalitions.

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So, if Peter Dutton is so divisive, why do more and more Australians prefer him to Anthony Albanese? This masthead spoke to eight current Coalition MPs, four Labor MPs and three current and former political strategists, some on the record and some off the record as they were not authorised to speak publicly, to gauge their views on Duttons political strategy. There is a broad consensus that Dutton has planted a flag and said no, to differentiate himself from Labor, on three key policies: the first was the Voice to parliament, which Dutton forcefully opposed; the second was the oppositions decision to back nuclear energy rather than embracing renewables; and the most recent was his call for Australia to stop accepting Palestinian refugees fleeing the Gaza war zone. The Gaza decision, which dominated the last parliamentary sitting, fed into a broader narrative about Labor mishandling immigration and population growth, following the High Courts NZYQ ruling which found indefinite detention was not legal. All through the term, there has been a steady drumbeat of criticism of Labors economic management, which has played well for the Coalition, which is typically seen as stronger economic managers. Coalition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume strongly denies Dutton has pursued a strategy of division to reap electoral gain, arguing he took the time to build a level of trust with colleagues when he became leader and has since chosen his battles wisely while working with the government to pass other laws.

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Referring to the Voice to parliament, Hume says Dutton has kept his eye on the ball, on what is important to people, he doesnt talk about what isnt important to them. He has made it very clear that we are not going to be a small target opposition [a reference to the nuclear power policy], that we wont simply wait for the government to mess up  though theyre doing a pretty good job of it  and that is his experience coming to the fore, she says. Another member of the shadow cabinet, who asked not to be named so they could speak freely, says that when Dutton became the leader, he first focused on consolidating the Coalitions right flank against attacks from minor parties such as United Australia and Pauline Hanson and was now tacking to the centre as the election approached. Loading We are now ruthlessly focused on middle Australia, the cost-of-living crisis and the security environment. The conventional wisdom in the press gallery was that our position on Gaza was a mistake, but even the Guardian Essential poll showed we were on the right track, the shadow minister says. We instinctively thought we had the public onside, including a chunk of Labor people with us. Australians views on migration are as hard as they have ever been. So dire has the situation become, this person says, the Coalition is now war gaming whether a spooked Labor will seek a circuit breaker moment like the changes to the stage three tax cuts  such as promising big changes to capital gains tax or negative gearing.

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It was an unexpected message sent to Labor MPs last Sunday morning that set off the fastest climbdown in Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses first term of government.

What started as a plan to head off a culture war ended up causing one, revealing a crisis of confidence inside the government and leaving its own LGBT staff feeling under attack.

An early Sunday morning message to Labor MPs about a gender and sexuality question in the 2026 census opened up a disastrous political week for the government. Credit: Monique Westermann

The text message on Sunday was senior Labor figures giving MPs a heads-up that new questions on sexual orientation and gender would not be included in the 2026 census, bringing to a head an issue that had been quietly discussed internally for weeks.

The MPs, most of whom hold inner-city seats under threat from the Greens, were left with little doubt that this was a decision from the top, though that did not stop other parts of the Labor Party talking of disciplining the minister who announced the decision, Andrew Leigh.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size At just 43, Shinjiro Koizumi is a rising star of Japanese politics and one with a penchant for capturing headlines and ruffling the feathers of the countrys conservative ruling party. He married a TV presenter and then caused a stir in Japans patriarchal society by becoming the first serving government minister to take parental leave. He has also expressed support for legal reform to allow women to keep their surnames after marriage, putting him at odds with staunch conservative colleagues in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). This year he surfed the waters near Fukushima to show they were safe from radiation following the 2011 tsunami and nuclear plant meltdown, and during his stint as environment minister he said tackling issues like climate change has gotta be fun, gotta be cool, gotta be sexy, too. As a fourth generation politician and son of a popular former prime minister, his political pedigree in the LDP has given him an outsized profile and had him widely touted as a leader-in-waiting. Former environment minister Shinjiro Koizumi, 43, is considered a rising star in Japans Liberal Democratic Party. Credit: AP Now, with an unpredictable race under way for the presidency of the LDP, and by extension the prime ministership, Koizumi may be about to cash in on all the expectation. He is poised to make a bid for the top job, positioning himself as the reformist fresh face of an old political machine, despite being a firm establishment figure. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida fired the starting gun on the leadership contest when he announced on August 14 that he would not recontest his presidency of the LDP after a three-year stint.

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For a nation whose democracy has been dominated by the LDP for decades, there is no single favourite to replace Kishida. When the party elects a new leader on September 27, the winner will also take over as prime minister and may call a snap national election to capitalise on momentum and media coverage. The victor will inherit a surfeit of challenges, starting with a sputtering economy fighting to maintain modest growth in the face of a rapidly shrinking and ageing population. Then theres the intensifying security challenge posed by a rising China, brought into sharp relief this week when a Chinese spy plane breached Japans airspace for the first time. In 2020 (from left), Fumio Kishida, Shinzo Abe, Yoshihide Suga and Shigeru Ishiba celebrated Sugas election as new head of the Liberal Democratic Party. Credit: AP For a party heavy with political dynasties, and dominated by men aged in their 50s and 60s who have spent careers climbing the internal hierarchy, the question is whether Japan can produce the leadership it needs to meet these challenges. Whether Koizumi or one of his older colleagues prevails, they will confront a crisis of trust among dispirited Japanese voters, with Kishida having bowed out with a cabinets approval rating that plunged to a diabolical 15.5 per cent in recent months. He hands over a legacy of public backlash to his handling of a slush fund scandal that embroiled the LDP, and revelations of the partys ties to the controversial Unification Church that emerged after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. Now that the LDPs approval rate is very low and the next lower house election is looming, I think all the candidates will express that they will change the LDP. However, it remains to be seen how much they can and are willing to change, said Sota Kato from the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research.

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Who is running? So far, three LDP lawmakers have formally declared they will contest the party leadership: former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba, Digital Minister Kono Taro and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi. Koizumi has indicated he will announce his run on September 6. As many as 11 candidates, including Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, who will vie to become Japans first female leader, are said to be keen to enter the race for the top job, though not all expected to secure the endorsement of 20 LDP parliamentarians, a requirement to run. Other possible contenders include LDP secretary-general Toshimitsu Motegi, and chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi. Because the position of LDP president is an internal party one, the public dont participate in the voting process. Instead, the vote is held among rank and file party members and LDP lawmakers. Analysts say the unusually crowded field of candidates is making it difficult to pick a clear front-runner, and some aspirants are competing for the same bloc of conservative or moderate votes within the party. One factor adding to the uncertainty is that the candidates who are most popular among the LDP base or the broader Japanese public, often are not popular with their peers in parliament. This is the case with Ishiba, the former defence minister, who regularly tops opinion polls as the publics preferred prime ministerial candidate and who at 67 is making his fifth attempt to win the party presidency.

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There is a reason why he never made it to the top, in spite of the fact that hes been around for a very long time, said Koichi Nakano, a professor of Japanese politics at Tokyos Sophia University. Hes not liked by his parliamentary colleagues. Hes much more of a loner, and hes particularly shunned by the party bosses, even though hes relatively popular among the electorate. Former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba regularly tops opinion polls among the Japanese public. Credit: AP Kono, 61, also has a relatively high profile, and came runner-up to Kishida in 2021. But as digital minister he has copped public pushback for his efforts modernise Japans bureaucracy, including the bungled rollout of the countrys digital ID system. He speaks fluent English, regularly communicates directly with his 2.5 million social media followers on X, and has supported progressive causes such as legalising same-sex marriage. These things have given him a reputation as a tech-savvy, reform-minded political maverick at odds with the conservative ranks of the LDP. Announcing his candidacy this week, he emphasised his experience as the former foreign affairs minister, saying I can help steer the world as he pushed for Japan to play a greater leadership role in global affairs. Kono is in a situation where the right wing really hates him, he has alienated parts of the party, and his support among the public has also fallen off over the last several years, said Tobias Harris, who runs Japan Foresight, a political risk advisory firm in Washington.

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The young guard Aged in their 40s, Koizumi and Kobayashi are the youngest candidates in the race and can leverage their relative youth to signal a changing of the guard within the LDP. Koizumi, a graduate of Columbia University in New York and son of former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, has long been heralded as a future leader, is popular with younger LDP members and has edged out Ishiba as the favoured candidate in some recent polls. Bowing out: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on August 15 at a service to mark the end of World War II. Credit: Getty Images Though he took over his fathers parliamentary seat in 2009, Koizumi has not held a top cabinet post, with his ministerial experience limited to the environmental portfolio he held for two years until 2021. The liability for him is that he is only 43 and there are older people in the party who might resent his jumping ahead, Harris said. Kobayashi, on the other hand, is from the partys more conservative ranks and is considered a long shot this time around.

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Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired the commander of the countrys air force, four days after an F-16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed during a Russian bombardment killing the pilot.

The order to dismiss Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website.

We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers, Zelensky said in an address minutes after the order was published. He said Ukraine needed to strengthen its army on the command level.

President Volodymyr Zelensky answers media questions standing against the background of Ukraines Air Forces F-16 fighter jets in an undisclosed location in Ukraine earlier this month. Credit: AP

The pilot was earlier identified as Colonel Alexei Moonfish Mes, one of two pilots who made a public visit to the US in June 2022 to press lawmakers to send Ukraine F-16 fighter jets. They served as public faces for their countrys battle to secure its airspace.
Local history and heritage groups in County Mayo are being invited to access a new guide to help secure the future of their volunteer organisation.

'Succession Planning: A Guide for Community Archives and Heritage Groups' is a free resource developed by the Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN) - a National Museum of Ireland initiative delivered in partnership with the Heritage Council, participating local authorities and community groups across Ireland.

The guide looks at ways volunteer groups can address some of the challenges that can influence their future success. Common challenges include attracting new members, getting young people involved, keeping adequate records or losing access to accounts due to lost passwords or IT crashes.

Effective succession planning addresses these challenges so that groups can safeguard their work into the future.

iCAN was set-up to support volunteer groups across Ireland to develop and maintain their own community archive. It developed the guide to provide a simple step-by-step process for good succession planning - from having written goals, objectives and operational procedures to protecting passwords and access to websites and social media accounts.

The guide was officially launched last month at the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar. It is now available to download for free from www.museum.ie and www.ouririshheritage.org.

Speaking at the launch, Lorna Elms, iCAN Development Officer, said: iCAN works to empower local communities to document their own history, heritage and culture. This Succession Planning Guide is designed for community archives and heritage groups to ensure their work is future-proofed. It provides a structured approach to forward-planning which, if carried out on an annual basis, will help to ensure groups are maintained and continue to thrive.

Aalia Kamal, Cultural and Inclusive Heritage Officer with the Heritage Council and a member of the iCAN Advisory Group, also attended the launch. She said:

Local heritage groups are doing invaluable work developing archives and sharing knowledge, collections, stories and local history. The Heritage Council is delighted to support this work through our involvement with iCAN. The Succession Planning Guide we are launching is another great resource provided by iCAN to volunteer researchers and archivists in communities.

iCAN member Mary OMalley, from the Louisburgh-Killeen Heritage Group, also attended the launch.

I am delighted this Succession Planning Guide is now available to download for free to groups across Ireland. iCAN members have drawn on their collective experience and contributed their thoughts and ideas to develop the guidelines, audits and checklists comprised in the guide and I am sure these will provide a very useful tool and resource for groups who are working to document their local history, heritage and culture and make it available to others. Indeed this Succession Planning Guide is a template for any volunteer-led community group looking to plan for the future."

Marie Mannion, iCAN member and Heritage Officer with Galway County Council, also welcomed the launch of the Guide:

There are 36 community archives developed through iCAN with heritage groups across Ireland and this resource will help to promote the long-term sustainability of these archives and groups. It is hugely important to ensure volunteers can continue to access their websites into the future and to prioritise the ongoing feasibility of the volunteer group itself. The Succession Planning Guide provides lots of practical tips, advice and processes for that purpose.

For further information and to download a free copy of 'Succession Planning: A Guide for Community Archives and Heritage Groups', visit www.ouririshheritage.org or www.museum.ie.
Local governments need 12K people to function. Experts say you could be one of them.
Edgar Carreno, an Alzheimers Association volunteer, served on the advisory committee for the Colorado Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias State Plan. Hillary Lum, M.D., Ph.D., is a geriatrician and dementia care researcher at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Both have supported family members with dementia.
BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua)  Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed powering China's high-quality development with the achievements of a Party-wide campaign on discipline education.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction, which was read out at Friday's meeting of the Central Leading Group for Party Building.

Noting that the Party discipline education campaign has achieved positive results, Xi urged greater efforts to eradicate breeding grounds for corruption and more effectively curb and eliminate corruption.

Party members and officials should be guided to work diligently and actively while adhering to regulations and discipline, Xi said.

Friday's meeting reviewed a set of guidelines for advancing regular and long-term Party discipline education.

The meeting was presided over by Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, who also heads the Central Leading Group for Party Building.

Li Xi, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy head of the Central Leading Group for Party Building, attended the meeting.

This round of Party discipline education campaign, which started in April, has come to an end, according to the meeting. It stressed further efforts to integrate Party discipline education into daily education, management and supervision of Party members and officials.

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
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An emergency worker in Kharkiv surveys a burning building. Ukrainian authorities said 82 apartment buildings were damaged when the city was struck with five guided aerial bombs on Friday, August 30.
Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in their respective Parliaments and closer to home  you can find them all here.

In this months column Plaid Cymrus Llyr Gruffydd MS writes:

A week is, famously, a long time in politics and its now 10 weeks since the new UK Labour government took power. Thats a political eternity and certainly feels like it in terms of what was promised and what is being delivered.

Change.

That was the one-word slogan on which Keir Starmer was elected.

This of course was always a little hollow when it came to Wales, which has had Labour rule for 25 years but we were told that things would change by having Labour Governments at either end of the M4.

Unfortunately, the biggest change weve seen in that time has been the UK Governments decision to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment of up to 300 for 10 million pensioners, many of whom are living in poverty and not accessing benefits that theyre entitled to.

Here in Wales, its estimated that up to 80,000 pensioners are eligible for pension credit but are not claiming them  precisely the people who will be hit hardest by this decision.

The elderly and disabled people are more likely to need additional heating and the arbitrary cutting of this allowance at the same time that the typical households energy bill will increase by 149 a year under Ofgems new energy price cap smacks of a government that either doesnt care or isnt thinking about some of our most vulnerable citizens.

Ofgem announced that the average home energy bill will increase from 1,568 to 1,717 on 1 October. It means a typical households annual energy bill will rise by 149.

The new Labour UK government decided to stop winter fuel payments for those who are not in receipt of pension credits or other means-tested benefits, which will see the number of pensioners receiving the payments of up to 300 fall from 11.4 million to just 1.5 million.

So many pensioners are just above the threshold because they have a small works pension and will face serious hardship with the next cold weather. This will have consequences for our health service as well as individuals.

Living in a cold home can worsen asthma and other respiratory illnesses; it can increase the risk of heart disease and cardiac events. It can also worsen musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis.

It also follows a painful reduction in support for disabled people when cost-of-living payments for those on benefits were cut in February this year by the Conservative government.

Labour holds the power to protect vulnerable households this winter. It should act now and ensure no pensioner is left to suffer in the cold. The UK Government must reconsider its decision to axe the Winter Fuel Payment for most pensioners.

Thats one change that would be very welcome for hundreds of thousands of people in Wales.
Pioneering audiology vehicle Hear to Help rural communities across north Wales

A state-of-the-art Audiology Vehicle that will help provide high quality NHS care to rural communities across North Wales has been launched.

The first of its kind in Wales the project, which is completely charity-funded, has only been possible thanks to funding from Awyr Las: The North Wales NHS Charity and NHS Charities Together.

The high-spec van, which has been created by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Audiology teams, will hit the road from the beginning of September, having being launched to staff and third sector partners at St Asaph Library on 27 August 2024.

It has been fitted with all the specialist equipment an audiologist needs to carry out accurate tests whilst serving the more rural communities in North Wales..

The almost 90,000 project has been created to best meet the needs of people living with hearing related conditions.

Quiet hearing test conditions can be difficult when out in the community, so the van has been kitted out with a soundproof room.

Hearing, tinnitus and balance difficulties affects around 1 in 6 people in North Wales and if they are unmanaged, can have a significant impact on quality of life

John Day, Clinical Director of Audiology, said: The Audiology Teams have worked together for the past two years to bring this fantastic project to light.

The new Community Audiology Vehicle has only been made possible thanks to the hard work from the Audiology Teams, Awyr Las and NHS Charities Together.

We are all looking forward to seeing what this project achieves and how it better supports our rural communities across North Wales.

Chris Easton, Director of Strategy and Impact at NHS Charities Together, said: We are thrilled to have contributed 30,000 towards this important pioneering project, which has the potential to improve diagnosis and treatment for anyone living with hearing-related conditions.

We know that there are still huge inequalities in access to healthcare, but everyone should be able to access quality NHS treatment, no matter where they live.

We hope that the audiology van will make a huge difference to those living in rural communities across North Wales and we look forward to hearing from staff and patients about their experience using this innovative service.

This brand new service will operate across North Wales complementing the existing network of fixed sites across the region, offering improved access to high quality adult Audiology services, closer to peoples homes, the Health Boards Audiology service is always Hear to Help.

If you would like to support the Audiology Vehicle and all that the team are doing, you can donate here. If you would like to become an Audiology Volunteer for the Health Board, please visit Volunteer Service here.
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Asia

India: Tamil Nadu tea plantation workers protest job losses

About 540 workers at the Manjolai tea plantation in Tamil Nadu began a fasting protest on August 26 to protest the governments declaring the plantation a reserve forest two months ago and making them jobless. Police intervened on the second day of the protest and workers agreed to pause their action.

Workers at the privately-owned plantation had long demanded the government put it under control of the TANTEA corporation. The workers are demanding 10 acres of land in Manjolai, 2.5 million rupees ($US30,000) compensation, and 10,000 rupees monthly until the case with the government in the High Court comes to an end.

Tamil Nadu construction workers demonstrate for social benefits

Construction workers across Tamil Nadu demonstrated outside labour welfare offices at Erode, Dindigul, Trichy and other cities on Tuesday chanting slogans in support of 14 demands. These include inclusion in State Health Insurance social security and non-interference of bureaucratic apparatuses in the Construction Workers Welfare Board.

The protest action was coordinated by the All-India Trade Union Congress. Protesters submitted their demands to the commissioners at each welfare office.

Tamil Nadu police arrest protesting retired transport workers

Around 350 retired transport workers demonstrated at Villupuram on Tuesday to demand payment of outstanding pensions. They blockaded the national highway connecting Villupuram and Trichy until police intervened and forcefully removed and arrested them.

Pakistani power utility workers oppose privatisation

The All-Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union called demonstrations across Pakistan on Tuesday in opposition to the planned privatisation of three profitable power distribution utilities(Discos)-Iesco, Gepco and Fesco.

At a rally in Lahore, union bureaucrats demanded recruitment of line staff to save the lives of workers who have been forced to double their workloads due to staff shortages. Workers in Hyderabad called for the government to reject the International Monetary Funds privatisation demands.

Union members protesting at the Hyderabad Press Club were told the government planned to privatise 12 power distribution companies and that bidding for three companies at Islamabad, Gujranwala and Faisalabad would start on September 16, to be followed by others.

In Larkana, Wapda workers locked their offices and walked out whilst in Nawabshah, Tando Adam, Mirpurkhas, Digri, Jhuddo, Samaro, Kunri and other cities, Wapda union members staged similar protests. They demanded salary increases and filling of more than 80,000 vacancies.

Punjab college teachers demonstrate against transfers and delayed pay rise

On Tuesday, thousands of college teachers across Pakistan protested outside more than 30 district press clubs over the recently announced Higher Education Department (HED) e-transfer policy and other demands.

Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association members also demanded the approval of pay and service protection, immediate issuance of promotion orders, withdrawal of transfer orders and immediate review of the college cadre under the four-grade formula to facilitate timely promotions across all grades.

Bangladeshi garment workers demand unpaid wages

Over 300 workers from Peacock Garments and Print in Gazipur demonstrated for an hour outside their factory on Monday morning demanding the immediate payment of three months outstanding wages. They also complained that they were not paid their full salaries several times during the past two years.

Workers ended the protest when Gazipur Industrial Police intervened and the factory management pledged that two months salaries would be paid on Thursday, and that starting next month salaries would be paid by the 10th of each month.

Taiwan: Teachers demand sustainable pension fund

National Teachers Association (NTA Taiwan) members are protesting in Taipei over the government failing to properly fund teachers pensions. NTA President Hou Chung-Liang, who began a hunger strike on August 20, has since been hospitalised.

The crisis over the pension funds began with the implementation of new pension policies which resulted in funding gaps as new teachers entered the system. The union wants the government to make up for gaps in a 20-year funding plan or switch to a 10-year fund. They are demanding that there will be no further pension reforms due to unresolved deficits that would require cuts to the Public Service Pension Fund.

Indonesian app-based motorcycle taxi drivers strike over low pay

Over 1,000 motorcycle taxi drivers took strike action in several Indonesian cities on Thursday over low pay. Protesters gathered outside the Communications Ministry and near the Jakarta offices of GoTo and Grab, a ride-hailing and food delivery firm.

One protester told the media that he worked 10 hours every day but made less than 150,000 rupiah ($US9.70) most days, which is well below Jakartas minimum monthly wage of 5 million rupiah ($323).

Drivers called on the government to provide more protection against what they say are unfair practices by ride-sharing companies. The transport ministry ignored the drivers, saying it did not regulate fees and that platforms should listen to drivers.

The National Online Taxi Coalition wants ride-hailing firms to increase how much share drivers get for every trip and for the government to give special status for their terms of employment so they have more bargaining power over fees.

Australia

Schindler Lifts construction workers walk out in Queensland

Over 100 Electrical Trades Union members employed by Schindler Lifts in construction, installations, repairs and services walked off the job at 9 a.m. on August 22 in Brisbane, the Queensland capital, to demand higher pay. Nearly 100 percent of workers voted on August 9 to take strike action after nearly two months of negotiations reached deadlock.

Workers want industry-standard wages, conditions that align with other industry players and improved job security and sub-contractor clauses in the new agreement.

Brisbane Airport baggage handlers strike for pay rise

About 30 workers employed by Alstef Group, a baggage handling company, at Brisbane Airport struck for 24 hours on Monday to demand higher pay. Due to a combination of fog and the strike several incoming flights were diverted and 40 departure flights delayed.

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) members and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union members rallied outside the airport at 6 a.m. The workers, who install and service baggage handling equipment, want higher pay than is being offered in Alstefs proposed enterprise agreement. A union spokesperson said further action including rolling stoppages would begin if workers demands were not met.

Sydney Metro electricians fight for pay parity

About 20 ETU members employed by subcontractor Alstom at the new Sydney Metro rail commuter network began industrial action on Tuesday to demand pay parity with their colleagues employed directly by Metro Trains Sydney. The ETU claims that Alstom workers are paid $10 an hour less but are doing the same job.

Industrial action includes a ban on pre-departure checks, overtime, and the shunting or driving of rolling stock. Workers are also opposing a proposed 24-hour roster cycle, which they say threatens their time with family and friends on weekends.

Qube dock workers prepare to extend industrial action

Workers from Qube Ports terminals at Port Kembla, Brisbane, Adelaide and Darwin are currently voting on whether to take protected industrial action in line with action being taken by their Maritime Union Australia (MUA) colleagues at the Port of Melbourne.

On August 16, MUA members at Qubes Melbourne terminal imposed bans and limitations, which includes delaying berthed ships for eight hours, not accepting shifts of less than eight hours, bans on shift extensions and other industrial measures. The MUA claims that Qube has rejected almost 100 percent of the workers claims.

Public sector workers in Western Australia rally for pay rise and increased staffing

Over 800 Western Australian public sector workers rallied outside the Perth Cultural Centre on August 24 to demand wage rises, improved working conditions and increased staffing. The rally was part of a long-running campaign coordinated by the Public Sector Alliance of WA, a conglomeration of eight public sector unions covering health, education, child protection, firefighting, emergency and other services.

In July, 1,000 union members walked off the job after rejecting the governments wage rise offer of only 11.5 percent over three years, an effective pay cut compared to the rising cost of living. Workers are demanding wage rises that will address seven years of union-government deals that suppressed wages leaving public service wage rises well below cost-of-living increases.

Workers from critical government services, such as child protection and environment, are facing staff shortages, loss of skilled workers and are unable to fill vacancies because of the governments uncompetitive wages.

Workers want a 7 percent wage rise in the first year and 5 percent in the second year of a two-year agreement, and the trial of a four-day week. When finalised, the new agreement will replace multiple public sector enterprise agreements that expired on or after October 1, 2023.

Uber drivers in three Australian state capitals strike over pay cut

Hundreds of Uber drivers at airports in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne went off-line on Monday to oppose Ubers slashing of fare scales. Drivers said this would see a 30 percent cut in fares in many locations.

One worker told the media that Uber was exploiting its drivers, knowing many had no alternative work. Drivers said the changes would make it impossible to earn a living. Many drivers already worked 12 hours a day but were living below the poverty line, with some forced to live in their cars.

The federal Labor governments new Closing Loopholes legislation, which came into effect on Monday, is meant to regulate minimum standards for workers on digital labour platforms. Uber drivers had expected a wage rise of up to $5.39 per hour, or up to $95 a week, but with Uber reducing its fares drivers say they would not see any wage increase.

Uber reported earnings of $US1.4 billion before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation, for the first quarter of 2024.
A group of faculty and staff at New York University (NYU) in Manhattan has announced its intention to withhold administrative tasks for the fall semester starting on Labor Day, September 2, until the university ceases its attacks on free speech on campus, specifically on students and staff opposed to the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

The action was announced in the aftermath of NYUs release of updates to its discrimination and harassment policies that prohibit any criticism of Zionism, directly conflating this ultra-nationalist, ethno-centrist and racist political ideology and Judaism and labeling such criticism as a discriminatory act.

The universitys new guidelines read, For many Jewish people, Zionism is a part of their Jewish identity. Speech and conduct that would violate the NDAH (non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy) if targeting Jewish or Israeli people can also violate the NDAH if directed toward Zionists. Anyone identifying as a Zionist is placed under a category of a protected class, which shields them from being subject to discriminatory comments.

According to the legal advocacy group Palestine Legal, responding to NYUs new policies on X/Twitter, This is the first university, that we are aware of, that claims that Zionist is an identity meriting protection under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, rather than a political ideology used to justify apartheid and genocide.

NYUs updated guidelines are part of an intensifying state-led effort by both parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, to slander, suppress and outlaw all left-wing criticism of the Zionist state, and imperialist war and capitalism, more broadly. New York Democrat Ritchie Torres, a heavy promoter of identity politics, endorsed the new guidelines on Twitter/X, calling upon universities across the country to emulate NYUs example.

Zionism, a nationalist political ideology that emerged in the 19th century in reaction against the program of socialist internationalism, has never represented the interests of the masses of Jewish workers and youth. Based in privileged sections of the Jewish middle class and bourgeoisie, the concept of the formation of a Jewish state was directed against the socialist program of the international solidarity of the working class that was steadily gaining ground among masses of Jewish workers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The equation of Zionism with Jewish identity is belied by the fact that, in the past year, millions of Jews around the world have been centrally involved in the protests and rallies against the genocidal war waged by the Zionist state against the Palestinian people. Jewish students, youth and workers have been brutalized and thrown in jail in the US, Germany, the UK, France and Israel itself and other countries for opposing the systematic slaughter of Palestinians and the association of Judaism with mass murder.

On Sunday, the NYU chapter of the Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (NYU FSJP) released a statement condemning the universitys updated policies. The group writes, The new guidance sets a dangerous precedent by extending Title VI protections to anyone who adheres to Zionism, a nationalist political ideology, and troublingly equates criticism of Zionism with discrimination against Jewish people.

They continued, This is a disturbing development that will legitimize far-right and ethnonationalist ideologies under the guise of protecting students from racial discrimination. This weaponization of the Title VI apparatus openly threatens the universitys commitments to academic freedom and to nondiscrimination, and we insist that the administration reconsider these changes for the good of the university community.

The NYU FSJP published an online pledge earlier this week, titled WE REFUSE, announcing the limited strike action of faculty and staff, which declares:

We believe university leadership has forsaken the principles of academic freedom and institutional responsibility.  Until the NYPD is removed permanently from our campus, speech and assembly are fully protected, and all disciplinary measures against pro-Palestinian advocates have been dropped, we refuse to conduct business as usual. This campaign, which has already drawn the support of numerous faculty and staff across the university, will involve the refusal of service and DEI work, and it will include interruption of a variety of internal and public-facing NYU events.

The new guidelines by NYU are part of a broader offensive against free speech on university and college, and high school, campuses. Defending the interests of the American financial and corporate oligarchy and the military-intelligence apparatus, university administrations are in the process of converting campuses into armed fortresses criminalizing protests and restricting student movement. At NYU, heavy security and NYPD are now part of the regular presence on campus, with almost all common areas heavily guarded or locked down entirely so as to prevent any gatherings of students and academic workers.

NYU's Paulson Center, where many protests took place last semester. The seating areas and all but one entrance are closed off.

The ruling class, terrified of opposition spreading into the working class more broadly, is determined to put students in their place following 10 months of continuous, courageous opposition to the Gaza genocide among millions of students and youth, who have defied police repression, punishments by administrators and the blacklisting of anti-genocide protesters.

It is not the first time that the NYU administration is taking the lead in stepping up the bogus anti-antisemitism campaign, which for many years has formed the spearhead of the attack on democratic rights and the criminalization of left-wing opposition on campuses in the US and internationally. In 2020, NYU adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances reactionary 2016 definition of antisemitism, which describes criticism of Israel and of Zionism as inherently antisemitic.

Run by Democratic and Republican operatives, corporate and financial oligarchs and military officials, and heavily funded by the American state and military-intelligence apparatus, the university administration not only plays a central role in the recruitment of personnel and development of military-intelligence hardware but is also forming the spearhead in suppressing domestic opposition to war.

Over the last 10 months, the crackdown on anti-genocide protests at NYU, as well as Columbia University, has been particularly ferocious. Numerous NYU students, faculty and staff have been blacklisted, doxxed and removed from their positions. The administration sicced heavily armed New York City Police Department riot squads on student and faculty protesters during the fall semester, resulting in the arrest and injury of hundreds of students and staff. Across the country, thousands were arrested, and many more were injured as riot police rampaged through college campuses.

Part of the protest at NYU on Monday, April 22, 2024

This intensifying assault on free speech illustrates the ever more central role played by universities in the war drive of US imperialism. Over the last several decades, the universities have been transformed into massive financial entities run by Wall Street and the capitalist state. As a result, all the major academic institutions are deeply integrated into the apparatus of the capitalist state. Massive sums of money are pumped by the Department of Defense into leading universities for technological development, personnel recruitment and ideological propaganda. University administrations are packed with Wall Street executives, former CIA and Pentagon officials and operatives of the Democratic and Republican parties.

This is why, when protesting against the genocide on campus, students, faculty and staff are immediately confronted with the full force of the American capitalist state. Fundamentally, the campaign against free speech on the campuses is an attack on the basic democratic rights of the entire working class. It is meant to pave the way for even more violent measures against any attempt by the working class to oppose war and the escalating attacks on its social and democratic rights.

The experience of the past 10 months underscores that all efforts to oppose war, genocide and the attacks on democratic rights through appeals to the university administrations and the Democratic Party only end in isolation, demoralization and failure.

Instead, students, faculty and staff must turn outward to the only social force that can take on this enemythe international working class in the struggle against capitalism. The strike action taken by NYU faculty and staff, coming after the political strike of tens of thousands of academic workers in the University of California system last semester, is an important step in that direction. However, it must be broadened to other campuses and, most critically, to other sections of the working class, and armed with a perspective aimed at the independent mobilization of the international working class against genocide and the emerging world war, and its root causethe capitalist system.
The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) categorically rejects the anti-refugee agitation and the calls for a crackdown on asylum rights that are dominating public life in Germany in the week before the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia in eastern Germany. We appeal to workers, young people and all those who reject racism and fascism: Oppose this development! Defend refugees and democratic rights!

The claim of the federal coalition, comprising the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Liberal Democrats (FDP), that the sealing off of the borders, the reduction of resources for refugees, their deportation to Afghanistan and Syria, the furnishing of the state surveillance apparatus with new powers and similar measures serve to protect the population from terrorist attacks, is a transparent lie.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has seized upon the stabbing attack in Solingen, Germany to call for an anti-immigrant crackdown. [Photo by Bundesregierung/Marvin Ibo Gungor]

With their attacks on refugees, the government, all the establishment parties and media are pursuing quite different goals:

They are trying to divide the working class, which is now larger and more international than ever before and is being exploited by the same corporations and financial institutions all over the world.

They scapegoat refugees and migrants, the weakest and most disenfranchised members of society, for social ills (expensive housing, lack of daycare, teacher shortages, low wages), when in reality it is the billionaires and the gigantic expenditures for war and rearmament that are responsible. Under the Nazis, Jews were used as a lightning rod for social outrage; today it is the turn of refugees and Muslims.

The ruling elites are building a police state and eroding fundamental democratic rights in order to suppress the growing opposition to war, social cuts and layoffs. The new Gestapo, which is emerging under the pretext of the fight against terrorist attacks, is directed against striking workers, opponents of the war and socialists.

They are deliberately strengthening the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). All the major partiesfrom the Christian Democrats (CDU) to the SPD, the FDP and the Greens, to the Left Party and its split-off, the Sahra Wagenknecht Allianceare joining in the anti-immigrant chorus. This shows that this fascist party is not a cancer in an otherwise healthy society, but an expression of a fundamental social development. Social antagonisms and international tensions have reached such intensity that they can no longer be reconciled with democracy and peace. The maintenance of capitalist rule now requires dictatorship and war. This right-wing hysteria by all sections of the political establishment is the context in which the AfD is leading in the polls in Thuringia and polling second in Saxony.

The attack in Solingen, where a Syrian refugee allegedly killed three people with a knife and wounded eight others on Friday last week, came at just the right time for the establishment parties. Since then, they have been competing with each other in their right-wing demands and promptly implementing them. There is no other topic in the media, in the election campaign or in political debates.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz called for a complete halt to the admission of refugees from Syria and Afghanistan and the resumption of deportations to these countries, where those sent there would face death. He offered close cooperation with the SPD on this, and thus a return to the hated grand coalition that was voted out of office in 2021.

But the federal coalition government pre-empted him. The parties quickly agreed on a further tightening of the asylum law and new powers for the police and secret services. On Thursday, the SPD, Greens and FDP then agreed a whole package of tightened asylum and security laws.

Asylum seekers who do not return to the European country through which they entered will lose all benefits. Recognised refugees who visit their homeland will not be allowed to return. Refugees, including minors, who have used a knife or other weapon can be more easily expelled. The security authorities will have access to further databases and will be allowed to collect biometric data and compare it using AI.

Above all, the Greens, who had previously played the role of providing a democratic fig leaf in the coalition, have lost all inhibitions. A paper by Green deputies Irene Mihalic and Konstantin von Notz, which the parliamentary group distributed, advocates an about turn in domestic policy and a special fund for internal security (echoing the 100 billion special fund for the Bundeswehr-Armed Forces). The paper, which advocates zero tolerance of those who pose a threat, states that previous policy has been characterised by understandable but also naive wishful thinking.

On Friday, a charter jet took off from Leipzig for Kabul for the first time since the return of the Taliban. On board were 28 refugees who had been sentenced to prison terms for various offences. They are being extradited into the hands of the Taliban. Since the German government rejects any direct contact with the regime in Kabul, the emirate of Qatar had arranged the deportation deal.

The hysteria with which the government, the establishment political parties and media have reacted to the attack in Solingen shows that they have their backs to the wall.

They know, of course, that attacking defenceless refugees does nothing to reduce the risk of terrorist attacks, which are a by-product of the brutal wars the US and its European allies have been waging in the Middle East for over 35 years.

Many Islamist groups, such as al-Qaeda or Islamic State (IS), which has claimed responsibility for the attack in Solingen, were originally set up or used by Western intelligence services for their own purposes. They continue to be manipulated by them or used by regional regimes to put their imperialist masters or their local rivals under pressure. The further the genocide in Gaza is driven and the war is extended to Lebanon and Iran, the more the breeding ground for such attacks grows.

As brutal and reprehensible as the attack in Solingen was, it is modest in comparison to the more than 40,000 Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli army in just under a year, with the full support of the German government. Resistance to this terrible crime is growing. So is the opposition to the war in Ukraine, where Zelenskys army, with German and NATO support, is advancing into Russian territory and risking a nuclear escalation that will also affect Germany.

This resistance is the real reason for the hysteria of those in power. Just as the US government used the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center to justify its brutal wars, the much smaller attack in Solingen is being exploited to intimidate public opinion.

The agitation against refugees and migrants serves the ruling class in all imperialist countries as a central lever of domestic political reaction. In the US, Britain, France, Italy and Japan, as well as in Germany, it is used to justify the massive expansion of the powers of the police and secret services.

It makes no significant difference whether openly right-wing politiciansTrump, Sunak, Melonior supposedly more moderate onesBiden/Harris, Starmer, Scholzare in government. In Spain and Greece, the pseudo-left parties Podemos and Syriza have taken equally brutal action against refugees. And in Thuringia, the state government, a coalition led by the Left Party and including the SPD and Greens, is implementing the programme of the extreme right.

This alone shows that the turn by the ruling class towards anti-refugee agitation, fascism and war has deep objective causes. The world economy, which is based on the globally networked labour of billions of workers, is incompatible with the archaic capitalist social system, which rests on private property and rival nation states.

The capitalists are trying to resolve this contradiction by intensifying the exploitation of the working class and forcibly redividing the world. That is the cause of fascism and war.

The working class can solve it by uniting across all national, ethnic and linguistic borders, expropriating the big corporations and banks, placing the economy under democratic control and reorganising it on a socialist basis, according to the needs of society instead of the profit interests of the rich.

Refugees and democratic rights can only be defended within the framework of such an international socialist perspective. It would be dangerous and naive to rely on humanistic and moral appeals to those in power.

The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei combines the defence of refugees and democratic rights with a socialist programme that defends the social and democratic interests of all workers.

Workers who come from Germany and immigrants are not rivals for scarce housing, jobs and income. They must unite to reverse the decades-long regressive redistribution that has concentrated billions in the hands of a few dozen individuals. The enormous sums that flow into war, armament, hand-outs for the banks and corporations, and rising stock prices must be used to finance education, health care, climate protection, safe and well-paid jobs and affordable housing.

The SGP and its international sister organisations in the International Committee of the Fourth International are fighting for this perspective.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally in Savannah, Georgia, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. [AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin]

On August 29, Vice President Kamala Harris held her first sit-down interview since replacing President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic Party ticket. The short interview with CNNs Dana Bash was a heavily edited piece of political theater aimed at concealing the right-wing character of a future Harris-Walz administration and the scale of the domestic and global geo-political crisis.

Despite months of global protests attended by millions of people, Harris made clear that Palestinians will continue to be slaughtered under her administration. Bash, who falsely claimed Biden was trying to end the war, questioned Harris as to whether she would do anything differently, such as withholding some US weapons shipments to Israel? Harris replied:

Let me be very clear, unequivocal and unwavering in my commitment to Israels defense and its ability to defend itself. And thats not going to change.

Repeating Israeli war propaganda that was debunked months ago, Harris added:

But lets take a step back. October 7. 1,200 people are massacred, many young people who are simply attending a music festival. Women were horribly raped. As I said then, I say today, Israel had a right, has a right to defend itself.

Bash, playing the role of a Zionist agent, did not raise the fact that many of those 1,200 killed on October 7 were victims of the Israeli military tank and helicopter attacks via the depraved Hannibal Directive. As of this writing, which follows a United Nations investigation, there has been no forensic evidence to substantiate claims of multiple Hamas rapes on October 7.



However, there have been dozens of well sourced reports of mass, systemic sexual abuse and physical torture of Palestinians held hostage in Israeli military prisons. The ethnic cleansing of Palestine by the IDF with US support was another topic that went unmentioned.

When Harris briefly turned to the suffering of Palestinians, she refused to state how many had died, in the process erasing the deaths of at least 40,000 people and her culpability in it. Instead, the war criminal offered the same phrases she has been using since March of this year: Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed, and we have got to get a deal done.

Pressed by Bash to confirm there would be no change in policy in terms of arms and so forth? Harris quickly replied, No.

Before delving into the rest of the contents of the interview itself, it is important to take note of what was not discussed. While Bash made time to ask Harris why she did not explicitly talk about gender or race in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, she did not raise the ongoing US-NATO war against Russia, which threatens all of humanity with a nuclear catastrophe.

There was no mention of the fact that for the first time since World War II, German tanks have been deployed inside Russia. There were no questions posed to Harris about further US military support for Ukraine under her administration, including the delivery of F-16 fighter jets.

The rising danger of global nuclear war, including pledges by a future Harris administration as outlined in the Democratic Party platform to modernize the US nuclear arsenal, were likewise omitted.

This political fraud extended to the breakdown of democracy in the United States. At the Democratic National Convention, Biden warned that Trump was attempting to overthrow the election again and establish a dictatorship, though he did not indicate his administration was doing anything to stop it.

In the interview, neither Harris nor Bash raised Bidens warning and the threat of fascism in the United States. Instead, Bash asked Harris if she would appoint a Republican to your cabinet.

Without batting an eye, Harris replied:

Yes, I would. Yes, I would.  I think its very important. I have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion. I think its important to have people at the table when some of the most important decisions are being made that have different views, different experiences, and I think it would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my cabinet who was a Republican.

The fact that members of the increasingly fascistic Republican Party will apparently be welcomed to the Harris cabinet is not a surprise. In order to achieve their shared class objectives of global war abroad and suppression of the class struggle at home, Harris and the Democrats are willing to eviscerate the democratic rights and living standards of the working class to secure support from their Republican colleagues.

This was perhaps most vividly expressed in Harriss embrace of Trumps anti-immigrant border agenda. Questioned by Bash as to why the Biden-Harris administration did not more quickly implement sweeping asylum restrictions, Harris blamed Trump for blocking the passage of a previously negotiated anti-immigrant bill, which includes nearly $20 billion to expand the border police apparatus.

Harris boasted that the bill would have put 1,500 more agents on the border and was endorsed by the Border Patrol, which is led by Trump supporter Brandon Judd.

The bill was initially proposed as a compromise from the Democrats in order to secure billions in military support for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The fact that the war funding was already passed without the anti-immigrant legislation has not deterred Harris from continuing to champion its passage.

Questioned by Bash if she would push that legislation again, Harris, raising her finger for effect, declared, Not only push it. I will make sure that it comes to my desk and sign it.

Harris added:

Im the only person who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations...Im the only person in this race who actually served a border state as attorney general to enforce our laws and I would enforce our laws as president going forward. I recognize the problem.

In addition to throwing out her previous progressive calls for decriminalizing the border, Harris forcefully pushed back on any notion that she would ban fracking, despite the significant environmental and health risks the industrial process poses.

As president I will not ban fracking, Harris said, bragging, In fact. Dana, I cast the tie-breaking vote that actually increased leases for fracking as vice president.

In a statement published on X commenting on the interview, Socialist Equality Party president candidate Joseph Kishore noted that Harris comment that Trump had mismanaged the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was an admission that the ruling class policy of mass infection and death will continue.

Harris stated that under Trump, Hundreds of people a day were dying. But this is, in fact, happening now, Kishore wrote. He continued:

It is under the Biden administration that all public health measures to stop mass infection and debilitation from COVID-19 have been eliminated, and laws are now being put in place that ban the wearing of masks. The ruling class policy of normalizing mass death and debilitation from Long COVID will continue under either Harris or Trump.

Commenting on the interview as a whole, Kishore noted:
The Israeli military fired a missile into the lead vehicle of an aid convoy in southern Gaza on Friday, killing four Palestinians.

The convoy was organized by the Washington, DC-based nonprofit American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) and was delivering medical supplies and fuel to a hospital in Rafah, the besieged southern Gaza city on the border with Egypt.

Relatives mourn a young child killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip at a hospital in Deir al-Balah, Friday, Aug.30, 2024. [AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana]

A press release from Anera said, An Israeli airstrike yesterday killed four Palestinians at the front of an Anera aid convoy carrying food and fuel to the Emirati Red Crescent Hospital. The statement also said the transport plan had been coordinated and cleared with the Israeli military, including the presence of unarmed security guards in the convoy.

In a report in the Washington Post, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that the missile strike was carried out after identifying weapons aboard one of the trucks, adding that the four Palestinians were armed and hadnt been included in the coordinated travel plan.

The Anera statement said that initial reports from Move One, the transport company contracted to move the food, fuel and medical supplies, showed that four community members with experience in previous missions and engagement in community security with Move One stepped forward and took control of the leading vehicle, citing concern that the route was unsafe and at risk of being looted.

Anera said the four Palestinians had not been vetted or coordinated in advance. However, contrary to the assertions of the IDF, initial reports after the missile strike at the scene show that no weapons were present. The four individuals were not perceived by the convoy as a hostile threat. The Israeli airstrike was carried out without any prior warning or communication.

Anera said that none of its staff members were injured, and the convoy was able to continue on its way and complete the successful delivery of aid to the hospital in Rafah.

The missile strike in southern Gaza took place two days after a United Nations World Food Program (WFP) vehicle was fired upon as it approached an IDF checkpoint. In a similar setup by the IDF, the two armored vehicles had received multiple clearances by Israeli authorities to approach the Wadi Gaza bridge checkpoint, yet at least 10 bullets struck one of its clearly marked vehicles. No one was injured.

In March, an Anera logistics coordinator in Gaza, Mousa Shawwa, was killed by an Israeli airstrike while he was in a shelter. The relief workers 6-year-old son, Karim, died 10 days later from injuries suffered during the attack. In April, three Israeli air strikes hit an aid convoy traveling through Gaza, killing seven World Central Kitchen workers.

According to the UN, more than 280 humanitarian workers have been killed by Israel during the onslaught on Gaza that began in October. The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Friday that the number of planned missions in August that had been denied by Israel had doubled since July.

The IDF strategy of approving aid workers to bring assistance to Palestinians and then targeting their vehicles with precision missile strikes is of a piece with the genocidal onslaught on the entire population in Gaza. Every criminal act carried out by Israel in Gaza has been carried out with lies about the presence of terrorists.

Terrorizing aid workers providing desperately needed assistance amidst the catastrophic conditions in Gaza is part of the system of forced evacuation and ethnic cleansing pursued by the Zionist state with the support and approval of its imperialist partners.

Palestinian families have been forced to relocate multiple times over the past ten months to so-called safe zones which now comprise approximately ten percent of the total land area of Gaza. Palestinians have been fired upon and murdered in the streets after leaving their homes or blown to bits with US-made 2,000 lb. bombs before they have time to evacuate.

Meanwhile, the war to uproot and kill Palestinians has been expanded by Israel from Gaza to the West Bank. The IDF reported Friday that Israeli forces have killed 20 people in the West Bank, claiming they were terrorists, in airstrikes and exchanges of fire since an incursion began Tuesday in the West Bank locations of Jenin, Tulkarm and the al-Faraa refugee camp.

In what is described as the largest actions in the West Bank since the siege of Gaza began in October, hundreds of Israeli troops have moved into the areas, sometimes with air cover. The Israeli government claims the attacks are needed to root out militant cells and destroy their infrastructure and weapons, according the Washington Post.

The Post report continued, Thousands of civilians have been affected, with families trapped in battle-shaken neighborhoods, often without water, electricity or internet, and Israeli combat bulldozers have plowed many of the areas streets to rubble.
We are publishing here the report to the Eighth Congress of the Socialist Equality Party (US) given by Clara Weiss to introduce the resolution Free Bogdan Syrotiuk, which was passed unanimously by the Congress, along with the main resolution The 2024 US elections and the tasks of the Socialist Equality Party. The congress was held from August 4 to August 9, 2024.

It has now been over three months since comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk, the founder and leader of the Young Guard of Bolshevik Leninists, was arrested by the Ukrainian Secret Service, SBU, on charges of high treason under martial law. He is threatened with a sentence of between 15 years and life in prison. A bit over a month after Bogdans arrest, on June 3, the Ukrainian government banned the World Socialist Web Site.

Staying true to its historical origins in the Stalinist bureaucracy, which consolidated its privileged position through the mass murder of socialists and Trotskyists, the oligarchy that rules Ukraine today uses a combination of amalgams, outright lies, slander and state force to suppress its revolutionary opposition.

The main evidence cited by the prosecution are articles that appeared on the World Socialist Web Site. According to the prosecution, Bogdan was engaged in the preparation of publications commissioned by representatives of a Russian propaganda and information agency, the World Socialist Web Site. This denunciation of the WSWS is combined with the acknowledgement that the WSWS covers the main socio-political problems around the world from the position of revolutionary opposition to the capitalist market system, with the aim of establishing world socialism through socialist revolution.

A list of some of the pamphlets that were confiscated when Bogdan was arrested, including the May Day 2023 speeches by David North, Bogdan and Andrei Ritsky, an essay by Trotsky on the October revolution, and the Greetings by David North to a meeting of the YGBL on the centenary of the Left Opposition.

These quotations should make clear that it is not only Bogdan, but also the International Committee that stands on trial. Nor should there be any doubt that these documents, and the case as a whole, were worked on jointly by the fascist-ridden SBU and its handlers and funders in the CIA and German Secret Service.

The WSWS and ICFI assessed the indictment of Bogdan Syrotiuk as a declaration of war against all left-wing and socialist opposition to the Zelensky regime and, specifically, the International Committee of the Fourth International and its public organ, the World Socialist Web Site.

This assessment highlights the political significance of the campaign to free Bogdan. It is not only a matter of concern to us because he is our comrade. It is a political necessity for the development of a class conscious movement of workers throughout Europe, the US and internationally against imperialist war, the escalating attack on democratic rights and the threat of fascism.

It should be recalled that one of the first acts of the US government before it entered the last world war was to imprison the leadership of the Trotskyist movement, based on the notorious Smith Act Trial. Cannons defense of revolutionary Marxist principles before the court in Minneapolis in 1941 was published under the title Socialism on Trial.

Farrell Dobbs, left, and James P. Cannon during their 1941 Smith Act trial

It laid out, in accessible terms, the ideas of revolutionary socialism and Marxist opposition to war to a mass working class audience. Today, Trotskyism is again on trial. But Comrade Bogdan will not have the chance to defend his views in public. This task will fall upon the International Committee and the World Socialist Web Site.

The political record of the ICFI and the YGBL

The essential basis for refuting the bogus charges of the SBU against Bogdan and the ICFI is the political record of the WSWS. At the same time, this record also reveals the real political reasons for why Bogdan was arrested.

The World Socialist Web Site, which the SBU slanders as a Russian propaganda and information agency, has consistently advanced a line that opposes both oligarchic regimes, in Russia and Ukraine, as well as the imperialist powers. In its February 24, 2022 statement, published hours after the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, the International Committee of the Fourth International stated:

The International Committee of the Fourth International and the World Socialist Web Site denounce the Russian military intervention in Ukraine. Despite the provocations and threats by the US and NATO powers, Russias invasion of Ukraine must be opposed by socialists and class-conscious workers. The catastrophe that was set in motion by the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 cannot be averted on the basis of Russian nationalism, a thoroughly reactionary ideology that serves the interests of the capitalist ruling class represented by Vladimir Putin. What is required is not a return to the pre-1917 foreign policy of tsarism, but, rather, a revival, in Russia and throughout the world, of the socialist internationalism that inspired the October Revolution of 1917 and led to the creation of the Soviet Union as a workers state. The invasion of Ukraine, whatever the justifications given by the Putin regime, will serve only to divide the Russian and Ukrainian working class and, moreover, serve the interests of US and European imperialism.

At the last Congress, we stressed that the opposition of the Trotskyist movement to the war in Ukraine was rooted, above all, in the response by the International Committee to the Stalinist destruction of the Soviet Union in 1991. We have also emphasized that this historical record, and the history of the Trotskyist movement as a whole, must form the essential basis for the training of our cadre.

This orientation has been vindicated by the development of political relations between the International Committee and the YGBL. A few words must at this point be said about Bogdan Syrotiuk himself. His turn toward Trotskyism and the development of the YGBL are one of the highest political expressions so far of the intersection between the decades-long struggle for Trotskyist principles by the ICFI and the experience of masses of workers and youth that we have identified as a key feature of the fifth stage in the development of our movement.

Bogdan was born in 1999, less than 8 years after the catastrophic destruction of the Soviet Union by the Stalinist bureaucracy and the restoration of capitalism. His life and that of his family reflect the fate of the Ukrainian working class in the 20th century, its bitter experiences with Stalinism and fascism, but also its proud association with the 1917 revolution.

Bogdan on November 7, 2023, the 106th anniversary of the October revolution, near a memorial dedicated to Red partisans

The city where Bogdan was born and worked, Pervomaisk, only became a city through the merger of three small settlements in 1920, in the midst of the civil war that followed the October revolution. The name of the town, Pervomaisk, means City of May Day. In the subsequent decades, it emerged as a significant regional industrial center and its population grew to almost 90,000. The restoration of capitalism was a catastrophe for the working class of that region, as well as all of Ukraine and the former Soviet Union. By the time Bogdan was born, all major factories in the city that had been established by the Soviet working class had been privatized. By 2022, the citys population had declined by almost a third, to just over 60,000.

A map of Ukraine showing Pervomaisk.

Bogdan lost his parents at an early age and was raised by his great-grandparents and grandparents. His great-grandfather, Ivan Kompaniets, had a particularly strong influence on him. As a child, he had survived the horrific famine of 1931-1932a result of the adventurist Stalinist politics of building socialism in one country. As a teenager, he experienced the Nazi occupation of Ukraine during World War II. His father died fighting against fascism in the Red Army. After the war, he worked as a coal miner and construction worker, while also being a gifted artista talent he passed on to Bogdan.

Whatever the Stalinist bureaucrats promises about peace and prosperity that would supposedly come with capitalism, Bogdan and the youth that now make up the YGBL grew up under conditions of extraordinary social devastation and decline. At the same time, he was surrounded by people who recalled the greatest horrors that the working class had gone through in the 20th century. Some of the interviews he conducted as a teenager with local residents who had experienced the crimes of German and Ukrainian fascism were later published on the WSWS in his unique essay, The crimes of the Banderovites against the Ukrainian people. This essay, as his other articles on the Ukrainian fascists, provoked the particular ire of the SBU.

The biggest political watershed in Bogdans life was the far-right coup in Kiev in February 2014. Comrades should take the time to examine the record of the ICFI of this seminal event. It was a milestone in the descent of the world into a new global war, the strengthening of fascist forces, and the efforts to falsify history to justify the greatest crimes of imperialism in the past and future. It also marked a new stage in the rightward shift of the petty-bourgeois ex-lefts, with the Pabloites, in particular, glorifying the coup and the involvement of fascists in it. Other layers became apologists for the Putin regime.

Bogdan in 2015 at a protest. The sign says: "Peace for the world! Down with war!

This political analysis set the IC apart from all of these petty-bourgeois nationalist tendencies and Bogdans experiences intersected with our analysis. He was deeply shaken by the removal of monuments to Lenin, the denunciations of the Red Armys struggle against fascism in the Second World War, and the glorification of the Ukrainian fascists. Out of opposition to the official Russophobia, he began speaking only Russian.

A 2015 caricature by Bogdan of "Chocolate oligarch" Poroshenko who came to power after the 2014 coup. He says: "This is what we've done to join NATO."

At the time, his political activities still took place in the framework of the Stalinist Communist Party of Ukraine, whose politics dominated the nominal left in Ukraine. (It was banned in 2015). However, Bogdan soon began to break from Stalinism. The basis for this break was his arguably greatest political strength: His commitment to historical truth.

By 2016 he considered himself a Trotskyist, and in 2018 he formed a youth group whose goal, in Bogdans words, was to fight for the truth about Lev Davidovich Trotsky. Its name, the Young Guard of Bolshevik Leninists, is a reference to the name that the Soviet Left Opposition gave itself in the 1920s and 1930s. The name was meant to underscore the continuity between the struggle waged by the Opposition and the program and principles of the October revolution. The YGBL found supporters across the former Soviet Union, above all in Russia, but also in Moldova, Kazakhstan and other former Soviet republics.

A poster designed by Bogdan Syrotiuk from the YGBL to honor the founders of the Red Army, Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky. The YGBL was founded on February 23, 2018, which coincided with the centenary of the Red Army. The poster says: "Glory to the founders of the Red Army of Workers and Peasants."

It is worth stressingand Bogdan emphasized this many timesthat Bogdan learned about the International Committee of the Fourth International and David North through scans that he found online of the Bulletin of the Fourth International, the journal that the ICFI published in Russian from 1989 to 1993.

Cover of the Bulletin of the Fourth International issue from December 1993.

The Bulletin included the most important statements issued by the ICFI since the split with the WRP and from its intervention in the crisis of Stalinism. A few weeks before the invasion began, the YGBL contacted the IC. Bogdan later recalled:

When on February 24, 2022 the first shots were fired and the shells began raining down from the sky, we were not alone, we were with the International Committee of the Fourth International. Their articles and statements were our articles and statements ... for their position and assessment was our position and assessment.

A few weeks later, Bogdan Syrotiuk addressed the International May Day Rally of 2022. He succinctly summarized our position on the origins of the war and condemned the reactionary invasion by the capitalist Putin regime and stressed that it was only under the leadership of the ICFI that a struggle against this war could be waged. He said:

The views of the Marxist tradition, held by Lenin and Trotsky, and, after them, by us, led us inevitably to the International Committee of the Fourth International as the only international organization still defending the historical traditions of October, defending the personality and ideas of Lenin and Trotsky against Stalinist slander. An organization that has not lost its proletarian character. The International Committee, which supports the struggle for socialism on an international basis, has become for us the beacon to which all ships of Marxist revolutionaries must aspire in order to unite in their struggle for the overthrow of the capitalist order and the establishment of socialism throughout the world.

In the fall of 2022, the International Committee undertook a critical initiative in its work to build its youth and student organization, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE). For the first time in the history of the Trotskyist movement, an international leadership body was formed to oversee and guide the work of the youth and student movement, in close cooperation with the leadership of the ICFI. We also established a much clearer political and theoretical focus for this work: The fight to orient youth and students toward a struggle against war through the mobilization of the working class. The political basis of this fight is laid out in the IYSSE statement of November 3, 2022. To avoid longer quotations, I will briefly summarize the key principles:

The war against Russia is part of a new redivision of the world among the imperialist powers. Whatever the propaganda about democracy, in its economic and geopolitical aims, it is an imperialist war of plunder.

The fight against war must be rooted in the lessons of history.

The fight against war is a fight against the capitalist nation-state system and for the international unification of the working class.

The fight against war must be rooted in the working class, which is not merely an ally of students and youth in this struggle, but its decisive social basis. The IYSSE statement states unambiguously: The IYSSE does not only seek the support of workers in the struggle against war. We recognize that the defeat of imperialism depends upon the emergence of the working class, armed with a socialist program, as the leading and decisive revolutionary force in the fight against the world capitalist system. Just as it was the Russian Revolution, the greatest intervention of the working class in world history, that brought an end to the first global carnage of World War I, it will be the intervention of the international working class that will today stop the escalation toward World War III.

Lastly, the fight against war and for an orientation to the working class requires a fight against bourgeois and petty-bourgeois ideologies of nationalism, reformism, irrationalism, pragmatism and toothless radicalism that seek to disorient workers and youth, undermine their historical and social consciousness, and tie them to the capitalist order. The essential prerequisite for this struggle is a systematic training of the cadre in the history and traditions of the Trotskyist movement.

From the inception of the international IYSSE leadership, the YGBL participated in its meetings. Shortly before we issued this IYSSE statement, they issued a statement of their own which is one of the main pieces of evidence in the indictment of Bogdan. In December, the IYSSE held an international webinar. It included speakers from throughout the world, including the US, Turkey, Brazil, New Zealand, Europe and Australia. Speaking on behalf of the YGBL, Andrei Ritsky gave a report on the socialist opposition to the Putin regime. The webinar was also addressed by comrades David North, Will Lehman, and Barbara Slaughter.

In January 2023, the World Socialist Web Site launched its Ukrainian edition. Two months later, in March 2023, the IYSSE began an international meeting series, The war in Ukraine and how to stop it, with meetings in Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, the US and Europe. Though not large, the meetings immediately provoked the concern of the state apparatus and its pseudo-left and fascist hirelings who sought to disrupt and, in several cases, also ban our meetings. The justification for censorship was the same as for Bogdans arrest: that the ICFIs internationalist opposition to the war made it a defender of the Putin regime. The YGBL published multiple statements refuting this contemptible lie and opposing the attempts to ban our meetings. Their statement in support of the meeting by comrades in Brazil as well as a report on our meeting in San Diego with David North are part of the evidence confiscated by the SBU for its case against Bogdan.

David North addressing a near universally masked audience at San Diego State University on April 25, 2023.

At its 2023 May Day rally, held on April 30, the International Committee developed its political strategy in opposition to the development of war. In the opening report, David North outlined the shared history of revolutionary struggle of the Russian and Ukrainian working class and developed our critique of the Putin regime and its strategy of multipolarity. We also made a conscious decision to have both comrade Bogdan and Comrade Andrei Ritsky speak as representatives of the YGBL in Ukraine and Russia, respectively. They spoke forcefully to the political bankruptcy of both oligarchic regimes that emerged out of the Stalinist restoration of capitalism. Bogdan opened his speech with the words:

The claim that all Ukrainians support this war is a brazen lie. The main prop for this war is not the proletariat and the Ukrainian population, whose situation is appalling. The main props for this war are the Ukrainian bourgeois nationalists and those they serve. We, the orthodox Trotskyists of the Young Guard of Bolshevik Leninists, do not support this war, either in Ukraine or in Russia.

This event, as with our meeting series, did not go unnoticed in Washington and Kiev or, we should add, Moscow. Less than three weeks after our May Day rally, on May 18, 2023, the regional head of the SBU in the Nikolaev region initiated criminal proceedings against Bogdan based on violation of Criminal Article 111, part 2high treason under conditions of martial law. For almost a year, the SBU carefully monitored the activities and publications of the YGBL and ICFI on the WSWS before it decided to move to arrest Bogdan on April 25, 2024.

In the year between the initiation of the investigation and Bogdans arrest, the collaboration of the YGBL and the ICFI in the fight against war made important advances. YGBL comrades participated in last years summer school and we held meetings organized by the YGBL on the centenary of the Left Opposition in October 2023as well as the centenary of the death of Lenin.

Between February and April this year, the YGBL issued a series of statements in which we significantly developed our analysis of the Putin regime as a Bonapartist regime of the oligarchy that balances between different factions of the oligarchy, between the working class and the oligarchy and between the oligarchy and imperialism. The last statement by the YGBL in which comrade Bogdan was involved, The danger of the imperialist carve-up of the former Soviet Union and the tasks of the working class, was issued in April after a significant escalation of NATOs war against Russia with the Moscow Terror attacks of March 2024. The statement developed our assessment of the imperialist carve-up of the former Soviet Union now underway, and the Putin regime as a Bonapartist regime of the oligarchy that pursues an essentially neo-Stalinist foreign policy. It explained:

The principal function of his regime consists, above all, in the preservation of the privileges of the tiny stratum of oligarchs that has emerged as the new ruling class of Russia through the looting of Soviet state property. To preempt this explosion of class tensions, Putin is desperately seeking to mediate between the working class and the oligarchy, between the different factions of the oligarchy, and between the national and economic interests of the oligarchy and the interests of Western imperialism. But the ever more aggressive offensive by imperialism and its fueling of internecine struggle within the oligarchy, as well as the development of the class struggle, make this balancing act ever more tenuous... The working class of the former Soviet Union confronts an existential threat. If the situation is left in the hands of the ruling oligarchy, the alternatives posed are between a direct conflict with NATO, which threatens the use of nuclear weapons, and a carve-up of the entire region through a series of civil wars and regime-change operations. Workers and youth across the former Soviet Union can only fight against the existential threat posed by the imperialist onslaught by returning to the path of 1917, i.e., the path of class struggle and socialist revolution.

Just three days before his arrest, Bogdan finished drafting his planned speech for the May Day Rally 2024. It concluded with the words:

We members of the Ukrainian branch of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists and the entire YGBL call for the unification of the Ukrainian and Russian proletariat with the proletariat in the imperialist countries to end this war! We call for the construction of sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International in all former Soviet republics! And we call on the proletariat of the whole world to unite under the banner of its leaderthe International Committee of the Fourth International. Let the words of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels sound louder and stronger: Proletarians of all countries, unite!

The principles guiding the campaign for Bogdans freedom

Bogdan has now been in prison for over three months. As we have stressed in our statements, his health is poor. He has access to medication, but the conditions in Ukrainian prisons are such that they pose an imminent threat to his health and even life. This is not just our assessment but that of the US State Department, which has publicly acknowledged harsh and life-threatening prison conditions in Zelenskys Ukraine. Our warnings that he would be at the mercy of a kangaroo court were not empty words. Every single court decision in this case has quite literally been based on a copy and paste of the charges by the SBU. Lawyers have been threatened and intimidated to preempt them from taking up his defense.

Bogdan Syrotiuk in mid-April 2024.

The case against Bogdan gives the lie to the imperialist war propaganda about the defense of democracy in Ukraine or, for that matter, anywhere else. Ukraine is ruled by a gang of mafia oligarchs and fascists, who, for the sake of their own enrichment and reactionary interests, have placed the countrys working class and resources at the mercy of imperialism. The legal principles that were mobilized to imprison this 25-year-old socialist are nothing more than the fusion of the Stalinist and Nazi court systems of the 1930s.

This does not mean that we take a defeatist attitude. On the contrary. We will not tire until Comrade Bogdan is free, and he will be free. While we take the legal aspect of this case very seriously, we understand that this is a political case that requires a political struggle. Bogdans freedom can only be achieved through the mobilization of the widest possible support for him. Days after his arrest, we therefore initiated a global campaign to demand his freedom. We launched a petition, issued an open letter to the Ukrainian government, and held rallies at Ukrainian embassies, most of which refused to even receive the letter.

ICFI members and supporters hold pickets to free imprisoned Ukrainian socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk at Ukrainian embassies in (clockwise from top left) Berlin, London, Washington D.C. and Istanbul on June 13, 2024.

Our campaign stands in the over century-long tradition of campaigns by the socialist movement in defense of class war prisoners. This includes the campaigns to free Thomas Mooney and Warren Billings, two American socialist workers who were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for their opposition to the US entry into World War I, and, most recently, Julian Assange. In all of these campaigns, the Trotskyist movement has played a leading role.

At the heart of these campaigns is the political principle that there can be no fight against war and no fight against capitalism without a fight for democratic rights. That defense must be concrete. As James P. Cannon once noted, There is not much value in talking about defending civil rights unless one is willing to defend the victims of their violation. The truth is always concrete, and so are civil rights. (James P. Cannon, Tentative Action on the Civil Rights Front, Notebook of an Agitator. From the Wobblies to the fight against the Korean War and McCarthyism, Pathfinder Press, 1993, 410, 412-413.)

James P. Cannon

Therefore, we have appealed and will continue to appeal to all those who lay claim to being left-wing, socialist or democratically minded. Thanks to this principled approach, the campaign has begun to reveal more clearly those who are indifferent and even opposed to the defense of democratic rights and a struggle against war. A few telling examples must be mentioned. Among the vast majority of academics, as in all matters that require a stance in defense of principles, the response has been a deafening silence.

In Russia, comrades in the YGBL have widely circulated the information about Bogdans arrest among organizations that claim to be socialist and internationalist opponents of the war. The responses, with few notable exceptions, have been particularly vile, and expose the immense class gulf between those tendencies and our movement. One group, which is representative of the neo-Stalinist section of the Russian pseudo-left that is oriented toward the Putin regime, wrote that since Bogdan opposed the invasion from the beginning, we shouldnt complain now. It wrote:

Alas, but it is quite logical that he got a full spoonful of it! Now he has a chance to find out on his own skin whose regime is more reactionary. Only the reactionary troops of the dreadful, terrible Putin will free him. We are, to put it mildly, not fans of Vladimir Vladimirovich, but your comrades position is frankly stupid. Do not mechanically copy the tactics of the Bolsheviks of the early twentieth century! Think with your head! The Bolsheviks tied their tactics to specific conditions, which are absolutely not equal to todays conditions.

It might appear difficult to think of a more revolting display of social chauvinism and contempt for all basic principles of the socialist movement. But there is one such example. A Maoist organization, which is apparently more oriented toward the NATO-backed section of the Russian oligarchy, wrote:

We consider it unacceptable to interfere in the affairs of the working class of another state. We also believe that any help to your comrade from Russia would be harmful. This story is a matter of Ukrainian politics. Its coverage and defense of your comrade should [be] handled by Ukrainian politicians and Ukrainian media. We consider it unacceptable to help the Ukrainian security services with evidence of your comrades connection with Russians. We consider it even more unacceptable to create reasons for Russian propaganda to demonize Ukraine, to declare it a concentration of atrocities and evils. The very last thing one would want is to aid Russian imperialism, and it is important for Ukrainian communists to defend their independence.

The campaign for Bogdans freedom, like every major defense campaign in the past, thus sharpens the class lines and provides the basis for the political clarification of the international working class as to the true character of these reactionary tendencies. At the same time, it will bring forward and reveal those forces and tendencies in society that can be mobilized for the defense of democratic rights and in opposition to war.

We have received endorsements from artists like Roger Waters and Ai Wei Wei. To their credit, a number of noted historians, including Mario Kessler and Christian Gerlach, have declared their support for it, as have several left tendencies in Russia, Latin America and Europe. We have also received substantial support in our campaign from Maxim Goldarb, a Ukrainian socialist whom the WSWS had previously defended against persecution from the Ukrainian state, and, more recently, Ukrainian journalists. But the campaign has no doubt received the strongest response in the working class, including in India, where Maruti Suzuki workers have given powerful interviews on Bogdans case. Rank-and-file committees in Australia, Sri Lanka, Germany, the UK and the US have released statements in support of Bogdan. We have also found an important response to the campaign among refugees from Ukraine and immigrant workers from Eastern Europe in Germany.

Conclusion

In concluding this report, I want to stress that Bogdan was always very conscious of the fact that, in joining the ICFI and taking up the struggle for Trotskyism, he made a commitment that would require great sacrifices and harbored very real risks, including to his life.

Bogdan playing a board game with a friend

But he is also highly conscious that he and the YGBL have joined a world movement and a movement of history that speaks for the most powerful social force on the planet: the international working class. He was particularly moved by the memorial meeting we held for comrade Helen Halyard in December, to which he submitted greetings on behalf of the YGBL and to which he listened in the middle of the night. I would like to quote from the note that he sent afterward because it reflects better than anything else who Bogdan is and what he represents:

Dear and respected comrade North, I would like to thank you very much for inviting me to the memorial meeting in memory of Comrade Helen. I listened to each presentation with great attention and awe despite the late hour.... Each presentation was imbued with a sense of gratitude, respect and comradely love. And with great clarity about who Comrade Helen was and the role she played in their lives and in our movement. When I wrote my address to the memorial meeting, I was very much afraid that I would fail, and that my writing style would make it seem routine and mundane, and that it might contain a lot of inappropriate revolutionary phrases, but your speech and that of the other comrades dispelled my worries, and everything I wrote was appropriate and even necessary. I wrote the address at midnight, when the sound of explosions and gunfire could be heard outside my window.  The memorial meeting had a very great educational power, and spoke volumes about how we should be. For me, the greatest examples have always been set by those who themselves burned [for a great idea] and could light others on fire, leaving a piece of their flame in all those they ever met. I was especially happy to see and hear from senior comrades Barbara Slaughter and Fred Mazelis. If possible, please give them a fiery greeting from me and my comrades in the YGBL.

Helen Halyard with Soviet historian Vadim Rogovin upon his arrival in Detroit, 2 February, 1995

Bogdans high level of consciousness of the historical traditions of this movement no doubt sustains him now under extremely difficult conditions. But this consciousness was not only a product of his own political study and commitment to principle. It was also the result of the approach that the IC took toward the development of the YGBL. From the beginning, the clarification of questions of historical traditions, principle and perspective was placed at the very center of our collaboration. In a letter to the YGBL from June 2022, David North stressed:

A young organization must establish its continuity with the antecedent history of the Trotskyist movement by taking up the fight, in the present, against the opponentsStalinist, Pabloite, state capitalist, social democratic, labor, petty-bourgeois radical, anarchist, bourgeois nationalist, and liberal reformistof revolutionary Marxism. This fight is conducted on a theoretical, political, and organizational plane, and is always directed toward establishing the complete and unconditional political independence of the working class from the bourgeoisie. However difficult and contradictory the process, the political movement that conducts this struggle expresses with ever increasing clarity the continuity of Trotskyism and, thereby, moves into alignment with the objective trajectory of the world socialist revolution.

David North lecturing at the Moscow Historical Institute in 1989

The immense advances that the ICFI has made in the past two years in the struggle against war and the development of a cadre in the former Soviet Union were fundamentally rooted in this orientation. Bogdans persecution and indictment make clear that these same political advances were also carefully followed by the bourgeois state. The bourgeoisie recognized that much broader social and political processes were expressed in them and decided that it had to respond to defend its own class interests. They decided that, amid growing popular opposition to the war, they cannot tolerate even one young leader of our movement in Ukraine to be at large. Nor could they allow the World Socialist Web Site to be accessible to workers and youth.

Bogdan Syrotiuks arrest is thus an unmistakable sign that the International Committee and its cadre are now working under fundamentally transformed conditions. A prolonged period of reaction and suppressed class and political struggle has come to a close. As we predicted in 1991, we are in a period of imperialist war and social revolution. The true interests and conflicts in society are emerging with ever greater force into the open. So far, this has found an expression above all in the escalation of imperialist war and the attack on democratic rights. But it will also inevitably find an expression in the growth of open class struggle.

The position of the revolutionary tendency in society has irrevocably changed. This presents us with great opportunities, but also immense responsibilities and challenges. When we speak of Bogdans arrest as a declaration of war on the ICFI, we mean it, and we know that the bourgeoisie means it. The war is now on. The campaign to free Bogdan must therefore be understood not simply as an organizational effort, but as a central political battleground in an intensifying class war. Our principal weapon in this fight is the political record of the Trotskyist movement and our principal aims are both the freedom of Bogdan and the political education and mobilization of the working class.

I therefore urge comrades to endorse this resolution. It must form the basis for a significant expansion of the work of the SEP in the US, the center of world imperialism, alongside our comrades in the International Committee and YGBL, to mobilize the broadest possible public support for Bogdan. Like every trial against socialist leaders in the past, it will be an important lever to educate large sections of the working class, youth and intelligentsia in the principles that underlie the Marxist opposition to war and the fight for socialist revolution, the defense of which led to Bogdans imprisonment. We must turn the attack by the bourgeoisie on the Trotskyist movement into a counter-offensive for Trotskyism. On this basis, we will not only succeed in freeing our comrade. The campaign will also significantly strengthen the political, intellectual and moral authority of the International Committee throughout the world and help establish the political leadership of the Trotskyist movement in an emerging mass movement by the working class and youth against war and capitalism.
Fijis Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka concluded a 10-day visit to China last week, expressing high praise for Chinas great progress under President Xi Jingping.

Fijian Prime Minister shakes hands with Chinese President Xi in Beijing, August 21, 2024 [Photo: X/slrabuka]

Rabuka met with Xi and Premier Li Qiang, reaffirming support for the one-China policy, acknowledging that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The leaders emphasised the great progress made in bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties 49 years ago, when Fiji was the first Pacific country to do so.

The 17-point joint statement declared the two governments will continue to deepen their comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi gave his backing to Rabukas proposal for a zone of peace in the Pacific, which Rabuka is promoting as a means to make the region conflict free.

In fact, the entire region has become a geo-strategic cauldron, with tiny Pacific states caught in a precarious balancing act between the US and China amid the escalating drive to war by Washington and its allies, aimed directly against Beijing.

Beijing is seeking to strengthen its ties with Pacific countries to counter the escalating US-led confrontation. Last month Jeremiah Manele and Charlot Salwai, the prime ministers of Solomon Islands and Vanuatu visited China. The two met with Xi before signing agreements covering infrastructure development and, in the case of the Solomon Islands, $US20 million in budgetary support.

Commenting on Rabukas visit, the Global Times, part of Chinas state media, wrote that while cooperation with China had brought tangible benefits to South Pacific island countries and their peoples, they were facing mounting pressure from some former colonial powers such as the US and Australia.

Following his meeting with Xi, Rabuka declared that only Beijing stood by the country when its traditional partnersnamely Australia and New Zealand, who had imposed sanctionsturned away after the 1987, 2000 and 2006 military coups. The role played by Canberra and Wellington in Fijis isolation clearly still rankles.

Rabuka carried out two coups in 1987. Following the 2006 coup led by Frank Bainimarama, the diplomatic and economic sanctions backfired when Bainimarama turned to Beijing and Russia for financial assistance and military connections. The US finally intervened to force the restoration of ties in the wake of Fijis bogus 2014 democratic elections.

The China-Fiji statement made no mention of direct financial aid or grants by Beijing. They agreed, however, to strengthen interaction at all levels and in various areas, expand exchange between their respective legislatures, government agencies, municipalities and localities, carry out experience sharing on governance and development, and further deepen political mutual trust.

The statement noted Fijis involvement in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative and listed intended cooperation infrastructure, trade and investment, e-commerce, civil aviation, agriculture and fisheries, educational facilities, and green and low-carbon development. It committed to increase Fiji exports to China and encourage Chinese investments in Fijis tourism sector.

Rabuka spent the first week of his tour inspecting rural facilities and projects centering on agriculture, aquaculture, and community development. He told the media: Agriculture is a vital part of our fight against poverty, adding: Fiji has much to learn from [Chinas] success. Fiji has some 300,000 people30 percent of the populationliving in poverty.

Behind the diplomatic niceties, the trip was clearly an attempt by both sides to reset their affairs. After Rabuka took office in early 2023, there was a distinct cooling of the relationship. On policing and security issues, Rabuka insisted he preferred dealing with Fijis traditional partners, promising to tear up a 2011 police co-operation agreement with Beijing.

Rabuka has since upheld the policing agreement, which sees Fijian officers being trained in China while Beijing provides equipment such as surveillance gear and drones. But Chinese police will no longer be deployed inside Fiji.

Rabuka further angered China by allowing the Taiwanese embassy to revert to using that title instead of the designation Chinese-Taiwan Trade Office maintained under his predecessor, Bainimarama. Rabuka has since backtracked on this decision.

China accused Australia of sabotaging its ties with Fiji. Special Envoy to the Pacific, Qian Bo, told the Samoa Observer he was surprised by Fijis actions, blaming other parties who had interrupted the relationship. We have some patience, but there is a bottom line for us that sees that we meet the core concerns of China, he said.

Visiting New Zealand in June 2023, Rabuka said he was readjusting relations away from China and announced a Status of Forces Agreement for the two countries militaries to effectively cooperate within each others territories. A month later, Fiji reopened its vacant diplomatic post in Washington with the appointment of a new ambassador.

Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in April, Rabuka said while bilateral ties had improved after an uncomfortable period he remained concerned that Beijings growing presence could undermine democratic systems in the Pacific. The charge echoes US accusations that China engages in debt-trap diplomacy, using concessionary loans to tie Pacific governments into long-term dependency.

These governments, however, claim that Beijings assistance comes with fewer strings attached. Rabuka admitted that Beijings investments in facilities for the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands had turned heads in the region. We all want that sort of development he said, But at what cost? Thats what leaders of these countries will be asking themselves.

As the second largest Pacific nation after Papua New Guinea, and strategically location, Fiji has become a vital hub for the US-led confrontation with China. In February 2022, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken became the most senior US official to visit Fiji in four decades. He used the occasion to denounce Chinas so-called coercion and aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

Later that year Bainimarama, as chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), invited US Vice President Kamala Harris to address its summit in Suva, from which China had been excluded. Harris announced a major escalation of US involvement in the Pacific aimed at excluding China.

Bainimarama had initially been an important ally of Beijing, seeking to persuade other Pacific leaders to adopt a more independent path outside the influence of Canberra and Wellington. However, under intense diplomatic and economic pressure amid the escalating US confrontation with Beijing, Bainimarama changed course. Visiting Wellington in 2016, he announced he wanted a stronger engagement with both New Zealand and Australia.

Since Harriss address to the 2022 PIF summit, Biden has convened and overseen two gatherings with Pacific Forum leaders to strengthen Washingtons expanding engagement with the region. The most recent in September 2023 included Rabuka.

The Fiji regime has now cemented itself as a key collaborator with the US war drive. Last October Fiji led other Pacific Island states in opposing a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. An attorney representing Palestine at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) also revealed that Fiji and the US were the only two states to side with Israel at an ICJ hearing. Fiji has regularly lined up behind NATO to condemn Russia over Ukraine.

Australia, New Zealand and the US will have closely watched Rabukas China visit, which came on the eve of this weeks PIF summit in Tonga. With escalating conflicts enveloping the region, the imperialist powers including the US, Australia, New Zealand, France and the UK are all attending, seeking to influence proceedings.

The PIFs newly installed secretary general, former Nauru president Baron Waqa, recently said of the major powers: We dont want them to fight in our backyard here. Take that elsewhere. But none of the Pacifics fragile micro-states can remain outside the looming confrontation. The regions populations are being dragged into a global maelstrom.
At the SGP information stand on the market square in Eisenach, 28/08/2024

Ahead of the state elections taking place on Sunday in the eastern Germany states of Thuringia and Saxony, a team from the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party, SGP) intervened in Eisenach on Wednesday and spoke to workers, young people and pensioners about a socialist perspective in the fight against war, social devastation and the rise of the far right. At the Opel plant in Eisenach, the SGP team discussed the need to build rank-and-file action committees and join forces with their Stellantis colleagues in the USA to fight in defence of all jobs. The World Socialist Web Site will publish a separate report on this.

Opposition to the NATO proxy war in Ukraine against Russia and outrage at the reactionary record of the Ramelow state government (a coalition headed by the Left Party together with the Social Democrats, SPD and Greens) was palpable in Eisenach. Within a few hours, dozens of passers-by stopped to discuss their situation with SGP members.

Older passers-by in particular, many of whom had lived through the Second World War and the immediate post-war period, felt that the SGPs perspective of uniting the working class internationally against the capitalist warmongers appealed to them. Typical reactions were: I was a child of the war, and I remember what it was like back then. It must never come to that again. Or: I have goose bumps, I feel the same way. I wish you a lot of strength.

Irmgard, a poor pensioner, spoke out strongly against arms deliveries to Ukraine and against state Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left Party), who supports the war against Ukraine and has recently been in favour of sending German soldiers there. Before German reunification in 1990, she worked at the Ruhla watch factory. At its peak, almost 10,000 worked in the state-owned company.

After reunification, the factory was broken up by the Treuhandanstalt, the body set up to privatise and sell off the state owned industries in East Germany. Irmgard, like many others, was pressured into signing a new employment contract with one of the new companies for 3.40 Deutschmarks an hour in three shifts. After six months, we were all unemployed, then without severance pay because we had signed a new contract. She then lived out of the container for 10 years.

She therefore strongly rejects the biased media coverage of East Germany. All this talk of the good West and the bad East is nonsense. We have every reason to moan. This state is making us destitute. It cant go on like this. Irmgard also dislikes the former Left Party politician and current leading candidate of the Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) Katja Wolf, who I thought a lot of at first. But as mayor of Eisenach, she destroyed the social infrastructure, says Irmgard. Now shes leaving the sinking ship.

Vanessa, a young mother, says: Im currently on parental leave and I have to say that the parental allowance is actually pathetic. For the fact that you still have exactly the same, and in some cases increasing, costs from bringing up children, 65 percent of it is simply not really viable. Ive really had to turn over every cent in the last few months. Next are the nurseries and school places. I cant be paying 320 euros a month for a nursery place here in Thuringianot including the childs lunch money. Thats pretty hefty. More and more people also dont know how to pay their electricity and heating bills.

Vanessa is firmly opposed to German arms deliveries to the Ukrainian military and the rearmament of the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces). Im afraid that things will soon start to go wrong here too. The fact that the military is travelling around here more and more and is in the skies worries me. The money belongs in our education system, in the nurseries. It belongs in the salaries of people who work in medicine and care. Much more should be done for families. There are a lot of problems in the villages and towns that are simply not being addressed.

A passer-by, after learning that the SGP is a socialist party fighting for social equality, said: Social injustice is a big problem. The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer. She herself experienced several years of unemployment in the past and knows how difficult it is to find a reasonably paid job. She is completely undecided as to who she should vote for in the state elections.

During the conversation, it became clear that she, like other passers-by, is influenced by the xenophobic agitation against refugees spread by the media, all state parliamentary parties and the BSW, who repeat the myth that migrants allegedly received more living space and money. Members of the SGP emphasised that the social misery was a result of decades of austerity policies by all the bourgeois parties and horrendous war spending. The attempt to make foreign workers and refugees the scapegoat for social hardship is intended to divide the working class and distract attention from the ruling classs policies of war and austerity. The passer-by reacted thoughtfully and also took the WSWS leaflet The Sahra Wagenknecht alliance is no alternative to the traffic light and AfD to address the SGPs criticism of the BSW.

A pensioner who is involved in the Grannies against the Right group asked SGP members with concern why the AfD also receives support from workers, even though it represents opposing social interests. One SGP member replied that the liquidation of the Soviet Union and the former East Germany (GDR) by the Stalinists and the subsequent decades of war and austerity policies, which were driven forward by the SPD, Greens and Left Party in particular, under the banner of left-wing politics, had created social despair and political confusion, which was now being exploited by the most right-wing forces. In the state and federal governments, it was also evident that these parties are not fighting against the right, but on the contrary are implementing the programme of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) themselves.

Several passers-by reacted with particular interest when SGP members explained that the German ruling class is pursuing tangible economic and geostrategic interests by participating in the proxy war in Ukraine and is working to turn the country into an outpost of the European Union and a dependable supplier of raw materials for German and European industry, as well as militarily subjugating Russia itself. SGP members strongly opposed the view that the German elites were participating in the war solely at the behest of the USA.

Just as much interest was displayed in the historical foundations of the SGP and its Trotskyist heritage. Trotsky! I know him, said Maxim (name changed by the editors), a war refugee from Ukraine, who approached the SGP book table and pointed to the book Leon Trotsky and the Struggle for Socialism in the 21st Century by David North.

Maxim expressed his full support for uniting Ukrainian and Russian workers in the struggle against the war. He nodded as SGP representatives explained why it was necessary to build an international movement against war based on the struggle against Stalinism conducted by the Left Opposition under Trotsky. When SGP members drew his attention to the campaign for the release of the Ukrainian socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk, who was arrested for his opposition to the war in Ukraine, Maxim reacted particularly strongly.

He comes from Donetsk in eastern Ukraine and was very concerned about the danger of a further escalation of the war. The Zelensky government no longer had strong support among the population, he said. He himself had initially reacted positively to the demonstrations on Maidan Square in 2014. A year later, however, it became clear that it was not a revolutionas portrayed in the mediabut a right-wing coup.

In particular, the immediate social consequences of the war, such as constant power cuts and high prices, were a heavy burden on the people, he said. He did not support either Zelensky or the Russian Putin regime, as they serve the interests of the oligarchs, he emphasised and reported on the enormous social inequality and corruption of millionaire entrepreneurs in Donetsk who exploit their employees.

The escalating war in Ukraine was on the minds of almost everyone the WSWS spoke to in Eisenach. In response to state Premier Ramelows demand to send German soldiers to Ukraine, one pensioner declared indignantly: Theyre crazy. Im furious about what this person is contemplating. I really dont understand how Ukraine can walk around with its Nazi symbolsand we supply them with weapons.

She also criticised the devastating situation facing refugee families in Germany: They are not allowed to work if they are locked up in these shelters. Isnt that madness? They are more or less sent to concentration camps. What are the young people supposed to do?

When asked what problems are affecting the people of Thuringia, she said: The car factories are closing, the suppliers are gone. Look, the infrastructure is collapsing. The young generation in particular has been hit hard by this, she added.

The facts confirm this. The unemployment rate in Thuringia is currently around six percent. According to data from the Federal Employment Agency in June, the number of long-term unemployed rose by almost 15 percent in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year. Underemployment has also increased. Thousands of workers were also affected by short-time work; in March, this affected 7,400 employees in 300 companies.

As the Thuringer Allgemeine reported at the end of July, young people between the ages of 18 and 25 are particularly affected by poverty in Thuringia. At 34.2 percent, the proportion is almost nine percent higher than the national average. The latest 2024 life situation report from the Ministry of Education in Thuringia also shows that the mental health of young people has deteriorated significantly in recent years, with around 45 percent stating they are often unhappy or depressed.

One of the reports most important sources is the Thuringian survey of children and young people conducted by Orbit e.V. in December 2021 and January 2022. The majority of respondents aged between 12 and 27 named social justice as the greatest social challenge (57.6 percent). This was followed by climate change (54.9 percent), war/terror (51.1 percent), poverty (50.9 percent), environmental pollution (45.8 percent) and diseases (43.2 percent).

In Eisenach itself, the situation of many families is precarious. According to the Eisenach Living Conditions Report 2018, around 21.4 percent of children under the age of 18 lived in a low-income family with at least one unemployed parent. Social planner Christin Mader said that based on the findings from the youth survey, the phenomenon of working poor can increasingly be identified in Eisenach. Children and young people with parents who work in the low-wage sector have to do without certain goods and activities much more frequently.

The state government under Left Party Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow, who has led a coalition with the SPD and Greens since 2014, is responsible for the social and political crisis in Thuringia. Katja Wolf, who has now switched from the Left Party to the BSW, was Lord Mayor of Eisenach from 2012 to 2024.

Three weeks ago, she gave an interview to the broadcaster Jung&Naiv in which she openly admitted she had pushed ahead with social cuts in Eisenach in order to get the city out of debt. It was quite classicits called a budget protection conceptthe accumulation of atrocities: from the cancellation of the lunch subsidy to the increase in parking fees, from the increase in dog tax to the increase in trade tax. These were all measures that were indeed unpleasant but have led to the city being able to function again. And we voluntarily gave up our freedom from the district councilno other German city has done thatbecause we were at that point: Unfortunately, we cant afford it.

Journalist Thilo Jung commented: The Left Party has saved money everywhere. Wolf responded succinctly and without batting an eyelid: Yes. Cancelling the meal subsidy was politically incorrect, but there was no alternative. When asked by Jung whether she, as a left-wing mayor, had done anything left-wing, she said: distributing the list of atrocities fairly. Municipalities in budget protection measures would not have the chance to die in beauty.

Wolf then tried to incite the poor against the refugees. When asked how many food banks there were in Eisenach, she said that there was only oneand that it now had to provide for more people than before because the Syrians and Ukrainians also had a claim to it and ensure that the queue has become longer.

With this repulsive rant, Wolf unabashedly confirms that the Left Party and the BSW are anti-working-class parties. Everywhere they (co-)govern at local or state level they push through the harshest cuts in the interests of capitalism. The Left Party has thus not only created the breeding ground for the AfD, it and its spin-off, the BSW, are also increasingly aggressively adopting the fascists anti-agitation in order to divide workers.

Leading SGP member, Katja Rippert, made a statement on the market square in Eisenach in which she declared:

Fascism, war and social devastation can only be fought by mobilising the working class against their cause, capitalism. No problem can be solved without breaking the power of the banks and corporations and putting them under democratic control.

Such a movement must be international and independent of all bourgeois partiesincluding the BSW and the Left Partyas well as the trade unions, which have been transformed into representatives of corporate interests.

The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei and its sister organisations in the International Committee of the Fourth International advocate this perspective. We call on all working people and young people who want to fight against war and the rise of the AfD: Join the socialists, join the SGP!
China deepens meteorological collaboration with Africa via Fengyun Satellites

The FY-3D meteorological satellite true-color monitoring image shows that the main body of the severe tropical storm Filippo was located in the Mozambique Channel at 20:35 on March 11 (Beijing Time), and its peripheral cloud system has begun to affect the central and eastern areas of Mozambique. [Photo provided by China Meteorological Administration]

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (China Economic Net) - Chinese and African leaders are to meet in Beijing from September 4 to 6 for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) focusing on friendship, cooperation, and future prospects.

Meteorological cooperation is an indispensable part of China-Africa cooperation over the years. China has significantly expanded its Fengyun satellite services across Africa, providing essential meteorological data to 30 African countries and playing a vital role in disaster management on the continent. This initiative, led by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), marks a key step in enhancing Africa's ability to respond to natural disasters and improve weather forecasting capabilities.

Expanding Satellite Data Access

Since 2018, CMA has opened Fengyun satellite data access to a wide range of African organizations and institutions across countries such as Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. Mozambique now hosts a dedicated FY-2H satellite direct receiving station, which has bolstered the countrys meteorological monitoring capabilities.

To date, 36 African users have placed 416 orders through the Fengyun data website, resulting in the delivery of 687.8 GB of satellite data, mainly from Fengyun-2, Fengyun-3, and Fengyun-4 satellite series. CMA has also promoted the use of software platforms like the international version of Fengyun Earth and the Satellite Weather Application Platform (SWAP) to improve the utilization of these data. So far 24 African countries, including Morocco, Tanzania, and Nigeria, have accessed the SWAP platform, while six countries, such as Ghana and Algeria, have used the Fengyun Earth platform.

Strengthening Emergency Response

CMA has been working since 2018 to bolster the application of its meteorological satellites in Africa. The agency has implemented the "Emergency Support Mechanism for International Users of Fengyun Meteorological Satellites in Disaster Prevention and Mitigation," which now includes 12 African countries, among them Algeria, Nigeria, and Mauritius.

This mechanism has been activated 11 times, providing critical data and monitoring reports during disasters like typhoons, floods, fires, and heavy rainfall. Since 2018, CMA has delivered 5.1 TB of Fengyun satellite data to 24 African countries through the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, assisting in emergency responses to major natural disasters.

Enhancing International Collaboration

In addition to data and emergency support, CMA is fostering closer ties with African nations through educational exchanges. Under the "Belt and Road" Meteorological Visiting Scholar Program, launched in collaboration with Chinas Ministry of Education, five experts from Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Seychelles began a year-long academic exchange in China in March 2024.

Furthermore, African scholars from countries such as Seychelles, Namibia, and Ghana have actively participated in the Fengyun Satellite International User Conference, reflecting the deepening cooperation between China and Africa in meteorological science.

CMAs ongoing efforts to provide satellite data, enhance disaster response, and promote scientific collaboration underscore China's commitment to supporting Africa's meteorological development and strengthening global disaster resilience.
Angelina Jolie Plans To Ditch Los Angeles For Cambodia Once Brad Pitt Divorce Ends And Their Twins Turn 18

Angelina Jolie is ready to leave Los Angeles but is stuck there because of her messy divorce from Brad Pitt and custody agreement of their twins, Vivienne and Knox.

However, once the kids turn 18 next year, the actress says she intends to move far away and travel the world to see her family members.

During an interview, Angelina Jolie also refused to speak about her divorce but talked about her love for being surrounded by her family and loved ones, including her few friends.

Angelina Jolie Hopes To Move Away From Los Angeles Once She's 'Able To Leave'

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For the September issue of The Hollywood Reporter, Angelina Jolie spoke about her plans to leave Los Angeles, travel the world, pursue her career, and be surrounded by her loved ones.

The actress revealed that although she's done with LA, she can't leave because of her ongoing divorce battle with Brad Pitt and their custody agreement regarding their kids.

The agreement states that Pitt has visitation rights to their youngest kids, Vivienne and Knox, which means she can't move away with them.

However, once they turn 18 in July 2026, the actress will be free to leave LA. The agreement only applies to the twins, as their four other kids are already adults.

During the interview, Jolie said, "I grew up in this town. I am here because I have to be here from a divorce, but as soon as they're 18, I'll be able to leave."

So for now, Jolie remains at her home in Los Feliz, not far from Pitt, who is busy with his new film and girlfriend Ines de Ramon.

Angelina Jolie Wants To Be Based In Cambodia And Also Travel The World

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Jolie also shared that her preferred country to live in is Cambodia, where there's more "humanity."

She explained that having a big family creates a preference for "privacy, peace, and safety."

"I have a house now to raise my children, but sometimes this place can be that humanity that I found across the world is not what I grew up with here," Jolie noted.

The actress also spoke about her plans to travel to various countries around the world once she moves away from Los Angeles.

She said, "I'll spend a lot of time in Cambodia. I'll spend time visiting my family members wherever they may be in the world."

Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt Have Been Embroiled In A Bitter Divorce Since 2016

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Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016, which led to almost eight years of custody battles over their children and lawsuits over their joint winery, Chateau Miraval.

During the THR interview, however, the "Maleficent" actress refused to share any details about the progress of their divorce.

Pitt and Jolie were billed to attend the ongoing Venice Film Festival, but the organizers made plans to ensure they wouldn't cross paths.

The Hollywood stars have new movies showcased at the festival; "Maria" for Jolie and "Wolfs" for Pitt.

Artistic director Alberto Barbera previously spoke to Vanity Fair. He said, "Angelina will be on the first day, on Thursday [Aug. 29], and she will leave right after with director Pablo Larrain to go to Telluride. So Brad will arrive only on Saturday, to Venice. There is no way that they can cross each other at the Lido."

The Former Couple's Different Parenting Styles Affected Their Marriage

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During Pitt and Jolie's short marriage, the actors reportedly clashed over parenting styles for their six children: Maddox, 22; Pax, 20; Zahara, 19; Shiloh, 18; and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16.

According to People magazine, their differing approaches contributed to their separation.

"During their marriage, they had very different parenting styles. Brad grew up with the structure and wanted more rules for the kids," an insider told the news outlet. "Angie had a different upbringing and wanted the kids to be more independent and responsible for their own schedules from a young age."

The source mentioned that despite their conflicts, Pitt and Jolie shared the same aspirations for their children.

"Brad and Angie clashed over this," the insider continued. "However, they did always have the same vision for their kids' future. They wanted the kids to thrive by experiencing the world first-hand and not only learn from traditional schooling."

Angelina Jolie Shares Why She Doesn't Have Many Friends In Hollywood

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During her interview with THR, Jolie also spoke about her love for being surrounded by her loved ones.

She said, "I'm not somebody begging to be alone. I'm not that person that feels like, 'Oh, I wish I could just be alone so I could have my guilty pleasures.' Because usually, my guilty pleasure is being with somebody. I love doing something that makes them happy. That really does make me happy."

However, the "Salt" actress doesn't have many friends in Hollywood, which she attributed to "betrayal."

She explained that her lack of relationships in the industry is likely due to "losing your parent young," her busy working schedule, or the many betrayals.

Jolie added, "I don't have a lot of those warm, close relationships as much that I lean on. But I have a few, and a few is enough. Loung (infamous Cambodian American human rights activist) is one of my closest friends. My mother was very close to me. I lost her. I've had a few friends over the years not be there for my family in their hour of need."
Norway's Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett arrive for their wedding party, in Geiranger, Norway, Saturday Aug. 31, 2024. (Heiko Junge/NTB via AP)

HELSINKI (AP)  Social media influencers, reality stars and TV personalities were among the guests as the Norwegian kings eldest child, Princess Martha Louise, married an American self-professed shaman on Saturday in a wedding ceremony following three days of festivities.

The 52-year-old Martha Louise and Durek Verrett, who claims to be a sixth-generation shaman from California, tied the knot in the picturesque small town of Geiranger, one of Norways major tourist attractions located on a fjord with stunning views.

Following festivities that started on Thursday, the actual wedding ceremony took place in a large white tent set up on a lush lawn. Guests told media outlets that Norwegian and U.S. artists performed at the event along with a gospel choir and a singer representing Norways indigenous Sami people.

It was fantastic! It was Hollywood meets Geiranger, Norwegian TV personality Harald Rnneberg described the colorful ceremony to public broadcaster NRK. It was gospel and love. We laughed, we clapped, and we were touched. It was absolutely beautiful.

The couple has sold the wedding photo rights to British celebrity magazine Hello! and the film rights to Netflix. The deals prompted protests from Norwegian media, which say the arrangement goes against local practices. The couple have often lashed out against the press while promoting themselves on social media.

The 87-year-old King Harald, who has been in fragile health the past few years, attended his daughters wedding together with Queen Sonja and other member of the Norwegian royal house. Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel represented the Swedish royal house together with her brother, Prince Carl Philip, and his wife Princess Sofia. No other European royals attended the wedding.

The wedding comes amid widespread criticism of the couples actions and waning support for the Norwegian royals, who have also been plagued by negative reports about an unruly family member who faces preliminary domestic violence charges.

Martha Louise and Verrett, 49, have attracted headlines with their alternative beliefs. She is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne but said in 2022 that shell no longer officially represent the Norwegian royal house.

The princess  she has retained the title  has said she can talk with angels, while Verrett claims that he communicates with a broad range of spirits and has a medallion which helps ward off spells and cure diseases.

They became engaged in 2022. Following their marriage, Verrett will not have a royal title or official duties.

In a 2019 deal, Martha Louise and Verrett agreed not to use her connection to the royal house or her title for commercial purposes.

But earlier this year Martha Louise labeled bottles of gin with her title and launched the brand in time for the wedding, defying King Haralds directive that she should not profit from her royal status. The label was eventually changed.

Martha Louise has three children from her previous marriage with author and playwright Ari Behn, whom she divorced in 2017 after 14 years of marriage.



Associated Press journalists Stefanie Dazio in Berlin and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark contributed to this report.
Rory Gallaghers family on why security concerns for his guitar collection encouraged them to sell it

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Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images / Future

The news that Rory Gallaghers legendary Strat is to be sold at auction later this year has caused quite a stir in recent months, but the Gallagher family has explained how increasing concerns for the six-string's safety ultimately forced them to sell it at auction.

The 1961 Fender Stratocaster  said to be the first to ever reach Irish soil  was by Gallaghers side throughout his career, after he bought it second-hand for 100 from Michael Crowley of Crowleys Music Store in Cork.

Its been in Gallagher's familys possession since his passing in 1995, but they recently announced it would head to the auction block  along with some of his other gear  where it is expected to fetch around 1,000,000.

Speaking in the new issue of Guitarist Donal Gallagher, Rorys brother, discussed the family's decision to sell the guitar collection at auction, citing several factors behind their choice  with the safety of the iconic guitar top of the list.

The costs of insuring and storing the guitar are considerable, and a recent scare at a storage unit that housed some of Rory's gear accelerated Donals desire to give the Strat a new home.

[There were] six guys dressed as emergency gas men with bolt-cutters and angle grinders, he says. It was horrifying just how quickly they got into our unit  obviously [what was in there] wasnt what they were after, but it had the same effect [as if they had deliberately targeted it] and you kind of go, Wow, thats scary.

Next year itll be the 30th anniversary [of Rorys death], and obviously that puts a lot of things into focus  especially as weve been completing a new documentary on Rory ahead of the anniversary, he continues.

Rory Gallagher's 1961 Fender Stratocaster

When I looked at the instruments [while making the documentary] I couldnt help thinking, What happens after my demise? for instance. And I suppose being hospitalized myself [Donal recently underwent successful treatment for cancer] brought that into sharper focus.

The guitar has been toured around in previous years but that hasnt been without its complications. The guitar was in the US when Covid lockdown restrictions came into force, meaning the family didnt see the guitar for nearly three years.

You have sleepless nights any time the guitar travels because when are you likely to see it again? he continues. Its great that other people are seeing it and visiting it, but you start thinking, What if something happens?

Discussions regarding making the Strat a museum piece have taken place over the years, with Donal saying one took place as far back as 1998, but none have come to fruition. And so the decision to sell the guitar and the wider collection of Gallagher gear has been made with a heavy but practical heart.

Rory Gallagher's 1961 Fender Stratocaster

The guitar has got to move on. The life its got at present isnt necessarily the kindest one it could have, he admits. I knew all the difficulties I faced, holding the collection, which I never get to see anyway. Because you cant just hang the Strat up over your fireplace. Its not an object for the family to enjoy.

Nearly three decades of caring for the guitar has taken its toll on the family, and that long-term responsibility has therefore forced the familys hand. The Strat is due to go on sale on October 17 via Bonhams in London, with the guitar just one of 150 pieces of Gallagher-owned gear  including amps and pedals  set to be sold.

A campaign has been launched by Sheena Crowley  the daughter of the man who originally sold Gallagher the guitar  which has received the support of government officials. The campaign wants to raise enough money to buy the guitar and have it as the centerpiece of a museum dedicated to Corks musical history.

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The Montenegro Express travels through three mountain ranges - and over what was once the world's highest railway bridge

Why would you want to travel on that useless old thing?

The taxi driver chuckled as he dropped me off at Belgrades central train station. Prokop, as it is known colloquially, is actually a couple of miles south of the city centre, but as I was discovering, Serbia is full of strange anomalies.

Take the Montenegro Express, the useless old thing I was about to board. For rail enthusiasts like me, it is one of the worlds most epic train journeys, an engineering marvel that winds for 296 miles from the Serbian capital to the Montenegrin port of Bar, on the Adriatic. For locals such as my cabbie, the line is an outdated aberration. As for the express moniker, its actually a 12-hour schlep, making the average speed a stately 25mph.

Although Id heard reports of long delays, breakdowns and last-minute cancellations, I found the train itself to be surprisingly modern, with spotless carriages, wide, comfortable seats and free Wi-Fi that actually worked. Id imagined a creaking train with bottom-numbing wooden benches and the odd mangy goat perched on a lap.

Admittedly there was a bit of a scrum to find a seat  and standing room only for an unlucky few  but first impressions were not suggestive of the Eastern Bloc. We even departed as scheduled, at 9.30am on the dot.

I hope youve brought something to eat, warned an old lady sitting next to me. You wont find anything on board. Thankfully, I had come prepared with fresh gibanica (traditional cheese pastries) and a couple of bureks (tasty meat-filled pies).

I had originally planned to take the sleeper service, but at 64 I wasnt sure Id squeeze into the cosy couchettes; besides, I planned to spend most of my time looking out of the window, not trying to catch 40 winks.

Passengers have plenty of time to take in the landscape - the Montenegro Express travels at an average speed of 25mph - Railway Infrastructure of Montenegro

As someone who has spent a good deal of time riding the rails, nothing compares to that tingly feeling you get as you set out on a new adventure, especially one that promises a multitude of marvels. Over the next 12 hours I would be travelling through three countries and over three mountain ranges, via 254 tunnels and 435 bridges  and all for a paltry 20, less than Id paid for my ticket from Paddington to Heathrow.

Once we were through Belgrades smoggy, brutalist suburbs, the landscape opened out into rippling hills punctuated by teeming wildflower meadows and thick forests. For many miles there wasnt a road or building in sight. The train may be slow, but who needs speed with views like that?

My fellow passengers were mostly grumpy looking locals who alighted at the various towns along the way; it was only the more intrepid travellers and business types heading to the ports and resorts of the Adriatic.

A charming Serbian architect who sat opposite me explained how he would normally have taken the one-hour flight from Belgrade to Dubrovnik, a few hours by car from Bar, but owing to a bout of DVT (deep-vein thrombosis) had decided to stick to trains  terrible for business but great for inspiration. And inspired is exactly how I would describe my mood as we chugged out of the city of Valjevo, where the gently rolling hills suddenly erupted into jagged mountains. Most striking as I gazed out of the window was the intensity of the greens against the clear blue sky  there was something almost tropical about the dense foliage.

Having passed without incident into Bosnia and Herzegovina, we were then informed that we needed to change trains at the border with Montenegro. Chaos ensued as lippy guards checked passports before herding us into the narrow corridors of a much scruffier graffiti-laden train containing tatty wood-lined compartments and faded red velvet banquettes. So here was the Soviet legacy.

I spent the next few hours wedged in on all sides by irascible locals, lanky backpackers and harried families heading for the coast; it all felt very Cold War era, but the pandemonium only added to a sense of messy anticipation. And the views just kept getting better.

Among the highlights was the majestic Mala Rijeka viaduct, until 2001 the worlds highest railway bridge at 200 metres. Its here you truly appreciate what an ambitious venture this must have seemed when work began in 1969. The Yugoslavian project became a symbol of President Titos might.

The approaches to the Mala Rijeka Viaduct, a monument to President Tito's vision for Yugoslavia - Alamy

Since then this ode to engineering acumen hasnt exactly had an easy ride. Chronic under-funding in the 1990s left the railway in a state of dangerous disrepair. Then Natos bombing campaign deliberately targeted the Serbian section, causing extensive damage. A major reconstruction project began in 2016, returning the line to its former glory; trains can now travel at a mighty 75mph along certain sections.

Up next was a particularly precipitous section of line carved into the mountainside. At the remote town of Kolasin, 1,000 metres above sea level, the views were both awe-inspiring and vertigo-inducing  if youre afraid of heights, stay away from the right-hand side of the train.

Kolasin is 1,000 metres above sea level - Alamy

Safely back at sea level the train rattled across dreamy Lake Skadar before hugging the Adriatic coast down to Bar. As I emerged from the station the sun was just beginning to set over the sacred mountain of Rumija, casting a rosy glow over the popular seaside resort. It was a suitably dramatic end to an unforgettable journey though some of Europes loveliest scenery.

Apparently a motorway is under construction which, when completed, will mean a much speedier journey from Belgrade to Bar. A boon, perhaps, for frustrated locals who view the train as a tired relic of a troubled past. But if it means the end of the line for the venerable Montenegro Express, those of us who love travelling by rail will see it not as progress but as tragedy.

Getting there

Several airlines fly to Belgrade, with Wizz flights from Luton starting at 32. The Montenegro Express from Belgrade to Bar (or vice versa) costs around 24 (20). For the night train, add 6 for a couchette, 15 for a bed in a three-bed sleeper or 20 for a bed in a two-bed sleeper. A reserved seat on the daytime train costs 3. There is no online booking available so purchase your ticket in person at Belgrades central station.

Where to stay

Mama Shelter in Belgrade (doubles from 76) has a stylish rooftop bar and funky rooms decked out in colourful retro furniture; the perfect place to begin your adventure. If you decide to spend the night in Bar, the Princess hotel (from 59) has good-value rooms overlooking the beach. Those seeking a spot of luxury might take a bus or cab along the coast to Boka Bay, a stunning Unesco World Heritage Site where youll find Mamula, a former island prison now a top-end hotel (from 900). The airy rooms have wonderful views of the bay and the atmosphere is glamorous but relaxed. Other nearby options include Nikki Beach (from 328), where beautiful people go to party and, at Lustica Bay, the elegant Chedi (from 250).

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A fluffernutter is a delightful, decadent, and satisfying sandwich that both overwhelms and delights the senses. Usually served on two slices of white bread, the sandwich consists of a thick layer of creamy peanut butter and a heavy serving of sticky Marshmallow Fluff. Over time, it has become one of the dishes that define American cuisine.

It was created (and is still celebrated) in Massachusetts beginning in the early 1900s. The history of the fluffernutter is inextricably tied in with the history of Marshmallow Fluff. Various marshmallow cremes and spreads went into production in the early 1900s under different company names. But the product we now know as Marshmallow Fluff was perfected just before World War I, when a Somerville, Massachusetts man named Archibald Query began concocting it in his kitchen and selling it door-to-door. His secret formula was bought by two entrepreneurs, H. Allen Durkee and Fred L. Mower, who began producing and selling the confection in the East Coast state in 1920. In the following decades, their Marshmallow Fluff factory was opened and still operates today.

However, the first creator of the fluffernutter sandwich is still up for debate. The New England Historical Society credits two Boston-area probables. First is an entrepreneur named Emma Curtis, behind the Curtis Marshmallow Factory, who published a "liberty sandwich" recipe consisting of peanut butter and her family's marshmallow creme during the first World War. The society also credits the Durkee-Mower Marshmallow Fluff company, which included the peanut butter and fluff sandwich in their Yummy Book of recipes first published in 1930.

Read more: 14 Never-Ending Food Debates

There's Been Some Controversy But Mostly Love For The Fluffernutter

Marshmallow fluff jar in a shopping cart - SiljeAO/Shutterstock

By the 1960s, the Durkee-Mower Marshmallow Fluff company had created advertisements with catchy jingles explaining how to make fluffernutters ("spread, spread, spread your favorite peanut butter"), and had trademarked the name.

Over time, the fluffernutter sandwich has grown into a beloved classic, even beyond New England. It's often served in school lunches, taken on picnics, and indulged in as an easy comfort snack. Though certainly not a gourmet, it has been long a treasure of Southerners and even hailed by food critics.

Through its many decades of popularity, the fluffernutter has also caused some controversy. In 2006, Massachusetts state senator Jarrett Barrios was upset to find that his son was being served the sandwiches in the school cafeteria. Barrios felt they didn't offer enough nutritional value and wanted to pass legislation banning schools from serving fluffernutters more than once per week. In response, senator Kathi-Anne Reinstein proposed a bill to officially name the fluffernutter as Massachusetts' state sandwich. Despite heated debate and breathless press coverage, neither bill ever passed.

Today the sandwich is still celebrated as part of New England heritage. Every year, the city of Somerville, Massachusetts hosts a Marshmallow Fluff festival with plenty of fluffernutter sandwiches and even Fluff Jousting, and October 8 is recognized by some as National Fluffernutter Day. The sandwich has also traveled far beyond the northeast U.S. -- astronauts have even recorded themselves enjoying the sandwich while up in the International Space Station.

How To Maximize Your Fluffernutter Sandwich

Fluffernutter sandwich with chocolate drizzle on wooden board - Alp Aksoy/Shutterstock

There is a reason the simple fluffernutter has gained such a cult-like following, especially in its home of New England. This treacly, gluey, heavenly sandwich is one-of-a-kind, especially loved by children or those getting in touch with their inner child.

But there are dozens of ways to maximize your fluffernutter and take it to the next level. You can make your own Marshmallow Fluff at home, though most people opt for the classic store-bought option with its charming red lid. The most common addition to the sandwich is bananas, but there's no need to stop there, you can also add in walnuts for some crunch, or chocolate chips for a full bite of sweetness. Another classic addition is either a layer of chocolatey Nutella, or some sweet local honey.

Though the standard fluffernutter is served on plain white bread, why not try it out on some homemade sourdough farm bread, or some toasted cinnamon raisin bread for a deeper flavor profile? It's also usually recommended to wash down your fluffernutter with a full glass of cold milk, but for those over 21, it also pairs wonderfully with a sweet chocolate martini.

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Read the original article on Food Republic.
Are grocery stores open Labor Day 2024? Hours and details for Costco, Kroger, Publix, Aldi, more

If you're looking to do some grocery shopping over Labor Day weekend, you're in luck as most national grocery chains will be open on the holiday.

Companies such as Walmart and Kroger will be open on Monday, Sept. 2, while others, such as Costco, will close in observance of the holiday.

The same can't be said for banks, post offices and shipping stores, however. Most of those services will be closed on Labor Day.

The federal holiday celebrates "the social and economic achievements of American workers" and is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday "to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America's strength, prosperity, and well-being," according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The first Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, and by 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday. President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday on June 28, 1894.

Here's what you need to know about grocery stores and their hours on Labor Day this year.

Is Walmart open on Labor Day?

Most Walmart stores will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the Fourth of July, a company spokesperson told USA TODAY. However, store hours can vary by location, it is best to reach out to your local Walmart or check the online store directory before heading to the store.

Is Costco open on Labor Day?

According to Costco's website, warehouses will be closed on Monday, Sept. 2.

Is Kroger open on Labor Day?

Yes, the majority of Kroger family of stores will be open on Labor Day. Customers are encouraged to check with their local store for specific hours.

The Kroger family of stores includes: Bakers, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Foods Co, Fred Meyer, Frys, Gerbes, Jay C Food Store, King Soopers, Kroger, Marianos, Metro Market, Pay-Less Super Markets, Pickn Save, QFC, Ralphs, Ruler, Smiths Food and Drug.

When is Labor Day 2024? What to know about history of holiday and why it's celebrated

Is Target open on Labor Day?

Target stores will be open on Labor Day, the company told USA TODAY. Store hours vary by location, so check with your local store regarding its specific holiday hours.

Is Trader Joe's open on Labor Day?

Yes, Trader Joe's stores will be open regular hours on Labor Day, the company confirmed to USA TODAY.

Is Sam's Club open on Labor Day?

Sam's Club warehouses will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Plus members, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Club members, according to the company's website.

Is Meijer open on Labor Day?

Yes, Meijer stores will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight on Monday, the company told USA TODAY.

Is Publix open on Labor Day?

Yes, Publix stores will be open regular hours on Labor Day.

Is Aldi open on Labor Day?

Aldi stores will be open limited hours on Sept. 2. Holiday hours vary by location, so customers are encouraged to check with their local stores for specific hours.

Labor Day weekend travel: Flying for Labor Day weekend 2024? TSA predicts record-breaking numbers at security

A new Aldi store is set to open Aug. 29, 2024, in Wayne Heights, Pennsylvania.

Is Whole Foods open on Labor Day?

Yes, all Whole Foods locations will be open on Labor Day, the company told USA TODAY. Hours vary by location, so check with your local store for their specific hours.

Is Food Lion open on Labor Day?

Yes, all Food Lion stores will be open on Monday.

Is Winn-Dixie open on Labor Day?

Yes, Winn-Dixie stores will be open normal hours on Labor Day, the company told USA TODAY.

Is Harris Teeter open on Labor Day?

Yes, Harris Teeter stores will be open regular hours on Monday.

Is Giant Eagle open on Labor Day?

Giant Eagle stores will be open regular hours on Monday, the company told USA TODAY. Pharmacies will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the day as well.

Is Wegman's open on Labor Day?

Yes, Wegman's stores will be open regular hours on Labor Day, the company told USA TODAY.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Are grocery stores open Labor Day? Hours for Costco, Kroger, more
Paleontologists have discovered sets of dinosaur tracks that start and end 6,000 kilometers apart on different sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

The 260 fossilized prints are split across ancient riverbeds in Brazil and Cameroon in Africa and are about 120 million years old. Most come from three-toed theropods, carnivorous dinosaurs with bird-like feet. A few others belong to sauropods and ornithischians.

The tracks highlight how different Earths geography was in the Cretaceous. At the time, the ur-continents of Gondwana and Pangea had begun to move apart but were still within touching distance. The two riverbeds were just 1,000km away from each other, and the dinosaurs that made the tracks could walk directly between the nascent continents of South America and Africa. Nowadays, that stroll would involve a 6,000km ocean swim.

One of the youngest and narrowest geological connections between Africa and South America was the elbow of northeastern Brazil nestled against what is now the coast of Cameroon along the Gulf of Guinea, said Louis Jacobs, lead author of a new paper, said in a statement. The two continents were continuous along that narrow stretch, so animals on either sidecould move across it.

Theropod footprints in the Sousa Basin. Photo: Ismar de Souza Carvalho

The great break-up had begun

Gondwana started to break away from Pangaea 140 million years ago as the tectonic plates between South America and Africa moved away from each other. As the Earths crust tore apart, magma rose from the Earths mantle to the surface, creating a new oceanic crust that became the South Atlantic Ocean.

Jacobs says the dinosaur tracks are nearly identical in age, shape, and context. By that, he means signs of the tectonic split are visible in the two dino-print locations. Both feature structures known as half-graben basins, which form when rifts open in the Earths crust. The half-graben basins in Cameroon and Brazil contain ancient river sediments, fossilized pollen around the same age, and matching footprints.

These river valleys could provide specific avenues for life to travel across the continents, Jacobs explained.

Dinosaur prints are not rare, but these sites tell us something about their behavior. They traveled great distances along these river basins, whose rainforest environment was perfect for these dinosaurs.

Imagine a lush, open basin with vegetation for the herbivores, and carnivores following, said co-author Lawrence Flynn.

The post Identical Dinosaur Tracks Found On Opposite Sides of the Atlantic appeared first on Explorersweb.
These last few months, my Roman Empire has been "third man syndrome." Also known as the "third man effect," it's a phenomenon that most commonly occurs in people who are in extreme distress, danger, or are about to have a near-death experience. The feeling is often described as the sense that another person is present, either giving them an unexpected sense of comfort, warning them of something awful that's about to happen, or literally (and, sometimes, physically) stepping in to intervene and prevent harm. Some people say it's like a disembodied voice or a gut feeling they can't shake. Others...well...they are literally visited by a "third person" in the flesh.

An Kirillova / Getty Images/500px Prime

People have come up with all kinds of explanations for the feeling, from paranormal to spiritual to psychological. However, the term itself comes from the T.S. Eliot poem, The Waste Land, which was inspired by the real-life experience of Ernest Shackleton  an Irish explorer who went on a near-death expedition in Antarctica in 1916. After their ship got trapped in ice, he and two other members of his crew made a 36-hour-long trek over mountains and glaciers to a whaling station. During that time, each member of his three-man team  Ernest included  kept feeling like there was a fourth man alongside them. T.S. Elliot wrote this stanza inspired by that phenomenon:

In case you're confused on all the numbers going on here, the members of the real-life expedition felt a "fourth member" was present, but T.S. Eliot took some artistic liberties and changed the number of people who were present, making the "additional person" the "third man." There doesn't literally have to be two people present to experience the phenomenon, it's just a term that seems to have stuck! poetryfoundation.org

I asked BuzzFeed readers like you to share their own real-life "third man" experiences. I got way more responses than I expected, and they're all as jaw-dropping and spine-chilling as you'd likely expect. Here are 21 stories they shared:

1."Im double-jointed, so when I was about 18 months old, I figured out how to squeeze out of my car seat. My mom was driving on the freeway and I managed to get the door open while she was going like 70 mph. My mom said she saw a hand and arm from the corner of her eye shut the door."

stephaniejog

2."At midnight on Christmas Eve in 2009, I was driving in a blizzard in Lincoln, Nebraska. Three or four inches had fallen in an hour, and the snow wasn't stopping. I got to my apartment complex, but my car couldn't make it 50 feet up the thick snow in the driveway to my parking spot. My car slid backward and stopped in the street. I tried a second time to get up the driveway, but again, it rolled back to the bottom. I got out of the car to assess the situation and got back in, frustrated. At midnight on a holiday, help could take hours to arrive. This wasn't life-threatening, but it would ruin my Christmas! Wondering whether to try again, I suddenly saw a dark figure at my window."

"He gestured that he was going to push and then got behind the car. I gave it gas, and we got the car up the driveway! I drove to my parking spot, and then I went back to the sidewalk to thank the mysterious stranger. He had disappeared in the 30 seconds I had taken to park and walk back to him. There was no sight of anyone up or down the street  he just vanished."

quirkyogre46

Roine Magnusson / Getty Images

3."I was about 12 years old. My mom left me in the car while she ran into the corner store. This store was connected to a few other businesses, one of them being a bar. As I was waiting, two men who seemed pretty old to me at the time (but were probably in their thirties) approached our car. They started complimenting me and asking me to join them for 'some fun.' I was very embarrassed and scared and said no thank you. I was a naive girl who went through puberty at a young age. The compliments suddenly turned mean and aggressive, and the men started trying to open the door and pounding on the hood. I was frozen and couldnt say anything. I just sat there. I remember thinking that the back doors were probably unlocked and that I should lock them, but I was frozen with fear."

"Suddenly, my mom came running out of the store. She started yelling at the men and caused a big scene. They quickly left. She got into the car with me, and I was so relieved. She told me she was so proud of me and how I had the smarts to keep honking the horn. I was confused because I did not honk the horn at all. She said in the store she heard a car horn honking and then someone just holding it down. She thought it was me and ran to help. It wasnt me, and I didnt hear any honking."

Shannon, Ohio, USA

4."The summer before my senior year in high school, I was a counselor at a co-ed 4-H camp way up in the woods. The campers were from all over, but the counselors were recruited from my 4-H chapter, so we were all at least acquainted beforehand, if not actually friends. The camp kept us pretty busy. The only free time counselors had was at night after the campers were in their bunks. One night, I was returning alone from the main lodge. On the path, I ran into a friend from school named Bobby, who touched my arm and said, 'Dont go that way. The guys have something planned for you.' Wordlessly, he accompanied me to my cabin by a different route, then walked off into the darkness. Now, Bobby was a standup guy from a religious family, and this was the sort of chivalrous thing he would do. The catch, which I didn't realize until after the fact, was that he wasn't not even in 4-H and was certainly NOT a counselor at camp that summer."

Anonymous

Jupiterimages / Getty Images

5."I was taking a shortcut across a frozen reservoir on the way to a friend's house. Suddenly, the ice cracked, and I started to fall through. I felt two hands slam into my back, and I skidded across the ice. I was soaking wet when I arrived at my friend's house, cold and shivering. I told him the story as I changed into some of his clothes so we could throw mine into the dryer. My friend turned white, and his eyes were bugging out of his head. He guided me to the bathroom so I could look in the mirror, and I saw what disturbed him. There were two hand-shaped bruises forming on my back. 40+ years later, I still get chills thinking about it."

Mike, New Jersey, USA

6."As a young, 16-year-old girl in the 1970s, I used to hitchhike to and from school in Northern California. On this particular day, I caught a ride home with a guy in his thirties who I'd never met before. We got to talking about gold panning, and he asked if I'd like to try that afternoon. With nothing else to do, I agreed. We drove out to woods, miles from anywhere or anyone, somewhere along the American River. The farther we got, the quieter he became. I remember thinking it was best to keep the conversation going, but I began to realize I was in real trouble, out in the middle of nowhere with a complete stranger. How could I be so stupid? As we got out of the car, he'd gone completely silent. I knew then that I was going to die."

"Suddenly, a family in a Jeep pulled up behind our car and just looked at us. No one said anything. They looked, and then turned around and left. The guy I was with then quickly said that we had to leave. All I could think at the time was, 'Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!' to those folks. We got in the car, and he took me all the way home, right to my door. I never saw him again."

Cy, Foster, USA

Sean Justice / Getty Images

7."I developed PTSD before I learned to tie my shoes, and as a result, I had a lot of 'behavioral problems' as a child. This resulted in me spending much of my elementary education in isolated suspension. Essentially, I was put in a very small room in the administrative office, which had a big glass window. There were two desks in there, and I became close friends with a boy from another class in my fourth and fifth grade years, because he was usually in ISS with me. Well, turns out he never existed."

"More than 20 years later, I still remember him better than most of my classmates. I can remember him comforting me as I cried, as I told him about my home life and secrets that I still haven't told anyone else. I went to a different school for sixth grade, but came back to high school in the same town. When I asked about him, no one knew a thing about who he was. This was a school where graduating classes were rarely ever over 100. He wasn't in any yearbooks, even in the 'absent for photographs' section."

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8."I was in high school at the time and was spending the evening at home. I had watched a scary movie, which usually never bothered me. I couldnt shake the weird feeling I had, so I left my bedside light on before drifting off to sleep that night. Usually, I can sleep through anything. I live in California, so sleeping through earthquakes was normal for me. At about 2 a.m., someone in my dream had screamed at me to wake up, and I startled awake in real life. When I opened my eyes, I saw a hand opening my bedroom window."

"I sat up, and when the person opening my window realized I was awake, he backed away and ran off. I ran downstairs to wake my parents, and we called the police. The person was caught, and we found out that he had committed several rapes in our area in the past few weeks. He had planned out everything to get to me. He hid a ladder to reach my second-floor window and made sure it was unlocked. I am so thankful for whoever woke me up that night. It truly saved me. I will always listen to my feelings of unease."

Anonymous

Sestovic / Getty Images/iStockphoto

9."I'm a healthcare provider and was traveling to a satellite site in another state. While I was crossing a bridge over a large body of water, my phone  which had been sitting in its usual spot on the side of my car door  randomly dialed 911 and called my emergency contacts (in this case, my husband). I got a call back from the state police and apologized for the error. When I got to the site, my husband called me in a panic and said that he had gotten an emergency notification. I laughed it off as a weird glitch and went on with my day. A few hours later, my watch  a cheap smartwatch knockoff  started buzzing with a message telling me it was 'time to get up and walk.' I thought this was a little weird as I had never set up notifications, and it had never messaged me that before (or since)."

"I got up and walked for a bit but had a sharp pain in my left calf. Im a major klutz, so I figured I pulled a muscle. I got in my car to go home, and once again, after five minutes of driving, my phone dialed 911. I was appalled and apologized profusely to the call taker. She laughed and graciously asked if I was okay, which I confirmed. I called my husband to complain, and the Angel on my visor  which was given to me years before by my mother  flipped off my visor and hit me in the chest. At this point, I jokingly told him that the universe was trying to send me a message and that I probably had a blood clot or something. My husband laughed it off, too.

The next day, the pain in my leg was excruciating, but I blew it off. That night, I started thinking about all the weird signs that had popped up and that maybe I should go to the hospital. I had a patient I could not miss the next day, so I was still going to go to work. Then, this urgent feeling overcame me that I needed to take care of myself so that I could be around for my youngest son.

I went to the emergency room that morning and was diagnosed with two large blood clots in my left leg and two clots in my lungs. Other than the pain, I had had no outward symptoms. The hospital staff were as blown away as was I."

TL Reign, Wilmington, DE

10."I was dancing with my friend at a foam party, which is where they hang a machine from the ceiling that dumps TONS of bubbles onto the dance floor. The foam was super deep under the machine and the floor was super slippery because of the soapy bubbles. My friend slipped into the foam and I fell down to the floor, under the bubbles with her. When I tried to breathe, it was like I was drowning  the foam filled my lungs like water. I couldnt open my eyes, my feet and hands kept slipping so I couldnt stand up, and no one could hear us choking and screaming over the music. I was slipping all over on the floor holding onto my friend's shirt. Just as I thought we were going to drown in the bubbles, someone pulled us up. It was as though we'd been lifted or pushed, because there was no way anyone could have grabbed me by the arm. I was way too slippery  my friend and I couldnt even hold hands, our skin was so slick. I was lucky just to hang onto her shirt."

"We came out of the bubbles, choking and gasping, covered in soap, clinging on to each other. When I wiped my eyes clear, there was no one there except the other people dancing around us. They were all oblivious to us, though  they didnt even know we had fallen and no one had seen anyone pull us out nor did anyone ask us if we were OK! Needless to say, I never went to a foam party again."

Anonymous

Efenzi / Getty Images

11."Many years ago, I stayed late working on a special project at my company and was driving home in the early morning hours alone. My husband and I had only one car, and I was using it. When I'd gotten into the car to drive to work that morning, I noticed the gas gauge was empty, but my husband insisted there was still enough gas to get me to work and back. Well, my car ran out of gas on the way home. I pulled over and used my flashing lights, hoping the police would stop to help me. In those days, there were no cell phones, so I had no way to contact my husband. After a few minutes, a car pulled up behind mine, and a man came up to my driver's side window."

"He wasn't the police, but I rolled down my window a little. He seemed nice and offered to drive me home, which was just about three miles away. In this day and age, I would never accept this offer, but for some reason, I got the feeling it would be OK. He drove me home and, in the short distance, mentioned his name and that he worked for Eddie Bauer. He waited at my house until I got in, and I waved goodbye.

Of course, I thanked him, but the next day, I wanted to call him at his office and thank him again. The operator said there was no such person with his name who worked there. I believe God had sent me a guardian, and I'll always be sincerely thankful!"

Dottie, Kirkland, WA

12."I was driving back to college my freshman year and got totally lost in a heavily wooded area. This was before GPS and cell phones, so I was just stuck on these roads alone. I couldn't find my way to the highway I was looking for and as the sun set, a huge storm broke out and it started pouring rain. The rain was so heavy I could barely see the road. Suddenly, a house with all the lights on appeared. It was the only house I had seen for miles, so (against my better judgment) I parked the car and went running for the door. The house had a fence but no gate to open so I hopped the fence and started banging on the door asking for help."

"A woman opened the door and invited me inside. The house was empty except for a big bean bag chair in the kitchen. She said they had just moved in and her husband had left to get something, so it was just us. I was soaking wet, so she offered me a change of clothes and poured me a cup of tea. She let me use her phone to call my parents, but they didn't answer, so I left her number on the machine so they could call her back and thank her. She said I was really close to the highway but understood I had already had a rough night, so she offered to drive and guide me to the highway so that I wouldn't get lost again. Turns out, if I had just kept driving another minute up the road, I would have hit the highway. My mom called the number I gave the next day, but we got a error saying the number did not exist. Despite having driven that road many times later in my college career, I never saw that house again."

Johanna, Georgia, USA

Jon Lovette / Getty Images

13."This did not happen to me, but it happened years ago in my house to someone whose word I trust. She's a young woman I know well. She used to clean my house for me, sometimes when I was not at home. After one of those times, she asked me if I had a ghost in the house. I told her not to my knowledge. She said she had been carrying the vacuum cleaner upstairs to the second floor when she lost her balance and started to fall backward. Instead of falling, she felt a hand push her back upright. I have known her since she was in preschool. She is intelligent and sensible, not given to wild imaginings or to making up stories. If she said it happened, I believe it did."

"I asked if she had been scared. She said no, she had felt very safe. She believed it was my husband, who had died in a plane crash many years earlier. She had never known him, but she was sure it was him. If he were able to manifest himself only once, that would have been the time he would have done it  to take care of someone I cared about."

Anonymous

14."I was in my twenties and living in San Jose. My parents had moved to Mariposa and I was driving to see them and their new place. As I drove, I noticed my gas gauge losing gas quickly. I had to stop a few times to add gas. It was a VW bug, so it was not too expensive to keep adding, but I was concerned. I found out I had a hole in my gas tank and that the gas had just kept dripping out as I drove. On the last leg of the drive, I started to realize how dangerous this could be if it caught fire. So, I stopped on a big shoulder of the road to check it. I was surprised to see a big semi-truck pull over, too."

"No one got out of the truck, and their windshield was tinted, so I couldnt see who was there. I continued to check my tank and decided I could make it to my parents if I kept an eye and ear on the situation. Still, no one got out of the semi-truck. I felt as if I was being watched, but I wasnt afraid. I felt comforted, actually.

I got in my car and drove off, watching the truck in my rearview mirror. It started up and began to follow me. When I got to a major turn on the highway, I looked back and the truck suddenly wasnt there. It hadn't passed me  it was just gone. I was a bit shocked that it had seemingly disappeared, but the comforting feeling continued. I made it to my parents safely and I will always be thankful to the driver in that truck who was watching after me. My guardian angel."

Lynne C, California, USA

David Wall / Getty Images

15."As a kid, I was in and out of hospitals for surgeries related to a genetic disorder I had. When I was about 9 or 10, there was this nurse who worked the night shift and would sit with me, telling me stories when my parents couldn't be there. She was very young and looked like a teenager. Looking back, she appeared far too young to work at the hospital and was far too energetic to be working the night shift. She wore all-white scrubs and would braid my hair when I was lonely and couldn't sleep. She'd sit with me for hours on end without having to go anywhere else."

"One night, she stayed with me when my parents couldn't. I felt a pain in my side and told her about it. It was the most intense pain I had ever felt at that point in my life. My call button wasn't working, and there were no other nurses but her to help. She told me she was going to get help. About a minute later, a group of doctors and nurses burst into my room, asking who screamed. Apparently, they had been in a separate ward when they heard this high-pitched scream that almost sounded like singing coming from right outside my door. Everyone had heard it except for me.

As it turned out, I was having complications due to surgery and internal bleeding that very well could've resulted in permanent damage or death by morning. Later, when I asked what happened to the nurse, they were all perplexed and told me no one who matched that description worked there. They checked the schedule, and somehow, all of the nurses were under the impression that someone was acting as my bedside nurse even though no one was on rotation.

That really confused me. My parents remember coming in some mornings and seeing my hair in French or Dutch braids that they assumed I had done myself when I was bored. The nurse in white had braided them, as I was and am still hopeless at braiding. The strangest part was that my doctors would sometimes hear me talking to someone when they walked past my room, but they assumed it was my parents or that I was simply talking in my sleep. To this day, I know that was a guardian angel. I haven't seen her since, but I know she's still with me."

Anonymous

16."In 2009, my husband and I both lost our jobs, then lost our home. The state insurance for our daughter had not started yet, so she was uninsured at this time. I had to go get a prescription for her that she really needed. I didnt think it would cost too much, but it was over $300. I didnt have the money and begged the pharmacy just to give me a few pills until we got her insurance, but they could not help. I sat down on a chair around the corner of the pharmacy, still in the store. I just started sobbing. I had been through too much, and this was it. I didnt know what to do. Suddenly, someone came up to me and handed me $350 in cash rolled up."

"I dont remember what they looked like. I dont think I even looked at them; I was crying so hard. I was so surprised. I said, 'Thank you, are you sure?' And they confirmed, saying it was for my daughter. I finally looked up...and no one was there. I went to the counter and paid for the RX. I looked around for that person, but I never found them. I still thank them when I think about it."

Anonymous

Krisanapong Detraphiphat / Getty Images

17."I was in Florida on spring break in 1990 with a friend when I accidentally turned onto some railroad tracks in an unlit, unfamiliar, unpopulated area. My little Ford Festiva was stuck. A bus driver stopped and called police for help, as well as a tow truck. The officer got there quickly but told my friend and me to get our things out of the car and move back because a train was coming. As we heard the train horn, my friend and I were panicking, and I was crying, wondering how we would get back to Michigan and how I would tell my parents. It was then that a tall, thin, older man came out of nowhere. I cannot remember his face for the life of me."

"He took my hand in a calm, reassuring voice and said, 'Don't worry, honey. Everything is going to be OK.' Just then, the tow truck driver pulled up, and we saw the train heading toward my car. We watched in horror as he pulled his truck on the other side of the tracks and attempted to hook up my car as the train was almost on us. The train barreled by, and my friend and I were full-out crying, thinking he had been killed. Nope. After the train finally passed, he and my car, unharmed, were standing safely on the other side of the tracks. I looked around to say thank you to the very nice man, but he was nowhere. There was literally nothing around there, nowhere to go. When I asked where he'd gone, the bus driver, officer, and tow truck driver didn't know what I was talking about."

Michelle, Dallas, TX

18."I once fell about 10 feet from a ledge overlooking a lake. The ledge was above large rocks and, as I fell, I was sure I was about to be gravely hurt. Suddenly, I felt a large hand on my back that caught me and pushed me against the wall. Surprised, I turned around to thank my savior...and no one was there. I was dangling over the rocks, feeling the hand as it pushed me straight against the wall until both my feet where secured. I cannot explain what happened that day, but I know there was someone/something there that saved me."

Anonymous

Oliverfeindt / Getty Images/iStockphoto

19."I was taking my mother to a doctor's appointment at a hospital. It was a campus-style hospital, so there was not an obvious place to go. When we finally found parking, we had to walk quite a ways to the building that we needed to be in. We were walking down the sidewalk, which was along a busy street. My mom was in front of me, walking at a somewhat slow pace due to her injuries, and I was trailing behind. Now, for me, when I think to myself, it's almost like I can hear my voice in my head. I began to have 'thoughts' as we walked, but this time, the voice was not my own. The voice said, 'Turn around.' I began to think how peculiar that was, doing my best to ignore what was going on and finish the task at hand. 'Turn around!' The voice was louder and accompanied by this urge to follow its direction. I still did my best to shrug it off. 'TURN AROUND!'"

I finally gave in, and when I did, I saw a car immediately jerk from the lane that it was in and hop onto the sidewalk on the side that we were walking on. I was able to push my mother onto a grass hill that was between us and the hospital parking lot and get myself in front of a telephone pole when the car smashed into it, narrowly missing both of us.

I ran over to the smashed car and opened the door to find an older woman with a head injury who was obviously very confused. I immediately called 911 for the woman and waited with her until someone was able to come and render aid, which still took over 30 minutes despite the fact that we were literally outside of a hospital. I don't know who or what it was that was speaking to me that day, but I have never heard the voice before or since."

Anonymous

20."I'm nearly 75 years of age, and haven't thought of this incident for years. I was raised in North Alabama, the youngest of three brothers. Our family would often vacation on the panhandle of the Florida Gulf Coast near Destin and Panama City. On one occasion (I was maybe 6 or 7 years old), we stopped for a picnic at a public park near a backwater estuary. I was wading and stepped off into water deeper than I realized. I turned toward the shore and tried to clamber back, but knew I was literally over my head in water. Suddenly, I felt hands under my armpits lifting me into the shallow water, until my feet touched the bottom. I immediately turned to see who was there, thinking it was one of my brothers, but there was no one else in the water. I didn't say anything to anyone at the time, not knowing what to say. To this day, I can't quite grasp what really happened."

Anonymous

Mrs / Getty Images

21."I was 34 years old and new to California. I rented a room in what looked like a nice neighborhood, and it was, except it was in a bubble and surrounded by rival gang territory. I did my laundry at a laundromat about three blocks from my residence. It always seemed like such a nice, quiet part of the neighborhood, and I had gone several times without any problems. This particular Sunday, the laundromat was open but empty. I had finished two washing loads and started to load a dryer. As I turned to get the second load from its washer, I noticed a car parked in the parking lot some distance from my car. Two large guys got out. One walked up to the only door of the laundromat, blocking my only exit. The other guy stayed by the car, standing by the driver's side door. Then, a large woman got out of the back seat. She entered the laundromat and hoisted herself up on one of the washers by the wall of windows that faced the parking lot, folded her arms, and stared at me."

"All the hairs on my neck stood up and I started hyperventilating. I knew I was in trouble. I started grabbing my soaking wet clothes out of the washer and stuffed them into a pillow case. Then, I went to the dryer, opened it, took the still-wet clothes out, and stuffed them into another pillow case. Just at that moment, a man who looked to be in his thirties suddenly appeared behind the man blocking the door. He was carrying a toddler. He pushed past him and started putting dollar bills in the coin machine by the door and looked at me with a strange look in his eye. I just knew I was meant to follow him.

Sure enough, he got his change and stood by the man until he stepped aside. The stranger, his child, and I walked out the door together, me first and then the man and his child. I got to my car, threw the wet pillowcases with clothes in, ran to the drivers side, locked the doors, and drove off. I looked for the man and his little girl as I left, but there was no one there. I saw no other cars and absolutely no people anywhere, just the man who had been blocking the door, the woman who was now standing outside, and the guy who stayed at their car.

I quickly drove to my residence, following a route that I knew had open stores to make sure no one was following me. I arrived safely, told the owner of my residence what happened, and moved to a different area of town that week."

Anonymous

Thank you to everyone kind enough to share their stories! Have you ever had a "third man syndrome" experience like these? If so, I'd love if you'd tell us your story in the comments below or via this completely anonymous form.

Note: Submissions are edited for length and/or clarity.

If you enjoyed these stories, you can read a bunch more of them here.
Stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight, Medellin, Colombia, is honing a new reputation as an enticing place to eat.

Courtesy of 23 Hotel The bar at 23 Hotel.

On the patio of Casa El Ramal, in the El Poblado neighborhood of Medellin, piles of wood were ablaze with big silver pots nestled in the middle. A staffer ushered me into another courtyard, this one smaller, draped in vines and filled with music. Beautiful young people enjoyed spice-rimmed cocktails and bowls of fragrant sancocho, the chicken-soup-for-the-soul of Colombia.

Chef David Suarez joined me at my table after Id had two guava gimlets and a bowl of soup. He told me that, in the past, a connection to Medellins roots was missing from travelers dining experiences. There were still aspects of Colombian gastronomy visitors didnt know, that you cant find in a restaurant, like what we eat at home with our grandmothers. His Sancocho Sundays bridge that gap, and the juxtaposition of new and old, trend and tradition, captures Medellins culinary moment. In addition to El Ramal, Suarez is also a co-owner of 23 Hotel, a stylish boutique property a short distance away.

Medellin is about five years behind Bogota in terms of its burgeoning fine-dining scene, Suarez estimated. But we now have new cuisines appearing, with new ideas and new flavors and fusions. Chefs have the freedom to experiment. Before in Colombia it was rice, beans, pork, and cabbage. Were changing all that.

Courtesy of Sambombi From left: Sambombi chef Jhon Zarate in the restaurants garden; grilled meat with broccolini and bean mash at Sambombi.

From left: Courtesy of Casa El Ramal; Courtesly of Elcielo From left: The courtyard at Casa El Ramal; tapioca and foie gras at Elcielo.

Medellins arrival as a food destination belies the citys associations with Pablo Escobars reign of narco terror in the mid 1980s and early 90s. Thousands of people were killed by his cartel during those years  a time when accessing fine-dining ingredients or creating a vibrant food scene was far from most residents minds. Times have changed for the better, and in the past decade, the restaurant industry has blossomed.

When chef Laura Londono opened Oci.Mde, in the El Poblado neighborhood, 11 years ago, it was one of three restaurants on the street. Today, Carrera 33 is lined with fashionable places to eat. Londonos kitchen turns out elevated versions of home-style classics, such as shrimp glazed in a jam made with tomatoes and rocoto chiles. While I sampled the beef tongue sandwich, Londono told me about the struggle to find good ingredients when she first started in the industry. In Medellin, we didnt have a culture of fine dining or organic food at that time. And local people werent used to sharing  they wanted their own plate, she said, pointing to her family-style menu. She laughed and nodded to a speaker above us playing David Bowie: And people complained about the rock-and-roll.... The evolution since that time has been huge, and people started changing their mindsets. She was right: the joy of spooning through the meringue layer of a frozen guanabana dessert while listening to the Cure is an experience I didnt know I needed, but thoroughly relished.

From left; Mateo Soto; Courtesy of Casa El Ramal From left: The lush exterior of 23 Hotel in Medellin, Colombia; seared fish and fettucine with smoked cherry tomatoes at Casa El Ramal.

The person who has perhaps been most effective at promoting Medellins cuisine is 41-year-old Juan Manuel Barrientos, the charismatic celebrity chef whose restaurant Elcielo has outposts in Bogota, Miami, and Washington, D.C. The 10-plus-course tasting menu dodges pretentiousness by embracing a playful high-low approach. I loved the square of crisped tapioca, a kind of South American tater tot, which was topped with foie gras. A mini arepa was paired with blue-crab semifreddo and French caviar.

But the showstopper course happened when the waiter asked me to hold out my hands and close my eyes, then poured warm chocolate into my palms and instructed me to lick it off. He told me to pay attention to how the moment awakened my senses: smell, touch, and taste. Later, the liquid nitrogen used during the coffee course released clouds that were an homage to the misty hills of the coffee-growing region around Medellin.

Its hard to take yourself too seriously when covered in chocolate or obscured by a cloud over your table. Barrientoss cheeky play on fine dining proves an irresistible experience for most: the place is booked up months in advance.

Related: I Spent 4 Days Exploring the LGBTQ+ Scene in Medellin, Colombia  Here's Where to Go

Courtesy of Oci.Mde From left: The entrance to Oci.Mde restaurant; chef Laura Londono of Oci.Mde.

Another spot thats pushing the boundaries is Sambombi Bistro Local, helmed by chef Jhon Zarate. Again, it was a billow of smoke that welcomed me in: another sancocho in the making. I ordered a basic fried-rice plate, which was made memorable by a mischievously hidden yolk of creamy shrimp tartare in its center, elevating a staple to something extraordinary. Its easy to walk past places like Sambombi and El Ramal, amid the alluring shops and chic hotels dripping in tropical plants. But in Medellin, where theres smoke, theres flavor.

A version of this story first appeared in the September 2024 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline Flavor Forward.

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
LaKeisha Davis has chronicled her family's harrowing experience in her play called "The Prayers of a Mother," which will be staged at 7 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Cultural Center Theater in Canton.

CANTON  Call it mother's intuition. Call it God's help. LaKeisha Davis knew something was wrong with her son when he confessed to struggling with his mental health.

It was the beginning of a frightening experience that would test her resolve and faith.

Davis has chronicled her family's harrowing experience in her play called "The Prayers of a Mother," which will be staged at 7 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Cultural Center Theater at 1001 Market Ave. N.

The Canton resident said she put their experience in the form of a play as a way to encourage others.

"I did it to let people know that God can make a way out of no way," she said. "And to bring about awareness of mental health. I'm also turning it into a movie. I've already written the movie script."

Davis said that in 2022, her second oldest child, then 23, was living with her and her husband before finding his own apartment.

"Between our house and his dad's in Florida, he would go back and forth, so we hadn't talked to him for a while, which wasn't unusual," she said. "But then when I talked to him, he was like, 'Mommy, I feel like I'm losing my mind.' And I'm like, 'Huh?' But you could tell something mentally was going on. But his actions weren't lining up with the conversations."

Her son never had issues in the past. Then came 2023.

"I'm like, OK, by this time, it's been months since we heard from him, and I'm like, 'This is not like him,' so I asked (his siblings), had they heard from him? They were like, 'No.' So my mother's intuition kicked in."

Davis said she called her son's father in Florida to see if he was there. He wasn't, and calls to her son's phone weren't getting through.

"It was like he just vanished off the face of the earth," she said.

Davis said she became disturbed by a dream.

"I had just gotten knee surgery and I was off of work lying down, and I ended up having a dream, and he came to me in a dream just saying 'Mommy, Mommy.' And I woke up. I said, 'Oh Lord, my son needs me, but I don't know where he's at.' So I was like, OK, maybe I need to do a missing person's report, but each time I wanted to go do that, I couldn't stop crying. I never envisioned myself in this situation."

'A son lost and found ... and lost'

Instead, Davis placed a "missing person" poster on her Facebook page.

"The same day I put it up, two young ladies from North Carolina reached out to me," she said. "They said, 'We know your son.' I'm like, 'How do you know my son because, you know, we're not from there?' One of them said, 'When he came into the Subway where I worked, I would feed him.'"

Though she had no way to confirm the information, Davis launched an online appeal to raise some funds for the trip, and she and her husband struck out for Charlotte, North Carolina.

"The first time we went was in May," she said.

The couple filed a missing person's report with Charlotte Police Department, then went out searching.

"We knew we were on the right track because everybody we showed the missing person flyer to would say, 'Oh, yeah, he stands out from us. You can tell he was raised in a good home,'" Davis said.

But the couple failed to find him and had to return home. Soon after, the Charlotte Police Department called Davis and her husband with good news that her son had been found. She was able to talk with him on the phone.

"It had been over a year since we had spoken to or seen him," she said. "Once he got on the phone, I really could tell something was wrong. So I was like, 'We're coming back to get you.' I got back on Facebook and I did a live video to let everybody know about the progress and updates."

Meanwhile, the police released Davis' son because they had no legal reason to keep him in custody.

The couple returned to the area where he had been seen, to no avail.

"We were out for hours and hours and hours, but then my knee started swelling up real bad, so we had to go in," Davis recalled.

The night before they were set to return home, Davis said she had another dream.

"It was just a picture frame with the words in it that said 'I am Lord.' So, of course, I wake crying. I'm like, 'Lord, you know, you're giving me signs, and we're on the right track, but we ain't finding him. I really don't want to leave in the morning without having him with us so we can get the help he needs.'"

An hour into their trip home, the police called again with news that Davis' son had been arrested after someone reported him looking in cars. Davis decided against bailing him out. During his court hearing, she promised the judge that if he was released into her custody, she would get him the help he needed.

'The Prayers of a Mother'

"We had to put the child-proof locks on the car because we didn't want to take any chances with him jumping out or anything, but he basically slept the whole time because he hadn't been sleeping for all that time, living on the streets," she said.

Davis also noted that two days before they found him the second time, she received calls from two friends who told her she would find him soon.

"On that third day is when I spoke to my son," she said. "Before then, like every night, would wake up in the middle of night, and it would be 3 o'clock in the morning. We found our son 30 days from the day we started our search, and I was like, dang, just to think, you know, God rose on the third day."

Once home, Davis took her son to a local social services agency. But he suffered a series of crises, necessitating police involvement. At one point, he spent four months in the Stark County Jail, his mother said.

"Before they were able to give any type of diagnosis he was arrested," she said. "They told me that he has signs of schizophrenia, but didn't put it on paper. He's not on any medication. The second (agency) he was court-ordered to see said he didn't qualify for mental health treatment."

Getting a mental health diagnosis

According to statistics reported by the Global Burden of Disease, schizophrenia affects 20 million people worldwide and is one of the top 15 leading causes of disability.

Only one-third of people diagnosed with schizophrenia ever receive proper treatment.

On average, men start showing symptoms sooner than women, with most young men being diagnosed between ages 18 to 25. Some researchers attribute heavy marijuana use by young men as a risk factor for their developing schizophrenia.

"I was on my way to breaking, but God was like, 'Nope, I'm about to give you strength,'" Davis recalled. "By me having my husband and my kids and family, I had to regain my strength so I can be strong for all of them ... People come to me and are like, 'I don't know how you do it.' It's because I'm not doing it on my own."

Today, Davis' son is 28 and is working, she said. She recently bought a food truck with plans for him to work in the family's catering business.

Despite the family's struggles, Davis said, she feels blessed because many people never recover their missing loved ones. She recalled one of her uncles, Shawn Bradley, who went missing in 2020 and was found dead in a locked box truck where he had sought shelter.

"A Mother's Prayer" is Davis' third play. In 2013 she wrote "The Depths of Hell" about her own struggles. She previously wrote "Generational Curses" in 2016.

The message of "A Mother's Prayer"?

"I would say keep the faith," she said. "If (people) do have somebody that's missing, you've got to get out there and look for them; you can't just sit still with it. And to let them know that mental illness is real, even if you don't see the signs in the beginning. It I think it is gonna make them laugh cry and think, but most of all, get that faith up because that's the only thing that's going to help them through their situation."

Tickets are $15. For more information, contact Davis at 330-312-7886.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com.

On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton's LaKeisha Davis' writes 'The Prayers of a Mother' play
Southern Nevada man opening food truck after viral fame for 29 years as cook at Burger King

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A Southern Nevada man who went viral for his decades of dedication at Burger King spoke to 8 News Now about his new food truck business.

When this happened to me, Kevin Ford said. It changed everything.

After years of hard work, Ford is now living a life he never expected.

Its like a miracle, he said. That is indescribable.

The Southern Nevadan has worked as a cook at Burger King inside Harry Reid International Airport for 29 years, never missing a day.

Two years ago, he posted a video on TikTok sharing a gift bag of movie tickets, candy, and other assortments provided by the company for his decades of dedication.

A Southern Nevada man who went viral for his decades of dedication at Burger King spoke to 8 News Now about his new food truck business. (KLAS)

People didnt think that was enough, Ford recalled. So that video went viral.

His daughter, who lives in Texas, then started a GoFundMe hoping to raise a few hundred dollars so Ford could afford to visit her for the first time in years.

In just a short time, the page exploded, with people donating more than $460,000.

This is a blessing, Ford said. That people from all around the world did for me.

Suddenly, Ford, a single dad who worked multiple jobs for years to raise his family, was able to buy a house, build savings, and invest in a new adventure: a food truck business.

Im going to invest in myself, he told 8 News Now. Its the first time in my life Ive ever had the chance to do that.

The truck is called K27Y, short for Kevin 27 Years, a nod to his internet fame.

It will serve the staples Ford has mastered at the chain restaurant where hes still working until this all gets off the ground.

Ill be doing hamburgers and french fries, Ford said, referencing his new truck. I cant wait to use all this stuff.

Ford is a person many would say has pushed past tough times and stayed humble on the other side.

Dont give up on yourself. Love yourself, Ford said, speaking to others. Its not what youre worth, its are you worthy? And you are definitely worthy of everything that comes your way.

He also is a true, modern example of the American dream.

I am grateful for all theyve done for me and continue to do for me, Ford concluded. Its beautiful.

Ford lives in Pahrump and said he wants to start his business there and then bring the truck to the Las Vegas market.

He told 8 News Now his daughter, who is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef, will also be helping him.

He plans to retire from Burger King next year on his 30th anniversary.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
The U.S. Attorneys Office in Nevada has charged two men with injury and depredation of government property and aiding and abetting after video surfaced of them toppling ancient rock formations over the edge of a small cliff at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Wyatt Clifford Fain, 37, and Payden David Guy Cosper, 31, face up to 10 years in prison for the incident and both pleaded not guilty after they were arrested last Friday by U.S. Marshalls in Las Vegas.

Their defense seems to hinge on the claim that there were no signs posted at the entrance prohibiting pushing rocks or any warnings that they were doing so in a federally protected site, a defense lawyer for Cosper told ABC News.

Whatever they thought they were doing or attempting to do, authorities say the stunt amounted to $1,000 in damages. Whats more, the rock formations they were toppling over the edge of the small cliff are estimated to be more than 140-million years old, so its easy to understand why authorities would take something like this so seriously. In April, the National Park Service posted a screenshot from the video and called on the public to help them identify both men. They say staffing levels require park officials to rely on the public to keep watch over the park boundaries in instances like this, and in this case it appears the public helped them track down two people causing senseless damage on federally protected land.

The post Two Men Face Up to 10 Years In Jail After Toppling 140-Million-Year-Old Rock Formations at Lake Mead first appeared on The Inertia.
Two parakeets, a purebred lab, and a golden tabby cat are up for adoption in Lane County

Pippy and Skippy are a pair of Parakeets up for adoption at the Greenhill Humane Society in Lane County.

Greenhill Humane Society

Pippy and Skippy are a bonded pair of parakeets up for adoption at Greenhill Humane Society.

These best friends are 6-month-old-females who love to talk to one another. Skippy is a little more courageous and will even step out on your fingers. Because they are young, they are looking for a family that will interact and handle them often to build up their confidence.

Pippy and Skippy are stunning birds that would make wonderful additions to a home. If you love birds, consider adding this beautiful pair to your home.

These two will go home with a certificate for a free vet exam in addition to support from our staff.

Greenhill Humane Society is open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 88530 Green Hill Rd in Eugene. For more information call 541-689-1503 or visit www.green-hill.org .

Oregon Coast Humane Society

Fisher is a Labrador available for adoption at the Oregon Coast Humane Society in Lane County.

Fisher is a purebred labrador with a lot of potential, according to a spokesperson for the Oregon Coast Humane Society.

He's had a pretty unique start to life and is eager to find a family who can help him learn and grow. He will thrive in a loving home where he can get plenty of training and attention.

To meet Fisher, stop by the shelter at 2840 Rhododendron Drive in Florence, or apply online at oregoncoasthumanesociety.org. Shelter hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Cat Rescue and Adoption Network

Wetzel is a gold tabby cat available for adoption at Cat Rescue and Adoption Network

Wetzel is a 4-year-old long-haired golden tabby described as the perfect mix of playful and couch potato.

He will spend hours chasing feathers and strings around the room as long as someone is playing with him. Wetzel can be shy with strangers, but he warms up quickly.

Wetzel loves treats, getting gentle pets, and would enjoy a calm home - likely best as an only cat.

He is smart and independent and is perfect for an adopter who is experienced caring for a long-haired cat.

Wetzel has been neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and is negative for FIV and FeLV.

To meet Wetzel, please call 541-225-4955 option 1, or visit CatRescues.org for more info.

Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: A pair of parakeets, a purebred lab, and tabby cat up for adoption
DENVER (KDVR)  One person died and one person was injured in a shooting in Leadville early Saturday morning, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

CBI said officers with the Leadville Police Department were called to a home in the 100 block of East 9th Street around 1 a.m. for a report of shots fired.

Officers found a woman dead inside the home from an apparent gunshot wound. A man was also found in the home suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.

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He was taken to a local hospital and later transferred to a Denver-area hospital for treatment. CBI said his condition was not known as of Saturday morning.

CBI is investigating the incident alongside Leadville police. The Lake County Sheriffs Office and the 5th Judicial District Attorneys Office are also assisting the investigation.

The names of the two people involved were not released, but CBI said they were known to each other and were residents of the home.

CBI also said there was no threat to the community.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  In the early morning hours of Saturday, a man was found dead near the intersection of Napoleon Avenue and South Dorgenios Street.

According to the New Orleans Police Department, officers were called to the scene around 5:20 a.m. on Aug 31. On arrival, they found the victim on the ground next to a bicycle.

1 dead, 2 injured in Marrero triple shooting

The person was declared dead by New Orleans EMS and, after being taken to the coroners office, was determined to have been the victim of a homicide.

On Wednesday, Sept. 4, the Orleans Parish coroner identified the victim as 46-year-old Dan Riley III, who died from multiple stab wounds.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the NOPD Homicide Section at 504-658-5300 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.

Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.
1 seriously hurt in south Charlotte shooting, MEDIC says

A person has been seriously injured following a shooting in south Charlotte early Saturday morning, according to MEDIC.

The incident occurred just before 2:30 a.m. on Kenilworth Avenue near Pearl Park Way.

ALSO READ: Armored truck driver shot during robbery at Statesville CVS

MEDIC said the victim was taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.

It is unclear what led to this shooting.

This is a developing story; check wsoctv.com for updates.

VIDEO: Armored truck driver shot during robbery at Statesville CVS
Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights field staff member Carlos Ortiz delivered boxes of petitions to the secretary of states office in Columbus on July 5, 2023. Advocates behind abortion initiatives often look to votes in Kansas and Ohio as harbingers of success. (Graham Stokes/Ohio Capital Journal)

After legal fights, counter-campaigns and bureaucratic wrangling all year long, as things stand today, abortion questions in 10 states are heading to ballots in November.

After abortion rights were upended federally in June 2022, Kansas voters got a chance to weigh in on a ballot measure that was something of a test balloon just a couple of months later. Defying expectations, nearly 60% of voters rejected an anti-abortion constitutional amendment.

Since then, voters in states with both conservative- and liberal-leaning electorates have either rejected abortion restrictions or secured the right to an abortion. The majority of these successful campaigns were spearheaded by coalitions of doctors, advocates and everyday people who disagreed with the Supreme Courts decision to upend federal abortion rights.

The issue was on the ballot in five states in November 2022. Americans in California, Michigan and Vermont enshrined the right to a host of reproductive health care services into their state constitutions during the midterms, while voters in Montana defeated a measure containing anti-abortion rhetoric and Kentucky voters soundly rejected an amendment seeking to declare that nothing in the state constitution guaranteed abortion rights.

Then, last year, faced with a Republican trifecta in state government where many lawmakers harbored anti-abortion positions, Ohio reproductive rights advocates took matters in their own hands and launched an effort to codify the right to abortion, contraception, fertility treatments, miscarriage management and pregnancy care.

Despite roadblocks thrown up by GOP officials who tried to increase the threshold for an amendment to be added to the Ohio Constitution, Issue 1 succeeded in November. Nearly 57% of Buckeye State voters cast ballots in favor of reproductive rights.

Elected officials elsewhere are playing a role in thwarting abortion ballot petitions, too. Missouris attorney general tried to push the state auditor to inflate the estimated cost of an initiative, and the secretary of state offered up ballot summaries that judges dismissed as partisan last year. (Abortion-rights proponents are suing again over the same issue, Missouri Independent reported.)

In Arkansas, Republican Secretary of State John Thurston refused to count all of the signatures for an abortion-rights ballot petition, citing technical paperwork errors, according to Arkansas Advocate. After a five-week legal battle  on the day of the deadline for Thurston to distribute certified ballots to counties  the state Supreme Court affirmed his position. Arkansans for Limited Government, the group behind the ballot measure, said the justices recent 4-3 ruling silenced more than 102,000 people who signed on to the effort, the Advocate reported.

Another strategy being deployed by opponents: decline-to-sign campaigns popped up in Arkansas, Arizona, Missouri and South Dakota.

Democrats have pledged to restore the right to an abortion nationally if they retain the White House and gain seats in Congress in the coming election, and Republican leaders have said they dont support a national ban.

Still, as things stand today, 10 states have confirmed abortion-rights questions for Nov. 5 ballots. Lawsuits to invalidate them are pending across the nation.

Arizona

Abortion is illegal after 15 weeks in Arizona, unless the patients life is at risk. There are no exceptions for rape, incest or genetic abnormalities.

Proposition 139 will ask voters if they want to allow abortion up to fetal viability with exceptions later in pregnancy for the patients life, or physical or mental health. The amendment would also prevent any penalties for someone who helps a person get an abortion. Arizona for Abortion Access is behind the initiative.

Colorado

Abortion is legal throughout pregnancy in Colorado, but the state enacted a ban on public funds being used for abortions in 1984. Government employees insurance does not cover abortion care.

Initiative 89, titled Right to Abortion, could effectively repeal that 40-year-old coverage ban if 55% of voters approve the amendment. Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom is leading the effort.

Florida

Abortion is illegal after six weeks in Florida with exceptions for rape, incest and to save the patients life.

Amendment 4 would bar government interference in abortion access before fetal viability or when a provider deems the procedure necessary to save a persons health. Sixty percent of voters have to approve the measure, which wouldnt remove the parental notification requirement for minors seeking abortions. Floridians Protecting Freedom is behind the campaign.

Maryland

In March 2023, the Democratic-controlled Legislature voted in favor of a referendum that put the Right to Reproductive Freedom Act before voters this fall. Abortion is broadly legal in Maryland.

Question 1 would reify the right to reproductive freedom, including the right to make decisions to prevent, continue, or end a pregnancy. The proposed amendment would also prevent the state from interfering in the right for the most part.

Missouri

Abortion is only permitted in Missouri for medical emergencies. Restrictions on clinics and providers hindered access in the state before the Dobbs decision, Missouri Independent reported.

Amendment 3, if approved by a simple majority, would legalize abortion up to fetal viability with exceptions later in pregnancy to protect the life or physical or mental health of a pregnant person. It also states patients and providers cannot be prosecuted for abortion. Missourians for Constitutional Freedom is the political action committee behind the initiative.

Montana

A 1999 Montana Supreme Court ruling solidified abortion access based on the states constitutional right to privacy, and a 2023 decision reaffirmed the precedent, while also ruling that advanced practice nurses can provide abortions. Still, the Republican-controlled legislature advanced abortion restrictions, which are largely blocked by the courts, Daily Montanan reported.

CI-128 asks voters to further enshrine into the states constitution the right to make decisions about ones pregnancy, including abortion up to fetal viability, without government regulation. The amendment would include exceptions later in pregnancy to protect the life or health of the patients, as determined by providers. Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights headed the ballot effort.

Nebraska

A 12-week abortion ban was enacted last year. Protect Our Rights launched a campaign in November for an amendment that would expand access up to viability, as determined by a provider, with later exceptions for a mothers health.

Protect Women and Children announced a counter-effort in the spring for a competing constitutional amendment that would ban abortions after the first trimester (12-14 weeks), with later exceptions for rape, incest or the life of a mother. It would allow the legislature to pass stricter bans in the future.

If both questions make it to the ballot and both are approved by voters, the one with the most votes wins, Nebraska Examiner reported.

Nevada

In 1990, Nevada voters secured the right to an abortion through 24 weeks of pregnancy, or later if the mothers life is at risk. Question 6 will ask voters to ensure similar rights constitutionally  making them harder for lawmakers to modify. If passed, this amendment would protect abortion access up to fetal viability, or later to protect the life or health of the patient, Nevada Current reported.

The coalition Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom is behind the proposal, which will have to be approved twice  once this year and again in 2026.

New York

Abortion is legal in New York up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and abortions after that point must be approved by providers who decide whether a fetus is viable, or if a patients life or health is at risk.

Proposal 1, a legislatively referred referendum, asks voters if they want to add an equal rights amendment to the constitution. If approved, it would bar discrimination based on sex, including pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive health care and autonomy. Supporters say this would add protection for the right to an abortion.

South Dakota

Abortion is banned in South Dakota unless its necessary to save a patients life. Dakotans for Health led an effort to expand access.

Amendment G asks voters whether to ban legislators from regulating abortion until the end of the first trimester, allow regulations during the second trimester in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman and let the state prohibit abortion in the third trimester unless the procedure is necessary to save the life or health of a pregnant patient.
Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights field staff member Carlos Ortiz delivered boxes of petitions to the secretary of states office in Columbus on July 5, 2023. Advocates behind abortion initiatives often look to votes in Kansas and Ohio as harbingers of success. (Graham Stokes/Ohio Capital Journal)

After legal fights, counter-campaigns and bureaucratic wrangling all year long, as things stand today, abortion questions in 10 states are heading to ballots in November.

After abortion rights were upended federally in June 2022, Kansas voters got a chance to weigh in on a ballot measure that was something of a test balloon just a couple of months later. Defying expectations, nearly 60% of voters rejected an anti-abortion constitutional amendment.

Since then, voters in states with both conservative- and liberal-leaning electorates have either rejected abortion restrictions or secured the right to an abortion. The majority of these successful campaigns were spearheaded by coalitions of doctors, advocates and everyday people who disagreed with the Supreme Courts decision to upend federal abortion rights.

The issue was on the ballot in five states in November 2022. Americans in California, Michigan and Vermont enshrined the right to a host of reproductive health care services into their state constitutions during the midterms, while voters in Montana defeated a measure containing anti-abortion rhetoric and Kentucky voters soundly rejected an amendment seeking to declare that nothing in the state constitution guaranteed abortion rights.

Then, last year, faced with a Republican trifecta in state government where many lawmakers harbored anti-abortion positions, Ohio reproductive rights advocates took matters in their own hands and launched an effort to codify the right to abortion, contraception, fertility treatments, miscarriage management and pregnancy care.

Despite roadblocks thrown up by GOP officials who tried to increase the threshold for an amendment to be added to the Ohio Constitution, Issue 1 succeeded in November. Nearly 57% of Buckeye State voters cast ballots in favor of reproductive rights.

Elected officials elsewhere are playing a role in thwarting abortion ballot petitions, too. Missouris attorney general tried to push the state auditor to inflate the estimated cost of an initiative, and the secretary of state offered up ballot summaries that judges dismissed as partisan last year. (Abortion-rights proponents are suing again over the same issue, Missouri Independent reported.)

In Arkansas, Republican Secretary of State John Thurston refused to count all of the signatures for an abortion-rights ballot petition, citing technical paperwork errors, according to Arkansas Advocate. After a five-week legal battle  on the day of the deadline for Thurston to distribute certified ballots to counties  the state Supreme Court affirmed his position. Arkansans for Limited Government, the group behind the ballot measure, said the justices recent 4-3 ruling silenced more than 102,000 people who signed on to the effort, the Advocate reported.

Another strategy being deployed by opponents: decline-to-sign campaigns popped up in Arkansas, Arizona, Missouri and South Dakota.

Democrats have pledged to restore the right to an abortion nationally if they retain the White House and gain seats in Congress in the coming election, and Republican leaders have said they dont support a national ban.

Still, as things stand today, 10 states have confirmed abortion-rights questions for Nov. 5 ballots. Lawsuits to invalidate them are pending across the nation.



A sign saying "We signed"

Arizona

Abortion is illegal after 15 weeks in Arizona, unless the patients life is at risk. There are no exceptions for rape, incest or genetic abnormalities.

Proposition 139 will ask voters if they want to allow abortion up to fetal viability with exceptions later in pregnancy for the patients life, or physical or mental health. The amendment would also prevent any penalties for someone who helps a person get an abortion. Arizona for Abortion Access is behind the initiative.

Colorado

Abortion is legal throughout pregnancy in Colorado, but the state enacted a ban on public funds being used for abortions in 1984. Government employees insurance does not cover abortion care.

Initiative 89, titled Right to Abortion, could effectively repeal that 40-year-old coverage ban if 55% of voters approve the amendment. Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom is leading the effort.

Florida

Abortion is illegal after six weeks in Florida with exceptions for rape, incest and to save the patients life.

Amendment 4 would bar government interference in abortion access before fetal viability or when a provider deems the procedure necessary to save a persons health. Sixty percent of voters have to approve the measure, which wouldnt remove the parental notification requirement for minors seeking abortions. Floridians Protecting Freedom is behind the campaign.

Maryland

In March 2023, the Democratic-controlled Legislature voted in favor of a referendum that put the Right to Reproductive Freedom Act before voters this fall. Abortion is broadly legal in Maryland.

Question 1 would reify the right to reproductive freedom, including the right to make decisions to prevent, continue, or end a pregnancy. The proposed amendment would also prevent the state from interfering in the right for the most part.

Missouri

Abortion is only permitted in Missouri for medical emergencies. Restrictions on clinics and providers hindered access in the state before the Dobbs decision, Missouri Independent reported.

Amendment 3, if approved by a simple majority, would legalize abortion up to fetal viability with exceptions later in pregnancy to protect the life or physical or mental health of a pregnant person. It also states patients and providers cannot be prosecuted for abortion. Missourians for Constitutional Freedom is the political action committee behind the initiative.

Montana

A 1999 Montana Supreme Court ruling solidified abortion access based on the states constitutional right to privacy, and a 2023 decision reaffirmed the precedent, while also ruling that advanced practice nurses can provide abortions. Still, the Republican-controlled legislature advanced abortion restrictions, which are largely blocked by the courts, Daily Montanan reported.

CI-128 asks voters to further enshrine into the states constitution the right to make decisions about ones pregnancy, including abortion up to fetal viability, without government regulation. The amendment would include exceptions later in pregnancy to protect the life or health of the patients, as determined by providers. Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights headed the ballot effort.



Nebraska

A 12-week abortion ban was enacted last year. Protect Our Rights launched a campaign in November for an amendment that would expand access up to viability, as determined by a provider, with later exceptions for a mothers health.

Protect Women and Children announced a counter-effort in the spring for a competing constitutional amendment that would ban abortions after the first trimester (12-14 weeks), with later exceptions for rape, incest or the life of a mother. It would allow the legislature to pass stricter bans in the future.

If both questions make it to the ballot and both are approved by voters, the one with the most votes wins, Nebraska Examiner reported.



Nevada

In 1990, Nevada voters secured the right to an abortion through 24 weeks of pregnancy, or later if the mothers life is at risk. Question 6 will ask voters to ensure similar rights constitutionally  making them harder for lawmakers to modify. If passed, this amendment would protect abortion access up to fetal viability, or later to protect the life or health of the patient, Nevada Current reported.

The coalition Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom is behind the proposal, which will have to be approved twice  once this year and again in 2026.

New York

Abortion is legal in New York up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and abortions after that point must be approved by providers who decide whether a fetus is viable, or if a patients life or health is at risk.

Proposal 1, a legislatively referred referendum, asks voters if they want to add an equal rights amendment to the constitution. If approved, it would bar discrimination based on sex, including pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes and reproductive health care and autonomy. Supporters say this would add protection for the right to an abortion.



South Dakota

Abortion is banned in South Dakota unless its necessary to save a patients life. Dakotans for Health led an effort to expand access.

Amendment G asks voters whether to ban legislators from regulating abortion until the end of the first trimester, allow regulations during the second trimester in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman and let the state prohibit abortion in the third trimester unless the procedure is necessary to save the life or health of a pregnant patient.

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15 co-workers hiked up a Colorado mountain. There were only 14 when they came back down

A group of 15 co-workers on an office retreat headed up a mountain trail in Colorado last week but when they returned, one of their colleagues was missing.

They set out from the Blanks Cabin Trailhead on Mount Shavano near Salida, Colorado, the morning of August 23, Chaffee County Search and Rescue South said in a news release on Facebook.

After one of the hikers reached the mountains peak around 11:30 a.m. local time and turned to head back down, he became disoriented, officials said.

In his initial attempts to descend, he found himself in the steep boulder and scree field on the northeast slopes toward Shavano Lake, Chaffee County Search and Rescue South said.

The concerned hiker sent a pin drop to his colleagues, who were already descending, to alert them of his location, according to officials.

His colleagues told him he was on the wrong route and told him to climb back up the slope to regain the trail, the release stated. By around 4 p.m., when the hiker had regained the ridge between Mount Shavano and Tabeguache Peak, he sent his group another pin drop letting them know he was near the trail, officials said.

Shortly after that message, a strong storm passed through the area with freezing rain and high winds, and he again became disoriented, losing cell phone signal, according to the release.

Chaffee County Search and Rescue South officials said they received an alert around 9 p.m. about an overdue hiker dressed in all black, somewhere on Mount Shavanos standard route.

Rescue teams worked through the night and into the morning of August 24 to search for the hiker, with strong winds and freezing rain hindering their efforts.

Working from the last known point on the ridge between Shavano and Tabeguache, teams were focused on clearing the standard route to the last known point, and the Shavano Lake/Squaw Creek drainage, the release stated.

Several other rescue organizations joined the efforts to find the man, who told rescuers when he was found he had fallen at least 20 times on the steep slopes after becoming very disoriented, officials said.

After the last fall he was unable to get back up, but very luckily regained enough cell service to make his call (to 911), according to the release.

That 911 call made all the difference, helping search and rescue crews pinpoint his location.

Rescuers found him in a gully below Esprit Point, and he was taken to a hospital for additional care. A spokesperson with Chaffee County Search and Rescue South declined to provide an update on the hikers condition on Friday.

This hiker was phenomenally lucky to have regained cell service when he did, and to still have enough consciousness and wherewithal to call 911, the organization said in the release. Though he was located in a tertiary search area, it would have been some time before teams made it to that location on their own.

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Fifteen Islamic State group militants were killed Thursday by United States and Iraqi forces in a joint raid that also resulted in injuries to seven American troops, U.S. Central Command officials announced Friday.

ISIS fighters were in possession of numerous weapons, grenades and explosive suicide belts during the raid, which was reportedly carried out in the countrys Anbar province, U.S. Central Command officials said in a release.

This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond, officials said. Iraqi Security Forces continue to further exploit the locations raided.

There is no indication the mission resulted in civilian casualties, the release added.

An initial statement by Iraqi security forces said airstrikes targeted the hideouts, followed by an airborne operation.

Among the dead were key ISIS leaders, Iraq officials said. All hideouts, weapons and logistical support were destroyed, explosive belts were safely detonated and important documents, identification papers and communication devices were seized.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the operation yet to be made public, told The Associated Press that five American troops were wounded in the raid, while two others suffered injuries from falls during the operation. One was transported out of the region, while one of the wounded was evacuated for further treatment, the official said.

All personnel are in stable condition, the official added.

It wasnt immediately clear why Iraqi officials did not mention U.S. involvement in their initial announcement of the operation, which was carried out as politicians continue to debate the future of American troops in the country.

Years after dislodging the militants from their self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria, U.S. forces continue to fight the Islamic State group, though the casualties from this raid were higher than in previous operations.

There are approximately 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria.

Since the U.S. toppled dictator Saddam Hussein with its 2003 invasion of Iraq, the country has struggled to balance relations between America and neighboring Iran.

Since the militant group Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza, Iraqi militias allied to Iran have targeted U.S. forces in Iraq, leading to retaliatory American airstrikes.

At its peak, the Islamic State group ruled an area half the size of the U.K. A coalition of more than 80 countries led by the U.S. was formed to fight the group, which lost its hold on the territory it controlled in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019.

However, the militants have continued to operate in Iraq and Syria. Last month, the U.S. military said the number of attacks claimed by IS in Syria and Iraq was on track to double this year, compared with the year before.

One such attack on Aug. 9 injured eight American troops when an air attack drone struck a facility at the Rumalyn Landing Zone American base in Syria. The personnel were later treated for traumatic brain injury and smoke inhalation.

The U.S. military in recent weeks has been flooding the U.S. Central Command area of operations with additional troops and assets  including the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group  in the hope of deterring further attacks and preventing a massive war between Israel and Iran-backed militias.

There were approximately 40,000 U.S. forces in the area as of publication.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  An 18-year-old is dead after an overnight shooting in downtown San Diego Saturday, the San Diego Police Department reports.

Police say an 18-year-old man was shot after a fight near 9th and F Streets in East Village just after midnight Saturday.

Doctor charged in Matthew Perrys death agrees to plead guilty

Officers responded to the scene after reports came in of multiple gunshots in the area and say they found the unidentified victim on the ground with at least one gunshot wound. First responders gave the 18-year-old CPR and transported him to the hospital, but he later died.

Police report they are searching for four suspects believed to be involved in the shooting. They are described as Black male adults in mostly dark clothing, who were last seen running east on F Street.

Teen driving in Clairemont crash that killed SDPD officer did not have license

Investigators say they were able to determine the victim was involved in a fight with a group of men inside a nearby nightclub just before the shooting, and are working to find out if that incident is related to the fatal shooting.

Video: Vigil held for 18-year-old Navy sailor killed in downtown San Diego shooting

San Diego Homicide Detectives are investigating the shooting and working to collect evidence and surveillance footage and are interviewing any witnesses in the area.

Woman severely burned in 7-Eleven fire dies from injuries

In an update Saturday evening, Media Officer Brian ORourke with Navy Region Southwest confirmed to FOX 5/KUSI that the victim was a Navy sailor assigned to a ship homeported in San Diego.

Anyone with more information is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

FOX 5s Amber Coakley contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
1st week of September to be a soaker in the southern US

AccuWeather meteorologists advise that residents and visitors in the southern United States should keep their umbrellas ready; as the calendar flips to September, a weather pattern bringing frequent downpours is expected to continue through much of the week.

"Persistent winds coming off the Gulf of Mexico will funnel moisture northward across the South through much of this week. While this will help with the ongoing drought across portions of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, it will also increase the risk for localized flash flooding issues across the region," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.

Showers and thunderstorms will tend to congregate and grow in coverage near notable weather features. These include a cold front that will slow down and stall early this week across the Carolinas, as well as a an influx of tropical moisture bringing wave after wave of rain to much of Texas and southeastern Louisiana through Tuesday.

"Showers, thunderstorms and localized torrential downpours will extend from northwestern Texas to the Gulf Coast," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. This includes places such as Houston and perhaps Dallas.

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There may be a relative minimum in thunderstorm activity across parts of northeastern Texas, northern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama; even still, there may be a thunderstorm or two in the area.

Toward the middle and latter part of this week, downpours will tend to slowly wander eastward across the Southern states, including more of the lower Mississippi Valley and interior Southeast.

This eastward shift will bring some relief to central and western Texas, but continue to threaten the Texas Gulf Coast with rain. It's also not out of the question that some thunderstorms could also turn severe, bringing the risk of damaging wind gusts.

The wettest spots will likely be over the western Gulf Coast states, where 4-8 inches of rain may fall into the middle of this week, according to Sosnowski.

Drivers planning to travel along sections of interstates 10, 20, and 35 should anticipate slower traffic at times through much of this week due to downpours reducing visibility.

The weather pattern is also unfavorable for beachgoers. In addition to dodging raindrops, those heading to the water will encounter an increased risk of rough surf and more frequent rip currents along both the northwestern Gulf Coast and the southern Atlantic Seaboard.

Toward the latter part of this week and heading into next weekend, there is the potential for a tropical feature to track northward from the Caribbean Sea and into the Gulf of Mexico.

There is likely to continue to be an enhancement in downpours, especially for coastal communities, heading into the upcoming weekend, regardless of whether there is a named tropical entity.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
CHICAGO  Two people were arrested for an armed carjacking and shooting Friday night in South Chicago.

Chicago police said just before 8:15 p.m., a man was standing next to his vehicle in the 8100 block of South Escanaba Avenue when two suspects, armed with guns, approached him and demanded his vehicle.

The suspects drove off in the mans vehicle, while he and a 41-year-old woman followed in a separate vehicle. The suspects then fired shots at both the man and woman, grazing the woman in the right shoulder, according to investigators.

Police investigate string of ATM burglaries in Chicagoland

The woman was taken to the University of Chicago Hospital in good condition.

Police said officers found the mans vehicle in the 7900 block of South Escanaba Avenue and both suspects have since been arrested. A gun was also found at the scene.

Area Two Detectives are still investigating.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Two young children who were abducted over two weeks ago in Los Angeles County have been found safe, authorities announced Friday.

Willow Bryant, 2, and Wyman Bryant, 4, were taken by their biological parents during a supervised visit on Aug. 14, prompting an AMBER Alert and multi-county search.

The children were believed to be with Tiffany Bryant, 39, and David James, 53, who were described as suspects by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

The siblings had been placed in foster care after they tested positive for drugs in their system, the Los Angeles Times reports. They had been with their caregivers for about a year before the abduction.

Willow Bryant, 2, and Wyman Bryant, 4, were found safe on August 30, 2024, after being abducted by their biological parents. (California Highway Patrol)

Tiffany Bryant (left) David James (right) and Willow and Wyman Bryant (middle) are seen in images posted by the California Highway Patrol.

The Amber Alert flier for Tiffany Bryant, David James, Wyman and Willow Bryant. (CHP)

The children were initially taken near South Vermont Avenue and West 83rd Street in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Although the children were safely located, details about their parents were not announced. Its unclear whether they were also taken into custody on Friday night.

Thank you to the public, the media, and deputy personnel for their tireless efforts in the search for Wyman and Willow, LASD said.

No further details were released as the incident remains under investigation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Property belonging to former New York City Mayor and Rudy Giuliani is being sought by two former Georgia election workers who were defamed by the one-time Trump campaign official. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

Aug. 31 (UPI) -- Two defamed Georgia election workers are asking the federal court to enforce the $146 million judgment against former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, including real estate and three Yankees World Series rings.

Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, were awarded the damages last year after U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, D.C., who found Giuliani liable for repeatedly falsely accusing them of election fraud during the 2020 presidential election.

They filed the motion Friday in the Southern District of New York seeking to receive the property of Giuliani, who at one time was the U.S. attorney there.

In July, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane in New York dismissed bankruptcy proceedings against the former lawyer for Donald Trump, finding that he was not being adequately transparent about his financial situation.

"Mr. Giuliani has proven time and again that he will never voluntarily comply with court orders, much less voluntarily satisfy Plaintiffs' judgment," according to the filing Friday.

Giuliani's representative Ted Goodman accused the plaintiff's lawyers of taking "steps designed to harass and intimidate" him with the new filings.

"This lawsuit has always been designed to censor and bully the mayor, and to deter others from exercising their right to speak up and to speak out," Goodman said.

During the defamation trial, the two women said Trump's bogus stolen election claims subjected them to racist and violent threats that forced them out of their jobs and homes, including comments by Giuliani.

At a hearing before the U.S. House January 6 committee in 2022, Moss recalled receiving "hateful" and "racist" threats because of the smears.

Giuliani owns a Manhattan apartment worth an estimated $5.7 million and a condo in Palm Beach valued at $3.5 million.

Among the personal property sought are a 1980 Mercedes-Benz SL500, signed Reggie Jackson picture, signed Joe DiMaggio shirt and three Yankees World Series rings he was given during his time as New York City mayor. They also want a diamond ring he owns and his collection of about two dozen luxury watches.

In addition, there are $2 million in fees Giuliani says he's owed by Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee for his work in trying to overturn the results of the 2020.

Giuliani was disbarred in New York.

Following the judgment, in December he filed for bankruptcy and estimated his jewelry was worth $30,000.

In a separate filing Friday, the women they claim Giuliani is falsely trying to make his permanent residence in Florida for homestead protection under Florida law.

Giuliani's Internet broadcasts show that he has not actually resided in the Palm Beach condo since purporting to establish permanent residency there.

In December, the women sued him again for continuing to spread "the very same lies."

The suit is based on comments he allegedly made to reporters after his defamation trial.

According to the complaint, Giuliani told reporters he did not regret his remarks that led to the defamation suit, saying, "Of course I don't regret it. I told the truth."

They said Giuliani continued to falsely accuse them of ballot stuffing and other illegal acts at Atlanta's State Farm Arena on election night in 2020.

Giuliani has pleaded not guilty in a criminal case in Georgia where he is accused of participating in a conspiracy to thwart the will of the state's voters who had selected Democrat Joe Biden over the Republican incumbent.

Giuliani is facing other lawsuits, including another defamation case filed by voting machine maker Dominion in 2021.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Two girls walking to school in Crofton, Nebraska, were hit by a vehicle and airlifted to Yankton Avera Hospital on Friday morning.

The Knox County (Nebraska) Sheriffs Office said the incident happened at 8:04 a.m. when the girls were on their way to school. In a news release, the sheriffs office said the two girls were walking north on W 5th St. and stopped at the W. Harold St. crosswalk.

According to the release, a vehicle driving east didnt stop at the flashing crosswalk lights and hit the two girls. The driver was a juvenile male and uninjured.

UPDATE 1-29 re-opens after crash delay south of SF

Both girls were airlifted to the Yankton hospital 15 miles away before law enforcement arrived on scene. The girls condition is unknown at this time.

Crofton Fire and EMS, as well as the Nebraska State Patrol and Knox County Sheriffs Office were on scene.

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24 drones shot down over Ukraine, 25 crashed, and 3 flew into Belarus and Russia

Ukraines Air Force reported that 24 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs were shot down over Ukraine on the night of 30-31 August and on the morning of 31 August, while 25 crashed on their own. Two drones flew back towards Russia and one flew to Belarus.

Source: Ukraines Air Force

Details: It is known that the Russians carried out an attack using an Iskander-M ballistic missile (launched from Russias Voronezh Oblast), four S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles (launched from the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast) and 52 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs (launched from Russias Kursk Oblast).

Ukrainian air defence assets and personnel responded to the attack in Kyiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv and Sumy oblasts.

Aircraft, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units and mobile firing groups of the defence forces of Ukraine were involved in repelling the Russian air attack.

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1 killed in crash that closed I-25 north in Denver

DENVER (KDVR)  A deadly crash closed northbound Interstate 25 on Friday evening, snarling traffic for miles.

The interstate was closed around 6 p.m. between University Boulevard and U.S. 85/Santa Fe Drive, between mile points 205-207. Drivers were warned to expect delays.

Save this: Live traffic map for Denver and Colorado

The crash involved two vehicles, according to the Denver Police Department. Police said one person died on the scene.

No further information was immediately available about the circumstances.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.


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Microfossils found around the world contain specimens that dont look like modern cells.

By analyzing certain bacteria in the Dead Sea that dont contain cell walls, a new study theorizes how these strange microfossils came to be.

While this understanding helps illustrate some of the strange morphologies of these fossils, it isnt definitive proof that this how life began on Earth.

Microfossils have a tendency to muck with our timeline of when life formed on Earth. As their name suggests, these ancient rocks contain the tiny fossilized remains of protists and bacteria, and when University of Wisconsin-Madison geologist Stanley Tyler discovered the first microfossils in Precambrian rock in 1953 , it pushed the origin of life back more than a billion years.

Fast-forward 70 years, and new microfossils have pushed that timeline well into the Archean Eon. Most assume that the first cells were likely simpler than the 1 to 2 micrometer-wide bacteria we have today, which host no internal structures unlike eukaryotes (a domain of life of which you are a member, congratulations). However, the cells found within these sedimentary rocksome stretching back some 3.8 billion yearsdont support this assumption.

Instead, these ancient microfossils, which have been found in areas around the world, can be as large as 70 micrometers across and support internal structures. This inspired Dheeraj Kanaparthi, a scientist at the Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Munich, Germany, to ask the age-old question: Why?

These fossils look too complex, Kanaparthi told New Scientist. He published a reviewed preprint in the journal eLife. Theyre also too large. What we find is always baffling.

Strangely, he found the inklings of an explanation while exploring freshwater springs located on the seafloor of the very salty Dead Sea. These structures were first discovered in 2011 during the first-ever diving expedition of the Dead Sea, and, contrary to the body of waters name, they encountered a litany of microorganisms around these springs. Some of the bacteria within this unique ecosystem exhibited strange shapes compared to other bacteria, and thats because they were actually L-forms.

Named after the Lister Institute in London, which discovered them in the 1930s, these L-forms have one specific characteristic that separates them from other bacteriathey dont have a cell wall. Usually, these cells would swell and burst due to osmosis (turns out cell walls are pretty important in that regard), but in some specific conditions, they can survive and grow.

Its been previously suggested that these L-forms could provide a template for protocells on ancient Earth, but Kanaparthi and his colleagues shows that the shapes created by these L-forms, when the latter are put in high-salinity environments that scientists think existed along coasts during the Archean, begin to resemble to microfossils found in these ancient rocks.

Kanaparthi and his team also argue that the internal structures of these microfossils are actually just an illusion created by new cells forming with the L-forms.

Of course, if you look around today, youll see that not having a cell wall isnt exactly a winning evolutionary strategy, and this wouldve been true for these hypothesized ancient L-forms as well. They wouldve been at the mercy of their environment, Kanaparthi told New Scientist, and wouldnt have been very efficient at reproduction.

This is only a theory that attempts to explain the varying morphologies found in microfossils around the world. Because its difficult to truly replicate the conditions of Paleoarchean Earth nor capture its global variability, theres a lot that is unknown about that time, but L-forms could be first step in unraveling the decades long mystery of why these microfossils dont quite fit with our understanding of life and how it formed.



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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  Three houses were damaged in a fire on Grace Street early Saturday morning, according to fire officials.

Officials responded to 119 Grace St. just before 5:40 a.m. Saturday. The structure was vacant at the time of the blaze. Damages to the structure were estimated at $150,000.

Two more homes, 117 and 123 Grace St., sustained exposure damage totaling $450,000. The Red Cross is assisting six people. There were no injuries.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced on Friday that four people have been arrested after two people were shot at a party last weekend.

Investigators say Jeffery Tyler Ray, 18, was shot and killed at an outdoor party at a home in Murray County on Sunday.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Another person was shot in the face and treated for his injuries.

After the shooting, the GBI announced that 25-year-old Anthony Wilkinson had been arrested and charged with felony murder and aggravated assault.

Now, TyKel Keshawn Hutchinson, 19, and a 16-year-old from Rome have also been arrested and charged with felony murder and aggravated assault.

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A fourth person, 17-year-old Keano Nestor, was arrested and charged with tampering with evidence.

Details on what led up to the shooting have not been released.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  Faith Temple Food Giveaway is known for giving back to the community. But over the last few months, theyve also made it their mission to give back to the planet.

Earlier this year, volunteers at the Faith Temple Food Giveaway started noticing the amount of plastic being thrown out that food and other items came in. So, they reached out to the Sioux Empire Lions Club whose global cause is to collect plastic.

We would collect it and put it in a box, and then the people that collect the plastic would come every Friday to pick up what we have, Faith Temple Food Giveaway Director Jeff Hayes said. I was surprised because there would be bags full of this plastic.

Month by month, those piles added up, eventually to 500 pounds of plastic that would be built into something new. Friday afternoon, the Sioux Empire Lions Club presented the non-profit with a bench made entirely out of recycled plastic, including the materials gathered by Faith Temple Food Giveaway.

We collect plastic film like plastic grocery bags, the shrink wrap around pallets, anything that you can push with your thumb and it stretches, Jackie Cerkowniak with the Sioux Empire Lions Club said.

Hayes said the bench isnt just supporting those who wish to take a seat. It also supports their mission.

Its a reminder to us that product or plastic or food can always have a second life or a third life. And so thats important to us that it just doesnt get thrown in the in the garbage can, Hayes said.

The bench will sit inside of the main giveaway shed. Faith Temple first started saving plastic for the bench in March this year.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
Rapid City, S.D. (KELO)  A Rapid City man is being held without bond Friday night. Reed Thompson, 55, is accused of drugging and raping four teenaged girls.

And prosecutors think there are even more victims.

The Pennington County Sheriffs Office says Thompson targeted the most vulnerable teenage girls, including runaways.

Pennington County officials say he gave four 13-to-15 year old girls drugs and took advantage of them. In addition to the drug charges, Thompson faces three counts of rape, sexual exploitation of a minor and solicitation of a minor.

This long investigation by the Pennington County Sheriff Department saw assists from other departments here in the area, including the special unit of Internet Crimes Against Children. This six-month-long investigation all started from a public tip.

The Investigation Division is pleased with the teamwork local departments have had throughout this case.

This is what we do, and this is another classic example of that and the investigations crew and law enforcement coming together to make an arrest in this case. said PCSO Investigations Captain Dustin Morrison.

2 girls hit by vehicle, airlifted to Yankton hospital

The Pennington County Sheriffs Office believes there are more victims out there and they want to help.

This is an ongoing thing. As you saw, we have an Internet Crimes Against Children task force and they recently ran a sting operation during the Sturgis Rally and they made several arrests, Morrison said. This is an ongoing thing, anytime we get information, we take this very seriously and were going to do everything in our power to aggressively pursue and reach justice for those victims and those victims families.

Highway Patrol announces September sobriety checkpoints

Because Thompson is already a habitual offender, if convicted of these charges he could face life in prison.

If you have any information that could be useful to the Investigation Division in this case, call the Rapid City Police.

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Scientists are on the brink of resurrecting extinct species. Emblematic species such as the woolly mammoth , the dodo and the thylacine (also known as the Tasmanian tiger) could soon walk the Earth again, according to "de-extinction" companies and scientists.

De-extinction starts with DNA samples from the lost species. Sometimes this is the complete genome; other times, they may splice genes from the extinct species into the genome of a living animal. Then, in a process known as nuclear transfer, researchers implant this sequence into an egg cell taken from a closely related, living species and from which the original DNA has been removed. The resulting animal is genetically similar to the extinct one.

Scientists have already resurrected at least one lineage. In 2003, researchers in Spain performed nuclear transfer for a subspecies of Pyrenean ibex called the bucardo (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica), which went extinct in 2000. A baby bucardo was born, but it died just a few minutes later due to a lung defect.

De-extinction science has progressed since then, and it could be less than a decade before we see some extinct species again.

For better or for worse, here are six extinct animals that scientists are considering bringing back.

Woolly mammoth

A 3-D illustration of two cloned Woolly Mammoths grazing in a snow-covered grassy field in a hypothetical scenario.

Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) lived between 300,000 and 10,000 years ago, during the last ice age (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago)  although a small, isolated population survived on Wrangel Island until around 4,000 years ago . The main population roamed tundra that stretched across present-day Asia, Europe and North America. A shift in the climate at the end of the ice age, together with human hunting and dwindling genetic diversity in the population , may have driven woolly mammoths to extinction.

Permafrost in the Arctic has preserved the carcasses of woolly mammoths and even the 3D structure of their genome . This means scientists can extract well-preserved DNA and potentially assemble a genetic sequence resembling those of the original animals. This, in turn, would enable researchers to perform nuclear transfer with a modern elephant egg cell to give rise to a species similar to the woolly mammoth. Recent breakthroughs suggest woolly mammoth de-extinction is inching closer , with the U.S.-based de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences claiming it will produce its first "mammoth" calves by 2028.

Dodo

A group of Dodo birds crossing a natural bridge over a stream. - stock illustration

The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a large, flightless bird endemic to Mauritius, an island off the coast of Madagascar. Dodos went extinct in the 17th century as a direct result of European colonization and have therefore become an emblem of human-caused extinction . Colonizers arrived in Mauritius in 1598, bringing with them a panoply of non-native species, including rats, cats and even monkeys, according to the Mauritian government . These animals plundered dodo nests of eggs and chicks, reducing the number of birds on the island to critical levels in just a few decades. Together with deforestation and humans' hunting of dodos, predation ultimately led the species to die out by 1681.

Today, dodo DNA survives in natural history museum specimens. In 2022, scientists assembled the first dodo genome , using an exceptionally preserved specimen housed in a collection in Denmark. But several hurdles remain before the species can be brought back to life. These include the need to engineer genetic diversity into the dodo's DNA sequence so it does not end up with a population of clones, Ben Lamm , CEO and co-founder of Colossal Biosciences, told Live Science. On the plus side, Lamm said, it's much quicker and easier to gestate a dodo than a woolly mammoth or a thylacine, given that the bird's DNA is self-contained in an egg.

Thylacine

Thylacine at Beaumaris Zoo in 1936.

The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), was a wolf-like, carnivorous marsupial with stripes on its lower back. It once thrived throughout what is now Australia. The species disappeared from the mainland between 3,000 and 2,000 years ago, but a population persisted on the island of Tasmania. In the late 19th century, the first European settlers in Tasmania introduced a bounty on thylacines, which people perceived to be voracious predators of livestock. The subsequent killings drove thylacines to extinction, with the last individual dying in a zoo in 1936 .

Thylacines are a good candidate for de-extinction because there are plenty of intact specimens to extract DNA from, Andrew Pask , a professor of genetics and developmental biology at the University of Melbourne in Australia, told BBC Future . "Every major museum wanted one in their collection, so there are hundreds of samples around the globe, and some are exceptionally preserved," said Pask, who is working with Colossal Biosciences on de-extinction. But the DNA is very fragmented, meaning a lot of editing is needed to get a functional sequence. Pask and his colleagues sequenced a complete thylacine genome in 2017, and in 2023, researchers extracted RNA from a Tasmanian tiger . But there are many more challenges to overcome before a baby thylacine is born, he said.

Passenger pigeon

The last male passenger pigeon, which died in 1912.

The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was once the most abundant bird species in North America, making up between 25% and 40% of the total bird population in what is now the U.S. before the 17th century, according to the Smithsonian Institution . European settlers hunted the pigeons for meat and progressively destroyed the birds' habitat, causing their extinction. Passenger pigeons traveled in large flocks and bred communally, which made them extremely vulnerable to hunting, according to the Audubon Society . The last known passenger pigeon, a female named Martha in honor of Martha Washington, died in 1914.

Museums hold dozens of stuffed passenger pigeon specimens, whose DNA scientists have extracted and sequenced . But the DNA is so fragmented, it's unlikely researchers will bring back the passenger pigeon in its original form. Instead, the biotechnology company Revive & Restore plans to introduce snippets of passenger pigeon DNA into the genome of modern-day band-tailed pigeons (Patagioenas fasciata) that will give rise to birds that look like the extinct species . The company aims to hatch the first generation of pigeons in 2025 and begin trial releases into the wild soon thereafter, according to its website . If successful, the company says the project will "demonstrate the potential of genomic intervention and help to restore the ecology of North America's eastern forests."

Auroch

Auroch drawing in cave.

Aurochs (Bos primigenius) are the wild ancestors of all modern cattle, including domestic cows (Bos taurus). They were giant, horned beasts whose range extended across North Africa, Asia and nearly all of Europe for thousands of years, with the earliest known fossils dating to around 700,000 years ago . Aurochs were the largest terrestrial mammals left in Europe after the last ice age ended, but humans drove them to extinction through overhunting and habitat destruction. The last known aurochs died in 1627 in Poland's Jaktorow Forest .

Ongoing efforts to "de-extinct" the auroch differ from those for other extinct species in that they do not require genetic engineering. Most of the auroch's DNA lives on in modern cattle breeds, prompting researchers to try an alternative method called back-breeding. Back-breeding involves selecting and breeding cows that have physical traits and behaviors resembling those of aurochs. These are primarily Southern European breeds that are kept in relatively wild conditions, Ronald Goderie , an ecologist and the director of the Taurus Foundation , which oversees the auroch project, told Live Science. The project, which is based in the Netherlands, has yielded more than six generations of cows and is getting "very close" to producing an auroch look-alike, Goderie said.

Quagga

A quagga mare at the London Zoo in 1870.

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The quagga (Equus quagga quagga) is an extinct subspecies of the plains zebra (Equus quagga), the most widely distributed zebra species. Quaggas were endemic to South Africa and had fewer stripes on their hindquarters than other zebras. They were targeted by hunters for their unusual pelts and by farmers who wanted to graze livestock without competition from other animals. Relentless persecution in the 19th century made the quagga extinct in the wild, and the last captive quagga died in 1883. Only seven quagga skeletons remain in existence, making them the rarest skeletons in the world, according to University College London (UCL).

As with auroch back-breeding, efforts to bring the quagga back to life do not involve genetic engineering. Since 1987, The Quagga Project in South Africa has selectively bred plains zebras with fewer stripes than usual for the species "to retrieve at least the genes responsible for the quagga's characteristic striping pattern," according to the project's website . But the project is controversial, according to UCL, with critics arguing that the resulting animal will still be a plains zebra and that the money would be better spent on other conservation projects. Instead, it may be possible to clone quaggas by extracting DNA from the bone marrow of a skeleton or from a taxidermy specimen and then injecting it into a zebra egg cell, according to UCL.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  While we celebrate the American worker on this Labor Day weekend, there is now an absence of laborers on this downtown street.

6th Street is now open to traffic between Phillips Avenue and Weber Avenue.

The long-awaited $21.8 million bridge and roadway project spans over the Big Sioux River. 6th Street is a main artery in downtown Sioux Falls and has been closed to traffic and pedestrians since construction began in 2023.

6th Street bridge and roadway project, courtesy City of Sioux Falls

The River Greenway Recreation Trail is also open.

Project features include:

Newly constructed bridge with expanded pedestrian amenities

Upgraded railroad crossing for safety

New streetscaping

New pavement and utilities to meet future downtown needs

For more information: City of Sioux Falls street construction

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
A Russian strike on Kharkiv has killed seven people and injured 77, including 18 children, Ukraines State Emergency Service has reported.

Source: State Emergency Service on Telegram

Quote: "The death toll from the Russian strike on Kharkiv has risen to seven, including one child aged about 15. Seventy-seven people, including 18 children, have been injured. Information on fatalities and casualties is being established."

Details: Workers from the emergency services are extinguishing the fire, clearing away the rubble, and carrying out search and rescue operations.

Background: On 30 August, Russian forces attacked the city of Kharkiv with UMPB D-30 unified multi-purpose glide bombs.

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NEW YORK (PIX11)  Police were asking for the publics help to find a missing vulnerable adult, who was found Saturday evening.

Detectives were looking for Marlene Ramos, an 81-year-old woman who was last seen on Hempstead Turnpike in Franklin Square a little after 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

More Local News

Shes described as being about 54 tall and about 125 pounds with white hair and blue eyes. Authorities say she was last seen wearing a royal blue jacket, beige pants, white sneakers and a black pocketbook.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Nassau County Missing Persons Squad at 516-573-7347 or call 911.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana has filed its third lawsuit against Indiana University this year, this time challenging IUs expressive activity policy, which took effect on Aug. 1.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, says a provision in IUs policy that prohibits expressive activity between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. is overly broad and violates the First Amendment.

The policy is written so broadly that it applies to standing silently holding a sign, writing an editorial, talking to a friend to organize things in the future  all sorts of activities which we understand may be taking place at 11 or 11:30 p.m. that are not in any way disruptive, said Ken Falk, legal director of the ACLU of Indiana.

The challenge comes after Indiana University police officers referred two people to university deans for their participation in a candlelight vigil on Aug. 25 to mourn "the loss of freedom of expression" that occurred at 11:30 p.m. at the Sample Gates.

An Indiana University Police Department officer watches as people talk at the Sample Gates during a candlelight vigil supporting free speech on campus on Aug. 25. Two people who spoke at the vigil were referred to deans in the first attempt to enforce IU's expressive activity policy.

IUs policy, passed by a divided board of trustees on July 29, prohibits expressive activity that occurs between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. across all IU campuses. Its definition of expressive activities includes communicating by any lawful verbal, written, audio visual, or electronic means, participating in peaceful assembly, carrying signs, making speeches, protesting and more.

The ACLU suit seeks an preliminary injunction against the policy to stop its enforcement, as well as awarding costs and relief to its 10 plaintiffs. The involved parties include the three plaintiffs in the ACLUs lawsuit against IU for their no-trespass orders against protesters, as well as IU professors Heather Akou and David McDonald and student organizer Bryce Greene.

Violations of IUs policy can result in sanctions including citation, trespass and suspension. Within the first two days of the fall semester, an IU professor and student were found in violation of the policy for making speeches past 11 p.m.

Can public entities set restrictions on free speech?

Public entities are permitted under First Amendment law to set reasonable time, place and manner restrictions for speech and expression, but they must be both content-neutral and narrowly tailored.

The ACLU suit alleges IUs policy is substantially overbroad as currently written. Falk cited the operations of the Indiana Daily Student, offices for which are on IUs campus, as an example of a place where "expressive activity" could be occurring between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Bryce Greene, founder of the Palestine Solidarity Committee at Indiana University and one of the protesters arrested on April 25, speaks from across the street during a protest outside of Bryan Hall on Monday, April 29.

If a reporter is working on a story at 11:30 at night, he or she is violating the prohibition, Falk said. Im sure IU would say they didnt intend to say that, but thats what the policy says. And thats what overbreadth is all about.

The Supreme Court has ruled that public entities can make certain time, place and manner restrictions, including prohibiting state employees from engaging in partisan activities, but has also been critical of statutes that are considered overly broad. In the 1972 case Gooding v. Wilson, the Supreme Court ruled Georgias enforcement of a law that prohibited fighting words was overly broad, as the term could be used liberally to prohibit expression protected under the First Amendment.

ACLU lawsuit is organizations third against Indiana University in 2024

The ACLUs filing against IUs expressive activity policy is the third lawsuit the organization has filed against IU in 2024.

An Indiana State Police officer stands in front of demonstrators in Dunn Meadow on Thursday, April 25.

The ACLU filed a lawsuit against IU in April for issuing no-trespass bans to three protesters who were arrested at the pro-Palestine solidarity encampment in Dunn Meadow, which the ACLU argued was prior restraint. In May, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 202, claiming its provisions requiring boards of trustees to review faculty curriculums violates professors' First and Fourteenth amendment rights. As public universities, both IU and Purdue were cited as defendants.

A federal judge dismissed the ACLUs SEA 202 case earlier this month. The prior restraint case remains in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

IU does not comment on pending litigation.

Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com. Follow him on Twitter/X at @brianwritesnews.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: ACLU sues Indiana University for "broad" expressive activities policy
More than 3,200 votes determined the next two safety messages to be featured on the Arizona Department of Transportation's overhead traffic signs across the state's highways, delivering lighthearted messages about serious safety topics.

On Friday, ADOT announced two winners, one from Ahwatukee and the other from Casa Grande and the unique stories behind their messages that will be broadcast to drivers across Arizona.

The winning messages were "DRIVE WITH CARE, LIFE HAS NO SPARE," written by Dori Brock from Casa Grande, and "WATCH YOUR SPEED NOT YOUR SOCIAL FEED," written by David Dixon from Ahwatukee.

According to ADOT, both new messages will appear on overhead traffic signs starting Labor Day weekend.

Dori Brock shared with ADOT that her mother often said, "drive with care, life has no spare," a phrase she remembered from when she was learning to drive.

When the message goes live, Im hoping my mom will be looking down from heaven and be thankful that her saying will be seen by so very many people. Also, that it will be saving lives on our busy freeways, Brock said.

Brocks message will make its first appearance Sunday morning, according to an ADOT spokesperson.

Family man Dixon said his wife helped him decide between his different drafts of phrases, before settling on "watch your speed, not your social feed."

Hopefully, the message gives drivers a chuckle, but more importantly makes drivers focus on safe driving habits that get us all home safe, Dixon told ADOT.

Dixon's message first appeared on message boards on Friday morning, according to a spokesperson for ADOT.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Here are the winners of ADOT's safety message contest
BRANCH COUNTY  The Branch Intermediate School District will close enrollment for its Adult Education program at the end of September to allow teachers to focus on instruction for the high demand English as a second language classes.

Branch Intermediate School District

Superintendent Chris Jenkins told her board Wednesday that with classes starting Tuesday, over 70 students were enrolled for night classes at Coldwater High after three days.

The KCC Grahl Center enrolled over 60 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Jenkins said that the Michigan-Works! employment program has yet to start its enrollment.

Last year, BISD served 473 students in adult education.

Jenkins said of last year's continuous open enrollment: "Our staff, that's all they were doing all the time, was enrolling rather than working with the people there."

The policy change ends waiting lists for classes.

Jenkins said that with fall enrollment ending in September, new students would need to wait until January to enroll in a new term.

The superintendent said, "We're hoping that encourages people to attend on a more regular basis, knowing that they're filling a slot that someone else isn't getting."

BISD superintendent Chris Jenkins

There is no mandatory attendance, but students must complete 40 hours of classes to receive a certificate.

Students are tested at enrollment and then after 12 hours. There is a test for 40 hours, but with irregular attendance, it could take years to get those 40 hours.

With ESL enrollment skyrocketing, Jenkins said that when BISD receives the final budget for Adult Education, "We'll be working to make the final adjustments in our grant budget."

Jenkins said, "Staffing is good. We are waiting to see on the budget if we can open up another section."

BISD has a teacher waiting while the program decides whether to add a new Level I class or whether another Level II class is needed.

Jenkins told her board that KCC must still open its new state-provided Lifelong Learning adult life classes.

She said, "I know they're working on them. They applied for a grant to help, especially students learning English as a second language, to pay for their classes."

Jenkins said Union City plans to enroll six students in the GED adult program.

Those needing the alternative high school diploma will have classes available this fall.

The superintendent promised detailed information on the 2023-24 adult program and an update on this fall's program for the Sept. 26 board meeting.

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The adult program dramatically increased when Clemens Food Group and other local companies hired legal foreign workers to find employees the local labor markets could not fill.

Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Adult English language class enrollment on rise for Branch ISD
AI could identify those with higher risk of heart-related deaths, study shows

The AI tool, OPTIMISE, identified over 400,000 people as being at high risk of dying from a heart cause - IVAN BALVAN/ISTOCKPHOTO

AI could spot who is at greatest risk of dying from heart-related conditions, a new study suggests.

Scientists from the University of Leeds trained the AI tool by examining health records of more than 2 million patients.

It was able to spot over 400,000 people most likely to die from conditions such as kidney failure and diabetes, that were linked to heart problems.

Ten years later, the group made up almost three-quarters of heart-related deaths.

The programme was tested on 82 high-risk patients.

One in five were diagnosed with kidney disease which would otherwise not have been picked up. And half of those found to have high blood pressure were given different medication to better manage their risk of early death.

Around 80 per cent of people with heart and circulatory diseases have at least one other health condition  increasing their risk of death.

Detecting such cases is key to prescribing the right medication and treatment.

Prof Chris P Gale, a consultant cardiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Leeds, and Dr Ramesh Nadarajah, a health data research UK fellow at the University of Leeds led the research.

The scientists found that in many cases, patients had undiagnosed conditions, or had not received the medication that could help reduce their risk.

A constellation of factors

The AI tool  called OPTIMISE identified patients at an earlier stage and more accurately than current methods. This would lead to improved management of risk factors, ultimately preventing conditions from worsening and reducing the chances of heart-related death.

Dr Nadarajah said: Heart-related deaths are often caused by a constellation of factors. This AI uses readily available data to gather new insights that could help healthcare professionals ensure that they are providing timely care for their patients.

We hope our research will ultimately benefit patients living with heart and circulatory diseases, as well as help relieve pressure off our NHS systems, as prevention is often a cheaper solution than treatment. Next, we plan to perform a clinical trial where we are providing doctor-led care to patients.

Push of a button

The researchers hope the tool could be rolled out to be used by GP practices within two years, allowing them to identify high-risk patients at the push of a button.

Prof Bryan Williams, the chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, said: A quarter of all deaths in the UK are caused by heart and circulatory diseases and this new and exciting study harnesses the power of ever-evolving AI technology to detect the multitude of conditions that contribute to it.

Early diagnosis is key to reducing hospital admissions and heart-related deaths, allowing people to live longer lives in good health. We look forward to seeing how this will help accelerate and inform clinical decision-making, ensuring patients receive timely and effective treatment and support.

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Air 1 assists in arrest of Buffalo man for alleged stolen vehicle

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  The Erie County Sheriffs Air 1 helicopter assisted police Thursday in arresting a Buffalo man for an alleged stolen vehicle, according to the Buffalo Police Department.

Police said detectives observed a stolen Kia Forte traveling westbound on Northland Avenue around 8 p.m. The vehicle was tracked to Rex Place with assistance from Air 1.

Police said the driver fled the vehicle, and after a brief foot chase, officers apprehended the suspect on the 600 block of Humboldt Parkway.

Damage was found on the driver side door handle and the ignition of the stolen vehicle after it was recovered, police said. Scratches were found on the exterior passenger side and burglars tools were recovered along the path that the suspect fled, according to police.

20-year-old Brayjon McNeil of Buffalo was charged with the following:

one count third-degree criminal possession of stolen property

one count third-degree criminal mischief

one count possession of burglars tools

one count unauthorized use of a vehicle

Police said McNeil was arrested for unauthorized use of a vehicle twice before. On Jan. 21, 2023, he was arrested for a stolen vehicle on the first block of Carolina Street. Four days later he was arrested for a stolen vehicle on the first block of Fulton.

None of his Thursday charges qualify him for bail.

Latest Local News

Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
Air defence responds to Russian attack in Kyiv Oblast, three air-raid warnings issued in Kyiv overnight

Kyiv Oblast Military Administration reported on the night of 30-31 August that Ukrainian air defence was responding to a Russian air attack in Kyiv Oblast.

Source: Kyiv Oblast Military Administration; Kyiv City Military Administration

Quote: "The air-raid warning is in effect. We ask everyone to stay in shelters.

Air defence is responding to the attack in the oblast."

Update: The all-clear was given at 04:23 in the city of Kyiv and at 04:26 in Kyiv Oblast.

Background: The Air Force noted that the Russians had launched attack drones at Ukraine.

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Albuquerque pizzeria honors late owner on the anniversary of his death

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  A southeast Albuquerque pizzeria is honoring its late owner on the two-year anniversary of his killing. Giovannis Pizzeria on San Pedro gave out complimentary food to Albuquerque police detectives and members of Albuquerque Fire Rescue to honor Rosario Zito.

UNM welcomes new Health Sciences Center executive leader

Zito was killed two years ago during an attempted robbery at his store. The store said Zito loved to create an atmosphere where first responders could eat together.

The suspect in Zitos murder, Sylvan Alcachupas, is scheduled to go to trial in October.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WGHP)  The Morrisville Police Department is searching for missing 4-year-old Brandis Tyrone Smith, Jr.

The Morrisville Police Department is searching for missing 4-year-old Brandis Tyrone Smith, Jr. (NC Center for Missing Persons)

The Morrisville Police Department is searching for missing 4-year-old Brandis Tyrone Smith, Jr. (NC Center for Missing Persons)

An Amber Alert was issued on Friday night for Smith. He is around three feet and six inches tall and weighs 40 pounds.

He has black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a black shirt with daddys boy written on it, black shorts and no shoes.

29-year-old Deneisha Williams

He is believed to be with 29-year-old Deneisha Williams. She described as five feet and six inches tall with black hair and brown eyes.

They are in a blue Nissan Maxima with a North Carolina tag that reads LCN-3840 and are possibly going to a home on Walnut Drive in Fayetteville.

If you have any information, youre asked to call the MPD immediately at (919) 469-4012.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX8 WGHP.
An Amber Alert that was issued for a 4-year-old North Carolina boy has been canceled, according to the NC Center for Missing Persons.

Just want you back: Family believes missing man is endangered

According to reports from WTVD, Brandis Tyrone Smith, Jr. was abducted Friday afternoon from his father at gunpoint in Morrisville.

An investigation was launched, and it was revealed that his mother, 29-year-old Deneshia Williams, was behind the alleged abduction.

Williams was also accused of pointing a gun at the childs father during the abduction, according to WTVD.

Saturday morning, the NC Center for Missing Persons announced that the Amber Alert for Smith had been canceled.

This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com for updates.








Americans split on whether Harris or Trump would be better suited to handle war in Ukraine, poll suggests

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Aug. 29, Americans are divided on which presidential candidate "would do a better job handling" the war in Ukraine if elected in November. The poll finds 49 per cent of respondents believe Republican candidate Donald Trump would do a better job, while 47 per cent think Democratic candidate Kamala Harris would be more effective.

The findings come as both candidates have revealed that, if elected, they would take a drastically different approaches on the war in Ukraine.

While accepting her nomination at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Aug. 23, Vice President Kamala Harris said she would "stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies."

Although Harris has not specified the details of her plan to support Ukraine, it is likely she will continue to provide Ukraine with military aid, in line with policies of the current Biden administration.

At Ukraine's global peace summit in Switzerland in June, Harris represented the U.S. and announced over $1.5 billion in additional support for Ukraine. The summit also marked her sixth meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Her opponent, former President Donald Trump, who was nominated as the Republican Party's presidential candidate on July 18 at the Republican National Convention (RNC), vowed to end the war in Ukraine. The plan reportedly involves ceding territory to Russia, though Trump has provided minimal details on the specifics of his proposal.

I would tell (President Volodymyr) Zelensky, no more. You got to make a deal. I would tell Putin, if you don't make a deal, we're going to give him a lot. We're going to (give Ukraine) more than they ever got if we have to, Trump said in July 2023, adding that he will have the deal done in one day.

The Quinnipiac University poll revealed that divisions in opinions on Ukraine fall largely along party lines, with 93 per cent of likely Republican voters believing that Trump would be better suited to handle the war, while 93 per cent of likely Democratic voters believed Harris to be better suited. Only four per cent of respondents were "not sure."

Despite the divisions, 85 per cent of respondents agreed that the war in Ukraine was an "important" factor in the respondent's choice for president, while just 14 per cent was it was not important.

Only 18 per cent of respondents said that the war would be an "extremely important" factor in their decision - the lowest among the list of issues presented, and directly behind the Israel - Hamas war.

The general election will to take place on Nov. 5, with the new president being inaugurated in January 2025.

Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky, have stressed that Kyiv will continue to cooperate productively with any U.S. administration, regardless of the outcome of the November election.

The survey was conducted on Aug. 23-27 surveying 1,611 likely voters across the United States, and has a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Read also: Kamala Harris formally accepts Democratic nomination for president, says she will stand strong with Ukraine









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An underwater view of the limestone bridge located inside a submerged cave. . | Credit: Bogdan Onac

A submerged, human-constructed limestone bridge found inside a cave on a Spanish island is much older than previously thought, pushing back the record of when humans inhabited the location, a new study finds.

Researchers discovered the limestone bridge in 2000 during a scuba-diving expedition inside the flooded cave in Mallorca, a Mediterranean island located off the eastern shore of Spain's mainland. At the time, researchers determined that the 25-foot-long (7.6 meters) bridge, which consists of large limestone blocks stacked on top of each other, was built around 4,400 years ago, according to a study published Friday (Aug. 30) in the journal Communications Earth & Environment .

"This dating was based on pottery fragments that were found inside the cave," lead author Bogdan Onac , a professor of geology at the University of South Florida, told Live Science. "But now we know that this [date] was wrong."

In addition to the broken artifacts, the cave was littered with bones from a now-extinct goat-antelope known as Myotragus balearicus, according to a statement from the university.

However, when people occupied the cave still remained unclear.

Related: Ancient humans used cave in Spain as burial spot for 4 millennia, 7,000 bones reveal

Even though Mallorca is a large island, it was one of the last to be inhabited in the Mediterranean. In contrast, Cyprus and Crete are considered to be the earliest islands in the area and were occupied at least 9,000 years ago, according to a study in the journal Science .

To determine the true date of the bridge's construction, researchers studied a "distinct light-colored band"  akin to a "bathtub ring"  running along the bridge's upper portion, according to the study. The shift in coloration shows changes in sea level, as well as the development of calcite encrustations that formed on the bridge when the water rose.

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Upon analyzing the mineral deposits, which are also known as speleothems, researchers determined that the bridge was constructed approximately 6,000 years ago, pushing back the timeline of human presence on the island by 1,600 years.

"This testifies that the sea level sat there for a couple hundred years, allowing the mark to happen," Onac said. "The time when the bridge was constructed also shows that people were utilizing this cave much earlier than previously thought, closing the gap between eastern and western Mediterranean settlements."

The researchers said further research is necessary to determine why Mallorca was settled later than other islands in the region, but it could be because the island lacked resources needed for survival, such as farmable land.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  An Angola man received an indeterminate sentence of 3 to 9 years for causing a crash that killed a Hamburg woman in February, according to the Erie County District Attorneys Office. He was also ordered to pay the maximum fine of $5,000.

Prosecutors alleged 41-year-old Anthony Rydzewski caused a crash in Hamburg that killed 37-year-old Jenny Zuhlke, a daycare center worker at Lakeview Childrens World.

Around 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 28, Rydzewski was accused of driving recklessly at a high rate of speed on Route 5 in Hamburg when he crashed with another vehicle. Zuhlke was driving the other vehicle and died at the scene. Rydzewski was taken to ECMC to be treated for his injuries.

Rydzewski initially indicated he would cooperate with the investigation but ended up fleeing to Pennsylvania, according to police. He was located in Crawford County, Pennsylvania and was returned to Western New York by Hamburg police in April.

Rydzewski pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in July without the possibility of a reduced plea.

Latest Local News

Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
5 years ago

August/September 2019

"Money is flowing toward cultured meat, which is beginning to attract investment from traditional players. Tyson holds a minority stake in Memphis Meats and put $2.2 million into Future Meat Technologies, an Israeli company that wants to cut the price of cultured beef to $2.27 per pound by 2020. Just, in addition to its chicken nugget product, recently announced a contract with the Tokyo-based farm Toriyama to produce lab-cultured wagyu beef. If 'clean meat' can scale up, it could mean a world with less animal suffering, the restoration of ecosystems damaged by industrial livestock operations, a reduction in harmful emissions, and, ultimately, a cheaper source of delicious protein engineered to satisfy a growing global population."

Zach Weissmueller

"Meatless Meat Is Better Than Ever"

10 years ago

August/September 2014

"The coming era of autonomous autos raises concerns about legal liability and safety, but there are good reasons to believe that robot cars may exceed human drivers when it comes to practical and even ethical decision making. More than 90 percent of all traffic accidents are the result of human error. In 2011, there were 5.3 million automobile crashes in the United States, resulting in more than 2.2 million injuries and 32,000 deaths. Americans spend $230 billion annually to cover the costs of accidents, accounting for approximately 2 to 3 percent of GDP."

Ronald Bailey

"The Moral Case for Self-Driving Cars"

15 years ago

August/September 2009

"Currently only the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) can legally supply researchers with marijuana. NIDA, which guards its gatekeeper status jealously, is oriented toward the idea that pot is harmful, not useful. Even when researchers have received Food and Drug Administration approval for their studies, NIDA frequently refuses to sell them the pot they need to carry out their research, essentially exercising a veto on the FDA's decisions."

Brian Doherty

"Weed Control"

20 years ago

August/September 2004

"In their attempt to prevent prescription drug abuse, the [Drug Enforcement Administration] and the [Department of Justice] in effect have taken upon themselves the authority to regulate the practice of medicine, traditionally the province of the states. Worse, they have transformed disagreements about treatment decisions into criminal prosecutions, scaring physicians away from opioids and compounding the suffering of patients who have trouble getting the drugs they need to relieve their pain."

Maia Szalavitz

"Dr. Feelscared"

"If colleges discourage young reporters from investigating powerful interests while in school, how can society expect them to probe political corruption once they graduate? When students cower rather than proclaim their opinions on campus, how can we expect them to stand up for what they believe off campus? There's a simple, market-driven tactic to convince schools not to strangle free speech. Parents who value the First Amendment should steer away from colleges that censor their students. Hitting offending colleges in the endowment would provide dictatorial administrators with a valuable lesson, one they would not soon forget."

David Wallis

"The Wrong Lesson"

50 years ago

August 1974

"If you wanted a perfect example to prove Henry Hazlitt's contention that things which look good in the short run don't always work out in the long run, you wouldn't have to look any further than the history of rent control in New York City. After three decades of stringent controls on New York's million-plus apartments built before 1947, the consequences are just what could have been predicted from a reading of Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson: an apartment vacancy rate of less than one percent, over 400,000 deteriorated or dilapidated apartments, a gap of $274 million between the costs of proper maintenance and the revenues actually allotted by controlled rents, and the literal abandonment of between 15,000 and 30,000 apartment units annually."

David Grant

"Phasing Out Rent Control"

The post Archives: August/September 2024 appeared first on Reason.com.
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  Texting from across the house instead of talking is the reported spark that led to an argument between a boyfriend and girlfriend that ended in an arrest.

Kaci Vowell is charged with assault/family violence.

When police responded to a disturbance in the 1500 block of Speedway on Thursday, Aug. 29, they said the victim told them he and Vowell were texting each other in the house, debating whether to order out or cook dinner.

He said he got upset that the discussion was all by text when they were both in the house, and he made some insulting remarks to her, which led to more words and an argument with her in his face.

Accused shoplifter uses scooter scheme in Walmart thefts

He said she then grabbed him by the neck and tried to push him out of the house, and when he resisted, she punched him in the neck and started swinging, hitting him in the side of the head and damaging his glasses.

He said he went to look for a cigarette, and she jumped on his back, scratching and punching him.

Police said Vowell admitted to hitting her boyfriend and trying to get him out of the house by the back of his neck.

Vowell has a previous conviction for child endangerment, for which she got five years of probation. She was just weeks shy of completing the probation in 2020 when it was revoked for repeated drug use, and she was sentenced to jail time. Earlier, the probation had been amended to require weekend jail time.

Police said the endangerment case involved a two-month-old baby with serious medical issues who was left alone in an apartment while Vowell went to meet a guy, according to a witness.

Woman wanted in Spudder Park hit and run incident arrested

When police arrived at the apartment, the babys grandmother, a nurse, told them the baby had been at Cook Childrens Hospital and was receiving therapy for respiratory issues, so police broke into the apartment. They said it was hot and muggy, and the baby was in a crib wrapped in a thick blanket.

Another officer located Vowell in the parking lot and said she admitted she had made a stupid mistake.

This is a developing story. Stick with Texomas Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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According to March of Dimes, nearly 7 million people of reproductive age live in a county that is considered a maternity care desert as of 2022. About 2.2 million of those people live in an area with no hospital providing obstetric care, no birth center and no obstetrics providers. Photo via Getty Images

This year is only a little more than halfway over, but its already been a rollercoaster for reproductive health care access in Arizona.

In April, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a 160-year-old abortion ban can again be enforced in the state  a ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the woman. The next week, a leaked email showed anti-abortion Arizona politicians desire to trick voters into banning abortion by creating similar sounding abortion-related measures on the ballot in November, and stated that transferring power from the Legislature to voters would be a con to their strategy. Then, the Arizona Supreme Court granted a motion to stall the enforcement of the 1864 ban  but only until the fall.

As a physician practicing in Phoenix, its clear that my patients  and all Arizonans  deserve better than these political games. I became a physician to provide the safest, most respectful care to my patients, and to trust and support them when faced with complicated and difficult decisions. But when politicians interfere with private health care decisions, it puts the lives of my patients, and countless patients across Arizona, at risk.

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Weve seen whats happened in other states: In Louisiana, Kaitlyn Joshua, a mother looking forward to having a second baby, developed pregnancy complications including heavy bleeding, and discovered she was miscarrying. But because of Louisianas abortion ban, she had to wait for miscarriage treatment, forcing her to suffer and bleed alone, and jeopardizing her health. In Arkansas, Chelsea Stovalls pregnancy developed life-threatening abnormalities and began putting her life at risk. Arkansas abortion ban dictated that she had to wait until her life was in imminent danger for doctors to act. She and her husband were forced to flee to Illinois to get the care she needed, costing them thousands of dollars.

Though Arizonas 1864 complete abortion ban will not go into effect, years of anti-abortion restrictions have already pushed Arizonans into similar situations. Only a few weeks ago, I had to tell a mother having an inevitable miscarriage that my hands were tied, and we could not take care of her until either her baby died, she miscarried on her own, or she developed an infection; in the meantime, all we could do was observe her in the hospital.

She asked for medications to help complete the miscarriage so she could go home to her children, but I had to tell her that wasnt an option. She abruptly miscarried three days later, too quickly for us to initiate adequate pain medicine.

No Arizonan should be forced to bleed, suffer, and put their health and fertility at risk because of arbitrary legislative decisions made by those playing politics. No Arizonan should be forced to flee our state to get needed medical care. And no Arizona physician should worry about prison time for trying to take the best care of their patients.

Abortion bans open up complicated, nuanced, private medical decisions to black-and-white laws made by politicians with no medical knowledge. No matter how one feels personally about abortion, we nearly all agree that decisions around abortion are both deeply personal and private, and should be made by patients and trusted physicians.

The abortion bans approved by the Arizona Supreme Court and backed by extremist politicians are simply out of step with what most Arizonans believe and want for our state, and make all of our health care less safe. Extreme abortion bans in other states have driven doctors away and resulted in hospitals shutting down services for pregnant patients altogether, worsening the crucial shortage of maternity care in many parts of the country.

While the recent political interference with abortion care is chilling for the above reasons and more, not all hope is lost for Arizonans. According to a 2022 survey of Arizona voters voting in that years election  the first after the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the right to an abortion  61% said abortion should be legal in most or all cases. Only 6% said it should be illegal in all cases.

This November, Arizona voters have a chance to make our voices heard and to ensure that our states abortion laws reflect our values of privacy, autonomy and the dignity to make our own medical decisions. Thanks to a historic Arizona-led effort, we will soon get to vote on Proposition 139 to restore the protections Arizonans had under Roe v. Wade.

It will ensure that people can make their own decisions about their pregnancy with their families and their physicians and without interference by the government. It will also ensure patients, including survivors of rape and incest, and those with pregnancy complications or miscarriages, are able to get the care they need and deserve here in Arizona, without life-threatening delays.

As a native Arizonan and a physician who has dedicated my life to reproductive health care, I worry about my ability to take the best care of my patients in Arizona, and I worry about how the increasingly restrictive laws will impact the healthcare that my friends and family receive. One-hundred and sixty years after Arizonas draconian abortion ban was instated, its up to us  doctors, patients, and Arizona voters  to have our voices heard in November.

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Arizona's fake electors case took a step forward this week with three days of hearings on its first significant motions.

At issue were three major points:

Some defendants had asked for the criminal charges against them to be dismissed based on Arizona's anti-SLAAP law. Typically, these types of laws are limited to use in civil cases, like defamation. But Arizona's law was modified a few years ago so that it can be used by defendants in some criminal prosecutions. SLAPP stands for "strategic lawsuit against public participation," and the law creates a framework for cases to be quickly dismissed if a defendant can prove the case was substantially motivated by retaliation because they exercised a constitutional right, like freedom of speech.

Three defendants  Jim Lamon, Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman  wanted their prosecutions dismissed because, they say, the indictment was legally insufficient. They argued the U.S. and Arizona constitutions protected their actions.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes' office filed a motion asking the court to protect grand jury transcripts and exhibits. The state wanted defense lawyers, entitled to review the grand jury materials, to be restricted from sharing that information.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Bruce Cohen did not rule on the issues during the hearings. He was expected to issue rulings after additional written arguments were received by Sept. 6.

A trial date for the case was set for January 2026.

What happened with the protection of grand jury material?

On Monday, prosecutors asked for an order to be imposed that would require the defendants to meet with their lawyers in person to review grand jury materials rather than allow them to keep their own copies. Prosecutors cited the Georgia fake elector case as a justification, saying some grand jury members there received death threats after their names were made public.

The defendants' lawyers all opposed the restrictions. They claimed that curbing their clients' ability to review grand jury information, including grand jury names, would limit their ability to discuss potential legal issues.

Though Cohen did not rule on the motion, he proposed a compromise of redacting grand jurors' names to protect their identities, making it less risky to give defendants copies of grand jury documents.

During Tuesday's hearing, prosecutors revealed some grand jury material, including grand juror names, had already been submitted to the court by a defense attorney in a way that made it available to people beyond the parties to the case. Cohen on Wednesday said there would be no sanctions for the attorney.

What did Lamon, Guiliani and Eastman's lawyers argue?

On Monday, lawyers for three of the defendants  Jim Lamon, an Arizona Trump elector in 2020; Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for Trump in 2020; and John Eastman, another Trump attorney  argued for dismissal of the indictment, saying that it did not demonstrate crimes had taken place. They claimed their clients' behaviors outlined in the complaint were not crimes because there were no laws prohibiting their specific actions.

Dennis Wilenchik, Lamon's attorney, told the court that his client had a right to sign as an elector and certify a vote for Trump. If the U.S. Supreme Court had decided to overturn the election via one of the cases being litigated at the time, Lamon and other Trump electors' votes would have become official, he argued. According to Wilenchik, Lamon had no intention of competing with the official slate of elector votes signed by then-Gov. Doug Ducey.

In response, the Arizona Attorney General's Office said that if Lamon's vote was a contingency, he should have made that clear to Congress. Furthermore, prosecutors said whether Lamon and other electors believed their votes were contingent on lawsuits was an issue for trial, not a motion to dismiss.

The state argued the indictment should stand because the defendants were part of a conspiracy to subvert voters' will, and their individual acts needed to be considered in that context.

What about the argument these prosecutions were political retaliation?

The bulk of Tuesday's hearing was dedicated to defense lawyers arguing the cases against their clients should be dismissed because of Arizona's anti-SLAPP statute.

Defense attorneys argued that the indictments were political in nature on their face, and Attorney General Kris Mayes sought the prosecutions because it was an election year.

"Our attorney general campaigned to go after what she called 'fake electors,'" said Brad Miller, attorney for Kelli and Michael Ward, who falsely certified Trump won Arizona in 2020. "She said she was going to prosecute these individuals."

Miller said the Wards were open about their actions, saying they acted with legitimacy and good sense while setting up a second set of electors. He argued the defendants should be able to probe the prosecution's reasoning behind the case.

"Maybe our attorney general has a very good basis for bringing this particular prosecution," Miller said. "But at first glance  at prima facie  she does not, and therefore, we believe that we are entitled to question her, to seek out discovery, to determine what motivation she actually had."

Jacobs said his client, Bobb, presented "a really good example" of a defendant worthy of winning an anti-SLAAP motion to dismiss. He said Bobb had little involvement with the 2020 Trump elector process compared to the other defendants, claiming she was only mentioned a handful of times in grand jury transcripts.

"There is a showing of an improper motivation to try to keep her from saying bad things about the Arizona election, lobbying Congress, and participating in the Trump campaign," Jacobs said. "She wouldn't have been indicted if she didn't have this profile. There's no other explanation for it."

Mike Bailey, an attorney for Boris Epshteyn, a Trump campaign adviser, said his client truly believed there was fraud in the 2020 election.

"This was an intensely held view and a viewpoint on one side, that our constitutional order, our democracy, is in crisis because of the way this election was conducted," Bailey said.

Dennis Wilenchik, representing Jim Lamon, another 2020 Arizona Trump elector, argued there was no clearly established precedent for bringing such a case years after the alleged actions.

"Bringing this action in 2024 reeks with political vengeance and retribution  reeks with it," Wilenchik said. "Let's not kid ourselves. Let's not dance around it. Let's not try to gild it with legal maxims and principles. There's only one reason this case was brought."

Wilenchik said Lamon and his co-defendants were "good people who did the right thing." He said Lamon told others openly that the electors were merely part of a contingency plan.

"How much time and energy has been spent on this?" Wilenchik asked rhetorically of the prosecution. "God only knows. All I know is, it's breaking the back of innocent people for no good reason other than a political one."

On Wednesday, Nick Klingerman, the head of the criminal division of the Arizona Attorney General's Office, said the defense argument that the Arizona Attorney General's Office is prosecuting people over their political speech doesn't hold water.

"This prosecution involves nothing more than enforcing the law against those who are alleged to have committed frauds, forgeries and conspiracies to change the outcome of a lawful election because they were unsatisfied with the results," Klingerman said. "Like all criminal prosecutions, it seeks to punish prior behavior, educate the public, and deter future efforts to do the same thing. Left unchecked, this can happen again."

Klingerman said he was surprised to hear the defense argue that the First Amendment somehow allowed defendants to engage in criminal actions "to deprive every citizen of their constitutional rights democracy, because some people believe the 2020 election was stolen, and because election lawsuits are hard."

"Simply put  that is not protected speech," Klingerman said.

Therefore, the state's anti-SLAPP statute does not apply to this case, he said.

Klingerman used the actions of several defendants, including former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, to make his point.

"Mr. Giuliani had every right to hold a fake hearing at the Hilton on November 30 and say that 1000s of people in Arizona fraudulently voted in the election," Klingerman said. "But what he did not have the right to do was make those statements with intent to commit a fraud, and that's what he's charged with."

Bobb was not indicted for being a journalist, but rather for her complicity in the alleged scheme to overturn the election, Klingerman said.

Responding to criticisms about Attorney General Kris Mayes making statements during her run for office that she would investigate the fake electors, Klingerman said this was simply campaign speech, analogous to any county attorney candidate vowing to go after cartels or even the "Gilbert Goons."

"I think common sense dictates that candidates for office talk about these groups of people to prosecute crimes because that's what prosecutors do," Klingerman said.

The idea put forth by defense attorneys that the prosecution was targeting Republicans was also false, Klingerman argued.

"The fact is that the state asked the grand jury to consider not indicting more Republicans than the grand jury actually indicted," he said. "The state asked the grand jury to consider not indicting Donald Trump. And that fake legislative declaration that the grand jury wanted to indict legislators about? The state asked them not to indict them as well, saying, quote, 'Give them the benefit of the doubt.'"

What is Arizona's fake electors case all about?

In April, a state grand jury delivered a nine-count indictment against 11 Arizona Republican electors who falsely claimed Donald Trump won Arizona in 2020 and seven Trump allies who allegedly encouraged the Arizonans to give Congress a path to prevent Joe Biden from becoming president.

Two defendants have resolved their cases since the indictments were revealed.

Jenna Ellis agreed to testify against the other defendants in exchange for her charges being dropped. Ellis was an attorney for Trump who encouraged the Arizona Legislature to change the outcome of the election.

Loraine Pellegrino, one of the Arizonans who signed the false certificate of Trump's win, pleaded guilty to a less severe charge earlier this month and was sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation.

The remaining defendants are:

Tyler Bowyer , an executive with Turning Point USA and Republican National Committee member

Nancy Cottle, chair of the Arizona Trump electors

State Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek

State Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Glendale

Jim Lamon , former U.S. Senate candidate

Robert Montgomery, former chair of the Cochise County Republican Committee

Samuel Moorhead, former leader of the Gila County Republican Party

Greg Safsten, former executive director of the Arizona Republican Party

Kelli Ward, former chair of the Arizona Republican Party

Michael Ward, Kelli Ward's husband and GOP activist

Christina Bobb, attorney for the Trump campaign

John Eastman, attorney for Trump, was an architect of the plan to change the outcome of the election in six contested states

Boris Epshteyn, attorney and adviser to the 2016 and 2020 Trump campaign

Rudy Giuliani, attorney for Trump and former mayor of New York City

Mark Meadows, Trump's chief of staff in 2020

Michael Roman, director of "election day operations" for Trump's campaign, according to the indictment

Stacey Barchenger and Miguel Torres contributed.

Reach the reporter at jjenkins@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Here's what happened in Arizona's fake electors case this week
DECATUR  The Decatur Labor and Trades Assembly has long had a program where they make and sell shepherd's hooks to support veterans' causes.

But the National Guard is sometimes overlooked when people think of veterans.

They kind of get left out (of veterans' recognition) but they can be called up for duty like the regular Army, said Lloyd Holman, executive board member. They're still protecting our freedoms, but they don't seem to get as much recognition.

To try to correct that, retired heavy equipment operator Howard Reynolds thought of Hearts for the Illinois National Guard. Trades union members cooperate to make heart-shaped planters to distribute to National Guard members and families of members who are deployed.

A formal kick-off will be 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10 at the Illinois National Guard headquarters in Springfield.

Serving veterans has always been important to Reynolds.

He and his wife, Barbara, volunteered at the American Legion for 30 years, and the shepherd's hook program, in cooperation with Richland Community College, donates proceeds to a fund for veterans who attend college on the GI Bill.

The fund exists to help the veterans buy books, which aren't covered by the GI Bill, he said. The endowment fund to buy veterans' books now holds $60,000. He decided to turn his attention to the National Guard planter project.

I kind of have a hard time sitting around, Reynolds said. The yard ornament is a heart with a basket where you set a plant in it and it's real nice.

Pipefitters and steelworkers contribute their skills to making the yard ornaments, which are taken to Stripmasters for powder-coating, which is more durable than paint.

We had some people getting the steel, processing it, some made the basket holders and Howard and his son made the swoops for each side of the heart, Holman said. Another group of sheet metal workers made the legs for them, then put it all together and took to Stripmasters and had them powder coated.

It's a labor-intensive process, Reynolds said, but it's important to honor the National Guard.

I'm very proud of our Illinois National Guard, he said. They're here if a tornado hits, they pick up and go around the world for another country and we don't put a price tag on it. They do a lot more than people realize.

Photos: Illinois National Guard opens cyber security range to public 040422-blm-loc-2cyberrange 040422-blm-loc-3cyberrange 040422-blm-loc-1cyberrange 040422-blm-loc-4cyberrange 040422-blm-loc-5cyberrange 040422-blm-loc-6cyberrange 040422-blm-loc-7cyberrange 040422-blm-loc-8cyberrange
First Army will welcome its new commander during an assumption of command ceremony outside historic Quarters One on Friday, Sept. 6, according to a news release.

Maj. Gen. Mark H. Landes will be promoted to lieutenant general during a morning promotion ceremony followed by the assumption of command ceremony. Landes will serve as the 41st commanding general of First Army.

Rock Island Arsenal (home.army.mil/ria)

Before coming to Rock Island Arsenal, he served as the special assistant to the commanding general, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Liberty, North Carolina, with duty at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Previously, Landes served as First Army Division East commanding general from August 2020 to August 2023.

Landes has more than 30 years of military experience that includes overseas assignments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Freedoms Sentinel, and Operation Inherent Resolve, as well as leadership assignments including commanding general, Security Force Assistance Command, Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

First Army Soldiers will conduct ceremonial cannon fire Friday, September 6 at 10 a.m. during the assumption of command ceremony.

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Week 5 is in the books and oh my there's a lot of panic on these fantasy streets. Dalton Del Don joins Matt Harmon for another edition of the 'People's Panic Meter' to answer all of your listener submissions. The duo examines the situations for Breece Hall, Buffalo Bills, Bijan Robinson and many more.
The Atlanta Regional Commission approved hundreds of millions of dollars in funding as part of an amendment to their regional Transportation Improvement Plan.

The amended TIP will now allocate $265.4 million in a combination of state and federal funds to pay for various transportation projects across the metro Atlanta area.

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Funding is split between $38.2 million from congressionally directed spending grants, $221.6 million from federal discretionary grant funding and $7.5 million from the Georgia Department of Transportations formula fund sources.

In an executive summary from ARC about the amended TIP, officials from the commission said the projects will be spread out across many jurisdictions within in the Atlanta region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Spalding counties and include multiuse trails, planning and studies, roadway expansions and operations, bridge rehabilitation and safety improvements.

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If approved after review, funding for the projects would increase from just over $30 million to nearly $500 million, according to ARC.

ARC said the funds will be used to pay for 12 projects already underway and 33 new ones, including:

Flint River Gateway Trails: The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded two grants totaling $65 million for this planned 31-mile multi-use trail network that will connect the Atlanta BeltLine in Southwest Atlanta, Clayton County, and the Tri-Cities area of College Park, East Point, and Hapeville, which includes the headwaters of the Flint River. The funds, awarded through the federal Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program, will be used to build three trail segments and plan nine other sections.

The Stitch: This effort to build a park-like cap over a portion of the Downtown Connector in the City of Atlanta has received more than $150 million in federal grants and congressionally directed spending grants for work that includes preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition, and some construction.

National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) projects: EV charging infrastructure is planned along I-575 in northern Cherokee County and I-85 in Coweta County, utilizing $2 million in federal discretionary funding.

Transit Fleet Upgrades: $2.55 million in congressionally directed spending grants to improve rolling stock and customer amenities on Gwinnett County Transit Route 50, which serves the Suwanee area, and Route 60, which connects Georgia Gwinnett College to Lawrenceville and Snellville via SR 124.

Connected Vehicle Pilot and Plan Development: Henry County will utilize a $600,000 SMART grant from the Federal Highway Administration to improve roadway operations and decrease vehicle response times.

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Despite a defense attorney's requests to remove her, an Oklahoma County district judge remains on the criminal case against the co-founders of Epic Charter School. The county's chief judge declined to force a recusal in a hearing Friday at the Oklahoma County Courthouse in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  An attempt to have a judge thrown off the major embezzlement case against the Epic Charter School co-founders has been rejected again.

Oklahoma County District Judge Richard Ogden decided after a hearing Friday afternoon that he would not disqualify district Judge Susan Stallings from overseeing the case.

Defense attorney Joe White, who represents Epic co-founder Ben Harris, said he likely will appeal the decision to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

Were disappointed, White said after the hearing. I stand by everything I said.

White contended Stallings should have recused because she worked for the district attorney who investigated the case. He accused Stallings of being partial to the prosecutors, particularly her former colleague Jimmy Harmon.

White also complained Harmon revealed confidential details of the co-founders settlement negotiations in public court documents, which White alleged could cause the judge to have further bias against his client.

Stallings refused to step down from the case. White appealed her decision to Ogden, the countys chief judge at the time.

Ogden agreed with the prosecutors, who argued Stallings work history is not disqualifying.

From what has been made a part of the record, there isnt anything that would objectively show Judge Stallings is unable to be impartial, Ogden said in court Friday.

Harmon is now the criminal division chief for Attorney General Gentner Drummond and is leading the team prosecuting the Epic case. Before that, Harmon was the first assistant to former Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater.

Harmon and Prater investigated the Epic co-founders in tandem with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the attorney general.

Prater charged Harris and Epic co-founder David Chaney with racketeering and a litany of alleged financial crimes. Prosecutors contend Harris and Chaney engineered a complex scheme to enrich themselves with public education funds through Epic, a state-funded virtual charter school.

Harris and Chaney deny any wrongdoing or illegal business practices.

White said Stallings should have disclosed sooner that she worked for Prater as the head of his Domestic Violence Unit while the Epic investigation was ongoing.

Stallings has said she was unaware of the investigation into Epic until four years after she left the DAs office. She left in 2018 to become a district judge.

If she remains on the case, she could preside over a hearing in which Prater could be called as a witness. That hearing would decide whether Chaneys defense attorney, Gary Wood, should be disqualified from the Epic case.

Prater is expected to testify that Wood tried to negotiate a settlement agreement on behalf of the co-founders and their chief financial officer, Josh Brock, that would involve them paying restitution instead of facing criminal charges, according to court documents.

Brock is now the star witness for the prosecution. His attorneys filed the request to disqualify Wood from the case. They contend Wood used to represent Brock and cannot cross-examine a former client.

Wood denies that Brock ever hired him.

Attempts to disqualify major players in the case have derailed court proceedings that already were slow-moving. Harris and Chaneys preliminary hearing has been on hold for five months, meaning there is still no decision on whether the case against them can proceed to trial.

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AUSTIN (KXAN)  As a way to support youth who could enter into law enforcement, the Austin Police Department launched the APD Youth Program, the City of Austin said in a news release Friday.

This comes as a way to boost the youth-led recruiting model that can help staff the department as it continues seeing officer vacancies at an all-time high, as well as experiencing a decrease in the number of applicants, and more, the city said.

Youth who would like to apply need to be at least 16 years old and must be enrolled in the list of schools the city listed in the news release below:

Travis Early College

LBJ Early College

Northeast Early College

Eastside Early College

Garza Independence

Akins Early College

Ann Richards School for Women Leaders

Any AISD high school

Those who apply would get paid $21.63 an hour for up to 30 hours of participation, the city said. They will work with police officers, nonprofit groups, school officials and more, the release said.

For those interested in applying, they can do so on the city website or by emailing APDYouthProgram@austintexas.gov.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  The Austin Police Department (APD) said it is enforcing a DWI No Refusal Initiative for the Labor Day weekend.

APDs initiative began on Thursday and will last through Monday, Sept. 2, the release said.

Officers will apply for blood search warrants on suspects who refuse to provide a breath or blood sample as required by law, the release said.

This initiative is an effort to enforce DWI laws (and) keep the public safe by encouraging drivers to make responsible decisions, the release said.

In June, the City of Austin announced a No Refusal initiative throughout the summer to crack down on impaired driving, leaders said in an Austin Mobility newsletter.

The citys summer initiative was done in collaboration between the Austin Police Department and the citys Vision Zero program.

Kelsey Thompson contributed to this story.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Authorities investigating the disappearance of a California couple are working to identify human remains found in bags in a concrete bunker underneath the mobile home of the couples neighbor at a nudist resort.

Police have arrested the neighbor, Michael Royce Sparks, 62, on suspicion of killing the couple, Daniel and Stephanie Menard, who had not been seen since August 24, according to the Redlands police.

The unidentified remains were found under the suspects home Friday by members of the Redlands Fire Department after cadaver dogs indicated the presence of at least one body at the property, Redlands Police Department spokesman Carl Baker said Friday. The coroners office is working to identify the remains, according to Baker.

Police did not provide further details on the remains as work was set to continue Saturday to remove evidence from the space under the home.

We believe that Dan and Stephanie are deceased. I cant confirm that, Baker said at a news conference. Weve located human remains. I cant verify that thats Dan and Stephanie, and without verifying that we dont have physical evidence that theyre deceased.

As police searched the home earlier Friday, Baker told reporters that police were confident that the couple had died and were still here on the property.

Police on Thursday tore into the suspects home using a battering ram and searched for him with video equipment before finding Sparks under the home at about 9:30 p.m. They ran a camera that the city uses to evaluate sewer blockages into the 5-feet deep concrete space under the home, Baker said.

Sparks was armed with a rifle and had barricaded himself in the home, forcing officers to remove the entire front wall of the house, Baker said. He attempted to shoot himself when officers discovered him but his weapon misfired, Baker added.

He surrendered voluntarily. I wont say hes been cooperative, Baker said, adding there had been lengthy negotiations with Sparks.

Sparks is set to appear in court Tuesday and is ineligible for bail, jail records show. He has not spoken to law enforcement since his arrest, Baker said.

CNN has not been able to identify an attorney for Sparks or locate family members.

Because the space showed signs of potential collapse, heavy equipment will be brought in on Saturday morning to remove debris and ensure its safe before authorities continue searching for evidence, the Redlands Police Department said on Facebook.

Investigators search the home of Michael Royce Spark on Friday, August 30. - KCAL/KCBS

The Menards unlocked car was found near their house

Daniel Menard was 79 and his wife 73, CNN affiliate KCAL reported. Daniel suffered from dementia and was diabetic, the police department said on Facebook.

Police announced the arrest of Michael Royce Sparks. - Redlands Police Department

Irene Engkraf, who identified herself as a concerned neighbor who called the police, told reporters ahead of the Friday news conference that she and the couple usually attended Sunday church service together. But last Sunday, the couple didnt turn up for church and she saw their car sitting abandoned.

Their unlocked car was found near their house at the Olive Dell Ranch, which is described as Southern Californias favorite nudist resort for families and couples.

Using a spare key to enter the Menards home, Engkraf saw Stephanies purse and both of the Menards phones. Then she called 911 and started calling hospitals, searching for news of her friends.

When they were following up on the missing persons report, police say they received a tip alleging the neighbor was involved. Engkraf described the suspect as a loner who didnt socialize so much.

We obtained a search warrant to try to locate and contact the suspect, Baker said Thursday. He was not responding to our efforts to have him come out.

Redlands police locked down the suspects house in the Olive Dell Ranch RV Park, about 65 miles east of Los Angeles.

Friends express confusion about the couples disappearance

Engkraf said it felt so odd not to have them sitting right next to me at their usual Wednesday Bible study. But I know Gods with them. Hes with them wherever they are.

Tammie Wilkerson, another member of the community, told CNN affiliate KABC she was aware of tension between Sparks and the Menards.

When I first moved here, he told me how much he hated them, and he hated Dan specifically because Dan would cut the tree  trim the tree down, she said.

Wilkerson called the Menards very sweet people and said theres no way they could have walked away from their car.

Theres not a mean bone in their body at all, which makes this very confusing, Wilkerson said.

I just want them back, longtime friend Sandy Marinelli told CNN affiliate KCAL. They dont deserve this.  Theyre just good people. They go to church. They dont deserve any of this.

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A suspect has been identified in the death of Paul Peavey, a Colorado dog breeder found dead on Saturday.

The Clear Creek County Sheriffs Office has recommended charges against Sergio Ferrer, 36, in connection with Peaveys death, including first degree murder, felony murder and aggravated robbery, according to a news release from the sheriffs office.

Final charges will be determined by the 5th Judicial District Attorneys Office, according to the sheriffs office. CNN has reached out to the district attorneys office for comment.

Peavey, who bred European Doberman pinschers, was last heard from on August 19 and his body was found on Saturday around noon by a search party of community volunteers, according to Bruce Boynton, a friend of Peaveys.

Ferrer was arrested four hours after authorities located Peaveys body on an unrelated warrant from Nebraska, where he was wanted for failure to appear on a weapons charge, according to the sheriffs office.

At the time of the arrest, he was considered a person of interest in Peaveys death, authorities said.

The sheriffs office also announced the coroners office completed Peaveys autopsy on Thursday and his manner of death was ruled a homicide, with his cause of death being a gunshot wound.

As many as 10 Doberman puppies were missing from his property. Four adult dogs were initially missing as well, but later returned to the house. The Doberman puppies are still unaccounted for as of Friday afternoon, according to the sheriffs office.

The four adult dogs are being held by the sheriffs office as evidence and until ownership can be determined, sheriffs office spokesperson Jennifer Fulton told CNN Thursday.

Authorities continue to ask the community for any tips to aid the investigation.

CNNs Amy Simonson and Amanda Musa contributed to this report.

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Authorities find missing womans body under firepit in Myrtle Beach, charge man with her murder

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  An Orangeburg, South Carolina, man is facing a murder charge after a missing womans body was recovered in June from under a firepit in Myrtle Beach.

Sheridan Dirk Fogle, 54, was arrested Thursday morning after authorities in Orangeburg served a warrant in the 1000 block of Broughton Street. He was being transported back to Myrtle Beach late Thursday afternoon and is expected to appear in magistrate court sometime on Friday.

SC woman who drowned her children eligible for parole

Penni Whiteside, 51, was last seen in the spring of 2022, the Horry County Coroners Office said Friday afternoon. Myrtle Beach police said Friday that she and Fogle had been living together.

Earlier Friday, police said the arrest warrant for Fogle in Orangeburg stemmed from a missing persons case and incident that happened on May 11, 2022, in the 600 block of 1st Avenue South.

Due to statements made by her neighbors, there was reason to believe that she may have been buried near the residence, in the backyard under a firepit, police said in a Facebook post.

Authorities recovered Whitesides remains after getting a warrant and searched the property on June 12, police said.

This is a tragic loss of life and a senseless crime of violence, police said. Please continue to pray for the family and friends of the victim.

Orangeburg is about 140 west of Myrtle Beach and about 50 miles south of Columbia.

The U.S. Marshals Service  Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety assisted in the investigation.

No additional information was immediately available. This is a developing story.

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UPDATE: The three Milo children have been found as of Saturday evening, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

Thank you to the public, the media, Aero Bureau, and deputy personnel for their tireless efforts in the search for Master, Jordin, and Acire, said the department.

No further details have been released on this case.

ORIGINAL STORY: Authorities are searching for three children last seen in Lancaster that may be endangered, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

The department said its seeking the publics help in finding the children, who were last seen Friday night at about 9:30 p.m. at the intersection of Berkshire Street and Stratford Street in the city of Lancaster.

Three children were reported missing and endangered after last being seen in Lancaster on Friday night. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

Three children were reported missing and endangered after last being seen in Lancaster on Friday night. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

Three children were reported missing and endangered after last being seen in Lancaster on Friday night. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

According to the department, Master Milo, 2, is described as 2-feet tall and 30 pounds with brown eyes and black hair in ponytails. He was last seen wearing a dark shirt, black pants, and blue Crocs.

Jordin Milo, 12, is described as 4-foot-11 and 160 lbs. with brown eyes and black hair in ponytails. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt and pink pajama pants.

Acire Milo, 14, is described as 4-foot-11 and 160 lbs. with brown eyes and braided brown hair. She was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and multicolored pajama pants.

There was no word as to why the trio could have disappeared and if anyone is being investigated in criminal circumstances.

The department listed possible destinations as 1100 block of East Avenue K in Lancaster or the 400 block of Highland Avenue in Barstow.

The California Highway Patrol put out its own alert, advising residents in Los Angeles, Riverside and Kern counties to be on the lookout.

This is a developing report. Check back for updates.

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Estonia and Latvia commemorated the 30th anniversary of the withdrawal of Russian troops from the two Baltic states with various events on Saturday.

In the Estonian capital Tallinn, President Alar Karis, and in the Latvian capital Riga his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevics highlighted the symbolic, political and legal significance of the events three decades ago.

Both heads of state emphasized that without the troop withdrawal, neither genuine independence nor the path to the 2004 accession to the European Union and NATO defence alliance would have been possible.

They made these remarks during meetings with individuals who were involved in the withdrawal negotiations with Russia at the time.

Eyewitnesses noted the difficult and protracted talks with Moscow, in which Western powers, including Germany, also intervened.

The important role and foresight of the then heads of state of Estonia and Latvia, Lennart Meri (1929-2006) and Guntis Ulmanis, who both concluded the troop withdrawal agreements with then Russian president Boris Yeltsin in Moscow, were acknowledged.

"Psychologically, militarily, economically, in every respect, this is one of the most important events of the post-war period, if not the most important event, in the Baltic States," Ulmanis, who served as president from 1991 to 1999, told dpa on Saturday on the sidelines of another commemorative ceremony at the Latvian War Museum in Riga.

"Nothing could have been more important. During my two terms as president, I essentially only thought about this issue and worked to reduce Russia's influence in Latvia," Ulmanis said.

With the troop withdrawal, half a century of Russian military presence in the Baltics came to an end, a year after Russian forces had already withdrawn from Lithuania.
The Maryland Transportation Authority took the first step Thursday toward building a replacement for the toppled Francis Scott Key Bridge when it awarded a contract to construction giant Kiewit Infrastructure Co. for the projects first phase.

The agencys board approved a contract that will allow preconstruction and design work to start next week, marking a notable chapter in the five-months-long saga of the Key Bridge collapse and aftermath.

Its really good that we are at this stage to have that partner on board with us to advance the project, MDTA Executive Director Bruce Gartner said after the vote. Weve had so many milestones that we have felt were significant, but weve always seen this date as a really major one.

In the early hours of March 26, an adrift, massive container ship named the Dali crashed into the bridge, sending 50,000 tons of steel and roadway into the river below and killing six construction workers filling potholes on the span. That blocked the shipping channel underneath  the Port of Baltimores principal commercial artery  for a little more than two months.

The port continues to recover economically from the shipping shutdown and the bridges absence can be felt by any commuter or shipper seeking to cross the harbor.

The $73 million design phase contract awarded to Omaha, Nebraska-based Kiewit Corp. is a down payment on what is expected to be at least a $1.7 billion project to replace the Key Bridge over the Patapsco River. State officials noted that Kiewit has done work for MDTA in the past and boasts a portfolio of similar projects around the nation and globally.

A spokesman for the contractor said it will work in partnership with the MDTA, local subcontractors and suppliers and its workforce to safely deliver and restore this vital transportation link in the city of Baltimore and the greater region.

Our long track record of delivering complex, schedule-intensive work through our extensive bridge, marine construction, dredging and related experience will serve us well to successfully execute this important project, said Bob Kula, the Kiewit spokesperson, in an email.

Although a contractor has been identified, the specifics of the new bridge have not been decided. The new span is expected to open, though, by October 2028 and likely to be cable-stayed  meaning it would have tall towers, similar to a suspension bridge, with a web of cables connected to the bridges deck, or roadway  and will be taller, longer and slightly wider than the old truss bridge.

The new spans vertical clearance will be at least 230 feet, substantially higher than the old height of 185 feet, and it will be longer to allow the roadway to reach the increased height without requiring drivers to climb a steep incline. The span will be built on the same center line as the old bridge and, like the felled structure, will have four lanes, although the shoulders will be substantially wider in accordance with updated federal bridge code.

The new bridge will be constructed using a design-build method, allowing construction to begin even as the planning process is ongoing, in an effort to expedite the structures opening.

Kiewit has experience with design builds and with using that method to construct a cable-stayed span; it was among the builders of the cable-stayed Port Mann Bridge in British Columbia, Canada, which opened in 2012.

Kiewit is involved in another large transportation project in Maryland: the Frederick Douglass Tunnel, which will accommodate rail traffic and replace Amtraks Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel under West Baltimore. Kiewit is taking on that project, estimated to cost roughly $6 billion in total, with California-based J.F. Shea Construction Inc. The company also has done work for MDTA on the Bay Bridge.

The state in June received four bridge construction proposals. Besides Kiewit, proposals came from Archer Western/Traylor Brothers Joint Venture, Flatiron Halmar Dragados Joint Venture and Maryland Key Connectors.

The state rejected Archer Westerns proposal Aug. 1 after finding it failed to meet contractual requirements. A protest by the company was denied and the company did not appeal to the states board of contract appeals by a deadline.

The agency evaluated the remaining proposals and assigned technical and financial rankings. Kiewit ranked first in the technical evaluation, which was weighted more heavily, and third financially.

We dont have a design, so we were asking the proposers to give us the team that they can put together, James Harkness, MDTAs chief engineer, said about the technical measure in an interview. What are their capabilities? What have they done previously? How would they estimate? How would they collaborate?

To arrive at financial rankings, for both bridge design and construction, the MDTA evaluated each contractors proposed percentage markups over figures the agency provided. Kiewit proposed higher markups than the others, but ranked more strongly on the technical side.

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Thats the nature of this type of procurement where we dont have much design, Harkness said. We dont have much for them to tell us the pricing on, because we havent worked together and collaborated on that yet.

One of Kiewits first tasks  in addition to designing the new bridge alongside the transportation authority  will be ridding the Patapsco River of the old bridges vestiges. The ramps-to-nowhere that remain, as well as the artificial, concrete islands (called dolphins) designed to protect the piers will be blasted and demolished either this fall or in the spring.

After about half the design work is done, the state will negotiate a guaranteed maximum price with Kiewit on the second, construction phase. Those negotiations will likely include additional opportunities for local firms to participate, Harkness said.

Then, the construction can begin.

Its a significant milestone today, Gartner said in an interview. Its the beginning of a really hardworking phase.

The federal government is expected to foot the bulk of the $1.7 billion bill. Democratic President Joe Biden promised immediately after the collapse that the federal government would pay for 100% of the rebuild, but that has yet to be coded into law. The default for any interstate project is for the federal government to pay 90% of the cost; in that situation, Maryland would be on the hook for roughly $170 million.

Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin, a Democrat, said this month of the federal government covering the entire cost: Were on our way to get that legislation passed.

On Thursday, the MDTA board voted to use $350 million in property and business interruption insurance proceeds related to the bridge collapse to reimburse the federal government for current and future bridge debris and replacement costs.

Federal authorities also have said theyll seek to reimburse themselves with funds from culpable parties  such as the container ships owner and manager.

Small businesses and the City of Baltimore have already filed suit against the Singaporean owner and manager Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and Synergy Marine Group, respectively. A local propane transportation company this week stated in a federal filing that it has lost profits and lost business as a result of the collapse and that an example should be made of the ships owners.
An injectable drug is loaded into a syringe while prescription medication is strewn about haphazardly. Photo by Darwin Brandis/iStock Getty Images Plus

Baltimore officials this week laid out plans for how they intend to distribute the $252.5 million the city has received  so far  in settlements with pharmacies and drug companies over their role in the opioid crisis.

Mayor Brandon Scott signed an executive order Thursday creating an advisory board that will determine how to distribute the funds to help those city residents struggling with opioid addictions. The order also calls for the money to go toward programs for harm reduction, for treatment and recovery, education on opioid use and prevention of new opioid use.

Funding will go to both government and community-based programs: Scott said that $20 million will go to the citys health department to continue work combating the opioid crisis, and $42 million had already been allocated to a dozen organizations in Baltimore fighting substance use disorders.

We cannot undue the harm that has been done, or bring back the lives that we lost, Scott said. We can, and we are, taking decisive actions to address this epidemic and prevent further loss of life, and repair the harm done to our community.

His announcement came just days before International Overdose Awareness Day, on Aug. 31, and he declared that the city would officially recognize the awareness day Thursday.

Scott noted that in the first seven months of 2024, Baltimore residents accounted for 44% of overdose deaths in Maryland, even though the city represents just 9% of the states population.

Baltimore has been disproportionately impacted by the scourge of addiction for longer than Ive been alive, said the 40-year-old Scott. The dark, tangled relationship that our city, and far too many of our residents, have grappled with stems directly back to intentional disinvestment and systemic racism.

Baltimore has passed on the opportunity to join other governments in lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, opting instead to take action on its own. The risks are higher by going it alone, but so are the potential rewards and so far that bet appears to be paying off.

Scott said that with the three settlements the city has agreed to so far, it has already recovered more it could have received under global settlements between drug makers and state and local governments. He said the city is still in litigation with five other drug makers for their alleged role in the crisis by flooding the market with prescription opioids. But he is confident in the citys chances.

We still have fights to win against the largest companies of the batch. And as we continue negotiating and look towards our trial date of September 16th, were confident that well win those cases too, Scott said.

The executive order signed Thursday sets up a framework for allocation of current and future settlement proceeds, establishing the Baltimore City Opioid Restitution Fund and creating a Restitution Advisory Board.

The advisory board will include at least four city residents with lived experience with substance use, social workers, public health advisers, a designee from a harm reduction center, two members of the Baltimore City Council, and the CEO of the local behavioral health authority. The board will also have three non-voting members: the executive director or a mayoral designee, the city health commissioner or a designee, and the fire chief or a designee.

The executive order creates the positions of executive director of overdose response and an opioid restitution program manager in the mayors office. Finally, it requires the city to create a comprehensive overdose reduction strategy at least every two years. The plan is required to have community input, including from those who struggle with substance use disorders.

This executive order makes clear that we will do everything in our power to save lives and help our residents heal, Scott said. Part of what is outlined here includes direct community engagement from town halls, focus groups and online surveys so all residents, not just the few selected for the advisory board, will be able to have their voices heard in this process and be able to tell us and their neighbors where theyd like to see this money going and what would make a difference in their lives and in the lives of their families.
Bar fight leads to shots being fired in New Haven

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)  Two women were reportedly grazed by bullets after a bar fight resulted in shots being fired at a restaurant in New Haven.

Early Saturday morning at 1:00, emergency responders were called to the NOA By September in Bangkok restaurant at 200 Crown St. for reports of gunfire.

New Haven police say witnesses informed them that a bar fight occurred before the shooting. At the scene, officers say a 28-year-old woman approached them and claimed she was struck by a bullet. A scratch on the womans shin that had a small amount of blood could be seen, and she was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital.

A second woman displayed a small red mark on her right ankle to officers. The mark did not puncture the skin and she denied medical attention.

The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived.

Ballistic evidence was gathered from the restaurant and the New Haven Police Department is asking anyone with information to call investigators at 203-946-6304 or leave an anonymous tip at 866-888-8477.

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Thousands of Floridians lose their life each and every year to drug overdose. Margo Weisblats brother was one of those thousands. Her brother Nathan died of a heroin and fentanyl overdose back in February of 2020.

He was two years older than me, we were very close growing up, he got into drugs when he was about 17 years old, Margo recounted for Action News Jax. This issue does hit very close to home for me, and it affects not only me but families across the First Coast.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Thats why Margo started the Beaches Memorial Walk, cosponsored this year by the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. The ultimate goal of the walk is so that people like herself, and like Michele Holbrook and Julie Albachiaro who both lost children to opioid overdose, can share their stories and raise awareness on a lifesaving mission.

We have to train our kids early in order to be able to stop this disease, Holbrook told Action News Jax at Saturdays walk.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

While Mike McCormick with Florida Poison Control told Action News Jax at the walk that Florida is seeing real progress in fighting drug overdoses, theres still much work to be done, as each and every life lost is one too many.

For the first time, were seeing opioid overdoses start to go down. Its the first time since 2016, said McCormick. And thats exciting, but at the same time were cautiously optimistic because its still too many: 20 people a day in the state of Florida [die from it].

Vic Micolucci with the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office told Action News the department will soon now be doubling its drug overdose squad, to continue to catch those peddling drugs into the streets here at home.

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Weve taken a road trip from Pennsylvania and are now onto the second in our series exploring Americas 2024 presidential election battlegrounds. Our purpose is simple: To give you, the voters, a deep understanding of each of the seven key swing states, how they can be won this Novemberand who is likely to do so.

Todays battleground is Nevada, a state whose people are divided between those complaining about water shortages and those mesmerized by the Bellagio fountains; between those who own gold mines and those who dine at the Golden Corral. (As they say, always bet on the pot roast.)

A little history to get us started: Nevada joined the union 160 years ago, right before the 1864 election. Its statehood was fast-tracked, in fact, in an effort to give Abraham Lincoln three additional electoral votes and a Republican majority in Congress. (Historians believe this is the first time the GOP tried to fix an election, although for once it was for a good guy.) Lincoln went on to win re-election and soon celebrated at Fords Theateror as John Wilkes Booth called it, Target Center.

Oh, Mary! on Broadway: History Made Brilliantly, Hilariously Silly

Here, then, is a very detailed political analysis of the state to guide you before you place a wager in the presidential prediction market, which is almost as safe as entrusting your money to Sam Bankman-Fried. Because after all, who among us wouldnt have given their life savings to a schlubby 30-year-old who wore cargo shorts to investor meetings?

First, both candidates should do well in Nevada

Kamala Harris will connect with its diverse and unionized workforce; Donald Trump, of course, will do well with that all-important sex worker demo.

Yes, prostitution is legal in Nevada, except for Clark County. You cannot get a hooker in Las Vegas. At least not legally. Still, it appears no one in the state legislature ever thought maybe someone would take a $12 Uber ride outside the county lines to go to a brothel?

Also, I love how in Las Vegas it takes 45 minutes to get a pizza delivered but escort services can promise a date to your room in 30 minutes. In other words, if you want a pepperoni pie fast, call an escortand ask for extra cheese.

The way to appeal to Nevadans is to try something different

The campaigns TV spots may not work as well here as in other states, as they run the risk of getting lost in the estimated 300 ads a day for accident lawyers and male enhancement medication for 87 cents a pill.

So Im putting my money on the first candidate to hire either a magician or a ventriloquist like Terry Fator. Fatorfull disclosure, a friend and clientis the headliner at the Strat; imagine having one of his puppets singing a catchy tune for Harris. Something like Dusty Springfields I Only Wanna Laugh. Or Trumps theme, Patsy Clines Crazy.

If I were to guess, I think Trump is more likely to make the move as he is pro puppet; in fact he has his very own JD Vance on a string.

The Daily Beasts Guide to the 2024 Battleground States: Pennsylvania

Look for the candidate smart enough to campaign at non-traditional places

Forget anyone who has a rally at the Thomas and Mack Center at UNLV. The smart candidate will spend their time campaigning at what we seasoned election consultants call the Nevada Trifecta:

The Hoover Dam, which is not only a great wonder of the modern world but retains more water than Chris Christie.

Elko Countys famous Inezs D and D Bar, because what better place to impress the voters with your fancy footwork than to be photographed tripping the fantastic at a whorehouse? (The D and D stands for dancing and diddling).

And Area 51, home of RFK Jr.

So given all that, who will score the jackpot that is Nevadas six electoral votes? Barring such an unforeseen event as, say, a ceasefire between Ben and JLo, I predict Trump wins Nevada, narrowly. Between the hookers, puppets and the fact that around the all-you-can eat buffets he is known as the king of shrimpThe shrimps on my plate (yes plural) are bigger than anyone elseshe should bring home the Silver State.

Editors Note: None of Jon Macks analysis should be taken seriously as you enter the prediction market (or in any circumstances, really). And if you have a gambling problem, too bad. Feh!

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Better Together Dog Rescue hosts Meet and Greet to help Clear the Shelters

HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP)  Better Together Dog Rescue of Massachusetts is holding a meet and greet on Saturday to find a new home for some of their furry friends.

He misses out on a lot, Owner of reactive dog explains ways to lead happy and healthy lives

The event is running from 10:30 AM until 1 PM and is being held at Smithland Pet Center in Hadley. They are offering reduced adoption fees for dogs over the age of one year.

Some of Better Together Dog Rescue of Massachusetts goals are to:

Rescue and transport dogs to our location from overcrowded partner shelters.

Engage with the community through adoption and volunteer and fostering opportunities.

Provide resources to the community through our mobile dog food and supply pantry.

22News has joined the 10th annual Clear The Shelters nationwide pet adoption and donation initiative being held from August 10 to September 10. The campaign has helped more than one million pets find new homes since 2015. Donations can be made now through Sept. 30 at ClearTheSheltersFund.org.

Local News Headlines

WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan provided lower monthly loan payments for borrowers and lessened the time it takes to pay off their debt. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

WASHINGTON  The U.S. Supreme Court this week refused to reinstate, for now, the Biden administrations latest efforts to provide student debt relief to millions of borrowers, allowing a lower courts injunction to stay in place while legal challenges unfold.

The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan provided lower monthly loan payments for borrowers and lessened the time it takes to pay off student debt. The program came shortly after the Supreme Court struck down an earlier student loan forgiveness plan from the administration in June 2023 that would have canceled more than $400 billion in debt.

The SAVE Plan was unveiled in August 2023. In a February press release, the U.S. Department of Education said 2,680 borrowers in Maryland were approved for a total of $22.7 million in debt forgiveness under the program.

But the SAVE plan was quickly met with a wave of legal challenges from a coalition of GOP-led states in two lawsuits stemming from Missouri and Kansas.

Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma filed a federal lawsuit alongside Missouri in April against the administration over the plan.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to lift an August ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit that temporarily halted the plan. The appellate decision followed a federal judge in Missouri issuing a preliminary injunction blocking the plan in late June.

In its decision, the nations highest court said it expects the 8th Circuit to render its decision with appropriate dispatch.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey praised the Supreme Courts decision in a statement Wednesday, calling it a huge win for every American who still believes in paying their own way.

On the other hand, a spokesperson for the Education Department said we are disappointed in this decision, particularly because lifting the injunction would have allowed for lower payments and other benefits for borrowers across the country, per a statement shared with States Newsroom.

The spokesperson said the department will work to minimize further harm and disruption to borrowers as we await a final decision from the Eighth Circuit, adding that the Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to supporting borrowers and will continue to fight for the most affordable repayment options for millions of people across the country.

In a statement, Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, said in rejecting this appeal, the Supreme Court perpetuates the 8th Circuits bogus legal fiction that pausing affordable payments is preserving the status quo.

This is ludicrous. Millions of people were repaying their student loans. Now they are in limbo, Pierce added.

Meanwhile, Kansas, Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas and Utah also filed a lawsuit over the plan in March. A federal judge in Kansas dismissed eight of those states  allowing only Alaska, South Carolina and Texas to move forward with their challenge  and issued a preliminary injunction.

In late June, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit allowed parts of the SAVE plan to go forward  forcing Alaska, South Carolina and Texas to file an emergency request to the Supreme Court to vacate the stay.

But the Supreme Court rejected this attempt from the states attorneys general on Wednesday, saying that applicants represent that they do not require emergency relief from this Court as long as the Eighth Circuits injunction  is in place.

 This report has been updated to reflect the SAVE plan was unveiled in August 2023 and to adjust the timeline for Marylanders debt forgiveness.
How Biden spent his vacation after six weeks that shook his presidency

After spending much of the summer under the harshest microscope of his career, President Joe Biden spent most of the last two weeks out of sight as he prepared for the final act of his political life and a very different end to 2024 than he would have imagined a few months ago.

Following a whirlwind six weeks after ending his future in presidential politics, Biden has spent the time since delivering last weeks opening-night address at the Democratic National Convention resetting in California and Delaware before hes expected to start hitting the campaign trail in earnest to support Vice President Kamala Harris campaign.

The president has spent this week soaking up the sun on the beach near his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, joined by first lady Jill Biden and two of her sisters. Biden appeared to get in some work from the sand: Hes been seen reading papers as streams of onlookers filed past, waving, taking pictures, and giving the president brief words of thanks or encouragement.

President Joe Biden waves back to a well-wisher while sitting on the beach in Rehoboth on August 28. - Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

The president has stayed out of the public eye for large stretches of his two-week, bicoastal vacation, charting out how to spend his remaining months in office after abandoning his bid for a second term in the White House. Biden is expected to return to the campaign trail on Monday to support Harris before returning to Washington.

While a late August presidential vacation is not unusual  commanders in chief typically use the August congressional recess to escape the nations capital for a more restful locale  Bidens presidential vacation in California and Delaware follows one of the most difficult periods in the presidents five-decade political career, during which he faced weeks of public and private pressure to bow out of the 2024 race following a halting debate performance against former President Donald Trump.

Biden started last week at the Democratic National Convention with a speech passing the torch to his chosen successor, Harris, and insisting he wasnt angry at those who demanded he step aside.

The president and his family then decamped to Santa Ynez, California, a quiet town surrounded by hills and vineyards in the same region as President Ronald Reagans Rancho del Cielo. The Biden family spent a week at a sprawling 8,000-acre ranch that boasts its own vineyard, owned by Democratic donor and Masimo CEO Joe Kiani.

President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden depart Old Mission Santa Ines Catholic Church after attending mass in Solvang, California, on August 24. - Craig Hudson/Reuters

During his six days on the West Coast, the president made only one brief outing  attending Mass with his son Hunter and daughter Ashley at the Old Mission Santa Ines church in Solvang, California.

But he was still engaged in the convention, even though he was no longer the person the party was nominating. Ahead of Harris keynote address on the final night of the DNC last week, Biden posted a picture on social media of him and Jill Biden speaking to Harris over the phone while watching the convention on TV.

While the president stayed under the radar at the ranch, the first lady popped into shops in the area, including Santa Ynez General in Santa Ynez and the Book Loft in Solvang, where she signed a copy of her childrens book, Willow the White House Cat.

Biden and his family followed their California jaunt with a trip to Rehoboth Beach on Sunday  where the president has remained through this week. The president is staying at his family vacation home, where six weeks ago he huddled with his closest advisers and reached the decision to end his presidential campaign.

Throughout his time in California and Delaware, the president participated in a series of calls with foreign leaders as the US continues to push for a deal that would see a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Hamas-held hostages, while trying to stop clashes between Israel and Hezbollah from devolving into a wider war that could draw in the United States and Iran.

As Israel and Hezbollah each carried out strikes over last weekend, the White House said the president was continuously monitoring the situation and engaged with his national security team from his California retreat.

Now free from the pressures and time constraints that come with being a campaign principal, Biden has worked over the last few weeks to set his legacy  with a special focus on foreign affairs. His administrations negotiation with Russia that led to the largest prisoner exchange in decades at the beginning of this month was a crucial achievement.

President Joe Biden walks to his limo after spending the afternoon at the beach in Rehoboth, Delaware, on August 28, 2024. - Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Biden has also spoken with at least five world leaders since his convention speech last week. He spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the continued threats from Iran and the need for a ceasefire deal on August 21.

Last Friday, still in California, Biden spoke with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and, separately, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to discuss diplomatic efforts to bring the ceasefire and hostage release deal to a conclusion, the White House said. Those calls occurred as crucial hostage and ceasefire talks took place in Cairo.

Also on Friday, the president spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of Ukraines Independence Day, while rolling out an announcement about new aid for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.

He also spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to discuss his Indian counterparts recent trip to Ukraine. And finally, Biden announced another set of judicial nominees during his vacation  putting him in a position to have named more judges on the bench than his predecessor.

Asked for more information about Bidens activities since last weeks convention speech, the White House said there is no such thing as a presidential vacation while reiterating the series of calls Biden participated in.

The president is always working wherever he goes, White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma said in a statement.

During the Oval Office address where he announced he was dropping from the race, Biden vowed to be fully engaged with the campaign and closing out the final months of his administration.

The president is expected to be deployed by the campaign increasingly as the election draws closer, especially in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania, where he lived as a child and still holds considerable sway. Those deployments will begin on Labor Day, when Biden is scheduled to appear with Harris during the campaign event in Pittsburgh.

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Bill Maher Rips Into Doctors And Rehab System For 'Killing' Matthew Perry Who Was 'A Good Guy'

Comedian Bill Maher has criticized the doctors involved in Matthew Perry's death, claiming they exploited his addiction by supplying him with dangerous amounts of ketamine.

Maher angrily accused the doctors of killing Perry and also blamed the rehab facility for getting the late star hooked on a different drug while seeking help for his addiction problem.

Bill Maher's comments came after one of the doctors involved in Matthew Perry's death pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine, facing up to 10 years in prison.

Bill Maher Criticizes Doctors Following Matthew Perry's Death

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On Friday night's episode of "Real Time With Bill Maher," Maher targeted the doctors involved in Matthew Perry's death, stating, "Doctors killed Matthew Perry."

During his "New Rules" segment, the talk show host noted, "Matthew Perry asked his doctor, 'Is ketamine right for me?' And his licensed and trained legitimate doctor texted another doctor saying, 'I wonder how much this moron will pay Let's find out.'"

Maher, who admitted that he and Perry "weren't super close," noted that the late actor was "enough of a friend, and enough of a good guy" to make him angry after learning about "all of the enablers" surrounding his tragic passing.

He further recounted that Perry's last stint in rehab "was at a pricey clinic in Switzerland, where, instead of weaning him off the drugs he was on, which is how we naively assume rehab works, they simply gave him a different drug."

"Which accomplished the goal, if the goal was getting Matthew Perry addicted to a new drug," the comedian added, per The Daily Beast.

Bill Maher Blasts' Medical Industrial Complex' Over The Rise In The Use Of Ketamine

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While discussing the actor's tragic death, Maher also took aim at the "medical industrial complex," criticizing the rise of ketamine clinics in the U.S.

He explained: "It's what always happens with Western medicine, the insistence on pretending that their respectable drugs aren't the same as street drugs, but they are. One is paid by insurance and gets you into rehab. One isn't, and you go to jail."

Maher added: "But Oxy is heroin, Adderall is meth, and Ritalin is cocaine for kids."

Hours before Maher's show, one of the two physicians implicated in Perry's October 2023 death, Dr. Mark Chavez, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine, making him the third individual to plead guilty following the "Friends" star's fatal overdose in 2023.

Chavez also agreed to relinquish his medical license. Meanwhile, the second doctor involved, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, maintains his innocence and is slated to appear in court on September 4.

Doctor Admits To Fraud In Matthew Perry Ketamine Case, Faces 10 Years In Prison

MEGA

In his plea agreement, Chavez admitted to obtaining ketamine through fraudulent means, including from his former clinic and a wholesale distributor, by submitting a fake prescription. He now faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Outside the courthouse, Chavez's lawyer, Matthew Binninger, expressed the doctor's deep remorse, stating, "He's incredibly remorseful. He's trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here. He didn't accept responsibility today, but only because it wasn't on the calendar."

Binninger emphasized Chavez's cooperation with the ongoing investigation, adding: "He's doing everything in his power to cooperate and help with this situation."

The attorney also acknowledged the tragedy of Perry's death, noting that the actor was "universally beloved, and it's a shame what happened."

Matthew Perry Was Found Unconscious Multiple Times By His Personal Assistant

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On October 28, Perry was found face down in his hot tub. However, the investigation into his death has shown that there were several shocking incidents that led up to the actor's demise.

According to Page Six, Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, claimed that he found the late actor "unconscious at his residence on at least two occasions" before he died.

Iwamasa was also the one who had administered the fatal shot of ketamine that killed Perry.

He admitted that on the day of the "Friends" star's death, he injected him around 8:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m., but that Perry asked him to prepare his hot tub and "shoot [him] up with a big one" just about 40 minutes later.

The former assistant then went on an errand after administering the third shot that day, only to return to the actor's lifeless body.

Iwamasa pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, stating in his plea agreement that he injected the late actor with "significant quantities of ketamine," totaling around "6-8 shots per day," in the days leading up to his death.

The Actor's Friends Are 'Sad' He Was Surrounded By 'Enablers'

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The criminal charges issued to multiple individuals in connection with Perry's death have also triggered a fresh wave of sorrow for his real friends.

A source told People Magazine that the charges "brought back a lot of feelings" for the actor's closest pals, especially his co-stars from "Friends."

"Matthew did have true friends that loved and cared about him," the source said. "They would have all tried to help him if he'd reached out. It makes them sad that he was surrounded by enablers."
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA)  An Urbana staple is making a comeback after being closed for over four years.

The original location of Black Dog Smoke & Ale House, located on Broadway Avenue in Urbana, closed in March of 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While the owner said a year later that the Urbana location would reopen, they had no set date.

Champaign-Urbana restaurant round-up: Whats coming, opening soon

Three years later, there still is no set date, but there is a general idea of when a reopening will take place.

The business posted on its website a short statement saying that they have started the process of reopening the Broadway Avenue location. Coming this fall is all they offered in terms of a timeline.

Salt & Light to reopen in Champaign for donation drop-off

No one is marking their calendar for the reopening more than Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin

People have been asking about Black Dog opening since the day it closed, she said. Its been a few years coming, but were delighted to hear that they plan to open this fall.

Marlin also confirmed that the business recently applied for a liquor license. That will go before the Urbana City Council at next weeks meeting.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
A Maryland man is sharing an alleged incident of racism at his local Chick-fil-A after an employee labeled his to-go order for Monkeys instead of his name, Marquise.

Marquise Vanzego tells TODAY.com he went to pick up dinner after work on Aug. 23 and placed his order with a person working the drive-thru.

Vanzego, who is a Black man living in La Plata, Maryland, tells TODAY.com that when he first heard an employee calling out the name of the animal, he thought there was no way it could be his. But when the employee confirmed it was one order of chicken strips, fries and an iced tea/lemonade drink for someone in a white van, his heart sank.

Describing how he felt when he realized the order was meant for him, Vanzego says the physical feeling wasnt so different from when youre grieving or going through a breakup: Your heart has that little sting in it, he says, thats what it felt like.

You start to think about all the other incidents that may have occurred that you heard about on the news with racial profiling, Vanzego continues.

A photo of the receipt on Marquise Vanzego's Chick-fil-A drive-thru order.

He says he immediately spoke with an on-duty manager, who apologized and offered to refund the order, and later to a store manager named Kevin who wasnt present at the time of the incident.

TODAY.com spoke with Kevin, who declined to comment and declined our request to be connected with the store owner, John Flatley.

Vanzego recorded his conversation with the on-duty manager as well as what happened when he decided to walk into the restaurant rather than wait in his car for the manager to come back out.

He posted the videos  along with a letter he wrote and mailed to Chick-fil-A  on both Instagram and Facebook, where they got plenty of attention from the public.

While some commenters were supportive of him, others questioned whether it was the fault of the employee or a shoddy drive-thru intercom system. Vanzego tells TODAY.com that although he ordered through the drive-thru, there was no intercom system involved; he placed his order directly with a young while male who was standing outside greeting diners.

Vanzego says, in the days following the Aug. 23 incident, he spoke with Flatley, who apologized but said he would not be terminating the employee as they are allegedly under the age of 18. Vanzego says he was told the employee simply wrote down the name they heard. (When a similar incident occurred at a Maryland Starbucks in 2022, the employee was suspended.)

The marketing director for the La Plata location  which is franchised and operates separately from corporate-owned Chick-fil-A restaurants  declined TODAY.coms request for comment and directed us to corporate publicity managers. The corporate office says it cannot speak on behalf of franchised locations but provided the following statement:

This Chick-fil-A is independently franchised and operated. The franchisee of this restaurant has apologized to the guest. However, this experience does not meet our expectations and is unacceptable.

Vanzego says he has not yet heard from corporate.

On the night of the incident, Vanzego says he requested to speak directly with the employee who took his order and that his request was declined, but he hopes they are socially aware of the impact their actions had on him.

I believe that he should be held accountable for what hes done, Vanzego tells TODAY.com.

He says commenters on social media have been asking him to have compassion for the employee.

I understand, hes a young man, hes 17, hes still learning, Vanzego adds, but he also needs to know that there are consequences when you do things like that. Speaking about his own children, who are now adults, he says, when they did things, they had to deal with the consequences.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
The march came together blindingly fast. From conception to execution was less than three months. Finally, the day arrived, Aug. 28, 1963  the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

About 250,000 people came from across the country on cars, trains and buses to gather in support of Black civil rights and economic empowerment for the poor. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous I Have a Dream speech to punctuate an already powerful landmark in the movement for equal rights.

Afterward, several of the key leaders met with President John F. Kennedy to discuss laws and policies that the marchers demanded. It was a resounding success on nearly every account  except for one conspicuous problem.

No Black woman served as a main speaker during the commencement.

Despite efforts behind the scenes, Black women weren't given the same visibility as Black men

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.

Some women were featured in various other roles  activist and actress Ruby Dee emceed the event with her husband, Ossie Davis. Joan Baez performed. Mahalia Jackson sang the national anthem.

But no Black woman had a speaking role comparable with the Black men that day. Their relative invisibility at the microphone belied their integral involvement in planning and making the march happen.

Women such as Anna Arnold Hedgeman worked with the Commission on Religion and Race for the National Council of Churches, and she was the only woman on the powerful administrative committee planning the march. Her leadership proved vital in securing the participation of white Protestant Christians. She helped build bridges of cooperation between groups of white Christians and Black leaders who were understandably skeptical that white people would genuinely support this Black-led event.

Dr. King's message is fading: I helped write MLK's 'I Have a Dream' speech. Its message remains essential 60 years later.

In the aura of all the achievements the march represented, a group of Black women held a meeting called After the March, What? Dorothy Height, already a legend of the Civil Rights Movement and head of the National Council of Negro Women, convened the meeting. She had taken her place as one of the few key women organizers of the march and the only person representing an all-womens organization.

Male organizers stood obstinately opposed to calls for greater visible participation of women. They made excuses like not wanting to arouse jealousy in women who were not picked to speak. Never mind the fact that men often displayed no lack of ego or pettiness in maneuvering for the biggest roles in the movement.

At the final planning meeting, Hedgeman stood up and read a letter that said, In light of the role of the Negro women in the struggle for freedom and especially in light of the extra burden they have carried because of the castration of our Negro man in this culture, it is incredible that no woman should appear as a speaker at the historic March on Washington Meeting at the Lincoln Memorial.

Mar 15, 2023; Claremont, Calif.; Myrlie Evers-Williams, the civil rights pioneer and wife of Medgar Evers who was assassinated in 1963, donated her archival collection to her alma mater Pomona College.

Her efforts resulted in only a symbolic concession. The male organizers agreed to have Myrlie Evers  whose husband, Medgar Evers, had been shot and killed in front of their Jackson, Mississippi, home for his role in leading the NAACP there  to give a tribute to Black women.

But she got caught in traffic and missed her part. Instead Daisy Bates, of the Little Rock Nine and the Arkansas NAACP, offered the tribute and said, We will kneel in, we will sit in, until we can eat in any counter in the United States. We will walk until we are free, until we can walk to any school and take our children to any school in the United States.

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.

Black women are crucial to America's civil rights struggles

The After the March, What meeting the next day helped cement the resolve of Black women in the Civil Rights Movement to always elevate the concerns of women and families no matter what Black male leaders said or did.

Even other womens groups led by white women were not much help. Black women did not feel that such organizations gave sufficient attention to the presence of racism, and they underestimated the role of poverty in issues of injustice.

Black women are fired up about Harris. We won't back down.

The meeting participants agreed that they needed to engage in more coordinated efforts that focused specifically on Black women.

In her memoir, Height later wrote about Black mens views toward Black women in the Civil Rights Movement: (Black men) were happy to include women in the human family, but there was no question as to who headed the household!

Jemar Tisby

That meeting of Black women led to another one in November 1963. There, Pauli Murray, a civil rights activist and lawyer, spoke about the need to attend to both racism and sexism.

The Negro woman can no longer postpone or subordinate the fight against discrimination because of sex to the civil rights struggle but must carry on both fights simultaneously, Murray said.

Black women have always been a crucial part of the civil rights struggle  not only as part of the masses and the marchers, but as masterminds of the movement. But Black women faced the dual oppressions of racism and sexism, often at the hands of Black men.

While their presence in front of the March on Washington was minimal, there can be no accurate assessment of that day and no adequate progress in civil rights without accounting for and honoring Black women of the movement.

Jemar Tisby is a professor of history at Simmons College of Kentucky. This piece has been adapted from his latest book, "The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance" and originally appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal.

You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Black women were silenced during Civil Rights. That didn't stop them
Blood type O. DM me: Myanmars poorest are so desperate theyre turning to social media to sell their kidneys

Editors Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 to connect with a trained counselor, or visit the 988 Lifeline website.

Delivery driver Maung Maungs wife and young daughter hadnt eaten in three days, he recalled, when he walked into an internet cafe in his hometown of Mandalay, Myanmar, in late 2022.

He had recently been detained and tortured by the countrys military junta for weeks, he said, on suspicion of transporting goods for opposition forces, during which time his wife had been forced to take out loans to support the family.

When he was finally released, he had lost his job and the family found themselves penniless and ridden with debt. Desperate, Maung Maung went on Facebook and offered to sell his kidney.

In that moment, I felt life was so harsh. There is no other way I could survive other than to rob or kill people for money, he said. My wife was the same, she didnt want to stay in this world anymore. But only for the sake of our daughter we stayed.

Months later in July 2023, Maung Maung, who asked to use a pseudonym for safety reasons, traveled to India for the transplant surgery. A wealthy Chinese-Burmese businessman had bought his kidney for 10 million Burmese kyat ($3,079), nearly twice the annual average urban household income in Myanmar, according to 2019 data from UN affiliated Myanmar Information Management Unit.

Maung Maung is not the only one.

A year-long CNN investigation has revealed desperate people in Myanmar, also known as Burma, hawking their organs to wealthy people on Facebook. With the help of agents, they travel to India, for instance, for transplants  defying laws in both countries, where selling organs is illegal.

CNN found posts offering to sell organs on at least three Burmese-language Facebook groups and spoke to two dozen people involved in the organ trade  including sellers, buyers and agents  to piece together the inner workings of an illicit industry fueled by desperation in a country ravaged by civil war.

When asked for comment, Meta, Facebooks owner, said one online group had been removed, but the company declined to give further details or comment further. Facebooks own rules do not allow content that lets users buy, sell or trade human body parts and breaches can be reported for review.

Myanmar police fire water cannon at protesters as they continue to demonstrate against the February 1 military coup in the capital Naypyidaw on February 9, 2021. - Stringer/AFP/Getty Images

Coup sends poverty soaring

Three years since Myanmars military took power in a coup, nearly half of the countrys 54 million people live below the poverty line. That figure has doubled since 2017, researchers with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has found.

As various armed groups fought against junta control, violence spread across the country. Foreign investment dropped, unemployment skyrocketed and the cost of basic goods increased at a rate most people couldnt keep up with. While sellers are poor and buyers relatively rich, both sides are in the illegal organ market because they find themselves in dire straits.

To sell a part of your body is a difficult decision for everyone. Nobody wants to do it, April, 26, who asked to go by a pseudonym, said shortly after advertising her kidney on Facebook in February. The only reason I am doing this is because I have no choice.

April said she abandoned her dreams of becoming a nurse and moved to Myanmars commercial capital Yangon when she was 18 to work in a garment factory and help support her family. But her monthly salary of $100 was not enough to keep up with rising costs exacerbated by the political crisis and medical bills that kept piling up as her aunt suffered from cancer.

I am trying my best to survive amid such a challenging situation. There were days I cried. There were days I didnt have anything to eat when my friends could not help me, she told CNN.

One night, unable to sleep, she was up late scrolling Facebook when she came upon a group where people were offering to sell their kidneys. Most of these groups were made for patients suffering from kidney disease to share home remedies and recommend doctors. But in recent years, posts offering to sell organs have become increasingly common, a CNN analysis has found.

A person can still live a healthy life with one kidney, which makes this trade possible, but its a major surgery that can have lasting consequences. The biggest risk is not having a backup in case anything happens to the remaining kidney, according to the National Kidney Foundation.

April quickly wrote up her own post: I want to donate my kidney. My blood type is O. I need money for my aunt who has cancer and needs an operation. Im 26 years old and I dont drink. DM me.

An illegal but accessible industry

People shop at a crowded market in New Delhi, India on May 04,2023. - Amarjeet Kumar Singh/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

In the online organ trade, buyers and sellers often work with agents, middlemen who match donors with recipients, to forge the necessary documents and arrange surgery.

Because the sale of organs is illegal in India and donations are permitted only among relatives, with a few rare exceptions, agents often forge household records, family trees and other documents with the help of lawyers and notaries. Myanmars embassy in New Delhi has to review the paperwork in order to pass the case to the state or hospital authorization committee.

The authorization committee is the final line of defense. Its designed to catch anyone trying to cheat the system. Documents, family photos and bank statements are checked, and interviews conducted to expose strangers posing as family members or anyone trafficking organs.

CNN has reached out to Myanmars embassy in New Delhi and the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for comment, but did not get a response.

Thiri Khine, who asked to use a pseudonym so she could speak safely, became a widow when her husband died eight years ago. Six years later, ravaged by kidney disease, she posed for new wedding photos. This time, the groom smiling next to her was the man whose kidney she was buying for 12 million kyat ($3,695).

Thiri Khine tried to get a transplant by getting on the official transplant waitlist, but said the process wouldve taken years, at which point she may have already died from her illness.

Between 1995 and 2022, there were only 308 successful kidney transplants in Myanmar, according to ruling junta chief Min Aung Hlaings office.

Since the coronavirus pandemic and the coup, transplants can only be performed at military hospitals, with a few exceptions, according to one current and one former doctor in Yangon who asked to remain anonymous out of fear for their safety.

The war has also created a shortage of doctors.

In the early days of the military takeover, doctors were often at the forefront of the resistance movement, treating injured protesters and staging strikes. For this, they paid a high price, with many medical professionals arrested or forced to flee the country, leaving Myanmars already fragile healthcare system on the brink of collapse.

Family photos, a trip to India

Maung Maung visits the famous White Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India with his recipient's family. - obtained by CNN

In the weeks leading up to the surgery, Thiri Khine and her pretend husband practiced for the authorization committee interview, finding answers to questions such as how they met, each others favorite foods and their license plate number.

Its an interrogation to confirm whether we are a real couple or not. But the thing is they know that we are lying, Thiri Khine says. The law by definition is strict, and so are the hospitals rules. However they make it possible for us to get the treatment by ignoring the red flags and forged documents.

All of the ten donors and recipients CNN spoke to, except for one, confirmed that in each of their cases, documents were falsified to prove a family relationship. They pretended to be spouses, in-laws, nieces and nephews. Maung Maung was supposed to be his recipients son-in-law.

Scared and far from home, Maung Maung went through a number of medical tests and interviews in the days before his transplant surgery. He had never left Myanmar before, but now he found himself posing for photos in front of New Delhis famous Lotus Temple next to the family of the man who would soon have his kidney.

I am suffering deep down when I look at my family. They have nothing. Meanwhile, I am also stressed about what lies ahead, he told CNN before his surgery.

If I die, I hope this money could help my wife and daughter for their food and survival, even if it would not last their whole lifetime.

Myanmars military has a long and well-documented track record of rights abuses, and the civil war has unleashed new levels of violence on both civilians and rebel forces alike.

In response to Maung Maungs arrest and torture allegations, which set off the chain of events that led him to sell his kidney, Myanmars military told CNN: Members of Myanmars military are well organized, meaning they cannot unlawfully arrest or torture anyone.

Saving a life

In 2022, just under 10,000 kidney transplants involving live donors were carried out across India, according to the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization. CNN could not confirm the number of transplant surgeries involving Burmese patients or the number of surgeries in which an organ may have been sold.

One Yangon-based agent, who asked to remain anonymous due to the illicit nature of his work, said both the Burmese embassy in India as well as the authorization committees are aware that the document presented are forged.

It is an act of saving a life. It is not a bad thing, he says, having received a kidney transplant himself in a similar way last year.

Dr Sunil Shroff, a transplant surgeon and founder of the Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network, a non-profit which promotes organ donation in India, said the issue of organ donation is complex.

It is not an easy job for the (authorization) committee either. Then again, theyre not policing it. Theyre looking at each case individually with some sympathy because there is a recipient suffering who needs an organ, he said.

This is complicated by the fact that documents produced in another country are extremely difficult to authenticate.

Once the embassy signs, what happens is that the local authorization committee thinks the responsibility was on the embassy. They might be coming with an unrelated donor we dont know, Dr Shroff said.

A ward filled with Burmese patients

This pictures shows Maung Maung's belongings as he is recovering from transplant surgery in a hospital in New Delhi, India. - CNN

This picture shows Maung Maung recovering from transplant surgery in a hospital in New Delhi, India. - CNN

This picture shows Maung Maung recovering from transplant surgery in a hospital in New Delhi, India. - CNN

A few days after the transplant surgery in August 2023, Maung Maung sat on the edge of his hospital bed and lifted his shirt to reveal a fresh scar on his left side.

It seems it is healing from inside, but it still hurts on the outside, he said, touching the purple mark.

As he walked through the hospital, he pointed out other Burmese patients in the recovery ward, each with the same four-inch scar on their abdomen.

When you go to the toilet, you see Myanmar people and when you go somewhere nearby you see Myanmar people again, he said.

For those trapped in a never-ending cycle of poverty, selling a body part often appears as a quick way to escape. Its been a last resort taken by people in many other countries from Afghanistan to Nepal, but its one that comes with serious and sometimes fatal health consequences.

The quality of life after selling the kidney is not good because once the money runs out, theyre back to square one. And then theres a scar to see. They look at it, so theyre depressed, Dr Shroff says.

Maung Maung predicts that with only one kidney left the most I can live is 15 to 20 years and then I will be gone.

Yet, he doesnt regret his decision.

If I had not done this at this moment, my life would be in chaos. No job, no food. My wife, my kid didnt have anything to eat. All three of us could have been dead or gone crazy. he says.

He has since returned home to Mandalay but hasnt recovered enough to work. He spends most of his days at home, in pain, as the money he got for selling his kidney slowly runs out.

As for April, the last time CNN was able to reachher was a few months ago. She had found a 49-year-old man from Yangon who was willing to buy her kidney for 12 million kyat ($3,700).

Documents were forged, family photos showing April as the mans eldest daughter taken  the only thing left was the surgery.

As the transplant neared, April worried she might die on the operating table, but felt it was too late to back out.

Aprils family still did not know about her plan to sell her kidney.

For mental health support outside of the US, a worldwide directory of resources and international hotlines is provided by the International Association for Suicide Prevention. You can also turn to Befrienders Worldwide.

CNNs Manveena Suri and Vijay Bedi in New Delhi contributed reporting.

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NEWBURY TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW)  Sheriffs deputies are investigating after a body was recovered from a lake in Geauga County Friday evening.

Deputies with the Geauga County Sheriffs Office responded to the scene near Pine Lake in Newbury Township, in the Punderson State Park area.

1 dead in police-involved shooting in Cleveland Heights

The body was recovered around 7 p.m.

Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildebrand told FOX 8 the victim hasnt been identified yet.

The investigation remains active at this time, the sheriff said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
A South Carolina man has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of his former roommate who was missing for over two years before her body was found buried under a firepit earlier this summer, police said.

Penni Whiteside's remains were discovered buried in the yard outside her home on June 12 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to a statement from the Myrtle Beach Police Department. She had been missing since the spring of 2022 when she was 51-years-old.

MORE: Dog breeder found dead and as many as 10 of his Doberman puppies have vanished

Neighbors told police that they had reason to believe Whiteside was buried under the firepit in the backyard of her home, where 54-year-old Sheridan Dirk Fogle was also living at the time, police said.

"As stated in the original report, the identified victim had been living with the offender. Further investigation revealed that due to statements made by her neighbors, there was reason to believe that she may have been buried near the residence, in the backyard under a firepit," said the Myrtle Beach Police Department. "On June 12, 2024, investigators obtained a search warrant for the property in question. During the search, the victim's remains were recovered and identified."

MORE: Murder suspect on the run for months found after falling through ceiling during home search

Whiteside's death was being investigated by authorities as a homicide when, on Thursday morning at approximately 7:30 a.m., an arrest warrant was served to Fogle in Orangeburg, South Carolina, in connection with a "missing person and murder case."

Fogle was arrested in connection with the death of Whiteside on Thursday and has since been charged with murder, authorities said.

"This is a tragic loss of life and a senseless crime of violence. Please continue to pray for the family and friends of the victim," authorities said. "The Myrtle Beach Police Department is committed to seeking justice and holding those accountable for those who do harm. Thank you to the U.S. Marshals Service- Carolina's Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety for assisting with the arrest in this case."

MORE: 9-month-old dead after being found strapped into safety seat by grandmother in hot car for 8 hours

Fogle appeared in court on Friday and a judge did not set bond for the suspect, according to ABC News' Florence, South Carolina, affiliate WPDE. The Myrtle Beach judge did confirm, however, that the case against Fogle would be referred to the general sessions court and that two future court dates on Oct. 25 and Dec. 13 have been scheduled.

The investigation is currently ongoing and authorities have said that no other information will be released at this time.

Body of woman missing for 2 years found under backyard firepit, roommate charged with murder originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
FILE - Border patrol agent Pete Bidegain looks from a hilltop on the U.S. side of the US-Mexico border in Nogales, Ariz. on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, Pool, File)

SAN DIEGO (AP)  Arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico during August are expected to rise slightly from July, officials said, possibly ending a streak of five straight monthly declines but the numbers are hovering near four-year lows.

Authorities made about 54,000 arrests through Thursday, which, at the current rate, would bring the August total to about 58,000 when the month ends Saturday, according to two U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information that has not been publicly released.

The tally suggests that arrests could be bottoming out after being halved from a record 250,000 in December, a decline that U.S. officials largely attributed to Mexican authorities increasing enforcement within their borders. Arrests were more than halved again after Democratic President Joe Biden invoked authority to temporarily suspend asylum processing in June. Arrests plunged to 56,408 in July, a nearly four-year low that changed little in August.

Asked about the latest numbers, the Homeland Security Department released a statement by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on Congress to support failed legislation that would have suspended asylum processing when crossings reached certain thresholds, reshaped how asylum claims are decided to relieve bottlenecked immigration courts and added Border Patrol agents, among other things.

Republicans including presidential nominee Donald Trump opposed the bill, calling it insufficient.

Thanks to action taken by the Biden-Harris Administration, the hard work of our DHS personnel and our partnerships with other countries in the region and around the world, we continue to see the lowest number of encounters at our Southwest border since September 2020, Mayorkas said Saturday.

The steep drop from last year's highs is welcome news for the White House and the Democrats' White House nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, despite criticism from many immigration advocates that asylum restrictions go too far and from those favoring more enforcement who say Biden's new and expanded legal paths to entry are far too generous.

More than 765,000 people entered the United States legally through the end of July using an online appointment app called CBP One and an additional 520,000 from four nationalities were allowed through airports with financial sponsors. The airport-based offer to people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela  all nationalities that are difficult to deport  was briefly suspended in July to address concerns about fraud by U.S. financial sponsors.

San Diego again had the most arrests among the Border Patrol's nine sectors on the Mexican border in August, followed by El Paso, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona, though the three busiest corridors were close, the officials said. Arrests of Colombians and Ecuadoreans fell, which officials attributed to deportation flights to those South American countries. Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras were the top three nationalities.
WASHINGTON (AP)  After a long summer of technical glitches, most of Americas prospective college students finally applied for federal financial aid  an annual process upended by a redesign-gone-bad.

FAFSA website is seen on the laptop as Adjovi Golo holds a laptop at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Adjovi Golo scans a school ID to enter a dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Adjovi Golo poses for photos at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Adjovi Golo holds a laptop as she walks out from a dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The DePaul University logo is seen outside of a dormitory in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

FAFSA website is seen on Adjovi Golos laptop at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Adjovi Golo smiles as she holds her laptop at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Adjovi Golo holds a laptop at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Students walk past the DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

School dormitory windows are seen at the DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Students enter a dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

A Public Safety vehicle parks on the street at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

A student delivers packages to the dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Adjovi Golo looks out from a dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The number of high school seniors who have completed their Free Application for Federal Student Aid is down 9% compared with this time last year, according to the National College Attainment Network. That number was as high as 40% in the spring, when students usually must submit their forms to give schools enough time to assemble an aid package.

How much the FAFSA problems will impact the number of students attending college remains to be seen, counselors and advisers say. But the delays certainly have changed where students enrolled, with many students forced to pick a college with limited information about their financial picture.

As one of the few Black girls at her suburban Chicago high school, Adjovi Golo looked forward to college as a time when it would not be so hard to be seen and heard. She was hoping to attend Spelman College, a historically Black womens college in Atlanta.

The federal financial aid calculators told her she would likely be eligible for $15,000 in loans, grants and work-study, but her FAFSA had not been processed before a May 1 deadline to commit to a college. She called the FAFSA hotline 11 times to resolve a glitch, getting a different suggestion each time.

DePaul University in Chicago, meantime, offered her the most in merit scholarships. Without a complete financial aid package from either school as her FAFSA remained in limbo, she chose to enroll at DePaul, rather than risk taking on more debt.

In August, Golo moved into DePauls dorms. She loves her roommate, the campus and her professors.

But she wonders what might have been different.

I felt like I was just backed into a corner, she said. A part of me, like 75% of me, doesnt regret it. I love it here. But another part of me wishes I waited.

The plunge in FAFSA completion rates was especially sharp for students who already face hurdles to enrolling in postsecondary education, including low-income students and students of color. Advocates worry the delays  on top of a Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action in higher education  will affect where and whether many go to college.

Theoretically, said Katharine Meyer, a fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank, Were going to see a less racially diverse college enrollment cohort, a less socioeconomically diverse college enrollment cohort.

Areas with a high percentage of people living in poverty and places with a larger share of Black and Latino residents saw a 20% larger decline in FAFSA completions compared with higher-income areas, according to the Century Foundation, a progressive think tank. Its analysis also found students in those areas were twice as likely to have submitted an incomplete FAFSA.

Its too soon to know how bad college enrollment declines will be, but its not too early to recognize the risks, said Peter Granville, a fellow at the Century Foundation.

For students who cannot pay for their entire tuition and fees out of pocket, nearly all forms of financial support  institutional, state and federal, including eligibility for federal loans  require completion of the FAFSA.

A 2020 law directed the Education Department to simplify the FAFSA form, which had been criticized for being tedious and difficult, especially for families without college experience. But the launch of the simplified form in 2023 ran into error upon error  it launched months overdue in December, and students encountered glitches and hours-long waits for helpline assistance.

Emmily Almaraz, a junior at Texas Christian University, said she breezed through the form in under 20 minutes this year. But the students she helped as an intern with Tarrant To & Through Partnership, a college access organization, did not all have the same luck.

Despite spending hours on the phone, one student could not get past the verification process for parents who lack a Social Security number, which is the case for some immigrants. Ultimately, the student decided to delay enrolling until the spring, Almaraz said.

Its just really discouraging for certain kids that end up finding out that just because theyre missing one piece of information, it may delay them, Almaraz said. It may cause them to pay for an education that they cant fully pay for.

College housing became an additional hurdle for students whose families were unwilling to put down deposits without knowing more about financial aid, said Jesse Hendrix, executive director of College Possible Texas. Many were stuck with expensive, off-campus options or could not secure housing at all.

Some students admitted to four-year colleges are choosing more affordable two-year colleges closer to home, counselors say. Chandra Scott, executive director of the nonprofit Alabama Possible, said she reached out to the states community colleges urging them to prepare for a last-minute influx of students.

Theyre going to hold out as long as they can, because they may really want to go to that four-year institution, Scott said. But if they dont have the financial aid resources that they need to go in a timely manner, theyre going to have to begin to make hard decisions on whether to sit out a year, which we hope they dont do.

Students who dont continue directly on to college from high school tend to face more barriers to pursuing higher education, counselors and advocates said. While some states have programs to help students return to school, only four in 10 students who do not immediately begin college after high school do so in the next decade, Granville said.

After you decide to wait a year, that becomes more of a lonely journey, he said. That can hinder someones likelihood of ultimately completing a degree.

Some students are still working through FAFSA issues even after enrolling. In Chicago, Golo filed a paper FAFSA in June to try to get a finalized aid package from DePaul, but was told that the agency had a backlog of paper filings. Golo said the school has not required her to start paying until the paperwork is processed.

Im kind of just scared to take out money, knowing that I might be able to lower that in a few weeks or so, because I dont know when its going to come, Golo said of her financial aid package. It can come tomorrow. It can come in a few weeks. It may not come for a few more months. But my future right now is just very unknown.

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Boyfriend And Landlord Accused Of Killing Woman Who Told Sister She Was 'Fearful'

An Arizona woman who was reported missing in March after failing to pick up her dog is now presumed dead, and on Thursday, authorities charged her landlord and boyfriend with killing her.

Cavett Jack Richards, 36, and William Thomas DalCerro, 58, were charged with second degree murder, concealment of a dead body and conspiracy in the death of Shayna Feinman, 35, who vanished from the Hyde Park area on March 8, the Yavapai County Sheriffs Office announced.

Feinmans sister, Kara Feinman, identified Richards as her sisters live-in boyfriend and DalCerro as the couples landlord in an April interview with Phoenix-based TV collective Arizonas Family. She said the two men were the last to see her sister alive.

Shayna Feinman was reported missing in March via Yavapai County Sheriff's Office Yavapai County Sheriff's Office

A neighbor who was taking care of Feinmans dog reported her missing on March 18, after she failed to retrieve the pet, according to the sheriffs office. The concerned neighbor searched for her, but only found her car, along with her wallet and ID, close to her home.

A witness who lives on the same property as Feinman and helped file the missing person report told Arizonas Family she heard an argument between Feinman and their property manager on the night of her disappearance.

They were yelling and screaming at each other. Hes like, You have to leave. Im calling the sheriff. Shes like, I need to get my phone and keys, the witness said.

Kara Feinman showed messages she exchanged with Shayna to local NBC affiliate KPNX in the days leading up to her disappearance, in which Shayna expressed concerns for her safety.

On more than one occasion, she shares about feeling fearful and not feeling safe, Kara Feinman told KPNX. And its really hard to read those things because if I had known how unsafe and how scared she was at any of those times, I feel like I would have been there.

While detectives looked for Fineman, they found evidence that Richards and DalCerro had committed other crimes, according to the press release.

DalCerro and Richards were arrested in mid-April on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle and tampering with evidence, according to court records reviewed by HuffPost. DalCerro also allegedly had a weapon illegally.

The two men have remained in the Yavapai County Detention Center since their arrests in April, the press release said. Detectives have now gathered enough evidence to charge them with Feinmans killing.

Feinmans body has not been located, but authorities are asking the public to report anything suspicious in the desert or forests area in west-central California across through Arizona.

Related...
Brazils highest court has ordered internet providers to block the social media site X (formerly Twitter) after owner Elon Musk defied a court order to hire a new attorney to represent X in the country, as required by local law.

The order, issued Friday by Brazilian Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes, is the latest escalation in a months-long dispute rooted in the ongoing investigation into the Jan. 8, 2023 insurrection against the countrys government.

The investigation, still ongoing, eventually extended to include the social media activity of suspected individuals. This is where Musk enters the picture.

In April, he defied court orders from de Moraes to block the X accounts of several people suspected of involvement with the 1/8 attack against Brazils government. Earlier this month, Musk closed Xs operations in Brazil and eliminated all staff there after de Moraes threatened to arrest the companys Brazilian attorney over the companys continuing defiance of the law.

But Brazilian law also requires that any company doing business in Brazil  and X continued to provide users there with access  must have legal representation in the country. So on Wednesday, de Moraes ordered X to hire a new attorney to represent it in Brazil within 24 hours, or else the site would be blocked. Musk refused, and here we are.

De Moraes has given internet service providers five days to block access to X. After that, any individual or company who accesses the platform via a virtual private network (VPN) will be subject to fines of up to $8,900 per day if caught.

Elon Musk showed his total disrespect for Brazilian sovereignty and, in particular, for the judiciary, setting himself up as a true supranational entity and immune to the laws of each country, de Moraes wrote.

The judge also referred to Musk as an outlaw who intended to allow the massive spread of disinformation, hate speech and attacks on the democratic rule of law, violating the free choice of the electorate, by keeping voters away from real and accurate information.

When we attempted to defend ourselves in court, Judge de Moraes threatened our Brazilian legal representative with imprisonment. Even after she resigned, he froze all of her bank accounts, the company said in a statement. Our challenges against his manifestly illegal actions were either dismissed or ignored. Judge de Moraes colleagues on the Supreme Court are either unwilling or unable to stand up to him.

Musk, for his part, insists that he is waging a fight over free speech and has claimed the court orders are effectively a form of censorship. In an earlier statement, the company called de Moraes directives illegal orders to censor his political opponents.

However, Musks response to literal censorship demands made in other countries has been markedly different.

For example, in early 2023, Indias right-wing government ordered Twitter to block references to a BBC documentary critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The company complied and when asked about it, Musk said, The rules in India for what can appear on social media are quite strict and we cant go beyond the laws of the country.

Meanwhile, in May 2023, Twitter also complied with demands by Turkeys right-wing government to censor dissident accounts during the countrys presidential election. In a statement at the time, a company representative said, We received what we believed to be a final threat to throttle the service  after several such warnings  and so in order to keep Twitter available over the election weekend, took action on four accounts and 409 Tweets identified by court order.

Musk later angrily told one critic, The choice is have Twitter throttled in its entirety or limit access to some tweets. Which one do you want?

Musk has also never spoken out about the tragic case of Muhammad al-Ghamdi, a retired teacher in Saudi Arabia who was arrested and sentenced to death last year for comments he made on X/Twitter criticizing the government. Coincidentally, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family, is an investor in X.

Musk, who has become an open supporter of far right-wing politics in recent years, has not commented on the difference between Brazil and these other countries regarding political opponents, court orders, the law or blocking accounts.

In a bid to collect the $3 million in fines the judge set for X, he also froze the finances of Musks Starlink satellite internet service, which is a subsidiary of his SpaceX company. Musk called de Moraes an outright criminal of the worst kind for this.

Starlink, which has more than 250,000 customers, has vowed to fight the order, saying in a statement that the fine is unconstitutional and was issued in secret and without affording Starlink any of the due process of law guaranteed by the Constitution of Brazil.

Market research group Emarketer says that approximately 40 million Brazilians, or one-fifth of the population, access X at least once per month, according to CBS News. The country is noted for having a particularly active social media base, with American companies holding large fan conventions there in attempts to generate excitement amongst fans around the world via social media, similar to San Diegos Comic-Con International here in the United States.

Following his loss in the 2022 election, supporters of right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro laid siege to the capital, Brasilia, in an attempt to restore him to power. The attack was inspired by the one Donald Trump incited two years earlier. Bolsonaro, who was in the U.S. on that day, denies any involvement, though military leaders have since confirmed he tried to persuade them to back him in a military coup shortly after the election.

The post Brazil Blocks X After Elon Musk Defies Investigation Into 2023 Attempted Coup appeared first on TheWrap.
Alexandre de Moraes has fashioned himself as a defender of democracy and a warrior against political disinformation - Carla Carniel/REUTERS

With his steely, dark gaze and a shiny bald head, it is easy to see why Alexandre de Moraes was likened to Voldemort.

The unflattering comparison to the Harry Potter character came from Elon Musk, who is now locked in a battle to keep his social media platform X alive in one of the worlds largest democracies.

On Friday night, Mr de Moraes, a supreme court justice, banned the app after a long row with the worlds richest man over disinformation.

It is the latest power move from one of the most polarising figures in Brazil  a man accused of riding roughshod over the rules, with one eye on the presidential palace.

For years, Mr de Moraes, 55, has fashioned himself as a defender of democracy and a warrior against political disinformation, earning him the nickname Xandao, or Big Alex.

Those who violate democracy, who violate fundamental human rights, whether in person or through social media, must be held accountable, Mr de Moraes said on Friday, without mentioning X by name.

Mr de Moraes shot to public recognition in 2019 for leading an investigation into fake news generated while the hard-Right former president Jair Bolsonaro was in power.

That investigation is still ongoing, and drew support for Mr de Moraes as a crusader against anything deemed a risk to Brazils democratic institutions.

But he has pushed so much that some wonder if hes going too far  exceeding his authority to the point of endangering Brazils young democracy, rather than upholding its values.

Critics have pointed out that he has previously ordered raids with scant evidence and jailed people without trial for social media posts that he said threatened the countrys institutions.

Elon Musk is locked in a battle to keep his social media platform X alive in one of the world's largest democracies - Rodney Costa/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

He is a defender of democracy, but has overstepped his role as a judge at times when dealing with social media, Andres Cesar, a political analyst at consulting firm Hold Assessoria Legislativa, told Reuters. He thinks public opinion is on his side, but I dont know for how long.

Mr de Moraes has plenty more miles to run before he hits the mandatory retirement age of 75 for judges, and has high political ambitions, including becoming president, a source close to him told AFP.

He is in part emboldened by the sweeping powers granted to Brazils supreme court, which it granted itself in 2019, allowing it to open its own investigations.

That effectively gave the countrys top court the authority to be involved throughout the entire law enforcement and judicial process: to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate.

Earlier this month, X shut its office in Brazil because of what it called censorship orders from Mr de Moraes  a move that it said was to protect the safety of our staff.

This week, Mr de Moraes also blocked the local bank accounts of Mr Musks Starlink internet satellite company, saying that those funds could be repurposed to cover court-ordered fines linked to X.

The move to block X highlights a larger, global discussion on how to police disinformation without damaging free speech.

A few months ago, Mr Musk, who also owns the electric vehicle maker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX, had heated exchanges with Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, over a court order to take down posts that showed a knife attack at a church in April.

Such complicated debates over free speech and the internet have been ongoing for years, including discussions at the highest levels of government and at the United Nations, on how to handle posts with terrorist propaganda or violent content.

On Saturday, X was going dark across Brazil, a country of 215 million people, after the nations telecom agency, Anatel, took to the social media platform itself to confirm that it would begin implementing the court-ordered ban.

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A Brazilian Supreme Court justice ordered the immediate suspension of social media platform X throughout the country Friday, after the platform refused to name a new legal representative amid an ongoing feud.

Justice Alexandre de Moraes directed internet service providers and app stores to block X in Brazil within five days and ordered daily fines of 50,000 reais  or nearly $9,000  on those who use virtual private networks (VPNs) or other methods to access the platform.

The order will remain in place until the company complies with all court orders and pays all fines, according to a release on the courts website.

De Moraes ordered X Wednesday to appoint a legal representative within 24 hours or face a ban in Brazil.

The platforms Global Government Affairs team said Thursday night that it expected the justice to soon order the platform to be shut down in the country simply because we would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents.

X closed its office in Brazil earlier this month after de Moraes ordered it to suspend certain accounts from the site. If the social media company failed to comply, the judge said he would levy a daily fine of $3,650 against the company and order the arrest of its representative, Rachel Nova Conceicao.

Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purpose, Elon Musk. the owner of X, wrote in a post Friday.

The oppressive regime in Brazil is so afraid of the people learning the truth that they will bankrupt anyone who tries, he added in a separate post.

The feud between Musk and de Moraes stretches back to April, when the billionaire tech mogul initially challenged an order from the justice to block certain accounts on his platform. However, X ultimately said it would comply with the rulings.

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Its official. Brazils Supreme Court has banned X (formerly Twitter), and any Brazilian users and companies who attempt to access Elon Musks social media platform by using a VPN will be fined nearly $9000 a day. This is according to a report by The Guardian, which explains that the suspension is due to X failing to meet a pivotal deadline. Heres what we know so far about why X has been banned in Brazil and the fine being imposed on Brazilians for trying to get on the platform.

Why is the Brazil Supreme Court banning Twitter?

The Brazil Supreme Court is banning X, then Twitter, for not appointing a legal representative in the country within a 24-hour period by order of Justice Alexandre de Moraes.

On Wednesday, August 28, Moraes gave the company 24 hours to appoint a legal representative in Brazil, as required by foreign companies in the country. Since August 27, X has been without a legal representative in Brazil after it decided to close its operations there, claiming in a statement on the platform that Moraes has chosen to threaten [its] staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process.

The judge has been engaged in a legal dispute with X since April after he ordered the platform to block accounts of digital militias that attempted to have former president Jair Bolsonaro remain in power after his electoral defeat in 2022.

After the deadline passed, Moraes ordered on Friday afternoon the immediate, complete, and total suspension of Xs operations in Brazil until all court orders are complied with, fines are duly paid, and a new legal representative for the company is appointed in the country.

Brazils National Telecommunications Agency is responsible for enforcing the order and will be passing it onto over 20,000 broadband IPs across the country to block X. The judge also had Apple and Google prevent users to access X on iOS and Android platforms and to block VPNs as well. Various App stores have been told to remove the X app within five days.

Individuals and companies in Brazil that try to access X via VPN will be fined $50,000 Brazilian Real, which is about $8900 USD, every day. However, it is unclear how this fine will be enforced and how the use of a VPN to access X will be detected, particularly given that some VPNs have features that mask the application.

On August 29, X denounced Moraes, saying that he ordered the ban of the platform because it would not comply with his illegal orders to censor his political opponents. The company plans on publishing over the next several days what it calls Moraes illegal demands and all related court filings.

The post Brazils X Users Will Be Fined $9000 a Day If They Use VPN appeared first on Mandatory.
STATESVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A driver of an armed truck was found shot inside a Statesville CVS Friday afternoon, according to police.

Officers with the Statesville Police Department say they responded to an armed robbery at the CVS on Taylorsville Highway around 2:15 p.m. Aug. 30. A Brinks employee was inside with a gunshot wound to the upper torso.

Police seek suspect involved in Gastonia hit and run where victim crashed into house

Police say their investigation indicates that two suspects attempted to rob the guard as he was exiting the store and returning to his vehicle. During the confrontation, the guard was reportedly shot but managed to return fire at the suspects.

The suspects then fled the scene in a bronze-colored Dodge Charger.

The guard was transported to Iredell Memorial Hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Statesville Police Department at 704-878-3406.

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There are thousands of people in Whitby for the annual regatta. The harbour is filled with funfair attractions, food stalls and thumping music. Tonight there will be a fireworks display over the pier, watched by hundreds of families.

Its an event that will bring in millions of pounds to the North Yorkshire town from the tourists queuing up for fish and chips, pints and fun fair rides.

But you would struggle to find a local here who is happy about it.

Lily Blackman, 38, manages a nearby bakery. Despite the cash that tourists spend in her store, she is fed up with them and the holiday homes they tend to stay in.

Lily Blackman is frustrated by the number of empty homes used as holiday lets - Lorne Campbell/Guzelian

Ive noticed there are a lot of empty homes near where I live not doing anything, she says. But on the weekend its like Benidorm, with parties until 5am. You can never park anywhere. These places all sleep about 12 people so they all bring four cars.

The people who are staying dont care about noise  last year was horrendous through summer.

A growing anti-tourist tide is taking over some of Britains most beloved holiday spots, caused by the belief that the explosion of holiday lets is fuelling the housing crisis.

This year, stickers with an image of a house on fire reading f--- your second home were spotted in the Lake District, which police described as concerning. Two years ago, a wall in St Agnes, Cornwall, was daubed with the words no more second homes ... our village is dying.

In reaction, local councils have been waging a war on holiday let owners, making it harder and more costly to own a second home by bringing in measures through the back door.

Whitbys town council voted in 2022 to ban people from buying new-build properties as second homes, similar to the decision made in St Ives, Cornwall.

Last year, Edinburgh introduced a licensing scheme for short-term lets.

And in one of the most extreme moves, the council in Gwynedd, Wales, will now force homeowners to get planning permission to turn their property into a second home or a holiday let.

In Brighton and Hove, councillors unanimously agreed to take a deeper look at a saturation of Airbnbs, with Green councillor Ellen McLeay claiming families had been priced out of the city centre, leaving behind ghost neighbourhoods.

Much like the years-long crackdown on buy-to-let, second homeowners are being chipped away at from every possible direction.

Local authorities are also using powers handed to them by central government, doubling or even tripling council tax for second homes, pushing up bills by thousands.

The war on second homes sped up after the pandemic-fuelled property boom, when investors snapped up seaside cottages and countryside boltholes to turn into lets for staycationers.

Amid outcry from locals that communities were becoming ghost towns for half the year, the Conservative government turned hostile to holiday homeowners.

Michael Gove, the then-housing secretary, despaired last year that they were turning seaside communities into hotels with an almost permanent Airbnb setting.

In his final Budget as chancellor, Jeremy Hunt abolished the furnished holiday letting regime, which gave perks such as relief for costs incurred kitting out the properties.

There will be no let-up under the Labour government. It is believed to be accelerating the crackdown, with plans to bring in a new mandatory national register for short-term lets.

It may also give local councils across England power to require planning permission for holiday lets, similar to but less extensive than the Article 4 direction used in Gwynedd.

This will stoke concerns, as in Gwynedd, that the move will hit house prices, effectively devaluing residential properties by excluding second home buyers from purchasing them because they cant be used as holiday lets.

A Barcelona-style ban

It is part of a wider backlash against Airbnb-style lets that is taking place across the world. In New York, California and Berlin, short-term lets operate under tight restrictions.

The most extreme measure yet is taking place in Barcelona. The citys socialist mayor Jaume Collboni announced in June that from 2028 all holiday lets would be completely banned.

Barcelona is among a handful of cities taking extreme measures against holiday lettings - Emilio Morenatti/AP

Locals disdain for tourists erupted into furious protest, with protesters daubing tourists go home on walls and bins and spraying tourists with water.

Every year, the city is flooded with 32 million tourists  many of them English  and their presence was blamed for the citys dearth of rental properties. There are some 10,000 holiday lets in Barcelona, and Collboni hopes banning them entirely will free up housing stock and cool rents, which he claims have risen by 68pc in the last 10 years.

While Britains local councils cant impose a similar outright ban on Airbnbs, they are trying hard to use every weapon at their disposal.

Totally hollowed out

Second homeowners justify themselves with the economic boost they bring to towns like Whitby. But critics question whether they have become superfluous.

While second homes and short-term lets were important to our local economy, the benefits are now outweighed by their impact on local residents, says Whitbys new Labour MP Alison Hume. She says she is acutely aware of Whitbys housing crisis, and puts the blame on homeowners flipping properties into short-term lets.

As someone who lives in Whitby Ive seen first-hand how smaller villages such as Robin Hoods Bay have been totally hollowed out, she says.

House prices are becoming too unaffordable for locals, say Lee and Gwen Roberts - Lorne Campbell/Guzelian

Its full of holiday lets around here. You have the same companies buying up all the properties and they have a total monopoly of the market, says Lee Roberts, who has run a bed and breakfast here for six years with his wife Gwen. For young people trying to get on the property market, it pushes the prices up.

Others fed up with holiday homeowners claim the balance has tipped too far in the latters favour, and the businesses propped up by tourists are finding there are no locals with which to staff them.

People who work in Whitby are forced to live out of town due to a lack of housing and high rents, Hume says. In turn, this has a hugely detrimental impact on community cohesion and fewer people of working age limits the future economic development of the town.

Chatting to the people working in Whitbys bars, cafes and shops bears out Humes words  few of them live anywhere near here. But the numbers paint an even bleaker picture  analyst Airbnbtics found there were 503 Airbnb listings in Whitby in June, with a 76pc occupancy rate, compared to the 223 properties currently for sale via Zoopla.

And if you want to rent a property long-term, you might struggle  there are currently just four available.

Zoom out and it becomes clear that Whitby is far from the only holiday hotspot in Britain rapidly hurtling towards a turning point. There were 463 Airbnb listings in St Ives in June, according to Airbnbtics.

It is not just small seaside towns where housing supply is being crunched by holiday lets. In the London borough of Tower Hamlets, official figures show one in 20 homes is not lived in full time, while 80,000 people are on a waiting list for social housing.

Across the whole city, there were 25,925 Airbnb listings in June, according to Airbnbtics. An editorial this year in Londons Evening Standard called for a curb in holiday lets to make sure housing stock is actually available to people who live and work in the city.

An inexhaustible supply of holiday let landlords

As the most visible platform for short-term lets, Airbnb bears the brunt of locals ire, something that clearly rankles with the company. Its name is often bandied about when residents complain about tourists antisocial behaviour as shorthand for the holiday let industry as a whole.

Airbnb travel boosted the Whitby economy by millions of pounds last year and two-thirds of hosts say the extra income helps them afford their home, says a spokesman for the firm.

The root cause of housing challenges in the UK is a lack of new homes being built. Airbnb accounts for a small portion of annual visitors to Whitby and listings are typically rented for less than two days a month.

Estate agent, Maddie Hugill, says landlords have not been put off setting up holiday lets - Lorne Campbell/Guzelian

But this logic is no longer washing with Whitbys locals.

While they voted to ban new properties from becoming holiday lets, the referendum is not legally binding. Estate agents point out that even though new homes are being built, they are snapped up by a seemingly inexhaustible supply of holiday let landlords.

They are making a few new estates and extending them with hundreds of houses. Theyre even knocking prices down for first-time buyers, says Maddie Hugill, an agent at Bridgfords. I live on a newly built estate and there are loads of holiday lets on my side.

Triple council tax threat

Even if a total Barcelona-style ban on short-term properties is unlikely, a series of onerous policy changes have certainly made owning them a more tedious and expensive investment.

The huge council tax bills that second homeowners will incur is one particularly off-putting change. By stacking taxes on second homes, local governments hope to make them prohibitively expensive. For those that can suck up the cost, the tax revenue can be funnelled into more affordable housing.

Cornwall Council wants to take the idea even further and is calling for the power to charge triple council tax, which it estimates could raise 2bn a year. Councils in Wales already have the power to increase bills by 300pc, and Gwynedd has added a 150pc surcharge for second homeowners.

Councillor Claire Holland, housing spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents all councils in England and Wales, says these added tax premiums were intended to drive second homeowners to sell up and bring these properties back into permanent use.

Most second homeowners can afford the council tax premiums, says Dan Savage - Lorne Campbell/Guzelian

Whether this is working is debatable.

In the Whitby branch of Holiday Cottages, Dan Savage laughs at the mention of the doubled council tax. A handful have sold up, he says, but most can afford it  and the properties coming back on the market are usually bought by other holiday let landlords.

There are people who have 40 holiday lets, so its a drop in the ocean for them. Its the smaller ones who will find it tricky.

He adds: If you have a holiday let that isnt that busy it wont be worth your while. We have a few on the market already. Unless you have a property thats booked out for seven or eight months of the year its not worth it.

In reality, the tax premium is easy to avoid. Self-catered accommodation can flip to pay business rates instead of council tax, provided they are available for rent 140 days a year and occupied for at least 70.

Landlords can then claim small business rates relief, effectively paying no tax at all. Councils are fully reimbursed for revenue lost to business rates, costing the Treasury 172m a year, according to real estate company Colliers.

We have had a lot of holiday lets come on [the market] with us but they can get business relief on council tax so it doesnt make much sense theyd be worried about it, says Hugill of Bridgfords estate agents. The ones that are coming on the market are those where theyare now paying double council tax.

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Overwhelmed by red tape

Scotland has gone for a different approach, by overwhelming holiday let landlords with red tape in the hope it will force them to give up. Under regulations put in place by the SNP, anyone renting out a room on a short-term basis must pay 5,800 for a licence from their local council.

The policy did not go down well with Airbnb, which released a scathing report in May suggesting it was putting off tourists, driving up hotel prices, and limiting economic opportunities for local families. There has also been a growth of unlicensed lets being advertised on social media during busy times such as the Fringe.

But Angus Robertson, SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central, says it is working  and that some landlords unable to meet the required standards are selling up.

With one in eight residences in Edinburgh estimated to be a short-term let, it is absolutely necessary to legislate to regulate the sector, he says.

While there is a need for this type of accommodation  especially as the population of Edinburgh doubles in August with visitors for the international festivals  the city must first be for its residents.

The crackdown on holiday lets shows no sign of abating under Labour, with local authorities likely to be given more powers to make owning a second home less appealing.

But its too late for Lily Blackman and her family, who are selling up in Whitby, having had enough of 4am revelry on residential streets.

Its unlikely our house will go to a family. It will probably end up as another holiday home, she says. We need tourism, but where does it stop? Its getting to a point where all the schools are amalgamating, the doctors surgery is shrinking, theres one dentist  and all of this is happening because everyones moving into the outskirts.

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EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (PIX11)  It was a blast so strong that its left two homes here on track to be demolished, and has forced two others to be vacated for the foreseeable future.

Now, fire inspectors continue to investigate the intense explosion from a gas leak at a home on East 37th Street in Brooklyn, which rocked the whole block.

More Brooklyn News

My entire house shook, said Nia Perou, who lives a half-dozen houses down. I heard, Boom! My house shook. Me and my dad, we ran downstairs. We thought someones car ran into our house.

Paulette Thompson lives even closer to the home at 790 East 37th, whose impact was so great that its roof tiles went into the air and pierced metal awnings upon landing.

You could see debris like smoke, not fire, Thompson said, what looked like dust and smoke. Extremely scary.

Like so many of her neighbors in this closely knit block, Thompson ran to help.

Ruth Ford and her family also ran over to offer assistance. What they saw, she said, was both disturbing and heartbreaking.

One guys clothing was all stripped up, Ford said, and he had a lot of cuts behind him, and the skin, it was peeling off. It left her 10-year-old grandson, whod been with her at the time, crying, she said.

The explosion happened at around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, and left three people from the home badly injured. Two were rushed to the burn unit at Staten Island University Hospital. Medics took another resident to Kings County Hospital. All three remain in critical condition.

More Local News

One other person who was in the home had non-life-threatening injuries. The house in which theyd lived was condemned by the Department of Buildings. Its in a row of four homes whose walls are adjacent, one after another.

The northern wall of resident Yan Fens home is also the southern wall of the house that exploded.

The wall, it is broken, Fen said.

Shed fled from her home with her husband and 3-month-old baby as soon as the blast had occurred. Now, her home will need extensive repair, she said.

Meanwhile, the house where the explosion was will have to be demolished, according to the buildings department. The same is the case for the home next door, to the north of the house. Family members of a woman who lives there were on hand to help her try to deal with the emergency.

The womans sister, who only gave her first name, Denise, said that the whole situation was sad.

This is what has brought me to tears at this moment, she said. Weve had many family gatherings in here. Im sorry, she said, choking back tears.

The home next to her sisters house was also ordered vacated.

On Friday evening, work crews started erecting a construction fence around the four homes to prepare two of them for demolition and the two others for extensive repairs.

In the meantime, the FDNY says that the explosion is apparently not related to natural gas infrastructure, even though technicians from the local utility, National Grid, were on hand all day working on the gas main.

Instead, said fire department investigators, the problem seemed to come from inside the exploded house. They said that they need to interview the residents to get more information. For now, though, most of those residents remain in the hospital, fighting to stay alive. An FDNY spokesperson said that the department hopes the victims recover fully.

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Brunswick man sentenced to life in prison for rape of teenager

Troy Rogers III, of Brunswick, was found guilty of raping a 14-year-old, according to the Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorneys Office.

On Aug. 23, Rogers was also found guilty on two counts of Aggravated Child Molestation and one count of Child Molestation.

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According to a news release, evidence presented at the trial revealed the 14-year-old girl was making lunch in her apartment in March 2023 when Rogers showed up. He told her that her stepfather owed him money. He then proceeded to force his way into the apartment, pick up a bat, and assault her for hours.

The victim testified against Rogers in court.

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In his testimony, Rogers admitted to the criminal acts but claimed he didnt use force.

The judge sentenced Rogers to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 19 years in prison.

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Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump lays a wreath alongside Marine Cpl. Kelsee Lainhart (Ret.), who was injured at the Abbey Gate Bombing, during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Aug. 26, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia. Monday marks three years since the Aug. 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport, which killed 13 American service members. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images)

It was surprising  no, actually, it wasnt  to see Donald Trump take full political advantage of an Arlington National Cemetery ceremony to mark the third anniversary of the humiliating American pullout from Afghanistan and evacuation from the Kabul airport. But then the previous two years werent election years.

Monday, Trump took center stage at the cemetery after being invited to attend a wreath-laying ceremony by some Gold Star families to honor the 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman and one soldier who died at the hands of a suicide bomber during the frantic episode.

We know that more than 2,400 American military personnel died in Americas Afghan conflict, but the final deaths have taken on a particular significance, an ignoble coda to the nations longest war.

Trumps penchant for cameras on him marred the solemnity of the day, as did the TikTok videos he posted afterward. Always eager for exposure, he was not accompanying the blast survivors or relatives of the deceased as the wreathes were laid but rather came across as having them accompany him.

Trump then turned the hallowed Section 60 area of the cemetery into a prohibited photo opportunity for himself, smiling with a grin and his signature thumbs up, a situation likely ginned up by his publicity team that for many military veterans, active military and families and American citizens, further diminished the solemnity of the day.

Prior to the Trump campaign stop, er, visit, to Arlington, guidance on cemetery protocol was provided to the candidates team stating that, Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Ceremonies, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purpose, or in direct support of a partisan political candidates campaign.

Since rules and laws applicable to other people dont necessarily affect the Trump team, a last-minute effort by a cemetery staffer to prevent the photography at gravesites resulted in some sort of scuffle with the Trump team. And to no ones surprise, Trumps acerbic spokesman Steven Cheung put the blame elsewhere: An unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode. Really, Steve? That was a quick diagnosis.

Trump and his entourage then flew to Detroit for the annual conference of the National Guard Association of the United States that traditionally invites each major party candidate to speak during a presidential election year.

After being introduced by musician hanger-on Kid Rock who Trump brought along, about six minutes into his remarks, he pulled a rabbit from his hat in the form of a first-ever blatant political endorsement to occur during such a speech  a shock to the NGAUS leadership. According to a person at NGAUS headquarters, The Tulsi Gabbard thing was a surprise to organizers. The campaign previously informed NGAUS it wanted to bring 10 special guests to the event, a courtesy approved but despite requests for names of those 10, none were disclosed.

Trump himself called one of the 10 mystery guests, Tulsi Gabbard, a former Iowa National Guard officer and U.S representative from Hawaii to the podium so she could give a seven-minute soliloquy endorsing him.

In possibly the longest-running set of remarks to this audience, Trump rambled on for another 45 minutes vowing to do what only he could do if he is re-elected including sealing the border in a single day to instilling world peace. No mention of when the check from Mexico would arrive.

All-in-all, it was quite a day on the military ropes, as it is called in political campaigning, for a guy who:

Got five deferments from being drafted during Vietnam.

Ridiculed national hero and Vietnam POW John McCain, later a U.S. senator.

Didnt want to be photographed in the company of military amputees because it didnt look good for him.

Picks a fight with grieving Gold Star parents who oppose him.

And equates the civilian Presidential Medal of Freedom given to a billionaire political donor of his with the Medal of Honor, since the military decoration is preferable because it is awarded to only to military members in very bad shape because theyve been hit so many times by bullets, or theyre dead.

So it is clear that bullies can barge in where they want and intimidate to get their own way in situations some might consider not such a big deal.

But keep in mind that bullies dont know where to stop in getting what they want. Right now Trump is trying to bully himself into becoming the most powerful president in U.S. history.
It's good to be a billionaire. After years of failing to extend the state's "last call" law, it turns out all that was needed to keep the booze flowing past 2 a.m. in California was for the extension to personally and solely benefit one of the richest men in the world.

California currently forbids alcohol from being sold from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., meaning that bars and nightclubs effectively have to close at 2 a.m. State Sen. Scott Wiener (DSan Francisco) has become famous for his relentlessness in running new last-call extension billsonly to be repeatedly rejected. Wiener started pushing for a change in 2016 and even got one of his bills to clear both houses of the state Legislature in 2018, only to see it vetoed by former Gov. Jerry Brown. When Gov. Gavin Newsoma former co-owner of the Balboa Cafe club in Marina, Californiatook office, hope sprang up, but as recently as 2022, a narrow bill that would have extended last call only in San Francisco, Palm Springs, and West Hollywood still died in the Legislature.

It turns out that passing a last-call bill is actually pretty easyif it benefits the right people. Last week state lawmakers passed a bill extending last call to 4 a.m., and it now heads to Newsom's desk. The only catch? It applies to a single club. While every other bar in the Golden State will continue to be cut off at 2 a.m., a small club inside the Intuit Domethe new home of the Los Angeles Clipperswill be able to keep the party going until 4 a.m.

According to the Los Angeles Times, members of the Intuit Dome's private luxury suites (which go for north of $10,000 for a single game) will be granted an extra two hours of boozing while the hoi polloi sit in post-game traffic. The club will have a max capacity of only 100 people, meaning that for the 18,000-person-capacity Intuit Dome, this is not a top 1 percenter lawit's a top 0.55 percenter law.

The Clippers are owned by Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft and the sixth richest person in the world. Local news outlet KCRA notes that Ballmer hasn't made donations to individual state legislators since 2021. However, Ballmer's wife donated $1 million to Newsom's campaign during his recall challenge in 2021.

The bill's sponsor, Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (DInglewood), is claiming that the Intuit Dome's home of Inglewood needs the legislation to ensure "competitiveness." Never mind that the bill definitively makes things less competitive since it gives one 100-person club, inside one stadium, inside one city, the right to stay open two hours later than any other venue.

Rather than focusing solely on the blatant cronyism of this new bill, those opposing it are also fearmongering with visions of a post-apocalyptic world if last call is extended.

One state senator first mentioned the bill being crafted for "an exclusive club" before going on to argue that it would allow people to drink up until 4 a.m. and "then turn them loose" on the Inglewood streets. This echoed former Gov. Brown, who claimed the 2018 bill he vetoed would have created "mischief and mayhem."

Opponents have specifically been focusing on claims that the extension would increase drunk driving accidents, an argument made by police unions in opposing prior last-call extensions in the state and which is being recycled this time around. Retired California Highway Patrol Sergeant and Assemblyman Tom Lackey (RPalmdale) warned: "Allowing the Intuit Dome to extend alcohol sales until 4 a.m. sets a dangerous precedent for the entire state. The data is clear: extending last call leads to more drunk driving incidents, more accidents, and more lives lost."

However, the data is demonstrably not clear and is actually quite murky. New York City has a 4 a.m. last call and lower DUI rates than Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, or San Francisco. Chicago also has a special license that allows certain bars to stay open to 4 a.m. or 5 a.m and likewise has lower DUI levels than Los Angeles. Overall, L.A. is the third worst city in America for drunk driving (New York and Chicago are in the 40s). In fact, eight of the top 10 worst drunk driving cities in America are in California with its current 2 a.m. last-call law. At the state level, there is also no discernible correlation between a state's last-call time and its drunk driving rate.

In a perfect embodiment of what modern politics has become, one side is busy giving handouts to the sixth richest man in the world, while the other predicts the apocalypse if bars stay open two hours later.

The post California To Bend Last-Call Law for Elite Clippers Fans appeared first on Reason.com.
California Dems pave way to getting stoned on hemp by killing reform. Cannabis loses | Opinion

Californias leading Democrats are letting the states hemp industry go to pot, killing legislation that would have banned hemp products available in stores that can leave buyers just as stoned as cannabis-based offerings at certified dispensaries.

While hemp and cannabis are botanical cousins, California regulates them quite differently. While they both can pack an intoxicating punch, only cannabis products are restricted to dispensaries and taxed. This week, a state legislators attempt to tame hemp products died in the State Senate, with the fingerprints of Democrats as the culprits of its demise. Its a sign that the hemp industry has some serious clout with the party in power, enough to roll a normally influential Democrat.

I think we saw, once more, the power of money and the lobbying strength that money can buy in politics, said Dr. Lynn Silver, an opponent of intoxicating hemp products who is senior advisor to the Berkeley-based Public Health Institute.

Unlike intoxicating cannabis, hemp products are available at vape shops and other retailers, with no age requirements under existing state law.

Opinion

The Legislature and the governor have failed to protect kids, said Jim Keddy, executive director of the Sacramento-based Youth Forward, which promotes youth programs and efforts to keep intoxicating hemp and cannabis products out of the hands of California minors.

You read that right. Sacramento Democrats cant muster the votes to keep kids from getting stoned.

The cannabis industry, law enforcement and cities were no match against hemp heavyweights such as Cheech and Chongs Global Holdings.

State Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, the Winters Democrat, tried to regulate hemp with her Assembly Bill 2223, but it died a quiet death, without a vote.

The Majority Leader (Aguiar-Curry) will have no comment on the Senates action to hold AB 2223, said her chief of staff, John Ferrera.

It was Aguiar-Curry who thought she was keeping intoxicating products in cannabis stores when she passed Assembly Bill 45 in 2021.

Congress in 2018 passed a bill to remove hemp from its list of controlled substances, opening the door to commercial products containing the plant. Like cannabis, hemp contains the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol.

Aguiar-Curry has said she responded to the federal law with AB 45 to both advance the industry in California and to restrict any product to having only 0.3% of THC. But Keddy and others at the time were worried that the bill could legally lead to hemp products having the same intoxicating levels as cannabis products like gummies. AB 45 had no restrictions on where the projects could be sold or the age of the purchaser.

With potent hemp products proliferating throughout the state, Aguiar-Curry returned with a bill this year hoping to take the buzz out of the industry.

The bottom line is if it gets you high, it should not be sold outside of a (cannabis) dispensary, Aguiar-Curry said this March. It shouldnt be sold on a corner store. Her bill both limited any THC in a hemp product to be sold in the open market to non-intoxicating levels. And it provided a new regulatory path for hemp-based products packed with THC to be sold in dispensaries alongside cannabis products with the same effect.

These are two common sense ideas. Thats why Democrats killed them.

The Senate is led by its Democratic Pro-Tem, Mike McGuire of Healdsburg. From what I heard, it was held by Senator McGuire out of concerns in his district, having to do with the competition between hemp and cannabis growers, Keddy said.

Attempts for a comment from McGuire and his office were unsuccessful.

They allowed the conflicts between the industries to take precedence over kids, Keddy said. Thats my read on it.

Gov. Gavin Newsoms California Department of Public Health could do more. AB 45 gave the department power to regulate THC levels in hemp products. Weve been requesting that for several years, Silver said.

Asked about hemp, the department emailed, CDPH cannot commend on proposed or pending legislation.

When it comes to hemp, Californias leading Democrats are treating the botanical as above the law. California voters in 2016 approved Proposition 64 and legalized THC products containing marijuana, not hemp. They approved a cannabis tax to generate revenues for the state while giving local governments control to permit local cultivation and sales.

As hemp emerges as an alternative to legalized cannabis, it threatens a return to the Wild West of weed. Democrats appear too conflicted to do anything. And they dont seem to care about the consequences of inaction products that can get kids seriously stoned.
A bill to outlaw the use of certain food dyes in school meals has advanced through the California Legislature and is headed for the Governors desk.

If signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, schools across the state would no longer be allowed to sell or provide food that included six chemicals that studies have shown have the potential to be harmful.

The food dyes included in the legislation are Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2 and Green Dye No. 3.

Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group co-sponsored the bill, which was drafted by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), the same California lawmaker who spearheaded the effort to ban certain additives in some processed foods from being sold in the state.

That bill came to be known for its unwanted Skittles ban moniker, despite the beloved candy being spared from the legislation.

California Governor Gavin Newsom shakes hands with Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, D-Los Angeles County, third from left, after signing Gabriel's bill that raises taxes on guns and ammunition, during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Gabriel, who is a parent to a child diagnosed with ADHD, said he found it unacceptable that we allow schools to serve foods with additives that are linked to neurobehavioral harms.

He said the bill, if signed into law, would empower schools to do more to protect the well-being of kid and encourage manufacturers to stop using the harmful additives.

California has a responsibility to protect our students from chemicals that harm children and that can interfere with their ability to learn, Gabriel said in a news release issued by Consumer Reports.

Supporters of the bill said the dyes listed in this latest bill were not chosen at random, but rather were specifically identified by the State of California as having the known risk of making some children vulnerable to behavioral difficulties and decreased attention.

While approved for consumption by the Federal Drug Administration, supporters of the bill say the FDA hasnt re-evaluated the safety of the chemical additives in decades.

According to some studies, Red Dye No. 40 in particular has been shown to pose a risk in the brain development in children, potentially causing hyperactivity and may even contribute to the likelihood of developing cancer. Consumer Reports says the dye hasnt been re-evaluated for health risks since 1971.

Pop-Tarts, sold in the U.S. and made with Red No. 40, left, and Pop-Tarts, sold in Canada and made without it, right, are displayed in New York, May 22, 2024. (Getty Images)

The FDA says color additives are safe for consumption when they are used within FDA regulations, and says its has reviewed and will continue to examine the effects of color additives on childrens behavior.

Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group, says the health of children and possible side effects of color additives should not be taken lightly.

Many children rely on school meals as a source of their daily nutrition and calorie intake, Stoiber said. Kids deserve wholesome foods that dont hinder their ability to learn, and parents deserve the confidence that the schools theyre sending their kids to arent serving them food that may harm them.

Consumer Reports and EWG both say they applauded the passage of the bill in the State Legislature and urged Gov. Newsom to sign it into law.

The FDA continues to fail to keep us safe from harmful chemicals in our food, Melanie Benesh, EWGs vice president for government affairs. In the absence of federal leadership, states like California keep stepping up to ensure our safety from toxic chemicals in snacks and other food we and our families enjoy.

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Days after Vice President Kamala Harris launched her presidential bid, a video  created with the help of artificial intelligence  went viral.

I ... am your Democrat candidate for president because Joe Biden finally exposed his senility at the debate, a voice that sounded like Harris said in the fake audio track used to alter one of her campaign ads. I was selected because I am the ultimate diversity hire.

Billionaire Elon Musk  who has endorsed Harris Republican opponent, former President Trump  shared the video on X, then said two days later that it was meant as a parody. His initial post had 136 million views. The follow-up calling the video a parody garnered 26 million views.

To Democrats, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom , the incident was no laughing matter, fueling calls for more regulation to combat AI-generated videos with political messages and a fresh debate over the appropriate role for government in trying to contain emerging technology.

On Friday, California lawmakers gave final approval to a bill that would prohibit the distribution of deceptive campaign ads or election communication within 120 days of an election. Assembly Bill 2839 targets manipulated content that would harm a candidates reputation or electoral prospects along with confidence in an elections outcome. Its meant to address videos like the one Musk shared of Harris, though it includes an exception for parody and satire.

Were looking at California entering its first-ever election during which disinformation thats powered by generative AI is going to pollute our information ecosystems like never before and millions of voters are not going to know what images, audio or video they can trust, said Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D-Santa Cruz). So we have to do something.

Newsom has signaled he will sign the bill , which would take effect immediately, in time for the November election.

The legislation updates a California law that bars people from distributing deceptive audio or visual media that intends to harm a candidates reputation or deceive a voter within 60 days of an election. State lawmakers say the law needs to be strengthened during an election cycle in which people are already flooding social media with digitally altered videos and photos known as deepfakes.

The use of deepfakes to spread misinformation has concerned lawmakers and regulators during previous election cycles. These fears increased after the release of new AI-powered tools, such as chatbots that can rapidly generate images and videos. From fake robocalls to bogus celebrity endorsement of candidates, AI-generated content is testing tech platforms and lawmakers.

Read more: Trump posted a fake Taylor Swift image. AI and deepfakes are only going to get worse this election cycle

Under AB 2839, a candidate, election committee or elections official could seek a court order to get deepfakes pulled down. They could also sue the person who distributed or republished the deceptive material for damages.

The legislation also applies to deceptive media posted 60 days after the election, including content that falsely portrays a voting machine, ballot, voting site or other election-related property in a way that is likely to undermine the confidence in the outcome of elections.

It doesnt apply to satire or parody thats labeled as such, or to broadcast stations if they inform viewers that what is depicted doesnt accurately represent a speech or event.

Tech industry groups oppose AB 2839, along with other bills that target online platforms for not properly moderating deceptive election content or labeling AI-generated content.

It will result in the chilling and blocking of constitutionally protected free speech, said Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel for NetChoice. The groups members include Google, X and Snap as well as Facebooks parent company, Meta, and other tech giants.

Read more: California lawmakers are trying to regulate AI before it's too late. Here's how

Online platforms have their own rules about manipulated media and political ads, but their policies can differ.

Unlike Meta and X, TikTok doesnt allow political ads and says it may remove even labeled AI-generated content if it depicts a public figure such as a celebrity when used for political or commercial endorsements. Truth Social, a platform created by Trump, doesnt address manipulated media in its rules about whats not allowed on its platform.

Federal and state regulators are already cracking down on AI-generated content.

The Federal Communications Commission in May proposed a $6-million fine against Steve Kramer, a Democratic political consultant behind a robocall that used AI to impersonate President Bidens voice. The fake call discouraged participation in New Hampshires Democratic presidential primary in January. Kramer, who told NBC News he planned the call to bring attention to the dangers of AI in politics, also faces criminal charges of felony voter suppression and misdemeanor impersonation of a candidate.

Szabo said current laws are enough to address concerns about election deepfakes. NetChoice has sued various states to stop some laws aimed at protecting children on social media, alleging they violate free speech protections under the 1st Amendment.

Just creating a new law doesnt do anything to stop the bad behavior; you actually need to enforce laws, Szabo said.

More than two dozen states have enacted, passed or are working on legislation to regulate deepfakes, according to the consumer advocacy nonprofit Public Citizen .

In 2019, California instituted a law aimed at combating manipulated media after a video that made it appear as if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was drunk went viral on social media. Enforcing that law has been a challenge.

We did have to water it down, said Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), who wrote the bill . It attracted a lot of attention to the potential risks of this technology, but I was worried that it really, at the end of the day, didnt do a lot.

Rather than take legal action, said Danielle Citron, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, political candidates might choose to debunk a deepfake or even ignore it to limit its spread. By the time they could go through the court system, the content might already have gone viral.

These laws are important because of the message they send. They teach us something, she said, adding that they inform people who share deepfakes that there are costs.

This year, lawmakers worked with the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy, a project of the nonprofit California Common Cause, on several bills to address political deepfakes.

Some target online platforms that have been shielded under federal law from being held liable for content posted by users.

Read more: This controversial California AI bill was amended to quell Silicon Valley fears. Heres what changed

Berman introduced a bill that requires an online platform with at least 1 million California users to remove or label certain deceptive election-related content within 120 days of an election. The platforms would have to take action no later than 72 hours after a user reports the post.

Under AB 2655 , which passed the Legislature on Wednesday, the platforms would also need procedures for identifying, removing and labeling fake content.It also doesnt apply to parody or satire or news outlets that meet certain requirements.

Another bill, co-written by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), requires online platforms to label AI-generated content. Although NetChoice and TechNet, another industry group, oppose the bill, ChatGPT maker OpenAI is supporting AB 3211 , Reuters reported.

The two bills, though, wouldnt take effect until after the election, underscoring the challenges with passing new laws as technology advances rapidly.

Part of my hope with introducing the bill is the attention that it creates, and hopefully the pressure that it puts on the social media platforms to behave right now, Berman said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
California lawmakers have approved a bill that could help strengthen regulations on the use of paraquat, a toxic weedkiller. Above, a farmworker adjusts irrigation sprinklers in the Central Valley. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

California lawmakers have approved a bill that could help strengthen regulations on the use of paraquat, a powerful weedkiller associated with Parkinson's disease and other serious health issues.

Assembly Bill 1963 was introduced in January by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), and originally sought to sunset the use of paraquat in California beginning in January 2026.

However, the final legislation has been amended so that it now will require the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to complete a reevaluation of the herbicide by Jan. 1, 2029, and determine whether to retain, cancel or suspend its registration, or to create new restrictions. The bill passed the Senate 23 to 8 and now awaits a signature from Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Paraquat is banned in more than 60 countries. Many environmental and advocacy groups had been hoping for an outright ban in California, but said the bill still marks a step forward by fast-tracking its safety review  a process that can sometimes take decades.

"We are encouraged by the progress being made in California setting the example for other states to act when it comes to evaluating the safety and toxicity of chemicals with long term neurological and other health implications," read a statement from Julia Pitcher, director of state government relations for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. "We strongly urge the passage of this legislation and look forward to Governor Newsom signing it into law soon."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes paraquat as highly toxic  noting that "one sip can kill"  yet California remains one of the nation's top users of the chemical. The state sprays millions of pounds annually on crops such as almonds, grapes and cotton.

An Environmental Working Group report published earlier this year found that the state's farmworkers and low-income Latino people, in particular, are disproportionately exposed to paraquat in their communities, with more than 5.3 million pounds sprayed in Kern County alone between 2017 and 2021.

The bill faced opposition from a coalition of opponents including pesticide manufacturers, chemical industry trade associations and agriculture trade organizations.

By the time it wound its way through the legislature, including the Senate Agriculture Committee, it had lost much of its teeth, said Bill Allayaud, California director of government affairs with EWG.

"It's still a good bill, because without this, DPR probably wouldn't do anything," he said. "Hopefully the governor will sign it and agree that this is at the top of the list for things we don't want people exposed to, especially farmworkers."

Read more: California moves to ban the use of paraquat, a powerful weedkiller

Paraquat has been the subject of thousands of lawsuits from people seeking damages related to exposure to the product, including people who say it has given them Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement.

The bill's legislative analysis notes that at least 10 epidemiological studies have linked paraquat exposure to Parkinson's disease, including a 2019 meta-analysis of 13 studies that found exposure to the herbicide was associated with a 1.64-fold increase in the risk of the disease.

Other studies have found no clear link, however, and the product's manufacturers continue to reject any claims of a connection.

In a statement, Friedman said AB 1963 will have "very real results."

"I'm happy with where the bill landed," Friedman said. "We never thought we'd get a full ban through the Legislature. But we had to push as hard as we could."

She noted that the Legislature provided the Department of Pesticide Regulation with additional funding this year with a requirement that the agency do more reevaluations of toxic chemicals.

"I have full confidence, that should AB 1963 get signed into law, that DPR will do a thorough reevaluation of paraquat, and either ban it outright, or place greater restrictions on its use," Friedman said.

Read more: Rare emergency order issued to stop use of weed killer that poses significant risk to fetuses

Advocacy groups remain committed to seeing the chemical controlled.

The EWG this week launched a campaign with the Michael J. Fox Foundation urging President Biden and the EPA to ban paraquat nationwide. The federal agency will have until Jan. 17 to make a decision.

There is some reason for optimism: The EPA last month issued a rare emergency order to stop the use of another weedkiller, dachthal, that poses a significant risk to fetuses.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
FILE - El Paso Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz talks with Celsia Palma, 9, of Honduras, as they walked to the Paso Del Norte International Port of Entry, Thursday, June, 27, 2019, in Juarez, Mexico. (AP Photo/Rudy Gutierrez)

For more than a year, religious organizations have lobbied Congress and the Biden administration to fix a sudden procedural change in how the government processes green cards for religious workers, which threatens the ability of thousands of them to continue to minister in the United States.

The Catholic Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, and five of its priests whose legal status in the United States expires as soon as next spring, have now sued the federal agencies overseeing immigration. They argue that the change will cause severe and substantial disruption to the lives and religious freedoms of the priests as well as the hundreds of thousands of Catholics they serve.

Our priests feel were doing the best we can, said Bishop Kevin Sweeney, whose dioceses covers 400,000 Catholics and 107 parishes in three New Jersey counties.

Paterson is the first diocese to bring this suit against the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said Raymond Lahoud, its attorney in the lawsuit.

But there is a buzz out there among similarly impacted religious groups, Lahoud added, because of how reliant many are on foreign-born clergy who build strong ties in their U.S. parishes.

Its so disruptive, said Bishop Mark Seitz, who chairs the committee on migration for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The group has advocated for legislative and administrative fixes because the newly extralong delays in green card processing are  not sustainable.

In his own border diocese of El Paso, Texas, Seitz is facing the possibility of losing priests whose permanent residency cases now have little chance to be approved before their visas expire. The law mandates them to leave the United States for at least a year.

One is pastor of a large, growing parish. Now Im supposed to send him away for a year, put him on ice, as it were  and somehow provide Masses? Seitz said.

To deal with a shortage of religious workers that has worsened in recent decades, American dioceses have long had agreements with foreign dioceses to bring in seminarians, priests and nuns from places as different as Poland, the Philippines and Nigeria, said the Rev. Thomas Gaunt of Georgetown Universitys Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

Most other faith denominations from Buddhism to Islam to Pentecostal Christians also recruit foreign-born clergy, for reasons ranging from the need to minister to growing non-English-speaking congregations to specialized training at foreign institutions steeped in a religions history.

Most such religious workers, in the U.S. governments definition, come under temporary visas called R-1, which allow them to work in the United States for five years. That used to be plenty enough for an organization to assess if the clergy were in fact a good fit and then petition for permanent resident status  known as green cards  for them under a special category called EB-4.

Congress establishes a maximum number of green cards available per year per category, which is generally either based on types of employment or family links to U.S. citizens. The wait time depends on whether and by how much the demand exceeds the visas available in each category.

Citizens of countries with especially high demand get put in separate, often longer lines  currently, the most backlogged category is for the married Mexican children of U.S. citizens, where only applications filed more than 24 years ago are being processed.

Neglected or abused minors from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador  a surging number of whom have sought humanitarian green cards or asylum after illegally crossing into the U.S. since the mid-2010s  were also in a separate line. But in March 2023, the State Department announced that was a mistake and immediately started adding them to the general queue with the clergy.

Thats created a backlog that currently stands at more than 3.5 years and could increase. Some estimate it could take 10-15 years to get these green cards.

This is an untenable situation, said Lance Conklin, who co-chairs the religious workers group of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and often represents evangelical pastors. The lawsuit is representative of the way a lot of people feel.

The lawyers association, together with the bishops conference and other organizations, has been lobbying for long-term Congressional fixes  which most recognize will be hard to obtain given the political sensitivity of immigration reform  as well as simpler administrative changes that the agencies could implement quickly.

Among those, attorneys and advocates say, would be allowing applicants to change ministry jobs  moving from associate pastor to senior pastor, or relocating to a different convent, for example  without losing their place in the green card line. Or the government could reduce the time they need to spend outside the United States after their visa expires before they can get another one.

We could deal with a month, Seitz said, while the current required time is 12 months.

Most organizations are staying the course for now, hoping and praying that the administration will make at least these temporary fixes  perhaps nudged by the lawsuit, filed in August in U.S. District Court in New Jersey.

Thats largely because they dont have other options.

Different employment visas and green cards are far more laborious and expensive to apply for, and many clergy dont qualify. For instance, those not receiving any salary cannot show theyre being offered prevailing wages, one of the requirements meant to protect U.S. native workers in non-religious employment categories.

That's often the case for Catholic nuns, said Mary OLeary, a Michigan attorney who represents religious orders.

A lot of religious orders are not wealthy, she said. Theyre not like Microsoft, you cant go to a business school or computer science school and recruit.

In the Archdiocese of Chicago, a nun who works as a school aid has to leave the country when her visa expires in a couple of weeks, said Olga Rojas, the archdiocese's senior counsel for immigration.

This principal is so devasted, Rojas said, adding that across the U.S. religious workers have already been forced to leave. They want to stay and finish their work."

In some cases, their organizations are trying hard to bring the religious workers back from overseas, said Miguel Naranjo, the director of Religious Immigration Services for Catholic Legal Immigration Network.

Its beyond ministry, Naranjo added, because they often provide education, healthcare, youth and other social services. 

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
MAUMERE, Indonesia (AP)  Arnoldus Yansen thought for certain he was going to become a Catholic priest, just like his older brother, cousin and uncle.

He attended St. Peter Major Seminary, a bastion of priestly vocations located in the middle of a jungle on Flores, a predominantly Catholic island in Muslim-majority Indonesia. Known familiarly as Ritapiret Seminary, St. Peter Major has produced 13 bishops, more than 580 diocesan priests and 23 deacons in nearly 70 years of existence.

But Yansen wont be among them. He tried to shake off what he thought were last-minute jitters before entering the priesthood. Instead, Yansen took off his clerical robes for good and joined the hundreds of prospective priests who resign or fail to take up Catholic vocations every year in Indonesia.

I felt like I didnt fit in anymore and that I would be able to do more if I left, said Yansen, 26, who is now an administrator at a Catholic school, Ledalero Institute of Philosophy and Creative Technology.

Pope Francis upcoming trip to Indonesia is putting a spotlight on the 8.6 million Catholics who make up 3% of the population. Its a country where religious minorities remain on edge due to militant attacks that have targeted faith groups.

More men are entering seminary, but Yansen and others like him show that Indonesia is not immune from trends contributing to the Catholic Churchs global priest shortage, including fallout from the clergy sex abuse crisis and the pull of the fast-paced modern world.

The number of priests is never enough, said the Rev. Guidelbertus Tanga, rector of St. Peter Major Seminary, which is considered the largest Catholic seminary in the world by enrollment.

In Indonesia, there 2,466 diocesan priests in Indonesia in 2022, up from 2,203 in 2017, according to Vatican statistics as of Dec. 31, 2022, the last year for which data is available. That number is supplemented by even more religious order priests, such as Jesuits or Franciscans, whose numbers reached 3,437 in 2022.

But Tanga noted that Indonesias population growth is outpacing priesthood vocations. We will continue to face a shortage of priests in the future if nothing is done now.

Asia, along with Africa, has long been seen as the future of the Catholic Church, both in terms of the number of baptized faithful and the number of men and women who decide to become priests or nuns.

The Philippines and India outpace Indonesia. But compared to all of Asia, the number of seminarians in Indonesia is growing while it levels off or declines across the continent.

While the Catholic Church is faced with priest-less parishes in many parts of the world, Ritapiret Seminary is overwhelmed with applicants.

Men training to be diocesan priests typically spend six to eight years in the seminary, and two years of pastoral work, before ordination. Less than 20 seminarians can be ordained each year, Tanga said.

To answer Gods calling and to choose a life as (a) priest remain something fascinating for people in this region, Tanga said. And yet we still appeal (to) youths to have courage to make a decision to take up church vocation, and the support from their families and society.

He knows monastic life isnt for everyone. Some consider taking up a vocation to be too dull when compared to more modern ways of life.

Tanga said seminaries are now being challenged to brand and promote themselves to encourage young people to become priests. The school with 62 lecturers  more than half of whom are priests  is now a college where the public can study digital technology, economics, and how to become Catholic religion teachers.

During Pope John Paul II's visit to Indonesia in 1989, he hailed the faithfulness of people in Flores and the flourishing number of priests and nuns. He praised the seminarians in Ritapiret, saying: You must also understand that faithful service to Christ and his Church will not always earn you the worlds praise. On the contrary, you will sometimes receive the same treatment as the Lord: rejection, contempt, and even persecution."

Now a saint, the room he spent the night in at the seminary has become a spiritual tourism destination.

Inosentius Mansur, who is on the seminary staff, said their data shows that the Catholic priest shortage is not caused by a loss of resources, but by a loss of moral commitment.

Sex abuse scandals and other unflattering news reports emerging from the Vatican and elsewhere contributed to Yansens decision to leave the path to priesthood, he said.

Beyond the internal challenges, violent attacks are also a concern of the church in Indonesia. Although the country promotes itself as a bastion of tolerance in the Muslim world, a small extremist fringe has become more vocal in recent years.

In 2021, a militant couple blew themselves up outside a packed Catholic cathedral on Indonesias Sulawesi island during a Palm Sunday Mass, wounding at least 20 people.

Bishop Siprianus Hormat of Ruteng said he still believes that most Indonesians are tolerant unless something triggers a conflict, and that the country has a pluralist society that respects freedom of religion.

In general, acts or behaviors of intolerance are still there, but on a small scale, Hormat said. This is actually not a problem that is purely related to religious issue, but it was used to fuel peoples anger to oppress their political rivals or those who dont agree with them.

Though religious freedom is protected by Indonesias constitution, members of religious minorities and atheists have been increasingly subjected to discrimination.

Diversity of Indonesia is a reality that we cannot deny, Hormat said. We cannot tolerate any actions that aim to eliminate certain religion or race from this country.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom said in its annual report in January that blasphemy allegations and convictions remain persistent religious freedom violations throughout Indonesia.

The report said a new criminal code that will be implemented in 2026 will further criminalize blasphemy and expand on other violations. There also are concerns about local government initiatives to codify discrimination against minority communities gaining traction. In some schools, there are religious clothing mandates, including wearing a hijab, even for non-Muslim girls.

We believe in what Jesus said, that even though this world ends, my kingdom there will be no end, said Tanga, the seminarys rector, adding that the Catholic Church, though it has been through crises before, will never become extinct.

It means the vocations to become a priest and dedication to the service of Christ and his church will never wane, he said.

___

Associated Press writer Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
DENVER (KDVR)  Police are asking the public for help in the search for three suspects who were caught on camera stealing a motorcycle out of a garage in Commerce City.

The Commerce City Police Department shared a video of the incident, in which three suspects are shown at the scene. Two of them were armed with what CCPD described as a handgun and an AR-style rifle.

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We always take property crime seriously but when you bring an AR-style rifle to a home burglary/motor vehicle theft, we cant help but wonder how much worse this could have been and how dangerous you really are, the police department wrote on Facebook Friday.

The theft happened overnight Wednesday into Thursday in the Eagle Creek neighborhood, according to police.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

The garage door was accidentally left open, police said, and the thieves walked into the garage with weapons pointed, and walked out with a black 2006 Yamaha motorcycle.

Police are asking the public for help in the search for three suspects who were caught on camera stealing a motorcycle out of a Commerce City garage. Two of them were armed with what police described as a handgun and an AR-style rifle. (Commerce City Police Department)

Police are asking the public for help in the search for three suspects who were caught on camera stealing a motorcycle out of a Commerce City garage. Two of them were armed with what police described as a handgun and an AR-style rifle. (Commerce City Police Department)

Police are asking the public for help in the search for three suspects who were caught on camera stealing a motorcycle out of a Commerce City garage. Police believe the getaway vehicle is a dark-colored, older-model Ford pickup truck with a silver stripe on the bottom. (Commerce City Police Department)

Police are asking the public for help in the search for three suspects who were caught on camera stealing a motorcycle out of a Commerce City garage. Two of them were armed with what police described as a handgun and an AR-style rifle. (Commerce City Police Department)

Police are asking the public for help in the search for three suspects who were caught on camera stealing a motorcycle out of a Commerce City garage. Two of them were armed with what police described as a handgun and an AR-style rifle. (Commerce City Police Department)

Police are asking the public for help in the search for three suspects who were caught on camera stealing a motorcycle out of a Commerce City garage. Two of them were armed with what police described as a handgun and an AR-style rifle. (Commerce City Police Department)

Police are asking the public for help in the search for three suspects who were caught on camera stealing a motorcycle out of a Commerce City garage. Police believe the getaway vehicle is a dark-colored, older-model Ford pickup truck with a silver stripe on the bottom. (Commerce City Police Department)

Police are asking the public for help in the search for three suspects who were caught on camera stealing a motorcycle out of a Commerce City garage. Two of them were armed with what police described as a handgun and an AR-style rifle. (Commerce City Police Department)

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Police believe the getaway vehicle is a dark-colored, older-model Ford pickup truck with a silver stripe on the bottom.

Anyone who has information about the incident, or can identify the suspects or suspect vehicle, is asked to contact the CCPD tip line at 303-289-3626. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)  South Carolina takes the spotlight today as the nation celebrates National South Carolina Day, a day dedicated to honoring the rich history, natural beauty, and vibrant culture of the Palmetto State. From the charming Lowcountry to the scenic Upstate, this day is a tribute to all that makes South Carolina unique.

The Palmetto State, named after the state tree that played a crucial role in the American Revolution, is renowned for its picturesque coastal towns, charming Lowcountry, and historic cities like Charleston and Columbia. From the rolling hills of the Upstate to the sandy shores of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina offers a diverse range of experiences for residents and visitors alike.

National South Carolina Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the states historical significance. As one of the original 13 colonies, South Carolina played a pivotal role in the founding of the United States. The states history is marked by key events such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence by South Carolina delegates, the Civil Wars first shots at Fort Sumter, and the states leadership in the civil rights movement.

In addition to its historical importance, South Carolina is celebrated for its contributions to the arts, cuisine, and outdoor recreation. The state is a culinary hotspot, famous for its Lowcountry cuisine, which includes dishes like shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, and Frogmore stew. South Carolinas barbecue tradition, particularly its mustard-based sauce, is a source of pride for many residents.

The arts also flourish in South Carolina, with numerous festivals, galleries, and theaters showcasing local talent. Charleston, in particular, is known for its vibrant arts scene.

South Carolinians take pride in their natural environment, from the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains to the serene marshes of the Lowcountry. The states numerous parks, forests, and coastal areas offer many opportunities for hiking, fishing, boating, and wildlife watching.

As South Carolina residents and admirers commemorate the day, its a time to not only honor the states past but also to look forward to its future. Whether youre a lifelong resident or a visitor passing through, National South Carolina Day is a perfect occasion to appreciate the charm, history, and hospitality that make this state so special.

So today, raise a glass of sweet tea, enjoy some local barbecue, and take a moment to celebrate everything that makes South Carolina a place like no other.

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Celebration of life held for 5-year-old who died in Portland Ave. arson

Editors note: This celebration was live streamed on this page at 12:00 p.m. You can watch the full celebration in the video player at the bottom of this page.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  A celebration of life is being held at the Caanan Baptist Church of Christ for Malakai Stovall  a 5-year-old boy who died as a result of an arson on Portland Avenue.

Malakai Stovall, say his name: family of five-year-old who died after house fire faces sisters accused of setting the fire in court

Two sisters, Tiakalya and Taquida Hendrix, were both arrested and accused of this arson. They were arraigned in court, and both plead not guilty.

Malakai died three days after the fire. His family remembered him as a kid that wasnt afraid of anything.

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BALMORHEA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)  Residents from across Balmorhea and the surrounding area attended the first annual Balmorhea Labor Day Parade, with the theme of Honoring Workforce Heroes: Past, Present, & Future.

The parade began at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 31, featuring 31 vibrant floats that showcased the achievements and contributions of the community. This included local figures like Sara Stognar, who is currently running for office, and the undefeated Balmorhea Bears. While 83 participants cancelled due to weather conditions, Reeves County said it still highlighted the diversity and dedication of the local workforce.

Parade segments included:

Past: Historical labor movements and key figures with vintage attire and props.

Present: A tribute to current workers, including educators, first responders, and other essential roles.

Future: Innovations and the next generation of workers, featuring drones, oil & gas equipment, and educational programs.

Post-parade activities included: Annual washer tournament, dances and live DJ music, local food trucks and vendors, childrens activities including games and face painting, water canal and picnic areas, Balmorhea Lake activities and a pie-eating contest, as well as a Local Business Showcase.

Balmorhea State Park celebrates 100 years of state parks

Reeves County said the Balmorhea Labor Day Parade celebrates the dedication and hard work of our communitys past, present, and future workforce. With contributions from various local groups and businesses, the parade aims to engage and honor those who keep our communities thriving.

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(KRON)  A recent construction project at the Presidio Park in San Francisco turned into a cannonball run of sorts.

SF legislation proposed to combat chaotic sideshows

In August, a diverse team of experts discovered two century-old cannonballs buried at the Presidio Fire Station. The team quickly secured the area, working together to handle the rare find. KRON4 News wanted to dig deeper into the discovery, so we spoke with the Presidio Trust to uncover the story and a bit of history.

On Aug. 9th, at around 3 p.m., the Department of Public Safety was alerted about the cannonballs, referred to as an unexploded ordnance (UXO), said Bob Menezes, Internal Communications Manager for the Presidio Trust. The Presidio Trust Safety Officer, U.S. Park Police, and Fire Inspector arrived on the scene to establish a 300-foot safety perimeter around the area.

The Presidio Trusts Department of Public Safety, the National Park Police, and the National Park Service teamed up with the Travis Air Force Base Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit to assess the cannonballs. The EOD experts confirmed that the UXO posed no threat and provided guidance on containment, removal, and disposal, according to Rob Thomson, Federal Preservation Officer at the Presidio Trust.

Photo courtesy of Presidio Trust.

Photo courtesy of Presidio Trust.

Thomson shed light on the possible origin of the cannonballs. These cannonballs likely date to after the Civil War when the U.S. Army began transitioning from smoothbore artillery to rifled artillery, Thomson explained. This shift rendered spherical cannonballs obsolete, so the Army repurposed them as decorative elements, often lining curbs and sidewalks with them. A circa 1925 photo of the Presidio Fire Station on Lincoln Boulevard (built in 1917 and still in use) shows one such cannonball curb, a common landscape feature in the Presidio from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

Photo Credit: Golden Gate NRA, Park Archives, Durenmatt Family Papers, GOGA 17729

Thomson noted theres a good chance that the unearthed cannonballs are the same as the ones shown in the above photo, as the curb stretched through the current excavation area.

So, what other buried treasures have been found over the years? Plenty, according to Menezes. The Presidio is a National Historic Landmark District with over two centuries of military use and many more centuries of human occupation, making it rich in archaeological resources. Trust archaeologists spend significant time protecting these deposits from construction activity by closely monitoring work crews during digging.

As for the cannonballs, since they were confirmed as safe but were badly corroded, they will be discarded. Examples of similar cannonballs are currently on display at Pershing Square in the Main Post of Presidio Park, just north of the flagpole.

Want to explore even further? Materials discovered over the years during monitoring activities and archaeological research excavations can be found online here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WBTW)  South Carolina is changing its blue crab fishing laws for 2025 to improve sustainability and prevent overfishing, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Fishing for blue crabs was largely unregulated in the past in South Carolina. The changes, which go into effect in July, will impact recreational crabbers:

Recreational crabbers may harvest a limit of one bushel of crabs per person per day or two bushels per boat: Previously, there was no harvest limit. The DNR said research suggests that most recreational crabbers harvest well under a bushel of crabs each day. Crab pots must have escape rings for undersized crabs: Single-chambered crab pots must have at least one escape ring, while two-chambered pots must have two rings, at least one of which must be in the upper chamber, the DNR said. These vents/rings provide a means of escape for undersized crabs and other small marine animals. They were already required in commercial traps, and many recreational traps are already sold with escape rings standard. Recreational crabbers may purchase an annual enhanced recreational crab trap endorsement ($5) to fish up to five crab pots: A recreational saltwater fishing license currently allows holders to fish up to two crab pots. For those who like to crab for family and friends but do not intend to sell them commercially, this new endorsement will allow up to five crab pots per person.

DNR officials conducted a public meeting in Murrells Inlet last October to talk about declines in the blue crab population. Those who attended the meeting said there needed to be more limitations and increased monitoring to help protect the crab population.

Celebrating National South Carolina Day: A tribute to the Palmetto State

DNR officials say the blue crab decline occurs mainly in the fall and that water temperature and salinity impact the population. The decline has been happening since the 1990s.

For more information, email marine@dnr.sc.gov.

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New charges filed against man accused of sexually assaulting 2 victims

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD)  New charges have been filed against a 28-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old and his former fiance.

Walter Clayton Pate was arrested on Aug. 28 by Charleston police on two counts of voyeurism in the first degree. News 2 has contacted police to clarify whether the charges are connected to the previous case.

Pate was released after posting a $25,000 bond.

He was previously arrested on July 13 for criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, attempted murder, and voyeurism.

Those charges stem from two separate incidents.

Charleston officers responded to the Medical University of South Carolina Emergency Room for reports of a sexual assault. The 19-year-old victim spoke with police and a sexual assault examiner nurse, detailing her account of being sexually assaulted.

Pate was later identified as the suspect and apprehended. At a bond hearing, Pates former fiance spoke, explaining her experiences of being sexually assaulted by Pate.

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In Charlotte, Harris-Walz campaign to tout financial relief plan for working families

The Harris-Walz campaign will tout its financial relief plan for working families during a stop in Charlotte on Tuesday.

Headliners will include U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, U.S. Rep. Alma Adams of Charlotte and Charlotte city council member Dimple Ajmera, according to a campaign news release on Saturday.

Charlotte parents Manolo Betancur and Stacy Staggs also are scheduled to speak at the 3 p.m. news conference. The location wasnt announced.

In Raleigh Aug 16, Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled her plan to lower costs for families by restoring the child tax credit. The plan would provide up to a $3,600 per-child annual tax credit for middle-class families.

During her Raleigh appearance, Harris also announced new policies to address high food, prescription drug and housing costs, The News & Observer reported at the time.

Her proposals also include a first-time banning of corporate price gouging in the food and grocery industries and providing up to $25,000 in down-payment assistance for first-time home buyers.

The press conference, albeit by surrogates for the Harris-Walz campaign, shows the increasing attention being paid to North Carolina as the election nears. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, had a clear lead in the state before President Joe Biden dropped out and endorsed Harris to succeed him. Since then, most polls show that the state has become an important tossup.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president, was in Raleigh on Thursday to visit campaign workers and attend a fundraiser, and Trump is expected in Charlotte in coming days to address the annual board of trustees meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police.
CHICAGO  A woman is dead after a drive-by shooting where a CCL holder returned fire on the shooter, according to the Chicago Police Department.

CPD said a 49-year-old woman was on the porch of a residence in the 11800 block of South Indiana Avenue in the citys West Pullman neighborhood around 9:30 p.m. Friday, when a male opened fire while driving a dark colored SUV.

A 38-year-old man, who police said is a CCL holder and was also on the porch, returned fire before the male in the SUV fled the scene.

The 49-year-old woman was shot in the face and arm, leading to Chicago firefighters to take her in critical condition to Roseland Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

The Cook County Coroners Office later identified the victim as Katrina Brown.

2 Chicago women awaiting trial for theft caught shoplifting again in Oak Brook

The 38-year-old CCL holder was not injured in the exchange of gunfire.

According to CPD, they recovered a handgun, but have no suspects in custody.

If you or someone you know has information that can help lead CPD toward making an arrest and conviction in the investigation of this incident, anonymous tips can be filed online at cpdtip.com.

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The Chinese and Philippine Coast Guards traded blame over the latest collisions involving their vessels in the disputed South China Sea on Saturday.

The Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) said a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship had deliberately collided with one of its vessels near the disputed Sabina Shoal, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

At 12:06, the Philippine ship No. 9701 deliberately collided with the Chinese ship No. 5205, which was normally enforcing rights and law enforcement, in an unprofessional and dangerous manner, resulting in a collision. The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines, CCG spokesman Liu Dejun said on Saturday.

PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela said the Chinese side had deliberately rammed a Philippines vessel.

This afternoon, the Chinese Coast Guard vessel deliberately rammed and collided with the BRP Teresa Magbanua three times, despite no provocation from the Philippine Coast Guard, he wrote in a post on X.

The dueling accounts come as Chinese and Philippine vessels have engaged in multiple collisions and face-offs over the past week near Sabina Shoal, also known as Xianbin Reef.

The disputed atoll lies just 86 miles from the Philippines west coast and 745 miles from China.

A spokesperson for the US State Department said it condemned China for deliberately colliding three times with the Philippine vessel.

On multiple occasions throughout August 2024, (China) has aggressively disrupted lawful Philippine aerial and maritime operations in the South China Sea, including at Sabina Shoal, said the spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Miller added that the US called on China to comply with international law and desist from dangerous and destabilizing conduct.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea as its sovereign territory despite an international ruling to the contrary.

The escalation in tensions comes just weeks after Beijing and Manila struck a temporary deal to lower tensions that had been rising all summer at another nearby reef, where Chinas increasingly aggressive tactics had raised alarm across the region as well as in Washington, a mutual defense ally of the Philippines.

With reporting by Nectar Gan and Brad Lendon.

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Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden allowed the deal through with minor conditions - Jack Taylor/Getty Images

A Chinese-backed project to build one of Britains biggest battery storage facilities has been given the green light after a national security review.

Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, last week approved a deal for a joint venture to develop an 80-megawatt storage plant near Grimsby.

The deal is financed by the US giant BlackRock and KX Power, a UK-registered asset manager run by a former Chinese diplomat and with links to Chinese investors.

It was reviewed under national security laws but allowed through with minor conditions, according to a Government notice. It is one of the first national security reviews decided by the Government since Labour came to power.

A security notice published last week said that the Government had required KXP to notify the Cabinet Office if it changes the power offtaker  the party buying power from the site  which would also be subject to restrictions around data sharing.

KX Power describes itself as a leading developer and asset manager of utility scale energy storage.

Its joint venture with BlackRock has said it plans to build up to two gigawatt-hours of storage capacity, which would make it one of the countrys largest operators of grid batteries.

KX Power is run by Zhe Zhang, a former Goldman Sachs banker who previously worked for Chinas Ministry of Commerce.

According to an SEC filing, Mr Zhang worked for the department in Europe for 14 years before working in Goldmans Beijing office, where he led multiple overseas acquisitions by Chinese state-owned enterprises and listed companies.

KX Power does not list its investors, and UK filings identify its overseas parent entities as controlling the company.

One shareholder is a British Virgin Islands company called Infinity-Star Holdings. US stock market filings list Infinity Star as potentially being subject to national security scrutiny by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which reviews foreign transactions.

Executives at KX Power are also listed as working at Still Waters Green Technology (SWGT), a renewable energy investor owned by Hong Kong investor Sift Capital.

Sift Capital, which is regulated by authorities in Hong Kong and China, was also founded by Dr Zhang. Its website says it has strategic partnership[s] with Chinese sovereign wealth funds and state-owned enterprises. It is registered at the same London address as KX Power.

Sift Capital also has a joint venture with Everbright, the state-owned investment giant. Stephen Markscheid, the former head of GE Capital in Asia, previously worked as KX Powers chairman, while its executives include renewable energy and investment veterans.

National security laws introduced by the previous government have seen a slew of Chinese deals blocked. The majority of the 15 deals blocked, reversed or allowed through with conditions during the laws first year involved Chinese companies.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, has vowed to overhaul relations with China, and has reportedly been planning to visit the country.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy is reportedly planning a trip to China for September - REUTERS/Mina Kim

KX Power did not respond to requests for comment on its investors. BlackRock did not comment.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: Following a detailed national security assessment, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has allowed the proposed acquisition of control of an 80-megawatt battery energy storage system by KXP Immingham Limited, through the granting of an Ofgem electricity generation licence to proceed, subject to necessary and proportionate measures to address national security concerns.

A public notice containing details of the final order has been published on Gov.uk.

The Government said national security reasons meant it could not comment further.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster considers that these measures mitigate any risks to national security in relation to: the security of a future United Kingdom electricity asset; and preventing disruption of services provided to the [grid], the notice said.

KX Power was granted an electricity generation licence by Ofgem last year.

The battery facility would be able to store 160 megawatt hours, equivalent to the daily electricity consumption of around 20,000 houses.

The 80 megawatts it would supply to the grid would place it among the biggest facilities in operation today, although there are plans for sites of up to 450 megawatts to be built in Britain in the coming years.

SWGT has invested in a separate battery storage facility in Swindon.

BlackRock said in 2022 it was investing up to 200m in the joint venture.

China is the worlds biggest investor in renewable energy and Chinese companies have heavily backed a number of UK projects including offshore wind and electric car batteries. However, the UK bought China out of the Sizewell nuclear project in 2022 amid rising tensions.

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City of Albuquerque hosts fundraiser to provide school supplies for kids in need

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  The City of Albuquerque hosted its annual Clothing Bank and Supply Barn Fundraiser on Friday. The city teamed up with the Corporate Volunteer Council of New Mexico which is an association comprised of business, government, and nonprofit employees.

Office buildings at Central and San Mateo could bring some relief to housing crisis

The goal of the fundraiser is to provide kids with much-needed supplies for the fall season. Together, they raised over $26,000 and donated dozens of boxes filled with supplies and backpacks.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  The City of Birmingham is once again taking legal action against Monarch Ridge Apartments property owners due to its history of violent crime.

The city attorneys office submitted an emergency temporary restraining order and injunction against Steele Valley Brook, LLC. Within the documents, the city claims that the property owners have failed to safeguard the apartments residents against gun violence, assaults and illegal activity.

The city is seeking vital upgrades to the property, including 24/7 security, a surveillance system linked to BPDs Real Time Crime Center and license plate reading technology. Additionally, access to the property would be restricted to residents and approved visitors.

Birmingham man arrested in cold case involving woman who was stabbed to death 24 years ago in Georgia

If the defendants fail to comply with these demands, the city wants the property to be sold. The city filed a similar suit in 2021, which resulted in a settlement agreement.

This action comes after a fight at the apartment complex on Aug. 20 led to over 150 shots being fired, leaving 21-year-old Asia Poole dead as well as cars and apartment units damaged.

Reportedly, the Birmingham Police Department has responded to over 300 calls relating to crimes against persons and property damage within the past two years.

The full lawsuit can be read below:

FilingDownload

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City, County accuse Las Cruces hospital of violating lease

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  A notice of material breach was delivered to Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces on Thursday, Aug. 29, following allegations that the hospital turned away cancer patients who couldnt afford treatment.

As we previously reported, the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) launched an investigation into the Memorial Medical Center last month, after being accused of refusing to treat cancer patients, denying or requiring full upfront payments from several uninsured or Medicaid-eligible patients, failing to screen patients for financial assistance, and denying medical services to patients, violating New Mexico law.

Las Cruces hospital accused of refusing treatment to cancer patients

During a news conference held Friday morning, Aug. 30, the Las Cruces City Manager Ikani Taumoepeau addressed the notice of breach and said the City would hold itself and its partners accountable, according to a news release sent by the City of Las Cruces.

The Citys legal team alleges Memorial Medical Center violated the lease agreement which calls for them to provide expanded health care services to those unable to pay the full cost of healthcare services rendered to them. The agreement also calls for the hospital to prepare a monthly cost report for lessors and the operating board of the costs of expanded care during the previous month served along with number of patients served, read the news release.

The City is demanding that Memorial Medical Center:

Provide all documents related to requests made for expanded care between years 2018 and 2024.

Provide all documents relating to Memorial Medical Centers denial of requests for expanded care services in the same timeframe.

Provide all documents relating to annual capital expenditures in connection with the operation of the hospital.

Provide all reports setting forth the costs of expanded care services provided between 2018 and 2024.

Develop an annual report describing the fulfillment of the lessees obligations under the lease by September 30, 2024.

Provide all annual reports describing the fulfillment of the lessees obligation under the lease developed for the years 2018 through 2024.

Provide a detailed outline of its plan to remedy the defaults identified regarding the denial to provide expanded care services within 30 days or an explanation why it cannot within 30 days.

Both City and County leaders agreed that they would like to see Memorial Medical Center meet its obligations and continue to serve vulnerable populations in the community, according to the news release.

KTSM reached out to Memorial Medical Center and provided the following statement:

Memorial Medical Center received the notice of breach from the City of Las Cruces late yesterday. We believe we are compliant and have not breached the terms of the lease and asset purchase agreements and are responding in accordance with the obligations outlined in both. Our hospital is committed to a positive partnership with the City of Las Cruces and Dona Ana County and working together to build a healthier community, today and into the future. We will continue collaborating with the City and County to identify and resolve any areas of concern as quickly as possible. Memorial Medical Center

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The City of El Paso was awarded the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) 2024 Excellence in Economic Development Gold Award, the City announced in a news release on Friday, Aug. 30.

The City was selected from over 500 applicants and recognized for its outstanding efforts in fostering economic recovery and resilience through the innovative Business One-Stop-Shop (BOSS) Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESO) Network, according to the news release.

The City said the BOSS initiative, launched on June 8, 2021, by the Citys Economic and International Development Department, has been instrumental in strengthening El Pasos small business community.

We are absolutely thrilled to announce this years award winners. These exceptional projects showcase remarkable dedication and ingenuity within the field, said Kevin Kramer, chair of IEDCs Excellence in Economic Development Awards advisory committee. El Pasos contributions will leave a lasting impact and demonstrate its commitment to creating positive change for its residents.

This award is a testament to the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of our community, said Mirella Tamayo, Economic Development assistant director. The success of the BOSS initiative reflects the collective effort of our dedicated team and partners who are committed to ensuring that El Pasos small businesses thrive. We are honored to be recognized on an international stage and will continue to work tirelessly to support and grow our local economy.

The IEDC annually seeks out economic development organizations, government entities, initiatives and programs that have demonstrated consistent, exemplary performance in the economic development profession, according to the City.

The City said these awards highlight projects that significantly impact the revitalization of communities and shape the future of economic development.

The Excellence in Economic Development Awards program showcases transformative projects that significantly impact communities. The awards are presented annually at the IEDC Conference and through various communication channels, read the news release.

For more information visit, ElPasoTexas.gov under the Economic and International Development tab.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Its a very big day for the Lake Mary Little League All Star players, their manager and the rest of the staff.

The community has rallied behind the team for weeks, and today, theyll take center stage once again during a hometown parade and celebration.

Channel 9s Geovany Dias has been in Lake Mary since before the sun came up Saturday.

READ: Lake Mary All-Stars parade: What to know & how to watch

Folks arrived to the parade route hours before the event was set to begin Saturday morning.

He has been watching folks arriving early to claim spots along the parade route and town officials putting the finishing touches on this very special day.

The event is expected to bring thousands of people to downtown Lake Mary.

READ: Gods got me: Lake Mary baseball world champ talks overcoming obstacles

The celebration kicks off on Lake Mary Avenue and heads onto Country Club Road. The parade then takes a right onto Crystal Lake Avenue before heading down 4th Street, and ending on Lakeview Avenue.

The parade is set for 10 a.m. Saturday in Downtown Lake Mary.

Because of the parade, several roads will be shut down for traffic.

READ: SunRail offers free rides for Lake Mary All-Stars parade

The Lake Mary Police and Fire Departments will be on hand to coordinate traffic and crowds.

They also have partnerships with other law enforcement agencies to make sure everyone stays safe.

The parade kicks off at 10 a.m.

READ: Dunkin Donuts celebrates Lake Mary All-Stars with baseball-themed donuts

If you cant make it in person, Channel 9 will give you a front row seat from your living room.

Watch the action beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday on WFTV.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  The City of Austin said Friday that amendments to the Austin City Charter are no longer on the November 2024 ballot, a city spokesperson told KXAN in a statement.

This comes after a lawsuit was filed against Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Austin City Council, which challenged all 13 amendments on the Austin City Charter. That lawsuit said Watson and the city council violated the Texas Open Meetings Act when adding those amendments to the November ballot, a news release from the Save Our Springs Alliance said on Aug. 19.

Austin voters likely to see 13 proposed charter changes on November ballot

A temporary injunction was issued Friday on that lawsuit between Save Our Springs Alliance and the city.

In the signed temporary injunction, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble said the city did not provide adequate notice during its Aug. 14 city council meeting to approve the special election. Therefore, the judge decided the city did not comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act.

In that meeting earlier this month, Austin City Council added those 13 amendments as propositions that were going to appear at the end of the ballot ticket.

A city spokesperson released the following statement to KXAN, which can be read below:

Due to recent court decisions, the City has decided it is in the best interest of the public that the special election on charter amendments not be included in the upcoming election. To be clear, the Citys general election for council offices and the special election on disannexations will remain on the November ballot. Staff is responsible for notice and posting language for agendas. Staff takes full responsibility for any inconsistency with the Texas Open Meetings Act and, as such, staff will ensure that future council action items are posted to provide notice and opportunity for public comment in full compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act. City of Austin spokesperson

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Clackamas Countys new deflection program is set to begin on Sept. 1 following trouble receiving funding in early August.

The program, which is aimed at helping people with substance use disorders to avoid criminal justice, faced a rocky start after it was denied funding from the state.

Clackamas was the only county whose drug deflection plan was initially denied however shortly after, the plan received approval with changes.

Traffic expected on I-5 Saturday due to Ducks, Beavers games

We intend for this program to open doors to treatment opportunities that Measure 110 never could, said Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth. I am confident lives will be saved by the work done by our law enforcement and community-based partners, and our goal is to get people into treatment and back into the community.

This all follows the approval of House Bill 4002 which Tina Kotek signed earlier in 2024 and which expands the funding for substance abuse treatments across Oregon and recriminalizes hard drugs, like methamphetamine.

Clackamas Countys plan requires that when a person with drugs is identified by police and given a court date, the officer now has the ability to refer them to the deflection program, based on the persons eligibility and willingness to participate in the program, the person with drugs wont be charged with any crimes and will be fully entered into the program.

Someone with drugs could be denied entry depending on the initial police report, prior criminal history or their current involvement with relevant county and non-profit partners, the county said.

Anyone who is unsuccessful with deflection, or who is not offered deflection, is given the opportunity to enter a discharge process done through community court, the county said, which can lead to the case being dismissed with terms that are decided at the time of the conditional discharge.

Law enforcement braces for Oregon law criminalizing hard drugs starting Sunday

If someone fails the conditional discharge process or elects to try their case in circuit court, they will be convicted and subject to 18 months of monitored probation, officials said.

After the full plan was approved in early August, Wentworth said that he had faith that this plan would work.

We know this is an experiment, Wentworth said. And this is the program that we put together that we believe because weve tried it before  weve done it before  we believe it will work.

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CLEVELAND (WJW)  Cleveland police say a 83-year-old woman who walked away from her home Friday afternoon has been found.

Bettye Swanson is described as a Black woman standing 5-foot-6, weighing 130 pounds and having gray hair and brown eyes, according to an alert from police.

Roofer shocked when ladder touches live wire at Saybrook Township job site

Swanson walked away from her East 146th Street home just before 2 p.m. on Friday, according to the alert.

1 dead in police-involved shooting in Cleveland Heights

Friday night, Cleveland police confirmed that she was found safely.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
In the classic 1995 Simpsons episode Who Shot Mr Burns?, the devious Montgomery Burns conspires to increase his vast fortune by forcing Springfield to pay for round-the-clock heat and electricity by blocking out the sun.

Since the beginning of time, man has yearned to destroy the sun, he says. I will do the next best thing: block it out! His plot to blot out our stars rays, using a giant mirror on top of a mountain, is decried by his assistant, Smithers, as crossing the line from everyday villainy to cartoonish supervillainy.

While attempts to alter the climate by interfering with the sun were once fodder for cartoons or science fiction novels, todays scientists are actively considering the idea for a more altruistic purpose.

By finding a safe way to dim the suns rays, advocates argue humans could bring about a controlled period of global cooling, mitigating the catastrophic impacts of climate change.

Theoretical approaches include releasing particles into the upper atmosphere that deflect the worst of the suns radiation, thinning high-altitude clouds that contribute to the greenhouse effect, or even building vast mirrors in space to block the Suns light.

The idea of attempting radical geoengineering has proved controversial, with academics concerned about the risks involved in manipulating our planets atmosphere rather than focusing on emissions reduction.

But with growing fears the world could fail to limit global warming to 2C, the British Government is preparing to put taxpayer cash from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) towards field trials that can test whether sci-fi climate engineering could become a reality.

Aria is an innovation lab that was the brainchild of Dominic Cummings, the former No 10 adviser to Boris Johnson. Armed with 800m, it is tasked with pursuing scientific research to unlock breakthroughs at the edge of the possible.

The initiative is modelled on the US research agency Darpa, launched at the height of the Cold War, whose cutting-edge research contributed to the development of GPS, drones and the personal computer.

Aria has set out to tackle high-risk, high-reward scientific endeavours, from building humanoid robots to developing brain implants.

But it is the agencys climate work that is raising eyebrows among academics. In a programme thesis, developed by Glasgow Universitys Professor Mark Symes, Aria calls for proposals exploring options for actively cooling the Earth.

The thesis notes that engaging in such engineering would be a matter of risk vs risk, acknowledging there is debate as to whether society must buy time by manipulating certain variables to reduce global temperatures on a short-to-medium term basis.

Critics argue that developing geoengineering technologies as a solution to climate change is fraught with ethical problems. The risks include diverting resources from cutting carbon emissions, or creating false hope that a deus ex machina solution will emerge to save the planet.

Others worry that if a technology was developed, it would be impossible to garner international agreement on how to use it. Worse still, the cure could prove worse than the poison, resulting in unforeseen and catastrophic consequences for the biosphere.

Symes, however, insists the work we are going to fund is not designed as a substitute for decarbonisation. It is instead intended to provide fundamental research in case mankind trips over a tipping point that leads to sudden, uncontrollable global warming.

It will also research the legal, ethical, governance and geopolitical dimensions of different approaches to geoengineering.

Not everyone in the research community is convinced. In 2022, 500 scientists signed an open letter calling for a global moratorium on research into solar geoengineering. The speculative possibility of future solar geoengineering risks becoming a powerful argument for industry lobbyists, climate denialists, and some governments to delay decarbonisation policies, they said.

Solar geoengineering is fraught with so many uncertainties, both politically and physically, says Jeroen Oomen, assistant professor at Utrecht University and one of the letters signatories. The prospect of solar geoengineering provides another avenue to suggest that fundamental changes to our political and economic systems can be avoided or postponed.

While Arias paper does not push for any specific method for cooling the planet, it does provide some not exhaustive examples. These include marine cloud brightening, whereby ocean clouds could be created using saltwater to reflect the Suns radiation.

Other examples include ice sheet thickening, where Arctic ice could theoretically be restored. Start-ups such as Real Ice have proposed using drones to pump sea water into the air, which then condenses and forms new ice.

Even more outlandish are space-based reflectors, vast mirrors that could  theoretically  be launched into space to deflect a portion of the suns rays to reduce Earths temperature.

Aria is not the first scientific institution to explore turning theories about geoengineering into reality. Harvard University conducted years of research with the aim of releasing reflective particles into the atmosphere to test their impact  called the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment.

While the effort would have been localised, the ultimate goal was to understand whether a massive, long-term release of reflective particles, such as sulphate aerosols, could reverse climate change.

In theory, this would mirror the climate phenomenon observed in the wake of volcanic activity. Prehistoric volcanic supereruptions are believed to have caused short-term cooling of the Earth  known as a volcanic winter.

However, a 2021 plan to conduct a test flight over Sweden was met with fierce local opposition by the indigenous Sami people, who had not been consulted and warned that the trial entails risks of catastrophic consequences. Earlier this year, the project was shut down entirely.

Private companies have also experimented with geoengineering. In 2022, a US start-up called Make Sunsets released two weather balloons off the coast of Mexico, carrying a small amount of aerosol particles. The start-up had promised to ultimately sell cooling credits to companies that invested.

However, the stunt backfired and Mexico promptly banned future experiments in solar geoengineering.

Still, that has not stopped the idea that we can alter the climate with technology gaining ground in Silicon Valley and among the worlds elites. Technologists who have backed the ideas include Bill Gates and Facebook co-founder Dustin Moscowitz, as has billionaire financier George Soros.

Some critics protest that even attempting field trials of geoengineering ideas is misguided, underplaying the vast resources and investment that would be needed to make them a reality.

Small-scale research will not tell us what we need to know, but it will be a slippery slope to technology development, says Professor Aarti Gupta, an environmental policy expert at Wageninen University. Deploying reflective aerosols, for instance, would mean hundreds of aircraft flying 24/7, day in day out, for decades, she adds, costing billions of pounds.

We simply do not know what their impact will be until we try at planetary scale, she says.

Lili Fuhr, director of the fossil economy programme at the Centre for International Environmental Law, adds: No one should control the global thermostat; the risks are too great, with the potential to disrupt weather patterns and harm billions.

The team at Aria insists its work will be conducted in as transparent a manner as possible, while its limited tests are not intended to become large-scale deployments.

The plans call for proposals to conduct small, controlled, geographically-confined outdoor field trials. The effects of the trials should dissipate through natural mechanisms within hours or have a reliable mechanism for switching off the effect at any time.

Symes adds the process will be very transparent and very open, that underlines every facet of how Aria works.

If anything, the reaction to the agencys plans is only spurring on Arias team in its belief it is looking into the sorts of problems it was founded to solve. As a government agency, it does not have the same profit-driven incentives of start-ups or a tech billionaire. The level of funding the plans will receive has not yet been confirmed, although it is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Ilan Gur, the chief executive of the agency, says: Our mandate is to do things at the edge of the possible scientifically ... It puts a big burden of responsibility on us to get it right.

He adds: If anything, with all the feedback we have been getting we have become more and more encouraged. This is right in the sweet spot of what Aria is meant to be doing.

When it comes to solar engineering, Britain could yet succeed where Mr Burns failed.

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'Closer than people think': Woolly mammoth 'de-extinction' is nearing reality  and we have no idea what happens next

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Credit: Images by Vac1 and WLADIMIR BULGAR Getty Images; Collage by Marilyn Perkins

For about seven minutes in 2003, scientists reversed extinction.

The resurrected lineage was the Pyrenean ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica), and the last known member of the subspecies, a female named Celia, had died three years earlier.

Scientists had collected DNA from Celia's ear before her death and injected her genetic material into a domesticated goat egg cell with its nucleus removed. The resulting clone  the first and only extinct creature to have been revived at the time  died soon after birth due to a lung defect.

Although that effort failed to produce a healthy animal, "de-extinction" science has advanced dramatically in the past two decades. Technology is no longer a significant hurdle to reviving recently extinct species, and in many cases, we have enough DNA to piece together functional genomes for cloning . The question isn't so much whether we can resurrect lost species but if we should.

Some companies aren't waiting to answer that question. For instance, Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based biotechnology and genetic engineering company, plans to bring back three iconic extinct species: the dodo (Raphus cucullatus), the Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus; also known as the thylacine) and the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius). The ultimate goal for these de-extinction efforts, according to Colossal's website , is to "enrich biodiversity, replenish vital ecological roles and bolster ecosystem resilience."

But a catastrophic outcome cannot be ruled out, other experts say.

"We have this hubris as humans that we can control our technology," Oswald Schmitz , a professor of population and community ecology at Yale University, told Live Science. "I'm not so convinced."

Even in the best-case scenario, conservationists are skeptical that bringing back creatures that died out centuries or millennia ago will offer as much benefit as preserving the ones that are still hanging on.

"What's gone is gone," Schmitz said.

a close-up of a reconstructed dodo

Closer than people think

Recent breakthroughs have brought scientists "closer than people think" to reviving long-extinct species, Ben Lamm , co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, told Live Science. The company aims to produce its first mammoth look-alike calves by 2028, and "it is highly likely that one could see another species before then," Lamm said, referring to Colossal's other de-extinction projects.

Woolly mammoths lived in the Arctic between 300,000 and 10,000 years ago. To produce the calves, Colossal scientists will first identify the genes encoding the woolly mammoth's most emblematic physical traits, such as shaggy hair, curved tusks, fat deposits and a dome-shaped cranium. They will then insert these genes into the genome of closely related, and therefore genetically similar, Asian elephants (Elephas maximus).

"De-extinction" can have different meanings  and our capability for de-extinction depends on how we define it, Love Dalen , a paleogeneticist and professor of evolutionary genomics at Stockholm University, told Live Science in an email. De-extinction in the sense of "creating a form of hybrid species that looks like the extinct one by replacing a limited number of key genes" is possible if there is available DNA from the extinct species, said Dalen, who sits on Colossal's advisory board. (There is no available DNA from dinosaurs , so creating a Jurassic Park is currently more of a pipe dream.)

Creating an animal that is genetically identical to the extinct species is trickier and depends on the species. For species that went extinct very recently and for which there are high-quality DNA samples, like Celia, "this could be possible," Dalen said. That's not the case for mammoths, however.

An illustration of two woolly mammoths fighting on a snowy tundra

Dalen and his colleagues have come close to sequencing complete woolly mammoth genomes , but a few regions of DNA, such as some strings of repeat code, still prove challenging.

So far, Colossal Biosciences has acquired more than 60 partial woolly mammoth genomes, which it will use to edit elephant genomes in the lab, Lamm said. Once they have settled on a DNA sequence, Colossal representatives say they will implant a hybrid elephant-mammoth embryo into an Asian or African elephant (Loxodonta) surrogate.

The company also plans to resurrect the dodo and thylacine. "On the dodo project, we have one nearly complete genome," Lamm said, while on the thylacine, which only went extinct last century, "we've got much better genetic data right out of the gate." For the dodo, Colossal plans to implant the genetic material into domesticated chickens (Gallus domesticus) and, for the thylacine, into mouse-like marsupials called fat-tailed dunnarts (Sminthopsis crassicaudata).

Filling a gap in the ecosystem

The goal of de-extinction is to fill ecological niches that have stood empty since the original species disappeared, said Ronald Goderie , an ecologist and the director of the Taurus Foundation , a branch of Rewilding Europe that aims to create a substitute for extinct aurochs (Bos primigenius). Aurochs, the wild ancestors of domestic cattle (Bos taurus), once roamed across North Africa, Asia and nearly all of Europe . They likely played a vital role in maintaining animal and plant biodiversity through grazing and trampling the soil, according to the Taurus Foundation.

Goderie and his colleagues are bringing aurochs back through back-breeding, which doesn't involve genetic engineering. Humans hunted aurochs to extinction in 1627, but their DNA lives on in ancient cattle breeds living in Southern Europe, Goderie told Live Science. By selecting and breeding together cattle with physical attributes, behavioral traits and genes similar to those of aurochs, ecologists are inching toward reviving the lost species.

"We're very close," Goderie said. "We see very large, steep progress with each generation."

Woolly mammoths, which thrived during the Pleistocene epoch , maintained Arctic grasslands by trampling the snow , suppressing tree and shrub growth, and dispersing nutrients across huge distances via their dung. Without mammoths and other now-extinct megaherbivores, the so-called "mammoth steppe" has given way to a waterlogged landscape of mossy tundra, shrubs and forest. Research suggests this new landscape stores less carbon than grasslands did and is more susceptible to permafrost thaw. Some scientists have proposed that reintroducing megaherbivores to the Arctic could help restore the ecosystem, boost carbon storage and mitigate climate change .

The dodo was one of the largest terrestrial animals in its ecosystem in Mauritius. Evidence suggests dodos were seed dispersers and thereby influenced vegetation growth  although some experts question the extent to which the birds shaped their ecosystem. Colossal's plans to reintroduce dodos include ridding Mauritius of invasive species so that the birds can thrive, which the company argues has a beneficial "halo effect" for other species, Lamm said. The company is working with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation , a non-governmental organization, and intends to partner with the Mauritian government, according to its website .

As for the thylacine, it was Tasmania's only marsupial apex predator, according to the University of Melbourne's TIGRR Lab , which is also working on de-extinction. As such, the species was important for predator-prey relationships that stabilized the ecosystem.

A photo of an arctic grassland with water in the front

Scaling up

But de-extinct species can fulfill their ecological roles only if they survive in the wild and their populations are large enough, Goderie said. In the case of mammoths, that's a behemoth task.

Researchers recently estimated that Alaska's vast North Slope could support 48,000 woolly mammoths.

But to fulfill their ecological role  which may include increasing the albedo effect , where snow cools Earth by reflecting light back into space  mammoths would likely need to be reintroduced across the Arctic, said Vincent Lynch , an evolutionary biologist and associate professor at the University at Buffalo.

"You can't just put them in Alaska and fix the permafrost problem; you have to put them everywhere," Lynch told Live Science.

There would be like hundreds or thousands of artificial uteruses in a warehouse somewhere, churning out genetically engineered mammoths.

There would need to be several hundred thousand mammoths to have a significant impact on the climate, and that could put living endangered species in peril, Lynch said.

Both Asian and African elephants , which Colossal plans to use as surrogates to grow mammoth calves, are endangered, and every elephant gestating a "mammoth" calf can't grow babies of its own. "That's going to reduce population size," Lynch said.

The alternative would be to implant embryos into artificial wombs, but those have yet to be fully developed. "There would be like hundreds or thousands of artificial uteruses in a warehouse somewhere, churning out genetically engineered mammoths," Lynch said. "This is like '1984' scary stuff."

Unintended consequences

In addition to facing technological hurdles, de-extinction could have serious repercussions. For one, de-extinct animals may be sickly, given that the pool of available DNA for each species is relatively small.

Sustaining populations requires a sufficient number of creatures that are genetically different enough to buffer against diseases and harmful mutations.

It's also worth considering who would be liable if large-scale mammoth reintroductions went wrong. "The ecosystem has been adapting to the absence of mammoths since mammoths started going extinct," Lynch said. "What if there's an unintended consequence and something bad happens?"

Other experts echoed these concerns. "To get some impact, you need to have a lot of animals," Sophie Monsarrat , an ecologist and the rewilding manager at Rewilding Europe, told Live Science.

Reintroductions can lead to clashes between humans and wildlife. "In Africa, if you look at elephant conservation and reintroductions, then there are conflicts ," Monsarrat said. In Kenya alone, human-elephant conflicts killed 200 people between 2010 and 2017, according to WWF . If scientists were to succeed in creating a viable mammoth population, they would have to roll out continent-wide education programs "teaching people how to react in front of a mammoth," Monsarrat said.

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The makeup of the reintroduced population matters too, Schmitz said. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) that were brought from Slovenia to the Italian Alps in the 2000s are thriving, but it turns out that the source population was particularly aggressive, Schmitz said. Ecologists "didn't necessarily do their homework," he said. "They reintroduced them, and now they're attacking livestock and people ."

There's also no guarantee that animals will stay where we release them, Schmitz said. In 1995, gray wolves (Canis lupus) were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park but have roamed far beyond the park's boundaries. "If you unleash something in nature, these animals are going to find places that are the most suitable for them and may not be the places where you think they will stay," Schmitz said.

And although megaherbivores helped with carbon storage during the last ice age, "restoring megafauna may just as well have a negative impact on climate change," Dalen said. For instance, mammoths could theoretically contribute to global warming by eroding the permafrost during the warm season and by emitting methane , he said. They could also reduce the amount of carbon stored in woody plants, as elephants do when they eat plants in African savannas.

"A pet project of billionaires"

A black and white photo of a thylacine at the Beaumaris Zoo in 1936.

While proponents think de-extinction is a valuable conservation tool, critics say money would be better spent on existing initiatives. Colossal Biosciences has raised at least $225 million to fund its de-extinction programs, with some of that money also going toward conservation and genetic research across the globe, Lamm said.

Instead of using that money to bring back three extinct species whose ecological impact is unknown, the funds could be put toward saving roughly 100 species that are currently facing an uncertain future, Schmitz said.

In some cases, de-extinction targets species with a living equivalent fulfilling similar ecological functions. For example, one reason the thylacine went extinct was that people perceived it as a predator of livestock, Schmitz said. "But we have a similar animal right now that's facing similar persecution, and that's the dingo [Canis lupus dingo]," he said.

Lynch agreed that the best way to support conservation is to spend money on existing, proven initiatives . It's probably impossible to introduce an ecologically significant number of de-extinct species, which also raises questions about the purpose of de-extinction companies like Colossal, he said.

Adam Searle , a research fellow in cultural, historical and environmental geography at the University of Nottingham in the U.K., said de-extinction is unlikely to contribute to solving the ecological crisis. "It's literally a pet project of billionaires ," he said.

In response to Searle's comments, Lamm told Live Science in an email that "for every de-extinction target, the technology and techniques developed will benefit closely related species." He further argued that "technological innovations made and funded by private sector companies are vital to this fight."

Regardless of Colossal's ecological impact, the company could still see a big return on investment, Lynch said.

"If they're successful  and I have no doubt that they will be  they're going to make a ton of money," he said.

For the rest of us and for nature, however, de-extinction "could do a lot more harm than good," Schmitz said.
CLOVIS, N.M. (KRQE)  Clovis police arrested a man on Friday after they said he terrorized a home and sent a school into lockdown. Police said 43-year-old Julian Montoya broke into a house on College Park Dr. while two people were inside. One resident locked themselves in their room. They called 911 and reported hearing 10-15 gunshots. The other resident took off and jumped through an open window.

Suspect dies during New Mexico police-involved shooting

Police said witnesses saw Montoya running toward Clovis Community College which sent it into lockdown. Thats where police found and arrested him.

Montoya was charged with aggravated burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, and felon in possession of a firearm.

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CENTRAL NEW YORK (WSYR-TV)  For one Central New York kid, hes getting a trip of a lifetime to NASAs Kennedy Space Center after being chosen as one of the winners of the 2024 SpaceKids Press Squad.

8-year-old Malaki Sandejas of Mexico, New York is about to embark on an out-of-this-world experience.

It feels exciting, and I know its just a one-time thing that I can never do again, said Malaki.

Latest local news

Malaki will be heading to Florida to visit NASAs Kennedy Space Center.

She said congratulations, youve been selected and I think he was even shocked, because he got done and his dad came home that night, and hes like, dad guess what, Im going to space camp, said Michelle Sandejas, mother of Malaki.

A proud parent moment.

The soon-to-be third grader has been chosen as one of only eight winners across the country through a national competition held by SpaceKids Global.

All eight winners will have the chance to visit not just the Kennedy Space Center, but Blue Origins Rocket Park manufacturing facility for a tour of the rocket factory, and even train as a real-life reporter.

Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because yes, you can go as a spectator to see the Kennedy Space Center but how many of them actually get to go into the factories where the rockets are and see how these things are built unless youre an engineer or somebody who builds that, thats pretty cool, said Michelle Sandejas.

For Malaki, hes hoping to become a spaceship test pilot someday.

My mom told me that its a once-in-a-lifetime chance. So if you work there, you get to see it all the time, said Malaki.

Just another step closer to living his dream.

The two-day adventure is expected to happen sometime this fall.

You can click here to learn more about SpaceKids Global.

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The countdown for universities to develop plans on how to deal with protests on campus has ended as students move back to campus after disputes over pro-Palestinian encampments caused chaos at the end of last academic year.

Numerous lawsuits are making their way through the legal system and Columbia Universitys president recently resigned after a tumultuous ending to classes in May that led to more than 2,000 arrested on campus.

Experts are skeptical of how prepared schools are for another round, but believe the protests wont reach the size or momentum they had before.

Adam Swart, founder and CEO of Crowds on Demand, an organization that helps causes with marketing and protest organization, said he thinks fading intensity and divides among protestors will make for a calmer fall semester.

I think youre going to see a divide between the pragmatists, who see a Harris presidency is probably the best way to overall advance the Palestinian cause and more progressive wings of the party dont see any nuance between Trump and Harris on the issue. 

This group is going to protest continuously, and perhaps even using more hard-knuckled tactics because of their smaller numbers, he added.

Multiple schools created new rules for protesting over the summer, particularly around encampments that lasted for weeks and blocked entrances to buildings at some colleges.

Administrators at Columbia University, where activists took over a campus building in April, banned campus encampments and limited protests to certain areas.

Indiana University banned protests after 11 p.m. and required all signs on campus to receive prior approval.

I know nationally the Jewish community has been reaching out to university presidents and officials, both at the national level and the state and local level, because everybody has been concerned  if what happened in the spring was going to happen this fall semester, Ron Halber, the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.

While schools have been gearing up for the new academic year, so have students who have shown they are ready to fight for their cause again.

What we will see [is] the students will continue their activism, will continue doing what theyve done in conventional and unconventional ways. So not only protests, not only encampments, kind of any  any available means necessary to push Columbia to divest from Israel, Mahmoud Khalil, student negotiator on behalf of Columbia University Apartheid Divest, previously told The Hill.

And some are concerned schools will violate the free speech rights of the protesting students and arent prepared to engage with activists proactively.

We dont think that schools and colleges across the country are ready to deal with more protests, said Amr Shabaik, the legal director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The bottom line is everyone wants students to be safe. They want students to feel included on their college campuses. But unfortunately, right now, the responses were seeing from colleges is cracking down on students,

Shabaik said some of these schools may be thinking theyre getting ready for the fall, but are not taking the steps that ensure that all of their students are protected. And they are potentially creating an environment where these students are going to be further marginalized and further subject to harassment and discrimination, he added.

Some critics of the protests also expressed concerns that smaller numbers will lead to more aggressive action from demonstrators.

I believe that, because the protestors will be smaller in number, I would caution colleges to be prepared for really aggressive tactics by some of them, because theyre not going to have the numbers they had before, Swart said.

I would anticipate that the smaller group is going to potentially engage in some very aggressive forms of demonstration, and law enforcement should be prepared for that.

Pro-Palestinian protestors already vandalized a Columbia Universitys official apartment building, releasing bugs in the lobby and splashing red paint on the premises.

The University of Michigans student government has been taken over by demonstrators, who are refusing to fund campus groups until demands of divestment are met.

I think well be very demanding that law enforcement actually charges and prosecute those who commit these offenses. There were too many students, students who were given a slap on the wrist for their outrageous behavior, Halber said.

And the only way to temper this is to have a zero tolerance policy for things that violate the law. No more encampments, no more. You know, you want to protest here, you have an hour and a half on the spot to go protest. We arent talking about restricting anybodys right to freedom of speech, but what happened last year on too many university campuses was an absolute disaster. It was an absolute circus, he added.

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Engadget

Amazon has the Sonos Era 100 speaker, the much-improved successor to the Sonos One, on sale for $50 off. Prime Day also lets you save big on a pair of Sonos soundbars: the Beam (Gen 2) and Ray, which are up to $110 off.
A 17-year-old boy from Coxs Creek died in a collision on the Bluegrass Parkway in Nelson County Friday evening.

A Kentucky State Police trooper came upon the two-vehicle crash near the 13 mile-marker on Bluegrass Parkway about 5:45 p.m., state police said in a news release Saturday.

State police said their preliminary investigation indicates that the teen was driving a 2016 Ford Fusion westbound on the parkway when he crossed the median and was hit by an eastbound 2016 Cadillac Escalade.

Nelson County Coroner Danielle Chladek identified the victim as Andrew Hayen. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Escalade, Patrick Reed, 41, of Bardstown, as well as two passengers, were taken by helicopter to University of Louisville Hospital. State police said their injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.

Police said they did not know what caused Hayen to cross into the path of the oncoming Escalade.

Part of Bluegrass Parkway was shut down for several hours while state police investigated, according to the news release.
Columbia University is in urgent need of changes to combat on-campus antisemitism, according to a sweeping report released Friday  which found some professors minimized Jewish students concerns of rising hate.

The Ivy League did little to stop the ostracization, humiliation and verbal abuse of Jewish and Israeli students in the wake of Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the institutions antisemitism task force said in the lengthy report.

The 91-page document offered a slew of recommendations to counteract the serious and pervasive problems that the faculty-led task force uncovered through nearly 500 student testimonials.

The report was based on the testimonials of nearly 500 Jewish Columbia University students. AP

Many of the interviewed students described losing a sense of security and safety on campus that existed before anti-Israel protests rocked the campus, leading students to suffer crippling anxiety that they could be targeted at any moment.

I dont know how to continue on this campus, one anonymous student testimony read.

They call for Zionists off our campus. Many of the faculty who are less aware only know that police were on campus; they dont know what is going on. They have to know what is going on, [but] they dont. Please make clear what is actually going on.

None of us deserve to be unsafe on campus. We have a difference of views and that is fine.

The Ivy League did little to stop the ostracization, humiliation and verbal abuse of Jewish and Israeli students, the task force ruled. AFP via Getty Images

Columbia University faculty played a big part in this sense of danger, the task force found.

Professors and other staff  including high-level administrators  were slow to report instances of harassment on campus, or pushed the issue down the line to other staff members, according to the report. Faculty was also accused of publicly downplaying the situation as protests at the Ivy League peppered headlines across the nation.

The experiences of these students demonstrated that there is an urgent need to reshape everyday social norms across the campuses of Columbia University, the task force wrote.

Later in the report, the panel added: Although some faculty and staff responded with compassion and determination, others minimized the concerns of these students, reacting sluggishly and ineffectively even to the most clear-cut violations. Even students who had successfully reported an incident spoke of a recurring lack of enforcement of existing University rules and policies.

The panel stated there is an urgent need to reshape everyday social norms across the campuses of Columbia University. Getty Images

To combat the issues outlined in the sweeping report, the task force offered several recommendations, including revamped anti-bias training for students and staff and a revised system for reporting complaints about antisemitism.

It also said student groups should stop issuing political statements unrelated to their missions, saying Jewish students felt pushed out of many clubs and organizations.

The task force issued its report just four days before the scheduled start of classes for Columbias fall semester and less than three weeks after embattled Columbia University president Minouche Shafik suddenly resigned.

Shafik left the institution after less than a year at the helm  which was marked by constant and sometimes destructive anti-Israel protests. The ex-president blamed that period of turmoil for her shocking departure.

Interim President Katrina Armstrong has already promised to expand training and streamline its handling of harassment complaints in line with the new reports recommendations under her term.

This is an opportunity to acknowledge the harm that has been done and to pledge to make the changes necessary to do better and to rededicate ourselves, as university leaders, as individuals, and as a community, to our core mission of teaching and research, Armstrong said in a statement.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  A local non-profit dedicated to community safety and security is getting ready to throw its biggest event of the year: its annual block party.

We Are Linden founder Ralph Carter said Saturdays event is all about putting the unity in community. He said the block party is the last hurrah for summer to bring kids and families together and make a big push to end to violence in Columbus.

We have to get back into that village mindset. If we do not, then this stuff is going to continue to happen, Carter said. We have to understand that these children need guidance. And if we are not able to do it related to you or not, then were not in their mindset and we have to be in a village mindset being able to change our own mindsets as humans, as as people.

Carter said this years event, which will take place at St. Stephens Community House, will have games, free clothing giveaways and family fun. He said this summer, We Are Linden has worked hard to keep youth engaged and out of trouble through summer programming.

Number of students vaping in Ohio double the national average

He said every time he sees the homicide rate go up  even though it is lower than years past  it hurts him.

When you see the number, it hurts, I mean, you have over 70 individuals lose their life to violence, any sort of violence, Carter said. It hurts to see those families are impacted. The children are attached. Everybody is attached to this persons death.

Carter said he hopes the block party spreads positivity and encourages people to be a part of change. He said they will be giving away free T-shirts to everyone who attends. He said they will also have their thrift shop on wheels there.

The block party kicks off Saturday at noon at St. Stephens Community House, 1500 E 17th Ave. It will go until 4 p.m.

Carter asks attendees to register online at the We Are Linden website before they come. They are currently expecting around 1,000 people.

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(Capital-Star photo).

State and county election officials violated the Pennsylvania Constitution by refusing to count mail-in ballots with missing or incorrect dates, a Commonwealth Court panel ruled Friday.

In a 4-1 majority decision in favor of eight nonpartisan voting rights groups, the panel found that the requirement for mail-in ballots to have a handwritten date on the outer envelope serves no compelling governmental purpose.

Guidance by Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, following earlier court rulings upholding the requirement, that instructed county boards of elections not to count ballots without a date is a violation of voters rights, the majority said.

Simply put, the refusal to count undated or incorrectly dated but timely received mail ballots submitted by otherwise eligible voters because of meaningless and inconsequential paperwork errors violates the fundamental right to vote recognized in and guaranteed by the free and equal elections clause of the Pennsylvania Constitution, Judge Ellen Ceisler wrote for the majority.

The decision can be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

In a separate unrelated filing Friday, Commonwealth Court President Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer ordered Fulton County and a lawyer who represented two Republican county commissioners to pay more than $1 million in legal fees and costs to the state and Dominion Voting Systems.

The costs are related to an off-the-books 2020 election review orchestrated by state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin), who is an ally of former President Donald Trump. The state Supreme Court sanctioned the GOP commissioners, the county and their attorneys for giving copies of voting machine hard drives to a Michigan-based forensic auditing company.

Pennsylvanias vote-by-mail law has been the subject of litigation since it took effect in 2020 and voters took advantage of the new ability to vote early and without going to a polling place during the COVID-19 pandemic and the presidential election.

Most recently, the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the requirement for mail-in ballots to be dated did not violate ballot access provisions of the federal Civil Rights Act, reversing a lower court.

Voting rights advocates hailed the Commonwealth Court decision on Friday, which is the first time that a court has ruled on a challenge to the dating provision under the free and equal protections clause of the state constitution.

Todays decision is a win for voters and democracy. No one should lose their vote over a simple human error that has no relevance to whether or not the ballot was received on time. This decision preserves the votes of thousands of voters who make this mistake in every election, without undemocratic, punitive enforcement by the counties, American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania Executive Director Mike Lee said.

The ACLU of Pennsylvania, American Civil Liberties Union national organization, Public Interest Law Center, and the law firm Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer represented the voting rights groups led by the Black Political Empowerment Project.

Lauren Cristella, president and CEO of the Philadelphia-based election watchdog group Committee of Seventy, which was not a party to the case, said the decision is an important milestone in safeguarding voters rights.

Every voter should feel confident casting their ballot by mail, knowing that minor mistakes will not keep them from making their voice heard. We have always maintained that the requirement to date the mail-in ballot envelope is unnecessary and we are glad to see todays Commonwealth Court decision confirm that long-standing belief, Cristella said in a statement.

The Department of State, which weighed in on the side of the voting rights groups, called the decision a victory for the Constitution.

This ruling makes clear a voters minor error of forgetting to date or misdating a ballot envelope cannot be a cause for disenfranchisement. Our Administration will always uphold Pennsylvanians right to vote and is pleased with todays ruling, the department said in a statement.

The state and national Republican parties intervened in the case to defend the dating provision. The state Republican party did not respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.

In oral arguments Aug. 1, ACLU of Pennsylvania attorney Stephen Loney told the court the date requirement is unique in its pointlessness and multiple courts have rejected arguments in defense of the rule. That includes the 3rd Circuit, which found that while the date is irrelevant to deciding whether a ballot is received on time, the rule did not violate federal law and should be enforced.

An attorney for Schmidt told the court earlier cases have established that county election officials dont refer to the dates voters write on their ballots to determine whether a ballot is timely. Rather, ballots are stamped or otherwise recorded when they arrive in the election office and those that arrive after 8 p.m. on Election Day are not accepted, attorney Michael Fischer said.

John Gore, representing the state and national Republican parties, argued that the date requirement serves unquestionable purposes including as a backstop for failures in the election offices system of recording when ballots are returned.

Judge Patricia McCullough who filed a dissenting opinion noted that many formal documents such as checks and contracts must be both signed and dated. Gore agreed, saying the requirement drives home the solemnity of the voters choice to vote by mail rather than voting in person. It also deters fraud, Gore said, noting that even though the ballot wasnt counted, it took away a potential defense for the fraudster.

In her dissent, McCullough criticized the majority for applying the most restrictive level of constitutional review to what she described as perhaps the least burdensome of all ballot-casting requirements.

Today the Majority says that requiring the date on the voter declaration on a mail-in or absentee ballot envelope is subject to strict judicial scrutiny and cannot be enforced because doing so unconstitutionally denies the voting franchise altogether. I must wonder whether walking into a polling place, signing your name, licking an envelope, or going to the mailbox can now withstand the Majoritys newly minted standard, McCullough wrote.
ROCHESTER, NY (WROC)  Have you ever heard of the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT? You might not have, but like many first responders, theyre people in your community ready to help when disaster strikes. CERT first arrived in New York right here in Rochester in 2002, while the program itself was initially developed in the 1980s in Los Angeles. While planning started in the late 90s, according to Battalion Chief Joseph Luna of the Rochester Fire Department, after the events of 9/11, the program began.

We were the first community in New York State to bring CERT to New York State, and we did that in 2002. So, it was sort of, we had already started planning for it, but it sort of followed the aftermath of 9/11, said Luna.

CERT was founded by Assistant Chief Frank Borden of the Los Angeles Fire Department, with the idea coming after he toured other disaster-prone countries and saw that citizens there were knowledgeable about how to react to disasters and take care of some things in their backyard easing the strain on first responders. Upon returning to California, CERT eventually arose in 1985 and soon spread all across the country.

CERT is sort of based on three phases. The first one is if a disaster happens, right, whether its a house fire or a wildfire is how do I protect me? How do I save me and my immediate surroundings? Phase two is how do I protect my family or maybe somebody else that lives in the other half of my house or an apartment upstairs, said Luna. And then phase three is where I go out and I join with other like trained people and we become a team and then that team goes out into our community on sort of a mission, if you will, to take care of other people.

In years past, most of the main times that CERT has been activated has been related to snowstorms, but one of the largest activations that our region saw was back in 2009 for the Swine Flu.

CERT teams were asked by Monroe County Public Health to help them in 2009 when we had the swine flu epidemic, not a pandemic, but an epidemic, and they were doing vaccinations of antivirals, said Luna.

The training is a commitment and doesnt hold back either. The CERT course covers 9 weeks, with mandatory attendance to graduate, and covers topics ranging from Triage and Basic First Aid, to turning off gas and other utilities. The final exam even simulates a real disaster that you and your classmates have to navigate.

Theres a lot of first aid type medicine from triaging to bandaging to splinting, things like that. And then we also go into some basic firefighting. When I say firefighting, Im just talking [about] fire extinguishers, right? Nobodys, you know, being thrown into any burning buildings, said Luna. And then search and rescue, which is not only the idea of finding someone either in a building thats fallen over or a grid search like a lost child but then its also disentangling them or rescuing them from that environment, whatever that environment may be.

While there currently arent any active CERT teams in our area, there are plans to begin to step up activities related to CERT as the numbers of trained members grow. To help with that, new courses are being offered with the 37th such in session right now, with plans for number 38 once this one finishes. Luna said they hope to offer the courses back-to-back following a schedule similar to college semesters for as long as theres enough interest, and the grants continue to come in through the near future.

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A puffin was one of the seabirds found dead on the isle of Canna - Kevin Schafer/Image Bank

The search is on for a mystery invasive predator that has ravaged rare seabirds on a remote Scottish island.

Conservationists-turned-detectives have deployed surveillance cameras and foot patrols as they hunt for the culprit behind the killings on the Inner Hebridean isle of Canna.

The 4.3 mile-long island is home to thousands of breeding seabirds whose populations have declined in recent years.

In the 2000s, brown rats and rabbits were culled en masse on the island after the invasive predators numbers started to imperil the seabird colonies.

Now a new threat is facing the at-risk airborne creatures after an unusual pile of three dead razorbills and one puffin was uncovered last month during an audit of the islands colonies.

The discovery has sparked alarm among conservationists who have already ruled out two initial suspects  humans and feral cats.

They now believe the prime suspects to be otters or mink, which store or cache dead prey for later consumption.

The 4.3 mile-long island of Canna is home to thousands of breeding seabirds - Alamy

Ground-nesting birds are especially vulnerable to predation by invasive non-native mammals, said James Crymble, a senior ecologist for the National Trust for Scotland (NTS).

They are particularly damaging for seabirds because seabirds have never needed to evolve a natural defence to mink or other invasive mammalian predators, simply because the islands and areas which they breed on never had such species.

Otters are native to Canna but mink  which were first brought to Britain for fur farming in the 1930s and have been found on Skye, 10 miles north  are not.

Rangers believe they could have swum to the island or hitched a ride on fishing boats.

They are excellent swimmers, known to swim up to four kilometres (2.4 miles), Mr Crymble said. They have also been found as stowaways on fishing boats, likely attracted by the fishy odours on board.

If they hitch a ride on a boat, the distances they can travel can be vast.

Mink, along with otters, are believed to be the prime suspects as they store dead prey for later consumption - Fotosearch

Otters are native to Canna but mink are not - Getty Images

Dr Ruth Dunn, a researcher at Lancaster University and seabird expert, said that once identified, exterminating the predator would likely be the only option to protect the colonies.

British seabirds breed underground or out in the open on rocky cliffs, which means that they and their eggs are open to predation on the ground, she said.

They are not like crows, for example, which have nests in trees. Culling is usually the only option.

Conservationists will monitor the colonies for eight to 12 weeks using a dozen cameras deployed across the island. The only animals recorded so far have been an otter and a number of mice.

The NTS has also asked that any sightings of rats and stoats on the island are reported to them.

Guillemot breeding pairs are down this year, according to the National Trust of Scotland - Tim Graham/Alamy Stock Photo

Concerns for Cannas seabirds are high because of lower-than-average numbers in the colonies.

Fulmar, shag and guillemot breeding pairs are all down this year, the NTS said.

Bob Swann, an ornithologist who led the search that uncovered the cache of dead birds, said earlier this month that food supply was a big issue on the island and that breeding figures were well below long-term averages.

In 55 years we have never seen the seabird colonies on Canna in a worse state, he said. Fulmar, gulls, shags and guillemots [are] at or near record low numbers.

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BRIGHTON, N.Y. (WROC)  Potential changes could be coming to the Town of Brighton for its longtime swimming pool.

It could bring upgrades or an entirely new option, with factors like cost at the top of the list.

While the process of recruiting and retaining lifeguards has been a challenge across the state for some time, Brighton has already bumped its pay for those positions.

The town routinely closes its pool around mid-August as those workers head back to school. Now, the town is taking a look at the future of its community pool and whether something else could take its place.

Thats something the town board is looking at very closely, said Town Supervisor Bill Moehle. We have not made final decisions on where were going yet in the future with the pool.

The swimming pool has been a staple in Brighton for over 35 years. While no decisions have been made, Moehle said the community has been active in conversations about the pools future.

Officials are looking at its wear and tear, if more money should be put forward for upgrades, or if a new alternative could replace it: a possible splash pad. According to Moehle, this could mean a longer season and would be less costly in the long run.

You dont need lifeguards for a splash pad. It may not be the best decision to try to put more money into that pool. One of the things well look at and want to hear from the community is which location is the right location for a pool, he said.

As the town waits for cost estimates on the pool to move forward in the process, construction is set to begin in November at Brighton Town Hall for new HVAC systems.

The Brighton Public Library, Brighton Police Department, and town courts are all staying on site as other operations will temporarily relocate.

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BALTIMORE (AP)  Maryland transportation leaders on Thursday approved a contract for rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge several months after the 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) steel span collapsed under the impact of a massive container ship that lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns.

FILE  A section of the damaged and collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge is seen, in the Baltimore port, Monday, April 1, 2024. (Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP, file)

In the immediate aftermath of the deadly March 26 collapse, officials quickly promised to rebuild the bridge  a longstanding Baltimore landmark and vital piece of transportation infrastructure.

They cited a 2028 completion date and estimated the project would cost $1.7 billion and would include significantly more pier protection to better defend against future wayward ships.

At a monthly meeting Thursday morning, the Maryland Transportation Authority board awarded a $73 million contract for the first phase of the project to Kiewit Infrastructure, which calls itself one of North Americas largest and most respected engineering and construction organizations.

Bruce Gartner, executive director of the Maryland Transportation Authority, said the contract award signifies a big step forward in the recovery and rebuild process.

This really represents such an order of magnitude bigger than all our previous milestones, he said in an interview Thursday. He said the agency hopes to release renderings of a preliminary design within the next few months, which will give the public an idea of what the new bridge will look like.

Kiewit was founded in 1884 to provide masonry services in Omaha, Nebraska, according to its website. Its notable past projects include the Fort McHenry Tunnel under Baltimores harbor, which opened in 1985. More drivers have been using the tunnel since the bridge collapse eliminated one of three water crossings that allowed them to bypass downtown Baltimore.

FILE  A container ship rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, as seen from Pasadena, Md. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)

Gartner said the state has worked with Kiewit before and that the company has managed construction of major water crossings with maritime activity similar to the Key Bridge.

We look forward to partnering with the Maryland Transportation Authority, many local subcontractors and suppliers, and our strong craft workforce to safely deliver and restore this vital transportation link in the city of Baltimore and the greater region, the company said in a statement Thursday.

In announcing their recommendation to the board, state transportation officials said the companys proposal was ranked first for its technical contents despite being somewhat more expensive than others.

Officials said the project will advance in two phases, with the first focusing on the design work and other necessary steps before construction begins, which could include demolition of the remaining pieces of the bridge that are still standing. Phase one is expected to be completed within a year.

Kiewit will have exclusive negotiating rights for the second phase, transportation officials said in a statement following the board meeting. In the event a guaranteed maximum price is not agreed upon, the MDTA will deliver the work under a separate contracting mechanism, the statement read.

Officials have said the new bridge will be somewhat taller than the old one to accommodate ever-larger ships entering Baltimores harbor. The original Key Bridge took five years to construct and opened in 1977.

The March bridge collapse killed six members of a road work crew who were filling potholes on the bridge when it came crashing down into the water below. Baltimores busy port was closed for months after the collapse and increased traffic congestion in the region remains a problem for drivers.

An FBI investigation is ongoing into the circumstances leading up to the collapse, including power outages experienced by the cargo ship Dali while it was still docked in Baltimore.

The state transportation board also on Thursday approved a proposal to remit the proceeds from a recent $350 million insurance payout to the federal government. They called the decision a show of good faith as discussions continue about whether the federal government will cover 100% of the cleanup and rebuilding costs. Chubb, the company that insured the bridge, made the $350 million payout to the state, officials said this week.

Ongoing litigation will ultimately determine other assignments of liability in the bridge collapse, which could become one of the most expensive maritime disasters in U.S. history.

Impacted businesses have joined Baltimores mayor and city council in filing claims arguing the owner and manager of the Dali should have to pay damages. Underwood Energy, a Baltimore-based company that transports hazardous materials, filed a new claim Thursday based on revenue losses associated with the bridge collapse. Hazmat trucks are not allowed in two tunnels under the Baltimore harbor, so those vehicles now must make a 30-mile detour to cross the Patapsco River, the complaint says.

The federal government generally picks up 90% of the tab and the state 10% when replacing disaster-damaged interstate highways and bridges, but the Biden administration and members of Marylands congressional delegation are pushing congressional lawmakers to approve a 100% reimbursement.

Officials have said they expect that federal taxpayers will eventually be made whole for replacing the bridge through insurance payouts and damages, but that may take a while.

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Activists place an "anti-monument" outside the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City in 2020 to mark the 10th anniversary of the San Fernando massacres. (Pedro Pardo / Getty Images)

It stands as one of Mexicos most notorious crimes: The slayings of at least 265 U.S.-bound migrants in two separate massacres more than a decade ago.

The victims  mostly Central Americans  were kidnapped from buses headed to Mexican cities abutting Texas. Their bodies were discovered in 2010 and 2011 about 100 miles from the border in the municipality of San Fernando . Some showed signs of torture.

Activists and relatives of the victims have long accused Mexican authorities of slow-walking the investigation in an attempt to conceal official complicity. The case seemed destined to fade away like so many others.

Police stand guard outside the morgue in Mexico City in 2011. (Alfredo Estrella / Getty Images)

On Aug. 21, the Mexican attorney generals office announced that 11 former members of the notorious Zeta cartel had been convicted of murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

But rather than deliver a sense that justice had finally been served, the news quickly became a reminder of how much about the case remains unresolved.

Read more: Drug cartels' turf war in Mexico's Chiapas state sends villagers fleeing to Guatemala

This took 13 years, and so much still remains unknown, said Yesenia Valdez, a lawyer with Foundation for Justice, a nonprofit that represents relatives of the victims. The government plan for years has been to render these criminal acts and extreme violations of human rights as invisible as possible.

The protracted episode has been shameful, said Marcela Turati, a Mexican journalist whose book San Fernando: Last Stop chronicles the massacres and their aftermath.

Often referred to simply as San Fernando, the case ushered in a dark era in which discoveries of clandestine graves became increasingly common, as gang wars swept through much of the country. Mexico now counts more than 100,000  disappeared .

The first massacre occurred in August 2010. There were two survivors  one of them an 18-year-old Ecuadorean named Luis Freddy Lala, who reportedly was en route to join family members in New Jersey when gunmen forced him and other migrants off a bus and led them to a derelict farm shed, bound their wrists and forced them to lie face down on the ground.

Suddenly I began to hear shots, Lala recalled to Ecuadors GamaTV in 2018. I thought that they were shooting nearby  but no, they were shooting at my friends. Then they shot me. They finished shooting and they left. They killed everyone.

Wounded in the neck and jaw, Lala feigned being dead. Once the killers decamped, he took off on foot looking for help. He encountered some troops and provided enough information to lead them to a remote ranch known as El Huizachal and a grisly scene: the bodies of 58 men and 14 women, all shot dead, execution style.

Read more: The standoff at Gate 36: Texas sends in the troops to block migrants from seeking asylum

Among the first investigating the slayings were the San Fernando security chief and a municipal prosecutor. Both were found killed days later.

In 2022, Mexicos attorney generals office announced that 18 former members of the Zeta cartel had been convicted in connection with the massacre and had received prison sentences of 13 to 58 years. The charges included kidnapping, drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession  but not murder.

The convictions last month involved the second San Fernando massacre, in which many victims were bludgeoned to death.

In April and May of 2011, authorities found a total of 196 bodies in 47 graves. It was unclear how long the remains had been there.

The convictions involved the murders of 122 migrants, according to prosecutors, who have not spoken publicly about the status of the other cases. Trials in Mexico are not conducted in public, and authorities have been especially unforthcoming about the San Fernando investigation.

Among those sentenced was Salvador Alfonso Martinez Escobedo, a former regional Zeta capo who was known as The Squirrel  an apparent reference to his buck teeth. He had been named by the Mexican military as the mastermind of the first massacre and has been in prison since 2012 for a variety of other crimes  including two mass jailbreaks and the 2010 murder of a U.S. jet-skier who was shot as he and his wife tooled around a border lake.

Omar Estrada Luna of the Zetas drug cartel is shown to the press in Mexico City in 2011. ( Getty Images)

Spurring skepticism about the news last month is the fact that no police officers were included among those convicted  despite evidence that San Fernando cops were exuberant Zeta accomplices. In 2014, a memorandum surfaced from Mexican federal prosecutors stating that San Fernando police performed lookout tasks for the Zetas, aided in interceptions of people and were on the Zeta payroll. Instead of transporting prisoners to the town jail  known as the pentagon  cops would just turn them over to the Zetas, one police officer informed investigators.

Federal authorities initially arrested 17 San Fernando cops in connection with the murders, the memo states. Whether any were formally charged, convicted or sentenced remains unclear.

Nor have officials pinpointed a motive for the killings, though some speculate that the Zetas may have viewed the migrants as clients of a different cartel competing in the people-smuggling business.

Read more: This mega-city is running out of water. What will 22 million people do when the taps run dry?

This is not justice, said Baudilio Castillo, 63, a Guatemalan farmer whose 23-year-old son, Baudilio Alexander, was designated by authorities as cadaver 14 pulled from Pit 1 in 2011. He had left his village with the plan of joining an elder brother in Louisiana, saving some money, and returning home in a few years to buy a house, get married and start a family.

Mirna del Carmen Solorzano and husband Miguel Angel Medrano visit the grave of their daughter Glenda in Jayaque, El Salvador, in 2020. (Yuri Cortez / Getty Images)

My son died in a very cruel fashion. His head was cracked open, Castillo said. It is not just that so many who were responsible are still free  and, even if they are in jail, they get to see their families. While we will never see our son again.

Many families accuse Mexican officials of stonewalling the investigation to mask official collusion and avoid paying any compensation.

Now they say there are convictions  but is this everyone involved in the crime? asked Bertilia Parada, whose son, Carlos Alberto, 26 at the time, was among those dumped in a mass grave. I dont believe anything the Mexicans say. All they have given us is years of trauma and suffering.

Read more: Is the Mexican government hiding how many people have gone missing?

She and other relatives of the dead said official indifference was evident from the early weeks of 2011, when unclaimed luggage was accumulating at bus depots in Mexican border towns.

How is it possible that buses keep arriving with no passengers aboard, only bags, and no one noticed that something was wrong? asked Parada, 65, who makes her living selling pupusas in El Salvador.

Families waited years for the remains of loved ones to be delivered home after complex DNA analysis. In some instances, bodies were cremated without consent or the wrong remains were delivered. Parada was among those who traveled to Mexico to ensure that her sons bones were returned to El Salvador and not cremated.

That would have been like killing my son again, she said in a telephone interview. At least now it gives me some comfort to go to the grave on his birthday and leave a flower.

Special correspondent Cecilia Sanchez Vidal contributed to this report.

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COSHOCTON, Ohio (WCMH)  One man is dead, and another is in custody after a fatal shooting earlier this week in Coshocton County.

According to the Coshocton County Sheriffs Office, emergency personnel responded to reports of a man suffering from gunshot wounds in the 42000 block of County Road 19 just after 9 p.m. Monday. Deputies arrived to discover a 36-year-old man with multiple wounds.

Despite lifesaving first aid measures, the man died at the scene shortly after medics arrived. Deputies arrested 18-year-old Kaylob Butcher of Killbuck, and he was arrested on murder charges.

Detectives from the Coshocton County Sheriffs Office and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation Crime Scene Unit continue to process the shooting, which remains an open investigation.

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Landlords are being forced to spend thousands of pounds on green upgrades that will add nothing to the value of their property, analysis suggests.

Labour has reintroduced energy efficiency targets for property investors, who will be required to improve their buildings to a minimum energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of C by 2030.

The cost of improving a property from the worst rating of G to a C could be 27,000, estimates suggest, while bringing a D property up to a C would likely be 10,000.

However, the difference in the sale price of properties rated D compared to those rated C or E were almost non-existent, according to Nationwide, meaning landlords will recoup none of this investment.

The banks latest house price index report found that there was a modest 2.8pc price premium on properties rated A compared to those rated B, while a home rated F or G was valued 4.2pc lower than a similar D-rated property.

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Residential properties are thought to account for around 17pc of greenhouse gas emissions in Britain.

For tenants, the financial benefits of improving a propertys energy efficiency are substantial. An average renter is expected to save 499 per year on their energy bills if their home is raised from a D to a C, according to research by estate agency Hamptons.

But upgrading properties can involve costly improvements such as boiler replacements, double glazing and insulation.

If property prices do not rise to reflect EPC improvements, landlords stand to incur all of the cost of EPC improvements with none of the benefits.

The EPC system gives homes a score from A to G based on their energy efficiency. A study by consumer website Which? found that many EPCs are inaccurate and confuse homeowners, landlords and tenants.

Around 340,000 rental properties will need to upgrade to at least an EPC rating of C every year in order to hit the proposed 2030 goal, according to separate analysis by Hamptons.

Chris Norris, of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: Theres never been any strong evidence that potential buyers take a lot of notice of EPC grades.

Landlords who are investing in energy efficiency probably wont get that money back.

Over the last few years, landlords have faced various financial pressures. One that had the biggest impact is not knowing what we have to do when it comes to energy efficiency.

We agree we need to improve, but we need a realistic timetable, and a realistic conversation about what businesses will be able to fund.

Nationwides report said: Our analysis suggests that a more energy efficient property, rated A or B, attracts a modest premium of 2.8pc compared to a similar property rated D (the most commonly occurring rating). There is little difference for properties rated C or E compared with D.

There is a noticeable discount for properties rated F or G - the lowest energy efficiency ratings. Indeed, an F or G rated home is valued 4.2pc lower than a similar D rated property.

Properties rated E sold for 0.5pc less than similar properties rated D. Properties rated C sold for just 0.2pc more than D-rated properties, a difference Nationwide said was not statistically significant.

A government spokesman said: The energy shocks of recent years have shown the urgent need to upgrade British homes so we can secure our energy independence and reduce fuel poverty.

We will work with landlords to ensure that all homes are safe and warm. As part of this, our Warm Homes Plan will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating  upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament.

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SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  A couple was charged on Friday with felony child abuse after they allegedly locked their 13-year-old son in makeshift jail cells at their Kearns home for over a year.

Melissa Gray, 41, and Travis Stacey Peterson, 49, have both been charged with aggravated child abuse (second-degree felony) and child abuse (class-A misdemeanor).

On Aug. 18, Unified Police responded to the couples home to conduct a child abuse investigation. While walking through the home, officers saw the couples 13-year-old son in a hallway pantry, which was outfitted with a metal and wood gate and a lock.

ROAD CLOSURE: Dump truck driver killed in rollover crash in Salt Lake City

Gray  the boys stepmother  told police that the boy had been there for the past 24 hours.

Investigators interviewed the boy, who reportedly yelled and said he was not going to get dinner. The boy also said that before the pantry cell was built, he slept in a cell with five locks on it in his bedroom. He said that cell was so small that there was no room to spread out, and that he had to sleep in a curled-up position.

He told police that cell had been built around a year and a half prior. He reportedly said that he thought the cell was a joke at first, but realized his parents were serious when they only gave him three bathroom breaks, breakfast, and dinner.

The boy claimed he had to write things down on paper to make requests, and that he eventually stopped receiving the paper. He told police he felt sad and lonely, and that he was only visited by the familys puppy.

Gray and Peterson told police they had pulled their son out of school and that Gray was homeschooling him.

Child abuse can be manifest with both physical and emotional abuse. Parenting can be difficult, but there are acceptable ways to raise your children, and those usually focus on loving and caring for your child, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill stated in a press release. Community resources are available for parents struggling with their responsibility for their children. Please reach out and ask for help if you need it.

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Alice Weidel, Federal Chairman of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), speaks at an election rally of her party on Marienplatz. Sebastian Kahnert/dpa

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party must allow several journalists, whom they intended to exclude, access to their election party for the Thuringia elections, following a court ruling.

The Regional Court of Erfurt on Saturday ruled in favour of the media companies that saw press freedom threatened, a decision made one day before the election for the regional parliament in Thuringia on Sunday.

The judgement is not yet legally binding. The AfD can appeal the verdict at the Higher Regional Court. It is unclear whether there will be any legal steps before the election party, given the short timeframe.

The news magazine Der Spiegel, the Springer brands Bild and Die Welt, and the daily Die Tageszeitung, or taz, had jointly approached the regional court to challenge the exclusion of their journalists from the AfD election party, which they intended to cover.

Central election celebrations by political parties on election day are traditionally crucial points of contact for journalists. They capture the mood regarding the election results and conduct interviews, often with many prominent party members present.

On Sunday, the people of Thuringia are due to elect a new state parliament. The AfD is fielding top candidate Bjorn Hocke. In recent polls, the party is leading with figures around 30%.

The regional domestic intelligence agency, the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, classifies the Thuringian AfD as definitively right-wing extremist.

The presiding judge, Christoph von Friesen, justified the ruling by stating, among other things, that the election party is not a thank-you event for election volunteers and party friends but has an "informative character."

As the AfD had already allowed other media representatives to attend the party, it was thus opened up, he argued. Therefore, the party must also enable other media representatives to participate. Although the claim may not be "limitless" in tight spaces, the party should have transparently communicated an accreditation procedure based on specific criteria, the judge further elaborated.

The deputy spokesman for the AfD state association, Torben Braga, indicated that as of Saturday morning, around 150 media representatives had expressed their desire to register for the election party.

The capacity at the previously undisclosed location, however, permitted only a total of 200 participants, with 50 media representatives having already received approval.

Before the oral hearing, Braga had stated that the AfD might cancel the election party altogether if the court ruled in favour of the journalists.

The regional court scheduled the oral hearing because the AfD had opposed an identically worded emergency resolution from the court a week earlier.

The Thuringian Constitutional Court had, in the meantime, determined that the party should have been given a legal hearing before the emergency ruling. This has now taken place.

In a second case, the regional court decided that another claimant journalist must be allowed to attend the election party.

Previously, the constitutional court had criticised the regional court for giving the AfD a deadline to respond until September 2 - that is, after election day. According to the constitutional court, the decision had to be made before the election party - which has now been done.
Crime Reports: Woman allegedly slammed to the ground during burglary in South Abilene

Editors Note: The following arrest and incident reports were supplied by the Abilene Police Department. All information below comes from reports made by responding officers, and all suspects are considered not guilty unless determined otherwise in a court of law.

Incidents

2100 block of Amy Lyn Avenue  Assault

A 63-year-old man reported that a known 39-year-old man punched him and wished to press charges.

2800 block of North 6th Street  Assault Public Servant

No public narrative is listed.

500 block of Transformer Trail  Burglary of Vehicle

An unknown suspect found the hidden key to the vehicle and took the property without permission.

2400 block of Buffalo Gap Road  Burglary of Habitation  Simple Assault Intent

A report was taken for a 30-year-old woman who was slammed to the ground by a 33-year-old man.

3600 block of Sayles Boulevard  Harassment

An APD school resource officer was contacted by three students who alleged they were being harassed by a former student via text message.

2600 block of Cedar Run Road  Theft of Property

A cell phone was reported stolen from a white male suspect.

2500 block of South Clack Street  Theft of Service

No public narrative is listed.

2000 block of Briarwood Street  Assault Family Violence

An assault was reported on the north side of Abilene.

3300 block of South 7th Street  Evading Arrest/Detention with Vehicle

No public narrative is listed.

4100 block of Ridgemont Drive  Theft of Property

$465.60 in foil was reported stolen.

Arrests

Iosac Mellen  Assault Threat/Contact

Dylan Euton  Burglary of Habitation  Simple Assault Intent

Sanjuana Vasquez  Warrant

Henri McGill  Warrant, Evading Arrest/Detention with Vehicle

Christopher Owen  Fail to Maintain Financial Responsibility, Display Expired License Plate

Ahmer Gondal  Evading Arrest/Detention with Vehicle, Terroristic Threat of Family Household, Aggravated Assault Against Public Servant

Jayden Arreola  Theft of Firearm, Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon, Possession of Marijuana

Erykah Sanchez  Possession of Marijuana

Justin Romero  Fleeing Police Officer

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GUEST OPINION: Seasonal pricing strategies are crucial in maximizing revenue and maintaining a competitive edge in today's dynamic market landscape. By understanding and leveraging seasonal demand fluctuations, businesses can optimize their pricing models to align with consumer behaviour and market trends.

The importance of implementing a well-crafted seasonal pricing strategy cannot be overstated. It allows companies to capitalize on periods of high demand while maintaining customer interest during slower seasons. This approach helps in revenue optimization and contributes to better inventory management and resource allocation. Leveraging Pricing Intelligence (PI) becomes crucial in executing a successful seasonal pricing strategy.

One key benefit of seasonal pricing is its ability to provide a competitive advantage. By adjusting prices based on market conditions, businesses can attract price-sensitive customers during off-peak periods and maximize profits when demand is high. This flexibility demonstrates market adaptability, a critical factor in today's fast-paced business environment.

The Role of Pricing Intelligence in Seasonal Strategies

Pricing intelligence (PI), particularly in travel and tourism, is crucial in developing effective seasonal strategies. By leveraging data-driven decision-making, companies can gain valuable insights into market trends, consumer behavior, and competitor pricing, allowing them to optimize their pricing strategies for maximum profitability.

Market analysis is a crucial component of PI offered by analytics platforms like DataWeave, BMI, Linked Eats, etc., enabling businesses to understand demand fluctuations throughout the year. For instance, Expedia Group, a leading US-based travel technology company, utilizes advanced analytics to predict peak seasons and adjust prices accordingly. This approach helps them capitalize on high-demand periods while maintaining competitive rates during slower times. By tracking rivals' pricing strategies, companies can position themselves more effectively in the market.

Price optimization is the ultimate goal of pricing intelligence. By analyzing historical data, current market conditions, and future projections, businesses can set prices that maximize revenue while remaining attractive to customers. Delta Air Lines demonstrates this principle through its dynamic pricing model, which adjusts fares based on demand, seasonality, and competitor pricing.

PI empowers travel and tourism companies to make informed decisions, adapt to market fluctuations, and maintain a competitive edge in an ever-changing industry.

Seasonal Pricing Strategies for Businesses

Various industries employ seasonal pricing strategies to maximize revenue and adapt to fluctuating demand. Here are some popular approaches:

Dynamic Pricing: This strategy involves real-time adjusting prices based on market demand, competitor pricing, and other factors. For example, Marriott International uses dynamic pricing for its hotel rooms, allowing rates to fluctuate based on seasonality and occupancy levels.

Time-Based Pricing: Prices are set according to specific periods, such as weekdays vs. weekends or morning vs. evening. Many restaurants offer "early bird" specials during off-peak hours to attract customers.

Peak Pricing: During high-demand periods, businesses increase prices to capitalize on increased willingness to pay. For instance, airlines often raise fares during holiday seasons when travel demand surges.

Off-Peak Discounts: Conversely, companies offer lower prices during slower periods to stimulate demand. Hilton Hotels frequently provides discounted rates during off-season periods to maintain occupancy levels.

Holiday Promotions: Special offers and discounts tied to holidays or events can attract customers and boost sales. Many retailers offer significant discounts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Bundle Pricing: Combining multiple products or services at a discounted rate can encourage more significant purchases. Disney World often offers vacation packages that bundle hotel stays, park tickets, and dining plans at a reduced price.

Flash Sales: Short-term, deeply discounted offers create urgency and drive quick sales. Hotels.com occasionally runs 24-hour flash sales, offering substantial discounts on select properties to generate bookings during slower periods.

By implementing these seasonal pricing strategies, businesses can effectively manage demand, maximize revenue, and provide customer value throughout the year.

Implementing PI for Seasonal Success

In today's competitive retail landscape, PI tools have become essential for businesses looking to maximize their seasonal profits. These sophisticated systems leverage real-time data analysis to provide valuable insights into market trends, consumer behavior, and competitor pricing strategies.

One key advantage of PI is its ability to facilitate automated price adjustments. Retail giant Walmart utilizes advanced algorithms to adjust prices across its vast product range, ensuring it remains competitive while maintaining profitability.

Demand forecasting is another crucial aspect of PI. By analyzing historical data and current market conditions, retailers can anticipate fluctuations in demand and adjust their pricing strategies accordingly. This is particularly important during peak seasonal periods like Black Friday or the holiday shopping season.

Competitive Analysis is a cornerstone of effective PI. Tools that monitor competitor prices in real time allow businesses to stay ahead of the curve and respond swiftly to market changes. Amazon, for example, is known for its aggressive price-matching strategy, which relies heavily on continuous competitive analysis.

Customer segmentation is vital in tailoring pricing strategies to different consumer groups. By analyzing purchasing patterns and preferences, retailers can offer personalized pricing to maximize conversions and customer loyalty.

Price Elasticity Analysis helps businesses understand how sensitive their customers are to price changes. This information is crucial for setting optimal price points that balance revenue and sales volume.

Profitability analysis is essential for ensuring that pricing strategies contribute positively to the bottom line. Retailers can make informed pricing decisions by considering the cost of goods sold, operational expenses, and desired profit margins.

Finally, Dynamic Pricing Optimization combines all these elements, allowing retailers to implement flexible pricing strategies that adapt to changing market conditions in real-time. Target, for instance, employs dynamic pricing to optimize its online and in-store pricing, ensuring competitiveness while maximizing profitability.

By leveraging these PI tools and strategies, retailers can navigate seasonal fluctuations more effectively, ultimately driving success and maintaining a competitive edge in the market.

Challenges and Considerations in Seasonal Pricing

Implementing seasonal pricing strategies comes with its own set of challenges and considerations that businesses must carefully navigate. One primary concern is customer perception; frequent price changes may lead to confusion or frustration among consumers, potentially damaging brand loyalty. Maintaining brand consistency across different seasons and pricing tiers is crucial to avoid alienating customers.

Another significant challenge lies in the potential for pricing errors. Multiple price points across various products and seasons increase the risk of mistakes that could result in lost revenue or customer dissatisfaction. Businesses must invest in robust systems and thorough checks to minimize these risks.

Over-discounting is another pitfall to watch out for. While seasonal sales can drive traffic and boost short-term revenue, excessive discounting may erode profit margins and devalue products in the long run. It's essential to strike a balance between attractive offers and sustainable pricing.

Legal considerations also influence seasonal pricing strategies. Businesses must ensure their pricing practices comply with local regulations, particularly regarding price discrimination and fair trading laws. This is especially important for companies operating across multiple jurisdictions.

By addressing these challenges proactively and maintaining a customer-centric approach, businesses can harness the benefits of seasonal pricing while mitigating potential drawbacks.
Health worker fumigates to fight the spread of the oropouche virus, in Havana

Health worker fumigates to fight the spread of the oropouche virus, in Havana

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban health authorities launched small-scale fumigation efforts in Havana on Friday to fight the spread of the Oropouche virus, but a rainy Caribbean summer, fuel shortages and growing roadside trash heaps are complicating those efforts, workers and officials said.

More than 500 cases of the virus have been registered since May when the disease was first detected in far-eastern Cuba, health officials said this week.

The virus, also known as sloth fever, is transmitted by the bite of mosquitoes and midges and has spread quickly across all of the country's provinces and major cities, including the capital Havana. Patients complain of fever, body aches and nausea, though the disease is rarely fatal.

Fumigation workers using hand-held, gas-powered blowers fired smoke into dark corners and alleyways in parts of Havana on Friday, though those efforts have been stymied, in part, by limited resources.

In the past, all the blocks were fumigated every week ... but now, due to fuel (shortages), they focus on specific cases where (fever outbreaks) occur, said Havana fumigation worker Luis Aguilar.

U.S. health authorities earlier this week said 21 U.S. citizens who had visited Cuba during the summer months returned home with cases of Oropouche.

Cuba has reported relatively few cases compared to other countries, including Brazil, where the virus is also present, and no fatalities.

But economic crisis and shortages of fuel, food and medicine have hampered efforts to control the spread of such mosquito-borne illnesses as Oropouche and Dengue fever, authorities have said.

Frequent power outages mean many sleep with windows open during the hot Caribbean summer, and few Cubans have access to insect repellent.

Trash heaps have grown in size on street corners, which, combined with summer rains, provide ample breeding grounds for biting insects, authorities said.

There are no specific treatments or vaccines available for Oropouche.

(Reporting by Carlos Carrillo and Alien Fernandez; Editing by Dave Sherwood and Stephen Coates)
Czechia does not restrict Ukraine's use of its weapons but understands allies' positions

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky has stated that Czechia is not imposing any restrictions on Ukraine's use of its military equipment but understands the different attitudes of some allies on this issue.

Source: CTK, citing Lipavsky on Saturday, August 31, at the GLOBSEC security conference in Prague, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Lipavsky said Czechia imposes no restrictions on Ukraine regarding the use of the weapons it supplies.

Quote: "On the other hand, let's be honest: the most advanced weapon systems with long ranges or those that pose strategic dilemmas for suppliers are not coming from Czechia," he added.

Lipavsky cited the example of long-range ATACMS missiles received by Ukraine from the US and German Taurus missiles, which Berlin refused to deliver.

Quote: "I believe Ukraine should be able to use these systems, but I leave it to the discretion of our allies. I never criticise these countries. They are asking questions we cant even pose," said the Czech Foreign Minister.

He also emphasised that Ukraine has the right to defend itself against aggression.

"Its better if a plane with a missile or bomb never takes off than to try to shoot down a plane or missile already heading towards its target. Russia has no right to attack Ukraine. This is ordinary Russian imperialism. We must stop it in its tracks," Lipavsky concluded.

Background:

Earlier, EU diplomat Josep Borrell stated that European Union countries should lift restrictions on the use of weapons provided to Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also mentioned that Kyiv hopes to gain partners' agreement for using long-range missiles against targets in Russia and to receive such capabilities in a timely manner.

After an informal meeting in Brussels, EU ministers decided that such decisions should be made at the national level.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  State health officials have issued a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) warning for Weber Reservoir, the second warning issued since mid-July for a body of water in Nevada.

Weber Reservoir is about 350 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The highest alert  a HAB Danger warning  remains in place at Lahontan Reservoir, about 50 miles north of Weber Reservoir. That warning came on Aug. 19.

Going into Labor Day weekend, officials at Lake Mead National Recreation Area are monitoring coves around Nelsons Landing at Lake Mohave after positive tests there. That report has not appeared on the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services dashboard, and is being handled by the National Park Service (NPS).

An algal bloom at Nelsons Landing on Lake Mohave. (NPS Photo: R. Rackliffe)

An algal bloom at Nelsons Landing on Lake Mohave. (NPS Photo: R. Rackliffe)

A Lake Mead spokesperson said NPS monitors the beaches at Lake Mead and Lake Mohave routinely, and the Nelsons Landing report is the first concerning case observed this year. Lake Mead has no reports of HABs.

HABs form when blue-green algae multiply quickly and cause discoloration, scum and mats on the water. The blue-green algae are actually single-celled aquatic organisms called cyanobacteria. They are closely related to bacteria and can photosynthesize like algae. Some types of cyanobacteria produce toxins that can affect the nervous system or the liver.

The state reports there have been no illnesses  human or animal  associated with blooms this year.

The advisory for Weber Reservoir issued by the Office of State Epidemiology said, Hazardous conditions are possible or present. People and pets should use caution when in contact with water and avoid areas of algae accumulation.

The greatest danger comes from ingesting the algal toxins, a Lake Mead spokesperson said on Friday. For this reason, dogs tend to be heavily affected if they may drink the water. Visitors should be extra cautious with animals or small children playing in or around algal patches.

In addition to Lake Lahontan (HAB warning), Weber Reservoir (HAB danger) and Little Lake Washoe (HAB danger), seven other lakes/reservoirs are under HAB watches, including Eagle Valley Reservoir in Lincoln County, according to the states dashboard. The watch at Eagle Valley went into place on July 8. Those include: Chimney Reservoir in Humboldt County, Nevada Beach Pond in Douglas County, South Fork Reservoir and Wild Horse Reservoir in Elko County, Virginia Lake and Big Washoe Lake in Washoe County.

At Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, officials advise visitors to avoid swimming or wading in water where algae is so thick that visibility is less than 1-2 inches. If visitors spot unusually thick algae, they can call the parks non-emergency dispatch phone number at (702) 293-8998 or send email to LAKE_Information@nps.gov.

If calling or emailing, it is best to relay the following information: location of algal patch, date, time, and any photos if possible.

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F-16 fighter jets donated by Denmark are "working in Ukraine," Danish PM Mette Frederiksen told the Globsec conference in Prague on Aug. 31.

In response to a question from the Kyiv Independent, Frederiksen said she was "extremely proud" the aircraft were in use, adding she had wanted to send them "from the beginning of the war."

"We had a long discussion about whether its a good idea or not," she added, in reference to the months-long debate among Ukraine's Western allies over whether or not to provide Kyiv with F-16s.

Frederiksen said Ukrainian pilots at the controls of the jets were "doing a good job," but added: "Unfortunately, we lost one of them recently."

Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on Aug. 29 that an F-16, which had been recently delivered to the country and was being operated by pilot Oleksii Mes, had crashed while defending against a mass Russian drone and missile attack against the country on Aug. 26.

Mes was killed in the crash.

Ukraine received its first F-16s at the beginning of August, a year after its allies formed the fighter jet coalition at the NATO summit in Vilnius to support Kyiv with training and aircraft.

This first batch was reported at the time to have been supplied by the Netherlands. It is not clear if these initial reports were incorrect, or if there have been further deliveries since.

When asked specifically if Danish F-16s could be used on Russian territory in Kursk Oblast, Frederiksen said her government was "not putting restrictions on F-16s as long as its within international law."

"I will not comment on specific operations," she added.

Read also: Russian POWs on their capture in Kursk Oblast: Commanders just disappeared

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD)  The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has been asked to investigate after a Dorchester County Sheriffs Office K-9 was found dead in their handlers vehicle earlier this summer.

Officials held a news conference Friday afternoon giving an update on the investigation after social media posts regarding the dogs death called for more transparency.

The agency launched its initial investigation into the K-9s death on July 28. The car was not running and the temperature that July day was 90 degrees; however, the cause of death for the K-9 has not been released.

The sheriffs office forwarded the findings of its internal investigation to an external agency for review, then sent the information to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for an independent investigation.

This step was taken to ensure that every aspect of the investigation is subject to the highest level of scrutiny and to maintain the trust that the public has placed in us, said Lt. Chaz Easterlin, who represents DCSOs Office of Professional Standards.

Lt. Easterlin called the K-9s death a serious matter and acknowledged concerns from the community.

It is important to understand that during an active investigation, there are limitations on what we can discuss publicly. While we recognize that there are questions, it is necessary to respect the investigative process. Until the investigation is complete, we are unable to provide further comments or details. This is essential to ensure that the investigation remains unbiased, he said.

While the agency said they are limited on what details they can release due to the active nature of the investigation, they are urging the public not to believe everything they see on social media.

We made a post yesterday that describes what we believe to be inconsistencies across social media, so well leave it at that for this time, said Lt. Easterlin.

An update was not given on the handlers employment status. The sheriffs office said there will be a memorial for the K-9 once the investigation is complete.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.
SAN ONOFRE STATE BEACH (FOX 5/KUSI)  A deal to protect public access to the San Onofre State Park has been struck with only 24 hours to spare.

The Navy, the federal government and the State of California agreed to a 25-year lease costing roughly $3 million a year.

The last thing we needed Jaime was for this beach not to be available over Labor Day weekend with WSL coming in a week and it was uncertain, Congressman Mike Levin said.

The original deal was a 50-year lease for $1 signed by Richard Nixon, but would be impossible with transparency laws passed in the 90s.

More Tijuana restaurants closing as Americans stop visiting

Levin became the point person for two salty watermen who dedicated the last decade to making sure the pristine beach was open for generations to continue to access the world class surf.

We are looking forward to the next steps in the campaign to protect and preserve this valuable resource, said Steve Long, the former Chief of the San Onofre State Lifeguards.

As news broke on the beach, the smiles spread.

They are starting to hear the news a couple of guys in the parking lot stopped me, Is this happening today or tomorrow, I thought it expired a couple of days ago, I said No, it was going to expire within 24 hours, but we got it done today, said Bob Mignogna, from the San Onofre Parks Foundation.

So for the next 25-years, San Onofre State Beach will still be home to mostly longboarders, their vans and dogs. Pro tip: your California parking pass still gets you in.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
The above shows the space in the Department of Corrections' Columbia prisons complex for executions, as seen from the witness room. The firing squad chair (left) was added following a 2021 state law that made death by firing squad an option. The electric chair is under the cover. (Provided by the S.C. Department of Corrections)

COLUMBIA  The inmate who is scheduled for execution in three weeks is asking the South Carolina Supreme Court to give him a reprieve, claiming attorneys uncovered new evidence that could overturn his sentence, according to a Friday court filing.

Freddie Owens execution, scheduled for Sept. 20, is set to be the states first in 13 years. But his attorneys say they have evidence that solicitors prosecuting his 1999 trial made a secret deal with the key witness in his case, undermining Owens conviction, according to Fridays motion.

Owens was convicted of shooting and killing gas station clerk Irene Graves as part of a string of burglaries in 1997. The single mother of three was shot in the head after saying she didnt know how to unlock the safe.

The only eyewitness to the crime was Steven Golden, one of Owens friends who was robbing local gas stations and restaurants with him. Surveillance footage showed two masked men in the gas station, one of whom shot Graves.

With no forensic evidence tying Owens to the crime, Goldens testimony was the only proof offered that Owens was the shooter, Owens attorneys argued Friday.

Golden was charged with the crime alongside Owens. Both faced the death penalty. Golden pled guilty before the case went to trial.

While on the stand during Owens trial, Golden testified that his plea agreement did not take the death penalty or the possibility of life in prison off the table, according to the motion.

The prosecutor told me to answer that way,' Golden said, according to the motion.

Golden is now claiming he had an unwritten agreement with the states prosecutors that he would not receive either of those sentences if he testified against Owens, according to a statement he signed last week, the day before the court scheduled Owens execution.

My written plea agreement said the death penalty and life without parole were still possible outcomes and there were no specific guarantees about what my sentence would be,' Golden said, according to the motion. That wasnt true.'

The judge overseeing Owens case told the jury that Golden was credible because he was not receiving a lighter sentence and had no personal gain from testifying. If the jury had known what he now says he was promised, the judge might have given different instructions and the jury may not have believed Goldens testimony, Owens attorneys argued.

Golden is scheduled for release in 2026, according to the state Department of Corrections.

Owens lawyers are also arguing the jury may have had an assumption of guilt against Owens because he was fitted with a stun belt during the trial. Other courts around the country have ruled that a such belts, which would have given Owens an electric shock if he misbehaved, are akin to putting a defendant in shackles. This is not allowed because it implies the person on trial is guilty when a jury should instead assume they are innocent.

Owens current attorneys said a juror from his 1999 trial has now told them she could see Owens wearing the belt in court and knew what it was for, according to the motion.

Owens case has been sentenced to death several times. The state Supreme Court twice before sent Owens case back to a jury for resentencing. Both times, the jury recommended again to sentence Owens to death. In 2008, the state Supreme Court agreed, finding no further problems.

The defense attorneys are now seeking a new hearing in Greenville County, according to court records. Until then, they asked the high court to halt Owens execution.

After Owens was convicted of killing Graves, he also killed another inmate at the Greenville Detention Center. Owens confessed to the crime in court the next day, saying he did it because he was innocent, according to court documents.

Owens has been scheduled for execution twice before, both times in 2021. The high court halted both executions amid legal questions about how he would die.

At the time, the state did not have lethal injection available as an option. Since then, the Supreme Court has ruled it constitutional for inmates to die by electrocution or firing squad as well, and corrections officials have restocked their supply of lethal injection drugs, putting that back on the table.

Also in front of the Supreme Court is the question of whether Owens attorney can decide his method of death for him. Owens signed his decision-making power to his attorney before he received his notice of execution because he has a religious conviction against choosing his own method of death, believing it to be a form of suicide, according to court filings.

Owens is one of 32 men on death row. Five others have exhausted their appeals and are next up to be executed, though the state Supreme Court agreed Friday to wait at least five weeks between scheduling executions.
Earth has recently recorded its hottest day, month and year, but theres one temperature record that remains oddly elusive: The worlds hottest temperature reading, a record infamously held by Death Valley.

Saturday marks the end of summer as meteorologists define it, and it's getting increasingly unlikely that the record will be broken this year.

Death Valley's record dates back over 100 years, to an unthinkably hot July day when temperature (reportedly) reached 134 degrees. And while California set the record for its hottest July this summer, Death Valley remained relatively far from its record.

Unlike many of Earths recent heat records  which are constructed of heat readings from around the globe  this record measures the temperature of a single location at a single point in time.

Checking the temperature: How to measure heat correctly (and why it matters)

Thats one reason Death Valley's record has become one of the most controversial in all of meteorology, with experts disagreeing about whether such a reading in 1913 was even possible.

Indeed, many longstanding record high temperature marks from decades ago have been met with skepticism in recent years, including a 1922 reading of 136.4 degrees in Libya which was officially discredited by the World Meteorological Organization in 2012.

Visitors walk on the lowest point in North America at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park on March 21, 2016, in Death Valley, Calif.

How hot can the temperature on Earth get?

Citing previous climate research, climate scientist Randy Cerveny of the World Meteorological Organization told USA TODAY that 134 degrees might be close to the highest temperature our planet can reach.

But scientists aren't sure.

Paul Loikith, an associate professor of geography at Portland State University, said it's not currently known what Earth's highest possible temperature might be.

Hot, hotter, hottest: How much will climate change warm your county?

"There is no easily defined physical limit on how hot it can get on Earth, so we can't readily apply some theoretical upper bound," Loikith said. Computer models may one day provide an answer, but it hasn't yet been seriously studied.

Whatever Earth's top temperature might be, the planet probably approaches it more often than we know.

"Remember that we can only record records where we have equipment and people, Cerveny said.

"There are likely parts in the world (such as Northern Africa and the Middle East) where temperatures above 134 have already occurred  we just havent had surface equipment there to measure it," Cerveny said.

"Even in Death Valley there are likely hotter places such as Badwater Basin, where the National Weather Service just put a new sensor a couple of years ago."

Death Valleys climate an ideal spot for a temperature record

Death Valley has a hellish summertime climate almost unlike any other spot on the planet: "With an average daily high of 115 degrees and a low of 87 during the month of July, Death Valley is far and away the hottest location in North America and perhaps the hottest place in the world," weather historian Christopher Burt writes in his book Extreme Weather.

Triple-digit temperatures are typical from the middle of May to very early October. The most sweltering days feature highs of 120 degrees or greater, the weather service reports.

The geography of Death Valley leads to many days where temperatures can vault within several degrees of 130 degrees, as they did in July, said meteorologist Bob Henson of Yale Climate Connections. (While the record of 134 degrees there is disputed, experts agree Death Valley has hit 130 degrees.)

Its so consistently hot during the summer that it takes extreme conditions to spike the temperature in Death Valley: "In places like this  the hottest spots on Earth when averaged over long periods  there isn't a simple mechanism that can sharpen the existing heat peaks other than long-term global warming, which has added about 2 degrees to globally averaged temperatures over the past 100-plus years."

Did Death Valley really hit 134 degrees over 100 years ago?

This is a continuing debate among experts.

Count Burt among the skeptics. He told USA TODAY that "a temperature of 134 degrees in Death Valley on July 10, 1913, was essentially not possible from a meteorological perspective." The temperatures recorded at Death Valley during the period of hot weather from July 7-14, 1913, were not consistent with meteorological conditions during that time period, he said.

"There was no truly significant heat wave, let alone record-breaking, affecting the Southwest during that week," Burt said via e-mail.

Nevertheless, the World Meteorological Organization still insists that the 134-degree all-time world record is accurate. The WMO says this temperature may be the result of a sandstorm that occurred at the time. "Such a storm may have caused superheated surface materials to hit upon the temperature in the shelter," the WMO said.

Earth's hottest temperature will remain an elusive record

There are many flavors of record heat: scorching daytime highs, hot nighttime lows, record-long heatwave duration, and the like, Henson said. But keeping track of a single location's hottest temperature requires a special level of precision and patience.

"What we do know is that the range of possible weather on Earth or for any one location is much larger than we typically experience. Very rare, very extreme events occur, often at return intervals that are too long for us to capture them with our instrumental weather record," said Loikith.

"For example, if you took some location and monitored its weather for 100 years, you would see a range of possible temperatures including some extremes. But if you monitored it for 2,000 years, you would likely see extremes that you did not capture in the 100 year period."

He added that it is likely that an event like the 134 degrees at Death Valley is one of those extremes that recur very infrequently.

It would require a super-strong upper level high-pressure areas, said Henson. High pressure areas are usually associated with dry, hot weather because as the air sinks, it warms and the moisture evaporates, NOAA said.

Recently, those ingredients haven't aligned.

"The upper highs over California in July haven't been record-strong so much as relentless. Quite a few towns and cities in California are racking up their hottest month ever, because the heat has been so persistent and recurrent," Henson said. So as human-produced warming continues, I think the bigger headlines will be normally milder places that get hotter than they've ever been, coupled with normally hot places that smash their records for lengthy periods of intense heat. Both situations can lead to extreme and dangerous health consequences.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Earth's hottest temperature: Death Valley's record still stands
*** The video above is from a previous report***

FOX LAKE, Ill.  A man convicted of killing a 77-year-old male inside his Fox Lake home in December of 2022 will spend decades behind bars.

A Lake County judge on Thursday sentenced Azmi Ibrahim, now 37, to 50 years in prison following the deadly Dec. 12 shooting that claimed the life of Roy Hoffman.

WGN News reported that police responded to Hoffmans residence in the 0-100 block of Mineola Road on the report of shots fired around 9:35 p.m. Arriving officers located Hoffmans body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the 911 caller told dispatchers that a man and woman entered a minivan and fled moments after the gunfire. According to police, Hoffman invited the woman, later identified as then 31-year-old Kathryn Deason, over to his home to have a romantic relationship in exchange for money. While she was there, Ibrahim, 37, entered the residence and shot Hoffman.

Ibrahim pleaded guilty in January to first-degree murder.

Authorities charged Deason with obstruction of justice.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

Imprisoned since late 2022, Ibrahim received a 627-day credit for time served.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
This story was produced by Spotlight Delaware as part of a partnership with Delaware Online/The News Journal. For more about Spotlight Delaware, visit www.spotlightdelaware.org.

Delaware House Minority Leader Mike Ramone, the party-endorsed Republican vying to be the states next governor, is proud of his multiple, and sometimes controversial, businesses and investments.

At candidate forums, in campaign literature, and in interviews, he frequently points to his ventures  including a swim club and property management companies  as the reason he believes he has the skills to be an effective governor.

Ramone also appears proud of his ability to veer outside of conservative orthodoxy, highlighted at recent political debates where he expressed support for legal abortions and for higher salaries for public school teachers.

Im not deep blue, and Im not scarlet red, he said of his political leanings during a candidate forum at Canaan Baptist Church in New Castle. Im Delaware yellow, and Im in the middle.

Ramones socially moderate, pro-business brand  which fits the mold of prominent Republicans from Delawares long ago past  has served him well within the states political class most recently dominated by Democrats.

It also has been key to his repeated victories over the years in his left-leaning Pike Creek legislative district.

Ramone even called his knack for winning elections in the northern Delaware district his greatest accomplishment as a lawmaker. Today, he is one of just two Republican state lawmakers representing an area north of the C&D Canal.

It is an area that accounts for roughly half of Delawares population, and has been key to Democrats years of dominance in state politics.

But, whether Ramones brand will appeal to a modern Delaware Republican party  and ultimately launch him to become the states first GOP governor in 32 years  is unclear.

In the upcoming Sept. 10 primary, Michael Ramone faces two such challengers. In this file photo, he makes remarks as the guest speaker at the New Castle County Learning Center GED graduation ceremony at Gauger-Cobbs Middle School.

Weighing on the minds of some in the party are high-profile instances from the recent past of Delaware Republicans strikingly rejecting their party-endorsed candidates in favor of political outsiders and novices, whose platforms and rhetoric more closely align with those of former President Donald Trump.

In the upcoming Sept. 10 primary, Ramone faces two such challengers, and each has already begun criticizing his platform, particularly on the issue of abortion.

Jerry Price, a former New York City police officer who retired to Rehoboth Beach, told Spotlight Delaware that Ramone is soft on social issues.

Bobby Williamson, a contractor and businessman from Bridgeville, said Ramone doesnt have the right flavor for the state.

Each also claimed that a Ramone victory in the primary would lead to Republicans suffering defeat in another Delaware statewide general election.

Theres the GOP, and then there is actually the Republican people. And, the Republican people are not being heard, Williamson said. And, thats why we keep losing over and over and over.

Six candidates are running for Delaware governor in 2024: top row from left, Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, former state environmental secretary Collin O'Mara and state Rep. Mike Ramone, and bottom row from left, Jerrold Price, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer and Bobby Williamson.

When reached for comment, Jim Weldin, vice chair of the Delaware Republican Party, said the GOP endorsed Ramone because he is well known by party members throughout the state, noting his 16 years of service in the Delaware House of Representatives.

Everybody pretty much had an idea of who Mike Ramone is, Weldin said.

Weldin further stated that Williamson failed to pitch his own upstart candidacy to fellow conservative across the state prior to the May party convention. As a result he was a political unknown at the event.

I didnt know anything about Williamson until I saw it (his candidacy) on Facebook. And, I said Whos this guy? he said.

For his part, Ramone says he is not changing his politics for the sake of expediency, stating in an interview with Spotlight Delaware that hes not here to convince anybody of anything. He said hes running for governor to give voters the option to choose a candidate with experience from the business world.

I dont message to win a primary or to win elections, Ramone said.

Still, Ramone stressed that a Republican gubernatorial victory in the general election would bring what he called balance to the state, as it would prevent Democrats from controlling all branches of government.

It would also bring an economically conservative, pro-business platform to the states highest elected office. As governor, Ramone said he would work to eliminate the states tax on business revenues, known as the gross receipts tax, which Republicans have long decried as a secret sales tax.

He also called for potential budget surpluses to be directed to Delawares state worker post-retirement liabilities, rather than to new spending.

Last year, Delawares Democratic-controlled legislature directed hundreds of millions in surplus state dollars to what lawmakers called one-time spending on deferred maintenance and capital projects that otherwise would not have been undertaken for several years.

In all, Ramone said his policies would limit an overzealous expansion of government.

I will make sure we pay our bills. Ill make sure we become fiscally stable, he said

A curious local newsletter

Ramones family businesses have names such as Aquatic Management Systems, Ramones Landscaping, the Delaware Swim School, BNR Investment, and Ramone Real Estate Holdings.

Some, such as Ramones swimming-related companies and the landscaping business, are well-known in Delaware with prominent front-facing websites and Facebook pages.

Many also advertise within a string of little-known, hyper-local newsletters, published with alliterative names, such as the Brandywine Beacon and the Hockessin Herald. The newsletters, which have appeared in recent months at suburban Delaware cafes, often feature editorial content in line with Ramones personal platform.

State business records for the company that runs the newsletters, DispatchDE LLC, show that it was formed in January by Ramones daughter, Brittany Ramone Gomez.

In 2022, Ramone Gomez followed her fathers lead and ran for a seat in the Delaware House of Representatives, ultimately losing to Rep. Paul Baumbach (D-Newark).

Asked about his role in the company, Ramone said he provides guidance and mentoring. When asked if he owns equity in the company, he said he purchases advertising in the various newsletters.

Ramone said he knows little else about the companys operations  only that there is a cluster of people involved and they are led by George Rotsch, a marketing executive who separately works with Delaware Live News.

I only know that I answer what George asks me; You want to write this? You want to write that? Ramone said.

When reached by Spotlight Delaware, Rotsch said Ramone was key to DispatchDEs launch because he had been the sole advertiser for the newsletters during its first few editions.

Rotsch said the origin for the venture came during the last election cycle when he had published a print newsletter for the state Republican Party. Last year, Ramone said he had appreciated the work Rotsch had done then, and encouraged him to start a news venture separate from the party.

Mike Ramone goes, I like that newspaper, Rotsch recounted. You guys, ought to do that again.

More questions of Ramone businesses

Spotlight Delawares questions about the curious newsletters is the latest outside scrutiny that Ramone has faced involving his business activities  but not the first.

In 2018, his swim club suffered a bout of salacious press after a liberal blog revealed that Ramone had periodically rented his Delaware Swim and Fitness Center on New Castle Avenue to an adult organization that hosted pool parties for nudists.

The report and follow-ups stories from local news outlets prompted the group to stop hosting the parties. In response, Ramone lamented to The News Journal that it caused people to be outed and now arent comfortable with their privacy or safety.

My general reaction has been, honestly, its amazing how many people have come to me and stated why this is anyones business, Ramone said to the News Journal while also noting that he did not participate in the parties.

Months after the pool party revelations caused a minor public commotion, another  more weighty  business controversy emerged that would plague Ramone for several years.

In late 2018, Democratic Party operatives began to criticize Ramone for his vote the previous year for a bill that eased regulations on the blockchain technology that underpins cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. He made the vote while he was also invested in a government-backed startup company that at the time claimed to be in the blockchain industry.

Democrats speculated then that Ramones investment stood to benefit from the new law, and therefore called on him to publicly answer questions about it.

Ultimately, Ramone said the controversy has been fodder for political opponents in the years since.

I know you think Im BSing you

The Delaware Board of Trades story began in 2015 when an investment team consisting of financial industry veterans and a longtime aide to Joe Biden convinced then-New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon to loan them $3 million to launch a startup stock exchange company in Wilmington.

When it received the government loan, the company was only an idea, with no operations and no revenues. Over the subsequent year, its team struggled to launch new trading operations.

To survive, they sought out various new investors, according to internal company emails.

By 2017, the company had attracted several investments, including from Ramone and from John Hynansky  president of Wilmingtons Winner Group and an individual who Biden had described as his very good friend.

While the investments provided lifelines to the struggling venture, Ramones and Hynanskys ownership of the company would be short-lived.

In late 2017, a Chinese company called Seven Stars Cloud acquired a 27% stake of the Delaware Board of Trade, also known as DBOT.

At the time of the acquisition, a company official described DBOT as a place to allow you to tokenize securities and trade on the blockchain.

To this day, the terms of the deal are not entirely clear.

A securities filing at the time stated simply that Seven Stars Cloud purchased equity in DBOT using about 1.6 million shares of its stock, rather than cash.

But internal company emails show a complicated transaction in which Ramone, Hynansky and two others exercised stock options in the Delaware Board of Trade, then immediately sold them to Seven Stars Cloud in exchange for shares of that company.

Ramone would get 500,000 shares of Seven Stars Cloud, valued at $2.42, in exchange for 500,000 of DBOT shares valued at $1.55. It is not clear whether his original investment in the company was impacted by the stock option deal.

Six months later, Ramone cast his vote in the legislature on what would become a controversial blockchain bill.

And six months after that, the CEO of Seven Stars Cloud, a prominent billionaire in China named Bruno Wu, filed with the U.S. federal regulators as a foreign agent for the Chinese government.

The filing described Wus work facilitating dialogues, negotiations and visits amongst public & government officials, think tanks, scholars and businessmen, as the reason for his classification as a foreign agent.

By 2019, Seven Stars Cloud  which then had been renamed Ideanomics Inc.  bought a bigger stake in DBOT  this time acquiring all but a 2% sliver of the Delaware company.

In a press release at the time, the companies valued that latest purchase of DBOT shares at $18 million.

It is not clear if Ramone owned any shares of DBOT just prior to the 2019 deal. After the announcement, Ramone told The News Journal he believed he ultimately lost money on his investment of between $1 million and $2 million in the DBOT startup.

But, he wasnt certain the amount of the alleged loss.

I know you think Im BSing you but I really dont know how many shares I have, he said. .

When asked this month how much money he made on his DBOT investment, Ramone turned defensive.

First he called it all a mess. Then, he said he probably lost a bunch of money.

Im happy to talk to you about being a governor, not about something thats been brought up in my last three elections to try to get me out, he said.

Lesson from the Castle campaign

Despite the handful of controversies, Ramone remains happy to gush about his businesses.

And, with their endorsement, Republican leaders appear to be betting that his business acumen will be a key to statewide victory for their embattled party in Delaware.

Still, the partys recent history suggests that a Ramone victory in the primary is not an inevitability.

Before Ramone was a long line of party-endorsed Delaware Republicans who sought statewide offices, but lost to upstart challengers in their primaries.

There was James DeMartino who lost to the firebrand candidate Lauren Witzkes in the 2020 Republican primary for Delawares U.S. Senate seat.

There was Lee Murphy who lost to the eccentric Scott Walker in the 2018 primary for Delawares U.S. House seat.

And, perhaps most famously, there was former Delaware Gov. Mike Castle, who lost to Christine ODonnell in the 2010 race to become the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate.

Castle, an elder statesman of the party then, was seen as a near shoe-in to become Delawares next senator if he had advanced past the primary election. Instead, then-New Castle County Executive Chris Coons defeated ODonnell in the general election.

Coons has served in the U.S. Senate ever since.

Ramones friend and colleague Rep. Mike Smith (R-Newark) worked for Castle during that disastrous campaign more than a decade ago. When reflecting on the experience, Smith said the challenge then, and today, is convincing voters to look past a narrow primary battle and choose a candidate who can win a general election.

He said Republicans failed to do that in 2010, pushing a 20-point favorite out of the race in favor of a 20-point underdog.

And, they got absolutely blown out in the general election, said Smith, who serves as the only other northern Delaware Republican in the General Assembly.

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware Rep. Mike Ramone makes play for governor on Republicans line
Kamala Harris  the Democratic nominee for Novembers White House race  has accused Donald Trump of disrespecting sacred ground on his recent visit to Arlington national cemetery, as the controversy over an apparent altercation between workers of his campaign and cemetery staff continued to build.

The vice-president on Saturday accused the former president and Republican nominee of staging a political stunt after the US army accused the Trump campaign of turning a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday to mark the deaths of US soldiers in Afghanistan into a photo opportunity. The army also accused two campaign workers representing Trump  who said he was invited to the ceremony by the family of one of the honored soldiers  of pushing aside an official who told them it was forbidden to take pictures at the graves of military members who had recently died.

Harris wrote in a lengthy statement on X that the cemetery  the resting place of more than 400,000 military veterans and their eligible dependents, dating back to the civil war  was not a place for politics.

She said: Donald Trumps team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff. Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.

Meanwhile, Democrats have called for a US army report into an apparent altercation between campaign staff and cemetery officials.

In her statement, Harris said: If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude.

And it is my belief that someone who cannot meet this simple, sacred duty should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America.

At a rally on Friday, Trump said he only posed for photographs at the invitation of the families  even though they did not have the authority to approve such pictures.

He said in Johnstown, Pennsylvania: I dont need publicity. I get a lot of publicity. I would like to get a lot less publicity  I would hire a public relations agent to get less publicity.

In a final rebuke of Trump, Harris wrote of fallen soldiers: I mourn them and salute them. And I will never politicize them.

In a letter to the US army secretary, Christine Wormuth, Democrats with the House oversight committee requested a report by Monday into the reported showdown, including whether the Republican nominees campaign staff violated federal law or cemetery rules and whether the Trump campaign informed the families of service members buried at the cemetery that their gravestones would be used in Mr Trumps political campaign ads, as CBS reported.

Related: Trump denies exploiting visit to US soldiers graves: I dont need publicity

The cemetery is considered a politics-free zone. But on Monday, on the invitation of relatives of the soldiers killed in Kabul, Trump brought campaign photographers to document the visit.

An army spokesperson said on Thursday that a female Arlington national cemetery official was abruptly pushed aside during an argument with Trump aides over photos and filming on the grounds for partisan, political or fundraising purposes.

A spokesperson for the military said the episode was unfortunate, and it was also unfortunate that the cemetery employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked. The employee is not pressing charges.

The army said Arlington national cemetery conducts nearly 3,000 such public ceremonies annually without incident, and visitors to the ceremony Trump attended had been made aware of laws that prohibit political activity.

The Trump campaign said it had been granted explicit permission to bring campaign-designated media to the section of the cemetery for the slain soldiers  or Gold Star  families. The campaign denied an altercation had taken place and said: There was no physical altercation as described and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made.

Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin said in the letter that it appears that the Trump campaign  which arrived at the cemetery with a photographer and videographer  completely flouted the laws and rules they were informed of and filmed footage in the restricted area for use in a political TikTok video.

Raskin also cited an apology issued by the Utah governor, Spencer Cox, who had attended the ceremony with Trump and posted photos of the event to his official social media accounts.

This was not a campaign event and was never intended to be used by the campaign, Cox wrote in a social media post on Wednesday. It did not go through the proper channels and should not have been sent. My campaign will be sending out an apology.

Republicans have trying to make the US withdrawal from Afghanistan a campaign issue through which to attack Harris.

In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Harris confirmed she was the last person in the room before Joe Biden made the decision to pull US troops out of Afghanistan. Asked if she felt comfortable with the presidents decision, Harris responded: I do.

 This article was amended on 1 September 2024. Arlington national cemetery dates back to the US civil war, not to the revolutionary war as an earlier version said.
The News

National Democrats are boasting about a newly expanded map with Vice President Kamala Harris as their nominee and brighter prospects for their downballot candidates. The optimism does not, so far, include Florida  despite the state partys best efforts to convince them.

Were showing every proof point that they [Harris campaign] need, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried told Semafor. Theyre seeing the polling closing. Theyre seeing the volunteers surging. Theyre seeing people coming out of the woodworks going to events. So theyre seeing what they need to be seeing.

Multiple polls this month have shown Harris within striking distance of Trump, including one from Florida Atlantic University that put her within 2 among likely voters. Fried told reporters at the DNC that theres been a tremendous momentum shift in the state, describing its residents as lab rats for Project 2025 and highlighting the states six-week abortion restriction as something that is turning people away from the Republican Party. Voters will get a chance to overturn it via a ballot initiative in November, which Trump has pointedly not taken a position on.

Part of the Democratic excitement comes from the down-ballot races in Florida. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is currently running a tight race against Republican Sen. Rick Scott, with new polling suggesting the two are neck-and-neck. Another USA Today/Suffolk University/WSVN survey found his approval rating at 35%  typically an extreme danger zone for an incumbent.

An enthusiastic Mucarsel-Powell told Semafor during a brief phone interview that Florida remains a swing state. She described an energy shift on the ground, both in her race and the presidential election, and urged Democrats to come to Florida if they are trying to make inroads with Latinos or emphasizing things like environmental protection and the economy.

There are a lot of points in our state that indicate a very competitive race for Kamala Harris, and absolutely a win for me, she said, mentioning the multiple school board candidates backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis who lost earlier this month. Its a state that always comes out for the right candidate when they communicate with them directly.

But the optimism coming from some inside the state isnt necessarily translating into the Harris campaign. This week they bought ad time in the state  but only in the Mar-a-Lago area, which was less an indicator that the campaign really believes the state is worth investing in, and more an example of the campaign trolling Trump  an opportunity, as The Bulwarks Marc Caputo put it, to target the precious real estate between Trumps ears.

We thought it was important for Donald to see how much voters hate his Project 2025 plans to control their lives, seek revenge on his enemies, and rule as a dictator on day one, Sarafina Chitika, a Harris spokeswoman, told The Bulwark. Trump might forget, but well make sure voters dontand theyll hold him accountable this November.

In a perhaps related development, the campaign is kicking off a 50-stop bus tour around reproductive rights in Palm Beach as well.

Shelbys view

The local enthusiasm about Democrats chances in Florida reminds me of the excitement around the idea that Republicans could win Virginia: Im skeptical. Every presidential cycle has a series of what-ifs from both parties  but until we start seeing serious investments from a campaign into a state, its hard to argue that its truly in play.

Democrats have reason to hesitate, too. Its an expensive state to play in and theyve been burned repeatedly by recent campaigns. Scotts prior governor and senate races have all been close, but he can self-fund and managed to defeat Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in 2018, an otherwise great year for Democrats. President Biden was able to make a late play for the state in 2020, when polling showed him in the lead, thanks in part because megadonor Michael Bloomberg funded a nine-figure push that included Florida, Texas, and Ohio. Trump comfortably won the state anyway. Democrats all but surrendered the state in 2022 as DeSantis raised huge sums of cash ahead of his presidential run and put up blowout margins in his re-election.

Back in July, when Joe Biden was still running, his reelection chair Jen O-Malley Dillon openly admitted that they didnt consider Florida to be a battleground state, prompting a flurry of drama as it contradicted a prior campaign memo arguing the state was in play. While Harris has closed the gap against Trump, its safe to say that any honest actor working for her would likely tell you exactly what Dillon said just last month. A July memo by Dillon touting Harris widening electoral path made no mention of Florida.

The View From The Trump Campaign

Trump spokesman Brian Hughes said their campaign would love for team Harris to invest money in the state, and that they fully expect Florida to be in their column.

Democrats claiming Florida would be in play for them is delusional at best, Hughes said. The best way to understand that would be to follow the money: The Democrat infrastructure is not making a serious financial play in Florida, and it shows a rare good strategic decision making.

Notable

Chuck Schumer told Politico last week that hes confident Democrats will keep the Senate and even pick up seats  potentially, the moderator noted, in Florida. Still, Schumer was noncommittal when pressed on whether theyd be investing money to flip the state, saying wait and see.

Steve Schale, a veteran Democratic strategist in Florida, argues that the party should worry about the long-term consequences of avoiding the state. If they continue to raise good money to fund an expanded map, keeping the fight here is just smart politics, he writes.


Denmark was ready to provide F-16s to Ukraine at start of full-scale invasion - Danish PM

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has confirmed that Denmark does not restrict the use of F-16 fighter jets that it has provided to Ukraine.

Source: Mette Frederiksen at the GLOBSEC conference in Prague, reports European Pravda

Details: Mette Frederiksen believes that Ukraine received Western fighter jets later than it should have.

Quote: "I'm sorry that it took so long. I was ready to deliver them from the beginning of the war. But, once again, we had quite long discussions about whether it was a good idea or not."

Frederiksen did not specify who exactly was holding up the delivery of the F-16s but expressed her belief that the task remains to ensure that Ukraine receives all the weapons it needs from the West.

Quote: "You cannot win the war without military equipment. The only way of winning this war is to give Ukraine what they need."

Frederiksen also confirmed that Denmark has no restrictions on using donated weapons, including aircraft.

Quote: "We are not putting restrictions on F-16s. It has to be according to international law. We have given these jets with no restrictions, then according to international law."

Background: The Czech president also supported the use of F-16s against targets in Russia. The Netherlands, which also provided the fighter jets, is not against using F-16s for strikes against Russia.

Read also: Pentagon comments on Ukraine's loss of F-16 fighter jet.

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FAYETTE COUNTY, Ohio (WCMH)  Deputies are investigating human that were found in a wood line off of Interstate 71 South near milepost 64 in Jasper Township Thursday evening.

The Fayette County Sheriffs Office said a highway construction worker called in shortly before 11 p.m. after finding the remains near the Rattlesnake Creek bridge on I-71 South. Sheriff Vernon Stanforth said after arriving, they determined the skeletal remains were human.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Fayette County Coroner Lenora Fitton responded to the scene. Fitton took possession of the remains after examining the scene. From there, the remains were transported to the Montgomery County Coroners Office for further examination.

Both the Fayette coroners office and sheriffs department are investigating further. The cause of death and identity of the remains are unknown at this time.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Evan Brown will lead the Oklahoma Office of Economic Development, Growth, and Expansion (EDGE) at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

Gov. Kevin Stitt has appointed new leadership for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, which is going through a major change intended to improve the state's economic development,

Stitt announced this week that Deputy Secretary of State Evan Brown will become director of the Oklahoma Office of Economic Development, Growth, and Expansion (EDGE), one of two new anticipated Commerce Department divisions. The new agency aims to promote economic development and attract new businesses to the state. Brown said he plans to balance investment between existing industries and enterprises and new opportunities through the new division.

"It's a really a relationship between investing in our legacies and finding good fits for Oklahoma who can complement who we are and what we're already good at," Brown said.

Brown plans to bring in more companies within Oklahoma's largest industries, such as oil and gas, agriculture and aerospace. More attention will be given to the state's growing biopharmaceuticals, technology and manufacturing industries. However, Brown said numerous factors contribute to how the Commerce Department distributes funds to promote economic activities in different areas and industries.

"Distribution of funding between industries depends on numerous factors, such as how tax incentives are structures, workforce competency, and what a piece of land gives you as far as what you can build on a greenfield or brownfield site," he said. "When you invite someone to the state, they are investing in Oklahoma, they are investing in the community. But I wouldn't say from a funding perspective."

Rellated: Oklahoma lawmakers, Gov. Stitt at odds over how much money the state has to spend

What to know about changes to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce

Changes in the department were called for in legislation passed earlier this year. Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, author of Senate Bill 1447, said EDGE would "have a highlighted and intentional focus on expansion for Oklahoma's existing businesses."

In addition, she said, "they're going to do a targeted sector study. They're going to take an in-depth look at what industries do we want to pursue. We're really good at aerospace, right? We've lost some battery manufacturing opportunities. Maybe we're not a battery manufacturing state. I don't know at this point, but that's what they're going to look at. They're going to figure out what makes sense for Oklahoma and go after it."

A summary of SB1447 said implementing the changes in the Commerce Department would cost about $4.6 million.

Efforts to increase economic development in the state have been in the works for more than a year. Thompson said her legislation was an outgrowth of a committee formed in 2023 by Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City.

No appointments have been announced for the Commerce Departments other division, the Community Outreach and Revitalization Enterprise (CORE), which will focus on long-term development of local communities to increase competitiveness and enhance economic opportunities, such as creating new and higher-quality jobs and carrying out policy development and research.

More: How Oklahoma leaders plan to fix high-tech workforce shortage

Brown, who will take over his duties Sept. 23, said both small and large enterprises would benefit from the Oklahoma's deregulated business policies.

The governor said Brown was selected because of his business background and experience working in leadership roles within the Commerce Department.

Evan has a knack for economic policy that will help make Oklahoma the most attractive state for investment and opportunity, Stitt said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Evan Brown named leader of new Oklahoma Department of Commerce division
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) The Scranton police detective, who was seriously wounded in a January 11 shooting, has filed a lawsuit against the parents of Aiden Deininger for not securing their firearm.

Gilmartin is seeking $100,000 dollars in damages from Alex and Crystal Eastman on charges of negligence and negligent entrustment.

The lawsuit alleges Deininger, 21, took the black Ruger LCR revolver and fired 5 shots into the police cruiser, two of which struck Gilmartin in the head.

Aiden Deininger

According to the lawsuit, the Ruger revolver was left on a table inside his home in Nicholson, and not in a gun safe or secure place despite the parents knowing Deininger had violent propensities and/or theft on the part of their son.

The lawsuit states that Gilmartin has sustained a loss of future earnings, medical costs to treat his injuries, and pain and suffering that will diminish lifes pleasures.

Gilmartin was one of three officers injured after an early January shooting after officers were investigating reports of shots fired across Scranton.

The officers used footage on social media to determine Deininger and his accomplice Jeremiah Clevelands, 19, location the night of the shootings.

Deininger fired shots into the unmarked sedan, but was struck by return fire as he was evading.

Deininger and Cleveland both remain in the Lackawanna County Prison, and are contesting the pending charges against them.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
How Detroit couple ran prostitution and drug ring in basement  while the kids were home

For years, it was the perfect cover.

She was a working mom with two kids and a house of her own. He was a violent pimp who kept drug-addicted women in the basement, gave them cocaine, fentanyl and heroin on a plate, sold them for sex and beat them.

This house of horrors was located on a quaint street near the Grosse Pointe-Detroit border, just behind Ascension St. John Hospital on the city's east side. While two minor children lived upstairs with their mom and her boyfriend, the FBI says, women were being beaten, drugged and sexually exploited in the basement.

According to the FBI, the women were drug addicts, hopelessly and helplessly controlled by the sinister Detroit couple  until the victims spoke up.In U.S. District Court this week, Quiyemabi Summerlin, 45, of Detroit, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for running a sex-trafficking ring and drug den that involved luring drug addicts into a basement, providing them with a steady supply of drugs, then forcing them to have sex with paying customers or risk getting their drugs cut off and suffering unbearable withdrawals.

Beatings. Rapes. Drugs  'This was his way of life'

According to the FBI and victim impact statements, Summerlin kept all the money from the sex dates and, at times, beat the women to ensure their compliance. He also raped several of his victims, including one woman who recalled being "held down and raped while staring at the gun as a reminder of what would happen if I didn't lie there and allow him to take it."

She also recalled the "physical pain of guy after guy that he'd send in the basement to make his money" as being unbearable, explaining what happened if she refused a date.

"(Summerlin would) make you go through withdrawals and/or beat you into doing it anyways," the victim writes. "And he would be listening on a baby monitor to ensure you obeyed and werent keeping a single dollar for yourself.

Federal prosecutors called his crimes "reprehensible."

"Summerlin exploited vulnerable women who were addicted to dangerous drugs to earn a profit for himself," Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Woodward and Tara Hindelang argued in court documents, stressing Summerlin turned the victims' struggles "into a business model."

"Knowing the effects of withdrawal, Summerlin withheld drugs to coerce the women he kept under his roof, in his basement, to perform commercial sex dates so that he could make more money," the prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo. "The physical agony and psychological trauma suffered by these women were of no consequence to Summerlin  and Summerlin did not do it just one time, or to just one victim: This was his way of life, and he exploited numerous women for years."

In an unusual move, Summerlin's attorney, Christopher Sinclair, offered a brief, one-paragraph sentencing memo on his client's behalf, stating only that his client had pleaded guilty to three crimes, including sex trafficking, and that both sides had agreed that he would serve a 210-month sentence under the plea agreement. He asked the court to honor that agreement, and nothing else  which is different than most sentencing memos where defense attorneys talk about the person's background, personal history, or in many cases, ask for a more lenient sentence  known in legal circles as a downward departure.

There was none of that in this case: Just a guilty plea and an agreement to go to prison for 17 years for crimes he committed for years.

But he didn't do it alone.

Mom with kids was his partner in crime

His partner in crime was his girlfriend, Samantha Gilliam, who also was charged in the case and pleaded guilty earlier this year to sex trafficking and running a drug operation out of her home.

According to court documents, Summerlin "did not think people would suspect anything was going on at the house because his girlfriend had a good job and had children." Authorities did not disclose what type of job Gilliam had.

Gilliam has not yet been sentenced for her crimes, which could send her to prison for life. However, if her boyfriend's sentence is any indication, she likely will get some leniency in exchange for admitting guilt and taking responsibility for her actions.

According to her plea deal, Gilliam admitted that she "knowingly and voluntarily" used her house from 2019-21 as a sex and drug-trafficking operation, where she and her boyfriend took advantage of female drug addicts to make money. Specifically, the couple knew the victims were addicted to heroin and that without it they would experience severe withdrawals, the agreement states. So, they would require the women to have sex with paying customers by withholding or threatening to withhold the heroin from them.

In her plea deal, Gilliam also admitted to witnessing her boyfriend sometimes beat the victims.

There were many.

FBI identifies 25 victims who were sex-trafficked in basement

While Summerlin pleaded guilty to trafficking three victims, the FBI says it identified 25 women who were extorted and abused in the couple's home.

According to court documents, here is how those victims came to light and what some of them told the FBI:

In April 2021, members of the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force interviewed a victim who identified Summerlin as a violent pimp who provided crack cocaine and heroin to women working commercial sex dates for him. The victim provided Summerlin's telephone number, which was linked to more than 100 commercial sex advertisements, which included photos of different females.

The task force ended up identifying many women in the sex ads. Over the next several months, they would interview more than 10 women who all disclosed that they were being prostituted out of a basement on Berden Street in Detroit. Their stories were all the same: Summerlin was the pimp who gave them drugs. He lived upstairs with his girlfriend, kept all their money from their sex dates in the basement, and that his girlfriend knew what was going on as she sometimes collected the money from the victims when her pimp-boyfriend wasn't home.

More: Brazen thief admits to stealing from his boss: A sitting judge in Detroit

Children were home while prostitution was happening in basement

According to an FBI agent's affidavit, here's some of what the victims experienced and witnessed:

One women said she was locked in the basement for eight days, during which she had sex with strangers while Summerlin gave her heroin and crack cocaine.

Another stated that "Summerlin used drugs to keep the girls strung out and kept all oftheir money from the commercial sex dates."

Another said: "Sometimes Gilliams children were at the residence when commercial sex dates were happening."

In October 2021, a team of federal agents raided the home on Berden Street and found Summerlin with two women in the basement. They also found heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, Para-Fluorofentanyl, a scale, needles and a cutting agent.

Summerlin was arrested on Oct. 14, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.

'We can say old girl was on dope'

According to court documents, Summerlin referred to one of his victims as "little retard" and "retardo," and believed that he would beat the charges, allegedly telling his girlfriend that the government "don't got enough people" to testify at trial.

Prior to pleading guilty in April, Summerlin also talked with his girlfriend about trying to discredit the witnesses, allegedly telling her: "We can say old girl was on dope, she got this in her background.

The two also had concocted a defense for Gilliam, "namely, that she was at work when the prostitution and drug dealing occurred in her home and that she did not witness anything."

The victims, however, told a different story.

'I'm forever traumatized'

In seeking a stiff punishment for Summerlin's crimes, prosecutors cited excerpts from the victims' impact statements.

One woman wrote of her fear that the people she loves will leave her "if they find out how disgusting, tainted and useless I feel I am.

"Each day is a struggle as I wrestle with the overwhelming fear that I will never reclaim my happiness or my sense of self, the woman writes, adding she also struggles to have "healthy relationships" and show affection to her spouse because of Summerlin's actions.

Another woman wrote that Summerlin subjected her to "relentless torture day after day," and described the ordeal as an "unimaginable nightmare" that felt like she was "living in hell."

Pain. Fear. Helplessness. Hopelessness.

They all felt it.

"(Summerlin) used my weakness of having a drug problem to his advantage, lured me in with it and mentally and physically tortured me for months," one woman writes. "In many different ways, and for his actions, Im forever traumatized.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit couple ran sex, drug ring in basement while kids were home
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT)  A Disaster Loan Outreach Center has opened in Warrick County to assist those impacted by the July 30 storms.

The DLOC is located on 3433 Libbert Road in Newburgh and will operate until September 11.

The center will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m..

It is said businesses and residents may qualify for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration following any damages caused by the storms from July 30.

SBA and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security will operate the DLOC to assist residents in filing claims and answering questions regarding potential assistance in recovering from damages.

Besides Warrick County, these services are said to be available for residents in the following counties:

Dubois

Gibson

Pike

Spencer

Vanderburgh

Daviess (Kentucky)

Henderson (Kentucky)



For more information about the SBA disaster loan program, click here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW).
Matthew Perry, shown at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 15, 2017, died of an accidental ketamine overdose in October. On Friday, Dr. Mark Chavez entered into a plea agreement on criminal charges stemming from the actor's death. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

Aug. 31 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Los Angeles has agreed to let Dr. Mark Chavez enter into a plea agreement in actor Matthew Perry' ketamine overdose death in October.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Jean Rosenbluth on Friday released Chavez,54, on a unsecured $50,000 bond after accepting a plea agreement on one count of conspiring to distribute ketamine, which resulted in Perry's accidental death.

Rosenbluth allowed the plea agreement during the arraignment hearing and ordered Chavez to surrender his passport. Chavez also agreed he no longer will practice medicine.

Chavez is "incredibly remorseful" for his role in Perry's death "not just because it happened to Matthew Perry but because it happened to a patient," Chavez's attorney Matthew Binninger told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Los Angeles.

Chavez could be imprisoned for up to 10 years and already had his medical license suspended. He is one of five defendants in the federal case.

"We allege each of the defendants played a key role in his death by falsely prescribing, selling or injecting the ketamine that caused Matthew Perry's tragic death," Drug Enforcement Agency chief Anne Milgram said when announcing the charges.

She said Perry's death started with "unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials."

Perry's personal aid, Kenneth Iwamasa, and another man Perry knew, Erik Fleming, have pleaded guilty to their respective charges in the case.

Iwamasa, 59, admitted to federal investigators that he injected Perry with ketamine several times on the day that he died and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.

Fleming, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of ketamine causing death and one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Two other defendants in the case have pleaded not guilty to their respective charges.

Jasveen Sangha, 41, is charged with several felonies for drug distribution and maintaining a premises used for drug purposes. She allegedly is a drug dealer known in Los Angeles as the "ketamine queen."

Defendant Salvador Plasencia, 42, a Santa Monica, Calif., physician, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
Mark Chavez, a California doctor charged in Friends star Matthew Perrys 2023 death, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

The actor was found dead in a hot tub in his Pacific Palisades home last year primarily due to a ketamine overdose and subsequent drowning, per a toxicology report.

Five individuals, including Chavez, were charged in connection with Perrys death earlier this month. Others include celebrity dealer Ketamine Queen Jasveen Sangha and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who pleaded not guilty, and Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, who pleaded guilty earlier this month.

Plasencia and Sangha are slated for October trials, according to The Wrap. Per prosecutors, the five engaged in distributing and administering ketamine to Perry, despite his addiction.

"They knew what they were doing was wrong, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said when the five were charged, adding that they took advantage of Mr. Perrys addiction issues to enrich themselves.

Chavezs plea on one federal charge, and admission to diverting the vials of ketamine from his clinic that contributed to Perrys death, could land him up to 10 years behind bars. Iwamasa, who injected Perry with ketamine infusions regularly in the weeks leading up to his death, including the dose taken before his death, faces up to 15 years.

Perrys death, which shocked his close friends and former co-stars in October of last year, came amid a period of depression and anxiety for the actor, who had turned to ketamine infusion therapy in the weeks before he passed.
Despite his recent endorsement of Donald Trump and his decision to hire a GOP strategist, Elon Musk has long insisted that his political views dont fit neatly in a box. In 2019, he declared himself openly moderate, and in 2022, he said, I am neither conventionally right nor left.

That doesnt stop the media from branding Musk and his beliefs far right, a nefarious label that people struggle to describe, and a description that relatively few people assign to themselves.

A similar misbranding occurs when people speak of Megyn Kelly, the Fox News personality turned podcaster. Despite being a registered independent who disavows party labels  I will never wear a team jersey of either one of these (parties) she has said  Kelly is frequently derided as far right by critics on social media. Certainly she is not shy about criticizing Democrats, Kamala Harris and the mainstream media she was once a part of, regardless of the label.

In both of those cases, there may be some guilt by association at play  Musk because of his support for Trump, Kelly because she once interviewed Alex Jones, whose name is rarely mentioned by the media unless it is preceded by the words conspiracy theorist. Still, the idea that we can cast aside peoples own assessment of their ideological views and assign them labels that no one can clearly define is one of the more bewildering aspects of our current political climate.

Its even more odd when you take into account that the labels that falsely categorize Americans are a byproduct of the French Revolution.

Verlan Lewis, a political scientist at Utah Valley University and co-author of the book The Myth of Left and Right, is a proponent of purging left and right and similar labels from our political discourse altogether. The left-right spectrum is both misleading, and its harming us, he said.

But what would an America without right and left look like? How would we describe our ideological opposites? And are there ever cases when its appropriate to use the terms?

The dominant framework '

The practice of defining ideological opposites dates to Paris in the 1790s when members of the National Assembly were debating the French Revolution, Lewis, the Stirling Professor of Constitutional Studies at UVU, said. Those who were more in favor of the revolution sat on the left hand side of the hall, and those who were opposed to the democratic revolution were sitting on the right-hand side of the speaker.

Then, saying right or left was a useful way to describe members positions, since the terms only referred to one thing. It is a unidimensional label, Lewis said, and can be useful as such. The language was periodically used in Europe in the next century, but came to the forefront again during the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia during the 1910s as the Bolshevik revolutionaries saw their work as similar to that of the French revolutionaries. They saw themselves as left wing and they argued that their opponents were right wing.

American journalists reporting on the revolution started using that language, and the terms trickled into domestic politics in the U.S., although it took awhile for them to find purchase. Starting in the 1960s and 1970s, the use of the words picked up beyond academic circles.

It really ramped up in the past few decades, whereas today, you cant open a newspaper, you cant turn on a television program, you cant listen to political radio or go on social media without someone using these terms, left and right, progressive and conservative. Now it is the absolute dominant framework of the 21st century, Lewis said, adding that you can see the rise in the terms usage on Google nGram, which tracks word usage in books.

In common use, the terms are something we assign to other people, not ourselves, because few people want to think theyre on the extremes of this imaginary left-right spectrum  most people think Im center-right or center-left, Im a moderate conservative or progressive. But those people over there, they are extremists on the far left or the far right. They are the radical left wingers or the reactionary right wingers, Lewis said.

Not only is the left-right spectrum misleading, but its harmful because it allows people to slander their political opponents without talking about actual issues.

And not only is it wrong to denigrate someone with a label they dont embrace, its usually factually wrong as well, since many people, even if they vote a straight ticket, have at least some views that diverge from their political party. For example, a person may be passionate about cutting government spending (a view typically associated with Republicans) and about green energy (a view typically associated with Democrats). Ordinary people have positions all over the place because there are lots of different issues, Lewis said.

Defining the terms

Journalist Heath Druzin, the creator and host of the Extremely American podcast, which examines Christian nationalism and militias in the U.S., frequently uses the the term right wing in the podcast. Druzin, who lives part of the year in Germany and part in Idaho, told me that he gets mixed reactions to his use of the term. Its a mixed bag. Some people dont mind it. Some people lean into it. Some people dont like it at all.

Thats true of any descriptive, of course. One militia leader that Druzin featured joked with his group about them being labeled as extremists, and its true that in an increasingly polarized and secularized society, being a frequent church-goer, or a homeschooling parent of a large family, can get you labeled an extremist or radical by someone somewhere.

Druzin told me that when he describes a person or group as being far right, he considers them to have ideas outside the traditional mainstream thinking on the right which in America, he primarily sees as the Republican Party.

But even then, the questions that arise are confusing. A person with traditionally conservative values can be ideologically left of Donald Trump, but still considered to be on the right. Sen. Mitt Romney is often characterized by the media as a moderate conservative with no clear definition of what that means. And Druzin cant figure out how he would define Utah Sen. Mike Lee: Hes a great example of someone where you would need to weigh his record and statements, and I think you could probably argue either way, Druzin said.

And is Fox News a far right cable news network? Fox has some personalities who might be considered far right but Druzin says the Christian nationalists that he talks to complain that the network is not right enough, and Druzin considers Foxs political polling really good and really trustworthy.

So what are the ideas that Druzin believes unequivocally belongs to the far right?

For starters, If youre going after peoples rights based on who they are, I think those are far-right ideas, he said.

Druzin cites people who want to repeal the 19th Amendment and strip women of the right to vote, people who want to criminalize being gay, people calling for a return to theocracy. If youre calling for the dismantling of democracy, I think its fair to call that a far-right ideology, he said.

In some cases, Druzins explanation fits into Lewiss contention that right or left only works on a unidimensional spectrum  for example, when it comes to fascism. Some people use the term fascist to casually deride their political opposites, much like Marxist, but Druzin says that in his work he encounters people who genuinely admire fascism, sometimes wearing free helicopter rides T-shirts that subtly refer to Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, who dropped the bodies of political opponents in the ocean from helicopters.

Thats cheering on fascism. Thats far right, Druzin said.

While Druzin believes it can be fair and and appropriate to carefully cast groups of people as far right or far left, he agrees that the far right get much more attention in America right now. He says its because the far left  of which he considers Antifa a part  isnt as politically powerful and is mostly limited to Portland and Seattle, unlike in Europe, where they have more presence. While those groups have made headlines in America, as with calls to abolish or defund the police, or to redistribute wealth through programs like universal basic income, their influence has been limited, compared to their counterparts on the other end of the political spectrum.

Its not that (the far left) dont matter at all, but they dont matter as much as the far right at the moment. They havent made inroads into electoral politics, Druzin said.

He added another definition of far left and far right  the willingness to use violence to achieve political goals.

A better way

Lewis, at Utah State University, points out that the compulsion to categorize our fellow citizens into competing tribes starts and ends with politics. Think about medicine, recreation or business, he said  we dont think in unidimensional terms in any other field. If you went into the doctor, and you said my leg is hurting ... and (the doctor) said you had a left-wing illness, you would run out of the room, and rightfully so because he would be trying to take the complexity of human health and collapse it onto a unidimensional spectrum.

And yet, almost everyone has bought into this myth that politics can be modeled on this unidimensional spectrum.

The answer is to think and talk about politics in the way we talk about virtually every other realm of life, Lewis said. We would be better off going granular, which is what we do in every other realm of life.

Arent there times, however, when categorizing people as left and right, or conservative and liberal, are necessary, or even helpful?

I offered, as an example, a sentence Id written earlier in the day, in which I said that many conservatives believe their posts have been censored on social media. The distinction between conservatives and people seemed important there, I said, asking Lewis what he would have written.

I would have crossed out conservatives and written Republicans, Lewis said.

But while that is more specific, it also leaves out people who arent Republicans but consider themselves leaning to the right  Megyn Kelly, for instance, I pointed out.

Then just go granular, he said. Say free speech advocates or those concerned about censorship. Now youre talking about a particular issue and not dragging in this other baggage.

Left and right, conservative and liberal, are simply social groups; there is no fixed and detailed policy statement. As for individuals, instead of saying left wing or right wing, just say this person is very tribal  this person is very committed to a political group, Lewis said.

That might be a hard sell to a population steeped in the language of division. Both most of the time we use the terms, there are probably more accurate words to use, words that when chosen judiciously can help to bring the cultures temperature down.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  When Austin City Council met Thursday to work through a more than 200 item agenda, District 1s Natasha Harper-Madison didnt attend. Her office told KXAN it was for health reasons.

CM Harper-Madison was off the dais today, like many of her colleagues have been before and will be at some point in the future. It happens, Sharon Mays, the council members chief of staff, wrote.

But KXAN found its not happening at the same rate. We went through every Austin City Council meeting since the start of 2023, there are about 40 of them, and took attendance. We included some special called meetings where the council members could be seen on camera. Despite a request from Harper-Madisons office, we did not include committee meetings in that tally, as council members do not vote during those meetings and they are not attended by the full body.

Two city council members, Paige Ellis and Zohaib Qadri, didnt miss a meeting in that time and never attended virtually. Below is a look at attendance from all of 2023.

We found Council Member Harper-Madison has been absent from council meetings more than every other city council member, and the mayor, combined. And by double.

Austin City Council member taking leave sparks new conversations about mental health

Since January 2023, the start of her second term, she has attended eight meetings virtually and altogether missed 10 of them, according to our count. Those absences include several last year where the council member took medical leave. She told us previously that the leave was for mental health treatment.

Below is a look at attendance for 2024 so far:

Virtual attendance

As for the virtual showings, Harper-Madison often turns her camera off. Its something Harper-Madison herself has told others is disrespectful  including in a heated conversation with former Police Chief Brian Manley during a special called meeting about Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

I feel like we would be remiss to take one more minute of this meeting and not have our police chief show his face. Chief Manley. I implore youwhen these people come before you to share their words with you, I want them to look at you when they do it and I want you to look at them. I implore you to please turn your camera on, she said.

That same frustration was shared by a resident from Harper-Madisons district in a recent council meeting about significant land development code changes.

I havent seen Natasha once except for 10 a.m. when she came on camera. We dont have representation, shes obviously not here, I dont think her vote should count today, that resident said.

Ultimately, council members are policy makers. The policy that they champion and create are the indicators of their impact on the community, Mays responded after KXAN sent her our findings on attendance. She included a list of policy that CM Harper-Madison has championed and created from 2023 to present date.

She also included a section of highlights of those policies:

Launched the regions first Agrihood Incentive Program

Directed staff to initiate a Planning Initiative in the 78702 zip code

Negotiated a first-of-its-kind interlocal agreement with Travis County for North East Austin

Directed City Staff to develop small grant making opportunities within the African American Cultural Heritage District

Made permanent funding available for the annual Juneteenth Fireworks

Led on expanding the Downtown Austin Community Court program citywide and prioritized funding for its mobile court program

A targeted small business support initiative for expedited and right-sized development services

Expanding continuing education for City Staff and City leadership

Support for free and accessible live music events like Blues on the Green

Championed the Colony Park Sustainable Community project including amending its PUD zoning and solidifying financing within the past year alone

Reconfigured the Councils Housing and Planning Committee to be more action-oriented and help prioritize land development code amendments and other initiatives

Expand Community Land Trusts and land banking throughout the city especially to generate more perpetually affordable housing

Council attendance not regulated in Austin

We found the city of Austin does not appear to have attendance requirements for its council members, but other cities in Texas do.

For example, Hutto city council members are forced to forfeit office if they miss five or more regular city council meetings in the span of 12 months, according to their city charter.

In Dallas, the city has an attendance tracker which says to remain in good standing, the official must be present for at least a total of 90% of all assigned meetings.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
In a social media post this morning, Republican presidential nominee and former president Donald Trump threw his weight behind a Florida ballot initiative that would legalize recreational marijuana for adults, although he said the state legislature needs to pass laws prohibiting public use.

Trump, a Florida resident, had teased for several weeks that he would announce his position on Amendment 3, a proposed constitutional amendment going before Florida voters this November. In a post on Truth Social this morning, Trump wrote:

In Florida, like so many other States that have already given their approval, personal amounts of marijuana will be legalized for adults with Amendment 3. Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the Voters, so it should be done correctly. We need the State Legislature to responsibly create laws that prohibit the use of it in public spaces, so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities. At the same time, someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States. We do not need to ruin lives & waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, and no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl laced marijuana. We will make America SAFE again!

Amendment 3 would legalize recreational marijuana, allowing adults 21 and older to possess up to three ounces of marijuana and five grams of concentrated THC.

Only companies already licensed to sell medical marijuana would be allowed to sell recreational marijuana at first, although the legislature would be free to create its own regulatory scheme. The measure would not allow home cultivation or expunge old marijuana convictions.

Trump's post does not directly say that he will vote for it. It appears to suggest Amendment 3's passage is inevitable. But it is a notable choice by the candidate.

Trump frequently muses on the campaign trail about executing drug dealers, but as president he also commuted the sentences of some federal drug offenders whose sentences he called unjust.

Trump's Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, was once a legalization skeptic too. But she has likewise softened her stance to meet the prevailing political winds, making her and Trump two unlikely decriminalization supporters.

Trump's support is also a thumb in the eye of his former primary opponent, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis opposes the amendment and has poured considerable time and resources into defeating it.

"I've gone to some of these cities that have had this everywhere, it smells, there's all these things," DeSantis said at a press conference earlier this year. "I don't want to be able to go walk in front of shops and have this. I don't want every hotel to really smell."

The Amendment 3 campaign is bankrolled by multi-state marijuana companies operating medical marijuana dispensaries in Florida, which stand to have the entire recreational market to themselves if the amendment passes.

Florida's hemp industry, which is closely aligned with Florida Republicans, has allied itself with DeSantis in an attempt to keep from getting locked out of the market.

Amendment 3's passage is by no means assured. Constitutional amendments in Florida require a 60 percent supermajority to pass.

Florida voters approved an amendment legalizing medical marijuana in 2016, with 71 percent supporting the measure.

The post Donald Trump Backs Florida Marijuana Legalization Amendment appeared first on Reason.com.
Donald Trump comes out in support of recreational-use marijuana in Florida

Donald Trump is trying to regain his lead after slumping in the polls against a re-energized Democratic ticket led by Kamala Harris.

Donald Trump is trying to regain his lead after slumping in the polls against a re-energized Democratic ticket led by Kamala Harris. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Donald Trump has come out in support for a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize recreational marijuana in Florida, the state in which he resides.

In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump said personal amounts of marijuana will be legalized for adults with Floridas amendment 3, whether people like it or not.

The former US president said someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States. He added: We do not need to ruin lives & waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them.

Related: Cannabis could help people cut down or stop opioid use, research shows

Trump, as a resident Floridian, will be able to cast a vote on the states amendment 3 in November, which would allow adults over 21 to legally buy and use marijuana without a medical card.

Under the proposed amendment, growing marijuana independently would still be illegal, and individuals could possess no more than three ounces for personal use.

Trumps support contrasts with Floridas governor and fellow Republican, Ron DeSantis, who has been a vocal opponent of the ballot measure. This is bad policy and even worse constitutional law, DeSantis wrote in an X post this week.

DeSantis has said he opposes amendment 3 because of the smell, and has claimed, without evidence, that people would be able to bring 20 joints to an elementary school.

In his social media post, Trump called on the states lawmakers to implement regulations that would ban the use of marijuana in public spaces so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go.

But advocates of marijuana legalization argue that Republican lawmakers are exaggerating the scale of the smell problem in order to support policies banning the public use of cannabis, which has become increasingly accepted by Americans for years.

Most US states now allow medical or recreational consumption of marijuana. In recent years, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the recreational use of cannabis  and 14 others have approved it for medical use, according to the Pew Research Center.

The Florida amendment requires 60% voter support to pass. And public opinion polls show that a majority of Florida voters favor the measure.

Voters in South Dakota and North Dakota will also decide ballot initiatives proposing to legalize recreational marijuana in the November election.

Trumps marijuana-related Truth Social post on Saturday came amid polls which generally show that he is trailing the vice-president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in key battleground states which could decide the White House race between them.
Downtown Frankfort bridge shut down because of significant structural deterioration

Downtown Frankforts Singing Bridge has been closed to traffic due to structural safety concerns, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced Friday.

The cabinet said the bridge was being closed until further notice as a precaution to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians.

The recent routine inspection of the 130-year-old bridge found significant structural deterioration that affects the bridges weight-carrying capacity, prompting state engineers to close the bridge immediately to vehicles and pedestrians, the Transportation Cabinet said in a Facebook post.

About 3,400 vehicles use the bridge each day to cross the Kentucky River via U.S. 60X, the Transportation Cabinet said. Its weight limit was set at 4 tons after a 2022 inspection.

There is no time frame for when the bridge will reopen.

Further assessments and evaluations are needed to determine the next steps, the social media post stated.

While the bridge is closed, the cabinet suggested that motorists use the U.S. 60 bridge on Capitol Avenue.

Pedestrian traffic can use the east side of the Capital Avenue/War Mothers Memorial Bridge, Frankfort City Hall said in a Facebook post.

The City of Frankfort understands the closure of the Singing Bridge puts a significant strain on pedestrian traffic and is actively working on solutions, the post stated.

Its the second time this month that a bridge has caused safety concerns for Kentuckys capital city.

Part of the sidewalk on the Broadway Bridge in Frankfort collapsed, prompting the U.S. Coast Guard and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to close the Kentucky River to boat traffic in that area from Aug. 7 through Sept. 6.

The Broadway Bridge has been closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic for years and is in imminent failure condition, 2019 study found.

The Transportation Cabinet said the City of Frankfort is working with state officials on a plan to create a rehabilitated pedestrian crossing at Broadway Bridge on new piers and would also incorporate the historic steel truss span of the existing structure.
Dozens gather at Springfield City Hall to honor and remember the lives lost to drug addiction

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  Last year, over 2,100 people died from opioid overdoses in Massachusetts. To honor and remember the lives lost to drug addiction, a candlelight vigil was held at Springfield City Hall.

Opening night of the 35th annual Stone Soul Festival in Springfield

Dozens gathered at the steps of Springfield City Hall, to stand in solidarity and offer support to those affected by this epidemic. It was led by the citys health department to raise awareness about drug addiction and break the stigma around it. Many also got to share their stories of recovery and how it changed their lives, hoping it would inspire others to seek help and join the journey towards healing.

I found through recovery that having an open mind working with people, working with people, having a welcoming mind open approach and working with people having a recovery community has worked wonderfully well, said Volunteer Coordinator at Hope for Holyoke, Richard Vigliano.

To prevent further tragedies, he believes more funding should go to recovery centers and more opioid prevention sites should be opened.

Local News Headlines

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PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI)  The Rhode Island Chinese Dragon Boat Races and Taiwan Day Festival took place on Saturday.

The event occurred along the Festival Pier in Pawtucket, and also included the family-friendly Taiwan Day Festival.

The dragon boat races use unique Taiwanese-style dragon boats from the Republic of China.

Also at the event was Chinese Dumpling Eating Contest, where the winner received a round-trip ticket to Taipei, Taiwan.

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Drier weather returns to most of New Mexico for the Labor Day weekend. Temperatures will also be slowly cooling off through the weekend.

Its a fairly active end to the week across New Mexico with scattered showers and storms. The exception is northeast New Mexico where drier, more stable air has moved in. Storms will continue to generally drift south through the rest of the day, and dissipate overnight. A few storms will likely stick around far southeast New Mexico through as late as noon on Saturday. Temperatures are also quite a bit cooler in eastern New Mexico today thanks to a backdoor front that moved through the state last night.

Drier air begins moving into New Mexico this weekend. Storms will still develop though across southern and western New Mexico, with isolated storms in central and northern parts of the state. Even drier weather moves in on Sunday, with just a couple isolated storms in southern New Mexico and southern Colorado. A few more storms may be possible on Labor Day in southeast New Mexico and southern Colorado, along with a chance in the northern mountains, but most areas will stay dry. Temperatures will steadily cool through Labor Day.

Dry weather returns for all of New Mexico Tuesday as high pressure starts building over the state. This will bring in warmer and sunnier weather by Wednesday. Temperatures will stay warm into the end of next week. Some forecast models bring back chances for rain late next week, but there is still a lot of uncertainty with that.

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Iraq's Feuding Bishops

Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, pictured during a June 2023 visit to London, England. ( Mazur/cbcew.org.uk) The leader of the Chaldean Catholic Church has called for a public apology from five bishops who did not attend the Chaldean Church's recently held synod of bishops.

If the bishops do not apologize by September 5, Cardinal Louis Sako said this week, he is prepared to send a report to Pope Francis asking for canonical penalties, which could include excommunication.

The situation is complex, and points to a deepening rift among Chaldean Catholic bishops, which is exacerbated by Iraqi politics, but has been escalated, sources say, by the bravado of two accomplished bishops, neither of whom is likely to back down from a game of ecclesiastical chicken in Iraq.

As the situation intensifies, the Vatican will face pressure to choose sides, in a stand-off unlikely to have clear winners, or a clean resolution.

The Chaldean Catholic Church is one of the 23 Eastern Catholic sui iuris churches in the Catholic communion. Headquartered in Baghdad, the church has more than 600,000 Catholics -- but because of decades of violence and instability in the region, it is difficult to estimate how many live in Iraq, and how many live in diaspora, either in the United States, Europe, Australia, or across the Middle East.

In Iraq, the Chaldean Church's patriarch has been embroiled for more than a year in a dispute with Iraq's President Abdul Latif Rashid, and with Rayan al-Kildani, the leader of an Iranian-funded Babylon Brigades' militia, and its political wing, an Iraqi political party called the Babylon Movement.

Al-Kildani, who has been sanctioned by the U.S. government since 2019 for human rights violations, is an Iraqi power broker, and reportedly a Chaldean Christian, who has styled himself a representative and protector of the country's Chaldean minority, and even of Iraqi Christians more broadly. He has a reputation in Iraq for political corruption, and sometimes violent treatment of political adversaries.

In April 2023, al-Kildani publicly accused Cardinal Sako, the Chaldean patriarch, of not standing with Christians during the 2014 ISIS terrorism of Iraq, and of corruption and political opportunism.

Sako had long been a critic of al-Kildani -- who has been described by Iraqi observers as both a "thug" and a "war lord" -- with Sako stating in 2017 that al-Kildani "does not represent Christians in any way. His unfortunate statements aim to create abhorrent sectarian strife."

Last year, Sako accused al-Kildani of seizing the property of Christians in northern Iraq -- and several countries jumped in to support the patriarch's claims.

Things escalated, in a fight over political influence, leadership of the Church in Iraq, and even control of property owned by the Chaldean Church, with Sako accusing al-Kildani of corruption, and of using political ties to claim control over Chaldean properties, while al-Kildani took Sako to court in a slander suit.

In July, with the dispute in full swing, Iraq's president revoked a decree which officially recognized Sako as head of the Chaldean Church in Iraq, and the rightful trustee of its property.

The president claimed that the decree was revoked because it had no constitutional basis and should never have been issued -- but Sako cried foul, accusing al-Kildani of using his political influence to outmuscle him, and to seize control of Church assets, by influencing the president's office.

Patriarch Sako told The Pillar last year that "it is obvious that the militia group of Rayan Al-al-Kildani is pushing the president to [revoke the decree], aiming of intimidation against him, seizing the homes of Christians, and conspiring to take control of Church properties."

"These politicians want to silence me and stop me from speaking up for human rights and dignity and to claim a state of citizenship, equality, and justice," the cardinal added.

In protest of the situation, Sako moved from Baghdad to a self-imposed exile in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. This spring, he canceled major events and public festivities for Easter, in protest of the situation.

While Sako was out of Baghdad, al-Kildani seemed to taunt him -- even arranging a brief, incidental meeting with Pope Francis last September -- reportedly through the Iraqi embassy -- and framing it in Iraq as a private personal audience.

In April, Sako returned to Baghdad, at the invitation of the country's prime minister. After more than another month, he would have a new decree recognizing his authority. Things seemed to be settling into a new normal.

But there was still unfinished business in the Chaldean Church. During Sako's exile, the influential Archbishop of Erbil, Archbishop Bashar Warda, issued a statement which said that the revocation of the decree did not impact Sako's status as patriarch, and that it would not "prejudice the religious or legal status" of Sako in Iraq.

Warda added that, despite the revocation of the decree, Sako continued to enjoy "the respect and appreciation of the presidency of the republic, as Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the world."

In the West, most Catholics took that as a statement of support for Sako. But from his exile in Kurdistan, the patriarch saw it differently.

According to sources in the Chaldean Church, Sako pushed back on that, taking Warda's statement as a whitewashing of a political move he believed was an egregious attack on his leadership of the Church, orchestrated by al-Kildani, who in Iraq is widely regarded as corrupt.

Sako, as the patriarchate's statement said this week, had asked Warda "to issue a statement denouncing the withdrawal of the decree," and Warda didn't.

As tensions developed, Sako pulled back from a plan he had previously announced to retire from his office as patriarch -- Sako turned 75 in July 2023.

Warda is probably the most well-known Chaldean bishop in the West, and had a platform to speak on the issue. But while Sako wanted strong denunciations of the president's move -- and recognition of al-Kildani's influence on what happened -- Warda seemed to many Iraqis to downplay the issue.

In August 2023, Warda told EWTN News that the issue was "complicated," but did not condemn al-Kildani or the presidential revocation, saying mostly that the president ought to have been more friendly toward Sako while revoking the decree.

Tension developed between Sako and Warda, who is an ambitious pastoral builder with big plans for his diocese, whom many believe hopes to be the Chaldean Church's next patriarch.

Many Iraqi Christians speculated that Warda was unwilling to criticize al-Kildani because his diocese had received al-Kildani's assistance in building and pastoral projects, as well as security assistance and political protection.

Even after Sako returned to Baghdad in the spring of 2024, Warda reportedly spoke to journalists positively about al-Kildani's role in the country, seemingly driving further the wedge between the patriarch and the Erbil archbishop. Both Warda and Sako are reportedly hard-charging and confident men of stern determination, with neither likely to back down from the perception of a challenge.

Eventually -- after Sako had the new decree recognizing him legally as the Chaldean patriarch -- he called a deliberative synod of the Chaldean Church's 26 bishops. The meeting took place last month.

Five bishops did not attend, including Warda. Sources close to the dicastery say that Warda and the other bishops communicated to the Vatican's Dicastery for Eastern Catholic Churches that they would not be attending, reportedly saying that they believed the meeting would not be productive because Sako would not be receptive to what they had to say about the state of the patriarchate, and also raising concern that Sako had been living outside of his diocese for nine months, a violation of the canonical residency requirement for diocesan bishops.

Some sources also say that while there are legitimate issues between the bishops, Sako and Warda have also been embroiled in a kind of escalating fraternal rivalry, with Sako regarding Warda as angling politically for influence in the Chaldean Church. That perception is reportedly what's left Sako saying he is unlikely to retire from his office, while division foments among the bishops.

On Tuesday this week, the tensions escalated, with a statement from the patriarchate calling Warda a "godfather" of al-Kildani's political party, and stating that unless the five bishops apologize to the patriarch by Sept. 5, they could face canonical penalties, including even the possibility of excommunication.

The patriarchate's statement accused the bishops of attacking both Sako and the Church. It also noted that the bishops have withdrawn their seminarians from the local seminary, which has been taken as a sign of disloyalty.

According to the statement, any penalty conferred on the bishops would have to be confirmed by Pope Francis.

Led by Warda, it is not likely the five bishops will back down, even with the patriarch's gauntlet now thrown.

But it is not clear whether Sako consulted with the Dicastery for Eastern Churches before issuing his statement this week. Some observers have suggested that Sako's threat of penalties -- demanding that the bishops apologize or else face ecclesiastical consequences -- is an overreach of his authority.

So the question is whether Rome will back him up.

If the Vatican doesn't back Sako up -- siding with Warda and the bishops alongside him -- many of the other Chaldean bishops will likely push back, out of loyalty to their patriarch, and a dispositional allergy toward the appearance of Vatican overreach into their own ecclesial affairs.

Further, if the Vatican doesn't back Sako up, it might traditionally be thought to cause ecumenical problems for the Vatican, as Orthodox patriarchs tend to pull away from engagement with Rome when they perceive that Eastern Catholic Churches are being overly managed by the Vatican.

On the other hand, Warda has friends and supporters in Rome likely lobbying for him, and sources close to the dicastery say that the Syriac Catholic Patriarch in Iraq, Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Yonan, has himself been supportive of Warda's approach. And many of the Orthodox bishops in Iraq are also reportedly supported by al-Kildani, leaving it unclear how they would respond if Rome backed Sako.

The Holy See is unlikely to try untangling that mess.

First, the Dicastery for Eastern Catholic Churches has been mired in its efforts to untangle a liturgical dispute in the Syro-Malabar Church for more than a year, and by many accounts, has succeeded only in escalating the problem.

Further, the Vatican is unlikely to try picking sides in a dispute in which the substance of the conflict is entangled with a long-brewing personality clash between Sako and Warda. Third, even apart from that personality clash, the Holy See has little hope of meaningfully deciding who is right -- and while it might be inclined to reflexively back up a patriarch, it might also wish to see Sako retire without the conflict defining decisions over his succession.

In that context, September 5 is likely to come and go with no apology, and no penalty issued. But the Vatican's best approach might be to see whether time will calm hot tempers and flared nerves, and whether grace might intervene to see the bishops themselves reach some kind of normalcy.

In the meantime, both sides are likely to lob rhetorical grenades, and accuse another of disloyalty, disobedience, or disrespect. New penalty threats might be issued, and will likely be ignored.

Still, observers tell The Pillar that the conflict won't likely foment into schism without a catalyst to intensify it. Any wrong move for the Vatican could be that catalyst. In a desert stand-off like that, the most successful strategy for Pope Francis and his curia are likely to try a different strategy: out-waiting Iraq's feuding bishops.
OGDENSBURG, N.Y. (WWTI)  According to the New York State Police, on Friday, August 30, 2024, Troop B  Violent Gangs and Narcotics Enforcement Team, in a multi-agency investigation, made a drug arrest in Ogdensburg.

According to police, Tina L. Hooper, age 58, of Ogdensburg, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd (A-Felony), 2 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd (B-Felonies) and 3 counts of Unlicensed Cannabis Sales (A-Misdemeanors). The arrest was in relation to a multi-agency long-term investigation into illegal sales of cannabis and controlled substances from unlicensed cannabis stores, specifically West Coast Convenience, located at 428 State Street in Ogdensburg, where Hooper was employed, according to police.

Hooper was arraigned in Ogdensburg City Court and remanded to the St. Lawrence County Correctional facility without bail. Troop B- VGNET was assisted by the Ogdensburg Police Department, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, St. Lawrence County Sheriffs Office, U.S. Border Patrol and Canton Police Department.

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The City of Dunwoody has released its 2025 proposed budget for review by the public and City Council.

According to officials, the proposed city budget is $37 million, with a focus on public safety and slowing growth while avoiding tax increases for residents and businesses.

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The City is in a strong financial position going into 2025 due to our careful stewardship of funds, and were staying adaptable for the future, Dunwoody City Manager Eric Linton said in a statement. After a unique period of uncertainty and change, key parts of the budget have rebounded. However, some major revenue sources and expenditure categories continue to shift and show the impacts of economic instability.

The proposed budget was presented to the city council by Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch and Linton on Friday.

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In the public announcement of the proposal, officials said 38.6%, or $14.3 million, of the budget will fund the Dunwoody Police Department.

Compared to last year, Dunwoodys budget proposal is 6.6% higher, mainly due to increased public safety staffing, employee compensation and benefit increases, escalations in existing contracts and increased maintenance and utility costs.

The city said healthcare costs rose 6.5% for employees.

Weve been careful with our fund balance, which puts us in a strong position for times like this. Using American Rescue Plan dollars, which were allocated to help local governments recover from the pandemic, and fund balance, the City can present a balanced budget without increasing taxes or fees on residents or businesses, Deutsch said in a statement. This November, Georgians will have the opportunity to vote on the Georgia Local Option Homestead Property Tax Exemption Amendment. If this measure passes statewide, there is the potential for a vote to create a one-penny sales tax, which would create new revenue for the City in the future.

Ahead of full budget approval, the Dunwoody City Council will hold a special called meeting on Sept. 9 to review the plan, in addition to two public hearings.

The first public hearing will be held on Oct. 15 at 6 p.m., and a second on Oct. 28 at 6 p.m., both at City Hall.

In order for the budget to be used, it must be adopted before the end of October.

For a full look at how Dunwoody plans to fund the city budget for 2025, head online here.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
ECU Good Neighbor program aimed to help students feel more at home

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)  Several organizations are coming together to help make Greenville feel more like home for students living off campus.

ECU, the Tar River University Neighborhood Association, known as TRUNA is collaborating with the City of Greenville to promote the Good Neighbor to start the new school off right.

Today, city leaders are talking with students about how to have responsible social activity, proper trash removal, parking and other topics.

Were constantly evolving because were working with our community. Were working with local banks, with other health agencies, Erik Kneubuehl with ECU Student Affairs said. Were constantly making those connections. So one, referrals have to come or we need to connect the dots between students on campus and Greenville residents that were able to connect those dots intentionally.





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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The El Paso Fire Department will remember and honor the memory of those who lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attracks with a ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 11.

The annual ceremony will be at 9 a.m. Sept. 11 at Fire Station 18, 7901 San Jose Road.

Members of the El Paso Fire Department, along with local dignitaries, first responders, and community members, will gather to pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks, including the 343 firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice that day, the El Paso Fire Department said.

The 9/11 ceremony is a time for us to reflect on the courage and selflessness of the first responders who ran toward danger to save lives. Its also a moment to reaffirm our commitment to service and the safety of our community, Fire Chief Jonathan Killings said. We invite the community to join us in honoring the heroes of 9/11 and showing our support for those who continue to serve.

The event is open to the public, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure parking and seating.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Self-described proud El Pasoan and author Sergio Troncoso has been selected to be among this years inductees into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame.

Troncoso, a graduate of Ysleta High School, will be honored on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

Im thinking of my parents today, Rodolfo and Bertha Troncoso. Its the values my father and mother taught us in Ysleta, to work hard beyond exhaustion, to be responsible, to never quit, and to work for your community. The values of Mexican immigrants. Im remembering them today, Troncoso said in an email sent to KTSM announcing his induction.

Troncoso said that most of the eight books he has written are about El Paso and growing up on the Border.

The public library in Ysleta is named after Troncoso as well.

Here is a brief biography of Troncoso as provided by the TCU Library.

Sergio Troncoso is the author of eight books, most recently Nobodys Pilgrims, which won the Gold Medal for Best Novel-Adventure or Drama in English from the International Latino Book Awards. He also wrote A Peculiar Kind of Immigrants Son, which Luis Alberto Urrea hailed as a world-class collection and Junot Diaz called a masterwork. Troncoso edited Nepantla Familias: An Anthology of Mexican American Literature on Families in between Worlds, which received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. A Fulbright scholar, Troncoso is past president of the Texas Institute of Letters. He has been teaching at the Yale Writers Workshop since 2013. His work has appeared in the Pleiades, Yale Review, New Letters, Other Voices, Houston Chronicle, Texas Highways, Michigan Quarterly Review, and Texas Monthly.

Troncoso will be inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame along with six other authors.

We are thrilled to honor these amazing authors whose induction into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame was inevitable, says Tracy L. Hull, dean of the TCU Library. Their induction is a validation of their talent and expertise as an author.

For more information about the author you can visit his website by clicking here.

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NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  In honor of Womens Equality Day, women from all over the state traveled to the Chrysler Museum for the Ida B. Wells March: Empowered to Vote Saturday morning.

Women in the NAACP organized the event to celebrate the legacy of Ida B. Wells and emphasize the importance of voting.

The Ida B. Wells March is very important. During that time, she really fought for the right to vote, said the organizer of the march, Virginia NAACP Vice President and Hampton City Branch President Gaylene Kanoyton. During the suffrage march, she was not allowed to come to the front of the march, but she forced her way up to the front of the march. She fought her way through, even though Black women werent allowed to vote during that time. It wasnt until the 1960s that Black women had the right to vote.

The march aims to empower women of all races and ages in this nonpartisan movement.

We wanted to come together with everyone, all women and just reiterate the importance and the empowerment of our vote, Kanoyton said.

[Ida B. Wells] was the first woman to help women of color, to help bring the NAACP organization together, said NAACP Norfolk President Stacie Armstead. For myself, being the first elected woman of the NAACP Norfolk branch, its just powerful to me. It just shows how much she has laid the way for me to be in this position to lead others.

Elected leaders including Rep. Bobby Scott, Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander, and Dels. Bonita Anthony and Jackie Glass will all shared remarks ahead of the march.

The police led march took place along Duke Street and Olney.

We have to do something, and to do something is to make certain that everybody understands the issues, said Penny Blue program director of Red, Wine, and Blue VA. Thats what Red Wine and Blue does. We are a nonprofit, so we educate people on the issues and especially women on the issues. Womens rights and health issues are critically important. Just as important is what is going on in the school system. Education is the foundation of our democracy, which is why it is being attacked.

The women and men are standing in solidarity for voting rights and equality to continue.

I want everybody to remember that your vote and your voice really matters and representation is so important. So whatever your stance is, whatever your belief is in this system, you should get out and vote and make a decision, said Armistead.

Learn more about the Virginia NAACP visit naacpva.org.

Womens Equality Day was observed Aug. 26.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
NASA is targeting no earlier than next Friday for the return of an uncrewed Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

The spacecraft launched with astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on June 5.

Now, the Starliner named Calypso will undock from the International Space Station as soon as next Friday and make a parachute and air bag-assisted landing in New Mexico.

Dr. Ken Kremer with Space UpClose told us, Theyre definitely going to get tons of information. Theyre going to find out if it really was safe to bring the astronauts home on Starliner, or if it wasnt, it was a close call. There were good arguments on both sides.

Read: SpaceX Falcon 9 cleared to resume flights

After helium leaks and thruster issues aboard the Starliner, NASA decided to bring its Crew Flight Test astronauts home on the upcoming Crew-9 mission.

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will liftoff on that mission in a SpaceX Crew Dragon with two empty seats no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Read: Boeings Starliner spacecraft set for return to Earth next week, without its astronaut crew

This Friday, the FAA cleared SpaceX to resume its Falcon 9 rocket flights while the investigation into a first-stage booster landing mishap continues.

Crew-9, including Wilmore and Williams, will remain at the space station until February 2025.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
North Carolina is preparing to demonstrate to the EPA that its air quality meets that agencys new, more rigorous standards for fine particle matter.

Last week, the Division of Air Quality (DAQ) of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) held a webinar explaining their strategy for meeting the new EPA PM2.5 standards and addressing recent events that led to elevated pollution levels and potential challenges in achieving compliance.

Areas that do not have validated monitoring data to demonstrate that they are in attainment with the standard by the designations deadline will be designated as either nonattainment or unclassifiable, Terry Johnson, press officer of the EPA, said.

For areas designated as nonattainment, the state or local air agency will develop and submit an implementation plan that includes additional control measures designed to bring the area into attainment with the standard, and a demonstration that these measures will be successful.

These demonstrations are a way for states to show that certain high pollution levels were caused by unusual and uncontrollable events, like wildfires or dust storms. By identifying these exceptional events, states can exclude their effects from the overall air quality data, which helps ensure that the states air quality meets the standard set by the EPA.

The EPA tightened the annual fine particulate matter (PM2.5) standard, which went into effect on May 6, 2024. The standard was reduced from 12 micrograms per cubic meter (g/m) to 9 g/m.

The change has marked a new chapter in air quality management, initiating a two-year process for North Carolina to assess and ensure compliance with the updated standard.

Failing to meet the standard could trigger a lengthy process that requires submitting a new plan with additional measures to ensure compliance.

While most areas of the state meet the revised air quality standard, two of the DAQs monitors in North Carolina, one in Mecklenburg and one in Davidson counties, are experiencing higher levels from the three-year average of PM2.5 levels from 2021 to 2023.

The health and environmental impact

PM2.5 particles, measuring 2.5 microns or smaller, are tiny enough to enter the bloodstream when inhaled and lead to serious health risks, including asthma, heart issues, and other conditions that impact vulnerable populations, particularly those with preexisting lung diseases.

Some of these particles come directly from sources like construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks, or fires. Most particles, however, form in the atmosphere through complex reactions involving chemicals like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are pollutants released by power plants, industries and cars.

The updated PM2.5 standard is expected to provide substantial public health benefits, including preventing about 4,500 premature deaths, 800,000 asthma cases, and 290,000 lost workdays by 2032, while saving an estimated $46 billion in national public health costs, the EPA says.

The particles also have a range of environmental impacts, as they can impair photosynthesis and reduce plant growth, alter water chemistry and harm aquatic life by introducing pollutants and heavy metals into water bodies, and negatively affect soil quality.

In Winston-Salem, the average PM2.5 level is 8.1 g/m, while it is 8.6 g/m in Greensboro.

The impact of the 2023 Canadian wildfires

The summer of 2023 presented an unexpected challenge for North Carolinas air quality, as wildfires in Canada led to elevated PM2.5 levels across the state.

Among the various factors that could have impacted PM2.5 levels, Shawn Taylor, public information officer for the DAQ, explained that if these exceptional wildfire events from 2023 were excluded from the calculations, the state monitors would meet the revised standard.

There are many sources of PM2.5 that impact these design values, not just wildfire smoke, he said.

It just so happens that had these exceptional wildfire events from summer 2023 never happened, all our monitors would be at or below 9.0. But nearly the entire state of North Carolina and much of the eastern US saw extremely high PM2.5 values during a handful of days last summer.

The DEQ is preparing an exceptional events demonstration to submit to the EPA by Feb. 7, 2025, which will argue that the wildfire-induced spikes in PM2.5 were outside the states control and should not count against its compliance with the new standard.

The implications of failing the revised standard

Failing to meet the standard does not incur penalties since the standard itself is not punitive, but it will prompt the states air permitting agency to create a plan with additional controls on emissions to restore compliance.

Experts noted that the rationale behind the exceptional events policy is that if a failure to meet the standard is caused by external factors like foreign wildfires, enforcing the usual compliance process of implementing planning and control measures would be counterproductive.

If a state can make that demonstration  and the wildfires in Canada that occurred that made air quality so bad here last year clearly seem to fit in that category. My general instinct would be that, assuming the state assembles an appropriate demonstration, that the EPA would be likely to approve it, Meiburg said.

The EPA acknowledged to the Journal that exceptional events demonstrations are a relatively new tool in the designations process, which some states have used in recent years with varying degrees of success.

Our lungs dont care where the pollution comes from, Meiburg added.

Our changing climate and extreme weather make such exceptional events more likely, even though the policies needed to reduce the likelihood of such events are beyond the scope of local authorities.
What a difference four years make. In 2020 the Democratic Party took an aggressively anti-death penalty position.

Not so this year.

In 2020 Joe Biden pledged that if he was elected president he would stop federal executions, propose legislation to abolish the death penalty at the federal level, and provide incentives for states to follow suit. Because we cant ensure that we get these cases right every time, candidate Biden tweeted, we must eliminate the death penalty.

That year the party also voiced its opposition to the death penalty in its platform.

This year marks a striking contrast. So far Democrats have been silent about capital punishment. To date, Kamala Harris, its 2024 nominee, has said nothing about capital punishment. Moreover, as an article in The Huffington Post points out, This years platform marks the first time since 2004 the platform has not mentioned the death penalty. In fact, the only mention of it in this years Democratic National Convention was made by four members of the so-called ExoneratedFive. They were convicted of a crime they did not commit in 1989, and they reminded the delegates that Donald Trump had called for their execution.

The Democrats silence about capital punishment does not represent a principled retreat, but rather an understandable strategic calculation. Nonetheless, it is a missed opportunity to advance the abolitionist cause.

For a long time, Democrats were afraid to talk about the death penalty or embrace that cause. They lived with the traumatic memory of the way that issue was used against Michael Dukakis, their 1988 presidential candidate.

That trauma was still evident sixteen years later when the 2004 Democratic platform didnt mention the death penalty. Instead, it sounded law and order themes and promised, To keep our streets safe for our families and to support tough punishment of violent crime.

Four years later, the platform changed its tone and criticized the way the death penalty was administered. As part of being smart on crime, it pledged to fight inequalities in our criminal justice system, including in the use of capital punishment.

We believe, it said, that the death penalty must not be arbitrary. It went on to argue that DNA testing should be used in all appropriate circumstances, defendants should have effective assistance of counsel. In all death row cases, thorough post-conviction reviews should be available.

In 2012, the platform continued that theme. It noted that in the last four years, rates of serious crimes, like murder, rape, and robbery, have reached 50-year lows and again focused on problems in the death penalty system. Still, it said nothing about whether the punishment itself should be ended.

That changed in 2016, when as the Huffington Post points out, the Democratic Party became the countrys first major political party to formally call for abolishing the death penalty.The 2016 platform put the death penalty position out front as part of a commitment to reforming the criminal justice system and ending mass incarceration. It committed the party to abolishing the death penalty which it said has proven to be a cruel and unusual form of punishment. It has no place in the United States of America. The Democratic platform explained that The application of the death penalty is arbitrary and unjust. The cost to taxpayers far exceeds those of life imprisonment. It does not deter crime, and exonerations show a dangerous lack of reliability for what is an irreversible punishment.

2020 again committed the party to a broad criminal justice reform agenda including root(ing) out structural and systemic racism in our criminal justice system and our society.That is one of the reasons why the Democrats reiterated that year that the party continue(ed) to support abolishing the death penalty. In addition, every Democratic presidential candidate in 2020 openly opposed capital punishment including Kamala Harris.

Ive long been opposed to the death penalty. It is deeply immoral, irreversible, and ineffective. And if we are going to transform our countrys broken criminal justice system, we must be fearless  unafraid to speak hard truths Harris said at the time. She called the death penalty deeply immoral, irreversible, and ineffective. And if we are going to transform our countrys broken criminal justice system, we must be fearless  unafraid to speak hard truths. Then the freshman senator from California, Harriscalled on her party to speak some hard truths about this immoral practice. Those truths included the fact that as many 1 in 10 people prosecuted with a death penalty conviction has been exonerated.

Harris also pointed out that the death penalty is far more likely to be carried out against people of color, people with mental illness, and people who could not afford to pay for legal counsel at trial. She claimed that abolishing (capital punishment) just makes financial sense.

She concluded that This failed system is immoral, and promised that as President I would lead the fight to end it. Its simply the right thing to do.

Harris went on to join President Biden in leading the first administration in American history to openly and publicly oppose the death penalty and advocate its abolition.

As the Democratic Party position evolved, so did the national conversation about capital punishment. From 2004 to 2021, that conversation changed considerably.

Death sentences and executions declined significantly as did public support for the death penalty. The decline in support has been particularly significant among Democrats.

The country has come a long way from what happened when Dukakis came out against the death penalty and when Donald Trump wanted the young men formerly known as the Central Park Five executed. Of course, it is impossible to say for sure exactly how much the opposition of the Democratic Party and Democratic leaders mattered in bringing about those changes. But both were, no doubt, important in helping to make opposition to capital punishment a respectable, mainstream position in this country. Just as what the Democratic Party said about the death penalty mattered in the past, it matters what it says now and throughout the 2024 campaign. But it will matter even more if Kamala Harris becomes president next year and has the chance to fulfill the promise she made in 2019 and 2020 to lead the fight to end it.
An environmental justice tragedy is unfolding in South Stockton and its historically underserved communities of color, 50 miles south of Sacramento along the San Joaquin River. This story has all the classic features: corporate greenwashing, sham community engagement and a dubious industry poised to make a lot of cold hard cash. But whats unique about the situation? There is still time to act.

Little Manila Rising is a community-based organization focused on bringing equitable solutions to South Stockton. To me, the story of Little Manila Rising in the Central Valley is one of empowering the community to advocate by understanding our own history and its connection to the root causes of current environmental injustices. Stockton, named the most racially diverse city in America in 2020, has a history marked by racism and discrimination.

Opinion

To this day, South Stocktonians livelihoods are shaped by the systemic racism manifested in the built environment. The truck routes leading to the citys Industrial Annexation and Port of Stockton contribute to chronic pollution exposure in neighborhoods with some of the highest rates of asthma, cardiovascular disease, low birth weight and poverty in the state.

Now, a new controversial plan, headed by Golden State Natural Resources, in partnership with the British biofuels giant Drax, seeks to turn wood from Californias national forests into fuel pellets to be sold in Asia. Industrial-scale transportation and shipping operations would run solely through the Port of Stockton, in our already overburdened community of South Stockton.

This means a historical state and federally designated Disadvantaged Community is at risk of becoming an environmental sacrifice zone.

The project would start with the construction of two industrial plants in Tuolumne and Lassen Counties, which would produce one million tons of compressed wood pellets a year. One million metric tons of wood pellets would be transported to the Port of Stockton a year. The massive scale of the operation would require 10,000 train cars and increase the ports shipping traffic by 23% with an additional 25-30 oceangoing vessels, which also cause negative health impacts.

Pollution from industrial transportation is a common problem for environmental justice communities around the country. Like communities of color in New York City, Chicago, Houston and other port cities in California, residents face increased risk of asthma, cancer, heart disease, stroke and complications for pregnant women.

Exporting the pellets, however, still requires approval from the Port of Stockton.

In March, Golden State Natural Resources first formal public workshop to sell the plan to Stockton community members backfired when an international coalition of groups raised concerns. Inauspiciously, the nonprofit public benefit corporation originally drew up plans to route shipments through the Port of Richmond on the San Francisco Bay, but the Richmond community rejected the project in 2023.

In hopes of avoiding another rejection, Golden State Natural Resources is counting on a marginalized communitys voice to go unheard. We are not going to let that happen.

The involvement of the company Drax, Golden State Natural Resources partner in the project, also raises red flags. Drax has been accused of environmental racism for locating wood pellet plants in majority-Black communities with high poverty rates. In 2022, it paid $3.2 million to settle with the state of Louisiana. And, in 2019, Drax was also fined $2.5 million for pollution violations in Mississippi.

Earlier this year, Drax violated Washington state law when it built a biomass facility without a permit. And, in February, BBC reported that Drax burnt 40,000 tons of wood from no-go areas in Canadian old-growth forests.

Other community and environmental groups have strongly disputed Golden State Natural Resources claims about the projects purported benefits. Cleverly, the corporation has linked its project to two issues with wide public support: wildfire mitigation and economic growth. Unfortunately, these claims are at odds with reality.

(Golden State Natural Resources) claims that the proposed project will create rural jobs, lessen wildfire risk and even improve air pollution levels. It would be great if any of that were true, but its just a sales pitch, Matt Holmes, project director for the Northern San Joaquin Valley-based environmental justice group Valley Improvement Projects, said recently. This project would create more pollution, increase fire risk and provide only low-paying jobs with dangerous working conditions.

If the Port of Stockton buys into this scheme, our already overburdened community will be devastated by a significant increase in noise, industrial traffic and toxic air pollution. That is why we are rising up to fight.

We have the right to clean air and not to be treated as a sacrifice zone. Golden State Natural Resources plan of environmental injustice has no place in California. We must not let another marginalized communitys voice go unheard again.

Gloria Estefani Alonso Cruz is the environmental justice advocacy coordinator at Little Manila Rising, an organization that serves the South Stockton community to develop equitable solutions to the effects of historical marginalization, institutionalized racism and harmful public policy.
Estonian defence minister says Russia's FSB may be behind explosions at Diehl defence plant in Germany

Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur considers the theory of Russia's involvement in the explosions at a military production facility in Germany to be highly plausible.

Source: Pevkur during a discussion at the GLOBSEC conference in Prague, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The minister pointed out that Russia's hybrid attacks on NATO member states started well before the Alliance began discussing hybrid warfare.

He stated that Estonia had been facing hybrid attacks from Russia, including cyberattacks, since 2007. Initially, these were only cyberattacks, but they progressed to physical attacks and then explosions. He mentioned that there was clear evidence indicating these attacks were organised by the Russian government. He also suggested that Russia was testing the limits to see how far it could go before triggering Article 5 of NATO.

The minister believes that similar activity is taking place in other NATO countries.

"The Germans will also now investigate very thoroughly what happened in Diehl defence warehouse ... yesterday. And I would not be very surprised when we hear at the end of the day that this was orchestrated by the FSB. Because this is exactly what they do  they are targeting our defence industry," Pevkur noted.

The minister believes the main issue is the uncertainty surrounding the Alliance's response to such actions. "The question is at what moment we will say that this will go over this threshold to say that now its Article 5," he said.

Background:

An explosion reportedly occurred in Germany on 30 August at the Diehl Defence plant in the German city of Troisdorf.

In the spring of 2024, a fire erupted at one of Diehl's plants in southwestern Berlin. The blaze destroyed a technical room on the factory's ground floor, resulting in millions of dollars in damage.

The fire was suspected to have been caused by the Russians, but the investigation found no evidence of this.

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Pictures of Jim McGreevey, one of the billboards in question, and a flyer for a free haircut initiative.

Former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreeveys campaign ethics are being questioned by local pols who suggest hes exploiting the two non-profits he runs to promote his run for Jersey City mayor.

Billboards featuring either McGreeveys name or face have been popping up around Jersey City since early December, and have become a popular topic of discussion with state Democrats, who suggest the ads may violate campaign finance laws.

Billboards for the Jackie and Ronnie McGreevey Civic Assoc. went up just before Christmas, featuring a picture of McGreevey and his daughter, Jacqueline.

Former NJ governor Jim McGreevey resigned as governor in 2004 after he revealed he was gay and had an extramarital affair with a male staffer. Pool

Those came down in the spring, and were replaced with ads for the New Jersey Reentry Corp.s annual conference.

McGreevey is pictured alongside the family of Andrew Washington, the disturbed 52-year-old man Jersey City cops fatally shot on Aug. 27, 2023. Washingtons family recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the department.

McGreevey is the NJRCs executive director, and launched the Jackie and Ronnie McGreevey Civic Association in 2023.

The NJRC provides services to war veterans as well as people being released from incarceration or addiction recovery centers.

A photo showing the the New Jersey Reentry Corporation billboard, featuring McGreevey. Chris Harris

Its disgusting, a Jersey City political insider told The Post about appearing in the billboards while running for the citys highest office.

People need to know about this behavior, the insider continued. Hes got two non-profits and hes running for mayor. The very obvious problem is that hes mixing the three.

Jim still has friends, for whatever thats worth, and for some reason, they protect him, the insider added. If it was anyone else, theyd get calls from the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission or the IRS.

Another bone of contention is a recent community back-to-school event, sponsored by the Jackie and Ronnie McGreevey Civic Association, that provided donated backpacks and free haircuts to Jersey City children.

Fliers for the event were sent out by email by Rev. Bolivar Flores, the NJRCs chief of staff. The emails were sent during NJRC work hours.

Why is NJRC, a state-wide non-profit, funded by [the Department of Community Affairs], only focusing on Jersey City? the political insider wondered, noting similar events did not happen at the NJRCs nine other locations across the state, including in Elizabeth, Newark and Paterson.

Is it because their executive director and chair is running for mayor?

A spokesperson for the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission said the billboards fall outside of the commission, since the ads dont implicitly identify McGreevey as a mayoral candidate.

Jackie and Ronnie McGreevey Civic Association sponsored a back-to-school event that provided donated backpacks and free haircuts. Obtained by The New York Post

Seven people are running for Jersey City mayor, and any one person could win the election, the insider said. Jims ethics have always been in question. He was known as the governor with the most corrupt administration.

McGreevey resigned as governor in 2004  when he was a married dad with two kids  after he famously revealed he was gay and had an extramarital affair with a male staffer.

I am not at all concerned with what those people [critics] think, McGreevey told The Post. My focus is directed toward the people I serve.
CORNELIUS, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A $25,000 reward is now being offered for any information regarding the missing Cornelius girl, Madalina Cojocari.

I would hope this shows the community that this has not stopped our investigation, said Cornelius Police Deputy Chief Jennifer Thompson. It may seem random to some, but the fact that, for us, law enforcement and state and federal, this case and Madalina is discussed every single day.

Up to $25K reward offered for information in the disappearance of Madalina Cojocari

The last time Madalina Cojocari was seen in public, she was getting off her school bus at home on November 21st, 2022. Her parents reported her missing roughly a month later and were both found guilty of failing to report her missing.

Seemingly out of the blue, Governor Roy Coopers office announced this week theyre now offering a $25,000 reward for information that helps find the missing teenager.

Rewards have been talked about off and on from the beginning of the case, Thompson said.

Thompson added people have reached out to officers in the beginning and around Madalinas birthday to donate, but the department isnt equipped to accept those types of funds.

For that reason, a few months ago, they submitted a request to Governor Roy Coopers office.

You have to type a formal letter and then they decide whether or not the Governors office is going to provide some sort of reward, Thompson told Queen City News.

Queen City News

Finding Madalina

According to state statute, the governor may issue a proclamation and offer a reward of up to $100,000 on a case-by-case basis. Cornelius Police were ecstatic when they found out their request was accepted.

We just hope this really spurs someone on to make that phone call to us or local authorities, and were ready to bring Madalina home, Thompson said.

Madalinas mom, Diana Cojocari, is still considered a suspect in the case. Thompson says they have heard reports that she left the country and might be in her home country of Moldova. Thompson said theyre keeping up with everything in the case.

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How extreme weather impacts power grids and the customers who rely on them

Extreme weather is causing power grids across the country to fail -- sometimes at massive scales -- putting residents at increased health risk as scientists predict an uptick in frequency of severe weather events in the future.

The effects of global warming are worsening in every part of the United States, according to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, a breakdown of the latest in climate science coming from 14 different federal agencies, published in November.

"You can see the trend, and there's an increased frequency of extreme events due to climate change," Max Zhang, an engineering professor at Cornell University, told ABC News.

MORE: Frustration grows as Houston's power outage goes into 4th sweltering day

More extreme weather events are leading to more power outages, the data shows.

There were 16% more disruptions in 2022 than in 2013 for the average person in the U.S., The Associated Press reported, citing data from the Energy Information Administration.

PHOTO: In this Feb. 16, 2021, file photo, people cook rice on a barbecue grill during power outage caused by the winter storm in Houston, Texas. (Go Nakamura/Getty Images, FILE)

Of all major U.S. power outages reported from 2000 to 2023, 80% (1,755) were due to weather, according to a 2024 report by Climate Central, a nonprofit climate science news organization.

"The scale of the storm really can lead to the scale of the outage," Mike Jacobs, senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told ABC News.

MORE: Buildings, among the largest greenhouse gas emissions culprits, are getting easier to make sustainable

When the power goes out, it's not usually because the grid doesn't have enough power, but rather there is trouble getting the power to the customers, Daniel Cohan, associate professor of environmental engineering at Rice University in Houston.

This is typically because the transmission lines and distribution lines are disrupted by a range of events, including strong storms, lightning strikes, extreme winds or even severe wildfires, Cohan said. Tornadoes, flooding and winter storms with ice and snow can also have an impact on the power lines, Zhang said.

PHOTO: In this Dec. 10, 2023, file photo, a damaged electrical substation is seen in the aftermath of a tornado in Madison, Tenn. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images, FILE)

One exception was during the 2021 Texas freeze, when power was knocked out to millions of homes in the state amid frigid temperatures. In that event, there actually wasn't enough power to go around, especially after more than half of the state's natural gas infrastructure experienced unplanned outages, a report by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released in November 2021 found.

Widespread outages at that scale are actually pretty rare, Cohan said, adding that blackouts tend to happen neighborhood by neighborhood.

MORE: Will the Texas power grid survive the next deep freeze?

Most weather-related outages between 2000 and 2023 were caused by severe weather (58%), winter storms (23%), and tropical cyclones including hurricanes (14%), the Climate Central report found.

While extreme heat is not a direct cause of power grid failures, extreme heat does cause power lines to operate less efficiently, Cohan said. In addition to the reduced efficiency, customers are often using more power to cool their homes. This is an example of a "compound hazard" -- in which multiple threats to the power system happen at once -- but they are low in probability, Zhang said.

Drought can also impact power grids, leaving less water available for cooling operations, especially at thermal plants that produce energy from coal, natural gas or nuclear power, Cohan said. Drought can also pave the way for raging wildfires that have the potential to take out power lines, Zhang said.

PHOTO: A power line pole leans against a house in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Ernesto, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 14, 2024. (Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters)

The longer the power is out, the more dangerous it is for human health -- especially residents with underlying medical conditions, the experts said.

Hundreds of people died when the power went out during the 2021 Texas freeze, while heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. has been hit by two hurricanes so far this season -- Hurricane Beryl in Texas in July and Hurricane Debbie in Florida at the beginning of August -- it took "much longer" -- nearly a week -- for homes in Texas to regain power, Cohan said.

"I think that's something that requires some exact examination after the fact is, why is it that Texas utilities ... took so much longer than some of their Florida counterparts to get systems back online?" Cohan said.

MORE: Solar, wind energy keeping Texas power grids running amid weekslong heat wave

The states with the most reported weather-related power outages between 2000 and 2023 were Texas (210), Michigan (157), California (145), North Carolina (111) and Ohio (88), according to Climate Central.

At least 50% of the outages caused by major events from 2017 to 2021 lasted more than 12 hours, while 36% exceeded 24 hours, according to a report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

While it is not realistic to aim to prevent 100% of power outages, state lawmakers and public utility commissioners need to ensure the resilience and integrity of the systems so that people do not experience unnecessary suffering, Cohan said.

"How can we have better responsiveness, so that we bring more people back online faster?" Cohan asked. "Before their food rots in the fridge, or before they're really suffering from the problems of homes being too hot or too cold for days at a time."

PHOTO: In this June 2, 2024, file photo, transmission towers are in flames as the Corral Fire continuse in San Joaquin County, Calif. (Anadolu via Getty Images, FILE)

Utility companies need to maintain existing systems, many of which are at least 50 years old, Cohan said. Simple solutions such as replacing decades-old wooden poles and other equipment or ensuring nearby vegetation remains trimmed. But the fixes need to be made regularly, Jacobs said.

Other methods to upgrade or optimize power lines, such as burying them underground, are often either not feasible or too expensive.

"It's not going to be possible to invest in burying lines everywhere," Cohan said. "But we might want to look at places especially vulnerable to wildfires, especially vulnerable to hurricanes, where these investments might make sense."

MORE: Wildlife could pose 'catastrophic' risks for power grids, experts say

Some of the responsibility falls onto homeowners to weatherize their homes, including taking action such as sealing leaky walls and windows and installing insulation, Zhang said. This will allow homes to maintain comfortable temperatures for hours after the power fails, according to the experts.

"Insulation and weather stripping help you make it through hot weather," Jacobs said. "It helps you make it through cold weather."

But mitigating climate change by heavily increasing the use of renewable energy will ultimately be the deciding factor on whether the frequency of extreme events continues to rise, Zhang said.

"We have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," he said.

How extreme weather impacts power grids and the customers who rely on them originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
A new television ad from former President Donald Trumps campaign piles deception upon deception to attack Vice President Kamala Harris on immigration. The ad uses an edited quote to attack Harris over a supposed proposal that she hasnt actually made.

The ad features a narrator saying this: Attention seniors: Kamala Harris has promised amnesty for the 10 million illegals she allowed in as border czar, making them eligible for Social Security. Studies warn this will lead to cuts in your Social Security benefits. A quote shown on the screen, which the ad attributes to the Center for Immigration Studies, an organization that favors reduced immigration, says this: Harris amnesty imposes large cost on Social Security.

Facts First: The ads claims are false. Harris has not made any promise to grant legal status to all of the migrants who have crossed the border during her vice presidency. Though she has expressed support for a pathway to citizenship for some unspecified group of undocumented people, she has never said that recent migrants should be included. And Harris name does not appear in the actual Center for Immigration Studies quote about the likely cost of amnesty to Social Security; the center says it hasnt analyzed a specific 2024 amnesty proposal from Harris because it hasnt seen her make a specific proposal.

There are other problems with the ad, too.

Harris was never border czar. Rather, she was given a diplomatic role focused on addressing the root causes of migration from three Central American countries, not put in charge of border security. You can read a longer fact-check of that claim here.

And the ads claim that 10 million migrants have been allowed in during Harris vice presidency is an exaggeration. Though there have been roughly 10 million official border encounters with migrants nationwide during the Biden-Harris administration, that encounters figure includes people who were rapidly kicked out of the country. It also counts each attempt at entry by an individual who tried more than once.

Michelle Mittelstadt, communications director for the Migration Policy Institute think tank that researches immigration policy, told CNN that the actual number of people let into the country under the Biden-Harris administration would be around six million, not 10 million, even if you used a generous estimate that counts people let in under designated parole programs for Ukrainians and Afghans; counts people permitted to lawfully fly into the country under a program for people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela; and counts every encounter at the northern border as a successful entry even though we know it was not.

What Harris has said vs. what the ad claims

Regardless of the number, though, its clear that Harris has not promised to grant amnesty to all of the migrants who have come into the country during her vice presidency.

We are unfamiliar with any statement by Kamala Harris that she has promised to amnesty border arrivals allowed into the country since January 2021, Mittelstadt said in an email.

Harris has not released many policy specifics on immigration since she became the Democratic presidential candidate in late July, when President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. During Harris speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, she pledged to sign a bipartisan border security bill Trump had helped to kill earlier this year, and she said, I know we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system. We can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border.

That earned pathway to citizenship language makes clear that, as Harris has said before, she wants to provide legal status to some group of undocumented people. But heres the key: it is simply not clear which group of undocumented people she now wants to include. Her campaign declined to comment this week.

While its theoretically possible Harris could eventually propose amnesty for every undocumented person in the country, various amnesty proposals do not cover the entire undocumented population  and many include a time restriction that excludes the most recent arrivals.

For example, when Harris was running for president in 2019, she proposed a pathway to citizenship for many Dreamers, undocumented people who arrived in the US as children, not for all undocumented people. And an executive action Biden announced in June, which has been paused by a judge, seeks to give legal status to the undocumented spouses and children of US citizens without making them leave the country to wait  but the spouses must have lived in the US for 10 years or more to qualify.

So what is the Trump campaigns source for the claim that Harris has specifically promised amnesty for the migrants who have arrived during her vice presidency?

When CNN asked the campaign for comment, spokesperson Karoline Leavitt responded in an email: Kamala supports amnesty. She always has! Has she said otherwise? NO! The example Leavitt cited was a bill Biden sent to Congress on the first day of the Biden-Harris administration in 2021, which Leavitt noted the Democrats 2024 platform continues to promote.

That bill, however, does not corroborate the ads claim that Harris has promised amnesty to the people who have arrived during her vice presidency. With some limited exceptions, the bill requires an undocumented person to have been in the US by the first day of 2021 to be eligible for a pathway to citizenship. If Harris simply re-proposed this bill, the migrants who arrived during her vice presidency  from January 20, 2021 onward  would not be eligible.

The supposed quote from the Center for Immigration Studies

Asked for comment, the Center for Immigration Studies made clear that the quote the Trump ad attributes to the center  Harris amnesty imposes large cost on Social Security  is not an actual quote from the organization.

We have many different cost estimates for various amnesties. We have done work on the costs to retirement programs in particular and that appears to be what the ads refers to. But we have not done anything specific on Harris proposal, Steven Camarota, the organizations director of research, said in a Tuesday email to CNN.

The analysis Camarota linked to, from 2021, was headlined Amnesty Would Impose Large Costs on Social Security and Medicare. Contrary to the quote in the ad, the analysis never mentioned Harris.

Camarota was not particularly critical of the Trump campaign for adding Harris name to the quote. In a follow-up interview with CNN on Wednesday, Camarota said that Harris has been supportive of amnesty proposals in the past, has signaled her support for some sort of amnesty during this campaign, and that its very difficult to imagine that any such Harris program would exclude the recent arrivals.

Still, arguing that a future Harris program is likely to include this group is significantly different from claiming, as the ad does, that Harris has already promised to include this group.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
By Tom Polansek and P.J. Huffstutter

WEST ALLIS, Wisconsin (Reuters) - In Michigan this year, where dairy workers and herds have fallen ill from bird flu, a pair of unlikely prized cows are being prepped to take the state fair stage.

State fair organizers are this year featuring Milkshake and Buttercup, two life-sized fiberglass cows complete with rubber teats and water-filled udders, for a popular milking demo.

The head of the Minnesota State Fair's Moo Booth came up with a similar work around for its hands-on milking event: a fake dairy cow named Olympia.

"Normally, we'd have a real cow out there," said Jill Nathe, the fair's deputy general manager of agriculture and competition. "We just can't do that right now."

As avian influenza continues to spread, infecting cattle herds for the first time this year as well as four dairy workers, U.S. state and county fair organizers have been forced to reimagine nostalgic summer traditions long celebrated by city and rural folk alike.

For farmers and students eager for blue ribbons and bragging rights, the outbreak has forced them to navigate new testing rules and manage logistical headaches in order to obtain a clean bill of health for animals before entering the show ring.

State and local officials say they are trying to protect people and animals from the H5N1 virus as some dairy farmers have declined to test their herds. Experts worry that further transmission of the virus could help it adapt to spread between humans.

The risk of viral spread among herds prompted some county fairs in Michigan to cancel dairy shows, while the Iowa State Fair shuttered its milking barn.

In Minnesota, state fair staff procured extra gloves and face shields from COVID-era stockpiles for the livestock crew, and kept pregnant dairy cows out of the fair's birthing center.

Several farm states, including Wisconsin, required lactating cattle to test negative within seven days of arriving at the fairgrounds.

Wisconsin dairy farmer Rick "RT" Thompson said he had to carefully time visits from his veterinarian, so the milk test results for H5N1 would fall within the required window for different fairs. His vet's wife personally drove samples to a state lab in Madison to ensure they arrived on time for testing.

"It's not a convenient thing," said Thompson, 57, who has attended Wisconsin's state fair for 46 years.

Michigan banned lactating cows from all public exhibitions until the state goes two months without finding an infected herd. With only one state fair per year, the chance has passed for 2024. Michigan last reported a case on Monday.

"We were all waiting for that 60-day window," Michigan State Fair livestock director LC Scramlin said. "But we kept having another case and another one happen."

COWS STAY HOME

At the Wisconsin State Fair, where visitors can buy everything from cream puffs to hot tubs, veterinarians inspected cattle before they stepped off their trailers to make sure the animals were healthy upon arrival - a departure from previous years, exhibitors said.

The risk of bird flu was enough to convince Jennifer and Bethany Droessler to keep a lactating cow at home. The sisters from Cuba City, Wisconsin, instead hauled other cattle to show at the event's Dairy Lane, where fairgoers petted and took selfies with animals topping the scales at more than 1,000 pounds (454 kg).

"We'll aim for next year and hopefully it won't be an issue," said Jennifer Droessler, 30.

More than 190 dairy herds nationwide have been infected since March, and 13 farm workers tested positive following exposure to cows and poultry.

The workers all recovered, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says H5N1 remains a low risk for the general public. Still, CDC is advising people not to eat, drink or touch anything in animal areas at fairs.

Several fairgoers in Wisconsin, the No. 2 milk-producer and top cheese-making state, said they were not aware of, or concerned about, the guidelines. Visitors chomped on treats including taffy apples and cheese curds as they strolled between cows chewing their cud.

"I don't think it's a big risk," said O.E. Glieber of Delafield, Wisconsin, 88, who came to the fair with grandchildren. "The CDC overreacts with a lot of stuff."

(Reporting by Tom Polansek in West Allis, Wisconsin, and PJ Huffstutter in Chicago; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Bill Berkrot)
Stats from the Lincoln Police Department show a downward trend of overdoses in the past three years and a sharp decline in overdose deaths so far in 2024.

Fatal overdoses have decreased from 45 in 2021, 34 in 2022, 39 in 2023 to only six overdose deaths so far in 2024, according to LPD. That number is expected to increase over the remaining four months of the year and as more autopsies are completed, but it seems likely to come in well below prior years.

The increased availability of naloxone, also known as Narcan, in the community is one factor that may explain the drop in overdose deaths.

The drug, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, can be purchased and deployed by anyone and is currently available for free at 14 area pharmacies, a list of which is published at stopodne.com.

All Lincoln police officers also carry Narcan with them in case they encounter someone suffering an overdose.

Other community programs provided by Region V and CenterPointe aim to reduce the number of overdoses in Lincoln.

"Our job is to ensure people are not dying," said Amy Holman, who is the project coordinator with the Nebraska Pharmacy Association, which helps supply naloxone to Lincoln and other cities across the state.

One of the first partnership programs the Nebraska Pharmacy Association helped facilitate was with the Nebraska Division of Behavioral Health to ensure that pharmacies had Narcan available for free without a prescription.

"We have almost 150 pharmacies throughout the state that people can just go into and get Narcan," Holman said.

After the nasal spray is used, it can return someone suffering an overdose to normal breathing within two to three minutes.

The Nebraska Department of Corrections also provides Narcan to all inmates once they leave prison.

Holman said she hopes people will choose not to use drugs and seek recovery options when they develop an addiction, but the reality is not that simple. Even if someone wants to become sober, it may take multiple attempts before they are able to.

The Nebraska Pharmacy Association is currently working with Region V to make Narcan and first aid kits available at vending machines inside places like CenterPointe and Matt Talbot Kitchen.

The vending machines will provide Narcan for free and ask the person seeking the medicine for demographic information, which is a requirement for receiving grant money from the federal government for the vending machines.

"We want to make sure that we're reaching all demographics of people, you know, and getting everywhere that we can," Holman said.

According to the CDC, one in three overdoses involving opioids had a bystander present.

A study published earlier this year by the University of Nebraska's Rural Drug Addiction Research Center showed that 74.8% of Nebraskans know about naloxone. Still, only 18.2% of people knew where to get it.

"We want to make sure that we get education out to people on Narcan," Holman said.

Top Journal Star photos for August 2024
When Vladimir Putins Russian army invaded neighboring Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Chad Robichaux knew he had to help.

The former Force Recon Marine gathered a team of elite special operations veterans, as well as his 25-year-old Marine son, Hunter, and headed to Europe to help those about to be subjected to untold brutality, as he explains in A Mission Without Borders  Why A Father and Son Risked It All For the People of Ukraine (Nelson Books).

As a co-founder of Save Our Allies, a group dedicated to assisting Americans and Allies in war-torn environments, Robichaux had already assisted thousands of people trapped inside Taliban-era Afghanistan and now, with Ukraine besieged by Russia, his services were required again.

Hunter and Chad Robichaux, the son and father marines who rescue Americans in need. Their journey is part of a remarkable new book. Mighty Oaks Warrior Programs/ YouTube

Chad Robichaux and his son Hunter made multiple missions into deadly war-zones  such as this one in Ukraine  in order to rescue Americans in need. IGOR TKACHENKO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Robichaux landed in Krakow, in neighboring Poland, on March 4, 2022, barely a week after the Russian invasion commenced. It was cold and dark. In the face of a fearsome, mighty enemy, even the sun appeared to have given up, he writes.

Almost as soon as Robichaux hooked up with his team, he could see the panic on the Ukrainian population as they waited at the Polish border, eager to escape the fighting.

Robichaux noticed one family of four waiting with their dog.

As the dad said his goodbyes he watched his wife and kids join the line to freedom before turning around and heading in the opposite direction. Walking back to war, writes Robichaux.

Ive learned that working with your father isnt always the easiest thing in the world, but I am grateful to my dad for letting go in the balance of loving me, protecting me, and trusting me, Hunter said of his dad. Chad Robichaux

Fox News journalist Benjamin Hall was one of the many folks rescued by the Robichauxes from the battlefiend. EMMY PARK

Those who managed to cross into Poland found themselves inundated with offers of support from volunteers, medics and NGOs.

Sadly, as Robichaux soon discovered, there was no beauty in war, especially in Ukraine.

From mass graves with hundreds of bodies, many executed with their hands tied behind their backs, to corpses littering the streets, it was a harrowing scene, even for an ex-Marine. They were all civilians. All of them. Children. Women. Elderly, he writes. It was a war crime. An atrocity. An act of evil.

From the moment Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in March 2022, Chad Robichaux knew his services would be required. AP

It wasnt just Ukrainians.

Everywhere he went, there were tanks, bombed or abandoned. A few had the bodies of Russian soldiers either hanging from doorways or scattered on the ground nearby, he recalls.

Their rescue of Fox News journalist Benjamin Hall was typical of the dangerous work Robichaux undertook. Hall had been seriously wounded in a Russian attack on Kyiv in March 2022 that had killed two of his colleagues, cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and freelance journalist Sasha Kuvshnova.

When Robichaux reached their safe house near Kyiv they still could not be sure that Hall was even alive.

A mission Without Borders was written by Chad Robichaux and Craig Borlase.

I was mesmerized at the sight of a First-World country in such an apocalyptic state, he writes. Random buildings reduced to rubble. Roads pockmarked with bomb craters. Bridges wiped out.

With the help of contacts and the local church, Robichaux finally located Hall at a makeshift military hospital  but it didnt look good.

From severe burns to open head wounds, catastrophic injuries to his feet and legs and a large piece of shrapnel lodged in his neck, there was no guarantee he would make it, not least as the only pain medication he had was ibuprofen.

The problem was getting him out and across the border to safety.

Flying was out of the question, while driving across bombed out roads would, in all likelihood, dislodge the shrapnel in his neck and sever an artery.

Then, good news.

Author Chad Robichaux, co-founder of Save Our Allies, had already assisted thousands of people trapped inside Taliban-era Afghanistan.

Ukrainian servicemen work on their tank close to the front line with Russian-backed separatists near Lysychansk, Lugansk region on April 7, 2021. AFP via Getty Images

Word reached Robichaux that a nearby train carrying the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, who had been in Kyiv for meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky, was due to leave and they had 30 minutes to get Hall on it.

But that meant navigating several Russian checkpoints manned by soldiers who would shoot on sight and using an ambulance incapable of going faster than 15 mph.

Remarkably, after some frantic negotiations, Robichaux and his team made the train, and when Ben Hall crossed the border into Poland, he was loaded onto a Black Hawk helicopter by the 82nd Airborne and flown to safety at the US Armys Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany.

Hall was transported to safety by Robichaux on a train carrying Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky. Getty Images

For Hunter Robichaux, meanwhile, the experience has been invaluable, especially in terms of his relationship with his dad. Ive learned that working with your father isnt always the easiest thing in the world, but I am grateful to my dad for letting go in the balance of loving me, protecting me, and trusting me, he says.

For Chad Robichaux, writing the book was never really about the geopolitics of the Russia-Ukraine conflict: When it comes to helping people in need, the world needs fewer people who are calculating what theyre going to get out of it and a whole load more people who will simply do the right thing.

Sometimes we just have to do the right thing simply because its just that  the right thing to do.
By Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) - Authorities in Bangladesh are bracing for the spread of waterborne diseases and racing to get drinking water to people after devastating floods last week that left at least 54 people dead and millions stranded.

As floodwaters recede slowly, many people remain stranded and in urgent need of food, clean water, medicine and dry clothes, especially in remote areas where blocked roads have hindered rescue and relief efforts.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department said that flood conditions could persist if the monsoon rains continued, as water levels were receding very slowly.

Around 470,000 people have taken refuge in 3,300 shelters across 11 flood-hit districts, where around 600 medical teams are helping provide treatment, with the army, air force, navy, and the border guard assisting in rescue operations, authorities said.

A disaster management ministry official warned that as floodwaters recede, there is a risk of an epidemic, adding that the outbreak of waterborne diseases is likely if clean water is not provided soon.

"Our top priority is to ensure the availability of safe drinking water," the official said.

In the past 24 hours, around 3,000 people have been hospitalized due to waterborne diseases in flood-hit areas, according to the Directorate General of Health Services. Many areas remained submerged, preventing stranded people from accessing healthcare facilities.

"Water is everywhere but there is no clean water to drink. People are getting sick," said Farid Ahmed, a resident of one of the worst-hit districts, Lakshmipur.

Vast areas of land are submerged, posing a significant threat to crops, agriculture ministry officials said.

The U.N. children's agency has warned that two million children were at risk as the worst floods in three decades sweep through eastern Bangladesh. The organization is urgently appealing for $35 million to provide life-saving supplies.

"The devastating floods in eastern Bangladesh are a tragic reminder of the relentless impact of extreme weather events and the climate crisis on children," said Emma Brigham, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Bangladesh.

An analysis in 2015 by the World Bank Institute estimated that 3.5 million people in Bangladesh, one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, were at risk of annual river flooding. Scientists attribute the exacerbation of such catastrophic events to climate change.

Farah Kabir, director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said that countries like Bangladesh, which contribute minimally to global emissions, urgently need funding to recover from climate-related losses and build resilience for future impacts while pursuing green development pathways.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
Voters fill out their ballots during primary election voting held at the Lehi Public Safety Building in Lehi on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. ccording to the American Psychiatric Associations annual mental health poll, 73% of respondents reported feeling anxious about the upcoming national election. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

University of Utah Lifelong Learning instructor Debbie Leaman says the upcoming general election is quite simply stressing us all out.

According to the American Psychiatric Associations annual mental health poll, 73% of respondents reported feeling anxious about the upcoming national election.

A higher percentage of respondents said the election made them feel anxious than those who identified current events and gun violence. Only the economy, which 77% of the sample of more than 2,200 adults who responded to the poll said made them anxious, was higher. The poll was conducted April 9-11, 2024.

The poll also showed that adults are feeling increasingly anxious. In 2024, 43% of adults said they feel more anxious than they did the previous year, up from 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2022.

Leaman recommends writing as a means to better cope. Starting Sept. 7, she will be teaching a Lifelong Learning course on five successive Saturday mornings titled Writing as a Tool to Cope with Anxiety.

The good news? Writing can help. Studies have shown that unloading persistent thoughts onto the page can alleviate anxiety, provide distance, and a new perspective. In my class well learn how putting pen to paper can help re-center us and calm our minds.

The class is one of seven being offered by Lifelong Learning this fall.

The other six class offerings include:

To register for the classes, which have limited enrollment, visit the universitys Lifelong Learning website.

Lifelong Learning has been offering non-credit classes to the community for more than 60 years, which run the gamut of one-day workshops to eight-week courses taught by local experts. Admission to the University of Utah is not required.

The University Connected Learning is based in Salt Lake City was founded in 1906. It enrolls more than 25,000 learners annually, from all over the world. To learn more, visit www.ucl.utah.edu
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  FEMA has approved 760 applications in FEMA funding totaling $4,426,612 for storm victims in three South Dakota counties, according to a release Saturday.

FEMA county breakdowns:

Davison County approved applications 209, $726, 078 in FEMA funding

Lincoln County approved applications 245 $762,338 in FEMA funding

Turner County approved applications 58, $194,732 in FEMA funding

Union County approved applications 248, $2,743,464 in FEMA funding

Those who were affected by severe flooding, high winds and other storm-related effects may be eligible for FEMA assistance.

Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) are open in several southeastern areas of the state. A DRC will open in Davison County on September 3 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

How South Dakotans can apply for FEMA disaster funds

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-On the eve of International Overdose Awareness Day, fentanyl awareness groups are making sure the people of Greene County know that this deadly drug is a problem right here in their own community.

People at the event said that the younger generations are the ones being impacted the most by this deadly drug

A lot of these kids, these are teenagers, every one of them are teenagers, Jim Willfred said. They were experimenting or something and they didnt want to die.

Fentanyl Awareness Event spreads education

Today, the group, A Second Chance at Life, held a fentanyl awareness event that also was to remember those who lost their lives unexpectedly.

Willfred lost his son, Austin to fentanyl poisoning. He said Austin was a friend to people who needed it as well as an advocate against drugs.

Austin was also the kid that would stay up all night and talk to a friend to help keep him sober. And even when he died, he was wearing a bracelet that said stop heroin, because he was so adamant against people doing hard drugs, Willfred said.

Because groups like, A Second Chance at Life, say awareness of the drug is crucial, they held the event under a new remembrance billboard, the 100th placed by the Leonas Legacy of Love foundation.

The foundation was created by Christina Maliszewski, after losing her daughter Leona to a poisoning after moving to Springfield in 2022. There are 99 other billboards across the United States, similar to the one unveiled today on Campbell.

Jayy Harris also came to show support, saying this isnt a battle anyone should fight alone

Keep educating yourself, educate others, protect yourself. Everybody here has experience with a little bit. Im four years sober, so giving advice and reaching out. It takes a community. You know, you cant do it by yourself, Harris said.

If you are looking to get involved in spreading awareness in the community, Living Proof Ministry is hosting a National Overdose Awareness and Neighbor Day, Saturday August 31 at 1909 W Chestnut Expressway.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.
Festa 2024 kicks off second day of Portuguese celebration in Ludlow

LUDLOW, Mass.  (WWLP) The 76th annual Festa returned to Ludlow this Thursday.

Man arrested in connection with vandalizing Ludlow church

On Friday, locals kicked off the Labor Day tradition with traditional food and carnival rides.



Each year the festival raises funds for the church, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, and one attraction draws in people from all over New England each year.



Portuguese food is very simple. Well, its very fresh. Very, you knoweverything is based on local and fresh food. You have to try the sardines, trust me, shared Michael Rodrigues, a chef at Festa 2024.

Although sardines are a festival favorite, there are dozens of shares to try from.



Across the five-day festival, special guests will make appearances including performers from Portugal and the ambassador of Portugal to the United States.

For a detailed schedule of Festa 2024, visit the Our Lady of Fatima Parish Facebook page here.

Local News Headlines

WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
(Bloomberg) -- The number of migrants walking through the jungles of Colombia and Panama en route to the US has fallen in recent weeks, potentially signaling a further decline in new arrivals at the southern border.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Tighter controls imposed by Panamas new president and border closures after Venezuelas disputed election contributed to the drop, according to Elias Solis, president of the Red Cross of Panama, which offers humanitarian and medical assistance to those who make the dangerous trip through the Darien Gap. Many arrive dehydrated and suffering from stomach problems, injuries and emotional trauma, with Venezuelans, Ecuadoreans and Haitians the biggest groups.

Crossings of undocumented migrants across the southern US border have plunged since President Joe Bidens executive order in June limiting asylum claims, and the Darien Gap data signal the number may fall further. That could be a boon to the presidential campaign of Democrat Kamala Harris as she seeks to blunt attacks from former President Donald Trump, a Republican, that the administration didnt do enough to secure the border. Polling in swing states by Bloomberg News and Morning Consult has shown immigration is the No. 2 issue for voters in the presidential election, behind only the economy.

The reduced Darien numbers are certainly a factor preventing the Republican party from taking full advantage of the border as a line of attack against Kamala Harris, said Adam Isacson, who studies US migration policy at the Washington Office on Latin America. Even if its just a temporary situation, that dog isnt barking as much right now.

The number of migrants arriving at the US border with Mexico rose to a record 2.5 million in 2023, but dropped this year. Encounters with US agents declined dramatically in June after Bidens order, and fell further in July.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, who was sworn in July 1, has closed six of the seven border crossings between Panama and Colombia with barbed wire fences and increased sea patrols in the area, the Red Cross of Panama said in its July newsletter.

The Darien Gap is a stretch of roadless rainforest between Colombia and Panama linking South and Central America. For centuries, it was considered all but impassible. But last year, more than 520,000 people went through it on the way north, according to Panamas government.

In the year through July, some 216,000 people crossed the jungles of the Darien Gap from Colombia to Panama, according to Red Cross figures.

Venezuelan Vote

Still, the Venezuelan elections long-term impact on immigration isnt yet clear, though there could be a spike in coming months, the organization said. President Nicolas Maduro won a third term amid widespread international criticism over the transparency of the electoral process.

People migrate for different reasons, such as their socioeconomic situation, political persecution or violence in their own countries, Solis said. If the borders with Venezuela are opened, there is a high probability the migrant flows will continue.

Mulino campaigned on a promise to close the Darien Gap, which he said poses threats to national security and Panamas natural environment. Panama launched a partnership with the US government to repatriate migrants, and the first deportation flight flew to Colombia last week.

The impact of these flights is likely to be small and Panamanian authorities dont have the manpower to effectively monitor the physical barriers at the Darien Gap such as barbed wire, according to Ariel Ruiz Soto, an analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington-based think tank. One problem for officials is that its not easy to return the migrants they apprehend.

Going back to Colombia is not only dangerous, but its actually difficult for people to do, Ruiz Soto said. Most of the time, the travelers who make it through the Darien Gap will be allowed to continue on journeys north, according to Ruiz. It would require a lot more work on the Colombian side to be able to set up some sort of corridor to return people.

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Seven US troops injured in raid that kills 15 IS terrorists

A joint operation by American and Iraqi forces killed 15 members of the Islamic State group in western Iraq, US Central Command (Centcom) said on Friday.

The raid targeted Islamic State leaders and was carried out early on Thursday morning, resulting in the death of 15 ISIS operatives with no indication of civilian casualties, CENTCOM said on X, formerly Twitter.

It said the IS members were armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive suicide belts, and that Iraqi forces were continuing to further exploit the locations raided, only specifying that the operation occurred in western Iraq.

Five US troops were wounded during the raid and another two were injured in falls, a defence official said. One of the wounded was evacuated for treatment, as was one of the personnel injured in a fall. All seven were in stable condition, the official said.

ISIS remains a threat to the region, our allies, as well as our homeland. US CENTCOM alongside our coalition and Iraqi partners, will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists, CENTCOM added.

The operation comes as Baghdad and Washington have been engaged in months of talks over the presence of anti-jihadist coalition forces in Iraq.

Despite Iraqs stated goal of a full withdrawal of the forces, no timeline has been made public.

The United States has some 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group.

Coalition forces have been targeted dozens of times with drones and rocket fire in both Iraq and Syria, as violence related to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza that broke out in early October has drawn in Iran-backed armed groups across the Middle East.

Last winter, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, a loose alliance of Iran-backed groups, claimed some 175 rocket and drone attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria.

US forces have carried out multiple retaliatory strikes against these militant factions in both countries.

Thursdays raid also comes just under a week after US forces killed a senior leader of an al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group in Syria.

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Fremont had virtually no population in the 1860 census, but, by 1870, it totaled 1,195, making it the fifth largest city in Nebraska, beating Peru by 31 residents and Brownville by 110, all in the top 10. In the last federal census Peru and Brownville have withered, but Fremont is still in the top six.

The area around todays Fremont and Dodge County was first explored by Major Stephen Longs party in 1820, then bisected in the late 1840s when Old Fort Kearny on the Missouri River, at what is now Nebraska City, was abandoned and resurrected on the Oregon trail in Kearney County.

At that point in time a trail was surveyed from Omaha to Fort Kearny along what was known as Military Road. Because the federal survey of Dodge County was not yet completed, land could not be accurately described, homesteaded or owned.

With Military Road however, E. H. Barnard and John A. Koontz from Des Moines claimed land on swell ground near what would be near 1st and D streets in the city of Fremont. Seven men then organized Pinney, Barnard & Co. which surveyed and platted the townsite in August of 1856 and named Fremont for John Charles Fremont, the pathfinder and then the candidate for the U.S. presidency, while another nearby village was named for Fremonts vice-presidential running mate, Buchanan which later became Schuyler.

The plat used Military Road as a baseline rather than a true north-south compass line and had Irving Avenue as its eastern boundary and 1st Street, on the south. Each member of what was renamed the Fremont Land Co. received nine lots with 100 lots set aside to be used in building up the town with 18 lots for churches and schools and 70 lots reserved for residences.

That September a claim cabin was built by Barnard and John Koontz from log poles cut from an island in the Platte River. Toward the end of the year the first actual house in Fremont was constructed by Robert Kittle near Military Road and Broad Street, from cottonwood logs and capped with red cedar shingles. It also served as Kittles store.

A year later the village claimed to have 27 residents, spurred by the town companys offer of two free lots to anyone building a cabin no smaller than 16 by 20 feet, at least one and a half stories tall and having a shingled roof.

In 1857 Bachelors Hall, sometimes called Fremonts first hotel, was finished about a block east of Main on 8th and claimed as many as 29 guests in a single night.

The first courthouse, school and community hall were also completed the same year. That May the Fremont post office opened with James G. Smith as postmaster. Still there was no regular mail service, even on the Military Road and settlers volunteered to fetch and deliver mail until July of 1889 when the Overland Stage Co. commenced service.

Even as the first settlers families and others began arriving in 1858, an unnamed observer, in April, described the Fremont area as a smooth, level, grey surface which appeared to go toward the west forever and forever.

Although it appears the federal survey was still uncompleted, in May of 1859 the city of Fremont was incorporated as a village. The first motion of business approved payment of 40 cents for a blank records book. 1860 proved a pivotal year as Fremont won the location of the county seat, defeating Robbinsville and Blacksmiths Point, neither of which even had post offices. The Western Union Telegraph also opened as a part of the line connecting Omaha and Fort Kearny, with its offices in Colsons Shoe Store.

The next years were a period of great growth for Fremont as the Union Pacific, with service beginning in January of 1866, was joined by the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad in 1869, which, with the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri River, gave the city three railroads.

In January of 1868 the Fremont Tribune was established and in July of 1871 Fremont, with a population of 1,195, was incorporated as a city. The following year the first bridge, a toll bridge with tolls lasting only until Saunders County paid half the cost, was opened over the Platte. Sadly, it was washed away only months after completion.

In the early 1870s it was reported that Fremont had established an extremely brisk horse market, and in 1873 alone the town shipped 1,640 train carloads of grain and reported a population of 2,000.

The 20th century began with Fremonts having a total of four railroads and, in 1919, Midland College moved from Atchison, Kansas, purchasing the buildings of Fremont Normal and Business College. Today, with a population of 27,141, Fremont is the sixth largest city in Nebraska, while Midland Universitys over 33-acre campus has about 1,500 students.
They dont have to worry about the next meal because their trust fund is good, and them spend their time surfing, the Prime Minister of the tiny southern Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago said in June about a group of surfers fighting to protect a precious right point break on the island of Tobago. And if the hotel is built at Rocky Point it would affect the waves in the sea, so they wouldnt enjoy the surfing, and they go and smoke marijuana there and meditate to your God he continued.

The surfing that is said to be affected is a warm water right point that breaks over a pristine reef, home to the biggest turtle nesting site in the country and surrounded by rainforest. On the waters edges are indigenous burial sites and the ruins of a Latvian fort that has stood since eastern Europeans colonized the island in the 1600s. The proposed hotel development is seeking to tear it all down and replace it with a large luxury Marriott.

Trinidad and Tobago is made up of two islands - Trinidad and Tobago. Tobago is the smaller of the pair, with a surface area of just 300km2 and sits just north of the coast of Venezuela. Rocky Point is a wedge of land that juts out into the shimmering blue Caribbean Sea on the west coast and is hugged by a reef called Mt. Irvine. This coral structure is home to a large food source on the island, a fishing spot that local fishermen depend on to survive. When winter swells pulse down from the North Atlantic the reef shudders into life - a right hander appears from the depths and reels off down the bay. Surfers fly in by the dozens from other islands in the Caribbean and a cluster of die hard Brits rush to board flights from Cornwall and touch down in warmer waters.

The headland is dense with deep green rainforest, home to a menagerie of birds and other native species. Amongst them are the remnants of a history that might well be long forgotten without these cultural artifacts to remind us that it occurred. Amerindians are the first people of Trinidad and Tobago who are found to have inhabited the area since 8000 B.C. and Carib speaking Kalin are thought to have been in Tobago from around 3500 B.C. European colonization of the islands decimated what was originally recorded in the 1500s as a population of 200,000 First Peoples down to 40,000 within a century.

The little known colonial history of the islands is that of Courland and Semigallia, which is located in present day Latvia. In the mid 1600s they traveled west to the Caribbean with a few hundred settlers and took aim at Tobago. But, despite multiple attempts, they were thwarted by Spain and turned their attention elsewhere. But they left behind marks of this past, the ruins of a fort that was once gilded by cannons pointed seaward toward incoming Spanish fleets, now stands abandoned on the shore.

In the subsequent colonial history that shifted back and forth between the powers of France and England cities and roads were built on the ruins and records of indigenous communities. Here at Rocky Point, the landscape tells this story in a single jog down to the beach with a surfboard in hand. Burial sites of Indigenous peoples sit alongside the fallen walls of Courland and Semigallias failed attempts at glory. The narrow thread of a track that winds through the forest that surfers traverse on their way to the water is a passage through time of this tiny island.

Since the 1970s there have been threats of this land being developed, but as politics have ebbed and flowed, the community has managed to push back and keep the developers at bay. But in the middle of COVID, as the world learned just how precarious a reliance on tourism dollars was, the site was put out for tender. A group of surfers quickly came together to create a foundation called Rocky Point Foundation and submit a proposal for a museum at the site and a walking tour through the history. But, the tender was granted to a local developer who would build a mammoth hotel with the Marriott brand attached. Local surfer and founder of Save Rocky Point foundation Duane Kenny responded to this proposal: It was unreal, it had break waters and it had just massive concrete structures everywhere. he said.

Related: Puerto Ricos North Coast Gets New Marine Reserve

The hotel plan now shows a plan for destruction of the rainforest, the construction of villas down to the water's edge and breakwalls to protect them from the massive swells that hammer the beachfront. The surfers fear a loss of access to the path down to the wave and the creation of backwash that will bounce off the new concrete structures that will face the water. The runoff from the construction site is expected to flow down on the reef, bringing with it pollutants that the reef has never been touched by before. Once the construction is complete, the ongoing outputs of a massive operational hotel are expected to drain down onto the reef and squeeze out its life.

The fishermen are worried about the impacts on their fish stocks and the surrounding community are worried about water security. And the thing that has bewildered local surf school operator Alvin Luke is that the island doesnt seem to need it: There are just so many of them, he says, and then what happens is the government just takes them over. There is the Manta Lodge which is under government control right now and there is a hotel not too far away from our beach that is privately owned but its current state is abandoned.

Duane Kenny echoes this sentiment, questioning the rationale about the development bringing jobs to the island, Ive been in the hotel business most of my life, I can tell you that not one large hotel is fully staffed. They're all understaffed because we don't have enough workers to work here and the locals don't necessarily want tourism jobs. he explains.

[Large hotels] haven't done well for years and the small hotels tend to do much better because they're more serviced, more nature focused. We have a few small hotels that are really successful, they do well on the 50 rooms and the big hotels are all struggling. he says.

Surf tourism, when developed sustainably, has the potential to spring up whole new, long term thriving economies in communities located around quality waves. We have seen from examples like Bali, where a similar battle is currently playing out on the cliffs of Uluwatu, what unchecked expansion can do to a place. But a sustainable surf tourism model has been developed in countries like Papua New Guinea which prioritises environmental protection and profit sharing for communities who reside at surf spots over the destruction of what it is that makes a place so unique. Cutting edge tourism research also shows that people are seeking cultural experiences and ecological values more and more over the opulence of grand global hotel chains.

Surfers who travel to the Rocky Point area often spend three or four weeks at a time waiting for swell to arrive, spending more per stay than than the occasional short stay visitors who might check into a room at the Marriott. When a swell hits Rocky Point, whether its from a trust fund or otherwise, money pours into the small time vendors and homestay hosts who reside behind the bay from surfers who fly in and hang around. So, maybe its just the weed talking, but perhaps this buying power could be considered and every effort made to protect and celebrate this precious place.

Related: Gerry Lopez: Find Your Dao (It Takes a Lifetime)

Related: Photos: Summertime in Canada and the Surfing's Good
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A fire was reported on the Las Vegas Monorail on Friday afternoon.

The fire was located in a monorail car at the Sahara platform location at 2574 Paradise Road near Sahara Avenue shortly before 3 p.m.

Fire crews responded to the scene and located the small electrical fire in the car which they were able to control quickly and put it out, Clark County Fire Department said. The cause of the fire was the result of an electrical equipment failure.

Las Vegas police told 8 News Now that no one was injured or inside the car at the time.

A fire was reported on the Las Vegas Monorail on Friday afternoon.

Las Vegas police told 8 News Now that no one was injured or inside the car at the time. (RTC)

As of 3:40 p.m. northbound lanes of Paradise Road had reopened.

The Las Vegas Convention and Vistors Authority released the following statment.

On Friday, Aug. 30, an out-of-service monorail train began smoking from a small fire in an electrical panel. The monorail team powered down the system as a precaution and called the Clark County Fire Department. The train is being returned to the maintenance facility for inspection. There were no passengers on the train, and no rescue operations had to be performed. All passengers throughout the system have exited the trains via one of the monorails seven stations. A follow up statement will be issued when the monorail resumes operations.

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HUTTO, Texas (KXAN)  Hutto Fire Rescue is trying to keep up with the non-stop growth in the city. A new fire station is set to open and in the future it will break ground on a brand-new fire headquarters and administration building.

When the face of the east side really started changing was back when SH 130 came in, Hutto Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Rob Bocanegra said.

RELATED: City of Hutto breaks ground on South Wastewater Treatment Plant

In the more than two decades Bocanegra has been with the team, he has seen first-hand whats happening in Hutto.

It was a yellow light at, what at the time was, 685 and Highway 79, he said.

Fast forward 23 years and it is easy to see how the city is now a much different ball game.

The growth is just crazy, Bocanegra said. The traffic is unbelievable. I dont know how Highway 79 is going to handle it.

Part of the response to that explosive growth is a new fire station opening soon near the Star Ranch neighborhood. Its located at 161 Klattenhoff Lane. Bocanegra said he expects staff to start moving in during the middle of September, with a goal of operating out of it fully by Oct. 1.

In a short span of time, [Hutto Fire Rescue] has added three stations since 2018, he said.

TRENDING: Why is Barton Springs pool closed

Growing pains are also impacting the teams administration building, which is currently renting two floors of an office building off Highway 79. Its cramped and thats why a new headquarters looms on the horizon.

It will house the administrative staff, our training staff, the Fire Marshals office, and also the warehouse for all our equipment, Bocanegra explained.

The new headquarters will be located in a current vacant piece of land at 1545 Chris Kelley Boulevard. Its expected to take about a year to build and cost around $7 million.

With all the growth, nearby cities still help out when needed.

RELATED: Williamson County connects multiple agencies for faster emergency response

Although we are slowly getting up to staffing where we can handle large events, we still rely on our agencies like Round Rock, Georgetown, Plfugerville and Taylor to help us out, he said.

But Bocanegra also knows in another 23 years, things will all look very different.

Hutto Fire Rescue said in around five years it expects to serve around 80,000 people  thats double the population currently served now.





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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
The dismissal of Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk was not connected to the deadly crash of an F-16 fighter jet earlier in the week, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in an interview with CNN published on Aug. 30.

Oleshchuk's removal came a day after the Ukrainian military confirmed that an F-16 fighter jet, recently delivered to the country and flown by one of Ukraine's top pilots, Oleksii Mes, call sign "Moonfish," had crashed while defending against a mass Russian drone and missile attack on Aug. 26. Mes was killed in the crash.

The reason for Oleshchuk's firing was not listed in the decision published on the website of the Presidential Office.

"I would probably say this is a rotation," said Umerov. "This is two separate issuesat this stage, I would not connect them."

Umerov said that the crash and the death of Mes was "unfortunate" and that the incident was being investigated.

"We're analyzing what has happened," said Umerov. "We've also opened this file to our partners so they are also analyzing this and investigating along with us."

Read also: How Ukraines military has changed since it last paraded through the streets of Kyiv

Ukraine's Defense Ministry has established a special commission to investigate the cause of the crash. Oleshchuk said that Ukraine had received a preliminary report from the U.S., which he said is now part of the investigation.

At the same time, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said on Aug. 29 that she was "not aware of any assistance or requests for assistance from the Ukrainian side to us about this particular incident."

Singh declined to discuss the crash in more detail, repeatedly saying that such questions should be referred to Ukrainian officials.

Separately, an unnamed U.S. defense official told Reuters that the crash "did not appear to be the result of Russian fire" and said that other causes, including "pilot error" and "mechanical failure," were being investigated.

Citing unnamed officials, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Aug. 31 that the White House rejected a proposal from the U.S. military to send civilian contractors to Ukraine to maintain F-16s and other equipment.

The WSJ said the U.S. intelligence community deemed the plan too risky and "raised concerns over the prospect of Russia targeting American contractors in Ukraine."

Ukraine received its first F-16s by the beginning of August, a year after its allies formed the fighter jet coalition at the NATO summit in Vilnius to support Kyiv with training and aircraft.

On Aug. 31, Danish PM Mette Frederiksen told the Globsec conference in Prague that F-16 fighter jets donated by Denmark are "working in Ukraine."

Read also: Ukraines Air Force announces death of pilot after WSJ reports F-16 crash

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
First Mexican female in space tells Fresno-area teens shell make sure I am not the last.

Being chosen for a flight mission to space is not easy.

Katya Echazarreta, the first Mexican-born woman ever to fly to space, says the journey can be even harder for some people. Her road was a long and difficult one that included migrating to the U.S. from Mexico as a child and working multiple jobs as a young adult to help her mother feed her siblings. Those are struggles she knows many young Latinos in the Central Valley understand.

But Echazarreta spoke during an assembly at Parlier High School on Thursday with the hope that the students would understand what it takes to make it out of that struggle, she said.

I want you to listen very carefully to this, Echazarreta told a gym packed with mostly Latino teenagers. You can have those four jobs. You can feed your family. You can feed yourself. You can take care of yourselves by working yourselves to the bone, but youll never get out of that ... if you dont seek some sort of higher education, and Im not only talking about college.

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Katya Echazarreta, the first Mexican-born woman to fly to space, speaks to a crowd of mostly Latino students in the gym at Parlier High School on Aug. 29, 2024.

Echazarreta has worked on five NASA missions, including the Mars 2020 Preserverance Rover, which seeks signs of ancient life, according to NASAs website. She flew to space at 26 in 2022 as part of the Space for Humanity Citizen Spaceflight Program. People from all walks of life are able to apply to experience what the program calls the Overview Effect: the cognitive shift in awareness that occurs when a human being looks down on the Earth from space.

The now-29-year-old UCLA-educated electrical engineer emphasizes her Mexican ancestry because she said she felt the social gap between herself and her peers as she rose to a position with NASA. She said others avoided getting stuck with the Mexican girl as a lab partner, and some professors chastised Latinos for stealing these opportunities when they answered questions incorrectly.

Thats what youre up against, she told the Parlier teenagers, many of them young Latinas. You have to be the one strong enough to push past that.

Last year, Parlier Unified School District hosted Jose Hernandez, the first ever Mexican American to fly to space. Superintendent Rafael Iniguez told The Fresno Bee the district hopes to continue to host these types of speakers each year.

The point, he said, is to get someone who looks like our students to serve as a source of inspiration for them.

Katia Echazarreta poses with her jumpsuit during an interview with Agencia EFE on March 6, 2023, in Mexico City.

Becoming the first

She thought she had her road mapped out when she was 17: Echazarreta knew which college she wanted to go to and what she wanted to study.

But her life was upended the same year as her parents initiated a divorce. Her father, she said, handled the situation as if he was also divorcing his children.

From one day to the next, my family lost everything, Echazarreta said. At 17 years old, I had to become a partial breadwinner, along with my mom, for my three siblings.

But she remained dedicated to her community college studies, she said, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and transferred to UCLA with two scholarships that paid her tuition in full. One day, exhausted from all of her work, she broke down in tears and asked herself, Is this really what you want?

There was nothing else I wanted to do with the rest of my life, she said. So I pushed on and I pushed on, and each day it felt harder than the day before.

Then, she landed a job at NASA.

When she began the three-year application process for her 2022 spaceflight, Echazarreta joined 7,000 people from 120 countries also seeking the sole spot in the mission.

The person who, in that moment and out of all of those people, was the most qualified to travel to space  Im so, so proud to say this  was the Mexican girl, Echazarreta said, causing the mass of Parlier High School students to break out in cheers and applause.

Students fill the seats in the Parlier High School gym to capacity Aug. 29, 2024, for a speech by Katya Echazarreta, the first Mexican-born woman ever to fly to space.

Not the last

The first few seconds in space is one of the weirdest things to live through, Echazarreta said. Your brain thinks you are upside down when you are floating, your blood rushes to your head and you feel like a human blood balloon, she said.

The first time I turned around and I saw the planet, I think that was one of the greatest shocks of my entire life, she said. It really changes the way you look at the world.

Theres also the different gravitational forces you experience during a launch and free fall on the return to Earth. During free fall, she said, its G6, or six times stronger than the gravitational force on Earth: You cant move a muscle, you cant open your eyes, you cant move your fingers, you can hardly breathe.

Her speech at Parlier High School was inspiring, sophomore Daniela Olivera told The Fresno Bee after the assembly.

As someone who went through kind of the same situation, it really inspired me to try harder in school. Olivera said. In Mexican households, the girls are always being pushed to try harder. Seeing her being able to do it really inspired me to get through my goals and say, I can do it.

Students fill the seats in the Parlier High School gym to capacity Aug. 29, 2024, for a speech by Katya Echazarreta, the first Mexican-born woman ever to fly to space.

Echazarreta has founded a nonprofit called the Katya Echazarreta Space Foundation (Fundacion Espacial Katya Echazarreta), which works to provide space industry-related opportunities for people who do not have access to them. She also advocated for a constitutional amendment in Mexico  already approved by the lower house in Congress  that would allow for the country to prioritize space-related activities.

When she flew to space, it had been 37 years since Rodolfo Neri Vela, the first and only other Mexican-born astronaut had been there. But Echazarreta has not been back to space since her 2022 flight ended. Her mission today is a different one.

The mission, after being the first Mexican woman in space, is making sure I am not the last, she said.
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  A five-year-old was taken to the hospital after a multi-car crash on I-80 this afternoon, according to Utah Highway Patrol.

The crash happened just before 4 p.m. near mile marker 125, allegedly caused by a driver only identified as a teenager traveling westbound in a Toyota Highlander.

READ NEXT: ROAD CLOSURE: Dump truck driver killed in rollover crash in Salt Lake City

The teen allegedly made an unsafe lane change, colliding with a Ford Mustang next to him. The Mustang was carrying three occupants, which included the five-year-old. The Mustang was pushed into a Subaru car, which was pushed into a Honda Civic.

The five-year-old was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. The Suburu and Civic had single occupants and neither was injured.

The left two lanes of I-80 West were closed for about an hour and are currently back open at this time.

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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Could your National Flood Insurance Policy be worthless when you actually need it?

A family in Pinellas County thought they were protected with a $8,600 flood policy through the program, which is administered through FEMA, but after their home was flooded by Tropical Storm Debby, their claim was denied.

The family said FEMA cited prior loss on the property that the previous homeowner collected on but did not repair.

Homeowner Danielle Jensen said she feels she was sold a worthless policy.

Lakelands Watson Clinic notifies patients about January data breach

He told me that he had received the prior loss report, Jensen said of what her insurance adjuster told her. He looked at it, and it was the worst case scenario and that from the prior loss report, from the pictures, it was clear that the house was in the exact same state when he viewed it.

Now, her family is on their own, forking over tens of thousands of dollars to repair their home, and now they wont get reimbursed.

Even down to the appliances that have the same serial number from the prior loss claim, she said.

Whats happening to Jensens family could happen to anyone buying a national flood policy.

There was no public record to check to see if there was prior damage that wasnt repaired.

Still, the family was sold the expensive policy.

Its worthless, unless we flood again after weve made all these repairs at which point we could use it because its all new materials, she said, noting she would not have bought the property had she known about the unrepaired damage or FEMAs policy.

Jensen said FEMA told her they dont require policy holders prove they made the repairs.

That leaves her questioning why she was sold this policy in the first place.

Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken reached out to FEMA and was sent these points:

Flood Insurance policies through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) do not cover items previously damaged if the same damage reoccurred and the original repairs were never completed. Policyholders are not required to report proof of repairs to the FEMA. However, if they have a lender included on their policy, the lender may require proof of repairs to protect their investment and ensure repairs are completed.

Policyholders can request a copy of the claim history for a property they insure with through NFIP. Perspective policyholders cannot request the claim history from FEMA, due to privacy requirements, for a structure they do not own. They can ask the current owner for the propertys claim history if they are willing to share that information.

Currently, flood insurance is like other lines of insurance, such as auto and homeowner insurance, where a customer may receive a claim payment but may choose not to complete those repairs. As many states change their disclosure laws to require property owners to disclose prior and existing damage to structures, it will allow new owners to obtain the claim history for a structure and make informed decisions regarding their properties.

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Florida MAGA lawmaker charged with forgery linked to her time as Christian school administrator

Florida state lawmaker Carolina Amesty turned herself in to the Orange County jail on Thursday after she was indicted on forgery charges (Florida House of Representatives)

A Republican state representative in Florida has turned herself into authorities after being indicted on several charges including forgery.

Republican state representative Carolina Amesty, 29, was charged with forgery, uttering a forgery, false acknowledgment or certification by a notary public and notarizing your own signature, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

The charges are in connection with her time as an administrator at Central Christian University in Orange County, Florida, which her father runs, according to the Sentinel.

State Attorney Andrew Bain said a concerned citizen brought potential criminal wrongdoing to his offices attention.

That information was presented to the grand jury who found sufficient evidence to return an indictment, Bain said. I am committed to upholding fairness and justice in every case by applying the law equally to everyone and my record reflects this dedication.

Amesty released a statement before turning herself in to the Orange County Jail on Thursday. Amesty faces up to twenty years in prison for the four felony charges.

Florida state lawmaker Carolina Amesty turned herself in to the Orange County, Florida Jail on Thursday after she was indicted on forgery (Orange County Jail)

This prosecution, initiated just a few weeks prior to absentee ballots being dropped, is based on misleading reports from a partisan newspaper about a notarization of an employee verification background report, the truth of the contents which have not been questioned in any manner, Amesty wrote.

Rep. Amesty calls for a speedy trial, looks forward to her day in court, and is confident of her public vindication, she continued.

The indictment follows major investigations into Amestys past by the Sentinel.

The outlet published a report earlier this year claiming that Amesty notarized a form in 2021 that claimed Robert Shaffer, a long-time educator, was an employee at Central Christian. But Shaffer said that he has never worked at the school, and never signed any forms indicating he did, the Sentinel reported.

The Orlando outlet also reported that Amesty filed false information with the state about Central Christian; failed to ensure taxes were paid on her $1.3 million home; and falsely claimed to run a successful restaurant, among other allegations.

Amesty later called the Sentinels investigation a hit job based on misunderstandings.

The Republican lawmaker is a staunch ally of Donald Trump. She met her fiance at a 2020 rally for the former president, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The Independent has contacted Amestys office for comment.
A Florida man who threatened a judge after she dismissed a suit challenging the states dont say gay law has been sentenced to five years in federal prison.

Stephen Jay Thorn, 66, of Pensacola, received the sentence Wednesday, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida. Thorn had pleaded guilty in May to a charge of interstate transmission of a threat to the judge.

The U.S. Attorneys Office did not name the judge, but prosecutors had previously identified her as Wendy Berger, a U.S. district judge in Orlando who was appointed by Donald Trump.

In October 2022, Berger dismissed a suit against the law and refused to issue a preliminary injunction blocking its enforcement. The law banned classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity. However, this year a legal settlement made clear that certain discussions of the topics are permitted.

In her dismissal, Berger said those who brought the suit  LGBTQ+ students and families, plus an association of LGBTQ+ community centers  did not have legal standing to challenge the law. She also said that bullying in school, which the plaintiffs expressed concerns about, is simply a fact of life.

Thorn, a retired teacher, was enraged. He left several voice mail messages for her. One called her a rotten piece of **** and accused her of courting supporters of Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed the law, TV station WFLA reports.

You have no ******* idea what LGBTQ kids go through, he said in a message transcribed in court documents. Im a retired teacher. Ive taught in Florida. Ive taught in California. I have seen the sheer hell those kids are put through and you have the gall to say thats part of middle school or high school is to be picked on.

In another one, he threatened her family members and said it would be easy to find her. He called her a stupid redneck and a cruel person. You think that its OK for LGBTQ kids to be bullied, which is what that law is allowing, thats what its saying that theyre second-class citizens. Listen dumb***, youre easy to track you down, he continued.

Threatening harm against public officials, or their families, is an intolerable offense, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg said in the news release. My office takes such threats seriously and is committed to investigating and federally prosecuting anyone who threatens this sort of violence.
Until you see a camera pan over the long row of Coleman tents lining the sidewalk, nearly all with American flags neatly affixed to the front, the outrage of a veteran-specific homeless community in the heart of Los Angeles might not fully resonate. When the image is paired with the sprawling and partially empty Department of Veterans Affairs campus this homeless Veterans Row abuts, the dissonance is complete. Los Angeles is, we learn, the nations hub for veteran homelessness, with an estimated 4,000 unhoused vets.

In The Promised Land, a new short documentary by Army veteran Rebecca Murga for reporting studio Long Lead, creators are counting on those striking visuals to communicate a message 100 news stories might not.

The documentary, released on Long Leads website and recently screened before an audience of veteran advocates in Washington, D.C., took shape out of Murgas own curiosity as a Los Angeles resident who often passed by those tents.

My interest was already piqued at, whats been happening, and why arent these buildings being used, Murga said in a phone interview.

Advocates fear growing backlash against aid for homeless veterans

As it happened, her embarkation on the project came as this open-air veteran enclave became national news through a class-action lawsuit in federal court. The complaint in the suit, brought in December 2023 by 14 veterans, was also at the heart of Murgas story: the vets argument that the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center had to follow through on its commitment to build more than 1,000 permanent supportive housing units for veterans.

Days after the 23-minute documentarys D.C. screening, relevant news broke: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it would change a rule that counted veterans disability benefits as income, a policy that excluded some Los Angeles vets from VA housing eligibility.

In the documentary, Robert, an Air Force veteran eventually admitted into one of the VAs roughly 250 housing units, decries the situation.

I have a beautiful view of the ocean, he says, gesturing to the veteran standing next to him wearing a prosthetic leg. He lost his leg in Afghanistan saving another soldier.  He gets to be homeless on the streets of L.A.

But meaningful change is still a work in progress, said John Patrick Pullen, founding editor of Long Lead.

I dont think its a done deal, and I wish I could be more optimistic about it, Pullen said. Its definitely not a fix, because even if that policy changes, and all the veterans who need housing are able to get cleared and stay in that housing, theres not enough housing on that (VA) property.

The West Los Angeles VA Medical Center campus installed temporary tiny homes for unhoused veterans during the pandemic. Advocates say officials need to provide more permanent supportive housing. (Courtesy Long Lead)

The Long Lead documentary makers dont see themselves as advocates, though their point-of-view comes through clearly in the film. For Murga, the top priority was preserving the dignity of subjects all too accustomed to exploitation: military veterans and the unhoused.

You cant just show up with a camera, because a lot of people have done that before, she said. You know, they show up with a camera, they take a few photos and you never hear from them again.

First, she had to earn the trust of Rob Reynolds, an Army vet whos been described as the de facto manager of Veterans Row. Hes a self-appointed advocate and protector of the veterans still seeking housing. Earning her way into the circle took years, Murga said, she felt spending Thanksgiving with the veterans, and filming as they shared a hot meal, helped assure them of her intentions.

That was the first time they offered to show me where they lived and inside their homes and stuff like that, she said.

A few prominent personalities emerge in the film, including Josh, a tattooed, harmonica-playing Army infantryman whod just been denied on-campus VA housing. Later, hes joined by Derek, another former Army grunt with a big personality who rides a bike and wears a beanie over his long, strawberry-blond hair. Derek, whod recently moved into one of the temporary VA tiny homes constructed during the pandemic, says his lodging is like a 10-star hotel compared to living on the street.

There goes the neighborhood, Josh jokes. Two 11 bravos in one place, what are we going to do.

Its jarring when, later in the film, we find out Derek has died due to an apparent drug overdose, a month after finally getting moved into permanent housing.

Murga found out about Dereks death as her cameras were rolling. Despite her heartbreak, she realized she had to include the moment in the film.

We dont know the numbers of people who have died (on the street), she said. I thought it was important to include him, because he was so sweet and so kind and so open, and because he had been waiting so long.

The class-action lawsuit went to trial in early August in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California. Long Lead is publishing updates, as many as one a day, on its website as arguments progress.

Were going to keep pressing with it, Pullen said. I think that its something that everybody should see and understand, whether they live in Los Angeles or not. Because this is a nationwide epidemic.
HOMER GLEN, Ill.  A former Joliet police officer accused of distributing cocaine and attempting to distribute fentanyl in the Chicago area in 2021 has been indicted on federal charges.

William Busse III, a Homer Glen resident and former officer with the Joliet Police Department, has been charged with three counts of distribution of controlled substances and three counts of attempted distribution of controlled substances, according to Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines

Prosecutors said Busse allegedly distributed cocaine and methamphetamine in Chicago in 2021 and also attempted to distribute cocaine and fentanyl in the Chicago suburbs during that same year.

Joliet police confirmed that Busse served as a patrol officer from 2013 to 2021, but did not provide details on why he left the force in 2021.

Authorities did not provide an updated mugshot for Busse.

LATEST CASES: Missing people in Chicagoland

The charges were handed down thanks in part to the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force, a group made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that work together to to identify and dismantle drug trafficking operations.

Pasqual said if convicted, Busse could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each of the six counts in the indictment.

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Former President Trump announces he will vote yes on Floridas Amendment 3 on marijuana legalization

Update: In a surprising development, former President Donald Trump announced late Sunday night on Truth Social that he will vote in favor of Floridas Amendment 3, a ballot measure aimed at legalizing recreational marijuana for those 21 years and older in the state.

This stance puts the Republican presidential candidate directly at odds with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

While Trump signaled his support for the measure last month, this marks the first time he has explicitly committed to voting for legalization. He also stated that, if elected in November, his administration would focus on researching the medical uses of marijuana.

Original: In a surprising turn of events, former President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind Amendment 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that aims to legalize recreational marijuana for those 21 years and older in Florida.

Trumps endorsement, posted on his social media platform Truth Social, comes as the state prepares to vote on the measure in the upcoming November general election.

READ: Jacksonville leaders and community split over marijuana legalization ahead of the November election

In his post, Trump framed his support for Amendment 3 within the broader context of law and order. As everyone knows, I was, and will be again, the most respected LAW & ORDER President in U.S. History, Trump wrote.

Trump called on the Florida State Legislature to implement regulations managing marijuana use in public spaces and highlighted concerns about issues such as marijuana odors and fentanyl-laced products. We need the State Legislature to responsibly create laws that prohibit the use of it in public spaces, Trump stated.

He also emphasized the importance of not criminalizing personal amounts of marijuana possession, arguing that it wastes taxpayer dollars and leads to unnecessary legal troubles. We do not need to ruin lives & waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, Trump added.

Supporters of Amendment 3 highlight the economic advantages, such as job creation, increased tax revenue, and the regulation of a currently illicit market. A 2023 state report suggested that legalizing recreational marijuana could generate over $195 million annually in state and local tax revenues, although the allocation of these funds remains uncertain.

Trumps apparent openness to decriminalizing marijuana marks a shift for the Republican presidential candidate, who has consistently advocated for a tough stance on drug policy. When he announced his reelection campaign in November 2022, Trump emphasized that securing the southern border and combating Mexican cartels would be top priorities, even reportedly advocating for the execution of drug dealers.

Trumps new support for Amendment 3 contrasts sharply with Florida Governor Ron DeSantiss strong anti-marijuana stance.

Governor DeSantis has been a vocal opponent of Amendment 3, citing concerns ranging from the bad smell, alleged dangers to public health and safety, to the potential for increased substance abuse. The Vote No on 3 campaign is being run by some of the Governors top allies, including one of his past senior campaign advisors and his current Chief of Staff.

READ: Opposition campaign headed by DeSantis allies seeks to defeat recreational marijuana amendment

Smart & Safe Florida supporter Sen. Joe Gruters, former Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, issued a statement following Trumps endorsement:

I am incredibly proud to have President Trump stand alongside us in our effort to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for simple possession of marijuana and to give Floridians the same individual freedom to choose safe, tested products that more than half the country already enjoys, said Gruters. President Trumps call for smart implementation is exactly why I filed a bill to prevent smoking in public. Marijuana should be consumed at home, and I will work alongside my colleagues in the legislature to ensure Florida does this right.

As Florida approaches its decision on Amendment 3, the conversation around marijuana legalization continues to evolve, with Trumps endorsement expected to influence both support and opposition in the coming weeks.

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Richard King spent 36 years with the Royal Marines, undertaking several tours of duty including one in Afghanistan - CPL JOHN SCOPTT RAFOSS/PA

A former Royal Marine captain who served in some of the deadliest trouble spots around the world is suing the Ministry of Defence over claims his military service left him deaf.

Richard King spent 36 years with the Royal Marines, undertaking several tours of duty in Northern Ireland and being deployed to Afghanistan.

The 58-year-old, who rose to the rank of Captain, suffers from high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss, as well as tinnitus, and claims his injuries have left him permanently disadvantaged in the open labour market.

He is now seeking damages of more than 200,000, accusing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of negligence and breach of duty.

The MoD has admitted breach of duty but requires him to prove that he has suffered a noise-induced injury, and says his claim should be delayed until test cases for noise-induced injury are decided in October 2025.

He is one of hundreds of servicemen and women who are claiming similar compensation from the MoD for deafness they blame on their time in the forces.

They had hoped to come together in group litigation, but this was refused last October. Their claims are now going ahead through test cases to decide a number of legal issues.

According to documents lodged with the High Court, Mr King, who joined the Marines in October 1981, spent most of his career training units with the Royal Marine Commandos Unit.

He was required to take part in blank firing exercises and claims that he carried out these duties both with and without adequate ear defences, saying that if he had worn them throughout, he would not have been able to hear what those around him were saying.

As part of his duties, Mr King, who is from Newton Abbot in Devon, used to shoot his weapon in the enclosed space of pipe ranges.

Mr King said ear defences worn during duty were not adequate

Surriya Akhtar, Mr Kings lawyer, stated: He recalls his ears would be ringing after such exercises. During some of those exercises, it was not possible to hear what anyone was saying or shouting to each other.

Mr King claims that the ear defenders he wore did not fit properly when he was wearing his helmet. He also says that during active engagement in Belfast, when rubber bullets were fired, he did not wear any ear defence to keep his situational awareness.

Mr Kings legal team argue that when he was deployed to Afghanistan, he was exposed to different types of weapons, including explosive devices, hand grenades and heavy machine gun fire.

Ms Akhtar says: Ear protection was supplied but it was to be worn half off his ear so that he could hear voice or deliver voice himself.

Inadequate ear defences

Mr King went on a jungle warfare course in Brunei in 1996. This involved live training attacks while crawling through undergrowth.

He says there was no ear defence because it was a live environment, and soldiers used plastic explosives to blow up trees and clear areas as Wessex and Sea King helicopters clattered overhead.

Mr King says while travelling in Hercules helicopters before a parachute jump, he was usually given yellow foam ear defenders, but these did not allow situational awareness and that even when they were worn, they did not reduce the noise of the engine.

The MoD wants his claim to be stayed until the test cases are heard, or scheduled to be heard after the test cases.

It says that although it admits breach of duty, Mr King is required to prove that this caused him injury.

The MoD also disputes he is disadvantaged in the open labour market and wants a report from its own medical expert.

Since leaving the Royal Marines, Mr King has worked as a financial advisor, particularly to former service personnel and their families.

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HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ)  A former State College psychologist has been found guilty of rape and sexual assault of a young girl from 2005 to 2013.

The jury found Richard Lenhart, 63, guilty of rape, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children, and corruption of minors, according to Attorney General Michelle Henry.

DuBois man accused of indecent assault, exposure with child

Mugshot of Lenhart

This victim relied on the defendant to be a source of support and healing, and instead he abused his authority in order to sexually assault her for years, Attorney General Henry said. I commend the victim for having the bravery to come forward to face her abuser, and am grateful that the jury listened to the victim testify to the horror she endured at the hands of the defendant and then found him guilty of all charges. My office will always work hard to seek justice against those who harm children.

The victim told officers that Lenhart had abused her in multiple places in State College. They also recalled inappropriate, sexual, and grooming-type behavior. She testified that she was first raped when she was 8 years old.

The case arose after Lenhart was investigated and convicted of insurance fraud and the sexual assault of other patients.

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Lenhart will be sentenced on Nov. 19.

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(Bloomberg) -- Ko Wen-je, former leader of Taiwans opposition party, was arrested after almost 19 hours of interrogation in connection with a property development scandal that occurred while he was mayor of Taipei.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Ko was taken into custody late Friday night due to concerns about possible collusion, after he refused to continue overnight questioning, according to a report by the Central News Agency that cited the Taipei District Prosecutors Office.

Under Taiwan laws, prosecutors must request a court to detain a suspect or witness within 24 hours of interrogation. Ko requested a judicial review of the arrest, which was declined by the Taipei District Court, CNA said in a separate report.

The Taiwan Peoples Party, which was co-founded by Ko in 2019, said in a statement that it respects the courts decision but supports Kos legal right to defend himself.

Ko, a former trauma surgeon and surprisingly popular third-party candidate in the latest Taiwans presidential race, garnered almost 27% of the vote in January. He finished behind the eventual winner, President Lai Ching-te, and runner-up Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang.

The arrest of Ko is the latest incident in a series of investigations into Taiwanese politicians for corruption or misconduct since President Lai took office in May this year. In July, former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan of DPP was detained on corruption charges.

Ko announced on Thursday that he would temporarily step down as chairman of the TPP amid a series of scandals related to the partys expenses, including the use of election subsidies and political donations.

(Updated with courts latest decision in third paragraph.)

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Former U.S. Navy Seal Jonny Kim will be 1st Korean-American astronaut on ISS in March 2025

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NASA astronaut Jonny Kim during spacewalk training at the agency's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. | Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, will be the first Korean-American astronaut to perform a long-duration mission.

Kim will spend eight months on the International Space Station (ISS), starting in March 2025, as part of the Expedition 72 and 73 crews, NASA officials announced Wednesday (Aug. 28). He will fly to space aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft alongside Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky; the cosmonauts' assignments were announced in TASS (Russian state media) last week via Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.

"I'm incredibly honored to represent ... our continued commitment to international collaboration and scientific discovery at NASA," Kim posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday (Aug. 29). "Teamwork is one of the most important ingredients of success in mission-critical environments such as space."

Related: NASA astronauts speak out for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (video)

While most U.S. astronauts fly to space aboard American spacecraft these days, Kim will fly on Soyuz, like some other NASA crewmembers have in the past, for backup and policy reasons. Roscosmos cosmonauts also do seat exchanges on U.S. spacecraft, with Aleksandr Gorbunov as the latest one, assigned to SpaceX Crew-9 launching on Sept. 24. That said, Crew-9's astronauts aboard Crew Dragon will need to reduce from four members to two due to complications with the Boeing Starliner mission.

Crew-9 will need to create room in its capsule to bring two other ISS-based NASA astronauts home. Those astronauts were originally meant to return home on the Starliner capsule that brought them to the station, but Starliner's return with astronauts on board was deemed an unacceptable risk this month due to problems with the spacecraft's thruster system.

Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will move to Crew Dragon and occupy two of the seats for the ride to Earth in February 2025, with Gorbunov and U.S. Space Force astronaut Nick Hague flying to space on Crew-9 and flying home with the Starliner astronauts.

Two original Crew-9 members will move to another flight: NASA's Zena Cardman, another "Turtles" member who has not been to space, and shuttle astronaut Stephanie Williams will be reassigned at a later point, NASA officials wrote on Friday (Aug. 30).

jonny kim in a spacesuit with a helmet by his side and the american flag in behind

Crew-9's launch was delayed until at least Sept. 24 (from Aug. 18) to give extra time for reconfiguring the spacecraft for two crew members, instead of four. Crew-8, currently docked at ISS, was delayed in its departure as the crew schedule requires a handover period between ISS crews.

That said, Crew-9's Sept. 24 launch date is not a lock yet. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket fleet may be grounded, including for all human launches, after a rocket caught fire and tipped over during landing Wednesday (Aug. 28) following a successful SpaceX Starlink satellite launch. (A different variant of Falcon 9 carries Crew Dragon to the ISS.)

Related: FAA requires investigation into SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket landing failure

SpaceX has not yet revealed the impact on crew launch activities, which in the near future include Crew-9 to the ISS and the private Polaris Dawn mission to Earth orbit. In a statement to the Washington Post, NASA officials said they are involved in the investigation and the launching schedule will be determined.

Starliner, Crew-8 and Crew-9 delays have had ripple-on effects on the rest of the space station's operations and crew schedules remain somewhat in flux as a result. That said, neither NASA nor TASS has stated why Soyuz MS-27 will be for eight months instead of the usual six.

a fire at the bottom of a rocket in the darkness

As ISS flight engineer, Kim will "conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare the crew for future space missions and provide benefits to people on Earth," NASA officials said in the statement announcing his assignment to a space mission.

His ground experience with NASA includes Expedition 65 lead operations officer, operations liaison for the T-38 jet used for astronaut flight training, and space station capcom engineer.

Kim, a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander, is on active duty as both a naval aviator and a flight surgeon under the aeromedical dual designation program. The program "is typically for medical officers to seek a dual qualification in naval aviation to better understand the effects of flight on the human system," according to the U.S. Navy.

A person in a blue jumpsuit in front of a jet.

Kim was born in Los Angeles where his father, a South Korean immigrant, managed a liquor store. The store was damaged in 1992, along with a reported 2,200 other Korean businesses in the neighborhood due to protests in the community.

The protests erupted after four Los Angeles police officers were acquitted following the beating of Rodney King, a Black man who was pulled over on a freeway in 1991 after a high-speed pursuit. (The roots of targeting the Korean community are complex, but in part appear to be linked to limited resources for marginalized communities in Los Angeles including African-Americans and Korean-Americans, according to NBC.)

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 Welcome, space cadets! Meet NASA's 2017 astronaut class

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"It was a very stressful time," Kim told Stars and Stripes in 2020 of the effect of these protests on his community.

Kim's Navy service includes enlisting as a SEAL and serving in Iraq across two deployments and more than 100 combat missions, according to Stars and Stripes. His Navy awards include a Silver Star and a Bronze Star with "V" device. The "V" designating duties of valor.

He formerly held internships at the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency program at Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as Brigham and Women's Hospital. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of San Diego and a medical degree from Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Kim will be the second Korean-American in orbit following the spaceflights of U.S. Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut Mark L. Polansky, who also has Korean ancestry, according to Purdue University. Polansky flew three space shuttle missions: STS-98 in 2001, STS-116 in 2006 and STS-127 in 2009.
4 injured, including 2 kids after car crashes into telephone pole in Northeast DC

WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  DC Fire and EMS said four people were injured after a car crashed into a telephone pole in Northeast D.C. on Saturday afternoon.

Crews were dispatched to Eastern Avenue and Tuckerman Street for a crash.

Police: Loudoun County judge arrested for public intoxication

First responders said a man and a child were transported to the hospital in critical condition.

A woman and a young girl were also transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Prince Georges County Fire/EMS Department and The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service are assisting at the scene.

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Four people hurt after explosion at gas station in Bellingham

Emergency crews responded to an explosion that left four people with burn injuries in Bellingham Friday night.

Members of the Bellingham Police and Fire Departments responded to the reported explosion at the SavMore Gas Station on South Main Street just after 6:00 p.m.

Responders at the scene found four contract workers suffering from burns, two of whom had severe injuries.

All four people injured in the explosion were taken to be treated at the Burn Unit at Rhode Island Hospital, police and fire officials said.

Bellingham police, Bellingham fire and the Massachusetts State Fire Marshals office are investigating the explosion.

Fire officials classified the explosion as a flash fire that quickly extinguished itself. The gas station will also undergo compliance testing, officials said.

The names of the injured workers will not be released.

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GREENFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  In the City of Greenfield, for the first time in Franklin County, the YMCA is hosting its strongman competition Saturday morning called Pioneers Strongest.

Amtrak ridership on the increase in Massachusetts

Currently, 80 competitors, men and women, are signed up to compete in this competition on Saturday. There will be multiple different events, such as vehicle pulls, tire flips, wagon deadlifts, leg presses, and even a competition designed for kids. The kids strongman will be for kids ages 7-11 years old and will consist of a tire flip, a stone over bar (yoga ball), and a giant rock speed course (giant beach ball). Registration for the kids competition is $25.

The top three athletes in each division or class will qualify for nationals. This is a chance, according to the Franklin County YMCA, for competitors to qualify for the 2025 USS Nationals and a chance to set Massachusetts state record.

Registration costs $80, with spectator tickets being $10, but kids 12 and under can watch for free. This event will be held outdoors, rain or shine, so spectators can bring their own chairs or overhead tent. If you are bringing a tent, remember that this event is happening in the parking lot, so have something to weigh the tent down.

The competition is set to begin at 9:30 a.m. at the YMCA on Main Street in Greenfield. A weigh-in will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Local News Headlines

WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.

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I take on fraudsters and scammers for a living. Take it from me: Tim Sheehy is one of them.

Montana Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy greets supporters outside of a rally in Bozeman on Aug. 9, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

Montana Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy greets supporters outside of a rally in Bozeman on Aug. 9, 2024. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

Have you ever met someone who calls themselves a successful businessman, but lost his company $77 million, is being sued by former employees for allegedly stiffing them out of their pay, fraudulently certified his company as a socially disadvantaged business to try to win government contracts, prompted his biggest investor to cash out of the company and abandon their stake in it, and has had multiple board members resign from his company on his watch  all while paying himself fat multimillion-dollar bonuses?

Maybe you havent met him in person, but youve certainly heard of him. His name is Tim Sheehy, and hes running for the United States Senate.

I live in Gallatin County and Im best known for my work as a financial expert. For decades, Ive made a career of going after the bad guys in finance  I bet against those that I suspect of fraud. Thats how Ive earned my living, and thats why I knew there was something fishy about Tim Sheehy and his company.

I was right.

Tim Sheehy has run a campaign rooted in his experience as a business owner. He regularly touts his credentials on the campaign trail, specifically describing the company he started in Belgrade when he moved here nine years ago a success.

Recent financial filings tell us the real story.

Tim Sheehys companys stock has plummeted to all-time lows. It lost $77 million and is facing financial straits so dire that there is substantial doubt about the Companys ability to continue, according to their public filings. A series of abysmal decision-making has caused investors to lose faith and abandon the company. All while Sheehy walked away with multimillion-dollar bonuses, paying himself $2.3 million as his company was deeply in the red.

Its not just bad decision-making. Sheehys actions have questionable legality.

Under Sheehys watch, his company falsely certified itself as a socially and economically disadvantaged company to try and win contracts. A spokesperson for the company claims this was an error that went undiscovered for years. I find that hard to believe.

Sheehys company secured a $160 million Gallatin County bond for the purposes of buying planes and building hangars. Investigative reporting revealed that the overwhelming majority of that bond  $134 million  went to paying his investors instead.

And now, as Sheehys company admitted they had inaccurately reported their finances, they could be in serious trouble with the SEC  and I wouldnt be surprised to see an investigation in the near future.

As Sheehy drives his company towards a financial cliff, its taxpayers who are left holding the bag. Sheehys company runs on government contracts. Yes  that means you, Montana taxpayer, pay his bills and his bonuses. Sheehy isnt for Montana  hes a complete tool for private equity.

Ive made a living being able to spot the frauds and cheats of the business world. And when Sheehy tells you hes a successful businessman, hes hoping you wont have the smarts to see his experience for what it really is: Someone who let his taxpayer-funded company bleed millions while he cashed out on bonuses and a multimillion-dollar salary.

Ive never voted for Jon Tester. Ive never donated to any Democrat. Im not a political guy  I just have a nose for seeking out frauds, scams, and people who are full of it. If Tim Sheehy wants to try and defend the utter failure of his company, Im happy to discuss or debate it publicly  any place, any time.

So dont take my word for it. Do your own research. Read more about Sheehys business record. Then ask yourself: Is this the man you want in charge of our countrys budget?

For me, the answer is clearly no.
Friends speak out for beloved Los Angeles taco street vendor recovering from violent carjacking

Friends and community members are spreading support for the recovery of beloved taco street vendor Jose Ayala Martinez, also known as El Tigre.

He named himself that a long time ago because hes always strong, said his good friend William Wolf. Hes a very big fighter, and hes fighting right now as we speak.

Martinez is recovering at Los Angeles General Medical Center after he almost lost his life during a Tuesday night carjacking in Los Angeles.

Reports say he was shot three times during the attack  once in the mouth, neck and shoulder, all before he drove himself a mile away to safety and called for help.

Martinez is currently unable to speak because a bullet was fired through his jaw by the gunman.

You try to make sense of all this because I cant, I cant at all, expressed Wolf.

The 69-year-old taco and Mexican snack vendor was a fixture at the corner of York Boulevard and North Avenue 56 in Highland Park for several years.

While he was behind the wheel Tuesday after packing up for the night, criminals pounced on him in an apparent attempt to steal his pickup truck.

Jose Ayala Martinez, El Tigre, is seen in a photo from a GoFundMe page built to support his recovery from a Tuesday carjacking.

Bullet holes seen in the windshield of carjacking victims truck on Aug. 26, 2024. (KNN News)

L.A. police taking a carjacking and shooting suspect into custody in the area of Montecito Heights on Aug. 26, 2024. (KNN News)

L.A. police on the scene of a violent carjacking and shooting in Highland Park on Aug. 26, 2024. (KNN News)

L.A. police on the scene of a violent carjacking and shooting in Highland Park on Aug. 26, 2024. (KNN News)

L.A. police on the scene of a violent carjacking and shooting in Highland Park on Aug. 26, 2024. (KNN News)

Initially hospitalized in critical condition, friends say Martinez is now listed in stable condition on Friday night.

Its going to take months to repair or to heal actually, said Wolf. Today he was wide awake, writing on a tablet. Hes getting stronger.

KTLAs Chris Wolfe spoke with Martinezs close friends to learn about the beloved street vendor. Martinez has a daughter in Mexico and was living in Southern California alone, carving out a living.

Fruit and juice vendor Reyna Bernal said she misses her neighbor.

Its certainly very upsetting to know what happened to him because that couldve happened to someone else or it couldve happened to me, said Bernal. I believe God has given him a second chance because, after three shots, hes still fighting for his life.

A family friend set up a GoFundMe to help El Tigre with medical expenses.

Tigre was part of a senseless act of crime, wrote the fundraisers organizer, Mia Barron.

She said Martinez is well-loved in Highland Park.

You can stop by his stand on York in front of El Super at any time and he is so full of joy and he is always so happy, along with his great welcoming smile, wrote Barron.

The violent attack is still under investigation.

Officers in the area at the time of the shooting heard gunfire and quickly captured a suspect identified as a 19-year-old documented gang member, but an accomplice is still on the run.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the LAPD.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
There's no energy supply in the frontline cities of Zaporizhzhia Oblast due to damage to power lines, gas pipelines and distribution power grids.

Source: Ivan Fedorov, Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast MIlitary Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "The lack of gas and electricity supply in frontline settlements due to damage to power lines, main gas pipelines, and distribution equipment is a challenge," the report states.

At the same time, Fedorov emphasises that repair work will be carried out as soon as the security situation in the affected regions is secured.

He also noted that generators are being purchased with UNICEF funding to ensure heating and water supply for facilities. Additionally, there is an agreement for financing the acquisition of 14 cogeneration units with a total capacity of 29 MW.

Background: While the aftermath of the latest Russian missile strike is still being addressed, it is difficult to make predictions about the repair works, but all resources for repairing the energy infrastructure are available.

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FILE PHOTO: Ethnic Uyghur demonstrators scuffle with riot police as they try to continue a sit-in protest against China

FILE PHOTO: Ethnic Uyghur demonstrators scuffle with riot police as they try to continue a sit-in protest against China

By Emma Farge

GENEVA (Reuters) - Human-rights groups and the United Nations are using Saturday's two-year anniversary of a landmark U.N. report to call for action on the document which said that China may have committed crimes against humanity in the Xinjiang region.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet released the report on Aug. 31, 2022, just minutes before her four-year term ended.

At the time, Yalkun Uluyol was filled with hope for his father who had disappeared in 2018.

But instead, he later received news that his father had been sentenced to 16 years in a Xinjiang prison in a move Uluyol believes was linked to his identity as a Uyghur - a group of mostly Muslims whom rights groups and the U.S. government say are subject to widespread repression by Beijing.

"I was very happy when the report was out. But now I feel like, yes, you released a report, but so what?, My life has not gotten any better. On the contrary, it's been worse," the 30-year-old researcher, who lives in Istanbul, told Reuters on Friday.

China has vigorously denied any abuses in Xinjiang and issued a 131-page response to the report defending its record. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said this week that China fully protects the rights of all ethnic groups.

Uluyol is part of a growing chorus of human-rights advocates frustrated by what they say is a failure by China to implement the U.N. report recommendations, including a call for prompt steps to release those arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang camps and prisons.

He and others are asking United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk to step up pressure on China after months of detailed exchanges with Beijing over its record.

"Saying 'we are engaging with China' has not been enough," said Uluyol, who also posted his concerns on X and said he raised them with Turk.

Prominent rights advocate Kenneth Roth was more searing, calling Turk's China approach "timid".

The 2022 report said the extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other Muslims in the western Xinjiang region may be an international crime.

Turk, a former lawyer who became High Commissioner after the report's release, said at the time he stood by the document. Since then, he has repeatedly called for action by China.

This week his office said "many problematic laws and policies remain in place" in Xinjiang and urged authorities to undertake a full review.

"There's a lot to be desired, which is why we need to continue to work with them, to engage, to see where we can have some progress," U.N. Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters.

Turk's supporters say he is striking a balance between public criticism and private engagement which could yet yield reforms. But others want more.

"The office needs to issue an update on the current situation in Xinjiang and present a concrete action plan for holding those responsible to account," said Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch, who also called for action by states at the U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva in September.

(Reporting by Emma Farge in Geneva; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
This is what fuels addiction in LGBTQ+ people, and what's available to help (exclusive)

There is always help available.

That's the message advocates are highlighting on International Overdose Awareness Day, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community, where members disproportionately experience substance use.

There are many factors that contribute to this disparity, though one of the primary causes is likely "the negative messages that LGBTQ people receive on a daily basis," according to Kaylee Hoaby, a director at the Pride Institute.

"LGBTQ people are getting all these negative messages from the media, their friends, their family, and in turn they internalize those messages and they themselves start to believe them," Hoaby tells The Advocate. "They start to believe that they're wrong or they're bad for who they love or how they identify."

This is a trend known as "minority stress theory," in which members of marginalized groups experience extra stressors from discrimination and prejudice, which can have adverse effects on their health. To cope, many turn to substances.



"As they're walking through life, they're looking for any positive feelings to numb or override those negative feelings that they're getting from these messages," Hoaby explains. "A lot of times LGBTQ folks will turn to substances like opioids because they provide that euphoric feeling that they're not used to getting in their day-to-day lives."

Hoaby also notes that "oftentimes LGBTQ folks don't have a strong support system" in their personal lives, as "their families and friends may have ostracized them after they came out." In "looking for connection," queer people are then usually left with just one option.

"A lot of the LGBTQ scene circles around drugs and alcohol," Hoaby says. "When [queer people] go to find these places where there's individuals like themselves, they find LGBTQ bars. And in these bars, they meet people who then offer them substances, or they take substances to become more comfortable talking to someone that they might be interested in."

"It's really imperative and important for communities to have spaces that are sober where people can go meet life members of their community," she continues.

One way to stray away from environments revolving around alcohol and drugs is to "go online and find these events that do circle around sobriety," though Hoaby says even just "having a small community of people going to a coffee shop and being able to to hang out" can provide a "positive support system."

There are also resources that can provide members of the LGBTQ+ community with support as they deal with substance abuse. The Pride Institute, founded in 1986, was the first drug rehabilitation center in the United States to serve the LGBTQ+ community. It currently offers nongendered services to adults 18 and older, including residential programming, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programming.

In Minnesota, where Pride Institute is based, the state government offers the Behavioral Health Fund, which allows those who make under a certain amount annually to receive help paying for substance use disorder treatment.



"One huge way that government systems can influence someone's life is to just recognize that a lot of times these folks don't have a lot of resources," Hoaby says. "They're not able to fund treatment themselves, so any way governments can step in and assist with that is huge."

Governments also have a responsibility to consider how they speak about substance use, as it is "imperative to reduce shame and stigma around addiction." Hoaby says this can be "by starting that conversation and educating people so they understand a concept that may be unfamiliar to them," or by changing how they present such information and who they present it to.

"It can really happen to anyone," she says. "It's not just the people that you see living out on the streets  it can be doctors, lawyers, and all these people that society sees as prominent being affected by addiction as well."

Even for those who have not yet taken the first steps towards recovery, there are still resources available that can protect their health. As the "drug landscape is always changing," Hoaby insists to "always test your substances" if one does intend to use. There are locations that "promote harm reduction" through testing and other programs "like syringe exchanges, where you can get clean needles."

"There's just so many great programs out there that are helping people use more safely if that is their choice," Hoaby says. "If that is something that you want to engage in, there are ways to do that, that reduce the harm that could potentially come to someone."

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, SAMHSA's National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year service for those facing mental and/or substance use disorders, and can help locate treatment near you. The Pride Institute can also be of help. Other resources can be found here.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  The future of Hawaiis hurricane relief fund is still undecided following a board of directors meeting held Friday.

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The board chose to postpone any decision on reinstating the fund, citing concerns over inadequate coverage for condominiums amid skyrocketing insurance rates.

Insurance rates have surged by up to 1,000 percent since the Maui wildfires, leaving many condominiums underinsured.

Tropical System Gilma weakens, mayor lifts some restrictions

The board is unsure if these conditions will improve or if there is a need to revive the hurricane relief fund.

Its like looking into a crystal ball, said a board member when asked about the funds potential reactivation. We dont know when or if it will be available.

The board highlighted that the current situation differs significantly from that in 1993, when the relief fund was initially established following Hurricane Iniki, which led to over $1 billion in insurance claims and drove insurers out of the state.

The fund ceased operations in 2000 as private sector coverage became more available.

Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news

The boards decision to delay action reflects the ongoing uncertainty and challenges in the insurance market, particularly for condominium coverage.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is keeping boaters safe this Labor Day weekend. They will be patrolling waterways looking for reckless or impaired drivers.



Boaters should be aware of safety rules and regulations before they hit the water.

The FWC says boaters are required to have safety gear on board and follow Coast Guard navigational rules.

Learn Bay Countys history at Panama City museum

For some, it may be their first time on the waterways.

A lot of people might be renting vessels this weekend. It might be the first time theyve ever been on a boat. So just because you know all the rules and regulations as far as navigation rules and safety gear, not everyone else around you might, FWC Public Information Officer Chris Boley said.



Inexperienced boaters can take a safety class to prepare. Keep an eye out for other watercraft and hazards on the water.

Make sure youre looking out for other vessels in the water. Make sure youre hearing all channel markers, idle speed zones, as well as looking for diver down flags. If you see a diver flag up, if youre within a hundred yards of it, come down to idle speed, Boley said.

You can call the Coast Guard on VHF channel 16 for emergency and distress calls. Have good GPS directions of where you are so they can respond as quickly as possible.

Officer Boley urges boaters to have a sober designated operator to avoid boating accidents.

Please have a designated operator because operating a vessel while your normal faculties are impaired, whether its from alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription drugs is illegal and you will go to jail, Boley said.

Authorities give travel tips for Labor Day weekend

Make sure to check the weather and tide change before you go out.

Zero boating accidents were reported on Labor Day weekend last year.

Grand Lagoon and the St. Andrews Pass are expected to be the most congested areas.

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Gabon's ruling junta celebrates the one year anniversary of its ouster of President of Ali Bongo

Gabon's ruling junta celebrates the one year anniversary of its ouster of President of Ali Bongo

By Gerauds Wilfried Obangome

LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - A year since a military coup in Gabon ended the Bongo dynasty's 56-year rule, the country marked the anniversary in festive mood this week with celebrations and promises by the ruling junta to step up progress on reforms.

The Gabonese largely welcomed the military's ouster of president Ali Bongo, whose family's poor management of the central African country's oil wealth had led to a stagnant economy and stranded a third of the population in poverty.

Hundreds gathered in the centre of the capital, Libreville, on Friday for official celebrations led by interim president General Brice Oligui Nguema to mark the first anniversary of what is widely referred to as the "coup of liberation" in Gabon.

"The Gabonese have cried so much. He (Nguema) came to wipe away our tears. And today we're happy," said civil servant Edwige Bengone, wearing a t-shirt with the coup leader's photo on it, as brass bands played among cheering crowds.

One year on, the economic outlook remains uncertain and the junta has yet to confirm a date for a promised transition to democracy via the ballot box, but supporters including student Ulrich Yebe said they felt cautiously optimistic.

"In just one year, we can't really judge yet. But given the progress made, we can say that they're on the right track. We're waiting for the end of the transition to see what they've been able to achieve," he said.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

Gabon faces significant challenges. Despite its significant oil wealth, infrastructure across the heavily forested country is poor, it is highly dependent on food imports, and income per capita is lower than it was in the 1970s.

The junta, which calls itself the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions, has taken steps to improve transparency and budget management.

But a brighter economic outlook will depend on authorities' ability to pivot to a more open and inclusive model of governance, the International Monetary Fund warned in May, saying economic diversification and correcting fiscal imbalances were vital.

The junta has not made sufficient progress to reform the various branches of government as promised, said Geoffroy Foumboula, a prominent Bongo critic, who is now a senior figure in the national assembly.

"After a year, the restoration of institutions is the poor relation of the transition. On this front, we're still very slow," he told Reuters.

In a television address to the nation this week, Nguema appeared to address those concerned about the pace of progress.

"Our work together is not finished. But it is well underway. We have initiated change. And we must continue on this path," he said.

Other criticisms of the junta include the dominance of the military in an ongoing national dialogue, lack of clarity on a timeline for presidential elections, and uncertainty over whether junta members will be eligible to run, said Remadji Hoinathy, a senior researcher at the Africa-focused Institute for Security Studies.

"On the ground, Nguema has actually been quite skilful," he said, referring to the junta's engagement with some opposition factions and civil society. "But the reality in Gabon is that it's very difficult, changing things overnight."

(Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Helen Popper)
Wrap it up, Zoomers!

The World Health Organization has issued a warning about an alarming decline in condom use among adolescents that is expected to lead to a long list of consequences, including higher STI rates and increased healthcare costs.

A recent study found that almost a third of 15-year-olds (30%) reported using neither a condom nor a contraceptive pill the last time they were sexually active.

A recent study found that almost a third of 15-year-olds (30%) reported using neither a condom nor a contraceptive pill the last time they were sexually active. Africa Studio  stock.adobe.com

If they did use a form of contraception, they were less likely to use a condom than a pill.

Condom use among sexually active adolescents has declined significantly over the past decade.

Teens from poorer, or low-affluence, families, were more likely to have reported not using a condom.

Condom use among girls was lowest in Albania (24%) and highest in Serbia (81%). For boys, the lowest rate was found in Sweden (43%), while the highest rate was in Switzerland (77%).

However, the experts warned that the worrying trend of unprotected sex among the school-aged children they surveyed seemed to be a pervasive issue across Europe.

Condom use among sexually active adolescents has declined significantly over the past decade. lemontreeimages  stock.adobe.com

This has put a concerning amount of young people at significant risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies.

The issue will likely have far-reaching consequences including a rise of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and an increased risk of contracting STIs across the continent.

While the reports findings are dismaying, they are not surprising, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said in a statement.

The experts explained that a lack of sexual education and access to contraceptive methods along with a concerted effort to block sexual education has led to this shocking health crisis.

Age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education remains neglected in many countries, and where it is available, it has increasingly come under attack in recent years on the false premise that it encourages sexual behavior, when the truth is that equipping young persons with the right knowledge at the right time leads to optimal health outcomes linked to responsible behavior and choices, Dr. Kluge said.

The WHO issued the recent warning noting an urgent need to address the situation.

We need immediate and sustained action, underpinned by data and evidence, to halt this cascade of negative outcomes, including the likelihood of higher STI rates, increased healthcare costs, and  not least  disrupted education and career paths for young persons who do not receive the timely information and support they need, Dr. Kluge warned.

Ultimately, what we are seeking to achieve for young persons is a solid foundation for life and love.

But this isnt just an issue confined to Europe.

Health officials in the US have been warning that the rise of life-threatening sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is out of control as people of all ages are ditching condoms.
Georgia Man Called Cops After Son Confesses To Killing Wife, Lil Rod Gives First Interview After Diddy Lawsuit, ATL Man Wrongfully Accused of Killing His Parents Wants Payback, Sean Kingston's Legal Mess And More

Screenshot: St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office

During the early hours of last August 20, Kenneth Hardin Jr. and his wife, Carrie, got into a disagreement as all normal couples do, according to a statement from Fayette County Sheriffs Office. - Phenix S Halley Read More

Diddy performs onstage at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. - Photo: Dia Dipasupil (Getty Images)

Six months to the date after music producer Rodney Lil Rod Jones filed a bombshell sexual assault lawsuit against Sean Diddy Combs, hes finally breaking his silence on the matter. - Shanelle Genai Read More

Harry Hubbard, Deborah Hubbard, and Keith Sylvester - Screenshot: 11 Alive

The City of Atlanta has the chance to make things rights after a tragic double murder resulted in the false imprisonment of a grieving son. Keith Sylvesters world was turned upside down when he learned his mother, Deborah, 65, and her husband, Harry Hubbard, 67, had been murdered in their Georgia home back in July 2018, according to 11 Alive. - Phenix S Halley Read More

Sean Kingston performs live at Mandala Beach for Spring Break on March 13, 2023 in Cancun, Mexico. - Photo: Thaddaeus McAdams (Getty Images)

Exactly one month after rapper Sean Kingston and his mother Janice Turner were federally indicted on wire fraud charges, the two have now been arraigned. As previously reported by The Root, the mother-and-son duo were federally indicted with wire fraud charges stemming from accusations that they acquired more than $1 million in vehicles, jewelry, and other goods from unsuspecting sellers through the usage of fraudulent documents and Kingstons celebrity status. - Shanelle Genai Read More

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Georgia Southern included as one of Americas best employers, according to Forbes

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)Georgia Southern University (GSU) was featured on the Forbes list of Americas Best Employers By State 2024.

GSU was ranked 77 in the state of Georgia, and 463 in the United States overall.

It is an honor to be recognized as one of the states best employers, said Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero said in the press release. Our goal is to foster an environment where our staff and faculty are engaged and know their intrinsic value and relevance to the success of the University and ultimately, our students.

Americas Best Employers by State 2024 were identified in an independent survey from a vast sample of more than 160,000 employees working for companies employing at least 500 people within the U.S., GSU said. The ranking was open to companies from all industry sectors and around 4.4 million employer evaluations were considered.

GSU said that the final score is determined by a state-by-state basis and is built upon two types of employee evaluations including personal evaluations which is employees willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family, and public evaluations which are recommendations from friends and family members of employees, or members of the public who work in the same industry. Public exaltations are also known as indirect evaluations.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers approximately 155 different degree programs serving more than 26,100 students through 10 colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction, GSU said.

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)  Republican Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has appointed a new member to the Nebraska Library Commission  a former local school board member removed from office after trying to ban more than 50 books.

Terri Cunningham-Swanson will serve on the board responsible for promoting, developing and coordinating library services in Nebraska, the Lincoln Journal Star reported Friday. The three-year term ends in June 2027, according to the commissions website. Cunningham-Swanson will be among six members on the commission.

A message seeking comment from Pillens office wasnt immediately returned.

Cunningham-Swanson was elected to the Plattsmouth Community Board of Education in 2023 and immediately sought to ban 52 books from the school library. The listed included novels such as The Handmaids Tale, Where the Crawdads Sing, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and books by Colleen Hoover and Ellen Hopkins. Many of the books on the list involved themes of addiction, race, sexuality and other topics that have recently created debates over book bans.

A measure to repeal a private school tuition funding law in Nebraska will make the November ballot

High school students in Plattsmouth walked out in protest and the high school librarian resigned in response to the ban effort. The Plattsmouth school board convened a committee to review the books and ultimately removed one  Triangles, by Ellen Hopkins. Others were placed in a restricted section.

After one failed effort, voters in the district collected enough signatures last November for a ballot question of whether to recall Cunningham-Swanson. In January, 62% of voters voted to recall her.

My goal has always been to do right by our students, our district and our community, Cunningham-Swanson wrote to the Journal Star in an email at the time. I can step away knowing that I have honored my commitment and honored God while doing so.

Pillens appointment of Cunningham-Swanson angered some of those involved in the recall effort.

Our community rejected Cunningham-Swansons extremism by an overwhelming margin in January, Jayden Speed, who led the recall effort, posted on the social platform X. Book bans have no place in Nebraska! We will continue the fight to keep it that way.

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The governor of Nebraska went forward Thursday with an executive order barring agencies of the Cornhusker State from buying lab-grown meat.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, State agencies shall not procure Lab-Grown Meat, according to the Nebraska order, now signed by the governor.

Gov. Jim Pillen (R) said, according to a Friday press release, that Nebraska farmers and ranchers, like those here today, are committed to producing the best food products anywhere.

We feed the world and we save the planet more effectively and more efficiently than anybody else and I will defend those practices with my last breadth, Pillen continued.

Pillens signing of the order follows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss (R) signing of a similar bill earlier this year banning lab-grown meat in his state. He said at the time that Florida is fighting back against the global elites plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals.

Our administration will continue to focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers, and we will save our beef, DeSantis said in a press release at the time.

Good Meat, which describes itself as the first company in the world to sell cultivated meat on its website, said at the time of the signing that it was disappointed DeSantis signed into law the criminalization of cultivated meat in the Sunshine State.

In a state that purportedly prides itself on being a land of freedom and individual liberty, its government is now telling consumers what meat they can or cannot purchase, Good Meat continued in a post on social platform X.

Florida later faced a federal lawsuit from Upside Foods, a company producing lab-cultivated meat, pushing back on the Sunshine States law banning lab-grown meat.

The Hill has reached out to Good Meat.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Aug. 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day, the worlds largest annual campaign to end overdoses and honor those who have died.

For more than two decades, the nonprofit Grand Rapids Red Project has been working to do the same, dedicated to improving health, reducing harm and preventing HIV.

Too many people out there dying: Fentanyl-laced drugs behind overdose deaths

The organization was first founded in 1998. It was founded out of people who had been involved in other HIV, AIDS service organizations and then people personally impacted by HIV, Red Project executive director Stephen Alsum said.

In 2000, the former mayor of Grand Rapids, John Logie, put together a task force on drug policy reform, and one of the recommendations that that task force made was that a syringe access program be able to legally operate within city limits for the purpose of preventing the spread of HIV, Alsum explained.

The Grand Rapids City Commission unanimously agreed to allow that to happen.

That was really Red Projects first and most long-standing program, and its been a pretty successful program, Alsum said.

MDHHS debuts new campaign to promote HIV protection

He said when the program was launched, about 25% of HIV/AIDS cases in Kent County were related to injection drug use. That figure has since gone down to 8%.

Thats really a success that we see replicated anywhere in the world that we see syringe access programs become operational for an extended period of time, Alsum said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say syringe access programs are proven to save lives, help those with substance use disorders get support, prevent overdose deaths and reduce the impact of drug use on the community.

Alsum said thats also the case for naloxone  the overdose reversal drug often known by brand name Narcan  which became available over the counter in September 2023. Red Project was the first organization in Michigan to provide naloxone directly to people who use drugs and train them how to use it.

A memorial wall at the Grand Rapids Red Project. (Aug. 30, 2024)

Weve run that program since 2008, so over 15 years now. That program has also been very successful as a strategy to reduce fatality from overdose in our community, Aslum said. Currently, in terms of the 16 most populous counties in Michigan, Kent County currently has the lowest overdose mortality rate.

He credits that to the work Red Project has done to make the overdose-reversal medicine more easily accessible to people who use drugs in Kent County.

Fentanyl now involved in most overdoses in Kent County

Though he knows programs like Red Project and other harm reduction programs can be controversial, he believes they are solid, evidence-based public health interventions.

A subset of our population, since the beginning of time, has always used drugs to change their state of being for one reason or another. Its a human behavior, Alsum said. Syringe access programs have been widely studied in the scientific literature since they formed about 20 or 30 years ago, naloxone distribution programs have as well, and what weve seen, the success that weve seen in Kent County from large-scale naloxone distribution as a strategy to reduce overdose fatality is exactly what we would expect to see from the scientific studies that have studied programming like this.

In terms of numbers, he said 100 to 200 lives are saved each year in Kent County as a result of the naloxone program.

Old newspaper boxes become Narcan dispensers at Ferris State University

The nonprofit continues to work to find ways to end overdoses, but there are many challenges. The biggest barrier, Alsum said, is that many of the tools people need to protect their health are criminalized.

If somebody gets stopped by the police with a sterile syringe, many places in Michigan, they will get a drug paraphernalia charge. What that leads to is people dont have syringes, enough syringes in the quantities that they need to follow the CDCs advice of using a sterile syringe for each and every injection, Alsum explained.

Thats also the case for drug testing tools like fentanyl testing strips. Of the tens of thousands of lives taken nationwide by fentanyl each year, many had no idea they were taking the deadly opioid.

It is very difficult to figure out what a safe dosage is of any substance if you do not know what that substance is that youre ingesting and you do not know the quantity of that substance that youre ingesting, Alsum said.

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans have reported losing someone to a drug overdose, study finds

A flyer from the Grand Rapids Red Project advertises free drug checking services. (Aug. 30, 2024)

Last year, Red Project became the first in the state to start using an FTIR machine, which allows it to test drugs on site. It offers the service Monday through Friday from noon until 4 p.m. Several other cities including Traverse City, Ypsilanti, Flint, and Kalamazoo will begin offering the same service in the next six months. Still, theyll have to overcome a barrier of distrust.

Bringing in illegal substances to a place of business is not normally a thing thats allowed, Herman DeVries, a drug testing technician at Red Project, said.

Nonprofit leaders are hopeful two bills could change that. State law does not criminalize the possession of syringes as drug paraphernalia, but there are many local ordinances that do. House Bill 5178 would legalize syringe service programs and not allow localities to criminalize those public health supplies, while H.B. 5179 would change the definition of drug paraphernalia.

We need a lot more to get on top of this issue and we need those to be much more widely available. Theres far too many people dying right now, continues to increase every year, Alsum said.

You can learn more about Red Projects harm reduction services on its website.

The national substance abuse helpline can be reached anytime at 1.800.662.HELP (4357).

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Weve all been living with Trump for eight years now. Hes done so much, and so much has been written about him, that its hard to be surprised. For a writer, its hard to find anything new to say: we all know who he is, his appeal and how he operates are, by now, extremely familiar.

But there are ways in which the cult of personality that hes built around himself manifests that continue to at least provide a kick in the ribs. Take two closely related Trump topics: his plans to deploy the military domestically if hes elected in November, and his staffers shoving of an Arlington National Cemetery staff member.

These may seem like different events, but I think that they shock people for the same reason: they evince a belief that the military directly belongs to Trump. If youre against that, or in favor of rules that transcend his personality, as the cemetery staffer apparently was, youre immediately an enemy.

Take the planning around invoking the Insurrection Act. Thats partly coming from an apparent belief that Trump should have invoked the act in summer 2020, but was fooled into not doing so. It sparked a sense of regret, not because Trump believed that using the military to quell the protests was the correct public policy decision, but because he regarded the protests themselves as an affront to his authority. It made him look bad, reporting at the time suggested.

Its the same dynamic with the Arlington National Cemetery staffer. She didnt have to have anything against Trump personally; she understood and tried to enforce the law barring political events at military cemeteries. But that, too, was an affront, causing the bizarre incident and the Trump campaigns response: calling the woman mentally ill and a disgrace.

In some ways, it reminds me of a famous anecdote about Lyndon B. Johnson. As LBJ was preparing to leave on a trip, he walked by a long line of helicopters. A military escort informed the President on which one he was to leave: Mr. President, your helicopter is this way. To which LBJ replied: Theyre all my helicopters, son.

That may be apocryphal, and the analogy is limited: LBJ was President, and the humor from the anecdote comes from the fact that everyone recognizes, on some level, that an individual Presidents ego is eclipsed by the size of the U.S. government. With Trump, we dont have that recognition. Its his rules and his graveyard.

 Josh Kovensky

Heres what else TPM has on tap this weekend:

Hunter Walker with a scintillating yarn about Ella Emhoff and her (maybe) defunct knitting club.

Khaya Himmelman updates us on all the latest mess surrounding the Georgia Election Board and its new rules  which function as, essentially, catnip for election deniers.

Emine Yucel checks in on House Republicans, who are, yet again, hijacking typical legislating processes and procedures to do Donald Trumps bidding.

Emine Yucel also unpacks Trumps doubling down on the whole stable genius thing.

 Nicole Lafond

Ella Emhoff Has Gone Underground

Americas Second Daughter is shutting down her knitting club until she can figure out what is going on.

Ella Emhoff, the stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, announced on Instagram on Thursday that she is going to halt her Soft Hands Knit Club events. While Emhoff did not explicitly attribute the decision to the fact that Harris is now the Democratic nominee for president, her announcement obliquely referred to, well, things getting a little weird for her lately.

I just wanted to quickly come talk about Knit Club and address how its moving forward. Unfortunately, with everything going on right now, Im not able to conduct them just to protect myself and other club members, Emhoff said. The smartest thing is to just hold off until things calm down.

Emhoff, a fashion model and textile artist based in Bushwick, Brooklyn has attracted attention for her style since the 2021 inauguration when she accompanied Harris and her father, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in a coat from the brand Miu Miu and a dress made by an indie designer. Since then, fashion magazines have breathlessly tracked Emhoff as she walked runways and appeared on red carpets including the Met Gala.

The coverage helped Emhoff secure a Hollywood talent agent, but it didnt stop her from hosting small knitting events through her club at locations around New York City as recently as last month. The sessions featured Emhoff  whose own work includes elaborate knitted portraits and crocheted ornaments like the one she wore to the DNC earlier this month  guiding attendees on their own projects. According to a Thrillist writeup of the experience, it was cloaked in a surprising warmth and did not feature a noticeable Secret Service presence.

All of that apparently changed when President Joe Biden abandoned his re-election bid and Harris took over the ticket. With her stepmother even more in the spotlight, Emhoff has faced unhinged attacks from far right media figures including Tucker Carlson, racist pseudo intellectual Richard Hanania, and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, among others. Emhoff has also stood up for her family and memorably shot back after Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance called Harris childless.

While Emhoff hasnt let the needling get to her, the higher profile, pressure, and presumably security requirements have apparently made holding knitting sessions in natural wine bars and chic hotels untenable. Emhoff didnt respond to questions from TPM about whether she might host an event on Zoom or, if her stepmother wins, in the White House. However, in her Instagram announcement, Emhoff made clear that she will not be unspooled.

I will be back, back to knitting, she said, before clarifying that she meant she would return to teaching knitting.

Im still knitting, Emhoff said.

 Hunter Walker

Everything You Need To Know About The Mess That Is Georgias New Election Board

A lot has happened in recent days surrounding the Georgia State Election Board and its new, potentially election subverting rules, which Georgias Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger described as a mess this week. Heres everything you need to know.

Earlier this month, the Trump-endorsed Georgia State Election Board implemented two new rules that give more power to election deniers to potentially delay election certification in the state based on false voter fraud claims.

The first rule passed on August 6 and it gives the board the power to not certify election results until after a reasonable inquiry into any discrepancies in the voting process at the county level has been conducted by election officials. The rule, however, is vague, and never actually defines what constitutes a reasonable inquiry. Experts told TPM that the vagueness is deliberate.

It has potential to allow those election deniers who have made it onto seats on election boards in our state to hold up a perfectly viable election to hold that up and to keep it from moving forward as pace as it should, Stephanie Jackson Ali, policy director of the nonpartisan New Georgia Project previously told TPM.

The second rule, which passed on August 19, gives election board members the power to examine all election-related documentation before certifying the results. The rule also notes that in the event of a discrepancy between the ballot count and the number of voters, the board must investigate the discrepancy prior to certifying election results.

This rule, too, experts told TPM, gives election deniers another opportunity to hold back the certification process with false claims of irregularities or voter fraud.

The changes were immediately met with pushback from Democrats and Republicans alike.

Raffensperger called the rules an effort to impose new rule making, and more recently on Wednesday, described the board as a whole as a mess.

He also said this about the three Trump-endorsed GOP board members: Theres three folks there that are living in the past, per the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemps office, at the urging of Democratic lawmakers, asked the attorney general this week for guidance on whether or not he can remove members of the state election board, according to The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

The Democratic National Committee, the Georgia Democratic Party and Democratic members of several election boards also filed a lawsuit in Fulton County on Monday, to block enforcement of the rules.

According to their drafters, these rules rest on the assumption that certification of election results by a county board is discretionary and subject to free-ranging inquiry that may delay certification or foreclose it entirely, the lawsuit reads. But that is not the law in Georgia. Rather, election officials have a non-discretionary duty to certify results by 5 p.m. six days after election day. Allegations of fraud or election misconduct are then resolved by the courts in properly filed challenges, not by county boards in the counting process.

 Khaya Himmelman

MAGA Republicans Hijack Ordinary Legislating To Solve Non-Existent Problems

Last year before the lengthy August recess, far-right House Republicans turned ordinarily uneventful appropriations committee meetings into battles over their partys manufactured culture wars and MAGA grievances.

They stuffed bad faith amendments  attacking anything they like to classify as woke  into a handful of different bills, claiming they wanted to cut government spending to pre-COVID levels. Instead they ended up writing a bunch of bills that had no chance of passing a Democratic-controlled Senate, slowing down the appropriations process and risking a potential government shutdown.

Well it seems this year might not be so different.

With another potential shutdown looming, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that a continuing resolution will be necessary to keep the government funded beyond Sept. 30.

And now MAGA Republicans are hoping to attach a bill that would make it illegal for people who are not U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections to the potential stopgap.

I can verify for you that the SAVE Act is a big part of this conversation, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said during a press call. And it is not just the Freedom Caucus  it is members across the conference who share the same concern that we do about this. And we believe its one of the  perhaps the most urgent issue, the most imminent threat facing the country, is the integrity of this election cycle.

It is, of course, already illegal for non-citizens to vote in state, federal and even most local elections. And states themselves have measures in place to protect their elections from non-citizen voting, including severe penalties for doing so, like the risk of deportation.

But still, reminiscent of the Big Lie, Donald Trump and his MAGA allies are using their new obsession with supposedly curbing alleged non-citizens voting to stoke fears about election fraud in case the former president loses his third bid for the White House in the fall.

 Emine Yucel

Words Of Wisdom

I dont like when people call me stupid. I had great heritage, an uncle who was a great, great genius and a father who was a genius. EverybodyWe have a lot of geniuses.

Thats former President Donald Trump during a Delaware, Ohio rally talking about, in so many words, how he is a very stable genius. A true throwback. Remember this moment? Or this one?

Its good to know Trump is still obsessing over questions about his mental fitness to serve as President  ones that originally started when Michael Wolffs book Fire and Fury got published in 2018.

The recent (and some returning) obsessions with crowd sizes, windmills (and bacon?), and the supposed flood of immigrants coming into the U.S. from jails, prisons, insane asylums and mental institutions and taking Black jobs is well  not helping his case. Just saying.

 Emine Yucel
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)  If youre looking for something fun over the weekend, Downtown Wichita Falls Development has your back with its new Grillin and Chillin' event.

On Saturday morning, the Downtown Wichita Falls Farmers Market will host an event perfect for the Labor Day weekend.

Folks attending can expect to try some locally raised beef, pork, and chicken, along with fresh vegetables. Alisha Hagler, the managing director for the farmers market, said Earl Carter and Kafe Maya will be serving up some hot dishes as well.

And if you want to cool off, Kona Ice will also be there. Hagler says if its raining, this is the perfect event to get you downtown and out of the elements.

WFPD reminds drivers to be safe for Labor Day weekend

Its a great opportunity to shop locally. If its raining, you can take a break from the rain and still listen to music, have a good time, and be a part of the community while preparing to celebrate this weekend.

Things will kick off on Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Farmers Market, located at 8th Street and Ohio Avenue.

There will be plenty of vendors and live music. Grillin and Chillin will wrap up at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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Voting access and election integrity are central to a partisan clash in Texas. One result is a request from a group of Democrats who have asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate steps by the state Attorney General. Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune

A group of Democratic state lawmakers on Friday asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate potential violations of federal law and civil and voting rights related to Texas state leaders recent voter roll purge, raids of Latinos homes in connection to alleged election fraud, probing of voter registration organizations and ongoing scrutiny of groups that work with migrants.

Collectively, these actions have a disproportionate impact on Latinos and other communities of color, which is sowing fear and will suppress voting, twelve Texas senators wrote in the letter. We urge the DOJ to investigate Texas  and to take all necessary action to protect the fundamental rights of all Texans and ensure all citizens freedom to vote is unencumbered.

The request for federal authorities to intervene is the latest escalation in response to what Texas leaders have often described as efforts to secure elections.

The efforts, however, have just as often provoked condemnation and worries from civil rights groups and Democrats that the state is violating Texans rights and trying to scare people away from the polls.

The League of United Latin American Citizens, a large Latino civil rights organization founded in 1929, made a similar plea to the feds earlier this week. Several of the groups elderly members were the targets last week of search warrants related to an investigation into alleged election fraud being conducted by Attorney General Ken Paxtons office.

Paxtons office has said little about that probe other than it pertains to allegations of election fraud and vote harvesting. Affidavits for warrants obtained by The Texas Tribune show that investigators were looking into allegations that a Frio County political operator had illegally harvested votes for multiple local races.

LULAC leaders have blasted the investigation as an effort to intimidate voters.

In the letter requesting a civil rights review, they wrote about Lydia Martinez, an 80-year-old grandmother with 35 years as a LULAC member who was woken up at 6 a.m. by armed authorities who interrogated her for hours and confiscated her devices, personal calendar and voter registration materials.

These actions echo a troubling history of voter suppression and intimidation that has long targeted both Black and Latino communities, particularly in states like Texas, where demographic changes have increasingly shifted the political landscape, the letter states. The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy, and LULAC stands firm in its commitment to defending that right for all Americans, regardless of race or ethnicity.

The Justice Department had received LULACs letter, a spokesperson confirmed Friday but declined to comment further.

In their letter Friday, the Texas Senate Democratic caucus pointed to the raids targeting LULAC members and a series of other actions that, they wrote, raised serious concerns that Paxton and other state leaders might be violating federal civil rights and voting laws.

The group highlighted the opening of an investigation last week by Paxtons office into voter registration organizations following a debunked claim by a Fox News host that migrants were registering to vote outside a state drivers license office near Fort Worth.

The claim was disputed by the Department of Public Safety, a local Republican county chair and the local elections administrator  all who said no evidence supported it  but Paxton opened an investigation anyway, the lawmakers wrote.

They also said that DPS, which manages the states drivers license offices, has since prohibited groups from registering people to vote outside their offices  ending a decades-old practice the agency had allowed without issue.

Voter registration organizations seek to improve civic engagement in a state that has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the country, the letter states. Many of them now are concerned they will be the next to be harassed and targeted.

The Democratic lawmakers also expressed concern that the removal of more than a million people from the states voter rolls might have included legitimate voters and that Texas might be violating a federal law that prohibits states from conducting such routine voter roll maintenance during a 90-day period ahead of an election  echoing a coalition of watchdog and voting rights groups that this week shared the worry.

The Senators lastly pointed to ongoing state efforts targeting nonprofits and nongovernmental entities that work with migrants and immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border and beyond.

Those examinations began after Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022 directed Paxtons office to investigate the role of such groups in planning and facilitating the illegal transportation of illegal immigrants across our borders.

The reviews are one piece of Texas response to record migration that Abbott and other state leaders say is the fault of the open border policies of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president.

Through a border security initiative called Operation Lone Star, the state has deployed thousands of Texas National Guard troops and DPS troopers to patrol the border and arrest migrants on state charges. Meanwhile in courts, Paxtons office has repeatedly challenged the Biden administration's immigration policies.

Although the burden to address the ongoing border crisis should not fall to Texas, the federal government has failed to take action to address this problem, Abbott wrote to Paxton in the letter, adding he appreciate[d] the suits. But as the facts on the ground continue to change, Abbott added, we must remain vigilant in our response to this crisis.

In response, Paxtons office has sought to depose the leaders of at least two organizations that provide humanitarian aid to migrants and tried to shut down two other groups.

Texas state judges have mostly rejected these Paxton initiatives, which have accused the groups of violating human smuggling laws and in one instance accused a group of violating rules that govern nonprofits political involvement.

But Paxton has continued fighting.

In perhaps the most high-profile case, Paxtons office tried to shutter a migrant shelter network, Annunciation House, that it accused of violating laws prohibiting human smuggling and operating a stash house.

After an El Paso judge denied the effort, Paxton appealed directly to the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case. On Friday, the states highest civil court scheduled oral arguments for the appeal in mid-January.

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WATERFORD  The villages former emergency medical services director has appealed the revocation of his paramedic license.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services revoked Thomas Nehrings license effective Aug. 15 after learning that he pleaded no contest last November to misdemeanor child endangerment in Ohio. He was accused of using duct tape to restrain a child.

Nehring was sentenced to 90 days in jail and fined $350, although a judge stayed the jail sentence for two years on the condition that he not reoffend.

A paramedic license is a requirement to serve as Waterfords emergency medical services director.

Nehring resigned Aug. 1 citing updates to the circumstances surrounding his state paramedic license, but wrote that, As discussed, I wish to remain employed with the Village of Waterford, if other employment opportunities exist.

Village Administrator Zeke Jackson said Nehring is currently on administrative leave, but would not disclose Nehrings current job, salary or work duties.

State officials said an administrative law judge would be assigned to consider the appeal, which was filed Aug. 13, and that Nehrings license revocation is on hold.

Nehring, 37, was a captain in the fire department with 10 years of experience when he was promoted May 10 to interim emergency medical services director at a salary of $60,000 a year. The village had split the fire department into two departments  one for fire protection and one for ambulance calls.

Five days after his promotion, Nehring disclosed his child endangerment conviction to the Department of Health Services.

State health officials said the conviction should have been reported within 48 hours, and they notified Nehring in July that his paramedic license was being revoked, saying that his actions showed a willingness to risk the health and safety of individuals under your care.

15 signs your child is affected by bullying and what you can do about it Changes in eating habits Declining grades or loss of interest in school work Self-destructive behavior Feelings of helplessness or decreased self-esteem Feeling or faking sickness, headaches and stomach aches Unexplained injuries Lost or destroyed clothing, books, or other belongings Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares Avoidance of social situations or sudden loss of friends What you can do Signs that your child is bullying: Getting into fights Has friends who bully New money or possessions Detention Blames others Worried about reputation
Morehead State University officials are responding to allegations of harassment recently made by a student at Craft Academy against another student, said Rick Hesterberg Vice President of University Advancement.

Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics at Morehead offers on-campus, residential dual-enrollment for exceptionally gifted high school juniors and seniors, its website says.

The schools announcement comes after a student said in a TikTok video they were racially harassed by another student.

Hesterberg would not confirm the nature of the alleged harassment.

Due to student privacy rights we cant comment on that, Hesterberg said.

Morehead University has a nondiscrimination policy and takes the allegations very seriously, said Hesterberg.

These are high school students and the safety and well-being of them is our top priority as well as their privacy and confidentiality, said Hesterberg.

.As a matter of both federal and state regulation, the University is unable to discuss the details of its internal review or the outcome, he said.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former U.S. President Donald Trump in combo photograph

By Doina Chiacu

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris criticized Republican presidential rival Donald Trump on Saturday over a visit he made to soldiers' graves at Arlington National Cemetery that was later used in campaign video footage.

"It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation. It is not a place for politics," Harris wrote in an X post.

The vice president weighed in five days after Trump took part in a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday honoring the 13 servicemembers killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

He also visited Section 60 of the Virginia cemetery, which the military considers hallowed ground. Federal law and Pentagon policies do not allow political activities in that section, but Trump's campaign posted a TikTok video with footage from the cemetery as he battles Democrat Harris in a close race for the White House.

Trump's visit drew criticism from some veterans and soldiers' relatives. The U.S. Army on Friday defended a cemetery employee who was pushed aside at Section 60, saying she acted professionally and was being unfairly attacked.

"Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt," Harris wrote.

During a speech in Pennsylvania on Friday, Trump said families of service members who died in Afghanistan had asked him to go to Arlington National Cemetery.

"I got there and we had a ceremony," Trump said. The families asked if he could come to the graves, Trump said, and then they sought a photo. "I said, 'Absolutely.' So I was taking pictures at the grave," he said.

Trump launched a concerted pushback on Saturday posting videos on his Truth Social account, showing relatives of at least seven of the 13 killed in the Afghanistan pullout defending his actions at the cemetery. Many of them addressed Harris directly and disputed her stated support for military families.

"Vice President Harris, why will you not express your condolences yourself? Why have we never heard from you?" asks Christy Shamblin, mother-in-law of Sergeant Nicole Gee, who was among those who died in the 2021 withdrawal, in one video.

Trump vice presidential pick JD Vance and press secretary Karoline Leavitt each responded to Harris' post on Saturday with one that referenced the Afghanistan pullout and accused Harris of being insensitive to the servicemembers who died there.

Trump used the third anniversary on Monday of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan to try to pin the chaotic pullout under President Joe Biden on his vice president.

Harris, 59, became the Democratic nominee in the Nov. 5 presidential election after Biden, 81, pulled out of the race in July.

The vice president's response to the Trump cemetery visit may give a clue to how she would handle the topic in their Sept. 10 debate. She referred to Trump's history of insulting military veterans.

"This is nothing new from Donald Trump. This is a man who has called our fallen service members 'suckers' and 'losers' and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients," she wrote.

Trump once said the late Senator John McCain, a former Republican presidential candidate, was not a war hero even though he spent years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam after being shot down while a Navy pilot.

Trump referred to fallen World War One veterans as "suckers" and "losers," according to his former White House chief of staff, John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general. Trump continues to dispute that report.

It was unclear whether such incidents would sway the veterans vote. In an April report, the Pew Research Center found that military veterans favor the Republican Party.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Andrea Ricci, Deepa Babington and William Mallard)
Harris calls on Trump to debate with mics 'on the whole time'

FILE PHOTO: A combination picture shows Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Trump and U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Harris

By Jasper Ward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee in the U.S. presidential election in November, on Saturday called on her Republican rival Donald Trump to debate her with their microphones switched on throughout the event.

Harris and the former president have both agreed to a debate, hosted by ABC News, on Sept. 10.

"Donald Trump is surrendering to his advisors who won't allow him to debate with a live microphone. If his own team doesn't have confidence in him, the American people definitely cant," Harris said in a post on X.

"We are running for President of the United States. Lets debate in a transparent way  with the microphones on the whole time."

Trump has said that he preferred to have his microphone kept on and that he did not like it muted during the last debate against then-contender President Joe Biden.

So-called "hot mics" can help or hurt political candidates, catching off-hand comments that sometimes were not meant for the public. Muted microphones also prevent the debaters from interrupting their opponent.

A representative for ABC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The debate would be the first time Harris and Trump face off since Biden dropped out of the presidential race following a poor performance at a CNN debate in June that raised doubts about his mental acuity.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz and Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance have agreed to an Oct. 1 debate on CBS News.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
(Bloomberg) -- Vice President Kamala Harris erased most of Donald Trumps lead among likely voters in Michigan in a new poll, the latest evidence that the Democratic nominee is closing the gap in the presidential race.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Trump had 46% support in the Aug. 23-26 statewide EPIC MRA poll published Friday, compared with 45% for Harris. The Republican nominee lagged Harris in the polls favorability rating, 45% to 46%.

In mid-July, the same poll gave Trump a 7 percentage-point lead among likely voters over President Joe Biden, less than a week before he dropped out of the race and opened the door to Harris candidacy. Trumps lead in favorability over Biden was even wider, 45% to 36%.

Harris and running mate Tim Walz have energized Democratic voters, including at the partys national convention in Chicago last week. Shes leading or tied with Trump in each of the seven states most likely to decide the race, according to Bloomberg News/Morning Consult polling.

The latest Michigan poll suggested that having Walz, the Minnesota governor, on the Democratic ticket will make respondents more likely to vote for Harris, while Trumps running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, will weigh on the former presidents support among voters.

Walz was rated as an asset by a 13-point margin, while Vance was viewed as a drag on Trump by a 5-point spread.

The EPIC MRA poll of 600 people, conducted for the Detroit News and three broadcast stations, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
Vice President Harris is entering Labor Day weekend with a national polling lead over former President Trump in the race for the White House, but the race still seems up for grabs.

Harris leads Trump by about 4 points in the national average from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ). She is at least neck and neck with Trump, if not ahead, in the seven battlegrounds likely to decide the race.

Shes had a lead in the average for three blue wall states for a couple of weeks, currently up by about 1 point in Pennsylvania, 2 points in Michigan and 4 points in Wisconsin. Shes also taken her first leads in the average for Nevada and Georgia in recent days, although both are by less than 1 point.

The numbers illustrate a competitive race as the election cycle is about reach a sprint with Labor Day coming Monday. This weekend is the symbolic end of summer and start of fall, with just nine weeks until Election Day.

And it comes after Harris took part in her first sit-down interview, along with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, since becoming the Democratic nominee. During the interview with CNNs Dana Bash on Thursday, Harris made no major missteps as she defended some of her shifts on policy from her 2020 presidential run.

Momentum has seemed to be on Harriss side, but analysts view the race as a toss-up in which neither candidate has a clear advantage.

Pollster Nate Silver revealed Thursday that Trump has a slightly higher chance of winning the Electoral College in his model following the Democratic convention last week, with 52.4 percent to Harriss 47.3 percent. One of the main reasons for this, Silver says, is because the model presumes Harris is receiving a bounce after the convention, as candidates often do.

The good news for Harris is that if she merely holds her current numbers for a couple more weeks, shell begin to track up again in our forecast as the model will become more confident that shes out of the convention bounce period, Silver wrote.

He said another concern for Harris may be Pennsylvania, where the past few polls have shown her tied or just slightly behind Trump, which could mean shell be a bit further behind as any convention bump fades.

Most national polls have shown Harris ahead by at least a couple of points but often within the margin of error. The Trump campaign has argued Harris has been in a honeymoon period in which she receives positive headlines that will inflate her numbers.

The campaign noted in a memo following the Democratic convention that Harris is likely to receive another boost but maintains it will be small and temporary. Trump campaign pollsters pointed to several past elections in which a candidate was leading after their partys convention, sometimes by large margins, and eventually lost in November.

Polls have shown some indications of Harris receiving at least a small postconvention jump.

Harriss support in the DDHQ average began to level off after she surpassed 49 percent in mid-August. But her lead has still ticked up as Trumps support has slipped from about 46.5 percent to 45.5 since then.

She has a slightly more modest lead of about 3.5 points over Trump, according to FiveThirtyEights average, where both candidates support has been mostly steady. But Harriss lead has still grown a bit from just under 3 points before the convention began on Aug. 19.

Silver has her lead rising from 2.3 points before the convention to 3.8 points now.

Even if the boost is temporary, it is surely welcome to Democrats after many viewed President Bidens chances of defeating Trump as dire before he dropped out of the race. Biden had been trailing by 3 points nationally on average on the day he announced the suspension of his campaign.

But the margins Harris has put up in various polls since the convention will not allow her campaign to breathe easily. Instead, they signal a grueling finish to the race.

A poll from The Wall Street Journal conducted entirely after the convention gave Harris a 1-point lead nationally in a head-to-head match-up and a 2-point lead when other third-party candidates were included, both well within the margin of error.

A Quinnipiac University poll from after the convention found Harris with the same leads in both situations. A USA Today/Suffolk University poll did give her a larger lead of 5 points in a head-to-head match-up.

More battleground states have started to lean in her direction but paint a picture of a tight contest. The vice president was ahead by 2 points among registered voters in the seven main battlegrounds and 1 point among likely voters, according to a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll.

A survey from The Hill and Emerson College Polling showed Harris ahead in Georgia, Michigan and Nevada and Trump just ahead in Arizona, North Carolina and Wisconsin, with the candidates tied in Pennsylvania  but all of them within the margin of error.

On the bright side for Harris, the Sun Belt states of Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina are firmly in play after they had been getting away from Biden a bit. A Fox News poll showed her just ahead in the first three and just behind in North Carolina.

The polls had suggested Bidens paths to victory were dwindling in his last weeks in the race, with his best bet in taking the three blue wall states. Even if Harris is receiving a temporary bounce, her numbers are strong enough that all seven swing states are back in play.

What the polls will do in the weeks ahead is certainly unclear as at least one presidential debate is on the calendar, and this unprecedented election could still yield more surprises. But both Harris and Trump have multiple paths to reaching 270 electoral votes to clinch the presidency; their campaigning so far signals they know it.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Harris joins backlash against Trump over Arlington National Cemetery political stunt  and Vance instantly jumps to his defense

Kamala Harris has now joined the growing backlash against Donald Trump over his controversial visit to Arlington National Cemetery where his staffers allegedly pushed a cemetery official, he posed with a thumbs up at a soldiers grave and his team filmed a campaign ad.

In a scathing statement posted on X on Saturday, the Democratic presidential candidate slammed her Republican rivals political stunt calling him a man who is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself.

It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation. It is not a place for politics, she wrote.

And yet, as was reported this week, Donald Trumps team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff. Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.

Harris pointed to Trumps past record of offending Americas service members and veterans saying that this weeks events are nothing new from Donald Trump.

This is a man who has called our fallen service members suckers and losers and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients. A man who, during a previous visit to the cemetery, reportedly said of fallen service members, I dont get it. What was in it for them? This is a man who is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself, she wrote.

Donald Trump gave the thumbs up at the grave of a soldier at Arlington National Cemetery (Utah Governor Spencer Cox)

If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude.

Harris said that someone who cannot meet this simple, sacred duty should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America.

Mere minutes after Harris posted the statement blasting her rival for the White House, Trumps running mate JD Vance leaped to his defense.

President Trump was there at the invitation of families whose loved ones died because of your incompetence. Why dont you get off social media and go launch an investigation into their unnecessary deaths? he responded on X.

Harriss comments come as Trump continues to face the fallout from his scandal-plagued visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Monday.

The former president had been visiting the military cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony in memory of the 13 US service members who were killed in the Abbey Gate terrorist attack in August 2021, on what marked the third anniversary of the USs chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event in Savannah, Georgia. She has now weighed in on the Arlington controversy (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

During Mondays visit, two Trump campaign staffers are accused of verbally abusing and physically pushing a female cemetery official after she warned them that they could not, due to federal laws, film or take photos in Section 60  where recent US casualties are buried.

The US Army confirmed in a statement on Thursday that a female official was abruptly pushed aside by Trump aides during the altercation and that an incident report had been filed.

The woman ultimately decided not to press charges over fear of retaliation,the New York Times reported.

When the incident first came to light, Trumps campaign team members Chris LaCivita and Steven Cheung attacked the Arlington staffer saying she was clearly suffering from a mental health episode and insisted they had permission to film in the area.

The Army has poured cold water on the claims saying that participants in the August 26th ceremony and the subsequent Section 60 visit were made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.

Trump at the wreath-laying cemetery (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The statement continued: This incident was unfortunate and it is also unfortunate that the ANC employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked.

Despite the efforts of the Arlington staffer, Trumps campaign team did film a campaign video during the ceremony  and posted it on TikTok this week, prompting further fury with social media users branding it disgusting.

The furor over the filming and physical altercation wasnt the first controversy to plague Trumps visit to Arlington.

The former president had also sparked backlash after he was pictured smiling and flashing a thumbs up next to the graves of fallen soldiers.

Trump, meanwhile, has tried to deflect the scandal back on Harris by claiming that she killed US soldiers in Afghanistan while on stage at a campaign event in Michigan on Thursday.


Three variations of the ARs are displayed at the California Department

of Justice in Sacramento, California. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Federal courts across the country are handing back disparate rulings over federal and state gun laws despite nearly back-to-back Second Amendment cases at the Supreme Court that sought to clarify the scope of the right to bear arms.

Although the Supreme Court's landmark 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen held that gun regulations must align with the nation's "history and tradition" of firearms laws and a separate case this summer called Rahimi v. U.S. upheld firearm prohibitions for domestic violence offenders, lower federal courts are still struggling to achieve consistency, as shown by three major decisions last week alone.

First, a federal judge in Kansas appointed by former President Donald Trump caught national attention on Aug. 21 after he dismissed a case for a defendant facing felony charges for possessing a machine gun. Later in the week, two federal appeals courts swung the opposite direction to uphold other restrictions on firearms, with one decision upholding bans on felons possessing guns and a separate appellate court agreeing to uphold a Maryland handgun licensing law.

Andrew Willinger, executive director of the Center for Firearms Law at Duke Law School, told the Washington Examiner the pattern of divergent Second Amendment rulings does not come as a surprise. .....
Vice President Kamala Harris condemned former President Donald Trump and his campaign for their actions on Monday at the Arlington National Cemetery in a new post on X.

Harris accused Trump of "disrespect[ing] sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt."

"If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude," she added.

Kamala Harris in Savannah, Ga., on Thursday.

Harris also called on Trump to "never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America," as a result of his actions.

Her statement comes after the U.S. Army said that a member of Trump's campaign staff "abruptly pushed aside" a staff member at the cemetery so that Trump and his campaign could take photos and videos with families of service members who passed away during the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

The incident occurred in Section 60, where taking videos and photos is usually prohibited.

During an interview with NBC News Thursday, Trump defended his actions, saying a family asked me whether or not I would stand for a picture at the grave of their loved one who should not have died.

He claimed that he did not request to take photos and videos, but "While I was there, I didnt ask for a picture. While I was there, they said, Sir, could we have a picture at the grave?

In a post on X responding to Harris, Trump's running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance said, "President trump was there at the invitation of families whose loved ones died because of your incompetence. Why dont you get off social media and go launch an investigation into their unnecessary deaths?"

And Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt blasted Harris in her own post, blaming the vice president for the servicemembers' deaths during the withdrawal, which occurred during the Biden administration.

"Kamalas stupidity led to one of the most embarrassing events in American history and 13 brave US soldiers being killed," Leavitt posted, adding "For this alone, Kamala does not deserve to be elected. Kamala has already proven that she would be a dangerously incompetent Commander in Chief."

Hours after Harris' post, Trump posted a series of videos to X depicting eight family members of seven of the killed service members criticizing Harris' comments about the military and vigorously defending Trump as supportive.

Several of the families emphasized that they invited Trump to the cemetery, and multiple people laid the blame for their loved ones' deaths at President Joe Biden's and Harris' feet.

Mark Schmitz, whose son Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz was killed in the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing, called Harris' post "heinous, vile and disgusting." Herman Lopez, whose son Cpl. Hunter Lopez was killed in the attack, called the vice president's words "hollow and empty."

"Kamala, we have been treated with the utmost respect, compassion, and understanding by President Trump, something you and Joe Biden have refused to do since August 26, 2021," said Darin Hoover, father of Marine Staff Sgt. Darin "Taylor" Hoover, referring to the day of the attack.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Vice President Harris claimed former President Trump disrespected sacred ground during his recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery, which resulted in an altercation among staff.

In a lengthy post online, Harris said shes had the privilege of visiting the cemetery, located just outside of Washington, D.C., several times.

It is a solemn place; a place where we come together to honor American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of this nation, Harris said. It is not a place for politics.

And yet, as was reported this week, Donald Trumps team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff. Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt, she continued.

Harris was referencing Trumps visit on Monday to Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 400,000 active duty, retired and former military members have been buried.

The former president attended a wreath-laying ceremony to mark the third anniversary of the U.S. withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and the Kabul airport attack that killed 13 U.S. service members.

There was a confrontation between Trumps staff and cemetery employees when the former presidents photographers and campaign team tried to enter Section 60, which is a restricted area. Trumps team allegedly shoved a cemetery official to the side and the Army defended the employee this week.

Trump has received criticism over the altercation, since the cemetery has rules about politicizing and filming for political purposes.

Harris said the incident is nothing new from the man to called our fallen service members suckers and losers and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients. She said Trump is unable to comprehend anything other than service to himself.

Other Democrats see the altercation as an opening to attack Trump over his record with service members. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) asked the Army in a letter Friday for a full report and briefing on what happened.

If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude, Harris said.

Trump has defended what happened at the cemetery, saying he wasnt trying to get publicity for going to the ceremony. He claimed the White House put out the accusation and criticized President Biden for the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Harriss post said she believes Trump should not stand behind the seal of president of the United States. She said she will always honor the sacrifice and service of U.S. military members.

I mourn them and salute them. And I will never politicize them, she said.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
HAZMAT team dispatched after cement tanker rolls over on Route 91 ramp in Meriden

MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH)  A HAZMAT team has had to be dispatched after a tanker rolled over on a Route 91 ramp Friday morning, according to state police.

The accident happened at around 11:30 a.m. on the Route 691 ramp off of Route 91. The tanker was carrying cement, police say.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
Health experts are worried about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could influence former President Trumps public health policies in a second term, after the prominent anti-vaccine advocate suspended his independent campaign for president and jumped aboard Trumps.

Upon announcing the move last week, Kennedy said Trump had asked to enlist me in his administration. Kennedys former running mate, Nicole Shanahan, said earlier this month Kennedy would do an incredible job as secretary of Health and Human Services.

Although Trump has not committed to a specific role for Kennedy, he appointed his former opponent to his presidential transition team, and in a leaked phone call in July suggested Kennedy would have a big role in his administration.

Trumps son Donald Trump Jr. told conservative radio host Glenn Beck this month he would support Kennedy taking over a government agency to blow it up.

And this is exactly what many health experts fear would happen to a public health agency  like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the National Institutes of Health  with Kennedy at the helm.

From a health perspective this would be nothing short of chaos, said Robert Murphy, a professor of infectious disease at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Hes proven himself to be a dangerous fanatic who doesnt have a science background and who doesnt believe in science.

Were in a lot of trouble if he has any role, any leadership position related to many things, but health in particular, he added.

Murphy used Samoas deadly measles outbreak as an example of the harm Kennedy can cause. A wave of the virus infected more than 5,600 people on the tiny Pacific island nation in 2019, killing 83 people.

Many things contributed to the outbreak, including a drop in vaccination rates due to a public health scare the year before. In 2018, two babies in Samoa died shortly after receiving the MMR vaccine, causing vaccine hesitancy.

But the vaccine did not cause the infants deaths. The two nurses who administered the shots to the babies wrongly mixed the vaccines with a liquid muscle relaxant instead of water, causing them to stop breathing after being injected.

The deaths prompted the Samoan government to temporarily stop its vaccine program, which contributed to the fall in vaccination rates.

That same year, the Childrens Health Defense, a group long headed by Kennedy, questioned the safety of the vaccines given to the babies in several Facebook posts, according to The Washington Post, which noted the group never updated its posts to explain the nurses error.

During the 2019 outbreak, Kennedy publicly supported vaccination opponents on the island, including Australian Samoan anti-vaccine activist Taylor Winterstein. However, in the 2023 documentary Shot in the Arm, Kennedy said he had nothing to do with people not getting vaccinated in Samoa.

I never told anybody not to vaccinate. I didnt go there with any reason to do with that, he said in the film.

Kennedy often gives mixed or contradictory messages on vaccines.

He has denied being against vaccines outright, but has long peddled debunked conspiracy theories about vaccines. At a congressional hearing last year he denied telling people to avoid getting vaccinated, but two years earlier said on a podcast that he regularly tells strangers not to vaccinate their babies. And on CNN in December he denied saying no vaccines are safe and effective, despite saying exactly that in an interview last July.

Health officials are already concerned about falling vaccination rates among Americas children after the COVID-19 pandemic fueled vaccine skepticism, particularly in red states. Trump has promised to cut off federal funding to schools that require vaccines, further compounding those fears. Adding Kennedy to the mix risks further undermining public confidence in vaccines.

The notion that RFK Jr. would have any say in whos selected [to be part of Trumps administration] is very worrisome to me and many of my colleagues in public health, W. Ian Lipkin, the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, told The Hill.

Many of us are old enough to remember what happened before there was a polio vaccine or a measles vaccine  there were millions of children that were adversely impacted due to the lack of protection from these types of diseases, Lipkin said.

Even if Kennedy is not appointed to a public health position, Lipkin worried he could guide the former president toward placing people in top public health roles that would support cutting vaccine research or changing how vaccines are distributed.

Murphy shares those fears, and believes Kennedy could influence Trump to appoint someone who would stop tracking dangerous diseases as well.

Several high-ranking public health positions are political appointments, including the secretary of Health and Human Services, the surgeon general, the director of the National Institutes of Health, and the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Republicans backed a bill making the CDC director a Senate-confirmed position starting in 2025, largely due to the agencys controversial role in issuing divisive COVID-19 guidance. That could end up giving Democrats the ability to block Trumps CDC pick if he returns to the White House.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A challenge to an initiative seeking to repeal a tax that funds child-care programs in Whatcom County was continued until Tuesday, after Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Robert Olson recused himself from the case Friday.

Olson said a motion was filed earlier Friday asking for his removal, citing state law.

I do not believe that I have the authority to hear this case because of that disqualification. Ive already signed an order removing myself, he said.

Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Robert Olson recused himself from a case in a crowded courtroom on Friday, August 30, 2024, in Bellingham, Wash. The case challenges an initiative that seeks to repeal a tax that funds local child-care programs.

Copies of that motion werent immediately available, and Olson didnt discuss its details during his brief remarks Friday.

It happened on fairly short notice, Olson told a courtroom with about 70 spectators attending.

A new hearing is be set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Judge Lee Grochmals courtroom.

Challenge to voter initiative

Protect Whatcom Kids, a political action committee that includes key Whatcom County figures in politics and social services, is alleging that the measure proposed by a Lynden business owner and others made procedural errors and false statements during the signature-gathering process.

Further, the plaintiffs allege that the initiative goes beyond the scope of an initiative because it would interfere with the countys budget authority. Whatcom County officials have crafted plans and signed contracts to spend funds raised by the Healthy Childrens Fund that was created by Proposition 5, which passed by 20 votes in 2022.

Proposition 5 charges property owners 19 cents for every $1,000 of assessed valuation, raising an estimated $10 million annually.

Named in the lawsuit are Tim Koetje of a commercial roofing company called Axiom Division 7; Whatcom County; and Whatcom County Auditor Stacy Henthorn, whose office runs elections countywide.

In addition to the Protect Whatcom Kids lawsuit, the Whatcom County Council is also asking a judge to rule on the measures validity.

Petitions filed

Petitions seeking to overturn the tax were filed with the Whatcom County Auditors Office on June 3, and they had enough signatures to qualify for the ballot as an initiative. Supporting the repeal is a political action committee called Washingtonians for a Sound Economy.

Councilman Todd Donovan, who is also a Western Washington University professor of political science who studies elections, said the ballot measure should have been filed as a referendum. That would have required a larger number of petition signatures and put time constraints on its filing.

Washington is one of 26 U.S. states that allow initiatives and/or referendums, according to Ballotpedia, an online encyclopedia.

In general, an initiative allows citizens to collect signatures to place a new law or constitutional amendment before the voters. A referendum allows citizens to collect signatures to ask voters whether to uphold or repeal a law.
Hokulea to depart Kauai and return to Oahu

HONOLULU (KHON2)  After a two-week stay on Kauai, the voyaging canoe Hokulea is set to depart from Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor today and head back to Oahu.

Get Hawaiis latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You

The vessel is expected to reach Haleiwa by Saturday morning, weather permitting.

Legendary voyaging canoe takes to the sea today

While in Haleiwa, Hokuleas crew will offer tours to schools and the public until Friday.

Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news

However, due to potential adverse weather conditions, the public is advised to monitor Hokuleas social media channels for the latest updates.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)  As you gear up for fun on the water this holiday weekend, local boaters, captains and law enforcement are urging you to prioritize safety.

Holiday weekends are a prime time for boating, but a single moment of reckless fun, especially involving alcohol, can lead to tragic consequences. According to the American Boating Association, boating under the influence (BUI) is the leading cause of death on the water.

Be safe, be courteous on the water, watch out for other boaters, and have fun, said Sea-Tow Captain Aston Gay.

The Labor Day holiday is notorious for boating accidents, accounting for one-third of all incidents and fatalities on the water. Gay emphasized the importance of preparation to avoid accidents.

Tybee Island PD prepares for busy Labor Day weekend

Things I would do is go over a checklist. So make sure, you know, you have your phone fully charged, you have enough fuel in your boat, your batteries are charged, she said. Do a little checklist of the boat. Make sure that all the plugs are in the boat and correct and working so that youre not getting water in your boat.

Gay also recommended having navigation systems to avoid getting stranded, especially for those renting boats or families new to boating.

Plan a route where youre going so that you know what kind of dangers you could have on the way there, she added.

Before heading out for some fun in the sun, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wants to remind everyone that there are no warnings on the wateronly consequences.

There are no warnings for boating under the influence. The warning you get is the one that youre watching on your station right now, said Mark McKinnon, a Georgia DNR public affairs officer. Thats the only warning theyre going to get because if we find them intoxicated, we have no choice but to take them to jail.

If youre arrested for BUI, you could face a fine of up to $1,000 and lose your boating or jet ski license. So remember, just like when driving a car, have a designated boat captain and drink responsibly.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSAV-TV.
Home and Away spoilers follow for UK viewers.



Home and Away's Cash Newman is set to face intimidation from the River Boys.

Cash recently started a job in the Mangrove River police department. After arriving, Cash was told that the River Boys gang are likely responsible for the murder of his predecessor Franklin. He is now investigating the crime.

To make matters more difficult, Cash's sister Felicity has begun a new romance with Rory Templeton, the current leader of the River Boys.

Cash warned his sister of Rory's troubling background, but she decided to side with her new boyfriend and warned Cash that he'd better get used to seeing more of Rory.

Channel 5

Related: Best streaming services in 2024

In scenes set to air next week, Mali is worried that he hasn't been able to offload his surfboard, and Kirby wonders if Felicity knows that her boyfriend is in a gang. She agrees not to say anything, but makes Mali promise that he'll be wary of the River Boys.

Meanwhile, Cash gets called into work at the police station. When he arrives, he is shocked when a group of intimidating gang members surround his car. Is Cash a match for the River Boys?

Felicity and Rory are smitten after going swimming together, until John urges them to get a room. John is then horrified to discover Rory's Blood & Sand tattoo, a logo that is synonymous with the River Boys.

Channel 5

Channel 5

Related: Home and Away to air horror surf accident for Xander amid Dana reunion

When John finds Rory behind the counter at the board shop, he innocently explains that he was just picking up the board that Mali made him.

John tries to warn Felicity, but she defends Rory and his tattoos, and reveals she doesn't want anyone dictating her love life.

Cash stands strong against the group of River Boys "welcoming" him to Mangrove River, before confronting gang member Dingo. Dingo explains to Cash that they're now watching him, after he watched them.

Before things can escalate, Dingo gets a call from Rory, who orders them to stand down as he's coming back with Felicity.

Channel 5

Channel 5

Related: Home and Away star Lynne McGranger shares health update with fans

Later, Cash is parked outside a street party and notices Rory arriving with his sister. Worried that Felicity has become at home with the River Boys, Cash demands her to get in his car so they can leave.

When she refuses, Cash returns to the station and orders a hesitant Joanna to run the license plates he's collected.

Felicity and Rory have gone back to her house and head to the bedroom, before Cash returns and kicks Rory out. Felicity is angry, so Cash tells her that the River Boys are involved in a murder and Rory's the suspected leader.

An furious Felicity bites back that she was with Rory before Cash got the police job, so not everything is about him. Will Rory and the River Boys continue to come between Cash and Felicity?

Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5, with repeat screenings at 6pm on 5STAR and first look screenings at 6.30pm on 5STAR. Selected classic episodes are available via Prime Video in the UK.

Read more Home and Away spoilers on our dedicated homepage







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A wildfire that produced 80-foot flames caused people to evacuate Athens during the peak tourist season.

As the Washington Post reported, hundreds of firefighters tried to control the "exceptionally dangerous" wildfire during one of the hottest and driest summers in Greece's history.

What's happening?

Greece's wildfire burned in two main areas, including dense forests with limited accessibility. Emergency alerts were issued urging residents in many parts of Athens and the suburbs to evacuate. At least 670 firefighters and 27 teams of wildfire specialists used more than 180 vehicles and 32 aircraft to put out the flames.

The fire burned residential homes and ancient ruins throughout the region. Firefighters have been injured in the line of duty, while residents are being treated for smoke inhalation in hospitals.

Why is Greece's wildfire concerning?

This is the prime season for wildfires in Greece, but the fires are becoming more common and severe each year. With the global climate shifting to hotter and drier weather, wildfires like this one are becoming more challenging to control and devastating to people and property.

Beyond the danger of the actual flames, wildfire smoke is increasing air pollution and putting people at risk of respiratory damage, heart disease, strokes, lung cancer, and early death.

Not only are people's lives being threatened by the effects of wildfires in Greece, but Greek culture is also at risk through the loss of priceless artifacts and local traditions. Meanwhile, several species of vultures, golden eagles, and other native animals are losing their habitats and may cease to exist.

What's being done about worsening wildfires?

Fortunately, the Athens wildfire is now under control due to the firefighters' efforts and reduced winds. However, wildfires are still a significant concern in the area and many other places worldwide.

What happened in Greece was by no means an isolated weather incident but rather part of a familiar climate pattern that continues to repeat itself in increasingly powerful and damaging ways.

In response, firefighting efforts are focusing on modern technology, such as drones and AI sensor networks, to monitor and control fires, while builders are using fire-resistant materials in new construction.

On poor air quality days, stay indoors or wear a mask to limit your particulate exposure if you must go outside. Some governments are now working to create clean air centers to help their most vulnerable residents stay safe when air conditions are dangerous due to wildfire smoke.

Ultimately, anything you can do as an individual to avoid contributing to our planet's overheating matters and helps the fight against worsening wildfires.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Ride share drivers have unionized in Tennessee and are striking the Nashville International Airport on the busy Labor Day weekend. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Rideshare drivers have unionized in Tennessee and are striking the Nashville International Airport on the busy Labor Day weekend. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Following a vote to form the Tennessee Drivers Union earlier this week, around 100 rideshare drivers went on strike at Nashville International Airport on Friday in an effort to bring attention to the struggles they face in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Drivers Union represents hundreds of drivers from more than 14 countries, according to a statement from the organization. The TDU says many work 12-hour days in order to make ends meet as Uber and Lyft take increasing percentages of fares.

In collaboration with A Luta Sigue, a movement incubator, TDU says it has surveyed hundreds of drivers, who came up with five key demands for their strike. These include improving working conditions at Nashville International Airport through expanding the rideshare waiting lot, which currently has about 90 parking spots for drivers, as well as building clean, accessible bathrooms. They are also asking that Nashville implement electric scooter curfews due to drunk drivers and safety issues, that legislators put a stop to out-of-state drivers, and for better pay overall.

Drivers are central to key sectors of Tennessees economy and yet are compensated less and less each year, TDU said in a statement. Uber and Lyft steal 60-80% of the fare of any given ride. Drivers are fighting for this to change. Tennessee Drivers Union is the largest effort of its kind to happen in the South.

Arkangelo Wilson, co-president of TDU, said hes been a driver for Uber and Lyft for about six years and had previously worked in health care at a nursing home. In an interview this week he said he struggles to provide for his family now. He said there are many times he makes less than $15 in fares for taking passengers from the airport to downtown Nashville. With gas, car maintenance and tickets for standing while waiting to collect passengers, Wilson says theres little income left.

Everything is too expensive, Wilson said. Why do the fares keep changing every hour? Why can it not be consistent? We need a bigger lot at the airport. You move around the circle six times, ten times. You dont make up the gas you wasted.



Drivers are central to key sectors of Tennessees economy and yet are compensated less and less each year, a statement from the Tennessee Drivers Union reads. Uber and Lyft steal 60-80% of the fare of any given ride. Drivers are fighting for this to change. Tennessee Drivers Union is the largest effort of its kind to happen in the South.

Wilson also said drivers frequently come from out of state, sometimes from Kentucky and Alabama. These drivers will often sleep in their cars and shower in gas stations, working for several days. At the end of their week they travel back home, taking their profits and income with them.

TDU drivers and organizers say downtown Nashville has also become unsafe due to drunken passengers and scooter drivers. A TDU statement referenced the 2019 accidental death of 26-year old Brady Gaulke, who was killed after being hit by a car while driving a scooter at around 10 pm. Later reports found that Gaulke had high blood alcohol content levels at the time of the crash. TDU is asking officials to ban scooters after 9 pm.

Scooters are not only a safety threat to Nashvilles residents, tourists and drivers, but also are a way for rideshare companies to automate drivers out of commercial transportation and reduce their input costs, a TDU statement said.

In an email statement, Lyft said the app has implemented a new earnings policy for drivers.

Improving the driver experience is essential to our purpose, the companys statement reads. Thats why weve been releasing a steady drumbeat of new offerings and commitments aimed at increasing driver pay and transparency. This includes a new earnings commitment and an improved deactivation appeals process. Now, drivers will always make at least 70% of the weekly rider fares after external fees.

Uber officials had not responded to a request for comment at publication time.

TDU organizers say they are committed to a years-long fight if needed. Wilson and Haber said TDU knows a single action wont be enough to make major changes, and plan to continue working to see their demands met. Wilson says that even if he moves on to other employment later on, its important to leave the industry more sustainable than he found it.

I know a lot of people or passengers, they think we make a lot of money doing this job, Wilson said. I have to push for it. Even if I leave at the end, [Ill] know citizens are living well. Just like any other human being.

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What are hyenas laughing at? Questions you probably dont know the answer to

(WTAJ) Have you ever thought about asking a hyena, Whats so funny? Well, youre not alone.

Despite common knowledge telling us that hyenas laugh, weve even seen it in movies, have you learned why theyre actually laughing? Lets take a look at some questions you probably dont know the answer to.

Which is wider, Australia or the moon?

No way a continent could be wider than the moon!

Well if you thought that youre actually wrong. Despite it seeming like there is an obvious answer, theyre actually pretty close when it comes to the wideness. The moon sits at 3,400 km in diameter, but Australia is actually closer to 4,000 km.

The moon does have more surface area than the continent though. Another fun fact about the moon and Australia is that it appears to look upside down compared to how its seen in the U.S. While its not actually upside down its just how its seen when its in different hemispheres.

It can also appear bigger when its near the horizon, although its never actually bigger in one spot or the other.

Do penguins have knees? Questions you probably dont know the answer to

Why cant teeth heal themselves the way other body parts can?

The average adult has 32 permanent teeth made up of incisors, canines, premolars and molars. Globally, roughly 2 billion people have permanent teeth with tooth decay and nearly 514 million children have tooth decay in their primary teeth.

Scrapes and bruises can heal themselves over time, but why is it that your pearly white teeth cant? Well, it has to do with what your teeth are made of. A tooth is made up of four layers, enamel, dentin, cementum and tooth pulp. However, whilst they may look or appear to be similar to bones, bones contain marrow and blood vessels. That difference plays a huge role in why teeth cannot repair themself.

The enamel is the part of the tooth thats most important for this topic. The enamel is the protective layer on each tooth that shields your teeth from bacteria. Its also the hardest substance in your body. However, despite enamel being so strong it has no way of getting fresh oxygen or nutrients, due to the lack of blood vessels. Meaning that once a tooth is hurt it cannot be repaired by the body.

What are hyenas laughing at?

Despite common knowledge, not all hyenas think everything is funny. There are four species of hyenas and only one actually laughs. The spotted hyena is who always seems to be laughing at jokes. The other species, Aardwolf, striped hyena and the brown hyena, cannot laugh but have other distinct vocalization sounds.

For spotted hyenas, the laugh and giggle are ways that they communicate to their pack and to other creatures, but despite its name, its not a laughing matter. There are two interpretations of their laughs, one for the high-pitch and one for the low-pitch. The high-pitch laugh is used when hyenas are afraid and used as a warning or submission to another hyena. The low pitch is when a hyena is angry and the lower it gets the angrier they are.

According to a study done at the University of California, Berkeley, a hyenas laugh can also include information about their age, individual identity and status in the clan. So, while they may not be laughing at the worlds greatest knock-knock joke they are using laughs to maintain a complex social life within their clans.

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ILLINOIS (WCIA)  If you plan to be on the water over the holiday weekend, officials are urging boaters to wear their life jackets.

Illinois Conservation Police officials said that so far this year, theyve responded to 48 boating-related situations. They said 15 people have died and another 15 were hurt. Of those deaths, two were caused by severe injuries; the rest were from drownings.

Conservation Police will be patrolling Illinois rivers, lakes and Lake Michigan this weekend, watching for safety violations and reckless operators.

IL Health officials mark National Food Safety Education Month

Its shaping up to be a beautiful holiday weekend across Illinois, and we anticipate large numbers of boaters out on the lakes and rivers, said Lt. Curt Lewis, the boating safety administrator for the Illinois Conservation Police. Get out there, soak up the sunshine, have a great time and make lots of memories. But remember: the best way to guarantee everyone makes it home safely is to wear a life jacket anytime theyre on the water  no exceptions.

Some tips to follow include using the engine cutoff switch to stop the boat engine if the operator falls overboard and never operating a boat under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Additionally, Conservation Police advise boaters to take a boating safety course, research before renting any boats and keep an eye on the forecast.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Washington State Department of Corrections and local law enforcement are searching for Christopher Brinkley, 33, who escaped from Correctional Industries Headquarters in Tumwater about noon today.

Brinkley was incarcerated at Cedar Creek Corrections Center, the minimum security facility in Littlerock, and was at CI headquarters as part of his approved work program.

He was convicted in King County earlier this year of tampering with a witness and protection order violation and had an earned release date of June 16, 2026.

Brinkley was last seen around noon, wearing a red shirt and khaki pants.

If you see Brinkley, DOC asks that you do not approach him. Instead, call 911 or DOC headquarters at 360-480-2696.
Informational meeting to be held on proposed industrial development in Sioux City

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  Construction contractor Knife River will be holding a public meeting next week on proposed industrial plans in a primarily residential area in Sioux City.

The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sep. 4 at 6 p.m. at North Middle School at 2101 Outer Drive. It concerns proposed development plans for a site at 3700 Jefferson Street.

Sioux Center police emphasize importance of construction barriers after truck gets stuck

Knife River is proposing that their current facilities be moved to the more spacious 3700 Jefferson Street site. This would require rezoning the site from General Commercial to General Industrial.

The facilities would be located several hundred feet from existing housing.

After a deferral, Sioux Citys city council will vote on Sep. 9 whether or not to approve the third reading of a rezoning ordinance.

Residents are encouraged by the City of Sioux City to come to Wednesdays meeting and ask questions.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  The 2024 General Election is just over two months away. In the coming weeks we will start seeing more political ads and campaign signs.

From the presidential race to ballot issues, South Dakota voters will have a lot of choices to make. On this weeks Inside KELOLAND we take a look at ways people can prepare for election day.

League of Women Voters

The Sioux Falls League of Women Voters is one orginization working to make sure people are ready come November 5th.

The nonpartisan, non-profit organization will host two forums in September focusing on the ballot issues. The forums will take place Sept. 11th and 18th from 6:00 PM  7:30 PM at the USD-Sioux Falls Campus.

The LWV is also working to make sure people are registered to vote. Below are a list of events LWV will be present at:

Sidewalk Arts Festival on Sept. 7th

Levitt at the Falls on Sept. 14th

SiouxperCon on Sept. 27, 28, & 29th

For National Voter Registration Day on Sept 17th the Sioux Falls League of Women Voters will be on the campus of Augustana, USF, and Southeast Tech.

AI Generated Content

New technology is making it harder and harder to decipher whats real and whats fake online. Earlier this year tech companies pledged to combat AI generated Deep Fakes designed to trick voters.

Dakota State University professor Bill Bendix says fake content can be used in a variety of ways.

This technology allows foreign threat actors to generate disinformation and spread misleading and polarizing images, footage and messages, Bendix said.

Bendix says doing your own research and using trusted sources are two ways voters can avoid getting duped by fake content.

Past Convention Coverage

Many of you watched the CBS News coverage of the Republican or Democratic National Conventions over the past couple months.

During previous conventions going back decades, KELOLAND News reporters and photographers were embedded with delegates from both parties who were promoting their candidates and causes before our cameras.

Perry Groten dug deep into our news archives for a look at conventions over the years.

Perry also talked with a Sioux Falls women who attended the 1968 Democrat National Convention.

New U.S. Citizens

The opportunity to vote this November will be a new option for some this year. On August 23rd, 150 people became U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony in Sioux Falls.

The ceremony included the singing of the national anthem, the pledge of allegiance, and a time for the new citizens to introduce themselves and say where they came from.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction fired the instructor charged in a shooting that killed an Ohio corrections officer in April, our media partners WBNS-10 TV reported.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

TRENDING STORIES:

David Pearsons termination will go into effect on Sept. 3, according to an ODRC spokesperson.

The department decided to fire Pearson after Director Annette Chambers-Smith was briefed on the Ohio State Highway Patrols investigation on Monday.

As News Center 7 previously reported, Lieutenant Rodney Osborne was shot on April 9 during a training exercise on the firing range at the Correctional Training Academy in Pickaway County.

OSHP investigated Osbornes death as reckless homicide.

WBNS-10 TV reported that an autopsy report indicates that Osborne was shot just above his bulletproof vest.

Pearson has since been indicted on one count of negligent homicide.

WBNS-10 TV received documents from the attorney of Osbornes widow detailing the shooting.

According to the documents, Osborne and 14 others were taking a 40-hour training exercise for the Special Tactics and Response Team at the Corrections Training Academy. Pearson and five other S.T.A.R. instructors led the training.

In a statement to Pearsons attorney, he said during one of the exercises, he saw Osborne struggling to get his pistol from the holster and level it to the target. Pearson then stepped in front of Osborne to do a mirror drill, WBNS-10 TV reported.

Pearson told Osborne to mirror his actions while standing face to face. Both men drew their pistols.

Pearson then pulled the trigger and the pistol fired and hit Osborne in the chest, according to the documents.

WBNS-10 TV reported that OSHP said ODRCs policies and procedures do not reference a mirror drill. However, there are certain instances where someone can point a firearm at another person if specific conditions are met.

...prior to the shooting, Mr. Pearsons actions did not meet the specific conditions required by ODRC policy and procedure to point his firearm at Mr. Osborne, the report read.

Osborne worked at the Southern Ohio Corrections Facility in Scioto County and was with the ODRC for 13 years.

According to WBNS-10 TV, he was recently named employee of the year at the Southern Ohio Correction Facility and was the commander of the Special Response Team.

Pearson pleaded not guilty to the negligent homicide charge in August. His pretrial hearing is scheduled for September.

We will continue to follow this story.

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(FOX40.COM)  A Chinese national who is accused of being a part of an international crime ring was arrested with over 6,000 fraudulent gift cards, according to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office.

Yubo Tian, 37, was one of nearly 400 people arrested or cited by SCSO during a 5-day retail theft operation. Deputies said Tian was observed acting suspiciously near the gift cards in the payment aisles in a Sacramento Target store. He was seen replacing the gift cards with another set of seemingly identical ones, according to SCSO. Tian was arrested and deputies said they discovered 6,300 gift cards from Target and Apple in his possession.

Roseville police bust trio for high-end retail theft operation

SCSO said further investigation revealed that Tian was part of an international scam involving tampered gift cards, scanning the bar code, and stealing money from the gift card as money was loaded. Victims are reportedly unaware it is happening, and the money is often siphoned to an off-shore account within seconds. Deputies said the operation spanned across California and several states nationwide.

Tian was transported and booked into the Sacramento County Jail, only to be released by the courts on his own recognizance days later, SCSO said. Tian has no ties to Sacramento and admittedly entered the country illegally using a commonly used trafficker route through Central America and Mexico.

Southwest Airlines adding new nonstop flight out of SMF

The sheriffs office urges residents to be cautious when purchasing physical gift cards from any retailer.

Be observant of any signs of tampering, especially scuff marks or scratches near the bar code on the back of the card, SCSO said. These operations are very sophisticated, and modifications to gift cards are often virtually undetectable, even by the trained eye.

Detectives suspect Tian has done this at many stores. The incident is under investigation and anyone with information is advised by law enforcement to contact the Sheriffs Office at (916) 874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357).

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  One man is dead after he broke into a Sedalia home near Anderson School Road and Shire Lane.

The Pettis County Sheriffs Office reports that deputies were dispatched for a single-vehicle accident near Anderson School Road and Shire Lane around 1 a.m. on August 30. While en route to the scene, they were notified of an ongoing burglary near the accident scene.

One dead, KCPD investigating homicide east of 71 Highway

When deputies arrived, they found the rear door of the home forcibly entered. The intruder had been shot by the homeowner; medics from Pettis County Ambulance District pronounced the man dead at the scene and took possession of the body.

The names of all people involved have not yet been released. The investigation is ongoing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Mohammad Salem

CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli strikes on Saturday killed at least 48 people in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health authorities said, as clashes took place in central and southern areas of the enclave ahead of the planned start of a polio vaccination campaign.

The United Nations is due to start vaccinating some 640,000 children in the territory against polio, relying on daily eight-hour pauses in fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in specific areas of the besieged enclave.

Yousef Abu Al-Reesh, Gaza's deputy minister of health, said vaccination teams would try to get to as many areas as possible to ensure wide coverage but he said only a comprehensive ceasefire could guarantee enough children are reached.

"If the international community truly wants this campaign to succeed, it should call for a ceasefire, knowing that this virus does not stop, and can reach anywhere," he told reporters at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis.

On Saturday, medics administered vaccines on some of the children at Nasser Hospital wards in a symbolic move before the official campaign begins.

The campaign follows confirmation last week that a baby was partially paralysed by the type 2 polio virus, the first such case in the territory in 25 years.

WHO officials say at least 90% of the children need to be vaccinated twice with four weeks between doses for the campaign to succeed, but it faces huge challenges in Gaza, which has been largely destroyed by nearly 11 months of war.

On Saturday, as more than 2,000 medical and community workers prepared for the start of the campaign, medics in Nuseirat, one of the Gaza Strip's eight historic refugee camps, medics said separate Israeli strikes killed at least 19 people, including nine members of the same family.

More than 30 other people were killed in a series of strikes in other areas of Gaza, medics said.

Residents and militant sources said fighters from Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and other groups fought against Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Zeitoun neighborhood, where tanks have been operating for days, and in Rafah, near the border with Egypt.

The Israeli military said in a statement it continued to operate in the central and southern Gaza Strip. It said troops killed militants and dismantled military infrastructure in Gaza City, while they located weapons and killed gunmen in Tel Al-Sultan in western Rafah.

In Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, families returned to their areas after the army ended a 22-day offensive it said was aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping. Footage showed large areas were flattened, and buildings and infrastructure were destroyed.

Medics said they recovered at least nine bodies from the area where the army operated.

The latest episode in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed enclave has since killed more than 40,600 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry. Nearly the entire Gaza population of 2.3 million has been displaced and the enclave has a hunger crisis. Israel faces genocide allegations at the World Court that it denies.

In the occupied West Bank, Israel forces pushed on with a military operation in the city of Jenin. Drones and helicopters circled overhead while the sound of sporadic firing could be heard in the city.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Mohammed Salem in Gaza; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Israeli strikes on Saturday killed at least 48 people in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health authorities said, as clashes took place in central and southern areas of the enclave ahead of the planned start of a polio vaccination campaign.

The United Nations is due to start vaccinating some 640,000 children in the territory against polio, relying on daily eight-hour pauses in fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in specific areas of the besieged enclave.

Yousef Abu Al-Reesh, Gaza's deputy minister of health, said vaccination teams would try to get to as many areas as possible to ensure wide coverage but he said only a comprehensive ceasefire could guarantee enough children are reached.

A Palestinian child is vaccinated against polio, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on August 31, 2024.

"If the international community truly wants this campaign to succeed, it should call for a ceasefire, knowing that this virus does not stop, and can reach anywhere," he told reporters at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis.

On Saturday, medics administered vaccines on some of the children at Nasser Hospital wards in a symbolic move before the official campaign begins.

The campaign follows confirmation last week that a baby was partially paralysed by the type 2 polio virus, the first such case in the territory in 25 years.

WHO officials say at least 90% of the children need to be vaccinated twice with four weeks between doses for the campaign to succeed, but it faces huge challenges in Gaza, which has been largely destroyed by nearly 11 months of war.

Palestinians gather to inspect a site excavated by Israeli forces after their withdrawal from the area, following a ground operation, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, August 30, 2024.

On Saturday, as more than 2,000 medical and community workers prepared for the start of the campaign, medics in Nuseirat, one of the Gaza Strip's eight historic refugee camps, said separate Israeli strikes killed at least 19 people, including nine members of the same family.

More than 30 other people were killed in a series of strikes in other areas of Gaza, medics said.

Residents and militant sources said fighters from Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and other groups fought against Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Zeitoun neighborhood, where tanks have been operating for days, and in Rafah, near the border with Egypt.

The Israeli military said in a statement it continued to operate in the central and southern Gaza Strip. It said troops killed militants and dismantled military infrastructure in Gaza City, while they located weapons and killed gunmen in Tel Al-Sultan in western Rafah.

In Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, families returned to their areas after the army ended a 22-day offensive it said was aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping. Footage showed large areas were flattened, and buildings and infrastructure were destroyed.

Medics said they recovered at least nine bodies from the area where the army operated.

The latest episode in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Polio vaccines in Gaza

Israel's subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed enclave has since killed more than 40,600 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry. Nearly the entire Gaza population of 2.3 million has been displaced and the enclave has a hunger crisis. Israel faces genocide allegations at the World Court that it denies.

In the occupied West Bank, Israel forces pushed on with a military operation in the city of Jenin. Drones and helicopters circled overhead while the sound of sporadic firing could be heard in the city.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Mohammed Salem in Gaza; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israeli bombardment kills dozens in Gaza before WHO polio campaign
Israeli director Amos Gitai has pushed back against efforts for his Venice-bowing film Why War to be boycotted from the festival.

Premiering out of the competition over the weekend, the film takes its cue from correspondence in the early 1930s between Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud as they attempted to answer questions relating to the human races bellicose nature and how to avoid war.

More from Variety

On the eve of the festival, Why War  alongside Dani Rosenbergs Of Dogs and Men  was the subject of a letter signed by more than 300 artists, including filmmakers such as Hany Abu Assad, Enrico Parenti and Alessandra Ferrini, asserting that the film has been created by complicit Israeli production companies that contribute to apartheid, occupation and now genocide through their silence or active participation in artwashing.

But Gitai, speaking at a press conference on Saturday, argued that those calling for the boycott hadnt see Why War and said that the film hadnt received any Israeli state money.

Despite the ongoing devastation in Gaza, Gitai said he was optimistic that the Israel-Palestinian conflict would be resolved one day.

Sometimes the worst low point will give a place to reconciliation because these people will understand this is no the way to go on. They cannot go on killing one another and proclaiming this as victory. These are empty propositions, he said, adding that both the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Benjamin Netanyahus right-wing government had to go in the name of peace.

The two groups have to understand that the proposition of being under Hamas is not a good proposition. There will be no rights for women, no Christians of the Orient, no LGBT rights, nothing. The Iranians already went this way when they got behind Khomeini and theyre stuck with it, he noted.

We the Israelis have to get rid of the extremist, nationalist, right-wing, racist, ultra-religious government that we have. The two groups have to do some cleaning on their stuff and then maybe a new bridge can be constructed. Its not there now but we have to keep the idea that one day, it will come, and I think it will come.

Best of Variety

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A picture of Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin is displayed as his parents Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin speak at the 2024 Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 21, 2024. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI

Aug. 31 (UPI) -- The bodies of six Hamas-held hostages, including that of 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were recovered by the Israel Defense Forces in a tunnel under the Gaza city of Rafah, the Israeli military said Sunday.

The four men and two women were murdered around a day or two before the Israeli troops found them, IDF said. Troops, who began to search a tunnel complex Saturday, did not clash with anyone inside the tunnel.

Identified were Ori Danino, 25; Eden Yerushalmi, 24; Almog Sarusi, 27; and Alexander Lobanov, 33, who were abducted with Goldberg-Polin from a music festival during Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis. Carmel Gat, 40, was taken from the nearby farming community of Be'eri.

Bring Them Home, a group of families and friends of abductees, posted on X "they could have been reunited with their families if a deal had been reached earlier."

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, the parents of Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, speak at the 2024 Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 21, 2024. Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI

The Hostages Families Forum bows its head in mourning for the murder in captivity of Ori Danino, Almog Sarusi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Eden Yerushalmi, may their memory be a blessing. These six hostages, kidnapped alive on October 7th, were later... pic.twitter.com/pBtn0hfLdF Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) September 1, 2024

A total of 251 hostages were taken when Hamas attacked Israel. About 100 are still being held captive by the Iran-backed militia. Some are believed to be dead.

Israelis take part in a protest calling for the immediate release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, next to the Kirya in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday night. Photo by Atef Safadfi/EPA-EFE/

The families of Goldberg-Polin, Danino and Yerushalmi earlier confirmed their deaths.

"With broken hearts, the Goldberg-Polin family is devastated to announce the death of their beloved son and brother, Hersh. The family thanks you all for your love and support and asks for privacy at this time," the family said in a statement.

Goldberg-Polin, who was born in California and moved to Israel when he was 7, was among the young revelers taken at gunpoint by Hamas militants at the Nova music festival. He lost his arm helping friends and strangers.

The 23-year-old's parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, were pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to seek a deal securing the hostages' return.

They gave an emotional address at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 21.

"This is a political convention, but needing our only son -- and all of the cherished hostages home -- is not a political issue," Jon Polin said to "Bring them home" cheers. "It is a humanitarian issue."

U.S. President Joe Biden announced the deaths of six hostages late Saturday from Delaware before confirmation from IDF.

He said he was "devastated and outraged" at the news.

"I have gotten to know his parents, Jon and Rachel," Biden said. "They have been courageous, wise and steadfast, even as they have endured the unimaginable. They have been relentless and irrepressible champions of their son and of all the hostages held in unconscionable conditions. I admire them and grieve with them more deeply than words can express.

"I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersh safely to them and am heartbroken by the news of his death. It is as tragic as it is reprehensible. Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages."

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris also issued a statement.

"When I met with Jon and Rachel earlier this year, I told them: You are not alone," the Democratic presidential nominee said. "That remains true as they mourn this terrible loss. ... As is said in the Jewish tradition, may Hersh's memory be a blessing.

"Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. .. The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel -- and American citizens in Israel -- must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza. The Palestinian people too have suffered under Hamas' rule for nearly two decades."

In April, Hamas released a video of Goldberg-Polin when he was still alive on their Telegram channel.

After word bodies were found, Missing Families Forum demanded Netanyahu sign a hostage deal.

"Netanyahu abandoned the hostages! This is now a fact," the organization said.

Thousands earlier rallied at Hostage Square in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and in front of Netanyahu's residence on Saturday night. There were plans for more demonstrations for Sunday.

"Starting tomorrow the country will tremble. We call on the public to prepare. We will stop the country," the statement continued.

President Isaac Herzog of Israel said in a statement that the "heart of an entire nation is crushed into pieces.

"In the name of the entire State of Israel, I hold their families in my heart and ask forgiveness. Forgiveness for not being able to return your loved ones home safely."

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said: "While our sons and daughters are abandoned and die in captivity, Netanyahu is busy spinning the narrative."

"We will continue to stand by the families and hug and protect them in difficult times," he added.

Netanyahu issued a statement later Sunday, decrying what happened.

Biden earlier said he was optimistic about a ceasefire-for-hostages deal that he's been working to secure for months. The parties involved in the negotiation have said they "agree on the principles."

"It's time this war ended," Biden told media in Delaware. "I think we're on the verge of having an agreement. It's time to end it. It's time to finish it."

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have served as mediators.

The mediators have proposed a first phase involving a six-week ceasefire, a second phase that would release all hostages and a withdrawal of all IDF presence from Gaza, and a third reconstruction phase. This has been the plan proposed by Biden in late May.

Israel has said it is not supportive of a permanent cease-fire.
Lawyers for Donald Trump and special counsel Jack Smith disagree on how to proceed with the former president's election interference case, both sides said in a joint filing late Friday.

On the heels of this week's superseding indictment in which Smith adjusted the case's original charges to respect the Supreme Court's recent ruling on presidential immunity, Smith, in Friday's filing, declined to propose a timeline for the case -- telling the court that "decisions on how to manage its docket are firmly within its discretion" -- while Trump's lawyers proposed delaying any in-person proceedings until after the November election.

Trump last August pleaded not guilty to federal charges of undertaking a "criminal scheme" to overturn the results of the 2020 election to remain in power. Last month, in a blockbuster decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump is entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts undertaken while in office.

MORE: Trump charged in superseding indictment in election interference case following SCOTUS ruling

Smith, in Friday's joint filing, urged U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to address the Supreme Court's immunity decision "first and foremost," while Trump's lawyers asked the court to immediately consider dismissing the case based on the legality of Smith's appointment before turning to the immunity issue.

"The parties recognize the types of motions and briefing anticipated in pre-trial proceedings but have differing views on how the Court should schedule these matters and the manner in which they are to be conducted," the filing said.

Rather than propose in-person evidentiary hearings -- which could have resulted in a so-called "mini-trial" ahead of the election -- Smith urged the court to accept written briefs about presidential immunity to "distinguish [Trump's] private electioneering activity from official action." If Trump's team filed motions on other issues, Smith asked the court to consider those issues simultaneously with the immunity issue.

Such a schedule could quickly address the question of presidential immunity and position the case to proceed to trial, though Trump is likely to appeal his immunity claim if Chutkan rules against him.

PHOTO: In this July 31, 2024, file photo, Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump waits on stage to speak at a campaign rally, in Harrisburg, Pa. (Alex Brandon/AP, FILE)

"The Government is prepared to file its opening immunity brief promptly at any time the Court deems appropriate," the filing said.

Trump's lawyers asked Chutkan to first consider whether Smith's appointment as special counsel and funding are constitutional -- the issue that led a Florida judge to dismiss the former president's classified documents case last month -- before considering whether to dismiss the indictment based on presidential immunity. Defense lawyers proposed holding a hearing about Smith's appointment in December followed by a non-evidentiary hearing about immunity in late January.

"We believe, and expect to demonstrate, that this case must end as a matter of law," Trump's attorneys said in the filing.

Defense lawyers also signaled that they plan to argue the indictment should be dismissed because the grand jury heard evidence related to then-Vice President Mike Pence's role in the 2020 vote certification process, which they believe is subject to presidential immunity.

"If the Court determines, as it should, that the Special Counsel cannot rebut the presumption that these acts are immune, binding law requires that the entire indictment be dismissed because the grand jury considered immunized evidence," the filing said.

Chutkan had earlier scheduled a Sept. 5 status conference to chart a path forward for the long-delayed case, which has not seen an in-person proceeding since last year.

MORE: Supreme Court gives Trump some immunity in Jan. 6 case, but not for 'unofficial acts'

The Jan. 6 developments are just part of the flurry of legal activity Trump faces in the final months before the election.

On Monday, prosecutors in the special counsel's office appealed U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon decision to dismiss the charges in Trump's classified documents case.

Trump is also scheduled to be sentenced in New York on Sept. 18 after he was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The former president has mounted multiple efforts to delay the sentencing, including a last-minute attempt to remove the case to federal court.

"At that potential sentencing, President Trump faces the prospect of immediate and unlawful incarceration under New York law, which could prevent him from continuing to pursue his leading campaign for the Presidency," Trump's lawyers wrote in a filing Thursday.

Jack Smith asks judge in Jan. 6 case to address immunity as Trump seeks dismissal originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Special counsel Jack Smith opted against proposing a new timeline Friday to bring Donald Trump to trial over his effort to subvert the 2020 election, instead telling U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan its entirely up to her.

In a 10-page joint filing with Trumps attorneys  a response to Chutkans request for guidance and a schedule after the Supreme Courts recent ruling on presidential immunity upended the case  Smith emphasized that the timeline for the case is her call.

The Courts decisions on how to manage its docket are firmly within its discretion, prosecutors wrote in the filing submitted late Friday night. They added that they are prepared to advance the case promptly at any time the Court deems appropriate.

Rather than propose a timetable, Smith instead simply urged Chutkan to tackle Trumps many efforts to dismiss the case at roughly the same time. Doing so, prosecutors said, would keep the case moving forward.

The murky stance from the special counsel is a sharp break from the urgency he demanded for much of the last year since he initially charged Trump with several conspiracies related to his effort to derail the transfer of power to Joe Biden. Last year, he urged Chutkan to set a very quick trial date, and then when Trumps immunity arguments delayed the trial, he asked the Supreme Court in December to expedite the case, urging the justices to move with extraordinary speed because this is an extraordinary case.

But the justices refusal to heed that call  and their ruling in July that effectively immunized Trump from large swaths of the evidence Smith planned to use against him  has forced prosecutors and the Justice Department to recalculate. And theyre not alone: In New York, Trump is trying to harness the immunity decision to delay his Sept. 18 sentencing for his May conviction in the hush money case. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg took no position on Trumps request for a sentencing delay; instead  like Smith in the federal election case  he said he would simply defer to the judge.

Though Smith declined to propose a new schedule for the election case in Fridays joint filing, Trumps defense team put forward a specific proposal that would allow pretrial motions in the case to stretch into January. His lawyers also hinted at additional proceedings that could extend deep into 2025. Trumps team did not propose a trial date but said a trial wont be necessary because hell prevail in getting the case thrown out.

Earlier this week, Smiths team obtained a revised indictment of Trump that maintained the same four felony charges against the former president but dropped allegations that Trump abused his authority by trying to use the Justice Department as part of his scheme to remain in power. The revisions were an attempt to maintain the case while complying with the Supreme Courts immunity ruling.

But Trumps lawyers signaled in their portion of the Friday night filing that, as a result of the immunity decision, prosecutors wont be able to proceed with much of the rest of the case  including their claim that Trump sought to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to refuse to tally the electoral votes that established Bidens victory.

If the allegations about Pence cant be used by prosecutors, their whole case falls apart, Trump lawyers John Lauro and Todd Blanche argued.

Neither prosecutors nor the defense addressed another way the case might swiftly come to an end: If Trump wins the presidency again in November, he will be in a position to simply call it off after he is sworn in in January.

Notably, the schedule Trumps lawyers proposed would shift until after the election all litigation about the substance of prosecutors case against Trump  the gravest and most politically explosive charges he faces in any of the four criminal cases against him. The only filing due before Election Day would be one in which Trump will argue that Smiths appointment was unconstitutional and the funding the Justice Department is using to pay Smith and his team is illegal.

Chutkan has set a conference in the case for next Thursday to discuss the path forward, but has excused Trump from attending. Neither side is proposing any further hearings in the case before the election.
Jacksonville University College of Law on August 26 officially opened its new campus in Downtown Jacksonvilles historic former Atlantic Bank building. The newly renovated 50,000-square-foot space marks the successful completion of an eight-month adaptive reuse project, providing a state-of-the-art home for the growing law school.

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The renovated space spans four contiguous floors, offering flexible classrooms, study areas, student meeting rooms, faculty offices, and event space. It also includes an extensive library, all designed to support the law schools expansion and the increasing needs of its student body.

The City of Jacksonville is proud to support the new downtown campus of Jacksonville Universitys law school. We congratulate them on this significant milestone for the school and for our city, said Jacksonville Mayor, Donna Deegan. The new law school campus is a key part of our plans to grow higher education in Jacksonville and make downtown a place where people will choose to learn, work, live, play, and visit.

Jacksonville City Council Vice President Kevin Carrico echoed this sentiment, adding, JU is an amazing part of this community, and this law school is going to bring life downtown, something that we need. Its going to bring vibrancy.

The City of Jacksonville invested $6.5 million in the $12 million renovation project, which was completed by Auld & White Constructors. TTV Architects, known for their work in higher education and historic renovation, designed the space, while Christian Harden of NAI Hallmark brokered the lease, and John Hodges of International Management Company represented the owner.

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Were grateful beyond measure to the City of Jacksonville for their support and encouragement of our law school, said Randall C. Berg Jr. Founding Dean Nick Allard. We look forward to educating a long line of outstanding future lawyers in this historic space for years to come.

Historic features of the building were preserved, including the second-floor reception room, the main stairwell, and original ceiling details. A three-story atrium and large windows provide ample natural light, with views of Forsyth Street and showcasing law school activities to passersby.

Jacksonville University President Tim Cost reflected on the milestone: Today marks a pivotal moment for Jacksonville University and the city we proudly call home. The opening of our College of Law in this beautifully restored, historic space is a testament to the dedication of our faculty, staff, and partners who turned vision into reality.

The College of Law, which received provisional ABA accreditation in March, welcomed its third and largest incoming class earlier this month, with 44 students. The inaugural class is set to graduate this spring.

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FILE - This photo shows an exterior view of Japan's foreign ministry building with its sign at the main entrance in Tokyo, Sept. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)

TOKYO (AP)  Japan lodged a formal protest via China's embassy against what it called an incursion by a Chinese survey ship into its territorial waters Saturday, the Japanese foreign ministry said.

The ministry expressed strong concern after the ship was spotted near Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, early in the morning.

The Chinese ship, confirmed in territorial waters at 6 a.m. local time, left shortly before 8 a.m., according to Japan's Defense Ministry, adding it was monitored by a Japanese military vessel and plane.

Recently, Chinas increasingly assertive activity around Japanese waters and airspace has caused unease among Japanese defense officials, also concerned about the growing military cooperation between the Chinese and Russian air forces.

This follows Tokyos protest after a Chinese military aircraft briefly entered Japanssouthwestern airspace on Monday. It was the first time the Japanese Self Defense Force detected a Chinese military aircraft in Japans airspace.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday his country had no intention to violate any countrys airspace.

Bilateral business ties between the two countries, as well as exchanges among scholars and business people among others, remain strong.

___

Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://x.com/yurikageyama
When the culture wars started, I was frequently irritated and amazed by those who insisted it was all just Right-wing media provocation. It was blazingly obvious everywhere, from mandatory workplace unconscious bias training to increasingly illiberal student campaigns, to the deranged stunts carried out with increasing regularity by Greta Thunbergs acolytes that it was anything but just that.

Even so, one could hide and take a break. One could go on a trip somewhere away from it all, leave London or student towns, turn off the news, change the subject.

That luxury is now gone. The spread of the toxin that binds so many evil ideas together is in such full flow that if sensible, decent people could formally holiday on an island of sanity, they now have an ever-diminishing patch of sand on which to crouch.

This is especially the case for Jews for whom the post-October 7 ordeal has just gone on and on. And on. For us, there is almost no dry sand left: not in the UK, not in Europe, and especially not in America, the place I grew up and which I regarded as respite from the anti-Israel bile and the Islamist Jew-hatred that has long been old hat across the pond.

We knew, as soon as news broke of Hamass attempted second Holocaust in Israel, that Israel would be blamed, sooner or later. It was sooner. And it wasnt just the mob, though they have done their bit in their tens of thousands on British streets. It was the great and the good: governments from Bidens to Macrons; veteran, award-winning war correspondents; pundits of great prestige and top statesmen.

But did we think it would go on and on, spreading and spreading, across culture low and high? We had our suspicions, and yet we hoped. We hoped the tide would turn. We hoped the anti-Israel bile, which bubbles every time Israel is forced to conduct a military campaign against Palestinian terrorist armies, would die down, not catch light. But it has caught, and caught.

In a sickening departure from my childhood years, its young Americans that are the most committed to the poisonous campaign of Israel hate. Having paused for the summer break, the vile campus Gaza protests have started up again, even more determined and ambitious.

At the University of Michigan last week, police were attacked and shouted at when they arrived to break up protests  four were arrested. But it goes deeper than that: the universitys student government won on an anti-Israel ticket and says it wont distribute its $1.3 million annual budget unless the university divests from Israel. No frisbee. No rugby. Because  the Jewish state persists in refusing to be annihilated.

Or take the Brooklyn bookstore that at the last minute refused to host an event between the Jewish writer Joshua Leifer (a critic of Israel) and a Zionist rabbi called Andy Bachman. Im still thinking about what it means that in a Jewish town like New York in a Jewish borough like Brooklyn and in a bookstore, a place that is a touchstone of culture for Jews, a talk between two Jews can get cancelled because one of them  yours truly!  is a Zionist, wrote Bachman.

Indeed. But this is the climate. Just when you think things cant get worse or more perverse, they do. The vehemence of the anti-Israel sentiment, and the rawness of the anti-Semitism it spawns, is just so diffuse now.

A few weekends ago, anti-Israel protesters berated the largely Jewish Fiddler on the Roof audience members having coffee before the show in Regents Park Open Air Theatre. Four months ago I wrote a light-hearted article about Netflixs Bridgerton, and the implausibility of the fat friend  played by the roly-poly actress Nicola Coughlan  winning the aristocratic Colins heart. The barrage of abuse I am still receiving from deranged fat-rights activists with too much time on their hands is infused with their adoration of Saint Nicolas trans activism and especially her fundraising for Gaza. In fact, the abuse has become as much about my pro-Israel stance as about my daring to describe a proudly and clearly fat celebrity as fat. Whats my point?

Only this: that things that ought to have nothing to do with the Jewish state are made to have everything to do with it. Thats how zealotry, and obsession, works.

What does it all mean really? Well, the extraordinary pressure being applied by the anti-Israel lobby in the West has already resulted in high-level appointments in UK and US governments of people willing to peddle or endorse lies about Israel, and thus to curb assistance and support, to appease their constituencies.

Israel, however, will find a way through and the geopolitical heat is already moving away from Gaza. Indeed, while Israel wraps things up militarily in the Hamas-run enclave, applying maximum pressure to get the hostages back, the focus is increasingly turning to Iran and its proxies in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq.

But to the banshees of the West, and particularly to Gen-Z, right across the political spectrum, from woke to alt-Right, nothing is moving on. Israel is an evil they are committed more and more to destroying in any way they can. They chant globalise the intifada and engage in electronic intifada  bullying, threatening and harassing supporters of Israel through enormous online campaigns.

For those of us with no political power, or levers to pull, what this means is adjusting to life with a parade of shocking malignity and spiteful bullying that gets more brazen, and more diverse, every day.

The result? Hunkering down on the slip of sand left to us, the support for Israel from Jews like me is only growing stronger.

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Former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton listens to then-President Donald Trump at a news conference in 2019. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

The ad looks like any political TV attack ad: Gray, grainy images. Big, bold words that convey negative information. Pictures of scary, rogue international leaders.

The ad, which began airing this week, targets Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. But it doesnt come from Alsobrooks Republican opponent, former Gov. Larry Hogan.

Instead, its paid for by the John Bolton PAC, the political action committee of John Bolton, former President Donald Trumps one-time national security adviser, and the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under former President George W. Bush.

The 30-second spot has a female narrator and is interspersed with pictures of crime scenes and crime statistics.

Since Angela Alsobrooks took over, violent crime, homicides, carjackings, property crime, the narrator says, with graphics showing them rising. If you live in Prince Georges County, you already know it, or youre a victim yourself. Alsobrooks answer is lies and excuses.

The images then switch to pictures of foreign leaders: Vladimir Putin of Russia, Xi Jinping of China, and Ayatollah Sayid Ali Khamenei of Iran.

If she backs down to local criminals, will she stand up to international threats like these guys? the narrator asks. Angela Alsobrooks  too soft, too inexperienced for dangerous times.

But Alsobrooks was up with a new TV ad of her own this week, reiterating the oft-repeated Democratic talking point that Hogan is, in fact, a Republican.

The 30-second spot doesnt offer much context, featuring footage of Hogan in several TV interviews from the past few years. It seeks to remind people that while he may be a critic of former President Donald Trump, he is nevertheless a loyal Republican.

The capper: An interview with Axios earlier this year. Asked if he plans to caucus with Republicans if hes elected to the Senate, Hogan replies, Of course I am, Im a lifelong Republican.

The ad ends with the standard disclaimer from the Democrat: Im Angela Alsobrooks, and I approved this message.

Boltons ad buy is part of a more than $1 million investment he is making in the Senate race on Hogans behalf, though the PAC and the former governors campaign cannot coordinate activities. The PAC said Boltons ads are currently being seen on connect television, cable TV, social media, YouTube TV and YouTube, and satellite radio platforms.

Most people probably dont remember that Bolton, 75, is a native Baltimorean, the son of a firefighter and a homemaker who grew up in the city at the Baltimore County line, near Catonsville. He won a scholarship to the prestigious McDonough School, where he headed a Students for Goldwater chapter during the 1964 presidential election. Later, as a Yale Law School student, he interned with then-Vice President Spiro Agnew, a Marylander.
ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD)  Tyler Givens, a 25-year-old from Johns Island, has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 murder of Donovan Smalls, a 20-year-old Benedict College student.

The sentencing follows a week-long trial in Orangeburg County, where Givens was convicted of multiple charges, including murder, assault, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

The incident occurred on April 14, 2019, at a house party on Summers Avenue in Orangeburg. Surveillance footage showed nearly 100 people at the event when, shortly after 2:00 a.m., gunfire erupted, sending attendees scrambling for safety. Smalls, who was studying electrical engineering, was shot in the head as he tried to flee and tragically died at the scene. A female student from Claflin University was also injured but survived after being shot in the chest.

During the trial, Senior Assistant Solicitor Phil Giese described the chaotic scene as a war zone in which Givens actively participated. Evidence presented in court included video footage showing Givens retrieving a handgun from his vehicle before firing ten shots into the crowd. He then fled the scene in his vehicle.

Despite testimony from defense expert Kenny Kinsey, who argued that it was scientifically impossible for Givens to have been the shooter, the jury found Givens guilty on all counts after just two hours of deliberation.

At the sentencing, the mother of Donovan Smalls spoke about her ongoing grief, mentioning how she accepted her sons diploma in his place during what would have been his graduation ceremony. Benedict College honored Smalls by leaving an empty chair with his cap and gown at the ceremony.

Judge Heath Taylor, who presided over the case, voiced his concerns about the increasing violence among young people, warning that if this trend continues, Half of young men will be dead while the other half are in prison. Givens will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Solicitor Phil Giese, Assistant Solicitor Mark Hinds, and Senior Litigation Counsel Bethany Miles. The Solicitors Office expressed gratitude to the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the victims families for their strength and support throughout the investigation and trial.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.
The U.S. military and Iraq targeted Islamic State group militants in a joint raid Friday that left at least 15 people dead, and seven U.S. troops hurt in Western Iraq.

Five U.S. troops were injured in the raid that took place Thursday, while two of them suffered injuries from falls that occurred during the operation, The Associated Press reported, citing a U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official also noted that one wounded soldier had to be evacuated for additional treatment while one who suffered the fall had to be moved out of the region, per the AP.

The raid, first reported by NBC News, resulted in the death of 15 ISIS operatives, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement posted late Friday.

The operatives were armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive suicide belts. There was no indication of civilian casualties, according to CENTCOM.

This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond, the military agency said in the statement, adding that Iraqi Security Forces continue to further exploit the locations raided.

There is no indication of civilian casualties, CENTCOM wrote.

The AP also highlighted a statement from the Iraqi military following the raid, which said airstrikes targeted the hideouts, followed by an airborne operation.

Among the dead were key ISIS leaders, the military said, but did not identify the casualties. All hideouts, weapons and logistical support were destroyed, explosive belts were safely detonated and important documents, identification papers and communication devices were seized.

The news comes as threats from terrorist groups such as the Islamic State have been spiking worldwide for three years after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan. ISIS has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks this year across the world, from Turkey to Iran and Russia.

ISIS-affiliated actors also carried out a stabbing attack in Germany this month and threatened a Taylor Swift concert in Austria.

CENTCOM said in July that the militant group was accountable for 153 attacks in Syria and Iraq in the first half of this year and was on pace to more than double the total number of attacks it claimed in 2023.

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WEST JORDAN, Utah (ABC4)  The Jordan River Commission kicked off their Get to the River Festival today, Aug. 30 in West Jordan.

The festival is set to run throughout September, according to the Jordan River Commission.

READ NEXT: Social media threats cancel rivalry game between Timpview and Provo High

This also coincides with the commissions launch of a major river bank and watershed restoration initiative funded primarily through a recent America the Beautiful Challenge Grant, awarded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation,

The nearly $5 million federal grant, matched by state and local government contributions,

private donations, and in-kind support from the Jordan River Commission, the Utah Division of

Forestry, Fire & State Lands, and thousands of anticipated volunteers, will invest over $7 million

in riparian wildlife habitat restoration, the press release states.

The commission also states that this project will be a big undertaking.

This will be the largest single, coordinated riparian restoration effort ever around Utah`s Jordan River, and will support a continued focus on the ecological health of the Utah Lake, Jordan River and Great Salt Lake watershed, the release said.

This is a significant step towards a revitalized future for the Jordan River, Kim Shelley,

Executive Director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality said. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality is the lead grant recipient, of which Shelly will manage.

Im grateful for the partnership of the Jordan River Commission, West Jordan City, Utah Forestry Fire and State Lands, and the National Audubon Society in championing investments in the health of this waterway. Together, were embarking on a journey to restore and rejuvenate this habitat, while fostering sustainable ecosystems for generations to come, Shelly said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
A fast-moving lawsuit over a ballot initiative to end Idahos closed party primaries is headed for a hearing about whether the case can be wrapped up quickly without a trial.

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador sued a coalition backing the measure to stop it from making it on the November general election ballot in Idaho. The initiative would create a nonpartisan primary open to all voters, who would pick the top four candidates to move on to the general election. Voters would then rank their candidates in order of preference in the general election.

Fourth Judicial District Judge Patrick Miller gave Labrador a boost by agreeing to hold a hearing Wednesday, Sept. 4, to consider his request for summary judgment. If granted, the summary judgment would allow Miller to issue a decision on whether the initiative appears on the election ballot without a trial.

We appreciate the courts expedited scheduling for this case as we requested, and giving this matter the attention it deserves, a spokesperson for Labrador, Dan Estes, told the Idaho Statesman by email.

But while Miller said he aimed to keep an open mind as the case proceeded, he indicated that he may be unlikely to side with the attorney generals arguments, and may be unable to assess the case on such a short timeline.

Lawsuits usually take months or years to resolve, but this court will only have weeks to consider the matter before the election happens. The case has already pushed well past an Aug. 8 deadline when Secretary of State Phil McGrane said he had to produce a voter pamphlet about the initiative.

The attorney general has a heavy burden under summary judgment, Miller told the attorneys, referring to the legal standards that parties have to prove for a case to go their way. Right now Im thinking youve got a big hill to climb to get there.

Miller added that he was perturbed by the implications of the lawsuit, which would be catastrophic to the signature-gatherers if he ruled in their favor and excised their measure from the November ballot. He also said he wasnt sure there is a legal mechanism for him to do so at this late date, after the secretary of state has already approved it.

Since Labrador first took on the ballot measure this summer, he has been working against a ticking clock, with the election less than eight weeks away. His attorneys have asked the court to deal with the case on an extremely expedited timeline.

Miller said he hopes to get a better sense of the parties arguments at the hearing next week, but that he may end up determining that he still needs more time to rule on the matter. The lawsuit rests on the attorney generals contention that volunteers used deceptive language to advocate for reestablishing an open primary, which is more specifically a top-four primary.

This entire initiative is based around false statements, Alan Hurst, the attorney generals solicitor general, told the court.

Deborah Ferguson, the lawyer for the coalition backing the initiative, Idahoans for Open Primaries, called the lawsuit against her clients a real head-scratcher that has so far proceeded in an unorthodox manner. The group has denied the attorney generals allegations.

Ferguson said the Attorney Generals Office ought to have brought its deception allegations to light sooner, and that while four Idaho residents have said they were misled by the petition in court filings, if true, the attorney general still needed evidence of more than 12,000 other instances to invalidate enough signatures to render the petition below the minimum signature threshold.

Miller said at the hearing that he suspected many people who signed the petition understood and supported it.

Initiative would create open, nonpartisan primaries

If passed by voters, the initiative would end the more than decadelong period since the Idaho Republican Party closed its primaries. That arrangement allows only registered GOP voters to participate in their primary, which in Idaho often determines the outcome of the general election.

Labradors lawsuit argues that the open primaries description is inaccurate and that Idahoans for Open Primaries obtained signatures deceptively by concealing the ranked choice voting part. His court action asks the court to throw out the thousands of signatures that have been collected.

The attorney general initially took the Idahoans for Open Primaries to the Idaho Supreme Court in July, but the court dismissed his lawsuit earlier in August, ruling that allegations about deceived voters needed to be handled in the lower courts.

That led him to refile his case in Boise days later. His lawsuit includes statements from several voters  at least three of whom are affiliated with the states Republican Party  arguing that they attended an event held by the signature-gatherers and did not feel the initiative was properly described to them.

The organizers of the initiative have called the lawsuit nothing more than an attempt to interfere with the election, Luke Mayville, a spokesperson for Idahoans for Open Primaries, told the Idaho Statesman in a written statement. Labrador has previously said on social media that the initiative contains bad ideas coming from liberal outside groups.

The AG believes that he, and not the people of Idaho, should decide the issue of open primaries, Mayville said.

Mayville said he felt the lawsuit is certain to fail because his argument has no basis in the facts.
1. Yes. They look better and require less maintenance. Most high-end housing areas have them.

2. Yes. Wood fences can weather and look unsightly, plus masonry walls help to block sound.

3. No. Residents should have a choice of what kind of barriers are put up near their homes.

4. No. Allowing a variety of materials will be better for aesthetics, and costs may be lower.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say. Masonry walls may be sturdier, but mandating them is problematic.

Vote

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After a junior medic was raped and killed, Indias women doctors are finally having their MeToo moment

Activists shout slogans and display a banner during a protest rally to condemn the rape and murder of a doctor in Indias West Bengal state, in Kolkata on 25 August 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

Doctor Aileen Souza* was examining a patient at a bustling private hospital in Indias southern state of Tamil Nadu when a senior male colleague approached her from behind and rubbed up against her.

There was enough space for at least 10 people to queue up behind me. And yet, my senior came and rubbed his d*** against my b*** in public, Souza, who was 25 when she began her internship at the hospital, tells The Independent.

Born to parents who were doctors and alumni from the same prestigious medical college she attended in the southern city of Vellore, Souza says she entered the profession with a certain sense of security. That illusion was quickly shattered, as she was sexually harassed and assaulted by several colleagues over the years. She says it made her aware of her vulnerabilities as a woman despite the privilege of class, and where it leaves others who are not from similar backgrounds.

Three years after her ordeal shes speaking out, emboldened by the national outcry over the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the eastern city of Kolkata. More than a million doctors in India went on strike this month amid snowballing protests over the 9 August rape and murder of a resident medic who had settled down for a nap in a lecture hall after working nearly 20 hours of a 36-hour shift at the government-run RG Kar Medical College.

Since then, junior doctors have taken to the streets in protest, demanding justice and better workplace safety for women in hospitals. This comes amid what is being seen as a second wave of the #MeToo movement in India as women actors in a southern film industry speak up about systemic sexual abuse by top professionals, emboldened by a government-appointed fact-finding committee backing their allegations.

The Independent spoke to almost a dozen women doctors about their experiences working in hospitals across India, and all described an environment where sexual harassment is rampant. Their names have been changed to protect their identity in keeping with strict Indian laws that do not allow the victims of sexual crimes to be named.

I was an intern in the emergency department, assisting a junior consultant when it happened, Souza says.

Medical students, doctors and members of the civil society attend a candlelight protest march as they demand justice after an alleged rape and murder incident in Kolkata, India, on 23 August 2024 (EPA)

She remembers being frozen in shock at the senior doctors inappropriate conduct. It was clear to everyone present that his actions served no purpose other than to harass me."

She chose not to speak out at the time, intimidated by the perpetrators position of power and the lack of a reliable redressal mechanism. "As a consultant, he could easily damage my reputation and discredit me. I feared he would spread rumours that I was a troublemaker, always complaining and raising allegations.

Indian laws require all workplaces to have systems in place to address sexual harassment complaints, but a recent analysis by the Udaiti Foundation found that 59 per cent of companies were not compliant. Specific data for hospitals and clinics in India is not publicly available.

I felt violated and confused, wondering what I had done to encourage this behaviour," Souza says.

Medical professionals and students hold placards as they take part in a protest in New Delhi on 21 August 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

On 20 August, Indias Supreme Court created a hospital safety task force to recommend steps to ensure medical workers safety. If women cannot go to a place of work and be safe, then we are denying them the basic conditions of equality, said Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.

The court suggested the doctor-led task force consider sweeping reforms to make medical establishments safer for staff, including separate break rooms for female staff, adequate lighting across the campus, CCTV coverage, and the creation of employee panels to conduct quarterly safety audits.

The need for workplace safety for female medical professionals has been reiterated in a letter by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to prime minister Narendra Modi. It is for the authorities to provide for the safety of doctors inside hospitals and campuses, it said while listing a set of demands, including assured security and restricted duty hours.

Medical professionals and students take part in a protest rally against the rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata on 21 August 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

We appeal to you for your intervention. This will give confidence to not only women doctors but also to every woman in [the] workplace. Sixty per cent of Indian doctors are women. This percentage is as high as 68 per cent in the dental profession, 75 per cent in physiotherapy and 85 per cent in nursing. All healthcare professionals deserve peaceful ambience, safety, and security at the workplace, the IMA said.

Lavanya Biswas, 32, a medical professional from Kolkata, says a senior colleague at a hospital in Vellore in 2017 threatened her with physical assault after she rejected his sexual advances.

She says he started to target her religion after the rejection. "He got quite offended that I have changed my religion ... and began to make nasty comments about my faith," she says.

One day, while she was struggling to take a blood sample from a newborn  a rather difficult procedure  she says he commented, Oh! where is your Jesus?

She asked him to keep things professional between them but his behaviour continued to worsen. The situation came to a head when they were on night duty together. "Only the two of us were there at night in the ward and we were doing the night rounds, when he asked, Why are you not talking to me? I told him that if you keep troubling me, Im going to complain against you."

The seniors response was menacing. He allegedly responded, Oh, you want to complain against me? Then Im going to hit you. So that its worth the complaint".

The Indian Medical Association announced a nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine in all sectors from 6am on Saturday, 17 August, for 24 hours with all essential and emergency services remaining operational (EPA)

Biswas stood her ground but the experience left her shaken and fearing for her safety.

Today, she regrets not reporting the incident out of the fear of being victim-blamed. "I felt that... Ill be the one in trouble... The culture is to put everything under the carpet and make everything hush-hush... I already feel cornered... I didnt want to ruin my tenure and get a bad name."

Dr Himani Iyer, a 28-year-old resident doctor at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, narrates a terrifying experience of stalking.

There was a person with long hair in a red car who started chasing me during Holi, says the PGIMS student, referring to the Hindu festival of colours traditionally celebrated around March.

After this continued for a while, she asked the hostel guards to stop the car. That day, the car was stopped outside the boys hostel, says Iyer. But from the next day onwards the driver  a man  started following her from her hostel to her workplace, the pathology department.

The driver also waited for her to finish work, she says. Since there is free access for everybody inside the campus, it could be anyone, Iyer says. Initially it caused me a lot of anxiety. I could not get a hold of myself to take a picture of the car or note the number.

I did not lodge a complaint and did not know where to seek help. Because going directly to the police did not feel like the first thing I could do, she says. The police in India routinely accept that minor cases will never work their way through the courts. They instead often mete out their own summary justice, whether that be through mediation or simply beating the suspects and then refusing to register complaints.

Even the most serious and high-profile offences in India take many years to reach a conclusion when taken through the courts. Iyer says that when she finally noted the cars number and went to the police, they did not file her complaint.

They were telling me that I should confront my stalker, she says, which she firmly refused to do.

I said no, I cannot do that. Im not from here (the same state). I dont understand the local ways either. So I would like the police to act. So, they tracked down his number. I think the police had a word with him and after that, it stopped.

Iyer, who voiced the need for campus safety at a protest organised at PGIMS Rohtak against the Kolkata rape and murder case, says: Its not easy to go to the police right away and even though it got sorted out for me, there are younger students, the undergrad people, and going to the police will not be the first thing anybody would think about.

If you interact with any of the resident doctors, everybody has a fear inside them. None of the female doctors today want to go out alone. Everybody is trying to be in a group. Even I dont prefer walking alone after its eight or something. I try my best to get a friend [to accompany]me.

She says many women doctors such as herself are feeling very unsafe regarding the whole issue after the Kolkata incident.

Senior and resident doctors take part in a candlelight march during a protest and nationwide strike against the rape and murder of the woman doctor (Getty Images)

Ananya Kumar, an alumna of PGIMS, Rohtak, says she and her women colleagues were routinely subjected to everyday sexism. There was one incident during an anatomy class around a cadaver that left her shaken, she recalls.

We were all women, surrounding the table when a professor asked for a pair of gloves. So we asked him if he wanted the 6.5 size  which is a small pair. He said, Ok, give me 6-and-a-half-size gloves only... because it is a different kind of pleasure to put your fingers into small things  a horrific innuendo about a womans vagina.

Dr Umesh Yadav, assistant public relations officer at PGIMS, tells The Independent: I want to assure you on the behalf of PGIMS, we have an institutional committee for these things and that takes these comments very seriously. And let me tell you there has been an expulsion of the faculty member, also on similar grounds, a few years back.

Dr Yadav refers to the action taken by the institution in August against resident doctor Maninder Kaushik, who was accused of abducting and assaulting a 19-year-old student after she declined his advances.

In the present case, the university acted suo motu without any official complaint by the student or parents.

Medical students and doctors make a human chain during a protest as they demand justice (EPA)

The student was arrested by the police. Along with that there was expulsion  the maximum that an institution can do  has already been done. He adds that the campus has sanctioned funds for the installation of CCTV cameras and department heads have been directed to assist students in police complaints in cases of harassment.

Nearly 43 per cent of women experienced non-inclusive behaviour such as harassment or microaggressions and nearly half had concerns about their safety at work, or safety while travelling to work, according to an Economic Times article citing Deloittes 2024 Women @ Work report.

Reeza Dey, a 32-year-old doctor, says her estranged father sexually harassed junior employees in the privately-run hospital that he managed alongside her mother.

They used to hire nurses and lab technicians and I have seen my father harass the people working under him, she says of incidents going back to 2007, when Dey herself was in her early teens. She recalls nurses complaining that her father would stop them from leaving a room after assisting in a scan.

Though the matter reached her mother, who was also an administrator at the hospital, the resolution was far from fair. Unfortunately, the whole thing got the twist of infidelity rather than harassment, shares Dey, adding that it was an obvious case of workplace harassment.

Because she was married to him, she looked at it through the lens of infidelity, she says of her mother, with whom she is no longer in touch.

I want to talk about it because the men who harass women are also sometimes our brothers and fathers. I really feel the need to be very vocal about it because I know that people in my family have done this.

Relatives of patients wait as the medical students and doctors attend a protest in Kolkata, India, on 17 August 2024 (EPA)

She says her father would hold an accountant as she worked on a computer or put his hand over hers when she was working with the mouse.

While doctors are vulnerable to violence, Dey says the other workers in the hospital, especially at private clinics, are rarely better off. If your next paycheck is coming from the owner, then it is not an equal dynamic.

* All victims names have been changed to protect their identities
The worst of New York Citys worlds have collided on one Brooklyn block  where junkie squatters rented out an abandoned home to migrants, whose dozens of apparently stolen bikes and scooters sparked an inferno that scorched two neighboring homes, The Post has learned.

But even the Aug. 17 conflagration couldnt keep the squatters away from the East 36th Street abode in Marine Park.

For the next two days, people were coming back again and again, a 45-year-old neighbor told The Post, even after the city boarded up the second-floor windows and poured cement across the first-floor doors and windows.

Neighbors estimated around 10 junkies and an unknown number of migrant squatters frequented the dilapidated two-story, three-bedroom duplex, which was built in 1925.

Moshe Kabasso with Luly Kabasso on the front porch of the home they were forced to leave after a blaze started at a squatter home next door. J.C. Rice

The couple moved into the home in 2021 and have three small children. J.C. Rice

They were getting into fights with the neighbors and yelling, This is our house! This is our house! one resident of the block recalled, adding that she called the police each time she saw them in the days following the blaze.

The two-alarm fire, which took 106 firefighters to douse and injured three smoke-eaters, was sparked by an exploding e-battery at about 1:30 p.m. Flames quickly spread to homes on either side, displacing at least six people.

The abandoned house has bedeviled the otherwise quiet block since 2011, when 81-year-old owner Mortimer Falk died with no surviving relatives. The Brooklyn Public Administrator is handling the estate and the property.

The remnants from the fire with the damaged home as backdrop. J.C. Rice

Its just been so many years of trying to get people, officials, to pay attention to this and no one ever has, the 45-year-old neighbor lamented.

The home is valued at $729,300, according to Zillow.com. Calls to the public administrator were not returned.

One of the lithium ion batteries used in the scooters started the blaze, the FDNY said. J.C. Rice

Scooters, ebikes and other debris litter the backyard an alleyway of 1638 East 36th Street. J.C. Rice

The house has seen a revolving door of junkies and freeloaders, neighbors said.

Its been scary because sometimes I will get home at night alone, and there will be like four random men just sitting in their front yard, and I dont know who they are, a teenage girl who lives across the street told The Post.

Migrants, theyre new to the scene ever since Floyd Bennet Field, said a neighbor who requested anonymity out of fear for her safety, referring to the massive 2,000-bed shelter at the national park five miles away.

Firefighters who responded to the two-alarm blaze. ZUMAPRESS.com

Youve got your original 10 crackheads and then they started to bring in migrants and they were charging them $600 a month to stay there. Where are they getting that? Theyre robbing.

Robbery is up 12% from 72 to 81 so far this year in the 63rd Precinct.

Moshe Kabasso, 32, and his wife, Luly, 27, have shared a wall with the squatter home since 2021 but had to leave with their three young children when the city slapped a vacate order on the property following the blaze.

A ladder and other debris outside the boarded up home. J.C. Rice

Ever since we moved in, there were people coming in and out  random people  and its gotten much worse over the past few months, Kabasso said. Every time my kids would see them, they would cry  just the appearance of them and how they spoke.

One woman would yell I need my st! I need my st! referring to her drugs, he said.

He once heard a man banging on the door yelling, Give me my money! Im going to kill you!

The inside of the home that had been occupied by squatters. Obtained by The New York Post

His wife saw the squatters smoking what appeared to be crack pipes on the porch many times, she said.

We would hear them all hours of the night  from the moment we moved in  screaming fighting, really scary stuff, she said.

Through Aug. 30 this year, 18 complaints have been made to the citys 311 hotline about the squatter house, according to city data.

Three homes have been boarded up since the fire. J.C. Rice

The NYPD has responded 15 times to the house in just the last two weeks, a spokesperson said  one for a burglary in progress, one for a larceny in progress, one about a disorderly group and 12 other times.

On Aug. 15, outside of the house, cops arrested three people who were sitting inside a vehicle that had been stolen in the area on July 25. All three individuals were charged with auto grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.

Cops arrested another vehicle thief at the address on Aug. 18, and charged him with auto grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

Fire tore through the home after a scooters lithium ion battery exploded. ZUMAPRESS.com

An NYPD spokesperson said that the 63rd Precincts Commanding Officer has remained in contact with residents regarding complaints of trespassing at the location and that the precinct has added more patrol on the block.

This week, The Post observed at least seven scooters and ebikes, broken glass, and charred clothing, propane tanks and wood littering the homes alley and yard. A partly-burned mattress had somehow landed on the roof of an adjacent home, where windows were also boarded up because of the fire damage.

Video from inside the squatters home taken after the fire by a brave neighbor reveals a chaotic scene of disheveled beds and smashed furniture, names and phone numbers bizarrely scribbled on walls, and garbage strewn about.

The front of the home where the squatters lived. J.C. Rice

Guardian Angels founder and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa said the chaos could drive residents away.

This is going to cause people to put up the for-sale signs and leave, he said. We cant afford this.

Residents continue to worry about the return of the squatting hordes.

Neighbors believe the squatters stole the scooters. J.C. Rice

The fire caused extensive damage to the homes. J.C. Rice

Our fear is that they will find their way back here, said one neighbor.

Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse said her office was contacted about the ongoing and deeply troubling issue of squatters and drug activity on the property for the first time on the day of the fire.

More must be done to protect our neighborhoods from the dangers posed by neglected properties. I strongly support the need for stronger state laws that empower communities and homeowners to address the problem of squatting effectively, she said.

A mayoral spokesperson said, We are going to review laws surrounding squatting to protect homeowners in the city, particularly working-class New Yorkers, and we will look for ways to partner with the City Council to resolve this issue.
The Palace Hardware Building in downtown Erie is apparently asking tenants who live there to move out by the end of the month.

But several elderly and disabled people who live there say years of neglect have made it nearly impossible to leave their apartments, let alone move out.

It feels like a total neglection of everybody here. Its just pay your money, and thats it, said David Baker, helping wife move out of Palace Apartments.

The Palace Apartments at 913 State St. is used for low-income housing, and for many people, its been a safe haven for years.

New projects in the works for citys East Side Renaissance

But in July, tenants were told they would have to leave by the end of August.

JET 24/FOX 66 was told the apartments had been managed by Altair Reality, who we were unable to reach, but now, a bank owns the building.

This building has been up for sheriffs sale of taxes for three years, and we never knew it was a serious problem, Baker said.

Baker added that at one time, there were 33 apartments.

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Only 11 remained at the start of the month with his wife, who has had four back surgeries, being one of the few people left.

The real issue? Those who remain are elderly and disabled. And the only elevator in the building has been out since May.

Now, theyre being told to find a way to move out.

A fire escape that stretches all 10 floors of the building has been the only way people have been able to get their belongings out of the building.

EC3 awarded over $400K from the Shapiro administration

It hurts my heart to see these people, these elderly people walk up and down these stairs with a cane, struggling, sweating from the first two steps. Its just not right, said Jamie Witherspoon, helping move elderly and disabled out of Palace Apartments.

Tenants were given free rent for June and July, but had to pay for August.

Management gave tenants $500 for their troubles, but that wasnt enough to hire move-out crews and truck rentals.

The bills that my wife had, I added up last night, just to get to this point where were starting to get everything packed today is about $850, said Baker.

Climate action group visits Erie to highlight citys energy efficiency investments

Tenants also claim that the building suffered from flooding, mold and hasnt had a cleaning crew inside in a year.

The way that theyre treating these people just hurts my heart, Witherspoon said.

Its one of the most taxing things Ive ever been through, Baker said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.
Power cut off to 140 homes in Rancho Palos Verdes because of landslide danger

Severe landslide damage on Dauntless Drive near the Rancho Palos Verdes' Portuguese Bend community, where an evacuation warning has been issued due to electricity shut-offs on Sunday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Southern California Edison shut off power to 140 homes in the Portuguese Bend neighborhood of Rancho Palos Verdes on Sunday as continuing land movement created unsafe conditions, triggering an evacuation warning.

It was another blow to residents of the neighborhood, who lost gas service weeks ago.

The land movement there has created such a dangerous situation that we must make that difficult decision to disconnect power indefinitely, said David Eisenhauer, a SoCal Edison spokesperson.

Read more: Worsening landslide forces power cut to 105 more homes in Rancho Palos Verdes

We never want to have to turn off power unless we absolutely must, he said. In this case, we absolutely must. We have an obligation that's higher than providing electric service, and that obligation is safety: safety of the community and safety of our teams.

Eisenhauer declined to speculate on when or if power might be restored to the affected homes.

The conditions continue to evolve, he said. Our obligation is safety first.

The city has issued an evacuation warning for the neighborhood, which means residents need to start preparing to leave.

If you have animals, children, or need additional time evacuating, this is the time to leave, the city said on the social platform X. An evacuation order would mean that residents need to leave immediately.

"If and when we actually have to evacuate because it's hard for our residents to be there, we will work with the Sheriff's Department to go house to house and make sure that people that do remain, do so safely, City Councilman Dave Bradley said.

Pat Burt, a 52-year resident of the Portuguese Bend community, prepares after Sunday's evacuation warning. Burt and many of his neighbors are not evacuating and instead are gathering supplies to continue living in their homes. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Recently, land movement in the area has continued to be recorded at unprecedented rates: as much as a foot a week. That's created increasing challenges for residents, first responders, city officials and utilities, as infrastructure damage and safety concerns escalate.

The homes that lost power were notified Saturday of the impending shut-off. Those residents are the same ones who had their gas service cut almost a month ago.

Portuguese Bend resident Mike Hong said Saturday that he'd learned of the impending shut-off only an hour earlier.

"They are giving us even less time than the gas company," said Hong, who has been cooking with hot plates, an option that will end Sunday. "Don't abandon us. Where's the humanity in this?"

Moving containers sit outside a home in Rancho Palos Verdes' Portuguese Bend community, where an evacuation warning has been issued due to electricity shut-offs. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

SoCal Edison had warned residents that this was a possibility after gas service was cut. Eisenhauer said there wasnt one issue that led to this decision, but said it was made to keep the community safe.

On Thursday, a small fire ignited near Narcissa Drive in Portuguese Bend. Eisenhauer said it started after a power line fell and sparked nearby vegetation. Though the blaze was quickly extinguished, he said the incident demonstrated the perilous state of things.

We know this is a difficult time for Rancho Palos Verdes and weve been looking for ways to keep the power flowing, Eisenhauer said. At this point land movement has created such a dangerous situation that we must make the difficult decision to disconnect power indefinitely.

Eisenhauer said there are no other immediate plans to extend the power shut-off to nearby neighborhoods also facing land movement, but said its a fluid situation that the utility is monitoring constantly.

He said SoCal Edison will have a community crew vehicle in the neighborhood by Sunday with water and information for residents. He said the utility is not providing generators because the ground in most places is not stable enough to install them.

City officials have said that losing electricity would create new safety issues, because power is key for telecommunications lines, the sewer system and the fleet of pumps that help mitigate ongoing land movement by expelling the groundwater that geologists say causes it.

The neighborhood still has a working sewer system because the city installed portable generators procured by the Portuguese Bend Community Assn. to power the sewer lift system, City Manager Ara Mihranian said.

Officials with California Water Service, which provides the area with water, have said they have no plans to discontinue their service, but it isnt yet clear if that might have changed in recent days.

Effectively responding to the slide will require outside assistance, Councilman Bradley said.

This is much bigger than the city itself, and without help from our partners at the county, state and federal level we can't come up with real solutions to retard the land movement, he said.

Southern California Edison, which shut off power Sunday in Portuguese Bend due to unsafe conditions created by landslides, set up a community resource center in the neighborhood. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A minor is facing charges after making an unfounded bomb threat Friday, according to the Rowan County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies were called to East Rowan High School just before 12:30 p.m. on August 30 after the threat was reportedly emailed to school staff. Students and staff were evacuated while deputies searched the school. Nothing suspicious was found.

How dare you?: Moms block alleged impaired CMS school bus driver

Officials say two explosives detection K-9s with the Cabarrus County Sheriffs Office also searched the school and could not find anything suspicious. Once the building was found to be safe, students and staff went back in.

That afternoon, Deputies got a tip as to who made the threat. It was later confirmed that the juvenile named in the tip had made the bomb threat, and the minor was charged on a juvenile referral.

The Rockwell and Granite Quarry-Faith Police Departments and the Rowan

County Rescue Squad, Fire and EMS also help during the incident.

Rowan-Salisbury Schools began school on August 8.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Governor Kelly held a ceremonial signing of the Good Samaritan law passed this year to protect Kansans from prosecution if they call 911 for an overdose.

Inside the Capitol, a large Vietnam Wall-inspired memorial recognizes over 6,000 names of Americans who have died from Fentanyl. Advocates like Amber Saale-Burger, who lost four family members to fentanyl, say laws like this one will save people from adding their name to the wall.

Third person arrested in connection to south Topeka shooting

In Kansas, multiple families talked about their loved ones who overdosed by themselves. Later it was discovered that they were abandoned by their friends, who were also under the influence or had drug paraphernalia, in fear of being arrested for drug crimes.

They dont have to be scared as long as theyre cooperating and acting in good faith, they can call 911 and theyre going to be granted immunity, Saale-Burger said. You always think Not me, not my kid, Ive educated my kid. Well, it could be you, it could be your kid.

Throughout the legislative session, families testified about the heartbreak of knowing their child could have been saved. If only their friends did the right thing.

Former Emporia police officer arrested on rape charge

If it hasnt affected you, I can see how you can kind of think this is a useless law, these people dont want saving, they dont want help, but thats not the case at all, Saale-Burger said. We have to love people where theyre at and we have to help them and give them a chance to stay alive so that they can realize how loved they are.

Before this law was signed into law, Kansas was just one of two states without a Good Samaritan law. This prompted lawmakers to unanimously pass a bill they believe will save lives.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  Nurses at Kapiolani Medical Center may strike for the second time this year. Over Labor Day weekend, they will vote on whether to walk off the job.

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If the majority approves the strike, their union will provide the hospital with a 10-day notice.

The nurses previously went on strike for one week in January.

400 nurses strike at Kapiolani Medical Center for better work conditions

Contract talks have been ongoing since September, with concerns centering primarily on the patient-to-staff ratio.

Kapiolani Medical Center officials have stated they are committed to bargaining in good faith and continue to focus on patient

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Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children continues to bargain in good faith by addressing the priorities of our nurses so they can benefit from a new contract. We value our nurses and, as always, we are focused on providing quality care for the families in our community. We remain committed to serving our patients.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy will stay on the North Carolina ballot, according to the State Board of Elections, despite his recent decision to withdraw from battleground ballots and support former President Trump.

The State Board of Elections on Thursday rejected a request from the We The People Party to remove its nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., from the general election ballot, because it would not be practical to reprint ballots that have already been printed and meet the state law deadline to start absentee voting, a press release reads.

The State Board scheduled an emergency meeting for Thursday to consider the request, the board said later in the release. A majority of the Board determined it was too late in the process to change course and prepare and print new ballots across the state.

The election board also featured the document from Kennedys party that requested he and his running mate Nichole Shanahan be removed from the ticket in the Tar Heel state.

The news comes after the independent candidate announced he would suspend his campaign in the swing states that could decide the election against Trump. Kennedy said he would stay on the ballot in most red and blue states.

He joined the former president at a rally in Arizona earlier this month, where Trump welcomed him into the fold. Kennedy also announced earlier this week that he had been asked to join the GOP nominees transition team.

North Carolina wasnt the first state to decline to remove Kennedy from the ballot. Both Michigan and Wisconsin, also key swing-states in the 2024 presidential election, also shot down the request.

Minor party candidates cannot withdraw, so his name will remain on the ballot in the November election, Cheri Hardmon, senior press secretary for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, said in a Tuesday statement to Axios.

The Hill has reached out to the We The People Party of North Carolina and the Kennedy campaign for comment.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Kevin Goodwin pleads guilty to disorderly conduct for role in fight outside Gilley's

PORTSMOUTH  Kevin Goodwin, the brother of former Portsmouth police sergeant Aaron Goodwin, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct this week for his actions during an alleged assault outside Gilley's Diner last November.

The charges against Kevin Goodwin alleged he shoved two bystanders, who appeared to be Black and Asian-American, when they attempted to intervene as Aaron Goodwin allegedly assaulted Mamadou Dembele, a Portsmouth man and bank executive who is Black, according to court documents.

Kevin Goodwin pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a violation offense, in Portsmouth District Court on Aug. 26. Prosecutors dropped a more serious charge of simple assault.

Portsmouth police started the investigation into a November 2023 incident outside Gilley's before turning it over to New Hampshire State Police.

Kevin Goodwin, 41, of Dundalk, Maryland, his wife, Shannon Goodwin, and brother Aaron Goodwin were all charged in relation to the incident outside of Gilleys in downtown Portsmouth the evening before Thanksgiving 2023. When the charges were filed, Kevin Goodwin was alleged to have knowingly engaged in fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior, in a public place, to wit Gilley's Diner parking lot, by arguing and pushing an unidentified Black male, in addition to allegedly causing unprivileged physical contact with the unknown Black man by pushing him in the chest, per court records.

In December, Dembele went public with allegations the assault was motivated by racism, and the community rallied to support him and his call for justice.

In March, when state police announced charges against the three Goodwins, Dembele was listed as the victim of Aaron Goodwin. The former police sergeant was also charged with simple assault, with court records claiming he violently slammed Dembele to the ground, in addition to disorderly conduct.

For his guilty plea to disorderly conduct, Kevin Goodwin has been ordered to pay a $500 fine, in addition to a $120 statutory penalty assessment, according to his disposition and sentencing form. Judge John Pendleton presided over Goodwins case, approved the guilty plea and subsequent fines, and signed off on the prosecutions decision to drop the simple assault charge against him.

Andrew Cotrupi, attorney for Kevin Goodwin, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. The case was prosecuted by New Hampshire State Police and Joachim Barth of the Strafford County attorneys office.

Aaron Goodwins case is headed to bench trial in Hampton District Court in September.

More local news: Portsmouth home owners face 'shocking' property revaluations: How taxes will be affected

Robin Melone, attorney for Mamadou Dembele, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

Shannon Goodwin was charged with three counts of simple assault and a count of disorderly conduct following the incident.

New Hampshire State Police have not announced whether Shannon Goodwin has turned herself in on the non-extraditable arrest warrant. She could only be brought into custody if she were to return to the state.

A spokesperson for New Hampshire State Police was unavailable for comment.

The simple assault charges filed against the three Goodwins are Class A misdemeanors and the disorderly conduct counts are violations.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kevin Goodwin pleads guilty for role in fight outside Gilley's
DUNLAP, Ill. (WMBD)  A local middle school was given an energizing start to their morning with a positive message Wednesday.

Dunlap Valley Middle School was visited by the Be Kind crew, an organization from Arizona that tours the country talking to kids at different schools about online etiquette.

The group delivers its message with a mix of music, dance and skits.

At the end, they have a moment called real talk where kids share times theyve seen unkind behavior online, and what they did to try and prevent it.

Fans brought in at Dunlap Middle School as students, staff cope with no air conditioning

One of the groups members shares why the Be Kind crew does what they do.

We have three focuses being kind to our be kind pledge, Anthony A-Kellz Kelly said, the director of creative content for Be Kind. Ten skills we believe if you follow every day, its spreads intentional kindness to others. Today we are doing our hashtag cyber skills assembly, so how to be kind online and navigate that better.

Kelly also shared the response of students to the rally.

I think the students have been awesome, he said. 6th to 8th grade is a tough, tough cookie to crack, and they were really attentive. We had like no air in here on a Friday for one, and theyve been sitting for a long time in the morning. So I think we did a good job. I think they did a good job of grasping the message as well

If youd like to book the Be Kind crew for your school, you can find that link here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.
Kremlin wages campaign to justify Putin's falling rating over situation in Kursk  ISW

Experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have noted that the Kremlin is conducting a sophisticated information campaign to justify the fall in Russian leader Vladimir Putin's rating due to the Ukrainian operation in Russias Kursk Oblast.

Source: ISW

Details: American analysts pointed out that Russian state sociological agencies have acknowledged some growth in Russians' dissatisfaction with Putin and the Russian government in the wake of Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast.

The Public Opinion Foundation, a Russian state-owned sociological institution, published a poll on 30 August conducted on 25 August that showed 28% of respondents expressed outrage or dissatisfaction with the actions of the Russian authorities over the past month.

Experts said that this is up from 25% and 18% in polls conducted by the foundation on 11 August and 28 July respectively.

Respondents to the survey have not expressed such a high level of dissatisfaction since a poll conducted in November 2022, after the first month of unpopular partial mobilisation in Russia.

The Russian Public Opinion Research Centre, another state-run agency, said Putin's approval rating fell by 3.5% to 73.6% between 12 and 18 August. ISW notes that this is a record drop in Putin's rating, even among Kremlin sociologists, since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The Russian Public Opinion Research Centre released its latest poll on Putin's approval rating on 30 August, showing an additional 1.2% drop to 72.4% between 19 and 25 August.

Quote: "These polls from Russian state-owned polling agencies do not suggest particularly pronounced discontent nor are they reliable reflections of the actual sentiments in Russian society.

The polls do suggest, however, that the Kremlin assesses that it must recognise that societal discontent has risen since the start of Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast."

More details: It was noted in the review that the Kremlin likely hoped that limited acknowledgement of public discontent would protect it from accusations of ignoring Russian public concern over the Ukrainian invasion.

Quote: "The Kremlin appears to have launched an intricate messaging campaign aimed at justifying to its domestic audience why Russia is prioritising the maintenance of offensive operations in eastern Ukraine over immediately expelling Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast, and limited acknowledgments of discontent may be a part of this campaign."

To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 30 August:

European Union (EU) member state officials continue to express divergent views about Ukraine's ability to use European-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russia.

Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian and Russian forces made marginal gains in Kursk Oblast on 30 August.

Russian state-owned polling agencies are recognising limited upticks in Russian domestic discontent towards Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Russian authorities amid the Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast.

Venezuela extradited Colombian citizens who fought as members of the Ukrainian military to Russia, demonstrating growing Russian-Venezuelan cooperation and Venezuelan support for Russia's war.

Hungary and Russia continue to deepen their bilateral cooperation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk as Ukrainian Air Force Commander on 30 August.

Russian forces recently advanced near Svatove, Pokrovsk, and the city of Donetsk.

French outlet Le Monde reported on 30 August 30 that about 100 mercenaries from the Bears private military company from Russia departed Burkina Faso to join Russian forces fighting in Kursk Oblast.

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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  As Labor Day weekend approaches, people on the Grand Strand can expect to see a drop in prices when filling their tanks.

Nationwide throughout the summer, all states have seen a significant drop in prices, according to GasBuddy Petroleum Analysist Patrick De Haan.

De Haan said that nationally, the average sits at $3.33. He predicts the national Labor Day weekend price to be $3.27.

But in Myrtle Beach, prices are even lower, with the average price sitting at $2.99, a 40-cent drop from last year and the lowest its been since March.

De Haan said this is due to South Carolina having lower gas taxes compared to other states across the country. Though being in the midst of hurricane season can disrupt the flow of gasoline from refineries if ventured into the gulf.

Think the fact that gasoline taxes are lower in South Carolina and you have Colonial Pipeline, which is essentially a spigot that connects gasoline from Gulf Coast refineries up the East Coast, he said. So, that certainly helps as well. All in all, its been a quieter summer when it comes to gasoline demand. Thats part of why gas prices are lower than last year.

De Haan said that as prices drop, Americans can start to rely on this lower trend. He said that some days may tweak up and down, but especially heading into the weekend, saving your wallet at the pump hasnt been this good since Labor Day weekend in 2021.

Weve kind of weathered the storm from COVID and Russias war in Ukraine. So, were starting to get back into familiar territory, he said. And Americans are spending a lot less money on gasoline as a result. In fact, just over the four-day Labor Day weekend, Americans are going to be spending about three-quarters of $1 billion less on gasoline than just last year.

De Haan also said that Myrtle Beach residents could possibly even see prices 25 cents lower come Thanksgiving.

* * *

Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here.

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What Labor Day travel could look like on the Grand Strand

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  Labor Day is a busy travel time for the Grand Strand, with Myrtle Beach International Airport anticipating more than 36,000 scheduled departing seats, an 18% increase from 2023.

Jeff and Leslie Cosenza of Buffalo said they flew Delta Airlines.

We landed this afternoon and are staying about ten minutes from the airport, we took an Uber here, Jeff said.

For the second year in a row, the Cosenzas flew into the Grand Strand for the holiday. The couple said besides their plane being full, they didnt run into any airport crowds or problems.

Its a nice, long weekend at the end of summer, Leslie said. We wanted to see the ocean before we go home and get ready for fall. Its also our anniversary tomorrow.

The Cosenzas, as well as other visitors, say theyre looking forward to a nice, warm and relaxing vacation.

AAA Director of Public Affairs Tiffany Wright highlighted why this is a popular time to travel.

Right now, airfare is reduced. Id say a 2% decrease from what we were paying this time last year, she said. Also, with kids back in school, people are taking regional trips. Youre seeing lots of road trips, people staying close to home because, you know, children are already back in school.

Wright said a lot of people are using this weekend as a make-up trip since some vacations were canceled due to Tropical Storm Debby.

For those of us who will be traveling via air, I would give yourself a little bit more extra time. What I mean by that is we always say, 2 hours for domestic and 3 hours for international, but I would probably pad that, Wright said. Add an extra 30 minutes to make sure you can get through those security lines.

Wright said although some may be spending money this Labor Day, youre saving at the pump.

According to Gasbuddy, gas prices are up about eight cents from last week, but the average gas price is down almost 40 cents from this time last year.

Gasbuddy reminds those who are crossing state lines this weekend to fill up before traveling. Officials said other states may have higher gas prices.

* * *

Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here.

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Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves cannot resist getting their mitts on what appears to be a large pile of money - Justin Tallis/AFP

The Left are nothing if not ruthless.

Unsatiated by Chancellor Rachel Reevess decision to scrap the universal winter fuel payment, which would have elicited outcry from Labour had the Tories advanced it, they now want a raid on pensions to plug the 22bn black hole.

A new report from the Fabian Society, the Left-wing think tank, is calling for the Government to cut the amount of money pensioners can take out of their retirement pots without paying tax, from 268,000 to 100,000, and levy inheritance tax on pensions.

Worse still, it is recommending that we introduce a flat rate of pension tax relief of 25-30pc.

Currently, taxpayers do not pay tax when they put money into their pensions for a simple reason: theyre taxed on it when it pays out in retirement.

Creating a flat rate would punish high earners  who often dont feel like high earners because theyve only moved into the tax bracket due to fiscal drag. They would be taxed when they pay in (if they were paying 40pc tax and only receiving 30pc relief), and then taxed again when they withdraw their pension.

Many will ask: why save for retirement when it means paying more to the Inland Revenue? I suspect a fair few will wonder whether its worth going for that extra pay rise. Labour may tax their way to Angela Rayners four-day work week.

Tinkering with pensions strips people of the certainty they need to plan for their futures. Individuals should be encouraged to save in an institutional form that the Government ensures is locked up until retirement, otherwise theres little incentive to save.

Instead, at a time when the state pension is becoming increasingly economically unsustainable, the Government is considering ways to discourage people further.

Its depressingly predictable short-termism from an administration that has endlessly promised to make painful decisions for the long-term good. The Fabian Society believes its recommendations could net the Exchequer at least 10bn  roughly the same amount that Keir Starmer has bunged at public sector workers.

For the Left, however, this is a question of fairness. Over half of the tax relief on employer and employee pension contributions went to the top fifth of income taxpayers last year, they say.

But that is not surprising. Most tax is paid by higher-rate taxpayers  an ever-expanding group thanks to fiscal drag. And much as we may want 25-year-olds to think seriously about retirement, pension contributions tend to go up later in life, when people are more likely to be paying tax at 40pc.

But this isnt about financial planning  its more insidious. The Fabian Society also suggests rebadging pensions tax relief as a pension tax credit, match payment or government top-up. This collectivist mindset is everywhere  our property is not our own, and every penny we are allowed to keep is money nobly sacrificed by our benevolent state.

And its not really about fairness, either. The think tank has suggested a carve-out for defined benefit (DB) schemes that apply to all employees. DB pensions are all but extinct in the private sector, having been replaced by defined contribution  essentially building individual cash pots which each retiree has to fund and manage themselves (or get someone else to).

But DB schemes remain ubiquitous in the public sector, meaning we would essentially be creating a two-tier system where those in the employ of the state still get a large proportion of tax relief, but theyre the only ones.

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When militant unions decided to hold Britain to ransom in the pursuit of unrealistic pay increases in the post-pandemic years, this is the point the Tories should have tirelessly hammered home. That there is no reason why public sector employer pension contributions should be three times, on average, those offered in the private sector.

They should have offered teachers, doctors and train drivers the option to trade in higher pensions tomorrow for higher pay today. Now, the incentive for public sector workers to agree to such terms has diminished even further.

This country is still reeling from the last time a Labour government meddled with our pensions. A key reason why retirement prospects for those in the private sector are so dismal today is because Gordon Brown scrapped tax relief on dividends that pension funds received on their investments during his first Budget as chancellor.

Its hardly a surprise that a Labour government run by a self-proclaimed socialist and a woman who draws inspiration from Joan Robinson, once a keen defender of Mao Tse-Tung, cannot resist getting its greedy mitts on what appears to be a large pile of money.

But its an insult to those who take on responsibility for their own retirement rather than rely on the taxpayer. And the economic consequences would be as dire today as they were in 1997.

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Las Vegas police sergeant jailed as part of investigation into Strip arrests: sources

Las Vegas police sergeant jailed as part of investigation into Strip arrests: sources

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A Metro police sergeant was arrested and booked into jail Friday on charges related to arrests on the Las Vegas Strip, sources told the 8 News Now Investigators.

Sgt. Kevin Menon, 42, faces charges including oppression of color of office with force, subornation of perjury and battery on a protected person.

Sources with knowledge of the arrest said Menon is part of a larger investigation into allegations that Metro police officers bumped into tourists on the Las Vegas Strip, which prompted fights and the tourists arrests.

Menon joined the department in 2014. He spoke with 8 News Now during his graduation ceremony.

This experience has been humbling, he said. Its taught me more than I could ever imagine. I feel ecstatic or electrified right now. Its absolutely unbelievable.

Specific details about what led to Menons arrest Friday remained unclear. The 8 News Now Investigators first learned of the allegations involving Menon several months ago.

The department placed Menon on leave with pay and his police powers suspended pending an investigation. He remained in custody at the Clark County Detention Center as of Friday evening on $27,000 bail.

8 News Now Investigator David Charns can be reached at dcharns@8newsnow.com.

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PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB)  Latitude Margaritaville held a day of service in honor of Jimmy Buffett Day.

The community in Panama City Beach Margaritaville took the day to visit a local nonprofit organization.

Instead of wasting away in Margaritaville, residents of Latitude spent their day organizing clothes, fixing up pantries, and helping out where they could at the anchorage childrens home.

Learn Bay Countys history at Panama City museum

Were supporting the community by getting involved and helping them do some of the tasks that they cant do in their normal day work. So were cleaning closets, straightening closets, were cleaning windows. Were just kind of doing some things that they cant do on a daily basis, Margaritaville Lifestyle Brand Manager Julynn Stiff said.

Stiff says giving back to the community is just one way they honor buffetts memory.

I think this organization, by giving back to the community, is something that is that reaches all levels. It could be, you know, children that need help and assistance in this. His lifestyle just led to giving back to the community and uplifting other people. So thats how were you know, I think that gives back to his legacy and just carries it on, Stiff said.

Margaritaville residents got to see all the different parts of the facility, but they also got to hear about the message behind the anchorage.

The residents went on a tour around the facility, which provides services like housing, counseling, and more to at-risk youth.

Anchorage officials say volunteer groups like Margaritaville help keep the shelter in the best shape for the youth that comes through.

We want to take opportunities for people to come in and do beautification projects that could be youth-centered activities with cookouts or outings. So really, the community plays a big role in the success in the daily life of our kids, Anchorage Development Director Brooke Bullard said.

Cedar Grove Elementary School adopts new program to teach students leadership skills

The latitude margaritaville watersound foundation also donated $7,000 that will go towards the emergency shelter.

In addition to volunteering, Margaritaville will be selling commemorative cups at their locations to go with your cheeseburger in paradise.

That money will go to the Buffett Foundation, Singing for Change.

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State lawmakers want to write the state budget themselves, pushing aside Gov. Laura Kelly's input. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Lets be clear about what Kansas Republican legislative leaders are doing with their planned overhaul of budgeting: They are launching a personal and political power grab against Gov. Laura Kelly.

They have never accepted or respected her mandate. Despite Kelly winning a second term and having two years left to go, they have continually attempted to usurp the executive branchs authority. They have tried a constitutional amendment and prohibiting her ability to negotiate Medicaid contracts. Now theyre going after her yearly state budget proposal.

Usually, the Legislature begins its yearly budget process with a proposal from the governor. Her office submits it when lawmakers arrive for the annual session, in January. Now an interim committee wants to start the process earlier, as soon as October of the previous year.

In this new process, the governors budget would be a suggestion, not a starting point.

And never mind that its a direct attack on Kelly. House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, assured the audience that these changes had nothing to do with the governor.

This process has nothing to do with the governor, he said at the meeting earlier this month, according to Kansas Reflector reporter Tim Carpenter. If youre going to focus on the governor, probably not the wisest thing to do, because this process has happened over time with many, many different governors.

He was contradicted by Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, who let the proverbial cat out of the figurative bag.

Youll have a Republican governor, for example, or somebody you trust, and you trust the administration to build the budgets, and then you kind of rubber stamp stuff, Masterson said. And, then, you switch, and you have (the) opposition party and then theres all that same power.

Oh. So its like that, then.

All of this might seem like so much partisan mud wrestling, except for the fact that the leaders have also decided to do an end run around Kansas voters.

Did you notice that the proposed new process could start as early as October? While details at the hearing were scarce, leaders appeared to suggest that they would start working on budget without knowing whether they would be elected. What happens if all the folks on the budget committee are voted out of office? Who takes the lead then?

Once again, we see Kansas legislative leaders coveting power. They dont want the governor to have the first say in the budgeting process, and they apparently dont trust the rest of their colleagues. You know, all the people who drive to Topeka in January to actually make laws.

Sen. Carolyn McGinn, a Sedgwick Republican, raised concerns that these changes would also limit the ability of constituents to speak about budget priorities.

McGinn might have decided to retire, but she has a point. Leaders apparently dont even trust their constituents when it comes to spending.

In there interest of fairness, I should note that the reform committee considered several worthwhile proposals. Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, discussed ending lawmakers de facto three-day work week. Yes, they usually take Mondays and Fridays off, at times slowing progress to a crawl. The panel also targeted budget earmarks for favored programs that dont go through a regular committee process.

In the interest of perspective, however, Im not falling over myself with gratitude. Its obvious that legislators should work throughout the week, and its obvious they shouldnt be larding up the budget with unvetted spending.

Its like going through life without running over someone with your car. I mean, Im glad that you didnt, but surely you dont deserve a plaque.

Lawmakers might still be able to make worthwhile changes to the budgeting process. They could start with increasing transparency, which Carpenter noted wasnt discussed by members of either party. But until they stop jostling for partisan advantage and making themselves look foolish, dont expect much.

Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
A Belton, Missouri, couple filed a lawsuit against the Belton 124 School District this week in Cass County court, alleging that their then-8-year-old daughter was molested by a former employee of an after-school childcare program.

The couple, whom The Star is not identifying in order to protect the childs identity, allege that the abuse took place at Wilkcens STEAM Academy at Hillcrest, a Belton public school, between May and September 2022.

The former employee, identified in court documents as J.C., began behaving inappropriately toward the child immediately after he was hired at Wilkcens after-school SAC, or School-Aged Childcare, program.

Prior charges filed against the man for additional sex crimes against Belton 124 students identify him as Jason L. Carey, 43, of Belton. For his role in propositioning, molesting and sexually abusing Belton students, Carey pleaded guilty to eight felonies and four misdemeanors between September 2022 and October 2023. These charges included child enticement, furnishing pornographic material to a minor, sodomy, child molestation and stalking, according to court records.

According to this weeks lawsuit, J.C. sexually groomed the child and instructed her to keep their relationship secret while consistently sexually abusing her. J.Cs alleged behaviors included physical abuse, inappropriate touching, taking inappropriate photos of the child and showing the child pornographic materials.

On one occasion, J.C. picked up the child from a sleepover at a friends house and brought her to his home, where the sexual abuse continued.

The couple allege that the large amount of time J.C. spent alone with their daughter was itself a violation of Belton school policy, which prohibits staff members from being alone in a room with students, particularly students of the opposite sex. The lawsuit also alleges that J.C. stalked and molested the child at social events off school property under the guise of joining a local church.

Several other parents complained to the school about J.C.s inappropriate behavior toward their children, primarily their daughters, according to the lawsuit. J.C. was terminated from his position at Wilkcens STEAM Academy in 2022 and his behavior was investigated by Belton police, though Wilkcens parents were not notified about the investigation, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also alleges that the Belton 124 School District re-hired J.C. as a substitute teacher at Belton Middle School in September 2022, despite knowledge of the accusations and investigation pending against him. Records with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education show the criminal allegations surfaced less than two weeks after Carey obtained a certificate to substitute teach.

While working at Belton Middle School, J.C. sent sexually explicit videos and inappropriate messages to female students., according to the lawsuit. He was subsequently arrested and charged with sex crimes against multiple children.

Jason Carey was held without bond in Cass County jail from September 2022 until December 2023, when he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The parents bringing this weeks lawsuit found out about J.C.s behavior toward their daughter in September 2022, the lawsuit reads, when discussing his other criminal charges with her.

The child, now 10, has suffered severe psychological distress as result of the alleged molestation and abuse, according to the lawsuit. She currently attends counseling three times a week and has suffered from anxiety, fear, trouble sleeping, social difficulties and behavioral regression.

The lawsuit alleges that the school district discriminated against the child by depriving her of her civil liberties and leaving her liable to abuse.

Reporting by The Stars Bill Lukitsch and Sarah Ritter was used in this article.
Viroqua Area Schools celebrated the completion of referendum projects at the elementary school with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Thursday evening.

The open house showcased the projects that were completed as part of the November 2022 capital referendum.

Voters approved two referendum questions. Question 1, the proposed base plan, included necessary improvements at both the elementary and middle-high school sites, addressing the most pressing issues including security, accessibility and educational enhancements for $17 million.

Voters also approved $3.5 million to expand the tech ed space by 7,500 square feet to give adequate space for industry equipment and improve programing. Construction continues in that space.

Tonight is a really, really cool moment in the history of Viroqua Area Schools, said District Administrator Tom Burkhalter. It marks a journey that is not completely done but we made some critical choices to make sure we were open for classes. Painting some trim is not going to prevent our students from having an awesome experience next Tuesday.

Burkhalter said the project was two years in the making and expressed his appreciation for the voters, saying, We were overwhelmed with the support we had in 2022.

He noted the 2022 referendum passed by 30 points more than the referendum in 2018.

That showed the community was not against anything, they just needed a logical plan, Burkhalter said. One that makes sense and one the meets the needs of what our student need right now.

He said Miron Construction and HSR Associates, Inc., created something beautiful and comfortable and there have been huge improvements for safety.

The front entrance features fencing that separates the teacher parking and parent drop-off parking from the drop-off lane. Burkhalter said the parking area was designed with only three openings in the fence. Bus traffic is only at the back of the school.

Another feature is a safe and secure entrance.

We are one of the last districts to get two-stage entry. Visitors who come to the school will come into the building through one door to get to the office area. Previously, visitors were buzzed in through one of two doors and then had to find their way to the office. Safety is absolutely elevated.

Angie Lawrence, school board president, also expressed appreciation for the communitys financial support of the project.

Our students are now safer. They have better facilities for learning. They have better lighting. They have better technology.

She thanked the staff and teachers for working through the disruptions of construction and the administrative staff for not only doing their regular job duties, but also the extra work they took on for the project.

Pat Olbert, elementary/Viroqua Area Montessori School principal, said a lot of the work in the building was based on safety and upgrades that had to happen.

This is so cool, he said. It looks like a new building inside.

1995 time capsule opened

Retired educators Sig Lind, Deb Stafslien and Karen Allness, and Brenda Haugrud, the elementary secretary, were part of the staff when the school was built in 1995. They opened the time capsule.

Among the items in the time capsule were a VHS video tape of the dedication ceremony held on Sept. 18, 1995, which was shot by Ted Harris, photos of both the ribbon-cutting ceremony and inside and outside views of the new elementary school, copies of newspaper articles and signatures of students in each classroom.

There happened to be an AV cart in the commons with a VCR, and the VHS tape was able to be played.
Penn States vice president for facilities management and planning is leaving the post after seven years, the university announced Thursday.

William Sitzabee is leaving the position effective Sept. 6. Thomas Rodgers, Office of Physical Plant assistant vice president of administration, will serve in the interim.

Sitzabee has been at Penn State since 2017 when he started as associate vice president for facility management and planning. He was promoted to vice president and member of the presidents council in 2020, the release states.

In his position he led Penn States Office of Physical Plant, overseeing nearly 1,700 employees and the universitys largest operating budget. The physical plant has more than 36 million square feet of facilities in more than 2,000 buildings. There are eight divisions in the unit: administration, business and finance, college of medicine facilities, commonwealth services, design and construction, environmental health and safety (EHS), operations and planning, design and properties.

Sitzabee, a retired Air Force senior officer and combat veteran, said September will mark 10 years since he retired from the military.

We have an incredibly strong leadership team within OPP/EHS, which makes this a good time to transition. I am proud of what we have accomplished, including building and modernizing OPP, building and developing a great team, executing on the 2018-2023 capital plan, and addressing a growing backlog of maintenance, he said.

In the release, Sara Thorndike, senior vice president for finance and business/treasurer, thanked Sitzabee for his leadership.

I want to thank Bill for his leadership and dedication to Penn State, and for prioritizing and executing the Universitys capital plans to address the maintenance of Penn State facilities and infrastructure, Thorndike said. The capital plan supports the maintenance, health, safety and construction of facilities across the university, including new construction and renovations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sitzabee played a key role overseeing EHS. He and his team of experts worked on strategies to clean and disinfect campus facilities and prepare for a safe return to on-campus learning and working in fall 2021, the release states.

He also has an affiliate professor appointment with the College of Engineering. Hes served on Ph.D. committees and published eight peer-reviewed papers.

Among his many accomplishments highlighted in the release, he developed and implemented the $316 million West Campus expansion plan for the College of Engineering. He also led a public-private partnership to reduce Penn States greenhouse gas emissions by 25%. He served on many university committees and in the State College community.

A civil engineer, Sitzabee came to Penn State from Cornell University where he was the associate vice president of facilities engineering and project administration and interim vice president for infrastructure, properties and planning. Before he joined the administration, he was a department chair and professor of aerospace studies at Cornell.

Prior to that, he was the director of the engineering management program and an associate professor of civil engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He also served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 20 years.
Letters to the Editor: Living well without college? Delaware has something to teach us

In his speech at the 2024 Democratic convention, President Biden touted skilled jobs that do not require a college degree. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: I cannot agree more with your assessment that there are many other avenues to success than just a college degree.

I have been a very happy California resident for more than 40 years after moving around our great country as a young man. I was afforded this luxury by virtue of my vocational and technical (vo-tech) high school education in Delaware.

In the summer between my sophomore and junior year, my high school counselor placed me and many other classmates in a 40-hour-per-week job with a local railroad contractor, rehabbing and repairing train cars. I worked alongside grown men who were supporting their families and teaching me to be serious about the work we were doing.

My senior year, I went to class in the morning and in the afternoon worked a part-time job as an electrician's apprentice at a manufacturing plant.

After high school and a year of community college, I had the confidence to strike out on my own to visit any city I wanted, knowing my experience and skills made me employable. Realizing I would never want to live anywhere but Los Angeles, I started an electronic security company.

There is a proven blueprint for successful vo-tech education in Delaware, and it should be studied and copied nationwide.

Don Moore, Redondo Beach

..

To the editor: Your editorial seemed focused on the money side of this issue. But it isn't all about money  we must consider intellectual development when discussing college costs.

College isn't for everyone, but it does have important advantages.

Those who attend and finish school are better able to dissect the language used to describe things and ideas. This allows the educated to better evaluate what we are being told.

When we are educated, we are not sold on ideas until we understand them. We become discriminating individuals who can sort ideas into "good" and "bad" categories. This allows us to consider options that may not be obvious.

Most of us have one chance in life to select our destiny. Think analytically before you reject the college option.

David Ando, Torrance

..

To the editor: As one who had the good fortune and privilege of working in the California community college system for half a century, I appreciated the part of your editorial that said the schools "play the biggest role in preparing students for well-paid employment."

Unfortunately, I think California residents largely fail to recognize that most nurses and police officers receive their education in the community college system. For those seeking good-paying positions in everything from computer technology to airline mechanics, our great community colleges can assist you in achieving your goal.

It also needs to be recognized that our transfer students to four-year universities do as well as people who start their college careers in those institutions.

As one who worked for more than 50 years in the system, I am a strong advocate for the roughly 2 million students attending California's 116 community colleges.

Donald L. Singer, Cardiff

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  Businesses owned by African Americans came out to Civic Plaza in Albuquerque on Friday to wrap up National Black Business Month. City leaders came out in support of the event which featured businesses and organizations looking to empower minorities who are trying to make their mark on the community.

Albuquerque pizzeria honors late owner on the anniversary of his death

Its so invaluable that we support underrepresented communities that have not had equality in terms of access to capital Or who often have been unseen within our business community, said Neema Pickett, City of Albuquerque, Office of Black Community Management.

The month of August was designated as National Black Business Month in 2004.

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BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN)  A Mahoning Valley native hosted her first book signing for her debut novel on Saturday at Barnes and Noble in Boardman.

Attorney Joan Reardon has added published author to her resume, as her childrens book The Grimsbane Family Witch Hunters was released last week, just in time for the Halloween season.

[Its] primarily for readers ages eight to 12, but a whole family could enjoy it. Its about a girl who goes to rescue her cursed brother in a haunted forest on Halloween night. Its been compared to Netflixs Wednesday. So, fans of that would probably enjoy the book, Reardon said.

Writing has always been a passion for Reardon. She started creating the book when she was in college. The pandemic gave her a lot of free time to focus on writing, and after returning home from school, she continued to finish the story.

I just did it for fun, and then, I figured the book was written  I might as well try and publish it, and that ended up working out really well. Im lucky I met a ton of great authors and a really strong group of people, she said.

Reardons book became a Barnes and Noble Bestseller before its release, which is something Reardon attributed to Youngstowns strong support for the arts. She said she was surprised when she found out.

Ill be honest  I did think it was a fluke or that the website had been broken. I called my agent, and she said Its not a fluke, and you come from a very powerful community of people, which is pretty cool, Reardon said.

Reardon is planning to host more book signing events, and her next book will be out next summer

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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN)  Public service union workers from the Association of Public School Employees and AFSCME Ohio Council 8 gathered outside the Council 8 building in Youngstown to denounce Project 2025 on Saturday morning.

According to its website, Project 2025 describes itself as a historic movement, brought together by over 100 respected organizations from across the conservative movement, to take down the Deep State and return the government to the people.

Helen Youngblood and Donald Hill are two current and former union members. Youngblood worked in human services and Hill was a custodian for Springfield Schools in Akron.

Youngblood said its important that more people go out to vote.

In different wards, well have 5,000 registered, and well only have 400 vote, and that just disturbs me, Youngblood said.

Hill spoke about the importance of unionizing.

To try and get the union people to stand up and go in the right direction  we cant go back. Weve been through Senate Bill 5, Hill said.

The November election is just over two months away.

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ST. LOUIS  Friday marks the busiest travel day of the year so far. Many St. Louisans are trying to get out of town for one last summer vacation.

Lines were decent for Southwest and Lufthansa Airlines. Tiph Jones was a traveler returning from Las Vegas.

Busiest day, on both sides, Jones said. Security was good, but lots of lines, lots of waiting for food, and getting in line on the flight. But it was easy once we got in the air.

According to the Transportation Security Administration, 23,362 passengers are going through security in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 over the Labor Day weekend between Thursday to Monday.

Fleeing driver charged after Osage Beach officer dies in crash: Police

In all, some 90,207 travelers are coming through Lambert this weekend, well above 2019 pre-pandemic numbers and more than 2023.

I was just hoping I got here an hour and a half early that would be enough, Breanna Leake said. You know they say two, but this is the St. Louis Airport. So usually if you get an hour ahead, youre good.

While the lines looked long, they moved fairly quickly. Once through security, its smooth sailing into blue skies on this Friday before Labor Day.

Show up early and be prepared but also be patient, Jones added. Make sure you understand the folks here are doing their best to get you through. They want to be done with it too. So just be patient with folks and enjoy yourself. 

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56)  Louisville police are investigating reports of a serial pooper.

Louisville Metro Police Department told FOX 56 News that at least two complaints have been made of a man pooping on peoples porches.

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Police said the bowel movement was reported in Old Louisville near the 1200 block of South 1st Street.

Louisville police urged anyone with information about the case to call 502-574-7111.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Orlando, Florida  On 16-year-old Jack Hayes' bookshelf you'll find books that may no longer be available in some Florida classrooms, such as the Kurt Vonnegut classic "Slaughterhouse-Five."

His mother, Judi Hayes, said the 2023 Florida law restricting certain books in school libraries is hurting Jack's ability to learn.



"We're not talking about Playboy magazine, you know, we're talking about 'Anna Karenina' and 'War and Peace,'" Judi Hayes told CBS News.



The Hayes are part of a federal lawsuit filed Thursday by Penguin Random House, other publishers and some authors that argues the law "violates the First Amendment" and has created "a regime of strict censorship" in schools.

Under the law, any Florida resident can challenge books in a school or classroom library in their county over sexual content. Once challenged, that book "must be removed within 5 school days...and remain unavailable until the objection is resolved," the law reads.

Classics that have been pulled as a result of the law include Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls."

According to a report released in April by Pen America, a free speech organization, between July 2021 and December 2023, Florida had 3,135 book bans recorded across 11 districts, the highest of any state in the nation during that span.



"It is not protecting children when it comes to books like mine," said author Laurie Halse Anderson, whose book "Speak," which is about sexual assault, was also removed.



"Parents can say, 'No, I don't want my child to read that,'" Anderson said. "...That's their choice for their kid. But what they don't have the right to do is decide for other people's children."

The lawsuit names the Florida Board of Education as a defendant.

"This is a stunt," Florida Department of Education spokesperson Sydney Booker said in a statement to CBS News. "There are no books banned in Florida. Sexually explicit material and instruction are not suitable for schools."

Not named is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who championed the law.

"The media, they try to say that this is, quote, banning books, but what you have in a school, you have to make judgements about what's appropriate or not," DeSantis said.



Jack believes politics should not play a role in his education.



"If a student wants to read, they should be able to read that book," he said.

Family holds funeral to say goodbye to toddler's beloved pacifier

Major publishers sue Florida over law that led to book bans

Food costs remain high as Americans hold Labor Day BBQs
Man accused of raping woman after going through her phone

MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man was arrested this week after Memphis Police say he physically assaulted and raped a woman after going through her phone.

On August 25, Memphis Police responded to a forcible rape that occurred in the 200 block of Shady Court.

The victim said she allowed her friend Tamarcus Alexander to come to her residence to hang out. She said she and Alexander had gone out on several dates and talked about being in a relationship.

While at the residence, Alexander became upset after going through the victims cell phone. He allegedly struck the victim in the head repeatedly in the head and stomach with his fist, knocking her unconscious.

Alexander allegedly proceeded to forcibly insert his penis into the victim against her will.

Man found guilty of incest, raping child family member

When she regained consciousness, she said Alexander continued to strike her and choke her while threatening to kill her.

She was able to get away from Alexander and eventually went to the hospital. She was admitted for two days suffering from a concussion, transient memory loss and severe headaches resulting from the incident.

While speaking to investigators, the victim provided a signed/typed statement and positively identified Alexander as the suspect in a six-picture line-up.

Alexander was arrested on Friday and charged with rape and aggravated assault.

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Man arrested in connection with deadly stabbing on Amory Terrace

A man has been arrested in connection with a deadly stabbing on Amory Terrace earlier this month.

Daniel Coke, 45 of Jamaica Plain was found by officers suffering from a stab wound in the area of 10 Armory Terrace around 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, August 4, according to Boston Police.

Coke was transported to a Boston hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

On Friday, August 30 officers arrested Jordan Albert-Scott, 33, of Mattapan, in the area of 182 Dudley Street. According to police, Albert-Scott was wanted on a murder warrant.

Albert Scott is expected to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court.

The facts and circumstances leading up to the stabbing are under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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Police said the search for the missing puppies was under way, and have asked the public for help.

Police said the search for the missing puppies was under way, and have asked the public for help. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

Authorities investigating the murder of a Colorado dog breeder had believed that searching for his 10 doberman puppies might lead them to the perpetrator. But on Friday, officials said, they had charged a suspect and were hoping that development would also help them locate the missing dogs, which are still unaccounted for.

Paul Peavey, a 57-year-old resident of Idaho Springs, Colorado, was found shot to death on 24 August  days after he had been reported missing by friends and family  by a search party combing through his sprawling 110-acre property.

On Friday, the Clear Creek county sheriffs office filed an affidavit charging another Colorado man, Sergio Ferrer, 36, with Peaveys murder and aggravated robbery.

Related: Missing couple from nudist community in California presumed dead

Ferrer was arrested hours after Peaveys body was found for failing to appear in court in Nebraska on a separate weapons charge, and had been considered a person of interest from early on in the investigation, according to a statement from the sheriffs department.

Officials said they had accumulated enough evidence to support the charges but that the district attorneys office would determine the final charges to be filed. Ferrer, in interviews with police, admitted to shooting Peavey, according to an affidavit, but claimed he was acting in self-defense after an argument erupted between the two men over illegal activity.

A member of the search party tipped off officers that Ferrers family member had been selling doberman puppies on Facebook, the New York Times reported. Authorities secured a warrant and on 25 August searched Ferrers home, where they found numerous items belonging to Peavey, including a phone, jewelry and metal detectors.

Bruce Boynton, who participated in the search party and identified himself as a friend of Peavey, told a local Denver news crew he went up to the property and realized things were not as they should be.

The puppies were gone, he said. The house was tossed  anything of value missing.

The search for the puppies, which can be sold for thousands of dollars, remains under way. They are each microchipped and officials have called on the public to come forward with any information that may help locate them.

The investigation into Mr Peaveys death continues, including the investigation into his doberman puppies that are still unaccounted for, the department said in a statement posted on Facebook on Friday.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to call the sheriffs office tip line or can submit information anonymously online.
WAYNESBORO  A man is facing up to life in prison after pleading guilty to raping a teenage girl last summer inside a Waynesboro business.

Jamie C. Chacon, 44, of Waynesboro, was convicted Friday in Waynesboro Circuit Court. Two additional charges of forcible sodomy were not prosecuted in exchange for his guilty plea.

Waynesboro Senior Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Elysse Stolpe said the girl was working at the Eagle Game room the night of July 29, 2023, on West Main Street when Chacon entered the business. Stolpe said Chacon milled about the business for about 10 minutes until it was empty.

"There'd been other customers in the store," the prosecutor said.

With nobody left in the business except Chacon and the teen, he went to the back of the building near a storage area and bathroom, out of view of surveillance cameras. Stolpe said he returned from the back and asked the teen where the bathroom was, and she pointed him to the back of the business where he'd just been.

Stolpe said Chacon, who she said had been looking for surveillance cameras, asked the girl if she wanted to do drugs and told her he could make her "feel like a princess." When he asked if she wanted to go into the back of the business with him, Stolpe said the teen, whom she described as a "trusting person," didn't want to but also didn't want to seem impolite, so she followed him into a back hallway, where surveillance cameras could not see them for 10 minutes or so.

Once in the hallway, Stolpe said Chacon pinned the teen against a wall. "She couldn't push him off," Stolpe said. Chacon overpowered her and the teen "froze," the prosecutor said. Chacon pushed her to the floor, where she was raped as she wept, Stolpe said.

Afterward, Chacon continued to make small talk with the teen for a few minutes, even giving her his phone number and asking her not to call police. According to Stolpe, the teen tried to remain calm in an effort not to anger him. "He already did the worst thing that I could imagine," the teen said, according to Stolpe. "I didn't want to know what else he could do."

After Chacon left the business, the teen called her boyfriend. Stolpe said surveillance video showed her saying, "I've been raped." She made a second phone call to a parent, and she was then taken to the hospital, where DNA swabs were gathered. Testing by the Virginia Department of Forensic Science concluded Chacon's DNA was found on the victim's bruised thigh, Stolpe said.

Because Chacon had given her his phone number, Stolpe said authorities were eventually able to track him down and he was arrested in September.

Chacon, represented by Jessica Armstrong of the Staunton Public Defender's Office, remains at Middle River Regional Jail in Verona, where he has been held since his arrest. A sentencing date has yet to be set.

The Eagle Game Room, which offered "skill games," has since closed.

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More: PD: Man facing felony charges after child assaulted in Staunton

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Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Man convicted of raping teen inside Waynesboro business
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said someone shot a man in Dupont Circle late Friday night.

Police said that at about 11:30 p.m., they responded to a shooting at the corner of 18th and Church streets in Northwest.

When officers arrived at the scene, they saw that DC Fire and EMS was treating someone who was bleeding from the head.

Person injured after car overturns in Fairfax County

According to MPD, witnesses said they heard loud pops and yelling. Soon after, a vehicle left the area.

DC Fire and EMS took the man who was hurt to the hospital for treatment.

Police said that during the incident, bullets destroyed the window of a church.

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Moments after Donald Trump bashed media outlets during a rally in Pennsylvania on Friday, a man in the audience stormed the nearby press gallery until being subdued by police.

Trump proceeded to joke about the incident after the man was carried off by law enforcement, telling the crowd, Is there anywhere thats more fun to be than a Trump rally?

The incident occurred in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where Trump was speaking at an event put on by the extremist right-wing activist group Moms for Liberty. During the speech, which according to multiple reports mainly consisted of the rambling that is typical for his events, Trump complained about negative media coverage and accused CNN of fawning over Kamala Harris in an interview the night before.

Moments later, the man, who as of this writing remains unidentified, jumped over a bicycle rack and ran toward the press area. Once there, he started climbing the riser leading to where television crews were stationed. Police surrounded him and eventually tased him before leading him away.

You can see a video recording of part of the incident below:

Video of the incident. Security in the press pen grabbed him first before he was taken down by law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/Xdw1CZ9dE0  Taurean Small (@taureansmall) August 30, 2024

According to the Associated Press, another man in the crowd was handcuffed and escorted out by police shortly after for reasons that arent known at this time.

The post Man Storms Press Gallery After Trump Attacks Media During Pennsylvania Rally | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
A man was tased by police after attempting to enter the press area of a Donald Trump rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on Friday.

The failed storming of the press corral came after Trump criticized CNNs interview with Kamala Harris as overly deferential, according to the Associated Press. In a video shared by CBS News Taureen Small, the man can be seen climbing the riser before being pulled down by a gaggle of sheriffs deputies.

Video of the incident. Security in the press pen grabbed him first before he was taken down by law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/Xdw1CZ9dE0  Taurean Small (@taureansmall) August 30, 2024

In the clip, Trump supporters can be heard jeering the man, with one attendee shouting, Cut his head off. Attendees also cheered when police escorted the man away, leading the former president to remark from the stage Is there anywhere thats more fun to be than a Trump rally?

Trumps comments follow his campaigns line of attack against the interview, which drew 6 million viewers to the cable news outlet. Senior campaign adviser Jason Miller told Newsmax earlier this week that Harris didnt look presidential.

There's a certain threshold that you have to meet, he said. Can you lead this country? Other candidates in the past have had it. I don't see that with Kamala Harris.

The former presidents speech was full of inflammatory language directed at Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. He repeatedly referred to the vice president as Comrade Kamala and told attendees that she wants to outlaw your car and truck and force you to buy electric vehicles as part of a radical left war on Pennsylvania.

Trump worked blue at certain points throughout the rally, which was held less than 80 miles from the site of a rally where he was nearly assassinated in July. He told the crowd that every place [Harris] has touched has turned to s**t.


Jason Billingsley on Friday pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the slaying of Maryland tech executive Pava LaPere as well as two counts of attempted murder in a separate incident. File Photo courtesy of Baltimore Police Department

Aug. 31 (UPI) -- A man who murdered a young tech entrepreneur in Baltimore almost a year ago in a case that inspired changes in Maryland state law has been handed multiple life sentences by a judge.

Jason Billingsley on Friday pleaded guilty in a Baltimore courtroom to first-degree murder in the death of Pava LaPere, as well as two counts of attempted murder in a separate incident, the Maryland State Prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Robert Taylor sentenced Billingsley to two concurrent life sentences as well as an additional life sentence to be served consecutively after admitting to killing LaPere in September of 2023.

He also took responsibility for the sexual assault of April Hurley days before the attack on LaPere. Billingsley kicked in Hurley's door to gain access, slashed her throat with a knife and doused her apartment with gasoline before setting it ablaze and leaving her and a male companion restrained inside.

Both were in serious condition and suffered third-degree burns.

LaPere was later found on the roof of her apartment complex in Baltimore after being reported missing by her co-workers.

At the time police said they believed she was killed days earlier.

Police found DNA evidence on a brick near her body, ruling her death from blunt force trauma to the head was random.

LaPere founded EcoMap Technologies when she was still a student at Johns Hopkins University. That led to Forbes naming her to the publication's 30 under 30 list for her social impact.

Billingsley had been out of prison for less than a year at the time, after receiving early release following a 2015 rape conviction.

At the time of LaPere's murder, Billingsley was wanted on other charges, including assault and reckless endangerment in violation of his supervision.

That inspired Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, to sign the Pava Marie LaPere Act into law. The legislation prohibits "an incarcerated individual who is serving a sentence for first-degree rape or first-degree sexual offense" from being entitled to early release earned by good behavior.

"This defendant should have never been released into the community following a first-degree sex offense conviction to inflict immense trauma, pain, and sorrow on so many individuals in such a short amount of time," State's Attorney Ivan Bates said in a statement.

"These cases inspired our legislation to eliminate diminution credits for first-degree sex offenders, and the brave testimonies from Ms. Hurley and the LaPere Family during the plea agreement hearings have reaffirmed my long-standing belief that the needs of victims, above all else, must always guide the actions of the Office of the State's Attorney," Bates added.
A divided Maryland Supreme Court reinstated the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, but ordered a new procedural hearing where the state is likely to move to vacate his conviction. File photo by Bennett Leckrone.

The Maryland Supreme Court on Friday reinstated Adnan Syeds conviction for the 1999 murder of a former girlfriend and ordered lower courts to hold new hearings on the evidence that freed him in 2022.

A divided Supreme Court on Friday did not question the evidence that freed Syed, but it did say prosecutors moved too quickly to drop the charges against him. The family of the victim, Hae Min Lee, said they were denied their rights by not being given enough notice for Hae Mins brother, Young Lee, to participate in the vacatur proceedings, the hearings that freed Syed.

A majority of the Maryland Supreme Court agreed.

In an effort to remedy what they perceived to be an injustice to Mr. Syed, the prosecutor and the circuit court worked an injustice against Mr. Lee by failing to treat him with dignity, respect, and sensitivity, said the majority opinion written by Justice Jonathan Biran.

Biran wrote that the state violated Mr. Lees rights as a crime victims representative to reasonable notice of the Vacatur Hearing, the right to attend the hearing in person, and the right to be heard on the merits of the Vacatur Motion.

David Sanford, an attorney representing the Lee family, welcomed the ruling that he said reaffirms crime victims rights as enshrined in the Maryland State Constitution.

Significantly, the Lee family will now have the right to address the meris of the vacatur motion after the prosecution and the defense have made their presentation in support of that motion, Sanford said in a social media post. If there is compelling evidence to support vacating the conviction of Adnan Syed, we will be the first to agree  the burden remains on the prosecution and the defense to make their case.

Erica Suter, the assistant public defender representing Syed, respectfully disagreed.

A file photo of Adnan Syed, who spent 22 years in prison for the murder of Hae Min Lee, before the charges were dropped in 2022. Courtesy photo.

Today a nearly evenly split Supreme Court of Maryland reached a result that we could not disagree with more, Suter said in a statement. However, we must respect the Courts decision, and so we look to Adnans future. Despite its decision, the Court states that it is not sending Adnan back to prison.

She said that reinstating Syeds conviction does not provide Hae Min Lees family with justice or closure, and it takes a tremendous toll on Adnans family who already lost a son and a brother for more than two decades  the time Syed spent in prison for the murder.

The case came to national attention when it was featured in the true crime podcast Serial, which questioned Syeds conviction in the murder of Lee, whose body was discovered at Leakin Park in Baltimore City on Feb. 9, 1999.

Syed was released in September 2022 after it was discovered that prosecutors at his trial may have withheld evidence, and DNA testing that was not available in 2000 excluded him as a suspect. The Baltimore City States Attorneys Office moved to vacate his conviction and then declined to try him again.

But Young Lee, who was living in California, said he was only learned on Sept. 16, 2022, a Friday, that the vacatur hearing would be held in Baltimore on the following Monday, Sept. 19. Lee was given an opportunity to virtually attend the hearing via Zoom.

Steven Kelly, Lees attorney at the time, attempted to postpone the hearing so that Lee would be able to provide the testimony in person, but was denied. The hearing continued and the circuit court judge vacated Syeds conviction. He was released on his own recognizance while prosecutors decided whether to try him again. Instead, they dropped all charges on Oct. 11.

There was no real regard for the family in this and thats whats hurtful to them, Kelly said Friday.

The Lee family appealed that decision on grounds that their victims rights had been violated, and the Appellate Court of Maryland agreed, reinstating Syeds conviction and ordering a new vacatur hearing. That decision was upheld Friday by the Supreme Court.

The high court ordered that the parties and Mr. Lee will begin where they were immediately after the States Attorney filed the motion to vacate.

In a pair of dissents over what one justice called a procedural zombie of a case, a three-justice minority of the seven-member court said the majority exceeded its authority with the ruling by creating law instead of interpreting it.

The Majority creates a victims constitutional right to be heard that was not argued or briefed by the parties and is inconsistent with the plain language of Article 47 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights, Justice Brynja Booth wrote in dissent. The Majority also re-writes the victims rights statutes to provide a right where the Legislature has declined to provide one. Respectfully, it is not our role to act as a superlegislature when we think our policies are better.

But Kelly said the ruling basically starts the hearing for the motion to vacate Syeds conviction over and gives the victims family an opportunity to participate.

It will just be as if the court said that youre starting back to the point to where the motion to vacate was filed, he said. Now the states attorney has the burden of demonstrating theres a basis for vacating the convictions.

While Kelly has changed firms and is no longer involved with the case, he said it was gratifying that the court agreed to hear the Lees appeal.

To not have their [the Lee familys] perspective as part of the criminal justice process, or even part of media coverage, is really a tragedy and this opinion really gives the victims a meaningful voice, and I think thats so important, he said.
Just days before the start of a new school year  and with it the likely resumption of pro-Palestinian protests on campus  UW-Madison has revised its rules on student protests, including several new restrictions on where and how loud demonstrations can be.

Among the changes: Protesters are prohibited from using bullhorns during finals week and protesting in front of commencement and other core commemorative photo locations, notably the Abraham Lincoln statue on Bascom Hill.

Colleges across the country are anticipating new waves of anti-war demonstrations as the conflict in Gaza that prompted protests and encampments last spring rages on. Some protests have already resumed at colleges in Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Texas and North Carolina. Many other universities, including the University of Connecticut, have put in new restrictions on protesting.

UW-Madisons policy, updated by the office of the vice chancellor for legal affairs on Tuesday, also requires all protests be 25 feet from building entrances and grants the UW-Madison police department the discretion to increase that distance, limits the size of signs to 3 feet by 3 feet and generally prohibits the use of amplified sound, defined as sound that measures 85 decibels in an indoor area 50 feet or more away.

UW-Madison has the sole right to approve the use of sound amplifiers when requested, and applicants must demonstrate why they are needed, the policy states.

And while state law already prohibits it, the new policy explicitly bans camping and erecting tents on university property. The chancellor retains the right to waive that policy, but Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin declined to do so during protests last spring, saying if she allowed it for one group shed have to allow it for all.

In a statement, Mnookin said the policy is meant to satisfy free speech rights while ensuring students can continue to access their education without disruption. Allowing differing opinions and ideas to be expressed on campus is a key part of what a university does and is integral to UW-Madisons mission of sifting and winnowing, she said.

That means that we will often engage with ideas and perspectives that may be new to us, and that might, in some cases, cause us unease or discomfort, Mnookin said. My hope is that, as a Badger community, we approach our differences with open minds, a willingness to listen, respect for one another and a generosity of spirit.

The UW-Madison chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which organized protests and a dayslong encampment on Library Mall last spring, did not immediately return a request for comment. The protests were intended to pressure university officials to divest from companies with ties to Israel and to cut ties with Israeli universities and programs. They also took over the steps at the Memorial Library entrance and used bullhorns for announcements.

UW-Madison police removed most of the tents on May 1, the third day of the encampment, but even more tents quickly took their place and university officials spent the next week and a half before commencement trying to work with protesters toward a resolution.

Protesters eventually took down the tents on May 10, the day before spring commencement. Several protesters were arrested or cited the day police initially removed the encampment, and at least 30 students have been investigated for nonacademic misconduct, with four recommended for disciplinary probation, the Daily Cardinal reported.

UW-Madison also investigated or temporarily suspended some student organizations, including UW-Madisons chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine and Mecha de UW-Madison, which has since disaffiliated from the university to become Mecha de Teejop.

While the protesters largely congregated on Library Mall during the two-week encampment, reporters witnessed some sitting at the base of the Abraham Lincoln statue on Bascom Hill as graduates took pre-commencement photos. The updated policy bans protests there, as well as by the large graduation year numbers placed at the bottom of Bascom Hill. Protesters are not allowed to impede people from taking photos there the first week of school and in the weeks leading up to commencement.

Other long-standing protest rules remain. Protesters are not allowed to interrupt speakers who have been invited by university officials or campus-approved student organizations and are not allowed to carry signs on sticks indoors. Chalking is allowed on university streets and sidewalks, but only with water-soluble chalk. Chalked statements may be removed by the university during weekly cleanings.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Massachusetts Republicans will choose candidates to challenge U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch in state primaries on Tuesday. The contests top the list of federal, state and local races that will be held across the commonwealth.

Warren is seeking a third term and is unopposed for the Democratic nomination. The possible Republican nominees are industrial engineer Bob Antonellis, Quincy City Council President Ian Cain or attorney John Deaton. Deaton is by far the best-funded candidate in the GOP field, thanks mostly to the $1 million he loaned to his campaign. He more than doubled Cains spending and had about $975,000 in the bank as of the end of June. In comparison, Cain had about $22,000 left in his war chest.

VOTER GUIDE: Find your polling place and sample ballot

Warren faced a competitive race in her first U.S. Senate bid in 2012, when she toppled Republican incumbent Scott Brown. She received more than 60% of the vote in 2018. Biden carried the state with 66% of the vote in the 2020 presidential race.

In the 8th Congressional District in eastern Massachusetts, Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch faces no primary challenge in his race for a 12th full term. Vying for the Republican nomination are videographer Rob Burke, health care worker and retired Verizon employee Jim Govatsos and bar owner Daniel Kelly. Burke challenged Lynch in the 2022 general election, receiving 30% of the vote, compared to 70% for Lynch. Lynch had about $1.1 million in the bank as of the end of June. None of this Republican challengers have reported raising any money.

Democrats have a lock on the Bay States congressional delegation, with both U.S. Senate seats and all nine U.S. House seats firmly in their column. They also hold lopsided supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature, where all seats are up for election in November. Nonetheless, Republicans hope they can build on their toehold in the state Senate, where they flipped a vacant Democratic seat in 2023.

Heres a look at what to expect on Tuesday:

Primary day

The Massachusetts state primary will be held Tuesday. Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

YOUR LOCAL ELECTION HQ: Latest campaign headlines

Whats on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state Senate, state House, the Governors Council and Plymouth County Commissioner.

Once the polls close, youll be able to track the results right here on WPRI.com.

Who gets to vote

Voters registered with a political party may vote only in their own partys primary. In other words, Democrats cant vote in the Republican primary or vice versa. Independent or unenrolled voters may participate in any primary. The deadline to change party affiliation was Aug. 24.

Decision notes

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley posted some of the best vote results from her 2024 Republican presidential primary campaign in heavily Democratic states like Vermont. Yet in nearby Massachusetts where only Republicans and independents can vote in the primary, Trump easily won statewide, carrying all 14 counties.

Haley did well just outside of Boston in places like Cambridge, Newton and Somerville, but the statewide Republican primary candidate who follows Trumps example of winning some of the commonwealths most populous cities and towns such Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Brockton and Quincy would have a clear path to victory.

Votes in Massachusetts are reported at the more granular town level, rather than at the county level. There are 351 cities and towns that roll up into 14 mostly enormous counties.

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when its determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

There are no automatic recounts in Massachusetts. Candidates may request a recount for statewide or districtwide elections if the vote margin is 0.5% of the total vote or less. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

What do turnout and advance vote look like?

There were just shy of 5 million registered voters in Massachusetts as of the presidential primary on Feb. 24. Of those, 27% were Democrats, 8% were Republicans and 64% were independent or not enrolled in any party.

In the 2022 primaries, turnout was 16% of registered voters in the Democratic primary and 6% in the Republican primary. About 57% of Democratic primary voters and 32% of Republican primary voters cast their ballots before election day.

As of Aug. 28, a total of 442,474 ballots had been cast before primary day, about 82% in the Democratic primary and 17% in the Republican primary.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2022 primaries, the AP first reported results at 8:04 p.m. ET, or four minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at 3:33 a.m. ET with about 83% of total votes counted.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 63 days until the November general election.

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Nesi's Notes

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com.
(KTLA)  The state of California has a new tool to battle forest firesand its a big one.

California is the first state in the nation to own, operate and deploy a C-130 Hercules airtanker to fight wildfires. Its the first of seven similar aircraft that the state is retrofitting for that purpose.

The Hercules is capable of flying faster and further than any other aircraft in CAL FIREs fleet, with a range of 800 miles and a payload of 4,000 gallons of fire retardant, state officials announced.

The first of seven C-130 Hercules airtankers to be retrofitted to fight California wildfires is officially in service, state officials announced on Aug. 26, 2024. (CAL FIRE)

The first of seven C-130 Hercules airtankers to be retrofitted to fight California wildfires is officially in service, state officials announced on Aug. 26, 2024. (CAL FIRE)

One of the international hot spots for fire activity, California already maintains the worlds largest aerial fleet for battling wildfires. But even then, it has sometimes needed extra resources and has even called in help from Canada to borrow their massive airtankers.

State leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and the late Dianne Feinstein, led the charge in procuring the aircraft, hoping to add a game-changing piece of firefighting technology to CAL FIREs arsenal.

The first of seven C-130 Hercules airtankers to be retrofitted to fight California wildfires is officially in service, state officials announced on Aug. 26, 2024. (CAL FIRE)

Newsom said the state was motivated by a desire to be more aggressive and prepared for wildfires, which have become more destructive due to climate change.

We need to match these threats with new resources, Newsom said in a news release. This aircraft will beef up CAL FIREs ability to hit fires earlier and harder, better protecting Californians.

Man accused of starting destructive California wildfire by throwing firework out car window

The effort to obtain the massive firefighting plans began in 2018 when the state began negotiating a purchase of seven C-130H aircraft from the U.S. Coast Guard. But California ran into a few speed bumps along the way and wasnt able to complete the purchase until December 2023 when Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act.

Padilla said he had been pushing the U.S. Air Force to complete the transfer since taking office.

The first of seven C-130 Hercules airtankers to be retrofitted to fight California wildfires is officially in service, state officials announced on Aug. 26, 2024. (CAL FIRE)

Newsoms Office said the Air Force and the Coast Guard played a crucial role in maintaining the planes in the interim, including replacing the inner and outer wing boxes and providing crucial spare parts.

After they were finally transferred into CAL FIREs possession, the aircraft underwent significant modifications to make them fit for duty.

The completed airtankers now feature massive 4,000-gallon tanks and special delivery systems for flame retardant.

In a rare event, fire smoke covers Brazils capital, prompting federal response

When all seven Hercules aircraft are retrofitted and ready for service, they will be strategically placed at CAL FIRE bases across the state to ensure theyre never too far from where theyre needed.

As wildfire frequency and severity increase across California, the introduction of this aircraft will undoubtedly play a crucial role in helping us achieve our initial attack goals, particularly in our efforts to keep 95% of fires at 10 acres or less, said CAL FIRE Chief Joe Tyler.

To view more detailed information about the C-130 Hercules, click here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Daria Korkh made a good show of a stiff upper lip as she prepared to abandon her home.

We dont want to, but weve got to, she said bluntly. The shops and supermarkets are closing. Medical facilities are still open, but its only a matter of time before the gas and electricity go.

The shelling has become more frequent and now there are enemy drones in town. Today, the first drone flew in. Everyone knew after they [the Russians] took Avdiivka that this could be expected. Its not sudden.

Ms Korkh, a practical 39-year-old who has no children but a host of rescue animals (the kind of pets no one else wants) is one of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the strategically vital city of Pokrovsk.

Russian forces have been pushing slowly towards Pokrovsk ever since they captured the strategic city of Avdiivka, 30 miles to the east, in February.

But since Ukraine pulled elite units from Donbas for its incursion into Kursk, the Russia advance has accelerated.

Ive never seen such speed [in a Russian advance], the commander of a Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance unit fighting in the area told The Telegraph this week.

It is very rapid. And our problem is the same: we dont have infantry, we dont have enough artillery or shells. We dont have enough drones.

The enemy has deployed powerful electronic warfare units so we sometimes have to launch 10, 12, 15 just to destroy one tank. If one of them was lucky enough to find the first EW vehicle, we could take out the rest.

The situation is very complicated, and not in our favour. The most critical thing for us now is the large number of soldiers of the Russian Federation. They outnumber us I reckon by at least five to one.

Russians will be in city by mid-September

Over the past three weeks, the Russians have advanced at least five miles towards the city, moving along the cutting of a railway line that provides cover for their infantry.

By Tuesday, they had captured a third of Novohrodivka, a town astride that railway line. By Friday, Novohrodivka had fallen completely.

Battles are ongoing on the left if you look from the enemy towards Pokrovsk in an apparent attempt to bypass the suburb of Myrnohrad, where the urban environment might slow them down, the commander said.

They are trying to break through this flank, basically along the track to the Pokrovsk, and they are succeeding and very successfully, he added.

The Centre for Defence Strategies (CDS), a Ukrainian think tank, said in an assessment on Thursday that the Russians will probably reach the city by mid-September.

For Ukraine, that is not good news.

Pokrovsk is a strategic junction that sits on both road and rail links that sustain the Ukrainian garrison holding the front in other parts of Donetsk region. The most direct road between Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka is already too dangerous to use and will probably be cut in the coming days or weeks.

If Pokrovsk falls, it will seriously complicate logistics for Ukrainian troops around Toretsk, Chasiv Yar, and the fortress agglomeration of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and Kostiantynivka.

The Russians are also expanding their salient on the flanks. On Thursday, fighting was reported on the outskirts of Selydove, a town south east of Pokrovsk.

To the east of the city, on the Ukrainian left, they have entered Krasnyu Yar and Hrodivka. Those moves threaten encirclement of large chunks of the Ukrainian front to the north, around Toretsk, and the south, around Kurakhove.

In other words, the Russians are poised to conquer a significant swathe of Donetsk region  one of their stated war aims  dangerously jeopardise the remaining Ukrainian footholds, and threaten an attack towards Dnipro.

Threat to city direct result of Kursk operation

This desperate situation appears to be a direct result of Ukraines invasion of Kursk in early August.

That operation, planned by Gen Oleksandr Syrsky and greenlit by Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, was meant to draw Russian troops away from this front.

Gen Syrsky, the commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, admitted this week that the Russians had not taken the bait.

While they have moved thousands of troops from other parts of the line to Kursk, on the Pokrovsk front they have doubled down.

Mr Zelensky testily defended the decision this week, arguing at a press conference that the Russians had been advancing on Pokrovsk even more rapidly before the Kursk operation.

Thats difficult to square with the accounts of officers and enlisted men on the ground.

CDS warned that in the Pokrovsk sector Russia enjoys a 4:1 advantage in forces, resources, drones and artillery, and that it could be assumed the Russians would reach Pokrovsk by mid-September.

The Ukrainian withdrawal from Norohrodivka, it noted, indicates a lack of sufficient resources for defence, even on advantageous lines.

Battle is not a foregone conclusion

The battle, however, is not a foregone conclusion.

Ukrainian sources claim the Russians are suffering record casualties in the Pokrovsk direction and that they will be unable to sustain the current pace of advance for much longer.

CDS predicted in its assessment that the upcoming battle for Pokrovsk will be the climax of the enemys offensive operation on the southwestern theatre of war in 2024.

Even some Russian war bloggers are uneasy, writing on Telegram that recent advances had been suspiciously smooth. Perhaps, they suggested, the Ukrainians are preparing some kind of trap?

The truth is few outside the Ukrainian and Russian high commands really know what is going on.

Could the Ukrainians be planning a stage two to the Kursk operation? Will the elite units who led the assault there be switched back to Donbas to hold the line? Will Ukraine fight for Pokrovsk, or retreat as it has done from outlying villages?

Or will the Russians be forced to switch reserves to Kursk after all, forcing them to halt? Are they plunging into an elaborate trap?

Or is it simply as it appears: an exhausted Ukrainian army finally buckling to the logic of superior Russian numbers?

There is nothing positive to say, everything is difficult, said the Ukrainian commander. We are fighting and now we will see what kind of reinforcements there will be, if any, and then we will build defence on that. Were trying to cut their main supply routes but they dont stop.

City shuts down as if death is near

Whatever the outcome, Pokrovsk itself is shutting down, like an organism that knows death is near.

A week ago, the supermarkets had closed but small shops were still open. Elderly women were still selling tomatoes, sunflower oil and milk on the main square every day. Locals queued at the social services office to collect their pensions as normal.

Pokrovsk is changing in front of our eyes. Just two days ago there was some traffic, but today it was almost empty, Roman Zhylenkov, a volunteer with the group Skhid SOS, which has been running evacuations from the town and surrounding front-line villages, told The Telegraph on Thursday.

Its not 2022  there is no panic. People just pack their belongings, and shut down or relocate their business. There is information that banks will stop operating next Monday.

The hospital is being relocated to Kryvyi Rih. After the hospital and local administration services are evacuated, locals will start moving out much faster.

Sooner rather than later, the artillery and the drones will force even the most daring policemen and volunteers to give up on the rescue missions.

Everyone knows what comes next, because it has happened in so many towns before.

The elderly, the ill, and the very poor will be the last to leave, because they have nowhere to go. Some will refuse to move until it is too late. A handful of Russian sympathisers will probably stay behind to be liberated.

Windows will be blown in, the roads cratered, the houses destroyed. And then the armour and infantry will fight street-to-street through the rubble.

That is, if Ukraine fights for it. If the current rate of Russian advance continues, there may not be much of a battle at all.

Shortly after we spoke, Ms Korkh and her rescue dogs made it to the house in the Cherkassy region she and her husband had bought for such an emergency. Her husband is still in Pokrovsk.

How do I feel? she mused? I cant live happily in any other region.

Yes, its my Ukraine, yes I love it, Im not going to go to Europe or something. But for me, my Ukrainian Donbas Its my soul. I only wanted to live in Donbas. I only wanted to grow old in Donbas.

She pauses to think, and then her voice finally cracks. For me, its like my own, individual death.

Click here to view this content.

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Matthew Perry's sudden overdose death is leading to serious legal repercussions, with one of the doctors accused of supplying the late star with drugs now ordered to surrender his passport.

This move comes amid a broader crackdown on the medical professionals involved in his tragic end, who had already lost their licenses to prescribe medication.

Authorities have shown their commitment to holding those responsible for Matthew Perry's fatal overdose accountable.

Doctor Charged In Matthew Perry's Overdose Agrees To Bond Conditions

MEGA

Dr. Mark Chavez faced a Los Angeles federal court on Friday as part of a plea deal related to the death of Perry.

Standing beside his lawyer, Chavez acknowledged his rights before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jean P. Rosenbluth, who outlined the conditions of his release on bond. Among the stipulations, the 54-year-old is required to surrender his passport and cease practicing medicine.

Associated Press reported that Chavez agreed to relinquish his medical license. The San Diego physician is one of two doctors charged with supplying drugs to Perry before the actor's tragic overdose.

His lawyer, Matthew Binninger, emphasized Chavez's remorse outside the courtroom, saying, "He's incredibly remorseful. He's trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here."

Binninger added that while Chavez did not officially accept responsibility during this appearance, he is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation.

Dr. Mark Chavez Agreed To Aid Prosecutors

MEGA

Chavez's court appearance marks a critical turn in the investigation. As part of a plea deal, he agreed to cooperate with authorities, providing crucial insights against other key figures.

These people included Dr. Salvador Plasencia, accused of supplying ketamine to Perry, and alleged drug dealer Jasveen Sangha. Both Plasencia and Sangha have reportedly pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.

This development follows similar plea deals from Perry's assistant, who admitted to facilitating ketamine injections, and a mutual acquaintance who acted as a middleman.

DEA Revoked Prescription Licenses Of Dr. Salvador Plasencia

MEGA

Plasencia, who was released on bond, faces severe allegations, including supplying ketamine to Perry's assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, and demonstrating how to administer the drug.

The Blast reported that the U.S. Attorney's Office revealed that Plasencia reached out to Chavezwho previously managed a ketamine clinicto procure the substances for Perry.

Plasencia's charges could result in up to 120 years in federal prison if convicted, with accusations spanning seven counts of ketamine distribution.

Alleged text messages between Plasencia and Chavez, including comments like "I wonder how much this moron will pay" and "Let's find out," further implicate their involvement.

The 'Friends' Star's Deadly Drug Habits Linked To Dating App Encounters

MEGA

Investigations into Perry's tragic overdose uncovered troubling details about his drug use. The actor's death was not only due to ketamine but also involved other substances, reportedly supplied by women he met through dating apps.

Sources close to the star alleged, "he [Perry] would meet girls on dating apps and have them come over. There was a slew of 21 to 25-year-olds that he would meet on Raya. They would bring drugs with them."

The insiders also revealed that these women were not thoroughly searched upon entering his residence, as private caregivers often lack the strict protocols of institutional settings.

Matthew Perry's Memoir Unveiled Ketamine's Grip

MEGA

Perry's memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," provided a haunting glimpse into his tumultuous relationship with ketamine. The Blast noted that Perry likened the experience to "being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel."

Initially, the 54-year-old turned to ketamine as a treatment for anxiety and depression, but his use quickly spiraled into addiction.

The actor detailed his sessions, where he was often blindfolded and hooked up to an IV while listening to music, describing the experience as a profound "giant exhale."

He even remarked that ketamine felt tailor-made for him, claiming, "[It] has my name written all over it  they might as well have called it 'Matty.'" Perry's fascination with the drug's hallucinogenic effects led him to a state of disassociation where even bizarre visual experiences became normal.

As the investigation into Matthew Perry's overdose continues, the legal consequences for those involved continue to intensify.
Ahead of the planned start of the school year on Sept. 1, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged on Aug. 30 that "the maximum number of school should be opened offline," referring to in-person learning.

First of all it's a matter of availability of shelters and readiness of the energy systems for the current challenges, Zelensky said in his evening address.

Ukraine traditionally returns back to school on Sept. 1, marking Knowledge Day. However, since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, many children have been forced to study virtually amid threat of Russian attacks.

Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has reportedly destroyed or damaged one in seven schools in Ukraine and forced 1.6 million schoolchildren out of education. Some 900,000 Ukrainian children study remotely as only schools equipped with bomb shelters are allowed to operate offline.

According to the UN, only one third of Ukrainian children are able to attend schools in person. Roughly another third learn online and another third learn in a hybrid approach due to the threat of attacks.

Ukrainian officials have been preparing for the start of the year - as well as a return to normalcy for some of the children affected - by investing heavily in building school shelters for the civilians to hide in case of attacks.

In Mykolaiv shelters were set up in 23 schools out of 40 where offline education is planned to resume, according to the Mykolaiv city council.

In Zaporizhzhia, local authorities plan to open some of the six underground schools in the city and the surrounding region by late October, Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov said on August 11.

Deputy Education Minister Yevhen Kudriavets said in February that over 3,500 educational institutions had been damaged due to the Russian full-scale invasion. Nearly 400 of them were almost destroyed.

On Aug. 30, a Russian attack on a building in Kharkiv killed a 14-year-old girl and injured at least 18 other children. A total of seven people were killed and 77 injured in the attack.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russian attack on Kharkiv kills 7 people, injures over 70

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
DENVER (KDVR)  Aurora will ask for an emergency court order to clear apartment buildings where the mayor says Venezuelan gang activity has been reported.

Mayor Mike Coffman said on Friday that the City Attorneys Office will ask to declare the properties a criminal nuisance.

This will require a municipal judge to issue the order with the goal of getting these properties back under the control of the property owners, Coffman said in a social media post.

FOX31 has been speaking in recent weeks with residents of multiple apartment complexes who say gang violence has been affecting their communities.

Homeland Security sources confirm Aurora video shows Venezuelan gang members

Department of Homeland Security sources confirmed to NewsNation on Friday that people seen in videos carrying guns and forcing their way into apartments in one of those buildings are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

FOX31 spoke with one of the owners of the three complexes that had a large number of migrants move in and where they say crime had become a growing problem.

That owner, who did not wish to be identified by name, responded to the news that law enforcement had confirmed that TdA was operating in isolated pockets of Aurora.

It proves what we have been saying. It proves what we have been told by law enforcement, which has basically been staying mum on the issue. It was law enforcement that informed us it was Tren de Aragua at the properties, and then when everything broke, there was no one to speak to for many, many weeks, the owner said.

The issues have included the Fitzsimons apartments on Nome Street, which the city shut down over code issues but which property management said was because of Venezuelan gang activity there.

Aurora police said on Friday that a man arrested in a July shooting near the complex was confirmed to be a member of TdA.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Melanias plea for Trump to control his swearing flops as he tears into Harris at rally

Melania Trumps apparent plea to her husband Donald Trump to control his language fell on deaf ears on Friday night when he torched Kamala Harris saying that everything she touches turns to s**t.

The former president and Republican nominee attacked the vice presidents record before a crowd in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, claiming she doesnt have any common sense before noting that both his wife and Reverend Franklin Graham have asked him to not use foul language.

Trump continued: They believe in an ideology and  if you look at Kamala and you look at what shes done to every place shes touched has turned to s**t. Every single place shes touched. I have to say, it. Every place shes touched, you know?

He then said: You might have heard this, Franklin Graham is wonderful and he wrote me a letter and he said, Sir, I love your stories, and I love listening to your rallies, but could you please dont use foul language? Your speeches would be even better if you didnt use foul language.

Explaining that he nevertheless sometimes uses foul language to make a point, Trump said: But theres an example. Its not really that bad a word, but how can you top that word for what Im talking about? Right? What word?

Every place she touches wouldnt be nice. People would  that would be a thud. It would land with a thud.

No, and Franklin is probably right. Im not sure I agree with him. But hes a great guy, actually. But he did say that to me.

Rev Graham is not the only person who has apparently pleaded with the former president to maintain some decorum in his campaign speeches.

Former president and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where he couldnt help but lay into Kamala Harris (EPA)

Trump said that while he tries to avoid swearing to appease Graham, he has also been warned off it by the former first lady.

He told the crowd: My wife also, she says, Please dont use foul language. But its hard. You know, theres some words that cant be duplicated. They cant. I try, but it cant be duplicated.

Its not the first time expletives have crept into this years election.

In May, Vice President Harris was speaking at a summit for Asia, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Americans, discussing being of mixed Black and Indian heritage.

She told the audience: We have to know that sometimes, people will open the door for you and leave it open, sometimes they wont.

And then you need to kick that f**king door down.

The sentiment was greeted with big cheers from the crowd before Harris laughed and apologized: Excuse my language.
New Mexico man sentenced to supervision after meeting threats turn into confrontation

NEW MEXICO (KRQE)  A New Mexico man was sentenced for assaulting a federal officer. Authorities claimed the incident stemmed from a community meeting.

Court documents alleged Kenneth Begay, 60, of Newcomb, attended a fiscal planning meeting on June 4, 2023, and was becoming frustrated about homesite leases and grazing rights. Begay was accused of making threats against officials, and police were called. Begay left.

Navajo Nation Police Department officers went to his home to investigate the threats, and he told them to stay off his property. The officers stayed outside his fence line, and Begay reportedly admitted to making threats.

Santa Fe Countys biggest connecting road project completed after decades of planning

Officers tried to arrest him at this time, but he resisted, and there was a confrontation. Afterward, an officer was placed on medical leave for a month as they were suffering from a shoulder separation and multiple abrasions. Another officer had a shoulder sprain and was on leave for a few days.

Begay was sentenced to three years of supervised probation for assaulting the Navajo Nation Police Department officer, who is considered a federal officer.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
Miamis police oversight panel fights back against the city for trying to shut it down

Miamis civilian police oversight agency refuses to go down without a fight and is set to wage a legal battle with the city to continue existing, a new court filing indicates. The city of Miami moved to shutter the agency, which has existed for decades, to comply with its interpretation of one of Floridas newest laws.

On Friday, Miamis Civilian Investigative Panel petitioned a Miami-Dade County Circuit Court judge for an injunction on the agencys termination. If an injunction were granted, the oversight panel would continue to function in its normal capacity until the judge declares a ruling on whether Florida law requires it to be shut down.

READ MORE: Review board dedicated to holding Miami cops accountable will be disbanded. How come?

This dispute stems from a bill turned law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that went into effect on July 1. The bill, in short, states that no city can fund or adopt a civilian oversight board. But a police chief can create a civilian oversight board and select between three to seven members.

The City of Miami announced Tuesday that it would no longer fund the Civilian Investigative Panel because, according to its interpretation of the new state law, the panel can no longer exist.

At the time, Rodney Jacobs, head of the CIP, told the Miami Herald the city had it all wrong and his agency would be seeking legal action.

I dont believe in the citys articulation of the law, he said. I think [the law] still gives a pathway for it to still exist.

The oversight panels petition to the court hinges on how the agency was created.

The CIP was created by a voter referendum in 2001 and then added to the City Charter, which set its authority and mandated that it be provided with a budget.

The current panel functions, in nature, as an investigative unit  combining a staff of former officers and attorneys with a panel voted on by the Miami Commission.

The agency combs through body camera footage, witness testimony, and sometimes statements from police and internal affairs reports to investigate complaints filed against cops. Jacobs said it handled about 300 cases last year. The panels oversight power is limited to making recommendations to the citys police chief.

In the legal filing, the CIP said the new law states that no city can adopt an ordinance that creates a civilian oversight board that investigates complaints of police misconduct.

When the law went into effect, the oversight agency proposed to the city that it stop its investigative work but continue its other duties, including reviewing closed internal investigation files and department orders. The filing read that because the agency was created by a voter referendum and not an ordinance, there would be no reason to shut down.

The city refused the proposal and went ahead with shutting down the CIP.

Apart from the injunction, the CIP is requesting the court to declare the new law does not require it to shut down, and it will continue to exist with narrow limitations.

The City of Miami did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a city spokesperson told WLRN they would provide a complete response on Tuesday.

I think its important for the people to have a voice, Jacobs told the Herald earlier this week. This is an organization that is in the citys charter voted by the people.
LANSING  Calls for a one-year Michigan income tax cut to be made permanent hit a dead end Friday at the Michigan Supreme Court.

A spike in state revenues in 2022 triggered a provision inserted into a 2015 law that reduced Michigan's personal income tax rate to 4.05% from 4.25%.

The Whitmer administration and Attorney General Dana Nessel interpreted the wording as resulting in a one-year tax cut, for the 2023 tax year only. Michigan Republicans and groups such as the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and Associated Builders and Contractors interpreted the law as requiring a permanent tax cut.

They sued, but lost at both the Michigan Court of Claims and the Michigan Court of Appeals.

The Michigan Supreme Courts courtroom in the state Hall of Justice.

More: Court orders U.P. city to disclose police's use-of-force policy, for a second time

And on Friday, the Michigan Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

Taxpayers just lost $700 million a year without a single vote in the Legislature, said Patrick Wright, vice president for legal affairs at the Mackinac Center.

This case is a reminder that the Legislature must be extremely precise in order to avoid a misguided interpretation of the law by a future administration opposed to its original goals.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on X, @paulegan4.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Supreme Court dismissed case calling for a permanent tax cut
Michigan Supreme Court rules out refunds for college students upended by COVID-19 rules

LANSING, Mich. (AP)  College students seeking refunds because of a sudden shift to online classes or a change in campus housing during COVID-19 struck out Friday at the Michigan Supreme Court.

The court heard arguments nearly a year ago and ultimately decided to let a 2022 appeals court opinion stand.

The appeals court found there was no promise of live, in-person classes when the 2019-20 school year began and that housing contracts had provisions covering extraordinary circumstances.

Lawsuits targeted Eastern Michigan University, Central Michigan University and Lake Superior State University, though the result extends to other public schools that made major changes during the pandemic.

The plaintiffs failed to demonstrate that the defendant universities breached any contractual agreement with them, the appeals court said.

The Supreme Court did not issue a formal opinion, instead releasing a two-sentence order, approved by a 5-2 majority.

Justice David Viviano, joined by Justice Richard Bernstein, wanted to send the case back to the Court of Claims for more work.

Plaintiffs do not argue that the universities failed to provide the classes for which they registered, but instead argue that once the pandemic began the universities did not provide the classes in the format for which the students registered, Viviano said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
A Fraud Expert Is Sharing The Best Tips To Avoid The Latest Phone Scam, And It's Important

Scammers win when they trick you into divulging personal information  and one of the simplest ways they can get you to do this is by impersonating someone you know.

When a bad actor pretends to be someone you trust or a legitimate retailer, this type of scam is known as spoofing. With spoofing, scammers take advantage of the fear and the curiosity that we have that this is somebody we know, said Amy Nofziger, the director of victim support for the AARP Fraud Watch Network.

One common tactic in a spoofing scam is to make an email address, text message, website or phone number appear like its the real deal. But even though it might have a similar or exact same display name, domain address or use the same call-to-action button as a trusted business, politician or boss, its actually all a deceptive act to convince you into downloading malware or giving up your financial information.

Often, the trickery can only be revealed through minor details. Here are some of the most common ways you will encounter spoofing and what to watch out for:

Phone Spoofing

Celiaosk / Getty Images

Phone spoofing can be hard to spot because there are apps that can replicate caller IDs so that they can carry the display name of people you know, as well as the local area codes that you are familiar with.

Dont trust what you hear, either. In a 2023 60 Minutes segment, an ethical hacker used an app to create an AI-generated recording that mimicked the voice of one of the shows correspondents. Through this eerie likeness, the hacker was able to successfully ask a colleague to share that correspondents passport number in a phone call.

In these cases, the best thing you could do is say, I gotta call you right back, even if its just one minute, said Cliff Steinhauer, the director of information security and engagement for the National Cybersecurity Alliance.

In the example of the 60 Minutes colleague who got fooled, if the [co-worker] had hung up and called her boss back, she would have gotten her boss, not the attacker. To help prevent this kind of spoofing, set up a code word you can ask for as a verifying test, Steinhauer suggested.

Overall, the big telltale sign that the caller is a scammer is not in how legitimate they appear or sound, but in what they are telling you to do. It can be normal to receive a random call that shares information with you like a prescription available for pickup from the pharmacy. But you should be suspicious if the caller urgently needs you to give up sensitive information in order to continue the conversation.

If theyre saying, Your child is hurt and you need to send us an insurance payment right now with prepaid gift cards or cryptocurrency, theyre asking you for something, and thats the biggest red flag, Nofziger said.

Email Spoofing

Athima Tongloom / Getty Images

Upon first glance, a spoofed email may look reliable. Scammers will often use sender addresses that look like its coming from a known company or authority figure.

Sometimes, a tiny typo can be the biggest clue that something is amiss, so watch out for emails that have misspellings or unusual syntax. Steinhauer shared an example where an email attacker was using actual vendors domain name, with the same name and signature, but the only thing that was different was the spelling of the companys name.

The good news is that email authentication technology that many businesses use can block emails from suspicious senders or confine them to a spam folder. But if those things arent set up correctly, then its possible for attackers to spoof your email addresses, Steinhauer said.

What can be tricky too in these cases is how there can be no obvious typos at all and the email can have the same addresses, logos and branding that you would be familiar with.

So watch out if the email is supposed to be internal, but you get an alert that it appears like its coming from an external sender. Mail being marked as junk or being marked as spam  that could be an indication that somebody has compromised the DNS of the mail service, and theyve somehow tricked it into sending an email from another domain, Steinhauer said.

URL Spoofing

Surasak Suwanmake / Getty Images

Sometimes, the email or text may be worded correctly, but the attachment or hyperlink you are being asked to click is the suspicious sign.

Many times, scammers will create look-alike URLs that appear legitimate until you look more closely at the punctuation or wording. Drive-google.com is an insecure imitation domain, for example, while drive.google.com is not.

Usually, when youre on a computer, you can hover over the link with your mouse, and you can see the URL that youre going to be taken to. Be wary if the email or website has a link that has been shortened through a service like Bitly so you cannot see where the link will go, Steinhauer said: It can mask the actual destination of the link. In these cases, its better to avoid clicking.

Steinhauer gave the example of a random text from a politician that is asking you to donate to their campaign with a link. Instead of clicking a suspicious URL that has been shortened, its better to just go to that candidates website directly, he suggested.

And if you get an unsolicited email from a business you interact with like an airline, just go directly to the website that you want to visit, Nofziger recommended, instead of clicking links within that email.

What To Do If You Get Spoofed

Tara Moore via Getty Images

If you do end up clicking that fraudulent link or you reply to someone you thought was a real authority figure, your next steps depend on where it happened and what you ended up sharing.

Report it.

Jacob Wackerhausen / Getty Images

Immediately let your IT department know you got fooled if it happens at work, Steinhauer suggested.

If you realize youve clicked a link, hopefully you stop there, close out of it, and then send your help desk a ticket, he said.

If it involves your finances, report what happened to your bank or credit card, too, because they can put a temporary freeze on your accounts. You can also report the spoof to the FTC.

Reset passwords and update your computer.

Tulcarion / Getty Images

If you believe you may have shared more than you should have with a potential scammer, you need to bolster your online security.

For good cybersecurity, you should continue to install the latest patches and updates on your computer network, authorize multifactor authentication if you have not, and reset your passwords.

If you think you put your password in on a fake website, the first thing you should do is absolutely reset that password, because the attacker is going to ... try to reset it before you can, Steinhauer said.

Train yourself to be better at spotting spoofs.

Nomadnes / Getty Images

To be better at distinguishing from spoofed URLs or domains, try Googles quiz. It can help you see how one typo or one unusually worded email address can tip you off to a larger scam taking place, Steinhauer suggested.

When in doubt about an incoming call, let it go to voicemail. Do not pick up your phone unless you absolutely know whos calling, Nofziger said.

And if you do answer, stay mum if you start getting detailed requests for information.

Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mothers maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious, the Federal Communications Commission warns on its website about spoofing.

Avoiding spoofs means treating every email or call with some healthy caution. It can be annoying to seek out extra verification when you feel doubt, but the consequences of dealing with a stolen identity are worse. This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  The migrants who approached two school buses operated by the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District earlier this week were taken into Border Patrol custody, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Friday.

The incidents, which occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday along Highway 94 near Cochera Via, lead to minor interruptions of the school bus routes, according to district officials.

Border Patrol agents immediately responded to both incidents, the CBP spokesperson added, and detained the unspecified number of individuals for entering the U.S. unlawfully. All have also been transported to nearby processing centers for enrollment in removal proceedings.

A separate criminal investigation by the San Diego County Sheriffs Department determined no local crime occurred, as none of the migrants attempted to forcefully stop or enter either bus, as the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Friday.

The area where the interactions occurred was also a considered a frequent site immigration nonprofits visit to provide assistance to migrants.

18 citations issued in single-day DUI checkpoint: Chula Vista PD

The first encounter occurred Tuesday afternoon, when a group of three men walked in the middle of Highway 94 to flag down a bus, the school districts superintendent, Liz Bystedt, said in a note to families Wednesday. The bus then went around the group without incident.

Another school bus encountered a group of about 20 individuals the following morning as it was picking up students from the same stop. According to Bystedt, parents present at the site helped the bus driver ensure students were safe and that no one boarded the bus.

In her letter, she also said extra security measures were put in place as soon as she was made aware of the incidents for the safety of students and bus drivers. Border Patrol, California Highway Patrol and the sheriffs department were also immediately contacted.

We will continue to work with law enforcement on the matter, Bystedt said in a follow-up letter Wednesday afternoon. We have put additional protocols in place and notified parents of bus riders.

Authorities with the San Diego Sector of Border Patrol are encouraging members of the public to contact 9-1-1 or the Border Patrol dispatch directly at 619-498-9900 if they observe suspicious activity.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
VICKSBURG, Miss. (WJTV)  The water level of the Mississippi River is expected to drop under five-feet this year.

Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District said the water level is at nine-feet as of Friday, August 30, 2024. Its expected to fall to almost one-foot by the end of September 2024.

WATCH: Firenado forms during Mississippi wildfire

Leah DeYoung, the Dredging Unit Chief at the USACE Vicksburg District, said anyone whos out on the water should wear a life jacket and follow safety protocols.

We plan for this every year. We have our dredges out on the Mississippi River. We have The Vicksburg District has one pan dredge, and Memphis has another. And St. Louis has one. And they all work to make sure that the river stays open. So, we ensure that the towboats going up and down the river have a 12-foot depth and a 500-foot width all throughout the Mississippi River. And so with our dredging needs, we provide that for the mariners, DeYoung explained.

She encouraged those on the water to turn their depth finders on and to travel slowly because the water is shallow.

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JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV)  If you are looking for an international getaway, a recent report reveals where you will likely run into Mississippians.

Rustic Pathways, a travel agency with programs targeted at young students, analyzed monthly average Google search data over the last year in Mississippi. It noted several countries commonly associated with the ideal vacation abroad. Three European, one Asian and one country bordering the U.S. stood out.

Below are the five countries, and what makes them so attractive to tourists across Mississippi and the world.

People gather outside Buckingham Palace in London, Friday, Sept. 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

5. United Kingdom

The bustling city of London alone brings in millions of visitors yearly, with attractions like Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and the British Museum. The U.K.s scenic countryside stretches from the rolling hills of the Cotswolds to the beautiful views in Scotland. The shared language between the U.K. and the United States also makes travel easier and more inviting for many Mississippians. Additionally, the regions influence on the U.S. will make many Americans feel deja vu.

FILE  Kimono-clad geiko and maiko professional entertainers arrive for a ceremony to start this years business in Kyoto, western Japan, on Jan. 7, 2020. (Kyodo News via AP, File)

4. Japan

The countrys blend of ancient tradition and modern innovation inspires many to put it on their traveling bucket list. Bustling cities like Tokyo offer cutting-edge technology, a vibrant nightlife and unparalleled shopping experiences. In contrast, Japans historic sites, such as Kyotos serene temples and the iconic Mount Fuji, provide a glimpse into its history. From sushi and ramen to intricate kaiseki meals, Japan is also another great destination for food lovers.

10 most dangerous beaches in U.S. are all in Florida

FILE -Tourists walk in a crowded street in Venice, Italy, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

3. Italy

The romantic canals of Venice, Romes Colosseum, Tuscanys rolling vineyards and more offer an immersive experience in art and history for visitors and residents alike. Additionally, Italys culinary reputation, featuring world-famous pasta, pizza and wines, provides an unforgettable experience for tourists.

FILE  The step pyramid of Kukulcan stands in Chichen Itza, a complex of Mayan ruins on Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Tomas Stargardter, File)

2. Mexico

Most Americans know Mexico for its flavorful food and drinks. But the country has more than just good cuisine. The remnants of ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations are must-see attractions for many. The countrys stunning beaches and the rich cultural heritage of its various cities are landmarks in their own right. Coupled with a favorable exchange rate, these factors make Mexico an attractive destination for many.

FILE  The 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple is reflected on a puddle following a rainfall as tourists visit the ancient Acropolis hill of Athens, on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris, File)

1. Greece

Greeces rich history is evident in ancient sites like the Acropolis in Athens and the ruins of Delphi. The countrys picturesque islands offer crystal-clear waters, beautiful beaches and charming, white-washed buildings. Its warm Mediterranean climate and delicious cuisine help to make Greece the most popular dream destination for Mississippians.

For those looking for an adventure close to home, you do not have the leave the Magnolia state. To find places to go and things to do across the state, go to visitmississippi.org.

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The family who invited Donald Trump to Arlington National Cemetery on Monday was happy to welcome him, mother-in-law of a dead soldier Christy Shamblin told CNN on Saturday. Shamblin added that Trump accompanied the family to Section 60 of the graveyard at our request to spend time with our loved ones.

There was not a press presence there, Shamblin continued. We privately took pictures among ourselves and it was, you know, a more celebratory feeling for that day. Because we want to celebrate our loved ones, and its very hard to find ways to do that at, you know, at a cemetery, but they were very respectful.

Shamblin also said the families extended an invitation to the Biden-Harris administration, and we didnt hear back from the White House. NBC reports that representatives for both Biden and Harris have denied being invited to Arlington National Cemetery by Gold Star families last week.

When asked by conservative host Michael Smerconish (a former Republican) if it was appropriate for Trump to share footage from the visit in a campaign video on TikTok, Shamblin admitted she doesnt use the social video app but insisted that theres no political campaigning that was done at Section 60 that day.

After Smerconish pushed her again on the topic, Shamblin added, I just have to go back to, we really just want our kids to be remembered and honored, and its unfortunate that we cant get that, you know, in other ways. So we support President Trump and hes supported us.

On Tuesday, Arlington released a statement about Trumps visit that made it clear the trip violated the law. Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidates campaign, the statement read.

Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants.

As reported by the Washington Post, the law in question is 32 CFR  553.32, which states, The Executive Director shall ensure the sanctity of public and private memorial and ceremonial events.

The law also dictates, All memorial services and ceremonies within Army National Military Cemeteries, other than official ceremonies, shall be purely memorial in purpose and may be dedicated only to: The memory of all those interred, inurned, or memorialized in Army National Military Cemeteries; The memory of all those who died in the military service of the United States while serving during a particular conflict or while serving in a particular military unit or units; The memory of the individual or individuals to be interred, inurned, or memorialized at the particular site at which the service or ceremony is held.

Memorial services and ceremonies at Army National Military Cemeteries will not include partisan political activities and Private memorial services may be closed to the media and public as determined by the decedents primary next of kin, the law reads.

Trump appeared to share photos and video from the visit in a politically motivated way. Campaign aide Dan Scavino posted a video of Trump laying a wreath with Shamblin and other family members.

The video posted to Trumps account on TikTok also shows Trump commenting, And then they took over that disaster  the leaving of Afghanistan with a caption that reads, Should have never happened  two factors that make the assertion that the video and visit had no political motivation difficult to maintain at best. The comments and the caption appeared to refer to the widely criticized withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan under the Biden administration.

Also on Saturday, Trump shared a series of videos from parents of American troops killed in action on Truth Social. Each of the parents, a list that includes Shamblin, offers their support for Trumps actions at Arlington  despite the apparent lawlessness therein.

Shamblin was an invited guest and speaker at the Republican National Convention this year. She spoke about her daughter-in-la Nicole Gee, who was among the 13 Americans and 60 Afghans killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in August 2021.

The mother-in-law said that Trump allowed us to remember our heroes and added, Donald Trump knew all of our childrens names, and he spoke to us in a way that made us feel understood.

Some Republicans have said President Bidens decision to remove troops from the country was politically motivated, but the Trump administration negotiated the withdrawal agreement in February 2020. The original agreement stated troops would be removed from Afghanistan by May 2021, but the Trump administration did not lay out a plan for that removal before Trump left office in January 2021.

The post Mom Who Invited Trump to Arlington Cemetery Argues No Political Campaigning Was Done | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
WASHINGTON  Hundreds of mostly white women gathered at a swanky downtown hotel to hear prominent conservative speakers and strategize with other moms about how to spread their message across the country.

Decked out in everything from stylish pantsuits, light-up American-flag jackets and, obviously, Donald Trump swag, the crowd at the Moms for Liberty Joyful Warriors National Summit cheered and hollered as speaker after speaker spewed hate about transgender people  all under the guise of protecting children.

Moms for Liberty, a far-right group that largely focuses on getting conservative parents elected to school boards, grew out of the pushback against pandemic school closures and masking requirements. It has since morphed into a so-called parental rights organization that rails against racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights, and takes up such causes as pushing schools to remove books that dont embody the groups conservative values.

At the 2024 summit this week, the focus was on fearmongering about trans kids and criticizing school employees who support them.

Theres no such thing as a transgender child, Tiffany Justice, a co-founder of Moms for Liberty, told HuffPost in an interview.

Her position is a common one among conservatives, who have taken to attacking trans rights around the country  even as less than 1% of the U.S. population identifies as trans. The right wing has attacked gender-affirming care as child abuse, though the American Academy of Pediatrics says such care can be lifesaving by reducing the risk of suicidal ideation.

Seth Dillon, CEO of the conservative satire website Babylon Bee, talked about gender madness when he addressed the crowd. Actor Rob Schneider, who had a prime-time speaking slot on Thursday night, claimed that children were getting mutilated. Texas state Rep. Shawn Thierry, who lost her primary this spring, announced that she was leaving the Democratic Party in part because of members views on transgender youth. Maud Maron, a former New York City community education council member who was removed from her post for sending anti-transgender text messages, claimed men were playing in womens sports.

I think the federal government pushing child abuse really concerns American parents, Justice said when asked why there was so much focus on trans issues at the summit.

Cutting off the healthy body parts of children is pretty extreme, right? she said. Were cutting off the healthy body parts of girls. She was referring to gender-affirming surgeries such as mastectomies, which are very rarely performed on minors.

Moms for Liberty founder Tiffany Justice, shown here at a 2023 Republican event in Florida, said this week, "There's no such thing as a transgender child." Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

At a panel on writing laws that protect parental rights, the session was laser-focused on transgender children. The speakers addressed the audience about how, through legislation, they can put a stop to secret social transitions, or schools transitioning children without telling their parents.

Were getting calls from parents saying this is happening at our school, claimed Matt Sharp, senior counselor at Alliance Defending Freedom, a right-wing legal group. (It is not uncommon for transgender children to be out at school but not at home if they dont feel safe telling their parents.)

And although many states have parental rights laws, which say parents have the fundamental right to raise their children the way they see fit, the panelists argued that most of them are too vague or dont go far enough. We need a legal remedy, Sharp said.

The panelists from Alliance Defending Freedom told attendees they should push their legislators to submit bills that would uphold parental rights and make it illegal for schools to affirm a childs gender transition without parental consent  and that would allow parents whose rights were violated to sue schools and other government employees.

Later, at a panel that was expressly about secret social transitions, two mothers talked about finding out that their childrens schools were letting them transition without notifying their parents. In both cases, however, their children actually told them that they were planning to transition.

Tammy Fournier, a mother in Wisconsin, said that in May 2020 her daughter Autumn, who sat next to her on stage, told her parents that she believed she was transgender after confiding in a friend who then told a teachers aide. Fournier claims that the teachers aide told Autumn she could go to the office and change her pronouns, but the child declined and said she wanted to speak with her parents.

Autumn didnt return to that school. Fournier sued the school, saying it had violated her parental rights. In October 2023, a Wisconsin judge ruled that the school could not use a childs preferred name or pronouns without parental consent.

January Littlejohn, a Florida mom, had a similar story. She said her daughter wanted to transition after some of her friends did. The school held a meeting with the child, Littlejohn said, but refused to tell her the details of the meeting.

Littlejohn had a warning to the parents in the room. Parents of young children and grandparents, you need to be actively inoculating your children against this, she said, claiming that the faucet of gender ideology is free flowing on social media.

She also railed against allyship, claiming that children were being indoctrinated into being allies.

If you see buzzwords like inclusivity and safe and welcoming, that means gender ideology is alive and well in that school, she warned.

CORRECTION: A prior version of this article misstated the name of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Related...
The Maryland State Board of Education meets in Baltimore in this August 2023 file photo. Photo by William J. Ford.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) named a longtime educator, an Army veteran and a counselor to the Maryland Board of Education Friday to replace three appointees of former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) whose terms had expired.

The three new members  Kimberly Lewis, Kenny Clash and Xiomara V. Medina  join the 14-member board as it grapples with a controversial state Department of Education proposed literacy plan, which calls for children to repeat third grade if the dont meet reading standards. The department recently softened that proposal to let parents allow their children to advance to the fourth grade, even if they didnt meet reading standards.

The board and the department are also entering the third year of a sweeping 10-year education reform plan known as the Blueprint for Marylands Future. That proposal faces complaints from local school districts that say it is difficult to meet and too inflexible, and concerns from state lawmakers over its step price tag.

I look forward to working alongside our new appointees to continue to build the future of K-12 education in Maryland and I thank them for their continued service to the state, Moore said in a statement announcing the appointments.

According to a short biography from the governors office, Lewis has more than 40 years in education that includes time with the department, as an educator in four Maryland school districts and as a member of former Gov. Parris Glendenings (D) education transition team.

Lewis will replace former board Shawn Bartley, who was appointed by Hogan in 2020. Lewis will complete the remainder of a four-year term that began July 1.

Clash, like Moore, is an Army veteran. He currently works as senior director of finance and operations at Intentional Philanthropy in Montgomery County and replaces another Hogan appointee, Holly Wilcox. He will the four-year term that began July 1.

Medina works as an associate director of clinical training and field placement at Bowie State Universitys Department of Counseling and Psychological Studies. She will replace retired Brig. Gen. Warner Sumpter, another Hogan appointee. She will serve the remaining year of a four-year term that began on July 1, 2021.

Four other Hogan appointees remain on the board: Chuen-Chin Bianca Chang and Joan Mele-McCarthy, whose terms expire in 2025; Rachel McCusker, whose term expires in 2026; and Susan Getty, whose termed expired June 30 but who will continue to serve until a successor is named.
More delay in determination of fitness for trial of accused serial killer Frederick Scott

A status hearing regarding accused Indian Creek serial killer Frederick Demond Scotts mental fitness to stand trial has been delayed again, amid complaints from both sides of the courtroom that Scotts case is not being monitored well enough by county mental-health officials.

Scott, 29, has been accused in the killings of Steven Gibbons, 57; John Palmer, 54; David Lenox, 67; Timothy S. Rice, 57; Mike Darby, 61; and Karen Harmeyer, 64. The killings took place between 2016 and Scotts arrest in August 2017.

Harmeyer was killed in Grandview, while the rest of the fatal shootings took place along the Indian Creek Trail. All of the victims were shot without warning, some outside of their own homes.

After an outburst by Scott during a July 31 hearing, Jackson County Judge Charles McKenzie committed Scott to a state behavioral health program through the Missouri Department of Mental Health for a mental health evaluation.

The July hearing had been intended to determine whether Scott was fit to stand trial, following conflicting evaluations previously handed down by two judges.

Scotts next status hearing will be delayed until an attorney from the state department of mental-health attorney can update the court on Scotts treatment plan, McKenzie ruled.

Attorneys for the Department of Mental Health declined to attend Fridays status hearing, leaving McKenzie unwilling to record any updates on Scotts treatment. Scotts criminal case has been entirely suspended until his mental health evaluation is complete, McKenzie said.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys both expressed opinions that Scott should be treated as an outpatient and moved to Fulton State Hospital, Missouris primary public mental health facility. The move was also previously recommended jointly by medical experts on both sides of the case, Scotts public defender said.

The state behavioral health department instead decided to send a forensic team to treat Scott on-site at the Jackson County detention center, according to the Jackson County prosecutor. However, Scotts treatment has not begun as planned, starting with a failed virtual intake meeting.

The Department of Mental Health was unclear as to whether that was a refusal on Scotts part to participate, or whether there was some sort of technical problem, the county prosecutor said. And it doesnt appear that they, frankly, took the time to figure out what happened, which is frustrating to the state.

The attorney representing Scott said that the public defenders office feels as though the state mental health department has failed to prioritize Scotts treatment. Prosecutors also said that Scott has had issues properly managing his medication, for which the state faults detention center staff.

Frankly, it feels like the detention center and the forensic medical team have both dropped the ball a little bit, the prosecutor said. Which is why were back where we are here.

The civil commitment process in Missouri, amended in July, dictates that individuals can be committed for up to three months at a time, though someone can be recommitted.

A Jackson County prosecutor said on Friday that the results of Scotts competency evaluation are expected to be on file in January as part of an expedited evaluation process.

But the public defender representing Scott said the program requires six months of treatment with county mental health staff, followed by an evaluation. The earliest Scott should be evaluated and declared either fit or unfit to stand trial would be early 2025, the public defender said.

As legal proceedings continue, Scotts case file has been sealed from public view, according to Jackson County courts spokesperson Scott Lauck.

Another status hearing regarding Scotts treatment plan has been tentatively scheduled for September 6 at 9:30 a.m., pending the availability of Department of Mental Health attorneys.
The number of visitors at Presque Isle State Park has jumped from 4 million a year to 5 million since the pandemic.

With that, comes an increased amount of litter left on the beaches.

August 30 is National Beach Day, and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources are teaming up to combat litter and protect the regions natural landmark.

To do that, the organizations introduced a pilot program with prevention strategies at Beaches 6 and 8.

What Presque Isle beaches will have lifeguards Labor Day weekend?

Those strategies include information posters on dumpsters and kiosks, free biodegradable paper litter bags, picnic tables stenciled with messages and volunteer ambassador programs.

To make sure theres no question and explain to everybody the waste management system that we use here, said Matt Greene, operations manager at Presque Isle State Park.

Signage and bags give information in the top four languages used in the Erie area.

The state park had an influx of an extra million people a year after the pandemic and Greene said they saw an impact to the resources.

New recycle bin distribution date announced for City of Erie residents

During that time, with the public health crisis that was going on, people didnt want to touch stuff either, said Greene. All those extra people, all that extra trash we really tried to figure out ways to combat that.

Don Benczkowski, the regional program coordinator for Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, said trash affects a variety of things from water quality to local economy and tourism.

There are six-pack holders and different types of netting that different types of birds, turtles and different types of wildlife can really be impacted as a result of that. If you think youre littering and its not affecting people or wildlife, youre wrong, said Benczkowski.

Although its only a pilot program, Benczkowskie hopes it will expand.

Litter, just because you leave it, out of sight and out of mind, there are consequences as a result of that, he added.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com.
(KRON)  Officers responded to a hit-and-run Friday morning in Morgan Hill, the Morgan Hill Police Department said. The crash happened near the intersection of Malaga Drive and Majorca Drive.

The driver of the suspect vehicle ran away from the scene and broke into a neighborhood residents home  prompting the homeowner to flee her home. As a precaution, Nordstrom Elementary School across the street was temporarily locked down.

Morgan Hill police, along with a SWAT team, surrounded the home and barricaded the suspect, authorities said. The suspect was eventually arrested and is facing numerous charges.

Allstate increases California home insurance rates by 34 percent

(Morgan Hill Police Department)

(Morgan Hill Police Department)

Paramedics responded to the scene and the hit-and-run victim was seen on a stretcher. At this time, police did not release the condition of the victim.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Most Alaska students are not proficient in reading, math or science, state test results show

An empty classroom at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kale in Juneau, Alaska, on July 20, 2022. (Photo by Lisa Phu/Alaska Beacon)

Alaskas Department of Education and Early Development released statewide assessment data on Friday that shows most students are not proficient in core subjects.

The scores are similar to last years results overall, even though the state lowered its standards for the assessment in January. Education Commissioner Deena Bishop said then that Alaskas standards are still in the top third in the nation.

The Alaska System of Academic Readiness test, commonly referred to as the AK STAR assessment, evaluates student knowledge of grade-level standards in English language arts and mathematics for third through ninth graders and grade-level standards for science in fifth, eighth and 10th grades.

Student scores fall into four levels of achievement: advanced, proficient, approaching proficient, and needs support.

Across grade levels, roughly 32% of Alaska students were proficient or advanced in both English language arts and mathematics. Nearly 37% of students across grade levels tested were proficient or better in science.

Bishop appealed to Alaskans to use the results for continuous improvement in a statement released on Friday.

State assessments play a role in measuring how well our students meet the Alaska standards  standards shaped by Alaskan educators. By accepting the results without defense, we commit to using these data for improvement, she said in a news release. Alaska is not merely focused on the outcomes themselves, rather our goal is to build the capacity in our students foundational knowledge and ability for their future in work and life.

Pre-pandemic comparisons to measure if students scores are improving after school closures are difficult because the state changed its assessment. Scores were slightly higher in the 2018-2019 academic year, however. Then, 39% of students were proficient in or advanced scorers in English language arts and nearly 36% of students were proficient or better in math.

Fifth graders performed best on the 2024 tests. More than 37% met or exceeded state proficiency standards, which was a nearly 2% increase over the previous year. Nearly half of fifth graders, more than 47%, were proficient or better in science standards.

Eighth, ninth and tenth graders had lower levels of proficiency. The state said efforts are underway to support students in reading and offer career and technical education options.

Officials with the state Department of Education and Early Childhood did not respond to questions about how to understand this years scores in the context of previous years and pandemic recovery.

Editors note: The word context was missing in the last sentence in the original version of this article.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Two women, a mother and daughter, have been indicted in a pandemic assistance fraud scheme in which they allegedly made unauthorized payments the tune of nearly $2 million.

According to the office of the Ohio Inspector General, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services referred an allegation of wrongdoing to the Office of the Ohio Inspector General involving Rashanna Burley, a former intermittent customer service representative.

Burley was responsible for previewing Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims assigned to her to verify that all required documents had been submitted. The referral alleged that Burley had accessed unassigned claims and removed holds or blocks on them, which she was unauthorized to do, resulting in ineligible payments to claimants.

Investigators discovered that, before January 2023, Burley, along with her mother, Velma Cain, also a former customer service representative, had improperly accessed and taken actions in several of the same claims. It was determined that these actions resulted in the release of $355,382 from Burley and $1,582,251 from Cain in funds.

Many of the claimants were allegedly known relatives or personal associates of Burley and Cain, who were each charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, theft, tampering with records, telecommunications fraud, theft in office and money laundering.

Kyson Murphy, a personal associate of Burley, was also an alleged participant in the scheme and charged with the same felony counts.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A motorcyclist was airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital with serious injuries after a Thursday night hit-and-run collision in Bullhead City, Arizona.

Bullhead City police said a lifted pickup  possibly a Chevrolet  was involved in the crash. Police asked for the publics help in reporting a truck with damage to the front bumper and/or the front passenger side. Police couldnt provide any additional information.

The crash occurred at about 10 p.m. in the area of Ramar Road and E. Church Street, a residential area of Bullhead City.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bullhead City Police Department Traffic Section by calling the non-emergency number (928) 763-1999, reference case# 24-28332.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musks X started to go dark in Brazil at the order of the top court as Latin Americas largest nation became the latest front in a global fight over the regulation of free speech on the internet.

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As the site went down, politicians hurried to share reactions to judicial efforts to police content before they lost access. Celebrities fired off posts directing fans to other networks, while experts in internet law opined  including in posts on the fading X  on the long-term ramifications.

Many of Xs 20 million users in Brazil, the worlds fifth-most-online nation, were left to scour rival platforms after the Supreme Court ordered the immediate suspension late Friday because the billionaire refused to name a legal representative for the social network in the country.

The question on Saturday was whether Musk would back down. The immediate signal from the worlds richest man was an attack on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who handed down the decision and has become the face of one of the biggest conflicts playing out globally over how much control governments have over social media.

He has supreme executive, judicial and legislative power, aka dictator, Musk posted on Saturday.

The extent of the X blackout wasnt immediately clear on Saturday. Earlier in the day, thousands of users reported problems to Downdetector, a website that tracks service disruptions. The site registered a spike of complaints just after midnight that continued throughout the day. Sorry something went wrong, Xs site told users.

As of late Friday, social media network Bluesky had reported 500,000 new sign-ups in Brazil over a 48-hour period, which included many of the nations well-known left-wing politicians. The ban also stripped thousands of candidates of a popular campaign tool, especially in conservative circles, ahead of local elections taking place in October across more than 5,000 Brazilian municipalities.

Thaynara Oliveira Gomes, a Brazilian influencer who has over one million followers on X, said in a text message: It is regrettable to lose this platform because it is extremely popular in Brazil.

While the US tends toward strong free-speech protections, many countries are taking aggressive steps to make companies more accountable for their online content. France just charged Telegram CEO Pavel Durov for allowing criminal activity on the messaging app. In Brazil, Moraes is spearheading a wide-reaching investigation into hate speech and vitriol that he says is endangering democratic institutions.

This is yet another chapter to hold technology companies accountable in the country, said Clara Iglesias Keller, a researcher at the WZB Berlin Social Sciences Center who studies information technology regulation. But this case has whole different level of visibility.

Praise or condemnation of the ban largely fell along party lines. Conservatives have long slammed Moraes for attacking their cause. Supporters of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva often praise the judge for cleaning up the internet.

Gleisi Hoffmann, the president of Lulas Workers Party, called Musk a spoiled, overbearing and arrogant playboy in a post on Instagram on Friday. He dreams of new foreign interference in the sovereignty of South American countries.

The bulk of the accounts that Moraes ordered X to take down belong to supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who used the platform to question the right-wing leaders election loss in 2022 and praise rioters who later stormed the capital on the false contention that Lula stole the vote.

Moraes latest move pours gasoline on longstanding accusations of censorship of right-wing politicians, who rely on social media to interact with their supporters. Many have called for impeaching the judge, but those efforts have so far failed to gain traction in Congress.Al

Alexandre de Moraes equates us to countries like Iran, North Korea and China by banning X, representative Julia Zanatta, a conservative lawmaker who has been critical of Moraes, said in a statement. We are already officially a dictatorship.

Moraes order will likely have to move through the courts plenary, though political observers say its unlikely to be overturned. Many internet users in Brazil raised alarm about an initial order threatening anyone using a virtual private network, or VPN, to access X with a daily fine of 50,000 reais ($8,900).

Hours after his initial decision, Moraes amended the order leaving out his directives to app stores to remove VPNs. But some digital experts remain concerned about the orders lasting effects for internet users.

Its the most extreme judicial decision weve had so far in 30 years of the internet in Brazil, said Carlos Affonso Souza, head of the Institute for Technology & Society at Rio de Janeiro State University.

--With assistance from Kurt Wagner and Sarah Frier.

(Recasts top of story, adds details about Bluesky signups.)

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A rising sun and Earth's horizon are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 13 crewmember on the International Space Station. | Credit: NASA

NASA has detected a planet-wide electric field surrounding Earth for the first time ever.

The field, known as the ambipolar electric field, was discovered by NASA's suborbital Endurance rocket more than 60 years after it was first hypothesized, and is thought to be as fundamental to our planet as its better known magnetic and gravitational fields.

By studying it, scientists hope to get a better understanding of how our planet's atmosphere evolved and how it behaves today. The researchers published their findings Aug. 28 in the journal Nature .

"Any planet with an atmosphere should have an ambipolar field," study lead author Glyn Collinson, principal investigator of the Endurance mission at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a statement. "Now that we've finally measured it, we can begin learning how it's shaped our planet as well as others over time."

In a layer of Earths atmosphere known as the ionosphere (located between 37 to 190 miles (60 to 300 kilometers) above the Earth's surface), ultraviolet radiation from the sun bombards atoms, stripping them of electrons to transform them into ions. In theory, this should create a slight electric field around our planet, as well as others like it.

Hints of the electric field's existence were first detected in 1968 by spacecraft flying over our planet's North and South Poles. They came in the form of a "polar wind," or a stream of particles that were streaming from Earth's atmosphere into space.

Related: Eerie sounds triggered by plasma waves hitting Earth's magnetic field captured in new NASA sound clip

Some of Earth's atmosphere is expected to escape into space, especially after it's heated by sunlight. But the polar wind was altogether more mysterious; the particles in it were cold, meaning they had not been heated up, but were somehow still moving at speeds that broke the sound barrier.

The Endurance rocket launching from its range in Svalbard, Norway.

"Something had to be drawing these particles out of the atmosphere," Collinson said. Yet detecting a possible electric field proved difficult  the field was very weak, with detectable fluctuations only taking place over distances of hundreds of miles.

To investigate the origins of the polar wind, the researchers launched the Endurance rocket from a rocket range in Svalbard near the North Pole, sending it to an altitude of 477.23 miles (768.03 km) above the ground before it splash-landed in the Greenland Sea 19 minutes later.

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Over the 322 mile (518 km) range across which Endurance collected data, it detected a miniscule 0.55 volt change, about the strength of a watch battery. Nonetheless, this voltage difference pushes hydrogen ions, the most abundant particles in the solar wind, with a force 10.6 times stronger than gravity.

"That's more than enough to counter gravity  in fact, it's enough to launch [atmospheric particles] upwards into space at supersonic speeds," co-author Alex Glocer, Endurance project scientist at NASA Goddard, said in the statement.

"It's like this conveyor belt, lifting the atmosphere up into space," Collinson added.

Now that the field has been detected, the scientists say that studying the field should help us learn how it changed Earth's atmosphere across our planet's lifetime. They also expect to find similar electric fields in the atmospheres of planets such as Venus and Mars.
A Russian and the first Space Force astronaut will get to fly up to the International Space Station on the SpaceX Crew-9 mission next month as NASA chose which two of four previously assigned crew will have to sit the flight out to make room for the two astronauts of Boeings Starliner who need a ride home.

NASA announced it was sticking with veteran NASA astronaut and now U.S. Space Force Col. Nick Hague along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to act as commander and mission specialist, respectively, for the mission while previously assigned Crew-9 members and NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson will have to stay home.

That will leave two seats on board the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who flew up to the ISS on Boeings Starliner having arrived on June 6. NASA last week decided Starliner wasnt safe enough for them to return home after the Boeing spacecraft suffered thruster issues and helium leaks on the trip up. Starliner is slated to undock and leave the ISS as an uncrewed spacecraft as early as next Friday making room for Crew-9s arrival.

Hague, who previously flew to space as a member of the Air Force, has since switched to the Space Force. He and rookie Gorbunov are slated to climb aboard the Crew Dragon on Sept. 24 and launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Stations Space Launch Complex 40, which is making its human spaceflight debut for SpaceX. All previous Crew Dragon launches have come from neighboring Kennedy Space Center, but that pad will be amid prep for a Falcon Heavy launch of the Europe Clipper mission for NASA.

The duo would become part of Expedition 72 and fly home in February 2025 with Williams and Wilmore as a quartet.

Cardman, a member of the 2017 NASA astronaut class known as The Turtles, would have been making her first launch. She had previously been tapped to be commander. Wilson, who was part of the 1996 class of NASA astronauts, has flown three times, all on Space Shuttle Discovery for the STS-121, STS-120 and STS-131 missions logging 42 days in space.

NASA chief astronaut Joe Acaba, who once was a science teacher at multiple Central Florida schools and a veteran astronaut himself, made the call to make Hague, a spaceflight veteran of one successful and one aborted launch, the new commander and maintain NASAs rideshare partnership with Russia by keeping Gorbunov, who making his first spaceflight.

While weve changed crew before for a variety of reasons, downsizing crew for this flight was another tough decision to adjust to given that the crew has trained as a crew of four, said Acaba. I have the utmost confidence in all our crew, who have been excellent throughout training for the mission. Zena and Stephanie will continue to assist their crewmates ahead of launch, and they exemplify what it means to be a professional astronaut.

Cardman would have been the penultimate NASA astronaut of 11-member graduating class of The Turtles to make it to space with only classmate Jonny Kim having not received a flight assignment. But last week NASA announced Kim will fly to the ISS in March 2025 on the the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 from Kazakhstan.

Cardman, meanwhile, remains open for reassignment as does Wilson.

I am deeply proud of our entire crew, and I am confident Nick and Alex will step into their roles with excellence, said Cardman. All four of us remain dedicated to the success of this mission, and Stephanie and I look forward to flying when the time is right.

Wilson added, I know Nick and Alex will do a great job with their work aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 72.

Hagues first try at spaceflight technically was considered by Air Force standards as having reached space. He and Russian crewmate cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin launched aboard a Soyuz capsule from Kazakhstan in 2018, but it blasted away from a malfunctioning booster and didnt make orbit. The altitude of the Soyuz capsule passed the 50-mile mark the U.S. considers for awarding astronaut status, although its shy of the Karman line, which is the internationally recognized line for having made it to space at around 62 miles high.

I got to experience a few seconds of weightlessness and I was able to watch a few things float around in the capsule, Hague said. I was also able to look out the window primarily to make sure, Hey, are we in a good attitude? Are we stable? Are we ready to come back down? But also to look out the window and realize, you know, looking down at the curvature of the Earth and out into the blackness of space, and realizing I got close but it wasnt going to be this time.

The duo got another shot, though, five months later in 2019, and that time they made it past the Karman line along with NASA astronaut Christina Koch. Hague spent more than 200 days on board the ISS. So Crew-9 becomes his third or second flight to space depending on who you ask.

Hagues return from space in 2019 led him to a post-flight role at the Pentagon with the Air Force, but working as leadership as director of test and evaluation for the newly formed Space Force. In 2021, Hague transferred from the Air Force to the Space Force, which as of March 2024 and just over four years old has about 14,000 military and civilian Guardians. Since August 2022, Hague had been back with NASA working on the Starliner program.

Roughly two-thirds of NASA astronauts have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, but none have launched as an active member of the Space Force. There has been one, though, who transferred to the Space Force while already in space. That was Col. Mike Hopkins during his stint on the ISS as part of Crew-1. So he flew up as an Airman and down as a Guardian.

Being a part of this mission is a unique honor, but its truly a collective effort, Hague said in a Space Force press release. Guardians worldwide ensure safe and secure operations of critical systems for launch and on station.

_____
Financial and academic ties between the U.S. military and universities across the country are almost a century old.

Most famously, they date back to the advent of the atomic bomb, but the mutually beneficial associations persist to this day and have come into focus recently as American weapons are used by Israel in the war in Gaza.

This spring, protests broke out on college campuses across the United States  even modestly at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo  as student activists marched, sang and set up encampments to push their universities to divest from defense companies as the death toll from the Mideast war mounted.

The demands put forward by student organizations raise the question: At an engineering school like Cal Poly, is divestment from the defense industry reasonable or even possible?

As part of its Reality Check series, The Tribune asked an expert, the university and students whether they felt divestment was a possibility.

What are Cal Polys connections to defense industry?

Cal Poly has a number of connections with the defense industry, though it is difficult to map exactly how far those connections stretch.

University spokesperson Keegan Koberl told The Tribune that Cal Poly is currently involved in a small number of projects that have received awards from agencies and offices that are considered under the purview of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Koberl described these projects as research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but did not provide specifics on what is being studied, who the projects are funded by or how much the university has received.

Cal Poly is one of many universities that receive this kind of funding.

According to Defense Department contract database, in 2024 the department allocated over $4 billion in contracts for university-led research.

Outside of projects connected to the Department of Defense, a few private defense technology companies, including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, also finance scholarships at Cal Poly.

According to the universitys website, the companies fund four scholarships available to students in the College of Engineering for students studying a variety of STEM subjects, including computer science and engineering.

The scholarships from Raytheon are available to students studying engineering, mathematics or chemistry, while financial assistance from Lockheed Martin is only available for students studying electrical engineering.

The companies also regularly recruit on campus.

At one such event in January, eight pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested when they tried to break into a career fair at the Rec Center on campus.

Student activists say Cal Poly career fairs need more options

In a list of demands submitted to the university this spring, the Cal Poly SLO branch of the Young Socialist Democrats of America named 22 companies involved in defense technology that it said were connected to the university through scholarships or ties with university officials.

The Tribune was not able to verify the claim made by the group on their list of demands.

In a conversation with The Tribune, several student activists from the club expressed their concerns about the universitys connections to defense companies.

All of the students requested to remain anonymous due to concerns about retaliation related to their participation in anti-war protests.

Several told The Tribune they wanted their university to break ties with companies involved in weapons manufacturing or defense technology, even if that means ending scholarships that are financed by these companies.

They also said they would push for Cal Poly to provide a greater diversity of companies at engineering career fairs, where they said there was a strong showing for defense companies and a lack of diversity for students in STEM careers looking to pursue a wider variety of careers.

A lot of students come into these STEM careers thinking, I am going to work with NASA to create these rockets, I am going to do electrical engineering and help the power grid and do amazing things. And then they get their degree, they spend four years and insane amounts of money to do this, and then they get to a career fair and their options are: bomb builder, weapon maker or contractor and cybersecurity, one student said. Their only options are to build bombs.

Koberl, though, told The Tribune that out of the 160 to 180 companies that attended the universitys fall career fair, only about 20 were in defense or defense-adjacent industries.

According to Koberl, divestment or boycotting any particular industry would be an inherently political move and is not the universitys role.

He added that by detaching itself from any industries or companies, the university would hinder its ability to be a space for a free exchange of ideas, saying the university must maintain neutrality.

Why do universities often have ties with defense industry?

According to Cal Poly technology ethics professor Patrick Lin, the question of universities connections to weapons technology is more complicated than just demands for divestment.

To Lin, the question of college involvement in military defense pulls at the foundation of how universities are funded in the United States and what kinds of opportunities they seek to create for their students.

Lin told The Tribune universities are having a harder time funding for various programs and scholarships. In light of that, he said many institutions turned to private companies that are more than willing to pitch thousands of very needed dollars.

In exchange, these companies make connections with students and may be able to get a leg up in securing highly trained employees for their companies.

He said that this need for funding could pose the largest barrier for universities  including Cal Poly  to divest from the defense industry. However, Lin did not speak on whether he thought Cal Poly could or would divest from arms companies.

On one hand, its good to make war less terrible  which includes being more precise in killing only the right people and not innocent ones  but on the other hand, it might make war too easy an option for politicians to choose, Lin said.

Lin advised that with defense technology playing a larger role in higher education, students should be able to take advantage of their time as young adults to decide what kind of role they want to play in the workforce.

Higher education is a rare opportunity where fully grown adults have the privilege of being challenged by new ideas and reflecting about the direction of their lives  not just accepting a path because they dont know any better or hadnt thought critically about it. You might not get another chance until its too late, and you find yourself stuck in a life you dont want, Lin said.

However, he acknowledged that a competitive job market and the rising cost of living can put pressures on new graduates entering the workforce.

Lin said by welcoming in defense company funding, some colleges may feel they are choosing between giving their students the best financial opportunities and the best moral paths.

However, he said, this is a false paradigm.

Id suggest that the best financial opportunities are the ones that strike a balance between a reasonable amount of money and being able to sleep at night and a good person for your kids to follow, Lin said.

The greatest challenge to this, he said, is a lack of time available to look for those opportunities.

Money isnt the most important thing  it comes and goes. But the problem is that most people are too busy just trying to survive and cant dedicate time for soul-searching about whats important to their lives and the kind of person they would like to be, he said. So, they sleepwalk into their own futures.

He said there are options out there for students looking for jobs in the technology field that are not related to defense and that universities should do their part to make those opportunities more accessible to students.
NATO was not involved in Ukraine's surprise offensive into the Russian region of Kursk, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has told the German newspaper Die Welt.

"Ukraine did not preview its planning for Kursk with NATO, and the alliance played no role," he said in the interview published on Saturday.

Some 10,000 Ukrainian troops crossed into the western Russian region on August 6. Kiev claims to control about 100 settlements and more than 1,000 square kilometres of Russian territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the purpose of the push into Kursk is to create a buffer zone to halt attacks by Moscow on the Ukraine's hard-hit Sumy region.

Moscow accuses NATO states of supporting Kiev in its invasion by supplying weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainian military, as well as intelligence data.

Stoltenberg described Ukraine's advance across the border as legitimate.

"For over 900 days, Russia has waged an unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, and has conducted countless attacks on Ukraine from over the border in Kursk. The Russian soldiers, tanks and bases there are legitimate targets under international law," he told the newspaper.

"Like all military operations, this comes with risks. But it is Ukraines decision how to defend itself."

While Moscow has struggled to put a stop to Kiev's counter-invasion, Russian troops have recently seized a string of settlements as they advance farther into the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk.

Heavy fighting is occurring near Pokrovsk, a strategically important city that is home to a railway junction. If Pokrovsk falls, it could set the stage for Russian advances toward bigger urban centres and bring Moscow closer to controlling all of the Donetsk region.
Navajo Nation adopts changes to tribal law regulating the transportation of uranium across its land

FILE - A uranium ore pile is the first to be mined at the Energy Fuels Inc. uranium Pinyon Plain Mine, Jan. 31, 2024, near Tusayan, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

The Navajo Nation has approved emergency legislation meant to strengthen a tribal law that regulates the transportation of radioactive material across the largest Native American reservation in the U.S.

The move is in response to the revival of a uranium mining operation just south of the Grand Canyon that has drawn much criticism from environmentalists and Native American tribes in the region.

Navajo President Buu Nygren signed the legislation Thursday as talks continue among tribal officials and Energy Fuels Inc. to craft an agreement that would address concerns about any potential risks to the public or the environment.

The updated law calls for more advance notification of plans to ship uranium ore from the Pinyon Plain Mine in northern Arizona to a mill in Utah. The payment of transport fees and the filing of emergency preparedness plans also are among the mandates.

The tribe in 2005 banned uranium mining across the sprawling reservation, pointing to the painful legacy of contamination, illness and death that was left behind by the extraction of nearly 30 millions tons of the ore during World War II and the Cold War.

Despite that ban, tribal lawmakers in 2012 stopped short of prohibiting the transportation of uranium across Navajo lands. Instead, they declared the tribe's general opposition to moving ore across tribal lands and adopted regulations to protect human health and the environment by requiring notification and financial assurance, among other things.

Navajo leaders said it was time to strengthen that law and require earlier notification of shipments by Energy Fuels as the company ramps up operations.

Nygren said notification under the existing law didn't happen when Energy Fuels shipped its first two loads of ore in July and his efforts to have tribal police intercept the semi-trucks were too late.

The purpose of this legislation is to provide for the protection, health and safety of the Navajo Nation and its people and our precious resources such as our water," he said in a letter thanking lawmakers for prioritizing the issue.

Navajo Attorney General Ethel Branch said ongoing talks with the company are aimed at making sure any transport of the ore is done in a responsible way. She also made references to the legacy of uranium mining in the region and said remediation work has yet to be done in many locations.

Thats part of why the (Navajo) Nation needed to respond so strongly here, to push back and ensure that our community doesnt continue to get disproportionately burdened with radiation and uranium-based waste and contamination, she said in a statement.

Energy Fuels said Thursday it is optimistic about reaching an agreement with the Navajo Nation that will clear the way for shipments to resume. The company also said the discussions have been consistent with the provisions of the amended tribal law.

At the end of the day, we want Navajo leadership and Navajo citizens to be comfortable with modern uranium ore transport and to understand that it poses no risk to human health or the environment, said Curtis Moore, a company spokesman. And, we are willing to go above-and-beyond applicable federal and state laws to make that happen.

The Navajo law does make reference to U.S. regulations that govern the transportation of radioactive materials. In general, those rules call for more precautions when enriched uranium, spent nuclear fuel or highly radioactive waste is involved. Uranium ore falls into a different category.

The semi-trucks that will be carrying ore are outfitted with thick plastic covers that are tight-fitting and water proof to limit dust from escaping or rain from seeping in.

Under the Navajo law, the trucks can be inspected, and shipments during tribal fairs along the designated route would be prohibited.

If a company ignored the rules, the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency could issue an order of compliance along with penalties. The Navajo attorney general could also seek a temporary restraining order or injunction through tribal court if the law were violated.
Several more Hereford House customers, including one who claims to have visited the emergency room twice, have filed lawsuits against the restaurant company after an employee allegedly contaminated food at the former Leawood location.

Justin Simms of Kansas, Danny Soltz of Overland Park and Ellen Soltz of Overland Park filed separate lawsuits against the restaurant this week, claiming they fell ill after eating at the Leawood restaurant.

According to court records, 28 lawsuits now have been filed against Hereford House Restaurant Company of Kansas Inc. in Johnson County District Court as of Friday by customers claiming to have fallen ill after eating at the restaurant.

The Johnson County District Attorney in April charged 21-year-old Jace Christian Hanson of Kansas City after he allegedly contaminated food with bodily fluids while he briefly worked at the restaurant in Leawood.

In June, prosecutors filed additional charges, and Hanson now faces 22 counts of criminal threat for allegedly contaminating food, one count of criminal damage and 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a child for allegedly child sexual abuse materials.

Authorities became aware of the possible contaminated food after Hanson allegedly posted videos online, under the pseudonym Vandalizer, showing a man urinating in restaurant-style food bins and rubbing food on his buttocks and genitals. The FBI traced the videos to Hansons cellphone, court documents said.

Prosecutors alleged that the contamination occurred between March 26 and April 25.

Hanson, who has been held in Johnson County jail since he was arrested on April 25 at the restaurant, allegedly admitted to contaminating food that was to be served to customers.

Hanson is being held on a $500,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing at the end of September.

In early August, Hereford House closed the Leawood restaurant at 5001 Town Center Drive in Leawoods Town Center Plaza after the much-publicized incident led to financial problems. Hereford House had been at that location for nearly 28 years.

Similar allegations to previous lawsuits

In the newly filed suits, Simms, Danny Soltz and Ellen Soltz contend that the Hereford House was negligent and breached an implied warranty that its food would be safe. They also make a strict liability claim, alleging that the contaminated food was a defective product that the restaurant served to customers.

Ellen Soltz said in her lawsuit that she ate lunch at the Hereford House on April 15 and fell ill later that evening. She contends she vomited and experienced nausea and diarrhea. The nausea and cramps continued into the next day and were consistent with food poisoning.

Danny Soltz contends that he ate an early dinner at the restaurant on April 15, and later that evening, he fell ill, experiencing nausea, cramps and diarrhea. Some of the symptoms continued into the following day and were consistent with food poisoning.

In his lawsuit, Simms said he ate dinner at the restaurant on April 26 and about 12 to 24 hours later, he fell ill with severe stomach pain, body aches and chills. On April 28, he began suffering from vomiting and continuous diarrhea.

From April 27 through mid-May, Simms claims he visited the emergency room twice and lost 15 pounds. He also lost sleep and missed work.

All three claim that after becoming aware of the alleged contamination, they suffered additional emotional and psychological distress. They continue to experience anxiety and distress, including future illnesses or medical harm.

In answers to the other lawsuits, the restaurant has denied being negligent and contends it did not know that Hanson was allegedly contaminating food. The Hereford House also contends that Hansons alleged actions were outside his scope of employment.
Elections and politics suddenly became more real to Aaron Pettes this summer when he learned that for the first time in his life he was eligible to vote.

The 44-year-old former felon in Omaha is one of an estimated 7,000 Nebraskans who would become immediately eligible to vote just in time for the 2024 presidential election under a law passed by the legislature this spring.

Pettes, who was sentenced to 17 years for bank robbery but got out two years early for good behavior, began researching the candidates, excited to study their policy positions and accomplishments before making a choice.

Then two days before the law took effect in July, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, a Republican, issued an opinion declaring unconstitutional under the state constitution not only the new law, but also the 2005 law it was based on. That earlier law had already restored the right to vote to more than 90,000 felons over the past 19 years. Secretary of State Bob Evnen, a Republican, soon followed with an order instructing county election officials to reject the registration of any voter with a felony in their past.

"It felt almost like I was back in prison," Pettes told USA TODAY. "When you're in prison, the institution can do things just arbitrarily without any explanation at all. They do whatever they want, whenever they want, and there's nothing that you can do about it, and so the decision to take my right to vote was almost traumatic. For one person to arbitrarily come in and snatch the legitimacy of my freedom without any type of hearing or discussion or challenge was just shocking to me."

Now the Nebraska Supreme Court is weighing whether the state attorney general acted properly when he unilaterally declared that the two state laws were unconstitutional less than four months before Election Day. Advocates who have pushed to restore the vote for felons say they are worried that even if they win this disproportionately Black group of voters will not turn out this year out of fear of casting an illegal ballot.

Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to a campaign event at Wright Bros. Aero, Inc. on Aug. 18, 2024 in Pittsburgh.

The decision, which could come in the next month, could have major implications in the 2024 presidential election. Nebraska is one of just two states that divvies up its Electoral College votes. The statewide winner gets two Electoral College votes, and the rest are divided based on who wins each congressional district and some of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris' potential paths to victory include winning Omaha and its suburbs in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, which President Biden won in 2020. Democrats are also hoping to flip the Republican-held congressional seat in order to regain control of the narrowly divided House of Representatives.

A two-decade fight

In 2005, Nebraska enacted a law stipulating that people would become eligible to vote again two years after they completed their full criminal sentence  including parole, probation, and paying any fines, fees or restitution. The legislature overrode the governor's veto.

An estimated 59,000 Nebraskans with felony convictions were immediately granted the right to vote under the 2005 law and another 38,000 have met the conditions to be eligible to vote again in the 19 years since, according to Civic Nebraska, one of the advocacy groups that lobbied for the measure and one of the plaintiffs in the ongoing suit.

In 2017, the legislature voted to remove the two year waiting period, but then-Gov. Pete Ricketts, a Republican, vetoed it.

A coalition of advocacy groups kept bringing the bill back to the legislature and the bill became increasingly popular. It passed Nebraska's one-house, Republican-led legislature as L.B. 20 in April by a bipartisan 38-6 vote. Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, let it become law without his signature.

Two days before it was set to become law, Hilgers issued a nonbinding opinion declaring that L.B. 20 violates the Nebraska Constitution. The opinion also declared the 2005 law unconstitutional and stated that no one convicted of a felony offense  no matter how old the conviction  can lawfully vote in Nebraska without a pardon from the Board of Pardons.

The secretary of state then ordered local election officials to reject voter registrations of Nebraskans with a prior felony conviction except those voters who had received a pardon from the Board of Pardons.

It isn't clear how many of the 97,000 eligible felons are among the 1.2 million people the Secretary of State's office says were registered to vote in Nebraska as of Aug. 1 and are ineligible to vote under the secretary's order.

Whether thousands of felons currently registered would ultimately be stripped from voter rolls or would be expected to withdraw the registration themselves is unclear. Federal law prohibits removing people from voter rolls within 90 days of a federal election.

It is also unclear how aggressively the state would punish felons who  possibly unaware of the legal change  vote in 2024 amid the uncertainty.

Evnen initially told county election officials that he would bring before the Board of Pardons a motion to pardon people with felony convictions who had registered to vote under the 2005 law, but he has since reversed course, saying the Board should follow the court's decision.

Civic Nebraska estimates that 7,000 felons, including Pettes, would have been immediately eligible to register if the law took effect. The group had to scuttle a mass turn-out-the-vote drive and instead begin warning felons not to vote until they could sue.

More: ACLU brings lawsuit after pause on restoration of voting rights to Nebraska felons

If the justices side with the attorney general and secretary of state and deem the laws unconstitutional, state law will revert back to a 1875 Nebraska policy that imposed blanket, lifetime disenfranchisement for all felons unless specifically pardoned by the state Board of Pardons.

"The Attorney General's opinion was basically saying that the law since 2005 was unconstitutional, which then prompts the question of, why now? Why on the eve of a presidential election and after two decades of returning citizens relying on the law passed by the legislature to register to vote and to vote and to participate in our democracy, why so shortly before an election is there now this dramatic upheaval in the law?" ACLU attorney Jonathan Topaz told USA TODAY after the hearing.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 21: A 'Wait Here To Vote' sign is seen in a polling location as cvoters check in to cast ballots on May 21, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Among the races on the ballot in Fulton County are Scott McAfee, the Fulton County Superior Court Judge overseeing former president Donald Trump's election interference criminal trial, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is prosecuting the case. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776149030 ORIG FILE ID: 2153450834

The secretary of state and attorney general's office declined to comment on the case while awaiting the courts decision. However, Evnen and Hilgers explained their reasoning in an op-ed in the Lincoln Journal Star Monday, arguing the Nebraska Constitution gives the power to restore voting rights to the executive branch, not the legislature, and that the legislature cannot change the constitution. The piece does not address why the attorney general is raising concerns now rather than while the legislation was deliberating.

In the op-ed, they stressed that restoring the right to vote must be a case-by-case decision.

By virtue of their convictions, felons have displayed a lack of respect for the law. It is not unreasonable to conclude that those who commit child sexual assault, engage in domestic abuse, or those convicted of election fraud, have forfeited their right to vote, hold public office or sit on a jury," it states. "What separates felons who may show little intent to re-engage with civil society from those who have truly turned their lives around can be assessed only on an individualized basis."

If the justices side with the attorney general and secretary of state, it would also put the state at odds with how all but two U.S. states handle allowing felons to vote. Many state restoration processes were set by the legislature, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

"Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Governor Jim Pillen have failed to enforce the laws that should restore voting rights to felons who have served their time," L.B. 20 sponsor and Nebraska State Sen. Justin Wayne, a Democrat, said in a statement to USA Today. "This disregard for the law is a disservice to our democracy. Restoring these rights is not just about justiceit's about strengthening our society by ensuring every citizens voice is heard in building a more inclusive and just Nebraska."

The court's ruling is expected to have a disproportionate impact on the state's Black population. Nebraskas Black imprisonment rate is almost 10 times higher than that of white residents and about 50 percent above the U.S. average, according to 2023 data from the Prison Policy Initiative.

Both presidential campaign are taking winning Nebraska's 2nd District electoral vote seriously. Republican nominee Donald Trump's campaign recently sent his pick for vice president JD Vance to campaign in Omaha.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speak at a rally on Tuesday August 20, 2024 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis.

Democrats have poured money into get out the vote efforts there over the past several months and sent high-profile surrogates like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Nebraska native, to Omaha on one of his first solo trips after being selected as Harris' vice presidential pick.

Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said in a statement to USA Today that the Republican state officials were motivated by a desire to hurt Democrats' chances.

"Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Governor Jim Pillen deny the voting rights of people who served their time because they fear who they will vote for at the ballot box," Kleeb said. "A law was passed after years of coalition building by Senator Wayne, and because Hilgers and Pillen think there are no consequences to their radical behavior, they are making up their own rules at the expense of Nebraskans who want to exercise their right to vote and their right to have a voice in their elected representatives.

'A land of uncertainty'

In a 30-minute oral argument Wednesday, the seven members of the Nebraska Supreme Court asked why the attorney general didn't bring his own suit questioning the constitutionality of the new law and quizzed attorneys on both sides about precedent, but didn't send strong signals about leaning toward a particular ruling.

The court could choose to resolve just whether the attorney general and secretary of state followed the proper procedure in striking down the laws, or could also address whether the underlying laws are constitutional.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln assistant law professor Danielle Jefferis said she expects the court will address both in an attempt to avoid further confusion.

"Unless the court issues a clear, definitive ruling on the underlying constitutionality, I think we continue to live in a land of uncertainty, which is not good for the election," she said.

The court prioritized hearing the case, and advocates hope that means a speedy decision as well, perhaps by mid to late September.

Vote-by-mail ballots are mailed by Sept. 30. In-person early voting begins in Nebraska Oct. 7. The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 18.

'Not going to risk going to cast a vote'

Tommy Moore, 54, of Lincoln, said he won't chance getting on the wrong side of the law again.

"I'm not going to risk going to cast a vote," he said. "I would have to have clear and concrete evidence for me to feel comfortable enough to vote again. I'd rather not vote than be accused of doing something wrong knowingly and willingly."

Moore served 11 years for driving while intoxicated and manslaughter. A registered Republican, he regained the right to vote in Florida in 2014 and has voted in Nebraska since moving there in 2021.

Moore, who has a doctorate in business administration and finance, teaches college business courses for Southeast Community College at Nebraska State Penitentiary and runs his own business.

Being told he could no longer vote made it feel like his success since he got out didn't matter.

"It felt like everything that I've accomplished up to this point was null and void, and that the mistake that I made as a 29 year-old was still being held against me at 54 years-old," Moore said.

Advocates worry that even if they win the court case, felons will be afraid to turn out to vote.

Pettes said he and his coworkers like Moore at Rise, a nonprofit that helps people transition from incarceration back to free society, have spent a lot of time working to convince recently released felons to be less cynical about politics and the justice system.

"We convinced them that their voice did matter," he said. "Convinced them with a lot of work  and then to have this happen, you almost feel responsible for it. Here we are making these promises, how things are going to be different now you have your vote back and, you know, and now they don't. How do you get those people reengaged?"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nebraska courts weigh felon voting rights for 2024 election
A bitter dispute about the conditions for a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza erupted between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet on Thursday night, according to multiple reports in Israeli media.

The two men argued furiously over whether, as part of any deal, the Israeli military should leave the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometer (8.7-mile) that runs along the border between Gaza and Egypt, according to CNN affiliate Channel 12, the Times of Israel and other outlets.

The Philadelphi corridor is currently controlled by the IDF. The deployment of Israeli troops along the corridor during the first phase of a ceasefire agreement has been a major point of contention between Israel and Hamas, with Hamas saying Israeli troops must withdraw from the border zone.

According to multiple accounts, Netanyahu produced maps showing how the IDF should remain in the corridor during the first phase of the deal  in which hostages are also meant to be released  so as to prevent Hamas from resuming arms smuggling through tunnels under the corridor.

I would like to bring the decision on the IDF troops remaining in the Philadelphi Corridor for the Cabinets approval, Netanyahu is reported to have said.

Gallant interjected, according to the accounts of the meeting, saying: The significance of this is that Hamas wont agree to it, so there wont be an agreement and there wont be any hostages released.

He also alleged that Netanyahu had drawn up different maps to those preferred by Israeli negotiators in Cairo, adding: You imposed these maps on them.

Netanyahu angrily rejected the claim, but Gallant persisted. Of course you forced (it). Youre running the negotiations on your own. Since you disbanded the War Cabinet, we hear everything after the fact.

Gallant appeared to receive support from the Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi, who was at the meeting. He is reported to have said that the IDF could withdraw from the corridor and return at the end of six weeks of ceasefire. There are enough constraints for negotiations, theres no need to add another one.

According to published accounts, Gallant said at one point that the prime minister can indeed make all the decisions, and he can also decide to kill all the hostages, provoking rebukes from other ministers. He added that 30 lives are at stake.

Gallant added that in the end Sinwar will dictate to you and youll retract, a reference to the Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who is thought to be in hiding in Gaza. Netanyahu in response reportedly insisted that no one dictated to him, saying that only determined negotiation will make him (Sinwar) fold.

The cabinet proceeded to vote on the maps that Netanyahu presented, approving them by eight to one, the only dissenter being Gallant. The right-wing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir abstained from the vote. Israeli media cited sources close to him as saying he opposed any gradual decrease in the number of soldiers in the corridor.

An Israeli official told CNN on Saturday that they were unable to comment on the maps presented to the meeting but confirmed Netanyahu asked the cabinet to hold a vote on forces remaining in the Philadelphi corridor.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum responded to the media reports of the meeting with a statement that they should cause every Israeli citizen to lose sleep.

West Bank incidents

Reports of the dispute between top Israeli officials emerged as violence continues to rock the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Two security incidents happened overnight on Friday, in which two men were shot dead and a vehicle exploded, according to the IDF.

The IDF said that a vehicle caught fire and exploded late Friday at a gas station at the Gush Etzion intersection. Forces that arrived at the point shot and killed the terrorist who got out of the vehicle and tried to attack them.

The IDF said that nearby, terrorists tried to run over a security guard at the entrance to the settlement of Karmei Tzur, a settlement north of the city of Hebron. One of them was killed.

The IDF said there had been several casualties in the two incidents.

The Israeli emergency services (MDA) said that shortly before midnight it received a report of two gunshot victims near the gas station. The victims were moderately injured with gunshot wounds.

The MDA said that a vehicle apparently breached the entrance to the Karmei Tzur community. The head of security at the settlement received minor injuries when pursuing the vehicle, according to the IDF, and during the confrontation, an explosive device in the terrorists car detonated.

The Palestine Islamic Jihad movement said its fighters were responsible for the attacks and claimed without offering evidence that a number of Israeli soldiers had been killed.

The IDF said Saturday that security forces continue searches for additional suspects near Karmei Tzur community.

The initial examination of the vehicle explosion at the Gush Etzion gas station indicated that the incident was an attempted car bombing by a terrorist, it said.

Several soldiers had received light or moderate injuries, it said.

The Israeli army blocks all entrances to the city of Hebron on Saturday. - Mamoun Wazwaz/Anadolu/Getty Images

The incidents come amid a substantial Israeli operation in the West Bank over the past few days which the IDF has said is targeting militants preparing attacks on Israel.

In the north of the West Bank, Israels military is continuing its offensive in Jenin city and refugee camp for a fourth consecutive day, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported Saturday, citing local sources.

It said eyewitnesses claimed Israeli military reinforcements had been deployed to the Jenin refugee camp and raided several homes.

Israeli military bulldozers have been destroying streets and infrastructure in both the city and the refugee camp, causing significant damage to electricity and water networks, WAFA reported.

Videos obtained by CNN on Saturday appear to show Israeli military bulldozers digging up streets in Jenin refugee camp on Saturday. The IDF says this is done to find and dismantle explosive devices.

CNNs Eve Brennan, Ibrahim Dahman and Eugenia Yosef contributed reporting.

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Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans has announced that the Netherlands will provide Ukraine with 28 Viking Bandvagn S10 fully amphibious all-terrain tracked armoured vehicles.

Source: Brekelmans on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Brekelmans stressed that Ukraine "is in dire need of our help in the fight against the Russian aggressor".

"At present, the Netherlands is supplying 28 Viking tracked vehicles [to Ukraine]. The [Dutch] Marine Corps has trained the Ukrainian military for this purpose. Our support for Ukraine continues to keep Russia at bay," he added.

The Viking Bandvagn S10 is an armoured amphibious all-terrain vehicle consisting of two parts connected to each other. Weighing about 11 tonnes, the vehicles can move through water at the speed of a pedestrian.

There are dozens of these all-terrain vehicles in service in the Netherlands, and in 2021, it was decided to replace them with more modern models.

Brekelmans did not indicate whether the first Viking Bandvagn S10s had arrived in Ukraine or if any additional supplies were planned. This batch of military assistance to Ukraine had not been previously reported.

Background: Earlier, it was reported that the Netherlands would supply Ukraine with a radar and three launchers for a Patriot air defence missile system, as well as 51 mobile radars capable of detecting drones.

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The Netherlands will send 28 Viking Bandvagn S10 amphibious armored vehicles to Ukraine, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said on Aug. 31.

The Dutch Marine Corps has trained Ukrainian soldiers to use the vehicles, according to Brekelmans.

Equipped with rubber tracks, Viking Bandvagn S10 weighs about 11 tons and can travel on all types of surfaces, including water.

"Ukraine desperately needs our help in its fight against the Russian aggressor. Our support for Ukraine continues to keep Russia at bay," the minister wrote in his post on X.

He did not outline the terms of the equipment transfer.

The Netherlands has been Kyiv's staunch supporter since 2022. The country joined the drone coalition and pledged to allocate 20 million euros (nearly $22 million) to purchase first-person view (FPV) drones for Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Netherlands announced it would buy 51 drone detection radars for Kyiv to bolster Ukraine's air defense.

Read also: Ukraine Compact is bit of window dressing, says former Dutch defense minister

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Brian Welch, Madisonville North Hopkins High School agriculture teacher and FFA advisor

MADISONVILLE, Ky. (WEHT)  The Madisonville North Hopkins High School (MNHHS) agriculture classes and the Future Farmers of America (FFA) have been working to convert a 40-foot shipping container into a medical clinic.

School officials explain that the project is funded through Harbor Freight Tools for Schools. While working with Supplies Overseas (SOS), which is based in Louisville, people have collected medical supplies to go into the trailer. SOS has a connection to Liberia, where the clinic will be going.

Brian Welch is an agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor at MNHHS who was involved with the project. Welch explains that how he got involved was due to the fact he teaches ag construction. He was able to apply for a grant a long time ago through Harbor Freight Tools for Schools.

When I did that, it kind of opened my eyes because I got to meet all sorts of people from across the country that are just doing fantastic things. A friend of mine out of Alabama is building different types of prosthetic limbs that go to Honduras. He does things with shipping containers as well. Like if theyre doing that out of Alabama, theres no reason that we cant do that here [in] Madisonville And so luckily, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools has this project, an initiative where they try to get you as a skills trades teacher to really brainstorm different ideas for this. And then they will give you some money for it And so we were able to secure a grant, and part of that mission was not only to introduce our students to skills trades but also because Id already worked with SOS in the past. And so we were able to really make something work as far as building this clinic.

Whos in the News? Alexis Berggren

He thinks the kids definitely learned something from this project. In fact, the kids ended up taking the lead on this project.

I trained them on how to use tools. And then we went as far as inviting different classes down so that my students could take [the] lead They would teach them how to use a miter saw. They teach them about safety. They teach them how to lay out a wall for framing. And so my students really took that initiative to bring in a random math class, a random English class, and a random science class so they could learn the skills and trades of it. And so with this going to Liberia, we really taught the students where is it on a map? What is that countrys history? What is their current status? And then what does that look like compared to us? And so one of the key pieces that I would always bring upyou know, its a hot day; were all wanting water in Liberia, 90% of their population doesnt have access to fresh water. And so something as simple and something as mundane as we always take for grantedthat was the other cultural piece that I wanted our students to get from it, which definitely happened throughout the school system.

Welch says he learned something from this project, too. Most of it came down to trust and learning from the expertise of others.

This project really caused me to rely on other entities. Well outside of the local community, which took a little bit of patience, a little bit of trust, but then also kind of learning from their expertise. And so I dont know much about the medical side of this, like, I could build this to code of what we have here in Kentucky, but theres a lot of medical pieces that had to come together for it. And then also, just how does it work when you do a global project? What is it like when you have to send a shipping container across the ocean? How long does that take? What are the logistics that we need to make sure we build so that it can make it across the ocean itself? And then just again, working with those different groups is really eye-opening to me.

Whos in the News? Chris Cooke

He is active in the community in his own way and hopes his students will become active and productive citizens.

I dont want our classes just to do the mundane or whats always been done. And at the same time, these are going to be people who are within our community after they graduate. Our goal is that they are active and productive citizens here. I am on a few local boards, so Im with the Farm Bureau and a few other groups like that. And so we do some community service in that way. But as far as the classes, I try to make sure that every single one of my classes has a tie to community service. And so, selfishly, its also me giving back through them. And then again, kind of connecting those pieces Were building clinics like this, and so thats where I like to give back.

His family has a history of doing charitable acts. He was also exposed to such acts at an early age.

One of my grandparents actually did some work in Ghana. And so initially, this project [couldve had Ghana as] one of our potential partners. And so I was like, man, how full circle would that be? But she went out and did a lot of community service overseas. My grandfather, on the other side of the family, also did a lot of work. He was a mason. And so he did lots of charitable work just for people in his local community and helped out behind the scenes [in ways] that I didnt even realize until later on in life. And then growing up, we did some community service through church and through 4-H and all of that. And so its always been kind of a piece of my life. This just allowed us to kind of get [our] foot in the door.

Whos in the news? Tangila Smith

He thinks the shipping container project was a great opportunity to give back to the community.

Its a great opportunity for us to give back to the community and really bring purpose back into education. So we have students who are learning a little bit of math are [coming] out here the science and the physics about how this needs to go together One of the things that I always try to push is making sure that our students find value [in] sitting in the rooms that we have and get something out of education. So this is that piece we always talk aboutyou know, students will eventually change the world. Well, if we dont model that with opportunities like this, then [teachers] are kind of missing [those] pieces.

Eyewitness News Ben Walls assisted with this biographical piece.

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Members of the U.S. business community have recently expressed optimism about the development prospects of the Chinese market, anticipating stable, improved bilateral relations, according to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) on Friday.

At the invitation of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC), a Chinese business delegation led by Ren Hongbin, head of the CCPIT, visited the United States from July 27 to Aug. 1, CCPIT spokesperson Wang Linjie told a press conference.

During the visit, the delegation exchanged views with government officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Maryland state government, as well as business executives from nearly 30 U.S.-based companies, including Pfizer, Starbucks and Walmart, Wang said.

"The number and level of U.S.-funded enterprises participating in the exchanges were unprecedented," she noted, adding that members of the U.S. business community expressed the hope that the business communities of the two countries would meet more often, communicate more frequently and cooperate more extensively.

No matter how the international situation changes, the business communities of China and the United States have always been important maintainers of and contributors to the bilateral relationship, Wang said.

She noted that the CCPIT is willing to work with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the USCBC and other U.S. counterpart organizations and enterprises to continue deepening cooperation, and to become a stabilizing force in the development of China-U.S. relations.

The CCPIT said that it has recorded a total of 952 concerns from U.S. enterprises and institutions, promoting resolutions or effective responses to 730 of those items to date. It has also provided U.S. companies with one-stop, full-chain and personalized services in areas such as intellectual property and commercial legal services.

Next, the organization will work with relevant authorities to continue addressing the legitimate concerns of foreign businesses, optimizing China's business environment and improving services to foreign businesses.

It will continue expanding the coverage of the U.S.-China Commercial Match-Making Program, a trade promotion mechanism initiated by the CCPIT and the U.S. Department of Commerce, to effectively promote industrial exchange and cooperation between the two countries.

The spokesperson also said that the U.S. consumption market has great potential and continues to be hugely attractive to China's foreign trade enterprises, noting that thousands of Chinese brands -- from the garment industry to the auto parts sector -- will participate in trade shows in the U.S. over the coming months.

"There is vast room for and enormous potential in China-U.S. business cooperation, not only in bilateral fields but also in multilateral areas," she said. During the third meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council this year, the CCPIT and U.S. business representatives promoted a joint China-U.S. proposal related to Asia-Pacific supply chain cooperation principles, she added.

The proposal covers the Asia-Pacific business community's specific calls against "decoupling and breaking the chain," including demands for open cooperation and non-discrimination supply chain practices, demands for supply chain policies to comply with WTO rules, and demands for the avoidance of trade and investment distortions, according to the CCPIT.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  The 400 block of Niagara Street is reopened Friday afternoon after being closed for a few hours due to a shots fired call, according to Buffalo police.

Police said they responded to the call around 2:30 p.m. and that no injuries were reported. The incident appeared domestic in nature and may have occurred inside of a residence, according to police.

A male suspect was tased and taken into custody before being transported to ECMC by ambulance, police said.

While police responded to the call, motorists were asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes.

The investigation is ongoing.

Latest Local News

Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University.

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NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56)  International Overdose Awareness Day is Aug. 31. All over the state, people are showing their support. The governors mansion will be lit up purple for overdose awareness, and hes ordered flags to be flown at half-staff for overdose victims.

In Nicholasville, people came together Friday to honor those lost to overdoses and hopefully reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

Recovering addicts from Jessamine County came out to support one another and share stories of recovery as we reach the end of Overdose Awareness Month.

Guys, we do recover. Never did I think that I would be in the position I am today. Just hold on to God and take one day at a time. And one day youll look back and youll see that you became somebody you can be proud of, said Shauna ONan, harm reduction director at Jessamine County Health Department.

Stories of recovery were shared at the 4th annual Jessamine County Health Departments Overdose 2 Action Day, a day that raises awareness about drug overdoses and promotes drug prevention strategies.

Im a loved one to someone, and Im sure Im a nuisance to a whole lot of other people. But the one that stands out more than anything is, Im an addict. And I thank God every day that I can put Im a recovering addict in front of that title, Shanja Goodlett, a peer support specialist, said

People suffering from addiction are not alone. There is always somewhere to go and get help.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

That message was further enforced by Commonwealth Attorney for Jessamine and Garrard Counties, Andy Sims.

Dont worry about me being a prosecutor. You come and find me because the goal is to get this figured out and get on the right track, he said.

Its because of resources and peer support specialists and things like the health departments harm reduction program that have gotten so many people back on the right track over the past few years.

We reduced the fatal overdose rate by 28.2%. We spread the message of hope, the gift of recovery, and that lifesaving medication that we call naloxone or Narcan, ONan said.

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By Isaac Anyaogu

LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria will begin vaccinations for mpox from October 8 after regulatory approvals are concluded, a spokesperson for the country's National Primary Health Care Development Agency told a local newspaper on Saturday.

Nigeria received the first batch of 10,000 doses of the mpox vaccine from the U.S. Agency for International Development on Tuesday. The country has confirmed 40 mpox cases with no fatalities yet.

Due to limited available doses (9,980) of the Jynneos MPox vaccine, the quantities will be split evenly (1,996 doses) across the five states for implementation," Remi Adeleke, a spokesperson at the development agency told The Punch newspaper.

He said the vaccines would be subjected to regulatory lab analysis for three weeks after which they would be distributed across five states with 4,750 persons receiving two doses each, 28 days apart.

Adeleke said the target population for the vaccinations were those in close contact with Mpox cases, health workers and persons with low immune status.

(Reporting by Isaac Anyaogu; Editing by Christina Fincher)
Nine arrested in drug enforcement operation along Jordan River Trail

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  SLCPD officers arrested nine people during a drug enforcement operation in Salt Lake City on Thursday, according to Salt Lake City Police.

The goal of the operation was to identify, locate, and arrest drug dealers, traffickers, and buyers along the Jordan River Trail and North Temple Street, according to a press release from SLCPD.

Officers reportedly arrested nine people and seized counterfeit fentanyl pills, drug paraphernalia, and alcohol being illegally consumed in public. The Utah Dept. of Corrections Adult Probation and Parole also contributed to this operation.

SLCPD releases bodycam footage of incident woman claims led to her leg amputation

In Oct. 2023, SLCPD ramped up enforcement along the Jordan River Trail and neighboring communities to address criminal activity in the area. Officers reportedly conduct hourly patrols along the Jordan River Trail, the Folsom Trail, and North Temple Street to disrupt criminal activity, make arrests, and reduce victimization, the release states.

SLCPD said they recognize this effort needs a multi-disciplinary approach, and began coordinating with city, regional, and state agencies to address concerns along the Jordan River Trail.

Weekly strategy meetings with law enforcement and other stakeholders continue, SLCPD said. Future law enforcement operations are expected.

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The South Dakota State Penitentiary, pictured on March 27, 2024. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

One week after inking a second commutation in as many months for a person convicted of murder, Gov. Kristi Noem denied sentence reduction requests for two men serving time on theft charges.

Noem sent the denial letters Wednesday to 78-year-old Elmos Hopkins and 46-year-old James Pasek.

Hopkins picked up two five-year sentences for grand theft and one 50-year sentence for burglary in Lincoln County in 2012. His initial parole date is set for August of 2037.

Pasek was sentenced to life in prison as a habitual thief in 2003 based on an armed robbery conviction in Lawrence County and multiple previous grand theft convictions.

The two letters are among eight clemency denial letters signed this year by Noems office. Over the summer, she denied a commutation request from Edward Flad, serving time for a Brown County child pornography conviction. Its the second time Noem has denied clemency for Flad.

Each denial came in response to a clemency recommendation by the states Board of Pardons and Paroles. The board reviews requests for commutations, which reduce a current inmates sentence, and for pardons, which clear old charges from a persons record entirely. If a majority of its nine members vote to recommend clemency, the recommendation heads to the governors desk.

Under the South Dakota Constitution, only the governor can issue pardons or commutations.

Noem has signed 17 denial letters for pardons and commutations since taking office, according to her offices response to multiple public records requests throughout 2024.

Her first commutation denial letter was sent in March of 2022 to John Proctor, who killed the stepson of his lover in Meade County in 1972. In July of this year, Noem issued Proctor a commutation.

On Aug. 21, Noem signed a commutation for Renee Eckes, who is in prison for murder in the 1998 death of David Bauman of Watertown.

On Wednesday, the governor signed an updated version of that commutation, provided to South Dakota Searchlight by the South Dakota Secretary of States Office. Unlike the commutation for Eckes signed last week, the Wednesday version notes that Eckes separate five-year forgery sentence will now run concurrent with her sentence for murder, which has been reduced from life to 45 years. Eckes will be eligible for parole in September of 2027 on the murder charge. The adjustment to the forgery sentence in her new commutation means she will be able to request parole at that time, and not five years later.

The governors office did not immediately respond to a request for a comment on the change to Eckes commutation or on the denials issued over the summer.

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(KRON)  Mario Rodriguez, 20, a Nortenos street gang member, was sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison after he shot and killed a young couple in Salinas in August 2021, Monterey County District Attorney Jeanine M. Pacioni announced on Friday.

Half Moon Bay farm manager sentenced for attempted murder

According to the DAs office, on Aug. 31, 2021, Rodriguez and several other Norteno gang members were driving a rental car on East Bernal Drive in Salinas, believing it to be rival Sureno criminal street gang territory where they might find an enemy to target.

Instead of targeting a Sureno gang member, Rodriguez shot and killed a young couple on East Bernal Drive with no affiliation to the Sureno street gang. Michael David Ramos, 33, and Amanda Nicole Ferrel, 30, died at the scene, the Salinas Police Department said.

While in custody on March 17 this year, Rodriguez attacked several deputies in jail. According to Pacionis office, Rodriguez and several other Nortenos members attacked the guards after they tried to enforce rules prohibiting the possession of tattoo equipment in the facility.

While others involved punched and kicked the deputies, Rodriguez seized one deputys baton, striking him with it multiple times, Pacionis office said.

Rodriguez pled guilty to two counts of murder and admitted to causing death with the intent to benefit his gang, per the DAs office. He also pled guilty to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer.

Judge Rafael Vazquez sentenced Rodriguez on Friday.

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Northbound U.S. 75 in Anna closed after multiple-vehicle accident that killed 4

The northbound lanes of U.S. 75 in Anna are closed after four people were killed in a major accident Friday, according to Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV.

Four vehicles were involved in an accident around 3:30 p.m. Friday just north of farm-to-market road 455.

Anna is about 75 miles northeast of Fort Worth, just above McKinney.

The four people killed were in the same vehicle, according to WFAAs report. At least three other people were injured and taken to hospitals, police told WFAA.

Multiple agencies are responding to the scene, including the Anna, Weston and McKinney fire departments. The Texas Department of Public Safety is assisting.

The Texas Department of Transportation told WFAA that travelers can exit at White Street, as traffic is backed up for miles.
Uniquely is a Sacramento Bee series that covers the moments, landmarks and personalities that define what makes living in the Sacramento area so special.

A mural exhibition in partnership with the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe features a new written adaptation of the Nisenan language.

The Uba Seo series, which began in Spring 2021, showcases The Story of Land, Water and People, which includes the Nisenan names for various plants and animals, with illustrations by Nikila Badua, an Indigenous artist.

Originally, Nisenan was only spoken, said Shelly Covert, the spokesperson for the tribe.

There are currently no fluent Nisenan speakers in their tribal membership, added Covert. She and other Nisenan descendants only remembering words their elders would use.

The Nisenan language has gone through different iterations of a written system. She can recognize four adaptations, but with different shapes and symbols that arent consistent with each other, all previous attempts havent been comprehensive.

In collaboration with professional linguist, Benjamin Joeng, the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe pulled documentation and recordings of the Nisenan language, as well as cultural knowledge, to construct the language shown in the exhibit.

They were just capturing sounds because they were out here early on, talking to tribal people. So theres a lot of inconsistencies with those writing systems compared to one another, Covert said. Were starting from zero, trying to learn our language again.

Revitalizing Nisenan language is more than reviving the tribal memberships fluency. Its a matter of cultural survival and reminding people that Native people still exist, Covert said.

We are literally unerasing ourselves, Covert said. Were putting ourselves back in perspective in the scope of the history of California and the nation.

The gallery is located in downtown Nevada City and is open on Thursdays and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Trying to rebuild culture

The Nisenan were one of the many tribes who survived the California genocide of Indigenous people. In the 19th century, more than 16,000 Native people were killed. Throughout the 1800s, the population dropped from as many as 150,000 to 30,000 due to ethnic cleansing and state-sanctioned mass murder.

Stripping away the tribes language was one of many genocidal method which affects the tribe today, Covert said.

The Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe later lost federal recognition in 1964 as a result of the Indian Termination policy, which sought to dismantle tribal sovereignty. The tribe is still fighting for federal recognition back.

Without federal recognition, tribes lack sovereignty, meaning they have no rights to self govern. These tribal communities often arent supported and given the autonomy for funding, land and land back and rights over cultural belongings.

Currently, the tribes current membership is under 150. If the tribe was federally recognized, Covert estimates their count would be larger.

There are genocide survivors all these years later and the descendants of whos left. Theres not a whole of folks, Covert said. The shatteredness of our culture, thats what were trying to rebuild.

The gallery is a part of the California Heritage Indigenous Research Projects Visibility Through Art initiative, which works with artists and tribal members on social justice and environmental issues, according to a news release. CHIRP, a nonprofit who frequently works with the tribe, said the exhibition was funded by the California Arts Council, a state agency and a program from the Nevada County Arts Council known as the Upstate California Creative Corps.

When you walk into the gallery, and you see these Nisenan words overlaid over the landscape of animals and the plants theyre representing, or the geographic features, you really feel that link between the people, the culture and their ancestral homelands, said Mira Clark, the Visibility Through Art coordinator.

Covert said the gallery is also a part of the tribes efforts to gain back federal recognition. With her ancestors having survived the California genocide, Covert said the exhibition is about sustaining culture.

Every memory, every story, every persons name, every place, every tribal cultural practice that remains is a miracle, Covert said.

Language is everything, she continued.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG)  A Northwest Florida inmate has been sentenced to life in prison for an incident that authorities say also happened behind bars.

Pace man wins Florida Lottery scratch-off

Mugshot of Alex Vega

According to the Florida State Attorneys Office, a jury found Alex Vega of Brunswick, Georgia, guilty of second-degree murder on Aug. 29, and sentenced him to prison following an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The charge stems from an incident that happened while Vega was behind bars, serving a 15-year sentence for attempted murder, at the Century Correctional Institution.

Authorities said Vega stabbed another inmate with a handmade weapon on Sept. 15, 2021.

Escambia County Sheriffs Office busts the 36th drug house in 2024, man arrested on 4 charges of drug possession

Vega now faces life in prison following the sentence handed down by Circuit Court Judge Coleman Robinson.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
The Chesapeake Bay's ecosystem is under threat from invasive blue catfish, which were inadvertently introduced to the region several decades ago.

Luckily, according to Maryland state officials, the invasive fish are also delicious and nutritious, offering a straightforward solution to the problem, WTOP News reported.

Maryland has launched a campaign to promote the blue catfish as a great meal option, hoping to drive enough demand for the invasive species that the fishing industry begins pulling more of them out of the water.

Blue catfish are apex predators that eat basically every other type of fish they encounter. In the Chesapeake Bay, they are eating large numbers of blue crabs  throwing off the balance of the ecosystem and threatening the blue crab fisheries that are vital to Maryland's economy.

"They are estimating that blue catfish are eating about 400 metric tons [around 440 tons] of blue crabs in a year, which is about 4% of the harvest of the state of Virginia," said Chris Jones, an official at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. "But then consider that harvest crabs are 5 inches or larger. These blue catfish are working on juvenile crab. So 400 metric tons of juvenile crabs is a significantly larger quantity of crab than eating 5-inch, 6-inch, 8-inch crabs. So it's become a huge problem."

Blue catfish are not the only invasive fish species threatening the Chesapeake Bay  this summer, a team of dam technicians prevented 3,000 invasive fish (mainly northern snakeheads) from entering the bay. Those fish were also eaten.

Eating invasive species  particularly, invasive fish species, which are often edible but little-known  has become an increasingly popular strategy for controlling their populations and helping to restore balance to ecosystems. Several campaigns have sprouted with slogans like, "If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em," and, "Your dinner makes a difference."

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Watch a previous NBC4 report on the fatal shooting in the video player above.

ORIENT, Ohio (WCMH)  An Ohio special operations officer has been fired after he was charged with fatally shooting a 43-year-old lieutenant during a training exercise earlier this year.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said 45-year-old David Pearson will be terminated effective Sept. 3. The departments director Annette Chambers-Smith determined that Pearsons employment would be terminated after she was briefed on the investigation on Monday, a spokesperson said.

Pearsons firing comes after a Pickaway County grand jury charged him on July 12 with negligent homicide, a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of six months in jail. Hes facing the charge in connection with the death of Rodney Osborne in April, according to court documents.

Lt. Rodney Osborne (Photo Courtesy: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction)

Osborne was fatally shot just before 11:30 a.m. April 9 at the academys tactical firing range, according to Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction director Annette Chambers-Smith. The lieutenant received emergency care on scene from fellow trainees before he was taken to Mount Carmel Grove City, where he was pronounced dead.

Later that month, an Ohio State Highway Patrol incident report revealed that the fatal shooting was being investigated as a reckless homicide. While the report had not revealed who was being charged, a statement from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction noted that Pearson, a west regional special operations commander, was placed on administrative leave beginning on April 10.

Pearson began his tenure with the Warren Correctional Institution in 2005 and has served in his current role since 2021.

Osborne had served with the department for 13 years and worked at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Scioto County. He was also part of the facilitys honor guard, had been named employee of the year earlier that month, and was a member of the special response team and the statewide special tactics and response team.

In late May, Osbornes family announced that they had hired a lawyer, Mark Kitrick, who is the president of Kitrick Lewis and Harris Law Firm. At the time, Kitrick said Osbornes wife and kids still have so many questions.

Im going to heavily investigate the case. Look at every possible angle as to what could have happened. For example, why would an employee even pull a gun and point it at another employee, loaded or unloaded? It violates every safety rule there is in this business, said Kitrick. Was there something defective about the vest? Was the pistol malfunctioning where the safety guard was removed or deliberately removed?

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)  One of New Englands largest American festivals kicked off Friday night with people from all over coming together. 22News was there to learn what this community event meant to those in attendance.

Man sentenced in Springfield for using dark web to fund Chicago rappers lavish lifestyle

It was a kickoff to a celebration and cultural pride weekend in Springfield. People from all over the region are stopping by Blunt Park this weekend to attend the 35th annual Stone Soul Festival which has cultural music, food, and activities for all to enjoy.

I like it the food, the people everybody getting to know one another, said Enat McClendon of Springfield.

The festival has become a beloved annual tradition for many as it brings together diverse communities to celebrate the African American Culture. Its great to see a lot of people that look just like you out here, said Treasurer for C.R.E.W, Jimmie Mitchell.

It makes me feel nice, it makes me like theres more of me around the world. Tyler Rodney of Springfield

If youre Spanish, if youre white, were one, expressed Ann Maire Beadle of Springfield.

The festival first began in 1989 as a community reunion picnic to bring the Mason Square community together. Since then, its grown into one of New Englands biggest African American festivals. It serves as a platform for showcasing talented artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs.

Its a great way to get our name out there you know see all the small businesses support them have them support us, its great just being with everybody, said Waitress at Come and Get IT, Qualina Lewis.

It also reunites former Springfield residents who come back over Labor Day weekend to renew friendships. When they come back they get a chance to see people they havent seen in years, its like getting back together with other people you havent seen in a long time, said Mitchell.

This three-day festival continues into the weekend with more food vendors, local artists, and even a parade on Saturday at 11 am beginning at the Rebecca M. Johnson School. Following the parade, one of Stone Souls founders Jay Griffin will be honored with a plaque in Blunt Park.

Local News Headlines

WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WWLP.
Operation in Kursk Oblast surprised not only Russians but also Ukrainian soldiers  WSJ

Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi's plan to attack Russia's Kursk Oblast surprised not only the Russians but also Ukrainian soldiers, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Source: WSJ

Quote from WSJ: "Syrskyi had evidently drawn conclusions from Ukraines failed counteroffensive during the summer of 2023, when Ukraine consulted with the U.S. and other Western partners, deployed newly formed brigades and telegraphed its plans with videos and public comments. Ukraines top military commander gathered senior officers for a secret meeting in late July where he disclosed an audacious plan to revive the countrys flagging war effort."

Details: Oleksandr Syrskyi said at the meeting that the Ukrainian army would turn the tide by entering Russian territory, something that had not happened since World War II.

One of the participants, Lieutenant Colonel Artem Kholodkevych, Chief of Staff of the 61st Mechanised Brigade, said he was shocked at first.

The WSJ emphasises that the bold operation also stunned Russia, as Ukrainian troops quickly overcame weak border defences and quickly took control of about 100 towns and villages in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Quote from WSJ: "The invasion embarrassed Russian President Vladimir Putin, raised Ukrainians morale after a year of grinding defensive war, and showed the US and other backers that Ukraine still has plenty of fight in it."

At the same time, The WSJ emphasises that a number of other factors will ultimately determine the success of the operation:

Whether it will lead to lasting victories or more losses on the battlefield,

whether it will bring political dividends that will lead to increased military support from the United States and its allies;

whether it will strengthen Ukraine's position in any future peace talks.

The WSJ notes that in its fourth week, the operation continues to gain momentum, even though Russia has sent reinforcements.

Ukrainian soldiers report that at least 2,000 Russian troops are trapped along the river, and repeated attempts by Russia to build pontoon bridges have failed.

Some military strategists and soldiers have questioned the Kursk operation, saying that Syrskyi is diverting precious reserves of manpower and equipment to a new front while Russia takes advantage of Ukraine's weak defensive lines on the eastern front to push forward. In response to the Ukrainian advance into Kursk, Russia has withdrawn several thousand troops from Ukraine but has intensified attacks on its main target, Pokrovsk, which is an important logistical hub for Ukrainian operations in the east.

Others welcomed the move, saying Ukraine needed to use such a "joker" to change the war's course.

"Ukraine couldnt afford simply to keep trying to buy time by throwing more men into defensive lines... You are constantly having to make decisions about priorities, where to accept risk," said retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the former commander of the US Army in Europe.

The WSJ writes that Ukraine is now using Russia's unpreparedness to strike deeper into the rear, creating what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called a buffer zone to prevent Russian military operations against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces also continue to take more prisoners of war to build up a pool that Ukraine hopes to exchange for its citizens held in Russia.

Quote from WSJ: "Ukraine is using new tactics and equipment to gain an upper hand where Russian defences are weaker, including using small explosive drones to strike down helicopters and Russian surveillance drones."

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(Reuters) - Tugs are expected to begin towing a damaged Greek oil tanker on Sunday, Yemen's Houthi Foreign Minister Jamel Amer said, as the vessel remains adrift and on fire in the Red Sea.

The Greek-registered Sounion poses an environmental hazard after it was damaged in an Aug. 21 strike by Houthi forces.

The tanker, which the Houthis and maritime sources have said has been rigged with explosives, is laden with about 1 million barrels of crude oil.

"Tug boats are expected to arrive tomorrow, Sunday, to begin towing the Sounion ship," Amer said in a statement on Facebook.

The Houthis said on Wednesday they would allow salvage crews to tow the ship - which has been on fire since Aug. 23 - to safety amid fears of a potential slip of 150,000 tonnes of crude oil into the Red Sea.

If a spill occurs, it has the potential to be among the largest from a ship in recorded history and could cause an environmental catastrophe in an area that is particularly dangerous to access.

Sources said on Friday that any salvage operation would require an inspection and survey of the vessel to decide whether it can be towed to a port or if a ship-to-ship transfer of its cargo is required.

Houthi militants have carried out multiple assaults, including planting bombs, on the already disabled 900-foot (274-metre) Sounion, which is operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have been waging a campaign against commercial shipping to support Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Editing by Christina Fincher)
This op-ed is part of The Hills How to Fix America series exploring solutions to some of the countrys most pressing problems.

Many years ago, when I was a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier in combat, we used covert dissemination of disinformation to disrupt our adversaries or even cause them to align with U.S. interests. These psychological operations or psyops techniques, when used effectively, can become invisible weapons by mobilizing civil unrest and undermining trust in organizational structures.

Decades later, as the U.S. surgeon general, I began to notice these psychological warfare techniques being used increasingly on an unsuspecting U.S. electorate by domestic political operators attempting to capture their political allegiance. Now, the seeds of this psychological warfare have germinated and grown, threatening the security of our fragile, ever evolving democracy.

In recent years, a new variant of Stockholm syndrome has emerged  one that doesnt involve physical captivity but mental ensnarement through misinformation and disinformation, spread through tabloid media, online platforms and cable news.

This modern phenomenon is not confined to a single hostage but has spread like a contagion, dividing families, communities and even the nation. The relentless spread of misinformation has fostered a form of cognitive captivity that perpetuates political divisions despite overwhelming evidence that should unify people.

Stockholm syndrome traditionally describes a condition in which hostages develop a psychological bond with their captors, often to the point of defending them. This bond arises from a survival instinct, where the captives dependence on the captor for life-or-death decisions leads to misplaced trust and loyalty. The new variant, however, operates on a different axis  one of informational dependency and psychological manipulation through repeated exposure to false or misleading narratives, coupled with a lack of critical thinking and intellectual curiosity.

Misinformation refers to false information spread regardless of intent to mislead, while disinformation is deliberately deceptive. Both forms have proliferated in the digital age, exacerbated by social media platforms and biased news outlets. These platforms use sophisticated algorithms to curate content that reinforces existing beliefs, creating echo chambers where falsehoods can thrive unchallenged. In this environment, individuals often find themselves emotionally and intellectually captive to the sources of their information.

Several psychological mechanisms explain why misinformation can have such a powerful grip on individuals.

Confirmation bias, for instance, leads people to seek out information that confirms their preexisting beliefs and ignore evidence that contradicts them. Cognitive dissonance, the mental discomfort experienced when confronted with conflicting information, often results in people doubling down on their beliefs rather than accepting inconvenient truths.

Moreover, misinformation often preys on emotional triggers such as fear, anger and a sense of belonging. Fear-mongering content can make individuals feel threatened, leading them to cling more tightly to their beliefs and to those who promulgate and or share them. This creates a psychological safety net akin to the emotional bonds formed in traditional Stockholm syndrome, where the captives defend the captors who they believe are protecting them from harm.

The impact of this new variant of Stockholm syndrome on American politics is profound. Despite clear and compelling evidence debunking various falsehoods  such as misinformation about election integrity, vaccine efficacy or climate change  large segments of the population remain entrenched in their misguided, and sometimes toxic, views.

This divide is not just about differing opinions but about conflicting realities, where facts are secondary to the narratives people have been conditioned to believe. Politicians and media personalities who traffic in misinformation exploit these psychological vulnerabilities, further entrenching divisions. They become the captors in this modern-day syndrome, and their followers  the captives  often vehemently defend them against criticism, and facts. This dynamic erodes the foundation of democratic discourse, which relies on a shared understanding and commitment to truth and reality.

Addressing this new variant of Stockholm syndrome requires a multifaceted approach. First, media literacy must be prioritized in education to equip individuals with critical thinking skills, which are needed to discern credible information from falsehoods. Schools and community programs can play a pivotal role in teaching people how to identify and challenge misinformation.

Second, social media platforms and tech companies must take greater responsibility for the content they disseminate. This includes improving algorithms to promote credible sources and fact-checking information as well as providing clear warning about misinformation.

Third, fostering open dialogue and empathy can help bridge the divide. Encouraging conversations that are respectful and rooted in genuine desire to understand different perspectives can weaken the emotional bonds that fuel misinformation-driven divisions.

Finally, leaders and influencers must commit to truth and transparency, setting a standard that prioritizes facts over misdirecting narratives. When political figures and media personalities model integrity and accountability, they can help dismantle the psychological chains of misinformation.

This new variant of Stockholm syndrome poses a significant challenge to our democracy and our nations unity and collective health. By understanding the psychological mechanisms at play and implementing strategies to combat them, we can begin to heal the divides that have been fueled by false narratives.

It is a collective effort that requires commitment from individuals, educators, tech companies and leaders to prioritize truth and foster a culture of informed and empathetic discourse. Only then can we hope to break free from the cognitive captivity that is polarizing our nation.

Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, the 17th surgeon general of the United States, is a Distinguished Laureate Professor at the University of Arizona.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk truly gets it when it comes to space travel. While Musk understands it is an inherently dangerous business, he also knows that it is critically important that we reach, work and live in that arena, as it will prove to be humanitys only hope for long-term survival.

More than that, he gets that parts of space travel simply must be fun and that dreamers think about it every day. And it was for those dreamers Musk recently posted, Lets make Starfleet Academy real!

Starfleet Academy is the fictional institution made famous by Star Trek. As for the dreamers Musk was seeking to inspire and challenge with that line, as of this writing, it has over 57 million views.

Musk also just reposted this: Who would have guessed that SpaceX would beat Tesla to market with a ride hailing service? While it is a funny line, it unfortunately highlights a very serious subject: Two astronauts are now stranded on the International Space Station until at least early 2025 because of technical problems with the Boeing Starliner, which brought them to the station.

The Starliner was launched on June 5 carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station on an eight-day mission. Unfortunately, the Boeing Starliner suffered a helium leak just before liftoff, which got progressively worse when the spacecraft docked at the ISS.

Several prior attempts to launch the Boeing Starliner had been cancelled because of  you guessed it  helium leaks. Knowing that, did NASA and Boeing rush the launch on June 5? Did they feel pressure to launch? If so, who was applying the pressure?

This scenario unfortunately harkens back to the tragic launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on Jan. 28, 1986, carrying first teacher in space Christa McAuliffe. NASA, which knew the O-rings on the solid rocket boosters of the shuttle were susceptible to damage in cold weather  had already delayed the launch by multiple days due to weather conditions.

Some have always believed that NASA felt tremendous pressure to get that spacecraft off the ground, since the first teacher in space had been so highly publicized and with millions of schoolchildren watching in classrooms.

We are all human. Humans can make poor judgment calls. Going back to the Boeing Starliner, did anyone feel pressure to launch after multiple scrubbed attempts?

Whatever the answer to that question, Musks SpaceX will now retrieve those stranded astronauts from the space station. Unfortunately for Boeing, this recent headline in the New York Post says it all: Boeing employees humiliated that upstart rival SpaceX will rescue astronauts stuck in space: Its shameful

As for what might be wrong with Boeing  which has suffered one public relations humiliation after another, with at least 20 whistleblowers coming forward to voice concerns about safety and quality issues  we have this quote, as reported by NPR: Almost all of Boeings problems are cultural, says Richard Aboulafia, an aviation industry analyst at AeroDynamic Advisory. Its a management team that was completely disconnected from the folks who actually did the design, integration and manufacture of the companys products. Thats a recipe for trouble. And youve seen it in jetliners and defense products and now, of course, in space systems.

Many have also wondered if Boeing, NASA and other companies and agencies are setting themselves up for potential failure because they are hiring based upon cultural, DEI or identity-politics policies. To be clear, I dont care if they hire gay, straight, trans, Black, white, male, female, faith-based or atheist employees. The person most qualified should get the job based on merit and real-world experience.

Especially in occupations that hold human lives in their hands, merit should come before all else in hiring decisions. While one would think that should be a steadfast common-sense rule, others on the left feel otherwise.

Now we come to NASA, an agency beset by problems and suffering from a crisis of confidence. Some believe that current NASA leadership is embracing woke policies while ignoring some very harsh realities, such as Chinas growing military ambitions in space and on the surface of the Moon.

All of these harsh realities center around former President John F. Kennedys call for the U.S. to become the preeminent spacefaring nation. During his historic speech on Sept. 12, 1962, at Rice University, Kennedy stressed: We mean to be a part of it  we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace.

Kennedy knew what so many have forgotten: That humanitys flaws, greed and military ambitions can and will cross into space. And because of that, Americas national and economic security could be placed at great risk if we are not the preeminent spacefaring nation.

The truth is, NASA is a mess. Our human spaceflight program is a mess, and our priorities in space are a mess. And because of that, our national and economic security are increasingly at risk.

While I get that many on the left have turned against Musk, they need to look at the larger picture. He is a visionary who gets things done.

More than that, he has a passion for space and for getting humanity permanently off the planet to ensure the survival of our species. I say we turn the U.S. human spaceflight program over to him.

Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official.

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Opinion - Is Qatar an ally or an enemy in the fight against terror finance?

Eleven days after Hamass Oct. 7 massacre, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned a terror financier named Muhammad Nasrallah. According to Treasury, Nasrallah has close ties to the Iranian regime and was involved in the transfer of tens of millions of dollars to Hamas.

Nasrallah, based in Qatar, was operating there for years before Hamas struck.

In 2017, the U.S. and Qatar had formally pledged to combat terror finance together. So the longtime presence of a major, Iran-linked Hamas financier on Qatari soil raises serious questions about how much change the U.S.-Qatar memorandum of understanding has yielded. With the Middle East teetering on the brink of a regional war, Washington needs to assess the agreements impact.

Qatar remains one of the leading state-sponsors of Hamas. Doha hosts Hamass political office, harbors senior Hamas leaders and showers the Hamas-run government in Gaza with hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The U.S. and Israel implicitly signed off on this arrangement, with the expectation that the Qatari funds would stabilize Gaza and that Doha would provide Hamas sanctuary but crack down on home-grown terror finance activity. Evidently, those assumptions were misplaced.

While financial crime can crop up anywhere, there is reason to believe that Qatar remains an oasis for terror finance.

Last year, the Financial Action Task Force  an international money laundering and terror finance watchdog  found that Qatar has not demonstrated that it is effectively identifying, investigating, or prosecuting terror financing cases. Qatars overall terror finance conviction rate is just 28 percent, which the task force notes is especially low, given the emirates risk profile and the Qatari criminal systems response to other financial crimes. Indeed, Qatar hasnt convicted a single terror financier since 2018.

The Treasury Department seems aware that Doha has a lot more work to do in terms of combatting terror finance.

In February, Undersecretary of the Treasury Brian Nelson noted the importance of addressing terrorist financing vulnerabilities in Qatar and other countries in the region in testimony before the House Financial Services Committee. Whether Qatar has made necessary progress combatting terror finance is a question worth asking; the full text of the 2017 U.S.-Qatar memorandum was never made public, so its hard to know what benchmarks Doha pledged to meet and in what timeframe.

Heres what we do know: the memorandum came one month after nearly every country in the Gulf Cooperation Council severed ties with Qatar, accusing the emirate of funding and adopting extremist groups, among other offenses. Weeks earlier, then-President Trump had announced in Riyadh the creation of the U.S.-Gulf Cooperation Council Terrorist Financing Targeting Center  a multilateral initiative to disrupt terror financing networks.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson applauded the Qataris for being the first to respond to President Trumps challenge at the Riyadh Summit to stop the funding of terrorism. He pledged that, together, Washington and Doha would do more to keep the region and our homeland safe. Along with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Tillerson said the agreement specifies the steps each country will take to stop terrorism financing globally, and sets a timeline for its implementation.

The Qataris appeared ready to crack down on terror finance. In March 2018, for example, Doha placed more than two dozen people and entities on a terrorism blacklist, including two Qatari nationals whom the blockading Arab countries had previously identified as financiers of the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front in Syria. The next year, Qatar issued a new law to enhance its anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing efforts.

Doha also teamed up with Washington in 2021 to sanction eight targets connected to a major Hezbollah financial network based in the Arabian Peninsula that remained active in Qatar through at least 2019. One of those targets was a Qatar-based property management company owned by a financier named Sulaiman al-Banai. According to the U.S. Treasury, al-Banai was was a primary manager of his relative and fellow Hezbollah funders business and financial activity in Qatar and abroad.

Greater congressional oversight of the 2017 U.S.-Qatar terror finance memorandum is clearly needed. Specifically, lawmakers should request that the U.S. Government Accountability Office review Qatars progress combatting terror finance and report back on the implementation and enforcement of the 2017 agreement as a way of providing an outside, impartial assessment.

Qatar cannot remain a lax environment for funders of terror and at the same time serve as a regional mediator and close ally of the United States. When it comes to terror finance, Qatar has not yet been exonerated.

Natalie Ecanow is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a nonpartisan research institute in Washington, focusing on national security and foreign policy.

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On a phone call, shortly after the assassination attempt against him, former President Donald Trump and independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr., agreed to meet in order to explore avenues of cooperation, narrowing in on key issues they aligned on towards advancing the cause of national unity. They solidified their bond by agreeing to allow space for disagreement  a strategy reminiscent of Abraham Lincolns Team of Rivals, where he appointed his political opponents to key positions in his Cabinet during the Civil War.

By bringing together leaders with differing views, Lincoln aimed to unify the nation and strengthen his administration through a diversity of perspectives and talents, ultimately contributing to the Unions success. Mirroring this strategy, Trump and Kennedy officially joined forces in the spirit of a Unity Party.

Like many Democrats, I was deeply rattled when Trump ascended to the presidency in 2016. Eight years later I find myself substantially more balanced emotionally, despite polls indicating he has a solid chance of winning. A Trump victory, while feared by many liberals, might not spell the doom so many predict, but rather offer unexpected opportunities for growth.

In a political era marked by polarization, Kennedys decision to suspend his independent campaign and endorse Trump, has left millions reeling. WTF was the next reaction felt by many across the political spectrum.

Another segment of Americans, equally stunned, followed the initial moment of shock with a sobering pause. This interlude echoed with the faint resonance of hope and considerations of what such an alliance might signify. Could this moment symbolize a first step toward bridging our political divide?

If an association between national unity and a Trump-Kennedy partnership feels like magical thinking, I understand. But, sincerely, when is the right time to begin restoring our country, and what could it look like?

Would we recognize a first step towards unity if it were right in front of us?

As a lifelong Democrat, I now find myself among the 51 percent of voters registered as independents. Threats to freedom of speech, censorship and infringements on medical freedom are among my chief grievances with my former party. Kennedys campaign, with its shrewd, innovative solutions, drew me in.

For Kennedy supporters, his decision to align with Trump wasnt entirely unexpected. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) actively worked to undermine his candidacy, manipulating primary schedules and imposing restrictive rules and lawsuits that hindered ballot access. This wasnt just a rejection of Kennedy; it was a rejection of the democratic process itselfironic for a party that claims to be the guardian of democracy.

Nicole Shanahan, Kennedys vice presidential running mate, stated that it was the Democratic Party, not the Republicans, that obstructed a free and fair election for their campaign. Faced with a rigged system, Kennedy made a pragmatic, faith-driven decision to avoid being sidelined like Ross Perot and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Given the colossal challenges Kennedy faced, deciding to work within the system and align with Trump was likely an easier yes than many might suspect. At 70, Kennedy knows his time to effect change is limited. His alliance with Trump isnt about political expediency; its about seizing what may be his last, best chance to make a difference.

While it may be tempting for skeptics to foresee catastrophic outcomes from this alliance or a Trump victory, instead, what if we considered the potential success of this team, should he be reelected? Rather than demonizing and awfulizing Trump supporters, what if we genuinely sought to understand what continues to draw them to him?

This question is supported by thought leader and author, Michelle DAvella, who points out that self-righteousness prevails on both sides of the divide, and that in not seeking to understand why people vote for Trump (or any candidate for that matter), a decision is being made to be divisive and judgmental.

By acknowledging the power that our collective curiosity, perceptions and intentions hold in shaping reality, I propose moving beyond entrenched political biases and alarmist rhetoric, to contribute instead to the realization of a more favorable outcome.

If we foster a climate of positive expectations rather than relentless criticism, we might tap into the well-documented Pygmalion effect, encouraging Trump to focus on constructive leadership. This shift in perception could lead to more collaborative governance and motivate him to prioritize legacy-building achievements, driven by a desire for public approval and recognition for positive actions.

Trump and Kennedy represent the potential for a new archetype in addressing partisan challengesprioritizing policies where Americans find common ground first. This approach holds the ability to strengthen collective stamina and trust, equipping citizens to confront complex matters more effectively. By shifting focus from partisan non-negotiables to shared concerns, this strategy could help break the cycle of endless dissonance. Their alliance could be likened to the historical partnership of President Abraham Lincoln and his secretary of War, Edwin Stantontwo men who began as rivals but whose collaboration was instrumental in preserving the Union.

The Trump-Kennedy alliance isnt driven by complete ideological alignment; instead, theyve united in faith and out of a mutual recognition of the existential threats facing our nation. Three critical issues form the bedrock of the Trump-Kennedy partnership: ending the chronic disease epidemic, bringing an end to Americas forever wars, and balancing the federal budget. Kennedy cites these issues, along with censorship and the corporate capture of our government agencies, as serious threats to our nation.

Similar to BRICS  an alliance of developing countries formed to challenge Western dominance and create a multipolar world  Kennedy and Trumps example offers Americans an alternative route beyond the constraints of the traditional two-party system. If they fulfill their promises, their collaboration could offer a pathway to healing the divide especially if Americans, as Kennedy urged, unite out of love for our children rather than hate for each other.

Trump recently shared that he wants healing childhood disease to be his legacya perspective he may have gained after surviving an assassination attempt. Some of Kennedys skeptics may ease their concerns by exploring his detailed interviews, which offer a nuanced view of his character and his revolutionary vision for our country. Its worth remembering that great leaders are often misunderstood in their time, and media biases frequently serve their interests over the public good.

The 2024 election is more than a contest between candidates; it is a referendum on the future of our nation. Will we seize this moment to forge a new course that prioritizes kindness, freedom, health, security and prosperity for all Americans? Should Trump win, he and Kennedy stand to offer America a new blueprint by modeling unity and renewal across party lines.

While we may feel individually powerless in shaping the outcome of this election, collectively we hold more influence than we realize. Beyond the vote, our true power lies in how we choose to respond to the outcome, how we engage with our political counterparts and how we contribute to ending the toxicity in our political discourse.

Medina Dugger is a multidisciplinary artist, writer and curator who spent a decade producing work in Lagos, Nigeria. She has been featured in Vogue, Smithsonian and National Geographic magazines and was awarded First Prize by the Magnum Photography Award in 2017.

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Friedrich Merz, Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and leader of the CDU parliamentary group, gives a press conference after his meeting with Germam Chancellor Scholz and on the consequences of the attack in Solingen. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

There has been "some movement" in recent days over Germany's asylum policy, but not enough, as the large number of asylum seekers now poses a national security threat, the leader of the conservative opposition in the German parliament said.

"Too many refugees are coming to Germany who should actually be applying for asylum in other countries," Friedrich Merz, the head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), wrote in his weekly newsletter to party supporters, which the Funke Media Group of newspapers published on Saturday.

Measures announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and his coalition partners, the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), won't change this, he said, because they are "once again not addressing the actual problem."

Merz has called for the implementation of a "national emergency" to override European Union law on migration and speed up deportations. He said the country has already reached its limit and asylum seekers now pose a threat to national security and public order.

EU law "provides a general clause that allows the national legislator to take its own measures to maintain public order and protect internal security," Merz said. "We have reached this point."

His comments come a week after three people were stabbed to death and eight others wounded during a community festival in the western city of Solingen; The main suspect is a Syrian man who is believed to have evaded a deportation order.
Friedrich Merz, Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and leader of the CDU parliamentary group, gives a press conference after his meeting with Germam Chancellor Scholz and on the consequences of the attack in Solingen. Kay Nietfeld/dpa

There has been "some movement" in recent days over Germany's asylum policy, but not enough, as the large number of asylum seekers now poses a national security threat, the leader of the conservative opposition in the German parliament said.

"Too many refugees are coming to Germany who should actually be applying for asylum in other countries," Friedrich Merz, the head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), wrote in his weekly newsletter to party supporters, which the Funke Media Group of newspapers published on Saturday.

Measures announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and his coalition partners, the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), won't change this, he said, because they are "once again not addressing the actual problem."

Merz has called for the implementation of a "national emergency" to override European Union law on migration and speed up deportations. He said the country has already reached its limit and asylum seekers now pose a threat to national security and public order.

EU law "provides a general clause that allows the national legislator to take its own measures to maintain public order and protect internal security," Merz said. "We have reached this point."

His comments come a week after three people were stabbed to death and eight others wounded during a community festival in the western city of Solingen; The main suspect is a Syrian man who is believed to have evaded a deportation order.

On Friday, Germany deported Afghans to their home country for the first time since the Taliban took power three years ago. The government also introduced a package of measures this week that would cut benefits for refugees who entered the EU via another country and should therefore be sent back to their place of entry for immigration processing.

Scholz also announced talks with the federal states and the CDU to discuss the attack, with the first meeting scheduled for next week.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  While Oregon is making strides in diversifying its educator workforce, more work needs to be done for teachers and staff to proportionally represent their racially and ethnically diverse students, according to a new report.

On Friday, the Education Advancement Council released the 2024 Oregon Educator Equity Report showing progress in the states goals of a more diverse education workforce.

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The council noted that despite slow progress, Oregon and other states are looking to recruit and retain more teachers of color.

There has never been a more urgent moment to invest in educator preparation, success, and retention in Oregon, the report said.

Among the reports key findings, Oregon has seen improvement in early career educator diversity. This includes Oregon doubling the proportion of first-year teachers who identify as people of color, reaching over 20% in 2023, according to the report.

In the past decade, officials added, the number of racially and ethnically diverse teachers with five or fewer years of experience tripled.

While half of Oregons racially and ethnically diverse teachers had less than five years of experience in 2023-24, new teachers  especially in Special Education teachers and teachers of color, still face high turnover rates.

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A second key finding: increasing diversity in education majors in community colleges. Despite the increase in diverse students studying education in college, the report noted the completion rates of educator preparation programs in Oregon for racial and ethnically diverse groups are declining.

Next, the report found that K-12 state agencies are also seeing growth in diversity, but progress is needed.

According to the report, the number of diverse candidates who receive preliminary teaching and administrator licenses is rising  noting the proportion of emergency or restricted license holders are racially and ethnically diverse compared to preliminary license holders in the state for 2023.

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The largest educator group thats the least diverse are licensed K-12 teachers, while non-licensed staff are more diverse and growing faster, the report found  adding that Hispanic/Latino educators are notably underrepresented in proportion to Hispanic/Latino students.

The report offered four recommendations to increase educator diversity.

The first recommendation is to increase affordability and career preparation programs and expand non-traditional pathways into K-12 education.

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Next, the report suggested placing early career teachers and administrators in supportive environments, provide culturally response training and high-quality mentoring.

Officials also recommend reducing financial barriers for educators through scholarships and to expand state tracking of workforce development metrics.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Ghost guns will be made illegal in Oregon on Sunday thanks to a new law. Now the Oregon Attorney Generals Office is breaking down the rules and making the argument for why its needed.

House Bill 2005 was actually passed in the summer of last year so theres already been a grace period for gun owners to get a serial number. Now there will be consequences if they dont.

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If you have a gun that you made at home and never got it serialized then law enforcement across Oregon will be able to give you a Class B violation. If you get caught again, its a misdemeanor. And a third offense will get you a felony.

If you own a ghost gun as of September 1st, its required to have a serial number on it, said Michael Kron, the special counsel for Attorney General Ellen Rosenblums office.

Its been a federal law to get a serial number for a firearm for decades. But now its state-specific.

So whats the issue with a firearm without the right identification? Kron said that nationwide, theres been an explosion of unserialized guns found at crime scenes in recent years.

Essentially, the problem with these firearms is theyre easily used by criminals to evade firearm tracing and criminal investigations, he said.

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According to the Federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, From 2016 through 2021, there were approximately 45,240 suspected privately made firearms reported to ATF as having been recovered by law enforcement from potential crime scenes, including 692 homicides or attempted homicides. These issues have led to some states passing additional laws related to PMFs.

Kron said the Oregon ghost gun law does not actually ban people from assembling their own guns at home. They just need to be officially serialized after theyre made.

Our expectation is that most people who own ghost guns or most people who are aficionados that like to put together their own firearms will comply with the law and get their firearms serialized, Kron said.

If you count yourself in the gun aficionado camp, own a self-assembled gun and wish to comply with the law, its a good reminder to get a serial number on it if you havent already. But just how do you go about that?

This can be done by taking your firearm or a major component of the firearm to the federally licensed firearm dealer and asking them to affix a serial number, Kron said.

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KOIN 6 News asked Kron about the opinion filed by an Oregon federal judge who wanted a temporary restraining order challenging the ghost gun ban. Kron said having a serial number on your gun in no way diminishes peoples Second Amendment rights.

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CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WMBD)  Labor Day weekend is a time when people take to the skies, hit roads, fire up the grill and jump in the pools. But how did this come about?

People love a three-day weekend. And they can thank the now disbanded Central Labors Union in New York City for hosting the first Labor Day celebration on Sept. 5, 1882.

In 1894 Former President Grover Cleveland signed the national holiday into law. The purpose of Labor Day is to celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers. This includes teachers, postal workers, correctional officers and the list can go on.

Where to watch Labor Day parades around central Illinois

Representing electrical workers in the Bloomington area is IBEW Local 197. Business manager Mike Raikes said the purpose of unions is to unions promote a good lifestyle and safety.

Its about being able to go to work safely and come home safely at the end of the day and provide a good living for their family, said Raikes. Getting a nice pension so that they can retire and live in dignity. We provide great health care for our members and its just a comfortable lifestyle.

Raikes adds the growth of unions shows its not always about economics.

Its about jobsite conditions. Whether thats in an office setting, a barista at a coffee shop or a fast food worker, he said. Everybody wants to be able to go to work, know what their schedules are going to be like. They want to work eight hour days, and if theyre have to work overtime, they want to be compensated for working extra hours.

Raikes said you can support your local unions this weekend by attending local parades.

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In over 3 years, Rock Hill police review board has only heard a few cases. Is it working?

In late May 2020, more than 1,000 people marched around downtown Rock Hill demanding police accountability and the creation of a civilian police review board.

Footage of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in police custody shocked the country. And the people of Rock Hill wanted action.

Rock Hills city council created a Citizens Review Board in late 2020, and it started operating in April 2021. But the board has heard just four cases since its inception, according to a review by The Herald of documents received through a public records request filed with the city.

Three of those were filed by one person. The other case was a mandated review of a police shooting, records show.

Whats more, the city does not allow the public, civil rights groups, or even a persons family to file a complaint for the review board to hear. In an era where cellphone videos often provide crucial, initial context about arrests, traffic stops and police interaction with the public, even the person who shoots the video cant ask the CRB to review what happened.

Only a person who files an official complaint with the Rock Hill Police Department can ask the CRB to look at their case  and thats after police do an internal investigation.

And there are secrecy concerns: The Citizens Review Board bylaws do not allow it to conduct reviews in public.

The CRB shall not report its findings publicly, the city council added to the boards bylaws in 2023.

The CRB  who can file a complaint

The review board has eight members. Each city council member and the mayor appoint a member for a two-year term, with one at-large member.

The boards bylaws say it will interview only the complainant in a closed session with no media or guests. While not required, the complainant may have a lawyer present. If a lawyer is present, the City Attorney will also participate. Following the interview, the CRB will deliberate in executive session.

Mayor John Gettys said the small number of cases reviewed by the board does not mean the board is not helpful, because it provides someone who made a complaint to police the chance for a second look after the police review it.

The review board bylaws were first approved by city council in March 2022 and then amended in June 2023, documents provided to The Herald show.

The bylaws specifically state no third parties can ask the board to review a case. So if a group like the NAACP hears about a problem and wants to make a complaint to the CRB, they cant.

When the bylaws were amended by the city council in June 2023, the rules were changed to state the CRB shall Screen all Cases to ensure no third-party submittals have been made and that the submittal originates from only the complainant or the lawyer for the complainant.

The amended bylaws also added the automatic CRB review of excessive force, use of deadly force, an in-custody death, or serious bodily injury.

There have also been communication concerns. CRB members said in summer 2023 they were kept in the dark about proposed board changes, according to a 2023 story from Herald news partner WSOC-TV and minutes from the meetings.

A Rock Hill police officer stands in riot gear in front of protesters downtown in June 2021.

The CRB cases so far

The three cases filed by the same person in 2023 were over a Rock Hill Police investigation that involved that person.

The CRB upheld the police departments internal investigation rulings of unfounded, documents provided by the city show.

In the use of deadly force case from November 2023  the fourth case the board has reviewed Rock Hill officers shot an alleged bank robbery suspect in the hand. The internal investigation and body-camera footage supplied to the CRB showed the suspect was armed with a gun, according to CRB documents.

On June 10, the CRB unanimously agreed the two officers involved in the November 2023 shooting followed all policies and procedures regarding use of deadly force. The board had met to talk about the shooting on June 5.

Both sides weigh in

City officials say the few complaints sent to the review board are a measure of public satisfaction with the Rock Hill Police Department.

One way of measuring is we dont have a lot of complaints, Rock Hill City Manager David Vehaun told The Herald in a phone interview about the board. Our police department treats our citizens with fairness and respect.

The boards findings are recommendations and are released only to the city manager, who sends them to city council. The findings are reviewed by the council in closed session, the rules show.

The boards bylaws also state the CRB will provide feedback to the police department about policies and practices that impact residents of the community.

Rock Hill civil rights and religious leaders joined the mayor, police chief and county sheriff at a news conference June 30, 2021, asking for unity and patience as South Carolina police investigated the use of force against two African-American brothers arrested June 23, 2021. The incident sparked three days of protests after a viral video surfaced.

But secret results and a system that does not allow for third parties to make complaints about police tactics or policies does not increase accountability, some say.

The board was created for transparency, and its not, 16th Circuit Public Defender B.J. Barrowclough said. It is set up in a way that chokes off the flow of information. It undermines the goals.

Barrowclough, one of those 1,000-plus marchers in 2020, said the idea was a board that could analyze complaints against officers to ensure the public trusted police actions.

What happens if the person does not ask CRB to review?

One of the most high-profile incidents related to police procedures in recent years was the arrest of a Black man by Rock Hill police in June 2021 that was caught on video by a member of the public. It sparked three days of protests in the city and led to a $500,000 settlement but did not generate a complaint to the CRB.

A protester confronts police officers in June 2021 in downtown Rock Hill.

City officials have tried to be conscious of the publics demand for police accountability.

In June of 2020 after the George Floyd rally in Rock Hill  as a review board was being considered but before it was created  Rock Hill Police Chief Chris Watts and the mayor held a public meeting to explain excessive force, how choke holds are banned, and other police tactics.

Because the CRB never received a complaint about the June 2021 arrest, there was not any CRB review of policies and procedures officers used that day.

After the incident in 2021, civil rights leaders said the need for civilian review of police interaction that day and for days afterward was another reason why the review board was created.

Barrowclough said the 2021 case is an example of where tens of thousands of people in the public saw the videos, but the civilian panel created by the city of Rock Hill to look at police policy never got to review the incident and make recommendations to the police department.

He said hes concerned that citizens cant submit videos to the board or ask for a board review because third-party complaints are not allowed.

They created a system where that type of evidence  videos and the witnesses who saw what happened  is not allowed, Barrowclough said. Why would you do that if you are truly engaged in a pursuit of the truth?

Does the public know the CRB exists?

Vehaun, the city manager, said a lot of effort went into making sure the public knew what the board was and why it existed when it was created.

Its meeting times and place, agendas and minutes are listed on the citys website, Vehaun said. It meets at the city operations center.

The last CRB meeting was in June. The citys website does not show when there will be a next scheduled meeting. Its unclear if the board has any pending cases for review, but records examined by The Herald did not indicate there were any.

The city website says the group meets as needed.

In CRB meeting minutes reviewed by The Herald, members talked from 2021 into 2023 about concerns over the publics knowledge of the CRB role, and how complaints are filed.

In August 2021 after the city created the board, a member said many in the community dont know who is on the CRB or what the group is doing, minutes show.

In a January 2022 meeting, board members said they have concerns that the community is unaware that the CRB is working to get ready to actively hear cases.

Members were told in early 2023 they could attend neighborhood meetings and other events to explain the board and complaint filing process to the public. Members also have discussed in meetings how to tell the public that third-party complaints to the board are prohibited.

The board produced annual reports for 2022 and 2023 that were sent to city officials, according to the documents.

How does someone know they have CRB access?

Anyone who files a formal police department complaint receives paperwork that states they have access to the CRB after the internal investigation at the police department, said Rock Hill Police Lt. Michael Chavis, a department spokesperson.

The CRB bylaws state a person who has a finished an internal RHPD investigation has 30 days to ask the CRB to review the decision made by police.

Yet the CRB is a city board, not a police department board, Chavis said.

The city administers it  not the police department, he said. A police civilian employee acts as a liaison between the board and the city regarding information requests and gathering for the board, Chavis said.

There are no active police officers on the CRB, but there is one retired police officer on the board.

The first year the board existed, one of its members was an RHPD supervisor who oversaw internal affairs. But that slot was later changed to an at-large board seat, the bylaws show.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  Holiday weekend travel was in full swing as passengers flocked to Reagan National Airport on Friday.

According to the Transportation Safety Administration, the agency expects to screen 17 million people over the Labor Day weekend holiday. Thats roughly an 8% increase from last year.

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An airport is an airport, I dont worry too much  try and give enough time to make it through and make sure we have less than three ounces in the bottles, said traveler Joseph Puechner.

Puechner was flying to California Friday along with his girlfriend, Gem Palo.

I got permits to hike or climb Half Dome so were going to Yosemite National Park but were making a road trip out of it, explained Palo.

Palo said she did have some concerns about their flight taking off on time after hundreds of flights were canceled in the DMV region Thursday due to severe weather.

I actually got back from a work trip from Houston last night and there was a two-hour delay so I was worried. Checked the weather today so it seems like no delays so far.

Labor Day travel: Plan ahead  and be nice

I think airplanes are on time, so hopefully nothing changes between now and then, said Martin Boakye, who was flying to Miami.

Boakye planned to visit family and friends in southern Florida, extending the trip beyond the holiday weekend.

Were going to South Carolina to visit my daughter, said Lisa Marie Cheney, who was traveling with her daughter Kayla. Her sister here is active duty, and in med school so she hasnt seen her in a while. Itll be a nice surprise.

The two were looking forward to spending some family time together this holiday weekend.

I just think its a great time and I hope everyone has a safe travels wherever theyre going and great time with family, said Cheney.

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Linda Blair recently retired as CEO of Tasty Tacos. (Photo by Wezz De La Rosa / Hola Iowa)

Sixty-two years ago, Antonia Mosqueda and her husband Richard took a family recipe for a flour taco and turned it into a Des Moines institution. Tasty Tacos is often the most missed restaurant when Central Iowans move away, and their first stop once landing back in the city.

With six locations in the Des Moines metro area, the Mosqueda family has grown twice as large since patriarch Richard passed away in 2000. Continuing the family business, his daughter Linda Blair stepped in as co-president and later became president and CEO. With her mother at her side for guidance and support, Blair grew the business and expanded into retail.

JEFAS Magazine is a collaboration of writers, photographers, social media managers, editors, translators, and designers from across Illinois, Iowa and the Midwest  all of whom are Latinx. It is the first magazine created by the Latinx community, for the Latinx community that focuses on how they are boosting the economy, giving back, and filling the gap between what is needed and what is available in the state.

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He might have been in the limelight, but she was always there, right beside him. They were a team, recalls Blair. With my mother behind me, who is a strong person, she was my sounding board, my confidante. She held me up through tough times and kept me strong. I couldnt have done it without her.

Weathering rough times

Tough times are inevitable in any business. One of those times was the floods of 1993, when 250,000 Des Moines residents were without water, over 40,000 without power, and nearly 50 people died. Tasty Tacos never closed their doors.

We stayed open the whole time. That amazes me now, how we did that. I remember we had bottled water coming in every day. We used bottled water to wash, we used it to cook, says Blair with wonderment in her voice, recalling how they kept up with orders in the midst of the entire city being declared a disaster area.

Knowing how to operate in the face of adversity is the secret sauce to a long-lasting business. Whenever they faced hard times, like the 2020 pandemic, Blair knew how to tighten belts and pull in the reins. She constantly analyzed costs and expenses to ensure the restaurants were running efficiently and effectively, to keep costs low without compromising the flavors their customers crave.

We know how to survive and thats really helped us. You have to know when to cut back. There are lots of luxuries, says Blair, referring to items of convenience that may end up having greater costs down the line. When moneys low, you really have to keep it tight. A lot of people dont know how to do that and thats why a lot of businesses fail.

Being a family-owned business, everyone has a vested interest in her success, so Blair had plenty of encouragement to do what she needed to keep the business running.

Innovation and growth

She wasnt afraid to take risks when it came to innovating to keep Tasty Tacos growing. After years of customers buying their taco sauce and salsa by the quart, she decided to bottle it. Today, you can find their salsas, red taco sauce and packets of taco seasonings on shelves in Hy-Vee in Iowa and neighboring states.

That bold step strengthened the Tasty Tacos brand, a feat her father would be proud of, and one that her mother continues to support.

Shes a force, says Blair of her mothers championing her growth strategy. She always gives her opinion, and we always listen because shes been there since day one. Why wouldnt we listen to her? Shes been there through thick and thin, so shes seen it all. Shes still a stockholder and advisor to the board. Thats the role Im going to take from here on out.

Earlier this year, Blair stepped down as president and CEO, and her daughter, Jennifer Gardner, took over that role. Gardner grew up watching her grandmother guide her mother, working alongside Blair for over 20 years, and is now poised to be the third generation to lead the family business.

Family is key to their success. Blairs son is the vice president and her nieces, nephews, cousins and siblings all play essential roles managing locations and the administrative side of running the business. But just because Blair is retiring, it doesnt mean she plans to step away entirely.

Not many people stay at a job for over 40 years. I started washing dishes at a very early age, she said.

Blair worked many jobs at Tasty Tacos while the business grew; she was there as they went from a hole in the wall to their current half dozen locations. When kids are part of it from the beginning, its part of who they are, its part of their life. They cant imagine not doing it anymore, she said.

While she hopes to have more time for her hobbies like biking, pickleball, and beach vacations, she still plans to be around to help her daughter transition.

I am going to work part-time. Im not ready to completely cut those ties, Blair said.

She hopes to see her vision of a nationwide brand come to pass with their salsa and spices in stores beyond the Midwest, and serve on the board to support Gardner as she implements her ideas for the future of the business.

With her daughter under her wing, and her mother at her side for continued support, Blair is poised to leave a legacy that parallels that of her father who taught her, Nada es imposible, nothing is impossible  a saying she has clearly taken to heart and proven to be her personal motto.

This column was originally published by JEFAS Magazine, Hola Iowa and the Hola Iowa blog on Substack. Lea la version en espanol aqui. It is republished here via the Iowa Writers Collaborative.

Editors note: Please consider subscribing to collaborative members blogs to support their work.
Patriot Front white supremacists march in downtown Tallahassee, take photo at Old Capitol

About two dozen members of the hate group Patriot Front, a Texas-based white supremacist and neo-fascist hate group, were spotted in Floridas capital city Saturday.

According to online reports, photos and video, the group was seen marching with masks over their faces along the Tallahassee Downtown Market, atop the Cascades Park bridge and later gathered outside the Old Florida Capitol.

They placed stickers that said "Nationalist Lifestyle" and "White N Radical" on light poles downtown, according to photos posted by the Leon County Democratic Party on Facebook.

"Racist hate has no place in Tallahassee," a party representative wrote on Facebook.

Members of the group were wearing khakis, hats and white balaclavas, which cover the face except for the eyes and mouth.

"Down with white supremacy! PF out of Tally!" wrote the Tallahassee Community Action Committee in another Facebook post.

A Tallahassee Police Department watch commander and Capitol Police officer said they did not make contact with Patriot Front. Capitol Police just monitored them as they took a photo in front of the Old Capitol, the officer said.

Saturday was a more brazen display than the group's last time in the Tallahassee area.

Two years ago, videos were leaked of a dozen or so Patriot Front members practicing military-style drills at Williams Landing on Lake Talquin and routine calisthenics at Lafayette Park near Ingleside Drive and Gadsden Street.

The Texas-based Patriot Front broke off from another group, Vanguard America, following 2017s Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which one woman was killed after a white supremacist plowed his car into a group of counter-protesters.

The group, which dropped Vanguard Americas Nazi imagery in favor of red-white-and-blue symbolism, is known for holding flash demonstrations in several big cities that were filmed and used for propaganda purposes.

In December 2022, Patriot Front began adding more explicit antisemitic phrases into their propaganda, and the group distributed antisemitic propaganda on at least 431 occasions in 2023, making up 38 percent of the years antisemitic propaganda incidents, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Ana Goni-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network  Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Patriot Front white supremacists seen in Tallahassee, at Old Capitol
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) pushed back on a suggestion by comedian Bill Maher that her comments in recently surfaced footage that she took responsibility for security during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Theres some footage of you that just came out where youre talking about  you say, Im quoting you, I take responsibility, Maher said Friday on Real Time with Bill Maher, while interviewing Pelosi.

He questioned the former Speaker on what she meant in the unveiled footage, saying he believes shes talking about the fact that there shouldve been more protection there?

First of all, who couldve ever thought that the president of the United States would incite an insurrection  Pelosi said, in a clip highlighted by Mediaite, before Maher interjected.

Me, the host replied. I was saying it for years.

She responded, Im not ever taking responsibility for [former President] Donald Trump.

Instead, Pelosi vowed in the interview, that her only responsibility when it comes to Trump is to make sure he is not reelected to the White House.

The exchange comes after footage was unearthed where Pelosi was seen asking about the National Guards arrival to the Capitol  which took hours to respond to the incident.

How many times did the members ask, Are we prepared? Are we prepared? Were not prepared for the worst, Pelosi said in the footage. Were calling the National Guard, now? It shouldve been here to start out. I just dont understand it.

Why do we empower people this way by not being ready? she added in the footage.

She also questioned why the National Guard didnt respond earlier to the Jan. 6 attack, saying she felt somewhat responsible for the lack of preparation.

I feel responsible, Pelosi said to her chief of staff Terri McCullough. We have a responsibility, Terri. We did not have any accountability for what was going on there, and we should have. This is ridiculous.

I take responsibility for not having them just prepare for more. Because its stupid, she added later.

Maher also asked the Speaker emerita about the fear that comes with her job and what she wrote about in her recent book, The Art of Power, about the insurrection and her feelings after her husband Paul Pelosi was attacked in their home.

Well I  let me just say I signed up for this. And as for that part of it, well, I signed up for the public arena, she told the host.

Quoting former President Teddy Roosevelt (R), Pelosi said later, When youre in the arena. Youre no longer a spectator.

And Ive said to colleagues and people interested in running when you are in that arena, you got to be ready to take a punch, she continued, adding. You got to be ready to throw a punch.

In an emailed statement to The Hill the communications director for the Trump campaign said the former House Speaker refused President Trumps offer of soldiers and National Guard to help secure the Capitol building.

In unearthed footage, she even admits she was responsible for the security failure. Pelosi needs to answer why she chose to ignore the warnings and the help that was offered, Steven Cheung continued in the statement.

Updated at 6:03 p.m. EST.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Man arrested for allegedly attacking group of students with bottle near Cathedral of Learning

A person was arrested they allegedly attacked a group of students with a bottle near the Cathedral of Learning in Oakland Friday.

University of Pittsburgh officials said a group of Jewish students were attacked. Two students were treated for injuries at the scene.

The suspect was arrested at the scene. He has no known Pitt affiliation, officials said.

Court documents identify that man as Jarret Buba, 52, from Oakland.

Upon learning about this incident, Pitt leadership contacted Hillel University Center to offer support to our students and also connected with our partners at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. We are grateful to our Pitt Police officers for their swift action, and our Student Affairs team for their ongoing student support, university officials said.

Officials also said there is not believed to be any ongoing threat to the public stemming from this incident.

Police also said the incident is not believed to be connected to the shooting at the Carnegie Museums earlier in the day.

We recognize that incidents like these are disturbing to the Pitt community. The University Counseling Center is available to any student needing support, and Life Solutions is available to all faculty and staff members, University of Pittsburgh officials said.

The investigation is ongoing.

To be clear: Neither acts of violence nor antisemitism will be tolerated. Local and federal partners are supporting Pitt Police in this ongoing investigation, officials said.

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We present the third of five parts of the short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," by Edgar Allen Poe. The story was originally adapted and recorded by VOA Learning English.

My housemate in Paris, August Dupin, was an interesting young man with a busy, forceful mind. This mind could, it seemed, look right through a mans body into his deepest soul.

After reading in the newspaper about the terrible murder of a woman and her daughter, Dupin was consumed with the mystery. He questioned the ability of the Paris police to solve the crime. I told Dupin that it seemed to me that it was not possible to explain the strange details surrounding the killings.

No, no. I think you are wrong. A mystery it is, yes. But there must be an answer. There must! Let us go to the house where it happened and see what we can see. I know the head of the police, and he will permit our visit. It will be interesting and give us some pleasure.

I thought it strange that Dupin thought the activity would give us pleasure. But I said nothing.

It was late in the afternoon when we reached the house on the Rue Morgue. It was easily found, for there were still many persons  in fact, a crowd, standing there looking at it. Before going in, we walked all around it, and Dupin carefully looked at the neighboring houses as well. I could not understand the reason for such great care.

Finally, we entered the house. We went up the stairs to the room where the daughters body was found. Both bodies were in the room now. The police had left the room as they had found it in every other way. I saw nothing beyond what the newspaper had told us.

Dupin looked with great care at everything, at the bodies, the walls, the fireplace, the windows. Then we went home. Dupin said nothing. I could see the cold look in his eyes, which told me that his mind was working, working busily, quickly.

Dupin said nothing about our exploration until the next morning when he suddenly asked me a question.

Did you not notice something especially strange about what we saw at the house on the Rue Morgue?

Nothing more than what we both read in the newspaper, which was unusual indeed. How shall we explain the horrible force, the unusual strength used in these murders? And whose were the voices that were heard? No one was found except the dead women; yet there was no way for anyone to escape. And the wild condition of the room; the body which was found head-down in the chimney; the terrible broken appearance of the body of the old lady, with its head cut off-- these are all so far from what might be expected that the police are standing still; they dont know where to begin.

These things are unusual, indeed, but they are not deep mysteries. We should not ask, What has happened? but What has happened that has never happened before? In fact, the very things that the police think cannot possibly be explained are the things which will lead me to the answer. Indeed, I believe they have already led me to the answer.

I was so surprised that I could not say a word. Dupin looked quickly at the door.

I am now waiting for a person who will know something about these murders, these wild killings. I do not think he did them himself. But I think he will know the killer. I hope I am right about this. If I am, then I expect to find the whole answer, today. I expect the man here  in this room  at any moment. It is true that he may not come, but he probably will.

But who is this person? How did you find him?

Ill tell you. While we wait for this man we do not know  for I have never met him  while we wait, I will tell you how my thoughts went.

Dupin began to talk. But it did not seem that he was trying to explain to me what he had thought. It seemed that he was talking to himself. He looked not at me, but at the wall.

It has been fully proved that the voices heard by the neighbors were not the voices of the women who were killed. Someone else was in the room. It is therefore certain that the old woman did not first kill her daughter and then kill herself. She would not have been strong enough to put her daughters body where it was found. And the manner of the old ladys death shows that she could not have caused it herself. A person can kill himself with a knife, yes. But he surely cannot cut his own head almost off, then drop the knife on the floor and jump out the window. It was murder, then, done by some third person  or persons. And the voices heard were the voices of these persons. Let us now think carefully about the things people said about those voices. Did you notice anything especially strange in what was told about them?

Well, yes. Everybody agreed that the low voice was the voice of a Frenchman, but they could not agree about the high voice.

Ah! That was what they said, yes, but that was not what was so strange about what they said. You say you have noticed nothing that makes their stories very different from what might have been expected. Yet there was something. All these persons, as you say, agreed about the low voice, but not about the high hard voice. The strange thing here is that when an Italian, an Englishman, a Spaniard, and a Frenchman tried to tell what the voice was like, each one said it sounded like the voice of a foreigner. How strangely unusual that voice really must have been! Here are four men from four big countries, and not one of them could understand what the voice said; each one gave it a different name.

Now, I know that there are other countries in the world. You will say that perhaps it was the voice of someone from one of those other lands  Russia, perhaps. But remember, not one of these people heard anything that sounded like a separate word.

Here, Dupin turned and looked into my eyes.

This is what we have learned from the newspaper. I dont know what I have led you to think. But I believe that in this much of the story there are enough facts to lead us in the one and only direction to the right answer. What this answer is, I will not saynot yet. But I want you to keep in mind that this much was enough to tell me what I must look for when we were in that house on the Rue Morgue. And I found it!

What did I first look for? The path of escape, of course. I mean, we agree the killers were not ghosts; they could not move through walls. So, how did they escape?

At first I saw no way out. It had been necessary for the neighbors to break down the door in order to enter the room. There was no other door. The opening above the fireplace is too narrow for even a child to go through. That leaves only the windows. We must make that exit somehow possible.

Remember, there are two windows in the room. Both of them, you will remember, are made of two parts; to open the window one must lift up the bottom half. One of these windows is easily seen; the lower part of the other is out of sight behind the big bed. I looked carefully at the first of these windows. It was firmly closed, fastened, like the door, on the inside. To keep the window closed, to fasten it, someone had put a strong iron nail into the wood at the side of the window in such a way that the window could not be raised. At least it seemed that the nail held the window closed. The nail was easy to see. There it was. And the people who discovered the killings used their greatest strength and could not raise the window. I, too, tried to raise the window and could not.

I went to the second window and looked behind the bed at the lower half of the window. There was a nail here, too, which held the window closed. Without moving the bed, I tried to open this window also, and again I could not do so. But I did not stop looking for an answer there.

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Quiz: The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Part Three Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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For Teachers

Download activities to help you understand this story here.

Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. What kinds of skills do you possess that might help the police solve crimes? Should private citizens help the police, or should the police alone work to solve crimes? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

______________________________________________

Words in This Story

housemate  n. a person who lives in the same house with another person but is not a part of that person's family

consume(d)  v. to take all of a person's attention, energy or time

neighboring  adj. near or next to something or someone

moment  n. a very short period of time

certain  adj. used with it to say that something is known to be true or correct

notice  v. to become aware of something or someone by seeing or hearing it

perhaps  adv. possibly but not certainly

ghost(s)  n. the soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people

fasten(ed)  v. to attach something or join two things or two parts of something especially by using a pin, nail or something else

nail  n. a long, thin piece of metal that is sharp at one end and flat at the other end and that is used chiefly to attach things to wood
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  One male is dead after they were shot by police in Orchard Park late Friday night, according to the Orchard Park Police Department.

Police said they responded to a 911 call in the area of Hawthorne Drive and Poplar Avenue around 8:50 p.m. Friday in regards to a confrontation. Police confirmed that the man, who they had interacted with before, was armed with a knife.

Police said the man, who was not identified, did not comply with orders to drop the weapon and then advanced towards two officers while carrying a knife and was shot. Officers provided first aid on scene.

Neither of the officers involved were identified, but Orchard Park Police Chief Patrick Fitzgerald said they have both been placed on administrative leave. The knife was recovered from the scene.

Photo: Trina Catterson/WIVB

Police did say that the New York State Attorney Generals Office is working with them, as they do on all fatal police shootings. The identities of the officers as well as the man who was shot are expected to be released in the coming days.

You can view the full update from Saturday afternoon in the media player above.

Latest Local News

Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
Phoenix police seek answers after finding a man shot to death under an overpass

A man was found shot to death Friday morning under a west Phoenix overpass, according to Phoenix police.

At approximately 6:18 a.m., officers responded to a 911 call reporting a male stabbing victim found beneath the West Indian School Road overpass on the West Grand Avenue pedestrian path, according to Phoenix police. The victim, later identified as 54-year-old Paul Myron, had suffered gunshot wounds, police said.

The homicide investigation is ongoing, with no eyewitnesses and limited video surveillance in the area, according to police.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (948-6377) and 480-TESTIGO (837-8446).

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man found shot to death in west Phoenix on a pedestrian walkway
BANTAM, Conn. (WTNH)  2 people were hospitalized after a car drove into a house on Friday in Bantam, according to police.

The incident happened at around 4 p.m. at 955 Bantam Rd. The two people were trapped inside the car until firefighters helped to safely remove them. 1 person suffered non-life threatening injuries, while the other refused to be seen by doctors, according to Bantam police.

The structure was temporarily stabilized until it is able to be fully repaired.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  Ukrainian Air Force Pilot Oleksii Mes, who died defending his country earlier this week, had received training in Fresno with the 144th Fighter Wing before the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2022.

The Ukrainian Air Force announced the passing of pilot Oleksii Mes on Thursday. Officials say he was killed on Monday during what the Ukrainian military described as a massive Russian missile and air strike.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Mes shot down three cruise missiles and one strike UAV, which saved countless Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles. However, Mes actions came at the cost of his own life.

Mes had ties with the Central Valley, receiving training in Fresno. In 2019, he became the first Ukrainian Air Force pilot to observe air-to-air refueling in the back seat of an F-15D Eagle with the 144th Fighter Wing, according to the 144th Fighter Wing.

Mes training in 2019 was part of the State Partnership Program.

He was a true patriot and hero to his country and a talented pilot, wrote the 144th Fighter Wing on social media.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  Two people were shot and injured in Grand Rapids early Saturday, police say.

The Grand Rapids Police Department says that around 2 a.m., officers heard gunshots in the area of S Division Avenue and Rose Street SW, north of Burton Street.

Grand Rapids police investigate a shooting in the area of S. Division Avenue and Rose Street SW in Grand Rapids on Aug. 31, 2024.

When they went to investigate, they found a woman in her 20s in a parking lot with a gunshot wound. She was taken to the hospital and underwent surgery.

Later, a male victim arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound. He was also taken into surgery.

Their conditions were not realeased later Saturday morning.

A News 8 crew saw a number of evidence markers in the street as police investigated the shooting.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Police said they shooter had not been arrested, but also that they did not think there was any danger to the community. Any witnesses and anyone who may have video of the shooting are asked to call GRPD at 616.456.3380 or Silent Observer at 616.774.2345.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
Police: DeKalb man stabs man in the chest, causes life-threatening injury

DEKALB, Ill. (WTVO)  DeKalb Police arrested Romal Jenkins, 45, for attempted murder among other charges.

On August 2nd police were dispatched to the 700 block of Annie Glidden Road for a call that a person was stabbed. Officials said when they arrived the male victim was bleeding from his chest. He was soon taken to a local hospital.

The victim experienced a life-threatening injury to his lung, according to emergency medical care physicians.

A witness told officials the incident started when Jenkins almost hit the man with his car. The two started arguing and the suspect proceeded to stab the victim.

Jenkins is being charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and criminal trespass to real property.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports.
Police identify driver fatally shot in car on Cuba Place in Rochester

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC)  A man was shot to death while sitting in his car in Rochester Friday night, according to police.

Officers were called to Cuba Place around 6:15 p.m. for a ShotSpotter activation. They found a car crashed into a pole, with driver James Jackson Jr, age 39, who had been shot multiple times.

Jackson Jr. was taken to URMC, but he did not survive.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 911, the Rochester Police Department Major Crimes Section at (585) 428-7157, Crime Stoppers at (585) 423-9300, or email MajorCrimes@cityofrochester.gov.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst.
CHICAGO  Two more ATM burglaries happened Friday morning  one in Chicago and the other in Evergreen Park.

This comes as two other ATM burglaries happened earlier this week, and Chicago police and Evergreen Park police are working to catch the suspects.

Surveillance footage from Evergreen Park police captured the moment an ATM at the Meijers gas station, located near the intersection of 92nd Street and South Western Avenue, was burglarized just before 5:30 a.m. Friday. Surveillance showed three people in a red four-door pickup truck using chains to rip the ATM out.

Before that incident, a similar one happened at a Chicago liquor store on Marquette and Damen, just four miles away from the Evergreen Park incident.

CPD: 2 ATM machines stolen from South Side businesses

Store owner Danny Patel said the suspects tied chains to the ATM in what turned out to be a failed attempt. The would-be burglars grew increasingly frustrated and left just minutes before Chicago police arrived.

Patel said he is grateful and credited CPD with saving his store.

Police saved my store! Chicago police are the best police in the world, Patel said.

Fridays incidents are two of multiple reported this week, one of which happened in the 7600 block of South Chicago. That incident saw the thieves employing the same methods, using their vehicles to steal ATMs.

Authorities said its too early to determine if the same group of thieves are behind all the burglaries.

Anyone with information is asked to call Chicago police at 311 or Evergreen Park police at 708-422-2142.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
DENVER (KDVR)  A man arrested late in July in connection with a shooting in Aurora is a documented member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, the Aurora Police Department confirmed Friday.

Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirino, 22, also known as Cookie or Galleta, was arrested on July 28 after police responded to a shooting at about 4:30 a.m. outside of 1568 Nome St.

Two men were shot in the incident and a third was injured with a broken ankle.

Homeland Security sources confirm Aurora video shows Venezuelan gang members

Pacheco-Chirino was arrested in March this year in connection to an aggravated assault at the same address that happened in November of 2023. He bonded out.

Pacheco-Chirino has been in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since his arrest on July 28.

According to police, Pacheco-Chirino is a documented member of Tren de Aragua, and his current status within the gang is unknown. On Friday, Department of Homeland Security sources confirmed to NewsNation that the individuals seen in a viral video holding firearms at a troubled Aurora apartment complex were members of the gang.

APD continues to proactively and fully investigate criminal activity and its possible connections to criminal organizations and their members. Officers have been consistently monitoring areas of concern. We understand the distress our community is feeling, and we want to provide reassurance that we are committed to keeping our community safe and putting criminals in jail, the police department said in a post on X.

The city of Aurora said the situations are isolated.

Aurora is a safe place to live, work and visit. It is tragic that select individuals and entities have mischaracterized our city based on isolated incidents. We encourage you to build up our community and not allow the hysteria of others to tear it down, the city wrote in a post on X.

The city urged members of the community to report all crimes to local law enforcement.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Police officers in Fresno to get raises under new one-year union contract. What else changed?

Fresno police officers will receive a 3 percent raise, among other benefits, after city council unanimously approved a new contract with the police union.

These negotiations are intense, and were trying to balance public safety while also balancing the budget, Councilmember Mike Karbassi said as he thanked city staff for their work to negotiate a new agreement, which council approved Thursday in a 7-0 vote. The previous contract with the Fresno Police Officers Association expired on June 16.

In addition to the raise, the contract includes a provision that allows union leaders to delay their return to their department duties upon completion of their union leadership term. The contract also adds back premium pay for officers on long-term absences  a provision that was removed from the previous 2022-2024 contract as a strategy to reduce the number of officers on long-term absences.

There were no changes to the patrol schedule in the new agreement. The city administration proposed schedule changes that might have reduced overtime and provided more officers for some higher crime shifts. But the FPOA did not accept the proposal, said Sumeet Malhi, the citys director of personnel services, during council discussion.

Former Police Chief Paco Balderrama resigned July 25 following a city investigation into an inappropriate off-duty relationship with an officers wife.

Before news of the investigation came to light, Balderrama said in a June 5 budget presentation to city council that he had plans to overhaul the schedule. The effort was his priority for the upcoming fiscal year. Several sources with knowledge of the negotiations said the proposed changes made Balderrama unpopular with the rank-and-file members of the PFOA.

The current patrol schedule results in an excess of up to 50 cops assigned to work on Wednesdays, which is typically a lower crime day (Wednesdays are also used as training days for officers). Balderrama proposed a new hybrid platoon shift that would have distributed these officers across the week and during higher-need times, such as evenings and weekends, when there tends to be more calls for service.

In the interest of completing negotiations in a timely manner, the schedule was not part of this contract, said City Spokesperson Sontaya Rose. She also said that the contract with the police union is for one-year in light of budget considerations; contracts are typically three-year agreements.

Mayor Jerry Dyer said in a statement to The Bee that he is extremely proud of the violent crime decreases the city has experienced over the past three years. This is a testament to the hard work of our police officers, he said. This contract is reflective of our appreciation for their outstanding accomplishments and acknowledgment of the dangers they face daily. 

Long-term absences down

In 2021, around the time when Balderrama joined the department, there were over 100 officers on long-term absences, or about 1 out of every 7 officers, The Bee previously reported.

Investigating alleged workers compensation fraud in the department was one of his first initiatives as chief.

It was about three and a half years ago, right after I took office, and former Chief Balderrama arrived here at about the same time, he approached me about the long term absence issue, and we had discussions behind closed doors, and were very supportive and collaborative in attacking that issue, along with the council and administration, said Sgt. Brandon Wiemiller, president of the Fresno Police Officers Association, during the council meeting.

Today, there are 29 officers on long-term absence, which represents a 30% decline from last year, said Deputy Chief Burke Farrah during the council meeting.

City Manager Georgeanne White said that the previous contract with FPOA included new language that discontinued premium pay when an employee was absent for more than 45 days.

That provision was specifically negotiated in to help address the long-term absence list, she said.

But what the city and department found was that other factors, not the premium pay restriction language, were helping to reduce the number of long-term absences.

While that provision was a tool in our toolbox, it was not the tool that was used to reduce the LTA (long-term absence) list, she said.

White and Farrah said that aggressive attention to workers compensation claims helped reduce the long-term absences.

The police and personnel department helped ensure officers got to their appointments and medical care they needed to get back to work, Farrah said. If they couldnt come back to work, there was a process to remove them from duty or help facilitate medical retirements.

In response to further questions on the issue from Arias, White said shes open to bringing back the provision to remove premium pay after 45 days should long-term absences start trending up again.

Police staffing very good

Arias asked Farrah a series of questions around the patrol staffing levels.

He wanted to know why there is constant discussion that there arent enough officers to address petty crimes despite the departments being at its largest size with 860 sworn officers and 926 budgeted positions.

Farrah said that the department is still desperately understaffed when in comes to comparable populations in officers.

It isnt immediately clear what this comparison entails. However, Fresno has a relatively lower number of cops assigned to patrol compared to other police departments. According to a November 2022 U.S. Department of Justice analysis of local police departments nationwide, about 60%, or 6 in 10 full-time sworn officers, had a primary job responsibility within patrol as of 2020. Fresnos current dedicated patrol officers comprise about 38% of total sworn officers.

Lately staffing has been very good, Farrah said, and the department has been able to meet minimum staffing requirements. A couple times a week, however, the department has to call in officers for backup to meet minimum staffing levels, he said. These officers are paid overtime at time-and-a-half their regular pay.

Minimum staffing requirements for the five policing districts are:

7 officers per district on day shift

8 officers per district on graveyard shift

11 officers on swing shift

I get a report every morning that shows staffing levels, White said. They actually do a pretty good job of keeping it pretty level.
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56)  The Laurel County Sheriffs Office said 27-year-old Griffin Kitabayashi has been found safe.

Previous story:

The Laurel County Sheriffs Office is asking for help finding a man who has been reported missing since Thursday.

According to the sheriffs office, 27-year-old Griffin Kitabayashi was last seen on Thursday in the Park and Ride lot area in north London off U.S. 25.

 MISSING IN KENTUCKY

Authorities described Kitabayashi as 5 feet, 11 inches tall, and weighing about 145-160 pounds. He also has long shoulder length dark brown hair, with brown eyes.

Kitabayashi was reportedly last seen driving a silver 1998 Honda Civic in good condition, with a license plate that reads L1T756, according to authorities.

Kitabayashi may be heading toward Lexington, Somerset, or to Nashville, Tennessee. He was also described as having large tattoos on his forearms, one of them reportedly being of Saint Michael.

LATEST KENTUCKY NEWS:

A photo of 27-year old Griffin Kitabayashi wearing sunglasses. (Laurel County Sheriffs Office)

Kitabayashi wearing a hat. (Laurel County Sheriffs Office)

Kitabayashi has large tattoos on his forearms, according to authorities. (Laurel County Sheriffs Office)

Anyone with information that could help find Kitabayashi is asked to call the Laurel County Sheriffs Office at (606) 864-6600 or London 911 dispatch at (606) 878-7000.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 56 News.
A chaotic sceneand police interventionplayed out during Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Friday, just 75 miles from the town of Butler, where a would-be assassin shot at the former president last month, killing one rallygoer and injuring two others.

As Trump spoke onstage, a man in the audience attempted to enter the cordoned-off press pen, according to multiple reports and videos from the scene. The individual was able to breach a barrier of bicycle racks surrounding the pen, and was climbing a riser on which reporters and cameramen were stationed when he was tackled and subdued by security officers and law enforcement officials, who eventually tased him.

Law enforcement officers detain a rallygoer who tried to climb onto the press riser during a campaign event for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 30, 2024. Brian Snyder/Reuters

Video of the incident. Security in the press pen grabbed him first before he was taken down by law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/Xdw1CZ9dE0  Taurean Small (@taureansmall) August 30, 2024

The unnamed man was subsequently taken into custody, the Johnstown Police Department told the Daily Beast on Friday night, but has subsequently been released. No information concerning his identity or potential motive has yet been made public; speculation on social media has presented him as either an incensed Trump supporter or a radicalized counter-protester. Pick your poison!

(The Daily Beast has reached out to the Johnstown Police Department and the Cambria County Sheriffs Department for further comment.)

Harris-Walz Interview Ratings Nearly Double Trumps Last Big CNN Sit-Down

At the time of the incident, Trump was criticizing the media for its coverage of his campaign and the election more broadlyand, in particular, attacking CNNs recent interview with his opponent, Kamala Harris.

As the man was detained and removed from the rally, the former president quipped, Is there anywhere thats more fun to be than a Trump rally? per the Associated Press.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Polio vaccine campaign begins in Gaza a day before fighting is expected to pause

JERUSALEM (AP)  A campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio and prevent the spread of the virus has begun, the Health Ministry said Saturday, as Palestinians in the Hamas-governed enclave and the occupied West Bank reeled from Israel's military offensives.

Meanwhile, Israel's military late Saturday in a terse announcement said it had located a number of bodies during combat in Gaza. The army was trying to identify the bodies, including whether they were hostages, but said the process would take several hours. We ask to refrain from spreading rumors, it said. There were no further details.

A small number of children in Gaza received vaccine doses a day before the large-scale rollout and limited pauses in the fighting agreed to by Israel and the U.N. World Health Organization. Associated Press journalists saw about 10 children receiving doses at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis.

There must be a cease-fire so that the teams can reach everyone targeted by this campaign, said Dr. Yousef Abu Al-Rish, Gaza's deputy health minister, describing scenes of sewage running through crowded tent camps. Polio is spread through fecal matter.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office in a statement said Israel will allow a humanitarian corridor only and areas will be established that will be safe for administering the vaccines for a few hours.

Israel said the vaccination program would continue through Sept. 9 and last eight hours a day. It will allow health workers to administer vaccines with the aim of reaching some 640,000 Palestinian children.

The vaccination campaign comes after the first polio case in 25 years in Gaza was discovered this month. Doctors concluded a 10-month-old had been partially paralyzed by a mutated strain of the virus after not being vaccinated due to fighting. Most people who contract the disease do not experience symptoms, and those who do usually recover in a week or so. But there is no cure.

I was terrified and waiting for the vaccination to arrive and for everyone to receive it, said Amal Shaheen, whose daughter received a dose Saturday.

Healthcare workers in Gaza have warned of the potential for a polio outbreak for months. The territory's humanitarian crisis has deepened during the war that broke out after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250. Israels retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not say how many were militants.

The ministry said hospitals received 89 dead on Saturday, including 26 who died in an overnight Israeli bombardment, and 205 wounded  one of the highest daily tallies in months.

Meanwhile, parts of the West Bank remained on edge as Israel's military continued its large-scale military campaign, the deadliest since the Israel-Hamas war began.

Two car bombs exploded in Gush Etzion, a bloc of Israeli settlements. Israel's military killed both attackers after the explosions in a compound in Karmei Tzur and at a gas station, Israel's military said. The military later said a soldier died Saturday during operational activities in Jenin, without details, and another was severely injured.

Hamas did not claim the attackers as its fighters but called it a heroic operation." The militant group said earlier this month after a bombing in Tel Aviv it would continue such attacks.

Israel continued its large-scale raid  including destruction of infrastructure, airstrikes and gunbattles  into urban refugee camps in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarem, in the northern West Bank. Israel's incursion started Tuesday, causing alarm among the international community that the war might widen beyond Gaza.

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders in a statement said it was alarmed by the scale and intensity of Israel's incursion and asserted that Israeli forces have obstructed access to health facilities and blocked  and even targeted  ambulances.

Israel's military on Saturday said 23 militants had been killed since the incursion, including 14 in the Jenin area.

Some people fled Jenin. Holding a baby, Oroba al-Shalabi said Israeli gunfire had pelted her windows.

We began screaming that we had small children, but they (the Israeli soldiers) didnt respond at first. The more we screamed, the more they shot at the house, shattering the TV and the windows around us, she said.

The family cowered in their kitchen until soldiers entered, she said, separating women and children from the men and searching everyones phones before letting her flee.

Israel has described the West Bank operation as a strategy to prevent attacks on Israeli civilians, which have increased during the war in Gaza including near settlements that the international community largely considers illegal. The Palestinian Health Ministry noted a surge in Palestinian deaths by Israeli forces, with at least 663 in the West Bank since the war began.

In central Gaza, Israeli airstrikes hit a multi-story building housing displaced people in and around Nuseirat, a built-up refugee camp, in Khan Younis and in Gaza City, officials at area hospitals said. The Health Ministry announced a repeated attack on al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City. There were no immediate details, and the Israeli military didnt comment.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent months trying to mediate a cease-fire that would see the remaining hostages released. But the talks have repeatedly bogged down as Netanyahu has vowed total victory over Hamas and the militant group has demanded a lasting cease-fire and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.

Israelis gathered again Saturday night to rally against the government and urge a deal to bring remaining hostages home.

Why are they still in Gaza? the crowd chanted.

___

Magdy reported from Cairo and Metz from Rabat, Morocco. Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  Its no secret that in the midst of the upcoming election differing political opinions are tearing families and friendships apart. New statewide polling shows just how much this political divide is taking a toll on personal relationships In Michigan.

More than a quarter of those polled say political beliefs have ruined their relationships.

FILE  A bin of I Voted Today stickers rests on a table at a polling place, Sept. 13, 2022, in Stratham, N.H. A New Hampshire man who posted a fake Craigslist ad for a free trailer with a legislative candidates number on the day of the election has lost his right to vote in the state. Michael Drouin, 30, pleaded guilty Monday, April 24, 2023, to creating a false document after a flood of unwanted calls and texts jammed up the candidates cell phone. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Adam Witzel is a construction worker who lives in Perry.

Anything that might be seen a controversial or people who might have differing views its kinda been like were just gonna steer away from that, Witzel tells ^ News.

Hes one of the people who reported political debates have affected his relationships.

Witzel said hes cut back on politics to avoid hostility but he thinks its important to have these conversations.

If Im not having those conversations, I guess Im stuck in this little box, Witzel said.

Another man from Ingham County reported that when he started talking about Trump, he was cut off and blocked by many people close to him his friends, family and coworkers.

Many others werent willing to go on camera as they think talking about it will make things worse.

Some leaned Democrat and others Republican.

Bernie Porn is the president of EPIC-MRA that conducted the poll.

I am surprised that it was impacting Harris voters much more than Trump voters, Porn told 6 News.

He said even he is affected by this.

People are either staunchly pro-choice and others are pro-life you can get into some disagreements, Porn said. Ive had disagreements with my brothers over the abortion issue.

Witzel said he is not surprised by the amount of people who say politics may be getting too personal.

It sounds like theres a lot of us in the same boat and i think were ready to be a little more open minded. Maybe just start having those conversations in a different way.

The poll of 600 active and likely voters was conducted by Lansing based EPIC-MRA from August 23rd through August 26th.

It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
A participant holds up his voting card at the Free Democratic Party (FDP) federal party conference in Berlin. Poll shows German coalition party FDP would fail to enter parliament. Hannes P Albert/dpa

The junior coalition partner in the German government, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), would not make it into the parliament, or Bundestag, if nationwide elections were held now instead of next year, a poll released on Saturday showed.

The party of Finance Minister Christian Lindner dropped by one percentage point to 4%, an INSA survey on behalf of the Bild newspaper showed.

The survey took place from Monday to Friday, following the suspected Islamist knife attack that killed three in Solingen.

Parties need a minimum of 5% to receive representation in the Bundestag. Voters don't go to the polls for a federal election until September 2025.

The only time the FDP has not had Bundestag representation was from 2013 to 2017.

The survey also showed that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) improved by one point to achieve 19% backing compared to the previous week's survey.

The AfD is currently leading in the polls for Sunday's state parliament election in Thuringia and is very close to the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in the Saxony vote on the same day.

The survey about the federal vote showed support unchanged for other parties, with the CDU at 31%, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) 16%, Greens 11% and the upstart populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) at 9%. The hard-left Die Linke (The Left) party obtained 3%.

The maximum margin of error for the poll of 1,202 respondents was 2.9 points, meaning the results could deviate by this much, its authors said.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A lawsuit filed in August alleges that a local restaurant has been misleading customers into believing it is affiliated with a Las Vegas valley-favorite brand, mimicking its brand trademarks and history.

Lindo Michoacan Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Divina Brands, LLC, alleging that its Michoacan Mexican restaurant in Centennial Center in northwest Las Vegas uses the former companys registered trademarks and similar branding elements without authorization.

The lawsuit said that Divina Brands misleads customers with information printed on its menu, website, and social media, reflecting the history and origin of Lindo Michoacan in an alleged attempt to imply a false endorsement from Javier Barajas. Barajas is the owner and chef of the Lindo Michoacan family of restaurants.

Lindo Michoacan restaurants have received numerous awards, accolades, and favorable media attention since opening its doors, the lawsuit said, adding that the restaurants are routinely ranked among the best restaurants in Las Vegas.

According to the lawsuit, the corporation seeks compensation for damages, profits made by Divina Brands, and legal fees. Additionally, the lawsuit states the corporation seeks a court order forcing the company to stop using names and logos similar to Lindo Michoacans.

Recently, Lindo Michoacan opened its latest restaurant inside Palace Station, near the Las Vegas Strip. The local favorite started with just 12 tables at its first location off Desert Inn Road and Eastern Avenue. There are four Barajas-owned Lindo Michoacan restaurants in Las Vegas alongside Il Toro E La Capra, a Mexican and Italian food fusion restaurant he created, and Viva Zapatas in North Las Vegas, which Barajas brother owns. Bonito Michoacan is also a Barajas family-owned restaurant.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Just after dawn on a recent spring morning, police dressed in tactical gear and armed with a search warrant pounded on the front door of an upscale home in a quiet suburban neighborhood an hour outside San Francisco.

When no one answered, the officers with Californias Department of Cannabis Control, which polices the legal sale of marijuana in the state, took a battering ram to the steel-reinforced door. When the door didnt budge, they used a power saw to cut their way through a fortified back entrance and into the spacious five-bedroom property.

Inside, investigators found precisely what they were looking for: evidence of yet another black-market marijuana operation hidden in plain sight amid the cookie-cutter homes of suburbia.

They removed 80 pounds of weed from the pricey two-story home in Antioch, California. With curious neighbors looking on, they repeated the spectacle twice more on the same block that morning in late April. The raids filled a dump truck with about $1 million worth of illicit weed cultivated by unlicensed growers. Although cars were parked in the driveways, no people were found in any of the homes and no arrests were made.

Among Californias marijuana cops at Cannabis Control, Antioch has developed a reputation as a hub for high-yield, covert indoor grow operations. They have raided at least 60 alleged grow houses in the city over the past two years and suspect well over 100 more remain in operation.

But thats not all. Investigators say the illegal pot production in Antioch provides a glimpse of a hidden world  one that mirrors a trend playing out not only in California, but in states such as Oklahoma, Oregon, New Mexico and Maine: groups of people with apparent ties to foreign countries  most notably China  producing weed in colossal volumes.

A CNN investigation has found that, in this unassuming city of 115,000, the minimal consequences and hefty rewards for producing illicit marijuana in huge volumes has led to a whack-a-mole pattern of enforcement and a brazenness on the part of participants  all while neighbors look on in dismay.

The unlicensed operations, which can cause house fires and mold, often leave homes in a severely damaged state. Properties deemed uninhabitable by the city after raids are sometimes quickly rehabbed and sold for much more than the prior sale. Throughout, operatives in the schemes are seldom held accountable.

The dynamic in Antioch is a microcosm of greater California, where lax laws on black-market weed are doing little to change the states status as a gargantuan producer of it.

The Golden State, whose cannabis enjoys a global reputation similar to that of Napa Valley wines, produces about 40% of the nations weed  the vast majority of it by unlicensed growers, according to Beau Whitney, an economist who specializes in the cannabis industry. The runner-up state  Oregon  produces less than a fifth of Californias output, he said.

This means California is fueling a massive underground economy, as three-quarters of the US marijuana market is illegal, Whitney said.

Law enforcement officials  including former DEA leaders and FBI director Christopher Wray  attribute much of the activity nationwide to Chinese organized crime.

In Antioch, the operations bear the hallmarks of the Chinese criminal syndicate, said Bill Jones, chief of law enforcement at the California Department of Cannabis Control. He added that criminal networks made up of Chinese nationals have become the dominant presence in the states illegal cannabis trade over the past five years, eclipsing Mexican cartels.

Law enforcement officials said theyve seen evidence that the activity in Antioch amounts to organized crime, citing the sophistication of the operations and apparent coordination of some of the people involved. But they declined to elaborate, citing ongoing investigations.

A review of search warrant affidavits, online property records and interviews with neighbors of some of the raided homes showed that the vast majority were owned or occupied by people with Chinese names, in a city where Asians make up about 15% of the population.

The home that Cannabis Control agents had to power-saw their way into belongs to Samson Liu, a police officer in nearby Oakland, California, CNN found. Cannabis Control declined to say whether Liu lived in the home or had tenants, citing an ongoing investigation.

Lius home not only contained what police said was 80 pounds of illegal marijuana trimmings stashed away in piles of garbage bags, officials said it was also extensively modified for the sole purpose of cultivation: The doors were fortified; the windows were boarded up. A heavy-duty generator sat in the laundry room to maximize power. Silver industrial air ducts snaked in and out of rooms for ventilation.

Almost every US state  even the most liberal  and the federal government considers the cultivation and/or sale of unlicensed marijuana a serious crime that carries felony-level fines and prison time, according to a CNN analysis of data from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

But in California, the feds in recent years have largely taken a hands-off approach to marijuana, officials say. And under state law, any amount of illegal weed  save a few exceptions, such as the culprit being a registered sex offender or selling it to a child  is a misdemeanor offense.

As for the house owned by Liu, Cannabis Control agents have referred the matter to the internal affairs division of the Oakland Police Department, but have made no arrests in connection with the contraband.

CNNs efforts to reach Liu by phone, email and a visit to his home were unsuccessful. The Oakland Police Department told CNN it is cooperating with outside law-enforcement agencies and investigating the case as a personnel matter; Liu was placed on administrative leave the day of the raid in late April.

Despite the large loads of marijuana and cash taken during roughly 60 raids in Antioch since 2022, only two people associated with the busts in that city have been arrested and charged; both were given misdemeanors, according to records provided by Cannabis Control.

Although the state routinely seizes cash from the raided homes, it does not seize the homes themselves. Of the 60 raided homes in Antioch, about half were fixed up and sold by the original owner  often for a significantly higher amount than the prior sale  after the busts, CNN found.

CNN identified one real estate agent who has had a hand in selling four residential homes raided by authorities in Antioch. A review of online property records shows that she herself owns one of those homes, from which $937,000 worth of illicit cannabis was seized during a raid in December.

This summer, the agent listed another Antioch home for sale, less than three months after it was raided and deemed uninhabitable by the city due to issues related to its past use as an illegal grow house.

In a brief interview with CNN, the agent brushed aside questions about her involvement with properties associated with marijuana cultivation.

BEFORE: A bathroom inside a marijuana grow house. - California Department of Cannabis Control

AFTER: The same bathroom after the home was renovated and listed on the market. - From online listing

We pay the fine, the real estate agent said, without elaborating. There is no problem.

The real estate agents attorney, Darius Chan, said his client is not involved in any illegal operation involving marijuana.

Chan acknowledged that his client owns a home that was used for illegal marijuana cultivation, but said she leased the house to a tenant who used it as a grow house. As for her role in real estate transactions involving suspected illicit marijuana operations, Chan said his client learned only afterwards that the properties had been converted to grow houses. He added that such conversions were a persistent issue in the area.

It is not fair to tie a few houses to her or to tie her to the illegal cannabis operation, the lawyer said. Shes a victim of circumstance.

People are smoking pesticides

California, despite its legalization of recreational marijuana in 2016, remains a haven for unlicensed black-market entrepreneurs, officials say.

Illegal operators ignore the rules and fees of Californias highly regulated system under which marijuana can be legally produced and sold. They also skirt taxes and can thus undercut the prices of the legal market, which in California is struggling  in part because of the surplus flowing from the black market.

All the while, the rogue entrepreneurs enjoy the protection of doing business in a state where a voter-approved legalization law has a clause that effectively eliminates felony prosecutions when it comes to marijuana. In almost every other state  including Washington and Colorado, the first two to legalize recreational marijuana  high-volume producers and/or distributors of illegal weed face felony charges, according to CNNs review of state laws.

In California, You can have seven plants or 70,000 plants and it still is that same misdemeanor violation, said Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue, whose sprawling northern California district is notorious for outdoor illegal marijuana cultivation. Its actually just a joke.

Shannon Dicus, the sheriff of San Bernardino County in Southern California, said the states weak law creates an environment in which black-market growers have lots to gain and little to lose.

Its risk versus reward, Dicus said. Very small risk, very high reward.

Unlicensed operators ship their in-demand California product to locations across the United States, including the East Coast, where its harder to grow outdoors in colder seasons.

Meanwhile, the illicit farming of marijuana is associated with a wide array of problems. It can be a magnet for violent crime, such as armed robbery.

The grow houses are typically left in degraded condition due to the excessive amounts of power and water needed to produce the crop, which often requires makeshift electrical wiring and leaves walls covered in mold. Workers who tend to the plants are sometimes exploited or even trafficked, Cannabis Control officials said.

Mold growing on the wall and ceiling inside a marijuana grow house. - California Department of Cannabis Control

One little-recognized problem, police say, is that untested weed from illegal growers sometimes finds its way into legal dispensaries where customers dont realize what theyre buying.

People are smoking pesticides, said Kevin McInerney, a commander with the Department of Cannabis Control.

Two recent cases filed in federal court in California offer a rare glimpse into how the more organized rings of grow houses can operate.

In one, federal authorities in 2018 alleged that about 100 homes in Greater Sacramento had been purchased by Chinese nationals and converted to weed-cultivation centers.

The investigation led to money-laundering and marijuana-manufacturing charges against four co-conspirators, including a real estate broker whose office was located in a strip mall.

The down payments for the homes were financed by wire transfers from China.

In the other federal case, a real estate agent used millions of dollars from Chinese investors to purchase nine homes in San Bernardino County that were converted into illegal marijuana cultivation sites.

The agent faced life in prison, but after pleading guilty in 2020 to conspiracy to possess, manufacture and distribute at least 1,000 marijuana plants, he ultimately was sentenced to six months.

In a letter to the judge, the real estate agent said he was lured into the scheme based on a promise to share in the profits and an assurance that marijuana cultivation was only a misdemeanor.

An emptied marijuana grow room. - California Department of Cannabis Control

Some politicians and law enforcement officials in the US have gone so far as to theorize that the Chinese government may have a hand in the illicit cannabis grow house operations  or at a minimum are monitoring them. For instance, two members of Maines Congressional delegation  an Independent and a moderate Democrat  issued a joint press release in February expressing concern about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) affiliated marijuana cultivation operations in their state and across the nation.

But Wray, the FBI director, said at a public hearing earlier this year that while his agency is starting to see more ties between a lot of these growing operations and Chinese organized crime, it hasnt yet found any direct links between the marijuana farms and the Chinese government.

You have to steal electricity

CNN interviewed four Mandarin-speaking Chinese nationals who said they worked in the illegal marijuana trade.

One of the men, who asked that he not be named due to his immigration status and fear for his safety, said he crossed the Mexican border about a year ago and found work in the underground cannabis market through a Los Angeles-area employment agency geared toward recent Chinese immigrants.

The man, who spoke with a Mandarin-speaking CNN producer in a series of telephone interviews, said he first spent seven months working for a friend who runs several unlicensed outdoor greenhouses near Fresno, California.

The man said he then moved to the San Diego area, where he helped to produce between 40 and 50 pounds of marijuana a month from inside a home.

You have to steal electricity, he told CNN. If you dont steal electricity, the monthly electricity bill will be over $10,000.

He said the drug sells for $1,000 a pound and is picked up by Chinese buyers who show up at the door. He doesnt know where it goes from there.

Details of the mans account could not be independently verified, but he did provide photos of large bags of marijuana he said were produced as part of the operation.

Photo provided by Chinese national depicting marijuana that he said he helped cultivate. - Obtained by CNN

The other three men who spoke with CNN shared similar accounts.

Vanda Felbab-Brown, an expert on transnational crime and nontraditional security threats at the Brookings Institute, said the trafficking of Chinese migrants  many of whom end up cultivating illegal marijuana  appears to be organized by a combination of  Chinese criminal networks and Mexican criminal groups.

Its something she believes the US government needs to be paying closer attention to.

We have been prioritizing China military decision-making, but Chinese organized crime and organized crime more broadly has not been a high priority in intelligence collection, she said. That needs to change.

Marijuana houses sold at elevated prices

In Antioch and other nearby cities in recent years, investigators with Cannabis Control began receiving a steady flow of anonymous tips and complaints from neighbors.

As they began to investigate, one tell-tale sign of cultivation was off-the-charts usage of power.

There was one neighbor, she got her PG&E (utility) bill and it was for $40,000, said Jones of Cannabis Control. And shes like, Whoa.

The bill, it turned out, had landed in the wrong mailbox: It belonged to a grow house across the street.

In one raid this spring, authorities found about $1 million worth of illegal weed in a spacious five-bedroom home on Shell Ridge Way.

City records obtained by CNN show that an inspector deemed the house uninhabitable on the day of the raid in March, citing a fire hazard and a lot of chemicals that he believed were ending up in the houses drainage system. The inspector came back less than a month later and removed the designation.

By June it was back on the market, described as a dream home listed for $889,000  nearly $200,000 more than it sold for in 2020.

BEFORE: A living room space used to store marijuana plants. - California Department of Cannabis Control

AFTER: The same living room after the home was renovated and listed on the market - CNN

McInerney of Cannabis Control said untangling what he suspects are the complex networks behind illegal grow houses will require not only more resources, but also a fundamental culture change at his own agency  one he is pushing to achieve.

The idea, he said, is to supplement the current narcotics-investigation approach of surveilling suspicious characters and banging down doors  the fun stuff, as he said  with another dimension: the duller white-collar work of delving into paperwork.

Thats where we can get the people that are making the money, McInerney said. But were swimming upstream.

Regardless of whether organized crime is at play, the phenomenon strikes some Antioch residents as not only strange, but frustrating.

Bill Tillson, who lives on the same block where three homes were raided this spring  including that of the Oakland police officer  told CNN that hed since seen people associated with the homes cleaning the properties, removing marijuana-growing equipment and putting one of the houses up for sale, price tag: $900,000. The whole dynamic struck him as unfair.

Its like, yeah, well buy these houses, well use them as a grow house  its a misdemeanor. No big deal, Tillson said.

Where are the higher-up people, the politicians? he asked. I mean, theyre letting them get away with this?

CNNs Anna-Maja Rappard and Majlie de Puy Kamp contributed to this report.

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Power returns to most of Venezuela after Friday's blackout

CARACAS (Reuters) -Electricity returned to Caracas and other parts of Venezuela on Saturday after a blackout plunged much of the country into darkness on Friday, although Reuters witnesses reported continued intermittent outages in the oil-producing state of Zulia.

Venezuela's government blamed the massive blackout that crippled the South American country on an "attack" on the country's largest dam, Guri, without providing additional details.

"The first thing I thought was that the food was going to spoil, and it was so expensive to buy, said Jose Rincon, a teacher who lives in the central city of Valencia. "When you think everything is bad, it seems like it just gets worse."

Reyner Acosta, a 62-year-old retiree in Maracaibo, the capital of Zulia, said the electricity came back early Saturday morning, only to cut off once again.

"We were struggling because the electricity came and went," he said while shopping at a market to replenish food that had gone bad while the power was out.

On Saturday, the Jose oil terminal, the largest in the country, resumed operations that had been interrupted by the blackout, according to an industry source.

About 70% of Venezuela's oil exports are handled through the terminal, which does not have its own energy system.

A key oil upgrader that produces exportable crude, Petropiar, also resumed operations on Saturday, according to two company sources.

Experts say the blackouts that have plagued Venezuela for years are due to lack of maintenance and disinvestment from the electrical system.

In 2019, a series of nationwide power outages hit Venezuela and lasted days. At the time, Venezuelan authorities also attributed the blackouts to attacks by the opposition.

(Reporting by Mayela Armas in Caracas, Mircely Guanipa in Maracay, Tibisay Romero in Valencia, Mariela Nava in Maracaibo, Maria Ramirez in Puerto Ordaz and Tathiana Ortiz in San Cristobal; Writing by Laura Gottesdiener; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  A controversial change to Arkansas voting registration law has been put on hold by a federal judge.

The ruling was the result of a lawsuit filed in the Western District of Arkansas stemming from an emergency rule from the state board of election commissioners to not allow electronic signatures in voter registration applications.

Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners does away with electronic signatures for voter registration; Group says decision will enhance voter suppression

The suit filed by Get Loud Arkansas claimed this rule change violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act, though the board director argued that the reasoning for the rule was to provide more clarity to county clerks and potential voters with a sweeping rule that stays consistent across the state.

Attorney for Get Loud Arkansas Peter Shults and the groups executive director Kristin Foster said this ruling comes at an important time as the deadline to register to vote approaches.

With the deadline of October 7th approaching to register for this upcoming election, this was very important to have this really timely order in place so we could start moving forward, Foster said.

The rule that you need a wet signature or a signature by hand on paper, the defendants can no longer enforce that rule that they have made, Shults said, explaining the ruling.

Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners moves forward with new voter registration rule, opens public comment

KARK 4 News reached out to Secretary of State John Thurstons office, who is named in this lawsuit, though theyre not providing comment at this time.

Shults added that this preliminary injunction will stay in place until the merits of this case are officially decided. The judge is expected to issue a formal opinion within the next ten days.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
The Governments VAT raid on private schools risks costing the taxpayer up to 1.8 billion, a report has found.

Private schools will be forced to pay 20 per cent VAT and business rates from Jan 1, with the independent sector expected to raise fees as a result. Last week, Eton College said it would join the schools passing on the cost to parents in full.

A family would need 340,000 of disposable income to pay the average annual school fees of 17,000 for two children over 10 years.

But those who can no longer afford to go private as a result of the tax raid will experience big wealth gains, and related research suggests this would make people reconsider how much they need to work.

At least some of the parents unable to afford the higher costs are likely to work less, retire early or even quit working immediately, according to analysis by the Adam Smith Institute.

Last week, Eton College said it would join the schools passing on the cost to parents in full - travellinglight/Alamy Stock Photo

The free market think tank looked at what would happen if two-fifths of money these parents earn or the hours they work specifically to cover school fees was instead taken as leisure.

It found it could cost the Treasury between 360 million and 1.81 billion, depending on how many pupils migrate to the state sector.

The study has been published as Ipsos polling for The Telegraph shows that while the public broadly supports the Governments plan to hit school fees with 20 per cent tax from January, young people are less convinced.

The survey of more than 2,000 British adults found that 50 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds support the move. A further 21 per cent oppose it, while just under a quarter said they had no strong feelings.

It means the Governments flagship education policy loses support the closer people are to their school days, with 56 per cent of 35 to 54-year-olds saying they back the policy and 57 per cent of over-55s doing so.

The plans have also become less popular over the past few months. The latest survey, conducted between Aug 23 and 27, found 55 per cent of people across all groups support the tax raid, while 19 per cent oppose it.

Support has also declined among Labour voters, down from 78 per cent last year to 72 per cent now. Meanwhile, anger over the policy has risen, with eight per cent of Labour voters saying they opposed it last year, compared with 11 per cent this year.

The Government has based the policy on an assumption that between three and seven per cent of private school pupils will move to the state sector as a result of it.

But the Adam Smith Institute has claimed that this is based on flawed assumptions, and suggested the policy could have a net cost to the taxpayer if more than 15 per cent of children leave private schools.

Damian Hinds, the Shadow Education Secretary, said: The consequences of Labours ill thought-through attack on education will be disastrous.

This unprecedented move, coming in the middle of the school year, will cause untold disruption for parents, teachers and pupils in state and independent sectors  and yet Labour are still ploughing ahead. We will not know the full impact of this until it is too late. We will hold them to account for this.

The Government has insisted ending private school tax breaks will not have a significant impact on the state sector.

It does not expect pupils to move midway through the academic year, with sources saying schools and parents still have almost six months to prepare for the changes.

But critics have warned that state schools will be unable to cope with demand and pointed to the fact that a handful of private schools have already started to close their doors.

A Government spokesman said: We want to ensure all children have the best chance in life to succeed. Ending tax breaks on private schools will help to raise the revenue needed to fund our education priorities for next year, such as recruiting 6,500 new teachers.

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Hundreds of people were participating in a protest action against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Saturday in the city of Erfurt, capital of the state of Thuringia, the day before the election to the regional parliament there.

A demonstration march, called for by the alliance "Auf die Platze" (On Your Marks), was moving through the city centre to the main Cathedral Square, or Domplatz, where the AfD - which is riding high in the opinion polls - plans to hold its rally to mark the end of the election campaign.

Alongside local firebrand AfD member and top candidate Bjorn Hocke, the party's federal chairwoman Alice Weidel is also expected to attend.

A new state parliament is due to be elected in Thuringia on Sunday following a heated election campaign.

"We will not allow the AfD to dominate the election weekend with their extreme right-wing agitation, intimidate people and misuse our city as a stage for their propaganda," stated the alliance.

Already a week ago, thousands had taken to the streets in Erfurt to protest right-wing extremism and a shift to the right in politics.

The latest election polls in Thuringia have shown little movement in the values of the individual parties: The AfD was ahead with values between 29% and 30%, followed with a significant gap by the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the new populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance BSW, and the hard-left Die Linke (The Left).

A total of 1.66 million Thuringians are eligible to vote in the state election on Sunday.
Alice Weidel (L), AfD national spokesperson, and Bjoern Hoecke, AfD lead candidate in Thuringia, take part in an AfD demonstration at the end of the election campaign on Cathedral Square. Martin Schutt/dpa

Some 3,000 people took part in a protest action against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Saturday in the city of Erfurt, capital of the state of Thuringia, the day before the election to the regional parliament there.

A demonstration march, called for by the alliance "Auf die Platze" (On Your Marks), made its way through the city centre to the main Cathedral Square, or Domplatz, where the AfD - which is riding high in the opinion polls - held its rally to mark the end of the election campaign.

The AfD attracted some 1,300 supporters, municipal officials told dpa. Alongside local firebrand AfD member and top candidate Bjorn Hocke, the party's federal chairwoman Alice Weidel was also on hand.

In end, the AfD and the "On Your Marks" rallies were about 100 metres apart in Erfurt's city centre.

The police were out in force to keep the two camps apart.

Local police had drafted in support from officers from the states of Hesse, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a spokesman said.

No notable incidents were reported during either gathering.

Weidel says AfD could make history

A new state parliament is due to be elected in Thuringia on Sunday following a heated election campaign.

Weidel told the demonstrators, who made themselves heard with whistles and chants, that the AfD would "ban Antifa as a terrorist organization" if it came into government.

On Sunday, the AfD could make history in Thuringia and neighbouring Saxony and in a few weeks in Brandenburg if it wins the election, said Weidel. All three states were part of the former East Germany.

"Let's turn the east blue so that everyone experiences a blue miracle," she said, referring to the traditional colour of her party. In German "a blue miracle' is a term for a nasty surprise, or the shock of one's life.

AfD supporters repeatedly chanted "East, East, East Germany," but also "deport, deport." Hocke accused the other parties of having "lost the people." The AfD could "write history" on Sunday, he asserted.

Counterdemonstrators chant "Nazisout"

The counterdemonstrators shouted "Nazis out" or "Hocke out." According to the police, several participants in that rally were wearing masks. This was in breach of the Assembly Act. Some of those affected removed their masks after the police spoke to them.

"We will not allow the AfD to dominate the election weekend with their extreme right-wing agitation, intimidate people and misuse our city as a stage for their propaganda," stated the alliance.

Already a week ago, thousands had taken to the streets in Erfurt to protest right-wing extremism and a shift to the right in politics.

The latest election polls in Thuringia have shown little movement in the values of the individual parties: The AfD was ahead with values between 29% and 30%, followed with a significant gap by the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the new populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), and the hard-left Die Linke (The Left).

A total of 1.66 million Thuringians are eligible to vote in the state election on Sunday.

A person holds a placard reading "CSD instead of AFD" at Christopher Street Day (CSD). Carmen Jaspersen/dpa
Some 3,000 people took part in a protest action against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Saturday in the city of Erfurt, capital of the state of Thuringia, the day before the election to the regional parliament there.

A demonstration march, called for by the alliance "Auf die Platze" (On Your Marks), made its way through the city centre to the main Cathedral Square, or Domplatz, where the AfD - which is riding high in the opinion polls - held its rally to mark the end of the election campaign.

The AfD attracted some 1,300 supporters, municipal officials told dpa. Alongside local firebrand AfD member and top candidate Bjorn Hocke, the party's federal chairwoman Alice Weidel was also on hand.

In end, the AfD and the "On Your Marks" rallies were about 100 metres apart in Erfurt's city centre.

The police were out in force to keep the two camps apart.

Local police had drafted in support from officers from the states of Hesse, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a spokesman said.

No notable incidents were reported during either gathering.

Weidel says AfD could make history

A new state parliament is due to be elected in Thuringia on Sunday following a heated election campaign.

Weidel told the demonstrators, who made themselves heard with whistles and chants, that the AfD would "ban Antifa as a terrorist organization" if it came into government.

On Sunday, the AfD could make history in Thuringia and neighbouring Saxony and in a few weeks in Brandenburg if it wins the election, said Weidel. All three states were part of the former East Germany.

"Let's turn the east blue so that everyone experiences a blue miracle," she said, referring to the traditional colour of her party. In German "a blue miracle' is a term for a nasty surprise, or the shock of one's life.

AfD supporters repeatedly chanted "East, East, East Germany," but also "deport, deport." Hocke accused the other parties of having "lost the people." The AfD could "write history" on Sunday, he asserted.

Counterdemonstrators chant "Nazisout"

The counterdemonstrators shouted "Nazis out" or "Hocke out." According to the police, several participants in that rally were wearing masks. This was in breach of the Assembly Act. Some of those affected removed their masks after the police spoke to them.

"We will not allow the AfD to dominate the election weekend with their extreme right-wing agitation, intimidate people and misuse our city as a stage for their propaganda," stated the alliance.

Already a week ago, thousands had taken to the streets in Erfurt to protest right-wing extremism and a shift to the right in politics.

Important role for newcomer BSW

The newcomer Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), formed only at the beginning of the year, could play a decisive role in coalition formation.

In Thuringia, according to polls, only an unprecedented coalition of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the BSW and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) would have a politically feasible majority.

Such a coalition, however, could be tricky: Wagenknecht was once a member of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) in the former East Germany and later considered an icon of the communist platform within the hard-left party in the reunified Germany, Die Linke (The Left), which makes many CDU politicians uneasy.

The current SPD-Die Linke-Green minority government of Thuringian Premier Bodo Ramelow, also of Die Linke, is unlikely to achieve a majority according to polls.

SPD leader Saskia Esken lamented the strong performance of parties like the AfD and BSW in the polls. She told the Augsburger Allgemeine local newspaper: "That is shocking and astonishing, especially with regard to the BSW. People cannot possibly know what is in store for them and apparently are ready to buy a pig in a poke."

BSW could also influence government formation in Saxony. However, a new edition of the current coalition of Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) with the Greens and SPD is conceivable here. Other parties could also be added. The CDU, unlike with Die Linke, does not currently rule out a coalition with BSW.

Die Linke attempted to mobilize support once more with a rally in the city of Gera on Saturday. In addition to Premier Ramelow, the outgoing co-chairman, Martin Schirdewan, and prominent politician and former leading light Gregor Gysi participated.

In Dresden, the state capital of neighbouring Saxony, several thousand people demonstrated the day before the state elections for solidarity, diversity, and democracy. More than 70 associations, collectives, and groups had called for the major demonstration.

Opinion polls

The latest election polls in Thuringia have shown little movement in the values of the individual parties: The AfD was ahead with values between 29% and 30%, followed with a significant gap by the CDU, the BSW and Die Linke.

A total of 1.66 million Thuringians are eligible to vote in the state election on Sunday.

In Saxony, recent polls signalled a neck-and-neck race between the CDU and AfD, with the latest Politbarometer poll by public broadcaster ZDF seeing the CDU ahead with 33%. The AfD could achieve 30-31%.

However, a survey by INSA a few days earlier saw the AfD slightly ahead of the CDU in Saxony. Following them is the BSW with 12 to 15%. The SPD would be represented in the state parliament again with 6 to 7%, and the Greens with 6%, although dangerously close to the 5% threshold. Die Linke will face the prospect of not making it into the parliament, polling at just 4%.

With a population of just over 4 million, some 3.3 million people in Saxony are eligible to vote.

Hot-button issues

The election campaign has been heated. One contentious issue was the Russian war against Ukraine and Germany's role as Kiev's ally and within NATO.

The debate on asylum and migration was further intensified by the allegedly Islamist knife attack in Solingen by a Syrian suspect who is believed to have evaded a deportation order. In recent months, there have also been several attacks on politicians and election workers.
Stephen Loyd chairs Tennessees Opioid Abatement Council, which oversees millions in opioid settlement cash. The council regularly allows public attendance and comment at its meetings. This is the population were there to serve, Loyd says. They have to have a voice in this process.(Aneri PattaniI/KFF Health News)

The conversation wasnt sounding good for Kensington residents on June 20.

The Philadelphia neighborhood is a critical center of the nations opioid crisis, and the city had decided to spend $7.5 million in opioid settlement money to improve the quality of life there. But on that day, a Pennsylvania oversight board was about to vote on whether to reject the citys decision.

It was a thorny issue with major implications  both for Kensington residents and people across the state, as the decision could set a precedent for what kind of spending the board would allow for years to come.

But a lot of people were shut out of the discussion.

Pennsylvanias board doesnt allow members of the public to speak at its meetings, a rule that sets it apart from about two dozen similar opioid councils nationwide.

Its another moment where folks not connected to this community are making decisions for this community, and I think thats inappropriate, said Bill McKinney, a Kensington resident whose nonprofit is involved in some of the citys settlement-funded initiatives. Those that are sort of most affected are not at the table.

Its one example of how the public, including people who have lost loved ones to the opioid crisis or are dealing with it daily, are routinely shut out of having a meaningful say in how this windfall can be best used to address the damage. They are eager to suggest solutions for dollars that many of them consider blood money. But a first-of-its-kind survey conducted by KFF Health News and Spotlight PA found that, in many places, their voices are systematically dismissed.

In at least 39 states and Washington, D.C., councils consisting of government officials, clinicians, law enforcement officers, and others guide decisions about how to spend settlement dollars. These powerful groups are influencing addiction policy and funding at a time when more than 100,000 Americans are dying of overdoses annually.

At least 14 of these councils  including Pennsylvanias  routinely block members of the public from speaking at their meetings. Four of those typically conduct their meetings in secret, barring the public from even attending or observing.

The survey also found:

The majority of councils do not make video recordings of their meetings readily available online for those who cannot attend live. Although some councils said recordings can be accessed through public records requests, at least one  Minnesotas Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council  deletes its recordings after using them to create meeting minutes. (Minnesota law does not require the council to record its open meetings or post recordings online.)

At least five states have used committees or work groups that meet in private, or have a policy for allowing such private meetings. In Pennsylvania, such work groups have become a point of contention, with victims, advocates, and even one member of the council questioning their legality. (The Pennsylvania Opioid Misuse and Addiction Abatement Trusts administrative director said the work groups meetings are not required to be public. They make recommendations that the full council decides on.)

Practices that close the public out of settlement spending discussions are unconscionable, said Stephen Loyd, chair of Tennessees Opioid Abatement Council, which regularly allows public attendance and comment at its meetings. This is the population were there to serve. They have to have a voice in this process.

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Different stances on public comment

People directly affected by the issue are a staple of the Tennessee councils meetings. This year, commenters have included several parents holding photos of their deceased children and choking back tears, and at least one frustrated community member.

At the June meeting in Memphis, Peter Hossler, an associate professor at Rhodes College, said he was very angry about how the councils recent grant awards of $81 million seemed to shortchange the western part of the state.

Loyd called such critique invaluable, comparing it to the feedback he received from loved ones during his recovery journey.

We have to be held accountable, he told KFF Health News and Spotlight PA. And then we have to fix it. Hosslers comments are changing the councils conversation about its next round of grants, Loyd added.

Loyd believes people who have been failed by the current system know what needs to be improved better than anybody.

I want to talk to the people who had medication stopped in jail and laid there and withdrew, he said. I want to talk to the people who got out of jail with no money, a couple of felonies hanging over their heads, three meetings they had to make that week or they're going to be in violation of their probation, and they ain't got a car or driver's license.

States cited a variety of reasons for limiting public involvement. In some, state law does not require councils to take public comment at meetings. Several officials said theyve sought feedback in other ways. An official in New Jersey said its council held public listening sessions, but that its monthly meetings are not public.

Some officials may worry that public comment would add to meetings that already run multiple hours, but several states manage that by limiting each persons comment to a few minutes.

For communities of color, being shut out of opioid settlement discussions can compound the negative effects not just from todays overdose crisis but from the earlier crack cocaine epidemic. Many people considered the governments response at that time to be ineffective and harmful.

If settlement money is used only to build on what's already in place, you've already failed, said Philip Rutherford, an expert on substance use disorder at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

At a July 2023 meeting of Illinois settlement council, Fanya Burford-Berry said the current system doesnt work for women of color with substance use disorder  they can risk losing custody of their children. Burford-Berry, director of the West Side Heroin/Opioid Task Force in Chicago, hopes comments like hers will prompt the council to support solutions tailored to women of color, including bringing together more organizations that already work in those communities.

When you allow more people to be involved, and then they have an idea, and they get excited about it, then they get more people involved and the circle of healing can become larger, she said.

Fanya Burford-Berry is director of the West Side Heroin/Opioid Task Force in Chicago, which regularly conducts street outreach and distributes naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. (Leonardo Zanders)

A retraumatizing moment

In Pennsylvania, the states 13-member opioid settlement board has the power to withhold future funding if it decides local governments spent their money inappropriately. At its June meeting, the board  which includes a state senator representing part of Kensington  voted to disapprove of Philadelphias use of $7.5 million for park improvements, home repairs, rent relief, and other initiatives in Kensington. (Philadelphia later appealed the rejection; the issue is pending.)

McKinney, the Kensington resident and executive director of the New Kensington Community Development Corporation, called the boards decision a retraumatizing moment for residents and criticized the way they were silenced.

I think its unfortunate that things were chosen to be done that way, McKinney said.

Others have also been frustrated by Pennsylvanias settlement council.

Gail Groves Scott, a public health policy advocate who has a child in sustained recovery from an opioid use disorder, attended a board meeting in person last year. Not allowing the public to comment at meetings, she said, prevents them from offering feedback at critical times, such as when the board is considering county spending plans or contracts for its operations.

We could be questioning those decisions or adding information they may not be aware of, Groves Scott said. Its disappointing that, despite pushback from multiple people, they have not changed.

Some advocates say the closed sessions of work groups, which make recommendations about which programs to approve, obscure why the full board takes certain action.

Pennsylvania trust officials have defended their practices.

Briana Anderson, the trusts administrative director, downplayed the groups role, saying it does not make specific spending decisions on settlement money but reviews choices made by local governments. State law doesnt require the trust to offer public comment at its meetings but the public is encouraged to participate at the local level, Anderson added.

Pennsylvanias practices contrast sharply with the way councils operate in places like Illinois, Kentucky, and Oregon, which routinely allow public comment at both full council and smaller committee meetings. In Kentucky, the open process has allowed members of the public to weigh in on a fierce debate over funding research into ibogaine, a psychedelic drug that has shown potential to treat addiction. At least eight people spoke in favor of the drug at the councils January meeting.

Back in Tennessee, council chair Loyd said he hopes to increase public participation by creating an advisory panel that consists primarily of people who have personally experienced addiction or their loved ones.

He also encouraged other settlement councils to embrace opportunities to hear from people in their states.

Youll make better decisions as a result. I cant be convinced otherwise, he said.

Methodology In June and July, reporters from KFF Health News and Spotlight PA surveyed opioid settlement councils in 39 states and Washington, D.C., to assess their general and standard practices for engaging with the public. The team also reviewed council websites, meeting minutes, agendas, and, in some cases, hours of meeting recordings. These councils have various roles, including directly deciding how to spend the money, making recommendations, or providing oversight. Although they go by different names, including advisory councils, boards, committees, and commissions, we refer to them as councils as a broad, encompassing term.

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KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF and subscribe to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  Isaac Freeman III, better known as the rapper Fatman Scoop, was pronounced dead at 53-years-old on Saturday, according to his label MN2S.

Fatman Scoop had been a valued member of the MN2S family for 15 years, and his loss is deeply felt by all of us, the Facebook post read.

More Local News

His death was initially announced on social media by his tour manager Birch Michael, also known as Pure Cold.

I am honestly lost for wordsthe things you taught me have truly made me the man I am today, Pure Cold wrote in an Instagram post.

Organizers for the event Reminisce Festival in the United Kingdom also posted regarding the hip-hop legends passing. Fatman Scoop was scheduled to perform at the festival on Sep. 7.

he was a cherished member of the Reminisce family. His energy, talent and infectious spirit will be missed more than words can express, festival organizers posted on social media.

The New York-native collapsed while performing at a free concert in Hamden, Connecticut on Friday night. He suffered a medical emergency mid-performance and was immediately rushed to the hospital, Mayor Lauren Garrett said in a Facebook post.

Hamdens mayor later shared a message from the Freeman family that read in part, his music made us dance and embrace life with positivity. His joy was infectious and the generosity he extended to will be deeply missed

Fatman Scoop was best known for his 1999 hit Be Faithful, as well as his appearance on Missy Elliotts Lose Control and Mariah Careys Its Like That.

Fatman Scoop VOICE & energy have contributed to MANY songs that made the people feel HAPPY & want to dance for over 2 decades, Missy Elliot wrote in a tribute post.

His cause of death is still unknown.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
A new report offers a rare look at the conditions in China's growing submarine fleet.

It found the crews suffer from excessive noise, poor lighting and bad air quality.

The question is whether these problems undermine the effectiveness of China's subs.

Chinese sailors have an ironic name for duty aboard submarines: "Dragon Palace." But there is nothing fantastic  or even healthy  about the conditions in China's large submarine force, a new report has found.

Chinese "submariners have long jokingly referred to their boats as the 'dragon palace' in reference to the palace of the dragon king at the bottom of the Eastern Sea in Chinese mythology," explained a new report by the US Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute.

In Chinese mythology, Ao Guang is the king of all sea dragons, ruling over them from his underwater crystal palace. But life aboard People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) submarines is far from palatial, the CMSI report found, offering a rare look at submarine life that is obscured by the Chinese military's secrecy and the regime's widespread censorship and intimidation. It found the crews suffer from excessive noise, poor lighting and bad air quality. The canned foods often served are so tasteless some sailors develop eating disorders.

"Work aboard PLAN submarines can cost personnel their health," said the CMSI report. For example, various surveys over the last two decades found numerous maladies, including mouth ulcers and back pain. "In 2018, researchers from several PLAN institutes and hospitals conducting surveys at a submarine base found that submariners as a profession were prone to lower back pain due to restrictive workspaces, long hours in fixed or contorted positions, and the constant vibration to which they are subjected. Results showed a 33.81%occurrence of lower back pain in commissioned officers and enlisted personnel."

Crews suffer psychological effects from the constant noise and low air quality they're subjected to underway. "Crew members working and living in a submarine's poor microclimate are prone to boredom, fatigue, lethargy, and discomfort, which impacts their psychological state, cognitive abilities, and emotional well-being," the report said. "These problems are further exacerbated by harmful gases, magnetic fields, noise, vibrations, and many other barriers to restful sleep and comfort."

Noise levels aboard Chinese have been measured as high as 90 to 130 decibels, which exceeds even the Chinese military's threshold of 85 to 100 decibels. Sub crews have also reported eyesight problems that stem from the poor quality lighting. "Analysis attributed this to poor lighting causing visual strain and close quarters, causing a problem in the ciliary muscles that regulate changes in eye lens curvature," CMSI said. "Crews requested more lighting in compartments and lighting modes that could provide an indication of day or night."

Meanwhile, medical care during long-duration voyages is lacking due to poorly trained caregivers and unkept medical equipment, the report found.

The report found instances that the cuisine on Chinese submarines was so bad it's led to eating disorders. Photo by Artyom Ivanov\TASS via Getty Images

That may be why China's sub force recently turned to traditional Chinese medicine, already used by other branches of the Chinese military. "Until recently, Chinese traditional medicine was not present on board PLAN submarines, since there were no designated positions to administer it," said CMSI.

Sailors in most navies grumble about food. Even US Navy subs, which reputedly have better chow than other ships, have their share of grousing about penal-quality meals. Providing appetizing food for months at a time is a challenge on Chinese subs, whose crews vary from around 60 on a diesel-powered attack boat to around 120 on a ballistic missile submarine.

Though some recent photos suggest an appealing menu, Chinese submarine cuisine still appears to be lacking. "Since submarines prohibit open flame cooking, canned food appears to have been the staple for many years on long-distance deployments," said CMSI. After "the poor taste of canned food eventually drove some sailors to become anorexic," more fresh and frozen food was served. But when "the fresh food runs out or electricity conservation is enacted, submarine crews reportedly begin eating standard field rations, such as the navy's KT-07 nutritional supplement rations. To make up for these conditions, submariners can usually expect a feast to welcome them when returning to shore."

Ultimately, the question is whether these problems undermine the effectiveness of China's 61 submarines. Though most are conventional rather than nuclear-powered, they could be among Beijing's most effective weapons if China were to invade Taiwan.

"Many of the hallmarks of a professional submarine force culture are present aboard PLAN submarines, especially surrounding secrecy, safety, and expertise," CMSI concluded. "Whether it is procedures for equipment maintenance or nuclear reactor safety, the force appears to demonstrate a high level of professionalism and a desire to uphold the highest standards across the fleet."

Chinese submariners have their own "dragon palace culture." This includes activities such as arm wrestling and ping pong contests, as well as other morale-boosters such as shipboard newsletters and poetry readings.

And what submarine force would be complete without its special rituals (that often baffle landlubbers). For example, a ceremony to honor those doing their first long-duration deployments happens when the submarine reaches maximum dive depth, the report said. "Recognized personnel will kiss a buttered hammer and drink seawater drawn from the depths, which is kept within a vial."

Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The last of the city employees who received bonuses for their work on Tampa Bay Rays stadium and Historic Gas Plant District negotiations have returned them ahead of a Friday deadline to do so.

But fallout from the awards quietly handed out to 17 high-level employees of Mayor Ken Welchs administration in violation of state law may linger.

Five out of six candidates running for St. Petersburg City Council say theyve been met with questions and concerns from residents about the $250,000 in combined bonuses. For some of the candidates facing off in November, the topic has eclipsed all others as they knock on doors to sell themselves to voters citywide.

In the past little while, it doesnt get brought up all the time, but out of all the topics its definitely the No. 1 thing folks want to know about or talk about, said Mike Harting, a proponent of the stadium deal competing in the District 3 race to represent Shore Acres, Snell Isle, Northeast Park and Placido Bayou. It doesnt seem like anyone has an issue with the team, the folks that were on the receiving end. Its more of a trust-in-government kind of question.

Indeed many of the residents raising questions have said they support the stadium deal. But echoing some sitting council members for and against the project during a meeting this week, they voiced concern over the secret nature of the awards.

The bonuses  six of $20,000 or more  were first reported by the Tampa Bay Times on Aug. 16, a day after they were paid out and three weeks after they were authorized by the citys human resources director. One City Council member said he wasnt aware of the raises until the report and another said she learned how the raises were funded through the Times reporting.

Im being asked every time Im knocking doors, said Torrie Jasuwan, seeking to unseat council chairperson Deborah Figgs-Sanders from her District 5 post representing Lakewood Estates, Greater Pinellas Point, Maximo and Bayway Isles. Many people that weve spoken with have brought up the bonuses and have voiced their frustration with the lack of transparency surrounding them.

Due to vacating seats, there will be two new faces on the dais next year  both possibly former opponents of Welch from the 2021 mayoral race. There is a potential third: Jasuwan is in a horse race with Figgs-Sanders, an incumbent and ally of the mayor. Those outcomes on Nov. 5 could change the dynamics of the eight-member council and create a board less pliant to the Welch administration.

Welch, through an emailed statement sent by a spokesperson, said the one-time payments have been discussed publicly with council members and addressed fully.

We acknowledged that our current longstanding process on file did not align with the state statute that addresses this issue and, as a result, I asked for a full review of all of the Citys compensation policies and procedures, the statement read. We are focused on progress, the real issues that impact our residents, and creating opportunity for everyone to succeed in St. Pete.

Three days after the Times reported the bonuses, Welch revoked the payouts and said employees had to return them. Then City Administrator Rob Gerdes, who received one of the two largest payments of $25,000, suspended Human Resources Director Christopher Guella for five days without pay due to negligence and inefficiency in the performance of assigned duties.

Guella took responsibility in an apology he emailed to top staff.

Gerdes told council members in a meeting last week that discussions about giving out bonuses happened before the City Council voted 5-3 in July to approve hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer support for a Rays stadium and redevelopment of the land around it.

He said the bonuses werent legal, but wouldve been if the citys policy from 2005 governing such payments had been up to date. He said the city could have thought about it differently.

At that meeting, Figgs-Sanders said she agreed with her colleagues concerns about communication when discussing the bonuses. In a text she, alone among the current candidates for office, said she had not encountered questions about the bonuses while campaigning.

I just wish, you know, that theres a way that we can better improve our communication in regards to something of this magnitude, Figgs-Sanders said.

Transparency at City Hall, candidates told the Times, has become a campaign issue, as has the councils role of controlling the purse strings and checking the administrations power.

Jasuwan said she encountered questions while knocking on doors in Shore Acres over the weekend, where residents of the neighborhood also sounded off on flooding and needed drainage upgrades. Money from the water resources department budget partially funded bonuses for two of the citys attorneys, which Jasuwan said is why news about them hit that neighborhood so hard.

Wengay Newton, who served on the council from 2008 through 2015, is seeking a return to represent the District 7 neighborhoods of Childs Park, Jordan Park, Bayview, Broadwater and part of Central Oak Park. He said hes heard not only from residents, but lower-level city employees who worked on the deal and were upset they didnt receive a bonus that went to administrators making six-figure salaries.

Yeah, a lot of them were pissed, said Newton, who finished fourth in the 2021 St. Petersburg mayors race ultimately won by Welch. People are talking about it. ... They just say its a shame what happened.

Newton also serves on the Florida Commission on Ethics, which investigates complaints against public officials. An activist, Brad McCoy, shared with the Times an ethics complaint he filed against Welch over the bonuses and a voicemail from that board confirming receipt of the complaint. McCoy has also filed an ethics complaint against Figgs-Sanders for voting in favor of projects backed by political donors.

Corey Givens, Jr., who made it to the District 7 runoff election with a second-place finish in the primary, said there was a lot of mumbling at church on Sunday while he was preaching at New Faith Free Methodist Church, where churchgoers were bringing it up to me.

Its a big issue. The issue is the issue of transparency, he said. If council doesnt know, how will constituents know?

Pete Boland, who came away with the most votes in the District 3 race, said hes heard only small chatter about the bonuses. Boland finished fifth in the 2021 mayoral race. He and his opponent, Harting, are both in favor of the stadium and Gas Plant deal like current District 3 council member Ed Montanari, who took issue last week with council not having a say over doling out the bonuses.

It lends itself to the role of City Council and the way that the mayor and City Council interact and how they should interact, Harting said. The better topic or issue is how the candidates view themselves serving on City Council and what they would do in situations like this, or how they think City Council should act differently to make sure things like this dont happen again.
Registering people to vote is good. Dont let baloney about immigrants derail it | Opinion

Think conspiracy theories have few or no real-world consequences? Consider recent fights over registering new voters in Texas.

Many Republicans, prodded for years by former President Donald Trump, are concerned that there is or will be sweeping vote fraud in just about every election. So, Republican officeholders, responsive to their political bases, have launched investigations, task forces and new laws. The snipe hunt goes on and on, with very little prey ever caught.

The latest scare is over whether immigrants in the country illegally might cast ballots this fall, leading to almost comical over-reactions over registering new voters.

In the Fort Worth area, for instance, a Fox News hosts hasty post and TV mention of third-hand information about activity at a Department of Public Safety office in Weatherford sparked a panic over whether immigrants were being registered to vote.

In Weatherford. Trump won 82% of votes in Parker County in 2020.

Not surprisingly, it turned out not to be true. But it was enough for Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas conspiracy theorist in chief, to launch an investigation into groups helping new voters sign up.

If such efforts are intimidated, a funny fantasy tips into real harm. Texas makes it too hard to register to vote already. We dont need additional speed bumps that hurt volunteers trying to get others involved in democracy.

Tarrant County, however, seems determined to erect as many barriers as possible. County commissioners recently voted to prevent voter-registration drives inside county facilities, driving volunteers and potential new voters out into the heat. Such activity in a government building was deemed non-regular use.

The panic over illegal immigrant voting isnt grounded in reality. Thats not to say it never happens, but generally, people who are not supposed to be here dont go out of their way to participate in a voluntary activity for which they are asked to identify themselves and their addresses.

In Tarrant County so far this year, 18 registration attempts have been rejected for insufficient proof of citizenship, a county spokesman told the Star-Telegram. Thats out of 53,000 applicants.

Gov. Greg Abbott recently touted that more than 1.1 million ineligible voters have been removed from state rolls under a 2021 law. Of those, his office said, more than 6,500 were noncitizens.

Yes, the ideal number of noncitizens signed up to vote is zero. Its good to police the voter rolls. But these numbers indicate a minor problem, at best  far short of the resources that have been dedicated to it.

County elections officials have been inundated lately with challenges to voter registrations, the Texas Tribune reports. Investigating these requires attention and precision, particularly to ensure that someone isnt stripped of their voting rights without proof. Its one more job with which anti-fraud zealots have strained county resources without much result.

Then, of course, there is Tarrant Countys voter fraud task force, established with much fanfare by County Judge Tim OHare, District Attorney Phil Sorrells and Sheriff Bill Waybourn. As of June, more than a year after it was formed, the unit had investigated 12 complaints, along with 70 more handled directly by the Sheriffs Office. Zero instances of fraud had been prosecuted.

High levels of illegal immigration chafe Republicans about the potential for future amnesty that would make millions of recent arrivals eligible to vote. And they believe such people are likely to vote Democratic. Its theoretical, but it tracks with a mistake some Republicans continually make about voter turnout.

Many seem to agree with Democrats that if more Americans vote, Republicans lose. As weve noted before, research by University of Texas at Austin professor Daron Shaw shows that not to be the case. As turnout rises, it tends to mirror distribution of opinions in the overall population.

In other words, Republicans can win high-turnout elections. Many just seem to lack Reaganesque confidence in their positions.

Vote fraud is real; its just not as extensive as some want to believe. Vigorous enforcement is good. Ensuring accurate voter rolls is important.

But as with any enforcement action, these can go too far. The resources and energy devoted to this could be valuable somewhere else. And worse, if the perception takes hold that vote registration drives, or even the act of registering oneself, could lead to trouble with the law, some fully eligible people might be wrongfully deterred.

Texans can verify that theyre registered using the site Texas.gov. And if youre not, you have until Oct. 6 to get an application  available online and at government facilities, including libraries  and mail or deliver it to your county elections office.

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U.S. Senate candidate and 3rd District Rep. John Curtis speaks during a Deseret News Editorial Board meeting at the Deseret News office in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

Utah Rep. John Curtis visited the Middle East this week as part of a congressional delegation, where he met with the leaders of Israel, Jordan and Egypt. He said his focus during the trip was on how to get the remaining hostages freed and on how to stop the fighting.

Curtis described his visit in his weekly email and video  a forum he uses to regularly discuss his highs and lows from the week. This week, he said, was particularly hard.

The high for the week was returning to a region he had first visited in 1979 as an 18-year-old BYU student on a study abroad program, he said.

The low, it wont surprise you, is the angst, the turmoil, the pain thats happening here all around. We have seen some things that I cant unsee, he said. I actually told a colleague I almost wish I had not come on this trip because of what Ive seen. But its good too, because this perspective has been very helpful.

Curtis is the Republican nominee in the race to replace Sen. Mitt Romney, who is leaving the Senate after a single term. Romney was in Israel one week after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, which he described as a heartbreaking, heart-wrenching experience.

Curtis said during his trip he visited the site in Northern Israel where earlier this month a bomb killed 12 Druze children and teenagers, and he also met with some of the families of the hostages still being held by Hamas.

We met with the families of the American hostages, and have been very focused on this trip on how we return the hostages, not just the Americans, but all the hostages, he said. People may have forgotten that 45 Americans were killed on Oct. 7, eight were taken hostage. Five of those eight are believed to be alive. Weve been very, very, very focused on this trip on figuring out how to get those hostages back.

During his visit, Curtis said he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jordans King Abdullah II, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and would also be visiting with the leaders of Qatar.

Reps. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and John Curtis (R-Utah), likely to be senators in January, visit Netanyahu with Sen. Joni Ernst and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks pic.twitter.com/jh3rkZvpSk  Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) August 26, 2024

Besides freeing the hostages, Curtis said he was also focused on helping to find an end to the conflict in the region.

It wont surprise any of you to know that there is just vast frustration, vast anger all around at whats happening here, he said. How do we find a way forward that allows our strong Jewish friends and allies, our strongest ally here in the Middle East and arguably around the world, to have the nation that they deserve and the peace they deserve. How do we end the destruction and the killing of so many people, and do so in a way that works. It seems a little elusive.

Curtis was in Egypt when he filmed his remarks, and said he was reminded of his time in Israel in 1979, during which President Jimmy Carter helped facilitate the signing of peace accords between Egypt and Israel.

Ive seen the decades and decades of stability that that has brought into the region, Curtis said.

When meeting with President al-Sisi, Curtis said he reminded him of that historic moment.

And today, when I met with the president of Egypt, I brought that up, and I told him I fully expected him to be the kind of leader that (former Egyptian President) Anwar Sadat was, and find solutions and bring peace and harmony into the region. And I believe we can do it, but it takes those types of exceptional people and commitments to peace, he said.
Frequent and prolonged power outages have led to significant problems. One of these is the quality of food. We do not know under what conditions certain foods were stored without refrigeration in the store. Or they may have spoiled already at home.

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Therefore, in order that you can rationally calculate the stock of your food and understand their quality, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine has prepared a brief instruction.

What products to stock up on

Take care of nutritious, long term storage food. If necessary, it can be taken with you to shelter. Preferably, these foods do not require much water to cook.

freeze-dried foods (porridge, soups, noodles)

canned meat

fish

Vegetable breads and cookies

nuts, chocolate, dried fruit

Also think about what foods you and your family eat. Make a three-day supply of food for your home.

Even if there is no electricity, keep food in the refrigerator: it will stay cold for a few hours after the power goes out. Try to open the door as little as possible. Eat foods that spoil quickly first.

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If it is cold outside, food can be kept outside.

With fan and emergency power outages, there is an increased risk of buying spoiled food that has been stored improperly - without following the prescribed refrigeration temperature.

If your neighborhood has scheduled power outages, when selecting a store, you should check the store's address in the outage schedule on the suppliers' websites. The best option is a store whose building is located on the same line as critical infrastructure, where outages either do not occur or are less frequent than on other lines. In such cases, there is a lower risk of encountering products whose storage conditions have been compromised due to the disconnection of refrigerators and freezers from the network.

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If there are no stores nearby that do not turn off the lights, find one where the owners have installed a generator.

Buy first those food products that are made recently and have at least been stored in commercial establishments.

Try to buy food products from establishments that have more turnover (more customers) and therefore more frequent delivery schedules from perishable food manufacturers.

Pay attention to the refrigerator load of food products. Overloaded refrigeration equipment, where there is no air circulation, is not able to maintain temperature for a long time after de-energizing.

Avoid buying products from the list of products that spoil first in the absence of electricity.

Always pay attention to the date of packaging, the final date for consumption and storage conditions (compare whether the recommended label matches the conditions under which the products are stored in the store).

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Avoid "half-price" products that have already expired. In today's realities, the risk that a product has already spoiled is higher.

Which foods spoil first and what alternatives are available

Chilled meat.

If you doubt its quality, give preference to frozen meat. However, provided it has not had time to defrost and has no signs of spoilage.

Ready-to-eat food.

It is undesirable to store it without refrigeration for more than 2 hours.

Cooked sausages (sausages, wieners, cooked sausage).

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Alternatively, choose smoked sausage or raw, vacuum-packed sausage.

Weighty fermented cottage cheese.

Prefer vacuum-packed cheese.

Dairy products.

Instead of milk in bottles with a short shelf life, opt for milk in tetrapaks, which can be stored without refrigeration.

Fish and fish products.

Confectionery (pastries, cakes, mousses).

Instead, choose candies, bars, cookies, which do not require special conditions for storage. How to realize that the product has begun to spoil:

Fish is fresh

Fish has dense and elastic scales, fins are moist and soft, gills are pink or scarlet and free of mucus, and eyes are clear and convex. Fresh fish meat is firm, moist, juicy and has a healthy sheen. To check, press your finger: if the meat does not restore its former shape for a long time - in front of you spoiled fish. However, of the signs that the fish has begun to spoil, the smell of ammonia.

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Meat

Fresh chicken always has a uniform color: pale or light pink. There should be no extraneous odors from the product. The skin of the bird can be exclusively white or yellow in color. If the chicken is sticky, smells bad (chemical or has a sour odor), is too pale or has spots on it, it has begun to spoil.

Fresh beef is red or dark red in color, with veins and a neutral odor. When pressed on the surface of the meat will quickly return to the previous shape. Grayishness, yellowing and spots are signs that beef is spoiling.

Fresh pork is pale pink in color. Darkening on the edges of a piece of meat or non-uniform color can indicate that the meat is weathered.

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In just a few weeks, Democrats across New Hampshire will head to the polls to choose our nominee for governor. I, and a majority of my fellow Democratic legislators, have endorsed Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington as the candidate best-suited not only to win, but to serve as our next governor. Cinde is smart, she is eloquent, and she is prepared to tackle the challenges our state faces on Day One. While her opponent, former Mayor Joyce Craig, may have her own attributes, Joyce has decided that instead of running on her record as the mayor of Manchester, in an attempt to score cheap political points, she is going to hurl misleading attacks on work Cinde did as an attorney more than two decades ago. These attacks are disgusting, and Joyce should be ashamed of herself.

State Rep. Marjorie Smith

Choosing to prioritize attention-grabbing headlines over the truth is dishonest, irresponsible, and exploitative of people who have suffered from the very serious impacts of the opioid epidemic. The real story behind this dirty smear campaign is actually quite simple. In 2002, before the medical community knew of the fraud that Purdue Pharma was perpetuating about Oxycontin, Cinde argued that physicians  not insurance companies  should be able to decide which medications were most beneficial and appropriate for their patients. This was a few months of work she did as an associate at the law firm of Shaheen & Gordon more than 20 years ago. Thats it.

In the intervening years, Cinde has spoken about her fathers struggle with substance use disorder and the pain experienced by families affected by this issue. She understands what they are going through because shes been there. Thats why she has worked to help other families dealing with substance use disorder. For more than two decades, shes advocated for increased access to care, served on multiple community mental health and substance use disorder treatment program boards, and helped bring medication-assisted treatment to New Hampshire. On the Executive Council, Cinde has been the leading advocate for expanded access to substance use treatment and mental health services. She understands this issue backward and forward, and shes ready to find solutions as governor.

What is most galling is that Joyce knows better. She knows better than to blame an attorney for the actions of their clients. As a lawyer, her husband defended opioid dealers at the height of the crisis, but she isnt holding him responsible for the opioid epidemic nor should she. She knows better than to blame a single person for such a large and complex issue. As the mayor of Manchester, she oversaw a dramatic rise in opioid overdose deaths per capita, but she isnt holding herself responsible for the epidemic either.

There is one candidate in the race for governor who has never intentionally tried to deceive the public for their own political purposes, one candidate who has been fighting for families struggling with substance use disorder for decades, and one candidate who is ready to tackle the opioid epidemic on Day One. That candidate is Cinde Warmington, and I hope you will join me in supporting her for governor.

Democrat Marjorie Smith is a 13-term state representative from Durham.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Rep. Smith: Joyce Craig should be ashamed of herself
Israeli military vehicles patrol on empty street as Israeli military offensive continues on Jenin Refugee Camp. Mohammed Nasser/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

An Israeli soldier has been killed during clashes with armed Palestinians in Jenin in the West Bank and another soldier was also seriously wounded, the military said on Saturday evening.

The troops reportedly encountered two armed men during a raid, who, according to the army, belonged to the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas. During an exchange of gunfire with them, both were killed, the military said.

The Ministry of Health in Ramallah confirmed being informed by the Israeli authorities about the killing of two Palestinians following the clashes.

The bodies are in the custody of the army, the ministry said. Hamas identified one of the two as a member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamist organization.

Israel launched a military operation in the northern West Bank on Wednesday. The army justified the action by citing a significant increase in attacks on Israelis. The objective is to target both Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The large-scale military operation in Jenin was continuing, Palestinians said on Saturday.

Israeli soldiers prevented Palestinian civil defence workers from bringing water to a hospital, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

The director of the Jenin Governmental Hospital told the agency that there were fears that shortages of clean water would especially impact patients with kidney disease who require dialysis treatments.

The affected hospital also said that the power line supplying the clinic had been destroyed. As a result, several departments had to be consolidated, and the use of air conditioning units was halted.

In addition, the service for patients with kidney disease has been halted. They are being transferred to medical facilities in Nablus until the situation improves, according to reports.

WAFA reported that water pipes supplying the hospital have been damaged by the Israeli military operation and that several parts of Jenin have been cut off from water.

There are also said to be power cuts in some places.

Israel launched simultaneous military operations in Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas on Wednesday on the grounds that there had been a significant increase in the number of attacks on Israelis.

The Israeli army said 20 Palestinian militants have been killed in exchanges of fire and airstrikes since the start of the large-scale operation. Dozens of explosive devices have been destroyed and numerous weapons confiscated, it said.

Three other operations in the West Bank

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said earlier Saturday that they had "neutralized" suspects following three security incidents in the West Bank.

The first incident took place late on Friday in the Israeli settlement of Karmei Tzur, north of the city of Hebron, the IDF said. "A report was received regarding a shooting attack," the military said, adding that "the suspect was neutralized at the scene."

In a separate incident at about 1 am on Saturday (2200 GMT on Friday), a vehicle caught fire and exploded at a gas station at Gush Etzion Junction in the southern West Bank, south-east of the Palestinian autonomous city of Bethlehem.

"IDF soldiers who were dispatched to the scene opened fire and eliminated the terrorist who existed the vehicle and attempted to attack them," the IDF said. "Security forces are conducting scans in the area to rule out the possibility of additional terrorists."

The third incident took place at Karmei Tzur's entrance. According to the IDF, "terrorists attempted to ram a security guard" there in the early hours of Saturday "and infiltrated the community."

"IDF soldiers were dispatched to the scene and a terrorists was neutralized. Security forces are conducting scans to rule out the possibility of additional terrorists in the area."

The IDF said it wasn't clear yet whether the three incidents were connected, adding there were reports of a "number of injuries."

Background to West Bank violence

The situation in the West Bank has worsened significantly since the start of the Gaza war, which was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, with more than 1,200 dead, carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7.

More than 640 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, confrontations, or their own attacks in the West Bank, according to the Ministry of Health.

Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has also increased during this period.

Hamas authority says many dead in Gaza after Israeli attacks

In the Gaza Strip, 89 people have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past two days, the Hamas-controlled health authority said on Saturday.

The number of Palestinians killed in the coastal strip since the beginning of the war has thus risen to 40,691, the authority in Gaza reported.

The figures from the Hamas authority cannot currently be independently verified.

The Israeli army reported that it was continuing its operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip.

In Gaza City, the troops said they had neutralized several "terrorist cells" and destroyed "terrorist and military structures" that posed a threat to the soldiers.

According to statements from the army, they also acted against terrorists in the Tel al-Sultan neighbourhood in Rafah and tThey also found a large quantity of weapons.

Israel strikes targets in Lebanon after Hezbollah attacks

The Israeli military said early on Saturday that it struck targets in neighbouring Lebanon which it said were the source of a barrage of projectile launches.

The IDF said that sirens sounded late on Friday in the the Western Galilee region in northern Israel following some 40 launches from Lebanon across the border.

The IDF said that some of the projectiles were intercepted while a number of others fell in the area, adding that no injuries were reported.

The military said it "struck the sources of fire" and that the Israeli Air Force "struck a number of Hezbollah launchers in southern Lebanon."

Since the war in the Gaza Strip began in October, there have been daily military confrontations between the Israeli army and the pro-Iranian militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israel has been bracing itself for a larger attack following the killing of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut on July 30.

An Israeli army armoured jeep blocks the road leading to a hospital, as Israeli military offensive continues on Jenin Refugee Camp. Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Israeli military vehicles patrol on empty street as Israeli military offensive continues on Jenin Refugee Camp. Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Israel's large-scale military operation in Jenin in the northern West Bank is continuing, Palestinians said on Saturday.

Heavy clashes were reported between Israeli forces and armed Palestinians in the flashpoint city, which is considered a militant stronghold and frequently sees raids by Israeli troops.

Several people were taken into custody in an eastern Jenin neighbourhood on Saturday, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Israeli soldiers prevented Palestinian civil defence workers from bringing water to a hospital, WAFA also reported.

The director of the Jenin Governmental Hospital told the agency that there were fears that shortages of clean water would especially impact patients with kidney disease who require dialysis treatments.

WAFA reported that water pipes supplying the hospital have been damaged by the Israeli military operation and that several parts of Jenin have been cut off from water.

There are also said to be power cuts in some places.

The account could not be independently verified. Upon enquiry, Israel's military stated that it was investigating the reports.

Israel launched simultaneous military operations in Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas on Wednesday on the ground that there had been a significant increase in the number of attacks on Israelis.

The army said the aim is to take action against West Bank terrorist cells affiliated with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad organizations.

The Israeli army said 20 Palestinian militants have been killed in exchanges of fire and airstrikes since the start of the large-scale operation. Dozens of explosive devices have been destroyed and numerous weapons confiscated, it said.

Palestinians migrate safer areas after Israeli army has forced families to leave their houses as Israeli military offensive on Jenin Refugee Camp continues Mohammed Nasser/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Former President Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. On the campaign trail, Trump continues to disparage mail-in voting. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Although former President Trump has spent years attacking the integrity of early and mail-in voting, his campaign and the Republican National Committee this week launched what they called a huge and revolutionary effort to encourage both methods of casting ballots in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.

In an email promoting a website called SwampTheVoteUSA.com, RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement: As President Trump has consistently said, voting by mail, voting early, and voting on Election Day are all good options.

But the Republican presidential nominee  who falsely says that mail-in voting is plagued by fraud and cost him the White House four years ago  continues to trash the popular method of casting ballots, complicating his own partys efforts to get out the vote.

In an interview with television host Dr. Phil McGraw that aired Tuesday, the same day Whatleys statement went out, Trump said voting by mail shouldnt be allowed and falsely claimed that any time you have a mail-in ballot, theres going to be massive fraud.

Read more: Arlington cemetery official 'abruptly pushed aside' in Trump staff altercation won't press charges

He criticized California for sending ballots by mail to every registered voter. He also falsely claimed that Republicans automatically lose elections in the Golden State and that many voters receive up to seven ballots apiece.

If Jesus came down and was the vote counter, I would win California, OK? he said. In other words, if we had an honest vote counter, a really honest vote counter, Id do great with the Hispanics.

In 2020, Trump lost California, the home state of his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, by more than 5 million votes.

Despite the efforts of Trumps campaign officials and the Republican Party, it is simply too late to rebuild trust in mail-in voting among the former presidents supporters by election day, said David Becker, a former U.S. Justice Department lawyer who heads the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research.

They still believe this to their core, he said of Trumps falsehoods about mail-in voting being rigged. Trump is reinforcing this, so an official press release from the RNC or an official website is not going to change that.

The Swamp the Vote website and other efforts by the Republican Party to encourage different methods of voting, he added, are good  and normal  efforts to increase participation, despite what their candidate is saying.

Vote-by-mail programs, Becker said, date back to at least the Civil War and were embraced by both parties, Becker said.

Republicans traditionally favored them even more than Democrats because GOP supporters tended to be older and such voting allowed them to participate in democracy while avoiding standing in line at the polls.

But in 2020, as more states were mailing every voter a ballot because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump denigrated these votes as inherently fraudulent.

According to the Census Bureau, 43% of Americans cast their ballots by mail in the 2020 election, and 26% voted in person before election day.

In Trumps speech near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, when he encouraged his supporters to march to the U.S. Capitol as Congress was certifying the results of his election defeat, he said that through the scam of mail-in ballots, Democrats attempted the most brazen and outrageous election theft.

In the four years since Trumps loss, Republicans have largely turned away from mail-in voting.

In a February survey by the Pew Research Center, 28% of Republicans said any voter should be allowed to cast a ballot by mail if they want to  a steep decline from 2020, when 49% of Republicans held that belief.

An overwhelming proportion of Democrats  87% in February and 84% in 2020  supported all voters having access to mail-in ballots.

Still, GOP leaders and conservative activists are trying to rebuild voters confidence in the process.

Read more: Trump shares social posts with QAnon phrases, calls for jailing lawmakers and special counsel

On Tuesday, the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee said patriots should take advantage of vote by mail, early voting, and Election Day voting  whatever method works best for you.

It lauded the Swamp the Vote website, through which voters can request ballots by mail, as the FIRST non-government website giving voters full access to Pennsylvanias election toolkit, even though it is connected to the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Turning Point Action, the youth group led by right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, is pushing an initiative it calls Chase the Vote, in which it aims to use a ballot chasing army in battleground states to knock on voters doors and persuade them to send in their mail-in ballots.

The Radical Left, Turning Points website says, is beating us in the ballot game.

In an appearance at a Turning Point event in June, Trump, referencing Kirk and Whatley, said: I said to Charlie, and I said to Michael, I said: Listen, we dont need votes. We got more votes than anybodys ever had. We need to watch the vote. We need to guard the vote. We need to stop the steal. We dont need votes.

He went on to say mail-in ballots are treacherous and that ballot drop boxes are horrible.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KELO)  Its been over two months since the June flood at McCook Lake deemed over a dozen homes a total loss. Since then there have been non-stop clean-up efforts.

Dennis Johnson lost his home on Northshore Drive on McCook Lake during the flooding in June.

Now nearly 10 weeks later, hes dealing with the aftermath saying people with FEMA pointed out hazardous materials lying around.

Just happened to see some pipes there this weekend and found out they are asbestos water pipes that are broken alongside of the road, Johnson said. I brought that to the citys attention so were hoping they do something with that.

UPDATE: Employee fired amid DCI investigation

We reached out to the interim administrator for the City of North Sioux City, Andrew Nilges, who gave us this statement: The City is aware and is actively working with FEMA to remove the pipes in the appropriate manner.

Johnson who has lived on McCook Lake for 13 years, says the community hopes the pipes are an isolated incident.

So were urging the city to hopefully take action on that. We dont know how many other issues like that are out there. So just getting answers to that and having some leadership really strategically attack some of those things for the community is going to be critical moving forward, Johnson said.

This is the first week FEMA has been in the area.

The unfortunate thing is it just started on week ten. This should have been week one or week two things and just local and state government for whatever reason. I dont have that answer. Thats a question every citizen has today, Johnson said.

Highway Patrol announces September sobriety checkpoints

Renae Hansen, a community member and caretaker of the McCook Lake Izaak Walton League, says she hopes their citys natural disaster will help create more relief programs on the state level.

We are across the river from Iowa and we were hit at the same time as the disaster hit Iowa at the same time as it hit us. Iowa had money in their accounts within two weeks, Hansen said. Iowa has 100 different programs to help with natural disasters. South Dakota doesnt. Thats what needs to happen.

As of Thursday FEMA 647 approved applications with South Dakotans receiving $3.7 million in FEMA funding.

We reached out to North Sioux City with additional questions you can read their responses below. The citys responses are in italics.

Are McCook Lake residents living in the city limits of North Sioux City? If not, what is the citys responsibility to those people? Yes, the McCook Lake area which was impacted is within the city limits of North Sioux City.

If a community member has concerns about something in the city, should they reach out to North Sioux City or Union County? Absolutely. If a resident of North Sioux City has concerns about something in the city, they are welcome to contact City Hall so the City can address their concerns. Concerns which fall within Union Countys jurisdiction should be directed to the County.

Someone was upset about the lack of communication between the city and residents about dangerous/hazardous conditions still in the area. What does the communication totem pole look like when asking/relaying information? The City has been actively working to provide timely information throughout the flood event. The City has made information available through regular updates on its website and social media account, public meetings, media briefings, information at City Hall, and more. The Citys top priority throughout this event has been to keep people alive and safe. Fortunately, there have been no deaths or known major injuries throughout the event.

Has the city council/mayor ever dealt with the aftermath of a natural disaster like the June flood? What has the experience been like? This 1,000-year flood event was one of an unprecedented nature. The City expresses its sincerest empathy for those impacted and is doing everything possible to preserve lives and safety, rebuild critical infrastructure, and support impacted residents.

The island is a mess; cleaning up at McCook Lake

It is not necessary to go to a center to apply for FEMA assistance. Impacted individuals located within Union County can go online to disasterassistance.gov, call 800-621-3362 or use the FEMA mobile app to apply.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
The policy of not allowing Ukraine to strike military targets inside Russia with long-range weapons, such as ATACMS missiles, means that the West has no "clearly defined objective," retired U.S. Lieutenant General Ben Hodges said on Aug. 31 at the Globsec Forum in Prague, attended by a Kyiv Independent reporter.

Kyiv has long argued that restrictions on the use of long-range weapons are stifling its war effort, while Washington claimed that allowing Ukraine to hit deep into Russian territory with its weapons could escalate the situation.



Ukraine has dismissed these arguments and has ramped up pressure to lift the ban in recent weeks amid the ongoing incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast. The White House has not budged on its position, despite some U.S. politicians backing Kyivs demands.

"This terrible policy which actually protects Russian airfields better than it protects Ukrainian civilians is a manifestation of the fact that we don't have a clearly defined objective," Hodges said.

According to the ex-U.S. commander, the Biden administration "failed the most important task  what do we want to accomplish."

"If we want Ukrainians to prevail, we have to let them bring the war to the Russian territory," said Karel Rehka, chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces.

When asked about Ukraine's ongoing Kursk Oblast incursion, Hodges said that this operation "woke people up," killing the myth that "Russia is inevitably going to win."

"I wish the Kremlin would declare total mobilization (in response to Kursk)... Then for sure people would say: What the hell are we doing in Ukraine."

Western countries have largely allowed Ukraine to use their arms in the Kursk incursion, but the U.S. and the U.K. have maintained their restrictions on the use of long-range missiles like ATACMS or Storm Shadow.

Read also: Ukraines Kursk incursion demonstrates that Russia is at the limit of its capabilities, says former US NATO ambassador

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The assistant principal of Revere High School was hurt in a fight involving students earlier this week.

The school district says the fight broke out Thursday during the transition to lunch and the assistant principal was hit during the fight and taken to the hospital as a precaution.

A teacher told Boston 25 that the altercation happened down the hall from her classroom and that it is the second fight theyve had since the recent start of the school year.

These huge fights like this have often been enough that yes we are kind of and have normalized that theres a fight, Michelle Ervin detailed.

The district says the students involved will face disciplinary action, which could include suspension or expulsion.

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Donald Trump announced his opposition to a Florida ballot initiative to restore some abortion access in the state after it enacted a restrictive six-week ban, providing a long-awaited final answer to a question he publicly flip-flopped on.

Ill be voting no, Trump told Fox News on Friday, falsely claiming that Democrat-led states were allowing abortions in the ninth month and after birth, while adding that he didnt fully agree with the states current six-week ban, which has few exceptions in cases of rape or incest, requiring additional legal and medical documentation.

The comments were somewhat of a reversal from a Thursday statement on the initiative, in which he seemed to endorse the idea that the states current abortion ban called for more legal protections for women.

I'm going to be voting that we need more than six weeks," Trump said when asked about the measure, which would have superseded Governor Ron Desantis six-week abortion ban, which went into effect in May.

Trumps comments sparked massive backlash from the conservative, pro-life factions that form the core of his support, prompting his campaign to issue a sudden backtrack on Thursday evening.

The flip-flop is one of many instances in which Trump has taken opposing positions on abortion policy since he took credit for ending Roe v. Wade. Trump, who takes policy cues from multiple groups calling for a nationwide abortion ban, has at times claimed he would veto such a policy, a promise that garnered scrutiny from pro-choice politicians.

Trumps Republican National Committee platform, released in July, also included anti-choice fetal personhood language, suggesting that the former president supported an abortion ban nationwide.
Turkish flatbread looks similar to Ukrainian. Thanks to the successful yeast dough, it rises during frying and turns out to be extremely soft. But even if something goes wrong during the cooking process, don't be upset. The flatbread will still be perfect and will taste great with borscht, soup, salad or meat.

ADVERTISIMENT

The recipe for Turkish flatbread in a pan is published on the inssstabella culinary blog on Instagram.

Ingredients:

milk - 200 ml

warm water - 100 ml

dry yeast - 8 g

salt - 1/2 tsp

sugar - 1 tbsp

flour - 420 g

herbs

butter

Method of preparation:

1. Combine warm water and warm milk in a bowl.

2. Add yeast, salt and sugar. Stir.

3. Gradually add the flour and knead the dough. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.

4. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Form into balls.

ADVERTISIMENT

5. Roll out each ball into a thin 5 mm wide layer.

6. Fry the flatbread, brush with butter, and serve.
Reward up to $75,000 2 years after Apex man murdered at NC coast

Reward up to $75,000 2 years after Apex man murdered at NC coast

APEX, N.C. (WNCN)  Two years after an Apex husband was murdered on the North Carolina coast, the reward for his killers has been increased by $20,000 and police have a definitive car make and model in the crime.

Randy Joseph Miller was killed just outside his Atlantic Beach home early the morning of August 29, 2022.

Miller, 65, was at a home on West Atlantic Avenue for a fishing trip. Miller was in the driveway loading up a fishing boat around 5:45 a.m. Monday.

Randy Miller and his wife Sue.

He was fatally stabbed in the crime that has stumped investigators.

On Friday, Atlantic Beach police issued a news release on the sad occasion just after the second anniversary of the murder of Randy Miller.

Wife and friends of murdered Apex man speak about case two years later

In the past, police said they thought an Infiniti sedan was possibly involved. But now they say the suspects were likely in a silver 2013-2017 Volkswagen CC, which is similar to a Passat but has a lower roofline.

Police have also said that car break-in suspects were very possibly involved. A photo released by Atlantic Beach police showed a suspect caught on video trying to break into a Jeep under a beach house the same morning as the killing.

Apex mans murder in Atlantic Beach remains unsolved 2 years later

Three individuals were observed breaking into vehicles shortly before the murder, Atlantic Beach police said.

The information from police on Friday also said the reward in the case was up to $75,000. The reward started at $30,000 but increased last year to $55,000.

A suspect caught on video breaking into a nearby Jeep under an Atlantic Beach home. Photo courtesy: Atlantic Beach Police

Officials said anyone with information should contact the Atlantic Beach Police Department or the State Bureau of Investigation at 919-300-6860 with anonymous tips. People with information can also call Crime Stoppers at (252)-726-4636 to remain anonymous.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
RFK Jr. will officially be on the presidential ballot in KS

RFK Jr. will officially be on the presidential ballot in KS

TOPEKA (KSNT)  Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has officially secured his spot on ballots across Kansas this November.

Kansas Secretary of State (SOS) Scott Schwab announced Friday in a news release that RFK Jr. will appear on ballots this November in the Sunflower State. A petition submitted by the candidate has been officially approved.

Mr. Kennedy met the candidate filing deadline of Monday, August 5, by noon, submitting the necessary petition. To qualify as an independent candidate for President and appear on the states ballot, a minimum of 5,000 signatures from registered Kansas voters was required. He has met these requirements. Excerpt from SOS Scott Schwab news release

KBI identifies deceased man found in truck as interim Peabody clerk

This comes a week after RFK Jr. suspended his independent campaign for president and decided to endorse Republican nominee Donald Trump.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Photo: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is suing the State Board of Elections over its decision to keep him on the North Carolina ballot.

The lawsuit filed Friday says forcing Kennedy to remain on the ballot violates his First Amendment rights.

The state Board of Elections voted along party lines Thursday to keep Kennedys name on the ballot, despite requests from Kennedy and the party that nominated him that he be removed.

Most counties had started printing ballots by Thursday as they prepared to meet the states Sept. 6 deadline for the first absentee ballots to be mailed to voters who requested them. The Boards three Democrats, citing the impracticality of removing Kennedy from the ballot, voted to keep him on.

Kennedys lawsuit says he told the Board that he wanted off in plenty of time. Democrats based their denial on the practicality of removing him rather than on the law, the suit says. The federal deadline for the start of absentee ballot mailing is Sept. 21.

On Friday, Aug. 23, Kennedy announced he was endorsing former President Donald Trump and was suspending his own campaign. He said he would remove his name from ballots in 10 battleground states but encouraged voters in noncompetitive states to vote for him. Kennedy did not name the states where he would seek to be dropped from the ballot, but North Carolina is considered a battleground.

On Monday, the state Board of Elections received formal correspondence asking how Kennedy could have his name removed, the lawsuit says. On Tuesday, Kennedy sent a letter asking to be removed.

Kennedy is running as a candidate of We the People, a party he created so he could gain ballot access in North Carolina and a few other states. We the People formally asked the Board on Wednesday to remove Kennedys name.

Despite knowing on Aug. 23 that Kennedy wanted to be taken off the ballot, the Board told counties to keep printing, the lawsuit says.

Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell told board members Thursday that she told counties to continue printing because they could not make decisions based on a press conference as they worked to meet the Sept. 6 deadline.

The Boards decision to certify We the People as a political party was clouded in controversy. Certifying the party allowed Kennedy to run without having to collect as many petition signatures as he would have if he ran as an independent candidate.

Republicans argued for party certification. Democrats were skeptical. The Board voted 4-1 in favor of certifying the party.

The state Democratic Party sued. A Wake County Superior Court judge sided with the Board and We the People.

At Thursdays meeting, it was the Republican Board members fighting to have Kennedy removed from the ballot, and Democrats arguing he had to stay on.
A former federal employee, ex-Marine and militia member from Virginia pleaded guilty last week to possessing ricin, a deadly toxin, which he had manufactured himself. Meanwhile, the arrest of the CEO and founder of the communications app Telegram has the U.S. far-right fretting about losing their favorite platform. And former president Donald Trump shares QAnon memes and amplifies a follower who has called for the death of his political opponents.

Its the week in extremism, from USA TODAY.

Ex-federal employee pleads guilty to ricin possession

Russell Richardson Vane IV, a 42-year-old from Vienna, VA. pleaded guilty last week to possession of the toxin ricin, a test tube of which he had manufactured himself from castor beans. Ricin has been used in several plots to poison political opponents over the last few decades.

Vane had previously been kicked out of the Virginia Kekoas, a self-described prepper militia. Leaders of the group insisted he leave after he made increasingly alarming comments about home-made explosives and political violence.

According to court documents, Vane was an employee of a United States government agency prior to his arrest. Members of the militia told an independent journalist that Vane had worked for a defense contractor.

Vane was placed on leave from his job after independent journalist Ford Fischer reported on his removal from the Kekoas group. Agents from the FBI searched his home in April and he was arrested after a makeshift ricin lab was found in his laundry, according to court documents.

Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 23, 2016.

Arrest of Telegram founder riles U.S. far-right

The arrest of Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram, sent waves of concern through the ecosystem of American extremists that has flocked to the platform in recent years, as USA TODAY reported Thursday.

Durov, a billionaire who previously founded the Russian social media side VKontakte, was arrested on Aug. 24 when he exited his private jet at an airport outside Paris, France. He has been charged in a wide range of crimes related to Telegrams alleged complicity in allowing users to trade in child pornography, drugs and money laundering.

Extremist groups from followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory, to white supremacists, to far-right street gangs flocked to Telegram after mainstream social media platforms tightened moderation efforts in the wake of the 2020 election.

Durov and his leadership team have had a hands-off approach to moderation on Telegram, making the app attractive to extremists looking to spread conspiracy theories, recruit new followers and spread propaganda.

In the past few days, we've been tracking fear and paranoia that, now theyve arrested the CEO, they'll give up all the private information, and Telegram itself will be compromised, Joan Donovan, founder of the nonprofit The Critical Internet Studies Institute, told USA TODAY.

As yet, theres no indication Telegram will be compromised by the arrest of its CEO. Telegram almost certainly will stay up, Adam Hadley, founder and executive director of the London-based nonprofit Tech Against Terrorism, told USA TODAY.

Trump (again) touts QAnon, boosts extremist account

Former President Donald Trump, who has long courted supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory, posted QAnon slogans to his Truth Social account at least three times this week. The former president, who has been posting non-stop on the platform he launched after he was kicked off Twitter, also re-posted content from a profile that has called for Trumps opponents to be killed, according to an analysis from liberal watchdog group Media Matters.

As USA TODAY reported in May, Trump has increasingly embraced QAnon rhetoric, imagery and phraseology on the campaign trail.

Trump shared three posts this week with the slogan Nothing can stop what is coming, a catchphrase of the QAnon movement. One of the posts also included WWG1WGA, which stands for Where We Go One, We Go All, another QAnon slogan.

Media Matters reported this week that Trump also re-posted items from a Truth Social account that has previously called for his political opponents to be killed. The account has posted numerous images of Democratic politicians next to images of gallows.

Statistic of the week: 74%

Thats how many North Carolinans polled by Elon University believe that violence will break out after the November Presidential election. Both Republicans and Democrats are pessimistic about political violence, the poll shows.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ricin plot, Trump boosts QAnon, Pavel Durov arrest roils Telegram
A Washington man was arrested in Lane County on Thursday for shooting at a car while driving along Interstate 5 at milepost 197 south of Armitage County Park.

According to the Oregon State Police, the reporting party was engaged in a road rage incident when the driver of a white Mazda SUV brandished a firearm and discharged it at the victim's vehicle before fleeing southbound on I-5.

With the help of the Lane County Sheriff's Office, troopers located the Mazda and the driver, identified as Evgenii Denisov, 21, was arrested.

Denisov was arraigned on Friday in Lane County Circuit Court on one count of Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, three counts of Menacing, and three counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person.

Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Road rage leads to Interstate 5 shooting in Lane County
[Editors note: This article has been updated to clarify verbiage regarding the victims injury.]

SAYBROOK TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW)  A roofer was hospitalized after being shocked by a live power line at a job site on Thursday afternoon.

Saybrook Township Fire Chief John Jyurovat told FOX 8 News it happened just before 3:30 p.m. in the 6400 block of Lake Road West. Thats a residential area near the Lakehurst Drive intersection.

Multiple Lake Erie beach advisories issued due to bacteria: ODH

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Jyurovat said the man, who was finishing up the job, was carrying an aluminum ladder that accidentally struck a low-hanging primary power line carrying 7,620 volts.

The power line was concealed by trees and may have been difficult to spot, he added.

NTSB investigating after pilot killed in glider crash

Township firefighters responded to a report of an electrocution, Jyurovat said. The man was transported to a nearby hospital, then flown to a local trauma center, he said.

The man remains hospitalized and was reported to be in stable condition as of 4 p.m. on Friday, he said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

A Ukrainian attack on the Russian city of Belgorod and the surrounding region on the evening of Aug. 30 inflicted damage and casualties, claimed the regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Ukraine's military has not yet commented on the alleged attack. The Kyiv Independent could not verify any of the claims made by Russian officials.

Gladkov reported a missile attack alert in the oblast at around 8 p.m. local time.

According to Gladkov, one woman and four men were killed at the scene of the alleged attack, and 37 people, including seven children, were injured and hospitalized.

Gladkov alleged that Ukraine used cluster munitions launched from a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) in the strike.

Several apartment buildings, commercial enterprises, cars, and unspecified social institutions were allegedly damaged.

Damage was also reported in the nearby village of Dubovoye, Gladkov said on his Telegram channel.

Belgorod Oblast borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts. Claims of rocket or drone attacks against the region have become a common occurrence in recent months.

Russia reportedly often uses Belgorod Oblast as a launching ground for cross-border missile strikes against Ukraine.

Across the border in neighboring Kharkiv, at least seven people were killed, including a child, and another 77 injured in a Russian strike on a 12-story residential building in the city's Industrialnyi district.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russian attack on Kharkiv kills 7 people, injures over 70





















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Russian shelling in the front-line town of Chasiv Yar on Aug. 31 killed five people, said Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin.

Shells struck a home and a high-rise building. Five men, aged 24-38, were killed as a result of the attack.

After capturing Avdiivka in February, Russian forces shifted their focus toward Chasiv Yar, an elevated town that potentially creates an opening for further Russian advances into Donetsk Oblast.

The town has been the scene of heavy fighting and has been repeatedly attacked by Russian forces since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Before the full-scale invasion, Chasiv Yar was home to about 12,000 people. By April 2024, around 700 people remained.

In his message about the attack, Filashkin reiterated that civilians should evacuate the town.

Andrii Polukhin, a spokesperson for Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade, said on Aug. 29 that the town has been "destroyed" in the fighting.

Read also: Silent killer: Russia boosts grinding Donbas advance with chemical warfare

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russian bomb attacks on Ukraines Kharkiv leave at least 8 dead, more than 100 injured

A day of mourning has been declared in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, following Russian bomb attacks that killed at least eight civilians, including a child in a playground.

Six people were killed and at least 97 people were injured, including 24 children, when Moscow struck the city with five guided aerial bombs on Friday, according to Ukrainian authorities, in one of the most impactful Russian attacks on the region over the summer. Among the dead was 14-year-old named Sofia, who was in a playground when she was killed, according to Ukrainian authorities.

On Saturday, a further two people were killed and at least 10 injured, including two children, when Russian forces struck the Cherkaska Lozova village, also in Kharkiv.

These horrific, cowardly Russian strikes targeted ordinary homes and a city park. Russia will be held accountable for all its evil deeds, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said following the attack on Friday, again pressing Western allies to step up their military support.

We need decisions  decisions that our partners can make, decisions from those countries that have the power to ensure we have the capability to destroy Russian military aircraft at their bases, where eliminating these terrorists and their aircraft will be most effective, he said.

Russian forces conducted Fridays massive bombardment of the city using Su-34 fight jets that were deployed from the border Belgorod region, according to the head of the Kharkiv regional prosecutors office, Oleksandr Filchakov.

The 500 kilogram (1,100 lb) guided aerial bombs were launched from Russian territory and are very difficult to intercept, according to Ukrainian officials.

This is a bomb with a control module, which means that the enemy was specifically targeting residential infrastructure, the head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov, said Saturday.

Striking the airplanes that carry those bombs is the most effective way to prevent such attacks, Zelensky has argued, as he continues to urge the United States and Western partners to lift restrictions on using long-range weapons to hit military targets on Russian territory.

The guided aerial bombs hit civilian infrastructure in four districts of the city in the Friday afternoon attack, Filchakov said, adding that 82 apartment buildings, 11 private houses, three administrative buildings, two educational establishments, 47 shopping facilities, 57 cars, two warehouses, 10 garages and an enterprise facility were damaged.

In the strike Saturday, the Russian military used a guided FAB-500 bomb, which damaged about 20 houses, the regional prosecutors office said.

A woman who was in the immediate epicenter of the explosion was killed, as well as her neighbor, it said.

Meanwhile, civilian evacuations continue in the Donetsk region, where Russian forces aim to take control of the strategic town of Pokrovsk. The town serves as a key hub for the Ukrainian military because of its easy access to Kostiantynivka, another military center. Ukraine uses the road connecting the two to resupply the front lines and evacuate casualties.

Over the last three days, 86 children have been evacuated from Kostiantynivka and nearby areas along with their parents as Russian shelling intensifies, regional officials said Saturday. There were nearly 2,130 children living in the community prior to the mandatory evacuation.

Children and their parents are being taken out by armored vehicles from settlements located less than 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles) from the front line, according to Ukraines National Police.

We didnt even think about leaving. We didnt want to leave what we have. We are leaving because of the children, to keep them safe, one of the evacuated mothers said.

At least one person has been killed in Kostiantynivka and at least 11 injured over the past week, according to police.

Ukrainian officials say that Russia specifically targeted civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv. - Ivan Samoilov/AFP/Getty Images

Ukraine strikes Russias Belgorod

Meanwhile, Ukrainian attacks across the border into Russia continued on Saturday.

At least five people were killed and more than 50 injured across Russias Belgorod region over the last 24 hours, the regional governor said Saturday.

Most of the casualties occurred in the city of Belgorod, where three people were killed and 31 civilians, including three children, were injured. More than 20 people remained hospitalized on Saturday, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Civilian infrastructure across the region was damaged, he said.

Ukrainian attacks in Russias Kursk region also continued, Moscow said Saturday. Kyivs forces have made further advancements in their incursion into the border region, Ukraines army chief said Friday.

Kyivs troops have advanced up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) further in some areas over the past 24 hours, taking control of an additional 5 square kilometers of the territory, Ukraines top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said Friday.

In addition to the casualties in Kharkiv, Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory have killed at least three people and injured 16 over the past 24 hours, according to officials.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Saturday that Russian forces had attacked Ukraine overnight with an Iskander-M ballistic missile launched from Voronezh region, four S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles launched from occupied parts of the Donetsk region, and 52 Shahed drones launched from Kursk region.

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While in Ukraine lard is eaten on its own with onions and bread, pickled or made into spread, in Italy, this product is used to make a real culinary masterpiece called porchetta. This is a roll of high-quality lard, which is wrapped in a large amount of filling and spices. The dish is served with two types of sauce.

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Famous Ukrainian chef Yevhen Klopotenko told us how to cook delicious porchetta on his website.

Ingredients:

lard - 2 kg

pitted olives - 100 g

walnuts - 100 g

pickled green peppers - 3-4 pcs

dry oregano - 1 pack

garlic - 6 cloves

grain mustard - 4 tbsp

onion - 1 pc

parsley - 1 bunch

sunflower oil - 150 ml

lemon juice - 1/2

bread crust (white or French baguette) - 1 pc

balsamic vinegar - 3 tbsp

salt - to taste

Method of preparation:

1. Chop the olives and nuts.

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2. Put the filling in a bowl.

3. Put the lard on the surface with the skin side down.

4. Rub with salt and oregano.

5. Spread the filling evenly, leaving a little space around the edges.

6. Cut three cloves of garlic in half and add to the filling.

7. Add pickled peppers.

8. Lubricate with mustard.

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9. Roll up and tie it with culinary thread on all sides.

10. Grease a baking dish with olive oil and put the roll in it.

11. Add the remaining garlic and onion.

12. Bake at 190 degrees for 1.5 hours.

13. Prepare the sauce: rinse the parsley well and remove tops.

14. Cut into several pieces and put into a blender bowl.

15. Add oil, 2 cloves of garlic and bread crust.

16. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and add salt.

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17. Beat everything until it's smooth.

18. To make the second sauce, stew 3 tbsp of mustard with balsamic vinegar (3 tbsp) in a preheated frying pan for 2-3 minutes. The vinegar should evaporate.

19. Cut the roll into pieces and serve with the sauces.
Russian troops are wiping" the Ukrainian-captured town of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast "off the face of the earth", Oleksandr Pavliuk, commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces, said on Aug. 31.

Russia is regularly shelling Sudzha and attacking it with guided aerial bombs and kamikaze drones, according to Pavliuk.

As Kyiv's incursion into Kursk Oblast enters its fourth week, Ukraine reportedly controls over 1,290 square kilometers (500 square miles) and 100 settlements, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Aug. 27.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.

"(Russian forces) are destroying their own people. Despite the fact that Sudzha is in the rear, the Russians are wiping it off the face of the earth," Pavliuk said.

About 200 residents remain in Sudzha, which had a population of 5,000 before the incursion, the general said. Most of them are elderly.

"According to the international humanitarian law, Ukrainian troops help (the residents of Suzha)," Pavliuk added.

Sudzha is located less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Ukraine, while the city of Kursk lies 85 kilometers (53 miles) to the northeast of Sudzha.

Moscow has redeployed about 30,000 of its troops from other sectors to the Kursk direction, "and this number is growing," Syrskyi said on Aug. 27. At the same time, Russia deployed its most combat-ready units in the Pokrovsk sector, he added.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the ongoing Kursk incursion is one part of a plan for victory that he would present to U.S. President Joe Biden during a meeting in September.

Read also: Russian POWs on their capture in Kursk Oblast: Commanders just disappeared

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russian Mi-8 helicopter with 22 people on board goes missing in Kamchatka, Kremlin media reports

A Russian Mi-8 helicopter with 22 people on board has gone missing in the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East, Russian state media reported on Aug. 31.

According to Tass, the aircraft belongs to the Vityaz-Aero airline which organizes tourist trips on the peninsula, and disappeared during a visit to the Vachkazhets volcano.

A spokesperson for the airline initially confirmed three crew members were on board, and another of its helicopters was conducting a search.

Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency later reported 22 people were on board the missing helicopter.

The Investigative Committee for Transport has launched an investigation.

Russia's aviation industry has been hit hard by Western sanctions introduced in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and multiple incidents involving equipment malfunction on civilian airplanes have been reported.

Western sanctions have included a ban on the ability of Russian airlines or Russian-owned airplanes to use EU airspace, as well as prohibiting the export of aviation-related technology, some of which is used in Russian helicopters.

The safety of Russian airlines has deteriorated as companies scramble to find spare parts.

Russia's Foreign Ministry officially filed a complaint with the U.N.'s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) last year, saying that the sanctions "jeopardized the safety of international civil aviation."

Read also: Silent killer: Russia boosts grinding Donbas advance with chemical warfare

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Russian forces struck the village of Cherkaska Lozova in Kharkiv Oblast on Saturday, leaving two people dead and 11 injured.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast State Administration, on Telegram; Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutors Office on Telegram

Details: Syniehubov reported that the Russians had attacked the village of Cherkaska Lozova at 14:55, causing a house to catch fire. He did not specify the type of weapons used in the attack.

The official initially reported that four people had been injured, but later, the number increased to eight.

Later, Syniehubov added that a woman had been killed in the Russian bombardment of Cherkaska Lozova. Her identity is being established.

Syniehubov noted at 16:06 that the death toll from the attack had risen to two.

Updated: Later, Syniehubov clarified the information regarding the fatalities and injuries caused by the Russian strike on the village of Cherkaska Lozova.

"Two women have been killed: one has been retrieved from the rubble, the other died in an ambulance. Ten people, including two children, have been injured," he noted.

Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutors Office later said that the number of casualties has risen to 11, a 14-year-old girl is among them.

"Two women, both aged 41, were killed in the village of Cherkaska Lozova in [Russian] shelling. Another 11 civilians sustained injuries, including a 14-year-old girl. Several residential buildings and cars were destroyed and damaged. A fire broke out," the prosecutors office said.

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At least five civilians in the city of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, were killed as a result of a Russian attack on the morning of 31 August.

Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from Filashkin: "At least five people were killed in the attack on Chasiv Yar. The Russians attacked the city this morning, with projectiles hitting a house and an apartment building."

Details: Filashkin said the deceased were men aged 24 to 38.

"Chasiv Yar has been unable to experience normal life for over two years. Dont make yourself a Russian target! Evacuate!" Filashkin urged the locals.

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Russians are wiping Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast off the face of the earth  Ukrainian forces, photos

The aftermath of hostilities in the Russian town of Sudzha. Photo: Ukraine's Ground Forces

Ukraine's Ground Forces have reported that the Russians are wiping the town of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast off the face of the earth. Sudzha is currently controlled by the Ukrainian military.

Source: a statement from Ukraine's Ground Forces

  , :   

The aftermath of hostilities in the Russian town of Sudzha

.Photo: Ukraine's Ground Forces

Quote: "They are killing their own people. Even though Sudzha is located in the rear, the Russians are wiping it off the face of the earth: they are bombarding it with guided aerial bombs (GABs), artillery and kamikaze drones.

On Friday, 30 August, a Russian UAV hit a local kindergarten, and enemy aircraft struck houses in a residential area in Sudzha."

See also: "You always feel sorry for civilians, whether theyre Russians or not" | A UP. Report [ENG SUB]

Details: The statement reveals that approximately 200 civilians remain in the city out of a population of around 5,000. According to international humanitarian law, these civilians, who are predominantly of retirement age, are receiving assistance from the Ukrainian military.

  , :   

The aftermath of hostilities in the Russian town of Sudzha

Photo: Ukraine's Ground Forces

Recently, officials from the newly established Ukrainian military commandant's office have set up a water supply system in Sudzha to ensure the local population has access to drinking water. Previously, the Ukrainian military addressed this issue using water trucks and vehicles with large tanks.

  , :   

The aftermath of hostilities in the Russian town of Sudzha

Photo: Ukraine's Ground Forces

"Ukrainian troops are also providing medical assistance to civilians in Sudzha: at stabilisation centres, in medical evacuation vehicles, and wherever there are injured and sick people," the Ukrainian Ground Forces stressed.

Read also: Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi's raid: how the Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk Oblast is progressing and what to expect next

Background:

Ukrainian forces crossed the Russo-Ukrainian border near the town of Sudzha, Kursk Oblast, on 6 August 2024.

On 12 August, the Ukrainian authorities confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian forces were holding a special operation in Kursk Oblast.

In particular, the town of Sudzha is under Ukrainian control, and Ukrainian and foreign journalists have visited it. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) opened criminal cases against American and Ukrainian journalists who filmed in the area of the town of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast after it was taken over by Ukrainian troops.

As of 20 August, the Ukrainian military had taken control of over 1,260 sq. km of territory and 93 settlements in Kursk Oblast.

On 30 August, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported at a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff that Ukrainian troops had advanced up to 2 km in certain areas of Kursk Oblast over the previous day and had gained control of 5 sq. km of Russian territory.

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(FOX40.COM)  With 916 Day approaching, the city of Sacramento is hosting a variety of volunteer events across the city.

The city said volunteers are needed for seven events at Sacramento parks to help celebrate the holiday.

The volunteer events are being hosted by the citys Department of Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment (YPCE) and the Parks Community Enrichment Commission to promote volunteerism and partnerships at parks and green spaces.

Sacramento R&B music event coming to Cesar Chavez Park

Volunteers will be tasked with a variety of duties, which will be different depending on which event they attend.

Our city parks are the heart of our communities, YPCE Director Jackie Beecham said in a press release. Your volunteer efforts alongside our commissioners and staff will enhance our parks in a meaningful way, creating cleaner, safer, and more beautiful spaces for everyone to enjoy.

Those who are interested in volunteering can register online. Volunteers will be able to enjoy snacks and refreshments at each event, according to the city.

Labor Day Weekend events in the Sacramento region

Below is a list of parks that will be hosting volunteer events before, during and after 916 Day.

North Natomas Community Park

Sept 13, 4-7 p.m.; 1839 N Bend Drive, Sacramento, CA 95835

Johnston Park

Sept. 7, 9 a.m. to noon; 231 Eleanor Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95815

Bannon Creek Pathway

Sept. 14, 1-4 p.m.; 2780 Azevedo Drive, Sacramento, CA 95883

Matsui Park/Intake Plaza for Hanami Line

Sept. 14, 9 a.m. to noon; 450 Jibboom Street, Sacramento, CA 95811



McClatchy Park

Sept. 15, 1-4 p.m.; 3500 5th Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95817



Bill Bean Jr. Park

Sept. 15, 8 a.m. to noon; 7400 17th Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95820



North Laguna Creek

5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; 6400 Jacinto Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95823

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  The Salvation Army will be feeding volunteers working to continue cleaning up McCook Lake on Saturday.

Siouxlands Salvation Army announced that they will be providing up to 100 free lunches for volunteers. On Saturday, a disaster relief team will load up a food truck and drive to McCook Lake.

FEMA approves 647 applications; opening recovery center in Canton Friday

Saturday is just the first day of a three-day community cleanup event in response to Junes severe flooding. The event, hosted by the McCook Lake Izaak Walton League, goes until Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

The Salvation Army of Siouxland says they plan to continue to assist volunteer and recovery efforts in Union County in the coming weeks.

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After years of hard work and negotiations, a new, 25-years lease for Californias San Onofre State Park is now in place, and one of the Golden States most loved surf zones is safe for another quarter century. The new lease agreement for San Onofre was hashed out by Federal and State officials, along with the tireless advocacy of folks at the San Onofre Parks Foundation and the Surfrider Foundation.

California just signed a new deal with our federal partners to keep San Onofre open as a state park for another 25 years, shared California Governor Gavin Newsom on social media on Friday night. San Onofres beaches, hiking and biking trails, and campgrounds will continue to welcome visitors for years to come.

The 25-year-long lease between State Parks and the Marine base ensures continued public access, management, and protection of this beloved coastal resource into the future, confirms a Surfrider statement.

Californias 50-year lease of San Onofre from the United States Department of Navy, which was originally signed in 1971 in large part thanks to President Richard Nixon, expired in August of 2021, but was granted a three-year extension while negotiations were still taking place. The area thats currently being leased is some of Southern Californias most pristine and prized surfing grounds. It stretches from San Mateo Point (Cottons) all the way through Trail 6 at the Bluffs Campground. It is also comprised of nearly 2,000 acres of land, including camping facilities.

San Onofres rich history predates any European activity in the area. Eight thousand years ago the village of Panhe was a sacred ceremonial cultural and burial site for the Acjachemen people. Their ancestors continue to play a critical role in the area.

San Onofre State Beach is the ancestral home to the Achajemen village of Panhe, a native habitat to 12 endangered species, at the mouth of one of the last remaining undammed streams in California, and the site of multiple world-renowned surf breaks, continues Surfriders statement.

The first time the words San Onofre show up in historical texts is in the original Santa Margarita Land Grant documents dating back to 1836. Where it came from before that is up for debate. Some believe that San Onofre is a mash-up of the local Native American dialect and Spanish used by early European settlers to describe the nearby creek and valleys. Others theorize that Spanish missionaries named the area after the sixth century Egyptian saint, Onofreas. Whatever the case, when a small train station was built in 1880 and a hand-lettered sign hung out front reading, San Onofre, it was official.

Related: Surfers Remember San Onofre on Pearl Harbor Day

San O wasnt actually surfed for the first time until the 1920s. Its been estimated that going into the 30s there was less than 100 surfers in Southern California. Eventually word of a fishing camp on a desolate stretch of beach halfway between L.A. and San Diego captured the imagination of this intrepid group. In 1937, a man by the name of Frank Ulrich took control of the fishing camp. He opened a gas station and cafe along the Pacifica Coast Highway and began charging surfers 25 cents to spend the day at his beach (50 cents covered you for the weekend).

Times were tough in those days, moneywise, life-long San Onofre surfer E.J Oshier told the San Onofre Parks Foundation. He passed away in 2007. It was still in the Depression days, see? Money was hard to come by, and some of us guys were coming all the way down from the Palos Verdes area. So, wed get a few of us to pitch in enough for some gas and jug of wineThats why we didnt spend money on surfboards or trunks back then. If any of us had [money] we were off to Nofre.

Very quickly the bohemian surf lifestyle took hold at San Onofre.

Wed camp out there for days at a time and just sleep on the beach, explained the late Leroy Grannis, who was a surf photography pioneer and distinguished member of the Palos Verdes Surfing Club. During the week you would get it all to yourself; but on the weekend, all sorts of characters showed up.

Throughout the 30s the crew at San Onofre coalesced around the concept of remaining aloof from the rest of the Southern California surf scene, which by this time was starting to take itself more seriously. Competitions were starting to be organized and regional surf clubs formed.

The real Nofre guys didnt care about a Club, explained Oshier. They went there to get away from that.

In 1941, the United States entered into World War II and a lot of the San O regulars signed up for the service. In 43, the U.S. Department of Interior claimed eminent domain over the Santa Margarita Ranch property and it was leased to the Marine Corps and Camp Pendleton was built.

San O enjoyed a renaissance after the war when the San Onofre Surfing Club was founded in 1951. The good times rolled on the beach until the turbulent 60s, when President Richard Nixons Western White House, the Vietnam War and the construction of the nuclear power plant all contributed to a rapidly changing landscape. Somehow, everyone still managed to figure out how to keep surfing.

Today, the San Onofre Surf Club is thriving. Families, weirdos and rebels still frequent the parking lot every day. The surf has remained as playful as it ever was. The vibes are always good, and now theres a new 25-year lease in place to ensure that the good times keep on rolling.

Related: Save The Waves Sounds the Alarm on Uluwatu Construction Project

Related: The Fight to Save a Precious Pointbreak in Tobago
ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis Circuit Court judge signed an arrest warrant for a grocery store employee accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of lottery tickets from the store.

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Departments probable cause statement, the theft occurred at the Save A Lot store on Riverview Boulevard in the Baden neighborhood.

Police said that Missouri Lottery officials informed Save A Lot management that about $14,000 worth of tickets had activated in a short period of time. Store personnel reviewed surveillance video and saw Candice Ward, 43, activate the tickets and leave the store with them.

The St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office charged Ward with stealing  $750 or more. Her arrest warrant carries a $5,000 cash-only bond.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
SC DMV employee stole more than $19K in public money for over a year, SLED says

An employee of the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles has been charged with stealing public money, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division announced.

The DMV inspector general received a complaint from a customer who said she was overcharged for her title by Shayla Singleton-Drayton, according to an affidavit. Singleton-Drayton, 44, was a customer service representative at the St. George SCDMV office in Dorchester County. Her responsibilities entailed the safekeeping, transfer and disbursement of public friends.

The customer was charged $600 instead of the appropriate $585. Further investigation found that only $85 was deposited into the cash drawer. The SCDMV further reviewed Singleton-Draytons transactions and discovered she had processed title transactions but did not account for all the funds received.

Between December 1, 2022, and March 7, 2024, according to an affidavit, Singleton-Drayton stole $19,451 in public funds.

She admitted to SLED agents that she had stolen the money because she had financial problems, and used it to pay her personal bills and other expenses.

Singleton-Drayton was charged on Wednesday with embezzlement of public funds with a value greater than $10,000, SLED said. She was booked into the Dorchester County Detention Center. The 1st Circuit Solicitors Office will prosecute the case.
GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)  A series of conscious failures by Georgetown County Detention Center staff is to blame for the lethal March drug overdose of a 23-year-old inmate, her family said in a newly filed lawsuit.

Shelby Ashby was found unresponsive in her cell March 15, dying four days later at a local hospital. Alecia Childers, 34, also died in the same incident.

The women were allegedly given the drugs by Kelly Lambert, 45, of Andrews, who has been charged with bringing a controlled substance into a facility and possession of contraband, Sheriff Carter Weavers office said. At the time Ashby and Childers overdosed, Lambert was serving a sentence on weekends for a traffic charge.

Georgetown-wrongful-death-suitDownload

The overdoses prompted Weaver to immediately launch a criminal probe to determine how contraband and illicit drugs were brought into the jail and to hold any and all persons responsible in this matter.

The 11-page complaint filed Aug. 20 in Georgetown County Common Pleas Court outlines a series of alleged missteps and communication lapses that allowed the drugs to enter a secure facility, including:

inadequate searches of people during the booking process

failure to perform required security checks of detainees every 30 minutes

improper training and monitoring of correctional staff

Lambert was booked into the detention center around 6 p.m. on March 15 to begin serving a weekend sentence, but was able to smuggle a heroin/fentanyl mix into the cell block, according to the lawsuit.

Additionally, (Ashby) and Lambert were not properly checked on by any security staff for at least two hours. These actions were conscious violations of the Detention Centers policies and procedures with regard to booking, security checks and search procedures.

Between 8 p.m. and 8:45 p.m., guards responded to Childers and Ashbys cells after they were alerted by other inmates that both women were unconscious.

By 9:15 p.m., EMS crews arrived to take over Ashbys care. She died the afternoon of March 19.

Had the Defendants properly followed their training, policies, and procedures, it is likely that the contraband would not have been allowed to enter the facility, the lawsuit claims.

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Ex-White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said Friday in an interview that when it comes to former President Trumps contradictory stance on the issue of abortion, he knows hes in trouble.

Hes done a very good job of the last nine years of saying two contradictory things at the exact same time and giving enough food for everybody at the table, Scaramucci told Alex Marquardt on CNNs The Situation Room.

Hes in trouble. He knows it, he continued later. And the interesting conversation you guys were having before the break, its going to be very hard for women, even conservative women, to give up their reproductive freedoms to [Ohio Sen.] J.D. Vance [R] and Donald Trump. And he knows that.

Scaramucci added, Hes got very good political instincts. So, this is a vexing problem for him right now.

The remarks come after Trump said he would not vote for an upcoming Florida ballot measure that would prevent future Sunshine State legislation limiting abortion access and overturn the states current ban on the procedure  which bars abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

The former president previously indicated the length of the ban was too short.

I think six weeks  you need more time than six weeks. Ive disagreed with that right from the early primaries when I heard about it, I disagreed with it, Trump, the GOP nominee for president, told Fox Newss Bryan Llenas Friday. At the same time, the Democrats are radical because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation.

All of that stuff is unacceptable, so I will be voting no for that reason, he added.

Scaramucci also suggested that his former boss gaslit people through his wavering stance on the issue.

Thats what hes doing right now, the former White House official said. Hes shotgunning out statements and words.

The conservatives in this party are calling him up saying You cant do that. Many of these pro-life conservatives will not come out to vote for you. You have a low ceiling at 47.5 percent. Youve never been able to punch through that. You need every one of these votes,' he continued. And so he equivocates and goes back out there and says what he said today.

Despite the push back on the issue, Trump has taken credit for the overturn of Roe v. Wade, which returned the issue of abortion access back to the states. Earlier this month the former president said he has no regrets that the GOP-majority Supreme Court justices ruled against the federal right to abortion.

Nobody is going to listen to someone who barely lasted more time than an expired ham sandwich as White House communications director, Steven Cheung, a communications director with the Trump campaign said in a Saturday email to The Hill.

Updated at 6:05 p.m. EST.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)  A bus driver was charged with careless and reckless driving after a crash Friday in Pitt County.

It happened at around 3 p.m. in the area of Arden Ridge Drive, according to the N.C. State Highway Patrol.

Troopers said Charlie Vines, 73, was trying to turn the bus around when he slid out of the drivers seat and lost control of the bus. The bus went into a ditch and came to a stop. There were students on board but no one was injured.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.
SCOTUS ruling on citizenship proof for new voters has an outsized impact for Native voters

An American flag with an image of Native American on it is attached to a fence outside a home in the East To'Hajiilee housing community amid the spread of the coronavirus on May 25, 2020, in ToHajiilee Indian Reservation, New Mexico. Photo by Sam Wasson | Getty Images

With the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that now requires potential voters to provide proof of citizenship with their state-created voter registration forms, Indigenous voting rights advocates want Indigenous people to know that they can still register to vote as tribal citizens.

Patty Ferguson-Bohnee said that Indigenous people living in Arizona who are enrolled in a federally recognized tribe can use their tribal identification numbers to prove their citizenship.

As long as a tribal member is an enrolled member of their tribe, they can use that tribal ID number to register on the state form, and that will prove citizenship for purposes of voter registration, she said, adding that its because all Indigenous peoples were declared citizens of the United States in 1924.

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Ferguson-Bohnee is the Director of the Indian Legal Clinic and a Clinical Professor of Law at the Sandra Day OConnor College of Law. She also coordinates the Arizona Native Vote Election Protect Project, which focuses on protecting the right to vote for Indigenous voters in Arizona.

If you prove youre a Native American through using your enrollment number, your citizenship is verified, she said because there is a space for Indigenous peoples to include that specific information on the state voter registration form.

The people who are registering voters need to know that we cant leave that blank because if you do not provide that on your state form, they will reject it, Ferguson-Bohnee added.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Aug. 22 that Arizona can enforce part of a voter registration law being challenged in federal court, allowing the state to bar legal voters from registering weeks before the election.

Ferguson-Bohnee said the law will cause some confusion among organizations and people out in the community trying to register voters, and it may discourage voters from registering.

The goal of the law was to create barriers to the ballot box, she said. And even to prevent eligible voters from registering to vote.

Lower courts initially blocked the Arizona law in 2022, but in a5-4 order, the Supreme Court reinstated a portion of the law that allows the state to stop accepting state-created voter registration forms from Arizona residents unless they provide proof of citizenship.

The ruling means that potential voters who register to vote in Arizona using the state-created voter registration forms will need documentation proving citizenship for the registration to be valid. If no proof is provided, the state will reject the form  without informing them.

Ferguson Bohnee said there is no option to correct the form once it gets rejected, so she suggests that people register with the federal forms first. Then, when they have all the documentation readily available, their registration can be promoted to full-ballot voters.

Its very discouraging because its making a change right in the midst of the election process when people are registering people to vote, Ferguson-Bohnee said. This decision by the court is revising the playing field for election law.

Not all Indigenous peoples may have their enrollment numbers available, but that shouldnt discourage them from trying to register to vote. Ferguson-Bohnee said that is when they should register using the federal voter registration form.

She said that registering with a federal form only requires people to affirm their citizenship, not provide document proof, so people will be registered to vote in federal elections, including the presidential and senate races.

However, Ferguson-Bohnee said that if the voter can provide documentary proof of citizenship later, their status will be moved to a full ballot voter, which includes state elections  but that has to be done the Thursday before Election Day.

The court ruling has left some voting organizations baffled about their best course of action because it disrupts the plan of action that has been in motion within Indigenous communities for months.

Arizona Native Vote Executive Director Jaynie Parrish said it has left her team in limbo.

Were waiting to hear more directions on what our team needs to do, Parrish said, adding they havent been provided a clear path forward on how this impacts Indigenous voters in Arizona.

Arizona Native Vote is a grassroots organization that works to increase civic engagement and election participation in tribal and rural communities. The organization often hosts voter registration events within Indigenous communities to register Indigenous people to vote.

Were just not sure the scope of how this will really impact tribal and rural communities, she added, but she said she knows that whenever one group is targeted, others are impacted as well.

Parrish said there have always been difficulties for Indigenous peoples in Arizona when it comes to voting, whether its the rural addresses or access to polling locations.

Now, adding another layer of requirements, Parrish said, will be challenging because her on-the-ground team will need to find ways to accommodate that requirement for the Indigenous peoples they register to vote.

She said she is curious if it will simply involve adding additional printers and scanners to their efforts in the field so that they can photocopy the documents needed to send them in with voter registrations.

For now, the uncertainty means Parrish and her team are considering briefly suspending their on-the-ground voter registration efforts until they better understand what is happening.

Its disheartening, Parrish said, adding that is what voter disenfranchisement is meant to do. Were at a crossroads, and we just have to keep pushing forward.

Parrish said she hopes Indigenous voters dont feel discouraged from participating in the election and to check on their voter registration status to ensure they can vote.

Its clearly a voter suppression tactic and is why groups like us exist to help our voters navigate and understand, She said.

Ceridwen Cherry, the legal director for voter advocacy group VoteRiders, said there are about 41,000 federal-only voters in Arizona who are allowed to vote on federal races, but not state ones, because they havent provided proof of citizenship.

Thats a pretty decent chunk of people who are in this category right now, Cherry said. Were going to be doing outreach to all 41,000 of those voters in Arizona to offer them our services.

Cherry said her organization partnered on a national study that found that about 21.3 million American citizens of voting age lack ready access to a document proving citizenship, such as a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, naturalization certificate or citizenship certificate.

The surveys results indicate that requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote would create significant barriers for eligible voters, the Brennan Center stated in a press release.

The survey also found that, of the 21.3 million American citizens lacking ready access to documentary proof of citizenship, at least 3.8 million dont have these documents at all.

That is whats really concerning to us is that there are voters who are just going to be entirely disenfranchised from participation, she added.

The survey also showed that 11% of American citizens of color who are voting age are unable to readily access documentary proof of citizenship, compared to 8% of white American citizens.

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SDSU fans in Oklahoma for Jacks opening game

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO)  SDSU fans arrived in Stillwater Oklahoma to watch the Jacks face off with Oklahoma State Saturday.

SDSU puts 29-game win streak on line at Oklahoma State

Jacks fans with KELOLANDs Ian Sacks and Mitchell Olson

Jacks fans

The kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.

About 50 fans were accompanied by several KELOLAND staff on the FANfare bus.

SDSU football fans head to Oklahoma

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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  The Sedgwick County Zoo is helping return the Guam Kingfisher, which has been extinct in the wild for over 30 years, to the wild in the Pacific.

Nine of the zoos Kingfisher birds are heading to an island south of Hawaii. They were initially found in Guam until the United States accidentally introduced the brown tree snake there after World War II.

The brown tree snake isnt an evil animal. Its just doing what it does, Scott Newland, the president and CEO of Sedgwick County Zoo, said. But unfortunately, the Guam Kingfisher, the Guam Rales, and a couple of other bird species on the island just didnt have the defenses to deal with the predatory nature of the brown tree snake.

Newton High senior dies in car accident, community left in mourning

The birds were raised in a special quarantine facility at the zoo. Newland said its rare for people to experience this type of event.

For some of our staff, their interest with the animals that they take care of, they might never have an opportunity to see one of the animals that theyve reared go back into the wild, Newland said. So this is incredibly emotional for a lot of us.

Scientists will monitor the birds to see how they behave in the wild.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
Serbia unlikely to join EU before end of decade, says President Vucic

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday his country was unlikely to enter the European Union in 2028, a date targeted by some other western Balkan countries hoping to join the bloc.

"I don't believe we are going to be a part of the European Union in 2028," Vucic told a panel of the Globsec security conference in Prague. "It's not going to happen (EU membership), I don't lie to my people."

"And I believe that if some of us might become members of the EU it cannot happen before 2030, but that is just my assessment," he added. "What might happen in the meantime, nobody knows."

Vucic's remarks came two days after Serbia made a landmark weapons deal with France's Dasault Aviation by purchasing 12 new Rafale fighter jets, in a major shift away from its defence cooperation with Moscow.

To join the EU, Serbia has to improve its democracy, the rule of law, its judiciary, the economy, and root out corruption and organised crime.

Serbia has faced a balancing act between its EU aspirations and its ties to Russia, on which it is dependent for gas and which has supported Belgrade in its opposition to the 2008 independence of Kosovo.

Serbia has repeatedly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and supplies Kyiv with artillery ammunition, but Belgrade must still align its foreign policies with those of the EU, including the introduction of sanctions against Moscow, if it wants to join the bloc.

Speaking on the same Globsec panel on Saturday, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic said his country, which is already a member of NATO, hoped to join the EU by 2028.

"We would like to come to the final stage, and now the goal is to become the 28th member state of the EU as of 2028. This is an ambitious goal but I very much hope (it) to be a realistic goal," he said.

(Reporting by Jason Hovet and Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Gareth Jones)
China's top market regulator said on Friday that it has successfully guided technology giant Alibaba Group through a three-year antitrust compliance overhaul, ending the company's monopolistic practices and boosting fair market competition in the country's online retailing sector.

The State Administration for Market Regulation had fined Alibaba 18.23 billion yuan ($2.78 billion) for monopolistic behavior in 2021, including the company's malpractices in forcing merchants to sell exclusively on Alibaba's platforms.

Following the fine, Alibaba was required to conduct a thorough self-inspection, implement corrective measures, and submit annual compliance reports to the regulator for three consecutive years, the SAMR said on Friday.

"After three years, Alibaba has fully ceased its monopolistic practices. The company has taken significant steps to regulate its business practices, fulfill its responsibilities as a platform, and improve its compliance management systems," the regulator added.

The SAMR emphasized that these changes have led to improved services for both merchants and consumers, fostering a more competitive and fair market environment.

Alibaba said the regulator's move marked a "new starting point" for the company.

"In the future, we will continue to focus on innovation, maintain compliant operations, and increase investment in technology, to promote the healthy development of the platform economy and create more value for society," the company said.

On Friday, the SAMR said the positive result also came as it had conducted detailed investigations and commissioned third-party assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of the company's compliance efforts.

"Looking ahead, the SAMR will continue to guide the company in maintaining its compliance, improving operational standards, and supporting its development into a world-class enterprise," it added.
We need to set limits to Russian aggression  Czech Foreign Minister

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky believes that Russia's military plans are not limited to the seizure of Ukraine.

Source: Lipavsky in a speech at the GLOBSEC conference, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Lipavsky rebuked those in Europe who consider it acceptable to "appease Russia" through concessions to Ukraine's interests.

Quote: "It is naive to think that if Russia won in Ukraine, its tanks would stop at its western borders. In this twisted vision, the sovereignty and integrity of nearby countries and their citizens' freedom would need to align with the Kremlins will."

More details: Lipavsky also stressed that Russia is waging a war against the West, not against Ukraine, so allowing it to win would mean a "fundamentally insecure and volatile Europe".

He noted that Russia understands firmness and strength, and these are the tools that should be used. "Russian aggression has no limits unless we set them," he explained.

"If we truly believe in protecting our values, we must have the courage to act," Lipavsky added.

Background:

Earlier, Czech President Petr Pavel announced at a conference in Prague that the outcome of the war is unpredictable.

However, not all EU states share this view. Hungarian PM Viktor Orbans government, in particular, has no plans to change its policy towards Ukraine even if Trump loses the election.

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Settlement agreement could keep Steward hospitals open and save jobs

(WKBN)  Steward Health Care has reached a settlement agreement with its landlord, Medical Properties Trust. The agreement would resolve billions of dollars in lease obligations.

The deal allows Steward to transfer some hospitals to new operators, with MPT covering the costs to keep them running.

Both sides have agreed to drop claims against each other, including billions of dollars that MPT claimed Steward owed.

This tentative agreement would help Steward focus on paying off its debts, while keeping most of its hospitals open and saving nearly 30,000 jobs.

A court will review the agreement soon, with a hearing expected on September 10.

Lindsey Watson contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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After four years, a class action lawsuit over a biodigester in Greene County has been settled.

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Dovetail Energy, LLC has been ordered to pay a total of $635,000 and any attorney or out-of-pocket fees to a group of Fairborn and Bath Township residents who lived near the biodigester, according to court documents.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

A lump sum of $10,000 will be paid to each named and unnamed member of the class-action settlement

The lawsuit filed in December 2020 states that the odors from the facility were so intense many residents in the area said they could no longer do outdoor activities or have their windows open.

The settlement also requested that the site be closed, but the biodigester was shut down on Jan. 31, 2024, after a separate lawsuit from the Attorney Generals Office against its previous owner Renergy.

A biodigester breaks down waste and produces fertilizer as well as methane to sell for electricity production.

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Seven arrested, including one minor, in shooting death of 18-year-old

(FOX40.COM)  Sacramento Police announced on Friday the arrest of six adults and one minor in connection with the shooting death of an 18-year-old that happened in June.

The arrests happened during an operation on Wednesday, police said.

California introduces new ways to turn in bottles and cans for money

The victim in the shooting was Daani Partridge III, 18, who died near 5th St. and Seavey Circle on June 23 from at least one gunshot wound.

Five of the suspects were arrested on homicide-related charges, including a 17-year-old. One of those suspects also faces robbery-related charges, police said.

One suspect was arrested on a parole violation and another was arrested on an outstanding warrant and firearms-related charges.

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Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) hailed a Friday state court ruling that he says will protect Keystone State residents right to vote.

The Commonwealth Court ruling ended a requirement that every mail-in ballot in the state require a handwritten date on the envelope. Under the initial rule, any envelope containing a ballot without a clear date would not be counted, The Associated Press reported.

Judge Ellen Ceisler, in the majority opinion, wrote that the refusal to count undated or incorrectly dated but timely mail ballots submitted by otherwise eligible voters because of meaningless and inconsequential paperwork errors violates the fundamental right to vote.

Shapiro, previously a contender to be Vice President Harriss running mate, echoed Ceislers comments while praising the ruling.

This decision is a victory for Pennsylvanians fundamental right to vote, he wrote Friday on social media platform X.

Commonwealth Court got it right: an eligible voters minor error of forgetting to date or misdating a ballot envelope cannot be cause for disenfranchisement, the governor continued.  Ill always protect your right to a free, secure, and fair election.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania also praised the ruling as a victory.

Todays decision is a win for voters and democracy, the groups executive director Mike Lee wrote in a statement. No one should lose their vote over a simple human error that has no relevance to whether or not the ballot was received on time.

This decision preserves the votes of thousands of voters who make this mistake in every election, without undemocratic, punitive enforcement by the counties, the group added.

Pennsylvania is one of several hotly contested swing states during this years election cycle.

The Hill/Decision Desk HQs election tracker currently shows Harris with a 1.2-point lead  48.6 percent to 47.4 percent  over former President Trump in the Keystone State. She passed Trump in favorability in early August shortly after rising to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Biden dropped out of the race.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Shelter in place lifted overnight in City of Washington following police incident

A shelter-in-place order was lifted in the City of Washington overnight.

The order was put in place around 9 p.m. because of an active incident with heavy police presence in the 700 block of E Maiden Street, the Washington County Department of Public Safety said.

The community was asked to avoid the area, as well as shelter in place and keep all doors and windows locked. Residents are also encouraged to shut off HVAC systems due to police deploying mild irritants into the incident house.

The Washington County Department of Public Safety said the police incident was under control just before 3 a.m., although they said some police units were still in the area conducting their investigation.

The City of Washington Police Department said a suspect was taken into custody around 2 a.m.

No further information on the incident was immediately released.

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U.S. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade launch the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) from the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in Delamere, Northern Territory, Australia in support of Talisman Sabre 2023 on July 27, 2023. U.S. Army photo

Time will tell whether the Invasion of Kursk will be a masterstroke, a blunder or a wash. But some of Ukraines international boosters, especially in the United Kingdom and Lithuania, are warning that the West is hamstringing Ukraine through delivery delays and weapons restrictions.

Ukraine is reportedly digging into Russia, selecting which territory it will hold in Kursk and which it will give up as undefendable since its advance has largely stalled. And its use of forces to invade Russia, instead of reinforcing defenses in the east, has allowed Russia to push a salient toward Pokrovsk. Russian forces are within 10 miles of the major Ukrainian logistics node, per LiveUAMap and Institute for the Study of War interactive maps, as of August 30. That means Russian howitzers can fire their standard rounds from fairly safe distances and still degrade Ukraines logistics.

So whats happening and why cant Ukraine fix the situation with their longer-range and more powerful Western weapons? There are two major issues that both got coverage at the end of August: permissions and deliveries.

Permissions

First, the famous ATACMS that Ukraine spent over a year asking for before receiving. When America delivered the first batch of missiles in secret on October 2023, it allowed for epic strikes on Russian airfields and the destruction of nine helicopters at two airfields. But the U.S. has maintained strict rules around ATACMS use: No strikes into territory that was Russian before the 2014 invasion of Crimea.

So, even though ATACMS represents some of the longest-ranged artillery that Ukraine has, it cant use any of them to strike the major training, logistics, and command and control nodes making the push toward Pokrovsk or the defense of Kursk possible. The Institute for the Study of War, confirming the work of Twitter users @Archer83Able and @breakingcraft, says that at least 245 valid Russian targets are within range of the missiles but off limits to Ukrainian forces.

Meanwhile, Britain has reportedly asked the U.S. and France to greenlight Storm Shadow missile strikes in Russia, but those are also off-limits. (The U.K. donated the missiles, but some of the technology in the missiles and intelligence needed to hit the targets are controlled by the U.S. and France, so Ukraine needs permission from all three countries to conduct strikes.) Storm Shadow, also known as SCALP EG, missiles are fired from planes and can reach almost twice the range of ATACMS. That range is limited from Ukraine, though, because their jets typically launch from lower altitudes to avoid Russian air defenses, but Storm Shadow should be able to hit at least as many targets, and potentially more, than ATACMS.

But neither missile will take out any of those 245 targets unless the U.S. gives permission or Ukraine goes rogue. But theres another challenge for Ukraine: They havent received much of the promised aid, especially additional missile ammunition, promised this year.

Delivery delays

America is, by far, the largest single donor to Ukraine with over $100 billion allocated and pledged. Europe, combined, has done more with over $200 billion allocated and pledged, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. (If you break it down as a percentage of GDP, though, Denmark and the Baltic States are the clear heroes, all contributing over 1% of GDP to Ukraine aid.)

Not all of that is military aid, and theres a problem with the military aid that is promised: much of it is seriously delayed at any one time.

According to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, there have been no new deliveries of Western aid to Ukraine since June, despite a backlog of promised aid. Part of the delay is that many weapons promised to Ukraine have been in storage and need extensive repairs. He said some weapons promised in 2023 are scheduled for delivery in 2027.

Of course, even if Ukraine wins and does so before 2027, it will need to rebuild its arsenal to deter future Russian aggression. But thats cold comfort to the Ukrainian soldier currently slogging through Kursk or standing strong outside Pokrovsk.

Every delivery delay and string attached to aid benefits one man: Vladimir Putin, who will drag out this war for as long as he can to stay in power and prevent a reckoning with his own people.
ST. LOUIS  Six Flags St. Louis has introduced a new chaperone policy for Fright Fest events, requiring all guests 15 and under to be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years old.

The policy will take effect on Friday, Sept. 13 and run through the end of Fright Fest events on Sunday, Nov. 3.

Six Flags says the policy will take effect at 6 p.m. through closing time during each night of Fright Fest.

According to a Facebook post Friday from Six Flags St. Louis on the policy,

All guests 15 or younger must be accompanied by a chaperone who is at least 21 years old

One chaperone cannot accompany more than 10 guests who are 15 or younger

The chaperone must present a valid ID with a date of birth upon entry to the park.

The chaperone must be available by phone

Fleeing driver charged after Osage Beach officer dies in crash: Police

The safety of our guests and associates has always been our top priority, said Six Flags in its Facebook post. Were dedicated to keeping our park a place where thrill-seekers can enjoy fun and immersive experiences.

Six Flags says the chaperone requirement will be applied for all one-day ticket and season pass holders.

Anyone 15 or younger who is found away from the chaperone could be removed from the park, according to Six Flags.

For more information on Six Flags St. Louis Fright Fest, click here.

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SLO is fixing to remove a nearly 120-year-old bridge over San Luis Creek. Whats its story?

It should have been easy, finding the backstory of the Bianchi Lane bridge  but the pieces of the puzzle were scattered and some are still missing.

Still unanswered is where exactly the bridge was originally installed.

One of the little-known lanes in San Luis Obispo running between Lube N Go and Megans Organic Market, the Bianchi Lane bridge is slated to be replaced as San Luis Obispo embarks on a project to expand the capacity of San Luis Creek to carry flood waters.

Building on the banks of the creek have constricted it into a flood-prone V shape rather than allowing for a broader flow during flood events.

The old steel bridge is part of the problem.

Giant plaques on the Bianchi bridge seem to pinpoint when it was built  but not where.

How did a bridge maybe pick up and move, you ask? Heres what we know.

Contractor F.C. Mitchells name and the date June 30th, 1905, are cast in the steel plates mounted on the bridge. The plate is chipped today, partially obscuring the date, but an internet posting has a photo showing the complete year.

But it is nowhere to be found on the 1923-25 era map of San Luis Obispo that shows the auto racing track at Exposition Park along South St.

It does later show up on a July 4, 1941, map of San Luis Obispo, with a bridge depicted crossing San Luis Creek.

The Morning Tribune regularly wrote about public works projects during in the early 20th century, and Frank C. Mitchell was a frequent subject. That included stories on building a bridge across San Luis Creek on French Street, now Madonna Road.

That bridge opened July 13, 1905  a time very close to the Bianchi bridge date.

The city will replace the Bianchi Bridge so San Luis Obispo Creek can hold more water during flood events. The bridge was built in 1905.

But there is no mention in that eras newspapers of the Bianchi bridge.

A wider timeline search of The Tribune archive on Newspapers.com turned up a mention that the bridge was built in 1905 for the railroad according to a Aug. 16, 1985, story.

The Telegram Tribune article identified four bottlenecks in the creek from Bianchi Lane to the Elks Lodge. The city planned to raise the Bianchi bridge 30 inches.

It is used by heavy construction trucks going to Alex Madonnas property on the west side of the creek, the article read.

Meanwhile, it seems the reason for the Bianchi name is because some of the current Madonna property on Cerro San Luis was once the Bianchi ranch.

So what is the Bianchi backstory?

The city will add bypass channels and replace the Bianchi Bridge so San Luis Obispo Creek can hold more water during flood events. City engineer Noah Maidrand lead a tour of the project area on Aug. 14, 2024.

Fifty years of San Luis Obispo!

Seventy years of work, love, saving money, getting ahead, happiness, all the things that go to make life worth living!

These two anniversaries were celebrated Saturday by Charles Bianchi, of Bianchi Lane, San Luis Mountain, San Luis Obispo.

Fifty years ago that day, two young Swiss boys came into this country. The other was Eugene Bianchi of Cambria. They landed at San Simeon, headed for Cambria where other Swiss had preceded them. That day was Mr. Bianchis twentieth birthday.

Sunday he and Mrs. Bianchi, their sons and daughters, were hosts to some 200 friends, coming from San Simeon, Cambria, Cayucos, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo for a barbecue served on the Bianchi ranch lawn.

Left Switzerland

The journey from Switzerland half a century ago was the most talked of event. Mr. Bianchi and Mrs. Bianchi cooperated in the telling of the story, which started when 13 Swiss youths set forth from the Alps to seek new lives and greater opportunities in the new world.

Three important happenings stand out in the long journey, by foot, by steamer, by rail. By common consent, both historians passed over their stay in Paris without comment. On board the steamer, Vancouver, they did a bit of life saving, according to Mr. Bianchi.

A young Frenchman was going to jump overboard, he explained, because his bride smiled too often at some of the Swiss fellows. Charlie (meaning Charles Bianchi) and I followed the Frenchman to the ships side and talked him out of jumping in. We told him the water was awfully cold.

New York and Detroit were the only cities investigated until San Francisco was reached.

Sail for San Simeon

But we only had $20 apiece so we didnt stop long, Mr. Bianchi said. Leaving the rest in San Francisco, Charlie and I sailed for San Simeon. When we got there we asked how we could get to Cambria or Cayucos. We were told a wagon went once a week, and that it would be six days before another wagon set out for Cambria. So we walked, strapping all our belongings on our backs.

The young men found employment the day after reaching Cambria, and both now have fifty years of work behind them, and both have much in the way of material gains to show for their work.

Work and Save

Theres no excuse for being poor in this country, Mr. Bianchi declared. All a young man has to do is to work and save. Why, I know a man out in the county home today who when he was younger used to spend on a Saturday night all he earned during the week. He called that having a good time, but I often told him he would end up in the poor house if he kept on having good times like that.

Mr. Bianchi is having his good times now, on his large, well-stocked, and well-cultivated ranch on San Luis Mountain where he can overlook a large part of the county and know his sons and daughters are happy and prosperous with him. Two of his sons came down from San Francisco to help him celebrate the double anniversary. One is a prominent attorney of the bay region.

Tooted His Horn

Charlie was the best bandman in Cambria for years, Mr. Bianchi said. As proof he displayed a photograph taken on Columbus Day, Oct. 12, 1892. The horn Mr. Bianchi played that day was brought out and again he made music with it until Mrs. Bianchi gently but firmly took it away and locked it up again.

When we left Switzerland, Mr. Bianchi added, we promised our mothers and sweethearts that we would stay here only a little while and then come back. We never did go back.

This may be explained by Mrs. Bianchi who emigrated three years later and met her future husband in Cambria or it may be explained by comparing California climate with the snowdrifts of Switzerland.

Of the eleven Swiss youths coming over on that boat with them, James Gnessa alone was present to celebrate with Bianchi and Bianchi and their friends, who Sunday aided in the barbecue affair.
Small airplane crashes into neighborhood in Oregon, sheriff's office says

A small airplane crashed into a residential neighborhood in Oregon on Saturday morning, local and federal authorities said.

The plane crashed in Fairview, about 15 miles from downtown Portland, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. The plane, a twin-engine Cessna 421C, went down at about 10:30 a.m. near Troutdale Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA said it doesn't know how many people were on board.

"A small aircraft has crashed into residential neighborhood in Fairview," the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office posted to social media on Saturday morning.

Video footage posted to social media showed what appeared to be residential buildings on fire and a large, billowing plume of smoke.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Small airplane crashes into Fairview, Oregon neighborhood
Retired La Crosse Tribune publisher Rusty Cunningham has been selected as a 2024 inductee into the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame.

Cunningham, along with former Wisconsin newspaper executive Gary Gaier and former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel managing editor and current Wisconsin Watch chief executive officer George Stanley, will be inducted during a ceremony hosted by the WNA Foundation on Nov. 7 at The Madison Club, located at 5 E. Wilson St. in downtown Madison.

In August 1997, Cunningham became editor of the La Crosse Tribune. He was named publisher of the Capital Newspapers-Portage Division in 2002 and returned to La Crosse as publisher of the Tribune in 2004. He moved back to the editors position in 2015 and remained in the role until his retirement in 2020.

Under Cunninghams leadership, the Tribune earned several WNA Better Newspaper Contest awards, including several for General Excellence. The River Valley Newspaper Group, which includes the Tribune, also was awarded the 2011 Enterprise of the Year Award by Lee Enterprises.

Ive been able to work with a some great teams serving wonderful communities that are able to attract reporters who do some really outstanding journalism, Cunningham said.

After graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Cunningham started his career with newspapers in Binghamton, New York, and Omaha, Nebraska, before joining Lee Enterprises in March 1979 at the Quad-City Times in Davenport, Iowa.

Cunningham continues to be active in the newspaper industry. He serves on WNA Foundation Board of Directors and the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council.

Cunningham thanked his wife, Gail, and son, Cory, for supporting him in a career that demands long and unusual hours.

Ive been blessed with a very understanding family, he said. Families have to endure some interesting dynamics because of our occupation.

Gaier began his newspaper career as the advertising director at the Chippewa (Falls) Herald Telegram before rising to the position of general manager. He installed one of the first offset presses in Wisconsin, the press that printed publications including the first version of the Menards advertising flyer.

Later, Gaier served as group manager for Lavine Newspaper Group, overseeing several Wisconsin daily publications, including the Portage Daily Register, Baraboo News Republic and Shawano Leader. Gaier subsequently founded a consulting company, Profit Plus, which worked with newspapers in the Midwest and Alaska. A mentor to many in the industry, Gaier was named Wisconsin Newspaper Association Publisher of the Year in 1988.

Following a lengthy career, Gaier died Jan. 3, 2015, at the age of 77, survived by his wife, Judy, five children and 10 grandchildren.
Authorities said the small aircraft crashed at about 10.20am on Saturday morning.

Authorities said the small aircraft crashed at about 10.20am on Saturday morning. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

Three people were dead after a small plane crashed into a row of townhouses on Saturday morning in a neighborhood east of Portland, setting the homes ablaze, authorities told KATU-TV.



Officials earlier in the day had said the plane was carrying two people and that at least one resident had been unaccounted for.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that a twin-engine Cessna 421C came down at about 10.30am local time near the Troutdale airport.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, the FAA said in a statement. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.

Scott Lewis, chief of the nearby Gresham fire department, said the fire spread from two units to four. Lewis said the fire displaced five families and two people were treated for injuries at the scene.

Related: Severe turbulence injures seven people on United Airlines flight from Cancun

The Multnomah county sheriffs office posted to X that it was responding to the scene. John Plock, a public information officer from the sheriffs office, later gave a news conference where he said the initial call came at 10.20am local time reporting black smoke.

At some point during the crash, it hit a power pole or tower, causing it to fall over. The aircraft crashed into a building of townhomes and that structure also caught fire, Plock said, according to KATU.

The plane was split into multiple parts as it crashed in the residential area in the city of Fairview, AP reported. Troutdale airport is described on the Port of Portlands website as a flight training and recreational airport.

The full extent of the damage and injuries was not clear, but images and videos on social media showed a plume of smoke above the site, with one user writing that lots of customers now without power.



5 ALARM FIRE RESPONSE.



Airplane crash into residential buildings a couple miles west of airfield in Troutdale Oregon. Firefighters are still searching for victims. https://t.co/RvREo3kyiM  PDX_Info (@momma_pdx) August 31, 2024

According to the US power outage site, 13,921 Portland General Electric customers in Multnomah county were without electricity.

Smoke plume over Fairview with lots of customers now without power. #portland #orwx pic.twitter.com/K4tingRXzt  Garret Hartung (@HartungWx) August 31, 2024
Three people are confirmed dead after a small plane crashed into a row of town houses and sparked a massive fire Saturday in Fairview, Oregon.

Bright orange flames and smoke billowed from at least two homes with debris strewn across their driveways as firefighters outside worked quickly to battle the blaze, according to social media videos vetted by NBC News.

The pilot, a passenger and someone who lived in one of the town homes was killed in the crash in Fairview, about 14 miles east of Portland, Gresham Fire Chief Scott Lewis said.

The plane, a Cessna 421C, crashed around 10:20 a.m. local time after it experienced mechanical issues, the fire department said.

The plane with its two occupants went down near Troutdale Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

It first hit a power pole or tower, causing it to fall into a field, which started a brush fire, said John Plock, a Multnomah County sheriffs spokesperson. Because it is a swampy area, the fire didnt spread.

The aircraft then crashed into town houses, which also caught fire, Plock said. The area was vacated, and residents of the adjoining town homes were asked to evacuate, as well.

The fire spread to four units and will most likely displace five families. There was no mayday call, and none of the firefighters were injured, Lewis said.

Plock said that he believed there was a somewhat large debris field and that officials were collecting parts of the plane to be investigated.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  It was the last Friday of the month and that meant Downtown Memphis monthly Trolley Night was underway  only this time, there wasnt a trolley in sight.

This comes after the Memphis Area Transit Authority discontinued the service to save money.

The rain interrupted the festivities for a moment Friday, but it didnt keep the crowd away, and neither did the lack of trolleys.

Were going to go forward, I mean we are going to go and do what we do, said Tawanda Pirtle, owner of Feelin Memphis on South Main Street. We are upset, dont get us wrong.

 READ: MATA spent millions on new office, furniture, Grizzlies suite, more

Pirtle said that when MATA announced it was slashing bus routes and the trolley service, it hurt. The trolleys brought visibility to South Main businesses, she said.

Among the hundreds showing up for the monthly event were former trolley workers. They came to call out MATA, and call on city council to step in with more funding for the public transit system to help put trolleys back on these tracks.

I woke up one morning and get a call and I didnt have a job, one driver said. Its just like you putting me out without my 60-day notice.

Business owners agree, saying there needs to be more investment in downtown Memphis.

Downtown is that important, Pirtle said. Somehow we have got to make our city leaders understand what beautification means, understand what cleanliness means, understand what public transportation means.

While they wait to see if the trolleys return, theyll do what they can to keep the crowds coming back.

Business owners worried trolley shutdown will diminish downtown traffic

They want the trolleys back on the tracks, but businesses along South Main have also been pushing for more security.

A portion of the money raised from people attending the night goes to install more safety cameras on the street.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, recently launched its annual in-store donation program to help the American Red Cross.

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Through Sept. 17. customers can donate $1, $5, or round up at checkout to support the American Red Cross disaster relief efforts during hurricane season.

The money helps provide people with food, shelter, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning, and other assistance.

Throughout its partnership with the American Red Cross, SEG has donated more than $12 million, according to a news release.

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is shown launching the Turksat 6 communications satellite for Turkey from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on July 8. The company completed back-to-back Falcon 9 launches Saturday after U.S. regulators lifted a temporary ban on the workhorse rocket. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI

Aug. 31 (UPI) -- SpaceX carried out back-to-back launches of Falcon 9 rockets carrying Starlink satellites into orbit early Saturday, just hours after U.S. officials lifted a temporary ban on the rocket fleet.

The company first launched the Starlink 8-10 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 3:43 a.m. EDT, and quickly followed that just an hour later with another Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Together, the flights delivered 42 Starlink satellites, including 26 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit, SpaceX said.

The Falcon 9 used in the California launch later successfully landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, while the rocket used in the Florida launch landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, according to the company.

Falcon 9 delivers 42 @Starlink satellites, including 26 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit in back-to-back launches from Florida and California pic.twitter.com/1eaiEn64f7 SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 31, 2024

The latest launches came shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration lifted an order grounding the workhorse Falcon 9 rockets as it investigated why one of its first-stage boosters crashed onto a landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean this week.

The order temporarily brought a screeching halt to the company's robust launch schedule, but the agency rescinded it late Friday.

"The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle may return to flight operations while the overall investigation of the anomaly during the Starlink Group 8-6 mission remains open, provided all other license requirements are met. SpaceX made the return to flight request on Aug. 29 and the FAA gave approval on Aug. 30," said the FAA said in a statement issued to media outlets.
Specialty license plate designs in the Tri-Cities that need to surpass 1,000 pre-orders

TRI-CITIES, Tenn. (WJHL)Organizations and businesses in East Tennessee are working to obtain 1,000 pre-orders for a specialty license plate design. Funds raised through plate sales will benefit each respective group.

The State of Tennessee requires proposed specialty license plate designs to receive one thousand pre-orders before they can be printed and distributed. After the initial one thousand pre-orders, the plates are printed, and all orders are shipped usually without a wait. Specialty license plates are $35.

Erwin native Allison Guinn cast in Broadway musical

Northeast State Community College, the Bays Mountain Park Association and the Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee are three local groups that currently need to reach one thousand pre-orders.

News Channel 11 spoke to each of the groups to see the progress theyve made on having their designs printed.

Bays Mountain Park Association

The Bays Mountain Park Association, or Friends of Bays, is a non-profit organization that supports the park and planetarium. The group currently has 615 pre-ordered plates purchased.

Chair of the Communications Committee for the association, Brenda Fox, said the license plate effort came from the Friends of Bays to raise funds to help the park in several ways.

Proceeds from plate sales will go straight back to the park to help with trail maintenance, animal care, special programs, special equipment and whatever else the association can help with, according to Fox.

Friends of Bays keeps track of pre-orders in real time on the associations website Friendsofbays.org/license-plates. Links to pre-order a plate can also be found on that website.

Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee

The Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee is working to get a Historic Jonesborough specialty license plate off the pages and on peoples cars to commemorate the Oldest Town in Tennessee. The alliance currently has 172 pre-orders purchased.

According to leaders at the alliance, several incentives are being offered to those who pre-order a specialty plate. Those incentives include all of the following:

A free yearlong membership to the Jonesborough Genealogical Society, a free yearlong membership to the Heritage Alliance, a free Taste of Tennessee Cookbook download, 100 bonus points for all History Trivia Nights in 2024, two free tickets to Jonesborough Storytellers Guild Stories n More Show, $1 off one ticket ($11.00) to Hands!On Discovery Center and $3 off one ticket ($13.00) to Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

Pre-ordering isnt a typical mind-set in 2024. People like things to work like Amazon  order a plate today and have it delivered in 2 days. Or go to the Courthouse and pick one up today. Also people usually dont think about their license plate until the renewal form arrives. Several times I have run into people who went to the Washington County Courthouse for a license plate renewal and asked about our plate. They did not pre-order, but thought it would be available. Unfortunately, that is not how the system is set-up. On social media and at the events in which we participate, we regularly receive praise about the plate and mentions of pre-ordering. However, the praise and intentions havent always led to pre-orders. Heritage Alliances Frank Collins

Plate sales benefit the Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee, the Jonesborough Genealogical Society and the promotion & preservation of Tennessees rich history, according to alliance leaders. Plates can be pre-ordered here.

Northeast State Community College

Northeast State Community College recently announced its effort to have a specialty license plate design printed, and a spokesperson for the school told News Channel 11 that 32 pre-orders have been received in the first week.

We plan to do milestone giveaways of Northeast State gear along the way until the June 30, 2025 deadline, the school said.

Northeast State added that a few surprises are in store as plate pre-order numbers grow.

A list of specialty plate designs in progress and already available plate designs can be found on the Tennessee Department of Revenues website.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
I spent 8 days in Panama and returned feeling like I visited 3 different countries. Here's why it's worth a trip.

I visited Panama for the first time and explored three different areas of the Latin American country.

From modern cities to luxury private islands, each place was drastically different.

By the time I left Panama, I felt like I had visited three entirely different countries.

I dodged designer dogs  like shih tzus and Pomeranians  in Panama City's Punta Pacifica neighborhood.

Dozens of skyscrapers surrounded me. Inside the complexes were ritzy condominiums home to Panama's wealthy elite. The neighborhood epitomized a city  a dense population, traffic, and tall buildings.

I'd be carted off to a completely new destination in less than a day. Boquete  still in Panama  was drastically different than Panama City.

A small rainforest town, Boquete is a place where few traffic lights exist, and American boomers have flocked for retirement. Instead of skyscrapers, I found lush mountains in every direction.

Skyscrapers in Punta Pacifica, Panama. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Fast forward another 48 hours, and I was transported to the coast of Chiriqui. Here, nothing reached for the sky. Instead, a flat ocean and sandy beaches met the horizon.

It was my first time in Panama, and in a matter of eight days, I felt like I had explored three completely different countries.

Boquete, Panama. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Panama is home to rainforests, cities, beaches, and a rich food scene

Nature lovers, beachgoers, luxury lodgers, partiers, families, retirees, adventurers, relaxers, foodies, city explorers, and history buffs can all find something to love in Panama.

In the country's capital, the Casco Viejo neighborhood resembles New Orleans's French Quarter. Its cobblestone streets, flower-filled windows, and historic squares ooze history. When the sun sets, jazz and salsa waft from nearby rooftop bars.

A short drive from Casco Viejo, you're in the modern neighborhood of Punta Pacifica, which has previously been called a "little Dubai" and the "Miami of Latin America." Here, shopping malls and designer clothes are within arm's reach.

A street in Panama's Casco Viejo neighborhood. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Beyond the city's rich history, there's a rich food scene. Panama City is home to some of the world's best restaurants, like Maito, which placed sixth across Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants 2023. Between shrimp wontons and kanpachi tartare, the three-course dinner at Maito was the best food I had during my week in Panama.

Outside the capital, Panama is home to diverse destinations offering a range of experiences.

I headed to the coast of Chiriqui, where I spent three nights at Isla Palenque, a five-star private island resort. The trip was the ideal balance of exploration and relaxation.

I spent one evening with the resort's lead naturalist guide. Together, we hiked into the jungle, where we discovered Panama's rich biodiversity, which includes jaguars, porcupines, hummingbirds, critters, and two thousand butterfly species. The next day on the island was spent snorkeling and relaxing on a private beach.

The author's accommodation on Isla Palenque. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Beyond the country's 1,800 miles of coastline, Panama is home to 13 million acres of rainforest.

In Boquete, a small town in the heart of the country, I explored the rainforest and coffee plantations that fill the region. Here, I took in the cool 70-degree jungle weather, a refreshing break from Panama City's hot temperatures, and sipped on some of the world's most expensive coffee.

On the coast of Chiriqui, Panama. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Between one plane ride within the country and a few longer drives, I had covered a range of environments and experiences, and there were plenty of destinations I didn't make it to.

Bocas del Toro, an hour's flight from Panama City and close to Costa Rica's border, is home to nine islands and offers another type of vacation. Accommodations range from party hostels to luxury overwater bungalows dotting the shores.

I also missed a trip to the San Blas Islands, an archipelago of 378 islands. They're home to Panama's Indigenous Kuna people, and locals told me I could expect pristine nature, white sandy beaches, and crystal clear waters.

My only criticism is that to explore all Panama has to offer, you'll have to hop on a plane ride or two. Thankfully, the country's flagship carrier, Copa Airlines, was cheap and painless.

While a week offered a range of experiences, I wondered what I could've covered if I had extended my stay by another week or two.

The Sofitel Legend Hotel in Panama's Casco Viejo neighborhood. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

I left singing the praises of Panama

While I have found something to appreciate in every place I've visited, I didn't expect to find so much to love about Panama.

Beyond the country's diverse environments and rich food scene, the Panamains I spoke with were eager to share and showcase their love for their home.

I experienced just a bit of that and still dream about the destination months later.

Read the original article on Business Insider
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA)  A Springfield man has been sentenced to four decades in federal prison for multiple sex crimes against children.

Prosecutors said that between 2018 and 2020, 28-year-old Evan Taylor victimized multiple children between the ages of 7 and 15 by creating images of child pornography and then distributing the images using online chatting platforms. They added that his creation and dissemination of the images further traumatized the victims given they had no way of knowing with certainty whether the images remain online or in the possession of others.

In addition, prosecutors said Taylor sexually abused a child under his care, drove across state lines to have sex with a minor and tried to entice another minor. Taylor bragged about his sexual abuse online, prosecutors said, and he demanded to have sex with one of the minors, even after they became physically ill.

Springfield restaurant owner sentenced on fraud charges

An investigation into Taylor was conducted by the Sangamon County Sheriffs Office and the FBIs Springfield Field Office, with assistance from Springfield Police, authorities in Indiana, the Illinois Attorney Generals Office and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Following that investigation, a federal grand jury indicted Taylor on 15 counts in December of 2020.

Charges included distribution and receipt of child pornography, enticement and sexual exploitation of a minor and traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity. Taylor was arrested that same month he was indicted and has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since then. He pleaded guilty to all 15 counts in December of 2023.

Savoy man sentenced for viral hit-and-run outside U of I bar

At sentencing, Judge Colleen Lawless categorized Taylors actions as sickening, heinous, despicable, and predatory. She noted the egregiousness and continuing nature of his conduct and explained that he had taken away the security and innocence of the children he had victimized.

Sentencing Taylor to 40 years in prison, Lawless said the sentence was meant to provide just punishment but is necessary to ensure the safety of the public.

The case against Taylor was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. It coordinates federal, state and local resources to locate, arrest and prosecute those who commit sex crimes against children.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA)  A Springfield restaurant owner has been sentenced to a year-and-a-half in federal prison for submitting fraudulent documents to obtain a loan and then concealing their fraudulent nature from loan providers.

Prosecutors said Omar Hernandez-Lopez, 39, was sentenced on Friday after he pleaded guilty in April. He was charged in 2020 with concealment of a felony in connection with wire fraud.

Evidence presented at sentencing showed that starting around June of 2018 and continuing until at least June of 2019, Hernandez-Lopez knowingly submitted documents to loan providers that he knew were fraudulent. Two loan packages were submitted in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a business loan for Hernandez-Lopezs restaurant, La Fiesta Grande on Stevenson Drive; another two were submitted in a successful attempt to obtain a home mortgage loan.

Evidence also showed that Hernandez-Lopezs name is on the deed of the house for the fraudulently obtained mortgage.

Springfield man sentenced to 40 years for sex crimes against children

Hernandez-Lopez faced up to three years in prison for his crimes. On Friday, Judge Sue Myerscough sentenced him to half the possible sentence. Following his incarceration, Hernandez-Lopez will have to serve one year on parole.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Monday, Sept. 2, marks the 79th anniversary of V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day, when Japan surrendered to Allied forces with the signing of the official Japanese Instrument of Surrender to effectively end World War II.

In commemoration of V-J Day, I am honoring three of the five Fort Worth Star-Telegram WWII war correspondents to share the stories behind their bylines. Reporters Flem Hall and Stanley Gunn  the subjects of a previous column  were the first two of five sent overseas to report on war efforts, and they were later followed by Robert Wear, Sam Kinch and Charles Boatner.

Robert Wear

Robert Wear reached London in late December 1944 as the V-1s of the buzzbomb blitz were followed by Hitlers V-2 rocket. As their vessel approached the English shoreline, Wear reported that a lieutenant from Fort Worth sniffed the salty air and muttered, Boy, this sure doesnt smell like the Fort Worth stockyards to me!

Wear described American soldiers, sailors and Air Force men dressed as Santa Claus attending parties for English war orphans. At a party in London on Christmas night, he observed as three Fort Worth natives, seemingly pulled together by some enigmatic force, belted out an impromptu rendition of The Eyes of Texas, a cappella, following an orchestral performance of God Save the King. Later, a story on 1st Lt. Carl Wallace Jr. of Fort Worth was relayed to Star-Telegram readers. Wear had encountered Wallace in the ruins of Luxembourg eating ice cream  enjoying the spoils of victory after capturing an ice cream factory.

A sidebar published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Nov. 18, 1945, highlighting the accomplishments of the five Star-Telegram war correspondents.

Wear played a part in the effort to search for the son of Star-Telegram Publisher Amon G. Carter, Lt. Amon Carter Jr., who was held captive as a prisoner of war from 1943-1945. During his time overseas, Wear interviewed Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, Gen. Jonathan Wainwright and President Harry Truman. He said he worked alongside fellow Texas correspondent Walter Cronkite while in Europe. Wear also received a citation of commendation from Maj. Gen. Bruce Clarke, commanding the 4th Armored Division, with which he spent much time as it drove into central Germany in Spring 1945.

Wear encountered soldiers who trained at Camp Wolters in Mineral Wells who gave good account of themselves at the front, especially in breaking through the German lines, adding that he believed it was due to the actual combat practice they received at Hells Bottom, which was part of Camp Wolters.

Sam Kinch Sr.

Sam Kinch Sr., who began at the Star-Telegram in 1934, volunteered to fill in for Stanley Gunn, who was mortally wounded by a Japanese bomb that exploded next to his quarters on Oct. 28, 1944. Kinch covered news in England, France and Germany from December 1944 through March 1945, then landed in the Philippines to tell the stories of the countless Texans in combat with the Japanese.

An illustration published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Nov. 25, 1945, depicting the stories published by Kinch, Wear and Boatner during the war, and the replies received from readers.

Kinch was cited by Maj. Gen. J. M. Swing, commanding the 11th Airborne Division, for displaying courage and disregard for danger during the divisions parachute operations at Aparri, Luzon, and earlier when he was pinned under fire during the landing on Borneo.

Charles Boatner

Charles Boatner left for the Pacific in June 1945 and served as a correspondent with the Army, Navy and Merchant Marine during his service. He was made an honorary member of the 32nd (Red Arrow) Division after accompanying its men on patrols into enemy-held territory, doing work which Capt. William R. Fleischer called something a little above and beyond the call of duty.

Boatner relayed stories of Texans braving submarines, mines, air strafing and kamikazes to deliver food, clothing, munitions and other supplies to the fighting Army, Navy and Air Forces. He also described piloting a B-32 for 10 minutes, adding, Note to the editor: Please rush me my silver wings.

Though they each served for less than a year, these three valiant correspondents accomplished plenty: They were credited with expediting communications of the names and last known prison camp addresses of Tarrant County prisoners, shared news of the release of local servicemen and, fulfilling Star-Telegram publisher Amon G. Carters directive, they brought home cherished stories about Texas soldiers.

Wear, Kinch and Boatner all arrived in Japan in early August 1945 to report on the closing chapters of the war. On Aug. 10, 1945, news of a potential Japanese surrender spread. Boatner reported that the men, worn by four years of fighting, stared mutely, blankly, frozen in their positions. The spell broke. They tumbled out of the tents and ran ... rifle fire and yells ripped the air ... the sunrise found a sleepy, happy bunch of homesick GIs.

For Kinch, the sound of victory was deafening: Everything that would shoot was being fired  land and sea pieces alike. The noise and the lights from tracer bullets and flares made it worse than any Fourth of July could be. Four days later, Japan agreed to surrender.

Witnessing surrender aboard USS Missouri

The three Star-Telegram correspondents were in attendance during the final moments of the war aboard the USS Missouri, marked by the signing of the surrender terms by Japan on Sept. 2, 1945. Boatner watched from a press box, Kinch stood on a 16-inch gun turret, and Wear was perched on a 14-inch gun turret.

After receiving news of the Japanese surrender on Aug. 14, 1945, Pvt. George Beaudoux, 18, is shown collapsing in the arms of Mons. J. G. ODonohoe of St. Patricks Catholic Church. Beaudouxs brother, a Marine, was killed on Iwo Jima.

Kinch observed 235 writers and at least 200 photographers covering the ceremony. He set the scene of probably the greatest assembly of brass and braid in history with a description of the 16-inch guns of the USS Missouri symbolically pointing eastward toward the shore of Tokyo Bay, and sailors and guests hanging over every rail for a sight of the ceremony, dazzled by the stars and other symbols of high rank.

Robert Wear described the Japanese delegation as appearing funereal in their antiquated-style formal finery as they signed surrender documents. As the French prepared to sign, Kinch reported that the sun broke through the blue haze of clouds concealing Fujiyama, then 46 B-29s and hundreds of Navy fighters and dive bombers roared overhead to conclude the ceremony.

After returning home to Fort Worth, the three men were invited to speak at a Rotary Club luncheon held at the Hotel Texas on Nov. 2, 1945, the first of many speaking engagements for various clubs, to reflect on their experiences in the war. Their highest praises went to combat infantrymen and combat medics, those who fought day in and day out under the wars worst condition.

They spoke about their three meals a day in Japan consisting exclusively of raw fish (including shredded octopus tentacles), raw onions and cold potatoes, which [made] even K-rations taste good. They reflected on the shock that never really wore off from talking to a nice kid one day and hearing three days later that he had been killed.

Boatner remarked on his relief to no longer be living in a doll house as his 6-foot-4 frame was no match for the 5-foot-10 Japanese beds and tiny bathtubs: I got cramps in all my joints, and my cranium is rougher than Big Bend Park terrain. They also hoped to forget the infestations of fleas they experienced in a Tokyo hospital and dredging through swarms of mosquitoes in the Philippines that turned yellow from biting atabrine-stuffed soldiers.

The three correspondents succinctly described the scene aboard the USS Missouri as historic, dramatic and thrilling. Kinch noted that, even prior to the explosion of two atomic bombs, the ruin and desolation of Japanese cities was visible and indicative of an impending surrender.

Sara Pezzoni works toward promoting greater access to Fort Worth Star-Telegram archival collection materials as a staff member of the Special Collections department at the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries.
(Bloomberg) -- Keir Starmer faces growing doubts among senior Labour politicians about his administrations gloomy messaging, after calculated interventions bookending the parliamentary recess focused on the UKs ailing public finances and the tough measures needed to fix them.

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Just before Members of Parliament headed into their summer break, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves signaled taxes will have to rise to fill an unexpectedly large fiscal black hole of 22 billion ($29 billion) left by the previous Conservative government. Just 6 days before MPs return, Starmer warned things will get worse before they improve, as his administration grapples with the budgetary void. Rounding out a challenging first two months in office for the premier, Britain was hit by days of far-right rioting between the two speeches.

The danger for Starmer is the focus on tough decisions and fiscal rigor risks drowning out the positive message of a party returning to power in a landslide election win after 14 years out of office with a program to improve the lives of working people.

With optimism in short supply, the first rumblings of dissent are already surfacing ahead of Parliaments return next week. In conversations with Bloomberg, these aides, backbench MPs and ministers  even some in cabinet  questioned whether Downing Street needs to better calibrate its message to highlight plans to turn the country around, rather than risk an overly negative approach that distracts from Labours own policies. Otherwise, theres a danger that the partys annual conference in three weeks will be dominated by rows about the budget, according to the people, who asked not to be named discussing their private views.

Polling suggests more positivity may be needed. New Gallup data collected during the election and shared with Bloomberg found that Britons were more pessimistic about their economic futures than during the 2009 financial crisis. Some 62% said the economy was getting worse where they lived, compared to just 19% who said it was improving. And a majority of Brits already have a negative view of the new government, according to a YouGov survey released this week.

Starmer is live to the danger.

This is actually a project of hope, he told reporters traveling with him to Germany. But its got to start with the hard yards of doing the difficult stuff, of clearing out the rot first.

Those tough calls are likely to crystallize on Oct. 30, when Reeves delivers her first budget. The doom and gloom camp, as one Labour lawmaker described it, is led by the chancellor, whos determined to hammer home to the public that shes been handed a woeful budgetary inheritance by the Tories.

Many of the same problems that led to the Labour Partys landslide win in the British election in July are now theirs to solve, said Benedict Vigers at Gallup.

Reevess strategy is seen internally as an extension of the electoral tactics deployed by Starmers top aide Morgan McSweeney: a cautious approach to spending and a focus on the political turmoil wrought by the Conservatives. The chancellor views the rhetoric as necessary to show she has no choice but to make unpopular calls, people said.

Starmer is fully signed up to that approach and believes the public want politicians to be up-front with them rather than deploy the false boosterism of former prime minister Boris Johnson, people familiar with his thinking said.

Labour strategists see getting the least popular decisions out of the way early on in the administration as sensible politics. The premiers allies argue one of his strengths has been choosing a strategy and sticking to it no matter the criticism or distractions, a virtue they see as vindicated by the election win.

Over the weeks ahead well hear more about not just the tough decisions needed but also the journey the government is embarking on, Jonathan Ashworth, chief executive of the pro-Starmer Labour Together think tank, said. Starmer could adopt an argument of prudence for prosperity, he added.

Others in Labour are unsure. Some lawmakers say Number 10 has given disproportionate airtime to fiscal woes and not enough to conjuring a positive narrative about the governments first 100 days, from restoring mandatory housing targets and agreeing National Health Service pay deals to unveiling legislation centered around Starmers so-called missions to improve the country.

There are also concerns that the negativity will only worsen political disillusionment. This argument is seen as an extension of a pre-election clash some MPs had with Starmer and Reeves, who they dubbed the no machine for lacking ambition and blocking new policies and spending.

Some early decisions have already proved controversial, and none more so than Reevess surprise decision to remove winter fuel payments from pensioners. Some Treasury officials had doubts over the politics of the policy beforehand, but Reeves insisted it was necessary to help balance the books, people familiar with the matter said. But the decision to means-test the benefit landed worse than expected, leading to efforts to mitigate the impact without conducting a full-scale U-turn.

Others describe early evidence of hubris by Downing Street in making a series of quick decisions after winning power without thinking them through. They cite a recent cronyism row involving civil service appointments and a government pass awarded to a donor.

Further policy concerns cited by Labour MPs include Reevess orders for departments to find billions of pounds in savings, scrapping a cap on self-funded social care spending without a policy to replace it, and a lack of plans to abolish a policy limiting child benefit to a familys first two children.

There are also fears among lawmakers that the chancellor may raise taxes that dont just hit the rich, such as fuel duty, while the biggest concern is she will say she has to implement welfare cuts. Some MPs feel Reeves boxed herself in by promising to keep in place Tory cuts to the national insurance payroll tax, saying she could have avoided a lot of pain elsewhere by reversing them.

One lawmaker said they saw the problem as Starmer letting Reeves run the show on the economy, without the premier having an overarching positive political story to tell.

Everybody in Britain is willing to sacrifice for a purpose, said John McTernan, a former adviser to Tony Blair and strategist for BCW Global. Whats going to get better is the bit that needs to be vividly brought to life.

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The Michigan Department of Transportation and the Michigan Infrastructure Office recently awarded $15 million to the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority to help fund a new ferry for Drummond Island.

SAULT STE. MARIE  The state recently awarded a $15 million grant to help fund a new ferry for Drummond Island.

This week, the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Michigan Infrastructure Office announced $15 million had been awarded to the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation Authority (EUPTA) for the project.

"These capital investment grants will provide critical funding to our public transit agencies to improve services," said state transportation director Bradley Wieferich. "It will help enhance and expand the state's multimodal passenger transportation systems."

EUPTA will use the $15 million for the construction of a new ferry to serve Drummond Island to accommodate for increased tourism. According to MDOT, tourism in the area has increased in recent years and the ferry will help with that expansion and allow it to grow even more.

The new ferry will not only increase the number of vehicles that can be transported to and from the island but also help transport larger vehicles. An increased demand for transportation of larger vehicles has caused hours-long wait times for tourists and residents alike.

Over 100,000 round-trip vehicle tickets and nearly 200,000 round-trip passenger tickets are purchased each year in DeTour, where passengers line up for the ferry.

The current ferry service travels back and forth hourly and is capable of carrying 36 normal sized cars at a time.

Drummond Island has had nine ferries in its history, and currently has two ferries in service.

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The state also awarded $10 million to the Huron Transit Corp. in Huron County for a new transit facility.

"This $25 million in grants for the EUPTA and HTC will spur tourism, which will bring in more customers for local businesses, in turn creating job opportunities, improving the local economy and increasing quality of life," said Zach Kolodin, Michigans chief infrastructure officer. "By building an additional ferry for Drummond Island and providing a new transit facility for Huron County, we are addressing immediate infrastructure needs while laying the groundwork for sustainable growth and modernization. Together, with our local and federal partners, we are building a Michigan where every community has the opportunity to prosper."

 Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: State awards $15 million grant to fund new Drummond Island ferry
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ)  The State College Borough is hosting a community conversation next week around climate action and resiliency.

On Wednesday, Sept. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m., a panel of local experts will talk about climate action and resiliency in Centre County and across the state.

And we want it to be a space where people can learn about whats going on with respect to sustainability and then how they can get involved locally or nationally with actions that they can take to work towards sustainability in State College, Elizabeth Siegelman, executive director for the Center for Alternatives and Community Justice, said.

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The meeting will be held at the State Theater located at 130 W College Ave. It will also be streamed online.

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Herbert Reul, Minister of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia, speaks to the media after the special meeting of the committees for internal affairs and integration in the state parliament on the suspected Islamist attack in Solingen. Christoph Reichwein/dpa

Following a knife attack in the western German city of Siegen, the state government's interior minister is considering increased security measures at events, which could result in mandatory bag checks at large festivals.

"I am currently examining whether it is legally possible ... to conduct bag checks at large festivals," North Rhine Westphalia's (NRW) Interior Minister Herbert Reul said at a festival in the city in the southern part of the state, Germany's most populous.

Reul said he did not want bag checks at every location, summer fair, or school festival, but there could be "a middle ground" between blanket checks and targeted measures.

On Friday, at least six people were injured, three of them critically, in a stabbing on board a bus in Siegen. The suspect, a German woman, 32, has been arrested, police said.

In an update, Reul reported that "one of the three critically injured has stabilized. One is still in a serious condition, and the other is not yet clear."

The motive for the crime remained initially unclear. Police said there was no indication of a terrorist attack. The 32-year-old is known to the police. According to dpa sources, there are indications of a psychological disorder in the woman.

The city festival was not cancelled and continued on Saturday with a church service, which the interior minister attended.

The Siegen attack was nearly a week after a an attack in Solingen, in which three people were killed and eight wounded. A Syrian man, 26, is the main suspect in that attack. The Islamic State terrorist organization claimed responsibility for that attack. The Federal Prosecutor's Office is investigating the suspect for murder and suspected membership of the terrorist group.
Herbert Reul, Minister of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia, speaks to the media after the special meeting of the committees for internal affairs and integration in the state parliament on the suspected Islamist attack in Solingen. Christoph Reichwein/dpa

Following a knife attack in the western German city of Siegen, the state government's interior minister is considering increased security measures at events, which could result in mandatory bag checks at large festivals.

"I am currently examining whether it is legally possible ... to conduct bag checks at large festivals," North Rhine Westphalia's (NRW) Interior Minister Herbert Reul said at a festival in the city in the southern part of the state, Germany's most populous.

Reul said he did not want bag checks at every location, summer fair, or school festival, but there could be "a middle ground" between blanket checks and targeted measures.

On Friday, at least six people were injured, three of them critically, in a stabbing on board a bus in Siegen. The suspect, a German woman, 32, has been arrested, police said.

In an update, Reul reported that "one of the three critically injured has stabilized. One is still in a serious condition, and the other is not yet clear."

The motive for the crime remained initially unclear. Police said there was no indication of a terrorist attack. The 32-year-old is known to the police. According to dpa sources, there are indications of a psychological disorder in the woman.

The city festival was not cancelled and continued on Saturday with a church service, which the interior minister attended.

The Siegen attack was nearly a week after a an attack in Solingen, in which three people were killed and eight wounded. A Syrian man, 26, is the main suspect in that attack. The Islamic State terrorist organization claimed responsibility for that attack. The Federal Prosecutor's Office is investigating the suspect for murder and suspected membership of the terrorist group.

Reul cautioned against comparing the events, saying "what happened here in Siegen has nothing to do with what happened in Solingen." Though both involved knives, there is a massive difference between a terrorist and a German woman with psychological issues randomly attacking people, he said.

"We live in a world unfortunately filled with such dangers at every corner, and we as the police must find as nuanced and intelligent responses as possible," Reul said. He added that this is not a simple challenge. "There are no easy answers, and yet we all need to stay alert."
Stoltenberg comments on Ukrainian operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast for first time

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in his first statement regarding Ukraines Armed Forces' incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, has emphasised that this operation is in line with Ukraine's right to self-defence.

Source: Stoltenberg in an interview with Welt am Sonntag, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Stoltenberg reiterated that Russia has been waging an unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine for over 900 days, during which it has launched numerous attacks from Kursk Oblast across the border into Ukraine.

Quote: "The Russian soldiers, tanks and bases there [Kursk] are legitimate targets under international law.... According to international law, this right does not stop at the border [with Russia]."

Stoltenberg acknowledged that Ukraines Armed Forces' operation in Kursk Oblast involves risks but added, "it is Ukraine's decision how to defend itself".

Stoltenberg also dismissed Kremlin accusations that the West was allegedly informed in advance about the attack on Russian territory.

Stoltenberg stressed that Ukraine "did not preview its planning" of the Kursk operation with NATO in advance, adding that NATO "played no role" there.

Background:

It is worth noting that the current NATO Secretary General, who is set to leave office at the end of September, has consistently supported Ukraine's right to strike military targets in Russia.

As reported by European Pravda, many EU states have supported Ukraine's Armed Forces' operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

However, not all European countries endorse this advance.

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In an incredibly inhospitable lake, scientists have discovered a new tiny species that forms huge colonies. These strange creatures have an unusual relationship with other microbes and could even provide clues to the origins of complex life.

The new species has been named Barroeca monosierra, and it belongs to a microbe group known as choanoflagellates  single-celled organisms that can cluster together to form colonies and act suspiciously like multicellular lifeforms.

Unlike other "choanos", as the team calls them, B. monosierra was discovered in a super salty environment. And it was absolutely thriving there, forming colonies of almost 100 cells, up to four times bigger than related species.

Globular colonies of B. monosierra seen under a microscope. Indicated by the 50-micron scale bar, these colonies are at the limit of what is visible to the naked eye. (Alain Garcia De Las Bayonas/Nicole King lab)

Weirder still, the centers of the colonies contained even smaller communities of live bacteria, making B. monosierra one of the simplest organisms to have its own microbiome.

The microbes might be sheltering from the toxic lake water, the researchers from the US, UK, and Spain suggest, or the choanos could actually be farming the bacteria to eat later. Or maybe both.

Choanoflagellates are of particular interest to biologists because they're considered the closest living relative of animals that aren't themselves animals. Their colony-forming behavior could also help bridge an evolutionary gap between single-celled and multicellular organisms.

"One of the things that's interesting about them is that these colonies have a shape similar to the blastula  a hollow ball of cells that forms early in animal development," says cell biologist Nicole King from the University of California, Berkeley.

"We wanted to learn more about it."

Mono Lake is located east of the Sierra Nevada, just outside Yosemite National Park. (Nicole King)

Mono Lake in California is an extremely unpleasant place to live. It's almost three times saltier than the Pacific Ocean and laced with chlorides, carbonates, and sulfates that have built up over 80,000 years. As such, not many forms of life call it home  mostly just alkali flies, brine shrimp, and a few species of tiny worms.

But when the researchers closely examined a sample of water from Mono Lake, they spotted a previously unknown resident.

"It was just packed full of these big, beautiful colonies of choanoflagellates," says King. "I mean, they were the biggest ones we'd ever seen."

These single-celled organisms kind of resemble sperm cells, with long tails called flagella that they use to propel themselves. When they form colonies, individuals point their flagella outwards to help the whole group twirl and tumble around as one.

In other choano colonies, the heads of each cell meet in the middle. But in these B. monosierra colonies, the centers are hollow, with the cells connected by a protein and carbohydrate extracellular matrix.

The team stained the microbes with a DNA dye, which not only revealed the donut-shaped chromosomes of the choano cells as expected, but also a surprising cloud of DNA in the supposedly empty center.

RNA probes revealed the presence of bacteria in there, while experiments with fluorescent amino acids showed that they were still alive, not just scraps from the choanos' previous meals.

Access seems to be selective too. Phylogenetic analysis showed that only some of the types of bacteria found in Mono Lake can be found inside these colonies.

In another experiment, the team cultured choano colonies with bacteria-sized latex microspheres, and found that they didn't end up in the colony centers.

That shows the bacteria aren't just passively floating in and getting stuck  instead, they're actively getting in or being let in, for the benefit of themselves, the choanos, or both.

A colony stained with DNA dye  the cyan circles are the choanoflagellate's DNA, while the smaller dots in the center are bacteria. (Kayley Hake, Nicole King lab)

"No one had ever described a choanoflagellate with a stable physical interaction with bacteria," says King.

"In our prior studies, we found that choanos responded to small bacterial molecules that were floating through the water, or [that] the choanos were eating the bacteria, but there was no case where they were doing anything that could potentially be a symbiosis. Or in this case, a microbiome."

The researchers plan to use B. monosierra to study the interactions between bacteria and more complex organisms. They could even help us better understand how life made that crucial leap from single- to multicellular forms.

The research was published in the journal mBio.

Related News
WHEATON, Ill.  A judge has granted the states motion to deny pretrial release for a Streamwood man accused of sexually assaulting a 1-year-old girl.

Cruz Estanislao, 24, is charged with four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault  victim under thirteen, one count of Class X Child Pornography, and one count of Class 1 Child Pornography.

Authorities said on Monday, Aug. 19, an agent with the Department of Homeland Security Cyber Crimes Center Child Exploitation Investigations Unit was informed of child pornography being produced on the app Wickr under the name allfun2023.

Over the course of investigation, authorities and the Hanover Park Police Department identified Estanislao as a suspect. Authorities said its believed that when Estanislao produced the child pornography, he sexually assaulted a female family member who was about one year old at the time.

Streamwood man charged with child pornography possession

Detectives also believe that between February and April 2023, Estanislao shared those videos on Wickr.

On Thursday, Aug. 29, special agents with the Department of Homeland Security took Estanislao into custody after police stopped a vehicle he was traveling in. His next court date is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 23.

In my thirty-seven years as a prosecutor, I can honestly say that I have never seen anything as unconscionable as the allegations against Mr. Estanislao, DuPage County States Attorney Robert Berlin said. I am at a loss for words to describe how disturbing I find the videos allegedly produced by the defendant. Child pornography is not a victimless crime, and this case further cements that belief. I commend the Department of Homeland Security Cyber Crimes Center Child Exploitation Investigations Unit for their tremendous efforts in this case and their continued dedication to protecting these young, innocent victims and their families. I sincerely thank the Hanover Park Police Department for their work as well on this extremely disturbing case. I also thank Assistant States Attorney Grace Barsanti for her work in preparing a strong case against Mr. Estanislao and for her continued efforts in prosecuting those who would manufacture and distribute such images.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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This story is reported by South Dakota News Watch, a non-profit news organization. Find more in-depth reporting at www.sdnewswatch.org.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (SDNW)  With a wheelchair as his bed and a ratty checkered blanket as his covers, 63-year-old George VanVooren spent the night on a sidewalk outside the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House in Sioux Falls on a recent Saturday night.

You get a couple hours of sleep  if youre lucky, he said.

The next morning, he parked his wheelchair in an alley next to the shelter and waited patiently for a physician with the Midwest Street Medicine program to attend to his ailing foot.

VanVooren said he lost one leg and part of his other foot to frostbite last winter when he arrived too late for entry into the shelter. His remaining foot is now just a reddish stub with a horizontal gap in the flesh where his toes used to be.

VanVooren sat stoically as Bob Santella, M.D., a retiree who volunteers with Midwest Street Medicine, applied surgical gloves and began to remove the dirty gauze that was wrapped around the foot.

Suddenly, a putrid waft of odor  akin to the smell of rotting meat or fouled eggs  filled the air as the blood-stained gauze was unfurled, only to reveal a mass of maggots that were crawling and feasting on the flesh of VanVoorens stub foot.

Oooh, theres maggots here  a lot of them, Santella said.

A large group of maggots covered the frostbitten foot of George VanVooren, who is wheelchair-bound and often sleeps on the streets of Sioux Falls, S.D. He received care on Aug. 11, 2024 by members of the Midwest Street Medicine group of volunteer health providers. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

He brushed the maggots off the foot and onto the pavement below, then rolled VanVoorens wheelchair a few feet away. He and a volunteer nurse used an alcohol solution to wash the foot before Santella re-wrapped it with clean gauze and a fresh sock.

How long since that was cleaned? the doctor asked. VanVooren replied it had been a week, since the last time you guys were down here.

Bringing care directly to those in need

The Midwest Street Medicine program launched in Sioux Falls in July 2023, largely through the efforts of Shannon Emry, M.D., a pediatrician at Avera Health. Emry told News Watch she created the program after seeing similar projects improve health outcomes for homeless people in other cities around the U.S. and the world.

Emry said she was always interested in improving health equity, or the ability of all people to obtain life-saving or life-prolonging medical care. But her concerns were amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeing how South Dakotas Native American population was disproportionately hurt by the virus.

Soon after, the idea to launch the street medicine program took hold. I thought, This is where we can make a real difference in health equity and life expectancy,' she said.

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Emry said the strength in street medicine lies in the ability of volunteers to make a fairly large impact with relatively small procedures or actions. Bringing medical care to the streets also sidesteps many of the financial, geographic and logistical barriers that prevent homeless people from obtaining health care.

I realized we can make a big difference with pretty small interventions, she said. Just making sure people have access to medications  thats a fairly easy way to make a big difference that might go a long ways to helping some have longer life expectancy.

As the program grows stronger, Emry hopes to expand into other South Dakota communities where unhoused people are in need, including in Rapid City. Thats always been our long-term goal, to help people in other cities in our region, Emry said. Wed like to make a tool kit of sorts for them to use and follow.

Volunteers with Midwest Street Medicine, led by program founder Shannon Emry, M.D., second from right, receive instructions and prepare supplies before heading out to help homeless people on Aug. 11, 2024, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Also present were Diane Eide, Bob Santella and Tanya Truckenmiller. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

An Army veteran with limited options

VanVooren, a native of Sioux Falls who said he served in the U.S. Army in the early 1980s, became homeless a couple years ago for reasons he chose not to discuss. He used to be a metal worker who built water towers, including one in central Sioux Falls. His only indoor time now comes when he and his girlfriend get paid  her from work and him from disability  so they can pony up for a couple nights in a motel.

VanVooren said he feels almost no pain in his stub foot due to a previous fasciotomy surgery that removed pressure in his infected leg but also deadened the nerves in his leg and foot.

Santella urged VanVooren to try to change his bandages more frequently if he could to keep his foot clean and dry, but he also promised to check on him during his street rounds the following week.

VanVooren is well-known to the street medicine volunteers and leaders, who have plans to add him as a member to their governing board. I love these people, VanVooren said. If it wasnt for them

One crew of medical volunteers with Midwest Street Medicine makes its way along East 8th Street while looking for potential patients on Aug. 11, 2024, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

Team effort to help those in need

Each month, a retired farm family from Parker that still raises laying hens, gathers a gaggle of helpers to produce about 150 to 200 egg-salad and cheese sandwiches. The sandwiches are dropped off at a meeting spot in Tea, where a volunteer picks them up and brings them to Sioux Falls to be handed out to unhoused people during the street medicine rounds.

The sandwiches, bottles of water, cheese sticks and granola bars are given to people on the street to nourish them but also as an ice-breaker to make them feel comfortable enough to share information about their health problems or conditions that need care.

On a recent Sunday, a group of about 20 volunteer medical providers gathered inside a hallway at the Bishop Dudley house in Sioux Falls. They encircled a pair of rolling carts that contained food, water and clothing, and most critically, medical supplies and equipment. The physicians among them also had backpacks with more sensitive medical devices and supplies.

During a brief meeting before they hit the streets, Emry gave the volunteers some guidelines and advice. First, some basics: Approach people slowly and with respect to their privacy; remain cautious while providing care; share knowledge and resources while in the field; and maintain accurate written records of patients and the care provided.

My heart is so full that youre all here, she then said. But remember, were not here to be right or to tell people what to do or how to live. Were here to listen and to help.

Even before they hit the streets, group co-founder Melissa Dr. Mo Dittberner, Ph.D., noticed a young woman with glazed eyes and a sad expression standing wistfully aside from the medical group.

Do you need a sandwich, honey? she asked. The woman replied that she could really use some socks. A volunteer responded by handing her a couple of clean pairs along with some granola bars.

Pharmacist Jennifer Ball, right, prepares to call in a prescription for a homeless woman who needed medication for bipolar disease and approached the medical team in Heritage Park on Aug. 11, 2024, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

Fueled by grants and volunteerism

While Emry hopes to eventually draw a small salary, Midwest Street Medicine is operated exclusively through donated labor. On a typical day, medical practitioners might include doctors, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, counselors. Non-medical volunteers are also present to hand out food and basic necessities to patients and help keep records.

So far, Midwest Street Medicine has run on a combination of grants, donations and a small amount of seed money from the states portion of a national settlement with opioid manufacturers. The group received a $60,000 commitment over two years from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation in spring 2024 and learned in late June that the South Dakota Community Foundation was providing a $90,000 grant.

Medical crews provide care on Sunday and Monday mornings, tending to a wide range of issues common among the chronically unhoused residents of the city. The program provides no-cost care to homeless people with medical, behavioral and substance abuse conditions and also provides funding for medication co-pays for patients.

As of August, Emry said the program had provided more than 1,000 medical interventions to more than 350 patients, about 80% of whom are Native American.

Often, people end up on the streets due to mental health conditions, addictions, disabilities or when several crises crash down upon their lives at the same time.

The process to find patients is simple: the street medicine teams walk around neighborhoods where homeless people congregate and ask people if they need any help. Most of those helped by the medical teams are chronically homeless.

Physicians assistant Jessica Powell administers a blood-pressure test to a man who spent the night sleeping on the ground on Aug. 11, 2024, in Heritage Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

A retiree with time, and skills, on his hands

After retiring from Avera Health as a nephrologist, or kidney doctor, Santella said he volunteered with Habitat for Humanity but felt he could do more.

I thought, Im trained as a physician, so why not do this? Santella said as he walked along East 8th Street in Sioux Falls looking for patients. I feel like Ive had a nice life and wanted to do a little more giving.

Santella said his most common patients have frostbite in the winter and suffer from heat exhaustion in the summer. He said cuts and wounds are another area of frequent need for care.

Working in a parking lot on East 8th Street in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Aug. 11, 2024, Bob Santella, M.D., removes surgical staples from the head of 44-year-old Branden Marshall, a homeless man who received injuries in a fight but never returned to the hospital to have the staples removed. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

Some members of the street medicine crew were upset in early August over comments made by Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and Police Chief Jon Thum, who suggested that people should stop giving panhandlers money. In a joint email to News Watch, both officials praised the efforts of outreach organizations such as the Bishop Dudley house and Midwest Street Medicine.

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In the email, the two leaders said a few people are taking advantage of local services and are frequently engaged in disruptive and illegal activities that stress the police department and other community resources.

What we have seen this summer though is a small group of individuals refusing a hand up, taking advantage of our compassionate community, and occupying our Police Departments time and resources because of these individuals disruptive and illegal behavior, especially throughout our downtown, TenHaken wrote. We are asking our community to stop giving individuals cash, blankets, and food, and instead donate to the organizations already providing these services or give their time for mentorship to make an impactful difference.

Santella rejected any notion that helping homeless people with medical care was enabling them to remain living on the streets.

He also rejected any notion that helping homeless people with medical care was enabling them to remain living on the streets.

To help people with medical care they cant receive otherwise, I dont see how that enables houseless-ness at all, he said. If I didnt stitch up that ladys face, and she got infected, how is that any benefit?

Santella added,We dont say if people should be sleeping outside or not. All we do is take care of them, and thats it.

Stitching up wounds, removing scalp staples

In a three-hour period, Santella treated VanVoorens foot and provided at least two other significant medical interventions. He and team members also checked blood pressures, wrote prescriptions and performed wellness checks on about two dozen people.

Without fanfare or drama, Santella at one point called to his crew mates for a staple remover. The doctor was alerted to a man who was in a fight and received scalp staples a while back but had neglected to get the staples pulled when required.

Im just going to warn you, this isnt going to feel great, Santella told the man.

Within a minute, he had removed four surgery stitches from the head of Branden Marshall, 44, who is well known on the streets around the Bishop Dudley center and goes by the street nickname the Surgeon General.

Santella asked Marshall what happened to cause the head injury and he replied that hed been in a fight with someone who didnt like my attitude.

Like all those treated by the street medicine volunteers on that Sunday morning, Marshall expressed deep appreciation for the care and food he received.

Theyre good people, very nice people who give up their time to help others, Marshall told a reporter. It makes the heart feel really good.

Branden Marshall received medical care, fruit and water during a recent visit by volunteers from Midwest Street Medicine in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Aug. 11, 2024. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

Healing wounds from a knife fight

Santellas most invasive treatment involved stitching up a facial puncture and an abdominal wound on a woman who had been stabbed.

After providing basic triage on the street, Santella, two nurses and the patient went into the Bishop Dudley house, where they worked in cleaned conditions in a small patient room. The team laid the woman on a table and Santella began to wash out the cut on the womans face.

Its actually quite deep, Santella said of the puncture wound.

Bob Santella, M.D., right, and other volunteers with Midwest Street Medicine provide triage to a homeless woman with stab wounds on Aug. 11, 2024, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

The patient moaned in pain as Santella used a needle to pull together the skin around the wound and sew it shut. The two assistants held the womans hands and whispered kind words to help steady her during the procedure.

A bit later, Santella also cleaned and dressed the womans small stomach wound, which was not as deep. He added antibiotic cream and a bandage to fully close and secure the wound.

OK, Santella said, Youre good as new.

A homeless woman who was stabbed in the face and abdomen receives care from volunteers with Midwest Street Medicine in a small patient room in the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Aug. 11, 2024. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

Dittberner said she heard the woman had been kicked out of the Dudley house for bad behavior and also was banned from a local womens shelter because she refused to attend chapel services.

Theres so many barriers, so many, Dittberner said. And people say, Why dont they just try harder?'

As Santella worked, a nurse took the womans blood pressure, which was found to be normal. Keep up the good work on that, she urged the patient.

Santella then urged the woman to keep her dressings clean and asked her to look for the street medicine team the next week to get further medical care.

Just remember, we have to see you next week to take those stitches out, he said.

Then, with that advice and two neatly cleaned and bandaged wounds, the woman left the shelter and headed back out onto the streets.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
In a new analysis, drugmaker Novo Nordisk has found that patients taking its obesity injectable Wegovy were a third less likely to die from COVID-19 than their counterparts who'd taken a placebo.

As the New York Times reports, Novo had already been conducting large-scale clinical trials into potential heart health benefits of Wegovy, the obesity sister drug of Ozempic that features the same GLP-1 agonist semaglutide as its active ingredient, when the pandemic struck in 2020.

Benjamin Scirica, a trial investigator from Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital outside of Boston, said that the company decided to seize the circumstances that presented themselves.

"I dont think any of us anticipated there would be a drug effect," the doctor said.

Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, this new analysis looked at more than 17,600 non-diabetic obese patients over a period of three years to see how they fared during the early pandemic era.

Of those participants, about 4,200 developed COVID-19, equally divided between the placebo group and the semaglutide group. In total, 184 people from the trial who contracted the virus died  78 who'd taken the active drug, and 106 who'd taken the placebo.

Overall, the researchers behind the Novo-sponsored trial found that among the group taking semaglutide, death from COVID infection was reduced by 33 percent, or nearly a perfect third. Strikingly the overall death rate from any cause was also decreased by 19 percent , another incredible finding from the Harvard study that the NYT notes is rare among trials for new drugs.

Fascinatingly, the protective effects of the drug seemed to take hold immediately, before participants even began losing weight.

Beyond those findings, it also serves as yet another example of excellent COVID-era study design after the Harvard researchers upended their trial both to accommodate social distancing guidelines and to seize upon the opportunity presented by the pandemic.

Perhaps most importantly, these findings also add to the growing list of evidence that semaglutide and other GLP-1s not only help people lose weight, but can also benefit a curious range of other outcomes ranging from heart health to cognitive abilities to struggles with addiction.

Brigham and Women's emergency room physician Jeremy Faust, who wasn't involved in the study but did publish an editorial about its unprecedented nature in the ACC journal, told the NYT that these COVID conclusions suggest that all the publicity surrounding these drugs is well warranted.

"All the hype around various pharmaceutical drugs that we hear is exactly that  hype," Faust told the newspaper. "But these drugs are repeatedly and routinely demonstrating that they are game changers."

More on GLP-1s: Taking Mounjaro Reduces Risk of Developing Diabetes by 94 Percent in Three-Year Trial
Drownings in Michigan this summer have once again put a spotlight on water safety in a state with the nation's longest freshwater coastline and an abundance of inland lakes.

In metro Detroit's Oakland County, home to a large number of beaches, an increase in drownings compared with last year has left a tragic mark on the summer.

County officials have reported 11 drownings this year, compared with four in 2023, according to a news release from state Rep. Donni Steele, R-Orion Township, who lives on one of the county's many lakes.

As many plan to hit the beaches for the long Labor Day weekend to celebrate the final days of summer, water safety advocates are reminding Michiganders to keep an eye on the water while lawmakers hear renewed calls to advance legislation to require water safety instruction in schools.

Bob Pratt, co-founder and executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, which tracks drownings in the Great Lakes, said a bill mandating water safety instruction in Michigan's public schools  if passed and signed into law  would be a "game-changer." He said he also wants to see more trained eyes on the water on Michigan's beaches looking out for distressed swimmers and ready to make a rescue.

"It's terribly unfortunate that so few of our beaches have lifeguards," Pratt said.

Drownings in the U.S. and Michigan

A U.S. Centers for Disease Center Control and Prevention study released in May found drowning deaths on the rise.

The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project has tracked 77 Great Lakes drownings to date in 2024, as of Thursday. All of last year saw 85 Great Lakes drownings, according to the project.

Ron Olson, who heads the Parks and Recreation Division for Michigan's Department of Natural Resources, said the project casts a wide net in defining drowning in its statistics. Olson said there has not been a single drowning in a designated swim area at state park beaches on the Great Lakes this year, while a couple of drownings have occurred at inland lakes at state parks.

A group of young adults throw around a sports ball while swimming chest deep in Lake Michigan at Pere Marquette in Muskegon, Mich. on Thursday, June 15, 2017.

Bill proposes water safety training

Senate Bill 736, introduced by state Sen. Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville, in February, would require public school students to undergo water safety instruction that would include information about flotation devices, water conditions and safe behaviors in and around the water, among other topics.

The water safety curriculum would be provided as part of health or physical education classes.

"This is about helping save lives," Victory said in a statement when he introduced the bill. "Water safety education and swim training have been shown to enhance the knowledge and skills needed to protect children and youth from the tragedy of drowning."

The legislation would not require formal swim lessons but would require instruction to underscore the importance of them.

The bill  which has bipartisan support  was referred to the Michigan Senate's Education Committee, which has not held a hearing on the proposal.

"After all the devastating drowning deaths this summer, it's become even more evident that his plan requires immediate attention by lawmakers," Steele said in a statement Friday ahead of the Labor Day weekend. "A single bill obviously won't stop drownings altogether. But, by passing Sen. Victory's plan, we can take this concerning rise in drowning deaths seriously and make a real difference."

Pratt said there are no "magic bullets" that will stop drownings, but he said Victory's bill would help. So would adding more lifeguards, he said.

The last time lifeguards could be found on state park beaches was 1993. Instead, DNR has implemented a flag system with green, yellow and red flags providing visitors information about water conditions. The DNR has also implemented loud speakers at some parks to provide visitors with condition updates, sponsored free swim lessons and taken other steps to promote water safety, Olson said.

He said drownings that have occurred in the Great Lakes likely wouldn't have been prevented by lifeguards on the beaches. "Because we have miles and miles of beaches that don't have designated swim areas where anybody can go in," Olson said. Many times the drownings occur around the break walls, according to Olson. He said the department tries to warn people to be prepared and recommends children wear life jackets in the water.

Weekend Weather: More thunderstorms, high winds headed to southeast Michigan by Friday evening

Water safety tips

There are ways to stay safer in the water: Groups headed out for a swim should designate someone to watch those in the water. Wearing a life jacket can also help prevent drownings. Michiganders can take advantage of life jacket loaner programs.

Water safety advocates also note that swimming in a pool versus open water is not the same. Even great swimmers have drowned in Lake Michigan, Pratt said. If making a rescue, bring a flotation device in the water, he said, noting that every year, would-be rescuers end up drowning themselves, he said.

Pratt warned winds this weekend could make for tough swimming conditions, particularly on Lake Michigan.

More: Sudden Oakland County swim death underscores water safety in Michigan

More: 21-year-old Detroit man drowns in Oakland County lake; 4th drowning in 3 weeks

Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.

Looking for more on Michigans elections this year? Check out our voter guide, subscribe to our elections newsletter and always feel free to share your thoughts in a letter to the editor.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan bill would require water safety lessons
Former President Trump and Vice President Harris are gearing up for the last 10 weeks until Election Day, both looking to finish strong and persuade the remaining undecided voters in the close election. Harris completed her first sit-down interview with CNNs Dana Bash, providing some insight into what she would do early in her term if elected in November.

Trump stated on Thursday that if elected he would not only protect in-vitro fertilization (IVF) but would also have government or insurance companies cover the cost of the procedure.

Two Republican senators are set to appear on different talk shows this week, where they will likely address Trumps recent comments on IVF and discuss the incident the ex-presidents campaign had on Monday during an Arlington cemetery visit.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is scheduled to appear on ABCs This Week where he will likely discuss Trumps pledge to protect IVF and have either insurance companies or the government cover it for women using the treatment. Graham will also likely discuss Harriss first interview with a television network since she was nominated as the partys presidential pick.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is scheduled to appear on NBCs Meet the Press where he will likely discuss Trumps visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Monday where reportedly two of Trumps staff members pushed aside a cemetery employee.

Sen. Tim Kaine, (D-Va.) will join Fox News Sunday where he will likely discuss Harriss first sit-down interview and look ahead to the final stretch of the election.

Both Trump and Harris are looking to court union workers in the final weeks of the White House contest.

Teamsters President Sean OBrien will appear on CBS Face the Nation where he will likely discuss if his union has decided who they will endorse for president.

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who this week endorsed Trump, will be on CNNs State of the Union where she will likely talk about why she threw her support behind the ex-president and talk about the upcoming debate scheduled for Sept. 10 on ABC News.

Former national security adviser in the Trump administration, H.R. McMaster, will appear on The Hill Sunday where he will likely talk about his upcoming book and discuss his time serving in the 45th presidents administration.

Here is the full list of appearances on this weeks Sunday shows:

ABCs This Week  Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R-S.C.); Gov. Jared Polis, (D-Colo.)

NBCs Meet the Press  Sen. Tom Cotton, (R-Ark.); Rep. Ro Khanna, (D-Calif.)

CBS Face the Nation  Gov. Maura Healey, (D-Mass.); Rep. Tony Gonzales, (R-Texas); Teamsters President Sean OBrien; Mitch Landrieu, co-chair of Kamala Harris presidential campaign.

CNNs State of the Union  Rep. Adam Schiff, (D-Calif.); former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, (D-Hawaii), a supporter of Donald Trumps presidential campaign.

Fox News Sunday  Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.; Corey Lewandowski, an adviser to Trumps campaign.

Fox Newss Sunday Morning Futures  Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio); Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY..); Gov. Kristi Noem (R); Trump Campaign Senior Advisor Jason Miller

NewsNations The Hill Sunday  Former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster; Bernie Moreno  Republican Senate Candidate in Ohio

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Survey: 3 out of 5 New Mexicans know someone suffering from opioid abuse

Survey: 3 out of 5 New Mexicans know someone suffering from opioid abuse

NEW MEXICO (KRQE)  Saturday is International Opioid Awareness Day and the New Mexico Department of Health is reminding the public about the epidemic in the state. According to an annual health department survey, three out of five New Mexicans know someone who is suffering from opioid abuse.

Funeral services set for off-duty Albuquerque police officer killed in hit-and-run

For many New Mexicans, this issue reaches close to home. International Overdose Awareness Day is a time to renew our commitment to preventing these tragic deaths. We can all help prevent fatal overdose by knowing the signs and how to respond quickly, said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miranda Durham, New Mexico Department of Health in a press release.

The department says Naloxone, which blocks opioid receptors in the brain, is the first course of action if someone is overdosing. Naxolone can be obtained for free in person at NMHealth Public Health Offices and community health programs or ordered online at this link. New Mexico was the first state in the nation to require law enforcement officers to carry the life-saving drug.

Those needing support can call NMHealths Helping at 1-833-796-8773 or click this link for more information.



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Monday is Labor Day. The union movement lobbied for this holiday, established on June 28, 1894, after the famous Pullman workers strike.

America has come to celebrate it as the start of fall and the election season. The gains in workplace conditions and the rise of a middle class of wage earners are currently taken for granted.

In an effort to bring the benefits of business payrolls to their communities, some states weakened union movements by enacting right-to-work laws. They ended what were called closed-shop unions. In a closed shop, every employee covered by the union contract had to pay the membership dues required by the union.

These laws may have weakened the power of unions or allowed an employer to decertify a union eventually, but not without the workers consent. Once gained, union representation is popular, but many employees take advantage of the right to work without union membership. Without the income from union dues, unions cannot pay for the benefits more vital unions can give their members. However, they must represent all the workers under the contract.

Quote I have said before, unions should represent every worker except the self-employed individual, including the contract labor often used to escape an employer's liability for everything from workplace safety to retirement benefits.

I have said before, unions should represent every worker except the self-employed individual, including the contract labor often used to escape an employers liability for everything from workplace safety to retirement benefits. Since executive management represents the companys interests, they are exempt by definition. For every employer who voluntarily endeavors to enhance worker well-being, theres an employer whose business plan includes workers who are not adequately compensated for their labor.

Suppose a business does not provide fair wages to employees. Perhaps that situation is the result of a poor business plan. In that case, its profits might go to the business owner whose living depends on taking unfair advantage of others skills. Unions give power to workers who can tell an employer; I wont sell you my labor if you dont give me a fair share of the profit it brings to the enterprise.

An exception to this is an enterprise where there is no profit as the business gets started. However, in that case, the owner can be paid less until the company is no longer running on money provided by investors. When the enterprise becomes profitable, everyone shares the profit.

Well-run unions can afford to have knowledgeable employee representatives at the bargaining table. These negotiators are helpful if they honestly broker a deal in collaboration with the needs of the business. When the subject is worker performance, they can be especially helpful.

Union representatives can enforce performance standards and suggest ways for employees to improve before termination. Sometimes, they can convince underperforming employees that they might be more successful in another field. When union leadership joins with the employer in forging a successful enterprise, the business is more resilient.

At one time, workers had guilds. Along with merchant guilds, they regulated their profession, protected their interests, and maintained quality standards. Todays trade associations provide similar services to businesses. There is no reason that workers cant organize union movements for the same purpose.

Associations and unions lack the power of government laws. The legal system must deal with malicious conduct. For this reason, it is essential to pay attention to the rules that enforce honest business practices. Lobbyists of every cause inform and influence legislation. Without the strength of a union of workers united in a common cause, individual workers have less voice than the businesses employing them.

As a society, Americans are losing the ability to negotiate their differences. We all must work to regain and strengthen this skill. Discomfort while working on challenging interpersonal problems is expected. Still, it becomes less debilitating when we have confidence in our negotiating abilities. When unions organize to represent workers, they must concentrate on a willingness to build the skills necessary to communicate and problem-solve.

The union movement has had problems with corruption and underperformance in the past, but it can and must learn from its mistakes. When more employees consider the benefits of joint representation to improve wages and working conditions, the middle class will take the power it should have in our governments policies
University of Pittsburgh police arrested a person suspected of attacking a group of Jewish students with a bottle Friday night, the school announced on its website.

The incident occurred near the Cathedral of Learning on campus. Two students were treated at the scene. The suspect, who has no known affiliation with the school, was immediately arrested and was in custody, the university said.

Upon learning about this incident, Pitt leadership contacted Hillel University Center to offer support to our students and also connected with our partners at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, the university said. We are grateful to our Pitt Police officers for their swift action, and our Student Affairs team for their ongoing student support.

There was no ongoing threat to the public, the school said.

It said, To be clear: Neither acts of violence nor antisemitism will be tolerated. Local and federal partners are supporting Pitt Police in this ongoing investigation.

The fall semester began Monday.

The safety of our Jewish students remains a priority, and we will continue to be a home away from home for them, providing them with care, support and community, Hillel University Center said in a statement.

University police said the incident was not connected to an earlier shooting at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, across the street from the Cathedral of Learning. Pittsburgh Public Safety shared on X a man had been shot in the leg around 5:30 p.m. and was in stable condition.

CNN has reached out to university police requesting additional information about the incident but has not received a response.

On October 27, 2018, a man burst into the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and shot people with an AR-15-style rifle. Eleven people were killed and six others, including four responding police officers, were wounded. It was the deadliest ever attack on Jews in the United States.

A federal jury sentenced him to death last year after prosecutors said the attack was motivated by the mans hatred toward Jews, immigrants and particularly the non-profit organization Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
A man was accused of murder in the killing of a Colorado dog breeder Friday, more than a week after the breeder and as many as 10 of his Doberman puppies disappeared from his property, authorities said.

Sergio Ferrer, 36, faces murder and aggravated robbery charges in the death of Paul Peavey, 57, the Clear Creek County Sheriffs Office said in a statement.

Ferrer was initially taken into custody Aug. 24 on an unrelated warrant from Nebraska alleging that he failed to appear for a weapons charge, the sheriffs office said.

At the time, Ferrer was considered a person of interest in Peaveys homicide investigation, according to the statement. The sheriffs office said Peavey appeared to have died from a gunshot wound.

Paul Peavey.

On Friday, the sheriffs office and other law enforcement agencies recommended that Ferrer be charged in Peaveys murder, the statement says.

The sheriffs office did not provide additional details about a possible motive in the killing. It isnt clear if Ferrer has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.

Peavey, who ran a breeding business specializing in European Dobermans, was last heard from Aug. 19, the sheriffs office said. A privately organized search party found his body five days later under a pile of sticks and stones.

Earlier this week, the sheriff's office said that as many as 10 puppies  all of which had been microchipped  may have been sold through social media sites.

The agency said Friday that the dogs remained unaccounted for.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE)  New Mexico State Police (NMSP) is investigating a deadly police shooting involving the Las Cruces Police Department.

According to an NMSP spokesperson, one of their officers conducted a traffic stop on 41-year-old Wallace Gonzales on Thursday night. Officials stated Gonzales had guns on his cars dashboard, threatened to shoot the officer, and then led them on a chase.

Local deli weighs in on listeria outbreak; officials urge public to be diligent

NMSP stated Gonzales pulled into the White Sands Mall parking lot in Alamogordo, where there was a three-hour standoff between him, law enforcement, and the Las Cruces Police Departments SWAT team.

Gonzales reportedly refused orders to exit the car peacefully, and gunfire was exchanged. A Las Cruces SWAT officer shot Gonzales, and he died on the scene.

No officers were injured, and NMSP is still investigating.

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TAIPEI (Reuters) - A former mayor of Taipei who heads a small opposition party was arrested early on Saturday as part of a graft probe of a major property development in the Taiwanese capital.

Ko Wen-je, mayor from 2014 to 2022 and who came third in January's presidential election, was arrested after investigators raided his home and party on Friday and questioned him for hours, his Taiwan People's Party said.

Ko has denied wrongdoing in the case, which involves approvals given for a property project when he was mayor, telling reporters on Friday that "I know I have no problems".

The TPP, in a statement on Saturday, said it "calls on the court to carefully examine the legality of the arrest procedure during the arraignment process, and to return justice to Chairman Ko Wen-je as he deserves".

He and the TPP have also acknowledged that campaign funds during the presidential campaign were misreported. Ko said this week he would temporarily step down as party chairman while that case is investigated, and apologised to party supporters.

Ko has been widely expected by Taiwan media to seek the presidency again at the next election in 2028. But opinion polls have showed that the scandals have hammered support for him and the TPP, which he founded in 2019 in an attempt to create a third force in Taiwanese politics.

The TPP has only eight lawmakers in Taiwan's 113-seat parliament but has an outsized role as neither the ruling Democratic Progressive Party nor the largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), has a majority.

The TPP and KMT joined forces this year to push through reforms to give parliament greater oversight power that prompted mass protests. Those reforms, opposed by President Lai Ching-te's DPP, are being reviewed by Taiwan's constitutional court.

Under Taiwan's system, the president appoints the premier, who forms the cabinet, and the president signs legislation into law.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by William Mallard)
By the end of World War II, the basic configuration of the tank had been established across scores of epic battles. In subsequent conflicts, mobile armors limitations were revealed, starting with the hilly terrain and relatively few roads that characterized Korea in 1950. Even so, tank crews adapted their conditions and produced their share of outstanding fighters, such as Medal of Honor recipient and Army Master Sgt. Ernest Kouma.

Born in Dwight, Nebraska, on Nov. 23, 1919, Kouma worked on his familys farm until June 1940 when, taking note of the growing war clouds in Europe, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He chose to train for the tank corps, eventually deploying to fight across Germany.

The last surviving Medal of Honor recipient of the Korean War has died

Kouma decided to remain in the Army after the war, starting with brief sojourns in South Korea and Japan, perhaps never imagining he would soon return to Asia. Back in America, he commanded an M26 Pershing in Company A, 72nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington.

When North Korea invaded the South on June 25, 1950, U.S. occupation forces in the area rushed to South Koreas aid but were outmaneuvered by the North Korean Peoples Army, which made the most of the strategic initiative to seize the capital of Seoul and drive U.S. and Republic of Korea forces back to the port of Pusan, known today as Busan. By August 1950, however, ROK and American troops were still holding the Pusan perimeter, and U.S. reinforcements were arriving to their relief, including the 72nd Tank Battalion of the 2nd Infantry Division.

Well aware their key to victory lay in maintaining the initiative  and that they were running low on time  North Korean forces laid plans for a decisive breakthrough along the Naktong River.

Troops unload logs from a tank at the 2nd Infantry Division supply point on

On Aug. 31, in preparation for the September offensive, North Korean forces captured Miryang and Samnangin, hoping to cut off the Americans supply route between Taegu (todays Daegu) and Pusan. Seemingly, however, North Korean forces were unaware that the weary, demoralized 24th Infantry Division was being relieved by the 2nd Infantry Division.

At a small village called Agok near the river, two Company A squads were dug in, afforded the extra firepower of M26 tanks and twin 40mm M19 motor gun carriages. Then-Sgt. 1st Class Kouma directed the armor while manning a .50-caliber machine gun from his tanks turret.

Near midnight, 500 North Korean soldiers advanced through the fog toward Koumas position, backed by intensifying mortar fire. Eventually, the fog across the river cleared enough for Kouma to spot the enemy erecting a pontoon bridge for a general assault. Kouma reacted by directing the big guns at his disposal to destroy the bridge and used his machine gun on North Korean troops crossing the river in small boats.

Despite their casualties, North Korean soldiers began overrunning the companys infantry, necessitating their withdrawal to better defensible ground covered by Kouma and his armor. Enemy forces knocked out a tank and overran the M19s, leaving Koumas tank as the only one operational.

Although wounded in the foot as he resupplied his tank with ammunition, Kouma fought off another enemy river assault. Although he suffered another leg wound and was surrounded by assailants who came within meters, he fought on with the topside machine gun and his .45-caliber pistol to protect his crew from being overrun.

They got around us and about five of them climbed onto the back of the tanks, Kouma recalled in an interview with New Philadelphia, Ohio, newspaper The Daily Times. So I climbed out and started using the machine gun. They got so close, I tossed three grenades at them and used my .45.

Kouma and his crew were still holding out in the morning when, having succeeded in covering the companys retirement, they pulled back to a stabilized line. There, regardless of his painful wounds, he resupplied his tank until he was ordered to evacuate  and even as he was being removed, he requested to return to the battle zone. Later, when the Americans counterattacked, they found about 250 North Korean troops dead in the area he had defended.

Three days after the action at Agok, Kouma was promoted to master sergeant. For his heroic stand, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and two Purple Hearts, but on May 19, 1951, he stood before President Harry Truman to have that DSC upgraded to the Medal of Honor.

After Korea, he served as a tank commander and recruiter before retiring in 1971 after 31 years of service. He died in McDaniels, Kentucky, on Dec. 19, 1993, and was buried in the Main Post Cemetery at Fort Knox, the only Medal of Honor recipient interred there.
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Credit: World History Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

Quick facts

Where it lived: Australia (including Tasmania) and New Guinea

When it went extinct: 1936

What its species name means: Thylacinus cynocephalus means "dog-headed pouched dog."

The Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine or Tasmanian wolf, is an extinct carnivorous marsupial that once roamed Australia (including the island of Tasmania) and New Guinea. Tasmanian tigers looked a bit like striped dogs, with big jaws; yellow fur with black stripes; stumpy legs; and a long, skinny tail. But they were not closely related to dogs. Instead, their closest living relatives are other meat-eating marsupials, like Tasmanian devils and quolls . Like other marsupials, they carried their young in pouches.

The last known Tasmanian tiger died in a zoo in 1936. But many unconfirmed sightings have raised questions about whether the creature truly went extinct at that time. And researchers are trying to bring the extinct creature back to life. To do that, they plan to put DNA from the last thylacines into the eggs of a fat-tailed dunnart, a small marsupial that looks like a mouse .

5 fun facts about thylacines

Females held up to four joeys in backward-facing pouches. Males had mini-pouches, but didn't carry baby thylacines in them.

After the marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) went extinct around 50,000 years ago, the thylacine became the world's largest marsupial carnivore. It was about the size of a medium to large dog .

Tasmanian tigers were shy and could be captured easily. They would often die suddenly , probably of shock.

Scientists have sequenced every thylacine gene , and they are planning to bring the extinct creatures back to life. One company says it could be done by 2028.

The last known thylacine died just a few months after earning official government protection.

Everything you need to know about thylacines

When did Tasmanian tigers go extinct?

Thylacines once roamed across Australia (including the island of Tasmania) and parts of New Guinea. Around 2,000 years ago, the marsupials disappeared from mainland Australia. It's not clear why, but they may have been hunted by people. They also may have faced stiff competition from dingos, according to the Australian Museum.

However, thylacines hung on in Tasmania until the British colonized the island and started hunting them. Their numbers declined over several decades, and the last known thylacine died in Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart in 1936 . Although many people claimed to see thylacines in the years after, those sightings were not confirmed. The species was officially declared extinct in 1982.

Why did Tasmanian tigers go extinct?

Tasmanian tigers went extinct because of humans' actions.

Around 5,000 thylacines lived on Tasmania when Europeans started clearing land for settlements in the early 1800s. The British set up farms for sheep and other livestock. Fearing the thylacines would prey upon the livestock, in 1840 the Van Diemen Land Co. set up a bounty , or reward, for every Tasmanian tiger killed. Tasmania set up an official bounty in 1888. Roughly 3,500 thylacines were hunted between 1830 and 1920, according to the National Museum of Australia.

But disease and habitat destruction also probably contributed to the animal's extinction, according to the National Museum of Australia.

Where did thylacines live?

Animals inThylacinus, the group that includes the Tasmanian tiger, once roamed across New Guinea, mainland Australia and Tasmania. We know this from fossils. For instance, paleontologists have unearthed 30 million-year-old thylacine fossils in Queensland, Australia, as well as a 2,000-year-old carcass in a cave in Western Australia .

By around 2,000 years ago, they disappeared from everywhere except the island of Tasmania.

What did Tasmanian tigers eat?

Tasmanian tigers liked to eat kangaroos and other marsupials. They also preyed upon rodents and small birds, according to the Australian Museum.

The shy creatures hunted mainly at night and tended to stalk their prey alone, or sometimes in pairs.

Thylacines probably sometimes hunted poultry and livestock from farms. But the extent of this hunting has probably been exaggerated, according to the Australian Museum. And a 2011 study showed they had weak jaws , which meant they probably couldn't eat sheep. That study suggested they probably preferred small marsupials, like wallabies and possums.

Tasmanian tiger taxonomy

Here is the taxonomy, or classification, for the Tasmanian tiger, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS):

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Dasyuromorphia

Family: Thylacinidae

Genus: Thylacinus

Species: Thylacinus cynocephalus

Tasmanian tiger pictures

Image 1 of 5

A video of a Tasmanian tiger opening its mouth and walking around an enclosure

Colorized footage of the last Tasmanian tiger at Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart, Australia, from 1933.

Image 2 of 5

The skull and skeleton of two thylacines

The skeletons of two thylacines on display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart.

Image 3 of 5

Five striped pelts laid out on a surface

Thylacine pelts that Morton Allport, a now-disgraced Tasmanian naturalist, sent to the University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, between 1869 and 1871.

Image 4 of 5

A taxidermied thylacine

A taxidermy thylacine from the Natural History Museum in London.

Image 5 of 5

A black and white photo of an armed man posing next to a Tasmanian tiger with his dog

Wilfred Batty of Tasmania posing with the last Tasmanian tiger known to have been shot in the wild, in 1930.

Discover more about thylacines

Ghost of the Tasmanian Tiger: Scientists Investigate Sightings

Last-known video of 'Tasmanian tiger' rediscovered

Could extinct Tasmanian tigers be brought back from the dead?
Here are some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of Aug. 25, supported by your subscriptions.

Here are the week's top reads on providencejournal.com:

WESTERLY  Rhode Island's most famous part-time resident spent time this week at her Watch Hill home, along with her football star boyfriend, at least according to People magazine and TMZ.

Both outlets report that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce  along with pals Patrick and Brittany Mahomes, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Bradley Cooper  were in Rhode Island this week, as the singer takes a break from her Eras tour, which resumes in October, and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end prepares for his Sept. 5 season opener against the Ravens.

Read on for more details on the celebrity sightings around Swift's Watch Hill mansion, dubbed the "Holiday House."

Entertainment: Taylor Swift is in Rhode Island this weekend (and she brought some famous friends with her)

Iron Mountain Forge and Furniture owner Carley Ferrara Just this month, Ferrera spent $17,000 to upgrade the electrical system for the new, larger shop space she moved into just down the hall. "We've been worried about a sale for six years now," she said.

PROVIDENCE  The owner of the Atlantic Mills in Olneyville has put the giant mill building up for sale after backing out of a deal with the city and the Providence Redevelopment Agency to buy the sprawling property.

Those who work in the building say they are worried about being kicked out of one of the cheapest manufacturing, warehouse and office spaces in the city, which could mean the end of business for some of them.

Unlike downtown Providence, where offices have remained empty since the pandemic, the Atlantic Mills is almost full, with an estimated 88% of its occupiable space leased. Tenant businesses say that alternative spaces elsewhere in the city are far too expensive and lack the sense of community they prize at their current location.

"We call this a hidden gem," said tenant Mike McNulty, who runs a woodshop there.

Real estate: 'Hidden gem': Pending sale of Atlantic Mills leaves tenants worried about their future

Chief engineer Jason David and American Mussel Harvesters manager Adam Silkes position straps to hoist iced oysters off their boat and onto a truck while docked at the state pier in Newport.

All summer long, American Mussel Harvesters' 8-acre oyster farm south of the Jamestown Bridge sat idle.

The problem wasn't the oysters. It was the 90-minute voyage to get there. And Adam Silkes, who oversees the operation, just couldn't justify burning all that time and fuel.

Until a few years ago, American Mussel Harvesters kept its boats at a marina near the company's Quonset headquarters, so shellfish only had a five-minute trip from dock to cooler. Then, according to Silkes, the cost of dock space more than doubled.

"Its reaching crisis proportions, honestly," said Bob Rheault, executive director of both the Ocean State Aquaculture Association and East Coast Shellfish Growers Association. If you can't access your farm, he said, "it's a death knell."

Read the full story to learn what's causing the shortage of affordable dock space, and what solutions are being proposed to protect the state's aquaculture industry.

Local news: Rising prices leave oyster farmers, quahoggers searching for places to dock their boats

State GOP chairman Joe Powers, right, and the party's new executive director, Aidan Carey, are working to end the Republican drought in winning statewide offices and congressional seats.

"It just makes sense to be a Republican in Rhode Island!" proclaims a whiteboard in the unassuming headquarters of the Rhode Island GOP.

GOP chairman Joe Powers, who came up with the slogan, argues that people are "sick and tired" after almost 90 years of Democratic rule. But when asked about the main obstacles that he faces when trying to enlist candidates, he answers bluntly: "Being a Republican in Rhode Island."

Rhode Island voters have gone nearly two decades without electing a Republican to any of the state's top offices or to Congress. And GOP members are shut out of many of the positions that typically serve as a pipeline to political advancement.

Political Scene explores how Powers and the state GOP's new executive director, 22-year-old Aidan Carey, are trying to build the party's bench and chip away at Democrats' supermajority.

Political Scene: Is there a path for Republicans in RI? Inside the party's effort to build its bench.

Marc Bontemps, who has developed a following on Instagram with aerial footage of Providence, stands on the city's pedestrian bridge, displaying his hovering drone, with built-in nose camera.

Journal columnist Mark Patinkin was scrolling through Instagram one day when he came across a post with stunning aerial nighttime footage of Providence, backed by classical music.

Curious about the person behind the page captured.by.marc, he tracked down Marc Bontemps, a Montreal native now living in Providence who wanted to show off the beauty of his adopted city. Bontemps became a licensed drone pilot, capturing images ranging from WaterFire to tugboats on Narragansett Bay, and he displayed his craft while being interviewed on Providence's pedestrian bridge.

Mark Patinkin: Drone pilot's videos hold Providence in the highest regard. How he works his aerial magic

To read the full stories, go to providencejournal.com. Find out how to subscribe here.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Taylor Swift in RI; Atlantic Mills sale; RI GOP: Journal top stories
LEANDER, Texas (KXAN)  At the Leander Police Department (LPD), long-time employee Luana Wilcox, the administrative analyst, is the go-to for all things innovation.

I was an officer for 17-and-a-half years, she said. Im the person whos been doing all of our technical stuff, so they created a civilian position to specifically focus on those components.

She got a firsthand look at how a new program called Draft One works. Axon, a company that makes law enforcement body cameras and other police products, created it. According to Axon, the program can draft police reports  in seconds  based on body camera audio.

The program is actually trained off of actual officer reports and actual narratives that the AI can read and listen to and create a format that says things in a way that officers would write them, Wilcox said.

She calls it a crucial time-saving measure given that the law enforcement industry nationwide continues to face staffing struggles.

We have an ever-increasing city so theres been an increase in just the number of reports we have to take, she said.

The department addressed Draft One with local prosecutors offices, according to LPD.

What we got from prosecutors is that theyre uncomfortable, Wilcox said, summing up the response.

Logan Campbell, a former prosecutor and current defense attorney, has concerns about using AI in the police-report space in general.

You miss out on the human element of this, you have someones liberty, someones freedom at stake, he said.

While he said police reports, in general, arent typically admissible in court anyway, he said they still impact prosecutors and defense attorneys actions in other ways.

You also have probable cause affidavits where judges are reviewing it to see if probable cause exists for an arrest or a search warrant, Campbell said. Its a scary thought to think its not the police officers themselves making the report, its in fact AI or a computer generating the report.

According to an Axon spokesperson, the below safeguards are in place to ensure accuracy. The bullet points are quoted from Axons press release on the software.

Officer required to review and sign-off: Once the report narrative has been edited and key information has been added, officers are required to sign-off on the reports accuracy before submitting for the next round of human review.

Adheres to the audio data: Report narratives are drafted strictly from the audio transcript from the body-worn camera recording. Axon calibrated the underlying model for Draft One to prevent speculation or embellishments.

Controls to ensure proofreading: Each draft includes placeholders that officers are required to edit, by either adding more information or removing the placeholder.

Report drafts are restricted to minor incidents and charges: The default experience limits report drafts to minor incident types and charge levels, specifically excluding incidents where arrests took place and for felonies.

Wilcox said before local agencies start using Draft One, it will have to go through various levels of approval.

There is a set process within the criminal justice system to accept certain technology, she said.

Out of all of the Central Texas agencies we heard back from regarding this product, Leander was the only one looking specifically into Draft One.

The Austin Police Department said it is looking to be involved in larger conversations centered around AI with our City leadership. The Austin Police Department is weighing the pros and cons related to different aspects of the work we do from an investigative standpoint. With technology evolving quickly, it would make sense to explore how AI could benefit us as law enforcement agency to make us more efficient and effective. Any use would need to be evaluated as part of a Citywide approval process.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Teen driving in Clairemont crash that killed SDPD officer did not have license

Teen driving in Clairemont crash that killed SDPD officer did not have license

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  The teenager who died in the Clairemont crash that also killed a San Diego police officer and critically injured another did not have a drivers license at the time of the incident, according to California Department of Motor Vehicle records.

Edgar Giovanny Oviedo, 16, only had an identification card attached to his name, which can be obtained to prove identity but does not permit an individual to operate a vehicle.

He similarly had no record of any collisions, convictions, revocations, suspensions or fines, according to the DMV. Although it is unclear whether the crash Monday was the first time Oviedo had operated a vehicle.

The fatal multi-vehicle collision occurred around 11:30 p.m. Monday following a high-speed pursuit along Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.

First responders hold procession for SDPD officer killed in Clairemont crash

According to SDPD, the pursuit was initiated after a vehicle, which Oviedo had been driving, was observed traveling down the roadway at a high rate of speed. Nearby patrols had attempted a traffic stop on the vehicle, but it did not yield.

Shortly after the pursuit was called off by supervising officers, the suspect vehicle collided with the side of a patrol car that had two officers inside. Several other civilian vehicles also became entangled in the crash.

The driver of the patrol vehicle, identified as 30-year-old Austin Machitar, was pronounced dead at the scene and his partner, 27-year-old Zachary Martinez, was hospitalized with critical injuries. Oviedo died at the hospital, according to authorities. No additional injuries were reported.

An investigation into the crash remains ongoing by California Highway Patrol.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
NUKUALOFA, Tonga  Pacific leaders on Friday rejected a Beijing-backed call to break ties with Taiwan, saying a regional bloc would continue a decades-old policy of engagement.

Members of the Pacific Islands Forum gathering in Tonga for an annual summit batted aside a push by one of Chinas allies to stop treating Taiwan as a development partner.

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In a final communique the bloc leaders reaffirmed a 1992 agreement that allowed talks with Taipei.

Beijing has aggressively sought to exclude Taiwan  a self-governing island of more than 23 million people  from international fora and rejects its claims to autonomy.

Solomon Islands, Chinas main partner in the South Pacific, had lobbied for Taiwan to be stripped of partner status with the Pacific Islands Forum.

The move had angered some of Taiwans allies.

The Pacific Islands Forum is split between countries that have diplomatic relations with Beijing and others like the Marshall Islands, Palau and Tuvalu which are allies of Taipei.

Taiwan sent deputy foreign minister Tien Chung-kwang to Tonga, seeking to reinforce ties with its shrinking list of Pacific island allies.

Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Peter Agovaka on Friday showed little sign of dropping efforts to reform the way the bloc does business with Taiwan.

He told AFP that a review of the bloc should ensure that members are sovereign states. Not states that are governed by another jurisdiction.

I think that review will make sure that the Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-government organisation that adheres to international law.

Solomon Islands will host the Pacific Islands Forum in 2025.

The South Pacific was once seen as a bastion of support for Taiwans claim to statehood, but China has been methodically whittling this down.

In the last five years, Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Nauru have all been persuaded to sever diplomatic links with Taiwan in favour of China.

Palau has an election this year in which the countrys links to Taiwan  and a potential switch to China  figure as major campaign talking points.
A Tempe woman who lost her family in a mobile home fire is seeking community support as her sister-in-law begins her recovery journey.

A fire at a mobile home park near Baseline and Kyrene roads on Sunday night took the lives of Synthia Ruiz's mother, Monica Ruiz, 51; her brother, Enrique Ruiz Jr., 25; and two nieces, Ariareli Ruiz, 3, and Ellany Ruiz, 18 months.

On Wednesday, Ruiz and others at the park held a vigil honoring their lives and remembering the moments they shared.

"Were heartbroken and reaching out for support to help lay our beloved Monica, Enrique Jr., and our precious little ones, Ellany and Rose, to rest," Ruiz told The Arizona Republic on Friday.

Synthia Ruiz held a vigil on Aug. 28, 2024, in remembrance of her family members, who lost their lives in a mobile home fire in Tempe on Aug. 25.

Ruiz began a GoFundMe and is asking for donations to help pay for funeral expenses and help support her sister-in-law, 22-year-old Valerie Gonzales, who survived the fire but remains in critical condition.

"Every donation makes a difference in honoring their memory and supporting Valerie as she fights through this difficult time," Ruiz said.

Anyone interested in offering support can connect through their donation page.

The Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department, along with the Tempe Police Department, were continuing to investigate the cause and origin of the fire.

What to know: A woman died at her Tempe office and was found 4 days later

The Tempe Police Department requested that anyone with information contact them at 480-350-8311.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Community rallies for Tempe fire victims family. How you can help
Iraqi Yazidi women holding pictures of their missing relatives at a commemoration ceremony this month. Inciteful rhetoric against the Yazidi is reaching a new peak.

BAGHDAD  Khairi Ali Ibrahim can feel the danger rising.

Ibrahim is a member of Iraqs Yazidi religious community, one of the most persecuted and vulnerable minorities in the world. At the height of that persecution, 10 years ago, Islamic State group militants ravaged the Yazidi population in the Sinjar district, slaughtering hundreds of men, forcing thousands of women and children into sexual slavery, and driving tens of thousands from their homes.

The terror and trauma of that brutal campaign has been reawakened in recent weeks in parts of Iraq. In interviews with NBC News, Yazidi civilians and activists said hard-line mullahs in Iraqi Kurdistan have increasingly targeted the small and insular community, inciting violence in public speeches and social media.

We live in great tension since 2014, but now it is at its peak, said Ibrahim, a 32-year-old former shop owner. We have lived through difficult times since then, but this new wave of threats has brought back the nightmare of those days.

Residents buy vegetables at a market inside the Sharya displacement camp in the Kurdistan region of Iraq last month.

In the ISIS onslaught of August 2014, as many as 5,500 Yazidis across Iraq and Syria were killed, according to the United Nations. Yazidis were also abducted and forced to convert to Islam; their ancient religion is a monotheistic belief system that revolves around a god known as the Peacock Angel and has been baselessly associated with devil worship. The U.N. said the brutal 2014 campaign amounted to a genocide, releasing a report documenting ISIS almost unimaginable atrocities.

After ISIS was defeated in March 2019, the group lost its claim to territory across the region.

The latest tensions stem from recent comments made by Qasim Shasho, a Kurdish politician and the leader of an armed Yazidi resistance who is closely linked to the religious group. On Aug. 4, Shasho said that Yazidis would continue to be at risk as long as Islam and Muhammad exist  remarks that some Muslim leaders in Iraq deemed blasphemous.

The Sunni Endowment, the Iraqi government agency in charge of managing Sunni Arab mosques and other religious institutions, condemned Shashos shameful act, vulgar statement, and blatant transgression.

The authorities in the city of Nineveh issued an arrest warrant for him, citing an article in the countrys penal code concerning anyone who aims to incite civil war or sectarian strife.

The furor over Shashos statements led some Sunni clerics to make direct threats against Yazidis living in camps in Duhok, a city in Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq. Many Yazidis have started fleeing their homes to escape potential violence, according to NBC News interviews and Arabic-language media reports, which have chronicled the departure of dozens of families.

In a statement on Aug. 5, Shasho said he did not mean to offend the Prophet Muhammad and Muslims, and that his words had been misinterpreted.

Yazda, a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the Yazidis, said in early August that it was gravely concerned about the violent and disturbing campaign of hate speech, and called on the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to tackle the root causes of the genocide.

The threats are extremely harmful to efforts aimed at repairing Iraqs social fabric following the crimes committed by ISIS, said Osama Gharizi, a senior adviser at the United States Institute of Peace, a nonpartisan research organization funded by the U.S. Congress.

Sharya refugee camp in Duhok, Kurdistan, left, and Yazidi women at the camp.

This rise in hate speech, sparked by a broader reaction to remarks from a Yazidi leader, highlights the pressing need to address and prevent such divisive rhetoric and protect vulnerable communities, Gharizi added.

In the words of Yazidi activist and human rights champion Samia Shankali, the mounting threats constitute a psychological war. Rana Hassan Qasem, the deputy director of the Sinjar municipality, described a climate of pervasive fear.

The mood and psychological state are unstable and anxious because we do not know when we might be attacked by unknown people, Qasem said.

Yazidi women and girls, many of whom were abducted and were forced to become sex slaves for ISIS members during the 2014 bloodshed, remain particularly vulnerable, according to Nahida Darwish, the chairwoman of the Sinjar Womens Platform for Women Empowerment.

Darwish said many Yazidi women suffer from psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression  a consequence of horrific treatment during ISISs so-called caliphate.

The case of Nadia Murad, a Yazidi woman who was captured by ISIS in 2014 but escaped after three months, during which she was raped by a dozen men, drew international attention at the time. Murad has since founded Nadias Initiative, a nonprofit mission that advocates for the Yazidi community.

We urge the Iraqi authorities and the Kurdistan Regional Government to take decisive action to counter this dangerous rhetoric and implement concrete measures to protect religious minorities in Iraq, including the Yazidis, Nadias Initiative said in an email to NBC News.

As a vital component of society in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, Yazidis deserve to live in their homeland free from fear and intimidation, the advocacy group added.

Ten years after the ISIS massacres forced thousands of Yazidis to run for their lives or take shelter in camps, the renewed wave of violent antagonism has Yazidis pondering if it might be time to flee again.

I never thought of leaving Iraq, but after the recent events and the hate speech, violence and incitement against us, I reached the conviction that we are in danger and live in an unsafe environment and our lives are at risk at any moment, said Tahseen Shaikh Kalo, 30.

If he and his family have the opportunity to leave Iraq, they will seek refuge in America or France, he said.

Khalid Razak reported from Baghdad and Daniel Arkin from New York.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The Texas Senate Democratic Caucus has formally asked the federal government to investigate possible violations of Texan's voting rights after law enforcement officials raided the homes of numerous Latino voter-registration advocates and Gov. Greg Abbott announced the state had purged more than 1.1 million voters from its rolls since 2021.

In a letter sent to the U.S. Justice Department on Friday and announced by Democratic Caucus Chair Sen. Carol Alvarado of Houston, the upper chamber's Democratic lawmakers wrote that recent efforts by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other state leaders "have a disproportionate impact on Latinos and other communities of color, which is sowing fear and will suppress voting."

"Based on media reports and complaints by fellow Texans, we have serious concerns that some recent actions taken by Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton and other state leaders may violate federal civil rights and voting laws," reads the letter signed by all 12 Democrats in the state Senate.

Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, shown debating in the Texas Senate last year, announced Friday that the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus was requesting a U.S. Justice Department investigation into Republican-led efforts to purge Texas' voter registration rolls.

The lawmakers are also asking the Justice Department to look into law enforcement raids conducted as part of Paxton's investigation into alleged illegal voter registration efforts. Paxton launched the inquiry after a Fox Business host baselessly claimed that undocumented migrants were seen registering to vote outside of a state driver's license facility.

The League of United Latin American Citizens  the nation's largest and oldest Latino civil rights organization  called for a federal inquiry into the raids last week, noting that several elderly members had been targeted and stripped of their personal electronics by law enforcement officials.

Abbott on Monday announced that 1.1 million voter registrations had been removed from the state's voter rolls in the past three years, touting a 2021 Texas omnibus voting restriction bill that prohibited drive-thru voting and 24-hour voting and added new mail voting requirements. Democratic lawmakers in the Texas House fled to Washington that year in hopes of preventing a quorum and forestalling the bill's passage.

Most of the purged registrations announced Monday were removed because the voters had died, moved or didnt respond to notices sent by election officials.

Alvarado said that Texas' past efforts to purge voter rolls  one of which led to several lawsuits, a settlement and the resignation of a secretary of state  have made Democrats particularly wary of its new initiatives.

"There is a pattern with Republicans in this state trying to make it harder for people to vote and making statements without any facts, without any numbers," Alvarado said.

Abbott wrote in his announcement Monday that "of the over 6,500 potential noncitizens removed from the voter rolls, approximately 1,930 have a voter history." The Dallas Morning News reported that those 6,500 people did not respond to notices saying their voter registration was under examination and indicating that they had 30 days to submit information or documentation proving their eligibility to vote.

More: Some Texas counties are required to livestream election ballot storage areas. Here's why.

"Illegal voting in Texas will never be tolerated," Abbott said in his announcement. "We will continue to actively safeguard Texans sacred right to vote while also aggressively protecting our elections from illegal voting."

Paxton and Abbott have not provided data or information on how they identified the noncitizens, and Abbott stated only that the voter registration removals had taken place "since 2021."

"We strongly support the maintenance of accurate voter registrations, which was already required by various federal and state laws prior to 2021," the Democrats' letter reads. "However, given the large number of voters who have been removed, a lack of transparency as to what records or data were utilized, and the timing of removals, we are concerned that many legitimate voters may have had their registrations cancelled or suspended."

The 1993 National Voter Registration Act prohibits cancellations of voter registrations within 90 days of a federal election.

Alvarado said Abbott's statements implied voter registration removal efforts were ongoing, prompting concern about potential violations of federal law. She urged voters to check that their registrations are still active.

"The thing that's staring us in the face is the timing of the removals," Alvarado said.

More: 'We didn't break any laws': Latino civil rights group demands investigation into Ken Paxton voter fraud chase

This is not the first time state officials have been under scrutiny for their handling of voter registrations. In 2019, an attempt to clean up Texas' voter rolls faltered when the state began with an inaccurate list of 95,000 potential noncitizens, resulting in the secretary of state's resignation, a settlement agreement and a congressional probe.

"Texas has a history of flawed attempts to purge voters and suppressing voter participation, thereby necessitating a close examination of the states cancellations," the Democrats' letter reads.

We want to hear from youDo you believe you were one of the 1.1 million people removed from Texas voter rolls since 2021? Was your voter registration examined by the state? The Statesman wants to hear from you. Email staff writer Bayliss Wagner at bwagner@statesman.com.

More: What we know about claims of noncitizens on voter rolls in three states

Statesman staff writer Hogan Gore contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Senate Democrats request DOJ probe into voter roll purge
A British internet watchdog that polices the web for child abuse has reported thousands of illegal images to Telegram over the past two years.

The Cambridge-based Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which has a government mandate to hunt down and remove illegal abuse images online, said it had flagged 2,294 images on Telegram since 2022.

However, a spokesman said it had never received a response from Telegram to one of its reports, making it difficult to confirm whether the app had taken action to remove the posts.

Some of the images included children as young as two years old. A third of the reported content included images or videos rated as category A, the worst forms of abuse.

Telegram said it removed tens of thousands of groups and channels sharing child abuse content each month. In August, it claimed to have removed 50,000 such groups.

However, the vast majority of Telegrams groups are private and the company has said it would refuse to delete content shared within groups. All Telegram chats and groups are private territory of their respective participants, a company blog reads. We do not perform any requests related to them.

It said it would remove public channels that were illegal but that the app had disclosed zero bytes of data to third parties, including governments.

Telegrams founder, the Russian-born entrepreneur Pavel Durov, faces charges in France for alleged complicity in failing to tackle abuse on the app.

The messaging app is used by more than 950m people and is known for its light-touch approach to moderation and a refusal to comply with demands for censorship.

Mr Durov was arrested a week ago in Paris and charged on Wednesday over the companys moderation of illegal child abuse content, drug trafficking and organised crime.

French prosecutors have accused Telegram of a near complete absence of responses to court demands and police requests to properly address concerns over posts on the app.

The billionaire faces a potential 10-year prison sentence over the charges. He has been released with bail set at 5m (4.2m). A lawyer for Mr Durov called the charges absurd.

Pavel Durov's lawyer David-Olivier Kaminski has branded the case against the tech billionaire "absurd" - Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelg Alsayed/Anadolu via Getty Images

So much more they could do

His app has also been accused of failing to assist independent efforts to crack down on online child abuse and refusing to sign up to or engage with industry watchdogs working to police such illegal content.

The Dubai-based messaging service is not a member of the CyberTipline, an initiative run by the US-based National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). It has also refused to work with Britains IWF.

According to the tip lines data, WhatsApp reported more than 1.3m pieces of abuse content in 2023. Snapchat reported 713,000. Telegram disclosed none.

Heidi Kempster, deputy chief executive of the IWF, said: We work with some of the biggest tech companies and platforms, and many are proactive in making sure they are doing their best to stop criminals from sharing this material.

There are tried and tested methods to stop platforms being abused this way, methods which do not compromise users privacy or experience. Choosing not to use them is a conscious decision.

We have the tools and, although we have reached out to Telegram, they are not currently using any of them. There is so much more they could be doing now to keep their service safe.

An IWF spokesman said it had detected and actioned 480 pieces of child abuse content on Telegram so far in 2024, compared to 538 over the course of 2023. The spokesman said it expected to exceed last years total on this platform before the year is over.

John Shehan, of NCMEC, told NBC News last week: Telegram is truly in a league of their own as far as their lack of content moderation or even interest in preventing child sexual exploitation.

The arrest of Mr Durov has sent shockwaves throughout the technology industry, representing a major escalation of Western efforts to crack down on social media companies.

The 39-year-old has been barred from leaving France and must report to a police station on a weekly basis.

The billionaire founded Telegram in 2013 with a focus on free speech. The Russian-born entrepreneur, nicknamed Russias Mark Zuckerberg, was forced out of the social media giant he founded, VK, by the Kremlin.

Despite this, Russia has protested against his arrest in France. A Kremlin spokesman dubbed the arrest political persecution.

Telegram has denied wrongdoing and insisted it complied with EU laws on social media. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform, the company said.

Telegram was contacted for comment.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Thousands of private and homeschooled students in need of special education services from the city have been denied crucial resources just a week before school starts -- all because a form due in June wasn't received in time, The Post has learned.

Thousands of private and homeschooled students in need of special-education services from the city have been denied crucial resources just a week before school starts  all because a form due in June wasnt received in time, The Post has learned.

State law requires parents to send a written request by June 1 for services for kids who attend private schools or are homeschooled and have been approved for services.

But advocates, teachers and parents  who have been accessing resources such as occupational, physical and speech therapy for years  say the rule was never enforced, and they werent made aware of any deadline.

Parents of private and homeschooled students across NYC who have been approved for special education services are now being told the critical services will be discontinued  just one week before the start of school. nysed

They pulled the rug right out from under us, said Marisol, a Bronx mom homeschools her son and has secured occupational and speech therapy, and a Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS) teacher, for him for 10 years.

Now, shell have to homeschool her son without the added supports.

More than 200,000 students in New York City receive Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

Individualized Education Services Programs (IESPs) provide therapy services and the SETSS teachers from private agencies to non-public schools.

Some parents received notice from schools that their kids services had been denied because of the missing form, but others werent told until they reached out to their district Committees for Special Education to confirm details for the upcoming school year, which starts on Sept. 5.

New York state law provides that parents must request equitable (IESP) special education services in writing to the school district by June 1st preceding the school year for which the request for services is made, read an email to parents from one CSE chairperson shared with The Post.

Since a request was not received, NYCPS will not provide equitable (IESP) special education services to your child during the 2024-2025 school year.

NYC parents of students with IESPs are being alerted right before the start of the school year that they did not return a mandatory form or failed to do so on time. Michael Nagle

Kelly, a Staten Island mother of a fourth-grader who requires OT, PT and hearing services at her Catholic school, said she had over 60 email correspondences in the last year with her CSE and was not once told about the deadline or necessary form.

It should have been mailed and emailed if it was so important, she said.

My daughter is where she is because of all the services and support put in place for her, Kelly said. Now for them to say, Oh, sorry, were not giving you anything  I cry about this.

She was among the many parents told by CSEs that one solution would be sending her child to public school.

We are a proud Catholic school family, and my daughter has a right to the Catholic school system without discrimination, the mom told The Post.

At least 1,000 students in Staten Island alone were affected by the rule this year, sources said.

Some Catholic schools in the city have IESP populations of around 35%, according to one advocate.

She and many other parents fear they will have to pay for the pricey services out-of-pocket or hire lawyers and advocates  who charge around $85 for a consultation and over $2,000 to represent them in a state complaint  to fight for the services.

My calculation is $500 a week  I dont know if I can keep up with $2,000 a month until this gets clarified, said Jennifer D., regarding the SETTS teacher her son needs for 11th grade.

The Brooklyn mom said the deadline was never mentioned in any of her sons regular IEP meetings.

He was evaluated and approved for continued services in May and a special assistive computer was even sent to his school.

When she requested a form related to SETTS in August, she got a boilerplate response citing Section 3602-c of state education law telling her services would not be provided.

A legal advocate told her it was a sneaky rule in effect since 2007 but never enforced.

Its sad that theyre doing this to children with special needs, the mom said.

Parents across the city are demanding their elected officials step in to help.

By failing to provide these forms, the CSEs have created a situation where families are unjustly penalized, leaving vulnerable students without the support they need to succeed, reads a letter being sent to legislators.

It calls on them to investigate and advocate for the immediate reinstatement of IESP following what they call a procedural failure.

Children enrolled in a private or religious school in NYC can receive special education services from the city Department of Education. Michael Nigro

An emergency rule adopted by the state Education Department in July chipped away at due process hearings for parents of private school children, noted SETSS teacher Rachel Maniscalco.

Parents dont really have any recourse, she told The Post.

A memo from the state to superintendents alerting them about the new language pertaining to disputes that fall outside the scope of a due process hearing referenced 3602-c. and the June deadline.

They are punishing parents for putting their kids elsewhere instead of public school, Maniscalco said.

The city DOE said it is required by state law to first serve those who meet the deadline.

We focus first on arranging services for families that submit requests by the deadline, but we will always engage families including those who didnt meet the deadline and seek to serve them as soon and as best as we can, a spokesman told The Post.

The state DOE did not respond to an inquiry from The Post.
HONOLULU (KHON2)  Special agents from the Department of the Attorney Generals Investigations Division have arrested Felix Savoy, also known as Felix Tigilau, on a $500,000 arrest warrant.

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Savoy, 39, faces seven charges, including three counts of theft, two counts of forgery.

The charges stem from an alleged scheme involving the manufacturing and depositing of fraudulent checks and unauthorized account use totaling approximately $1.5 million, which occurred over several months in 2023.

Two additional suspects linked to the alleged criminal organization have also been arrested.

Baron Yamabe, 75, was taken into custody on August 29, 2024, and January Fanene, 38, was arrested on August 30, 2024, they are charged with the same counts.

Former basketball coach charged with felony theft

A fourth suspect, Jon-Joseph C. Rutherford, 37, is charged with one count each of Attempted Theft in the First Degree and Forgery in the Second Degree but is believed to have left Hawaii.

This investigation, which spanned over a year, involved significant collaboration with financial institutions, said Tom Alipio, Chief of the Departments Investigations Division. I commend our agents for their dedication in bringing these individuals to justice.

The charges against Savoy and his associates include Class B felonies, which carry penalties of up to 10-years in prison and fines up to $25,000, and Class C felonies, which are punishable by up to 5-years in prison and fines up to $10,000.

Convictions could result in mandatory prison time and extended term sentencing.

Investigators are seeking additional victims.

Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news

Anyone who believes they were defrauded by Savoy is encouraged to contact the Department of the Attorney Generals Investigations Division at 808-586-1240.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
Measuring the levels of three biomarkers in blood in midlife may give women a clearer picture of their risk of major cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes decades earlier than current risk calculators do, a new study suggests.

When it comes to the worries that women have about their health, heart disease isnt usually at the top of the list  but it probably should be.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States. In 2021, it was responsible for the deaths of more than 310,000 women, about 1 in every 5 female deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 80% of women ages 40 to 60 are living with at least one risk factor for coronary artery disease, research has found, but only about half of women recognize heart disease as their biggest health risk.

Experts say that having better measures of risk earlier in life might help women take critical steps to improve their health before its too late.

Common tests give a new look at heart risk

The tests highlighted in the study are not new. These are widely available. Its nothing more than checking off a box with a lab slip, said study author Dr. Paul Ridker, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Womens Hospital. They are also inexpensive, he says, ranging from $10 to $12 per test.

The study found that these three test results, considered together, could predict cardiovascular risk in seemingly healthy women as much as 30 years before a major cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke, a finding that Ridker said was astonishing.

The fact that it works in primary prevention is mind-blowing to me, because its telling us that the process thats driving atherosclerotic disease in these young women is there very early in life, he said.

For the study, which was published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in London, Ridker and his colleagues followed nearly 40,000 women for 30 years starting in the early 1990s. The research was funded by the US National Institutes of Health.

The study participants were health professionals who were invited to enroll. Their average age at the beginning of the study was 55, but some were as young as 40. One in four had high blood pressure, and about 1 in 8 were current smokers. Nearly 3% had a history of diabetes, and about 14% had at least one parent whod had a heart attack before the age of 65.

At the start of the study, about 28,000 women agreed to provide blood samples. The researchers used these to measure three biomarkers: low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, commonly known as bad cholesterol; high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or CRP; and lipoprotein(a), or LP(a).

Igniting a biologic explosion

These three factors each influence cardiovascular risk in different ways.

LDL cholesterol contributes to fatty buildup in the arteries and has long been a classic measure of heart risk.

High-sensitivity CRP is newer. Its part of the immune systems response to cholesterol, and its a way for researchers to measure simmering inflammation in blood vessels, the kind a person wouldnt be able to feel.

When cholesterol starts to build up in the arteries, it forms crystals. The immune system sees the crystals as foreign and starts to mount a response to clear them away. In the process, high-sensitivity CRP is made.

LP(a)  pronounced LP-little-a  is a lipid that can accumulate in blood vessels and form artery-clogging plaques, similar to LDL cholesterol. A persons risk for a high LP(a) level is largely inherited. About 1 in 5 people worldwide has a high LP(a) level but may not know it because they wouldnt have any symptoms. A person can live a healthy lifestyle, have normal cholesterol and still develop a major artery blockage because of LP(a).

In the clinic, doctors consider and measure each of these biomarkers independently. But theyre not independent of each other in terms of biologic explosion that they ignite, Ridker said.

Thats a major strength of this study, said Dr. Leslie Cho, director of the Womens Cardiovascular Center at the Cleveland Clinic.

Its the additive effect of the risk factors that are very interesting and incredibly potent, said Cho, who was not involved in the research.

More elevated markers means greater risk

At the end of the study period, researchers looked to see how many of the participants had had a major cardiovascular event: a heart attack, stroke, a procedure to open an artery near the heart or death from a cardiovascular event. The women in the study experienced roughly 3,600 first major cardiovascular events.

The researchers then divided the participants into five roughly equal parts called quintiles, according to their levels of each biomarker, and compared the risk of major cardiovascular events among those in the highest quintile against those in the lowest.

They found that the three biomarkers were each individually associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, with inflammation appearing to be the strongest driver.

Women with the highest levels of high-sensitivity CRP  over 5.18 milligrams per liter  were about 70% more likely to have a major heart event than those in the lowest level. Women with the highest levels of LDL  over about 151 milligrams per deciliter  had a 36% higher risk of a major heart event. And women with the highest levels of LP(a)  over 44 milligrams per deciliter  had a 33% greater risk of a major cardiovascular event.

The effects were even stronger when the three biomarkers were considered together. Compared with women who didnt have high levels of any of these three biomarkers, those who had high levels of all three were nearly three times more likely to have a major heart event and nearly four times more likely to have a stroke.

We continue to underdiagnose and undertreat women compared to men, Ridker said, adding that one of the key messages of the study is that middle-age women with elevated risks should be identified and treated earlier.

Why are we starting statins in women at age 65 when we start them in men at age 50? Right? I mean, its just biologically silly, Ridker said.

Getting doctors to test

The study suggests that doctors should be checking these markers as a routine part of primary care, but many dont, said Dr. Gina Lundberg, a preventive cardiologist who is clinical director of the Womens Heart Center at Emory University.

A lot of physicians never draw the c-reactive protein or the LP(a) levels, so theyre missing out on this information, said Lundberg, who was not involved in the study.

Ridker said he hoped the study would educate doctors about the importance of ordering these tests. I would personally like to see universal screening for these three things, he said.

There are medications to lower LDL cholesterol and to help control inflammation, including low-dose colchicine, a drug thats traditionally been used to treat gout. But no drugs are specifically approved to lower LP(a), although several are being tested.

Independent experts said the new study was significant because most risk calculators tend to underestimate heart risks for women.

Its always been very difficult to assess heart disease risk in women because women tend to get heart disease later in life. A lot of the traditional risk factors that we use  the main one that we use is American Heart Association calculator  tends to underestimate the lifetime risk for women, said Dr. Sonia Tolani, co-director of the Columbia Womens Heart Center.

The study has some important limitations, too. Nearly all the women who took part in the study were White. Because they were health professionals themselves, they had better-than-average access to health care and health information and were healthier in many respects than women in the general population.

Is it applicable to women in different socioeconomic spectrums? And is it going to be expandable to minority women? Tolani asked of the study findings.

African Americans and South Asian women tend to have higher LPL(a) levels than Whites, Tolani noted, so that part of the study may not apply to them.

I think thats the biggest flaw I see, she said.

On the other hand, the particular risk factors for heart disease in women have long been ignored, so this study is a milestone in that sense.

We dont have a lot of studies done in women, in cardiology, or frankly in much of medicine, so it is good to have a study focused on women and looking at their risk, said Dr. Anum Minhas, director of Cardio-Obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Looking 30 years early of course youre going to have the strongest chance of preventing even those risk factors leading to heart disease, said Minhas, who was not involved in the research.

Even though all three biomarkers are well-known to cardiologists, the high-sensitivity CRP and the LP(a) test arent measured or used much in primary care, which is where doctors might first screen patients.

For people who might want to get the results of these tests at their next checkup, Ridker suggests that it might be smart to come prepared.

You might want to bring the paper with you, he said.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The Nebraska Supreme Court is poised to hear arguments on three lawsuits discussing abortion-related proposed constitutional amendments in Nebraska. (Getty Images)

LINCOLN  Two was company and three is now a crowd of last-minute lawsuits filed in Nebraska against competing abortion amendment proposals.

More than 20 doctors supporting an abortion-rights amendment sued Friday to press the Nebraska Supreme Court to remove neither abortion amendment from the ballot or pull them both.

Their effort joined two lawsuits that were refiled Friday  one from a Douglas County woman and the other from a Lancaster County neonatologist, both of whom are seeking to remove the abortion-rights amendment from the ballot.

Oral arguments scheduled

The Nebraska Supreme Court has agreed to hear all three of the lawsuits before Secretary of State Bob Evnen must finalize the Nov. 5 general election ballot on Sept. 13.

The Supreme Court announced it would hear oral arguments at 10 a.m. Sept. 9 for the new both-or-none lawsuit and both of the refiled lawsuits, which were brought from residents of Lancaster and Douglas Counties.

In the both-or-none lawsuit, the doctors say they reluctantly filed because of the other two legal efforts to deny voters a chance to weigh in.

The lawsuit argues that the abortion-restriction amendment violates the constitutional rule requiring every ballot initiative to cover a single subject and says it risks confusing voters.

The Restrictions Amendment and the Rights Amendment must both be included or excluded from the ballot together, their lawsuit argues.

Dr. Elizabeth Constance, a fertility specialist, is one of the doctors filing that suit. She said the states current abortion ban at 12 weeks gestational age already puts families at risk.

We are  united in the belief that complex medical decisions should be between patients and their trusted healthcare providers and free from government interference, she said in a statement.

Nebraska could see competing amendments

The measure she and her fellow plaintiffs back would put a right to abortion in the state Constitution until the point of fetal viability, as determined by a health care provider. It includes later exceptions for the mothers health.

The measure they oppose would constitutionally limit abortion to the first trimester of pregnancy, with a later exception for the mothers life. It would still let the Legislature pass stricter bans.

If the ballot measures survive, Nebraska would be the first state since the U.S. Supreme Courts 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade to have competing abortion-related constitutional amendments on the same ballot. If both pass, the measure with the most votes becomes law.

The lawyer for the Douglas County resident who ran a shelter for women facing unplanned pregnancies and the attorney for the Lancaster County doctor opposing the abortion amendment made some fixes Friday to their filings.

Both of the refiled lawsuits removed hedge words used on the documents vouching for the truth of their statements. That seemed to make a difference to the high court, which requires that affidavits be verified as true and correct, legal observers told the Examiner.

Fixes made

Instead of saying that the facts attested are true and correct to the best of her knowledge and belief, the filings now say the contents attested are true and correct.

Douglas County resident Carolyn LaGreca and Lancaster County Dr. Catherine Brooks again asked the Supreme Court to hear their cases as a so-called original action, because time is short.

Were not going away, said Matthew Heffron, LaGrecas lawyer from the socially conservative Thomas More Society, a group based in Chicago.

Brooks lawyer, Brenna Grasz, shared a statement Thursday from Brooks calling the language of the abortion-rights amendment subjective, confusing and unworkable.

It subjects women and medical professionals to vague, unscientific standards, and dangerously expands the scope of abortion practice, Brooks said in the previous statement.

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A joint operation by American and Iraqi forces killed 15 members of the Islamic State group in western Iraq, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday.

The raid targeted Islamic State leaders and was carried out early Thursday morning, resulting in the death of 15 ISIS operatives with no indication of civilian casualties, CENTCOM said on social media platform X.

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It said the IS members were armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive suicide belts, and that Iraqi forces were continuing to further exploit the locations raided, only specifying that the operation occurred in Western Iraq.

ISIS remains a threat to the region, our allies, as well as our homeland. US CENTCOM alongside our coalition and Iraqi partners, will continue to aggressively pursue these terrorists, it added.

The operation comes as Baghdad and Washington have been engaged in months of talks over the presence of anti-jihadist coalition forces in Iraq.

Despite Iraqs stated goal of a full withdrawal of the forces, no timeline has been made public.

The United States has some 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group.

Coalition forces have been targeted dozens of times with drones and rocket fire in both Iraq and Syria, as violence related to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza since early October has drawn in Iran-backed armed groups across the Middle East.

Last winter, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, a loose alliance of Iran-backed groups, had claimed some 175 rocket and drone attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria.

US forces have carried out multiple retaliatory strikes against these militant factions in both countries.

Thursdays raid also comes just under a week after US forces killed a senior leader of an Al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group in Syria.
After a mostly quiet August with little storm activity, forecasters are tracking three disturbances churning in the Atlantic  one is set to strengthen into a tropical depression next week. Weather experts say this is the beginning of what could be a hectic September during what is expected by one of the busiest hurricane seasons.

READ MORE: After a hurricane season respite, its about to be game-time again in the Atlantic

This week, the National Hurricane Center has been monitoring a tropical wave causing showers and thunderstorms hundreds of miles east of the Lesser Antilles. In its Sunday afternoon advisory, forecasters expected conducive conditions for development next week.

The wave will reach the Lesser Antilles on Monday and move through the Caribbean Sea by mid-next week. Later in the week, a tropical depression could form as it reaches the western Caribbean Sea.

It has a 40% chance of strengthening in the next seven days and a 10% chance in the next two days.

Another disturbance between the west coast of Africa and the Cabo Verde Islands is right behind it. The tropical wave is seeing environmental conditions that could allow for it to slowly develop.

It has no chance of strengthening into a depression or storm in the next two days and a 20% chance in seven days.

On Friday, the hurricane center started to track a third disturbance just off Texas and Louisiana. A broad area of low pressure is sitting over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

Forecasters expect the system to linger near the coast through much of next week, with the possibility of some strengthening as it meanders offshore. Regardless, it will dump heavy rains that might cause flash flooding in coastal Louisiana and the upper Texas coast during the next few days.

It has a 10% chance of strengthening into a depression or storm in the next seven days and a 10% chance in the next two days.

The next storm will be named Francine.

The 2024 hurricane season was predicted to see 17-24 named storms, and while August only saw Hurricane Ernesto  which hit Bermuda as a Category 1  experts are warning not to rush to any conclusions.

September is historically when big, strong storms form in the far eastern Atlantic. Bryan Norcross, a hurricane specialist at Fox Weather, reminded those wondering what will come to remember 2022, a season that saw a quiet August but Hurricane Ian soon after.

Ian tied the record for the fifth-strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. when it came ashore near Cayo Costa in Southwest Florida with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. It was the strongest storm to hit Southwest Florida since Hurricane Charley in 2004.

Miami Herald Staff Writers Alex Harris, Milena Malaver and Grethel Aguila contributed to this report.
Touro University yanks professor charged with sexual abuse from ethics course  after Post report

Three months after an adjunct professor was arrested for sexually abusing a patient in his private practice, Touro University addressed the issue with students and faculty for the first time, claiming he was listed as teaching a course on ethics this fall due to a clerical error.

Menachem Kiwak, an instructor in mental-health counseling arrested in May, was quietly put on administrative leave at the end of last school year.

But it wasnt until The Post reported last week that he was scheduled to teach an upcoming course that Touro finally issued a statement on the charges against him.

Touro removed Menachem Kiwak (center) as an instructor of Professional, Legal & Ethical Issues in Counseling. Insatgram @wearetouro

Twenty students had signed up for the online course on Professional, Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling, set to start Sept. 3, records show.

The internal listing sparked outrage among fellow professors, one calling it an absolute travesty.

Touro called it a clerical error, saying Kiwak remained on leave.

The university scrambled to find a replacement, and hired a Florida mental-health counselor who specializes in womens issues.

But she abruptly quit on Friday after reading The Posts article about Kiwak, saying Touro never informed her about his removal.

That speaks to the integrity of the institution, she said, asking to remain anonymous.

On Monday, Touro sent an email to the college community confirming the allegations of sexual assault against Kiwak.

The university hired a Florida mental-health counselor to replace Kiwak, but she quit on Friday because officials kept her in the dark about his removal. Google

The alleged incident occurred off-campus and did not involve a Touro student, the statement said. It added that Kiwak does not currently have any teaching or other responsibilities at Touro.

Some faculty members believe Touro tried to keep a lid on the scandal because Kiwaks mother-in-law, Faye Walkenfeld, chairs the Behavior Science department where he works and is a big shot in the college.

Walkenfeld was one of two Touro officials who interviewed the Florida counselor.

Some Touro staff believe the college tried to keep a lid on the scandal because Kiwaks mother-in-law, Faye Walkenfeld, chairs the department he worked under. Touro University School of Health Sciences

Its insane and bewildering that a university as established as Touro should have such a sloppy, disorganized response to the arrest of a teacher for alleged sexual abuse, said Asher Lovy, the director of Zaakah, an organization that supports sex-abuse survivors in the Jewish community.

Clearly they dont prioritize the safety of their students, but instead protect their reputation and the relatives of their department chairs, Lovy said.

Kiwak was accused by a patient of coercing her into sexual acts. He has pleaded not guilty.
DENVER (KDVR)  A tow truck driver has been arrested after an investigation led deputies to the discovery of multiple stolen vehicles and child porn.

The Douglas County Sheriffs Office said in a release Friday that Brian Chacon, 33, a tow truck driver with Eagle Wing Towing, may have been taking vehicles he had no legal right to impound or possess.

Caught on camera: Police searching for armed motorcycle thieves

The investigation began in December 2023 when a detective with the sheriffs offices Auto Theft Unit was working on a stolen vehicle case and learned that it may have been one of several incidents involving Eagle Wing Towing, according to the release.

There was only one impound yard where Chacon and Eagle Wing Towing were permitted to store impound vehicles. Vehicles that were later reported stolen had been in Chacons possession and were never taken to this impound lot, the sheriffs office said.

The sheriffs office said Chacon had taken numerous vehicles to U-Pull and Pay lots in Denver, Aurora and Littleton.

Court records show a public defender has been assigned to Chacons case. The office does not give comment on its cases.

$350K bond set in auto theft case

Investigators said that of the 81 cars that are known to have been sold to a salvage yard by Chacon or the towing company, or associated with Chacon or the towing company, 48 were confirmed as stolen, four were confirmed to be owned by the towing company and 29 could not be confirmed either way because of the inability to find the most recent or true owner, the release states.

During the investigation, detectives also discovered that Chacon was in possession of child pornography, the sheriffs office said.

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On Aug. 9, a warrant was issued and Chacon was arrested on Aug. 11. He was booked in the Douglas County jail where he remains on a $350,000 bond.

The sheriffs office is recommending the district attorneys office file the following charges:

5 counts of sexual exploitation of a child/possession of child pornography

48 counts of motor vehicle theft in the second-degree

37 counts of forgery

37 counts of chop shop activity

1 count of driving under restraint

Court records show a preliminary hearing is set in his case on Sept. 6.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
GARRETSON, SD (KELO)  Many of you are loading up the car right about now to begin your Labor Day weekend getaways.

A group of tractor enthusiasts from southwestern Minnesota got a jump on the holiday traffic by hitting the road earlier Friday.

Their cross-border tractor-cade into South Dakota included a couple of kiwis in KELOLAND.

The SD State Fair bounces around cities, dates

Dozens of tractors left the back forty of Minnesota and took to the back roads of South Dakota.

Last night, we got a little rain and that really helped. Theres no dust and the winds blowing, so its a perfect day, Rodger Ossenfort of Luverne, Minnesota, said.

The tractor drive is a Labor Day weekend tradition eight years and running spanning 60 miles, round-trip. Their destination this year: a tour of Nordstroms Automotive, west of Garretson.

Hes got five brand-new Corvettes that he purchased and he cant sell that hes got to part-out. And hes got new pickups hes got to part them out, Ossenfort said.

Two of the tractor drivers have logged more miles than any of the others. Josh Devane and Heather McConchie work on a sheep farm way off in New Zealand. Their visit to this part of South Dakota has been somewhat of an agri-culture shock.

Theres no sheep here, McConchie said.

Yeah, no sheep, Devane said.

In New Zealand, drivers have to drive on the left side of the road. So it took some getting used to to driving on the right side in South Dakota. Whoa!

It was a bit hard at the start, when I got in the car and started driving, I was like, oh, Im on the wrong side of the road. But after that, yeah, it was pretty simple here, Devane said.

Highway Patrol announces September sobriety checkpoints

The New Zealanders say theyre also not used to driving on such a flat landscape. But they enjoyed meeting their fellow tractor drivers.

Very down to earth people around this area, Devane said.

Even if Americans might talk funny and drive on the wrong side.

Funner than I thought it was going to be. I enjoyed it, McConchie said.

Bloody good. Yeah, it was a good experience here, yeah, Devane said.

Devane is visiting his grandparents in Rowena. The couple will fly back to New Zealand in October.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KELOLAND.com.
Dallas firefighters are mourning the off-duty death of driver-engineer Officer Jimmy Small.

Small served with Dallas-Fire Rescue since April 2017, the Dallas Black Firefighters Association said on social media. He died Wednesday, according to the post. The circumstances surrounding his death are still being investigated.

His passing is a tragic loss for his family, Dallas Fire-Rescue, and the entire Dallas community, the post reads.

Dallas Fire-Rescue confirmed Smalls death in a social media post and asked the community to keep the department and Smalls family in their thoughts and prayers.

Small was most recently assigned to Station 52 as a rescue driver, according to the Dallas Black Firefighters Association.

 More top stories from our newsroom:

 North Texas farmers say chemicals in fertilizer are killing livestock

 Fort Worth ISD committed to working with city leaders, board says

 First H-E-B to open in Dallas County

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Trial against former New Mexico lawmaker moved to March 2025

Trial against former New Mexico lawmaker moved to March 2025

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE)  A former state lawmaker accused of swindling millions out of Albuquerque Public Schools had her trial delayed again. Sheryl Williams Stapleton pled not guilty to 35 charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States and multiple counts of bribery and money laundering.

Man apprehended day after two bodies found in New Mexico home

Prosecutors claimed she allocated federal funds intended for APS programs to Robotics Management Learning Systems which was owned and operated by a friend of Williiam Stapleton, Joseph Johnson. He is accused of giving Stapleton blank checks from the company. Williams Stapleton is accused of missing $2.5 million in federal funds.

Williams Stapletons lawyers filed a motion to have her trial delayed a second time. The motion went unopposed. The trial, originally scheduled for September 9, was moved to March 2025.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
Troopers searching for driver who struck a pedestrian on Interstate 91 in Cromwell

CROMWELL, Conn. (WTNH)  State police are searching for the driver of a vehicle that seriously injured a pedestrian Friday night on Interstate 91 in Cromwell.

State police say just after 8:00 p.m., a 2023 Tesla Model registered in Massachusetts was occupied by six individuals, one of whom was a soon-to-be three-year-old child.

For an unspecified reason, the 38-year-old Tesla driver parked on the right shoulder of I-91 South just prior to exit 21 and exited the vehicle. Shortly after, a 2017 Honda traveling in the right lane swerved into the right shoulder and struck both the Tesla and the driver standing outside of it.

The driver of the Honda fled the scene and left the Tesla operator with serious injuries. The five occupants in the Tesla were unharmed.

The Honda is a small, white sedan with damage to the front drivers side.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact state police at 860-534-1000.

Check back for updates.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com.
Donald Trump on Friday defended his decision to take photos and video at the graves of fallen soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery, a move his critics slammed as potentially illegal.

I wasnt doing itI dont need publicity, he said. I get a lot of publicity. I would like to get a lot less publicity.

In fact, the former president, whose career was built on publicity, improbably claimed: I would hire a public relations agent to get less publicity.

The former president caught flak this week for taking photos and video in a section of the cemetery where campaign activity is prohibited. Members of Trumps campaign staff reportedly verbally abused and pushed an employee of the cemetery who tried to enforce the rules after a wreath-laying ceremony to honor service members killed during the Afghanistan War withdrawal.

The U.S. Army has rebuked the Trump campaign, which has insisted it did not break the law.

Speaking at an afternoon rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Trump said the families of troops killed at the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan asked him to join them in Section 60 at their childrens graves after the ceremony Monday morning.

They said to meI mean, Im not surprised, I never even thought aboutSir, would it be possible for you to have a picture with us by the tombstone of my son? he said. You know, the beautiful white tombstones, marble, beautiful, beautiful things.

Without citing any evidence, Trump blamed the White House for spreading the allegation that he took the photos for political gain.

Everything was nice, he said. And then later on that day, I heard that we were using the graves of those soldiers for public relations purposes, and that was all put out by the White House. Joe Biden killed those young people because he was incompetent.

But Trumps campaign had been warned not to take photographs ahead of the altercation, according to the Associated Press. And Trump was excoriated by a gold star father whose son was killed in Iraq for his perceived politicization of the somber event.

Speaking for more than an hour, Trump also used the rally to hit several of his favorite talking points, including slamming the fake news. (Of The New York Times, he said, They truly are the enemy of the people.) He criticized Kamala Harris performance during her CNN interview Thursday night and reiterated his praise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. whom he recently welcomed to the MAGA fold, as well as his calls to punish people who burn the American flag with a year of jail time.

The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, put up billboards in Johnstown accusing the former president of threatening in-vitro fertilization, The Hill reported.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed Administrative Order No. 24, institutionalizing the governments eTravel system to streamline border control and health surveillance for international travelers.

The three-page order, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on August 27, designates eTravel as a one-stop electronic declaration system for all inbound and outbound passengers. It takes effect immediately upon publication.

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The eTravel (Electronic Travel Information) system is hereby institutionalized as the governments one-stop electronic travel declaration system for all international inbound and outbound passengers and crew members, the administrative order stated.

A Technical Working Group (TWG) led by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and Bureau of Immigration (BI) will manage the system. The group will also include the Department of Tourism, Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Quarantine, and Bureau of Customs.

The President urged full cooperation from all relevant government agencies and emphasized compliance with the Data Privacy Act.

Moreover, the funding for the eTravel system will come from existing budgets, with continued support included in future budget proposals.

Launched in December 2022, the eTravel system streamlined travel declarations and was expanded in April 2023 to cover all international passengers.
Former President Donald Trump says hes in favor of a Florida ballot measure that would legalize recreational marijuana in the state.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump, a Florida voter, came out in support of Amendment 3, a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would legalize recreational cannabis use for those 21 years and older.

In Florida, like so many other States that have already given their approval, personal amounts of marijuana will be legalized for adults with Amendment 3, Trump posted on Saturday. Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the Voters, so it should be done correctly.

Trump said there should still be laws in the state that would prohibit using marijuana in public spaces so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities, he went on.

Residents will vote on the ballot initiative in November. While polls have shown residents in the state are mostly in favor of the amendment, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has come out against legalization.

This is bad policy and even worse constitutional law, DeSantis posted on social media earlier this week.

Trump said Florida residents shouldnt be criminalized for something legal in other states.

We do not need to ruin lives & waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, and no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl laced marijuana, Trump posted. We will make America SAFE again!

Related...
A day after indicating some support for a referendum to protect abortion rights in Florida, Donald Trump said Friday hes actually going to vote against it.

Nine months is just a ridiculous situation, where you can do an abortion in the ninth month, the Republican presidential nominee told Fox News Friday of the referendum.

If passed, Amendment 4 would amend Floridas constitution to restore abortion access until fetal viability  typically around the 6-month mark. Florida currently bans abortion beyond the sixth week of gestation, with limited exceptions.

Abortion late in pregnancy is extremely rare and often happens because the fetus would not survive after birth or because of serious threats to the mothers health.

Trump, a Florida voter as of 2020, then claimed that blue-state abortion laws allow for the homicide of newborn babies  a lie he often repeats.

Some of the states like Minnesota and other states have it where you could actually execute the baby after birth, and all of that stuff is unacceptable, he said. So Ill be voting no for that reason.

Trump reiterated that he thinks that Floridas current ban is too restrictive, even though he boasted as recently as last year that without me there would be no six weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks bans.

In recent months, Trump has increasingly tried to appear moderate on abortion  a matter thats proven to be a losing issue for Republicans since the fall of the Supreme Court precedent under Roe v. Wade in 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris presidential campaign has repeatedly told voters not to take his more relaxed stance on the issue seriously, pointing to his long record of opposing abortion access.

In response to Trumps remarks Friday, Harris said hes clearly aligned himself with the anti-abortion movement.

Donald Trump just made his position on abortion very clear: He will vote to uphold an abortion ban so extreme it applies before many women even know they are pregnant, she said.

Of course he thinks its a beautiful thing that women in Florida and across the country are being turned away from emergency rooms, face life-threatening situations and are forced to travel hundreds of miles for the care they need, she continued.

When Trump suggested hed vote in favor of the Florida amendment Thursday, saying hell be voting that we need more than six weeks, his campaign quickly backtracked.

President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short, campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a news release.

Measures like the one in Florida have passed in numerous other states since the fall of Roe. In all seven states that have put abortion questions before voters, including red states like Kansas, Kentucky and Montana and swing states Ohio and Michigan, voters have sided with abortion rights.

Related...
Trump campaign official says Harris "did not look presidential" in interview

Jason Miller, a senior advisor to Donald Trumps campaign, said on Friday that he thought Vice President Kamala Harris did not look presidential in her first interview as nominee for president.

There's a certain threshold that you have to meet when you're looking presidential. Can you lead this country? Other candidates in the past have had it. I don't see that with Kamala Harris, Miller, who was accused of hiding income to avoid paying child support in 2021, said to Newsmax.

Miller, who on Thursday attempted to deny an incident involving the Trump campaign at Arlington National Cemetery after Trump had already acknowledged it, went on to label Harris answers to questions from CNN's Dana Bash  largely focused on attacks from opposers and not specific policy details  as vague, and added that she had no good answers.

The slam mirrored a post from Ohio Senator and vice presidential nominee JD Vance on Thursday likening Harris interview to Miss Teen USA contestant Caitlin Uptons pageant performance, a comparison which attracted scrutiny both for its misogyny and for making light of the incident, which Upton said caused her to become suicidal.

Harris, the first Black woman atop a major party presidential ticket, has faced a barrage of smears, including everything from not presidential to not very smart to became Black.

But when asked about the attacks on her identity, Harris simply said they were a part of the same old tired playbook.

Similarly, the Harris campaign has pushed back on doubts about Harris credentials and presidential optics, centering her record as a prosecutor and as vice president.
With less than 70 days remaining until Election Day, former President Donald Trump continues to try to clarify his views on abortion and IVF treatments.

The Republican nominee sent mixed signals this week with a series of comments on reproductive rights. On Thursday, he proposed that the government and insurers pay for IVF treatments and said Floridas six-week abortion ban was too short. On Friday, however, Trump clarified that he would vote to oppose a measure to expand abortion access.

Democrats say the Republican presidential nominee is trying to use the pledge of forcing insurers to pay for expensive IVF treatments as a ploy to get votes. The issue of abortion, however, has become an albatross for Republicans, even in red states, when it was on the ballot in the 2022 midterm elections. And national polling indicates that since Roe v. Wade was overturned over two years ago, broad support for abortion rights has only increased.

A May Gallup poll found that 85% of Americans think abortion should be legal in at least certain circumstances, while a June Associated Press/NORC poll found that 70% believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. And according to an April Yahoo News/YouGov poll, a growing majority of Americans want Congress to pass a law that restores Roe v. Wade protections.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has been highlighting Trump's stances on abortion on the campaign trail, saying at the Democratic National Convention that Trump "and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion and enact a nationwide abortion ban, with or without Congress." Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren called Trump's seemingly ever-changing stances "smoke and mirrors," and Gwen Walz, the wife of Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, said that Trump "is the one who took down Roe and put access to IVF at risk."

The day after the Democratic convention ended, Trump wrote on Truth Social: My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights. His change in language signaled a change in his abortion views, because its rare among Republicans to use the term reproductive rights.

Heres what else Trump said in recent weeks about reproductive rights.

What Trump has said about fertility treatments

In February, Alabamas Supreme Court ruled that embryos were considered human beings under the law. Discarding embryos is an inherent part of in vitro fertilization (IVF), a type of fertility treatment. The decision caused an uproar because it would clear the way for wrongful death lawsuits across the state if an embryo were destroyed in the process. The ruling caused providers in Alabama to pause fertility treatments, leaving many patients in limbo.

Since then IVF has become a politically fraught topic in this election cycle and a top issue for Democrats who say that the Republican-led abortion restrictions could further restrict IVF.

Following the ruling in February, Trump called on the Alabama legislature to "quickly find an immediate solution to preserve the availability of IVF in Alabama." The state ultimately passed a law in March to protect the procedure.

On Thursday, Trump took IVF access to a new level, saying on the campaign trail that if reelected, he would not just protect the fertility procedure, but he would make either the government or insurance companies pay for it. He did not offer any specifics on how his plan would work.

What Trump said about Floridas 6-week abortion ban

Florida currently has a six-week ban on abortion, a point at which many women dont know they are pregnant yet. When Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the ban last September, Trump called it a terrible mistake.

Come November, Florida voters will vote on whether to preserve the right to abortion in the state constitution. Trump, who is a Florida voter, was asked by NBC News how he would vote on the ballot initiative that seeks to expand access to abortion.

I think the six weeks is too short; there has to be more time," Trump said. "I've told them I want more weeks. Although Trump did not explicitly say he would vote in favor of the measure, he said, "I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks."

The Trump campaign quickly walked back his statement after receiving backlash from conservative allies, like the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group.

President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida; he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short, Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.

On Friday, facing backlash from anti-abortion advocates, Trump reiterated his opposition to the six-week ban but also said he would oppose an amendment to Florida's constitution that would protect abortion access, which appears on the November ballot.

"You need more time than six weeks. Ive disagreed with that right from the early primaries when I heard about it, I disagreed with it, he said in comments to Fox News, adding that he had decided to vote no on the Florida ballot measure.

What Trump has said about abortion in the past

Trumps shifting position on abortion spans decades. Heres a very brief timeline of his position on abortion, starting when he said he was pro-choice.

October 1999: I am very pro-choice. I hate the concept of abortion, Trump said in an NBC News Meet the Press interview. I just believe in choice. Again, it may be a little bit of a New York background, because there is some different attitude in some different parts of the country. ... I was raised in New York and grew up and worked and everything else in New York City. But I am strongly for choice, and yet I hate the concept of abortion."

February 2011: When Trump was considering a 2012 run for the White House, he spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference and laid out his position on abortion. I am pro-life," he said.

October 2016: During the 2016 election, Trump said he would appoint the necessary justices to the U.S. Supreme Court to get Roe v. Wade, which established the federal right to an abortion, overturned. During Trumps White House tenure, he appointed three conservative justices: Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. In June 2022, the 6-3 conservative majority Supreme Court overturned Roe in its Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision.

September 2023: Trump vaguely indicated on Meet the Press that he might compromise on abortion. Let me just tell you what Id do, he said. Im going to come together with all groups, and were going to have something thats acceptable.

March 2024: Trump takes credit for eliminating Roe v. Wade. After 50 years of failure, with nobody coming even close, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade, much to the shock of everyone, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, or whatever is finally agreed to. Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing, Trump added.

April 2024: Trump announced that he believes the issue of abortion should be left to the states, despite earlier reports that he privately expressed support for a 16-week federal abortion ban.

My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social. The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state.
Donald Trump offered an extended defense Friday of his decision to pose for photos at Arlington National Cemetery, insisting he was there at the invitation of families of military members who were killed in Afghanistan and not for a campaign event.

The former presidents remarks about Arlington at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and a subsequent appearance at a Moms for Liberty event in Washington, D.C., underscore how the incident has spiraled into a major embarrassment for his campaign.

They tell me that I used their graves for public relations services, and I didnt, he said at the rally in Johnstown.

The Monday incident unfolded as Trump attended a memorial service at the cemetery with families of two service members killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Army officials said they informed the former presidents team about a federal law prohibiting the filming of partisan political advertisements at national cemeteries, and when a Trump photographer attempted to accompany the former president to the grave sites, an Army official attempted to stop them only to be pushed aside.

The incident has become the latest distraction for the former president as polls show Vice President Kamala Harris gaining momentum in the race for the presidency.

Trump faulted the White House for making his visit and photo shoot a political issue, saying he received a call from someone in the administration, who he did not identify, who told him the photos taken were for public relations purposes.

Its just so disgusting, and Ill tell you, I get a lot of publicity and I dont need that publicity, Trump said.
Labor Day is a good time to reflect on ethics and the economy. Honest, hard-working people should be able to earn enough money to live decent lives. There is something corrupt about wealth that is divorced from work. And rich people dont deserve more social and political power than the working class.

These common sense ideas might sound socialist. Unfortunately, the mere mention of the s-word or Karl Marx can provoke outrage. Socialism and Marxism are anathema to many Americans, having become terms of insult in our culture wars. And, recently, Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Kamala Harris of being a Marxist  he calls her comrade Kamala.

Were not ready for a communist president, okay? Trump recently said of Harris.

Opinion

This is ridiculous. Harris is a mainstream liberal proposing moderate help for consumers on housing, health care and food costs  proposals that are popular among voters. Harris even seems to agree with Trump about eliminating taxes on tips.

Harris is not proposing a communist revolution that would abolish capitalism or centralize production in the hands of the proletariat. And yet she is absurdly accused of being a Marxist.

The accusation is occasionally linked to an insinuation about her estranged father, Donald J. Harris, a former Stanford economics professor who did, in fact, publish work on Marx.

But this kind of ad hominem and innuendo is silly. Its as bad as the argument made against Trump regarding the fact that he inherited his wealth from his racist father. What matters is a candidates current views and policy proposals  not something dredged up out of their biography, over which they have no control.

At any rate, one wishes there were a candidate who addressed alienation and inequality head on. This would ring a bell for many Americans who feel that the economy is rigged against them, and who are disenchanted with the whole social and political system.

Notably, alienation is a Marxist idea.

A young Marx coined the term alienated labor in the 1840s to describe how labor produces surplus profit that goes into the capitalists pocket. Marx says this empowers the wealthy, while impoverishing the worker.

Things have changed for the better in the past centuries. Economic regulations prevent the kind of exploitation and miserable conditions that afflicted workers in the 19th century. But the general concept of alienation remains useful: Drudgery, poverty and inequality remain problems, and people are disillusioned with politics and the economy.

The Harris Polls alienation index has tracked this for decades. A majority of Americans report a deep sense of alienation when asked whether elites care about them or whether the rich get richer while the poor get poorer.

Hard-working people often cant afford adequate housing or other basic goods. The working poor lead precarious lives, earning low wages doing unpleasant and dangerous jobs. They find themselves in debt, unable to get ahead or even imagine retirement. An accident or health crisis can throw them into homelessness.

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Meanwhile, some lucky stiffs inherit wealth or otherwise hit the jackpot. The truly wealthy put their money to work in the stock market, earning millions without breaking a sweat. The wealthy are able to pull strings and gain access to a world of luxury and power that the poor can only imagine.

This difference of life prospects and social power produces instability and resentment. Different classes of people inhabit different economic and political realities. When social classes are estranged from each other, they grow suspicious. The wealthy pull away from the masses, retreating into gated communities and luxurious clubhouses. And those on the bottom are alienated from the system itself. They give up on voting or caring, since they think the whole thing is rigged by the rich at the expense of the poor.

To name alienation is to echo Marx. This is not to say that Marx was right about everything or that a communist revolution is needed, but alienation remains a significant social problem.

Too many workers live precariously. The average Joe resents the fat cats in first class, and lots of people distrust the system. These are profound and perennial issues.

Our leaders need to address these problems. And they might even learn something from reading Marx.

Andrew Fiala is a philosophy professor at Fresno State University.
At the Moms for Liberty annual summit in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Donald Trump aired grievances about his political rivals and leaned into culture war issues. In his "fireside chat," he attacked President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and he disparaged trans people and migrants crossing the U.S. border.

But aside from his ramblings  which The Guardian described as "long, zigzagging and at times incoherent"  the Republican presidential nominee's appearance at the event also underscored his connection to the Heritage Foundation, the architects behind the Project 2025 plan that Trump has taken pains to distance himself from.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative organization that has served as a personnel pipeline to GOP administrations and crafted policy proposals that have been picked up by Republican officials, has ties to the far-right Moms for Liberty, which has been labeled an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. In 2022, the organization awarded Moms for Liberty its Salvatori Prize for Citizenship, which came with a $25,000 cash award, according to its tax filing that year. The Heritage Foundation is also one of 10 sponsors of the Moms for Liberty summit this year, as The Washington Post reported. And Moms for Liberty is listed as a coalition partner for Project 2025, an action plan for Trumps second term that was drafted by the Heritage Foundation.

Amid public backlash to Project 2025, Trump has tried to separate himself from the document, despite a number of allies and former Trump administration officials' involvement in drafting it. He has disavowed the project and claimed ignorance of the people behind it. But his politics inherently tie him to the organization's sphere of influence, and supporters of Project 2025 have likened Trump's public rejection of the plan to "two siblings in a fight."

Trump's appearance at the Moms for Liberty event further undermines those efforts. At the event on Friday, he received a personal endorsement from Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice, who said that while the group is "nonpartisan," she personally supports Trump for president.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
The Department of Agriculture lifted the ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds, including poultry products, from California and South Dakota.

This after both US states reported no new outbreaks of avian influenza (bird flu) since early June.

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The temporary ban was initially imposed on California in January 2023 and on South Dakota in November 2022 due to confirmed outbreaks of the H5N1 subtype of bird flu.

The strain has caused millions of bird and poultry deaths and can occasionally infect mammals, including humans.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Memorandum Order No. 37 that allowed the importation of wild and domestic birds, including poultry products such as meat, hatching eggs, day-old chicks, and semen for artificial insemination, from areas in California and South Dakota.

These states have not reported new bird flu outbreaks since June and May 2023, respectively.

The poultry sector is a crucial part of Philippine agriculture, contributing approximately 18 percent to farm output and playing a vital role in food security.

The sector posted a 2 percent growth in the first half of 2023, driven mainly by chicken production.

Central Luzon leads in bird inventory with 33.68 million, followed by Calabarzon with 27.32 million, and Northern Mindanao with 25.87 million.
(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump is preparing fresh attacks against the 2020 election interference case in Washington and wants the next round of courtroom showdowns to wait until after the November presidential contest.

Most Read from Bloomberg

In a court filing Friday night with dueling proposals, Special Counsel Jack Smiths office disagreed with Trumps approach and said it was prepared to move forward as quickly as possible, but didnt propose a specific timeline.

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has set a hearing for Sept. 5 to decide how the case should proceed.

Trumps lawyers previewed arguments theyll raise as part of a renewed push to get the indictment dismissed. They contend the case still contains allegations related to Trumps official duties as president, actions which the Supreme Court held this summer carry at least some immunity from prosecution.

Trump is charged with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results. Smith this week announced a revised indictment that removed claims related to Trumps communications with the Justice Department and executive branch officials, but left intact much of the original case. Trumps lawyers signaled they would especially focus on Smiths decision to leave in allegations related to Trumps efforts to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to intervene on his behalf.

The former presidents lawyers will also argue that Smiths appointment and funding violate the US Constitution, hoping to build off their recent success in the special counsels other case against Trump in Florida. Citing the appointment issue, US District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the Florida indictment charging Trump with willfully holding onto classified documents after he left the White House and obstructing government efforts to get the records back.

Smith has appealed Cannons decision to the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals, where a three-judge panel isnt expected to rule before the Nov. 5 election, based on its schedule.

Trumps lawyers want Chutkan to address the appointment issue before the immunity fight, proposing a hearing in early December followed by arguments on the immunity issue in late January. They said they would need more time to look for new evidence relevant to immunity and would want an opportunity to question Smiths witnesses and possibly call their own.

Schedule Clash

The Trump teams proposed schedule could stretch into fall 2025.

Smiths office disagreed, writing that Trumps arguments for why the case should be dismissed should be briefed at the same time, and then Chutkan could decide when to rule. Prosecutors wrote they were prepared to file an opening brief on the immunity question promptly at any time the Court deems appropriate.

Before Chutkan rejected Trumps immunity claim in December, the former presidents lawyers had raised other legal challenges, including related to counts charging him with obstructing an official proceeding that the Supreme Court narrowed in a different case this year. Trumps lawyers are preparing to argue that the high courts ruling means the obstruction counts should fall.

The federal election obstruction case is one of four criminal cases filed against Trump since he left office in 2021. A state indictment in Georgia related to the 2020 election has been mired in a controversy over the conduct of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and wont reach a trial before November.

In New York, a jury found Trump guilty this year of falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to a porn star. He is due to be sentenced Sept. 18 but is seeking to postpone that until after the election. His lawyers argue that the US Supreme Courts immunity ruling applies to the Manhattan prosecution.

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Former President Donald Trumps pledge to turn the U.S. into the crypto capital of the planet and implement industry-friendly policies could have a new beneficiary: his own family.

Trumps eldest sons are gearing up to launch a new cryptocurrency venture called World Liberty Financial, which is already receiving a big social media boost from their father. Government ethics watchdogs say the project could create a conflict of interest if Trump returns to the White House next year.

Trump has vowed to enact an array of pro-crypto policies in a bid to win votes  and campaign cash  from digital asset enthusiasts in recent months. Now, he's weaving the overtures into his pitch for his sons' forthcoming startup.

While the details of Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.'s crypto endeavor havent yet been announced, it could stand to benefit from a second Trump administration's approach to support the industry.

To promise crypto-friendly policies and have your family engage in the same business is, I think, conflict of interest 101, said Ishan Mehta, director for media and democracy at Common Cause, a nonprofit that advocates for government transparency.

Crypto is the latest ethics concern to arise around the Trump family's businesses, which drew intense scrutiny during his first administration after he opted not to divest his holdings in them. In addition to crypto, Trump is also facing new questions about what he would do with his stake in the parent company of the social media service Truth Social.

It remains unclear what the Trump sons crypto venture will look like. They have been teasing their plans to launch it for weeks, in part by positioning it as an alternative to the use of big banks.

Trump promoted World Liberty on X this week with audio from his speech at a crypto conference in July, where he laid out industry-friendly plans and vowed to end "the Biden-Harris administrations repression of crypto."

He first revealed his pro-crypto leanings  after previously deriding digital currency  at a Mar-a-Lago event in May with supporters who bought his crypto-linked digital trading cards.

Trumps sons took over control of their fathers business, the Trump Organization, after he became president in 2017, but he retained ownership of the company. He vowed at the time that no new deals would be done during his time in office. It is unclear whether the crypto startup would be launched as part of the Trump Organization or as a separate entity.

Either way, ethics experts and watchdogs say the crypto business could create the appearance of a conflict of interest if Trump wins back the White House this fall.



This does present a strong possibility of a conflict of interest, said John P. Pelissero, the director of government ethics at Santa Clara Universitys Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Doing anything to promote crypto so it might benefit his sons future business is a problem.

The family crypto venture comes as Trump enters the home stretch of an election in which Democrats have sought to paint him as corrupt, with Vice President Kamala Harris comparing him to fraudsters whom she targeted as a prosecutor in California. Trump has for years lobbed similar accusations at Democrats, including by saying that President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, has profited from his father's actions in government.

From an "optics perspective, its terrible, said Richard Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush and later ran for Congress as a Democrat. But he said it wouldnt violate any ethics laws.

The family venture is the latest way Trump has embraced the digital asset industry, which is pouring more than $160 million into the 2024 elections as it seeks to help elect allies up and down the ballot. Trump has also marketed his own line of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, which are digital images of the former president that fans can purchase for $99. NFTs exist on blockchain technology that underlies cryptocurrency.

Trumps NFT sales could also raise ethics concerns, said Jordan Libowitz, vice president for communications at the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

Trumps promise to host a gala dinner for those who buy 75 digital cards seems to be the ability to pay for direct access in a way that would not be publicly disclosed, Libowitz said. Campaigns frequently host fundraising dinners, but political contributions are reported through the Federal Election Commission, he noted.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that ethics watchdog groups are led by Democrat donors and partisans who clearly suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome.

World Liberty Financial and the Trump Organization did not respond to requests for comment.

Ethics watchdogs accused Trump during his first administration of using the government to benefit his family business in a range of ways, including his visits to properties he owns along with a protective detail and, at times, other officials. CREW identified more than 3,700 conflicts of interest during Trumps first term.

But critics said the crypto project differs because it could align his familys financial interest with policy changes that he would be poised to enact.

The prior conflicts and illegalities took advantage of preexisting loopholes, said Norman Eisen, an ethics lawyer who served in the Obama White House and later helped build the first impeachment case against Trump. Here, Trump appears to be promising to create the loopholes while his family is simultaneously designing a business venture to exploit them.
Trump rally faces security scare as man storms press area and is tasered  weeks after assassination attempt

Donald Trumps latest rally in Pennsylvania was rocked by a security scare when a man stormed into the press area and was tasered by law enforcement  just weeks after the former president survived an assassination attempt.

The incident unfolded on Friday while Trump was speaking to a crowd of supporters in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

The former president had just criticized major media outlets for what he said was unfavorable coverage of him, singling out CNN for its interview with his Democratic rival Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz on Thursday.

At that moment, the unidentified man made it over a bicycle rack ringing the media area, and began climbing the back side of a riser where television reporters and cameras were stationed, according to a video of the incident posted to social media by a reporter for CBS News.

Footage shows people near him trying to pull him off the riser.

Police officers and sheriffs deputies quickly rushed to the scene and subdued him with a taser, while the crowd cheered.

A man is tackled by law enforcement after he storms into the press area at Trump rally (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

While the man was led away by authorities, Trump made light of the situation, telling his MAGA fans: Is there anywhere thats more fun to be than a Trump rally?

Moments later police handcuffed another man in the crowd and led him out of the arena. It is unclear if the two incidents are linked.

The breach comes just weeks after the shooting at Trumps outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, back on July 13 in an incident that has raised pointed questions about the level of security at political events.

Police officers and sheriffs deputies quickly rushed to the scene and subdued him with a taser (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Minutes into his rally, gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire, striking Trump in the ear, before he quickly leaped to the ground and Secret Service agents rushed on stage to protect him.

Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old former fire chief attending the rally with his family, was killed while two other rallygoers  David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74  were hospitalized.

Crooks, 20, was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper.

Two improvised explosive devices were later found in the back of Crookss car.

Donald Trump rushed off stage by Secret Service agents after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

The shooting prompted both Democratic and Republican lawmakers to demand answers as to whether the shooter could have been stopped, as it emerged that there had been multiple sightings of the gunman in the minutes leading up to the attack.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle ultimately resigned from her role and multiple agents have also been placed on leave amid staunch criticism of the agencys response that day.

Since the attack, Trump, his running mate JD Vance, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz have been receiving stepped-up Secret Service protection at campaign rallies and events.

Additional reporting by agencies
Trump Remarks On 'Power' Of Presidency At DC Event: 'You Can Do Everything'

Donald Trump emphasized the power of the presidency Friday when asked, in a discussion about transgender children, what he could do if he gets back into the Oval Office.

Well, you can do everything, said the GOP nominee at an event in Washington, D.C., for the far-right Moms for Liberty group.

[The] president has such power, it does. It has such power.

His response was prompted by Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice, who sought Trumps reaction to what she described as an explosion in the number of trans children.

His remarks come after the Supreme Court ruled last month that presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris campaign shared a clip of his comments to social media. Trump fantasizes about his Project 2025 plan to take total control over Americans lives, her campaign wrote, referencing the Heritage Foundation-led policy blueprint for a new Republican administration.

Justice: Let's talk about some of the things that you might be able to do as president.



Trump: You can do everything. The President has such power. It does. Such power. pic.twitter.com/tzpcLgIi3D  Acyn (@Acyn) August 31, 2024

The GOP candidate has pushed dictatorial talk on the campaign trail over the past year.

Trump, who has boasted of his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and whose rhetoric has been compared to that of Adolf Hitler, told Fox News Sean Hannity in 2023 that he planned to act like a dictator only on day one of a second White House term.

The former president, inaninterview released earlier this week, defended his dictator remark as he criticized the dishonest media.

At various points in the past, he has also attempted a coup to remain in the White House, appeared to float a three-term presidency, called for the termination of articles of the Constitution and told a crowd of Christians that they wont have to vote anymore after November.

Related...
The latest request by former President Trumps legal team to have his hush money case taken over by a federal court was rejected Friday, according to a notice on the docket.

The court, in its notice, claimed the filing was deficient, according to the docket. It has been sent back to the attorneys because they failed to attach written permission from the court or prosecutors, per the note to his attorney Emil Bove.

The filing is deficient for the following reason(s): the PDF attached to the docket entry for the pleading is not correct; the wrong event type was used to file the pleading; Courts leave has not been granted; the order granting permission to file the pleading was not attached, the notice reads.

The former presidents attorneys, just a day before, asked the U.S. District Court in Manhattan to assume control of the case, set to go to sentencing next month. In the request, the lawyers argued that the states prosecution worked against Trumps constitutional rights and ignored a recent decision by the Supreme Court on presidential immunity.

Trump became the first sitting or former president to be convicted in a criminal trial in May. A New York jury at the time found him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide an alleged affair with an adult film actress during his 2016 campaign.

Contrary to the wishes of Radical Liberals, President Trumps powerful petition to remove the Manhattan DAs Witch Hunt to federal court has not been ruled on by a judge, Steven Cheung, a communications director for Trumps campaign said Friday in an emailed statement to The Hill.

In a standard procedural move, today, the clerks office asked President Trumps legal team to file in a specific format and we are working with them to make sure it is properly filed on the electronic system, he added.

Attorney Todd Blanche pointed The Hill to the Trump campaign statement.

The team has also pushed to delay the sentencing, currently scheduled for Sept. 18 in light of the Supreme Court immunity decision. The high court ruled in early July that the core presidential powers are immune from criminal prosecution, seen as a win for the former president.

Trump asked Judge Juan Merchan  who is overseeing the hush money case  to set aside the guilty verdict in light of the court decision. He did not assert immunity from the 34 guilty counts themselves but argues that the conviction must be set aside because certain pieces of evidence were protected official acts that should never have been shown to the jury.

The Hill has also reached out to Bove for comment.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Trump says taxpayer dollars shouldn't be wasted to arrest people for small amounts of marijuana

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a 'No Tax on Tips' campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada

By Jasper Ward

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday suggested his support for the decriminalization of marijuana, saying taxpayer dollars should not be wasted arresting people carrying "personal amounts."

"In Florida, like so many other states that have already given their approval, personal amounts of marijuana will be legalized for adults with Amendment 3," Trump said about an effort in his home state to legalize the possession and purchase of up to 3 ounces for adults over the age of 21.

"Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the voters, so it should be done correctly."

Trump, who is the Republican nominee for president, said state lawmakers should create laws that ban use of marijuana in public spaces.

He added that someone should not be a criminal in one state when marijuana use is legal in others.

"We do not need to ruin lives and waste taxpayer dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, and no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl laced marijuana," Trump said.

Marijuana is legal in some form in nearly 40 states.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Trump says he will vote no on Florida abortion amendment after backlash

Trump says he will vote no on Florida abortion amendment after backlash

Video above from Thursday, Aug. 29: Trump on Florida abortion amendment

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Former President Donald Trump on Friday said he will vote no on Floridas amendment to enshrine the right to an abortion in the state Constitution after receiving backlash from conservatives for an answer he gave to NBC News on Thursday.

Trump confirmed he will be voting against Amendment 4 in an interview with Fox News Correspondent Bryan Llenas that was shared on a campaign X account ahead of a rally.

Trump did echo his Thursday comments that he thinks a six-week ban goes too far, but went further on Friday and said he would vote no.

I think six weeks, you need more time, Trump said. I disagreed with that right from the early primaries when I heard about it. I disagreed with it. At the same time, the Democrats are radical, because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation where you can do an abortion in the ninth month.

All of that stuff is unacceptable so I will be voting no for that reason, Trump said.

Trump uses Mar-a-Lago as his primary residence and is registered to vote in Florida.

Amendment 4 states that No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patients health, as determined by the patients healthcare provider. This amendment does not change the Legislatures authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.

Viability is the time at which the fetus could survive on its own, which health professionals say is usually around the 24th week.

Trump also said that states like Minnesota  the state where his opponents running mate is governor  allows babies to be executed after birth, which is false.

No state allows port-birth abortions, Lois Shepard, a University of Virginia law and biomedical ethics professor told PolitiFact after Gov. Ron DeSantis made a similar claim last year. First, an abortion refers to terminating a pregnancy, and a pregnancy does not continue after birth. But second, that would be killing a born human being, who is a person entitled to the equal protection of the laws, including prohibitions against murder. No state permits infanticide.

The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 extends federal protections that apply to any person, human being, child, and individual also to any infant born alive at any stage of development.

Amendment 4 must be approved by 60% of Florida voters in order to pass.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Trump says he will vote No on Floridas Amendment 4 abortion initiative in November

After weeks of not providing a direct answer, former President Donald Trump said in an interview Friday that he will vote against Floridas abortion amendment in November.

During an interview with Fox News, Trump was asked about his stance on Amendment 4, which would protect abortion access in the state. Trump responded by saying that Democrats had a radical stance on abortion and claimed that their stance would allow abortion in the ninth month of pregnancy.

Ill be voting no for that reason, Trump said in the interview.

The argument that the amendment will allow abortions up until birth has been repeated frequently by conservative opponents, though health care practitioners say that abortions later in pregnancy happen rarely, and when they do happen, tend to be related to potentially fatal health complications for the fetus or mother.

Trumps announcement was quickly celebrated by anti-abortion groups, including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. In a statement, the organizations president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said, We thank President Trump for shedding light on how extreme this measure is and call on all Republican leaders in Florida to follow the presidents example.

Amendment 4 says in part that no law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patients health. If passed, it would essentially invalidate Floridas ban on most abortions after six weeks.

Trumps comments Friday came one day after he sidestepped a direct answer on his stance on the amendment but said he would be voting that we need more than six weeks, referring to Floridas current law.

Trump has before criticized Floridas six-week law, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in 2023, calling that ban a terrible mistake.
Former President Trump is seeking to shift the conversation about fertility treatment with a promise that his administration would fund in vitro fertilization treatments (IVF), an expensive proposal that goes beyond even most Democratic positions on the issue.

Trump told NBC News this week, We are going to be  under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment.

So, were going to be paying for that treatment, or were going to be mandating that the insurance companies pay, he added.

Though Republicans havent directly opposed IVF access, Democrats say Trump and his party opened the door to an Alabama Supreme Court ruling in February that frozen embryos could be considered the same as children, and therefore discarding them could be criminal. The ruling temporarily halted IVF services for many patients in Alabama.

Many Republican lawmakers agree that frozen embryos should be considered children, calling into question their avowed support for fertility treatments like IVF that often involve disposing of unused embryos.

The Harris-Walz campaign has hammered the IVF narrative, specifically targeting Trump running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) for past remarks that were seen as insensitive to those struggling with infertility. Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika accused Trump of being disingenuous in his remarks to NBC.

Donald Trumps own platform could effectively ban IVF and abortion nationwide. Trump lies as much if not more than he breathes, but voters arent stupid, Chitika said.

Because Trump overturned Roe v. Wade, IVF is already under attack and womens freedoms have been ripped away in states across the country. There is only one candidate in this race who trusts women and will protect our freedom to make our own health care decisions: Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harriss running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), recently faced criticism for some past statements suggesting that he and his wife used IVF to conceive their two children, when they actually used another treatment called IUI, which does not require fertilizing eggs outside of the body.

But that hasnt stopped Walz and his wife, Gwen Walz, from using their personal experience with infertility to stay on the attack, telling Republicans to mind your own damn business.

Gwen Walz hit Trump over his IVF pledge during her first solo campaign event in Virginia on Friday.

So here are the facts and there arent any alternatives to these, she said. Donald Trump is the one who took down Roe and put access to IVF at risk. Thats a fact. And hes running on a platform that puts these treatments at risk nationwide, and thats a fact.

But he knows that position is wildly unpopular and guess what? Thats a fact, she added.

However, Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton said the Trump campaigns strategy on IVF is effective.

It positions the GOP as not only being pro-life, but being pro-family and pro-helping Americans start families, Singleton told The Hill. Theres nothing more pro-life than wanting to help people struggling to bring life into the world.

Singleton said it softens Democrats ability to say the GOP is anti-IVF and wants to control peoples ability to have children.

Republican strategist Matt Gorman, who served as an aide on three presidential campaigns, likened it to 2014 when Republican Senate candidates supported over-the-counter birth control.

Its a solid end-around and a way to short circuit some of the attacks, Gorman said, adding that the goal isnt to beat Democrats but stabilize and chip away at some of the independent crossover.

However, Republican strategist Susan Del Percio, who does not support Trump, said the campaign is lost on the issue.

I dont think he knows what he has really proposed. Hes shooting from the hip. He knows this issue of reproductive rights is huge so hes doing everything he can to look a little more non-draconian, she said.

Hes losing moderate women hand over fist, Del Percio said.

He has no message and not only does he have no message, he cant find his footing, she added. To me its shocking that he doesnt go back to immigration. Hes buying time to find something because hes got nothing new.

GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin (Okla.) told reporters he agreed with Trumps aims of making sure that we can bring more babies into this world, though he noted there is an outstanding question over how you pay for it.

I havent talked to him all the way through it, Mullin said.

According to the telehealth platform GoodRx, a single cycle of IVF can cost between $15,000 and $30,000 when accounting for medications and tests. Most couples undergo more than one cycle before having a successful live birth.

Trumps support for wider IVF access could potentially put him at odds with anti-abortion hard-liners.

IVF often involves the creation of numerous embryos to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy. In many cases unused frozen embryos are disposed of, donated for scientific research or donated to couples unable to produce viable embryos.

With conservatives seeking to conflate frozen embryos with children, GOP lawmakers have stumbled in trying to reconcile IVF access with their belief that life starts at conception.

The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony (SBA) Pro-Life America, which has put its support behind Trump, told The Hill that the former presidents support for IVF didnt contradict its own stance, though it maintained its against embryos being disposed of.

SBA Pro-Life America has no objection to fertility treatments that help couples struggling with infertility in an ethical way, with strong medical safety standards. We believe human embryos should not be destroyed, SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement.

All too often, proposals on this issue go too far by giving blanket immunity to IVF clinics  even for rogue practitioners who switch human embryos, fail to follow basic safety standards, or negligently destroy human embryos desired by infertile couples. These are real scenarios for which families in America will have no recourse.

Fertility specialists slammed the Alabama ruling earlier this year, saying the disposal of embryos is a standard part of IVF and preventing it could make the procedure too ethically and legally complicated to provide.

Trump did not comment on the disposal of frozen embryos in his interview with NBC. The Hill has reached out to the Trump-Vance campaign for comment on how it proposes handling unused frozen embryos, and on the cost of Trumps proposal.

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Video above: Donald Trump speaks on Floridas abortion amendment.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Former President Donald Trump has shown his support for Amendment 3, Floridas recreational marijuana amendment in a post shared on Saturday morning.

In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump said that despite peoples stance on the amendment, it will happen through the approval of Voters, so it should be done correctly.

The former President went on to say that State Legislature must responsibly create laws that will keep marijuana out of public places due to the smell before referring to many of the Democrat-run Cities.

Trump says he will vote no on Florida abortion amendment after backlash

In the post, he argued that a Floridian caught with marijuana shouldnt be criminalized when it is legal in other states. He added that lives dont need to be ruined and taxpayers money shouldnt be wasted for people carrying personal amounts.

No one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl-laced marijuana, the post read. We will make America SAFE again!

Trump emphasized taking Americas streets back in a tougher and smarter way to combat crime.

The Truth Social post comes just one day after Trump said he would vote no on Floridas abortion amendment following backlash from conservatives. He confirmed he will vote against Amendment 4, in an interview with Fox News, saying a six-week ban goes too far.

I think six weeks, you need more time, Trump said. I disagreed with that right from the early primaries when I heard about it. I disagreed with it. At the same time, the Democrats are radical, because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation where you can do an abortion in the ninth month.

Amendment 4 would need the approval of 60% of Florida voters to pass.

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Award-winning Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, a director and founder of the renowned Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli, is recognized as one of the 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees.

Miyazaki is being honored for his lifelong commitment to the use of art, specifically animation, to illuminate the human condition, especially lauding his devotion to children as the torchbearers of the imagination, to whom he has passed the light and spark of his own.

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The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said the 83-year old Miyazaki tackles complicated issues, using art to make them comprehensible to children.

He educates by entertaining, the foundation said.

Among his films are Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron, which both won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

The other awardees this year are Bhutans Karma Phuntsho, Vietnams Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, Indonesias Farwiza Farhan, and Thailands Rural Doctors Movement.

Phuntsho founded an educational charity in Bhutan while Nguyen is a Vietnamese physician who dealt with the effects of a toxic chemical used by the United States during the Vietnam War. Farhan heads a foundation dedicated to protecting Sumatra Islands Leuser Ecosystem.

This years Ramon Magsaysay Awardees have reminded us that the future is shaped by those who dare to envision a better world and dedicate themselves to turning that vision into reality, the foundation said.

Each of them will receive a medallion bearing the likeness of the late President Ramon Magsaysay, a certificate inscribed with their citation, and a cash prize.

The award will be formally bestowed at the 66th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Presentation Ceremonies on November 16 at Manilas Metropolitan Theater.

Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Studio Ghiblis Hayao Miyazaki among 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees
Donald Trump on Saturday expressed support for a ballot initiative in his home state of Florida that would legalize the use of marijuana for adults, staking out a moderate stance amid his otherwise ambiguous messaging on legalization.

If approved by 60 percent of general-election voters in November, Floridas Amendment 3 would authorize 25 companies licensed by the state to sell marijuana to adults for recreational use and allow the possession of the substance up to 3 ounces.

In a lengthy post on the Trump-owned social network Truth Social Saturday morning, the former president stopped short of formally endorsing the measure but asserted that  whether people like it or not  marijuana legalization will happen. He also expressed support for the prohibition of marijuana use in public spaces.

Someone should not be a criminal in Florida, when this is legal in so many other States. We do not need to ruin lives & waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them, and no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl laced marijuana, Trump wrote.

Trumps status as a Florida voter makes him eligible to vote for two of the states high-profile state ballot initiatives in November. Along with Amendment 3, which would legalize marijuana use for people aged 21 and over, theres also Amendment 4, which seeks to loosen the states ban on abortion from 6 weeks of pregnancy to around 24 weeks.



Amendment 3 is backed by Floridas medical marijuana industry, which is one of the largest in the country and brings in more than $2 billion in profits each year.

Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters, a Trump ally and former state GOP chair, applauded the former presidents position, writing on X: I am incredibly proud to have President Trump stand alongside us in our effort to end needless arrests and incarcerations of adults for simple possession of marijuana and to give Floridians the same individual freedom to choose safe, tested products that more than half the country already enjoys.

Trump has historically waffled on his stance on marijuana legalization. During his presidency, Trump both voiced support for individual states legalization laws and appointed Jeff Sessions, a notorious opponent of marijuana legalization, as attorney general.

The Republican nominee has also given conflicting statements about his stance on abortion rights. He declined to endorse a national abortion ban despite party pressure and has stated that the issue of abortion limits should be left up to the states.

In a TV interview on Thursday, Trump criticized Floridas six-week abortion ban, which was championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and other Florida Republicans, and signaled his support for Amendment 4. But just 24 hours later, he explicitly said he would not vote for Amendment 4, seemingly backpedaling from his previous remarks.

DeSantis has come out with force against both ballot measures, launching a political committee called the Florida Freedom Fund to attack the legalization push and efforts to enshrine the right to abortion in the states constitution. DeSantis also helped launch the No on 3 campaign in July, which released a statement saying that the initiative would lead to weed everywhere, every place, and in your face.

DeSantis did not respond to a request for comment about Trump and his comments on Amendment 3.

Marijuana legalization has become overwhelmingly popular across the country in recent years, with 88 percent of Americans saying marijuana should be legal for personal or medical use, according to a March study by the Pew Research Center. While marijuana is still illegal under federal law, 24 states and Washington, D.C., have passed legislation allowing its recreational use.
Donald Trump came out against Floridas Amendment 4 abortion measure on Friday following days of flip-flopping on the issueand the broader state of reproductive rights.

Amendment 4 includes legislation that would bar the state from adopting further abortion restrictions and overturn its current six-week ban.

Earlier in week, Trump, a Florida voter, had distanced himself from that ban, calling it too strict. He reiterated that stance on Friday in an interview with Fox News during a campaign stop in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

You need more time than six weeks, the former president said. Ive disagreed with that right from the early primaries when I heard about it, I disagreed with it.

But, he subsequently made clear, he doesnt disagree enough to vote for Amendment 4. Trump further couched his position as in opposition to what he described as Democrats radical views on abortion and womens bodily rights.

Trump Punts on Abortion in Announcement Sure to Anger Conservatives

Trumps position on the issue came just days after his twice-removed in-law, supermodel Karlie Kloss, threw her support behind the initiative.

In an op-ed published by the Miami Herald, Klosswho is married to Josh Kushner, brother of Ivanka Trumps husband, Jaredwrote in support of the ballot measure, writing that shed seen the impact of Floridas abortion ban.

Most women dont even know theyre pregnant at six weeks, she explained, recounting one of many stories she has heard from those affected by the states stringent abortion laws.

Trumps positions on reproductive rights have been hard to follow. For months he gloated about appointing the Supreme Court judges who helped dismantle the federal abortion protections offered by Roe v. Wade.

Throughout his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump seemed to support leaving abortion rights up to individual statesa stance that is broadly in sync with anti-abortion rights activists seeking to limit access to abortion and fertility treatments.

However, after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that embryos are children under the law, threatening access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the state, a number of Republicans came out in support of the fertility procedure. Just a few days agoand again in an NBC interview on FridayTrump pivoted to say that he would require insurance companies to pay for IVF costs to support more babies.

We are doing something with IVF because, I mean, as you know, friends, its really worked out very well for a lot of people, Trump said Thursday at an event in La Crosse, Wisconsin, according to The Guardian. We wanna produce babies in this country, right?

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Former President Donald Trump speaks with Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice during the 2024 Joyful Warriors National Summit on Aug. 30 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Former President Donald Trump late Friday rarely touched on education issues during the third conference of Moms for Liberty, a conservative parental rights group that has ties to Project 2025, the far-right playbook Trump has tried to distance himself from.

Instead, in a more than one-hour interview with Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice, he gave lengthy commentary on immigration; the Afghanistan withdrawal; his false claim that he won the 2020 presidential election; his old T.V. show The Apprentice; and frustration at running against Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris instead of President Joe Biden.

Our country is being poisoned, Trump said of migrants and their children in public schools. And your schools and your children are suffering greatly because theyre going into the classrooms  they dont even speak English.

Trump didnt give details on how he would enact education policy changes at the federal level but said he was against public schools allowing transgender students to identify with their gender identity in the classroom.

Trump added that he was supportive of parental rights and the mission of Moms for Liberty, which supports vouchers for private school tuition, running for local school boards and dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.

Im for parental rights all the way, Trump said. I dont even understand the concept of not being.

Across the campaign trail Trump has also floated the idea that parents should be allowed to elect principals in public schools.

Trump attacked Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and called her a Marxist. He added that he looked forward to debating her on Sept. 10 on ABC News.

The Harris campaign criticized Trump for speaking at the event.

Donald Trump is celebrating the new school year by pushing his frightening Project 2025 agenda that would hurt kids and dismantle public education as we know it, while Vice President Harris helped deliver the largest public education investment in American history and is fighting for every child to have access to a good school and a shot at the American dream, Joseph Costello, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, said in a statement.

Harris has said little about education policy on the campaign trail. But during her campaign speeches she has opposed book bans and has stressed the need to address the student loan debt crisis, while touting some of the debt forgiveness initiatives of the Biden administration.

During Fridays interview, Justice took aim at the policies of Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Walz is a former geography teacher who was the teacher adviser for his schools first gay, straight, alliance club in 1999. And as governor, he signed a bill into law making free school lunches available for students.

Justice raised a question about a bill Walz signed into law making Minnesota a safe haven for access to gender-affirming care.

Justice asked Trump what were some of the things he would be able to do as president because theres been an explosion in the number of children who identify as transgender, and children are being taught that they were born in the wrong body.

Well, you can do everything, Trump said. President has such power.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that presidents have immunity for some official acts in office.

Justice asked Trump what policies he would enact at the federal level to protect parental rights, such as school choice, which gives parents an option to enroll their children in a school other than the assigned public one, often using public funding to do so.

House Republicans already passed a similar bill last year, but its likely to go nowhere in the Senate where Democrats hold a slim majority.

Trump said that Republicans are the party of common sense.

I mean were conservative, he said. All of these things were talking about, no men in womens sports, no gender operation, I mean its these operations, its crazy.

Project 2025 ties

This is the second time Trump has attended a Moms for Liberty conference, and while he embraces their culture war issues, the former present has not made parental rights a predominant issue in his reelection campaign.

Instead, he has centered his campaign on immigration and on the promise of undertaking mass deportations of undocumented people. During the interview, he mainly criticized the Biden administration over its immigration policies.

Moms for Liberty has strong GOP ties, appearing at the Republican National Convention this summer in Milwaukee. It has more than 130,000 members across 300 chapters in 48 states, according to the organization.

The group considers the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that wrote Project 2025, a key sponsor. Moms for Liberty also sits on an advisory board for Project 2025, which Trump has tried to distance from his campaign as Democrats highlight his ties to the aggressive conservative playbook.

The Heritage Foundation put together several sessions during the Moms for Liberty summit, one by Lindsey Burke, the director of the Center for Education Policy at the think tank. She was the lead author on the Department of Education section of Project 2025 that calls to abolish the agency. Another Heritage session was titled: Boyhood and the Changing Role of the Man in American Life.

While Moms for Liberty rose to prominence in 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic, with a focus on public schools and culture war topics, its hold on local school board elections has started to wane.

In school board election races last year, candidates endorsed by the group underperformed, with fewer than one-third winning their races, according to an analysis from the left-leaning think tank, the Brookings Institution.

Moms for Liberty also announced a $3 million campaign and advertising blitz in key states with a focus on local school board elections in Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin  all battleground states.

The group, which is a nonprofit, started in Florida and was at the forefront of pushing against mask mandates during school reopenings, eliciting book bans and challenges, and objections to structural racism being discussed in classrooms.

With the new Title IX regulations from the Biden administration, the group filed lawsuits against the new rules, which broaden sex discrimination to include gender ideology and sexual orientation, and give protections to transgender students.

While Moms for Liberty quickly rose on the far right, the organization has had its share of controversy, from its co-founder to local chapters.

Police records from a now-closed criminal investigation allege that Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler helped her husband, former Florida GOP chairperson Christian Ziegler, look for women the couple could have sexual relations with, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Authorities were investigating Christian Ziegler for allegedly illegally filming a woman who accused him of sexual assault, but the state attorneys office in Sarasota announced in March that it would not pursue charges.

A local chapter in Indiana had to apologize for using a quote by former Nazi leader Adolf Hilter in a newsletter to members, and two Kentucky chapter leaders were removed after posing in a photo with the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WNCN)  Former president Donald Trump will be in North Carolina next week to address the National Board of the Fraternal Order of Police in Charlotte.

Patrick Yoes, the FOP national president, announced on Friday that Trump accepted their invitation to appear at the boards fall meeting on Sept. 6.

President Trump led our nation admirably through some very tough times, Yoes said in a statement. He provided our nation with strong, effective leadership during his first term. Now that he is seeking election to a second term, we think its important to have him join us to talk about all of the issues facing our profession.

We are eager to see President Trump again after meeting with him at Mar-A-Lago earlier this year, Yoes continued in his statement. He was a great friend to the FOP while president and we look forward to hearing from him and having him hear from us on the issues important to the rank-and-file officers the FOP represents.

The Harris-Walz campaign issued a statement in response to Trumps visit, noting that the visit was announced after Trump voiced support of a near-total abortion ban in Florida.

Tonight, Donald Trump announced his plans to come to North Carolina just hours after endorsing his home states extreme abortion ban that applies before many women even know they are pregnant, the statement reads. Trump is focused on power and he will use his Project 2025 agenda to ban abortion in every state, monitor womens pregnancies, and threaten access to critical fertility treatments. Women in this state are not going back and North Carolinians are ready to reject Trump in November.

North Carolina is among the states expected to decide the 2024 presidential election. Trump last visited the Tar Heel State on Aug. 21 when he and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, spoke about national security at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame in Asheboro.

The former presidents visit will come a week after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris running mate, visited Raleigh and met with campaign staffers.

Polls show a tight race in North Carolina between the Harris-Walz ticket and the Trump-Vance ticket. A poll from CBS 17/Emerson College/The Hill shows Trump leading Harris by one point, 49% to 48%, with 3% of voters undecided.

A Democratic presidential candidate has not won North Carolina since Barack Obama in 2008. Trump won North Carolina by 1.35% in 2020, the smallest margin among the states he carried.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Trump to visit NC to address the Fraternal Order of Police in Charlotte, organization announces

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WNCN)  Former president Donald Trump will be in North Carolina next week to address the National Board of the Fraternal Order of Police in Charlotte.

Patrick Yoes, the FOP national president, announced on Friday that Trump accepted their invitation to appear at the boards fall meeting on Sept. 6.

President Trump led our nation admirably through some very tough times, Yoes said in a statement. He provided our nation with strong, effective leadership during his first term. Now that he is seeking election to a second term, we think its important to have him join us to talk about all of the issues facing our profession.

We are eager to see President Trump again after meeting with him at Mar-A-Lago earlier this year, Yoes continued in his statement. He was a great friend to the FOP while president and we look forward to hearing from him and having him hear from us on the issues important to the rank-and-file officers the FOP represents.

The Harris-Walz campaign issued a statement in response to Trumps visit, noting that the visit was announced after Trump voiced support of a near-total abortion ban in Florida.

Tonight, Donald Trump announced his plans to come to North Carolina just hours after endorsing his home states extreme abortion ban that applies before many women even know they are pregnant, the statement reads. Trump is focused on power and he will use his Project 2025 agenda to ban abortion in every state, monitor womens pregnancies, and threaten access to critical fertility treatments. Women in this state are not going back and North Carolinians are ready to reject Trump in November.

North Carolina is among the states expected to decide the 2024 presidential election. Trump last visited the Tar Heel State on Aug. 21 when he and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, spoke about national security at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame in Asheboro.

The former presidents visit will come a week after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris running mate, visited Raleigh and met with campaign staffers.

Polls show a tight race in North Carolina between the Harris-Walz ticket and the Trump-Vance ticket. A poll from CBS 17/Emerson College/The Hill shows Trump leading Harris by one point, 49% to 48%, with 3% of voters undecided.

A Democratic presidential candidate has not won North Carolina since Barack Obama in 2008. Trump won North Carolina by 1.35% in 2020, the smallest margin among the states he carried.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
ONEOK, one of the nation's largest natural gas supply companies, is boosting its presence in the Permian Basin of Texas with plans to acquire Medallion Midstream LLC and EnLink Midstream LLC from Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) in a $5.9 billion transaction.

The Tulsa-based energy firm announced this week it will acquire GIPs entire interest in EnLink Midstream and all equity interests from Medallion.

The overall acquisition includes 43% of EnLinks outstanding common units for $14.90 per unit. Out of the total $3.3 billion purchase price for the acquisition, 100% of interests amounts to $300 million. The EnLink transactions allow the company to extend its presence in North Texas and Louisiana. The company said it expects to enhance synergies, reduce leverage and increase accretion to ONEOK stakeholders.

The remaining $2.6 billion comes from the acquisition of Medallion, the largest privately held crude gathering and transporting system in the Permians Midland Basin. Several major players in the oil industry operate out of the Permian Basin, and the company expects the acquisition will allow it to offer new service offerings to producers in the region.

More: US pipeline operator ONEOK moves into oil, products with $18B Magellan deal

"We are particularly excited to meaningfully increase our company's presence in the Permian Basin, which is expected to continue driving the majority of U.S. oil and gas growth, said Pierce H. Norton II, the companys president and CEO. ONEOK has demonstrated its ability to bring assets together and capture synergies, and we are confident that these accretive transactions will enhance value for our stakeholders and will allow us to provide enhanced offerings across multiple ONEOK platforms.

ONEOK estimates the acquisitions will produce $250 million to $450 million in annual synergies within three years.

More: ONEOK finishes top-3 in this year's Oklahoma Inc.

ONEOK reported strong financial outcomes in the second quarter of 2024. It earned a net income of $780 million or $1.33 earnings per share within the 3-month period ending June 30 compared with $468 million or $1.18 EPS the same time last year. Total net income for 2023 resulted in $2.7 billion or $5.48 EPS.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: ONEOK acquisition of Medallion, EnLink worth $5.9 billion
A little girl was locked in an airplane bathroom by two strangers (Getty Images)

Two strangers locked a little girl in an airplane bathroom after the child wouldnt stop crying.

According to CNN, the shocking incident occurred on a Juneyao Airlines flight from the southwestern city of Guiyang to Shanghai on 24 August. Video, which went viral on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, captured two strangers refusing to let out a little girl from the bathroom if she didnt stop crying.

Although the clip has since been deleted from the platform, one of the strangers, a woman, reportedly told the little girl, We wont let you out unless you stop crying.

Once the girl finally calmed down, the woman filming the video picked her up and told her, If you make any noise again, well come back [to the bathroom].

According to a statement from Juneyao Airlines on Weibo, the Chinese version of X, the little girl was reportedly travelling with her grandmother, who allowed the two strangers to take her to the bathroom and educate her. She stood beside the bathroom door as the strangers told the little girl they would keep her in the bathroom until she calmed herself.

Also shared on Weibo, the video drew swift backlash, with many taking issue with the strangers treatment of the little girl. Commenters on Weibo were merciless, reportedly calling the strangers actions cold-blooded and inappropriate.

As the backlash intensified over the next few days, the airlines customer service department eventually issued a public apology for the incident excusing it as an oversight of the crew. According to the state-run publication Southern Metropolis Daily, the company also added that they condemned the two passengers behaviour.

The company has since said they have launched an internal investigation, adding that they have also contacted the little girls parents to inquire about the situation and verify the facts to restore the truth of the matter.

One of the women in the video has since defended herself online, claiming on Weibo that she had pure intentions, trying to ensure a restful flight for the rest of the passengers on board.

However, internet users werent receptive to her excuses, with many labeling her a heartless bully. The backlash to her video was so intense that she ultimately deleted the video.

Adults in their 30s can have emotional breakdowns, but people dont allow toddlers to have theirs, one user wrote on Weibo.

Another added, We were all once children  Dont be a cold-blooded adult.

This isnt the first time that childrens behaviour on airplanes has sparked debate on Chinese social media, with the topic reportedly trending regularly.
A pair of circuit court judges and the legal head of South Carolina's tax agency are vying for a seat on the state Court of Appeals. (Jessica Holdman/SC Daily Gazette)

COLUMBIA  A pair of circuit court judges  one the daughter of a state representative  and the legal head of South Carolinas tax agency are vying for a seat on the state Court of Appeals.

Sumter Circuit Court Judge Kristi Curtis, state Department of Revenue Chief Legal Officer Jason Luther and Aiken Circuit Court Judge Courtney Clyburn Pope are candidates for a seat on the states second highest court after now Justice Letitia Verdin ascended to the state Supreme Court earlier this year.

The three will go before a legislative panel that screens judicial candidates on Nov. 18, 2024. Assuming all three are found to have met the necessary qualifications, they will be forwarded to the General Assembly for election.

South Carolina is one of only two states where the Legislature elects nearly all judges. Virginia is the other.

Clyburn Pope has been on the bench since 2019. She started her law career defending workers compensation cases. In 2016, she started as city attorney for the City of Aiken until she was elected to the circuit court. She is also the daughter of state Rep. Bill Clyburn, D-Aiken, a former Aiken city and county councilman who was first elected to the state House 30 years ago.

Curtis started as a magistrate in Sumter County in 2011 before the Legislature elected her to the circuit court bench in 2018. As a lawyer she worked in business litigation and served as a prosecutor representing the Sumter County Sheriffs Department in magistrate court, according to her biography on the state court system website. Curtis also clerked for retired Justice Kaye Hearn when she was on the state Appeals Court.

Luther manages the Office of General Counsel within the state Revenue Department, providing legal advice on tax and regulatory policy and representing the agency in court. Before joining the agency in 2017, he was a civil litigant, according to his biography on the agency website.

The elections will be the first held since a new law changed how the state selects certain judges. It puts in term limits for the panelists who screen judicial candidates, meaning all but three of the current panelists will have to vacate their seats for at least two years. It allows the governor to appoint panelists for the first time.

And it gives the General Assembly more qualified candidates to choose from. The screening panel will nominate as many as six qualified candidates for each seat, meaning in all but one of the current races all candidates could be forwarded for a vote.

Other contested judicial seats in the state that are up for election include:

 A circuit court seat previously held by the wife of former Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin. President Joe Biden nominated Judge DeAndrea Gist Benjamin to the federal Court of Appeals in August 2022. The U.S. Senate confirmed her appointment about a year later. Candidates include a Columbia municipal court judge, a former state assistant attorney general, a deputy solicitor and a pair of U.S. assistant attorneys. Also back in the running is Justin Williams, a member of the state Public Service Commission that regulates utilities, who dropped out of a previous race for the seat against former state Rep. James Smith, a Columbia Democrat who ran for governor against Gov. Henry McMaster in 2018. Legislators broke precedent, rejecting Smith, even though he was the only remaining candidate for the job and choosing instead to restart the application process.

 The circuit court seat previously held by Judge Bentley Price of Charleston, who the states judicial screening panel pulled from the bench last year, opting not to re-recommend him after lawyers and victims families testified he had made questionable rulings. Critics included 1st Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe, who The State reported claimed Price had shown leniency to clients of lawyers who are also state legislators. Candidates include a former deputy solicitor and lawyer for the city of Hanahan, a Moncks Corner municipal judge, a pair of criminal defense lawyers and a real estate lawyer.

 The circuit court seat previously held by Judge Dan Hall. Hall had a role in the litany of cases involving the family of Alex Murdaugh, approving a $15 million settlement between the family of Mallory Beach, who was killed in a boating accident involving the late Paul Murdaugh, and the owner of a convenience store that sold alcohol to the underage Murdaugh. The settlement was finalized two years after Paul Murdaughs murder. Candidates for Halls seat include a public defender and a magistrate.

 Two circuit court seat being vacated by a pair of former state legislators  Judge William Keesley, who served a single term in the House before being elected straight to the bench in 1991, and Judge Cordell Maddox, Jr., who served three years in the House. Candidates for Keesleys seat include two municipal judges, his daughter who serves as a magistrate, and a pair of criminal defense and personal injury lawyers. Candidates for Maddoxs seat include a municipal judge, two deputy solicitors, two public defenders, an assistant county attorney and a pair of criminal and civil lawyers.

 There are five contested races for family court seats and one contest for a seat on the Administrative Law Court.

 There are three contested master-in-equity races, including for the seat held by Joseph Strickland who sued Richland Countys legislative delegation when several legislators attempted to oust him from his seat. Strickland won the court case but was ultimately booted when his reappointment came up again in January.
Two teens girls nearly kidnapped on same day in Broward. Cases could be related

A 15-year-old girl was on her morning walk to school in Pompano Beach Thursday when a would-be-kidnapper almost whisked her away, authorities say. Just 11 miles away and two hours later in Fort Lauderdale, a 17-year-old girl also was nearly abducted.

Now, law enforcement agencies in the two cities suspect the cases might involve the same suspect.

The first incident happened around 6:45 a.m. Thursday. The 15-year-old was walking near the 200 block of Northwest 12th Court in Pompano Beach when an unknown man driving a grey sedan stopped behind her, the Broward Sheriffs Office said.

The man ordered her to get in his car, but the girl refused and walked on. He continued to drive next her, this time pointing a gun and demanding she get in the car. She sprinted away to a safe place and called 911.

Two Broward County teens narrowly escaped attempted kidnappings on Thursday. Authorities believe the cases are related and seek the publics help. (Sketch of Pompano Beach attempted kidnapping suspect)

Surveillance video captured the near-kidnapping and the car speeding away. BSO detectives believe the man is between 20 and 35 years old. At the time, he had facial hair and was wearing a white tank top and black gym shorts.

The second incident happened around 8:20 a.m.. A 17-year-old girl was also walking to school in the 1600 block of Southwest 5th Place, just 11 miles from the earlier attempted kidnapping, Fort Lauderdale police said. An unknown man drove up to her in a gray sedan, possibly a Nissan, with dark tints and a missing front passenger side hub cap.

He called out to her and then tried to lure her into the car at gunpoint, police said. She repeatedly told the man she had to go to school before he sped away. Detectives believe the man is between 20 and 25 with short curly hair.

Two Broward County teens narrowly escaped attempted kidnappings on Thursday. Authorities believe the cases are related and seek the publics help. (Sketch of Fort Lauderdale attempted kidnapping suspect)

Police said it is aware of the sheriffs office investigation into the Pompano Beach attempted kidnapping. Both agencies believe the cases are related. Detectives are working together to determine the connection and whether the suspect is the same person.

Anyone with information on the Pompano Beach attempted kidnapping is asked to submit a tip through the SaferWatch app. For the Fort Lauderdale incident, tipsters are asked to call Detective Erica Payne at 954-828-6487.

An anonymous tip can be made by calling Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477, going online to browardcrimestoppers.org or dialing **8477.

Grey sedan the attempted kidnapper was driving.

Grey sedan the attempted kidnapper was driving.
Two new Triangle communities add 130 townhouses to the market. See where.

Amid a critical housing shortage, California-based homebuilder Tri Pointe Homes has opened two new townhome communities in the Triangle.

Theyre injecting some 130 units into the market. The price point: Around $400,000 to $500,000.

The first development is the 66-unit neighborhood called Tredenham at 501 Brittany Court Its about a 21-minute drive east of downtown Durham.

Each two-story townhome is 1,650 to 1,916 square feet with three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and a two-bay garage.

Prices start in the low $400,000s.

A move-in ready home in Tri Pointe Homes new neighhorhood called Tredenham at 501 Brittany Ct. in Durham.

Inside a move-in ready home in Tri Pointe Homes new neighhorhood called Tredenham at 501 Brittany Ct. in Durham.

The second is 63-unit Elm Park at 4707 Mint Leaf Lane off Duraleigh Road in Raleigh. Its about a 26-minute drive southeast to downtown Raleigh and an 18-minute drive east to Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

The community features 2,252- to 2,398-square-foot modern homes. The units come with open floor plans and three to four bedrooms, up to three and a half baths, and two-bay garages.

Prices start from the $500,000s.

Both developments will be showcased in the upcoming Triangle Parade of Homes, which runs from Sept. 28 to 29, Oct. 4 to 6, and Oct. 11 to 13 from noon to 5 p.m.

They offer luxury residences in core locations, said Tri Pointes James Flanagan, in a release. For comparison, the median sale price for all property types across 17 counties is $420,000 in July, according to the Triangle Multiple Listing Service.

A block of townhomes in Tri Pointe Homes new Elm Park at 4707 Mint Leaf Ln. off Duraleigh Road in Raleigh.

The back view of a block of townhomes in Tri Pointe Homes new Elm Park at 4707 Mint Leaf Ln. off Duraleigh Road in Raleigh.

An out-of-state developer

As North Carolina continues to be one of the fastest-growing states, Tri Pointe is among a number of out-of-state developers moving into the market in recent years.

Since 2018, its bought up large swaths of land across the state to build multifamily residential. Its currently selling four communities in the Triangle alone. They include Barlow in Raleigh, Chatham Park in Pittsboro, and Holding Village in Wake Forest.

Six projects are also in the pipeline to open in the next 18 months, Tri Pointe added.

That includes Altis at Serenity, a new planned 55-plus community in Fuquay-Varina. Prices are expected to start at around $400,000.
People visit the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at China National Convention Center in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 4, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 2024 China International Fair for Trade in Services, or CIFTIS, to be held in Beijing from Sept 12 to 16, will feature higher-standard opening-up, improving quality and innovative driving force, the fair's organizers said.



The CIFTIS, a crucial platform for China to expand opening-up, deepen cooperation and pioneer innovation, will feature the theme of "global services, shared prosperity" this year, and preparations have been basically completed, the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.

Highlighting its role as an open platform, this year's fair will see a high-level global trade in services summit and more than 100 forums and events, and authoritative reports will be released, the Commerce Ministry said.

"This year, more than 80 countries and international organizations will attend the fair. Among them, 13 countries and international organizations, including Portugal and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, will set up on-site exhibitions independently for the first time," said Tang Wenhong, assistant minister of commerce.

France will be the country of honor for the first time at this year's CIFTIS. Sichuan and Hainan provinces will serve as the provinces of honor and hold a group of featured exhibitions and themed events, Tang said.

China is committed to providing new opportunities for global development through new achievements of Chinese modernization. Since its inception a decade ago, the CIFTIS has attracted more than 900,000 exhibitors and buyers.

This year, the Ministry of Commerce has rolled out national and pilot free trade zone versions of negative lists of cross-border trade in services. The State Council, China's Cabinet, has unveiled guidelines on promoting high-quality development of service consumption and trade in services, to boost higher-standard opening-up.

So far, more than 420 Fortune 500 companies and industry-leading firms have confirmed their on-site attendance. Thirty-seven local trade delegations, as well as trade delegations of State-owned companies and State-owned financial enterprises have been established, and more pragmatic achievements are expected to be realized.

An open environment and friendly services have effectively promoted economic and trade cooperation and personnel exchanges in Beijing. In the first seven months of this year, 1,095 foreign-funded enterprises were newly established in Beijing, up 19 percent year-on-year. Besides, Beijing's overall trade (imports and exports combined) was worth 2.1 trillion yuan ($295.8 billion), according to the local government.

"During the seven-month period, the number of inbound and outbound personnel at the ports of Beijing exceeded 10 million, surpassing the total number for the whole of 2023. All of those achievements have injected new vitality and momentum into the high-quality development of Beijing," said Sima Hong, vice-mayor of Beijing.

In addition, China has been reinforcing its innovation-driven development path and promoting integrated development of trade in services and high-end manufacturing.




MEMPHIS, Tenn.  On Friday, the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights (OCR) resolved a compliance review of the Memphis Shelby County School District with a resolution agreement to address the districts handling of sexual assault cases, including those involving student and staff misconduct.

MSCS documents show that teachers or substitute teachers sexually assaulted students in seven incidents between 2017 and 2020 at all school levels in the district: elementary, middle, and high school.

Southwind teacher under investigation after reportedly attending virtual class naked

District documents reflect 53 more cases of reported staff-to-student sexual harassment, not including sexual assault, as well as a total of 88 cases of student-to-student sexual harassment during the same time period.

Those documents as well as witness interviews show clear district violations of Title IX in addition to raising serious concerns regarding the efficacy of the district response in satisfaction of Title IX, according to the OCR.

An example given by the U.S. Department of Educations OCR regarded an elementary school teacher who was ultimately convicted of soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor and who was reported to have encouraged boys and girls to touch each other inappropriately during class.

New information found in files of SCS teacher accused of rape

Based on the U.S. Department of Educations OCR records, the district documents suggest that MSCS did not respond either promptly or equitably to complaints of sexual harassment, including assault, of students. In addition, OCR determined that the district violated Title IX by:

Not having a designated Title IX coordinator for substantial portions of OCRs compliance review period.

Not coordinating its response to reports of sexual harassment, including sexual assault, through its Title IX coordinator as required during the time that a Title IX coordinator was designated.

Not involving the Title IX coordinator in the majority of sexual harassment files reviewed for this investigation, including not involving a Title IX coordinator in any of the staff involved incidents.

Not maintaining a nondiscrimination statement and harassment policies that comply with Title IX.

Not fulfilling the Title IX obligation to maintain records sufficient for the district or for OCR to make compliance determinations, including with respect to inconsistent reporting to OCR for the Civil Rights Data Collection and for this compliance review.

The resolution agreement between MSCS and the U.S. Department of Educations OCR commits the district to take the following steps to resolve this investigation:

Adopt and publish a compliant notice of nondiscrimination.

Designate, train, and publicize the contact information for, its Title IX coordinator(s).

Revise all policies that describe the districts response to sexual harassment to ensure the policies are compliant with the requirements of Title IX and consistent with each other.

Review all complaints of student and staff involved sexual assault during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years to ensure each complaint was resolved in compliance with Title IX, and if not, offer appropriate remedies.

Conduct training on the Title IX process and its revised grievance procedures for district staff.

Develop or revise its procedure for documenting or tracking complaints of sexual assault, including the steps taken as part of the districts investigation into such complaints.

Conduct a survey of students and parents to determine if the district needs to take additional steps to address sexual harassment in its schools, with OCR approval for any next steps.

Develop a plan to ensure timely submission of complete and accurate data to the CRDC in the future and ensure that all employees who are responsible for reporting data to the CRDC receive instructions regarding how to report data to the CRDC in accordance with the plan.

In response to this investigation, MSCS has issued the following statement: Memphis-Shelby County Schools is committed to ensuring the safety, dignity, and equal educational opportunities for all students. The District recognizes the importance of Title IX compliance. The administration is addressing issues identified by the Office of Civil Rights during its review of the 2017-2020 academic years while actively collaborating to establish corrective actions regarding past reports. Memphis Shelby County Schools

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Members of Iraqi security forces stand near the debris of an armed drone shot down by Iraq's air defenses in Kirkuk, Iraq, August 29, 2024.

A U.S. military-led raid in western Iraq killed at least 15 Islamic State militant group "operatives" who fought back with numerous weapons including grenades and explosive "suicide" belts, U.S. Central Command said late Friday.

The joint operation with Iraq's security forces took place early Thursday. Some of those killed were in the group's leadership, the command, abbreviated as CENTCOM, said in a statement. It did not detail their identities.

"This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond," CENTCOM said, referring to the militant by an acronym that reflects its activities in Iraq and Syria.

CENTCOM said there were no indications of civilian casualties during the raid.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said five U.S. soldiers suffered injuries during the raid and a further two were injured "from falls." None of the injuries were life-threatening.

The U.S.-Iraqi operation follows an attack in Germany by a Syrian refugee who is being investigated for suspected links to the Islamic State group. That perpetrator killed three people and injured eight more in a stabbing rampage.

Thursday's raid also comes on the heels of what authorities in Austria said was a plan to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. The alleged plot, by an Austrian citizen who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, planned to target the musician's Eras tour. It was foiled with help from intelligence provided by the CIA.

Iraq's military said in a statement that Thursday's raid in Anbar province involved airstrikes that struck Islamic State group cave hideouts in the desert followed by an "airborne operation."

It said "key" leaders were killed, without specifying who they were.

The Islamic State group grew out of the remnants of the al Qaeda militant organization in Iraq following the U.S.-led invasion to topple the government of Saddam Hussein. It then expanded into Syria amid that country's civil war.

A U.S.-led coalition of dozens of countries has largely liberated territory held by the Islamic State group in Syria and blunted its fighting capabilities. But at its height, it had a network of affiliates, branches and supporters in at least half a dozen countries and it continues to inspire extremists who are drawn to its online propaganda.

About 2,500 U.S. troops are deployed in Iraq and a further 900 in Syria in an "advise and assist" capacity. One of the roles of those troops is to ensure that the Islamic State group is not able to reconstitute itself. Another is to limit the ability of Iran-backed militias to operate in Iraq, which are linked to Tehran's security forces.

Reuters reported in March that talks between the U.S. and Iraq on ending the U.S.-led military coalition in the country may not be concluded until after U.S. presidential elections in November.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: U.S. targets Islamic State group leaders in Iraq, killing 15
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  To mark Overdose Awareness Week, UAMS is giving hospital staff life-saving tools; guaranteeing every employee has access to medication that can reverse an overdose.

Free Naloxone kits were given out to employees as part of an effort to combat overdose deaths. The center was ready with 2,000 kits and hoped to clear the tables by the end of the day, with employees able to take one or two kits each, if needed.

Garland County deputies receive Naloxone Life Saving Award

Fridays event was hosted by the UAMS Center for Addiction Services and Treatment.

Those with the Center say these kits make a difference and staff members equipped with them can save lives.

UAMS employees are all over the community,  Dr. Michael Mancino explained, and so we wanted as many people as possible to have access to Naloxone in case they come across a person whos overdosed.

Study finds Arkansas naloxone prescription fills quadrupled in 1 year

For clinic manager Peggy Healy, it was an especially impactful day as she remembered her son who passed from an overdose.

The increase in overdoses really was high, she said. It has come down, thank God, because of Naloxone and were so happy to be able to do this.

Last year, 510 Arkansans lost their lives to drug overdoses, a 13.7% decline compared to 2022. Naloxone and other opioid-reversal drugs are credited with much of that decrease.

UAMS researchers awarded $1 million for statewide Naloxone training program

Healy said this is the second year UAMS has handed out the kits and they hope to make it a yearly tradition on overdose awareness day.

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UINTAH COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  A Uintah School District bus carrying five elementary school students was hit in a crash Friday, Aug. 30 in Uintah County.

The crash occurred at the intersection of S.R. 45 (1500 E) and 5000 South, the district said. No one was injured, six people were inside the bus at the time of the crash.

SLCPD releases bodycam footage of incident woman claims led to her leg amputation

Uintah School District reached out to the parents of all the students to notify them that the crash had occurred.

The bus driver has been subbed out due to the crash, per district protocol.

Utah Highway Patrol investigated and determined that the bus could safely finish the route and only sustained minor damage.

The five students all got dropped off at their regular stops.

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It must have seemed a brilliant wheeze. Labour would offer the EU some juicy concessions as an opening gesture, a way to (as David Lammy keeps putting it) reset our relationship. These concessions would bring Britain closer to Brussels in a way that Eurocrats keep saying they want. Yet they could be sold to British voters as practical improvements. Labour would go some way towards satisfying its Remainer base without reopening the issue of membership.

That, though, is not how things have worked out. Instead of delightedly accepting Sir Keir Starmers proposals for closer economic, energy and defence links, Brussels has produced its own list of counter-demands. If Britain wants to come under the EUs regulatory umbrella, say the fonctionnaires, it must first demonstrate real commitment.

Eurocrats want us to guarantee EU access to our fishing waters after the current deal expires in 2026. They want us to scrap the mitigations we put in place to soften the regulatory border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, notably those relating to pets and parcels. And, if we wont accept free movement in full, they want it at least for people under 30  the so-called youth mobility scheme.

Labour is learning what the Conservatives found out during the disengagement talks, namely that any British proposal, even when it matches what the EU was previously asking for, is greeted with huffy remarks about cherry-picking.

When, in 2018, Theresa May offered to keep the UK within the EUs regulatory orbit, she was told that Brexit meant Brexit, and that Britain must expect to be treated as a third country, Canada-style. When, the following year, Boris Johnson said that, OK then, hed take a Canada-style deal, he was told that, on the contrary, the EU could not allow a near neighbour to have a different regulatory model.

Perhaps Starmer and Lammy thought that their personal histories would guarantee them a friendlier hearing. After all, the two men did not simply campaign to stay in the EU in 2016. They repeatedly attempted to overturn what Starmer called the catastrophic vote.

As Lammy put it (not in a bad-tempered aside, but in a newspaper article), You cant write off 48 per cent of voters without a serious fight, and we cannot usher in rule by plebiscite which unleashes the wisdom of resentment and prejudice reminiscent of 1930s Europe. Asked later whether likening Eurosceptics to Nazis wasnt laying it on a bit strong, he replied, I would say that that wasnt strong enough I dont care how elected they were, so was the far-Right in Germany.

Continental federalists will appreciate the sentiment (if not the Nazi reference, which they will consider bad form). But, while Starmer and Lammy may be warmly greeted in Brussels, that warmth wont melt the EUs basic negotiating stance, which is that Brexit must be seen to be painful, even if that means also inflicting pain on European citizens. Euro-integrationists look upon us rather as China looks upon Taiwan  as a rebel island to be brought to heel.

Hence their finger-wagging response when Labour proposes the kind of co-operation that they have been asking for. Starmer doesnt need 2,485 glasses to see who stands to benefit the most. The mutual recognition of professional qualifications would suit both sides, but there are many more EU workers in Britain than the other way around.

An energy pact would mainly help those European states that depended on Russia, and were kept warm last winter by gas sent from Britain. Even France needed our gas when strikes closed its nuclear plants. And the EU wants us to copy its expensive carbon border tax rather than luring affected businesses from the Continent.

As for the deal on chemicals that Rachel Reeves keeps banging on about, Britain opposed the EUs chemicals regime as a member in 2006. Brexit should be an opportunity to scrap these needlessly expensive regulations and return to the light-touch approach taken by other Anglosphere nations.

In all these areas, any gains to Britain would be dwarfed by gains to the EU. The UK, in diplomatic parlance, is not the demandeur. Yet Eurocrats treat Starmers proposals as pleas, to be answered only if Britain gives something in return. Tragically, some of our own negotiators are so traumatised by Brexit that they see it the same way.

Nowhere is the mismatch more pronounced than in defence and security. With the United States radically scaling down its commitment to Europe, keeping Britain involved is important to many European countries. Britain is a nuclear state with the most effective Armed Forces in Europe.

If we were to think in wholly selfish terms, we would have little interest in defending Europe from Russian revanchism. Obviously we want to see international law upheld, and we want democracy to prevail over tyranny. But, bluntly, there is no scenario in which Russian forces will be massed across the Channel threatening us.

But, given the reality of our commitment to European defence, there is a second objection: we have always seen it as Natos job. When we were in the EU, we resisted its attempts to create separate security structures, seeing them as, at best, duplicating and, at worst, undermining the Atlantic Alliance. So why cave in now, just as we have started to recover our global vocation through arrangements like Aukus?

Rebuffed in Brussels, Starmer has become the latest in a long line of British leaders to go to Berlin. Labour has always been slightly in awe of Germanys supposedly grown-up Social Democrats. In advance of the 1975 referendum, Helmut Schmidt was invited to tell the Labour conference why Britain should vote to stay.

In 1998, Tony Blair and Gerhard Schroeder co-authored a pamphlet called Europe: The Third Way/Die Neue Mitte. It proposed ways to promote employment and prosperity, which Schroeder duly did when he went on to work for Russian gas companies, becoming a Putin apologist. The paper also argued that public expenditure as a proportion of national income has more or less reached the limits of acceptability  since when the proportion in Britain has risen from 35 to 45 per cent.

Starmer courting the SPD Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is just the latest iteration of this love-in. Yet Germany, being an EU member, has little sovereignty in the areas he wants to discuss. Nor is it the force it was in Blairs day. In the last two quarters, Britains growth was 0.7 and 0.6 per cent, the highest in the G7; Germanys was 0.2 per cent and minus 0.1 per cent  the lowest. The idea that the EU will end up doing Germanys bidding because Germany pays the bills has stopped being true (if ever it was).

Labours European policy is based on two false premises. First, it believes that any imperfections in the current deal are due to Tory stand-offishness rather than Brussels vindictiveness. In fact, at every stage in the negotiations, Britain pushed for the closest possible trade links. Again and again, we have made concessions that have gone unreciprocated, whether granting equivalence to EU financial services companies or letting EU passport holders use our e-gates.

Second, Labour believes that Britain is poorer as a result of Brexit, and that cosying up to the EU is thus a pro-growth policy. In fact, Britain has outgrown the Eurozone consistently since the referendum, and is forecast to carry on doing so.

Instead of pressing our noses disconsolately against the window, we should let the EU come to us with proposals for closer economic links. And we should have our own counter-demands ready  starting with the dismantling of needlessly intrusive checks in Northern Ireland. But, for Labour, this is less about practical objectives than about a deep psychological need to atone for Brexit. Which is, if you think about it, the worst possible frame of mind in which to approach negotiations.

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Ukraine defense minister presses US to allow use of long-range weapons on Russia

Ukraine Defense Minister Rustem Umerov pressed U.S. officials Friday to allow Kyiv to employ long-range weapons in its counteroffensive against Russia.

Umerov, during an interview with CNNs Alex Marquardt, said Ukraine has presented a list of targets to U.S. senior officials and hopes Washington will lift the restriction on the use of the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).

We provided the situation on the battlefield, Umerov told Marquardt Friday evening on The Situation Room.

We have explained the needs. We have explained what kind of capabilities we need to protect the citizens against that Russian terror that Russians are causing us, he added. So, I hope we were heard.

Ukraines recent offensive in the Kursk region, which began earlier this month, has put more pressure on the Biden administration to remove the restriction, which bars Kyiv from using U.S.-made weapons in its counteroffensive against Russia. The push caught the Kremlin, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, by surprise and allowed the Ukrainian military to capture some 500 miles of territory in the area.

The military has used missiles and drones to destroy Russias air bases. But despite its incursion, Ukraine has still struggled to deal with Moscows precision-guided glide bombs, per the official.

Theyre killing our citizens, Umerov said Friday. Thats why we want to deter them, we want to stop them, we dont want [to] allow their aviation to come closer to our borders to bomb the cities.

Kyiv has a small batch of long-range missiles given by Washington earlier this year, CNN reported, citing a U.S. official. But, the outlet noted, the war-torn country should not anticipate another supply of ATACMS due to the time it takes to manufacture the weapon and the current short supply in the United States.

The interview came the same day Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired his air force commander  a decision that came shortly after a pilot crashed an F-16 plane that was supplied by the U.S. When asked on Friday about the ousting, Umerov denied that the decision was related to the recent crash.

I would probably say this is a rotation, but it is unfortunate, he said, adding that the pilots death was also unfortunate. 

Weve launched an investigation. Were analyzing what has happened, Umerov, who was in Washington Friday for a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other defense officials, added. We also opened this file to our partners, so they are also analyzing this and investigating along with us.

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Ukraine must win because if Russia wins, we all lose  Danish PM

Ukraine must win the war, and this is the opinion of the whole of Europe, with only one country against it, said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Source: Mette Frederiksen at the GLOBSEC conference in Prague, reports European Pravda

Quote from Mette Frederiksen: "There is no alternative to Ukraine winning this war. Because if Russia wins, then all of us lose not only in Europe but actually worldwide."

Details: She stressed that there is almost unanimous agreement in the European Union on this.

Quote from Mette Frederiksen: "You have never had so strong European Union as we have today We have sometimes some internal discussions. But if it was like 12 [countries against 1], 15 [countries against 1] that would be a major problem for all of us. But it is 26 against one or one [country] against the rest of Europe."

European Pravda notes that the public position of the capitals suggests that it is the Hungarian opposition, but Frederiksen did not specify this.

Mette Frederiksen called on those who do not properly support Ukraine's victory to "understand how dangerous the situation is".

Background: Mette Frederiksen said in Prague that Denmark was ready to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with F-16s at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

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Ukraine presents US with list of targets in Russia it wants to hit with ATACMS missiles

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in an Aug. 30 interview that he had submitted to senior U.S. officials a list of targets that Ukraine wants to hit with U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles in Russia.

The news came as a Ukrainian delegation arrived in Washington to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other Western officials.

Kyiv has long argued that restrictions on the use of long-range weapons are stifling its war effort, while Washington claimed that allowing Ukraine to hit deep into Russian territory with its weapons could escalate the conflict.



Ukraine has dismissed these arguments and has ramped up pressure to lift the ban in recent weeks amid the ongoing incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast. The White House has not budged on its position, despite some U.S. politicians backing Kyivs demands.

"We have explained what kind of capabilities we need to protect the citizens against the Russian terror that Russians are causing us, so I hope we were heard," Umerov told CNN.

According to the minister, the list includes airfields used by the Russian army to launch strikes against population centers across Ukraine.

The targets on the list are within the range of long-range missiles, and Kyiv insists on lifting restrictions on the use of ATACMS to protect its people and infrastructure, Umerov added.

"Theyre killing our citizens. That is why we want to deter them, we want to stop them, we dont want [to] allow their aviation to come closer to our borders to bomb the cities, the minister said.

In June the U.S. permitted Ukraine to strike Russian military targets just across the border but maintained its ban on attacks deep inside Russia with long-range weapons like ATACMS.



President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraines capture of the Russian town of Sudzha, located less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with Ukraine, shows that Western fears of Russian "red lines" are groundless.

Western countries have largely allowed Ukraine to use their arms in the Kursk incursion, but the U.S. and the U.K. have maintained their restrictions on the use of long-range missiles like ATACMS or Storm Shadow.

Read also: Ukraine strikes Russian airfields with homemade weapons in hopes of preventing devastating attacks at home

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Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has recorded over 4,000 cases of Russian chemical agents used on Ukraine's front line, including over 3,100 reported cases since December 2023, marking a significant uptick in the weapons' use, Ukraine's Support Forces reported.

The numbers indicate a stark increase in the use of illegal chemical agents, marking a sharp uptick from about 600 recorded uses as of January, Ukraine's military reported.

According to statistic compiled by Ukraine, reported cases peaked in May 2024 with a record high of 715 cases reported, and has slowly declined into the summer months. No data was immediately available for the month of August.

An infographic of Russia's use of chemical agents on the battlefield. (Lisa Kukharska/ The Kyiv Independent)

Ukrainian soldiers and officers interviewed by the Kyiv Independent acknowledged that the tactic is effective, allowing Moscow to capture positions occasionally without destroying them.

Ukrainian soldiers reported suffering up to six gas attacks daily, usually two to three attacks within an hour.

Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department confirmed Russian forces have used the chemical agent chloropicrin in Ukraine. The announcement was part of a larger statement about the introduction of new U.S. sanctions against more than 280 individuals and entities.

"The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident, and is probably driven by Russian forces' desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield," the U.S. State Department said at the time, asserting that Moscow has violated the Chemical Weapons Convention by deploying riot control agents as a method of warfare.

Chloropicrin is often used as an herbicide. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), exposure to its vapors can cause severe irritation to the skin, eyes, and, if inhaled, internal organs.

Russian naval infantry units have previously confirmed that they used illegal K-51 aerosol grenades, filled with the Riot Control Agent gas CS (2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile), a tear gas used for crowd control. Riot Control Agents are prohibited from being used in modern warfare under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on May 7 that accusations from both Ukraine and Russia that the other has used chemical weapons during the full-scale invasion remain "insufficiently substantiated."

"Both the Russian Federation and Ukraine have accused one another and reported allegations of use of chemical weapons to the Organization," the OPCW said in a statement.

"The information provided to the Organization so far by both sides, together with the information available to the Secretariat, is insufficiently substantiated."

The organization also noted it had not received official requests to investigate the use of chemical weapons from either Ukraine or Russia.

Read also: Silent killer: Russia boosts grinding Donbas advance with chemical warfare





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Ukraine's 80th Brigade capture and use 7 Russian tanks in Kursk Oblast  video

Ukraines 80th Brigade paratroopers have managed to capture seven Russian tanks since the beginning of Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Source: 80th Air Assault Brigade

Details: The captured equipment includes the latest T-90M, four T-80 BVMs and two T-72s.

"I've always dreamed of capturing a Russian tank," serviceman Bohdan said. He, along with his comrades and representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine, managed to capture several new T-80 BVMs on the outskirts of Sudzha in the early days of the fighting in Kursk.

Tank officer Dmytro from the 80th Air Assault Brigade said the captured tanks will significantly reinforce the armoured force of the Lviv paratroopers in future battles with the Russians.

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Mozambican police arrested this week three individuals in Maputo province while they were attempting to sell ivory tips, according to an official statement. Poaching remains a serious threat to wildlife in Mozambique, a country grappling with significant conservation challenges.

The suspects, aged 29 to 51, were apprehended in Marracuene district. Samussone Mahumane, spokesman for the National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) in Maputo province, reported the arrests.

Despite ongoing poaching issues, authorities believe that elephant killings have decreased in recent years due to improved enforcement and conservation measures. Mahumane noted that while they initially received information about men selling rhino horns, they discovered the suspects were actually selling ivory tips. The source of the ivory is still under investigation.

According to the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), Mozambique is home to approximately 10,000 elephants.
Ukraines Defence Minister Rustem Umierov has met with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during his visit to the United States on 30 August.

Source: Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Singh noted that the discussions between Umierov and Austin focused on the battlefield situation, military assistance priorities and the upcoming meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein format.

Austin reaffirmed the US's unwavering support for a "free, secure and sovereign Ukraine". The parties discussed priorities for security assistance, particularly air defence, artillery, armoured vehicles and other equipment.

Quote from Singh: "The two leaders pledged to continue to build on the strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine."

Ukraine's Defence Ministry noted that the meeting between Umierov and Austin was also attended by Andrii Yermak, Head of the Presidents Office; Deputy Defence Minister Oleksandr Balanutsa; Major General Volodymyr Horbatiuk, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; and Mykola Shevtsov, Chief of the Main Logistics Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The ministry noted that the discussion also touched on the development of Ukraine's defence industry, although details were not provided.

Background:

Before this meeting, Ukraines Defence Minister Rustem Umierov and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken by phone at least three times over the course of two weeks.

It is worth noting that the 24th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, known as the Ramstein format, will be held on 6 September at the US airbase of the same name in Germany.

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Ukraine's defence minister gives US list of targets in Russia for attacks with US-supplied ATACMS missiles

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov has confirmed that during a meeting with senior US officials, he handed over a list of targets in Russia that Kyiv wants to strike with US-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles.

Source: Umierov in an interview with CNN, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Ukrainian defence minister said he had spoken with US officials in Washington about lifting restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory.

"We have explained what kind of capabilities we need to protect the citizens against the Russian terror that Russians are causing us, so I hope we were heard," he said.

Umierov noted that the US had been provided with a list of targets that Kyiv seeks to hit with ATACMS missiles, a move that had been announced by American media a few days earlier.

"We are showing that the airfields that they are using to hit our cities are within the range of deep strikes," the minister added.

He stressed that Ukraine will continue to insist on lifting the restrictions in order to protect Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.

"They [the Russians] are killing our citizens. Thats why we want to deter them, we want to stop them, we dont want [to] allow their aviation to come closer to our borders to bomb the cities," Umerov explained.

Background:

Earlier, the Washington Post reported that, amid operations in Kursk Oblast, Ukraine has intensified its request to the Biden administration for authorisation to use ATACMS missiles against military airfields in Russia.

The official US stance has not yet changed, though the European Union has decided that the relevant decision should be made at the national level.

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Ukraine's defence minister says Air Force commander's dismissal not linked to recent F-16 crash

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov has emphasised that the dismissal of former Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk is not connected to the recent death of Oleksii Mes, one of Ukraine's finest pilots, who was killed when a US-supplied F-16 fighter jet crashed a few days ago.

Source: Umierov in an interview with CNN

Quote: "I would probably say this is a rotation. This is two separate issues at this stage, I would not connect them."

Details: Umierov described the death of the F-16 pilot as "unfortunate" and said that Ukraine is conducting an investigation into the incident.

Quote: "Were analysing what happened. Weve also opened this file to our partners so they are also analysing this and investigating along with us."

Background:

On 29 August, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that an F-16 fighter jet had crashed while repelling a Russian missile strike. The pilot lost his life.

Ukrainian pilot Oleksii Mes was killed while repelling a large-scale combined Russian missile and drone attack on 26 August.

On 30 August, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree dismissing Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, who had held the post since August 2021.

Lieutenant General Anatolii Kryvonozhko, Commander of Air Command Tsentr (Centre), has been appointed as the acting Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force.

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BERLIN (Reuters) - Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region is legitimate and covered by Kyiv's right to self-defence, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told German weekly Welt am Sonntag in his first reaction to the advance into Russian territory.

"Ukraine has a right to defend itself. And according to international law, this right does not stop at the border," Stoltenberg told the paper, adding that NATO had not been informed about Ukraine's plans beforehand and did not play a role in them.

The NATO chief said Ukraine was running a risk with the advance onto Russian territory but that it was up to Kyiv how to conduct its military campaign.

"(Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy has made clear that the operation aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further Russian attacks from across the border," he said.

"Like all military operations, this comes with risks. But it is Ukraine's decision how to defend itself."

Kyiv launched a major cross-border incursion into the Kursk region on Aug. 6, while Moscow's troops keep pressing towards the strategic hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.

The incursion was also discussed at a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine-Council on Wednesday that was requested by Kyiv amid Moscow's biggest wave of air attacks on its neighbour.

The council, grouping members of the Western military alliance and Ukraine, was established last year to enable closer coordination between the alliance and Kyiv.

Russia has called the Kursk operation a "major provocation" and said it would retaliate.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by GV De Clercq and Jonathan Oatis)
Ukraine's Kursk incursion 'demonstrates that Russia is at the limit of its capabilities,' says former US NATO ambassador

Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast "demonstrates that Russia is at the limit of its capabilities," said Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, at the Globsec conference in Prague on Aug. 31.

As Kyiv's incursion into Kursk Oblast entered its fourth week, Ukraine is in control of 1,294 square kilometers (around 500 square miles) and 100 settlements, including the town of Sudzha, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Aug. 27.

"(Russia) can't attack Ukraine and defend Russia at the same time, it has had to make a choice," Volker said.

"It's going to have to move forces from Ukraine to defend Russia. That movement is something we should be taking advantage of with long-range systems to hit them while they move," he added.

The incursion further shows that "Russia does not have the ability to escalate," Volker said.

Separately, Ukrainian lawmaker Olena Khomenko said that the Kursk incursion "proves that there are no real risks of Russian escalation, and there are no Russian red lines."

Ukrainian lawmaker Olena Khomenko at the Globsec conference in Prague, Czechia, on Aug. 31, 2024. (Ray Baseley/the Kyiv Independent)

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin's only reaction was pretending that nothing special is happening," she added.

The Kursk incision also erodes the narrative that Russia is trying to portray to its domestic audience that the full-scale war is not truly a war, said Volker.

In terms of the larger dynamics of the war, the incursion alters the trope that any future negotiations between Russia and Ukraine begin with concessions from Kyiv.

"Now it is more of a question of a trade," Volker said.

"Russia has to give something up in order to get something as well, that has not been the case before."

Read also: Russian POWs on their capture in Kursk Oblast: Commanders just disappeared

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By Tom Balmforth

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy increased pressure on the United States to let Kyiv strike military targets deep inside Russian territory after his representatives met senior U.S. officials in Washington on Saturday.

Washington has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion worth of military aid since 2022, but has limited the use of its weapons to Ukrainian soil and defensive crossborder operations.

Zelenskiy said guided aerial bombs killed six people and injured 97 in Kharkiv on Friday, with more attacks on Saturday. These could be averted only "by striking Russian military airfields, their bases, and the logistics of Russian terror."

In his nightly video address, he said, "We talk about this every day with our partners. We persuade. We present arguments."

He said that clearing the Ukrainian sky of Russian guided aerial bombs would be "a strong step to force Russia to seek an end to the war and a just peace."

Appealing to the United States, Britain, France and Germany, he said, "We need the capabilities to truly and fully protect Ukraine and Ukrainians.

"We need both the permissions for long-range capabilities and your long-range shells and missiles."

Without providing specifics, he said his representatives had "provided all the necessary details" to Ukraine's partners.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, in Washington with a delegation on Friday and Saturday to meet U.S. officials and experts, said in an interview broadcast by CNN that Kyiv was showing Russian airfields used to hit Ukrainian cities were within range of deep strikes.

"We have explained what kind of capabilities we need to protect the citizens against the Russian terror that Russians are causing us, so I hope we were heard," Umerov said in the interview late on Friday.

Zelenskiy is expected to deliver a similar plea in person next month, when he will present a plan for victory to President Joe Biden near the end of his time in the Oval Office, and attend United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York.

Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who headed Kyiv's delegation, said in a post on X that she had discussed the steps needed to restore Ukraine's energy system, including a "significant contribution" being made by an $800 million energy sector financing package that was announced in June.

Russian air strikes have affected more than half of Ukraine's power infrastructure, she said.

The president's chief of staff Andriy Yermak joined Umerov in briefing U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the situation on the battlefield in the first meeting of their visit on Friday, the presidential office said in a statement.

Speaking at the end of a week when Russia hit Ukraine with more than 400 missiles and drones, Yermak said it was important for Ukraine to receive weapons from existing defence packages as soon as possible, the office said.

(Additional reporting and writing by Elaine Monaghan in Bloomington, Indiana; additional reporting by Oleksandr Kozhukhar in Kyiv; editing by Christina Fincher and Diane Craft)
All Russian attack drones that targeted the city of Kyiv on the night of 30-31 August and on the morning of 31 August have been destroyed by Ukrainian air defence assets and personnel.

Source: Kyiv City Military Administration

Details: The authorities reported that this was the fourth air attack on Kyiv this week.

Loitering munitions approached the capital throughout the night, in waves and from different directions.

The air-raid warning in the capital was issued four times and was in effect for almost four hours in total.

Early reports indicate that there were no casualties or damage in Kyiv.

Quote: "As you can see, Kyiv has been and always will be a priority target for the Russian aggressor in this war.

Therefore, I urge Kyiv residents and visitors to be conscious and disciplined. Always follow the rules when an air-raid warning is issued and go to shelters!"

Background: On the night of 30-31 August, Kyiv Oblast Military Administration reported that air defence was responding to the Russian attack in Kyiv Oblast.

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Ukrainian defense minister tells CNN I hope we were heard after presenting list of targets inside Russia to US officials

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told CNN the Biden administration is still considering his request to lift restrictions on Ukraine using long-range weapons to strike deeper inside Russian territory and confirmed hed presented a list of targets in meetings with senior officials in Washington on Friday

We have explained what kind of capabilities we need to protect the citizens against the Russian terror that Russians are causing us, so I hope we were heard, Umerov said in an interview with CNNs Alex Marquardt on The Situation Room.

Despite repeated requests from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the US is not currently expected to loosen restrictions on Ukraines use of long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).

Youve heard us say that the Ukrainians can use US security assistance to defend themselves from cross-border attacks, in other words counterfire. But as it relates to long-range strike, deep strikes into Russia, our policy has not changed, said Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on Tuesday.

Ukraine only has a limited supply of US-provided long-range missiles, and the US has made it clear that Kyiv should not expect another significant delivery of ATACMS because of the finite number in US inventories and the long production time of the weapon, according to a US official.

Speaking before the meeting between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Umerov, the US official said many of Ukraines high value targets in Russia are outside the range of ATACMS. Russias military has pulled its high value military assets far away from the front line, including the aircraft launching glide bombs that have wreaked havoc on Ukrainian targets.

But Umerov pushed back on such assessments, saying Ukraine has presented the US a list of targets they would use ATACMS to strike.

We are showing that the airfields that they are using to hit our cities are within the range of deep strikes, Umerov said on CNN.

Ukraine has used its existing supply of ATACMS to target high-value Russian assets in occupied Crimea, including air defenses, ammo depots and airfields. The entire Crimean Peninsula falls within range of ATACMS, making it a prime area to use the US-manufactured missile, the US official said.

Umerov said Ukraine is pushing to lift the ATACMS restrictions to protect Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.

Theyre killing our citizens. Thats why we want to deter them, we want to stop them, we dont want [to] allow their aviation to come closer to our borders to bomb the cities, said Umerov.

The US remains focused on critically needed air defenses, which the Biden administration has provided in nearly every military aid package. The US has also placed Ukraine at the top of the priority list for air defenses, the US official said, diverting $2 billion in air defense assets to Kyiv that was originally slated to go to other countries.

Umerov also denied that the firing of the Ukrainian Air Force commander was connected to the death of one of Ukraines top pilots when a US-made F-16 fighter jet crashed just days earlier.

I would probably say this is a rotation, said Umerov This is two separate issues at this stage, I would not connect them.

Zelensky did not say whether his decision to fire Mykola Oleshchuk was related to the F-16 crash on Monday, but said the command level of the Air Force needed to strengthen.

Umerov called the death of the pilot unfortunate and said that Ukraine is investigating what happened.

Were analyzing what has happened, said Umerov. Weve also opened this file to our partners so they are also analyzing this and investigating along with us.

With all eyes on the Ukrainian incursion into the Russian oblast of Kursk, Umerov said Ukraine is more focused on the capabilities that area allows them rather than holding the Russian territory to trade for land Russia has captured from Ukraine.

We are focused to increase our capabilities to withstand, to repel the Russians from the temporary occupied territories, said Umerov.

Ukraines top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said Friday that Ukrainian forces have advanced up to two kilometers (about 1.2 miles) further into Kursk over the last 24 hours.

Over the [past] day, our troops advanced up to 2 kilometers in some areas, taking control of 5 square kilometers of the territory, Syrskyi told Zelensky and other officials in a staff meeting.

But as Ukraine pushes further into Kursk, Russian forces are slowly gaining ground in eastern Ukraine, inching toward the city of Pokrovsk, a strategic city that sits on a key supply road between military hubs. The city forms the backbone of Ukraines defenses in the area, a valuable prize for the Russian military, but one the Kremlin is pursuing at an extremely high cost. The US official said Russia is suffering 1,000 casualties a day as they grind forward in eastern Ukraine, the highest casualty rate of the conflict.

Zelensky has said he intends to show President Joe Biden a plan for victory at the United Nations General Assembly in September, as well as to presidential candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

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A Ukrainian delegation, headed by Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, met with the national security advisors of the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and France in Washington on Aug. 31.

According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), which tracks international aid for Ukraine, the U.S., Germany, and the U.K. are the top three supporters of Ukraine in terms of total financial commitments, while France is ranked as the ninth largest provider of aid.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and other Ukrainian officials also attended the meetings.

Chief among the issues discussed was the need to "further strengthen Ukraine's air defense and energy system protection," the Presidential Office said.

"Our coordination and joint efforts are particularly important. We have already come a long way together and achieved a lot. But now is a special moment when we need to maximize our efforts to help Ukraine prevail. It is important to use this moment correctly," Yermak said.

The officials also discussed joint arms production, future Western investments in Ukraine's domestic defense industry, and the Ukraine Compact, a security framework that was signed by 32 allied countries at the NATO summit in July 2024.

Separately, Yermak met with Philip Gordon, the national security advisor to U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. The two officials previously held a phone call shortly after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Harris became the presumptive nominee.

Read also: White House rejects plan to send F-16 maintenance personnel to Ukraine, WSJ reports

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Ukrainian delegation to US discusses Peace Formula, weapons and energy with partners

The Ukrainian delegation met in Washington with national security advisers from the US, UK, Germany, and France to discuss arms supplies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, energy security, and the Peace Formula.

Source: Ukrainian Presidents Office

Quote: "The parties discussed the necessary efforts to further strengthen Ukraine's air defence and energy system protection. The Head of the Office of the President [Andrii Yermak] emphasised that it is crucial for Ukraine to receive the necessary weapons and equipment as soon as possible."

Details: The meeting also focused on expanding joint arms production opportunities and increasing allied investments in Ukraine's defence industry.

Additionally, the parties discussed the preparation and procedure for the further implementation of the Ukrainian Treaty, adopted by Ukraine's partners during the 75th NATO Summit in Washington. They also agreed on an action plan to execute the security documents that have already been signed.

"Special attention was paid to the Peace Formula implementation," the President's Office concluded.

For reference: The Ukrainian delegation is headed by Yuliia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister. It includes Andrii Yermak, Head of the President's Office; Defence Minister Rustem Umierov; Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States; Mykola Tochytskyi, Deputy Head of the President's Office; and Dariia Zarivna, Advisor to the Head of the President's Office.

The US delegation was led by Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor to the President; the UK by Timothy Barrow, UK National Security Advisor; Germany by Jens Plotner, German Chancellor's Advisor for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; and France by Emmanuel Bonn, Foreign Policy Advisor to the French President.

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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:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, governments and health care centers across the country faced a difficult but important question: Should health care workers be required to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine?

It was an economic quandary as much as an ethical one. Vaccine mandates could cause reductions in staff, either from workers missing time due to recovery from the vaccine or from opting to seek employment elsewhere. Additionally, health care workers are highly educated on the value of vaccines and had seen firsthand the perils of COVID-19, reasons to think them capable of making the best decisions for themselves and their patients.

Now, a new study from researchers at Tulane University has found that state-level COVID-19 vaccination mandates successfully increased vaccine rates among health care workers, a finding that, while perhaps unsurprising, provides evidence that the policy can boost vaccination rates even among a highly vaccinated, highly educated population.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, examined vaccination rates among more than 30,000 health care workers in 45 states, 16 of which issued COVID vaccination mandates. Researchers found a 3-4% increase in vaccinations among the group, an improvement on an already lofty baseline vaccination rate of 86%. The study only found increases in vaccination rates in states that required vaccinations and provided no option to opt-out.

"It's great from a government perspective to see this policy increase vaccination rates in an already very highly vaccinated population," said corresponding author Charles Stoecker, a health economist with Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. "These results also show that how we craft these regulations matters. States that provided an option to take a regular COVID test in lieu of getting vaccinated didn't see the same impacts as the strict mandate states."

The findings provide valuable insight on the role vaccine mandates can play in the event of a future pandemic and why such mandates may be justified.

"The federal government has shown that it will defer to the states on this issue, and states have rolled back their mandates, but now we know we have this toolkit," Stoecker said. "In the event of a new pandemic, this shows we're leaving some vaccination coverage on the table if we let even highly educated health care workers decide for themselves."

The vaccination increases were primarily seen in health care workers between the ages of 25-49 years. The 16 states which passed and upheld vaccine mandates without opt-outs were California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Washington, DC.

Stoecker said the next step would be to examine how these mandates affected disease transmission, which could help quantify the economic impact such policies have.

"The ultimate goal would be to be able to assign economic benefits to the vaccinations that happened because of the mandates," Stoecker said.

More information: Yin Wang et al, State COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates and Uptake Among Health Care Workers in the US, JAMA Network Open (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.26847 Journal information: JAMA Network Open
Aug. 28 was the 61st anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his inspiring I Have a Dream speech. It was also the 69th anniversary of the lynching of Emmett Till. Today we are collectively actuating the American dream as a daughter of two immigrants attempts to ascend to the presidency of the United States.

There was a time when people who looked like Vice President Kamala Harris were prevented from being full citizens. Racial and sexual discrimination were the law of the land, brutally and violently enforced. It took the sacrifice and struggle of Black and white patriots to turn that ship around.

The year 1963 was a transitional one in America. Protesters were brutally attacked when they tried to integrate a Woolworth lunch counter in Jackson. In the spring, MLK, Rev. Shuttlesworth, James Bevel and Dorothy Cotton organized a protest movement against segregation/discrimination in Birmingham, Alabama. Police chief Bull Connor used violent beatings, attack dogs and fire houses to suppress the nonviolent demonstrations. Over 2,500 people, including many children, were arrested. Medgar Evers, head of Mississippi NAACP, was gunned down in front of his home. As the freedom movement accelerated, churches and homes were bombed. People were killed. The country remained knee deep in a system of white supremacy.

In an attempt to highlight the second-class status of the countrys Black citizens, civil rights leaders Bayard Rustin and A. Phillip Randolph planned a march on the nations capital to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. They were joined by Roy Wilkins, president of the NAACP; John Lewis, Chairman of SNCC; James Farmer, president of CORE, and MLK, president of SCLC. They solicited support from white allies, labor and religious leaders: Walter Reuther, UAW president; Eugene Carson Blake, former director of the National Council of Churches; Walter Ahmann, director of the Catholic Conference for Racial Justice and Joachim Prinz, president of the American Jewish Congress.

Many were afraid the march would erupt into another Birmingham. Some predicted there might be 40-50,000 marchers. Over 250,000 of us showed up and changed the world.

Last week in the MLK Plaza, State Colleges Racial, Equity Advisory Commission commemorated the 1963 march. It was organized by Gary Abdullah. Carmin Wong composed a poem for the occasion. State College Mayor Ezra Nanes presented a proclamation. College Township Council member Tracy Mariner and UPUA Vice President Rasha Elwakil served as MCs.

The program demonstrated the evolving diversity in our community by presenting people of color who have been elected to public office. Each gave a brief description of their journey and plans for the future. District Judge Donald Hahn shared his story of being the first person of color to sit on the State College Borough Council. Gopal Balachandran and Nalina Krishnankutty, presently serving on the council, contrasted their experience. Pamela Robb and Sultan Magruder shared their experiences on the Patton Township Board of Supervisors.

Penn State student Juan-Rodrigo Salares discussed the mission of Lions Pantry. Penn State organizations were well represented by Elwakil and UPUA President Zion Sykes; African Studies Association President Barron Owusu; National Pan-Hellenic Council President Brooklyn Jones and student NAACP president Lenneya Murray. Also in attendance was CCU chairperson Terry Watson, Patton Township supervisor Betsy Whitman, State Rep. Paul Takac, former State College Borough Council President Jesse Barlow, PSU Prof. Jo Dumas, Dean Clarence Lang from the College of Liberal Arts, State College council member Kevin Kassab, State College Borough Manager Tom Fountaine, and senior faculty mentor Prof. Jennifer Hamer.

Terri Parker accompanied by Stephen Mariner closed the program with a beautiful rendition of the hymn, Still I Rise.

In these difficult times, the well-organized event reminded us that democracy is a verb as well as a noun. Well done, neighbors.

Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Partys nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College.
The term Anglo-Saxon is being replaced by Early Medieval English - PRISMA ARCHIVO/Alamy

The term Anglo-Saxon has been removed from a Universitys module titles to tackle nationalist narratives.

The University of Nottingham offers leading courses in Anglo-Saxon history and literature and is the only university in the country to offer a Viking Studies course.

But in a move to decolonise the curriculum, professors have renamed a masters course in Viking and Anglo-Saxon Studies as Viking and Early Medieval English Studies.

A module within the programme titled Research Methods in Viking and Anglo-Saxon Studies has also had the Anglo-Saxon term removed in favour of Early Medieval English.

It follows a similar move in the United States, where academics in particular have campaigned against the term Anglo-Saxon because it suggests a distinct, native Englishness.

The terminology of Early mediaeval England is the preferred replacement for Anglo-Saxon by academics concerned that the latter has become a phrase used by racists surrounding white identity.

These have largely been based in the US, where the term has been used to describe those descended from white early settlers.

The university has also said it is seeking to problematize the term Viking in its tuition.

Nottingham is the only university in the country to offer a Vikings studies course

An English literature module A Tale of Seven Kingdoms: Anglo-Saxon and Viking-Age England from Bede to Alfred the Great was also renamed Early mediaeval England from Bede to Alfred the Great.

It comes amid concerns over the connections of race, empire, Nazism to Norse culture and mythology.

The Nazis made use of Norse runic figures in their iconography, including the stylised S figures of the SS.

The move follows a pledge made in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests to decolonise the curriculum, a term denoting a move away from Western-centred material and the dominance of white voices in academia.

Teaching staff at Nottingham also ensure that module content aims at undercutting nationalist narratives and essentialist ideas about nationality, meaning the belief that English identity is distinct and confers fundamental characteristics.

In 2023, it was revealed that the University of Cambridge, home to a leading Anglo-Saxon department, was teaching students that Anglo-Saxons did not exist as a distinct ethnic group as part of efforts to undermine myths of nationalism.

As part of efforts to make teaching more anti-racist, courses aimed to explain that the Anglo-Saxons, Scottish, Irish and Welsh ethnic identities were not coherent.

In 2024, Cambridge University Presss long-running academic publication, Anglo-Saxon England journal, was renamed amid the ongoing debate about the nationalist overtones of Dark Age ethnonyms

The press said the new name would better reflect international, interdisciplinary and rapidly evolving nature of research in this field.

Population changes associated with Viking invasions mean 'Anglo-Saxon' is an inaccurate term for the period, some academics argue - Lorado

The term Anglo-Saxon typically refers to a cultural group which emerged and flourished between the fall of Roman Britain, and the Norman conquest, when Germanic peoples  Angles, Saxons, and Jutes  arrived and forged new kingdoms in what would later become a united England. This was also the period of Old English epics such as Beowulf.

However, in 2019, the International Society of Anglo-Saxonists voted to change its name to the International Society for the Study of Early Medieval England, in recognition of the problematic connotations that are widely associated with the terms Anglo-Saxon.

This was triggered by the resignation from the society of the Canadian academic Dr Mary Rambaran-Olm, who has since written that the field of Anglo-Saxon studies is one of inherent whiteness.

While some have argued that a single term like Anglo-Saxon is inaccurate as the Dark Ages were a period of population change, including the Viking invasions, others maintain that the term remains useful historically and archaeologically.

A statement signed by more than 70 academics in 2020 argued that the furore over the term Anglo-Saxon was an American import, with an open letter stating: The conditions in which the term is encountered, and how it is perceived, are very different in the USA from elsewhere.

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Which unsafe properties will be demolished next in Elmira?

Which unsafe properties will be demolished next in Elmira?

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM)  The city of Elmira recently demolished a blighted unsafe property on Davis Street, next to the former Rossi Lanes bowling alley. 18 News is working to find out which unsafe properties will be torn down next.

Today we confirmed a property damaged in a 2022 fire on the citys southside is slated for demolition. A fence now surrounds a former wax store at 201 E Miller Street, at the corner of Erie Street. The property was left in disrepair, exposed to the elements and unsecured from entry.

Elmiras most unsafe blighted properties

Fence surrounding 201 East Miller St. on the citys Southside.

Fight on Blight property knocked down

A code violation active since March 13, 2024, said Due to a structure fire on 04/04/22 the building is found to be unsafe and needs to be demolished or repaired. The city of Elmiras Fight on Blight list showed no data for the owners name but listed an address in Elmira.

18 News confirmed the property was later purchased at auction by the Chemung County Property Development Corporation, also known as the Chemung County Landbank.

New York State says the Land Bank Program permits municipalities to apply for and create land banks in their communities. Land banks are not-for-profit corporations created to take control of, and redevelop, vacant or abandoned properties to better serve the public interest.

The minutes from a meeting of the Chemung County Landbank on June 26th show:

201 East Miller Street: This property is a demo due to a fire. Since the building is under the Land Banks insurance, fencing will be put up around property for safety once final approval by the Legislature is received. LBI funds will be used for acquisition, predevelopment and demolition costs.

At a meeting of the Chemung County Land Bank on August 21st, a member of the land bank said the goal was to demolish 201 East Miller Street as soon as possible, hopefully before the winter. The property first has to go through an environmental review. Then the land bank will go through a bidding process with demolition companies.

In a phone call with 18 News, Thomas Sweet, the Chairman of the Chemung County Land Bank, confirmed the cost of demolition will be paid for with funds from New York State.

Status of Erie Plaza

826 Erie St.

18 News is also working to find out what will happen to the former Erie Plaza, just a block away from 201 East Miller.

An active code violation at 826 Erie Street says, Building is very unsafe and is in disrepair, partially collapsed. The violation has been active since April 18, 2023. The former shopping plaza has been vacant for nearly 20 years.

The Fight on Blight list says the owner is Tasty Alimentos, LLC with an address in Niagara Falls. 18 News has made multiple attempts to contact the owner, Jawed Syed, to ask for an update on his plans for the property. So far, our calls have not been returned.

826 Erie St.

In an interview on October 26, 2023, owner Jawed Syed told 18 News he was working with an architect to design a plan to secure the property and redevelop the plaza.

The Erie Plaza is in Elmiras Fifth District, which is represented by councilmember Jackie Wilson. 18 News reached out to Wilson on Friday to ask if she could share an update on the future of the plaza. So far, we have not heard back.

Unsafe property demolished by city of Elmira at 909 Davis St.

909 Davis St. before demolition.

Other demolition projects by the Chemung County Land Bank include:

411 South Walnut Street

1302 Lackawanna Ave.

1006 Oak St.

610 Falck St.  Demolished in 2023

Earlier this month, 18 News took a closer look at ten of the most unsafe blighted properties in Elmira.

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An upstate imam urged student activists to take out an outspoken, pro-Israel Columbia University professor whos returning to the embattled Ivy this fall after a year of antisemitic hate.

Vassar-educated, Utica-based imam Tom Facchine made the plea about business school professor Shai Davidai during an Aug. 20 webinar called Islamic Political Activism with various Columbia student groups which promoted and broadcast it.

That Shai Davidai guy: How do we get him in trouble? How do we create a situation in which hes in jeopardy? Facchine, 35, asked. If youre able to take out somebody like that and make an example, that might shut up a hundred more.

Utica-based imam Tom Facchine urged student activists to take out pro-Israel Columbia University professor Shai Davidai, pictured above. Matthew McDermott

Vassar-educated, Utica-based imam Tom Facchine made the plea about business school professor Shai Davidai during an Aug. 20 webinar called Islamic Political Activism. yaqeeninstitute.org

The Jersey-born Facchine left Christianity to become atheist, found Marx in college and converted to Islam in 2010.

Davidai alerted Columbia honchos about the imams screed and the university launched a probe using outside security experts who concluded that the rhetoric did not create conditions that require enhanced security measures, according to an email from VP of public safety Gerald Lewis to Davidai and shared with The Post.

Undaunted by the imams direct threat, the professor told The Post: I will not be silenced  I know Im speaking the truth.

It feels like they put a target on my back  with the explicit goal to take me down, to get me fired, to make up complaints about me.

Davidai gained notoriety last October for his viral video blasting the school for failing to protect its Jewish students against terror-supporting mobs and vowing that he would never send his daughter to Columbia.

Davidai gained notoriety last October for his viral video blasting the school for failing to protect its Jewish students against terror-supporting mobs. Robert Miller

The nontenured Israeli native and married father of two was barred from campus at the end of last semester and has been under investigation by Columbias Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office. Hell be back this fall.

The machinations of Imam Tom, who enjoys espresso, hiking, and bird watching, according to his bio at the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, are indeed dangerous, the professor said.

This is not some run of the mill, uninformed individual [whipping] up students, he added of the popular Muslim YouTube figure who serves as the resident scholar of the Utica Masjid mosque. This is a radical extremist who knows exactly what hes saying.

Three days after the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7 that left more than 1,200 dead and 250 kidnapped, Facchine gushed that he supports the Palestinian resistance 100 percent  no ifs, ands or buts, adding there are no equivocations, no apologies, no condemnations.

Davidai was barred from campus at the end of last semester and has been under investigation by Columbias Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office. Robert Miller

Any rebuke of the murder, rapes, dismemberment and decapitations are akin to criticiz[ing] the table manners of a starving person, he said.

Hes been shown filming outside of Columbia at the height of the tensions, encouraging the encampments that have engulfed the beleaguered school.

A Columbia spokesperson said, Discrimination and harassment including hate language, calls for violence, and the targeting of any individuals or groups based on their beliefs, ancestry, religion, gender identity, or any other identity or affiliation have no place at Columbia. Facchine did not return calls for comment.
US 6 closes west of Golden due to semi-truck crash

DENVER (KDVR)  A man was taken to the hospital after a semi-truck crashed Friday afternoon, prompting a full closure of U.S. Highway 6 west of Golden.

Colorado State Patrol told FOX31 that the crash was reported just before 1 p.m. and said it involved only the semi.

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The semi crashed between mile markers 267 and 270. The patrol said the driver, a 30-year-old man from Denver, was taken to a hospital.

The semi was totaled and completely blocking the roadway on its side, but there was no leak coming from the semi, CSP said.

A man was taken to the hospital after a semi-truck crashed Friday afternoon, prompting a full closure of U.S. Highway 6 west of Golden. (Photo: Colorado State Patrol)

A man was taken to the hospital after a semi-truck crashed Friday afternoon, prompting a full closure of U.S. Highway 6 west of Golden. (Photo: Colorado State Patrol)

U.S. 6 was closed in both directions 3 miles west of Golden because of the crash and safety concerns, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Pieces of the record-breaking Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1062 are seen onboard the "A Shortfall of Gravitas" (ASOG) drone ship at Port Canaveral. The booster was attempting a landing on the drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean when it collapsed and was engulfed in flames. The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets pending an investigation. Jennifer Briggs/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the green light for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets to resume operations after a landing failure earlier this week.

On Wednesday, the workhorse Falcon 9 launched 21 satellites to low-Earth orbit as part of a routine mission for SpaceX's Starlink internet service.

The launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida was successful but the Falcon 9 booster rocket experienced an anomaly while attempting to land on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Video showed the booster toppling over as flames billowed out.

SpaceX said a second planned launch would be postponed "to give the team time to review booster landing data from the previous launch."

This was the second mishap for SpaceX in less than two months. Problems with the ignition of a second propulsion stage of a Falcon 9 rocket in July resulted in the grounding of the rockets for two weeks.

Pieces of the record-breaking Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1062 are seen onboard the "A Shortfall of Gravitas" (ASOG) drone ship at Port Canaveral. The booster was attempting a landing on the drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean when it collapsed and was engulfed in flames. The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets pending an investigation. Jennifer Briggs/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
US and Iraq kill 15 Isis operatives in early morning raid that leaves 7 American troops wounded

The US military launched a joint raid with Iraq security forces that left 15 ISIS operatives dead and seven soldiers injured (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The US military and Iraqi Security Forces have carried out a joint raid that killed 15 Isis operatives, according to officials.

The US Central Command announced in a news release that the joint operation targeting the militant groups leadership took place in Western Iraq early on Thursday.

The Isis members were armed with numerous weapons, grenades and explosive suicide belts when the troops carried out the raid, the news release said.

According to The Associated Press, seven American troops were injured during the operation.

All of the injured troops are in stable condition. Two service members were wounded in the raid, while two others suffered injuries from falls during the operation.

One person who suffered a fall was taken out of the region. Another member of the group was evacuated for further treatment.

No civilian casualties have been reported.

The US military said it launched the operation to disrupt and degrade Isiss ability to plan, organize and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as US citizens, allies and partners.

ISIS remains a threat to the region, our allies as well as our homeland, the statement added.

The Iraqi military said in a statement that the airstrikes targeted the hideouts, followed by an airborne operation in the countrys desert and caves.

All hideouts, weapons, and logistical support were destroyed, explosive belts were safely detonated and important documents, identification papers and communication devices were seized, the statement read.

Among the dead were key ISIS leaders.

The Isis leaders killed in the raid have not been identified.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

The dock of defendants seated during the Doctors Trial at Nuremberg. Credit: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum via Wikimedia Commons

After World War II, Nuremberg, Germany, was the site of trials of Nazi officials charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Nuremberg trials were landmarks in the development of international law. But one of them has also been applied in peacetime: the "Medical Trial," which has helped to shape bioethics ever since.

Twenty Nazi physicians and three administrators were tried for committing lethal and torturous human experimentation, including freezing prisoners in ice water and subjecting them to simulated high-altitude experiments. Other Nazi experiments included infecting prisoners with malaria, typhus and poisons and subjecting them to mustard gas and sterilization. These criminal experiments were conducted mostly in the concentration camps and often ended in the death of the subjects.

Lead prosecutor Telford Taylor, an American lawyer and general in the U.S. Army, argued that such deadly experiments were more accurately classified as murder and torture than anything related to the practice of medicine. A review of the evidence, including physician expert witnesses and testimony from camp survivors, led the judges to agree. The verdicts were handed down on Aug. 20, 1947.

As part of their judgment, the American judges drafted what has become known as The Nuremberg Code, which set forth key requirements for ethical treatment and medical research. The code has been widely recognized for, among other things, being the first major articulation of the doctrine of informed consent. Yet its guidelines may not be enough to protect humans against new potentially "species-endangering" research today.

Ten key values

The code consists of 10 principles that the judges ruled must be followed as both a matter of medical ethics and a matter of international human rights law.

The first and most famous sentence stands out: "The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential."

In addition to voluntary and informed consent, the code also requires that subjects have a right to withdraw from an experiment at any time. The other provisions are designed to protect the health of the subjects, including that the research must be done only by a qualified investigator, follow sound science, be based on preliminary research on animals and ensure adequate health and safety protection of subjects.

The trial's prosecutors, physicians and judges formulated the code by working together. As they did, they also set the early agenda for a new field: bioethics. The guidelines also describe a scientist-subject relationship that obligates researchers to do more than act in what they think is the best interests of subjects, but to respect the subject's human rights and protect their welfare. These rules essentially replace the paternalistic model of the Hippocratic oath with a human rights approach.

Under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had been the commanding general in Europe, the U.S. Department of Defense adopted the code's principles in 1953one sign of its influence. Its fundamental consent principle is also summarized in the U.N."s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which declares that "no one shall be subjected without his free consent to medical or scientific experimentation."

Yet some physicians tried to distance themselves from the Nuremberg Code because its source was judicial rather than medical, and because they did not want to be linked in any way to the Nazi physicians on trial at Nuremberg.

The World Medical Association, a physicians group set up after the Nuremberg Doctors Trial, formulated its own set of ethical guidelines, named the "Helsinki Declaration." As with Hippocrates, Helsinki permitted exceptions to informed consent, such as when the physician-researcher thought that silence was in the best medical interest of the subject.

The Nuremberg Code was written by judges to be applied in the courtroom. Helinski was written by physicians for physicians.

There have been no subsequent international trials on human experimentation since Nuremberg, even in the International Criminal Court, so the text of the Nuremberg Code remains unchanged.

New research, new procedures?

The code has been a major focus of my work on health law and bioethics, and I spoke in Nuremberg on its 50th and 75th anniversaries, at conferences sponsored by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Both events celebrated the Nuremberg Code as a human rights proclamation.

I remain a strong supporter of the Nuremberg Code and believe that following its precepts is both an ethical and a legal obligation of physician researchers. Yet the public can't expect Nuremberg to protect it against all types of scientific research or weapons development.

Soon after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasakitwo years before the Nuremberg trials beganit became evident that our species was capable of destroying ourselves.

Nuclear weapons are only one example. Most recently, international debate has focused on new potential pandemics, but also on "gain-of-function" research, which sometimes adds lethality to an existing bacteria or virus to make it more dangerous. The goal is not to harm humans but rather to try to develop a protective countermeasure. The danger, of course, is that a super harmful agent "escapes" from the laboratory before such a countermeasure can be developed.

I agree with the critics who argue that at least some gain-of-function research is so dangerous to our species that it should be outlawed altogether. Innovations in artificial intelligence and climate engineering could also pose lethal dangers to all humans, not just some humans. Our next question is who gets to decide whether species-endangering research should be done, and on what basis?

I believe that species-endangering research should require multinational, democratic debate and approval. Such a mechanism would be one way to make the survival of our own endangered species more likelyand ensure we are able to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Nuremberg Code.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
US refuses to send contractors to Ukraine for F-16 maintenance

The Biden administration has supposedly rejected a proposal to send US contractors to Ukraine to maintain Western-supplied military equipment, including F-16 fighter jets, due to security concerns.

Source: The Wall Street Journal with reference to its sources, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The WSJ stressed that the White House National Security Council had considered sending civilian contractors to Ukraine to maintain F-16s and other military weapons, but intelligence and other agencies had found such a move too risky so far.

Nevertheless, the US side hopes that European countries will "take on moreand perhaps allof the responsibility for maintaining the F-16s" in Ukraine.

"The intelligence community raised concerns over the prospect of Russia targeting American contractors in Ukraine," a US official told the WSJ on the condition of anonymity.

The journalists added that the Biden administration has not previously ruled out sending US contractors to Ukraine in the future but does not expect them to go there in the near future.

The refusal to send personnel to maintain the F-16s came to light after Ukraine lost the first fighter jet it received from its Western allies a few weeks ago.

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Steel Industry Leaders in US Have High Hopes for Revival in 2025

(Bloomberg) -- American steel executives say theyre optimistic that demand for the industrial material will rebound next year, recovering from the lackluster demand and low prices that have hobbled the industry in 2024.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Many industry leaders who gathered at the SMU Steel Summit in Atlanta earlier this week said they have high hopes in 2025. They see a turnaround fueled by an improving US economy, as large infrastructure projects get built and interest-rate cuts encourage consumer spending.

If its a good economy, if people are out buying washing machines, theyre buying cars, theyre buying houses and building commercial buildings, said Mike Barnett, president of Grand Steel Products Inc., a steel service center based in Wixom, Michigan. Thats really good for us.

The US steel industry has been dominated this year by Nippon Steel Corp.s proposed takeover of United States Steel Corp., the countrys largest producer. The $14.1 billion deal, which has become a hot political issue following opposition from President Joe Biden and union workers, is driven by the Japanese companys optimism of more growth within the US.

Yet despite the potential for more spending on major energy projects due to government incentives, higher borrowing costs have been a drag on manufacturing and economic growth. Steel demand in the first half of this year was 50.9 million tons, about 0.4% less than the same period a year ago, according to data from the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Benchmark US steel futures are down 37% since the start of the year and earlier in the summer hit the lowest levels since December 2022.

The Federal Reserves signaling of rate cuts as soon as September lifts the prospects of a turnaround for sectors that rely on steel.

Were expecting growth in demand domestically here from construction, with all of the investment driven by government policy over recent years, Kevin Dempsey, president of the American Iron and Steel Institute, said in an interview.

Among those are the Biden administrations Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act of 2021, which included mandates to build projects with American steel. Geoff Gilmore, chief executive officer of Columbus, Ohio-based processor Worthington Steel, said the act included $550 billion for projects using steel  equal to about 50 million tons of the material.

That definitely would be a boost for the sector, he said in an interview.

Despite the optimism, CRUs senior steel analyst Alexandra Anderson still sees challenges ahead for the industry. New steel capacity is also set to come online in the coming months in the US, including US Steels new Big River 2 plant in Arkansas, that threatens to outpace growth in demand.

According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, US raw steel production rose 1.1% last year to reach 89.7 million net tons.

The US industry is also dealing with ongoing trade issues, including slumping global prices from an overabundance of Chinese steel and an influx of cheap foreign steel despite protective tariffs. Another wildcard is the US presidential election, pitting Vice President Kamala Harris against Republican nominee Donald Trump.

One of the features of US elections is investors get a little bit rattled and cautious ahead of the election, said Tom Price, senior commodities analyst at Panmure Liberum. Whatever the result is, Trump or Harris, there will be a relief rally after the election.

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The Senate discusses a proposed constitutional amendment related to citizen initiatives during a special legislative session at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

During the Democratic National Convention, when top Democrats were out of town, Utahs Republican-dominated legislature pulled a fast one on the citizenry and rushed into an emergency special session to vote on a constitutional amendment to limit the initiative power of the people. The details of the amendment werent available until the day before the session. The Legislature refused to allow more than a few minutes of public input on the bill, and also decided to make their autocratic amendment retroactive, like those ex-post facto laws that are prohibited in the U.S. Constitution.

Why such an emergency, you ask? Because the people of the state are humbly hoping to be able to maybe, possibly elect a Democrat to Congress at some point in the far distant future, if it please Your Honor. This, it turns out, is a terribly scary prospect for the grand exalted rulers of the legislature. Republican east benchers do not want to share power with anybody else anytime soon, and especially not with people who live in the foggy lake bottom of the valley.

The earliest cases of a rogue legislature walking all over the American people happened in the 1700s when Englands parliament was continually overturning laws enacted by the people of the colonies. Those local laws were essentially initiatives and referendums aimed at establishing some self-determination for the colonists. When those smaller laws werent allowed to take hold, the people cooked up a much larger initiative by publishing two documents, the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution they wrote out in 1787 was essentially an initiative designed to end the tyranny of Englands rogue legislature.

The initiative and referendum process has a hallowed history not only in America, but in democracies from time immemorial, including the ancient Roman and Israelite democracies that our own republic drew its breath from. Those hallowed cultures held periodic plebiscites where the ordinary citizens of the realm physically gathered together and voted on important initiatives for their government, like declarations of war and changes in government operation. Their voice was the final say on the matter. In Utah, the Republican oligarchs wish to have the final say, as they did in ancient Greece, for example, when an oligarchy of 30 tyrants usurped power from the people there in 405 B.C.E. and when an oligarchy of six justices granted substantial immunity from prosecution to Donald Trump for his actions while in office in 2017-2021.

It is exactly this kind of concentrated power in the hands of a single-minded minority of leaders that the initiative process is meant to prevent. The Encyclopedia Britannica says, In the United States, these devices [initiative and referendum] were adopted principally to curb the rule of political party machines and to correct the abuses and inadequacies of inflexible legislatures by granting the people a means to overrule legislative action and to initiate popular votes on legislation. Utah has only produced a half dozen or so initiatives here compared to dozens or hundreds of them in other states, and Utahs elite wealthy class still cant handle even that tiny amount of correction of their monopolistic fever dreams.

To justify pulling this fast one on the citizens of Utah, Republican leaders paraded out a spate of sophistries (crazy reasoning) to justify their efforts. One Republican leader said, Nothing changes, [with this ballot measure] even when the people lose a ton of power. Another said Republicans are fighting to preserve the voice of the people. Another wants to stop the Utah Supreme Court from deciding public policy. Still another says they want to increase government accountability. Yet another says the legislature wants to make things more flexible. Another Republican says the people want to introduce chaos into Utah society and they must be stopped.

The Utah legislature says they also want to prevent any foreign monetary contributions to the process and any point of view that undermines our cultural integrity, i.e., what private sector parties like corporations and churches want for Utah. This, in spite of the fact legislative leaders cannot think of a time foreign money has done this in Utah.

Two states (Arizona and California) restrict lawmakers from changing initiatives. This is for a good reason, as the people of Utah found out when the legislature tinkered with a medical marijuana initiative, a Medicaid expansion initiative, and an independent redistricting initiative aimed at challenging egregious Republican gerrymandering.

There are yet other states where Republicans are trying to pull fast ones on the people as well. This has happened in Delaware and Rhode Island, where popular votes via the initiative process passed overwhelmingly, only to be ignored by legislatures. Indeed, Missouri, Arizona, and Ohio Republicans recently made efforts to undo ballot measures.

The people of Utah are still in a quite feeble position compared to the wealthy Republican elite in the state. That is not likely to change without a lot more continuing education of voters in history, law, and political science. And just where is that going to come from?
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is ranked in Americas Top 500 Colleges, a list compiled by Forbes.

According to Forbes, UTEP was ranked 280 out of 500 colleges nationwide and ranked No. 1 in Texas colleges for graduating students with little to no debt.

UTEP provides a great education at a price that families can afford, said UTEP President Heather Wilson. This ranking is a testament to our commitment to excellence.

Forbes ranked the schools by alumni salary, student debt, graduation and retention rates, return on investment, academic success and leadership and entrepreneurial success of graduates, according to the news release by UTEP.

According to data by the Education Data Initiative, the national average debt of a graduate is $28,244. Forbes found that the average debt for a UTEP student is $4,735.

UTEP wants every student to have an exceptional and an affordable education, said Amanda Vasquez, vice president for Enrollment Management. Our teams do everything in our power to remove financial barriers for students interested in attending UTEP.

Forbes also found that the median salary of UTEP alumni within 10 years of graduating was $106,000.

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The earliest occupation that I recall aspiring to was motivated by the view from my bedroom window as a young child. Our front yard was not very deep, and I could easily see the repairman climb the utility pole planted in the easement of our front yard to make repairs.

My younger brother and I had a bunkbed that we shared and the corner of the bed with its protruding boards made for a great way to climb to the top bunk, bypassing the ladder which seemed far too mundane. We spent hours repairing imaginary concerns, borrowing one of daddys belts so we could lean back like the repairman did as we pretended to work.

Today, I watch with fascination, affection, and nostalgia, as my 5-year old granddaughter, Carter, calls out ice cream for sale, imploring us to stand in line and wait for our turn to order from her menu. Besides being an ice cream scooper, she also enjoys putting on her white coat, and calling out next patient, as she enacts another of her aspirations which is to be an eye doctor one day.

Kelsey is an essential childcare educator who also works as a hairstylist.

Labor Day holiday

Labor Day weekend has become for some the time we shop for big ticket items that typically are deeply discounted. For others, it is the last bash of the summer, as school has resumed, and routines are being reestablished after the break. Grilling out or making a last trip to the beach may be on the agenda for some.

But according to the US Department of Labor, Labor Day has its roots in recognizing the many contributions workers have made to Americas strength, prosperity, and well-being through its history. It was celebrated first in New York City in 1882, and subsequently adopted by 23 more states.

It became a federal holiday when, on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.

Like all of our history, Labor Day is far more nuanced than this brief description from the US Department of Labor allows. It involves the peaceful but resilient resistance of categories of American laborers who are still concerned with fair treatment in the workplace.

Coming not long after the emancipation proclamation with its complicated enforcement, courageous African American men and women worked for the equal treatment and compensation for which they still advocate today.

An early hero

As Black people were sadly not allowed in the earliest labor unions to fight for fair treatment, they began developing their own unions. An early hero was A. Philip Randolph, who assisted in the founding of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP).

He was born in Cresent City, Florida, in 1889, five years before Labor Day became a federal holiday, and educated in Jacksonville at the Cookman Institute, the only academic high school in Florida for Black people. He graduated as valedictorian. In time, Randolph secured membership for BSCP in the American Federation of Labor, making it the first Black labor union in the United States.

The history channel website credits Randolph, in addition to developing the BSCP, with organizing efforts in the 1930s that helped end both racial discrimination in defense industries and segregation in the U.S. armed forces. He was also a primary organizer of the March on Washington in 1963, paving the way for passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

In 1964, the same year that composer, Aaron Copeland; artist, Walter Disney; humanitarian, Helen Keller; theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr; vocalist, Leontyne Price; and author, John Steinbeck; among others, received from President Lyndon B. Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom award, A. Philip Randolph was also honored as a recipient. The President recognized Randolphs role as trade unionist and citizen, through four decades of challenge and achievement, leading his people and his nation in the great forward march of freedom.

Women challenging conditions

Other unsung heroes of fairness in labor practices in the United States include women who, long before the first Labor Day, challenged working conditions, particularly in the textile industry. Mill girls were young women, ages 15-35, recruited by cotton mills to work six days a week for a dollar or less, 12 hours a day, and live in boarding houses with close quarters and restrictions.

In 1843, female textile workers in Lowell, Massachusetts, formed the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association. It was led by Sarah Bagley, a weaver and mill worker who became more disturbed by the conditions she and her sisters endured the longer she worked. She encouraged women to testify before legislators regarding their grievances.

Freed black women who worked as laundresses in Mississippi formed a union in 1866, just one year after the end of slavery. They explained, We do not wish in the least to charge exorbitant prices, but desire to be able to live comfortably, if possible, from the fruits of our labor.

They subsequently went on strike to demand higher wages.

And, in 1869, still before the first informal Labor Day celebration in New York City in 1882, women shoe stitchers from six states formed the first national women's labor organization, the Daughters of St. Crispin. St. Crispin is the patron saint of cobblers, tanners, and leather workers.

Happy Labor Day

Interestingly, a mentor to A. Philip Randolph was civil rights and labor activist, Rosina Corrothers Tucker, who played a pivotal role in the creation of the BSCP that Randolph founded and its International Ladies Auxiliary Order that she joined. Tucker met Randolph at an organizational meeting she attended with her Pullman Porter husband in 1925.

Many African American women also worked for the Pullman Company, as female attendants and maids, and Tucker was eager to support them. Her contributions to labor and civil rights extended well beyond the BSCP. Throughout her long life of 105 years, she worked locally in Washington, D.C., to boycott businesses that refused to hire Black employees, and to create unions for women working in the laundry and domestic service industries.

On this Labor Day, we remember the ongoing fight for many in the workplace who wish to be treated fairly and ethically and feel gratitude for those who have gone before us in advocating for justice in this arena.

We remember especially Black women whose intersectionality between race and gender has made their burden for fair treatment greater still.

We pray for the day when Labor Day is a joyful celebration honoring all laborers with equity, dignity, and deep appreciation, especially those we have said are essential, like the utility workers I aspired to emulate as a child.

I pray we all will take a moment this Labor Day amidst our celebrations, to express gratitude to a worker. Happy Labor Day!

The Rev. Candace McKibben

The Rev. Candace McKibben is an ordained minister and pastor of Tallahassee Fellowship.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Valuing workers with gratitude on Labor Day and beyond
They vanished for weeks. Now Russia says it detained two Colombian men on suspicion of fighting for Ukraine

Russian authorities say they have detained two Colombian men suspected of fighting for the Ukrainian military  a shocking twist in the weeks-long case of their disappearance since mid-July.

The last time Cielo Imbachi heard from her husband was more than 40 days ago, while he was on a layover in the Venezuelan capital Caracas. At the time, Jose Aron Medina was on his way back to Colombia after spending around nine months in Ukraine, she says.

He never made it home.

On Friday, Medina and his friend, fellow Colombian Alexander Ante, appeared in a video released by the Russian Federal Security Service, which accused them both of participating in hostilities on the side of Ukraine against the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation as mercenaries.

The Colombians were carrying documents confirming their illegal activities, said the FSB statement, and clothing with the insignia of the Ukrainian Carpathian Sich battalion.

State TV channel Russia 1 reported that Ante and Medina were in Venezuela when they were detained and extradited to Russia. Their detention in Moscow was ordered by the citys Lefortovsky District Court on August 28 and they are being held until October 22, the courts press service told state news agency TASS.

The two mens detention and apparent extradition highlight the strong economic and military ties Russia has with Venezuela while also serving as a warning to foreign fighters, estimated to number in the thousands, who flocked to help Ukraine in the war effort.

Reached for comment by CNN, Ukraines International Legion said it does not provide any information about potential, current, future, or former servicemen. It said it is reaching out to other units where Colombians are serving, adding that the whole story sounds weird and unlikely.

In the meantime, Imbachi says she received no information from any of the countries involved.

I still havent been able to speak with him: the last time I spoke with my husband was that fateful day, 18th of July from then nothing. And we just saw the videos of him in a Moscow court, Imbachi told CNN.

Venezuela just took them and deported them to Russia, and we dont understand the reason why they were deported, she said.

Venezuelas foreign minister did not respond to CNNs request for comment.

A Colombian government source told CNN its foreign ministry is waiting for official reports from the consulates in Caracas and Moscow to understand how best to assist the pair. The ministry also told CNN that it has requested and is awaiting more information from Moscow through diplomatic channels.

We are desperate

Imbachi and Medina, 36, have a nine-year-old daughter and a son from her previous marriage. Both men, Medina and Ante, come from the western Colombian city of Popayan, and they live close to each other, she said.

Imbachi said her husband left for Ukraine last November, joining Ante who was already there. Medina decided to return home this July. She said he flew from Warsaw in Poland to Madrid, Spain, and then onwards to Venezuela. His destination was Popayan.

It remains unclear why the two men traveled through Venezuela, as there are several direct flight options between Spain and Colombia. Traveling through Venezuela is difficult due to sanctions imposed by the United States against the Latin American country.

Imbachi thinks her husband went via Caracas as it was the cheapest option. Flights from Spain to Colombia are really expensive, while I think Venezuela was cheaper. She does not know how they were planning to get from Caracas to Popayan.

A missing-person flyer from Colombias attorney general, with photos of the two men, said that their last known location was a Venezuelan airport on July 18 where they were seen wearing camouflaged clothing from the Ukrainian Army.

Imbachi and Colombian congressman Jose Uscategui went to the Venezuelan embassy in Colombias capital Bogota on July 26 to make a formal request for the safe return of these individuals to their home, according to a tweet from Uscategui.

CNN is attempting to contact Antes family.

Venezuela has grown closer to Russia over the last several years as Nicolas Maduro seeks Russias support to shore up his embattled presidency. The two countries have signed several bilateral agreements, including an extradition treaty.

CNNs Karol Suarez and Mau Torres contributed reporting

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Media reports have stated that Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on 30 August that it had detained two Colombian citizens who, according to the agency, had participated in combat operations on the Ukrainian side as mercenaries.

Source: Radio Svoboda (Liberty); Columbian newspaper El Tiempo; Politico

Details: According to El Tiempo, both Colombians were detained in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and were later extradited to Russia.

The sister of one of the detainees told El Tiempo that they caught the attention of Venezuelan police because they had Ukrainian army uniforms. Alexander Ante and Jose Aron Medina were reportedly on their way home to Colombia, with a stopover in Caracas.

The authorities of Colombia, Venezuela and Russia have not commented on what happened. Politico also reported on the possible extradition. If the mens detention and deportation from Caracas indeed occurred, it would mark the first known instance of extradition to Russia of foreign nationals who fought on Ukraine's side.

The FSB also published a video that allegedly shows the Colombians being led down a corridor in Lefortovo prison. The agency stated that a criminal case for mercenary activity had been initiated against the Colombians.

The case could result in up to 15 years of imprisonment. Meanwhile, the FSB did not clarify where or when the Colombians had been detained.

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Russian authorities detained two Colombian nationals who fought for Ukraine, Russia's Security Service (FSB) said on Aug. 30. The two Colombian men were extradited from Venezuela after being detained by Venezuelan authorities during a layover in Caracas, on-route back home to Colombia.

The two men, Alexander Ante and Jose Aron Medina, reportedly joined the International Legion in the summer of 2023, Spanish media reported. They were detained in the Caracas airport in mid-July by Venezuelan authorities who allegedly confirmed their participation in the war for Ukraine.

According to the FSB, the men were allegedly found with document outlining their involvement with the war as well as Ukrainian military attire.

The extradition to Russia marks the first such case since the full-scale invasion began. The extradition is largely seen as a symbolic move as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro continues to underscore his close relationship with Moscow, bolstered by the shared animosity toward the West.

Maduro has denounced Western sanctions imposed against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and called Caracas and Moscow "loyal allies."

Earlier this summer in an attempted show of force, two Russian naval ships docked in Venezuela's La Guaira port on July 2 after exercises in the North Atlantic supposedly intended to "show the flag" in the region.

The two men were placed in pre-trial detention on Aug. 30 in Moscows high-security Lefortovo prison. In convicted, the men face up to 15-year in prison.



Read also: Russian POWs on their capture in Kursk Oblast: Commanders just disappeared

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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:

Mapule Radebe sits with her daughter Morello, right, and baby Minehle at Nkosi's Haven, a home that assists women with HIV, in Johannesburg, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Denis Farrell

It's a worrying question for health officials in one of the richest and most developed areas of the African continent: Why are babies being born with HIV when free medication is available to prevent mother-to-child transmission?

In the first half of this year, 232 babies were born with HIV in South Africa's Gauteng region, which includes Johannesburg and the capital of Pretoria and is home to at least 15 million people.

"We do still find it very concerning that in this day and age, with all the preventative programs that's available free of charge at our clinics, that we are still finding babies testing positive," said Melanie Langeveldt, the director for primary health care programs in Tshwane, which includes Pretoria.

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV globally remains a concern for UNAIDS, which estimates there are 120,000 new infections annually in children aged 14 years and younger around the world, while over 1.3 million children are living with HIV.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world. About 12.7% of its population, or about 7.9 million people, live with HIV. The country has about 150,000 new infections every year.

Pregnant women in South Africa can access HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy free of charge from health facilities.

It is not clear why the more than 200 pregnant women across Gauteng didn't take advantage of the services this year, or why 211 women in the second half of last year didn't either.

Data from South Africa's other regions was not immediately available.

Mapule Radebe holds her baby Minehle at Nkosi's Haven, a home that assists women with HIV, in Johannesburg, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Denis Farrell

Alarmed health officials believe even one case of mother-to-child HIV transmission is too many, considering the availability of treatment.

"With the medicines and science available today, we can ensure that all babies are born  and remain  HIV-free," UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima said in July, adding that resources must be made available everywhere around the world.

The data in Gauteng shows that many of the mothers who gave birth this year to children with HIV did so in government-run health clinics where the free HIV testing and treatment is available.

At least 55 of the babies born were delivered in Johannesburg, which has 125 of the clinics, and 39 were born in Pretoria, which has 24 of the clinics.

Langeveldt said one contributing factor is the failure of some pregnant women to present themselves at a clinic as soon as they fall pregnant, with some women not aware of their HIV status.

Other pregnant women receive medication but the treatment is interrupted for various reasons including migration. Some pregnant women are infected during pregnancy or breastfeeding. And some women do not stick to the guidelines of continuous and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.

Such factors are seen globally in mother-to-child transmission.

Langeveldt said her department is now engaged in widespread campaigns to inform women that mother-to-child transmissions are preventable if the strict treatment offered at clinics is followed.

People queue at a government-run health clinic where free HIV testing and treatment is available, in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Credit: AP Photo/Denis Farrell

"We have services. It is free. Please come and present so that we can assist you and prevent this in the future," she said.

Officials also recommend that new mothers test for HIV every three months while breastfeeding, and that they encourage their partners to test for HIV.

Women who gave birth to babies with HIV would not speak with The Associated Press.

Mapule Radebe is among the women who have benefited from medical treatment to avoid passing on HIV to her children.

In 2015, she tested positive for HIV and was soon receiving antiretroviral treatment. She was concerned about the possibility of having children born with HIV but learned that transmission of the virus could be prevented.

"I took my medication throughout my pregnancy, and after birth I still continued with my treatment. After I gave birth I still continued with my medication and my child was also given medication for the first six months after she was born," Radebe said.

This year she gave birth to her second child who was also free of HIV.

"To all women out there who are HIV positive and expecting babies, I would urge them to continue taking their treatment throughout their nine months, and continue doing so even after giving birth, for the sake of their children," said the 35-year-old who currently lives at Nkosi's Haven, a Johannesburg home that assists women with HIV.

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Ursula von der Leyen is still backing the 2035 ban on petrol engines - Philipp von Ditfurth/Avalon

Ursula von der Leyen is under renewed pressure from her own political party in Germany to loosen an EU ban on petrol engines.

The European Commission president is still backing the 2035 ban, which is part of her flagship net zero plans for 2050. However The Telegraph understands that Green party members in Berlin and Brussels fear Mrs von der Leyen will ultimately cave to members in her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, who are against the ban.

Polls predict that the CDU will comfortably defeat Olaf Scholzs dysfunctional ruling coalition of centre-Left, green and pro-business parties in federal elections in September 2025.

That will put a new CDU-led government in Berlin on a collision course with its member and former defence minister Mrs von der Leyen in Brussels.

Christoph Ploss, a member of the transport committee of the German Bundestag, said the EU ban to be implemented by the current government was ideological.

Entrepreneurs and consumers are much better placed than politicians and civil servants to decide which measures are best suited to achieving the climate targets in detail, he said.

We as the CDU/CSU parliamentary group will continue to fight for technological openness and a fair, ideology-free assessment of the climate balance of combustion engines and battery-operated electric motors.

He added: There must be no ban on combustion engines.

Polls predict that the CDU will comfortably defeat Olaf Scholz's dysfunctional ruling coalition in federal elections in September 2025 - Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

Germanys car industry is a source of national pride but opposition to the ban stretches beyond its borders to Brussels and Strasbourg.

Mrs von der Leyen is also under pressure from the European Peoples Party (EPP), a pan-EU alliance of centre-Right parties of which she is also a member.

She ran as the EPPs lead candidate in the European election in June, despite the group opposing the combustion engine ban in its manifesto.

The EPP won the European elections, putting Mrs von der Leyen on course for a second five-year term. The vote saw support for Green parties drop.

The German Greens dropped from 21 MEPs to just 13 in a pattern mirrored across much of the EU after tractor protests against burdensome net zero rules during the cost of living crisis.

Before the elections, the influential EPP moved to water down pending green legislation. Mrs von der Leyen herself shelved plans to cut pesticide use and agricultural emissions after the tractors rolled through Brussels.

The EPP refused to comment when The Telegraph asked if it would fight against the car engine ban now that Mrs von der Leyen had been reappointed.

In 2019, Mrs von der Leyen was forced to curry Green support to guarantee her appointment but they are now a much diminished force in the European Parliament.

European industries will lead change

Daniel Freund, a German Green MEP, warned Mrs von der Leyen not to water down the car engine proposal.

Clinging to the combustion engine will just further harm the European car industry in the long term. It will eventually only benefit Chinese and US car manufacturers who already have a head start on electric vehicles, he said.

The world wont stay as it is just because the EPP wants it so. The world keeps turning and we have to make sure that European industries will lead this change.

We have a law [and a] 2035 climate neutrality target for cars. That target stays, Mrs von der Leyen said in Strasbourg in July after the European Parliament backed her reappointment.

Getting there will require a technology neutral approach in which e-fuels will have to play a role, she added in an olive branch to her two political parties.

She said regulations could be tweaked in 2026 to ensure a role for less polluting synthetic fuels for combustion engines.

Brussels has not formally banned the combustion engine but its rules saying all engines must be zero emissions at the tailpipe is an effective ban on the traditional motor.

An EU official said: As we advance towards the 2035 deadline for selling only new zero emissions vehicles in Europe, the Commission will continually review progress and support the industry and society in making the transition.

There is a review clause in the legislation which says that in 2026 the Commission will assess the progress made towards achieving the targets. We cannot prejudge now what the review will tell us.

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The right to an abortion is on the ballot in 10 states this election cycle and the results could send a strong message to Republicans trying to shut down reproductive rights. Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Feminist Majority Foundation and Executive Editor of Ms. magazine Kathy Spillar and President & CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, Mini Timmaraju join Ali Velshi to reiterate the sheer strength in women when forced to defend their reproductive rights  even from across party lines.

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While Florida Blue Insurance and Baptist Health are still in the negotiation phase, the fallout of another insurances failed negotiation is impacting locals.

One St. Johns County man is feeling the effects of UF Health St. Johns dropping Aetna insurance.

Len Conticello canceled a life-altering heart procedure after he got a letter in the mail saying UF Health and Aetna could not find a resolution, making Aetna an out-of-network provider.

Its very disappointing, Conticello said.

Len Conticello doesnt want to see more people go through what hes dealing with tonight.

My quality of life is not what it should be, Conticello said. Its a gift to have every day. And I dont want to waste it sitting around not feeling well and waiting for some treatment that just might do the trick.

Conticello has been going to UF Health St. Johns Flagler Hospital for years. He says he had been waiting months to get an elective procedure for his heart that would help prevent him from having a stroke.

That procedure was supposed to happen on Thursday. But he canceled it after learning UF Health St Johns couldnt resolve a contract dispute. So now Aetna is no longer in-network.

Its very disheartening, Conticello said. They are not a nickel and dime operation. I cant imagine why they cant come to some type of agreement.

Now, he says he must wait again for a procedure that could have changed his life. Without insurance, he doesnt know if he can afford it.

When Action News Jax Annette Gutierrez asked about the cost, Conticello responded saying, Thats the $64,000 question.

He says the unknown dollar amount is just as great a risk.

Im not going in with a wide-open checkbook to say go ahead and do what you want to do, Conticello said.

Florida Blue and Baptist Health are going through similar negotiations. While there is still a month left to come up with an agreement, he says hes worried about how this may affect the thousands of people who have Florida Blue.

Its very important, and make sure youre covered because youre walking into a trap, Conticello said.

Conticello said he is hoping his doctor can refer him to one of his colleagues at a different hospital for the procedure. He has no idea how long that could take. So, he is left to wait once again.

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FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  A cow managed to fall into a Fresno County canal on Friday morning, but deputies were able to rescue the bovine before it was too late.

Around 11:45 a.m. deputies say they received a report of a cow floating in the Friant Kern Canal near Ashlan and Riverbend Avenues.

After it was determined the cow was alive, Deputy Kirkpatrick and Deputy Westbrook entered the canal near Clinton Avenue, east of Riverbend Avenue. Once in the water, they attached the cow to a rope and pulled it to safety out of the canal.

Deputies say the cow is in good health and is in the process of being reunited with its owner.

According to the Fresno County Sheriffs Office, this is Deputy Kirkpatricks second cow canal rescue. He rescued his first cow from a canal earlier this year on May 2 near Napa and Gale Avenues between Huron and Coalinga.

Cow rescued by deputies from Fresno County canal

The Sheriffs Office says Kirkpatrick was specifically trained for large animal rescues by the Central California Animal Disaster Team. Deputies Kirkpatrick and Westbrook are both trained in swift water rescues.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
Way More

Waymo is planning to expand its robotaxi service in California, guaranteeing there will be more instances of mayhem  like when confused Waymo taxis were caught honking at each other throughout the night in city parking lots.

Waymo wants to expand to the East Bay, San Jose and highways around San Francisco Bay, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. In fact, the expansion has already kicked into high gear with Waymo robotaxis just beginning to operate in surrounding San Francisco bedroom communities such as Daly City this month.

Outside of the Bay, Waymo is already operating in Phoenix, Arizona and in a limited capacity in Los Angeles.

The robotaxi company sees the upcoming expansion as a next step after operating for about a year as a paid service in San Francisco "without any serious incidents," according to the Chronicle.

"Looking back over the year, Im thrilled to say that its been a big success," Waymo director of product management David Margines told the paper.

And that's just the start. Eventually Waymo, a Google subsidiary, wants its technology to go into vehicles for deliveries, long-haul trucks, and then personal vehicles  adding another entrant into the autonomous vehicle industry.

But the expansion and the increase of autonomous vehicles bring significant trepidation to local communities and activists who see these robotaxis as a nuisance or a danger.

Traffic Jam

Case in point is the recent reports of a parking lot full of Waymos honking at each other in a parking lot in the middle of the night, waking up residents at all hours.

And despite Margines saying the last year has been a success, there have been reported incidents of Waymos driving the wrong way, plus crashes that have prompted the robotaxi company to recall its vehicles and a federal investigation.

No injuries were reported in the more two dozen Waymo-involved incidents, which were crashes or traffic law violations, but they've nevertheless been a cause for concern for upset residents and community advocates.

Waymo isn't the only robotaxi company that has come under scrutiny. Earlier this month, General Motors recalled its Cruise robotaxis after a federal investigation into two incidents in which pedestrians were injured involving the Cruise robotaxi service.

Because of these incidents with Cruise and Waymo, a coalition of San Franciscans, labor, and traffic safety activists have been petitioning Governor Gavin Newsom to ban robotaxis in the city.

But it looks like instead, there are more robotaxis on the horizon.

More on Waymo: Self-Driving Waymo Spotted Plowing Down Wrong Side of Street
WCSO: Both suspects in custody following stabbing in Dry Creek community

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)  The second suspect in a stabbing investigation near Jonesborough has been taken into custody, the Washington County Sheriffs Office (WCSO) reports.

An update Sunday morning from the WCSO said Adam Porter was located just after midnight at the 3100 block of West Walnut Street in Johnson City.

(Adam Porter) Courtesy of the Washington County, Tennessee Sheriffs Office

SEE ALSO: WCSO: Campers knew stabbing suspects, victim expected to recover

Porter concealed himself inside the residence and refused to comply with officer orders, therefore leading to [a] Resisting Arrest charge, the update states.

Porter is being held without bondas is a female suspect, Savannah Barber, who was apprehended on Saturday morning.

Savannah Barber, 23. Photo: WCSO

The pair is accused of stabbing two campers on Dry Creek Road on Aug. 19.

PREVIOUS: Sheriffs office asks for publics help after campers stabbed in Washington County, TN

A WCSO investigator previously told News Channel 11 that the pair was acquainted with the two victims, one of which required surgery and hospitalization following the attack. The two victims reported to the WCSO that subjects wielding a hatchet and knife attacked them.

Barber was located and taken into custody shortly after midnight on Saturday in the 200 block of Bigwood Road in Limestone. She is charged with two counts of aggravated assault and failure to appear.

The WCSO said Porter is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, violation of probation and resisting arrest.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
A week after labor board says some third-party delivery drivers are Amazon employees, Teamsters say more drivers in Skokie are organizing

More Amazon delivery drivers in Skokie are organizing with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the union said this week, in the wake of a labor board determination in California that the union said sets the stage for organizing of delivery drivers nationwide.

The Teamsters said a majority of the few hundred workers who drive for several different third-party companies Amazon uses to deliver packages out of the Skokie facility have signed union authorization cards with Teamsters Local 705. The newly organized drivers, helpers, dispatchers and fleet maintenance workers are looking to form one bargaining unit, joining the roughly 100 workers at the same facility who first sought union representation earlier this summer, the Teamsters said.

Whether or not the drivers, who are technically employed by third-party companies but deliver Amazon packages, should be considered employees of both the third-party company and Amazon is the subject of debate. Amazon has maintained the drivers are not its employees and says it does not have an obligation to recognize a union.

The Teamsters, meanwhile, argue the drivers should be considered employees of Amazon and has accused the company of using its delivery service partner business model to shirk responsibility for the drivers.

The Teamsters announcement that more delivery drivers are organizing in Skokie came a week after labor board officials determined that Amazon was a joint employer of some third-party delivery drivers in Palmdale, California.

In Palmdale, drivers sought and received voluntary union recognition from Battle-Tested Strategies, the delivery service partner they were employed by. The drivers bargained a collective bargaining agreement with BTS, but Amazon later terminated its contract with the company.

The determination is only the first step in the agencys general counsels litigating of unfair labor practice charges filed by the Teamsters. The labor board officials also determined that Amazon and BTS illegally failed to bargain with the union and that Amazon made illegal threats and held captive audience meetings, though they dismissed the Teamsters allegation that the termination of the BTS contract was retaliatory, according to National Labor Relations Board spokesperson Kayla Blado. If the parties do not settle the case and a complaint is issued, the case will be heard by one of the labor boards administrative law judges.

As we have said all along, there is no merit to the Teamsters claims, Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards said in a statement. If and when the agency decides it wants to litigate the remaining allegations, we expect they will be dismissed as well.

The labor boards joint employer determination last week applies only directly to the Palmdale drivers, though the Teamsters described it as paving the way for unionization efforts by other Amazon drivers.

Our brothers and sisters have been taking the fight to Amazon every day, demanding fair pay, safe working conditions, and respect on the job. Now it is our turn to join the fight as Teamsters, Skokie delivery driver Dmytro Kovalenko said in a statement provided by the Teamsters.

We are responsible for Amazons huge profits, and we will not rest until we get what we deserve, Kovalenko said.

The union said it has sought voluntary recognition of the proposed bargaining unit in Skokie.

Hards said in a statement that Amazon believes the bargaining request from the drivers in Skokie to be based on either a misunderstanding or intentional misrepresentation of the facts.

The truth is that there are multiple independent small businesses that deliver for us from this building, the people who allegedly signed these cards work for four different companies, and none of them are Amazon employees, Hards said.

Johnnie Kallas, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations, said the Teamsters have started to put significant resources toward organizing at Amazon. On Thursday, the NLRB upheld a 2022 union vote at the JFK8 Amazon warehouse in New York. Amazon workers there voted to affiliate with the Teamsters in June.

Its hard to understate how important and how challenging it would be for the Teamsters to organize Amazon, Kallas said. Theyre the biggest nonunion employer in the industry.

The request for union recognition in Skokie comes after drivers for one delivery service partner there led the unionization charge, filing for a union election this summer.

The third-party delivery provider for whom those drivers worked has since stopped working with Amazon in a move the Teamsters allege was retaliatory. The company, Four Star Express, reported a planned 104 layoffs in a state filing in June, which it attributed to a plant closure.

The Teamsters also allege Amazon blacklisted those drivers from future employment and that it discriminated against them by prohibiting them from continuing to deliver via other subcontractors. Amazon denies the charges of retaliation.

Amazon said Four Star Express notified the company of its plan to leave the delivery service program for what Amazon described as personal reasons at the end of May. According to the Teamsters, drivers learned on June 11 that Amazon would be terminating its contract with Four Star at the end of the month. The drivers filed a petition for a union election June 21 anyway, and Four Star ceased operations with Amazon several days later.

The former Four Star drivers have picketed Amazon throughout the summer, where theyve been joined by elected officials including Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat who represents Skokie in Congress.

The Teamsters have maintained Amazons cessation of its contract with Four Star was retaliatory, arguing in a labor board filing in June that Amazon shut down Four Star operations at the Skokie facility  and caused the termination of its delivery drivers  to prevent them from unionizing.

Citing what its attorneys have described in filings as the egregious nature of Amazons conduct, the Teamsters are seeking an injunction in the Four Star case, asking the NLRB to reinstate the terminated employees and bargain with the drivers.

The Teamsters withdrew the election petition the union had filed with the NLRB in June, saying a fair election had become impossible. Instead, the Teamsters are asking the labor board to issue a bargaining order based upon the fact that a majority of the workers had signed union authorization cards.

The union has said it is seeking a bargaining order under the labor boards relatively new Cemex ruling, under which the labor board can require an employer to recognize a union and bargain with its workers if it is found to have committed unfair labor practices in the run-up to a union election. The ruling also puts the onus on employers to file for a union election within two weeks if it does not grant workers voluntary recognition; if employers do not file for an election, the labor board can compel them to recognize the union and begin bargaining with workers.

Amazons delivery service program has been scrutinized by lawmakers in recent months. In January, more than two dozen senators  including Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois  signed onto a letter alleging the company uses subcontractors to shirk legal liability.

On paper, Amazon claims that these DSPs are the real employers of its delivery drivers, the senators letter read. But as has been reported, DSPs have little discretion over key aspects of their businesses, which means that Amazon may be required to shoulder legal responsibility as an employer of DSP drivers.
Wells Fargo employee found dead at her desk days after she last clocked into work, authorities say

A Wells Fargo employee at a corporate office in Arizona clocked in to what would be her last-ever shift on a Friday morning. Her body was found four days later at her cubicle desk, where she died sometime during the weekend, according to the Tempe Police Department.

Denise Prudhomme, 60, worked at a Wells Fargo location in Tempe and had scanned into the building at 7 a.m. on August 16. There were no further scans from her either into or out of the building, the police department told CNN in a statement.

On August 20, security on site reported finding an employee possibly dead in a cubicle on the buildings third floor, authorities said. Prudhomme was pronounced dead at 4:55 p.m., according to Tempe police.

In a statement to CNN, Wells Fargo spokesperson Ruben Pulido said: We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague, Denise Prudhomme. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones, and we are in contact to ensure they are well supported during this difficult time.

Wells Fargo is reviewing its internal procedures regarding their employees safety and wellness following Prudhommes death, Pulido said, adding counselors were made available to affected employees.

Wells Fargo employees shared their concerns anonymously with CNN affiliate KPNX, with some saying while most of the offices employees work remotely, Prudhomme should have been discovered sooner because the building has round-the-clock security presence.

Some employees reported a foul smell but assumed it was faulty plumbing in the building, according to KPNX.

Prudhomme was sitting in an underpopulated area of the building when she was found, according to Wells Fargo.

Addressing some employees concerns they were not notified about Prudhommes death sooner, Wells Fargo clarified Prudhommes family had to be notified first.

Prudhommes cause of death was still pending Friday, according to Maricopa Countys Office of the Medical Examiner.

The preliminary investigation did not show any obvious signs of foul play, a Tempe Police Department spokesperson said of the ongoing investigation.

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Parabolic dunes near Oval Beach in Saugatuck Michigan. Taken Aug. 21, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

With sun shining on the grassy dunes behind them at Oval Beach in Saugatuck, state Reps. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids) and Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph) last week discussed two bills in the works to protect critical dunes like those behind them.

Michigan is home to 74,000 acres of critical dune areas along 265 miles of coastline, according to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). These areas support many rare plants, animals and natural communities, including a number of threatened and endangered species.

While these areas are now protected under the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, they previously faced threats from sand mining and development.

David Swan, board president of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal alliance warned that these threats persist and emphasized that Hill and Andrews bills had more to do with the economy than the environment.

To protect and stimulate our economy, we must protect our geography, and in Saugatuck, that means protecting the dunes, Swan said.

Saugatuck Mayor Lauren Stanton said nearly 2 million visitors come to Saugatuck annually, and have a $255 million impact on the economy, with the Saugatuck Dunes and beaches acting as the primary draw for visitors, alongside the undeveloped riverfront winding through the dunes.

Tourism is Michigans third largest industry, Hood said, with the industry accounting for $50 billion in economic activity, over 320,000 jobs.

Hood also noted the ever changing nature of dunes and the importance of planning appropriately along Michigans shorelines.

Water levels, be they high or low, have a huge impact on public safety, infrastructure and our communities. Weve learned that natural solutions are the best solutions when it comes to preventing buildings from collapsing, infrastructure from eroding, but the first and most dependable solution is to make wise and informed, science based decisions about where, how and what to build in the first place, Hood said.

Weve coexisted with nature on our shorelines for decades, and we can once again with these bills, Hood said.

Andrews bill aims to modernize EGLEs rules around sand mining and clarifying the intent around previous sand dune mining laws, noting that these laws are focused on large mines for industrial or commercial reasons, rather than mid and small scale projects for homes, ponds, lakes, recreational and aesthetic purposes and other similar site developments.

The bill also requires a reclamation plan as part of the requirements for sand dune mining permits, including topsoil conservation when possible and preservation and reclamation requirements to protect the biological integrity and fertility of the soil, Andrews said. It also updates permit amendments, expands public communication based on the permit changes, and implements a fee for surveillance, monitoring, administration and enforcement of the permit.

Parabolic Dunes near Oval Beach in Saugatuck Michigan, taken Aug. 21, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

David Swan, board president of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance discusses the importance of preserving Michigan's critical dune areas during a Aug. 21, 2024 press conference in Saugatuck. | Kyle Davidson

State Rep. Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph) listens in as David Swan, board president of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance discusses the importance of preserving Michigan's critical dune areas during a Aug. 21, 2024 press conference in Saugatuck. | Kyle Davidson

State Rep. Rachel Hood (D- Grand Rapids) listens as David Swan, board president of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance discusses the importance of preserving Michigan's critical dune areas during a Aug. 21, 2024 press conference in Saugatuck. | Kyle Davidson

State Reps. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids) and Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph) joined community members and environmental advocates on Oval Beach in Saugatuck on Aug. 21, 2024 to discuss their effort to protect Michigan's critical dunes from harmful development. | Kyle Davidson

David Swan, board president of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance takes questions alongside state Reps. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids) and Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph) at an Aug. 21, 2024 press conference at Oval Beach. | Kyle Davidson

On Oval Beach in Saugatuck on Aug. 21, 2024, State Reps. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids) and Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph) discuss in-progress legislation to protect Michigan dunes from harmful development. | Kyle Davidson

Saugatuck Mayor Lauren Stanton discusses the importance of dunes to the community at Oval Beach on Aug. 21, 2024 | Kyle Davidson

Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area, Aug. 21, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan, Aug. 21, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

Trails leading out from Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan. Taken Aug. 21, 2024 | Kyle Davidson

Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area, Aug. 21, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

The Oxbow Lagoon in Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area, Aug. 21, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

Parabolic dunes near Oval Beach in Saugatuck Michigan. Taken Aug. 21, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan, Aug. 21, 2024. | Kyle Davidson

Hoods bill will also update and reverse previous pieces of sand dunes legislation to clarify the roles state and local governments play in permitting development in critical dune areas. It also invests in mapping out critical dune areas, with Hood noting she had already secured funds for this effort in her role as chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

It would also allow for more flexibility in state funding for the Critical Dune Atlas, which maps known critical dune areas in the state.

We will establish appropriate environmental regulatory practices to protect Michigans unique freshwater dune ecosystem. The bill will use traditional ecological regulatory practices to restore the minimum protections and guidelines under which communities can permit development in critical dunes with proven and tested practices that protect public safety and allow fragile ecosystems to flourish, Hood said.

The bill also clarifies restoration requirements, and enhances the states ability to require feasible and prudent alternatives to balance development with historical ecological and community constraints and visions, Hood said.

Hood noted that the bill would continue to allow local governments to exercise additional controls through their own planning and development practices. It also clarifies improved due process practices to allow for exceptions and appeals in the permitting process, and updates permit costs.

Michigans critical sand dunes protection laws stood in the courts for 36 years until 2012 when changes to the law that favored easy development over public safety and smart ecology minded development were passed, Hood said. Further the 2012 rollbacks eliminated transparency public input and aligned with a spending plan that starved the State System of protections put in place to ensure responsible use of these highly sensitive ecosystems and land.

Andrews emphasized that the effort is intended to be forward looking, noting how homeowners along the coastline had been negatively impacted by erosion and high water levels.

As wind, waves, water levels and other factors continue to wear away at Michigans coastal shores, EGLE has identified high risk erosion areas, where the shoreline is expected to erode at least one foot per year for a minimum of 15 years, creating threats to homes and infrastructure.

We see this as part of a holistic approach to preventing future problems when it comes to development along the coastline. Its not about any specific development, or any specific developer or anything like that, Andrews said. Theres going to be more coming over time as were trying to figure out how we coexist with Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes, and this is part of a bigger picture.

While some rushed to protect their properties by hardening the shoreline with seawalls or rubble, EGLE has warned this can cause other issues such as increased water turbidity, damage to adjacent properties, decreased water quality and the proliferation of aquatic invasive species.

Hood told reporters her bill would make it more difficult to permit shoreline hardening efforts, requiring feasible alternatives for softer approaches like sandbagging, as Andrews noted his office is working on legislation to clarify sandbags as a better alternative.

While the bills are still in draft form, Hood said she welcomes conversation from stakeholders, noting she had been working on the legislation for six years.

I am hopeful that we will be able to submit in September, a solid draft that represents the voices of all the stakeholders in this conversation, up and down our shorelines and Im hopeful that we can secure a legislative path forward together over the coming months, Hood said.

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West needs to replace "support for war" with "support for Ukraine's victory"  Estonian defence minister

Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur believes the core issue with the West's support for Ukraine is the absence of a clear political decision on its purpose. He emphasises the need to shift from merely "supporting the war" to "supporting Ukraine's victory".

Source: a European Pravda reporter, citing Pevkur's statement at the GLOBSEC conference in Prague

Details: The minister entered the debate on the "strategic uncertainty" surrounding Western assistance to Ukraine, noting how Western partners often speak of providing Ukraine with "the assistance it needs" and "for as long as necessary" yet deliberately avoid specifying what the end goal should be, in order not to constrain the war's outcome.

Pevkur emphasised that this lack of certainty means the West is not providing Ukraine with what it needs.

"The key question we politicians have to answer is whether we want Ukraine to fight or win. We lack a political decision regarding the fact that we want Ukraine to win. If this decision is made, then the next steps become clear," he stressed.

He is convinced that if Ukraine's victory is defined as a goal, the West will be able to adopt a victory strategy. Pevkur emphasised that Estonia, which officially seeks Ukraine's victory, has taken these steps.

"The strategy we are proposing states, among other things, that we should spend 0.25% of GDP on helping Ukraine," the minister said, adding that this would be enough to supply the weapons Ukraine needs.

"The problem is not the supposed lack of a strategy in Ukraine: Ukraine knows what to do. The problem is the lack of funds and the absence of weapons. And there are also idiotic restrictions that I don't understand," he added.

Background:

A small number of politicians and officials in the West are publicly advocating for continued support for Ukraine until it secures victory against Russia. Among them is Estonia's new Prime Minister, Kristen Michal.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his intention to present the Ukraine Victory Plan to US President Joe Biden, as well as to presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

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West Virginia has one of the country's worst voter turnout records. Will this election be different?

West Virginia has one of the country's worst voter turnout records. Will this election be different?

Over the last three decades, West Virginias voter participation has been well below the national average. In 2020, the coal-rich state had the second-lowest citizen voting rate in the country, after Arkansas, according to the U.S. Census.

Several researchers studying community engagement in West Virginia said its narrow job market and the influence of the coal, oil and gas industries on its economy may be contributing to the low numbers.

We bleed our young talent away from the state, said Samuel Workman, director of the Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs at West Virginia University. So, we disproportionately lose our younger-age folks. If youre a young person and youre not aligned with the party in power, it makes it very hard to see how your vote matters.

Early voters line up to cast their ballots in Vienna, W.Va., on Oct. 21, 2020.

Just 55% of West Virginias employable population was working or actively seeking work as of July  ranking the state 50th in labor force participation. That has spurred some working-age people to move away, giving West Virginia the largest population loss by percentage of any U.S. state from 2010 to 2020, according to census data. It now has the third-highest percentage of residents ages 65 and older.

Together, those factors have contributed to a sense of pessimism among some young voters about their states future, along with apathy about casting their ballots, according to several experts, advocates and voters.

Whats more, the state has voted reliably Republican since 2000, with a significant increase in the share of ballots cast for candidates on the right over time. The lack of competition has meant the state doesnt get much attention from presidential candidates, and this year, Democratic-turned-independent Sen. Joe Manchin is retiring after a close election in 2018. His seat is expected to go to Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, further reducing competition between the two parties in West Virginia.

Nonetheless, as November approaches, several organizations are working to persuade young voters in the state to head to the polls.

Gary Zuckett, executive director of West Virginia Citizen Action Group, an advocacy organization that works to amplify citizens voices in public affairs, attributed the lack of voter enthusiasm to a loss of faith in the political system.

The prevailing feeling is that  no matter what we do, were always going to get knocked back down. So why vote? he said.

Zucketts group is working to educate potential voters and boost turnout by tabling at and sponsoring sporting events and festivals.

Were trying to get West Virginians to see that voting is not just a right, but also a responsibility, he said.

The group has also been contacting voters whose registration has been purged because they did not vote in the last few election cycles. Per state policy, West Virginia voters who have not updated their records or voted in the prior four years must respond to a notice confirming their registration. If they do not, they are considered inactive; their registration is then canceled if they do not vote in the next two general elections.

Since 2017, 400,000 West Virginia voters have been purged from state voter rolls, according to the West Virginia Secretary of States Office.

A state bill aims to shorten that timeline even further, to two years instead of four. It has passed in the West Virginia Senate but not yet in the House.

Junior Walk, 34, an environmental activist in Naoma, is one of the state's young voters who doesnt plan to go to the polls.

There is no difference in your politicians," he said. "A politician is going to have the back of the coal company because the coal companies are the ones with money, theyre the ones going to give them campaign contributions."

Mountain top removal coal mines in Blair County, W.Va., in 2010.

Walk, an outreach coordinator with the nonprofit Coal River Mountain Watch, said his father and grandfather both became sick after decades working in coal mines. These days, he uses a drone to monitor for and record possible violations committed by coal companies at active mine sites and abandoned zombie mines. (Zombie coal mines are inactive mines that were never properly shut down, which can consequently contaminate local water and harm natural habitats.)

Walk uses the video evidence to file civilian complaints with West Virginias Department of Environmental Protection.

Id rather focus on the here and now and what I can do today as an individual to make that change and make that difference here in West Virginia, he said. And I dont think any presidential election is really going to have much bearing on that.

Neal Barkus, president of the nonpartisan environmental advocacy group Conservation West Virginia, said he has heard similar sentiments from other young West Virginia voters.

Many of them are dispirited in a sense that they dont think that their vote matters, and they dont think that theres much that can be done to change the situation, he said.

However, as the election approaches, Barkus organization plans to educate voters online about how climate change affects their lives and place targeted social media ads about candidates with strong environmental platforms and information on Election Day.

Hopefully putting those two things together, we will move the needle a little bit in November, Barkus said.

Zuckett similarly said that one of his groups priorities is boosting awareness of the climate crisis among West Virginians. In his outreach work, hes seen an uptick in interest in climate issues from young voters, he said.

The presidential election gives us a little boost in turnout, Zuckett said, Were hoping to see a better-than-average turnout this year. Were seeing people get out there, and the climate crisis is a driving factor.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The White House has rejected a proposal from the U.S. military to send civilian contractors to Ukraine to maintain F-16s and other equipment, the Wall Street Journal reported on Aug. 31.

Citing officials familiar with the matter, the WSJ said the U.S. intelligence community ruled the plan too risky and "raised concerns over the prospect of Russia targeting American contractors in Ukraine."

Though the move has not been ruled out in the future, the Biden administration is hoping European countries will take partial or even full responsibility for maintaining Ukraine's recently-delivered F-16s.

On Aug. 31, Danish PM Mette Frederiksen told the Globsec conference in Prague that F-16 fighter jets donated by Denmark are "working in Ukraine."

In response to a question from the Kyiv Independent, Frederiksen said she was "extremely proud" the aircraft were in use, adding she had wanted to send them "from the beginning of the war."

"We had a long discussion about whether its a good idea or not," she added, in reference to the months-long debate among Ukraine's Western allies over whether or not to provide Kyiv with F-16s.

Frederiksen said Ukrainian pilots at the controls of the jets were "doing a good job," but added: "Unfortunately, we lost one of them recently."

Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on Aug. 29 that an F-16, which had been recently delivered to the country and was being operated by pilot Oleksii Mes, had crashed while defending against a mass Russian drone and missile attack against the country on Aug. 26.

Mes was killed in the crash.

Ukraine received its first F-16s at the beginning of August, a year after its allies formed the fighter jet coalition at the NATO summit in Vilnius to support Kyiv with training and aircraft.

This first batch was reported at the time to have been supplied by the Netherlands. It is not clear if these initial reports were incorrect, or if there have been further deliveries since.

Read also: Silent killer: Russia boosts grinding Donbas advance with chemical warfare

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By Crispian Balmer

VENICE (Reuters) - "The Order", a movie about a violent, white supremacist movement in 1980s America is worryingly relevant today and shows the need to be on constant guard against bigotry, the film's star Jude Law said on Saturday.

The movie, making its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, is based on true events, depicting the charismatic, radical-right leader, Bob Mathews, who wanted to create a homeland for whites by sowing terror in the United States.

Law plays a veteran FBI agent who moves to the U.S. Pacific Northwest hoping for some peace and quiet after a troubled past battling the Mafia, only to stumble on Mathews' gang as it staged bank heists to build its war chest.

"Sadly the relevance I think speaks for itself ... It felt like a piece of work that needed to be made now," said Law, a prolific British actor who also serves as a producer on the film, which was directed by Australian Justin Kurzel.

"The film is about an ideology that's incredibly dangerous and how it can quickly take seed," Kurzel told a press conference. "What was shocking to me, and I think to all of us, was that there were so many comparisons (with today)."

The ideology that motivated Mathews was similar to that of the extremist Proud Boys group, which led the storming of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021 in an effort to overturn the 2020 electoral defeat of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Mathews, who is played by British actor Nicholas Hoult, attracted misfits and dropouts to his cause, creating a dedicated family of followers who bought into his vision of racial division and hate.

Hoult said what was worrying as he studied for the role, was that he could not find any specific trigger for Mathews' bigotry, such as a violent childhood.

"The scary thing about him ... was that he could be quite disarming ... and could probably put you under his spell."

As preparation for the film, director Kurzel asked Law to trail Hoult for a day, like his FBI character might have done. Hoult said he never realised he had been followed and was only told in Venice.

"I just found out on the boat here," he said, adding that he did not speak or meet with Law for the first four weeks of the shoot to help create division and tension between them.

Black actor Jurnee Smollett, who plays one of the FBI team tracking Mathews, said it was important that filmmakers continued to shine a light on deep-rooted U.S. racism.

"We get to explore the very complex sides of humanity, the ugliness, the darkness, in order for us to learn from it, and hopefully, to not repeat it," she said.

"The Order" is one of 21 movies competing for the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, which will be awarded on Sept. 7.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Helen Popper)
HUDSON VALLEY, NY  Along with a summer spike in COVID-19, health officials are alerting residents about a rise in whooping cough infections in the Hudson Valley as students head back to school.

The highly-contagious respiratory illness is spread from person to person, typically through the air. Cases of whooping cough (pertussis) were lower than usual over the past several years but have begun to climb to pre-pandemic levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nationally, the number of cases has more than tripled from 2023 to 2024. In New York, CDC data shows that there were 338 total cases of pertussis as of this time in 2023. As of Aug. 17, there have been 1,396 cases reported in 2024.

"Its likely that preventative actions used during the pandemic (e.g., good hygiene, distancing) lowered transmission of this disease," the CDC said in its latest report. "Were now beginning to return to pre-pandemic levels, where we typically see more than 10,000 cases of people with whooping cough each year. The number of reported cases this year is close to what was seen at the same time in 2019."

A typical case of pertussis starts with a cough and runny nose for one to two weeks, followed by weeks to months of rapid coughing fits. These coughing spells sometimes end with a whooping sound as the person gasps for air, hence the name "whooping cough." Fever, if present, is usually mild.

Symptoms can vary for people based on their age and if they've been vaccinated or not, and health experts say that antibiotics can lessen the severity of symptoms and prevent the spread of disease to others.

Health officials strongly urge pregnant women and people who come into close contact with young infants to get vaccinated. Newborns are at the greatest risk of getting whooping cough, since they are too young to be fully vaccinated.

The CDC recommends the following schedule for the TDaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis) vaccination that helps protect people from whooping cough:

A TDaP booster is recommended for pregnant women early in their third trimester and during each pregnancy to protect their newborns.

Young children need five TDaP doses by kindergarten: at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months, and 4 to 6 years.

After that, the first TDaP booster is due at age 11. All students entering seventh grade are required to have proof of a whooping cough booster immunization.

One dose of TDaP is recommended for adults 19 years of age and older who did not get TDaP as a teenager.

After that, getting TDaP instead of the standard tetanus shot every 10 years will also reduce infections.

Whooping Cough Cases Rising In NY; Infants Most Vulnerable: CDC originally appeared on the Yorktown-Somers Patch
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023.

A Brazilian judge ordered on Friday the "immediate suspension" of social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in the country, after a court-imposed deadline expired for the company to identify a legal representative in Brazil.

The move is the latest chapter in an ongoing feud between Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Elon Musk, which also included the freezing of the satellite internet provider Starlink's financial accounts in Brazil.

In the decision, Moraes ordered the full and immediate suspension of X in the country until all related court orders on X were complied with, including the payment of fines amounting $3.28 million and the nomination of a legal representative in Brazil.

Moraes ordered telecomunications regulator Anatel to implement the suspension order, and to confirm to the court within 24 hours that it has carried it out.

Fines for Brazilians who try to get around X blockage

To prevent the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent the blockage, Moraes said that individuals or companies that try to keep access to the social network that way could be fined up to $8,900 a day.

X said late on Thursday that it expected Moraes to order a shutdown "soon" after a court-imposed deadline expired for the company to identify a legal representative in Brazil.

Earlier this year, Moraes ordered X to block certain accounts implicated in probes of so-called digital militias accused of spreading distorted news and hate.

Musk denounces Brazilian court decision

Musk, denouncing the order as censorship, responded by closing the platform's offices in Brazil. X, formerly known as Twitter, said at the time that its services would still be available in Brazil.

Amid the underlying feud over X, Brazil's Supreme Court also blocked the local bank accounts of the Starlink satellite internet firm, which is 40% owned by Musk, leading the company on Friday to ask the court to suspend that decision.

Why is Musk is moving Twitter headquarters out of California?

Elon Musk said in July he would move both his X headquarters in San Francisco and his SpaceX aerospace company from Hawthorne to Texas in protest of a state law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that prevents California schools from notifying parents if their children identify as transgender.

Newsom signed AB 1955 in July, which bars school districts and teachers from notifying parents and families if their children begin identifying as a different gender. Backers of the legislation said it will prevent forced outing of students to parents who may not support their children.

The bill also requires the state to provide resources to parents and students about how to discuss issues of gender identity.

The legislation was prompted by actions of select districts in the state, including one in Temecula, that enacted policies requiring teachers to notify parents about gender-questioning students. Backers of such policies said parents are entitled to be informed about issues involving their childrens health and education.

This is the final straw, Musk wrote on X, his social media platform. Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.

He added in a subsequent post: I did make it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is Brazil banning Twitter? The court decision explained
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)  Gov. Mike DeWine has ordered U.S. and Ohio flags to be flown at half-staff.

Flags will be lowered on Ohios public buildings and grounds at the statehouse, the Vern Riffe Center and the Rhodes Tower in honor of Ohio Overdose Awareness Day on Saturday. The national and state flags will remain at half-staff at all other public buildings and grounds throughout the state until sunset.

Overdose Awareness Day reminds us that we are all connected in the fight against addiction. Its a time to remember those weve lost and to reflect on the resilience of those who are in recovery, said DeWine in a release. Through awareness and support, we can turn tragedy into action and strengthen our communities.

Established in 2021 by Senate Bill 30, Ohio Overdose Awareness Day aims to remember the lives lost to the ongoing national opioid epidemic and ushers in September as Recovery Month.

To help local communities promote Overdose Awareness Day, leaders from DeWines RecoveryOhio initiative, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (MHAS) have created an Ohio Overdose Awareness Day Toolkit.

From 2019 to 2023, the number of opioid treatment programs in Ohio has surged from 35 to 125. Over the same span, the number of patients served by these OTPs increased from 21,365 to 38,132. As part of this years observance, state officials are also promoting Naloxone.Ohio.gov, an online resource that provides Ohioans with a simplified process for obtaining free naloxone, a life-saving drug used to reverse an opioid overdose.

Overdose Awareness Day is an opportunity to honor the lives lost to overdose and emphasize the importance of raising awareness about the risks associated with substance use, while also reducing the stigma around addiction, said Aimee Shadwick, director of the RecoveryOhio initiative. This day is about bringing our communities together to support those struggling with addiction and to strengthen our efforts in education, prevention, and recovery.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV.
Why Russian milbloggers and propagandists are freaking out about Telegram's CEO arrest

The arrest of Telegram CEO and co-founder Pavel Durov has sent ripples of panic and concern through Russia, from online military commentators all the way up to the halls of the Kremlin itself.

"They practically detained the head of communication of the Russian army," one Russian pro-war military blogger said in a post on Telegram.

Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of Paris on Aug. 24 after landing in his private jet.

On Aug. 28, he was charged by a French court with complicity in the distribution of child pornography and other crimes, such as drug trafficking, through the messaging app he created.

In a statement on Aug. 25, Telegram said it was "absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform."

Pavel Durov of Vkontakte speaks during the Digital Life Design conference (DLD) at HVB Forum on January 24, 2012 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Nadine Rupp/Getty Images)

And the fact that the CEO of a tech company that the Russian military is heavily reliant on in terms of communications is now awaiting trial in Paris doesn't sit well with the Kremlin and those who support it.

According to the independent Russian media outlet Meduza, most divisions of Russia's army use Telegram to discuss logistical needs, though its use on the front lines is less common due to a lack of sufficient internet coverage.

And Ukrainian lawmaker Mykola Knyazhytskyi has claimed that even the coordination of mass Russian missile strikes and the recruitment of saboteurs within Ukraine is conducted on Telegram.

In a post on the app, one of the Kremlin's top propagandists, Margarita Simonyan expressed the main fear  Durov may provide access to Western authorities to data from the platform.

"Durov has been shut down to get the keys. And he's going to give them," Simonyan said.

RT TV channel editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan (Artem Priakhin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

"Everyone who is used to using the platform for sensitive conversations should delete those conversations right now and not do it again."

The Russian Telegram channel Baza reported on Aug. 25 that a similar order had been issued by the Kremlin.

"Such an order came to employees of a number of law enforcement agencies, as well as officials of the presidential administration and the Russian government," it said.

"In addition, according to sources, such instructions were given to the highest ranks of the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as to some businessmen."

Of course, fueling this concern among Russians is the belief that Durov's arrest has less to do with drug trafficking and child pornography and more a shady effort by Western nations to infiltrate the communications of the top levels of Russia's military and government.

"(Durovs) arrest may have political grounds and be a tool for gaining access to the personal information of Telegram users," Vladislav Davankov, the deputy speaker of the Russian Duma, said on Aug. 25.

"This cannot be allowed. If the French authorities refuse to release Pavel Durov from custody, I propose making every effort to move him to the UAE or the Russian Federation. With his consent, of course," Davankov added.

French President Emmanuel Macron, on Aug. 26 insisted the arrest of Durov was "in no way a political decision."

He said there is now "false information regarding France" circulating following the arrest of Durov, adding: "France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so."

However, while suspicion of a larger Western conspiracy may be unfounded, Durov's arrest has raised legitimate criticism about the Russian military's use of the app instead of developing its own communications system.

"It is a pity that after two years of war, there is nothing that can replace Telegram in terms of troop communication," one Russian military blogger complained.

One of the most popular Russian milbloggers, Rybar, said it would be "very sad and at the same time funny" if Durov's arrest was the catalyst for change, rather than "the problems of a purely military nature that had accumulated over two years."

And according to another, Russian technicians have been working on an alternative, but the army has "not shown any real interest" in rolling it out.

Read also: Is Telegram, Ukraines most popular messenger app, a Russian Trojan horse?

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Why the US and the UK are at odds over allowing Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia

Why the US and the UK are at odds over allowing Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia

The West is seemingly divided over whether to allow Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia.

Ukraine is not allowed to use Western weapons to carry out deep strikes in Russia.

The UK and France reportedly support lifting such restrictions, while the US and Germany fear provoking Putin.

As Ukraine pushes for more aggressive military strategies in its fight against Russia, its Western allies find themselves at odds over how far Kyiv should be allowed to go.

Ukraine is still currently not allowed to use Western weapons to carry out deep strikes within Russia, despite the pleas of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

But while the US and Germany remain reluctant to lift such restrictions, fearing provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin, the UK and France have been quietly pushing for that to change.

The Telegraph and the Financial Times reported this week that the UK has privately been asking the US to give the green light to let Ukraine use its Storm Shadow missiles  known as SCALP missiles in France  on Russian soil.

The FT said "well-placed" sources had told the publication that the UK government had sent a request to Washington and Paris earlier this summer asking that Ukraine be allowed to fire British Storm Shadows at targets within Russia. The outlet noted that Ukraine's use of the Storm Shadow may rely on US capabilities, potentially preventing the UK from unilaterally allowing it to use them.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also expressed support for allowing Ukraine to strike Russian military sites with Western weapons.

"We have to allow [Ukrainians] to neutralize the military sites from which the missiles are fired, but not other civilian or military targets. We're not being escalatory by doing this," he said in May.

But the US nevertheless remains worried over the possibility of escalation should these missiles or its own ATACMS missiles be used on Russian territory.

Maximilian Hess, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told Business Insider: "From the US standpoint, in particular, Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor, has repeatedly paid significant attention to Russia's stated red lines and sought to avoid treading over them," adding that this argument has been very influential on the administration's thinking.

But Hess added that it was "pretty clear that Putin's supposed red lines on this stuff aren't really that red."

"Just a few years ago, Russia was saying the US sending Javelin missiles to Ukraine for targeting helicopters would be a serious escalation," he said.

Hess said he believed that privately, the UK and France would argue that the risks of potential escalation are hugely overblown and that the long-standing practice of Russia was to seek to intimidate the West into pulling back support.

Kyiv is also keen to get its hands on the German-made Taurus missile, which has a 500km (around 310 miles) range  double that of the Storm Shadow. But Berlin has repeatedly refused to send them, echoing the US's fears of escalation. The US-made ATACMS has a range of around 300km (186 miles).

A still from footage by Ukraine's air force that shows a Storm Shadow missile being launched. YouTube/Ukrainian Air Force

Zelenskyy has long argued that the ability to hit targets deep within Russia is crucial to defend Ukraine.

"We need sufficient range to defend Ukraine from Russian missiles and guided aerial bombs, to prevent the transfer of Russian troops, and to counter the occupier's pressure on key frontlines," he said in August.

Ukraine is particularly keen to target Russian air bases where aircraft used to drop missiles and glide bombs on Ukraine are stationed.

But one unnamed Biden administration official told Politico earlier this month that Russia had moved targets out of range of Western-donated missiles like the ATACMS or Storm Shadow.

An unnamed senior administration official added that "90% of the planes that launch glide bombs" from Russian airspace had already been relocated out of range of those missiles, the report said.

The Institute for the Study of War said that while it had "observed confirmation of redeployments of Russian aircraft," it did "not reduce the importance of allowing Ukraine to use ATACMS against hundreds of other Russian military objects."

Despite the limits imposed by the West, Ukraine has still claimed some success in carrying out deep strikes in Russia using drones.

In July, Ukraine said it had struck a Russian Tu-22M3 supersonic bomber at Olenya airbase in Murmansk, 1,100 miles inside Russian territory, while in May, Ukraine's Security Service said a long-range Ukrainian drone struck a Gazprom oil refinery roughly 930 miles away.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Wichitas broadly unpopular plan to install paid public parking across downtown by the beginning of next year has stalled out for the time being, Mayor Lily Wu and City Manager Robert Layton told The Eagle.

In the three weeks since the citys Facebook announcement garnered more than 1,000 angry comments, many attendees at subsequent listening sessions have been similarly incensed, and a downtown small business owners petition to scrap the plan has collected 6,030 signatures.

As of right now, its not [starting Jan. 1] because again, everythings on hold, said Wu, who was part of the unanimous Aug. 13 vote to delay the purchase of new parking meters and other enforcement technology until after another round of public meetings. The paid parking plan itself was approved 5-2 in January.

The City Council will take up parking again on Sept. 10 when staff summarizes that feedback. But Wu said its definitely not going to be an action item until an alternate plan can be considered.

Were trying to come up with ideas, she said.

The longer the council takes to make a decision, the less likely that any new system will be in place early next year, Layton said.

September 10 is the baseline, and then after that, depending on how the council reacts, well try to do something  if not by later in September, well do October, Layton said. Sort of an outline for a path forward. Maybe its a revised plan. Maybe its a series of options in order to achieve what we want.

The current parking system, which includes many free stalls in and around the downtown core from Central to Kellogg and Seneca to Washington, does not generate enough money to support needed maintenance work on public lots and garages, according to city staff. Layton told the council earlier this year that for the system to be sustainable, a switch to pay-to-park, higher property taxes, or a combination of the two, will likely be necessary.

In anticipation of converting roughly 6,000 public stalls to paid parking, the council approved a contract in June that calls for increasing the fee for Idaho-based private management company The Car Park from roughly $350,000 a year to more than $2 million each of the next five years, including $460,896 a year in reimbursements for new meters.

If the council decides to move in a significantly different direction on downtown parking, the city will have to renegotiate its contract with the company, Layton said. But there are no immediate plans to lower The Car Parks management fee.

Were going to be talking to Car Park about doing some enforcement and doing some things and cleaning up our garages and our lots that are part of the contract now, Layton said. So theyre not going to just tread water and collect a fee. Were going to elevate the service that were expecting from them in our garages.

What are people saying?

About 35 people turned out for a listening session at the Kansas Leadership Center hosted by the Chamber of Commerce on Thursday evening. Several business owners worried that the switch to paid parking could drive business to their competitors by making customers weary of downtown.

Nobody wants to go to a restaurant, go get their nails done, go get a tattoo, if they think theyve got to keep feeding a meter, said Tim Dugger, a downtown property owner and resident.

My customers arent going to pay for parking to come in and just get a small item, said Karla Cumley, the owner of MoonStone, a metaphysical store on West Douglas. They cant be feeding meters when we have a three-hour class. I do meditation classes. Can you imagine? No, stop meditating. You have to go feed your meter.

Others expressed concern about downtown employees who have never had to pay for parking to come into work.

As a larger business downtown, we dont have enough lot parking downtown for all of our employees and were worried about them having to pay for it, said Tanya Tanner, office manager at IMA Financial Group.

Russell Arben Fox, a political science professor at Friends University, said he has agreed with the general framework of the parking plan since it was presented to the bicycle and pedestrian advisory board he sits on before its adoption by the council.

Were all a bunch of urbanists there and were people that are very familiar with the ways in which an overabundance of free or essentially unenforced paid parking acts as a depressive agent on urban development, on the rise of consciousness about the importance of public transportation, Fox said.

You have a lot of businesses that have assumed over the last twenty, thirty years  however far back you want to go  they have assumed that this parking adjacent to them is free and is going to remain free, and they have built that into their business plans, Fox said. Because of that status quo, you dont get more infill development . . . You dont have really an avenue to say, Hey, we could make the downtown more livable. We could make it more walkable. We could make it more environmentally sustainable. Instead, you just stick with what you have.

At Thursdays meeting, attendees were asked to generate some of their own ideas for how the city could improve its downtown parking plan. Some of the most popular propositions included offering day parking passes, allowing storefront businesses to lease or sponsor nearby street parking for customers, and offering a set number of spaces in a garage at a discounted rate for downtown employees.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is asking residents to stop killing rattlesnakes in their areas.

Wildlife officials said its not only dangerous to attempt to kill a rattlesnake, but it is also in some cases illegal.

In North Carolina, 10 out of our 38 native snakes are listed species. That includes three rattlesnakes: the Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake, the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, and the Timber Rattlesnake.

ALSO READ: Newborn rattlesnakes at a Colorado 'mega den' are making their live debut

These snakes are protected by the state. So they cannot be harmed, harassed, or relocated without an Endangered Species permit obtained from the Wildlife Commission.

Residents are encouraged to keep a safe distance from any rattlesnake they come across as it goes on its merry way.

VIDEO: Snakes: What you need to know












A new analysis shows that Donald Trump may still be on the hook for the half a billion dollars in judgments levied against him in his civil fraud and for defamation cases.

The sums  an estimated $475 million from a ruling that Trump illegally inflated his net worth on his taxes for decades, and $88 million from defaming writer E. Jean Caroll, who he was found to have sexually abused by a jury  will be due whether or not he wins the presidential election in November.

The analysis, conducted by The Washington Examiner, claims Trump could stand to lose 15% of his supposed $4.2 billion net worth through the judgments. The truth of Trump's net worth is in doubt, however. Much of the former presidents net worth is tied up in shares of his Trump Media, the parent company of the Truth Social platform. That stock has rapidly shed value in recent months and Trump is prohibited from selling his shares before Sept. 25.

It would be this kind of crazy thing unfolding with the lawyers collecting and trying to garner his real estate or, you know, take the classic sort of collection action against a president, Case Western Reserve law professor Kevin McMunigal told the conservative newspaper.

Trump is currently appealing his civil fraud case in New York, having posted a massive bond of $175 million in April.

The appeals process makes a pre-election payment due date is unlikely. The Examiner notes that oral arguments are not expected in his fraud case until late September.

Once the epicenter of the formerly successful businessmans real estate empire, New York has been one of the only municipalities to successfully hold Trump accountable for his crimes. In May, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records in an attempt to conceal hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels amid his first presidential campaign.
Woman accused of 15 counts of felony animal neglect as dogs and cats are safely sheltered

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A woman who is accused of animal neglect appeared in court Friday after 13 dogs and 2 cats were seized from her property earlier this week, authorities said.

Susan Long, 51, was charged with 15 counts of felony second-degree animal neglect, the Multnomah County District Attorneys office said.

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The animals on her property in the Lents Neighborhood were seized on Tuesday by authorities after multiple complaints of malnourished animals and hazardous living conditions.

13 dogs and two cats were rescued from a SE Portland home (PPB)

13 dogs and two cats were rescued from a SE Portland home (PPB)

13 dogs and two cats were rescued from a SE Portland home (PPB)

13 dogs and two cats were rescued from a SE Portland home (PPB)

The warrant was executed by the Portland Police Bureau, the DAs office and with the assistance of Multnomah County Animal Services and the Oregon Humane Society.

All seized animals are safely housed within MCAS and The Oregon Humane Society, the DAs office said in a release on Friday.

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Long is currently not allowed to possess any animals, officials said.

No other details were immediately available.

Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.

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Elizabeth Wolf, the woman accused of trying to drown a Palestinian-American child at a North Texas apartment pool in May, has been indicted by a grand jury on the charges of attempted capital murder of a person under 10 and injury to a child.

The indictment includes a hate crime enhancement and was filed in Tarrant County on Aug. 15, according to court records. Wolf is currently in the Tarrant County Jail with bond set at $1 million.

On May 19, a Palestinian mother watching her two young children play in the shallow end of the swimming pool at a Euless apartment complex was approached by Wolf, who asked her where she was from, according to witnesses and police.

The mother, identified as Mrs. H in a Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) news release, was wearing a hijab and speaking Arabic to her children. She said Wolf jumped into the pool and pulled her two children to the deep end where she tried to drown them.

Police said in a news release that Wolf attempted to grab the 6-year-old boy, but he managed to get away. The 6-year-old is the victim of the injury-to-a-child charge, according to court records. He was grabbed or scratched with the defendants hand.

Mrs. H went to help her son, but Wolf grabbed the 3-year-old girl and forced her under the water, authorities said. Wolf is accused of kicking Mrs. H as Wolf tried to get to the daughter, and pulling off Mrs. Hs hijab and hitting her with it, according to CAIR. A man jumped into the water and helped rescue the little girl.

Witnesses told Euless police that Wolf was intoxicated when she attacked the mother and her children. She was initially arrested on a charge of public intoxication when she tried to leave the area. As she was being handcuffed by police she shouted, I will kill her, and I will kill her whole family, a witness told CAIR.

Wolf was released on bond about a day after her May 19 arrest. On May 23, Tarrant County prosecutors filed charges against her of attempted capital murder and injury to a child.

Wolf was arrested again after a judge increased her bond from $40,000 to $1 million in late June.

CAIR called for a hate-crime probe into the case, and Euless police asked the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorneys Office to prosecute the case as a hate crime.

A Tarrant County grand jury included hate crime as a special issue on the child injury charge in Wolfs indictment, saying she intentionally selected the victim because of the defendants bias or prejudice against a group identified by race, color, religion, or national origin or ancestry, according to court documents.

Wolfs alleged actions have received condemnation from elected leaders, including President Joe Biden and District 92 Rep. Salman Bhojani.

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EL PASO, Texas (Border Report)  A federal judge has set a June 3 trial hearing for San Diego women investigators allege recruited minors to smuggle drugs from Mexico in their bodies through the pedestrian lane of a border crossing.

Shannon Pollard and Amy Lennen are facing charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine while armed with a firearm. The charges stem from seizures at a storage facility and a home in San Diego of 46.1 pounds of methamphetamine, 4,493 fentanyl pills, four AR-15 rifles, two AK-47 rifles, a .22-caliber gun, a disabled grenade and multiple stolen passports and drivers licenses last November.

The Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating the women after an informant allegedly told agents Lennen offered to sell methamphetamine at $1,300 a pound to a known narcotics distributor, federal court documents show.

According to the informant, Lennen told the distributor a woman named Natalie who supplied her with the drugs recruits children to body-carry fentanyl and other drugs through a the port of entry from Mexico. Records show the DEA also contacted the Carlsbad (California) Police Department after agents learned it was already investigating an illicit drug supplier that they believed was Pollard.

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Investigators obtained a court order to place a tracking device on a blue Volvo driven by Lennen and identified two addresses  a storage facility in Oceanside and a rental house in San Diego  as possible repositories of drugs.

Agents and local law enforcement raided both locations on Nov. 3 and Nov. 8, respectively, allegedly finding caches of drugs, firearms, ammunition, documents, an ounce of heroin and 26 Xanax pills, court documents show.

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A complaint affidavit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California alleges Pollard leased both properties under the alias of Nathalie Flores. Agents arrested Pollard during the search of the rental home for being in violation of her probation on a previous federal charge, records show. Lennen was arrested in February and Pollard re-arrested on the drugs and guns charges.

Both women have pleaded not guilty, waived indictment and are awaiting trial.

Federal and local law enforcement officials in San Diego last year took part in a two-month operation to stem a surge of fentanyl and other hard drugs along the border. Operation Blue Lotus yielded 4,721 pounds of fentanyl and led to the arrest of 200 smugglers, traffickers and dealers, according to the DEA.

Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border

We are an epicenter for fentanyl trafficking into the United States and we know the immense responsibility that we bear to address this crisis, said Randy Grossman, who was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California at the time and has since retired to private practice. Every milligram of fentanyl we seize, every smuggler, trafficker and dealer we bring to justice means less fatal doses on the streets of San Diego and beyond.

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Woman, child and pets rescued from sailboat after being stranded 925 miles off Honolulu during Hurricane Gilma

As Hurricane Gilma raged in the Pacific, the Coast Guard in Hawaii received a distress call from a sailboat left stranded by the storm.

The boat was 925 miles east of Honolulu, and the rescue mission took several days, with the help of the Coast Guard and the US Navy.

When rescuers arrived, they found a woman, her daughter, their pets and a dead man authorities said was the vessels master.

Responding to the call

Officials at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received a distress alert from the sailboat around 12:33 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to a news release from the Coast Guard.

An airplane crew was able to locate the French-flagged vessel Albroc and heard a mayday call from the woman on board. The mother and daughter are both French, according to a Coast Guard spokesperson.

The woman, 47, said she and her daughter, 7, a cat and a tortoise needed to be rescued after the weather caused them to become stranded.

While the crew onboard the plane couldnt make direct contact with the woman, they did see her launch two flares. At the time, the waves were up to 6 feet and winds were at 20 mph, the Coast Guard reported.

Additional crews from the Navy were requested by the Coast Guard to assist with the rescue mission.

On Sunday around 9 a.m., the woman and daughter were seen waving their arms onboard the boat by an airplane crew launched nearby. The aircrew unsuccessfully attempted to communicate with the two boaters by hailing them on the radio and dropping message blocks, the Coast Guard said.

Later in the evening, around 5:20 p.m., a tanker crew arrived near the boat but were unable to rescue the woman and daughter due to the weather conditions from Hurricane Gilma.

A small boat crew assigned to the USS William P. Lawrence conducted the rescue mission for the woman, child and pets onboard the French-flagged sailing vessel Albroc. - Chief Warrant Officer 2 Lance Watson/US Navy

A Navy crew reaches the sailboat

Finally, around 5 a.m. Monday, the USS William P. Lawrence, a guided-missile destroyer, arrived at the scene and the rescue mission began. Due to the condition of the sailboat and the weather, crews only had a six-hour window to safely rescue the woman and child.

A small boat crew was able to launch from the Navy ship and make contact with the sailboat, leading to the rescue.

The Navy ship arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu on Wednesday evening, where the mother and daughter received care.

The mother and her 7-year-old daughter were taken to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, Hawaii, after being rescued off the sailboat. - Guillaume Maman/US Coast Guard

The body of the man who died was unable to be recovered due to weather conditions and the sailboat remains off the coast nearly 1,000 miles east of Honolulu, the Coast Guard said.

The mans cause of death and the reasons behind why they were out on the boat in the path of the hurricane is still under investigation, a spokesperson with the Coast Guard told CNN Friday afternoon.

At the time of the rescue operations by the USS Lawrence, Hurricane Gilma was located approximately 480 miles east of the vessels and had a maximum sustained wind of 110 mph near the center of the storm, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers reported.

After the recovery, Gilma continued to move westward toward the last known position of the sailboat and came within 100 miles of the vessel with sustained winds of 60 mph.

Through tireless planning, coordination and teamwork, our watchstanders pieced together the key elements needed for such a dynamic search and rescue case, search and rescue mission coordinator Kevin Cooper said, We are grateful the Seri Emperor and William P. Lawrence were able to reach the mother and daughter, who were caught right in the path of Hurricane Gilma.

CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers contributed to this report.

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Woman dies in hospital one day after deadly Grandview motorcycle crash

Woman dies in hospital one day after deadly Grandview motorcycle crash

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  The Grandview Police Department confirmed that another person has died after a motorcycle crash Friday morning in Grandview, Missouri.

According to police, 31-year-old Andrea Licata, the passenger of the motorcycle, died Saturday morning in the hospital after suffering from critical injuries in the crash.

The driver of the motorcycle, 33-year-old Cody Sloat, was pronounced dead at the scene on Friday morning, according to law enforcement.

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Grandview police said the cause of the crash is still being investigated, however, initial reports said it could have occurred after the motorcycle used a construction zone to pass other drivers on southbound Interstate 49, near 140th Street.

Neither Sloat nor Licata were wearing helmets at the time of the crash, police said.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned at FOX4 News for the latest updates and information.

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Disclaimer: All persons are innocent until proven guilty.

CADDO PARISH, La. (KTAL/KMSS)  A student has been arrested after he made threats to shoot up his school.

According to a press release, a Caddo Sheriffs School Resource Officer arrested a 17-year-old student at Woodlawn High School after the student allegedly made a threat to shoot up the school.

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On Friday, SRO Stanley Williams observed a male subject attempting to enter the Woodlawn High School campus from the rear. The subject, dressed in all black, was advised to enter the school from the front but instead continued to walk away towards the rear of the building and hid behind a trash dumpster.

Officials say the officer and school administrators immediately made contact with the subject, who began making threats to harm a female and to shoot up the school. The subject was detained and continued to make threats.

The subject was identified as Woodlawn student Issac Pickrom.

Pickrom was arrested and is booked into Caddo Correctional Center and faces charges of Terrorizing and Resisting Arrest. No weapons were found, and no injuries resulted from this incident.

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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  The construction worker who died Wednesday in an early morning accident across from Scripps Ranch High School has been identified by the San Diego County Medical Examiners Office.

On Friday, officials publicly identified the worker as 27-year-old Joel Olea Gomez of San Marcos.

RELATED: Construction worker dies after being trapped under a pipe in Scripps Ranch

Authorities said Gomez and a coworker were in a 20-foot-deep trench in the area of Hoyt Park Drive and Scripps Ranch Boulevard helping another worker guide a metal pipe as part of a pure water project.

The worker noticed the wall of the trench was about to collapse and escaped, according to authorities.

Gomez was pinned against the wall and buried under dirt as the trench caved in, they said.

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The trench rescue turned into a recovery operation after San Diego Fire-Rescue paramedics confirmed he had died due to obvious injuries.

The Medical Examiners Office noted the cause of death as crush injuries of torso.

According to Dan Eddy, deputy chief of operations for San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, the pipe that fell on the victim was a four-foot steel and concrete pipe.

Authorities used an excavator and heavy duty machinery to lift the pipe off the victim.

California Occupational Health and Safety Administration officials were in charge of the investigation, authorities said Wednesday.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Workers breached the final dams on a key section of the Klamath River on Wednesday, clearing the way for salmon to swim freely through a major watershed near the California-Oregon border for the first time in more than a century as the largest dam removal project in U.S. history nears completion.

Crews used excavators to remove rock dams that have been diverting water upstream of two dams, Iron Gate and Copco No. 1, both of which were already almost completely removed. With each scoop, more and more river water was able to flow through the historic channel. The work has given salmon a passageway to key swaths of habitat just in time for the fall Chinook, or king salmon, spawning season.

Standing at Iron Gate Wednesday morning, Amy Bowers Cordalis, a Yurok tribal member and attorney for the tribe, cried as she watched water spill over the former dam and slowly flow back into the river.

Bowers Cordalis has fought for the removal of the Klamath dams since 2002, when she saw some of the tens of thousands of salmon die in the river from a bacterial outbreak caused by low water and warm temperatures. She said watching the river return to its natural channel felt like she was witnessing its rebirth.

It was surreal. It was so emotional. I felt so hopeful and so satisfied that we have restored this river, she said. And looking at it you could almost hear the river crying, I am free, I am free.

The demolition comes about a month before removal of four towering dams on the Klamath was set to be completed as part of a national movement to let rivers return to their natural flow and to restore ecosystems for fish and other wildlife.

As of February, more than 2,000 dams had been removed in the U.S., the majority in the last 25 years, according to the advocacy group American Rivers. Among them were dams on Washington states Elwha River, which flows out of Olympic National Park into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Condit Dam on the White Salmon River, a tributary of the Columbia.

I am excited to move into the restoration phase of the Klamath River, Russell Buster Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe, said in a statement. Restoring hundreds of miles of spawning grounds and improving water quality will help support the return of our salmon, a healthy, sustainable food source for several Tribal Nations.

Salmon are culturally and spiritually significant to the tribe, along with others in the region.

The Klamath was once known as the third-largest salmon-producing river on the West Coast. But after power company PacifiCorp built the dams to generate electricity between 1918 and 1962, the structures halted the natural flow of the river and disrupted the lifecycle of the regions salmon, which spend most of their life in the Pacific Ocean but return up their natal rivers to spawn. The fish population then dwindled dramatically, jumpstarting decades of advocacy from tribes and environmental groups, culminating in 2022 when federal regulators approved a plan to remove the dams.

Since then, the smallest of the four dams, known as Copco No. 2, has been removed. Crews also drained the reservoirs of the other three dams and started removing those structures in March.

Along the Klamath, the dam removals wont be a major hit to the power supply. At full capacity, they produced less than 2% of PacifiCorps energy  enough to power about 70,000 homes. Hydroelectric power produced by dams is considered a clean, renewable source of energy, but many larger dams in the U.S. West have become a target for environmental groups and tribes because of the harm they cause to fish and river ecosystems.

The project was expected to cost about $500 million  paid for by taxpayers and PacifiCorps ratepayers.

Oregon state Sen. Dennis Linthicum, a Republican, has argued against the dam removal project, saying the project removes important sites for water storage, flood control and fire prevention.

We have fisheries, hatcheries that have been in place and salmon have been going to for years, and somehow thats not good enough, he said. The salmon have to continue up past the dam, past J.C. Boyle, to make history, noting a dam upstream.

Its unclear how quickly salmon will return to their historical habitats and the river will heal. There have already been reports of salmon at the mouth of the river, starting their river journey. Michael Belchik, senior water policy analyst for the Yurok Tribe, said he is hopeful theyll get past the Iron Gate dam soon.

I think were going to have some early successes, he said. Im pretty confident well see some fish going above the dam. If not this year, then for sure next year.

There are two other Klamath dams farther upstream, but they are smaller and allow salmon to pass via fish ladders  a series of pools that fish can leap through to get past a dam.

Mark Bransom, chief executive of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, the nonprofit entity created to oversee the project, noted that it took about a decade for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to start fishing again after the removal of the Elwha dams.

I dont know if anybody knows with any certainty what it means for the return of fish, he said. Itll take some time. You cant undo 100 years worth of damage and impacts to a river system overnight.
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Credit: Simon Kay/Lost in Waters Deep

Shipwreck hunters in Scotland have located the wreck of a British warship that was sunk by a German U-boat in the North Sea nearly 110 years ago.

They said the wreckage is that of HMS Hawke, a 387-foot-long (118 meters) cruiser that quickly sank with 524 people on board after it was hit by a torpedo from the sub on Oct. 15, 1914.

Roughly 70 of the warship's crew survived by escaping into lifeboats, but the loss of life was still tremendous, Kevin Heath , a researcher with the Orkney-based Lost in Waters Deep group, told Live Science.

"This was very early  the beginning of the First World War," Heath said, adding that the British did not know at the time that U-boats had enough diesel fuel to reach Scotland. By the end of World War I, thanks to refueling in the mid-Atlantic, German U-boats had an even farther range and could reach the United States.

The Hawke was one of several British warships that had been assigned to blockade the German mainland  a tactic that kept most of the Imperial German Navy in port during the war. But the new submarine technology of the German U-boats allowed them to avoid the blockade and sink several Allied warships and civilian ships.

Related: 30 incredible sunken wrecks from WWI and WWII

Image 1 of 2

A black-and-white photo of a large ship on the water

Image 2 of 2

15 people pose for a group photo on the deck of a ship

U-boat threat

Heath said the Hawke was sunk by a torpedo from a U-boat designated U-9; it was commanded by Otto Weddigen, who would soon become famous in Germany. Just a few weeks earlier, Weddigen and U-9 had sunk three British cruisers patrolling the North Sea, causing more than 1,400 deaths.

According to historical accounts , the sinkings triggered an outcry among the British public and damaged the reputation of the Royal Navy. But these attacks also encouraged the British Admiralty to take the threat of German U-boats more seriously.

Heath said the wreck of the Hawke now lies on the seafloor beneath about 360 feet (110 m) of seawater and about 70 miles (112 kilometers) east of Fraserburgh, a coastal town in northeastern Scotland.

His group discovered it on Aug. 12 when they were returning from a dive to a seafloor obstruction that was marked on nautical charts but turned out to be nothing. The charted obstruction may have been an early estimate of the location of the Hawke wreck made with the less-accurate Decca navigation system used before the introduction of GPS, Heath said.

Image 1 of 2

An underwater close-up of the shipwreck

Image 2 of 2

A SONAR image showing a shipwreck on the ocean floor

War grave

Heath and the Lost in Waters Deep group determined the rough location of the wreck thanks to reports of the sinking, including the logbook from the German U-boat.

The group has informed both the Royal Navy and the United Kingdom's Hydrographic Office, which produces electronic and paper nautical charts for the area, Heath said. The site of the Hawke wreck is a war grave and, therefore, can be protected by law from interference and possibly from all future attempts to dive there, he said.

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At the moment, the only underwater images of the wreck were taken by the group's divers during their August expedition to the area. They show the wreck in "remarkable" condition, Heath told BBC News .

"Lots of the decking is still in place  teak decking," he said. Also, "there is a wonderful captain's walkway around the back of the stern [and] loads of guns, because obviously she was a warship."
X-tended season: Sioux City clinches final playoff spot following Kansas City loss to Sioux Falls

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU)  The Sioux City Explorers clinched the fourth and final playoff spot in the American Association West Division following Kansas Citys 5-4 loss to Sioux Falls.

Sioux City has three games remaining in the regular season, hosting the Railroaders.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 31 called on the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons to strike targets in Russia.

I appeal to the U.S., the U.K., France and Germany. We need the ability to genuinely and fully defend Ukraine and Ukrainians. We require both: permissions for long-range capabilities and your long-range shells and missiles, Zelensky said in his evening address.

"Vital decisions  exactly the ones that can influence events in the right way  cannot be postponed."

Kyiv has long argued that restrictions on the use of long-range weapons are stifling its war effort, while Washington claimed that allowing Ukraine to hit deep into Russian territory with its weapons could escalate the conflict.



Ukraine has dismissed these arguments and has ramped up pressure to lift the ban in recent weeks amid the ongoing incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast. The White House has not budged on its position, despite some U.S. politicians backing Kyivs demands.

During a visit to Washington, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Aug. 30 he had presented to U.S. officials a list of targets in Russia that Kyiv wanted to hit with American-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles.

Zelensky said that Ukrainian soldiers continue "pushing the war" into Russia's territory and taking Russian prisoners of war.

As Russian forces concentrate more of their recourses in Donetsk Oblast, fighting near Pokrovsk is becoming "exceptionally brutal," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Aug. 29.

Western countries have largely allowed Ukraine to use their arms in the incursion, but the U.S. and the U.K. have maintained their restrictions on the use of long-range missiles like ATACMS or Storm Shadow.

Read also: Ukraines Kursk incursion demonstrates that Russia is at the limit of its capabilities, says former US NATO ambassador

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Zelenskyy asks US, UK, France and Germany to let Ukraine use their long-range weapons to strike targets in Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked the US, the UK, France and Germany to allow Ukraine to deploy Western-supplied long-range weapons to strike military targets in Russia; he also asked for additional long-range munitions and missiles.

Source: President Zelenskyys video address on 31 August

Quote from Zelenskyy: "A Ukrainian delegation  the first deputy prime minister, the minister of defence, officials from the General Staff [of the Armed Forces of Ukraine], and the head of the Office [of the President of Ukraine]  is currently in Washington. They held meetings at various levels. One of the most important issues for us is the [possibility of using Western-supplied long-range weapons to strike targets in Russia], which holds the key to preventing all the terror that Kharkiv and other cities and localities in Ukraine are forced to go through.

Clearing the Ukrainian skies from Russian glide bombs would be a decisive step to force Russia to bring the war to an end and accept just peace. Ukrainian representatives have given our partners all the information they need.

So I am asking the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany: we need a chance to truly and fully protect Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We need permissions [to use long-range weapons to strike targets in Russia], and we need your long-range munitions and missiles. These vital decisions cannot be put off because they can impact the current situation in the most beneficial ways."

Details: Zelenskyy stressed that there is only one way to stop Russian attacks from the air: "by striking Russian military airfields, their military bases, and the logistical hubs of Russian terror".

He also said that Ukrainian representatives were in dialogue with Kyivs partners about the need for more air defence systems for Ukraine, especially ahead of the new school year (which starts on 2 September).

"We already have agreements with you regarding air defence systems and missiles. Its crucial that they are fulfilled as soon as possible. We are currently working even harder than usual to secure additional air defence systems," Zelenskyy said.

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The Zone is no more and is unlikely to return.

On Tuesday, the Arizona Court of Appeals affirmed a permanent injunction to the squalid homeless camp that had been enabled by Phoenix.

Officials allowed a third-world tent city to take over about 15 city blocks between downtown Phoenix and the state capitol.

Laws and safety regulations were ignored, creating a massive public nuisance to area property owners and anyone attempting to pass through the area.

Not to mention the even higher danger posed to homeless people themselves.

'The Zone' was unsafe and a public nuisance

The Zones lowlights included the open use of fentanyl and other illegal drugs, public defecation, public sex and hideous violence. A premature babys remains were discovered burned in the middle of the street.

Later, a homeless man named Geoffrey Rugwiro was beaten to death, his body tossed in a dumpster and set alight.

In 2023, the courts finally ordered the city to clean up the encampment, which hosted as many as 1,000 people. The decision stated that Phoenix intentionally stopped  or at least materially decreased  enforcement of criminal, health, and other quality of life statutes and ordinances in the Zone, effectively making it off-limits to enforcement.

But city officials actually appealed this commonsense court order. Phoenix insisted it shouldnt be responsible for a public nuisance caused by third-party actions beyond the citys control.

Talk about evading responsibility.

Court to Phoenix: Do your job

The appeals court slapped down the bizarre assertion. The city properly may be held responsible both for a public nuisance, and to abate a public nuisance, on land it owns and controls, the ruling states.

In other words, do your job.

And a big part of that job is not herding the growing numbers of homeless people into dangerous and wretched campsites. Ignoring the law isnt compassionate to any Phoenix resident, housed or unhoused.

The court pointed out the environmental dangers posed by the public defecation and urination, rightly calling it a biohazard.

Where is money going: To fight homelessness? No one knows

When local property owners eventually cleaned up the human waste, its washed into the storm drains, ending up in rivers, washes and retention basins.

Our tax dollars are supposed to ensure public safety and sanitation; instead, area businesses had to work overtime as unpaid waste and sewage contractors.

How Arizona can help homeless folks

The bleak example provided by several West Coast cities demonstrates the folly of intentional neglect. Broad swathes of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle look like something out of a Mad Max movie.

Even the famously incompetent Gov. Gavin Newsom has seen the light. Last month, Newsom issued an executive order to urgently clear homeless encampments from state land and pushed California cities to follow suit.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, there are more than 180,000 homeless people in California, an increase of 20% since Newsom took office in 2019.

California accounted for 49% of all unsheltered people in the U.S., nearly eight times more than the state in second place.

In comparison, Arizona has an estimated 14,237 homeless people, a much more manageable number. Many suffer from substance addiction and severe mental illness, which will not be improved by dumping them in an unsafe tent city.

Hopefully, this ruling will prod Phoenix and the rest of the state into more helpful policies.

Allow the free market to improve the housing supply, increase the number of beds available in behavioral health facilities, and leverage nonprofit organizations to improve the health and lifestyles of those on the streets.

That will do far more good than relegating homeless Arizonans into veritable no-go zones.

Jon Gabriel, a Mesa resident, is editor-in-chief of Ricochet.com and a contributor to The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. On X, formerly Twitter: @exjon.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix dumped homeless folks in an unsafe tent city. We can do better
New Delhi: Goldman Sachs is gearing up for a round of layoffs which is expected to affect 3 per cent and 4 per cent of its workforce which translates to roughly 1,300 to 1,800 employees. These job cuts are part of the company's routine annual review process, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. The layoffs, which are already underway are expected to impact several divisions within the bank, the report stated.

The layoffs which has already begun are expected to affect multiple divisions within Goldman sachs, according to the report. Goldman Sachs spokesperson Tony Fratto addressed the situation, saying, Our annual talent reviews are a normal, standard process and not particularly noteworthy. espite the job cuts, Fratto mentioned that the bank's overall headcount is expected to be higher by the end of the year than it was in 2023.

The report also noted that other major banks follow similar practices, reducing their workforces by identifying and letting go of underperforming employees. In the first quarter of this year, the largest U.S. banks collectively cut over 5,000 jobs to manage costs in a tough economic climate, with Citigroup leading the way by eliminating 2,000 positions.

Historically, Goldman Sachs' annual review process results in workforce reductions ranging from 2 per cent to 7 per cent, depending on the banks financial health and market conditions. Last year, the bank reduced its workforce by 6 per cent in January, with further cuts occurring in May and the fall.
Indian Embassy in Laos successfully rescued 47 Indian nationals trapped in cyber scam centres located in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Bokeo province. The embassy, in a recent statement, revealed that these individuals were lured into the SEZ under false pretenses and were subjected to exploitative conditions. Of the 47 rescued, 29 were handed over to the embassy following a crackdown by Lao authorities, while the remaining 18 approached the embassy directly, seeking assistance.

According to media reports, the scam centres primarily targeted victims through dating apps. Scammers, often impersonating women, would engage with potential victims and eventually convince them to invest in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. Many individuals in India were duped through these tactics. Those forced to work in these scam centres, referred to as "cyber slaves," faced harsh conditions, including deprivation of food and rest, if they failed to meet daily targets.

Embassys Response and Advisory

The Indian Embassy has issued a strong advisory warning Indian nationals against falling for fake job offers in Laos. The advisory, available on the embassy's website, emphasizes the importance of verifying job opportunities thoroughly before committing and encourages individuals to contact the embassy if they have any doubts. The embassy has also called on the Lao government to take decisive action against those involved in these illicit activities.

Embassy of India successfully rescues 47 Indians trapped in cyberscam centres in Golden Triangle SEZ of Lao PDR. Detailed press release below: pic.twitter.com/Ap4BTJYP7c  India in Laos (@IndianEmbLaos) August 31, 2024

Coordination with Local Authorities

The rescue operation was a coordinated effort between the Indian Embassy and local Lao authorities. Embassy officials traveled from the capital, Vientiane, to Bokeo province to facilitate the rescue and ensure the safe return of the victims. Indian Ambassador to Laos, Prashant Agrawal, personally met with the rescued individuals to discuss their experiences and provide guidance on the next steps.



The Indian Embassy has completed all necessary formalities for the repatriation of the rescued nationals. Thirty of them have already returned to India, while the remaining 17 are awaiting final travel arrangements. Ambassador Agrawal reiterated the embassys commitment to safeguarding the well-being of Indian nationals in Laos.

This recent rescue is part of a broader effort by the Indian Embassy in Laos to combat human trafficking and cybercrime. Last month, the embassy successfully rescued 13 Indians who had also been lured into cyber scam operations. The issue of Indian nationals being trafficked into such centres was raised by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during his recent visit to Laos, highlighting the ongoing diplomatic efforts to address this serious concern.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the country needs to be more active in addressing crime against women to ensure their safety. He highlighted that the atrocities against women and the safety of children are a serious concern for society. The Prime Minister's comment comes amidst the outrage across the nation over the rape-murder of a woman doctor at an RG Kar government hospital in Kolkata.

While addressing an event in Delhi on the 75 years of the Supreme Court at Bharat Mandapam, PM Modi said, "Today, atrocities against women, safety of children... are serious concerns of the society. Many strict laws have been made in the country for the safety of women, but we need to make it more active. The faster the decisions are taken in cases related to atrocities against women, the greater assurance of safety half the population will get."

PM Modi unveiled a stamp and coin commemorating 75 years of the Supreme Court of India. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, CJI DY Chandrachud and President of Supreme Court Bar Association, Kapil Sibal were also present at the events.

'75 years of the Supreme Court, this is not just the journey of an institution. This is the journey of the Constitution of India and its constitutional values. This is the journey of India becoming more mature as a democracy," the PM said, ANI reported.

Prime Minister Modi exaggerated that the country has spent approx 8 thousand crore rupees for the development of judicial infrastructure.

"To eliminate delay in justice, work has been done at many levels in the last decade. In the last 10 years, the country has spent about 8 thousand crore rupees for the development of judicial infrastructure. 75 per cent of the amount spent on judicial infrastructure in the last 25 years has been spent in the last 10 years only," he added.
China-Africa space cooperation benefits people across continent

Xinhua) 09:06, August 31, 2024

A Long March-2C carrier rocket carrying satellite MISRSAT-2 blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Dec. 4, 2023. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian satellite MISRSAT-2, a high-resolution optical remote-sensing satellite, has been orbiting more than 600 km above the ground, providing the North African country with services such as resource surveys, environmental disaster monitoring and assessment, urban planning, and crop growth evaluation for agriculture and forestry.

Launched from China in December 2023, the MISRSAT-2 was assembled and tested at the China-aided AIT (assembly, integration and test) center in Egypt, making it the first African country with a complete satellite AIT capability.

The collaboration between China and Egypt highlights the success of China-Africa space cooperation, leading to notable advancements in satellite exports as well as resource sharing, space technology exchange and infrastructure development in the field of space.

China has developed and launched several satellites for African countries, including two communication satellites for Nigeria in 2007 and 2011, respectively, a communication satellite for Algeria in 2017, a cube satellite for Ethiopia in 2019, a scientific experimental satellite for Sudan in 2019, and MISRSAT-2 for Egypt in 2023.

In 2017, China launched Algeria's first communications satellite, Alcomsat-1, which now supports broadcasting, television, broadband access, and mobile and emergency communications. The satellite's significance is so profound that its image is featured on Algeria's 500 Dinar banknotes as a national symbol of pride.

According to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024), adopted by the 8th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC held in Dakar of Senegal in November 2021, China and Africa would actively work for the establishment of a China-Africa space cooperation sub-forum under the FOCAC framework.

Both sides would focus on supporting projects concerning satellite remote sensing and communications satellites to drive the development of the space industry of African countries.

ENRICHING PEOPLE'S LIVES

A network of satellites and ground stations across the African continent has advanced the space industry and significantly improved local people's lives.

For example, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has been widely used in Africa's agriculture, urban planning, infrastructure construction and traffic services.

The first China-Africa BDS Cooperation Forum was held in Beijing in November 2021, during which the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as BDS, 5G and smart city construction.

In Xai-Xai city, located in Gaza Province in the south of Mozambique, local farmers use BDS-powered drones to survey fields, sow seeds, and spray pesticides. Unlike manual spraying, which covers only three to four mu (1 mu equals about 666 square meters) of land per hour, drones can spray pesticides over hundreds of mu simultaneously and operate at night.

"The precise agriculture model of 'BDS plus drones' is a beneficial attempt in the agricultural technology cooperation between China and Mozambique. Chinese agricultural technology has made an important contribution to Mozambique's food security," said Danilo Latifo, director of the agriculture department in Gaza Province.

In Burkina Faso, a hospital constructed during the COVID-19 pandemic used BDS high-precision services for construction surveying and mapping. The survey was completed in just six days, reducing the construction time by over half.

EMPOWERING LOCAL TALENT

In addition to offering space products and services, China also help train African talent, laying a strong foundation for the future of African space endeavors.

In early August, a training session in China welcomed 36 young technical and management professionals from developing countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia and Rwanda. They gained insights into information and communication technology, satellite internet, quality management and systems engineering within the space industry.

The session was hosted by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

"Recently, China and Egypt are carrying out cooperative projects related to the Chang'e-7 mission. It's very meaningful for me to learn something here," said Shimaa Soultan, a satellite payload test engineer from the Egyptian Space Agency and one of the trainees.

China and Africa have also cooperated to promote space knowledge among young people, helping Africa embrace the future of the space industry.

On Sept. 6, 2022, a live class titled "Talk with Taikonauts" was held at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with students from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and South Africa joining the talk at sub-venues.

Three taikonauts from China's Shenzhou-14 crew -- Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe --connected with youth from these African countries via video link, sharing their experiences from the Shenzhou-14 mission.

According to the Mission of China to the African Union, since 2014, China has awarded scholarships to graduate students from eight African countries -- Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Togo, Cameroon, Mozambique, Nigeria and Sudan -- to study remote sensing and geographic information systems, satellite communication and navigation, and small satellite technology.

China has also carried out space science and technology innovation cooperation and exchange activities with universities and research institutions in countries such as Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Tunisia, Cameroon and Morocco.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
You are here: China

The Chinese mainland will soon resume allowing residents in the eastern Fujian Province to travel to Taiwan's Kinmen County, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said on Friday.

The ministry said on its website that the decision is made at the request of a Kinmen delegation that visited Beijing last week.
New Delhi: The Indian Meteorological Department on Saturday issued a warning about cyclone Asna, which is currently a deep depression over the Arabian Sea. The Cyclone is bringing heavy rains to Gujarat but is expected to shift West-Northwest over the Northeast Arabian Sea and move from the Indian Coast within the next 24 hours.

The weather department also stated that the deep depression has been moving at a speed of 14 km per hour with a latitude of 23.6 N and a longitude of 66.4E, 250 km West of Naliya in Gujarat, 160 km South-South West of Karachi in Pakistan, and 350 km East- Southeast of Pasni in Pakistan.

On Friday, IMD scientist Ramashray Yadav informed that light to moderate rains can prevail over Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar of Gujarat.

In last 24 hours, the regions of Kachchh received heavy rainfall, with the state receiving 882 mm of rainfall since June 1, according to the IMD scientist.

"Kachchh has received very heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours...Gujarat has received 882 mm of rainfall since June 1, which is 50% more than normal...Saurashtra and Kachchh regions have also recorded more than normal rainfall...Light to moderate rains are expected for Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar today.", Yadav said in a statement, ANI reported.

IMD on Thursday also issued a warning for heavy rainfall over the area of Jamnagar, Porbandar, Morbi, Swarka and Kutch.

Due to ongoing floods in Gujarat from continuous rainfall, the road linking Padana Patiya to Changa Patiya in Jamnagar has been closed for the movement of traffic.

Additionally, a section of a small bridge over Sir PN Road has also been washed away by the flooding, disrupting commuter travel.
Haryana Assembly Polls 2024: In a move to respect cultural traditions and ensure voter participation, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has revised the polling date for the Haryana Assembly elections from October 1 to October 5, 2024. Consequently, the counting day for both the Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana Assembly elections has been shifted from October 4 to October 8, 2024.

The decision was made in consideration of the Bishnoi community's centuries-old practice of observing the Asoj Amavasya festival, which is celebrated in memory of their revered Guru Jambheshwar. By aligning the election schedule with this important cultural event, the ECI aims to uphold the voting rights of the community while honoring their longstanding traditions.

On August 16, the ECI had announced the dates for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. While polling in J&K will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, the 90-member Haryana Assembly was supposed to go to the polls on October 1. The results for both the elections were supposed to be announced on October 4.

However, as per a notification issued by the ECI on Saturday, polling in Haryana will now be held on October 5, while the results for both J&K and Haryana will now be declared on October 8.

Accordingly, October 10 has been fixed as the date for completing the election process in both Haryana and J&K.

"Representations have been received from national/state political parties, and the All India Bishnoi Mahasabha regarding the mass movement of people belonging to the Bishnoi community from Haryana to Rajasthan to participate in the centuries old 'Asoj Amavasya' festival. It may deny voting rights to a large number of people and may lead to reduction in voters' participation in the elections for the Legislative Assembly of Haryana.

"The Commission, having considered these representations, has decided to change the date of polls only for Haryana from October 1, 2024 (Tuesday), to October 5, 2024 (Saturday)," the poll panel notification read.

For the Bishnoi community, which forms a significant population in northern region, the Asoj Amavasya festival holds religious importance as it honours their Guru Jambheshwar.

According to the All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, numerous families from Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana observe the tradition of visiting Mukam village in Rajasthan during 'Amavasya ' in the month of 'Asoj' for generations.
Director General of Haryana Police Shatrujeet Kapur on Saturday detailed the security measures that the state police have taken ahead of the Haryana Assembly Election.

He said a meeting has been held with the Election Commission to ensure the safety measures. He also mentioned that Haryana had got 70 companies of security forces from the Home Ministry.

"Preparations have been made for the assembly elections. A meeting has been held with the Election Commission, 225 companies of security forces were sought from the Home Ministry, out of which 70 companies have arrived," DGP Shatrujeet Kapur said.

DGP Kapur further informed about the security measures that the police have been taking ahead of the elections,"In view of the elections, blockade has been started on the inter-state borders, flying squads and surveillance teams have been activated. The work of catching drugs and illegal weapons is going on by forming teams with various departments." DGP Kapur said.

DGP Kapur further informed that in the last one and a half months, about four and a half thousand police personnel have joined the service.

"This will strengthen the Haryana Police and the police will do better work in the upcoming elections," He added.

DGP Kapoor also spoke about cybercrime, highlighting the 2660 arrests made by Haryana police this year.

"Haryana Police was at the 25th position in the month of September last year in blocking money. While working on a big plan, the rate of blocking money in cybercrimes increased to 18 percent in December, 27 percent in February and in July, the rate of blocking money in cybercrimes has reached 36 percent. This year, Haryana Police has arrested 2660 cyber criminals, out of which 1850 criminals are from outside Haryana. Police are arresting an average of 12 cyber fraudsters every day. In July, sixteen fraudsters were arrested every day," Kapur said.

Voting for 90 seats of the Haryana Assembly elections will be held on October, 1. The results will be declared on October, 4.
A significant incident unfolded on Friday night when an IndiGo flight en route to Bengaluru encountered a mid-air engine failure, prompting an emergency situation at Kolkata airport. The incident resulted in a full emergency being declared on one of the airports runways, but fortunately, the aircraft landed safely without any harm to the passengers or crew.

Mid-Air Engine Failure Triggers Emergency

Shortly after take-off, the pilot of IndiGo flight 6E 0573 reported an engine failure, triggering an emergency response. The incident occurred just minutes after the plane departed from Kolkata, with the pilot notifying air traffic control at 10:39 pm. In response, a full emergency was declared, and the runway was quickly inspected and prepared for an emergency landing.

Safe Landing on Single Engine

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the aircraft was able to make a safe landing on a single engine at 11:05 pm. All 173 people on board, including the crew, were reported safe and unharmed. Airport officials ensured that both runways were cleared and available for the aircrafts landing.

Passengers Report Unusual Sounds and Flames

According to a report by TOI, a passenger reported hearing an unusual noise and witnessing flames coming from one of the engines shortly after take-off. Although these reports have not been officially confirmed by the airline or airport authorities, they highlight the anxiety experienced by those on board.

Emergency Management and Response

The incident underscores the importance of swift and effective emergency response protocols. An airport official emphasized that while engine failures are serious, they are not uncommon. The prompt action taken by the pilot and airport authorities ensured the situation was handled safely, preventing what could have been a more severe outcome.
Olympian Vinesh Phogat joined farmers at the Shambhu border on Saturday, marking the 200th day of their protest demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Protests are also planned at the Khanauri, Shambhu, and Ratanpura borders. The farmers have been demonstrating at the Shambhu border since February 13, pushing for a legal guarantee of the MSP for all crops, along with addressing other critical issues.

Vinesh Phogat, a prominent athlete and advocate for the farmers' movement, was honored by the farmers during the day's proceedings.

Your agitation completes 200 days today. It is painful to see this. I pray to God that you get what you have come here for - your right, for justice. Your daughter stands with you, Phogat said during her address.

When questioned about her disqualification from the Olympic wrestling final and the subsequent controversy, Vinesh Phogat responded, "Please focus on the farmers' struggle today. I don't want the attention on me. I will address it another time."

#WATCH | At the farmers' protest site at Shambhu border, Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat says, "Your agitation completes 200 days today. I pray to God that you get what you have come here for - your right, for justice...Your daughter stands with you. I also urge the Government. pic.twitter.com/nUlkaTT399 August 31, 2024

It has been a turbulent month for Vinesh Phogat, who reached the final of the women's 50kg wrestling event but returned to India without a medal. On August 7, she faced Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States for the gold. However, Vinesh was disqualified before the final for exceeding the 50kg weight limit.

The day after her disqualification, she announced her retirement from wrestling and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to be awarded a joint silver medal. The CAS delayed its decision multiple times before ultimately rejecting her application for a silver medal in the Paris Olympics.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir has been hit by internal strife as two prominent leaders resigned from the party, just as assembly elections loom on the horizon.

Kashmir Singh, who served as the BJPs Samba district president, announced his resignation from the partys primary membership on Saturday. Singh, a long-time party loyalist with over four decades of service, expressed his disappointment with the partys decision to nominate Surjit Singh Slathia, a former minister in the Congress-NC coalition government, as a candidate. Slathia, who was a member of the Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference (NC) before joining the BJP in 2021, has been a contentious figure within the party.

Opposition To Slathia's Candidature

Kashmir Singh said that the ticket distribution was a betrayal of the partys core ideology. With a heavy heart, I am submitting my resignation from the primary membership of the party for which I have worked for 42 long years, Singh said. He argued that the decision to give the ticket to Slathia, who had previously opposed the BJP's ideology and the revocation of Article 370, was unjust to the partys grassroots workers.

In his resignation letter addressed to J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina, Singh made it clear that his decision could be reversed if the party reconsidered its choice of candidate. He urged the BJP to replace Slathia with a senior party member, warning that if his request was ignored, he would contest the election as an independent candidate. Otherwise, I am going to take forward this struggle and file my nomination papers as an independent candidate against him, Singh added.

BJP Youth Leader Kanav Sharma's Resignation

Kanav Sharma, who served as the Jammu District President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), has resigned from his position in protest against the party's decision to allocate a ticket to Yudhvir Sethi for the Jammu East constituency. Sharma, a third-generation member of his family dedicated to the BJP's ideology, expressed that this decision conflicts with his principles.

In his resignation letter, which was shared on social media, Sharma highlighted his objections to Yudhvir Sethi's candidacy, citing the latter's involvement in corrupt practices during his wife Priya Sethi's tenure as education minister. "This decision is unacceptable to my conscience," Sharma stated, emphasizing his discontent with the party's choice.

Along with his resignation, Sharma also announced the immediate dissolution of his team, marking a significant step back from his active role within the BJYM. He conveyed that his decision was made in the best interest of maintaining the integrity of the organization.

Growing Resentment Within Party Ranks

There is a broader wave of dissatisfaction within the BJP's ranks, particularly concerning ticket distribution in several key constituencies, including Jammu North, Jammu East, Paddar, Ramban, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Chhamb, and Akhnoor. The growing unrest among party workers signals significant internal challenges for the BJP in these areas.
New Delhi: The Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) on Saturday will stage a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, demanding justice for the alleged murder and sexual assault of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.

Doctors across various states have been protesting, calling for justice for the women doctor whose body was discovered in the seminar hall of the state-run medical college and Hospital earlier this exam.

After this horrific and brutal incident, the doctors have also been demanding better security laws for healthcare professionals.

Following the Calcutta High Court order, the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation from the local police.

On August 30, Dr Suvrankar Datta, Vice President FAIMA and a senior resident doctor at AIIMS New Delhi stated in a video message, "We are organising a massive peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on 31 August demanding justice for our colleague in RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal. We will also ask the Central government for a centralised protection act for healthcare professionals to prevent violence..."

He added that they wanted to display their support for the deceased and demand authorities ramp up security in hospitals across the country.

"Before the Supreme Court hearing scheduled for September 5, I urge the doctors to join us at Jantar Mantar from 3 pm- 5 pm. We want to show the world our strength and that we stand united as we ask for justice for our sister. We demand an increase in security in hospitals across the country," He added, ANI reported.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Kolkata, suspended the membership of former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal, Dr Sandip Ghosh.
Kerala Lottery Results Saturday 31-08-2024 LIVE: The Kerala Lottery Department, on behalf of the Keralan government, announces the "KARUNYA KR-669" Lucky Draw Result today Karunya Kr-669, August 31, 2024. The draw will be held at Gorky Bhavan near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala Lottery Result 2024 for "Karunya KR-669" will feature 12 series, with changes in series possible each week. A total of 108 lakh tickets are available for purchase weekly. The ticket prices may vary. Check the Karunya KR-669 results right here to see if youre the first-place winner of 80 Lakhs. Stay tuned to this website for the live update of Kerala Lottery Karunya KR-669 results today.

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Bihar: The police on Saturday arrested a man after he allegedly tried to manhandle Union Minister Giriraj Singh in Bihars Begusarai, the BJP leaders Lok Sabha constituency.

The accused, who was beaten up by Singhs supporters before handing him over to the police, had come to the MPs Janta Darbar programme with a petition. The bearded person dressed like a Moulvi came to me with a petition and asked me to look into it. I told him that the Janta Darbar is over and he should have come on time. He then started shouting slogans against me. At one point of time, it appeared that he would physically attack me, Singh said.

He claimed that the person was not talking in an appropriate manner. "He was overpowered by the people who had gathered there. He was handed over to the police later," the minister said.

Begusarai Superintendent of Police Maneesh told PTI: The person is in the custody of the police. We are investigating the matter. Later, in a post on X, Singh said he is not going to be scared by such attacks. Those who pamper these people on seeing their beard and cap, must see how love jihad and communal tension is being created in the entire country as well as in Begusarai, he said.
The All India Coordination Meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has commenced in Palakkad, Kerala, on Saturday and will run until September 2. This significant event brings together key figures such as RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, and other senior national office bearers.

With approximately 300 participants, including leaders from various RSS-affiliated organizations, the meeting marks the first national Samanvay Baithak to be held in Kerala. The agenda includes discussing recent national events, social transformation plans, and enhancing mutual cooperation among the organizations. The meeting also highlights the RSSs ongoing relief efforts in response to the recent landslide in Wayanad.

The meeting also sees the presence of key leaders from various RSS-affiliated organizations, including Shantakka Chief Director of the Rashtriya Sevika Samiti; Sita Annadanam, Satyendra Singh, President of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram; Lt. General (Retd.) V. K. Chaturvedi, President of the Ex-Servicemen Service Council; Narayan Bhai Shah, President of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat; Alok Kumar, President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad; Bajrang Bagra, General Secretary of the VHP; Ashish Chauhan, Organization Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad; J.P. Nadda, President of the Bharatiya Janata Party; B.L. Santosh, General Secretary org of the BJP; Ramkrishna Rao, President of Vidya Bharati; Hiranmya Pandya, President of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh; Dr. Rakesh Pandit, President of Arogya Bharati, among others.

In total, approximately 300 participants, including national presidents, organization secretaries, key office bearers, and female representatives from 32 RSS-inspired organizations, were present at the event.

While various RSS national-level meetings have been held in Kerala before, this is the first national Samanvay Baithak to take place in the state. The three-day meeting, typically held annually, began with a briefing on the recent landslide in Wayanad, highlighting the relief and service efforts undertaken by RSS volunteers.

At the beginning of the meeting, all the representatives were informed about the recent landslide in Wayanad and the relief and service work done by the volunteers. Throughout the meeting, workers from various organizations will share their work experiences and exchange ideas.

Additionally, discussions will focus on various national interests, including the current scenario, recent significant events, and different aspects of social change and planning. The organizations will also discuss measures to enhance mutual cooperation and coordination on various subjects.

According to the RSS, it is planning a nationwide social transformation in its centenary year, based on Panch Parivartan: Social Harmony, Family Awakening, Environmental Issues, National Selfhood and Civic Duties. These initiatives will also be discussed in the meeting.
The police have filed a case against a couple for assaulting a cab driver after their luxury car was hit by the cab near the Ghatkopar area of Mumbai, police said.

The video of the incident took place on Friday and was captured on a nearby CCTV camera.

Rishabh and a woman who was with him exited their car and began slapping the cab driver. Rishabh then lifted the driver and threw him onto the ground, resulting in severe injuries to his head and body.

Maharashtra | A case has been registered by Parksite Police against two people for assaulting a cab driver in the Ghatkopar area after their car dashed the cab. The case has been lodged based on the complaint of the victim driver Qaymuddin Mainuddin Qureshi (24) and the CCTV pic.twitter.com/4Z4xe9fEpj August 31, 2024

As per the Parksite police, the entire incident took place in Ghatkopar. A man named Rishabh, a resident of a society was driving his luxury car into the society when an Ola cab, following behind, lightly bumped his vehicle.



According to ANI Reports, After the cars stopped in the lane, the cab driver's vehicle barely hit Rishabh's car from behind. The couple got out of the car and started slapping the cab driver. He then lifted the driver and slammed him onto the ground which caused serious injuries to his head and body.

Parksite police have registered a case against two people based on the statement of a 24-year-old Ola driver named Qayamuddin Mainuddin Qureshi. No arrests have been made so far.

As per the police, the cab driver was taken to Rajawadi Hospital by security personnel and later admitted to JJ Hospital due to the severity of the injuries on his head.
Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has been making headlines frequently, particularly since his strong statements against turning Assam into what he calls "Miyaland." His recent decision to end the Namaz break in the Assam Legislative Assembly has drawn both attention and controversy. As a result of these decisive actions, some have begun comparing Sarma to Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath, referring to him as the "Yogi of Assam." Sarma has openly stated that he neither bows down nor backs down, which has led to growing interest in him beyond Assam, including from political leaders in Delhi and Bihar. In this article, we'll analyze the question on everyone's mind: What is Himanta Biswa Sarma's real agenda? In today's episode of DNA, Zee News explains Himanta's take on Namaz break ban.

Watch Full Episode Here



A Series of Bold Decisions

In the past week alone, Sarma has made several controversial statements and decisions. His declaration that Assam will not be allowed to become "Miyaland," his remarks linking a specific community to crimes like rape, and his decision to end the Namaz break in the Assembly have all sparked political backlash.

Uniform Civil Code and Marriage Laws

Himanta Biswa Sarma has previously announced that Assam will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), arguing that all citizens of the state should be governed by the same laws. He has also made it mandatory to register Muslim marriages and divorces in the state, stating that this move is aimed at curbing practices like child marriage and polygamy.

Sarma's declaration that Assam will not be allowed to become "Miyaland" was justified by his concern over the settlement of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in areas traditionally inhabited by the state's indigenous population. He has been vocal about the demographic changes in Assam, linking them to illegal immigration.

The Controversy Over the Namaz Break

The most recent controversy revolves around Sarma's decision to end the Namaz break in the Assam Legislative Assembly. Sarma himself addressed the media to explain his reasoning behind this decision, pointing to concerns over the changing demographics in the state.

Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed worry over the demographic shifts in Assam, a concern that sheds light on his recent actions.

In the census conducted after India's independence, Muslims made up 24.68% of Assam's population, while Hindus constituted 70.78%. By the 2011 census, the Muslim population had increased by 10% to 34.22%, while the Hindu population saw a decline of nearly 10%, dropping to 61.47%.

The Issue of Illegal Immigration from Bangladesh

Illegal immigration from Bangladesh is seen as a major factor behind these demographic changes in Assam. According to data presented in Parliament during the UPA government's tenure in 2004, there were 12 million illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India, of which 5 million were in Assam. These figures are from two decades ago, so one can only imagine how much the number of illegal immigrants in Assam has grown since then.
Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: The Calcutta High Court on Friday granted bail to Sayan Lahiri, leader of the Paschim Banga Chhtra Samaj. Lahiri who reportedly organised the Nabanna Abhijan (March to state secretariat) on August 27 to protest the alleged rape-murder of the trainee doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. He was detained the evening of protest for his active involvement in leading the rally, which, according to the police, escalated into violence. The unrest resulted in damage to both public and private property and assaults on police officers.

According to PTI, Justice Amrita Sinha noted that Lahiri seems to be absolutely insignificant character with no influence "in the massive cry for justice in the aftermath of the RG Kar incident." She said that to maintain public trust in the justice system, he should be granted bail. Who exactly is this insignificant student leader that Bengal police arrested and imprisoned?

Who Is Sayan Lahiri

Sayan Lahiri is a spokesperson for the West Bengal Student Society, an unregistered student group that claims to be non-political. They organized a press conference to promote the Nabanna march and urged as many people as possible to join. Lahiri stated that the rally was not affiliated with any major political party but was organized by a platform.

Sayan Lahiri studied at Rabindra Mukta University and later attended the Regent Education and Research Foundation Group of Institutions. He has previously served as the principal of Pranabananda Vidya Mandir and has been a former Business Development Officer at EFEDRA Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd. Before that, he worked at Cipla.

According to media reports, Sayan Lahiri is in an open relationship with a young woman named Devolina Roy. A search of their profiles on social media reveals several posts, including numerous romantic pictures of Devolina with Sayan. Additionally, their social media walls feature many videos and photos related to the protests following the Kolkata rape case.

Anjali Lahiri, mother of Sayan Lahiri, submitted a petition to the High Court seeking bail for her son and the annulment of legal actions taken against him. The court granted the bail, with the release set to occur by 2 PM on Saturday.

What The Calcutta HC Said

The court instructed the state to submit an affidavit addressing the petitioners claims by September 20, with the petitioner required to respond, if necessary, by October 4.

Justice Sinha issued an order restraining the police from taking any coercive measures against Sayan Lahiri related to his current arrest or any other cases without prior court approval.

"Had the RG Kar incident not occurred, there would not have been the existence of the Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj," the court said, PTI reported.

In issuing its order, the court noted that the Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj lacks legal recognition and is a spontaneous student group supported by the public, reacting to the RG Kar incident. Justice Sinha highlighted that the protests have gained widespread national attention, with thousands of ordinary people participating and transcending social and geographical boundaries.
Srinagar: Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt and Sharvari have set social media abuzz with their latest post from the picturesque landscapes of Kashmir.

The duo, currently filming for their upcoming spy thriller 'Alpha,' shared the first photograph from the Kashmir shoot, much to the delight of their fans.

The image, posted on the actresses' social media accounts, features the two stars looking away from the camera against the backdrop of Kashmir's breathtaking natural scenery.

Alia Bhatt and Sharvari are seen embracing each other with one arm draped over the other's shoulder while forming a heart shape with their hands.

The tranquil environment of pine trees enveloped in fog and mist adds to the ethereal beauty of the picture.

Alia Bhatt, dressed in a creme jacket, and Sharvari, clad in a sleek black leather jacket, appear immersed in the serene beauty of their surroundings.

The post was accompanied by the caption "Love, ALPHA" and a collision emoji, further enhanced by the movie's theme music.

This visual delight has ignited a wave of excitement among fans, who have flooded the comments section with red-heart, heart-eye, and fire emojis.

Earlier in the day, Sharvari provided a glimpse of her morning routine in Kashmir through another Instagram story.

The actress shared a mesmerizing view from her hotel room window, showcasing the majestic mountains enveloped in lush greenery.

Accompanied by a cup of coffee and a French press, Sharvari's captioned the IG story, "Morning," along with a sun emoji.

The excitement surrounding 'Alpha' continues to build as the stars and crew immerse themselves in the film's production.

Alia Bhatt and Sharvari arrived in Kashmir on Monday to commence shooting for the highly anticipated spy drama.

Their travel to Kashmir was marked by a public appearance at Mumbai airport, where Alia was seen with her daughter Raha and later joined by her mother, veteran actress Soni Razdan.

Sharvari, on the other hand, opted for a casual look, donning a chocolate brown tank top paired with beige pants.

In a recent Instagram update, Sharvari shared her enthusiasm for the project by posting a picture with director Shiv Rawail, expressing her excitement about the journey ahead.

Her caption read, "It doesn't get bigger than this! Super stoked to start my #Alpha journey today! Trust me... I have manifested this moment super prepped but can feel the butterflies in my tummy...Thank you Adi sir for your faith & @shivrawail for your belief in me! Letssss gooooo!!"

The film, directed by Shiv Rawail, marks a significant addition to Yash Raj Films' esteemed spy universe.

The studio, known for its successful ventures like the Tiger franchise, 'War,' and 'Pathaan,' has generated considerable buzz with the release of a title reveal video.

Alia Bhatt's voiceover in the video says, "Greek alphabet ka sabse pehla akshar Aur humare program ka motto.. sabse pehle, sabse tezz, sabse veer. Dhyaan se dekho toh har sheher mein ek jungle hai. Aur jungle mein hamesha Raj karega.. ALPHA!"
Thiruvananthapuram: Sonia Malhar, who filed a complaint of sexual harassment against actor Jayasurya, recently shared details about the alleged incident.

While speaking to the media, Malhar said, "It was the shooting location of the Malayalam movie Pigman in Thodupuzha. When I came out of the washroom, someone grabbed me. It was actor Jayasurya. I pushed him away. He apologized and told me that he wouldn't repeat it and that we should continue as friends."

Malhar also spoke about the criticism she faced after sharing her experience publicly.

"After the Hema committee report came out, I was sitting in a channel for discussion. The anchor asked me if I had faced any such experience. I explained it on air. Later, I was severely criticized on social media, with people saying my allegations were fake and questioning why I stayed silent for so long. Some even accused me of doing it for money," she said.

"My sons were irritated by hearing all these allegations and asked me to reveal the name. That is why I am revealing this," she added.

The FIR was registered against Jayasurya on Friday following the complaint.

Kerala Police informed ANI, "Second FIR registered against actor Jayasurya under 354, 354A(A1)(I) 354D IPC. The case was registered after the complainant's statement was recorded. FIR has been registered in Thiruvananthapuram and will be transferred to Thodupuzha Police Station."

After the Hema Committee report came out, some women from the Malayalam film industry came forward with charges of sexual harassment.

On Thursday, Sonia addressed the issue and revealed shocking incidents of mistreatment and exploitation during the initial years of her career.

She continued to share, "I was asked to go for makeup and change into my costume. They mentioned there was a slight change in the location. The makeup and costume room, along with toilet facilities, were in an old building nearby. When I went to the toilet and came back, someone unexpectedly held me. I was terrified and he later apologized."

"After that incident, I faced many difficulties. In films, I was working on, the payments were delayed, and I was replaced after the film was announced in newspapers and on TV. After this news spread, a role that was promised to me was given to someone else," she added.

Sonia Malhar said that she decided to come out with this allegation when she came to know that an actress from another state also had such bad experiences and she felt shame.

"It is shameful that a woman from another state cannot even be shown the respect she deserves. When a woman speaks out against the head of the Film Academy, one would expect some shame," she added.

She shared that after the Hema Committee report came out, "the silence from many people" deeply "hurt" her.

On August 28, the first FIR was registered against actor and CPI (M) MLA from Kollam, Mukesh M, following the complaint of actress Minu Muneer.\

Kerala Police informed ANI on Thursday, "FIR has been registered against actor Mukesh, CPI (M) MLA from Kollam constituency. The FIR was registered on the basis of the complaint of an actress."

The police also added that another FIR has been registered against actor Jayasurya on the complaint of the same actress, under section 354 which deals with intent to outrage modesty.

Muneer accused actors Mukesh M, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Idavela Babu of both verbal and physical abuse during their collaborations on film projects.

Speaking to ANI, Muneer detailed her experiences, alleging a range of misconduct. "Once, as I was coming out from the toilet,

Jayasurya hugged me from behind and even kissed me forcefully... After that, Idavela Babu expressed his interest in a sexual relationship with me," she claimed.

She further described troubling interactions with Maniyanpilla Raju, including inappropriate suggestions regarding her hotel accommodation.

The allegations surfaced shortly after the resignation of director Ranjith and actor Siddique from their positions in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), following separate accusations against them.

Muneer's allegations were initially shared on her Facebook page, where she recounted a series of incidents dating back to 2013.

"I am writing to report a series of incidents of physical and verbal abuse I suffered at the hands of Mukesh, Maniyanpilla Raju, Idavela Babu, Jayasurya, Advocate Chandrasekharan, production controller Noble and Vichu," Muneer wrote.

She stated that the abuse led her to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will launch no earlier than September 24, on the agency's SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station.



The updated crew complement follows NASA's decision to return the agency's Boeing Crew Flight Test uncrewed and launch Crew-9 with two unoccupied seats. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will fly home with Hague and Gorbunov in February 2025, a press release by NASA said.



NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson, previously announced as crewmates, are eligible for reassignment on a future mission. Hague and Gorbunov will fly to the space station as commander and mission specialist, respectively, as part of a two-crew member flight aboard a SpaceX Dragon.

The decision to fly Hague was made by NASA chief astronaut Joe Acaba at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Acaba had to balance flying a NASA crew member with previous spaceflight experience to command the flight, while ensuring NASA maintains an integrated crew with a Roscosmos cosmonaut who can operate their critical systems for continued, safe station operations.

"While we've changed crew before for a variety of reasons, downsizing crew for this flight was another tough decision to adjust to given that the crew has trained as a crew of four," said Acaba.

"I have the utmost confidence in all our crew, who have been excellent throughout training for the mission. Zena and Stephanie will continue to assist their crewmates ahead of launch, and they exemplify what it means to be a professional astronaut."

The agency will share reassignment details for Cardman and Wilson when available, the release added. "I am deeply proud of our entire crew," said Cardman, "and I am confident Nick and Alex will step into their roles with excellence. All four of us remain dedicated to the success of this mission, and Stephanie and I look forward to flying when the time is right."

Wilson added, "I know Nick and Alex will do a great job with their work aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 72." With 203 days logged in space, this will be Hague's third launch and second mission to the orbiting laboratory. During his first launch in October 2018, Hague and his crewmate, Roscosmos' Alexey Ovchinin, experienced a rocket booster failure, resulting in an in-flight, post-launch abort, ballistic re-entry, and safe landing in their Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft.

Five months later, Hague launched aboard Soyuz MS-12 and served as a flight engineer aboard the space station during Expeditions 59 and 60. Hague conducted three spacewalks to upgrade space station power systems and install a docking adapter for commercial spacecraft.

An active-duty colonel in the US Space Force, Hague completed a developmental rotation at the Defense Department and served as the Space Force's director of test and evaluation from 2020 to 2022. In August 2022, Hague resumed duties at NASA, working on the Boeing Starliner Program until this flight assignment.

This will be Gorbunov's first trip to space and the station. Born in Zheleznogorsk, Kursk region, Russia, he studied engineering with qualifications in spacecraft and upper stages from the Moscow Aviation Institute.

Gorbunov graduated from the military department with a speciality in operating and repairing aircraft, helicopters, and aircraft engines. Before his selection as a cosmonaut in 2018, he worked as an engineer for Rocket Space Corp. Energia and supported cargo spacecraft launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the release added.

Hague and Gorbonov will become members of the Expedition 72 crew aboard the station. They will join Wilmore, Williams, fellow NASA astronaut Don Pettit, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner conducting scientific research and maintenance activities into the station's 24th year of continuous human presence.
New Delhi: ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has appointed political veteran Chris Lehane, who is a member of the executive team at OpenAI, as its vice president of global policy, according to New York Times reports. Chris Lehane, a former policy chief at Airbnb and a member of the Clinton White House, could not be reached for comment by OpenAI when contacted by Reuters.

This appointment comes after the Cupertino-based tech giant Apple and chip giant Nvidia are reportedly in talks to invest in OpenAI as part of a new fundraising round that could value the Microsoft-backed startup above $100 billion. Earlier in the day, the Financial Times reported that OpenAI is considering restructuring its corporate framework to be more appealing to investors.

OpenAI names political veteran Lehane as head of global policy, NYT reports https://t.co/BfChnf7ybw pic.twitter.com/XWGX45QbHG  Reuters (@Reuters) August 31, 2024

Lehane has also served in the Clinton White House as a lawyer and spokesman, specializing in opposition research. He earned a reputation as the master of disaster during his time working for President Bill Clinton.

A spokeswoman for OpenAI, Liz Bourgeois, said, Just as the company is making changes in other areas of the business to scale the impact of various teams as we enter this next chapter, we recently made changes to our global affairs organization.
Motorola Razr 50 India Launch: Motorola has announced the launch date for its latest foldable Motorola Razr 50 smartphone in India. This is the second foldable smartphone from Motorola to launch here after the Razr 50 Ultra. The Lenovo-owned brand is launching the Motorola Razr 50 foldable device in India on September 9 this year.

The foldable smartphone is expected to come with direct access to Google's Gemini AI assistant from the external display. Consumers can purchase the foldable Motorola Razr 50 smartphone via Amazon India, the Motorola India website and leading retail stores.

However, there is no official confirmation from the company yet whether Motorola will host an event for the Razr 50 India launch or not. Notably, the upcoming smartphone was already unveiled in China with the same moniker in June, but it is available in US markets as Motorola Razr 2024.

Make your #MotorolaRazr50 more you! Choose animated characters, photos, & templates for Home & Lock screens.

Keep commentingyoure so close to win #FlipItOrMissIt contest! T&C: https://t.co/30LCgXhEP9

Launching 9 Sep on Amazon Specials, https://t.co/YA8qpSWDkw & leading stores  Motorola India (@motorolaindia) August 31, 2024

Motorola Razr 50 Specifications (Expected)

The foldable smartphone is rumoured to feature a 6.9-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,640 pixels) pOLED inner display and a 3.6-inch full-HD+ (1,056x1,066 pixels) pOLED cover display.

It is expected to run on a MediaTek Dimensity 7300X chipset alongside up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. The foldable smartphone is expected to be powered by a 4200mAh battery with support for 30W wired fast charging and 15W wireless charging.

On the optics front, the foldable phone could sport a dual outer camera unit comprising a 50-megapixel primary sensor and a 13-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera. For selfies and video chats, there is a 32-megapixel shooter on the inner display along with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
BERLIN: On Friday evening, a violent incident occurred on a bus in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, leaving five people injured after a woman attacked them with a knife, local police confirmed, Xinhua reported. Notably, the woman has been arrested.

The police informed that three persons were in life-threatening conditions. At least 40 other passengers were on the bus at the time of the incident. No further danger is posed, police said, according to Xinhua.

According to German newspaper Bild, the attacker is believed to be a German national, with indications suggesting that they may have been struggling with mental health issues and potentially under the influence of drugs. The police has clarified that they do not suspect terrorism to be a motivating factor.

The incident comes days after a Syrian man brought himself in and admitted to stabbing three people to death and several others at a festival in the western German city of Solingen on Friday, CNN reported citing the police.

The incident claimed the lives of two men, ages 67 and 56, and a lady, age 56. It stunned Germany and led opposition parties to demand stricter immigration laws. The 26-year-old is accused by German prosecutors of being an ISIS member. Via its Amaq news agency, the terrorist group claimed responsibility for the incident. But it provided no proof to support that claim.

In a statement, prosecutors said that due to his "radical Islamist convictions, [the suspect] decided to kill as many people as possible at the Solingen city festival."

The suspect went on a significant manhunt before turning himself in. The man stated, "I'm the one you're looking for," to the officers while covered in blood, according to the daily Bild, reported CNN.
PRNewswire Pune (Maharashtra) [India], August 31: CTAI Foundation is happy to announce the Pitch Perfect Event, a construction technology showcase event, offering startups and product companies the opportunity to present their innovative solutions. As a highlight of Construction Technology Day, this event provides a platform for participants to pitch their products and solutions to a distinguished panel of global investors, gaining valuable feedback, visibility and the opportunity to win a promotional booth space at the CTD 2024 event. Who Should Participate: Applications are open for construction technology startups working in the domains of: * Project Management* Field and Workforce Management* Design Management* Procurement* Quality* Planning* Costing* Sustainability* Prefabrication* 3D Printing* Construction Material Technology* Construction Equipment Technology Prizes * The winning 6 pitches will get a chance to present their product/solution to CTAI Foundation's esteemed VC panelists, to receive investor feedback at CTD 2024 * The top 6 pitches will also receive a free booth, worth Rs.75,000, at the CTD 2024 event, providing an opportunity to showcase their innovation to over 300 attendees, key decision makers, influencers and potential customers * Travel and accommodation assistance for one presenter (for outstation attendees, maximum travel budget -- Rs. 10K) Important Dates * Submission Deadline: September 16, 2024 * Selection Week: October 15-18, 2024 * Pitch Perfect Event: November 18, 2024 How to apply: To apply for the pitch perfect event, please visit https://ctai.in/events/ctd-2024/the-pitch-perfect-event/ "We are thrilled to introduce Pitch Perfect as a new addition to Construction Technology Day. This event is crucial in offering startups the exposure they need, valuable feedback, and the potential to secure the investment required to elevate their innovations. We're eager to uncover the next breakthrough in construction technology," said Saurabh Tiwari, Co-founder and Mentor of CTAI Foundation. About the Construction Technology Day Event Construction Technology Day (CTD) is an annual event that brings together industry and academia leaders passionate about leveraging technology, to enhance efficiency, collaboration, and predictability in construction. The event, first hosted in 2022, kick-started an industry-wide movement, providing a platform for discussions on the challenges, opportunities and roadmap for construction technology adoption. About CTAI Foundation CTAI Foundation is a non-profit organization that is run by people across industry and academia who are passionate about leveraging technology, to improve efficiency and collaboration, enabling predictable outcomes, and making construction an enriching and pleasurable experience for all. CTAI Foundation is committed to the vision of transforming the way we build by using technology. Contact Information For more information about the event or to register, please visit https://ctai.in/events/ctd-2024/the-pitch-perfect-event/ or contact our representatives at deepak@ctai.in and dhruvs@ctai.in Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2493301/PPE_CTAI_FOUNDATION.jpgLogo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2235251/4314549/CTAI_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
PNN Panjim (Goa) [India], August 31: The National Conclave on Indian Achievers' Awards by Indian Achievers' Forum and the 11th Corporate Social Responsibility Summit and CSR Times Awards 2024 were held in Goa on Friday, 23rd August, at the prestigious Raj Bhawan, Goa. The summit was organized by the Indian Achievers' Forum in association with CSR TIMES--a periodical on corporate social responsibility, in collaboration with the Goa CSR Authority. The occasion was graced by dignitaries including Hon'ble Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, Sadanand Shet Tanavade, Hon'ble Member of Rajya Sabha, Subhash Uttam Phal Desai, Hon'ble Minister of Social Welfare (Government of Goa), Sunil Shastri, Chief Patron-Indian Achievers' Forum, among other distinguished guests including business leaders, CSR professionals, and numerous award winners from across India. CSR Times Awards 2024 Jury Chairman, Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Former Director General and CEO - Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, was also present. Mr. Vijay Saxena, Director - Planning and Joint CEO, Goa CSR Authority, and Dr. M B Gururaj, Principal Advisor, Goa CSR Authority, also marked their presence at the event. Setting the tone for the summit, Harish Chandra, Editor, CSR Times, spotlighted the purpose of the occasion: "To harness the potential of CSR across the nation." Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, in his address to the vast gathering, said: "I believe this year's theme, 'Empowering States Through Sustainable Development,' resonates deeply with the vision that we have for Goa and indeed for the entire country." In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of turning India into the world's third-largest economy, Goa, in particular, has been leading the way forward, with CSR being the propeller in this direction. "In Goa, we have embraced CSR as a crucial component of our development strategy. The Goa CSR Authority, which we established with a clear mandate to channel CSR initiatives effectively, has been instrumental in driving various initiatives across the state. From education and healthcare to environmental sustainability and infrastructure development, the Goa CSR Authority has been working relentlessly to ensure that every rupee spent through CSR makes a tangible difference in the lives of our people," Chief Minister Sawant said, addressing the conglomerate. Corroborating his statement was Rajya Sabha Member and Goa BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade, who spoke of the immense power that lies in the hands of both corporations and state authorities when they align their goals towards the greater good of society. "Corporate Social Responsibility is a fundamental pillar of how businesses operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. It is about creating value not only for shareholders but for society at large," he said. The event was also graced by Sadanand Shet Tanawade, Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, who emphasized how important CSR is for the states. He outlined, "Corporate Social Responsibility is not just a mandate; it is a commitment to shaping a better future for our communities. By investing in the welfare of society, businesses in Goa can drive sustainable growth and create lasting impact." During the course of the event, a panel discussion was also organized on the theme "Empowering States through Sustainable Development." Dr. Shabnam Asthana, Managing Editor, CSR Times, moderated the panel. Some of the prominent organizations that won awards for their CSR projects were Vedanta, Grasim Industries, Jindal Steel and Power, Central Coalfields, DLF Foundation, Sir Ness Wadia Foundation, and various others. A few of the Indian Achievers' award winners were: Amit Kumar Das, Chief Executive Officer, Anjali Export Bysani Kodanda Harish, Senior Vice President, GenXAI Platform Pvt. Ltd., Jaipur, Rajasthan Priyanshu Kumar Jain, Software Development Engineer, Productiv Inc. Abhishek Sharma, IAS District Magistrate Samba, District Administration Samba - eSevak Naveesh Garg, CEO-ECS Domain, UNO Minda Limited Venkata Obula Reddy Puli, SAP Solution Architect Vimal Sharma, Head of Business Development, Customer Support & Aftersales, BMW Group India Arnab Bhattacharya, Senior Regional Director, South APAC Region, Marken (A UPS Company) Bhargav Krishna Adusumilli, Co-Founder, MindQuest Software Solutions Private Limited Aparna Seksaria, Director, Life Sciences Solutions Joseph Aaron Tsapa, Vice President, MUFG Bank, Ltd. Seetharamareddy Mohanareddy Gowda, Analytics Lead/Corporate Financial Systems Advisor Reetu Jain, Co-Founder, Beta Makers Lab Private Limited Pradeep Raman, Product Leader Amey Phatale, Continuous Improvement Manager Manish Ahuja, Co-Founder, Influx Solutions Arokia Pranesh Kanna, Director, Medical Devices and Healthcare Kumar Raghvendra, Commercial Director, Veetee Group, UK Saumil Hukerikar, Senior Software Engineer Vuthpala Medhams, Vice President of Solutions Engineering (DevOps/SRE) Manish Reddy Bendhi, Data Engineer Dr. Sujata Seshadrinathan, Director - IT & Process, Basiz Fund Service Private Limited Atul Gupta, Salesforce COE Platform & Architecture Leader Vinay Mallikarjunaradhya, Principal Product Manager Naveen Chikkanayakanahalli Ramachandrappa, Lead Software Quality Assurance Engineer Shaik Masood Mohiddin, Head of Services - Cath Lab, Aster Medcity Swetha Singiri, Data Engineering Manager Sharique Ali, SAP Techno-Functional Architect CM Sawant, praising the conduct of the summit, pointed out: "First, it would highlight our CSR work in Goa, which could inspire other states. Second, it would open up doors for you to explore opportunities for expanding your CSR activities in Goa." In the vote of thanks, Prashant Das, the Associate Editor of CSR TIMES, acknowledged the contributions of all stakeholders, including the officials of the Goa CSR Authority, the sponsors Bhutani Infra, Canara Bank, Tata Sons, SAIL, RCF, Radico, State Bank of India, and Indian Oil. Das also reiterated CM Sawant's agreement in principle to organize the next three CSR Summits in Goa. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
During the meeting, Glazebrook provided an overview of the CWEIC's initiatives, emphasizing the Council's commitment to enhancing trade and investment among the 56 Commonwealth countries.

She also highlighted the Council's particular focus on supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups, helping them to scale and achieve sustainable growth.

Expressing the Council's interest in deepening ties with Telangana, Glazebrook proposed that Telangana could serve as a strategic partner in the CWEIC's broader objectives and making it an ideal partner for the Commonwealth's efforts to promote business development.

An official statement from the Telangana government stated on 'X' that "Ms. Rosie Glazebrook, Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, met with Chief Minister Sri@revanth_anumulaat the Secretariat. She expressed the@CWEICofficial's interest in engaging with #Telangana as its strategic partner".

In response, CM Revanth Reddy also shared his vision for the state's development, outlining several flagship programmes, including the RRR (Regional Ring Road), FutureCity, and the Musi River Development Project. These initiatives, aimed at transforming Telangana's urban and economic landscape.

The discussion marked the beginning of a potential partnership that could see Telangana playing a significant role in the Commonwealth's trade and investment network, benefiting from increased collaboration and support for its SMEs and startups.

Recently, the Foxconn Chairman Young Liu has also expressed a keen interest in investing in Hyderabad, citing the city's expanding capacity in both the industrial and service sectors.

According to Foxconn, during a meeting with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in New Delhi, Liu praised the CM's approach, particularly his plans for the development of the Fourth City project.

Liu said, "Hyderabad city has the potential to expand in all sectors, including industrial and service sectors." (ANI)
NewsVoir Delhi-NCR [India], August 31: Accurate Institute of Management & Technology, a premier institution offering a wide range of courses across various fields of study, recently held an orientation program for its new management students at its campus in Knowledge Park-3, Greater Noida. The event was graced by the esteemed chief guest, Prabhu Chawla, a renowned journalist and Padma Bhushan awardee. Welcoming the new students to the campus, Poonam Sharma, Chairperson of Accurate Institute said, "Accurate is committed to making your future bright. We are acutely aware of the emerging challenges in the rapidly changing business world, which demands top-notch management skills." She also highlighted that Accurate has established strong partnerships with several foreign institutions and universities to provide high-quality education to its students. In his address to the students, Prabhu Chawla emphasized the importance of thinking outside the box and stepping out of one's comfort zone to achieve great success. He remarked, "You all play a crucial role in shaping the future of your country, and for that, you need to change your mindset and embrace challenges. The primary objective of education is not just to make you job-ready but to turn you into wise, tolerant, and responsible citizens. Sometimes, your parents and teachers make tough decisions for your benefit, which you should accept in the right spirit." Chawla also stressed the significance of learning soft skills. He said, "In life, we encounter people who may seem complex, but they are different, not difficult. We must learn how to connect with them effectively." Chawla also offered students valuable tips and strategies for overcoming the challenges they will face in their professional lives. He encouraged them to establish themselves as leaders and create a unique identity in society, sharing his valuable experiences from his long journalism career. Accurate Institute has an exceptional placement record, coupled with academic excellence. This, along with the assurance of providing the best placement opportunities, makes Accurate a top choice for students nationwide. The orientation program attracted more than 200 students from across the country. The Lush green campus of Accurate Institute of Technology is situated at Greater Noida. The institute is offering PGDM Course with dual specialization duly approved by AICTE, Ministry of HRD, and Government of India. Its PGDM course has been developed with innovative teaching methodology including regular industry interactions and laptop to groom them as techno business managers. The institute has been reckoned among the premier business schools of the country by various stakeholders. For more information, please visit: www.accurate.in. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
PNN Pune (Maharashtra) [India], August 31: Ceratec Group, a leading real estate developer in Pune, has officially unveiled its new brandmark, aimed at better representing the company's vision, comprehensive offerings, values to customers, and evolving aspirations. This rebranding initiative comes at a pivotal moment as the dynamics of the Pune real estate market undergo rapid transformation, driven by technological advancements, sustainability initiatives, and shifting consumer preferences. In a strategic move, Ceratec Group's leadership undertook a thorough analysis of their former logo, established in 2000, and recognized the necessity to refresh the brand to align with the company's current positioning and core competencies. The new logo is accompanied by the tagline "Exceeding Expectations," emphasizing Ceratec Group's commitment to delivering exceptional quality and service in every aspect of its operations. "Our aspirations, vision, and portfolio of services have changed drastically in the last few years, and this is our attempt to communicate the same with all our customers, prospects, employees, partners, and stakeholders," stated Anand Agarwal, Managing Director of Ceratec Group. "The visual of the new logo represents a blend of innovation, quality, and customer-centricity, symbolizing the company's commitment to delivering exceptional living experiences through its expertise in real estate development and ethical practices. This new brand identity marks a significant milestone in the company's evolution." Founded in 2000, Ceratec Group initially focused on the marble industry, quickly expanding into ceramic retail with one of the largest showrooms in India by 2007. The company made a strategic entry into the real estate sector in 2011, launching a diverse range of projects that include residential complexes, commercial spaces, and mixed-use developments. Today, with a dedicated team of over 150 professionals, Ceratec Group has successfully completed projects spanning more than 65 acres in Pune, earning a reputation for futuristic designs that prioritize affordability, sustainability, and community living. With ongoing projects in Ravet and Hinjewadi, along with future developments in Balewadi and Baner, Ceratec Group is well-positioned to continue enhancing the lives of its residents and contributing to the growth of Pune's real estate sector. Website: https://ceratecgroup.com/ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
VMPL Hong Kong, August 31: Msafely, a leading name in digital security, proudly announces the launch of its groundbreaking phone monitoring solution, designed to offer unparalleled control and insight into children's digital lives. With an emphasis on security, privacy, and ease of use, Msafely's innovative technology aims to set a new standard for parental control in the digital age. Transforming Parental Control with Advanced Technology As technology advances, parents face new concerns about digital parenting. The new Msafely phone monitoring software addresses these concerns by allowing parents to discreetly and successfully monitor their child's phone usage. The app is compatible with Android and iOS smartphones, and it is accessible and effective across platforms. Comprehensive features for unmatched insight Msafely's phone monitoring solution is packed with a range of features designed to offer in-depth visibility into a child's phone activities. Here's a closer look at what the app provides: * Monitor WhatsApp: Parents can track all interactions on WhatsApp, including messages, media files, and contact details. This feature helps ensure that children are engaging in safe and appropriate conversations. * Track Text Messages: The app allows parents to view all sent and received text messages, including those that have been deleted. This ensures no message goes unnoticed, providing a complete picture of the child's texting activity. * Track Installed Apps: Msafely provides a detailed list of all applications installed on the target device, allowing parents to manage and monitor app usage effectively. * Spy on Snapchat: With Msafely, parents can keep an eye on Snapchat interactions, including messages and multimedia content, to ensure their children are not exposed to harmful or inappropriate content. * Monitor Phone Calls: The app records details of incoming, outgoing, missed, and cancelled calls. Parents can access information such as call duration, contact names, and phone numbers. * Track Line: Msafely monitors activities on the Line messaging app, providing insights into conversations and shared content. * Monitor Instagram: Parents can track interactions on Instagram, including messages, posts, and profile activities, to ensure their child's social media use is safe and appropriate. * View Photos & Videos: The app enables parents to view all photos and videos stored on the device, along with timestamps, allowing them to keep track of the media their child is sharing and receiving. Real-Time Location Tracking and Geofencing Alerts One of the standout features of Msafely's app is its real-time location tracking and geofencing capabilities. Parents can monitor their child's location in real-time and receive alerts when the child enters or exits specified geographic areas. This feature not only helps in ensuring the child's safety but also provides peace of mind for parents. In-Depth Internet Usage Monitoring Msafely's app goes beyond just phone activities by offering comprehensive monitoring of internet usage. Parents can view browsing history, track visited websites, and identify any potentially dangerous online behavior. This ensures that children are practicing safe internet habits and are protected from online threats. A Focus on Discretion and Security Msafely prioritizes privacy and security, ensuring that monitoring activities remain discreet. The app operates in hidden mode, leaving no visible traces on the target device. Utilizing advanced cloud-based technology, Msafely eliminates the need for physical installation, saving time and avoiding detection. All data is encrypted, ensuring the highest level of protection for both the parent and child. User-friendly Setup and Operation Msafely is designed to be user-friendly and easy to set up. The process is straightforward: 1. Sign Up for a Free Account: Start by registering for a free Msafely account using a valid email address. This allows parents to access the app's features without any initial cost. 2. Connect the Target Device: Select a suitable subscription plan and connect the target phone to Msafely. The connection process is simple and quick, ensuring a smooth setup. 3. Start Monitoring: Once the device is connected, parents can access the Msafely Control Panel to begin tracking the target device. The user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate and monitor activities effectively. Msafely differentiates itself from other phone monitoring solutions through several key advantages: * No Need for App Installation: Unlike other monitoring solutions, Msafely's cloud-based technology allows for remote monitoring without the need for physical app installation. This feature saves time and prevents detection. * 100% Effective Monitoring: Msafely's app delivers reliable and comprehensive monitoring features, ensuring that parents have complete visibility into their child's phone activities. * Multiple Connection Options: The app offers various connection methods, providing flexibility for different user needs. * Outstanding Features: Msafely provides superior monitoring capabilities compared to competitors, with features designed to cover a wide range of phone activities. * Quick and Easy Setup: The setup process is fast and user-friendly, allowing parents to get started with minimal effort. Flexible Pricing and Solutions Msafely offers a range of pricing plans to cater to different needs and budgets. Information about subscription options and pricing is available on the Msafely website. The app supports both Android and iOS devices, ensuring that parents can monitor a variety of devices. Unmatched Compatibility and Versatility Msafely's app is compatible with all Android and iPhone devices, eliminating compatibility issues. It supports monitoring for over 16 social media platforms and operates in hidden mode, ensuring undetectable monitoring. The app's versatility makes it an ideal solution for diverse monitoring needs. Commitment to Privacy and Security Msafely is dedicated to maintaining high standards of privacy and security. The app's cloud-based technology ensures that no physical installation is required, and all data is encrypted to protect user information. About Msafely Msafely is a leader in digital security solutions, specializing in tools that help parents navigate the complexities of modern technology. With a focus on innovation, privacy, and user-friendliness, Msafely provides advanced solutions to enhance digital safety and ensure a secure online environment for children. Contact Information and Support Email (General Inquiries): service@msafely.com Email (Partnerships): partnership@msafely.com Phone: (619) 728-9145 Address: GBYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED, FLAT 2304, 23/F HO KING, COMMERCIAL CENTRE, 2-16 FA YUEN STREET, MONG KOK KOWLOON, Hong Kong Website: https://msafely.com/ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy stressed the importance of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) working towards indigenization in line with the Prime Minister's vision of 'Viksit Bharat - 2047', at the Annual Performance Review of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) on Saturday. According to the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) convened the conference at Vigyan Bhawan. He emphasized that CPSEs must accelerate their efforts and contribute more to the country's development, ensuring that this progress is both sustainable and environmentally conscious. Kumaraswamy emphasized the Ministry's crucial role in realizing the Prime Minister's vision, particularly in engineering and the automotive sector. He noted that India, now among the top five largest economies globally, aims to be in the top three within a few years, and CPSEs have a significant role to play in this advancement. This initiative is part of the Ministry's continuous efforts to assess how effectively CPSEs are achieving their core objectives. The conference was presided over by Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, HD Kumaraswamy, with participation from Kamran Rizvi, Secretary, Heavy Industries, senior MHI officers, and CMDs of CPSEs under the Ministry's administrative control. The Ministry regularly assesses the performance of CPSEs to gauge their success in meeting their main objectives. This evaluation, conducted through the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) system, helps CPSEs focus on outcomes and align their efforts with national priorities. Minister Kumaraswamy further highlighted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visionary leadership, India is on a transformative path toward becoming a self-reliant and economically strong nation. Government initiatives, such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes for sectors like Auto and Auto components, ACC, and the FAME scheme for promoting electric vehicles, have been pivotal in enhancing domestic manufacturing capabilities. CPSEs are involved in a wide range of sectors, producing essential goods like salt, tea, and cement, and manufacturing critical infrastructure components like bridges, buildings, transformers, and electric vehicles. The performance review conducted today will be used to address challenges and continue the pursuit of excellence, ensuring that government companies become models of efficiency, innovation, and service to the nation. He emphasized avoiding cost escalation and ensuring the timely completion of all projects of national significance. CPSEs are vital to the economy, serving not just as commercial entities but as strategic national assets that provide critical infrastructure, services, and industrial capabilities. Their performance is essential for advancing India's development agenda, boosting self-reliance, and strengthening global competitiveness. During the event, the CMDs of several CPSEs under the Ministry of Heavy Industries presented their 'MoU Performance and Way Forward,' including Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), Bridge & Roof Co. Ltd. (B&R), Engineering Projects (India) Ltd. (EPIL), Braithwaite Burn & Jessop Construction Co. Ltd. (BBJ), Andrew Yule & Co. Ltd. (AYCL), Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd. (HEC), Cement Corporation of India Ltd. (CCI), HMT Ltd. (HMT), HMT (International) Ltd., HMT Machine Tools Ltd., Hindustan Salts Ltd. (HSL), Sambhar Salts Ltd. (SSL), Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Ltd. (REIL), Instrumentation Ltd. (IL), NEPA Ltd. (ANI)
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism and Culture emphasized the crucial role tourism will play in India's journey towards becoming a developed nation (Viksit Bhaarat) by 2047. Speaking at the ET World Leaders Forum on Saturday, he said, "By 2047 when India becomes developed, one of the big drivers of developed India (Viksit Bhaarat) will be the tourism sector." Shekhawat emphasized India's rapid progress over the past decade, attributing it to strategic reforms and advancements in infrastructure under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shekhawat said, "The way India has developed its infrastructure, established new benchmarks across various sectors, and embraced cutting-edge technologies has transformed the global perspective towards our nation. Today, India is recognized as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world." Highlighting recent acknowledgements of India's economic growth, Shekhawat referenced Moody's recent rating. "Moody's acknowledgement of our economic growth is a testament to the positive trajectory India has been on in recent years," he said. Shekhawat also pointed out the massive scale of infrastructure development in India, including the construction of over 1,50,000 kilometers of highways, the electrification of the entire rail network, and the introduction of advanced train systems like Vande Bharat. He noted that while India's tourism sector currently contributes 7.9 per cent to the global economy--below the global average of 10.4 per cent--there is significant potential for growth. "The total number of inbound tourists in India is concentrated in just seven states, from Rajasthan to Delhi. As we move towards 2047, tourism will be one of the key drivers of India's development," Shekhawat said. Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, echoed Shekhawat's sentiments on India's growing global economic presence. He said, "India is on the world map as far as economy is concerned. We are getting all the attention from every corner of the world. When it comes to tourism, there is a lot we still need to do. While domestic tourism is on the growth path already, international tourism is also on the growth path." He added, "The inbound tourism, given the COVID situation, we still had bought 85 per cent of recovery as compared to 2019 levels. We get about close to 10 million tourists and we used to be at about 11 or a little over 11 million foreign tourists in 2019. The 2023 over 2022 was like 300 per cent growth. We are finishing the recovery path and getting into the growth zone even for the foreign tourist arrivals as well." Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and CEO of The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), highlighted the integral relationship between infrastructure growth and the hospitality sector. He said, "Single biggest beneficiary of the growth of infrastructure is Hospitality. When hospitality grows, it creates a lot of jobs. It is the biggest multiplicator of jobs in the world." Sandeep Ghosh, Group Country Manager for India and South Asia at VISA, discussed the emerging trends in health and wellness tourism. "Health tourism, wellness tourism is on the uptick. This is a huge opportunity for the government to leverage on the Ayush initiative to grow this segment further", Ghosh said. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Promoter of HRH Group of Hotels, praised the global recognition of Indian heritage hospitality, particularly by Tata and the Taj Group of Hotels. "Indian company today has knocked the doors of World forum as far as Heritage hospitality Is concern is non other than Tata and the Taj group of hotels", he noted. (ANI)
This photo taken on Aug. 29, 2024 shows a scene at the releasing ceremony of the world's first professional, multimodal large language model (LLM) for the field of lunar science in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

The world's first professional, multimodal large language model (LLM) for the field of lunar science has been released in China to significantly accelerate the processing speed of massive amounts of lunar data.



The new tool was debuted at the China International Big Data Industry Expo in Guiyang, the capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Geochemistry and the Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group.

The Institute of Geochemistry has built a comprehensive "digital moon" platform with the world's most complete bank of data related to the exploration of the moon.

The LLM has created a "smart brain" for this digital moon. Ku Wei, vice president of the Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, said that the LLM identifies lunar craters and remembers them by size, depth and shape to provide scientists with important bases for their study of the moon's geological evolution.

There are more than 1 million lunar craters with a diameter of over 1 kilometer, and countless smaller ones, according to Liu Jianzhong, a researcher at the Institute of Geochemistry. Identifying all lunar craters would be impossible if we were to rely on manpower alone, Liu said.

Researchers now only need to input an image of a lunar crater, and the LLM will determine its shape, size and age.

"The accuracy rate is more than 80 percent, exceeding our expectations," Liu said.

Scientists say that the progress and development of planetary science depends on two factors: the development of deep space exploration technology, and the levels of data processing and application.

Scientific research driven by big data is changing the human science and technology development process, and the intelligence of the digital moon will accelerate China's lunar and planetary scientific research and innovation, according to scientists.

"The LLM is like a child with a very high IQ. We train and teach the child professional things. I personally believe that this child's intelligence may have reached the university sophomore level. We will let it continue to grow and help us solve more scientific problems," Liu said.
Himachal Pradesh government today inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EFS Facilities Services Group Limited, a leading Dubai-based company, to facilitate overseas placements for the state's youth. According to an official statement, the MoU was signed in the presence of Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Himachal Chief Minister, marking a milestone in the state's efforts to secure global employment opportunities for its residents. Deputy Director of Employment, Sandeep Thakur, signed the agreement on behalf of the state government, while Chief Executive Officer Tariq Chauhan represented EFS Facilities Services Group Limited. The MoU is expected to open doors for Himachali youth to work abroad, particularly in sectors like hospitality, technical services, housekeeping, food and beverage, and office support. As a gesture of the partnership's immediate impact, Chief Minister Sukhu handed out appointment letters to five selected candidates: Rajat Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Jaspreet Singh, and Abhinav Sharma from Una district, and Dinesh from Hamirpur district. These individuals are set to join the prestigious NEOM city project in Saudi Arabia, with their visa processes currently underway. They are expected to commence their overseas assignments by September this year. Chief Minister Sukhu expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, "The State Government was also exploring the possibilities of more overseas employment opportunities, and for this purpose, the department will coordinate with the Counsel General of India office in Dubai." He added, "As a part of its broader India hiring strategy, EFS plans to meet 15-20 per cent of their hiring needs from the state, up to 1000 candidates per year, particularly in sectors such as hospitality, technical services, housekeeping, food and beverage, and office support." To ensure the well-being of the candidates working abroad, the Chief Minister directed the Labour and Employment Department to establish a robust tracking and monitoring mechanism. He emphasised the importance of integrating the Mukhya Mantri Sewa Sankalp Helpline 1100 into this system to provide continuous support to the candidates. The state government is also considering amending technical courses to align them with global employment requirements, thereby enhancing the employability of its youth. In a bid to explore further overseas employment opportunities, the government will coordinate with the Consulate General of India in Dubai. EFS Facilities Services Group, known for its extensive operations across 25 countries in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and Europe, has committed to recruiting 15-20 per cent of its annual hiring needs, or up to 1,000 candidates, from Himachal Pradesh. CEO Tariq Chauhan highlighted that the company would begin with a pilot project to hire at least 25 candidates from the region by December 2024. He assured that no recruitment fees would be charged, and measures would be in place to protect candidates from exploitation by intermediaries. Chief Minister Sukhu reaffirmed the government's commitment to creating both employment and self-employment opportunities for the state's youth. He noted that over 31,000 government sector jobs have been created in just 20 months under his administration. Additionally, the Rs 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Startup Scheme has been implemented to encourage young entrepreneurs to start self-employment ventures. The event concluded with Tariq Chauhan presenting his book, "Getting to Resilient Mode," to Chief Minister Sukhu. The ceremony was attended by Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, Labour and Employment Secretary Priyanka Basu, Labour Commissioner Mansi Sahay Thakur, OSD to Chief Minister Gopal Sharma, and other representatives from EFS. (ANI)
Google has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Tamil Nadu. The collaboration aims to build a robust AI-enabled ecosystem in the state, focusing on key areas like start-up enablement, skilling, and the industrial ecosystem, particularly for MSMEs, to create impactful and scalable AI solutions. The MoU was exchanged at Google's Mountain View office, with Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin and Industries Minister Dr. TRB Rajaa in attendance. The agreement was signed between Amit Zavery, GM/VP and Head of Platform of Google Cloud, Nanda Ramachandran, Vice President, Pixel Business Unit, Google, and officials from Guidance Tamil Nadu, the state's nodal agency for investment promotion and facilitation. As part of this collaboration, Google will work closely with Guidance Tamil Nadu to support the development of an AI ecosystem by providing access to advanced technologies and resources. This initiative is designed to empower individuals, businesses, and government entities to harness AI for inclusive growth and progress. Dr TRB Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Government of Tamil Nadu, expressed optimism about the partnership, stated, "We are happy to collaborate with Google on advanced manufacturing, including the recently announced Made in India Pixel 8 phone being manufactured in Tamil Nadu. The MoU signed today will explore key Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives under the Tamil Nadu AI Labs." He further said, "Our partnership with Google is a significant step forward towards establishing Tamil Nadu as a thriving AI and advanced electronics manufacturing hub. We are not just adopting technology; we are harnessing its power to propel our state into the future. Through Hon'ble Chief Minister's visionary 'Naan Mudhalvan' programme, which is India's largest up-skilling initiative, we aim to equip the youth of Tamil Nadu with future-ready AI skills and spark innovation across key sectors such as startups, mobility, healthcare and other real-world challenges." He added, "The State is committed to equipping 2 million youth with cutting-edge AI skills to prepare them for the future. We look forward to exploring initiatives with Google under this program." Amit Zavery, GM/VP, and Head of Platform of Google Cloud, emphasized the shared vision of the collaboration, stated, "We're thrilled to partner with the Tamil Nadu Government on their journey towards an AI-powered future. This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to fostering inclusive growth and technological progress through AI. We look forward to working together to build a thriving AI ecosystem in Tamil Nadu -- one that not only drives innovation and creates opportunities but also empowers individuals with the skills they need to succeed in the digital age." The collaboration between Google and the Government of Tamil Nadu will focus on several key pillars. The Made in India Pixel 8 devices manufacturing is underway, happening in Tamil Nadu through local partnerships. Google will collaborate with the Government to upskill Tamil Nadu's workforce with AI capabilities, and explore AI learning initiatives under the flagship 'Naan Mudhalvan' upskilling platform. Programs will also seek to enhance digital education to build a future-ready workforce. Google will work alongside Tamil Nadu's startup ecosystem to offer mentorship and networking with Google experts and industry leaders, with AI-focused events designed to solve local challenges and foster innovation and problem solving within the community. Google for Startup program will provide eligible VC-funded AI startups with Cloud credits, technical training, and business support to accelerate their growth. To empower Tamil Nadu's MSMEs, Google and Google Cloud's partners will collaborate with the Government to help leverage Google Cloud's AI on open networks market place. These efforts will enable streamlined access, automate processes, enhance decision-making, and promote innovation through technology adoption. Google is committed to developing AI in a way that maximizes the positive benefits to society while addressing the challenges, guided by our AI Principles. We prioritize fundamental research to create solutions for the world's most pressing issues and believe that collaboration across diverse communities is the key to accelerating progress with tangible impact, while ensuring the ethical development and deployment of these transformative technologies. (ANI)
Bollywood actress Kadambari Jethwani met with NTR Police Commissioner SV Rajasekhar Babu on Friday, to file a complaint against political leader and film producer KVR Vidyasagar. Jethwani has accused Vidyasagar of filing false cases against her and her parents. The actress also claimed that certain police officers had conspired with Vidyasagar to harass her family and sought action against those responsible. While speaking to media, the actress said, "Any honest citizen of the country would never want their name embroiled in all these controversies. I mean who wants their name splashed across newspapers. I was dragged into this without my consent illegally and unlawfully. It is said that people will do whatever they do, they are going to do it, but I have full faith in God, and there are good people in the country, good people with integrity who will not let the innocent suffer." Her lawyer, N Srinivas Rao, who also addressed the media, said, "She belongs to a respectable family. Her father is 83 years old and a retired Army person. Her mother has retired from the RBI as Assistant Manager. Without giving any respect to senior citizens, Andhra Pradesh Police brutally acted against them and asked them for five days in police custody. Senior officials harassed her to get her to compromise on the case in Mumbai. As per her statement, there are some bigwigs involved but since she does not belong to the state, she is unaware of their identity. Police officers are hand in glove with some officials and this is not possible without any political influence. " Jethwani alleged that Vidyasagar had filed a false forgery and extortion case against her family with the Ibrahimpatnam police in February. She claimed that, on Vidyasagar's orders, the police travelled to Mumbai, arrested her and her parents without notice, and brought them to Vijayawada, where they were remanded in custody. The actress also accused top-level police officers of being involved in their illegal arrest and mistreatment. According to the actress, three IPS officers and two senior police officers in civilian clothes were part of the group that came to Mumbai with the Ibrahimpatnam police. Jethwani and her parents were held in jail for about 40 days. As of late Friday night, the police recorded the statements of Jethwani and her parents. (ANI)
The case was filed in Kozhikode and is the latest development after the release of the recent Hema Committee report.

The investigation team recorded the statement of the complainant on Friday.

On Friday, a complaint was filed against Ranjith by an aspiring male actor, who alleged that the director forced him to strip naked and sexually assaulted him in 2012.

Ranjith had invited the victim to a hotel in Bangalore for an audition, where the alleged assault took place. The complainant initially believed it was part of the audition. The next morning, Ranjith offered the victim money. The actor has since filed a complaint with the DGP, and the SIT will consider it.

Kerala Police had earlier confirmed to ANI that they received a complaint from the young actor against the Kerala filmmaker Ranjith.

On Monday, Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra filed a complaint with the Kochi City Police against Ranjith, a day after he resigned as the chairman of the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy.

Based on the actress''s complaint, a case was registered against the director.

Earlier this month, a redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry was made public. It contains shocking accounts of harassment, exploitation, and ill-treatment of women professionals. (ANI)
The information was confirmed by a Department of Justice official on Friday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Mark Chavez, 54, appeared in a Los Angeles federal court on Friday for a bond hearing and arraignment.

According to Ciaran McEvoy from the United States Attorneys' Office, Chavez is expected to enter a guilty plea in the coming weeks. His plea will be the third in the ongoing investigation into Perry's death.

The 'Friends' actor was found dead in October in the hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the investigation into Perry's death has led to the arrest of five people. These include Chavez, Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, another doctor named Salvador Plasencia, a drug dealer, and a woman known as the "ketamine queen."

Jasveen Sangha, the woman dubbed the "ketamine queen," and Salvador were identified as the lead defendants in this case.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office reported that Perry died from the acute effects of ketamine, which led to cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression.

The amount of ketamine found in Perry's blood was comparable to what is used during general anaesthesia. The medical examiner also noted that drowning, coronary artery disease, and the effects of buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid addiction, were contributing factors in Perry's death.

Chavez is also accused of using a fake prescription and making false statements to a wholesale ketamine distributor.(ANI)
Saturday turned out to be nostalgic for all those who love 'Rehnna Hai Terre Dil Mein' (RHTDM) film as actors R Madhavan and Dia Mirza did a special Instagram live interaction to mark the re-release of the film. During the virtual chat, the duo shared their experiences working in 'RHTDM', which marked the Bollywood debut of both Dia and Madhavan. Dia recalled, "We were travelling from one place to another for 14-18 hours, constantly going from one place to another. We would often catch up on our sleep in the flight. The film was also shot that way - we had shot in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Mumbai. The film's release date was announced before we finished the bhaag daur." She also remembered how Madhavan had predicted that the film would connect with the audiences, and how it has come true despite the initial failure. They also reacted to fans' comments. When one of the fans asked them about Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein part 2, Dia Mirza said, "Kaun Banayga?" To this, Madhavan replied, "Yaar Dar yeh hai na ki we should it better than the original one. Warna na humko itni gaaliyan padegi" RHTDM was released in 2001. The romantic drama, directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, was a remake of his own Tamil film Minnale released in the same year. A couple of years ago, rumours surfaced online that the makers of the film were planning to make a sequel.In 2020, Madhavan refuted the rumours of the sequel to 'RHTDM'. The '3 Idiots' actor took to Twitter to state that he does not have any idea about the sequel to the classic love saga released years ago."#RHTDM ..Guysss ...been reading rumors about the sequel .. and hoping it's true-cause I have no idea about this," he tweeted. He further went on to joke that both he and her co-actor Dia Mirza are much older now as compared to when the original film was released in 2001 and he wished that the script of the film be "age-appropriate" for them in case of a sequel. "Just praying that someone somewhere has an age-appropriate script for Dia and I -varna ab madhav shastri banna to hathi ko chaddi pehnane ke barabar hai," his post further read. The film also starred Saif Ali Khan in a key role. (ANI)
Actor Radhikaa Sarathkumar reacted to the findings of the recently released Hema Committee report that gives explosive details of sexual harassment and exploitations faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. Sarathkumar elaborated on the initiative by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), that led to the findings of the Hema Committee Report. She added that the report was not made public for four years and the details were made public only after court order. Speaking with ANI, she said, "The Hema Committee was started by WCC, a group of women who are standing up for women's rights and working conditions...they had gone to the Hema Committee. But, after the report was constituted, it was not published. It had gone to the government and it was lying there for four years till they went to court. The court had to tell them to release the findings. So once it came out, a lot of allegations came. And it has gone out of proportion in Kerala with naming the artists who are in the top bracket of the Malayalam film industry." "This whole thing is for the protection of women...In my long career, I have seen a lot of things which we have to keep changing. Times have changed and people's characters have changed. Education and lifestyle have gone up. How we address it is very important," Radhikaa added. Earlier in the day, veteran actor Mohanlal also praised the Kerala government for releasing the Justice Hema Committee report. "We welcome the Hema Committee report. It was the right decision by the government to release that report. AMMA cannot answer all the questions. These questions should be asked from everyone. This is a very hardworking industry. Many people are involved in it. But everyone cannot be blamed for this. Those responsible will be punished, investigation is going on," the actor said. Mohanlal said he was not part of any power group in the Malayalam film industry and he has no knowledge of the existence of any such group in the sector. "Wrongdoers should be punished if there is evidence against them," the "Drishyam" actor said while referring to the allegations of sexual misconduct and assaults that surfaced against some of the members of the Association. A few days ago, Mohanlal, along with other AMMA leaders, resigned from their positions following serious allegations of sexual abuse made by several female actors against prominent figures in Malayalam cinema, including director Ranjith and actors Siddique and Mukesh. A redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry was made public, earlier this month. The report containing shocking accounts of harassment, exploitation, and ill-treatment of women professionals has taken the whole industry by storm. (ANI)
The father of the victim of the Pune Porsche car accident, Om Avadhiya, on Friday expressed satisfaction with the Pune Court's decision to reject the bail applications of the six accused involved in the alleged blood sample manipulation. Speaking to ANI, Avadhiya said, "The lawyer has been doing his work. The bail of the accused has been rejected and we are satisfied with the way everything is happening. We are hopeful that we will get justice, though it might take some time and be a little late." Further, he demanded that the Motor Act be amended to ensure that minors aged 16-18 involved in illegal activities are tried and punished as adults, rather than receiving lenient treatment due to their age. "If the Mumbai case had not occurred, then things would have been done earlier. We want the decision of the court to be remembered in the future. We demand that the Motor Act should have a law that any aged between 16 to 18 who is involved in anything illegal should be treated as an adult and action should be taken," he added. Earlier, on Thursday, the Juvenile Justice Board had adjourned the hearing on three applications in the Porsche crash case until September 26. The defence's applications for the release of the impounded Porsche and the minor's passport were also deferred. The applications include the police's plea to try the minor driver as an adult, and two defence pleas to release the seized Porsche car and the minor driver's passport, said a Pune police official. The hearing on all three applications initially was scheduled for Wednesday, where the police were expected to file its reply to the defence application of returning the car and passport; simultaneously, the defence was to submit its reply to the Pune Police's application to the minor accused as major in this case. On Wednesday, the JJB obtained various assessment reports about the minor, and the defence submitted its response to the police's plea. The hearing will now take place on September 26, where the JJB is likely to consider the applications to make a decision. Notably in a tragic incident on May 19, 2024, in Pune, a speeding Porsche car driven by a 17-year-old boy allegedly under the influence of alcohol crashed into a motorcycle, killing 24-year-old Anish Awadhiya and his friend Ashwini Koshta. The minor driver, later identified as Vedant Agarwal, was allegedly served alcohol at a restaurant and bar despite being underage. The incident sparked widespread outrage and controversy over the leniency shown to the accused and the influence of political connections.(ANI)
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Kolkata on Friday, suspended the membership of former RG Kar Medical College and Hopsital principal Dr Sandip Ghosh, amid a CBI probe into the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor earlier this month. In an order, the Indian Medical Association said the committee constituted by IMA national president Dr RV Asokan suo-motu considered the rape and murder case of the postgraduate resident doctor and the subsequent developments at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Kolkata. "The undersigned along with the National President has also visited the parents of the victim in their home. They had put up their grievances against you (Ghosh) in dealing with the situation as well as lack of empathy and sensitivity in handling the issue in an appropriate manner befitting the responsibility held by you in your dealings with them," the order stated. "The IMA Bengal state branch as well as certain associations' of doctors also have demanded action citing the nature of disrepute brought by you to the profession on the whole," it said. The order said the disciplinary committee of the IMA has "unanimously decided to suspend you forthwith from the membership of the Indian Medical Association." Earlier on August 26, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concluded a second round of polygraph tests on former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) principal Sandip Ghosh as part of their investigation into the rape-murder of a woman doctor at the institution. The investigation was initiated after a single bench of the High Court ordered the CBI to probe the alleged corruption at the medical college. The Calcutta High Court has granted the CBI three weeks to submit a progress report on the investigation, which is to be presented on September 17. Earlier in the month, the Supreme Court ordered the security of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to be handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) while hearing the suo motu case concerning the incident. The trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. (ANI)
Following allegations of financial anomalies in Morigaon district, the Assam government on Friday has directed all district commissioners to inspect and verify all the schemes under 15th Finance Commission. In an office order issued by Dr JB Ekka, Principal Secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development Department, on Friday following the directive of the department Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass said, "In order to ensure that the schemes taken up under the 15th Finance Commission are implemented as per approved plan and estimates, it has been decided that, henceforth, all the schemes under the 15th Finance Commission will be inspected/verified by the respective District Commissioners for the period w.e.f. 2021-22 upto 2023-24." "After verification is complete, the district commissioners shall submit detailed verification reports to the Principal Secretary to the Govt. of Assam, Panchayat and Rural Development Department for perusal and appraisal. This order comes into force with immediate effect," said the government order. It is to be mentioned that, Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Nazar on Friday raised an issue of financial anomalies taken place in Morigaon district in the Assam assembly. (ANI) Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma affirmed that the decision to scrap the practice of 2-hour adjournment for Jumma prayers in the state legislative assembly was a collective decision. "By doing away with the 2 hour Jumma break, the Assam Assembly has prioritised productivity and shed another vestige of colonial baggage. This practice was introduced by Muslim League's Syed Saadulla in 1937. My gratitude to Hon'ble Speaker Shri Biswajit Daimary and our legislators for this historical decision," the Assam CM said in his post on X. Assam Legislative Assembly earlier in the day officially amended the rule providing for a two-hour break Jumma break observed to facilitate Muslim legislators to offer Friday prayers. The decision, however, invited criticism from several opposition leaders. Assam CM Sarma said that the decision was not his alone but collectively of the state assembly and added that the Assembly rules committee also includes members from the minority community. (ANI)
This photo taken on Nov. 3, 2023 shows a city view of Shanghai at sunrise. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 2024 Pujiang Innovation Forum will be held in Shanghai from Sept. 7 to 10, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) announced at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.

More than 300 experts and scholars from over 40 countries and regions will attend the forum, during which a series of research achievements will be released. Foreign guests will account for nearly 40 percent of attendees.

The forum, which carries the theme "Sharing Innovation and Shaping the Future: Towards an Open Environment for Scientific and Technological Innovation" this year, will focus on fields such as cutting-edge sci-tech and industrial development, innovative ecology and innovative talents. Topics for discussion will include life sciences, future materials and industrial integration.

The 2024 Pujiang Innovation Forum will be co-hosted by the MOST and the municipal government of Shanghai. Hungary was invited as the guest of honor this year.
The Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) will on Saturday hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to demand justice in connection with the alleged murder and sexual assault of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 in Kolkata. Doctors have been holding protests in different states demanding justice for the victim whose body was found in the seminar hall of the state-run Medical College and Hospital earlier in the month. The doctors have also been demanding better security laws for healthcare professionals in the wake of this horrible and brutal incident. The sexual assault of the trainee doctor has sparked massive outrage and shaken the conscience of the country. The case has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation from the local police following an order from the Calcutta High Court. Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, at the hospital, has been arrested in connection with the incident. On August 30, Vice President FAIMA and a senior resident doctor at AIIMS New Delhi, Dr Suvrankar Datta said in a video message, "We are organising a massive peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on 31 August demanding justice for our colleague in RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal. We will also ask the Central government for a centralised protection act for healthcare professionals to prevent violence..." He said they wanted to display their show of support for the deceased and demand authorities ramp up security in hospitals across the country. He added, "Before the Supreme Court hearing scheduled for September 5, I urge the doctors to join us at Jantar Mantar from 3 pm- 5 pm. We want to show the world our strength and that we stand united as we ask for justice for our sister. We demand an increase in security in hospitals across the country..." Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Kolkata on Friday, suspended the membership of former RG Kar Medical College and Hopsital principal, Dr Sandip Ghosh, amid a CBI probe into the incident. (ANI)
The police have registered a case against a couple for allegedly assaulting a cab driver in the Ghatkopar area after their luxury car was hit by the cab, police said. The incident happened on Friday and was captured on a nearby CCTV camera. According to information from the Parksite police, the entire incident took place in Ghatkopar. A man named Rishabh, who lives in the society, was driving his luxury car into the society when an Ola cab driver was following behind him. When the cars stopped in the lane, the cab driver's vehicle slightly hit Rishabh's car from behind. Following this, Rishabh, and a woman who was in the car, got out and started slapping the cab driver. He then lifted the driver and slammed him onto the ground, causing serious injuries to his head and body. Parksite police reported that they have registered a case against two people based on the statement of 24-year-old Ola driver, Qayamuddin Mainuddin Qureshi. No arrests have been made so far. As per the police, Qureshi, a resident of Govandi, was taken to Rajawadi Hospital by security personnel. However, due to the severity of the injuries on his head, he was later admitted to JJ Hospital. Once he regained consciousness, the police registered a case. They have issued notices to the driver and the woman involved, and further investigation is ongoing. (ANI)
The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has granted anticipatory bail to the retired inspector general of police (IG) of the Idol Wing CID, Pon Manickavel, in a case filed against him by the CBI for falsely implicating police officials in an idol theft case. According to the prosecution, Manickavel was alleged to have falsely implicated former deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Kader Batcha in an idol theft case which led to the latter's arrest. Bacha filed a petition in the High Court alleging that Manikavel had falsely implicated him in the case. After a case was registered against Manikavel, the court ordered an inquiry into the allegations. In his petition, Manikavel mentioned that on August 10, CBI officials came to his house and seized some property. He said the CBI's activities were illegal. He alleged that the actions were intentionally taken to tarnish his reputation and that he was targeted and harassed to benefit international idol traffickers. As a result, he approached the court seeking anticipatory bail Following a thorough hearing of the petitioner's counsel and CBI's submissions, Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy heard the anticipatory bail petition. Manikavel was directed to report to the CBI Anti-Corruption branch in Chennai at 10.30 am every day for 4 weeks and thereafter to appear whenever required for investigation. (ANI)
Waris Pathan, National Spokesperson of AIMIM termed the decision of the Assam Assembly to scrap the practice of giving two hours of Jumma break to Muslims MLAs as a violation of the right to practise religion. Assam Legislative Assembly on August 30 officially amended the rule providing two hours of Jumma break to facilitate Muslim legislators to offer Friday prayers. https://x.com/warispathan/status/1829483484999520569 In a video message posted on his social media account X on August 30, Pathan said, "It is unconstitutional and a violation of the right to practise religion." The AIMIM leader said that this practice had been going on since 1937. "What suddenly took hold of you?" "BJP is anti-muslim government. They hate our dress, food and our Madrassas. Now, they have started to hate our Namaz (Prayers). Every day, you will see Himanta Biswa Sarma, talking aimlessly," he added. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma affirmed on August 30 that it was a collective decision. "In 1937, the Muslim League was ruling Assam and Sir Syed Saadulla was the CM, he made this rule that every Friday there would be a 2-hour break for Jumma ki namaz. Today our MLAs decided that we come to the Assembly for work, so we don't want a 2-hour break. There are members from the minority community in our Assembly rules committee, so everyone has taken this decision. This is not my decision, it is the Assembly's decision," CM Sarma told reporters on Friday. The decision, however, invited criticism from several opposition leaders. "Assam's CM is doing this for cheap popularity. Who is he? He just wants cheap popularity. BJP has made Muslims a soft target. They want to bother Muslims in some way or the other and spread hatred in society. BJP should understand that even Muslims had sacrificed their lives in the freedom struggle," Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav told reporters on August 30. The state assembly ended the practice that was introduced by Saadulah's Muslim League government in colonial Assam. According to the previous rule, the sitting of the Assembly on Friday used to be adjourned at 11 am to facilitate Muslim members to go for namaaz, but, as per the new rule, the Assembly will conduct its proceedings without any adjournment for religious purposes. As per the amended rule, the Assam assembly will commence its proceedings at 9.30 am every day, including Friday. The order stated that the amendment was done to scrap the colonial practice which aimed at dividing the society on a religious basis. (ANI)
A veteran politician, Pranab Mukherjee served as Union Minister in several governments before becoming India's 13th President.

In a post on X, Amit Shah wrote, "My heartfelt tributes to former President of India Dr Pranab Mukherjee Ji on his Punyatithi."

"A political stalwart, a scholar and an ace administrator, Mukherjee Ji's life journey shone from a humble village in West Bengal to the highest office of the nation, bolstering governance all the way. His contributions will remain an inspiration for nation-building," added the post.

Mukherjee was born in the village of Mirati in Birbhum District of West Bengal to freedom fighters Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee and Rajlakshmi on December 11, 1935. His father, also a Congress leader, went to jail several times for his role in India's struggle for independence.

On August 31, 2020, Mukherjee passed away at Delhi's Army Hospital (Research and Referral), where he was admitted after undergoing surgery for the removal of a clot in his brain. He was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 2019. (ANI)
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram and DMK MP K.N. Arun Nehru engaged in a debate on social media platform 'X' over the proposal of Metro to Tamil Nadu's Trichy. Notably, both Congress and DMK are part of the INDIA bloc that swept Tamil Nadu in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In his first post on X, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said, "Trichy doesn't need a metro. We need to end these grand unthinking projects. Focus on the basics." DMK MP KN Arun Nehru replied to it and said, "Mr. Karthi. I have been thanking the people of Perambalur constituency for choosing me. My parliamentary constituency consists of 4 assembly constituencies from Trichy district. People have been overwhelmingly positive about the need for Metro projects connecting the rural areas to Trichy city Centre which houses colleges, hospitals, government offices etc. You must understand that the city has grown rapidly and needs modern infrastructure like the metro to manage the urban density where roads cannot handle future population growth." Further, the Congress MP said that he is glad that they both are debating public infra policy instead of the usual emotive issues dominating TN politics. "This is how policy should be debated & made. I respect your view. I am a consistent supporter of Trichy, including proposals for a satellite state assembly and moving the TN Police HQ there. (I have publicly stated this & I have spoken in parliament about direct air connectivity to Delhi) With Indian metros underperforming in ridership -- Delhi 47%, Mumbai 30%, Chennai 12% -- & Chennai losing Rs 566 crore in FY23, how will Trichy with a 2.7M population sustain a metro? Trichy has other pressing needs which I believe take priority Major infra projects need wide public consultation & cost-benefit analysis," MP Karti Chidambaram said. The DMK MP again replied to it and said that most metro rail projects across the world don't make money or just break even. "We are missing the whole point if we are just focusing on the financials. We must take the overall growth in business, ease of commute, exchange of people and overall socioeconomic growth into account to understand the true impact of such incredible infrastructure investment. Without Chennai metro, Chennai's roads would be clogged and the loss of economic opportunity due to congestion surely offsets any loss the Metro endures," MP Arun Nehru said. Karti Chidambaram, further questioned, "Does a Metro transportation system make sense to smaller cities, like Trichy, even taking into account population growth projections? "What are the experiences of other smaller cities which have a "Metro"? Are there other public transportation solutions that would serve it better? Metro should be not the only option that is on the discussion table. The fact that there is a divergence of views about a public investment project, which is healthy in a democracy, calls for wider consultations & public hearings," he said. To this, DMK MP said that he agrees that Metro doesn't work as efficiently when it runs on a standalone mode. "Additional modes such as regular trains and Buses need to be integrated so that last mile is seamless. At the same time, moving people at scale from point A to point B, Metro does a good job. Our cities have been growing vertically for the past several years. This leaves us densely packed neighbourhoods where other forms of transport don't fill the gap of serving on time/ convenience to citizens. Metro is designed mostly below ground or above, thereby utilizing a third dimension that is available without issue," Nehru posted on X. (ANI)
Swapna Patkar, a witness in the money-laundering case related to Goregaon's Patra Chawl, has written a letter to AdditionAL Director (Western Region), Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging rape and life threats to her "for changing the statements given during the investigation of the case." In the letter Patkar wrote, "I would like to bring it to your notice that the accused in the case and his touts/goons are constantly indulging in the witness threatening/tampering with me and may be with others as well. I am continuously being threatened and being pressurised to change my statements given during the investigations, I am also being pressurised for title of some lands and properties in the name of one accused, Sanjay Raut and his family members." In past as well, Swapna Patkar has lodged a complaint with the Vakola police in Mumbai that someone threw a bottle into the premises of her residence on Wednesday and a letter was found in that bottle which threatened her against raising her voice in the court. According to her complaint, at around 1 am on Wednesday night, she heard the sound of a glass bottle breaking in the premises of her house. On inquiring with her security staff, she came to know that a letter in Marathi was inside the bottle. Notably, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut is an alleged accused in the case. On June 28, 2022, Raut was summoned by the ED in connection to the prevention of the money laundering case pertaining to the Rs 1034 crore Patra Chawl land scam. Patra Chawl, in the Siddarth Nagar area of Goregaon, a western suburb of Mumbai, went for redevelopment in 2008. It had 672 tenants, and the housing units were spread across 47 acres. Patra Chawl was originally a barrack constructed by the British during the Second World War and was used as a military camp. In 2008, MHADA took up the redevelopment project and appointed Guru Ashish Construction Private Limited (GACPL), a sister concern of the real estate company Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL), to rehabilitate over 670 tenants and redevelop the locality. A tripartite agreement was signed between society, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd. According to the agreement, the developer was to provide the flats to 672 tenants and develop flats for MHADA and thereafter remaining area to be sold by the developer. The directors of Guru Ashish Constructions misled MHADA and sold the FSI to 9 developers and collected a net amount of approx. Rs 901.79 crore without constructing the rehab portion for 672 displaced tenants and the MHADA portion. (ANI)
"An awe-inspiring visit to the offices of Apple, Google and Microsoft. Discussed various opportunities and exciting partnerships. Determined to strengthen these partnerships and make Tamil Nadu one of the foremost growth engines of Asia!," CM Stalin posted on X on Saturday.

The Chief Minister is currently on an official visit to the United States, aiming to secure support and attract investments to boost the state's economic development.

During his visit, Stalin is engaging with major US-based companies to discuss potential investment opportunities in Tamil Nadu.

On Friday, the Chief Minister announced that on Day 1 of his visit, the state had secured investments exceeding Rs 900 crores at Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Chengalpattu, paving the way for 4,100 new jobs in multiple sectors.

In his post on X MK Stalin said, "Nokia - Rs 450 crore, 100 jobs, PayPal - 1,000 jobs, Yield Engineering Systems - Rs 150 crore, 300 jobs; Microchip - Rs 250 crore, 1,500 jobs; Infinx - Rs 050 crore, 700 jobs; applied Materials - 500 jobs. With two more weeks ahead, we continue to intensify this momentum and attract more investors to Tamil Nadu, propelling our march towards a trillion dollar economy."

Speaking at the San Francisco Investment Conclave, the Tamil Nadu CM highlighted the state's economic achievements, including its status as India's second-largest economic state, its high rate of urbanization, and notable accomplishments in education.

The Tamil Nadu government has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with several investors, including Nokia, PayPal, Microchip, and Yield Engineering Systems, during CM MK Stalin's visit to the United States.

These agreements were signed by Guidance Tamil Nadu, the state government's investment promotion agency, in the presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin and Industries Minister TRB Rajaa.

As per the agreements, Nokia will establish a new Research and Development Centre in Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 450 crore, generating 100 jobs, while PayPal will set up an Advanced Development Centre in Chennai, creating 1,000 jobs.

Microchip will establish a new Research and Development Centre for semiconductor technology in Semmancherry, Chennai, at a cost of Rs 250 crore, generating 1,500 jobs.

Yield Engineering Systems will set up a product development and manufacturing facility for semiconductor equipment in Sulur, Coimbatore, at a cost of Rs 150 crore, generating 300 jobs. (ANI)
The search operation is currently underway, said the officials. There has been heavy rainfall in the region.

The officials said that the search operation had started at 5:30 am today.

"We have been here, conducting our search operation since 5:30 in the morning. We have not found the body yet," the SDRF Team Incharge Mohd Nasser Kamlak told ANI. More details are awaited.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department said there is a possibility of brief showers at a few places in Jammu and Kashmir tonight.

The IMD also predicted fresh spells of rain in most places in Jammu and Kashmir from September 2 to 3rd September afternoon.

The IMD also predicted another spell of rain on September 7 and 8. (ANI)
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Friday evening visited different areas of Vadodara city to inspect the cleaning and other works done by various teams of the municipality amid flood in the region. During his visit, he interacted with the sanitation workers and also held a meeting with the staff of Vadodara Municipal Corporation. Giving details about his visit, the MoS told ANI, "Today (August 30) we inspected the area and also met with the people affected (by the flood)...I am thankful to the corporators and the cleaning staff for the work done by them." He added, "I think the corporators have decided how to make Vadodara number one (city) not in Gujarat but in the country. This stubbornness should be there in Corporators. I have seen this stubbornness in all corporators in two days...I want to thank all the sanitation workers also who have done amazing work..." Meanwhile, amid the flood-like situation in Gujarat, Jamnagar Collector Bhavin Pandya said that the district administration's focus remains on providing immediate relief and ensuring the safety of the people. "There has been very heavy rain in Jamnagar for the last 3-4 days, due to the overflow of various dams, there was a flood situation in different parts of the cities and villages. There has also been waterlogging in different areas. The situation was tense," the Jamnagar collector said. Earlier, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist Ramashray Yadav said that Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar are expected to get light to moderate rains today. "Kachchh has received very heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours...Gujarat has received 882 mm of rainfall since June 1, which is 50 percent more than normal...Saurashtra and Kachchh regions have also recorded more than normal rainfall...Light to moderate rains are expected for Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar today," Yadav said in a statement. (ANI)
This photo taken on Jan. 4, 2024 shows the frozen Nuorilang Waterfall at the Jiuzhaigou National Park in southwest China's Sichuan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

A new railway linking Jiuzhai Valley Natural Reserve, the renowned tourist destination in Southwest China, opened on Friday, significantly improving accessibility to the remote and rugged region, the national railway operator China State Railway Group said.



The first train in the new route left Huanglongjiuzhai station heading toward Chengdu at 10:38 am, reducing the travel time between Jiuzhai Valley and Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, to just 1 hour and 39 minutes. Previously, the journey by road took over 6 hours.

It was for the first time, the designated UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site Jiuzhai Valley, located in Huanglong within Sichuan province, is connected to the railway network.

The newly inaugurated railway section extends from Zhenjiang Pass to Huangsheng Pass and traverses the challenging terrain of the Sichuan-Tibet Plateau.

The 69-kilometer stretch of railway has been built amid the mountainous and rugged landscape, with significant elevation changes from 2,503 meters at Zhenjiang Pass to 3,156 meters at Huangsheng Pass.

Construction was complex, involving the creation of 21 bridges and extensive tunneling through mountain ranges.

The new line is part of the larger Chengdu-Xining Railway, which stretches 836 kilometers and connects Chengdu in Sichuan with Xining in Qinghai province.

Designed for speeds of up to 200 km/h, this railway will link various cities and high-altitude regions, though full operational details are yet to be confirmed.

Jiuzhai Valley, often referred to as the "Nine Villages Valley" because it is composed of nine Tibetan villages, is celebrated for its stunning natural beauty, including serene lakes, majestic waterfalls and a rich cultural heritage.

The remote location and challenging terrain have historically made access difficult. The region's isolation is compounded by narrow, winding roads and high altitudes, which can complicate travel, particularly in adverse weather conditions.

"It is incredible that you can now reach Jiuzhai Valley in under 2 hours," said Ding, a travel enthusiast from Chengdu in his 50s.

He recalled a time over 20 years ago when it took him more than 10 hours by car to reach Jiuzhai Valley, an experience that left him with swollen legs from hours of sitting.

The opening of an airport in 2003 made travel slightly easier, though weather conditions could still disrupt flights. "Today's tourists are fortunate to have a much more comfortable railway journey," Ding added.

China's railway network is one of the largest and most extensive in the world. As of the end of last year, it spans nearly 160,000 km, including a rapidly expanding high-speed rail system that covers more than 45,000 km. It is the most extensive high-speed rail network globally.

The expansive railway network in China has revolutionized travel across the country, significantly reducing transit times and enhancing connectivity between major cities and remote regions. With its extensive high-speed rail lines and modern infrastructure, the network has transformed long-distance travel, making journeys faster, more reliable, and more comfortable.

As China continues to expand and upgrade its railway system, it not only supports the country's rapid urbanization but also fosters greater regional integration and accessibility.
The Delhi High Court has dismissed a plea challenging the election of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as President of the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)). The court found no substantial reason to interfere with the election results and deemed the petition to be without merit. This decision upholds Nitish Kumar's position as the party president. The bench of Justice Pushpender Kumar Kaurav in an order passed on August 29, noted that the reliefs sought by the petitioner, fall wholly outside the ambit of the inquiry contemplated under Section 29A of the RP Act. As elucidated in the preceding discussion, the principles established in the case of Sadiq Ali (supra) do not support the reliefs sought in this writ petition. "In light of the foregoing discussion, the Court finds no compelling reason to interfere in the present writ petition or to grant the relief sought by the petitioner. The petition lacks merit and falls outside the jurisdictional scope of Article 226 of the Constitution of India. Consequently, the writ petition is hereby dismissed," the court said. The court noted that the dispute was initially raised by a faction of JD(U) under paragraph 15 of the Symbols Order. An interim order dated 17 November 2017 determined that the faction led by Nitish Kumar had demonstrated overwhelming majority support, both within the legislative wing and the National Council, as affirmed by the Supreme Court in the Sadiq Ali case. This interim order recognised Kumar's faction as the legitimate JD(U) faction and granted it the right to use the party's reserved symbol, the Arrow, as the officially recognised state party in Bihar. Govind Yadav, the petitioner, is an expelled member of the Janata Dal United (JD(U)), a recognised state political party under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. Yadav challenged the election of Nitish Kumar as JD(U) President, arguing that the party's notifications to the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding changes in its office bearers did not comply with Section 29A(9) of the Representation of the People Act (RP Act). The petitioner, Govind Yadav, claimed a distinguished history within the Janata Dal and its successor, JD(U), having held several key positions, including National General Secretary and State President. His grievance stems from the election of Nitish Kumar as JD(U) President on 10 April 2016, which Yadav argues was improperly ratified by the National Council on 23 April 2016, violating the party's constitution and internal democratic processes. Yadav contended that this election and its ratification were flawed, and he challenges the notification of Kumar's election sent to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 25 April 2016, asserting that these actions breached the party's internal rules. (ANI)
Aiming to promote science-related activities among the student community and people of the state, the Assam government, for the first time, will organise a Science Fair during the biennial conference of Assam Sahitya Sabha. Assam Panchayat Rural & Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass told ANI that, the 77th Biennial Conference of Assam Sahitya Sabha will be held at Pathsala and will start on 31 January 2025 and will be continued till 4 February 2025. "During its biennial conference, the Assam Sahitya Sabha earlier had organised the trade fair. But this time we will organise a Science Fair and it will create an environment and the students will also benefit from it," Ranjeet Kumar Dass said. "We have discussed with the Science and Technology Department Minister Keshab Mahanta to organise the Science Fair. The Science and Technology Department and its allied departments will also help. We have also contacted with Oil Museum, Railways, IIT Guwahati, Dibrugarh University, Assam Agriculture University and other organisations," he added. He further said that the student community of the state will benefit from this Science Fair. "We will organise this as a part of the initiatives taken by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There are as many as 30-40 scientists from the Bajali area who are now working outside and we also get good responses from them. A large number of students will also participate. Various science-related activities will also be done during the 5-day long conference," Ranjeet Kumar Dass said. Assam Sahitya Sabha is the biggest and oldest literary organisation of the state which was founded in 1917. Padmanath Gohain Barua was the first president of Assam Sahitya Sabha and the first conference was held in Sivasagar. (ANI)
The arrested accused, identified as Yogesh Kumar, was caught on August 29 and has confessed to stealing two medical equipment worth around four to five lakhs, said Police.

According to the police, Yogesh used to sell the stolen equipment online at cheaper prices. The police have recovered one indirect ophthalmoscope and one scan pachymeter from his possession.

The case was registered on August 19, after a complaint was filed by Max Hospital, Saket, regarding the theft of an indirect ophthalmoscope from their ophthalmology department. The police team analysed CCTV footage and gathered inputs from technical sources to identify the accused.

Yogesh, (55), a resident of Shahibabad, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, was found to be working in a company that supplies medical equipment to hospitals.

He had stolen the equipment from Max Hospital and Yashoda Hospital, Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, said Police

The police said they have solved two cases of theft with the arrest of Yogesh Kumar.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police have arrested 17 individuals accused of various cybercrimes in a series of raids conducted across multiple states.

"The Cyber South West district apprehended 17 suspects involved in various cybercrimes. Multiple teams conducted raids across different states as part of a week-long Special Cyber Ops," said Rohit Meena, DCP South West.

During the operation, raids were carried out in Mewat, Ajmer, Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Deoghar and Dumka in Jharkhand, Rajgarh and Sehore in Madhya Pradesh, Samastipur in Bihar, Giridih and Jamtara in Jharkhand, Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, and Mumbai. (ANI)
President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Kapil Sibal on Friday expressed concern on the number of judges in the country saying that the judge population ratio is abysmally low in India. Sibal was addressing the inaugural event of the 2-day National Conference of District Judiciary, at Bharat Mandapam where Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the National Conference of District Judiciary. On the occasion, PM Modi unveiled the stamp and coin commemorating 75 years of the establishment of the Supreme Court of India. In his address, Sibal said, "...The judge population ratio is abysmally low in India. The roster at the level of district and sessions level is overburdened..." Kapil Sibal emphasised that trial courts, district and session courts need to be empowered to deliver justice. "...Our trial court, district and sessions court need to be empowered to deliver justice without fear or fervour...They are not subordinate as they deliver justice. the judiciary at that level should be instilled with the confidence that their judgments will not be held against them and that they represent the spinal cord of the justice delivery system...," he said in his address. Sibal added, "In my career, I have seldom seen bail granted at that level. This is not just my experience but even CJI has said this because higher courts are burdened. After all, bail at the lower court is an exception...Liberty is the foundational substratum of a thriving democracy and any attempt to throttle it impacts the quality of our democracy..." The Supreme Court is organising a two-day national conference of the district Judiciary beginning August 31 and September 1. The two-day Conference, organised by the Supreme Court of India, will host five working sessions that will deliberate and discuss on the issues related to district judiciary such as infrastructure and human resources, inclusive courtrooms for all, judicial security and judicial wellness, case management and judicial training. Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud were also present at the event. (ANI)
After the Shiromani Akali Dal sent a legal notice to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) concerning Kangana Ranaut's upcoming movie 'Emergency', Congress leader Udit Raj said on Saturday that the film division should watch the film and responsibly pass it. Udit Raj also mentioned that the film certification should not pass a film that creates rifts in society. "Akali Dal has made the demand (seeking a ban on the film), maybe they have some facts with them. But until we have details on the film, we can't say anything. It is their stand. If they have inputs that screening of the film can adversely affect the situation, they should share it with us too. Otherwise, the Film Division too is responsible for this. They should watch the film responsibly and pass it. I hope they do not pass a film which creates rifts in society," he said. "Even articles are written on Emergency; Emergency Day is also observed. Are we able to stop it? This is Freedom of Speech. If we get agitated over the term 'Emergency', that is not true democracy. We can't say on it unless we know about the film or there is a communication from the party," he added. The Akali Dal seeks to prevent the film's release, citing concerns over its portrayal of historical events and figures, particularly those related to the Sikh community. The notice addresses top officials of the CBFC, requesting an immediate revocation of the certification granted to the film "Emergency," thereby blocking its release. Senior Congress leader and advisor to the Telangana Chief Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir met with a Sikh community delegation on Friday. The delegation has demanded a ban on BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's upcoming movie 'Emergency'. Meanwhile, Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut has revealed that her much-anticipated political drama 'Emergency' is still awaiting certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The film, which delves into the tumultuous period of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure, has encountered unexpected hurdles due to its sensitive subject matter, Kangana revealed in a social media post. 'Emergency', a project helmed entirely by Kangana Ranaut, boasts a stellar cast including Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhary, Milind Soman, Shreyas Talpade, Vishak Nair, and the late Satish Kaushik in pivotal roles. Based on the period when the emergency was imposed in the country in 1975, it stars Ranaut as the former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. (ANI)
National Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar on Saturday informed that the first round of discussions on seat sharing between Mahayuti alliance has been completed ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Ajit Pawar also said that the alliance will sit together again for the second time to decide on 288 seats. "We had our first round of discussions on seat sharing. We will sit again for the second time and decide who gets which seat, out of the 288 seats, We will discuss and decide on that." Ajit Pawar said. "Elective merit will be the criteria for seat sharing," he added. Ajit Pawar refused to comment over Shiv Sena leader Tanaji Sawant's controversial statement over NCP leaders. "If someone has said something, I don't want to comment on it. I have decided at the beginning of the Jan Samman Yatra that I will not comment on anyone. If someone criticizes me, it does not matter to me. I believe in working." Ajit Pawar said. Maharashtra Health Minister Tanaji Sawant had expressed his dissatisfaction with the alliance. "Even if we sit next to each other in the cabinet, I feel like vomiting after coming out," Sawant was quoted as saying. Earlier, Ajit Pawar visited the site in Malvan where the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed on August 26. Pawar stated, "Everyone is saddened by what has happened. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is our deity, and we are all proud of his legacy. The Chief Minister has held meetings regarding this incident. Efforts are being made to rebuild the memorial. Action will be taken against those responsible. No matter where they flee, they will be found. There is no point in debating whether it was the Navy or the PWD." Maharashtra legislative assembly elections will be held in 288 constituencies. The Election Commission of India has yet to announce the dates for the election. The upcoming Maharashtra election will see a contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, comprising the UBT Shiv Sena, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, and the Maha Yuti Alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). The recent Lok Sabha Election has given a boost to the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) winning nine seats, the Congress 13, and the NCP-SP winning eight, bringing the total tally of the alliance to 30. On the other hand, the Mahayuti alliance suffered a major blow with BJP winning only nine seats, Shiv Sena winning seven and NCP folded with one seat, bringing the total tally of alliance to 17. (ANI)
According to sources, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir for election campaigning on September 4. The leader of Opposition is expected to visit the Dooru Assembly constituency, from where the Congress has fielded Ghulam Ahmed Mir. Rahul Gandhi is likely to address a public meeting on September 4, sources said. Congress announced the first list of nine candidates for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections in a document signed by AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal on August 27. Prominent leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir will contest from Dooru and Vikar Rasool Wani from Banihal. While Peerzada Mohd Syed will contest for the important Anantnag constituency, Sheikh Riaz seeks the Doda seat. The party has fielded Surinder Singh Channi from the Tral seat, Amanullah Mantoo from Devsar, Shaikh Zafarullah from Inderwal, Nadeem Sharief from Bhadarwah, and Pradeep Kumar Bhagat from Doda West. Samajwadi Party (SP) has also extended their support to the Congress and National Conference alliance in the J-K polls. SP president Jia Lal Verma on Wednesday informed that the party will contest the upcoming J-K Assembly polls and is likely to file their nominations in the second or third phase. Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls are being held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1. National Conference (NC) will contest 51 of 90 seats and Congress 32 according to the seat-sharing pact reached by the two parties for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. The two parties will also have a contest on five seats. The two parties have left one seat each for CPI(M) and Panthers Party. There are a total number of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 7 seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs. According to the Election Commission of India, Jammu and Kashmir has 88.06 lakh eligible electors. These are the first assembly elections to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. (ANI)
A petition demanding the registration of a criminal case was filed on Saturday in Chandigarh against film actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut for allegedly misrepresenting historical facts and hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs in the film 'Emergency'. The case has been filed with the area magistrate under section 302, 299, 196 part one, 197 part one BNS. The next date of the case has been fixed as September 17, 2024. Advocate Ravinder Singh, former president of District Bar Association Chandigarh and head of Lawyers for Humanity, who filed the case, said that in the film 'Emergency' made by Kangana Ranaut, an attempt has been made to defame Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the highest place of the Sikhs. Singh further added, "An attempt has been made to present Jathedar Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a terrorist, which is completely baseless. Because there was no such FIR against him. Because a Dharam Yudh Morcha was set up to implement the Sri Anandpur Sahib Resolution and the government took it in the wrong way and attacked Sri Harmandir Sahib and innocent people were killed there, during which the then Jathedar Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale also became a martyr." Singh urged the ED to launch a probe into the funding of the film. He further asserted that the film is made "without studying" the facts. "Film was made without studying these things and the funding for this should also be investigated by the ED as to where is the money coming from for the production of films. Rather, her (Kangana Ranaut) films have been completely flopped in the past." Singh said. Singh informed that the case has been filed against Kangana Ranaut for attempting to hurt sentiments and "create tension between two communities." "We have filed a criminal case with the area magistrate under section 302, 299, 196 part one, 197 part one BNS for the attempt made by Kangana Ranaut to incite religious sentiments of the people and create tension between the two communities. The next date of the case has been fixed as September 17, 2024. Under this, there is a provision for a maximum sentence of 2 years," Singh said. (ANI)
Amid the row over Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot granting permission for prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, state ministers and legislators conducted a 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' protest. The Congress has accused the Governor of discriminatory behaviour alleging that several other cases are also pending before the Governor, but he has not made any decisions on them. Protestors also sought for prosecution of Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy in a mining lease case. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar led the march to Raj Bhavan along with the other legislators who were carrying playcards with slogans written on them. The march began at the Gandhi statue near Vidhana Soudha and ended at Raj Bhavan, where the Congress submitted an appeal to the Governor. Notably, CM Siddaramaiah did not attend the meeting with the Governor. Thaawarchand Gehlot sanctioned prosecution against Siddaramaiah in a case of alleged corruption in the allotment of land to his wife by the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Speaking to the mediapersons at the protest site, Shivakumar said, "...We are demanding him to be fair. This (matter against HD Kumaraswamy) is a case where the entire inquiry has been done. So, sanction prosecution and take action legally as per the Constitution...He has to do it. Though there may be a lot of pressure, we have confidence that some good sense will prevail upon him..." Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara who participated in today's protest march said, "Today we are holding a protest over the Governor's prosecution permission of Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah. There are other cases also present in front of him, but there is no decision on that...Our demand is why is he not considering them and giving permission to prosecute them..." Another Karnataka Minister, Priyank Kharge raised questions over Governor's intention of prosecuting Siddaramaiah when investigation in the matter is yet to completed. "We are asking, why this discretion only for Siddaramaiah?...We are asking why this hurry to prosecute CM Siddaramaiah and not the previous cases which have been proved. Who asked for prosecution in Siddaramaiah's case? An RTI activist. Has the investigation been completed? Has it been endorsed by any other agency? No. But in Kumaraswamy's case, Janardhana Reddy's case, investigation agencies have asked for prosecution. It is rotting at the table of the Governor. Why isn't the Governor interested in prosecuting or issuing the sanctions of prosecution for these 4-5 people?..." Minister HK Patil said there is mounting "political pressure" on the Governor to take a judicious decision. "We are putting moral pressure, political pressure on the Governor that he should take a judicious decision and give permission to prosecute HD Kumaraswamy. We are holding a protest and will go to the Raj Bhavan...," said Patil. Earlier, Karnataka High Court on asked the trial court concerned not to take any precipitative action against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah based on the Governor's sanction in the MUDA 'scam', till the next date of hearing before the High Court. (ANI)
The Tamil Nadu government has signed an MoU with Google to set up Artificial intelligence labs at Guidance, the state government''s investment promotion agency, to skill 2 million youngsters in AI, said Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa. The MoU was signed during Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin''s visit to Google''s headquarters here. The Chief Minister is currently on an official visit to the United States, aiming to secure support and attract investments to boost the state''s economic development. Tamil Nadu Minister TRB Rajaa said that with Stalin''s US visit, Tamil Nadu is racing into a new era of tech. "With #CMStalinInUS, Tamil Nadu is racing into a new era of tech #RnD, #semiconductors design and #AI!! On our visit to the @Google HQ today, we''ve signed an MoU to set up the "#TamilNaduAILabs" at @Guidance_TN in #Chennai, in partnership with #Google!," Rajaa said in a post on X. "With this partnership, we aim to skill 2 MILLION youngsters in AI via Naan Mudhalvan, collaborate with startups, and enable MSMEs and the rural economy. We want our youth to be a future-ready workforce," he added. Stalin has also visited the offices of Apple and Microsoft in San Francisco and discussed "various opportunities and exciting partnerships" with these tech companies. "An awe-inspiring visit to the offices of Apple, Google and Microsoft. Discussed various opportunities and exciting partnerships. Determined to strengthen these partnerships and make Tamil Nadu one of the foremost growth engines of Asia!," CM Stalin posted on X on Saturday. Rajaa said that under the leadership of Stalin Tamil Nadu is powering forward with global partnerships that will drive the state towards becoming a trillion-dollar economy. The Tamil Nadu government has signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with several investors, including Nokia, PayPal, Microchip, and Yield Engineering Systems, during CM MK Stalin''s visit to the United States. These agreements were signed by Guidance Tamil Nadu, the state government''s investment promotion agency, in the presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin and Industries Minister TRB Rajaa. As per the agreements, Nokia will establish a new Research and Development Centre in Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 450 crore, generating 100 jobs, while PayPal will set up an Advanced Development Centre in Chennai, creating 1,000 jobs. Microchip will establish a new Research and Development Centre for semiconductor technology in Semmancherry, Chennai, at a cost of Rs 250 crore, generating 1,500 jobs. Yield Engineering Systems will set up a product development and manufacturing facility for semiconductor equipment in Sulur, Coimbatore, at a cost of Rs 150 crore, generating 300 jobs. (ANI)
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China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed on Tuesday in a reply to scholars from 50 African countries.

In the letter, Xi noted that in the face of a volatile and intertwined world situation, China and Africa need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation more than ever before.

Xi encouraged the scholars to continue to provide intellectual support for building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future and safeguarding the common interests of the Global South.

Xi noted that not long ago, the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was successfully held, sounding a clarion call of the times to open up broad prospects for the Chinese modernization through further deepening reform.

The continuous development and growth of China that pursues peaceful development and is committed to reform and opening up will surely further strengthen the forces for world peace and international justice, and inject inexhaustible impetus into the process of global modernization, especially the development and revitalization of the Global South, Xi said.

The upcoming Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will bring together Chinese and African leaders once again to discuss China-Africa cooperation, which will open up even more splendid prospects for China-Africa relations, Xi said.

He raised his hope that based on the Dar es Salaam Consensus between China and Africa, both sides will step up research and exploration on the development path of Global South countries, China-Africa and South-South cooperation, and continue to provide important intellectual support for building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future and safeguarding the common interests of the Global South.

Gert Grobler, a former veteran diplomat of South Africa and honorary professor of the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, and 63 scholars from 50 African countries sent a joint letter to Xi, warmly congratulating on the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, highly commending the historic achievements of the FOCAC, and expecting that the upcoming Summit of the FOCAC would write a new chapter in building a China-Africa community with a shared future and the joint modernization of the Global South.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday met Champai Soren after he joined the BJP and invited the latter to visit Assam and have a meal at his house. After the meeting, CM Himanta said, "Yesterday Champai Soren joined BJP, so I thought I should go and wish him, so I came in the morning and talked to him. I have invited Champai Soren to Assam. I have also invited him to visit and worship at the Maa Kamakhya Temple and also have a meal at my house. I came to invite him." Champai Soren joined the BJP at an event in Ranchi on Friday which was attended by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Jharkhand BJP President Babulal Marandi among other state BJP leaders. He also promised to work towards the development of Jharkhand as he expressed his faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "I will work for the development of Jharkhand and we will stop infiltration from Bangladesh. Tribal villages are vanishing due to Bangladeshi infiltration. Tribal existence is endangering in Jharkhand. To save tribals, we have to remain with BJP," Champai Soren said following the joining. Soren resigned from all positions and the primary membership of JMM on August 28. He became the chief minister of Jharkhand on February 2, shortly after Hemant Soren resigned as the CM before being arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a money laundering case. In less than two months, Soren had to step down to allow the return of Hemant Soren to the chair following the latter's bail in the case. The development comes as the state is set to witness an election to the 81-member legislative assembly later this year as the current government's tenure ends in 2024. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is yet to announce the dates. Meanwhile, expelled JMM leader Lobin Hembrom joins BJP in the presence of state BJP chief Babulal Marandi and former CM Champai Soren. Lobin Hembrom was expelled from JMM for 6 years earlier this year. (ANI)
Expelled Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Lobin Hembrom joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Ranchi, Jharkhand on Saturday. BJP State unit chief Babulal Marandi and former Chief Minister, Champai Soren, who joined the BJP on August 30, were also present at the occasion. Lobin Hembrom was expelled from JMM for 6 years earlier this year. Defending his decision to join the BJP, Lobin Hembrom told reporters, "Today Champai Soren is with us. We resolved to take the JMM ahead and forward from the beginning. We had a lot of hope...We had trusted (Chief Minister) Hemant Soren. The whole Jharkhand had believed him with us...but today's JMM is not the same which used to be at Shibu Soren's (Former Jharkhand CM) time." Recalling his journey with the JMM, he said, "I am feeling extremely good. You all know I have been in JMM since childhood till 2024. I have worked for the betterment of the party." The development comes as the state is set to witness an election to the 81-member legislative assembly later this year as the current government's tenure ends in 2024. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is yet to announce the dates. Meanwhile, Assam CM Sarma on Saturday met Champai Soren after he joined the BJP and invited the latter to visit Assam and have a meal at his house. After the meeting, CM Sarma said, "Yesterday Champai Soren joined BJP, so I thought I should go and wish him, so I came in the morning and talked to him. I have invited Champai Soren to Assam. I have also invited him to visit and worship at the Maa Kamakhya Temple and also have a meal at my house. I came to invite him." Champai Soren joined the BJP at an event in Ranchi on Friday which was attended by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, CM Sarma and Babulal Marandi among other state BJP leaders. He also promised to work towards the development of Jharkhand. "I will work for the development of Jharkhand and we will stop infiltration from Bangladesh. Tribal villages are vanishing due to Bangladeshi infiltration. Tribal existence is endangering in Jharkhand. To save tribals, we have to remain with BJP," Champai Soren said following the joining. Soren resigned from all positions and the primary membership of JMM on August 28. He became the chief minister of Jharkhand on February 2, shortly after Hemant Soren resigned as the CM before being arrested by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in an alleged money laundering case. In less than two months, Soren had to step down to allow the return of Hemant Soren to the chair following the latter's bail in the case. (ANI)
Director General of Haryana Police Shatrujeet Kapur on Saturday detailed the security measures that the state police have taken ahead of the Haryana Assembly Election. He said a meeting has been held with the Election Commission to ensure the safety measures. He also mentioned that Haryana had got 70 companies of security forces from the Home Ministry. "Preparations have been made for the assembly elections. A meeting has been held with the Election Commission, 225 companies of security forces were sought from the Home Ministry, out of which 70 companies have arrived," DGP Shatrujeet Kapur said. DGP Kapur further informed about the security measures that the police have been taking ahead of the elections, "In view of the elections, blockade has been started on the inter-state borders, flying squads and surveillance teams have been activated. The work of catching drugs and illegal weapons is going on by forming teams with various departments." DGP Kapur said. DGP Kapur further informed that in the last one and a half months, about four and a half thousand police personnel have joined the service. "This will strengthen the Haryana Police and the police will do better work in the upcoming elections," He added. DGP Kapoor also spoke about cybercrime, highlighting the 2660 arrests made by Haryana police this year. "Haryana Police was at the 25th position in the month of September last year in blocking money. While working on a big plan, the rate of blocking money in cybercrimes increased to 18 percent in December, 27 percent in February and in July, the rate of blocking money in cybercrimes has reached 36 percent. This year, Haryana Police has arrested 2660 cyber criminals, out of which 1850 criminals are from outside Haryana. Police are arresting an average of 12 cyber fraudsters every day. In July, sixteen fraudsters were arrested every day," Kapur said. Voting for 90 seats of the Haryana Assembly elections will be held on October, 1. The results will be declared on October, 4. (ANI)
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher claimed that the farmer's agitation has been going on since 13th February in Delhi and they are going to have a mahapanchayat in Jind on September 15 and in Pipli on September 22. Pandher also alleged centre for misusing central agencies and as the election is scheduled in Haryana, the BJP is scared of the farmer's protest. Notably, farmers are protesting at the Shambhu border near Ambala and have been camping there since February 13. Speaking to ANI, Sarwan Singh Pandher said, "Delhi agitation has been going on since 13th February. Attempts were made to crush this agitation, forces were deployed, 433 farmers were injured, Shubhkaran Singh lost his life and around 70,000 paramilitary personnel were deployed in Haryana...This agitation has become a headache for the BJP government. "Now elections are scheduled in states as well. Modi government misuses central agencies, this time too, the NIA raided the house of BKU leader Sukhwinder Kaur. Look at the timing, our protest is completing 200 days, lakhs of people are gathering for protest and raids are being done...We are not going to be scared of agencies. We will continue our protest till the demands of farmers are met. There will be a mahapanchayat in Jind on 15th September and in Pipli on 22nd September..." Further making demands, Pandher asked the centre to open the border as they will advance towards Delhi on the completion of 200 days of farmers' protest. "...I am speaking from the stage of Shambhu morcha. All arrangements are underway on the completion of 200 days (of farmers' protest). Lakhs of farmers will gather here and at Khanauri and other borders. We have received a message from Vinesh Phogat, she too will reach here; we will honour her...," Pandher said. "Today, we will demand the Central Government to open this route and let us advance to Delhi where we can peacefully demand the legal guarantee for MSP as well as other demands...Fresh announcements will also be made from this stage...," he added. Earlier, Supreme Court on Friday asked the states of Haryana and Punjab to suggest the names of neutral persons who can be included in a committee to negotiate with the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border near Ambala, where they have been camping since February 13. (ANI)
The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Saturday said that the district judiciary was called upon to shoulder tremendous responsibility and is aptly described as the 'backbone of the judiciary' and we must stop calling the district judiciary as the subordinate judiciary. He said the district judiciary is the first point of contact for a citizen in search of justice and is a crucial component of the rule of law. CJI was speaking at the inaugural function of the National Conference of the District Judiciary. The event was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Supreme Court judges and other judicial officers. "The quality of our work and the conditions in which we provide justice to citizens determines whether they have confidence in us and is a test of our own accountability to society. The district judiciary is therefore called upon to shoulder tremendous responsibility and is aptly described as the 'backbone of the judiciary'. The spine is the core of the nervous system. To sustain the spine of the legal system, we must stop calling the district judiciary as the subordinate judiciary. Seventy-five years after Independence, the time has come for us to bury one more relic of the British era - the colonial mindset of subordination," said the CJI. CJI also underlined how judicial officers dealing with a variety of cases and the emotional baggage of the parties need to balance their professional work with mental well-being too. "It is difficult for a judge not to be affected by the actual face of suffering that each of us encounters every day - a family which is coming face to face with a gruesome crime, an undertrial who is languishing for years or the children in a parental matrimonial dispute. Judges are despite being professionals, affected by their own brush with reality. Their mental health may suffer as a consequence. This aspect is of great consequence but it unfortunately does not receive the attention that it merits," added CJI Chandrachud. He further said that there has been an increase in the number of women joining the district judiciary in the past few years and Kerala leading the pack with 72 per cent of judges being women. Women consisted of 58 per cent of the total recruitment for Civil Judges in Rajasthan in 2023 and 66 per cent of the judicial officers appointed in Delhi in 2023 were women, said the CJI. He further added, "In Uttar Pradesh, 54 per cent of the appointments for Civil Judge (Junior Division) in the batch of 2022 were women. In Kerala, 72 per cent of the total number of judicial officers are women. These are a few examples which paint the picture of a promising judiciary of the future." (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off three Vande Bharat trains via video conferencing and said that the expansion of Vande Bharat trains reflects our nation's progress towards the goal of Viksit Bharat with modernity and speed. The three routes on which PM Modi flagged off trains are Meerut - Lucknow, Madurai - Bengaluru and Chennai - Nagercoil. Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi said, "Today, from the north to the south, another chapter is being added to the country's journey of development. The expansion of Vande Bharat trains reflects our nation's progress towards the goal of a developed India with modernity and speed. These trains have provided connectivity to important religious places in the country. The Temple City of Madurai is now directly connected to the IT City of Bengaluru via Vande Bharat. This train will also prove beneficial for pilgrims." "On the Chennai-Nagercoil route, students, farmers, and IT professionals will greatly benefit. Wherever the convenience of Vande Bharat has reached, the number of tourists has increased, which means that there has been a rise in the income of businesses and shopkeepers. New employment opportunities are also being created in our region," he added. Further, the Prime Minister asserted that to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat, the rapid development of southern states is crucial. "Southern India has immense talent and vast resources. Therefore, the development of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and the entire south is a priority for our government. The railway development journey in these states over the past 10 years is a testament to this. In this year's budget, we have allocated over Rs 6,000 crores for Tamil Nadu's railway budget. This budget is more than seven times greater than that of 2014. Six Vande Bharat trains are already operating in Tamil Nadu, and today, this number will reach eight," PM Modi said. He also highlighted that for Karnataka, a budget of over Rs 7,000 crores has been allocated this time. "This budget is also more than nine times greater than that of 2014. Today, eight pairs of Vande Bharat trains are connecting all of Karnataka. We have strengthened rail transport in the south. The railway tracks in these states are being improved, and electrification is taking place, which has enhanced people's ease of living," he added. The Meerut City - Lucknow Vande Bharat will help passengers save around one hour in comparison to the current fastest train between the two cities. Likewise, the Chennai Egmore - Nagercoil Vande Bharat and Madurai - Bengaluru Vande Bharat trains will cover the journey saving more than 2 hours and around 1 hour 30 mins respectively. These new Vande Bharat trains shall provide the people of the region the world-class means to travel with speed and comfort and will cater to three states - Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. (ANI)
According to police, 32 college students, including one woman, were detained during the raid. The detained students have been taken to a private marriage hall, where they are being questioned individually.

The raids were carried out by a team of constables from the Tambaram City Police, who confiscated the cannabis, cannabis-infused chocolates, cannabis oil, and other related materials, officials said.

The seized drugs have been stored at the Maraimalai Nagar police station, they added.

Further details are awaited. (ANI)
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will visit the US from September 8 to September 10 during which he will hold numerous interactions in Washington DC and Dallas, including at the University of Texas. Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda on Saturday shared details of Rahul Gandhi's first visit to the US after becoming the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. "Since Rahul Gandhi has become the leader of the opposition, I as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, with a presence in 32 countries have been bombarded with requests from Indian diaspora diplomats, academicians, businessmen, leaders, international media and many others for interactions with Rahul Gandhi," Pitroda said in a video statement. He further said that the Congress leader is coming to the US for a very brief visit from September 8th to 10th. "He will be in Dallas on September 8 and will be in Washington DC on September 9 and 10th. In Dallas, we'll have interactions with University of Texas students, academicians, and community people. We'll have a very large community gathering, we'll meet some technocrats and then we'll have a dinner with the leaders from the Dallas area," he added. The Indian Overseas Congress chief further said that Rahul Gandhi will travel to Washington DC where there is a plan to have similar interactions with a variety of people, including think tanks, national press club and others. "There are a lot of events planned with a variety of people because we find that people also have a lot of interest in the states we run with a Congress government. We look forward to a very successful visit and look forward to welcoming Rahul Gandhi to the US," he said. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, Rahul Gandhi won two constituencies (Rae Bareli and Wayanad) in the Lok Sabha polls but resigned from the Wayanad seat in Kerala, from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is likely to contest a bypoll. Earlier in June this year, the Congress Working Committee passed the resolution and appointed Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. (ANI)
The deceased has been identified as Sabir Malik. The arrested persons have been identified as Abhishek, Ravinder, Mohit, Kamaljeet and Sahil, according to Haryana police.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dheeraj Kumar said that the police have registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and are actively investigating the matter. The accused have been taken into police remand and are being questioned.

"A migrant labourer was beaten to death by some people. A case has been registered under BNS and 7 people, including 2 juveniles, have been arrested. Police is working on the case actively and the accused have been taken on police remand and are being questioned," DSP Kumar said.

Further investigation into the case is underway, police said.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini termed the murder of a migrant in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri district an "unfortunate" incident and said that such incidents should not happen.

"It is not right to say things like mob lynching, because a strict law has been made in the Assembly for cow protection and there is no compromise on it...I want to say that such incidents should not happen and these incidents are unfortunate," Haryana CM said. (ANI)
The Bharatiya Janata Party workers including locals of the Chhamb constituency protested against the BJP candidate list, demanding local candidates in the forthcoming Jammu and Kashmir elections. Many BJP workers threatened to boycott the Jammu and Kashmir polls and demanded to drop preferred leaders and award tickets to the local representatives. Chanchal Sharma, a local protestor, said that everyone is demanding that in the elections local candidates should be given the chance. "People of the Chhamb area have gathered here. Regarding the BJP candidates, everyone is demanding that we should be given local candidates... There are 4-5 others, everyone wants any of them to be the candidate... I am a common man and I came here from a nearby village," a local protestor told ANI. A local BJP leader, Ashok Sharma said that they would boycott the Jammu and Kashmir elections. "The people here love their country. Our only demand is that we want a local candidate... There are 4-5 leaders who have been working with the people day and night. They have been sidelined and a candidate from outside has been given to us... We have no anger against the party but all we are saying is that a wrong decision has been made and it should be withdrawn. Otherwise, we will boycott the elections," Ashok Sharma said. Carrying placards, "Bahar Ka Pratyashi Nahi Chalega" (outside candidate is not acceptable), "Chhamb Ki Janata Ki Awaz, Local Pratyashi" (local candidate is the voice of Chhamb people), and "Hum Kya Chahte, Local Pratyashi" (we want local representative), hundreds of people took out a protest march. The BJP has announced Rajeev Sharma as its candidate from the Chhamb Assembly Segment. Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, according to the Election Commission of India. The counting of votes will take place on October 4. There are a total number of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 7 seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs. According to the Election Commission of India, Jammu and Kashmir has 88.06 lakh eligible electors. Notably, in the last Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP won 28 votes, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 25 votes, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference won 15 votes and the Congress won 12 votes. The PDP and BJP formed a coalition government led by Mufti Mohammed Sayeed. However, in 2018, the BJP withdrew its support from the alliance after Mehbooba Mufti took over following Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's demise. These are the first assembly elections to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. (ANI)
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Members of the Somali Parliament who recently visited North China's Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanxi province have expressed admiration for China's progress.

They were particularly impressed by China's advancements in agriculture and technology, and are looking forward to the upcoming Forum on the 2024 Summit of China-Africa Cooperation scheduled for Sept 4-6.

Jama Mohamed Askar, a member of the House of the People Iin Somali finance committee and the Somali-Chinese Parliamentary Friendship Group chairperson, stated, "We aim to emulate the valuable experiences we have gained from China."

The delegation of three Somali Parliamentarians participated in the 2024 Interregional Seminar on the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals for Parliaments of Developing Countries.

During their visit to Tianjin on Tuesday, they visited the world's first zero-carbon terminal at Tianjin Port.

The trip, which took place from Aug 19-28, was organized by the National People's Congress in China and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

The seminar, attended by 153 parliamentary leaders and legislators from 32 developing countries in Beijing, facilitated discussions and research excursions in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanxi province.

"We anticipate the participation of our senior leaders in the 2024 Summit of China-Africa Cooperation in early September, and we are confident that the event will enhance diplomatic and economic relations between China and Africa," remarked Askar.




Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday held a meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office bearers and workers in the state capital Bhopal and informed them about the upcoming party's membership drive. The meeting was organised at booth number 111 of Dakshin Paschim assembly seat in Hindi Bhavan in Bhopal. CM Yadav said that the party has set a target of making 1.5 crore members under the party's membership drive. "I am happy that the Bharatiya Janata Party is running a big membership campaign, and because of this, meetings are being held today in over 10.5 lakh booths across the country to start the membership campaign. In Madhya Pradesh alone, meetings are being held simultaneously at 64,871 booths. Today, I myself came to hold a meeting of party workers at booth number 111 of Dakshin Paschim assembly seat in the city," CM Yadav told reporters. "I am very happy that the workers of the BJP are full of enthusiasm and energy for the membership drive and we will all move forward for our set target. We have set a target of making 1.5 crore members in the state. I am confident that the way planning has been made among our workers, the party would step forward to make members from all sections of the society," the CM said. He further said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is not only the biggest democratic party in the world but also in power in the biggest democracy across the globe. Continuous work for poor welfare is going on in the country under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The way India is creating ideals in front of the world to build its credibility, it is always enticing everyone and creating a different kind of environment. I am happy that under the leadership of PM Modi, our government is also continuously moving forward with developmental work. The government should become employment-orientated; industry should be established here therefore, regional industry conclaves are being organised in various divisions of the state," the CM said. Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is set to launch a nationwide membership drive from September 2. Party sources said that Sadasyata Abhiyan 2024 will be launched in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 2 in the national capital. (ANI)
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday condemned the attack on BJP leader Michael Lamjathang Haokip's house in the state, and said such actions won't be tolerated and the perpetrators will be held to account. He further asserted that the Manipur government will also take action against the officers who failed to ensure security despite warning of potential threats. "I strongly condemn the arson attack at Shri Michael Lamjathang Haokip's parents' residence for the third time today. The repeated targeting of our people (Thadou in this case), often under the guise of peace rallies, is a deeply troubling trend," CM Singh posted on X. "Such acts of provocation will not be tolerated. We will ensure that those responsible are held accountable. Moreover, action will be taken against the concerned officials who failed to provide adequate security, despite prior warnings of potential threats," he added. Manipur BJP spokesperson, T Michael Lamjathang Haokip's house was vandalised and set on fire in Churachandpur district today. Haokip belongs to the Thadou tribe community. On August 27 also, Haokip's house was attacked, after which CM Biren Singh said that the attack was a direct challenge to the unity and integrity of the state. He said, "The attack carried out on the family members of Michael Lamjathang, a leader of the Thadou community, one of the oldest among the ethnic tribes of Manipur, as well as a BJP spokesperson, by vandalising his house was an act of cowardice." Manipur Cabinet Minister, Govindas Konthoujam, also condemned the incident and said that the attack is on the entire Thadou community. "I strongly condemn the barbaric attack on Thadou student leader and BJP Manipur Spokesperson Michael Lamjathang Haokip in Peniel village, Churachandpur. This cowardly act of violence against his home and family is not just an assault on an individual but on the entire Thadou community and our civilization. Such heinous acts expose the mentality of those who, are unable to engage in logical debate and resort to violence. We must stand united against such attempts to silence voices through fear," he said. (ANI)
West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja on Saturday demanded an answer from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the alleged murder and sexual assault of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 in Kolkata and said "fake narratives" regarding the incident are being spread. "We need a solution, CBI must answer. A hearing is going on in the Supreme Court, and the CBI is investigating. Fake narratives regarding this incident are being spread. Why is this media trial happening...if you know something, give the evidence to CBI, but through social media and in the name of Bandh, this hooliganism is going on. Our fight is against this," Shashi Panja told ANI on Saturday. TMC leader Shashi Panja and TMC workers are holding a protest in connection with the alleged RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the inaugural event of the 2-day National Conference of District Judiciary at Bharat Mandapam, reiterated that many strict laws have been made in the country for the safety of women. "Today, atrocities against women, safety of children... are serious concerns of society. Many strict laws have been made in the country for the safety of women, but we need to make it more active. The faster the decisions are taken in cases related to atrocities against women, the greater assurance of safety half the population will get," PM Modi said. Doctors have been holding protests in different states demanding justice for the victim whose body was found in the seminar hall of the state-run Medical College and Hospital earlier in the month. The doctors have also been demanding better security laws for healthcare professionals in the wake of this horrible and brutal incident. The sexual assault of the trainee doctor has sparked massive outrage and shaken the conscience of the country. The case has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation from the local police following an order from the Calcutta High Court. Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, at the hospital, has been arrested in connection with the incident. The alleged murder and sexual assault of a female trainee doctor on August 9 at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata has triggered a war of words between the BJP, with the latter demanding the resignation of Mamata Banerjee. The trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. (ANI)
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday revised the polling day for Haryana Assembly polls from October 1 to October 5, this year as well as moved the counting of votes for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana Assemblies from October 4 to October 8. The decision has been taken to honour both the voting rights and the traditions of the Bishnoi community, which has upheld a centuries-old practice of participating in the Asoj Amavasya festival celebration in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar as per the ECI. The Commission said it had received representation from National President, All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner (Rajasthan) for rescheduling the date of polling set for October 1. As per the representation for generations numerous families in Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana have observed a long-standing tradition of visiting their native village Mukam, in Rajasthan during the Amavas in the month of "Asoj" for their annual festival in Bikaner district, in the memory of their Guru Jambheshwar. This year, the festival will take place on October 2 and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar would be travelling to Rajasthan on poll day, denying them their voting rights, the Election Commission of India said. In the past, the Commission has also adjusted election dates to respect the sentiments of various communities. For instance, during the Punjab Assembly Elections in 2022, the polls were postponed by a week to accommodate devotees to travel to Varanasi for Guru Ravidas Jayanti. Similarly, in Manipur during the 2022 Assembly elections, the Commission changed the polling dates to respect the Christian community's Sunday prayers. Likewise, in the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly elections, the Commission rescheduled polling originally scheduled on Devuthani Ekadashi, a day significant for mass weddings in Rajasthan. In Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2012, poll date was changed due to Barawafat. Coincidentally, the revised polling date would also resolve any concerns of a six-day holiday by taking a one day leave on September 30, 2024 Election Commission said. (ANI)
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to rise above differences and support the BJP in the upcoming assembly election to prevent the resurgence of separatism and terrorism in the valley. While addressing BJP supporters for the Jammu West Assembly Constituency Candidate Arvind Gupta, Union Minister Reddy said, "I request people of Jammu and Kashmir to consider whether they want to maintain changes made after removal of Article 370 under PM Modi's leadership or if they want to bring back separatism, terrorism, cross-border terrorism, stone-pelting on security forces, corruption, and nepotism. The future of Jammu and Kashmir is in your hands." "I urge everyone to come together, setting aside differences in religion, caste... rise above individual issues and support BJP party in this election," he added. He also said that the BJP's existence is linked to Jammu and Kashmir, as the party was formed to save Jammu and Kashmir and fully integrate it into India. "Jammu and Kashmir is heartbeat of our nation, and BJP's very existence is linked to Jammu and Kashmir... BJP was established to save Jammu and Kashmir and integrate Jammu and Kashmir fully into India," he said. Polling in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, according to the Election Commission of India. The counting of votes will take place on October 4. There are a total number of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 7 seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs. According to the Election Commission of India, Jammu and Kashmir has 88.06 lakh eligible electors. Notably, in the last Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP won 28 votes, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 25 votes, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference won 15 votes and the Congress won 12 votes. These are the first assembly elections to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh on Saturday claimed that the West Bengal government was still trying to obstruct the Kolkata woman doctor rape and murder case enquiry and save the accused. "The state government tried to create confusion among the public and destroy the evidence...The state government is still trying to obstruct the enquiry and save the accused. The state police is not coordinating with CBI... Every work that is being done by the state government, be it the principal, be it the DC, be it the CP or from the Chief Minister to all other leaders, these people want to dilute it deliberately," Ghosh told ANI. "Even before this 48,000 such cases of crime have happened during Mamata Banerjee's rule, none of them has been solved," Ghosh added. Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the inaugural event of the 2-day National Conference of District Judiciary at Bharat Mandapam, reiterated that many strict laws have been made in the country for the safety of women. "Today, atrocities against women, safety of children... are serious concerns of society. Many strict laws have been made in the country for the safety of women, but we need to make it more active. The faster the decisions are taken in cases related to atrocities against women, the greater assurance of safety half the population will get," PM Modi said. The brutal rape and murder of the trainee doctor has sparked a wave of protests in West Bengal and other parts of the country. Doctors have been holding protests in different states demanding justice for the victim. Doctors have been demonstrating in various states, demanding justice for the victim and enhanced security laws for healthcare professionals. The case has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation from the local police following an order from the Calcutta High Court. Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer, at the hospital, has been arrested in connection with the incident. The incident has triggered a war of words between the BJP, with the latter demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. (ANI)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday conducted searches at multiple locations in the Gariyaband district of Chhattisgarh in the 2023 state assembly poll IED blast case. The blast was carried out by CPI (Maoist) cadres while a convoy of polling and security personnel was returning from village Badegobra after voting on November 17 last year. A Head Constable of the ITBP ADHOC 615 Battalion was killed in the attack, the NIA release stated. NIA teams today conducted searches at premises linked with nine suspects in the Maoist-infested sensitive areas of the remote Chhotegobra village under PS Manipur. Several mobile phones and digital devices were seized during the operation, carried out as part of NIAs' investigation into case RC - 05 /2024/NIA/RPR. Investigations by NIA, which had taken over the case in March this year, had led the agency to identify certain supporters/OGWs of CPI (Maoist) as suspects involved in supporting the banned outfit in executing the attack. (ANI)
Amid the sexual abuse allegations that have hit the Malayalam film industry, where the police have registered eleven cases, including one against CPI (M) MLA Mukesh, CPI (M) Kerala Secretary MV Govindan said that regardless of status, everyone would be accountable in front of the law. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Govindan further stated that the Kerala government had set an example for the entire country in its commitment to provide justice by taking action even against an MLA from the ruling party. "The police registered eleven cases, including one against CPI(M) MLA Mukesh. The government is demonstrating its commitment to justice even by taking action against an MLA from the ruling party. The Kerala government is setting an example for the entire country with its approach... If an accused MLA resigns and is later proven innocent, there is no legal provision to reinstate him. However, no special privileges should be given to anyone during the investigation. The party's stand is that justice should be delivered to all. Regardless of status, everyone must be held accountable before the law," he said. Govindan also mentioned that it was the first time in India that a "committee had been appointed to investigate and resolve issues within the film industry," and a committee had also been appointed to formulate a cinema policy. "A committee headed by Shaji N. Karun has been appointed to formulate a cinema policy...A time has already been set to hold a conclave to formulate a cinema policy. We will decide after discussions with everyone involved. Currently, there is consideration to remove Mukesh from such committees. Therefore, we will take the necessary time to make a decision. The government has no intention of rushing into the conclave or announcing a cinema policy," he later added. Speaking on the campaign demanding the resignation of MLA Mukesh by the opposition parties, Govindan said, "There are 16 MPs and 135 MLAs across the country who are accused in cases involving women, including 54 BJP MPs and 23 Congress MPs. None of them have resigned from their positions; none have stepped down from their roles." On the action taken by the party against PK Sasi following serious financial misappropriation on his part, Govindan said, "The action against PK Sasi has been approved by the State Committee. He has been removed from the elected positions within the party. The decision to reorganise the Mannarkkad Area Committee has also been approved by the State Committee." (ANI)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday defended the state assembly's decision to end the 2-hour break for Jumma prayers, saying that no other state assembly in India has a similar break. He also expressed surprise that people outside Assam are opposing the decision without fully understanding it. He also said that Congress supported the decision to end the Jumma break in Assam. In a post on X, the Assam Chief Minister said, "The decision to end the Jumma break in Assam was also supported by the Congress. There is no such break in Bihar or any other state assembly in the country. I am surprised that people outside Assam are opposing it without thinking." https://x.com/himantabiswa/status/1829814195996533100 The state assembly ended the practice of a two-hour adjournment for Jumma Prayers, every Friday that was introduced by Saadulah's Muslim League government in colonial Assam. Assam Speaker Biswajit Daimary said that the decision was taken as it had become difficult to hold discussions on Fridays due to a lack of time. Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav hit out at CM Sarma and alleged that the Assam Chief Minister wants "cheap popularity" and further said that the BJP wants to "bother Muslims in some way or the other." Samajwadi Party leader ST Hassan said, "Himanta Biswa Sarma spreads poison in the society. His government is against Muslims." According to the previous rule, the sitting of the Assembly on Friday used to be adjourned at 11 am to facilitate Muslim members to go for namaaz, but, as per the new rule, the Assembly will conduct its proceedings without any adjournment for religious purposes. As per the amended rule, the Assam assembly will commence its proceedings at 9.30 am every day, including Fridays. The order stated that the amendment was done to scrap the colonial practice, which aimed at dividing society on a religious basis. (ANI)
Following the change in dates for the Haryana assembly polls by the Election Commission of India on Saturday, BJP co-election in-charge of the Haryana Assembly Biplab Deb said that the party welcomes the decision of the EC as this decision will help in getting the maximum voter turnout on polling day. Speaking to ANI, Biplab Deb said that the party had written a letter to the Election Commission, requesting to change the date of the election, after which other parties had also written letters to the EC to change the date of the Haryana assembly elections from October 1 to October 5. Deb stated that the EC changed the dates for the polls for maximum voter turnouts as there are festivals on October 1 and people might travel to their homes to celebrate. "Our country is a country of culture and festivals. There were festivals on October 1 and the number of Bishnoi community members is high in Haryana and naturally the Election Commission wants maximum voting to take place. During the festival, lakhs of people will go to their homes to celebrate the festival, so the Election Commission has changed the date so that maximum voting takes place in the Haryana Assembly. We welcome the decision of the Election Commission," he said. The former Tripura CM denied the opposition's charge that the change had been done to benifit the BJP, "I do not know whether the BJP will benefit in the elections or not. But I want to say that in a democratic country, there should be maximum votes. Voting is the identity of a citizen and we are in favour of it. When I contested the Lok Sabha elections, my constituency had the highest voter turnout. There was about 83 per cent voting and during that election, I had only one appeal, to vote as much as possible. In a democratic country, an election is a festival of democracy. Celebrate the festival during elections, but do not make it a holiday." "God knows who will win the Haryana Assembly and the public will tell but we have worked under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have a government at the centre and in the state. The BJP has given employment to people in Haryana and the public is Janardan. It will decide who will win the Haryana Assembly but the leadership is with us," he further added. Earlier today, the ECI revised the polling day for Haryana Assembly polls from October 1 to October 5, this year, as well as moved the counting of votes for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana Assemblies from October 4 to October 8. (ANI)
The office of the Karantaka Governor has told the high court in the State that sanction granted to prosecute Karnataka Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah in the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam was done after "applicaton of mind." Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said this while addressing Karnataka High Court in connection with Siddharamaiah's plea. Karnataka Chief Minister had moved a plea challenging the sanction to prosecute him granted by Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot. Solicitor General Mehta submitted before the bench of Justice Nagaprasanna that if a prima facie cognizable offence is made out, the Governor is bound to accord the sanction to prosecute. The Solicitor General also submitted that there was elaborate application of mind on the part of the Governor. After hearing arguments of Solicitor General Mehta, senior Advocate Maninder Singh and others for more than six hours, Justice Nagaoparasanna listed the matter for further arguments on September 2 at 2.30 pm. During his arguments, Mehta further submitted that under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, a preliminary inquiry is not contemplated, what is contemplating is only a prima facie case. If a preliminary inquiry takes place, the evidence would go. It is not necessary to initiate a preliminary inquiry in every case, as the facts of every case, are different, Mehta said . Mehta further argued that sanction to prosecute is granted if prima facie a case is made out on the basis of material collected during the investigation. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta further submitted that to give sanction to prosecute the Chief Minister is an exclusive function of the Governor, who used his own discretion. If there is a prima facie case and the Governor decides not to give sanction to prosecute, then the power of democracy will be reducing, Mehta said. It was further argued that any person can seek approval but the investigation officer cannot investigate without getting prior approval against a public servant. The Governor signed the application, and the order was passed on August 16, Mehta informed the bench. Mehta further submitted that the application of mind need not be reflected in the order, it will be reflected in the file. In this case, it can't be said that the application of mind was not applied. He further said that the chief secretary made a note of 45 pages mentioning the material against the petitioner after which it went to the Advocate General, who gave his opinion. Thereafter, the matter was placed before the cabinet. The Cabinet is collectively responsible, and there was the collective non-application of mind, the Solicitor General said. Mehta also said that the reply by the chief minister was a cut and paste from the note of the cabinet, the Advocate General and the Chief Secretary. He also said that Bengaluru is the capital of IT and they could use Artificial Intelligence to rephrase to matter but they didn't. The SG said that there was an application of mind while according to the sanction by the Governor. Application of mind should be reflected in the file, not in the sanction order, he added. He further said that it is an executive administrative order that need not to consider everything para to para and contention by contention. No hearing is required in administrative action, Mehta said adding that if there is a hearing, the person can destroy the evidence. "What is to be seen by the competent authority whether a prima facie case is made out or not on the basis of material collected by the investigation agency during the investigation," the Solicitor General said. Mehta also referred to the reply by the Cheif Minister, which said he recused from the meeting. The deputy chief minister was there,.he had his representative in the cabinet meeting, Mehta said. The Solicitor General also referred to the cases of the Supreme Court stating that the Governor should act on his own discretion. There is a likelihood of being biased in the decision of the cabinet if the allegations are against their chief minister, Mehta said. The Governor sought a report from the chief secretary, who filed the same. Thereafter, Senior Advocate Maninder Singh made his submissions. He submitted that the offence is against society, and then every person can seek sanction to prosecute. He also submitted that there is material. He concluded his arguments.In the post-lunch session, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi counsel for Siddaramaiah said that he needs time to analyse the response of the respondents. In the post-lunch session, other counsels made their submissions. One of the counsels argued that the Governor would act on his own discretion and not the aid and advice of the council of ministers while granting sanction to prosecute the chief minister. He further said that when the Chief Minister or a member of the cabinet faces prosecution, the Council of Ministers becomes disabled or disentitled. In this situation, the governor will act on his own discretion. He also referred to Article 143 to show that council of ministers and chief minister are not bifurcated. The council is headed by the chief minister. The counsel further argued that Section 17 (A) excludes notice to public servants. If notice is given there are chances of tampering with the evidence. He further argued that the concept of notice does not arise at all as it would cause prejudice to the sanctity of the investigation. If notice is not given it can't be said that Governor did not apply his mind. The Governor at the same time wear two hats. On one hand, he is head of state, on the other he is an independent Constitutional functionary whose duty is to protect the constitution, the counsel added. He concluded his arguements by saying that the writ petition does not warrant any interference by the bench. Another counsel submitted that non-existent land was subjected to sale deed, conversion, to be gifted. This non-existent land was gifted to the wife of the chief minister a long ago by Mallikarjuna Swamy. Now she claims compensation for this land. Earlier, a complaint was filed by social activist Snehamayi Krishna against the Karnataka CM and nine others for allegedly forging documents to claim compensation from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority. (ANI)
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has welcomed the Election Commission's decision to reschedule the counting of votes for the Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana assembly elections. Originally slated for October 4, the date has now been moved to October 8, 2024. Saini praised the Election Commission, stating, "I want to thank the Election Commission for their decision. Our State President, Mohanlal Kaushik, had written to the EC regarding a concern that there are consecutive holidays on September 29, 30, and October 1, 2. We expressed concern that this might affect the voting percentage, as people might go on holidays or vacations. Other parties also expressed similar concerns." The Election commission in its statement also mentioned that the revised polling date would also resolve any concerns of a six-day holiday by taking a one day leave on September 30, 2024. "It is commendable that the Election Commission considered the feedback from various quarters and acted in the best interest of the democratic process. This decision will help ensure that voter turnout remains strong, and the integrity of the election process is maintained," Saini said. Reacting to the electoral body's decision, AAP Haryana President Sushil Gupta said, "BJP is scared. The public of Haryana has made up its mind to remove the corrupt BJP government from power...They want to stay in power for four more days...We are ready to fight the elections on all seats in Haryana..." Echoing the INDIA alliance partner, Congress party's Kumari Selja said, "What can we say about the Election Commission? ... They (BJP) could not win the race in 10 years, so what will happen in 5 days? Congress is ready and we will try to win all the seats." Former Haryana Deputy Chief Minister and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala welcomed the EC's decision and said, " "We welcome this. This clearly shows that the BJP is adopting all these tactics to avoid its defeat. Changing the date will do nothing because people have made up their minds to defeat them..." Former Deputy CM of J&K and BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said, "" ...The reason that has been told is that, in Haryana, it centuries-old festival of the Bishnoi community will take place and people might attend it. In view of that, a good decision has been taken...we welcome the decision" The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday revised the polling day for Haryana Assembly polls from October 1 to October 5, this year as well as moved the counting of votes for both Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana Assemblies from October 4 to October 8.The decision has been taken to honour both the voting rights and the traditions of the Bishnoi community, which has upheld a centuries-old practice of participating in the Asoj Amavasya festival celebration in remembrance of Guru Jambheshwar as per the ECI.The Commission said it had received representation from National President, All India Bishnoi Mahasabha, Bikaner (Rajasthan) for rescheduling the date of polling set for October 1.As per the representation for generations numerous families in Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana have observed a long-standing tradition of visiting their native village Mukam, in Rajasthan during the Amavas in the month of "Asoj" for their annual festival in Bikaner district, in the memory of their Guru Jambheshwar.This year, the festival will take place on October 2 and thousands of Bishnoi families residing in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar would be travelling to Rajasthan on poll day, denying them their voting rights, the Election Commission of India said.In the past, the Commission has also adjusted election dates to respect the sentiments of various communities. For instance, during the Punjab Assembly Elections in 2022, the polls were postponed by a week to accommodate devotees to travel to Varanasi for Guru Ravidas Jayanti. Similarly, in Manipur during the 2022 Assembly elections, the Commission changed the polling dates to respect the Christian community's Sunday prayers.Likewise, in the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly elections, the Commission rescheduled polling originally scheduled on Devuthani Ekadashi, a day significant for mass weddings in Rajasthan. (ANI)
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday alleged that Trinamool Congress is trying to divert the attention of the people of Bengal from the RG Kar rape and murder case by accusing CBI of not doing anything. He also claimed that Mamata Banerjee wants to "escape her responsibility" by targeting CBI, adding that it is also the responsibility of the West Bengal government and police to cooperate with the agency. "To divert the attention of the people of Bengal, they (TMC) are saying that CBI is not doing anything. Mamata Banerjee wants to escape her responsibility by targeting CBI... I want to tell her that it is also the responsibility of the West Bengal government and police to cooperate with CBI or point out its shortcomings with facts," Chowdhury said. Earlier in the day, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury visited RG Kar Medical College to meet the medical students who are protesting against the rape-murder of a resident doctor. "I thought it is important to express my sympathy and support to these protesting doctors. I'm not here as a politician but as a person," he told reporters. The brutal rape and murder of the trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital has sparked a wave of protests in West Bengal and other parts of the country. The trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. Doctors have been holding protests in different states demanding justice for the victim and enhanced security laws for healthcare professionals. The case has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation from the local police following an order from the Calcutta High Court. Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer, at the hospital, has been arrested in connection with the incident. The incident has triggered a war of words between the BJP, with the latter demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Friday granted regular bail to Gurupada Maji after two years of custody in the West Bengal mining money laundering case under PMLA. The proceeds of crime, as alleged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), of more than Rs 2742.32 crore. Earlier on November 23, 2021, Maji was released on regular bail by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court. Justice Jyoti Singh, after considering the facts and submissions of counsels, granted bail to Gurupada Maji. Justice Singh said, "The case of the ED is primarily based on documentary evidence, and the relevant records/documents have been seized and are in the custody of investigating agencies and thus cannot be tampered." "ED has not argued that there is any possibility of intimidating the witnesses," Justice Singh added. The bench said that it is also a matter of record that the investigation in the present matter qua the applicant is complete. "Considering the aforesaid facts and circumstances, the application is allowed, and it is directed that the applicant be released on regular bail, subject to his furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs. 5,00,000 with two sureties of the like amount to the satisfaction of the learnt trial court," the high court ordered on Friday. Maji had moved an application through advocate Sumer Singh Boparai and advocate Siddhant Saraswat seeking regular bail. Senior advocate N Hariharan argued that Maji has been in judicial custody since June 2, 2022 and has already suffered long incarceration. A supplementary charge sheet was filed in July 2022, but the investigation is proceeding at a slow pace. It was further argued that since the filing of the last supplementary charge sheet, two investigating officers have changed, but there is no progress. In the absence of completion of the investigation, there is no likelihood of the trial concluding anywhere in the near future as the same has not even commenced. There are 64 witnesses and 174 relied upon documents running into 3900 pages and the trial will itself take years to conclude, as and when it commences. The case of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is that the CBI, Kolkata, registered an FIR on 27.11.2020 for offences punishable under Sections 120-B/409 IPC and Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (PC Act). As per the FIR, Anup Majee, Amit Kumar Dhar, and several other public and private persons were involved in activities related to illegal excavation and theft of coal from the leasehold area of Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL). It was alleged that Anup Majee led the syndicate of illegal coal miners in active connivance with officials of ECL, CISF, Indian Railways, and other departments, who facilitated the misappropriation of coal, thereby committing a criminal breach of trust of government property entrusted to them. During the investigation, a large number of vehicles and equipment used in illegal coal mining and its transportation were seized, and several instances of installing illegal weighbridges in concrete form were detected. CBI filed a charge sheet against Anup Majee and 40 other accused on 19.07.2022 in the Court of Special Judge (CBI), Asansol, West Bengal, and the Court has taken cognisance of the offences. Applicant is accused No. 10 in the CBI case. As per ED, there has been illegal excavation and pilferage of approximately 25,51,382.85 MT of coal worth Rs. 11,14,35,43,801 at the leasehold area of ECL. Maji was arrested on May 27, 2022, by the ED and was remanded to ED custody till June 2, 2022. On 02.06.2022, the applicant was sent to judicial custody. As per ED Maji was one of the four partners in the illegal coal mining business and had a 25 per cent stake therein. Investigation revealed that Niraj Singh, accountant of Anup Majee, maintained the records of Proceeds of Crime (POC) generated from illegal mining, which were seized by the Income Tax Department and forwarded to ED for further investigation. It is alleged that between July 2018-December 2020, the syndicate of Anup Majee, which included the applicant, generated Rs. 2742.32 crores of POC from illegal coal mining. Records seized by the Income Tax Department revealed that the applicant received POC to the tune of Rs 89.04 crores, either directly or through his nephew Tapas Maji, while the applicant was in custody in connection with a case under the NDPS Act, 1985. WhatsApp communications between the applicant and Niraj Singh and digital evidence seized from the residence of Subhash Agarwal, CA, of the applicant revealed the transfer of POC to the applicant. Records such as loose sheets/ledgers seized from the applicant's office at Balitora, Purulia, show his clear involvement in illegal coal mining. It is also alleged that the investigation revealed that Nilima Maji, the wife of the applicant and the wife of Anup Majee are both directors in Excel Infrabuild Pvt. Ltd. (Bihari Nath Resort) and expenses to the tune of Rs. 1.63 crores were paid from POC, which is reflected in the records maintained by Niraj Singh. (ANI)
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Saturday criticised Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav for his comments on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and asked if "Sam Pitroda's spirit" has entered into him. Poonawalla further criticised the INDIA bloc, saying it's in their nature to disrespect the Constitution and insult everyone. Speaking to ANI, Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Tejashwi Yadav said that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is the 'Chinese version'. just because he was born in Assam.. Has Sam Pitroda's spirit entered Tejashwi Yadav?... It is the character of the INDI alliance to not respect the Constitution and insult every person." Poonawalla also questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to clarify if Yadav's comment aligns with efforts to unite India. Poonawalla also urged Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi to address whether Congress would sever ties with RJD after Yadav's comments. "Rahul Gandhi had started his Bharat Jodo Yatra Part 2 from the Northeast itself. He (Rahul Gandhi) should tell whether if this is a statement to unite India?... On this, Rahul Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi should say when will they (Congress) break ties with RJD?" he added. Twjashwi had referred to CM Himanta as the "Chinese version of Yogi," while attacking him over Assam Assembly's decision to end the 2-hour Jumma practice on Friday. https://x.com/yadavtejashwi/status/1829545627509772518 The state assembly ended the practice of a two-hour adjournment for Jumma Prayers, every Friday that was introduced by Saadulah's Muslim League government in colonial Assam. Assam Speaker Biswajit Daimary said that the decision was taken as it had become difficult to hold discussions on Fridays due to a lack of time. According to the previous rule, the sitting of the Assembly on Friday used to be adjourned at 11 am to facilitate Muslim members to go for namaaz, but, as per the new rule, the Assembly will conduct its proceedings without any adjournment for religious purposes. As per the amended rule, the Assam assembly will commence its proceedings at 9.30 am every day, including Fridays. The order stated that the amendment was done to scrap the colonial practice, which aimed at dividing society on a religious basis. (ANI)
Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Rajwinder Singh Bhatti took over the charge of Director General (DG), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Saturday, informed an official release. Upon his arrival at the CISF Headquarters, Bhatti was received by Praveer Ranjan, ADG (APS), Kundan Krishnan, ADG (North), PS Ranpise, ADG (HQ) and other senior officers of the CISF. A ceremonial Guard of Honour was presented to mark the occasion. After the assumption of charge, Bhatti interacted with the senior officers of the CISF and chaired a meeting to go through the functioning of the CISF. Addressing the senior officers, DG CISF emphasised his commitment to enhance the professionalism and welfare measures within the Force. He outlined his vision to further strengthen CISF capabilities in safeguarding the nation's critical infrastructure, including airports, nuclear installations and other vital assets, while also prioritising the well-being of the personnel who serve diligently to keep the flag of the Force flying high. Rajwinder Singh Bhatti has been appointed as the 31st DG for the CISF. Prior to his appointment as DG CISF, Bhatti was serving as the Director General of Bihar Police, where he was known for his strategic acumen and leadership in managing complex law and order challenges. An IPS officer from the batch of 1990 in Bihar Cadre, Bhatti is a Chartered Accountant with an M.Phil degree. In his 34-year career, he held numerous important and sensitive positions in Bihar and on the Central Deputation to the Government of India. He served as the City Superintendent of Police (SP) of Patna and SP in Jehanabad, Gopalganj, and Purnia. He has also held key positions such as SP of Siwan, Inspector-General (IG) of Patna Zone, and IG (security). During Central Deputation, he held the positions of Joint Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) in the Air Authority of India (AAI). His extensive experience in diverse roles has equipped him with a profound understanding of security management, operational strategy, and public administration. Rajwinder Singh Bhatti was decorated with the President's Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2006 and the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2014. (ANI)
Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, former Member of Parliament for Ladakh, former BJP State President, and former Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC Leh, today met with Brig (Retd) Dr BD Mishra, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, to extend his deep gratitude to the Union Territory Administration of Ladakh. This meeting was held in recognition of the Ministry of Home Affairs' recent announcement to establish five new districts in Union Territory of Ladakh. Jamyang Tsering Namgyal applauded Lt. Governor Brig Dr. BD Mishra for his steadfast support of the demands he raised inside and outside Parliament during his tenure in the 17th Lok Sabha. JTN particularly praised the Lt. Governor's efforts to fulfill the long-standing need for district status for Zanskar, Nubra, Changthang, Sham, and Drass. Jamyang Tsering Namgyal lauded the Modi Government's decision as a landmark achievement that aligns with the aspirations of the people from these regions. He emphasized that this initiative will bring administrative services closer to the residents, facilitating comprehensive development throughout the regions. Jamyang Tsering Namgyal described this decision as a significant milestone, marking a historic shift towards improved governance in every nook and corner of Ladakh. He recognised the forward-thinking policies of the UT Ladakh Administration and the substantial progress made over the past five years in the newly established Union Territory under the visionary leadership of Lt Governor Brig Dr. B.D. Mishra as rightly guided by the most dynamic Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In addition to expressing his gratitude, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal urged the Lt. Governor to expedite the boundary demarcation process, ensuring it takes into account the views and concerns of all community stakeholders. He also requested the creation of essential posts to ensure the effective delivery of services in these newly established districts, in alignment with the Prime Minister's vision. During the meeting, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal also addressed ongoing demands from the people of Suru-Sankoo and Shakar-Chiktan, emphasizing the need for prompt resolution of these issues. The Lt Governor congratulated Jamyang Tsering Namgyal on the creation of the five new districts, acknowledging this development as a crucial step forward for improving governance and accessibility in Ladakh. The Lt Governor reaffirmed the commitment to enhancing administrative efficiency and serving the local population more effectively. (ANI)
At the Kharga War Memorial 'Vijay Smarak' on Saturday, GoC congratulated the team for their glorious achievement, representing the true spirit of the Kharga Corps and promoting the spirit of adventure and inclusiveness in the border areas, an official release said.

Led by Major Puneet Kumar, the 15-member expedition team began their expedition from Mud (3699 m) and trekked through the Pin Parvati Valley, touching Pin Pass (5320 m), Mantalai (4106 m), Odi Thatch (3754 m), Kheer Ganga (3099 m) and Manikaran (5318 m), it said.

The team completed the arduous expedition within a short time of nine days, negotiating a distance of over 100 km of high-altitude terrain under challenging weather conditions, demonstrating remarkable resilience, teamwork and determination of the Indian Army soldiers, the release said.

Along the expedition, the team also interacted with the veterans residing in remote areas to honour them for their services and to draw inspiration from their powerful stories of courage and resilience while serving for the motherland.

The expedition aimed at promoting adventure & inclusiveness of the border areas, symbolised the 'Spirit of Adventure of the Indian Army, strength of the Indian Soldier & its commitment to establish contact with its veterans, Veer Naris and the widows of the soldiers, the release added. (ANI)
Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami appointed Meenu Malhotra as the first Honorary Council of Newcastle, the northernmost metropolitan borough of the country. The Tyneside-based Malhotra Group has built up a large property portfolio across the region, in addition to having an interest in care homes. It also has commercial property developments in India, the home country of its chairman, Meenu Malhotra. While speaking with ANI, Vikram Doraiswami said, "It's an honorary consul. The idea is to utilise all the energy and the relationships that Meenu Malhotra has built in the region, not just for his business but also as an Indian in this area..." Doraiswami further said, "An honorary consulate allows us to create what we might not be able to do in creating a full-fledged home team staff because the investment is a lot. And also there are limits to how many consulates we can have in a country. This is a fast, effective, and organic way of building relationships..." Meanwhile, the newly appointed honorary counsel of India to Newcastle, Meenu Malhotra said that new India House will represent our High Commission in London and emphasized the vast potential for synergy between the north-east region of England and India. He said, "... Work starts now... The new India House will serve our community and will represent our High Commission in London. There is a huge scope of synergies between our region and India..." He added, "All the people in the north-east of England no longer have to travel all the way to London. We will take care of all their needs and advisories. They are more than welcome to visit and connect with the office and we are here to bridge the gap which has existed for a long time..." Notably, the event was held in the Hilton Gateshead Hotel in Newcastle. Many prominent personalities like Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman of Hero Enterprise and Guy Opperman, former minister of Pensions, Employment and Transport, were present at the event. (ANI)
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Karachi on August 30, 2024, to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. The march, spanning nearly three kilometres from Teen Talwar to the Karachi Press Club (KPC), saw a diverse group of participants united in their demand for justice, Dawn News reported. Carrying banners and chanting slogans, the protesters sought to draw attention to the ongoing issue of enforced disappearances in Pakistan, a practice that has left countless families without answers for years. The origins of this observance trace back to December 21, 2010, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution expressing grave concern over the global rise in enforced disappearances. The resolution also led to the establishment of August 30 as the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, starting from 2011. The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, welcomed in the same resolution, serves as a key legal framework to combat this issue. In Pakistan, enforced disappearances have been a persistent problem, particularly affecting regions like Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh. The march in Karachi was a powerful reminder of the widespread nature of this issue, with participants from various ethnic backgrounds coming together to demand accountability. Nida Kirmani, an academic and activist, highlighted the significance of this unity, noting that it was rare to see such a diverse group of communities standing together in Pakistan. The protest was marked by the presence of both seasoned activists and new faces, all driven by a common cause. Usman Baloch, an 86-year-old veteran labour leader, led the march with the same fervor he has shown for the last 60 years. His optimism was palpable as he watched young people, including girls as young as 12, take up the mantle of leadership in the fight against enforced disappearances. These young activists, inspired by figures like Sammi Deen Baloch and Dr. Mahrang Baloch, have become symbols of the movement, leading rallies across the nation, reported Dawn News. One of the key messages of the march was the call for legal due process. Activists urged the authorities to bring those accused of crimes before the courts rather than resorting to enforced disappearances. Elahi Bux Bikik, a long-time activist from Sindh, voiced this demand with a poignant plea: "If our loved ones have done anything wrong, there is the law. You can give them the death penalty if that's what is meted out, but at least give us back their bodies." This sentiment was echoed by Qazi Khizer, vice-president of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)'s Sindh Chapter, who emphasized the importance of legal accountability. The march saw participation from various civic organizations, including the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, Baloch Missing Persons, Sindh Sujag Forum, Voice of Sindhi Missing Persons, and Voice of Shia Missing Persons. These groups, representing the affected communities, have been at the forefront of the struggle to end enforced disappearances in Pakistan. The impact of enforced disappearances on families was brought to life through the testimonies of several activists. Sixteen-year-old Sadaf Ameer, whose father has been missing for a decade, delivered an emotional speech that resonated with the crowd. Her words highlighted the desperation and pain that families endure, not knowing the fate of their loved ones. "Today is a day of serious problems for jabri gumshuda in Balochistan," she said, referring to the widespread nature of enforced disappearances in the region. She urged the public to stand in solidarity with the victims and their families, emphasizing the need for collective action to bring an end to this practice. The march in Karachi, which saw participation more than triple in size compared to the previous year, is a testament to the growing momentum of the movement against enforced disappearances in Pakistan, Dawn reported. As the marchers reached the Karachi Press Club, they were greeted with applause and chants, signalling the increasing public support for their cause. The movement, which has long been a regional struggle, is now gaining national attention, with activists like Sammi Deen Baloch leading the charge. In the face of continued challenges, the participants of the Karachi march remain determined. Their message is clear: enforced disappearances must end, and justice must be served. The march serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience of those affected by this practice and their unwavering commitment to seeking the truth. As the movement grows, so does the hope that one day, the disappeared will be returned to their families, and the perpetrators of these heinous acts will be held accountable. (ANI)
An Indian student enrolled at UK's Oxford University has accused the prestigious varsity of racial bias, harassment and injustice. Lakshmi Balakrishnan who hails from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, said that she has "initiated legal action" because she has "not received justice from the appeals and complaints mechanism" instituted by the university. As per her claims she had joined Oxford university in October 2018 to pursue a PhD on Shakespeare in the English faculty. "In November 2021 during an internal assessment process known as confirmation of status in the fourth year of my studies my assessors at Oxford failed me by reasoning in the assessment report that Shakespeare does not have the scope for doctoral level studies," Balakrishnan said. She alleges that this constitutes a "breach of contract" by the university. "It is actually a breach of contract because when I applied to Oxford I clearly mentioned in my application that my PhD thesis is going to be on Shakespeare. The scope of my PHD thesis has continued to remain the same since the time of mu application to Oxford and therefore I believe that this constitutes a fundamental breach of contract when the university failed my PHD exam," she said. The student said that she has "assiduously followed all the appeals and complaints process and shown respect to these procedures" but felt let down by these procedures. "I want justice for my PhD confirmation issue," she said. "Since December 2021, I have filed several appeals and complaints in various stages both within the university as well as in the Office of the Independent Adjudicator of my PhD problem," Balakrishnan added. She stated that the university and the OIA refused to uphold the appeal because they said that the assessors are credited scholars and their decision "academic judgement" must be accepted. "I am not challenging the academic judgement of the assessors on their academics, I am challenging the judgement on the basis of racial bias and procedural irregularity," Balakrishnan alleged. She said she had spent over 100,000 pounds by "making immense sacrifices." "After spending such an enormous sum of money which is 100,000 pounds the least they could do is to allow me to submit my PhD thesis and undertake my final viva, that is all that I am expecting," she said. The graduate student said that after the appeals and complaints procedure of the university failed to grant her justice, she has initiated legal action. "The university's actions have disadvantaged me financially and affected my job prospects," claimed Balakrishnan She said she has also started a Go fund page appealing to the public for "financial support to seek justice." She further said that she has appealed to the Vice Chancellor and the Pro Vice Chancellor of the university. "I have requested meetings from them. Unfortunately, I have not had a positive response from them," she said. "My own college at Oxford has testified about severe irregularities as had happened in my case. I would appreciate it if they could positively resolve my case," she said. The Indian student has also alleged that she believes her assessors were "motivated by racial bias" in failing her PhD thesis. "There were two white students in my October 2018 cohort who pursued their PhD thesis on Shakespeare and their thesis were accepted while mine was not," Balakrishnan alleged. She has alleged that after the assessors failed her PhD they forcibly transferred her to the Masters course without following due process. "Without my consent. They have violated the principles of natural justice by transferring me to MA before I could even appeal the decision and have the outcome of that appeal. So this is discriminatory," she alleged. "Throughout my case I have been denied procedural fairness. and decisions have been made in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner. I have faced systemic bullying and harassment issues from the Oxford English faculty," Balakrishnan alleged. She claimed that in 2019 one of her confirmation assessors who had failed her bullied her at a seminar event and she had to stop attending all the seminar events. "Because I felt ostracised after being subjected to harassment in a targeted manner by a senior academic," she said "I think race was certainly a motivating factor behind the professor targeting me in that manner," she said adding that there is a "deep bias and discrimination against Indian students." Balakrishnan said Indian students are disadvantaged seriously as a result of the deep bias. She also claimed that "there is a reluctance from Oxford's English faculty to allow students of colour to thrive in the field by making original contributions." Balakrishnan has claimed that there is evidence of one of the assessors engaging in "academic misconduct and plagiarism" of her work and this she said raises serious questions about the "academic integrity of the November 2021 confirmation decision." The student said that she has felt let down by the appeals and complaints process. In September 2023, Rashmi Samant who had scripted history to become the first Indian to be elected as the President of the Oxford Student Union (SU) came out with a tell-all book, 'A Hindu in Oxford' Samant detailed her harrowing experience of being allegedly targeted and singled by her professors at the university claiming that they questioned her holding the office of president citing her religious and ethnic backgrounds. (ANI)
The arrest followed a targeted raid conducted by wildlife officials at a private residence in a Lahore suburb. During the operation, authorities recovered a snow leopard skin, which is highly valued in the international market.

According to the report, the skin is worth around USD 20,000 (Rs5.6mln) in the international market.

According to a spokesperson from the Punjab Wildlife Department, the accused was found to be part of a network engaged in the illegal and underground sale of wildlife skins. This network used social media platforms to reach potential buyers, enabling the distribution of illegal wildlife products, reported ARY News.

The spokesperson further emphasized that the ongoing battle against wildlife trafficking is crucial to preserving endangered species.

Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb has reiterated the Punjab government's commitment to enforcing wildlife protection laws. She condemned the illegal trade of wildlife skins, stressing that such activities not only violate laws but also pose a severe threat to endangered species.

The government's zero-tolerance policy reflects its determination to curb practices that intensify the plight of vulnerable wildlife.

Snow leopards, which are native to the mountainous regions of northern Pakistan, are classified as endangered. Estimates from the World Population Review indicate that the population in Pakistan ranges between 250 and 420 individuals, ARY News reported.

These solitary and elusive predators are adapted to hunting in their rugged habitats, often targeting prey up to three times their own size. (ANI)
The human rights department of the Baloch National Movement, Paank has expressed their concern about 11 individuals who have forcibly disappeared and nine others who tragically lost their lives in extrajudicial killings by Pakistani security forces. Among the identified victims are Fayaz Jatag, Saeed Gholmani, Saeed Miraji, and Nisar Ahmed. https://x.com/paank_bnm/status/1829569130963542249 Sharing a post on X on Friday, Paank wrote , "On the 27th of August, Pakistani forces summoned Sajjad, son of Muhammad Ali, and Irfan, son of Ghulam Rasool, to the Panjgur Army Camp. Both men were later shot and killed, adding to the alarming pattern of extrajudicial killings in the region. Their brutal deaths, without any semblance of due process, reflect the blatant disregard for the sanctity of human life and further underscore the severe abuse of state power in Balochistan." They further stated, "The victims--Fayaz Jatag, Saeed Gholmani, Saeed Miraji, Nisar Ahmed, Sajjad, and Irfan--were not just statistics. They were human beings with families, aspirations, and communities that now mourn their loss. Their deaths highlight a broader, ongoing humanitarian crisis in Balochistan, where the state's disregard for human rights continues to persist unchecked." Paank also condemned the Pakistani administration for turning a blind eye to the suffering of the people in Balochistan. Instead of addressing the root causes of unrest--such as political disenfranchisement, economic marginalization, and a lack of basic services--the government has resorted to illegal, inhumane, and repressive tactics. These actions not only violate the principles of justice and democracy but also undermine Pakistan's commitments to international human rights standards. They also urged the international community not to remain silent in the face of these grave human rights violations. They called for an independent investigation into the extrajudicial arrests and killings that have occurred in Balochistan over the past two days. Paank emphasized that the Pakistani government must be held accountable for its actions and take immediate measures to restore the rule of law in the region. Earlier, a report released by Paank highlighted that the highest incidents of enforced disappearances were witnessed in Quetta, Kech, Awaran, and Khuzdar, with these districts recording 10, eight, seven, and 6 incidents of enforced disappearances, respectively. The data underscores the severity of the human rights abuses taking place in the region. (ANI)
Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Ukraine by train, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that he could have done that 'with a Vande Bharat', adding that it was a 10-hour long journey each way, and was the only option in that situation. Notably, PM Narendra Modi's Ukraine visit was the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the war-hit nation. The visit assumes deeper significance as it comes at a time when the region finds itself in the middle of a conflict. Responding to a question at the ET World Leaders Forum about PM Modi's train ride to Ukraine, Jaishankar said laughing, "I could have done with a Vande Bharat." He added, "It was 10 hours each way, and I think, given the situation, obviously, you got what you got, but 10 hours is 10 hours." "I remember Prime Minister Narendra Modi going on a Shinkansen bullet train in Japan, I often cannot remember any other train ride at least for a long time," he further said, in response to another question on the last time an Indian Prime Minister took a train ride. Upon arrival, PM Modi was received at the station and subsequently headed to the Hyatt Hotel for initial engagements. Indian diaspora welcomed PM Modi at the hotel. PM Modi's visit also included a notable stop at the multimedia Martyrologist at the Ukraine National Museum. Here, the Prime Minister honoured the memory of the children of Ukraine, whose lives were taken by the full-scale Russian invasion. Further, on the current geopolitical situation, the minister said that every government, consciously or otherwise is today assessing risks, and the majority of the policies are on de-risking. "If I were to have a one-word summary of this situation, which is risks. Because what we have seen really for the last 15 years is a steady increase in terms of risks in the to the global order, in the international economy, in individual countries. There are risks that are actually coming out of the process of change...If there is a major war going on in Europe, there is a huge conflict going on in West Asia, and the Middle East, there are tensions around Asia, there is a revival of territorial claims, and border frictions. Those are actually, with each one of them, the risks mount...there are risks to supply chains today, not just Houthis in the Red Sea, there could be climate risks, there could be pandemic risks, there could be technology risks," Jaishankar said. "The idea that there are borders and borders are some kind of hardlines, and problems can be stopped on that side of the border, those days are over," the EAM underlined. "To me, every government, consciously or otherwise is today assessing risks, and the majority of the policies are on de-risking...The ones who do it better, have the ability, then to explore opportunities but the focus of the world is on de-risking," he further said adding that India, today is exploring opportunities, and trying to get involved more in global supply chains. Mentioning the Covid-19 pandemic which in 2020, had put the world at a standstill, Jaishankar said that India came out much better of the crisis as it followed its own understanding. "We were among the countries, who largely, because we followed our own understanding, of our own society, and did not listen too much to free advice which we were getting in large quantities. We actually took a number of steps during that period which allowed us to come out much better of Covid than the world," he added. (ANI)
Dubai [UAE], August 31 (ANI/WAM): Under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers' Club, and in collaboration with strategic partner ADNEC Group, the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) returns for its 21st edition from 31st August to 8th September 2024, at the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. This year's edition, the largest to date, will feature thousands of brands across 11 diverse sectors, blending Emirati cultural traditions with innovation and offering dynamic new business opportunities. (ANI/WAM)
Tech giant IBM is making preparations for minimizing business operations in China. The current shift in IBM's business structure is reportedly due to the rising tensions between China and the US along with an ongoing decline in the Chinese economy, CNN reported quoting several local news sources. According to report, IBM is cutting 1,000 jobs in China. Similar activities of revocation of business or relocation of operations have been witnessed by several tech companies in China. Due to deteriorating relations between both countries because of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and green technology, mostly due to security concerns. Yicai, a Chinese state-owned financial media outlet according to CNN, reported on Monday that IBM was ending research operations in China entirely after 25 years, of being initiated in 1999. However, a statement by IBM quoted in the CNN report mentioned that the company declined to comment on the issue of job losses or the retaining of any research staff in China. "IBM adapts its operations as needed to best serve our clients, and these changes will not impact our ability to support clients across the Greater China region," the IBM statement said. Jiemian, another state media outlet from China, wrote that the job cuts which would affect the staff of IBM in Beijing, Shanghai and Dalian in China -- were declared by Jack Hergenrother, an enterprise systems development executive from IBM. According to the CNN report, Hergenrother had reportedly told IBM's staff that infrastructure business in China was "in decline" and the research happening in the country would be shifted to other research labs run by IBM. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal in a report mentioned that some of the work being relocated by IBM may be undertaken by the labs in India. In recent years a tech war between the world's top economic powers has become severe, making it difficult for US-based tech firms to do business in China. The CNN report quoted David Hoffman, a senior advisor from Conference Board Asia saying "It's a reality that market access for Western firms is constricting, if not closing in some sectors in China due to national security concerns". He added further in his statement that enterprises involved in IT, which refers to complex systems used by large organizations to manage operations, were one of those areas, especially because large state-owned and state-connected firms form the bulk of the market. IBM in its most recent annual report claimed that revenue in the country fell by 19.6 percent last year. claiming that, after years of growth, China is no longer the promising land it once was for its industries. The alleged job cuts and shift in business operations came after three months of Microsoft (MSFT) confirming that, it has offered to relocate some of its employees. The CNN report quoted a state media which had previously reported that the company had made such an offer to at least 100 staff members. (ANI)
The United States military said on Friday (local time) that 15 ISIS operatives were killed in a joint operation by US and Iraqi forces in western Iraq. The 15 ISIS operatives who were killed were "armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive 'suicide' belts," US Central Command said in a statement. There was no indication of any civilian casualties, CENTCOM said. "This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond," it added. The US military said the Iraqi security forces are working "to further exploit the locations raided," as ISIS remains a "threat to the region, our allies, as well as our homeland." https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/1829690125896351762 CENTCOM said the US will continue to aggressively pursue ISIS operatives with coalition and Iraqi partners. Earlier, Iraq postponed announcing an end date for Operation Inherent Resolve, the US military operation combating ISIS, due to "recent developments," raising questions about the future of US military presence in the Gulf state amid heightened tension in the region, according to a CNN report. The US has around 2,500 troops in Iraq currently who have been operating there in an "advise and assist" capacity since December 2021, when the US military announced the end of its combat role in the country. Notably, the Middle East has grappled with heightened tensions in recent months amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and as the US braces for a potential Iranian attack on Israel over the late July killing of a Hamas political leader in Tehran. Iran claims the assassination was carried out by Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement. The US Department of Defence announced earlier this month that it would be sending a carrier strike group, a fighter squadron and additional warships to the Middle East in preparation for a possible retaliation. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided-missile submarine and accelerated the arrival of a carrier strike group to the region, CNN reported. (ANI)
At least six dead bodies have been found in different parts of Pakistan's Balochistan, causing alarm and deepening the ongoing crisis in the region, The Balochistan Post reported. The process of identification is being conducted. The discovery of the bodies and the increasing number of enforced disappearances in Balochistan have sparked fears and led to increasing demands for accountability from the families of the missing and local human rights organizations. Five bodies were discovered in various places in Khuzdar district and subsequently taken to Khuzdar Civil Hospital. Those who have been identified are - Fayaz Jattak, Saeed Ghulamani, Saeed Miraji, and Nisar Ahmed, all of whom were forcibly disappeared in July after Pakistani forces and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) allegedly detained them, The Balochistan Post reported. A body was found buried near Saleh Sheikh Goth in the industrial city of Hub Chowki. The body of the deceased has been taken to the hospital for identification. Furthermore, it has been reported that six people have been detained by Pakistani forces from various parts of Balochistan and Karachi. A senior member of the Barkhan Youth Union, Asif Jan Baloch, was detained after being summoned by the Kohlu Commandant on Wednesday. His family is concerned as he has been missing since his detention, according to The Balochistan Post report. Earlier this week, Nadeem Bewas was reportedly detained by Pakistani forces from the Naseerabad area, and his whereabouts remain unknown. Two brothers - Bakhtiar and Kamran were forcibly disappeared allegedly by Pakistani forces from Chief Chowk before 'Maghrib' prayers on Wednesday. Since then, their family has held a sit-in at Red Zone Kharan, where intelligence agency offices are located, calling for their immediate release. Husnain, son of Khalid, a resident of Balochabad Kech Mand, and Rehman, son of Aslam, a resident of Peshin in Western Balochistan, were detained by Karachi police and Pakistani intelligence personnel from the Leemarket area in Karachi on July 27. They were reportedly taken to an undisclosed place, The Balochistan Post reported. Upon visiting the local police stations, police personnel told the family members that they were not aware of their detention, indicating that intelligence might be involved. Family members of two persons have said that their numbers occasionally turn on for some time before going silent again. (ANI)
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that there was no space for those who left Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) during difficult times, Pakistan-based The News International reported. While speaking to reporters in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail on Friday, the PTI founder said, "I want to clearly state that there is no space for those who abandoned the party during difficult times." Without mentioning the name of anyone, Imran Khan said that he is aware of those who left the PTI during bad times, The News International reported. Khan added, "Those who were active during good times but left during hardships have no place in the party." PTI founder said those who faced violence, which according to him included torture on their families and blackmailing in difficult times, but did not leave the party have nothing to worry about. Earlier, the Accountability Court in Islamabad adjourned the hearing of the 190 million pounds case against Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi till September 4. During the next hearing, the advocates will continue to cross-examine the investigating officer. Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana heard the case of 190 million pounds in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail. PTI founder and his wife were brought before the court from prison. Defence lawyers Usman Gill and Zaheer Abbas appeared in the court. Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi along with his team appeared on behalf of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). During the hearing, the defence lawyers asked questions to the investigating officer of the 190 million pound reference, Umar Nadeem, The News International reported. However, the questioning could not be completed. Bushra Bibi's lawyer Usman Gill filed a contempt of court petition after NAB did not respond to pleas filed by her for acquittal in the 190 million pounds case, the report said. Khan (71), who served as Pakistan's Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023 on multiple charges, including the Toshakhana case, the cypher case, and the unlawful marriage case. His wife has also been behind bars for months. The court, however, suspended Imran Khan's sentence in the Toshakhana case, while other courts overturned his convictions in the cypher and iddat cases, respectively, Geo News reported. The chances of Imran Khan's release from prison further dimmed after the Lahore Police declared his arrest in various cases related to the May 9, 2023, riots, that started after his arrest from Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises last year. (ANI)
A London-based independent think tank has highlighted the severity of the economic downfall faced by Beijing and claimed that the Chinese government is still not ready to make major changes to its economic policy as discussed in its high-profile Third Plenum recently. The Chinese economy has continued to struggle throughout the year, showing no hopes of a strong-paced post-pandemic recovery, which was predicted by many analysts. The reopening boom after Covid never became real for China. According to the report by the think tank OMFIF titled, "How deeply rooted are China's economic woes?,' the country's economic trajectory can be traced back to four major issues. As the real estate market is in a protracted downturn, Chinese consumers have held back their spending after the economy reopened. Deteriorating local government finances threaten a sharp slowdown in investment and China's private sector remains weak after the policy crackdowns over the past several years. The report further mentioned that the housing market in the country is in shambles due to millions of unsold apartments and bankrupted real estate developers. Additionally, homebuyers have been witnessed losing confidence that the pre-sold units will be delivered on time and prices will not fall further. Decades of excessive investment into the property market stretched the balance sheets to a breaking point which meant that the real estate market was headed for a painful adjustment irrespective of the government's policy. However, to counter the situation instead of using a gradual rebalancing, the Chinese government abruptly pushed the housing market into sharp correction through its strict Covid-19 lockdowns and poorly designed policies such as the 'Three Red Lines'. The OMFIF report claimed that the government's rescue plan for the housing market like buying up vacant apartments, has yielded inadequate results given the massive scale of the housing problem. The housing sales in 2023 were lower than 2017, and the sales in 2024 are on an even lower trajectory. Furthermore, real estate is unlikely to regain its former role as a catalyst for economic growth. Post-pandemic China reopened but private consumption recovered much slower than what economists had anticipated. Currently, Chinese homeowners face a negative wealth effect, with their net worth declining due to a downfall in property prices. This alongside growing concerns over high unemployment among the youth, the Chinese populace is being prompted to cut back on their spending. The report further mentioned that to date the government's policies to promote consumption have been small-scale. Moreover, instead of sending direct financial support to households in the country as stimulus checks or improving the social safety net which could have likely spurred new spending. The Chinese government has instead pushed rebate programmes and efforts to promote 'consumption upgrading'. Local administrations, which play a significant role in driving the economic activity of the country, have been spending themselves thin on infrastructure and services, way more than the budgets could handle. To bridge the gap, they use government financing vehicles to issue debt, a method that borrows money from creditors, mostly through selling bonds into the securities markets. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China has funded over USD 3.8 trillion in infrastructure spending through off-balance sheet borrowing since 2018, the OMFIF report claimed. Moreover, the consequences of this borrowing move have caused financial instability. The business environment is the final major factor impacting China's growth. Yet, since 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping has pursued policies that have systematically benefitted state-owned companies at the expense of the private sector. (ANI)
Jaishankar shared a video that had glimpses of high-level interactions between India and Kyrgyzstan. The special forces of two nations conducted Khanjar in Bakloh in 2024. The two nations have held 12th Foreign Office Consultations in Bishkek in 2022.

While sharing the video on X, Jaishankar wrote, "Best Wishes to FM Zheenbek Kulubaev and the Government and people of the Kyrgyz Republic on their Independence Day. Confident that our multi-faceted ties will continue to strengthen."

Following the independence of Kyrgyzstan on August 31 1991, India was among the first countries to establish diplomatic ties on March 18, 1992. The resident mission of India was set up on 23 May 1994. India and Kyrgyzstan marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2022.

Bound by historical and civilisational links, political ties between India and Kyrgyzstan have traditionally been warm and friendly.

India and Kyrgyzstan are strategic partners. In recent times, the ties between India and Kyrgyzstan have expanded in several areas of bilateral engagement, including defence, security, trade and investment. (ANI)
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) has said that 30 Chinese military aircraft, seven naval vessels, and four official ships were detected operating around the country from 6 am (local time) on Friday to 6 am (local time) on Saturday. According to Taiwan's MND, 20 of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's central, southwestern, and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). In response to Chinese military action, Taiwan sent aircraft, naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity, Taiwan News reported. Taking to X, Taiwan's MND stated, "30 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 4 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 20 of the aircraft crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation." So far in August, Taiwan has detected Chinese military aircraft 535 times and ships 289 times. Since September 2020, China has intensified its use of gray zone tactics by increasing the number of military aircraft and naval vessels operating near Taiwan, according to Taiwan News report. Gray zone tactics are considered "an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one's security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force," the report said. This adds to a series of similar provocations by China in recent months. Reportedly, China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including regular air and naval incursions into Taiwan's ADIZ and military exercises near the island. Notably, Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949. However, China considers Taiwan part of its territory and insists on eventual reunification, by force if necessary. Earlier this week, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) criticised China for violating other countries' sovereignty and disrupting regional peace, Taiwan News reported. The Taiwan MoFA said a Chinese Shaanxi Y-9 reconnaissance plane entered into Japanese airspace east of the Danjo Islands on Monday and added that Beijing's action "seriously violated Japan's sovereignty and raised regional tensions." According to the Taiwan MoFA statement, China's continued use of military aircraft and warships to intrude into Taiwan and Japan's air defence identification zones and exclusive economic zones has increased regional tensions, according to Taiwan News report. It said that China collaborates with Russia in carrying out frequent military exercises in the East China Sea and South China Sea to attempt to use force to change the status quo. According to Taiwan MoFA, China's military expansion poses a "major threat" to the security of nations in the Indo-Pacific region, including Taiwan and Japan, according to Taiwan News report. Taiwan's MoFA urged China to "return to rationality and self-restraint" and to cease all actions that undermine peace in the Taiwan Strait and escalate regional tensions. It stated that Taiwan will bolster its self-defence capabilities, while continuing to cooperate with like-minded nations, including Japan, to "jointly deter the expansion and aggression of authoritarianism."(ANI)
The Japanese Defence Ministry said that a Chinese navy survey ship entered Japan's territorial waters off its southwestern islands on Saturday, Kyodo News reported. The intrusion comes less than a week after Japan strongly protested against a Chinese military aircraft's airspace breach. The Japanese Ministry said that Japan, through its diplomatic channels, has again protested to China and conveyed its strong concern over the Chinese navy's latest movement. It marked the Chinese survey ship's 10th entry into Japanese waters off Kagoshima Prefecture since November 2021. The Chinese naval vessel was detected entering the territorial waters west of Kuchinoerabu Island around 6 am (local time) and left the waters southwest of Yakushima Island at around 7:53 am (local time), Kyodo News reported, citing the ministry. Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force deployed a minesweeper and patrol aircraft to monitor the Chinese vessel. Survey vessels are often used to carry out research on underwater topography for submarine navigation, the report said. The Chinese navy survey ship's latest crossing comes after Japan on Monday for the first time said that a Chinese military spy plane violated Japanese airspace over waters in the East China Sea off islands in the southwestern prefecture of Nagasaki, Kyodo News reported. Japan's defence ministry said an Y-9 surveillance aircraft "violated the territorial airspace off the Danjo islands in Nagasaki prefecture" in the East China Sea on Monday at 11.29 am (local time), and it lasted two minutes. It prompted Japan to deploy "fighter jets on an emergency basis", Kyodo News reported. The aircraft circled above waters southeast of the islands multiple times before and after entering Japan's airspace, eventually heading towards China around 1:15 pm (local time). Japanese ministry of Defence said that the Japanese Air Self-Defence Force (ASDF) fighters did not use weapons or signal flares. Japan's Vice foreign minister Masataka Okano summoned China's acting ambassador late on Monday to lodge an "extremely serious protest," and called for measures against a recurrence, the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement. In recent years, Chinese naval ships repeatedly entered Japan's territorial waters in the East China Sea, around the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, which China also claims part of its territory and calls Diaoyu. (ANI)
He visited India at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. In a press release, MEA stated, "The visit of FM van Klaveren provided an opportunity to review the progress in bilateral cooperation and helped in advancing India-Chile ties further."

During his visit, Klaveren and Jaishankar co-chaired the 2nd India-Chile Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) on August 28.

"During the JCM, the Ministers reviewed bilateral relations and held wide-ranging discussions for strengthening cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture, critical minerals, digital public infrastructures, defence, railways, health and pharmaceuticals, science and technology, Antarctica and space, and people to people ties" MEA said in a press statement.

"The two Ministers also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and reiterated commitment to closer cooperation in multilateral fora," it said.

Chile's Minister of Foreign Affairs met Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and inaugurated the Chile-India Business (Agriculture) Summit.

During the meeting, Alberto van Klaveren and Piyush Goyal discussed ways for deepening and diversifying bilateral trade and economic relations.

Klaveren delivered a lecture on Chile's foreign policy to a gathering of diplomats, faculty, and students, at the School of International Studies at Jawahar Lal Nehru University, according to MEA.

During his visit to India, Klaveren travelled to Mumbai.

During his visit to Mumbai from August 29-30, he visited Tata Consultancy Services and Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Masala market and participated in a Chilean wine-tasting event, MEA said in a statement.

He also delivered remarks at the 'Shooting in Chile' event that showcased Chile as a potential destination for Indian film productions. (ANI)
The two ministers also exchanged views on several issues of mutual interest.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan highlighted the ongoing growth and development of relations with the Kingdom of Spain, commending the commitment of both nations to strengthening these ties for the benefit of their mutual interests and peoples.

During the phone call, the two sides also discussed several regional and international issues, including developments in the Middle East. (ANI/WAM)
The Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights watchdog, urged the Hong Kong government to overturn the politically motivated convictions of two journalists and stop its attack on media freedom as concerns over the National Security Law continues to persist in the China-controlled region. On August 29, the Hong Kong District Court found two editors from the Defunct Stand News. Chung Pui-kuen, 54, the former editor-in-chief, and Patrick Lam, 36, the former acting editor-in-chief--along with the paper's parent company, Best Pencil (Hong Kong) Limited, guilty of "conspiring to publish seditious materials." Chung and Lam could face up to two years in prison. Maya Wang, Human rights associate China director at Human Rights Watch, said, "The Hong Kong government is sending a dire message to journalists that reporting on issues of public concern will get you thrown in jail. The Hong Kong and Chinese governments should immediately quash Chung's and Lam's convictions and end the crackdown on media freedom". Throughout the 57-day trial, the prosecution submitted 17 articles from Stand News as evidence, claiming the acclaimed media outlet aimed to "incite hatred against the Hong Kong and central governments." The district court judge, selected by the government to handle national security cases, determined that 11 of these articles were "seditious." Stand News was forced to shut down in December 2021 due to police raids and the arbitrary arrest of its staff members. Under the National Security Law, both the Chinese and Hong Kong governments have swiftly acted to eliminate civil liberties in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government has increasingly misused a broadly defined colonial-era sedition law to suppress peaceful expression. This law has been employed against children's book authors, academics, individuals who distributed pro-independence flyers, and even those who clapped during the trial of a pro-democracy activist. In March, following the Hong Kong government's introduction of an even more severe national security law that broadens its authority to suppress dissent, the colonial-era sedition law was superseded by new legislation, which imposes penalties of up to seven years in prison. Human Rights Watch also noted that while several governments and the United Nations have voiced concern over the rapid decline in freedom in Hong Kong since 2020, only a few have taken concrete actions. The United States is an exception, having imposed targeted sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials in response to the National Security Law. (ANI)
Flyers flew into a panic after oxygen masks deployed in their faces aboard a Boeing 737, as seen in a dramatic clip taking off online.

It took their breath away.

As if Boeing planes werent plagued by enough problems of late: Passengers flew into a panic after oxygen masks deployed in their faces aboard a Boeing 737, as seen in a dramatic clip taking off online.

The air scare occurred on Sunday, Aug. 2,5 onboard Air Algerie flight AH 1460 flying from Algeria to Lyon, France, Viral Press reported.

The aircraft had reportedly reached an altitude of 33,000 feet when it appeared to experience a pressurization problem, causing the life-saving accessories to deploy.

Passengers panic as oxygen masks deploy in front of their faces. ViralPress

The cockpit crew decided to flight turn back in order to ensure the safety of the companys passengers, officials reported. ViralPress

Accompanying footage shows the passengers yelling, crying and chattering after the oxygen masks dropped down from the ceiling like a scene out of a disaster movie.

In order to ensure the safety of the passengers, the pilot subsequently turned the plane around and made an emergency landing at the same airport he departed from in Algeria, officials reported.

Fortunately, the incident appeared to be a false alarm.

A probe revealed that there werent any cabin pressure problems and that the masks had dropped due to a technical bug.

This isnt the first time oxygen masks have been deployed accidentally.

In June, passengers aboard a United Airlines flight from Paris, France, to Washington, D.C., freaked out after several of the devices inadvertently dropped down mid-flight.

That prompted an automated announcement to instruct flyers to put them on.

However, as only a few masks deployed, passengers began to panic with some even attempting to force the compartments open with their hands.

One reportedly even ran to the aircraft door, presumably to open it.

Thankfully it was later revealed that the oxygen masks had been activated accidentally and the flyers werent in any real danger.
China and the Philippines are again accusing each other of deliberately causing a crash between two coast guard vessels in the South China Sea.

Footage posted on social media by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the two large ships appearing to ram into one another in the disputed area. Photos that accompanied the video showed the damage to the Philippine vessel.

According to Associated Press reports, the collision occurred early Saturday afternoon local time near Sabina Shoal, a disputed uninhabited atoll claimed by both nations as well as Vietnam and Taiwan.

A Philippine Coast Guard Official, Jay Tarriela, said on X that a Chinese Coast Guard vessel deliberately rammed the Philippines vessel three times.

The Chinese Coast Guard vessel deliberately rammed and collided with the BRP Teresa Magbanua three times, despite no provocation from the Philippine Coast Guard, Tarriela stated.

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Meanwhile, the China Coast Guard took to Weibo  the countrys main social media platform  to state that a Philippine Coast Guard had illegally stayedweighed anchor and continued to maneuver and provoke trouble near what they claim as the Xianbin Lagoon.

The Chinese Coast Guard ship took measures such as shouting warnings and following up with the supervision and control of the ship in accordance with the law, the China Coast Guards post, attributed to a spokesperson named Liu Dejun, read in part. At 12:06, the Philippine ship deliberately collided with the Chinese ship in an unprofessional and dangerous manner. The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines.

Footage posted on social media by the Philippine Coast Guard shows their ship and a China Coast Guard vessel appearing to ram into one another in the disputed South China Sea on Aug. 31, 2024. (Philippine Coast Guard via Storyful)

Footage posted on social media by the Philippine Coast Guard shows their ship and a China Coast Guard vessel appearing to ram into one another in the disputed South China Sea on Aug. 31, 2024. (Philippine Coast Guard via Storyful)

Footage posted on social media by the Philippine Coast Guard shows their ship and a China Coast Guard vessel appearing to ram into one another in the disputed South China Sea on Aug. 31, 2024. (Philippine Coast Guard via Storyful)

The collision comes less than two weeks after another pair of Chinese and Philippine Coast Guard ships collided near Sabina Shoal and five days after the Philippines accused China of blocking a humanitarian mission that was to bring food and supplies to personnel stationed aboard the BRP Teresa Magbanua, the same vessel involved in Saturdays collision.

A deal aimed at reducing rising tensions over another disputed atoll near Sabina Shoal, the Second Thomas Shoal, was reached between the two nations in July. According to the United States Institute for Peace, the agreement came as the rate of maritime confrontations increases in frequency and intensity, raising fear of a broader conflict that could lead the Philippines to invoke its mutual defense treaty with the United States.

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There have been territorial disputes in the South China Sea for decades; according to the Center for Preventative Actions Global Conflict Tracker, the sea is home to an estimated 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

In addition to China and the Philippines, many nations lay claim to some part of the waters  which also possess other natural resources and fishing areas  including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little and state officials hold a press conference on Aug. 23, 2024, to roll out a new report that recommends the 10 priorities to reduce the impacts of wildfire in 2024 and 2025. (Courtesy of the Idaho Governors Office)

Idaho Gov. Brad Little said his No. 1 focus is on the safety of civilians and firefighters in the face of what he described as the highest priority wildfire in the country.

The Wapiti Fire burning near Stanley and Grandjean in the Boise and Sawtooth National Forest surpassed 89,000 acres burned on Thursday, with containment still estimated at 0%, fire officials said.

The size of the wildfire increased by nearly 20,000 acres over the previous two days. On Tuesday, the Wapiti Fire had been listed at a little over 70,000 acres.

Stanleys the No. 1 fire in the nation right now, Little said in an interview Wednesday at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise.

When Im doing fire, its always human health and safety (that are my top priorities), Little added. People stay safe. And then its property.

The Wapiti Fire isnt the only large wildfire in Idaho. On Thursday, the Boise-based National Interagency Fire Center reported there were 15 large wildfires in Idaho, which have burned more than 209,000 acres.

This summer, Little participated in aerial tours of Gwen Fire and Texas Fire that burned near Lapwai and Kendrick in July and visited the Paddock Fire that burned near Emmett, where Little lives and his family owns land.

On Aug. 23, Little and other state officials revealed a new report outlining 10 recommendations to prioritize in 2024 and 2025 on how to reduce the impact of wildfires  some of which would require new legislation, according to previous Idaho Capital Sun reporting.

Some recommendations include:

Adopting legislation for wildfire liability standards for electric utilities.

Developing a statewide mobile notification and evacuation plan.

Coordinating wildfire detection cameras.

Expanding Idahos fire information website that interacts with those detection cameras.

The full list of recommendations outlined in the report can be found online.

Little told the Idaho Capital Sun he receives wildfire briefings multiple times a day and is monitoring the Wapiti Fire closely.

I look at that fire every morning, Little said. I look at all the fires around where theres people  Stanley, Warm Lake, Horesethief. Obviously I did earlier, in those other areas, these other fires burning, as well.

When asked by the Sun, Little said he is reluctant to make an official, public visit to Staney or the Wapiti Fire because he doesnt want his presence to create a media circus, distract firefighters and emergency responders or get in peoples way.

I try, I really diligently try, not to be disruptive when theyre working on the fires, Little said.

So far this year, 11 Idaho counties and the Nez Perce Tribe have issued wildfire emergency declarations

Little issued emergency declarations for Nez Perce and Lewis counties in connection with the Gwen and Texas fires. But he told the Sun on Wednesday he has not issued a specific emergency declaration for Custer County regarding the Wapiti Fire because county officials have not requested one. If county officials ask for his help, Little said he is ready to offer assistance.

They havent formally asked, Little said. We are very cognizant of whats going on up there, but they havent formally asked. I think what happened in Nez Perce or Lewis County is they just didnt have funding for the sheriff to do traffic control and so that definitely qualifies for state emergency funding.

Custer County commissioners issued a local disaster declaration Aug. 20, but have not requested to be part of the state disaster declaration, said Idaho Office of Emergency Management public affairs officer Tristan Lewis.

So far in 2024, Blaine, Boise, Custer, Elmore, Gem, Latah, Lemhi, Nez Perce, Payette, Valley and Washington counties and the Nez Perce Tribe have issued disaster declarations due to wildfires, Lewis said.

Disaster declarations can play a crucial role in mobilizing state and federal resources to communities impacted by wildfires, although it is important to note that generally resources are ordered and provided by land management agencies such as the Idaho Department of Lands or the U.S. Forest Service, Lewis said in an email to the Sun. When fires impact communities and there are resources that cannot be provided by wildland agencies, disaster declarations at the local, state and federal levels can assist in opening options for the unmet needs.

The location of a wildfire helps determine who responds to the fire in Idaho

In Idaho, the location of a fire plays a role in who responds to fight the fire. Across Idaho, local rural fire protection agencies, local fire departments, the Idaho Department of Lands and the federal government all play roles in fighting fires.

An interagency agreement called the Idaho Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Agreement between the Idaho Department of Lands, the Department of Interior and the U.S. Forest Service allows those agencies to work together, said Idaho Department of Lands Fire Bureau Chief Josh Harvey.

Really what it does is authorizes federal agencies and states to work together and exchange funds, Harvey said in a phone interview Thursday. And so by allowing us to exchange funds that really allows us to share resources to help each other out with wildfires, regardless of whose jurisdiction that is.

Harvey said there are several tiers of coordination, starting at the highest level with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, going down to smaller regional coordinating groups and finally dispatch zones.

At the dispatch level, that leadership works together within the zone to plan responses, response areas and work together when we have multiple fires, like complex fires on landscape, Harvey said. They all work together to prioritize.

Idaho has a pretty robust wildfire response, Harvey added.

Still, there are challenges and resources are stretched thin, Harvey said.

There are definitely not the same number of firefighting resources in the system that there used to be, said Harvey, who has fought fires all across the United States and up into Alaska since 1998. That trend is continuing to go down. Incident management teams, there are less of those in the system, which puts more strain on individual states to take on large complex fires on their own for longer periods of time.

Although he is realistic about the challenges, Harvey said he is encouraged by the slate of new wildfire report recommendations.

As a fire manager responsible for protecting Idaho resources and the public, I really appreciate the effort the governor has put into this roundtable report.

This article was first published by the Idaho Capital Sun, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com. Follow Idaho Capital Sun on Facebook and X.
What to know about favoritism allegations at Kansas Commerce and accuser's death

The Kansas Department of Commerce is hiring a third-party investigator to review all of its grants distributed from the American Rescue Plan Act after a former employee alleged a corrupt process for the Building a Stronger Economy grant.

Jonathan Clayton's body was found Aug. 25 in a vehicle that apparently left US-50 highway and crashed into a ravine.

Clayton worked for the Department of Commerce between February 2020 and near the end of 2023. During the last two years of his tenure, Clayton was responsible for directing COVID relief funds in the state.

He then moved to Peabody where he worked as a deputy clerk. After increased scrutiny over Claytons handling of grants in Peabody and Mullinville and discovery that he had been convicted for financial crimes in Pennsylvania, Clayton went missing.

After he disappeared, Clayton sent allegations of corruption to various Kansas media outlets and state officials.

Jonathan Clayton, left, Kansas In-State Business Development Southwest manager, Craig Vanwey, Regional Project Manager of the Kansas In-State Business Development Team, and Bill Murphy, then-Kansas Deputy Secretary of Commerce, are shown at Garden City Regional Airport Wednesday during a visit to Garden City.

This image previously included a caption that listed Bill Murphy as the Kansas Deputy Secretary of Commerce without noting he left the Department of Commerce.

Jonathan Clayton's disappearance

Clayton disappeared from his home in Peabody on Aug. 3. That occurred after the Commerce department took legal action against the Mullinville Community Foundation and Peabody Main Street Association. Clayton served as the treasurer for the MCF and was responsible for filing the documents of the PMSA to the state.

On Aug. 25, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation reported it found a vehicle belonging to Clayton with a deceased person inside, and family later confirmed that it was Clayton. KBI said the crash went undiscovered, with his body in a state of decay, and said that theres no evidence of foul play.

Allegations of wrongdoing

On Aug. 3, Clayton disappeared and sent emails to media outlets alleging wrongdoing by Department of Commerce officials. The email claimed Lt. Gov. David Toland, a Democrat who also serves as the secretary of commerce, concocted a scheme with Senate President Ty Masterson R-Andover, and former House Speaker Ron Ryckman to prioritize specific awardees for the Building a Stronger Economy grant and ordered Clayton to sit on the board of directors for the Iola Theatre Association.

Claytons allegations of wrongdoing by the Department of Commerce related to the awarding of BASE grants, along with his allegation that he was forced to serve on a volunteer theatre board, are categorically false, Department of Commerce communications director Patrick Lowry said in a media release.

Lt. Gov. David Toland, center back, and Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, front left, denied claims made by a former Department of Commerce employee alleging corruption.

Gov. Laura Kellys chief of staff Will Lawrence said Toland has conducted himself at the highest ethical standard in his career and worked to bring more, not less, accountability to the agency." Mastersons spokesperson Mike Pirner also denied the claims Clayton made.

Its important to emphasize that legislative leaders had no role in the Departments scoring of BASE projects and that the Senate President never requested or even had a conversation about altering the Departments scoring, Pirner said.

How a felon led Commerce's COVID relief in Kansas

The DOC said it wasnt aware of Claytons felony conviction when he was hired, and that Kansas law doesnt allow nationwide criminal background checks for the position he held. In 2018, Clayton pleaded guilty to counts of forgery, theft and conspiracy to commit theft in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Our process for vetting prospective employees included online searches, social media reviews and reference checks, which unfortunately failed to uncover his felony convictions. He would not have been hired by Commerce had we been aware of these convictions, Department of Commerce spokesperson Patrick Lowry said in a news release.

Kansas implemented a ban the box law for state employees in 2018, which prohibits state agencies from conducting criminal background checks. The law is being reconsidered in light of these incidents.

The governor and lieutenant governor will be pursuing changes to the background check statutes this upcoming legislative session," Lawrence said. "In the meantime, they will be working to sort out issues with those impacted at the local level and will provide whatever support they can to those communities.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas leaders deny charges made by now-deceased ex-Commerce employee
In a victory for transparency advocates, Las Cruces has paid out nearly $95,000 in penalties and fees and relinquished documents associated to its Public Safety Select Committee after a judge's ruling in a case that found the city was not following New Mexico's public records law.

Third Judicial Court Judge James T. Martin handed down his ruling on July 29. He ordered the city to release all responsive and non-privileged documents and provide a written description of the withheld documents after the city took responsibility and agreed it had over-redacted some documents.

The case goes back to June 2023, when Michael L. Hays, a Las Cruces resident, requested the committee's communications since Jan. 6, 2020. His request, under the state's Inspection of Public Records Act, sought emails for meetings, member's social media messages, announcements, agendas, notes, memos, reports and recommendations.

Officials withheld records and redacted portions of other records without proper explanation in violation of the law, argued Peter Goodman, a Las Cruces attorney who represented Hays in the legal complaint brought against the city a year ago, on Aug. 29, 2023. Goodman is a longtime Sun-News columnist who writes about Las Cruces issues.

State law requires public agencies to explain in writing any records they shield from inspection. They must provide the name of the person and job title of whom is responsible for denying the records.

"We erred on the side of non-disclosure, but it was a learning experience and in the future if it (a request) is a close call, we will err on the side of disclosure and transparency," Las Cruces City Manager Brad Douglas said on Friday.

Douglas noted how the city averages about 1,800 IPRA requests annually and does an outstanding job of fulfilling a large volume of them. It was unfortunate that one of them ended up in court, he said.

Reached by phone on Wednesday, Goodman was upbeat about the message the court decision sends.

"It will encourage compliance and educate public entities," he said.

The release of the record was a mixed bag for Hays, who said he still has lingering questions about what the committee does and whether it remains active.

"It's still a mystery to me," he said of the documents he inspected. "Quite honestly I'm not sure what they tell me."

He said he's asked city officials, including the mayor, whether the committee exists and had received no answer.

Douglas, too, said he did not know the status of the committee and referred questions to the mayor or clerk's offices.

Hays, who has an interest in police reform, said he became curious about the advisory committee and its activities after he learned of its existence during a May 22, 2023 meeting at which Goodman and other residents had asked the City Council to establish a police oversight panel. The following month, Hays lodged his records request with the city.

The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government in announcing the ruling earlier in August noted the award was for $73,100 in attorney fees and $21,845 in penalties to Hays.

A retired Washington, D.C. consultant in the fields of national defense, energy and the environment, Hays said he used the money to make a $20,000 donation to Camp Hope. The balance will pay the taxes on the award. The nonprofit camp provides temporary housing in the Mesilla Valley to people who are living on the street.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Las Cruces man who sued for records prevails; city pays $95K
Wilmington police are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Saturday morning.

The victim, a 28-year-old man, was taken to the hospital, where he died.

The shooting happened about 1:48 a.m. in the 100 block of S. West St., in the Riverfront district.

It is the 10th fatal shooting in Wilmington this year. Nine people had been fatally shot in the city through this same period in 2023. There were 13 fatal shootings in Wilmington in all of 2023.

The shooting is under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to reach out to Wilmington police at 302-576-3654 or give information to Delaware Crime Stoppers at delawarecrimestoppers.org or by calling 800-TIP-3333.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Fatal shooting in Wilmington's Riverfront area investigated
After seeing double-digit growth in South Korea, Uber Technologies has announced a strategic plan to double down in the country -- directly challenging market leader Kakao Mobility, the ride-hailing unit majority-owned by South Korean messaging and tech giant Kakao.

Uber chief executive officer Dara Khosrowshahi outlined the plans in a press conference in Seoul, where he also kicked off a campaign to grow the company's pool of drivers in the country.

That will need to be a major effort. Currently Korea's ride-hailing industry is dominated by Kakao Taxi, Kakao Mobility's consumer service, with more than 23 million registered users and a 98% market share, per Statista.

Khosrowshahi also added that Uber plans to expand its partnerships with Korean car technology companies, just as it has done in other markets.

It's been especially active on that front recently. Last week, Cruise, General Motors's self-driving subsidiary, signed a multi-year partnership with Uber to bring its robotaxis to the ride-hailing platform in 2025. Uber announced this week it had made a strategic investment in Wayve, a U.K.-based startup that develops software for autonomous driving. Uber already works with Korea's Hyundai in other markets like Europe.

Uber ramping up in South Korea is the latest chapter in the drama that is the country's ride-hailing market.

Although Uber has gained notoriety around the world for how it has head-butted with regulators, in South Korea, more recently it has been the home-grown dominant player that has had that dubious honor.

The country's antitrust watchdog Fair Trade Commission fined Kakao Mobility $20 million for manipulating its algorithms to favor its own taxi franchise in February 2023. However, it did not file a complaint with the prosecution then.

But in December last year, South Korean authorities asked the antitrust regulator to file a complaint against Kakao Mobility for algorithm manipulation favoring its own cabs, a repeat of the issue in February 2023. (For background, the Kakao app lets both franchise and non-franchise taxis pick up ride requests. Even if non-franchise taxis are closer, franchise taxis can still receive requests from clients.)

Uber has not escaped controversy in the country.

Uber opened for business in South Korea a decade ago, and soon after that, taxi drivers began to organize protests over what they saw as a threat to their livelihood. Seoul city authorities eventually announced it would ban the service in late 2013.

It began those steps months later -- although Uber did not completely exit the market. In 2020, it set up a joint venture with TMAP Mobility, a ride-hailing unit of local carrier SK Telecom, to make a comeback in the country. The following year, the JV company, called UT, launched its taxi-hailing service.

Then, while still remaining a JV, that rebranded as Uber Taxi this March.

As a minor player with likely less than 10% of the market when you count up other hopefuls, Uber has found itself the underdog in the country, but growth is coming at a fast clip at the moment. Uber this week said the number of passengers increased by almost 80% in the first half of 2024, compared to the same period last year. Since the rebranding, there has also been a double increase in usage from international travelers.
Some Western aid promised to Ukraine in 2023 won't actually arrive until 2027, NATO-state minister says

Some Western aid promised to Ukraine in 2023 won't actually arrive until 2027, NATO-state minister says

Lithuania's foreign minister said the West is too slow getting aid to Ukraine.

Gabrielius Landsbergis said some promised aid won't arrive till 2027.

Ukraine has long said Western aid arrives to late to make a difference.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that Western aid is getting to Ukraine too slowly as it battles the Russian invasion.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels ahead of a meeting by EU foreign ministers, Landsbergis, said that some vital military equipment Western allies had pledged to Ukraine wouldn't arrive for years.

"We are creating the narrative, the story to tell our citizens that we are fighters for what's good, but when it comes to deliveries, the story sometimes is very different," he said, per The Baltic Times.

"Once again, we have to ask ourselves a question whether we ourselves are not a part of this problem. So far, no Patriot batteries that have been promised in Washington have been delivered," Landsbergis said.

(Ukraine does have some US Patriot systems  Lansbergis appears to be referring to an extra shipment promised in April 2024 which Ukraine said on Thursday had yet to show up.)

"No new ammunition packages have been delivered since June," Landsbergis continued. "Out of the F-16s that have been delivered, they have started using just a couple of them."

"During our discussions with Ukrainian friends we find out that certain equipment that has been promised last year will only be delivered in 2027."

He didn't specify which equipment had been delayed to 2027.

He could mean a $55 billion EU aid package, approved in February, which is scheduled to be paid in installments till 2027, mainly for economic purposes. Recent military aid deals with European allies, including Spain, also involve annual installments until 2027.

His remarks echo those of Ukraine's leaders, who've long said that Western help is arriving too slowly as it battles the grinding advances of the Russian military.

Leaders of Baltic states like Lithuania are among the sharpest critics, arguing that they are in the firing line should Russia win in Ukraine.

Back in May, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that aid packages from the West needed to arrive more quickly.

"Every decision to which we, then later everyone together, comes to is late by around one year," Zelenskyy told Reuters.

According to the Kiel Institute, the US has given Ukraine $83 billion in aid in the wake of the Russian invasion, while European countries have given around $122 billion, though a greater proportion of the US aid packages are military.

Read the original article on Business Insider
OSAKA, Aug 31 (News On Japan) - If my younger self knew, hed be absolutely astonished, says Yuki Tanaka (30), one of only six male flight attendants at J-Air, the only airline based at Itami Airport. Tanaka, who was captivated by airplanes from a young age, now soars the skies, a career shift from his initial ground staff position. But why did Tanaka choose to become a flight attendant? We followed Tanaka through his daily efforts to bridge the gap between sky and ground.

Tanaka, who joined the company as ground staff, had his first flight as a cabin attendant only a year and a half ago. Despite the limited presence of men in the field, Tanaka is thriving in his dual roles both in the sky and on the ground. Its a completely different view from up here, Tanaka reflects on his journey.

J-Air, part of the Japan Airlines Group, operates 42 domestic routes, with approximately 380 flight attendants on staff. Tanakas days are filled with flights, sometimes handling up to four in a single day. Hes known for his bright demeanor, which passengers find welcoming and refreshing. Its rare to see a male flight attendant, but he was very pleasant and easy to talk to, one passenger remarked.

In addition to his work as a flight attendant, Tanaka also plays a critical role in safety. When something concerning arises during a flight, Tanakas experience is invaluable in assessing and reporting the situation to the relevant departments. His dual experiences in the sky and on the ground enhance his ability to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers.

Raised in Osaka, Tanakas father once worked as ground staff at Itami Airport, making Tanakas journey into aviation all the more poignant. I never imagined hed become a flight attendant, his father commented, reflecting on how his sons childhood curiosity has blossomed into a career.

The transition from ground staff to flight attendant was not without challenges. It was Tanakas former supervisor who encouraged him to take on this new role, believing that his dedication and understanding would make him an asset in the sky. I want to be a bridge between ground and flight crew, Tanaka says, a goal he continues to pursue daily.

After overcoming three months of rigorous training and countless flights, Tanakas contributions have made a noticeable impact. His suggestions on how to better assist passengers with mobility issues have been implemented throughout the company, further solidifying his role as a crucial link between sky and ground.

Tanaka is committed to continuing his work, driven by his passion for aviation and his desire to keep breaking new ground. I hope to keep carving out new paths in this job I love, he says.

Source: YOMIURI
By Richard Ogunsile

A former governor of Jigawa State and erstwhile Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sule Lamido, has asserted that some persons in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naija News reports that Lamido asserted this during a recent interview with The Tribune.

Lamido, one of the founding fathers of the PDP, explained the internal crisis rocking the party and how the former ruling party is planning to win in the next general election.

Lamido believes that the PDP can regain its former position as a ruling party, however, he expressed regret that there are moles in the now opposition party.

It is a huge challenge. Are the Nigerian people willing? The issues of insecurity, of the economy, of poverty are all there. It is not about the PDP; what is the opinion of the Nigerian people? People have been hired to destroy the PDP, but we are making every effort because right now, we have people who are anti-PDP. Imagine people like Ortom (former Benue State governor) saying, our leader, Wike, has said we will vote Tinubu in 2027. Imagine someone in the PDP saying he is going to take a cue from Wike to vote for Tinubu in 2027. People who are in the PDP are also working for the APC and Tinubu. So, it is a very difficult thing. We are working hard to find people who share a similar concern because those in the party who are now in government are not on the same frequency with us, Lamido noted.

Speaking further on the possibility of the PDP returning to power, Lamido acknowledged with a resounding yes, saying: If you have those in government who share the same frequency with us, we can confidently say yes, but it depends on who you can you identify and we are doing that. We are working hard, but it is a huge task. It is going to be difficult with Tinubu, with his hold on the country, on the economy, and his audacity to say this is where I stand against Nigerias interest. It is something else.

Tinubu is very daring; he is his own creation, he is a self-made man, right from Chicago, what he went through on the streets. Look at how he was able to fight the Alliance for Democracy and Afenifere and then Obasanjo. At the APC convention, Buhari was against him but he defeated Buhari. What are you talking about? Dont underestimate a man like that. Look at how he made it in life. He confronted all obstacles to get to where he is today, at the apex.

There is no Nigerian like Tinubu who has been there on his own. He demolished every established political arrangement and institution. Now that he is in charge, he is not going to be easy to deal with. With Tinubu, Nigeria is a fiefdom, and Tinubu is the emperor. And if you watch him closely, he doesnt care.

Tinubu Paid Governors At The Convention, Buhari Never Liked Him

Reflecting on the events before the 2023 general elections, Lamido alleged that Tinubu settled some state governors to get their backing for this presidential bid.

He further asserted that former President Muhammadu Buhari never liked the incumbent president and that the Daura-man had someone in mind to support for the ultimate political position.

Lamido said: He paid the governors at the convention. Prior to the convention, he was in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he boasted that it was his turn to rule Nigeria. Buhari, who was very naive, was watching. He never liked Tinubu. There was somebody he wanted. He didnt even trust his own vice president, Professor (Yemi) Osinbajo; he wanted Ahmed Lawan, but his calculation was absurd. You have done eight years for the North and you wanted another Northerner for another eight years?! No. Maybe later but there are some dynamics which you cant alter, not in Nigeria of today.

The president of Nigeria, after being in office for eight years, lacked the courage to push through his anointed choice. He was there at the convention, and Tinubu whom he never liked he never believed in, emerged.

Tinubu knows that his victory wasnt from Buhari. Therefore, he owes him nothing. He wasnt Afeniferes choice; Obasanjo never liked him, but he became president. All the other groups, including the governors, were there, but he won. He was determined to demolish all obstacles, and he crushed them.

The Internal Crisis Are Not Peculiar To PDP Alone

When asked how he is dealing with the current challenges being faced by the PDP, considering his position as one of the people who birthed the party, Lamido responded, saying: Why pick on the PDP in isolation from the Nigerian factor? PDP is an institution run by the Nigerian people. So, why do you think the PDP would be run differently? Tell me about an institution that is working well in Nigeria today. So, why treat the PDP in isolation?

It is a Nigerian thing; whatever is happening in the PDP is happening everywhere else, in government institutions, even in newspaper organisations, wherever you see Nigerians. So, the PDP is a Nigerian phenomenon run by the Nigerian people, not by angels from heaven; therefore, it is the same spirit whether in the APC or the PDP. Even if you go to the APC, the people you find there are all PDP. So, let us look at it holistically. It has to do with the Nigerian spirit: our attitude, our behaviour, our culture as a people. Are we disciplined? As a people, are we patriotic? Are we patient? Are we tolerant? So long as we lack discipline, patience, tolerance or adherence to the rule of law, there will be a crisis, whether in PDP or APC.

APC is there today because it can make noise. Ask Salihu Lukman, former National Vice Chairman, (North West) of the APC, about the party. So, the PDP is just a reflection of Nigerians attitudes and the character of Nigerians as a people. The question is, are the Nigerian people willing and ready to salvage the country? Is it about me or about us? So, if it is about me alone, what do you expect?
By Israel Arogbonlo and Ayobami Atanda

The University of Ibadan Student Union (UISU) has suspended the ongoing protest against the hike in school fees.

The students body led by the Unions president, Aweda Bolaji, released an internal memorandum following the meeting with the school management on Saturday.

The memo reads, At the meeting with University Management yesterday 30th of August, 2024, the following resolution was reached:

The deadline for the school fees payment earlier slated for 4th September has been extended by three weeks.

In same vein, the first semester examinations scheduled to start 2nd September 2024 have also been moved by 3 weeks.

In consideration of the foregoing, the union suspends the protest earlier embarked on.

While the decision of the governing council of the University on school fees cannot be changed, we enjoined to make the three weeks extension to sort their fees and prepare for the examination.

The students started the protest on July 16 and 17 to press home their demands against the school fee increment, demanding the reversal of fees.

However, the approval of the fees by the governing council spurred the students to begin another protest, which commenced on Thursday and is now on the third day.

The school management, nonetheless, released a memo earlier today telling the students to vacate their hostels before 2 pm.

TRIBUNE ONLINE can report some students at the time of this report have gathered at the Students Union building to know the way forward.
Leaders of the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce don't really know what the organization will look like in a few years.

And that's by design.

As the chamber continues moving forward with a merger with The 712 Initiative and as their new combined leader continues to settle into his role, the short-term plans are clear: keep doing what they're doing, wrap up the merger, and work on strategic planning.

Looking toward the horizon, though, the sky's the limit. That's part of what Chris LaFerla finds exciting about his still-pretty-new job as president and CEO of the chamber and 712.

When the chamber was first formed, LaFerla said, the goal in 1916 was to grow Council Bluffs into a community of 100,000 people.

"Obviously, we haven't reached that goal yet," LaFerla said. "I'm really excited about the idea of being a part of that rich history of a chamber of commerce that has that mission. Together, our 718 members right now have an opportunity to share in that vision of growing and developing Council Bluffs."

Beyond facilitating growth, there's plenty of certainty about the future work of the chamber. It will still promote the interest of businesses in Council Bluffs. Through the merger with 712, it will also play a role in promoting housing and economic development in the community.

Collaboration is another cornerstone, as the organization seeks to act in concert with others in the community instead of trying to chart its own path at odds with City Hall and other civic institutions, such as the Iowa West Foundation.

Dave Zimmerman, market president of Availa Bank and past chair of the chamber's board of directors, told The Nonpareil that the driving force for the organization is to improve Council Bluffs, not just the self-interest of the chamber members.

"You've got a staff that is just extremely motivated and excited, and the group that Chris has been able to assemble, you just see the eagerness to try to make Council Bluffs better," Zimmerman said. "If Council Bluffs continues to get better, then all the residents benefit."

Getting better was the aim of merging the chamber with The 712 Initiative in the first place.

LaFerla said the boards of both entities voted in July to formally merge, and since then the work has included integrating systems, resources, staff and office spaces.

Asked about how long it's taken, with the merger first announced in October 2023, LaFerla said the merger was paused to focus on the leadership of the chamber, including hiring him to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Drew Kamp in June 2023.

LaFerla started at the helm of the chamber in January, and a facilitator was sought to help with the merger. The facilitator began in March, with due diligence and stakeholder meetings with more than 100 people in April and May helping to prepare for a merger committee's work in May and June, including sorting out how to combine nonprofits under two different tax-exempt classifications.

"I understand that how it may look like this process has taken a really long time," LaFerla said, adding that, in his view, the work has proceeded on "a pretty quick timeline."

LaFerla observed that the chamber and 712 "share a mission of growing and developing the community," and the chamber had a strategic partnership with the Pottawattamie County Development Corporation before The 712 Initiative was formed  so it makes sense to bring the organizations back together now.

"This partnership will make it possible for these two organizations to amplify our impact in the community by pooling and sharing our resources and our talents as a team and being more strategic in terms of making sure that these two organizations are moving forward together in partnership to move big rocks in the community," LaFerla said. "I'm excited about that."

The progress so far, which included the integration of staff members into a shared office space on the 100 Block of West Broadway, was celebrated Aug. 22 with a private event at Bayliss Park Hall, according to a news release. The event brought together board members, community partners and staff.

"The event marked the beginning of a new chapter, celebrated with fellowship and refreshments," the release stated. "The timing of the celebration coincided with Farmers Market Council Bluffs, offering attendees the opportunity to enjoy the market afterward. Farmers Market Council Bluffs is just one of the many programs that the new organization will continue to support and expand upon as part of its ongoing commitment to the community."

Over the next several months, the chamber will focus on establishing a new strategic plan to identify and guide future initiatives, with the expectation that discussion will continue onward as the chamber and 712 are fully combined.

"This initial strategic planning conversation will really be charting the course for the next year, year and a half, and once that integration is fully complete, then we'll come back together for a more comprehensive strategic plan," LaFerla said.

LaFerla has the opportunity to help guide those discussions, just as he helped shape the make up of the organization's staff, Zimmerman said.

"How often do you get to walk into an organization with a blank slate and say, 'What do I want it to be?' And that's really the opportunity that Chris has had here," Zimmerman said. "It's not just one person's vision, but it's the vision of the board and the greater community  what's best for Council Bluffs  and how does the chamber fit into those goals."

LaFerla said the organization will also work to ensure legal compliance and team unity, as well as look at the organizational structure and foster the right culture for the organization, all while contemplating what change it wants to implement in the future.

"The mission of the chamber of Commerce and The 712 Initiative just really aligns with the work that I want to do in Council Bluffs," LaFerla said. "I'm really excited about the different opportunities that we get to do that here with this organization, just in terms of economic development, workforce development, tackling big challenges in our community right now, such as housing, and, ultimately, working to make Council Bluffs a better place to live."

Once the plan is in place, the chamber's efforts in the community should be clearly understood and clearly communicated, Zimmerman said.

"We don't want people to guess, 'What is the chamber doing?'" Zimmerman said. "It's important to try to get Council Bluffs to that next level, keep it growing, stay progressive with what we're going to do, bring new business in here, expand existing business  and it's going to take everybody."

Meet the board  George Barton  ConAgra Brands  Dave Burd  Methodist Jennie Edmundson  John Dresher  American Family Insurance  Jennifer Fletcher  CyncHealth  Wyatt Greenwood  Midstates Bank  Mark Hanwright  Heartland Properties  Scott Hartman  US Bank  Brent Hoesing  Lewis Central Schools  Shane Hoss  ETI  Dan Kinney  Iowa Western Community College  Amy McDermott  Black Hills Energy   Vickie Murillo  Council Bluffs Community Schools  Nikki Rauth  CHI Health Mercy  Hannah Smith  Trivium Life Services  Kerrie Snyder  Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney  Evan Summy  Midwest Ag Services  Jessica Vanderpool  Kinseth Hospitality Co.  Dave Wise  TS Bank  David Zimmerman  Availa Bank Officers are chair Mark Hanwright, chair-elect Dave Burd, past-chair Dave Zimmerman and treasurer Jen Fletcher. Executive Committee members are Mark Hanwright, Dave Burd, Dave Zimmerman, Jen Fletcher, Amy Carolus, Wyatt Greenwood and Amy McDermott.

Meet the team  Chris LaFerla  President & CEO  Lynn Dittmer  Director of Redevelopment  Lindsey Grote-Rodgers  Director of Marketing & PR  Jacob Cool  Director of Member Services  Jessica Escamilla  Director of Events  Rachael Jensen  Director of Workforce Development  Anne Silknitter  Program Coordinator  Brandy Van Riessen  Administrative Assistant  Cieandra Tripp  Project Coordinator  Brandi Drvol  Farmers Market Manager
Chinese scientists release AI model for lunar exploration

Xinhua) 09:26, August 31, 2024

This photo taken on Aug. 29, 2024 shows a scene at the releasing ceremony of the world's first professional, multimodal large language model (LLM) for the field of lunar science in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Xiang Dingjie)

GUIYANG, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The world's first professional, multimodal large language model (LLM) for the field of lunar science has been released in China to significantly accelerate the processing speed of massive amounts of lunar data.

The new tool was debuted at the China International Big Data Industry Expo in Guiyang, the capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Geochemistry and the Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group.

The Institute of Geochemistry has built a comprehensive "digital moon" platform with the world's most complete bank of data related to the exploration of the moon.

The LLM has created a "smart brain" for this digital moon. Ku Wei, vice president of the Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, said that the LLM identifies lunar craters and remembers them by size, depth and shape to provide scientists with important bases for their study of the moon's geological evolution.

There are more than 1 million lunar craters with a diameter of over 1 kilometer, and countless smaller ones, according to Liu Jianzhong, a researcher at the Institute of Geochemistry. Identifying all lunar craters would be impossible if we were to rely on manpower alone, Liu said.

Researchers now only need to input an image of a lunar crater, and the LLM will determine its shape, size and age.

"The accuracy rate is more than 80 percent, exceeding our expectations," Liu said.

Scientists say that the progress and development of planetary science depends on two factors: the development of deep space exploration technology, and the levels of data processing and application.

Scientific research driven by big data is changing the human science and technology development process, and the intelligence of the digital moon will accelerate China's lunar and planetary scientific research and innovation, according to scientists.

"The LLM is like a child with a very high IQ. We train and teach the child professional things. I personally believe that this child's intelligence may have reached the university sophomore level. We will let it continue to grow and help us solve more scientific problems," Liu said.

A visitor learns about the world's first professional, multimodal large language model (LLM) for the field of lunar science during the China International Big Data Industry Expo in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, on Aug. 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Xiang Dingjie)

This photo taken on Aug. 29, 2024 shows a scene of the releasing ceremony of the world's first professional, multimodal large language model (LLM) for the field of lunar science in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Xiang Dingjie)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
Morocco will share its railway expertise with Senegal under cooperation agreements signed Thursday in Rabat by the two countries national railway operators and training centers.

The signing ceremony was co-chaired by Moroccos Minister of Transport Mohammed Abdeljalil and Senegals peer Malick Ndiaye. The two ministers lauded the strong ties existing between the two countries and voiced commitment to strengthen further cooperation not only in the railway maintenance but also in road & air transportation and road safety.

According to experts, the Moroccan railway industry has become a leading player in Africas rail sector. With its high-speed trains and extensive infrastructure development, the North African Kingdom has emerged as a key hub for rail connectivity within the African continent.

Moroccos high-speed rail network, inaugurated in 2018, is the first of its kind in Africa. The high-speed line connects the cities of Tangier and Casablanca, offering fast and efficient travel experience for both domestic and foreign passengers.

Moroccos rail network is one of the most modern and developed in Africa. Its 2200 km long railway network is the biggest in the Maghreb and the second most important in the continent while numerous rail projects have been launched to improve and expand it.

Thanks to renovations and railway stations extension, Morocco has become one of the most thriving markets attracting the interest of major train & rail manufacturers and investors.
Kenyas first ambassador to Morocco, Ms. Jessica Muthoni Gakinya, was received Friday in Rabat by Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita.

During the meeting, the Kenyan envoy handed over copies of her credentials to the minister, sending a strong message to the Algerian regime which has spent billions of dollars in a bid to thwart rapprochement between Rabat and Nairobi.

During a parliamentary hearing before her posting, Ms. Gakinya pledged to encourage investors from Morocco to establish a fertilizer factory in Kenya, facilitating easier access to essential agricultural products for Kenyan farmers.

Moroccos OCP Group, a global leader in plant nutrition and phosphate-based fertilizers, has already set up fertilizer plants in Ethiopia and Nigeria in partnership with these African countries to ensure their food security. Kenya also wants to benefit from Moroccos experience in this field.

At her confirmation hearing as Kenyas ambassador to Morocco, Ms. Gakinya also pledged to market Kenyan tea and coffee in the North African Kingdom, taking advantage of Africas Continental free trade area.

In March, Mr. Bourita received a Kenyan envoy carrying a message from President Ruto to King Mohammed VI. The message contents were not disclosed.

After he was sworn in as Kenyas fifth president on September 13, 2022, Mr. William Ruto had decided to withdraw his countrys recognition of the self-proclaimed SADR and close its representation in Nairobi. However, he backtracked the following day under the heavy pressure exerted by the Algerian rulers with their petrodollars.

In April, Algerias Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf flew to Nairobi in a bid to urge President Ruto not to change course. But it seems that Kenyan President has already made his mind and chosen his partners as evidenced by his decision to open an embassy in Rabat to serve his countrys strategic interests.
Photo illustration of Pavel Durov Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: Getty

Earlier this month, French authorities arrested Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, a chat app widely used around the world by nearly 1 billion people, including by political dissidents and terrorist groups. Some of the criminal charges, which are peculiar to French law, stem from allegations of clearly illegal and harmful material spread on the platform. But other charges, which relate to the mere use of encrypted technology, have set off wider concerns about a crackdown on free speech. To some extent, this has been led by the right, with Elon Musk pushing #freepavel on his X platform. But these worries have also been shared by journalists and civil-liberties groups worried about the encroachment of law enforcement on the way that people around the world communicate.

To get a clearer sense of what is going on, I spoke with Daphne Keller, the director of the Program on Platform Regulation at Stanford Universitys Cyber Policy Center. Keller, who was previously an associate general counsel for Google on free-expression issues, has written that the charges are more likely to be focused on how illegal material is handled by big tech but could represent a broader threat to how we people communicate online.

How much of a threat to freedom of speech is the arrest and charging of Pavel Durov?

It really depends what the prosecutions theory is. Theres a version of this where Im not very worried about freedom of speech at all. The version I imagine might be the case is that Telegram was notified about specific posts that contained clearly illegal material, like child-sexual-abuse material, really bad stuff, or known terrorist organizations  accounts they knew about specific things and they didnt act to take them down. And the idea that law can require a platform to take down illegal content in that situation where they know about specific things  thats pretty common. We have that in U.S. law for the very worst illegal content, and they definitely have it in Europe.

That kind of system, where platforms have a legal obligation to take down stuff they know is illegal, has some threat to freedom of speech. We know that platforms tend to overdo it. Thats why you probably dont want a system like that for something like defamation, where people will try to game the platforms by claiming that true reporting is defamation. But if the bottom line is if they knew about child-sexual-abuse material and didnt take it down, having the law penalize that is fine by me. Thats not a big threat to freedom of speech.

Are there other charges that youre worried about?

The charging document also lists three charges that are about distributing a product with encrypted communications. If the idea turns out to be that merely allowing users to communicate securely online and protect themselves from hacking or surveillance using encryption  thats illegal? Thats a whole other can of worms. Thats a very problematic case, if actually they go forward on that theory, because that would make some really essential tools illegal and greatly chill peoples willingness to speak frankly in communications online.

Could this set a precedent to the way that prosecutions are being handled around the world?

It depends what happens. As a matter of just U.S. constitutional law, the fact that law enforcement is allowed to do things in Europe does not change the protections under the Fourth Amendment and the First Amendment for Americans. So, in principle, it shouldnt matter here if other governments do things that would violate our Constitution.

In practice, once one credible, seemingly nonauthoritarian government does something, it maybe moves the Overton window, makes it a little bit harder to defend the constitutional rights that we have now in the U.S. But thats vague. Its not like this would significantly shift whats possible here.

But isnt that kind of what happened around the world after the U.S. passed the Patriot Act?

Well, for us, what happened with the Patriot Act was we had this massive shock of 9/11 that made our lawmakers willing to do things they werent willing to do before. So, it became possible for the legal norms to shift in the U.S. I dont see one prosecution in France having that kind of impact on us.

It seems strange theyre going after Telegram for its encryption, since its not Signal. It doesnt automatically protect communications with end-to-end encryption. So why do you think that theyre going after the company?

Well, reputation-wise, Telegram is an outlier.

What do you mean by that?

It is rumored that it just ignores notices about illegal content and allows it to proliferate on the platform. Because the content isnt encrypted, anyone can look and see if it is, in fact, child-abuse material or ISIS recruiting or whatever. And Telegram, once its notified, it can look and see. It can be given real knowledge of whats there and the legal obligation to act, and if its not doing that, that makes it a scofflaw.

Telegram is also said to be used by Russian troops for communications in the war with Ukraine. It is known to be a vector for disinformation, especially in Eastern Europe, that is widely understood to come from the Russian government. So theres this connection between Telegram and Russia that is a big deal.

Is this a novel prosecution in Europe?

There have been a couple of cases over the past 25 years that are loosely analogous. In the U.S. there was the prosecution of the Silk Road operator, Ross Ulbricht. That was more of a marketplace [for illegal drugs], and it seemed more clear that it was overwhelmingly used for criminal purposes. But its definitely analogous. In Europe, back in 2000 or so Yahoos auction sites had Nazi memorabilia that violated French law. The French court did say that Yahoo was liable for that and needed to take action to prevent it from being accessible in France.

Is Durovs arrest related to the European Unions Digital Services Act?

No. Its not that these claims say, Hey, Telegram, you violated the DSA. Instead, it is that the DSA could have immunized Telegram from these claims if Telegram had responded properly to notices and taken down illegal content. Because it forfeited those protections, it exposed itself to prosecution under French law. But its not that the DSA is the source of these criminal charges or like hes going to be convicted for violating the DSA. This is all a matter of French law.
I love her music but girl, you didn't actually explain anything??? Just a bare "scheduling conflict" is not really all the info fans might want, and I don't think they're entitled because of that alone.

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rereading it and it's SUCH a bad statement, omg - if anything it's only going to make fans all the more pissed off, where is her team??

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And I think she put herself in a tough spot by saying she didn't want to be stopped on the street etc. If not for that, she'd be able to come out ahead of it and be like "girlies, when the VMA's call, you answer! Okurr?!"



or something like that lol

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lol she should have just ignored this

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You cancelled for selfish reasons. Thats all. You dont value your fans.

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She had a scheduling conflict she didnt know about until 5 days before the concert???? If it aint a medical emergency or called up to testify, its pretty eh as excuses go, Id be miffed as shit too.





Edited at 2024-08-31 11:39 am (UTC)

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to cancel shows for an award show that genuinely no one watches anymore is WILD. if it was for the 1999 VMAs then ok maybe haha

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It sucks that she cancelled, and I feel bad for the people who had tickets.



That said, Im not fully on board with backlash shes getting. She has talked multiple times about her need to keep boundaries and balancing her career and her mental well being. People going into rage mode and lashing out at her probably doesnt help her keep that balance. Yes, people have a right to be mad and upset that she cancelled her shows, but some people are going a little too far.

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She canceled so she could go to the vmas lol. This isnt about her mental well being. Its unprofessional but Im willing to give her a bit of grace because she is still new to this level of fame.

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The way I see it is that, to me, the reason she canceled doesn't matter, but the way some people are reacting to it does matter. People saying that she doesnt care about her fans, thats shes selfish, ungrateful, etc feels like slightly veiled misogyny. If an up and coming male artist had cancelled a show for a scheduling conflict, I think people would be reacting differently. Yes, they would still be upset, but they wouldnt express their disappointment in the same way.

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My main problem is that many people booked plane tickets and hotels to go see her... And she only cancelled 2 days before.



If I spent $500+ to see her, I would be pissed if she cancelled 2 days before because the VMAs are more important to her. It's not matching the image she's trying to portray as an indie artist who care more about connecting with her fans than fame. Just saying.



Edited at 2024-08-31 12:22 pm (UTC)

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Im sorry but in this situation, fuck her and her boundaries. These kids paid good money to go see her show, some of them making a vacation out of it and you cancel 5 days before because you want to perform at some award show with the viewership equivalent to a collision in the outskirts of Mississippi?. They have a right to be upset.

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and her fans can also set the boundary that the people they give money to should respect their time.

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this isn't a personal boundary, this is a professional commitment. i've been fully supportive of her but, god. if had tickets to one of those shows, you bet i'd be mad. i'd be mad if it was a male artist too. fuck, i still haven't forgotten the cancelled Bon Jovi concert when i was 16 (drummer's tendonitis? SPARE ME.) yes, of course, people will use this as another excuse to unreasonably hate on her, and that sucks, but also? what a fucking own goal on her part. if you ARE in this for your fans, not the fame and adulation, then show up for them. otherwise, yeah, its a really bad look.

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Chappel has had a meteoric rise over the last year, it's not a surprise that she (or her team) will make some missteps along the way. It absolutely sucks for the fans who planned to attend but, as you said, there are some doing a LOT.



Frankly, I wonder how much control she even has over scheduling. Recall this is a woman that was fairly recent dropped by her label. Who knows what type of deal she has right now. People are willing to give grace to these artists in hindsight but now is the time with Chappel.





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In her post she made it very clear that people paid to see her perform, that that was her job and that's where she set her boundary.



And that's 100% within her rights.



On the flip side, when people pay to see you perform and you cancel on them because you'd rather perform elsewhere, you're not holding up your end of the deal. You're playing with people's money, time and frankly, emotional well-being*.







*Losing out on money spent in this economy? Stressful ass hell.

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Let me hate in peace.

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Except this isn't a boundary it's a service you are buying and obvs people should understand there's a person on the other side as in trying to make someone perform sick etc etc is shiteous but being mad that the service is not perfomed with a flimsy excuse and make you lose time and money is completely understable and not a matter of boundaries in any way. To use therapeutic language to talk about what is at the end of the day a comercial relation is nonsense

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I was on her side with the boundaries, but this isn't about that. This is about her literal job now and she is failing at it. Her service that people literally pay for. THIS IS THE PART she signed up for. The stopping for fans, them bugging her on the streets, etc, no. But this part? Yeah, it is. She put out tour dates, her fans, the people who BUY her music, who BUY the tickets for her tour, who spend the money to travel to come and see her, buy hotel rooms, etc. THAT is what she signed up for. And she is ditching them, she is screwing them over with barely any notice to perform at an awards show.

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Every few days the internet needs a new woman to burn at the stake and it seems its her turn.

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Im not on board either bc its pretty transparent that a lot of people (and not just disappointed fans) are simply thrilled they finally have a legit reason to criticize Chappell. This was an absolute dick move but acting like shes the most selfish, careless artist in recent history is OTT. Im sure this fuck up will pop up in all her posts from now on lol

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I remember actively standing in my bedroom getting ready for a Garbage concert that day and getting an email that the show was canceled because one of the members had a family emergency back in Wisconsin and they had to fly home. When they eventually rescheduled, they played extra songs and apologized again for the inconvenience. Sometimes shit happens on short notice, life doesn't always care about your work obligations.



If this is indeed for the VMAs, that's kinda ick, but I really don't like people bringing up her understandable boundaries about being approached as evidence she doesn't care about her fans in addition to this decision.

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In my view, her boundaries are being brought up not because they were unreasonable (they weren't and aren't) but because she's showing a lack of respect to the very same people she just asked to respect her. I don't think people (or at least her actual fans) are saying that because she has been disrespectful, fans are entitled to disrespect her in return, but instead that this particular act of disrespect (cancelling a show two days before it's scheduled to happen) feels extra painful in light of how much she's communicated about how respect between fans and artists matters to her.



Fans are also upset because she's repeatedly stated how this is already too much for her and she's having a hard time, but then cancelled two and rescheduled one of what could quite possibly be her last small venue shows in a long time to perform on an awards show that will bring her even more attention. I'm a fan of her, I love her work, but I honestly don't understand what she and/or her team are doing right now. If she'd cancelled because of a personal or family emergency, her fans (or, at least, the regular/non insane ones) would not be this upset.

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And I understand that feel, absolutely, and I get being disappointed. What I don't understand is the people who are absolutely saying her boundaries were unreasonable simply because they didn't get what they want from her in another way. It's fine to be disappointed and it's fine to feel disrespected, but openly disrespecting a completely sane request for boundaries is not it.

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Shirley has always been super dedicated to the fans. I think she was the first big artist, hell maybe the first in general, to start extensively blogging while on tour, back in the late 90s/early 00s. Everyone does tour vlogs these days it seems like, but back then it was definitely a new kind of thing. I've been a huge fan since the debut when I was in year 8 and it was fascinating to read almost-daily, often very long posts not just about the shows they were playing and the cities they were in but her thoughts and musings on a wide range of topic. Basically she was journaling, but putting it up for the fans to read. It never felt parasocial the way things do these days, but Garbage fans were by and large not insane so that helped lol



Someone in another comment pointed out that this might not have even been her decision, she's signed to a label now and while cancelling gigs to perform at the VMAs is a whack-ass decision, if the label didn't want that happening, it wouldn't be

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its definitely funny how willing ppl are to jump on her

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Stephen King (I think it was him) had this to say about fame, fame is an all you can eat buffet, until you realize you are the last course.



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It was in a tweet to Justin Bieber! I think about that quote all the time lol, its so good and extremely true

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I genuinely believe people want her to break down like Britney.

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She's kinda bringing this on herself, though.

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people wouldn't be this mad if it wasn't for her rant about boundaries. they jumped at the first opportunity to hate on her

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The amount of people who dont even have tickets to this show or live in Europe for that matter acting like their home is about to be foreclosed on bc non existent tickets for a cancelled show they never bought is bizarre. Like, why do you care!!!!

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I think people are missing the point that the majority of fans, from what I gathered, are upset about when she cancelled the concerts (especially when some of them were dates of already cancelled gigs), because it was too late for them to get any refund.

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I'm not sure how fans speculating she's lying about schedule conflicts and it is a cover for her mental health is somehow less invasive than just going yeah, this is pretty shitty and her explanation sucked.



that being said: I knew right away people would connect it to her very reasonable requests for fans to leave her alone off the clock and her team should've prepared her for that reaction.

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It's interesting because in a recent interview she said she was "saying no to almost everything" because she wanted to be able to navigate her career while making choices that align with her values. I think she's in panic mode and maybe not receiving good advice.

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the fans have every right to be angry about this

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if she's really all about staying out of the limelight, why would you choose the (super relevant in 2024) VMAs over an intimate concert with your dedicated fans? it's all just odd.

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especially when you could party in europe's queerest capital instead?



i really don't get itttt

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is berlin the queer capital?

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This is where Im at. It seems that she wanted to stay true to herself and if this VMA rumor is correct then its pretty much going against that.



Fans have the right to be upset. And she has the right to have her boundaries respected. I just find it hypocritical and Id be super disappointed if my faves did this.

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Well the VMA thing at present is just a rumour.

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Bring back the Concorde



La diabla blanca would snort 1lb of cocaine, jet across the pond to screech live at the VMAs, then hop back across the Atlantic to complete those tour dates with another lb of coke and enough time to spare to visit the zoo. Not a single bag lost, wink of sleep slept, nor fan disappointed in the entire 48h process. Step it up sis!

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jet lag is, after all, a choice

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This is GLORIOUS!!!

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As much as I hate Diablo, she really would have made it happen.

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bc shes like a vulture thriving off any scrap of worship her stans give her. she does it to gas up her own ego. whereas CR, to me it seems like she likes the money and the fame to an extent. at the same time, she also seems to not want to deal with the insane expectations and entitlements from the critically online super vocal weirdos. which i can appreciate.

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you are a modern day poet

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I think people have a right to be upset and question the timing and all, especially the fans who were going to those shows. But I definitely think some people are doing too much.



I dont think its connected to her post about boundaries, I think its just bad timing that she posted that and then this happened.



I hope this makes sense, I just woke up lol

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you make sense and i agree w you and some others in this post. it's awful timing and paints her out to be uncaring, but her team should have timed out this vs her statement better. she got super famous too fast & doesn't fully know how to navigate this level of publicity yet

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Yeah and her wording is really bad, very flippant. Ia with someone that said shes kinda panicking. But also like  the industry on,y cares about her while shes hot rn. If it really is for the vmas its a dumb desicion  you will always be better off putting your eggs in the fan basket

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In a July interview with the Russian magazine The International Affairs, a senior Russian diplomat, Sergei Ryabkov, argued that in light of Russias war in Ukraine, nuclear deterrence in its traditional sense is not fully working. His words echoed Russian leader Vladimir Putins earlier rhetoric on the possibility of conceptual changes to the countrys nuclear doctrine that could lower the threshold for the use of a small, low-yield device on the battlefield.

On August 27, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed that Moscow was clarifying its nuclear doctrine, the official RIA news agency reported. Lavrovs comments came amid attempts by the Biden Administration to downplay the significance of the recent updates to the US Nuclear Weapons Employment Planning Guidance, which now recognizes the possibility of coordinated nuclear challenges from North Korea, China, and Russia.

While at least some of the Kremlins nuclear saber-rattling appears related to Moscows wartime bargaining tactics, the discourse itself provides clues about the beneath-the-surface part of Russias nuclear posture iceberg.

On July 31, Russia kicked off the third phase of exercises for its non-strategic nuclear forces (the previous phases occurred in May and June). During this most recent phase, Russian military personnel practiced installing dummy warheads on launch vehicles and moving them to designated areas in preparation for electronic launches, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

In August, Russia unveiled its latest drone, a Doomsday first-person view aerial vehicle designed to monitor radiation levels in the event of a nuclear attack. According to Dmitry Kuzyakin, general director of the Center for Integrated Unmanned Solutions, the device can be operated from inside a sealed armored vehicle while on the move.

Such exercises are seen by some experts as a harbinger of a new epoch in nuclear confrontation. We are in the advanced stages of a new [nuclear] arms race, military analyst and veteran Israeli intelligence officer Sergei Migdal told Eurasianet.

With more than 5,500 nuclear warheads, Russia is leading the arms race at present in quantitative terms. The United States follows with over 5,044 nuclear weapons located in the US and five other nations: Italy, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Turkey. Outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is in talks to deploy more nuclear weapons, mulling taking them out of storage and putting them on standby.

In August 2019, Washington withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty after accusing Russia of non-compliance. Moscow responded by declaring the treaty formally dead.

In June, Putin called for the resumption of production and potential deployment of intermediate- and shorter-range nuclear-capable missiles. It can take two, three, or even four years to get to mass production, even under urgent conditions. This is not the same as producing already developed Iskander or Kinzhal missile capabilities, Migdal said. In the 1990s, the production lines of many military plants in Russia were converted to civilian use, mothballed, or simply abandoned, he added.

Once produced, these short- and medium-range missiles could be stationed in Belarus, the expert said. Another possible location is the Leningrad Military District, near new NATO members Finland and Sweden. Other deployment options could include the Southern Military District, with its proximity to another NATO member Turkey, and the Eastern Military District, within striking distance of US allies Japan and South Korea.

Nuclear gamble in space

Amid this new, burgeoning nuclear arms race, Russia is looking for leverage against the West to secure its war aims in Ukraine, Pavel Luzin, a visiting scholar at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, told Eurasianet.

In April, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement that according to US assessments, Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device. Around the same time, Moscow killed the first-ever UN Security Council resolution concerning a potential space arms race: if it had passed, the measure would have reaffirmed members compliance with the Outer Space Treaty. In May, the Pentagon suspected Russia of having orbited what it called a counter-space weapon.

As for the nature of the device, Luzin suggested that it could be a satellite with a nuclear reactor. Most likely an electronic warfare satellite with a longer lifetime and an antenna to jam constellations of satellites in multiple orbits, he said.

Migdal theorized that it could be a nuclear warhead launched into space as a component of a satellite with appropriate shielding against cosmic radiation and a protected communication channel with the command-and-control center. The design could be reminiscent of the Soviet Fractional Orbital Bombardment System developed in the 1960s, he said, adding that the warhead could be dropped from orbit into enemy territory.

Other options are plausible, he added, including a reconnaissance satellite with an isotope reactor or a nuclear reactor-powered killer satellite with space torpedoes to destroy rival satellite constellations.

A return to nuclear weapons testing?

The two cornerstone documents governing Moscows use of nuclear weapons are Russias military doctrine and the unclassified Foundations of State Policy in the Field of Nuclear Deterrence.

At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, Putin connected possible changes to the countrys military doctrine with testing of nuclear weapons. So far, Russia has used computer simulations for this purpose. Possible changes could mean resuming underground or atmospheric tests to show that nuclear weapons are operational, Migdal said. From Moscows point of view, this would impress London, Berlin and Washington, he added.

In October 2023, Russia withdrew its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, a pact rejected by the US Senate in 1999. Several Minuteman III missile flight tests are conducted each year. In 2023, a missile test silo was built at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, presumably for Sentinel missiles that are on track to replace the Minuteman III. That same year, an underground explosion was conducted in Rainier Mesa, Nevada. According to Reuters, the United States last performed a nuclear test in 1992, and the Soviet Union last tested in 1990.

When asked during a visit to Vietnam in June about the possibility of a preemptive strike under Russias nuclear doctrine, Putin brushed it off, saying that Russia does not need it yet.

The Kremlin is eager to discuss low-yield nuclear bombs

Recently, Putin has been personally attending active drills. His main goal in sending [nuclear warning] signals to the West is not to threaten, but to bargain, suggested Luzin, an expert on the Russian armed forces.

During the Trump administration, a presidential special envoy, Marshall S. Billingslea, offered Russia a dialogue on non-strategic nuclear weapons, but Moscow refused, citing concerns about European nuclear deployments, Luzin said. Now the Kremlin is hinting that it is ready to discuss non-strategic nuclear weapons, low-yield nuclear bombs. But only in exchange for favorable conditions in the war in Ukraine, he added.

An avid dealmaker, Putin in comments made in July insisted he was not the instigator of rhetoric concerning nuclear escalation. At the same time, he touted the destructive force of Russian tactical nuclear weapons. For some reason, the West believes that Russia will never use them," the Interfax news agency quoted Putin as saying. "If someone's actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible for us to use all the means at our disposal."

So far, the Kremlins bargaining techniques haven't yielded much success, Luzin said.

In a commentary published under the auspices of the Quincy Institute, an entity dedicated to promoting ideas that move US foreign policy away from endless war and toward vigorous diplomacy in the pursuit of international peace, two experts, Ivana Nikoli? Hughes and Peter Kuznick, argue that the longer the Ukraine war drags on, the higher the risk of a devastating nuclear exchange with the potential to end of human civilization as we know it.

The concern that Russia could decide to use nuclear weapons if threatened with defeat in the Donbas or Crimea or in a direct war with NATO should not be dismissed lightly, the co-authors state. While the U.S. would be less likely to initiate nuclear war given NATOs conventional superiority, it may respond in kind to Russian use of tactical nuclear weapons.

The lines of communication for signaling and some sort of interaction between Moscow and Washington remain open, said Migdal.

On June 25, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, their first phone call since the replacement of Russias ex-defense chief Sergei Shoigu. Another conversation followed on July 12. According to Ryabkov, those discussions helped avert a new round of escalation.

Nevertheless, as Ukraines unprecedented incursion into Russias southwestern Kursk region continues, the risk of further destabilization with potentially devastating consequences remains substantial.

By Ekaterina Venkina via Eurasianet.org

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
The Air Force plans to establish a new air wing at Offutt Air Force Base that will focus on nuclear command-and-control and add 70 positions at the Bellevue facility, the Nebraska congressional delegation said in a statement released late Friday.

The new 95th Wing will be focused on nuclear command and control, a function assigned to the Offutt-based U.S. Strategic Command in 2018.

The Wing will be composed of:

The 595th Command & Control Group, which maintains and operates a fleet of four E-4B Nightwatch airborne command post jets at Offutt.

The 610th Command & Control Squadron, an Air Force Reserve unit based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.

The 253rd Command & Control Group, a Wyoming Air National Guard unit involved in missile command and control at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.

The new wing will fall under the Air Forces Global Strike Command, headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.

An Air Force slide deck prepared for members of Congress said the activation of the 95th Wing is part of the Department of the Air Force reorganization to optimize the Department for Great Power Competition, an apparent reference to growing nuclear threats from Russia and China.

It speaks volumes that Offutt is the Air Forces installation of choice for the new 95th Wing, said Sen. Deb Fischer in the statement. Nebraska is the center of gravity for nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) missions, and we are proud of our indispensable role in Americas national defense.

The 95th Wing personnel added at Offutt would include 25 officers, 36 enlisted airmen, and six civilians, according to the slide deck. The units staff would arrive in the first three months of 2025, and the Wing would become fully operational in mid-2026.

Its not clear where at Offutt the command will be located. The Wing will require 8,000 square feet of office space, according to the slide deck.

Rep. Don Bacon, a retired Air Force officer who served at Offutt, said in an interview that the new wing is an excellent fit for the base because of the expertise here in nuclear matters and electronic warfare.

Getting a nuclear command-and-control wing makes sense, he said. Theres a lot of opportunity to grow nuclear command-and-control, and it needs to be here at Offutt.

One of Bacons goals is to return the fabled Looking Glass mission to Offutt. A chain of Strategic Air Command EC-135 jets and crews stayed airborne continuously to back up the commandand-control systems in SACs Offutt bunker, protecting against the threat of a decapitation strike against SAC headquarters.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Navy took over Looking Glass and the continuous airborne alerts ended. But it is currently making plans to retire those aircraft. Bacon wants the Air Force to take it over.

We need to bring that mission back to Omaha, he said.

Rep. Mike Flood, whose district includes Offutt, called the Air Forces decision great news.

This will not only add a mission to the base but will also continue to create more opportunities in Bellevue and the greater Omaha area, he said in a statement.

I look forward to welcoming the women and men who will call Omaha, Nebraska, home as part of this newly activated unit, Sen. Pete Ricketts said in the same statement.

Photos: StratCom Experience Day at Offutt Air Force Base
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

Aug. 31, 1924: One hundred and fifty members of the Rapp family gathered at Mineral Springs Park in Pekin on Saturday (Aug. 30) for the 20th annual reunion of the Rapp family, the descendants of Andrew Rapp. After a banquet dinner, a program was presented that included a story of Andrew Rapp's life, written by his son Christian and read by Professor Stoker; an original poem by E.O. Rapp; and the Rev. Allen Miller's interesting story of a recent trip through nine states and Canada.

75 years ago

Aug. 31, 1949: Railroader E.L. "Gabe" Keeran, 66, got a sendoff from the crew for his retirement after 47 years of service, 10 for the Alton and 37 for the Nick Plate as yard foreman. An engine was decorated with streamers for the event, and Keeran was presented with a pen and pencil set. He is leaving for Florida tomorrow.

50 years ago

Aug. 31, 1974: The Bloomington Fire Department has issued a challenge to the Bloomington Police Department to settle a debt of honor between the two. The message read in part: "Bloomington Fire Department's undefeated Softball Champs challenge Bloomington Police Department's Radar Raiders (alias Hide 'N Seek Boys) to a slow pitch softball game." It is set for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 8 at the farthest west field of Miller Park. "If you don't bring your guns, nightsticks, etc., we won't bring our axes, pike-poles, etc. No spikes allowed," it continued.

25 years ago

Aug. 31, 1999: Artist Mark Blumenshine has completed two in a series of portrait paintings on a wall at Monroe and Main streets in Bloomington. Abe Lincoln and Jesse Fell will soon be joined by David Davis and other personalities of historical significance in McLean County.

From stilettos to sneakers, Pantagraph shoe ads through the years  Moore & Lain's - Sept. 8, 1891 Boston Shoe Store - July 3, 1896 McLean Moore - April 2, 1909 W.H. Roland - April 5, 1909 Gerhart Shoe Co. - April 13, 1909 William Fahey - Aug. 31, 1923 Gerhart's - Oct. 6, 1926 Carl's - March 4, 1938 Hanger Boot Shop - April 26, 1938 Bunnell Bros. - May 6, 1938 Penney's - May 31, 1946 Town & Country Shoes - Dec. 17, 1948 War Surplus Store - March 29, 1949 Schiff's Shoe Store - April 4, 1949 Schiff's Shoes - April 26, 1949 Kinney's - June 2, 1949 Schiff's Shoe Store - June 2, 1949 Schiff's Shoe Store - June 3, 1949 The Bootery - June 5, 1949 Livingston's - June 5, 1949 Carl's - June 5, 1949 Gerhart's - June 5, 1949 Gerhart's - Sept. 19, 1954 Schiff's Shoe Store - Sept. 19, 1954 Livingston's - Jan. 2, 1956 Roland's - Feb. 22, 1957 Schiff's Shoe Store - Sept. 5, 1958 Branom's Junior Boot Shop - Sept. 7, 1958 The Bootery - Sept. 7, 1958 Livingston's - Aug. 7, 1959 Carl's - Sept. 3, 1959 Barkers - Dec. 1, 1960 Roland's - June 6, 1963 Livingston's - June 6, 1963 Marben's - May 5, 1967 Murray's - Sept. 3, 1973 Roland's - Sept. 3, 1973 Mary Jane Shoes - Sept. 6, 1973 Bergner's - March 30, 1980 Read's of Normal - Aug. 21, 1981 Brown's Sporting Goods - June 3, 1982 Hush Puppies - Feb. 2, 1984 Brown's Sporting Goods - Aug. 9, 1984 Bergener's - Nov. 10, 1985 JC Penney - April 10, 1992 Bergner's - May 26, 1999 Murray's Shoes - June 2, 1999 Bergner's - June 3, 1999
An Accra Circuit Court has remanded two off-duty police constables in custody after they attacked an okada rider and stole GH3,700.



General Lance Corporals Philmon Agbevem and Peter Kwame Badagbor, both stationed at the Accra Central District Police Command, have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and robbery.



The two, represented by their counsel, Mr. Andy Vortia, have denied all charges.



They are due to appear before the court presided over by Mrs. Evelyn Asamoah on September 10, 2024.



The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kofi Anane, led by ASP Emmanuel Haligah, told the court that the complainant, Emmanuel Amertodor, is an Okada rider who lives in Adenta.



On July 21, 2024, the two off-duty police officers on a motorcycle with registration number GP 8145 apprehended the complainant based on information that he and his pillion rider had stolen a purse containing a mobile phone and other personal effects from a lady at the National Theatre and were heading towards the Thomas Sankara roundabout.



According to the prosecution, the accused, dressed in their uniforms and armed with a rifle, trailed the motorcyclist, and stopped them at the Christ the King traffic light in front of the Jubilee House.



In trying to apprehend them, the rider escaped, but the pillion rider, the complainant, was arrested.



The prosecution said the two police officers subjected the complainant to severe beatings and handcuffed him.



They forcefully transferred GH3,700 from the complainants phone to a mobile phone number with the name Hope Alovordzi and then took GH120 from him.



The prosecution said the complainant reported the matter to the Police at Cantonments for investigations, and then to the Criminal Investigations Department, Headquarters for further investigation.



The accused was apprehended on August 8, 2024, and during interrogation, they admitted to arresting the complainant on July 21, 2024, but denied robbing him of the sum stated on the charge sheet.

Source: GNA









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Newly updated vaccines against Covid-19 will be in pharmacies soon, just as the US is experiencing a surge of infections.



But is it a good idea to get in line for a new shot pronto, or should you wait a few weeks to get optimal protection against a possible winter wave?



Experts say it depends on your health, whether youve recently had Covid-19, which vaccine you plan to get and when its convenient for you.



Its not a straight answer, quite frankly, said Dr. Carlos del Rio, a distinguished professor of medicine at Emory University and expert on infectious disease.



Were in the midst of a huge wave. Many people, including yours truly, have recently had Covid, he said.



For that reason, hes going to hold off on getting the updated shot.



If you had it in the last three months, I would wait. Theres no need to get a vaccine, because you have, in a way. Youve been vaccinated by the by the current strain, he said.



On the other hand, if you havent recently had Covid, and especially if youre 65 or older, I would get it as soon as possible, Del Rio said. The same is true for people with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk for serious outcomes of a Covid infection.



Just who are the people at the highest risk of hospitalization or death? Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the US Food and Drug Administrations vaccine advisory committee, says people who are getting really sick with Covid mostly fall into four groups.



One is people who are immune-compromised; two, people who are who have medical conditions that put them at high risk, like obesity, diabetes and chronic liver, lung or heart disease. I think three are pregnant people, and four are what I now reluctantly describe as the elderly, whom Offit categorizes as people over 75.



Offit and other experts say that otherwise younger and healthier adults are fine to bide their time. In fact, it may be smart to do that, since the boost to frontline immunity that the vaccine provides fades within a few months. Waiting until the fall ensures that youll be better protected during respiratory virus season, which tends to peak in December and January.



If you havent been recently infected, the new boosters matter a lot, said Dr. Megan Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health. The current variants of Covid differ substantially from last winters variants, and this years boosters are matched to the new variants.



She agrees that older adults and people with underlying health conditions who havent recently been infected should get in line for their shots now, but shes going to delay hers a bit.



I am planning to wait until the same time as I get my flu shot, sometime in October, she said.



Ranney noted that the updated mRNA shots from Pfizer and Moderna will probably be available first, with Novavaxs vaccine coming in a few weeks.



If you are nervous about mRNA for some reason  although these vaccines are very safe  the Novavax booster, which is protein-based, will soon be available, too, she said.



Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California at San Francisco, is also waiting a few weeks.



Im definitely not going to run out and get a shot. Im more worried about winter than the summer, he said.



But a golden rule of vaccination is know thyself, he said. If youre somebody who is likely to get distracted and busy and forget to get a shot, any time that works for you is the best time.



This is a general principle: If its convenient for people and they may not get a shot later in the year, any shot is better than no shot, Chin-Hong said. I think for me, I kind of like to get everything in at the same time. So I get flu and Covid at the same time. It kind of minimizes trips.



Ideally, people wouldnt have to try to figure out the best timing for a single shot when there are multiple waves of Covid each year, said Dr. Peter Hotez, an infectious disease expert and director of vaccine development at Texas Childrens Hospital.



The reality is that weve had waves of Covid every summer for the last few years, and so I think we have to kind of do a reset or rethink about how were doing Covid vaccine delivery, Hotez said.



Given the fact that the mRNA vaccines are not very durable  not as durable as wed like  we should be doing twice-a-year vaccination, he said. And then the question is, do the companies have the bandwidth to make more than one vaccine every year?  And so thats going to be the next set of questions.

Source: CNN









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President Nana Akufo-Addo on Thursday inspected the ongoing Ofankor-Nsawam road construction project, promising commuters that the main carriageway will be opened to traffic by the end of September 2024.



The Presidents visit comes as a welcome relief to commuters who have endured years of traffic congestion and delays on the critical route.



The project, which began in 2020, has faced numerous challenges, including funding constraints and design modifications.



However, with the Presidents intervention, the project is now back on track.



According to Ing. Kwabena Bempong, Chief Resident Engineer for the Project, the construction team is working assiduously to complete sections of the project and open to traffic to reduce the current negative impact on the traveling public by the end of September.



President Akufo-Addo, accompanied by the Minister for Roads and Highway, Francis Asenso-Boakye and Minister for Finance, Mohammed Amin Adam, expressed satisfaction with the quality of work being done and urged the contractor, MEL to ensure value for money in delivering the project.



The Ofankor-Nsawam road is a critical transportation artery, linking Accra to the Eastern Region.



Its rehabilitation is expected to boost economic activity, reduce travel times, and improve road safety.

Source: Daily Guide









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TECNO, a leader in innovative technology, has announced a giant leap in foldable smartphones with the introduction of the PHANTOM ULTIMATE 2  an ultra-thin tri-fold concept device that that reimagines the large-screen experience in a pocket-sized device.



In its folded form, PHANTOM ULTIMATE 2 is the thinnest among existing triple-folding models, measuring just 11mm in thickness.



Unfolded, it reveals a giant 10 screen with TDDI technology for the first time in a foldable device. The new concept offers a glimpse into a more immersive, convenient and exciting future foldable smartphone experience.



Building on previous designs, it addresses key pain points like hinge durability, camera performance, and software optimization, marking a significant leap forward in foldable innovation and offering Ghanaian consumers a glimpse into the future of mobile experiences.



Ultra-thin Tri-Fold Design



PHANTOM ULTIMATE 2s innovative tri-fold screen transforms the device from a standard candy bar smartphone into an incredible tablet-like large-screen device. Crucially, the tri-fold design does not mean a major compromise on thickness, measuring 11mm when folded, thanks to an innovative and thinner hinge that enables existing bi-fold models to achieve a thickness of less than 9mm. The device features the smartphone industrys thinnest battery cover measuring just 0.25mm thanks to super compressed Titan Advanced Fiber material. Compared to the industrys current thinnest 0.45mm thickness, this advanced material brings sufficient strength while allowing a thinner form.



The streamline camera design also contributes to thinness and lightness without sacrificing image quality, while its position to one side of the device makes it easier to find the center of gravity when holding.



Huge Immersive and Less Creased Screen with Super Durability and Thinner Hinges



When unfolded, the PHANTOM ULTIMATE 2 delivers an unparalleled viewing experience with its expansive 10-inch 3K LTPO screen, boasting 392 PPI for crystal-clear visuals. The devices OLED Touch and Display Driver Integration (TDDI) technology, combined with its state-of-the-art hinges, ensures a flat, crease-minimized display for immersive viewing. These hinges are designed with an incredible 2100MPa strength, supporting over 300,000 folds, offering exceptional durability and a smooth folding experience.



Versatility at Its Finest with Optimized UI and Advanced Foldable Scenarios



The PHANTOM ULTIMATE 2 isnt just about hardware  it also features a suite of software optimizations tailored to its tri-fold design. The devices UI dynamically adapts to various scenarios, offering innovative functionalities such as screen hovering for laptop-style usage and tent mode for dual screen face-to-face communication across language barriers using real-time AI translation. For everyday browsing, the foldable screen supports multi-window mode to improve efficiency, letting users stay in their game or movie while responding to messages or searching the internet. And for more inventive imagine, users can explore creative unfolded angles enabled by the tri-fold design.



The PHANTOM ULTIMATE 2 is designed to enhance productivity and creativity, making it an ideal companion for Ghanaian professionals and students alike.

PHANTOM ULTIMATE 2s advanced software and UI specifically optimized for the tri-fold design further enhance the utility of its cutting-edge hardware. For example, the device supports dynamic wallpapers and adaptive icons that adjust with folding and unfolding, while the UI layout is adapted for diverse use cases such as large-screen viewing and tent mode, as well as having the potential for exciting third-party app adaption.



TECNOs Commitment to Foldable Innovation



TECNOs PHANTOM sub-brand continues to push the boundaries of whats possible in smartphone design. The PHANTOM ULTIMATE 2 builds on the success of previous concepts like the PHANTOM Ultimate rolling screen, demonstrating TECNOs dedication to delivering the most advanced technologies to its users. This latest innovation not only offers a glimpse into the future of foldable smartphones but also sets the stage for TECNOs upcoming second-generation foldable devices, the PHANTOM V Fold2 5G and PHANTOM V Flip2 5G, which are set to launch soon.



The PHANTOM ULTIMATE 2 represents a bold step forward in TECNOs mission to provide cutting-edge technology that meets the evolving needs of its users. As Ghana continues to embrace the digital age, TECNOs latest innovation ensures that Ghanaians can experience the best that technology has to offer, right in the palm of their hands.



For more information, visit TECNO Ghanas website or follow TECNO Mobile Ghana https://www.instagram.com/tecnomobilegh/ on social media.





About TECNO



As a global innovative technology brand with operations in over 70 markets, TECNO has been committed to revolutionizing the digital experience in global emerging markets, relentlessly pushing for the perfect integration of contemporary, aesthetic design with the latest technologies. TECNO offers a wide range of smartphones, smart wearables, laptops and tablets, HiOS operating systems and smart home products. Guided by its brand essence of Stop At Nothing, TECNO is committed to unlocking the best and newest technologies for forward-looking individuals, inspiring them to never stop pursuing their best selves and their best futures. For more information, please visit TECNOs official site: www.tecno-mobile.com.









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Featured Video
Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie speaks at a press briefing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Aug. 30, 2024. Atske Selassie has called for joint efforts among countries in the Horn of Africa to fight al-Shabaab in Somalia. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie has called for joint efforts among countries in the Horn of Africa to fight al-Shabaab in Somalia.

Briefing journalists Friday in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, Atske Selassie said that al-Shabaab is "well-equipped" to carry out deadly attacks in the Horn of Africa region, noting that countries in the region must unite more than ever before to defend the terror activities of al-Shabaab and keep it at bay.

The foreign minister said Ethiopia is committed to jointly fighting the terrorist group by providing unreserved military and other support to Somalia until the Somali National Army can deal with security challenges in the country by itself. He also said countries in the region must redouble their efforts to stop those forces trying to undo the hard-won gains against terrorism in the region.

He pledged that Ethiopia will continue building, mending and enhancing relations with neighboring countries, noting that there are unbreakable bonds of fraternity among the peoples of the region. 

Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie speaks at a press briefing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Aug. 30, 2024. Atske Selassie has called for joint efforts among countries in the Horn of Africa to fight al-Shabaab in Somalia. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
Deputy General Secretary of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has cautioned the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to be mindful of their irresponsible description of their flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama.



Mustapha Gbande told NEAT FM's morning show, 'Ghana Montie' that if the trend does not cease, his party will be forced to crush the NPP government with more menacing counterattacks before December 7 elections.



They [NPP] shouldn't push us. We can crush their government in the next month, Mustapha Gbande cautioned.



He further warned that, If we come out with the things we have, the government will crush, the nation will rise against this government. They should be calm.



Mustapha Gbande's comment follows an indirect tag on former President John Dramani Mahama as a drunkard by Hon. Samuel Atta Akyea.



Background



Atta Akyea during a mini-rally launched a veiled scathing attack, insinuating that somebody is a drunkard, unlike Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.



To him, the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is a visionary leader and not a drunkard.



Dr. Bawumia is a wise man. And he is not a drunkard. He is not a drunkard and he is wise, Atta Akyea said amidst cheers from the crowd.



Retract & Apologize



However, even though no name was associated with the drunkard comment, the NDC through it's General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, issued a statement demanding an apology and retraction from the NPP lawmaker for referring to their flagbearer and the former president as an alcoholic.



NPP Youth Wing



This compelled the NPP youth wing to rally their support behind the former Minister of Works and Housing after rubbishing the apology demand from the NDC.



He who seeks equity must come with clean hands, a portion of their statement read.





Listen to the interview below







Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/Peacefmonline.com









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The Ghana Professional Tailors and Dressmakers Association has officially declared support for the presidential candidate of the governing NPP, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia ahead of the 2024 general elections.



Speaking at the annual conference of the association on Friday, August 30, 2024, at Wenchi in the Bono Region, Kofi Poku, the associations National President, said their decision is made after carefully considering the NPPs track record and policies for their sector.



The NPP has done a lot for professional tailors, dressmakers and, indeed, for all artisans in the country. It was the NPP that professionalized our sector and association through the necessary legal and regulatory reforms. This has made it possible for our certificates to be recognized globally. The party also invested a lot in our sector and more importantly, implemented Free TVET. That is why as an association, we have resolved, in our collective interest, to support Dr. Bawumia and the NPP in the December polls.



The conference was graced by Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Vice Presidential Candidate of the NPP, the Special Guest of Honour for the occasion.



In his keynote address, Dr. Opoku Prempeh, a former Minister of Education credited for spearheading the successful implementation of Free SHS and Free TVET, reaffirmed the NPPs unwavering commitment to enhancing technical and vocational training.



For us in the NPP, we understand and place value on technical skills required in various industries, that is practical and hands-on training. This was the reason why during my tenure as Education Minister, we spearheaded the passage of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020 (Act 1023) and the Pre-tertiary Education Act 2020 (Act 1049) which, among other things, mandates the Commission for TVET (CoTVET) to regulate, administer and promote TVET across the country, he said.



The NPP Running Mate, Dr. Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, also assured the professional artisans that the next NPP government under Bawumia Presidency will build on the gains made and significantly expand the coverage of the Ghana Skills Development Fund towards apprenticeship training for job creation.



He added they will continue to collaborate with the association to review and implement the needed curricular that will make them more competitive globally.



NAPO was accompanied by Kennedy Ohene Agyapong (MP, Assin Central), Chairman Smith Buttey (NPP National Vice Chairman), Dr. Ayew Afriyie (MP, Effiduase Asokore), Joseph Quarm (former MP, Manso Nkwanta), Collins Owusu Amankwa (former MP, Manhyia North), Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah (CEO, CoTVET and parliamentary candidate for Offinsu North), Henry Nana Boakye (National Organizer, NPP) among others.



The Running Mate and his team continued their constituency-focused campaign tours to Wenchi, Kintampo South and Techiman North constituencies where they held meetings and community engagements with Chiefs, religious leaders and other key stakeholders.



Dr. Opoku Prempeh recounted the laudable achievements of the NPP and rallied support for Dr. Bawumia and the parliamentary candidates of the party, namely, Kojo Frimpong for Wenchi, Alexander Gyan for Kintampo South and Martin Oti Gyarko for Techiman North.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh has taken a swipe at the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for its weird decision to promote a 24 24-hour Night Clubs should they win the December 7 polls.



Without mincing words, the Vice Presidential Candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), nicknamed as Napo, condemned the NDC policy, which he strongly argued, would not benefit the country and its people.



According to Napo, the NDC's plans to promote a 24-hour nightclub is a strong indication that they (NDC) lack ideas and also don't have the interest and well-being of the people, especially the energetic youth, at heart.



Instead of 24-hour nightclubs, he said Dr Mahamadu Bawumia and the NPP, who have the country at heart, would rather empower the people, notably the youth, with valuable skills, which would enhance their future.



"The NPP and our Presidential Candidate, Dr Bawumia. has the interest and welfare of the citizens at heart, so we will empower them with valuable skills and not a 24-hour night club, which is of no benefit", he noted.



Napo, who spoke during the 2nd annual conference of Ghana Unity Professional Tailors and Dressmakers Association on Friday, stated that the NDCs 24-hour nightclub promise shows the NDC's gross incompetence.



The programme was under the theme 'Peaceful Elections 2024, the desire of fashion designers'. It was held on the campus of Wenchi Farms Institute in the Bono Region.



The NPP, Napo clearly explained, believes in skills development so it would continue to prioritize Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) when Dr. Bawumia, God willing, becomes president on January 7, 2025.



He believed that skills development could help reduce unemployment as more people would become gainfully employed, financially sound, and well-positioned to fend for themselves and contribute to the development of the economy.



Napo also said the NPP is the only government that usually introduces policies that benefit businesses and artisans so he reiterated his call on the electorates to renew the mandate of the NPP when they exercise their franchise on December 7.



The NPP running mate sternly cautioned the electorates against the temptation of voting for the incompetent NDC, whom he accused of always introducing policies that tend to collapse businesses in the country and deepening hardship.



He reminded Ghanaians, especially artisans and business owners that the NDC plunged the country into total darkness also known as Dumsor in the local parlance, when they were in government, which collapsed businesses so they should reject the NDC and ex-President Mahama.



According to Napo, it took the timely intervention of the NPP government before the Dumsor menace was effectively dealt with, which saved the work of artisans.



He therefore warned that the NDC and John Mahama are still incompetent, so they will return the country to Dumsor if they mistakenly get access to power again, reiterating his appeal for Ghanaians to retain the NPP in power.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Mrs Alma Naa Jama Opoku Prempeh, wife of the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, kickstarted her political campaign activity at the Odododiodoo Constituency, where she visited her maternal family home to seek their support.



Accompanied by prominent figures including the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, as well as regional and constituency executives of the NPP, Mrs. Opoku Prempeh asked for the blessings of her family elders to begin her campaign in earnest.



The visit was a momentous occasion marked by a blend of traditional rites, heartfelt exchanges with her family and resounding chants of endorsement from party supporters in the constituency who had gathered to witness the event.



During the visit, the head of Alma's maternal family, Nii Agyir Banor, invoked the blessings of the ancestors, calling on them to guide and protect Mrs Opoku Prempeh as she embarks on this crucial campaign. He emphasised the importance of unity, urging all family members to rally behind her and offer their unwavering support.



Nii Banor also expressed pride in her accomplishments and dedication. He lauded her exceptional qualities, emphasising her loyalty, compassion, and leadership traits that have undoubtedly contributed to her role as a supportive partner to Dr. Opoku Prempeh.



He urged her to continue working closely with her husband, who is a prominent figure in Ghanaian politics and public service. He encouraged her to remain steadfast and loyal, reminding her that their collective effort would not only contribute to the NPP's success in the upcoming elections but also bring honour to the family.



The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, said in an interview after the ceremony that the Ga-Adangbe community is excited to have one of their own in a position to become the second lady of Ghana.



"She is one of our own, and we are proud to have her here. I pray and seek the support of everyone for her success, and especially for the success of the Bawumia-Napo ticket."



This visit, which took place amidst the rising political momentum ahead of the December elections, is also part of a broader strategy to galvanize support for the NPP in the Odododiodoo Constituency.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Former Minister for Finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor has urged the public to disregard the fake document in circulation.



According to him, the document is propaganda by some elements who want to cause disaffection and mislead the public.



This fabricated document is part of a deliberate campaign of misinformation and propaganda by certain opposition elements who seek to undermine the truth and mislead the public.



I strongly condemn these actions, which are aimed at creating confusion and sowing discord, the former Minister for Finance indicated in a statement.



He continued: I urge the public and media to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of any information before accepting it as fact. I remain committed to transparency, integrity, and the principles of honest communication.



Below is the full statement from the former Minister for Finance



OFFICIAL STATEMENT



We have become aware of a letter circulating in public forums and social media, purporting to be an official communication from Dr. Kwabena Duffuor. We want to make it unequivocally clear that this letter is *entirely fake* and does not represent my views, opinions, or intentions.



This fabricated document is part of a deliberate campaign of misinformation and propaganda by certain opposition elements who seek to undermine the truth and mislead the public. I strongly condemn these actions, which are aimed at creating confusion and sowing discord.



I urge the public and media to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of any information before accepting it as fact. I remain committed to transparency, integrity, and the principles of honest communication.



If you have any doubts about the veracity of any communication claiming to come from me, please refer directly to my official channels or contact my office for confirmation.



I appreciate your continued support and vigilance in these matters.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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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:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Since at least Aristotle, writers and scholars have debated what makes for a great story. One of them is Samsun Knight, a novelist who is also an economist and assistant professor of marketing at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. With a scientist's tools, he's done what previous theorizers have failed to: put theory to the test and demonstrated the key factor for empirically predicting which stories will be snore fests and which will leave audiences hungry for more.

The work is published in the journal Science Advances.

It turns out to be "narrative reversals"lots of them and the bigger the better. Commonly known as changes of fortune or turning points, where characters' fortunes swing from good to bad and vice versa, Prof. Knight and fellow researchers found that stories rich in these mechanisms boosted popularity and engagement with audiences through a range of media, from television to crowdfunding pitches.

"The best-written stories were always either building up a current reversal, or introducing a new plot point," says Prof. Knight. "In our analysis, the best writers were those that were able to maintain both many plot points and strong build-up for each plot point across the course of the narrative."

The researchers analyzed nearly 30,000 television shows, movies, novels, and crowdfunding pitches using computational linguistics, a blend of computer science and language analysis. This allowed them to quantify not only the number of reversals in a text, but also their degree or intensity by assigning numerical values to words based on how positive or negative they were.

Movies and television shows with more and bigger reversals were better rated on the popular ratings site IMDb. Books with the most and biggest reversals were downloaded more than twice as much as books with the fewest reversals from the free online library Project Gutenberg. GoFundMe pitches with more and larger reversals were more likely to hit their fundraising goal, by as much as 39%.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to identify peripeteia, the sudden reversal of circumstances, as a key feature of a good story. Other thinkers have added their ideas since then, including American playwright and dramaturg Leon Katz, whose scholarship particularly inspired Prof. Knight's research.

Katz "described the reversal as the basic unit of narrative, just as a sentence is the basic unit of a paragraph, or the syllogism is the basic unit of a logical proof," says Prof. Knight.

In addition to helping psychologists understand how narrative works to educate, inform and inspire people, the findings may also benefit storytellers of all kinds.

"Hopefully our research can help build a pedagogy for writers that allows them to rely on the accumulated knowledge of Aristotle et al. without having to reinvent the wheel on their own every time," says Prof. Knight.

That includes himself. With another novel on the way, he was recently working on a chapter with a big reveal.

"I realized that this drop might hit harder if I gave the character more positive moments before pulling the rug out from under them," he says.

The research was co-authored with Matthew D. Rocklage and Yakov Bart, both of Boston's Northeastern University.

More information: Samsun Knight et al, Narrative reversals and story success, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl2013 Journal information: Science Advances
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A closed carbonized papyrus scroll from Herculaneum being scanned. Credit: EduceLab/University of Kentucky

It's the last day of August, which means that in the Northern Hemisphere, tomorrow will be 50 degrees and cloudy; conditions are expected to be hot and humid south of the equator. In science news this week, we reported on nanoplastic contamination, spacetime dragging, corn sweat and an AI technique to read ancient papyrus scrolls nondestructively. Take your pick:

Contaminant worrisome

How much nanoplastic are you chugging? A lot, probablynanoplastics are suspended in drinking water, food and the air, and none of us can just stop eating, drinking and breathing, except for noted superhuman Simone Biles. The ratio of plastic to human cell content will continue growing until we're all basically walking plastic golems that can only be de-animated by a sorcerer.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia were morbidly curious about the (likely) innumerable microplastic deposits in human cells and developed a portable tool to measure nanoplastics released from sources including disposable cups and water bottles. Consisting of a wireless digital microscope, a green LED light and an excitation filter, it uses fluorescent labeling to detect plastic particles from 50 nanometers to 10 microns. It connects wirelessly to a smartphone app to reveal the number of nanoplastic particles in a water sample.

In one test, they poured boiling water into a polystyrene cup, let it cool for 30 minutes and detected hundreds of millions of nanoscale plastic particles. The health effects of nanoplastics are still poorly understood but, according to scientists, are likely to be profound.

Spacetime deformable

Frame dragging is the phenomenon in which a rapidly spinning black hole twists spacetime around itself in the direction of rotation, like the skirt of a magnificent dancer. Scientists with Beijing Computational Research Center recently reported a technique to determine how fast frame dragging occurs around a rotating, massive gravitational object like a black hole or a neutron star. To be clear, all rotating gravitational objects, including the Earth, drag spacetime around them, but the effect is too small to measure. In the case of massive objects, the effect is more apparent.

The researchers in Beijing were considering the phenomenon of atoms jumping from a lower to a higher energy level in weak gravity, caused by such things as an electron absorbing a photon or a nucleus absorbing a gamma ray, and hit on the idea that the amount of excitation depends on how fast local spacetime is spinning; therefore, measuring the changes in a set of excitations could be used to determine the speed of frame dragging.

After determining that an atom near a rotating black hole would become excited, they established mathematically that the excitation energies for atoms rotating at different speeds and at different distances from the massive object were all between zero and an upper bound for all values of the frame dragging rotational frequency. The upper bound is measurable and can be used to measure the rate of frame dragging.

Corn sweaty

Here in the U.S., we have a corn monoculture. We use corn to make everything from sweeteners and beer to biofuel, and the demand for corn is still growing, particularly in the energy industry. A phenomenon familiar to residents of corn-producing regions is "corn sweat"the spike in summer humidity caused by corn plants cooling themselves in a process called evapotranspiration: In high heat conditions, corn plants draw water from the soil, use it for normal, biological corn-based processes and then release it into the air as vapor, which cools the plant.

This used to happen during the dog days of August, but according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Nebraskans who already have pit-stained shirts before noon, corn is getting sweatier much earlier in the summer. Experts say the phenomenon is definitely driven by climate change, and researchers are studying it to determine how climate change will affect evapotranspiration and its downstream effects in the future.

Book read

In AD 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the city Herculanium under a massive amount of ash. In the 18th century, researchers excavated a luxurious Roman villa containing preserved paintings, busts and statues, as well as the only preserved library from antiquity, housing 1,000 papyrus scrolls. Over the years, attempts to unroll the scrolls mechanically had the predictable effect of destroying them.

Recently, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur teamed up with computer scientist Brent Seales to establish a research challenge to read the text of the scrolls nondestructively using imaging techniques and artificial intelligence; over 1,000 teams have entered the contest since 2023. In February 2024, the challenge awarded the prize to the first winners, who developed an AI model that revealed parts of 15 columns from the innermost part of one of the scrollsit's a text on ethics, likely by Philodemus.

The team scanned the carbonized scroll in a particle accelerator at high resolution. The physical structure of the scroll was analyzed and virtually flattened. Then the team trained their AI ink detection model on patterns in the papyrus itself, and visualized the writing on the scrolls. The Vesuvius Challenge organizers believe that once they've overcome a number of technical challenges, the remaining scrolls can be analyzed using a refined version of this approach.

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Adult samples of Akarotaxis gouldae (left) compared to adult samples of Akarotaxis nudiceps (right) show subtle yet distinct morphological differences, including the presence of two bands on the bodies of Akarotaxis gouldae as well as a shorter snouts and jaws. Credit: Andrew Corso

A new species of Antarctic dragonfish, Akarotaxis gouldae or Banded Dragonfish, has been discovered in waters off the western Antarctic Peninsula by researchers at William & Mary's Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). The species, named in honor of the recently decommissioned Antarctic research and supply vessel (ARSV) Laurence M. Gould and its crew, exemplifies both the unknown biodiversity and fragile state of the Antarctic ecosystem.

Described in the journal Zootaxa, Akarotaxis gouldae was initially identified through genetic analysis. Larval specimens collected off the coast of Antarctica while trawling for zooplankton were originally thought to be Akarotaxis nudiceps, a closely related dragonfish. However, after comparing their DNA to Akarotaxis nudiceps specimens housed in collections at VIMS, Yale University and the Museum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris, France, significant variations in mitochondrial gene regions suggested the larval samples were a species unto themselves.

Lead author Andrew Corso conducted the research while earning his Ph.D. at W&M's Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences at VIMS under faculty advisors Eric Hilton and Deborah Steinberg. Using the DNA evidence as their guide, Corso and his colleagues requested the examination of adult Akarotaxis gouldae samples from numerous ichthyology collections around the world. Morphological differences became apparent between the two species once the adult samples were compared.

"There are two distinct bands on the sides of adult Akarotaxis gouldae that are not present on Akarotaxis nudiceps, so we were surprised that the species already existed in collections but had been previously overlooked," said Corso. "In the world of fish taxonomy, it's becoming common to distinguish species with genetics alone. Genetic testing is an extremely valuable tool, but our discovery highlights the importance of early life stage morphology and natural history collections like those at VIMS and other institutions."

Akarotaxis gouldae, a newly discovered species of Antarctic dragonfish, was named in honor of the recently decomissioned Antarctic research supply vessel Laurence M. Gould. Credit: Andrew Corso

Genetic testing also revealed evolutionary clues. Using a process called time-calibrated phylogeny, Corso and co-author Thomas Desvignes from the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon estimated that Akarotaxis gouldae diverged as a separate species approximately 780,000 years ago. During this time, most of the Southern Ocean was covered in glaciers.

"This process essentially looks at the rate of genetic mutations as a guide for a species' evolutionary history," said Corso. "We hypothesize that a population of dragonfishes may have become isolated within deep trenches under glaciers, surviving on food pushed in by the moving ice. Once the glaciers retreated, this subpopulation had become distinct enough to be reproductively incompatible with Akarotaxis nudiceps."

Newly discovered, yet potentially threatened

Presently, Antarctic dragonfishes are poorly understood because they live in the remote Southern Ocean and spend most of their adult life in deep water. Prior research suggests these fishes engage in nest guarding in shallower coastal waters, and their offspring remain closer to the surface during their larval stage. Examination of female ovaries showed limited reproductive capacity. And while Akarotaxis nudiceps are distributed in waters surrounding the southern continent, analysis of larval sampling data suggests the distribution of Akarotaxis gouldae is limited to the waters around the western Antarctic Peninsula.

This map shows where larval samples of Akarotaxis gouldae (yellow arrows) were collected along the western Antarctic Peninsula. In comparison, Akarotaxis gouldae appear to have a much more limited range. Credit: Andrew Corso

Dragonfishes are important prey items for many species, including Antarctica's iconic penguins, whose populations have declined dramatically in recent decades. A 2022 study by Corso linked warming waters and reduced ice in the Southern Ocean to declines in Antarctic silverfish populations.

"Akarotaxis gouldae appear to have one of the smallest ranges of any fish endemic to the Southern Ocean," said Corso. "This limited range combined with their low reproductive capacity and the presence of early life stages in shallower waters suggest that this is a vulnerable species that could be impacted by the krill fishery."

The waters surrounding the western Antarctic Peninsula are heavily targeted by the international Antarctic krill fishery, which is managed by the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Commercial fishing vessels trawl for krill in waters between 0-250 meters deep, and CCAMLR emphasizes the difficulties in correctly identifying larval and juvenile finfish bycatch in these operations.

"Since we know so little about the biodiversity of this area, we feel caution should be taken in extracting resources until we have a better understanding of the impact to the greater ecosystem," said Corso.

The ARSV Laurence M. Gould was retired from NSF operations in April. It was one of two research supply vessels supporting U.S. Antarctic research. Cedit: Kharis Shrage

Bringing attention to research while honoring a scientific legacy

The ARSV Laurence M. Gould was named after Laurence McKinnley Gould, the chief scientist on the first expedition to Antarctica. While most might assume Akarotaxis gouldae was also named in honor of the famous geologist, the researchers rather decided to honor the vessel for the significant scientific contributions of it and its crew.

The ARSV Laurence M. Gould supported the U.S. National Science Foundation's Antarctic Program from 1997 until the non-renewal of its charter in April of this year. It was one of two U.S. ARSVs dedicated to studying the Southern Ocean. While a replacement vessel is in the design phase, the U.S. National Science Foundation explained the Gould's charter was not renewed for economic reasons as well as shifting research priorities of the U.S. Antarctic Program.

The ARSV Laurence M. Gould and its crew provided significant support to Antarctic research carried out by VIMS and other institutions. Corso's advisor Steinberg conducts long-term studies focusing on the effects of climate change on zooplankton communities around the western Antarctic Peninsula and their impact on the marine food web. Such research relies on regular sampling intervals, which must be adjusted based on the availability of support vessels like the Gould.

"To me, the loss of the ARSV Laurence M. Gould marks a setback in the scientific study of the Antarctic region," said Corso. "Antarctica is warming faster than anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere, and there is untold biodiversity in the region that we're only beginning to understand. By naming this fish after the ship, we hope to honor its scientific contributions while also bringing attention to the need for additional resources to study this unique ecosystem."

More information: ANDREW D. CORSO et al, Akarotaxis gouldae, a new species of Antarctic dragonfish (Notothenioidei: Bathydraconidae) from the western Antarctic Peninsula, Zootaxa (2024). DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5501.2.3 Journal information: Zootaxa
Leaked cases of more than 300 Christians in Iran charged with crimes related to their faith show how the vast majority, converts from Islam, are targeted, a rights watchdog reports.

About 90 percent of the 327 Christians prosecuted for their faith are converts, according to Article 18.

Given that the 327 cases relate only to the Tehran region, they represent a mere drop in the ocean of all convictions of Christians over the 15-year period, especially as Article18 documented a further 37 cases in the Tehran region over those 15 years which were not included in the leaked files, involving at least 96 individuals, the group reported on Thursday (Aug. 29).

Only eight of the 327 cases were foreign nations, while three were dual nationals, and 22 of those prosecuted were of Assyrian or Armenian descent  Christians whose faith is recognized by Iranian law, unlike that of converts, the group reported.

The cases are among more than 3 million prosecutions discovered by hackers of the Tehran judiciarys website over the past six months, Article18 stated. The data, leaked in stages by Edaalate Ali since February, include cases of Christians prosecuted in the Tehran area between July 2008 and January 2023, including at least seven ordained ministers.

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Of those prosecuted, 60 percent were male.

The most common charge was propaganda against the state [by promoting Christianity], 86 percent of the cases. That was followed by membership of anti-security groups, that is, house churches, at 69 percent of the charges, and leadership of those groups accounted for 58 percent of the cases.

Other charges included insulting Islamic sanctities, 42 percent of the cases, and gathering and collusion against national security, 30 percent. Article 18 reported that 34 Christians were charged with disturbing public opinion, 30 with disrupting peace and order, 28 with insulting the Supreme Leader, 26 with possession of satellite receivers and 25 with apostasy.

Two Christians were accused of spying, and in another case the managers of three online shops selling Christian books were charged with selling deviant evangelistic materials and hurting public modesty and morals through the display, promotion and sale of evangelistic books and items.

Iranian-Assyrian church leader Sergez Benyamin was charged with disobeying officers performing their duty for resisting the forced closure of his church without a warrant, Article 18 reported. Other charges included acting against the countrys national security through the administration of illegal organizations of the Iranian Evangelical Council, though the council was officially registered prior to the 1979 revolution and again afterwards, according to Article 18.

A senior pastor was charged with foreign trips and communicating and cooperating with evangelistic organizations and spy services for traveling abroad to attend gatherings with other church leaders.

It is also worth noting that the majority of cases (58 percent) in the leaked files were not previously known to Article18, highlighting the challenge of documenting cases that the individuals or their families choose not to publicize, the group reported.

Demonizing Evangelicals

The leaked documents reveal that officials routinely label ordinary Christian worship as cultic, anti-revolutionary or a security risk, with the clear aim of stigmatizing Christian groups that do not conform to government criteria of acceptable Christians, the group noted.

Prosecutors and judges frequently label evangelicals as Zionists, deviant or illegal sects in attempts to distinguish converts to Christianity from the officially tolerated Christians of Armenian and Assyrian descent, it added.

In an indictment against a woman convert identified only as A. Yazdani, a judge notes that Evangelical Christianity has targeted the foundations of the Muslim peoples faith in the interests of global [powers] and is weakening the foundations of families by spreading unruliness. This sect has attempted to conduct a soft revolution against the Islamic Republic by changing the Shiite beliefs of the people and promoting immorality Evangelistic Christianity in Iran seeks to weaken the foundation of the family and diminish the Islamic teachings and promote sexual promiscuity and fight against the necessities of Islam, including the Islamic hijab, as well as cleansing the evils of America and especially the occupying regime of Israel.

The judge went on to cite a famed October 2010 speech of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in which he warned that the spread of house churches was one of the ways in which Muslim faith, especially that of the younger generation, was intentionally being shaken by the enemies of Islam.

The judge also cited another ayatollah, Vahid Khorasani, who said evangelical Christianity and house churches were causing an uproar in Iran and that it was the duty of the government to stand against them, the report noted.

In the case of Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani and three other converts sentenced to 10 years in prison, two letters from recognized church leaders were used to portray house-church members as a Western-oriented, anti-religious and deviant scattered group who by abusing the general title of Christianity are forming deviant sects and congregations and working against the security of the country.

Article18 Director Mansour Borji commented that evangelical churches, which have been shut down especially since 2009, were all once officially registered and recognized churches.

They came increasingly under pressure when they refused to abandon the national language of Persian in their worship services, allowing the opportunity for people from all other faith groups to join their congregation, Borji stated in the report. There are still a handful of evangelical Protestant churches operating with the full knowledge of the Iranian authorities, albeit now open only to ethnic Armenian or Assyrians.

Criminalizing Christian Practice

Besides accounts of the flogging Christians for drinking Communion wine, the leaked documents show Tehran area judges and prosecutors used the term acquiring wealth through illegal means against at least two church leaders for receiving tithes and offerings that were given to the needy.

One indictment stated, The accused has led his son and daughter to the evangelical sect and has organized Communion for them. The accused has been very devoted to the evangelical sect in such a way that he used to pay her tithes regularly.

Accusations in other cases included publication of or spreading lies as in the case of Iranian-Assyrian pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz, accused of publishing lies through the publication of evangelical teachings. Separately, four converts were accused of spreading lies by promoting evangelical Christianity, while another Christian was accused of publishing lies with the intention of confusing the public mind, Article 18 stated.

Frequently authorities refer to the Bible as evidence of a crime, Article 18 stated, noting that Bibles in the church of Iranian-Assyrian Pastor Sergez Benyamin were referred to as unauthorized evangelical items.

They also refer to Bibles as deviant and divisive books. Smuggling of Bibles is listed among accusations in numerous cases and termed a propaganda activity against the regime, while officials describe Christian literature sold online as providing grounds for peoples corruption.

There are several examples of violation of Article 23 of Irans Constitution, which states that investigation of individuals beliefs is forbidden, and no one may be molested or taken to task simply for holding a certain belief.

The text of one warrant specifically orders investigating officers to probe the beliefs of a convert: In the investigation, it should be determined from the accused: a) What religion and orientation did the accused believe in? b) In what way has he converted to Christianity? c) What methods did he use to attract other people to Christianity? d) In which places has he organized house church and preaching and teaching activities of evangelical Christianity?

These violations occurred even as Iranian authorities repeatedly claim that no one is arrested or detained for their faith or belief, Article 18 noted.

A letter from a Christian charged in another case describes how officials forced him and his wife to confess crimes on camera and ask for forgiveness, as well as participate in Islamic classes and halt contact with Christians.

From the beginning of the date recorded in the case until today, and at any other time, we have not and will not have any dealings with any of those people, and during all this time we had every necessary cooperation with the judicial authorities and the intelligence agents by attending the classes of Islamic jurisprudence, their letter states. We also cooperated in confessing in front of the camera, as requested by brothers in the Ministry of Intelligence. I implore you, respected authorities, given the fact that we have two children, and sick parents, to agree to our request and grant us pardon and forgiveness.

Iran ranked ninth on Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian.
Red Lobster leaves

Red Lobster, the seafood restaurant on Route 9, has officially closed, and the building is now being cleared out.

On Thursday morning, Aug. 29, the sign above the entrance of the seafood chain was removed. Later in the day, movers with Frontrunner Moving Company began removing equipment and furniture from the establishment.

Last week, Red Lobster announced it was exercising its right to reject leases at unprofitable locations. In May of this year, 100 restaurants were closed. After the Aug. 22 court filing, another 23 were announced to be closed, two of which were from the upstate New York area.

Thursday there was a sign on the front door of the Queensbury location saying it was already closed.

One Red Lobster location still remains in the region, at 170 Wolf Rd. in Colonie.

Redevelopment on Sherman Avenue planned

A new four-floor, 32-unit residential building at 5 Sherman Ave. is set to appear in front of the planning board on Sept. 3 for a sketch plan review. The building will contain 32 apartments along with a drive-in partially below grade garage.

This is a sister building to 7 Sherman Ave, next door. The original building at 5 Sherman was destroyed in a fire in 2014. The color scheme will be tan vinyl horizontal and vertical siding with brick veneer on the exterior foundation walls. The building will be serviced by an elevator from the basement to the fourth floor. They will also be increasing the exterior parking in front of 7 and 9 Sherman Ave to provide a total of 55 parking spaces, of the required 75.

If all plans are approved, they hope to begin construction in May 2025, and expect that it will take four months to complete, according to the documents submitted to the planning board.

Warren County grant application portal opens

The Warren County Occupancy Tax Special Events Grant Funding Application Portal is now open. The grant funding comes from the countys 4% surcharge on guests overnight stays at local hotels, motels, and other short-term rentals. The grants are generally distributed to groups and individuals that hold events that draw people to the area for overnight visits. Applicants must first register to receive access to the portal and grant application. The county held a training, and a recording and training tutorial is available for review on the County Website at warrencountyny.gov/treasurer/bedtax. The county is asking that people note the changes to the system: there will be one application period, Sept. 3 through Oct. 11, 2024, and all applications must be received by the deadline for consideration. All projects that meet the requirements will be reviewed at the Oct. 22 Tourism and Occupancy Tax Coordination Committee meeting, where applicants are required to present a five-minute project overview. At the Nov. 19, committee meeting, supervisors will further consider the award values based on the scoring criteria and any additional discussion that takes place during the meeting. All awards will be voted on at the December Board of Supervisors Meeting and awardees will be notified of their award before the end of calendar year 2024. For additional information, email Warren County Tourism Coordinator Paul Tackett at tackettp@warrencountyny.gov.

Wine store on Glen Street goes to Planning

Paul T. Ortiz is planning to open a retail wine and liquor store at 280 Glen Street. He is seeking a site plan review from the Glens Falls Planning Board on Sept. 3. They are not planning to do any constructions or renovations, and plan to be a single use retail space. The will require a NYS liquor Authority license to operate.
WASHINGTON COUNTY- Washington County is looking at the impact closure of Great Meadow Correctional Facility will have on local jobs, schools, the economy and more.

Washington Countys Agriculture, Planning, Tourism and Community Development committee commissioned an economic impact study that looks at the potential impact of the upcoming closure of the state-run Great Meadow Correctional Facility. The report will be sent to Gov. Kathy Hochuls Office, as well as the countys other state representatives.

Members of the committee said that while the report looks at potential impact, it can be difficult to know what the exact impacts of the closure will be until two other factors are known.

The first unknown: Exactly how many of the approximately 649 Great Meadow employees will take transfer jobs outside of the county.

The second: How many of those people will ultimately stay in the county either in corrections, working at the Washington County Correctional Facility (the county jail) or taking other jobs inside the county?

There is absolutely no way to perfectly predict what the impact of something like this is going to be, said Laura Oswald, Washington County Economic Development Director at the committee meeting this week. Depending on who you talk to, and what data that they look at, youre going to see all kinds of different potential results.

The 649 jobs represent 4.4% of all of the 14,861 jobs in the county. That would be equivalent to eliminating 1,720 jobs in Warren County or 4,000 jobs in Saratoga County, according to the study.

If all of the jobs are lost to the county, it could have the potential for the county to have nearly $600,000 lost in tax revenue, according to the report.

The impact report also looks that the impact the local school districts could face because of the closure.

According to the report, if all of the employees at Great Meadow relocated outside the county approximately 116 students would leave school districts in Whitehall, Granville, Hartford and Fort Ann.

It could also mean that the districts in Whitehall and Granville could each lose 4% of their student populations, Hartford could lose 3% of its student population and Fort Ann could lose 9% of its students.

The report was made public earlier this week and has been shared dozens of times on social media pages opposing the closure of Great Meadow.

This week, these social media pages have also shared a new petition through change.org which was stated this week. The petition is calling for the Resignation of NYSDOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III and has been signed online just over 400 times as of Friday morning.

Previous petitions from members of those opposed to the closing have received more than 5,000 online signatures in the past month since they were created.

Earlier this summer it was announced that two state-run corrections facilities will be closing, Great Meadow in Washington County, and Sullivan Correctional in Sullivan County.
A recent mission conference in South Korea highlighted the issue of suicide prevention as a missiological concern amid a suicide rate more than twice the average among OECD countries. A missiologist professor argued that suicide should no longer be regarded solely as an individualized issue but something that affects society as a whole. And he believes that the Christian perspective of building Gods kingdom could help overcome the prevalent "culture of death".

On the afternoon of August 24, 2024, the Korean Society of Mission Studies, led by Professor Bo-kyung Park, held its 4th Annual Academic Conference at Suwon Seong Church in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, under the theme "Recent Research and Perspectives in Missiology."

During a session chaired by Professor Byung-bae Hwang from Hyupsung University, Missiology Professor Sung-gon Lee from the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary presented on the topic "A Missional Approach to Suicide: Focusing on Responses to Factors Influencing Suicide", with Professor Nam-hyuk Jang from Seoul Theological Seminary providing a response.

Three categories of suicide causes

Professor Lee began by stating that "suicide is one of the most serious social problems worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 800,000 people die by suicide every year, which means one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds."

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He highlighted that according to the 2023 Suicide Prevention White Paper (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2023), South Korea has the highest suicide rate among OECD countries. The recent average suicide rate among OECD countries is 11.1 per 100,000 people, while South Korea's age-standardized suicide rate is 24.1 (2020), more than 2.2 times higher than the OECD average.

"People choose suicide for various reasons," Professor Lee noted. "Suicide is often reduced to personal economic factors, mental health issues, or other specific circumstances. In our society, suicide has long been socially tabooed or dismissed as an inevitable personal choice. However, with about 1.5 people choosing to end their lives every hour, we can no longer view it solely as an individual issue."

He then classified the causes of suicide into three major categories: "The first is desensitized learning, where suicide is not seen as a serious problem and is chosen as a solution to issues. The second category involves a lack of belonging and communication, leading to extreme isolation and depression. The third is the belief that one is a burden to others, even though this may not be the case, but it is how the individual perceives it."

He pointed out that "this tendency is particularly prevalent among the elderly. If they believe they are a burden to someone during their later years, it becomes psychologically challenging for them. These various causes threaten the precious lives of individuals, leaving close family members and others deeply wounded and in pain."

The far-reaching impact of suicide

"Although suicide may appear to be a solution to personal problems, its impact is far more extensive," Professor Lee explained. "It deeply and persistently affects the emotions of guilt and anger in surviving family members, friends, and relatives. Consequently, suicide has a profound impact not only on close acquaintances but also on the broader community, functioning as a highly contagious social disease. Suicide results from a complex interplay of psychological distress, as well as economic, social, and cultural factors."

He pointed to significant socioeconomic costs, such as the economic burden from loss of productivity, and the mental health and healthcare costs of those affected by suicide attempts and their aftermath. "Therefore, addressing these broad social determinants is crucial for effective suicide prevention," he commented.

"Existing methods of suicide prevention and treatment have primarily focused on medical, psychological, and sociological approaches. In Christianity, research on suicide has predominantly centered on practical theology, Christian counseling, Christian ethics, and Christian education."

However, he then pointed out that "despite the missional significance of the issue of suicide, there has been little research on suicide within missiology. Christian faith emphasizes the sanctity and dignity of life, teaching that all life is a precious gift from God. A missional approach to the issue of suicide contributes not only to social prevention and treatment but also fulfills God's will to create a culture of life, driving out the culture of death, and expanding and restoring God's kingdom."

Suicide: not just an individual problem but deeply tied to social structures

Aiming to approach the serious social issue of suicide from a missional perspective, Professor Lee said he analyzed data from the Korean General Social Survey to identify factors influencing suicide and to reconsider the missional role of Christianity. "As the analysis results show, missional responses tailored to various factors are necessary," he said.

He stressed that the finding that Christian religiosity is not significantly related to attitudes toward suicide requires strong critical reflection.

"Life is a gift from the Creator God to humanity. The church, as a missional church, must urgently repent and prioritize the value and protection of life. By providing both spiritual care and practical mental and emotional support, the church can reduce the risk of suicide and offer stability and hope to the families of those who have lost loved ones to suicide," he said.

"Since suicide is not merely an individual problem but is deeply connected to social structures, we must address social issues from a missional perspective and pursue changes in the entire social structure," Professor Lee argued.

The church should collaborate with the community to develop and implement various programs for suicide prevention. Efforts should include not only those of churches and mission organizations but also partnerships with local institutions, schools, hospitals, and other entities to build a suicide prevention network and unite for a common goal, he believes.

"By doing so, we can build an effective system for suicide prevention and respond missionally to the issue of suicide on a broader scale. Even now, there are precious neighbors trapped in a culture of death without hope. There are neighbors wandering in darkness, consumed by guilt and anger after losing loved ones to suicide. Our mission is to establish God's kingdom together with them," he concluded.

Nurturing and raising awareness among church members

In his subsequent response, Professor Jang said, "This paper attempts a missional approach to the issue of suicide. The author clearly demonstrates that the issue of 'suicide' is a subject of missiological reflection and a task of missional practice. The paper particularly points out how the traditional concept of 'mission' can be an obstacle or hindrance in addressing the issue of suicide."

He acknowledged that "the paper effectively shows that a holistic approach allows us to approach the issue of suicide more practically. It particularly illustrates how the church can respond more actively to the issue of suicide when it restores its missional essence."

While the paper suggests the direction and specific forms that a missional approach to the issue of suicide should take, providing motivation for the Korean church to pursue change, Professor Jang cautioned: "However, for churches to adopt the implications of this approach and to engage in collective efforts to address the issue of suicide, it is just as important to work on nurturing and raising awareness among church members as it is to focus on the external approaches."

"Regarding suicide, I believe that more three-dimensional nurturing and training are necessary to help church members understand and address the issue as citizens of God's kingdom, rather than through traditional, doctrine-focused, one-way education.

"In some respects, aspects of spiritual warfare training should be included as part of such nurturing," Professor Jang suggested, adding that "If the paper could address these aspects of member training and nurturing more thoroughly, it would likely lead to more practical changes."

This article discusses suicide. If you struggle with suicidal ideation, there is help available.

Originally published by Christian Daily Korea. Translated and edited by Christian Daily International staff.
State Police arrest Brooklyn man for felony drug possession following Moreau traffic stop

MOREAU  A New York City man was arrested in Moreau Tuesday after a traffic stop found the driver to be in possession of felony-weight narcotics.

State Police with the assistance of the Warren County Sheriffs Office arrested Heriberto Ortiz, 48, of Brooklyn on two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance as well as vehicle and traffic law violations.

Troopers stopped a vehicle on the Interstate-87 in Moreau for a traffic law violation. Upon further investigation if was discovered that the driver, Ortiz, was in possession of felony-weight narcotics in the vehicle which were allegedly packaged in a manner for sale.

Ortiz was transported to the State Police barracks in Wilton for processing. He was arraigned in Moreau Town Court and remanded to the Saratoga County Correctional Facility without bail.

Queensbury woman arrested for grand larceny

QUEENSBURY  A Queensbury woman was arrested Aug. 23 for grand larceny after allegedly receiving more than $3,000 in extortion money.

State Police of Greenwich arrested Teesha M. Bapp, 35, on one count of third-degree grand larceny.

Troopers received a complaint from a Washington County resident on July 16 that they were being extorted. An investigation determined that Bapp had allegedly threatened that she would falsely report that the victim had sexually assaulted her unless they paid her a sum of money.

State Police reported that Bapps threats resulted in the theft of more than $3,000 from the victim during June and July 2024.

Bapp was arrested and processed at the State Police barracks Queensbury. She was then arraigned at the Washington County Centralized Arraignment Part Court and released on her own recognizance.
GLENS FALLSElection Day is just over two months from now, but preparations for the big day are well underway in Warren and Washington counties.

Its a little like Christmas. It doesnt just happen, theres a lot that goes into an election, said Warren County Board of Elections Democratic Commissioner Elizabeth McLaughlin.

The County Boards of elections are currently scheduling their election inspectors. Those inspectors have to go through a three-hour training course and take  and pass  a test to stay certified each year, said Warren County Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Bill VanNess.

VanNess said Warren County has been very lucky and has had a lot of recent requests from people to become polling inspectors.

Next week, alternate inspectors will also be receiving training, McLaughlin said.

Were also in the process of building the ballot. McLaughlin said. The state certifies that next week. Our machines are tested, our new pollbooks are tested, weve got a lot of moving parts in an election.

The Warren County Board of Elections has a secured room full of machines which will all be tested to ensure they are working ahead of election day. The machines will eventually be loaded onto moving trucks to be transported to their assigned voting locations.

Machines are picked up the Wednesday after the election on Tuesday.The boards will also schedule safety meetings to discuss security and safety with their local sheriffs offices and police departments as Election Day gets closer.

All of that planning is in effect now, VanNess said.

According to Washington County Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Thomas Rogers, there have been about 1,000 people requesting absentee ballots this year.

Were well in advance of what weve had in past years for absentee ballots, Rogers said. The absentee ballots, the military has to go out in September, and well be getting our ballot certification from the State the week of the thirteenth. Then well be working on all the requests weve received, so were quite busy with mail at the moment.

Boards of Elections are also continuing to register voters, and help voters update their information if they have moved or have had a name change.

According to the New York State Board of Elections, Warren County has 47,172 active registered voters. Washington County has 38,655.

Registration Days:

Warren County will be holding Local Registration Days on Saturday Sep. 28 from 2 to 9 p.m., and on Thursday, Oct. 10 from 5:309 p.m. at the Warren County Board of Elections, 1340 State Route 9 in Lake George. The entrance is to the left of the main entrance to the Human Services Building.

Washington County will be hosting Local Registration Days on Saturday Sept. 28 from 2-9 p.m. and Thursday October 10, from 5:30-p.m. in the gym at the BOE office, 1153 Burgoyne Avenue in Fort Edward.
Hayes Elementary School celebrated its 100th anniversary Friday with family, food and fun.

The celebration came as part of Hayes' annual back-to-school cookout, inviting families to come enjoy hot dogs, cupcakes and other treats with their students.

"Having parents participate in this with us is just super fun, because we can engage parents, (kids) and build a connection with the school," principal James Goddard said. "Hopefully, that connection helps us to achieve our mission of growing excellence in the community."

Donnielle Bushong, a parent of two students at Hayes, said it's "awesome" to have family outreach events like Friday.

"All the staff here is really great, they're all family-oriented," she said. "They're always inviting families to come in, so I do appreciate this type of stuff (and) all the events they have."

Bushong's son, second-grader Terrace Andrews, said it was "good" to eat lunch with his parents  but unlike his younger sister, A'laighsia, he didn't get a cupcake.

"It was fun eating lunch with my (mom) and playing," said Kristina Rogers, another second-grader.

Her mom, Sabra Rogers, brought her a Salisbury steak from Home Plate Diner. Kristina paired it with a chocolate cookie with sprinkles, courtesy of the school.

Before eating, she got pictures with the Hayes Bulldog mascot and even President Rutherford B. Hayes himself  as played by local actor Ted Brown.

"This kind of happened through word-of-mouth  and I didn't have anything better to do," he said. "It's fun, and it'll just be for a couple of hours."

Aside from stopping for several photos and giving many high-fives, Brown shared historical facts about President Hayes to students on Friday.

As the school reflects on its 100-year history, Goddard said Hayes has "a lot working in (its) favor." The district implemented a new elementary math curriculum, HMH Into Math, last school year, and this year marks the first for Davenport schools' new reading and social-emotional learning curriculums, Amplify CKLA and Character Strong.

"Honestly, the culture we're building with our staff here is absolutely amazing, and we're seeing some really significant growth for the kids," Goddard said. "We're doing really great things, and it's a team effort. Parents are involved, so we're just really happy  and we're really excited for what we can accomplish this year."

Like other parents, Rogers appreciates the school's focus on family engagement.

"I just like that principal Goddard is very big on making sure there are (events) for us to come and connect with our children at school," she said. "I haven't always seen that in schools, but they make sure to really make that happen."

Alicia Townley, also a parent of two at Hayes, echoed this. She and her son, first-grader Keegan Shrum, were eating strawberries with chocolate sauce.

"My favorite part was seeing the bulldog," he said, though "going on the swing" is his favorite thing to do at Hayes.

Hayes Elementary history Early maps of Davenport show the plot of land at 622 South Concord Street  where Hayes Elementary School currently sits  under Davenport Independent School District ownership. According to the Davenport School Museum, the property was used as an athletic field until the district developed Brady Street Stadium. A successful 1923 bond referendum created funds to build the school, which was later expanded into a two-section K-6 school between 1939 and 1940. Roughly 10 years later, Hayes saw improvements to its large gym and other facilities. Other renovations took place between 1999 and 2001, including the addition of its preschool.

Close Hayes Elementary School (Davenport) first-graders hug the bulldog mascot  whose name is pending student approval  at the school's 100-year anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30. Keegan Shrum, a first-grader at Hayes Elementary School in Davenport, and his mother, Alicia Townley, enjoy lunch together at Hayes' 100-year Anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. A'laighsia Andrews, a first-grader at Hayes Elementary School in Davenport, enjoys a blue cupcake at Hayes' 100-year Anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30. Local actor Ted Brown  as Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States  speaks with Davenport first-graders during Hayes Elementary School's 100-Year Anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30. Hayes Elementary School students and family members enjoy hot dogs at the school's 100-year anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. Deborah, Schram and Kade Sumpter, of Davenport, prepare for the photo booth at Hayes Elementary School's 100-Year Anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. Ma'Khai Davis, a first-grader at Hayes Elementary School in Davenport, poses with the Bulldog mascot (name pending student approval) at Hayes' 100-year Anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. Photos: Hayes Elementary School's 100-Year Anniversary Hayes Elementary School in Davenport held its 100-Year Anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30 with food, family and fun  even featuring "President Hayes" himself. Hayes Elementary School (Davenport) first-graders hug the bulldog mascot  whose name is pending student approval  at the school's 100-year anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30. Keegan Shrum, a first-grader at Hayes Elementary School in Davenport, and his mother, Alicia Townley, enjoy lunch together at Hayes' 100-year Anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. A'laighsia Andrews, a first-grader at Hayes Elementary School in Davenport, enjoys a blue cupcake at Hayes' 100-year Anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30. Local actor Ted Brown  as Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States  speaks with Davenport first-graders during Hayes Elementary School's 100-Year Anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30. Hayes Elementary School students and family members enjoy hot dogs at the school's 100-year anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. Deborah, Schram and Kade Sumpter, of Davenport, prepare for the photo booth at Hayes Elementary School's 100-Year Anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. Ma'Khai Davis, a first-grader at Hayes Elementary School in Davenport, poses with the Bulldog mascot (name pending student approval) at Hayes' 100-year Anniversary celebration on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
A jury trial for a lawsuit by a former Muscatine city administrator that had been scheduled for July has been rescheduled to Sept. 22, 2025.

On Feb. 17, 2021, Gregg Mandsager filed suit against the city of Muscatine, former mayor Diana Broderson, former city council members Kelcey Brackett, Osmond Malcolm, and Santos Saucedo, and council member Nadine Brockert, alleging wrongdoing when the council voted to end his contract on Dec. 5, 2019. Since the beginning of the case, former city attorney Matthew Brick has been added as a third-party defendant.

According to court documents, the court had offered an earlier trial date that was declined. A settlement hearing is scheduled for Aug. 7, 2025. During the hearing, the attorneys in the case have been ordered to be prepared to disclose settlement offers.

Records also show the defendants renewed motion for a summary judgement was granted in part and denied in part. Judge Tamra Roberts ruled that a summary judgement would be made against the allegation that Broderson had conspired with the other defendants to terminate the plaintiff was granted. Summary judgement for allegations of disability discrimination and interference were denied.

Mandsagers suit alleges Broderson conspired with the other defendants to remove him. Brackett requested on Oct. 17, 2019, for the council to discuss Mandsagers contract. On Dec. 5, 2019, Brackett cited a lack of confidence in Mandsagers ability to act as city administrator. The council voted to end his contract. Mandsager was on medical leave at the time, at the Mayo Clinic, being treated for a condition that constitutes a disability.

On June 26, 2023, Brick provided an affidavit to the Grievance Commission of the Iowa Supreme Court, admitting several violations, including working with Mandsager to bring a breach of contract claim against the city. His law license was suspended for 30 days. Among the allegations were that Brick had breached his fiduciary duties to the city in a variety of ways including providing legal advice and counsel to Mandsager in developing claims against the city and its representatives while acting as city attorney.

According to the third-party plaintiffs, Brick had assisted in causing a lawsuit through a friendship with Mandsager while advising the city council on strategy and legal grounds regarding Mandsagers termination. Mandsager had filed suit against the city alleging wrongful termination, disability discrimination and vindictive conduct, and requested relief from suffered damages. No amount has been stated in court records, but the documents say the amount exceeds $10,000.

Less than an hour after the end of the meeting, Brick wrote in his response to the disciplinary board, Mandsager texted him and stated he was thinking about filing for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The affidavit says Brick had consulted with Mandsager after the meeting about what claims he could bring against the city and its representatives.

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For the first time ever, the World Wilderness Congress was hosted in Rapid City, bringing Indigenous people from about 40 countries to He Sapa, the Black Hills. This is also the first time the global event has been led by First Nation.

Two years ago, Philimon Phil Two Eagle, executive director of the Sicangu Lakota Treaty Council, spoke on behalf of the Oceti Sakowin and asked the Wilderness Congress to come to the Black Hills.

Amy Lewis, chief executive officer of the Wild Foundation, was chatting with Two Eagle when he presented her with the opportunity to tour sacred sites in the area. The two discussed the Treaty Council and things threatening the hills.

I wanted to show her the beautiful lands of the Lakota, the seven council fires, Two Eagle said. So I said, Can you help me bring the world to the Black Hills so they can see firsthand what were going through?

Two Eagles invitations presented WILD organizers with a unique opportunity -- the chance to center the congress around Indigenous perspectives and voices.

This invitation was really unexpected, Lewis said. But his request was so compelling to me that I one hundred percent said lets see what we can do, and here we are.

The World Wilderness Congress was formed in 1976 to help conservationists and environmental protectionists from around the world gather and develop new strategies and actions for Earth.

The Congress began in South Africa as a partnership between game ranger Ian Player and his Zulu mentor, Magqubu Ntombela. Since then, the Congress has continued to bring advocates from around the world together to address the environmental crisis.

We invited other Indigenous people here. We wanted them to tell their story, where theyre located because were all going through the same things, Two Eagle said. Were all going through the effects of colonization.

The Congress takes place every four years. The 2024 conference was held the last week of August. It aimed to create an official declaration to center Indigenous voices in conservation efforts and stewardship. This was done through several resolutions and an exchange of knowledge. Resolutions created included one to reintroduce more bison to their natural homelands, and a declaration to increase LandBack, or land returns, to Indigenous peoples.

Everyone knows about the temperature rise, but whats less known is that theres an equally science-backed target for biodiversity. We have to protect at least half of the planet and keep its nature intact, or we cross into a threshold that reduces the ecological functionality and the life-saving services we get from that, Lewis said. The only way were going to get to that target is by capacitating and expanding the ability for Indigenous people to steward their traditional territories.

With this in mind, the twelfth Congress aimed to place Indigenous people at the center of the conversation on biodiversity and environmentalism.

In the months leading up to the Congress, Indigenous leaders and elders gathered to work on resolutions that would be discussed at the Congress and later presented to the United Nations and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

The bison resolution, Through the Eyes of Buffalo: A Strategic Platform to Restore All Natural World Relationships, aims to achieve the goal of at least one million wild bison on 100 million acres by 2050 and to further expand their numbers and range during the last half of the 21st Century.

The buffalo belong to the Great Plains, Two Eagle said. Theyre the natural caretakers of the land.

The resolution was proposed by Tatewin Means, the executive director of Thunder Valley, Two Eagle, and Cristina Mormorunni, co-chair of the Bison Working Group.

The Congress was equally as impactful for participants. Participation was open to everyone regardless of status as a delegate.

This is the most interesting conference Ive ever attended, said Arthur Zimiga, an Oglala Lakota elder. Ive been to so many conferences, law conferences, bureaucratic conferences, but what we need are conferences (like this) with action.

Zimiga, 84, is a former professor with more than 30 years of experience in education. He has taught at the University of South Dakota, Oglala Lakota College, Harvard University, and the University of California.

Zimiga said he appreciated that Congress produced direct results, like resolutions, something he hasnt often seen at different conferences and conventions.

It really uplifts me to see all these people, to see people show me what theyre doing, Zimiga said.

Throughout the week, dozens of different sessions brought Indigenous leaders to the podium to present on their research and on the different ways their communities had made change. Participants were also brought on a tour of different sacred sites in the Black Hills.

One bus load of about 50 people was brought to Bear Butte State Park while another 100 people went to Wind Cave National Monument.

For the tours, the WILD Foundation partnered with the South Dakota Native American Tourism Alliance and George Washington University for Native American tour guides to train and present to Congressgoers.

The purpose was to show visitors the importance of our Black Hills, Two Eagle said. People should see that and realize that, Hey, the Lakota are telling the truth that they are connected to the Black Hills. Their stories are connected to the land and sky.

The twelfth Congress will conclude on August 31 after a full week spent convening in the Black Hills.

Im super pleased and really proud of this event and what its doing, Lewis said. I think the WILDs role here was really to open a space, create a space, and hold it open so that the Lakota Treaty Council could fill it. Im so proud of how they built this space and the dialogue were having.

The next World Wilderness Congress will be held in 2028.
Negotiations continue between state and motorcyclists ahead of new laws

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  Any Amparos being granted against the states new Vest Law will be dismissed reported Cristina Torres. She says both the state and motorcycle unions are still in talks.

The State Secretary said application of the so-called Vest Law will depend on the agreements reached with representatives of the state and motorcyclists. State Secretary Cristina Torres Gomez says the next meeting is September 6.

Torres says they continue to work on an agreement for the new regulations since the current regulations will expire September 24. Until then, both sides will continue to negotiate regarding Article 218 bis of the Mobility Law which establishes the mandatory use of reflective vests and helmets labeled with the license plate number.

The law cannot be applied until the regulations are issued and the regulations are what we are working on at the negotiating table. This has been made very clear to the motorcyclists.

We are making progress in the negotiations. I do not want to say whether we will have it by the scheduled date. We are doing quite well in building the agreements and I believe that we will be able to reach an agreement that implies correct application, she said.

She says while the government is within their rights to appeal the injunctions they have filed against the reform to the Mobility Law and which have been resolved in favor of the motorcyclists, these will be dismissed since they are still working on the final regulations.

Torrres says operations have been put into place to verify that motorcycles travel state roads with documents, the mandatory use of helmets and the permitted capacity of the motorcycles.

Helmets and a visible license plate are part of the new mandatory requirements in Quintana Roo.

As a result of the talks, review operations for the awareness and correct use of the motorcycle are being made. She explained that driving or riding a motorcycle with flip-flops, for example, is not suitable.

The correct use of the helmet and the visibility of the license plate were agreed upon and that soon, regularization programs will be announced so that all those people who have overdue license plate payments can be up to date.

Torres says part of their discussions is ensuring minors do not ride on the back of motorcycles, who are most at risk in the event of an accident. Ideally there should be two people, and when transporting a minor, they should be protected by the adults body and not be in the back.

For now, the reform to Article 218 Bis of the Mobility Law, which is the mandatory use of a vest and a sticker on the helmet with the motorcycles license plate, will not be applied until negotiations are finished and the regulations set.
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As Adrien Brodys post-WWII epic prepares to make its world premiere, the Lido audience is in for quite an onscreen journey.

The Academy Award winner defended the 215-minute runtime of his upcoming movie The Brutalist, premiering Sunday at the Venice Film Festival, as he also prepares to make his London stage debut in The Fear of 13.

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The funny thing, which just occurred to me yesterday, is Im here in London preparing to do a play with no intermission, he told Vanity Fair. And I have a movie that needs an intermission. [Laughs] Its very strange, but I think it gives time to reflect too.

Its hard to tell a lifetime in a film. Thats why we have so much episodic content. I think audiences will like the event aspect of this. Its very exciting to go see a movie and take a little break in between, and talk a little bit about something, and then its a new chapter. You come back in. Like, The Godfatherthese are movies that had a breadth. Its a remarkable thing to experience if youre connected to it, explained Brody.

The Brutalist stars Brody as Laszlo Toth, a Hungarian-born Jewish architect who emigrates to the United States with his wife Erzsebet (Felicity Jones) after surviving the Holocaust. Working through poverty and indignity toward the American dream, Laszlo lands a life-changing contract with a mysterious wealthy client, Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce).

Brody praised director Brady Corbet, who co-wrote the script with partner Mona Fastvold, emphasizing that he has immense trust in him and his vision as a filmmaker.

Also starring Joe Alwyn, Alessandro Nivola, Jonathan Hyde, Isaach De Bankole, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird and Peter Polycarpou, filming kicked off last spring in Hungary.

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WEST POINT  Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced Thursday hes putting the heat on fake meat, prohibiting procurement of cell-cultured food products by state agencies and proposing new labeling rules to ensure shoppers dont get duped.

Pillen said he would pursue further restrictions in the next session of the Legislature to protect Nebraska ag producers.

If there are Nebraskans who want to buy lab-grown meat, good for them, he said. Theyre just not going to do it in Nebraska.

He made the announcement at Oak Barn Beef, a West Point, Nebraska, company owned by Eric and Hannah Klitz. The business ships Nebraska beef to customers in all 50 states.

The governor said its important to defend agriculture in light of extraordinary, crazy views out there that theres going to be different ways to feed the planet.

We are going to get very aggressive, Pillen said, and make sure that Nebraskans are not going to get confused by how meat is labeled. People are not going to come into Nebraska and sell product that has meat on it thats not meat.

He said he signed an executive order restricting procurement by state agencies.

In addition, the order requires that all parties awarding contracts through state procurement to attest that they wont discriminate against natural meat products in favor of laboratory or cultivated meat.

Sherry Vinton, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, said a hearing would be held Oct. 8 on proposed new labeling rules.

The rules would require packaging to clearly and distinctly distinguish manufactured protein products from natural, real meat raised by the states livestock producers, Vinton said.

Without these regulations, people can be misled, they can be deceived into buying a product that they didnt intend on buying, she said.

The department is drawing on its authority under the Pure Food Act to create the labeling requirements, she said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last year authorized two companies, UPSIDE Foods and Good Meat, as the countrys first to sell chicken made with animal cells.

According to USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service, the production process generally involves scientists obtaining cells from livestock, poultry or seafood, putting them in a large, sealed vessel and growing them in a controlled environment.

Scientists feed nutrients to the cells, which multiply many times over into billions or trillions of cells.

Removing the cells typically doesnt kill the animal, the department says.

State bans have prompted lawsuits

At least 17 states, including Iowa, have passed legislation creating a variety of requirements for cell-cultured and meat alternative food products, according to the National Agricultural Law Center at the University of Arkansas.

A number of those laws have been challenged in lawsuits, the center said.

In their 2024 legislative sessions, lawmakers in Alabama, Arizona, Florida and Tennessee considered legislation banning the manufacture, sale or distribution of cell-cultured meat, the center said. Florida and Alabama both passed the legislation, and their governors signed it into law.

On May 1, Florida became the first state in the U.S. to ban cell-cultured meat.

Upside Foods of Berkeley, California, this month sued Florida over its law.

The company claims to have produced the worlds first cultivated chicken and duck meat as well as the worlds first cultivated beef meatball in 2016.

The company, in federal court documents, claims it can reproduce the taste and texture of conventional chicken without the need for butchering the birds.

The product, it says, is an ethical alternative thats already been served at restaurants and tasting events throughout the country.

Simply put, it told the court, consumers and restaurateurs like UPSIDEs product because it tastes like chicken, which isnt surprising, since its made from chicken.

The company claims the law is unconstitutional because certain federal laws already regulate the poultry industry. UPSIDE claims its process is more environmentally friendly than raising live animals, limiting the costs of producing and transporting animal feed and curbing the greenhouse gases and waste produced by livestock.

The company Good Meat says on its website that GOOD Meat is real meat, made without tearing down a forest or taking a life.

Nebraska beef producer Jeanne Reigle, who joined Pillen for the announcement, pushed back on claims of the benefits of cultured meat.

Reigle said the energy demands to create cultured meat probably far outweigh the greenhouse gases from conventional ranching.

She also challenged claims the lab-grown meats are free of pathogens.

Theres several failure points along the lab process for bacteria to be introduced and infect the raw product and cause food poisoning, she said.

People who criticize conventional agriculture as cruel have not been out to our ag producers and see the safe humane conditions, and in the slaughtering process, she said.

The Iowa law effective July 1 prohibits the sale of manufactured protein food products if mislabeled as a meat product.

There must be a qualifying term to make clear the product is an alternative.

The Iowa law gives examples of such terms including cell-cultivated, fake, grown in a lab, meat-free or imitation.

One of these terms would have to be displayed conspicuously and prominently.

Under the law, Iowa Board of Regents, school boards and community college boards must adopt policies to prevent the purchase of cultivated protein food products and products misbranded as meat.
Welcome to this weeks edition of the Surge, coming to you live from a Trump campaign music-video shoot in Arlington National Cemetery. Were just waiting on Raygun to get through security, and then its action time.





The last week of August felt like a hangover recovery following the Democratic National Convention, a respite between Big News Summer and the closing stretch of the presidential campaign. Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz gave their first interview and  well, it happened! Donald Trump picked up the slack, giving us two solid entries worth of material. Senate Democrats saw a spooky poll out of Maryland, just in time for premature pumpkin spice latte season. And if youre making the Surge two years after leaving the Senate for academia, something may have gone wrong.





Lets begin, though, with the formers presidents shove-y visit to a military cemetery.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240830/france-unbowed-party-says-will-block-any-govt-not-led-by-left-wing-coalition-candidate-1119964286.html

France Unbowed Party Says Will Block Any Gov't Not Led by Left-Wing Coalition Candidate

France Unbowed Party Says Will Block Any Gov't Not Led by Left-Wing Coalition Candidate

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The leftist France Unbowed party led by Jean-Luc Melenchon said it will vote no confidence in any government not headed by New Popular Front prime minister candidate Lucie Castets.

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Last week, Macron held talks with parliamentary factions and parties' leaders to address the issue of formation of a new government, a process complicated by the July elections where no party secured an absolute majority. Macron excluded the New Popular Front, which secured 182 out of 577 seats in the French parliament, from forming the government, citing institutional stability. The same applies to Bernard Cazeneuve, who was prime minister under former French President Francois Hollande and is believed to be a successor of incumbent Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, the lawmaker added. Panot stressed that her party would never agree to form a coalition with the parties supporting Macron as they have clashing political programs. The leader of the right-wing National Unity Party, Jordan Bardella, has reiterated that their party would consider a vote of no confidence if the new government included members of the left-wing coalition. The head of the opposition faction in parliament, Marine Le Pen, requested an extraordinary session of the lower chamber in order to allow for a vote of no confidence to be held immediately, rather than on October 1, when the parliament resumes work. Castets, a top financial officer in the Paris mayor's office, said that "the president cannot create the government he wants." The leaders of some left-wing parties in the coalition have announced their refusal to participate in the planned second round of consultations, stating that they do not want to be "part of a parody of democracy."

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240830/to-serve-tech-bros-1119967268.html

To Serve Tech Bros

To Serve Tech Bros

Sputnik International

On Monday, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was detained by French authorities. He was eventually officially arrested and charged with a variety of crimes for not... 30.08.2024, Sputnik International

2024-08-30T23:37+0000

2024-08-30T23:37+0000

2024-08-31T02:08+0000

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In the days following his arrest, media reports surfaced that French President Emmanuel Macron had lured Durov to France by inviting him to dinner. The two had dined in the past, sharing lunch in 2018 as Macron attempted to convince Durov to move Telegrams headquarters to Paris.Macron denied that he had lured Durov to France with the promise of dinner or that he even knew Durov was headed to France at the time. However, the rumors persist. A year before the lunch he shared with Durov, Macrons government reportedly worked with the United Arab Emirates to hack Durovs phone. US media said that France was pursuing a long-term effort to compromise Telegram.Wherever Macron was eating dinner that night, it is clear that for the French government, tech entrepreneur was on the menu. So far, there have been no reports claiming that Durov was heard screaming Its a cookbook! as he was arrested by authorities, but it cannot be ruled out.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240830/dangerous-platform-really-world-leaders-even-macron-still-use-telegram-despite-durov-arrest--1119957403.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/bavarian-governor-calls-for-drastic-change-in-german-migration-policy-1119973007.html

Bavarian Governor Calls for Drastic Change in German Migration Policy

Bavarian Governor Calls for Drastic Change in German Migration Policy

Sputnik International

Markus Soeder, the minister-president of the German state of Bavaria, called on the federal government to overhaul the national migration policy after a deadly stabbing at a festival in Solingen.

2024-08-31T17:15+0000

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"We need a working package law that would effectively curb illegal migration and lift the burden on the federal states and local authorities. Things cannot go on like this," he told German newspaper Berliner Zeitung.The package law proposed by Soeder includes entry refusals on the border, a fundamental reform of the asylum law, repatriation agreements with the countries of origin and an extension of the list of safe origin countries.The leader of the Christian Social Union said his conservative party, together with the Christian Democratic sister party, had long been calling for change but the left-green government had refused to act.On August 23, a knife attack at a festival in Solingen left three people dead and eight others injured. The Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) claimed responsibility for the attack. The suspect was identified as a 26-year-old Syrian who came to Germany in 2022 and was to be deported but vanished.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240411/european-parliament-backs-bill-against-illegal-migration-1117860188.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231106/german-govt-to-allocate-over-19bln-this-year-to-solve-migration-issues---scholz-1114749954.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/borrell-vows-to-be-remembered-as-chief-russophobe-in-context-of-ukraine-conflict---lavrov-1119974307.html

Borrell Vows to Be Remembered as Chief Russophobe in Context of Ukraine Conflict - Lavrov

Borrell Vows to Be Remembered as Chief Russophobe in Context of Ukraine Conflict - Lavrov

Sputnik International

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wants to be remembered as Europe's main Russophobe.

2024-08-31T22:42+0000

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"In his last speech, Josep Borrell said that there is no alternative to negotiations other than the 'Zelensky formula.' I thought that they at least have an education, that they have an understanding of how to conduct a reality-based policy. This is a dead end. It is clear that Borrell now wants to go down in history as the main Russophobe in Europe. He is leaving his posts. This is amateurism or already madness that has replaced the minds of diplomats and politicians," Lavrov said in an interview with RT for the documentary "Bridges to the East." In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward initiatives for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine: Moscow will immediately cease fire and declare its readiness for negotiations after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territory of Russia's new regions. In addition, Kiev should declare its renunciation of intentions to join NATO and carry out demilitarization and denazification, as well as accept a neutral, non-aligned and non-nuclear status. The Russian leader also mentioned the lifting of sanctions against Russia. In August, after the Ukrainian Armed Forces' terrorist attack on the Kursk region, Putin called negotiations impossible with those who "indiscriminately strike at civilians, at civilian infrastructure, or try to create threats to nuclear power facilities." Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov later stated that Moscow's peace proposals for a Ukrainian settlement, previously voiced by the Russian head of state, had not been cancelled, but at this stage, Russia would not talk to Ukraine.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240829/kremlin-calls-eu-sending-15bln-to-ukraine-theft-says-this-will-have-legal-consequences-1119948596.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/french-party-leader-warns-telegram-ceos-life-may-be-in-danger-1119973143.html

French Party Leader Warns Telegram CEO's Life May Be in Danger

French Party Leader Warns Telegram CEO's Life May Be in Danger

Sputnik International

The life of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, who was released on bail this week as he faces a potential trial in France, might be in danger, Florian Philippot, the leader of The Patriots party, said.

2024-08-31T17:19+0000

2024-08-31T17:19+0000

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The politician referred to reports by French media, which claimed that the billionaire tech entrepreneur had been approached by French intelligence agents while in Dubai and that he had refused to share classified information. The Russian-born was detained at a Paris airport on August 24 on charges related to criminal uses of his messaging app, including terrorism, child pornography, drug trafficking, money laundering and fraud. He was released on Wednesday on a 5-million-euro ($5.5 million) bail and is barred from leaving France. French media reported that Durov had agreed to cooperate with the French investigators and provided access to his phone. Macron is also said to have discussed the detention of Durov, who holds a UAE passport in addition to French citizenship, with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan a day after he was nabbed at the airport.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240830/mario-nawfal-elon-musk-now-has-target-on-his-back-after-telegram-ceo-durovs-arrest-1119961728.html

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florian philippot, telegram ceo pavel durov, is durov in danger, durov trial in france
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/germanys-afd-co-leader-says-more-money-weapons-will-not-help-end-conflict-in-ukraine-1119972127.html

Germany's AfD Co-Leader Says More Money, Weapons Will Not Help End Conflict in Ukraine

Germany's AfD Co-Leader Says More Money, Weapons Will Not Help End Conflict in Ukraine

Sputnik International

Increasing arms supplies and financial assistance to Kiev will not help resolve the Ukrainian conflict, only negotiations will, the co-leader of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Tino Chrupalla, said in an interview published on Saturday.

2024-08-31T13:25+0000

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"There is always readiness for negotiations. We also realize that even with more weapons and increased financial assistance this war will not end. And the population is naturally scared of the spillover to Poland and also to Germany," Chrupalla told German newspaper. He suggested that Germany contribute to peace efforts by "talking to both sides and putting pressure" on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Western countries have ramped up their military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin warns against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict. Russian officials have also warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russian strikes.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240829/zakharova-calls-ukraine-attacking-kursk-region-way-of-responding-to-putins-peace-initiative-1119948483.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/lavrov-warns-russia-ukraine-talks-will-get-harder-with-time-1119972365.html

Lavrov Weighs In on Russia-Ukraine Talks and Middle East Developments

Lavrov Weighs In on Russia-Ukraine Talks and Middle East Developments

Sputnik International

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned those who are trying to hinder peace talks between Russia and Ukraine that negotiations would become tougher as time passed.

2024-08-31T14:23+0000

2024-08-31T14:23+0000

2024-08-31T19:07+0000

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"Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned potential negotiations a year and a half ago. He said we had nothing against them... Opponents must understand that the longer they take, the harder it will be to agree on anything. It was easy to agree in Istanbul, less than a month after the start of our special military operation. But Ukraine did not want it," Lavrov said in an interview to the RT broadcaster for the documentary Bridges to the East.The top Russian diplomat stressed that Ukraine joining NATO was non-negotiable.Russia, Iran, Turkiye and Syria Might Meet for Ankara-Damascus TalksA meeting in the Russia-Iran-Turkiye-Syria format to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus will take place in the foreseeable future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.He recalled that the parties managed to hold a meeting in 2023 with the participation of their respective defense and foreign ministries, as well as intelligence services, in an attempt to discuss conditions that could lead to the normalization of relations between Syria and Turkiye.The Russian foreign minister added that the previous Russia-Iran-Turkiye-Syria meeting was useful, but the sides could not agree on the next steps.Lavrov also expressed hope for dialogue between Damascus and the Syrian Kurds.Russia and Israel in ontact on the Situation Around GazaThe Defense Ministries, Foreign Ministries and Security Councils of Russia and Israel are in contact with each other in light of the situation around the Gaza Strip, Lavrov said.According to him, attempts to destroy the Palestinian movement Hamas in Gaza are absolutely futile. It is necessary to negotiate, since Hamas, as Lavrov noted, is part of the Palestinian people. Russia Helps Overcome Fragmentation in IraqHe also said that Moscow is helping Iraqis to overcome the fragmentation in the country.The minister added that Russian diplomats visit these regions and hold events that help strengthen political stability in Iraq.Iran Absolutely Doesn't Want to Get Involved in Large-Scale HostilitiesRussian Foreign Minister further stated that Iran categorically does not want to be drawn into any large-scale hostilities and give in to provocations

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240810/ukraine-losing-battle-to-recruit-new-cannon-fodder-for-nato-proxy-war-1119705232.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240811/syria-to-us-occupation-forces-get-out-1119722468.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/nato-chief-refuses-to-admit-wests-role-in-ukrainian-attack-on-kursk-1119971873.html

NATO Chief Refuses to Admit West's Role in Ukrainian Attack on Kursk

NATO Chief Refuses to Admit West's Role in Ukrainian Attack on Kursk

Sputnik International

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg refused on Saturday to admit that Ukraine had coordinated its attack on the western Russian region of Kursk with the allies, despite Russia's claims to the contrary.

2024-08-31T12:24+0000

2024-08-31T12:24+0000

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Stoltenberg argued that the choice of methods to defend itself lied with Ukraine and that its right to self-defense did not end at the internationally recognized Russian border. Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev said Ukraine would not have risked an incursion into Russia without a go-ahead from NATO and Western intelligence agencies. NATO countries have funneled weapons and military instructors to Ukraine and are providing intelligence and controlling Ukrainian actions, he added. Early on August 6, Ukrainian forces crossed the border into Russia and launched an offensive in the Kursk Region. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the move a large-scale provocation that aimed at civilians and vowed a proper response. The Russian Defense Ministry said on August 31 that Ukrainian troops had lost over 8,200 servicemen and 76 tanks in the offensive.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240830/ukraine-loses-over-7800-troops-during-operation-in-kursk-direction-1119959103.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/protest-action-takes-place-in-paris-to-demand-macrons-resignation-1119973964.html

Protest Action Takes Place in Paris to Demand Macron's Resignation

Protest Action Takes Place in Paris to Demand Macron's Resignation

Sputnik International

Several hundred people gathered in Paris on Saturday to demand French President Emmanuel Macron's resignation as he struggles to form a government in the wake of July's snap elections that he called.

2024-08-31T19:33+0000

2024-08-31T19:33+0000

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Last week, Macron held talks with parliamentary factions and parties' leaders to address the issue of formation of a new government, a process complicated by the July elections where no party secured an absolute majority. Macron excluded the New Popular Front coalition, which won 182 out of 577 seats in the French parliament, from forming the government, citing institutional stability. People have gathered on the Denfert-Rochereau square in the French capital, chanting slogans: "Macron to resign!", "Macron, get out!", "Macron, you're done: the French have taken to the streets!" Participants in the demonstration told RIA Novosti that the initiative of 58 lawmakers was enough to start an impeachment process against the French president under Article 68 of the French constitution, which provides for the possibility of removing the president from office if he violates his duties. A number of participants in the protest have also spoken out in support of free speech in France following the recent arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France. At the end of the rally, Patriots leader Florian Philippot traditionally tore the EU flag, calling on France to quit the European Union and NATO. "We want peace, not war, we want a just, prosperous and free France. Macron, who is playing war with Russia, making threats bigger and smaller, Macron, who suppressed the yellow vest movement, who impoverished French citizens, who made us dependent on the EU and NATO, has to resign!" Philippot said. Earlier in the day, the left-wing France Unbowed party moved to initiate Macrons impeachment after he rejected the candidacy of the New Popular Front's Lucie Castets for prime minister.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/france-unbowed-moves-to-impeach-macron---lawmaker-1119972531.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/scott-ritter-ukrainian-conflict-wscalation-can-lead-to-global-ending-nuclear-war-1119971548.html

Scott Ritter: Ukrainian Conflict Escalation Can Lead to Global-Ending Nuclear War

Scott Ritter: Ukrainian Conflict Escalation Can Lead to Global-Ending Nuclear War

Sputnik International

Ukraine attacking Russia using long-range weapons provided by the US might be interpreted by Russia as a direct attack by the US, by NATO, former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter tells Sputnik.

2024-08-31T12:15+0000

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Such an attack, Ritter explains, might be regarded as a prelude to a larger military incursion meant to accomplish the US ultimate goal, the strategic defeat of Russia.Ritter also recalls the warnings made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who questioned the US apparent belief that a Russia-NATO conflict would be limited to Europe and who said that a Russian retaliatory strike against the United States is possible if such a conflict were to break out.Ukraine has already lost the war," he adds, and nothing that Kiev might do to try and tip the scales in its favor is going to change that.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/ukraine-blackmails-znpp-employees-urging-them-to-commit-terrorist-acts---russian-envoy-1119967408.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/ukraines-economic-downfall-from-potential-european-leader-to-indebted-loser-1119969660.html

Ukraine's Economic Downfall: From Potential European Leader to Indebted Loser

Ukraine's Economic Downfall: From Potential European Leader to Indebted Loser

Sputnik International

On August 30, ratings agency, S&P Global, affirmed Ukraine's foreign currency credit rating at "selective" default, after the country announced plans to restructure over $20 billion of debt.

2024-08-31T09:24+0000

2024-08-31T09:24+0000

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Gaining independence in 1991, Ukraine had the potential of becoming a leading European economy, due to its industries, agriculture, vibrant population and diverse trade ties inherited from the Soviet Union. However, it has now ensnared itself in a debt trap. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will decide next week whether to provide Ukraine with another $1.1 billion from a $15.6 billion aid program. After tearing apart preliminary peace accords with Russia in April 2022, the Zelensky regime went on a debt spree. Ukraine's government-guaranteed debt has grown to $155.36 billion (over 88% of GDP), with an increase of $3.2 billion over the past three months alone.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240702/whats-behind-ukraines-upgrade-to-upper-middle-income-economy-1119225726.html

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Fredericksburg will pay $10.5 million for the Hill Country University Center and plans to convert the property into the town's new city hall. Christopher Lee

Fredericksburg has agreed to pay $10.5 million for a property that will becomes the Hill Country towns new city hall, officials say.

The city is buying the Hill Country University Center, a 26,000-square-foot building that has been used as a regional campus for Texas Tech University and Central Texas College. It was owned by a local nonprofit, the Hill Country University Center Foundation.

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Building a city hall from scratch would have cost three times more than buying the existing building, city officials said.

The facility will become home to the Fredericksburg City Councils chambers, allowing the citys fire department and emergency medical services to move downtown, city officials say.

Fredericksburg City Manager Clinton Bailey previously told the Express-News that the space situation at the current city hall was desperate, citing as an example the city maintenance supervisor, who was limited to a desk and a computer and supply closet.

Although Fredericksburg hasnt experienced the explosive population growth of other nearby Hill Country cities, it draws in thousands of tourists each year. Moving the city hall out of its current downtown location will create more operating space for the citys police department near the citys center, officials said.

HILL COUNTRY: Kendall commissioners OK budget that gives them big pay increases

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The city is still putting together a renovation plan for the new building, but the City Council will meet in the building during that process, officials said. Initial plans call for including community meeting space in the new property, according to city officials.

The Hill Country University Center Foundation will use the proceeds from the sale to fund scholarships for Gillespie County youths, according to the centers executive director, Mary Little. There were no students taking classes at the center last semester, and only a handful in previous semesters.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/us-administration-will-not-send-contractors-to-ukraine-to-maintain-f-16-fighters---reports-1119969362.html

US Administration Will Not Send Contractors to Ukraine to Maintain F-16 Fighters - Reports

US Administration Will Not Send Contractors to Ukraine to Maintain F-16 Fighters - Reports

Sputnik International

The administration of US President Joe Biden has abandoned the idea to send American contractors to Ukraine to maintain F-16 fighter jets due to concerns about safety, instead suggesting that European countries take responsibility for servicing the fighters, US media reported, citing US officials.

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joe biden

sergey lavrov

russia

ukraine

nato

kiev

us

f-16

f-16 fighter jet

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On Thursday, the Ukrainian air force confirmed media reports that a US-made F-16 jet, which was transferred to Ukraine by its Western partners, crashed on Monday just weeks after the first batch of such aircraft was delivered to Kiev. The report said that according to officials, the US National Security Council considered the proposal to send civilian contractors to Ukraine to maintain F-16s and other weaponry, but the intelligence community deemed it too risky, so the hope instead is that European countries will take on more responsibility for the maintenance. However, according to the report, the US administration does not rule out that US contractors could be sent to Ukraine in the future. Russia has been conducting its special military operation since February 2022. President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." According to the president, the ultimate goal of the operation is to completely liberate Donbas and create conditions that guarantee Russia's security. Russia earlier sent a note to NATO because of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240830/friendly-fire-or-defective-old-plane-how-ukraine-lost-its-first-f-16-jet-and-famed-pilot-1119960334.html

russia

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240831/us-central-command-iraqi-security-forces-eliminate-15-is-militants-in-iraq---centcom-1119968074.html

US Central Command, Iraqi Security Forces Eliminate 15 IS Militants in Iraq - CENTCOM

US Central Command, Iraqi Security Forces Eliminate 15 IS Militants in Iraq - CENTCOM

Sputnik International

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Friday that it struck 15 Islamic State militants in Western Iraq with the help of Iraqi security forces.

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islamic state

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"U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces and Iraqi Security Forces conducted a partnered raid in Western Iraq in the early hours of Aug. 29, resulting in the death of 15 ISIS operatives," CENTCOM said in a statement on X. It said the militants were armed with numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive 'suicide' belts. No civilian casualties were reported, CENTCOM said.*Also known as IS or ISIS, a terrorist organization banned in Russia

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240818/us-transfers-another-batch-of-weapons-from-iraq-to-base-in-northeastern-syria---source-1119819216.html

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us airstrikes in iraq, are we still fighting in iraq, isis in iraq
A pair of Prospect Series winners kicked off a hat trick for trainer Scott McEneny during the Friday night, Aug. 30 card of harness racing at Grand River Raceway.

Bank On Lucas and A Fine Bordeaux defeated the favourites in their respective $8,000 divisions of the Prospect Series, giving McEneny a sweep of the Grand River leg for Ontario-sired two-year-old male trotters.

Bank On Lucas ($11.50) eked out his second Prospect win as the son of The Bank wore down 4-5 favourite Massedonia by a neck in a new mark of 2:00.1 with Brett MacDonald in the bike.

Making his series debut, the Green Manalishi S colt A Fine Bordeaux ($7.50) overtook 3-5 bettors' choice Sunday Shoes in the final turn and opened up 4-1/4 lengths for his first career win in 1:58.4 with Dave Boughton aboard.

The Prospect Series-bound two-year-old pacing gelding Bozak ($2.50) later completed McEneny's perfect night at Grand River with a 1:56.3 wire-to-wire victory in a $6,000 maiden race in rein to MacDonald. He's entered to return to the Elora oval for Prospect action on Wednesday.

A pair of Prospect filly divisions were won by the undefeated Kim Baxter trainee Its Not My Vault ($2.40) with Colin Kelly in 2:01.2 and the maiden-breaking Talbot Ehbeesea ($11.50) with Samuel Fillion in 2:01.1 for the Kyle Fellows stable.

Friday night was Harness The Hope Night at Grand River Raceway, with more than $25,000 raised benefitting breast cancer support programs, awareness and research within Canada.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Grand River Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada)
Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids champion Captain Albano returned to the scene of the triumph on Friday, Aug. 30 and had little trouble scoring in a $70,347 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (PASS) at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. Timeisonmyside and Solid Character took the other divisions in the Sires Stakes leg, known as the Tarport Effrat, for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers.

Following his Adios victory, Captain Albano won the final of the Max Hempt Memorial at Pocono Downs, so he was entering the Tarport Effrat sharp as could be. After idling outside early for Dave Palone, the son of Captaintreacherous-Angelou powered to the point and drew off late. He defeated Sweet Beach Life by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:49.4 over a sloppy surface, with Lous World third.

I just wanted to let everything settle early, said Palone. When the plugs came out, his butt dropped about six inches and he took off. Hes a fun horse and its nice to still get the opportunity to spin that kind.

Captain Albano now has banked $1,146,532 for trainer Noel Daley and owners Patricia Stable, L A Express Stable, Sjoblom Racing and Michael Dolan.

Stakes honours went to Timeisonmyside, who led every step for Anthony MacDonald and scored in a career-best 1:49.3. A Class Yankee, an 80-1 bomb who couldnt find racing room until the issue was decided, was an unlucky second, beaten a neck, while Lou Vuitton completed the ticket.

I wanted to go enough that I didnt let one of the horses that shouldnt beat him, beat him, said MacDonald. Hes been racing pretty good and hes been creeping closer to the top group of horses.

Tim Twaddle conditions the son of Captain Crunch-Macharoundtheclock, who lifted his lifetime earnings over the $300,000 mark, for TheStable Timeisonmyside Group.

Solid Character won his division in a career-best 1:50 flat by a head over the favoured PASS debuting Vengeance Bluechip, with Armada Hanover third. Hunter Myers put the Sweet Lou-Riley Character gelding on the point after a quick opening panel and held on at the wire. Ron Burke trains the sophomore, who went over the $200,000 earnings mark, for owners Burke Racing Stable, Robert Jackson, Timothy Sullivan and Tom Wilson.

Early speed also was effective in Fridays sub-feature, a leg of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series for three-year-old male pacers, as Dream Bird and Dublin Dasher each won a $27,027 division on the front end.

Parked the opening quarter in :27.2, Dream Bird faced a stern late challenge from 3-5 favourite Goliath Hanover. But winning driver Myers said he was confident the son of Sweet Lou-Osprey Blue Chip would prevail.

I dont think he was tired, said Myers. He was a little lazy, so I had to get after him a little bit. But I wanted to be aggressive. Thats where I was at.

Dream Bird, a 1:52.1 winner, races for Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, David Wills and J&T Silva-Purnell & Libby.

Dublin Dasher held on by a head to win his division in 1:52 over Ante Up Hanover with Matt Kakakley in the sulky for trainer Hunter Oakes and owners Alan Johnston and H O Racing Inc.

Saturdays program at The Meadows brings down the curtain on the current race meeting, meaning that carryovers to Wednesdays program are not permitted. Therefore, there will be mandatory payouts on the final Pick 4, the Pick 5, the final Pentafecta and the final Superfecta. First post is 12:45 p.m.

(With files from Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)
A pair of stars shined bright on Friday night at The Meadowlands as the New Jersey Classic had nine $33,784 eliminations for two and three-year-olds of each sex and gait.

The eight event finals take place on Friday, Sept. 6, with estimated purses totalling $1.7 million USD.

Sig Sauer, the Noel Daley trainee who took down Karl on July 13 in the Stanley Dancer, followed up his win in the Beal 13 days ago at Pocono Downs with a strong performance in his Classic elim for three-year-old male trotters.

Driver Andy McCarthy had the son of Muscle Hill-Sigilwig in the four-hole past the quarter before using a swift brush to grab the front at the half in :57. From there, Sig Sauer powered clear at three-quarters by 2-3/4 lengths on the way to a safe 2-1/4-length score in 1:52. Bellas Musclehill was second with Mr Bluebird third.

Yeah, hes great, said Daley. He's really come along. He's doing everything very professionally.

He's not a front-end horse; he'd rather chase someone down. But, you know, I'm glad that he's shown that he can do it his last two starts. That's not his preferred mode, so I'm real happy with him.

Now seven-for-11 lifetime, Sig Sauer went over the $700,000 mark in career earnings. He returned $2.10 to his backers as the 1-20 favourite.

In what was the most impressive rally of the night, Hambletonian Oaks champ Warrawee Michelle upped her win streak to three in an elim for three-year-old fillies on the trot, storming home to score in 1:53 for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt.

Kept well off the action in the early stages, Michelle found herself seventh at three-quarters with seven lengths to make up as 95-1 chance Tandem Hanover hit that station in 1:24.1. Svanstedt tipped the daughter of Walner-Sound Check wide off the far turn for the stretch drive and got up after a furious rally just in the nick of time to best Tandem Hanover by a head. Miss I La was right there with the top two at the wire, finishing third.

Warrawee Michelle, who paid $2.20 to win as the 1-9 public choice, upped her lifetime stats to seven wins from 15 starts. The millionaire filly will undoubtedly be a short price in next weeks $275,000 USD (est.) final.

In what was another eye-popping performance, Chaparmbro spotted her foes seven lengths after a tardy start in the other elim for three-year-old filly trotters, then Yannick Gingras worked his partner back into it with a second-over trip before prevailing by a head over 6-5 favourite Buy A Round as the 4-1 third choice for trainer Ron Burke. The daughter of Chapter Seven-Armbro Deja Vu stopped the clock in 1:54.4.

The other elim for sophomore male trotters went to Benny J in 1:52.1 with Joe Bongiorno driving for trainer Tony Alagna.

In the two-year-old male trot elims, the Canadian-campaigned Go Ahead Makemyday made his stateside debut a winning one in 1:54.4 for trainer Blake MacIntosh and Hidalgo, a $600,000 yearling purchase, gave Gingras and Burke another elim win, scoring in 1:54.3.

The two-year-old trotting filly elim winners were Lady Landia in 1:54.1 for trainer/driver Svanstedt and the Lucas Wallin stable's Delaney Hanover in 1:54 in rein to Todd McCarthy.

Gingras also drove the Nancy Takter-trained two-year-old pacing filly My Sweet Lily to a 1:52.4 elim win.

All-source handle on the 14-race card totalled $2,692,999 USD.

Racing resumes on Saturday at 6:20 p.m.

(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)
Laurence Gerrish spent most of his life in the fast lane  until a cancer diagnosis slowed him down.

Gerrish began his Formula One racing career in his home country of England until the mid-seventies when he came to the United States to work on an Indy car team. He went on to be the chief mechanic for Bobby Unser in the Indianapolis 500 race of 1981. Much like racing, a prostate cancer diagnosis came with much uncertainty. Gerrish knew one thing for certain.

A couple of (radiation oncology offices) were put forward and I chose (Iredell Health System). Im glad I did.

Gerrishs PSA test scores had crept up to 6.5 nanograms per liter. PSA tests, or Prostate Specific Antigen tests, measure the level of antigens in a mans blood in nanograms per liter. His primary care physician recommended a PET (positron emission tomography) scan which indicated prostate cancer. He was then referred to Iredells Radiation Therapy Center for treatment.

Walking into the J. Allen Knox Radiation Therapy Center after hearing this news was no easy feat, but Gerrish was extremely impressed with what he found.

It was just a great experience. The machines in there are just fantastic. Its incredible to think youre being cured of cancer by this machine that is available in Statesville. Youre being cured just laying there for 10 minutes. I was just totally impressed with everything, he said.

A mechanical engineer by trade, Gerrish viewed the state-of-the-art equipment through an unusual lens during treatments.

I was laying in those machines thinking about the inner workings like, How is that big thing going around me? Its got to weigh about ten tons. My mind was just clicking over, thinking, said Gerrish.

The radiation therapy department at Iredell Health System has earned accreditations from the American College of Radiology and the American College of Surgeons. The health system follows the highest standards set forth by these organizations. They also do the little things like making it easy to access care with convenient parking close to the door.

Gerrish, a resident of Troutman, does not have any regrets choosing his local community hospital for his cancer care.

I shop local, I spend local, I go to all the local restaurants  I dont go to any corporate place. If I can find a small family run place, thats where I go. I love Iredell Health System. Based on the experience Ive had here with prostate cancer, Ill tell anybody to come here, he said.

Gerrish, having completed radiation therapy, is back to enjoying life to the fullest through his vintage car restoration work across the country. Even through his travels, he still manages to keep up with regularly scheduled follow-up appointments at Iredell.

I look forward to coming to the hospital for the first time in my life.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

From Monday August 26, many employees in Australia get a new right, called the right to disconnect from work.

This entails the right to refuse to read or respond to work-related calls, texts and emails outside their working hours, unless that refusal is unreasonable.

The Fair Work Commission says what will matter is whether the refusal is unreasonable, rather than whether the attempted contact is unreasonable.

Among the things that will determine whether a refusal is unreasonable are the employee's role, their personal circumstances, the method and reason for the contact, how much disruption it causes them and whether they are compensated for being available or for working additional hours.

Those working for small businesses (with fewer than 15 employees) get the right to disconnect in August 2025.

As with any changes to conditions of employment, it has sparked heated debate.

Supporters say the right to disconnect is needed to slow the encroachment of work into personal life. Opponents say it will harm productivity and flexibility.

Fortunately, we've clues from overseas to guide us.

France was the first country to introduce a right to disconnect in 2017, followed by Belgium, Italy, Argentina, Chile, Luxembourg, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Ontario in Canada, and Ireland.

An analysis of these laws and their impact, which we are preparing for the Journal of Industrial Relations, finds that while they can improve work-life balance and well-being, their success depends on how they are implemented and enforced within each workplace.

Employers that take right to disconnect laws seriously offer more compensation to those who are interrupted than companies that don't, in the form of pay or time off in lieu. Unpaid overtime is significantly more common in companies without a right to disconnect policy.

In the countries that have a right to disconnect, only about 45% of workers say they are aware of it being offered in their workplace, and only about half of them say they are aware of actions to enforce it.

Fair Work Commission.

What matters is agreement in the workplace

In some countries, including France, the law requires that employers and employee representatives come together to negotiate specific rules about when work should stop and personal time should begin.

This means that in France, there are often clear agreements about when workers can ignore emails or calls.

In Belgium, instead of making it mandatory for companies to enforce the right, the law encourages discussions about it in health and safety committees. So, while there isn't a strict rule forcing companies to ensure workers can disconnect, there is a system in place to have conversations about it.

What each country has in common is the idea that employers and employees need to work together to find a balance between work and personal time.

This suggests that merely introducing legislation is not enough: effective implementation requires clear guidelines, awareness-raising, and a cultural shift within workplaces.

Companies need to get things right at the start

A key challenge in Australia will be to make clear what is a "reasonable" refusal of a work-related contact and what is not.

The Fair Work Commission wants employers and employees to attempt to resolve this themselves before escalating disputes to the Commission.

An important part of this is consultation within workplaces at the beginning to develop training and protocols tailored to each role.

There are also practical steps workplaces can take to curb the flow of work-related information, such as disabling notifications after hours, setting up automatic out-of-office replies and scheduling emails rather than sending them immediately.

Employers should lead by example

The biggest challenge will be a cultural shift that prioritizes employee well-being. Hyperconnectivity need not be an inevitable consequence of modern work life.

Managers should lead by example by respecting non-work hours themselves and avoiding after-hours communication.

The continued existence of the new right is far from certain. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has promised to repeal the right if he wins the next election, saying it will make it impossible for some businesses to employ staff.

Success will depend on employers and their workers agreeing on clear ground rules from the beginning.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Jacob Beltran covers crime, breaking news and general assignments for the Express-News. He can be reached at jbeltran@express-news.net.

A San Antonio native, Jacob began his journalism career in 2010. He's worked for the student-run newspaper for San Antonio College, The Ranger, and for Texas A&M University-San Antonio, The Mesquite.

He enjoys video games, photography and exploring during his free time.
AIREA plc (LON:AIEA  Get Free Report)s share price was down 7.7% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as GBX 24 ($0.32) and last traded at GBX 24 ($0.32). Approximately 1,475 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 92% from the average daily volume of 18,549 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 26 ($0.34).

AIREA Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of 9.26 million, a P/E ratio of 1,200.00 and a beta of 1.15. The stocks 50 day moving average is GBX 27.93 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 29.91. The company has a current ratio of 3.11, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.58.

About AIREA

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AIREA plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the designing and manufacture of floor coverings in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company offers carpet tiles and planks for architects, specifiers and contractors in the education, leisure, commercial, hospitality, and public sectors under the Burmatex brand name.

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Almaden Minerals Ltd. (TSE:AMM  Get Free Report) (NYSEMKT:AAU)s share price hit a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The company traded as low as C$0.06 and last traded at C$0.06, with a volume of 99001 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$0.07.

Almaden Minerals Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of C$8.23 million, a P/E ratio of -0.13 and a beta of 1.10. The stocks 50-day moving average is C$0.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$0.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 131.70, a current ratio of 7.47 and a quick ratio of 23.78.

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Almaden Minerals (TSE:AMM  Get Free Report) (NYSEMKT:AAU) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported C($0.01) EPS for the quarter.

Almaden Minerals Company Profile

Almaden Minerals Ltd., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, evaluation, and development of mineral properties in Mexico. The company's principal asset comprises 100% interests in the Ixtaca gold-silver project located in Puebla State, Mexico. Almaden Minerals Ltd.

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BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MHN  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 8,800 shares, a growth of 63.0% from the July 31st total of 5,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 49,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Robinson Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund by 120.2% during the 4th quarter. Robinson Capital Management LLC now owns 157,675 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,662,000 after purchasing an additional 86,076 shares during the period. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. purchased a new position in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund during the 4th quarter worth about $69,000. Karpus Management Inc. boosted its position in BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Karpus Management Inc. now owns 844,739 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $8,878,000 after buying an additional 45,759 shares during the period. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund by 527.3% in the 1st quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 18,537 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $196,000 after buying an additional 15,582 shares during the period. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its position in BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund by 5.0% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 64,299 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $681,000 after buying an additional 3,072 shares during the period. 28.22% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund Stock Performance

NYSE MHN traded up $0.02 on Friday, reaching $10.71. The company had a trading volume of 56,567 shares, compared to its average volume of 48,018. The firms 50 day moving average price is $10.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.64. BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund has a 12 month low of $8.69 and a 12 month high of $11.08.

BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund Dividend Announcement

About BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 15th will be paid a $0.0435 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 15th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.87%.

(Get Free Report)

BlackRock MuniHoldings New York Quality Fund, Inc is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets. It invests primarily in investment grade New York municipal obligations exempt from federal income taxes and New York State and New York City personal income taxes.

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Cranswick plc (OTCMKTS:CRWKF  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 300 shares, a drop of 62.5% from the July 31st total of 800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently  days.

Cranswick Stock Performance

Shares of CRWKF stock remained flat at C$50.70 during mid-day trading on Friday. Cranswick has a 52 week low of C$50.70 and a 52 week high of C$51.50. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of C$50.70 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$50.70.

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About Cranswick

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Cranswick plc manufactures and supplies food products to grocery retailers, food service sector, and other food producers in the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company offers fresh pork, gourmet bacon and gammon, fresh and coated chicken, ready to eat chicken, charcuterie, houmous and dips, and olives and antipasti, gourmet sausages, cooked meats, and gourmet pastries, as well as provides food services.

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Empiric Student Property Plc (OTCMKTS:EPCFF  Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 234,200 shares, a decrease of 65.9% from the July 31st total of 686,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently  days.

Empiric Student Property Price Performance

Shares of EPCFF stock remained flat at $0.95 during trading on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $0.95 and its 200 day moving average is $0.95. Empiric Student Property has a one year low of $0.92 and a one year high of $0.95.

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Empiric Student Property Company Profile

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Further Reading

Empiric Student Property plc is a leading provider and operator of modern, predominantly direct-let, premium student accommodation serving key UK universities. Investing in both operating and development assets, Empiric is a fully integrated operational student property business focused on premium studio-led accommodation managed through its Hello Student operating platform, that is attractive to affluent growing student segments.

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FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund (NYSEARCA:NFRA  Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $58.14 and last traded at $58.14, with a volume of 17206 shares. The stock had previously closed at $57.79.

FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund Stock Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $55.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $54.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.96 and a beta of 0.64.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Steph & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund by 5.7% during the 1st quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 61,450 shares of the companys stock worth $3,354,000 after buying an additional 3,335 shares during the period. Park National Corp OH grew its holdings in FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund by 4.9% in the 1st quarter. Park National Corp OH now owns 21,143 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,154,000 after buying an additional 992 shares in the last quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC increased its position in FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund by 15.2% during the second quarter. Studio Investment Management LLC now owns 20,191 shares of the companys stock worth $1,074,000 after acquiring an additional 2,667 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 16,675 shares of the companys stock valued at $910,000 after purchasing an additional 2,345 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in shares of FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund by 318.4% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 8,836 shares of the companys stock worth $482,000 after purchasing an additional 6,724 shares in the last quarter.

FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund Company Profile

The FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund (NFRA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure index, a market-cap-weighted index of global infrastructure companies from developed and emerging markets. NFRA was launched on Oct 8, 2013 and is managed by FlexShares.

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Golden State Equity Partners acquired a new position in shares of Hartford Total Return Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:HTRB  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 149,050 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,992,000. Hartford Total Return Bond ETF comprises approximately 1.0% of Golden State Equity Partners investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Golden State Equity Partners owned about 0.32% of Hartford Total Return Bond ETF at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. WMS Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Hartford Total Return Bond ETF by 26.0% in the 1st quarter. WMS Partners LLC now owns 1,451,437 shares of the companys stock worth $48,971,000 after acquiring an additional 299,746 shares during the period. UBS Group AG increased its stake in shares of Hartford Total Return Bond ETF by 124.5% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,294,063 shares of the companys stock valued at $44,037,000 after acquiring an additional 717,700 shares during the last quarter. Financial Planning & Information Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Hartford Total Return Bond ETF by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Financial Planning & Information Services Inc. now owns 950,228 shares of the companys stock worth $32,336,000 after buying an additional 55,345 shares during the period. Marshall Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Hartford Total Return Bond ETF by 16.9% during the first quarter. Marshall Financial Group LLC now owns 870,375 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,366,000 after buying an additional 125,682 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Spire Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Hartford Total Return Bond ETF by 1.6% during the first quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 797,590 shares of the companys stock worth $26,911,000 after purchasing an additional 12,819 shares in the last quarter.

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Hartford Total Return Bond ETF Stock Performance

HTRB stock traded down $0.09 during trading on Friday, reaching $34.54. The stock had a trading volume of 103,235 shares, compared to its average volume of 178,210. Hartford Total Return Bond ETF has a 1-year low of $31.16 and a 1-year high of $34.88. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $34.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $33.68.

Hartford Total Return Bond ETF Company Profile

The Hartford Total Return Bond ETF (HTRB) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond index. The fund is an actively managed fund that invests in a wide array of global fixed income instruments considered attractive from a total-return perspective, with current income as a secondary goal.

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Great Diamond Partners LLC raised its holdings in General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS  Free Report) by 11.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,506 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 445 shares during the quarter. Great Diamond Partners LLCs holdings in General Mills were worth $285,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Private Trust Co. NA grew its holdings in General Mills by 1.4% in the first quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 10,280 shares of the companys stock valued at $719,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the period. North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its holdings in shares of General Mills by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 17,228 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,205,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp grew its stake in shares of General Mills by 40.6% during the 1st quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 540 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the period. Secure Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of General Mills by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC now owns 3,305 shares of the companys stock worth $209,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gulf International Bank UK Ltd raised its position in shares of General Mills by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd now owns 48,176 shares of the companys stock worth $3,370,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.71% of the companys stock.

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General Mills Stock Up 1.3 %

GIS traded up $0.93 on Friday, reaching $72.29. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,610,418 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,954,824. General Mills, Inc. has a 1 year low of $60.33 and a 1 year high of $74.45. The businesss 50 day moving average is $66.71 and its 200 day moving average is $67.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market cap of $40.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.83 and a beta of 0.09.

General Mills Increases Dividend

General Mills ( NYSE:GIS Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, June 26th. The company reported $1.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.99 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.85 billion. General Mills had a return on equity of 26.56% and a net margin of 12.57%. General Millss quarterly revenue was down 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.12 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that General Mills, Inc. will post 4.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 10th were given a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 10th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.32%. This is an increase from General Millss previous quarterly dividend of $0.59. General Millss payout ratio is presently 55.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GIS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays dropped their price target on General Mills from $72.00 to $67.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, June 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of General Mills from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and increased their target price for the stock from $62.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 15th. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of General Mills from $70.00 to $62.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 3rd. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of General Mills from $71.00 to $68.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of General Mills from $70.00 to $67.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $69.71.

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General Mills Company Profile

(Free Report)

General Mills, Inc manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates through four segments: North America Retail; International; Pet; and North America Foodservice. It offers grain, ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and savory snacks, ice cream and frozen desserts, unbaked and fully baked frozen dough products, frozen hot snacks, ethnic meals, side dish mixes, frozen breakfast and entrees, nutrition bars, and frozen and shelf-stable vegetables.

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Currys (OTCMKTS:DSITF  Get Free Report) and EVgo (NYSE:EVGO  Get Free Report) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, valuation, profitability and institutional ownership.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations for Currys and EVgo, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Currys 0 0 0 0 N/A EVgo 0 4 5 0 2.56

EVgo has a consensus price target of $4.63, suggesting a potential upside of 2.10%. Given EVgos higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe EVgo is more favorable than Currys.

Valuation & Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Currys N/A N/A N/A ($0.02) -54.21 EVgo $206.88 million 6.61 -$42.43 million ($0.38) -11.92

This table compares Currys and EVgos top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Currys has higher earnings, but lower revenue than EVgo. Currys is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than EVgo, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Currys and EVgos net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Currys N/A N/A N/A EVgo -20.56% N/A -5.29%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

52.5% of Currys shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 17.4% of EVgo shares are owned by institutional investors. 67.0% of EVgo shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

EVgo beats Currys on 5 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Currys

(Get Free Report)

Currys plc operates as a retailer of technology products and services. It offers consumer electronics and mobile technology products and services; and mobile virtual network operator and consumer electrical repair services. The company also sells its products through online; and offers insurance services. The company was formerly known as Dixons Carphone plc and changed its name to Currys plc in September 2021. Currys plc was founded in 1884 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

About EVgo

(Get Free Report)

EVgo, Inc. owns and operates a direct current fast charging network for electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States. The company offers electricity directly to drivers, who access its publicly available networked chargers; original equipment manufacturer charging and related services; fleet and rideshare public charging services; and charging as a service and fleet dedicated charging services. It also provides ancillary services, such as customization of digital applications, charging data integration, loyalty programs, access to chargers behind parking lot or garage pay gates, microtargeted advertising, and charging reservations; and hardware, design, and construction services for charging sites, as well as ongoing operations, maintenance, and networking and software integration solutions through eXtend. In addition, it offers PlugShare such as data, research, and advertising services and equipment procurement and operational services. EVgo, Inc. was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.EVgo, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of EVgo Holdings LLC.

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Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of First Horizon Co. (NYSE:FHN  Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 1,960 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $31,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Access Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in First Horizon by 0.8% during the second quarter. Access Investment Management LLC now owns 87,655 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,382,000 after buying an additional 715 shares during the period. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of First Horizon by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 12,623 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $194,000 after buying an additional 765 shares in the last quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of First Horizon by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 29,282 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $462,000 after buying an additional 786 shares during the last quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of First Horizon by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,520 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $177,000 after acquiring an additional 804 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its position in First Horizon by 129.3% during the first quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 1,954 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 1,102 shares during the last quarter. 80.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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First Horizon Stock Performance

FHN traded up $0.12 during trading on Friday, reaching $16.59. 2,833,734 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,571,067. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. First Horizon Co. has a 1 year low of $10.08 and a 1 year high of $17.46. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $15.88 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.89.

First Horizon Dividend Announcement

First Horizon ( NYSE:FHN Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $819.82 million. First Horizon had a return on equity of 8.84% and a net margin of 14.03%. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.39 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that First Horizon Co. will post 1.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 13th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.62%. First Horizons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Stephens initiated coverage on First Horizon in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. They set an overweight rating and a $19.00 price target on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a market perform rating and set a $18.00 target price on shares of First Horizon in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. StockNews.com upgraded First Horizon from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, July 20th. Barclays boosted their price target on First Horizon from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, June 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of First Horizon from $18.00 to $19.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $17.31.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on First Horizon

First Horizon Profile

(Free Report)

First Horizon Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank that provides various financial services. The company operates through Regional Banking and Specialty Banking segments. It offers general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments.

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China's 2024 services trade fair to boost global trade

Xinhua) 09:30, August 31, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) will serve as an important platform for deepening international cooperation, injecting new impetus into global economic development, China's Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.

This year's CIFTIS, scheduled in Beijing from Sept. 12 to 16, will continue to focus on the theme "Global Services, Shared Prosperity," according to Tang Wenhong, assistant minister of commerce.

More than 80 countries and international organizations will hold exhibitions at the fair, with 13 of them, including Portugal and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations holding independent offline exhibitions for the first time, Tang told a press conference.

France will be the guest of honor and a special national pavilion will be built to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France.

More than 420 Fortune Global 500 and leading enterprises have confirmed their offline participation in the fair, Tang said.

As the world's first comprehensive international exhibition platform focusing on services trade, the CIFTIS has been successfully held for 10 sessions, attracting over 900,000 attendees and exhibitors from 197 countries and regions.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
Orin Dym, director of the Bexar County Crime Lab, has asked the Bexar County Commissioners Court for additional funding to help clear up a case backlog. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News

Evidence needed for criminal investigations can sit idle at the Bexar County crime lab for more than a year, as staffing and policy issues slow the lab's ability to process cases, causing some Bexar County commissioners to worry that the backlogs could be undermining the judicial system.

Evidence related to about 4,500 drug-, gun- and DNA-related cases is awaiting analysis at the county's Criminal Investigation Laboratory, officials say. There are cases pending from 2023 that aren't expected to be completed until March. Lab officials say cases from the beginning of this year should be completed by June 2025  over a year later.

The lab's leaders are asking the Commissioners Court for a funding boost to help clear the backlog.

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"The crime lab is a critical part of our criminal justice system," said Commissioner Grant Moody, who represents Precinct 3 on the North Side. "Hearing about long delays due to staffing and other issues is disappointing because that means that justice is being delayed or denied."

The backlog, which amounts to over half the 7,000 cases the lab typically handles each year, began building years ago, lab director Orin Dym said.

The lab saw a bump in cases after Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzalez resumed prosecuting low-level marijuana possession charges last year, Dym said.

Dym also pointed to the Legislatures decision in 2019 to legalize products that contain less than 0.3% of THC, the active ingredient responsible for a marijuana high, as a driver of the labs case overflow. He said performing marijuana analysis now takes three times longer than other drug testing. More than 30% of incoming cases are for marijuana evaluation, Dym said.

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The crime lab's leadership asked commissioners for an extra $15,000 to pay for three months of overtime. Analysts can clear out an additional 120 cases if they spent an additional 300 hours in the lab, Dym said.

Forensic scientist Holli Worden demonstrates a bullet recovery test at the Bexar County Crime Lab on Sept. 21, 2021. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News

Moody, Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Calvert and County Judge Peter Sakai signaled that they are likely to support putting the extra funding in the 2025 fiscal year budget, which will be approved next month.

Calvert said he wants to give the crime lab the support it needs so criminal cases don't linger.

Sakai said drug-related testing must be handled more quickly, as it can provide evidence needed to remove violent repeat offenders off the streets and stop people who sell drugs on our streets to children.

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We're really focusing to make sure that we don't have any case drop on a violent repeat offender on the basis that the testing of marijuana failed because of the backlog, Sakai said at a Commissioners Court budget work session. Thats why this request is an absolute need.

The statute of limitations for a misdemeanor marijuana charge is two years. However, prosecutors do not always have to rely on lab tests to move forward with such cases, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a letter after Texas legalized hemp in 2019. Instead, cases can be prosecuted with "the tried and true use of circumstantial evidence."

Working to ease backlog

To move through cases faster, the crime lab has added four analysts, Dym said. After completing about six months of training, an analyst can perform 65 drug or 25 marijuana analyses per month, Dym said. Additionally, the lab will soon send about 50 cases a month to the Texas Department of Public Safety for analysis.

The crime lab uses a structured approach to work through the backlog, Dym said. It gives priority to cases involving defendants currently in custody, which can help reduce overcrowding in the Bexar County Jail. Next, the lab analyzes cases involving people who are out on bail, working from the oldest cases to the newest.

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The lab's goal is to reach a point where most cases are completed within 30 days, Dym said.

Since the start of the fiscal year last October, the backlog for DNA cases has decreased by 27% as a result of increased staffing, Dym said. Every month, the DNA team completes 30% more cases than it takes in, whittling down the backlog.

The lab has looked into sending more cases to outside laboratories for analysis, but the fees can be too expensive to justify outsourcing, Dym said.
Innealta Capital LLC bought a new position in Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Co. (NYSE:BAH  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 224 shares of the business services providers stock, valued at approximately $34,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Gladius Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Booz Allen Hamilton in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,037,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Booz Allen Hamilton by 6.8% in the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 295,447 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $43,856,000 after purchasing an additional 18,815 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Booz Allen Hamilton in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,044,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its stake in shares of Booz Allen Hamilton by 142.5% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 28,615 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $4,248,000 after purchasing an additional 16,815 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in shares of Booz Allen Hamilton by 33.6% in the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 77,191 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $9,874,000 after purchasing an additional 19,432 shares during the period. 91.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Booz Allen Hamilton from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised Booz Allen Hamilton from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $168.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Booz Allen Hamilton from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 21st. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Booz Allen Hamilton from $160.00 to $140.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 29th. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on Booz Allen Hamilton from $153.00 to $142.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $156.56.

Booz Allen Hamilton Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of Booz Allen Hamilton stock traded up $1.41 on Friday, reaching $158.78. The companys stock had a trading volume of 577,255 shares, compared to its average volume of 671,511. The company has a market capitalization of $20.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.57. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $151.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $149.69. Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Co. has a 52 week low of $106.90 and a 52 week high of $164.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07.

Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE:BAH  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 26th. The business services provider reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.52 by ($0.14). Booz Allen Hamilton had a return on equity of 65.80% and a net margin of 5.57%. The business had revenue of $2.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.92 billion. Equities analysts anticipate that Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Co. will post 5.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Booz Allen Hamilton Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 14th will be issued a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 14th. Booz Allen Hamiltons payout ratio is currently 44.35%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Richard Crowe sold 1,006 shares of Booz Allen Hamilton stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.96, for a total value of $152,871.76. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 29,739 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,519,138.44. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Richard Crowe sold 1,006 shares of Booz Allen Hamilton stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.96, for a total transaction of $152,871.76. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 29,739 shares in the company, valued at $4,519,138.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Melody C. Barnes sold 1,041 shares of Booz Allen Hamilton stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.31, for a total value of $149,185.71. Following the transaction, the director now owns 18,123 shares in the company, valued at $2,597,207.13. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.59% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Booz Allen Hamilton

(Free Report)

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation provides management and technology consulting, analytics, engineering, digital solutions, mission operations, and cyber services to governments, corporations, and not-for-profit organizations in the United States and internationally. It focuses on artificial intelligence services comprising of machine learning, predictive modeling, automation and decision analytics, and quantum computing.

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Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV lifted its stake in iShares North American Natural Resources ETF (BATS:IGE  Free Report) by 4.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 30,731 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 1,384 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV owned approximately 0.22% of iShares North American Natural Resources ETF worth $1,352,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Family Firm Inc. increased its position in iShares North American Natural Resources ETF by 79.6% during the second quarter. Family Firm Inc. now owns 481,471 shares of the companys stock worth $21,185,000 after buying an additional 213,332 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares North American Natural Resources ETF by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 9,943 shares of the companys stock valued at $447,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in shares of iShares North American Natural Resources ETF by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 101,088 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,548,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. Mcdaniel Terry & Co. acquired a new stake in iShares North American Natural Resources ETF during the 1st quarter worth $263,000. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its position in iShares North American Natural Resources ETF by 511.7% during the 4th quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 81,673 shares of the companys stock worth $3,326,000 after purchasing an additional 68,322 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares North American Natural Resources ETF Stock Performance

BATS IGE traded up $0.13 during trading on Friday, reaching $45.03. The companys stock had a trading volume of 40,385 shares. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $44.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $44.04. iShares North American Natural Resources ETF has a twelve month low of $30.59 and a twelve month high of $38.02. The firm has a market cap of $634.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.97 and a beta of 0.59.

iShares North American Natural Resources ETF Profile

iShares North American Natural Resources ETF, formerly iShares S&P North American Natural Resources Sector Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of U.S.-traded natural resource-related stocks as represented by the S&P North American Natural Resources Sector Index (the Index).

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Shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Get Free Report) traded up 1.1% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $164.99 and last traded at $164.72. 1,121,592 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 7,243,246 shares. The stock had previously closed at $162.95.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Daiwa Capital Markets downgraded Johnson & Johnson from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $160.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $167.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. TD Securities lowered their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $175.00 price target on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $173.21.

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Johnson & Johnson Stock Up 1.0 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The company has a market capitalization of $399.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.34, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a 50 day moving average of $155.34 and a 200-day moving average of $153.45.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 17th. The company reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.71 by $0.11. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 36.60% and a net margin of 46.34%. The business had revenue of $22.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $22.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.80 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.07 EPS for the current year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be issued a $1.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 27th. This represents a $4.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.99%. Johnson & Johnsons payout ratio is currently 30.92%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Johnson & Johnson

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 2nd quarter valued at $43,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Fairfield Financial Advisors LTD bought a new stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson during the 2nd quarter valued at $46,000. 69.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Johnson & Johnson

(Get Free Report)

Johnson & Johnson, together with its subsidiaries, researches, develops, manufactures, and sells various products in the healthcare field worldwide. The company's Innovative Medicine segment offers products for various therapeutic areas, such as immunology, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis; infectious diseases comprising HIV/AIDS; neuroscience, consisting of mood disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and schizophrenia; oncology, such as prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, lung cancer, and bladder cancer; cardiovascular and metabolism, including thrombosis, diabetes, and macular degeneration; and pulmonary hypertension comprising pulmonary arterial hypertension through retailers, wholesalers, distributors, hospitals, and healthcare professionals for prescription use.

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Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (OTCMKTS:KAIKY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a decrease of 66.7% from the July 31st total of 300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Price Performance

OTCMKTS KAIKY remained flat at $14.15 during trading hours on Friday. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $14.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.90. Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha has a 1-year low of $10.00 and a 1-year high of $16.73.

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About Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha

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Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. provides marine, land, and air transportation services in Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It offers dry bulk carrier, car carrier, liquefied natural gas carrier, crude oil tanker, containerships, and liquefied petroleum gas transportation services.

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MicroSectors FANG & Innovation -3x Inverse Leveraged ETN (NYSEARCA:BERZ  Get Free Report)s stock price traded up 6.1% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $21.82 and last traded at $21.76. 13,070 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 87% from the average session volume of 101,496 shares. The stock had previously closed at $20.50.

MicroSectors FANG & Innovation -3x Inverse Leveraged ETN Price Performance

The stocks 50 day moving average is $20.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $24.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.87 and a beta of -4.76.

MicroSectors FANG & Innovation -3x Inverse Leveraged ETN Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

The MicroSectors Solactive FANG & Innovation -3X Inverse Leveraged ETN (BERZ) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Solactive FANG Innovation index. The fund tracks -3x the daily price movements of an equal-weighted index of US-listed technology companies. BERZ was launched on Aug 20, 2021 and is issued by REX Microsectors.

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MV Oil Trust (NYSE:MVO  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 47,600 shares, a decline of 18.8% from the July 31st total of 58,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 62,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.8 days.

Institutional Trading of MV Oil Trust

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. lifted its stake in shares of MV Oil Trust by 1.6% in the first quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 67,103 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $717,000 after buying an additional 1,066 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in shares of MV Oil Trust by 176.4% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 32,576 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $307,000 after buying an additional 20,791 shares during the last quarter. Finally, RIA Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MV Oil Trust in the first quarter worth $128,000. 3.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of MV Oil Trust from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 10th.

MV Oil Trust Stock Performance

Shares of MV Oil Trust stock traded down $0.02 on Friday, reaching $9.24. The stock had a trading volume of 24,466 shares, compared to its average volume of 56,622. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $9.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $9.74. MV Oil Trust has a fifty-two week low of $8.42 and a fifty-two week high of $13.95. The stock has a market cap of $106.26 million, a P/E ratio of 6.04 and a beta of 0.78.

MV Oil Trust Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 15th were paid a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 17.75%. This is a boost from MV Oil Trusts previous quarterly dividend of $0.33. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 15th. MV Oil Trusts payout ratio is presently 107.19%.

MV Oil Trust Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

MV Oil Trust acquires and holds term net profits interests in the oil and natural gas properties of MV Partners, LLC. Its properties wells located in the Mid-Continent region in the states of Kansas and Colorado. MV Oil Trust was incorporated in 2006 and is based in Houston, Texas.

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Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV raised its holdings in shares of The Gabelli Utility Trust (NYSE:GUT  Free Report) by 5.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 51,808 shares of the investment management companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,500 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADVs holdings in The Gabelli Utility Trust were worth $307,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its position in shares of The Gabelli Utility Trust by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 1,269,814 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $7,047,000 after acquiring an additional 41,271 shares in the last quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. raised its position in shares of The Gabelli Utility Trust by 17.3% in the 4th quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 155,004 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $840,000 after acquiring an additional 22,843 shares in the last quarter. MAS Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of The Gabelli Utility Trust by 34.9% in the 1st quarter. MAS Advisors LLC now owns 104,137 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $578,000 after acquiring an additional 26,926 shares in the last quarter. Balboa Wealth Partners raised its position in shares of The Gabelli Utility Trust by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. Balboa Wealth Partners now owns 101,740 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $551,000 after acquiring an additional 6,875 shares in the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of The Gabelli Utility Trust by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 99,197 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $548,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter.

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The Gabelli Utility Trust Price Performance

Shares of The Gabelli Utility Trust stock remained flat at $6.02 during midday trading on Friday. The company had a trading volume of 294,495 shares, compared to its average volume of 149,884. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $6.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $5.82. The Gabelli Utility Trust has a 52 week low of $4.60 and a 52 week high of $6.89.

The Gabelli Utility Trust Dividend Announcement

The Gabelli Utility Trust Profile

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th will be paid a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.97%.

(Free Report)

The Gabelli Utility Trust is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched by GAMCO Investors, Inc It is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC. The fund invests in the public equity markets across the globe. It makes its investments in stocks of companies providing products, services, or equipment for the generation or distribution of electricity, gas, water, telecommunications services, and infrastructure operations.

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Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV bought a new position in shares of Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF  April (BATS:BAPR  Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 6,117 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $254,000. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV owned 0.11% of Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF  April as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brookstone Capital Management increased its holdings in Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF  April by 4,538.6% during the 2nd quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 378,879 shares of the companys stock worth $15,951,000 after purchasing an additional 370,711 shares during the period. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF  April by 1,101.7% during the second quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 98,625 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,092,000 after buying an additional 90,418 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF  April by 13.4% in the first quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 384,966 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,414,000 after acquiring an additional 45,503 shares in the last quarter. Capital Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF  April in the second quarter worth about $1,797,000. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF  April by 68.2% during the 2nd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 94,273 shares of the companys stock worth $3,911,000 after acquiring an additional 38,209 shares in the last quarter.

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Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF  April Stock Performance

BATS BAPR traded up $0.32 during trading on Friday, reaching $42.67. 8,219 shares of the companys stock traded hands. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $41.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $40.57. The stock has a market cap of $246.63 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.88 and a beta of 0.64.

Innovator U.S. Equity Buffer ETF  April Profile

The Innovator S&P 500 Buffer ETF  April New (BAPR) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P 500 Price Return index. The fund aims for specific buffered losses and capped gains on the S&P 500 over a specific holdings period. The actively-managed fund holds options and collateral. BAPR was launched on Apr 1, 2019 and is managed by Innovator.

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Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $15.06 and last traded at $14.97, with a volume of 560053813 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $14.23.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on NU shares. Susquehanna reissued a positive rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of NU in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Barclays upped their target price on NU from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. UBS Group cut NU from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $13.50 target price for the company. in a report on Friday, August 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on NU from $14.50 to $15.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, August 19th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on NU from $10.80 to $15.20 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, June 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, NU presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $13.43.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on NU

NU Trading Up 5.0 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $71.20 billion, a PE ratio of 54.71, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $12.91 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.94.

NU (NYSE:NU  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.02. NU had a return on equity of 22.94% and a net margin of 13.86%. The firm had revenue of $2.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.90 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.05 EPS. Analysts expect that Nu Holdings Ltd. will post 0.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NU

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NU. Bleakley Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of NU in the 1st quarter valued at about $152,000. Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of NU by 19.4% in the 4th quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 23,949,214 shares of the companys stock valued at $199,497,000 after buying an additional 3,886,442 shares during the period. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of NU in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,958,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of NU by 499.9% in the 2nd quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 413,165 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,326,000 after buying an additional 344,295 shares during the period. Finally, BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in NU during the first quarter worth approximately $597,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.90% of the companys stock.

NU Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Nu Holdings Ltd. provides digital banking platform and digital financial services in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and internationally. It offers Nu credit and debit cards; Ultraviolet credit and debit cards; and mobile payment solutions for NuAccount customers to make and receive transfers, pay bills, and make everyday purchases through their mobile phones.

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Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX  Free Report) by 1.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,898,717 shares of the medical equipment providers stock after selling 32,366 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.13% of Boston Scientific worth $146,220,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Highview Capital Management LLC DE increased its stake in shares of Boston Scientific by 7.7% during the second quarter. Highview Capital Management LLC DE now owns 19,680 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $1,516,000 after acquiring an additional 1,400 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV acquired a new position in shares of Boston Scientific during the second quarter worth about $229,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in Boston Scientific by 339.7% during the second quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,763 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $136,000 after buying an additional 1,362 shares in the last quarter. F M Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Boston Scientific during the second quarter worth about $5,841,000. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Boston Scientific by 253.6% during the second quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,278,487 shares of the medical equipment providers stock worth $98,456,000 after buying an additional 916,891 shares in the last quarter. 89.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Wendy Carruthers sold 6,983 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.33, for a total transaction of $526,029.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 45,628 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,437,157.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 20,949 shares of company stock valued at $1,583,395. Insiders own 0.50% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Boston Scientific from $77.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of Boston Scientific from $82.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Boston Scientific from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, May 28th. BTIG Research boosted their price objective on shares of Boston Scientific from $80.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. Finally, Raymond James boosted their price objective on shares of Boston Scientific from $85.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $85.24.

Check Out Our Latest Report on BSX

Boston Scientific Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of BSX traded up $1.12 on Friday, hitting $81.79. 7,549,869 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,104,259. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $119.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 68.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.78. The stocks 50 day moving average is $76.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.81. Boston Scientific Co. has a 1 year low of $48.35 and a 1 year high of $82.10.

Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The medical equipment provider reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.04. Boston Scientific had a net margin of 12.00% and a return on equity of 16.80%. The business had revenue of $4.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.53 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 14.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Boston Scientific Co. will post 2.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Boston Scientific Company Profile

(Free Report)

Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through two segments, MedSurg and Cardiovascular. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions, such as resolution clips, biliary stent systems, stents and electrocautery enhanced delivery systems, direct visualization systems, digital catheters, and single-use duodenoscopes; devices to treat urological conditions, including ureteral stents, catheters, baskets, guidewires, sheaths, balloons, single-use digital flexible ureteroscopes, holmium laser systems, artificial urinary sphincter, laser system, fiber, and hydrogel systems; and devices to treat neurological movement disorders and manage chronic pain, such as spinal cord stimulator system, proprietary programming software, radiofrequency generator, indirect decompression systems, practice optimization tools, and deep brain stimulation system.

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The Migration Fountain installation outside the U.S. Pavilion at HemisFair 68 included 60 aluminum bird sculptures by local artist Bill Bristow. UTSA Special Collections

I was a guide at the U.S. Pavilion during HemisFair 68. What you referred to in (your June 29) column as the Confluence Theater was one-third of the U.S. Pavilion. The other two parts were the Exhibit Hall and the expansive courtyard between the other two parts. It had nothing to do with the Texas Pavilion or any other structure at HemisFair. It was the U.S. governments contribution to HemisFair. Guides rotated between the theater, the theater lobby, the courtyard and the exhibit hall. Each rotation was about 30 minutes. It was really hot out in that courtyard, so 30 minutes was plenty long enough to be stationed out there. I guess being stuck in the exhibit hall wasnt too great either. It had no windows at all and was supposed to be a temporary structure (but) its still there. One end of the courtyard had a water feature with some metal bird sculptures by a local artist. I cant think of his name but I think he was affiliated with Trinity University.

 Carolyn Hoelscher

In 2005-06 I had the pleasure of taking some classes with Bill Bristow through the San Antonio Calligraphy Guild. Unfortunately I did not write down some of the marvelous stories he told of his time as a guard at the McNay (Art Museum) or the visit of the Secret Service to his house before (first lady) Lady Bird Johnsons visit.

He presented me with a large (13-inch by 10-inch) color photograph of his Migration Fountain installation with the Tower of the Americas in the background. Mr. Bristow wrote on the side of the photo Artists Print. There are no other identifying marks.

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On the 3-inch white (border), he wrote a note to me about his fear of heights and how it affected him during the construction of Migration and signed it Bill Bristow.

I think this photo has some historical value and would like to donate it to the appropriate venue.

Might you have some suggestions?

 Loni Carlson



If you attended HemisFair 68, the worlds fair held April 6-Oct. 6, 1968, chances are good you remember the futuristic monorail, the death-defying Los Voladores aerialists, colorful dance performances, the savory aromas of international food specialties, pavilion exhibits or pub visits.

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At the same time, the fairgrounds were full of sculptures  more than 100 pieces chosen with the assistance of attorney and arts patron Gilbert Denman Jr., chairman of the fairs art acquisitions committee. Some were a little challenging, and two were mistaken for scrap metal and removed.

The pieces were made by 116 artists from 29 nations, according to the Catalog of Sculpture, Murals and Fountains at HemisFair 68. Reflecting contemporary art trends, most of them (were) like nothing nature ever created, said the San Antonio Express & News, Sept. 22, 1968.

Not so the 60 aluminum birds on metal rods that decorated the Migration Fountain in the courtyard of the U.S. Pavilion complex. By artist Bill Bristow, they looked like sea birds with wide wings and slender necks, flying toward a 100-foot cascade of water.

Attached to metal rods, stylized bird sculptures appear to be in flight near the 100-foot-wide cascade of water at the Migration Fountain in the U.S. Pavilion complex at HemisFair 68. Portal to Texas History

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Bristow was one of eight local artists  also including Waldine Tauch (mentioned in a June 10, 2023, column) and Ethel Wilson Harris (mentioned Aug. 17)  whose work took its place along with sculptures by international greats such as Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder and George Segal.

A true product of San Antonio, William Arthur Bristow (1937-2022) was born in the Nix Hospital, graduated from Jefferson High School before earning degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Florida. He returned to his hometown in 1960 to teach drawing, design and painting at Trinity University for nearly 40 years.

At the time Bristows work was commissioned for the fair, he was already chairman of Trinitys art department and had been named the youngest-ever Artist of the Year for 1965 by the San Antonio Art League.

Since at least 1962, he had been working on realistic bird forms, including small sculptures of flying or nesting doves made out of straw and sticks, bound with string and finished with tissue dipped in liquid plastic. Theres a measure of symbolism wrapped up in the bird sculptures, says the San Antonio Light, March 2, 1962. Bristow explain (ed) the dove symbolizes the fragile nature of world peace.

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The theme of the U.S. Pavilion was Confluence USA, a blending of many peoples and many cultures into one nation, says the Light, Aug. 30, 1968, noting that the open courtyard binds the two buildings (Confluence Theater and exhibit hall) together into a single pavilion, with the Migration Fountain and its sculptured birds in flight as the focal point.

The University of Texas at San Antonio would like to have your photo for its librarys Special Collections, which already has several pictures of the Migration Fountain.

By 2010, the Migration Fountain was no longer installed at its former site, and the city-owned bird sculptures were in storage. Courtesy Christopher Medina

The birds were removed after the fair, says Christopher Medina, curator of the HemisFair 68 historical website, worldsfair68.info. The fountain was drained and (its former location) is now a lush flower bed.

Like many of the sculptures at HemisFair, the Migration birds were donated to the city. They currently are in storage, as confirmed by a spokeswoman for the Office of Historic Preservation.
PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PRG  Get Free Report)s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $47.85 and last traded at $47.72, with a volume of 37591 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $47.12.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. BTIG Research assumed coverage on PROG in a report on Friday, June 7th. They set a neutral rating for the company. KeyCorp increased their price objective on PROG from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on PROG from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Loop Capital raised PROG from a hold rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the company from $41.00 to $55.00 in a research report on Monday, August 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $45.40.

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PROG Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $2.02 billion, a PE ratio of 19.09 and a beta of 2.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 3.87 and a quick ratio of 1.80. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $39.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.61.

PROG (NYSE:PRG  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $0.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $592.16 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $573.23 million. PROG had a return on equity of 26.30% and a net margin of 4.57%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.92 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that PROG Holdings, Inc. will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current year.

PROG Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 20th. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.03%. PROGs payout ratio is currently 19.59%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Point72 DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in PROG during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale bought a new stake in PROG during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in PROG by 2,015.1% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,967 shares of the companys stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 1,874 shares during the period. nVerses Capital LLC bought a new stake in PROG during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $73,000. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new stake in PROG during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $88,000. 97.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PROG Company Profile

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PROG Holdings, Inc (NYSE:PRG) is a financial technology holding company based in Salt Lake City, Utah with three business segments: Progressive Leasing, which offers lease-to-own transactions primarily to credit-challenged consumers through e-commerce and point-of-sale retail partners, via online, mobile, and in-store solutions; Vive Financial, which provides consumers who may not qualify for traditional prime lending with a variety of second-look, revolving credit products through private label and branded credit cards; and Four Technologies, which provides consumers of all credit backgrounds Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options through four interest-free installments via its platform, Four.

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Signaturefd LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV  Free Report) by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 52,341 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 366 shares during the period. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF makes up approximately 0.6% of Signaturefd LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Signaturefd LLCs holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $28,642,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. increased its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 21.2% in the 2nd quarter. Proffitt & Goodson Inc. now owns 103 shares of the companys stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC increased its stake in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 5.3% in the second quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 379 shares of the companys stock valued at $207,000 after acquiring an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky raised its position in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.9% during the first quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky now owns 2,134 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,122,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Unionview LLC lifted its stake in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 0.6% during the first quarter. Unionview LLC now owns 3,293 shares of the companys stock worth $1,731,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MTM Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. MTM Investment Management LLC now owns 308 shares of the companys stock worth $169,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of IVV stock traded up $5.23 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $566.68. 3,012,637 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,002,234. The company has a market capitalization of $488.99 billion, a PE ratio of 25.23 and a beta of 0.99. iShares Core S&P 500 ETF has a 12-month low of $411.02 and a 12-month high of $568.24. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $551.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $530.95.

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Company Profile

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.

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Smith Salley Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS  Free Report) by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,436 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Smith Salley Wealth Managements holdings in Novartis were worth $366,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVS. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Novartis by 6,599.3% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 149,395 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,084,000 after buying an additional 147,165 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its position in shares of Novartis by 14.6% during the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 95,630 shares of the companys stock worth $9,656,000 after buying an additional 12,147 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Novartis by 36.5% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 3,488 shares of the companys stock worth $352,000 after buying an additional 933 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. raised its position in shares of Novartis by 22.1% during the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 9,475 shares of the companys stock worth $957,000 after buying an additional 1,712 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Choreo LLC bought a new stake in shares of Novartis in the 4th quarter worth approximately $516,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 13.12% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Barclays upgraded shares of Novartis to a strong sell rating in a report on Monday, June 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Friday, July 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Novartis in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. They issued a buy rating and a $120.00 target price for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Novartis from $121.00 to $122.50 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Novartis has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $118.13.

Novartis Stock Performance

NYSE:NVS traded up $0.41 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $120.83. 902,631 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,412,403. The stock has a market capitalization of $246.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.57. Novartis AG has a twelve month low of $92.19 and a twelve month high of $120.92. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $111.51 and a 200 day moving average of $103.86. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Novartis (NYSE:NVS  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 18th. The company reported $1.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $12.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.24 billion. Novartis had a net margin of 33.76% and a return on equity of 34.56%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.83 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Novartis AG will post 7.44 EPS for the current year.

Novartis Company Profile

(Free Report)

Novartis AG engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. The company offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology.

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The Kansai Electric Power Company, Incorporated (OTCMKTS:KAEPY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,200 shares, an increase of 108.0% from the July 31st total of 2,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 12,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.4 days.

Kansai Electric Power Trading Up 1.3 %

Shares of OTCMKTS:KAEPY traded up $0.12 on Friday, hitting $8.95. The company had a trading volume of 6,586 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,912. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $8.59 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $7.14. Kansai Electric Power has a 1 year low of $7.66 and a 1 year high of $9.26.

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The Kansai Electric Power Company, Incorporated engages in electricity, gas and heat supply, and telecommunication businesses in Japan. It operates through four segments: Energy Business, Power Transmission and Distribution Business, Information and Communication Business, and Life and Business Solution Business.

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Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited (OTCMKTS:TSGTY  Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $27.11 and last traded at $27.11, with a volume of 374 shares. The stock had previously closed at $28.50.

Tsingtao Brewery Stock Performance

The business has a 50 day moving average of $31.55 and a 200-day moving average of $33.85.

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Tsingtao Brewery Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 16th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 3rd were paid a dividend of $1.2223 per share. This is a boost from Tsingtao Brewerys previous dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 3rd.

About Tsingtao Brewery

Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, wholesale, and retail sale of beer products worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Shandong Region; South China Region; North China Region; East China Region; Southeast China Region; Hong Kong, Macau and Other Overseas Region; and Finance Company.

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UMB Bank n.a. lowered its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 19.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 83,843 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 19,667 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.s holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $3,482,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AM Investment Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 17.7% during the 2nd quarter. AM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 78,092 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $3,243,000 after buying an additional 11,743 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 58.9% during the 2nd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 1,430,817 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $59,422,000 after purchasing an additional 530,113 shares during the period. Banco Santander S.A. grew its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 8.7% during the second quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 453,598 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $18,838,000 after buying an additional 36,151 shares in the last quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 26.9% during the second quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 47,731 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,982,000 after purchasing an additional 10,110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Private Client Services LLC boosted its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 31.9% during the second quarter. Private Client Services LLC now owns 7,404 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $307,000 after purchasing an additional 1,791 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.41% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on BMY shares. Barclays boosted their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $45.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Bristol-Myers Squibb from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $54.67.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Price Performance

Shares of BMY stock traded up $0.23 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $49.95. The company had a trading volume of 9,434,419 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,441,344. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 12 month low of $39.35 and a 12 month high of $63.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $101.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -16.11, a PEG ratio of 12.51 and a beta of 0.44. The firms fifty day moving average is $45.01 and its 200 day moving average is $46.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.86, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.16.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 26th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.43. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a positive return on equity of 12.51% and a negative net margin of 14.06%. The company had revenue of $12.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.54 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.75 EPS. The companys revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 0.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 5th were paid a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 5th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.80%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is currently -77.42%.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Profile

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for various anti-cancer indications, including bladder, blood, CRC, head and neck, RCC, HCC, lung, melanoma, MPM, stomach and esophageal cancer; Pomalyst/Imnovid for multiple myeloma; Orencia for active rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

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American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE:AEO  Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The apparel retailer reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.01, RTT News reports. American Eagle Outfitters had a return on equity of 19.39% and a net margin of 4.12%. The firm had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.31 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.25 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. American Eagle Outfitters updated its FY 2024 guidance to EPS.

American Eagle Outfitters Price Performance

American Eagle Outfitters stock opened at $20.58 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $4.04 billion, a PE ratio of 18.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.51. American Eagle Outfitters has a 12 month low of $14.39 and a 12 month high of $26.44. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $20.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $22.40.

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American Eagle Outfitters Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 26th. Investors of record on Friday, July 12th were paid a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.43%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 12th. American Eagle Outfitterss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.05%.

Insider Transactions at American Eagle Outfitters

Analyst Ratings Changes

In other news, Director Cary D. Mcmillan sold 2,577 shares of American Eagle Outfitters stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.93, for a total value of $53,936.61. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Insiders own 7.30% of the companys stock.

AEO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $35.00 to $34.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. StockNews.com raised American Eagle Outfitters from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on American Eagle Outfitters from $19.00 to $18.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Telsey Advisory Group restated a market perform rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of American Eagle Outfitters in a report on Thursday. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on shares of American Eagle Outfitters from $32.00 to $26.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $25.33.

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American Eagle Outfitters Company Profile

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American Eagle Outfitters, Inc operates as a multi-brand specialty retailer in the United States and internationally. The company provides jeans, apparel and accessories, and personal care products for women and men under the American Eagle brand; and intimates, apparel, activewear, and swim collections under the Aerie and OFFLINE by Aerie brands.

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Primerica, Inc. (NYSE:PRI  Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of Hold from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $275.20.

PRI has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Primerica from $239.00 to $249.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Primerica in a report on Friday. They set a neutral rating and a $283.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com lowered shares of Primerica from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Primerica from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on shares of Primerica from $255.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th.

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Primerica Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE PRI opened at $263.29 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $248.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $238.93. The stock has a market cap of $9.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.02 and a beta of 1.09. Primerica has a 52-week low of $184.76 and a 52-week high of $265.27.

Primerica (NYSE:PRI  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $4.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.47 by $0.24. The company had revenue of $803.38 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $748.88 million. Primerica had a net margin of 14.85% and a return on equity of 27.81%. Primericas revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.99 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Primerica will post 17.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Primerica Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 12th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 21st will be given a dividend of $0.90 per share. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.37%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 21st. This is a boost from Primericas previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. Primericas dividend payout ratio is 21.91%.

Insider Activity at Primerica

In other Primerica news, CEO Glenn J. Williams sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.76, for a total value of $668,280.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 48,322 shares in the company, valued at $10,764,208.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Primerica news, President Peter W. Schneider sold 1,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.11, for a total transaction of $391,665.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 10,259 shares in the company, valued at $2,678,727.49. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Glenn J. Williams sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.76, for a total transaction of $668,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 48,322 shares in the company, valued at $10,764,208.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 7,500 shares of company stock valued at $1,817,595 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.85% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Primerica

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Primerica by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 3,924 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $807,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Primerica by 45.5% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 192 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC boosted its position in Primerica by 2.4% in the second quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 2,644 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $625,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Primerica by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,271 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,484,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Primerica by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 1,483 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $351,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the companys stock.

About Primerica

(Get Free Report

Primerica, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services to middle-income households in the United States and Canada. The company operates in four segments: Term Life Insurance; Investment and Savings Products; Senior Health; and Corporate and Other Distributed Products.

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BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. cut its position in shares of Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH  Free Report) by 13.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 66,148 shares of the companys stock after selling 10,299 shares during the period. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. owned approximately 0.11% of Molina Healthcare worth $19,666,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Molina Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $275,143,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 12.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,831,100 shares of the companys stock worth $1,384,215,000 after buying an additional 436,060 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB bought a new stake in shares of Molina Healthcare in the 1st quarter worth about $69,320,000. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 2,430,283 shares of the companys stock valued at $878,086,000 after buying an additional 123,894 shares in the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 127.0% in the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 192,847 shares of the companys stock valued at $69,678,000 after acquiring an additional 107,895 shares during the last quarter. 98.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Molina Healthcare Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of Molina Healthcare stock traded down $0.77 on Friday, hitting $349.79. 419,113 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 491,554. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The company has a market cap of $20.50 billion, a PE ratio of 18.98, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.58. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $320.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $349.01. Molina Healthcare, Inc. has a 52 week low of $282.96 and a 52 week high of $423.92.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Molina Healthcare ( NYSE:MOH Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $5.86 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $5.73 by $0.13. Molina Healthcare had a return on equity of 28.09% and a net margin of 2.84%. The business had revenue of $9.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.75 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $5.65 EPS. Molina Healthcares revenue was up 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Molina Healthcare, Inc. will post 23.5 EPS for the current year.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird started coverage on Molina Healthcare in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. They issued an outperform rating and a $405.00 price objective for the company. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare from $440.00 to $400.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Molina Healthcare from $315.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, August 5th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of Molina Healthcare from $412.00 to $351.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Stephens reissued an equal weight rating and issued a $320.00 price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Molina Healthcare presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $378.00.

Read Our Latest Report on MOH

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Molina Healthcare news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $339.21, for a total transaction of $339,210.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 18,025 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,114,260.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Molina Healthcare news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $339.21, for a total transaction of $339,210.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 18,025 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,114,260.25. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Maurice Hebert sold 393 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $346.52, for a total value of $136,182.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,473 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,282,583.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Molina Healthcare Company Profile

(Free Report)

Molina Healthcare, Inc provides managed healthcare services to low-income families and individuals under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. It operates in four segments: Medicaid, Medicare, Marketplace, and Other. The company served in across 19 states. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Long Beach, California.

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Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH bought a new position in iShares Russell 2500 ETF (BATS:SMMD  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 486,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $30,424,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH owned about 2.86% of iShares Russell 2500 ETF at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 2500 ETF by 8.4% in the 4th quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,554,735 shares of the companys stock valued at $95,725,000 after acquiring an additional 120,123 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in iShares Russell 2500 ETF by 4.0% in the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 563,524 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,277,000 after purchasing an additional 21,891 shares during the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC grew its position in iShares Russell 2500 ETF by 149.1% during the 4th quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 509,552 shares of the companys stock worth $31,373,000 after purchasing an additional 305,015 shares during the period. Wealthspire Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2500 ETF by 14.0% during the 4th quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 425,056 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,171,000 after buying an additional 52,101 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Truist Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 2500 ETF by 40.2% in the 4th quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 344,208 shares of the companys stock valued at $21,193,000 after buying an additional 98,731 shares during the period.

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iShares Russell 2500 ETF Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of SMMD traded up $0.32 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $67.01. The company had a trading volume of 44,745 shares. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.31 and a beta of 1.15. iShares Russell 2500 ETF has a 52-week low of $38.91 and a 52-week high of $45.72. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $64.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $63.57.

iShares Russell 2500 ETF Company Profile

The iShares Russell 2500 ETF (SMMD) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Russell 2500 index, a market-cap-weighted index of US companies ranked 501-3,000 by market cap. SMMD was launched on Jul 6, 2017 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Jacobe De Leon O Shea Ferguson (center, holding water bottle) is charged with setting the 2018 Iconic Village Apartments fire, which killed five people. He is seen leaving court in San Marcos after a hearing on his bail conditions. Christopher Lee Brian Frizzell carries a framed photo of his 19-year-old daughter, Haley, one of five people killed in the Iconic Village Apartments fire in San Marcos in 2018. Christopher Lee Michele Frizzell, left, embraces a supporter in a Hays County courtroom. Her 19-year-old daughter, Haley, was one of five people killed in the Iconic Village Apartments fire in 2018. Christopher Lee Michele Frizzell holding a framed photo of her daughter Haley, 19, one of five people killed in the Iconic Village Apartments fire in 2018. Christopher Lee Michele Frizzell, left, and husband Brian, center, greet a Texas Ranger as they arrive in court in San Marcos. Their daughter Haley, 19, was one of five people killed in the Iconic Village Apartments fire in 2018. Christopher Lee Gina Ortiz's son, David, 21, was one of five people killed in the 2018 fire at Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos. Christopher Lee Michele and Brian Frizzell carry framed photos of their 19-year-old daughter, Haley, one of five people killed in the Iconic Village Apartments fire in San Marcos in 2018. Christopher Lee Michele Frizzell holds a framed photo of her 19-year-old daughter, Haley, one of five people killed in the Iconic Village Apartments fire in San Marcos in 2018. Christopher Lee Jacobe De Leon O Shea Ferguson, 31, second from left, is charged with setting the 2018 Iconic Village Apartments fire, which killed five people. Christopher Lee Five people died in an arson fire at Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos on July 20, 2018. Billy Calzada / Staff photographer Jacobe De Leon O Shea Ferguson, 31, of Austin, is charged with arson causing bodily injury or death in connection with a 2018 fire that killed five young adults and severely burned a sixth at Iconic Village Apartments in San Marcos. Courtesy photo/Hays County court records

A Hays County judge, weighing whether to ease bail conditions for the man charged with setting a 2018 apartment fire in San Marcos that killed five people, said prosecutors can't wait indefinitely to decide whether to bring the case to trial.

Magistrate Judge Daniel "Matt" Burns made the remark during a brief court hearing on a defense motion to lighten pretrial release conditions for Jacobe De Leon O Shea Ferguson, 31, of Austin. The judge's point: The case cannot remain in limbo forever.

Ferguson was arrested in July 2023 and charged with arson causing bodily injury or death, a first-degree felony, in connection with the deadly blaze at a rental complex then known as Iconic Village Apartments, a few blocks from Texas State University.

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Less than three months after Ferguson's arrest, however, Hays County prosecutors said they weren't prepared to present the case to a grand jury and that further investigation was needed. That led to Ferguson's release from jail because under Texas law, a felony defendant cannot be held longer than 90 days without a grand jury indictment.

Since then, prosecutors have given no public indication if or when they will seek an indictment and try to bring Ferguson to trial. Friday's court hearing brought no clarity on that point.

"This situation cannot continue indefinitely," Burns said in court. "It's not something that's going to be carried on indefinitely in the absence of an indictment."

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Hays County District Attorney Kelly Higgins, asked for comment outside the courtroom, said he could not discuss the matter.

'An awful circumstance'

The hearing at the Hays County Government Center was the first time family members of those killed in the fire had seen Ferguson in person. Some of them sat a few feet from the defendant in the first row of the courtroom's spectator section. Brian and Michele Frizzell of Austin, whose 19-year-old daughter, Haley, died in the blaze, each held framed photos of her in their laps, facing the judge.

Burns ordered a slight easing of Ferguson's terms of release. He discontinued an 8 p.m. curfew but left in place a requirement that Ferguson wear an ankle bracelet with a GPS monitor to track his whereabouts.

The judge declined to lower Ferguson's $400,000 bail.

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Ferguson, dressed in a suit, sat beside his lawyer, Kristin Dow, during the proceeding.

RELATED: Burn victim returns to scene of deadly San Marcos apartment fire

"The fire is an awful circumstance," Dow told the court in arguing for an easing of restrictions on her client. "We are not in any way trying to minimize the pain the families are feeling.

"This has greatly affected Mr. Ferguson's life as well," she added.

On hearing that remark, Dalia Moats Castillo, whose niece Belinda Moats, 21, died in the fire, let out a soft sob and shook her head.

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Ferguson said in an affidavit filed with the court that the bail restrictions  specifically, the ankle monitor and the 8 p.m. curfew  had harmed his mental health and "severely limited" his ability to function.

He said he was "forced" to take a job in a warehouse, which doesn't make use of his college degree, and that he is earning "significantly less" than he had previously. He said he was "terrified" of going out to dinner for fear of violating the curfew.

Ferguson had no criminal history before his arrest, Dow told the court. She noted that Ferguson hasn't violated any bail conditions and hasn't tested positive for drugs or alcohol.

'Not oppressive'

Dow said the defense could have filed a motion seeking to dismiss the case, citing a provision of state law that allows dismissal if an indictment hasn't been secured within 180 days of arrest. She said Ferguson asked her not to do that.

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"Mr. Ferguson would absolutely be 100% entitled to a dismissal right now," Dow told the judge. "Mr. Ferguson has instructed me not to file that because he does not want to go through this process again. He wants to make himself available to the court and proceed."

The DA's office took no position on removing Ferguson's ankle monitor or lifting the curfew, but it opposed lowering the amount of his bail.

"Its only there to ensure that he returns if he is summoned at some point," assistant district attorney Jon English said. "It is a very serious crime. Whatever point he is summoned back to court, we want to make sure that the greatest incentive is possible to compel him to attend. And we wouldnt see what good there would be in reducing from $400,000 to $200,000."

DA Higgins said after the hearing that his office decided on ethical grounds to remain silent on Ferguson's request to lift the ankle monitor and end the curfew.

"At this point, a year after the arrest  thats not only arguably punitive, its demonstrably punitive," Higgins said of the two requirements. "However, the underlying bond amount isnt. Its not oppressive. Its not a deprivation of his rights."

Screams and smoke

The Iconic Village fire erupted shortly before 4:30 a.m. on July 20, 2018. Most of the residents were asleep at the time. They awoke to screams, the sound of breaking glass and the smell of smoke.

The flames quickly spread around all four sides of Building 500, trapping and killing five people: Moats, who was from Big Wells; Frizzell, who was from San Angelo; Dru Estes, 20, of San Antonio; James Phillip Miranda, 23, of Mount Pleasant; and David Angel Ortiz, 21, of Pasadena.

Zachary Sutterfield, now 26, of San Angelo, jumped from the second story of the building to escape the inferno. He suffered third-degree burns over 68% of his body, as well as a traumatic brain injury.

Ferguson was arrested July 5, 2023, nearly five years after the fire.

A probable cause affidavit accused him of igniting a discarded mattress in an outdoor breezeway at Iconic Village because he was angry at a woman who lived there and was depressed about his life circumstances. The affidavit quoted a witness as saying that Ferguson admitted to him that he set the mattress aflame, and that Ferguson described how it burned "super hot" and "super fast."

Prosecutors have never disclosed what prompted them to refrain from seeking an indictment and instead ask for further investigation.

'It was heavy'

Frizzell's father, Brian, described it as "absolutely infuriating" to see Ferguson in person.

"I'm too old and out of shape to want 10 minutes in a room with him, but I'd like to see him stay in a room all by himself for a long time," he said. "It sucks to have somebody that close and know that there's absolutely nothing you can do to let out your feelings. ... Six years is a long time to wait for that to be settled."

His wife appeared composed during the hearing but said later that she thought she might pass out upon seeing Ferguson.

Gina Ortiz, whose son David died in the fire, said it was a "nerve-wracking day."

"I felt nervous" seeing Ferguson, she said. "It was heavy."

Moats' aunt said the hearing triggered traumatic flashbacks. "Crossing under the yellow tape and being there and them coming and telling you they just found the fifth body," Moats Castillo said.

She said Belinda Moats' sister, Alyssa, who lives in San Antonio, didn't attend the hearing because she doesn't want to see Ferguson. "I think she really just doesn't want to look at him," she said.

Several of Ferguson's supporters also appeared at the hearing and sat on the opposite side of the courtroom from the victims' families, in a back row.

Ferguson, who is originally from Tyler, earned a degree from Texas State and lived for a time in Building 500 at Iconic Village, though he later moved to another part of the complex. He was working as a cook at the Tap Room in San Marcos at the time of the tragedy.
iA Global Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM  Free Report) by 30.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,952 shares of the restaurant operators stock after buying an additional 1,386 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $788,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Yum! Brands by 79.8% in the 1st quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. now owns 187 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Manchester Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Yum! Brands by 165.7% in the first quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 186 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the period. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Yum! Brands in the first quarter worth about $28,000. Crewe Advisors LLC bought a new position in Yum! Brands during the first quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Yum! Brands during the first quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 82.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on YUM shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Yum! Brands from $143.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Evercore ISI cut Yum! Brands from an outperform rating to an inline rating and cut their price objective for the company from $160.00 to $145.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Yum! Brands in a report on Thursday, June 13th. They issued a neutral rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Yum! Brands from $132.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, June 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $156.00 price objective on shares of Yum! Brands in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $145.00.

Yum! Brands Stock Performance

Shares of YUM opened at $134.92 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.92, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.07. Yum! Brands, Inc. has a 52 week low of $115.53 and a 52 week high of $143.20. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $132.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $135.85.

Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The restaurant operator reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.02. Yum! Brands had a negative return on equity of 18.90% and a net margin of 21.96%. The firm had revenue of $1.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.41 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Yum! Brands, Inc. will post 5.62 EPS for the current year.

Yum! Brands Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 27th. Yum! Brandss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.52%.

Yum! Brands announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, May 15th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the restaurant operator to purchase up to 5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Yum! Brands

In other news, CEO David W. Gibbs sold 6,961 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.02, for a total value of $912,030.22. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 162,381 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,275,158.62. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Yum! Brands news, CEO David W. Gibbs sold 6,961 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.02, for a total transaction of $912,030.22. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 162,381 shares in the company, valued at $21,275,158.62. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Sabir Sami sold 71,051 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.16, for a total transaction of $9,745,355.16. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 68 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,326.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 101,685 shares of company stock worth $13,910,094 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock.

Yum! Brands Company Profile

(Free Report)

Yum! Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, operates, and franchises quick service restaurants worldwide. The company operates through the KFC Division, the Taco Bell Division, the Pizza Hut Division, and the Habit Burger Grill Division segments. It also operates restaurants under the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill brands, which specialize in chicken, pizza, made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches, Mexican-style food categories, and other food products.

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Key Financial Inc reduced its holdings in shares of iShares Convertible Bond ETF (BATS:ICVT  Free Report) by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 22,193 shares of the companys stock after selling 257 shares during the period. Key Financial Inc owned approximately 0.09% of iShares Convertible Bond ETF worth $1,745,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SSI Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares Convertible Bond ETF in the second quarter worth $4,987,000. Strategic Blueprint LLC increased its position in shares of iShares Convertible Bond ETF by 27.5% in the 2nd quarter. Strategic Blueprint LLC now owns 10,851 shares of the companys stock valued at $853,000 after acquiring an additional 2,340 shares during the period. Aletheian Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in iShares Convertible Bond ETF by 13.2% in the 2nd quarter. Aletheian Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,494 shares of the companys stock worth $511,000 after acquiring an additional 756 shares during the last quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC lifted its position in iShares Convertible Bond ETF by 28.8% during the 2nd quarter. WealthShield Partners LLC now owns 5,428 shares of the companys stock worth $427,000 after acquiring an additional 1,214 shares during the period. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its position in iShares Convertible Bond ETF by 12.8% during the 2nd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 50,338 shares of the companys stock worth $3,958,000 after acquiring an additional 5,725 shares during the period.

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iShares Convertible Bond ETF Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of ICVT stock traded up $0.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $81.29. The stock had a trading volume of 106,400 shares. iShares Convertible Bond ETF has a 1-year low of $50.43 and a 1-year high of $58.18. The businesss fifty day moving average is $79.53 and its 200-day moving average is $78.73.

iShares Convertible Bond ETF Increases Dividend

About iShares Convertible Bond ETF

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 5th. Investors of record on Monday, July 1st were issued a $0.1563 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 1st. This is an increase from iShares Convertible Bond ETFs previous dividend of $0.15.

(Free Report)

The iShares Convertible Bond ETF (ICVT) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in broad credit fixed income. The fund tracks an index of USD-denominated convertible bonds weighted by market value. The index contains only cash-pay convertibles and excludes mandatory and preferred convertibles.

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JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia Pacific ex-Japan ETF (BATS:BBAX  Get Free Report)s stock price traded down 0.5% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $51.01 and last traded at $51.36. 122,380 shares changed hands during trading, The stock had previously closed at $51.60.

JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia Pacific ex-Japan ETF Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $4.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.86 and a beta of 0.99. The business has a fifty day moving average of $49.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $48.66.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BBAX. Seven Mile Advisory acquired a new stake in shares of JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia Pacific ex-Japan ETF during the 4th quarter worth about $210,000. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia Pacific ex-Japan ETF by 87.2% during the 1st quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,291 shares of the companys stock worth $158,000 after purchasing an additional 1,533 shares during the period. Syon Capital LLC acquired a new stake in JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia Pacific ex-Japan ETF in the 4th quarter worth about $2,332,000. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC raised its stake in JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia Pacific ex-Japan ETF by 12.3% during the first quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 10,994 shares of the companys stock worth $529,000 after purchasing an additional 1,201 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia Pacific ex-Japan ETF by 589.8% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 876 shares of the companys stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 749 shares during the last quarter.

About JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia Pacific ex-Japan ETF

The JPMorgan BetaBuilders Developed Asia Pacific ex-Japan ETF (BBAX) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund tracks a market cap-weighted index of large- and mid-cap stocks in developed-market Asian countries, excluding Japan. BBAX was launched on Aug 7, 2018 and is managed by JPMorgan Chase.

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Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE  Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 75,584 shares of the technology companys stock, valued at approximately $1,600,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 161,853,093 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $2,869,655,000 after acquiring an additional 5,777,901 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 17,733,959 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $301,151,000 after acquiring an additional 695,038 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 9,483,975 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $200,776,000 after acquiring an additional 237,321 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 8,984,626 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $152,559,000 after acquiring an additional 83,037 shares during the period. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 12.3% in the 1st quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 4,723,120 shares of the technology companys stock worth $84,166,000 after purchasing an additional 517,734 shares during the period. 80.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on HPE. Morgan Stanley restated an equal weight rating and issued a $21.00 price target on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. StockNews.com upgraded Hewlett Packard Enterprise from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 5th. Finally, Argus upgraded Hewlett Packard Enterprise from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $26.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, June 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $21.08.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Trading Up 3.7 %

NYSE:HPE traded up $0.69 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $19.37. 18,091,068 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 14,934,882. The firms fifty day moving average is $19.66 and its 200-day moving average is $18.32. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a 12-month low of $14.47 and a 12-month high of $22.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, June 4th. The technology company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.03. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a return on equity of 8.49% and a net margin of 6.38%. The business had revenue of $7.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.32 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Hewlett Packard Enterprise will post 1.59 EPS for the current year.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 18th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 19th were paid a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 18th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.68%. Hewlett Packard Enterprises payout ratio is 37.96%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Gerri Gold sold 22,784 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.67, for a total transaction of $493,729.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 57,081 shares in the company, valued at $1,236,945.27. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, CEO Gerri Gold sold 22,784 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.67, for a total transaction of $493,729.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 57,081 shares in the company, valued at $1,236,945.27. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Kirt P. Karros sold 30,686 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.49, for a total value of $628,756.14. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 140,141 shares of company stock worth $2,850,108 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock.

About Hewlett Packard Enterprise

(Free Report)

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. It operates in six segments: Compute, HPC & AI, Storage, Intelligent Edge, Financial Services, and Corporate Investments and Other.

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Bapcor Limited (ASX:BAP  Get Free Report) insider Mark Bernhard bought 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of A$4.87 ($3.29) per share, for a total transaction of A$48,700.00 ($32,905.41).

Bapcor Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.50, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.23.

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Bapcor Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a Final dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 18th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 18th will be paid a $0.055 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 28th. This represents a yield of 1.12%. Bapcors dividend payout ratio is presently 72.41%.

About Bapcor

Bapcor Limited sells and distributes vehicle parts, accessories, automotive equipment, and services and solutions in Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand. The company operates through four segments: Bapcor Trade, Bapcor Specialist Wholesale, Bapcor Retail, and Bapcor NZ. The Bapcor Trade segment offers automotive aftermarket parts and consumables to trade workshops for the service and repair of passenger and commercial vehicles; automotive workshop equipment, such as vehicle hoists and scanning equipment, including the servicing of the equipment; and automotive accessories and maintenance products to do-it-yourself vehicle owners.

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Nordic American Tankers Limited (NYSE:NAT  Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, August 29th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 26th will be paid a dividend of 0.12 per share by the shipping company on Tuesday, November 26th. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 26th.

Nordic American Tankers has raised its dividend by an average of 2.9% annually over the last three years. Nordic American Tankers has a payout ratio of 70.6% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Nordic American Tankers to earn $0.54 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.48 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 88.9%.

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Nordic American Tankers Stock Up 1.9 %

Shares of Nordic American Tankers stock opened at $3.72 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $776.72 million, a P/E ratio of 11.63 and a beta of -0.16. Nordic American Tankers has a 52-week low of $3.31 and a 52-week high of $4.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The firms 50 day moving average price is $3.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $3.93.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Nordic American Tankers ( NYSE:NAT Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 29th. The shipping company reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.11 by ($0.04). Nordic American Tankers had a net margin of 28.37% and a return on equity of 12.43%. The business had revenue of $60.57 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $66.19 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Nordic American Tankers will post 0.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Nordic American Tankers from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Tuesday, August 13th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on shares of Nordic American Tankers from $5.00 to $4.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price objective on shares of Nordic American Tankers from $4.50 to $4.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a report on Friday.

Read Our Latest Research Report on NAT

About Nordic American Tankers

(Get Free Report)

Nordic American Tankers Limited, a tanker company, acquires and charters double-hull tankers in Bermuda and internationally. It operates a fleet of 20 Suezmax crude oil tankers. The company was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

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Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV boosted its holdings in Onto Innovation Inc. (NYSE:ONTO  Free Report) by 15.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 5,444 shares of the semiconductor companys stock after buying an additional 711 shares during the quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADVs holdings in Onto Innovation were worth $1,195,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. grew its position in Onto Innovation by 24.6% during the 2nd quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 202,425 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $44,444,000 after purchasing an additional 39,955 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its position in Onto Innovation by 98.5% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 5,547 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $1,218,000 after purchasing an additional 2,753 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in Onto Innovation by 17.8% during the 1st quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 102,103 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $18,586,000 after purchasing an additional 15,451 shares in the last quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama purchased a new position in Onto Innovation during the 4th quarter worth approximately $9,399,000. Finally, Eagle Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Onto Innovation by 36.8% during the 4th quarter. Eagle Asset Management Inc. now owns 295,824 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $45,231,000 after purchasing an additional 79,530 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.35% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on ONTO. Needham & Company LLC upgraded shares of Onto Innovation from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Onto Innovation from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 15th. Benchmark restated a buy rating and set a $230.00 price target on shares of Onto Innovation in a report on Friday, August 9th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Onto Innovation in a report on Monday, May 13th. They set a buy rating and a $265.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Onto Innovation from $235.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, May 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $259.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Onto Innovation news, CFO Mark Slicer sold 519 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.21, for a total transaction of $114,807.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 12,552 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,776,627.92. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, CFO Mark Slicer sold 519 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.21, for a total transaction of $114,807.99. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 12,552 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,776,627.92. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Srinivas Vedula sold 1,486 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $213.40, for a total transaction of $317,112.40. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 17,433 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,720,202.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.72% of the companys stock.

Onto Innovation Trading Up 2.1 %

ONTO stock opened at $213.39 on Friday. Onto Innovation Inc. has a 1 year low of $108.98 and a 1 year high of $238.93. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $206.50 and a 200 day simple moving average of $200.46. The firm has a market cap of $10.52 billion, a PE ratio of 75.94 and a beta of 1.39.

Onto Innovation (NYSE:ONTO  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The semiconductor company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $242.33 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $235.43 million. Onto Innovation had a net margin of 16.43% and a return on equity of 11.48%. The businesss revenue was up 27.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.79 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Onto Innovation Inc. will post 5.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Onto Innovation Profile

(Free Report)

Onto Innovation Inc engages in the design, development, manufacture, and support of process control tools that performs optical metrology. The company offers lithography systems and process control analytical software. It also offers process and yield management solutions, and device packaging and test facilities through standalone systems for optical metrology, macro-defect inspection, packaging lithography, and transparent and opaque thin film measurements.

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Shenzhou International Group Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:SHZHY  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,900 shares, a drop of 31.9% from the July 31st total of 7,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 49,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Shenzhou International Group Stock Performance

Shares of SHZHY stock traded up $0.15 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $8.08. 37,574 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 23,052. Shenzhou International Group has a one year low of $7.56 and a one year high of $11.47. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $8.71 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $9.20.

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Shenzhou International Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 11th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be issued a $0.1282 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 10th. This is a boost from Shenzhou International Groups previous dividend of $0.11.

About Shenzhou International Group

Shenzhou International Group Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, engages in the manufacture, printing, and sale of knitwear products in Mainland China, European Union, the United States, Japan, and internationally. It produces and sells knitted sportswear, casual wear, and lingerie wear.

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Sivik Global Healthcare LLC boosted its stake in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA  Free Report) by 14.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 200,000 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 25,000 shares during the period. Sivik Global Healthcare LLCs holdings in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries were worth $3,250,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. acquired a new stake in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the first quarter worth approximately $30,000. Beach Investment Counsel Inc. PA acquired a new stake in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries during the second quarter worth approximately $48,000. Byrne Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Finally, Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in the 1st quarter worth approximately $54,000. 54.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Transactions at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

In related news, insider Eric A. Hughes sold 24,537 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.25, for a total value of $423,263.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 45,060 shares in the company, valued at $777,285. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, Director Roberto Mignone sold 519,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.03, for a total value of $8,838,570.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 981,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,706,430. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Eric A. Hughes sold 24,537 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.25, for a total value of $423,263.25. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 45,060 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $777,285. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.55% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

TEVA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, May 30th. StockNews.com raised Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, August 3rd. Argus raised Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $20.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $20.00 price objective (up previously from $19.00) on shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in a research report on Monday, May 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $18.67.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Stock Performance

TEVA stock traded up $0.14 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $18.87. 8,202,105 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,090,135. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.52. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $17.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $15.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -46.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.90. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has a twelve month low of $8.06 and a twelve month high of $18.89.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:TEVA  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $4.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.99 billion. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries had a positive return on equity of 39.66% and a negative net margin of 2.73%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current year.

About Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

(Free Report)

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes generic medicines, specialty medicines, and biopharmaceutical products in North America, Europe, Israel, and internationally. It offers generic medicines in various dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, injectables, inhalants, liquids, transdermal patches, ointments, and creams; sterile products, hormones, high-potency drugs, and cytotoxic substances in parenteral and solid dosage forms; and generic products with medical devices and combination products.

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Migrant children line up in a make-shift camp at the International Bridge in Matamoros to be fed by members of Team Brownsville in this 2019 photo. A Travis County judge has denied a request from Paxtons office to take the deposition of a Team Brownsville representative. Team Brownsville provides water, shelter and other basic necessities to asylum-seeking migrants. Bob Owen/San Antonio Express-News

EAGLE PASS  A Travis County judge has denied an effort from Attorney General Ken Paxtons office to question the leader of a Brownsville organization that provides migrants with humanitarian aid, delivering the states top civil lawyer another courtroom defeat in a series of actions targeting groups that work with migrants and immigrants.

Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of the 459th Civil District Court denied a request from Paxtons office to take the deposition of a Team Brownsville representative. Team Brownsville provides water, shelter and other basic necessities to asylum-seeking migrants.

In court filings, the state argued that it had a reasonable basis to believe that Team Brownsville was among nongovernmental organizations at the Texas-Mexico border helping immigrants enter the country.

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Gov. Greg Abbott directed Paxtons office in 2022 to investigate the role of such groups in planning and facilitating the illegal transportation of illegal immigrants across our borders.

Paxtons office said in the filings that former board members and volunteers had accused Team Brownsville of poor financial accountability for money it receives from the government and donors as well as potential improper use of funds but did not further detail any alleged wrongdoing.

Paxtons office did not respond to a request for comment on Thursdays ruling.

Aron Thorn, a lawyer with the Beyond Borders Program at the Texas Civil Rights Project, said the group was proud to represent Team Brownsville.

We are thrilled with the judges ruling denying this baseless petition, Thorn said in a statement. Organizations like Team Brownsville provide essential services to people seeking safety at the border. They fill a critical need in Texas border communities that are unable to care for immigrants. Any effort to end their services is an attack on that very care.

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The ruling against Paxtons office is at least the fourth time a state judge has rejected his probing of groups that work with migrants or immigrants.

On Aug. 23, a Houston judge denied an effort from Paxtons office to shut down an immigrants rights organization, FIEL, that his office accused of violating nonprofit rules by making political statements criticizing former President Donald Trump, Abbott and Texas policy.

In El Paso, a judge in July ruled that Paxton could not shut down Annunciation House, a migrant shelter network his office accused of violating laws prohibiting human smuggling and operating a stash house.

Meanwhile, a judge in Hidalgo County denied Paxtons effort to depose the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, one of the largest migrant aid groups in the state that Paxtons office was investigating for illegally harboring migrants or illegally encouraging them to enter or remain in the country.
Farmers and agribusiness leaders from across the country recently gathered in Salt Lake City for the U.S. Grains Council Board of Delegates Meeting.

During this event, Nebraska corn farmer Jay Reiners, of Juanita, was elected to the board of directors serving as secretary/treasurer for USGC.

After being involved with the U.S. Grains Council for many years and understanding the necessity of the work they do, Im honored to be elected to leadership with the organization, Reiners said. Our crops need somewhere to go, and I see tremendous value in the work that the U.S. Grains Council does to facilitate trade to move our grains and products to nations worldwide. Im privileged to soon play a role in leadership for the organization.

Reiners grows corn and soybeans with his wife near Juanita. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and served in Nebraskas Army National Guard. In 1992, Reiners Farms received the Aksarbens Pioneer Farm Award. Reiners serves as the chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board and has served in leadership positions on the local, state and national levels, including U.S. Grains Council action teams.

Reiners term will begin on Oct. 1.

Aurora educator receives sustainable agriculture grant

John Boeder, with the Edgerton Explorit Center in Aurora, has been awarded a grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.

Boeder will get $5,873 for his project, BEEing Aware: Learning about and Nurturing Local Honey Bees & Pollinators for more Sustainable Agriculture.

We will inspire youth in sustainable agriculture though hands-on programs for youth ages 4-18 focusing on local honey bees, native pollinators, and eco-friendly beekeeping, Boeder said. Through this project we will empowering the next generation for a sustainable food future.

This grant was awarded as part of NCR-SAREs Youth Educator Program Youth Educator grants support educators who teach youth about sustainable agriculture practices and careers. The focus for each of the NCR-SARE grant programs is on research and education.

Boeder, who hails from Luxemburg, Wisconsin, earned his bachelor of science degree in agricultural education (6-12) from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

NCR-SAREs Youth Educator grant program starts accepting proposals in mid-August. Learn more at: https://northcentral.sare.org/grants/apply-for-a-grant/youth-educator-grant/

Funding considerations are based on how well the applicant presents the problem being addressed, the projects relevance to sustainable agriculture in the 12-state North Central region, and how well it aligns with NCR-SAREs goals, among other factors specific to each grant program.

Since 1988, the SARE program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound, and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program, part of USDAs National Institute of Food and Agriculture, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems.
Dewarren Knowles, 37, was arrested in San Antonio on Aug. 17 in connection to Harris County warrant for the sexual assault of a child. Texas Department of Public Safety

A man on Texas 10 Most Wanted offenders list has been arrested in San Antonio after being on the run since February, Texas Department of Public Safety officials said.

Authorities arrested Dewarren Donta Knowles, 36, on Aug. 17 in San Antonio, in connection with a warrant out of Harris County, where he is accused of sexual assault of a child, according to the statement released Friday by DPS.

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Knowles was taken into custody by members of the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, DPS Special Agents, and San Antonio Police Department officers from the Texas Anti-Gang Center.
(TBTCO) - Nhung tiem nang nao cua ban than ma ban chua kham pha ra? Lam the nao e nam bat nhung co hoi, trai nghiem moi trong su nghiep cua minh? ang ky tham gia ngay su kien Mega Livestream "Mo tiem nang- Vuot gioi han" uoc Prudential lan au tien to chuc, hua hen mang en nhieu thong tin thu vi, co hoi nghe nghiep hap dan va nhung phan qua gia tri cho nguoi tham gia.
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SARATOGA  For nearly 100 years, Where the Trout Leap in Main Street has been Saratogas unofficial slogan. At the August 20 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, however, newly appointed Carbon County Visitors Council (Discover Carbon County Wyoming) representative Ellie Dana-Raymer suggested the town explore changing the brand of Saratoga.

Do you want to change your brand? asked Dana-Raymer. Where the fish jump into Main Street might not be truly representative of Saratoga any longer. Probably need to move on from that.

For many decades, Saratoga has been branded as Where the fish jump into main street.

Saratogas first slogan promoting the great trout fishing was Where Fish Jump penned about 1890. said Dick Perue, local historian and former Saratoga Sun publisher.

Perue said the slogan had multiple mentions in mottos and slogans until the 1927 change to Where the Trout Leap in Main Street  all revolving around trout.

An article in The Big Sky Journal (Good Medicine on the North Platte, https://bigskyjournal.com/good-medicineon-the-north-platte) describes the purported beginning of the brand.

Its renown spreading, a 1910 story on Saratoga in The Outing Magazine was titled, The Greatest Trout Fishing Town in the World.

Saratogas current mottoWhere the Trout Leap in Main Street was borrowed from the title of a 1927 Outdoor Living magazine article on the area by writer Billy ONeil. Local lore has it that ONeil had been sitting on the riverside porch of Saratogas Sierra Madre Trout Club, perhaps observing the aerial antics of North Platte trout.

Even in this age of unrelenting hype, the slogan seems perfectly appropriate displayed on Saratogas downtown light posts.

Some slogans such as Adventure starts here, Small Town  Big Adventures or Trailhead to the Mountains were mentioned as possible replacement mottos gathered by the new visitors council representative.

Councilwoman Kathy Beck suggested creating a flier containing a QR code with a survey for locals to have a voice in a possible new branding. The council thought this might be a good idea, and Dana-Raymer offered multiple suggestions that could be included in the survey, as write-in votes do not necessarily work in these types of surveys.

The survey could also be posted on the towns website to generate more available voting for best new slogan.

From Valley Foods to the Platte Valley Community Center, trout are as abundant in branding as they are in the Platte River running through town. Multiple businesses and events begin their design process with the trout in a logo, slogan or brand development.

Even the Town of Saratoga website (townofsaratoga.org) has a huge rainbow trout on its landing page.

This year, Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Amanda Knotwell used a trout in front of a beer stein for this years Steinley Cup Microbrew Festival logo. Knotwell said she uses the Saratoga slogan in conjunction with the overall promotion of The Good Times Valley which includes Saratoga, Encampment, Riverside and Ryan Park.

I do believe the representative for Discover Carbon County Wyoming had good intentions when the idea was brought to the Saratoga Town Council, I just do not think that the idea was fully thought out before the presentation, said Knotwell. There is nothing wrong with change or with updating your brand, but the history of our little piece of heaven here in the Platte Valley is worth all the stories that go with it and that includes the iconic Where the trout leap in Main Street.

Dana-Raymer said a number of other adventures and venues are now available to Saratoga and the surrounding areas  more variety than in previous years. Aside from trout fishing, she said, these other options occurring throughout the valley might better reflect what appeals to tourists and encourage tourism.

Dana-Raymer asked the council to think about a change and what that might look like in bringing tourism to the valley.

Leslie Jefferson, CEO of Discover Carbon County Wyoming, said We (CCVC) are not actively seeking to rebrand Saratoga or any other community in Carbon County.

Jefferson said the organization will be using grant funding to create a master plan with a Destination Development Coordinator and work with each of the 11 communities in Carbon County.
Wyoming animal shelters are closing in on earning the state a no-kill designation.

A new report says the state has reached a save rate of 89% for dogs and cats, reducing the number of animals who are euthanized in shelters.

The data from Best Friends Animal Society says that 522 dogs and cats were killed last year in the state. Twenty-five out of 29 shelters in the state reported data. Nineteen out of those reported themselves as being no-kill.

Only 10 more shelters need to reach the 90% benchmark in order for the Cowboy State to become no-kill, said Jessica Gutmann, senior strategist for Best Friends Animal Society. Right now, Wyoming is incredibly close to no-kill, just behind Idaho and Montana for the highest save rate in the Mountain West.

Casper Humane Society is a no-kill shelter and always will be, Director Craig Cummings said.

Last year the Casper Humane Society took in 621 animals. Those animals include dogs, cats, turtles, snakes, birds, guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, hamsters and ferrets, he wrote in an email to the Star-Tribune.

They adopted out 547 animals last year.

Nationally, 2.3 million dogs and cats were adopted in 2023.

Killing fewer animals doesnt just mean more pets are finding new homes, but also that more are remaining in shelters putting strains on the resources needed to keep them fed, cared for and safe.

Or as Cummings said, food, and then of course the stuff that other people dont think about as well.

Hailey Larsen, shelter manager for the Laramie Peak Humane Society in Douglas, agreed. Laramie Peak has an Amazon wish list on its website that people can buy from, and they can donate money as well. The Douglas shelter saw 290 cats and 74 dogs adopted in 2023, along with one rabbit.

Niki Harrison, director of development and outreach for the Cheyenne Animal Shelter, noted that Best Friends Animal Societys no-kill designation means that more than 90% of the animals taken in are cared for. Sometimes, she said, an animal that is beyond the scope of veterinary care may come in, and euthanasia is necessary.

There is a misconception in the way that, when you say no-kill, people do take it at face value, she said. When we talk through the scenarios and situations that euthanasia does play in an animal shelter setting, it makes more sense to people.

The shelter is one of Best Friends program partners. Harrison pointed out that the shelter also practices socially conscious sheltering  not just placing in animal for the sake of being able to say someone adopted it, but being thoughtful and thinking about animals as part of the community as much as people are.

The shelter has a wish list on its website. From June 30, 2023, to July 1 of this year, the shelter totaled 2,230 adoptions. A little more than 2,000 cats came in, and about 1,500 dogs entered as well.

I know that for our shelter, [and] I could definitely speak for other shelters in the state, the monthly donations or just monetary donations really are what makes a huge, huge difference, she said.
The iconic Big Tex statue is installed before the 2023 State Fair of Texas at Fair Park in Dallas. Fair officials are standing by their new policy of banning all firearms from the fairgrounds. Chris Torres/TNS Dallas police block an entrance to the State Fair of Texas after the Oct. 14 shooting. ElAas Valverde II/TNS Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he is suing the city of Dallas and state fair officials for the new policy banning all firearms from the fairgrounds. Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

The state and its third-biggest city are set to square off in court over a ban on guns at Texas most celebrated tribute to itself  the State Fair of Texas.

Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he is suing the city of Dallas and state fair officials for its new policy of banning all firearms from the fairgrounds.

The attorney generals lawsuit asks a Dallas County District Court to order the city of Dallas and state fair officials not to enforce the gun ban at the fair during its run from Sept. 27 until Oct. 20.

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Neither the City of Dallas nor the State Fair of Texas can infringe on Texans right to self-defense, Paxton wrote in his statement. I warned fifteen days ago that if they did not end their unlawful conduct I would see them in court, and now I will.

The city of Dallas said it disagreed with Paxtons allegations against its interim city manager.

The City was not involved in the State Fair of Texas announcement of its enhanced weapons policy, a Dallas spokesperson said in a statement. The State Fair of Texas is a private event operated and controlled by a private, nonprofit entity and not the City.

Karissa Condoianis, a state fair spokesperson, said fair officials were standing by their decision.

The State Fair of Texas will continue to prioritize providing a safe and secure environment for our millions of fairgoers, as well as our staff, vendors, and volunteers. As a private, not-for-profit organization leasing Fair Park for our annual State Fair, we believe we have the right to make this decision and maintain that it is the correct decision to protect the safety of our patrons, she said.

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Fair officials announced the new gun ban in August, nearly a year after an Oct. 14 shooting at the fair injured three people. Paxtons suit says that since Fair Park is owned by Dallas, the policy change violates state law, which allows licensed gun owners to carry in places owned or leased by governmental entities, unless otherwise prohibited by state law.

According to the filing, Paxton is seeking fines for each day the policy is still in place. In his 15-day ultimatum letter to the interim city manager, he acknowledged that some buildings located on the Fair Park premises, like the Cotton Bowl and other buildings that are used for scholastic events are areas where guns are prohibited by state law.

Hours before the lawsuit was announced Thursday, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said he has absolute confidence in the Dallas Police Department and in the organizers of the nonprofit State Fair of Texas to keep people safe during the largest annual event in Dallas.

Fair officials have said the fair policy change was a safety measure related to last years shooting. Law enforcement arrested 22-year-old Cameron Turner in connection with the shooting. The officials said he opened fire at the fairs food court and charged him with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of unlawfully carrying a weapon in a prohibited place.

Paxton was not the only government official to express frustrations about the new gun policy; shortly after the announcement, a wave of Republican state lawmakers and gun advocacy groups voiced displeasure with it.

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The state lawmakers signed a petition pressuring state fair officials to rescind the new policy, saying the new policy makes the fair less safe and adding: Gun free zones are magnets for crime because they present less of a threat to those who seek to do evil.
Hyatt farse and outta place. The audacity of them. Saying that in this country they are not 
Pima County has received enough federal funding to continue overseeing the regions migrant-aid effort well into 2025, county officials say.

This week the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced another round of funding from the federal Shelter and Services Program, with $18.7 million going to Pima County, which acts as the fiscal agent for the funds in Southern Arizona.

Pima County is continuing its search for another entity to take over its role as fiscal agent for Southern Arizona, which ideally would be a function of the state of Arizona, said county Board of Supervisors Chair Adelita Grijalva on Friday.

The state is already the fiscal agent for Maricopa County, and received $19.2 million as part of the latest round of funding.

This weeks allocation is part of nearly $341 million in SSP funds distributed nationwide, and $47 million in Arizona alone, for the temporary shelter and care of legally processed migrants released by U.S. Border Patrol into U.S. communities.

Pima Countys latest award is less than the $33 million requested, which would have lasted through the end of 2025, County Administrator Jan Lesher said in a Thursday memo to the board.

But the funds will still last significantly longer than earlier awards that came as the county was experiencing high volumes of asylum seekers arriving in the region, with up to 1,500 released by the Border Patrol each day in December 2023.

These days, following restrictions on access to asylum imposed by the Biden administration in June, shelters in Southern Arizona are receiving only about 150 migrants per day, closer to 2022 levels, Lesher said in the memo.

Before the latest award, Pima County had received about $93 million in federal funds to support its migrant-aid effort, which hasnt used any local funds.

Casa Alitas, the nonprofit migrant-aid program of Catholic Community Services, has received more than 500,000 legally processed asylum seekers since 2019, managing to rapidly scale-up its operation amid an unprecedented surge in migrant arrivals last year.

But the nonprofit came under fire earlier this year for self-reported contract irregularities and a conflict of interest with its laundry-services vendor.

Grijalva said the controversy is overblown and overshadows the critical work done by Casa Alitas, whose leadership was instrumental in helping Tucson avoid street releases of migrants during the surge in arrivals last year.

Catholic Community Services told county officials in May that two employees jobs were terminated for failing to conduct a competitive-bid process for laundry services, noting that the agency had been overcharged for those services and the vendor was operating without a contract.

This month The New Republic reported the laundry-services vendor Amado Laundry Service was owned by the mother of the now-departed Casa Alitas director, and estimated the agency may have been overcharged by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But Grijalva takes issue with that estimate, which The New Republic calculated by comparing Amados rate charged to Catholic Community Services to comparable Tucson companies rates.

That comparison does not account for the sheer size and speed with which Casa Alitas required its laundry provider to operate, she said. Migrants clothing had to be washed and returned within 24 to 48 hours, because they rarely stayed at Casa Alitas longer than that, she said.

It also didnt consider the fluctuations in demand, depending on migrant-arrival numbers, which also resulted in higher costs for food-service contracts than what could be secured by an agency with more predictable needs.

To be able to pivot that way, you have to pay a premium for that, Grijalva said.

U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, a Tucson Republican, has called for a federal investigation into all federal funding awarded to Catholic Community Services since 2020.

In an Aug. 20 letter to DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari, Ciscomani said, Congress, and the American people deserve to know where our federal dollars are going, and individuals and entities who have taken advantage of these programs should be held accountable.

Grijalva, a Democrat, said she finds the probe unfortunate and unnecessary, as the Catholic agency self-reported the issue and quickly terminated the relationship with the vendor and staffers involved.

Respectfully, I dont think that (investigation) would be happening if it wasnt an election year, she said.
A former corrections officer has admitted to accepting bribes while working at a federal prison in South Texas, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. James C Hooper/Getty Images

A former corrections officer accused of taking payments from inmates at a federal prison in South Texas has pleaded guilty to a bribery charge, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Justin Matthew Gonzalez, 26, entered a guilty plea to a charge of bribery of a public official, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani said.

Officials say Gonzalez admitted to receiving about $1,600 in return for smuggling cigarettes into Three Rivers Correctional Institution, a federal prison in Live Oak County, about 80 miles south of San Antonio. On Feb. 11, 2021, authorities found 16 packs of cigarettes in his bag at the facility, according to federal officials

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The vast majority of these officers serve with honesty and integrity, Hamdani said. However, we must still root out any and all forms of corruption or abuse in our federal prisons and hold accountable those who choose to break the law themselves.

Special Agent in Charge Cloey Pierce said Gonzalezs actions compromised the security of the federal prison.

The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is committed to rooting out bribery schemes and bringing perpetrators to justice, Pierce said.



Gonzalez is scheduled to face sentencing on Nov. 20 in front U.S. District Judge David Morales. Gonzalez could receive up to 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. He will remain out on bail until the hearing, according to the Justice Department.
Felix Clary Tulsa World Indigenous Affairs Reporter Follow Felix Clary 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

TAHLEQUAH  Cherokee Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said Saturday that his tribe will continue to provide car tags to its citizens, even if Gov. Kevin Stitt does not renew its state compact.

No matter what happens with our compact come January the first of 2025, we will continue issuing car tags and titles to Cherokee citizens, no matter what, Hoskin said during his State of the Nation address.

Stitt has pushed against the Cherokee Nations right to issue car tags for fear of losing monetary gain from state-issued tags. In his Saturday speech, Hoskin said that the tribe will continue to print vehicle tags on its reservation and share tag revenue with the state next year, if the governor agrees to renew a fair compact.

So I ask Governor Stitt this, and I want you to help me, he said to the crowd of around 400 Cherokee citizens, as well as state and federal representatives. I ask Stitt to put aside his hostility to tribal sovereignty. I ask him to stop turning state-tribal relations into some sort of contest, and simply use common sense, and treat the Cherokee Nation with respect.

The annual Cherokee Nation Holiday will continue festivities throughout the weekend. The three-day-event opened Saturday morning with Hoskins State of the Nation address in which he addressed challenges and successes that the tribe has experienced throughout the year. The vehicle tag compact, he said, is the one of the greatest issues facing the nation currently.

The housing crisis is another issue the tribe faces, said Hoskin. In 2019, he and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner proposed the Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act, which he said is the largest housing investment in the history of the tribe.

Hoskin said the tribe has completed 2,800 individual housing projects since the creation of the Cherokee housing legislation, which he compared to the federal Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act.

We built 363 new homes, including four housing additions, for people who have been waiting for years to be served, he said. Too many of our fellow Cherokees continue to struggle when it comes to housing. Weve got to be honest about it.

He also mentioned the housing research study that will be completed to survey the tribes citizens and their housing needs.

Hoskin said that the tribes housing act expires in one year, and that the tribe must decide, as a government, whether we need to return to the days of waiting on the United States to come to the rescue, to hand down whatever inadequate funds Congress happens to approve.

He said that he plans to send to the tribal council not just a temporary housing act, but a permanent law that will put $40 million to the cause of housing every three years in perpetuity.

Thats $40 million on top of what the Housing and Urban Development Department provides under NAHSDA, and it will include our own business profits, Hoskin said.

Hoskin announced that he plans for the Cherokee Nation to take control of the Indian hospital in Claremore, which is currently run by Indian Health Services, by proposing legislation for ownership of the facility to the council.

The IHS budget is seven times less than it ought to be, he said. Quite simply, we have proven that when the Cherokee Nation operates our own health care system, we do it better.

He also announced that by 2026, the tribe plans to replace the Markoma center in Tahlequah with a new wellness center. Since 2019, Hoskin said the Cherokee Nation has expanded four health centers. The tribe is working on construction for a Carson Wellness Center in Stillwell, a $450 million hospital in Tahlequah, which will double inpatient capacity, and an $85 million health center in Salina.

He said it was the vision of his wife, January Hoskin, to build a $25 million drug treatment center near Tahlequah, which saw a ground-breaking in August.

The Cherokee Nation also recently broke ground on a new language immersion middle school, which he said means more immersion students, more translation work, and more leveraging high tech to make our language accessible, more master apprentice students, more jobs in the language and more care for our elder fluent speakers.

The Cherokee language is making a come-back, he said.

He reported that 6,700 Cherokee students received scholarships for higher education this year, which is a new record, and that this month, he plans to send the council the Sequoyah Schools Capital Plan, a $65 million investment to transform the campus into a 21st century education complex worthy of the faculty, administrators, staff and students.

He said the generation of Cherokee students are counting on the tribe to assure jobs for them after graduation. The nation currently employs 14,000 people worldwide.

But small businesses remain the biggest driver of this economy, he said. So Im excited to announce that we have reached a historic agreement with the U.S. Department of Treasury to support Cherokee entrepreneurs.

He said that over the next seven years, the tribe will open a pool of $86 million in loan funds to support Cherokee start-up businesses.

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Curtis Killman Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Curtis Killman 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

Prosecutors on Friday dismissed a misdemeanor charge of obstructing an officer against a woman who was arrested during then-President Donald Trumps 2020 campaign rally in Tulsa, records show, but she still faces a trial in a similar case.

Sheila Buck, 67, was initially charged July 31, 2020, in Tulsa County District Court with obstructing an officer when she refused to leave a restricted area during Trumps rally at the BOK Center the previous month.

Buck claimed to have a ticket to the rally inside the BOK Center and refused to leave a fenced-off area outside the arena after a campaign worker asked her to change a T-shirt with the words I Cant Breathe on it and an image symbolizing George Floyd. The phrase was a reference to the dying words of Floyd, who had been killed by a Minneapolis police officer a few weeks earlier.

Prosecutors filed a second misdemeanor obstruction case against Buck after her first case ran into legal troubles, and now that first case is the only charge pending after it bounced back and forth between the district and appellate court.

Buck surrendered to jail officials Friday morning, said her attorney, Dan Smolen.

Buck, who had an outstanding warrant for her arrest in the second case, was booked into the Tulsa County jail just before 9 a.m., according to online jail booking records. She was released about 90 minutes after her booking, records show.

Prosecutors dismissed the second case following a hearing Friday morning for the first case, Smolen said.

Prosecutors dismissed the second case against Buck for prosecutorial discretion, according to the online court docket for the case.

Meanwhile, Buck faces a Sept. 9 trial date in Tulsa County District Court on her original misdemeanor charge.

In a pretrial court filing, Buck contends that she was merely walking down a public street near Fourth Street and Cheyenne Avenue with an intent to attend a nearby Juneteenth celebration occurring simultaneously when she was arrested after refusing to leave the area at the direction of a Trump security official.

Bucks filing notes that the Trump campaign did not have a permit for the area and that her arrest violated her First Amendment rights because the officers order to leave the area was unlawful.

Prosecutors contend in pretrial court filings, though, that while Buck may contend that she had a constitutional right to be where she was and the officer had no right to arrest her, she did not have the right to refuse the officers commands to relocate outside the fenced perimeter.

Whatever invitee status Defendant may have had earlier in the day, it had subsequently been revoked by the Trump campaign, the prosecution trial brief states. She was commanded to leave public property for which public use was no longer permitted.

A federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Buck against the city of Tulsa following her arrest has been on hold until the criminal charges are resolved.

The Tulsa World is where your story lives
Jason Collington Tulsa World Editor Follow Jason Collington 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

This Labor Day weekend, the Williams Crossing pedestrian bridge will open over Zink Lake after millions was spent to reconstruct its low-water dam.

Zink Lake was named after John Zink in 1982. The Cascia Hall and Oklahoma A&M graduate who also went by Jack made a donation to the project.

For some outside of Oklahoma, he became famous when the cars he designed and owned won the Indianapolis 500 in 1955 and 1956. Zink, who once broke a world speed record and only gave us racing motorcycles only a couple years before his death in 2005, is in the Indy 500 and Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

But many others may know him for his 32,000-acre ranch, which his father originally bought but he expanded that is used by Boy and Girl Scouts.

A lot of employees know him if they worked for one of his companies, where he made 35 patents.

He owned John Zink Co., a global leader in the oil industry with operations in several countries, before selling it and starting Zeeco in Tulsa, a world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced combustion and environmental solutions.

One of Zink's favorite quotes was "The six words essential to success are never, never, never, never give up" and "No amount of good planning can take the place of blind luck."

"You'd never find him dancing or spiking the ball in the end zone," Joe Cappy, former chairman, chief executive officer and director of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc., told the Tulsa World in 2005. "But, by God, he was always in the end zone."

Big Dam Party schedule of events Friday through Sunday with times and locations The Big Dam Party includes the opening of the Williams Crossing pedestrian bridge, concerts, and a renewal of the Great Raft Race. Get the details.

As Zink Lake opening nears, city continues to assess water quality Among the data being collected are water temperature, water flow rate, E. coli measurements, and pH and dissolved oxygen rates. The city also tests for cadmium and total petroleum hydrocarbons.

Zink Lake | Tulsa World coverage Its been nearly four years since the city began reconstructing Zink Dam, and eight years since the public approved tens of millions of dollars for the project.
Bhutan Airlines, Bhutans first private carrier, is set to launch direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Paro Town in Bhutan starting 2025, with 10 round-trip flights annually during peak travel months.

Those peak tourist seasons include January, February, April, August, September, and December.

The flight duration from Ho Chi Minh City to Paro Town is approximately four hours, while the return flight takes about five hours.

Round-trip fares are expected to be around VND26 million (US$1,045) for business class and VND22 million ($884) for economy class.

This new service aims to boost tourism and strengthen connections between the two countries, particularly as interest in Bhutan - known for its stunning natural beauty and unique culture - is growing.

Preliminary data from the Bhutan Department of Immigration shows that Vietnam is now among the top five countries sending the most visitors to the South Asia nation.

In 2024, around 5,000 Vietnamese people are anticipated to visit Bhutan for tourism and investment.

Currently, Bhutan requires tourists to book package tours, as it only issues visas to those purchasing tours while independent travel is not permitted.

Tour prices range from VND53 million ($2,130) to over VND60 million ($2,412), relatively expensive.

Additionally, visitors must pay a sustainable development fee of $100 per person per night.

The schedule for direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Paro Town in Bhutan in 2025. Photo: Bhutan Airlines

Ugyen Tenzin, general director of Bhutan Airlines, stated that the new scheduled flights are part of a strategy to offer Vietnamese tourists easier access to Bhutan.

Direct flights will reduce travel time and enhance convenience for tourists, potentially attracting more Vietnamese visitors to Bhutan.

While some tour operators have previously arranged charter flights to Bhutan, filling these flights has been challenging.

Le Truong Hien Hoa, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, emphasized that the new route will not only provide convenience but also significantly boost tourism development between the two countries.

Founded in 2011, Bhutan Airlines is Bhutans first and only private airline, based in Paro Town.

The airline operates a fleet of Airbus A319 aircraft, offering both scheduled and charter flights to various international destinations.

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A Vietjet Air flight with close to 300 Taiwanese passengers on board arrived in Phu Quoc City off Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam on Friday afternoon to start their five-day tour on the popular Vietnamese island.

The administration of Phu Quoc City confirmed the same day that the Vietjet flight VJ3321 landed at Phu Quoc International Airport at around 2:00 pm.

During their stay in the island city, the Taiwanese tourists are scheduled to explore An Thoi Island, take cable car rides to Hon Thom Island, visit the Vinpearl Safari, as well as enjoy a host of captivating music shows.

Tran Minh Khoa, chairman of the Phu Quoc administration, revealed that a large number of Taiwanese visitors have flocked to Phu Quoc since the beginning of the year.

The island city is expected to attract a significant number of international visitors during the ongoing National Day holiday from August 31 to September 3, the chairman elaborated.

The Phu Quoc international airport currently receives 20 to 25 flights daily that bring international tourists to the island for leisure and relaxation. This reflects the success of the citys recent tourism promotion efforts.

The city will continue its collaboration with the Kien Giang Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion Center and tourism businesses to offer more promotions and discounts to attract both domestic and international holidaymakers.

Data released by the provincial Department of Tourism showed that the southern province has served more than 7.6 million tourist arrivals from January to August, including over 660,000 international tourists, with total revenue estimated at over VND18 trillion (US$723 million).

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The Vietnam Tourism Property Association (VnTPA) has called for investment in projects in the real estate and other sectors in all 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam at a regional property conference in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday.

Within the framework of the 2024 Asia Pacific Real Estate Convention & Property Prix dExcellence Awards conducted on August 30-31 in Bangkok, Thailand, by the International Real Estate Federation - Thailand Chapter, the VnTPA set up a booth at the event to introduce the official projects having been approved by the Vietnamese government for calling for foreign investment.

The booth attracted special attention from participants at the event, which gathered about 1,000 investors and consultants from countries around the world, along with leaders of international business associations.

Than Thanh Vu, chairman of VnTPA, delivered a speech at the event, focusing on potentials and opportunities for foreign investment in Vietnam.

He also briefed delegates about a number of official projects seeking investors in the country.

Investors can scan a QR code to access the project page of VnTPAs website to view the latest information about the projects calling foreign investment in 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam.

During the event, there have been 1,020 visits to the website to learn about these projects, and many investors said they wanted to obtain more detailed information and wished to visit Vietnam for fact-finding trips.

A VnTPA team is assigned to carefully check the legality of all projects before posting them on the website, and to update the projects information regularly so that potential investors have the latest and reliable information about the projects of their interest.

Over the past three months, the project page of the VnTPA website has received more than 60,000 visits, with the fields with most interests including industrial parks, manufacturing and logistics, housing and tourism, said Vu.

In the coming time, VnTPA will continue to organize many investment promotion events both at home and abroad to introduce to international investors more projects in Vietnam, he added.

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Check out the latest news in Vietnam today:

Business

-- Bhutan Airlines, Bhutans first private carrier, is set to launch a direct air service between Ho Chi Minh City and Bhutans Paro Town from 2025, with 10 round-trip flights departing from the Vietnamese city annually during peak travel months.

-- Ninh Chu Bay Corporation, the investor of the Ninh Chu Sailing Bay tourism project, which carries a price tag of VND4.779 trillion (US$192 million) and is located in Ninh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam has sought authorities nod to terminate the project, citing financial difficulties.

-- Long An Province, southern Vietnam unveiled its plan to build a 322.3-hectare industrial park in Duc Hue District during a meeting of the provincial Peoples Council on Friday. The Binh Hoa Nam 1 industrial park is expected to provide jobs for around 23,000 people.

-- A Vietjet flight with nearly 300 Taiwanese passengers on board arrived in Phu Quoc City off Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam on Friday afternoon to start their five-day tour on the popular Vietnamese island.

Society

-- The transport authority of Ho Chi Minh City has announced a ban on all vehicles on dozens of downtown streets from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Monday next week to serve a fireworks show held the same night in celebration of Vietnams National Day (September 2).

-- During the four-day National Day holiday from August 31 to September 3, northern Vietnam is forecast to experience thunderstorms during the first two days, central Vietnam could see a break from the heat, while the Central Highlands and southern regions will likely endure late afternoon and evening thunderstorms, the national weather agency said on Friday.

World News

-- A Brazilian Supreme Court justice ordered on Friday the "immediate suspension" of social media platform X in the country, after a court-imposed deadline expired for the company to identify a legal representative in Brazil, Reuters reported.

-- Goldman Sachs is planning to cut a few hundred jobs as part of an annual review process aimed at low performers, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

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Da Nang City, located in central Vietnam, is taking significant steps to establish itself as a key player in the semiconductor industry, showcasing its potential, strengths, and investment opportunities at the 2024 Da Nang Semiconductor Day.

As part of the event, the Da Nang Semiconductor Investment Promotion Conference took place on Friday, bringing together hundreds of industry experts.

Susan Burns, U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, highlighted the global attention Da Nang is receiving due to its strategic location and skilled workforce.

She emphasized the U.S.s interest in enhancing the supply chain and deepening cooperation in Da Nang's semiconductor sector.

The most critical factor is that Vietnam needs a world-class workforce, Burns stated, adding that the U.S. is committed to helping Vietnam overcome challenges in the semiconductor industry and build a sustainable and innovative ecosystem.

Trinh Khac Hue, CEO of Qorvo Vietnam, pointed out that Da Nang is an ideal location for developing the semiconductor industry.

The company is currently exploring opportunities to collaborate with the city.

Hue stressed the importance of developing a high-quality engineering workforce, which is essential for Da Nang to become a leading hub for semiconductor design in Vietnam and potentially on a global scale.

Le Quang Dam, CEO of Marvell Vietnam, echoed this sentiment and called for more collaboration between businesses and universities to train personnel and share expertise in new technologies to enhance global competitiveness.

During discussions with business leaders, Nguyen Van Quang, Party Secretary of Da Nang, shared that the National Assembly recently passed Resolution 136, granting it special policies for the semiconductor industry and artificial intelligence.

Da Nang is the first locality in Vietnam to receive such support.

Information exhibition activities at the 2024 Da Nang Semiconductor Day in Da Nang City on August 30, 2024. Photo: Doan Nhan / Tuoi Tre

These policies include personal income tax exemptions, training cost subsidies, incentives for attracting experts and scientists, as well as equipment procurement.

Quang expressed the citys hope that these policies will attract investors to the coastal city.

In return, we expect investors to meet capital requirements, commit to long-term partnerships with the city, provide workforce training, and ensure technology transfer, Quang said.

To move quickly, we must move together, especially in this industry, where no country or locality can develop alone, he added.

Bui Hoang Phuong, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, urged Da Nang to swiftly develop specific resolutions, in line with Resolution 136, to support the growth of the semiconductor and artificial intelligence sectors by early 2025.

The city is also tasked with executing the Da Nang Semiconductor and Artificial Intelligence Development Plan, which includes training at least 5,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030.

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Traffic police in the Mekong Delta provinces of Tien Giang and Ben Tre, where the Rach Mieu Bridge is located, will use drones to detect and address vehicles driving against traffic on the bridge, as well as respond to any incidents, during the National Day (September 2) holiday.

On Thursday, traffic officers in Tieng Giang and Ben Tre, along with Rach Mieu Bridge BOT One Member Limited Company, the developer of the bridge, to address traffic congestion issues in the area near the bridge, National Highway 60, and the Rach Mieu temporary ferry terminal during the upcoming holiday, which will start on Saturday and last through Tuesday.

Rach Mieu Bridge BOT One Member Limited Company projected that approximately 26,000 vehicles will use the bridge daily during the four-day holiday, a 30-percent increase compared to normal days.

To manage this surge, authorities will implement several measures, including forming a Zalo group with functional agencies and local police to facilitate rapid information exchange and traffic coordination across the two provinces.

Drones will also be used to promptly detect and address vehicles driving against traffic and any incidents on the bridge.

Additionally, a 100-metric-ton ferry will be added to the Rach Mieu temporary ferry terminal, increasing the total number of operational ferries to four.

During peak hours at the Rach Mieu Bridge toll station, the lanes for oversized and overloaded vehicles will be used to prioritize motorbikes and prevent congestion, supplementing the two existing motorbike lanes.

The Rach Mieu Bridge, which connects Tien Giang and Ben Tre and serves as a key route to other Mekong Delta localities, was designed for approximately 6,000 vehicles.

However, after 15 years, the bridge now handles three times that number, contributing to traffic jams and congestion.

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Showers and thunderstorms are possible late in the afternoon and at night across various parts of Vietnam during the ongoing National Day holiday from August 31 to September 3, the national weather agency said on Friday.

Provinces in northern Vietnam are expected to experience scattered showers and thunderstorms on the nights of Saturday and Sunday.

Between Sunday and Tuesday next week, it will be mostly sunny with little rain, adding that temperatures may range from 33 to 35 degrees Celsius, according to director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting Mai Van Khiem.

Residents in central Vietnam could feel a bit of relief from the heat, with afternoon and evening thunderstorms possible from Monday through Tuesday.

Meanwhile, soaking showers may hit the Central Highlands and southern regions every day during the holiday, mostly in the afternoon and evening.

Khiem warned of possible flash floods and landslides in the Central Highlands region, as well as potential flooding in low-lying locations in the south.

In related news, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a directive on Friday afternoon to the northern and Central Highlands provinces and cities to prepare for upcoming heavy downpours.

According to the national weather agency, the Central Highlands could experience moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms, with rainfall ranging from 40-100mm between Friday night to Sunday.

In the northern region, rainfall of 20-40mm accompanied by thunderstorms could hit the region from Friday night through Saturday, in addition to possible flash floods, landslides, and inundation.

The ministry demanded that the northern and Central Highlands locales dispatch task forces to residential areas near rivers, streams, and low-lying locations that are prone to flooding, flash floods, and landslides, to proactively evacuate people to safe areas.

Authorities have to adopt measures to ensure traffic safety for people and vehicles, especially in waterlogged areas and places with fast-flowing water; to protect production areas, industrial zones, urban locations, and densely populated areas.

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Nguyen Lee Hieu, an eight-year-old boy of Vietnamese ancestry, won the first prize for the Guitar - Ukulele category for elementary-school students at the Hong Kong International Music Festival 2024.

Hieu, an Australian national, lives in Ho Chi Minh City and studies at an international school in the southern metropolis.

Pianist Nguyen Le Thuyen Ha, chairwoman of the Hong Kong International Music Festival in Vietnam and leader of the team of Vietnamese contestants at the fest, said that Hieu had previously competed in international contests and music fests in the United States and Malaysia, earning several big prizes.

However, the Hong Kong International Music Festival 2024 was the most difficult and scholarly competition that he has participated in.

The preliminary round of the festival attracted over 90,000 candidates worldwide.

The final round, which took place in Hong Kong from August 15 to 21, featured the participation of over 4,000 talents from around the world.

Among 60 first-prize winners at various categories, just 28 talents, including Hieu, were selected to perform at the closing ceremony of the Hong Kong International Music Festival 2024.

During the closing night, Hieu performed While My Guitar Gently Weeps, a song which was originally released by The Beatles in 1968.

Hieu has a good feeling about the renowned song as he always hopes that everyone worldwide will love and share more, Ha said.

Hieu is a talented boy, and is the pride of the Vietnamese team at the festival, Ha said.

Members of the Vietnamese team pose for a photo at the Hong Kong International Music Festival 2024 in Hong Kong, China. Photo: Supplied

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Mondays Four Corners is a report produced by Singaporean-based CNA Productions on South China Sea tensions.

Troubled Waters is a compelling documentary that sheds light on the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, marked by a violent clash between the Filipino and Chinese Coast Guards in June this year.

The confrontation, one of the worst in recent history, involved knives and axes.

The documentary explores the broader geopolitical implications, including the Philippines deepening partnerships with Australia and Japan, highlighted by a landmark defence deal. 

As the conflict intensifies, questions loom about the potential involvement of the United States and the future of the regions stability.

Troubled Waters examines why these clashes have become more frequent over the past two years and how major powers like the US, Japan, and Australia are intertwined in the South China Sea dispute.

8:30pm Monday on ABC.
Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected for a second term in office as President of the European Commission  but all 26 Commissioners are not yet known.

EU member states were given until Friday to say who they want to propose as Commissioner.

However, not everyone has done so by the deadline  Belgium, in political turmoil after June elections, remains the last hold-out.

Also, Bulgaria was the only member state to accede to von der Leyen's request to put forward both a man and a woman, allowing her to select one; she may also push back on some of the male choices, given that she wants to achieve gender balance.

Once the final roster is known in mid-September, theyll be assigned portfolios and submit themselves for confirmation from the European Parliament.

Here is a look at the last-minute candidates from EU member states that came in by the end of von der Leyen's deadline.

Bulgaria

Former Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva and former Ecology Ministery Julian Popov were proposed as Bulgarias two candidates for European Commissioner on Friday (30 August).

The candidacies were apparently discussed late Friday between Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, and confirmed in a post on X by Bulgaria's EU representation.

That makes Bulgaria the only country to accede to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyens request to propose both male and female candidates by a 30 August deadline.

Italy

Italy's newly announced EU Commissioner nominee, Raffaele Fitto, has had a long political career that began in Puglia.

Born in Maglie in the province of Lecce in 1969 and a graduate in law, he was elected in 1990 as a regional councillor with the Christian Democratic Party (DC), the first in a series of posts that would take him to Brussels as an MEP (in 1999, 2014 and 2019) and now as a Commissioner.

Denmark

Denmark has selected Dan Jrgensen for Ursula von der Leyens second team of European Commissioners.

The widely expected nomination of Jrgensen, a social democrat, was part of a wider cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Jrgensen is not new to Brussels, as he started his political career in 2004 as a member of the European Parliament, a position he held until 2013.

Related

Belgium

Belgium has still not yet managed to choose a commissioner as the country finds itself in political turmoil.

It remains among the countries widely expected to appoint a male Commissioner, despite von der Leyen's push for a gender balance. Only a handful of female European Commissioner candidates have been nominated so far.
A Tribute to A.G. Noorani

In the demise of A.G. Noorani, India has lost a great advocate of human rights today. I personally offer my humble tribute.

Saturday August 31, 2024 8:27 PM , Dr Suresh Khairnar

Renowned jurist Abdul Ghafoor Abdul Majid alias A.G. Noorani passed away on Thursday August 30, 2024 at his residence in Mumbai at the age of 93. I had the opportunity to work with him at the Ayodhya Consortium during (2014-2015). This process was initiated by Former Cabinet Secretary and my dear friend Zafar Saifullah Sahab. Apart from me, its members included Frontline Magazine Editor N. Ram, A.G. Noorani, Dr. B.D. Sharma, Acharya Jugalkishore and Hindustan Times Editor.

After two or three meetings of this forum, this process suddenly came to a halt after the demise of Zafar Saifullah Sahab. But on this pretext, I got the opportunity to see and listen to A.G. Noorani sahab closely and to have a conversation with him. There were encyclopedias of sensitive topics ranging from the Indian subcontinents freedom struggle to communalism, Kashmir and secularism.

That is why in 2013 he has written a book titled "The Kashmir Dispute  1947-2012" in two volumes of more than 1,200 pages based on various documents. He has also written a separate large volume on Article 370 which he submitted along with Annexe in 2023 in his petition challenging the decision to repeal 370 in the Supreme Court.

Similarly, he was also busy collecting documents against the November 2019 decision of the Supreme Court on the Ayodhya dispute!

Born in Mumbai in 1930, Noorani, after completing his studies at the Government Law College of Mumbai, practiced law at the Bombay High Court. He was the lawyer in the case challenging the arrest of Sheikh Abdullah, and in the cases of former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. T. Rama Rao and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Karunanidhi!

Similarly, he was also known for giving intelligent opinions on political issues! For example, after Mrs. Indira Gandhi declared Emergency on June 25, 1975, A.G. Noorani was one of the few people in India who had shown courage to oppose the decision.

Noorani sahab had special expertise on the subjects of Kashmir, Article 370, RSS, freedom struggle and communalism. His columns with full references were published in newspapers and magazines like Front Line, Outlook, Dawn, Indian Express, Hindustan Times and The Hindu.

Noorani sahab is the author of a 547-page book on RSS titled "The RSS - A Menace to India" published by Left Word and a book with very rich information on 1857.

For an activist like me who has spent half of his life working on the issue of communalism, the company of AG was very nurturing. During my 35 years of working on this subject, I have been intellectually guided by a few intellectuals in our country. AG Noorani has been number one among them.

Whatever books he has written on these subjects and the collection of articles published from time to time in magazines like Frontline, EPW, Outlook, have always proved to be helpful to me for any debate or writing an article.

Our country has lost a great advocate of human rights today. I personally offer my humble tribute.

[The writer, Dr Suresh Khairnar, is former president of Rashtra Sewa Dal (RSD)]

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A bill aimed at regulating powerful artificial intelligence models passed California's legislature on Wednesday, despite outcry that it could kill the technology it seeks to control.

"SB 1047 -- our AI safety bill -- just passed off the Assembly floor. I'm proud of the diverse coalition behind this bill -- a coalition that deeply believes in both innovation and safety," said Democratic state senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco, who sponsored the bill.

The bill had faced a barrage of critics, including Democratic members of US Congress, who argued that threats of punitive measures against developers in a nascent field would throttle innovation.

It did, however, win the reluctant support of Elon Musk, who argued that AI's risk to the public justifies regulation.

"This is a tough call and will make some people upset," he said on Monday as he stated his support on X.

The bill, called the Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act, now goes to the desk of California Gavin Newsom for signature, though his position on the proposal is not known.

Newsom has until September 30 to sign the bill or put his veto.

Dan Hendrycks, director of the Center for AI Safety, said the bill provides "a workable path forward" in enforcing "safeguards to mitigate against critical AI risk."

The bill requires developers of large "frontier" AI models to take precautions such as pre-deployment testing, simulating hacker attacks, installing cyber security safeguards, and providing protection for whistleblowers.

In order to secure the legislation's passage in the home state of Silicon Valley, lawmakers made several changes to the bill, including replacing criminal penalties for violations with civil penalties such as fines.

But opposition to the bill remained, including from some powerful national figures.

"The view of many of us in Congress is that SB 1047 is well-intentioned but ill-informed," influential Democratic congresswoman Nancy Pelosi of California said last week, noting that top party members have shared their concerns with Wiener.

But Wiener argues that AI safety and innovation are not mutually exclusive, and that tweaks to the bill have addressed some concerns of critics.

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, also opposed the bill, saying it would prefer national rules instead of a chaotic patchwork of AI regulations across the 50 US states.

At least 40 states have introduced bills this year to regulate AI, and a half dozen have adopted resolutions or enacted legislation aimed at the technology, according to The National Conference of State Legislatures.
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Brazil suspends X, what next for Elon Musk

Rio de Janeiro: Supreme Court of Brazil Friday banned social media platform X after its owner and CEO Elon Musk refused to appoint a legal representative for the social network and comply with the court orders to suspend certain accounts.

Saturday August 31, 2024 4:51 PM , ummid.com News Network

Rio de Janeiro: Supreme Court of Brazil Friday banned social media platform X after its owner and CEO Elon Musk refused to appoint a legal representative for the social network and comply with the court orders to suspend certain accounts.

The ban on X by the top court of Latin Americas largest country comes after a month-long standoff over disinformation.

In an order pronounced Friday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the "immediate, complete and comprehensive suspension of the operation of" X in Brazil and asked the country's communications agency to take "all necessary measures" to implement the order.

The judge also ordered a fine of 50,000 reais ($8,900) if anyone is found using "technological subterfuges" to get around the block, such as Virtual Private Network (VPN).

The Brazilian Supreme Court also said the suspension would remain until all related court orders on X were complied with, including the payment of fines amounting to 18.5 million reais ($3.28 million), which he had previously slapped on the social media network for ignoring judicial orders.

The order will also be valid until a representative of the company in the country is appointed, he said.

The court also ordered to freeze the financial assets of Musk's Starlink by blocking the accounts of the satellite internet network that has rapidly expanded its subscriptions in Brazil.

Musk responds

X said that it viewed Justice Moraess sealed orders as illegal and that it planned to publish them.

Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes, Elon Musk wrote on X.

Musk had earlier closed Xs office in Brazil after Justice Moraes threatened arrests for ignoring his orders to remove X accounts that he said broke Brazilian laws.

Amid the escalation with Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the outspoken American billionaire compared the judge to Harry Potter villain Lord Voldemort, and accused him of "illegally censoring" conservative voices.

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HA NOI  The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has revised the amount of CO2 transferred in 2018-2019 in the north central region.

The ministry sent a report to the Prime Minister on the authority to transfer nearly six million tonnes of residual carbon dioxide (CO2) in the region in that time.

The report states that, by the end of 2023, the MARD has transferred 10.3 million tonnes of CO2 to the World Bank (WB). WB also had a letter confirming the transfer of about 95 per cent of the transferred emission reduction results to Viet Nam.

WB previously confirmed the results of reducing emissions in the North Central region in the 2018-19 period, reaching 16.21 million tonnes of CO2. Of which, the amount of CO2 credit transferred to the WB under the Emission Reductions Payment Agreement (ERPA) is 10.3 million tonnes.

According to the signed ERPA, the WB has the right to purchase up to five million additional tonnes of CO2 at US$5/tonne and about 95 per cent of the transfer results will be transferred back to Viet Nam to contribute to the nationally determined contribution (NDC) according to commitments in ERPA and regulations in Decree No 107/2022/ND-CP.

WB has offered to buy an additional one million tonnes of CO2 from reducing emissions in the north central region in the 2018-2019 period. The MARD has reported to the Prime Minister, proposing a plan to transfer an additional one million tonnes of CO2 to the WB.

At the same time, MARD also proposed to handle 4.91 million tonnes of CO2 in the 2018-2019 period in previously sent documents.

The ministry also consulted ministries and People's Committees of six provinces in the region, including Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue, on a plan to transfer one million tonnes of CO2 to the WB and propose to handle the remaining carbon credit.

Regarding the additional transfer of one million tonnes of CO2 to the WB within the maximum additional volume of five million tonnes of CO2, authorised by the Government and on behalf of the Government of Viet Nam and forest owners in six provinces in that area of Viet Nam, the MARD will transfer it to the WB during the implementation of ERPA.

The WB does not propose to buy more for the remaining 4.91 million tonnes of CO2 from emissions reductions. Therefore, the ministry proposed, Viet Nam has the right to transfer to other potential partners.

However, up to now, the ministry has not received proposals on the exchange and transfer of this emission reduction. Accordingly, Viet Nam can use this remaining emission reduction to contribute to the NDC.

In case an organisation or partner is interested and proposes an exchange or transfer, the ministry will research and propose a plan to manage and use this revenue source and get opinions from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the six north central provinces, then report to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision to ensure it does not affect the results of contributions to the NDC.

In case there is no agreement from the Prime Minister on the transfer of remaining emission reductions in the 2018-19 period (including one million tonnes of CO2 as proposed by the WB and 4.91 million tonnes of remaining CO2), the MARD proposed the Prime Minister to allow the ministry to send a letter to the WB about not transferring an additional one million tonnes of CO2.

Until there are evaluation results of the implementation of Decree No 107/2022/ND-CP, the MARD will propose a management and use plan for the remaining emissions reduction and report to the Prime Minister.  VNS
HA NOI Viet Nams seafood exports remained heavily dependent on natural sources, which have become increasingly difficult to secure due to tightening regulations and limited local marine farming, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

The association reported that in the first seven months of 2024, exports reached US$2.1 billion, an increase of six per cent compared to last year.

Vietnamese seafood was exported to 129 markets around the world, with its largest buyers being Japan, the US and South Korea. Up to the end of July, Viet Nam exported $444 million worth of seafood to Japan, a decrease of four per cent period-on-period, $300 million to the US, an increase of 14 per cent and $207 million to South Korea, an increase of 12 per cent.

According to VASEP, tuna was the countrys leading product in terms of export value. In the first seven months of this year, Viet Nams canned tuna exports to the US and the EU rose by 22 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, Vietnamese tuna exported to other large markets including Israel, Russia and South Korea also recorded strong growth.

Notably, Vietnamese canned tuna to the EU reached $62 million, accounting for nearly half of the countrys tuna exports to the bloc with Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, Cyprus and Denmark being the main buyers.

Vietnamese seafood exporters, however, have voiced their concerns over recent regulations on the sizes of natural catches. They cited Decree 37/2024/ND-CP, effective from May 19, 2024, which requires the size for skipjack tuna to be at least half a metre.

It has blocked seafood companies from buying skipjack tuna catches from fishermen, as they claimed there was no way to ensure all fish in any catch meets the Governments size regulations.

While the new regulations are important to the protection of fishery resources in the long-term, companies may face difficulties in securing the raw materials, which may threaten their foothold in large export markets, said Vu Duyen Hai, head of the Department of Fisheries Exploitation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Industry experts said tuna exports will likely find it challenging to maintain growth until the end of the year, with the $1 billion export target for the year an extremely unlikely goal.

Meanwhile, squid and octopus ranked second in value among Vietnamese seafood, reaching $351 million with South Korea being the largest buyer with purchases worth $140 million, accounting for more than 40 per cent of the products total export value, an increase of 13 per cent compared to the same period last year.

According to VASEP, South Korea has been reducing imports from other sources including Japan, China and Peru, to purchase more from Viet Nam, with industry experts saying Viet Nams squid and octopus export to South Korea will likely experience strong growth in the remaining months of 2024.

Viet Nam relies on three main sources for its seafood: fishing, marine farming and imports. According to the Directorate of Fisheries, in 2023 the countrys total marine farming output reached 789.8 thousand tonnes, an increase of 10.1 per cent compared to the previous year.

While it has been expected that the output this year will top 900 thousand tonnes, farmed seafood, including groupers, seabass, lobsters and bivalve molluscs, has not been able to match the strength of Viet Nams exports of products such as tuna, mackerel and octopus.

According to the directorate, the country currently has 85,980 fishing vessels, of which 39,867 vessels are between 6-12m in length, 16,561 vessels are between 12-15m in length, 27,022 vessels are between 15-24m in length and 2,530 vessels are over 24m in length.

In recent years, the Fovernment has implemented solutions to combat illegal fishing, an attempt to remove the "yellow card" warning from the European Commission (EC) imposed in 2017. VNS
SOC TRANG  Soc Trang Province has launched a comprehensive plan to advance brackish water shrimp farming from 2023 to 2025, aiming to increase export value through high technology, digital applications, and sustainable practices. The initiative is designed to bolster environmental protection, adapt to climate change, and improve local incomes, solidifying Soc Trang as a leading aquaculture hub in the Mekong Delta.

The project is backed by nearly VN29.5 billion and targets five key districts and towns: Tran e, My Xuyen, Cu Lao Dung, Long Phu and Vinh Chau. A key objective is to sustain the province's shrimp farming area at 57,000ha, including 1,500ha dedicated to super-intensive farming and 40,500ha to intensive and semi-intensive farming. By 2025, Soc Trang aims to produce 233,800 tonnes of brackish water shrimp, rising to 311,428 tonnes by 2030, with an export value of over US$1 billion annually from 2024 onwards.

Huynh Ngoc Nha, Director of the Soc Trang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, highlighted the province's goal to achieve a 5.1 per cent growth in aquaculture production value by 2025. The plan also includes the development of 45 key model projects tailored to the specific conditions of each sub-region. These models will be closely monitored for environmental and disease control to ensure sustainable farming practices.

A significant focus will be on ensuring that 100 per cent of shrimp farming facilities meet aquaculture standards and are granted identification codes for ponds and main farming species. This will enhance traceability, a critical factor for export markets. Additionally, the province plans to strengthen 20 shrimp farming cooperatives to achieve VietGAP or organic certification, aligning with other sustainable aquaculture standards.

To further support the sector, Soc Trang is working on creating value chains from input supply to product consumption, with at least five linkages across the sub-regions. These will involve shrimp farmers, input suppliers, and processing plants, enhancing efficiency and profitability across the industry.

In Vinh Chau Town, a significant area for the province's shrimp farming plans, the Soc Trang People's Council recently approved a VN60 billion investment in an irrigation system to support aquaculture. This project aims to secure a stable water supply for around 2,100ha of aquaculture land, prevent tidal intrusion in the face of climate change, and prepare the area for the province's long-term shrimp farming strategy up to 2050.

With these initiatives, Soc Trang is positioning itself as a critical player in Viet Nam's shrimp industry, contributing significantly to the national economy through sustainable and high-tech aquaculture practices.  VNS
HCM CITY  The most outstanding businesses across various sectors were honoured at the GBA Gala Dinner & Business Awards, which was organised for the first time by the German Business Association (GBA).

Accordingly, the awards featured 32 companies competing in four categories: Green Business of the Year, Business Innovation, SME Excellence, and CSR Achievement. The top three of the three categories of Green Business of the Year, Business Innovation and SME Excellence will be nominated for the EuroCham Business Awards in October.

The awards will be an important milestone, marking the beginning of an annual tradition to honour outstanding businesses within the GBA community.

The GBA Business Awards were conceived to celebrate the collective excellence of the GBA community, recognising outstanding contributions in sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, and corporate social responsibility. This event honours the strength, resilience, and forward-thinking spirit of businesses, showcasing their dedication to innovation and commitment to excellence despite global challenges, said Alexander Ziehe, chairman of GBA.

The Green Business of the Year Award was presented to Nestle for its outstanding water management sustainability efforts across its supply chain, operations, and communities.

Bosch Vietnam was awarded the business Innovation Award for introducing a solution that leverages digital twin technology and predictive maintenance to optimise industrial assets, enhance productivity, and provide a competitive edge.

SME Excellence Award: PALLAS BrandFare received the SME Excellence Award and Super Energy Corporation was given the CSR Achievement Award.

In her remarks at the celebration, Dr. Josefine Wallat, German Consul General, stated: German companies tend to not only excel in their industries or be hidden champions offering unique solutions, but they stand for quality, innovation, sustainability, and corporate responsibility. The GBA Awards recognise all of these qualities and are a testament to the strong relationship between Germany and Viet Nam.

In addition, the GBA Young Innovation Award, inspired by the GBA Business Challenge, has evolved into an exciting platform for Vietnamese students and aspiring entrepreneurs. This year, 18 submissions were received with each business plan being uniquely inspiring in its own way.

The champion of the GBA Young Innovation Award is the COPEPODS team from the University of Economics and the University of Science and Education, the University of a Nang, who are pioneering a sustainable future for aquaculture. Their business idea is a company that produces high-quality copepods, an ideal food for fish larvae that significantly enhances survival rates and growth.

The GBA was one of the first foreign business associations in Viet Nam, starting its activities in 1995. For 30 years, the GBA has been the focal point of German business life, culture, and values in Viet Nam.  VNS
HCM CITY  The inaugural Vietnam PMUs Best Idol Awards has been launched in HCM City to honour talented PMU (permanent makeup) artists and develop a professional and supportive PMU community.

Speaking at the launching event on August 28, communications consultant Le Ba Hai Sieu, deputy head of the organising board, said the awards will feature the Top 100 PMUs Best Idol and the Top 100 PMUs Best Salon.

Winners of the Top 100 PMUs Best Idol and Top 100 PMUs Best Salon will have a chance to attend specialised training courses, networking events with masters in the industry and enjoy special benefits of PMU members, he said.

Model Phan Nhu Thao, head of the organising board, said the awards will provide a platform for PMU artists in Viet Nam to showcase their talent, experience and passion.

PMU salons will be chosen based on service prices and their commitment to providing the best quality of service to their clients, she said.

The Vietnam PMUs Best Idol Awards is organised by New Beauty Global (NBEGO).

Members of the jury include masters in the PMU industry such as Thu Nguyen, Diem Nguyen, Linh Thuy Diem, Hai Pham, designer o Long, and actress Kim Tuyen.

The awards announcement event kick-started a series of events under the Vietnam PMUs Best Idol programme, including workshops and training courses on skills and management as well as networking events with more than 1,000 professionals, salon owners, entrepreneurs and celebrities, and an awards ceremony.

The programme seeks to develop a professional PMU community and inspire the PMU industry towards new heights of professionalism, Thao said. VNS
VINH LONG - The southern province of Vinh Long has carried out effective measures to nurture a love for Khmer culture and script among Khmer students.

Vinh Long Province is home to nearly 26,000 Khmer people, accounting for approximately 2.1 per cent of the population.

Over time, the preservation of the Khmer language and script has received considerable attention from local authorities.

Currently, the province has five primary schools and three secondary schools in ethnic minority areas that teach Khmer language to students.

During the summers, Khmer students attend classes at temples to enhance their understanding and foster an appreciation for their cultural heritage and script.

This past summer, many temples in the Khmer ethnic areas of Vinh Long Province opened new classes to teach Khmer script and culture.

At Moi Temple in Tra Con commune in Tra On district, three classes were opened, teaching the Khmer language to about 150 students from grade 1 to grade 3.

Thach Thi Hoang Gam Reng Say from the commune said, "I have been attending this class for four summers now. I find the classes very fun and beneficial. At home, I always speak in Khmer, but I'm not very good at writing. Each year, the teachers help us review a lot of knowledge so that we can do better in our studies. I will strive to study hard because I want to know more about the Khmer script to preserve our ethnic language and writing."

Thach Thi Hoa Tan, also from the commune, has been helping teachers at the temple every summer.

Having studied the Khmer language and script at the temple for nearly eight years, Hoa Tan understands the significance and benefits of these classes.

Hoa Tan shared, "Every summer, I spend two months teaching the younger kids here. This year, my class has 85 students. The students are of different ages, so teaching can be challenging. I have to observe and support the younger ones who are not paying attention. For the older students, teaching is easier, but I still need to be dedicated so they can understand and grasp the knowledge. I want to use my knowledge to help the children read and write better in the Khmer language, encouraging them to excel in their studies while also preserving and promoting the Khmer language and script."

Besides learning the script, cultural clubs of the Khmer people have also been active this summer.

At Hanh Phuc Tang Temple in Trung Thanh commune, the Vung Liem District Public Culture and Arts Club operates weekly.

Club members include Khmer youth and students who participate in activities, helping each other learn traditional songs and dances, contributing to the preservation and promotion of Khmer traditional culture.

Tran Ngoc Phuc Han from the commune shared that only a few members of her family can read and write Khmer, so she wants to learn more about her ethnic language and dances to better understand and introduce them to others.

This summer, she spent her mornings at the temple learning Khmer and her evenings participating in the dance club.

Son Ngoc Hien, also from the commune, has been a member of the club for about a year.

Thanks to the club, he has learned various Khmer dances and some basic movements to perform them.

He wants to learn more to better understand and confidently introduce the beautiful cultural heritage of the Khmer people to others, Hien shared.

According to Thach Duong, head of the provincial Ethnic Affairs Committee in Vinh Long, under the national target programme for socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas, the province in recent years has organised many activities to promote development in the Khmer ethnic region, including efforts to preserve and promote cultural identity.

Vinh Long will continue to maintain these activities to preserve and promote the script and culture of the Khmer people.

The province will also continue to effectively implement the national target programme for socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas. - VNS
Social Impact Businesses (SIBs) are enterprises that prioritise a triple bottom line, balancing profits with social and environmental responsibilities. With approximately 26,000 SIBs in Viet Nam, the sector plays a crucial role in providing jobs and essential services to vulnerable communities.

Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam, spoke with Viet Nam News reporter Le Viet Dung about the evolving SIB sector and its role in addressing social and environmental challenges in the country.

Inner Sanctum: How do you view the SIB ecosystem in Viet Nam? What impact have SIBs had on addressing social and environmental issues?

In recent years, Viet Nam's SIB ecosystem has evolved significantly. What began as a mostly informal group of businesses has now gained formal recognition from policymakers and become an integral part of the business landscape.

By prioritising economic profitability alongside positive social and environmental impacts, SIBs play a vital role in economic empowerment, advocating for the rights of vulnerable groups, and tackling environmental challenges. Through UNDPs flagship ISEE-COVID project, funded by Canada, we've seen an increasing number of enterprises and cooperatives identifying as SIBs. Thanks to a nurturing ecosystem, these SIBs have strengthened their capabilities, developed innovative business models, and expanded their domestic and international markets while maintaining positive impacts.

This ecosystem includes various support organisations offering training, incubation, and networking opportunities. Some traditional business support organisations have also introduced programmes specifically for SIBs. Additionally, there have been efforts to connect Viet Nam's SIBs with regional and international counterparts.

On the policy front, we are honoured to work with the Agency for Enterprise Development under the Ministry of Planning and Investment to facilitate formal recognition for SIBs, helping them gain easier access to support schemes.

Inner Sanctum: What kind of impact have SIBs had on communities in Viet Nam?

I've had the privilege of meeting many SIBs through various projects and support activities, each with its own inspiring story. Seeing a wide range of ideas across sectors like agriculture, tourism, education, and healthcare is encouraging. These range from high-quality Vietnamese products and handicrafts to innovative solutions like using larvae to turn food waste into organic fertiliser or developing new rice cultivation methods that reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

Many SIBs integrate gender and climate considerations, create jobs for vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, and promote inclusive education. Many focus on improving healthcare for underserved populations and applying technology for a cleaner environment. Notably, over two-thirds of the SIBs supported by the ISEE-COVID project are women-led enterprises, which highlights their substantial impact on women beneficiaries.

Inner Sanctum: What criteria must a business meet to qualify for the SIB SIGNATURE certification?

SIB SIGNATURE is an initiative designed to foster connections and collaboration among SIBs, encouraging them to create new products and services. This initiative helps expand the domestic market through cross-selling and the development of new products ahead of the holiday season.

Following capacity-building and networking activities, the 10 SIBs with the most impactful products and services, strong commitment, and highest cooperative efforts received project support to create two high-quality joint products: the "SIB Signature Gift Sets" and the "SIB Viet Nams Identity" tour. These gift sets feature high-quality, organic products like tea, cinnamon, chocolate, natural silk, and eco-friendly cleaning solutions. The production of these items actively involves persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and women. We aim to sustain and expand such initiatives in Viet Nam.

Inner Sanctum: What are the main opportunities and challenges facing SIBs in Viet Nam?

While SIBs have made great strides, they still face significant challenges in Viet Nam, including limited access to financial resources, difficulties entering new markets, and the need for tailored information on business management and financial access. Additionally, many customers or markets do not fully understand the SIB model and its impact.

Since 2021, the ISEE-COVID project, implemented by UNDP and MPI with support from Global Affairs Canada, has aimed to address these challenges through customised programmes for SIBs at various stages of developmentearly stage, growth, and expansion.

Early-stage SIBs, for example, received on-demand training on financial management, legal matters, leadership skills, and business model development. Meanwhile, 40 growth-stage SIBs successfully expanded their markets and signed business contracts with larger enterprises, with 13 exporting to international markets such as the US, EU, and UK.

To date, the project has supported over 400 SIBs and created nearly 15,000 jobs, primarily for women and vulnerable groups, including ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. In 2024, we plan to connect SIBs with leading enterprises in Viet Nam to foster win-win partnerships and encourage sustainable growth.

Inner Sanctum: What advice would you give to someone interested in starting an SIB in Viet Nam? What skills are essential for success?

First, I want to dispel the myth that SIBs are just micro or small businesses. Some of the most successful SIBs are large and well-established. SIBs represent a sustainable business model that attracts both customers and investors. Beyond entrepreneurial spirit, impact entrepreneurs are courageous pioneers tackling social and environmental challenges while creating high-quality products and services. I encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to follow both their hearts and minds. UNDP and other stakeholders will continue to support them.

Inner Sanctum: What policy changes would you recommend to the government and related agencies to support SIBs?

Thanks to the Agency for Enterprise Development under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Viet Nams first-ever White Book on SIBs has been launched. While there are policies and programmes in place to support SIBs, they are spread across different laws and ministries, creating a gap between policy and implementation. We hope more SIBs will be able to access and benefit from state programmes.

UNDP remains committed to supporting the Vietnamese governments efforts to foster Social Impact Businesses, ensuring sustainable economic growth while contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. VNS
Over the past 79 years, the success of the August Revolution in 1945 in Viet Nam has stood as a profound testament to the wise leadership of the Indochinese Communist Party and its leader, Nguyen Ai Quoc (later known as Ho Chi Minh).

This monumental victory was forged through the unity, solidarity and unwavering determination of the Vietnamese people, who overcame immense challenges and made tremendous sacrifices. The revolution not only marked a new chapter in Vietnamese history but also set the nation firmly on a path of "national independence closely linked with socialism".

The August Revolution, also known as the General Uprising, was the first significant victory of the Vietnamese people under the Party's leadership, marking a pivotal moment in the nation's history. It showcased the Party's determination and strategic acumen, as it charted a revolutionary course with foresight, adaptability, and precise timing to ensure the success of the General Uprising in 1945. This triumph remains one of the most remarkable achievements of the Party, military, and people  an enduring epic in the struggle for national liberation.

The Party's leadership

After years of tireless efforts to find a way to save the nation, Nguyen Ai Quoc embraced Marxism-Leninism, which became the foundation for his vision of national salvation. In 1924, Nguyen left the Soviet Union for Guangzhou, China, where he established the Viet Nam Revolutionary Youth League, uniting patriotic and intellectual youths and providing extensive training to nurture them into communist revolutionaries.

On February 3, 1930, Nguyen chaired a conference that unified communist organisations and established the sole Communist Party in Viet Nam. The birth of the Party was a significant milestone in the Vietnamese revolution, creating a nucleus that unified the nation's strength and aligned it with the trend of the times. This development was the most crucial prerequisite for the nations subsequent achievements, beginning with the successful nationwide General Uprising on August 19, 1945.

On March 9, 1945, the Japanese fascist army overthrew the French colonialists to take control of Indochina. In response, on March 12, the Partys Central Committee issued the historic directive "Japan is at War with France, so Our Actions", identifying the Japanese fascists as the primary enemy of the revolution. Consequently, the Party launched a vigorous anti-Japanese movement, laying the groundwork for a general uprising to take power from the Japanese and the French.

The building of revolutionary forces began much earlier. With a sound political programme, the Party unified the strength of the entire nation, fostering a widespread revolutionary movement that engaged large sections of the populace in various forms of struggle.

Under the Party's leadership, the masses participated in the 1930-1931 revolutionary movement, the 1936-1939 democratic movement, and the 1939-1945 national liberation movement, tirelessly building and developing revolutionary forces in preparation for the General Uprising.

Nguyen Ai Quoc returned to Viet Nam in January 1941, after more than 30 years away from homeland.

In May 1941, he convened the 8th Party Central Committee Conference to take a suitable way of struggle in the new period. It advocated the strengthening of national unity, gathering all classes, political parties, ethnic groups, and individuals with a revolutionary spirit to fight against French imperialists, Japanese fascists and their collaborators.

At this conference, the Party established the League for Viet Nam Independence, or Viet Minh Front for short, which unified all classes and groups, forming a solid national unity. The role and immense power of the Viet Minh Front were clearly demonstrated as it inspired the masses to join in the national liberation struggle.

To meet the revolutions demands, on December 22, 1944, under the direction of Ho Chi Minh, the Viet Nam Propaganda and Liberation Team (the precursor to the Viet Nam People's Army) was established to engage in revolution publicity and armed struggle, effectively combining political and military activities.

By mid-April 1945, Ho Chi Minh and the Partys Central Committee convened the North Vietnamese Military Conference, merging the Viet Nam Propaganda and Liberation Army and the National Salvation Army to form the Viet Nam People's Army. The revolutionary political and armed forces continued to grow and strengthen.

Between 1940 and 1945, the Party actively directed the establishment and consolidation of revolutionary bases. The largest one was established in Viet Bac, covering most of the areas of six mountainous provinces in northern North Viet Nam, along with several other armed struggle bases in regions across the country. These bases were strategic locations for building and developing revolutionary forces, serving as the nerve centres for leading the uprising.

Thus, during the pre-uprising period, the Party led the people in preparing every aspect for the General Uprising. The people of Viet Nam, particularly those in the "National Salvation" organisations, were determined to fight and ready to sacrifice for independence.

Seizing opportunity for uprising

Timing is crucial to the success of any revolution. Recognising the decisive and strategic importance of the revolutionary opportunity, the Party and Ho Chi Minh acted swiftly and resolutely for the success of the August 1945 General Uprising/Revolution.

The opportunity for the August General Uprising emerged when the Imperial Japanese Army surrendered to the Allies. The Japanese army command in Indochina was in disarray, their soldiers seemed very demoralised, and their Vietnamese local collaborators gripped by fear. Meanwhile, the Partys determination and the national salvation movement of the masses had reached its zenith. Local uprisings had already succeeded in many regions, and all forces were poised for action.

The uprising opportunity existed from when the Japanese fascist army surrendered until the Allied forces entered Viet Nam. It was a moment when the old arch-enemy had been defeated, while the Allied forces had not yet arrived, creating the most favourable vacuum of power for the revolutionary forces.

On August 16, the National Congress convened and passed a resolution to seize power nationwide and implement ten major policies of the Viet Minh. The National Liberation Committee, or the Viet Nam provisional revolutionary government, was formed with Ho Chi Minh as president.

On August 18, President Ho issued a call for a general uprising nationwide: The decisive hour for our nation's destiny has come. All compatriots, rise up and use our strength to liberate ourselves We cannot delay.

In response to President Hos call and under the Partys leadership, the entire Vietnamese nation rose as one. Thanks to meticulous preparations and impeccable timing, the Uprising/August Revolution quickly achieved victory.

On September 2, at Ba inh Square in the capital city of Ha Noi, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, establishing the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, and ushering in a new era of independence and freedom for the nation.

A new era

The victory of the August Revolution marked the culmination of national unity, patriotism, and the indomitable will of the Vietnamese people under the Partys leadership. It highlighted the resolve and intellect of the Party, led by President Ho Chi Minh, who chose the correct revolutionary path with strategic foresight, agility, and the ability to seize the opportune moment.

The August Revolution opened a new era: one of national liberation intertwined with the liberation of the working-class and labouring people, and one of national independence closely linked with socialism. This was truly a leap forward in the historical development of the Vietnamese nation.

This victory proved that even a small nation, with a deep tradition of patriotism, self-reliance, unity, and creativity, under the leadership of a genuine revolutionary Party, can achieve events of great historical significance -- not only for the nation but also for the world at large. Nearly eight decades have passed, deepening our understanding of the immense historical significance of the August 1945 Revolution.

The revolution shattered the chains of French colonialism, Japanese fascism, and the local feudal regime, transforming Viet Nam from a colonial territory into an independent nation under a democratic republic. It elevated the Vietnamese people from slavery to becoming free citizens, masters of their own land.

The August Revolution not only is a shining milestone in the history of Viet Nam, but also an event of global significance, with profound international implications. For the first time, a small nation successfully fought to liberate itself from colonialism and imperialism. This victory inspired and encouraged colonised peoples and oppressed nations worldwide in their struggles for national independence, democracy, and social progress.

The victory of the August Revolution imparted many valuable lessons to Viet Nam, both in subsequent wars of resistance and in the ongoing effort to build and develop the country. Among these is the lesson of adjusting revolutionary policies when necessary, grounded in a sound revolutionary strategy and consistent goals. The Party has continually refined its policies to align with both domestic and international conditions.

A crucial lesson is the importance of seizing and capitalising on opportunities for victory. President Ho Chi Minhs mastery of timing during the August 1945 Revolution remains a valuable lesson for the present and future. This legacy continues to guide the entire Party and people in achieving significant and historically meaningful accomplishments in national development.

Another key lesson is the mobilisation of the entire population for the revolutionary cause and nation-building efforts. This includes fostering a spirit of self-reliance, fully harnessing the creative potential of the people, and expanding international cooperation.

Finally, the victory underscores the importance of building and consolidating national defence and peoples security, maintaining political and social stability, and preserving a peaceful environment conducive to national development.

Seventy-nine years have passed since the Vietnamese people took control of their own destiny. Despite many challenges, the revolutionary spirit and historical lessons of the August Revolution remain a powerful source of strength, guiding our Party and people as we continue to write new chapters in our nations glorious history. VNS
HA NOI  Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro have agreed to promote the bilateral defence ties in a more practical and efficient manner during their talks in the Philippines.

The talks took place as part of Giangs official visit to the Philippines from August 29-31, during which Giang affirmed Viet Nams consistent policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, and multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations; and attaching importance to its friendly relations with countries, including the Philippines.

Teodoro also noted that the Philippines gives importance to consolidating and enhancing its strategic partnership with Viet Nam, and stays resolved to work together with the country to develop the bilateral ties intensively, extensively, comprehensively and sustainably, for peace, stability, and prosperous development in the region and the world.

The officials shared the view that since the establishment of the diplomatic ties in 1976, the bilateral relationship has been thriving in various fields, with defence cooperation playing a crucial role in the strategic partnership.

They said Viet Nam and the Philippines boast substantial potential for collaboration in maritime security and safety, logistics, military medicine, defence industry, natural disaster response, search and rescue operations, and UN peacekeeping.

The two sides agreed to strengthen the defence ties, focusing on all-level delegation exchange, maintaining the existing cooperation mechanisms, fostering cooperation in training and between forces, and enhancing mutual support and coordination at multilateral forums and mechanisms.

They also compared notes on some regional and international issues of shared concern, and shared views on the importance of peace, security, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea).

Both reiterated the stance on settling disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and fully observing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), towards an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). They also emphasised the important role of defence ministry and military in handling maritime issues.

Giang said Viet Nam will hold a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the Viet Nam People's Army and the Viet Nam International Defence Expo 2024 later this year, and invited Teodoro and other leaders of the Philippine Department of National Defence and army to attend the events.

Viet Nam welcomes Philippine defence enterprises to participate in the exhibition, the minister stressed.

At the end of the talks, Giang and Teodoro witnessed the signing of a letter of intent between the two defence ministries on strengthening cooperation in the field of humanitarian aid and maritime disaster relief; and another on enhancing cooperation in military medicine.

On August 30, Giang paid a courtesy visit to Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., who spoke highly of Viet Nams achievements in socio-economic development and foreign affairs, and affirmed that Viet Nam remains the only strategic partner of the Philippines in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The President expressed his belief that the visit will contribute to fostering the friendship, cooperation, and mutual trust and understanding, and that defence collaboration will remain an important pillar of the bilateral ties.

Giang expressed his hope that the Philippine Government and the President himself will further support the two ministries to sign a new cooperation agreement replacing the one reached in 2010, as well as the establishment of a hotline between the Vietnamese and Philippine coast guards to improve the effectiveness of coordination in handling non-traditional security issues at sea.

The minister said he hopes that the two sides will continue strengthening coordination in handling cases of fishermen violating each other's waters in a humane manner, and promptly sharing information and stance on issues of mutual concern.

Both sides noted their belief that the bilateral relations will make new progress across realms, including defence cooperation.

The same day, General Giang and his entourage visited the headquarters of the Philippine Navy where they showed strong impressions at the history and achievements of the force, and underlined that as neighbours at sea, Viet Nam and the Philippines share common interests in ensuring maritime security and safety in the sea areas between the two countries in particular and the waters in the region in general.

Amid the rapidly and complicatedly evolving world and regional situation with increasing non-traditional challenges such as drug crimes, smuggling and transnational crimes, the two sides should foster cooperation among maritime law enforcement forces, of which the navy plays a very important role, General Giang said.

Hailing the results of cooperation between the two navies in recent times, especially their active coordination in supporting fishermen of both countries in distress at sea, he affirmed that the potential for cooperation in maritime security and safety between the two sides is huge, urgent and in line with the common interests of the two countries.

He suggested that the two sides actively coordinate to advise senior leaders of each country on measures to enhance trust at sea, and maintain security and order in the waters between the two countries, contributing to maintaining a maritime area of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.

The General said that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence always supports and provides favourable conditions for the two countries' navies in particular and law enforcement forces to increase exchanges and cooperation to strengthen mutual understanding and information sharing, and provide timely assistance to fishermen in distress at sea, thus contributing to matitime security and safety in the region.

The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence welcomes the Philippine Navy to send a delegation to the second Viet Nam International Defence Expo later this year, Giang stated.

Flag Officer-In-Command of the Philippine Navy, Vice Admiral Toribio Dulinayan Adaci Jr. emphasised that over the years, the two countries' naval forces have maintained effective cooperation momentum. The Philippine Navy values and wishes to strengthen its cooperation with the Viet Nam People's Navy, he said.

On August 29, General Giang and his entourage laid wreaths at the statues of late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and Jose Rizal - the national hero of the Philippines at the Rizal Park in Manila, and visited the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines.  VNS
A roseate spoonbill lands on an island in the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A gray crowned crane grooms itself in the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A Ruppells vulture and a cape vulture stand on a branch at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024 in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A pair of yellow-billed storks stand atop a branch in the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer As African spoonbill stand on a log at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A pair of African spoonbills stand on a log at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A Ruppells vulture spreads its wings at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Judy Zhu holds Christina Chen as they take in the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A pair of gray crowned cranes walk through the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A gray crowned crane walks through the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer An African spoonbill dips its bill in the water at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Chilean flamingos stand in the water at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Visitors check out the Chilean flamingos in the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A southern lapwing walks in a puddle of water on an island at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A wood stork walks on an island near a flock of Chilean flamingos at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A black-faced ibis, left, and a boat-billed heron stand on branches at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A pair of African spoonbills walk along the edge of a pond at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Chilean flamingos stand in the water at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Visitors take in the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A northern bobwhite is shown at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A hamerkop picks up foliage to build a nest at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A gray crowned crane walks along the grass in the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A cape vulture stands on a branch at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A pair of hamerkops build a nest at the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer A roseate spoonbill flies in the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Despite a gloomy and rainy debut Friday morning, hundreds of visitors showed out to the Houston Zoo for the opening of its Birds of the World exhibit.

Highlighting birds native to different continents and biomes  specifically the North American woodlands, South American wetlands and African savannas  the exhibit features three new aviaries and dozens of species new to the zoo.

The upgraded enclosures, totaling 13,700 square feet, have been years in the making, said Houston Zoo CEO Lee Ehmke. Officials have been planning Birds of the World since 2016 as part of a $156 million effort to rebuild a third of the zoo.

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This really represents the change in our philosophy and how we want to exhibit animals to the public, which is to show natural habitats, show the connection between animals and their environment and get people excited about not just the individual animals but the whole ecosystem, he said as the first visitors trickled in.

Before the overhauled exhibit, birds at the Houston Zoo were kept in smaller cages in one of the oldest areas of the 55-acre site in Hermann Park. Birds of the World is the final animal exhibit supported by the Houston Zoos fundraising campaign.

Kevin Hodge, the zoos vice president for animal programs, said Birds of the World is a testament to global conservation efforts, since many of the birds now at the Houston Zoo came from dire situations.

Many of the North American songbird species in the exhibit, like the aptly named painted bunting, first arrived through a federal sting operation targeting illegal bird traffickers. The zoo also works with conservation groups in Rwanda to save grey crowned cranes, which are popular as pets because of their characteristic golden plume of feathers on their heads.

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Hodge hopes visitors will walk away with a greater appreciation for those undertakings, especially since Houston is in the migratory path of many bird species.

Its about providing the homes for those birds that couldn't be released (into the wild) but also getting people excited, he said. The more that they see this, theyre like, You know what? I could do this in my backyard. I could plant these trees. I can put out bird feeders. I could create a bird bath.

The three aviaries in Birds of the World are built to emulate the environments and communities to which the featured birds are native, a similar approach to other Houston Zoo attractions like South Americas Pantanal, where several species live together in one enclosure.

For example, the aviary for the African birds features a fake ox skeleton for the vulture species living inside. Also, it includes a massive concrete tree that wading birds in the enclosure, known as hamerkops, are using to build a nest.

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A pair of yellow-billed storks stand atop a branch in the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

The 6,700-square-foot South American birds enclosure, a large netted dome that visitors can walk into, has a built-in waterfall and pond for more than 50 Chilean flamingos, a few ducks and other birds.

A few species living in the aviary for North American birds are native to Texas, allowing Houstonians to get an up-close view of birds they might not have known were native to the area.

Some guests were immediately captivated by the birds and their snazzy habitats.

Children oohed as vultures spread their massive wings to cool off in the Africa-themed aviary. And other guests aahed at the South American birds as roseate spoonbills flew overhead.

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Levi Forbes, 4, looks through a pair of binoculars to get a closer look at the birds in the Houston Zoos new Birds of the World exhibit on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Houston. The exhibit highlights bird species from three different parts of the world: African savanna, North American woodlands and South American wetlands. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

For Jennifer Kennedy, a resident of The Woodlands, the zoo offers an opportunity to teach her 2-year-old daughter, Logan, more about the natural world. The 38-year-old said her family are zoo members and try to trek down to Hermann Park at least once a month to see the animals.

She loves the nature and seeing the different animals, learning about them, Kennedy said as her toddler ran around, pointing to the African birds twice her size. We talk about the different areas that they live in, which is really nice.

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Michelle Martin, 37, hoped the exhibit would inspire the same love for nature in her 3-year-old daughter as they toured the picturesque South American bird enclosure with Martins mother.
HCM CITY  The HCM City health sector has urged the Ministry of Health to establish a national storage centre for rare and limited supply medications, including those for common illnesses such as measles amid an ongoing outbreak.

Speaking at a meeting on measles prevention on Thursday, Tang Chi Thuong, director of the citys Department of Health, said there was a serious shortage of Dopamine in the city, which is essential for the treatment of children suffering from severe measles or dengue fever.

Recently, 30,000 bottles were imported. However, a large number of these remained unused and were subsequently destroyed.

The city has recently received Government approval to license the import of rare pharmaceuticals to address urgent needs, particularly for serious diseases such as polio, cancer, and malaria, among others.

The new framework allows the city to expedite import licenses, a process that previously required several months under the oversight of the ministry.

As a major treatment hub for the southern region, the city seeks to ensure the timely supply of essential medications, according to Thuong.

The department has directed hospitals to collaborate with pharmaceutical companies to obtain import licences, which will be valid for one year.

In addition, they are contemplating the stockpiling of emergency and rare medications to mitigate potential delays in the importation process.

Le Viet Dung, deputy director of the ministrys Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV), said regulations are developing to enhance access for localities and hospitals to acquire rare medications.

However, shortages continue to persist, caused by challenges in demand forecasting and constrained supply sources, as suppliers often hesitate to import due to the limited quantities required.

Health insurance coverage is restricted to medications that are utilised, leaving healthcare facilities to bear the costs associated with expired drugs, many of which lack proper registration and are not included in insurance lists.

The ministry plans to establish three to six centers for the storage of rare medications and has consulted with the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding appropriate storage mechanisms, according to Dung.

Dung has urged medical facilities to proactively assess demand and forecast needs for rare medications.

The health ministry is also proposing mechanisms for the management of expired rare drugs.

Measles outbreak

In a related issue, the department is launching a measles vaccination campaign for children starting August 31 in response to a declared measles outbreak in the city.

The HCM City Centre for Disease Control was expected to receive the vaccines on Friday (August 30) and will distribute them to health stations across 22 districts and Thu uc city, continuing through the National Day holiday on September 2.

The campaign targets all local children aged one to 10. Healthcare workers at risk of exposure will also be vaccinated.

The vaccination campaign aims to boost community immunity, reduce infections, and prevent complications, especially in high-risk children.

As of August 22, there have been 353 reported cases, a significant increase from a mere one positive case recorded between 2021 and 2023.

The highly contagious disease has the potential to spread rapidly and can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis.

Effective management of the outbreak requires a community immunity rate of 95 per cent, with individuals receiving two doses of the vaccine.  VNS
KON TUM Farmers in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum are concerned about the growing incidence of theft of Ngoc Linh ginseng from their farms.

Tu Mo Rong Kon Tum Ngoc Linh Ginseng Joint Stock Company lost 160 ginseng plants on August 21-22 to thieves.

Nguyen Thanh Hoang, who is in charge of the companys ginseng farm, said a power outage occurred on August 21.

On the following morning, when he and others were fixing the electrical equipment, they discovered that the power lines had been cut.

They then went to inspect the farm only to find that the plants had been stolen.

Tran uc Long, another company employee, said since there was no power there is no camera footage of the farm during the theft, indicating the thieves were well acquainted with the area and specifically targeted large plants, which are more valuable.

The smaller plants remained untouched.

The area is securely fenced and showed no signs of being tampered with or broken into.

This has recurred many times in the province.

In February this year 800 ginseng plants were stolen in Te Xang, Ngok Lay, ak Sao, and ak Na communes.

Farmers are worried about the frequent thefts but are clueless about the perpetrators.

The authorities are investigating the thefts with the assistance of local residents.

In Mang Ri Commune, there have been three thefts this year, including the theft of one some 100 plants from a farm owned by Long Lay villagers in June.

A Phu, the head of the village, said the villagers reported the thefts to the authorities and held meetings to examine the origins of each farmers Ngoc Linh ginseng.

A Thao, a local resident, admitted to stealing nearly 100 ginseng plants after an investigation by the villagers, and was severely penalised according to village rules, A Phu said.

Vo Trung Manh, chairman of the Tu Mo Rong District People's Committee, said while petty thefts could be handled by the villagers themselves, major cases need to be handled by the law.

Tu Mo Rong District authorities have repeatedly directed the police to coordinate with local authorities to conduct patrols and prevent the ginseng thefts. VNS
TIEN GIANG  The Tien Giang Provincial Peoples Court has rendered severe sentences for a total of 111 defendants involved in a debt collection scheme orchestrated for the benefit of banks.

Among them was Tran Van Chau, deputy director of Phap Viet Company, who received a 19-year prison term, and his primary accomplice, Ho Quoc Hung, who received a sentence of 18 years in prison, for extortion activities.

Other defendants, including 89 employees of the company, received prison sentences ranging from one to 13 years.

The court on Friday also mandated all defendants return the illicit profits obtained through their criminal activities.

Specifically, Chau is required to repay VN15 billion (US$600,000), while Hung must return VN12 billion. Other defendants are obliged to repay amounts between VN20 million and over VN1 billion.

Authorities have confiscated various properties and vehicles associated with the two main defendants.

The court has ordered the continued freezing of the defendants assets.

In addition, authorities have ordered seven banks and financial institutions to remit the funds collected by Phap Viet Company from customers, as these funds are believed to be connected to the defendants criminal activities.

The trial, which commenced in My Tho City earlier this month, revealed the crime was organised with Chau and Hung playing major roles in unauthorised debt collection activities.

From January 2021 to February 2023, the two men exploited the name of the company to establish legal consulting contracts with various commercial banks and lending firms, while engaging in illegal debt collection.

According to investigators, the group received commission fees ranging from 18 - 50 per cent of the total amount collected, contingent upon the duration of the overdue debt.

Chau and Hung directed a workforce of 579 employees who intimidated nearly 173,000 borrowers, extorting a total of VN456 billion ($18.2 million).

From this extorted amount, they managed to profit over VN168 billion through their illicit services, according to investigators.

A serious incident involved threats directed at an elementary school in the provinces Cai Lay Town, which led to an eight-year-old girl ceasing her attendance due to fear.

The incident arose from a debt of VN50 million owed by the girls uncle, who had fled after failing to repay the debt.

In July, the HCM City Peoples Court sentenced seven former employees of a lending company to nearly five years in prison for unauthorised debt collection practices.

They were found to have sent threatening messages to hundreds of thousands of customers to coerce repayment of debts.  VNS
HCM CITY  An international conference was held on Thursday in HCM City seeking to identify innovative practices and propose ideas related to finance, accounting and auditing from a global and sustainable development perspective.

The third international conference on accounting, economics, finance, and management 2024 (ICAEFM 2024) was organised by the HCM City Open University in collaboration with Nha Trang University.

With the theme "Navigating the future of finance, accounting and auditing", ICAEFM 2024 aims to build a global platform for discussion, cooperation, and knowledge exchange among educational leaders, researchers, and practitioners in these fields from around the world.

Speaking at the event, HCM City Open University rector Nguyen Minh Ha said digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) continue to be widely applied in the financial and accounting sectors in order to automate processes and decision-making.

From 2023 to 2024, large accounting organisations including IASB and FASB continue to update accounting standards and financial reporting in order to enhance the transparency and reliability of financial information.

The demand for specialised financial, accounting, and auditing services is increasing, particularly in areas such as green finance, risk management, and cash flow management.

This special conference brings together experts, practitioners, researchers, and academics to discuss emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in finance, accounting, and auditing, he said.

It requires integrating economic, environmental, and social factors into decision-making and the operations of organisations and establishing efficient financial and accounting systems.

Participating universities and research institutions have the opportunity to promote their image and position, and affirm their role in the university ecosystem while expanding cooperation in many fields, especially research and training on contemporary issues of interest to scholars both domestically and internationally.

The conference also promotes research and training cooperation among stakeholders in the fields of finance, accounting, and auditing.

It attracted valuable reports, presentations, and contributions with the participation of more than 100 researchers, lecturers, post-graduates, and learners from universities both domestically and internationally; along with experts from businesses and professional associations in the fields of accounting, auditing and finance.

Within the framework of the conference, four keynote speakers who are international experts in these fields presented their speeches.

Prof. Dr Martin Kreeb, president of Charlotte Fresenius University Vienna in Austria, discussed the topic Interoperability of ESRS sustainability standards and ISSB standards. European experience in implementing the requirements of the sustainability reporting standards of the financial reporting advisory group (EFRAG).

Worker and workplace AI coexistence was presented by Prof. Dr. Nazrul Islam, associate director of Centre of FinTech at University of East London in the UK.

Its a small worlds effect: How the network of board directors influences financial reporting practices was shared by Dr Duong Minh Chau, senior lecturer at the University of East London in the UK.

And Prof. Dr. Norfaiezah Sawandi, College of Business - University Utara Malaysia in Malaysia, presented Sustainability reporting practices: Case study of Malaysia companies.

In addition, the conferences organising committee received the interest and contributions of a large number of participants with three on-site presentations and more than 40 papers and presentations on topics such as the impact of digital technology (AI, machine learning, robotic process automation, and blockchain) on finance and accounting practices, streamline operations and improve accuracy; and tools and strategies for collecting, analysing and interpreting financial data to gain business insights and improve performance.

The research papers presented at the conference will be considered for publication in the HCM City Open University Journal of Science.  VNS
Speaking at the ceremony, chief representative of JICA Sugano Yuichi said the association believes that the completion of the two projects will contribute to decreasing water pollution and significantly reduce flooding in the south of Ho Chi Minh City.

The Water Environment Improvement Project (phase 1) started in 2001, when JICA supported the construction of a wastewater treatment system in the Tau Hu - Ben Nghe canal basin. The project was completed in 2009 with a capacity of 141,000cu.m per day, and East-West Avenue (later renamed Vo Van Kiet Avenue), which includes Thu Thiem tunnel under the Saigon River, helping to significantly improve the traffic landscape and the city's environment.

Phase 2 of the project expands the wastewater collection and treatment network in the Tau Hu canal basin, covering 2,500 hectares and a population of about 1.8 million people. The project has a total investment of VND11.3 trillion (approximately $470.8 million), of which Japanese official development assistance (ODA) covers VND9.85 trillion ($410 million) (accounting for 87 per cent). The project was completed with a wastewater treatment capacity of 469,000cu.m per day, an increase of three times compared to phase 1.

Japanese water treatment machines such as air blowers, centrifugal dewatering machines, and sludge scrapers have been installed in the factory. In addition, a sewer network of 51km has been built, of which over half used Japanese underground jacking technology.

The project also has three stormwater drainage pumping stations and canal embankments stretching 6.4km. Binh Hung wastewater treatment plant is the largest in operation in Vietnam.

In Ho Chi Minh City, flooding of main roads during the rainy season and water pollution in rivers, lakes and canals are a vexing problem that is becoming increasingly widespread, caused by pressure from population growth. The local wastewater treatment system still has many shortcomings, so improving drainage is an urgent matter that needs to be prioritised.

JICA prioritises implementing cooperation projects in four areas: high-quality infrastructure, human resource development, healthcare, and coping with climate change.

In the Mekong River region, an area vulnerable to the effects of climate change, JICA is implementing technical cooperation at Can Tho University, the cradle of regional development, with the goal of improving teaching and research quality. In Ben Tre province, JICA is conducting loan cooperation to build sluice gates to protect agricultural production from the impacts of saltwater intrusion.

Yuichi said that the drainage industry will remain a key area for JICA's ODA cooperation in Vietnam for many years to come.

We have helped to improve the water environment in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Haiphong, Hue, Binh Duong and other areas. JICA provides loans and offers grants and technical cooperation to support various industry programmes, he added.

JICA also considers an integrated approach to combine not only wastewater and sewage treatment but also flood prevention, climate change adaptation, and saline intrusion prevention.

On a macro level, JICA is supporting the Ministry of Construction to build a legal basis for effective planning and management of drainage services through the development of the first water supply and drainage law, expected to be approved in 2025.

JICA sign $290 million ODA agreement for Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Urban Railway The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a loan agreement with the Vietnamese government in Hanoi on December 29 to provide an official development assistance (ODA) loan of approximately $290 million for Line1 of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway project.

ODA continues to play vital role Vietnam is cooperating with Japan on new schemes of official development assistance. Sugano Yuichi, chief representative at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Vietnam, spoke with VIRs Thanh Dat about how these ties will be implemented in 2024 and beyond.
According to Secretary of Dong Nai Party Committee Nguyen Hong Linh, there are five challenges the province will face. These include sourcing qualified workers, completing transport infrastructure and airport urban infrastructure, developing products and services for flight operations, environmental issues and economic security, and tackling high-tech crime.

Roads connecting the airport remain behind schedule, and a planned high-speed rail link and urban railway projects are facing issues in terms of capital and technology, so construction has yet to start.

If we do not promptly upgrade and expand the transport infrastructure connecting the airport, it will lead to serious problems, Linh said.

In addition, educational institutions in the province are unable to provide the skilled workforce the airport requires, posing the risk of a lack of trained staff.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Hai Hang, director of the Vietnam Aviation Academy, said that Long Thanh needs a large, skilled workforce, but this cannot be achieved overnight. The lack of specific policies for airport urban development is also a big problem.

In many countries, airport cities often enjoy special incentives, but in Vietnam, legal regulations in this field are still unclear, causing difficulties in management and hindering investment attraction. There is a distinct possibility that the airport could speed up the urbanisation of Dong Nai so rapidly that it spirals out of control, creating security complications.

Take advantage of opportunities for economic development

Assoc. Prof., Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, former director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, said that the southeast region has many advantages, especially Long Thanh, so these issues need to be resolved.

The southeast region attracts the strongest investment in the country and has real potential, but there are many bottlenecks that need to be resolved.

Tan Son Nhat Internationla Airport in Ho Chi Minh City is overloaded, causing congestion in many areas. Long Than was designed to alleviate this issue, so upgrades to connecting roads are vital, Thien said.

Vo Tan Duc, Chairman of Dong Nai People's Committee, admitted that after a period of strong growth, Dong Nai is facing many bottlenecks.

However, Duc said he believed that the airport will open a new opportunity to connect the province with the region, the country, and the world.

"Dong Nai will make Long Thanh the centre of its logistics and urban area development. It will become a modern, civilised province, which is why we have implemented planning and construction to maximise the efficiency of the airport, Duc said.

The region is relying on Cai Mep Port and Long Thanh Airport to drive this growth, and Dong Nai is likely to be the biggest benefactor, but only if the province can take advantage and grab the forecast investment wave, he added.

Long Thanh International Airport is one of the 16 most anticipated airports in the world, aiming to become an international transit centre while creating a new space for Dong Nai to develop.

The airport is designed to handle 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo per year. The entire project is expected to cost about VND336.6 trillion ($16 billion). Phase 1 includes runways, terminals, and auxiliary items capable of handling 25 million passengers per year and scheduled to open in 2026, when it will need more than 13,700 qualified workers from high school to post-grad.

The passenger terminal at Long Thanh International Airport is expected to be finished by August 2026

German textile maker opens thermal insulation factory in Long Thanh A German manufacturer of innovative textile materials has opened a new state-of-the-art thermal insulation factory in Long Thanh district.

ACV proposes second runway at Long Thanh Internatinal Airport A proposal has been made to build a second runway at Long Thanh Airport and level the area for the T3 terminal to improve operational efficiency.
The event was attended by 200 members and special guests, including German consul general Dr. Josefine Wallat, and chairman of EuroCham Vietnam Dominik Meichle, along with jury members and nominees.

Opening the event, GBA chairman Alexander Ziehe said, The GBA Business Awards were conceived to celebrate the collective excellence of the GBA community, recognising outstanding contributions in sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, and corporate social responsibility. This event honours the strength, resilience, and forward-thinking spirit of businesses, showcasing their dedication to innovation and commitment to excellence despite global challenges.

GBA chairman Alexander Ziehe delivered the opening speech at the event

In her remarks at the celebration, Wallat stated, German companies tend to not only excel in their industries or be hidden champions offering unique solutions, they also stand for quality, innovation, sustainability, and corporate responsibility. The GBA Awards recognise all of these qualities and are a testament to the strong relationship between Germany and Vietnam.

Dr. Josefine Wallat at the awards ceremony

The GBA Business Awards featured 32 companies competing in four categories: Green Business of the Year, Business Innovation, SME Excellence, and CSR Achievement. The top three of the Green Business of the Year, Business Innovation, and SME Excellence will be nominated for the EuroCham Business Awards in October.

Green Business of the Year: Nestle won the prestigious award for its outstanding water management sustainability efforts across its supply chain, operations, and communities. Through initiatives like the NESCAFE Plan and the LAWACO project, the company has significantly reduced water usage, improved water efficiency in factories, and increased access to safe water and sanitation in local communities, earning recognition for responsible water stewardship.

Business Innovation Award: Bosch Vietnam was awarded for introducing a solution that leverages digital twin technology and predictive maintenance to optimise industrial assets, enhance productivity, and provide a competitive edge.

SME Excellence Award: PALLAS BrandFare received the award by collaborating with technology providers to refine strategies for launching and promoting products with limited resources, introducing new customisable solutions like StrategiX BrandFare and Digital BrandFare, and launching modular training sessions to help companies optimise marketing and branding efforts amid the cautious investment climate.

CSR Achievement Award: Super Energy Corporation achieved notable success in corporate social responsibility (CSR) through scholarships for disadvantaged students, health insurance, water filtration projects, and seasonal gift-giving, and is also dedicated to environmental sustainability by supporting climate change mitigation, coastal protection, biodiversity conservation, and community engagement.

In addition, the GBA Young Innovation Award, inspired by the successful GBA Business Challenge launched in 2020, has evolved into an exciting platform for Vietnamese students and aspiring entrepreneurs. This year, 18 submissions were received, with each business plan being uniquely inspiring in its own way. The top three finalists were selected on the night, and the winner was selected through an online vote by participants. The top three received financial support from the GBA CSR fund to bring their business ideas to life.

The winner of the GBA Young Innovation Award was the COPEPODS team from the University of Economics and the University of Science and Education, the University of Danang, who are pioneering a sustainable future for aquaculture. Their business idea is a company that produces high-quality copepods, an ideal food for fish larvae, significantly enhancing survival rates and growth. By supporting fish farmers and promoting a healthy marine ecosystem, COPEPODS exemplifies excellence in quality and innovation.

The first runner-up of the Young Innovation Award was the DeepVoucher team from the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, who are set to transform the voucher ecosystem with their easy-to-create and highly secure system. By leveraging blockchain technology, DeepVoucher reduces costs and boosts system security, paving the way for a more efficient and reliable voucher solution.

The second runner-up of the Young Innovation Award was the V-Carbon team from the University of Economics and the University of Science and Education, the University of Danang. They offer an effective platform for carbon credit trading, along with advanced software for accurate carbon footprint calculation and monitoring. Their streamlined project management system optimises the entire carbon credit lifecycle.

The GBA Business Awards, which has achieved many successes since it was first held, is an important milestone, marking the beginning of an annual tradition to honour outstanding businesses within the GBA community.

The GBA was one of the first foreign business associations in Vietnam, starting in 1995. For 30 years, the GBA has been the focal point of German business life, culture, and values in Vietnam. It has helped German businesses to develop their operations, has advised on wide-ranging topics, and created opportunities for business and social exchange across Vietnam.

Currently, the GBA has nearly 400 members and corporate partners, a reflection of the opportunities and dynamics of the Vietnamese market. It is one of the largest foreign business associations in Vietnam and a highly respected counterpart in the local community. In addition, the GBA was one of the founding members of EuroCham Vietnam, a partnership that represents pan-European activities and interests in Vietnam.

German Business Association unveils ambitious plan The German Business Association (GBA) has launched its 2024 action plan, focusing on enhancing interaction with its members, expanding its presence in the northern region, and driving strategic development initiatives to strengthen bilateral economic relations with Vietnam.

German firms focus on green investment The German business community in Vietnam is focusing on the development of green energy solutions as Vietnam and the world increasingly shift towards sustainable practices.
Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, head of the Department of Administration Supervision on Tax, Fees and Charges under the Ministry of Finance (MoF), stated that current incentives for electric vehicles (EVs) in Vietnam are not lower than those offered in other countries in the region.

Bich Ngoc made the comments at a conference on reducing emissions in the automotive industry, hosted by VIR on August 29.

Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, head of the Department of Administration Supervision on Tax, Fees and Charges under the Ministry of Finance

The MoF's policies moving forward will prioritise and support sectors that reduce carbon emissions, including promoting the development of EVs. This will be achieved through various tax, fee, and land rent policies aimed at boosting investment in manufacturing, assembly, and encouraging environmentally friendly vehicles, said Ngoc.

For batteries, a list of high-tech industries prioritised for investment and high-tech products, including fuel cells and lithium batteries with high performance, large capacity, long lifespan, safety, and environmental friendliness, has been issued. All applicable taxes are currently set at the highest preferential rates.

Ngoc shared that the MoF has submitted a draft of the Law on Special Consumption Tax (SCT) to the government and National Assembly. Under this law, the SCT for EVs will be significantly lower, around 1-3 per cent until March 2027, after which it will increase to 4-7 per cent.

In contrast, fossil fuel-powered vehicles will be subject to a SCT of 35-150 per cent, depending on the vehicle type.

In addition, hybrid vehicles also receive significant incentives, though not as high as those for EVs. The law currently imposes a tax rate of 70 per cent compared to fossil fuel-powered vehicles of the same type. For vehicles running on biofuels, the tax rate is only half of that applied to gasoline-powered vehicles of the same type.

Regarding the environmental protection tax, it only applies to petrol, oil, and grease derived from fossil sources, and not to those made from biofuels. Additionally, in the near future, the MoF will also consider registration fees for battery-electric vehicles, said Ngoc.

In addition, automotive manufacturing and assembly enterprises that invest in areas with difficult or especially difficult socioeconomic conditions are exempt from import taxes on machinery and equipment used to create fixed assets for projects in these regions. Land taxes, corporate income taxes, and other taxes and fees are also offered at the highest preferential rates.

These policies have been fully implemented. In the near future, the MoF will study ways to support both the public and businesses, as well as vehicle manufacturers, for both electric and hybrid vehicles, she added.

Supporting a green strategy for the automotive industry With 6.5 million cars and 74 million motorcycles, Vietnam is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from road transport in Southeast Asia, following Indonesia. Emissions from road vehicles in the country are rising rapidly, with an average annual increase of about 15 per cent over the past decade.

Long road ahead to green the vehicle industry Greening the automotive industry in Vietnam is the only way towards its sustainable development, a conference on the issue has heard.
Zimbabwean company harnesses China's advanced technologies to promote business growth

Xinhua) 09:35, August 31, 2024

People visit the exhibition stand of Zimbabwean company Comkwik at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Aug. 30, 2024. Comkwik, a Zimbabwean company, is harnessing the technological innovations in China amid the booming trade relations between China and Zimbabwe to achieve business growth. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara)

HARARE, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Comkwik, a Zimbabwean company, is harnessing the technological innovations in China amid the booming trade relations between China and Zimbabwe to achieve business growth.

The company, based in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, offers high-tech domestic, industrial, and commercial cleaning services. Other services provided by the company include landscaping, waste management, sanitary services, and personal protective clothing.

Comkwik is among the exhibitors that are showcasing at the six-day Zimbabwe Agricultural Show, one of the country's major business exhibitions held annually in Harare.

Some of the products procured from China that the company is exhibiting include interactive robots, cleaning robots, and landscaping robots.

"We thought of China because of the relations between Zimbabwe and China," Batsirai Mugauri, Comkwik's operations supervisor, told Xinhua Friday.

According to statistics from the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe, trade between China and Zimbabwe hit a record high of 3.12 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, a 29.9 percent increase from the previous year.

Zimbabwe's imports from China consist mostly of machinery, while exports to China are mainly minerals and agricultural products, according to ZimTrade, the country's trade promotion agency.

Favorable trading conditions and business opportunities between the two countries have resulted in many Zimbabwean businesses seeking to gain a competitive edge in innovative technologies by procuring equipment from China.

"China is advanced in technology, so that was the country we thought where we can get our robotics from," said Mugauri.

Ease of doing business with China also makes the procuring of products efficient, he declared. "Ordering from China also has to do with issues of advanced technology. The price is a bit cheaper, then also it's faster for the products to come to Zimbabwe from China."

Mugauri noted that the advancement of innovative technologies in China has greatly benefited local businesses in Zimbabwe. "We want to bring the technologies in China here in Zimbabwe so that with this issue of globalization we can benefit from it also," he said.

The adoption of robots is a major component of Zimbabwe's digital transformation drive, and the country recently integrated robotics into school curricula.

In a recent interview, Zimbabwean Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Tatenda Mavetera said the country aims to utilize its longstanding cooperation with China to advance its ongoing digital transformation.

"China and Zimbabwe have been friends for a very long time and what we are just supposed to do is to make sure that we maintain that relationship and then we can be able to capitalize on that relationship and also gain the experience that they have, which has made them one of the world's best-digitalized countries that we can talk of," Mavetera told Xinhua.

People visit the exhibition stand of Zimbabwean company Comkwik at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Aug. 30, 2024. Comkwik, a Zimbabwean company, is harnessing the technological innovations in China amid the booming trade relations between China and Zimbabwe to achieve business growth. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
The insect-borne virus sloth fever comes from midge bites. CNN

The insect-borne virus, sloth fever is spreading in areas it hasnt before, and the U.S. saw its first cases of the virus this week.

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that at least 21 travelers to the U.S. from Cuba had the disease, the real name of which is the Oropouche virus.

The virus comes from midge bites and typically circulates in the Amazon. Earlier this month, the Pan American Health Organization upgraded regional risk level of the disease from moderate to high due to a surge of cases in newly recorded areas and the first-ever reported deaths from the disease.

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Organization officials said they also identified potential cases of vertical transmission related to fetal deaths and newborn Microcephaly, a condition in which a babys head is smaller than expected.

As the disease spreads in new areas outside of its typical endemic locations, scientists and public health officials consider the outbreak a developing situation.

The CDC considers the risk of local transmission in the U.S. to be low right now, but the alert is still a reminder for physicians to be on guard and international travelers to be wary.

Dr. Luis Ostrosky, UT infectious diseases physician, explains what to know about the Oropouche virus.

What is Oropouche virus, or 'sloth fever'?

Sloth Fever, the proper name of which is the Oropouche virus, was first discovered in 1955 in Trinidad and Tobago, in the Caribbean. Nicknamed sloth fever because the virus was found in a sloth in Brazil in 1960, the virus is considered re-emerging because it commonly spreads in the Amazon region. This means the disease is endemic to that region, or regularly occurring.

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The transmission of the disease often cycles in forested regions between insects and animal hosts, such as birds, rodents and sloths.

The disease primarily spreads through midge bites, but is found in other insects as well, such as mosquitoes, said Ostrosky.

The disease is similar to Zika, a mosquito-borne illness, with shared symptoms including a sudden onset of a fever, chills, muscle pain, joint stiffness and headache. Symptoms of Oropouche virus can also include eye pain, light sensitivity, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rashes and abdominal pain. In less than 1% of the population, the disease can cause inflammation of the brain, which can be fatal.

How does sloth fever spread?

Although the CDC considers the diseases local transmission risk low right now in the U.S, a critical mass of infected people and infected insects can shift the tide toward a cycle of infection, said Ostrosky.

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Ostrosky said when a significant number of people coming from an endemic area are infected with the disease and bring it to a new area, they can infect the local insect population, which can then infect more people in the population, creating a cycle.

That makes you think when people are getting infected in an endemic area, it must be because of massive numbers, Ostrosky said.

According to the PAHO, the 2024 epidemic of the Oropouche virus is present in countries that typically see the disease circulate and countries that do not. Earlier this week, the Scientific American reported that there were more than 8,000 confirmed human infections in the Americas so far this year, with most occurring in Brazil. Cases were also recorded in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Cuba.

According to Ostrosky, insect or vector-borne diseases like Dengue, Zika, and now Oropouche are self-limiting, which means there is no treatment for the diseases other than to let them resolve on their own.

They run their course. We provide supportive care to patients, like keeping them well hydrated and managing complications, but there is no specific antiviral, Ostrosky said.

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Doctors monitor and manage potential rare and serious complications, such as infection and inflammation of the brain, which can cause hemorrhaging.

But again, when you think about big numbers, particularly in countries with high transmission, you can end up with quite a few people who pass away and babies getting the disease from their mothers, which can be severe for newborns, Ostrosky said.

The CDC reported that the travelers who contracted the virus had a fairly typical presentation. However, at least three patients had their symptoms come back after the illness resolved. The recurrence of Oropouche virus symptoms is not common to similar diseases, like Zika, and the level of recurrence is likely underestimated, according to the CDC.

In a statement about the infected travelers in the U.S, the CDC said it is working alongside partners to understand more about what is driving the current outbreaks and how that might affect risk of transmission.

How worrying is the news?

We did receive warning from the CDC to be on the lookout for cases from international travelers coming from endemic regions, Ostrosky said.

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Although Ostrosky said the disease presents no danger to the general U.S. population currently, the warning is a two-fold educational alert. On one hand, physicians need to be on the lookout for the disease and know not every insect-borne disease they see may be Dengue or Zika, which are viruses similar to Oropouche. On the other hand, the alert is a reminder for travelers visiting high-risk areas to take precautions, like wearing safe clothing and using insect repellent to avoid bug bites.

In Otroskys opinion, the jump in the diseases regional risk level is due to the increase in cases from traveling, not because the disease is more pathogenic.

Its amassing critical mass and spilling over from the rainforest to urban settings, which is more worrisome. Once its in urban settings, there is more likelihood that it will spread, Ostrosky said.

As the public learns about the disease through warnings, health officials and scientists are learning too, said Ostrosky.

Its relatively newer than other viral vector-borne diseases, and we dont know all the vectors that transmit it. Were learning about this disease and why its making the jump to urban settings, Otrosky said.

I think it (the alert) is totally appropriate because its a developing situation. We want the general public to think about these things when traveling internationally.

Still, the relative nebulous-nature of the Oropouche virus is not cause for mass alarm in the U.S., he added. With the commonality of alerts and headlines of growing disease across the globe, from COVID to Mpox, Ostrosky said he worries about public fatigue.

Its hard to keep people focused and not be like, Oh, another one. Its a fine line we walk between too much and too little information, Ostrosky said.

Framing and context are paramount when it comes to news about disease, Ostrosky said.
Elon Musk's controversial social media platform X (formerly Twitter) is now facing a ban in Brazil after failing to assign a new legal representative to the company. It has also been accused of failing to stand its ground in upholding free speech.

Because of the ban, Brazilian X users are now flocking to alternative platforms, including its rival, Bluesky. As a result, Bluesky is now seeing an all-time high in the country.

This startup platform known to have been founded by Twitter's co-founder, Jack Dorsey, shortly after he left the Elon Musk-owned company's board.

X is Banned in Brazil After Failing to Hire a Representative

According to a local news website, Poder360, X is now banned in Brazil after Supreme Federal Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes ordered temporary limits on access to the platform. This is because X did not appoint a new legal representative after the company closed its offices in the country because of alleged threats.

Its legal troubles also started with X's refusal to filter the platform's content and remove certain users, with Musk claiming that free speech is for all.

This new order from Brazil's Supreme Court Minister also asked Apple and Google to remove X from their respective app marketplaces in the country. In addition to this, users who will be caught accessing X using VPNs will be fined 50,000 Brazilian real ($8,900) per day.

Read Also : Ad Group Halts Brand Safety Activities Amid Elon Musk's X Lawsuit

Former Brazilian X Users are now on Bluesky

Amidst all of this, one platform is thriving, and it is none other than X's rival, Bluesky. According to the latest announcement by the social media platform, Bluesky is seeing new all-time-high record in users in Brazil alone.

It was also added by Bluesky developer Paul Frazee (via The Verge) that this is the first time the platform saw this kind of traffic, and is expecting issues or outages on the platform as a result.

Elon Musk and X's Free Speech vs. Brazil

Elon Musk is known for his focus on promoting free speech for X, which he acquired in 2022. This quest for free speech has since damaged X's reputation, as its user base as well as business partners dimished in number due to their disapproval of the platform's operations.

Recently, X was under fire for allowing anti-semitic posts on social media, also entangling Musk in this controversy.

In Brazil, X's recent fiasco involved Brazil's Supreme Court after X failed to follow its orders to remove certain users and content relating to ex-Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro. This run-in with Brazil's justic system also got Musk in hot water with the country's minister of the Supreme Federal Court, Alexandre de Moraes.

Recently, X shut down its office in Brazil to reportedly protect its employees from de Moraes' alleged threats, but the platform remained available and Musk still upheld his free speech campaign. The threats of an X ban in Brazil has now become a reality after back-and-forth exchanges between both parties.
The Ad Club Bangalore successfully hosted the fifth edition of its popular Inspiration Room series on August 22nd, featuring Triveni Rajagopal, Co-founder & Director of PARAllELWORLDS.AI.

A seasoned marketing leader and tech startup co-founder, Triveni captivated the audience with her insights on leading traditional brands into the ever-evolving digital landscape. Her extensive experience, spanning 20 years across WPP agency network, Pepsico, and Unilever - offered valuable perspectives on navigating the complexities of B2B sales and brand storytelling in a digital world.

Triveni delved into her experience leading digital marketing strategies for iconic billion-euro CPG brands at Unilever across India, China, and AMEA. She highlighted her expertise in weaving brand narratives across Web 1.0 and 2.0, while orchestrating multi-market technology collaborations.

The session explored the exciting concept of "Brands-as-a-Service"  a vision Triveni championed at Unilever. Triveni further emphasised the importance of effective leadership in today's marketing landscape. She discussed strategies for building high-performing teams and fostering successful interactions with C-suite decision-makers, media and creative agencies, and technology partners to achieve brand success in the digital age.

"We are thrilled with how the Inspiration Room series continues to evolve," said Laeeq Ali, President of the Advertising Club Bangalore. "Trivenis experience and deep understanding of the digital transformation process were truly enlightening for everyone in attendance."

The evening was further enriched by the contributions of Venue Partner Adda 1522, Pouring Partner Heineken, Event Partner Niche and Co.

The Inspiration Room series provides a platform for industry professionals to learn, network, and be inspired.

Also Read: Evolution of Fashion Campaigns: From Print Ads to Social Media Influence
Emami Limited, one of the leading FMCG companies in India, has forayed into a Binding Agreement with Helios Lifestyle Pvt Ltd (Helios) which is renowned for its premium mens grooming brand The Man Company to acquire 100% ownership by acquiring the balance 49.60% stake. Helios is already a subsidiary of Emami Ltd, where Emami currently holds 50.40% stake.

The Man Company, a digital-first lifestyle brand, offering head-to-toe range of premium mens grooming products in Fragrances, Skin Care, Hair Care, Body Care and Beard Management category. The products are available across online and offline channels, all online marketplaces, including its own website, app, and Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs) and modern trade chains. The Man Company is known for their expansive portfolio of products which is inspired by nature and made with handpicked natural ingredients and are free of harmful chemicals.

The completion of the acquisition of Helios by Emami will strengthen its presence in the fast growing digital first premium male grooming segment.

Indian men are increasingly becoming more aware of the need to appear well groomed to stand out in a competitive environment. As a result, male grooming products are rapidly gaining traction, driving impressive market growth. The segment offers huge potential for innovation & growth. Emami is already an active player in the male grooming segment through its brand Fair and Handsome.

Harsha V Agarwal, Vice Chairman & MD, Emami Ltd said, We had adopted the route of strategic investments in new-age startups very early to leverage online opportunities brought about by rapid digitalization to incubate new engines of growth. These strategic investments help us to have footprints in emerging segments that align with evolving consumer preferences.

The Man Company brand was our first strategic investment in 2017, which has been extremely fruitful, with the company becoming our subsidiary in 2022. We are happy to have not only invested in The Man Company as we could foresee its huge potential, but equally impressed and happy with the promoters vision and commitment towards making it a formidable brand. With the completion of 100% acquisition of the Company, we are excited to take the brand to its next level of growth.

Agarwal further added, We will continue to explore more such opportunities for strategic investment that have synergies with our existing line of businesses.

Commenting on the development, Hitesh Dhingra, Co-founder, Helios Lifestyle said, As we embarked on our journey, we noticed a shift in men's grooming needs, with more men recognizing the importance of looking and feeling their best. Seeing this untapped potential, we took the opportunity and started the brand and partnered with Emami as a strategic investor in 2017. Within a short span of time, The Man Company has become a key player in mens grooming segment in India. As we took the brand to a new level over the last few years, we now expect it to continue its growth trajectory with Emami who has the ability to further accelerate the same and make The Man Company one of the leading brands in the segment.

We enjoyed our journey with Emami who came on board as a strategic partner and guided us and together, we took the brand to a new level. We believe the brand has great potential and would love to see The Man Company as a global brand under Emami added Bhisham Bhateja, Co-founder, Helios Lifestyle.

Also Read : 2024 is a milestone year for us: RS Goenka on 50 years of Emami
Adgullys weekly feature showcases the latest campaigns from top brands, offering a deep dive into the stories and strategies that resonate with audiences across India. From BIBAs fusion of tradition with modernity, starring Kriti Sanon, to Birla Estates pioneering Real Advice campaign, and Motilal Oswals memorable The Man From Motilal Oswal, these ads not only captivate but also define brand narratives. Discover how Canva brings a humorous twist to historical figures, how Blue Tribe champions sustainability with Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, and how Indriya celebrates Indian craftsmanship with a contemporary flair. Each campaign is a testament to the power of storytelling, innovation, and the ever-evolving landscape of India

BIBA

BIBA, one of the leading womens Indian wear brand in India, has announced the collaboration with Bollywood Fashion Sensation Kriti Sanon as its brand ambassador. This collaboration imbues a fresh take on the brands commitment to honouring Indian heritage while introducing contemporary and modern day designs. Through this partnership, BIBA continues to pay tribute to the rich cultural roots of India.

Birla Estates

Birla Estates Pvt Ltd, the real estate arm of the Aditya Birla Group and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Century Textiles and Industries Limited, launches "Real Advice," a ground-breaking campaign that marks one of India's first initiatives to raise awareness and educate Indian audiences on the Real Estate sector. The "Real Advice" campaign by Birla Estates provides insights, information, and also is educating and empowering individuals to make informed decisions with respect to real estate.

Motilal Oswal Financial Services

Motilal Oswal Financial Services (MOFSL) has unveiled its Iconic brand campaign called The Man From Motilal Oswal.The multimedia campaign features a distinguished character who embodies MOFSLs brand essence and USP of offering research-backed insights and solid relationships. Through engaging dialogues, the character emphasizes the challenges of building wealth, addressing real-life concerns and constraints of investors with reassuring messages such as, "Investment ke liye hum hain na," and warns people against tips by asserting "I don't give tips, only solid advice" He rounds up his advice by emphasising on the 3 Rs of investingResearch, Research, and Research. The 360 multimedia campaign will be featured across broadcast, print, OOH displays, and digital platforms.

Canva

As an extension to its inaugural brand campaign, Dil Se, Design Tak, visual communication platform Canva reinforces its commitment to making the platform truly local in India with its set of 12 unconventional ad-films. Hysterical Historical Cafe, a unique concept, gains widespread attention and acclaim across the digital realm, transporting Indian audiences to a whimsical world. A setting in which historical figures grapple with modern-day challenges, all while showcasing the limitless possibilities of Canva. The ad-films provide an innovative take on the brands user-friendly tools and everyday use cases in a quirky and fun way.

Blue Tribe

Blue Tribe, a pioneer in plant-based food innovation, is thrilled to announce the launch of its latest ad campaign featuring one of Indias most beloved celebrity couples, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli. Known for their commitment to a sustainable lifestyle, the dynamic duo embodies Blue Tribe's mission to make plant-based eating mainstream.

Indriya

Indriya, part of the Aditya Birla Group, celebrates craftsmanship and endless love for fine jewellery in its newly released movie/film. Each piece crafted at Indriya is an ode to the rich Indian Kaarigari, reimagined in a contemporary style. Whether it is the reinvention of age-old favourites like polki and kundan, or the use of local crafting practices, each design showcases the best of Indias rich jewellery traditions. To reinterpret ancient jewellery-making techniques, and create masterpieces that captivate all five senses.

Obeetee Carpets

Obeetee Carpets has unveiled the campaign video for its latest collection, Viraasat. Through this, Obeetee redefines how we experience and connect with heritage, depicting what it means to cherish and pass on a legacy, resonating beyond the material.

Parle G

There are some things that we take for granted just because that is how it always is. Tradition carries on. Sometimes, the younger generation thinks twice about an accepted norm and infuses that tradition with a perspective that did not exist before. Parle-Gs Ganesh Chaturthi film is a celebration of the mood and joie de vivre that Lord Ganesha brings to every home on the eve of the festival.

Digit Insurance

Go Digit General Insurance Limited (Digit Insurance), one of Indias leading new-age insurance companies, has launched the second ad with its brand ambassador Virat Kohli for its latest brand campaign Thats it! . The campaign, through a unique motor claims scenario, focuses on "doubt" that people feel when it comes to the insurance claims submission process turns into "delight" when they experience Digit Insurance's seamless and easy process of filing a claim.

Also Read: 'Kill': Indias Most Violent Film Premieres on Disney+ Hotstar, Sept 6
Signature Global, one of India's leading real estate companies and ranked among the Top 10 listed real estate firms in the country, has expanded its Senior Management Personnel (SMP) team to accommodate changes in roles and responsibilities within the organization. Jayanta Barua, who has been instrumental in the companys brand positioning over the past eight years, has been elevated to a leadership role within the SMP team. With over three decades of experience in sales, marketing, and corporate communications, Barua now joins the ranks of the senior management team, further strengthening the companys leadership.

Alongside Barua, eight other key leaders have also joined the SMP team, including Varun Mehta (Group President - Operations), Rohan Chopra (Chief Human Resource Officer), Satyendra Pati Tripathi (Chief Information Officer), Rajiv Kumar (Senior President - Sales), Pradeep Gaur (President - Sales), Sandeep Kumar Mittal (President - Sales), Mubashir Hussain (Senior Vice President - Sales), and Guneet Singh Sodhi (Senior Vice President - CRM). This strategic expansion highlights Signature Global's commitment to bolstering its leadership, ensuring continued growth, and maintaining its position as a top player in the Indian real estate market.

Also Read: Signature Global Welcomes Poulomi Ray as Head of Digital Marketing and CSR
Yelp, a platform for online reviews, has initiated legal action against Google, alleging that the tech company has engaged in practices that hinder competition, harming Yelps business.

In a blog post, Yelp's co-founder and CEO Jeremy Stoppelman accused Google of unlawfully leveraging its dominance in search engines to dominate the local search and advertising markets. Our lawsuit seeks to protect competition, defend consumer choice, seek damages, and stop Google from engaging in anti-competitive behavior to allow innovation to thrive, Stoppelman stated.

Yelp claimed that when users conduct local searches on Google, the search engine manipulates the results to prioritize its own local search services over those of rivals, even if Google's options are inferior. This approach allows Google to circumvent the ranking standards it enforces on other sites.

Also Read: Yelp reneges Google offer
12 Rail Projects Progressing in Mumbai: New Suburban Corridor Among Key Developments 2

Mumbais railway infrastructure is set for a significant upgrade, with 12 key rail projects currently in progress within the Mumbai Division of the Central Railway. Among these, a new suburban corridor is expected to greatly enhance connectivity across the city, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw announced via social media on Friday.

One of the major highlights is the completion of Phase 1 of the new fifth and sixth lines between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kurla, slated for the end of next year. This project is designed to segregate local and mail/express train movements, thereby boosting local train services.

In a recent post on X, Minister Vaishnaw provided updates on other ongoing projects. The sixth rail line between Mumbai Central and Borivali is well underway, with the 8.9 km Khar-Goregaon stretch already completed and commissioned. Rapid progress is being made on the remaining Goregaon-Borivali section.

Know the 12 Mumbai Rail Projects underway!



A thread pic.twitter.com/MH8K5FNfFe  Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) August 30, 2024

Additionally, the Harbour Line extension from Goregaon to Borivali is expected to alleviate congestion on the heavily trafficked Andheri-Borivali route. Land acquisition for this crucial project is currently in progress, according to Minister Vaishnaw.

The ongoing utility shifting work for the fifth and sixth rail lines between Borivali and Virar is another significant project aimed at reducing stress on the Borivali-Palghar fast corridor. Upon completion, this corridor will be exclusively used for suburban trains, further enhancing local connectivity.

In the Virar-Dahanu Road section, extensive earthwork and bridge construction are currently underway. This project is vital for enhancing rail connectivity and reducing congestion in the region.

Moreover, the Panvel-Karjat rail line project is progressing with tunneling and bridge construction. Once completed, this line will introduce a new suburban rail corridor, connecting Navi Mumbai with the Raigad district. This is part of a broader strategy to extend rail services to underdeveloped areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The first phase of the Airoli-Kalwa elevated link, which includes the commissioning of Dighagaon station, is complete. Land acquisition is ongoing for the remaining sections of this 3.3 km project, which will provide seamless train connections between Vashi-Belapur and Kalyan.

Further enhancements to the suburban rail network include the fourth line between Kalyan and Asangaon, which will improve local train connectivity within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Utility shifting, earthwork, and bridge construction are in progress for the third and fourth rail lines between Kalyan and Badlapur, aimed at meeting the growing demand in this busy corridor.

The Kalyan-Kasara third line is another critical project, with Phase 1 from Asangaon to Kasara expected to be completed next year. This line will help alleviate congestion on the busy Kalyan-Kasara Suburban and mail express route, improving overall train mobility.

Additionally, the Naigaon-Juichandra double chord line is under construction to eliminate engine reversals at Vasai, benefiting trains originating from Mumbai Central, Dadar, or Bandra Terminus en route to the Konkan Railway and southern India.

Finally, a 5-km-long chord line between Nilaje and Kopar is also being developed. This project is expected to cut train travel time between Vasai and Panvel by approximately 15 to 20 minutes, offering faster and more efficient service to passengers.

These projects are crucial to easing the growing pressure on Mumbais rail network, providing faster, more reliable service to millions of daily commuters.
AIIMS Doctors to Stage Protest at Jantar Mantar, Demand Justice for Kolkata Medical Tragedy 2

Doctors from AIIMS-Delhi, one of Indias premier medical institutions, will gather at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon to demand justice for the victim of a brutal rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal. The protest, led by senior medical professionals, aims to highlight the urgent need for better protection of healthcare workers across the country.

Dr. Suvrankar Datta, Vice President of the Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) and a senior resident doctor at AIIMS-New Delhi, confirmed the peaceful protest, emphasizing the medical communitys growing concerns. We are organizing a large, peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on August 31 to seek justice for our colleague at RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal, Dr. Datta stated.

The recent incident in Kolkata has intensified calls for a nationwide protection act aimed at safeguarding medical professionals, particularly women, from physical and sexual assaults while on duty. The medical fraternity is urging the Union government to take swift action to prevent such violence.

We call on the Central Government to implement a nationwide protection Act for healthcare professionals to prevent violence, Dr. Suvrankar Datta said. The protest at Jantar Mantar is expected to draw significant attention to this critical issue.

Doctors are planning to assemble at Jantar Mantar and have extended an appeal to others in the medical community to join them. The protest is intended to highlight the need for increased security in hospitals and demand justice for the victim from RG Kar Medical College.

Ahead of a crucial Supreme Court hearing scheduled for September 5, Dr. Suvrankar Datta urged doctors to participate in the demonstration. I urge doctors to join us at Jantar Mantar from 3 P.M. to 5 P.M. on Saturday. We want to demonstrate our unity and demand increased security in hospitals across the country, he said.

The heinous crime in Kolkata sparked nationwide strikes and protests, severely impacting medical services across the country. The strikes only subsided after the Supreme Court intervened on August 22, urging doctors to return to work while assuring them that no adverse actions would be taken against those who participated in the protests.

The upcoming protest at Jantar Mantar is a crucial step in the ongoing struggle to ensure the safety and security of medical professionals across India, as they continue to demand justice for their colleague and a safer working environment for all.
South Actress Raadhika Sarathkumar Reveals Hidden Cameras in Movie Set Caravans 2

In a shocking revelation that has further troubled the Malayalam film industry, popular South Indian actress and BJP leader Raadhika Sarathkumar has disclosed the presence of hidden cameras in caravans on movie sets. These cameras were allegedly used to film actresses while they changed clothes, exposing a disturbing practice within the industry.

Raadhika Sarathkumar, who is married to South Indian star Sarathkumar, shared this alarming information during an interview with a private television channel. She recounted how she discovered the hidden cameras and took immediate action to protect her privacy. After I got to know that cameras were placed in caravans to record women actresses, I did not use the facility, and when I needed to change, I returned to the hotel room, Raadhika stated.

The actress further revealed that she has been approached by several women working in the Malayalam film industry, who have shared their own experiences of harassment. Raadhika emphasized the severity of the situation, highlighting that videos captured by these hidden cameras were saved in separate folders on the mobile phones of the perpetrators, organized by the names of the actresses involved.

The Malayalam film industry has been under intense scrutiny following a series of revelations by women actors who have accused popular actors and directors of sexual assault and abuse. The controversy escalated after the release of the Justice Hema committee report, which brought to light the extent of misconduct in the industry.

As a result, FIRs have been registered against several prominent Malayalam actors, including Mukesh, who is also a CPI(M) legislator from Kollam, as well as Siddik, Jayasuriya, Sudheesh, Edavela Babu, and Maniyanpilla Raju. Malayalam directors Ranjith and V. K. Prakash have also been named in the investigations.

In the wake of these revelations, Tamil superstar and South Indian Artists Association (SIAA) general secretary Vishal has urged women artists to come forward with their own experiences in the Tamil film industry. His call to action has been echoed by Tamil actor and national award winner Kutti Padmini, who has alleged that she was sexually abused at the age of ten within the industry. She recounted how she and her mother were removed from a film set after questioning the abuse.

These revelations have sparked widespread outrage and are contributing to a growing demand for accountability and justice within the South Indian film industry.
Vinesh Phogat Calls on Government to Address Farmers' Issues at Kisan Mahapanchayat 2

Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat joined the ongoing farmers protest at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana on Saturday, urging the central government to listen to their demands and prioritize addressing their issues. The event, known as the Kisan Mahapanchayat, was organized by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha to mark 200 days of their Delhi Chalo agitation, which demands a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Phogat, who faced recent disqualification from the 50-kg final at the Paris Olympics, was honored by the protesting farmers for her support. In her address, she expressed solidarity with the farmers, emphasizing that their demands are justified. I want to tell you that your daughter is with you, Phogat stated, reflecting her commitment to their cause.

The wrestler, who represents India on the international stage, lamented the lack of progress in the farmers protest. She noted, It hurts to see them. Sometimes we feel helpless at not being able to do anything for them. It is a request that the government should listen to them.

Despite the ongoing protest, Phogat highlighted the farmers crucial role in feeding the nation and urged the government to reciprocate with empathy. If the farmers do not feed us, how will we be able to compete? They have a big heart, and the government should also show a big heart, she added.

When asked about Haryanas upcoming assembly elections, Phogat admitted her lack of political knowledge but expressed willingness to support farmers in future agitations. Farmers of the country are upset, and their problems need to be addressed. It should be the governments priority to address their problems, she said.

Phogat, from Haryanas Balali, had previously been involved in protests against the Wrestling Federation of India chief over allegations of sexual harassment. Recently, she was honored with a gold medal by the Sarvkhap Panchayat in Haryanas Rohtak.
Alabama Republican congressional candidate Caroleene Dobson visited San Elizario, Texas, on Thursday to raise concerns over the Biden Administrations U.S.-Mexican border policies in a move that her Democratic opponent called a photo opportunity.

The visit, panned by Democratic opponent Shomari Figures, also put the spotlight on an issue that has polled well for Republicans nationally, but also has raised a question in the high stakes 2nd congressional contest on Nov. 5: Does immigration, as a policy priority, matter much to voters in a mostly rural and majority Black congressional district in southern Alabama?

Dobson said its an important policy that is directly related to all other matters of importance among voters in the 2nd district -- health care, the economy, education and more. Figures, a former Biden and Obama official from Mobile, told AL.com on Thursday that it is not a top concern among voters within the district.

Ive traveled around this district for a year now and Ive had thousands and thousands of conversations, and I can tell you that when I ask what their biggest concerns are facing their communities, I have literally heard zero times anyone say that immigration is the biggest concern, Figures said. Health care, absolutely. Safer communities, definitely. Education, jobs, and economic activity. But immigration? Literally, not a single one.

Said Dobson, If we secure our border and address illegal immigration, we can take a large step toward resolving all of the issues Shomari Figures mentions. If he cannot understand that simple connection, then he has no business serving in the U.S. Congress.

Immigration warning

Alabama Republican congressional candidate Caroleene Dobson speaks about immigration policy and border security during a news conference on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, at the U.S.-Mexican border city of San Elizario, Texas.image supplied by the Dobson campaign

Dobson traveled about 1,200 miles to the west to visit the border city south of El Paso with Republican Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales, who is seeking re-election against a Democratic opponent in his district in a race considered safe for the GOP. Dobson, on Friday, then blasted Figures during an interview Friday on Fox & Friends for overlooking the border concerns that she said resonates in the 2nd district.

Dobson, an attorney from Montgomery who grew up in Monroe County, said Figures doesnt understand that all the issues he highlighted as policy priorities are all directly related to the border.

She said that undocumented immigrants fill our emergency rooms and classrooms without paying taxes or contributing to the costs. They take jobs that men and women in Alabama who need jobs should fill.

Dobson also mentioned Antonio Rodas, the suspected drunk driver in a fatal April 28 crash that killed 19-year-old Adam Luker in Semmes. Rodas was driving 88 mph and going the wrong way at the time of the crash. He then attempted to flee to South America before he was arrested and held in jail without bond.

These situations are terrifying, Dobson said during the Fox & Friends interview. Weve felt the impacts in Alabamas 2nd congressional district.

Debating priorities

Shomari Figures, a Democratic candidate for Alabama's 2nd congressional district, speaks during a forum featuring 10 candidates (eight Democrats, and two Republicans) on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, at the Sunlight District Auditorium in Prichard, Ala.John Sharp/jsharp@al.com

Figures said that Dobson is out-of-touch with the voters in the 2nd district, who are struggling with health care options due to a lack of expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, among other things.

He also said that Dobsons visit to the border was nothing more than a photo opportunity.

We need to allow (border patrol) to defend the border and secure the border and make sure what is coming across is not illicit and illegal weapons and drugs and let them do their jobs absent someone wanting to go down to take pictures, Figures said.

Figures said that Dobsons background is in Texas, where she graduated from Baylor University and practiced law in San Antonio.

She only moved here a few years ago from Texas, said Figures. She knows what Texas looks like. This is literally a photo op. Its not helpful to anything. Alabama is not a border state. If she wants to go to the border, then go to the border of Monroe and Conecuh counties and see the (lack of health care access) and where women can deliver a baby. Those are the borders we are concerned about. Its about how many county borders do (the residents in District 2) have to cross to get to a hospital.

Figures said he has been at the border in his prior capacities working in Washington, D.C. He said he helped draft legislation to get more drug intervention devices to safely scan drug packages without having border control agents encounter suspected fentanyl.

We have been to the border to try and help, Figures said, adding about Dobson, and not going down there with a camera to say, look at me trying to keep these brown people out of the country.

Dobson, during her Fox & Friends appearance, said she isnt surprised Figures was denying this is a problem. He was part of Bidens transition team and helped put in policies that endangered our citizens.

Talk to city officials, business leaders, Dobson said. We are all concerned with the impacts of the open border policies.

Partisan split

Migrants wait in line to be let in by the Border Patrol into El Paso, Texas from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. Thousands of migrants gathered along the Mexican side of the southern border Wednesday, camping outside or packing into shelters as they waited for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether and when to lift pandemic-era restrictions that have prevented many from seeking asylum. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)AP

Some political scientists say Dobsons focus on immigration isnt a surprise given how the issue has polled well for Republicans in an almost exact opposite manner as how reproductive rights and abortion control are polling well for the Democrats heading into November.

A Gallup poll in July showed that 55% of Americans want immigration into the U.S. reduced, the highest percentage since 2001.

Related content: Project 2025, IVF rise to the forefront in Alabama congressional clash

I do think immigration is probably the best issue Republicans have, so it wont hurt Dobson to do this, but since Alabama is not a border state, I am not confident its going to move the needle much, especially in that district, said Regina Wagner, a political science professor at the University of Alabama.

A Pew Research poll in early June showed a partisan split over the issue before Vice President Kamala Harris took over the top of the Democratic ticket. Roughly six-in-10 voters who support Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump say there should be a national effort to deport undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., while just 11% of Biden supporters backed this view.

By contrast, 85% of Biden supporters say undocumented immigrants should be eligible to stay legally if certain requirements are met, including 56% who say this should include a path toward applying for citizenship. Only about a third (32%) of Trump supporters held a similar view, with only 15% saying there should be a way for them to apply for citizenship.

Members of the Texas delegation wave "mass deportation now" signs at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP Images)AP

The partisan split was on display during both party nominating conventions. At the GOP convention in Milwaukee, attendees waved signs that said, Mass Deportations Now as Republican speakers warned how undocumented immigrants were stealing votes and jobs. At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, immigration and border control were much lower among the partys priorities.

Statistics show a recent decline in illegal border crossings, reaching a 3-year low in June, according to a CBS report. The amount of drugs seized at the border are also dropping this year compared to the prior three fiscal years ending in September, according to U.S. Customs and Border Control records. Fentanyl seizures are also on the decline compared to a year ago, according to records.

Richard Ledet, the interim chair of the political science department at Troy University, agrees with Wagner that there is no harm for Dobson to visit the border and highlighting an issue that the GOP feels they are strongest on compared to Democrats mainly due to the rhetoric and messaging theyve crafted for years now.

The border issue certainly is something the GOP wants to focus on, even if their district is nowhere near a border, Ledet said. In part, this is a result of the nationalization of elections. Its simply too easy for many voters, largely due to their own personal media consumption habits, to focus attention on a national level spectacle instead of trying to figure out how to work together to solve problems closer to home.

School trends

Jonathan Gray, a Republican Party consultant based in Mobile, said border concerns represent a comprehensive platform backed by Dobson and that the issue is an issue in every district due to the federal funding that goes into addressing it.

The lack of federal money to invest into rural development and job retraining is the direct result of the money they are redirecting in the federal budget to spend at the border, Gray said.

Gray, who is also involved with the Baldwin County School System, also noted that south Alabama schools are seeing a rise in the number of English Language learners  or those with limited English proficiency  in the public schools.

Those numbers, overall, remain fairly low in comparison to the overall student body in two of the largest school districts in the 2nd district.

Still, the overall number of English Language learners is rising in recent years.

According to the federal report card, Mobile County  the states largest school system  had 2,041 students with limited English proficiency in 2023, or 4% of the districts total enrollment of 50,636 students that year. Of those 2,041 students, 1,428 or 70% were classified as Hispanic/Latino.

Those numbers represented an increase from 2019, when 1,414 students spoke limited English  only 2.6% of the districts total. And of those, only 809 or 57% were Hispanic/Latino.

Similar statistics exist at Montgomery County Schools. In 2023, 2,573 or 9.8% of the county school districts 26,242 students had limited English proficiency. Of those, 2,101 or 82% were Hispanic/Latino.

In 2019, the 1,815 or 6.3% of the student body had limited English proficiency. Of those, 1,454 or 80% were Hispanic/Latino.

Migration stagnation

Alabama, in general, is not considered a hot bed for undocumented immigration compared to other states.

In fact, the state almost lost one of its congressional seats last year due, in part, to a lack of domestic and international migration into the State of Alabama between 2010 and 2020.

The state, based on Census figures, faced the prospects of losing one of its seven congressional districts on the following: It had the nations second-highest death rate behind West Virginia and was one of five states attracting less than one foreign immigrant for every 1,000 residents. Other states, like Texas and Florida, saw a surge of immigration.

Since 2020, Alabama continues to lag toward the bottom of states in the rate of international migrants moving into the state.

Redistricting that occurred after the Census count ended up in federal court and upended the congressional districts in South Alabama. The U.S. Supreme Court unexpectedly ruled last June in Allen v. Milligan that Alabamas Republican-drawn congressional map violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, setting in motion a redrawn map that has led to the Dobson-Figures clash.

The federal courts, with the backing of the U.S. Supreme Court, endorsed the creation of a second majority-minority district in the 2nd district. The other majority Black district is Alabamas 7th congressional district represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell of Birmingham.

The 2nd district had been represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Barry Moore of Enterprise. But his hometown was redrawn into the 1st congressional district, and he decided to run against fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl during the March 5 GOP primary. Moore defeated Carl and is expected to easily win on Nov. 5, in a congressional district that is considered among the most conservative in the nation.

But all eyes are on the 2nd district, where Dobson and Figures are battling it out in a rare contested General Election for a congressional seat in Alabama with a lot at stake: Republicans hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House heading into the Nov. 5 election.
An investigation is ongoing after a 53-year-old man was shot by sheriffs deputies in north Alabama.

The shooting happened late Thursday into early Friday when Colbert County deputies were assisting Mississippi law enforcement officers in a car chase that crossed over into Alabama, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agent.

ALEA Lt. Jeremy Burkett identified the wounded man as John William Griffin. He lives in Iuka.

The pursuit ultimately ended on Daryl Lane in Leighton in Colbert County, Burkett said

Griffin was airlifted to Huntsville Hospital. His condition has not been released.

Colbert County Sheriff Eric Balentine told WAFF that Griffin refused to stop at a random police roadblock in Tishomingo County, Mississippi.

Balentine said Griffin fired on officers and deputies and was shot in return fire.

Burkett said no officers were injured.

Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Colbert County District Attorneys Office.
Federal authorities in Texas have arrested a former Bessemer woman who was convicted of murder in Birmingham and has previously been deported from the U.S. four different times.

Maribel Martinez Garcia, a 40-year-old Mexican national, was arrested Thursday at a home in North Houston, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston.

At the time of her arrest, according to an ICE news release, Martinez was in possession of a counterfeit Social Security card and lawful permanent resident card.

This arrest is just another example of the critical public safety function that ICE ERO serves in our local communities while enforcing our nations immigration laws, said ERO Houston Field Office Director Bret A. Bradford. Thanks to hypervigilance and outstanding teamwork between ERO Houston and ERO New Orleans we were able to quickly locate this convicted murderer who has repeatedly violated our nations immigration laws and safely take her into custody before she could hurt anyone else.

Authorities said it isnt known when Martinez first illegally entered the U.S., but she was arrested on April 13, 2000, by the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Houston.

On Aug. 3, 2000, an immigration judge with the Justice Departments Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Martinez removed from the U.S. to Mexico, which took place the following month.

Martinez illegally reentered the U.S. on an unknown date and at an unknown location, ICE officials said. On Jan. 1, 2004, she was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol near Progreso, Texas, and voluntarily returned to Mexico.

Martinez illegally reentered the United States for a third time on an unknown date and at an unknown location. On Jan. 10, 2004, she was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol near Progreso and voluntarily returned to Mexico.

Martinez was arrested by Birmingham police on New Years Day 2007 on a charge of capital murder in the shooting death of 32-year-old Francisco Ostiquin Cervantes, 32, of Pelham.

Cervantes body was found at 9:31 p.m. on New Years Eve in the 1800 block of 27th Avenue North.

Pelham police were led to the scene where Cervantes body was discovered and then notified Birmingham police.

Hoover police and the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, which includes marshals and officers from several area police departments, were also involved in the investigation.

Martinez was among three people arrested in the slaying. The others were Samuel Candido Gomez, now 41, Oscar Alejandro Quintero-Barron, now 39.

Authorities said in 2007 that Cervantes was driving with his two children, 3 and 7 years old, around 6:30 p.m. Saturday and picked up Quintero-Barron outside a store in Hoover to give him a ride. They drove to north Birmingham, where Cervantes and Quinter-Barron walked into the woods, leaving the kids alone in the car.

The 7-year-old heard sounds that investigators believed were gunshots and then a male suspect came back to the car alone.

Quintero-Barron drove the children to a restaurant on Ninth Avenue North in Bessemer that caters to Hispanics, leaving the youngsters in the car and explaining he was going to get the kids a meal at McDonalds.

About 8:30 p.m. that Saturday, Cervantes wife received a phone call from a man who said that her husband had been in an accident and asked her to pick up their children outside the Bessemer restaurant.

The woman went to the restaurant and picked up the children, then reported her husband missing to Pelham police.

Hoover police investigators also got involved and called in the task force, which lends assistance in missing persons cases.

Garcia was Quintero-Barrons girlfriend. Quinter-Barron worked for the victim.

Charging documents say Cervantes was killed while he was being robbed of a necklace and cash.

All three suspects pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of murder. The two men remain in Alabama prisons.

Garcia received a 20-year sentence with three years to serve.

Upon her release from state prison in 2010, according to ICE officials, she was taken into custody in Birmingham and convicted for illegal reentry into the U.S. She was deported to Mexico on Aug. 19, 2010.

Authorities said they dont know when she entered the U.S. the most recent time. She is being held in the Montgomery Processing Center in Texas for illegal reentry and faces additional charges.

This case demonstrates the impact ERO has on public safety every day, and now this dangerous, repetitive criminal is off our streets, said ERO New Orleans Field Office Director Mellissa Harper. ERO will continue to focus on our mission of removing criminal noncitizens from our communities.
Last school year, Taylor Cunningham was kicked out of high school.

But he figured out a way to pivot, adjust to changes and graduate anyways. Friday, Cunningham, 17, stood proudly in his blue cap and gown as valedictorian of the Housing Authority of Birmingham Districts Magic City YouthBuild program.

Twenty-five teens and young adults graduated from the latest class of YouthBuild, a workforce development program erected in October 2022. The program gives 16-24 year olds who struggled in the traditional school setting an opportunity to earn a GED, learn business skills and a trade. The six-month program offers students a weekly stipend to compensate them for transportation, attendance and their commitment to education.

Taylor Cunningham, 17, graduated as valedictorian of the Housing Authority of Birmingham Districts Magic City YouthBuild program with his GED. He plans to attend college next.Alaina Bookman

This is another installment in Birmingham Times/AL.com/CBS42 joint series Beyond the Violence: what can be done to address Birminghams rising homicide rate. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Today marks not just the end of our journey through this program, but also the beginning of new opportunities and adventures that await us, Cunningham said during his valedictorian speech. Many of us face challenges that seem insurmountableyet here we are, united by our shared experience at the YouthBuild program.

Cunningham said the program was not just about getting his GED. Along the way, he made close friends, developed relationships with teachers and fostered excitement for his future.

It was about growth, we learned not only academic skills, but life lessons that will guide us through our future endeavors. Weve developed critical thinking abilities, communication skills and a sense of responsibility that will serve us for the rest of our lives, Cunningham said. Education is a lifelong journey.

YouthBuild, a workforce development program erected in Oct. 2022, aids 16-24 year olds who struggled in the traditional school setting by offering an opportunity to earn a GED and open doors to careers in healthcare and construction by learning business skills and a trade. Today, 25 teens and young adults graduated from YouthBuild.Alaina Bookman

With job training under his belt, his GED, trade certifications and acceptances to Jefferson State Community College and Grand Canyon University, Cunningham said he is excited to major in graphic design and animation.

Graduates hugged and laughed while accepting congratulations from proud loved ones and teachers. Many other graduates are walking away with college acceptances, scholarships, job offers and job training.

The Housing Authority partners with local companies and organizations such as Mechanical Craft Training Institute, JBS Mental Health, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Minority Health and Health Equity Resource Center and Lawson State Community College.

The partnerships allow participants to engage in training and gain exposure to new careers. Some graduates received job offers from the partner companies after graduating.

Our mission is to help families become self-sufficient. Housing and education is a catalyst to do other things. We have people that we know need services, we know they have a need for economic empowerment, economic opportunities and the program does that, Larry Williams, chief housing and programs director, said.

Alaina Bookmans reporting at AL.com is supported by grants and individual donations. Give a tax-deductible contribution today.
This is a guest opinion column

Since our founding in Birmingham in 1929, Altec has seen the city go through a few turbulent times  times when our citizens were wracked by poverty during the Great Depression, times when our citizens were subjected to violence in response to their peaceful push for basic human rights. We persisted through those times, and Birmingham today is a much stronger community as a result. We learned from our past and are still building a better community where all people can be happy, healthy and fulfilled.

We are making progress on so many levels, but we are all troubled by the violence we continue to see in our community. There are too many young people killing and being killed, too many children caught in crossfire, and too many senior citizens afraid in their own homes.

This is a nation-wide problem that requires a local community-wide solution.

Mayor Randall Woodfins team recently met with businesses to discuss these issues, and it is great that our city leadership is doing as much as possible to combat violence and crime.

These efforts are having an impact: Property crimes and violent crimes over all are down. Unfortunately, homicides have increased. Every one of these deaths isa tragedy for somebodys family and for our community.

The mayor and his team have worked hard to prevent more tragedies through a smart, multi-faceted approach that includes targeted police activities, policy changes, partnerships, and prevention.

On the enforcement side:

The mayor led the charge to get changes to state law to give the city more tools to address problems related to exhibition driving, and the citys Operation Knight Rider has led to 143 felony charges and the seizure of 86 firearms so far.

A city partnership with state and federal law enforcement has led to the arrest of 23 homicide suspects since May, not to mention 121 arrests for other felonies, including robbery and assault. Thanks to the inter-agency approach, multiple charges can be brought and theyre more likely to stick.

More recently, the city joined with federal officials to announce a program to target Glock switches, which are devices that can switch a handgun to a fully automatic weapon firing multiple rounds in a split second with awful consequences.

The citys police officers are working hard to get all illegal guns off the street seizing more than 1,000 so far this year  and the city continues to push for changes in state law to increase penalties and make it more difficult to obtain guns that will be used for unlawful purposes.

Mayor Woodfins administration has invested more than $30 million in programs specifically directed at the citys young people, many of them offering the potential to reduce violence over the long term. One of my favorites is Birmingham Promise, which provides college and career opportunities to students in Birmingham City Schools. This program, launched by the mayor and still supported with city funds, has already helped 1,300 Birmingham graduates with college expenses and facilitated internships for 200 high school students. Programs like this help us break generational cycles of poverty that can fuel crime.

Other city initiatives include:

Funding for mental health support for students in Birmingham City Schools ensures that each school has counselors and crisis response teams. This is critical for young people who have experienced the trauma of violence involving their family members and peers.

A Safe Haven program in city recreation centers gives children a place outside of school where they can receive tutoring and life skills training and wholesome fun.

A school-based conflict resolution program called Common Ground offers guidance and supports for at-risk students. In addition to the potential long-term impact, this program showed almost immediate results. Male students in the program posted an 83%reduction in fights, a 60% drop in suspensions, and 56% fewer disciplinary actions and school absences.

Are-entry program called RESTORE helps teenagers with support and services after they are released from Department of Youth Services custody. This helps kids who have already gotten off on the wrong foot to get on a better path.

A partnership with area healthcare providers gives people who are hospitalized as a result of violence the opportunity to get mentoring and other services to help break the cycle of bloodshed.

I applaud Mayor Woodfin, whose family has personally experienced gun violence, for making this such a high priority for his administration and for having the courage to tackle a complex problem that defies simple fixes.

But even with all he is putting into this effort, it wont be enough if we fail to do our part as citizens.

By all means, if you see something, say something. There are safe ways to report criminal activity; in fact, information from citizens is critical for our police officers. During the first six months of this year, anonymous tips to Crimestoppers helped bring about 157 felony arrests. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a police officer, get an application today. The City of Birmingham has struggled like departments across the nation to attract and keep officers. While we will never hire enough officers to be everywhere and prevent all violence, we can hire more to deter crime and give our residents a greater sense of safety. Lend your support to the citys efforts in other ways. Become a reading volunteer at a local school, host an intern at your business or invest in our young people in other ways. Know where your children are. Lock up your own guns. Care. When we as a community come together to solve a problem, there is nothing we cant overcome.

Lee Styslinger, III serves on the boards of Altec, Birmingham Promise, Birmingham Business Alliance, Childrens Hospital, Regions Financial and Vulcan Materials.










English News 2024 FOCAC Summit to renew friendship, draw cooperation blueprints

Alwihda Info | Par People's Daily - 31 Aout 2024



The Global South, including China and Africa, is growing fast and profoundly shaping the course of world history. Strengthening solidarity and cooperation between China and Africa is not only the necessary path for the two sides to achieve common development, but also a powerful driving force for building an equal and orderly multipolar world and promoting universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

By He Yin, People's Daily Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on Sept. 5 in Beijing and deliver a keynote speech.



During the summit, Xi will host a welcoming banquet and relevant bilateral events for the leaders of FOCAC's African members and representatives of relevant African regional organizations and international organizations invited to the summit.



After a gap of 6 years, leaders from China and Africa will once again gather in Beijing to renew their friendship and discuss cooperation plans. This is bound to inject new impetus into the deepening of political mutual trust and the upgrading of pragmatic cooperation between China and Africa, and to consolidate consensus and strength in building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.



Xi attaches high importance to China-Africa cooperation. He has been personally involved in the planning of China-Africa relations, providing important guidance for the steady and long-term development of China-Africa ties.

During his visit to Africa in March 2013, Xi put forward the principles of China's Africa policy - sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and pursuing the greater good and shared interests, charting the course for China's cooperation with Africa, and providing the fundamental guidelines.



At the FOCAC Johannesburg Summit in December 2015, Xi announced to implement 10 major cooperation plans with Africa, and both Chinese and African leaders agreed to upgrade the new type of China-Africa strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership.



Three years later, Xi chaired the 2018 Beijing summit of the FOCAC and delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony. He announced that to build an even closer China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, China will, on the basis of the ten cooperation plans already adopted, launch eight major initiatives in close collaboration with African countries in the next three years and beyond.



In November 2021, Xi attended the opening ceremony of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC and delivered a keynote speech. He summarized the everlasting spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and announced that China will work closely with African countries to implement nine programs.



Under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, China-Africa relations have entered a new phase of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. The building of a China-Africa community with a shared future continues to be at the forefront of building a community with a shared future for mankind.



Friendship and justice, which defines China-Africa relations, require China to facilitate Africa's development endeavor with its development and ultimately deliver win-win progress and common development through mutually beneficial cooperation.



From the 10 major cooperation plans to the eight major initiatives, and to the nine programs, China and Africa have continuously expanded and deepened their cooperation.



China is the largest developing country investing in Africa. It has carried out multiple trade promotion projects in Africa, such as a fishing port complex in Ghana and an interchange in Nouakchott, Mauritania. It has also built green development projects in Africa, such as a Juncao technology program in Central African Republic, a riverside green development project in Ethiopia, and a photovoltaic farm in Lesotho.



Besides, China has built a foreign service academy in Sierra Leone, the University of Bamako in Mali, and primary schools in Botswana, with an aim to enhance these countries' capacity building.



So far, Chinese aid and development cooperation projects under the nine programs have all been completed. A vivid picture of China and Africa joining hands to forge a bright future is unfolding.



The pursuit of modernization is a common goal shared by China and African countries. In August 2023, Xi delivered a keynote speech at the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue, during which he announced that China will launch the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development.



These three initiatives focus on the urgent needs of Africa in achieving industrialization, agricultural modernization, and talent development, demonstrating China's support for Africa's development through concrete actions.



African countries generally believe that China is an important partner of Africa in achieving modernization. China and Africa, through their creative explorations for modernization, are giving their answers to the questions of the times, and making joint efforts to advance the great endeavors of win-win cooperation, harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity of civilizations. They will definitely create a better future for the two peoples and set an example for building a community with a shared future for mankind.



China has always followed the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests in its cooperation with Africa, which corresponds to the fundamental interests of African countries and the basic norms of international relations.



China's aim in developing cooperation with Africa will always be to promote the fundamental interests of the Chinese and African people. Sincerity, equality, mutual benefit, justice, openness and inclusiveness will always be the guiding principles and defining features of China-Africa friendship.



The Global South, including China and Africa, is growing fast and profoundly shaping the course of world history. Strengthening solidarity and cooperation between China and Africa is not only the necessary path for the two sides to achieve common development, but also a powerful driving force for building an equal and orderly multipolar world and promoting universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > Immersive cultural, tourism activities on the rise across China Fruit trade between China, ASEAN thrives U.S. tariff hike on China a protectionist move that goes against trend of times Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
I spent an hour this evening cutting and pulling bushes. Normally, this would be an easy task, but in the late August heat and humidity, it was an unpleasant chore. By the time I had finished, I was covered with sweat, and little bits of bark and woody remains from the bushes clung to my shirt and shorts. It felt great to get inside and head for the shower.

Still, I was doing the work I was meant to do. The bushes were dead and needed removing, and I was the only one there to remove them. I have muscles and a strong back and chest, and it was actually a pleasure to put them to use, even in the heat and humidity. My only worry was that in the semi-darkness I might stumble upon a rattler or a copperhead, snakes that are common in our area.

Now that Ive finished, I feel a sense of satisfaction in my work. The dead bushes are piled at the street, where the community will pick them up tomorrow. The space that I cleared is ready for new growth: flowering bushes that will spread from the existing bed. My neighbors will be pleased.

I have larger purposes than that, of course. Ive lived my life in the pursuit of knowledge. I retain something of the tens of thousands of books and articles I have read  or written myself  over the decades, and Ive never ceased being curious.

So too did the 11 million victims of the Nazi Holocaust. Each of these persons had a life of curiosity, purpose, and strength that was cut short by Hitler and Himmler. Each of them should have been left free and unharmed to live a full life with their families and neighbors  cooking, cleaning, buying and selling, teaching, raising children, and yes, pulling bushes.

But each of the Holocaust victims died in horrific pain and terror at the end of a gun, a knife, a bayonet, in a cruel medical experiment, or in some heartless room fixed up to seem like a shower. Each rode the boxcars to his final destination or was killed in the place where he lived  executed with a pistol, beaten to death, or burned alive in a locked synagogue, church, or schoolroom. And in each case, an individuals purpose  the role that person played in the larger community or simply in the domestic life of managing a home and raising children  was cut short in a grotesquely violent fashion. The contribution he might have made to a family or to the world was extinguished.

So too were the approximately 1,200 victims of the Hamas-led assault on Israel. As the anniversary of that attack nears, Israeli officials unanimously approved the observance of a national day of remembrance to commemorate the October 7 massacre and subsequent Gaza war, to be held every year on the 24th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.

For Israeli citizens, each of those 1,200 victims will be remembered as an individual human being with unique characteristics, aptitudes, and purposes in the same way that the 2,977 victims of 9/11 are, as their names are read by family members each year at the Memorial Plaza ceremony in New York.

The 9/11 attack involved far more than the collective loss of nearly 3,000 people. As with the October 7 attack, each of those lives comprised millions of moments of consciousness, tens of thousands of human connections, and countless hours of mental and physical exertion in the service of others. Their lives had immense value and purpose, and they were taken from us by fanatics who do not view individual human life as precious.

What was taken from this earth on October 7 and September 11, as by the Nazis with their Final Solution, is almost beyond imagining, but it must be imagined and remembered forever so that it is not repeated.

There are elements in America today who are virulently antisemitic and who would do to Israel, with its population of 9.55 million, what Hitler did to Europes Jewish people and other targeted populations of his day. And once they had eliminated Israel, they would turn on the United States and other Western democracies. Once genocide is turned loose, there is no end to it.

The antisemites of our day must be exposed and brought to heel. Genocide, anywhere and at any time, must be seen and condemned for what it is because every human being possesses those special human talents  the strength of muscles that can lift, carry, sow, and reap, and the brilliance of mind that can invent, organize, and perceive. Each of these lives is precious, including each person, Jewish or otherwise, who was murdered in the Holocaust or on October 7 or 9/11, and each of those who are now under attack, even in our own country, because of their race and religion.

Antisemitism must never be allowed to gain a foothold because it can swiftly spiral out of control, as it did in Germany in just a few years. Our defense of life begins with the recognition of the immense talents and qualities of each individual human being. We must never lose sight of the humanity of all people and of their potential contribution to human happiness. Even the thankless task of pulling dead bushes in the August heat serves a purpose and makes a contribution. All of us are precious and worthy of protection.

Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).

Image: Marco Verch Professional Photographer and Speaker via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
A handful of House Republicans are hoping to attach the new SAVE act to the upcoming continuing resolution to be passed September 30. The act would mandate all states to ensure that only U.S. citizens vote in the November elections. There is already such a law on the books, but because there is a lack of enforcement, there is little confidence that it will be followed. So why would anyone follow the new SAVE act? Mitch McConnell has already said he -- and about 17 of his RINO cronies -- are opposed to the SAVE act.

So where does that leave us? Let's look at Florida.

Earlier this year, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 1718, the strongest anti-illegal immigration legislation in the country. Among other provisions to combat Bidens Border Crisis, the bill prohibits the issuance of a drivers license to anyone who does not provide proof of lawful presence in the U.S. and specifies that out-of-state drivers licenses issued exclusively to illegal aliens are invalid in Florida.

Someone who is in our country illegally and has violated our laws should not possess a government-issued ID which allows them access to state-funded services and other privileges afforded to lawful residents.

But it appears that the Florida DMV is processing drivers licenses to illegal immigrants between 6 am and 8 a.m. before the DMV offices officially open. If drivers licenses are the best voter ID in Florida, does this mean all these people will be able to vote despite SB 1718?

With the Biden-Harris push to get illegal and undocumented immigrants to vote, Florida law -- and undoubtedly laws in other red states -- are being purposely violated.

How can this illegal voting be stopped? By governors imposing their emergency powers to do it. According to the National Governors Association, Gubernatorial emergency powers, generally activated through the implementation of a state declaration of emergency or disaster, provide governors avenues to enhance capabilities, coordination, and collaboration across state and local agencies.

The document continues, They also give states flexibility to respond to exigent circumstances, including the reallocation of state and federal funds. Further, emergency declarations allow Governors to temporarily modify their states statutory, regulatory, and legal framework to respond to the changing nature of an emergency more quickly.

If Governor DeSantis cannot enforce the laws he has signed, perhaps he should consider using his emergency powers to limit illegal voting in the upcoming 2024 elections. Other governors have a duty to their citizens to do the same

This improper issuing of drivers licenses to illegals to jeopardize our sacred right of citizen-only voting is purposely occurring out of official DMV office hours. Is this happening in other states as well, bypassing state law?

Many states claim to have a handle on this situation either because their ballots instruct the voter to declare whether or not he or she is a U.S. Citizen. Some, like Georgia just announced, a sign at the polling locations will read No non-U.S. Citizen can vote. Do these states actually believe these simple tactics will work?

The Republican National Committee recently sent a letter to Colorado explaining ways the state could keep illegals migrants and non-citizens from voting this November.

The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program which aids federal, state, and local governments in verifying immigration or citizenship status.

State or local government agencies can enter a memorandum of agreement with USCIS to obtain access to the SAVE database. Running a query requires an individuals first name, last name, date of birth, and a numeric identifier from a U.S. government issued immigration document.

The SSA (Social Security Administration) maintains databases that contain citizen-identifying records.

Naphsis is a nonprofit organization that provides access to vital records such as birth, death, and marriage certificates.

State and Federal courts often maintain records of disqualification from jury duty due to lack of U.S. citizenship.

The Motor Vehicle Bureaus/Departments state databases containing the drivers license contain evidence of citizenship.

Florida uses the SAVE Program, but does not use several other ways databases listed above. The state also compares voter lists with DMV records so why are illegal immigrants being processed out-of-hours?

In 2022, Florida attempted to put the following imitative on the ballot:

A U.S. citizen eligible to vote in Florida shall be registered to vote or have their existing registration updated by submitting an application for a new, renewed, updated, or replacement Florida drivers license or ID card, unless they check a box to opt out of voter registration. The person shall not be required to select registration in order to be registered to vote or update registration. This amendment does not change voting eligibility requirements.

The requirement for placing the initiative on the ballot was nearly 900,000 signatures. But the measure was withdrawn on September 21, 2021 with only 73 valid signatures. This would indicate that the vast majority of Floridians do not want automatic registration with the issuance of drivers licenses.

Democrat governors, who understand the need for non-citizens to vote in November, will not take such steps to stop illegal voting. However, there is no excuse for a true Republican governor not to take such action.

But it will take prodding. Pressure your governor to take such action now.

Image: Eric Hersman
Here is what really happened with President Trumps visit to Arlington National Cemetery this week: at the request of Gold Star families, Trump came to honor our dead heroes killed in Afghanistan. Simple enough, and very like President Trump to care.

Biden/Harris Inc., as they do, were absent, so of course damage control was in order -- with Trumps appearance at the scene. We can guess, given the Biden/Harris death toll in a hugely ignominious and even asinine withdrawal, that they just didnt want to draw attention to the ceremony, or to even allow one.

Along with NPR, many other MSM outlets pounced on a minor altercation at the cemetery as evidence of Trump perfidy. Breitbart rebutted the MSM version:

A day after former President Donald Trump honored 13 fallen American service members at Arlington National Cemetery, NPR is claiming Trump campaign staff got into an altercation with a cemetery official who prevented them from taking photographs in an off-limits section.

Note that very recently President Trump called for the defunding of NPR.

Breitbart joined several alternative outlets in disputing NPRs reporting:

Officials at the cemetery reportedly made clear that only cemetery staff members are authorized to take photographs or film in Section 60, the source told the outlet. In response to the allegations, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung explained that a private photographer was permitted on the premises, and added that an unnamed individual had decided to physically block members of President Trumps team during the ceremony at the cemetery. There was no physical altercation as described and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made, Cheung said in a statement. The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trumps team during a very solemn ceremony.

Families participating in honoring their dead loved ones confirm President Trumps motivations as being not, essentially, political at all:

Cheryl Juels, the aunt of Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, one of the servicemembers who was killed, issued a statement that they had absolutely welcomed and appreciated having video and photography there. Juels added that it was monumental. I can speak for myself and our family, and we absolutely welcomed and appreciated having video and photography there with us during the time we spent with President Trump, Juels said in a statement. For us this was monumental, and having it recorded, we felt was important. When has a president and so many veteran members of Congress ever come to pay their respects like this EVER before? This is a hard day for us, and we have been ignored by the current administration for 3 YEARS now, so to have President Trump, take the time, to come and honor our kids at Arlington...

Then came more accusations against Trump, but now from the U.S. Army:

The US Army issued a blistering statement Thursday that claimed the Trump campaign flouted federal laws when he posed for a photo with Gold Star families at Arlington National Cemetery -- allegedly leading to a physical altercation between campaign staff and a cemetery employee. Online critics of the Army statement were quick to point out that President Biden had twice used Arlington National Cemetery: Once for a campaign video in June of this year; and once before the 2020 election, which apparently showed him standing over a grave in Section 60 -- the same area Trump visited. During a Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery in May, Biden, 81, also touted having signed into the law the PACT Act in 2022, which expanded veterans access to health care benefits -- including for those exposed to toxic burn pits like his late son Beau Biden.

Of course, Biden did the Beau thing, for the zillionth time. Most of the my-son-Beau the hero is part of Bidens ongoing fake personal history, that has now morphed into Harris fake personal history.

Theres no prohibition against taking photographs at the cemetery, but federal regulations bar partisan political activities from occurring at memorial services or other ceremonies held at National Military Cemeteries.

To back Biden/Harris, its all lies from the MSM, again. But now the U.S. Army is lying, too.

Gold Star families of the 13 US service members who were killed during the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal released a statement on Wednesday denying that they had trampled on Section 60 regulations, which is the portion of the cemetery reserved for fallen heroes of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to President Donald J. Trump for his presence at the recent section 60 gathering, honoring our children and their fallen brothers and sisters, the statement read.

So, the U.S. military now goes after its own heroes for the sake of comity with Biden/Harris:

Another source familiar with the lead-up to the incident said it was an uphill battle for the families to even schedule their time at the cemetery -- and they eventually had to ask for help from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). Speaker Johnson had to call in to secure the visit with Arlington National, the source said, and eventually they just buckled.

So, why is this relatively small piece of news actually important? From small trees, big acorns grow. It is a small story but looms large when one considers the ferocity of the threats by progressives and by the swamp and by Biden himself against Trump regaining the presidency.

If the military so easily bends to the Biden/Harris Inc. will -- as in its reaction to a relatively trite and faux dispute about photographs -- a military that treats every function of federal government as a closer and enabler for the personal aims of the White House, what will stop the White House from using the military to enforce their pre and post-election schemes? Biden/Harris Inc. has mutated a military which is beholden to its commander in chief in matters that defy our constitutional rights, including those of its own troops. What is to stop them if a Trump victory seems imminent?

We may then see the fascism that the hard left has flirted with for so long, and which they, in fact, cluelessly long for. If so, they will own their accusations of fascism at last--it will wear the uniform and bear real weapons; it will all be down to them.

Image: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
I knew it was coming.

The press is trying to gaslight the public into thinking that any concern about unvetted illegal border crossers attempting to board children's school buses in San Diego's back county is all in their heads and there's "no cause for alarm." Migrants wouldn't dream of boarding a children's school bus, see, because they're all big on obeying gringo's laws.

The Los Angeles Times's report is pretty typical of this narrative:

Law enforcement officials shot down suggestions that migrants who recently crossed the U.S.-Mexican border tried to forcefully board a school bus in a remote area of San Diego earlier this week. Two brief encounters between a school bus and people not affiliated with a school were reported by national news outlets as a possible threat to students, but after an investigation officials determined there was no cause for alarm. On Tuesday and Wednesday, a bus driver with the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District reported seeing groups of people along Highway 94 in the eastern part of the county, about 11 miles from the border.

The San Diego Union-Tribune is similar -- here is its headline:

Investigation finds no crime committed when migrant groups approached school buses near Dulzura

Same with 10News, a local television channel:

UPDATE: Deputies say migrants didn't forcefully try to stop or enter buses in Dulzura

And even FOX 5 San Diego:

No crimes committed in school bus encounters with migrants

Most of the stories have headlines suggesting there is nothing to this report except hysterical (and racist) parents making up stories, but once you read into the reports, you can see the problems with the incidents even if nobody turned up dead in a thicket the way the little 12-year-old girl in Houston, Jocelyn Nungaray, did after a close encounter with illegals this past June.

The LA Times report, though, is all narrative-promotion, and its gaslighting is the worst.

Shot down? If you read several reports, the sheriff did not shoot the story down, the office said there was nothing actionable enough to put these illegal border crossers in jail, though they didn't say there was no danger. There even was a certain amount of gaslighting from the sheriff's end, too, saying that NGOs like to bring out buses for migrants, which one of the NGO chiefs quoted by the LA Times said they didn't, apparently based on liability concerns.

The LA Times's quoted NGO chief, one Pedro Rios of the American Friends Service Committee, even questioned whether the men who tried to board the school buses were migrants at all, and not just figments of the racist white parents who, living three miles from the border, assumed they were, unable to tell migrants who have just rolled in with backpacks, from normal residents.

The LA Times incorrectly blamed FOX 5 News for claiming they were 'migrants':

News station Fox 5 San Diego first reported that the individuals were migrants, though law enforcement officials have not confirmed if that was the case.

When in fact, parents who live there said they were migrants, and school officials -- see this note here -- said they were migrants well before FOX even heard about the story.

Here is the first public tweet of it, which was brought forward by Amy Reichert -- it was her scoop:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"> URGENT: This morning, a group of migrants tried to board a <a href="https://twitter.com/JamulDulzuraUSD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JamulDulzuraUSD</a> School Bus on the way to school, and yesterday, had to avoid a similar situation. Border Patrol, CHP, and the Sheriff's Office are investigating. Official email sent to parents: <a href="https://t.co/W3D8BcoQsZ">pic.twitter.com/W3D8BcoQsZ</a></p> Amy Reichert (@amyforsandiego) <a href="https://twitter.com/amyforsandiego/status/1828844588867694792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Border Patrol, meanwhile, said that they picked up six such individuals "for deportation proceedings" which is what they do with migrants who cause problems. The NGO official they quoted also said he thought they were most likely migrants.

So all in all, "no cause for alarm" as the LA Times editorializes within its purported news story. They probably even weren't migrants. No danger, see, because nobody died. And if little kids are afraid to ride the buses, which was highlighted in several of the stories, that's just their being racist. They should stand proudly with those backpackers seeking to get on those schoolbuses at lonely rural bus stops and ignore uncomfortable questions about their being unvetted migrants. Heck, they should give them their seats, too. Migrants first, except that nobody should admit they are migrants.

No cause for alarm? Well, that's not how city officials see it. They are instituting new protocols for schoolchildren riding buses in the back rural county, as well as sending in law enforcement vehicles to trail the school buses, each bus followed by a cop car as kids make their way to school? They are holding a community meeting this weekend, presumably to keep parents from pulling their kids out of the public schools. Little kids scared to go to school? According to the LA Times, nothing to see here, move along.

Fact is, just because nobody turned up dead this time is no proof there's no danger from migrants who have the temerity to try to board school buses. Hey we all do that when we go to other countries, right?

As one parent asked in the CBS 8 report, what kind of people would do that?

The claims that they were just 'lost' and 'confused' is about as presumptuous as the claim that the parents complaining simply had to be white racists by the NGO guy, ignoring that many of the parents sounding the alarm are Hispanic.

Hey, it's not his kid who's scared to ride the bus, it's only theirs.

CBS10, another local station, ran this from its video report:

To say there's nothing to this story by parental hysteria, the whole thing being in their heads is pure gaslighting. It's a shame because the press is supposed to be shedding light on major stories of events affecting people's lives. To claim that the events aren't occurring is the great glow of gaslights, not authentic natural light, and that's the work of politically active Democrat toadies.

Image: Screen shot from CBS8 San Diego video, via YouTube
In 1956, then Senator John F. Kennedy purportedly wrote a book entitled Profiles in Courage which won a Pulitzer Prize due, in large part, to the advocacy of his powerful father.



Kennedy wrote about eight senators who had defied their political partys platform and followed their consciences instead, consequences be damned. Controversy remains as to who actually ghost wrote the book, but Kennedy never gave credit to any other contributor.



Much has been bruited about the now defunct presidential candidacy of Robert F Kennedy, Jr. and the thuggish behavior of the Democrat Party to which he had originally been aligned. But the Democrats displayed an evil intent far graver than their attempts to keep him off various state ballots and now, ironically, refusing to drop his name from those ballots.



As the son of an assassinated presidential candidate and the nephew of an assassinated president, that the Democrat party refused to give presidential candidate RFK, Jr. security until President Trump was almost assassinated is astonishing. Were they hoping history would repeat itself? Where was their empathy? Where, indeed.



It was incredibly brave for RFK, Jr. to go out and campaign, knowing that his Dad and Uncle were both murdered in the name of freedom, and that he too could have been murdered at any time. Moreover, he absorbed the vitriol of his extended family, which by the way is mostly living off second-hand glory merely by virtue of their DNA. What have any of them done or contributed lately?

When RFK, Jr. dropped out of the race and endorsed President Trump, critics raged that his Dad, Bobby Kennedy, was turning over in his grave. Wrong!



Bobby would be applauding his son, as would his uncle, JFK. RFK, Jr., while not being a U.S. senator, displayed the same raw courage as those revered eight senators did: he defied norms, stood up to the bullies, and forged his own destiny. By RFK endorsing Trump, Harris candidacy has been deflated like an old balloon. And the once gloried Kennedy Clan are yesterdays news.

Image: Gage Skidmore
The defund the police campaign that started over four years ago has done catastrophic damage to our country.

In the wake of said campaign, a number of politicians -- including President Joe Biden -- have pushed for the removal of funds from police forces, diverting them elsewhere in an effort to teach a lesson, as it were.

However, the real lesson came in the backfire of the campaign. Thousands of officers, particularly in New York, have left their posts as a result of the lack of support and many still believe that, even in the aftermath of this with a massive increase in crime, its still the right move when it comes to the concerns of their community.

Tell that to Oakland.

The California city has seen a massive number of criminal acts over the past few days, including shootings and a hit-and-run incident, along with robberies and much more.

As a result, Police Chief Floyd Mitchell has actually put out a call to the community, in an effort to try and have them lend a hand in the ongoing effort to calm things down.

"What I am asking is for our community to take a serious look at ourselves internally about how quickly we result to gun violence," Mitchell explained in a statement. "We have to stop this. When you lose a life, that life is gone, there are better ways to go about the disputes that they are having. We are going to continue to work through cease-fire and the department of violence prevention to try to find non-violent ways to solve these issues."

Most of these shootings took place last Thursday, including a pair that left fatalities in their wake, and others injured.

Donald Lacy of the LoveLife Foundation also spoke on the matter, asking for the communitys assistance. "How can we figure out how to address what makes people violent? What can we do to get in front of these horrible crimes and at least get people to consider their actions before they pull the trigger, before they run over somebody in their car? Its a bigger societal issue."

Violence prevention would certainly go a long way. But heres something that would work even better -- the support of local government.

Dont get me wrong. Asking the community for assistance in such a heartfelt manner, as Mitchell did, is certainly a noble move. But theres only so much that the community can do without support from the powers that be.

Because they still control the funding. Funding that could have gone to better gear purchases and mental health support for officers who are already struggling beyond belief. Funding that could hire new officers to prepare for such a threat as this. Without that support, the communitys hands just might be tied.

The report I read noted that while officials acknowledge the challenges they face, they remain committed to working with the resources available. Sounds an awful lot like oh, you want funding, but, sorry, we dont have it. Exactly what can the police do in that regard?

All it takes is a little push forward to make things right again. I recall a while back when Boston was overrun with criminal activity, and the police pushed for a budget increase, and broke down exactly where it could help.

But the Democrat leaders in that city decided against it, citing some sort of equipment issue within the police department and considering it untrustworthy. But, sure, never mind the officers that have already proven themselves.

Honestly, Im seeing whats happening across our country -- and not just Oakland -- because of this awful movement. Our officers are suffering, and hardly anyone in higher office seems interested in lending them a hand. So what do they do? They ask the public for help.

It shouldnt be that way. Local governments need to be taking care of their officers, period. Because then, they can help take care of the community and provide them with the support they need. Its a two-way street.

And, honestly, theres only so long these guys can lead our beloved officers down a one-way street.

Michael Letts is the Founder, President, and CEO of InVest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, hence his pro-police stance for his brothers and sisters in blue. Those interested in learning more about Letts can visit his official website here.

Image: Tony Webster
On August 27, my American Thinker colleague Monica Showalter posted Zuckerberg admits he was muscled by Democrats. She asked:

Did a light bulb go on for Mark Zuckerberg about government censorship?

Zuckerbergs admission, a sort of mushy mea culpa, came as he was under pressure from the House Judiciary Committee to produce all manner of documents proving what he admitted in a letter to the Committee, and so much more. The letter may be found here. The Committee notes three primary Zuckerberg admissions:

Graphic: X Screenshot

Constitutional law professor and scholar Jonathan Turley notes Zuckerbergs confession is more contrived than contrite:

For those of us who have criticized Facebook for years for its role in the massive censorship system, Zuckerbergs belated contrition was more insulting than inspiring. It had all of the genuine regret of a stalker found hiding under the bed of a victim. Zuckerbergs sudden regret only came after his company fought for years to conceal the evidence of its work with the government to censor opposing views. Zuckerberg was finally compelled to release the documents by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and the House Judiciary Committee. Now forced to admit what many of us have long alleged, Zuckerberg is really, really sorry.

Note, please, the sarcasm inherent in Turleys last sentence. He ends his essay with this:

Democracy is not on the ballot in 2024, as many have claimed, but free speech is.

The First Amendment is only one facet of individual liberty at risk on election day, and the week, or months thereafter as Democrat/socialist/communists (D/s/cs) race to find enough ballots to install their next puppet in the White House. Whether one considers Zuckerbergs mea culpa sincere or self-serving, two questions remain: why, and why now?

Graphic: X Screenshot

Did Zuckerberg, who has spent years fighting every request for transparency, suddenly come to Jesus? Did he suddenly see the value of honesty and integrity? Hes a billionaire. He doesnt have to practice honesty or integrity, in fact, there are real political and economic advantages to practicing neither.

Is he suddenly afraid of Congress? Did his lawyers warn him he wouldnt be able to hold them off for much longer? Possible, but unlikely, except for one additional possibility, but more on that shortly.

Is he worried Trump will win and take revenge? Does he know what we dont about Kamalas electoral chances? He said hes not going to spend $400 million tilting the election toward D/s/cs this year. Is that a sacrificial token to avoid what he sees as Trumps inevitable election and potential wrath? Thats the additional possibility.

A related possibility is he knows defying the Deep State is dangerous, particularly if they feel their backs against the wall. Is he worried theyll take revenge and is trying to gain the protection of Congress and Donald Trump, not only for his own pale hide, but to protect his assets and ability to influence the culture? Is this why he has not named the names of those who supposedly pressured him to censor Normal Americans? Does he need protection because he knows then Congress gets all the documentssome of which have already been released in the Twitter Filesa great many powerful and vengeful people are going to be exposed as anti-American/anti-Constitution, would-be, despots?

Did the Supreme Courts recent Murthy decision have a role to play in Zuckerbergs semi-transparency and pseudo-contrition?

When the censorship system was recently put before the Supreme Court in Murthy v. Missouri, the justices asked about evidence of coordination and pressure from the government. In Murthy, states successfully showed lower courts that there was coercion from the government in securing an injunction. The Biden administration denied such pressure and the Court rejected the standing of plaintiffs, blocked an order to stop the censorship, and sent the case back down to the lower court.

Do Zuckerbergs lawyers see massive civil liability on the horizon?

Professor [Philip] Hamburger writes: The aim, presumably, is to avoid having Meta treated as a state actor for purposes of the First Amendment and then being held liable for damages.

Is Matt Taibii, who largely exposed the Twitter Files, right?

Like other tech CEOs, Zuckerberg finds himself between a rock and a hard place. From one side, he sees subpoenas and investigations of censorship. From the other, he faces strident demands on content from authorities whose idea of accountability has gone beyond crippling penalties to detention. This is not just coming from Europeans.

Elizabeth Elkind at Fox News writes of lawmakers demanding that kind of accountability:

"Zuckerberg admitted that the Biden-Harris regime pressured him to censor conservative voices. There must be accountability within the federal government," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., wrote on X.

I suspect Prof. Turley is right. Zuckerbergs motives are less than noble. Time--a particularly short time if Trump is elected--will tell.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.
Googles Pixel Watch 3 has new accessories available at the Google Store that werent previously available, so if youve been looking to pick a few things up, Google now has them on offer. The Pixel Watch 3 already had a small collection of bands on the Google Store right from the get-go after it was put up for pre-order. However, these were basically limited to the official bands that were made by Google. Now, there are a few more band options and even protection and charging accessories.

That being said, this is a smartwatch. So the amount of accessories is never really going to be massive. There are only so many types of accessories a watch can really have. So, what is Google offering for the Pixel Watch 3 these days? Well, the standard collection of bands that were available during the pre-order phase is still there. You can now also pick up a Spigen stand. This isnt a proper charging stand like you see with the Apple Watch. Rather, the Pixel Watch 3 charger that comes in the box slots into the stand and you can place the watch on it. Still, it should be useful if you want a more organized and clutter-free way to charge the watch. You can also find this accessory on Amazon. Its also cheaper on Amazon at $22 compared to $25 at the Google Store.

Additionally, you can pick up the Spigen Rugged Armor case for the Pixel Watch 3. Which is yet another accessory thats also available on Amazon. And surprise, Amazon has it for $10 less.

Even more accessories for the Pixel Watch 3 are coming next month

Band choices for the Pixel Watch 3 on the Google Store are still somewhat limited, but that will change eventually. How soon depends on what you might consider limited, and where that threshold ends. The good news is that at least there will be a few more options soon. As 9To5Google points out, two of Bellroys Pixel Watch 3 bands will be available on the Google Store starting in September. This will include the Black and Brown leather straps. So if you like leather, these are nice alternative options to what Google has.

Additional accessories on the way include the Fusion screen protector and Glass Elite 360 case from Zagg. These are also out of stock at Zaggs website, so it seems youll have to wait for Google or for Zagg to restock if you want one of them.

Amazon has quite a few options for accessories

Most of these are going to be third-party no-name brands. However, if that doesnt bother you, Amazon has a pretty wide selection of cases, bands, and screen protectors for the Pixel Watch 3. All at lower prices than youll find at the Google Store. So it may be worth a look if you dont care that the accessories come from Google.
This year could be one of the biggest changes ever seen in the tech industry. Several legal cases related to Googles search and advertising services have engulfed the company in its home country. The latest developments seem unfavorable for Google, as the judge in the AdTech trial harshly attacked certain internal policies of the company that would lead to the destruction of evidence.

For context, the AdTech trial is the second big legal case that Google will face this year. The trial pertains to Googles strategies against competitors to maintain its dominance in the digital advertising technology segment. In a previous trial, the DOJ scored a resounding victory after the judges ruling found Googles practices in the search engine segment to be monopolistic.

AdTech-related antitrust trial judge harshly criticizes Googles internal practices

The AdTech trial, filed by the DOJ and a coalition of states in 2023, is set to begin in less than two weeks. However, it seems that Google will not have an easy time defending itself given the position of Judge Leonie Brinkema. The judge says Googles actions related to the so-called Walker Memo are absolutely inappropriate and not appropriate.

The Walker Memo refers to internal protocols set by Google among its staff to protect itself from lawsuits related to its business practices. The protocol would include enabling a history off mode for sensitive chats, which would delete messages within 24 hours. Yes, Google invented Snapchat before Snapchat, but not for exactly the same purpose. The legal documents say that Google staff jokingly refer to these policies as Vegas mode. Meanwhile, Google considered them to be communication with care practices.

The Walker Memo is named after a memo by Googles chief legal officer, Kent Walker. The memo dates back to 2008, so Googles particular protectionist policies would have been in place for 16 years. This did not sit well with Judge Brinkema, who called them incredible smoking guns of potential inappropriate practices. The judge in the AdTech trial believes that Google has been systematically destroying evidence that could determine the trials outcome.

Another ruling against Google would change the industry forever

The ruling in the AdTech trial against Google could cause a stir in the industry. Google will already need to implement significant changes to its Google Search-related practices in response to the previous setback. A negative outcome in the AdTech trial would have a similar effect, potentially impacting pricing schemes or even ad reach to ensure that third parties can compete fairly.

Interestingly, one of the DOJs proposals is for Google to completely divest itself of its AdTech platform. However, given how important ads are to Googles business, this is unlikely to happen. Meanwhile, the company has another AdTech-related antitrust trial pending in Texas in March 2025. So, Googles legal department seems to be just as busy as its AI-focused divisions.
Elon Musks social networking platform X (formerly Twitter) is in troubled waters, once again. A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has banned X in the country amid a disinformation feud. The ban on X in Brazil was imposed by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre De Moraes on Friday. The immediate suspension was put on the networking platform after Musk failed to designate a new legal representative in Brazil.

X is banned in Brazil as it failed to comply with local content moderation laws

Supreme Court Justice Moraes banned X in Brazil after the networking platform failed to comply with local content moderation laws. The ban is part of the ongoing dispute with the countrys court over the censorship and moderation of content on X. Notably, the Brazilian judge ordered X to appoint a new legal representative in the country, which Musk refused to comply with.

Moraes ordered the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) to suspend X within 24 hours. Furthermore, he gave tech giants like Apple and Google five days to remove the X app from their app stores. Additionally, the government will levy daily fines on individuals who try to access X using VPN services. Individuals and companies who try to access X could be fined up to 50,000 reais (around $8,900) per day.

X operations in Brazil are suspended until all court orders are complied with

The Brazilian judge has suspended Xs operations in the country until all related court orders are complied with. These also include the payment of fines of around 18.5 million reais (approx. $3.28 million). The company is also asked to appoint a legal representative in Brazil.

Notably, Elon Musk shut down Xs offices in Brazil earlier this month. The tech billionaire said that Judge Moraes threatened to arrest the social networking platforms representative for not complying with censorship orders. Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and an unelected pseudo-judge in Brazil is destroying it for political purposes, Musk said in a statement on X following the decision.

Its worth mentioning that the Brazilian Supreme Court also froze Musks satellite internet provider Starlinks financial accounts in Brazil. Starlink argues that the freeze is based on an unfounded determination that it should be accountable for the fines imposed on X.
Google is attempting to keep ad tech experts away from its upcoming antitrust trial. The search giant is seeking to throw out testimonies from key members of the industry.

Google doesnt want ad tech executives in the antitrust trial

Google is gearing up to face one of the biggest and potentially precedent-setting antitrust trials. The company is defending its ad tech business, and it is up against the US Department of Justice (DoJ).

One of the first arguments Google presented is that a large number of government witnesses should be excluded from the trial or they shouldnt testify. Specifically speaking, Google is requesting the court to toss out any testimony from government witnesses who arent economists or antitrust experts.

New filing: "In re: Google Digital Advertising Antitrust Litigation (Private Ad Tech Monopoly)"

Doc #874: USCA Order  Other PDF: https://t.co/rCuFqPQQUA#CL60149069 pic.twitter.com/MO8zq95O7f  Antitrust Cases Bot (@antitrust_bot) August 29, 2024

Google claims, none of these third-party competitor witnesses has the proper foundation of knowledge, expert qualifications or done the required economic analysis to opine as to whether Google is a monopolist whose conduct harmed competition.

The DOJ has reportedly counterargued that a large number of the witnesses Google has objected to, are nothing more than competitors of Google.

These exchanges make business decisions based in part on their reliance on Google, on both sides of the ad tech stack, to reach publishers and advertisers. Their testimony about being unable to compete with Googles AdX is based on first-hand knowledge gathered on the job.

Will the US Court listen to Googles arguments?

Leonie Brinkema is the the federal judge who is presiding over round two of the United States v. Google LLC antitrust trial. She will decide whether to accept Googles arguments and dismiss the testimonies of industry experts and veterans.

Google claims, The experience of third parties in the industry does not render them competent to testify as to conclusions such as whether a firm is dominant, a monopoly, anticompetitive or causing anticompetitive effects.

Essentially, Google is attempting to label these testimonies as unsupported opinions, hearsay, and conjecture, amounting to speculative testimony. It is not clear if the judge will accept these arguments, especially since most of the testimonies are from people who have been associated with the ad tech business.

New filing: "United States v. Google LLC (Dep't of Justice Ad Tech Monopoly)"

Doc #1289: Joint MOTION FOR ENTRY OF AN ORDER MODIFYING THE SUBMISSION AND HANDLING OF PROPOSED TRIAL EXHIBITS by Google LLC. [full entry below ] PDF: https://t.co/U9R2vWMYTh#CL66753787 pic.twitter.com/aHoosqcmVS  Antitrust Cases Bot (@antitrust_bot) August 30, 2024

Googles ad tech business, called Google AdX, is one of the biggest in the world. Most of the third-party ad exchanges may compete with Google. However, they are also Googles customers as they heavily rely on Googles DSP and its publisher ad server.

The US DOJ has submitted a testimony that states AdX is the delivery point for the largest source of demand in the display business. Hence, ad exchanges simply cannot suggest their clients to avoid Google AdX. Such a stronghold over the business has caused many ad tech businesses to shut shop, the DOJ has alleged.
MPs can expect a packed legislative agenda on their return to Parliament, Commons leader Lucy Powell said, including Bills on renters reform and water regulation.

In the coming weeks, the Government is also expected to focus on improving workers rights, tightening the rules on MPs second jobs, and tackling the root causes of the energy crisis.

Two historic bills are expected to be laid before Parliament in the first week, one focused on bringing rail operators into public ownership, and another which will establish a fiscal lock to deliver economic stability.

Ahead of Parliaments return, Ms Powell said: This new Labour Government is full of energy, full of ideas and full of drive to deliver our mandate for change. Thats why weve announced a packed legislative agenda focused on the peoples priorities.

After 14 years of the Conservatives, weve had to act quickly and act drastically to stop the rot at the heart of our countrys finances, our public services and our politics.

Now as we return from the shortest summer recess in history, Labour is ready to roll up our sleeves and pass the laws we urgently need to fix the foundations as we build a better Britain.

On September 5, the Great British Energy Bill will also receive a second reading following summer recess. It aims to ensure long-term energy security, alongside the establishment of the UKs state-owned energy company.

The Modernisation Committee, which is aiming to drive up standards, address the culture of politics, and improve working practices in the House of Commons, is expected to be up and running in the autumn.

Over in the House of Lords, The Crown Estate Bill, which sets out greater powers for the Government to borrow and invest, will have a second reading.

The Government hopes this Bill will support the partnership between Great British Energy and the monarchys property firm to accelerate deployment of offshore wind, new technologies and support UK supply chains.

The Crown Estate owns the vast majority of Britains seabed, stretching up to 12 nautical miles from the mainland, and leases parts of it to wind farm operators.

Later in October, the Budget will be presented to MPs, which Sir Keir Starmer has previously warned will be painful.

The Government has said that difficult choices will have to be made as it forms the Budget, including restrictions on who receives winter fuel payments.
A controversial pricing system that saw the cost of Oasis tickets surge during the sales window has prompted calls for a consumer watchdog probe.

Many fans who waited in huge online queues for tickets to the bands two gigs at Dublins Croke Park were left shocked when they found that prices for standing tickets had rocketed by the time they finally got the opportunity to make a purchase.

Some were quoted at 415.50 euro each.

Irish MEP Regina Doherty called for an investigation into the pricing structure for the sell-out gigs in August next year.

Regina Doherty raised concerns about the pricing system (PA)

The Fine Gael representative for the Dublin constituency urged Irelands Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to examine the process.

When ticket prices were advertised earlier this week, standing tickets in Croke Park were 86.50 euro plus booking fees, but when many people eventually got through the online queue this morning, they were faced with the exact same ticket at a price of 415.50 euro, she said.

Thats not transparent advertising and certainly not fair to consumers.

The EUs Digital Services Act has sections included specifically to ensure large platforms that control aspects of the digital economy dont just make up their own rules that are unfair for consumers.

She said the in-demand pricing structure needed to be examined.

Every ticket for these gigs was always going to be in demand so slapping an extra label and 300 euro on some standing tickets is just extortionate, she added.

The Oasis reunion gigs are being staged at Dublins Croke Park (PA)

The Ticketmaster website said the prices of platinum and in-demand tickets were set according to their market value and were subject to change.

When asked about this issue by the PA news agency, Ticketmaster made clear it does not set the prices.

It is understood that the prices are set by the promoters, not the artists.

The promoter of the Irish gigs, MCD, has been approached for comment.

While thousands got the chance to buy prized tickets to the Croke Park concerts, many thousands more never made it that far and missed out completely.

The sales window opened at 8am on Saturday  an hour earlier than for the UK gigs  and within minutes the online queue for both nights was in excess of 500,000 people.

Many of those experienced frustrating technical issues, including being ejected from the lengthy queues, being logged out of their accounts and being presented with error messages as the Ticketmaster website seemingly struggled to cope with the exceptionally high demand.

A number of residents around Croke Park were also left disappointed. A set number of tickets was set aside for people living close to the landmark stadium in north Dublin, with householders asked to submit a form asking for a code to purchase them.

However, the number of applications exceeded demand, with those residents who were unsuccessful being informed by email on Saturday.
A controlled explosion on a film set in east London spread and the resulting blaze destroyed a van, London Fire Brigade has said.

Firefighters were called to an open-air yard in Dock Road, Silvertown, at 7.51pm on Saturday.

The blaze destroyed a van and damaged a car and a lorry, LFB added.

A total of 25 firefighters tackled the blaze and it was under control by 9.02pm.

No injuries were reported.

LFB posted on X on Saturday evening saying: The fire at an open air yard in #Silvertown is now under control.

One van was destroyed by the fire and most of a car and lorry were damaged by the fire. There are currently no reports of any injuries.

It added: The fire in #Silvertown followed a controlled explosion at a film set which spread out of control. Firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the fire, which is now under control.

Crews will remain on scene for the remainder of the evening.
IT experts say there is a huge possibility that high numbers of Oasis tickets are being purchased by computer bots at once.

Ticket re-sellers often use automated software to buy more tickets for events than they are allowed, only to sell them on at higher prices.

Oasis fans also reported being hit with website outage issues while trying to book shows on Saturday.

Jake Moore, global cybersecurity adviser at software security firm Eset said some groups have the right software and knowledge to manipulate ticket websites, and even use bots to swoop in and purchase high numbers of tickets at once.

He told the PA news agency: Being the next series of concerts since the demand for Taylor Swift tickets, I would suggest there would be a huge possibility of bots being used to swoop in.

Many people used social media to say that they had been suspended from the Ticketmaster website as they were assumed to be a bot.

Mr Moore said: Bots mimic the activity of real users and even manipulate their location using off-the-shelf software such as a VPN.

This is usually counteracted using bot detection software but this can often produce false positives when real users are assumed to be bots themselves.

Industry expert Adam Leon Smith of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, said the inevitable popularity of the Oasis reunion was bound to lead to website glitches.

Mr Leon Smith said using automated tools or bots is the most common way of making money from tickets in 2024.

Asked how websites can combat this, he said: There are techniques for detecting and stopping bots, but there are also techniques for evading detection.

Like many areas of cybersecurity there is a constant arms race between attackers and defenders, an arms race where AI has upped the ante.

Adam Webb, of campaign group FanFair Alliance, said it is really hard to know how many tickets are being purchased by touts because there is a lack of transparency on reselling websites.

He went on: Therell be an awful lot of listings.

I suspect that people wont have actually bought the tickets and theyre listing them for sale.

Mr Webb also said that on ticket reseller Viagogo, there were no listings for the Ireland shows, where the practice of reselling tickets above face value is banned.

Cris Miller, Viagogo global managing director, said in a statement: Resale is legal in the UK and fans are always protected by our guarantee that they will receive their tickets in time for the event or their money back.

Ticketmaster said its website has not crashed.

A spokeswoman for Ticketmaster said: The queue is moving along as fans buy tickets. As anticipated, millions of fans are accessing our site so have been placed in a queue.

Fans are advised to hold their place in line, make sure theyre only using one tab, clear cookies, and ensure they arent using any VPN software on their device.
Jude Law said his new film that chronicles the terrorist actions of a white supremacist group still has relevance.

The Order sees two-time Oscar nominee Law portray an FBI agent who is investigating a hate group that perpetrated bank heists along with being accused of the June 1984 murder of Alan Berg, a Jewish talk-radio host in Denver.

Fellow British star Nicholas Hoult plays the Orders leader Robert Mathews, who was killed in a 1984 fire during a Washington state shoot-out with federal agents.

The Talented Mr Ripley actor Law, 51, told a press conference at the Venice International Film Festival on Saturday: Sadly, the relevance, I think, speaks for itself.

What amazed me was the it was a story I hadnt heard of before, and I thought (screenwriter) Zach (Baylin) did an amazing job of also highlighting family and and how community and a sense of family can make people feel safe and secure no matter where they are going and in what direction in their life, politically or emotionally.

It just felt also like a piece of work that needed to be made now. Its always interesting looking back, but its always interesting finding a piece from the past that has some relative relationship to the present day.

Tye Sheridan, from left, Jurnee Smollett, Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult star in The Order (Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

When asked about the far-right riots in the UK, The Great and Skins star Hoult said it was an American story, but he did see the relevance today, which is sadly true.

He added: Its also a global thing at the moment, which is just a horrible situation and hopefully the film, perhaps, if people see it shedding more light on how these sorts of events occur and the people that are instigating them, (they) can kind of help prevent it happening anymore in the future.

In terms of the research, I had delve into a lot of horrible, dark stuff that wasnt enjoyable.

So (director) Justin (Kurzel) helped me a lot through that, Zach, and research, and I dont really know what else to say about it, to be honest with you, apart from, it wasnt very nice, and it was part of the job on this one.

The Order is based on the 1989 book The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt which covers how federal agents took on militias who express racist, as well as antisemitic and neo-Nazi views.
Oasis fans have been warned tickets for the bands hotly anticipated comeback tour are now limited after some spent hours battling technical issues on booking sites.

Noel and Liam Gallagher announced on Tuesday that they had put their acrimonious split behind them, confirming the bands long-awaited reunion by saying: The great wait is over  although for thousands of fans a fresh wait began as they tried to access tickets.

A message on the Ticketmaster website at 2.37pm told those still queuing online on Saturday that the inventory is now very limited, with some ticket types no longer available.

The companys Irish site said the shows in Dublins Croke Park had sold out so far, with more tickets likely to be released later.

At 1.23 pm, the website posted a message saying: UPDATE: There are currently no tickets available. Please check back later as more may be released.

People looking to secure coveted access to the Manchester bands reunion in Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Dublin or their home city, had earlier reported problems on several booking websites before tickets had even gone on sale.

A screengrab from the Ticketmaster website detailing information about Oasis concert tickets for sale in Dublin (PA)

Manchester-based promoter SJM Concerts website Gigs and Tours, Ticketmaster and See Tickets all told website visitors that they would need to wait for the page to refresh to join a queue.

Gigs and Tours and See Tickets appeared to experience issues from 8.30am, and still did not appear to have come back online at around 3.30pm.

Ticketmasters page refreshed after a period to tell hopeful concertgoers that they were in queue, and when its your turn, you will automatically be able to browse events and shop for tickets.

A spokeswoman for Ticketmaster denied the website had crashed earlier, and advised customers to hold their place in line.

Some Oasis ticket hopefuls also reported being suspended by Ticketmaster UK and Ireland after it accused them of being bots.

Liam and Noel Gallagher (Fiona Hanson/PA)

Staff at the ticket-selling website replied on X, formerly Twitter, through its customer service account, saying: Please make sure you are only using one tab, clear your cookies, and ensure you arent using any VPN software on your device.

It also shared a link with its guide on how to improve your chances for getting popular tickets.

Scott McLean, 28, logged into his account on the ticket-selling website at 7.30am on Saturday ahead of Irish sales opening at 8am.

He was in a queue of 20,000 for around 30 minutes before selecting four tickets to see the bands show at Croke Park.

However, his browser began buffering for half an hour as he tried to make the purchase, prompting him to contact the Ticketmaster customer service account on X for advice.

I followed their advice, cleared my cookies and cache on my browser and then it kicked me out completely. It just came up to that error screen after I followed their guidance, the business analyst from Belfast told the PA news agency.

I had to rejoin the queue and I ended up about 700,000 places worse off after following their guidance.

Screengrab taken from the Ticketmaster.ie website just after 8am on Saturday (PA)

Users on X, formerly Twitter, also reported the price for tickets nearly doubling from around 148 to around 355 on Ticketmaster after they waited for hours to secure their place at the Oasis Live 25 shows.

An explanation by the website about the on-demand standing ticket price says: The event organiser has priced these tickets according to their market value.

Tickets do not include VIP packages. Availability and pricing are subject to change.

When asked about this issue by PA, Ticketmaster said it does not set prices, and shared a link to its website where it says costs can be fixed or market-based.

It is believed that ticket prices are set by the promoters, not the artists.

Oasis will tour the UK & Ireland in summer 2025!Tickets go on sale this Saturday 31st August.IRE  8am ISTUK  9am BSTFull information https://t.co/EtNuE2Hx6b *These dates will be the bands exclusive European appearances. pic.twitter.com/C5I0NVWS68  Oasis (@oasis) August 27, 2024

Oasis told fans on Saturday to only buy tickets from the official websites amid reselling websites listing inflated prices for the Manchester rockers gigs.

The band said on X: Please note, Oasis Live 25 tickets can only be resold at face value via @Ticketmaster and @Twickets!

Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters.

Twickets attempted to reassure fans, who had missed out so far, by telling them not to panic or visit unofficial sites for resold passes.

It also wrote on X: Twickets will have tickets available soon. Register to receive our newsletter and well let you know.

Tickets are officially being sold via Ticketmaster, GigsAndTours, and See Tickets, however, the bands reunion concert tickets have also been relisted on ticket exchange and reselling websites, Viagogo and Stubhub, for thousands of pounds.

Chief executive of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, Jonathan Brown, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Its a dreadful combination, I suppose, youve got that high level of emotion, a high level of excitement about Oasis reforming, and a limited supply of tickets  and thats going to lead to problems, its going to lead to people trying to scam people.

Liam Gallagher performing at the Trnsmt Festival in July (Michael Boyd/PA)

UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl also called inflated ticket prices of great concern on the show.

Mr Kiehl added: Obviously, its a natural tendency, if you cant get tickets, to find alternative sources but I very much urge music music fans today, if they dont get tickets, not to take that route.

Cris Miller, Viagogo global managing director, defended his websites practice of listing Oasis tickets for thousands of pounds, saying that resale is legal in the UK and fans are always protected by our guarantee that they will receive their tickets in time for the event or their money back.

There did not seem to be any listing for the bands Dublin dates on the ticket-reselling website. The Irish government introduced a law banning ticket touting in 2021.

Prices for a seat to watch the band at Londons Wembley Stadium begin at 74.25, with the most expensive ticket a 506.25 pre-show party, exhibition and seated package.

Screengrab taken from the ticketmaster.co.uk website at around 8.30am of the message of the queue to get onto their website for Oasis tickets (PA)

Cardiffs Principality Stadium shows, Edinburghs Murrayfield Stadium and Irelands Croke Park were all first listed at similar prices, while Manchesters Heaton Park tickets start from 148.50, with only standing available alongside a number of hospitality and luxury packages.

Fans have been urging the brothers to regroup since they disbanded 15 years ago, a split prompted by a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009.

It has not been announced who will be performing with Liam and Noel as part of Oasis.

The guns have fallen silent.The stars have aligned.The great wait is over.Come see.It will not be televised. pic.twitter.com/u1Mge33poT  Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) August 27, 2024

Noel, 57, quit the group on August 28 2009, saying he simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer, and the brothers have made negative comments about each other for more than a decade.

StubHub along with the official ticket sellers and promoters have been approached for comment.

A spokeswoman for Ticketmaster said: The queue is moving along as fans buy tickets. As anticipated, millions of fans are accessing our site so have been placed in a queue.

Fans are advised to hold their place in line, make sure theyre only using one tab, clear cookies, and ensure they arent using any VPN software on their device.
Russian servicemen fire anti-tank guns toward Ukrainian positions - RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Shutterstock

Some 16,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since April as the death rate on the front lines has been climbing this year.

The new figures come from a data project carried out by the BBCs Russia service and independent Russian media outlet Mediazona.

The project only records deaths it has been able to identify from official reports, the media and satellite analysis of Russian graveyards, so the numbers are likely to be a conservative estimate of total deaths.

Mediazona said that as of August 30, we know the names of 66,471 Russian soldiers killed in the war. Previously, in April, it announced it had found more than 50,000 names of Russians killed.

In June, the Ministry of Defence estimated that Russia had sustained 70,000 casualties in the two months prior, and predicted that Russia would continue to record an average of 1,000 casualties a day due over the coming months due to an increase in Russian pressure across the front line. Casualties are defined as deaths or injuries.

Mediazona said that a 4,600 increase in deaths over the last four weeks was not linked to Ukraines Kursk incursion or Russias advance in the east, as researchers were still working though a backlog of death reports.

06:02 PM BST

Todays live coverage has ended.

Todays live coverage has ended. Heres a roundup of the main events:

At least 16,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since April, a BBC Russia and Mediazona project reported.

A Russian bomb attack killed two people in the Kharkiv region, local authorities said.

A Russian attack on the frontline city of Chasiv Yar killed five civilians, authorities said.

An overnight Ukranian attack on the Russian city of Belgorod killed five people, local officials said.

Ukrainian officials raised the death toll from Fridays Russian strike on Kharkiv to seven.

05:27 PM BST

Air force commander sacking not linked to F-16 crash

Ukraines defence minister has said that the dismissal of former air force chief Mykola Oleshchuk was not connected to the death of Oleksiy Mes, a star Ukrainian pilot who was killed when a US-supplied F-16 fighter jet crashed on Monday.

I would probably say this is a rotation. This is two separate issues at this stage, I would not connect them, Rustem Umierov told US broadcaster CNN.

Were analyzing what has happened, said Umerov. Weve also opened this file to our partners so they are also analyzing this and investigating along with us.

Volodymy Zelensky did not say whether his decision to fire Mykola Oleshchuk was related to the F-16 crash.

04:25 PM BST

Pictured: Ukrainians evacuate the frontline city of Pokrovsk

Volunteers and emergency workers carry a disabled woman onto an evacuation train in Pokrovsk - RFE/RL/Serhii Nuzhnenko/REUTERS

Relatives say goodbye to each other from an evacuation train at Pokrovsk railway station - RFE/RL/Serhii Nuzhnenko/REUTERS

04:03 PM BST

Russian bomb attack kills two in Kharkiv region, governor says

A Russian bomb attack on Saturday killed two civilians and wounded eight more in a village in Ukraines Kharkiv region, the governor said.

Oleh Synehubov said on Telegram that Russian forces hit the village of Cherkaska Lozova with guided bombs, damaging a residential building.

He added that rescuers and medics were working to clear up the debris and help the injured.

A similar Russian attack on the city of Kharkiv, the regional centre, killed seven people on Friday, local authorities reported.

01:39 PM BST

Watch: Russian footage of Sumy warehouse destruction

Russia claimed on Saturday to have destroyed a Ukrainian warehouse holding rocket and artillery ammunition near to the village of Nizhnyaya Syrovatka, 3 miles south of the city of Sumy.

Click here to view this content.

12:42 PM BST

Russian attack on Chasiv Yar kills five civilians, local authorities say

At least five civilians were killed by a Russian strike on Chasiv Yar on Saturday morning, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration said.

Vadym Filashkin wrote on Telegram: At least five people were killed in the attack on Chasiv Yar. The Russians attacked the city this morning, with projectiles hitting a house and an apartment building.

The dead were all men and aged between 24 and 28, he added.

Mr Filashkin also urged residents to evacuate the city, which is located close to the frontline and roughly six miles from Russian-occupied Bakhmut.

Chasiv Yar has been unable to experience normal life for over two years. Dont make yourself a Russian target! Evacuate!

12:24 PM BST

US rejects plan to send Americans to Ukraine to maintain F-16s

The White House has rejected a US military proposal to send civilian staff to Ukraine to maintain F-16 fighter jets and other donated equipment, US media reports.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the US National Security Council considered the plan, but intelligence officials deemed it too risky.

The intelligence community raised concerns over the prospect of Russia targeting American contractors in Ukraine, one US official was quoted as saying.

The newspaper added that the White House has not ruled out sending American contractors to Ukraine in the future, but that it hoped European countries would take on the responsibility of maintaining the F-16s.

11:31 AM BST

Danish PM: I was ready to deliver F-16s at the start of the war

The Danish prime minister has criticised the delay in sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, saying she was ready to provide the aircraft at the start of the war.

Addressing the Globsec security conference in Prague on Saturday, Mette Frederiksen said: Im sorry that it took so long. I was ready to deliver them from the beginning of the war.

But, once again, we had quite long discussions about whether it was a good idea or not.

Ukraine received its first batch of F-16s at the beginning of August, a delivery of six aircraft.

The Ukrainian military has confirmed that one of these was lost in a crash on August 26. The pilot, Lt Col Oleksiy Mes, was killed in the incident.

10:43 AM BST

Pictured: Rescuers evacuate elderly woman after Russian strike on Kharkiv

Ukrainian rescuers are pictured carrying an elderly woman from a building in Kharkiv after a Russian strike on Friday. At least seven people were killed and 97 injured in the attack (see our post at 10.00am).

Ukrainian rescuers evacuate an elderly woman from the site of a damaged 12-story residential building following a missile strike in Kharkiv, Aug 30 - SERGEY KOZLOV/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Shutterstock

10:19 AM BST

Ukraine shoots down 24 Russian drones, air force says

Ukrainian air defences shot down 24 out of 52 drones launched by Russia at the country overnight, Kyivs air force said.

It added that of the remaining drones, 25 fell out of the sky on their own and three others flew towards Russia and Belarus. There were no reports of injuries or any major damage.

Air raid sirens sounded several times during the night, with many people rushing to shelters.

In Kyiv, which saw its fourth drone attack of the week, the alert lasted for around four hours. The city authorities said that all drones targeting the city were destroyed and no damage was caused.

Air defences also shot down Russian drones in the Poltava, Cherkasy, Kyrovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions in central Ukraine, in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions in the north and the Mykolayiv region in the south.

Drone debris damaged several houses in Cherkasy, local officials said.

Russian forces also launched five missiles during the attack, the air force said, but gave no other details.

10:08 AM BST

Ukrainian strike kills five in Belgorod, Russians say

Five people were killed and 46 injured in a Ukrainian attack on the southwestern Russian city of Belgorod late on Friday, the local governor said.

Vyacheslav Gladkov said that 37 of the injured, including seven children, were taken to hospital.

Russian authorities also said that a woman was injured on Saturday during Ukrainian shelling of the border town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region.

Click here to view this content.

10:00 AM BST

Seven killed in Russian strike on Kharkiv

At least seven people were killed and 97 others injured in a Russian guided bomb attack on Kharkiv on Friday, Ukrainian authorities said, raising the death toll from an earlier figure of 6.

Among the dead was a 14-year-old girl, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said. He added that she was killed in a strike on the citys Kharkivs Nemyshlianskyi district.

Ukraines state emergency service said 22 children were injured.

In a renewed call on Western allies to allow long-range attacks on Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky said that the attack would not have happened if our defence forces had the ability to destroy Russian military aircraft where they are based.

09:51 AM BST

Welcome to our live coverage

Welcome to our live coverage. Well be keeping you up to date with events in Ukraine throughout the day.
Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick has won another prominent supporter - Jacob King/PA

A former minister has endorsed Robert Jenrick in the Tory leadership race after having supported rival Kemi Badenoch two years ago.

Neil OBrien hailed Mr Jenrick as the best-placed candidate to tackle immigration and win back voters from Reform, as well as someone who understands the centre ground of British politics.

But Mrs Badenoch secured two major backers of her own on Saturday in Laura Trott, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, and Tony Abbott, a former Australian prime minister.

Voting among Tory MPs begins this week, with the six-candidate field being cut down to five on Wednesday and then to four the following week.

The other hopefuls are Dame Priti Patel, James Cleverly, Mel Stride and Tom Tugendhat. It is widely expected in Westminster that Mr Stride, the shadow work and pensions secretary, will be voted out of the contest first on Wednesday.

But a campaign source said: Mel is impressing people at hustings and winning over colleagues from across the party. For the parliamentary ballot, were very confident the numbers are there. There is all to play for in this contest.

Click here to view this content.

Mr OBrien served alongside Mrs Badenoch as a minister in the levelling up department until their joint resignations from Boris Johnsons government in 2022. He was then among the most vocal backers of her bid to succeed Mr Johnson.

Writing for The Telegraph, Mr OBrien hailed his former colleague as smart, fresh, charismatic, but said Mr Jenrick could reboot the Conservatives.

The reason Im supporting Robert Jenrick is because we need to use this leadership election to make a decisive change, he wrote. We need party unity, but unity is only possible around a clear position... We need someone who starts from the centre ground, but has a credible record and plan on the issues that are fuelling the rise of Reform.

Robert did a rare and brave thing when he resigned on principle over immigration. It means he now speaks with credibility on the subject.

At a speech in central London on Sunday, Mr Jenrick will seek to take the fight to Sir Keir Starmer, accusing the Government of a declaration of war on the middle class.

So far, the guiding principle of Labours economic policy has been wealth destruction, he will say. Labour have jeopardised thousands of jobs in the North Sea through their arbitrary net zero targets, and their planned tax raids on top earners have already backfired.

It comes as Ms Trott likened Mrs Badenoch to Margaret Thatcher and urged her fellow Tory MPs to support her former Cabinet colleague.

In an article for The Telegraph, Ms Trott said the circumstances of the next general election could mirror those of the 1979 poll when Thatcher won power from Labour.

Back then we had a strong, authentic, and resolute leader  someone of conviction and principle willing to tell hard truths, make tough decisions and stand up for what she believed in. We need that again, and I see that in Kemi Badenoch.

A second major boost for Mrs Badenochs campaign came from Mr Abbott. He served on the Board of Trade under her presidency while British entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership was finalised.

To be included in what was originally a strict regional trade grouping was a massive coup for Britain and testimony to global Britains weight in the world, he said. It was also a tribute to the Secretary of States hard work and attention to detail.

Mr Abbott said whoever led the Tories would have his 100 per cent support as a fellow conservative, but praised Mrs Badenoch for consistently fighting for a colour-blind country based on meritocracy, freedom and equality under the law.

Speaking ahead of his first major leadership speech of the campaign, Mr Cleverly on Saturday said Sir Keir and Reform leader Nigel Farage were two sides of the same coin.

They both think our best days are behind us and share the same pessimistic view of the United Kingdom, he said.

Starmer thinks life was better before we left the EU and Farage thinks it was better before we joined. Theyre both wrong.

He added: We need a Conservative vision of a powerful, confident and sovereign modern Britain, and to reject Starmer and Farages declinist view of this great country.
Learning Mandarin has grown in popularity in the past few years - MEDIAPHOTOS/ISTOCKPHOTO

British GCSE books were edited to remove references to Taiwan after complaints from Chinese officials.

The AQA GCSE Chinese textbook, first published by language education company Dragons Teaching in 2016, deleted references to the Republic of China from subsequent editions after receiving a letter of complaint from Chinese officials.

The Republic of China is a political term recognising the autonomy of Taiwan as independent from mainland China, which is officially known as the Peoples Republic of China.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state and asserts that the island region is an integral part of China.

The first edition of the GCSE textbook described one of Taiwans nine national parks to students learning Chinese.

It said: Yangmingshan National Park is the third national park of the Republic of China, and the park is located in the northern part of Taipei City.

But this was later changed to read: Yangmingshan National Park is a very famous national park, which remains in the current textbook today.

It followed a complaint to the publisher from the Chinese Embassy in the UK after Chinese-language teachers working in British classrooms voiced their objections to officials.

More than 3,700 people took on the AQA Chinese language GCSE course this year

The publishing company told Citizens of Our Times Learning Hub (COOTLH) and The Chaser, two Hong Kong news sites which reported the claims in a joint investigation, that it changed the words after pressure from the Chinese Embassy.

A former employee said: The section of the textbook was revised under pressure from the [Peoples Republic of China] embassy, in the form of a letter of complaint.

They added that as a small independent publisher, Dragons was afraid not to comply.

The excerpt in question was lifted from a real travel brochure used in Taiwan.

At least 40 state schools across the UK use the AQA Chinese textbook to teach the language, which has grown in popularity over the past few years.

There were more than 3,700 entrants this year for AQAs Chinese language GCSE course, also known as Spoken Mandarin. It marks a 12 per cent rise compared to last year.

Petty business

Sam Dunning, the director of UK-China Transparency, told The Telegraph: It seems rather petty that the Chinese Embassy felt it had to bully, in secret, a small publisher for referring to places in Taiwan. It underlines the extent the CCP goes to in its campaign to stifle expression in the UK.

We need greater awareness in business, academia, public life, and politics about the extraordinary range of CCP interference in the UK. Hacking the Electoral Commission, sanctions on academics and lawyers, proxy groups in the British Chinese community and amongst students, violence on our streets as conducted by Chinese diplomats in 2022  the pattern is not encouraging.

A spokesperson for AQA said: AQA does not publish textbooks and we do not have editorial responsibility for specific content beyond the Governments subject criteria.

Were proud of AQA GCSE Chinese, which has allowed thousands of young people to study this language since 2017.

It was designed, in consultation with teachers, school leaders and modern foreign language experts, for learning Chinese as a foreign language. Our specification has one mention of Taiwan, under the theme of travel and tourism. We focus on cultural and linguistic aspects rather than political statements.

Tightening economic ties

It comes amid growing pressure for the Government to take a tougher stance against China, following criticism that Sir Keir Starmer has weakened the UKs position.

Labour has declined to call China a threat since winning the election and vowed to cooperate with Beijing on health matters and reaching net zero.

China sceptics have long called for Downing Street to formally shift its diplomatic stance to reflect concerns around security, surveillance and human rights abuses.

Liz Truss wanted to declare Xi Jinpings nation a threat while she was in office, before Rishi Sunak adopted a softer stance, calling it an epoch-defining and systemic challenge.

But in the first conversation between the leaders last week, Sir Keir Starmer reportedly told the Chinese president that he wants the UK and China to pursue closer economic ties.

The 45-minute phone call conversation is understood to have been initiated by Sir Keir, whose aides said that he wanted to forge a grown-up relationship between the countries.

The Chinese Embassy in the UK declined to comment.
Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Savannah, Georgia on Thursday. Photograph: Christian Monterrosa/AFP/Getty Images

Kamala Harris  the Democratic nominee for Novembers White House race  has accused Donald Trump of disrespecting sacred ground on his recent visit to Arlington national cemetery, as the controversy over an apparent altercation between workers of his campaign and cemetery staff continued to build.

The vice-president on Saturday accused the former president and Republican nominee of staging a political stunt after the US army accused the Trump campaign of turning a wreath-laying ceremony on Monday to mark the deaths of US soldiers in Afghanistan into a photo opportunity. The army also accused two campaign workers representing Trump  who said he was invited to the ceremony by the family of one of the honored soldiers  of pushing aside an official who told them it was forbidden to take pictures at the graves of military members who had recently died.

Harris wrote in a lengthy statement on X that the cemetery  the resting place of more than 400,000 military veterans and their eligible dependents, dating back to the revolutionary war  was not a place for politics.

She said: Donald Trumps team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff. Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.

Meanwhile, Democrats have called for a US army report into an apparent altercation between campaign staff and cemetery officials.

In her statement, Harris said: If there is one thing on which we as Americans can all agree, it is that our veterans, military families, and service members should be honored, never disparaged, and treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude.

And it is my belief that someone who cannot meet this simple, sacred duty should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America.

At a rally on Friday, Trump said he only posed for photographs at the invitation of the families  even though they did not have the authority to approve such pictures.

He said in Johnstown, Pennsylvania: I dont need publicity. I get a lot of publicity. I would like to get a lot less publicity  I would hire a public relations agent to get less publicity.

In a final rebuke of Trump, Harris wrote of fallen soldiers: I mourn them and salute them. And I will never politicize them.

In a letter to the US army secretary, Christine Wormuth, Democrats with the House oversight committee requested a report by Monday into the reported showdown, including whether the Republican nominees campaign staff violated federal law or cemetery rules and whether the Trump campaign informed the families of service members buried at the cemetery that their gravestones would be used in Mr Trumps political campaign ads, as CBS reported.

Related: Trump denies exploiting visit to US soldiers graves: I dont need publicity

The cemetery is considered a politics-free zone. But on Monday, on the invitation of relatives of the soldiers killed in Kabul, Trump brought campaign photographers to document the visit.

An army spokesperson said on Thursday that a female Arlington national cemetery official was abruptly pushed aside during an argument with Trump aides over photos and filming on the grounds for partisan, political or fundraising purposes.

A spokesperson for the military said the episode was unfortunate, and it was also unfortunate that the cemetery employee and her professionalism has been unfairly attacked. The employee is not pressing charges.

The army said Arlington national cemetery conducts nearly 3,000 such public ceremonies annually without incident, and visitors to the ceremony Trump attended had been made aware of laws that prohibit political activity.

The Trump campaign said it had been granted explicit permission to bring campaign-designated media to the section of the cemetery for the slain soldiers  or Gold Star  families. The campaign denied an altercation had taken place and said: There was no physical altercation as described and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made.

Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin said in the letter that it appears that the Trump campaign  which arrived at the cemetery with a photographer and videographer  completely flouted the laws and rules they were informed of and filmed footage in the restricted area for use in a political TikTok video.

Raskin also cited an apology issued by the Utah governor, Spencer Cox, who had attended the ceremony with Trump and posted photos of the event to his official social media accounts.

This was not a campaign event and was never intended to be used by the campaign, Cox wrote in a social media post on Wednesday. It did not go through the proper channels and should not have been sent. My campaign will be sending out an apology.

Republicans have trying to make the US withdrawal from Afghanistan a campaign issue through which to attack Harris.

In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Harris confirmed she was the last person in the room before Joe Biden made the decision to pull US troops out of Afghanistan. Asked if she felt comfortable with the presidents decision, Harris responded: I do.
Twenty-five firefighers tackled the blaze on a film set near the O2. Photograph: X.com

A controlled explosion on a film set near the O2 arena in London sparked a fire that destroyed a van, as well as damaging a car and lorry.

London fire brigade said firefighters were called to an open-air yard in Dock Road, Silvertown, shortly before 8pm on Saturday.

The blaze was under control just over an hour later after 25 firefighters attended the incident, with no injuries reported.

It is understood the fire followed a pre-planned filming event at the site close to the capitals O2 arena, which hosts concerts by Niall Horan and Texas next week.

London fire brigade posted on X on Saturday evening, saying: The fire at an open air yard in Silvertown is now under control.

One van was destroyed by the fire and most of a car and lorry were damaged by the fire. There are currently no reports of any injuries.

It added: The fire in Silvertown followed a controlled explosion at a film set which spread out of control. Firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the fire, which is now under control. Crews will remain on scene for the remainder of the evening.

The open-air yard in Dock Road where the fire took place is also near to Londons cable car link across the River Thames.

A Met police spokesperson said: We are aware of reports of explosions being heard in the vicinity of the O2 in Greenwich.



This was part of a pre-planned filming event in the Canning Town, E16, area. There is no risk to the public.

Witnesses posted videos of the fire on social media, with some users on X saying a number of small explosions could be heard.

There were two small explosions before the fire started, they said. The third explosion was the one on the video  crazy.
Heavy rain falls and low cloud looms over Derwentwater this week. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty

Thunderstorms and heavy rain could bring flooding to parts of the south-west of England over the weekend.

The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning, which runs from 4am to 9pm on Sunday.

Meteorologists said there was a small chance of flooding and disruption from heavy showers and thunderstorms on Sunday in a few places, including power cuts.

There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from flood water, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds, a Met Office spokesperson said.

They also said it could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, as well as cancellations to some train and bus services.

Thundery downpours are likely to hit the south of England, the Midlands, the north of England and eastern parts of Wales on Sunday.

Related: Fire chiefs call for legal duty to respond to extreme weather in England

A few showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected to develop across parts of southern England on Saturday night, but by Sunday morning there is an increasing risk of more active and organised heavy showers and thunderstorms moving in to, or developing across, parts of southern England, the spokesperson said.

The risk of storms will then steadily transfer broadly northwards through the afternoon and into the early evening. The extent of these thunderstorms is very uncertain, and many places will miss them, but where they do occur, 30-40mm of rain may fall in less than an hour with perhaps over 75mm in one or two places, leading to a chance of flooding and disruption.

Frequent lightning strikes and hail will be additional hazards, most likely across southern and central England.

Summer has been cooler than usual in the UK with slightly below average sun, the latest Met Office statistics show. Rainfall has varied between regions but has been average.

A heatwave swept parts of the UK in September last year, with temperatures topping 30C in some areas for seven consecutive days.
Rail transport is said to be particularly problematic for disabled passengers, who face barriers and fear inadequate assistance. Photograph: Manu Vega/Getty Images

When Tanni Grey-Thompson was left stranded at Londons Kings Cross station on her way to the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Paris this week, she had to crawl on to the platform.

Lady Grey-Thompson, a former Paralympic athlete and crossbench peer, said she and other disabled passengers frequently suffered humiliating incidents travelling by train. The system is just not working, she said.

Nor did apologies from the train companys managing director and a senior figure at the Department for Transport (DfT) ameliorate her. Its like, and  ? said Grey-Thompson, a multiple gold medallist. They are nice people but it doesnt mean much  it just happens to so many other people.

Related: Tanni Grey-Thompson says apologies not enough for having to crawl off train

The Equality Act and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities mandate equal access to transport for disabled people.

But research bears out Grey-Thompsons suspicion that neither are being implemented on the ground: more than half of people with complex disabilities find public transport inadequate, with issues including overcrowding, a lack of staff support and negative attitudes from staff and other passengers.

Mike Brace CBE, a former chair of the British Paralympic Association and a member of the governments Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), said the UKs public transport system was so sprawling that improving access for disabled people was almost impossible.

Brace, who sits on DPTACs rail working group, said the DfT took feedback from his group seriously but the implementation of their advice was almost impossible considering the diverse nature of the transport system.

There are a number of good schemes going to help disabled people access the rail network but when there are 14 rail companies who need to implement those changes, there is an issue, he said.

The problem is the same with taxi refusals for guide dogs and wheelchairs, or airlines breaking wheelchairs when theyre in transit.

Lucy Webster, a disability advocate, agreed that a lack of scrutiny and accountability of transport operators was a key issue, leading to ineffective complaint processes and fatigue among disabled passengers.

Theres no regulator we can call that has any power, so why would companies care when they can get away with it? said Webster, the author of The View From Down Here.

The only way we can challenge these failures is through the law, and that is time-consuming, takes energy, understanding of process and more things that are simply not accessible to a lot of disabled people, she said.

The Office of Rail and Road is the regulator responsible for monitoring and enforcing their implementation of accessible transport policies across the UK.

They do not set the overall strategy or possible interventions  those are set by the DfT  but can issue penalties if an operator defaults on their licence.

Issuing penalties is rare, said a spokesperson. We aim to be fair and only do this when absolutely necessary, after having increased monitoring and meeting with operators to address the issues.

The spokesperson said that the current situation was not ideal. Improving accessibility for disabled users requires an industry-wide change in culture to make sure processes are followed and the needs of disabled users are consistently taken into account, they added.

Emma Vogelmann, the head of policy at Transport for All, agreed that systemic issues blight the entire UK transport network for disabled people and said that despite numerous complaints, systemic change is just not happening.

Vogelmann believes a fundamental problem is the exclusion of disabled people from infrastructure and policy discussions, creating an echo chamber in which disabled peoples experiences are not at the forefront of anyones mind when public transport contracts and regulation are written.

Rail is particularly problematic, with disabled people often facing barriers and fearing inadequate assistance, she said. However, she said she was cautiously optimistic about potential improvements under the new government and operators.

Webster believes attitudes towards travel are informed by attitudes in wider society. When I travel, Im constantly asked questions that show no one, not staff or the public, think I should be out of the house at all. Why are you out so late? is a common question Im asked when on public transport.

Harriet Edwards, the head of policy at the deafblind charity, Sense, said all these problems create the perfect storm in which the government continues to fail in its responsibility to ensure transport operators comply with the law.

Despite the rhetoric, there has been little action to change the situation on the ground for disabled people, she said. The lack of policy prioritisation and funding is a significant barrier to making the necessary changes.

This, she said, was economically unjustifiable. Making the transport system accessible could generate 72.4bn a year in economic benefits, she said. Accessible transport helps tackle loneliness and isolation, with significant health and social care impacts.
Various key parties are expected to come in for significant criticism when Sir Martin Moore-Bick reports on the Grenfell Inquiry

A complex web of blame and counter-blame has been at play between the parties responsible for the state of the Grenfell tower long before the final report was published today.

On the last day of hearings in November 2022, Richard Millett KC, lead counsel to the inquiry, spent more than an hour and a half painstakingly explaining how the key players had sought to point the finger of culpability at one another.

As he approached his conclusion, he said to Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the inquiry chairman: At this point it might be useful to show you what all of these different little maps of blame look like when merged.

The following slide that flicked up onto the inquirys screens portrayed a barely credible labyrinth of interconnecting arrows.

Each one represented a moment during the long years since the tragedy when a participant in the inquiry  despite in many cases issuing statements of profound regret and apology  had appeared to blame others for the 2017 disaster that claimed 72 lives.

Many of the big names had as many arrows pointing towards them as they did pointing outwards.

Click here to view this content.

These are some of the parties expected to come in for significant criticism when Sir Martin reports on the inquiry.

The local authority for Britains richest borough, the council is the owner and landlord of Grenfell Tower, which it ran through its Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO).

In that role it commissioned the buildings refurbishment in 2015-16 that ultimately led to the disaster.

The inquiry revealed that the management organisation was put under pressure from the council to keep the cost of the refurbishment down.

In the end, the project was completed for under 10 million.

It was also the councils planning department that chose the cassette-shaped aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding.

It was heard that Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea officers accepted the deeply flawed safety certificates.

The council has since admitted its building control department should not have issued a completion certificate on the project.

Evidence has also emerged of worrying problems before the refurbishment and that officials knew about them.

Among the damning evidence heard by the inquiry was the fact that as far back as 2010 a leaseholder group had warned that the smoke alarm system in the building was malfunctioning.

Despite this, KCTMO took six years to attempt to fix it.

It was also revealed that the management organisation did not inform the residents about the problems with the system for at least a year, and that the council knew the apparatus was broken beyond repair.

Janice Wray, the former health, safety and facilities manager at KCTMO, wrote an email to a colleague in which she said: Lets hope our luck holds and there are no fires in the meantime.

Kensington and Chelsea says it increased the budget for the refurbishment every time it was asked.

Elizabeth Campbell, Kensington and Chelsea leader, said: This council should have done more to keep our residents safe before the fire, and to care for them in the aftermath.

The council has been proactively honest and open about its own failings throughout the inquiry process, in line with our commitments to candour, as set out in the Hillsborough Charter.

We know the report will be a hugely significant moment for the bereaved, survivors and the community.

I will make sure that it is a hugely significant moment for this council too.

We will look hard at the recommendations and what we need to do so we continue to become a better organisation as a lasting legacy from the tragedy.

On Mr Milletts blame slide for Kensington and Chelsea, arrows point outwards to the refurb construction firm, the architect, a third-party certification body, the cladding and insulation manufacturers, and the government.

The architect firm commissioned by Kensington and Chelsea to oversee the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower had no experience in overcladding high-rise residential buildings, the inquiry heard.

Nevertheless, it was chosen without a competitive procurement process or design contest.

Studio E kept its fees extremely low to win the contract.

Andzej Kuszell, the practice co-founder, has said his firm probably would not have been awarded the job if a competitive process had been in place.

During the inquiry, Bruce Sounes, the lead architect on the project, said he did not familiarise himself fully with fire safety regulations.

I referred to it on occasion but I certainly didnt read it from start to finish, he said.

Because its so wide-ranging, an architect will find themselves referring to specific sections to try and understand whether they are meeting their requirements.

Mr Sounes sent a provisional fire strategy plan to a KCTMO official in April 2014.

However, according to an email seen by the inquiry, he warned them not to show it to the London Fire Brigade.

He warned that the fire service was likely to support the severe interpretation of the regulations.

The firm went into liquidation in 2020, owing 144,000 to its creditors.

According to the counsel to the inquiry, Studio E is one of the rare parties with plenty of blame arrows pointing at it, but none pointing the other way.

The construction firm chosen to carry out the refurbishment won the contract after bidding more than 500,000 less than its nearest rival.

What happened next is likely to form a major part of Sir Martins final report into the causes of the tragedy.

Rydon met secretly with KCTMO to discuss whether approximately 800,000 could be knocked off the project.

Ultimately, Rydon decided to cut costs by switching cladding from a non-combustible zinc option to ACM cladding.

Rydon believed it could make savings of between 419,627 and 576,973 by doing this. However, this is not what it told its clients at KCTMO.

Instead, the firm told KCTMO that the savings would be between 293,368 and 376,175.

Simon Lawrence, the contracts manager at Rydon, was asked about this at the inquiry.

He replied: I would suggest that, although not my area of expertise, that Rydon took some of the saving for themselves.

An email from Zak Maynard, Rydons commercial manager, in 2014, appears to support that.

We are quids in!! he wrote. Mr Maynard later told the inquiry this was a joke.

At the inquiry, Rydon appeared keen to point the finger of blame at the manufacturers of the products with which it completed the refurbishment, saying it could not be blamed for the dishonest behaviour of Arconic, Celotex and Kingspan.

The firm has put aside 26.7 million towards the settlement of civil claims arising from the fire.

The Ipswich-based company, which was bought in 2012 by French materials group Saint-Gobain, provided the majority of the foam insulation around Grenfell Tower.

It was aware that its rival Kingspan was providing insulation on high-rise buildings, despite regulations stipulating that such materials be of limited combustibility.

Keen to break into new markets, Celotex instructed Jonathan Roper, a young assistant products manager, who was fresh out of university, to find out how Kingspan was doing it.

The inquiry heard that he discovered that Kingspan had fire-tested its product, but that it should have only marketed it as a component of the whole system tested, rather than on its own.

Mr Roper said Celotex tested its insulation product behind a non-combustible cladding board in 2014.

When it failed, he claimed the firm then over-engineered the product to achieve a test pass by placing additional fire-resistant boards behind the cladding panel in subsequent tests.

These boards were not mentioned by Celotex in its marketing literature for the RS5000 product, which was sold at a discount of almost 50 per cent for use at Grenfell.

Mr Roper told the inquiry that Celotext was determined to market its insulation product as being suitable for use over 18 metres because Kingspan was already doing so.

Jamie Hayes, a former technical services officer at Celotex, told the inquiry he was the man who came up with the plan to boost the products chances of passing a test by adding fire-resistant boards, but he denied knowing that Celotex would conceal this detail in its subsequent marketing.

He said it was a failure of moral fibre that stopped him challenging the company when he eventually became aware.

Documents seen by the inquiry also show that Celotex and its owner was aware that the product would release toxic smoke when burned.

Celotex has said it had subsequently become aware of facts unknown to management at the time of the Grenfell fire and that six employees had left the company following disciplinary action.

A spokesman said: Through its participation in the inquiry process and its own internal investigations, Celotex Limited has sought to understand and learn from the issues raised by the fire. As part of this work, independent safety tests commissioned following the review demonstrated the system described in Celotex RS5000 marketing literature met the relevant safety criteria.

Celotex Limited does not design and install cladding systems and did not do so at Grenfell Tower. The design and construction of the facade at Grenfell Tower and the selection of the various components, were decisions made by construction industry professionals.

On Mr Milletts blame diagram, numerous arrows point outwards from Celotex.

The council, Rydon, Studio E and Arconic, the cladding manufacturer, are just some.

The companys K15 plastic foam insulated around 5 per cent of Grenfell Tower.

The inquiry heard that the product passed a fire safety test in 2005 when it was placed behind non-combustible cladding.

This means it should only have been used on high-rise buildings as part of the exact system tested (Grenfell used combustible cladding).

Instead, it was marketed for general use on high-rise buildings.

After a slight chemical change to the product making it more flammable, the product underwent another fire test in 2007, the result of which was described as a raging inferno.

The inquiry was told that Philip Heath, a Kingspan technical manager, was contemptuous when a contractor suggested that K15 might not be suitable for buildings above 18 metres, saying: [Theyre] getting me confused with someone who gives a dam [sic].

Kingspan has said: We have apologised unreservedly and taken comprehensive, externally verified, measures to prevent recurrence and to ensure an explicit culture of integrity, honesty and compliance.

The company denied that any of its testing, certification or marketing literature at the time of the supply of the product for use on Grenfell suggested that it was non-combustible or of limited combustibility.

The Building Research Establishment, a charitable organisation promoting building science in the UK, has said it will no longer work with Kingspan or Celotex.

Kingspan has blamed the Government, the cladding panels, and even the inquirys questions, according to Mr Millett.

Arconic Architectural Products SAS made the cladding panels on Grenfell Tower that caused the fire to spread so rapidly.

A subsidiary of a US metals giant, the company conducted a 2004 test of the aluminium composite material in cassette form, which found that it burnt 10 times as quickly and seven times as hot when not in that form.

The inquiry heard that Arconic described this as a rogue result.

The ACM cassette panels stayed on the market, and received a boost when the British Board of Agrement, a certifying body, issued a certificate stating that the ACM panels met the minimum standards for highrise buildings.

Arconic had put forward a successful test result for a riveted version of the ACM panel and a fire-retardant version, the inquiry heard, but it did not disclose the failed test on the cassette panel version.

Claude Schmidt, the president of Arconics French arm, said that a failure to volunteer the information about the test results was a misleading half-truth, rather than a deliberate concealment.

In an email to staff, Claude Wehrle, Arconic technical manager in France, said the ACM cassette panel did not achieve the minimum safety standard for use on high-rises in the EU, but added that this should be VERY CONFIDENTIAL.

Stephen Hockman KC, representing Arconic at the inquiry, said other companies had blamed it to create a very convenient way of avoiding their own responsibility.

The firm has said it supplied the ACM sheets specified by the design team on the Grenfell refurbishment and approved by Kensington and Chelsea.

The fire was a terrible tragedy and as Arconic remembers the 72 people who died, our thoughts remain with the families, friends and all of those affected.

The company has said ACM is safe as a building material if used correctly.

In April 2023, Michael Gove, then housing secretary, placed heavy pressure on Arconic to increase its spending to help pay for cladding remediation work in light of the Grenfell fire.

Gove stated his frustration with the firm and how it had not taken any responsibility  moral or financial  for their role in the Grenfell tragedy and building safety crisis. Theyve instead spent around 9 million per year on lawyers to defend themselves. I will use all tools at my disposal to make them pay.

A spokesman for Arconic said: Arconic Architectural Products was a core participant in the inquiry and has acknowledged its role as one of the material suppliers involved in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower.

The company respects the inquiry process. AAP cooperated fully with the work of the inquiry and will continue to engage with further legal processes. Together with other parties, AAP has made financial contributions to settlements for those affected, as well as to the restorative justice fund.

Civil servants complained to the inquiry that the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), was possessed by an appetite for deregulation during the coalition years.

Brian Martin, a senior official in the department, was accused of ignoring a warning about the widespread, historic and ongoing use of ACM cladding in the UK, allegedly telling an architect who recommended tightening building standards: Wheres the evidence? Show me the bodies.

Mr Martin told the inquiry that there were a number of occasions where I could have, potentially, prevented this happening.

Evidence was shown in the inquiry that Mr Martin had thought the Lakanal House fire in Camberwell in 2009 was not severe enough to prompt safety reviews.

In documents seen by ITV News, Mr Martin said he did not need to kiss the backside of a coroner who suggested sprinklers be installed in tower blocks.
Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC)

Iranian interference in the UK should be at the top of the Home Secretarys 100-day review of counter-extremism. Both the director general of MI5, and the head of Counter Terrorism Policing, have detailed how Iran has sought to commit terrorist attacks in this country. There is also thuggery  on May 24 at a memorial event in Wembley for the late Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, a group left the event to challenge anti-regime counter-protesters, injuring four in the fighting that followed.

Iran is supplemented in its mission by a minority of political Shias from other countries. In London this includes representatives of Iraqi Shia movements such as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF). One part of the PMF, Kataib Hezbollah, is designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the USA and is accused of killing a British soldier in Iraq in 2020. But it is not proscribed here. The Charity Commission received a dossier on two charities linked to the Bahraini opposition some months ago; as a statement noted, We have opened regulatory cases into both to determine if there is a role for the Commission.

Some of our allies appear well ahead of the UK. The German government has closed the Iranian linked Islamic Centre in Hamburg and several affiliates. The Federal Ministry of the Interior stated the organisations were breaching the German Constitution. The Islamic Centres former head, Hadi Mofatteh, has received a deportation order.

Avril Haines, the US director of National Intelligence, recently issued a statement on attempted Iranian influence operations in America that sought to take advantage of protests over Gaza. This is not to argue such protests are invented by or directed from Tehran. But, as Haines wrote: It is also important to warn of foreign actors who seek to exploit our debate for their own purposes. Yvette Cooper should make a similar statement here.

German action contrasts with our approach to the Islamic Centre of England (ICEL)  subject of a recent Policy Exchange report. Each ICEL director since its formation has attended religious seminaries in Iran and been sent here as the personal representative of the supreme leader. ICEL commemorates Irans Islamic Revolution and its martyrs  and looks to harness British Muslim anger on issues such as blasphemy.

ICEL has been the subject of a Charity Commission statutory inquiry since November 2022, over serious governance concerns. Trustees had failed to fully comply with an action plan and official warning after an event held at ICEL eulogising the late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.

Hamburgs investigation was conducted by Germanys Office for the Protection of the Constitution, with final decisions taken by the interior minister. In England and Wales, should responsibility for the regulation of charities, where there is a potential connection to hostile foreign states, continue to sit with an arms length organisation?

We should stop issuing visas for Iranian ministers of religion to work here, and re-examine visas already issued. The extremism review should commit to a thorough investigation of pro-Iranian activists, and their impact.

While Britains Sunni Muslims have tended to resist Irans siren calls, nothing about that trend guarantees its continuation. It is also time the government encouraged a greater degree of openness and clarity in the work of the security service. Continental agencies like the Dutch AIVD and German BfV, produce an annual public review of extremism. Public officials should then ensure they do not have dealings with extremist groups.

The UK has been tolerant of too much, for too long.

Paul Stott is head of security and extremism at Policy Exchange
Sir Keir Starmer and education secretary Bridget Phillipson

Other than Brexit, the Conservatives dont have much to show for their 14 years in government. One of their few undoubted successes, however, was to raise standards in state schools. Michael Gove, in particular, bequeathed a solid legacy of rigorous testing during his four years as education secretary, from which millions of schoolchildren have benefited.

The teaching unions and the rest of the education establishment have never forgiven Mr Gove. And they were furious when Nick Gibb, the long-serving schools minister, reintroduced compulsory times-tables tests at primary schools six years ago  a practical policy no less than a symbolic one, restoring a key element of the 1944 Education Act into the classroom.

Across the curriculum, unions have resisted any attempt to raise standards. At every stage, they have denounced old-fashioned Tory policies. But Englands scores on the highly respected international Pisa scale have risen steadily apart from during the pandemic  especially by comparison with Scotland, where education is devolved and standards are in decline under the SNP.

All this is now potentially under threat. The new Labour government may be tempted to cave in to union demands for such tests to be made optional or even abolished. Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State who boasts of being the first holder of her office to actually tax education, has set up an innocuous-sounding curriculum review. Led by Becky Francis, it looks highly likely to recommend axing much of the testing regime that has delivered such sterling results.

For Prof Francis, even the Blair government suffered from an obsession with academic achievement, let alone its Tory successor. She is one of the Left-wing education gurus from whose egalitarian ideologies schools and pupils have been relatively protected for the past 14 years. Listening to the unions when it comes to the national curriculum means shifting the focus from the rigorous teaching of knowledge to woolly-minded wokery.

Already the teaching unions are rubbing their hands in glee. They are looking forward to stripping back the teaching of grammar and scrapping Mr Goves English baccalaureate. Above all, they want to put an end to high pressure government testing, which they blame for the mental-health epidemic among pupils. If Labour is not to turn its back on the improvement in schools made over the last decade or more, it must resist these demands.

But if, as seems possible, Labour bows to the baleful influence of the teaching unions, the children who will suffer most are those from the poorest backgrounds. For them, a traditional, rigorous, knowledge-based education  the kind that Sir Keir Starmer enjoyed  is their only escape route from poverty. Does the Prime Minister, who boasts of his working class roots, really want to deprive pupils of that lifeline?
The Chagos Islands have been British-owned since 1814

Labour has opened the door to handing the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius.

The islands, located in the Indian Ocean, have been British-owned since 1814 and include Diego Garcia, which hosts a US military base.

Plans to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius were set to be dropped last year amid opposition from Grant Shapps, then the defence secretary, and concerns about Mauritiuss alliance with China.

But asked by Lord Kempsell, a Tory peer, for its view on the sovereignty of the islands, the Government said it was too early to predict the outcome of negotiations.

Baroness Chapman, a Foreign Office minister, said: The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met the Mauritian prime minister on July 23 and committed to continuing negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over Chagos Archipelago.

It is too early to speculate on timelines or conclusions, but it is the Governments priority to resolve this long-standing and important issue, including ensuring the long-term secure and effective operation of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.

The response prompted warnings to Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, that they should consider the wider precedent handing over the islands could set.

Mr Shapps told The Telegraph: Its extraordinarily important to understand that, in the discussions over the Chagos Islands, we are also discussing the wider sovereignty of our global military footprint. These decisions cannot and must not be taken lightly.

Lord Kempsell added that the sovereignty of the islands remained a sensitive and important issue, adding: It is troubling that the Governments position has emerged again via my parliamentary questioning, rather than an upfront position of the facts.

In response to a previous question tabled by the peer, Labour refused to declare China a threat, appearing to tear up plans drawn up by the Tory government before the election.

Jeremy Corbyn, Sir Keirs predecessor as Labour leader, promised in 2019 to renounce British sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to right one of the wrongs of history.

Diego Garcia was used by the US in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks to fly bombing missions to Afghanistan and Iraq - Universal Images Group Editorial/Pictures from History

Control of the islands has been disputed for several decades, with Mauritius winning a non-binding International Court of Justice ruling in 2019 to have Britains ownership declared unlawful.

The United Nations general assembly subsequently voted by a significant majority for control of the islands to be returned as rapidly as possible.

Last year, it emerged the Foreign Office had been working on a Cyprus-style deal to give Mauritius sovereignty while allowing Britain to keep control of the military base.

But it is understood that personal resistance from Mr Shapps led to a push to abandon the agreement, and a number of staffing changes were subsequently made in the Foreign Office.

Lord Cameron, who preceded Mr Lammy as foreign secretary, subsequently drew up a review, with his concerns being mirrored by senior US officials.

Diego Garcia was used by the US in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks to fly bombing missions to Afghanistan and Iraq, and has subsequently been used to supply troops in the Middle East.

The Foreign Office was contacted for comment.
The supermarket has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 55 per cent by 2029-30 - Chesnot

A wheelchair user is threatening Marks & Spencer with legal action over their new eco-fridges that she claims are too high for her to reach.

The supermarket has been criticised over its installation of the doors, which aim to trap cold air inside the fridges and reduce energy bills by up to a third.

Flick Williams, a partially sighted wheelchair user, said the handles on the enclosed fridges are too high for her to reach.

She also said that the doors are heavy and that the mechanisms that keep them closed are too strong.

M&S's new eco-fridges trap cold air inside

During a visit on June 2 to her local supermarket in York, Ms Williams said that she could not find a staff member to help her and that the manned tills had very long queues.

Ms Williams, 60, who shops for herself and her 90-year-old mother, and has been disabled since she was 26, said: I went up and down the aisles looking for a member of staff to help me, because I knew exactly what I wanted.

She claims that this is a breach of the reasonable adjustments that organisations offering services are required to provide under equality legislation.

Theyve basically erected a barrier to me being able to shop independently by introducing all of these enclosed cabinets. The law says that they have to make a reasonable adjustment, which could be providing an assistant to help me shop, said Ms Williams.

She added: I was really distressed in the store that day, as the permanence of it filtered through, and I thought: This isnt just a problem today, this is going to be a problem every time I want to shop.

The retailer has a deadline of Sunday to reply before she plans to take further action.

Pledge to reduce carbon emissions

M&S has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 55 per cent by 2029-30, and installed the fridge doors in 30 of its foodhalls in 2023-24, according to its environmental reporting.

Other supermarkets have also introduced fridge doors. Aldi has free-swinging Perspex doors, whereas retailer Lidl said its glazed doors reduced energy consumption by 40 per cent.

The doors could reduce energy bills by a third, the Environmental Investigation Agency said in a 2019 report.

When the supermarket Aldi pledged to install the doors across its UK stores in 2021, it said the change would save 20 tonnes of carbon a year and reduce energy consumption by 20 per cent.

There is no suggestion that other supermarkets are also facing legal action on the basis of alleged discrimination as a result of the fridge doors.

In 2019, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, as it was then known, ruled out enforcing mandatory fridge doors in supermarkets but urged supermarkets to increase their use of energy-efficient technology wherever possible.

Alison Kerry of the disability equality charity Scope said: We know that disabled people often have issues with the size, height and accessibility of changing rooms, tills, and card readers when they are out shopping.

M&S are renowned for their great customer service, and its important that their disabled customers are included in enjoying a positive shopping experience.

A Marks & Spencer spokesman said: We are committed to making our stores accessible to all our customers, and work with AccessAble to help us do that with access guides covering inside and outside our stores.

We always strive to ensure colleagues are on hand to help every customer and were very sorry that on this occasion the customer could not find a colleague to help. We always take on board customer feedback and look forward to speaking to Ms Williams.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: We encourage businesses to take energy saving measures to help cut their emissions.

It is for individual businesses to decide how best to do this. We encourage them to ensure all measures meet accessibility standards.
NHS Trust is hiring a head of diversity for Kingsway Hospital - IZUSEK/E+

An NHS trusts advertisement for an 80,000 a year diversity and inclusion officer role has been criticised as an insult to taxpayers.

Derbyshire NHS Foundation Trust has come under fire after offering an annual salary of up to 81,138 for a new Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Kingsway Hospital.

In its job description, the trust said the successful applicant will champion new ways of thinking and hearing the voices of our people and local population to improve equitable, diverse and inclusive experiences for all.

This role is fundamental to creating innovative approaches to diversity and inclusion which will support our work at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, it adds.

Applicants would be required to work only 37.5 hours a week with the option of flexible working.

The trust recently embarked on a 150 million project to build half a dozen new mental health facilities where patients would be able to dim the lights, control the temperature and play music via bluetooth.

Rupert Lowe, the Reform MP for Great Yarmouth, said roles like these 'needed to be rooted out' - OLI SCARFF/AFP

Rupert Lowe, the Reform MP for Great Yarmouth, described the job advertisement as an insult to taxpayers and said the poisonous diversity industry needs to be rooted out.

He wrote on X, formerly Twitter: Every single diversity role in the public sector should be scrapped.

The trust has been approached for comment.

It comes after the Telegraph found that civil service diversity and inclusion officers are paid as much as 10,000 more than top trade officials, government job listings suggest.

The Department for Business and Trade is currently seeking a new head of country for Poland, the UKs 13th largest trading partner with a 540bn economy.

A successful applicant would be in charge of developing a strategy on trade policy and shaping the overall trading relationship with Poland.

The listing says that someone based outside London could receive a salary of between 32,858 and 34,586 for the role, rising to between 36,583 and 38,272 if they live in the capital.

By comparison, a typical civil service diversity and inclusion officer in London receives 42,697 per year, according to the careers website Indeed.
Police are using lorry cabs to catch drivers using their phones behind the wheel - Russell Sach/Russell Sach

Police are using lorry cabs to catch drivers using their phones behind the wheel.

The unmarked specialist tractor unit, one of three in the country, accompanies patrols to spot distracted drivers from above or alongside them, in HGVs.

Operation Tramline, which is being carried out by forces across the country in partnership with National Highways, has stopped more than 42,500 vehicles since its launch in 2015.

Technology within the cab reads surrounding registration plates at a rapid pace, determining whether a cars insurance, tax records and MOT certificate are up to date.

A team can pull over anywhere between 12 and 20 drivers over an eight-hour shift.

On Wednesday, The Telegraph joined officers on two shifts lasting about 90 minutes each.

George Barrow, a builder, was one of more than 30 motorists who was stopped by Dorset Police officers last week for using his mobile at the wheel.

Mr Barrow was pulled over when officers spotted him on the A348 in Bournemouth, holding his phone as he drove without a seatbelt.

A team can pull over between 12 and 20 drivers over an eight-hour shift - ARussell Sach/ARussell Sach

After giving his details to officers, Mr Barrow confirmed that it was the first time he had been stopped for driving with his phone in his hand.

I was looking at Google Maps and just carrying it in my hand, he told The Telegraph.

Mr Barrow said he would consider buying a phone holder for his van and said that his working life was busy at the moment.

When asked whether he thought it was good thing that police were cracking down on motorists who use mobiles at the wheel, he agreed.

Yeah, for sure, he said. You know, we all do it dont we, come on? Ive been caught, it is what it is

Trials of special cameras, which use AI to identify illegal phone use as well as motorists who are not wearing seatbelts, were underway with 10 police forces earlier this year - ahead of an expected national rollout.

Exclusive research shared by the RAC suggested more than three quarters of all drivers (77 per cent) would like to see the cameras rolled out nationally.

Heavy penalties

Over two years from January 2021, Dorset Police issued 517 fixed penalty notices to motorists who were caught using a mobile phone while driving.

Motorists caught holding and using a phone, satnav, tablet or any device that can send and receive data can be hit with six penalty points and a 200 fine.

New drivers who have passed their test within the last two years can also lose their licence.

The actual offence committed is when a vehicle is being driven in a position which does not give proper control or a full view of the road and traffic ahead.

These offences can result in drivers receiving three penalty points, if they do not have full view of the road and traffic ahead or proper control of the vehicle.

Motorists caught committing these offences could even be banned from driving or hit with a maximum fine of 1,000 for cars and 2,500 for HGVs if their cases are taken to court.
Andy Cooke has been chief inspector of constabulary since April 2022 - Heathcliff O'Malley

He rose through the ranks to become one of Britains most senior policemen, and is now responsible for inspecting all of the countrys forces. But Andy Cooke cant remember exactly when he decided to become an officer, or the reasons why. He thinks he must have fixed on his future career by the age of nine or 10 even though none of his relatives were in uniform, with his father working in a Ford factory and his mum as a teacher.

Little could he have imagined, then, the responsibility he would eventually take on as HM chief inspector of constabulary and the perfect storm that would be facing forces across the country at the time. After several years of plummeting prosecution rates and scandals over predatory officers and the handling of bogus allegations about VIP paedophiles, this summer has seen police forces blindsided by both a prisons crisis and the worst rioting seen since 2011.

Cooke, now 60, was formerly chief constable of Merseyside Police, having served in the force for more than three decades after joining as an officer in 1985. He was born and raised in Liverpool and still lives in the city with his wife. The events in Southport last month, in which more than 50 officers were injured in disorder that broke out after the fatal stabbing of three little girls in the town, hit close to home.

Sitting in his London office, a short walk down the road from the Ministry of Justice, Cooke calls the violence against officers unacceptable and absolutely shocking. The police are not the enemy of the people, they are part of the community, he says. In Southport, it was the same officers that were dealing with those horrifying events, who were then stood there being pelted with bricks and bottles and you name it.

Over 50 police officers were injured in the Southport riots with dozens more in other cities around England - Getty

Cooke says that the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and courts pulled together to do exceptional work in the days following the initial riot in Southport at the end of July. He believes that the authorities ultimately succeeded in deterring further unrest by ensuring that individuals in the violent disorder that took place across the country between July 30 and August 5, were swiftly handed multi-year prison sentences.

Fortunately, it appears to have died down now, but those investigations will go on for months and months, he says. They are very intensive, because thousands of hours of CCTV needs to be looked at to identify individuals. But policing has got to do that, its got to ensure that those responsible for this violence and disorder are dealt with  and they will be.

The violence was fuelled by a combination of false information about the Southport attacker and activism by far-Right groups, who are now seeking to characterise the response as an example of two-tier policing that unfairly punishes white people and the Right-wing.

Cooke believes that two-tier policing is not a reality, but warns: Forces need to be very careful they dont give the perception that theres two-tier policing in what they say or how they do things.

Communication could be better in relation to explaining what theyre doing and why. But one side will always say they are too soft, and one side will say theyre too hard. Theyll never get it right for some people.

The claims of two-tier policing moved into the mainstream last year when then-home secretary Suella Braverman levelled the accusation at the Metropolitan Police over its handling of pro-Palestinian protesters. She was sacked days after her public criticism of the police.

Cooke will not comment directly on Bravermans remarks, but says: I think the influence of the media, social media and what politicians say can be exceptionally important in maintaining the stability of any democracy. Weve certainly seen too many unwise words spoken.

Asked about apparent differences in the treatment of protesters on different sides of major movements, such as Black Lives Matter and the Israel-Gaza war, Cooke insists that, as a rule, officers are guided by operational assessments rather than political bias. They police with no fear or favour, but policing will look different depending on what the protest is and what the attitude and intent of the protesters is, he says. Its for public order commanders to identify what style of policing should be taken. I think across the country, forces have the vast majority of the time got it right.

Cooke and director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson pictured arriving at Downing Street for an emergency meeting on the violent disorder in Southport - Karl Black/Alamy

But Cooke believes there have also been mistakes. When Black Lives Matter protests started across the UK following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, he was still the chief constable of Merseyside Police. He issued an instruction to the forces almost 4,000 officers not to take the knee in a show of solidarity, although numerous officers had performed the gesture in London, and national guidance said officers could make their own decisions based on their individual circumstances.

Among recent mistakes by the police, Braverman and other senior Tories have argued, are instances of officers straying into politically-contested areas, or taking up woke causes. Rows during Rishi Sunaks time in office included a hate incident recorded by officers after an autistic boy accidentally damaged a copy of the Koran, and police investigating tweets by feminists voicing gender-critical views.

I dont use the word woke, says Cooke. Ive been on gay pride marches, when I was a chief. Im not against community engagement. Its got to be done professionally, and its got to be done in the right way, and its going to be fair to all communities  But Im more of the view that police should always remain impartial in these issues.

So would I have knelt in the Black Lives Matter protests? Of course I wouldnt, and did I instruct my staff not to? Of course I did, because the police have got to be seen as impartial, Cooke says. Policing has got to police the Left and the Right and other interest groups in exactly the same way, and thats without fear or favour. So policing shouldnt take sides. Its not for the police to decide what is a good cause and a bad cause.

He is clear the disorder that spread across the country following the Southport stabbings wasnt legitimate protest, it was criminality, and that police forces responded accordingly.

Cooke, pictured here at Liverpool Pride Festival in 2018, believes all police officers have a duty to act impartially - Alamy

Police have so far arrested more than 1,200 people and almost 800 have been charged. But the influx of rioters has pushed prisons near to total capacity following years of overcrowding, and there is now little room for new inmates in jails across England and Wales.

On August 19, the Government triggered an emergency contingency plan under which defendants due in court are kept in police cells unless a prison space is confirmed to be free. Two days later, magistrates courts were ordered to delay all sentences for offenders currently on bail until after a new early release scheme is due to free up space on Sept 10. Cooke labels the whole criminal justice system as dysfunctional, from police forces to prisons, the CPS and courts. None of the organisations can hold their head up and say: Were doing all we can, he says. The entire criminal justice system is dysfunctional, undoubtedly dysfunctional.

Around 5,500 inmates are expected to be freed over the next two months, creating space in prisons but piling pressure on the police and probation officers responsible for monitoring the deluge of convicts and catching them if they reoffend. It is a nightmare, Cooke says. Theres no easy option because there are not enough prison spaces.

The government had no choice other than to release people early, but it does put a strain on the rest of the system, because probation are understaffed and underfunded.

They need to keep communities safe and that puts an extra burden on them, and police officers are dealing with increased criminality from those who are being released earlier and will need to be dealt with.

In a recent inspection of HMP Nottingham, Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, said that the early release programme brought in by the Conservative government made preparations for freeing prisoners chaotic and rushed, leaving a quarter of released offenders homeless and making reoffending inevitable. Cooke himself has a dim forecast for the coming months: More criminals will come out, they will commit more offences because they havent been rehabilitated, then they will go back in.

Cooke initially joined HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services in February 2021, as inspector for northern England, having served as Merseyside chief constable since 2016.

I had a weekend off between jobs, he says. I finished at Merseyside Police on a Friday and started at the inspectorate on the Monday.

Cooke took the chance to apply for the top job in 2022, and still has three years left of his five-year term evaluating the performance of all police forces and fire services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. During his time at the watchdog, public trust in the police has been battered by a wave of scandals, the most prominent of which were the murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021 by Wayne Couzens, then a serving Metropolitan Police officer, and the exposure of serial rapist David Carrick, who was an armed Met officer.

But Cooke, who has two adult daughters, believes that the horrific revelations are just one factor damaging trust in police, and perhaps not even the most significant. Getting the confidence of all communities is important because policing, in my view, has lost that  not just because of the Sarah Everard case and the high profile issues, but because communities dont necessarily feel the police can address the criminality and anti-social behaviour they see on the streets every day, he says. Too often, policing is getting the basics wrong.

That is about just what the public would expect the police to do, which is answer the phone quickly, respond quickly, do the right things when they get there, investigate it properly, keep victims informed of whats going on, hopefully catch the offender at the end of the day.

The list may sound obvious, but the inspectorate has found multiple forces to be failing those basic tests. Only 6.4 per cent of all crimes recorded in England and Wales are currently prosecuted within a year  a slight improvement on the record low of 5.5 per cent hit in 2021-22, but far below the proportion seen when figures started to plummet in 2015.

Home Office figures show the most common conclusion of an official crime report is investigation complete  no suspect identified, followed by evidential difficulties, while 8 per cent of investigations take longer than a year. Cooke says the figures are not acceptable, and that while police forces are working to improve the number of crimes they solve, its not just a policing issue.

Austerity had a massive impact on policing, in relation to outcome rates but also in relation to what it did to neighbourhood policing, which is the bedrock of British policing. During austerity, forces moved away from that because it was seen as a nice-to-do. Its not, its a must-do. [But] thats where peoples confidence and trust is really built.

The Conservatives argued that spending cuts under David Camerons premiership forced the police to look critically at how we deliver services. But police leaders have long been arguing that funding cuts that started in 2010 and were reversed by Boris Johnsons government created a position where they were forced to prioritise different crimes and focus more on responding to offences than proactively preventing them.

The failure of some forces to fully investigate burglaries was cited as a symbol of the shift, with police leaders not formally agreeing to ministers demands that officers should attend all residential burglaries, until October 2022.

Cooke says there was never any excuse not to send officers to one of the most invasive crimes that people suffer. He admits that police cannot respond to everything that is reported, but argues that the impact on victims should always be a primary consideration.

It is difficult to try and balance your resources, but you cant forget whats important to the public that you serve, he says. Its about consideration of the impact of these crimes on the victims themselves. Some forces forgot that during austerity, there were mistakes. Im sure those chiefs, if they could rewind the clock, would have made different decisions on occasion.

Cooke: 'Too often, policing is getting the basics wrong' - Heathcliff O'Malley

The past decade has also seen a sharp increase in what is officially labelled non-crime demand, such as mental health incidents, missing people and child protection work.

A nationwide agreement known as right care, right person was struck between police, the NHS and government last year, following warnings over the amount of police time being lost caring for vulnerable people who had not committed a crime and should be in the care of other agencies. Cooke says the dial is now shifting around mental health but there are plenty of other things that police are doing that they shouldnt necessarily be doing, such as tracking down children who have gone missing from care.

He says officers are also being hampered by bureaucracy, adding: Theres still too much documentation that needs to be done to put someone before a court, all of which the CPS and police are working towards improving, but it takes time.

So theres still too many other demands that theyre dealing with, and theyre dealing with them against a background of a police funding formula, which is not fit for purpose.

Cooke says that because the current structure relies on the 43 regional forces in England and Wales being able to increase funding through council tax, the money doesnt go where its needed most.

Its not been looked at again for far too many years  the last government said that they would review it. They didnt, which means that some of the rich forces are getting richer, and some of the poor forces are getting poorer.

The formula is also having an impact on officer recruitment, meaning that forces covering relatively affluent areas like Surrey are now larger than they were before 2010, whereas those in more deprived areas like Cleveland are smaller. They just cannot raise the money from council tax that those other areas can raise, Cooke says. But where is the demand? Its in the inner-city areas which have got less police officers and less resources to deal with the criminality.

He believes the Labour government will have to significantly increase funding both to the police and wider criminal justice system, if it is to realise its manifesto promises to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls in a decade.

A government spokesperson said: This government is getting a grip of the justice crisis we inherited so our tireless frontline staff can keep locking up dangerous criminals, cut crime, and make our streets safer.

Restoring trust and confidence in the entire criminal justice system is a central part of our mission. That is why we will get thousands more police officers back out on our streets, build the prisons we need and make sure our court system can deliver justice for victims.

Cooke met the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, two days after the general election and says he will continue calling for a royal commission on criminal justice, which was promised by the Conservatives in 2019 to carry out a sweeping review of the entire system  but never started.

Starmer is the fourth occupant of No 10 Downing Street since Cooke was appointed to his current role by Johnson and Priti Patel. Cooke admits that he has been finding his undergraduate politics degree, from Nottingham University very useful, although he quickly adds: I dont have any political allegiance and I never have.

He hopes to influence the direction of policing in the right way, in what he expects to be a period of significant change. I have my own opinions on what needs to be better, and Im not slow in voicing those, he adds. As chief HMI, you can actually affect policing right across England and Wales and its a great honour to be able to do that.

The role is a long way from where Cooke started as a bobby on the beat in Merseyside in 1985, and he says he has been living the dream ever since.

At every rank, Ive loved it, he says. For me, theres special pride in keeping your own community safe. Theres nowhere better to work than where you were born and brought up, where your friends and your family are. I have a big extended family across Merseyside and they were all exceptionally proud.
Jon Macleod has planted 1,200 saplings on his 4 hectare croft at Bragar, on the west coast of Lewis. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

An ambitious plan to plant at least a million native trees on crofts in the Outer Hebrides has taken root, its organisers say, with more than 200 small new woods sprouting across the islands.

The Western Isles woodland project hopes to reestablish a thriving mosaic of small woods dotted across the islands by using vacant or underused crofts to reforest the Hebrides and promote nature restoration.

Under the project, funded mainly by profits from the UKs largest community-owned windfarm, west of Stornoway, 211,000 trees have already been planted on 245 crofts, plots of land that were historically family-run small holdings.

Some of the new woodlands have up to 1,500 trees grown from local seeds, featuring alder, hazel, birch, rowan, Scots pine, blackthorn, sycamore and various species of willow. The project has been so successful it has helped establish three new tree nurseries on the islands.

Many of the saplings come from seeds sourced by Hebridean Tree Ark, which harvests them from native local trees found clinging to cliffs and islands inaccessible to the red deer and sheep that suppress natural regeneration on land.

PJ Maclachlan, a keen kayaker and retired meteorologist who began planting trees in 2018 on his 1.4 hectare family croft near Stornoway airport, often sees old native trees clinging to cliffs and ungrazed islands during his kayaking trips along the coast.

He has planted 950 trees in a boggy, unproductive area of his croft. It was a great thing bringing woods back, he said: The fact it looks treeless isnt natural: its over-grazing. Youre bringing back something which has been lost.

Some crofters, whose holdings often border the islands wind-battered coast line, have included fruit orchards in their new woods, which are reinstating woodlands stripped out for boat-and house-building in the past.

Jon Macleod, 57, an arts curator who bought a 4 hectare croft at Bragar, on the west coast of Lewis in Ordal, the Norse for glen of the alder, has planted 1,200 saplings. By coincidence, the alder trees are flourishing in his woodland, where he has added apples, pears and cherry.

Were restoring a landscape which existed a thousand years ago, he said. Using seeds gathered from local trees greatly increased their chances of prospering  the survival rate and provenance is relevant to the place.

Calum Macdonald, the former Labour MP leading the project, hoped it could be a model for community owned energy projects across the UK.

Four-fifth of the woodlands funding is from the 900,000 annual profits made by the three 3MW wind turbines owned by Point and Sandwick trust, a community development body. The turbines at Beinn Ghrideag generate up to 30GWh of power a year  enough, Macdonald said, to supply all the Western Isles with electricity.

Macdonald said individual crofters were in charge of planting out their croft, in consultation with Viv Halcrow, the projects adviser, the Woodland Trust, the Scottish Crofting Federation and Scottish Forestry, a government-owned agency.

He hoped that at least a million trees would be planted by 2030. The scheme is open to crofters anywhere in the Outer Hebrides and more than 800 crofters, schools and community groups have been in contact.

We didnt want to do it by bringing in a big team of contractors, he said. Our vision is for it to expand organically instead, croft by croft, with the crofters owning the project and its legacy.

We are not planting in moorland or peatland but in the crofting townships, on land which used to have hay, potatoes, and other crops but which now, with the decline of crofting activity over the past 20 years, is increasingly unused.

We dont want the crofts to decay and this is a great way of bringing them back to vigorous life. Its a mosaic approach rather than the big bazooka employed in other environmental projects.

Woodland owners will also need to combat the deer that roam in some areas; the moors have been denuded of trees by sheep and cattle, sent on to common grazings during the summer.

This project was set up to recycle renewable energy profits into community wealth-building and improvements, he said, in contrast to the large-scale multi-national owned wind farms causing resentment amongthe communities nearby.

Green energy schemes generally employ only a handful of staff and engineers whereas community ownership allows people to capture the profits they produce and reinvest them locally, Macdonald said. In Denmark, about half of turbines are community-owned.

Many rural communities in the UK feel excluded from the profits generated by energy firms, and resent the large turbines, sub-stations and large pylons built in their areas. I would love to use the green energy revolution to get a lot more long-term benefits for our communities, Macdonald said.

Macleod agrees. No one is against renewable energy here but community benefit is key, otherwise its just exploitation, he said.
Peter Doig at an exhibition of his work in Paris in 2023. Photograph: DELFINO Claire/Paris Match/Getty Images

Peter Doig became the most expensive living painter in Europe in 2007, when White Canoe, his atmospheric painting of a a moonlit lagoon, sold for 5.7m.

The Scot then saw his auction record broken in 2017 and in 2021 respectively, when Rosedale, his depiction of a house in a snow storm, and Swamped, another enigmatic painting of a canoe, sold for the eye-watering prices of 21m and nearly 30m respectively.

The 65-year-old artist estimates that, since 2007, his paintings have achieved combined sales of almost 380m. But he has now revealed that he has made barely 230,000 for himself from selling them.

Doig said it is collectors who are profiting, buying and selling his works on the secondary market for crazy prices, and he has no idea who they are because the art trade is so opaque. Its all very clandestine, he told the Observer. Some paintings are sold offshore, so its untraceable.

He is now calling for more transparency within the art market, particularly to protect vulnerable young artists. Doig believes that, as with any business relationship, galleries have a duty to share information about sales with the artists who created the works: They should be absolutely transparent in all the dealings. Theres so much secrecy, especially when the amounts start to get high. Once an artist has sold an artwork, theyve got few rights.

Doig said he had had a real row recently with one of his former art galleries after they refused to tell him who had bought his artworks.

I wasnt after money, he said. I wanted to know where the paintings had gone to. They said: We cant give you that information.

I asked: Can you at least tell me what you sold them for? and they refused that as well. The information is kept so secret, its infuriating.

He added: In the contemporary art world, gallerists make secondary sales of your work. This happened to me quite a lot, I found out.

For instance, you sell a painting and then, perhaps five years later, the person who bought it resells it, and its usually done through the gallery because thats the arrangement theyve got. They may give you something, but not with a piece of paper, an invoice, which would happen in the real world.

Its never clear what works are traded for on the secondary market, except at auction.

Some dealers are taking advantage of artists, he believes: Youre much more vulnerable when youre a young artist and youre just so grateful to be having your work shown and sold.

Doig was born in Edinburgh in 1959 and raised in Trinidad and Canada, studying at St Martins and the Chelsea College in London. He now divides his time between Britain and Trinidad, painting evocative compositions that range from jungles to snow-covered mountains.

He is considered one of the most important painters working today, but is frustrated by people wrongly assuming that auction sales reflect what he makes from his paintings, let alone behind-the-scene sales, which are plentiful  Im sure at least equal  and quite clandestine.

The secondary market did boost the value of his paintings on the primary market, he said. But your prices would never, ever match or even get close to what happens on the secondary market, a world of its own.

Th eDesign and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) states that the law of Artists Resale Right gives artists and their beneficiaries the right to a payment when their work is resold for 1,000 or more through a gallery, auction house or art dealer. It has enabled Doig to keep some record of sales: But the maximum you get with a DACS sale is tiny. Works sold for 2m or more will receive a maximum royalty payout of 12,500. And if someone sells a painting offshore, you dont get that.

I wasnt after money. I wanted to know where the paintings had gone. The gallery wouldnt tell me Peter Doig

When Doig was a struggling artist, he was nominated for the 1990 Whitechapel Artists Award, by Yuko Shiraishi, an artist whose husband, David Juda, runs a gallery that also represents David Hockney. Doig won, giving him exposure that Id never had before.

Doig is now this years guest curator of the David and Yuko Juda Art Foundation Grant, which donates 50,000 to an artist to alleviate financial pressures.

He has drawn up a shortlist of seven candidates. They include a former student, Kaoli Mashio, a Japanese artist based in Dusseldorf, whose landscape paintings are very delicate and beautiful, and his former teacher, Tim Allen, whose abstract paintings deserve real recognition.

A panel of judges  including former Tate curator Andrew Wilson  will decide on the winner next week. An exhibition of the shortlisted artists will be held at Annely Juda Fine Art in London from 10 September.
One passenger complained of different rules for mobility scooters between train companies. East Midlands Railway is updating its rules on 2 September. Photograph: Dave Porter/Alamy

John Jenkins from Oxfordshire despairs when he has to take the train.

Both when booking ahead and just turning up, the other station has not picked up the phone so a ramp at the other end cant be arranged or confirmed. Ive missed multiple trains because of this, said the 71-year-old wheelchair user.

When the promised ramp doesnt turn up, I literally have to swing on the door frame while a kind person unloads my wheelchair so I can drop into it. This at 71 years of age!

For John Matthews in Norfolk, its the apparent randomness of the rules that frustrates him. East Midlands Rail do not accept my small mobility scooter on their trains as it has two front wheels  they only accept a triangular shape  but I can travel with my scooter on Greater Anglia.

I cant get my mind round why one company turns me down while another presents no problem, he said. East Midlands Rail is updating its rules for mobility scooters on 2 September.

Cal Clarke, however, finds Greater Anglia trains the most frustrating: Greater Anglia exclude wheelchair users from their first-class carriages: when they upgraded their fleet, we became persona non grata, said Clarke, a former prison officer.

She now finds travelling in her electric wheelchair so difficult that she has begun to suffer anxiety attacks when she has to use public transport and no longer leaves the house except for medical appointments.

The world isnt made for people like me, she said. Buses, for example, have one space for wheelchairs and drivers who are unwilling to comply with the Equality Act by asking people to fold buggies or move shopping trollies. My complaints to the bus company fall on deaf ears and because where I live is rural, Ive been stranded for hours and even overnight.

Taxis were just as bad, she said: Those that advertise as being wheelchair accessible often arent suitable for electric wheelchairs like mine but dont say this, even if you ask them when booking. Theres no way I can be flexible: Id decapitate myself if I tried to go up their ramps.

Humiliating, distressing and frustrating travel issues arent confined to local transport systems. As a cabin attendant, flying Boeing and Airbus aeroplanes around the world for over three decades, Laurence has seen at close hand how disabled passengers are treated across the world when they travel.

Disabled people should board first and disembark last for privacy and convenience. But very often they are brought on board last, while all passengers are watching, by airport workers who have no training and are often rude and unmotivated, in part due to the poor working conditions, he said.

Very often, disabled passengers have to wait over half an hour after landing for the ground staff to pick them up, so they dont make it to the next flight, he added. They are left unattended at the baggage claim area, asking for help to strangers.

Paying for an upgrade was no guarantee of better treatment, he said. Disabled passengers travelling business are very often not taken to the business lounge that they are entitled to during the stopover. Then once they are onboard, many cabin attendants do not offer them any special treatment or help them in any way, he said.

The lack of care was endemic, he said. Generally speaking, anywhere in the world, flying while disabled means patience, inconveniences, disruptions, lack of sensitivity.

Claire Stevenson, from Chester, recognises this summary. Unable to walk because of a disability, the 40-year-old has had too many shocking experiences at airports to recount.

Once, the young man pushing my chair at Belfast City airport spontaneously decided to do some sort of spinning trick with me without warning and whirled my chair around 360 really fast like he was a contestant on dancing on ice, she said.

Of course, I fell out of the chair sideways as I have no capacity to keep my body upright without support. He was shocked that I had a real disability because he was of the opinion that most people using the service were just lazy.

Liverpool airport mobility services took me to the wrong gate and left me there alone. When it became obvious that no flight would be departing from that gate, I had to crawl on my hands and knees to the correct gate.

Another time, she said, the person meeting her at a baggage carousel came up from behind and, without a word of greeting or identifying himself, grabbed the handles of her chair and started pushing her away from her distressed elderly mother.

He really hurt my back when the chair began to move by surprise. When I objected to this shocking and rude behaviour he shouted and shouted at me for my ingratitude. I was genuinely quite scared.

Those with invisible disabilities fare no better. Janet, who is autistic, finds travelling by train almost unbearably stressful.

Cancellations, platform changes and unclear information can induce a meltdown, she said. Rail staff are often unaware of the need to be patient and give clear information.

Station staff are worse than those on trains but once I was overwhelmed and got on the wrong train and was bullied by staff on board who kept saying I was fare-dodging despite showing them my Autism Alert card. It was upsetting and embarrassing.

Nina, a 25-year-old data analyst who is autistic, said booking special assistance in airports was a minefield and that she had been told that autism was not a disability at all.

There are just so many hurdles: on Ryanair, you have to book it as an intellectual disability, which it is not. Ive spoken with assistants and the airlines themselves, and they all say that to get support, I have to lie and say I need a wheelchair  but that means the special assistance station dont know Im autistic and so dont know that in airports, I need immediate help with my triggers, which are crowds, haste and being touched.
Authorities said the small aircraft crashed at about 10.20am on Saturday morning. Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

Three people were dead after a small plane crashed into a row of townhouses on Saturday morning in a neighborhood east of Portland, setting the homes ablaze, authorities told KATU-TV.



Officials earlier in the day had said the plane was carrying two people and that at least one resident had been unaccounted for.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that a twin-engine Cessna 421C came down at about 10.30am local time near the Troutdale airport.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, the FAA said in a statement. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.

Scott Lewis, chief of the nearby Gresham fire department, said the fire spread from two units to four. Lewis said the fire displaced five families and two people were treated for injuries at the scene.

Related: Severe turbulence injures seven people on United Airlines flight from Cancun

The Multnomah county sheriffs office posted to X that it was responding to the scene. John Plock, a public information officer from the sheriffs office, later gave a news conference where he said the initial call came at 10.20am local time reporting black smoke.

At some point during the crash, it hit a power pole or tower, causing it to fall over. The aircraft crashed into a building of townhomes and that structure also caught fire, Plock said, according to KATU.

The plane was split into multiple parts as it crashed in the residential area in the city of Fairview, AP reported. Troutdale airport is described on the Port of Portlands website as a flight training and recreational airport.

The full extent of the damage and injuries was not clear, but images and videos on social media showed a plume of smoke above the site, with one user writing that lots of customers now without power.



5 ALARM FIRE RESPONSE.



Airplane crash into residential buildings a couple miles west of airfield in Troutdale Oregon. Firefighters are still searching for victims. https://t.co/RvREo3kyiM  PDX_Info (@momma_pdx) August 31, 2024

According to the US power outage site, 13,921 Portland General Electric customers in Multnomah county were without electricity.
Children taking a test in a classroom

Times tables tests should be scrapped and grammar exams stripped back, teaching unions are urging the Government.

Ministers are being urged to cut down the number of tests in primary schools, which unions say lead to high levels of anxiety in children.

Tests on times tables are compulsory for all Year Four pupils at state schools in England.

Unions have also argued in favour of simplifying Year Six SATs  the exams pupils take at the end of primary school in reading, writing and maths  to cut out the most difficult grammar questions.

The demands will be handed to Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, for her curriculum and assessment review, alongside submissions from multi-academy trust bosses and education experts.

The times table tests should become optional, said a union source. We are not saying children shouldnt learn times tables. They are really helpful. But the need to have the times table check is a bit of an unnecessary waste of time.

Discussing grammar exams, the source said: We are not saying lets abandon knowledge. But there is an awful lot in the primary curriculum.

Do we really need primary children to know about modal verbs and fronted adverbials? Why dont we strip that back? Lets do fewer things, but better.

The demands will be handed to Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, for her curriculum and assessment review - Yui Mok/PA

Times tables tests were introduced by the Conservative government in 2018. Nick Gibb, who was schools minister at the time, said the tests meant a new generation would again be able to recite their times tables effortlessly.

It was the first time since 1944 that students had been required to sit national multiplication checks. At the time, teaching unions said they were extremely disappointed by the announcement.

On Saturday, Mr Gibb warned that getting rid of times tables exams and paring back the grammar curriculum would be a retrograde step and damage the life chances of the next generation of young people.

He said: All the evidence is that children knowing their times tables by heart is an essential precondition for more sophisticated mathematics, particularly things like simplifying equations and algebra. It would be a huge mistake to abolish a very simple computer-based test, which actually children enjoy doing.

Its interesting that critics of the explicit teaching of grammar themselves use perfect grammar in expressing their criticism. Children from advantaged backgrounds, for whom correct grammar is in everyday use, dont necessarily need specific grammar teaching at schools.

But for children from disadvantaged families it is essential that they are taught the rules of our language so that they too can express themselves as accurately as the critics.

Nick Timothy, a Tory MP, said: The high standards and clear accountability brought about by the school reforms of Michael Gove and Nick Gibb are why English schools are now among the very best in the world.

It would be needlessly destructive and disastrous for pupils if this progress is unpicked for reasons of ideology and Labours subservient relationship with the unions.

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Prof Alan Smithers, the director of the centre for education at Buckingham University, said it would be quite wrong to axe times tables tests and aspects of grammar exams.

If the Government wants to give children the best possible start in life in the fundamentals of maths and English it should politely turn aside these requests, he said, adding that removing the tests would lead to a dumbing down of the curriculum.

Leaders of major education unions are urging the Education Secretary to cut down on the number of exams pupils take, particularly in primary school.

Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, Englands largest teachers union, said primary schools should prioritise the education and well-being of pupils and put an end to high-pressure government testing.

Along with several education experts who signed up to a joint statement, he said: Tests are often designed to hold schools to account rather than support teaching and learning, and place intense pressure on children, families and school staff. Children should not be losing sleep in the name of holding schools accountable.

The NEU will tell the review that school assessments are unnecessarily high stakes, which are worsening childrens mental health and well-being.

The union is also calling on ministers to add teaching about climate change, nature and green skills to the curriculum, as well as guaranteeing arts for all and more time for outdoor learning.

Daniel Kebede said primary schools should 'put an end to high-pressure government testing' - Vuk Valcic/Alamy

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, the main union for primary school leaders, said he would strongly urge the review to start by looking to reduce the number of statutory assessments in primary schools.

Pepe DiIasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that there were high levels of anxiety in young people because they sit so many exams.

He added that exams were a good way of testing what you can remember and a good indicator of academic skills, but they are not necessarily the skills employers are crying out for.

The review will be led by Prof Becky Francis, who previously served as an adviser to the House of Commons education select committee. All state schools will be required to teach the updated curriculum once it has been confirmed by the Department for Education.

A DfE spokesman said: High and rising standards are at the heart of the Governments mission to break down the barriers to opportunity.

The review aims to strengthen core skills in reading, writing, and maths, ensure a broad curriculum including arts and vocational subjects, prepare students for life and work, and create an assessment system that captures the strengths of every child.
Recent polls have Donald Trump slipping behind Kamala Harris - Thomas Broom

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Donald Trumps sliding performance in the polls has prompted alarm among his closest aides and allies, who feel his chances of winning the presidency are sliding away after the ascent of Kamala Harris to the top of the Democratic ticket.

The former president was once ahead of Joe Biden by several points in national polls, and so dominant in the swing states that there was serious chatter about true blue states like New York flipping red in November. But recent polls have him slipping behind.

A month after Mr Biden dropped out of the race, MAGA (Make America Great Again) operatives have turned on each other as they try to rescue his campaign. Donors and party strategists have told The Telegraph the whole campaign needs a reset, and warned that Trumps messaging is failing to land with key voters.

Some allies, including Vivek Ramaswamy and Kellyanne Conway, have argued that Trump must refrain from personal attacks on Ms Harris, and focus on her policy record as a senator and liberal prosecutor in California.

Vivek Ramaswamy has argued that Trump must refrain from personal attacks on Ms Harris - Alex Brandon/AP

Others feel that the Trump campaigns leadership has been taken over by Republicans in name only (RINO) strategists who have lost sight of the project he launched eight years ago.

They point to his loss in support among some blue collar workers in Rust Belt states, where Mr Biden had been steadily losing ground prior to last month. Trumps political coalition of disaffected working class voters and establishment Republicans is coming apart at the seams, some argue.

In August, Trump appeared to agree that his operation needed to change when he brought Corey Lewandowski, his 2016 campaign manager, back into the fold to work with his co-campaign chairs, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles.

Trump has also appointed Robert F Kennedy Jr, the former independent presidential candidate and noted conspiracy theorist, as honorary co-chair of his transition team, which is responsible for preparing for his second term in the White House.

Ms Harris's strategy of calling Trump an extremist supporter of a 'Project 2025' agenda is having an impact on his popularity - Peter Zay/Getty Images

The recent changes, and Trumps penchant for personal attacks, have prompted concerns that he will be unable to win over moderate and undecided voters in the next nine weeks.

The majority of the votes, the majority of America, is in the middle, said Eric Levine, a Republican megadonor who backed Nikki Haley during this years primary race and has become a reluctant supporter of Trump.

Thats where the Haley voters are, the independents and the women, and I dont think hes doing enough to appeal to those voters.

Some, including Mr Levine, are concerned that Ms Harriss strategy of calling Trump an extremist supporter of a Project 2025 agenda, with a weird running mate in JD Vance, is having an impact on his popularity.

I think his time would be much better spent trying to appeal to the centre, given the appearance that hes kind of at the fringes, he said, adding that he only plays into that caricature when he announces with great fanfare, that RFK is joining his transition team.

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Mr Vance, an Ohio senator who campaigns on his working-class, Appalachian background, has struggled in his first weeks on the Republican ticket. This week, he was booed by firefighters in a speech in Boston, and mocked for his unnatural style with voters in a doughnut shop, where he repeatedly asked staff how long they had worked at the business.

Charley Cooper, a veteran Republican strategist, told The Telegraph that Trump needs a new strategy because their former strategy was nothing other than the fact that Joe Biden was too old for office and was mentally failing.

Since Mr Biden stepped back from the race, Trumps campaign has attempted to link Ms Harris to unpopular policies of the Biden administration, including the military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and the failure to prevent record numbers of illegal migrants crossing into the US from Mexico.

But his campaign has not issued a comprehensive policy platform since he was confirmed as the partys nominee in Milwaukee last month. Trumps response to questions on the economy or foreign policy usually revolve around the record of his first presidency, and he has generally avoided pledging major policy changes.

Trumps usual ability to come up with a nickname and a quick quip to dismiss Harris just kept missing the mark, Mr Cooper said.

I think hes really been rattled by that, and I think its difficult from a strategic standpoint, to mount a campaign that is constantly looking backward instead of forward.

Trump himself has dismissed calls for him to stop issuing personal attacks on Ms Harris and Tim Walz, her running mate, after backlash to his comments that she became black after entering national politics.

On Aug 15, he told supporters at a rally he was entitled to personal attacks because he was very angry about Mr Bidens decision to leave the race and effectively reset the Democratic campaign.

Some in Trump World believe that Ms Harriss recent polling gains are an example of the honeymoon effect, and that Democrats who were frustrated by Mr Bidens campaign had returned home.

They are looking ahead to the presidential debate in Philadelphia next week, where the candidates will go head-to-head on stage for the first time.

Donald Trump and Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, dance on stage during the Joyful Warriors National Summit - Alex Wong/Getty Images

Mr Bidens appearance with Trump on June 27 marked the beginning of the end of the presidents campaign after a faltering performance that was criticised by many of his closest allies.

Sebastian Gorka, a former Trump administration official who has concerns about the current campaign operation, said the former president should do both by criticising Ms Harriss policy platform and personal record in politics.

That is what you need when you are facing off with the mendacious likes of Harris and Walz, he said, praising the recent decision to hire campaign staff who are not RINO swamp-creatures.

They are loyal to MAGA and the America First platform, he told The Telegraph. We need more of their type, especially in a second Trump Administration, if God willing, my former boss wins in November. Its up to us and patriots like them being around the president.

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Lt Col Oleksiy Mes was one of the first pilots in Ukraine's F-16 programme

Ukraine is mourning the loss of one of its most revered fighter pilots, who was killed in a prized Western-donated F-16 during a friendly fire incident that has triggered major controversy.

Lt Col Oleksiy Mes, 30, known by the call sign Moonfish, was one of Kyivs most experienced aces and one of the first Ukrainian airmen to be qualified to fly the F-16 aircraft.

He was killed just weeks after the first small batch of the advanced fighter jets were delivered to the country.

Lt Col Mes had been instrumental in convincing Washington and Nato allies to donate advanced fighter jets to Ukraine.

He travelled to the United States in 2022 with fellow pilot Andrii Pilshchykov, who had the call sign Juice, to lobby for F-16s for Ukraine.

Moonfish and Juice met lawmakers and appeared on US television with the actor Sean Penn to bolster their cause. Both fighter pilots are now dead.

Lt Col Mess funeral was held in his home town of Shepetivka in western Ukraine as part of a day of remembrance. Hundreds attended the service and his coffin was draped in the Ukrainian flag, surrounded by flowers and grieving relatives.

Hundreds of people attended Lt Col Mes's funeral. His coffin was draped in the Ukrainian flag - Air Forces of Ukraine/AFP

A Ukrainian MP told The Telegraph that Lt Col Mess death was a tragedy for his countrymen and for Kyivs military.

He was one of those who promoted the idea of the importance of providing Ukraine with modern aircraft, Oleksiy Goncharenko said.

He and another top-class pilot travelled to the United States to meet with congressmen and convince them of the need for F-16s.

And eventually, he was one of the first Ukrainian pilots to be trained on the F-16. This is a truly heavy loss for the entire Ukraine and the Air Force in particular.

The precise circumstances of Lt Col Mess death remain unclear, but early investigations suggest his F-16 was shot out of the sky by one of the worlds most advanced anti-aircraft systems, a US-made Patriot, during a barrage of missile and drone attacks by Russia. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukranian president, sacked the head of his air force over the incident on Friday night.

The star pilots death, and the loss of the F-16 aircraft, worth between $20 million (15 million) and $70 million, mark a significant setback for Ukraine, which spent two years asking Western allies for the US-made jets to help it counter Russian attacks.

Though 40 pilots and 20 F-16 planes would be needed for a full operational squadron, a US official told the Wall Street Journal that Ukraine had to date received only six F-16s and had only six pilots trained to fly them.

At the funeral a pair of MiG-29 fighter jets, flown by Lt Col Mess former comrades, performed a low-level flypast in tribute to the fallen pilot.

A pair of MiG-29 fighter jets performed a low-level flypast at Lt Col Mes's funeral - Press Service of the Ukrainian Air Forces

The commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Ukraine posthumously awarded Mes the rank of colonel.

Tetiana Shevchuk, a friend, wrote: Oleksiy was an exemplary pilot. Always an excellent student, always the first, always the best.

Describing the circumstances of his death, Ukraines western air command said that Lt Col Mes had destroyed three cruise missiles and one attack drone.

Paying tribute, it added that he heroically fought his last battle in the sky  unfortunately at the cost of his own life.

The command went on to say: Oleksiy Mes was a strong and loyal soldier, a high-class pilot, a leader on earth and in the sky, a good friend, a loving son, father, husband, and patriot of his country.

In August 2023, Joe Biden approved sending F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine. Later that month, a coalition of 11 countries began training a handful of Ukrainian pilots, including Lt Col Mes, to fly the aircraft.

Lt Col Mes admitted that the training programme was condensed and said there had been difficulties in adjusting to the Western aircraft.

He told Ukrainian media that transitioning from Soviet-type jets to Western jets was like going from using a Nokia straight to an iPhone without all those steps in between.

Earlier this month, Mr Zelensky said that a total of 80 F-16s would be delivered over the next few years, while more pilots were being trained to fly them.

Both the head of the Dutch military and the prime minister of Denmark have said that Ukraine would be free to use the F-16s for strikes on Russia with no restrictions.

It is unlikely however that they will be flown in combat operations close to the front line because of the risk posed by Russian surface-to-air missile systems.

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Novak Djokovic followed Carlos Alcaraz in crashing out of the US Open after Australian Alexei Popyrin pulled off the second major shock in two nights.

Alcaraz was the subject of one of the tournaments biggest upsets when he was dumped out by world number 76 Botic van De Zandschulp on Thursday night.

And 24 hours later, defending champion Djokovic joined him in leaving New York early after the 28th seed won 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4.

A stunning storyline. pic.twitter.com/v83MmADDfh  US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2024

Defeat for Djokovic means it is the first time since 2017 he has not won a grand slam title and is his earliest exit at a major since the Australian Open that year.

It extends the Serbians wait for a record-breaking 25th grand slam title and, at 37, Djokovics domination may be coming to an end.

He came into the tournament at Flushing Meadows knowing he would be up against it owing to his emotionally draining Olympic win and being without a hard-court match since March.

But even he probably did not expect to struggle to the extent he did, with 13 double faults  a career high in a grand slam match  typifying the challenges he faced.

Alexei Popyrin produced the win of his career (Julia Nikhinson/AP)

It is perhaps no surprise that all three players who finished on the podium in Paris have lost early in New York, Alcaraz and bronze medallist Lorenzo Musetti also heading out.

For Popyrin this was the win of his career and third time lucky against Djokovic, having lost at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

There was also a nice bit of symmetry about his victory as it inflicted Djokovics earliest US Open defeat since 2007 when he lost to Lleyton Hewitt, who was sat in Popyrins box.

He meets Frances Tiafoe in the next round and everyone left in the mens draw will now see this as their best chance to win a grand slam.



Tiafoe won a thrilling all-American battle on Arthur Ashe Court that went on for four hours.

Tiafoe, seeded 20th, beat his good friend Ben Shelton 4-6 7-5 6-7 (3) 6-4 6-3 to become the latest home player to advance.

Tiafoe said: Ive got to say Ben is an incredible player man, he really is. He goes for all kind of shots, its really annoying.

We both move really well. It is highlight after highlight. Four hours, it was a battle.

Eighth seed Casper Ruud came from two sets down to beat Shang Juncheng, winning 18 of the last 22 games.
Die-hard Oasis fans trying for tickets to see the bands reunion tour in 2025 have shared their nightmare, frustration and anger after missing out.

General tickets went on sale for the bands comeback tour at 9am on Saturday for those in the UK and 8am for fans in Ireland.

Fans vented their frustration at Ticketmaster after being kicked out of the queue or being told they were deemed to be bots, which prevented them from purchasing tickets to see Noel and Liam Gallagher perform together once again on the same stage.

Long-time fan, Scott McLean, 28, tried for tickets to see Oasis in Dublin next year.

The data analyst from Belfast, Northern Ireland, logged into his account on the ticket-selling website at 7.30am on Saturday ahead of Irish sales opening at 8am.

He was in a queue of 20,000 for about 30 minutes before selecting four tickets to see the bands show at Croke Park.

However, his browser began buffering for half an hour as he tried to make the purchase, prompting him to contact the Ticketmaster customer service account on X, formerly Twitter, for advice.

I followed their advice, cleared my cookies and cache on my browser and then it kicked me out completely. It just came up to that error screen after I followed their guidance, he told the PA news agency.

I had to rejoin the queue and I ended up about 700,000 places worse off after following their guidance.

He said he feels frustration and anger, not much more than that, adding: Its just tickets for a concert after all, but I really wanted to go.

Meanwhile, George Buka, 35, from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, attempted to buy tickets to see Oasis in the UK and described his experience on Ticketmaster as a nightmare.

Its been an absolute nightmare of an experience. Ive been doing it since 8am this morning, you have to queue in order to join the queue, you cant log in, he told PA.

They dont have the facilities or capacity to run this kind of event. But its not the first time Ticketmaster has made it difficult for fans to try and buy tickets.

Mr Buka, who began waiting at 8am on Saturday, said he faced long waiting times in queues, website crashes and failed log-ins.

He added: One of my sessions was suspended because they thought I was a bot. I only had one tab open and then I finally was able to join a queue at about 10am.

He is concerned tickets have been purchased for the purpose of being resold at a higher rate via third-party ticket providers.

If you go on other websites, even though Oasis said it wouldnt be happening, people will still find a loophole, Mr Buka said.

The touts, the influencers, theyll find a way of getting to the show and just absolutely kill the music industry day.

I really wanted to go, but its just ruined my morning now.
Oasis fans face a struggle to secure general sale tickets for the bands comeback tour as booking websites experienced outages.

Manchester-based promoter SJM Concerts website Gigs and Tours faced issues even before tickets went on sale for the UK shows at 9am.

The site displayed messages saying: Please bear with us. At the moment there are a lot of people on the site looking for tickets, so we have put a queuing system in place, which is completely normal.

This page will refresh automatically and well get you where you want to be as soon as a space opens up. Thank you for your patience!

Similar issues were encountered on the ticketmaster.ie page for the two shows at Dublins Croke Park, which went on sale at 8am.

Instead of a page opening to buy tickets, an error number was displayed, which usually indicates a webpage is unable to handle any more connections.

Screengrab taken from the Ticketmaster.ie website just after 8am (PA)

The same issue was reported by some UK fans for ticketmaster.co.uk.

However, the page refreshed after a period to tell concertgoers that they were in queue, and when its your turn, you will automatically be able to browse events and shop for tickets.

A spokeswoman for Ticketmaster denied the website had crashed, and advised customers to hold their place in line.

A similar error was visible at gigsinscotland.com/artist/oasis as Scottish fans tried to get onto the website for the Edinburgh shows.

The tickets.seetickets.com/tour/oasis weblink, where you can book for several UK dates, also appeared unavailable.

Screengrab taken from the ticketmaster.co.uk website at around 8.30am of the message of the queue to get onto their website for Oasis tickets (PA)

A message said: Our website is very busy! We have lots of people looking for tickets and you are being held on this page until a space becomes available. This page will refresh automatically.

Some Oasis ticket hopefuls also reported being suspended by Ticketmaster UK and Ireland after it accused them of being bots.

Staff at the ticket-selling website replied on X, formerly Twitter, through its customer service account, saying: Please make sure you are only using one tab, clear your cookies, and ensure you arent using any VPN software on your device.

It also shared a link with its guide on how to improve your chances for getting popular tickets.

Oasis told fans on Saturday to only buy tickets from the official websites amid reselling websites charging inflated prices for the Manchester rockers gigs

Screengrab taken from the Gigs and Tours website at 8.30am of the message shown on screen (PA)

The band said on X: Please note, Oasis Live 25 tickets can only be resold at face value via @Ticketmaster and @Twickets!

Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters.

On Friday evening the band issued a warning after unofficial reselling websites listed tickets obtained in the pre-sale ballot for thousands of pounds.

A post to the bands X page said: We have noticed people attempting to sell tickets on the secondary market since the start of the pre-sale.

Please note, tickets can ONLY be resold, at face value, via @Ticketmaster and @Twickets.

Tickets sold in breach of the terms and conditions will be cancelled by the promoters.

We have noticed people attempting to sell tickets on the secondary market since the start of the pre-sale. Please note, tickets can ONLY be resold, at face value, via @Ticketmaster and @Twickets. Tickets sold in breach of the terms and conditions will be canceled by the  Oasis (@oasis) August 30, 2024

Tickets are officially being sold via Ticketmaster, GigsAndTours, and See Tickets, however, the bands reunion concert tickets have also been relisted on ticket exchange and reselling websites for thousands of pounds.

On Friday evening, Oasis tickets for Wembley Stadium were listed on Viagogo for up to 5,909 while some tickets at the London venue, listed under Hospitality Club, were on sale for 10,578 on StubHub.

The StubHub website says all Oasis tickets come with our FanProtect 100% guarantee for secure purchasing.

On Friday evening the band asked fans whether they were ready for the sale and said it is essential to be logged into the relevant ticketing agencies ahead of the general sale.

Chief executive of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers, Jonathan Brown, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that fans need to open their eyes and protect themselves.

He added: Its a dreadful combination, I suppose, youve got that high level of emotion, a high level of excitement about Oasis reforming, and a limited supply of tickets  and thats going to lead to problems, its going to lead to people trying to scam people.

Liam Gallagher performing at the Trnsmt Festival in July (Michael Boyd/PA)

UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl also called inflated ticket prices of great concern on the Today programme.

Mr Kiehl added: Obviously, its a natural tendency, if you cant get tickets, to find alternative sources but I very much urge music music fans today, if they dont get tickets, not to take that route.

Cris Miller, Viagogo global managing director, defended his websites practice of listing Oasis tickets for thousands of pounds, saying that resale is legal in the UK and fans are always protected by our guarantee that they will receive their tickets in time for the event or their money back.

There did not seem to be any listing for the bands Dublin dates on the ticket-reselling website. The Irish government introduced a law banning ticket touting in 2021.

Prices for a seat to watch the band at Londons Wembley Stadium begin at 74.25, with the most expensive ticket a 506.25 pre-show party, exhibition and seated package.

Liam and Noel Gallagher (Fiona Hanson/PA)

The cheapest seats are Cardiffs Principality Stadium shows, which will set you back 73, and Edinburghs Murrayfield Stadium at 74, according to Manchester-based promoter SJM Concerts, which runs the website Gigs And Tours.

Standing tickets at Wembley will cost fans 151.25, with the same tickets in Cardiff and Edinburgh slightly cheaper at 150 and 151 respectively.

In the bands home city of Manchester, tickets start from 148.50, with only standing available alongside a number of hospitality and luxury packages.

Before the announcement for the UK shows, Irish promoter MCD said on its website that the price of both of the two Croke Park gigs in Dublin will start at 86.50 euros (72.75) without booking fees.

The guns have fallen silent.The stars have aligned.The great wait is over.Come see.It will not be televised. pic.twitter.com/u1Mge33poT  Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) August 27, 2024

The Gallaghers announced on Tuesday that they had put their acrimonious split behind them, confirming the bands long-awaited reunion by saying: The great wait is over.

Fans have been urging the brothers to regroup since they disbanded 15 years ago, a split prompted by a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009.

It has not been announced who will be performing with Liam and Noel as part of Oasis.

Noel, 57, quit the group on August 28 2009, saying he simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer, and the brothers have made negative comments about each other for more than a decade.

StubHub along with the official ticket sellers have been approached for comment.

Ticketmaster said its website has not crashed.

A spokeswoman for Ticketmaster said: The queue is moving along as fans buy tickets. As anticipated, millions of fans are accessing our site so have been placed in a queue.

Fans are advised to hold their place in line, make sure theyre only using one tab, clear cookies, and ensure they arent using any VPN software on their device.
Pep Guardiola: Even a defender with a gun could not stop Erling Haaland

Pep Guardiola claimed not even a defender with a gun could halt unstoppable Erling Haaland after his latest Manchester City hat-trick shot down West Ham 3-1.

The 24-year-old scored the 24th treble of his career as City made it three wins from three Premier League matches.

We are happy for another hat-trick and the quality of the finishing but he was so involved with the game today, said Guardiola.

He didnt lose one ball and he played unbelievable  not just with the ball but also defensively and offensively. He gave an extra pass. Im really pleased for him.

Hes playing much better in everything. The details, he stays 20 minutes or half an hour after training sessions.

Last season not even once was he there because he didnt feel good  tired, niggles.

Hes so smart he needs the team and what he needs is the team to give him more balls in the final third. Were going to create those situations because the players are really good in small spaces.

Hes unstoppable. Theres no central defender, not even with a gun, to stop him.

We need players with crosses. We improve in that department. After that, we know how clinical he is. Everybody knows it.

No other Premier League TEAM has scored as many goals as Erling Haaland (7) this season  pic.twitter.com/SiYaDMdnGP  Premier League (@premierleague) August 31, 2024

Haalands second hat-trick in a week, following his treble against Ipswich, maintained Citys perfect record this season and moved them to the top of the charts in front of watching Oasis star Noel Gallagher.

Guardiolas masterplan worked to perfection when Bernardo Silva dispossessed Lucas Paqueta and played in Haaland to slot in the opener.

West Ham levelled when Ruben Dias turned Jarrod Bowens cross into his own net but Rico Lewis laid the ball to Haaland to lash in the second.

The supersonic Norwegian completed his eighth Premier League hat-trick when he raced on to a through ball from Matheus Nunes, with the inevitable outcome.

A memorable away win  Thank you for your fantastic support  pic.twitter.com/9sRmRt6rG2  Manchester City (@ManCity) August 31, 2024

West Ham did hit the post twice, through Mohammed Kudus and Crysencio Summerville, but they remain a work in progress under new boss Julen Lopetegui.

I think we started very well but we didnt score and against this type of team you have to score, said Lopetegui.

The first goal was not one chance, this kind of gift this team doesnt forgive you.

The second half we did better but if you dont take advantage they are not going to forgive you. It was frustrating because the players made a big, big effort and the players deserved more.

Its true we did good things but its not enough. You need to be more solid to win these kind of matches.
A 74-year-old retired nurse has said she really enjoyed completing a skydive to raise funds for a charity supporting older people facing economic difficulties.

Thabani Sithole, a former paediatric nurse, has raised roughly 945 for Independent Age, a charity which supports and advises older people facing financial hardships, after receiving help from it in 2021.

The skydive took place at Netheravon Airfield, in Wiltshire, on Friday and Ms Sithole jumped from 13,500ft out of the plane.

Ms Sithole, who lives with her daughter Khwezi Sithole, 43, in Lambeth, London, is no stranger to skydiving having done the activity in 2018, adding she really enjoyed the latest one.

Ms Sithole did the skydive to raise money for the charity Independent Age (Independent Age/PA)

She told the PA news agency: It was a beautiful and sunny day and I had such a lovely instructor. We really enjoyed it, it was fun.

You fall down first from the plane and when the parachute comes up, thats when you think, okay, whats going on?

All I could see were the clouds, then you wave and you blow kisses.

Her daughter jokingly asked her mum: Why are you throwing yourself out of a plane?

She added: But she wanted to do it, and shes planning another skydive as we speak.

Thabani Sithole before the skydive (Independent Age/PA)

Ms Sithole said she decided to skydive because she wanted to send a message to older people who are struggling with their finances that even in old age, you dont have to suffer alone.

She experienced financial hardship after retiring as a paediatric nurse aged 70 due to her arthritis.

Before I got the help from Independent Age it was a desperate, desperate time, she said.

We had so many problems  where to get food from, how to pay the bills, gas and electric going up and paying council tax too.

The house was very cold  we wore extra clothes and covered ourselves in blankets.

She said Independent Age helped her to access support she did not know she would be entitled to before.

Independent Age show you how to get support, whether its housing, financial, or a career; they help you, she said.

They helped me claim Pension Credit and Attendance Allowance which was a big relief.

They even helped me fill out the forms which was a huge help. Now I get an extra 800 a month and I feel like Im finally in control again.

Joanna Elson CBE, chief executive of Independent Age, said: On behalf of the whole charity I want to thank Thabani for this inspiring fundraising effort.

Thabanis story demonstrates the plight of so many older people in this country, and Im so glad we were able to help her access the support she is entitled to.

With 2.1 million older people already living in poverty and millions more facing financial hardship, our work has never been more important.

Callers to the Independent Age helpline are missing out on average over 4,000 a year. This is a life-changing amount of money. Nobody in later life should be facing money worries alone or feel ashamed of asking for help.

Ms Sitholes fundraiser can be viewed here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/t-sithole-1695936440792
Scotlands First Minister has refused to be drawn on the size of the financial black hole his Government has to fill.

Finance Secretary Shona Robison is expected to lay out a harsh financial reality on Tuesday, just 24 hours before John Swinney will publish his first Programme for Government containing the his legislative plans for the next 12 months.

But asked by journalists at the SNPs annual conference in Edinburgh how much the Government could be forced to come up with, Mr Swinney refused to answer, citing parliamentary protocol.

The Finance Secretary will lay out the financial challenge to Holyrood on Tuesday (Jane Barlow/PA)

I think that were getting dangerously close to me setting out details that Parliament needs to be told first, he said.

Im here to be as helpful as I can, but because Ive got those parliamentary occasions I have to be very careful.

I want my Government to conduct itself within the parliamentary rules, so let me just say that we face an acute financial challenge and Shona Robison will set out the details of how were addressing that on Tuesday.

Mr Swinney has put tackling child poverty at the top of his political agenda, but the potential for in-year cuts to funding could impact his ability to create new measures designed to help families  but the Programme for Government will contain measures aimed at tackling poverty, he said.

There will be John Swinney approaches to tackling poverty on Wednesday, yes there will be, and Ill map them out to Parliament, he said.

The First Minister also described claims that the UK Government did not know the state of public finances when Labour won the July election as baloney.

The SNP conference takes place following a devastating defeat for the party, which saw it lose dozens of MPs.

In a closed-door election post-mortem on Friday, Mr Swinney laid out what he believed caused the defeat, which saw the SNP fall to just nine MPs from the 48 returned in 2019.

According to a report in the Times, the First Minister said the party shed 250,000 voters to Labour in Scotland, while the party found its campaign dwarfed by Sir Keir Starmers message of change.

Independence had also been less of a priority among the public than previously, the First Minister said, while the party had spent too long talking about the process of gaining independence as opposed to the arguments in favour of leaving the UK.

The former MP Ms Cherry accused some in the party of being in denial (Jane Barlow/PA)

On the second day of the conference, former SNP MP Joanna Cherry  one of the casualties of the July election  said members at the event who were optimistic for the future were in denial.

In a post on X  formerly Twitter  Ms Cherry said: Its called denial.

Discussing whats gone wrong is one thing, but acting to address those failings means root & branch change.

The mood is upbeat because many of those who understand that, including myself, have chosen not to attend.

Responding to the criticism, the First Minister joked: Do I look like Im a man in a state of denial?

Im not in a state of denial, I can tell you, he added.

During the session, he said, he acknowledged this was a bad election for the SNP.

Of all the things I can be accused of, being in denial is not one of them, he said.
Seven people were killed and dozens more were injured when a commercial bus overturned early Saturday morning in Warren County, Mississippi, officials said.

The crash happened at about 12:40 a.m. on Interstate 20 near Bovina when the bus left the roadway and overturned. Six people were pronounced dead at the scene and another person died later at a hospital, according to Master Sergeant Kervin K. Stewart with the Mississippi Highway Patrol.

Another 36 people were transported to area hospitals. The extent of their injuries wasn't immediately known, Stewart said. The bus was carrying a total of 41 passengers, plus two drivers and was traveling from Atlanta to Dallas.

The bus was a 2018 Volvo commercial passenger bus, Stewart said. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol and Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division were investigating the cause of the crash.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mississippi bus crash in Warren County kills 7, injures dozens
For some people, it takes only one cruise to hook them for life.

That was the case for Stewart Chiron, who loved his first cruise so much he made a career out of it.

"It was a weekend cruise, and that was 326 cruises ago," he told Scripps News.

Known as "The Cruise Guy," Chiron started a cruise-exclusive travel agency 35 years ago.

"Cruising is an incredible way for people to connect, get together, to experience different cultures, different destinations," he said.

But the pandemic's impact on cruising numbers was enough to make even him uncertain about the future.

In 2019, 29.7 million people took cruises. In 2020 and 2012, 5.8 and 4.8 million took cruises, respectively.

RELATED STORY | Carnival cruise ship rescues 2 men stranded in the Gulf of Mexico

"With the pandemic hitting, the cruise industry completely shut down," Chiron said. "The ships were all anchored or docked somewhere around the world. I mean, it was a Herculean feat trying to get the crew back to their homes."

However, recent data from Cruise Lines International Association shows an epic comeback. Last year, the number of people taking cruises climbed to 31.7 million, a 6% increase from 2019. Its data is also forecasting 34.7 million passengers for next year, and nearly 40 million by 2027.

"The industry, I mean, they're shocked by how far out people are booking," Chiron said. "They've never been in a better book position at this time of the year for the next following years."

And the industry is putting in the infrastructure for that demand. According to the recent Cruise Ship Index, 15 new cruise ships are set to enter service next year, adding nearly 40,000 guest berths to the market. The industry is also expected to hire over 20,000 new crew members in 2025.

Cruise ships have also gotten much bigger. The industry campaign group Transport & Environment says the world's biggest cruise ships have doubled in size since 2000, which is raising environmental concerns.

RELATED STORY | Video shows Coast Guard rescuing pregnant woman from Disney cruise

According to a report from The New York Times, a single cruise ship docked for one day emits as much exhaust as 34,400 idling semitrucks.

"They have to keep their engines running in order to keep power on the ship while they're unloading passengers and cargo, and then of course loading passengers and cargo on the back end. Of course, that produces emissions," said Phil Ambrose, senior project manager at Seattle City Light.

That is why ports like Seattle's are investing in shore power, with which instead of idling on diesel while in the port, cruise ships can plug into a city's electric grid just like an electric car in a garage.

"Shore power is really important for the maritime industry as a whole," Ambrose said.

Right now, Seattle is working toward getting all of its piers equipped with shore power, and will with the completion of its Pier 66 project by the end of this cruising season in October.

While CLIA data says that 46% of cruise ships are capable of plugging into shore power, only 35 ports worldwide have shore power capabilities. That's 3% of ports; so although the industry is growing, the infrastructure to sustain it has further to go.
Dr. Mark Chavez, one of the doctors charged in Matthew Perry's death from "the acute effects of ketamine" last year, has been allowed to be released on a $50,000 bond, USA TODAY has confirmed.

On Friday, the San Diego-based doctor appeared in federal court in Los Angeles. During the arraignment, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jean Rosenbluth permitted Chavez to post a $50,000 bond, with conditions of his release stating he must surrender his passport and medical license, according to NBC News, CBS News and The Associated Press.

The charge comes with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; a three-year period of supervised release; or a fine of $500,000, "or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest."

USA TODAY has reached out to Chavez's attorney for comment.

Chavez, who used to operate a ketamine clinic, faces one charge of conspiring to distribute ketamine. Earlier this month, he signed a plea agreement from the U.S. Attorneys Office and is expected to plead guilty in the coming weeks.

Five people have been charged in the death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry, known for playing Chandler Bing. Two people have pleaded guilty.

According to the court document, Chavez illegally obtained ketamine that was sold to Perry by presenting false information and writing a prescription without an unnamed patient's consent. U.S. attorneys say he fraudulently obtained a total of 22 vials of ketamine and nine ketamine lozenges that were sold to Perry via another doctor, Dr. Salvador Plasencia.

Five people have been charged in connection Perry's death, and two of them  Perry's assistant and a man who admitted to distributing the ketamine that killed Perry  have entered guilty pleas.

Perry, who was open about his struggles with addiction, died at his Los Angeles-area home on Oct. 28 after responding officers discovered him unconscious in his jacuzzi. His live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, placed the 911 call.

More than a month later, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office ruled Perry's death an accident, with the primary cause being "the acute effects of ketamine."

Matthew Perry's family speaks out: 'We look forward to justice taking its course'

Doctor charged in Matthew Perry's death is 'incredibly remorseful'

Outside the courthouse on Friday, Chavez and his lawyer, Matthew Binninger, fielded questions from media outlets.

Hes incredibly remorseful, not just because it happened to Matthew Perry, but because it happened to a patient, Binninger said, according to the AP. Hes trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened here. He didnt accept responsibility today, but only because it wasnt on the calendar.

Hes doing everything in his power to cooperate and help with this situation," he added.

When asked what message they'd convey to Perry's family, Binninger responded, "Im afraid I cant answer that question other than to say that were incredibly sorry that someone lost their life. It doesnt matter that he was a famous celebrity, and I know that he was incredibly universally loved by all. Its a shame at what happened.

Who was accused in Matthew Perry's death?

Leading up to Perry's death, Iwamasa purchased at least $55,000 worth of ketamine for the actor, attorneys have said. He pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Erik Fleming, described as Perry's acquaintance, admitted he distributed the ketamine that killed Perry; on Aug. 8, he pleaded guilty to two charges: conspiracy to distribute ketamine and distribution of ketamine resulting in death.

Officials allege Jasveen Sangha sold Fleming the ketamine that led to Perry's death. Sangha, who is referred to as the "The Ketamine Queen" of North Hollywood in U.S. attorneys' filings, faces nine criminal charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine, distribution of ketamine resulting in death and maintaining a drug-involved "stash house."

Sangha, who has pleaded not guilty to all counts, and Plasencia are accused of "distributing ketamine to Perry during the final weeks of the actors life." Plasencia, who allegedly obtained ketamine that he sold to Perry from Chavez, faces 10 total criminal counts and has pleaded not guilty.

A case management conference is scheduled for Sept. 4 in Sangha and Plasencia's case.

Plasencia, who operates Malibu Canyon Urgent Care in Calabasas, California, would be returning to his practice, his attorney told USA TODAY on Aug. 21.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Matthew Perry death case: Doctor released on $50,000 bond
LISE ASERUD/NTB/AFP via Getty Images

The British royal family usually makes the most headlines, but that doesnt mean other European countries dont have their own drama  case in point, Norways Princess Martha Louise and her fiance, Shaman Durek.

Martha Louise announced her relationship with Durek in 2019, two years after her divorce from husband Ari Behn. While Martha Louise was already something of an outsider in the Norwegian royal family, the romance raised eyebrows because of Dureks career as a self-described shaman. Durek, who was born Derek Verrett, has promoted alternative healing methods with little scientific basis, and hes worked with American celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian.

Its very different from traditional western medicine or therapy, Durek told Porter in 2019 while explaining his methods. As shamans, we heal the body with the help of spirits, by channeling ancestors and spirit guides. I treat a person in many ways  everything from reading your pulse, looking at the dilation of your eyes, soul reading, communicating to spirits, looking at where you are being affected by darkness and negativity, looking at how you treat your body and how you understand your emotions.

While Dureks methods may seem strange to some people, Martha Louise is totally on board with unusual healing methods, having opened an alternative therapy center known as the angel school.

LISE ASERUD/NTB/AFP via Getty Images

After getting engaged in 2022, the couple are finally set to tie the knot on Saturday, August 31. Keep scrolling for everything to know about Princess Martha Louise and Shaman Durek ahead of their nuptials:

Who Is Princess Martha Louise?

Martha Louise is the eldest child of Norways King Harald V, who is also the father of Crown Prince Haakon. In 2019, the royal court confirmed Martha Louise would no longer use the title of princess during her business activities. Those activities included the aforementioned angel school, which taught clairvoyance and methods of contacting celestial beings like seraphim. In 2022, she stopped undertaking all official royal duties.

Prior to her romance with Durek, Martha Louise was married to author Behn, with whom she shares three daughters, from 2002 to 2017. Behn died by suicide in 2019 at age 47.

Look Back at Royal Weddings of the Past: William and Kate, Charles and Diana and More

Who is Shaman Durek?

Born in Sacramento, California, Durek is a self-described shaman who has worked with tons of A-list celebrities and appeared on reality shows like Netflixs Bling Empire. Screen Rant previously reported that a private session with him costs $1,000 an hour. Among the controversial healing methods hes promoted over the years is a medallion that he claims cures COVID-19 (which retails for $222 on his website).

While he claims to be a sixth-generation shaman, critics have pointed out that he previously claimed he was a third-generation shaman. His mother, meanwhile, has said that there is no shaman lineage in the family at all.

How Long Have Princess Martha Louise and Shaman Durek Been Together?

While the couple were introduced in 2018 through mutual friends, Durek says they actually met in a past life. When were together and I look at [Martha], sometimes I see another face, he told People in 2019. And she sees it in me too. I have memories of us in Egypt, and she was my queen and I was a pharaoh.

They got engaged in 2022.

Why Is Their Romance Controversial?

CORNELIUS POPPE/NTB/AFP via Getty Images

Prior to her romance with Durek, Martha Louise was already a controversial figure in the Norwegian royal family because of her association with clairvoyants and, again, the angel school (which closed in 2018). The Norwegian press has also been less than embracing of Durek, who claims that negativity toward his relationship with Martha Louise is primarily because of his race.

As for their wedding, they took the unusual step of selling their wedding photos to a publication  and not even a Norwegian one at that (they chose the U.K.s Hello! magazine).

Here a key member of the Norwegian royal family is breaking what has been a long and good tradition, Reidun Kjelling Nyb of the Norwegian Editors Association told NRK, the Norwegian state broadcasting company, ahead of the nuptials. Major events have been documented via Norwegian broad media, such as NTB and NRK, on behalf of the entire press, which has passed the images on to the people and to other newsrooms that want them, including foreign ones.

Royal Family Scandals Through the Years: Love Triangles, Step Downs and More

When Are They Getting Married?

The duos wedding is set for Saturday, but the festivities have already begun. According to the BBC, hundreds of guests began arriving in Alesund, Norway, on Thursday, August 28, for a meet and greet at a hotel. One day later, guests traveled to Geiranger, a town near a fjord designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The actual ceremony will take place at the Hotel Union in Geiranger.

What Has Princess Marthas Family Said?

Harald has actually been somewhat supportive of Durek, insofar as calling out racism hes experienced since beginning his relationship with Martha Louise. We are very pleased that The Princess has gotten engaged and want Durek Verrett to feel welcome in our family, the king said in November 2022. We are also concerned about being able to live well together, despite inequality. The racist attitudes Durek Verrett has been subjected to, especially on social media, we strongly oppose. It is a strength that the Royal Family reflects the ethnic diversity that exists in Norway.

Martha Louises brother, Haakon, is set to attend the wedding with his family, his parents and his aunt. The royal family is looking forward to being guests at Princess Martha Louise and Durek Verrett's wedding, the royal family said in a statement on August 26.
boonchai wedmakawand - Getty Images

We all deal with varying levels of stress in our day to day, but feelings of burnout should not be ignored. So, if you notice that you are feeling overwhelmed, inundated, or like you are just trying to stay afloat, and youre feeling like your stress levels are at an 11, it might be wise to devote some time to reset by taking a mental health day away from your daily responsibilities and never-ending to-do list.

Meet the Experts: Adrian Jacques Ambrose, M.D.,M.P.H. , psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center; Molly Burrets, Ph.D. , licensed clinical psychologist based in Los Angeles; Allie Sharma, M.D. , co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Being Health .

Most employers dont outline a set amount of PTO to focus on mental health care . So, you might be wondering, how do I take time off work to prioritize my well-being and when should I take it? Rest assured, our experts are here to tell you how a mental health day can benefit not only your mind but also physical health, signs you should take a day off sooner than later, and how to best spend your time off.

What is a mental health day?

A mental health day is a day taken off from your usual responsibilitieswhether work, school, or other obligationswith the specific purpose of focusing on your mental well-being, says Adrian Jacques Ambrose, M.D.,M.P.H. , psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Similar to how we might take a day off when were physically unwell, a mental health day is a proactive opportunity to rest, reset, and attend to our psychological and emotional needs. Its a wellness-centered approach to managing stress, anxiety, or other mental health concerns, giving you the space to practice self-care, engage in activities that replenish your energy, and prevent burnout, he adds.

Some places of employment build into their benefits structure the idea of time off for your mental health, says Allie Sharma, M.D. , co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Being Health . If yours does not, you may have to be more creative or take initiative and give yourself permission to take time off, she explains.

Benefits of taking a mental health day

Taking a mental health day off work encourages you to distance yourself from the pressures of the typical daily stresses, such as, chronic work projects, strenuous school assignments, or extended caretaking of family members, says Dr. Ambrose. When youre mentally overwhelmed, your ability to focus and perform effectively often diminishes. The opportunity to engage in calming activities like meditation, exercise, or simply taking time to rest can lower your overall stresses and lead to improved productivity, he explains.

A mental health day also offers the opportunity to regain emotional balance, Dr. Ambrose continues. It provides a chance to process any overwhelming emotions from the chronic exposure to stressors and restore a sense of control, which is crucial for maintaining long-term overall health.

Ultimately, the benefit of taking a day is to improve well being and reduce burnout, says Molly Burrets, Ph.D. , licensed clinical psychologist based in Los Angeles. Even though we term this as being about mental health, our physical health also benefits from taking mental health days. Mental and physical health are inextricably linked. Chronic stress inevitably leads to physical health issues , so any approach that supports mental health is likely to indirectly benefit our physical health as well, Burrets explains.

Many people are concerned that taking time off from work or other responsibilities will impact productivity, but paradoxically, taking time off to promote our well-being is a proven strategy for reducing burnout and improving productivity, Burrett points out.

When to take a mental health day

When deciding when to take a mental health day off work, Dr. Ambrose usually stresses the analogy of taking care of a car. Youd want to proactively change the oil, or replace fluid filters, so the car can run efficiently and not break down.

Ideally, taking a day for your mental health would be preventative, rather than reactive, says Burretts, so the very best time to take a day is before you think you need one. However, the culture of work in our society presents many barriers to taking time off (e.g. minimal PTO and poor infrastructure for childcare compared to other developed countries). So realistically, time off should be prioritized when you are feeling overwhelmed, have difficulty concentrating, or feel exhausted, irritable or detached from work, Burretts suggests.

So, it may be time to take a mental health day if you find:

Your stress levels increasing and specifically impacting your physical or emotional health

You start feeling persistently stressed, anxious, or emotionally drained

You are struggling to focus , lacking motivation, or feeling overwhelmed

You are having difficulty coping with everyday stressors that once were less bothersome

You are feeling burnt out at work or within your personal life

Your stress is manifesting itself physically (most commonly as headaches, muscle tension, disrupted sleep, or digestive issues)

Burn-out is an occupational syndrome recognized by the World Health Organization as a result of chronic workplace stress, says Dr. Sharma. Specifically, it has three aspects: feeling depleted or exhausted, feeling negative or cynical about ones job or feeling less effective at ones job. If this feels like you, a mental health work day or days could help to take a break from workplace stress, Dr. Sharma advises.

How to ask for a mental health day off work

If you have an available personal or sick day, Dr. Sharma recommends taking advantage of the benefits that are available to you. (After all, they are there for a reason!) If you dont have these benefits available to you, speak to your boss about it or your HR department and remember your mental health is a perfectly good reason to take a day off and thats ok, Dr. Sharma advises.

Dr. Ambrose adds that asking for a mental health day off work should be approached with honesty and professionalism. You dont need to provide detailed explanations about your mental health, but you can be clear and direct about your need for time off. I usually walk people through the typical conversation, such as, Im feeling overwhelmed and need a day to focus on my well-being. Id like to take a personal day to recharge. However, if youre unsure about how it will be received, its perfectly acceptable to request the time off as a personal day or simply for self-care, Dr. Ambrose notes.

How to spend a mental health day

The key is to focus on self-care and do what genuinely makes you feel better, says Dr. Ambrose. He recommends his favorite acronym, REST:

R esist the temptation: Try to avoid checking emails and fully disconnecting from work and any relevant stressors.

E xercise: Spend time in nature, do yoga, a workout, walk, or run, can help release tension and boost your mood.

S elf-enjoyment: Engage in activities that bring you joy or peace, such as reading, listening to music, meditating, or practicing mindfulness. Consider simple things like enjoy a leisurely breakfast, or even sleep in. If social connection recharges you, spend time with loved ones or talk to a supportive friend. On the other hand, if you need solitude, dont hesitate to spend the day quietly alone.

Time: A mental health day isnt a magic cure, so keep expectations simple. If youre already feeling burnout, you may need more than one day.

Remember, a day dedicated to your well-being isnt about productivity; its about giving yourself the space to rest and rejuvenate, Dr. Ambrose notes. Avoid tasks that feel obligatory or stressful, and instead, focus on what truly helps you feel refreshed and centered, he suggests.

What to do if you need a longer mental health break

The term mental health day is somewhat misleading; taking a day off is not sufficient for treating or preventing a mental health disorder, says Burretts. However, scheduling regular time off can be part of a broader, comprehensive treatment plan that may include talk therapy, medication, exercise, and sleep hygiene, she explains.

If you find that a single day isnt enough and you need a longer break, its important to take this seriously and address it proactively, says Dr. Ambrose. Start by assessing your current mental health needs and consider speaking with a licensed and board-certified physician who can offer guidance and support. If you feel comfortable, have a conversation with your manager about your need for an extended break. Dr. Ambrose recommends using this time to reflect on any underlying issues contributing to your stress, and work on strategies to manage them moving forward.

When to talk to your doctor about your mental health

Dr. Ambrose recommends seeking clinical care if you notice persistent changes in their mood, behavior, or overall well-being that interfere with your daily life. Three warning signs to watch out for include:

Prolonged feelings of sadness or anxiety: If youre experiencing sadness, hopelessness, or anxiety that lasts for more than a couple of weeks and doesnt seem to improve.

Difficulty functioning in daily life: Struggling to perform at work, maintain relationships, or complete everyday tasks can be a sign that your mental health needs attention.

Changes in sleep or appetite: Significant changes in sleep patterns (like insomnia or oversleeping) or appetite (such as eating much more or much less than usual) that persist for an extended period.

If you experience any of these signs, its important to talk to your doctor, who can help assess your situation and guide you toward appropriate care or treatment, Dr. Ambrose suggests.

If, however, you are having a psychiatric emergency or feeling suicidal, call 911, 988 , or go to your nearest emergency room, Dr. Sharma advises.

If you or someone you know is at risk, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text HOME to 741741 to message a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line for free.

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Chinese envoy urges security guarantee for polio vaccinations in Gaza

Xinhua) 10:15, August 31, 2024

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), urged Israel on Thursday to provide security guarantee and facilitation for the vaccination against the polio virus in Gaza.

The polio virus seriously threatens the health of children in Gaza, and vaccination is the most effective way to stem the spread of the virus and ensure the safety of children, Geng said in his remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

Stressing that China supports the appeal by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the ambassador urged Israel to provide security guarantee and facilitation for the vaccination work "in a responsible manner towards its own children and those of the region."

"We support the Council in making a strong appeal to this end to avoid further worsening of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," Geng noted.

He addressed the dire situation in Gaza, where over 40,000 civilians have been killed since the conflict started over 10 months ago, with more than 1,000 people losing their lives in the past month alone.

The envoy noted that despite the repeated calls by the international community for an end to the fighting, the multiple resolutions adopted by the Security Council in this regard, and provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice, the situation has not seen any improvement. "Rather, it continues to worsen."

"Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee time and again, unable to find a safe place of living," Geng said, adding that Israel continued to further suppress and restrict the UN and other humanitarian organizations, frequently rejecting deliveries of supplies such as fuel.

Recently, humanitarian agencies were compelled to evacuate from their centers and warehouses in Deir al-Balah, further causing serious damage to the humanitarian system in Gaza, said the ambassador.

Geng underscored that the priority now is to fully implement the four Security Council resolutions on the situation in Gaza, secure an immediate and durable ceasefire, and effectively ease the humanitarian catastrophe.

"Ceasefire negotiations cannot be indefinitely delayed, still less should they be used as an excuse to continue committing atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank in violation of international law," he stated.

The envoy urged Israel to immediately stop all military operations in Gaza, open all border crossings, stop its suppression and restriction of the UN and other humanitarian organizations, stop its attacks on the West Bank, and curb settler violence and impunity.

He also called on countries with significant influence on the parties concerned to "demonstrate a sincere and responsible approach and take practical actions" to help realize a ceasefire.

Geng also expressed support for further actions by the Security Council to promote the implementation of relevant resolutions, bring an early end to the fighting, and ease the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
Former national security adviser H.R. McMaster said he believes both former President Trump and President Biden are disconnected from military values.

President Biden and President Trump are just disconnected, you know, from our professional military ethic and our warrior ethos, McMaster told NewsNations Chris Stirewalt in an episode of The Hill Sunday, set to air this week. They dont seem to understand, you know, why our courageous men and women serve, and why its so important not to drag our military into partisan politics.

McMaster was referencing Trumps recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery, where more than 400,000 active duty, retired and former military members have been buried.

Trump visited the cemetery Monday to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony to mark the third anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the Kabul airport attack.

A confrontation among Trumps staff and cemetery staff reportedly occurred when the former presidents photographers and campaign staff tried to enter Section 60, which is a restricted area. Trumps team allegedly shoved a cemetery official to the side and the Army defended the employee later this week.

Trump has received sharp criticism over the altercation, because the cemetery has rules about politicizing and filming for political purposes.

McMaster said he thinks the criticism is justifiable.

I think that neither candidate, no political party, nobody should try to politicize the military overall, but its even more egregious if you try to politicize those who made the ultimate sacrifice in our name, he said. This is behavior that I think is right to call out if it was partisan  you know promoting a partisan political agenda or a campaign agenda.

McMaster, who served in Trumps White House from February 2017 to April 2018, said the incident reminded him of when Biden visited Section 60 to announce the timeline for the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.

Biden has also drawn criticism for the withdrawal, which left 13 U.S. service members dead. The Trump campaign has used it against the president this campaign cycle.

Neither Biden nor Trump seem to understand why Americans serve in the military and why its so important not to drag our military into partisan politics, McMaster said.

Bidens son Beau, who died of cancer in 2015, served as a major in the Delaware Army National Guard during the Iraq war.

McMaster said earlier this week that he would not serve in the Trump administration again if the former president were reelected this November. He said it was a privilege to serve in the White House but painted a complex picture of his time working with Trump.

The Hill has reached out to the White House and Trump campaign for comment.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
BOSTON (AP)  Massachusetts' oversight of nursing homes would be strengthened, LGBTQ+ nursing home residents would be protected against discrimination, and better controls would be in place to protect against the spread of infectious disease outbreaks, under a new bill lawmakers passed this week.

Approved on Thursday, the bill would require long-term care facilities to provide staff training on the rights of LGBTQ+ older adults and those living with HIV, and bar staff from discriminating based on a persons sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, intersex status or HIV status.

The proposal also would streamline the licensing process for small house nursing homes, alternative care centers that focus on smaller groups of residents and using familiar domestic routines.

Long-term care facilities would also be required to develop outbreak response plans to help contain the spread of disease and ensure communication with state health officials, residents, families and staff.

The bill would also require state health officials to establish training programs on infection prevention and control, resident care plans and staff safety programs. The Department of Public Health would be required to come up with plans to let residents of a facility engage in face-to-face contact, communications, and religious and recreational activities.

Some long-term care facilities became hubs of COVID-19 transmission. In 2020, at least 76 people died in a long-term care veterans home in Massachusetts, one of the nations worst COVID-19 outbreaks.

Those who make the decision to put their loved ones in a nursing home or long-term care facility deserve to know they will be protected, said Democratic Senate President Karen Spilka.

This bill will give the Commonwealth the resources and tools to ensure their safety, weed out bad actors in the field, and enforce oversight and accountability," she said.

The legislation would also create a new fund to help recruit a long-term care workforce, including grants to develop new certified nursing assistants and grants for direct care workers to train to become licensed practical nurses.

Under the bill, the DPH would have the authority to revoke a long-term care facilitys license for a failure to provide adequate care or for a lack of financial capacity. The bill would also gives health officials the power to appoint a temporary manager.

The bill now heads to Gov. Maura Healey for her signature.
PRETORIA, South Africa (AP)  It's a worrying question for health officials in one of the richest and most developed areas of the African continent: Why are babies being born with HIV when free medication is available to prevent mother-to-child transmission?

In the first half of this year, 232 babies were born with HIV in South Africa's Gauteng region, which includes Johannesburg and the capital of Pretoria and is home to at least 15 million people.

We do still find it very concerning that in this day and age, with all the preventative programs thats available free of charge at our clinics, that we are still finding babies testing positive, said Melanie Langeveldt, the director for primary healthcare programs in Tshwane, which includes Pretoria.

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV globally remains a concern for UNAIDS, which estimates there are 120,000 new infections annually in children aged 14 years and younger around the world, while over 1.3 million children are living with HIV.

South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world. About 12.7% of its population, or about 7.9 million people, live with HIV. The country has about 150,000 new infections every year.

Pregnant women in South Africa can access HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy free of charge from health facilities.

It is not clear why the more than 200 pregnant women across Gauteng didn't take advantage of the services this year, or why 211 women in the second half of last year didn't either.

Data from South Africa's other regions was not immediately available.

Alarmed health officials believe even one case of mother-to-child HIV transmission is too many, considering the availability of treatment.

With the medicines and science available today, we can ensure that all babies are born  and remain  HIV-free," UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima said in July, adding that resources must be made available everywhere around the world.

The data in Gauteng shows that many of the mothers who gave birth this year to children with HIV did so in government-run health clinics where the free HIV testing and treatment is available.

At least 55 of the babies born were delivered in Johannesburg, which has 125 of the clinics, and 39 were born in Pretoria, which has 24 of the clinics.

Langeveldt said one contributing factor is the failure of some pregnant women to present themselves at a clinic as soon as they fall pregnant, with some women not aware of their HIV status.

Other pregnant women receive medication but the treatment is interrupted for various reasons including migration. Some pregnant women are infected during pregnancy or breastfeeding. And some women do not stick to the guidelines of continuous and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.

Such factors are seen globally in mother-to-child transmission.

Langeveldt said her department is now engaged in widespread campaigns to inform women that mother-to-child transmissions are preventable if the strict treatment offered at clinics is followed.

We have services. It is free. Please come and present so that we can assist you and prevent this in the future, she said.

Officials also recommend that new mothers test for HIV every three months while breastfeeding, and that they encourage their partners to test for HIV.

Women who gave birth to babies with HIV would not speak with The Associated Press.

Mapule Radebe is among the women who have benefited from medical treatment to avoid passing on HIV to her children.

In 2015, she tested positive for HIV and was soon receiving antiretroviral treatment. She was concerned about the possibility of having children born with HIV but learned that transmission of the virus could be prevented.

"I took my medication throughout my pregnancy, and after birth I still continued with my treatment. After I gave birth I still continued with my medication and my child was also given medication for the first six months after she was born, Radebe said.

This year she gave birth to her second child who was also free of HIV.

To all women out there who are HIV positive and expecting babies, I would urge them to continue taking their treatment throughout their nine months, and continue doing so even after giving birth, for the sake of their children, said the 35-year-old who currently lives at Nkosi's Haven, a Johannesburg home that assists women with HIV.

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For more news on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

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The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
A Baltimore man on Friday was sentenced to three life sentences after pleading guilty to the 2023 murder of tech entrepreneur Pava LaPere, officials said.

Jason Billingsley had been released from prison early after a sexual assault conviction before he killed LaPere, 26, raped another woman and tried to kill that victim and her male friend. The crimes prompted changes in state law.

Billingsley, 33, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to three life sentences, two of which are to be served back-to-back, the Baltimore City States Attorney said.

Pava LaPere.

"Let me be clear: Mr. Billingsley should never see the light of day again, States Attorney Ivan J. Bates said at a news conference.

Billingsley was a maintenance worker and identified himself as such on Sept. 19 when he knocked on April Hurley's apartment door. He then kicked it in and held her and her friend at gunpoint, officials said.

Billingsley restrained both, sexually assaulted Hurley and cut her throat. Officials said he poured an accelerant on them and the apartment and set it on fire.

A week later, on Sept. 25, LaPere was reported missing by co-workers. Her body was later found on the roof of her downtown Baltimore apartment building. Surveillance video showed her letting Billingsley into the lobby and the two of them on an elevator, officials have said.

Billingsley is later seen wiping his hands on his shorts and leaving the building alone, according to prosecutors.

Hurley and LaPere's family joined the prosecutor at a Friday news conference announcing the guilty pleas and life sentences.

"If it werent for God and my will to be alive, I wouldnt be standing here today," Hurley said. She said she now lives in constant fear and finds it difficult to be in public.

"Every day, I have flashbacks and triggers that cause terrible anxiety, pain and stress," she said. "I will never be the same person."

The LaPere family said that each of the 342 days since LaPere's murder has been painful and difficult.

"Acceptable justice may have been served today. But it will never fill the void, or erase the grief, or replace the impact that Pava would have had, given the full life that she so deserved," her father, Frank LaPere, said. "The full life that every innocent person deserves."

LaPere was CEO and co-founder of EcoMap Technologies, which provides a platform that takes data and orders it to provide insights and opportunities for growth.

She had been named one of Forbes' "30 Under 30," citing social impact.

Billingsley had been released early from prison after he was sentenced in 2015 for first-degree sexual assault committed in 2013  the sentence was 30 years, with all but 14 years suspended.

In 2022, he was released five years early, through "diminution credits," which allow someone to leave prison early for such things as good behavior. The start date of the sentence was 2013 when he was arrested and jailed, records show.

Maryland this year passed the Pava Marie LaPere Act, which eliminates diminution credits for people convicted of first-degree sex offenses.

LaPeres family said there should be similar laws that prevent first-degree sex offenders from getting diminution credits in other states as well.

Billingsley was sentenced to serve two life sentences, one after the other. The two life sentences for the attempted murder are to be served concurrently, and the life sentence for the first-degree murder count is to be served consecutively. Billingsley also has parole violations, Bates said.
The Swedish pop group ABBA is the latest musical group to ask former President Donald Trump's re-election team to stop playing their music and videos at rallies, but the campaign says it has permission.

ABBA hits, including "The Winner Takes It All," "Money, Money, Money," and "Dancing Queen," were played at a rally held by Trump and his running mate JD Vance on July 27 in Minnesota accompanied by videos, according to Reuters.

"Together with the members of ABBA, we have discovered that videos have been released where ABBA's music has been used at Trump events, and we have therefore requested that such use be immediately removed and taken down," the band's record label Universal Music said in a statement.

The band members declined to comment further, adding that they fully supported Universal's statement.

Members of Swedish music band ABBA arrive for the opening performance of the "ABBA Voyage" concert in London, England on May 26, 2022.

But a Trump representative quickly pointed out that they had obtained permission. "The campaign had a license to play ABBA music through our agreement with BMI and ASCAP," the spokesperson told the Associated Press on Thursday.

The license in question is known as a public performance contract issued by performing rights organizations (PROs), which collect royalties and distribute funds to the songwriter and publisher.

But even if the campaign events are properly licensed, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers acknowledges that if an artist is concerned that their music has been associated with a political campaign, the artist could take legal action based on several claims, including a false endorsement.

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump dances on stage at a campaign event ahead of the Republican presidential primary election in North Charleston, South Carolina on February 14, 2024.

The extensive list of musical artists, or their representatives, who have strenuously objected to their songs being played at Trump events during his 2016, 2020 and 2024 campaigns includes dozens of Billboard chart-topping performers over the past five decades:

Abba: "The Winner Takes It All," "Money, Money, Money" and "Dancing Queen"

Adele: "Rolling in the Deep" and "Skyfall"

Aerosmith: "Dream On" and "Living on the Edge"

The Beatles: "Here Comes the Sun"

Beyonce: "Freedom"

Beyonce performs "Freedom" at the 2016 BET Awards in Los Angeles, California U.S. June 26, 2016. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

Celine Dion: "My Heart Will Go On"

Creedence Clearwater Revival: "Fortune Son"

Earth, Wind & Fire: "September"

Elton John: "Rocket Man" and "Tiny Dancer"

Elton John speaks at the Stonewall Inn to mark the 55th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, New York on June 28, 2024.

Foo Fighters: "My Hero"

Guns N' Roses: "Sweet Child O' Mine"

House of Pain: "Jump Around"

Isaac Hayes: "Hold On, I'm Comin"

Jack White: "Seven Army Nation"

Linkin Park: "In the End"

Neil Young: "Rockin' in the Free World"

Ozzy Osbourne: "Crazy Train

Phil Collins: "In the Air Tonight"

Pharell Williams: "Happy"

Prince: "Purple Rain"

Rihanna: "Don't Stop the Music"

Rihanna poses as she arrives for the Fenty X Puma Creeper Phatty Earth Tone launch party in London, England on April 17, 2024.

The Rolling Stones: "You Can't Always Get What You Want"

Sinead O'Connor: "Nothing Compares 2 U"

The Smiths: "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want"

Tom Petty: "I Won't Back Down"

The Village People: "YMCA" and "Macho Man"

Reuters and USA TODAY reporter Jonathan Limehouse contributed to this story

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ABBA tells Trump campaign to stop playing music at rallies
MUNICH  In the heart of what was once communist East Germany, a far-right group that for some has evoked the countrys Nazi past may be on the verge of becoming the strongest party for the first time in a state election.

As the countrys central governing coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz grapples with Russias war with Ukraine, slow economic growth, the transition to green energy and a renewed debate about migration sparked by a recent terror attack, the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, an anti-immigration, nationalist party which denies human-caused climate change, is looking to take advantage at a local level.

In the east German states of Saxony and Thuringia, home to around 4.1 million and 2.1 million people respectively, the party, which is under monitoring by the countrys domestic intelligence agency for suspected extremism, is ahead in several polls and expected to win about 30% of Sundays vote.

With other smaller populist parties like the left-wing Bundnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) or Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance are also expected to make gains, so the prospects look grim for Scholzs center-left Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats, who make up Germanys federal government, although the former two parties are the junior partners in both outgoing regional governments. The mainstream opposition Christian Democratic Union also could also lose seats.

People were picking populists to express their disappointment with the governing parties, Sudha David-Wilp, regional director of the German Marshall Funds Berlin office, told NBC News on Thursday. Theyre not happy about Berlins support of Ukraine. Theyre also unhappy about the economic transformation thats taking place, she said.

She added that it was more difficult to form viable coalitions. The traditional German model of two major parties and a smaller kingmaker party is over, she said, adding that many governing coalitions including the current one led by Scholz now consist of three parties.

But she said it was hard then when it comes to writing a coalition agreement and coming to a consensus on things, because each party is also trying to, of course, maintain its identity and also cater to its base.

Supporters of the far-right Alternative for Germany political party wave German flags at an election rally Thursday in Dresden, Germany.

Set up in April 2013 as a movement against the euro currency, the AfD shifted its focus to Islam and immigration and has grown in popularity at both local and national levels ever since, particularly in the former East Germany, the former communist half of the country which had strong ties to the then-Soviet Union; polling has shown there is more skepticism about NATO and Germanys support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

In Junes European Parliament elections, the party finished second in Germany, despite a series of scandals engulfing the party in the lead-up to the vote.

The partys top candidate Maximilian Krah was forced to withdraw from campaigning in May after telling an Italian newspaper that the SS, the Nazis main paramilitary force, were not all criminals.

One of his aides was also charged with spying for China and another candidate faced allegations of receiving bribes from a pro-Russian news portal.

But the party nonetheless gained ground, particularly among younger voters.

The No. 1 issue is, of course, the migration topic, David-Wilp said.

More than 1 million people benefited from then-Chancellor Angela Merkels decision to open Germanys doors to asylum-seekers in 2015, making the country by far the largest European destination for refugees. But the issue of integration is a thorny one and the AfD harnessed hostility toward foreigners as it rose from the fringes.

Immigration became an even hotter issue after three people were killed and eight wounded in a knife attack in the city of Solingen last week, for which the Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility.

The suspect is a 26-year-old Syrian citizen, identified by the German federal prosecutors office as Issa Al H, had applied and failed to gain asylum in Germany.

It later emerged that he could have been deported to Bulgaria where he was first registered as an asylum-seeker, but authorities failed to do so, a fact that was seized upon by the AfD.

Alternative for Germany party candidate Bjoern Hoecke campaigning earlier this month.

Bjorn Hocke, the partys leader in Thuringia, posted on his Facebook page that the multicultural experiment that has been forced upon the Germans must be stopped. It is accompanied by the illustration of a bloody knife through the words diversity and Solingen.

Hocke was fined twice this year by German courts for using the Nazi-era slogan Everything for Germany at two AfD events in recent years. He has appealed the rulings.

In an apparent bid to prevent his rivals from seizing the initiative on the issue, Scholz appeared to swing rightward at a campaign event Tuesday in the Thuringian city of Jena.

Those who commit serious crimes should also be deported to countries like Afghanistan and Syria, he said. Anyone who does such things and who brings violence and aggression into our society has forfeited the right to protection in this country and must accept that we will use all means and levers to bring them back.

On Friday, the German government announced that 28 Afghan nationals with criminal convictions had been flown to Afghanistan. It was the first such flight since the Taliban retook power there three years ago.

Scholzs comments were not greeted warmly by everyone however.

Anna-Lena Metz, a pro-democracy activist in Thuringia, said Thursday that she did not believe centrist parties would be well served if they take over the narrative from right-wing parties.

Deportations are never a solution, and we will not be able to deport the danger potential. We need a much stronger focus on social policy that includes everyone, she said.

Metz, a spokesperson for the anti-right-wing activist group Auf die Platze Bundnis Erfurt, was one of the organizers of an anti-right-wing demonstration Sunday in Thuringias state capital, Erfurt, that was attended by thousands of people.

It was similar to rallies attended by hundreds of thousands of people in cities across Germany earlier this year, after reports from the investigative news website Correctiv about a meeting of right-wing extremists, including AfD party members, in the city of Potsdam, where the deportation of people of foreign origin was discussed.

While those rallies and Sundays passed off peacefully, at a campaign rally in Thuringia on Thursday, a man sprayed pink at BSWs leader Sahra Wagenknecht.

Were the AfD to win, it would be a potent signal for the party ahead of next years national election. But it is unclear whether any other party would be prepared to form a coalition with it to put it in power.

But Metz pointed out that many voters are still undecided ahead of Sundays ballot.

At the end of the day, we are all aware that we cannot persuade convinced AfD voters to turn away from the AfD; on the contrary, we really want to reach out to people who are unsure but who still value a diverse and open society, who for some reason have existential fears that can be taken away from them and that is more our goal, she said.

We can do all this together and we can do it without right-wing populism.

Carlo Angerer reported from Munich and Henry Austin from London.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is working to manage the fallout at home and abroad from Ukraines audacious counteroffensive into the Kursk region, downplaying the significance of the incursion while buying time to mount a response.

More than three weeks have passed since Ukraine broke through Russias defenses and seized about 450 square miles of territory. And while a senior U.S. intelligence official said its certain that Russia would launch a counteroffensive in Kursk, analysts say Putin is taking his time.

Putin is a very risk averse individual. He is extremely calculated, and he oftentimes really prefers not to make urgent, rash political decisions that would specifically impact the health of his regime, said Kateryna Stepanenko, the Russia deputy team lead and analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank.

Stepanenko said Putin is working to downplay the significance of Ukraines attack, the first time Russias sovereignty has been violated since World War II.

You would think that a country that has some of its territories face an incursion  that has been going on for over 20 days at this point  you would think that a country would use that as an opportunity to declare martial law, to declare mobilization, to declare war against Ukraine. But Russia didnt do that, she said.

The biggest reason is Putin is really trying to downplay this narrative.

Putin maintains overwhelming support among the Russian public, but Ukraines Aug. 6 offensive into Russia marked a low point in public sentiment.

Whats going on is that there are these moments of almost exogenous shocks on the Russian system, said Jonathan Teubner, CEO of FilterLabs, a research company that uses artificial intelligence to analyze public sentiment using a wide range of indicators.

Russia launched a devastating air campaign Monday against Ukraine, targeting energy infrastructure with reportedly more than 100 missiles and a similar number of drones affecting more than half the country. At least four people were killed and more than a dozen injured, with the strikes damaging homes, the electrical grid and water facilities.

Fears around mobilization have increased among a representative sample of the Russian population, according to polling released Friday by the Russia-based Levada Center, one of the few independent, nongovernmental organizations operating in the country. The poll was conducted Aug. 2-28 among a representative sample of 1,600 people.

The absolute majority of Russians knew and were concerned about Ukraines incursion into Kursk, according to Levadas polling.

But Putin is working to downplay those fears and divert attention away from Russian losses. An estimated 180,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk region.

Putin is putting focus on the patriotism of Russian military volunteers, and playing up Russian military gains in the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.

Putin is telling his society that Kursk is not significant enough to look away from the initiative that Russia has on the battlefield in Ukraine, and that Kursk is not that significant to call up mobilization and destabilize the society from within, and I think that message is resonating, Stepanenko said.

Levada tracked Putins support among the public at 85 percent, virtually unchanged over the past year.

But Teubner, at FilterLabs, tracked negative sentiment toward Putin over the past few weeks among media in some regions where Russia has recruited soldiers and where military production has increased.

If Putins prestige and popularity fall in these key regions (especially if Russians feel that the war is going badly), the Kremlin may find it more difficult to fill its military ranks, FilterLabs wrote in an analysis on Aug. 22.

Theres a lot of speculation, a lot of things we dont know about how the Russian power system really functions, but we do know Putin is responsive to popular dissatisfaction, Teubner said.

Just like Chinese President Xi Jinping is, to some extent.

FilterLabs also looked at how Chinese and Iranian media reacted to Ukraines offensive into Russia. China and Iran are two of Putins most important partners and have helped fuel his war in Ukraine.

Russia has employed Iranian-made, explosive drones in Ukraine and is reportedly sourcing more Iranian missiles. Moscow and Tehran are expected to sign a comprehensive cooperation treaty by October.

But China is Russias real lifeline to continuing its war. Moscow is dependent on Chinese exports of commercial goods that can be repurposed for its military, and Beijing is one of the few buyers of Russian oil that is subject to sanctions by the U.S. and allies.

The news, both in Iran and China, are highly reflective of the governments view and theyre very aware that they are tied to Putin, Teubner said.

FilterLabs tracked negative narratives in Iran and China about the Russian leader in the immediate aftermath of the Kursk incursion, but it has since noticed a rebound.

They didnt, all of a sudden, decide to be very positive on it, but decided to minimize it. They moved on to other issues, Teubner said.

China is likely watching how it can exploit Russias vulnerability for its own purposes, said Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations.

From Chinas perspective, it might almost be beneficial, because the dependence that Russia enters into with China  the dependence on dual-use goods, the dependence politically, is just to [Beijings] benefit, she said.

Its obviously an embarrassment for Putin, but from a strategic Chinese perspective, the more dependent Russia is on China, the more it is in Chinas interest.

While Chinas official reaction to Ukraines incursion into Russia repeated staid platitudes of calling for all parties to de-escalate, Fix said that the fact Beijing felt compelled to highlight its statement showed it viewed the event seriously.

The fact that China has put out a response and felt the need to make clear that they condemn Ukraines invasion, shows that it is a big issue, she said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Donald Trump at Manhattan criminal court on May 30.

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump filed two briefs with the Appellate Division First Department in New York, arguing that the civil fraud case prosecuted against Trump earlier this year was flawed, that there were no victims and that the case had passed the statute of limitations.

The two briefs, filed late Friday night, included many of the same arguments Trump's lawyers have made in the past in this case.

President Trumps business partners were delighted with these transactions. They benefited enormously, making over $100 million in profits, attorneys Cliff Robert and Alina Habba argue in a 46-page last-ditch attempt to prevent Mr. Trump from having to pay what they call the egregious and unconstitutional $485 million dollars civil fraud judgment.

Its the latest update in a months-long appeals saga that began after a judge ruled that Trump and members of his family had engaged in a scheme to improperly inflate his assets in financial statements, which allowed Trump to take advantage of favorable loan and insurance rates he may not have otherwise been entitled to.

Habba and Robert argued, once again, that none of Trumps business partners were deceived and, in fact, were paid back on time or early, in stark contrast to todays loan market, where defaults are at an all-time high.

As they forcefully did during the three-month trial, Robert and Habba disputed the courts valuation of Mar-a-Lago at between $18 million and $27 million. The lawyers said the property is valued at over one billion dollars.

They also said that the statements of financial condition that were at the center of state Attorney General Letitia James' case against Trump underestimated the values of President Trumps assets, arguing that his net worth is far greater than the statements reflect.

In their filing last week, New York state lawyers urged the appeals court to uphold the nearly $500 million fine, arguing there is overwhelming evidence that Trump lied for years about his wealth and saying that his appeal is full of meritless legal arguments ignoring volumes of trial evidence showing that he and his co-defendants engaged in fraud and illegality on an immense scale.

A separate brief filed by Trumps attorneys relates to sanctions imposed on the trial attorneys who represented Trump, arguing that the trial court erred in imposing the sanctions against counsel for what they say were good faith legal arguments.

It is perfectly proper for an attorney to make arguments that a trial judge may disagree with in order to preserve same for appellate review, argued attorney Brian Isaac in the brief.

Oral arguments before the Appellate Court are set to begin on Sept. 26.
By Ruma Paul

DHAKA (Reuters) - The United Nations Human Rights Office on Friday said it will dispatch a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh, as requested by the interim government, to investigate alleged human rights violations during recent deadly violence in the country.

Last month's anti-government protests, which began as a student-led movement against public sector job quotas, escalated into the deadliest violence since the country's independence in 1971.

The unrest left more than 1,000 people dead and prompted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India on Aug. 5. Violence continued for some days after she fled.

An interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus replaced Hasina's administration, helping quell the violence as security forces also cracked down on protests.

"The office will deploy a fact-finding team to Bangladesh in the coming weeks, with a view to reporting on violations and abuses perpetrated during the protests, analysing root causes, and making recommendations to advance justice and accountability and for longer-term reforms," Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, said in a statement.

This decision follows a visit by a UN team from Aug. 22-29, during which they engaged with various stakeholders, including members of the interim government.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk welcomed Bangladeshs recent accession to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and praised the establishment of a national commission to investigate cases of enforced disappearances, a longstanding issue in Bangladesh.

"We stand ready to support the Commission in its work, which should be in close consultation with victims and their families," Shamdasani said.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by David Holmes)
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) asked the U.S. Army in a letter Friday for a full report and a briefing on former President Trumps visit to Arlington cemetery, after reports of a confrontation between his staff and cemetery officials surfaced.

Raskin, the ranking member on the House Oversight Commitee, sent the letter, obtained by The Hill, to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth. The lawmaker asked her to provide a report on the incident, including whether the former presidents staff violated federal law or Cemetery rules and whether the Trump campaign informed the families of servicemembers buried at the Cemetery that their gravestones would be used in Mr. Trumps political campaign ads.

I am hopeful you can provide the Committee with a full account of the incident that occurred in connection with Donald Trumps campaign visit to Arlington National Cemetery on August 26, 2024, including the incident report, Raskin wrote.

The former president visited the cemetery Monday to participate in a ceremony marking the anniversary of the Kabul airport assault that left 13 U.S. service members dead amid the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. The confrontation reportedly occurred when the former presidents photographers and campaign staff tried to enter Section 60  a restricted area where service members who recently died in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried.

When told they could not enter the area, members of Trumps team allegedly shoved the cemetery official to the side. An Army spokesperson defended the employee Thursday, arguing he was trying to enforce the rules that prevent political activities in the cemetery.

Consistent with the decorum expected at [the cemetery], this employee acted with professionalism and avoided further disruption, the official said, adding the incident was reported to police but the employee subsequently decided not to press charges.

They added that the incident was unfortunate, and the employees professionalism has been unfairly attacked.

Trumps team has pushed back on the story, saying they were permitted to have an official photographer and/or videographer outside of the main media pool.

The GOP presidential nominee stood by his conduct Friday during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, saying he was not trying to get publicity when he appeared at the ceremony with the family members of those killed during the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

I wasnt doing it for publicity. I get a lot of publicity. I would like to get a lot less publicity, he said.

In his letter, Raskin included an apology by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), who was also at the ceremony Monday, after he shared photos of the visit on social media accounts and fundraising emails.

Governor Cox has since apologized for making political and campaign use of a visit to Arlington National Cemetery  but neither Mr. Trump nor his campaign have joined Governor Cox in apologizing for these blatant violations, the lawmaker wrote.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign and U.S. Army for comment.

Emily Brooks contributed reporting.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Republican National Committee (RNC) co-Chair Michael Whatley said former President Trumps comments suggesting he could win California were a little bit of a stretch.

Trump, in an interview with television psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw released Wednesday, said he could win California if Jesus Christ was counting ballots.

If Jesus Christ came down and was the vote counter, I would win California, OK? Trump said. In other words, if we had an honest vote counter, a really honest vote counter  I do great with Hispanics, great, I mean at a level no Republican has ever done. But if we had an honest vote counter, I would win California.

During an interview with Fox LA anchor Elex Michaelson that aired Friday, Whatley talked about the RNCs need to have poll watchers in the state. Michaelson asked if people should trust that their votes will be counted fairly.

Yeah, and thats why we want to be here, Whatley said. And the thing about California law is it does allow anybody who is interested in serving in that capacity to go serve in that capacity, which I think is really good.

Michaelson then asked Whatley what the former president meant with the Jesus remarks.

Well, I think that he feels like California, there are a lot of Republicans and there are a lot of votes here, Whatley said. I think he was probably, you know, a little bit of a stretch.

The anchor pointed out that Trump lost California to President Biden in 2020 by close to 5 million votes and then asked if Whatley had evidence that the former president won the Golden State.

Whatley, who was elected the committees co-chair in early March, said he did not.

You know, I mean, the president can tell stories at any time, but thats look, I think the key is that we want to make the point that it is very important for us to have election security protection in place, that we are going to protect the ballot, Whatley added.

Michaelson then questioned if Trumps messaging around voting is dangerous for the ex-president, since his supporters could believe the fraud claims and ultimately decide against voting at all.

Right. Thats why we set this program up, Whatley said. Thats exactly the conversation that we are having.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.




A man pushing a shopping cart through the aisles of a warehouse store.

Image source: Getty Images

Attention, Costco shoppers: If you and your pals love Costco but balk at the annual fee, sharing a membership card may seem like a sneaky work-around. But a big change is coming to Costco warehouses that's aimed at clamping down on membership sharing.

How Costco is reining in membership sharing

Costco can offer all those great deals  like those $4.99 rotisserie chickens and the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo -- because it charges a membership fee. A Gold Star membership costs $60, while an Executive membership will set you back $120. Those prices increase to $65 and $130, respectively, on Sept. 1.

If you're a Costco member, you know that you have to present your membership card to an employee before entering the warehouse. But soon, you'll be required to scan your physical or digital membership card using devices that Costco is installing at each local warehouse. You'll also need to present your photo ID if your card doesn't include your picture.

If you're not a member, you'll need to be accompanied by someone who is. Non-members or those whose membership is inactive or expired will be directed to the membership counter before they can enter the warehouse to shop.

Why the change?

Richard Galanti, director and executive vice president at Costco, told CNN in January that the warehouse chain has seen a spike in people sharing memberships since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Last year, the company began requiring a membership card with a picture or a photo ID to use the self-checkout scanners after noticing more non-members using the devices.

Costco's policy on sharing memberships isn't changing, though. Costco memberships have always been non-transferrable. When you buy a membership, you also receive a Household Card that you can assign to someone in your household age 16 or older. You can also bring up to two guests with you when you shop, but only members can make purchases.

What if Costco catches you sharing a membership?

Most membership-based warehouse clubs, including Costco and rival Sam's Club, reserve the right to revoke your membership for any reason. When you join Costco, you agree to follow all of its rules, including its policies on membership sharing. If you break the rules and let others use your card, you risk having your membership revoked.

Note that there are a few Costco purchases you can make without a membership. For example, you can have your prescriptions filled at the pharmacy and get eye exams even if you're not a member. Depending on your state's law, Costco may be required to allow non-members to purchase alcohol -- assuming the customer is 21 or older, of course. Non-members can also buy some items at Costco.com, though non-members pay 5% more than members.

But if you consistently enjoy a lower credit card tab for everyday essentials, like groceries and gas, it's probably worth shelling out the money for a Costco membership.

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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Robin Hartill has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale, Gala, and JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Lauren Roberts is the bestselling author of the "Powerless" series.

At 18 years old, Lauren Roberts launched a passion project: writing and self-publishing a novel. Now, three years later, Powerless is a New York Times bestseller with a second book and novella on shelves  and it all started on TikTok.

After going live on the social media platform, she read a snippet of a piece she had written for a college class to her followers, and she started receiving comments like, You should write a book. Two days later, she came up with the idea for Powerless, a romantic fantasy about a brutal kingdom, a thief and a prince.

For two weeks, she mapped out the plot and found her characters.

Then I started writing, Roberts tells TODAY.com. After about 12 chapters, I said to myself, OK, theres no going back now.

While she didnt have the support of an editor or publishing house during those early days, she had her social media following.

I would write a scene, and then Id literally hop on social media and be like, Guys, look at the scene I wrote, and I would read it to them or show it to them, she says.

She initially self-published by uploading the story to Barnes & Noble Press and Amazons Kindle Direct Publishing services. Then, the support of her fanbase eventually caught the eye of Simon & Schuster, which published the book in November 2023.

Powerless stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 34 weeks. The series novella, Powerful, was on the list for nine weeks.

Roberts is one of many authors who initially circumvented the traditional publishing model. It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover, for example, uploaded her first book, Slammed, to Amazon on her own as a Christmas present for her grandmother.

Roberts credits the success of her debut series to social media and the supportive and welcoming community who were just so ready for this book.

People are being discovered on social media, and I think thats a beautiful thing. There are some incredible authors who maybe their book just wasnt right at the time for an agent, but now theyre getting picked up because so many people want to read the book, she says.

Becoming a romantasy staple

Powerless is a story of survival and forbidden love set in a kingdom called Ilya, ruled by a class known as the Elites, who received powers after surviving a plague. People without powers are dubbed Ordinary and banished, their existence a crime in the kingdom.

Powerless focuses on Paedyn, an Ordinary who poses as an Elite for survival. When she accidentally saves Kai, one of Ilyas princes, she is forced into the Purging Trials, a competition to showcase the might of the Elites, leaving Paedyn at risk of being discovered and, as the title suggests, powerless.

The gladiator style of fighting seen in The Hunger Games as well as the supernatural abilities of the X-Men film franchise inspired the premise of Powerless, Roberts says.

The world of Powerless naturally pits Kai and Paedyn against each other, but thats just part of the story. Set against a violent, high stakes world, Kai and Paedyn's relationship also features banter, intense chemistry and beloved romance tropes. Paedyn's best friend, Adena, and a powerful Elite named Mak, also somehow find love in the dangerous fantasy world of Ilya in the series' novella "Powerful."

I will say some of the experiences and emotions are absolutely pulled from real life, specifically with Powerful, the novella. I found that Adena and Maks relationship was much more relatable to me than like Paedyn and Kai, Roberts says. A lot of that novella pulled from, you know, my life and those emotions and those sweet moments.

These elements make the Powerless series part of the popular subgenre of romantasy, a portmanteau combining romance and fantasy. The books  think Sarah J. Maas A Court of Thorns and Roses or Tahereh Mafis This Woven Kingdom  typically take place in a fantasy world, with a romance plot that is equally as integral as the world building.

Finding a fresh story in the increasingly crowded genre comes with its challenges. But Roberts says authors can bring a distinct voice and style to familiar tropes.

Theres billions of books in the world. Theres only so much originality you can have. I think its important to remember that the author and the way that they write and the way that they tell the story is the difference, Roberts says. "The most important thing is to not get discouraged when you have an idea, because I promise you can make it your own, and theres always going to be a reader for every single book.

Finishing the Powerless trilogy  and whats next

After publishing Reckless, a sequel to Powerless, in July, Roberts is now working on the third and final book in the series, Fearless, set to come out in April 2025.

Lauren Roberts' second book "Reckless" published July 2, 2024.

There are a few little Easter eggs throughout the book about things in the future, which is really exciting, Roberts says.

While Fearless will contain hints that lead to her next project, Roberts is keeping mum on what she's planning after the Powerless series  for now.

Fearless is definitely plot and action and craziness happening  such a blast tying up this series and also making sure everything is how I want it to be, Roberts says. By the end of the series, Ill have taken the readers to all of the landmarks around Ilya, which is super fun for me. We kind of get to explore all those pieces.

And of course, just like she started, shes taking her 500,000 followers on TikTok with her along for the ride.

It is so beautiful to meet all these people around the world that have read this book, she says. I feel like were all just friends."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A Sinaloa Cartel kingpin was sentenced to 28 years in prison for shipping heroin, meth and cocaine to Alaska, an increasingly attractive target for drug lords looking to expand their narcotics pipelines, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

Miguel Baez "Javi" Guevara had evaded the U.S. government for 10 years following a sweeping indictment out of Arizona. He later fled to Mexico, where he expanded his enterprise to ship huge quantities of drugs into the U.S. Mexican immigration authorities deported him to in 2021 following a grand jury indictment in Alaska.

Guevara previously pleaded guilty to one count of continuing criminal enterprise and one count of drug conspiracy in January, the department said. The Sinaloa Cartel, co-founded by drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, recruited couriers in Alaska through fake social media personas and encrypted messaging platforms.

Prosecutors say Guevara instructed the couriers how to smuggle drugs back to Alaska, where they were paid for the transport. The department said the drugs were then distributed locally throughout Alaska.

It's difficult to reach much of the remote state, so there are fewer criminal networks competing for customers, but that means drug traffickers can triple or quadruple their price and net much larger profits, prosecutors said.

"All the drug dealers are aware they can make more money selling drugs in Alaska," James Klugman, head of federal criminal prosecutions for Alaska's U.S. Attorney's Office, told the Louisville Courier-Journal, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK.

Multiple federal agencies have fought for years to disrupt the cartel's distribution of fentanyl in the U.S., going as far to get imprisonment for El Chapo and arresting his son and co-founder in July.

Three others in the case have been sentenced in the Alaska case. Joel Rascone is serving a 120-month imprisonment, Serena Joseph is serving 63 months and Washahiotha Zaragoza is serving 18 months. The Justice Department believes Javier Armando Alvarez Pinuelas, Jazmin Adriana Olivares, Daniel Rodriguez Montoya and Juanita Salazar to be at large in Mexico.

Cartel targeted Alaska for latest expansion, harming communities

Guevara first came into the government's spotlight when he was indicted in October 2014 in Arizona for drug, money and weapons charges. He fled to Mexico after posting a $50,000 bail and continued work in the cartel until an Alaskan grand jury indicted him on Feb. 21, 2020. He was arrested and deported to the U.S. by Mexican authorities from the National Institute of Immigration - Instituto Nacional de Migracion - on Sept. 10, 2021.

According to the 2020 indictment, Guevara targeted Alaskan women for recruitment as couriers and would pay for their transportation using prepaid debit cards, then pay the couriers with cash, heroin and meth. The female couriers traveled to the U.S. with male leaders who supervised them and instructed them on how to try and pass through airport screenings.

Guevara never crossed the border into the U.S., knowing he has outstanding federal and state warrants, according to the indictment.

"Guevara would send members of the Enterprise to Alaska to collect narcotics from couriers and to distribute the bulk quantities of narcotics to local street level dealers," the indictment read. "Local purchasers and distributors would contact Guevara through encrypted messaging apps and request certain quantities of narcotics. Guevara would act as the logistics manager and arrange for a time and location for a member of the Enterprise to meet with the local distributor."

Knowing they could be caught by law enforcement, members used coded language and pseudonyms to avoid detection, according to the indictment. The enterprise started around 2016, prosecutors said in court documents.

Cartels smuggled drugs into the state by car, mail, on their bodies, small ferries, planes and sometimes in shipping containers next to food. They targeted many communities in Alaska that are remote and don't have significant police presence.

Guevara helped run the cartel and had used violence to help spread drugs throughout Alaska, devastating communities, said David Reames, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division.

The influx of drugs has caused issues in Alaska with surging overdose death rates, especially for Alaska Natives and American Indians, according to the Courier-Journal.

Law enforcement disrupted Guevara's enterprise and seized 7.1 kilograms of meth, about 10 kilograms of heroin and 900 grams of cocaine intended for Alaska, the Justice Department said. The venture produced millions of dollars in drug sales for Guevara, which were smuggled into Mexico.

U.S. disputes claims of Guevara being fully reformed

Before sentencing, several men sent letters of compassion to the court, saying they regarded Guevara as "Brother Miguel" and commended Guevara for his positive advice, loyalty to his religion and professional conduct.

But U.S. attorneys refuted stories of Guevara avoiding violence. They said an Alaskan woman was shot in the knee at Guevara's direction because he accused her boyfriend of stealing drugs. She was initially treated in Mexico and later transported to the U.S. for further treatment, prosecutors said.

"Guevara later bragged to other couriers and managers that he was responsible for the shooting, showed photos, and warned them not to steal product," prosecutors said. "He also bragged on Facebook about the shooting and messaged the victim afterwards."

Attorneys said despite Guevara completing several rehab programs, imprisonment was necessary due to his criminal history. He was ultimately sentenced to 28 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline, which will run concurrent to whichever sentence he receives in the Arizona case.

Federal agents have pushed to stop the Sinaloa Cartel's development in the U.S. for several decades, landing their historic break with El Chapo's 2019 imprisonment. El Chapo has been serving life, plus 30 years, in prison since 2019. His son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, and co-founder Ismael Zambada Garcia were arrested July 26 in Texas after they deboarded a private plane.

Contributing: Beth Warren, Courier Journal; Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY.

Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at knurse@USATODAY.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter,@KrystalRNurse.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sinaloa kingpin sentenced for trafficking narcotics to Alaska
How did the organizers of this years Sundance Film Festival: Asia mark their return to Taiwan? By growing the festival in every way possible.

For the second year in a row, Sundance Film Festival: Asia returned to Taipei. The expansion of the festivals programming was a reflection of Taiwans efforts to boost filmmaking in the region. The festival run was extended from three to five days. Only three feature films were shown last year. This time around, 15 films including Didi, Sujo, Little Death and Your Monster were among the films showcasing the best of U.S. independent storytelling. Last year only two filmmakers attended; this time around, there were eight. The festival also doubled in scale its panels and masterclasses.

More from Variety

Not only is it showcasing films and hosting panels, but the organizers are also helping to raise the countrys profile as a hub for local and international filmmakers.

It was such a great way for us to grow the festival in Taiwan, said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival director of programming. That is the heart of what we do; connecting those filmmakers to audiences. Yutani continued, To be able to do it on this level was incredibly gratifying.

The satellite event sits alongside London and Mexico. Sundance Film Festival: Asia began back in 2014 as Sundance Hong Kong, remaining there until COVID. The festival moved to Jakarta in 2022, and finally to Taipei in 2023.

There was no shortage of Hollywood star power at the festival to share and help educate aspiring storytellers. Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor, Fallout showrunner Lisa Joy, producer Nina Yang Bongiovi and Joker 2 cinematographer Lawrence Sher were among some of those on hand leading panels about how talent and the casting process play significant roles in achieving the greenlight on a production, or lessons learned on set. Didis Sean Wang was joined by Caroline Lindy (Your Monster) sharing their experiences casting and working with performers. In addition, the Sundance organizers held its inaugural Intensive Screenwriters workshop for the Asian satellite.

With its success in the American market, Yutani noticed how local filmmakers wanted to use the program as a means of spotting up-and-coming filmmakers: For us to have our curatorial eye on these films, to figure out which ones are bubbling up, and to be able to have local judges and jury members and hear their impressions, and what they responded to was interesting. We were pretty spot on with each other.

Taiwanese filmmakers had an exclusive opportunity to submit their short films for competition. The jury prize for best short film, presented by Gold House, was eventually awarded to Suo Jiang by production designer-turned-director Lin Chien-yu.

Yutani who joined Sundance in 2006 as short-films programmer said the form was near and dear to her heart. Its such an exciting form because there are no rules. You can do whatever you want. She highlighted the fact that the form had always been a place of discovery. Yutani said,  To be able to spot a filmmaker with a vision from their short film is such a gift to programmers and curators.

The programming provided local filmmakers to hear and see the connective tissue of the festivals work on the ground. Wang was someone who had started in the labs. Yutani explained, Knowing that a filmmaker went through our artist programs and our labs, and has a feature-length film that has been really successful, and to be able to premiere that was the best possible scenario. She went on to say, To have a filmmaker of Taiwanese background come in with such a perfect film to open our festival was great. But to be to have somebody speak about what our labs do, and how they can be a resource to filmmakers was great.

Caroline Lindy and Sean Wang

Mary Sadeghy, Sundance Institute Head of Partnerships and Events equates the success and growth of the festival to the many partnerships, beginning with festival partners in Asia, Jonathan Liao, Iris Wu and Kevin Lin. She calls them the heartbeat, of the festival. Support from TAICCA, a ministry of culture-funded intermediary between the public and private sectors, producing and promoting content in film, TV, music, comic books and games, has helped with the organizations mission.

Said Sadeghy, We are really happy that were able to bring something into the artist community and to audiences, and to be able to have that symbiotic relationship. she continued, Mission is everything, and when you can find a partnership that really helps to keep your mission enduring and drive your mission forward. That is a special and unique opportunity.

Mary Sadeghy and Kim Yutani

Last year, Taiwan productions increased from 10% to 16%, with more funding going into filmmakers, with efforts coming from the government to boost Taiwans filmmaking image. Lin said, Youve got big organizations that are pushing for a more robust funding system so that anyone from amateur or student level filmmakers can start to see and understand, Okay, how am I going to get access to funds to create increasingly higher quality, independent films?

As Taiwan seeks to imprint itself firmly in the Asian film market, a festival like Sundance can help storytellers create and advance their work.

By bringing in the best, and by having meaningful conversations and providing resources, Yutani said, The best thing we can do when we go to a place is to make ourselves available to the people on the ground, the emerging storytellers, and for them to understand that Sundance is a place for them.

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Studying abroad is more than an education, it is a life-changing experience that shapes young adults into motivated and contributing global citizens, and it was the best decision of my life so far.

Last year I spent my entire junior year of high school in Toulouse, France, on a 10-month study abroad trip through AFS. Throughout the year, there was rarely a moment where I wasnt being challenged. Whether it was the language, the longer school days, being the new kid at school, or being without my family for the first time, I became comfortable outside of my comfort zone.

Jack Wagoner

I learned invaluable communication skills that dont rely on language to get the message across. I developed compassion for people back home who struggle with schoolwork or dont speak English natively. I taught myself the real meaning of truly working hard, something I realized Id never previously had to do to the same degree. I became fluent in French, and despite how cool that feels, the best part of it all was the relationships I built with my loving host family and my life-long friends, in part thanks to my developed language skills.

Getting to experience a different culture, see different cities, and eat different foods made a mark on me. My absolute favorite part of traveling was talking to people that I never could have found at home in Dover, New Hampshire. I loved getting curious and learning about the lives and experiences of many different people, gaining so much perspective in the process. Over the course of my 10 months in France, I learned more about life and the world around me than I have in all my previous education combined. I truly believe that there is no experience more valuable to a young and impressionable kid than to show them the differences there are in the world and broaden their frame of mind while helping them face adversity head on.

Despite the immense learning opportunities students get when they study abroad, everyone in the community can benefit from the circumstance as well. One of the most meaningful parts of the year for me was seeing the impression I made on the community that I lived in. While trying to learn as much about French culture as I could, I also brought my American culture with me, showing my host family, classmates, teachers, and anyone else I interacted with, who I was and opening up their perspectives to the world, just as they did for me. Studying abroad is a win-win scenario, helping educate entire communities about culture and making us all better global citizens.

Now that I am back home, I have made it my commitment to help others live similar life-altering experiences through study abroad trips. I am volunteering for AFS, the organization that helped get me to France and found my awesome host family. At AFS we promote global citizenship with study-abroad opportunities in 45 different countries across the globe in which students from more than 80 countries can go abroad. On an AFS trip you dont just meet people from your host country. Throughout my year abroad I met nearly 300 other students from across the world who came to France, developing life-long friendships with like-minded individuals from all over. For me, AFS has become a global family, and you can be a part of it, too.

There are currently seven students from across the world who have been accepted to study in the United States for this upcoming school year, but do not yet have host families. These kids are just like me, with the opportunity of a lifetime at their fingertips, but if nobody steps up to welcome them into their homes and communities, these kids will have to stay at home. I am fully aware of the difficulties involved in hosting a foreign student, but I am also fully aware of the pleasures. Help these seven kids and many others in the future live an experience of a lifetime by volunteering to host and spreading the word to others in our community to do the same.

Additionally, if you know of anybody that would get excited by the opportunity to go abroad for a year, talk to them about it. I believe that studying abroad is an invaluable experience that many high school students dont even know is a possibility.

Studying abroad is a life changing experience, helping young adults develop crucial skills and perspectives, and helping entire communities do the same thing. Please consider becoming a part of AFS and our global family of over 500,000. Reach out to me with any questions or inquiries. Trust me, its not a decision youll regret.

Jack Wagoner is an AFS volunteer and a senior at Dover High School. You can email him at jackcwagoner@gmail.com.

More: Learn more about AFS study abroad Live without borders

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Wagoner: Studying abroad will change your life like it changed mine
In 1951, Leonard Bernstein, age 32, led the New York Philharmonic in the belated world premiere of Charles Ives Symphony No. 2  music composed half a century earlier. The performance was nationally broadcast and widely noticed. Seven years after that, Bernstein began his tenure as the Philharmonics music director with Ives Second Symphony. In all, he performed Ives Second twenty times during his Philharmonic decade. He also recorded it. He devoted a nationally televised Young Peoples Concert to Ives. For the Ives Centenary, in 1974, he led Ives Second on July 4 in Danbury, Connecticut  Ives hometown. In short: he rescued from oblivion a great American symphony and followed that up with a sustained act of advocacy.

I remember the Ives Centenary. It included a major conference which resulted in an important book. The notion that Ives was the supreme creative genius in the history of American classical music gained a lot of traction. The Ives cause had in fact steadily mounted since the discovery of his Concord Sonata  the summit of the American keyboard literature  in 1939. It was widely assumed that the Ives crescendo would continue. But it didnt. So far as I can tell, this years Ives Sesquicentenary is being ignored by American orchestras. It is in fact far more noticed abroad. And, whats more  whats worse  none of this is very surprising.

I subtitled my 2005 tome Classical Music in America A History of Its Rise and Fall. At a noisy session of the American Symphony Orchestra League conference that year, a longtime orchestra CEO ridiculed my premise that classical music in the US was rapidly fading to the margins; I did not cite a single statistic, he smugly observed. Seventeen years previous to that, I published a book even more reviled: Understanding Toscanini: How He Became an American Culture-God and Helped Create a New Audience for Old Music.

The basic premise of both books was that classical music in the US was and is incurably Eurocentric. I had attempted to figure out how that happened. In the process, I discovered that things were very different before World War I. It was once widely assumed that the US could acquire a symphonic and operatic canon of its own, that American orchestras and opera companies would eventually mainly give American works. As of 1900, no one of consequence imagined that the umbilical cord would remain intact.

The core topic here is the popularization of the arts during the interwar decades. A new audience, populated by the new middle classes, was born. It represented both an opportunity and a challenge. Both were botched. A key factor was a commercial strategy pursued via radio and recordings by NBC and RCA. They marketed what they could best sell: masterworks by dead Europeans. They extolled (I am not making this up) passive consumption by amateurs  let the professionals do the work. Virgil Thomson dubbed it all the music appreciation racket. I use the term the culture of performance, sidelining the composer. (In my cultural Cold War book The Propaganda of Freedom, I glance at the Soviet Union and discover an interwar popularization strategy emphasizing making music in homes and factories, and privileging native repertoire new and old.)

Was it inevitable? I mull the role of leadership. David Sarnoff, masterminding NBC and RCA, was a visionary with a parochial musical vision. Arthur Judson, the Robert Moses of American classical music, was a powerbroker, a music-businessman. Running Columbia Artists Management and the New York Philharmonic, he decreed (explicitly): the audience sets taste. Concurrently, Sarnoff and other broadcasters defeated proposals for an American BBC (which would have made a difference).

If youre looking for leaders in American classical music, look before World War I. They were omnipresent. The two most formidable were Theodore Thomas, whose itinerant Thomas Orchestra toured the hinterlands, and Henry Higginson, who invented, owned, and operated the Boston Symphony. They set taste. And so did Anton Seidl and Oscar Hammerstein in New York, and Laura Langford in Brooklyn. In later decades, Serge Koussevitzky, Leopold Stokowski, and Dmitri Mitropoulos, in Boston, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis, were exceptions proving the rule outside the Judson orbit. Then Judson hired Mitropoulos to lead the New York Philharmonic, whose pedigree was sinking. My favorite Judson story: when Mitropoulos conducted the Philharmonic in the American premiere of Mahlers Sixth Symphony, Judson insisted that it be replaced with the Gershwin Piano Concerto for the Sunday broadcast  Gershwin, Judson maintained, would be more suitable radio fare and also sell more tickets at home. In response, Mitropoulos wrote Judson to beg you, almost on my knees to change his mind. It would be a crime not to give this New World [broadcast] premiere of this great and exciting symphony . . . It would be a great event from which we have nothing to fear and from which to expect no less than the highest gratitude of all the musical artistic world in the United States. He added that he awaited Judsons response with anxiety. Judson said no.

And this is why Leonard Bernstein mattered and matters still. Of the dozens of blogs Ive posted in recent years, the most read, by a wide margin, deal with institutional leadership  at the San Francisco Symphony, the Boston Symphony, and the Metropolitan Opera. And they cite a couple of inspired institutional leaders I knew: Harvey Lichtenstein at BAM and Speight Jenkins at the Seattle Opera. Imagine, if you can, a leader of Bernsteins stature today at the helm of an American orchestra or opera company.

As for Charles Ives: the NEH-funded Music Unwound initiative Ive directed for a dozen years mounts cross-disciplinary festivals dedicated to signature topics in American music. The most necessary of those, I would say, is Charles Ives America. The humanities-infused strategy is to contextualize the Second Symphony, the Concord Sonata, and Ivess songs and chamber works. We challenge the misimpression that Ives is esoteric.

Ivess America has been produced by the Buffalo Philharmonic, the South Dakota Symphony, and the Brevard Music Festival, with three more coming up: the Chicago Sinfonietta in collaboration with Illinois State University, Bards The Orchestra Now (including a Carnegie Hall performance), and  very possibly the biggest Ives festival ever mounted  Indiana University at Bloomington. I pitched NEH-subsidized Music Unwound Ives festivals to two major orchestras and got nowhere. An Artistic Administrator asked rhetorically: How would I sell it? This is not a question I heard from JoAnn Falletta in Buffalo, Delta David Gier in Sioux Falls, Jason Posnock in Brevard, Blake Anthony Johnson in Chicago, or Leon Botstein at Bard. (At Bloomington, the concerts will be free.)

Back in the day, when I undertook projects for the New York Philharmonic (where Music Unwound was actually born, thanks to Matias Tarnopolsky), there was a photograph of Leonard Bernstein directly over the elevator exiting the administrative offices. Perhaps its still there. I never passed under it  not once  without experiencing piercing sadness and incredulity that the Philharmonic was no longer his.

For a schedule of upcoming NEH-supported Ives Sesquicentenary festivals, click here.

To read previous blogs in this Bernstein series, click here, here, and here.

To listen to an NPR More than Music exploration of The Bernstein Odyssey, click here.
Investigative journalist Uzay Bulut pens an article published by the Gatestone Institute that looks at a narrative that turns history on its head", one that denies that Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks are indigenous in Anatolia. As Turkish children become adults, they parrot the lies taught to them in their schools.

Istanbul (AsiaNews)  Actual "brainwashing" is how Turkish investigative journalist Uzay Bulut describes the textbooks Turkey uses for students in the section dedicated to the history of the Armenian and Assyrian genocide

In an article titled "Turkish textbooks: twisting history", an investigation published on the website of the Gatestone Institute, Bulut writes: Turkish government authorities have targeted their own indigenous peoples of Anatolia, namely the Pontic Greeks and Armenians. In the twentieth century, Ottoman Turkey largely exterminated these peoples through a genocide.

Yet, the books refer to unfounded claims of Greeks and Armenians. Once called the Pontus Issue and the Armenian Question, the sections are now changed to the Unfounded Pontus Claims and the Unfounded Armenian Claims.

Ankara also denies that Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks are indigenous to the land where the Turks settled centuries later, occupying the territory, and exterminating those who already lived there.

One critical factor, Uzay Bulut points out, is that Turkish schoolchildren, who have no idea about the real history of their country, are brainwashed with falsehoods about their countrys origin and fed hatred about the remnants of the minorities.

As a result, these children become adults memorising the lies taught to them in school, denying that the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against native Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks.

These children are not at fault for not knowing the true history of their country nor the facts about the genocide committed against the minorities.

They are fed the lie that minorities lived "happily" in the empire for centuries, until the European powers instigated them to rebel against their government.

In reality, minorities living in the Ottoman Empire were always oppressed, enslaved, attacked, robbed, kidnapped, raped and massacred, culminating in the Genocide of 1915.

Not only These minorities were not even considered to be second class citizens but they "had no rights whatsoever and were at the mercy of their brutal rulers," points out the journalist, who defines the education of Turkish students as "misinformation, wilful distortion and historic revisionism."

This is not just a dispute between Armenians and Turks since The Turkish government knows better than anyone that the accusations of genocide are factual. This is because Ottoman archives in its possession explain the truth, even after being selectively cleansed of any incriminating evidence.

According to Dr Gregory H. Stanton, president of Genocide Watch, denial is the last stage of genocide. Denial is a continuation of a genocide because it is a continuing attempt to destroy the victim group psychologically and culturally, to deny its members even the memory of the murders of their relatives.

Turkey should face up to the truth and teach innocent Turkish students the tragic facts of history about the massacres and genocide because neither todays young generation nor the current Turkish government were responsible since they did not exist during these murders.
by Stefano Caprio

Both the mouthpieces of Russias rulers and most opposition voices in Moscow reacted surprisingly as one to the arrest in France of Russian Internet tsar, to defend freedom of expression and communication. This is a sign that the ultimate weapon of war is not the assault drone or the nuclear bomb, but ideologies that distort reality.

The most sensational event for Russia in recent days is not the possibility of Ukraine's victory in the war, trumpeted by President Volodymyr Zelensky following the Kursk offensive, but the arrest of Russian Internet tsar Pavel Durov, at a French airport.

Both mouthpieces for Russias rulers and most of the countrys opposition voices have reacted astonishingly in unison in defence of freedom of expression and communication.

Information warfare is in fact much more extensive and devastating than that on the ground, obviously not because of the number of dead and wounded or the extent of the destruction, but because of the actual feeling that power brings, or the consistency of the struggle against it.

The Telegram messaging platform, which Durov founded in 2013, is in fact the only space where Russian-speaking audiences can access political content without obstacles, interruptions, or sanctions, and this applies not only to Russia, but to many countries in the Middle East, as well as Central and Southeast Asia.

By contrast, in Western Europe, in particular in France, Telegram is often associated with drug trafficking, terrorism, computer piracy, and the dissemination of pornographic materials, including child porn.

St. Petersburg-born Pavel Durov, who will turn forty in October, has ruled social media in Russia since 2006, the dawn of the new communication age.

Together with his brother Nikolai, he founded VK (VKontakte, , InContact"), an online social media and social networking service, which became immediately popular in Russia and many other former Soviet states, along with Odnoklassniki (, Classmates), another social networking service, which is also linked to Durov's system.

These first tools were left to the total control of the Kremlin after the start of the conflict with Ukraine in 2014, and the young digital tycoon claimed his freedom to spread any information, even criticising the government, and stayed at the helm of Telegram.

Durov officially left Russia, although he returns whenever he deems it necessary, moving to Dubai. He also holds citizenship in Kitts and Nevis, United Arab Emirates, and France. He tried to set up shop in the United States and Singapore, but "felt too much pressure", he said in an interview with Tucker Carlson, the only Western journalist loved by Russians.

Bypassing normal channels, he got a French passport after a few dinners with President Emmanuel Macron, who advised him to move his companys headquarters to Paris.

A week after his arrest, he was released on bail with travel restrictions. In Russia his arrest has sparked a storm of reactions, raising numerous doubts about the real motives behind it.

Durov travelled to Paris on his private plane from Azerbaijan, where he reportedly had the opportunity to meet Vladimir Putin directly.

It seems unlikely that he was not aware of the risks of the trip, given his ties at the highest level, so the move remains a mystery, with unclear motives, unless it is a case of hubris of those who are arrogant enough to believe that they are above the law.

Russians suspect that Telegrams boss went to hand over the keys to access crucial information on his messaging platform, to favour the West in the global war.

The platform is in fact widely used by Russian soldiers (and their Ukrainian adversaries) to communicate with each other, but it is not very credible that military commanders would use it to pass military plans. After all, the Telegram system has no real "access keys" since it is built on a castle of databases and servers that do not communicate with each other.

Beyond the actual technical-military significance of the story, its resonance shows the broader meaning of certain links in the world of communication; Russia, politically and economically isolated from the West and in search of a new dimension straddling worlds, cannot lose its place in the virtual global space.

Control over information is the main tool for imposing a certain narrative of events that favours ones purposes. This is certainly nothing new. Manipulating facts was already one of the main objectives of ancient Roman historians, from Julius Caesar to Livy, Tacitus, and Sallust, an ideological weapon of empire.

Russians have known this since the medieval "Nestor Chronicle", which narrates the events of Kievan Rus', presenting the "new people" called to rewrite history, which inspired tsars and Soviet general secretaries, up to their current copycat in the Kremlin.

A 19th-century Russian writer and philosopher, Vladimir Odoyevsky, had even prophesied the birth of blogs and the Internet in his utopian novel "Year 4338", written in 1835.

In it he wrote that "magnetic telegraphs are established between houses, thanks to which those who live at great distances can converse with each other", even distributing "home newspapers, prepared by those who have more knowledge replacing the usual correspondence", which, in addition to informing about the internal life of families, offer "various reflections, observations, discoveries and proposals".

There are indeed many proposals on Telegram, and many of them raise real concerns.

In the past, Durov had to reluctantly bow to foreign states, as in 2022 when Germany accused him of not moderating content in accordance with German law, the same charge that led to his arrest in Paris.

Not long ago, the final version of the Digital Services Act, the EU Digital Services Regulation 2022/2065, came into effect across the European Union, which Telegram representatives swore to scrupulously uphold, blocking pirated content and not allowing banned channels like RT, Russkoe Televidenie, one of the Kremlin's main means of propaganda, to Europeans.

Although the European Commission reported no violations of these rules by Telegram, the French investigation is based on French law. Durov is accused of failing to cooperate with French police.

This raises a question that could affect the entire digital world, not only one boss in the ecosystem: how justifiable is controlling what is posted on the network? Where is the line between "moderation" and censorship?

If you want to protect yourself from cybercrimes, then the authorities should be able to monitor any exchange of content, and this happens often, laws notwithstanding.

This is in fact what Russia wants, even more than France or the United States, to control the thoughts and movements of the soul, and there is nothing like the virtual world to enter every secret department of people's inner lives.

This is why even in the most democratic countries there is far less trust in the authorities and their statements, and everyone tries to carve out a space to feel more or less ones own, which is what Telegram tried to offer in more credible ways than many more popular social media.

Freedom of expression has always been an ambiguous concept, and it is becoming an even more confused and contradictory ideal.

Russia is fighting its war against the demon of false liberalism"; for this reason, it is urging everyone in the world to move to the pure world of traditional values", while invoking freedom for Durov and his very untraditional tools.

The ultimate weapon of war is not the assault drone or the nuclear bomb, it is the ideology that distorts reality, and turns a universal principle like personal freedom into an instrument of control and power.

If it is possible to discuss the legitimacy of allowing the Ukrainians to use Western missiles against Russia, or cutting ecclesiastical ties with Russian Orthodoxy, one cannot ignore a commitment to define the contents of freedom of thought, expression, and speech, on the Internet and everywhere, given the absence of geographical boundaries or zones of separation and non-belligerence.

In this sense, we are all Russians and French, we are all players on Telegram or any other system that carries words and images, which forces us to choose and decide in which reality we want to live.

RUSSIAN WORLD IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO RUSSIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY SATURDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE.
by Melani Manel Perera

Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of enforced disappearances in the world, with thousands of victims gone missing during the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna uprising and the civil war with the Tamil Tigers. Human Rights Watch denounces the ongoing persecution of victims' families through monitoring, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests. Despite the existence of an Office for Missing Persons, almost no cases have been solved. Families have asked for international intervention.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of enforced disappearances in the world, including people who went missing during the insurgency of the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (1987-89) and the civil war between the government and the Tamil Tigers for the liberation of Tamil Eelam (1983-2009).

For decades, Sri Lankan authorities have refused to reveal the whereabouts of missing persons or to prosecute those responsible, prompting the UN human rights office to call for international prosecutions.

Instead, the Sri Lankan government continues to persecute the families of victims of enforced disappearance who seek to assert their rights, Human Rights Watch said yesterday.

Security forces persistently harass families through surveillance, intimidation, false allegations, violence, and arbitrary arrests," HRW said on International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance, yesterday.

A day earlier, a court in Trincomalee agreed with the police's request to prohibit relatives of missing persons from organising a procession on the day of remembrance.

The relatives of the disappeared experience the daily torment of not knowing what happened to their family members, which state agencies have cruelly compounded by trying to silence them, said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at HRW, who added that many have passed away without knowing the truth or obtaining justice.

On 22 August, in his annual report on Sri Lanka to the UN Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, described, a persistent trend of surveillance, intimidation and harassment of journalists and civil society actors, especially those working on enforced disappearances  and reprisals against family members of the disappeared engaging with the UN or international actors, including members of the diplomatic community.

In May, HRW met with relatives of missing persons in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, mostly wives or mothers of the victims, who described a pattern of ongoing abuses. Several are facing court proceedings after being arrested at protests, including three who had been hospitalized as a result of police violence against protesters, HRW lamented.

Speaking about the bitter experience of a woman from the Eastern Province struggling to know the fate of her husband, the group noted that she believed she was regularly monitored by security agencies, including the police Criminal Investigation Department, the Terrorism Investigation Division, the Special Task Force, and the army.

"We can't raise our voices, we have no freedom to move," said another woman from the Northern Province, whose husband has not been seen since his arrest in 2008. They [security agencies] threaten us, and even take action against our family members. We have no freedom to do anything.

The women say that police routinely hand them stay orders  which prohibit them from attending memorial events or protests  in the middle of the night, when they are dressed in nightclothes and take pictures.

If my gate is locked, police climb over the wall or cut the fence to deliver a stay order, one said.

Several mothers of the missing said the most frightening threats are aimed at their other children. One said that when she participates in protests, the police tell her: You have to look after your child who is still alive.

Another said that just days after she was arrested during a protest in 2023, her son was arrested over a fabricated drug offence and was sent to rehabilitation.

In 2017, the Sri Lankan government established the Office for Missing Persons (OMP) to determine the whereabouts or fate of missing persons, but it has hardly solved any case so far.

Families accuse the OMP of pressuring them to agree to compensation, which they fear will lead to their cases being dismissed without further investigation.

Earlier we trusted the OMP but after they recruited certain commissioners, we lost our faith, said the mother of a missing person from Mannar, northwestern Sri Lanka, referring to the appointment of former senior security force officials to the body.

She said she turned down offers of compensation because "I need to know what happened to my son.

Many relatives of the missing are sceptical of the current government's proposal to establish a new national truth and reconciliation commission, after similar bodies failed to find the truth or account for the past.

We dont accept it. We dont have faith in it, said one of them.

For the families, international involvement, including in criminal investigations, is important.
Today's headlines: Ko Wen-je, a former mayor of Taipei, and current opposition leader, was arrested this morning in connection with an investigation into a property project. A report by Japanese police states that 40,000 people died alone at home in the first half of 2024. In Timor-Leste, the authorities deny demolishing homes at a site where Pope Francis will celebrate Mass next month. At least five people were killed by an Israeli airstrike against a humanitarian convoy in Gaza by US charity Anera.

PAKISTAN

The Pakistani military has launched intelligence operations in the south-western province of Balochistan after insurgents killed more than 70 people in an attack this week. The army said that five insurgents were killed and three others were wounded in the three operations it launched in the province. Operations will continue until all perpetrators, facilitators and abetters of these atrocious acts are brought to justice," an army statement said.

TAIWAN

Ko Wen-je, Taipeis mayor from 2014 to 2022, who finished third in January's presidential elections as the leader of a small opposition party, was arrested in the early hours of the morning as part of an investigation into a major property development in the Taiwanese capital. The arrest comes after investigators raided his home and party headquarters on Friday and questioned him for hours. Ko has denied any wrongdoing in the case, which involved approving a property project when he was mayor.

JAPAN

According to a report released by the country's police, 40,000 people died alone in their homes in Japan in the first half of 2024. Of these, almost 4,000 were discovered more than a month after their death and 130 bodies remained missing for a year before they were found. According to the United Nations, Japan currently has the worlds oldest population. The agency hopes its report will shed light on the growing problem of an ageing population.

TIMOR-LESTE

Some houses are being demolished near Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, in an area where Pope Francis will celebrate Mass next month. According to the evicted residents, who spoke to the BBC, nearly 90 people were ordered by the government to find a new place to live before the pontiff arrives. The Timor-Leste government denies that the evictions are linked to the papal visit, insisting that residents lived there illegally. Authorities have spent about US$ 18 million on the pontiff's three-day visit, which begins on 9 September.

ISRAEL - GAZA

Anera (American Near East Refugee Aid), a US NGO, said that several employees of the transportation company it works with were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israeli forces said the attack targeted "armed assailants" who were attempting to hijack the convoy organised by the charity. All the victims were in the lead vehicle, the target of the attack. According to unconfirmed reports, five people were killed.

KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Information has announced new rules for the accreditation of journalists, who will have to scrupulously comply with them. The latter include avoiding asking uncomfortable questions to state officials at public events, walking freely in government buildings, and sharing pictures and material with colleagues.

UKRAINE  MOLDOVA

Vasile Soimaru (Shoimaru), an MP for Moldovas ruling Action and Solidarity Party, said on television that Moldovan authorities, like their Ukrainian counterparts, intend to ban the activities of the Metropolis of Chisinau and All Moldova, which is part of the Moscow Patriarchate. Opposition parties accuse the government of seeking to place the local Church under the Romanian patriarchate.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry said the regulations for joint activities of the two countries commissions dealing with the border delimitation and demarcation will be made public on Monday.

The two sides pledged in April to work them out by July 1 as part of a deal whereby the Armenian government controversially ceded four disputed border areas to Baku. They said at the time that the delimitation process will be based on the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration signed by newly independent ex-Soviet republics.

The declaration committed them to recognizing each others Soviet-era borders. But it does not contain a detailed description of those borders.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has repeatedly defended his unilateral concessions, saying that they will lay the groundwork for Azerbaijans recognition of Armenias territorial integrity. He has also said that this positive experience will be used for delimiting other sections of the nearly 1,000-kilometer-long border.

Pashinians government on Tuesday did not explicitly say that the regulations agreed upon by Yerevan and Baku mention the Alma-Ata Declaration. In comments to the official Armenpress news agency, its press office only cited the relevant understanding reached in April.

Nor did the office clarify which sections of the border will be delimited next and when. It said the two sides are due to agree on that sequence after having the regulations validated by their respective state bodies. Armenias Constitutional Court must uphold the regulations conformity with the constitution before they can be sent to the Armenian parliament for ratification, added the office.

The four disputed border areas handed over to Azerbaijan in May and June had been occupied by Armenian forces in 1991-1992. For its part, the Azerbaijani army occupied at the time large swathes of nearby land belonging to several villages in Armenias northern Tavush province. It has not withdrawn from that land in return for the Armenian concessions.

Baku has also refused to withdraw from Armenian border areas seized by its troops in 2021 and 2022. It denies occupying any Armenian territory.

The land transfer strongly condemned by the Armenian opposition sparked angry protests in Tavushs border villages seriously affected by it. The protests were led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian, the then head of the provincial diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

After failing to scuttle preparations for the handover, Galstanian took his campaign to Yerevan where he held a series of big rallies in May and June in a bid to oust Pashinian. He has pledged to resume his campaign in September.
31 August 2024 20:57 (UTC+04:00)

Historically, traditional relations of friendship and brotherhood exist between Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz peoples. Relations between the two countries are at the level of strategic partnership.

Azernews reports, citing AZERTAG that Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov expressed these views at an event organized in Baku on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the independence of the Kyrgyz Republic and the 100th anniversary of the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region.

Congratulating the Kyrgyz state and people on behalf of the Government of Azerbaijan, the minister emphasized: "The historical relations of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyz peoples based on friendship and brotherhood are developing successfully with the political will of the leaders of both countries. With the mutual visits and joint efforts of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, our relations have developed and entered a new stage. Today, cooperation between our countries is developing successfully in many fields, especially in the fields of trade, economy, and transport, and important projects are being implemented on April 20, 2022, during the official visit of the President of Kyrgyzstan, "The Republic of Azerbaijan and The signing of the "Declaration on Strategic Partnership" between the Kyrgyz Republic played an important role in bringing relations to a higher level," said Parviz Shahbazov.

Talking about the economic relations between our countries, effective cooperation in the direction of renewable energy, and joint investments in the field of wind and energy, the minister noted that the Kyrgyz Republic supports Azerbaijan in the construction works carried out in the territories freed from occupation.

He emphasized that the existing strategic partnership, traditional friendly relations, and effective cooperation between our countries will expand further.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
31 August 2024 10:22 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

An exhibition of works by artists of the RAK Art Foundation operating in Bahrain was opened in Baku.

Azernews reports that Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and Anar Alakbarov, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation took part in the event.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, the founder of the RAK Art Foundation, prominent Bahraini artist and collector Rashid Al Khalifa expressed his satisfaction that Bahraini artists shared their inexhaustible talents with art lovers in Azerbaijan. He noted that the RAK Art Foundation promotes international partnership and mutual understanding.

Rashid Al Khalifa said that the purpose of cooperation is to present the rich tapestries of Bahraini artists to the vibrant and colorful art scene of Baku.

Emin Mammadov, the chairman of "Azerkhalcha" OJSC, said that cooperation with the artist Rashid Al Khalifa and the RAK Art Foundation reflects the wider formation of art, international friendship and cultural understanding.

"I am pleased that the general picture of contemporary art examples of Bahrain has been revived in Baku. I believe that this will lead to further expansion of partnership opportunities between our countries."

It should be noted that before this, several exhibitions of Rashid Al Khalifa were organized at the Heydar Aliyev Center.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
31 August 2024 22:13 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

An official reception was organized in Baku on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the independence of the Kyrgyz Republic and the 100th anniversary of the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region.

Azernews reports, citing AZERTAG that Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of the IDEA Public Union (PU), state and government representatives, deputies of the sixth convocation Milli Majlis, representatives of the diplomatic corps in our country and public representatives took part in the event.

At the official reception, the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan were played first.

Expressing his sincere thanks and gratitude to Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, for her participation in the event, the Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to our country, Maksat Mamitkanov, pointed out that our countries are fraternal and brotherly. He emphasized that we are closely connected with each other, mutual relations between our countries, and our joint activities are at an excellent level.

"Let our friendship be eternal and deepen day by day. We highly value this friendship and our strategic cooperation. There is a political dialogue between the two countries. Our joint projects are being continued," the ambassador said.

Speaking about the development path of his country, the diplomat stated that the Kyrgyz people have gone through difficult stages for independence and said.

"The Kyrgyz Republic, like other Turkic-speaking countries, attaches great importance to cooperation and deepening of relations with Azerbaijan. Our countries are successfully represented in various international organizations."

Emphasizing the importance of the state visit of the Kyrgyz President to our country in April of this year, the ambassador touched on the importance of the establishment of the Azerbaijan-Kyrgyz Development Fund and noted its role in expanding cooperation between our countries.

Wishing peace and tranquility to our people, the diplomat expressed his confidence that the Kyrgyz-Azerbaijani friendship, based on historical roots, will continue to develop at an increasing pace based on common interests.

Congratulating the Kyrgyz Republic on Independence Day, Leyla Aliyeva wished peace and prosperity to the Kyrgyz people and recited her poem dedicated to Issyk-Kul Lake.

A memorial gift was presented to Leyla Aliyeva at the event.

Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, who congratulated the Kyrgyz state and people on behalf of the Government of Azerbaijan, said that traditional friendly and brotherly relations between our peoples existed historically. Azerbaijan-Kyrgyzstan relations are at the level of strategic partnership.

"Relations between the Azerbaijani and Kyrgyz peoples, based on historical friendship and brotherhood, are developing successfully with the political will of the leaders of both countries. With mutual visits and joint efforts of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, our relations have developed and entered a new stage. Today, cooperation between our countries in a number of fields, especially in the fields of trade, economy, investment and transport, is successfully developing, and important projects are being implemented. The signing of the "Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kyrgyz Republic" during the official visit of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to our country on April 20, 2022, played an important role in bringing the relations to a higher level," the minister pointed out.

Speaking about the economic relations between our countries, effective cooperation in the direction of renewable energy, and joint investments in the wind and energy sector, Parviz Shahbazov noted that the Kyrgyz Republic supports Azerbaijan in the construction works carried out in the territories freed from occupation.

He expressed confidence that the existing strategic partnership, traditional friendly relations, and effective cooperation between our countries will expand further.

Russia's ambassador to Azerbaijan Mikhail Yevdokimov and other speakers congratulated Kyrgyzstan on its independence day and wished the Kyrgyz people peace, tranquility, and progress.

At the end of the event, a video depicting the Azerbaijan-Kyrgyz friendship was shown.

---

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31 August 2024 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has expressed support for the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, which includes Russia, the United States, and France, in relation to the Garabagh conflict. Speaking at a press conference on August 31, Pashinyan suggested that the Minsk Groups role may no longer be necessary in the context of established peace, Azernews reports citing Interfax.

"In the context of peace, we consider it possible to make a decision to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group. When peace is an established fact, the existence of such a format may raise questions," Pashinyan stated.

He also noted that the timing of this decision is crucial, emphasizing the need to evaluate whether it is appropriate to bring such topics into discussion at this moment.

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31 August 2024 19:36 (UTC+04:00)

It is regrettable that the Prime Minister of Armenia made a series of statements at the press conference held on August 31 that contradict the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process and the efforts to ensure peace and security in the region.

Azernews reports that Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Aykhan Hajizade said in the ministry's statement regarding the views expressed by the Prime Minister of Armenia against Azerbaijan at the press conference.

"Allegations that there are territorial claims against Armenia in the Constitutional Act of Azerbaijan are completely false. In this matter, the attempt to create parallelism and equality between the Constitution of Azerbaijan and the Constitution of Armenia is unacceptable. None of the international partners accept this argument of Armenia, and everyone knows that it is frivolous. Unlike the Constitution of Armenia, the Constitutional Act on State Independence of 1991 and the Declaration of Independence of 1918 referenced in the Constitution of Azerbaijan do not contain any territorial claims against Armenia. Which territories were part of Azerbaijan during the First Republic of Azerbaijan and when they joined Armenia are historical facts and these facts cannot be denied. This does not mean that there are any territorial claims against Armenia in Azerbaijani legislation.

It is also completely unreasonable for the Armenian side to state that the territorial claim in the Constitution of this country is harmless, noting the provision in the draft peace agreement that "no party can refer to its domestic legislation for failure to fulfill its obligations under the peace agreement." We note once again that it is a well-known fact that no international agreement is superior to the Constitution.

That is why, no matter in what form the Armenian side intends to sign the "peace agreement" project, the main condition for signing a real and lasting peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia is ending the ongoing territorial claims against Azerbaijan, which have been established in numerous legal and political documents of Armenia along with its Constitution, which clearly refers to the Act of Independence of Armenia, which calls for the "unification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh".

At the same time, the allegations made by the Prime Minister when justifying Armenia's mass armament efforts do not reflect the truth in any case. First of all, let's note that it is not difficult to understand how it threatens regional peace and security given that for nearly 30 years, Armenia the country that has occupied Azerbaijan's territories in violation of the norms and principles of international law, the UN Charter, and the Alma-Ata Declaration, and taking into account the existence of territorial claims against its neighbors.

The fact that the Armenian side allegedly stated that Azerbaijan's military budget is 14-15 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), which is much more than Armenia's, completely contradicts the information released by the relevant international organizations about the military budget, and this figure is repeatedly exaggerated. In addition, the increase of Armenia's military expenditures by 46 percent compared to last year is another indicator that proves the militarization of Armenia. At the same time, the claim made by the Armenian PM that Azerbaijan allegedly bought weapons from Italy does not reflect the truth.

Looking at the position of the prime minister regarding the Minsk Group, it is clear that the Armenian side's attempts to restore the institution, which is a remnant of the past conflict, demonstrate the existence of this country's hidden agenda against Azerbaijan.

The logic of the prime minister of Armenia that these problems can be ignored shows that this country is not interested in lasting peace and is only trying to keep this situation as a backup option to start aggression against Azerbaijan again in the future.

In order to prove that it is serious about the peace process, Armenia should refrain from contradictory statements and provocative steps, and show that it respects the norms and principles of international law with its actions and at the same time with real steps.

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31 August 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

Yesterday, an official reception was held at the Embassy of Turkiye in Azerbaijan on the occasion of the Victory Day of the brotherly country.

Azernews reports, citing AZERTAG that the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Turkiye were played at the event.

Representatives of the state and government, deputies of the sixth convocation Milli Majlis, ambassadors of foreign countries to Azerbaijan, military attaches, representatives of international organizations, and public representatives took part in the official reception.

After the National Anthem, Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Cahit Bagci read President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's congratulatory letter on August 30 - Victory Day.

The ambassador noted that the Turkish people and the Turkish Armed Forces won a historic victory on August 30, 1922, under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and emphasized that the struggle started by his country 102 years ago ended with victory.

Emphasizing that Turkiye has developed in recent years and become a major power center and voice in the world, the diplomat said that his country actively participates in solving important international issues. Cahit Bagc pointed out that Turkiye is getting stronger, its development in the field of defense industry has reached 80 percent, and it has become a major player in the world.

"The Republic of Turkiye, located in the center of a geography that has witnessed global power struggles for centuries, made an effort to strengthen the Turkish Armed Forces with the slogan "Strong Turkiye, Strong Army". Today, Turkiye has become the country with the second largest military force in NATO," the diplomat said.

He emphasized that work is being continued with the belief that the "Turkish century" will also be the "century of the Turkish world". President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev's words "Our family is the Turkish world" are extremely important and meaningful and show that we have a common perspective in this field.

The ambassador noted that at a time when wars and important trials are being experienced in different parts of the world, our alliance and brotherhood with brother Azerbaijan have become more important.

On behalf of the President of Azerbaijan, Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov congratulated the brotherly Turkish people and all personnel of the Turkish Armed Forces on the occasion of Victory Day, saying that this great victory is one of the brightest pages in the glorious history of Turkiye.

Emphasizing that relations between Azerbaijan and Turkiye are at the highest level, the colonel-general noted the role of both heads of state in reaching this level of relations.

"On August 30, 1922, the Turkish Army under the command of the great general and outstanding statesman Mustafa Kemal Ataturk won a victory that would decide the fate of the War of Independence and the future destiny of Turkiye. This Victory is one of the most glorious pages of the rich history of Turkiye," he said.

Speaking about the new opportunities for the development of the relations between our countries and cooperation in the military field, Z. Hasanov emphasized that Azerbaijan-Turkiye relations reached an even higher level of alliance with the Shusha Declaration: "Today, the relations between Azerbaijan and Turkiye are at the highest level. Azerbaijan-Turkiye relations are successfully developing in all directions, including in the field of defense, with the philosophy of National Leader Heydar Aliyev "One nation, two states" and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's philosophy "Azerbaijan's joy is our joy, its sorrow is our sorrow."

From the first day of the Patriotic War, which started for our ancient land Garabagh, the people of Azerbaijan felt Turkiye's support for our rightful cause. The political and moral support given by Turkiye to Azerbaijan during that period is a clear example of unity and solidarity between the two countries. The historical, religious, political, and economic relations between our countries have created new opportunities for the development of our cooperation in the military field.

Currently, Azerbaijan-Turkiye relations are based on alliance relations based on the Shusha Declaration, and as a part of this, consistent measures are being taken in the field of army building.

The minister emphasized that the cooperation between the armies of the two countries based on mutual trust and brotherhood strengthens our unity, serves to protect peace, stability, and security in the region, and further increases the welfare of our peoples.

According to the order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, necessary steps are being taken to adapt the Azerbaijan Army to the model of the Turkish Armed Forces.

According to him, the successful military reforms implemented, the new technologies applied, as well as the military equipment of various purposes included in the armament, have greatly increased the operational capabilities of our Army and raised its combat capability to a high level.

During this year, "Caucasian Eagle", "Efes", "Kurtaran", "Anatolian Ankas" and other exercises were held with the involvement of various types of troops. After that, it is planned to increase the number of joint training and exercises.

Congratulating the people of brotherly Turkiye and the personnel of the Armed Forces on the occasion of Victory Day, the minister said: "I remember with deep respect the dear memory of our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for statehood and freedom, I wish Azerbaijan and Turkiye new victories and success."

At the end, a film was shown on the occasion of the Victory Day.
31 August 2024 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

Today is a "day of silence" in Azerbaijan due to the Milli Majlis elections to be held tomorrow.

Azernews reports that the pre-election campaign cannot be held today due to parliamentary elections.

According to the Election Code, pre-election campaigning by registered candidates, their authorized representatives and proxies, political parties whose candidates are registered, blocs of political parties, and their authorized representatives and proxies must start 23 days before the voting day and stop 24 hours before the start of voting.

Pre-election campaigning for early parliamentary elections started on August 9, 2024, and the process should be stopped at 8:00 a.m. today.

This day is unofficially called the "Day of Silence".

It should be noted that polling stations will be opened at 8 am and voting will continue until 7 pm. 990 candidates will fight for 125 deputy mandates in the parliamentary elections.

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31 August 2024 13:18 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

An event was held on the occasion of the Victory Day of the Republic of Turkey and the Day of the Turkish Armed Forces, Azernews reports, citing AZERTAG.

Fuad Najafli, the authorized representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Asip Kaya, the Consul General of Turkiye in Nakhchivan, and state and government representatives took part in the event.

First, the dear memory of the martyrs of our fraternal nations was commemorated with a minute of silence, and the national anthems of the Republics of Azerbaijan and Turkiye were played.

Then a video was shown about the history of the victory of the Turkish people.

At the event, the Consul General of Turkiye in Nakhchivan, Asip Kaya, expressed his satisfaction to celebrate the holiday together in Nakhchivan, which the great leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk called the "Gate of the Turks", and read the congratulatory letter of the President of the Republic of Turkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, sent to the Turkish diplomatic missions in foreign countries on the occasion of the Victory Day.

The Consul General said that Azerbaijan-Turkiye brotherhood and friendship is an example to the world, and noted that our union, joint cooperation, and strategic alliance are progressing along the line of continuous development based on the goals set by the heads of state. Conveying his congratulations on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Asip Kaya valued the righteous struggle of Nakhchivan throughout history as one of the glorious pages of common Turkish history. Emphasizing that they welcomed the glorious victory of Azerbaijan in the 44-day Patriotic War and the full restoration of its sovereignty as a result of anti-terrorist operations, the consul general wished success in the parliamentary elections to be held on September 1.

Azerbaijani President's authorized representative to Nakhchivan Fuad Najafli said that it was a great pleasure to celebrate the glorious victory of the Turkish people together, and congratulated the brotherly Turkish people.

He emphasized that this glorious victory was a fundamental turning point on the path to independence of the great Turkish state, and declared the indomitable will, invincibility, struggle, and determination of the brotherly people to the whole world. Honoring the memory of Azerbaijani and Turkish martyrs, the authorized representative emphasized that our brotherly and friendly relations were continued by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan and reached high heights.

He noted that Azerbaijan-Turkiye relations not only express the unity and equality of our peoples but also guarantee peace and tranquility in the region. The Bridge of Hope embodies not only our geographical unity but also our one-nation, two-state relations. The Zangazur corridor, which will be realized in the future, will play an important role in the wider and efficient use of energy and transport-transit opportunities of Nakhchivan by strengthening these connections. The construction of the Igdir-Nakhchivan gas pipeline, which was laid in Nakhchivan with the participation of our heads of state, is also of great importance in this sense.

At the end, a video about the glorious military history of Turkiye prepared by the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Turkey was shown.

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31 August 2024 12:24 (UTC+04:00)

The ever-expanding Azerbaijani-Kyrgyz ties, now elevated to the level of strategic partnership, draw strength from the mutual respect and will of our peoples, who have historically lived in friendship and are bound by unbreakable ties, Azernews reports that, President Ilham Aliyev said in his congratulatory letter to President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov on the occasion of Independence Day.

The head of state underlined that the large-scale programs and projects implemented under the leadership of Sadyr Zhaparov contribute to the comprehensive development of Kyrgyzstan, its socio-economic progress, and the well-being of the Kyrgyz people.

It is gratifying to note that our intergovernmental relations, developed through joint efforts, have entered a new phase. Undoubtedly, our mutual visits and regular meetings have created favorable conditions for this progress.

Today, cooperation between our countries is successfully developing in various fields, particularly in trade, economic, investment, and transportation sectors. I am confident that through our joint efforts, we will realize the full potential of our partnership, further expand our traditionally friendly relations, and enhance our effective collaboration for the benefit of our brotherly peoples, the letter reads.

The Azerbaijani leader appreciated his Kyrgyz counterparts visit to Shusha in early July to participate in the informal Summit of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States.

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31 August 2024 15:15 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to Malaysian King Sultan Ibrahim on the occasion of the country's national holiday - Independence Day, Azernews reports citing AZERTAG.

The letter reads:

"Your Majesty,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I am pleased to congratulate you and, through you, all your people on the occasion of Malaysia's national holiday  Independence Day.

We attach special importance to the development and strengthening of friendly and cooperative relations between Azerbaijan and Malaysia. I believe that we will continue to make joint efforts to successfully maintain and further develop our interstate relations and cooperation in accordance with the interests of our peoples. I hope that within the framework of COP29, which will be held in Baku in November, we will closely cooperate with Malaysia to combat climate change.

On this special day, I wish you robust health, happiness, success in your endeavors, and lasting prosperity to the friendly people of Malaysia."
31 August 2024 15:42 (UTC+04:00)

Chairman of Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission (CEC), Mazahir Panahov, has clarified the participation of citizens of Armenian origin living in Khankendi in the upcoming elections, Azernews reports.

Speaking at a press conference on August 31, Panahov emphasized that equal voting conditions have been established for all citizens, regardless of their nationality.

"We do not differentiate between voters based on their nationality. If they have an Azerbaijani citizen's ID card and are included in the voter lists, they can vote," Panahov stated.

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31 August 2024 17:38 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

On August 31, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov met with the delegation headed by Andrey Yatsky, the coordinator of the international observer group of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS PA), who was on a visit to our country to monitor the upcoming elections to the Milli Majlis.

Azernews reports, citing AZERTAG that at the meeting, the chairman of the CEC said that 6 million 421 thousand 960 citizens can exercise their right to vote in the extraordinary parliamentary elections. He said that 990 candidates are competing in the elections to the Milli Majlis, and all the opportunities for their free pre-election campaign have been created in accordance with the requirements of the legislation. He pointed out that 305 people whose candidacy was registered are representatives of 25 political parties.

The chairman of CEC noted that 598 international and more than 112 thousand local observers joined the election observation. In 1,000 polling stations covering the entire country, a web camera has been installed to directly and continuously observe the voting day processes without any registration.

Noting that 6,478 polling stations were created in the country, M. Panahov said that 6,343 of them are permanent and 135 are temporary. M. Panahov said that ramps for physically disabled people were installed in 2471 polling stations in connection with the early elections to the Milli Majlis, adding that stencils were also prepared for the visually impaired who will participate in the voting.

At the same time, M. Panahov emphasized that three organizations applied to conduct an "exit poll" in connection with the extraordinary parliamentary elections. He said that the elections to the Milli Majlis will be held for the first time in all sovereign territories of Azerbaijan and that comprehensive conditions have been created for the election participants.

The chairman of the CEC noted that 54 polling stations were established for more than 42 thousand voters who have the right to vote in the liberated territories to exercise their constitutional rights.

Andrey Yatskin, the coordinator of the observation mission, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the delegation for the sincere meeting at the CEC, noted that he was happy to participate in the observation of the early elections to the Milli Majlis, and emphasized that they will actively monitor the processes. Noting that the relations of the CIS PA with the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan are at a good level, the guest praised the process of preparation for the extraordinary parliamentary elections in the country.

Within the framework of the meeting, there was also an exchange of views and discussions on various issues related to the elections.

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31 August 2024 19:19 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan are closely connected. Mutual relations between our countries, and our joint activities are at an excellent level. We highly appreciate this cooperation. There is a political dialogue between the two countries. Our joint projects are continued.

Azernews reports that the Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to our country, Maksat Mamitkanov, said this at the official reception organized in Baku on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the independence of his country and the 100th anniversary of the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast.

Speaking about the development path of his country, the diplomat said that the Kyrgyz people went through difficult stages in the success of independence. He pointed out that the Black Kyrgyz Autonomous Province, which celebrated its 100th anniversary, was established on October 14, 1924, and they do not forget their history and maintain loyalty to their values. Noting that Kyrgyzstan prioritizes cultural diversity and social equality, M. Mamytkanov said: "The Kyrgyz Republic, like other Turkic-speaking countries, attaches great importance to cooperation and deepening of relations with Azerbaijan. Our countries are successfully represented in various international organizations."

Touching on the importance of the state visit of the Kyrgyz President to our country in April of this year, the ambassador touched on the importance of the establishment of the Azerbaijan-Kyrgyz Development Fund and noted its role in expanding cooperation between our countries.

Wishing peace and tranquility to our people, the diplomat expressed confidence that the Kyrgyz-Azerbaijani friendship, based on historical roots, will continue to develop at a high pace based on common interests.

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31 August 2024 19:44 (UTC+04:00)

Those working against Azerbaijan are not only the forces in Armenia and Western organisations financed by the Armenian lobbies but also Azerbaijanis working and studying abroad. Although it is extremely disappointing and difficult to say this, the fact is obvious. Moreover, West's comprehensive defense of those persons arrested in Azerbaijan further thrusts them into the limelight and clarifies the facts revealed about their treason.

Bahruz Samadov, a member of the subversive group known as "No War", has been in contact with the representatives of the Special Service Bodies of the Republic of Armenia and the citizens of that country who cooperated with them since 2020, that is, the period of the Patriotic War.

Azernews reports that BakuTv, an Azerbaijani media source has shared detailed information about this in its recent video report.

It was reported that the members of that group always tried to pretend to be supporters of peace and opponents of the war. They mainly defended Armenians and Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan and supported the separatists in Garabagh.

It was noted that Irina Safaryan, Lilit Shahverdiyan, Sossi Tatikyan, and others were among the persons with whom Bahruz Samadov contacted.

"It is necessary to pay special attention to Lilit Shahverdyan among the persons we mentioned. This girl from the Garabagh region, which was liberated by Azerbaijan at the time, received a master's degree at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris. Even French ambassador to Armenia, Olive Decotini, congratulated her on his "X" on the occasion of her admission to the said Institute," the report says.

In addition, it was emphasized that Decotini's special relationship with Lilit Shahverdiyan is also interesting.

"Considering that the Armenian Special Intelligence Service was founded and developed by France, it is clear that Lilit was not accidentally involved in the Armenian special services."

According to the report, Bahruz Samadov collected information about the important processes taking place in the border regions between Azerbaijan and Armenia and in the Garabagh economic region and presented them to the citizens of the Republic of Armenia. In addition, within the framework of the fulfillment of those tasks, Bahruz Samadov prepared disinformation and provocative information calculated to create national, ethnic, and religious enmity in the territory of Azerbaijan and shared it on various accounts on social network platforms.

During his correspondence with Irina Safaryan, who works for the Special Service Bodies of Armenia, through the WhatsApp mobile application, Safaryan was instructed to collect and send information on the processes taking place in Garabagh and other regions, the situation regarding the return of internally displaced persons to the territories freed from occupation, as well as the construction works carried out in those territories and other topics. Bahruz Samadov collected all possible information according to what he was instructed about and sent it to Irina Safaryan.

In the video report, it is stated that during the correspondence of Lilit Shahverdyan, who cooperates with the Special Service Bodies of Armenia, through the "Lilit Stepanakert" telegram channel, Bahruz Samadov, who received a specific task from Shahverdyan, collected information about the Azerbaijani citizen whose photo was sent to him and forwarded it to Armenia, against Azerbaijan, with the purpose of hostility he betrayed the state of Azerbaijan by spying on the state and helping the organizations and representatives of a foreign state.

In addition, Yegiya Tashjyan, who cooperates with the Armenian special services, was tasked with gathering information about the activities of Russian peacekeepers once stationed in Garabagh. Besides that, Bahruz Samadov also supported him with information regarding the remarkable processes taking place in the region, as well as radical religious movements in Azerbaijan, including the activities and members of the "Huseiniyyun" criminal group. Samadov provided Tashjyan with extensive information about all the abovementioned processes under the assignment.

It was reported that after the investigation revealed the specific acts, Bahruz Samadov was detained as a suspect on August 21, 2024, and on August 23, 2024, he was arrested for 4 months under Article 274 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan over high-treason.

The video report emphasized that Bahruz Samadov's anti-Azerbaijani activity does not end only with the mentioned.

"He took part in the event organized by the Armenian diaspora in Prague on the topic of "Ethnic cleansing in Karabakh by the Azerbaijani state, destruction of Armenian cultural heritage", and expressed opinions that served the interests of the Armenian state and were directed against Azerbaijan, including the fact that he was the founder when he participated in that event.

Writing messages on the Telegram group "SAMQ", such as "I am ashamed of my national identity and my blood, I apologize to Azerbaijanis for what they did to Armenians, the only positive movement in Azerbaijan should be directly against the state and identity called Azerbaijan" he organized propaganda against the state of Azerbaijan.

It is stated in the material that Bahruz Samadov was involved in another event organized by the Armenian Church in Prague on May 26, 2024, with the same purpose, and he spoke from the same position there.

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31 August 2024 20:19 (UTC+04:00)

The chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Mazahir Panahov held a press conference on the extraordinary parliamentary elections.

Azernews reports that at the press conference, which was quickly covered by representatives of local and foreign media subjects, final statistical indicators were presented and information was given about the final preparations for the elections to the Milli Majlis.

Speaking at the event, Mazahir Panahov said that the CEC, as the body responsible for the preparation and holding of the elections, tried to organize the extraordinary parliamentary elections from the first day in accordance with the requirements of the Election Code and other legislative acts. "All the steps we took were carried out transparently, media representatives also observed the processes. Observation missions of international organizations, including the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), have been in Azerbaijan since early August. OSCE ODIHR has been widely active in the regions. Also, their representatives participated in the meetings of the CEC," the CEC chairman added.

He pointed out that there are 125 seats of deputies in the Milli Majlis and therefore the same number of constituencies in the country and noted: "Our total number of voters in the country is 6 million 421 thousand 960 people. The number of voters on the permanent voter list is 6 million 308 thousand 851, and the number of temporary voters is 113 thousand 109. 47.57 percent of permanent voters are men and 52.43 percent are women. Most voters are in the age group of 30-39. They make up 23.64 percent of voters. The number of voters who turned 18 on the election day is 374, and the number of voters who participated in the elections to the Milli Majlis for the first time is 51 thousand 141.

He said that all conditions have been created for our voters to realize their constitutional rights. The elections to the Milli Majlis will be held in 6478 polling stations. 6343 of them are permanent and 135 are temporary. Temporary precincts were created 5 days before voting. All polling stations operate transparently, observers have the opportunity to observe the processes freely. However, in terms of observation, temporary stations have their own internal laws, which should be expected. In permanent polling stations, all rules for observers will be applied according to the Election Code.

Azerbaijan is one of the rare countries where new buildings have been built for approximately 80 of the 125 district election commissions. In general, the buildings of DSKs are of high quality and meet modern requirements. Today, all district election commissions in the country have created maximum conditions for conducting election activities.

Emphasizing that 10 of the 125 constituencies created in connection with the elections are IDP constituencies, the CEC chairman said that 397 thousand 862 IDPs will be able to vote in 574 polling stations.

At the same time, M. Panahov said that the oldest female voter, Azizova Tamam Ali, born in 1890, is 134 years old. He is registered in the 38th precinct of the 78th Lankaran village electoral district. The oldest male voter in Azerbaijan is 109 years old. Hilal Isa oglu Ibrahimov, born in 1915, is on the voter list in the fourth electoral district of Sabunchu No. 29. The Chairman of the CEC said that 990 candidates will fight for the deputy mandate in the parliamentary elections. He pointed out that 305 of the candidates for deputy were nominated by 25 political parties. Different layers of society show activity in terms of participation in the elections. Each district has more than 7 candidates. This allows us to say that there is a wide choice.

M. Panahov noted that a total of 112,749 local observers were accredited to participate in the parliamentary elections as observers. About 65,000 of them are observers of 24 political parties. At the same time, 598 people from 51 international organizations and 69 countries were accredited to observe the elections.

"We always cooperate with the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the OSCE. In the end, they make a report together with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly," said the Commission Chairman, noting that 227 people from the OSCE Bureau of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and 61 observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly were registered.

According to him, three organizations have been registered with the Central Election Commission to conduct an "exit poll" in connection with the parliamentary elections - the League for the Protection of Citizens' Labor Rights, the "Progress" Public Association for Social Research, and the "Center for Sociological Research". Two of them have established their activities together with foreign partners. These organizations have a wide range of opportunities. Organizations will carry out their activities in more than 2500 locations.

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31 August 2024 17:16 (UTC+04:00)

The spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry, Nasir Kanani, denied the accusation made by the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine that the Security Service of Ukraine and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) participated in the training of Russian soldiers, calling it an unfounded and politically motivated claim, Azernews reports, citing TASS.

According to TASS, Kanani said: "Such groundless accusations pursue specific political goals and motives, as well as contradict the principled position of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the conflict in Ukraine." "Tehran believes that this conflict should be ended and differences between Russia and Ukraine should be resolved peacefully."

On August 24, Kiev for the first time brought charges against the representative of a third country for allegedly participating in Russia's special operation. The General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine has in absentia accused IRGC General Abbas Musa Sharif Mollasarei of training Russian soldiers in the use of anti-aircraft missiles. In this context, it was also noted that Tehran handed over drones to Moscow, which was previously denied by the authorities of both countries.

Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian President, called such news fake and emphasized that the Russian army uses only domestically produced aircraft. In November 2022, the head of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that a small amount of UAVs had been supplied to the Russian Federation, but this was a few months before the start of military operations in Ukraine.

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31 August 2024 23:57 (UTC+04:00)

The plight of the Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic minority group from Myanmar's Rakhine State, continues to spark a global outcry and spur humanitarian efforts, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

As a result of the crisis, for the past seven years, more than 1.3 million forcibly displaced people have been struggling to survive in dire circumstances.

At the end of 2023, around 117.3 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order, according to a recent report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Among these are 1.3 million Rohingyas, who are predominantly Muslim and have lived in Myanmar for generations.

Often described as "the world's most persecuted minority," Rohingyas have faced systematic disenfranchisement, discrimination and targeted persecution by the Myanmar government for decades. The government does not recognize them as one of the country's official ethnic groups, leaving them stateless and stripping them of citizenship rights.

Tensions escalated dramatically between the Rohingya and the Myanmar government in 2017 following attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on police checkpoints on Aug. 25. Myanmar's military responded with a brutal crackdown that has led to widespread violence, killings and arson.

Described by the UN as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing," the Myanmar military's actions have led to a mass exodus, forcing Rohingyas to seek refuge in neighboring countries including Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Thailand.

Most live in overcrowded refugee camps in Coxs Bazar district of Bangladesh, which are among the largest and most densely populated in the world. Despite a significant influx of aid from humanitarian agencies, dependency on foreign assistance remains ongoing and the security situation is dire.

---

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Manzanita Updates: One Lane Open After N. Oregon Coast Bridge Collapse, Backups Remain

Published 8/30/24 at 12:05 a.m.

By Andre' GW Hagestedt, Oregon Coast Beach Connection





(Manzanita, Oregon)  A bridge just north of Manzanita was discovered to have a partial collapse on Thursday afternoon, causing north Oregon coast officials to close down the Necarney Creek Bridge near MP 39. The total closure caused major traffic issues and backups throughout the area. (Photos courtesy TCEM, Tillamook County Sheriff's and ODOT)

The latest: the bridge has reopened to one-lane traffic only. Flaggers are directing traffic, ODOT said.

The single-lane flagging is likely to continue through the busy holiday travel weekend, so please plan extra time into your trip if youre traveling on U.S. 101 on the northern Oregon coast, ODOT said.

See Tripcheck.com for updates.

Tillamook County Emergency Management (TCEM) had to close down to the bridge for an emergency inspection after a section of guardrail and sidewalk had collapsed. Authorities needed to thoroughly inspect the bridge before allowing any traffic back in.





A Tillamook resident alerted ODOT to the damage at about 4 p.m. Thursday after crossing the bridge, ODOT said. Tillamook County Sheriffs Office deputies closed the lane next to the collapsed section immediately.

In the meantime, the only other route between Cannon Beach and Manzanita is taking Highway 53., which begins in the Nehalem area and connects to Highway 26.

We have no estimate of when repairs can be completed or when the affected lane can be reopened, ODOT said. We suspect that a vehicle struck the bridge sometime Thursday, but we arent aware of any witnesses or any reports of an incident or crash.



It is near MP 39 in the Oswald West State Park Area, four miles north of Manzanita.

Tillamook Coast Visitors Association called it bad, referring to the traffic situation around the north Oregon coast region.

TCEM urges those traveling to the Oregon coast to plan ahead. This may not end before the busy weekend.

 If we flag traffic through a single lane this weekend, expect long delays, TCEM said.

The Necarney Creek Bridge is a very tall one, reaching at least 100 feet down into the canyon of the Cape Falcon area. It was built in 1937, and the section of sidewalk that failed is a part of the original construction, TCEM said.

Tillamook County Sheriff's said to be cautious on OR 53: it is a very winding road and very difficult for large vehicles to navigate and has slower speed limits, so additional time should be considered for completion of your trip.

I have asked Clatsop County Sheriff Phillips to cover emergency police calls within Tillamook County north of the bridge, and Tillamook Ambulance, and other emergency first responders, are aware of the situation and are prepared to respond to any emergency as necessary, said Tillamook County Sheriff Josh Brown. MORE PHOTOS BELOW

Hotels in Manzanita, Wheeler - Where to eat - Manzanita, Wheeler Maps and Virtual Tours







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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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Now that Kamala Harris has been coronated the Democratic Socialist designee for nomination as their candidate for President of these United States, after that political party's contrived primary process "democratically" elected Joseph R. Biden: What are your feelings about this party's progressive posture within their self-styled exercise of "Saving Democracy for America," and how truly critical the outcome of this presidential election will be?

8.7% I am ecstatic that this "Democracy's" First partially Black, First partially Indian, First female Co-Parent, and this nation's primary necessity is to her elect our First woman president.26.09% I really do not care about all these "Firsts." I will continue to pray, and work for this Representative Republic to elect someone competent, and brilliantly patriotic to be our next president.65.22% I will never vote for any politician that "first" does not have the core values to understand how dire this Constitutional Republic's situation has become.
Dublin shows sell out within minutes of going on saleOver 550,000 join queue for Croke Park gigsTicketmaster website crashes and fans report error messagesOasis issue fresh warning to fans over reselling websitesBut reports say two more Irish gigs may be announced

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 16: Noel Gallagher (left) and Liam Gallagher of Oasis pose at Wembley Stadium on October 16, 2008 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images)

A fan uses a smart phone to access an on-line ticket sales website to purchase tickets for Oasis' "Live '25" tour taking place in 2025, at home in Marsden, northern England on August 31, 2024. Millions of Oasis fans queued online early Saturday to buy tickets for the British legends' eagerly-awaited reunion tour next year, but many were frustrated after booking websites appeared overwhelmed. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Screengrab taken from the Ticketmaster.ie website at 0804 of their virtual waiting room as Oasis fans across the UK and Ireland who missed out on pre-sale tickets will be attempting to secure their place at the band's reunion concerts during Saturday's general sale. Issue date: Saturday August 31, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story SHOWBIZ Oasis. Photo credit should read: Ticketmaster.ie/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Screengrab taken from the gigsandtours website at 8.30 of the message shown on screen

Oasis (l-r): Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher on 27.03.1996 in Munchen / Munich. (Photo by Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Screengrab taken from the ticketmaster.co.uk website at 8.30 of the message of the queue to get onto their website.

Ticket prices for Oasis reunion tour dates in Dublin have prompted calls for an investigation into online ticketing site Ticketmaster.

During the scramble for tickets on Saturday, the outlets in demand prices saw some standing tickets go on sale from 350 (415).

Fans were scrambling to secure their place at the bands first tour since their abrupt split in 2009, which includes two now sold-out nights at Croke Park.

About 1.4 million tickets were sold for the 17 outdoor concerts in the UK and Ireland next July and August.

The Dublin gigs are on August 16 and 17  and more could follow.

The Irish Sun is reporting that Oasis are to play two more nights at Croke Park next summer, claiming that the band are "very likely" to play the venue on August 23 and 24 as well as the already announced shows.

At one stage, the ticketmaster.ie website showed over 550,000 users in the queue as fans on laptops, iPads and phones joined the search.

Those in the queue for the London gigs at Wembley Stadium reported more than one million people ahead of them.

Some reported issues affecting the website as the sale started at 8am, branding the situation a joke.

The difficulties have prompted Dublin Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty to call for an investigation into Ticketmaster by the Republics Competition and Consumer Commission (CCPC) due to the pricing structure and advertising of the gigs.

"When ticket prices were advertised earlier this week, standing tickets in Croke Park were 86.50 plus booking fees, but when many people eventually got through the online queue this morning, they were faced with the exact same ticket at a price of 415.50, she said.

"Thats not transparent advertising and certainly not fair to consumers.

The EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) has sections included specifically to ensure large platforms that control aspects of the digital economy dont just make up their own rules that are unfair for consumers.

"I think Ticketmasters in-demand pricing structure certainly needs investigating in this context.

The company said these in demand standing tickets, which were on sale for 415 each, were market-based prices, while many criticised the pricing as gouging.

In response to queries from the Irish Independent about how prices for in-demand tickets are set, Ticketmaster shared a link to their website explaining that platinum or in demand tickets are market-based.

Promoters and artists set ticket prices. Prices can either be fixed or market-based, it said. "Market-based tickets are labelled as platinum or in demand.

Despite the price, fans do not receive anything else with their ticket and it is not part of a package.

There is so much demand that advantage has been taken of peoples support, said Consumers Association of Ireland chair Michael Kilcoyne, adding that such prices continue as consumers, often anxious to see acts they may have been waiting for decades to see perform, are willing to pay them.

He said regulations or controls on ticket or hotel pricing are a matter for Government and the issue should be raised with TDs and those canvassing in the upcoming election.

Consumers should weigh up in their mind whether it represents value for what it costs and act accordingly.

There has already been anger at tickets appearing on resale sites at hugely inflated fees. One ticket for Oasis's show at Wembley Stadium in London on July 26 was priced at over 6,000.

Screengrab taken from the ticketmaster.co.uk website at 8.30 of the message of the queue to get onto their website.

The Gallaghers announced on Tuesday that they had put their acrimonious split behind them, confirming the band's long-awaited reunion by saying: "The great wait is over."

Noel, 57, quit the group on August 28 2009, saying he "simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer", and the brothers have made negative comments about each other for more than a decade.

But their comeback sparked a stampede for tickets, with fans joining the rush on Saturday morning.

Among those successful was Eamonn Magill (44), a boxing referee from north Belfast.

"Honestly, I can't believe it. I feel really lucky, he said today.

I've been an Oasis fan from the first time I head Supersonic 30 years ago and they played the Limelight in 1994. The only difference is that back then the tickets were less than 7.

"I was shocked when they split in 2009, but I've still followed Liam and Noel through their band Beady Eye and High Flying Birds even though it wasn't the same.

"I was up early today to get online for tickets and even though the site went down a few times I still managed to get two tickets.

"I'm going to Croke with my mate Gavin whose also an Oasis nut. It'll be a nice present as he's turning 50 and still has his Oasis posters from when he was a kid."

But other fans reported problems on the ticketmaster.ie page for the two shows at Dublin's Croke Park, which went on sale at 8am.

Instead of a page opening to buy tickets, an error number was displayed, which usually indicates a webpage is unable to handle any more connections.

A long-time fan trying for tickets to see Oasis in Dublin next year said he feels "frustration" and "anger" after he was kicked out of the Ticketmaster queue.

Scott McLean, 28, logged into his account on the ticket-selling website at 7.30am on Saturday ahead of Irish sales opening at 8am.

He was in a queue of 20,000 for around 30 minutes before selecting four tickets to see the band's show at Croke Park.

However, his browser began buffering for half an hour as he tried to make the purchase, prompting him to contact the Ticketmaster customer service account on X, formerly Twitter, for advice.

"I followed their advice, cleared my cookies and cache on my browser and then it kicked me out completely. It just came up to that error screen after I followed their guidance," the business analyst from Belfast said.

"I had to rejoin the queue and I ended up about 700,000 places worse off after following their guidance."

He said he feels "frustration and anger, not much more than that", adding: "It's just tickets for a concert after all, but I really wanted to go."

Another banded the Ticketmaster queuing system as a joke.

"A venue that holds 70k people has a queue for over 450k. It is unlikely people will just be buying one. So thats at least 900k tickets needed. How does that make any sense? Just close the queue, the fed-up fan said.

"And thats not to mention the queue to get into the website itself. Dire.

Another, who did get tickets, said it was frustrating.

It was absolutely no surprise that the Ticketmaster website couldnt handle the volume of traffic on Saturday morning given the number of people who wanted to go to these gigs. Its a frustrating experience, he said.

We were lucky to get tickets in the pre-sale, but even that should have been limited to people who had previously been on Liam or Noels mailing lists.

"There has been no effort made to ensure fans get tickets over bandwagon-jumpers.

Ticketmaster's website called for patience from fans, posting a message which read: "As expected Oasis is incredibly popular. We're processing orders as quickly as possible so please keep your place in line."

In a separate statement, the company said the queue was "moving along", reporting millions of people were accessing their website.

A similar code was visible at gigsinscotland.com/artist/oasis as Scottish fans had difficulties getting onto the website for the Edinburgh shows.

The tickets.seetickets.com/tour/oasis weblink, where fans could book for several UK shows, also appeared unavailable.

A message said: "Our website is very busy! We have lots of people looking for tickets and you are being held on this page until a space becomes available. This page will refresh automatically."

On Friday evening the band issued a warning after unofficial reselling websites listed tickets obtained in the pre-sale ballot for thousands of pounds.

A post to the band's X page said: "We have noticed people attempting to sell tickets on the secondary market since the start of the pre-sale.

"Please note, tickets can ONLY be resold, at face value, via @Ticketmaster and @Twickets.

"Tickets sold in breach of the terms and conditions will be cancelled by the promoters."

Tickets are officially being sold via Ticketmaster, GigsAndTours, and See Tickets, however, the band's reunion concert tickets have also been relisted on ticket exchange and reselling websites for thousands of pounds.

Some Oasis tickets for Wembley Stadium were listed on Viagogo for up to 5,909 while some tickets at the London venue, listed under "Hospitality Club", were on sale for 10,578 on StubHub.

The StubHub website says all Oasis tickets "come with our FanProtect 100% guarantee for secure purchasing."

Before the announcement for the UK shows, Irish promoter MCD said on its website that the price of both of the two Croke Park gigs in Dublin will start at 86.50 euros (72.75) without booking fees.

Viagogo and StubHub along with the official ticket sellers have been approached for comment.

Oasis: Mancunian rockers who took on the world before their acrimonious split
The festival was last held in 2019

The colourful Newry Pride parade returns after a five year hiatus. Photograph: Columba OHare/ Newry.ie

Janet Devlin takes to the stage at Newry Pride. Photograph: Columba OHare/ Newry.ie

A large crowd greeted the return of Newry Pride to the city. Photograph: Columba OHare/ Newry.ie

Leading the Newry Pride parade which returns to the city after a 5 year absence is Cllr Pete Byrne, Chairperson, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council with the assistance of Belfast Mayor Cllr Micky Murray and Deputy Chairperson, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Cllr David Lee Surginor. Photograph: Columba OHare/ Newry.ie

Pride marchers have returned to the streets of Newry following a five-year absence.

Crowds flocked the city on Saturday as the festival bounced back from a hiatus blamed on lack of funding, lack of resources and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council SDLP Chair Pete Byrne hosted the event alongside Alliance Party Deputy Chair David Lee-Surginor. Both men are from the LGBT community.

Mr Byrne recalled how he had been afraid to walk in the citys parade a number of years ago.

"When I first became a councillor in 2016, I was afraid to walk in the Pride parade, he told the BBC.

"Now eight years after that, we're there hosting it as chair and deputy chair of the council.

"It's a festival for the whole family. It is a real spectacle of colour, of music, of dance, of just pure joy within the community.

Neil McGrath Kelly and Podge O Ceallaigh at Newry Pride. Photograph: Columba O'Hare/ Newry.ie

Mr Lee-Surginor replied: "Eight years ago, we wouldn't even have things like marriage equality. So there have been massive strides for equality."

Mr Byrne and Mr Lee Surginor led the parade alongside Belfast Mayor Micky Murray, who recently hosted Belfast Pride, while former X-Factor contestant Janet Devlin entertained crowds on stage in Newry.

Newry and Armagh MP Daire Hughes praised the events organisers  LGBTQ+ Womens Group Newry  for running a fantastic day.

"Brilliant to see the parade return. It has always been a showcase of Newrys communities at their best, he posted on X.

"As always, great craic, an explosion of colour and flair!

"Maith sibh (well done) LGBTQ+ Womens Group Newry for organising.

The Housing Executive also posted pictures featuring the event.

"We are an inclusive employer committed to representing the diverse communities we serve, they posted.

It was brilliant to take part in todays Newry Pride parade in the city, great to be part of the fantastic family event on a beautiful day.
Belfast City Councils pest control service is understaffed and struggling to deal with residents pest issues and pest control at council properties, councillors have been told.

Council officers have explained there are not enough in-house council staff and the council is facing difficulties in recruiting new employees.

Officers at a committee meeting at City Hall unsuccessfully asked for approval for a 700,000 outside contract for pest control but faced opposition from Sinn Fein, who believe the money should be brought in-house to expand the councils own service.

Elected representatives were asked at the recent meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee to approve tenders and single tender actions over 30,000 and note contract modifications.

In the contracts update, amongst a list of actions, councillors were asked to approve a spend of 700,000 on a five year contract for outsourced pest control services, to complement the councils own inhouse service.

All contracts except the pest control contract were agreed by councillors.

A council report document states the contract would be to support sites/premises/managers across the council with pest control services required at council owned sites.

Sinn Fein councillor Ronan McLaughlin said at the meeting: I understand our own Pest Control Unit is under severe pressure in relation to this, across the city.

This is a service we offer for free for our residents, even though we are not on a statutory footing to do so. And I definitely think that should continue.

We have a previous pest control contract for this, so I would like to know the amount we actually did spend.

And would it not be wiser to spend up to the value of 700,000 to invest in our own Pest Control Unit, where we would have them available 365 days a year, rather than having an external company who would only be there as and when described.

That would increase the input of our own Pest Control Unit and we would have what is required in terms of the other commercial facilities that relate to this contract.

The City Solicitor Nora Largey said: The difficulty is staffing limits and also recruitment. Not only are there not enough staff to provide the current amount for residents but also there are difficulties in recruiting staff.

Actually if we try to take this in-house, we are worried it would have a detrimental impact on the service we provide to the public.

Obviously there are competing obligations, those to the public, and also those immediate response requirements.

For example if there were pests observed in the Great Hall (at City hall) on a Saturday at 4pm we would need somebody there within an hour.

We wouldnt have the capacity inhouse to deliver for the public and internally as well.

Mr McLaughlin replied: Not having a report on what an inhouse model could look like is really tying our hands together in terms of trying to make an informed decision on this.

Surely we would be using the 700,000 to create the jobs, in order to cement the capacity.

He added that he wanted to see people hired to permanent positions and said his party would not agree to the 700,000 outside contract.

He asked for a report to be returned to the committee on a totally inhouse model for pest control.

The committee supported the Sinn Fein proposition to not agree to the contract and have an inhouse paper prepared.
My daughter is now afraid to go on a bus, says mother of crash victim
Riot police in Belfast during the violence (Photo by Kevin Scott)

A fundraiser organised by a south Belfast bonfire committee that appears to be directed at those unfortunately arrested, jailed or bailed in relation to rioting in the area has been branded sickeningly insensitive.

The loyalist Village Bonfire Committee took to social media to inform supporters of a party on September 28, which is charging 5 entry and raffling prizes including alcohol and free haircuts.

All money raised will be split between all the familys [sic] equal [sic] to somehow help in any way possible, the post reads.

Earlier this month, racially-motivated disorder gripped the Village area, with several people arrested and charged. Some were denied bail.

Police also fired baton rounds as they came under attack in Sandy Row, where an attempt was made to re-torch a Syrian supermarket that had been burnt out less than 48 hours before. Meanwhile, a man in his 50s was hospitalised after being seriously assaulted in the Donegall Road and Oban Street area of the city in what police were treating as a hate crime.

Temporary assistant Chief Constable Melanie Jones said the victim was brutally attacked by a mob.

Witnesses reported seeing his attackers stamp on his head as other, decent members of the public attempted to shield him from further attack, she added.

The violence followed an anti-immigration protest in the city centre, after which businesses in south Belfast were attacked and a cafe set alight.

Ms Jones said she had no doubt there was a paramilitary element involved in orchestrating the disorder.

Alliance councillor Emmet McDonough-Brown condemned the committees fundraiser.

After the appalling racist violence on our streets earlier in August, which saw businesses and livelihoods destroyed by thugs and louts, a number of arrests were made and the criminal justice system is rightly processing those accused, he said.

It is sickeningly insensitive to the victims to see fundraising to support those arrested, jailed or bailed as a consequence of their own actions.

Those who participate in this fundraising are complicit in race hate and must be challenged.

There was also rioting in the area last month, however it was not racially motivated and attacks were focused on the police.

Over the course of several nights, officers came under sustained attacks by crowds of up to 40 people close to the Broadway roundabout.

Children as young as seven were involved in throwing bricks, petrol bombs and other missiles at police lines. PSNI vehicles were also attacked.

The violence led to South Belfast MLA Edwin Poots proposing that pedestrian access between the Boucher Road and the Village area be removed in a bid to quell the rioting.

Julys bonfire in the Village was the source of controversy after a sectarian sign was placed on it.

It included the threat ATAT, which is understood to mean All Taigs are Targets, alongside a set of crosshairs.

The sinister message also contained insults directed at this newspaper as well as the Irish News.
Details of some current and former staff have been inadvertently released to 22 people who have been invited to a job interview.

A three-page document, including the surnames and first initial of all staff employed at the ombudsmans office in May 2022, was accidentally released on Thursday. In some cases staff working patterns were detailed.

One page includes a list of staff movements, with the full names of the staff involved detailed.

The data leak is understood to involve 160 current and former staff.

One individual affected told the Belfast Telegraph there was much anger among staff at the leak.

I have spoken to several staff members who like myself are very angry and concerned that employee data has been unlawfully disclosed, they said today.

After the PSNI data breach you would like to consider employers, especially the Police Ombudsman's Office, would have taken steps to try and prevent a similar incident occurring.

Last August, the surnames and initials of all the PSNI's 9,500 staff were released by mistake. Police later confirmed that the information was in the hands of dissident republicans.

The Police Ombudsman breach is revealed in a letter sent to staff yesterday, and seen by this newspaper.

Hugh Hume, chief executive of the ombudsmans office, acknowledged the incident was distressing.

His letter states: I am contacting you about a data breach which the Office of the Police Ombudsman has experienced and which concerns your personal data.

A three-page word document which contains details of the office's staff complement in May 2022 has been inadvertently released (Thursday 29 August 2024) to 22 people who are being invited to interview as part of an ongoing recruitment exercise.

The document contains the initial and surname of all members of staff employed at that time, listed by the service area or team in which they work.

Where a member of staff is not full time, it also notes the working pattern (for example 0.8 or 0.5) Agency staff are identified as either 'agency or 'A' and contracted staff are identified with the letter 'C'.

The document also contains one page with a list of staff movements, that is, those who had resigned, were due to retire, were on career breaks, moving between teams, or new starts.

The majority of staff in this section of the document are listed using their first name and surname. Relevant dates are also included in most cases.

Mr Humes letter said the document that had been leaked was created on May 4 2022 and was last edited on May 27 2022.

The letter continues: I know this will be distressing news for you and I apologise unreservedly. It should not have happened.

We have taken immediate action to mitigate the breach.

Mr Hume said the office has contacted all 22 people who received the information to ask that they 'double' delete the document - removing it from their inbox and trash folder. The office has also issued an email recall.

The Information Commissioners Office has been contacted about the leak.

Mr Hume added: We have notified the ICO and will appoint an independent external investigator to review the incident and make recommendations.

I will contact you again in due course and once again, I apologise unreservedly.

A spokesperson for the Police Ombudsmans Office said today: The office has taken immediate action to mitigate the breach, including contacting those who received the document in error. To date, 20 of the 22 individuals have confirmed that they have deleted the email and associated documentation.

We have apologised unreservedly to our current staff for the error which should not have happened and are also contacting former staff whose details are included in the document. In total 160 current and former staff are affected.

We have notified the ICO and will appoint an independent external investigator to review the incident and make recommendations.
Sinn Fein support in the Republic of Ireland has dipped again as party leader Mary Lou McDonalds approval rating dropped below Aontus Peadar Toibin in the latest Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll.

Ms McDonald has seen support for her party dip to 18pc, down 1pc and losing the ground made up on rival parties last month.
A new sculpture honouring links between Ireland and the Choctaw Nation has been unveiled in Oklahoma.

The Choctaw Nation describes itself as the third-largest Indian Nation in the United States with over 225,000 tribal members and over 12,000 associates.

The first tribe over the forced displacement known as the Trail of Tears, it has an oral tradition dating back over 13,000 years and its historic reservation boundaries are in the southeast corner of Oklahoma, covering 10,923 square miles.

In 1847, having recently endured the Trail of Tears by the US government, the Choctaw Nation came together to raise 170 dollars (roughly equivalent to 5,000 dollars today) to support the Irish during Great Famine.

The Choctaws heartfelt donation was sent to Midleton in County Cork, providing much-needed relief.

In 1995, then Irish president Mary Robinson visited the Choctaw Nation to express gratitude and rekindle the friendship between the two nations.

During the visit, president Robinson was appointed Honorary Chief of the Choctaw Nation.

This historic visit marked the beginning of a renewed commitment to honour the bond forged by the Choctaws selfless act.

In 2017, the Kindred Spirits sculpture, designed by Irish artist Alex Pentek, was erected in Midleton, serving as a permanent reminder of the enduring connection between the Choctaw Nation and Ireland.

Over the years, the Irish and the Choctaws have continued to honour this bond through various acts of generosity.

In 2020, amid the global Covid-19 pandemic, Ireland provided aid to Native American tribes severely impacted by the crisis.

On Friday, a new Eternal Hearts sculpture was unveiled in Oklahoma.

It is designed to serve as a reminder of the power of compassion and solidarity by standing as a testament to the enduring friendship between the Choctaw Nation and people of Ireland.

The eight-foot tall sculpture, created by Choctaw Nation tribal member Samuel Stitt, was unveiled at the Choctaw Capitol Grounds.

The sculpture combines a Celtic trinity shape intertwined with a heart and is placed facing Ireland.

It was a joint commission, funded by the Government of Ireland and the Chahta Foundation.

Minister of State Thomas Byrne travelled to Oklahoma to join members of the Choctaw Nation for the unveiling.

He said: This memorial will be a permanent symbol of the enduring and meaningful friendship between our two nations, a relationship which began with an act of solidarity and extraordinary generosity during the darkest years of the Great Irish Famine.

This unveiling is an important opportunity to reflect on the tragic events of our past and to remember the remarkable humanitarian efforts that forged the bonds of friendship between our nations.

Ireland is proud of our own history of humanitarian support, particularly the recent support we saw to the Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund, as well as the work of the Irish Cultural and Learning Foundation community in Arizona during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am sure that todays event, coupled with our shared history will continue to strengthen Irelands engagement and links with the Choctaw Nation.

Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton said: We are grateful for the giving hearts of our Choctaw ancestors that brought us here today. We are excited to see what this eternal bond will bring to future generations of Choctaw and Irish, and we are extremely proud to call the people of Ireland our friends and kindred spirits.
Stephen Flynn was speaking as SNP members gathered for their annual conference (Jane Barlow/PA)

The SNP would have fared worse in the general election if the coalition with the Greens had not ended, the partys Westminster leader has said.

Former first minister Humza Yousaf ended the powersharing deal earlier this year over fears that Green members were set to scrap the agreement themselves.

The decision set off a chain of events which resulted in Mr Yousafs resignation.

Scottish Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater lost their ministerial positions when the deal was ended by Humza Yousaf (PA)

But Stephen Flynn  who had long made clear his discomfort with the deal  said had it still been in place on July 4, the SNPs election drubbing would have been worse.

He told Holyrood magazine: It wasnt working.

I think if wed still been in coalition with the Greens, there wouldnt be nine SNP MPs.

Asked to clarify, Mr Flynn said: It would be less.

Stephen Flynn said he would have fewer than the current eight SNP colleagues at Westminster had the Greens still been in Government in Scotland on July 4 (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA)

The party lost dozens of MPs in July, capping off 18 months of turmoil which has seen three leaders take the helm and a long-running police investigation into financial issues.

As part of the police probe, former chief executive  and Nicola Sturgeons husband  Peter Murrell has been arrested and charged in connection with the alleged embezzlement of party funds and a report was later sent to the prosecution service.

Mr Flynn spoke as the party met in Edinburgh for its annual conference, with the event kicking off with a behind-closed-doors post-mortem of the election result hosted by leader John Swinney.

A spokesman for the Scottish Greens said: The Scottish Greens have delivered an emergency rent freeze and protections for tenants across Scotland, free bus travel for young people and record investment to tackle the climate and nature emergencies. Which of these changes does Stephen Flynn think werent working?

The Scottish Greens secured our strongest general election result to date while Stephen Flynn led a campaign that saw his party losing 38 MPs.
Ukraine has so far been provided with six F16 fighters by its Western partners (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, File)

Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky fired the commander of the countrys air force on Friday, four days after an F16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed during a Russian bombardment and killed the pilot.

The order to dismiss Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website.

We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers, Mr Zelensky said in an address minutes after the order was published.

He said Ukraine needs to strengthen its army on the command level.

One of Ukraines F16s crashed on Monday during a Russian missile bombardment (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Lieutenant General Anatolii Kryvonozhko was appointed acting air force commander, the armys general staff said.

The dismissal came on the same day that Mr Oleshchuk directed scathing criticism at a lawmaker who is deputy head of the Ukrainian parliaments defence committee for her claims that the F16 was downed by a Patriot air-defence system. Ukraine has received an unspecified number of the US-made systems.

Mariana Bezuhla cited unnamed sources for her claim and demanded punishment for those responsible for the error.

Mr Oleshchuk accused Ms Bezuhla of defaming the air force and discrediting US arms manufacturers and said that he hoped she would face legal consequences for her claims.

The truth will win, Ms Bezuhla posted on X shortly after the dismissal order was published.

The air force did not directly deny that the F16 was hit by a Patriot missile.

US experts have joined the Ukrainian investigation into the crash, the air force said.

Meanwhile, a Russian attack on the north-eastern city of Kharkiv using powerful plane-launched glide bombs killed six people, including a 14-year-old girl on a playground, and wounded 47 others, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

The bombs struck five locations across the city, which had a pre-war population of 1.4 million people, the governor said.

One of the bombs hit a 12-storey apartment block, setting the building ablaze and trapping at least one person on an upper floor. Emergency crews searching for survivors feared the structure could collapse.

In other developments, Ukrainian rockets hit the Russian city of Belgorod and its surroundings on late Friday, killing five people and injuring 37, said regional govenor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

The region borders northern Ukraine and comes under drone or artillery attacks almost daily.

Zelenskyy pointed to the Kharkiv strikes as further evidence that Western partners should scrap restrictions on what the Ukrainian military can target with donated weapons.

The Kharkiv strike wouldnt have happened if our defence forces had the capability to destroy Russian military aviation at its bases. We need strong decisions from our partners to stop this terror, Mr Zelenskyy said.

F16s are one of the weapons that could be used to hit Russian bases behind the front line.

Mr Oleshchuk said on Telegram that a detailed analysis was already being conducted into why the F16 jet went down on Monday, when Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage at Ukraine.
How to get away with murder: The 1922 killing of a Catholic pub owner that shocked Belfast... and may now be solved
The scheme was first suggested almost 10 years ago

A bottle return scheme is set to go live in three years, almost a decade after a minister proposed it.

Edwin Poots was agriculture and environment minister when he ordered a look at a deposit return system, after recalling memories from his childhood.
UVF bomb scare suspect admits having weapon and silencer

The gym owner is awaiting sentencing for his part in the 2022 Simon Coveney hoax

Darren Service

Christopher Woodhouse Sat 31 Aug 2024 at 17:19

The man accused of being behind a UVF-linked bomb scare targeting former Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney has admitted illegally keeping an air rifle and silencer.
Unsplash

I definitely dont feel like the odd woman out anymore.

Nicole Moore, 30, wears a veil to church every Sunday. Sometimes called a mantilla, these sheer head coverings are usually made of lace or silk; Nicoles is gray, with a floral-like pattern. Worn by women throughout the Catholic churchs history, chapel veils fell out of favor during the late twentieth century, but in recent years theres been an explosion of veiling, says Moore, who attends St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Manhattan.

Her pastor, Father Peter Martyr Yungwirth, 39, tells The Free Press he has also noticed an increase in veiling over the last two decades. Indeed, Veils by Lily, a website that sells mantillas, has gone from filling 30 to 60 orders per month to an average of 900 in the last ten years. And it seems to be young Catholics driving the trend. I have definitely noticed an increase of women, especially young adult women, wearing veils, says Father Roger Landry, 54, Catholic chaplain of Columbia University. He interprets the veiling trend as an attempt to be maximally reverent to God at Mass and in receiving Holy Communion.

That may be the ultimate reason for veiling, but its not the only one. To better understand whats behind the boom, I reached out to over a dozen Catholic women, ranging in age from 19 to 42, who choose to wear a veil to church.

Havens Howell, 26, of Virginia, tells me that donning the mantilla does indeed remind her that shes entering a sacred space, with things that are holy and dont happen anywhere else.

Initially at least, the appeal can be aesthetic. I just thought it was really pretty, Bernadette Patel, 27, of New York, says. Meanwhile Amanda Kengor, 22, from New York, tells me she began veiling because everyone started doing it.

Yet all the women I spoke to say veiling has become a profoundly meaningful religious practice in their lives.

Amanda Kengor inside the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer. The veils resurgence traces that of the Traditional Latin Mass in recent years.

Veiling ceased to be the norm after the Catholic Churchs modernizing reforms of the 1960s, commonly known as Vatican IIwhich, among other things, placed restrictions on whether parishes could offer the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM).

In the following decades, these regulations were gradually relaxed. But the roots of the mantillas resurgence lie in 2007, according to Father Landry. Thats when Pope Benedict XVI increased younger generations exposure to the TLM by officially lifting the restrictions on it. Pope Francis reversed this decision in 2021. By that point, however, it had caught on. The year before, a survey found a high volume of participation in the TLM among 18- to 39-year-old practicing Catholics in the U.S.

Veiling at the TLM is the norm, but many women just kept veiling, Father Landry says, even when they attended the modern Mass.

Maria Grizetti, 42, a religion teacher at St. Vincent Ferrers all girls high school, explains that before Benedict XVI, there was the Pope John Paul II generation that had grown up without the TLM. Then that generation learned what worship was like before Vatican II. They learn that their grandmother prayed this way, said Grizetti, and theyre like, I want to pray like this. 

She does not wear a veil herself, but several of her teenage students have recently approached her to ask where they might acquire mantillas.

Wearers note the biblical basis to veiling as a practice of modesty and distinguishing the sexes.

The veil boom is organicoccurring neither at the direction of, nor in defiance to, church authorities. There is a social element to it. When Cora Scheib, 24, from Maryland, saw young college women veiling, she found it intriguing and mysterious because I didnt really know what requirements that you had to meet. Were they, like, part of a group? When she realized there were no requirements, she bought herself a veil.

Kengor told me that most of her friends, and her sister, are really traditional Catholicsand when they started veiling, Amanda wanted to follow suit. It was only after she started wearing it that someone told her the veil had a scriptural basis.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul instructs women to cover their heads, to both comply with contemporary standards of modesty and emphasize a distinction between the sexes.

When I realized it was biblical, Amanda said, I was like, Oh, well, there you go. Thats my reasoning. 

Veiling prepares worshippers to the enter sacred spaces, with things that are holy and dont happen anywhere else.

But over time, Amandas appreciation for veiling deepened. I reached a point where I feel its a kind of mystical thing, she said. For her, stepping into church and putting on my veil just reminds me of the fact Im in a different place. I dont do this anywhere else.

The same is true for Patel, who converted to Catholicism in 2016 when she was at college in California. She moved to New York in 2019. There, she saw other young, traditionally minded women veiling, which she thought was pretty. But after she got her own veil, she fell in love with it as a way to show that Jesus is really present in the Blessed Sacramentthat is, the bread and wine Catholics believe is transformed into Christs body and blood at Mass.

Now, she never leaves her apartment without her mantilla: I always carry my veil, my phone, my keys, my wallet.

Catholicism is experiencing a wave of nostalgia for an ancient, more solemn and reverent form of the religionthe kind that inspired Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Even many Catholics who attend the modern Mass remain attached to the pre-Vatican II practices and help to preserve some of the churchs reverent traditions. Among the laity, this might mean wearing formal attire instead of jeans, or kneeling at communion and having the priest place the host directly on ones tongue rather than standing and receiving by hand. Among priests, it might mean facing the altar as opposed to the congregation, or insisting on male-only altar servers.

And among womenit might mean wearing a veil.

For certain devotees, the veil has become a comforting accessory to prayer, helping them connect to God.

Ann Clare Levy, 28, of Virginia, is one of an increasing number of Catholics who are drawn to the forms of worship that were common before Vatican II. She tells me that veiling just kind of fits this entire aesthetic in parishes with Gothic and Baroque architecture, which you dont see in as many modern parishes.

When you have a parish thats filled with women wearing these finely made pieces of lace, its beautiful to look at, she says, and this tangible beauty is evocative of a lost type of Catholicism.

Some Catholics who want the church to move in a more progressive direction find these practices archaic, or even threatening.

When Patel, who always carries her veil in New York City, visited a less traditional parish near her familys California hometown, she recalls the priest glaring at her throughout Mass. She was wearing her veil, of course. On another occasion, at a liberal parish in New York, a priest smiled and welcomed her two veil-less friends but greeted her with uncharacteristic coldness. Patels friends later suggested to her that the priest was put off by her veil.

Wearing a veil is making a doctrinal statement, one Catholic writes on Reddit. And I dont really believe any younger woman who wears a veil today is unaware of that, protestations about prettiness aside.

Another Catholic, who recalls his mother and sisters veiling before Vatican II, writes that all the women I know doing this now are rabid tradcaths with a holier than thou attitude.

Some women, aware of such sentiments, worry that their veiling will send a message of moral superiority. My main concern was that people would think that I was trying to be holier-than-thou, Moore told me, referring to her early days of veiling. Kengor said it was part of her hesitation too. And one of the frequently asked questions on the Veils by Lily website is: Shouldnt I avoid drawing attention to myself at Mass?

Kengor was concerned that she would be perceived as holier-than-thou for wearing a veil. She explained that the practice has both scriptural and aesthetic meaning.

Patel said that while she regrets being misunderstood, in some cases, the characterization may be partly true. Bernadette explains that she got really into the TLM during the pandemic, but she noticed a tendency among some TLM Catholics to think they were better than those who attend the modern Mass. Though she disagrees with Pope Franciss restrictions on the TLM, which she finds beautiful, she understands why the Pontiff is concerned about a splintering of the church.

Likewise, Madeline Wiseman, a 19-year-old Columbia student who grew up veiling, has become aware since starting college in New York, that many women at Mass feel like theyre being personally judged by veil wearers. While she would still love to wear a veil, she refrains from doing so to be more approachable to less traditional or even non-Catholic students who might be attending Mass.

Shes not the only woman who feels conflicted about wearing the veil. I spoke to another, who didnt want to be named, who said she was forced to wear a mantilla growing up, which she says left her with a little bit of a sour taste in my mouth. Her family were part of a sect of hyper-traditionalist Catholics, the Society of St. Pius V, which questions the legitimacy of postVatican II popes.

Now 26, she attends the modern Mass in a Virginia parish where there is no pressure to veil. She still does from time to time, but is still trying to decide for myself how she feels about the practice. She wants to dig into the 2,000-year history and beautiful scriptural meanings that are associated with it.

Im trying to rediscover my true devotion for veiling, she says.

Adherents note that veiling resonates with the gothic and baroque architecture of many Catholic churches.

In Corinthians, men are instructed not to cover their heads. Scholars debate the passages precise meaning, but one theological explanation for the asymmetry lies in Christian symbolism: Women represent the church, the submissive bride to Christ, while men represent Christ, the self-sacrificing groom.

Among progressives, the veil, representing distinct gender roles, is sometimes interpreted as a sign of female subservience. One op-ed writer for the National Catholic Reporter argues that it is backward, if not downright repressive.

But the women I spoke to rejected comparisons to the hijab, arguing that the mantilla is not mandatory. The decision to wear one is and ought to be freely made. They also note that the veil is not worn in all public places, but simply in church, to signify a difference between sacred and non-sacred spaces.

People dress beautifully to go see the King or Queen, says Nicole LeBlanc, 25, from Michiganso it should be with the Lord.

Kathleen Stenlund, 34, a doctor and mother of five whos also based in Michigan, thought veiling was demeaning at first. She changed her mind after reading the late Belgian American philosopher and theologian Alice von Hildebrand, who criticized feminists for considering mantillas a sign of [womens] inferiority.

My goodness, the theologian wrote, how they have lost the sense of the supernatural.

When I realized it was biblical, Amanda Kengor said, I was like, Oh, well, there you go. Thats my reasoning. 

Von Hildebrand argues whatever is sacred calls for veiling, which includes the female body with its unique capacity to bear life. Reading her work, Stenlund came to believe that veiling signaled the glory of femininityand adopted the practice. The last God created was woman, she says, almost as if woman was his crowning creation.

All the women I spoke to felt that the veil dignified them, and many say it helps them express their love for the Lord. Nicole Moore, from New York, put it best. For her, the veil has become a comforting accessory to prayer, and helps her connect to God.

Its like feeling Im under a blanket, she told me. I can kind of shut other things out.

This article originally appeared in The Free Press.
BENNINGTON  A Bennington judge has released a defendant on a $100 bail with 10% down in a violation of conditions charge stemming from an assault and robbery with injury and stolen property case dating back to February. Since her initial arrest back in February, the defendant has been the subject of two arrest warrants for failing to show up at her court hearings and is accused of violating conditions of release six different times.

Chawncy Phillips, 26, was charged with two counts  assault and robbery with injury and possessing stolen property, both felonies back in February 2024. She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment, was entered into a diversion program, and given conditions of release, including a nighttime curfew at her residence in Cambridge, NY.

Since then, Phillips has been booted out of the diversion program and violated those curfew conditions at least six different times since April. The latest violation came July 31 when Phillips was spotted inside a vehicle after a routine traffic stop in Bennington. She was cited and scheduled to appear at the Bennington courthouse on August 26th but never appeared. An arrest warrant was issued after she failed to appear and she was arrested.

Phillips was also charged with cocaine possession and giving false information to a law enforcement officer in April. Phillips didnt show up for her arraignment in that case, and an arrest warrant was issued, ordering law enforcement officers to issue a citation and release her when found.

At her arraignment Wednesday, Judge Kerry McDonald-Cady again released Phillips, this time on a $100 bail with a required 10% down, allowing Phillips to post $10 and then leave. She was also given conditions that she come to court when told to and complete an inpatient drug treatment program.

Deputy States Attorney Jared Bianchi has requested a $1000 bail, citing a new statute that lifts the former $200 bail amount cap that took effect recently in Vermont. That law targeted individuals who continue to commit crimes while on conditions of release. While the law allowed judges to release repeat defendants on higher bail amounts, it did not require them to do so, allowing judges to still use their discretion in setting bail.

I cant speak directly on this case, but, in general, I would say a $100 bond with 10% down makes a mockery of the system, said Bennington States Attorney Erica Marthage after Phillips's arraignment. With the extremely high backlog in this state, it is inconceivable to me to allow individuals that are already on conditions of release to continue to miss court and simultaneously commit more crimes and create more victims. Parenthetically, individuals in the throes of severe addiction are a danger to themselves. That danger should be considered as part of the bail determination.

According to an affidavit in the initial assault and robbery case back in February, on the morning of January 22, 2024, police responded to 116 Main Street in Bennington for a report of a stolen vehicle. Police were informed by the victims that they had lent their vehicle to a family friend, Nicole Maccioli, a week earlier. The friend returned the vehicle on January 21 and told the victims that she was going to wait for a ride home. When they woke up the following day, the vehicle was gone.

The victims contacted Maccioli over the phone the next day and were informed, according to the affidavit, that her brother and Chawncy had assaulted her and stolen the car from her. It should be noted that Macciolis brother is Joseph Maccioli. Maccioli was himself the victim of a shooting at a known drug location on Twitchell Hill Road in Shaftsbury. Police later identified Chawncy as Chawncy Phillips through previous law enforcement encounters.

At approximately 2 p.m. that same day, police were dispatched to Park Lawn Cemetery on Route 7 for a report of two individuals sleeping in a car matching the stolen vehicle's description. The two occupants, Joseph Maccioli and Chawncy Phillips, were arrested on charges of possessing stolen property. While processing Phillips at the Bennington Police Department, an officer observed that Phillips right hand was swollen and stained reddish-brown. According to the affidavit, Phillips told police she punched a bitch in the face.

Phillips is facing a possible 11 years on the assault and robbery and possessing stolen property charges if she is found guilty. She also faces an additional six months for each one of the six separate violation of conditions charges.

No further court dates are set.
The recording is among the pieces of discovery prosecutors has shared with the Boston College Innocence Program in its appeal on behalf of Caius Veiovis, who is seeking a new trial.
In the past two months, I've been on the phone with a lot of housing experts. The world of housing  affordable or not  is complex and nuanced and imbued with centuries of history. I am wading through it all for the first time; they've been doing it for years.

Which made me think, why not ask them to share their years of accumulated knowledge? Not just with me, but with readers of The Eagle.

In the coming weeks, I'll continue this discussion with different local housing experts. Some will be lawyers. Others will be contractors. Some may be activists. I'll be asking them the same set of questions, but something you learn quickly in the housing world is that people agree on a lot and disagree on a whole lot more.

This week I sat down with Eileen Peltier, the CEO of regional housing nonprofit Hearthway. Keep reading for her thoughts on the housing challenges facing Berkshire County residents and what tools we have to solve them.

THE EAGLE: Can you share a little about yourself and your housing story?

PELTIER: My name is Eileen Peltier and I fondly say that I grew up an Irish Catholic Kennedy liberal from Massachusetts, with a real sense of social mission and purpose and that one person can change the world. My family, for the most part, work in some [service] field, whether theyre teachers or nonprofit leaders, so its always been a big part of who I was. But then I went to business school, which is a strange turn of events if youre thinking of the save-the-world sector. But that was the way I thought I could make a difference.

I think Ive always been in the place of using my business acumen to make a positive difference for our neighbors and the people of our community. So that work has brought me through health care [and] HIV/AIDS for many years, and then I found the world of affordable housing about 17 years ago, and that has been my passion ever since. The relationship between health with a capital H health care and the idea of health and well being, meaning physical, mental, social, financial, all those aspects of it and how that relates to having a place to call home has been my passion for many years.

THE EAGLE: What challenges do residents of Berkshire County face in finding housing that is affordable?

PELTIER: I think that the Berkshires, like most places across this country, are struggling today with housing affordability and housing availability. What is different about the Berkshires is the rural nature of many of our communities. [People] need to have transportation to get anywhere, to be employed. That lack of transportation infrastructure, the lack of services close to home  those are some of the core challenges that rural communities have.

And then, of course, in the Berkshires, as in much of New England, we have this challenge of an aging housing stock. So housing quality is a really big challenge. And when were in this kind of emergent situation of housing affordability and availability being a huge problem, I think we tend to pay less attention to housing quality. I struggle with that, I think we all struggle with that, but it sort of becomes the third priority. You heard me mention earlier how I believe that health and home are deeply connected. If the home is not physically a healthy place to be, that can cause all kinds of challenges to our physical and mental health. So I do worry about that for the Berkshires.

THE EAGLE: How do those challenges fit within the nationwide housing crisis?

PELTIER: This country has had a long history of being in what we often term as a housing crisis. Housing affordability [and] housing availability have been issues in this country for a very, very long time for certain populations. What I think is a little different about the current crisis is that it is not just driven by your inability to afford [housing] because people at higher incomes also cant afford it. So I think the whole crisis is getting a little more attention.

The housing crisis in this country is deeply rooted in many different factors. Something as simple as the size of the family unit, right? Our supply doesnt match our need. If a third of the adults in the country live alone and theyre in a three bedroom house, were losing stock and capacity. But [its] also very much related to issues around zoning. For certain populations, of course, there was all kinds of redlining and discrimination against people of color. Our housing history isnt the best, probably going all the way back to our roots. And that idea of owning our own piece of earth and having our own home  the American dream  has a lot of nuance to it, that in some degree has created the situation were in today.

THE EAGLE: What is needed to address barriers to accessing affordable housing and what tools are currently in the toolbox to do so?

PELTIER: I think looking at the components of the Affordable Homes Act is a great way to answer that question. There's a few different things that happen in that Affordable Homes Act. One being money, lots of money to help develop and subsidize housing. Thats necessary.

Theres also a lot of policy change. Theres many things on the policy side, whether its zoning or accessory dwelling units to increase housing availability and affordability. Theres a lot of policy that can be a barrier to housing affordability and housing availability. And then the last piece of the Affordable Home Act is that there are places where the governor or the president can issue executive orders that can immediately address some of these challenges.

So I think its a combination of all of those things that put what we need in the toolbox. And then to operationalize it, we need committed community members to do that work. I work for a nonprofit that does a lot of things on housing, but I dont do it in a vacuum. I need municipal leaders and volunteers and community members to be part of the solution and to welcome housing and affordable housing as a solution.

THE EAGLE: How is Hearthway helping organizations navigate the county's housing crisis and access housing that is affordable to them?

PELTIER: Our mission statement is that through collaboration and innovation, Hearthway will find solutions to housing for all people across the counties of the Berkshires. Were good neighbors, great navigators and allies to all.

So thats our mission statement. But in practical terms, essentially what we do is we operate in several different areas. First and foremost, we are providers of information for anyone at any income level with any type of housing question to crisis. And thats through whats called our Housing Consumer Education Center. Thats a big part of what we do.

So thats step one. That were that front door for anyone who has an issue. We then also operate a rental assistance program that is for emergent need. So when an individual is in a crisis financially or in a legal situation with a landlord, we are able to work with them. We provide financial assistance through the state for those types of emergencies and we provide the technical support around other types of emergencies that arent financial.

Then in addition to that, we are operators or landlords of about 1,000 apartments across the Berkshires. We also have some commercial spaces. Within those apartments, not only are we trying to address the housing crisis by actually adding apartments to the portfolio in the Berkshires, but were operating them in a way that very much speaks to our mission and ties back to how I was describing my own personal aspirations. Our apartments are not only four walls and a roof, but they are a home, they are a community, theyre a place for individuals to thrive.

So we not only focus on the affordability and ensuring that people can pay their bills and not make difficult choices between paying the rent and buying the food for the week, we also are trying to help connect residents with each other and with their community because we believe in the power of community.

And then lastly, probably the most upstream thing that we do is we are actually working with municipalities in various communities for new opportunities to develop housing. So an example of that might be Eagle Mill in the town of Lee. [It was] looking for a developer for many years, and we stepped in and were able to do that.
WINDSOR  It isnt every day that a culvert grows up to be a bridge, but itll happen sometime within the next several months across a stream on Cheshire Road.

John Denno, Windsor highway superintendent, said hes pretty excited about the $400,000 grant Windsor landed on Friday to help pay for that new bridge.

Windsor hit the jackpot among the 17 towns that won money in a round of Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance Grants from the Department of Fish and Games Division of Ecological Restoration, which focuses on restoring and protecting rivers, wetlands and watersheds in Massachusetts for the benefit of people and the environment. Grants in this program, totaling $2.1 million, were announced Friday.

Two other winners were in Berkshire County: Savoy received $62,000 to collect data, design and engineer the replacement of an undersized culvert on Old Main Road over Phelps Brook. Stockbridge got $51,500 to collect data for a partially crushed and perched culvert on Rattlesnake Mountain Road over Marsh Brook, where flooding has been an issue.

Windsor's $400,000 wont pay for the entire construction cost of the new bridge, so Denno is counting on the towns Chapter 90 allotment to pay for the rest.

For now, the road above that old boiler tube culvert is being held up by steel road plates. Failing stone walls are being held up by concrete blocks after the retaining wall and culvert failed and the road washed out in 2022.

At that time, Windsors entire highway crew of four spent three days repairing the wall with 2-by-5-foot concrete blocks and one smaller cube of concrete. They also installed road plates to hold up the road. Materials cost several thousand dollars in materials, but he said that was a temporary solution.

As Denno was showing a visitor the culvert, Cheshire Road resident Paul Kozik stopped by in his white pickup truck, asking when the work would be done.

Hopefully, spring, Denno told Kozik.

Next spring. Really, Kozik said. I thought you were going to have it done this year.

I was hoping. But, no, next spring, Denno told him.

At a cost of $118,000 paid for with Chapter 90 highway money, Gill Engineering prepared designs for the new bridge. Denno is awaiting final design approval from the state Department of Transportation prior to soliciting bids from contractors.

Culverts, it turns out, arent very hospitable to brook trout or the humbly named slimy sculpin. Its hard to jump up from a stream into a pipe if youre a fish. And it may not be very comfortable to swim through or fall out of them heading downstream either. Imagine the unanticipated flight at the end of the tunnel.

Apparently, even some mammals find it hard to navigate through culverts. Berkshire Environmental Action Team has been studying culverts for years and their impact on wildlife.

At one stream crossing on Churchill Road in Pittsfield, a Berkshire Environmental Action Team staffer noticed a deers rib cage next to the road. After the tube-shaped culvert was replaced with a three-sided box culvert (think square arch), someone caught video of a doe and fawn using it as a crossing, said Jane Winn, executive director at Berkshire Environmental Action Team.

Winn explained why bridges are preferable to culverts when it comes to wildlife.

Our goal is so that the water will flow over a natural stream bottom and if you were a fish going up there you wouldnt know that anything changed other than a shadow passed over you as you went up, Winn said.

And then theres climate change.

With heavier rains and more flooding today than in the past, culverts tend to clog with storm debris, get damaged or just plain fail, Winn said. Bridges, with their wider openings, can tolerate more water and more debris.

On Friday, DER also awarded the Housatonic Valley Association $248,000 on behalf of Berkshires Clean, Cold, Connected Partnership, a consortium of environmental groups that work to protect the Hoosic, Housatonic and Farmington river watersheds. It was one of three partnerships across the state to win funding.

Timothy Abbott, conservation director of Housatonic Valley Association, said the grant provides a boost to the work of the partnership.

It will allow us and our partners and communities in the Berkshires to accomplish two really important things, Abbott said. First, to understand which bridges and culverts that pass under the roadways in our communities need to be upgraded in response to a change in climate and the kinds of increased waterflow that we can expect. And second, which of these can also be applied to allow wildlife to move freely, both within the streams and alongside them.
GREAT BARRINGTON  Housatonic Water Works Co. was served a correction order last week that will impose heavy fines for violations.

The Berkshire County Sheriffs Department confirmed with the town that the company had been served, said Town Health Agent Rebecca Jurczyk on Thursday. Jurczyk had waited until the waterworks was served before releasing the order to the public and the press.

The Board of Health finalized the order on Aug. 22 after two previous public hearings that strove to strengthen the legal language to make the requirements in the health order stick.

The order would force the company to deliver 5-gallon jugs of water daily to the companys customers  of which there are more than 750.

It would also force the company to pay for additional independent testing at locations and times of the boards choosing.

Fines for noncompliance would run up to $1,000 per violation per day.

Currently the waterworks is on its regular, state-mandated testing schedule and regulated by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The DEP says the water is safe to drink, but health officials want their own evidence that it does not present a health risk.

The order stems from spells of yellow-to-brown tap water that bedevils residents and stains laundry and fixtures. While this is considered a harmless nuisance by the DEP, and typically occurs in the warmer months, the Board of Health wants to make sure that the manganese that is causing the discoloration is at safe levels in the water.

The panel also wants to get its own results of testing for haloacetic acids, compounds linked to cancer that are byproducts of disinfection with chlorine.

The order requires a company representative to attend the boards next meeting on Sept. 5, to discuss a timeline for implementing the testing and water delivery.

Attorneys and consultants dont think any of this will happen without a fight.

A consultant to the board who is an attorney, as well as the towns counsel, advised the board that the waterworks would likely file in Berkshire Superior Court to block the order. An appeal could take months, said Town Counsel David Doneski of KP Law.

Previously the water companys attorney, Robert Cox, told the panel that it is exceeding its authority by issuing the order. Water systems are federally regulated through the states DEP, he said.

Waterworks co-owner and Treasurer James Mercer has declined to comment on the order.
Dalton Delan can be reached at berkshireeaglereels@gmail.com and @UnspinRoom on X. His Eagle Reels conversations can be found on YouTube .
Stewart Edelstein, a Stockbridge resident, is author of several books, including Dubious Doublets: A Delightful Compendium of Unlikely Word Pairs of Common Origin, from Aardvark/Porcelain to Zodiac/Whiskey, The Covid-19 Zeitgeist: Fifty Essays, and An Alphabetical Romp Through the Flora of Berkshire Botanical Garden from Agave to Zinnia.
Taoiseach Simon Harris continues to insist the Government will serve its full term to March 2025, despite persistent rumours of a November general election.

Speaking about the next general election during an appearance at the Kennedy Summer School in New Ross, Co Wexford, the Taoiseach paused before putting particular emphasis on a "March general election".

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The comment was met by applause and laughter by the 300 people in attendance at St Michael's Theatre. In response, Mr Harris smiled and continued speaking.

A decent performance by the coalition parties in the recent local and European elections, coupled with an underwhelming performance by Sinn Fein, prompted speculation that an autumn general election is the most likely decision from the Government leaders.

If they choose to go the full term to March 2025, they will face five byelections, while Sinn Fein will also have a chance to regain momentum.

In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, former minister for agriculture Ivan Yates suggested Friday, November 15th is the most likely date.

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While Mr Harris and Tanaiste Micheal Martin continue to insist the election will be in March, any announcement of an earlier date will not come until after the October 1st Budget at the earliest.

Speaking at the event on Friday, Mr Harris said: "If the next election is a contest as to who can most eloquently define a problem, where does that get us?

"We have a beautiful democracy, don't like us? Vote us out, that's how it works, but you still need good people to contest elections.

"That's how you have elections that are about ideas, about community, and about solutions."

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Without mentioning the opposition leader, he also seemed to get in a reference to Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, who was criticised for not having figures on hand during a recent RTE interview about the party's migration policy.

"We have to move beyond people saying 'sure don't be asking me those figures, I didn't know I was meant to bring them with me'.

"Come on, we have to have mature political debate around the issues that matter in Ireland."

He made the comment about the March election when discussing his travels around the country over the summer.

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Mr Harris said he found Irish people are fundamentally decent, and rejected the assertion that anger has become a defining feature of the country.

Ireland 'Ireland is not a country of hate or racism': Taoi... Read More

"I travelled around this country extensively, as you may have noticed, over the summer months... for the March election.

"In doing so, I've met thousands of people, and not people specially selected to meet me... people in all sorts of scenarios.

"Some people will never vote for me in a month of Sundays, some people think we're doing a great old job and will vote for us, others are in the middle. My fundamental takeaway from this is decency.

"I'm not allowing colourful characters from other jurisdictions, or the amplification on social media, to suggest that all of a sudden we've lost that sense of meitheal, lost that sense of community, decency and respect. I don't think that is reflective of the overwhelming majority of people in Ireland."
Taoiseach Simon Harris has insisted Ireland is "not a country of hate or racism" as he said far-right agitators must be separated from people with concerns about migration policy.

The Taoiseach was speaking at the Kennedy Summer School in New Ross, Co Wexford, on Friday where he was interviewed by former Twitter Ireland managing director and global vice-president for public policy Sinead McSweeney.

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Speaking about his leadership style, he highlighted the importance of fighting against the idea of "hopelessness".

"I think one of the biggest risks to solving the challenges we all face is a sense of hopelessness. If we believe that something is so endemic that it can never be made better, what does that do? It allows extremism, it allows a sense of fatalism, and it also makes citizens think, 'why bother'?

"One example is climate change. Of course, we all want to save our planet, to hand on our community, our earth, in a better place to our children. But sometimes people will think 'the scale of it is so big, how can we do anything to make a difference?' We have to push back against that.

"Our human condition likes to know there is hope. There will be people in the audience who think 'that's political wiffle-waffle'.

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"But the way you lead, you have to give people hope, because what's the alternative? The alternative is to tell people things are terrible, and they'll always be terrible. That's not leadership at all."

Moving on to the migration issue, Mr Harris said it was important for Government to face it head on, because the alternative "creates a vacuum and leaves it to extremists".

He also criticised far-right agitators who have inflamed tensions at anti-migration protests across the country.

This is not a country of hate or racism. Advertisement

"Migration is probably the most topical example of that at the moment. If we believe a debate about migration is owned by the far-right or the far-left, therefore we kind of stay away, all that happens is the only time people see it being covered is by voices of the extreme, and that can distort our national identity.

"This is not a country of hate or racism. There are so many people who left our shores in the hope of a better future for them and their children. The idea that a small number of unelected people would now try to suggest that we would begrudge others seeking to do the exact same thing... that makes no sense.

"That's not who we are. I do think we have to start speaking out and speaking up."

Moving back to migration policy, he acknowledged there were a lot of issues to solve, adding that it is something being dealt with in "real-time".

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"That's not to say there aren't real issues about how Government addresses what is a migration policy? How do you process people? That's all valid political debate, scrutiny and accountability. Let's not let a small number of people hijack who we are as a people by political cowardice, or saying 'leave them at it, there's no votes in that'."

Mr Harris also stressed that there should be a distinction between those intent on disruption, violence and anti-immigrant sentiment, and people with legitimate concerns.

'Hijackers of the flag'

"I can clearly de-couple those two issues in my mind. There are people who I believe to be distortionists, the hijackers of the flag, the people who aren't representative of Ireland. These people are loud, but not large in number.

"That is separate and distinct to people saying 'migration is a new public policy challenge and opportunity in Ireland, show me how you, the Government, intend to address the issue'."

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He added: "Being honest with the Irish people, this is something we're addressing in real-time. We're creating systems and structures in rapid time, to respond to something that wasn't a policy issue in Ireland.

"The next general election will probably be the first time I'll ever be asked about migration. I don't ever remember knocking on a door in Co Wicklow, and I've been running in elections since 2009, being asked about migration.

"It's perfectly appropriate and healthy in a democracy for people to say 'Hang on Simon, show me the plan, the population is growing, how are you going to move beyond the emergency to the sustainable?'

"That's all fine, but that's not the other issue, and we should engage wholeheartedly and enthusiastically with the people saying 'show me, talk to me, engage with me'."

Mr Harris said he admires "people in communities who have had concerns and questions, and when they saw the far-right trying to get within an inch of it, they ran them out".
China and the Philippines have accused each other of causing a collision between two vessels in the latest flare-up over disputed waters and maritime features in the South China Sea.

Chinese coast guard spokesperson Liu Dejun was quoted as saying that a Philippine ship manoeuvred and deliberately collided with a Chinese coast guard ship in an unprofessional and dangerous manner.

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Philippine officials in Manila said it was their coast guard ship, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, that was rammed three times by the Chinese coast guard without any provocation, causing damage to the Philippine vessel.

The incident is the second confrontation in days near Sabina Shoal, about 85 miles west of the Philippine province of Palawan, in the internationally recognised exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.





The U.S. condemns the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC, including today's intentional ramming of the BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was conducting lawful operations within the  EEZ. We stand with the Philippines in upholding international law. https://t.co/RRJKUdP5ge Advertisement  Ambassador MaryKay L. Carlson (@USAmbPH) August 31, 2024

The Philippine ship, the Magbanua, has been anchored in Sabina since mid-April after Manila suspected that China may construct a structure to seize the uninhabited atoll.

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China harboured the same suspicions and recently filed a diplomatic protest against the Philippines due to the ships prolonged presence at the shoal.

Beijing is rapidly expanding its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, which is crucial to international trade.

The tensions have led to more frequent confrontations, primarily with the Philippines, and could drag in with the United States, which is bound by a treaty to defend the Philippines.

The long-time territorial disputes also involve other claimants including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

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The US is obliged to defend the Philippines if it comes under attack (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

China has rejected a ruling by a UN-backed arbitration panel that negated almost all of its historically based claims in the South China Sea.

Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine coast guard said in Manila that the Magbanua had dropped its anchor again and would not withdraw from Sabina Shoal despite the harassment, bullying activities and escalatory action of the Chinese coast guard.

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Video released by the Philippine coast guard appeared to show the Magbanua being rammed by a Chinese coast guard ship.

The US condemned the multiple dangerous violations of international law by the PRC (Peoples Republic of China), including todays intentional ramming of the BRP Teresa Magbanua while it was conducting lawful operations within the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone.

We stand with the Philippines in upholding international law, US ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson said on X.



The US has condemned the incident (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

The US has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces come under an armed attack in the South China Sea.

On Tuesday, Adm Samuel Paparo, the head of US Indo-Pacific Command, said the US military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the disputed waters.

Chinas coast guard, navy and accompanying ships regularly clash with Philippine vessels during attempts to resupply Filipino sailors stationed in parts of the South China Sea claimed by both countries.

As the confrontations become increasingly hostile, resulting in injuries to Filipino sailors and damage to their ships, the Philippine government has faced questions about invoking the treaty alliance with Washington.

Sabina Shoal is near Second Thomas Shoal, another flashpoint where China has hampered the resupply of Philippine forces.

Both countries reached an agreement last month to prevent further confrontations at the shoal.

Also on Saturday, Japan lodged a formal protest via Chinas embassy against what it called an incursion by a Chinese survey ship into its territorial waters.

The latest such incident fuelled unease among Japanese defence officials, already concerned about the growing military cooperation between the Chinese and Russian air forces.

On Monday, Tokyo also protested after a Chinese military aircraft briefly entering Japans south-western airspace.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Tuesday his country had no intention to violate any countrys airspace.
Social media influencers, reality stars and TV personalities were among the guests as the Norwegian kings eldest child, Princess Martha Louise, married an American self-professed shaman in a wedding ceremony following three days of festivities.

The 52-year-old Martha Louise and Durek Verret, who claims to be a sixth-generation shaman from California, tied the knot in the picturesque town of Geiranger, one of Norways major tourist attractions located on a fjord.

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Following festivities that started on Thursday, the actual wedding ceremony took place in a large white tent set up on a lush lawn.



Senior Norwegian royals including King Harald and Queen Sonja attended (NTB via AP)

The couple has sold the wedding photo rights to British celebrity magazine Hello! and the film rights to Netflix.

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The deals prompted protests from Norwegian media, which say it goes against local practices. The couple has often lashed out against the press while promoting themselves on social media.

The 87-year-old King Harald, who has been in fragile health the past few years, attended his daughters wedding together with Queen Sonja and other member of the Norwegian royal house.



Margie Plus and Harald Austad attended the event (NTB via AP)

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Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel represented the Swedish royal house together with her brother, Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia. No other European royals took part in the wedding.

The wedding comes amid widespread criticism of the couples actions and waning support for the Norwegian royals, who have also been plagued by negative reports about an unruly family member who faces preliminary domestic violence charges.

Martha Louise and Verret, 49, have attracted headlines with their alternative beliefs. She is fourth in line to the Norwegian throne but said in 2022 that she will no longer officially represent the Norwegian royal house.



Norways Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit (NTB via AP)

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The princess  she has retained the title  has said she can talk with angels, while Verret claims that he communicates with a broad range of spirits and has a medallion which helps ward off spells and cures diseases.

They became engaged in 2022. Following their marriage, Verret will not have a royal title or official duties.

In a 2019 deal, Martha Louise and Verret agreed not to use her connection to the royal house or her title for commercial purposes.

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The princess has three daughters from a previous marriage (NTB via AP)

But earlier this year Martha Louise labelled bottles of gin with her title and launched the brand in time for the wedding, defying King Haralds directive that she should not profit from her royal status. The label was eventually changed.

Martha Louise has three children from her previous marriage with Ari Behn, whom she divorced in 2017 after 14 years of marriage.
A campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio and prevent the spread of the virus began on Saturday, as Palestinians in both the Hamas-governed coastal enclave and in the occupied West Bank reeled from Israels ongoing campaigns in both regions.

Children in Gaza began receiving vaccines on Saturday, the Strips health ministry announced in a news conference, a day before the large-scale rollout and planned pause in fighting agreed to by Israel and the United Nations World Health Organisation.

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Associated Press reporters saw roughly ten infants receiving doses of vaccine in the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis on Saturday.

Hours earlier, Gazas health ministry said hospitals received 89 dead on Saturday, including 26 who died in an overnight Israeli bombardment, and 205 wounded, one of the highest daily tallies in months.





The #polio vaccination teams must be protected and allowed to conduct the upcoming campaigns in #Gaza safely. We urge all parties to ensure their protection, and that of health facilities and children.



Humanitarian pauses are welcome, but ultimately, the only solution to pic.twitter.com/B8ftmJn22A Advertisement  Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 30, 2024

Meanwhile, parts of the West Bank remained on edge on Saturday as Israels military continued its largescale military campaign, the deadliest since the Israel-Hamas war began, and two car bombings by Palestinian militants near Israeli settlements left three soldiers injured.

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Two car bombs exploded early on Saturday in Gush Etzion, a bloc of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Israels military killed both Palestinian attackers after the bombs exploded in a compound in Karmei Zur and at a petrol station, Israels military said. Three Israeli soldiers sustained minor injuries.

Palestinian health officials said Israel was holding the bodies of the attackers, naming the men as Muhammad Marqa and Zoodhi Afifeh.

Hamas did not claim the men as its fighters but called the attack a heroic operation and a new slap to the occupations security system in a statement early on Saturday.

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Palestinians next to Israeli armoured vehicles during a military operation in the West Bank Jenin refugee camp on Saturday (Majdi Mohammed/AP)

The Palestinian militant group said earlier this month after a bombing attack in Tel Aviv that it would continue such attacks.

The bombings took place as Israel continued its largescale raid, which includes destruction of infrastructure, airstrikes and gunbattles, into urban refugee camps in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarem, in the north of the volatile West Bank.

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About 20 Palestinians have been killed since Israels incursion started on Tuesday, causing alarm among the international community that the war might widen beyond the Gaza Strip.

Israel has described the operation as a strategy to prevent attacks on Israeli civilians, which since the start of the war have increased in the West Bank, including near settlements that the international community largely considers illegal.

In return, the Palestinian health ministry noted a surge in Palestinian deaths by Israeli forces, with 663 killed in the West Bank in the nearly 11 months since the war began.

In central Gaza, Israeli airstrikes hit a multi-storey building housing displaced people in and around Nuseirat, a built-up refugee camp in central Gaza, further south in Khan Younis and northward in Gaza City, officials at hospitals in the three areas said on Saturday.



Smoke rises after an explosion during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank Jenin refugee camp on Saturday (Majdi Mohammed/AP)

Among the dead were a physician and his family and a child whose right leg had been previously amputated, according to an initial list of casualties from the hospital and footage released on Saturday by civil defence officials who operated under Gazas Hamas-run government.

Israel is expected to pause some of its operations in Gaza on Sunday to allow health workers to roll out their campaign to administer polio vaccines to some 650,000 Palestinian children, the UN World Health Organisation said earlier this week.

Officials said the pause would last at least nine hours and is a by-product of an agreement with WHO, and unrelated to ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel, Hamas and regional mediators.

The vaccination campaign comes after a case was discovered earlier this month for the first time in 25 years, after doctors concluded a 10-month-old had been partially paralysed by a mutated strain of the polio virus after not being vaccinated because of the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Healthcare workers in Gaza have been warning of the potential for a polio outbreak for months, as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deepened throughout the war, which broke out after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250.

Israels retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gazas health ministry, which does not say how many were militants.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent months trying to mediate a ceasefire that would see the remaining hostages released.

But the talks have repeatedly bogged down as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed total victory over Hamas and the militant group has demanded a lasting ceasefire and a full withdrawal from the territory.
Pujiang Innovation Forum to be held in Shanghai

Xinhua) 10:32, August 31, 2024

BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 Pujiang Innovation Forum will be held in Shanghai from Sept. 7 to 10, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) announced at a press conference in Beijing on Friday.

More than 300 experts and scholars from over 40 countries and regions will attend the forum, during which a series of research achievements will be released. Foreign guests will account for nearly 40 percent of attendees.

The forum, which carries the theme "Sharing Innovation and Shaping the Future: Towards an Open Environment for Scientific and Technological Innovation" this year, will focus on fields such as cutting-edge sci-tech and industrial development, innovative ecology and innovative talents. Topics for discussion will include life sciences, future materials and industrial integration.

The 2024 Pujiang Innovation Forum will be co-hosted by the MOST and the municipal government of Shanghai. Hungary was invited as the guest of honor this year.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Hongyu)
Russian shelling in the town of Chasiv Yar has killed five people, as Moscows troops pushed ahead in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region.

The attack struck a high-rise building and a private home, said regional governor Vadym Filaskhin, who said the victims were men aged 24 to 38.

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He urged the last remaining residents to leave the front-line town, which had a pre-war population of 12,000.

Mr Filaskhin wrote on social media: Normal life has been impossible in Chasiv Yar for more than two years. Do not become a Russian target  evacuate.



An attack on the city of Belgorod (Belgorod Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkovs Telegram channel via AP)

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A further two people were killed by Russian shelling in the Kharkiv region. One victim was pulled from the rubble of a house in the village of Cherkaska Lozova, said governor Oleh Syniehubov, while a second woman died of her injuries while being transported to a hospital.

Meanwhile, Russias ministry of defence said its forces had captured the town of Pivnichne, also in Ukraines Donetsk region. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claim.

Russian forces have been driving deeper into the partly occupied eastern region, the total capture of which is one of the Kremlins primary ambitions. Russias army is closing in on Pokrovsk, a critical logistics hub for the Ukrainian defence in the area.

At the same time, Ukraine has sent its forces into Russias Kursk region in recent weeks in the largest incursion onto Russian soil since the Second World War.

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Several more people have died in Russian raids (AP)

The move is partly an effort to force Russia to draw troops away from the Donetsk front.

Elsewhere, the number of wounded following a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Friday continued to rise.

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Six people were killed, including a 14-year-old girl, when glide bombs struck five locations across the city, said regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. Writing on social media on Saturday, he said that the number of injured had risen from 47 to 96.

Mr Syniehubov also confirmed that the 12-storey apartment block that was hit by one bomb strike, setting the building ablaze and trapping at least one person on an upper floor, would be partly demolished.

Ukrainian officials have previously pointed to the Kharkiv strikes as further evidence that Western partners should scrap restrictions on what the Ukrainian military can target with donated weapons.

In an interview with CNN on Friday, Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov said that Kyiv had presented Washington with a list of potential long-range targets within Russia for its approval.

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Rescue operations continue in Kharkiv at the sites struck by Russian bombs. Tragically, there are fatalities, including a childa girl named Sofia, who would have turned 15 this fall. My deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. Many others are injured. Aid is being pic.twitter.com/ZU9flEw0Pd  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) August 30, 2024

I hope we were heard, he said.

He also denied speculation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys decision to dismiss the commander of the countrys air force on Friday was directly linked to the destruction of an F-16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners four days earlier.

The order to dismiss Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website minutes before an address which saw Mr Zelensky stress the need to take care of all our soldiers.

This is two separate issues, said Mr Umerov. At this stage, I would not connect them.

The number of injured also continued to rise in the Russian border region of Belgorod, where five people were killed on Friday by Ukrainian shelling, said governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

He said 46 people had been injured, of whom 37 were in the hospital, including seven children. Writing on social media, Mr Gladkov also said that two others had been injured in Ukrainian shelling across the region.
Jeremy Camp - "Deeper Waters" | Shore Fire Media

Today, GRAMMY nominated recording artist, Jeremy Camp releases an extended edition of his chart-topping album, Deeper Waters via Capitol CMG. The deluxe album includes three new tracks including live versions of No Survivors and the No. 1 single, These Days. To celebrate the release, Camp is also debuting a live video of No Survivors. Watch it here.

'Deeper Waters' is a pop-infused reflection on Jeremy Camp's journey over the past two decades, blending his experiences in the spotlight with a deep appreciation for the present moment. Having postponed some of his tour dates for emergency heart surgery earlier this year, Camp has gained a profound understanding of the importance of savoring each moment.

Listen to Deeper Waters (Extended) Here

Last week, Camp revealed the second leg of his Deeper Waters Tour. The additional 11 dates will include stops in Richmond, Hagerstown, Lima and more. This show will feature performances of songs from his album Deeper Waters, as well as many of his familiar hits that have garnered him multiple artist of the year nods and even an artist of the decade top contender spot.

Andrew Ripp and Rachael Lampa are opening this leg of the Deeper Waters Tour. Tickets more information can be found at jeremycamp.com.

Deeper Waters Tour Dates:

Thurs., Sept 5 | Concord, NC

Fri., Sept 6 | New Haven, KY

Sat., Sept 7 | Eden Prairie, MN

Sun., Sept 8 | Waite Park, MN

Fri., Sept 13 | Oklahoma City, OK

Sat., Sept 14 | Midland, TX

Sun., Sept 15 | Dallas, TX

Weds., Sept 18 | Colorado Springs, CO

Thurs., Sept. 19 | Albuquerque, NM

Fri., Sept 20 | Phoenix, AZ

Sat., Sept 21 | Los Angeles, CA

Sun., Sept 22 | Fresno, CA

Tues., Sept 24 | Bakersfield, CA

Thurs., Sept 26 | Stockton, CA

Sat., Sept 28 | San Diego, CA

Sun., Sept 29 | Riverside, CA

Thurs., Oct 3 | Redding, CA

Fri., Oct 4 | Portland, OR

Sat., Oct 5 | Coeur DAlene, ID

Weds., Oct 30 |New Philadelphia, OH

Sat., Nov 2 |Madison, WI

Sun., Nov 3 | Omaha, NE

Thurs., Nov 7 | Peoria, IL

Fri., Nov 8 | Elkhart, IN

Sat., Nov 9 | Lima, OH

Sun., Nov 10 | Holland, MI

Thurs., Nov 14 | Salisbury, MD

Fri., Nov 15 - Charleston, WV

Sat., Nov 16 | Richmond, VA

Sun., Nov 17 | Hagerstown, MD

All Jeremy Camp Tour Dates:

Thurs., Sept 5 | MRO- Bump and Run - 5K | Concord, NC

Sun., Sept 8 | Celebrate Minnesota | Waite Park, MN

Tues., Sept 24 | Kern County Fair | Bakersfield, CA
Uche Agu and Revival Today Worship - When We Praise | DREAM Label Group

Los Angeles, CA (August 30th, 2024)  Today, Dream Gospel artist, Uche Agu and Revival Today Worship release When We Praise, their eighth single from their upcoming album Celebrate The King album. Available on all digital retail and streaming service providers, the song was recorded and produced live at Revival Today Church in Pittsburgh, PA by Uche Agu, Danny Duncan and Brandon Tolbert Jones and co-written by Uche Agu, Daniel Johnson, Brandon Tolbert Jones

The story behind this song was that it actually written a long time ago. I had the chorus done but none of the verses. I had kept it on my music shelf for a while but when we started to prepare for the upcoming album, I felt it was time to finish the song. So, Danny and Brandon and I sat in a studio in Tennessee and they helped me finish this masterpiece. I cant wait for you to hear it. - Uche Agu

Listen or Buy When We Praise here
When van der Nagel played Smiths home-made Coca-Cola video to students last week, some said they suspected they were being trolled. [Smith] is really having a moment; in class we were watching her TikTok  and the video was met with very confused looks by students, van der Nagel said. They raised critiques in terms of whos paying for this  they were just thinking, This doesnt represent any of my life at all. In the [research] literature, theres this whole angle around the tradwife emphasising femininity over feminism, and suggesting freedom is to be found in submission and essentially in a dominant, patriarchal kind of vibe.

Dinis, an Australian self-proclaimed tradwife, triggered global headlines for an Instagram post stating she was raising her daughter, now in pre-school, to serve her future family and depend financially on her husband, rather than focusing on study and work. Loading In February, Dinis again attracted attention by posting that real men dont want women with successful careers; they want one who can bring value into the home by the work of her hands. Dinis did not respond to approaches by this masthead to her on Instagram and on her website, but she is one of many whose philosophies on womens roles are consistent with a stated religious faith. Some researchers suggest far-right or standard conservative political influences underpin parts of what many high-profile tradwives refer to as a movement, and their popularity represents a backlash against gender equality and womens reproductive rights.

Dr Kristy Campion, of Charles Sturt University, said although there were tradwives on the left and in the organics movement, the emphasis on female submission among conservative tradwives risked leaving women vulnerable if divorced. Women who say they have been left with precarious security  including American Jennie Gage and Australian former tradwife Meredyth Willits  have been speaking publicly about the risks to womens long-term economic security. There are people leaving the movement, typically its because of divorce and theyre left with nothing, said Campion, who has researched far-right influence in parts of tradwifery. Its pretty horrible, but its not surprising; theyre part of a worldview where they are valued for their compliance and if they stop complying, theres lots of resistance.

Campion believes part of the popularity of the lifestyles being promoted is that they offer an idea of refuge in tough times. Im sure what these tradwife influencers are doing is trying to give a sense of comfort in a deeply troubling and very volatile political time; if your feed is full of hospital bombings [in Gaza] and all kind of atrocities, its such escapism, she said. Psychologist Sahra ODoherty says women who adopt a mindset of servitude risk subjugation. Credit: Edwina Pickles Sometimes this rush back to so-called traditional values, but actually just patriarchal values, represents a flight to comfort. Psychologist Sahra ODoherty said while women who chose to stay at home with children usually do so as a career break and because it was the most feasible financial option for a household, those who chose to identify as tradwives were more likely to be adopting a mindset of servitude and deprioritisation of yourself, even a subjugation.

Consumers of tradwife content were realising there were strong contradictions between portraying a serene, simple life, while needing to incessantly document it for income and, in some cases, relying on family wealth, she said. But without family wealth the lifestyle would be impossible, she said. Loading The tradwife trend has absolutely romanticised this notion of staying at home, baking bread and looking after kids as though this is an easier option, and for some people, sure it might be when you have the means, the privilege, said ODoherty, who is president of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc. A lot of these tradwives are making tens of thousands of dollars per video: theyre saying theyre advocating for this stay-at-home tradwife life, when actually theyre getting paid for advertising this life that isnt realistic for the majority of people. It feels like a reaction to the overwhelming pressure of having to work, and, coming out of the COVID pandemic, feeling like you want to get back to an idealistic dream of a simple lifestyle, when this time didnt actually ever exist  it wasnt pleasant in the reality for women living in the 40s, 50s and 60s.

Culture commentators such as Associate Professor Lauren Rosewarne, of the University of Melbourne, said online tradwives were unlikely to have large-scale, real-world influence despite some huge followings. Loading To me, it looks like a zillion other very gendered movements, where a niche in the market is found and exploited for personal profit, Rosewarne said. A group of women have discovered that there is a market for their very conservative, as related to gender roles and sometimes also politics, content  they have found a way to make money. Like a lot of trends on social media, we get an oversized sense of the importance of things like tradwives based on the number of clicks that individual videos get and the extent of fame/infamy that certain creators get.
Four years to the day after Andrew Wright Stephens was killed in his home, a man has been found guilty of his manslaughter.

But Michael Bradley Small was found not guilty of murdering his partners friend on August 30, 2020.

Police attended Stephens Taringa home to carry out a welfare check after he failed to respond to calls from his mother.

The decomposed body of 48-year-old Stephens was found at his Taringa home, in inner Brisbane, on September 3 that year.

During the two-week Brisbane Supreme Court trial, prosecutors said Stephens torture and murder was a fairytale ending for Small after eight months of growing hostility.
Today we celebrate Fathers Day, so it is fitting to celebrate the ultimate Father, the lord of the universe: God. It has taken me decades as a Christian to develop a deeper appreciation of what it means that God calls himself our Father, to understand that it is not just a glib locution.

Christians speak of God as father in several ways, the most important being that he is their creator and redeemer, their protector and guide. The Bible teaches that because of what Jesus Christ accomplished in saving his people, they are adopted as sons and daughters of God.

Christians speak of God as father in several ways. Credit: Illustration by Jenny Bowman

Thus, the Apostle Paul says in his second letter to the people in Corinth: For us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things are and for whom we exist.

He tells the Galatian Christians: Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying Abba, Father!  The first letter of John says: See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.
Gleeson said she accepted that the authority has the right to appoint any business operator it sees fit to run tours as part of the expression of interest process. But when its the authority themselves  thats another story, she said. The Split Point Lighthouse is a popular tourism destination. Credit: Joe Armao The clause in the Split Point Lighthouse expression of interest says the coastal authority is licensed under an agreement with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to also conduct tours at the facility. While it has no plans to do so, it reserves that right in the future.

The coastal authority, which took over management of the lighthouse at Aireys Inlet in May, said there was a temporary tenure arrangement in place at the time that needed to be updated. In a statement, the authority insisted the tours clause was a standard measure to ensure it could step in and continue the service if a tour operator ceased operations. The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority is responsible for the coastline from Torquay to Warrnambool. Credit: tsvibrav Conducting business on Crown land reserve is a special privilege, and the authority is committed to upholding proper procedures in awarding this sub-license, the authority said. But Gleeson said the authority now ran the Cape Otway Lightstation and two caravan parks in the area, and she was worried she could lose her business.

She said the expression of interest process to run lighthouse tours required handing over extensive commercial information and intellectual property, which her business had developed over years, and she feared this would be relinquished if the authority rejected her bid for a contract extension. Credit: Matt Golding In 2021, the Anglesea Motor Yacht Club completed an extensive upgrade after raising more than $1.1 million to complete the work, immediate past commodore Wes Smith said. At no stage were we supported by any government loans or grants, he said. Smith said his volunteer-run club was assured it would receive a 21-year lease by the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee, the predecessor to the authority.

But when the authority took over, it sought to implement a one-year lease before finally agreeing to 10 years after protracted negotiations, Smith said. Its been incredibly stressful, he said. The authority insisted the 10-year lease was appropriate and said it would review the agreement after completing a coastal adaptation plan that would consider erosion mitigation measures for Anglesea. It denied that it or the government had ever approved a 21-year lease. The authority also raised concerns of its own about the community  stunning many residents. In August, it released a statement calling on Great Ocean Road communities to show respect in response to unwarranted, unruly and disrespectful behaviour.

Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authoritys chief executive Jodie Sizer. Credit: Joe Armao In the public statement, chief executive Jodie Sizer said not all of the authoritys decisions would be popular, but there was no excuse for abuse. It has become all too easy for individuals to hurl hurtful, harmful words, often without considering the real pain inflicted on real people, she said. Enough is enough. The authority did not provide examples of specific incidents of abuse when asked by The Sunday Age. Sizer insisted her organisation had been doing important work and that fragmented management had been reduced at coastal reserves, ports and public land previously overseen by different agencies.

The authority is also under financial pressure. In the 2022-23 financial year, its comprehensive result was a $1.475 million loss. It did not respond to questions about whether it hoped to become profitable by taking over businesses at lighthouses. Loading But it did say it had received additional government funding to enhance visitor facilities, beach accessibility and coastal protection. The authority insisted that all revenue raised on its sites was invested back into the Great Ocean Road coastline and parks. Yet, some residents along the road fear its takeover of public sites has eroded community involvement. This year, the authority assumed management of the Princetown Recreation Reserve, which included a caravan park that had been run by a local committee of management on behalf of the Department of Environment.
Butler said the aged-care package should include a mechanism to ensure the care targets were reached. But she countered claims from providers that they could not reach the targets because they could not find enough nurses. Unless theres a consequence for not meeting those standards, its not going to happen, she said. Loading Butler said her response was to ask providers why they did not offer nurses higher salaries to match those paid in hospitals, or offer more incentives to hire and retain them. The federation, which estimates that 40 per cent of nurses were born overseas and 20 per cent were educated overseas, is in favour of streamlining the process to bring in more workers and says Australia needs more investment in local training.

The shortage has forced some aged-care providers to search for nurses from nearby employers while also losing existing staff to hospitals, with every new hire creating a gap somewhere else. Theres a knife fight for staff in the regions, with aged care and hospitals scrapping for the same staff, said Duncan McKimm, the chief executive of Clarence Village in Grafton, in northern NSW. The combination of staff constraints and care minute targets make building new aged-care facilities largely unfeasible. The government knows there arent enough registered nurses to meet the targets. We need to design and fund an aged-care system based on the forecasts rather than pretend thousands of registered nurses and carers are going to materialise.

Labor promised to improve aged care when it took power at the last election, saying it would act on the royal commission that exposed the neglect of older Australians, and has mandated 24/7 onsite clinical care as well as the minimum amount of nursing care that residents should receive each day. Without enough staff to meet the mandate, some providers have dropped plans to add more beds despite the demand from older Australians who need to move from home or retirement villages into aged care. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation secretary Annie Butler at a jobs and skills summit at Parliament House in 2022. Credit: James Brickwood A government aged-care taskforce warned last year that the sector needed more staff and investment to support older Australians, but Labor and the Coalition are yet to reach a deal in parliament on the reforms. Taskforce member Grant Corderoy, of accounting firm StewartBrown, has estimated providers will close 21,200 beds in net terms over the six years to 2030 unless changes are made to attract investment.

Workforce reforms are critical and should be addressed by a separate reform agenda, not tied to the taskforce funding reforms, Corderoy said. Loading Aged and Community Care Providers Association chief executive Tom Symondson said only about 40 per cent of all residential providers were currently meeting targets. While weve seen some improvement over the last year from the absolute worst point, weve only seen that because we havent been able to find enough workforce to deliver on the minutes targets, he said. If 100 per cent [of providers] were meeting the targets, those losses would skyrocket.

Federal authorities are likely to take the nurse shortage into account when looking at whether providers have met the mandate on daily care minutes, as long as there is no risk to residents and the providers are doing what they can to meet the targets. Federal Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said the government had put $11.3 billion towards a wage rise for aged-care workers and was tackling the labour shortages as a major issue. This significantly improved pay for 250,000 workers and was the biggest pay rise for the sector, ever, Wells said. This years federal budget included $88.4 million over three years to develop the aged-care workforce, while state governments are also offering incentives to nurses, such as waiving their university fees. UnitingCare national director Claerwen Little welcomed the federal pledge on aged-care wages but said the federal government needed a long-term workforce plan.

Aged Care Minister Anika Wells. Credit: James Brickwood We are acutely aware of chronic workforce shortages, particularly in regional and remote services, she said. Our services are often forced to engage contract staff through recruitment agencies at an exorbitant cost to fill critical workforce shortages. While the nursing federation backs the federal mandate on daily care minutes, Catholic Health Australia said it was a factor in the pressure to find staff. Catholic Health Australia director of aged-care policy Laura Haylen estimated the nurse shortage was far greater than some of the official figures showed, saying the sector had 60,000 care and nursing vacancies.
Philippines and China Trade Blame After High-Stakes Collision Near Disputed Shoal in South China Sea (Photo: Philippine Coast Guard / Public domain)

The Philippines and China have traded accusations over a collision involving their coast guard vessels in the disputed South China Sea. The latest incident occurred near the Sabina Shoal, a contentious area claimed by both nations, further inflaming an already volatile situation.

The confrontation on Saturday marks the fifth maritime clash between the two countries in just a month. According to Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela, a Chinese coast guard vessel deliberately rammed the Philippine cutter Teresa Magbanua, causing significant damage but no injuries. "China Coast Guard vessel 5205 directly and intentionally rammed the Philippine vessel without provocation," Tarriela asserted at a press conference.

China, however, has a different narrative. Liu Dejun, a spokesperson for China's coast guard, claimed that a Philippine vessel, which was "illegally stranded" at the shoal, deliberately collided with a Chinese ship. Liu warned that the Philippines must withdraw or face "resolute" measures from China. "The Chinese coast guard will take the measures required to resolutely thwart all acts of provocation, nuisance, and infringement," Liu said.

The Sabina Shoal, located approximately 75 nautical miles from the Philippine province of Palawan and 630 nautical miles from China, is part of the larger South China Sea area that Beijing claims almost in its entirety. This region is critical due to its substantial oil and natural gas deposits, rich fishing grounds, and its role as a major global shipping route through which $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that China's expansive claims have no legal basis, a decision Beijing has consistently rejected. The ongoing disputes have led to numerous maritime skirmishes and diplomatic confrontations.

Following the latest clash, the U.S. has voiced strong support for the Philippines. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson condemned the incident, asserting that China's actions constitute "dangerous violations of international law." In a statement on the social media platform X, Carlson emphasized that the U.S. stands with the Philippines in upholding international law and condemns the "intentional ramming" of the Philippine vessel.

The Philippines' Coast Guard has stated that it will not withdraw its vessel despite the aggressive actions of the Chinese coast guard. "We will not move our ship despite the harassment, the bullying activities, and escalatory actions of the Chinese coast guard," Tarriela declared.

This latest incident adds to a series of recent confrontations. In April, the Philippines deployed a ship to the Sabina Shoal amid accusations that China was constructing an artificial island. The Philippine maritime council has also reported unsafe maneuvers by Chinese aircraft against civilian patrols over other disputed areas, including the Scarborough Shoal and Subi Reef.

Further complicating the situation, the Philippines has accused China of blocking a routine resupply mission for Filipino fishermen, using water cannons and ramming a vessel transporting essential supplies. These actions reflect the high stakes and escalating nature of the South China Sea dispute.

Both nations have sought to mitigate immediate conflicts through recent diplomatic efforts. Last month, an agreement was reached allowing the Philippines to restock its outpost at the Second Thomas Shoal, which has thus far proceeded without reported clashes. However, ongoing friction and mutual accusations continue to strain relations between the two countries.
Goldman Sachs is preparing to lay off between 3 and 4 per cent of its workforceamounting to about 1,300 to 1,800 employeesas part of its routine annual review process, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

The layoffs, which have already commenced, are expected to impact various divisions within the bank, the report said. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs, Tony Fratto, described the process as normal, standard, and customary, emphasising that the annual talent reviews are a regular part of the banks operations. Despite these reductions, Fratto noted that the banks overall headcount is projected to increase by the end of the year compared to 2023.

The report also highlighted that similar workforce adjustments are common across major banks, which routinely trim underperforming staff to manage costs in a challenging economic environment. In the first quarter of this year, the largest US banks collectively cut over 5,000 jobs, with Citigroup leading the reductions by eliminating 2,000 positions.

Historically, Goldman Sachs annual review process has led to workforce reductions ranging from 2 to 7 per cent, depending on the banks financial performance and market conditions. Last year, the bank implemented a 6 per cent reduction in January, followed by additional cuts in May and the autumn.

In a related development, Goldman Sachs recently lowered its probability of a US recession from 25 per cent to 20 per cent, citing positive retail sales figures and improving unemployment claims data. The bank's economists suggest that a strong jobs report, expected on September 6, could further reduce the recession risk to 15 per cent, where it had been prior to a recent revision
He said that the Rs 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Start-up Scheme is in operation in the state to motivate the youth.

The Himachal Pradesh government and a Dubai-based firm on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding for overseas placements of the youths of the state in the presence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. The MoU was signed by Deputy Director (Employment) Sandeep Thakur on behalf of the government and EFS Facilities Services Group Limited CEO Tariq Chauhan. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The CM on the occasion offered appointment letters to Una's Rajat Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Jaspreet Singh, and Abhinav Sharma, and Hamirpur district's Dinesh. The Visa process of all five candidates is under process and they are expected to go to Saudi Arabia in September this year, where they will work on the NEOM city project.

Sukhu said that the MoU would pave the way for better employment opportunities for Himachali youths.

The CM also directed the Labour and Employment Department to evolve a mechanism to track the well-being of the candidates working abroad and suggested the use of Mukhya Mantri Sewa Sankalp Helpline 1100 for the purpose.

According to a statement, EFS plans to meet 15-20 per cent of its hiring needs from the state, up to 1,000 candidates per year, for jobs in such sectors as hospitality, technical services, housekeeping, food and beverage, and office support.

"The State Government is committed to providing employment and self-employment opportunities to the youth of the State and over 31,000 posts have been created by the present State Government in the government sector alone in a short span of about 20 months," the statement quoted Sukhu as saying.

He said that the Rs 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Start-up Scheme is in operation in the state to motivate the youth to become self-employed.

Chauhan said, "No recruitment fees would be charged from the candidates and complete protection from exploitation would be provided by intermediaries.
The Signing Ceremony was hosted in Colombo by the Government of Sri Lanka. Image: X@IndiainS

India on Friday signed the Charter and memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Secretariat along with Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Mauritius. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, along with representatives from Maldives, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka, signed a charter and memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Secretariat, according to the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The Signing Ceremony was hosted in Colombo by the Government of Sri Lanka. The signing event marked a significant step in regional security collaboration among India, Maldives, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka.

High Commission of India in Sri Lanka shared some photos of X and stated, "NSA Mr Ajit Doval KC joined reps from Maldives, Mauritius & Sri Lanka in signing the Charter & MoU for the establishment of Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Secretariat today. A key platform to enhance regional security cooperation, the signing marks a milestone in the CSC roadmap."

According to MEA, "The Member States of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) signed the Charter and the MoU for the Establishment of the CSC Secretariat on 30 August 2024. The Signing Ceremony was hosted in Colombo by the Government of Sri Lanka."

Ajit Doval KC, National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of India; Ibrahim Latheef, DC (Retd.), Lt. Col (Retd.), National Security Advisor of Maldives; Haymandoyal Dillum, High Commissioner of the Republic of Mauritius to Sri Lanka and Sagala Ratnayake, National Security Advisor to the President of Sri Lanka signed the documents on behalf of the respective Member States.

"The CSC's core objective is to promote regional security by addressing transnational threats and challenges of common concern to the Member States," the statement added.

There are five pillars of cooperation under the CSC namely Maritime Safety and Security; Countering Terrorism and Radicalisation; Combating Trafficking and Transnational Organised Crime; Cyber Security and Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Technology; and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.

The event concluded with a discussion among heads of delegation on the next steps and the future activities of the Conclave.
From Brunei, Modi is slated to visit Singapore on September 4-5. (Photo: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Brunei on September 3-4, seeking to further strengthen the bilateral cooperation in all existing sectors, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday. This will be the first bilateral visit of an Indian prime minister to Brunei, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his media briefing. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The visit will also mark 40 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Brunei, he said. From Brunei, Modi is slated to visit Singapore on September 4-5 at the invitation of his Singaporean counterpart, the MEA said.

Later, in a statement, the MEA said the prime minister is scheduled to visit Brunei Darussalam on September 3-4 at the invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.

Brunei is an important partner in India's "Act East" policy and its vision of Indo-Pacific. The visit will further strengthen India's cooperation with Brunei in all existing sectors, including defence cooperation, trade and investment, energy, space technology, health cooperation, capacity building, culture as well as people-to-people exchanges, and explore avenues for cooperation in newer sectors, the ministry said.

Modi will thereafter visit Singapore at the invitation of Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

"The leaders will review the progress of the India-?Singapore Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the MEA said.

During his visit, the prime Minister will call on Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and interact with the Singaporean leadership. He will also meet business leaders from Singapore.

These visits will further strengthen India's cooperation with Brunei and Singapore both bilaterally and within the regional and multilateral frameworks, the MEA said.

Jaiswal, during the briefing, also spoke about the India Singapore ministerial roundtable, first held in 2022 and then in 2024, in which four Indian ministers participated.

The ties between India and Singapore are deep, and after the roundtable, they have "deepened and strengthened", and the prime minister's visit seeks to further strengthen the relationship, the MEA spokesperson said.
The initiative will help to collaborate with startups, MSMEs, and the rural economy. | Photo: Stalin's X account

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin visited the offices of Apple, Google and Microsoft and discussed opportunities for investment and partnerships with them. Day 2 of his US visit led to the signing of a pact to skill two million youngsters in the state in AI under the 'Naan Mudhalvan' scheme, in partnership with Google. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp The Chief Minister, currently on a visit to the USA to attract investments to Tamil Nadu, on Saturday described the visit to the offices of Apple, Google and Microsoft as awe-inspiring."



Discussed various opportunities and exciting partnerships. Determined to strengthen these partnerships and make Tamil Nadu one of the foremost growth engines of Asia! @TRBRajaa @Guidance_TN @TNIndMin #InvestInTN #ThriveInTN #LeadWithTN #DravidianModel, Stalin said in a post on the social media platform X.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of the Chief Minister, with Google for setting up Tamil Nadu AI (Artificial Intelligence) labs in Tamil Nadu.

The initiative will help to collaborate with startups, MSMEs, and the rural economy besides making the youth a future-ready force.

The signing of the pact was the outcome of a discussion initiated by the CM with officials at Google on August 30, a government release here said.

The Chief Minister met top officials of Google at Mountain View campus and discussed the further expansion of production of Pixel 8 phones manufactured in Tamil Nadu and the launch of other Google products and technology facilities in Tamil Nadu, the release said.

Stalin also spoke about boosting growth through AI innovations in start-ups, industrial ecosystem mobility and capacity for the future.

The Chief Minister visited the office of Apple Inc, which manufactures and markets smartphones, personal computers, portable computers and wearable electronic products and accessories such as smart watches, headphones, Airpods and various related services.

It is headquartered in Cupertino, California, and is one of the Fortune 500 companies operating in 27 countries with 530 global outlets.

Stalin thanked the company officials for ensuring Tamil Nadu a place in the global electronics manufacturing map. He outlined the various initiatives of the Tamil Nadu government to improve the manufacturing environment of the state and highlighted that Tamil Nadu is a leading state in terms of industry, housing and transport logistics facilities, as well as the education and skills development of youth and women.

The state will be further strengthened and transformed into the manufacturing hub of Asia, the Chief Minister said and invited Apple to invest in Tamil Nadu.

Industries Minister T R B Rajaa and other officials were present.

The Chief Minister and Minister expressed their appreciation for Apple's contributions and listed various government initiatives designed to enhance the state's manufacturing ecosystem.

Discussions also highlighted ongoing efforts in women empowerment and improvements in industrial housing and logistics, further solidifying Tamil Nadu's position as a manufacturing hub in Asia.

At Microsoft, the delegation met with Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn, and the senior leadership team.

The discussions explored several key opportunities, including the expansion of data centre infrastructure in Tamil Nadu and the establishment of a Global Capability Centre. Additionally, collaborative efforts on AI skilling initiatives were examined to develop a future-ready workforce.

This landmark visit and the signing of the MoU with Google highlights Tamil Nadu's commitment to leveraging strategic partnerships with global tech leaders to drive growth and innovation. The state remains determined to capitalise on these opportunities, reinforcing its position as a leading hub for technology and manufacturing in Asia and is determined to become AI leader of the country, the release added.
Farooq Abdullah said people of Jammu and Kashmir must also respect and protect the people of every religion.

India is known for unity in diversity and governments must protect every religion, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said here on Saturday, a day after the Assam Assembly scrapped a two-hour 'namaz' break provided to Muslim legislators on Fridays. Abdullah said nothing is permanent and things will change when the time comes. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Friday that the state assembly would discontinue the two-hour break provided on Fridays to facilitate Muslim legislators to offer 'namaz'. The rule will be implemented from the next session. "This country is known for unity in diversity. We have every religion and every language, be it Tamil Nadu, Kashmir, Bengal or Maharashtra,? any state, every state has a different culture and that is why India is a federal structure and we have to protect every religion.

"When the time comes, it will change. Nothing is permanent. Good things will prevail again. We will tell them, let our government come, not to indulge in such activities," Abdullah said.

He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir must also respect and protect the people of every religion.

"We have to take care of people from every religion. When our approach towards them is good, then it will be good across the country," he added.

On PDP president Mehbooba Mufti describing as "regrettable" NC vice president Omar Abdullah's remarks that the banned outfit Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) once considered elections "haram (forbidden)" but now they have become "halal (permissible)", the NC president said nothing will be achieved by pointing fingers at each other.

"I will not say anything about her. May God bless her. May she tread her own path, but think about protecting the country. Nothing will come out of pointing fingers at each other. She must shun this way," he said.

He also congratulated the former members of the banned JeI for contesting the assembly elections.

Abdullah paid obeisance at the Sufi shrine of Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi.

He said he prayed for the end of "chaos in the country" and strengthening of brotherhood between different communities.
By Zoe Tillman



Donald Trump is preparing fresh attacks against the 2020 election interference case in Washington and wants the next round of courtroom showdowns to wait until after the November presidential contest.

In a court filing Friday night with dueling proposals, Special Counsel Jack Smiths office disagreed with Trumps approach and said it was prepared to move forward as quickly as possible, but didnt propose a specific timeline. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has set a hearing for Sept. 5 to decide how the case should proceed.



Trumps lawyers previewed arguments theyll raise as part of a renewed push to get the indictment dismissed. They contend the case still contains allegations related to Trumps official duties as president, actions which the Supreme Court held this summer carry at least some immunity from prosecution.

Trump is charged with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results. Smith this week announced a revised indictment that removed claims related to Trumps communications with the Justice Department and executive branch officials, but left intact much of the original case. Trumps lawyers signaled they would especially focus on Smiths decision to leave in allegations related to Trumps efforts to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to intervene on his behalf.

The former presidents lawyers will also argue that Smiths appointment and funding violate the US Constitution, hoping to build off their recent success in the special counsels other case against Trump in Florida. Citing the appointment issue, US District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the Florida indictment charging Trump with willfully holding onto classified documents after he left the White House and obstructing government efforts to get the records back.

Smith has appealed Cannons decision to the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals, where a three-judge panel isnt expected to rule before the Nov. 5 election, based on its schedule.

Trumps lawyers want Chutkan to address the appointment issue before the immunity fight, proposing a hearing in early December followed by arguments on the immunity issue in late January. They said they would need more time to look for new evidence relevant to immunity and would want an opportunity to question Smiths witnesses and possibly call their own.

Schedule Clash



The Trump teams proposed schedule could stretch into fall 2025.

Smiths office disagreed, writing that Trumps arguments for why the case should be dismissed should be briefed at the same time, and then Chutkan could decide when to rule. Prosecutors wrote they were prepared to file an opening brief on the immunity question promptly at any time the Court deems appropriate.

Before Chutkan rejected Trumps immunity claim in December, the former presidents lawyers had raised other legal challenges, including related to counts charging him with obstructing an official proceeding that the Supreme Court narrowed in a different case this year. Trumps lawyers are preparing to argue that the high courts ruling means the obstruction counts should fall.

The federal election obstruction case is one of four criminal cases filed against Trump since he left office in 2021. A state indictment in Georgia related to the 2020 election has been mired in a controversy over the conduct of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and wont reach a trial before November.

In New York, a jury found Trump guilty this year of falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to a porn star. He is due to be sentenced Sept. 18 but is seeking to postpone that until after the election. His lawyers argue that the US Supreme Courts immunity ruling applies to the Manhattan prosecution.
Two new murder cases have been filed against Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Two new murder cases have been filed against Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her former cabinet ministers for the killing of three people, including two BNP activists, during the quota reform protests in the country, according to media reports. The cases, filed in Dhaka courts on Friday, were the latest in the slew of cases filed against the 76-year-old leader after her resignation and fleeing to India on August 5 following a massive protest by students against a quota system in government jobs. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp With this, the tally of cases filed against Hasina has risen to 84, including 70 on murder charges, eight on allegations of crimes against humanity and genocide, three for alleged abduction, and three on other charges, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activist Matiur Rahman filed the case in Kishoreganj over the killings of fellow party workers Zulkar Hossain, 38, and Anjana, 28, on August 4.

According to the case statement, a procession of the student movement and BNP activists were attacked by Awami League leaders with firearms, batons and sharp weapons. Some BNP workers took shelter in the house of a district Awami League leader in the nearby Khormaptri area, where they were confined by activists of the Hasina-led party and then set on fire, killing Hossain and Anjana.

As many as 88 people, including Hasina, former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, were named as accused in the case.

In Munshiganj, a case was filed over the death of a 22-year-old man, who was shot dead during the student-led movement in the town's Supermarket area on August 4.

As many as 313 people, including Hasina, Quader, other Awami League leaders, and activists of its student wing, Chhatra League, were accused in the case.

"No one has been arrested in this case yet," the report quoted Thander Khairul Hasan, additional superintendent of police at Munshiganj Sadar Circle, as saying.

Separately in Gazipur, 57 people, including Hasina, were accused in a case over the loss of eyesight of an 18-year-old college student. The victim was shot in the right eye during an attack on protesters at the orders of Hasina and others, according to the court document.

Over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs first started in mid-July.

The Hasina-led government was replaced by an interim government, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was named its Chief Adviser.
Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 10:36PM

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As messaging app Telegram faced increased scrutiny for its use by far-right extremists and terrorist groups, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested over the past weekend in France. A warrant for his arrest was issued concerning his messaging app's lack of moderation.

Durov was detained Saturday at Paris's Bourget Airport on charges including allegations that Telegram was complicit in aiding money launderers, drug traffickers, fraudsters, and those spreading child sexual exploitation content. French prosecutor Laure Beccuau said in a statement on Monday that Durov is also accused of refusing to communicate "information or documents" related to the investigation.

According to French prosecutors, Durov had been placed under formal investigation on Wednesday and wouldn't be allowed to leave France. It doesn't imply guilt in France's legal system, but it is the next stage in the official investigation into the allegations.

His arrest has sparked debates about freedom of speech and who should be held liable for illicit content made online. Russian lawmaker Maria Butinawho was convicted in the US over spying charges and deported to Russia in 2019called the CEO a "political prisoner." However, French President Emmanuel Macron refutes this statement, saying Durov's arrest was "in no way a political decision." His arrest is "part of an ongoing judicial investigation."

Paris prosecutor's office said on Monday that his arrest was part of a broad investigation into various criminal activities on Telegram dating back to July 8. There are a total of 12 separate charges. But Telegram counters that it abides by EU law and Durov has "nothing to hide."

Telegram is an encrypted messaging service Durov and his brother Nikolai launched in 2013. According to a post from Durov, it now has over 950 million users, making it one of the most-used messaging platforms in the world.

It's been vital for its users given you can do everything from chats to sending photos and documents to disseminating government messages. Since it's encrypted, law enforcement and Telegram itself have minimal oversight over what users share.

In countries where freedom of speech is curtailed, it's become an essential tool. In Ukraine, it has helped share with its users news about the war and warnings about air raids. On the flip side, these protections were also being taken advantage of by criminals and terrorists.

Telegram allows as many as 200,000 users to join an individual chat group, making it easy to reach a larger audience and potentially disseminate false claims.

Source
The Cherokee Nations Cherokee Language Master/Apprentice Program graduated eight students Thursday, Aug. 22, during a special commencement ceremony at the Durbin Feeling Language Center. L-R: CLMAP graduate Stand Paden, CLMAP graduate Jaice Bush, CLMAP graduate Darrell McCoy, Special Envoy for International Affairs and Language Preservation Joe Byrd, CLMAP graduate Erlinda Soap, Deputy Secretary of State Canaan Duncan, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., CLMAP graduate Kendra Mouse, District 2 Councilor Candessa Tehee, CLMAP Program Manager Ryan Mackey, District 3 Councilor Lisa Robison Hall, CLMAP graduate Jarren Fourkiller, Council Speaker Mike Shambaugh, CLMAP graduate Joe Fourkiller, Executive Director of Language Howard Paden, CLMAP graduate Jesse Gray and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner.
If youre looking for a sweet addition to your family, perhaps Cosmo might fit the bill. Hes a 7-year-old Pitbull mix located in the Eastern panhandle area of West Virginia, and hes looking for a new family after his mom had to go into a nursing home.

A year ago, Amanda Stronzas mom adopted Cosmo and welcomed him into her home. He was one of those dogs at the local shelter that everyone happened to overlook.

Sadly, Amanda and Cosmos mom suffered from a fall, and she is left needing long-term care, which means she can no longer live at home with Cosmo or keep him.

I know he is missing my mom. He waits in her house each day. He is waiting for her to return, Amanda wrote on a GoFundMe page created to help raise funds for Cosmos future family.

I keep telling him she loves him endlessly, but she wont be returning home. I keep promising him its ok, hes ok, and he will land in a new home, in new love.

I know its a big deal to adopt a senior Pitbull, especially one who prefers to be an only dog. Its a lot. Several people have said they would love to take him if they could afford to care for him.

Amanda says that Cosmo can actually get along just fine with cats and dogs, but he prefers to be an only child.

Any time you say his name, his whole body wiggles with joy, and he gives you a smile! If you pet him, he cant hide how happy he is.

Cosmo is a really loving guy, and Amanda says he will adore you for the rest of his life, and she will, too, if you can give him a perfect home.

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Home News Aurora mayor blames bad Biden border policies for Venezuelan gang problem

Mayor Mike Coffman of Aurora, Colorado, said the Biden-Harris border policies are to blame for the criminal gang problem that has shone a negative spotlight on his largely safe community.

Although Coffman stressed that the criminal element affiliated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in Aurora is largely isolated to specific apartment complexes and the problem doesn't affect the vast majority of the city's over 400,000 residents, he blames the federal government, in conjunction with nonprofit organizations, that decided to house a large number of Venezuelan migrants in low-income apartments in his city.

"The city of Aurora took a position early on that we were not going to participate in the migrant crisis. We were not going to provide taxpayer support, and we were not even going to be a conduit for federal dollars to come in to provide assistance," Coffman said in an interview with Fox31 Denver on Thursday.

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"This is not our problem; this is a problem created by the federal government at the border with bad policy. So, the federal government needs to solve this problem, not the city of Aurora. These people did not go there on their own; somebody put them there."

Despite the criminal gang takeover of at least three apartment complexes making national and international headlines, Coffman stressed Aurora is a safe place to live.

In a video update posted on X early Saturday morning, Aurora Police Department Interim Chief Heather Morris said officers were speaking with residents at one apartment complex and claimed that "gang members have not taken over" based on what residents have told them.

Morris acknowledged that there was some gang activity in the complex, and officers asked residents if they were being ordered to pay the gang members. She said officers were on hand to assure residents they were going to "investigate" and "address" criminal activity at the complex.

In his interview with Fox31 Denver, Coffman said his hope is that authorities can remove the gang members from the three apartment complexes without having to force all of the residents to leave.

As a Marine who served in Iraq, Coffman said: "You have an enemy that is inside a population that is intimidated by them. And so, the challenge is getting people to cooperate to identify them" and using film footage to identify them and "get them out."

"Venezuela, unfortunately, is a failed state under a socialist dictator, and people are leaving. I think about one-third of the population has left," he continued. "Unlike immigration we've had in the past, in our Venezuelan community that has been here, where they had sponsors, where they had family members, they had resources, and they were educated," the city is now getting people who "poured over the border."

"Typically, you walk across illegally, you get arrested, you declare political asylum, you're given humanitarian parole until your case can be adjudicated, which can take months, years," Coffman explained. "It's a broader problem than the gangs that you have people who are here without resources that can't apply for a work permit until they are here for six months."

Despite confirmation from the mayor, police reports and video showing members of the Venezuelan gang brandishing guns and harassing residents in at least one apartment complex, Colorado's Democrat Gov. Jared Polis said this week that such claims are fiction.

Polis pushed back on statements made by Coffman and Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky, who said the apartments are being taken over by a criminal element.

"The governor has already let the mayor know that the state is ready to support the local police department with assistance from state troopers and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation if needed," spokesperson Shelby Wieman told the New York Post. "But, according to police intelligence, this purported invasion is largely a feature of Danielle Jurinsky's imagination."

Aurora resident Cindy Romero, who claimed to live in one of the apartment buildings housing the Venezuelan migrants, credited Jurinsky for getting her out of the apartment complex where she felt unsafe due to gang activity. In response to the governor's claims that the criminal activity was the makings of the councilwoman's "imagination," Romero told Fox News host John Robert: "Polis wouldn't last five minutes on that property."

Wieman added that the governor's office is "ready to assist" police in securing the apartment complexes if criminal gangs have taken over.

Late Friday night, the city of Aurora released a statement on its social media accounts blasting local and national media for reporting what it described as "misleading information" about residents' safety in the city.

The city reiterated the mayor's Thursday statement stressing that Aurora is a "safe community."

"Media have conflated and considerably exaggerated incidents that are isolated to a handful of problem properties alone. Yes, we are concerned that there is a small Tren de Aragua (TdA) presence in Aurora and we have been taking it seriously."

The statement continued: "We have responded. We have made arrests. We will continue to make arrests. We will continue to address the problems that the absentee, out-of-state owners of these properties have allowed to fester unchecked. Aurora will aggressively pursue all actions available under city code and criminal statute."
Home News MorningStar Ministries accused of cover-up in lawsuit detailing rampant abuse of boys by ex-volunteer

A lawsuit filed against MorningStar Ministries earlier this month accuses founder Rick Joyner, along with several top officials of the organization and multiple other staff members, of gross negligence for allegedly engaging in the cover-up of multiple incidences of sexual abuse in the ministry.

A copy of the 40-page lawsuit, shared by The Roys Report, names as defendants: Joyner, MorningStar Fellowship Church, Joyner's second in command David Yarns; the former volunteer, Erickson Douglas Lee; the volunteer's father and MorningStar Fellowship Church's head of security, Douglas Lee; Erickson Douglas Lee's assistant, Chase Portello; along with unidentified defendants James Smith 1-10 (any other agents and/or employees of the ministry associated with the complaint).

"The negligent, grossly negligent, reckless, willful, or wanton acts, omissions, and liability of Defendants includes that of their agents, principals, employees, and/or servants, both directly and vicariously, pursuant to principals of non-delegable duty, corporate liability, apparent authority, agency, ostensible agency, and/or respondent superior," the lawsuit filed on behalf of one of the minor victims, John Doe #1 and his parents listed as James Roe #1 and Jane Roe #1 charges.

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Joyner responded to the lawsuit in a statement shared on X this week after MorningStar Ministries leader Chris Reed abruptly resigned Monday, citing, among other things, the sexual abuse of the minors. Joyner insisted that the church wasn't negligent in their handling of the situation, saying many "outrageous things" were alleged in the lawsuit that are "not true."

Reed initially presented his decision to resign as an act in support of the victims, but he would later reveal that he, too, preyed upon a younger woman in the ministry.

He told The Roys Report that he sexually pursued the woman in 2021, kissed her and sent her "terrible" sexual texts while he was the senior pastor of MorningStar Fellowship Church. The matter was reportedly handled quietly by the church, and he was promoted to become the leader of MorningStar Ministries about a year ago.

In his statement this week, Joyner revealed that the family of one of four teenage boys alleging the former volunteer sexually abused them had filed the lawsuit against the church. He said MorningStar Ministries is defending itself in court because "we are confident we can prove our innocence."

A release from the York County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina said they arrested 25-year-old Erickson Douglas Lee after he turned himself in to detectives on May 2, 2023. He was charged with dissemination of obscene material to a person younger than 18, assault and battery first degree, and criminal sexual conduct with a minor second and third degree.

Warrants connected to Lee's arrest cited by WSOC-TV said between December 2020 and June 2022, Lee allegedly committed a sex act with a victim younger than 16 as many as 30 times over 1.5 years.

Investigators allege that around July 22, 2022, Lee, who served as a 17-year-old victim's youth leader, hurt him through "nonconsensual touching" while the victim was intoxicated at his home. Lee also allegedly played a pornographic video for the teenager.

Warrants show that Lee did the same thing to at least three other victims younger than 18 at his home from August 2021 through January 2023.

In the lawsuit filed on behalf of John Doe #1, who is now an adult, his attorneys argue that he will likely need psychological care for the rest of his life because of the abuse he suffered.

"Plaintiff John Doe #1 has suffered immeasurable harm and will likely have to undergo psychiatric/psychological care for the remainder of his life due to actions or inactions of the Defendants. Defendants acted in dereliction of their duties to Plaintiffs by failing to prevent the foreseeable harm perpetrated by Erickson Lee onto Plaintiff John Doe #1," the lawsuit argues.

The lawsuit alleges a pattern of coverup by MorningStar Fellowship Church leaders, citing the sexual assault of two women by a MorningStar employee sometime in the 2000s.

"Both of these incidents of sexual abuse and assault were covered up by the church. In both instances, the victims were encouraged not to report these instances to law enforcement," the lawsuit alleges, pointing to a separate alleged sexual assault of a minor by a MorningStar University volunteer.

"Upon information and belief, Joyner, Yarns, and Doug Lee knew of these assaults and helped orchestrate the victims not reporting the criminal incidents to law enforcement. The actions by MorningStar, Joyner, Yarns and Doug Lee in the investigation and actions of them after each assault incident involved neutral principles of law," the lawsuit argues.

The lawsuit alleges that before Erickson Douglas Lee's sexual assault of John Doe #1 and the other minor boys, MorningStar Fellowship Church swept other sexual abuse and exploitation cases under the rug and never reported them to law enforcement.

Still, the leaders allowed Erickson Douglas Lee to lead a program called "Young Special Forces" that allowed him to spend significant time alone with "young minor males with no oversight."

The program was presented to parents and families as an opportunity for their sons to grow "physically, mentally, spiritually" by going on trips where they would be taught life skills.

"It was at this time, that the parents and Doe #1 were told that Doug Lee's son Erickson Lee would run the YSF program. The parents and Doe #1 were told that Erickson Lee was a [M]arine, was going to be a law enforcement officer and had a passion to raise up the next generation of young men," the lawsuit says.

When he was just 12, in November 2018, John Doe #1 went on his first trip with Erickson Lee leading the program. In August 2019, when he was 13, he attended another event called "overcoming fear weekend."

During the first year of getting to know Erickson Lee, the volunteer took Doe #1 to the movies with another child and played video games with him. He also took John Doe #1 and another minor to his parents' house and gave them alcohol. After a number times giving alcohol and vapes to Doe #1 and the other minor, Erickson Lee also allegedly showed them pornography.

In December 2019, Doe #1 was invited to the overnight program Hike in Gaston County, North Carolina, along with several YSF minor members.

"In less than a year, Erickson Lee had taken complete control of this YSF program with little to no training, monitoring or supervision by other church leaders and was turning it into his own private fiefdom for his own perverse enjoyment," the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit cites another adult male from the church, Ryan Shuster, who also attended the trip and brought alcohol with him.

After this trip, one of the boys told his father about the provision of alcohol and vapes by Erickson Lee, and his father pulled him from the program, according to the lawsuit. It was still unclear at this point who at the church was told about what Erickson Lee did and what action was taken by church leadership.

The following year, in September 2020, Erickson Lee took some minor boys to Camp Lejeune in Onslow County, North Carolina, but only "2nd year" students were invited to this trip. The group stayed at beach cabins which had two floors each.

Erickson Lee slept in the bedroom on the main floor with one of the minors while the other boys slept in the loft upstairs. According to the lawsuit, Erickson Lee and the minor staying in his room came up to the upstairs loft late at night and were drunk. They were also looking at porn on their phones and showing the other boys.

After Erickson Lee and the minor returned downstairs, Doe #1 and another minor from the loft heard a noise, and they went downstairs to see what was happening. Erickson Lee was in the kitchen and "obviously drunk" and "was being touchy and perverted towards the boys."

When they inquired about the minor who was sharing his room, Erickson Lee told them he was sleeping.

"The bedroom door was open, and they went in and saw that the minor child was completely naked and passed out on the bed," the lawsuit says.

"Erickson Lee then gave Doe #1 and another minor hard liquor and drank with them. Later on in this trip, Erickson Lee then forced the boys to get naked in front of him and then take a shower together. He was being very forceful, and the minor aged boys didn't feel like they had a choice or could stand up to Erickson Lee," it adds.

Two months later, in October 2020, according to the lawsuit, Doe #1 got suspended from the program after he was caught with alcohol. His parents had to sit through meetings with church officials, including Erickson Lee and his father, Doug Lee, who lectured them about the church's code of conduct. The parents had no idea at this point what was happening to their son.

In Gaston County in November 2020, Erickson Lee allegedly gave alcohol, vapes and pornography to multiple children and sexually assaulted Doe #1 when he was 14. In York County on December 31, 2020, to January 1, 2021, he allegedly did the same thing on MorningStar property and sexually assaulted Doe #1 again while he was 14. Doe #1 was sexually assaulted further several other times after that.

Doe #1 would continue getting in trouble for drinking and then forced to sit through lectures with Erickson Lee and other program leaders about his code of conduct.

In April, Doe #1 was allowed to go on another trip despite his hand being in a cast from a biking accident. According to the lawsuit, his parents were told "that Doe #1 would still be with the group and be looked out for in his condition."

That never happened, as Doe #1 was subjected to more of Erickson Lee's perversion.

"Erickson Lee took Doe #1 off by himself and kept Doe #1 with him alone, overnight. The parents were not made aware of this sleeping arrangement. Erickson Lee sexually assaulted Doe #1 while under the influence of alcohol," the lawsuit says. "There were multiple occasions over the next year where Erickson Lee provided alcohol to minor boys and then sexually assaulted and abused them (including Doe #1)."

In September 2022, Doe #1 was at the home of Erickson Lee's father with his parents where they left him overnight.

"Doug Lee saw his son Erickson Lee giving Doe #1, a minor, alcohol at this time. Doug Lee's only response to his son Erickson Lee was 'Be Careful,'" the lawsuit says. "Doug Lee did not report this behavior to anyone."

Erickson Lee would sexually assault Doe #1 at his father's house that night.

"If Doug Lee had done anything with his knowledge ... Erickson Lee's episodes of depravity with minors could have ended," the lawsuit alleges. "Instead, Doug Lee did nothing."
Home News Over 16,000 Christians killed in 4 years as violence in Nigeria continues unabated: observatory

More than 16,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria in four years between 2019 and 2023 as more followers of Christ were victims of violence than adherents of other religions, according to data collected by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa.

ORFA released a four-year data project Thursday documenting 55,910 fatalities from 9,970 attacks, including both civilians and combatants, across Nigeria. Of those killed, 30,880 were civilians. Christian victims totaled 16,769, significantly outnumbering the 6,235 Muslim fatalities  the ratio of Christian to Muslim deaths being 6.5:1. Radicalized Muslim Fulani herdsmen were responsible for 55% of the Christian deaths.

"For over a decade atrocities against civilians in Nigeria have been downplayed or minimized. This has proved a major obstacle for those seeking to understand the violence," the researchers wrote in the 136-page report shared with The Christian Post.

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"Misleading euphemisms, such as 'armed herdsmen' and 'cattle grazers' are used to describe continual waves of invasion, torture and killing in rural communities. Descriptions of attacks as 'ethnic clashes,' 'farmers-herders clashes' or retaliatory attacks are seriously misleading."

Another frequent term used to describe militias that carry out mass kidnappings and enforce "serfdom" on communities is "bandits," the report warns, adding that "a policy of concealing the religious identity of victims" is distorting the reality of the situation.

"Fulani Ethnic Militia are targeting Christian populations, while Muslims also suffer severely at their hands," notes Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam, an observatory partner and analyst, said in a statement.

"Millions of people are left undefended," Frans Vierhout, senior analyst at the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa, added. "For years, we've heard of calls for help being ignored, as terrorists attack vulnerable communities. Now the data tells its own story."

Across Nigeria, over 21,621 people were abducted in 2,705 attacks, with some incidents overlapping. The observatory recorded 11,610 distinct attacks where individuals were killed or abducted. Of these, 8,905 involved only killings, 1,065 included both killings and abductions and 1,640 involved only abductions.

Of the 21,532 civilians abducted, 11,185 were Christians, and 7,899 were Muslims, according to ORFA.

Researchers stated the religious identity of victims significantly influenced their treatment by captors, with Christian captives often facing harsher conditions and higher risks of execution compared to their Muslim counterparts.

On average, eight attacks involving killings or abductions occurred daily over a four-year period in Nigeria. Fear of violence has gotten so bad there were reports of children sleeping in trees to avoid nighttime attacks.

The data showed a large geographic spread of violence, with 65 different Local Government Areas affected. The majority of civilian fatalities occurred during attacks on communities, particularly during the farming season's peak months between April and June. The North West, North Central and North East regions were identified as epicenters of such attacks.

People were most vulnerable in their homes, with the majority of civilians  25,312 killed and 16,761 abducted  suffering attacks in their communities, according to the report. This contrasts with other locations where 5,568 civilians were killed and 4,771 abducted.

The report pointed to the Fulani Ethnic Militia and other less-known groups as primary aggressors.

Armed Fulani herdsmen, part of FEM, and various terrorist groups were responsible for most killings and abductions, overshadowing the more internationally recognized threats from Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province. For instance, armed Fulani herdsmen were responsible for the deaths of 11,948 civilians, while other terror groups were responsible for 12,039 deaths. Armed Fulani were responsible for over 6,000 civilian abductions, while other groups were responsible for 13,000.

Armed Fulani were responsible for 9,153 Christian deaths during that timespan; Other terrorist groups accounted for 29% or 4,895 deaths. Combined, Boko Haram and ISWAP were responsible for 8% of the Christian deaths, which amounts to 1,268 fatalities.

The report criticized the Nigerian government's focus away from these areas, suggesting that the lack of adequate security response has allowed these groups to operate with near impunity.

"The Nigerian government should wake up to its responsibility of securing the lives and properties of Nigerians. Impunity has allowed targeted attacks against innocent people to continue unabatedly," the report concludes. "The government has [a] responsibility to maintain law and order, therefore, providing protection for lives and properties will reassure citizens and endear trust in the government. If the people cannot trust the government to deliver justice, more militant groups and sub state actors could rise up to the State against its citizens."

The observatory urges the Nigerian government to prioritize peace and coexistence, reevaluate its security strategies and enhance support for affected communities.

Key suggestions include reorienting national values towards justice and reconciliation, enhancing security measures to protect civilians and promoting interfaith dialogue to mitigate religious biases and tensions.

The report called for a concerted effort also from international bodies to address the violence in Nigeria.

The European Union member states, along with the United States and United Kingdom governments, should allocate more aid resources to Nigeria's North Central Zone and Southern Kaduna, which are experiencing a displacement crisis, the report said, explaining that in areas where internally displaced persons can return to their home communities, they often find their houses and communities in ruins.

ORFA added that the U.S. and U.K. governments should use their positions on the United Nations Security Council to pursue a resolution aimed at enhancing the security of communities in Nigeria that are vulnerable to attacks.

The U.S. government continues to face pressure from advocates and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to again label Nigeria as a country of particular concern for international religious freedom after it was removed from the list during the first year of the Biden administration.
Home News Billy Grahams granddaughter voting for Biden, says Trump trying 'to hijack our faith for votes'

A granddaughter of the Rev. Billy Graham, Jerushah Duford, said she is voting for Joe Biden this upcoming election despite her pro-life views and accused President Donald Trump of trying to hijack our faith for votes.

I spent the better part of my life watching my grandfather look to the example of Jesus to how to conduct himself how to treat people, Duford, whose mother Gigi Graham is the eldest child of Billy and Ruth Graham, said in a recent interview. Scripture talks about doing justly, loving mercy, walking humbly, and these are tenants of our faith that I do not believe our president demonstrates in any way.

Duford, who recently joined the Lincoln Projects women coalition to advocate against President Trumps reelection, stressed that shes not looking for a savior  We have a savior, she said  nor does she believe the president has to share her faith.

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However, [Trumps] attempt to hijack our faith for votes and the evangelical leaders silence on his actions and behavior has presented a picture of what our faith looks like that is so erroneous, it's done significant damage to the way people view Jesus.

Duford also condemned what she sees as silence from some church and evangelical leaders regarding Trump's treatment of the marginalized communities and his objectifying of women. This silence, she said, has done enormous, enormous damage to the way people view our faith.

She claimed that over the last few months, thousands of people have asked her how a church that adheres to the teachings of Jesus can support Trump.

I want the world to know personally that the Jesus we serve promotes kindness, dignity, humility, and this president doesnt represent our faith, Duford said. What we see in the White House is not what Jesus looks like and is not our faith.

Duford told The New York Times she believes her grandfather would be discouraged by the current state of politics.

I think he would be sad. I think his greatest desire had nothing to do with policies but to introduce people to a loving Jesus, and the division this administration has caused I believe has hurt this effort, she explained.

When it comes to the issue of abortion, Duford said she genuinely wishes the Democratic Party would have a greater value for life inside the womb, but also wishes the Republican Party would place a greater value on life outside the womb.

You cannot choose just one and define yourself as pro-life, she said.

Dufords opinions starkly contrast those of her cousin, Cissie Graham Lynch, the daughter of the outspoken conservative Franklin Graham.

During a speech delivered at the Republican National Convention, the 34-year-old warned that the Biden-Harris vision for America of leaves no room for people of faith and urged people of faith to support the Trump administration.

They will force the choice between being obedient to God or to Caesar, Lynch said, because the radical lefts God is government power. So in the words of my grandfather Billy Graham, let us stand for political freedom, moral freedom, religious freedom, and the rights of all Americans, and lets never give in to those who would attempt to take it from us.

Lynch asserted that after Trumps election, people of faith had a fierce advocate in the White House who appointed judges who respect the First Amendment.

She also noted how the Trump administration has supported Christians facing legal discrimination challenges related to their religious beliefs on sexuality and marriage in court. She said the Trump administration has ensured religious ministries would not be forced to violate their beliefs.

Lynch also praised Trump for talking about the importance of religious freedom at the United Nations last year.

In America, we have not faced physical persecution, even though the left has tried to silence us, she said. Even during the pandemic, we saw how quickly life can change. Some Democratic leaders tried to ban church services while marijuana shops and abortion clinics were declared essential. But do you know what truly is essential? Our right to worship freely and live our faith in every aspect of life.

Other members of the Graham family have also publicly backed Trump, including evangelists Franklin Graham and Anne Graham Lotz.

While some polls have shown the presidents support slipping with white evangelicals, a poll from Pew Research Center taken last month showed that 82% of white evangelicals planned to vote for Trump.
'Deep sadness' over death of vicar and wife killed in horror collision

The Diocese of Coventry has expressed its "deep sadness" over the deaths of a vicar and his wife who were killed in a collision in Anglesey on Wednesday.

Rev Stephen Burch and his wife, Kathy, both 65, were walking near a pier in the Welsh town of Beaumaris when they were hit by a car. The 81-year-old driver of a grey Audi A8 involved in the crash died at the scene.

The Diocese of Coventry said news of their deaths was a "shock" as Rev Burch had only retired at the end of last year after serving in the diocese for over 35 years.

His last role before his retirement was as vicar of St James, Fletchamstead, a post he held for 19 years.

"Steve was a popular member of our diocese and well known for his good humour and unwavering faith and many will also know Kathy well from her work with CPAS (Church Pastoral Aid Society) and worship ministry," a spokesperson said.

"As [a] couple they were still very active in retirement this year, running an Alpha course leading to baptism and confirmations.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Steve and Kathy's family at this time especially their children, David, Jonathan and Sarah as they come to terms with this devastating, unexpected loss."

Details of the funeral have not yet been made public. The family have thanked people for their prayers and asked for privacy as they come to terms with their loss.

The Diocese of Coventry has published a special prayer.

Dear Lord, as Jesus followers asked him to help their friends,

so we ask you today to help our friends

struggling in the darkness of grief.

May they know moments of peace in their pain,

moments of joy in their memories,

and moments of hope in your love.

Amen.
Top crime author Lee Child says a Bible story inspired him

Lee Child, one of the world's biggest-selling crime novelists, has revealed that a Bible picture book had a major impact on his writing  and that his popular fictional hero Jack Reacher is based on Goliath.

Child  who has sold more than 100 million books worldwide  told a radio interviewer that he came across the Old Testament story of David and Goliath in a children's scripture book when he was around four years old.

Speaking to the BBC's John Wilson, British-born Child described the deep impact on him of 'The Shepherd Boy of Bethlehem,' one of a series produced by UK publisher Ladybird Books in the 1950s.

Child recalled: "I loved the pictures and I read the story. But Goliath was my favourite. I would read the book over and over again, daily, hoping that one day Goliath would win!

"Afterwards I realised, I liked the big guy rather than the little guy. I don't like the underdog apparently. In my head, Goliath would win  though he never did on the page, and the story never changed."

Child admitted "Jack Reacher is Goliath. My whole premise for the Reacher books is 'Can Goliath be the good guy  and can we find a way of making readers worried about him.'"

Reacher, a fictional hero in Child's books, is a former military policeman, strong and tall, and fearless as a fighter.

Child's revelation is further evidence of the major impact of the Ladybird Books, published between the 1950s and 1970s and read in their millions by children around the world.

The book read by Child has been confirmed as 'The Shepherd Boy of Bethlehem,' published in 1953, with illustrations by Kenneth Inns, and written by Lucy Diamond.

That slim volume now stands revealed as having a major influence on popular crime fiction in the 21st century.

Religious titles were among the wide range of books published by Ladybird that were popular with children and their families, and widely used in primary schools and churches.

Some can still be found in church libraries today, with many older readers maintaining a deep affection for the books that first introduced them to Bible stories.

Helen Day, curator of 'The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Artists' exhibition, is a keen collector and historian of the books, and has taken her exhibition to a series of UK cities.

She explained, "The heyday of Ladybird is usually said to be the 'golden years' between 1950 and the early 1970s.

"They were hugely influential in children's lives  especially in the 1960s and 70s  when Ladybird was well established as a publisher for children and the market was less competitive. Right from the start, the combination of the small size, hard cover, abundant full-colour illustrations, consistent format and high quality made them appealing both to children and adults."

Day added, "Religious books were among the earlier titles to be published  beginning in 1952. They must have sold in vast numbers judging by the number of existing copies.

"It's extremely common to find a bookplate in the front of the religious books, explaining the title in question had been a prize for school attendance or success."

The first title in the Scripture series was published in 1952. 'The Child in the Temple', a retelling of the Bible story of Samuel, was written by Lucy Diamond with illustrations by Kenneth Inns.

Sadly, although much is known about the illustrators of the religious titles, there is little information about the writers, whose words introduced a generation to Bible stories and the life of Jesus.

Rev Peter Crumpler is a Church of England minister in St Albans, Herts, UK, a former communications director with the CofE and a collector of Ladybird Books religious titles.
A worker prepares packages at an Amazon same-day delivery fulfillment center on Prime Day in the Bronx borough of New York, US, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. Amazon.com Inc.'s Prime Day sales rose about 13% in the first six hours of the event compared with the same period last year, according to Momentum Commerce, which manages 50 brands in a variety of product categories. Photographer: Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Amazon's checkout function encountered technical issues on Friday, keeping customers from completing purchases. The e-commerce site displayed error messages with photos of dogs during the outage as people posted about it on social media.

To run its website, Amazon relies on its own data center infrastructure. But the company's Amazon Web Services division was not reporting any technical issues while the checkout feature wasn't working. AWS downtime can lead to problems across the internet because so many companies rely on the market-leading public cloud.

An Amazon spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the run-up to the long weekend in the U.S., Amazon has started promoting discounts on products as part of a Labor Day sale. But people weren't able to purchase discounted products because of the glitch, as some people pointed out on the X social network.

The Amazon Help account on X replied with a recommendation to contact the company.

Amazon has warned investors that technical incidents can lead to lower sales and a worse perception of the company's products and services. Sales are healthy at almost $148 billion in the second quarter.

WATCH: Evercore ISI's Mark Mahaney on his new top internet stock picks: Amazon, Doordash, Uber
NASA administrators speak during a news conference to discuss plans to return two astronauts who remain stranded at the International Space Station, at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on August 24, 2024.

NASA said on Friday it will replace two crew members for an upcoming SpaceX flight to accommodate the two astronauts aboard the International Space Station who had arrived on Boeing 's faulty Starliner capsule.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both former military test pilots who launched aboard the Starliner spacecraft in June, will replace Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson on the SpaceX mission.

Last week, NASA officials deemed issues with Starliner's propulsion system too risky to bring its first crew home as planned, dealing a major blow to Boeing's struggling space program.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, initially set to launch four astronauts to the ISS on Aug. 18, has had its mission, dubbed Crew-9, rescheduled by NASA to "no earlier than" Sept. 24.

Cardman, initially selected as the mission's commander, and Wilson, the mission specialist, remain eligible for reassignment to future missions, NASA said in a release.

Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will continue as part of the crew and fly back with Wilmore and Williams in February 2025.

Hague, originally designated as the pilot, will now take over as commander, while Gorbunov will retain his role as mission specialist, the space agency said.

NASA's decision to enlist Boeing's chief space rival, SpaceX, to return the astronauts marks another setback for the embattled U.S. planemaker and represents one of NASA's most consequential decisions in years.

Boeing had pinned its space hopes on the success of the Starliner test mission, hoping it would redeem the troubled program after years of development challenges.
China Coast Guard ships (background L and R) are seen past the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Cape Engano (C), as photographed from the BRP Cabra during a supply mission to Sabina Shoal in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Aug. 26, 2024.

China and the Philippines accused each other of ramming their ships in a disputed area of the South China Sea on Saturday, the latest in an escalating series of clashes in the vital waterway.

China's coast guard said a Philippine ship, "illegally stranded" at the Sabina Shoal, had lifted anchor and "deliberately rammed" a Chinese vessel, while the Philippine coast guard said a Chinese vessel had "intentionally rammed" one of Manila's ships.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Portions of the waterway, where $3 trillion worth of trade passes annually, are believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits, as well as fish stocks.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 found China's sweeping claims had no legal basis, a ruling Beijing rejects.

Liu Dejun, a spokesperson for China's coast guard, called on the Philippines in a statement to withdraw immediately from the shoal.
China's slow post-Covid recovery could be a lasting headwind for its stock market.

With the mainland's two largest indexes  the Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Composite  each negative so far in 2024, KraneShares Chief Investment Officer Brendan Ahern thinks government stimulus is necessary to kick-start the country's stock market performance.

"Investors, particularly in mainland China  [are] looking for much, much stronger fiscal support from the government," he told CNBC's "ETF Edge" this week. "Thus far, we've been left waiting."

Ahern, whose firm runs the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB) , added that Chinese households are still reluctant to spend at pre-pandemic levels. The most recent read from the country's National Bureau of Statistics showed consumer goods retail sales contracting slightly in June.

"That scar tissue, as well as a real estate crisis in China, has really weighed on the balance sheet of the household," he said.

This week's post-earnings plunge in PDD Holdings is emblematic of China's consumer pullback, according to Ahern. He suggests the Temu parent company has focused too heavily on growth amid a broader spending slump and stiff e-commerce competition.

"It's a bit of a crowded long, and I think it's paying for that at the moment," he said. "The company's hypergrowth and that slight miss lead to a big, big drop."

Ahern returned to the idea that a top-down economic recovery might be necessary to stimulate China's tech sector in particular.

"I think you need to see policy amplification, and then you'll see investors come back into this space," he added.

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